Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday said that the government's fight was only against terrorism and that democracy will soon be restored in the embattled north of the country. Rajapaksa also said that the state was not against the Tamil people but against terrorists.
The Congress is seeking to give a strong political message to the nation from the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, with the party leadership holding the prayer meeting at Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, followed by the CWC meet at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel national memorial in the state.
The party maintained that it will respond to the apex court's judgement after studying its order in detail and claimed the verdict was not a setback to it.
In a big blow to Musharraf, Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth despite last-minute assurances from the dictator that he would soon lift the state of emergency.
Sharif briefed Patterson about his party's agenda, including the restoration of the pre-emergency status of the judiciary, supremacy of the Parliament and strengthening of democracy, during the meeting at the Frontier House in Islamabad. Patterson congratulated Sharif on the victory of his party in the February 18 general election. The PML-N is set to form a coalition government with the Pakistan People's Party, which emerged the largest group in the polls.
Jammu and Kashmir "was, is and shall forever" remain an integral part of India, a top Indian diplomat asserted at the UN Human Rights Council's meeting in Geneva on Wednesday, a day after Pakistan sought the international community's intervention on the Kashmir issue. Speaking at the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council which is being held in Geneva in Switzerland from February 24 to March 20, Vikas Swarup, secretary (west), the ministry of external affairs, described Pakistan as the "epicentre of global terrorism".
The sacked CM sought an end to the politics of confrontation by appealing to the "all powerful" Centre for help in development of the state.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was posthumously awarded the prestigious Tipperary International Peace Award for 2007 in recognition of her struggle for the restoration of democracy and peace in her country. Bhutto's long-time associate Bashir Riaz received the award on behalf of her family at an emotion-filled ceremony in Tipperary in Ireland on Friday. Riaz, heading a large delegation from Pakistan and the United Kingdom, received the award.
'Somewhere in the midst of the three milestones of 1881, 1984 and 1999 are the clues that provide the answer to the troubling corrosion of Karnataka politics: The disappearance of values, the criminalisation of politics, and the complete collapse of ideology,' says Krishna Prasad, former editor-in-chief, Outlook.
Apart from the retired service chiefs, dozens of former commanders and some retired junior commissioned officers, who met in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Tuesday, blamed Musharraf for the current crisis in Pakistan and asked him to step down.
Americans will give their final verdict, either giving incumbent Donald Trump another four years or bestowing reins to Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden.
The two sides signed three agreements to boost cooperation in power, banking and insurance sectors besides deciding to step up ties in areas of oil and gas, agriculture, renewable energy and health care.
Warning that no force could prevent Pakistan from disintegrating if military rulers remained in power, an opposition alliance and Baloch parties have threatened to launch a joint civil disobedience movement
Remember the US withdrawal agreement was signed in February 2020. In the intervening period, a proper evacuation plan ought to have been in place. It was not. Consequently, tens of thousands of Afghans who had worked as interpreters, drivers, suppliers of goods and services, etc, face brutal retribution from the Taliban, Virendra Kapoor points out.
Bhutto, who survived the terror attack in Karachi on October 18 that killed nearly 140 people and injured hundreds more, said the restoration of democracy is a must to save Pakistan.
Sending a strong message to Pakistan, Rajnath also said the neighbouring country should change its attitude and approach towards Kashmir.
Myanmar's history of the last 47 years or more makes it extremely unlikely that change will come through a popular uprising. The military is so well entrenched and the people are so patient that change has to come through a process of reconciliation
Police personnel on Tuesday staged a protest outside the police headquarters, days after a clash broke out between police and lawyers at Tis Hazari Court premises.
'Wisdom demands Modi moves to restore the critical institutions of the State and dial back on the cult building around his persona,' say Sonali Ranade and Shealja Sharma.
'This is the "naya/new J&K" after Aug 2019. We get locked up in our homes with no explanation. It's bad enough they've locked my father (a sitting MP) & me in our home, they've locked my sister & her kids in their home as well'
Flurry of economic reform suggests Modi realises his muscular nationalism script is getting jaded. Chances are he'll try for economic recovery but stick to what's worked so far, observes Shekhar Gupta.
The Pakistan government on Tuesday announced the release of over 3,400 political detainees including lawyers, who were arrested after the imposition of emergency on November 3. The US was 'looking for the lifting of the state of emergency so that elections can be held in a free and open atmosphere,' US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.
With the Trinamool Congress-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation refusing to grant permission to its president Amit Shah's rally in Kolkata on November 30, the Bharatiya Janata Party has said it would again approach the high court on Friday seeking justice and restoration of democracy.
Convening a hearing titled US Policy Towards Pakistan, Ackerman slammed Islamabad for its continuing duplicity in helping the US in its global war on terror.
Raising the issue, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the prime minister should come to the House and clarify on what he said, as his charges that his predecessor was "conspiring" with Pakistan was "a big issue."
India is worried about Pakistan getting the Taliban to ignite trouble in Kashmir, observes Ramesh Menon.
Xi, 67, already roiling the Communist Party with a 'rectification' campaign and mass persecution of foes, will launch 'another brutal purge' following the Chinese army's failures on the Indian border, the Newsweek said in an opinion piece.
The bill proposes to make university or college as a unit instead of department for the purpose of providing reservation for filling teachers posts in central education institutions.
With a breakthrough elusive, government sources said the Delhi Police has obtained vital leads.
She was supposed to return on April 23 but the caretaker government imposed a ban on her return, issued arrest warrant and asked the British Airways not to issue her a boarding pass. The ban was lifted on April 25.
This, the Congress said in its political resolution, was necessary as there were misgivings on the 'misuse' of EVMs to 'manipulate the outcome contrary to popular verdict.' The resolution called for reverting to the old practice of paper ballot as adopted by other major democracies to help restore the credibility of the electoral process.
Yechuri said the Indian government has recognised multiparty democracy and constitutional monarchy as two pillars of Nepal's democracy and any deviation from that will not be in the interest of Nepal.
"It is about time that India and its institutions are protected from these 'institution wreckers'," said Jaitley.
Alleging that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government's mindset has led to "decay" of key institutions including Parliament, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday said it poses a serious issue before the next Lok Sabha as it is threatening the survival of democracy in the country.
The monarch, in a televised address to the nation, accused the government of failing to restore peace and not taking steps for the conduct of parliamentary elections.
