Page 2435 - Politics
Odisha has land for beer unit, not for Paika rebellion memorial: Pradhan
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday hit out at the Odisha government, saying it has land for beer factory but not for a Paika rebellion memorial.
Poland moves to reinstate retired judges to Supreme Court
Poland's ruling party submitted draft legislation to parliament on Wednesday that would reinstate Supreme Court judges who were recently forced into early retirement. The development comes a month after the European Union's top court ordered Poland to immediately suspend a law that lowered the retirement age for Supreme Court judges, forcing about two dozen of them off the bench. Poland has been in a standoff with the European Union for three years over attempts by the ruling populist Law and Justice party to impose control over the court system. Many legal experts said that the forced retirement of the Supreme Court judges, including the chief justice, violated Poland's constitution. That, along with the broader overhaul of the justice system, has raised serious concerns over rule of law in the young democracy, with the EU saying the changes erode the independence of the judicial branch of government. Wednesday's legislative initiative marks one of the first significant steps by ...
HIGHLIGHTS NORTH 5.15 PM
These are the top stories from the northern region at 5.15 pm CHANDIGARH DEL17 PB-BLAST-ARREST Chandigarh: One person has been arrested in connection with the grenade attack in Amritsar that left three people dead and over 20 injured on Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Wednesday. CHANDIGARH DEL22 PB-LD-SIT-AKSHAY Chandigarh: Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar appeared Wednesday before a special investigation team, dismissing allegations that he arranged a meeting between former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and controversial godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. JAIPUR ELX5 RJ-POLL TONK Jaipur: A two decade-old pending demand for a railway line is the key poll issue for voters in Rajasthan's Tonk, which has become one of the most keenly watched assembly constituency in the state with Congress leader Sachin Pilot pitted against BJP state Minister Yoonus Khan. LUCKNOW DES4 UP-AYODHYA-BJP Lucknow: Ahead of the November 25 Dharam Sabha scheduled to be held in ..
Iranian FM mocks Trump statement on Saudi prince
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has issued a mocking response to President Donald Trump's announcement that he would stick by Saudi Arabia despite the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. "Mr Trump bizarrely devotes the FIRST paragraph of his shameful statement on Saudi atrocities to accuse IRAN of every sort of malfeasance he can think of," Zarif wrote on Twitter late Tuesday. Trump's statement on Saudi Arabia did indeed open with a litany of complaints against Iran, which he used to justify his continued backing of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. "Perhaps we're also responsible for the California fires, because we didn't help rake the forests," Zarif added. This was a reference to recent mockery of Trump for his claim that forest fires -- such as those that have hit northern California in recent days -- could be prevented with "more raking and cleaning and doing things". Trump has resisted mounting evidence of Saudi government involvement in the Khashoggi ...
Senior Cong leaders will placate disappointed leaders in Rajasthan: Ajay Maken
Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken on Wednesday exuded confidence that his party would placate the leaders disappointed with the ticket distribution in Rajasthan. "The Congress has several capable candidates on each Assembly constituency and the high command searched for a winning combination. The decision on ticket distribution is taken by the party's central election committee in consultation with workers and senior leaders," Maken said at a press conference. The senior Congress leaders are in the state to placate the disappointed leaders and situation for the party will improve in the coming days, Maken said. Asserting that the party would come to power in the state with a huge margin, the Congress leader accused the BJP-led government of failing to address the issues of farmers, youths, employment and women security. Maken said more than 100 farmers had committed suicide in the state. "The BJP government did not develop a permanent system for minimum support price, which it had ...
Efforts on to form NC-PDP-Cong alliance govt in J-K
Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday saw a flurry of political activities, including several meetings among leaders of the PDP, NC and Congress, aimed at cobbling up an alliance to form a new government in the state. Veteran CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami met National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah here to discuss the feasibility of forming a new government by extending support to the Peoples Democratic Party, said a source privy to the development. The source said the NC is willing to extend support to the PDP for forming government for now, but wants early dissolution of the assembly, kept in suspended animation since imposition of Governor's Rule on June 19, and eventually an election. "The aim is to pave way for fresh polls in the state so that an elected government takes charge and the political uncertainty due to the Governor's Rule is put to an end," the source said. He said the developments so far have been moving in the direction of possible formation of a new government .
