Page 2691 - Politics
Counting underway for J&K civic polls
Counting was underway on Saturday for the recently concluded Jammu and Kashmir municipal polls, with preliminary results showing that the BJP was heading for a major victory in Jammu while mixed results were seen in the Kashmir Valley.
Punjab CM arrives in Amritsar over train tragedy
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh arrived in Amritsar on Saturday, nearly 16 hours after at least 60 people were crushed to death by a train while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy here.
Trump believes Saudi explanation for Khashoggi's death, lawmakers sceptical
US President Donald Trump said Saturday he believed Saudi Arabia's explanation that dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi died in a "fist fight" and termed the arrest of 18 people by the Gulf kingdom "a great first step". Saudi Arabia on Saturday announced that Khashoggi, 60, died following a "fist fight" at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, without disclosing any details on the whereabouts of his body. "Preliminary investigations... revealed that the discussions that took place between him and the persons who met him... at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul led to a brawl and a fist fight with the citizen, Jamal Khashoggi, which led to his death, may his soul rest in peace," Saudi Attorney General Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb said in a statement. The government said that 18 Saudis had been arrested for further investigation while Deputy Director of Saudi Intelligence Ahmed al-Assiri has been dismissed. "I do. I do," Trump said when asked about his confidence in the Saudi explanation. "Again, it's
Counting begins for J-K municipal polls
The counting of votes for the 52 civic bodies that recently went to polls in Jammu and Kashmir commenced on Saturday.The counting started at 8 a.m. and all the results would be declared later in the day.For the Srinagar municipal corporation, the counting is being held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here and for the Jammu municipal corporation, it is being held at the Polytechnic Institute near Bikram Chowk.For other districts of the state, counting is being held at their respective district headquarters.The polls were held in four phases amid tight security arrangements, covering 79 municipal bodies. A total of 3372 nominations were filed for 1145 wards.Out of total civic bodies, 27 in the Valley did not go to polls owing either to the fact that there was no candidate or only one candidate had filed nominations for a particular ward.The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the two major sides battling for municipal authority in Jammu and ...
Voting underway for Afghan parliamentary polls
Voting was underway across Afghanistan on Saturday for the country's parliamentary polls that were delayed by three years and marred by a brazen terror attack by the Taliban that killed and injured top security officials earlier this week.
IUML Kerala legislator Abdul Razack dead
P.B. Abdul Razack, a senior IUML legislator from Kerala, died at a private hospital here Saturday, party sources said. He was 63.
Anti-money-laundering body gives Iran until Feb to complete reforms
PARIS (Reuters) - The international group that monitors money-laundering worldwide said on Friday Iran had until February to complete reforms that would bring it into line with global norms or face consequences.
Counting begins for J&K municipal polls
The counting of votes for the recently concluded municipal polls began in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.
Afghanistan set to vote in parliamentary polls
Afghanistan is all set to begin its parliamentary polls today, even as threats issued by the Taliban cast a shadow on the democratic process.Voting is scheduled to begin at 7 am (local time) at 5074 polling centers across Afghanistan, according to a polling centers list issued by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) of Afghanistan. 8,918,107 voters have registered for the one-day poll, according to the IEC.However, elections have been postponed in Kandahar by one week in the wake of the recent attack which took place in the governor's house that claimed the lives of many, including that of Kandahar Police Chief General Abdul Raziq.Elections in the Ghazni province have also been postponed due to security issues and disagreements on reducing constituencies, according to TOLOnewsThe Taliban has threatened to disrupt the elections in the nation, and have claimed responsibility behind the deaths of numerous candidates in the past. The terror group has also targeted election rallies to
White House says 'saddened' to hear Khashoggi's death
The White House said Saturday it was "saddened" to hear the confirmation of Saudi Arabia's dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death, but made no mention of action against the major US ally. Saudi Arabia on Saturday said Khashoggi, 60, was killed inside its consulate in Istanbul after "discussions" at the consulate devolved into an altercation, without disclosing any details on the whereabouts of his body. "We are saddened to hear confirmation of Mr Khashoggi's death, and we offer our deepest condolences to his family, fiance and friends," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said after the Saudi Arabia issued a statement saying the journalist was killed in a fist fight with unidentified men inside the consulate. As many as 18 people have been taken into custody, according to Saudi officials. An investigation in this regard is on. "The United States acknowledges the announcement from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that its investigation into the fate of Jamal Khashoggi is ...
Saddened to hear confirmation of Khashoggi's death: White House
The White House released an official statement on Saturday stating that it is "saddened" to hear about Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's demise."We are saddened to hear confirmation of Mr Khashoggi's death, and we offer our deepest condolences to his family, fiancee, and friends," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted.The Press Secretary further acknowledged Saudi Arabia's announcement about the progression of its investigation into the missing scribe's case and the action that Riyadh has taken against the suspects involved.Sanders also urged for fair and transparent investigations into the Washington Post columnist's case, and said, "We will continue to closely follow the international investigations into this tragic incident and advocate for justice that is timely, transparent, and in accordance with all due process."Meanwhile, the Spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Stephane Dujarric, released a statement extending the UN Chief, Antonio ...
J-K civic body poll results to be declared today
The counting of votes for 52 civic bodies will be held across the state on Saturday and the results will be also declared on the same day.The polls were held in four phases amid tight security arrangements covering 79 municipal bodies with an electorate of about 17 lakhs. A total of 3372 nominations were filed for 1145 wards with poll dates of October 8, 10, 13 and 16.Out of 79 civic bodies, no voting was held in 27 civic bodies in the Valley either because there was no candidate or only one candidate had filed nominations for a particular ward.The maximum voter turnout was recorded in the first phase in Jammu and Kashmir (56.7 per cent), while least voter turnout was registered during the fourth phase (4.2 per cent).The fight is between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as Jammu and Kashmir's two major parties- National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Alliance (PDP)- have boycotted the elections over lack of clarity in the Centre's stand on Articles ...
