Page 2621 - Politics
PM Modi has no experience of running the country: Azad
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no experience of running the country.Azad accused Prime Minister Modi of not having held any meeting over significant issues related to farmers, inflation, atrocities against women, unemployment, etc.Addressing a gathering at an event here, the senior Congress leader said: "The Prime Minister never held meeting over issues of farmers, inflation, atrocities against women, unemployment, closure of medium and small scale businesses, etc because he does not have experience of running the country." Criticising him further, Azad claimed that Prime Minister Modi does not discuss issues with anyone. Azad said, "The Prime Minister does not consult anyone and those who ask questions, he doesn't answer them.
Attack on Jagan Reddy: YSRCP demands central agency probe, TDP smells conspiracy
A delegation of Yuvajana Sramika Ryhtu Congress Party (YSRCP) on Monday met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanding a central agency investigation into an alleged attempt to murder Andhra Pradesh opposition leader Jaganmohan Reddy at the Visakhapatnam airport."We have submitted a memorandum to the Home Minister saying that an impartial investigation by a neutral agency other than the Andhra Pradesh Police is required in order to investigate this particular case," YSRCP Rajya Sabha member V. Vijaya Sai Reddy told ANI.Accusing Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of prejudice, Sai Reddy said that his party has no confidence in the probe monitored by the Andhra Pradesh government. "We have absolutely no faith in the Andhra Pradesh government and the reason is that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has given a statement even before the probe began that the attacker was a sympathiser of YSRCP," he said.Rebuking Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) RP Thakur for giving a clean ...
Kerala CM attacks Amit Shah over Sabarimala Temple remark
Coming down heavily on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the BJP chief's "strength" won't be enough to pull down the Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Kerala government. Addressing at the Left Democratic Front (LDF) rally on Sunday in Palakkad, the Kerala Chief Minister said, "BJP workers' godfather Amit Shah made a declaration in Kerala that they would topple the incumbent state government. I don't think that his body (Shah) has the strength to do that. His (Shah) physique, which is made up of only water, won't be enough to do that. You do not have any place here. It is best if you (Shah) do all this in Gujarat."Vijayan further said that despite trying all tricks, the BJP chief had failed to get a grip over Kerala. "You came with huge expectations and conducted a yatra here, but in the end, you had to run away. You people have no place on this (Kerala) land," he added.Continuing his tirade, Vijayan said, "Who ..
Kneel & apologise at Jaya's memorial to return to party:
The ruling AIADMK Monday asked the 18 disqualified party MLAs siding with rival leader T T V Dhinakaran to "kneel" and "apologise" at the memorial of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa in order to return to the party fold. Party mouthpiece 'Namathu Amma' credited the victory of all 18 individuals in the 2016 Assembly polls to the late AIADMK supremo and asked them to "deeply repent" their action of siding with Dhinakaran before returning to the parent organisation. A write-up in the vernacular daily came days after the AIADMK leadership extended an olive branch to the 18 disqualified legislators, asking them to jump on to the ruling party bandwagon, as the ruling party leaders O Panneerselvam and K Palaniswami alleged Dhinakaran of "misleading" them. The disqualified MLAs have "come on the streets" by siding with Dhinakaran and are in a "pitiable situation," it said, adding those who became MLAs because of Jayalalithaa were now virtually reduced to nothing by joining .
N.Korea denuclearisation within reach: US
A top US official said here on Monday that that complete and verifiable denuclearisation of North Korea was within reach.
BJP ally IPFT forms village board with 'support' of CPI(M)
The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally of ruling BJP in Tripura, formed a panchayat board in West Tripura district with the 'support' of two opposition CPI(M) members. In the by-election to the nine-member panchayat of Binapani village which was held on September 30, the IPFT, BJP and CPI(M) had won three seats each. The IPFT with the support of two CPI(M) members formed the panchayat board of Binapani village on October 26. Dhirendra Debbarma of the IPFT was elected the pradhan and Gopal Shil of the CPI(M) became the deputy pradhan. When contacted, secretary of the CPI(M) West Tripura district, Pabitra Kar said Gopal Shil who won on CPI(M) ticket had been expelled from the party 'for hobnobbing' with the IPFT about a month ago and the other candidate, who won on CPI(M) ticket was "forced to support" the IPFT. "We cannot support a party like IPFT, which raised the demand for a separate state by carving out the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District ...
