Page 2628 - Politics
Important for India that PM Modi comes to power again: Fadnavis
Underlining various decisions taken by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government during its tenure, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that it is essential for the people of India that Prime Minister Narendra Modi win the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and come to power again.Fadnavis, while addressing the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) here on Saturday, said that under Prime Minister Modi's governance, India has come up as a major power on the international platform."The way in which India has progressed in last four and a half years under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and earned a place before the world and the way with which India has come up as a power, I believe that it is not important for the BJP but for India that Modi ji becomes the Prime Minister again," he said.The Lok Sabha elections are slated to be held next year.
Palestinians debate value of Jerusalem vote boycott
As Jerusalem voters go to the polls Tuesday for municipal elections, Palestinians are debating not which candidate to back -- but whether to cast their ballots at all. The vast majority of the disputed city's roughly 300,000 Palestinians are expected to boycott the polls again, despite calls by a minority to use the elections to seize influence in a city under full Israeli control for decades. Rami Nasrallah, director general of East Jerusalem's International Peace and Cooperation Center think-tank, sees little to gain from voting. "I'm not willing to recognise the political rules of the game and to recognise or legitimise the Israeli occupation," he said. Israel captured the city's east and the surrounding West Bank in the 1967 Six Day War, later annexing East Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community. Palestinians claim it as the capital of their future state. Palestinian voter turnout was less than one percent in the last local vote in 2013, according to ..
US flags to be flown at half-staff after synagogue shooting: Trump
US President Donald Trump ordered that American flags be flown at half-staff following a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue that left 11 people dead. All flags at the White House, public grounds, military posts, naval stations and ships will be flown at half-staff through October 31 as a mark of "solemn respect" for the victims, Trump ordered.
US: Votes in Texas being flipped by voting machines, claim voters
Voting machines in Texas are switching single ticket ballots cast for either the Democratic or the Republican Party, voters from around 80 counties in the southern US state have claimed.The office of the Texas Secretary Of State on Friday confirmed issues that have been reported with the Hart eSlate voting machines, used in around 30 per cent of the counties in the state, Fox News reported.The Secretary of State's office further clarified that the issues, which have also affected the race between sitting GOP Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke, were caused by the voters rather than the machines."The Hart eSlate machines are not malfunctioning, the problems being reported are a result of user error - usually voters hitting a button or using the selection wheel before the screen is finished rendering," said Sam Taylor, the spokesman for the office of Secretary of State Rolando Pablos.He further stated that his office "has no legal authority whatsoever to force any" ..
Four-nation Syria summit calls for lasting Idlib ceasefire
The leaders of Turkey, Russia, France and Germany on Saturday called for a political solution to Syria's devastating seven-year civil war and a lasting ceasefire in the last major rebel-held bastion of Idlib. A joint statement adopted at the end of a major summit in Istanbul said the countries were committed to working "together in order to create conditions for peace and stability in Syria". It also "stressed the importance of a lasting ceasefire" in Idlib, while hailing "progress" following a deal last month between Syrian-regime supporter Russia and rebel-backer Turkey to create a buffer zone around the northwestern province. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke for several hours with Russia's Vladimir Putin, France's Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel about the Syrian conflict, in which more than 360,000 people have been killed since 2011. Their statement, read by Erdogan, called for a committee to be established to draft Syria's post-war constitution ...
Putin, Macron agree to advance political process in Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron agreed to intensify joint efforts to advance the political process in Syria in a phone conversation, the Kremlin said Saturday.
Haryana ready for simultaneous elections: Khattar
Batting for the One Nation One Election system, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said that the state is ready for simultaneous elections to the Assembly and Lok Sabha if the Election Commission of India decides to implement the same."Discussions over One Nation One Election are going on. Some say that not only Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha, but also local body elections should be brought under its purview. There are Constitutional obligations, unless they are looked into, simultaneous elections are not possible," Khattar said while addressing media here.Khattar said that he is in favour of simultaneous polls as it would be beneficial for the country."Not much time is left for the Lok Sabha elections, but I think it (simultaneous elections) can be done by 2024. We are ready if the Election Commission brings up a procedure after a constitutional amendment. There is a five months gap between Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections in Haryana. If the Election Commission ...
