Page 2644 - Politics
Pak: Hafiz Saeed's JuD, FIF no longer in banned terror outfits' list
United Nations designated terrorist and 26/11 attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) are no longer mentioned in the list of banned outfits after a presidential ordinance that prohibited them under a UN resolution lapsed.In February, former Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain promulgated an ordinance amending the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, thereby banning terrorist individuals and organisations that were listed by the UN Security Council. The JuD and FIF were proscribed under this ordinance.According to a petition filed by Saeed, his counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi and Sohail Warraich told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday that the ordinance had lapsed and was never extended by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, The Dawn reported.The globally designated terrorist challenged the ordinance under which his organisations, the JuD and FIF, were blacklisted for being on the watch list of the UN Security Council. In his plea, .
Japan's Okinawa to hold referendum on US base move
Japan's Okinawa region voted Friday to hold a non-binding referendum on a deeply unpopular plan to relocate a US military base, in the latest twist to a long-running saga. The decision, by local politicians, comes a month after residents elected a new governor who opposes plans to move the US Marines' Futenma Air Station from an urban area to a sparsely populated part of the island. While the referendum has no legal standing, a vote against the move is likely to pile fresh pressure on the central government, which backs the move as the best way to deal with anger in Okinawa about the base. Okinawa accounts for less than one percent of Japan's total land area, but hosts more than half of the approximately 47,000 American military personnel stationed in Japan. Noise, accidents and crimes committed by military personnel and civilian base employees have long irritated local residents, as has the perceived refusal of other parts of the country to share Okinawa's burden. The plan backed by .
CIA director briefs Trump on Khashoggi investigation
CIA Director Gina Haspel on Thursday briefed President Donald Trump on the investigations related to US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was brutally killed inside Saudi Arabia's Istanbul Consulate, the White House said. "The president received a briefing from director Haspel this morning following her return from Turkey. She briefed the president on their findings and her discussions," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. The White House did not provide any other details of the meeting. Haspel returned from Turkey last night. In Turkey, she met with officials involved in the investigations of the murder of the Saudi journalist Khashoggi. Turkish officials say they have audio of the proof of the murder. In a news report, The Washington Post said that Haspel listened to the audio tape. A person familiar with the audio said it was "compelling" and could put more pressure on the US to hold the kingdom accountable for the death of Khashoggi, the daily reported. Khashoggi ..
PM Modi must be aware of Congress' sacrifice for India: Sharad Pawar
National Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar cornered Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "Nehru-Gandhi family" jibe at the Congress party and said that the family has sacrificed a lot for the country.Urging Prime Minister Modi to remember the sacrifices made by the Congress party since the Independence, Pawar said, "In every public rally, Modi ji says that one family ruled this country, I would like to say that, that family has sacrificed a lot for this country. Jawaharlal Nehru went to jail so many times. Everyone knows how Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were assassinated.""You had promised the citizens the dreams of development. You have nothing to say as to what extent these dreams have been realized, so you only talk about the one family," he added.Pawar had earlier attacked Prime Minister Modi over the controversial Rafale jets deal between India and France and demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe into the contract.
India attaches great significance to issue of Gilgit Baltistan: Ram Madhav
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Ram Madhav has asserted that India attaches great significance to the issue of Gilgit Baltistan and the country's claim to the region is stronger than Pakistan's."Our case, as far as Gilgit Baltistan goes, is, even more, stronger for the important reason that when Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India, technically Gilgit Baltistan was an integral part of the then state of Kashmir and Jammu, under Maharaja Hari Singh and it was not annexed through any army encroachment," Madhav said at a launch of a book 'Gilgit-Baltistan and its saga of unending human rights violations' in Delhi on Thursday."However, this strategically important region of Jammu and Kashmir was handed over to the then Pakistani rulers by two deceitful British officers. It was taken over without resistance and in an illegal manner. This area is of great significance to us as it acts as a gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia" he added.Madhav also pointed out that ...
Macron, Trump discuss summit on Syria
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday discussed the situation in Syria and the summit on the Syrian conflict scheduled in Istanbul at the weekend, with US President Donald Trump in a phone conversation.
Republican U.S. senator decries USDA aid for Smithfield unit of China's WH Group
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A prominent Republican on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee complained on Thursday about Chinese-owned Smithfield Foods Inc receiving aid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture meant to help American farmers hurt by China's trade tariffs.
