Page 1857 - Politics
Over 100 Indian MSMEs to feature in Singapore export forum
Over 100 Indian firms will feature in the Singapore export forum during a business conclave here from Thursday that aims to promote India's export-oriented industries in the strategic ASEAN region. The business forum along with an exhibition is being organised as part of the India Week, showcasing India's favourites for the global markets -- ayurveda, cinema, food, lifestyle, handicrafts, literature, music, tourism and yoga. "The forum aims to promote this very important export-oriented industries in the ASEAN region from Singapore which is a regional hub and gateway to the South East Asian markets," India's High Commissioner to Singapore Jawed Ashraf told PTI. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organisation comprising ten countries in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military among others vital matters. The ASEAN countries include Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, ...
Krishnan named advisor to J&K Governor
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday appointed Skandan Krishnan, a retired IAS officer, as the fourth advisor to Governor Satya Pal Malik.
BJP earned Rs 553 crore from unknown sources in 2017-18
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has amassed over Rs 553 crore as income from unknown sources in 2017-18, which is 80 percent of total such income and four times the aggregate declared by the five other national parties.
Priyanka Gandhi appointed as AICC general secretary for Eastern UP
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was appointed as AICC General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East by Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday.Announcing Priyanka's formal entry into active politics, Congress informed that she will be taking charge of her responsibility with effect from February first week.During earlier elections, Priyanka had kept herself limited to campaigning for Rahul and Sonia Gandhi in Amethi and Raebareli parliamentary constituencies only.Incidentally, both Amethi and Raebareli are also part of Uttar Pradesh East, the region of which Priyanka has been given charge as General Secretary. Apart from Priyanka, Congress has also appointed KC Venugopal as AICC General Secretary (Organisation), Jyotiraditya Scindia as AICC General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh West and Ghulam Nabi Azad as AICC General Secretary for Haryana.
Priyanka appointed AICC general secretary for UP East
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was on Wednesday appointed AICC general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East by her brother and party chief Rahul Gandhi, the party said. Jyotiraditya Scindia was appointed AICC general secretary for UP West, a party spokesperson said. The party also replaced Ashok Gehlot as AICC general secretary Organisation with K C Venugopal. Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad was appointed AICC general secretary in charge of Haryana, the party said. Priyanka Gandhi will take over as AICC general secretary for UP East in the first week of February, the party said.
Shiv Sena fires another salvo at Centre on Thackeray's 93rd birth anniversary
Asserting that Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray had always been at the forefront as a 'masculine commander' while fighting for the sons of soil or for the cause of Hindutva, BJP ally Shiv Sena on Wednesday claimed that all was not well with the country today and there was a need for a 'masculine' rule."Shiv Sena is not an organisation of the weak. Whether it be the campaign for the sons of the soil or for the protection of Hindutva, the Shiv Sena chief (Bal Thackeray) had always led as a strong masculine commander," the Sena said in an editorial in mouthpiece Saamna to mark the 93rd birth anniversary of the late party founder.Attacking the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, it said: "Desh ki dasha aur disha theek nahi hai. Desh mein aaj mardon ka raaj chahiye. Us mardangi mein hi rashtriyata hai. (The situation in the country and its direction are not right. The country requires strong masculine leadership. Nationalism lies in this masculinity). The leaders ...
Shah Faesel launches crowdfunding campaign for 'clean politics' in Kashmir
Former IAS officer Shah Faesal Wednesday launched a crowdfunding campaign for "clean politics and corruption-free administration" in Jammu and Kashmir. The 2010-batch topper of the UPSC civil services exam said it was a people's movement for change. "Be a part of this journey for clean politics and corruption-free administration in J&K. Support Shah Faesal with your small donations," he tweeted. Faesal, who resigned from government service earlier this month, gave a bank account number for contributions and said payments could also be made through e-wallet. He had said the resignation was to protest "unabated killings in Kashmir, and lack of any sincere reach-out from the Union government; the marginalisation and invisiblisation of around 200 million Indian Muslims at the hands of Hindutva forces reducing them to second-class citizens; insidious attacks on the special identity of J&K and growing culture of intolerance and hate in mainland India in the name of ...
