Page 467 - Politics
Think over consequences on future developments: N Korea warns US over ship seizure
North Korea on Tuesday warned the United States that its "outrageous" seizure of a cargo ship could have consequences on the future of US-North Korean relations.Permanent Representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the United Nations, Kim Song, reiterated a demand for the immediate return of the vessel and said that Pyongyang was closely monitoring Washington's "every move" which aims at bringing maximum pressure on the North to make it "kneel down", Al Jazeera reported."The United States should deliberate and think over the consequences its outrageous acts might have on the future development," Kim was quoted as saying.On May 9, the United States "committed an unlawful and outrageous act" of dispossessing DPRK's cargo ship Wise Honest by forcibly taking it to American Samoa under the pretext of unilateral sanctions and violation of the US domestic law, Song told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.The cargo ship was detained in Indonesian waters in .
LS polls: EC sets up Control Room to monitor complaints relating to EVMs
A 24-hour EVM Control Room has been made functional here at Nirvachan Sadan to monitor complaints relating to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Election Commission said.This comes amidst concerns over alleged tempering and suspected manipulation of EVMs used in 2019 Lok Sabha election being raised by opposition parties.Any complaints on counting day related to EVMs can be put forth at the control room. Their number is 011-23052123.The EC further said, strongrooms have been designed to keep sealed EVMs and Voter-verified paper audit trails (VVPATs) in the presence of candidates and observers of the commission. These rooms are absolutely safe and the entire process of sealing and storage is videotaped by the officials.The strongrooms are opened on the counting day and counting agents are shown seals, address tags and serial number of EVMs to maintain transparency and authenticity of the machines used in the polls.The poll watchdog said all protocols and provisions have been explained ..
N Korea state media hits out at 'imbecile' Biden
North Korean state media on Wednesday slammed former US vice president Joe Biden as an "imbecile" and a "fool of low IQ" after he criticised leader Kim Jong Un. Biden, who served two terms as President Barack Obama's deputy, has been on the campaign trail since announcing last month his candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2020 presidential election. And some of his comments about the North Korean leadership during campaigning appear to have angered Pyongyang, sparking the colourful commentary by its official news agency KCNA. It accused Biden of "slandering the supreme leadership" of North Korea -- a term usually referring to leader Kim -- and said the former senator had become "reckless and senseless, seized by ambition for power". "What he uttered is just sophism of an imbecile bereft of elementary quality as a human being, let alone a politician." KCNA did not give any further details, but at a rally in Philadelphia on Saturday, Biden had criticised Donald Trump's .
Putin calls Merkel, Macron to discuss Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday discussed the situation in war-torn Syria with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, said Kremlin."The sides comprehensively exchanged opinions on the Syrian issue, including in light of multiple ceasefire violations in Idlib by radical armed groups. The Russian president informed his colleagues about joint efforts with Turkey on stabilizing the situation in Syria's north-west, on protecting civilians and neutralizing terrorist threats," the Kremlin said after the three leaders held a telephonic conversation."Special attention was paid to prospects of forming and launching a constitutional committee, with the consideration of agreements reached in October 2018 at the four-party summit (Russia, Turkey, Germany, France) in Istanbul. The sides agreed to continue coordinating efforts in the framework of political settlement of the Syrian crisis on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, in accordance ...
Ukraine to have early parliamentary elections
Ukraine's new President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday called for early parliamentary elections for July 21, reported Al Jazeera.This comes a day after Zelensky, during his inaugural speech, announced that he would dissolve Parliament to call for early elections, originally scheduled for October.He has expressed disdain as only four per cent of the lawmakers are Ukrainians."The main argument for dissolving the Verkhovna Rada is an extremely low trust of Ukrainian citizens in this institution," Zelensky said, during a meeting with parliamentary leaders.On Monday, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said he would resign after Zelensky urged him to do so.He has also promoted Lieutenant General Ruslan Khomchak as chief of the general staff, and lawyer Andriy Bogdan as head of the presidential administration.Zelensky has vowed to end war with Russia-backed separatists that has claimed about 13,000 lives since 2014 when Moscow annexed Crimea.
Chandrababu Naidu calls on Deve Gowda in B'luru, discuss EVM issue
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu met with his Karnataka counterpart HD Kumaraswamy and former Prime Minister and JDS chief HD Deve Gowda here on Tuesday evening.Talking to media persons after their meeting, TDP president said that he, along with leaders of 22 major opposition parties, had moved the Election Commission and demanded that the VVPAT of an entire assembly segment be counted even if one of the five samples does not match the EVM."The delegation also handed over a memorandum to the Commission. We also demanded that the EVM-VVPAT tally should be done at the beginning of the process of counting," he said."Election Commission will conduct a meeting tomorrow (May 22) with all the 23 political parties to discuss the issue. Even former Chief Election Commissioner backed our demands and condemned the replacement of EVMs in Uttar Pradesh," Naidu added.Endorsing Naidu's remarks, Deve Gowda said: "Naidu raised the issues of the faulty EVMs in and was of the suggestion ..
