Page 2550 - Politics
Sessions forced out as AG as Trump installs loyalist
The US President has wrestled back control of the Russia probe by firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions and replacing him with a loyalist who has echoed Donald Trump's complaints about the special counsel investigation into the election interference.
Britain seeks to soothe Brexit tensions with France
Britain's foreign minister will seek to ease tensions with France caused by Brexit on Thursday with a speech that will pay tribute to the "bonds of friendship and commerce" between the countries, his office said. France has taken a hard line in the Brexit negotiations, with President Emmanuel Macron insistent that Britain should not be allowed to negotiate advantages for itself as it withdraws from the European Union. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also raised hackles in Paris last month when he compared the EU to the Soviet Union and suggested its members were trying to punish Britain for leaving. But in Thursday's speech at the British embassy in Paris, Hunt will tell the audience -- in French -- that the neighbours will "remain tied by bonds of friendship and commerce for decades to come." Three days ahead of the 100th anniversary of World War I, when Britain and France allied against Germany, he is set to emphasise the historic Franco-British partnership. "It was a war in ..
South Korean minister: US says N Korea cancelled meeting
South Korea's foreign minister said Thursday that US. officials told Seoul that it was North Korea that cancelled nuclear talks this week between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a senior North Korean official. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha provided no reason, aside from "busy schedules," for why North Korea cancelled the meeting set for Thursday in New York that was meant to discuss ridding the North of its nuclear weapons and setting up a second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. But some analysts say a last-minute cancellation a familiar North Korean tactic could be aimed at pressuring the United States to agree to a quick Trump-Kim summit because the North thinks it can win major concessions from Trump that lower-level US officials might try to block. The US president has recently appeared to be slowing the pace of diplomacy with North Korea amid signs that Kim is lagging behind in his supposed promise to denuclearise. Before ...
Australian FM raises Xinjiang interment camps on China visit
Australia's foreign minister raised China's internment of Uighur minorities in Xinjiang at a meeting with her Chinese counterpart on Thursday as Beijing comes under increasing international scrutiny over its controversial security policy. Marise Payne spoke after meeting with China's chief diplomat Wang Yi on the first visit to Beijing by an Australian foreign minister in nearly three years as both countries pursue a thaw in relations. Earlier this week, Payne said she would register "serious concerns" over the huge facilities in northwestern Xinjiang region, where activists say up to one million Uighurs and other mainly-Muslim minorities are detained in political re-education camps. "We did exchange views on that matter," Payne said at a press conference alongside Wang, but she did not elaborate on what she had told him behind closed doors. It is rare for foreign officials to publicly chastise China over its human rights record during a visit to the country. Wang, who opened his ...
Yeddyurappa says Tipu Jayanti celebrations only to satisfy Muslims
Ahead of 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary, former chief minister, BS Yeddyurappa called the state government's celebrations a gimmick to appease the Muslim community."We are opposing this (Tipu Jayanti). Nobody will appreciate this celebration. Government's intention behind the Tipu Jayanti celebration is just to satisfy the people of the Muslim community. Even within the Congress and JD(S), people are opposing this," Yeddyurappa, the Karnataka chief of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), told ANI.He further said that the state government should have celebrated former president APJ Abdul Kalam's birthday instead of Tipu Jayanti.Congress leader DK Shivakumar, however, said that the BJP always opposes 'national patriots.'"The BJP always opposes any national patriots. Tipu Sultan has a long history and there is nothing wrong in conducting Tipu Jayanti. BJP has its political agenda. They want to create some differences between Hindus and minorities," Shivakumar told ...
Taiwan commissions warships amid China threat warnings
Taiwan's president has commissioned a pair of guided missile frigates that are expected to boost the island's ability to counter Chinese submarines amid rising military threats from Beijing. President Tsai Ing-wen's office says she attended Thursday's ceremony for the Ming Chuan and Feng Chia at a navy base in the southern port of Kaohsiung and reiterated Taiwan's determination to resist all threats. The Perry class vessels were formerly part of the US Navy, and though built in the 1980s, have been updated with cutting-edge technologies including sonar and undersea warfare combat systems. Tsai warned that in addition to its traditional military threats, misinformation intended to destabilize Taiwanese society is being spread by China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory to be conquered by force if necessary.