INTERPOL elects new President
The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) elected South Korean Kim Jong Yang as its new President at the 87th session of the INTERPOL General Assembly here on Wednesday.Delegates chose Kim, who held the post of Senior Vice-President at INTERPOL, over former Russian Interior Official and INTERPOL's Vice-President Alexander Prokopchuk during the assembly where 1,000 senior law enforcement officials from 180 countries participated in the democratic vote.Kim will hold the post till 2020, and enjoyed support from US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo who had voiced his endorsement in a press release issued on Tuesday (local time).The new election comes after ex-INTERPOL chief Meng Hongwei was detained by China after he was reported missing since his travel to the country in late September. China has accused Meng of accepting bribes and is currently under investigation in the Asian country.Kim was the acting President of the organisation before being elected to the post on ...
BJP protests Karnataka government's 'betrayal' of farmers
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Karnataka protested against the state government's alleged betrayal of farmers here on Wednesday.
Tajik killer of Western tourists sentenced to life
Tajikistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday sentenced an Islamic State jihadist to life in prison for organising an attack this summer that killed four Western tourists on a cycling trip. Hussein Abdusamadov, 33, was convicted on several charges including terrorism, a court representative told AFP, over the killings of the American, Dutch and Swiss tourists. The attack dealt a major blow to Tajikistan's efforts to promote the Central Asian country as a tourism hotspot. The victims were struck by a car in July as they cycled back from the remote Pamir Highway, a popular route among tourists, before being set upon with knives and firearms. Four of Abdusamadov's accomplices were killed by police during a manhunt. The incident was first reported as a hit-and-run but later claimed by IS, which released a video showing what it said was a pledge of allegiance by the five men. Tajik authorities have played down the video, instead blaming a former opposition party. Abdusamadov had confessed to ...
JKCS calls for constituting special cells in engineering dept
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam called for creation of special cells in various engineering departments for formulation and monitoring of projects in the state. He asked officers of public works, PHE and Irrigation and Flood Control departments for creating special cells preparation of detailed project reports (DPR) to expedite processing time for clearance of projects in these key sectors. Chairing a high-level meeting to review the progress on implementation of projects, the chief secretary said that the special cells would also examine the DPRs and monitor the progress of a large number of projects now being undertaken in these departments. Subrahmanyam said these engineering departments are facing manpower constraints and are burdened with a large number of projects. As a result, the preparation of DPRs itself takes considerable time, he said, adding that the DPRs prepared by these special cells would follow the prescribed route for their approval. He directed
India, China to discuss border, other major issues
India and China will discuss their vexed boundary dispute and try to sort out major issues at the 21st round of two-day border talks beginning on Friday in the Chinese city of Chengdu, Beijing said on Wednesday.
Soldier injured in mine blast along LoC in Poonch
An Army personnel was injured in a mine explosion along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district Wednesday, officials said. The soldier was patrolling the forward area Balakote-Mendhar sector, when he accidentally stepped on a landmine resulting in the blast, they said. He has been admitted to a hospital, the officials said.
RBI, govt truce: It's like today's death postponed till tomorrow:Sena
Taking a swipe over the rift between the RBI and the Centre over some issues followed by a temporary truce, the Shiv Sena Wednesday said it was like today's death being postponed till tomorrow. The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) board had held a marathon meeting on Monday over several issues, including how much capital the apex bank needs, lending norms for small and medium enterprises and rules for weak banks. Signalling a temporary truce, the RBI and the government had agreed to refer to an expert committee the contentious issue of appropriate size of reserves that the apex bank must hold, while restructuring of stressed loans of small businesses would be considered by the central bank. "Fortunately, the government took a step back and the RBI also adopted a middle path. Therefore, a show down has been temporarily averted for now. "The RBI has decided to form an expert committee over utilising its reserves. This, some feel, is like today's death postponed until tomorrow," the Sena ..
Kremlin denounces 'unprecedented pressure' over Interpol vote
The Kremlin on Wednesday denounced "unprecedented pressure" against a Russian candidate to lead Interpol, after a South Korean was instead chosen to lead the global policing body. "Of course we are sorry that this was not our candidate," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "At the same time there are no reasons not to agree with the vote result." Peskov also condemned the pressure exerted against the Russian candidate, Alexander Prokopchuk, on the eve of the vote. "The election took place in the atmosphere of unprecedented pressure and interference in these elections," the Kremlin spokesman said. "The elections were complicated." Earlier Wednesday Interpol announced that Kim Jong-yang of South Korea had been chosen as its new president, beating Prokopchuk, a Russian interior ministry official whose candidacy had unnerved Western nations. There had been growing Western calls for Interpol to reject Prokopchuk over fears Moscow could abuse the role to target political ...
