Page 2221 - Politics
Ceasefire for key Yemen port agreed at peace talks: UN
UN chief Antonio Guterres announced Thursday a series of breakthroughs in talks with rivals in the Yemen conflict, including a ceasefire for a vital port. In a highly symbolic gesture on the seventh and final day of the UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden, Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani and rebel negotiator Mohammed Abdelsalam shook hands to loud applause. However, a number of issues remain unresolved and a new round of talks with take place at the end of January, Guterres said. The conflict has triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 14 million Yemenis now at the brink of mass starvation. Guterres, who flew into Sweden late Wednesday, announced that the government and Huthi rebels had agreed on a ceasefire in the port of Hodeida, the main entry point for imported food and aid. "There is a ceasefire declared for the whole governorate of Hodeida in the agreement and there will be both from the city and the harbour a withdrawal of all forces," he .
HC quashes GO over DVAC probe into new secretariat complex
The Madras High Court on Thursday quashed a Tamil Nadu government order directing the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to probe alleged irregularities in construction of a new secretariat complex during the DMK rule. Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, who allowed the petitions by DMK president M K Stalin and Treasurer Duraimurugan challenging the September 24 GO and a subsequent letter to the DVAC asking it to take over the probe, held that the government order was passed in "a hasty manner" While the GO had directed the Secretary to the now defunct Ragupathy Commission of Inquiry, appointed to look into the allegations, to handover all records, including evidence collected, to the DVAC, the September 28 letter asked the the agency to conduct a detailed inquiry. The inquiry panel, set up by the then AIADMK government in 2011, was wound up based on an order by Justice S M Subramaniam. Stalin and Duraimuragan had contended that the state government issued the GO and the .
BJP leaders approaching NCP, Cong after Assembly results: Oppn
Several BJP leaders in Maharashtra are ready to switch loyalty to the Congress or NCP in the aftermath of the results of Assembly elections in three Hindi heartland states, opposition leaders claimed Thursday. The Congress dislodged the BJP from power in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in the recently held Assembly polls. "The atmosphere in the country is changing after the BJP's defeat in three states. The BJP is not going to win the 2019 (Lok Sabha) polls," NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said. "In the last few days, several MPs and MLAs who had joined the BJP after quitting NCP or other parties (ahead of 2014 elections) are willing to join our party," Malik claimed. Another NCP leader said the seat-sharing talks between the Sharad Pawar-led party and the Congress and others are yet to be concluded, and those ready to defect from the BJP might bag some such tickets. "There are some seats where consensus has not been reached between the Congress and NCP. ..
PM Modi congratulates KCR on assuming office as CM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrashekhar Rao on taking charge of the state as the chief minister.On Tuesday, TRS emerged victorious in the Telangana Assembly elections, bagging 88 seats out in the 119-member assembly. Second in the race was Congress which achieved 19 seats, followed by Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) which won seven seats and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which could manage to retain only one seat.Prime Minister took to Twitter to congratulate Rao. He wrote, "Congratulations to KCR Garu on taking oath as the CM of Telangana. Best wishes for his tenure ahead."KCR took oath earlier today. It will be his second inning as the state's chief minister. Governor ESL Narasimhan administered him the oath of office and secrecy at the Raj Bhavan.Rao is likely to set up his Council of Ministers in a day or two.He won from Gajewal constituency by over 50,000 votes.
Govt ready to pay 'political price' for stringent decisions in country's interest: Gadkari
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Wednesday said his government is ready to "pay a political price" for stringent decisions like demonetisation and the GST, even as he admitted there is an agricultural crisis and rural distress in the country. He also hoped the results of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections won't be the same as the just-concluded assembly polls, in which the BJP lost three states to the Congress. Stressing that agriculture was a focus area for the Modi government at the Centre, Gadkari said it was a complex issue and its remedy would take time. Drawing a parallel, the minister said anything can happen in politics and cricket and it would be wrong to assume that the assembly results were giving a reflection of what would happen during the general elections next year. He said development was the focus of the BJP and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, and they were ready to pay a political price for "certain stringent decisions" like demonetisation and GST, taken in ...
