Page 832 - Politics
2020 campaign trail runs through churches in South Carolina
By now, most Democratic presidential candidates have polished their stump speeches. But when they're in South Carolina, they may need to add in a sermon. In a large and diverse primary field, White House hopefuls are angling to develop relationships with black churches. That's because success in South Carolina, home to the nation's first Southern presidential primary, could come down to connecting with politically influential churchgoing African Americans. "Candidates recognize that black churches are the places to be seen and heard," said Bobby Donaldson, a professor of civil rights history at the University of South Carolina. "If you're trying to find a captive and captivating audience, then the black church is the perfect place to get your message across." Some 2020 candidates are already working to build their relationships with this community. Sen. Kamala Harris of California will attend an Easter service on Sunday in Columbia at a church whose pastor is a lawmaker who recently ..
BJP writes to EC, refutes claims situation not conducive for polling in Tripura
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has dismissed the opposition's claim that law and order situation was not conducive for holding polls in Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency, where the polling was deferred from April 18 to April 23.In a letter to the Election Commission on Friday, the BJP stated that a "false picture is being portrayed by the Congress and CPI-M with a view to mislead the Commission by attributing false allegations against the BJP."The party said that no complaints were lodged with the police or the EC after elections were held in one of the two Tripura parliamentary constituencies in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls."The CEO on April 11 made a public statement that our general reports from all the observers are that it has been free and fair broadly," the letter stated.The BJP apprised the EC that 82.97 per cent of polling was recorded during the first phase of ongoing general elections when West Tripura constituency went to polls on April 11, thereby showing the ...
Militant killed in encounter with security forces in J-K's Baramulla
A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, an Army official said Saturday. The encounter took place at Watergam town in north Kashmir's Baramulla district. Some weapons and war-like stores were recovered from the site of the operation, the official said. The operation was over but the militant was yet to be identified, he said, adding that further details were awaited.
After a month, PM Modi will become ex-PM: Asaduddin Owaisi
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said on Friday that only one month is left for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to become an ex-Prime Minister. He slammed PM Modi and BJP for fielding Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur as Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal."Insha Allah only one month is left and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to become ex-Prime Minister," said Owaisi while addressing a public rally at Aurangabad on Friday."At every place Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his useless speeches has been reiterating that security issue has been resolved, terrorism has been controlled, but I ask the PM, BJP and NDA - which also includes Shiv Sena - why have they given a ticket to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur who allegedly planted a bomb near a mosque in Malegaon killing 6 innocent people and injuring hundreds," said Owaisi."Is this the proof of fight against terrorism? To give party ticket to someone who has charges of terrorism against her?" asked Owaisi.Pragya Thakur is among the
Wanted a PM who can attack Pakistan: Uddhav Thackeray on alliance with BJP
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that his party went into an alliance with the BJP because he wanted a Prime Minister who can attack Pakistan."Shiv Sena wanted a Prime Minister who can attack Pakistan and so we went into an alliance with BJP," said Thackeray while addressing a public rally in Aurangabad.Slamming the Congress party on its stance on Article 370, he said, "All laws in Kashmir should be on par with the rest of India. Congress does not want to abolish Article 370, while leaders like Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have said that if Article 370 is abolished there will be no one to respect the tricolor."Thackeray also came down heavily on former JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar who is contesting on a CPI ticket from Begusarai in Bihar. "People like Kanhaiya Kumar preparing to enter Lok Sabha is very sad, he is a separatist," he said.Hitting out at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's statements on Shiv Sena's pre-poll pact with BJP, Thackeray said, "Sharad ..
I am being treated as an anti-national and a terrorist: Azam Khan
SP leader Azam Khan apparently got emotional and burst into tears while alleging that the administration is cracking down heavily on his acquaintances and supporters."I am being treated as if I am an anti-national or a traitor. They are treating me as if I am the biggest terrorist in this world. Had it been within the limits of their power, the administration would have openly killed me by firing a shot at me," said Azam Khan while addressing a public rally at Rampur on Friday."The three-day ban by Election Commission just ahead of the elections implies what they want to do. During the ban I cannot go anywhere, I cannot meet anyone, nor participate in rallies and public addresses," he said.Khan also alleged that "Rampur has been converted into a cantonment". "What kind of democracy is this, in Rampur the administration has unleashed a reign of terror. The locks of the houses of those who love me and carry my flag were broken and women of their families were misbehaved with," said ...
