|
|
|
|
|
Republicans seize control of US Senate
Hamas gears up for another battle with Israel
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Christian couple's death: Pak police round up 44
Gandhi statue gets UK planning clearance
|
|
Republicans seize control of US Senate
Republicans rode a wave of anger against US President Barack Obama's policies to win control of the US Senate for the first time in eight years and strengthened their majority in the US House of Representatives in midterm elections. The writing on the wall for the Democratic Party came early on election night as Republican Senator Mitch McConnell easily defeated his Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes to retain his Senate seat from Kentucky. McConnell's victory in a race once considered a tough fight and his party's strong performance on Tuesday night have ensured that he will realise his dream to become the Senate Majority Leader, a job until recently held by Democratic Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. A whopping $4 billion was spent by candidates, political parties and outside groups making the elections the most expensive midterms in US history, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The elections yielded mixed results for the Indian-American community. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, whose parents immigrated to the US from Punjab, easily defeated her Democratic opponent, Vincent Sheheen, by a margin of almost 15 per cent of the vote to win a second term. Haley later told supporters her victory was proof that "there are no boundaries for any little girl or any little boy in the state of South Carolina." But besides Haley's triumph the Indian-American community had little else to cheer about. Ami Bera, a Democrat and the sole Indian-American member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was locked in a tight race with Republican Doug Ose in California. The election was too close to call at the time of going to press. Ro Khanna, who is challenging fellow Democrat Mike Honda for his US House of Representatives seat in California, was also in a race that was down to the wire. Indian-American candidates fared poorly in other prominent races that did yield results. Neel Kashkari, a Republican and top Treasury official in George W. Bush's administration, was soundly defeated in his bid to unseat California Governor Jerry Brown. In Pennsylvania, Manan Trivedi, a Democrat and Iraq war veteran, lost his bid for a U.S. House of Representatives seat to Ryan Costello. Republicans needed to pick up six seats to take control of the Senate. They won seven. The party's candidates won Senate seats held by Democrats in North Carolina, Colorado, Iowa, West Virginia, Arkansas, Montana and South Dakota. In the House of Representatives, the Republicans strengthened their majority by about a dozen seats. In the gubernatorial races, Republicans added four new governors to their tally in Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois and Arkansas. Republican control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress is likely to deepen the political gridlock in the last two years of Obama's presidency. However, McConnell sought to dispel such expectations. "Just because we have a two-party system doesn't mean we have to be in perpetual conflict," McConnell said in a victory speech. Obama, meanwhile, invited Democratic and Republican leaders of Congress to the White House on Friday. Republicans successfully tied their Democratic opponents to Obama's policies ensuring that there was little good news for the Democrats on election night. One of the night's biggest upsets for the Democratic Party was Senator Kay Hagan's defeat by Republican challenger Thom Tillis in North Carolina. In a rare bit of good news for the Democrats, New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen defeated Scott Brown, a former Republican senator. And in Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf, a Democrat, defeated the Republican governor, Tom Corbett. All votes had not been counted in the Senate election in Alaska, and in Louisiana the race went into a runoff election that will take place in December. But by Wednesday morning the Republicans were no longer as worried about the outcome of either election; their party firmly controlled the US Congress. Obama now a ‘lame duck’ President
|
|||
|
Hamas gears up for another battle with Israel
Gaza, November 5 "We prepare and equip for a bigger victory than the victory in the last battle through out an upcoming battle that will be the toughest and the hardest in the history of the Zionist enemy (Israel)," Xinhua quoted an emailed statement. On July 8, Israel waged a large-scale air and ground military operation on the Gaza Strip and its Hamas-led militant groups, which lasted for 50 days and left 2,150 Palestinians and 70 Israelis dead and more than 11,000 wounded. "The enemy will pay a heavy price for its criminal practices which aim at Judaizing Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem," the statement said. Early Wednesday, around 50 Palestinians were injured after clashes broke out between Palestinian prayers and Israeli police forces at the yard of al-Aqsa Mosque in the old city in east Jerusalem. Witnesses said the police forces also arrested five prayers and fired dozens of tear gas and rubber bullets at dozens of prayers who threw stones at the police. The clashes erupted after the police prevented prayers under the age of 50. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had earlier announced that he request an emergency session for the United Nations Security Council to debate on the recent Israeli measures against Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. — Agencies Palestinian rams car into pedestrians in Jerusalem
Gaza: One person was killed and at least 10 injured Wednesday when a Palestinian motorist rammed his vehicle into a group of people at a light rail station in Jerusalem, an Israeli Police spokeswoman said. The Islamic Hamas movement has claimed responsibility for the attack.
He was shot dead by the police. |
|||
|
Christian couple's death: Pak police round up 44
The police arrested 44 suspects amid countrywide outrage at another incident of murder of a Christian couple by a mob near Lahore on charge of blasphemy. The enraged mob on November 4 beat the couple to death and then burnt their bodies in the brick kiln where they worked, for allegedly desecrating the Quran. The incident took place in the town of Kot Radha Kishan, some 60 kilometres from Lahore, and is the latest example of mob violence against minorities accused of blasphemy. The victims were only identified by their first names, Shama and Shehzad, and were a married couple. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, PTI chief Imran Khan, human rights activist Hussain Naqi and other voiced their sense of shock and grief and called for strong action against those who committed the brutal act. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has also constituted a three-member committee to fast track the investigation of the killings and ordered police to beef up security at Christian neighbourhoods in the province.
|
|
Gandhi statue gets UK planning clearance London, November 5 Westminster City Council granted planning permission for the sculpture commemorating the Father of the Nation, which will be placed close to the statue of Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid revolutionary. Britain's Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, and UK Cabinet ministers William Hague and George Osborne had announced plans for the memorial during their recent visits to India. — PTI
|
||||||
China vows to punish officials backing Dalai Lama Ukraine to halt subsidies to rebel-held areas Won’t attend 2016 nuclear summit, Russia tells US Jordan recalls envoy to Israel over ‘violations’ Mongolian Parliament fires Prime Minister Indian-origin lawyer flees with S3.5 mn in Canada Nepal to confer honorary title on Indian Army Chief
|
||||||
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
