Page 728 - Politics
Iran says leaving nuclear treaty, one of 'many options' after US sanctions
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday said that withdrawing from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) is one of the "many options" Tehran has to retaliate against re-imposition of US sanctions."There are many options available to the Islamic republic, and the country's officials are considering them," Zarif said in an interview with the IRNA news agency."Leaving the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is one of the options," he was quoted as saying.Since Washington's withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May last year, the Trump administration has been piling up pressure on Tehran through a series of sanctions, Xinhua reported.In November last year, the US renewed its sanctions on Iran's banking, energy and shipping industries, despite a 180-day waiver granted to eight of Iran's major oil buyers, including South Korea, Japan and Turkey.Last week, the US State Department announced that it would not ...
Spain's Socialist Party wins 123 seats, falls short of majority
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialist Party emerged as the single largest political party after it won 123 seats in the Sunday's snap election, official results showed.
Indonesia elections: More than 270 staff die from fatigue-related illnesses
Ten days after Indonesia held the world's biggest single-day Presidential elections, more than 270 election workers have lost their lives mostly due to fatigue-related illnesses caused by long hours of work counting millions of ballot papers by hand, authorities said on Sunday.On April 17, Indonesia, for the first time, combined the presidential vote with national and regional parliamentary ones, with an aim to cut election costs, Al Jazeera reported.Approximately 80 per cent of the total 193 million voters cast their ballots in more than 800,000 polling stations located across the country.On April 23, the health ministry issued a circular letter urging health facilities to offer the utmost care to sick election staff, while the finance ministry sought to provide compensation to the families of the deceased, state media reported.Meanwhile, Jakarta Post reported that Opposition parties in the country have alleged that President Joko Widodo's incumbent government was involved in ...
BJP says Kumaraswamy violated poll code in Nava Bengaluru scheme project allocation
BJP leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka, J Shettar on Sunday alleged that the HD Kumaraswamy cabinet, which passed a resolution on Nava Bengaluru scheme, has allocated the project to Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL) without tender.Alleging huge corruption in awarding grants and works under the Nava Bengaluru scheme, Shettar told ANI: "Kumaraswamy cabinet passed a resolution and handed over the project without tender. Before the election, there was a collection of money from contractors, the project was handed over to those from whom they benefitted."He also alleged that Kumaraswamy had taken money from contractors in Bengaluru and other districts. "For all this, the project has been handed over to limited contractors through the land army. All this happened through Venkatesh, who is very close to Deve Gowda family," he said.Shettar and his party have approached the Election Commission to consider the 'awarding of the scheme' as a matter of model ...
Spanish PM's Socialists win snap polls marked by far-right gains
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists won snap elections Sunday without the necessary majority to govern solo in a fragmented political landscape marked by the far-right's entry into parliament. The results raise the spectre of another period of instability for Spain, with Sanchez depending on alliances with hostile rivals in an environment that has soured since Catalonia's failed secession bid in 2017. A significant development was the rise of the ultra-nationalist Vox party, which garnered just over 10 per cent of the vote in a country that has had no far-right party to speak of since the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. Sanchez's Socialist Party (PSOE) got 123 lawmakers out of 350, or close to 29 per cent of votes -- short of an absolute majority but much better than the 85 seats it got in 2016. "The Socialists have won the general election and with it the future has won and the past has lost," he told cheering supporters from the balcony of the party's ...
Spanish PM's Socialists win snap polls marked by far-right gains
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists won snap elections Sunday without the necessary majority to govern solo in a fragmented political landscape marked by the far-right's entry into parliament. The results raise the spectre of another period of instability for Spain, with Sanchez depending on alliances with hostile rivals in an environment that has soured since Catalonia's failed secession bid in 2017. A significant development was the rise of the ultra-nationalist Vox party, which garnered just over 10 per cent of the vote in a country that has had no far-right party to speak of since the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. Sanchez's Socialist Party (PSOE) got 123 lawmakers out of 350, or close to 29 per cent of votes -- short of an absolute majority but much better than the 85 seats it got in 2016. "The Socialists have won the general election and with it the future has won and the past has lost," he told cheering supporters from the balcony of the party's ...