US Senator calls for impeachment trial against Trump
US Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has urged the House of Representatives to initiate an impeachment process against President Donald Trump for the "severity" of the revelations included in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report.
Egyptians vote in referendum to extend Sisi's rule
Egyptians start voting Saturday in a referendum that aims to cement the rule of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former coup leader presenting himself as a rock of stability in a turbulent region. Despite protests from rights groups, the three-day plebiscite is expected to approve sweeping constitutional changes that will extend Sisi's term until at least 2024 in the Arab world's largest state. Beyond that, the amendments would allow Sisi, 64, to run for another six-year term while boosting his control over the judiciary and giving the military even greater influence in political life. The referendum bucks the trend of the region's mini-Arab Spring, in which mass pro-democracy protests this month swept away veteran presidents in Algeria and Sudan. Sisi made his grab for power in the turbulent years after the original Arab Spring protests of 2011 toppled long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak, who was followed in office by Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Sisi overthrew Morsi in 2013 and ...
Trump speaks to Libya insurgent General Haftar
The White House said US President Donald Trump has spoken to Libyan eastern commander General Khalifa Haftar, whose forces are attacking the capital Tripoli.
Trump recognises Haftar role in fighting terrorism
US President Donald Trump has spoken with Libyan General Khalifa Haftar and praised him for his role in fighting terrorism, reports CNN.Trump "recognised Field Marshal Haftar's significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya's oil resources, and the two discussed a shared vision for Libya's transition to a stable, democratic political system," the White House said on Friday.In a phone call that took place on Monday, Trump, however, did not mention Haftar's frequent military offensive on Tripoli.However, earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said, "We have made clear that we oppose the military offensive by Khalifa Haftar's forces and urge the immediate halt to these military operations against the Libyan capital.""This unilateral military campaign against Tripoli is endangering civilians and undermining prospects for a better future for all Libyans," he added.More than 200 people have lost their lives and 913 have been wounded ever since clashes erupted in .
Pakistan FM to visit Japan
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will embark on a four-day visit to Japan on Sunday.During his visit, the minister is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with other dignitaries, reported Radio Pakistan.Foreign Office Spokesperson Muhammad Faisal, in a statement on Friday said that the Foreign Minister's visit will help further deepen our friendly ties and advance mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in diverse fields.This comes months after Qureshi had cancelled his scheduled visit of Japan amid tensions with India after the February 14 Pulwama attack, in which 44 CRPF personnel were killed.Japan condemned the attack for which the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist group had claimed responsibility. Japan also urged Pakistan to take stronger measures to counter terrorism.
Russia reacts to Mueller report, says 'no proven evidence'
Russia on Friday said that the redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report does not offer credible evidence that Russia meddled in the 2016 United States presidential election."The report contains no proven evidence that Russia allegedly interfered in the election process in the United States," Tass quoted Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying. "As before, we do not accept such charges."She also said that the latest version of the Mueller report "does contain nothing new". "All that information had been published by different sources and mass media earlier," Peskov stated.Peskov also said that these sort of documents directly influence the development of Russia-US relations.Kremlin remarks came a day after United States Attorney General William Barr released the 400-page report into possible collusion between President Donald Trump campaign and Russia.The 22-month long Mueller investigation saw around 500 witnesses being interviewed, while more than ...
Sickened by dishonest behaviour of President, his aides: Mitt Romney
Republican Senator Mitt Romney on Friday expressed dismay after reading the unredacted version of the Robert Mueller report, saying he is "sickened" by "dishonest" behaviour of President Donald Trump and his aides described in the report."I am sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President," Romney said in a statement posted on Twitter."I am also appalled that among other things, fellow citizens working in a campaign for the President welcomed help from Russia - including information that had been illegally obtained," he added..
