Page 1906 - Politics
UNGA president to meet Pak PM on Friday
United Nations General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa will meet Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and other top leaders of the country Friday, her spokesperson has said. "Espinosa will be in Islamabad, Pakistan, on the first working day of her official trip to the country (Friday)," spokesperson Monica Villella Grayly said Thursday. The UNGA chief will have bilateral meetings with PM Khan,President Arif Alvi and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, she said. The Pakistan president will host a dinner reception for Espinosa, Grayly told reporters at a news conference held at the UN headquarters in New York. Espinosa will continue on her visit meeting with the UN team in the Pakistan, including the leaders of all UN agencies in the country, her spokesperson said.
Without a strong border America is defenceless, vulnerable: Trump
Passionately pushing for his case for a border wall along the US-Mexico border, US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that without a strong border, America is defenceless, vulnerable and unprotected. Trump's remarks came as the current partial government shutdown over the issue entered into its 25th day. The shutdown has rendered more than 800,000 federal employees without work, crippling the functioning of several key wings of the government including Security and State department. The longest-ever government shutdown is a result of the bitter political divided over birder security issue as the Democrats who now enjoy majority in the House have refused to approve a legislation approving USD 5.7 billion in federal funding to construct a wall across the US-Mexico border. Trump insists that building a wall is the only solution to protect the nation from a large flow of illegal immigrants and drug smuggling. "Without a strong border, America is defenceless, vulnerable, and ...
UK PM May says 'impossible' to rule out no-deal Brexit
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday said it was "impossible" for her to rule out a no-deal Brexit without stopping the process altogether, as she tries to come up with a strategy before exit day on March 29. May was responding to a letter from opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn asking her to exclude crashing out of the EU as a precondition for talks about Brexit compromise proposals. May said she was "disappointed" that Corbyn had not taken up her offer for a meeting to discuss a way forward after her divorce deal with the EU was rejected by parliament this week. "My door remains open to a meeting without preconditions," she said, adding that she would be "happy to discuss" Corbyn's proposals which include a customs union with the EU. But she added: "It is not within the government's power to rule out no deal". Under EU rules for a member state leaving the bloc "we will leave the EU without a deal on March 29 unless parliament either agrees a deal with the EU or the UK .
Trump says US backs NATO '100%' but allies must 'step up'
President Donald Trump said Thursday the United States is fully committed to NATO but repeated his insistence that other members pay more for their own security. "We will be with NATO 100 percent, but as I told the countries, you have to step up and you have to pay," Trump said in a speech at the Pentagon. His comment follows a report in The New York Times that Trump last year spoke to senior officials about pulling the United States from the key western security alliance. Trump has often publicly blasted members of the 29-nation partnership for not paying more into their national defense budgets. Before taking office, Trump called NATO "obsolete" and soon after a tumultuous summit in July last year, he questioned whether the US would honor the alliance's founding principle of mutual defense for newest member Montenegro. On Thursday, Trump repeated his view that close allies had been taking advantage of the US security umbrella for decades and that it was his mission to stop ...
Government curtails tenure of Asthana, 3 other CBI officers
The Central government on Thursday curtailed the tenure of Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana, who had a bitter fight with ousted agency Director Alok Verma and who himself faces corruption charges, with immediate effect.
BJP, allies hit out at Congress for Hariprasad's remarks against Shah
The BJP and it's allies on Thursday came down heavily on Congress after its General Secretary B.K. Hariprasad mocked Amit Shah, who has been admitted to AIIMS due to swine flu infections, demanding his ouster from the party and his post.
Jharkhand opposition parties to finalise alliance by month-end
Jharkhand opposition parties on Thursday decided to give final shape to their alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections by the end of January.
UK puts reserve soldiers on standby for Brexit
Britain has put military reservists on standby for permanent service in the event the country leaves the European Union without a divorce agreement to smooth the way. A cliff-edge "no-deal" Brexit on March 29 could bring gridlock at ports and disruption to the supply of goods because of the sudden need for customs checks and other measures. Armed Forces Minister Mark Lancaster says an order has been made allowing reservists to be called up for a year of permanent service as part of "contingency planning for a no-deal EU exit scenario." The Ministry of Defense has said 3,500 soldiers will be available to help if needed after a no-deal Brexit. Opposition politicians condemned the move. Labour lawmaker Ian Murray said it was "staggering that soldiers are being put on standby because of the risk of a constitutional crisis of the government's own making." Germany's parliament has approved legislation regulating a putative transition period following Britain's departure from the European ...