Trump nominates Barbara Barrett as Air Force secretary
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that he has nominated former ambassador to Finland, Barbara Barrett, as the next Air Force secretary."I am pleased to announce my nomination of Barbara Barrett of Arizona, and former Chairman of the Aerospace Corporation, to be the next Secretary of the Air Force," he tweeted."She will be an outstanding Secretary," he added.The 68-year-old jet pilot, Barrett, would replace Heather Wilson, who is stepping down from the post later this month to join the private sector.Barbara Barrett has also served as Chairman of the Aerospace Corporation.
Libya is heading toward 'long, bloody war': UN
Asserting that Libya is heading towards a "long and bloody war", United Nations on Tuesday urged countries to cut off weapons flow in war-torn Libya."The violence on the outskirts of Tripoli is just the start of a long and bloody war on the southern shores of the Mediterranean, imperilling the security of Libya's immediate neighbours and the wider Mediterranean region," Al Jazeera quoted UN envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame, as saying."Libya will descend into a civil war which could potentially lead to a Hobbesian all-against-all state of chaos or partition of the country," he said.Saleme's appeal comes as UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) posted photographs of dozens of Turkish made armoured vehicles.More than 390 people have lost their lives and over 1,900 have been wounded due to the fighting between UN-backed government forces and Khalifa Haftar's army in Tripoli since April 4, according to the World Health Organisation.Libya has been largely divided into two factions ...
US suspects Syria in new chemical attack, threatens reprisal
The United States has said it suspects that Syrian government forces have carried out a fresh chemical attack and it has threatened reprisals. The State Department said it was assessing indications that the regime used chemical weapons on Sunday during its offensive in Idlib, the most significant remaining holdout in Syria of jihadist rebels. "We are still gathering information on this incident, but we repeat our warning that if the Assad regime uses chemical weapons, the United States and our allies will respond quickly and appropriately," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. She also denounced Russia, the key ally of Damascus, for what she called a "disinformation campaign" as it tries to blame other parties for chemical attacks. "The Assad regime's culpability in horrific chemical weapons attacks is undeniable," Ortagus said. Russia and Turkey, the key ally of the rebels, in September reached an agreement that nominally protects Idlib amid fears for the .
North Korea: US should consider consequences of ship seizure
North Korea's UN ambassador has said the Trump administration should consider the possible consequences that the recent US seizure of a North Korean cargo ship could have on relations between the two countries and immediately return the vessel. Kim Song said on Tuesday at a news conference the "outrageous act" of seizing the ship was aimed at bringing maximum pressure on North Korea to make it "kneel down". The vessel Wise Honest, North Korea's second largest cargo ship, was first detained in April 2018 by Indonesia while transporting a large amount of coal. The US announced on May 9 that it had seized the ship because it was carrying coal in violation of UN sanctions, a first-of-its kind enforcement action that came amid a tense moment in relations with North Korea. The ambassador said the seizure was an "outright denial of the underlying spirit" of the June 12, 2018, joint statement by President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after their first summit in Singapore ..
North Korea: US should consider consequences of ship seizure
North Korea's UN ambassador has said the Trump administration should consider the possible consequences that the recent US seizure of a North Korean cargo ship could have on relations between the two countries and immediately return the vessel. Kim Song said on Tuesday at a news conference the "outrageous act" of seizing the ship was aimed at bringing maximum pressure on North Korea to make it "kneel down". The vessel Wise Honest, North Korea's second largest cargo ship, was first detained in April 2018 by Indonesia while transporting a large amount of coal. The US announced on May 9 that it had seized the ship because it was carrying coal in violation of UN sanctions, a first-of-its kind enforcement action that came amid a tense moment in relations with North Korea. The ambassador said the seizure was an "outright denial of the underlying spirit" of the June 12, 2018, joint statement by President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after their first summit in Singapore ..
North Korea: US should consider consequences of ship seizure
North Korea's UN ambassador has said the Trump administration should consider the possible consequences that the recent US seizure of a North Korean cargo ship could have on relations between the two countries and immediately return the vessel. Kim Song said on Tuesday at a news conference the "outrageous act" of seizing the ship was aimed at bringing maximum pressure on North Korea to make it "kneel down". The vessel Wise Honest, North Korea's second largest cargo ship, was first detained in April 2018 by Indonesia while transporting a large amount of coal. The US announced on May 9 that it had seized the ship because it was carrying coal in violation of UN sanctions, a first-of-its kind enforcement action that came amid a tense moment in relations with North Korea. The ambassador said the seizure was an "outright denial of the underlying spirit" of the June 12, 2018, joint statement by President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after their first summit in Singapore ..
