Page 2732 - Politics
Maldives judges hear strongman's election challenge
Maldives judges on Sunday heard a petition by strongman president Abdulla Yameen to have his recent election defeat annulled, potentially triggering US sanctions and plunging the archipelago into fresh turmoil. Yameen lost heavily in the September 23 election to a little-known unity opposition candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, despite his main rivals being in jail or in exile and the media in his pocket. Under pressure from the US, Europe and India, which is seeking to counter growing Chinese influence in the strategically positioned 1,200-island honeymoon paradise, Yameen quickly conceded defeat and said he would leave office on November 17. But even as Western countries breathed a sigh of relief, prisoners were released and opposition figures began returning from exile, Yameen last week filed a request for the Supreme Court to annul the result and call fresh elections. A statement on Saturday by his Progressive Party (PPM) said the vote was the "most farcical election in living ...
Saudi dismisses threat of sanctions over Khashoggi
Saudi Arabia on Sunday dismissed threats of sanctions over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and vowed the oil-rich kingdom would retaliate against such action. "The kingdom affirms its total rejection of any threats or attempts to undermine it whether through threats to impose economic sanctions or the use of political pressure," an official source said, quoted by state news agency SPA. "The kingdom also affirms that it will respond to any action with a bigger one," the source said.
PM has much to hide about Rafale deal: Cong
Continuing with its campaign against the government over the Rafale deal, the Congress Sunday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was directly involved in it, adding that he had much to hide about it. Questioning Modi's silence over the deal, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma claimed that only the prime minister was aware that the offset contracts would not be given to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). "It was his (Modi's) decision. Only he was privy to what he was going to do," Sharma said, addressing a press conference at the party office here. It was expected that the prime minister would speak on this issue of national importance, but he continued to remain silent while making tall claims about his government, the Congress leader said. "The prime minister has much to hide in the Rafale deal. His silence raises fundamental questions, because he is directly complicit and personally accountable for it," he alleged. Claiming that the Rafale deal was the biggest scam in the .
Akbar calls charges wild and false, mum on quitting
Giving no indication of resigning from the government, Union Minister M.J. Akbar, who is facing charges of sexual harassment and wrongdoing by around a dozen women journalists, on Sunday called the allegations "false, wild and baseless" and vowed to take legal action against the accusers.
Need to tighten noose around corrupt officers in UP: BJP leader
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Brijesh Prajapati on Sunday said that there is a dire need to tighten the noose around corrupt officers in Uttar Pradesh.Speaking to ANI, Prajapati claimed that many groups of corrupt officers have been formed and they support illegal mining for their own interests."These kind of officers in Uttar Pradesh are portraying a negative image of the Yogi Adityanath-led government in front of the people. I request the chief minister to order an investigation on all officers involved in corrupt practices at the earliest," he said.The BJP lawmaker also warned that if the menace of corruption is not curbed in time, the party's future might turn bleak.In order to back his contention, Prajapati quoted an example of his own matter where he claimed that the mining officer of Tindwari village in Banda filed a fake case against him and a number of locals fearing that the administration will suspend him if his corrupt practices are disclosed."On October 9, several ...
Israel's Netanyahu threatens Hamas with 'very strong blows'
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday threatened to inflict "very strong blows" on Hamas after fresh violence along the border with the Gaza Strip controlled by the Islamist group. "Hamas has apparently not understood the message -- if these attacks do not stop, they will be stopped in another way, in the form of very, very strong blows", Netanyahu said during the weekly cabinet meeting. "We are very close to another type of action which would include very strong blows. If Hamas is intelligent, it will cease fire and violence now", he added. Israel on Friday suspended fuel deliveries to the Gaza Strip, after fresh protests along the border that saw seven Palestinians killed by Israeli troops. The suspension came days after fuel supplies had begun running to the enclave, in a fresh bid to ease an Israeli blockade that has lasted more than 10 years. A UN-brokered deal had seen Qatar, a longtime Hamas backer, pledge to pay USD 60 million (52 million euros) for fuel to be ..
IT searches end at TDP MP's premises
Income Tax Department officials on Sunday ended a two-day long searches at the residences and offices of TDP MP C.M. Ramesh.
Parrikar arrives in Goa after being discharged from AIIMS
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday returned to the state, after being discharged from Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where he was being treated for advanced pancreatic cancer.
