Page 200 - Politics
All types of tactics were used to win LS elections: Sonia Gandhi's jibe at BJP
Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 13 (ANI): In her first public address after Congress' drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in a veiled attack on the BJP on Wednesday said that all type of tactics were adopted to win the recently concluded general elections."All type of tactics were adopted to woo the voters. Everyone in this country knows whether it was moral or immoral of whatever happened in the elections. I feel this is the greatest misfortune that limits of dignity are crossed to retain the power," Sonia said at a thanksgiving rally here.Raising questions on the electoral process, the Congress leader said: "In the past few years, many types of doubts have emerged regarding our electoral process."Sonia was accompanied by her daughter and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on her maiden visit to the parliamentary constituency after retaining the seat in the Lok Sabha elections.Speaking at the rally, a visibly angry Priyanka came ...
Priyanka Gandhi reprimands Cong' workers for not giving their best in LS polls
Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 13 (ANI): Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday reprimanded Congress workers for not giving their best to make sure the party won the Lok Sabha polls resulting into a humiliating defeat in the state."I did not want to deliver any speech here but since I have been made to speak, let me speak the truth. The truth is that this election was won with the help of Sonia Gandhi and the people of Raebareli," a visibly upset Priyanka said at a thanksgiving rally after UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi won the election from here.UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, on her maiden visit to Raebareli after the Lok Sabha victory, attacked the BJP, saying that all type of tactics were adopted to win the Lok Sabha elections."All type of tactics were adopted to woo the voters. Everyone in this country knows whether it was moral and immoral what happened in the elections. I feel this is the greatest misfortune that limits of dignity are crossed to ...
'US economic war' root cause of regional tensions: Rouhani
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that tensions in the Middle East region were caused by the "US economic war" against Iran.
Israel closes Gaza's waters to Palestinian fishermen
The Israeli military says it is taking the rare step of closing the Gaza Strip's offshore waters to Palestinian fishermen until further notice in response to incendiaries launched into Israel in recent days. COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry body controlling the crossings with the coastal enclave, announced Wednesday that "due to the continuous launching of incendiary balloons and kites from the Gaza Strip towards Israel," Israel would bar Gazans from using the territory's coastal waters. Israel often restricts the offshore fishing zone in response to cross-border violence. Israel and Egypt have maintained a blockade of the Gaza Strip since the Islamist militant group Hamas took power in 2007. A cease-fire struck by Israel and Hamas in May to end the worst round of fighting since 2014 has largely held.
India, Russia will define world landscape: Envoy Nikolas Kudashev
New Delhi [India], June 13 (ANI): India and Russia will define the world landscape in the coming future, said Moscow ambassador Nikolas Kudashev on Wednesday.He also asserted that India and Russia friendship is "evolving" and "reaching new heights"."Today is Russian National Day, but it is also the day of Indo-Russian friendship. This friendship is evolving and reaching new heights," Kudashev told ANI."The two giants-- India and Russia-- will define the world landscape. If all goes well, the dynamic relationship will continue. It is a continuation of an old friendship. There is a feeling of joy and great satisfaction that the friendship between the two countries will continue and last from near to the distant future," the Russia Ambassador said a day ahead Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to hold talks.Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, while speaking at an event to commemorate Russia Day, asserted that Moscow is a "valuable partner" of New
Modi asks ministers to reach office on time, avoid working from home
In his first meeting with the new Council of Ministers on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed all the ministers to reach office on time every morning and avoid working from home.
Amit Shah likely to remain President till Dec (IANS Exclusive)
BJP President and now Home Minister Amit Shah has called a meeting of the party's national office-bearers at 11 am here on Thursday. All BJP organisational heavy hitters including state presidents, organisation mantris and state in-charges have been invited for the meeting.
Amit Shah likely to remain President till Dec
BJP President and now Home Minister Amit Shah has called a meeting of the party's national office-bearers at 11 am here on Thursday. All BJP organisational heavy hitters including state presidents, organisation mantris and state in-charges have been invited for the meeting.
Erdogan says aims to persuade US to not exclude Turkey from F-35 fighter deal
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said he hoped to persuade the United States to not exclude Turkey from participating in the F-35 fighter jet programme, ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump later this month. Erdogan is to meet Trump on the margins of G20 summit in Japan on June 28-29. "But before there, we would like to discuss this issue (on the F-35 programme) by telephone and reverse it from the current situation back to where we started," Erdogan said in a televised speech. Washington has given Turkey until the end of July to abandon its purchase of a major Russian missile defence system, which it considers incompatible with Ankara's participation in America's construction of its F-35 stealth fighters.
Assistance to Afghanistan not blank check says US
Amidst peace talks and reconciliation efforts with the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Trump administration on Wednesday told a Congressional subcommittee that its assistance to the war-ravaged country should not be treated as a "blank check". Our assistance is not a blank check, Alice G Wells Senior State Department Official for South and Central Asian Affairs has told House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation in a prepared statement on Wednesday. The sub-committee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing US Interests in South Asia and the FY 2020 Budget on Thursday. We expect the Afghan government will continue on a path of reform, and we will use the Afghanistan Compact as a means to monitor progress and discuss new reform objectives to tackle Afghanistan's biggest challenges, she said. Afghanistan, Wells said, has made some progress on benchmarks in the Compact, including the conviction of high-level officials for ...
