Tag: leaving

South Africa’s president and ANC sow confusion over leaving ICC

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South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, sowed confusion about the country’s relationship with the international criminal court (ICC) on Tuesday by announcing its withdrawal, only for his office to retract the statement within a few hours.
Debate within Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC) over membership of the court has heated up since the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin in March for his role in the Russian abduction of Ukrainian children. But Putin has been invited to a summit in South Africa of the Brics group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) in August and the Kremlin has said the Russian leader will take a decision nearer the time on whether he would attend.
Ramaphosa told reporters on Tuesday: “The governing party, the ANC, has taken the decision that it is prudent that South Africa should pull out of the ICC largely because of the manner in which the ICC has been seen to be dealing with these types of problems.”
Within hours however, his office issued a statement saying “The presidency wishes to clarify that South Africa remains a signatory (to the ICC).”
The statement said the “clarification follows an error in a comment made during a media briefing held by the governing African National Congress.”
South Africa is a signatory to the ICC’s founding document, the Rome statute, and would be obliged to obey the arrest warrant, but the government has long complained of what it deems to be the court’s double standards.
South Africa began proceedings to leave the ICC in 2016 after a dispute over whether to arrest the former Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, who visited for an African summit while under ICC indictment for genocide and crimes against humanity.
However, the government recently suspended those proceedings in the face of legal obstacles, and on Tuesday the ANC’s national executive committee put out a statement noting the decision at the party conference this year that “the ANC and the South African government must rescind the withdrawal from the ICC court”. At the same time it urged ratification of a protocol to lay the ground for an African court of justice and human rights.

“So the president appears to have messed up the message – ANC has decided to rescind notice of withdrawal from the ICC and NOT attempt to withdraw from ICC again,” Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh, a South African lawyer and director of the Africa programme of the International Commission of Jurists, said on Twitter.
“Someone in the ANC has erroneously briefed the president when in fact the ANC has taken a decision to rescind the withdrawal from the ICC not to commence withdrawal anew. Is there any quality control happening?”
Even if South Africa took the decision to leave the ICC, it would still be bound by its membership obligations, including executing arrest warrants, for 12 months following its notification of withdrawal.

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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

April 26, 2023
AP: YSRCP’s Vikram Reddy refutes rumours of leaving party

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Nellore: A YSR Congress MLA related to a recently suspended legislator from the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh refuted rumours that he was leaving the party out of dissatisfaction.
Atmakuru MLA Mekapati Vikram Reddy said he does not bother about such rumours and asserted that his journey is with YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He expressed confidence that the YSRCP will win all the seats in Nellore district in the next assembly elections.
Vikram Reddy reminded that his family has been associated with Jagan Mohan Reddy for a long time and observed that his father Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy had even resigned his MP seat twice in support of the former.
“Even after the untimely death of my brother Goutham, he (Jagan) called us and gave that seat (Goutham’s) to us. The vacuum of my brother’s loss has been filled by him. For any help, I always approach Jagan anna first,” said Vikram Reddy in a TV interview.
He reasoned that his uncle, Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy, who was suspended for allegedly cross-voting in the recent MLC polls, will come to know his true power if he leaves YSRCP.
Referring to his uncle, Vikram Reddy said action will be taken against anybody who violates the party line.
Recently, the YSRCP suspended four MLAs — Anam Ramnarayan Reddy, Undavalli Sridevi, Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy and Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy — for allegedly voting in favour of the TDP in the MLA quota MLC election.

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 1, 2023
Mark Halperin leaving No Labels

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Halperin did not respond to a request for comment.
Halperin’s exit comes as No Labels seeks to launch an ambitious third-party presidential ticket in the 2024 cycle. The group has said that it’s raised or received commitments for tens of millions of dollars for that venture. But it has been rankled by internal staff turmoil and accusations that it prioritizes glitzy projects rather than practical solutions for achieving its aims of promoting bipartisan results to pressing national issues.
Halperin, who made his name as a star political journalist for ABC News, TIME Magazine and Bloomberg, was accused by multiple women in 2017 of sexual harassment, misconduct or assault — some of which he apologized for and others he denied.
Multiple No Labels staffers objected to Halperin joining the organization in April 2021. But the group’s co-executive director Liz Morrison told POLITICO last year that Halperin was “incredibly brilliant” and was an asset to the organization. In 2021, he received nearly $260,000 in total compensation, making him No Labels’ highest-paid employee, according to the organization’s 990 tax form.
No Labels also said last year it has never had a complaint about any employees or contractors engaging in sexual harassment at the group.
Two people familiar with the situation said Halperin, who is no longer listed as an employee on the group’s website, had been unhappy with No Labels and had begun to bristle at the office culture there.
“He didn’t like the fact that his career had reached the point where he was running the digital team for Nancy Jacobson,” said one former No Labels employee who worked closely with him.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

