Page 884 - Politics
German government plane blocks runway at Berlin airport
A German government plane with no passengers on board was blocking the runway after a rough landing at one of Berlin's airports on Tuesday, forcing authorities to divert other aircraft during the busy Easter travel season. The German air force, which operates the government fleet, said both wings of the Bombardier Global 5000 jet touched the runway as it landed at Schoenefeld airport after turning back because of a malfunction. It said the crew was undergoing medical checks. The plane had been at Schoenefeld for maintenance and was headed back to its base in Cologne. The city's airport operator tweeted that flights headed for Schoenefeld were being diverted because of an "inoperative aircraft on the runway." Check-in was suspended. Schoenefeld is one of two Cold War-era airports that serve the German capital ahead of the long-delayed opening of a new airport, currently scheduled for October next year. The German government's fleet of 14 aircraft has become increasingly notorious for ..
Arjun Munda, Subodhkant Sahay file nominations
Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and senior BJP leader Arjun Munda, and former Union Minister Subodhkant Sahay filed their nomination papers on Tuesday.
India trying to make Kashmir jails a Guantanamo: Mehbooba
Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti alleged on Tuesday that the Indian government was trying to convert prisons in Jammu and Kashmir into a Guantanamo bay.
Former bureaucrats write to Prez expressing concern over attempts to 'discredit' EC
A group of former civil servants, defence personnel, judges and academicians wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind Tuesday, expressing concerns over alleged attempts being made by certain groups to "discredit" the Election Commission by casting aspersions on its neutrality. The letter, signed by nearly 80 former civil servants, defence officers, judges, academicians and professionals, said "slurs" are being levelled against the poll body and doubts are being raised on its ability to hold free and fair elections. Among those who signed the letter included former Delhi Police commissioner R S Gupta, Air Marshal (retd) R C Bajpai, former diplomat Ashok Kumar, Lt. Gen. A K Sahni. The letter was in response to an earlier plea made by a group of former civil servants expressing concern over the credibility and functioning of the Election Commission for failing to deal with alleged cases of poll violations, particulary those involving the ruling party. "We have come to express concerns over ...
Jagan accuses AP CM of "misusing" office
Accusing Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of "misusing" his office, YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Tuesday sought the Governor's intervention to stop the "growing attacks" on his party cadre, "misuse" of state funds and to protect EVMs. "We have lodged a complaint with Governor ESL Narasimhan that Chandrababu Naidu, who has appointed his own henchmen in crucial places to help TDP in all ways during the elections and post poll violence and sought his intervention to put the issue under check," Reddy told reporters at Raj Bhavan here after submitting a memorandum to the Governor. "There are many instances of violence which is still unabated and attacks on YSRCP cadre are on the rise as Chandrababu Naidu has given out-of-turn promotions belonging to his community to target the Opposition Party and its sympathisers," he said. He demanded that strong rooms where EVMs were stored at various places be guarded by para-military forces, citing an ...
SBSP to go it alone for LS polls; announces 39 candidates for UP
The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Tuesday announced it will go alone in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls in the state and released a list of 39 candidates. Several round of talks were held with Bharatiya Janata Party leaders for an understanding for the Lok Sabha elections but to no avail, hence we decided to field our own candidates, Minister for Backward Class Welfare and Divyangjan Empowerment in the Yogi Adityanath Government Om Prakash Rajbhar told newspersons here. "BJP asked me to contest the Ghosi seat on 'kamal' (BJP) symbol which I declined," Rajbhar said. "Be it Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samajwadi Party, Congress or BJP, none have given representation to the people belonging to our caste. For the honour of members of my backward and deprived people, the party today announced 39 candidates for the seats which go to polls in the fifth, sixth and seventh phases," he said. The SBSP leader claimed that in the first phase of polling .
