Page 2705 - Politics
Poll preparations in Mizoram satisfactory: CEC Rawat (Lead, with Corrections)
Preparations to hold free and fair elections to the Mizoram Assembly are satisfactory, Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat said here on Wednesday.
German nationalists pictured with Hitler wine, swastikas
The far-right Alternative for Germany party wants to expel a regional lawmaker who posed in front of wine bottles featuring pictures of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. German news agency dpa reported Wednesday that the party's Berlin chapter has started proceedings to force out Jessica Biessmann, an AfD member in Berlin's state parliament. The bottles appear in photos in social media posts that Biessmann says are a decade old. They are available for purchase in Italy, but publicly displaying Nazi symbols is illegal in Germany. There have been calls for Germany's domestic intelligence agency to monitor the Alternative for Germany over extremism concerns. Separately, daily newspaper Thueringer Allgemeine reports that a senior AfD member in Thuringia state quit after photos surfaced showing him posing behind a swastika tablecloth while visiting Hitler-related sites in 2015.
Will support Pakistan if it makes smart choices: US
United States (US) State Department senior official Henry S. Ensher on Wednesday stated that the US is prepared to be Pakistan's partner, provided it makes smart choices.Ensher, the acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, while addressing the Pakistan Policy Symposium at Wilson Center, said: "We can't be silent about the fact that externally focused groups enjoy sanctuary in Pakistan."He further reiterated that Pakistan has shown that it can address terrorism on its soil when it's determined to do so."US assistance has helped put 3200MW on the grid-enough to power several major Pakistani cities," he added.Ensher also opined that the status quo in Afghanistan does not serve Pakistani interests.
CTA marks 60th anniversary of Tibetans in exile
The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) on Wednesday marked the 60th anniversary of Tibetans in exile through a "Thank You India" campaign.As a part of the campaign, a five-member delegation, led by Tibetan Parliament member Youdon Aukatsang, met senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi at his residence to express the gratitude of the Tibetan people to the successive governments and people of India for their generous support and sympathy to the cause of Tibet for more than five decades.The Tibetan delegation was on a twenty-day visit to the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Delhi. They met various Indian leaders and lawmakers including Governors, Chief Ministers, Speaker of the Assembly and Party Spokespersons, MPs and MLAs and briefed them about the critical situation in Tibet and current status of the Tibetan freedom movement.
Posters depicting Tejashwi as 'Rama', Nitish as 'Ravana' surface in Patna
A controversy erupted here Wednesday over posters put up by an RJD leader wherein the party's heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav was likened to 'Lord Rama' and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was portrayed as the ten-headed demon king 'Ravana'. Besides attracting criticism from the ruling JD(U), which Kumar heads, the posters were also disapproved by the Congress which is an alliance partner of the RJD. The Lalu Prasad-led party later clarified that the posters were not put up to belittle the chief minister, but criticise the government in the state. The posters, bearing the signature and image of RJD leader Anand Yadav, who is said to be associated with the party's disaster management cell, were put up at the state headquarters in Birchand Patel Marg and in front of Tejashwi Yadav's official residence on Circular Road, a stone's throw away from the chief minister's house. The posters were also inscribed with a slogan in Hindi, borrowing a verse from the Bhagavad Gita, "Whenever ...
Now is the time for Brexit deal, May tells EU
British Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday that "now is the time" to make a Brexit deal happen, as she arrived for a summit with EU leaders seeking to unblock stalled divorce talks. May will pitch her vision of how to save the talks on Britain's exit from the union on March 29 to European leaders left frustrated by a dramatic breakdown in negotiations on Sunday. Before the summit, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a stern warning that Europe must be prepared for a no-deal Brexit but as she arrived pledged to "try everything to find an agreement". Negotiations are at an impasse over the issue of a legal backstop to keep open the border between British Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, an EU member. May faces a battle to find a solution that is acceptable to both the EU and hardline Brexit supporters in her own deeply-divided Conservative party, but she insisted that a deal is achievable and that "now is the time to make it happen". "I believe everybody around the .
