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Obama vows to bypass Congress on economy
Sharif makes fresh bid for talks with Taliban
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Ukraine debates amnesty after ‘civil war’ warning
Riot policemen stand guard near barbwires on the compound of the Thai Royal Police club in Bangkok on Wednesday. REUTERS
Pakistan hopes India agrees to comprehensive dialogue
Syrian talks begin to end
deadlock Snowden nominated for Peace Nobel
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Obama vows to bypass Congress on economy
Washington, January 29 Standing in the House of Representatives chamber before lawmakers, Supreme Court justices and VIP guests, Obama declared his independence from the Congress by unveiling a series of executive orders and decisions — moves likely to inflame already tense relations between the Democratic president and Republicans. While his rhetoric was high flying, Obama's actions were relatively modest, collectively amounting to an outpouring of frustration at the pace of legislative action with Republicans in control of the House of Representatives and able to slow the President's agenda. "I'm eager to work with all of you," Obama told the lawmakers gathered for the annual speech. "But America does not stand still - and neither will I. So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that's what I'm going to do." Obama's orders included a wage hike for federal contract workers, creation of a "starter savings account" to help millions of people save for retirement, and plans to establish new fuel efficiency standards for trucks. He said he was driven to act by the widening gap between rich and poor and the fact that while the stock market has soared, average wages have barely budged. "Inequality has deepened," Obama said. "Upward mobility has stalled. The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by, let alone get ahead. And too many still aren't working at all." Obama's political objective was to create a narrative for Democrats to use as they seek to head off Republicans eager to wrest control of the Senate from Democrats.
— Reuters Will veto sanctions against Iran: US Prez
US President Barack Obama warned Congress he would veto any effort to increase economic sanctions on Iran as he tries to reach a comprehensive deal with Tehran to ensure it does not obtain a nuclear weapons capability. |
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Sharif makes fresh bid for talks with Taliban
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday announced that he has constituted a four-member committee for negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP). Addressing the National Assembly, Sharif said members of the committee included veteran journalists Irfan Siddiqui and Rahimullah Yusufzai‚ former Ambassador Rustam Shah Mehmand and former ISI official Major (retd) Amir.
The premier said terrorism and peace talks could not occur at the same time, further stating that instances of violence would not be tolerated any more. Nawaz also said Islam was a religion of peace and it did not condone terrorism. He expressed sorrow over the lives lost in terror attacks, stating that he can only empathise with the victims' families. With a thinly-veiled reference to General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, the Prime Minister also remarked that one dictator has turned Pakistan into a centre of terrorism. After hearing about the formation of the committee, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman stated that the formation of the committee was not discussed with him and his party. Imran Khan, however took a more positive view. "I welcome peace talks and request the Prime Minister that this be an open dialogue," said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairperson Imran Khan. He assured the PM and the speaker of the assembly Ayaz Sadiq that the party would fully support the peace talks. Imran said that the approach to the dialogue should be systematic, adding that the groups who are unwilling to talk should be isolated. He said that those groups that are unwilling to talk only want to spread violence and terror in the country. He also asked if there will be a ceasefire during the dialogue. On January 27, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentarians had voted in majority for an operation against the Taliban as opposed to peace talks. 4 security personnel killed in blasts
Karachi: At four security personnel were on Wednesday killed in a series of blasts, including a suicide bombing outside the force's headquarters here in southeast Pakistan. Five others, including policemen, were also injured. |
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Ukraine debates amnesty after ‘civil war’ warning
Kiev, January 29 The debate came after Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his entire government resigned yesterday after weeks of protests that began when President Viktor Yanukovych pulled out of a key EU deal in favour of ties with Moscow in November. Urging deputies to come to an agreement on the amnesty issue, former president Leonid Kravchuk warned parliament that the country was "on the brink of civil war". "It is a revolution. It is a dramatic situation in which we must act with the greatest responsibility," Kravchuk, president from 1991 to 1994, said to applause and a standing ovation. The crisis has reverberated internationally with Russian President Vladimir Putin criticising what he called "foreign interference" in Ukraine and US President Barack Obama voicing support for the protesters during his annual State of Union address yesterday.