Trump says will travel to Pittsburgh, after deadly synagogue shooting
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he will travel to the Pennsylvania city of Pittsburgh, where a gunman opened fire at a synagogue and killed 11 people. Trump -- who is in Illinois for a campaign rally ahead of key November midterm elections -- did not provide details of his trip that comes in the wake of the fatal shooting, which he earlier dubbed an "evil Anti-Semitic attack" and an "assault on humanity." "All of America is in mourning over the mass murder of Jewish Americans," the Republican president tweeted.
My conscience is clear: Ex-Malaysian PM on 1MDB scandal
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Saturday insisted that he was not associated with any wrongdoings in connection with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal that has gripped the country."There are things that went wrong in 1MDB," Najib acknowledged in an interview with Al Jazeera's 101 East. He added that he was unaware of the laundering of millions of dollars through offshore bank accounts around the world while he was the Prime Minister of Malaysia.Najib, who is now facing 38 charges related to corruption, had launched the 1MDB sovereign fund just three months after taking office as Prime Minister in 2009. The initiative aimed to invest in energy, real estate, and other industries.There are currently six ongoing investigations around the world for corruption related to 1MDB, according to Mary Ann Jolley, who conducted the interview posted on Saturday.According to the Strait Times, probes into the alleged scandal are being conducted in countries like the United
Ex-Delhi CM Khurana passes away at 83
Former Delhi Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana passed away on Saturday here at his residence here. He was 83.
Ex-Delhi CM Madan Lal Khurana passes away
Former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana passed away here on Saturday night. He was 82.Khurana served as the Chief Minister of Delhi from 1993 to 1996. He also served as the Governor of Rajasthan in 2004.He was a member of the Rashtriya Swayansevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Earlier this year, his son, Vimal Khurana, died due to cardiac arrest.
Saudi FM says global outcry over Khashoggi 'hysterical'
Saudi Arabia's top diplomat said Saturday that the global outcry and media focus on the killing of a Saudi journalist earlier this month has become "hysterical" as he urged the public to wait for the results of an investigation before ascribing blame to the kingdom's top leadership. Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist critical of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed by Saudi agents at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. "This issue has become fairly hysterical," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said. "I think people have assigned blame to Saudi Arabia with such certainty before the investigation is complete." Some of those implicated in Khashoggi's killing are close to Prince Mohammed, who is the kingdom's heir apparent. His condemnation of the killing as "heinous" and "painful" has so far failed to ease suspicions that such a high-level operation could have been carried out without his knowledge. Al-Jubeir addressed the mounting skepticism ...
Dutch bid final farewell to ex-PM Wim Kok
The Netherlands on Saturday paid its last respects to former prime minister Wim Kok, much admired for his inclusive style of politics, but who was forced to resign in 2002 over the Srebrenica massacre. Dutch flags flew at half-mast across the country as Kok, who died last Saturday aged 80, was laid to rest at a private ceremony followed by a memorial service in Amsterdam, attended by hundreds of invited guests. "Wim Kok was a driven champion for the cause of the everyday man. A prime minister for everybody in the Netherlands," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said at the service. "His biggest asset was the ability to view a problem from all sides. He was the man of sensible compromise," Rutte said at the service. Born into a humble background -- his father was a carpenter -- Kok rose through the ranks of the Dutch labour union movement and eventually became the first leader of the umbrella FNV labour federation in 1976. Kok was elected prime minister in 1994 and his first cabinet was a
Ireland votes to lift blasphemy ban: exit polls
Irish voters overwhelmingly backed the lifting of a constitutional ban on blasphemy, exit polls said Saturday, the latest reform relaxing the devout nation's historic ties to the Catholic Church. An RTE television poll showed 71 percent of voters in Friday's referendum wanting to remove the 1937 constitutional provision and 26 percent choosing to keep it. The Irish Times put the figures at 69 percent and 31 percent. The referendum coincided with a presidential election in which incumbent Michael D Higgins was on course to be reinstated for another seven years in the largely ceremonial post, according to the polls. Official results in both ballots are expected late Saturday or early Sunday. In practice, the blasphemy ban is largely obsolete. There have been no successful prosecutions under the legislation since the birth of the Irish republic. But some of its critics said the ban offered Ireland's tacit support to oppressive regimes around the world that restrict freedom of ...
