Page 181 - Politics
Lesotho premier faces confidence vote over 'interfering' wife
Lesotho's Prime Minister Thomas Thabane is facing a motion of no confidence for allegedly allowing his wife to meddle in government affairs, as political in-fighting rocks his ruling party and threatens the breakdown of his coalition government. The motion was filed in parliament this week by a member of Thabane's own ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC), raising the possibility he will call snap elections in the tiny mountainous southern African kingdom. "We hereby move a motion that this honourable house has no confidence in a government of Lesotho led by the Prime Minister Thomas Motsoahe Thabane," read a motion filed by ABC's Motebang Koma and seconded by the main opposition Democratic Congress deputy leader, Motlalentoa Letsosa. Parliament was adjourned on Monday with no date fixed for it to sit again. While the motion did not outline reasons for wanting Thabane out, some party members have turned to local media to voice claims that the 80-year-old premier was ceding political ...
'World is watching' Hong Kong protests, Biden warns China
Top Democratic US presidential contender Joe Biden expressed support Friday for protesters engaged in Hong Kong's deepest political unrest in two decades, warning China that "the world is watching." The international finance hub was rocked this week by the worst political violence since its 1997 handover to Beijing, with the semi-autonomous island's embattled leader facing mounting pressure to abandon a deeply unpopular plan to allow extraditions to China. "The extraordinary bravery shown by hundreds of thousands in Hong Kong, marching for the civil liberties & autonomy promised by China is inspiring," tweeted the former US vice president, who is the leading Democrat in the race to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020. "And the world is watching," Biden added. "All of us must stand in support of democratic principles and freedom." The veteran Democrat weighed in with his comments two days after Trump offered a cautious response to what he said were "massive" demonstrations, ...
UN chief pushes for probe of Gulf tanker attacks
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday pressed for an investigation to establish those responsible for a spate of suspected attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf that has raised fears of war. After the United States accused Iran of carrying out the attacks and Tehran rejected the accusations, the UN chief suggested that an independent entity could step in to verify the facts. "It's very important to know the truth. It's very important that responsibilities are clarified," Guterres told reporters. "Obviously that can only be done if there is an independent entity that verifies those facts," he said. Guterres however said that he did not have the authority to establish such an inquiry, adding that this was the purview of the Security Council. The UN's political chief, Rosemary DiCarlo, discussed the Gulf crisis with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Bishkek, the UN spokesman said. The Japanese- and ...
Sudan opposition chief, US demand probe on protest crackdown
Sudan's veteran opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi called on Friday for an "objective" international investigation into last week's deadly crackdown on protesters, after the ruling military council rejected such a probe. Mahdi's call was backed by top US envoy Tibor Nagy, who urged an "independent and credible" investigation into the June 3 killings. Thousands of protesters who had camped outside the army headquarters in central Khartoum for weeks were dispersed in an operation which left dozens dead. The crackdown followed the collapse of talks between protest leaders and generals, following the ouster of president Omar al-Bashir. The generals had repeatedly pledged they would not disperse the sit-in, but on Thursday admitted that "mistakes" had been made. Mahdi, speaking after attending Friday prayers at a mosque in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman, condemned the operation. "The protest's dispersal was wrong. There should be an independent international investigation into it," he told
Iran 'almost certainly' behind Gulf tanker attacks: Britain's Hunt
An independent assessment by Britain has concluded that Iran was "almost certainly" responsible for the latest Gulf tanker attacks, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Friday. "Our own assessment leads us to conclude that responsibility for the attacks almost certainly lies with Iran. These latest attacks build on a pattern of destabilising Iranian behaviour and pose a serious danger to the region," Hunt said in a statement. The foreign office statement pinned the blame for Thursday's attack on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard -- a vast and powerful branch of the Iranian military. "No other state or non-state actor could plausibly have been responsible," the foreign office statement said. Hunt called on Iran to "cease all forms of destabilising activity" and said Britain was working with other countries to try to find a diplomatic solution to the escalating standoff between Tehran and Washington. Iran rejects accusation of staging the Guld of Oman attacks.
Boris Johnson rejects 'white flag' of Brexit delays
UK leadership race frontrunner Boris Johnson insisted Friday he would never raise the "white flag" of surrender and plead for a further delay of Brexit if no EU deal was ready by October 31. The former foreign minister also said he would replace the controversial "backstop" solution for keeping the Irish border open after Brexit with advanced technological checks along the new EU frontier. He also bowed to growing political pressure and agreed to debate the other Conservative Party contenders to replace outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May on BBC television Tuesday evening. The field of hopefuls to take on one of the most challenging political assignments in Europe narrowed to six on Friday after Health Secretary Matt Hancock withdrew. But the odds-on favourite is Johnson -- a figurehead of the 2016 referendum that triggered the laborious process of extricating Britain from the European Union after nearly 50 years. Johnson said London could finally get what it wanted once it made ...
