Page 2467 - Politics
A look back at India-Vietnam relations as President Kovind leaves for state visit
President Ram Nath Kovind and First Lady Savita Kovind on Sunday departed for a three-day visit to Vietnam, with an aim to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.Upon their arrival in Da Nang, they will depart for Hotel Furama Resort. In the evening, the President and First Lady will meet leaders of the Da Nang People's Committee.Da Nang has a rich historical and civilisational connection with India. The place is famous for its world heritage site of My Son, and has remnants of Buddhist connections and the Hindu Cham civilisation in the form of ancient temples. The Archaeological Survey of India is helping Vietnam in the preservation and conservation of some of the temples, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.On November 19 (Monday), President Kovind will pay a visit to the Museum of Cham Sculpture. During the visit, he will participate in a group photo session with the museum staff. The President and First Lady will also participate in a ...
TMC lacks honest intentions as anti-BJP force: WB Cong chief
West Bengal Congress president Somen Mitra has said that it would be better for his party to go it alone in the state in the next Lok Sabha election as the ruling TMC "lacks honest intentions" as an anti-BJP force. Majority of the state Congress leaders are in favour of going solo in the polls even if it meant failure of the party to win even a single seat in Bengal, he said when asked about a possible alignment with the TMC or the Left for the general election. Mitra, a veteran Congressman who had moved to the TMC, returned to his parent party and took over the presidentship of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) after a gap of two decades. The Congress should prepare itself to fight alone against the BJP as well as the TMC in the state, he asserted. "If you look at the past events, you will see that the TMC lacks honest intentions as an anti-BJP force. At the national level, whenever Congress called for any massive anti-BJP campaign, the TMC either evaded it or has sent ..
Australia's minister says translation glitches delay trade deal with Indonesia
(Reuters) - Australia's trade minister said translation issues were behind the delay of a billion-dollar free trade agreement with Indonesia, downplaying a friction between the countries over Australia's possible Jerusalem embassy.
Taliban not losing in Afghanistan: US military officer
A top US military officer said that the Taliban "are not losing" in Afghanistan, and much more needs to be done to bring peace to the war-torn country.
U'khand urban civic polls begin
Polling has begun in Uttarakhand for the 84 urban local bodies across the state.A total of 23.53 lakh voters consisting of 12.20 lakh male and 11.33 lakh female will seal the fate of 4,978 candidates contesting in the polls across the state.The voting, which started at 8 am, will end at 5 pm.Polling is currently being held in 1064 wards for the mayoral seats across the Himalayan state. For the first time, Rishikesh and Kotdwar would be witnessing mayoral polls.Uttarakhand will witness polling at 2,665 booths spread across 1,258 polling centres.In the state, 1258 centres, 2265 polling stations, 107 zones, and 282 sectors have been created for voting. Besides this, 52 Strong Rooms have also been made where ballot boxes will be kept under tight security.In the wake of elections, security has been heightened across the state. Around 10,000 police personnel, 4,000 home guards, 2,000 PRD jawans and 25 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed in cities and ...
Activists urge Pak to end 'illegal occupation' of PoK, Gilgit Baltistan
Activists from various parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) gathered in Bagh district and carried out a protest rally to demand an end to Pakistan's 'illegal' and 'forceful occupation'.The protests were held as part of a two-day convention of the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP).Activists raised concerns over the construction of dams and other projects, which, they claim, are aimed at excluding indigenous people from local development.UKPNP's former central secretary of foreign affairs, Jamil Maqsood, said: "They (protesters) demand the government of Pakistan to stop construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam in Gilgit Baltistan and the violation of state subject rule in Gilgit Baltistan and some parts of Pakistan occupied Kashmir".He added, "The Party leadership also expressed their concern that the government of Pakistan is violating State Subject Rule in Rawalakot, Kotli, Bagh, Neelum, Muzaffarabad and other areas and allocating land to its retired army-men, bureaucrats ...
Democrat Gillum concedes defeat in Florida's gubernatorial race
Andrew Gillum, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in southeastern US state Florida, on Saturday officially conceded to his Republican rival Ron DeSantis after a vote recounting showed a margin Gillum was unlikely to close.
Democrat Andrew Gillum concedes defeat in Florida's gubernatorial race
Democrat Andrew Gillum conceded defeat to Republican Ron DeSantis in Florida's gubernatorial race, as hand counts continued for the Senator's seat in the state."I want to congratulate @RonDeSantisFL on becoming the next Governor of the great state of Florida. My wife R. Jai and I could not be prouder of the way we ran this race. We could not be more thankful to my running mate, @ChrisKingFL and his wife Kristen," the Democrat tweeted on Sunday (IST).He further stated, "Most importantly, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for being part of this campaign. I wouldn't be here without the support that was shown by millions of Floridians. I encourage y'all to keep fighting for what we believe in.""We are going to keep fighting. We will keep working. And in the end, I believe that we will win. I am so thankful to each and every one of you," read another tweet.Gillum had conceded defeat on the election night itself but had later revoked his decision due to machine recounts that .
Chhattisgarh PR Commissioner ousted over sting video row
The Election Commission has ordered the removal of Secretary and Commissioner of Public Relations of the Chhattisgarh government, Rajesh Toppo, in connection with a sting video being circulated in the media.The EC has also directed the Chhattisgarh government to conduct a departmental inquiry and issue a notice to Toppo immediately regarding his role in the entire incident.The Congress party had reportedly lodged a complaint with the commission and submitted a copy of the sting video clip and transcripts that allegedly showed Toppo in an 'anti-Congress' conversation with a journalist.The first phase of voting in Chhattisgarh was held on November 12, while the second phase is due on November 20.The counting of votes will be held on December 11.
