Page 604 - Politics
Trump says 'open to talk' to Iran, condemns Kerry
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is open to talks with the Iranian leadership, amid mounting tensions between Washington and Tehran. "What I would like to see with Iran, I would like to see them call me," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We don't want them to have nuclear weapons -- not much to ask," he said. The US president also launched an extraordinary attack on John Kerry, claiming that the former US secretary of state was in touch with Iranian leaders and had told them "not to call." "John Kerry, he speaks to them a lot," Trump said. "He tells them not to call." Trump claimed this was a violation of the Logan Act, which prohibits private US citizens from negotiating with foreign governments. "Frankly, he should be prosecuted on that," he said. "But they should call," Trump said. "If they do, we are open to talk to them." The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier to the Gulf amid the rising tensions, but Trump said Washington was not looking for
Trump 'very surprised' by son's subpoena in Russia probe
US President Donald Trump rushed to his son's defence Thursday, saying he was "very surprised" by a Senate panel's order that Donald Trump Jr testify as part of its investigation into Russia election interference. "I was very surprised," Trump told reporters about the Senate Intelligence Committee's subpoena of his eldest of five children. It was the first known legal summons issued by Congress to a member of the president's family to force testimony in the ongoing investigation. The order comes after Special Counsel Robert Mueller decided there was insufficient evidence to accuse Trump's 2016 campaign of criminal conspiracy to collude with the Russians. "My son is a very good person, he works very hard. The last thing he needs is Washington DC. I think he'd rather not ever be involved," Trump said. Trump Jr has already testified at length to the committee, which is run by Republicans, and was "totally exonerated by Mueller," Trump said. "For my son, after being exonerated, to now get
US seizes North Korean cargo ship for violating sanctions
The US said Thursday it has seized a North Korean cargo ship that was used to violate international sanctions, a first-of-its kind enforcement action that comes tense moment in relations between the two countries. The "Wise Honest," North Korea's second largest cargo ship, was detained during an April 2018 stop in Indonesia and will be moved to American Samoa, Justice Department officials said. Officials made the announcement hours after the North Korea fired two suspected short-range missiles toward the sea, a second weapons launch in five days and a possible signal that stalled talks over its nuclear weapons program are in trouble. Justice Department lawyers laid out the case for confiscating the ship in a complaint filed in New York, arguing that payments for maintenance and operation of the vessel were channeled through US financial institutions in violation of American law. "This sanctions-busting ship is now out of service," said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the ...
BJP star campaigners Sunny Deol, Hema Malini canvass in Yamunanagar, Jind
BJP's star campaigners Sunny Deol and Hema Malini canvassed for their party candidates in Yamunanagar and Jind on Thursday, appealing people to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the country on the path of progress. Deol, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party recently is fighting the Lok Sabha polls from Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab while his stepmother Hema Malini is seeking re-election from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. While Deol campaigned in Yamunanagar city in support of BJP candidate and sitting MP from Ambala parliamentary constituency Rattan Lal Kataria, Malini addressed a public meeting in Jind, canvassing for party candidate and sitting MP from Sonipat, Ramesh Chander Kaushik. People turned out in huge numbers to catch a glimpse of the two actor-turned-politicians after their helicopters landed in Yamunanagar and Jind, respectively. Donning a white shirt, jeans and a cap, Deol, who is known for his patriotic films, raised slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki
US is in 'constitutional crisis,' House speaker says
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday the US is in a "constitutional crisis" triggered by President Donald Trump's refusal to comply with congressional inquiries into his actions, mainly in connection with the Russian election interference probe. "Trump and his Administration's decision to ignore the oath of office has triggered a constitutional crisis," Pelosi, the country's most powerful Democratic politician, said on Twitter. "It's appalling that the Administration is an obstacle to protecting our elections & getting the truth for the American people," she said. Trump and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives have been locked in a bitter standoff since the publication late last month of the partially redacted Mueller report on Russian interference in the 2016 election that brought Trump to office. The report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence that Trump criminally colluded with Russia, but Democrats have been hotly disputing Trump's assertion ...
Former Pak Army soldier arrested along IB in Samba
The Border Security Force (BSF) Thursday arrested a former soldier of the Pakistan Army along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, officials said. The alert troops of the BSF observed some movement along IB near a forward area and nabbed a person moving under suspicious circumstances, they said. During preliminary investigation, he was identified as Mohmmad Afzal of Shakergarh district of Pakistan. The security personnel recovered two mobile phones and a data card from him, they said. He has been handed over to police for further interrogation, they said, adding that he is likely to be sent to the join interrogation centre. Afzal told the interrogators that he left the Pakistan Army after serving for about nine years, officials said. He is reported to have worked with the Special Service Group of the Pakistan Army. The police are investigating to ascertain the motive behind his crossing the International Border, officials added.
Priyanka visits Amethi village after Cong-BJP clash
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday paid a surprise visit to Trishundi village in Amethi assembly segment of Uttar Pradesh to take stock of alleged atrocities on party activists by the police after a clash with the BJP workers. According to Congress sources, Vadra, the general secretary incharge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, met the party workers, who told her that this was an example of alleged hooliganism in the state. The Congress general secretary also talked to Piparpur police station incharge about the incident. The officer informed Vadra that FIRs from both sides were lodged and action was being taken. On Wednesday, activists of the two parties had clashed in the village and the Congress alleged that the police took one-sided action.
