Page 801 - Politics
Iran denounces 'illegal' US sanctions as oil waivers end
Iran denounced US sanctions on its oil sector as "illegal" Monday after the United States announced it will no longer grant exemptions to Tehran's oil customers. "Since the sanctions in question are principally illegal, the Islamic Republic of Iran did not and does not attach any value or credibility to the waivers," the foreign ministry said on its official website.
India studying implications of US decision to end waivers for Iranian oil import
India is studying the implications of the US decision to end waivers granted to it along with seven other countries to buy Iranian oil without facing sanctions, government sources said Monday. In a move that could have implications on India's energy security, US President Donald Trump decided not to continue with the exemptions to any oil customers of Iran. In November, the US granted a six-month waiver to India, China, Greece, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey and South Korea to continue importing oil from Iran. The temporary waiver ends on May 2. "We have seen the announcement by the US Secretary of State. We are studying the implications of the decision and will make a statement at an appropriate time," said a source. In Washington, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US will dramatically accelerate its pressure campaign on the Iranian regime until its leaders change their destructive behaviour, respect the rights of their people, and return to the negotiating table. Pompeo remarks .
US envoy returns after Taliban-Afghan talks scuttled
The US envoy negotiating with the Taliban has returned on a marathon trip for talks, despite disappointment after the militants failed to meet with the Afghan government, the State Department said Monday. Zalmay Khalilzad left Sunday on a journey that will run through May 11 and take him both to Afghanistan and Qatar, the usual venue for talks with the Taliban. In the Qatari capital Doha, "he will continue to press forward on negotiations with the Taliban to reach a consensus on core national security issues, and urge their participation in an inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue," a State Department statement said, without directly confirming he would meet again with the Taliban. Despite several rounds of talks with Khalilzad, the Taliban have refused to negotiate with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's internationally recognized government. Hopes for a breakthrough last weekend were dashed when a dialogue planned between the Taliban and Afghan officials in Doha collapsed at the last ...
AAP-Cong alliance possibility fades as 7 AAP candidates file nominations
The possibility of an alliance between the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress seems bleak as all candidates of the ruling party in Delhi have filed their nominations and the grand old party declared names of its six candidates who would be contesting the general elections. The six AAP candidates who filed their papers are Pankaj Gupta (Chandni Chowk), Atishi (East Delhi), Gugan Singh (North West), Raghav Chadha (South Delhi), Dilip Pandey (North East Delhi) and Brajesh Goel (New Delhi). Atishi was accompanied by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, while Pankaj Gupta was accompanied by senior party leader Satyendar Jain while filing their nomination papers. Similarly, Gugan Singh was accompanied by AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and Dilip Pandey was seen with senior party leader Gopal Rai. Brajesh Goyal filed his nomination in the presence of senior party leader N D Gupta. The party's west Delhi candidate Balbir Singh Jakhar filed his nomination papers last week. Sisodia Monday said
Cong, NC and PDP slam PM for India's nuke arsenal not for Diwali remark
Leaders of the Congress and regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remark that India's nuclear arsenal is not for Diwali fireworks, calling it "boastful" and "irresponsible". Modi made the remark at an election rally in Barmer in Rajasthan on Sunday while asserting that India is no more afraid of Pakistan's nuclear threats. "India has stopped getting scared of Pakistan's threats, I have done right, no? Else every other day they(Pakistan) used to say 'we have nuclear button'....What do we have then? Have we kept it (nuclear button) for Diwali?" the prime minister told the gathering. Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh criticised Modi's remark as "irresponsible". "PM Narendra Modi's election speeches and irresponsible statements point to the growing desperation in the BJP. Prime Minister's boastful claims of being ready for a nuclear missile attack on Pakistan and US intervention are ...
Modi, Mufti used threat of nuclear annihilation as some sort of PUBG game: Omar
NC leader Omar Abdullah Monday said the threat of nuclear annihilation was not like a PUBG game where one can hit the reset button to restore normal life, as he criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti for their remarks. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was reacting to Modi's speech at an election rally Sunday in which he had said that India's nuclear bombs were not kept for Diwali. Responding to Modi's statement, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti earlier Monday said Pakistan's nuclear arsenal were not for EId. Abdullah criticised both these remarks. "Whether Diwali or Eid, both PM Modi & Ms Mufti have used the threat of nuclear annihilation as some sort of PUBG type game where they can just hit the reset button & life will carry on. Both of them would be well served to remember #Hiroshima & #Nagasaki when issuing such threats," Abdullah said in a tweet. Modi Sunday said, "India has stopped getting scared of Pakistan's threats. I did ..