No conclusion on Khashoggi's killer: US State Dept
The US State Department refuted all reports that claimed that the United States had arrived at a conclusion regarding the perpetrators behind journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death.The clarification came after The Washington Post reported that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had concluded that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered for Khashoggi's killing.The spokesperson for the US State Department Heather Nauert released a statement, which mentioned, "There remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the murder of Mr Khashoggi. The State Department will continue to seek all relevant facts," according to CNN.Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that US President Donald Trump had been briefed about CIA's assessment on Saturday morning.Trump spoke to CIA Director Gina Haspel and US Secretary of State Micheal Pompeo via phone call en route to California on Saturday.The Washington Post had reported that the CIA had inferred ..
Trump administration denies reaching final conclusion on Khashoggi's death
The US State Department here on Saturday said that the country has not made a final conclusion on the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Democrat concedes to Republican in Florida Governor race
Democrat Andrew Gillum announced he was conceding his hard-fought race for Florida Governor to his Republican rival, Ron DeSantis, vowing to keep fighting until he wins an election. "I want to congratulate @RonDeSantisFL on becoming the next Governor of the great state of Florida," tweeted Gillum on Saturday, who was aiming to become the state's first black governor. "We are going to keep fighting. We will keep working. And in the end, I believe that we will win. I am so thankful to each and every one of you," he added. He also posted a concession message on Facebook.
Rahul challenges PM Modi for debate over Rafale deal
Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi has challenged the former to participate in a debate over the details of the Rafale fighter jets deal signed with the French government.Speaking to media here on Saturday, Gandhi claimed that the Prime Minister will not be in a position to answer his questions over the alleged scams in the deal."I challenge Modi Ji to come on stage anywhere, anytime and debate over Rafale with me for just 15 minutes. I will talk about Anil Ambani, HAL, French President's statements and the pricing of the jets. I will say that Defence Minister said clearly that it's Prime Minister who did it. The Prime Minister did not follow the procedure. The CBI Director was removed at 2 am. He will not be able to answer my questions," he said.Reiterating his claim, the Congress chief said that Prime Minister Modi's demonetisation drive has benefited few of his "businessmen friends" in the country.Talking about the unemployment ..
Good time for govt shutdown if no money for border wall: Trump
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that he would welcome a government shutdown if Congress does not approve funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border, media reported.
No 'final conclusion' on Khashoggi murder: US
Asserting that it was determined to "hold all those responsible" for the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi accountable, the United States has said that reports indicating that it had made a final conclusion on the matter were inaccurate. "Recent reports indicating that the US government has made a final conclusion are inaccurate," the State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said. The statement comes amidst reports that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had concluded that Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered the murder of the dissident journalist. Khashoggi, who wrote for The Washington Post, was brutally killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Stating that there remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the journalist's murder, the spokesperson noted that the State Department will continue to seek all relevant facts. "In the meantime, we will continue to consult Congress and work with other nations
Iran, India discuss trade cooperation under US sanctions
Outgoing Indian ambassador to Tehran and the head of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture have discussed ways of continuing Iran-India trade under reimposed US sanctions, Eghtesad Online news website reported on Saturday.
S K Mishra appointed ED director in full capacity
IRS officer Sanjay Kumar Mishra was appointed as the full-time chief of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) late Saturday, a government order said. Mishra, a 1984-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the Income Tax cadre, was appointed as the principal special director in the central probe agency on October 27 and was entrusted with the "additional" charge of ED director for three months. An order issued by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Saturday gave a two-year tenure to Mishra "from the date of assumption of the charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier." Official sources said Mishra, who was posted as the chief commissioner of the Income Tax Department in Delhi before the ED appointment, has now been empanelled as an additional secretary in the central government and hence, has been given the top ED charge as a full-time assignment. The post of ED director is an additional secretary rank post in ...
Bureaucratic rejig: G C Murmu named Secretary in Expenditure Department
Senior Gujarat-cadre IAS officer G C Murmu was Saturday named as the Secretary, Department of Expenditure, as part of a major bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre. Murmu, a 1985 batch IAS officer, is at present Special Secretary in the Department of Revenue. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Murmu as the officer on special duty in the Department of Expenditure, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said. "The officer will take over as Secretary, Department of Expenditure on superannuation of A N Jha on January 21 next year," it said. Apart from Murmu, the department has also transferred eight other senior IAS officers. Senior IAS officer Upma Chawdhry, Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs on superannuation of Amarendra Kumar Dubey on December 31. A B P Pandey, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unique Identification
Delhi CS Anshu Prakash transferred
Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, who had accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other Aam Aadmi Party leaders of assaulting him in February, has been transferred to the Department of Telecommunications by the Centre on Saturday, as part of a bureaucratic reshuffle.
Yogi says his govt promoting sports like Centre
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanathsaid Saturday his government was promoting sports like the central government and rewarding those winning medals in international events. The chief minister was here to present awards to the winners of a wrestling championship at regional stadium. Congratulating the winners, he said, "Gorakhpur has given many national and international players which brought fame and glory to the nation and the state." He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was promoting sports with Khelo India programme and the state government was supporting him in the campaign.