Page 2746 - Politics
GTB hospital reservation: Delhi HC sets aside AAP govt circular
The Delhi High Court on Friday set aside the Delhi government circular issued on October 1 that excluded non-Delhi residence patients from taking treatment at the Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital.An NGO had challenged the circular issued by the state government claiming that it denies treatment to non-Delhi patients.Earlier, the court had issued a notice to the Delhi government and questioned on what grounds did it issue such an order which clearly deprives people of their right to life under articles 14,19, 21 of the Indian constitution.Advocate Ashok Agarwal, who appeared on behalf of the petitioner, had also told the court that the impugned order is "shocking, barbaric, and against humanity and it is liable to be stayed by the court.
Parrikar meets Goa cabinet at AIIMS to discuss state functioning
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday met state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) core committee members at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, where he is currently undergoing treatment, to discuss the functioning of the government in Goa.According to sources, the meeting, which started at around 11 AM was attended by three ministers of Goa including the Health Minister. Besides Union Minister Shripad Naik, Goaunit BJP chief was also part of the cabinet meeting.This was the first official meeting called by ailing Chief Minister Parrikar since he was admitted to AIIMS on September 15.Recently, the opposition in Goa raised questions over the stability of the government due to Parrikar's health issues. Some Congress legislators in Goa met Governor Mridula Sinha on September 19 and staked claim to form a government by means of being the single-largest party in the state.On September 23, putting rest to speculations that Manohar Parrikar is likely to discontinue ..
Yangon govt defends move to arrest journalists in Myanmar
Defending the arrests of journalists from Eleven Media, the Yangon Region government in a statement claimed that the journalists were prosecuted for reporting based on wrong facts.Myanmar police had on Wednesday arrested three journalists after their paper Eleven criticised the financial management of Yangon government, which is overseen by a protege of leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The latest arrests have sparked concerns over press freedom in Myanmar.In a statement, Yangon Region government explained that they arrested the journalists and prosecuted them for an article written by Phyo Wai which appeared in the October 8 issue of weekly Eleven journal in which some facts were wrong.The columnist wrote in the article that the shares of Yangon Metropolitan public company constituted by the Yangon Region government were kept in the name of an individual, M. Thaung, and this was the wrong procedure.The statement issued by Region Government said: "Region Government Minister of Planning and ...
Japan PM Abe to make rare China visit on October 25-27
Shinzo Abe will pay the first visit by a Japanese prime minister to China since 2011 later this month, Beijing announced Friday, in the latest sign of warming ties between the rivals. Abe will visit from October 25 to 27 and mark the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the two nations, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang. The visit will "elevate our bilateral ties and put bilateral cooperation back on the right track," Lu said at a regular press briefing. He added that the two sides will work to "jointly uphold multilateralism and the free trade system". Lu said there a reception was planned to celebrate the Sino-Japanese friendship treaty, which was signed on October 23, 1978. Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping have met numerous times over the last few years on the sidelines of international events. But no Japanese prime minister has paid an official visit to China since 2011 and no Chinese president has visited Japan since 2010. Relations ...
US moves to limit nuclear sales to China
US President Donald Trump's administration will limit sales of Washington's civil nuclear technology to China out of concerns that it is being diverted for military and other unauthorized purposes, a top official said.
Time for truth to be told 'loud and clear': Rahul on #MeToo movement
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Friday came out in support of the #MeToo movement, saying it is time for the truth to be told "loud and clear in order to bring about change". He did not comment on the charges of sexual harassment against Union minister M J Akbar. It is about time that everyone learns to treat women with respect and dignity, Gandhi said on Twitter. The #MeToo movement has gathered pace over the last fortnight with scores of women speaking out on sexual harassment at the workplace and support pouring in from various quarters. It's about time everyone learns to treat women with respect and dignity. I'm glad the space for those who don't, is closing. The truth needs to be told loud and clear in order to bring about change, he tweeted, using the hashtag MeToo. He did not say anything on Akbar, who has been accused by several former women colleagues of sexual harassment when he served as editor at various media organisations. Demands have escalated for action against the ...
