Page 2520 - Politics
149 killed in 24 hours in Yemen's Hodeida: Medics, military
At least 149 people including civilians were killed in 24 hours of clashes between government loyalists and rebels in Yemen's flashpoint city of Hodeida, medics and military sources said Monday. A military source in Hodeida confirmed seven civilians had died in the key port city, without giving further details. Medics in hospitals across Hodeida reported 110 Huthi rebels and 32 loyalist fighters killed overnight. Military sources confirmed that a Saudi-led pro-government alliance had targeted the rebels with multiple air strikes.
China says will further open up its economy, slams rising protectionism
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday Beijing will further open up its economy in the face of rising protectionism, as he headed for meetings with Asia-Pacific leaders in Singapore that are expected to focus on trade tensions.
Saudis close to Crown Prince discussed killing enemies: NYT
Top Saudi intelligence officials close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked a small group of businessmen last year about using private companies to assassinate enemies of the Kingdom, The New York Times reported.
Marshall Islands leader survives no-confidence motion
Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine narrowly survived a vote of no confidence Monday, seeing off a challenge she alleges was orchestrated by Chinese-backed business interests intent on undermining the Pacific nation's sovereignty. The vote to topple Heine, the first and only elected female leader of a Pacific island nation, split parliament 16-16, one short of the 17 her opponents required. In front of a packed public gallery, Heine and her allies spent 45 minutes defending the government's record, including claims from the opposition it had sullied the country's international reputation and eroded voting rights. Once the vote was confirmed, Speaker Kenneth Kedi -- who had backed the no-confidence move -- congratulated Heine and declared parliament was in recess. Heine said in the days leading up to the vote that the opposition's stated reasons for trying to unseat her were a "smokescreen" to cover their real motives. She said the no-confidence motion was actually prompted by her ..
Israeli soldier, Hamas commander killed in Gaza
An Israeli soldier and a Hamas military commander have been killed during an Israeli Special Forces operation inside Gaza, the media reported on Monday.
Fiji opposition leader cleared to contest election
A Fiji appeal court threw out a corruption case against the Pacific island nation's main opposition leader Sitiveni Rabuka on Monday, clearing the way for him to contest Wednesday's election. Rabuka, head of the SODELPA Party, had been campaigning with the threat of disqualification hanging over him if he was convicted of making false financial declarations. But the High Court in Suva backed a magistrates' court decision to acquit the former prime minister, dismissing an appeal from the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption. In a judgement handed down Monday, chief judge Anthony Gates said "essential elements (of the case) were not proved, the appeal fails and must be dismissed". He also awarded Rabuka costs of FJ$4,000 ($1,900). SODELPA supporters in the courthouse were jubilant at the verdict and Rabuka said he felt "great and getting better". "I want to thank all of them (supporters)", he said. Rabuka led two coups in the 1980s and served as prime minister from 1992 to ...
Modi appeals to Chhattisgarh voters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national President Amit Shah on Monday urged voters to take part in large numbers in the first phase of the polling process for 18 Assembly seats.
Sirisena's political calculations go haywire: US experts on Lanka crisis
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's move to dismiss Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replacing him with Mahinda Rajapaksa was a "poor decision" that went haywire, prominent think tanks in the US said, emphasising on the need of a free and fair election in the island nation. Sirisena on October 9 dissolved parliament and announced snap polls on January 5 next year after it became evident that he did not have enough support in the House to prove the premiership of Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa needed the support of minimum 113 parliamentarians in the 225-member House to prove his majority "The dissolution of parliament underscores the fact that Sirisena misunderstood and misjudged his ability to muster political support from the parliamentarians," Bharat Gopalaswamy, Director of the South Asia Centre at the Atlantic Council think tank said. "It was a poor decision to sack Wickremasinghe. It is important that the elections that will be conducted now be fair, free and credible as it
Trump largely alone as world leaders take aim at nationalism
For President Donald Trump in Paris, America First meant largely America alone. At a weekend commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, the president who proudly declares himself a "nationalist" stood apart, even on a continent where his brand of populism is on the rise. He began his visit with a tweet slamming the French president's call for a European defense force, arrived at events alone and spent much of his trip out of sight in the American ambassadors' residence in central Paris. On Sunday, he listened as he was lectured on the dangers of nationalist isolation, and then he headed home just as the inaugural Paris Peace Summit was getting underway. The visit made clear that, nearly two years after taking office, Trump has dramatically upended decades of American foreign policy posture, shaking allies. That includes French President Emmanuel Macron, who on Sunday warned that the "ancient demons" that caused World War I and millions of deaths were once again .
Sri Lanka parties file court challenge against parliament sacking
Sri Lanka's main political parties on Monday filed petitions challenging President Maithripala Sirisena's sacking of parliament and asked the Supreme Court to restore the legislature. Three parties, which together enjoy an absolute majority in the assembly, asked the highest court to also declare Sirisena's October 26 sacking of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe illegal. Sri Lanka has been gripped by an unprecedented constitutional crisis since Sirisena appointed former strongman Mahinda Rajapakse to replace Wickremesinghe, who insists he is still prime minister.
Will hold Khashoggi killers accountable: US
United States Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday and said that the US would hold people involved in the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi accountable.In a statement released by the White House, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said that Pompeo asked Saudi Arabia to hold the murderers of the dissident journalist accountable too.Addressing the Yemen conflict and crisis, Pompeo called on the involved parties to join hands to find a peaceful solution to the situation."On Yemen, the Secretary reiterated the United States' calls for a cessation of hostilities and for all parties to come to the table to negotiate a peaceful solution to the conflict under the UN Special Envoy," Nauert said in the statement.Khashoggi disappeared on October 2 after stepping into Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul to collect documents that would have allowed him to get married to his fiancee Hatice Cengiz. Cengiz, who was ...
