Page 2166 - Politics
'Thousands' of EU diplomatic cables hacked: report
Hackers apparently connected to China accessed thousands of sensitive EU diplomatic cables, the New York Times reported Wednesday, in the latest embarrassing data breach to hit a major international organisation. The cables from the EU's diplomatic missions around the world reveal anxiety about how to handle US President Donald Trump as well as concerns about China, Russia and Iran. The leak, discovered by cybersecurity firm Area 1, recalls the publication by Wikileaks of a vast haul of US State Department cables in 2010, though in the EU case the trove is much smaller and consists of less secret communications, the NYT reported. In one cable, the EU's diplomatic mission in Moscow describes the controversial summit in Helsinki in July between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as "successful (at least for Putin)". Another gives a detailed account of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in which he rails against Trump's trade tactics, saying the US was "behaving as if ..
LS witnesses uproar;Cong demands JPC, govt rejects it again
The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the second time on Wednesday amid uproar after the government rejected the opposition demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal. As the House re-convened for the second time in the noon, members from the Congress, AIADMK and TDP trooped into the Well, holding placards and shouting slogans. While AIADMK members protested the construction of a dam across the Cauvery river, those from the Congress demanded a JPC probe into the Rafale deal. The TDP sought to raise issues related to Andhra Pradesh. More than 40 members were in the Well. Some members from the ruling BJP also sought to raise certain issues from their seats. Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, said there were "serious apprehensions" in the minds of the people over the Rafale deal and this needs to be probed by the JPC. Kharge said there was a "massive loss" to the state exchequer because of the deal besides "loss" of ...
KCR mocked Rahul for hugging PM in Parliament: Kavitha
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao called Rahul Gandhi a name roughly translating to "buffoon" for hugging Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the monsoon session of the Parliament, claimed Rao's daughter K Kavitha, who is also a Lok Sabha MP from Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS)."The Chief Minister had called him a name and the definition says that a person who does silly things is called a buffoon. Whole nation watched when he broke all parliamentary practices and hugged the Prime Minister; everybody felt it was a silly move," Kavitha told reporters here.In July, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had hugged and winked at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a raging debate on No-Confidence Motion between the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition."The whole nation watched when the leader of the opposition, breaking all the established practices of the Parliament, suddenly crossed over and hugged the Prime Minister. Everybody felt it was a very silly move and .
Journalists become increasing 'targets' for killings: watchdog
Journalists faced growing dangers of being targeted for killing for their work in 2018 even as the risks from war and conflict declined, a media watchdog said Wednesday. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 34 of the 53 journalists killed on duty this year around the world were "singled out for murder." "The number of journalists targeted for murder in reprisal for their reporting nearly doubled in 2018 from a year earlier, driving up the overall count of journalists killed on the job," the New York-based watchdog group said in a report. The reported echoed concerns in a similar report this week from Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, which found the death toll at 80, using a different methodology that includes bloggers, citizen journalists and media workers. Both reports cited an alarming increase in reprisals against reporters, highlighted by what CPJ called the "brazen murder" of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. The CPJ
LJP's new demands: Seats in Jharkhand and UP
Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally, has ramped up the pressure on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to acquiesce to their demands for seat share in Bihar and to add seats in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand as well to sweeten the deal further.Pashupati Paras, a top leader in the LJP and a member of the Paswan clan, demanded that his party should get the same seat share in Bihar that they got in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. His demands also included seats for the LJP in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand."We are asking for what is rightfully ours. We are an honest partner of the NDA. We are asking for the same number of seats that we fought from in 2014. We definitely want seats from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh as well, as our vote bank exists in these states. Time is running out now. We want Amit Shah to finalise this by December 31. We want them (BJP) to maintain the sanctity of the coalition," Paras told ANI.Top sources in the LJP who wished .
MP govt removes Chhindwara SP and Rewa divisional commissioner
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Tuesday transferred a senior bureaucrat and an IPS officer in the state, a day after he took charge. The government Tuesday night removed Rewa Divisional Commissioner Mahesh Chandra Jain and shifted him to Mantralaya (state secretariat), a public relation department official said Wednesday. Shahdol Commissioner J K Jain has been given the additional charge as the Rewa Divisional Commissioner, the official said, In Kamal Nath's home turf Chhindwara, the government transferred district Superintendent of Police Atul Singh to the police headquarters in Bhopal. He has been replaced with Manoj Rai. Chhindwara is the Lok Sabha constituency of Nath. The government has appointed Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Manoj Shrivastava as the Vice Chancellor of the Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies, the official said. Shrivastava will continue to hold his present assignments as ACS for Culture and Commercial Tax departments. Ending the .
