Page 900 - Politics

Saudi, UAE fear for Sudan interests post-Bashir: Analysts

With Sudan in turmoil following the ouster of their ally Omar al-Bashir, Gulf powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the UAE are following events closely as they seek to protect their interests, analysts say. Sudan plays a key role in the regional interests of Saudi Arabia and its allies, siding with Riyadh against Shiite Iran and providing troops in the Saudi-led coalition fighting in the Yemen war. And after weeks of silence on Sudan's political turmoil, Saudi Arabia and the UAE on Sunday released a lukewarm reaction to Bashir's toppling, calling for "stability" and a "peaceful transition". "Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are by nature averse to all popular movements or revolutions," said Karim Bitar, director of research at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs. "These are powers that largely privilege the status quo. They fear that any effervescence, any national protest movement, will lead to an oil slick -- that there will be contagion." Tens of thousands

BJP government's approval ratings drop by 12 points in a month: CVOTER-IANS tracker

The net approval rating of the Narendra Modi government has dropped 12 points between March 12 and April 12, according to the CVOTER-IANS tracker.

Democrat Buttigieg launches 2020 presidential bid

Democrat Pete Buttigieg, who is the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and is also openly gay, has announced that he was running for President in 2020 and proclaimed his hometowns revival was the answer to sceptics who ask how he has the "audacity" to see himself in the White House.

Edge-of-seat tussle to capture Western Maharashtra's Maratha belt

The prosperous, politically-dominant region of Western Maharashtra, which has seen a huge turmoil in recent weeks, is all set for edge-of-seat contest in its nine Lok Sabha constituencies here.

Halal ink: Muslim-majority Indonesia set for polls

Dipping their fingers in halal ink to prevent double voting, Indonesians cast their ballots Wednesday in a bitterly contested presidential election, with the main rival to incumbent Joko Widodo already threatening to challenge the result over voter-fraud claims. The Muslim-majority nation's biggest-ever polls -- with more than 190 million voters and 245,000 candidates vying for the presidency, parliament and local positions -- is largely a referendum on Widodo's infrastructure-driven bid to rev up Southeast Asia's largest economy. But, looming in the background, two decades of democratic gains are at risk of being eroded, analysts said, as the military creeps back into civilian life under Widodo, and his trailing rival Prabowo Subianto, a former general, eyes reforms that harken back to the Suharto dictatorship. If he loses, Subianto's camp has already warned it will challenge the results over voter-list irregularities. "It's high stakes in this election," said Evan Laksmana, a senior

Trump's re-election campaign raised more than $30mn

US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign has raised more than $30 million in the first fundraising quarter of 2019, a top official has confirmed

Bashir wanted to suppress protests by force, alleges military council

Former President Omar al-Bashir planned on suppressing protests here using military force, according to a spokesman from Sudan's transitional military council which is currently in power in the African nation."Al-Bashir's regime decided to suppress the protests by force - that made us interfere," Shams al-Din Kabashi Ibrahim said on Sunday.The transitional council was established for a period of two years after the military overthrew Bashir in a coup on Thursday.While the Sudanese Defence Minister, Awad Ibn Auf, was appointed as the head of the newly created body initially, he stepped down from power within 24 hours of taking the post.The state of emergency has since been lifted by the council, the current chief of which met with the leadership from the protester's side.The rallies in Sudan were initially triggered by the rise in bread prices. Calls for Bashir's resignation gained traction throughout the protest, with the former President resigning on Thursday.

Indiana Mayor joins US presidential race

Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old openly gay Mayor of South Bend, US state of Indiana, has officially announced his presidential bid.

Red Cross makes appeal for staff abducted in Syria

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is making an appeal over information about three staff members abducted in Syria more than five years ago.

Finland's Social Democrats win parliamentary elections

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) narrowly beat the right-wing Finns Party in the Finnish parliamentary elections.

