Page 478 - Politics
Indian peacekeeper to be honoured posthumously with UN medal
An Indian peacekeeper is among the 119 military, police and civilian personnel who will be honoured this year with a prestigious UN medal this year for courage and sacrifice in the line of duty. Police Officer Jitender Kumar made the supreme sacrifice while serving in the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). He will be honoured with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal on Friday as the world organisation observes the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin would collect the medal on behalf of the fallen Indian peacekeeper at a solemn ceremony here. India is the fourth largest contributor of uniformed personnel to the UN peacekeeping. It currently contributes more than 6,400 military and police personnel to the UN peace operations in Abyei, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, the Middle East, South Sudan and the Western Sahara. According to
PM Modi pays tribute to Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary."Tributes to former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also paid floral tribute to Rajiv Gandhi at Veer Bhumi here on Tuesday morning.Priyanka's husband Robert Vadra was also present with the Gandhi family.They were joined by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former President Pranab Mukherjee.Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi had represented Uttar Pradesh's Amethi parliamentary constituency four times.A recipient of Bharat Ratna, Rajiv Gandhi served as the sixth Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the assassination of his mother, then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of ...
Naidu to spearhead opposition meet over election issues today
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and TDP President Nara Chandrababu Naidu and other leaders of opposition parties will hold a meeting on Tuesday over election-related issues.The meeting scheduled at Delhi's constitution club is expected to be centred around issues concerning the recently concluded general elections and the role of Election Commission of India (ECI).After the meeting, a delegation of 21 opposition parties along with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu will knock the doors of Election Commission of India (ECI), pressing their demand of tallying VVPAT slips with EVM figures in an entire Assembly constituency, in case a discrepancy is found in any polling booth.Ahmed Patel of Congress, Sharad Pawar of NCP, Satish Chandra Misra of BSP, Sitaram Yechury of Communist Party of India (Marxist), D Raja of Communist Party of India (CPI) and Derek O'Brien of the TMC are expected to meet the EC along with Naidu.Naidu is at the forefront of ongoing ...
Iranian official calls Trump 'crazy President'
A senior Iranian official called Donald Trump a "crazy President" whose threats against Tehran weren't going to work, adding that if the US President wanted to talk, he'll not only have to show some respect, but come up with a consistent message.
Will always be my hero says Priyanka on Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary
Congress general secretary in-charge Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday paid tributes to her father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 28th death anniversary calling him her "hero".She also shared an image from the past in which she could be seen hugging Rajiv Gandhi. Along with the picture the Congress leader also shared few stanzas from Harivansh Rai Bachchan's famous poem 'Agneepath'."You will always be my hero", she wrote along with the image.Earlier in the day, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka paid floral tribute to late prime minister on his death anniversary at Veer Bhumi here.Priyanka's husband Robert Vadra was also present with the Gandhi family and also paid obeisance.Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former President Pranab Mukherjee too paid homage to the former prime minister.Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi had represented Uttar Pradesh's Amethi parliamentary constituency four times.A
Indonesia's Joko Widodo wins second term as president
Indonesia's Joko Widodo has been re-elected as president of the world's third-biggest democracy, the elections commission said early Tuesday, beating rival Prabowo Subianto, a retired general who has vowed to challenge any victory for the incumbent leader. The commission was expected to announce the official results of the April 17 poll on Wednesday in the Southeast Asian nation of 260 million. But amid fears about unrest and street demonstrations in response to the final count, the final tally was released early with little advance notice. Widodo and his vice-presidential running mate Ma'ruf Amin won the election by a 55.5 per cent to 44.5 per cent margin over Subianto and Sandiaga Uno, the elections commission said. "This ruling was announced on May 21... and will be effectively immediately," the commission's chair Arief Budiman said in a live streamed announcement that was broadcast on major media. Widodo, 57, had been widely predicted to win according to unofficial results. His ..
Priyanka's charm offensive failed in UP, if exit polls are right
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who joined active politics just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and was entrusted the charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, failed to impress the electorate enough to turn the tide in favour of her party, if the exit polls are to be believed.
