Page 2553 - Politics
Mamata worships Goddess Kali
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday organised Kali Puja at her residence here and distributed 'prasad' among the guests.
BSF, Pakistan Rangers exchange sweets at Attari-Wagah border on Diwali
The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Pakistani Rangers exchanged sweets and greetings on the occasion of Diwali at the Attari-Wagah border Wednesday, officials said. The BSF gifted sweets to the Pakistani Rangers and it reciprocated the gesture, they said. The two sides also exchanged greetings and pleasantries, officials added. On January 26, the BSF had refused to exchange sweets and greetings with the Rangers in the wake of heightened tension between the two countries along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir due to repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces. The border guarding forces of both the countries exchange sweets and wishes on various religious festivals like Eid and Diwali, and also on Independence Day and Republic Day.
EC deputes team for talks with Mizoram NGOs
The Election Commission on Wednesday deputed a high-level team led by a Deputy Election Commissioner to hold further talks with the Mizoram NGOs demanding the axing of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S.B. Shashank.
Native American women make history with election to US Congress
Democratic candidates Deb Haaland from New Mexico and Sharice Davids from Kansas made history by becoming the first Native American women to be elected to the US House of Representatives, according to provisional data.
New day for America: Pelosi
Democrat and House minority leader Nancy Pelosi declared that Wednesday will be a new day for the US as her party retook control of the lower chamber from the Republicans in the mid-term elections.
Mizoram CEO leaves for Delhi on EC summons; protests called off
Protests demanding the ouster of Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S B Shashank were called off by the NGO Coordination Committee Wednesday after the state election official left for New Delhi after being summoned by the Election Commission. The protests were called off at 1 pm after the CEO left Aizawl city for Lengpui airport, NGO Coordination Committee chairman Vanlalruata said. The CEO left for Delhi by the evening flight. Earlier in the day, Shashank said he had been summoned by the Election Commission and he would meet the poll panel in the national capital on Thursday. The agitation demanding his removal had been launched on Tuesday and resumed Wednesday morning by a large number of Young Mizo Association members in front of the CEO's office from 8 am. The protestors later dispersed. The Assembly election in Mizoram is scheduled for November 28. Vanlalruata said the coordination committee would wait and watch the decision taken by the Election Commission of India on the ...
Sri Lanka police chief says he's taking orders from President
Sri Lankan police chief Pujith Jayasundera said on Wednesday that he was taking orders from President Maithripala Sirisena and he was not in a position to take orders from the law and order minister of ousted prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jayasundera was responding to a letter sent to him by Ranjith Madduma Bandara, the Wickremesinghe government's law and order minister, who had directed that all ministers who were in office before October 26 be provided police security. Jayasundera said that the Ministerial Security could only be provided on the recommendations of President Sirisena. He added that it could not be provided based on requests made by Ministers or other officials. President Sirisena on October 26 sacked Wickremesinghe as the prime minister and replaced him with Mahinda Rajapaksa, triggering a constitutional crisis in the island. Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Monday slammed Sirisena's "unconstitutional and undemocratic" ...
Nine countries meet to kickstart European force
Defence ministers from nine European countries will meet in Paris on Wednesday to set out plans for a joint force that could rapidly be deployed in response to a conflict or natural disaster. Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia and Portugal have joined the French-led project -- along with Britain, just as Brexit looms. A source close to the talks said Finland is also set to join the European Intervention Initiative, known as EI2, which would be independent of both the European Union and NATO. The meeting comes a day after French President Emmanuel Macron, who has pushed for a more muscular European defence policy since his arrival in power last year, called for a "real European army". Europe can ensure its own protection against Russia and even, under an unpredictable President Donald Trump, the United States, only through united defence, he said. "We need a Europe which defends itself better alone, without just depending on the United States," he said. But the .
