Page 1836 - Politics
Kerala may see entry of high-profile new faces in LS polls
The upcoming Lok Sabha contest in Kerala is building up into a major battle with different parties gearing up to throw high-profile faces in the ring to sway voters.
CNN anchor apologises for birther tweet on Kamala Harris
A prominent CNN host has apologised for a tweet which appeared to suggest that Kamala Harris, the first Indian-origin Senator, needs to prove that she was born in the US and is eligible to be the president. Harris, 54, last week officially launched her campaign for the US presidential election in 2020 to take on President Donald Trump. If elected, she would be the first woman and woman of colour to be the president of the United States. Chris Cuomo said during an appearance on ABC's "The View" that he "screwed up" and that the tweet, which he sent Tuesday, was misinterpreted. "I screwed up. I wrote a tweet, while I was doing my radio show," Cuomo told The View after he was slammed by the Harris campaign and her supporters for supporting such a birther controversy about the US Senator from California who was born in Oakland to parents who immigrated from India and Jamaica. The tweet drew swift criticism on Twitter, with some saying that Cuomo was giving weight to the false claim that ..
Pak provincial govt to turn Hari Singh Nalwa fort into museum
The government in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has decided to convert a historic fort built by a Sikh commander into a museum. The fort in Haripur district was named after Hari Singh Nalwa, the commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army, the army of the Sikh Empire. The fort was built by Nalwa in 1822 over an area of 35,420 square feet. Nalwa was Commander-in-Chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army, the army of the Sikh Empire. The archaeology department of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sent a note to Chief Minister Mehmood Khan for taking control of the fort and its opening for the tourists. The district administration Haripur has expressed readiness to handover the fort to the archaeology department. The Britishers also carried out some construction work in the fort.
Resolve issue through dialogue: India on Venezuela crisis
India on Venezuela crisisNew Delhi [India], Jan 25 (ANI): Addressing the emerging political situation in Venezuela, India on Friday suggested that people of the South American nation should strive to find a political solution to resolve their differences through constructive dialogue and discussions rather than resorting to violence.Ministry of External Affairs in a statement on Friday said, "We are closely following the emerging situation in Venezuela. We are of the view that it is for the people of Venezuela to find a political solution to resolve their differences through constructive dialogue and discussion without resorting to violence.""We believe democracy, peace, and security in Venezuela are of paramount importance for the progress and prosperity of the people of Venezuela. India and Venezuela enjoy close and cordial relations," the statement further read.Meanwhile, the United States has requested for a United Nations Security Council meeting over the "ongoing crisis" in ...
Trump takes aim at 150% Indian duty on US whiskey imports
President Donald Trump has taken aim at the 150 per cent customs duty he says India charges on whiskey imported from the US as he pushes for a law to impose reciprocity in tariffs in his battle to cut trade deficits.
Time has come for PM to go home: Andhra CM Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Friday said the time has come for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to go home as the BJP's defeat in the ensuing the general elections was certain. "Save India, save democracy slogan is reverberating across the country. The United India rallies (of opposition parties) are creating a buzz in the country. The country will not tolerate anti-people rule," the TDP president told party leaders during his daily teleconference. While antagonism towards the Bharatiya Janata Party was a political inevitability, opposition to Modi was a democratic inevitability, the TDP chief remarked. He pointed out that the BJP was routed in the recent elections to the five state assemblies. "Now, surveys are making the opposition to Modi clear. The BJP and its puppet parties' defeat is thus certain in the coming elections," he said, referring to the YSR Congress in Andhra. Naidu claimed the Centre still owed Rs 1.16 lakh crore to Andhra Pradesh and accused the BJP
Failure of rival Senate legislations push compromise efforts on US shutdown
After Republican and Democratic measures to end the partial government shutdown failed in the Senate, a sobered President Donald Trump and the Democratic Party leadership appeared to soften their positions and edge towards a reluctant compromise.