Spain elections 2019: Preliminary results show Sanchez's PSOE leads without securing majority
Preliminary results of the third general elections in the last four year in Spain that took place on Sunday showed that the centre-left Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) is leading but short of an overall majority.CNN reported that the PSOE stands to win 126 seats, while the conservative People's Party (PP) 66 seats and centre-right Ciudadanos 55.Left-wing Unidas Podemos was on course for 35 seats, and far-right Vox 23 out of a total 350.The results also noted that incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's PSOE party would once again seek the support of left-wing Podemos and Catalan pro-independence parties in order to form a government.CNN cited a previous snap poll showing slightly different numbers, predicting 116-121 seats for the PSOE. The telephone poll, carried out by GAD3 on behalf of Spanish national broadcaster RTVE, also predicted 69-73 seats for the PP, 48-49 seats for Ciudadanos, 42-45 for Unidas Podemos and 36-38 for Vox.According to official figures, Sunday's polls
UP bye-polls: BJP fields Purushottam Khandelwal from Agra North constituency
The BJP on Sunday declared Purushottam Khandelwal as its candidate for bye-polls to Agra North constituency in Uttar Pradesh.Last week, the Election Commission had announced that the bye-elections to Agra North Assembly constituency will be held on May 19. The decision to field Khandelwal from Agra North constituency was taken in the party's Central Election Committee meeting.Agra North Assembly seat went vacant on April 10 as BJP MLA Jagan Prasad Garg died due to cardiac arrest. He got a heart attack after returning home from campaigning for the Lok Sabha election.The last date of withdrawal of candidature is May 2.Polling for 80 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh is being held in all seven phases. The counting of votes for both Lok Sabha polls and bye-election to Agra North constituency will take place on May 23.
Indian Navy ships Kolkata, Shakti arrive in South Korea to participate in ADMM-PLUS
In a demonstration of the country's 'Act East' policy and Indian Navy's increasing footprint and operational reach, Indian Naval Ships Kolkata and Shakti arrived at Busan, South Korea on Sunday on a three-day visit.This visit is a part of the deployment of the Eastern Fleet to the South China Sea on April 28 April. Indian Navy ships will participate in ADMM-Plus Maritime Security Field Training Exercise (FTX) at Busan. The ships were welcomed into the harbour by officials from the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy on arrival.During the visit, the Indian Navy ships will have professional interaction with ADMM-Plus Navies towards further enhancing co-operation between the navies. In addition, calls on senior Government and military authorities, sporting and cultural interactions are also planned with ROK Navy.A deck reception for the delegates of ADMM-Plus and dignitaries of ROK Navy is also planned onboard INS Kolkata on April 30.INS Kolkata and INS Shakti have arrived Busan on successful .
Akhilesh, Mayawati only worked for their castes, families: Amit Shah
BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday said that Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati have worked only for their families and the people belonging to their respective castes when their governments were in power in the state."During the governments of Akhilesh and Mayawati, they did not do work for anyone else other than their families and the people belonging to their respective castes," said Shah, while campaigning for the party's Lok Sabha candidate Upendra Rawat."When we bring our schemes for you, did anyone ask your caste now? We have given reservation to forward castes. The BJP has ended casteism," he said.SP-BSP has stitched a formidable alliance in Uttar Pradesh and is contesting on 37 and 38 Lok Sabha seats respectively.The BJP president highlighted the schemes started by the Central government during the last five years."The Narendra Modi-led government has done the work of providing free treatment to nearly 24 lakh poor people of the country under the Ayushman Bharat scheme," he said."In .
