Page 2195 - Politics
US-led coalition says it destroyed IS site in Syrian mosque
US-led coalition forces destroyed an Islamic State group command center inside a mosque in the Syrian border town of Hajin on Saturday, the US military said. The statement comes as Kurdish-led forces mop up the final remnants of IS jihadists in Hajin, the largest settlement in what is the last pocket of territory controlled by the jihadists. More than 16 "heavily armed" IS fighters were at the "command and control node" at the mosque when it was destroyed by a "precision strike," a statement from the Combined Joint Task Force read. The jihadists, who were all killed in the strike, were using the mosque to "command attacks against Coalition partners," it said. The IS group "continues to use protected structures to launch attacks against our Coalition partners with complete disregard for the infrastructure and innocent human lives," the statement added. Fighters with the Syrian Democratic Forces secured Hajin after weeks of heavy fighting on Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory .
PM should find out who prepared affidavit: Swamy on Rafale case
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find out who erred while preparing the affidavit in the Rafale deal case.Swamy's comment came after Centre filed an application before Supreme Court seeking a correction in its order in the case, where petitions were filed seeking a SIT-led probe in fighter get deal."According to media Attorney General has said that he hasn't done it then who prepared this affidavit? I think the Prime Minister should find it out because it embarrasses him, that we can't even prepare a proper English draft, they could've have given it in Hindi also," said Subramanian Swamy."Questions are natural, whenever an affidavit is submitted in a sealed cover, this time by chance they revealed the submissions in judgment otherwise we wouldn't have come to know. If the judges base their judgment on this, it hampers justice," added Swamy.The Centre on Saturday filed an application before the Apex Court seeking a correction ..
Wickremesinghe sworn in as Sri Lankan PM
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, sacked from the post in October, was sworn in again on Sunday by President Maithripala Sirisena, a move that ended a nearly two-month political crisis which erupted after his surprising dismissal.
PM slams Cong in Sonia's stronghold
Taking on the Congress in Sonia Gandhi's home turf, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday accused earlier governments of neglecting the constituency. The prime minister laid the foundation stone of some projects and inaugurated few others worth Rs 1,100 crore during his first visit to Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency. He also flagged off the 900th coach and Humsafar rake made by the Modern Coach Factory here. "The Centre is committed to development of Raebareli. Earlier governments neglected it," he said in his first public meeting after the BJP's loss in recent Assembly polls. He, however, did not name any party. Modi, who inspected the Modern Coach Factory, said its neglect was "an example of injustice to the country's means and resources by previous governments". The factory was sanctioned in 2007 but failed to take off, he said.
With eye on 2019, BJP govt in Maha woos onion growers
In the wake of BJP's defeat in three big states which many attributed to growing farm distress, the party-led Maharasthra government is considering a host of measures like ex-gratia grant and transport subsidy for onion growers to provide them relief against sliding prices. The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has suffered a rural drubbing in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in recent state polls and the party ruling at the Centre is looking for smart solutions to address agrarian distress ahead of 2019 general elections. Maharashtra is one of the major onion grower states in the country and both the Centre and the state government want to avert onion crisis as opposition parties have decided to raise the farm distress issue to corner the ruling dispensation in the ongoing winter session of Parliament. According to sources, the Maharashtra government is in the process of finalising intervention measures such as ex-gratia grant and transport subsidy under a central scheme ...
Chhattisgarh: Will be in govt to serve the people, says TS Singh Deo
Chhattisgarh's senior Congress leader TS Singh Deo, whose name was doing the rounds for chief ministership, on Sunday made it clear that he will be working in the Chhattisgarh government for the people of the state.On the question of whether he will be the state's chief minister, Deo diplomatically said, "I am someone who would work in the Chhattisgarh government for the state".He also revealed that the announcement of the Chhattisgarh chief minister will be made at 12.30 today."Rahul ji will have to give the directions. Whatever his decision is will be conveyed through Chhattisgarh Congress state in-charge PL Punia and observer for the state Mallikarjun Kharge. There is a meeting of MLAs at 12.30 pm and subsequently the chief minister will be announced," he said.Speaking about priorities of the new government in the state, he said: "Our priority is farmers. There loan waiver and providing promised minimum support price will be an important concern. Everything that is in our election .
Sri Lanka: Wickremesinghe takes oath as Prime Minister
United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was swore-in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on Sunday.According to the Daily Mirror Sri Lanka, Wickremesinghe took the oath before Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat.This comes after disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was appointed by President Sirisena on October 26 after ousting Wickremesinghe, resigned from his post on Saturday.The island nation was engulfed in a constitutional turmoil after Sirisena, on October 26, abruptly ousted the then-Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and appointed Rajapaksa, the country's former President, as the new premier. Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered a snap election.However, the country's Supreme Court overturned Sirisena's decision to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls.On December 3, the Sri Lankan court had issued an interim order against Rajapaksa and his ...
