Page 2710 - Politics
Siemens may have to share big Iraq power contract with GE - FT
ZURICH (Reuters) - Siemens may have to share a multi-billion dollar deal with U.S. rival General Electric to improve Iraq's energy supply system following an intervention by President Donald Trump's administration, The Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
M.J. Akbar resigns from government amid #MeToo storm
More than a week after several women journalists levelled allegations of sexual harassment and molestation, former Editor M.J. Akbar on Wednesday resigned as Minister of State for External Affairs as the #MeToo movement claimed its first toll in Indian politics.
After moving into govt bungalow, Shivpal says open to idea of grand alliance
Samajwadi Secular Morcha founder Shivpal Yadav said Wednesday he was open to the idea of joining a proposed alliance of opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh against the ruling BJP. Shortly after moving into the government bungalow vacated by Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati in Lucknow, he told reporters that he would use the 6, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg residence as the office of his morcha. The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh allotted the bungalow to Shivpal Yadav, who is Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother and the estranged uncle of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, after a Supreme Court directive. "I have entered the bungalow and will start work from here. We have invited all those who did not get due honour in Samajwadi Party to join our morcha, which we have formed as people have lost trust in political parties. We will work against the anti-people government (in UP)," Shivpal Yadav said. On the proposed grand alliance of opposition parties in Uttar ...
Two Vyapam scam whistleblowers plan to contest MP polls
Two Vyapam scam whistleblowers are mulling contesting next month's assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. They are currently seeking opinion of their "well-wishers" on their political plan. Assembly elections in MP will be held on November 28. Talking to PTI on Wednesday, Dr Anand Rai, known for exposing the Vyapam scam (a multi-crore admission and government recruitment scam), said he was considering to contest elections from Indore-5 assembly constituency. "Many victims of this scam are yet to get justice. Many big fish involved in this multi-crore scam are still out of the net. I want to change the condition," he said. Rai, who is seeking opinion of his well-wishers on social media, is presently posted in the government district hospital of Indore as a medical officer. Indore-5 assembly segment is currently represented by senior BJP leader and former minister Mahendra Hardia, who had won the seat by a margin of 14,418 votes in the 2013 assembly polls, by defeating his ..
Vijay Kumar Singh appointed as acting DGP of MP
The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday appointed senior IPS officer Vijay Kumar Singh as the Acting Director General of Police (DGP) of the poll-bound state. Current DGP Rishi Kumar Shukla has proceeded on six weeks' leave on account of a heart-related ailment, official sources said. Hence the government, with the approval of the Election Commission, appointed Singh as acting DGP till further orders, sources added. Singh, a 1984-batch officer, will continue to hold his existing post as chairman of the MP Police Housing Corporation. Madhya Pradesh will go to the polls on November 28.
JKNPP stages protest to press for dissolution of J-K Assembly'
The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) staged a protest here Wednesday to press for dissolution of the state assembly, saying its prolonged suspension was "blatant violation" of law. The JKNPP said the suspension of Assembly "was supposed to be a transitory period and its prolongation was blatant violation of law besides prevalent practices and precedents". Dozens of JKNPP activists, led by party chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh, staged the demonstration at Exhibition Ground in the heart of the city and set ablaze an effigy of the BJP before dispersing peacefully. The protesters were carrying placards in support of their demand for dissolution of the assembly. "Nowhere in the country had any Assembly been kept in suspended animation for as long as four months despite none of the parties or combination of parties being in a position to form the government or even claiming to form the government," Singh said and asked why at all should the Assembly be kept in .
Iran calls US sanctions on paramilitary force 'blind vindictiveness'
Iran called new US sanctions against its paramilitary Basij group an act of "blind vindictiveness" on Wednesday. "America's new sanctions are a clear insult to international and legal mechanisms and a result of the American government's blind vindictiveness against the Iranian nation," said foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi. He called Washington's "lack of adherence to international legal mechanisms" a threat not only "to the Iranian people's interests but also the world's stability and security." On Tuesday, the US Treasury Department slapped sanctions on the Basij paramilitary group along with a network of more than 20 businesses that were providing it financing. The US pulled out of a landmark 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers in May and is reimposing punishing sanctions on the Middle Eastern country, hoping to pressure Tehran into what President Donald Trump calls a "better deal". "Contrary to the American government's hypocritical claims in support of .