Defiant Zimbabwe opposition leader says will not accept poll result
Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa on Saturday vowed to continue his push to take power after disputed elections in which he lost to President Emmerson Mnangagwa in July. "We want to claim the victory of the people. We must lead this country. We won the election on 30 July but they were stolen," said Chamisa in a speech to thousands of his Movement of Democratic Change (MDC) supporters in the capital Harare. "Mnangagwa we don't acknowledge him because he didn't win the elections," he said. The MDC's 19th anniversary rally which was banned several times by police citing a cholera outbreak which killed at least 50 people was given the go-ahead this week. Chamisa, 40, has called for a transitional government to resolve the worsening economic and political crisis engulfing the country. "Because we have not resolved the political issues our economy cannot perform. The economy is in a shambles," he said. "The economy is a reflection of politics that is not in proper shape. We .
Pittsburgh shootout: Perpetrator heard yelling 'all Jews must die'
The shooter who targetted the Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday was reportedly heard yelling "all Jews must die" before opening fire, according to local media reports.The shooting has left "multiple casualties", as it is emerging that over four people have died while 12 have been shot at, reports CNN. Three police officers have been shot as well.The gunman, who is in police custody, burst into the synagogue at 9:30 am (local time) during a 'Shabbat' service and started firing indiscriminately. Local police have taken the shooter to Mercy Hospital, according to Curt Conrad, the Chief of Staff for City Councilman Corey O'Connor.US President Donald Trump informed the mayor and the governor of his government's support in the wake of the shooting. "Events in Pittsburgh are far more devastating than originally thought. Spoke with Mayor and Governor to inform them that the Federal Government has been, and will be, with them all the way. I will speak to the media shortly and make further ...
Pak prez Alvi, PM Khan reiterate support to people of J-K
President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday reiterated Pakistan's diplomatic and political support for the just cause of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the official media reported. In his message, Alvi said "the United Nations Security Council, through several of its resolutions, has validated the Kashmiris' right to decide their future through a fair and impartial plebiscite". Khan said Pakistan would not relent in its moral, political and diplomatic support until the Kashmiris realise their legitimate right to self-determination in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, Radio Pakistan reported as the country observed 'Black Day' to demand the right to self-determination for the people in the Valley. He called for immediate implementation of the recommendation to set up a UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate alleged human rights abuses in Kashmir.
Congress releases 3rd list of 37 candidates for Chhattisgarh polls
The Congress here on Saturday released the third list of 37 candidates for the two-phased assembly polls in Chhattisgarh after a Central Election Committee meeting.
After 'betrayers' taunt, AIADMK offers olive branch to
: After labelling them as betrayers, AIADMK Saturday extended an olive branch to its 18 disqualified MLAs, asking them to jump on to the ruling party bandwagon and flayed AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran for 'misleading' them. Asking the debarred MLAs and other Dhinakaran loyalists who moved away from AIADMK to revert to the parent party, the top leadership asked them to "understand the reality" of the Madras High Court judgement that upheld their disqualification. Apparently, the AIADMK indicated that the court ruling vindicated its stand and reminded them that the party was akin to an "army" when it came to discipline. The court's fair judgement has enthused the party workers and the people of Tamil Nadu, the party said. People were confident that the AIADMK government would continue to roll out welfare measures and "the angel of justice has paved a path for us to work together (again)," to meet the aspirations of the people, it said. "We invite you with love and affection
'No missive from govt whip to 3 Dhinakaran loyalists'
: Chief Minister K Palaniswami Saturday said there was no communique from government whip S Rajendran to Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal over the three AIADMK legislators who are backing AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran. On claims that government whip S Rajendran had written to Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal on the three MLAs (over their disqualification), Palaniswami said he was not aware of any such thing. "Nothing of that sort so far," he told reporters here. AIADMK MLAs A Prabhu, E A Rathinasabapathy,V T Kalaiselvan and S Karunas of Mukkulathor Pulipadi, who won the 2016 Assembly election by contesting on the ruling party's two-leaves symbol are backing Dhinakaran. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, however, said the Speaker has a right to seek an explanation from the three AIADMK legislators. "The Speaker has a right to seek an explanation. He has the authority to take an appropriate decision if he does not get an appropriate explanation," he told reporters at Tirupur. On the