Page 2459 - Politics
Rajasthan polls: Sitting MLA Gyandev Ahuja resigns from BJP
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) sitting MLA from Ramgarh constituency Gyandev Ahuja has decided to contest as an independent candidate after the party declined to give him ticket.Ahuja resigned from the party's primary membership on Sunday. Today is the last day of nomination and withdrawal is on November 22. The state goes to polls on December 7 and counting is scheduled on December 11.Ahuja told ANI that he resigned from the party in protest against the party's attitude. "I resigned from the primary membership of BJP in protest against its dictatorial attitude. I will contest as an Independent on issues such as Ram Janamabhoomi, cow protection, Hindutva, etc," said Ahuja.In 2016, he made it to headlines after he claimed that "thousands of condoms were found in the Jawaharlal Nehru University".Shifting loyalty in protest against not being given party ticket for the forthcoming assembly elections has been continuing in the BJP for quite sometime.On Wednesday, former BJP legislator ...
US-China trade war shadows APEC; No joint statement
An Asian economic summit, which was being held in Papua New Guinea, ended on Sunday without a joint statement because of US-China differences over trade.Attributing the information to "a source within the meeting", CNN reported that all the 21 members at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit were in agreement, except China.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that disagreements over trade impeded the signing of a joint statement."There are differing visions on particular elements," CNN quoted Trudeau as saying.This is the first time that the summit of global leaders ended without a joint statement ever since the forum was established in Australia in 1989.Observers say US-China acrimony, which has seen them enacting tariffs on each others' billions of dollars worth of goods, overshadowed the summit.CNN said, "according to a US official involved in the negotiations" China could have been concerned about a specific line about unfair trade practices.The official .
India and Australia: Need to re-craft an old relationship (Comment)
India-Australia relations are a classic example of unrealised potential and a tragic tale of consistently missing opportunities, despite multiple areas of strategic convergence and shared interests. It is almost as if apathy holds back both countries from trying to break new ground in a significant manner. This has been frustrating and disappointing.
Rahul hopes RBI Governor will show Modi 'his place'
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the Centre with destroying institutions and hoped Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel will show Prime Minister Narendra Modi "his place". He charged Modi with attempting to "destroy the RBI" through his "puppets" and "cronies".
Trump says 'no reason' for him to hear Khashoggi death tape
President Donald Trump said there is no reason for him to listen to a recording of the "very violent, very vicious" killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which has put him in a diplomatic bind: how to admonish Riyadh for the slaying yet maintain strong ties with a close ally. Trump, in an interview that aired Sunday, made clear that the audio recording, supplied by the Turkish government, would not affect his response to the October 2 killing of Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who had been critical of the Saudi royal family. "It's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape. I've been fully briefed on it, there's no reason for me to hear it," Trump said in the interview with "Fox News Sunday." ''I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it." On Saturday, Trump said his administration will "be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday." He said the report will include "who did it." It was unclear if the report .
Trump's attacks on media "greatest threat" to democracy: says retd Navy SEAL who killed Osama
US President Donald Trump's attacks on the news media represent the "greatest threat" to democracy, the retired Navy SEAL, who oversaw the killing of Osama bin Laden and the capture of Saddam Hussein, has said. William McRaven's remarks on Sunday came after Trump derided the retired Navy SEAL and Special Operations commander as a "Hillary Clinton fan" and an "Obama backer". Trump also suggested that the four-star admiral, who recently left his post as chancellor of the University of Texas amid a battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, should have caught bin Laden faster. "Wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn't it have been nice?" Trump told Fox news. "I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else. I am a fan of President Obama and President George W Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in ...
Amritsar attack: CM announces Rs 50 lakh for information
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh to anyone giving information regarding the two youths who carried out Sunday's grenade attack on a prayer meeting at the Nirankari Satsang Bhawan of Amritsar district.
