Page 2542 - Politics

Another 70 migrants picked up by Libyan Coast Guard

Rome, Nov 9 (IANS/AKI) Libya's Coast Guard intercepted an inflatable boat in the Mediterranean with around 70 migrants on board, Italy's hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has said.

UN gender agency hails record-breaking number of women in new US Congress

The record number of women who stood as candidates and won in the US midterm polls marked an unprecedented advance critical for the achievement of gender equality and sustainable development, the UN gender equality agency has said. A total of 277 women ran in the midterm elections for the US House of Representatives and Senate from both major parties Democrat and Republican - representing an array of ages, races, religions, sexual orientations, backgrounds and cultures, which UN Women described as an "historic victory" and cause for celebration. "The new cohort of elected women will bring the total number in the Congress to more than 100. This is a record," the statement issued by UN Women Thursday said, adding that there was a 75 per cent increase in women of colour seeking to hold office in the House or Senate. Some of those making history include the first Native American women ever to win seats in the House - New Mexico Democrat Deb Haaland and Kansas Democrat Sharice Davids, ...

White House issues new rule limiting asylum seekers

US President Donald Trump's administration has said it would restrict the ability of those crossing illegally to seek asylum in the country's southern border.

Launch of direct Kabul-Taliban talks to be discussed at Moscow meeting: High Peace Council

The Afghan High Peace Council plans to raise the issue of launching direct talks between the authorities in Kabul and the Taliban movement at the second round of the Moscow format consultations on Afghanistan slated for Friday, council's spokesman Ihsan Taheri told Sputnik.Later in the day, Moscow will host the second round of talks on Afghanistan, which will involve the Afghan High Peace Council. Representatives from China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the United States have been invited to join the meeting. The political office of the Taliban movement in Doha will for the first time take part in these talks. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is set to take part in the event."We did not come here to negotiate peace. This will be a discussion between the participating delegations on how to start a dialogue and peace negotiations between the authorities of Afghanistan and the Taliban," Taheri said.Taheri also expressed ...

Demonetisation was an ill-conceived move: Chidambaram

In a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday said the demonetisation was an "ill-conceived" move.Chidambaram's statement comes after the BJP celebrated the second anniversary of demonetisation on Thursday. The Congress party marked it as a 'black day' for the Indian democracy and economy."Demonetisation was an ill-conceived move, inspired by one or more persons who are totally oblivious of matters concerning money and the economy," Chidambaram told media here.On November 8, 2016, the Central government had declared Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes as non-legal and introduced new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes. Since then, various opposition parties have been highly critical of the Centre's move, while the members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies have backed the decision.On the second anniversary of demonetisation on Thursday, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ..

Don't desecrate Sabarimala temple: Tharoor to RSS, BJP

Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday requested the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Kerala government among others to not play politics with the respect attached with the Sabarimala temple and not "desecrate" it."I believe this is a very important issue that raises some very profound questions about change in the interface between traditional modernity and our society in a changing world, and it cannot be handled lightly. What we have seen with the BJP's behaviour in terms of violence that they have conducted and the intimidation of the people in Sabarimala have utterly been disgraceful. Reducing this sanctified shrine to a place for political theatre while the BJP chief locally gloats that this has been a golden opportunity for his party is utterly shameful," Tharoor told ANI here.He added that the state government is also responsible for the tense situation in Sabarimala temple. At the same time, Tharoor said, ..

N Korea postpones talks with US

North Korea postponed high-level talks with the United States of America, which were scheduled to take place in the New York City on Thursday (local time).U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was to hold meeting with Kim Yong-chol, a close aide to the North's leader Kim Jong-un.Scheduling issues were ascribed as reasons behind the postponing of the meeting, reported Yonhap quoting South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha.The US Department of State on Wednesday announced that the talks will be rescheduled.Amid the speculations about the reason behind the cancelling of the meeting, a State Department official dismissed rumour about a possible tiff with Pyongyang or disagreement on Washington's demand for more stringent efforts toward denuclearization."Timing, timing. This has to do with timing as a matter. Schedules change. Schedules change all of the time in fact ... This is the case we're dealing with, purely a scheduling issue, and it's as simple as that," said States Department .

S Korean President sacks finance minister, chief economic adviser

South Korean President Moon Jae-in fired two of his top economic officials including finance minister Kim Dong-yeon and chief economic adviser Jang Ha-sung after the two got into a tiff about dealing with collapsing economy of the country.According to Yonhap, Hong Nam-ki, an economic technocrat who is currently serving as chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination under the Prime Minister's Office will replace Kim Dong-yeon as finance minister and deputy prime minister for economic affairs.Moon named Kim Soo-hyun, the senior social affairs secretary to succeed chief economic adviser Jang Ha-sung.The sacked top policymakers engaged in a disagreement over revival of the slumping economy, with Kim voicing a need to alter the "income-led" growth policy and Jang insisting on sticking to the distribution-centered policy.

BJP to release manifesto for Chhattisgarh on Saturday, focus on farmers and youth

In a last attempt to woo voters ahead of the first phase of polling in Chhattisgarh, the ruling BJP will release its "game changer" manifesto on Saturday with special focus on farmers and youth, state Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal said. The Sanklap Patar' will be released by BJP president Amit Shah here, Agrawal, who heads the BJP's manifesto drafting committee, said on Friday. Saturday is the last day of campaigning for the first phase of polling for 18 assembly seats in Chhattisgarh on Monday. The second phase, for the remaining 72 constituencies, will be held on November 20. It will be a game changer. The manifesto will put forth the vision for a new Chhattisgarh, which will be among the most developed states of the country by 2025, Agrawal said, Though he declined to share details of the manifesto, he said it would focus on farmers and youth and has been drafted with guidance from the party's central leadership, including Shah. In the last one decade or so, the state has .