— AFP |
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Thai govt to deploy 2 lakh cops for polls
Bangkok, January 29 "Even though protests are going on, I believe you can go out and vote. I ask everyone involved in the election, particularly security forces, to ensure that people can out and vote," the caretaker premier told reporters today. The 2,00,000 police personnel will provide security at 93,535 polling units in 375 constituencies across 77 provinces. They will avoid using force if problems arise due to protests, Police Lt Gen Amnart said. "From an assessment of the situation, we do not believe violence is likely. But if there are any incidents, we believe these will be in only a few areas. We have rapid deployment units ready to cope," he said. Labour Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, who is in charge of enforcing a 60-day emergency imposed last week, said 10,000 police will be deployed in the capital to prevent protesters from blocking voting polling units. "Those who are thinking of going and shutting polling stations in the morning should think twice because the police will not allow them to," he said.
— PTI Ethnic Indian to face action for protests
Bangkok: Five non-Thai citizens, including prominent ethnic Indian businessman Sathit Segal, would face legal action for participating in anti-government protests,
a senior official said on Wednesday. Segal was identified as a core member of the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC). He has led
protesters in Bangkok. |
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Pakistan hopes India agrees to comprehensive dialogue
Washington, January 29 Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, hoped that India “will reciprocate to Pakistan’s sincerity” by agreeing to “start a comprehensive, sustained and meaningful dialogue” to resolve all outstanding issues including the core issue of Kashmir. Observing that Pakistan is following a policy of peaceful relations with neighbours India and Afghanistan, Aziz in a keynote address at the Atlantic Council, an eminent US think-tank, said trade relations with New Delhi is picking up. “But disputes remain to be resolved,” he said. Leading a high-powered Pakistani delegation, Aziz on Monday co-chaired the US-Pak Strategic Dialogue along with US Secretary of State John Kerry.
— PTI |
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Revolutionary boost for stem cell research
Paris, January 29 The research, described as game changer by experts in the field, suggests human cells could in future be re-programmed by the same technique, offering a simpler way to replace damaged cells or grow new organs for sick and injured people. Chris Mason, chair of regenerative medicine bioprocessing at University College London, who was not involved in the work, said the approach was "the most simple, lowest-cost and quickest method" to generate so-called pluripotent cells - able to develop into many different cell types - from mature cells. "If it works in man, this could be the game changer that ultimately makes a wide range of cell therapies available using the patient's own cells as starting material - the age of personalised medicine would have finally arrived," he said. — Reuters
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Attacker in Sudan stabs Russian consul, wife
Snow storm
grips south US, kills 6 22 Indians held for betel nut smuggling in Nepal UK diplomat’s son held in counter-terror raid UN team visits Iran’s uranium mine in decade Indian-American makes 3D-printed loudspeakers Stranded Indian family repatriated from S Arabia Web gets new domain addresses like .guru, .bike
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President Barack Obama vowed on Tuesday to bypass a divided Congress and take action on his own to bolster America's middle class in a State of the Union address that he used to try to breathe new life into his second term after a troubled year.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday announced that he has constituted a four-member committee for negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP). Addressing the National Assembly, Sharif said members of the committee included veteran journalists Irfan Siddiqui and Rahimullah Yusufzai‚ former Ambassador Rustam Shah Mehmand and former ISI official Major (retd) Amir.
A former Norwegian minister nominated fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize today in a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
"He has contributed to revealing the extreme level of surveillance by nations against other nations and of citizens,” former minister Baard Vegar Solhjell said. In a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Solhjell praised him for revealing the "nature and technological prowess of modern surveillance".
— AFP
Skiing hazards: (Left) Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria makes her way to the Town Hall in Duesseldorf in Germany on Wednesday; and German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for a cabinet meeting at Berlin. Both Victoria and Merkel are recovering from skiing injuries. Reuters/AP