Ananth Kumar dead; 3-day mourning in Karnataka
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar died on Monday at a private hospital here due to multiple organ failure, a BJP spokesman said. He was 59.
Notification for Telangana assembly polls on Monday
Kicking off the formal poll process, a gazette notification for elections to the Telangana Legislative Assembly would be issued Monday. Nominations would be accepted after the notification is issued, Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar had said. The 119-member Assembly was dissolved on September 6 on the recommendation of the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led government, more than eight months ahead of the expiry of its term, paving the way for early elections. Elections are scheduled to be held on December 7 and the counting would take place on December 11. The Election Commission on Friday imposed a near month-long ban on holding exit polls beginning November 12 in the five poll-bound states including Telangana. A notification issued by the poll panel said that between 7 am of November 12 and 5.30 pm of December 7, "conducting any exit poll and publishing or publicising the result of exit poll by means of print or electronic media or in any other manner shall be ...
VP condoles demise of Ananth Kumar
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Monday condoled the demise of Union Minister Ananth Kumar, saying he was a "dedicated statesman." Kumar, 59, died at a private hospital in Bengaluru in the early hours of Monday after battling lung cancer for several months. In a tweet, the Vice President Secretariat quoted Naidu as describing Kumar as a "colleague for years together, from students' movement to Parliament" "Shocked to learn about the sad demise of the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Anant Kumar. He has been a colleague of mine for years together, from students' movement toParliament. He was a dedicated statesman," the Vice President said.
South Korea ships tangerines to North, which sent mushrooms
South Korea has airlifted thousands of boxes of tangerines to North Korea in return for the North's large shipments of pine mushrooms in September, Seoul officials said Monday. South Korea says it will send 200 tons of tangerines to North Korea by Monday afternoon. Seoul's Defense Ministry says military planes flew to Pyongyang twice on Sunday to deliver the fruits and are doing the same on Monday. After September's inter-Korean summit talks in Pyongyang, North Korea gave South Korea 2 tons of pine mushrooms as a goodwill gesture. The tangerine airlifting is a sign that the two Koreas are pushing ahead with efforts to improve ties despite a stalemated global diplomacy on North Korea's nuclear program. According to Seoul and Washington officials, North Korea recently postponed high-level talks with the United States meant to discuss achieving North Korea's nuclear disarmament and setting up a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. After a ...
PM likely to chair special cabinet meeting to condole demise of Ananth Kumar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to chair a special meeting of the Union Cabinet Monday to condole the demise of senior minister Ananth Kumar, official sources said. A resolution condoling the demise of the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister and hailing his contribution would be passed. As per established practice, resolutions are passed by the Cabinet in the memory of ministers and senior leaders. Similar resolutions were passed following demise of then union ministers Gopinath Munde and Anil Madhav Dave. Kumar died at a private hospital in Bengaluru in the early hours of Monday after battling lung cancer for several months. A six-time Member of Parliament, Kumar had climbed the political ladder steadily from being an RSS worker to becoming a Union minister in his thirties. Kumar had been in the inner circle of the central leadership of the BJP -- be it during the heydays of Atal Bihari Vajpayee or L K Advani and now Narendra Modi.
Libyan players in Italy for fresh bid to solve crisis
Libya's key political players meet with global leaders in Palermo on Monday in the latest bid by major powers to kickstart a long-stalled political process and trigger elections. A summit in Paris in May had seen the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and eastern Libya strongman Khalifa Haftar agree to hold national polls on December 10, but that date has fallen by the wayside. Acknowledging the chaotic political situation since dictator Moamer Kadhafi was deposed in 2011, the UN on Thursday conceded elections will not be viable before at least the spring of 2019. A question mark hangs over Haftar's crucial presence in Palermo, with Rome on Sunday denying a Haftar official's statement that Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte had paid a lightning visit to his Benghazi headquarters amid reports he might not attend. A source close to the Italian government could not confirm if the two had been in telephone contact. Analysts say the Sicily summit risks being compromised ..
UK's Hunt visits Gulf for Khashoggi, Yemen talks
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will visit Saudi Arabia on Monday where he will press King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. During a trip to the region that includes a visit to the United Arab Emirates, Hunt will also seek to build support for UN efforts to end the conflict in Yemen, the Foreign Office said. His visit comes amid an international diplomatic crisis over the murder of Saudi journalist Khashoggi, a US resident, at his country's consulate in Istanbul in October. "The international community remain united in horror and outrage at the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi one month ago," said Hunt, who will also meet Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. "It is clearly unacceptable that the full circumstances behind his murder still remain unclear. "We encourage the Saudi authorities to co-operate fully with the Turkish investigation into his death, so that we deliver justice for his family and the watching ...
3-day mourning in Karnataka for Ananth Kumar
The Karnataka government on Monday declared a three-day mourning in the state following the death of Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar earlier in the day here, an official statement said.
Chhattisgarh polls: PM urges voters to come out in large numbers
As Chhattisgarh goes to polls Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise. In a tweet, he requested voters of the state to participate in large numbers in "the festival of democracy". On election days, the Prime Minister often takes to Twitter urging people to vote in large numbers. In the first phase, voting will be held in18 out of 90 seats in Chhattisgarh. The second phase of polling will be held on November 20.