Page 357 - Politics
No reason to spend billions on fresh elections: Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he is trying his best to form a new government in the last 48 hours before the deadline.
Operations against terrorists in Valley will continue: J-K DGP Dilbag Singh
Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh on Monday said operations against terrorists in the Valley will continue.He added that police is getting successful in most of the cases because of the proper coordination between the security forces across the state."Operations against terrorist in Valley will continue. It's because of the proper coordination between the security forces that we getting success," Singh said here.Talking about the killing of one of the most wanted terrorists, Zakir Musa, Dilbag Singh said Musa had established "new shades of militancy and it was very successful operation for us.""The Jammu and Kashmir Police has always tried to maintain peace and brotherhood in the state," he added.He went to say that young people are not joining militancy now."More than 20 tried to join militancy but with the help of the police they were saved," he said.
J-K govt starts electric buses from Jammu to Katra
Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation on Monday started electric buses from Jammu Railway Station to Katra.Amit Sharma, Special Secretary to the Transport Department said, "For now we have launched 20 buses each for Jammu and Srinagar on an experimental basis."The buses were flagged off by the Advisor to the Governor, K Skandan.The buses have several security features like CCTV camera, GPS to monitor the movement of the buses, panic button on every seat and emergency door.Vaishno Devi pilgrims are happy with the initiative taken by the government."It's a good initiative by the government. Now, people going to Vaishno Devi can have a smoother ride," one pilgrim said.
Iran slams US after Trump nuclear weapons comment
Iran hit out at the United States on Monday for "causing tensions" after President Donald Trump said his government was not seeking regime change and that he would welcome talks with Tehran. The Trump administration was "hurting the Iranian people and causing tension in the region," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on his Twitter account. "Actions -- not words -- will show whether or not that's @realDonaldTrump's intent," Zarif added, referencing the US president's Twitter handle. Zarif also denied Iran was seeking nuclear weapons, after Trump said during a visit to Japan that "we're not looking for regime change (in Iran)... we're looking for no nuclear weapons". Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "long ago said we're not seeking nuclear weapons -- by issuing a fatwa (edict) banning them," the foreign minister tweeted. Khamenei is said to have issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons in 2003 and has reiterated it several times since. Iran is locked in a ...
Trump's security adviser to visit UAE 'this week'
US national security adviser John Bolton will this week travel to the United Arab Emirates for talks, the US embassy in Abu Dhabi said Monday. The US embassy in the UAE on Monday sent an invitation to AFP to attend a roundtable with Bolton which would take place "this week", but no date was given. Bolton's planned meeting comes as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the US have increasingly sought to isolate Iran, and it coincides with key meetings planned in Saudi Arabia. Regional tensions have spiked since Donald Trump's administration reimposed sanctions against Iran after unilaterally pulling out of a multilateral 2015 nuclear accord signed with the Islamic republic. Regional summits are planned on Thursday and Friday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as Riyadh seeks to further isolate its regional rival Tehran. The Trump administration has ordered non-essential diplomatic staff out of Iraq, citing threats from Iranian-backed Iraqi armed groups, and sent an aircraft carrier and heavy B-52 bombers to .
Jaganmohan Reddy meets bureaucrats, party leaders
YSR Congress Party president and Chief Minister Designate of Andhra Pradesh YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Monday met various bureaucrats and party leaders here.Many IAS and IPS officers went to Jaganmohan Reddy's Amaravati residence on Monday. These included senior officers like Krishna Babu, Vara Prasad, Sandhya Rani, Lakshmikantam, Satyanarayana, Pradyumna, K Bhaskar, Kartikeya Mishra, Ravi Prakash, and Mary Prasanti among others.However, Hyderabad IG Stephen Raveendra and AP Vigilance DG Gautam Sawang's meeting with Reddy created much curiosity as soon after they met reports popped up that Stephen Raveendra will be made AP Intelligence Chief.Further reports suggested that Gautam Sawang will be made the DGP of Andhra Pradesh.He would have held the post last year itself if former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had not opted for R.P Thakur. YSRCP had continuously made allegations against Thakur. Now Sawang replacing Thakur is almost confirmed.On the other hand, many YSRCP leaders also ...