Uttarakhand: PM Modi celebrates Diwali with ITBP jawans
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday celebrated Diwali with jawans of the Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), at Harsil in Uttarakhand.Greeting the jawans on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that their devotion to duty in the remote icy heights, is enabling the strength of the nation, and securing the future and the dreams of 125 crore Indians.Prime Minister Modi said that Diwali is the festival of lights; it spreads the light of goodness and dispels fear. He said that the jawans, through their commitment and discipline, are also helping to spread the sense of security and fearlessness among the people.The Prime Minister recalled that he has been visiting soldiers on Diwali, ever since he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He also spoke of his interactions with the jawans of ITBP, years ago when he was part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.The Prime Minister said India is taking great strides forward in the defence sector. He spoke of various measures being ...
US will regret sanctions: Iranian Foreign Minister
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that United States President Donald Trump's administration will "regret" the newly-imposed sanctions on his country."The U.S. administration will come to regret taking these ridiculous measures," Anadolu News Agency quoted Zarif, as saying.The foreign minister further stated that while previous US Presidents have also displayed "disrespectful attitudes" towards Iran, they have eventually changed their stance, and said the Trump administration will have to do the same."Past U.S. presidents changed their attitudes towards Iran in line with experience. Mr. Trump's administration must understand that its anti-Iran policies won't bear fruit and therefore have to be changed," Zarif said.Asserting that the US' "desperation" was highlighted in their move to include closed companies in the sanctions, Zarif said that the anti-Iran move was mostly criticised and opposed by the international community and that only a handful of nations like ...
NGOs' protest continues in Mizoram, EC summons CEO
An apex body of NGOs continued to protest here for a second day on Wednesday against the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Lalnunmawia Chuaungo and demanding the removal of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in election-bound Mizoram.
EC requests Mizoram govt to ensure peaceful polls
Amid protests in Mizoram demanding the removal of the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) SB Shashank, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has urged the Mizoram government to take all possible measures required to ensure peaceful polls in the state.The Election Commission in a letter to the Mizoram government also informed that the Principal Secretary (Home) L Chuaungo has been removed from his post after observing the sequence of past two months and his role, in great detail.Chuaungo's removal came after Shashank earlier complained to the EC about the interference of the state in the upcoming assembly elections. He also mentioned Chuaungo's alleged involvement in the revision of the electoral rolls and using the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).The people of Mizoram have been protesting against Shashank, alleging that he is biased in conducting the upcoming Mizoram Assembly Elections.In the complaint letter, he mentioned the alleged insensitivity regarding voting rights of the
Pak-US to rebuild relations: Shah Mehmood
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that the United States and Pakistan will soon be ramping up bilateral engagements and renewing ties."There are indications of opening up. We must remember that the bilateral ties had come to an impasse", Dawn quoted Qureshi as saying during an interaction with the media at the Foreign Office on Tuesday.His comments come in the wake of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Alice Wells' visit to the country.Wells held a meeting with Finance Minister Asad Umar, while also engaging in bilateral talks with officials from Pakistan's Interior and Defence ministries at the Foreign Office.Qureshi said that Wells' meeting with the officials was fruitful, adding that US officials would soon visit Pakistan to further trade and energy cooperation between the two countries.The foreign minister further stated that while Afghanistan continues to remain a subject of the issue, the ...
Colorado gets first openly gay governor
After securing a majority in the United States' House of Representatives in the midterm polls, the state of Colorado is all set to receive its first openly gay governor- a Democrat candidate.CNN reported that the Colorado Democrat representative, Jared Polis, will succeed the present Democrat governor John Hickenlooper after defeating Republican candidate Walker Stapleton.But Polis is not the only LGBTQ candidate holding an office under the US government. He follows the current Oregon state governor Kate Brown, another Democrat candidate, who identifies herself as a bisexual and became the first member of the LGBTQ community to be elected as a governor.Participation of members of the LGBTQ community in the national or midterm elections is gradually becoming common as citizens of the country are readily accepting the change.Kim Davis from Kentucky State, a Republican candidate who identified herself as a staunch Christian and therefore, refused to sign the same-sex marriage ...