Trump campaign to report USD 30 million haul

President Donald Trump's reelection campaign is set to report that it raised more than USD 30 million in the first quarter of 2019, edging out his top two Democratic rivals combined, according to figures it provided to The Associated Press. The haul brings the campaign's cash on hand to USD 40.8 million, an unprecedented war chest for an incumbent president this early in a campaign. The Trump campaign said nearly 99 per cent of its donations were of USD 200 or less, with an average donation of USD 34.26. Trump's fundraising ability was matched by the Republican National Committee, which brought in USD 45.8 million in the first quarter its best non-election year total. Combined, the pro-Trump effort is reporting USD 82 million in the bank, with USD 40.8 million belonging to the campaign alone. Trump formally launched his reelection effort just hours after taking office in 2017, earlier than any incumbent has in prior years. By contrast, former President Barack Obama launched his 2012 .

TDP cadre vandalise YSRCP office following attack on their leader

Leaders of Telugu Nadu Students Federation (TNSF), the youth wing of TDP on Sunday vandalised YSRCP's party office here after their district president Tirumala Naidu was allegedly attacked with iron rods.TNSF leaders and workers went to YSRCP's Nellore rural party office and staged a protest. They also tore down the YSRCP party boards and flexies of party chief Jaganmohan Reddy.TNSF alleged that YSRCP MLA Sridhar Reddy is responsible for the attack on Naidu.Later, the police reached the spot and detained TNSF leaders.Naidu is currently in the hospital and is undergoing treatment after suffering "critical injuries" on his head and hand.Earlier on April 11 polling in Andhra Pradesh was marred with violence, as multiple clashes broke out between workers of Telugu Desam Party and YSRCP across the state.Polling was held on Thursday for 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh.

Iran summons French ambassador over tweet on sanctions

Iran on Sunday (local time) summoned the French ambassador Philippe Thiebaud over his colleague's tweets regarding the possible re-imposition of sanctions on the Middle-Eastern country upon the expiry of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2025.The tweet in question was posted by France's Ambassador to the US, Gerard Araud, according to Sputnik.Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the statement, labeling it as "unacceptable," accusing the diplomat of an "open violation" of the JCPOA.The deal, also referred to as the Iran Nuclear Deal, was clinched in 2015 by Iran, USA, Russia, France, China, UK, Germany, and the European Union.Tehran limited its enrichment capacities, opening its sites to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in exchange for sanctions being lifted.The United States re-instated sanctions against Iran after exiting from the accord after US President Donald Trump took office following the 2016 Presidential elections.

Ecuador president defends Assange asylum withdrawal

Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno on Sunday defended his decision to overturn Julian Assange's asylum status, claiming in an interview with the Guardian newspaper that the WikiLeaks founder had tried to set up a "centre for spying" in Ecuador's London embassy. "It is unfortunate that, from our territory and with the permission of authorities of the previous government, facilities have been provided within the Ecuadoran embassy in London to interfere in processes of other states," Moreno said. "We cannot allow our house, the house that opened its doors, to become a centre for spying," added Moreno, who was elected in 2017. "Our decision is not arbitrary but is based on international law," he said. The WikiLeaks founder is in custody in London awaiting sentencing for breaching his British bail conditions in 2012 by seeking refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden. Earlier Sunday, Assange's lawyer said his client would cooperate with Swedish authorities if they ...

Finland's Social Democrats win slim victory as far right surges

Finland's leftist Social Democrats won a razor-thin victory in Sunday's general election, holding off the far-right Finns Party which surged on an anti-immigration agenda. With 100 per cent of ballots counted, the Social Democrats, led by 56-year-old former trade union boss Antti Rinne, picked up 40 seats in parliament, after campaigning on a ticket of fierce opposition to the austerity imposed by the previous centre-right government of Prime Minister Juha Sipila. Meanwhile the Finns Party, which won 39 seats, had focused almost entirely on an anti-immigration agenda under the leadership of hardline MEP Jussi Halla-aho, who also decried the "climate hysteria" of the other parties. Only 0.2 percentage points separated the two parties -- in a heavily splintered political landscape where the Social Democrats were the biggest party with 17.7 per cent of votes. They will head a government for the first time in 16 years, though it has been a junior coalition member since then. The Finns ...

