Page 2555 - Politics

Pakistan-US ties renewal under way: Minister

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that the renewal of ties between Washington and Islamabad were under way and that the two countries would be increasing their engagement in the coming days.

Democrats seize US House in rebuke to Trump

Democrats seized control of the lower house of Congress in midterm elections Tuesday, dealing a stern rebuke to Donald Trump almost two years into his polarizing, rollercoaster presidency. Fox and NBC television networks called the result in the US House of Representatives, while confirming expectations that Trump's Republicans will retain control of the Senate. The result upends the balance of power in Washington, where Trump has enjoyed an easy ride from Republican dominance of both houses of Congress since his shock election in 2016. Democrats will now be able to block legislation and light a fire under Trump's feet with investigations of his opaque finances and Russian interference in his 2016 election, and possibly push for impeachment. The verdicts in the House and Senate were based on incomplete results as vote counting continued across the country and some states were still voting in a congressional election cast as an unofficial referendum on Trump. Giddy predictions by ...

Dems flip a string of GOP seats in early House returns

The Democrats picked up at least 10 Republican-held House seats across the eastern half of the country in early returns Tuesday but fell short in a closely watched race in Kentucky as they fought to wrest control of the chamber from the GOP. Democrats needed a net gain of 23 seats to break the Republicans' eight-year hold on the House and gain a check on President Donald Trump. The Democratic gains included several suburban districts eyed for turnover because they were won by Hillary Clinton in 2016. In the Miami area, former Clinton administration Cabinet member Donna Shalala won an open seat, while GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo lost his bid for a third term in another district. In the suburbs outside the nation's capital, Virginia Rep. Barbara Comstock among the most endangered GOP incumbents, branded Barbara "Trumpstock" by Democrats lost to Jennifer Wexton, a prosecutor and state legislator. Wexton was among the record number of women running this year. And in Kansas, Democrat Sharice

Out of many, several firsts elected across country

The House is getting its first two Muslim women and Massachusetts is getting its first black congresswoman while Arizona and Tennessee stand to elect their first woman senators in Tuesday's midterm elections. The high-profile midterm cycle that produced a record number of women contenders and candidates of colour meant several winners will take office as trailblazers, marking firsts for their race and gender. What is already the most diverse Congress ever could become even more so after Tuesday's elections and will include several trailblazers. Boston City Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley will represent Massachusetts' 7th Congressional District in the next Congress. Pressley stunned the political establishment in September, defeating a 10-term incumbent in the Democratic primary, and was unopposed on Tuesday. Also in the House, Democrats Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan will be the first Muslim women to serve in Congress. And regardless of who wins in Arizona's ...

Modi reaches Uttarakhand, to pray at Kedarnath shrine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Wednesday and left for Kedarnath in a chopper, officials said.

Kansas Democrat to be first Native American woman in Congress: US networks

Kansas Democrat Sharice Davids on Tuesday became the first Native American woman elected to Congress, defeating Republican incumbent Kevin Yoder, US networks projected. Davids, 38, is an attorney by training and a former mixed martial arts fighter. She is also openly lesbian, in a state that is traditionally conservative. Davids -- who was raised by a single mother Army veteran -- is one of a handful of Native American women looking to make history on Election Day. "Strong, Resilient, Indigenous," reads the t-shirt worn by Davids in one of her campaign ads for election in the state's 3rd congressional district, which includes Kansas City and its southern suburbs. Davids is one of a number of Democrats who have flipped seats in the House of Representatives. The party is hoping to seize control of the lower chamber from the Republicans.

Kim meets Cuban President in Pyongyang

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday met Cuban President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez at his office and discussed on how to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries.According to North Korea's state media, Bermudez, who arrived in Pyongyang on Sunday along with his wife, Lis Cuesta Peraza, was on his first overseas visit since he took office in April, Yonhap News Agency reported.The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that the two leaders discussed the current situations of their nations and the "successes and experience gained in socio-economic development."Kim and Bermudez had "honest and sincere views on various issues in the field of party activities and socialist constructions" of the two countries, the current scenario of the Korean Peninsula and other global issues, the KCNA added.After their bilateral engagements, the two leaders had a state dinner together and witnessed a gymnastics and artistic performance titled 'The Glorious Country', at the ..

