Page 2600 - Politics
Pompeo and Mattis call for Yemen cease-fire, political talks
The Trump administration is calling for an urgent halt to the Saudi-Iran proxy war in Yemen and the start of negotiations in November toward a political settlement of a conflict that has pushed millions to the brink of starvation in the Arab world's poorest country. The renewed push for a political solution in Yemen comes amid growing criticism of US military support for Saudi Arabia's Yemen air campaign and American arms sales to the Saudis, in the aftermath of the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Turkey. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged a cease-fire, specifically citing missile and drone strikes into Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The Houthis are supported by Iran. He added the airstrikes by the Arab coalition, backed by the US, "must cease in all populated areas in Yemen." "The time is now for a cessation of hostilities," Pompeo said in a written statement Tuesday evening shortly after Defense ...
Armies of India and China conduct border personnel meeting in Tawang
With an aim to "enhance mutual trust" and promote border peace and tranquillity, the armies of India and China held a meeting at Bumla Pass in Tawang, the Army said on Wednesday. The Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) is a common exercise between the two armies that facilitates interaction between the forces and helps in defusing tension, especially when there is no agreement on border demarcation. The armies of the two countries were engaged in a 73-day stand-off in Doklam last year that had led to escalation of tensions between India and China. "A Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) between #IndianArmy & People's Liberation Army was hosted by Chinese side at Bumla Pass in Tawang. The meet took place in an atmosphere of warmth and friendship, with an aim of enhancing mutual trust and promoting border peace and tranquillity," the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, Army tweeted.
Rouhani anticipates difficult months ahead for Iranians
President Hassan Rouhani warned Iranians on Wednesday they may face more difficulties in the months ahead, after the United States imposes new sanctions on the country next week, Iran's state TV reported Wednesday. "The situation was hard for people in the recent months, and it may be hard in the next several months too," said Rouhani, speaking during a televised Cabinet meeting. "The government will utilize its entire capabilities to alleviate the problems." The US has been re-imposing sanctions on Iran since President Donald Trump withdrew America from the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in May. On Monday, the US is imposing sanctions on Iran's oil and gas industry. According to Rouhani, Washington is trying to make Iranians angry at their government. "People are in fact angry, but ... they are mad at America and its crimes not at their government and its ruling system," he said. Iran is already in the grip of an economic crisis, and has seen sporadic protests in
Oppn lacks courage to debate on development under BJP govt: Khattar
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said the opposition parties are very eager to come to power but lack the courage to debate on the development works undertaken by the BJP-led government in 48 months, compared to their 48 years. He was speaking at 'Jan Vishwas Rally' in Bhuna town here. He announced development projects worth Rs 127 crore for Ratia, Bhuna and Fatehabad at the rally. "They are very eager to come to power, but they do not have the courage to debate on development works undertaken by our government in 48 months as compared to their 48 years' tenure," Khattar said. Haryana was carved out of erstwhile Punjab on November 1, 1966. "They try to mislead people, but they do not have the guts to debate on issues," he said. Khattar said equitable development has been carried out in all 90 assembly constituencies of Haryana during the last four years, but the opposition was unable to bear it. He claimed that the BJP will return to power in Haryana after next .
BJP gives ticket to Sundarani in Raipur city north
The BJP on Wednesday renominated Srichand Sundarani, its sitting MLA from Raipur City North, from the same seat for the next month's Chhattisgarh Assembly polls. With this, the ruling party has declared candidates for all 90 seats in the state Assembly, the polling for which will be held on November 12 and November 20. The party announced its candidate from Raipur City North constituency last. According to BJP sources, some other senior party leaders were also strong contenders for the ticket. However, in view of a large population of the Sindhi community -- to which Sundarani belongs -- in this constituency, the party opted to renominate him, sources said. In 2008 elections, Congress' Kuldeep Juneja had won Raipur City North seat by defeating BJP's Sachchidanand Upasane. But in 2013, Juneja lost to Sundarani. Former Raipur Mayor Sunil Soni and incumbent chairman of Raipur Development Authority Sanjay Shrivastav were among those whose names were being discussed for the ...