Trump seeks 5 pc budgetary cuts from Cabinet
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday asked all his Cabinet colleagues to cut their budgets by five per cent as he seeks to bolster the country's military expenses. "I can tell you that I'm having a Cabinet meeting in a little while and we're going to ask every secretary to cut five per cent for next year," Trump told reporters at his Oval Office just before the Cabinet meeting, wherein he reiterated it again. However, this five per cent cut does not include the defence department, wherein in the first two years of his administration he has increased its budget to USD 700 billion and USD 716 billion. To a question during the Cabinet meeting, Trump said he is seeking to bring the military expenses to USD 700 billion. "Last year, first year, I had to do something with the military. Military was falling apart, it was depleted, it was in very bad shape. And that's why we went, for two years, USD 700 billion, USD 716 billion," he said. "That took place over a period of two years. We have .
Meeting between Shah and ruling allies of Goa BJP postponed
A meeting scheduled in Delhi Wednesday between BJP chief Amit Shah and the leaders of the key constituents in the saffron party-led coalition government in Goa has been postponed to Thursday, a minister has said. Shah was supposed to discuss the current political situation in the coastal state with the BJP allies. Besides Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijai Sardesai, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) leader Sudin Dhavalikar and Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik (BJP) were supposed to participate in the meeting. "The meeting has been put off till Thursday," BJP leader and state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane told PTI over phone from Delhi Wednesday night, without elaborating. He said Shah would now meet the leaders Thursday morning. In the 40-member Goa Assembly, the Manohar Parrikar government enjoys the support of 23 MLAs, including 14 of the BJP, three each from the GFP and MGP and three Independent legislators. In a setback to the Congress, two of its 16 MLAs in ...
Cong claims godman close to Chg home minister tried to
The Congress in poll-bound Chhattisgrah Wednesday filed a complaint with state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) alleging the ruling BJP was trying to "lure" its MLA with "the promise of money and a ministerial berth" to cross over to the saffron party. The opposition party has demanded "de-recognition" of the BJP while accusing the ruling party of being engaged in "political trading" ahead of the next month's assembly polls at the behest of Chief Minister Raman Singh and Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra, a charge denied by the CM. A delegation led by Congress spokesperson Kiranmayi Nayak submitted a memorandum to the CEO. "A self-styled godman 'kambal wale baba' allegedly tried to offer money to Chintamani Maharaj, the Congress MLA from Lundra constituency, at the behest of the BJP to switch over to the ruling party," Nayak alleged. An audio tape containing purported conversation between Maharaj and Baba has gone viral on social media Tuesday. Maharaj claimed that Baba called .
President accepts Akbar's resignation
President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday accepted the resignation of Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar with "immediate effect".
May on Brexit deal: Now is the time to make it happen
British Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday that a Brexit deal was achievable and "now is the time to make it happen", as she arrived at an EU summit. "I believe everybody around the table wants to get a deal. By working intensively and closely we can achieve that deal," she told reporters in Brussels.
Italy renews pro-Russia push ahead of EU summit
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Italy's eurosceptic government is pushing for a reduction of tensions between the European Union and Russia but risks isolation in Brussels as EU partners seek instead stronger measures to deter Moscow from interfering in EU affairs.
'Active' efforts underway to recover abducted Iran troops, says Pak
Pakistan on Wednesday told Iran that it had launched "active" efforts to locate 11 Iranian security personnel, who were abducted by unknown militants near its border. The Iranian guards were abducted by terrorists on Tuesday in the Lulakdan, a small village some 150-km southeast of Zahedan, the capital of the province of Sistan-Balochistan bordering Pakistan, according to Iranian media. So far no group has claimed responsibility for kidnapping the Iranian guards. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif Wednesday called his Pakistan counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and raised the issue of abduction of the Iranian border guards. Qureshi "expressed his serious concern on the incident" and briefed Zarif about the active efforts launched by the Pakistan's law enforcement agencies to ascertain the whereabouts of the missing Iranian guards, in coordination with the Iranian military and intelligence counterparts, the Foreign Office said. It said the two Directors General (Military Operations) ...