Kamala Harris raises over USD 1 million within 24 hours of her presidential bid announcement
Kamala Harris, the first Indian-origin Senator, has raised a whopping more than USD 1 million funds within 24 hours after announcing her presidential bid for 2020, according to a media report. Harris, 54, officially launched her campaign for the US presidential election in 2020 to take on President Donald Trump on Monday, saying she was "honoured" to announce her bid on a day when Americans celebrated Martin Luther King Jr who sought inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi. In the 24 hours after Harris made the announcement on ABC's "Good Morning America", 38,000 donors gave USD 1.5 million to her campaign, the Fox News reported. "Thanks to to you, we surpassed USD 1.5 million in grassroots contributions in under 24 hours," Harris tweeted. In fact, within the first 12 hours alone, Harris' campaign registered USD 1 million in funding, and the average donation was around USD 37, the report said mentioning the Wall Street Journal. Harris also raised more than USD 110,000 from merchandise, ...
Kovind, Modi pay tributes to Netaji
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several politicians on Wednesday paid rich tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 122nd birth anniversary, calling him the most beloved national hero and a "defiant patriot".
PM Modi inaugurates Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose museum
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose museum at Red Fort in Delhi on the birth anniversary of the revolutionary freedom fighter.The Prime Minister also visited the Yaad-e-Jallian, a museum on Jallianwala Bagh, at Red Fort in Delhi.Highlighting the importance of the museums, he said, "These museums being inaugurated today will deepen the connect between our glorious history and our youth as well as add to the patriotic fervour among citizens."Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister took to Twitter to pay homage to the freedom fighter. "I bow to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his Jayanti. He was a stalwart who committed himself towards ensuring India is free and leads a life of dignity. We are committed to fulfilling his ideals and creating a strong India" the tweet read.President Ram Nath Kovind also paid tributes to the freedom fighter on his birth anniversary and recalled his contribution to India's freedom struggle.Calling him one of the ...
Tensions rising in Venezuela ahead of rival protests
Opposition supporters and regime loyalists in Venezuela are set to hold competing mass street rallies on Wednesday, two days after a failed mutiny by soldiers hoping to spark a movement that would overthrow President Nicolas Maduro. "We have a historic appointment with our country, with the future of our children," said National Assembly president Juan Guaido, the driving force behind the opposition protest. "Venezuelan military, tomorrow we have a historic appointment with the people," he said Tuesday during a session of the legislature, which the regime has stripped of power. Guaido, 35, called for the demonstration earlier this month after Maduro was sworn in for a second term of office over objections from both the opposition and large sections of the international community. Maduro earned his second term by winning snap elections in May that were boycotted by the opposition and dismissed as a fraud by the European Union, the United States and many Latin American countries. The ...
President Kovind, PM Modi pay homage to Subhas Chandra Bose on birth anniversary
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tributes to freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary and recalled his contribution in India's freedom struggle.Calling him one of the country's most beloved national heroes, President Kovind tweeted: "Tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary. He remains one of our most beloved national heroes and an icon of India's freedom struggle. Netaji is cherished, remembered and missed to this day all over the country" Prime Minister Modi also paid homage to Bose and wrote, "I bow to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his Jayanti. He was a stalwart who committed himself towards ensuring India is free and leads a life of dignity. We are committed to fulfilling his ideals and creating a strong India," on Twitter.To mark the occasion, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate Museums on Bose and the Indian National Army at the iconic Red Fort in Delhi.On December 30, Prime Minister Narendra .
BSP MLA demands cabinet berth to avoid "K'taka-like situation" in MP
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Ramabai Ahirwar has reiterated her demand for a cabinet berth in Madhya Pradesh, stating that the Kamal Nath government should keep its ministers happy to avoid a "Karnataka-like situation" in the state.Speaking to ANI, Ahirwar, an MLA from Pathariya assembly constituency, said, "Congress government in Madhya Pradesh has been formed with the support of Behen Ji (BSP Chief Mayawati). We demand ministerial berth for 2 BSP MLAs in the Madhya Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Kamal Nath. We have seen the situation in Karnataka; we don't want a similar situation here.""If they (Congress government) don't give us ministerial berth, then not only me but others will also oppose. They need to keep everyone happy. If he (Kamal Nath) wants to keep the party strong, then firstly, he must make us strong. He should give us the ministerial berth," said Ahirwar.This is not the first time that Ahirwar has raised demands for ministerial berths.On January 7, the ...
