Page 2557 - Politics
UK's May says will not agree Brexit deal 'at any cost'
British Prime Minister Theresa May promised her ministers Tuesday she would not strike a Brexit deal with the EU "at any cost" after opposition over a mooted plan to resolve the deadlock over Northern Ireland. Negotiations have stepped up with Brussels as London seeks a divorce agreement within weeks, to allow time for it to be passed by parliament before Brexit day on March 29, 2019. But British eurosceptics fear May is planning to break the impasse by giving too much ground on an arrangement to avoid border checks between British Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. The Northern Irish party on whom May depends for her majority in the House of Commons warned that unless the EU offered further concessions, Britain could leave with no deal at all. At a weekly cabinet meeting, May told ministers she expected an agreement and wanted it as soon as possible, but it would "not be done at any cost", according to her spokesman. "We will need to be satisfied in the negotiations that we have
Pak PM Khan discusses security situation with Army Chief Bajwa
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday discussed the security situation in the country with Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and top military officials. Khan chaired a meeting of the National Security Committee at his office. "The meeting concluded that progress and prosperity of Pakistan lies in peace, stability and rule of law," according to the Prime Minister's Office. The prime minister also apprised the military officials about his recent visit to China. The meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Finance Minister Asad Umar, chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, and senior military officials. Earlier, Gen Bajwa called on Khan and exchanged views on the prevailing situation in the country.
Meeting of EC officials, civil societies to resolve standoff
A meeting between a three-member Election Commission team and activists of an NGO to resolve the current standoff over CEO S B Shashank's removal remained inconclusive on Tuesday. Following the over three-hour long meeting in which top Mizoram government officials participated as well, the team said a final decision on the matter would be made by the full commission of the EC. Chairman of the NGO Coordination Committee Vanlalruata said that the EC team informed the state government and the civil societies that they would submit their findings to the Election Commission of India. "In view of the decision on the removal of Shashank being yet to be made, picketing of the CEO's office would continue again from tomorrow (Wednesday)," Vanlalruata said. The NGO maintained that chief electoral officer (CEO) should be transferred out of Mizoram and Bru voters in Tripura relief camps should exercise franchise in their respective polling stations inside Mizoram, he said. Elections to the ...
RBI acts as seat belt for Govt; protects it in case of accident: Rajan
Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan described the apex bank as a "seat belt" for the Central government which is in the driver's seat, protecting the government against any "accident".
Arunachal Guv stresses on copperation and team work among
Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) B D Mishra Tuesday stressed the need for better cooperation and team work among security forces for instilling the sense of security among the people, especially those in the border areas of the state. He called for taking of "extra steps" in enhancing the good relationship between the security forces and civil population and also emphasised on the pressing need of civil police cooperation with the security forces, a Raj Bhawan communiqu said. Stressing on the importance of security for success of Act East Policy in the north east, he spoke on the need for the Army and police personnel to work in tandem and cohesion. There should be no occasion for any friction between the police and Army as both work for the security of the people, he was quoted to have said by the communique. He was speaking at a meeting at the Raj Bhawan which was attended by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Command Lt ...
Foxconn may import workers for US plant: report
Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer Foxconn is struggling to find enough skilled workers for its planned facility in Wisconsin and may bring in personnel from China, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The report said Foxconn, which makes devices and components for Apple and other tech firms, is facing a tight labor market for the manufacturing plant, which is getting some USD 3 billion in incentives from the midwestern state. The company has pledged to hire 13,000 workers at the southern Wisconsin site, but some reports say the total may be lower as Foxconn scales back its initial plans. The groundbreaking for the plant was attended in June by US President Donald Trump, who claimed credit for the decision by the company to locate the plant in the United States. Republican Governor Scott Walker, seeking re-election in Wisconsin, is touting the Foxconn deal as an achievement but his critics claim the state will end up losing as a result of the large subsidies.
King tours Saudi as Khashoggi crisis rages abroad
Saudi King Salman embarked on an unprecedented domestic tour on Tuesday, an official said, as the country grapples with an international crisis over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The 82-year-old monarch arrived in the central province of Qassim, an official close to his entourage told AFP, as he started what Saudi media said was a tour of "several regions" in the kingdom. The king was also set to visit the northern region of Hail, in his first such tour since he ascended to the most powerful throne in the Middle East in 2015, the pro-government Sabq newspaper reported. In Qassim, the king would launch health, education and infrastructure projects as well as check on "the conditions of citizens and get acquainted with their needs", Saudi Gazette newspaper said. The tour comes as Saudi Arabia faces growing international outrage over Khashoggi's murder on October 2 in its consulate in Istanbul. After first insisting Khashoggi left the consulate unharmed, Saudi authorities ...