Dozens killed in counter attack by rebels in Syria
A day after Russia attacked the northwestern region in Syria, rebel groups on Tuesday launched counter attacks against pro-government positions which have claimed the lives of at least three dozen fighters of both warring factions.The fighting in a northwestern town of Hama province killed 26 pro-government fighters as well as 18 rebels, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.Syria state agency - SANA - also said "terrorist groups" fired missiles on the west of government-held Aleppo city.Yesterday, at least 10 civilians, including five children, were killed in air strikes by Syrian government ally Russia in the Idlib province, the last major rebel-held territory.The province is largely controlled by former al-Qaeda affiliate Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group.Fighting erupted in northwestern Syria last month breaking a truce brokered by Russia and Turkey in 2018.At least 167 civilians have lost their lives in Idlib since April 25. The province is home to about three ...
Trump nominates aerospace executive for Air Force secretary
President Donald Trump has nominated an aerospace executive to be the next secretary of the Air Force. Trump says in a tweet that he has chosen Barbara Barrett, former chairman of the Aerospace Corporation, to replace Heather Wilson who is stepping down at the end of this month after two years on the job. Barrett, 68, served as ambassador to Finland in 2008 during the administration of then-President George W Bush. She also served as deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and was vice-chairman of the US Civil Aeronautics Board. This is the second time she's been picked for the Air Force job. In 2003, Bush announced he would nominate her, but she was never confirmed. She's a trained civilian pilot and was certified for space travel.
US suspects Syrian regime in new chemical attack, threatens reprisal
The United States has said it suspects that Syrian government forces have carried out a fresh chemical attack and it threatened reprisals. The State Department said it was assessing indications that the regime used chemical weapons on Sunday during its offensive in jihadist-dominated Idlib, which remains out of the control of Damascus.
Democrats subpoena former Trump aide Hope Hicks
The Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee has issued subpoenas for former White House aides Hope Hicks and Annie Donaldson to testify in the panel's obstruction investigation of President Donald Trump. The subpoenas were announced Tuesday, hours after Trump's former lawyer and Donaldson's ex-boss Donald McGahn refused to testify to the committee under orders from the White House, raising the stakes in a power showdown between the two parties and two branches of government. Like McGahn, both Hicks and Donaldson were important witnesses for Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia meddling and obstruction investigation, their names appearing scores of times in his final report, which outlines potentially criminal obstruction acts by the president. It was not immediately clear if the White House would also try to prevent them from testifying before the Judiciary Committee. Hicks was a close aide to Trump during the 2016 election campaign and then became White House communications .
Trump meets Pacific islands leaders to boost US ties
President Donald Trump has met at the White House with the leaders of the tiny, but strategic states of Micronesia and other Pacific island nations to underline the leading US role in the region. The brief but symbolic meeting on Tuesday demonstrated US support at a time when Washington is pushing back against expanding Chinese influence in the Pacific. Trump hosted the presidents of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. After, they issued a joint statement to "jointly reaffirm our interest in a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region." "It is in our mutual interest that the Pacific Ocean remains an important and vibrant corridor for maritime trade," the statement said in a possible message to China, which is projecting naval power further into previously US-dominated waters. A senior White House official said "President Trump has been directing an unprecedented level of focus on the Pacific Islands, in recognition of the fact that .
Naidu meets Gowda over EVM issue
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu Tuesday met former prime minister and JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda as part of his efforts to mobilise opposition parties on the controversy over alleged manipulation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Confabulating with Gowda for over an hour here late Tuesday night after a meeting of opposition parties in New Delhi on the EVM issue earlier in the day, Naidu said 23 parties were raising the issue and demanding transparency and accountability. "Earlier, even the BJP had opposed EVMs," he said. "In Uttar Pradesh, we are seeing EVMs in hotels and homes... strong rooms are being changed," Naidu alleged. Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacking the bogey of EVM raised by the opposition, Naidu said, "Why is the PM opposing? There is EVM and VVPAT. You have spent Rs 9,000 crore... Why are you not showing transparency and accountability?" "This means you are doing mischief. You are manipulating EVMs," he alleged. Gowda .
Biden a snob bereft of elementary quality as human being: North Korea
North Korea on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on former Vice President Joe Biden calling him a "snob bereft of elementary quality as a human being".It also belittled Biden by terming him "fool of low IQ", The Hill reported."He is self-praising himself as being the most popular presidential candidate. This is enough to make a cat laugh," North Korea's state agency KCNA wrote in a commentary piece.This appears to be the first attack by the reclusive nation on Biden after he announced his candidacy for the presidential nomination for 2020 election. It is not clear whether KCNA made these comments after the former Vice President attacked President Donald Trump last week for embracing "dictators and tyrants" like North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Biden had also praised Trump after he walked away without a deal from a nuclear summit in Hanoi with North Korea in February, saying "He did the right thing by walking away. A bad deal is worse than no deal.
US stance on Iran 'deterrence, not about war': Pentagon chief
The US defence chief said President Donald Trump's administration was seeking to deter Iran but not start a war, after he briefed members of Congress. "This is about deterrence, not about war. We are not about going to war," Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters after exiting the closed-door meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.