Senior China diplomat says U.S., China can resolve trade dispute through talks
BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese government's top diplomat Wang Yi said on Thursday that China and the United States can and should appropriately resolve their trade dispute through talks.
Demonetisation, a key step in formalising economy: Jaitley
Posting a strong defence of demonetisation on its second anniversary today, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the note ban had a huge impact in formalising the economy."As we complete two years of demonetisation today, it has been established that demonetisation, a key step in a chain of important decisions taken by the Government, had a huge impact in formalising the economy," Jaitley wrote in a blog."The Government first targeted the black money outside India. Asset holders were asked to bring it back on payment of penal tax, on failure to do so they are being prosecuted under the Black Money Act. All such details received have resulted in action against the violators," he added.Jaitley underlined that confiscation of currency was not an objective of demonetisation but getting it into the formal economy and making the holders pay tax was the broader objective."An ill-informed criticism of the Demonetisation is that almost the entire cash money got deposited in the ...
Trump sacks US Attorney General Jeff Sessions; takes control of Russia meddling probe
President Donald Trump Wednesday sacked US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, virtually taking operational control of a sensitive probe into foreign interference in the 2016 election and the possibility of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. For months, Trump publicly attacked Sessions for recusing himself from overseeing the probe in 2017, and blamed his decision for allowing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to appoint a special counsel. Trump said Sessions will be temporarily replaced by his chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, who is a Republican loyalist. Now, with Whitaker at the helm, Trump has someone leading the Justice Department who has already suggested that Mueller's probe should be reined in. CBS News reported that Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein is no longer leading the Mueller inquiry, and that Whitaker will now assume control. In a tweet on Wednesday Trump said, "We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General ...
Farmers will vote Congress to power in Chhattisgarh: Leader of Opposition
Even as it battles the ruling BJP's "poaching prowess", the Congress is hoping to leverage anti-incumbency sentiments and the rising agrarian crisis in its bid to oust the 15-year-old Raman Singh-led government in Chhattisgarh, in the two-phased elections to the 90-member assembly later this month.
Demonetisation was ill-fated and ill-thought: Manmohan Singh
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, on the second anniversary of demonetisation on Thursday, asserted that the exercise which the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government undertook in 2016 was ill-fated and ill-thought.Underlining that the havoc unleashed on the Indian economy and society due to demonetisation was evident to all stratas of people, he said in a statement: "Today marks the second anniversary of the ill-fated and ill-thought demonetisation exercise that the Narendra Modi government undertook in 2016. The havoc that it unleashed on the Indian economy and society is now evident to everyone. Notebandi impacted every single person, regardless of age, gender, religion, occupation or creed."The former prime minister further emphasised that the scars and wounds of demonetisation are only getting more visible with time. Singh added that the consequences of 'notebandi' are still unraveling."It is often said that time is a great healer. But unfortunately, the scars and the ...
Opposition attacks Modi over demonetisation
The opposition on Thursday attacked the Narendra Modi government for unleashing "destruction" on every citizen of India with its 2016 demonetisation move that only helped the Prime Minister's cronies.
MEPs, scholars criticise CPEC in European Parliament
The Members of European Parliament along with scholars and academics have strongly criticised the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) while discussing the interrelated legal, geo-strategic, economic and environmental impacts at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday.They were speaking at a seminar titled "CPEC - East India Company Mark II?" which was organised by the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS) under the aegis of Jonathan Bullock, the Member of European Parliament.Junaid Qureshi, Director of EFSAS chaired the seminar and gave a profound insight on the objectives of EFSAS while also giving an introduction to the topic, especially in regard to CPEC's disastrous effects on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.Geoffrey van Orden, MEP, Chair of the Delegation for Relations with India and Vice-Chair of the Special Committee on Terrorism, analysed whether the building of the multi-billion Economic Corridor throughout Pakistan had parallels .
Havoc demonetisation caused is now evident: Manmohan SIngh
Describing demonetisation as an "ill-fated" and "ill-thought" exercise, former prime minister Manmohan Singh said on the decision's second anniversary Thursday that the havoc it unleashed on the economy and society is now evident. The Congress leader asked the government to not resort to further unorthodox, short-term economic measures that can cause any more uncertainty in the economy. "Today is a day to remember how economic misadventures can roil the nation for a long time and understand that economic policy making should be handled with thought and care," Singh said in a statement. He urged the government to restore certainty and visibility in economic policies. "Notebandi (demonetisation) impacted every single person, regardless of age, gender, religion, occupation or creed," he said. It is often said time is a great healer but unfortunately in the case of demonetisation, the scars and wounds of demonetisation are only getting more visible with time, Singh said.