Notice served to 4 MLAs, no problem to govt: Siddaramaiah
All the four legislators who did not turn up at a recent Congress legislature party meeting in Bengaluru have been served notices, former Karnataka chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah said.Speaking to media he said, "The situation is not like it is being portrayed in the media. Notice has been served to all four MLAs (Ramesh Jarakiholi, Mahesh Kamatihalli, B Nagendra and Umesh Jadhav). There is no problem to the government," Siddaramaiah said.Siddaramaiah also said three of the MLAs had responded to the notice with the exception of Umesh Jadhav, the MLA from Chincholi who has not replied yet."I have seen B Nagendra's reply who said he is loyal to party and they never met any BJP leaders. I haven't seen replies by the other two MLAs. We will take action accordingly after looking at all replies," the former CM said.Four Karnataka Congress MLAs on January 18 abstained from the CLP meeting, which decided to move rest of the 76 legislators to a resort. The meeting was convened
Hoardings projecting Akhilesh as next PM come up in Lucknow
Days after the SP-BSP announced an alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, hoardings have come up in the Uttar Pradesh capital city projecting Akhilesh Yadav as the next Prime Minister of the country.The posters have come up at many places in Lucknow, including one near the Samajwadi Party (SP) state headquarters as well as in front of Akhilesh Yadav's under-construction house.The posters feature a large picture of Akhilesh Yadav, with the Hindi slogan which translates to 'We trust in Akhilesh- The country needs a new Prime Minister'.The posters also have a small image of former SP supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on the top corner.Reportedly, during Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati's birthday celebration on January 15, some posters by BSP workers had come up, projecting Mayawati as the next Prime Minister.The SP and BSP had formed an alliance earlier this month to jointly contest 38 seats each in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections.
Votes can't be won on basis of beautiful faces: Bihar Min on Priyanka Gandhi
Bihar minister Vinod Narayan Jha on Friday , in a statement that could possibly stir up a controversy, called Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi as "a very beautiful face" who had no political achievement to her credit.The remark comes days after the entry of Priyanka Gandhi into active politics. "Votes can't be won on basis of beautiful faces. Moreover, she is the wife of Robert Vadra who is accused of involvement in land scam and several corruption cases. She is very beautiful but other than that she holds no political achievement," the BJP leader said.Priyanka, whose formal entry into politics has been a matter of speculation for several years was handed over the charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday and will work in the capacity of General Secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East. This move comes ahead of the forthcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections.The 47-year-old is set to take charge as the AICC General Secretary from the first week of February, Congress Party said.
Two terrorists arrested for planning attacks in Delhi
Two alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists arrested by Delhi Police had planned terror attacks on marketplaces, other crowded places and a gas pipeline, in the national capital during Republic Day celebrations, according to police.Delhi Police Special cell said interrogation of the two men, Abdul Latif Ganai alias Dilawar and Hilal, revealed their plans to attack the Lajpat Nagar market and a gas pipeline in East Delhi, among other places in the city and had already done a reconnaissance of the areas.Ganai was arrested during the intervening night of January 20 and 21, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Kushwaha said."An input was received from a very reliable source that a terrorist of JeM who masterminded a spree of recent grenade attacks in Srinagar was planning similar terror strikes in heavy footfall areas in Delhi during the Republic Day celebrations," Kushwaha said. A Delhi Police Special Cell team rushed to Jammu and Kashmir and recovered two IEDs from his .
Rahul Gandhi is fit to be Prime Minister: Kushwaha (IANS interview)
After the snub from Samajwadi party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and amidst reports of rumblings within the Mahagatbandhan (Grand Alliance) in Bihar, a new ally says Congress President Rahul Gandhi is fit to be Prime Minister and the party backs him for the top post.
South Africa President arrives in Delhi, Chief Guest at R-Day Parade
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived on Friday in Delhi for his first state visit ahead of the Republic Day celebration parade, where he is the chief guest. Ramaphosa is second South Africa's President after Nelson Mandela to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade.Ramaphosa, who is accompanied by First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe and a high-level delegation of nine ministers and a large business delegation was received at the airport by Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.After a cermonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the South African President will address the India-South Africa Business Forum, with the objective to grow business ties between the two countries.During his two-day visit, Ramaphosa will also deliver the Gandhi-Mandela Freedom Lecture organized by Indian Council of World Affairs under IBSA framework as a part of the celebrations of the 15th Anniversary of IBSA.Ramaphosa will be the chief guest at the 2019 Republic Day parade and also attend ..