BJP youth wing to organise national convention in poll-bound Telangana
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth young, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) will be organising a three-day national convention in Hyderabad from October 26 to 28.The convention will be inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. BJP president Amit Shah is also expected to attend the convention along with several other national leaders from the party. Around two lakh people are expected to take part in a three-day long programme.Speaking to ANI about the convention, BJYM national president Poonam Mahajan said, "This is a one-of-its-kind convention. The most important part of the convention is that we will be having 70,000 office bearers participating in it. Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be inaugurating the event and we have Chief Ministers and Cabinet Ministers who will come here and tell us on what can be done more to reach out to the people of this country. The concluding session will be attended by Amit Shah and after we have large Yuva rally and a public meeting at the ..
Jagan Reddy attacked: Andhra CM says Centre trying to create unrest
Hours after YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president YS Jaganmohan Reddy was attacked at Visakhapatnam international airport, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu termed the incident a "drama" while alleging that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government is trying to create unrest in the state."The Modi government is trying to create unrest in the state, but such tactics will not be possible in Andhra Pradesh and the central government has to pay for such acts. People are observing the actions of the central government," Naidu said.Reddy, a leader of opposition in Andhra Pradesh assembly was injured in knife attack on Thursday near the VIP lounge of the airport. The attacker identified as J. Srinivas Rao works at a restaurant in the airport premises.Soon after the incident, YSRCP cadre held protests at various places across the state blaming ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) behind the attack. They also alleged that the owner of the restaurant, where the accused ..
Khashoggi's son leaves Saudi Arabia with family: HRW
The son of the Saudi Arabian journalist who was allegedly murdered in the Middle Eastern kingdom's consulate in Istanbul at the start of the month has left the country along with his family, Human Rights Watch told Efe on Thursday.
Self-reliance goal runs counter to Chinese leaders' globalisation narrative: US diplomat
The goal of self-reliance runs counter to the globalisation narrative of Chinese leaders, a top US diplomat has said, alleging that Beijing is engaged in a state-led, industrial-policy-based, whole-of-nation competitive strategy on acquisition of sensitive foreign technologies by any and every possible means. The US is placing increasing emphasis upon raising awareness about Chinese efforts and putting up barriers to the proliferation of sensitive technologies which Beijing has been using to build up its military capabilities in support of its ambitious "China dream" of "national rejuvenation" to regain its position as a world leader in a range of fields, including military might, Christopher Ashley Ford, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Non-proliferation, said. "China is today engaged in a state-led, industrial-policy-based, whole-of-nation competitive strategy that revolves in crucial ways around the acquisition of sensitive foreign technologies by any, ...
Arms sales vs taking a stand: the West's Saudi dilemma
Across the West, governments face a difficult balancing act after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi: pressuring Saudi Arabia over an appalling killing, while preserving their own economic and military interests. For the United States -- the source of around half of Saudi Arabia's massive annual arms imports -- the dilemma is particularly awkward. Washington has revoked the visas of several Saudis since Khashoggi, a US-based journalist and palace critic, was murdered inside Riyadh's Istanbul consulate three weeks ago. Yet President Donald Trump, while accusing Riyadh of "one of the worst in the history of cover-ups", has also made clear that a huge new weapons contract signed last year is not at risk. "They are spending $110 billion on military equipment and on things that create jobs," Trump said. Saudi Arabia is the world's second biggest arms importer behind India, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. If the US cuts off its arms supplies, Trump ..
Enhance our surveillance skills on border: ITBP to Centre
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has asked the government to enhance its surveillance and intelligence gathering skills along the China border, Chief of the paramilitary force R.K. Pachnanda said on Thursday.
India's claim to Gilgit-Baltistan strong: Ram Madhav
India's claim to the Gilgit-Baltistan region is much stronger than Pakistan's as it was handed over to the Pakistani army by two "deceitful" British military officials, BJP leader Ram Madhav said Thursday. He said the region was strategically important to India as it provides a link to Afghanistan and further to Central Asia. The Belt Road Initiative of China, which has been opposed by India, also passes through this region, he said. While Pakistan annexed parts of Jammu and Kashmir, the Gilgit-Baltistan region, then a part of the princely state of J&K, was handed over to the Pakistani army by two "deceitful" British military officials, he said. "Our case, as far as Gilgit Baltistan goes, is even more stronger for the important reason that when (the princely state of) Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India, technically Gilgit Baltistan was an integral part of the then state of Kashmir and Jammu, under Maharaja Hari Singh," Madhav said. The region was not annexed through any army ...