Sonia, Rahul, Priyanka pay tribute to Rajiv Gandhi on death anniversary
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra paid floral tribute to late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary at Veer Bhumi here on Tuesday morning.Priyanka's husband Robert Vadra was also present with the Gandhi family and also paid obeisance.Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former President Pranab Mukherjee paid homage to the former prime minister.Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi had represented Uttar Pradesh's Amethi parliamentary constituency four times.A recipient of Bharat Ratna, Rajiv Gandhi served as the sixth Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the assassination of his mother, then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Tamil Nadu's Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.He was cremated at Veer ...
Malawi votes in tight three-way election
Malawi goes to the polls on Tuesday after a closely-fought election campaign, with President Peter Mutharika battling to hold off two serious rivals in a race that focused on corruption allegations and economic development. Mutharika, who has been in power since 2014, will face opposition from his own deputy Saulos Chilima and former baptist preacher Lazarus Chakwera. "We have set Malawi on the path of progress," Mutharika, 78, told several thousand cheering supporters of his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Blantyre at his final campaign rally at the weekend. His bid for a second term has focused on the economy and his record of improving road and electricity infrastructure across the southeastern African country. Under Mutharika, inflation has fallen from 23 percent to below nine per cent, but still only 11 percent of the population has access to electricity. The election is the first since a new law forced parties to declare large donations and banned the once-common ...
KASHMIR'S CHANGING TERROR MATRIX-1: Islamic State enlarges footprint in Valley of Death (IANS Investigation)
As door 1 with Pakistan proxies supported by local hawks Hurriyat closes, door 2 with Islamic Caliphate written on it opens in what is a brutal cage match which has more or less eviscerated the lives of the Kashmiris in the Valley.
Rahul, Priyanka worked hard, Congress will prove to be a strong Opposition: Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena on Tuesday took a jibe at the Congress and said that the party will prove to be a strong Opposition in the Parliament as its president Rahul Gandhi and leader Priyanka Gandhi have worked hard in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections."We do not want to go by exit polls, but looking at the enthusiasm of the people, the trend and the mandate of Maharashtra has become clear. There is no need for a priest to say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government will again come to power in 2019," Shiv Sena said in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'."Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have definitely worked hard... They will be successful as a strong opposition. In 2014, their party did not have enough number of MPs to get the post of opposition in the Lok Sabha. This time the Leader of Opposition will be from Congress party, this should be termed as Rahul Gandhi's success," the party added.The exit polls on television channels on Monday projected that the BJP-led National Democratic ...
Exit polls make mixed predictions for Andhra Assembly polls
While a majority of the exit polls predicted victory for BJP-led NDA at the Centre, they were divided on the likely outcome in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections which were held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.
Indonesia election: Joko Widodo wins second term
The Election Commission of Indonesia on Tuesday confirmed that President Joko Widodo has won a second term as president, beating out rival Prabowo Subianto, a retired general, by a 55.5 per cent to 44.5 per cent margin.The commission was expected to announce the official results on Wednesday but, in a surprising move, it was released early on Tuesday hours before opposition protesters were set to protest against the final results, Al Jazeera reports.Fear of unrest gripped the country after Prabowo had vowed to challenge any victory announced in favour of the incumbent leader."This ruling was announced on May 21 ... and will be effectively immediately," said Arief Budiman, the commission's chairman.However, the local media reported that Prabowo's campaign team and the leading opposition party refused to sign and validate the official results.It was not clear immediately if Prabowo would mount a legal challenge to the official result, as he did in 2014 after losing the presidential bid .
Joko Widodo re-elected as Indonesia President
Joko Widodo has been re-elected as Indonesia's president after last month's vote, beating former general Prabowo Subianto.
Maduro proposes early elections for opposition-led National Assembly
Renewing his efforts to placate protestors, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday proposed early elections for National Assembly, which is headed by opposition leader Juan Guaido."We will legitimise the sole institution which has not been legitimised in the last five years," Al Jazeera quoted Maduro as saying.The last elections were held in 2015 in which Guaido-led opposition won a majority. The next polls are scheduled to be held in late 2020.However, Maduro has not announced the exact date for the proposed elections.Venezuela is currently in the throes of a political crisis, which is worsened by hyperinflation, blackouts, and an acute shortage of water and medicines.Guaido had declared himself as the President of Venezuela during mass protests in January - a move which was immediately backed by the US.He currently enjoys recognition as the official interim President of Venezuela by over 50 countries, including France, Japan, UK and the US amongst others.In January, Maduro ...
