Page 844 - Politics
Egypt: Opposition urges people to reject Sisi amendment
A coalition of opposition political parties in Egypt on Thursday urged voters to reject proposed constitutional amendments that could allow President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to stay in power till 2030."We want people to go and say no," Al Jazeera quoted Abdel-Aziz al-Husseini of the Karam party, as saying.The Civil Democratic Movement, including liberal and left-leaning parties, called the amendments an "assault on democracy".The three-day referendum will begin on Saturday.According to the constitution of Egypt, the president can contest for a maximum for two terms in which each term varies from four to six years.Khaled Dawood, an opposition leader and former head of the liberal Dostour, or Constitution Party, said if the referendum passes, "our dream and hope to have a president who is elected once every two terms will come to an end"."Unfortunately, the Egyptian regime is not learning the lessons of 2011 revolution or experiences in Algeria and Sudan," he said.Political analysts have ..
Srinagar: Several cops including 2 DySPs injured in stone pelting on polling day
Two Deputy Superintendents of Police and several other cops sustained injuries on Thursday when miscreants started pelting stones even as polling was underway in Srinagar Lok Sabha seat."As polling for Srinagar parliamentary constituency was going on today, several incidents of stone pelting on security forces and polling staff were reported. During the election process, security forces came under severe stone pelting from miscreants who had congregated at various places," a state government press release said."However security forces while dealing with such hostile stone pelting mobs exercised utmost restraint. Consequently, several police and security force personnel including 2 DySPs and several other cops got injured today," it stated.According to the press release, in another incident of stone pelting, a civilian driver identified as Mohammad Yaseen Dar aged 22 years also sustained critical injuries on his head in Hyderpora."Security forces exercised utmost restraint while ...
Mali's prime minister, cabinet resigns
Just months before the presidential elections, Mali's Prime Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga and his cabinet resigned on Friday.Maiga "presented to the president his resignation along with that of the members of his government," France 24 has quoted president's office as saying.President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has reportedly accepted Maiga's decision to quit.This comes a month after a horrific massacre of Fulani community members carried out by the Dogon ethnic group in which nearly 160 people were killed.Maiga is vice-chairman of the ruling Rally for Mali (RPM), which Keita founded.
Malian PM resigns as anger mounts over massacre
Mali's prime minister resigned along with his entire government on Thursday following criticism over their handling of an upsurge of violence in the centre of the country and a massacre last month that left 160 people dead. A statement from President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's office said he had accepted Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga's resignation, along with those of his ministers, two weeks after mass protests erupted over the rising tide of violence. Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties had submitted a motion of no confidence against the government on Wednesday, blaming Maiga and his administration for failing to clamp down on the unrest. "A prime minister will be named very soon and a new government will be put in place after consultations with all political forces" from both the ruling and opposition sides, the statement from Keita's office said. The president had on Tuesday said in a televised address that he had "heard the anger", without explicitly naming the prime ...
Pakistan: In major cabinet reshuffle, portfolios of several ministers changed
Announcing his first major cabinet reshuffle after taking office, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday brought in five new aides and changed the portfolios of four ministers, including that of Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who has now been assigned Science and Technology ministry.Chaudhry will be replaced by Firdous Ashiq Awan, an erstwhile Pakistan People's Party (PPP) stalwart who switched to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in May 2017.Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, former finance minister in the PPP government from 2010 to 2013, has been appointed Advisor Finance. He will replace Asad Umar, who resigned hours before the announcement of the reshuffle, saying Imran Khan offered him energy ministry but he did not want it.Moreover, a loyalist of former President General Pervez Musharraf and ex-spymaster Brig Ijaz Ahmed Shah, whose appointment last month as Parliamentary Affairs minister came as a big surprise, has been chosen as federal interior minister. Notably, the portfolio was .
Congress put Sadhvi behind bars only to target BJP: Pralhad Joshi
Senior BJP leader Pralhad Joshi said on Thursday that Congress put Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur behind bars only to target Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological organisations.Speaking to ANI, Joshi said, "Only to target the BJP and its ideological organisations, they (Congress) blamed Sadhvi and put her behind bars for years. Subsequently, the court discharged her. "Joshi, who is seeking a re-election from Dharwad constituency for the fourth time, said that "coining of the term 'Hindu terrorism' is the greatest setback for India". "Hindus cannot become terrorists; they did not know that, or they may know it for political reasons," he said.BJP has fielded Thakur against Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat. Thakur is among the seven accused facing trial in Malegaon blast case, wherein six people were killed and a dozen others were injured when a bomb placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra's Malegaon on September 29, 2008.When asked about Congress ...