Reason behind demonetisation still a mystery:Kejriwal
On the second anniversary of demonetisation, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday questioned the rationale behind the Modi government's note ban move and termed it as "a self inflicted deep wound" on the Indian economy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016, announced a ban on then in use Rs 1000 and Rs 500 denomination bank notes with immediate effect. "Though the list of financial scams of Modi govt is endless, demonetisation was a self inflicted deep wound on Indian economy which even two years later remains a mystery why the country was pushed into such a disaster ?" The sudden withdrawal of notes led to a liquidity crunch with serpentine queues seen outside banks and ATMs to exchange old notes. The effects of demonetisation including its role in culling black money and stemming terrorism and Naxalism as well as its impact on the economy are still being discussed with the opposition slamming the Modi government, terming its ..
Taiwan navy adds two new warships as China tensions grow
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen vowed Thursday that the island would not "concede one step" in defending itself as she inaugurated two frigates bought from the United States aimed at boosting Taipei's naval capabilities against China. Rival China has upped military drills including a live fire exercise in the Taiwan Strait in April, declaring its willingness to confront the island's "independence forces". Beijing still claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary, even though the two sides have been ruled separately since 1949 after a civil war. China has also been incensed by recent warming ties between Washington and Taipei, including the US State Department's approval of a preliminary licence to sell submarine technology to the island. The two Perry-class guided missile frigates were officially commissioned in a ceremony at Zuoying base in southern Kaohsiung city. "We want to send a clear and firm message from Taiwanese people to .
Seoul earmarks more than USD 260 mn for rail, roads in North
South Korea has earmarked more than USD 260 million to build new railways and roads in the North, an official said Thursday, as Seoul pushes ahead with cross-border projects despite international sanctions on Pyongyang. The figure comes as Seoul and Washington follow increasingly divergent approaches to Pyongyang, with the South pursuing engagement while the US insists pressure on it should be maintained until it denuclearises. South Korean President Moon Jae-in offered to help upgrade the North's outdated rail and road infrastructure and connect it with the South's in meetings this year with the North's leader Kim Jong Un. Seoul plans to spend about 295.1 billion won (USD 264 million) on the schemes next year, an official at Seoul's unification ministry told reporters, with most of it -- 186.4 billion won -- given freely and 108.7 billion won in loans. "It is an estimate for now... we will continue efforts, including policy coordination with the US, to carry out the projects agreed ..
Seoul says N Korea asked to delay Pompeo talks: Report
North Korea asked the United States to delay planned high-level talks in New York this week, Seoul's top diplomat said Thursday, a day after Washington abruptly announced the meeting's postponement. The US State Department said Wednesday that the encounter between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and top North Korean official Kim Yong Chol, initially scheduled for Thursday, had been shelved for "a later date". No further explanation was given, but Pyongyang is demanding sanctions imposed on it over its weapons programmes are eased, while Washington insists they should stay in place until it denuclearises. South Korean foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said it was Pyongyang that had asked for a delay. "The US told us that it received a message from the North to postpone the meeting," Kang told lawmakers, according to Yonhap news agency. South Korean reports said that Kim -- one of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's right-hand men -- had been scheduled to catch a lunchtime flight from ...
Centre cheated nation with demonetisation scam: Mamata
On the second anniversary of demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday slammed the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for cheating the nation with the note-ban "scam".
PM greets Advani on birthday, says his contribution towards nation building monumental
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday wished BJP veteran L K Advani on his birthday, saying his contribution towards nation building is monumental. Advani turned 91 today. He was born on this day in 1927 in Karachi, now Pakistan. "Advani Ji's contribution towards India's development is monumental. His ministerial tenures are applauded for futuristic decision making and people-friendly policies. His wisdom is admired across the political spectrum," the prime minister wrote on Twitter. He also said the party veteran's impact on Indian politics is immense. "Selflessly and diligently, he built the @BJP4India and wonderfully mentored Karyakartas (workers)," he said in another tweet.