Brexit vote delayed till January as Theresa May survives attempted coup
A critical parliamentary vote on Brexit, which had been postponed this week, will now take place in January, according to the parlimentary schedule released on Thursday, a day after Prime Minister Theresa May survived an attempted coup by her MPs to topple her. The confirmation came as May reached Brussels to seek further assurances from European Union (EU) leaders on the controversy-hit Brexit deal. May who won a vote of confidence in her leadership after her party MPs voted 200 to 117 in her favour on Wednesday night, will be seeking legally binding pledges from the EU leaders at the European Council summit in Brussels on the controversial Irish "backstop" clause the plan to avoid a return to a manned border post-Brexit between UK territory Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. Meanwhile, it became clear that the Withdrawal Agreement, which has divided all sides of the House of Commons, will only come up for a parliamentary vote in January after Commons leader Andrea Leadsom ...
IAF successfully conducts 11-day 'CROSSBOW-18' exercise
The Combined Guided Weapon Firing exercise 'CROSSBOW-18' ended successfully Thursday at the Suryalanka Air Force Station in Andhra Pradesh. The 11-day exercise, conducted under the aegis of the Southern Air Command, saw various Surface-to-Air Missile systems like the indigenously developed Akash, Spyder, OSA-AK-M and IGLA carrying out drills and live firing for the first time on manoeuvrable aerial targets, a Defence release here said. Live firing by night added to the uniqueness and complexity of the exercise while participation of SU-30 fighter jets made it operationally realistic, it said. "The live firing helped the Indian Air Force in validating the Air Defence philosophy by integrating both legacy and modern Surface-to-Air Guided Weapon Systems and the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS). It was a unique event in the history of the IAF and is a precursor to the modernization of Suryalanka range," it added. Air warriors from over 20 participating ...
NCP's demand for resignation of Fadnavis 'ridiculous': BJP
The BJP Thursday rejected the NCPs demand for the resignation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, whose election in 2014 has been challenged in the Supreme Court, and said it shows the opposition party's "intellectual bankruptcy". Earlier in the day, the apex court issued notice to Fadnavis on a plea seeking annulment of his election to the state assembly for alleged non-disclosure of pending criminal cases against him in his nomination papers. The NCP quickly moved to demand the resignation of Fadnavis, elected to the assembly from Nagpur South West constituency. "He has lost the moral right to stay on the chief minister's post. We demand he immediately step down from his post," NCP spokesman Nawab Malik said. However, Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye rejected the demand of the Sharad Pawar-led party. "The proposed litigation in the Supreme Court is at primary stage and based on some technical points. The NCP, however, has still made a demand of .
Central leaders covertly helped MNF to win Mizoram polls: BJP state unit chief
Despite getting a seat in the Mizoram Assembly for the first time, the state BJP has charged its central leadership with "covertly helping" the MNF, claiming that its candidates would have fared better otherwise. The MNF, however, denied the claim and maintained that the party won the elections without any support. The saffron party's state unit chief, John V Hluna, said Thursday that a nexus between his party's central leadership and the Mizo National Front (MNF) might have spoiled the state BJP's chances and paved way for the regional party's victory. "The BJP central leadership might have covertly helped the MNF. No concerted efforts were made by the party's central leaders to help the state unit. The poll results fell far short of our expectations," he said. The state BJP chief contended that the campaigns by the central leaders were only restricted to the interstate border areas. "I had requested the central leaders to campaign in various constituencies of the state for the ...
KCR is an enigma to supporters and critics
K. Chandrashekhar Rao, who on Thursday took oath as Chief Minister of Telangana for a second consecutive term, remains an enigma for his supporters and critics alike.
Pilot gives up, appeals for peace
Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot, who appears to have lost in the chief ministerial race, on Thursday appealed to his supporters to maintain peace and discipline and declared that he would accept the party's decision in the matter.
BJP's national council to meet on Jan 11-12 in New Delhi
In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP will hold several meetings of the party's various wings across the country, including its two-day national council meeting on January 11-12 here, the party announced on Thursday. Addressing a press conference at the party office here, BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav shared details of various meetings to be held across the country. These include the two-day 'Scheduled Caste morcha' meeting, to be attended by its chief Amit Shahs, on January 19-20 in Nagpur. The 'Scheduled Tribe morcha' meeting will be held on February 2-3 in Bhubaneswar and the 'OBC morcha' on February 15-16 in Patna, Yadav told reporters after a meeting of the party's office bearers. The party's national council will be held on January 11-12 in the national capital, he said. The party's defeat in the assembly elections was not discussed in the meeting, Yadav said, adding that it was not on the agenda.
