Page 2676 - Politics

Trump says border patrol, military on alert over migrant caravan

President Donald Trump on Monday called the migrant caravan heading toward the US-Mexico border a national emergency, saying he has alerted the US border patrol and military. "Sadly, it looks like Mexico's Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States. Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in," he said on Twitter. "I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy (sic).

DRC ruling coalition spokesman says house attacked ahead of vote

The Democratic Republic of Congo's ruling coalition spokesman said Monday his house was sprayed with bullets overnight in the capital Kinshasa, just two months ahead of a key vote. "At around one in the morning, my residence came under heavy fire from unidentified men travelling in a Toyota IST," said Andre-Alain Atundu, a spokesman for the ruling coalition of President Joseph Kabila. "Nobody was hurt but there was heavy damage. The roof was damaged and my two cars were riddled with bullets," he told AFP. An AFP journalist also saw the traces of gunfire. Atundu, who was the country's former security chief, is also currently a top official at the national electricity company. Tensions are mounting ahead of the vote. Kabila, who has held office since 2001, has said he will not run again in the long-delayed December 23 ballot. Months of speculation about Kabila's plans, marked by protests that were bloodily repressed, ended in August when he clearly said he was not contesting and threw ..

NC asks Centre to initiate dialogue for Kashmir solution

The National Conference (NC) Monday asked the Centre to "see the writing on the wall" and initiate a time-bound inclusive political process, saying the solution to Kashmir lies only in dialogue. "NC is of the firm belief that the solution to Kashmir lies only in dialogue.We will make every possible effort to get the state out of the morass of uncertainty and chaos," NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said after meeting senior party functionaries at the NC headquarters at Nawa-e Subah here. Seven civilians were killed Sunday in a blast at an encounter site in Laroo village in Kulgam district, after the gunfight with security forces in which three militants were also eliminated, had ended. On the death of civilians in Kulgam, the NC leader said, "What happened in Kulgam has shaken us to the core and I am sure all the right thinking people in the country have certainly expressed regret over the barbaric killing of seven youth there." Sagar said New Delhi has been "serving ...

Congress MLAs to seek meeting with Parrikar via video conference

Declined permission for an appointment with ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, the Congress on Monday said its leaders would seek a meeting via video conference.

Gehlot slams BJP govt in Rajasthan ahead of Assembly elections

AICC general secretary and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot Monday said the BJP must clarify who was the face in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state Chief Minister Vasudhara Raje or the BJP's symbol, which, he said, was forgotten in 2014 when the party adopted the "Abki Baar Modi Sarkar" slogan. He said the BJP had earlier presented the face of Chief Minister Raje for the forthcoming Assembly elections but now they have shifted towards the party symbol "Kamal ka Phool". "'Kamal ka phool' was forgotten (in 2014-Lok sabha elections) when the BJP gave the slogan 'Abki Baar Modi Sarkar' instead of 'BJP sarkar'. The party earlier presented Raje's face for the election but now they are for the lotus symbol. The BJP president should clarify his stand," Gehlot said, while accusing the saffron party of misleading people for seeking votes. Asked about his recent comment that nobody "knows before-hand who will become Kaun Banega crorepati" in response to a question on who .

Bhagwat's Ram temple law demand proves its image makeover bid

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's demand for a law to construct a Ram temple in Ayodhya "proves" that the organisation would never change howsoever it tries to to improve its image by inviting prominent people at Sangh events, former finance minister Yashwant Sinha said Monday. In an apparent reference to the government take-over of the debt-laden firm IL&FS, Sinha said the country was facing a "payment crisis" because public money is being "misused" to "bail out" banks and NBFCs through Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). Addressing a press conference en route to Akola where he would address a rally of farmers Tuesday, the former BJP leader questionned the legitimacy of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief's demand for a Parliamentary law. "How can an act of Parliament be passed when the issue (title suits for the disputed land in Ayodhya) is being heard in the Supreme Court. "This (Bhagwat's statement) means that you want to prevent the apex court from giving the ...

Govt launches ad campaign to seek greater voter turnout in JK panchayat polls

Ahead of upcoming panchayat polls after the conclusion of municipal elections amid huge disparity in voter turnouts between Jammu and Kashmir regions, the state government has launched an advertisement campaign to encourage greater participation of people in the democratic process. The J&K Rural Development Department has been issuing full-page advertisements in local news papers for the last five days, highlighting the utility of democratic institutions in the development process. The prominently-displayed advertisements have also been seeking to apprise people of the linkages between the existence of rural civic bodes and the release of funds under Panchayati Raj scheme for developmental process. Covering one district a day, these advertisements have been informing people about the funds to be released under the Panchayati Raj scheme in the district for the financial year 2019-2020. Issued under the headline Panchayat elections-2018, the advertisements have also been providing ..