Amritsar Blast: Cong MLA to lodge FIR against Phoolka for his remarks on Army chief
A day after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader HS Phoolka accused the Army chief of "orchestrating an attack" Congress MLA Rajkumar Verka has said that he will lodge an FIR against the former.Speaking to ANI on Monday, Verka said, "On whose instructions is Phoolka giving such statements? Is Kejriwal going to answer? Is he in agreement with his statement? No one can tolerate such words for the army, we will register an FIR against Phoolka."Phoolka however tendered an apology for his remarks against the Army Chief. "My statement has been totally misunderstood. Please see the full video, the whole statement was actually against the Congress, and not against the respected Army Chief. Still, it was an inadvertent comment and I regret it," Phoolka told ANI.On Sunday, Phoolka had said, "Army Chief came and made a statement. To prove his statement, he could have orchestrated the attack. This matter should be looked into. Did government do it (attack)? Did the earlier government do it now? It is ...
RBI Board meet: Rahul Gandhi hopes Urjit Patel, his team have spine
Ahead of the crucial RBI Board meeting, Congress President Rahul Gandhi Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of destroying institutions and hoped Reserve Bank Governor Urjit Patel has a "spine" and will show the prime minister "his place". Taking to Twitter, Gandhi accused Modi and his "coterie of cronies" of destroying institutions. Mr Modi and his coterie of cronies, continue to destroy every institution they can get their hands on.Today, through his puppets at the RBI Board Meet he will attempt to destroy the RBI. I hope Mr Patel and his team have a spine and show him his place, he tweeted. The Congress has accused the Modi government of destroying every institution in the country and the latest one being the Reserve Bank of India. The RBI's crucial board meeting on Monday is expected to take up the liquidity crisis that has triggered a tiff between the government and the central bank. The meeting is being held in the background of tension between the Centre and the RBI ...
Modi pays tribute to Indira Gandhi, Rani Lakshmibai on their birth anniversaries
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tributes to former prime minister Indira Gandhi and icon of first war of independence Rani Lakshmibai on their birth anniversaries. "Tributes to India's former Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi Ji on her birth anniversary," he tweeted. Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad. In another tweet, Modi said Rani Lakshmibai is a source of inspiration for every Indian. "Her fortitude in the face of adversity and steadfast opposition to colonialism will never be forgotten. It is due to greats like her that India won freedom," Modi tweeted. Rani Lakshmibai was born on this day in 1828 in Varanasi as Manikarnika Tambe, according to various internet sites.
Rice mill owners demand increase in milling charge
Owners of rice mills in Odisha's Ganjam district have demanded increase of milling charge from Rs 10 to Rs 30 per quintal and release of arrear amounting to around Rs 5 crore before start of the paddy procurement this year. The paddy procurement is scheduled to start from December 15 in the district. The millers have submitted a memorandum to the states Food and Consumer Welfare and Cooperative minister S N Patro here on Saturday evening, Ganjam District Rice Mill Owners Association (GDRMOA) secretary, Santosh Sahu said Monday. "We have discussed our problem with the minister and requested him to solve these before commencement of procurement of paddy this year," he said. Sahu said the government had provided Rs 10 per quintal for milling charge of paddy and the rate was not revised since last two decades. "Increase of the milling charge is urgently needed as the electricity tariff changed during the period. Moreover, the transport and labour charges have also increased
PM Modi, Sonia, Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to Indira Gandhi on her 101st birth anniversary
United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi along with her son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi paid tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at Shakti Sthal, on her 101st birth anniversary on Monday.Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted his tribute for Gandhi. He wrote, " Tributes to India's former Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi Ji on her birth anniversary."Other senior Congress leaders along with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former vice president Mohammad Hamid Ansari and former President Pranab Mukherjee were also present at Shakti Sthal to pay respects to the first lady Prime Minister of the country.Born on November 19, 1917, to India's first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamala Nehru, she served as prime minister for three terms lasting almost 16 years.She was the second longest serving Prime Minister and was well known for path-breaking economic and social reforms, including nationalisation of banks. She also abolished privy ...
Amritsar blast: AAP MLA apologises for remarks on Army Chief
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader HS Phoolka on Monday expressed regret over his comments where he accused Army chief General Bipin Rawat of orchestrating the attack on the religious congregation in Amritsar.Phoolka told ANI: "My statement has been totally misunderstood. Please see the full video, the whole statement was actually against the Congress, and not against the respected Army Chief. Still, it was an inadvertent comment and I regret it."On Sunday, Phoolka had said: "Army Chief came and made a statement. To prove his statement, he could have orchestrated the attack. This matter should be looked into. Did government do it (attack)? Did the earlier government do it now? It is wrong to repeatedly say that Punjab's atmosphere is not good. We must get to the root of it. Government must get to the root of it. Those who made false statements about Maur blast, what action has been taken against them? Punjab is a sensitive state. One must not make statements without facts. One must not ...