March 8, 2023
Fox’s top lobbyist, a former Biden staffer, is leaving the network

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The documents prompted outrage from top Democrats in Washington, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). It has also sparked discussions within Democratic circles about icing out the network. The White House, for its part, sidestepped having Biden sit down with Fox for an interview around the Super Bowl — breaking with tradition that the host network of the game get a one-on-one with the president.
Fox confirmed O’Brien’s departure in a statement.
“FOX is currently interviewing for our Head of Government Relations role and speaking with internal and external candidates,” spokesman Brian Nick said. “We would like to thank Danny for his years of outstanding service to our Company and wish him the best of luck on his next endeavor.”
O’Brien joined Fox in 2018 as head of its Washington office, where he led the company’s legislative, regulatory and policy agenda and its government relations team. Before that, he served as a global government affairs and policy executive for what is now GE Transportation.
But it’s his past roles in the public sector that have made O’Brien’s placed of employment especially intriguing.
O’Brien worked on Democratic campaigns for years, before moving to the Hill to work for former Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.). He then served as chief of staff in Biden’s Senate office from 2003 to 2006, and later held the same role with Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), in addition to becoming staff director on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. When Biden ran for president in 2008, O’Brien was tapped as his policy director.
At Fox, O’Brien had built up an in-house lobbying shop that employed more Democrats (3) than Republicans (1). In 2019, he hired veteran broadcast lobbyist Jamie Gillespie away from the National Association of Broadcasters, and last year O’Brien recruited a staffer straight from Biden’s West Wing, Carissa Joy.
O’Brien is not the first Democrat to lead Fox’s D.C. office — his predecessor, Chip Smith, helped lead former Vice President Al Gore’s 2000 White House bid.

And ahead of last year’s midterms, Fox said its corporate PAC gave roughly evenly to Republicans and Democrats, including maximum donations to each party’s national committee and House and Senate campaign arms. Democratic recipients of Fox’s campaign cash included some of Fox News’ favorite punching bags, such as Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), and several of each party’s most vulnerable incumbents.
In his new role at QCells, O’Brien will almost assuredly be working on the implementation of one of Biden’s legacy legislative achievements as president, the climate and tax spending bill passed last year.
Last month the company and Biden announced a $2.5 billion dollar investment for an existing QCells solar manufacturing plant in Georgia that was attributed specifically to the Inflation Reduction Act. QCells also recently announced a partnership with Microsoft, and said that O’Brien will lead its policy, communications and sustainability teams as QCells “expands across the clean energy value chain in the United States.”
Daniel Lippman contributed to this report.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

March 7, 2023
Salman Khan posts cat video leaving fans surprised, intrigued

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Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, who is gearing up for his upcoming film ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’, left his fans surprised on Monday as he took to his Instagram and posted a small clip featuring cats.
The video builds up the anticipation for the song ‘Billi Billi’ from his film which marks the first collaboration between Salman Khan and Punjabi singer Sukhbir.
The superstar, however, kept the fans on tenterhooks as only the audio of the song was released which is receiving positive response from the audience. ‘Billi Billi’ is an energetic and high-spirited Punjabi dance number. The music for the song is composed by Sukhbir and has been written by Kumaar.
A Salman Khan Films Production, produced by Salma Khan, ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ is directed by Farhad Samji. The film stars Salman Khan, Venkatesh Daggubati, Pooja Hegde, Jagapathi Babu, Bhumika Chawla, Vijender Singh, Abhimanyu Singh, Raghav Juyal, Siddharth Nigam, Jassie Gill, Shehnaaz Gill, Palak Tiwari and Vinali Bhatnagar.
The film is slated to release on Eid 2023 and will be a Zee Studios worldwide release.

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 27, 2023
World Bank head David Malpass leaving for ‘new challenges’

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United Nations: David Malpass has announced that he is quitting as the president of the World Bank to take on “new challenges” after a rift with President Joe Biden’s administration over climate change policies.
He said on Wednesday that he would be leaving the international development institution in June, ten months before the end of his five-year term.
His departure comes at a time when many countries around the world are facing severe financial problems.
Appointing the head of the World Bank is a prerogative of the US president and Biden will appoint Malpass’ successor.
Malpass was close to former President Donald Trump, who appointed him to the post in 2019 after Young Kim, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, quit.
Malpass had worked in Trump’s 2016 election campaign and became the Treasury undersecretary for international affairs before going to the World Bank.
Ideologically closer to Trump than Biden, he was dogged by the fallout of his refusal at a New York Times event last year to categorically affirm that climate change resulted from man-made greenhouse gases.
Pressed on the subject, he said, “I am not a scientist”.