Turkey opposes US ending exemptions on Iran oil: minister
Turkey said Monday it would not respect sanctions on oil imports from Iran after US President Donald Trump announced Washington would start ending waivers to the Islamic Republic's oil customers. "We do not accept unilateral sanctions and impositions on the issue of how we will establish relations with our neighbours," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency. Cavusoglu warned that the US move to end exemptions "will not serve regional peace and stability." The United States said Monday it would start imposing sanctions on friends such as India that buy Iranian oil, in its latest aggressive step to counter Tehran. Other countries that will be affected include China and Turkey, opening up new friction in contentious relationships if the United States goes ahead with sanctions against buying Iranian oil. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted that the United States would punish countries that buy Iranian oil after May 2, without ...
Iraq 'ready' to boost crude exports after Iran waivers end
Iraq is ready to boost oil exports by 250,000 barrels a day to compensate for any shortfalls once US sanctions waivers for Iranian oil end, a government official said Monday. The US last year reimposed tough sanctions against Iran's energy sector but granted select countries six-month waivers to continue importing oil products from Tehran. Those exemptions will end in early May, the White House announced on Monday. US President Donald Trump said that Saudi Arabia and other members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) would "more than make up" the resulting difference in the oil supply. Iraq, the cartel's second-largest producer, has the capacity to increase its crude oil exports, a top government official told AFP on Monday. "We are ready to export another quarter-million barrels daily. The market's needs will become clearer in the coming days," he said. The official did not say whether Iraq had already discussed the increase with OPEC or with the United ...
Will win all 7 seats in Del, will highlight achievements of Cong govts in Del, Centre, says Sheila
Asserting that the Congress will win all seven Lok Sabha seats here, former chief minister and party's North-East Delhi candidate Sheila Dikshit Monday said her party will highlight the achievements of its governments in Delhi and at the Centre during its election campaign. Dikshit, who is also the Delhi Congress chief, said the party is also prepared to face the challenge of a triangular contest in Delhi. "We will begin campaigning soon by highlighting achievements of Congress governments in Delhi as well as at the Centre," she told reporters here. Addressing party workers at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) office here, Dikshit said the party workers should forcefully counter the "lies and falsehood" being spread by the BJP and the AAP, and give wide publicity to the key features in the Congress manifesto, which is aimed at giving relief to all sections of the people. The Congress was in power in the national capital for three consecutive terms from 1998-2013 and from ...
Senior US diplomat to travel to India and Pakistan
A senior US diplomat will travel to India and Pakistan this week to hold talks with officials in both countries on bilateral and regional issues, including cooperation in promoting a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells will travel to India, Bhutan and Pakistan from April 21 to 30. In New Delhi, Wells will meet with senior Indian government officials to discuss US-India cooperation in promoting a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region and continue to advance initiatives agreed upon at the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue last fall, the State Department said. In Thimpu, Wells will explore prospects for deeper bilateral engagement, it said. In Islamabad, Wells will meet senior Pakistani officials to discuss bilateral issues of mutual interest including trade, investment and regional stability. The State Department also announced that its Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation ...
NDA will not win more than 150 seats in LS polls: AP CM
The NDA will not form the next government at the Centre as the BJP, the main constituent of the alliance, will not win more than 150 seats in the ongoing general election, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu said here Monday. On the other hand, he claimed the TDP would "win 1000 per cent" the just-concluded election to the state assembly. Naidu, however, did not hazard a guess on the number of seats the Telegu Desam Party might win. He conducted a eight hour review meeting with party candidates here in batches to take stock of the post-poll scenario and sought to keep their morale up by saying the TDP would retain power in the state. At the same time, he also sought to write off the NDA though he admitted there were fissures in 'mahagathbandhan,' a group of parties opposed to the BJP. "There are troubles in our alliance, but the NDA will not form the next government at the Centre," Naidu said, referring to the Congress-AAP face-off in New Delhi and other states. "He broadly
249 candidates in fray in Rajasthan's 25 LS seats
A total of 249 candidates are in the fray for Rajasthan's 25 Lok Sabha seats, which will vote in the fourth and fifth phase of the 2019 polls on April 29 and May 6 respectively.
VVIP voters in Gandhinagar: Modi, Amit Shah, Advani
What is common to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, BJP President Amit Shah, BJP patriarch L.K. Advani, Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel? All of them are voters in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, most areas of which are in Ahmedabad city.
Rahul's regret in SC exposed his Rafale lies: Javadekar
Union minister Prakash Javadekar Tuesday said Congress president Rahul Gandhi expressing regret in the Supreme Court has exposed his "lies" on the Rafale fighter jet deal. On April 15, the supreme court had clarified that in its Rafale judgement, there was no occasion for it to make a mention of the contemptuous observation that "chowkidar Narendra Modi chor hai" (watchman Narendra Modi is a thief), as has been attributed to it by Gandhi. Gandhi told the SC that he had made the statement in the heat of political campaigning, which was misused by his political opponents. He said he had no intention to lower the dignity of the supreme court. Speaking to reporters here, Javadekar said, "Congress president Rahul Gandhi has regretted over his comments linked to Rafale fighter jet deal. He expressed regret in the supreme court...his lies stood exposed now." The HRD minister accused the Congress of "spreading lies" over the deal. "Their (Congress') attempts to malign image of ..