Trump announces US Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to step down
United States President Donald Trump here on Saturday announced that the current US Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke would be resigning from his post by the end of the year.He also informed that the Trump administration would be announcing a new Secretary of Interior next week.The US President tweeted, "Secretary of the Interior @RyanZinke will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years. Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation......."According to New York Post, Zinke's resignation comes amid reports of numerous ethics investigations underway over his business dealings, travel and policy decisions. Zinke himself blamed that the White House for "vicious and politically motivated attacks" on him and his family, claiming that the "meritless and false claims" had "created an unfortunate distraction."Zinke personally took to Twitter saying, "I love working for the ...
Wickremesinghe takes oath as Sri Lanka's PM
United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on Sunday, ending a 51-day power tussle in the island nation that had crippled the government. Wickremesinghe, 69, was administered the oath of office by President Maithripala Sirisena, who had sacked him on October 26 in a controversial move which plunged the island nation into an unprecedented constitutional crisis. The UNP leader had refused to step down asserting that his sacking was illegal. His re-appointment comes a day after former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was installed as Prime Minister by President Sirisena, resigned Saturday, after two crucial Supreme Court decisions made his efforts to cling to premiership untenable. According to media reports, a new Cabinet will be sworn in on Monday. The Cabinet will consist of 30 members and include six Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) parliamentarians. Earlier, Wickremesinghe's party said it was ready to work with President Sirisena,
Mamata salutes soldiers of 1971 Indo-Pak War
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday remembered the soldiers of the Indian Army who fought during the 1971 war against Pakistan. "On #VijayDiwas I salute the brave soldiers of the Indian Army who fought valiantly in the 1971 war and defeated the Pakistan Army. Jai Hind," she tweeted. Vijay Diwas (Victory Day) is celebrated every year on December 16 in India to mark the anniversary of victory of Indian forces over Pakistan in Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. On 16 December 1971, nearly 93,000 Pakistani soldiers had raised white flags and surrendered to the Indian Army. The victory followed the creation of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan).
President, PM remember soldiers killed in 1971 war
On the occasion of Vijay Diwas, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday remembered soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces who lost their lives during the 1971 India-Pakistan War.
Ready to work with Sirisena again: Wickremesinghe's UNP
Sri Lanka's ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) has said it is ready to work with President Maithripala Sirisena, who was "misled by some groups" against the unity government. Sirisena sacked Wickremesinghe on October 26 and appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place, in a controversial move which plunged the island nation into a constitutional crisis. Rajapaksa resigned on Saturday after two crucial Supreme Court decisions made his efforts to cling to premiership untenable, paving the way for the return of 69-year-old Wickremesinghe who had refused to step down asserting that his sacking was illegal. UNP deputy leader Sajith Premadasa said that he was not surprised that the President had agreed to appoint Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister again despite taking a firm position earlier that he will not appoint Wickremesinghe. "This showed the true character of the President," he was quoted as saying by the Colombo Gazette. Premadasa said that the ...
Jasdan bypoll to show if Koli community is still with Cong
The Jasdan Assembly bypoll in Gujarat will indicate if the Congress still has the backing of the numerically strong Koli community or if it will stand by five-time MLA Kunvarji Bavaliya, who switched sides and joined the ruling BJP. The December 20 bypoll to the seat was necessitated after sitting MLA Bavaliya quit the opposition Congress to join the BJP and also resigned from the Assembly in July. The BJP has now fielded Bavaliya for the bypoll against Congress candidate Avsar Nakiya. The seat has been a pocket borough of Bavaliya, a prominent leader of the OBC Koli community, who was earlier elected five times from the seat on Congress' ticket. He kept on winning the seat even when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat. Bavaliya, also a one-term MP, is now a Cabinet minister in the Vijay Rupani-led Gujarat government. The Jasdan constituency, located in Rajkot district, has a considerable 35 per cent Koli voters. The byelection has become a prestige battle for .
Roat hopes to raise tribal issues in Rajasthan Assembly
Tribal Rajkumar Roat was till recently waiting for the results of the Rajasthan Police recruitment exam but fortunes changed for the 26-year-old with the state assembly results. Roat will now be taking oath as a member of the 15th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. Elected on a Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) ticket from Chorasi constituency of tribal Dungarpur district by defeating BJP candidate Sushil Katara, Roat is now looking forward to raise issues of his constituency in the assembly instead of looking for a government job. The journey from the nondescript Khankar Khoonia village in Dungarpur, where he was active in student politics and working on local issues, to the state capital has been just a three-odd month affair for Roat who was picked up by BTP to contest elections. "Proper Implementation of schedule of V of the Constitution in tribal areas is the main agenda we tribals want. Both BJP and Congress have ruled the country and the state but issues related to tribals were never ..
