Page 2449 - Politics
Chhattisgarh elections: Polling begins for final phase
The voting for the second and final phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections began on Tuesday.The second phase of polling is being held in 72 seats spread across 19 districts, out of the 90-member Assembly. Of 72 seats, the polling for two constituencies- Amaamora and Modh is being held from 7 am to 3 pm while voting in the remainder of the constituencies will take place from 8 am to 5 pm.Ahead of the voting, mock polling was conducted at a polling station in Surguja's Ambikapur.Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines were installed at all the polling centers.Security has been tightened in the state with the deployment of over one lakh security personnel in lieu of Naxal attacks.As many as 1,079 candidates, including 72 each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, are in the fray to test their fortune in the final phase. A total of 19,296 polling booths have been set up for the second phase.The BJP, which is eyeing a ...
Suspended security assistance as Pak failed to act on militant safe havens: WH
The Trump Administration has suspended security assistance to Pakistan because it failed to address the problem of militant safe havens inside its territory, the White House has said. "The (Trump) Administration has been clear to Pakistani leaders that it expects them to constructively address the problem of militant safe havens in Pakistan," an official from the National Security Council, the White House, told PTI. "Because Pakistan failed to address the problem, the Administration suspended security assistance," the official said, requesting anonymity. "We remain hopeful that Pakistan will realize it is in its own interest to cooperate with the US strategy in Afghanistan," said the official responding to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan accusing President Donald Trump of false assertion in his country's fight against terror. First in an interview to Fox news on Sunday and then in two tweets on Monday, Trump had accused Pakistan of not doing "a damn thing" for the United ...
White House restores full press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta
The Trump administration has restored the full press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta who was temporarily barred from entering thw White House. Following the decision, CNN announced to withdraw its lawsuit against the White House. Simultaneously, the White House also announced that it has framed new rules for the reporters covering the news conferences, either by President Donald Trump or senior administration officials. As per the guidelines, a reporter can ask a single question and permission for a follow up will be subject to the discretion of the individual holding the news conference. Any violation of the rule might result in revocation of the press credentials, the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, as she announced restoration of full access to Acosta. "This afternoon we have notified Jim Acosta and CNN that his hard pass has been restored. We have also notified him of certain rules that will govern White House press conferences going forward, Sanders ...
China blames 'excuses' for protectionism for lack of APEC agreement
BEIJING (Reuters) - The failure of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit at the weekend to agree on a communique was down to certain countries "excusing" protectionism and trying to force their views on others, a senior Chinese diplomat said.
Cameroon, Saudi to begin security cooperation
Cameroon and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have agreed to lay the groundwork for security ties between both countries, the president of Cameroon said in a statement on Monday.
Analysis: APEC fails to live up to its name amid U.S., China acrimony
PORT MORESBY (Reuters) - The C in APEC stands for Cooperation. But when the two biggest members are fighting a trade war and using the forum to attack each other's policies, it was always going to be hard work delivering on that.
Russia slams US for expanding Cuban sanctions
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday "strongly" criticised the US for imposing new sanctions on Cuba.
White House restores CNN reporter Acosta's credentials
CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta's press credentials were fully restored on Monday after the White House backed down from the legal battle with CNN."Today the White House fully restored Jim Acosta's press pass. As a result, our lawsuit is no longer necessary. We look forward to continuing to cover the White House," CNN said in a statement.Acosta's press pass was revoked after he got into a verbal spat with United States President Donald Trump during a press briefing held earlier this month a day after the midterm elections. The White House suspended his credentials in an unprecedented move on the grounds of alleged misconduct.Following this, CNN sued the White House claiming the suspension of Acosta's press pass to be a violation of the First Amendment Rights to freely report on government. The American broadcaster also alleged that the administration had violated Acosta's due process rights by revoking his credentials without warning.Earlier on Friday, the White House ..
White House restores CNN reporter Acosta's press pass
CNN on Monday ended its lawsuit against US President Donald Trump after the White House returned reporter Jim Acosta's press pass, media reported.
UN urges all parties work to ensure calm between Israel, Gaza
The UN on Monday urged all parties to work to maintain the "precarious" restoration of calm reached between Israel and Palestinian authorities in the Gaza Strip after the escalation of violence last week, warning of the potential eruption of a new armed conflict in the region.