PM's 'boastful' claims on nukes not in interest of national security: Anand Sharma
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on nuclear arsenal, saying his "boastful claims" of being "ready for an atomic missile attack" on Pakistan are uncalled for and not in the interest of national security. Modi, at an election rally in Rajasthan's Barmer, Sunday said India is no more afraid of nuclear threats of Pakistan. "Otherwise, Pakistan used to give nuclear threats. What do we have? Have we kept it for 'Diwali'? (Warna aay din nuclear button hai, ye kehte the. Hamare paas kya hai? Ye Diwali ke liye rakha hai kya)," the prime minister had said. Slamming Modi for his remarks, Sharma tweeted: "PM Narendra Modi's election speeches and irresponsible statements point to the growing desperation in the BJP. Prime Minister's boastful claims of being ready for a nuclear missile attack on Pakistan and US intervention are uncalled for and not in interest of national security." Sharma's remarks were also in reference to ...
BJP fighting LS poll on development, not Hindutva: Party VP
The BJP is fighting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls on the development plank and its "sabka saath, sabka vikas" promise rather than Hindutva, the party's national vice president Prabhat Jha said here Monday. The ruling party has been on the backfoot with repeated controversial statements by its Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused out on bail in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Jha was replying to queries on whether the BJP was relying on Hindutva in the polls going by the statements of Thakur. "Its development versus development instead of Hindutva versus development. There is no election without development. The prime minister is also contesting the election on the basis of development done by him. Hindutva has never been an issue," Jha said. "Hindutva is a way of life. I am not the only person saying so but the Supreme Court also has said that Hindutva is a way of life. We are moving ahead with sabka saath, sabka vikas. Development is the only issue (for .
Pompeo blames 'Islamic radical terror' for Sri Lanka attacks
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday blamed "a horrific wave of Islamic radical terror" for the deadly bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday that killed 290 people and injured over 500.
Mamata complaining about EC fearing poll loss, BJP will win at least 23 seats in Bengal: Shah
BJP president Amit Shah on Monday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of criticising the Election Commission out of her fear of losing the Lok Sabha polls and said the saffron party will win at least 23 seats in the state. West Bengal has 42 Lok Sabha seats, out of which Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had bagged 34 in the 2014 general elections while the BJP had got two. The Congress had managed to win four seats while the Left Front's tally had dwindled to just two in 2014. The BJP has launched an aggressive campaign in the state for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. While voting has already taken place on five Lok Sabha seats in the state during the first two phases, polling will take place on another five seats on Tuesday, followed by 32 further seats over four more phases through May 19. Referring to the 2011 West Bengal state assembly elections when the TMC first came to power in the state, Shah said Communists used to indulge in violence during polls but she won at that
AMMK announces names of candidates for May 19 bypolls
The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) Monday announced names of its candidates, including two former MLAs and an MP, to contest the bypolls to four assembly seats on May 19 in Tamil Nadu. Former MP Pollachi K Sukumar would contest from Sulur, whereas ex-MLAs I Mahendran and R Sundarraj have been fielded from Tirupparamkundram and Ottapidaram seats respectively. Puratchi Thalaivi Amma Peravai President P H Shahul Hameed has been pitted against DMK candidate V Senthil Balaji in Aravakurichi assembly seat, an AMMK statement said. Balaji had quit T T V Dhinakaran-led AMMK and joined the DMK last year. Sulur in Coimbatore district and Tirupparamkundram (Madurai) seats fell vacant after the death of its sitting MLAs. Aravakurichi (Karur) and Ottapidaram (Thoothukudi) seats fell vacant after its legislators were disqualified by the Tamil Nadu assembly Speaker P Dhanapal in 2017. On April 9, the Election Commission had announced that bypolls to the four assembly seats would be
9 nominations filed in Punjab on Monday
Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary was among nine candidates who filed their nomination papers in Punjab on Monday. Chaudhary, accompanied by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, filed nominations from Jalandhar (reserve) seat. Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju said Kabal Singh has filed his nomination for the Amritsar parliamentary constituency as an Independent candidate. Badal Singh filed his nomination as Independent from Faridkot (reserve) seat while Raghunath Singh of CPI (M) filed papers from Anandpur Sahib seat. All the 13 seats of Punjab will go to polls in a single phase on May 19. The last date to file nomination is April 29.The scrutiny of the nominations would be done on April 30 and the last date of withdrawal of candidature would be May 2. The nominations for the upcoming elections would be filed in the office of respective returning officers situated in District Administrative Complex from 11 am to 3 pm from April 22-29, excluding April 27 and 28. The Punjab ..