Will accept high-command's decision: Sheila Dikshit on possible AAP alliance
Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday took a diplomatic stand over the possibility of an alliance with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and asserted that whatever the Congress high-command decides will be acceptable to all."The party will decide, the high command, Rahul Gandhi and all will decide and whatever they decide will be acceptable to all of us," Dikshit told ANI.Dikshit served as the Chief Minister of Delhi for three terms before AAP's Arvind Kejriwal dismissed her with a record mandate in December 2013.On the contrary, AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh had rubbished rumours about the two parties entering an alliance. "AAP till now has not decided to form an alliance with any other political party for the upcoming elections. These rumors are spread by other political parties," he had said on Tuesday.Dikshit has time and again criticised Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party government on various issues.In June this year, she delivered a stern message to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
AIADMK MPs protest inside Parliament premises against construction of dam on Cauvery river
AIADMK MPs on Wednesday staged a protest in front of the Gandhi statue inside the Parliament premises against the construction of dam on Cauvery river.Earlier in the day, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs also staged protests in front of the Gandhi statue over their demand for a special category status for the state Andhra Pradesh.Earlier on Wednesday, two MPs, one each from Congress and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) gave adjournment motion notices in Lok Sabha over demonetisation and Rafale issue respectively.CPI-M MP Mohammed Salim also gave an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha, during the ongoing Winter Session of the Parliament, over Rafale deal issue while Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan gave an adjournment notice in Lok Sabha over demonetisation.
JPC must on Rafale, reiterates Kharge citing Bofors, 2G examples
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday emphasised that the only way to break the logjam in Parliament was to form a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Rafale fighter jet deal the way it was set up in the Bofors and 2G cases."We are pressing for the demand of JPC meeting. We want JPC as we will only get to know everything when Parliament members sit and look into files. JPC was formed in Bofors and 2G cases also. If they announce JPC, this (Parliament logjam) will end immediately as we have no other demands," reiterated Kharge who is also the chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC).Questioning the central government's application seeking a correction in the apex court's order, Kharge said: "How can there be a typo? Had it been one word it would have been understandable, the entire paragraph cannot be a typo. Things have come out now and they are making attempts to further hide it."He also asserted that the court did not cover all the aspects of the deal and the .
Will end Modi's slumber: Rahul on farm loans waiver
After the BJP governments in Assam and Gujarat announced waiver of farm loans and rural electricity bills, respectively, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said it was now time for "sleeping" Prime Minister Narendra Modi to wake up.
Uproar over Rafale continues, LS adjourned till 2 p.m.
Minutes after the Lok Sabha was reconvened following an earlier disruption till 12 p.m. on Wednesday, the House was again adjourned till 2 p.m. as the opposition ruckus over various issues, including the Rafale deal continued.
Need to do more to advance civil rights: Facebook COO
Amid increased scrutiny of Facebook's role in generating hatred towards vulnerable communities across the world, the social media giant's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg has admitted the platform needed to do do more to protect civil rights.
Japan protests against Russian military installations on Kuril Islands
Tokyo has lodged a complaint with Russia over the installation of military barracks on two islands in the Kuril archipelago that are claimed by Japan, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Question Hour washed out in UP Assembly amid opposition uproar
The entire Question Hour was washed out in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Wednesday amidst uproar by the opposition Samajwadi Party and the Congress over various issues, including plight of farmers and law and order situation. As the House assembled for the day, members of the SP and the Congress rose in their seats and tried to raise issues of public interest. SP members, donning red caps, took out placards that read "kanoon vyastha past hai, Yogi Baba mast hai" (There is no law and order, while CM Yogi is unconcerned), "BJP terey zamaney mein, police pit rahi thaney mein" (In BJP regime policemen are being beaten up inside police stations), "kisan virodhi ye sarkar nahi chalegi" (This anti-farmers government will not run), besides other slogans. Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit requested the members to take their respective seats so that the Question Hour could be run smoothly, but his plea went unheeded. The speaker also said that "bringing placards inside the House is ...
