Page 2752 - Politics
'Issues of common agenda,seat sharing should be settled at
The Telangana Jana Samiti, a partner in the proposed grand alliance of Congress, TDP and others for the December 7 assembly elections, Thursday said the issues of common agenda and seat-sharing should be settled at the earliest to jump start the campaign. The TJS' comments assume significance amid reports that the party is unhappy with the Congress for not finalising seat-sharing quickly. TJS president M Kodandaram said a base has been made for joint action and a mechanism to implement the joint action among the alliance partners. He said his party wanted a respectable partnership in the alliance. The delay in finalising the pending issues hurts the party's interests, he said. "We feel that because of the delay and procrastination in the decisions, party's growth, their survival and the basis for alliance are weakening," he told reporters. Kodandaram said his party has got the message (from others) to resolve the pending issues in two days. TJS has conveyed that things be
CAATSA will not be a pressure in India-Russia defence deals: Kudashev
New Delhi [India], Oct 11 (ANI): Amidst suspense over the United States imposing Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on India for its recent S-400 missile purchase from Russia, Ambassador of Russia to India, Nikolay Kudashev, said that such sanctions will not be a pressure in India-Russia defence deals and the two countries will further intensify their military cooperation and defence purchases in the coming days."CAATSA will not be a pressure between India and Russia Defence deals...Ours is an old relationship, strategic partnership and defence cooperation. In the next two-three months you will see deals on frigates and Kalashnikovs. There can be more. Just wait for it," Kudashev said.In this context the Russian envoy mentioned that the recent conclusion of purchase of S-400 missile deal worth $5.4 billion was one of the biggest deals between the two countries. "It was negotiated and concluded very fast," Kudashev said while adding that this deal was not ..
Entire Gandhi family is corrupt: BJP
Accusing Congress President Rahul Gandhi of spreading lies on the Rafale deal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday termed the entire Gandhi family corrupt.
Former PDP leader Vikramaditya Singh joins Congress
Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Vikramaditya Singh on Thursday formally joined the Congress.
INLD chief dissolves party youth & student wings
Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) president Om Prakash Chautala Thursday dissolved the party's youth and student wings along with effecting organisational restructuring of the party, hinting at an apparent rift within the Chautala family. "Both wings of the party were found to be lacking in discipline and commitment to the ideals of INLD. While the youth wing failed to play its role during the Gohana rally of October 7, the Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) was found indulging in blatant anti-party activities," a party statement said. "It is also accused of entering into a conspiracy with anti-party forces to disrupt the Gohana rally and smear the name of INLD," it said. "Thus, Chautala in his capacity as INLD's national president, has dissolved the youth wing of the party and the national and state units of INSO--party's student wing," the statement said. Notably, the development has brought to the fore the rift between Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala and his ...
'RSS leaders moved SC in 2006, seeking entry of all women into Sabarimala'
Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran Thursday sought to turn the tables on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on the Sabarimala issue, claiming that hardcore Sangh leaders had moved the Supreme Court 12 years ago, seeking entry of women of all ages into the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa. He also equated the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) five-day march from Pandalam to Thiruvananthapuram on the issue with the "rath yatra" organised by the saffron party to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. Surendran's statement came amid mounting protests in Kerala against the government's alleged hasty move to implement the apex court order, allowing the entry of women of all age-groups into Sabarimala. In Thiruvananthapuram, a march by the Yuva Morcha activists to the residence of Surendran turned violent Thursday, leading to the police using water cannons and tear-gas shells to disperse the crowd. The trouble started when the activists tried to break the ...
Unless talks are held, bloodshed will continue: Mehbooba Mufti
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Thursday the fact that a Ph.D scholar chose death over life has a strong message that unless a dialogue is started, local youth will continue to die.
It is for the govt to decide: BJP leader Vijayvargiya on
BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvergiya Thursday declined to make any direct comment on the demand for Union minister M J Akbar's resignation over charges of sexual harassment but said it is for the government to decide. The BJP leader said that he (Akbar) is part of the government and it is for the government to decide, he told reporters here when asked if Akbar should resign. Vijayvargiya was in the city for BJP's office bearers' meeting here. Various opposition parties including the Congress has demanded the resignation of Akbar after some women journalists accused him of sexually harassing them during his role as editor of various news outlets. As the #MeToo campaign gathered momentum in India, some women journalists have come out and accused Akbar, a former editor and now the minister of state for external affairs, of sexually harassing them during his stint as a journalist.