Karnataka: JD(S) MLA blames coalition govt for Deve Gowda's defeat in LS elections
Tumkuru Rural JD(S) MLA Gauri Shankar blamed the JD(S) and Congress' coalition government in Karnataka for the defeat of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections."We formed a coalition government in the state. If not for the coalition government, Deve Gowda would have won with more than two lakh vote margin," Shankar said."Even if HD Kumaraswamy scolds me or Deve Gowda throws me out of the party, I will say this that we don't want this coalition government. We don't want it," he added.Deve Gowda lost to BJP's G S Basavaraj from Tumakuru Lok Sabha seat by a 13,000 vote margin.The BJP won 25 of the 28 seats along with an Independent backed by it, leaving one seat each to Congress and JD(S).The BJP is the single largest party with 105 members in the 225 member assembly while the ruling coalition has 117 members with 79 legislators from Congress, 37 from JD(S) and 1 from BSP.
Andhra Pradesh: TDP leader Rajappa suspects 'something fishy' in election results
Senior TDP leader N Chinna Rajappa on Monday said that he "suspected something fishy" in the state assembly election results as the results were completely unexpected."People might have wanted change of power but TDP's routing in the elections was completely unexpected. I suspect there is something fishy in this," said Rajappa.However, the TDP will obey the people's mandate, added the former deputy chief minister.Commending TDP chief and former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Rajappa said, "There is no leader like Naidu who, despite the absence of funds, gave a direction to the state. People will understand that soon."He further said that the TDP will keep an eye on the newly formed Jaganmohan Reddy government and see how they fulfil promises made before the elections.Jaganmohan-led YSR Congress got an absolute majority in the 175-member state assembly, ousting Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from power in the state.YSRCP won 151 seats out of 175, whereas TDP's tally .
TN CM Palaniswami arrives in Tirumala for darshan
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK leader E Palaniswami reached Tirumala on Monday to seek blessings of Lord Balaji.He is accompanied by his family members on his visit to Tirupati.Palaniswami will pay obeisance at Lord Balaji temple on Tuesday morning.In the recently held polls, AIADMK, the ruling party in the state, could only win one Lok Sabha constituency in the state, while DMK, led by MK Stalin, swept the elections by winning 37 out of the 38 Lok Sabha seats.
Israeli military confirms it conducted Syria air strike
The Israeli military said it carried out an air strike in Syria in retaliation for anti-aircraft fire from the war-torn country targeting one of its fighter jets on Monday. "Earlier today, Syrian anti-aircraft systems fired at an IDF fighter jet during a routine flight in northern Israel," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. It said the projectile missed and the plane completed its journey before "the IDF targeted the launcher that had fired" at the jet. Earlier, the official SANA news agency reported that an Israeli missile struck the Syrian province of Quneitra, causing casualties. "An Israeli missile targeted Tel al-Shaar in Quneitra," the Syrian news agency said, adding a "military vehicle was targeted and there are wounded".
Maldives ex-leader Nasheed tipped as new Speaker
The former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed has been nominated as the country's parliamentary speaker and is set to be sworn in Tuesday, a party official said. Nasheed was unanimously chosen to head the People's Majlis, or the parliament, by his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) which won a near three quarter majority in the 87-member assembly in April. "He is unanimously chosen as the Speaker," a party official told AFP. "He will be sworn in at the inaugural session of the new parliament elected at the historic April vote." Nasheed -- who until six months ago was still in exile -- has vowed to use his party's thumping mandate to usher in a new era of stability and democracy in the Maldives. The MDP's closest rivals, the Jamhooree Party and Progressive Party of the Maldives, both won five seats. Two minor parties and independents secured 12 seats among them. The Maldives, a holiday destination popular with honeymooners, is only just emerging from years of strongman rule, political ...
Regime bombardment kills 17 civilians in Syria's Idlib: Monitor
At least 17 civilians were killed on Monday as Syria's regime intensified its bombardment of Idlib province, the last jihadist stronghold in the country's northwest, a monitor said. Idlib and parts of the neighbouring provinces of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia are under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist group led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate. "Seventeen civilians, including five children, were killed on Monday in air strikes and missile attacks on Idlib province," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Nine of them, including three children, died in the town of Ariha, he told AFP, adding that at least 47 people were wounded across the province. The deaths come a day after regime air strikes killed 12 civilians in the same province, according to the Britain-based Observatory. An AFP correspondent in Ariha said White Helmet first responders were seen searching for survivors in the rubble of a building hit in Monday's ...