US Muslim lawmaker-elect seeks an end to head-covering ban in Congress
A Muslim congresswoman-elect has co-authored changes to a longstanding rule banning the wearing of head coverings on the US House floor, an effort supported by the nation's largest Muslim rights group. Ilhan Omar, a Somali refugee who was one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress earlier this month, has joined Democratic leaders in drafting an update to a 181-year-old rule to allow for religious exemptions for headwear like the Muslim hijab, Jewish yarmulkes or Sikh turban. The change is part of a rules package introduced by top Democrats including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi that is expected to be approved in January, when Democrats take majority control of the chamber. "No one puts a scarf on my head but me. It's my choice -- one protected by the first amendment," Omar posted Saturday on Twitter. "And this is not the last ban I'm going to work to lift," added the Minnesota representative-to-be. The proposal earned the backing of the Council on American-Islamic ...
US slaps sanctions on individual related to DPRK
US Treasury on Monday announced that it has imposed sanctions on a South African national for his alleged action of helping Pyongyang "evade US sanctions."
Morocco, UK discuss ways to strengthen military cooperation
Senior military leaders from Morocco and the UK discussed measures to strengthen bilateral military cooperation, the Moroccan army said on Monday.
MP polls: BJP holds late-night meeting on Monday
With just a few days left for Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) conducted a high-level meeting in the state on late Monday night to chalk out the strategy for the ensuing polls.BJP president Amit Shah, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, party's National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and other leaders attended the meeting that took place at the party's office in Bhopal.The 230-Madhya Pradesh Assembly will go to polls on November 28 and the counting of votes will be held on December 11.Chouhan, who has been serving as the chief minister of the state since 2005, is eyeing to secure his fourth consecutive term.The Assembly election in the state is seen as a direct political battle between the BJP and the Congress. While Chouhan is eyeing to secure his fourth consecutive term as the chief minister of the state, the Congress party is looking to regain power after 2003.
Iraq denies reports of mediating between Iran, Saudi
Iraq has denied reports that President Barham Salih is mediating between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, media reported.
N Korea, US officials to meet on Tuesday
The United States Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will meet with Republic of Korea Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon in Washington on Tuesday.The two officials will discuss measures to further strengthen close coordination on efforts to achieve the goal of fully verified denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula."Special Representative Biegun and Special Representative Lee will discuss ongoing diplomatic efforts, sustained implementation of UN sanctions, and inter-Korean cooperation," read the press note from the U.S. Department of State.Last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's had visited Pyongyang and held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on laying the groundwork for the second summit between the latter and Trump and resuming the stalled denuclearisation talks between the two countries.While Pyongyang, on the one hand, repeatedly asserted that it has taken various steps to dismantle its nuclear ...
US Treasury imposes sanctions on Libyan militia leader Salah Badi
The United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in coordination with the United Nations Security Council's Libya Sanctions Committee on Monday imposed financial sanctions on Libyan militia leader Salah Badi."In accordance with the UN listing, which the United States, United Kingdom, and France co-sponsored, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated Badi pursuant to Executive Order 13726. Consequently, all of Badi's assets within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with him," read the press release from the US Department of Treasury.The sanctions require all the UN members to freeze Badi's assets as well as impose a travel ban.The comes after Badi ordered action against rival militias aligned with the Government of National Accord, exacerbating instability in Tripoli in August 2014.Since 2014, Badi has played a critical role in ...
Over 3500 nominations filed for Telagana Assembly elections
As many as 3,584 nominations were filed by political parties for Telangana Assembly elections, slated to be held on December 7, a release from the office of Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar said Monday. Telangana caretaker ministers K T Rama Rao and Jagadish Reddy and state Congress Working President Revanth Reddy were among the prominent leaders who filed their nominations Monday, the last day for the process. PCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy's wife Padamavathi also filed her nomination. Rama Rao, the son of caretaker Chief Minister and TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, filed his nomination from Sirsilla constituency in Rajanna Sircilla District. The Congress fielded K K Mahender Reddy against Rama Rao. Revanth Reddy filed his papers from Kodangal in Vikarabad district. The TRS is going alone in the elections, which were advanced after the government chose to dissolve the Assembly ahead of its term. While the Congress has formed a "grand alliance", the BJP is also contesting the polls ..
US envoy for DPRK to meet S. Korean counterpart to discuss denuclearisation
US special envoy on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will meet his South Korean counterpart here on Tuesday to discuss denuclearisation and ties, the US State Department said.
RBI, govt stand-off shows country's economy in bad shape:D Raja
CPI leader D Raja alleged Monday the stand-off between the RBI and the central government shows the country's economy is in bad shape. The Rajya Sabha MP alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government has "destroyed" the country's institutions of repute and the RBI is its latest target. "The Modi government has been unduly interfering in the functioning of many institutions. Dictating too many terms to the RBI by the Finance ministry creates a stand off between them. The government is responsible for the present crisis in the RBI," Raja said. He said the government was responsible for the economic situation of the country "because it frames the overall economic policy".