MNF announces candidates list for Mizoram assembly poll

Former chief minister and Mizo National Front (MNF) president Zoramthanga will contest from Aizawl East-I assembly constituency, according to the list of candidates released by the party for the November 28 poll on Monday. The MNF declared that it would contest all the 40 seats in the upcoming election to the state legislature, but announced names of 39 candidates sans Tuichawng assembly seat within the Chakma autonomous district council (CADC) area where the NGO Coordination had appealed to all the political parties not to field candidates belonging to the Chakma community. MNF though is a constituent of North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) formed by BJP in 2016 as a political coalition along with regional parties, but both the parties are contesting the state assembly poll separately. Robert Hmingthansanga, an advocate has been fielded at West Tuipui seat in south Mizoram's Lunglei district, the constituency where Chakmas are a majority. The announcement of the ...

BJP will not have tie-up with corrupt parties, says TN party

BJP's Tamil Nadu unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan Monday said her party would never have an alliance with corrupt parties and expressed confidence that it would win 'considerable seats' from the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. BJP had not yet started the process on forming alliances for the elections and a decision would be taken at the appropriate time, she told reporters here. The party which was ruling in 22 states would "definitely win considerable seats" in Tamil Nadu and would not enter into alliance with corrupt parties, she said replying to a question. In a veiled dig at AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran, she went on to add that BJP would certainly not have any tie up with those "who had given Rs 20 as token" to voters. She was apparently referring to the allegations that Dhinakaran's supporters had distributed Rs 20 currency notes to the voters as tokens of future bribe money for voting for him in the RK Nagar by-election held in December last ...

Hollow rhetoric, directionless policies deteriorated situation in J-K: Cong

The Congress's Jammu and Kashmir unit Monday hit out at the Centre over the killing of soldiers by Pakistani intruders, saying "hollow rhetoric and directionless policies" of the Narendra Modi-led government has deteriorated situation in the state. Three Army personnel were killed and another injured in a gunfight with Pakistani intruders along the Line of Control (LoC) in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district Sunday. Two heavily-armed intruders, believed to be members of a Border Action Team (BAT), were also eliminated in the gunbattle. Paying rich tributes to the fallen soldiers of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry regiment, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said, "There is a lot of anger amongst the people, especially in the border belt over the hollow rhetoric and directionless policies of the Modi government towards Pakistan and Kashmir as the result the situation is deteriorating in the state." Strongly condemning Pakistan for its ...

Turkey turns up heat on Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi

Turkey's pro-government media published new claims on Monday linking Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to reveal the "naked truth" about the case. Erdogan said at the weekend he would give new details in a speech on Tuesday about the disappearance of Khashoggi, who was murdered almost three weeks ago after stepping inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. After over two weeks of near silence, Saudi Arabia has now admitted Khashoggi was killed in the consulate but the kingdom's explanations are seen even by its allies as contradictory and unsatisfying. The case has shone the spotlight on Crown Prince Mohammed, who has spearheaded a glitzy new reform drive for the kingdom but now faces a stream of allegations -- denied by Riyadh -- that he ordered the killing of the Washington Post contributor. US President Donald Trump, who has resisted pressure to curb arms sales to Saudi Arabia, initially said ..

Modi, BJP leaders laud Shah's leadership on birthday

Greeting BJP president Amit Shah on his birthday on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his rigour and hard work were great assets for the party. Shah, who turned 54, said in his reply that every Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker is working tirelessly under Modi's "inspiring leadership" to realise his dream of a "new India". "Under Amit bhai's leadership, the party has expanded significantly across India. His rigour and hard work are great assets for the party," Modi tweeted, wishing him a long and healthy life. "Thank you Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for your kind wishes. I assure you that every BJP karyakarta, under your inspiring leadership, is working tirelessly to realise the dream of a #NewIndia," Shah said. Several leaders of the BJP and its allies took to Twitter to wish the party president on his birthday and hailed his leadership. Home Minister and former BJP president Rajnath Singh said the party has risen to new heights under Shah who, he added, is .

In Khashoggi case: Saudi calls, 'body double' after killing

A man appearing to wear Jamal Khashoggi's clothes left the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul following his killing there, according to a surveillance video, while a member of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's entourage made four calls to the royal's office around the same time, reports said Monday. The reports by CNN and a pro-government Turkish newspaper came just a day before Prince Mohammed's high-profile investment summit is to begin in Riyadh and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised that details of Khashoggi's killing "will be revealed in all its nakedness." That yet again adds to the pressure Saudi Arabia faces over the slaying of the Washington Post columnist. The kingdom's claim on Saturday that Khashoggi died in a "fistfight" met international skepticism and allegations of a cover-up to absolve the 33-year-old crown prince of direct responsibility. Turkish media reports and officials maintain that a 15-member Saudi team flew to Istanbul on October 2, knowing ..