BJP ally attacks Cong for targetting Goa CM over his health
GFP leader and Goa minister Vijai Sardesai Wednesday attacked the Congress for "targetting" Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar over his health, days after the opposition party asked the ailing BJP leader to unfurl the national flag at the state Liberation Day function Wednesday. Sardesai's Goa Forward Party (GFP) is one of the constituents of the BJP-led coalition government in the coastal state. Three Independent legislators and the Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party (MGP) are other members of the coalition. "Goa is a progressive state and people here are progressive. We have to liberate ourselves from negativity. There is also a political negativity", the Town and Country Planning Minister said while addressing a state Liberation Day event in Margao town in south Goa. Sardesai's remarks came within days of Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar demanding that Parrikar unfurl the national flag at an official function here to mark the State Liberation Day on December ...
Maratha quota, caste violence dominated 2018 in Maharashtra
Quota politics and caste violence took centre stage in Maharashtra during the year, which also saw ruling BJP and Shiv Sena continue their blow-hot-and-cold relationship. Marathas, who constitute around 30 per cent of the state's 12 crore population, got 16 per cent reservations in jobs and education after a protracted pro-quota agitation. The Devendra Fadnavis-led government set up the State Backward Class Commission which declared Marathas as socially and educationally backward class citizens. The previous Congress-NCP regime had granted 16 per cent quota to Marathas, but the decision could not withstand legal scrutiny. The Rane committee, which recommended the 16 per cent quota, lacked statutory powers, which the Commission had. The Maratha quota decision has been challenged in the Bombay High Court, even as the state government decided to go ahead with its mega recruitment drive for 36,000 of the 72,000 vacant posts in various departments. In July, Maratha quota ...
Unaware of 2020 Sikh referendum campaign: US state department
The US State Department on Tuesday said that they are not yet aware of campaigns organised by US-based pro-Khalistan Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), adding that such calls come under freedom of speech."I am not aware of it. That's- I mean, I'm just not aware of it today. I haven't seen these reports. We have freedom of speech in the United States, we have freedom of association, and these are bedrock principles of American society," said Robert Palladino, Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department told reporters.The SFJ is a US-based hardliner group, which recently sought Pakistan's support for its controversial social media campaign 'Referendum 2020' to separate Punjab from India.Having failed to garner support in Punjab, the group now plans a 'Referendum 2020' poll in major cities of the US, Europe, Australia and other countries.When asked that if the State Department is aware of such campaigns carried out on the US soil and is taking any measures to curb such activities, Palladino said, .
Lok Sabha adjourned again amid sloganeering by members
Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the second time on Wednesday after the House reconvened at noon, amid sloganeering and protests by AIADMK, Congress and TDP members over various issues. While AIADMK members protested against construction of a dam across the Cauvery river, those from the Congress demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal. The government rejected the demand for a JPC. As the protests continued, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned proceedings till 2 pm. Earlier as soon as the House met in the morning, members from the three parties trooped into the Well, holding placards and later started shouting slogans. More than 40 members were in the Well. Some members from the ruling BJP also sought to raise certain issues from their seats. Little over ten minutes into the Question Hour, where one question and various supplementaries were taken up, the Speaker adjourned proceedings till noon following vociferous protests.
Madagascar votes in showdown between two ex-presidents
Madagascans voted on Wednesday in a run-off election between two rivals who have waited years to come face-to-face in a fiercely personal battle for power in the Indian Ocean island. The clash between Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina could revive instability in the impoverished country if the result is rejected by the losing candidate or fraud allegations are widespread, analysts warn. The two contenders came a close first and second in November's preliminary vote, far ahead of their competitors. Ravalomanana and Rajoelina were both banned from running in the 2013 vote as part of an agreement to end recurring crises that have rocked Madagascar since independence from France in 1960. "My choice is already made, but I keep it to myself," 45-year-old housewife Monique Norosoa told AFP as she voted in the capital Antananarivo. In the first round, Rajoelina won 39 percent compared with 35 percent for Ravalomanana. Both camps alleged they were victims of fraud and ...
Rajasthan CM Gehlot assumes charge of office
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took charge of his office at the secretariat here on Wednesday. Gehlot reached the secretariat and garlanded a Ganesh idol. He then proceeded to the chief minister's office and took charge. Chief secretary D B Gupta, principal secretary to chief minister Kuldeep Ranka and other officers were present on the occasion.