Those who voted for BJP in 2014 feeling deceived: Congress
Congress national general secretary Avinash Pandey Tuesday claimed people who voted the BJP to power in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls are "feeling deceived" after five years of the saffron party's rule. Addressing a press conference here, Pandey said, "The BJP leaders are not ready to answer how many promises have they fulfilled in the last five years." "They are diverting the attention of the people by highlighting the issue of nationalism and military action to hide their failure," he added. "People who voted the BJP with a majority at the Centre five years ago are now feeling deceived," he said further. Pandey, who is also the party's state in-charge for elections, stressed that people of the country have always remained committed towards nationalism but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is whipping up the issue of air strikes in Pakistan to hide his failures. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre has failed to provide 10 crore jobs, eliminate corruption and terrorism
Sushil Modi to file defamation case against Rahul
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday said that he will file a defamation case against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his reported statement that "all thieves have Modi in their surnames".
Notification for Ph 6 of LS polls issued
The Election Commission Tuesday issued notification for the sixth and penultimate phase of Lok Sabha elections to be held on May 12 in 59 seats across seven states. The seven-phase elections began on April 11 and will end on May 19. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal will head for voting in all the seven phases of the general elections. All the seven seats in Delhi will also go for polling in the sixth phase. Amid sparring between Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Aam Admi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Twitter, sources claimed the two sides were "engaged" in taking the alliance talks forward and are likely to meet again on Wednesday over seat sharing between the two. The Congress chief said his party is willing to give four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to the AAP to ensure that their alliance defeats the BJP, which had won all the seven seats in 2014. The Congress has offered the AAP 4:3 seat-sharing formula, four Lok Sabha seats for the ruling party and three seats ..
Rajnath leads roadshow on way to file nomination for LS polls
Hazratganj, one of the arterial roads here in the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, sported a floral look on Tuesday as BJP supporters showered flower petals on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh as he led a roadshow on his way to file nomination papers for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. Seeking a second term in the Lok Sabha from Lucknow, Singh, who was accompanied by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in a special vehicle, stopped to offer prayers at the Dakshinmukhi Hanuman temple in Hazratganj, before the procession moved on. The home minister also offered prayers at the famous Hanuman Setu temple here before embarking on the roadshow. Addressing the party workers at the state BJP headquarters here before the roadshow, Singh said, "India has surged ahead under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the entire world has acknowledged the fact that Modi has done wonders to help the country attain great heights. I have toured 10 states and the attraction towards Modi is
Ignoring Modi, BJP follows 'naamdar' route in Goa
Far away from the 'naamdar' versus 'kamdaar' debate initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Delhi durbar, extolling the virtues of labour over lineage, in tiny Goa, the BJP appears to have developed a weakness for the latter of late.
Aus PM rejects idea of setting up charitable fund to rebuild Notre Dame cathedral
The Australian government on Tuesday rejected the idea of setting up a charitable fund for those who want to help rebuild the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris after a devastating fire raged through the iconic 12th century church. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday said "It's a pretty special place and to see it in flames today was just really sad. Paris is an eternal city and it will rebuild and it will restore." However, he dismissed a suggestion by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull that the government should set a charitable fund for people who wanted to donate to Notre Dame restoration efforts. "I'm sure that President Macron is able to deal with this as is the Catholic Church and, if individual Australians want to do something, well, it's a free country - they can do whatever they like," he said here, adding "We're not making a government fund." Turnbull had said there was precedent for establishing a charitable fund, along with a possible direct government ...
NZ criticizes Red Cross for naming nurse held by IS
New Zealand on Tuesday criticised the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for disclosing the identity of a nurse abducted by the Islamic State (IS) terror group in 2013 in Syria.
In TN, when power snaps at night, it rains cash
Despite the summer heat soaring in Tamil Nadu, some people are praying for man-made power cuts at night -- so that contestants can stealthily hand over cash to voters.