BJP realeses list of 3 candidates for Karnataka, Goa by-polls
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released the list of three candidates for by-polls to two legislative assembly constituencies in Karnataka and one in Goa.The party announced the candidature of Sidharth Kuncalienker to contest from Panaji.Avinash Yadav will contest from Chincholi assembly seat and SI Chikkanagowdar from Kundgol. The by-polls on all three seats are scheduled to held on May 19.The nomination of Kuncalienker, an aide of late Parrikar, was approved after much deliberation by the BJP's Central Election Committee. The party has dropped Utpal Parrikar, son of former defence minister late Manohar Parrikar, who was also considered as the strong contender for the seat.Kuncalienkar will face Atanasio Monserrate of the Congress, Valmiki Naik of the Aam Aadmi Party and Velingkar of the Goa Suraksha Manch.The by-poll to Chincholi was necessitated as Umesh Jadhav quit as the Congress MLA and joined the BJP to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Gulbarga against veteran Congress ..
Do BJP leaders' wives sell jewellery to bear poll expenses, asks Kamal Nath
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Sunday asked whether wives of BJP party leaders sell their jewellery to bear the party's excessive election expenses."I want to ask Modi Ji - the money spent on MP Assembly elections and his plane rides, the money being spent on the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, from where do they (BJP leaders) get the money? Are the wives of BJP leaders selling their jewellery to bear the expenses of elections?" Kamal Nath told reporters here.The MP Chief Minister has been frequently figuring, directly or indirectly, in speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his election rallies.Earlier this month, the Central Board of Direct Taxes had claimed that unaccounted wealth of around Rs 281 crore was recovered in raids carried out by the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department at premises linked to close associates of Kamal Nath.After visiting Simariya Hanuman Temple with his son Nakul Nath here, he said that he was a religious person but did not ...
AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj claims Metro ridership declined, attacks BJP for increased fares
AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj on Sunday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre claiming that the ridership of Delhi Metro has taken a "historic hit" after the BJP-led central government doubled its fares."Delhi Metro Ridership has taken a historic hit-it is 3 lakhs lower than the ridership in March 2017 and overall 15 lakhs lower than the target at the end of Phase III completion. The ridership of Delhi Metro was 28 lakhs per day in March 2017 whereas it was only 25 lakhs per day in December 2018 - drop of 3 lakhs per day," Bhardwaj said during a press conference.The AAP leader alleged that the Delhi Metro under the pressure of "BJP-ruled" central government had doubled the fares of Delhi Metro."Two years back, between May and October 2017, Delhi Metro under pressure from BJP-ruled Central Government had doubled the fares of Delhi metro within 6 months. AAP had opposed this move because we knew this would hit the masses and cause a decline in metro ridership and thereby increase ..
Congress' Lilothia undertakes 'padyatra' in North West Delhi seat
Congress' Rajesh Lilothia, who is contesting from North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat, undertook 'padyatras' in the constituency on Sunday to interact with the voters and accused the BJP and the AAP of "betraying" the people by not delivering on their promises. He interacted with voters at Mundka, Narela, Kirari and Bawana assembly constituencies and addressed several small meetings. Lilothia interacted with the people on the need to bring back the Congress to power and accused the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party of "betraying" the people of Delhi by not delivering on any of the promises made by them. He appealed to the people in these areas to vote for the Congress to ensure his victory. Lilothia said he was a local man who knows the pulse of the people, while the BJP has imported its candidate from Punjab and the AAP has made a man from Uttar Pradesh as its candidate. He said being a local man, he knows the North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat inside out, and if he is elected, he would spare no .
Benin voters boycott polls with only one choice
People in Benin on Sunday boycotted in large numbers parliamentary polls with no opposition candidate to choose from, as rights groups warned of a crackdown on basic freedoms. As national radio stations pleaded for voters to "fulfil their duty as citizens" and elect 83 new members of parliament -- choosing from two parties both allied to President Patrice Talon -- the internet was cut. The small West African state was long held up as a model for democracy, but the country's main opposition parties were effectively barred from fielding candidates by tough new eligibility rules. Instead, they asked their supporters to protest by boycotting the polls. Many of the five million registered voters seemed to stay away, with voting booths in the economic capital Cotonou quiet, streets empty and shops closed all day. In 10 polling stations visited by AFP in the largely opposition area of Seme-Podji, no more than 35 voters had cast their ballots out of the more than 400 people registered. The ...