Iraq pushes US for 'calm' after Gulf tanker attacks
Iraqi premier Adel Abdel Mahdi pushed for "calm" in a Friday phone call with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as tensions spiked between Washington and Tehran over tanker attacks in the Gulf of Oman. The call came after US President Donald Trump accused Iran of being behind Thursday's attacks on two oil tankers, the latest episode of worsening ties between Baghdad's two closest allies. According to Abdel Mahdi's office, Pompeo phoned the Iraqi prime minister and discussed "the crisis between the US and the Islamic Republic of Iran." Abdel Mahdi told Washington's top diplomat that Iraq was "striving for calm." The prime minister has suggested Iraq as a potential mediator between the United States and Iran, but his offers have borne little fruit. Thursday's twin attacks on two vessels after they passed through the Strait of Hormuz -- which Trump said had Iran "written all over it" -- have raised fears of conflict in the strategically vital waterway. Iran has denied involvement and ...
Seer who 'forecast' Digvijaya victory not allowed to end life
Seer Bairagyanand Giri, who announced he would opt for 'samadhi' (live burial) after Congress leader Digvijaya Singh lost the Lok Sabha election to BJP's Sadhvi Pragya contrary to his prophecy, was on Friday denied permission by the administration to end his life voluntarily.
Congress CMs, key leaders meet over dinner at Nath's house (2nd Lead)
Amid the crisis in the Congress over party chief Rahul Gandhi's insistence to step down from his post, Congress' Chief Ministers and some other senior leaders met here over dinner at the residence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath.
Fadnavis, Uddhav meet to discuss Maha cabinet expansion
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray late Friday night to discuss the proposed cabinet expansion in the state. In the last few days, both Fadnavis and finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar have said the ministry will be expanded. In a tweet, Fadnavis said, "I met shiv sena president uddhav thackeray at his residence Matoshri and discussed in detail cabinet expansion." Earlier in the day, when asked about a cabinet expansion, Thackeray had said, "I don't know when the cabinet expansion is happening. I don't have a 'panchang' (almanac)." There is speculation in political circles that the expansion could take place on Sunday, a day before the three week monsoon session of the state legislature begins. Fadnavis earlier met Governor C Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan. Currently, there are 37 ministers including the chief minister, and Fadnavis can accommodate another five. A vacancy was created due to the death of BJP leader Pandurang ...
TDP denies reports of hiring Prashant Kishor's poltical consultancy IPAC
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson Lanka Dinakar on Friday dismissed reports that party chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had plans to rope in the consultancy, mentored by political strategist Prashant Kishor.Dubbing the claims as "propaganda", Dinakar told ANI, "N Chandrababu Naidu is introspecting the party's defeat in the recent State Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, there are rumours and propaganda that TDP is going to use the services of Prashant Kishor's IPAC but we haven't taken any such decision. We strongly condemn this propaganda."Issuing a clarification, he maintained that the TDP is a cadre-based party and it does not need any consultant's services.Recently, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also met with the IPAC founder and Janata Dal (U) vice president Kishor.Kishor was recently credited with scripting Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's spectacular victory in Andhra Pradesh where his party YSRCP bagged 151 out of 175 Assembly
Modi emplanes for India after SCO Summit, bilateral engagements
Wrapping up his visit to Kyrgyzstan after taking part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and a string of other bilateral engagements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emplaned for New Delhi from Bishkek on Friday."Thank you to the exceptional people of the Kyrgyz Republic for hosting a productive SCO Summit. This Summit will boost multilateral cooperation and lead to many positive outcomes. I also thank the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and President Jeenbekov for the hospitality," Modi tweeted.While talks with Iran on Friday were shelved due to scheduling issues, he held successful bilaterals with China, Russia, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan, apart from addressing the SCO Summit here.The Prime Minister also held a pull-aside meeting with President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus on the sidelines of the SCO Summit on Friday, according to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.He coined the acronym HEALTH during his address at the Summit, which ..