South Korea's Hyundai E&C cancels $521 million petrochemicals deal, cites Iran financing failure
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction said on Monday that it scrapped a 595 billion won ($521 million) deal to build a petrochemicals complex in Iran, saying the Iranian customer's ability to fund it had been hit by the prospect of U.S. economic sanctions against Tehran.
Delhi government jobs for those who excel in sports
The Delhi cabinet on Monday approved government jobs for those sportspersons from the city who excel in their field.
Army looking into reports of snipers entering Valley: Rawat
Army chief General Bipin Rawat Monday said the Army was looking into reports of snipers entering the Kashmir Valley to target defence personnel. Three defence personnel were killed in sniper attacks by Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists since mid-September, prompting the law enforcement agencies to re-calibrate their strategy to thwart such strikes by the Pakistan-based group. Responding to the pattern of attacks, the Army chief said the security force was studying whether the attacks were carried out by snipers. "Whether these attacks have been done by snipers or not, this is something we are still studying. "But to say that snipers have infiltrated and that they have sniper weapons...we have not found any sniper weapon," Rawat told reporters on the sidelines of an event here. He said to say snipers have come into the Valley was "premature". Based on intelligence inputs, security agencies believe that at least two separate 'buddy' groups of the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed comprising two ...
Rahul in MP; temple visit to precede rallies
Congress President Rahul Gandhi arrived here on Monday in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. He took a special flight to Ujjain to launch his two-day campaign with a visit to a temple.
PM Modi invites Japanese investment in India
Addressing the business leaders from India and Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged the business community to boost investment in India. Prime Minister Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Tokyo to participate in the 13th India-Japan Annual Summit, on Monday interacted with top market leaders at the Business Symposium on "Make in India, Digital Partnership and India-Japan Partnership in Africa" here.Prime Minister also recounted scores of developmental works India has done in recent years, including metro rail construction in several places, smart city development, making of high-speed corridor constructions etc. He further noted that India and Japan share and support core democratic values, adding that the policies for cooperation and development shared by the two countries are similar.The Prime Minister also said that ease of doing business is the top priority of his government. "When I took over the responsibility of the government in 2014, India was at 140th position .
What's your Gotra, BJP asks Rahul Gandhi
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday launched a scathing attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, asking him about his 'gotra'.Speaking at a rally in Indore, the BJP spokesperson, Sambit Patra said, "If Rahul wears a 'janeu', what type of 'janeu' does he wear, what is his 'gotra'?"Patra was commenting on Rahul Gandhi's ongoing visit to Ujjain where he went to the Mahakaleshwar Temple to offer prayers on Monday.Janeu is a sacred thread worn by some devout Hindu men. Gotra, in Hinduism, refers to a clan or a descendant in an unbroken line from a common male ancestor.The BJP's vitriolic against the Congress chief has come close on the heels of senior Congress leader, Shashi Tharoor equating Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a scorpion.Speaking at the launch of his book 'The Paradoxical Prime Minister' at the Bengaluru Literature Festival, on Sunday, Tharoor had said, "There's an extraordinarily striking metaphor expressed by an unnamed RSS source to a journalist, who expressed ...
House Democrats promise action on LGBTQ rights bill
House Democrats are promising next year to prioritize anti-discrimination legislation that would for the first time establish widespread equal rights protections for LGBTQ individuals. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi recently said she would introduce the Equality Act as one of her first orders of business if Democrats retake the House in November. The bill would outlaw gender discrimination in places like restaurants and retail shops, in seeking housing, using health care and social services, applying for a loan or participating in the jury selection process. The House bill has 198 co-sponsors, including two Republicans. But no Senate Republicans have signed on, and social conservatives oppose it. Even if the bill cleared Congress, it would still have to be signed by President Donald Trump to become law.
Brazil elects far-right congressman Bolsonaro to presidency
Jair Bolsonaro, a brash far-right congressman who has waxed nostalgic for Brazil's old military dictatorship, won the presidency of Latin America's largest nation Sunday as voters looked past warnings that he would erode democracy and embraced a chance for radical change after years of turmoil. The former army captain, who cast himself as a political outsider despite a 27-year career in Congress, became the latest world leader to rise to power by mixing tough, often violent talk with hard-right positions. His victory reflected widespread anger at the political class after years of corruption, an economy that has struggled to recover after a punishing recession and a surge in violence. "I feel in my heart that things will change," Sandra Coccato, a 68-year-old small business owner, said after she voted for Bolsonaro in Sao Paulo. "Lots of bad people are leaving, and lots of new, good people are entering. There's a light at the end of the tunnel." In Rio de Janeiro, thousands of ...
