Page 2754 - Politics
FBI chief says 'usual process' followed in Kavanaugh probe
FBI Director Chris Wray on Wednesday defended the FBI's background investigation of new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, saying the work was limited in scope and that the "usual process" was followed by his agents. Wray's comments at a Senate committee hearing on national security threats were his first public statements about the bureau's investigation into Kavanaugh's past and allegations of sexual misconduct dating from Kavanaugh's high school and college years. That process has faced bitter criticism from Democrats, who have complained that the White House constrained the FBI and worked with Senate Republicans to narrowly define the parameters of the investigation. The investigation lasted a week and did not include interviews with multiple people who said they had relevant information to share about Kavanaugh's past. Republicans say the FBI reached out to 11 people for interviews, including a Yale University classmate of Kavanaugh's who had accused him of exposing himself ..
PM is corrupt, must go: Rahul on further Rafale revelations
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "corrupt" following fresh revelations by French website Mediapart that inclusion of a private defence partner from India was an "imperative and obligatory" condition for securing the Rafale jets contract.
Rafale deal: Rahul Gandhi demands probe against PM, calls him 'corrupt man'
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday demanded an investigation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on role in the Rafale deal, alleging that he was a "corrupt man" who helped Anil Ambani pocket Rs 30,000 crore in the purchase of 36 aircraft. Gandhi's demand for a probe came a day after a report in French publication that said Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale, had to choose Ambani's firm Reliance Defence as its offsets partner in India as a trade-off for getting the deal. The government has been insisting that it had no role in Dassault's choice of Reliance Defence. The Congress president also described Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's three-day trip to France from Thursday as part of a "huge cover-up" by the government on the Rafale deal. "Why has suddenly the defence minister rushed to France? What is the emergency?" Gandhi asked at a press conference. "The reality is the prime minister is corrupt. The prime minister of India is a corrupt man," he said. Modi ..
CPI-M demands Akbar's resignation
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Thursday demanded the resignation of Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar over allegations of sexual assault against him by several female journalists.
Israel's Netanyahu appears poised to call early elections
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's top ministers are squabbling, a deadline looms for contentious legislation that may bring down his government and a corruption indictment could be just around the corner. Against this backdrop, there're signs he may soon call for elections possibly as early as next week, when parliament reconvenes from its summer break. And though Netanyahu hasn't committed yet, conditions appear ripe for him to schedule the vote, nearly a year ahead of schedule. Polls, for now at least, predict a solid Netanyahu victory, one that would assure his place in history as Israel's longest-serving leader and allow him to solidify his close alliance with President Donald Trump. But one big obstacle could still trip him up: a mounting corruption investigation that may soon deliver criminal charges.
Army jawan injured as Pak violates ceasefire along LoC in Poonch
An Army jawan was injured when Pakistani troops violated ceasefire and resorted to firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, a defence spokesperson said Thursday. The Pakistani troops violated ceasefire in Krishnagati sector at 9.30 pm Wednesday night, he said. The injured soldier was evacuated to a military hospital and is out of danger, the spokesperson said.
49% Americans say US 'mostly failed' in Afghanistan: Poll
Forty-nine per cent of Americans have said that the US has "mostly failed" even after being 17 years into war in Afghanistan, according to a new poll.
US urges Bangladesh to revise its new Digital Security law
The US has urged Bangladesh to revise its controversial new law that puts restrictions on the media and bring it into conformity with the country's international commitments on human rights and political freedom. Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid on Monday signed into law the new Digital Security Act which combines the colonial-era Official Secrets Act with tough new provisions such as arrests without a warrant. Some of its draconian provisions include a jail sentence of up to 14 years for spreading 'propaganda' about Bangladesh's 1971 war for independence from Pakistan, as well as a three-year sentence for publishing information that is 'aggressive or frightening'. "We encourage the Government of Bangladesh to revise the law to bring it into conformity with Bangladesh's international commitments on human, civil, and political rights," a State Department spokesperson told PTI. The law, which among other things incorporates measures restricting activities of the media personnel, has ...
Rahul Gandhi accuses Modi of corruption in Rafale deal, seeks probe
Firing a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged on Thursday that he was a "corrupt man" who helped Anil Ambani pocket Rs 30,000 crore in the purchase of the fighter aircraft. Gandhi demanded an investigation against the prime minister. The Congress president also described Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's trip to France as part of a "huge cover-up" by the government. His attack at the government came a press conference following a report in the French media that Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale, had to choose Ambani's firm Reliance Defence as its offsets partner in India as a trade-off for getting the deal. The government has been insisting that it had no role in the Dassault's choice of Reliance Defence. Dassault Aviation said in a statement that it has "freely chosen to make a partnership with India's Reliance Group".