PC Chako denies allegations of misbehaviour ,claims he does not know Rohit Manchanda
Senior Congress leader PC Chacko on Friday claimed that he did not know Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) NRI cell chairman Rohit Manchanda, who has alleged that he "misbehaved" with him at state Congress office on Friday.It has been reported that Manchanda, who lost Delhi Assembly polls from Saket seat in 2003 by just 116 votes, has demanded Chacko's resignation.Issuing a justification, Chacko told reporters, "Nobody is asking for my resignation. I have not come across anyone asking for my resignation. You can ask the person who has claimed this. I have noted nobody has shown any opinion. Go and ask the person who has told you. I don't know who he is."Briefing about the claimed incident, Manchanda alleged that Chacko lashed on him."I was near the lift at the party office to receive Chacko ji, when he lashed out at me and said people like me should be thrown out of the party. He said that he has substantial proof against me. We have lost four elections in Delhi under his ...
Rajnath reviews progress in critical defence technologies
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday reviewed the progress of research and development activities in defence technologies at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) headquarters here.
Delhi Congress leaders demand Chacko's resignation over LS poll debacle
Some Delhi Congress leaders on Friday demanded resignation of Congress General Secretary and Delhi in-charge P.C. Chacko following the party's dismal performance in the Lok Sabha polls.
KCR is country's most corrupt politician: D Aravind
BJP MP from Nizamabad, D Aravind, on Friday launched a scathing attack on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, calling him the "most corrupt politician" of the country.Talking about the Nizam sugar factory, where the Telangana government had recently passed an order for liquidation, Aravind told ANI, "Earlier, Nizam sugar factory was the largest sugar factory of Asia. Today the reason for its bad state is the corrupt politics since the time of N. Chandrababu Naidu. It was a blunder made by Chandrababu by privatising this unit.""Then after him, Congress came to power. They targeted the factory and tried to bring it back under the government. They neither took it back nor allowed the investor to move forward with the company," he added.Aravind blamed Rao, popularly known as KCR, for the dire conditions of the Nizam sugar factory."KCR had promised to take back the unit under the government within 100 days after he came to power in 2014 elections. But, five years have gone and ...
Twitter pulls down over 4,000 accounts linked to Iranian government
In its latest transparency disclosure, Twitter revealed that it pulled down a massive chunk of accounts related to the Iranian government which were found in violation of the Twitter Rules.In an official blog, Head of Site Integrity, Yoel Roth noted that the company removed a total of 4,779 accounts originating in Iran and believed to be associated with or directly backed by the Iranian government.Out of these, more than 1600 accounts originated in Iran and tweeted nearly 2 million times global news content with an angle that benefited the diplomatic and geostrategic views of the Iranian state.Over 200 accounts were more directly engaged with discussions related to Israel, while more than 2800 accounts employed false personas to target political conversations in Iran.
Congress CMs, key leaders meet over dinner at Nath's house
Amid the crisis in the Congress over party chief Rahul Gandhi's insistence to step down from his post, Congress' Chief Ministers and some other senior leaders met here over dinner at the residence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath.
India, Italy discuss measures to deepen anti-terror cooperation
India and Italy have deliberated on measures to deepen bilateral cooperation for combating terror and transnational crimes through regular information sharing, mutual capacity building efforts and mutual legal assistance.This took place during the 2nd meeting of the India-Italy Counter Terrorism Joint Working Group (JWG) which was held in New Delhi on June 13, according to a press statement issued by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).The meeting was co-chaired by Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism), Ministry of External Affairs and Diego Brasioli, Principal Director for Security, Disarmament and non-Proliferation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy.The working group discussed threats posed by terrorist entities globally and in their respective regions including cross border terrorism, the statement said."They exchanged views on current counter-terrorism challenges including countering radicalisation, terror financing and misuse of internet for terrorist purposes. .
Baloch woman activist urges Modi to expose Pak's brutalities in Balochistan
A Baloch woman activist has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfill his government's earlier promise of making the world aware of Pakistan's brutalities in Balochistan.Professor Naela Quadri Baloch, the President of World Baloch Women's Forum, made the request while congratulating Modi for securing a massive mandate to lead India for a second term."Halfway into its first term, his government had promised to raise our plight at the international level. While in practical terms this did not translate into any significant change in India's approach to the Baloch issue, Pakistan used the stray statements issued by India to demonise our seven-decades-old struggle for independence as an India-sponsored movement," Naela said."The Baloch people hope that the Modi government will fulfil its earlier promise of making the world aware of Pakistan's brutalities in occupied Balochistan," she added.The Indian leader made a reference to the Baloch freedom struggle during his 2016 Independence ..