Rita Bahuguna defends MJ Akbar
In the midst of opposition's demand for Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs MJ Akbar's resignation over sexual harassment allegations, Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi who was formerly with the Congress and now in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended him saying the question of his resignation should be raised only after a thorough investigation.Emphasising that men also have a right in a democratic country to come forward and defend themselves, Joshi told ANI: "The question is not about the resignation. Question is when I accuse someone it should be proved. Every woman has a right to accuse, and investigation should also be conducted. Women have presented their versions, hence men too have the right to present theirs."In the wake of MeeToo campaign, several women journalists have accused Akbar of sexual misconduct during his journalistic days.The statement from the Uttar Pradesh minister came just a few hours after the Communist Party of India ...
US envoy visits India-Bangladesh border
US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster on Thursday visited the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura as part of his maiden visit to the northeast.
China, Russia push to ease N Korea sanctions as Seoul mulls options
China and Russia have backed easing sanctions on Pyongyang "at an appropriate time", as South Korea's foreign minister said Seoul was mulling lifting its own measures, threatening cracks in global restrictions on the nuclear-armed North. Pyongyang is sanctioned under multiple UN Security Council resolutions over its weapons programmes and has repeatedly called for the measures to be loosened, citing a freeze in its nuclear and missile tests. At three-way talks in Moscow, vice foreign ministers from North Korea, China and Russia agreed "it is necessary to consider adjusting sanctions on the DPRK by the UN Security Council at an appropriate time", Beijing's foreign ministry said in a statement late Wednesday, using the North's official name. China is the North's main diplomatic backer and Pyongyang also has friendly relations with Russia. In contrast the United States, which spearheaded global efforts to squeeze the North Korean economy last year, has been adamant that the sanctions ...
Rahul Gandhi lying, mocking national security: BJP
The BJP on Thursday accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of mocking national security and said he is trying to build his political career by spreading lies on the Rafale fighter jet deal. Hitting out at Gandhi over his allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is corrupt, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress president himself comes from a family of middlemen. His family earned money from every defence deal that took place before 2014, Patra alleged, adding that Gandhi and his party jeopardised the defence of the country Gandhi is trying to build his political career by spreading lies on the Rafale deal, Patra alleged. He has been lying and mocking national security, the BJP spokesperson added. Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa has termed the Rafale Deal a "game changer" but Gandhi is saying just the opposite, he said. Now the people of the country will decide who to believe in, the air chief marshal or Gandhi, Patra added. Earlier in the day, Gandhi demanded an ...
India names new envoy to Thailand
India on Thursday named Suchitra Durai, a 1988 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, as its next Ambassador to Thailand.
Modi is corrupt, must go: Rahul on new Rafale revelations
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "corrupt" and asked him to quit in the light of fresh revelations over the Rafale jets deal -- that inclusion of a private defence partner from India was an "imperative and obligatory" condition for awarding the contract.
Iraq names oil minister as head of new National Oil Company
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's government has named Oil Minister Jabar al-Luaibi as head of a new National Oil Company which will serve as an umbrella organisation for state oil firms, an oil ministry spokesman told Reuters on Thursday.
South Africa confirms Saudi interest in state arms firm
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has approached South Africa about taking a stake in struggling state-owned defence firm Denel, the African country's foreign affairs minister Lindiwe Sisulu confirmed on Thursday.
Iran's Khamenei orders officials to resolve economic crisis
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered officials to urgently find solutions to ease an economic crisis spurred by the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Thursday.
Soft Brexit still achievable: German econmin
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Thursday that an orderly departure of Britain from the European Union was possible despite the short time remaining to wrap up the details of a planned exit treaty.
Trade conflict between U.S. and China impacting euro zone growth: Altmaier
BERLIN (Reuters) - The trade dispute between the United States and China is having an impact on global and therefore euro zone growth, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Thursday.
Heavy clashes between IS, US-backed fighters in Syria
Rival groups are reporting intense battles in eastern Syria between the Islamic State group and US-backed fighters. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces says the fighting on Thursday is over the village of Sousah where a sandstorm has caused bad visibility. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the fighting began on Wednesday, when IS launched an offensive against the opposition group, killing 10 of them. The fate of 35 other opposition fighters is unknown. The Observatory said 18 IS gunmen have been killed while the IS-linked Aamaq news agency reported 18 deaths among SDF fighters. Sousah is in the last pocket held by IS in Syria that the SDF has been trying to capture since last month.