Page 2540 - Politics
MH17 families appeal to Trump to press Putin for information
Families of those killed when a Buk missile blew Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 out of the sky above Ukraine in 2014 are calling on US President Donald Trump to press his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to provide answers about the downing. In a letter to Trump published Friday on Twitter, relatives of about 30 of the 298 passengers and crew killed on July 17, 2014, say "we have a right to know what happened to our loved ones." Trump and Putin will both be in Paris this weekend for commemorations of the centenary of the end of World War I, but are not expected to hold a bilateral summit. They plan to hold talks at a Group of 20 summit in Argentina at the end of the month.
If elected, Congress will waive off loans of C'garh farmers: Rahul
If the Congress was voted to power in Chhattisgarh, it will write off farmers' debts within 10 days, party president Rahul Gandhi said Friday. Addressing a poll rally in chief minister Raman Singh's home turf Rajnandgaon, Gandhi attacked the BJP-led government at the Centre over the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which he alleged, was rather a 'Gabbar Singh Tax'. The 47-year-old Congress chief told the gathering he did not want to make "false" promises like the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had allegedly made. Gandhi said his party had promised loan waiver for farmers during polls in Punjab and Karnataka and kept its word after coming to power in the two states. "If elected to power, the Congress will write off debt of each farmer in Chhattisgarh in 10 days," Gandhi told the gathering. If elected, he also promised to give bonus to the farmers of the poll-bound state, where the Congress has been in opposition for the last 15 years. Elections to the 90-member ...
India appreciates US waiver regarding Iran sanctions
India on Friday expressed its appreciation to the US for waiving it from Washington's sanctions on Iran's oil imports and development of the crucial Chabahar port.
Apologize to Sikhs over textbook content: SGPC tells Amarinder
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday asked Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to "apologize" to the Sikh community for the distortion of Sikh history in revised textbooks of senior classes of Punjab School Education Board (PSEB).
India always wanted Afghan-led peace process: MEA
After facing immense criticism from various political quarters for participating in the 'Moscow format meeting' on Afghanistan, which will also be attended by a Taliban delegation, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Raveesh Kumar, on Friday clarified that "India always wanted Afghan-led peace process."Reiterating India's stand on the issue, Kumar told the reporters here, "India will be participating in the meeting at non-official level" and added that "New Delhi's Afghan policy has been consistent".Kumar also slammed the opposition parties for their remarks in this regard and questioned, "Don't know how are people concluding that India will hold talks with the Taliban. It is a meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow."The statement from Kumar came a few hours after former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah slammed the Central government for participating in the meeting by saying, "If "non-official" participation in a dialogue that includes the Taliban is ...
PM accuses Congress of supporting 'urban Naxals'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday came down heavily on the Congress accusing the party of backing urban Naxals who misguide the tribal youth of the state and force them down the path of Naxalism.Speaking at a rally here ahead of the assembly elections in the state due on November 12 and 20, the Prime Minister said: "Children who should hold pens in their hands, they are now holding guns in a monstrous manner. Urban Maoists live a luxurious lifestyle while they ruin the lives of children belonging to tribal community, and the Congress supports these people (urban Maoists)."Further training guns at the rival Congress, Prime Minister Modi said: "For past 10 years, Congress created obstructions for the government to carry out developmental work in the state and deliberately tried to delay projects in Chhattisgarh. But despite all this, Raman Singh ji didn't stop the developmental work.""It's been so many times that Congress has come to power in the country but unfortunately they have
Sitharaman unveils Howitzers, Vajras for Army
Signalling a major milestone towards capacity building and enhancement of the Army, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday dedicated three top globally combat-proven weapons to the nation.
Congress protests against note ban in Bengaluru
Leaders and workers from the Karnataka unit of Congress on Friday slammed the Narendra Modi government's demonetisation of high value currency notes two years ago, calling it the worst attack in comparison to the 26/11 and the 9/11 attacks on Mumbai and in the US.