Deve Gowda was a much better PM than Modi: HD Kumaraswamy
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday said that his father HD Deve Gowda's ten-month long tenure as the Prime Minister of India was much better than Prime Minister Narendra Modi's so far as far as the country's internal security is concerned.Kumaraswamy in an exclusive interview to ANI said that during the tenure of Deve Gowda as the Prime Minister, the country was peaceful as there was not even a single terror attack.Janata Dal-Secular supremo Deve Gowda was the Prime Minister of the country for less than a year from June 1, 1996, to April 21, 1997.When asked to comment if his father's month-long tenure was better than Prime Minister Modi's five-year government, he said: "Absolutely. You can go through the records to see what happened in Deve Gowda's 10 month government and five years under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi."Citing the relative calm situation in Jammu and Kashmir during the tenure of his father, Kumaraswamy said: "When my father was the Prime ...
Gowda is fighting on 7 seats, yet dreaming of becoming PM: BS Yeddyurappa
Taking a jibe at former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, BJP leader and former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa said that though Gowda's party is contesting only on a few seats in the state, he is nursing ambitions of becoming the Prime Minister of the country, or at least an advisor to the PM.Speaking exclusively to Smita Prakash of ANI, Yeddyurappa said: "Deve Gowda is fighting on 7 seats in Karnataka and has ambitions of becoming the Prime Minister or an advisor to the Prime Minister."Gowda had said in a recent interview that unlike BJP veteran LK Advani, he is not going to retire from active politics and that if Congress president Rahul Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister of the country, he will be sitting by his side.Of the 28 parliamentary constituencies in the state, Congress and JD(S) are contesting on 21 and 7 seats, respectively, as per a pre-poll arrangement.Expressing his confidence of BJP gaining a big victory at the polls, Yeddyurappa said: "Despite all the divisive ...
Nothing has changed, still in charge of North Korea talks team: Pompeo
A day after North Korea said that it no longer wanted to deal with him, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he will still lead the negotiations with Pyongyang."Nothing has changed. We will continue to work to negotiate, still in charge of the team. President (Donald) Trump's obviously in charge of the overall effort, but it will be my team," Pompeo told Hill.Threatening that the talks will become "lousy" if Pompeo leads them, a North Korea Foreign Ministry official on Thursday told State-run Korean Central News Agency that whenever Pompeo "pokes his nose in, talks between the two countries go wrong without any results even from the point close to success"."Therefore, even in the case of a possible resumption of the dialogue with the US, I wish our dialogue counterpart would be not Pompeo but [another] person who is more careful and mature in communicating with us," he said.The war of words between North Korea and Pompeo began last week when the later acknowledged that ...
US to continue negotiation with N.Korea: Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US will continue to work to negotiate with North Korea to achieve the Korean Peninsula denuclearization.
Democrats subpoena Mueller report amid calls for impeachment
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena Friday for special counsel Robert Mueller's full report as Democrats intensified their investigation of President Donald Trump, but leaders stopped short of liberal demands for impeachment proceedings. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has insisted on a methodical, step-by-step approach to the House's oversight of the Trump administration, and she refuses to consider impeachment without public support, including from Republicans, which seems unlikely. But in light of Mueller's findings, Democratic leaders are under mounting pressure from the party's rising stars, deep-pocketed donors and even a presidential contender to seize the moment as a jumping-off point for trying to remove Trump from office. Speaking Friday in Belfast as Pelosi wrapped up a congressional visit to Ireland, she declined to signal action beyond Congress' role as a check and balance for the White House. "Let me assure you that whatever the issue and challenge
Ex-US marine arrested for 'N.Korea embassy raid'
American authorities have arrested a former US Marine who is allegedly part of a group that raided North Korea's embassy in Madrid, reports say.
Libyans accuse France of backing Tripoli assault
Hundreds of "yellow vest" protesters on Friday demonstrated in Tripoli against an offensive by military strongman Khalifa Haftar on the Libyan capital and accused France of backing him. Wearing the trademark yellow vests of French anti-government demonstrators, they were among thousands of Libyans who flooded a central Tripoli square to rally in support of the internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). "We are surprised by France's conduct in the face of the Tripoli attack," read a sign held up by the demonstrators. Portraits of French President Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia were also carried by demonstrators or placed on the ground for people to trample them. Haftar is seen by his allies -- Egypt and the United Arab Emirates -- as a bulwark against Islamists who have gained a foothold in Libya after the 2011 uprising that ousted and killed dictator Muammar Gaddafi. "Other countries must stop interfering in Libyan affairs," Haifa ...