BJP workers stage protests over threat to Manoj Tiwari, wave black flags at Kejriwal
BJP leaders and workers staged protests across Delhi on Tuesday, demanding the arrest of an AAP MLA for allegedly threatening to party president Manoj Tiwari during the inauguration of Signature Bridge, and waved black flags at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Nand Nagri. Several protesters who were trying to march towards the chief minister's residence were detained by the police near Chandgiram Akhara, said Delhi BJP leaders. A section of Delhi BJP leaders and workers waved black flags at Kejriwal and raised slogans against him in Nand Nagri where he had gone to attend an official function. "Hooliganism by the Aam Aadmi Party on the occasion of inauguration of Signature Bridge was seen by people of Delhi. The president of Delhi BJP, Manoj Tiwari, was attacked and abused by MLA Amanatullah Khan due to which all the party workers are agitated," said BJP's general secretary Rajesh Bhatia. He said scores of party workers were detained by the police during a protest near ...
Karnataka has rejected BJP's negative politics, say JD-S, Congress
Victory of the ruling JD-S-Congress alliance in four of the five by-elections in Karnataka was a rejection of the opposition BJP's negative politics, asserted a Congress leader on Tuesday.
U.S. sanctions against Iran are not legitimate: Russia's Lavrov
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that U.S. sanctions on Iran were not legitimate, in Moscow's first official comment since Washington restored sanctions on Tehran.
RBI listens to government, but takes decisions only for national interest: Raghuram Rajan
Acknowledging that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) listened and considered all proposals of the Central government, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said the apex bank always took decisions based on national interests.
Egypt's leader faults media coverage of Khashoggi slaying
Egypt's president says media coverage played a "negative role" in the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed in the Saudi consulate in Turkey last month. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi told reporters Tuesday "we need to stop and wait for the relevant authorities and judicial bodies (in Saudi Arabia) to announce the outcome of the investigations." Saudi authorities denied any knowledge of Khashoggi's whereabouts for weeks before acknowledging he was killed inside the consulate by Saudi agents. That acknowledgement came after Turkish media reported that the Washington Post columnist had been killed and dismembered by a Saudi hit squad. His body has yet to be recovered. Saudi Arabia has given Egypt billions of dollars in aid in recent years.
Saudi energy minister to visit Pak to sign MoU on setting up oil refinery
Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan said on Tuesday that the Gulf Kingdom's energy minister will soon visit Islamabad to sign an agreement for setting up an oil refinery in the country. Ambassador Nawaf Bin Said Al-Malkiy revealed this during a courtesy call on President Dr. Arif Alvi, the President House said in a statement. "Saudi Minister for Energy will soon visit Pakistan to sign MoU on establishing an oil refinery in Pakistan, apart from finalising other major projects in which Saudi Arabia has shown interest," Malkiy informed the president. The president hailed the Saudi move and underlined that the close, cordial and brotherly relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were important. He also highlighted different areas of economy where Saudi investors can invest, and stressed that "there is a need for exchange of more business delegations between the two countries". Alvi said that the Saudi envoy could play a critical role in increasing the bilateral trade. The Saudi ambassador ...
Telangana Polls: Congress seeks probe on KCR's Delhi visit
The Congress in Telangana Tuesday sought a probe by the Election Commission into the expenditure incurred on the caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's recent Delhi trip. According to a memorandum submitted to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajat Kumar, the party also demanded that the EC ensure that the caretaker CM and Ministers' tour programmes were submitted in advance. KCR visited the national capital on October 28 for eye and dental check up. "The CEO should seek the details of expenditure incurred and who bore the cost," the memorandum said. Senior Congress leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy told reporters that the CEO should seek information about the people who accompanied KCR during his visit and also details such as name of the eye doctor that he visited and the time of appointment given to the CM. The party in a separate letter to the CEO, alleged code violation on the Telangana Rashtra Samiti's (TRS) reported meetings with leaders of various castes. The ...
Top US official hold talks with Pak officials ahead of IMF team's visit
A top US State Department official Tuesday held talks with senior Pakistani officials on bilateral, regional issues and the peace process in Afghanistan. Alice Wells, the US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, held delegation-level discussions with Additional Secretary in the Foreign Office Aftab Khokhar and other senior officials and reviewed the progress made on bilateral relations. Her visit comes a day ahead of the visit by a team of officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to Islamabad to negotiate a bailout package for cash-strapped Pakistan. "The meeting was related to the progress in promotion of bilateral relations based on mutual trust and respect in wake of the talks earlier held between Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo," Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said in a statement. During the meetings, the two sides agreed to continue efforts to promote the shared objectives of .