Pak seeks largest loan package from IMF: Report
Pakistan is seeking its largest loan package of up to USD 8 billion from the IMF to bail itself out from a severe balance-of-payments crisis that threatens to cripple the country's economy, a media report said Thursday. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) could place strict conditionalities, forcing Pakistan to seek additional loans for meeting those restrictions and this could expand the loan facility to USD 12 billion, said the report in the Dawn newspaper. Pakistan began exploring the possibility of yet another loan package with the IMF while the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) PML-N was still in power and the exploratory talks continued under the interim government as well, it said. The final decision, however, was announced on Monday night when Finance Minister Asad Umar confirmed that the government was going to the IMF to bail Pakistan out of its foreign currency crisis. The announcement followed the highest single-day loss in a decade in the stock market, which plunged by ...
We need to be careful of Russian President: Swamy
Warning about United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi's alleged affiliations to Russia's former intelligence agency KGB, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Thursday said that India should be careful of Russian President Vladimir Putin.Swamy's statement comes after United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday set a suspense ball rolling over his take on India-Russia recent S-400 Triumph air defence missile deal. He said that India will soon find out whether the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) will be levied on the country for the purchase of high calibre missile systems from Russia.Talking about the same, Swamy told ANI, "It's not possible in this world to be friends with everybody. We have to choose friends and then stay with them. In my opinion, Israel, China and the United States of America are more important friends for us for our present situation than Russia.""Russia is a bankrupt country. It ...
Trump's response on India-Russia S-400 deal a suspense
US President Donald Trump has set a suspense ball rolling over his take on India-Russia recent S-400 Triumph air defence missile deal.Trump said that India will soon find out whether the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) will be levied on the country for the purchase of high calibre missile systems from Russia.When asked if India would be given a waiver for the purchase, Trump while addressing the media in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, said: "India will find out?""India is going to find out, aren't they?" he added on being asked if CAATSA sanctions apply to India.The USA, while reacting to the USD 5 billion deal, had previously said that it cannot prejudge any sanctions decisions, and clarified that CAATSA is not intended to impose damage to the military capabilities of its allies or partners.Jinnie Lee, spokesperson of the US Embassy in New Delhi, had said: "The intent of our implementation of CAATSA is to impose costs on Russia for ...
PM Modi is corrupt: Rahul
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi corrupt following a French media report that said Reliance Defence was an "imperative and obligatory" condition for securing the Rafale contract.
Modi pays tributes to Jayaprakash Narayan, Nanaji Deshmukh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tributes to political leader Jayaprakash Narayan and Sangh Parivar veteran Nanaji Deshmukh on their birth anniversaries.
J-K guv's remarks on Srinagar mayoral elections being presented in distorted manner: Raj Bhavan
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik's remark favouring a particular individual for the post of mayor of Srinagar were being presented in a distorted manner as the local bodies elections in the state are being conducted in a fair and transparent way, a Raj Bhavan spokesperson Thursday said. He was referring to Malik's interview to NDTV in which he had hinted that a "foreign-educated person" was going to become the mayor of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). The spokesperson said the governor's administration made it clear in unequivocal terms that the ongoing process for the urban and rural local bodies polls in the state are being conducted in a free, fair and the most transparent manner and the outcome will be exclusively in the hands of the people. "Over the past three days, ever since the governor gave a live interview to a TV channel in Delhi, there has been a persistent attempt by that channel and certain other channels to play up one part of the interview in a ...
US Senators call on Trump to order probe into missing Saudi journalist
More than 20 top US Senators have asked President Donald Trump to order an investigation into Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's whereabouts and impose sanctions against anyone found responsible for his mysterious disappearance. In a letter to Trump, the 22 lawmakers triggered the 2016 Global Magnitsky Act, which gives the President 120 days to decide whether to impose sanctions on any foreign person he determines sponsored or was involved in the disappearance of 59-year-old Khashoggi, an outspoken critic of the Saudi government and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Khashoggi, a US resident, vanished on October 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Turkish authorities suspect he was abducted and murdered by the Saudis. But Riyadh insists that the journalist had left the building and that murder claims are "baseless". Trump on Wednesday said he had taken up the case of the journalist and demanded all answers into his disappearance of from the Saudi authorities. In the ...
German economy minister doubts constitutionality of diesel fines
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Thursday the government could run the risk of breaking the law if it imposed fines on carmakers who fail to offer diesel hardware retrofits.
Trump administration touts 33% increase in foreign arms sales
US foreign military sales totalled to $55.66 billion in 2018, a 33 per cent increase compared to the nearly $42 billion in weapons sold in 2017, the Defence Cooperation Agency announced.
Pak violates ceasefire in Krishna Ghati sector, 1 jawan injured
Pakistan violated ceasefire by firing on Indian posts in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Wednesday night. One Army jawan was injured.Today, an encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces in Handwara's Shartgund Bala.Two to three terrorists are holed up in the area. Internet services in the area have been suspended in the wake of the incident.Further details are awaited.
Israel detains US student for supporting Palestine
Israel has detained a US graduate student for more than a week, accusing her of supporting the Palestinian-led boycott movement.