TRS poll manifesto draws opposition ire in Telangana
Opposition parties in Telangana Wednesday severely criticised the TRS over promises in the election manifesto for the Assembly elections, accusing it of even "copying" their assurances and recycling its 2014 version. Seeking to steal a march over other political parties, TRS was first of the blocks to release its manifesto, promising farm loan waiver of up to Rs one lakh, unemployment allowance of Rs 3,016 per month and doubling "Aasara" pension amounts, among others. The partial manifesto was released by the caretaker Chief Minister and TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao Tuesday. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Chairman N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the TRS manifesto is a "copy" of the promises announced by the Congress in the last few months. The Congress, which has announced it would fight the December seven poll in alliance with the TDP, CPI and the Telangana Jana Samiti, and the BJP which is going it alone, are yet to unveil their manifestos. "...sensing a ...
M.J. Akbar resigns from government
Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar resigned from the government on Wednesday following allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by several women journalists.
Act against 'mischievous elements' in AMU, JNU: BJP leader Raina
Senior BJP leader Ravinder Raina Wednesday sought action against "mischievous elements" who are trying to defame the Aligarh Muslim University and the Jawaharlal Nehru University besides bringing a bad name to Jammu and Kashmir. Raina, who is the president of BJP's J&K unit, however, did not identify the "mischievous elements". "There are some mischievous elements in the AMU and the JNU who are trying to defame these institutions of learning. The name of Jammu and Kashmir crops up each time whenever there a controversy," he said. Raina said he was pained over such happenings and asked for action against such "bad elements" so that the peaceful atmosphere is not vitiated. He was replying to a question on the revocation of the suspension order of two Kashmiri students by the AMU on Tuesday. Two Kashmiri students -- Wasim Ayub Malik and Abdul Hasib Meer -- were suspended last Friday for allegedly participating in an aborted Namaaz-e-Janaza (prayer meeting) in the university campus ...
M J Akbar resigns as minister
Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar stepped down Wednesday following a spate of allegations of sexual harassment during his days as editor of several publications. In a brief statement, Akbar said he had decided to seek justice in a court of law in his personal capacity. "I deem it appropriate to step down from office and challenge false accusations levied against me, also in a personal capacity. I have, therefore, tendered my resignation...," Akbar said. He also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for giving him the opportunity to serve the country. Over the last fortnight, about 20 women have come forward to narrate their experiences of alleged sexual harassment at the hands of Akbar.
RJD depicts Tejashwi as 'Ram', Nitish as 'Ravan'
Amid the ongoing festive season, a poster depicting Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav as "Ram" and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as "Ravan" was posted in front of Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) state headquarters here early on Wednesday.
Extend 73rd and 74th constitutional amendment to J&K: BJP
State BJP president Ravinder Raina Wednesday advocated the extension of the 73th and 74th amendment of the Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir, saying it would strengthen the grass-root level institutions and help democracy flourish in the state. We request the governor (Satya Pal Malik) to strengthen Panchayati raj system by implementing the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendment to the state," the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief said. The governor is the Constitutional head of the state and through an ordinance can incorporate 73rd and 74th amendment of the constitution in the state. It is in his power and he can do it easily, Raina told reporters here. He said it was a must for strengthening grass-root level institutions and democracy in the state and help development as the central funds would be available if the 73rd and 74th amendments are extended to the state. He appealed people to take part in large numbers in the Panchayati elections which were being held in nine ...
Fresh documents reveal 'murky dealings' in Rafale deal, time for PM to speak: Cong
The Congress Wednesday alleged that fresh documents in the Rafale deal reveal that Prime Minister Narendra Modi facilitated the contract between Dassault Aviation and Reliance Defence and said it is time he broke his silence on the issue. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Rafale scam is getting "murkier and muddier" by the day as fresh documents have reinforced that prime minister Modi "facilitated a sweetheart deal" with Dassault to "illegitimately" benefit a crony friend - Reliance Defence. "Undisputed evidence now corroborates, brazen 'crony capitalism' and 'quid pro quo' by the Modi government in the multi- crore Rafale scam. Time for prime minister Modi to break his silence," he told reporters here. He said the lid of the Modi government's "murky sweetheart deal in the Rafale scam is now off" and asked whether Modi was prime minister of India or of Anil Ambani. "The simple question that Modiji needs to answer is 'Are you PM of India or PM of Anil Ambani'? Are
EU open to new trade talks with U.S., but has not seen great interest
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU's Trade Commissioner said on Wednesday that the bloc was open to talks with the United States on industrial goods tariffs but that Washington had not yet shown any serious interest.