New Okinawa governor plans US tour to raise military base issues

The newly elected governor of Japan's Okinawa said Friday he will take the island's long-running concerns about US military bases there directly to Americans when he visits the country next week. Denny Tamaki, born to a Japanese mother and an American US Marine father, said he wanted to see Tokyo and Washington spread the burden of hosting US troops more evenly across Japan. "I am not asking for immediate shutdown and withdrawal of US bases," he told a press conference in Tokyo. "The reality that the Okinawan people face is that we don't know to whom we should voice our frustration," Tamaki said. He will go to Washington and New York to meet with local politicians and journalists and said he was hopeful his mixed background would help persuade Americans to recognise the views of Okinawans. "After the (US) midterm elections, I as a person who has roots to both Japan and the US am going there. I hope it will have a media impact," he added. Okinawa accounts for less than one percent of ..

No alliance by compromising party's ideology or internal unity: Bengal Congress chief

Over a month after taking over the West Bengal Pradesh Congress presidency once again, veteran leader Somen Mitra says the party high command has kept the door open for an electoral alliance in the state for the 2019 general elections. But this alliance would not at the cost of its ideology or internal unity.

Vice President Naidu embarks on 3-day visit to France

Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu embarked on three-day visit to France on Friday where he would be attending the Paris Peace Forum going to be held between November 11 and 13 to commemorate the armistice of World War I at Arc de Triomphe, a tribute to a large number of Indian soldiers who participated and sacrificed their lives in the World War I.The aim of the Paris Peace Forum is to establish a global platform to reaffirm the importance of multilateralism, international cooperation and reform of global governance institutions. The centenary ceremony would be presided over by the French President Emmanuel Macron.The Heads of State and Heads of Government of over 50 countries and their representatives are also going to participate in the Paris Peace Forum.Vice President Naidu will also hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Forum with foreign dignitaries. He will also address the Indian community and will inaugurate the Indian War Memorial at Villers ...

Wickremesinghe urges citizens to continue fight for democracy

Ousted Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday urged the citizens of the country to not give up fight for democracy and freedom.Wickremesinghe thanked the people who have taken to streets to fight against President Sirsena's sudden decision of power transfer, reported Colombo Page."It has been thirteen days since democracy was taken hostage in Sri Lanka. But in these dark times, you, the people have not given up," Wickremesinghe said.United National Party (UNP) leader Wickremesinghe was abruptly sacked by the President Sirisena on October 26. He was later on replaced by former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sirisena further suspended the country's Parliamentary proceedings until November 16.Sirsena on November 5 announced to reconvene the Sri Lankan Parliament on November 14, amid rising demands by legislators of the state to end the political crisis in the island nation as soon as possible.

Omar tears into Centre for participating in talks with Taliban in Russia

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday tore in to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and questioned that if New Delhi can participate at a non-official level in the Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan, which will be attended by Taliban delegation, then why can't it hold a dialogue with "non-mainstream stake holders' in regard with the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.Logging on to Twitter, Abdullah said, "If "non-official" participation in a dialogue that includes the Taliban is acceptable to the Modi government why not a "non-official" dialogue with non-mainstream stake holders in J&K? Why not a "non-official" dialogue centered around J&K's eroded autonomy & its restoration?."On Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs headed by Sushma Swaraj on Thursday confirmed the participation and said, "Our participation at the meeting will be at the non-official level.""India supports all efforts at peace and reconciliation in ...

North Korea postponed Pompeo talks as they were not ready: Nikki haley

Pompeo was supposed to meet Kim Yong Chol in New York Thursday

Late anti-freebie crusader Balaji is 'Sarkar' hero

Nearly a year after the demise of 44-year-old anti-freebie crusader-advocate S. Subramaniam Balaji, Tamil movie "Sarkar" has stirred a controversy over the freebie schemes of the state government.

Kovind, Modi greet Uttarakhand on Statehood Day

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday greeted the people of Uttarakhand on their Statehood Day.

Civilians suffering due to sanctions must be spared 'collective punishment': UN rights expert

Innocent civilians must not face "collective punishment" in disputes between two States, a United Nations human rights expert has said, calling for greater protection for ordinary people affected by punitive sanctions imposed by one country on another. Idriss Jazairy, the UN Special Rapporteur on effects of sanctions on human rights, said that measures that seek to block a country's trade altogether, amount to economic warfare against civilians, with devastating consequences. "Under economic sanctions, people also die but from lack of food and medicine, rather than from explosive devices," said the UN rights expert in a news release on Thursday. This form of warfare that relies on starvation and disease "deserves the same concern" on the part of the international community as any other conflict, he added, noting protections guaranteed under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which applies during times of war. Referring to Iran, Jazairy said that while US sanctions - fully re-imposed ...

Reporters condemn White House decision to bar CNN journalist

Reporters from many news organisations have expressed support to senior CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after the White House revoked his press pass "until further notice" because of the journalist's combative exchange with President Donald Trump at his post-midterms press conference.

US demonstrators call to continue Russia probe

Thousands of demonstrators across the US have called on President Donald Trump's administration to maintain the investigation into the alleged Russian 2016 presidential election meddling, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.