MNF chief submits to guv list of elected members to be sworn-in as ministers
Mizo National Front (MNF) chief Zoramthanga Thursday submitted to the governor the names of elected members who would be sworn-in as ministers, the secretary of the MNF legislature party, Lalruatkima, said. He, however, was tight-lipped on the number of members to be sworn-in as ministers. Lalruatkima said the National Anthem would be played during the swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday, followed by Bible reading and prayer by Rev Lalhmingthanga, the Chairman of the Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC). The MKHC is a conglomerate of leaders of 16 major churches in the state. The Leprosy choir would present "Hallelujah Chorus" during a function where Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan would administer the oath of office to the members of the council of ministers.
Fiat Chrysler may review $5.7 billion plan if Italy taxes diesel, petrol cars
MILAN (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler (FCA) could review its 5 billion euro ($5.7 billion) Italian investment plan, which includes a shift to cleaner engines, if Rome raises taxes on petrol and diesel cars.
Bharat Bhushan Vyas joins UPSC as member
Senior IAS officer Bharat Bhushan Vyas on Thursday took oath as a Member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Pilot appeals party workers to maintain peace, says he has full faith in Rahul, Sonia
Amid delay in the announcement of a chief minister for Rajasthan, state Congress chief Sachin Pilot on Thursday said he has full faith in the Congress leadership and made a fervent appeal to his party workers to maintain peace and ensure discipline. His appeal came in the wake of reports of incidents of violence in various parts of Rajasthan, allegedly by his supporters demanding his appointment as chief minister. "I appeal to all party workers to maintain peace and discipline. I have full faith in the Congress leadership. Will welcome whatever decision party chief Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi will take. We all have a responsibility to maintain dignity of the party," he said in a tweet in Hindi. Pilot and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot are said to the top two contenders for the chief minister post in Rajasthan, where the party has got mandate to form the new government.
Peace and stability in Myanmar in India's own interest: President Kovind
India has said that peace and stability in Myanmar are in its own interest as the two countries stressed on the need to maintain security and stability along their borders and vowed not to allow insurgent groups to use their soil for hostile activities against each other side. In a joint statement issued at the end of President Ram Nath Kovind's official engagements in Myanmar on Thursday, the two countries also called on the world community to end selective and partial approaches to combating terrorism. During his visit, President Kovind held extensive talks with Myanmar leaders - President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. "The leaders agreed that terrorism constitutes a significant threat to peace and stability in the region and should be confronted in all its forms and manifestations." the statement said, adding that they also called for the expeditious finalisation and adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism by the UN General ...
Scindia, Gehlot, Pilot meet Rahul ahead of CM decision
Hectic parleys were on at Congress President Rahul Gandhi's residence on Thursday to choose the chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where the party dislodged the BJP from power in the Assembly elections.
Anyone but him: Palaniswami tells Dhinakaran supporters to comeback to AIADMK
The AIADMK members who sided with TTV Dhinakaran are welcome to comeback to the party but not the rebel leader, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami said Thursday. Scores of AIADMK members sided with Dhinakaran after his fallout with Palaniswami last year, even as the ruling party expelled many for switching sides. Reacting to reports of some key Dhinakaran aides planning to leave his Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam or AMMK and join other parties, Palaniswami said it was their choice. "It is our duty to invite (those in the rival camp). This movement was founded by the MGR and was taken forward by Amma. Myself and the party coordinator had extended invitation to those who parted ways with us to return and work with us," he told reporters here. AIADMK is currently headed by O Panneerselvam, the deputy of Palaniswamy in the government. Many people, including a key local leader of AMMK from Ramanathapuram have joined the AIADMK recently, Palaniswamy said. Asked if the invitation ...
Empty treasury benches in K'taka Assembly spur walkout by BJP
: The opposition BJP Thursday staged a walkout from the Karnataka Assembly, alleging that the state government was not interested in running the House, while pointing at empty treasury benches and the Ministers concerned being absent during the debate on drought. As P Rajeev (BJP) was speaking during the debate on drought situation, his party colleague Araga Jnanendra pointing at the empty treasury benches, especially the front bench where senior Ministers sit, asked, "Who should we speak to and raise the issues." Soon, several BJP MLAs joined him and alleged that the government was not interested, and questioned as to where the Ministers were. With Deputy Speaker M Krishna Reddy in the Chair, only some Ministers including Health Minister Shivananda Patil and Cooperation Minister Bandeppa Kashyampur were present. Intervening, Leader of Opposition B S Yeddyurappa said the government was not interested in running the House. We (BJP) had decided not to obstruct the ...