Need better tech to keep Hindi language growing: VK Singh
Hindi language is not only becoming popular in India but also growing across the world and to keep the momentum going, better technology and facilities need to be employed, Union minister V K Singh said here Wednesday. Speaking at the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan here, Singh, the Minister of State for External Affairs, said, "Hindi, now a genuine people's language, was becoming popular not only in India but globally too,". The minister was here for the inauguration of the new entrance gate of the Sansthan, named after Hindi scholar Moteru Satya Narayan. Singh conveyed his best wishes to the new students from 30 odd countries for the academic session 2018-19. He said Hindi was "undoubtedly becoming popular and we need to employ better technology and facilities to ensure that the growth continues." The programme was attended by Hindi scholars, Agra mayor Navin Jain, BJP MLA Jagan Prasad Garg and local academicians. Cultural programmes by foreign students, particularly Braj ka Raas and ...
Cong not interested in forming govt in Goa, says defecting MLA
Former Goa minister Subhash Shirodkar, who quit the Congress to join the ruling BJP, claimed Wednesday the opposition party was never interested in forming government in the state because of the factions within it. Shirodkar also said the Congress never had the numbers to form government in the state and that its previous bid to stake claim for power was "merely a strategy" to keep party members together. Regretting that he "wasted" 20 months in the party, he said he now feels he should have quit the Congress last year, soon after the state polls were held. Shirodkar and another Congress legislator Dayanand Sopte resigned Tuesday as members of the state assembly and also from the party's primary membership. Both later joined the BJP. He said the Congress, which had won 17 seats after the assembly elections in March last year, was "never interested in forming the government" because of the factions within the party. "There are at least three-four leaders in the Congress who want to ...
Nepal-India ties are deep-rooted: Nepal Transport Minister
Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport of Nepal, Raghubir Mahaseth while talking to the Nepali and Indian journalists at Jayanagar on Tuesday said that the relations between Nepal and India are deep-rooted.He was on an observation tour of the Jayanagar-Janakpur-Kurtha section of the railway being constructed here with support from the Government of India.He said apart from the diplomatic relations, Nepal and India also have what he called the 'rotibeti' relations, referring to the special relations between the peoples of the two countries.Minister Mahaseth added that this relation has become further cordial in the recent days. "The government led by KP Sharma Oli of Nepal and the government led by Narendra Modi of India too have cordial ties," he said, pointing out that the railway project was an example of this cordiality.The Transport Minister also said that besides this project, construction of many other projects including the Nijgadh-Kathmandu railway and the Hulaki ..
Iran stays quiet on Khashoggi case
Iran has been playing it cool as it watches the furore over the disappearance of writer Jamal Khashoggi create a crisis for its regional rival Saudi Arabia. As of Wednesday, the government had yet to make any official comment on the alleged murder of Khashoggi who vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Barraged by questions at his weekly press conference on Monday, foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said only that Iran was monitoring events. The Iranian press has been reprinting the gruesome claims from Turkish and other international sources that Khashoggi was tortured and dismembered inside the consulate, and on Wednesday alleged a cover-up by Riyadh and Washington. "US, Turkey and Saudi colluding to close the murder case of Jamal Khashoggi," read the headline on Wednesday's Jomhuri Eslami, a conservative paper, as it reported on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Riyadh and Ankara. "Pompeo's mission in travelling to Riyadh and then ...
Saudi Arabia agrees to abolish Umrah tax on Pak pilgrims
Saudi Arabia has agreed to waive 2,000-riyal tax imposed on Pakistanis performing Umrah every year on the request of Prime Minister Imran Khan, a media report said Wednesday. The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs was informed on Tuesday that Prime Minister Khan had requested Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud to abolish the tax imposed by the Saudi government on Pakistanis during his visit to the Gulf country last month. "I have been informed that this was some kind of a discriminatory tax on Pakistanis and the government should do something about it," Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said. Secretary of Religious Affairs Muhammad Mushtaq said the tax was imposed to discourage repeated Umrah by a few people only and had recently been slapped on anyone coming from any country of the world. "However this new tax of 2,000 riyals (USD 533) on people performing more than one Umrah within two years has been abolished for the people of Egypt and Turkey after ...