Naxal-hit Bastar region key to Chhattisgarh poll outcome
Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, the worst Naxal-hit place in the country, is likely to hold the key to the Assembly poll outcome, with the BJP pulling out all stops to reverse its fortunes here, as the Congress had got the better of it in 2013. BJP president Amit Shah, during his frequent visits to the state, including to Bastar division headquarters Jagdalpur on Saturday, has asked party workers to ensure that the Congress is routed in the region on the back of the state government's "development works" and fall in Naxal violence. Of the 12 Assembly seats in Bastar, the Congress had won eight in 2013 and the BJP managed to edge out the opposition in the overall tally. This was possible on the back of the BJP's strong performance in the plains, helped to no small extent by the Narendra Modi factor. Modi, who was then the party's prime ministerial candidate, had campaigned extensively in the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls. BJP sources noted that in the last Assembly elections, the ...
UK minister to launch anti-loneliness strategy
Tracey Crouch, the world's first minister for loneliness appointed by the UK government this year, is set to launch her first anti-loneliness strategy to combat the scourge of isolation. The UK Government's research had found that the young people can be affected by loneliness more than the elderly, and she will unveil a plan on Monday that will feature a pledge by businesses to do more to help staff cope with the sense of isolation, according to Crouch. The additional ministerial portfolio was created in January in memory of Opposition Labour MP Jo Cox - murdered by a right-wing fanatic in June 2016. At the time of her death, Cox had been conducting research on the issue of loneliness, much of which has been adopted by the Conservative Party led government. Crouch said the new government strategy would also aim to help new parents, who risk isolation after they get home with a new-born. "Loneliness can affect anyone," she told The Sunday Times in an interview. The government research
Maldives risks sanctions as toppled Yameen fights back
The Supreme Court of the Maldives is to decide Sunday on President Abdulla Yameen's petition to overturn his defeat in last month's election, a move that could bring international sanctions. The tiny Indian Ocean archipelago, which straddles the main east-west international shipping lanes, has seen political tensions escalate as Yameen jailed or exiled all his main opponents during his five-year rule. After initially conceding defeat in the September 23 presidential election, Yameen mounted a challenge on Thursday asking the Supreme Court to annul the results and call a fresh vote. Despite opposition fears of rigging in favour of Yameen who has ruled with an iron fist since 2013, the election was endorsed by the international community as free and fair. Yameen was due to hand over power to the opposition candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, on November 17, but the latest court action risks pushing the country back into unrest, the opposition has said. However, the strongest warning came .
'Govt employees cheated in the name of Central Pay Commission'
Opposition CPI(M) in Tripura on Sunday criticized the BJP-IPFT government for deceiving the employees of the state government in the name of 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) benefits. The ruling BJP, however, said the teachers have received a 14 per cent hike following the CPC which has made them happy. "The recent pay revision by the new government is nothing but cheating the employees in the name 7th CPC. It is only a concocted story. It was not on par with central pay scale, former Finance Minister Bhanulal Saha of the CPI(M) told reporters. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb assured 7th CPC to employees and pensioners of Tripura but the assurance turned out to be false promise. Saha said, revised pay matrix, which the state government has claimed to be at par with 7th CPC, is not compatible with central perks. "Neither 7th pay commission nor any other central scale was implemented by the state ...
1st Indo-US tri-services exercise likely to include special forces of 2 countries
The first Indo-US tri-services exercise is likely to take place next year and talks are on to include the special forces of two countries in the drill, a senior US defence official has said. The three forces of India and the US already take part in bilateral exercises separately -- their armies participate in an annual drill called Yudh Abyaas, whose latest edition took place last month, the air forces take part in a bilateral drill called Cope India and the navies participate in an exercise in Malabar, involving Japan. But this will be the first time the three services of the India and the US will participate in a drill together. "The first one will be in India, and it will take place in 2019. It would include all our services, plus we are kind of scoping the exercise right now to include each of the services' special operations forces. That's very exciting. This is under discussion right now...essentially all our services, plus potentially the special operations forces," Brigadier ..
JKNPP demands immediate deportation of Rohingya, B'deshis from Jammu
JKNPP activists Sunday staged a protest here, seeking immediate deportation of illegally settled Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals in Jammu and Kashmir winter capital. Led by Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh, over a dozen party activists assembled at the Exhibition ground and held a demonstration to press for early deportation of the foreign immigrants. They burnt an effigy of the Centre alleging that it had failed to evict these unlawful foreigners and raised slogans 'Chodho Hamara Jammu Pradesh, Rohingyas Jaao Bangladesh' and 'Rohingyas, Bangladeshis go back'. The natives of Myanmar and Bangladesh have already been identified in Jammu city and its adjacent areas, and as such they should be immediately deported from Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said. "Don't pass statements, just act... Do not test the patience of the nationalist Dogras. Deport them (Rohingyas and Bangladeshis) otherwise the nasty situation could lead to ...
