Page 920 - Politics
North Korean leader open to third Trump summit: KCNA
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is willing meet with US President Donald Trump a third time if Washington comes to the table with the "right attitude", state media reported Saturday. Kim also said he would wait until the end of the year "for the US to make a courageous decision" on another meeting, after his most recent summit with Trump in Vietnam broke down and both sides left without agreement. Washington has blamed the February deadlock on the North's demands for sanctions relief in return for limited nuclear disarmament, but Pyongyang said it had wanted only some of the measures eased. In a speech to Pyongyang's rubber-stamp parliament Friday, Kim said the Hanoi meeting had made him question whether Washington is "genuinely interested" in improving its relations with Pyongyang. "We are willing to give another try if the US offers to have a third summit with the right attitude and mutually acceptable terms," he said, according to a report by North Korean state media outlet ...
India, ASEAN vow to step up ties in maritime sector, boost connectivity
India and ASEAN have resolved to strengthen ties by deepening cooperation in the maritime sector and boosting connectivity. The two sides made the affirmations at the 21st ASEAN-India Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) held here on April 11-12, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The meeting was co-chaired by Vijay Thakur Singh, SOM Leader and Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, and Busaya Mathelin, SOM Leader and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand. The ASEAN-India SOM reviewed the strategic partnership and its future direction. It assessed the progress of cooperation under all three pillars -- political-security, economic and socio-cultural, the MEA said. The SOM leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues of interest to ASEAN and India. They agreed to deepen maritime cooperation as decided at the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit 2018. In this context, they proposed to undertake a variety of measures, including enhanced .
Jagan can turn out to be kingmaker-in-waiting
Speculation over a post poll scenario brings forth heavy hitters from the regions, sometimes derisively called political weathercocks. So expect their actions and statements to be dissected for hidden meaning. They had been relegated to the fringes after 2014 but appear to be fancying their chances once again in 2019.
At Jallianwala, British envoy non-committal on apology
As the nation commemorates the 100th anniversary of the massacre of hundreds of innocent Indians by British forces at the Jallianwala Bagh, British High Commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith on Saturday expressed deep regret and sorrow but remained non-committal on any apology coming from the British government on the brutal killings.
Rahul visits Jallianwala Bagh memorial, says 'cost of freedom must never be forgotten'
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday laid a wreath at the Jallianwala Bagh memorial on the completion of 100 years of the massacre.The Congress president was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and state minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, among others.In the visitor's book, Rahul wrote that the cost of freedom must never be forgotten."The cost of freedom must never ever be forgotten. We salute the people of India who gave everything they had for it. Jai Hind," he wrote.Earlier today, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tributes on Twitter to those who lost their lives in the massacre.The massacre took place on 13 April 1919 when troops of the British Indian Army under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer fired machine guns into a crowd of unarmed protesters and pilgrims who had gathered in Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab's Amritsar on the occasion of Baisakhi.The crowd had assembled peacefully at the venue to condemn the arrest of .
Kim ready for third US-North Korea summit
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday expressed willingness to hold a third summit with the United States, provided Washington offers a "fair" and "mutually acceptable" deal.He also said that the last failed summit in Hanoi created "strong doubt" over his decision to hold talks with US President Donald Trump."If the US proposes holding a third North Korea-US summit with a right attitude and a right method, we have a wiliness to do it one more time," Kim was quoted by Yonhap News Agency, as saying."I will not hesitate in signing an agreement only if it is written in a way that meets the interests of the DPRK and the US, and is fair, mutually acceptable, and this will entirely depend upon with what attitude and calculus the US would come up with," he added.Meanwhile, Korean Central News Agency said Kim's remarks signalled that Pyongyang has rejected Washington's so-called "big deal" in return of dismantling all nuclear programs.Kim also asserted that Washington is required to take
Trump tweets video edited to suggest Omar dismissive of 9/11
President Donald Trump weighed in Friday on the most recent controversy involving Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, retweeting video edited to suggest that the Minnesota congresswoman was dismissive of the significance of the Sept. 11 attacks. The video pulls a snippet of Omar's speech last month to the Council on American-Islamic Relations in which she described the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center as "some people did something," as well as news footage of the hijacked planes hitting the twin towers. Trump tweeted, "WE WILL NEVER FORGET!" Omar's remark has drawn criticism largely from political opponents and conservatives who say the congresswoman, one of the first Muslim women to serve in Congress, offered a flippant description of the assailants and the attacks on American soil that killed nearly 3,000 people and pointed the U.S. toward war. Neither Trump's tweet nor the video includes her full quote or the context of her comments. Omar told CAIR in Los Angeles that many Muslims ...