Congress in deep trouble, CWC meet likely in four days (Roundup)
Reeling under the impact of poll debacle, the Congress is in deep trouble, with party chief Rahul Gandhi insisting on quitting the post amid a series of resignations, setting the stage for a likely meeting of its highest decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), in the next four days.
Two rebel Karnataka Congress MLAs meet BJP's Krishna, spark row
The informal meeting of two 'rebel' Karnataka Congress legislators with BJP's senior leader S.M. Krishna here on Sunday sparked speculation over the continuation of the year-old fledgling JD-S-Congress coalition government in the southern state.
61 security personnel, 11 civilians killed in JK in 4 months: MHA
Sixty-one security personnel and 11 civilians were killed while 142 people were injured in 177 terror-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in the first four months of 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said. The statement by Sulekha, Director, MHA came in response to an RTI plea filed by social activist Rohit Choudhary of J&K. She said that the injured included 73 security force personnel and 69 civilians. Earlier, General Officer Commanding in Chief (GoC-In-C), Northern Command, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said 86 terrorists were killed this year in the state and vowed that operations against the ultras will continue. "During this year, we have neutralised 86 terrorists so far. Twenty terrorists were also apprehended. Our operations against terrorists will continue. A number of ultras have been brought back to the mainstream with the help of their parents, teachers and senior citizens," Lt Gen Sinbh had said at a function in Udhampur last Monday. He also said 450 terrorists ..
Israelis face possible election rerun with coalition talks deadlocked
Israelis faced the growing possibility Monday of a new national poll despite a general election last month, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition talks remain deadlocked ahead of a looming deadline. Netanyahu, who risks a major setback if he fails to reach an agreement before Wednesday night's deadline, spoke in Israel's parliament and said it was still possible a deal could be brokered to avoid "unnecessary" elections. But he spoke shortly after parliament took the first step towards holding new polls, by preliminarily approving a law to dissolve itself. Three more rounds of voting are needed for final approval. Earlier in the day as Netanyahu failed to convince a right-wing party leader to compromise and allow a deal to be reached, his close ally US President Donald Trump offered his support. "Hoping things will work out with Israel's coalition formation and Bibi and I can continue to make the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever. A lot more to do!" ...
Hardik Patel detained for threatening protest over Surat fire
Patidar agitation spearhead and Congress leader Hardik Patel was on Monday detained by police soon after he drove into Surat to hold a protest at the site of the devastating fire on Friday that claimed 22 young lives.
CWC to meet in four days to discuss leadership issue
With Congress President Rahul Gandhi insisting that his offer of resignation be accepted in the wake of partys debacle in Lok Sabha elections, the Congress Working Committee is likely to meet again in the next four days to take stock of the situation and discuss the leadership issue.
Britain's Brexit Party triumph raises chances of no-deal
Nigel Farage's anti-EU Brexit party topped European Parliament polls in Britain, putting intense pressure on the ruling Conservatives who suffered a historic rout and raising the chances of a no-deal outcome. The populist party, founded just three months ago, capitalised on public anger over delays to Britain's exit from the European Union, winning nearly 32 percent with almost all votes counted on Monday. Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative party meanwhile slumped to nine percent, its worst electoral result since 1832. In a sign of the divisions still gripping Britain three years after the referendum vote for Brexit, the pro-European Liberal Democrats and Greens also made significant gains. The elections, which took place on Thursday, were never meant to happen, as Britain was due to be out of the bloc on March 29. But parliament has been unable to agree on how to leave, slowly sapping May's authority and forcing her to finally announce last week she would quit to let somebody .
Beaten but not vanquished, Macron seeks to shakeup EU parliament
French President Emmanuel Macron tasted defeat in European elections, but not disaster, and is set to continue pushing both his pro-EU agenda and a realignment of parties in the European Parliament. Macron's Republic on the Move (LREM) party finished second behind the far-right National Rally (RN) of his arch-rival Marine Le Pen, but the two parties ended up with less than 1.0 percentage point separating them -- on 22.41 percent and 23.31 percent respectively. The vote was seen as a test for Macron domestically after months of anti-government "yellow vest" protests, while his credibility in Europe as a champion of deeper integration was also judged to be on the line. "A disappointment, but not a defeat for the Elysee," headlined Le Parisien newspaper on Monday, while an editorial in the Les Echos business daily said Macron's party was "resisting well" two years after his election. Macron on Monday held a meeting of key figures from the LREM -- including Prime Minister Edouard Philippe