Jhansi: Without Uma Bharti, BJP is likely to witness tough fight
Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Apr 28 (ANI): Jhansi Lok Sabha seat is set to witness a triangular contest between the Congress and its ally Jan Adhikar Party (JAP), SP-BSP-RLD and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Jhansi, one of the 13 parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh going to polls on Monday is currently represented by sitting MP Uma Bharti who had won the seat by a margin of 1,90,467 votes in 2014. However, the BJP has fielded Anurag Sharma to emulate the electoral success of the Union Minister.Speaking to ANI, Sharma said: "Everyone has a right to contest election in a democracy. But we will get the direct benefit of the works done by the central and state BJP governments.""For the people of Bundelkhand development is an issue and this is why people are associated with me," he said in response to a question about him being an industrialist.Shiv Saran Kushwaha, contesting on a Congress ticket said that the fight is between Congress and the BJP and SP-BSP-RLD candidate .
Giriraj Singh takes a dig at Digvijay Singh over Kanhaiya campaigning for him
Hours after Congress' Digvijay Singh announced that CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar will campaign for him in Bhopal, Union Minister Giriraj Singh took at dig at the veteran leader saying there were many people with distorted thinking in Begusarai, so it would be a good idea to take such people along with him."Digvijay babu is confused and is full of distortions. He used to influence Rahul's thinking as well. There are many people with distorted thinking in Begusarai. It is good that he is taking such people with him to Bhopal," Giriraj Singh told ANI here.Earlier in the day, Digvijay Singh had announced that CPI candidate from Begusarai, Kanhaiya Kumar, will campaign for him on May 8 and 9. Singh is contesting against BJP's Pragya Singh Thakur in Bhopal.On RJD leader Misa Bharti's jibe about his contesting from Begusarai instead of Nawada, Giriraj Singh said: "Misa Bharti ji is trying to present Begusarai as Pakistan saying that Giriraj Singh has been sent to Pakistan. Misa Bharti can abuse
Kashmir cannot be separated from India whether Modi is PM or not: Amit Shah
BJP president Amit Shah asserted that Kashmir can never be separated from India irrespective of whether Narendra Modi will be Prime Minister or whether BJP is in power at the Centre or not.He was addressing an election rally at Mohanlalganj in Lucknow on Sunday."Rahul Gandhi please listen with open ears that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to become Prime Minister again this time. Even if he is not Prime Minister someday and BJP is not in power, then also till the time the workers of BJP are alive nobody can separate Kashmir from India," said Shah."Kashmir is the crown of mother India," he added."The elections will come and go, we may win or loose but we would never compromise with the security and integrity of the nation," he said.The BJP President said that during the Congress rule Indian soldiers were beheaded and then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh kept mum."When Congress, BSP and SP governments were in power our jawans were beheaded and 'mauni baba' (silent saint) Manmohan .
JMM claims Maoist threat to leader, accuses BJP
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Sunday said that Maoists have asked the party's Executive President and former Chief Minister Hemant Soren to stay away from the polls or face the consequences, and accused the ruling BJP of colluding with the rebels to win all the state's 14 Lok Sabha seats.
Sons bat for their parents in Lok Sabha elections in high profile Lucknow constituency
The sons of electoral contestants in this high profile Lok Sabha constituency are batting for their fathers and mother, campaigning from door to door, and seeking people's support for them.Pankaj Singh, son of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is contesting from Lucknow, is campaigning for his father."I am a party worker and I am campaigning as our Home Minister is fighting from here. The public have already made up their mind. We are going to win by a bigger margin this time," said Singh, an MLA."We have a long association with the people of Lucknow," he said.Kush Sinha, the son Poonam Sinha who is contesting on the SP ticket, said that it is his duty to campaign for his mother."It is my duty to help my mother. The people and party workers are very cooperative and the common man wants a change here. They say that they don't want an MP that comes once in 5 years after winning the election," said Kush Sinha.Sarthak, the son of Congress candidate Acharya Pramod Krishnam, is ...