PIL in SC for stopping inebriated voters from casting votes
A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking installation of breath analysers and other devices at polling booths to prevent people from casting votes under the influence of alcohol. The petition, which has made the Election Commission and the Centre as parties, has been filed by Kethireddy Jagadeeswar Reddy, a social activist and president of NGO Tamilnad Telugu Yuva Sakthi, Chennai and is likely to come up for hearing next week. It said that installation of such devices is "imperative" for conducting "free and fair" election and the conduct of fair poll is being "hindered by the pervasive exploitation of alcoholism" at the instance of political parties. It further said the distribution of alcohol as a bribe to manipulate voters is a phenomenon that has been widely reported and the judicial intervention is needed to ensure free and fair poll which is the hallmark of a democracy. "Alcohol and other intoxicating substances are distributed on a large scale among voters during ...
PM pays tributes to cameraman killed by Naxals in C'garh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes on Friday to national broadcaster Doordarshan's cameraman Achyutanand Sahu, who was killed by Naxals last month in Chhattisgarh, even as he accused the opposition Congress of shielding "urban Maoists". Sahu and two security personnel were killed on October 30 in a Naxal attack in Dantewada district, located around 450 km from the state capital Raipur. "An innocent cameraman of Doordarshan, Achyutanand Sahu, who was doing his duty was killed by Maoists. He was sharing the dreams of people of Bastar with other people across the country, what was his fault?" Modi asked. The prime minister was addressing his first election rally here in Chhattisgarh, where the first phase polling for the Assembly elections will take place on November 12. He accused the Congress of backing urban Maoists who he said have ruined the lives of poor Adivasi youth. "Recently, our valiant jawans were also martyred in encounter with Maoists. And for Congress party these ..
German president calls for 'democratic patriotism'
Germany's president is calling on his compatriots to embrace an enlightened, "democratic patriotism" and reject aggressive nationalism that romanticises the country's history. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Friday that acknowledging and remembering Germany's dark Nazi past should be considered a strength, not a weakness. Steinmeier's remarks came in a speech to Parliament marking the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of a German republic after World War I. The November 9 ceremony also commemorates the 1938 Nazi pogrom against Jews, known as the "Night of Broken Glass," and the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall widely seen as ending the Cold War. In a swipe at the far-right Alternative for Germany party, Steinmeier urged Germans to reject those who seek to exclude minorities.
Modi to visit Maldives for Presidential swearing-in
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony of new Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on November 17, the External Affairs Ministry said on Friday.
PM, CM don't work without seeking nod of industrialist friends: Rahul in Chhatisgarh
Launching a tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged both of them never do anything without seeking permission of their industrialist friends. Days before the first-phase of voting in Chhattisgarh on November 12, Gandhi also accused Modi and Singh of making "false" and "unfulfilled" promises. Speaking at a poll rally at Pt Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium in Pakhanjore town in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, Gandhi said, "Bastar is rich in natural resources, but local people don't have access to their benefits. The benefits are reaching a few industrialist friends of Modi ji and Chhattisgarh CM." The Congress has been accusing the Modi government of indulging in crony capitalism from time to time, a charge which has been vehemently denied by the saffron party. There was no immediate reaction from the BJP or the state government on Gandhi's latest allegations. "In Delhi, Modi ji has 10-15 ...
Cong nominations for sale, alleges BJP
Harping on a social media allegation that Congress tickets for the assembly elections are on sale, the Rajasthan BJP has charged that corruption is in the blood of the rival party. A social media post recently featured a purported poster pasted on a bathroom wall at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in New Delhi, saying the Congress nomination for the Phalodi seat is for sale at Rs 3.5 crore. Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot trashed the allegation, saying there is no discrimination in the nomination of candidates for the December 7 elections. He termed the poster a conspiracy against the party. The Rajasthan BJP responded on Facebook with #TicketSellerCongress. Corruption is in the blood of the Congress and they do not let go of any opportunity. If the price of one seat is Rs 3.5 crore, what would be the price of 200 assembly seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party posted in Hindi. The anti-Congress poster had carried a picture of Kumari Selja, who heads the party's ...