Uyghurs, Tibetans jointly hold anti-China protest rally outside UN
A large number of exiled Uyghurs and Tibetans living in Europe on Tuesday carried out a massive anti-China protest rally here. They shouted slogans and labeled China a "terrorist nation".The demonstration was held when the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) was reviewing the human rights record of China in its Universal Periodic Review (UPR). It focuses on Beijing's treatment to ethnic minorities, detention of activists and suppression of civil and religious freedom.This was China's third review under the UPR, a review that takes place every five years of each member country's human rights record.The protesters marched from Lake Geneva to Broken Chair and demanded the United Nations to intervene for the protection of minorities in Xinjiang.Protesters displayed banners which read "Uyghurs are Arbitrarily Detained, Forcibly Disappeared and Killed in Internment Camps", "Freedom for East Turkistan" and "Never Again! 1 million Uyghurs in Chinese Concentration Camps in 2018!"On the
Protesting teachers in Punjab to observe 'black' Diwali
Vowing to intensify their stir against the Congress government over it's refusal to regularise their jobs without a pay cut, agitating teachers in Punjab will observe 'black' Diwali on Wednesday, they said on Tuesday. The announcement comes a day after their scheduled meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to resolve the issue on Monday was cancelled after the agitators failed to call of their protest. "We will intensify our stir now. We will observe black Diwali tomorrow (Wednesday),"said Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha's state committee member Bikramjit Singh on Tuesday. "Groups of teachers dressed in black will take out protest marches in busy markets of Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar, Rupnagar, Bathinda and Hoshiarpur. Teachers will also carry placards mentioning their demands," he added. In Amritsar, the teachers will stand on the road leading to the Golden Temple, Singh said, adding that the people and visitors should know what the state government is doing to ...
BJP makes significant inroads in Vokkaliga strong Mandya
Despite losing Mandya Lok Sabhaseat in the bypolls, the local BJP office was in a celebratory mood as this was the best ever performance of the party in the district in the Vokkaliga belt, a JDS stronghold. The Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) candidate L R Shivarame Gowda scored a spectacular victory in Mandya, defeating BJP's Siddaramaiah, apolitical green horn and former civil servant by 3,24,943 votes. While Gowda got 5,69,347 votes, Siddaramaiah secured 2,44,404. Enthused by the party's performance BJP workers were seen congratulating Siddaramaiah and distributing sweets. The BJP's Karnataka state unit chief B S Yeddyurappa called the party's performance "heartening." "BJP's performance of polling 2.44 lakh votes in the traditional weak region of Mandya is really heartening. Thiswill enable us to strengthen the party further socially and geographically in the next coming days," he said. The constituency has strong Vokkaliga presence, the community to which JD(S) supremo and .
My election as Srinagar Mayor message to those who treat politics as fiefdom: Mattu
Junaid Azim Mattu, the newly-elected mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), on Tuesday said his election was a message to those political parties which treated mainstream politics as their fiefdom. Mattu, a former member of the National Conference (NC), resigned from the party's primary membership in September after it decided to boycott the urban local body (ULB) polls. He contested the SMC election as Independent from four wards and won from three of them. "This is a historic election and a change has begun which will not remain confined to Srinagar only. This is a message to those traditional exploiters who had made mainstream politics their territorial asset," Mattu told reporters here after he was elected as the mayor. He alleged that while the NC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) boycotted the ULB polls, they tried to influence the mayoral election. "The local bodies elections was 'haraam' (forbidden) but mayoral election was 'halaal' (permissible) for them. They ...
6 arrested in suspected plot to attack French leader Macron
French security agents have arrested six people on preliminary terrorism charges for allegedly plotting to attack French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a French judicial official. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the allegations, said intelligence agents detained the six in three widely scattered regions, including the Alps, Brittany and near the Belgian border. He said the plan to target the French president appeared to be vague and unfinalised but violent. Authorities released no further details about the six suspects and did not say if they were suspected of working together or separately. French presidents have been targeted several times over the decades, including in 2002 when a far-right sympathizer tried to attack President Jacques Chirac on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris during Bastille Day celebrations. Macron was in the northeastern French city of Verdun on Tuesday as part of centenary commemorations for the end of World War I. The ...