Iran sanctions aimed at unbalancing world: Turkish President

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday lambasted the United States for imposing economic sanctions on Iran, asserting that they are aimed at unbalancing the world."US sanctions on Iran are wrong. For us, they are steps aimed at unbalancing the world. We don't want to live in an imperialist world," Erdogan was quoted by Al-Jazeera as saying.He added that Turkey imports around 10 billion cubic metres of natural gas from Iran.Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also slammed the sanctions on Iran by the US, saying that isolating the oil-rich country is "dangerous" and punishing the people of Iran is "not fair"."While we were asking (for) an exemption from the US, we have also been very frank with them that cornering Iran is not wise. Isolating Iran is dangerous and punishing the Iranian people is not fair," he said."Turkey is against sanctions, we don't believe any results can be achieved through the sanctions. I think instead of sanctions, meaningful dialogue and ...

US midterms: Contests in high-profile races remain tight

As Americans voted in this year's crucial midterm elections, Democrats were making progress in their bid to take the House of Representatives, but Republicans were looking well-positioned to keep the Senate with key races still tight.

Wall Street futures, Asia stocks fall as U.S. elections trickle in

TOKYO (Reuters) - Wall Street stock futures and Asian shares dropped on Wednesday as early results of the U.S. midterm elections started to trickle in, with investors bracing for the Republicans to lose their grip on Congress.

Half polls closed; voters pit Trump strength, Dem resistance

Votes were being counted across half the United States as the energy and outrage of the Democratic resistance faced off against the brute strength of President Donald Trump's GOP in a fight for control of Congress and statehouses across the nation. Fundraising, polls and history were not on the president's side. But two years after an election that proved polls and prognosticators wrong, an air of uncertainty and stormy weather across parts of the country clouded the outcome of high-stakes elections from Florida to Alaska and everywhere in between. Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts easily won re-election as they consider bids for the Democratic presidential nomination. Other 2020 prospects on the ballot included New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Anxious Republicans privately expressed confidence in their narrow Senate majority but feared the House was slipping away. The GOP's grip on high-profile ...

Vermont's Bernie Sanders cruises to 3rd Senate term

Vermont's Bernie Sanders has cruised to re-election for his third term in the Senate, easily outpacing eight candidates. Sanders, the independent who has long been one of the state's most popular politicians, spent little time campaigning ahead of the election. Sanders has faced few serious opponents since he was first elected to the state's lone seat in the House in 1990. He moved up to the Senate in 2006. The Republican candidate, Lawrence Zupan, a Manchester real estate broker with experience in international trade, campaigned against what he felt was big government and social welfare programs. But his candidacy never gained traction and his campaign drew little attention. Rather than focusing on his re-election, Sanders travelled the country to support Democratic candidates and an array of policy issues. Meanwhile, Beyonce endorsed Texas Democratic Senate hopeful Beto O'Rourke over Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in the final hours before her home state's polls close. The native ...

Wall Street stock futures dip as investors look to U.S. elections

TOKYO (Reuters) - Wall Street stock futures ticked down slightly while Asian shares held very tight ranges early Wednesday as investors awaited the results of U.S. midterm elections, which could see Republicans lose their grip on Congress.

C'garh polls: Satnami Samaj's Guru Baldas, son join Congress

With just a few days left for the first phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government received a major jolt as Satnami Samaj's Guru Baldas along with son, Khushwant Saheb and hundreds of supporters joined the Congress party.The Satnami Samaj is a major vote bank for the political parties in Chhattisgarh, as they account for around 14 per cent to 16 per cent of total votes.Guru Baldas' switch to the Congress comes after BJP president Amit Shah had recently visited the poll-bound state and met him, and had sought support from the religious community in the upcoming Assembly elections.Explaining his decision to switch loyalties, the religious leader claimed that the BJP did not respect the people of the society and, therefore, he joined the Congress. He added that he would ask others to extend their support to the Congress in the coming days.While the Congress has welcomed the move, the BJP, on the other hand, said that any ...