US-Saudi relations hit snag over journalist's disappearance
Sword dancers. Gleaming palaces. Military jets streaming red, white and blue trails. President Donald Trump soaked up the grandeur of Saudi Arabia on his first foreign stop as president last year and envisioned huge benefits for the United States in building closer ties with the repressive and oil-rich desert kingdom. Now, the White House relationship with Riyadh is imperiled over the mysterious disappearance of a Saudi writer, and the situation is creating friction between the Trump administration and members of Congress demanding to know if the columnist for The Washington Post was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Trump said he's talked to officials at the highest level of the kingdom and is "demanding everything" to explain how Jamal Khashoggi, an activist who had been critical of Saudi leaders, vanished after he walked into the consulate in Istanbul to get documents he needed to get married. Turkish authorities claim Khashoggi, who resided in the United States, was ...
Top US envoy on Iran to hold talks with India, European nations on oil import
A top US envoy on Iran will be visiting India this week for crucial talks ahead of the November 4 deadline set by the Trump administration for countries to bring down their import of Iranian oil to zero. President Donald Trump in May pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear accord, saying it had "failed to achieve the fundamental objective of blocking all paths to an Iranian nuclear bomb" and did not deal with Tehran's "malign activities, including its ballistic missile programme and its support for terrorism". In an attempt to compel Iran to agree to a new accord, Trump reinstated sanctions that targeted the Iranian government's purchase of US dollars, Iran's trade in gold and other precious metals, and its automotive sector. On November 4, a second batch of potentially more crippling sanctions will be re-imposed on Iran's oil and shipping sectors as well as its central bank. The US has asked buyers of Iranian oil to cut imports to zero starting in November. During his week-long trip ...
MJ Akbar's continuation as MoS seems untenable: Sources
Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs MJ Akbar's continuation as the junior foreign minister seems untenable, a source told ANI on Friday.The source further said that Akbar, who is facing allegations of sexual misconduct, will not cut short his foreign tours, adding that the minister, who has now flown down to Equatorial Guinea from Nigeria, is expected to return India on Sunday.As per the source, senior ministers, in off-record conversations, have indicated that Akbar will have to step down once he returns to India. However, a consensus has reportedly not been achieved among the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members on whether an MoS can be ousted merely on the basis of allegations, as Akbar's removal without any probe or police complaint may open the floodgates.On October 9, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had dodged questions posed by media pertaining to sexual harassment allegations against her deputy.Akbar has come under the scanner after several of his former women
Sierra Leone scraps China-funded airport deal
Sierra Leone has cancelled plans to build an airport with China's help in the outskirts of the country's capital, Freetown, saying it was economically unviable.The Mamamah International Airport had been commissioned by previous Sierra Leone president Ernest Bai Koroma in March. The project was funded by China worth USD 318 million and due to be completed by 2022, CNN reported."After serious consideration and diligence, it is the government's view that (it) is uneconomical to proceed with the construction of the new airport when the existing one is grossly underutilised," a letter from the country's Minister of Transport and Aviation Kabineh Kallon read.This is the first time that an African government has scrapped an announced and a major China-backed deal.Reacting to the same, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said that the cancellation of the airport project did not indicate a rift between Sierra Leone and China. He claimed that the deal was in an exploratory phase."When
Indiscipline, ego of senior leaders major issues in Congress
New Delhi [India], Oct 12 (ANI): Expressing discontentment, district presidents of the Congress party from various states told party president Rahul Gandhi that issues such as indiscipline among the party cadre, ego and lobby of senior leaders are creating problems for the party.Sources told ANI that as part of an organisation-building exercise Rahul Gandhi had a telephonic interaction with party members, including district heads, to get ground level feedback.During the interaction, district heads informed Gandhi that senior leaders of the Congress are egoistic and often don't communicate with party workers. According to sources, they further claimed that the district level leaders are unable to maintain discipline as people are being posted on the recommendation of the senior leaders and hence those who join are not bothered about the district units.A district member from the West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district unit stated that Congress leaders have a big ego and are uninterested in ...
'Oil from Iran, S-400 deal not helpful for Indo-US relations'
The United States Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert said import of Iranian oil by India and the signing of the recent India-Russia S-400 Triumph air defence missile deal are not helpful for India and the United States relations."Certainly when we hear about things such as purchasing oil or purchasing of the S-400 systems, it's not helpful. The United States government just reviews that very carefully," Nauert said at a press briefing."As you all know, we were recently in India where that was a topic of conversation with the Indian Government. The President had addressed it - I believe it was just earlier today - which he was asked about that question about whether or not India would buy oil from Iran after sanctions are re-imposed. And the President said - and I'm not going to get ahead of the President, certainly - but he said we'll take care of that," she added.When asked about United States President Donald Trump's statement on the imposition of the Countering ...