Trump vows to boost America's missile defense
US President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed that America would develop a unrivaled and unmatched missile defence system and invest in a space-based missile defense layer to protect itself from emerging threats, including sophisticated "hypersonic" weapons. Trump's remarks came as he unveiled the first overhaul of American missile defense doctrine in nearly a decade at the Pentagon. Known as the missile defense review, the unclassified report, which was expected last year, is believed to have been delayed because of sensitivities about how to frame threats posed by China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, according to several defense officials. The 108-page report emphasizes the need for a "comprehensive approach to missile defense against rogue state and regional missile threats," and calls for the development of new technologies to its system in the future. "Our goal is simple. To ensure that we can detect and destroy any missile launched against the United States anywhere, anytime, ...
R'than cabinet gives nod to remove education criteria in local body polls
The Rajasthan cabinet on Thursday approved two amendments bills to do away with the condition of minimum educational qualification for contesting local body elections. The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2019, and the Rajasthan Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2019, will be introduced in the Assembly during the present session, a statement said. The education criteria was introduced by the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in 2015. It requires a candidate to pass Class X for contesting municipal, zila parishad or panchayat samiti elections. A candidate contesting for the post of a sarpanch is required to have passed Class VIII or Class V in tribal-reserved areas. The cabinet also decided to ask the state public service commission to extend the date of the RAS main examination. In a meeting held at the chief minister's residence, it was also decided that the examinations should be conducted in time and in an organised manner in future. All hurdles should be removed
Pak SC orders govt to give more rights to people of Gilgit-Baltistan
Pakistan Supreme Court Thursday ordered the federal government to promulgate a new law within a fortnight to grant more rights, including fundamental human rights, to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan in PoK. A seven-judge bench headed by Justice Saqib Nisar issued a detailed order in response to several petitions filed against constitutional issues and previous reforms in the region. The bench in the order wrote that the jurisdiction and power of the Supreme Court extend to Gilgit-Baltistan. It further said that the region's courts did not have constitutional power to deal with issues within Pakistan but the people from the region will be able to challenge their top court's decisions in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. It also ordered that the people of the region should be give fundamental human rights as provided in the proposed constitutional order, which was made part of the detailed order. Noting the international status of Kashmir, of which Gilgit-Baltistan is a part, the order said
SAI raid: Govt committed to corruption-free India, says Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
In the wake of raids at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) office by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Thursday said that the Central government is committed to corruption-free India, adding that when the government found corrupt practices by a few officials of the SAI, they asked to raid the office."We, as a govt, are committed to a corruption-free India. That's why when we found out corrupt practices by a few officers in @IndiaSports, we gave their info to relevant agencies, who arrested them today. We will continue to have zero tolerance approach towards corruption @PMOIndia," Rathore tweeted.The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the same day arrested four officials of SAI, including Director SAI Sanjay Kumar Sharma and two private persons during an ongoing raid, in connection with alleged corruption in the transport department in the office.The raids were carried following bribery allegations against some SAI ...
Newly elected 114 MLAs, including CM K Chandrashekar Rao, takes oath in Telangana Assembly
Newly elected 114 MLAs, including K. Chandrashekar Rao, took oath in the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Thursday.The assembly session started on Thursday. The House started with a national anthem. Later, Protem Speaker Mumtaz Ahmad Khan invited the Chief Minister KCR to take his Oath.First Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has taken his oath in the House. Subsequently, women MLAs in the House had taken oath. After that, the remaining MLAs have taken oath as per Alphabetical order.Pro-tem Speaker Mumtaz Ahmad Khan adjourned the House after the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected MLAs.Of the total 119 MLAs, 114 MLAs have taken oath today. Five MLAs - Raja singh from BJP, Akbaruddin Owaisi, Jaffer Hussein from AIMIM party, Madhavaram Krishna Rao from TRS and Sandra venkata Virayya from TDP did not take their oath today and were also not present in the House.119 candidates elected in the Telangana Assembly, 90 MLAs from the TRS, 19 from Congress, 7 from AIMIM, two MLAs from .
