Page 2721 - Politics
Manvendra all set to join Congress on Wednesday
Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh's son Manvendra Singh, who quit the Bharatiya Janata Party in September, is likely to join the Congress on Wednesday, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sachin Pilot said on Tuesday.
Vishwajit Rane wanted to split BJP in Goa: Chellakumar
Congress secretary A Chellakumar has claimed that Goa BJP minister Vishwajit Rane wanted to split the ruling saffron party in the state and join the main opposition party after the Lok Sabha polls due next year. Rane, however, denied the claims. Chellakumar claimed that till two months back, Rane was in touch with him over the issue. His remarks came after two Goa Congress legislators, Dayanand Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar, left for Delhi late Monday night amid speculations that they might join the BJP. Rane, 45, also left for the national capital a little before their departure. He was elected on the Congress' ticket from Valpoi constituency during the Assembly polls last year but within a few days, he resigned as MLA and also from the opposition party, and joined the ruling BJP. "Many people from the ruling side were in touch with me. Our friend Vishwajit Rane used to call me often and he has a fear psychosis...he spoke to me two months back also," Chellakumar told PTI over phone ...
Haqqani slams top Chinese diplomat in Pak for "undignified" trolling
Pakistan's former top diplomat to the US Husain Haqqani has slammed China's Deputy ambassador in Islamabad Lijian Zhao for his "undignified" trolling after the ex-envoy shared a story about the Chinese government's treatment of minority Uyghur Muslims. Over the past few days, Haqqani has been involved in a public spat with Lijian which started over a tweet. Haqqani, 62, tweeted a London Times article which said that "China demands the Uighur Muslims eat pork". Lijian, instead of responding to the shared article, criticized Haqqani for the tweet. "Joke of the day. A person without soul and nationality is joining a groundless attack against China. What a pity!" he said. Responding to the criticism, Haqqani said diplomatic courtesy usually required diplomats not to attack people of the country where they are serving and certainly not by attacking their patriotism towards their own country. "I respect Lijian Zhao's rights to defend China and China's policies, but for him to act as a troll
Oil prices rise on signs Iranian oil exports are falling further in Oct
SEOUL (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Tuesday on signs Iranian oil exports this month have fallen from September ahead of U.S. sanctions against Tehran that are set to start in November.
Trump mocked over White House painting
United States President Donald Trump's 60 Minutes interview with Leslie Stahl that aired on Sunday night gave a glimpse of a painting that left everyone baffled and amused at the same time.In the painting, hanging in the White House, Trump can be seen grinning at a table with other former Republican presidents including Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Calvin Coolidge, both Bushes, and Warren G. Harding.The room, where the artwork titled 'The Republican Club' was spotted, features a large pile of official-looking documents, a remote, a telephone and a large glass jar of Starburst.The portrait that was also spotted in an image tweeted by 60 Minutes before their report featuring the interview shows the US President donning a stark white shirt and Republican red tie. All of the presidents who can be seen at the table, served for two terms, except Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected once but served two full terms after ...
J-K municipal polls: Final phase of voting begins
The fourth and final phase of the urban local body polls in 36 wards in central Kashmir's Srinagar and Ganderbal districts has begun.Polling began at 6 am and is slated to end at 4 pm.In the final phase, the electorate will seal the fate of 150 candidates in Srinagar and Ganderbal districts. As many as 260 candidates will be contesting for 132 wards.In the wake of the polls, security has been beefed up at polling stations, while checkpoints have been set up in Srinagar and Ganderbal, where vehicles and commuters are being searched thoroughly to ensure seamless completion of polls.Among the three polling phases, 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 third phase (16.4 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 ...