Trump admin seeks USD 30 million Bay of Bengal security funding from Congress
With an eye on countering increasing Chinese influence in key South Asian countries, the Trump administration has sought USD 30 million for what it has described as "Bay of Bengal" security initiative to provide foreign military financing to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives. This is in addition to the USD 64 million already announced by the Trump administration for regional activities to support infrastructure growth and connectivity. "We request that Congress support the department's new security cooperation programme in South Asia, the Bay of Bengal Initiative, with USD 30 million in foreign military financing that will build maritime and border security capacity for Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives, Alice G Wells Senior State Department Official for South and Central Asian Affairs has told House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation in a prepared statement on Wednesday. The sub-committee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is scheduled ..
Sikkim CM seeks bailout from financial crisis
Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Wednesday called on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and urged her to bail out his state from the present financial crisis, an official release said.
TN CM Palaniswami meets Governor Purohit
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Wednesday called on Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
Government to introduce SEZ amendment bill in Parliament
The Central government will introduce the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the ensuing session of the Parliament.
AIADMK to continue with dual leadership
All India Anna Dramuk Kazhagam (AIADMK) will continue to have two power centres with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami being co-coordinator and his deputy O Panneerselvam holding the post of the party convenor and coordinator.The issue of dual leadership was not taken up at a crucial meeting of the party office bearers including district secretaries, MPs, MLAs held on Wednesday.With several party leaders demanding that the party be headed by a single person, it was expected that the issue would be discussed at the meeting which was called to discuss AIADMK's massive defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections.However, senior party leader and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, who attended the gathering, said that the unitary leadership was not discussed at the party meet, maintaining that "it was not an issue at all"."Everything is just gossip. There is no truth in it. The demand for single leadership was just a rumor," he said after the two-hour-long meeting at the party headquarters ..
As president, Harris would pursue Trump obstruction case
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Wednesday that if she wins the White House, her Justice Department "would have no choice" but to pursue an obstruction of justice case against President Donald Trump after he leaves office. The California senator and some other Democrats in the 2020 race are pushing their party to initiate the impeachment process after special counsel Robert Mueller 's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mueller has said he was unable to exonerate Trump of obstruction but couldn't pursue potential charges because of a Justice Department policy that bars the indictment of a sitting president a policy Harris has said she would ask her Justice Department to re-examine. "Everyone should be held accountable," Harris told NPR in an interview broadcast Wednesday. "And the president is not above the law." Harris, a former California attorney general who also was San Francisco's district attorney, later said she would not dictate the ...
Trump hopes Hong Kong protesters 'work it out' with China
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he understands Hong Kong protesters who have risen up against plans to allow extraditions to China, but hopes they can "work it out" with Beijing. "I hope they're going to be able to work it out with China," Trump told reporters at the White House, as Hong Kong was rocked by the worst political violence since its handover to China. "I understand the reason for the demonstration," he said. "I hope it all works out for China and for Hong Kong." Trump's cautious response to what he said were "massive" demonstrations came as Washington and Beijing try to pick up the pieces of their collapsed talks on resolving a trade war. "We're doing very well with respect to China," Trump said, referring to huge trade tariffs imposed on Chinese imports. Trump reiterated that he expects to meet President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit later this month. "I have a feeling that we're going to make a deal with China," he said.
Japan premier warns US, Iran 'accidental conflict' possible
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe travelled to Tehran on Wednesday to warn that an "accidental conflict" could be sparked amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US, a message that came hours after Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels attacked a Saudi airport, wounding 26 people. Abe's trip is the highest-level effort yet to de-escalate the crisis as Tehran appears poised to break the 2015 nuclear deal it struck with world powers, an accord that the Trump administration pulled out of last year. It's also the first visit of a sitting Japanese premier in the 40 years since the Islamic Revolution. But success may prove difficult for Abe, as the Houthi rebel attack on Saudi's Abha regional airport underscored. Separately, the front page of the Iranian daily Farheekhtegan, or Educated, published Wednesday morning a picture of a mushroom cloud from a nuclear blast a reference to America's bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. "How Can You Trust A War ...
US wants India to swiftly condemn acts of religious violence: Official
The Trump administration wants the Indian government to swiftly condemn the acts of violence based on religion and hold the perpetrators accountable, a top official told lawmakers here, underlining that this will help boost India's security and economic interests and strengthen India-US ties. In its engagements with India, the Trump administration will continue to highlight the importance of preserving a diverse and inclusive society, Alice G Wells, Senior Bureau Official for South and Central Asian Affairs told the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation in a prepared statement on Wednesday. The sub-committee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing US Interests in South Asia and the FY 2020 Budget on Thursday. In her prepared statement submitted to the Congressional sub-committee, Wells told the lawmakers that India's Constitution provides strong protections for fundamental freedoms, including religious freedom. We ..
Cabinet approves International Arbitration Centre Bill
The Cabinet has approved the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) Bill, 2019, with a view to promoting ease of doing businessa in India. The Bill will be introduced in the scheduled Parliament session.