Jallianwala Bagh massacre centenary: Rahul pays tributes
Congress president Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes at the JallianwalaBagh Memorial on Saturday to mark the centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and said the cost of freedom must never be forgotten. Rahul, who was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, state minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and some other Congress leaders, paid floral tributes at the memorial inside the Jallianwala Bagh in the morning. They also observed a two-minute silence to remember those who were massacred in the tragic incident on April 13, 1919. "The cost of freedom must never ever be forgotten. We salute the people of India who gave everything they had for it," the Congress chief wrote in the visitors' book. British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith also visited the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial separately on Saturday. In the visitors' book, Asquith wrote, "The events of Jallianwala Bagh 100 years ago today reflect a shameful act in British Indian history. We deeply regret what happened ..
61.50 per cent polling recorded in Uttarakhand
A voter turnout of 61.50 per cent was recorded in Uttarakhand which went to polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha electionson Thursday. According to final polling percentage released by the Election Commission after collating data received from remote corners of the hill state late on Friday night a total of 61.50 per cent of the 78.56 lakh voters exercised their franchise on the polling day. The final polling percentage in Uttarakhand released by the poll body is only slightly lower than 61.67 per cent voter turnout recorded in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Giving the break-up of the final polling percentage on all the five seats of the state, the commission said Haridwar recorded the highest turnout of 68.92 per cent followed by Nainital which recorded a turnout 68.69 per cent. 58.30 per cent of the electorate voted in Tehri, 54.47 per cent in Pauri and 51.82 per cent in Almora which is a reserved seat. There were 52 candidates in the fray for the five seats of Uttarakhand where the ...
Campaign managers: Backroom boys who script the poll show
They are the chisel and hammer that sculpt the public persona of contestants, keep them fighting fit playing nutritionists, and plan their every move for that mega democratic event--the general elections. Meet the backroom boys who toil tirelessly behind the scenes, hardly in the public eye but always seen and heard through the protagonists whose shows they script. Made famous by the likes of Prashant Kishor, the poll strategist whose campaigns for Narendra Modi, including the seminal 'chai pe charcha' and '3 D rallies', these campaign managers design, schedule and execute the strategy of the candidates. Consider Rudradeep Banerjee, a partner in a talent management company who is handling the campaigns of actors- turned-Trinamool Congress candidates Mimi Chakraborty and Nusrat Jahan. Banerjee's hands are full. He wakes up at 7 in the morning to plan the days action for the two celebrity candidates, who have spiced up the elections in West Bengal with their glamour ...
Kovind, Modi pay tribute to Jallianwala martyrs
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Rahul, Amarinder pay homage at Jallianwala Bagh
Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh paid homage to martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre at the national memorial here on Saturday.
Jallianwala Bagh massacre centenary: Rahul, Amarinder pay floral tributes
Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh paid floral tributes at the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial here on Saturday to mark the centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Gandhi, Singh, Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, accompanied by some other Congress leaders, paid floral tributes at the memorial inside the Jallianwala Bagh in the morning. They also observed a two-minute silence to remember those who were massacred in the tragic incident on April 13, 1919. Gandhi arrived at Amritsar late on Friday night. Upon his arrival, the Congress chief, accompanied by Singh, went straight to the Golden Temple here and paid obeisance. Singh and Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore had also taken part in a candlelight march on the eve of the centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on Friday evening as part of the various events organised by the Punjab government to mark the historic occasion. Singh had termed the tragic event as a heart-wrenching moment in India's
Sudan coup leader steps down after a day
The head of Sudan's military council Awad Ibn Auf has stood down a day after leading a coup that toppled long-time leader Omar al-Bashir amid a wave of protests.