Financial Times editor refused entry to Hong Kong
The Asia editor of the Financial Times has been refused entry to Hong Kong, weeks after he was denied a new work visa in what critics call an ominous sign of Beijing encroaching on the semi-autonomous Chinese territory's civil liberties. The newspaper reported that Victor Mallet was turned away at the border on Thursday after being questioned for several hours. He had sought to enter as a visitor. Mallet's visa rejection in October came shortly after he hosted a talk at the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club by the head of a now-banned political party advocating the financial hub's independence from China. That brought heated criticism from the territory's pro-China elites, some of whom called for the journalists' organisation to be kicked out of its clubhouse in the central financial district. Hong Kong's immigration authority has given no explanation for his expulsion and on Friday responded with a statement saying it would "act in accordance with the laws and policies and decide
Indian, Chinese troops meet at Arunachal, vow to boost ties
A high-level meeting between Army officials and Chinese PLA troops was organised on Friday at Bumla, near Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, where the two sides reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen friendship and maintain peace along the Line of Actual Control. The 4057-km-long Line of Actual Control separates India from China. The delegations, led by Major General PGK Menon from India and Major General Li Xi Zhong from China, hoisted flags of both the countries and discussed ways to boost relationship between the neighbours, a defence ministry release said. This was the first time major generals of the two countries took part in a border personnel meeting (BPM), since its initiation in 1990, the release said. On Wednesday, too, the army personnel of the two sides exchanged greeting and gifts on the occasion of Diwali. The BPM at Bumla was yet another milestone in the ongoing efforts by both the nations to increase interactions at all levels - diplomatic as well as ..
Boost to army firepower as 3 artillery gun systems inducted
In a boost to the Army's firepower and capability enhancement, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Friday inducted three major artillery gun systems, including the M777 A2 Ultra Light Howitzers, K-9 Vajra self-propelled gun and and a 'Composite Gun Towing Vehicle'. Speaking at the induction ceremony, held at Deolali Field Firing Ranges, the minister said many more such systems would be inducted in the Army in the next few years. "These guns are being inducted almost 30 years after the Bofors guns were inducted," Sitharaman said. Minister of State for Defence, Subhash Bhamre, Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat and former Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor were present. The 155mm, 39 calibre Ultra light Howitzers have been procured from USA under Government to Government Foreign Military Sales and will be assembled in India by BAE Systems in partnership with Mahindra Defence. The gun system is versatile, light weight and can be heli-lifted, thereby providing the much needed
Odisha farmers to launch civil disobedience stir from Nov 15
The agitating Odisha farmers under the banner of Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) Friday said they would launch civil disobedience movement from November 15 to press for their demands. On Monday, police stopped the farmers on the National Highway before they could enter Bhubaneswar where a mass convention was planned to highlight the issues facing them. NNKS national convener Akshya Kumar, who had earlier rejected the state government's inter-ministerial committee to hold discussion on the farmers' issues, said the stir would begin from November 15. "Our activists will stage demonstration before all the police stations across the state on November 15 protesting the police role in preventing the farmers' entry into the state capital for holding congregation," Kumar told reporters here. Criticising the state government for foiling the farmers' rally, Kumar said the police arrested them before they could enter the state capital on November 5. The government used police .
Modi kickstarts campaign from Bastar, says Congress sympathising with Maoists
Kickstarting his election campaign in Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the Congress of sympathising with Maoists and calling them "revolutionary" and ruining the lives of tribals.
Mayawati, Akhilesh hit out at BJP over DeMo
The Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party on Friday tried to corner the BJP over the demonetisation issue, terming it a failure and demanded an apology from the ruling party. "They (BJP) had sought 50 days, but now two years have passed after demonetisation... People are still awaiting an answer that except running business and increasing unemployment, what benefit has it given? If the government considers it a success, it should tell (people) in whose pocket the benefit went," SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said. BSP supremo Mayawati, too, slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for the decision. "After two years of demonetisation, any of the objectives as claimed by the BJP were not met. The BJP should offer an apology for the move. The BJP government at the Centre will be remembered as a government of failures in which none of the promises made to the people were fulfilled," she said in a statement. Describing the move as an "economic emergency", the Dalit leader said resentment was brewing .