08:51 Parallel JD-U meetings today, action against Sharad Yadav likely: The Janata Dal-United is set to hold parallel meetings of rival camps, led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and partys ousted Rajya Sabha leader Sharad Yadav, in Patna on Saturday amid indications that the Nitish-led national executive meeting could decide to take tough action against Yadav. Top leaders of both factions, however, dismissed reports of a split, each claiming to be the genuine party unit.
While JD-U general secretary K C Tyagi said that the national executive meeting at the chief ministers 1-Anne Marg residence is the partys official programme, Bihar JD(U) chief spokesperson Sanjay Singh said, We have nothing to do with Jan Adalat programme (to be organised by the Sharad Yadav faction).
Suspended JD-U general secretary Arun Srivastava, who is in the Yadav camp, however, said that no JD-U national executive has yet been constituted, and thus the meeting is null and void. Claiming that Yadav is leader of the real JD-U, he said, If only four states are recognised by them, let them be the leader of four state units. Most of the state units are with us.
“There are a lot of problems — terrorism, naxalism, Kashmir problem. Much is not needed to be said about these problems. But I can assure you this much that by 2022, we have pledged to create a ‘new India’…So a solution will be found to all these problems before 2022. We want to assure the countrymen on this,” he said.
Talking about corruption, the home minister said, “In the first meeting of the Union Cabinet, we took a pledge to fight corruption. Our pledge was to change power and system.”
Referring to GST which was rolled out on July 1, he said, “Many of our friends are having problems but after a few months, all will praise GST. We passed GST with the pledge of ‘one-nation, one-tax.”
08:06 Bannon returns to Breitbart after his White House ouster: Hours after he left the White House as its chief strategist, Stephen Bannon today returned to Breitbart News as its executive chairman, a position he held before joining the Trump campaign last year to help him attain the presidential victory.
Breitbart, seen as a news outlet having right-wing leanings, said Bannon had returned as executive chairman on Friday afternoon and had chaired the company’s evening editorial meeting.
“The populist-nationalist movement got a lot stronger today. Breitbart gained an executive chairman with his finger on the pulse of the Trump agenda,” said Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow.
Buoyed by Bannon’s return, Breitbart News CEO and President Larry Solov said: “Breitbart’s pace of global expansion will only accelerate with Steve back. The sky’s the limit.”
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders in a brief statement did not explain the reasons for his departure.
00:07 Trump reiterates strong stance against ‘radical Islam terrorism’:
In the wake of Islamic State striking terror in Barcelona where at least 14 people have been killed, US President Donald Trump has reiterated that ‘radical Islamic terrorism’ must be stopped by whatever means necessary.
Twin terror attacks killed 14 people and injured around 100 others in Spain when a van driver on Thursday ploughed into pedestrians on Barcelona’s most popular street in broad daylight, killing at least 14 people.
US President took to Twitter saying, “Radical Islamic Terrorism must be stopped by whatever means necessary! The courts must give us back our protective rights. Have to be tough!”
In another tweet, Trump said the US security forces and law enforcement agencies were on guard and were monitoring the situation. “Homeland Security and law enforcement are on alert & closely watching for any sign of trouble. Our borders are far tougher than ever before!” he said.
Source: Rediff