K'tka: BJP alleges mass deletion of voters' names from list, writes to EC
BJP's Karnataka unit on Thursday wrote to the Election Commission over alleged "mass indiscriminate deletion of voters' names from the voters list" in the state.The party alleged that some officials are working as agents of ruling coalition government of JD(S) and Congress.In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer, the BJP said: "The officials have purposefully and deliberately deleted names without any reason, just to render undue official favour to the ruling coalition party."Claiming that names have been deleted despite people residing on the same address, the Bharatiya Janata Party in its letter demanded strict action against erring officials: "This is nothing but dereliction of duty by the concerned officials. If strict action is not taken against such biased officials, we can't expect fair and free election from the Election Commission."The letter further stated that such deletions were reported to the Election Commission during the Vidhan Sabha elections too but no action was .
Not going to retire; will be by Rahul's side when he becomes PM: Deve Gowda
Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda has said that unlike BJP veteran LK Advani, he is not going to retire from active politics, and that if Rahul Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister of the country, he will be by his side.Talking about his decision to contest the Lok Sabha polls, Deve Gowda said, "I announced three years back that I will not contest elections. There are circumstances now in which I have been forced to contest. There is nothing to hide. I have no ambition of anything but what I always said is that I am not going to retire from active politics."Deve Gowda is contesting from Karnataka's Tumkur parliamentary constituency against GS Basvaraj of BJP.When asked if he wants to retire like Advani, he replied with an emphatic 'no', adding, "I want to save my party first and last the office building."Commenting on his son and Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's statement that there is a possibility that Deve Gowda might become the Prime Minister as a ...
US Justice Dept to release less redacted version of Mueller's report
Hours after releasing the redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, United States Justice Department on Thursday announced that it will provide access to a less edited version of the report to specific members of the House and Senate from April 22.According to CNN, the department will provide a secure reading room available for lawmakers and their staff between April 22 to 26 from 10 to 5 pm.However, this version will also have redactions for the grand jury information, but the other categories of information will remain unchanged.This comes in the wake of protests by several Democrats asking Attorney General William Barr to release an unredacted version of the report.The 22-month long investigation into the alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 Presidential election was unable to clear Trump in the matter, stating that the President's action and intent "present difficult issues that prevent us from conclusively determining that no criminal conduct occurred", ...
Stark differences between Mueller and Barr's conclusions, say Pelosi and Schumer
Hours after the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said that there were "stark" differences between what Attorney General William Barr and Robert Mueller have said."Barr presented a conclusion that the President did not obstruct justice while Mueller's report appears to undercut that finding," said Pelosi and Schumer, in a joint statement.According to CNN, several Democrats are also demanding the release of the unredacted version of the report."It's clear AG Barr is acting as Trump's (US President Donald) personal attorney, not America's," Pelosi wrote on Twitter, adding, "Our country demands and deserves full transparency. That is why we must hear directly from Mueller. #MuellerReport."Jerrold Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, requested that Mueller testify to panel "no later than May 23".Adam Schiff, chairman Democratic House Intelligence Committee, said Mueller has ...
Qatari official: Afghan talks postponed indefinitely
A first round of Afghan-to-Afghan peace talks that would have seen Taliban and government officials sit together for the first time were postponed indefinitely after a falling out over who should attend. Sultan Barakat, director of Qatar's Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, the organisation sponsoring the talks, tweeted news of the postponement on Thursday, saying "this is unfortunately necessary to further build consensus as to who should participate in the conference." The talks scheduled for Friday between Afghan and Taliban representatives were considered a significant first step toward finding a negotiated end to the war in Afghanistan and the eventual withdrawal of the US troops, which would end America's longest war. The senior official said negotiations went awry after President Ashraf Ghani opposed a list of participants announced by Barakat's organisation. A list of 243 people was announced by Qatar on Thursday. That list differed from Ghani's list of 250 people, .
US, Russia thwart progress on UN call for Libya ceasefire: diplomats
A British bid at the UN Security Council to demand a ceasefire in Libya faced opposition from Russia and the United States, raising doubts about prospects for a draft resolution to halt the bloodshed in Tripoli, diplomats said. Britain put forward the measure after forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive on April 4 to seize Tripoli, a move that threatened to plunge the north African country into deep turmoil. During a closed-door council meeting on Thursday, Russia again insisted that there be no references in the draft resolution criticising Haftar while the United States appealed for more time to weigh its options, diplomats said. The divisions among world powers deepened as fighting escalated in Tripoli, with the death toll now reaching over 200, while more than 25,000 people have been driven from their homes. "We want to have this resolution," German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen told reporters after the meeting. "We want to have a strong resolution... with a united ...