Koreas and UN Command begin talks on demilitarising border
The two Koreas and the US-led United Nations Command began talks Tuesday on demilitarising a section of the heavily fortified border dividing the peninsula, as a diplomatic thaw gathers pace. "The first meeting between the South, North and the UNC on disarming the Joint Security Area (JSA) will take place at 10am today at Panmunjom," Seoul's defence ministry said in a message sent to reporters. The JSA, also known as the truce village of Panmunjom, is the only spot along the tense, 250-kilometre (155-mile) frontier where troops from the two countries stand face to face. It was a designated neutral zone until the "axe murder incident" in 1976, when North Korean soldiers attacked a work party trying to chop down a tree inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), leaving two US army officers dead. South and North Korea -- which are technically still at war -- agreed to take measures to ease military tensions on their border at a meeting in Pyongyang last month between Presidents Moon Jae-in and
Bungalow to Shivpal proves he is under BJP's protection: UP minister
Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar claimed that the allotment of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati's bungalow and provision of Z-plus security to Samajwadi Secular Morcha leader Shivpal Yadav showed that he had started working for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Speaking to ANI, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) leader said, "Allotting bungalow and giving Z+ security to Shivpal Yadav clearly gives the message that he is being given protection by the BJP and has started working for the BJP."On October 12, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government had allotted Mayawati's old bungalow to Shivpal Yadav in line with a Supreme Court directive.Rajbhar on October 14 had warned the BJP that it will pay dearly in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections if it ignored the backward and the poor.Furthermore, Rajbhar warned its ally that it will not be able to win seats from Uttar Pradesh unless the party delivers on the promise of providing 27 per cent reservation to ...
US remains highly concerned with continued militarisation of South China Sea: Mattis
The United State remains highly concerned with China's continued militarisation in the South China Sea and its predatory economic behaviour, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said Monday. "We remain highly concerned with continued militarisation of features in the South China Sea. Plus, we look at what we consider to be almost predatory -- in some cases certainly predatory economic behaviour...," Mattis told reporters travelling with him to Vietnam. Referring to the major policy speech of Vice President Mike Pence last week, Mattis said the Trump administration seeks a relationship with China that's grounded in fairness, reciprocity and respect for sovereignty. That means respect for international rules and for all nations' sovereignty, whether they're large or small, he said. "So, we're two large powers, or two Pacific powers, two economic powers. There's going to be times we step on each other's toes, so we're going to have to find a way to productively manage our relationship. And .
Israeli soldiers shoot dead Palestinian in West Bank
A young Palestinian who tried to stab an Israeli soldier at a bus stop in the West Bank on Monday was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
Senator Warren: DNA test shows I have Native American heritage
Senator Elizabeth Warren on Monday released the results of a DNA analysis that she said indicated she has some Native American heritage, a rebuttal to President Donald Trump, who has long mocked her ancestral claims and repeatedly referred to her as "Pocahontas". The Massachusetts Democrat and potential 2020 presidential contender challenged Trump to make good on his pledge to donate $1 million to charity if she provided proof of Native American heritage, a moment that was caught on video. Trump falsely denied ever making the offer and later said he would donate the money only if he can personally administer the genetic test. The analysis was done by Stanford University professor Carlos D. Bustamante, a prominent expert in the field. He concluded that the great majority of Warren's ancestry is European but added that the results "strongly support" the existence of a Native American ancestor. In his report , Bustamante said he analysed Warren's sample without knowing the identity of ...
Koreas to begin joint railway modernisation, connection project
In a bid to follow-up on decisions made during the Pyongyang summit, South and North Korea have decided to begin joint projects to modernise and connect railways and roads between the two nations by late November or early December this year.The decision to start working on expanding cross-border channels was taken at a meeting between South Korea's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon and North Korea's Ri Son-gwon at the truce village of Panmunjom on Monday."The South and the North will hold a ground-breaking ceremony for connecting and modernising rail and road systems along the eastern and western regions either in late November or early December," the ministers said in a joint press statement issued after their meeting, according to Yonhap News Agency.The statement also noted that a survey of the western railways will be initiated in late October, while inspections for railways along the eastern coast will be conducted in early November.Both the sides also agreed to hold Red Cross .
2 Goa Cong leaders en route to Delhi to join BJP: sources
Two Goa Congress legislators, namely Dayanand Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar, have left for New Delhi to reportedly join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).According to sources privy to the matter, Sopte and Shirodkar are slated to meet BJP national president Amit Shah in the national capital at around 9:30 am on Tuesday.Both the leaders left by a midnight flight to Delhi and were accompanied by Union Minister of state for AYUSH Shripad Naik.Sopte, who defeated former BJP chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar in the 2017 State legislative assembly election, represents Mandrem constituency, while Shirodkar was elected on a Congress ticket from Shiroda constituency.The developments come amid demands from the opposition parties for a floor test to be held for the BJP to prove majority in the Assembly.Last month, Congress legislators had approached Goa Governor Mridula Sinha, urging her to invite them to form the government in the state owing to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's health.Currently, .
