US House of Republicans keep Paul Ryan as Speaker
AFP, Washington
Republican members of the US House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously chose Paul Ryan to keep his job as Speaker, following the party’s victory at the polls last week, the House GOP conference announced.
“It is a tremendous honor to be nominated by my colleagues to serve as Speaker of the House. Now it’s time to go big,” Ryan, a 46-year-old lawmaker from Wisconsin, tweeted after the closed-doors vote at the Capitol.
India bans Zakir Naik’s NGO for five years
Dawn. com, New Delhi
The government on Tuesday banned Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), the NGO of preacher Zakir Naik, as an ‘unlawful organisation’ for five years with immediate effect. The ban has been enforced under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and approved at a meeting of the Union cabinet.
TOI had earlier reported that the government intended to ban IRF citing Naik’s “objectionable and subversive” speeches, the criminal cases filed against him and other members of IRF in Mumbai and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Kerala, as well as his “dubious” links with Peace TV that allegedly features “communal” and “pro-jihad” content as grounds for such a ban.
Kerry’s peace bid for Yemen dismissed
AFP, Abu Dhabi
US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday that rebels are ready to observe a ceasefire in Yemen starting this week but the government swiftly dismissed the plan.
The Iran-backed Huthi rebels had agreed to a “cessation of hostilities beginning on November 17, provided the other party implements the same commitment,” said Kerry.
He was speaking in Abu Dhabi a day after meeting Huthi negotiators in Oman for talks aimed at finding a durable political settlement for the war in Yemen which has killed thousands.
Kerry said the United Arab Emirates and regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia “have both agreed to try to move forwards with this. They believe it makes sense”.