Karnataka Congress MLA B Nagendra dismisses BJP-contact rumours, says was in Mumbai for 'personal reasons'
Karnataka Congress MLA B Nagendra, one of the three Congress legislators to have travelled to Mumbai triggering a political frenzy in the state, on Thursday refuted rumours of being in contact with the BJP and cited "personal reasons" for his travel.Speaking to the media here, Nagendra said: "I had travelled to Mumbai due to personal reasons, I have my business here, thus come here often. Do not perceive this in any different way, I was not in contact with anyone".Nagendra, MLA from the Bellary Rural constituency, further stated that he might not be able to attend the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Friday, as he is required to attend court proceedings."Tomorrow, I have been summoned to the court over a case, so it will be difficult for me to come (and attend the meeting), but I will try my best," Nagendra said.As the allegations and counter-allegations of poaching have cast their shadow on the state government led by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, the Congress has called .
'Good governance and democracy could impact and change lives of ordinary people'
R Balasubramaniam who is a development scholar, leadership trainer, social innovator, public policy advocate and author in his inaugural speech at a seminar organised by the Embassy of India in Berlin, shared his experiences on how good governance and democracy could impact and change the lives of ordinary people.The Embassy of India in Berlin, in collaboration with Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) organised a Seminar on "Good Governance - How Innovative Approaches Can Really Make a Difference: Indian Experience" on Wednesday at the embassy auditorium.Balasubramaniam stated that India is, today, on a path of socio-economic transformation, and good governance is the driving force behind the same. He also highlighted the initiatives launched by the Indian government towards inclusive development.This was followed by a session on "Changing Face of Democratic Governance through Innovations and Greater Public participation", which was moderated by Balasubramaniam. The panelists .
Sindhis call for independence from Pakistan on GM Syed's 115th Birthday
A large number of Sindhi activists carried out an anti-Pakistan protest march on the 115th birth anniversary of GM Syed, the founder of Sindhudesh movement, in his hometown, Sann.The activists from Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM) demanded freedom of the Sindh province from Pakistani occupation, the abolition of human rights abuses in Sindh and religious fundamentalism.Raising slogans against the Pakistan Army, the activists accused them of abducting and killing Sindhi human rights activists and scholars.Activists claim that a heavy contingent of Pakistani security forces besieged the outskirts of Sann and established checkpoints to harass and restrain Syed's followers from entering the town for two days.Several arrests were made and dozens of leaders and activists from different cities were abducted in order to stop the political gatherings of various Sindhi nationalist parties to be held on the eve of Syed's birthday.The banners and flags of Sindhudesh movement were removed from ...
Cong alleges Vyapam-like scam in Goa
The Congress alleged Thursday that a 'Vyapam' kind of scam has taken place in government recruitment in Goa. Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar claimed that the recruitment process is plagued by nepotism and corruption. Vyapam, the Madhya Pradesh government agency which conducts examinations for admissions to professional courses as well as for government recruitment, was rocked by a major corruption scandal a few years ago. Chodankar alleged that in Goa, candidates who are close to ministers were being selected while meritorious ones are being left out. The Congress leader alleged that in the recent recruitment in the Health and Electricity Departments, those who were from the constituencies of the concerned ministers were favoured. This was "another Vyapam scam in making", he alleged, seeking a probe by the Crime Branch.
BJP submits details about 'Save Democracy Rally' to WB govt
The West Bengal BJP unit Thursday submitted a letter to the state government, giving details about their 'Save Democracy Rally' in the state. BJP's state vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar went to the West Bengal secretariat and submitted the letter which mentioned about holding four yatras in the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party requested the state government to consider the programme with "utmost expedition" under the guidelines of the Supreme Court. The BJP said the yatras would be "a political endeavour of connecting with the people in a peaceful manner. It will not sponsor or subscribe any communal message or insinuations". The state BJP unit also described that the four yatras would be aiming "to connect people towards strengthening the democratic as well as secular system and practices of our nation, of which the state is a significant part". "All kinds of law of the land and regulations will be maintained and a close coordination with the local administration will be ...
Delhi made history, now it's Haryana's turn: Kejriwal to volunteers
Preparing the Aam Aadmi Party volunteers for a door-to-door campaign in Haryana, similar to the ones conducted in Delhi, party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the party should recreate the history of the national capital in the neighbouring state.
Security beefed up in Kolkata ahead of Mamata's mega opposition rally
As many as 10,000 police personnel will be deployed in close to 400 police pickets across the city on Saturday to ensure foolproof security during West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's high-voltage opposition rally on January 19, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said on Thursday.