Russian held as agent studied US groups' cyberdefenses
A year before federal prosecutors accused Maria Butina of operating as a secret agent for the Russian government, she was a graduate student at American University working on a sensitive project involving cybersecurity. Butina's college assignment called for her to gather information on the cyberdefenses of U.S. nonprofit organizations that champion media freedom and human rights, The Associated Press has learned. It was information that could help the groups plug important vulnerabilities, but also would be of interest to the Russian government. In fact, the Russians previously had in their sights at least two of the groups that she and other students interacted with. Butina participated in the project under the tutelage of a respected professor who advised the State Department on cybersecurity matters. It was carried out for the nonprofit group Internews, which works extensively with the U.S. government to bolster the free flow of information in dangerous parts of the world and has .
Young Americans more likely to vote in mid-terms: Poll
Young Americans under the age of 30 are likelier to vote in the upcoming mid-term elections than in the polls that were held in 2014 and 2010, according to a new poll.
US envoy confident about achieving N Korea denuclearization
The top US envoy for North Korea on Monday expressed confidence about achieving North Korea's nuclear disarmament, despite worries about the slow pace of nuclear diplomacy in recent weeks. Meeting with his South Korean counterpart in Seoul, Stephen Biegun said that Washington and Seoul have a shared goal of ending seven decades of hostility on the Korean Peninsula. "The primary requirement for us to get to that endpoint is to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea," Biegun said. "So I am absolutely confident that this is within the reach, and I think our two presidents are singularly focused on this goal." South Korea's chief nuclear envoy Lee Do-hoon said that "denuclearization process is at a critical juncture and we need to meet up as often as possible." Since entering nuclear talks earlier this year, North Korea has taken some measures like halting nuclear and missile tests and dismantling its nuclear testing site. The United States suspended some its ...
PM Modi urges Japanese businessmen to engage more with India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with top business leaders from India and Japan at the Business Leaders Forum here on Monday.Modi asserted that inputs offered at the Forum would help India to achieve global benchmarking while also requesting the Japanese businessmen to engage more with India.Official Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar tweeted, "Growing confidence in India. PM @narendramodi interacted with top business leaders from India and Japan at Business Leaders Forum. PM said that inputs offered at the Forum will propel India to achieve global benchmarking and urged Japanese businessmen to engage more with India."Before the commencement of the Forum, Prime Minister Modi was called upon by Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) Hiroshige Seko. The two leaders met and discussed ways to enhance the Indo-Japanese economic engagement. The METI plays a significant role in strengthening the India-Japan economic partnership.Modi also met with ...
UN chief urges all parties to exercise restraint in Sri Lanka
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has expressed great concern over Sri Lanka's deepening political crisis and called on the country's government to respect democratic values and constitutional provisions and process. A constitutional crisis has gripped Sri Lanka since President Mathripala Sirisena's sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday, and appointed former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new prime minister. A new caretaker government is expected to be sworn in on Monday. "Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following the latest developments in Sri Lanka with great concern. He calls on the Government to respect democratic values and constitutional provisions and process, uphold the rule of law and ensure the safety and security of all Sri Lankans," the Secretary General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement Sunday. Guterres urged all parties to exercise restraint and address the unfolding situation in a peaceful manner. Sri Lanka's President ...
Duterte puts corruption-plagued agency in military control
The Philippine president has put the corruption-plagued Bureau of Customs temporarily under military control amid a scandal after two huge shipments of illegal drugs reportedly slipped past through the port of Manila. President Rodrigo Duterte made the announcement late Sunday in an expletives-laden speech in southern Davao city before an audience that included visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. At one point, Duterte made a rude gesture and uttered a profanity. Duterte cited "a state of lawlessless" that he declared following a deadly 2016 bombing to justify putting the military in control of the customs bureau. He said says the agency's officials will be put on a "floating status" and required to conduct their work in a gymnasium in the presidential palace complex.