AAP challenges Haryana ministers on 'unfulfilled' promises, offers Rs 1 lakh 'reward'
The AAP has thrown a challenge to the state's BJP government - it will give Rs 1 lakh to any minister who reads out the party's 2014 election manifesto in public. The Aam Aadmi Party seemed to suggest Wednesday that the ministers will be too embarrassed to remind people of the promises made in the BJP manifesto. We know they cannot read out their election manifesto in public because they have not fulfilled any promise, AAP's Haryana convener Naveen Jaihind told reporters here. If the chief minister, his ministers or any BJP leader can muster the courage to read out their party's poll manifesto while being amongst the public, we will give them a cash award of Rs 1 lakh, he said. The state's Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Manohar Lal Khattar completed four years in office four days ago. Jaihind claimed AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's recent visit to Haryana exposed the bad shape of the schools and primary health centres in the state. Mr Khattar
RBI Guv should work in sync with govt or resign, says SJM
The RBI Governor should work in sync with the government or otherwise he can resign, the RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch said Wednesday. The comments come against the backdrop of escalating tension between the government and the RBI over various issues. "The Reserve Bank of India Governor should work in sync with the government or otherwise resign," Swadeshi Jagran Manch's (SJM) co-convener Ashwani Mahajan told PTI. He also said that Deputy Governors as well as RBI office bearers should restrain from speaking in the public about any disagreements with the government. If there is any disagreement with the government, then it should be expressed at the bank's board meeting and not publicly, Mahajan said. He was referring to RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya's hard-hitting speech on Friday in which he had warned that undermining central bank's independence could be "potentially catastrophic", possible indication of the RBI being pushed to relax its policies ahead of general ...
Sonia, Rahul cancel 2-day visit to Rae Bareli, Amethi
Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi have cancelled their two-day visit to their constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, sources close to them said. The Congress chief and Sonia Gandhi were slated to attend a few programmes in their respective Lok Sabha constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli on Thursday and Friday. Sources said the scheduled meetings of the Central Election Committee (CEC) for Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have forced the cancellation of the two-day visit. While Sonia Gandhi had to chair a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) in her Rae Bareli constituency and address a workers at a sammelan, Rahul Gandhi also had some meetings and programmes planned out in his Amethi constituency. Sources said the party has written to the district authorities regarding the cancellation of their visit.
Khashoggi strangled and dismembered in consulate, Turkey prosecutor says
Journalist Jamal Khashoggi was strangled as soon as he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and then dismembered as part of a premeditated plan, Turkey's chief prosecutor said Wednesday, making details of the murder public for the first time. The revelations came just hours after Saudi Arabia's chief prosecutor left Istanbul, and the Turkish prosecutor's office said it was "obliged" to reveal the details after the talks produced "no concrete results". Gruesome reports in the Turkish media had previously alleged that Khashoggi, a 59-year-old Washington Post contributor critical of the powerful Saudi crown prince, had been killed and cut into pieces by a team sent from Riyadh to silence him. His body has not been found. "In accordance with plans made in advance, the victim, Jamal Khashoggi, was strangled to death immediately after entering the Consulate General of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on October 2, 2018 for marriage formalities," said a statement from the office of Istanbul chief
Jaya memorial a policy decision, no conviction against her: TN govt to HC
The Tamil Nadu government Wednesday informed the Madras High Court that the decision to construct a memorial for late chief minister Jayalalithaa was a policy decision and there was no conviction against her as of date. In a counter affidavit to a petition opposing the memorial on various grounds, the Principal Tamil Development and Information Secretary said the government was well within its powers to build the memorial. Making it clear that the state Coastal Zone Management Authority had given its clearance and the requisite planning and building permissions had been obtained from the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and the city corporation, the counter urged the court to dismiss the petition filed by M L Ravi, the president of Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi. Referring to the averments by the petitioner that Jayalalithaa was convicted in the disproportionate wealth case, it submitted that the Supreme Court in its February 14, 2017 judgement had abated charges against her as
SC order on Rafale vindicates Congress' stand: Manish Tewari
Hours after the Supreme Court sought pricing details of the Rafale fighter jets from the Centre, the Congress party on Wednesday said that apex court's order vindicated the party's stand on alleged irregularities in the multi-billion dollar deal.Addressing a presser here, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari asked the central government to come clean on the pact. "We would like to ask the BJP government - What are you trying to hide? Why can't you make the Rafale pricing details public, when in the past every transaction entered into by the government with a foreign or domestic entity has been transparently put into public space," he said.Earlier in the day, the top court sought details from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government on the pricing and strategies of the Rafale fighters jets in a sealed cover within ten days."The Supreme Court has made certain significant observations in Rafale deal today. Those directions which are in the form of interim orders vindicate the stand
Sirisena may reconvene Lanka parliament next week as AG refuses to endorse sacking of Wickremesinghe
Maithripala Sirisena is likely to agree to reconvene Sri Lankan parliament next week, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya's office said Wednesday, amid indications that a compromise is being worked out to avoid a showdown between the president and ousted premier Ranil Wickremesinghe. Speaker Jayasuriya held emergency talks with President Sirisena this evening to convince him on the need to reconvene parliament to try and end the current political impasse over the sacking of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe last Friday. The meeting came after Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya Wednesday refused to endorse the president's dismissal of Wickremesinghe for former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa. The attorney general refused to give an opinion to Jayasuriya over the sacking of Wickremesinghe, saying it would be "deemed inappropriate". Some political experts have opined that it is clear sign that the attorney general considers the move as unconstitutional. Wickremesinghe's sacking was carried out by Sirisena
UP guv, CM flag off 'Run for Unity' in Lucknow
BJP workers, along with students, participated in the "Run for Unity" here Wednesday. A statement issued by the Lucknow Nagar unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the party workers came from different parts of the city and gathered at the Patel Pratima here to pay their respect to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first home minister of independent India, on his 143rd birth anniversary. Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed the gathering, before flagging off the "Run for Unity", which started from the Lok Bhawan and ended at the KD Singh "Babu" stadium. Meanwhile, state BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey took part in the celebrations in the Ajgara Assembly segment in Varanasi (which falls under the Chandauli parliamentary constituency). Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was in Prayagraj, while Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma was in Varanasi to participate in the event. Party MPs, MLAs and office-bearers took part in the run in ...