US congratulates new Palestinian government

The United States congratulated the new Palestinian government Sunday, a day after incoming prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced his new cabinet alongside president Mahmud Abbas -- leaving out the Islamist movement Hamas. "Congratulations to the new Palestinian Authority Cabinet," tweeted Jason Greenblatt, assistant to US President Donald Trump and special representative for international negotiations. "With the experience of those on the list, we hope we will be able to work together toward peace and improving Palestinian lives. It's time for a new chapter." Several key positions were unchanged from the previous administration of Rami Hamdallah. Analysts say the change of government was made to further isolate Hamas, which has been at odds with the Fatah party of Abbas and Shtayyeh for more than a decade. They say 84-year-old Abbas, in power since 2005, retains the real decision-making authority. In a statement late Saturday, Abbas confirmed the new government and welcomed the .

Gay mayor from 'Rust Belt' America launches presidential bid

Pete Buttigieg, the gay, liberal mayor of a small American city in the conservative bastion of Indiana, officially launched his presidential bid Sunday, joining a crowded field of Democrats vying for their party's nomination in 2020. The 37-year-old Rhodes scholar and Afghanistan war veteran is the two-term mayor of his hometown of South Bend -- a left-leaning bubble in America's so-called "Rust Belt" region, where the decline of industries such as steel and automobile manufacturing has hurt local economies. Voters in states such as Michigan and Wisconsin helped hand Republican US President Donald Trump his victory in the 2016 election. Buttigieg, who is credited with helping turn South Bend around, has couched himself as a can-do reformer who can speak to voters across the political spectrum. The message has helped catapult him from relative obscurity to becoming one of the leading Democrats in the crowded presidential race. "My name is Pete Buttigieg. They call me 'Mayor Pete.' I'm .

Western nations urge dialogue over civilian rule in Sudan

The United States, Britain and Norway said Sunday it was time for Sudan's military rulers and other parties to hold talks over the country's transition to civilian rule. The three countries said Sudan's new ruling transitional military council had pledged to transfer power to a civilian government, but the "legitimate change" that the Sudanese people demand had still not happened. "It is time for the transitional military council and all other parties to enter into an inclusive dialogue to effect a transition to civilian rule," the embassies of the three countries said in a statement. "This must be done credibly and swiftly, with protest leaders, political opposition, civil society organisations, and all relevant elements of society, including women." The three countries also insisted that the continuing peaceful protests "must not be met with violence from any quarter". "Sudan needs an orderly transition to civilian rule leading to elections in a reasonable time frame." The three ...

Finnish Social Democrats declare razor-thin election win

Finland's Social Democratic Party declared a narrow victory in Sunday's general election after the party scraped a lead of just 0.1 per cent over the far-right Finns Party with 98 per cent of votes counted. "For the first time since 1999, the Social Democratic Party is the party of the prime minister," leader Antti Rinne told supporters. The Social Democrats picked up 40 seats in parliament, one more than the Finns Party.

Social Democrats hold razor-thin lead over far-right in Finnish vote

Finland's leftist Social Democrats held a razor-thin lead over the far-right Finns Party in Sunday's general election with 93.1 per cent of votes counted. The close result -- with just a 0.2 per cent share of the vote separating the two parties -- will make negotiations to form the next coalition government particularly fraught. The Social Democrats led by 56-year-old former trade union boss Antti Rinne picked up 40 seats after campaigning on a ticket of fierce opposition to the austerity imposed by the previous centre-right government. The Finns Party, which won 39 seats, meanwhile focused almost entirely on an anti-immigration agenda, under the leadership of hardline MEP Jussi Halla-aho, who also decried the "climate hysteria" of the other parties. A first-place spot would put the Social Democrats at the head of the government for the first time in 16 years. The Finns Party has seen a surge in support in recent months, urging people to "Vote for some borders", and pledging to reduce