Former Vice President Al Gore, a leading climate activist had dubbed him a “climate denier” and many others joined in to criticise him.A couple of days later, Malpass changed course and wrote to World Bank Staff, “It’s clear that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are causing climate change”.
The World Bank has been criticised for continuing financing of oil and gas projects and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reportedly had goaded him to speed up changes to the bank’s functioning with more emphasis on climate change projects.
The Bank said that under his leadership, the Bank “more than doubled its climate finance to developing countries, reaching a record $32 billion last year”.
In a statement after Malpass announced his decision to quit, Yellen papered over their differences saying that he “advanced shared priorities that have measurably improved the lives of people around the globe”.
“While we all must continue to raise our collective ambitions in the fight against climate change, during President Malpass’ tenure the World Bank has made important recent advances in this area, including through the successful launch of the Country Climate Diagnostic Reports”, she added.
She said that the US will nominate his successor and expects “a transparent, merit-based and swift nomination process” from the bank’s executive board.
In the Bank statement announcing his decision to quit, Malpass said, aceWith developing countries facing unprecedented crises, I’m proud that the Bank Group has responded with speed, scale, innovation, and impact”.
The Bank said that under Malpass it had “responded quickly to global crises, mobilising a record $440 billion in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, sharp global economic slowdown, unsustainable debt burdens, climate change, and food, fertilizer, and energy shortages”.
The Bank, which has 189 nations as members operated through five institutions, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, the Multinational Investment Guarantee Agency and the International Centre for Settlement of Disputes.
Its primary role is to fund loans for development projects.
Malpass worked in various capacities with the administrations of Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush, and with Congress.
In 1993 he became the chief economist of the investment company Bear Sterns, which collapsed in the 2008 financial crisis.
He then set up his own economic advisory firm and made an unsuccessful bid for a Republican nomination in a senate election.
(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 16, 2023
Guide dupes Kashmiri pilgrims leaving them mid-way in Beirut (capital city of Lebanon) – Kashmir News

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Srinagar, Jan 21: A self-styled ‘Guide’ has duped at least 10 Kashmiri pilgrims, after taking money from them to show sacred shrines and places in Iran, Iraq and other countries, leaving them mid-way in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon.
At least 10 pilgrims are stuck in Delhi this time, requesting Jammu and Kashmir Administration to help them return home as they are without money.
One of the pilgrims Ghulam Hasan Wani of Devar Yekmanpora village of Singhpora Pattan told the news agency Kashmir News Trust over the phone from Delhi that a Guide Syed Nasir from Harinara Pattan took Rs one lakh per person to help them in pilgrimage to Karbala and others sacred site.
“After performing pilgrimage, the guide left us mid-way in Beirut without informing us. He is still absconding. We suffered heavily as we were not having money with us. We sold our valuables including the earrings and gold chains of women pilgrims accompanying us. Somehow we have managed to reach New Delhi,” he said.
The pilgrims said that they have no money to return back to Valley as they have no money and are starving.
They appealed to LG Manoj Sinha led administration to help them in returning home and direct police to take action against the guide.
“We can’t narrate our sufferings in words. We are illiterates and yet he (Guide) left us in the lurch,” said a woman pilgrim. (KNT)

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( With inputs from : kashmirnews.in )

January 21, 2023
Guide dupes Kashmiri pilgrims leaving them mid-way in Beirut

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Srinagar, Jan 21: A self-styled ‘Guide’ has duped at least 10 Kashmiri pilgrims, after taking money from them to show sacred shrines and places in Iran, Iraq and other countries, leaving them mid-way in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon.
At least 10 pilgrims are stuck in Delhi this time, requesting Jammu and Kashmir Administration to help them return home as they are without money.
One of the pilgrims Ghulam Hasan Wani of Devara Yetalampora village of Singhpora Pattan told the news agency Kashmir News Trust over the phone from Delhi that a Guide Syed Nasir from Harennarah Pattan took Rs one lakh per person to help them in pilgrimage to Karbala and others sacred site.
“After performing pilgrimage, the guide left us mid-way in Beirut without informing us. He is still absconding. We suffered heavily as we were not having money with us. We sold our valuables including the earrings and gold chains of women pilgrims accompanying us. Somehow we have managed to reach New Delhi,” he said.
The pilgrims said that they have no money to return back to Valley as they have no money and are starving.
They appealed to LG Manoj Sinha led administration to help them in returning home and direct police to take action against the guide.
“We can’t narrate our sufferings in words. We are illiterates and yet he (Guide) left us in the lurch,” said a woman pilgrim. [KNT]
Story by Tanveer Hussain.

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( With inputs from : roshankashmir.net )

January 21, 2023