BJP may get 30-35 seats in UP, up to 210 overall: Brokerage firm
The BJP-led NDA may get less than half of the seats it won in Uttar Pradesh in last Lok Sabha election and its tally could go down from from 73 to 30-35, according to predictions by brokerage firm Ambit.
SP cancels four election meetings of Akhilesh Yadav in Azamgarh
The Samajwadi Party Thursday cancelled four election meetings of its president Akhilesh Yadav scheduled to be held here Friday. Accusing the district administration of acting under the BJP government's pressure, SP district president Hawaldar Yadav alleged that the Uttar Pradesh administration might cancel the election on the seat citing some technical reason as an excuse. Yadav further alleged that with just two days remaining for polling, the Election Commission had made certain changes on the amount of money meant to be used for campaigning. As part of a conspiracy, our election expenditure may be shown as exceeding the prescribed limits set by the EC. To ward off any such eventuality, four election meetings scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) have been cancelled, Yadav said in a press note. The District Magistrate Shivakant Dwivedi, however, said that the administration has nothing to do with the issue and it was the SP's decision to cancel the meetings. Akhilesh Yadav is seeking ...
Former Punjab Home Secretary SS Channy joins BJP
Former Punjab Home Secretary, SS Channy on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at party's headquarters here.Channy, who is former IAS officer of Punjab cadre of 1982 batch, has also served as the Chief Information Commissioner of Punjab.He is the son-in-law of former late President of India Giani Zail Singh.
Mission Bengal: After UP, most Modi-Shah rallies in eastern state
With the BJP expecting major gains from West Bengal, where the party has emerged as a force to reckon with, its biggest campaigners -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah -- are carpet bombing the state canvassing for the Lok Sabha polls.
Talks of KCR's federal front pick pace with five of seven phases of polling over
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao recently met his Kerala and Karnataka counterparts Pinarayi Vijayan and HD Kumaraswamy to discuss the formation of a federal front government post the results of Lok Sabha elections.Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu's efforts to form a third front government excluding the two principal political parties - the Congress and the BJP - also seem to be picking up pace with the conclusion of five of the seven phases of the general election."We are working towards forming a federal front of regional and secular parties and once the results are out, the federal front will be a reality," said TRS leader Abid Rasool Khan.Terming TRS president Rao a "catalyst" in the whole process, Khan said, "KCR is acting as a catalyst and taking it upon himself to reach out to other parties. He is working for a cause and does not have a political mission."To a question on Andhra CM also aiming at a non-Congress, non-BJP front, Khan said that no political party .
Bigwigs in fray as 8 seats in MP go to polls on May 12 (Lead, correcting last para)
After 13 of the 29 Lok Sabha constituencies in Madhya Pradesh voted in the previous two phases, quite a few bigwigs are in the fray as eight more seats get ready to vote in the sixth phase of polling on May 12.
Trump says studying NKorea launches 'very seriously'
President Donald Trump said Thursday he is studying the situation in North Korea "very seriously," after Pyongyang welcomed a US envoy's visit to Seoul by firing two missiles. "We're looking at it very seriously right now. They were smaller missiles, short range missiles - nobody's happy about it," Trump told reporters. "The relationship continues - but we'll see what happens," Trump added. "I know they want to negotiate, they're talking about negotiating, but I don't think they are ready to negotiate.
Modi, Mamata in war of words in Bengal's tribal belt
A verbal battle ensued between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday as the two political heavyweights tore into each other while addressing election rallies in Bengal's tribal belt that would go to the polls on May 12.
Trump says 'open to talk' to Iran
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is open to talks with the Iranian leadership, amid mounting tensions between Washington and Tehran. "What I would like to see with Iran, I would like to see them call me," Trump told reporters at the White House. The US president claimed that former US secretary of state John Kerry had told Iran "not to call." "But they should call," he said. "If they do, we are open to talk to them.
I respect Modi, but he won't be PM for eternity: Virbhadra Singh
Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister and veteran Congress leader Virbhadra Singh Thursday said he "respected" Narendra Modi but he will not be the country's prime minister for "eternity". The statement comes in the backdrop of the Congress mounting attack on Modi for his remarks on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. "Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat when I was the Union Minister in Delhi, I respect him," Virbhadra Singh said at a poll rally here in support of the Congress candidate from Shimla parliamentary constituency Dhaniram Shandil. "Modi has not been made the PM for eternity, he is changeable after five years," he added. Modi, at a rally here on Wednesday, accused the Gandhi family of using warship INS Viraat as its "personal taxi" for a holiday when Rajiv Gandhi was at the helm, launching a fresh attack on the late Congress leader days after throwing the "bhrashtachari no 1" barb at him. Slamming those who "desert" the party for selfish gains, the senior Congress ...
Modi government waged war against PSUs in last 5 yrs: Maken
Former Union Minister and Congress candidate from New Delhi Lok Sabha seat Ajay Maken on Thursday accused the Modi government of destroying public sector undertakings in last five years and that their rule will be remembered for the downfall of these institutions.
Gurugram's BJP, Congress candidates accuse each other of graft
The election campaign in Gurugram reached new low on Thursday when sitting MP and Union Minister Rao Inderjeet Singh threatened to send his Congress rival, Captain Ajay Yadav, to jail if he wins. The Congress leader hit back with hs own set of allegations.
Atishi breaks down over derogatory pamphlet, Gambhir denies charge (2nd Lead)
Hours after Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) East Delhi candidate Atishi on Thursday broke down at a press conference where she and her party accused her Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rival Gautam Gambhir of circulating derogatory pamphlets about her, the cricketer-turned-politician denied the charge and said that he shall file a defamation suite against them.