Page 901 - Politics
Arab League backs Sudan military council's political transition plan
The Arab League (AL) has expressed its support for the "important steps" announced by Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) to reach a political transition in the country, the AL said in a statement.
Sudan military ruler appoints new intelligence chief: Spokesman
Sudan's military ruler on Sunday appointed a new chief for the country's powerful National Intelligence and Security Service after the agency's former head resigned, a spokesman said. "The chief of the military council appointed Lieutenant General Abu Baker Mustafa as the chief of the National Intelligence and Security Service," Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi told reporters.
Finland's leftists lead with half of votes counted
Early results in Finland's general election on Sunday showed a lead for the leftist Social Democrats, while the current prime minister said his Centre Party was the night's "biggest loser". The Social Democrats were credited with 18.9 per cent of votes after 47.3 per cent of ballots were counted, ahead of the conservative National Coalition at 16.6 per cent. The Social Democrats, led by 56-year-old former trade union boss Antti Rinne, campaigned against the steep cost-cutting of Centre Party Prime Minister Juha Sipila and his Finance Minister Petteri Orpo -- leader of the conservative National Coalition Party. "For the first time in a long, long time the Social Democrats are in first place," Rinne told reporters at the Finnish parliament. A first-place spot would put the Social Democrats at the head of the government for the first time in 16 years. The right-wing Finns Party was almost neck-and-neck in third place with PM Sipila's Centre Party, at around 15 per cent. The Finns Party, .
Sudan ruler sacks Khartoum envoy to Washington: Spokesman
Sudan's ruling military council on Sunday said it has decided to sack Khartoum's ambassador to Washington, Mohamed Ata, a former chief of the feared National Intelligence and Security Service. "The military council has decided to sack Sudan's ambassador to Washington, Mohamed Ata," the council's spokesman, Lieutenant General Shamselddine Kabbashi, told reporters.
My part in defeating Digvijaya already done: Uma Bharti
BJP leader and Union Minister Uma Bharti, whose name has been mentioned as a probable against senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal, on Sunday said she had already done her part in dislodging him from power and now the city's people would defeat him.
Goa Congress questions Modi's return to power
"The Chief Minister's statement has expressed lack of confidence about Modi coming back to power as the Prime Minister," D'Mello told reporters.
Sudan protesters demand 'immediate' civilian rule
Sudanese protesters on Sunday demanded the country's military rulers "immediately" hand power over to a civilian government that should then bring ousted leader Omar al-Bashir to justice. Thousands remained encamped outside Khartoum's army headquarters to keep up pressure on a military council that took power after ousting Bashir on Thursday. On Sunday the organisation which spearheaded the protests against Bashir, the Sudanese Professionals Association, called on the military council "to immediately transfer power to a civilian government". The SPA also demanded the next "transitional government and the armed forces to bring Bashir and all the chiefs of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS)... to justice". "The Sudanese Professionals Association calls on its supporters to continue with the sit-in until the revolution achieves its demands," it added. Earlier the military council met with political parties and urged them to agree on an "independent figure" to be the ...
Left, Cong allege rigging in Tripura; BJP rubbishes charge
The opposition Left Front and the Congress on Sunday alleged "blatant rigging" during the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Tripura, and appealed to voters to resist any such attempt in the next phase on April 18. Around 77.6 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the election to the West Tripura Lok Sabha seat on April 11. "We have witnessed that the first phase of elections was blatantly rigged by the BJP and it is apprehended that the second phase would be no different," Left Front Convener and CPI(M) central committee member, Bijan Dahar told reporters. The BJP termed the charges as baseless, and instead, claimed its supporters are being attacked in different parts of the state by CPI(M) and Congress activists. "The opposition parties have failed to put up election agents. They have become alienated from the people. Their appeal to resist is actually an attempt to spread violence and a verbal tonic to estranged supporters," BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya ..
'Rahul Gandhi's statements like a disclaimer before TV shows'
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Sunday said Congress president Rahul Gandhi's statements are cut off from reality and are like a "work of fiction". Taking a dig, the CM referred to a disclaimer generally aired before television serials. "Before airing of television serials, a disclaimer is played which says 'this is the work of fiction and has nothing to with reality'. This sentence is apt for Congress president Rahul Gandhi because whatever he speaks is fictitious," Fadnavis said addressing a huge gathering of the Marathi community here. Fadnavis was referring to allegations levelled by the Congress president against the BJP on various issues including the Rafale jet deal. "Only Pakistan and the Congress are demanding proofs of the (Balakot) air strike, which proves that the Congress has a pro-Pakistan mindset," he said. The CM said the previous governments of Congress never responded to terrorists who bleed the country by launching attacks. "If a terror ..
Every person in favour of giving one more term to PM Modi, says Dharmendra
Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Apr 14 (ANI): Every person in the country is in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi getting one more term, said veteran actor Dharmendra here on Sunday."Every person in the country is in favour of giving another term to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said, adding that PM Modi is the people's 'saviour.'"He is a kind of saviour for us. Every individual, including me and Hema, wants him to become the Prime Minister again," he told ANI, asserting that his wife would win this time too."I am not an astrologer. But yes, after seeing the reaction from the crowd today, I can say that Hema will win again," he said."Mathura is a beautiful town and is the land of Krishna. I believe that Hema Malini can make Mathura more beautiful if she gets support from the government," he said."Since I come from a poor farmer's family, I understand the pain and hard-work these farmers undergo. I believe Prime Minister Modi is doing lots of work for farmers and will do more
Hindutva groups, Trinamool hold more Ram Navami rallies
Holding saffron flags and donning saffron head bands, playing religious songs in full thrust and chanting Lord Ram's name, thousands of Hindu right-wing activists and supporters on Sunday took out Ram Navami rallies across West Bengal for the second consecutive day.