No end to US shutdown as opposing bills to reopen govt fail in Senate
Two bills to end the US government have been rejected by the Senate, leaving no end in sight to the record-breaking closure of federal agencies over President Donald Trump's controversial plan to build a border wall along the US-Mexico border. Trump is demanding USD 5.7 billion of congressional funding to build the wall, but the Democrats have refused. Some 800,000 federal employees have been going unpaid since December 22 due to the shutdown. In back-to-back votes on Thursday, the Senate first blocked Trump's proposal to add USD 5.7 billion for his border wall to legislation to resume funding for the government, then turned back a Democratic measure that omitted the wall. Neither side was able to garner the 60 votes needed to advance its bill. A Republican-backed measure to fund Trump's border wall failed in a 50-47 vote. Three senators Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republicans Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Mike Lee of Utah broke with their parties. A plan supported by ...
CBI raids aimed to stop Hooda from going to Jind poll rally, Cong MLA alleges
As the CBI carried out searches at former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's Rohtak residence, Congress MLA Kuldeep Sharma lambasted the BJP government and charged that the action was intended to stop the senior Congress leader from attending a poll rally to be held Friday in the run up to the Jind bypoll. Jind bypoll, which has turned out to be a multi-cornered contest, will take place on January 28. "The Jind by-election is going to take place and today, a poll rally was organised. It (CBI raid) was to happen and it was carried out with an intention of political ill will in order to influence the by-election," Sharma said while talking to reporters in Rohtak. "The BJP government got this despicable act done in order to stop Hooda from going to the rally," alleged Sharma, who is MLA from Ganaur. Hooda was to address the poll rally in favour of Congress nominee Randeep Singh Surjewala in Jind. The former Haryana chief minister, along with other senior leaders, have been ...
Backed by military, Venezuela's Maduro hits back at rival
Backed by Venezuela's military, President Nicolas Maduro went on the offensive against an opposition leader who declared himself interim president and his US supporters, setting up a potentially explosive struggle for power in the crisis-plagued South American nation. A defiant Maduro called home all Venezuelan diplomats from the United States and closed its embassy on Thursday, a day after ordering all US diplomats out of Venezuela by the weekend because President Donald Trump had supported the presidential claim of Juan Guaido. Washington has refused to comply, but ordered its non-essential staff to leave the tumultuous country, citing security concerns. The Trump administration says Maduro's order isn't legal because the U.S. no longer recognises him as Venezuela's legitimate leader. "They believe they have a colonial hold in Venezuela, where they decide what they want to do," Maduro said in an address broadcast live on state TV. "You must fulfill my order from the government of ...
CBI raids ex-Haryana CM Hooda's residence
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday raided former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's residences here and in Rohtak.
Timely arrest prevented major terror strike on Republic Day: Delhi Police
A timely action by the Special Cell of Delhi Police has foiled a possible terror attack in Delhi during the Republic Day celebrations, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Special Cell Pramod Kushwaha."Timely arrest of two Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist prevented major terror strike. Two Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists were planning to carry out a series of attacks across the national capital," said Kushwaha here on Thursday.Abdul Latif Ganai alias Dilawar and Hilal were arrested following specific input about plans to carry out terror strikes in "heavy footfall areas" in Delhi during the ongoing Republic Day celebrations, the Delhi Police said.Ganai was arrested during the intervening night of January 20 and 21, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Kushwaha said."They wanted to carry out terror strike in the national capital during Republic Day celebrations. The targets were VIP areas, iconic places and vital installations. We have recovered two grenades from Ganai's
Sri Lankans demand justice for slain, abducted journalists
Sri Lankan rights activists, lawmakers and relatives of slain and disappeared journalists held a vigil over their abductions and killings, demanding the government expedite investigations. Freddie Gamage, an organizer of the vigil on Thursday, said that despite being in power for four years, the current government "has miserably failed to fulfil its promise to punish those responsible for attacks on journalists." President Maithripala Sirisena came into power in 2015, promising to end a culture of impunity and ensure justice to the slain journalists. Under Sirisena's predecessor, Mahinda Rajapaksa, dozens of journalists were killed, abducted and tortured. Some fled the country, fearing for their lives. In some cases, military officers were arrested and released on bail. Gamage said 44 journalists and media workers were killed between 2006 and 2015, during the Rajapaksa presidency. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 11 journalists were killed in the same period, ...
White House preparing draft national emergency order
The White House is preparing a draft proclamation for President Donald Trump to declare a national emergency along the US-Mexico border and has identified more than $7 billion in potential funds for his border wall should he go that route, according to internal documents.