France denies Libya's 'unfounded' claim that it supports warlord
France on Thursday rejected Libya's "completely unfounded" accusation that it has been supporting strongman Khalifa Haftar, whose forces have launched an assault on Tripoli. The interior ministry of Libya's internationally recognised government earlier Thursday accused France of actively supporting warlord Haftar and his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA). "Tripoli's claim of support and diplomatic cover for Haftar are completely unfounded," a French foreign ministry official said. "France supports the legitimate government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and the mediation of the UN towards an inclusive political solution in Libya," the French presidency said in a statement. Libya's Interior Minister Fathi Bach Agha has ordered the "suspension of all relations between the ministry and the French side... due to the position of the French government in support of the criminal Haftar", the interior ministry in Tripoli said. "These are disappointing statements," the French interior .
Stay away from Indian elections, we don't need your advice: Ram Madhav on Imran Khan
Backing Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's theory that Congress might be plotting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Thursday said it would be "better that Imran Khan keeps off Indian elections".Speaking to ANI, Madhav said: "Who will be the prime minister of India will be decided by the people of India. We are wise enough; we don't need advisers from across the border. When we come back to power, we know how to deal with our neighbours. We don't need advisers or suggestions from across the border."Sitharaman had told ANI that she believes that Khan's statement on peace talks between the neighbours and resolution to the Kashmir issue would be a possibility if BJP is voted back to power, as merely a ploy by the Congress to oust PM Modi-led government.Earlier, Khan had reportedly said that "there might be a better chance of peace talks with India if Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins the upcoming elections".Responding to a question on whether .
Mehbooba concerned only about terrorists, criticism of Sadhvi meaningless: Ram Madhav
Lashing out at former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for opposing the candidature of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP's general secretary Ram Madhav on Thursday said the PDP chief is only "concerned about terrorists and militants and not the citizens of the country"."There are certain laws that guide the process for who can file nomination. The EC will continue to look into these matters and nobody can just go and ask for a person to be banned from contesting election," Madhav told ANI."People like Mehbooba Mufti, have concerns only for terrorists and militants, not for citizens of the country. You can see how much she is bothered about how terrorists are treated. Such people's criticism has no meaning," he added.The BJP on Wednesday announced fielding Thakur, who is facing trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, from the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat. Congress has fielded Digvijaya Singh from the constituency.Madhav further called Thakur an apt challenger for her opponent and .
Pak army says India should accept no surgical strike happened in 2016
Pakistan Army took a jibe at India on Thursday after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj acknowledged that no civilian or soldier was killed in the Balakot attack, saying New Delhi should also take back its claim about the shooting down of a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet and the 2016 surgical strike. The statement by army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor came hours after Swaraj said that no Pakistani soldier or civilian died in the air strike on a terror camp at Balakot in Pakistan in February. "Hopefully, so will be about other false Indian claims i.e. surgical strike 2016, denial of shooting down of 2 IAF jets by PAF and claim about F16. Better late than never," Ghafoor said in a twet. Pakistan has denied that the Indian Air Force jets attacked terrorists in Balakot. In Ahmedabad, addressing BJP's women workers, Swaraj said that the Indian military was given a "free hand" in the operation but was clearly told that no Pakistani civilian should be killed and also there be "not ...
Russia meddling probe says no Putin-Trump conspiracy
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Moscow's interference in 2016 elections did "not establish that members of the (US President Donald) Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities" but left enough ammunition for Democrats to pursue charges that the president tried to interfered with it.
'Confused' by CPI(M)-Cong ploy, EC deferred Tripura poll: BJP
A day after the Election Commission postponed voting in BJP-ruled Tripura citing law and order problem, the saffron party Thursday claimed that the poll panel was 'confused' by a conspiracy hatched by the CPI(M) and the Congress. This 'confusion' also led the EC to remove the state's Additional Director General of Police Rajiv Singh from duty, senior BJP leader and state Law minister Ratan Lal Nath said. The EC Tuesday announced postponing voting in the Tripura (East) Lok Sabha seat to the third phase on April 23 from April 18, saying the prevailing law-and-order situation there is not conducive for holding free and fair poll. After postponing the election, the EC transferred ADGP (Law and Order) Rajiv Singh. Earlier in the day, the CPI(M) alleged that the ruling BJP in the state resorted to "massive rigging" in West Tripura Lok Sabha seat during the first phase elections on April 11. The Congress too had alleged that election was blatantly rigged at West Tripura Lok ...
EC seeks report from WB poll officer on alleged biopic of Mamata Banerjee
The Election Commission has sought a report from the West Bengal chief electoral officer on an alleged biopic on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The biopic titled -- ''Baghini'' -- is slated to release on May 3. The BJP had approached the poll panel seeking a ban on the release of the movie till the election process is over. The BJP has also asked the poll body to review the alleged biopic on the Trinamool Congress supremo. The last of the seven phases of the Lok Sabha election will be held on May 19 and counting will be done on May 23.
SP, BSP caused immense damage to UP: Rahul
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), saying they are scared of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they caused immense damage to the state during their rule.