Ibrahim Solih calls for smooth power transfer post-Yameen's defeat

Maldivian President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih welcomed the country's top court verdict to reject incumbent President Abdulla Yameen's plea to annul the elections that were held last month.A five-judge bench of the court unanimously ruled that Yameen did not provide sufficient claims on concerns of vote rigging and electoral fraud in the presidential elections in September. The court also rejected Yameen's request to oversee a police investigation into the charges and said that there was no legal basis to hold a fresh election or a criminal investigation."After weeks of uncertainty, the Maldivian people can finally enjoy clarity regarding the outcome of the election. The petition to annul the election was frivolous from the start, and spoke more about an inability in some quarters to accept defeat, than any genuine concerns about the vote," Solih said in a statement on Sunday.Solih added that after the judgement, the country can look forward to a smooth transition of power. He urged .

Mirwaiz expects Pakistan to help end 'repression' in Kashmir

Reacting to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's comment on Kashmir, senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said on Monday that he expects much more from the neighbouring country.

Saudi royal family extends condolences to Khashoggi's son

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz and crown prince Mohammed bin Salman called deceased journalist Jamal Khashoggi's son to extend their condolences on Monday.Salah Khashoggi, the late scribe's son, "expressed his sincere thanks" to the Saudi royalty for their thought, according to CNN who quoted Saudi state media.The son is a resident of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and has been unable to travel outside the country as his passport has been invalidated.Meanwhile, Khashoggi's ex-wife and daughter live in Dubai, while his fiancee, Hatice Cengiz has been placed under 24-hour police protection by Turkish authorities.Jamal Khashoggi, who has now been confirmed dead by Saudi Arabia's Attorney General, had been missing ever since he stepped inside the Saudi consulate on October 2 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Political situation in country similar to 2004: Tariq Anwar

Former NCP leader Tariq Anwar on Monday described the current political situation in the country as similar to 2004 when there was "talk of lack of unity" among opposition parties but they still managed to upstage the BJP in Lok Sabha elections. The Katihar MP, who recently quit the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), over differences with its chief Sharad Pawar, told reporters that efforts are on to forge an alliance of opposition parties to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance(NDA). Asked about the BJP's criticism that the opposition was unable to decide on a prime ministerial candidate ahead of the 2019 polls, Anwar asserted that it was a "non-issue". "The current political situation is like 2004 when amid the talk of lack of unity, 'Shining India' campaign and absence of a prime ministerial candidate vis a vis Atal Bihar Vajpayee, people voted for opposition parties and Congress-led UPA came to power at the Centre," Anwar said On the issue of prime ministerial candidate,

Centre discriminating against Kerala: Vijayan

Accusing the Centre of discriminating against Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Monday said denying permission to ministers from the state to go abroad for raising funds for flood relief works was the latest example of its bias. Denying permission to the ministers and other stands taken by the Centre regarding flood relief works could only be seen as "moves" against Kerala, Vijayan, who returned early Monday morning after a five-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), told reporters here. Charging the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government with discriminating against Kerala, the chief minister said the Centre should not create hurdles for any state. Noting that disasters had struck other states also, he said when Gujarat was hit by natural calamities, permission was granted for accepting foreign aid. "If Kerala was allowed to take assistance from other countries, it would have been able to raise a huge amount. But the central government did

China chides US for scrapping missile treaty with Russia

China on Monday strongly opposed the US' decision to walk out of the decades-old nuclear arms treaty with Russia, saying the "wrong" move will have a negative impact on the world.

Maldives court frees opposition leader convicted of bribery

A court in the Maldives has freed an opposition leader, setting aside a lower court's conviction for bribery. The High Court, in hearing an appeal by Qasim Ibrahim, said Monday that there were procedural violations by the Criminal Court in convicting him. Ibrahim, a political party leader and businessman owning a chain of tourist resorts, was sentenced to more than three years in prison last year after he joined forces with the opposition in trying to unseat President Yameen Abdul Gayoom. He was accused of offering to fund re-election campaigns of government lawmakers in return for voting for an opposition-sponsored no-faith motion against the parliamentary speaker. Ibrahim was exiled in Germany following heart surgery in Singapore and only returned home earlier this month after Yameen's presidential election defeat.