Kabul announces list of 250 Afghans for talks with Taliban
Kabul has announced a list of 250 people including around 50 women who are headed for Qatar for talks with the Taliban later this week, a gathering known as intra-Afghan dialogue. The list was released by the government on Tuesday although the Taliban have refused to talk directly with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government, saying they would recognize participants only as "ordinary" Afghans. The talks are due to start Friday. The government's list includes representatives of political parties, government officials, opposition figures, former warlords, women's rights activists, war victims' families, clerics, youth and media groups, as well as tribal elders and members of the independent High Peace Council. The Qatar gathering could mark a significant step toward finding an end to Afghanistan's protracted war and U.S. troop withdrawal.
4 of 44 MPs in LS polls 2nd phase asked no question
According to an official data, only four of the 44 sitting candidates contesting in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections had asked zero questions in the Parliament, including Janata Dal (Secular)'s H.D. Devegowda.
Doe it behove Rahul to label all Modis as thieves: PM in Korba
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday slammed Rahul Gandhi for calling "all Modis" thieves, adding such a language does not behove the Congress chief. Such type of language does not behove the Congress leader, Modi said, addressing a poll rally here in Chhattisgarh. "I have a question. Why all the thieves have Modi in their names whether be it Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Narendra Modi? We don't know how many more such Modis will come out," Gandhi had said, attacking the PM over alleged corruption. "Is this the language to be used," Modi said, targeting Gandhi. Modi also accused the Congress of being "hand in glove with not only naxals but also with those who want to to break India". The Congress poll manifesto will give an open license to those who misguide peaceful tribals in forests, Modi said referring to naxals. The Congress' panja (palm) wants our armed forces to be stripped of their special powers and weaken them, Modi said. "Will you allow the Congress to compromise
Articles 35A, 370 required to be scrapped: Santosh Hegde
Retired Supreme Court judge N Santosh Hegde Tuesday said Articles 35A and 370, giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir, are required to be scrapped as they run counter to the rights of other states. He said in 1948 when the Maharaja of Kashmir agreed to merge the state of Kashmir with India, certain assurances were given to the people by introducing Article 35A and Article 370 of the Constitution. Though the wording of this looks like the assurance is "permanent", in the background in which it was given and the consequential things that have happened in the nation indicate it's not possible to continue these articles because if Kashmir is an integral part of India, it can't have a separate status compared to other states, Hegde said. "So, in today's context both the articles are causing a lot of problems for the country as a whole", the former Solicitor General of India told PTI in an interview. "So, I don't think it's possible to continue that article". He said ...
Taiwan president denounces Chinese military 'coercion'
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen says Chinese attempts at what she calls military coercion only strengthen the resolve of the self-governing island republic to defend itself. Tsai's comments Tuesday follow what the island's defense ministry called a major foray by Chinese military planes into airspace just south of the island on Monday. That included bombers, fighter jets, and early warning and control aircraft. Tsai told a security forum in Taipei that such actions "only serve to strengthen our resolve." China's ruling Communist Party considers Taiwan its own territory, although it has never governed the island, which split from the mainland amid civil war in 1949. Beijing cut ties with Tsai's government following her 2016 election and has been stepping up military threats and efforts to isolate Taipei diplomatically.
Merkel told Netanyahu to consider two-state solution to solve Israel-Palestine conflict
There is a need for a two-state solution to resolve the Israel- Palestinian conflict, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.According to The Times of Israel, Merkel in a telephonic conversation with Netanyahu, congratulated him on his recent win in the election and apprised him with the relevance of a two-state solution, which she said should be the goal of his international efforts.She also invited Netanyahu to visit Berlin.Merkel's remarks appear to be in stark contrast with the Israel Prime Minister's intention as Netanyahu had earlier vowed to annex settlements in the occupied West Bank if he wins the elections."I am going to apply Israeli sovereignty, but I do not distinguish between settlement blocs and isolated settlements. From my perspective, each of those settlement points is Israeli. We have the responsibility [for them] as the government of Israel. I do not uproot any, and I will not transfer them to the sovereignty of the .