US blames China for economic woes in Pakistan
The United States on Friday held China responsible for economic challenges being faced by Pakistan and said that it would review the Pakistan government's bailout plea from all angles including the position of debt in the country.According to The News, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert during a press conference, said: "We understand that Pakistan has formally requested assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In all cases, we examine that closely from all angles of it, including Pakistan's debt position, in evaluating any type of loan programme."Nauert added, "The secretary had spoken about this a few months back, I know, in some interviews not that long ago. I think part of the reason that Pakistan found itself in this situation is Chinese debt, and the fact that there is debt that governments have incurred that they maybe thought wouldn't be so tough to bail themselves out of, but has become increasingly tough."IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde on ..
Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is now a Democrat
Michael Cohen, United States President Donald Trump's former attorney, has returned to Democratic Party after he switched to Republican Party one and a half years ago.Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis said that he took the decision after "putting his family and country first" and "distanced himself from the values of the Trump administration."In March 2017, Cohen registered himself as a Republican. He had also served as the deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee' Finance Committee, before stepping down amid a federal investigation into his business deals, Fox News reported.The move comes amid the souring ties between Trump and Cohen over adult actress Stormy Daniels' legal action against the duo over a USD 130,000 non-disclosure agreement, in which the porn star had agreed to stay quiet about her alleged affair with Trump.The contract, which was signed days before the 2016 presidential poll, also led to the violation of Trump campaign's finance laws, which Cohen had ...
Truth needs to be told for change: Rahul on MeToo
Speaking on the MeToo movement, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the truth needs to be told loud and clear in order to bring a change.
I-T raids at TDP MP's residences, offices in AP, Telangana
The Income Tax department Friday conducted searches at premises of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Rajya Sabha member CM Ramesh in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, sources said. The MP termed the raids as a "political vendetta." Raids began Friday morning at Ramesh's residence in his native village Yerraguntala in Kadapa district. Simultaneously, his Jubilee Hills residence and his business firm Ritwik Projects' office in Hyderabad were also raided by a team comprising 10 I-T sleuths. "Searches are being conducted at residences of Mr Ramesh in Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh. I-T officials are also verifying records at his residence and office in Hyderabad also. It is a routine one.. No significance is attached to this," the sources in the I-T department told PTI. Condemning the raids, the TDP said it was "pure political vendetta" as Ramesh had been vociferously fighting for the state's causes in Parliament. "This is an attack on the Andhra people. The Modi government has been adopting a ...
Offset venture with Reliance will deliver 10% of obligations: Dassault Aviation CEO
Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier has said that the companys joint venture with Reliance in Nagpur represents only about 10 per cent of the offset obligations in the deal to purchase 36 fighter jets from France and it is in negotiations with about a hundred Indian companies to meet the requirements under the Defence Procurement Procedure of the Indian government.
Govt 'suppressing dissent' in response to issues like Rafale, depreciating rupee: Chidambaram
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram Friday said the government's response to issues such as the Rafale deal charges, falling markets and the depreciating rupee is to "suppress dissent". The opposition led by the Congress has been accusing the government of benefiting Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence Ltd. from the Rafale deal. The government and Reliance Defence have dismissed all the allegations as false. "As Rafale deal unravels, markets fall, the rupee depreciates and interest rates rise, the response of the government is to suppress dissent," Chidambaram tweeted. "ED blocks Greenpeace accounts; IT searches Raghav Bahl's offices; BJP MPs block Estimates Committee's report and more," he said, referring to the Enforcement Directorate freezing over a dozen bank accounts of environmental NGO Greenpeace and the Income Tax Department searching media baron Raghav Bahl's home and office on Thursday.
US on verge of securing pastor's release from Turkey
US officials believe they were on the verge of securing the release of Andrew Brunson, the American pastor jailed by Turkey on accusations he helped plot a coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a media report said.
HC quashes AAP govt circular on preferential treatment to city residents at GTB Hospital
The Delhi High Court Friday quashed the Aam Aadmi Party government's circular on giving preferential treatment to Delhi residents over non-residents at the GTB Hospital here. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao had earlier reserved its verdict on an NGO's PIL challenging the Delhi government's pilot project. The court was examining whether the AAP government's project at the GTB Hospital to give preferential treatment to city residents was violating the right to equality and life enjoyed by others under the Constitution.