Water crisis at JNU: Students meet DJB officials
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union said Wednesday they have met Delhi Jal Board officials to find a solution to the water crisis in the varsity. The JNUSU alleged that there is "complete mismanagement of water supply in the university by the JNU administration". "There is a requirement for new tanks, but they are not being sanctioned or are being delayed by the JNU administration. "Mehrauli MLA Naresh Yadav has assured us to provide funds for construction of tanks. However, he too has expressed his inability to get an NOC from the administration," it said. There is a clear and complete breakdown of the JNU administration, the JNUSU alleged. Neither are they constructing new storage tanks nor are they allowing the local representative to build them, the students' union said. "Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials promised to provide permission for tube wells where there is a necessity, especially in the JNU's school areas. "However, even this proposal has to come from the JNU ...
Stop fooling people, they don't accept childish things: Modi's jibe at Rahul
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused Rahul Gandhi of repeatedly lying, saying the Congress President is left with no options because the BJP government has been successful in bringing about positive changes in people's life through its pro-poor schemes.
Govt says RBI autonomy essential
The government Wednesday said the RBI's autonomy is "essential" and will be "nurtured", as it sought to calm investors worried by the central bank reportedly being forced to resolve differences with the Centre which has cited powers never used before. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley refused to be drawn into the row saying discussions and consultations with the RBI have never been disclosed publicly. The row was sparked off on Friday when RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya in a hard-hitting speech warned that undermining central bank's independence could be "potentially catastrophic", possible indication of the RBI being pushed to relax its policies ahead of general elections next year. Sources privy to development said the government has sent at least three letters on different issues under Section 7 of the RBI Act that gives it powers to issue any direction to the central bank governor on matters of public interest. The standoff was in relation to RBI's handling of weak public sector ...
Book row: SAD to launch 48-hour sit-in against govt by 'denigrating' Sikh gurus
The SAD Wednesday announced to launch a 48-hour-long sit-in against the Punjab government for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community by "denigrating" the Sikh gurus in the newly brought out Class 12 history book of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB). The "struggle" will commence by performing 'Ardas' at Akal Takht Thursday morning in Amritsar, the Shiromani Akali Dal said in a statement here. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal would participate in the protest for the first 24 hours, while Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Gobind Singh Longowal will take part in the sit-in for the next 24 hours, it said. The SAD has been seeking an apology from the Punjab government as the history book contained "derogatory" references to the Sikh gurus. "The new book of history contained distorted facts about Sikh gurus who were presented in a negative way and insulting words had been used against them," it has alleged. However, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had ...
British PM to wear khadi poppy in honour of Indian soldiers
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday said she would join a number of other members of the Parliament in wearing the khadi poppy in honour of the Indian soldiers killed during World War I. The Poppy Appeal is an annual fundraising campaign for war veterans held in the lead up to Armistice Day on November 11, 1918 when the war came to an end and politicians and members of the public across the country wear a cloth-based poppy on their lapels as a sign of respect for the war dead. A khadi version of the poppy was launched by Indian-origin peer Lord Jitesh Gadhia and the Royal British Legion for the first time this year as an "evocative symbol" of undivided India's contribution to the war effort. "Over 74,000 soldiers came from undivided India and lost of their lives; 11 of them won the Victoria Cross for their outstanding bravery and played a crucial role in the war across multiple continents," said May, during her weekly Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) in the House of ...
Kejriwal meets CP traders
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday met traders of Connaught Place to hear out their issues. During the meeting, the traders raised the issue of CP, which is one of the biggest markets, not been given representation in the Town Vending Committees (TVCs). New Delhi Traders Association's president Atul Bhargava said a delegation of traders had met the chief minister 10 days back pertaining to their issues. "Today, they (CM and his team) visited us and discussed the issues with traders. "While CP being one of the biggest market has not been granted representation in the Delhi government's town vending committee, there is no identified place for hawkers which results in them illegally occupying certain areas," said Bhargava.
Centre desperate, hiding facts on economy: Chidambaram
Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram expressed concern on Wednesday over reports that the government had invoked a hitherto unused section of the RBI Act to direct the central bank to act at its bidding, saying it shows the government is "desperate" and "hiding facts" about the economy.