Civic body law may be amended for appointing new city mayor: Official
The West Bengal government was mulling an amendment in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, 1980 to facilitate the appointment of a city mayor, a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sovan Chatterjee to step down from the post, an official said Wednesday. Chatterjee, who was the housing and fire services minister, resigned from the cabinet Tuesday evening. Soon after, the chief minister sought his resignation from the post of mayor. State Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim has been given the additional charge of the two portfolios held by Chatterjee. According to a highly-placed official at the state administration, the current law allowed only elected candidates or councillors to occupy the post of the city mayor. "We are planning to emulate the law followed during the Assembly and general election. According to the proposed amendment, a person who is not an elected candidate or a councillor can be made the mayor, but he will ...
New Logistics and Air Cargo Policy Soon
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Dr. Suresh Prabhu has declared that the new Integrated Logistics and Air Cargo Policy would be announced 'very soon' in which every minute detail pertaining to logistics and cargo would be addressed to the best of the satisfaction of all stakeholders.Without specifying a timeframe for the declaration of the proposed policy, the Minister emphasised that with Integrated Logistics and Air Cargo Policy in place, the solutions to critical issues relating to agriculture and manufacturing output and their supplies including exports would be sufficiently explored through the possibilities of making improvement in such an Integrated Policy still exist even in future.Inaugurating the 4th Ph.D. Air Cargo Summit-2018 under the aegis of Ph.D. Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Prabhu explained that a specific department of logistics has been created in the Department of Commerce which is finalising the nitty-gritty of logistics ...
ASEAN may be forced to choose between US, China: Cambodia PM's son
Southeast Asian nations may soon have to "choose sides" between the US and China in their ongoing trade war, the political heir to Cambodia's strongman ruler Hun Sen warned Wednesday in rare public comments. Impoverished Cambodia has become an unlikely staging ground for geopolitical influence in Asia. In recent years it has turned into a key China ally, heading off criticism of the superpower over its claims to disputed seas in exchange for billions of dollars in investment and loans. While China has cosied up to Cambodia, the United States and the European Union have admonished Hun Sen, the nation's ruler for 33 years, for his increasingly authoritarian rule. In a rare speech outside of his country, his son, Hun Many warned the US-China trade spat may create lasting divisions in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). "Perhaps one day ASEAN would have to choose between US or China," Hun Many said in Bangkok. "How would we see the trade war spill or expanded in other ...
South Korean workers in nationwide strike over labour policies
Tens of thousands of workers launched a half-day strike across South Korea Wednesday, accusing the government of rolling back pro-labour policies in the face of deepening economic woes. Some 40,000 of those who put down tools -- including some in the auto industry -- rallied in Seoul and 13 other cities, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a major labour umbrella group, said. An AFP journalist in the capital said a crowd of around 10,000 workers gathered outside the country's parliament wearing red headbands, chanting slogans and waving banners, as hundreds of riot police took positions nearby. The KCTU estimated 160,000 affiliated workers would join the walkout nationwide. A government move to introduce greater flexibility to the country's maximum 52-hour work week -- to adjust to fluctuations in demand -- has particularly angered workers. They are also calling for liberal president Moon Jae-in's government to deliver on election promises to raise the minimum wage from ..
Good news soon, says PDP leader
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Altaf Bukhari said on Wednesday that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will soon get "good news" regarding government formation in the state.
AAP promises Delhi-like health, education reforms in MP
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday released its manifesto for Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, promising health and education services like those provided by its government in Delhi. Claiming that the party is an alternative to the ruling BJP and main opposition Congress, Delhi minister Gopal Rai and Madhya Pradesh AAP chief Alok Agrawal released the manifesto, printed in the form of a notarised affidavit. "Due to privatisation, the situation in health and education sectors in MP is worrisome. The poor and the middle class are unable to access health facilities," Rai said. The party's government will appoint a "Lokpal", and the Vyapam admission and recruitment racket and scams in mining and e-tendering, among others, will be re-investigated, he said. Agrawal said the party will introduce health and education services on the lines of Delhi. "AAP in Delhi has set up Mohalla clinics in urban areas and panchayat hospitals in rural areas where medicines, tests and ...