Iraq cabinet holds first post-Saddam meeting outside Green Zone
Iraq's cabinet met Thursday for the first time outside the Green Zone, the fortified Baghdad district set up 15 years ago in the wake of the US invasion. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and 14 new ministers whose positions were approved overnight by parliament. The cabinet meeting was held in the highly symbolic former parliament complex that was used under former dictator Saddam Hussein. After Saddam's fall from power in 2003, ongoing violence and insecurity in Iraq ensured the Green Zone endured as an enclave for dignitaries and officials, cut off from the rest of capital. The US and Britain built diplomatic missions in the zone, while Iraq's government and parliament similarly retreated behind its blast walls, barbed wire and checkpoints. Under pressure from competing parliamentary factions who are clamouring for a place in the cabinet, Abdel Mahdi has yet to ask the legislature to approve his candidates for key ministries including interior and ...
Son of murdered journalist Khashoggi leaves Saudi Arabia: HRW
The eldest son of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Salah, and his family have left the Gulf kingdom after the government lifted a travel ban, Human Rights Watch said Thursday. "Salah and his family are on a plane to (Washington) DC now," Sarah Leah Whitson, the rights watchdog's executive director for the Middle East and North Africa, told AFP, citing a family friend. There was no immediate comment from Saudi officials, but Whitson said that they were apparently allowed to leave after a travel ban on Salah was lifted. Salah, a dual US-Saudi citizen, will be joined in the United States by his other siblings who are based there, friends of the family told AFP. "Jamal's family needs a place to be together where they feel safe to mourn their beloved one," said Randa Slim, director of conflict resolution at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, who knew the slain journalist personally. "It is tragic that it took his death to get the Saudi authorities to grant them the ...
Dozens of civilians killed in Yemen's Hodeida: UN
Dozens of civilians were killed in strikes on Yemen's embattled Hodeida province, the United Nations said Thursday, as Huthi rebels blamed air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition. The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said at least 21 civilians were killed and 10 injured in strikes Wednesday that hit a vegetable packaging facility in Al-Masudi in Bait al-Faqih. Another three people were killed and six wounded in strikes that hit three vehicles in Al-Hali district. "Civilians are paying a shocking price because of this conflict," said Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen. "This is the third time this month that fighting has caused mass casualties in Hodeida" in western Yemen, she added. OCHA did not specify the type of strikes that took place Wednesday, but Yemeni rebels said they were air raids by the military coalition fighting alongside the government. Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support President Abedrabbo ..
Farmers plan march to Delhi next month
An umbrella body of 260 farmers organisations will hold a 'kisan march' to Delhi next month to protest against the central government's "apathetic attitude" in solving problems of their community, leaders of the farmers committee said Thursday. Leaders of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) claimed that the planned 'kisan march' to Delhi, beginning November 28, would be larger than the farmers' march organised at Boat Club under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Tikait, founder of the Bharatiya Kisan Union in 1988. "It is a protest march of farmers against the central government's apathetic attitude towards solving problems of the community. Government has no intension of solving farmers' distress," said Yogendra Yadav, founder member of Swaraj Abhiyan and Jai Kisan Andolan. Yadav alleged that the central government's "apathetic attitude" towards solving farmers' issue reflected in minimum support price for 22 crops. "From prime minister to finance minister, ..
Differences in Goa government over ban on import of fish
Differences have emerged in the Goa government over the issue of ban on the import of fish for fear of formalin contamination. Goa Forward Party (GFP) leader Vijai Sardesai is in favour of ban on the import, while BJP leader and health minister Vishwajit Rane has refused to impose it. Sardesai, the agriculture minister, claimed Thursday that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, while admitted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, had given his nod for imposing the ban. "The decision was conveyed to officers but they have not executed it," Sardesai said. "The controversy is over preservatives (like formalin) being added to fish, making the staple diet of Goans unsafe for consumption," he said. To restore people's confidence in the quality of fish available in local markets, a ban on the import was needed, he said. Health minister Rane, who held a review meeting on fish import with his department officials Thursday, however refused to impose a ban. It was ...
Italy backs Juncker's plan for Europe-Africa alliance
Rome, Oct 25 (IANS/AKI) Italy's Premier Giuseppe Conte on Thursday said the populist government supports European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's proposal for "An Alliance between Europe and Africa" base on a shared commitment to development and creation of decent jobs.