Pompeo exempts Iran's Chabahar Port from sanctions

United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has approved sanctions exemption for the development of Iran's Chabahar Port, which is related to Afghanistan's economic development and reconstruction assistance.In a statement, a US State Department spokesperson told ANI, "After extensive consideration, the Secretary (Pompeo) has provided for an exception from the imposition of certain sanctions under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012 (IFCA) with respect to the development of Chabahar Port and the construction of an associated railway and for the shipment of non-sanctionable goods through the Port for Afghanistan's use, as well as Afghanistan's continued imports of Iranian petroleum products.?"The spokesperson added that the exception is related to the reconstruction assistance and economic development for Afghanistan."These activities are vital for the ongoing support of Afghanistan's growth and humanitarian relief," the spokesperson said."The President's South ...

GOP aims to keep Senate control, aided by Trump-friendly map

Republicans aimed to retain Senate control in Tuesday's voting and renew their role as guardians of President Donald Trump's conservative agenda, banking on a lopsided electoral map that imperiled far more Democratic seats to offset Trump's deeply divisive effect on voters. Democrats' longshot prospects for capturing a Senate majority were pinned on hopes of their supporters surging to the polls. Party stalwarts and some independents have been roused by revulsion toward Trump's anti-immigration rhetoric and policies and his efforts to dismantle health care protections enacted under President Barack Obama, and by the #MeToo movement's fury over sexual harassment. "I think he's trying to divide this country. I think he's preying upon people's fears," said Jay Hutchins, 49, a Democrat voting in Silver Spring, Maryland, said of Trump. The Democrats also had history on their side: 2002 was the only midterm election in the past three decades when the party holding the White House gained ...

Brazil's Bolsonaro hesitates over proposed Jerusalem embassy move

Brazil's president-elect Jair Bolsonaro has suggested that he was prepared to make a swift u-turn over controversial plans to move the country's Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Last week, Bolsonaro reiterated a campaign pledge to follow the lead of US President Donald Trump by switching the embassy from Israel's economic and technological hub to its capital. But on Tuesday, he reeled in his plans claiming "it hasn't yet been decided." The far-right politician was responding to a question from reporters about Egypt postponing a scheduled visit from Brazil's Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes. "From what I know, it's due to a calendar problem," Bolsonaro said during his first visit to the capital Brasilia since winning the October 28 election runoff against leftist opponent Fernando Haddad. He is due to take office on January 1. "It would be premature for a country to take retaliatory measures against something that hasn't yet been decided." Bolsonaro's announcement of the ...

US exempts India from certain sanctions for development of Chabahar port in Iran

The United States has exempted India from imposition of certain sanctions for the development of the strategically-located Chabahar port in Iran, along with the construction of the railway line connecting it with Afghanistan. The decision by the Trump administration, which a day earlier imposed the toughest ever sanctions on Iran and is very restrictive in giving exemptions, is a seen as a recognition by Washington of India's role in development of the port on the Gulf of Oman, which is of immense strategic importance for the development of war-torn Afghanistan. "After extensive consideration, the Secretary (of State) has provided for an exception from imposition of certain sanctions under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012, with respect to the development of Chabahar port, construction of an associated railway and for shipment of non-sanctionable goods through the port for Afghanistan's use, as well as the country's continued imports of Iranian petroleum ...

Pompeo allows sanctions exception for Iran port development

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. diplomat has granted an exception to certain U.S. sanctions that will allow the India-led development of a port in Iran as part of a new transportation corridor designed to boost Afghanistan's economy, a State Department spokesman said on Tuesday.

Govt covering up its failures in governance: CPI general secretary

At the same time, the name change also reflects its anti-Muslim feelings, said S Sudhakar Reddy