ASEAN Summit: Is India serious about regional trade pact?
Singapore, Nov 19 (ANI): If you were here in Singapore for the first time on a brief visit last week, you could be excused for wondering if it's normal for thousands of police officers to be patrolling the streets and for scores of Special Operations Command and other police vehicles to be parked all over the city. You may also be wondering if traffic is always really this bad.Actually, no. Singapore is typically very safe and the police is usually not seen much. Neither will you hear sirens piercing the air every few minutes like in some other cities. And it's uncommon for traffic jams to occur.Last week, besides the leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries, some of world's top leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese Premier Li Keiqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and United States Vice President Mike Pence ...
IOC warns Taiwan against name-change that would rile Beijing
The International Olympic Committee has warned Taiwan that it could lose its right to compete if it tries to change its name for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, ahead of a referendum that will incense Beijing. Taiwan will vote Saturday on whether the island should compete as "Taiwan" and not "Chinese Taipei" in a controversial referendum alongside local elections. China, which still claims sovereignty over self-ruling democratic Taiwan, is particularly sensitive to the island's use of names, emblems and flags at international events. These sensitivities -- backed up by Beijing's clout on the world stage -- mean Taiwan is forced to compete as "Chinese Taipei" at the Olympics and other international sports competitions. The IOC wrote to the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) and the government Friday saying that any name change was "under its jurisdiction" and warned of consequences if it felt there was interference. It outlined a point in the Olympic Charter which says the IOC has the ...
Trump threatens democracy when he attacks media: Architect of Osama raid
Retired Adm. William McRaven, the man who oversaw the 2011 raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden, said that President Donald Trump's attacks on the news media represent "the greatest threat to democracy".
Prices of petrol, diesel slashed further on Monday
Fuel prices once again witnessed a decline on Monday in New Delhi and Mumbai.In New Delhi, petrol is being sold at Rs 76.52 per litre after a decrease of 19 paise, and diesel at Rs 71.39 per litre after a decrease of 17 paise.Meanwhile, in Mumbai petrol is retailing 19 paise lower at Rs 82.04 per litre and diesel at Rs 74.79 after a decrease of 18 paise.The rates of fuel across India are witnessing a continuous decline due to a fall in the prices of crude oil.The United States recently softened its stand on Iran's sanctions and gave its nod to eight countries to continue importing oil from Iran temporarily. The list of countries includes India, China, South Korea, Japan, Turkey, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan.
Europe must prevent political chaos: Macron
France's President Emmanuel Macron has called for closer ties between Paris and Germany, saying Europe "has the obligation not to let the world slip into chaos".
Sri Lanka: All-party meeting ends with no solution for political crisis
The all-party meeting called by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday ended with no solution for the ongoing political crisis in the island nation.The meeting was attended by former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and representatives of his party as well as the unconstitutionally ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was joined by the representatives of the United National Front (UNF) along with representatives of other political parties, reported Colombo Page.Former cabinet minister and United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Harsha de Silva said that the meeting concluded with no breakthrough as Sirisena suggested that the minority government headed by Rajapska continues to hold the office."They want to drag impasse along giving lame excuses of procedure," Colombo Page quoted de Silva as saying.Sirisena and the members of the minority government have maintained their stance that the two no-confidence motions passed in Parliament against Rajapaksa did not ...
6 killed, 5 wounded in corruption protests across Haiti
Police say six people have died and at least five were wounded during demonstrations across Haiti protesting allegations of embezzlement from a Venezuelan program that provided the country with subsidized oil. President Jovenel Moise called for dialogue with opposition groups that are seeking his resignation for failing to investigate corruption. Thousands of Haitians marched Sunday to the National Palace in the capital, calling for a probe into the spending of USD 3.8 billion Haiti received as part of the regional Petrocaribe program. Clashes with police erupted after protesters blocked streets and set fire to tires. A Haitian Senate investigation has alleged embezzlement by at least 14 former officials in former President Michel Martelly's administration, but no one has been charged. There were reports of clashes in smaller protests across the country.