Even Mayawati is showing faith in Bajrang Bali now: Yogi Adityanath
Despite having received a notice by the Election Commission for making speeches which allegedly violated the Model Code of Conduct, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday invoked religion to seek votes."Those who did not recognise Shri Ram and Shri Krishna are now coming to the shelter of Bajrang Bali," said Chief Minister Adityanath, while hitting out at his political rivals."Even (BSP president) Mayawati is showing faith in Bajrang Bali now," Yogi said.He criticised former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for saying Muslims have the first right on the resources of the country. "The Congress has always practiced politics in the name of religion.""During the Congress government, Manmohan Singh used to say that Muslims have the first right over the resources of this country. The Congress has always practiced the politics in the name of religion," the Chief Minister said.The Chief Minister said that the BJP led Central government has worked for the development of all."Prime
Indian, Chinese armies hold ceremonial meet in Ladakh
Indian and Chinese troops on Sunday held a ceremonial border personnel meeting (BPM) in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh on the occasion of the Baisakhi festival, a defence official said.
Naidu to campaign for Congress-JD-S in Karnataka
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu will be campaigning for ruling Janata Dal-Secular-Congress alliance in Karnataka.
Most of MCMC certifications in Delhi sought by BJP, Cong: Official
A majority of the content sent to the media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC) of Delhi for approval was from the BJP and Congress, a senior official said Sunday, while asserting that no case was pending with the panel at present. The Election Commission has set up media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC) at state and district levels to clear political advertisements and campaign material for the Lok Sabha election. "We dispose of cases as and when we get them. Most of the content for pre-certification, was from the BJP and Congress, followed by small parties, including the AAP," a senior official of the panel said. "No case is at present pending with us," he said. When asked about NaMoTV content pre-certification, the official said, "The content didn't come under the category of a particular TV, but under social media content segment only. Certified content is now being run on the app-based channel, as was directed to them earlier." The Delhi CEO's office on ...
After Modi, Akalis corner Amarinder over 'skipping' Jallianwala Bagh event
A war of words broke out between Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on social media Sunday over the former's absence from an official event marking the Jallianwala Bagh massacre's centenary. The event was organised in Amritsar on Saturday by the Centre and was attended by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. Singh has alleged that the central government deliberately chose to hold a "parallel event" instead of supporting the initiatives and programmes of the state government. At a poll rally on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua, a town located on Punjab's border, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Singh boycotted the function because he was busy in "Congress parivar's bhakti (appeasing the Gandhi family)". After Modi's remarks, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal also targeted the Punjab chief minister over the issue. "Shocked at @ capt_amarinder's refusal to join the country in paying tributes to Jallianwala ...
Dravid not on electoral rolls in Bengaluru: Official
Former Indian cricket captain Rahul Dravid will not be able to vote here in the April 18 Lok Sabha elections as his name is not in the electoral roll, an official said on Sunday.
Hurriyat leader held with Rs 14 lakh cash at Srinagar airport
A Hurriyat leader was intercepted at the Srinagar airport on Sunday for allegedly carrying over Rs 14 lakh "unaccounted" cash, officials said. Aga Syed Hasan Mosavi, a noted Shia leader, was briefly detained by the Jammu and Kashmir police after he landed here from Delhi with the cash of Rs 14.38 lakh. It is suspected to be unaccounted and has been seized in view of the election season, the officials said. The case has been transferred to the Income Tax Department and Mousavi has been summoned before an investigating tax officer on Monday, the officials said. The Income Tax Department is looking to ascertain the source of the cash, which is primarily believed to be from a Shia organisation based in Iran, the officials added.
Modi indulging in mega-loot, imposing mega-misery: Yechury
Accusing the Narendra Modi government of waiving off loans worth Rs 5.56 lakh crore to corporates, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday said it is conducting a "mega-loot" of national resources while imposing "mega-misery" on the common people.
SAD (Taksali) withdraws candidate from Khadoor Sahib in support of PDA's Paramjeet Kaur Khalra
The SAD (Taksali), a breakaway faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Sunday evening announced withdrawal of its candidate, ex-Army chief Joginder Jaswant Singh, from Khadoor Sahib and its support to Punjab Democratic Alliance's (PDA) Paramjeet Kaur Khalra in the seat. The PDA candidate is the wife of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who disappeared in fake a encounter in Punjab. He was allegedly killed by Punjab police officials in 1995 after he was abducted from his house in Tarn Taran district. "We have decided to withdraw our candidate J J Singh from Khadoor Sahib seat and will support PDA candidate Paramjeet Kaur Khalra," SAD (Taksali) General Secretary Sewa Singh Sekhwan said. The sacrifice of Jaswant Singh Khalra could never be forgotten, he said, adding that he has also appealed to the AAP to withdraw its candidate from the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat. SAD (Taksali) chief Ranjit Singh Brahmpura said, "People from Punjab and Punjabi Sikh diaspora settled in different ..