Ruckus erupts in Nepal's Lower House
Ruckus erupted in Nepal's Lower House on Tuesday after opposition parliamentarians from the Nepali Congress staged a protest over the bills which were to be presented.The opposition Nepali Congress has been protesting in the Parliament over the KP Sharma Oli-led government's decision to dismiss two hospitals bearing the name of former Prime Ministers Girija Prasad Koirala and Sushil Koirala."The cabinet decision regarding the amendment of the name of hospitals are to be enlisted as National Level Hospital by the Ministry of Health. Out of the 11 hospitals, the name of nine of them were endorsed, but the remaining two -- the Girija Prasad Koirala Respiratory Center in Tanahun District and another hospital in Banke called Sushil Koirala Cancer Hospital have not been endorsed by the government so far," Prakash Man Singh, MP from the Nepali Congress said.The Nepal government has argued that the hospitals bearing the name of the two former Prime Ministers are struggling hard to operate and
Trump won't soften hardline on China to make trade deal- advisers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As much as U.S. President Donald Trump wants to boost markets through a trade pact with China, he will not soften his position that Beijing must make real structural reforms, including how it handles intellectual property, to reach a deal, advisers say.
Thai king signs decree approving first election since coup
Thailand's king has issued a royal decree endorsing the first general election since a 2014 coup, the palace said Wednesday, with the date of the long-delayed poll expected to be announced imminently. The decree, published in the Royal Gazette, called for a general "election of members of parliament" and gives the kingdom's Election Commission five days to announce when it will hold the much-anticipated poll. The election will be the first since the junta toppled the administration of Yingluck Shinawatra nearly five years ago, rewriting the constitution, muzzling dissent and appointing key military allies across the bureaucracy. The junta had said polls would be held no later than the end of February, but the late signing by 66-year-old King Maha Vajiralongkorn may mean elections are put back for several weeks. The decree means campaigning can officially start, although an array of new parties -- including some aligned to the military, others to the still powerful Shinawatra clan -- ..
Putin and Erdogan to hold Syria talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold Syria talks in Moscow on Wednesday, with Turkey saying they will focus on Ankara's so-called "security zone" in northern Syria. The two leaders are on opposite sides of the conflict: Russia provides critical support to the Syrian government, while Turkey has backed rebel groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Despite this, they have worked closely to find a political solution to the seven-year conflict. Russia and Turkey have agreed to coordinate ground operations in Syria following US President Donald Trump's shock announcement on pulling 2,000 American troops out of Syria last month. In a speech on Monday, Erdogan said he would discuss with Putin the creation of a Turkish-controlled "security zone" in northern Syria, suggested by Trump. The US-allied Kurds, who control much of northern Syria, have rejected the idea, fearing a Turkish offensive against territory under their ...
Syria mulls strike on Tel-Aviv airport as retaliatory measure
The Permanent Representative of the Syrian Mission to the United Nations said that Syria is mulling over attacking Israel's Tel Aviv airport in retaliation to the recent airstrike carried out by Israel on Damascus airport.Furthermore, the Permanent Representative, Bashar Jaafari, called for the United Nations Security Council to take "action to stop constant Israeli attacks on Syrian territories," according to Sputnik.Jaafari also added that Damascus was mulling over the "symmetric" strike on Tel Aviv airport as part of its right for self-defence.The Israeli airstrikes were carried out on Monday against Iranian targets in Syria, reports CNN. Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed to have struck Iranian warehouses at the Damascus airport through its strikes.
US lawmakers reintroduce legislation enforcing fair trade with China
Two US lawmakers -- one each from the Republican and the Democratic party -- on Wednesday reintroduced a legislation in the House of Representatives to safeguard American assets from Chinese influence and possession, as well as protect American businesses from China's tools of economic aggression. Reintroduced by Congressman Tim Ryan and Mike Conaway, the Fair Trade with China Enforcement Act is the companion legislation to a similar legislation introduced by Senators Mark Warner and Marco Rubio in the Senate. "Our imbalanced trade relationship with China poses profound national and economic security risks to the United States. The bipartisan Fair Trade with China Enforcement Act would help correct our trade imbalances with China and give American workers a level playing field to compete and succeed," said Ryan. This legislation would further strengthen the American position by safeguarding our assets from Chinese influence and possession, and blunting China's tools of economic ...
Trump won't soften hardline on China to make deal - advisers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As much as U.S. President Donald Trump wants to boost markets through a trade pact with China, he will not soften his position that Beijing must make real structural reforms, including how it handles intellectual property, to reach a deal, advisers say.