Saudi Arabia admits Khashoggi killed in Istanbul consulate
Saudi Arabia on Saturday admitted that critic Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside its consulate in Istanbul, more than two weeks after his disappearance tipped the kingdom into one of its worst international crises. The kingdom also sacked deputy intelligence chief Ahmad al-Assiri and royal court media advisor Saud al-Qahtani, both top aides to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who has faced mounting pressure over the Khashoggi affair. The admission that Khashoggi died at the hands of Saudi officials after weeks of vehement denials by the Gulf kingdom comes after President Donald Trump said that the United States, which is Saudi Arabia's biggest backer, could impose sanctions if it was proved the journalist was killed. Saudi Attorney General Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb said Khashoggi died after "discussions" at the consulate devolved into an altercation, without disclosing any details on the whereabouts of his body. "Preliminary investigations... revealed that the discussions that took place ...
Khashoggi: From Saudi royal insider to open critic
A complex man of contradictions, journalist Jamal Khashoggi went from being a Saudi royal family insider to an outspoken critic of the ultra-conservative kingdom's government, and was ultimately killed inside its consulate in Istanbul. In his final column for The Washington Post, Khashoggi perhaps presciently pleaded for greater freedom of expression in the Middle East. "The Arab world is facing its own version of an Iron Curtain, imposed not by external actors but through domestic forces vying for power," he wrote. "The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events. More important, we need to provide a platform for Arab voices," Khashoggi wrote. Now his voice has been permanently silenced. The Saudi journalist -- who disappeared after entering his country's consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain marriage papers -- went into self-imposed exile in the United States in 2017 after falling out with Saudi's powerful ..
US 'saddened' by confirmed Khashoggi death: White House
The White House said Saturday it was "saddened" after confirmation that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside a Saudi consulate, but made no mention of US action against its major ally. In the first US response to Saudi Arabia's admission, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said merely that Washington "acknowledges the announcement." "We will continue to closely follow the international investigations into this tragic incident and advocate for justice that is timely, transparent and in accordance with all due process," she said. "We are saddened to hear confirmation of Mr. Khashoggi's death, and we offer our deepest condolences to his family, fiancee and friends.
Bolton headed to Russia amid fears US leaving nuclear deal
US National Security Advisor John Bolton will meet Saturday in Moscow with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, amid reports that Washington will tell Russia it plans to quit a landmark nuclear weapons treaty. The visit comes ahead of what is expected to be a second summit between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump this year. Bolton, who will also meet Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, announced the visit to Moscow in a tweet, saying he would "continue discussions that began in Helsinki," referring to a summit held in July. The New York Times said the Trump administration plans to inform Russian leaders in the coming days that it is preparing to leave the three-decade-old Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, known as the INF. The newspaper said the US accuses Russia of violating the deal, signed in 1987 by president Ronald Reagan, by deploying tactical nuclear weapons to intimidate former Soviet satellite states that are now close to the ...
US-led airstrikes kill 32 civilians in Syria: Watchdog
At least 32 civilians were killed over the past 24 hours in US-led airstrikes on Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour, a war watchdog reported on Friday.
US official: Trump likely to meet with Kim early next year
President Donald Trump will likely have his second meeting with Kim Jong Un early next year to continue charting a way for the North Korean leader to give up his nuclear weapons in a verifiable way. A senior administration official told White House reporters Friday that a meeting is "likely sometime after the first of the year." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the meeting have not been finalized. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made his fourth visit to North Korea, and he is coordinating with allies Japan and South Korea to arrange a second summit between Trump and Kim. The two leaders' meeting in June in Singapore produced a vague agreement on denuclearization with few, if any, specifics.
Investigations indicate Khashoggi's death: Saudi Attorney General
Saudi Arabia's Attorney General has confirmed that preliminary investigations indicate that journalist Jamal Khashoggi died inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul after a brawl within the premises.The Saudi prosecutor further said that investigations continue with 18 Saudi nationals who have been detained in connection with the incident, according to Al Arabiya.The statement also said that al-Qahtani, the royal court advisor and Ahmed Asiri, the deputy intelligence chief have been fired.Furthermore, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz has ordered the restructuring of the general intelligence agency through the constitution of a ministerial committee which is headed by the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who wrote for The Washington Post, disappeared on October 2 after cameras captured him walking into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.Several high-profile meetings have been held regarding the scribe's disappearance between the involved ...
Australia government braces for defeat in crucial by-election
Australia's embattled conservative coalition was bracing for defeat as polls opened in a crucial by-election Saturday, with a loss set to snuff out its slim parliamentary majority. The by-election in the wealthy Sydney seat of Wentworth was triggered after former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was ousted in a party-room coup in August -- the sixth change of leader in the last decade. Turnbull's successor, Scott Morrison, is facing public anger about the leadership merry-go-round and constant infighting in Canberra, and could be made to pay at Wentworth, traditionally a Liberal Party seat. The Liberal-National coalition has a one-seat parliamentary majority, and a loss in Wentworth would transform it into a minority government and effectively turn Morrison into a lame duck prime minister. The sprawling Sydney constituency takes in the famous Bondi Beach and the haunts of stars like Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman. While the seat was easily held by Turnbull, polls before the by-election