Modi's silence on charges against Akbar unacceptable: Congress
The Congress Sunday stepped up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the allegations of sexual harassment against Union minister M J Akbar, saying his silence was "conspicuous and unacceptable". As the #MeToo movement gathered pace over the last fortnight, the Union minister of state for external affairs was accused by several former colleagues of sexual harassment when he served as an editor at various media organisations. Addressing a press conference at the party office, senior party leader Anand Sharma questioned Modi's silence on the issue and said as the head of the government he should speak on the issue. "It is for the prime minister to speak on this issue, let the country judge its PM by his actions. So far his silence is conspicuous. This question is not only the moral authority of the government, but his own also, and the dignity of the office he holds," Sharma said. He claimed a prime minister, who swears by "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" and talks of women dignity, .
Parrikar returns to Goa after discharge from AIIMS
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar arrived in his home state Sunday afternoon from New Delhi, where he was undergoing treatment at the AIIMS for pancreatic ailment. Parrikar, 62, was flown in a special flight and later taken to his private residence at Dona Paula near here, in an ambulance. The flight landed around 2.35 pm at the state's Dabolim airport and the ambulance was brought out from the gate of the naval enclave INS Hansa, which is a part of the Navy-run airport. Earlier, Parrikar was Sunday morning discharged from the AIIMS. According to sources in the AIIMS, he was in the morning shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for a while after his condition deteriorated. But later, the administration decided to discharge him. The state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital near here has made elaborate arrangements at his private residence with a team of doctors on standby to take care of his health. Parrikar was admitted to the AIIMS on September 15. On Friday, Parrikar met Goa ..
Delhi Cong to burn effigies of BJP, AAP leaders on Dussehra eve to protest sealing drive
The Delhi Congress has decided to burn effigies of AAP and BJP leaders on the eve of Dussehra over their "failure" to provide relief to the people of the national capital from the sealing drive. Senior Delhi Congress leader Mukesh Sharma said specially-designed Ravana effigies with the multiple heads of the mythical demon king replaced by pictures of BJP and AAP leaders will be burnt at 14 locations in the city. "This is our protest against the ruling AAP in Delhi and the BJP at the Centre, over their failure to do anything for Delhites hit by illegal sealing in many areas," said Sharma, who is convener of the Congress' 'Nyay Yudh' campaign against the sealing drive. "At the centre will be photos of Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal, flanked on either side by BJP MPs from Delhi and AAP ministers," Sharma said, adding one of the effigies would be torched by by Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken. "This will be a symbolic protest against the AAP and BJP who despite having votes of ...
US is loser by abandoning Iran nuclear deal: Rouhani
Iran's president boasted Sunday that the United States has lost against the Islamic republic's "righteousness and wisdom" by walking out of the landmark nuclear deal. "Everyone knows that America has lost legally and politically by giving up on its international obligations and that we have achieved victory," said President Hassan Rouhani in a speech at the University of Tehran to mark the beginning of the school year. "There are but a few countries in the world that would call the US withdrawal from the JCPOA (nuclear deal) a good move," he added. "Those that are cautious express disappointment, those that are more frank say it was a mistake, and the outspoken say it was illegal." Washington pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers in May and is reimposing punishing sanctions on the country, hoping to pressure Tehran into what President Donald Trump calls a "better deal". The US is due to complete the reimposition of sanctions on November 5, targeting ...
#MeToo: Akbar returns home, says will issue statement
Union Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar, accused of sexual harassment by several women journalists, returned to India on Sunday and said he will issue a statement over the allegations.
Mecca Masjid blast case judge joins TJS
Former judge K Ravinder Reddy, who quit after delivering the verdict in the Mecca Masjid blast case, has joined the Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS), part of the opposition alliance led by the Congress for the coming Assembly polls, weeks after expressing keenness to embrace the BJP. The move is being seen as a shot in the arm for the TJS in the run-up to the December 7 polls. Reddy was welcomed into the party by TJS president M Kodandaram at an event Saturday. Reddy, the then judge for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases here, had on April 16 acquitted Hindutva preacher Aseemanand and four others in the Mecca Masjid blast case. He had resigned as a judge within hours of pronouncing the judgment, citing personal reasons. Last month, Reddy had expressed keenness to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), describing it as a "patriotic party", and banners welcoming him into the party were put up at the state BJP headquarters here, but it did not materialise. The TJS is part of the ...