Rogue killers may be behind Khashoggi's disappearance: Trump
United States President Donald Trump said he believes that "rogue killers" could be behind the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.Trump had spoken to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz earlier in the day and had mentioned that the Saudi King had denied having "any knowledge" on what could have happened to the scribe."That being said, the king firmly denied any knowledge of it, he didn't really know. Maybe, I don't want to get into his head, but it sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers, who knows," Trump told journalists, according to Sputnik.The US President also confirmed on Twitter that US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo has been sent to Saudi Arabia at his behest to meet the Saudi King.Trump had earlier threatened the Gulf country of "severe punishment" if it is proven that Saudi Arabia had a role to play in Khashoggi's disappearance, a charge that the Gulf nation has repeatedly and vehemently denied.Meanwhile, CNN reported that Saudi Arabia .
Ensure Goa Assembly is not dissolved: Cong urges President Kovind
The Congress in Goa has written to President Ram Nath Kovind, requesting him to ensure that Goa Governor Mridula Sinha does not dissolve the state assembly without giving the party a chance to prove majority to form the government.In the petition, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Girish Chodankar explained the party's earlier approach or requests to Governor Sinha about staking claim to form a government and said it is imperative that the President issues instructions and guides the governor so that there is no constitutional over-reach to seek dissolution of the Assembly."We had petitioned the governor that we are staking claim to form the government and there should be no decision to dissolve the House without exploring the option of inviting our party to form the government. For this reason, it is imperative that you (President Kovind) issue instructions and guide the governor, so that there is no constitutional over-reach to seek a dissolution by foul play, contrary to wishes .
Rogue killers may be behind Khashoggi's disappearance: Trump
President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that "rogue killers" could be behind the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared on October 2 after entering his country's consulate in Istanbul.
Oil prices rise amid political uncertainties
Oil prices rallied on Monday amid tensions over the disappearance of a Saudi Arabian journalist, which stoked crude supply worries.
Trump suggests 'rogue killers' murdered journalist Khashoggi
In a comment that could give Saudi officials a route to climb down from outright denials, President Donald Trump has suggested that "rogue killers" could be responsible for the disappearance and presumed murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who hasn't been seen since entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul two weeks ago. Trump's comment came after a 20-minute phone call with Saudi Arabia's King Salman in which Trump said the king adamantly denied any knowledge of what happened to Khashoggi. Trump announced he'd dispatched Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the kingdom and anywhere else necessary to get to the bottom of the apparent demise of Khashoggi, a Saudi who had been living and working in the United States. "The king firmly denied any knowledge of it," Trump told reporters on Monday as he left the White House for a trip to survey hurricane damage in Florida and Georgia. Trump said he didn't "want to get into (Salman's) mind," but told reporters: "it sounded to me like maybe ..
2 Goa Cong legislators leave for Delhi; may join BJP
Two Goa Congress legislators Dayanand Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar Monday midnight left for Delhi amidst speculations that they may join the BJP. A senior BJP leader said they were likely to meet BJP president Amit Shah in the national capital. "Both the Congress MLAs will be resigning from Congress party on Tuesday and joining the BJP," a senior BJP leader told PTI. While Sopte, who defeated former BJP chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar in 2017 State legislative assembly election, represents Mandrem constituency, Shirodkar was elected on a Congress ticket from Shiroda constituency. Both the legislators left by a midnight flight to Delhi. Goa Health Minister and BJP MLA Vishwajit Rane also left for Delhi, little before their departure. "I am going on a business trip," Sopte told reporters at the airport. Similarly, when Shirodkar was asked whether he was joining the BJP, he responded, "You will come to know, if I do it". Goa is currently witnessing hectic political activities with ...
DMK MP Elangovan relieved of the post of PR Secy
The DMK Monday said its Rajya Sabha MP T K S Elangovan has been relieved of the post of secretary, public relations, a party jargon that denotes the position of spokesperson. The main opposition party, however, did not assign any reason for relieving him from the position he has been holding for quite some time now. A release by DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan merely statedthat Elangovan was "relieved from the responsibility of secretary, public relations". The move comes hours after the party named him part of a seven-member panel authorised to give interviews to the media. On October 13, the DMK had also named Elangovan first in a list of23 members authorised to take part in television discussions and he was also part of a three-member "public relations committee". Party sources indicated that it was part of a "streamlining exercise" to liaison with the media.