Yemen forces push towards Hodeida as death toll mounts
Yemeni pro-government forces said Wednesday they had advanced closer to the rebel-held port city of Hodeida after fierce battles that have killed nearly 200 fighters in the past week. The clashes come as the United Nations pushes to restart negotiations between the warring parties, after planned talks in Geneva collapsed in September before they even began. In the past 24 hours, 27 Iran-backed Huthi rebels and 12 pro-government fighters have been killed on the outskirts of Hodeida city, a medical source told AFP on Wednesday. A pro-government military source said that loyalists backed by a Saudi-led coalition made "limited advances" towards the city and its Red Sea port, through which more than 70 per cent of the impoverished country's imports pass. The coalition is supporting the Yemeni troops on the ground with fighter jets and Apache attack helicopters, he told AFP. Rights groups have voiced fears for civilians after fighting intensified in the region. Save the Children reported ...
PM celebrates Diwali with soldiers near India-China border
Dressed in heavy mountain gear, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with Army and ITBP personnel in the icy terrain near the India-China border, saying their devotion to duty in the remote icy heights is enabling the strength of the nation. Greeting the jawans in the Harshil cantonment area, the prime minister said they, through their commitment and discipline, are securing the future and the dreams of 125 crore Indians and helping spread a sense of security and fearlessness among the people. He said that Diwali is the festival of lights, it spreads the light of goodness and dispels fear. The prime minister recalled that he has been visiting soldiers on Diwali ever since he was the chief minister of Gujarat. He also spoke of his interactions with the jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), years ago when he was part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The prime minister said India is taking great strides forward in the defence sector. He spoke of various measures ...
Democrats win House majority, Republicans hold Senate (Third Lead)
The Democrats on Wednesday secured a majority in the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years but the Republicans retained control of the Senate in US midterm elections seen as a referendum on the Trump presidency.
Snowden issues surveillance warning to Israelis
US whistleblower Edward Snowden urged Israelis to be on guard against heavy-handed government and private surveillance in a speech by video link Tuesday and defended his 2013 massive leak of classified documents. Snowden highlighted Israel's high-tech capabilities, but warned that accepting too much government surveillance and too easily acceding to the argument that it is needed for security reasons posed serious risks. "If we can allow ourselves to be terrorised by someone with nothing but a knife, to reorder our societies for the convenience of state power ... we've stopped being citizens and we've started being subjects," said Snowden, who spoke from an undisclosed location in Moscow. The 35-year-old also spoke of the NSO Group, the Israel-based company known for its Pegasus spyware. The software has been pinpointed by independent experts as likely being used in a number of countries with poor human rights records. "The idea is that companies like this increasingly are popping up .
Dassault pulls out of race to supply Canada with jets: sources
OTTAWA (Reuters) - France's Dassault Aviation SA has withdrawn its Rafale fighter from the race to supply Canada with 88 new military jets, three sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
Rajasthan BJP greets Yashwant Sinha on birthday, calls him 'senior BJP leader'
The Rajasthan unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) extended birthday greetings to Yashwant Sinha, who exited the party in April this year.On its Twitter handle, BJP Rajasthan wrote in Hindi, "Happy Birthday to senior BJP leader, former union finance minister Shri Yashwant Sinha. Hope God keeps you healthy."Sinha had resigned from the BJP on April 21 alleging the government of undermining democratic institutions. "Today I am taking sanyas (retirement) from any kind of party politics. Today, I am ending all ties with the BJP," he had announced at an event in Patna.Ever since his exit from the BJP, Sinha has been a critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, criticising him for his various schemes and announcements.Just a few months after Sinha left the party, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged him to contest in the Lok Sabha elections 2019. However, Kejriwal did not mention any party name for the former finance minister to contest the elections from.