Priyanka urges party workers not to believe in exit polls
Amidst exit polls predicting a comfortable victory for the BJP-led NDA, Congress General Secretary in charge of UP East, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Monday sent an audio recording to her party workers, urging them not to believe in the survey."Exit polls are being shown to discourage you. Do not believe them. Remain alert in the strong rooms and counting rooms. I am positive that our hard work will reap fruits," said the Gandhi scion in the audio clip.The exit polls on television channels on Monday projected that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will retain power at the Centre again. Most of the pollsters gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi a clear majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha.Polling for seven-phased Lok Sabha elections started on April 11 and concluded on May 19. The much-awaited results of the general elections will be announced on May 23.
10 killed, including 5 children, in air raids by Russia in Syria
At least 10 civilians, including five children, were killed in air strikes by Syrian government ally Russia on Monday in the northwestern Idlib province, the last major rebel-held territory.This comes hours after Russia's Defence Ministry announced a unilateral ceasefire.The Russian army launched air raids on a town in the province, largely controlled by former al-Qaeda affiliate Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, claiming that the area was being used as a launchpad to fire rockets on Syrian airbase.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-million people.The Syrian war has killed more than 370,00O people and displaced millions inside Syria and abroad since it began in March 2011.The Syrian government has been accused of attacking civilians in Idlib. United Nations has also warned of a humanitarian catastrophe.Syrian ..
Algeria: Army chief proposes independent body to oversee polls
Underlining that the ensuing presidential election will prevent Algeria from "falling into the trap of a constitutional void", the Army chief Lieutenant General Gaid Salah on Monday proposed the formation of an "independent body" to organise and oversee the election which is scheduled for July 4."Holding a presidential election could help [Algeria] avoid falling into the trap of a constitutional void, with its accompanying dangers and unwelcome consequences," Al Jazeera quoted General Salah as saying."There is a need to accelerate the establishment of an independent body to organise and oversee the election. This would stop those who are trying to prolong the crisis, " he added.Salah's statement comes days after thousands of protestors hit the streets in cities across the country to denounce the army's proposed plan.They are demanding a postponement of the elections and a transitional authority to be set up to review the constitution and allow for free and fair elections to take ...
Pak appoints Mueenul Haq as High Commissioner to India
Pakistan on Monday announced career diplomat Mueenul Haq as its new High Commissioner to India."New Delhi, India, is very important...After consultation, I have decided to appoint Mueenul Haq, the current ambassador in France, who will be sent to (New) Delhi, and I hope that he (Haq) will deliver," Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a video statement.Haq was appointed after Sohail Mehmood left the High Commissioner's post to join as foreign secretary, reported Express Tribune.Qureshi has expressed hope that Haq would perform his "new job with the best of his abilities."Along with India, Pakistan has announced new ambassadors to several countries including China, Japan and Brussels.In Beijing, Naghmana Hashmi will replace Masood Khalid, the incumbent envoy to China, after completion of his tenure.Additional Secretary Imtiaz Ahmad has been appointed Ambassador to Japan, while Zaheer Janjua, currently serving as additional secretary in Europe, will look after the Pakistani ...
US envoy on rare visit to Tibet
Amidst trade tensions between Beijing and Washington, US ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, is on a rare visit to disputed Tibet. It is the first visit by any US envoy to the sensitive Himalayan region since 2015."The US Ambassador to China is making a trip to Tibet, the first by an American envoy in four years, after obtaining rare access to the restricted region," a US State Department spokesperson told ANI on Monday.The American envoy will travel to Qinghai Province and the Tibet Autonomous Region from May 19 to 25.His visit will include official meetings as well as visits to religious and cultural heritage sites, schools and other places of interest.According to the State Department, the ambassador has welcomed this opportunity to visit the Tibet Autonomous Region and has encouraged authorities to provide access to the region to all American citizens."The envoy will engage with local leaders to raise longstanding concerns about restrictions on religious freedom and the ...