Mahatma Gandhi's bust unveiled in Germany's Trier
A commemorative bust of Mahatma Gandhi's was unveiled by the Ambassador of India to Germany, Mukta D. Tomar and the Lord Mayor of Trier, Wolfram Leibe, as part of Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary celebrations at one of the oldest schools here, Auguste-Viktoria-Gymnasium.The school orchestra also played a rendition of Gandhi's favourite bhajan, 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram', at the ceremony where representatives of the Trier city administration, academicians, the Indian community and other dignitaries were amongst those present.Leibe welcomed the guests and thanked the Indian government, particularly the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) for gifting the sculpture to the city of Trier. He highlighted the close relations shared between India and Germany while underscoring the school's commitment towards etching closer links with India through their ties with a partner school.Meanwhile, Tomar shed light on the relevance of the Gandhian principle of non-violence to achieve peace, .
MPs discuss 'New India', call for people-centric governance
Government's 'New India' slogan could not be dismissed as a mere vision or statement and it is work-in-progress stressed Anurag Singh Thakur, MP, Bharatiya Janata Party, while speaking at the 91st Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).During the interaction, lawmakers from different parties participated and expressed their view of the 'New India' story and expectation of people for the government.Thakur also shared the 3 E's and 3 M's vision of the Central government."These are Education, Employment and Empowerment and Mobile, Mobility and Modernisation. The 'New India' envisioned by the government seeks to facilitate the movement of people and goods, focus on farm modernization, cooperative federalism with pro-active policy formulation that was free of corruption," he said.Dinesh Trivedi, MP, All India Trinamool Congress, struck a philosophical note, stating that the vision of a 'New India' can be realised only when there is an ..
Bhupesh Baghel to be named Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh: Sources
Bhupesh Baghel will be the new Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, said sources. The Congress party will make the announcement anytime soon.After mulling over various options for the past four days, Rahul Gandhi led Congress decided on Baghel, said sources. Baghel said that the final announcement will be made during the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting which is scheduled to take place later in the day here."Mallikarjun Kharge ji and PL Punia ji are arriving here later today. Name (of the CM) will be announced at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting," Baghel said addressing the media on Sunday.This statement from Baghel comes after the party president held hectic parleys till late hours on Saturday with top party leaders.The Gandhi scion held discussions with senior state leaders TS Singh Deo, Tamradhwaj Sahu, Baghel and Charan Das Mahant, all claimants for the top post, at his residence situated in Delhi.Party's observer Mallikarjun Kharge and state in-charge for party ...
Australia reaffirms Israel decision despite backlash
Australia's conservative prime minister on Sunday stood by his decision to recognise west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite criticism from neighbouring Muslim countries. Canberra became one of a handful of governments to follow US President Donald Trump's lead and recognise the contested city as Israel's capital, Prime Minister Scott Morrison had announced Saturday. But a contentious embassy shift from Tel Aviv -- a proposal made during a crucial Sydney by-election that critics said was timed to attract Jewish voters -- will not occur until a peace settlement is achieved. Australia's Muslim-majority neighbour Malaysia said Sunday it "strongly opposes" the decision to recognise west Jerusalem. The announcement was "premature and a humiliation to the Palestinians and their struggle for the right to self-determination," the government said in a statement advocating a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Australia's immediate neighbour Indonesia, the world's ..
Trump's Chief of Staff pick calls him 'terrible human being'
US President Donald Trump's budget director and his pick to be the acting Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney, called Trump "a terrible human being" during a campaign debate in 2016.
Kamal Nath, Ashok Gehlot invite Chandrababu Naidu for swearing-in
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister-designates Ashok Gehlot and Kamal Nath respectively have invited Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for their swearing-in ceremonies.Gehlot has written a letter to Naidu inviting him for the ceremony to be held on December 17 in Jaipur. Along with Gehlot, Sachin Pilot will also take oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan.While Nath telephoned Naidu and invited him for the swearing-in ceremony which is slated to be held on December 17 in Bhopal. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has accepted the invite of Nath.Nath was late on December 13 announced as the chief minister of the newly-elected Congress government in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress party also announced old guard Gehlot as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan on the same day.On December 11, Rahul Gandhi led-Congress emerged as the largest party in Madhya Pradesh winning 114 seats in the Assembly Elections. Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Akhilesh Yadav's ...