Left says Akbar resignation has come 'too late', Cong dares PM to speak up
The Congress and the Left parties Wednesday hailed the resignation of union minister M J Akbar following charges of sexual harassment and dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak up now. While the Congress termed the resignation as "victory of truth", it asked whether the prime minister will dare to speak up now. The Left parties said Akbar's resignation was a victory for the #MeToo movement and the protests carried out by them against the journalist-turned-politician. The CPI and the women's wing of CPI-M, however, said Akbar should have resigned early and the action has come "too late". The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said this was insufficient and sought criminal proceedings against Akbar. Congress leader Ragini Naik said the silence of Modi on the #MeToo movement is deafening, as she accused the government as being "misogynist" which has "deceived" those crores of women voters who placed their faith, reposed their trust in the BJP in 2014. "Times is up Modi ji. The silence of PM Modi
Cong finalises candidates for 80 assembly seats in MP: Sources
The Congress Wednesday finalised candidates for at least 80 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh but did not declare any of them yet, according to party sources. Congress president Rahul Gandhi chaired a meeting of the Congress Election Committee (CEC) in the national capital where top party leaders from Madhya Pradesh were present and held discussions on candidates for the November 28 assembly election, top party sources said. The Congress is seeking to oust the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, where the saffron party has been in power for the last 15 years. It is learnt that another meeting of the CEC would be held soon to decide on other candidates for the assembly polls in the state. Madhya Pradesh has a total of 230 assembly constituencies.
Pakistan says 'active' efforts underway to recover Iran troops
Pakistan on Wednesday informed Iran that it had launched "active" efforts to locate 11 Iranian security personnel, including Revolutionary Guards intelligence officers, who were abducted near the countries' shared border. The Guards blamed "terrorist groups that are guided and supported by foreign forces" for the abductions on Tuesday on the southeastern border with Pakistan. Pakistan's foreign ministry said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif in Islamabad and briefed him "about the active efforts launched by the Pakistan law enforcement agencies to ascertain the whereabouts of the missing Iranian guards, in coordination with the Iranian military and intelligence counterparts". Qureshi blamed the kidnapping on "our common enemies unhappy with the existing close, friendly relations between Pakistan and Iran", the foreign ministry said in a statement. The group kidnapped was involved in "a security operation" and included two members of the ...
IYC delegation meets EC officials over permission to BJYM to hold event in cantonment
A delegation of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) Wednesday met the Election Commission officials to lodge their complaint over alleged permission granted to the BJYM to hold a convention in an army cantonment area, the outfit said in a statement. "Recently Ministry of Defence granted permission to the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, to hold its national convention inside Bison Polo Grounds at Secunderabad Cantonment in Hyderabad." the statement said. According to it, Bison Polo Ground is "meant" only for military training, NCC Camps and other defence related activities.
US official describes China as 'problem'
A top US official on Wednesday described China as a "problem" and said Beijing has not responded to America's queries on trade and intellectual property. "China is a problem. They have not responded to our asks. It's not just the trade deficit per say. It's the theft of IP (intellectual property), it's the force transfer of technology," White House Chief Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow told Fox Business News. Kudlow said that the Chinese just put a new rule in China about cyber security where the police are allowed to hack in to American and other foreign companies. "That's outrageous," he said. Responding to a question, Kudlow said that China should rethink its strategy if their strategy is to wait until after the mid-term elections in the hopes that the Republican party loses the House and they have more leverage. "If that is their thinking, they better rethink their thinking because, look, the House may change hands or not. I think it's going to be very close. The president is not ...
Akbar's resignation 'victory of truth': Congress
The Congress Wednesday termed as "victory of truth" the resignation of Union minister M J Akbar following charges of sexual harassment against him, and asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dare to speak up now on the #MeToo movement. Congress leader Ragini Naik accused the Modi government of being "misogynist" which "deceived" women voters who placed their faith, reposed their trust in the BJP in 2014. "Times is up Modi ji. The silence of PM Modi on #MeToo movement is deafening," she told reporters. "Now that M J Akbar, who has been accused by no less than 36 women of misconduct and harassment, has finally resigned, will PM Narendra Modi dare to speak up," Naik asked. Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said she saluted the women who stood against Akbar bravely in spite of the "brazen" stance taken by the government. "This resignation is a vindication of the power of truth. More strength to India's women," she said. Akbar stepped down as junior external affairs ...
Lankan President talks to PM Modi over 'mischievous' assassination reports, calls him 'true friend'
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Wednesday had a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi wherein he categorically rejected the media reports about him alluding to the involvement of India in any manner whatsoever in an alleged plot to assassinate the President and a former Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka.Their telephonic conversation comes hours after a news report in an Indian daily stated that President Sirisena had expressed concerns during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday about his assassination bid by Indian intelligence agency RAW."He (President Sirisena) mentioned that the mischievous and mala fide reports were utterly baseless and false, and seemed intended to create misunderstanding between the two leaders as well as damage the cordial relations between the two friendly neighbours," read a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be in India on three-day official visit from Thursday.During his ...