Senators urge Trump administration to delay decision on India's GSP review
Two top American Senators have urged the Trump administration to delay until the end of the general elections its decision to terminate India's designation as a beneficiary developing country under the Generalized System of Preference due to a lack of compliance. The Generalized System of Preference (GSP) is the largest and oldest US trade preference programme and is designed to promote economic development by allowing duty-free entry for thousands of products from designated beneficiary countries. The US Congress in March last year voted to renew the GSP through 2020. In a letter to US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer, Senators John Cornyn from the Republican party and Mark warner from the Democratic party argued that India-US relationship was too important to rush such an important decision in the middle of an election cycle. "As you know, India's elections will conclude on May 23, 2019. We believe that the election season may serve as a hindrance for our Indian ...
Rahul to pay homage to Jallianwala Bagh martyrs on Saturday
Congress President Rahul Gandhi will visit the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial here on Saturday morning to pay homage to hundreds of people, who were massacred by British forces on April 13, 1919.
Delay GSP eligibility decision till Indian elections: US Senators
US Senators John Cornyn and Mark Warner have asked the US State Department to delay the issuance of a Presidential proclamation to withdraw India's GSP benefit "by at least 30 days" beyond the stipulated time in order to move negotiations beyond ongoing elections, which may "serve as a hindrance" for the Indian side.In a letter addressed to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, the co-chairs of the United States Senate's India Caucus said: "As you know, India's elections will conclude on May 23, 2019. We believe that the election season may serve as a hindrance for our Indian counterparts in negotiating and concluding a deal on difficult political issues.""If another round of negotiations during the election season does not resolve the outstanding issues, we would ask you to consider delaying the issuance of a Presidential proclamation to withdraw India's Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) benefits by at least 30 days, beyond the 60 day calendar, in order to move the ...
6 school children kidnapped in Cameroon
Six school children - five boys and one girl - were kidnapped here on Friday while they were helping their parents in farming, according to a local government official."The children were kidnapped as they were helping their parents in farming. We have no idea where they are since their abduction. The kidnappers initially asked for a ransom but did not contact the family again when they realized they could not pay," Xinhua quoted a senior government official, Amiya Balise Ndongana, as saying.This is the first time that students have been kidnapped in the border francophone region, ever since 2017."They have attacked this section of the country in the past, so we know that they kidnapped the children. Defence and security forces have launched a thorough search for the children and we hope that they will be rescued safe and alive," the official added.The separatists have not claimed responsibility for the act.Fongo Tongo is in the francophone Western region in Cameroon and shares a ...
Pakistan unlikely to change policy on militants, says Husain Haqqani
Pakistan's former ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, has said that Prime Minister Imran Khan's recent statement promising end of support to militant Jihadi groups is motivated by the fear of blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and does not reflect a change of policy.Speaking at a conference at Georgetown University, he observed that so far there is no evidence that the Khan government or Pakistan's all-powerful military are dismantling Pakistan's terrorist support infrastructure."There is little change in Pakistan's attitude towards militancy, particularly the one directed against Afghanistan and India," Haqqani said, pointing out that Pakistan failed to initiate any action against Jaish-e-Mohammed or its leader, Masood Azhar, after the Pulwama terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir.According to Haqqani, "Islamabad's close ties with Beijing were invoked to ensure that Azhar's designation as a terrorist by the United Nations was blocked by China at ...
BJP will make sedition law even more stringent: Rajnath Singh
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday slammed Congress for its stand on sedition law as mentioned in party's manifesto and asserted that BJP will make it even more stringent after forming a government for a second term.Addressing an election rally, Singh said, "If someone tries to break India, should they be forgiven? They say they will end the sedition law, to whom are they giving a signal? If our government comes to power we will make the sedition law even more stringent."Earlier on April 3, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had also lambasted the Congress for promising to scrap the law.Speaking at an election rally, Yogi had said: "It is shameful that the Congress in its manifesto has promised to scrap the provision on sedition, which is used against terrorists and those involved in terror activities, if the party comes to power."Congress has promised in its manifesto to remove the sedition law to give a "fillip to freedom of expression" in the country.The ...