Page 1072 - Politics
Venezuela: Guaido's parliamentary immunity removed
The Venezuelan Constituent Assembly on Tuesday stripped National Assembly President Juan Guaido's parliamentary immunity, approving the continuation of judicial proceedings against him."The National Constituent Assembly of Venezuela allows the continuation of a judicial investigation against Juan Guaido," the adopted document said, according to Sputnik.This comes after Venezuela's Chief Justice Maikel Moreno put in a request to strip the US-backed, self-proclaimed President of his parliamentary immunity, alleging that he had violated a travel ban by visiting Colombia in February.The deputies, during the meeting, also called for the creation of people's courts for trial of those who "follow the instructions of the US," reports Sputnik. Furthermore, they labelled Guaido's actions as a "crime against humanity".Guaido proclaimed himself as the President on January 23 and was immediately supported by the United States, which recognises him as the official interim President of the Latin ...
SP LS candidate asks party workers to vote on behalf of others
Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from Tikamgarh parliamentary constituency RR Bansal has been caught on camera asking party workers to go to villages and collect voting slips from those who will not exercise their franchise and then cast votes on their behalf in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections."It is the duty of our party workers that they go to the villages and collect the voting slips from those who are not going to vote and then cast votes on their voting slips (Ye hamare karyakartaon ka kartavya banta hai ki gaon mein jaayein, jo log vote nahi daal rahe hain, unse parchi le aaye aur parchi laa karke vote daalo)," Bansal told a small gathering of SP volunteers here on Tuesday.On February 25, the SP and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) decided to enter into alliance and contest the Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh. As part of the seat-sharing deal, SP will contest on three seats (Balaghat, Tikamgarh and Khajuraho) while the BSP will field its candidates in rest of the ...
BJP will win over 300 LS seats, says Javadekar
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win over 300 Lok Sabha seats to register a thumping victory, said Union Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar.
Duterte-critic journalist pleads not guilty in Manila tax case
Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, whose news website is critical of President Rodrigo Duterte, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the first of a series of criminal charges she says are government attacks. Ressa has been arrested twice in six weeks by Philippine authorities, prompting international criticism and allegations she is being targeted for her work. She entered her plea in a Manila court to four tax evasion charges stemming from a 2015 bond sale that raised money from a US-based investor for the news site she co-founded, Rappler. If found guilty she could face up to 10 years behind bars on each charge. The site has taken a tough stance on Duterte's signature narcotics crackdown that has killed thousands of alleged drug dealers and users, but also cast a critical eye on his leadership and controversial public statements. "I'm hoping for justice," Ressa told reporters after the court hearing. "I still say all of these cases are politically motivated." Ressa was arrested in her ...
Mehbooba takes swipe at Jaitley's 'separatist psyche' comment
A 'new India' where those who kill and lynch in the name of religion are feted and garlanded is "unacceptable", former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said Wednesday. The PDP president was reacting to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's remarks that statements of mainstream parties in Kashmir create "separatist psyche" and were "not acceptable to new India". Mehbooba, in a tweet, said if standing up for the people made her a separatist and anti-national, she would wear such a badge with honour. "Unacceptable is a new India where those who kill and lynch in the name of religion are feted and garlanded. If standing up for my people makes me a separatist and anti national, then its a badge I will wear with honour," she said. Taking on National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, Jaitley on Monday said his demand for revival of the post of prime minister and president in J&K was intended to create a "separatist psyche" and asserted that new India would never allow any ..
Black, gay woman elected Chicago Mayor in historic vote
Voters in Chicago -- the third-largest city in the US -- have chosen an openly gay African-American woman to be their next Mayor in a historic election that has upended the city's long-reigning political machine.
Congress fields ex-CM Madhu Koda, wife in Jharkhand
Congress has announced names of three of the seven candidates from Jharkhand for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Congress standing by anti-nationals: Prasad
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is the BJP candidate for Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat, on Wednesday said the opposition Congress party is standing with those against the country.
ECI seeks I and B Ministry's response on launch of NaMo TV
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I & B) seeking a report on the launch of NaMo TV after the model code came into force, sources said.This comes two days after Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lodged a complaint with the ECI regarding the launch of NaMo TV.In another letter, the commission sought a response from Doordarshan as to why it ran an hour-long live broadcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public address 'Mein Bhi Chowkidar' on March 31.On Monday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had written a letter to the poll body, asking whether permission was granted to the recently launched 24-hour television channel NaMo TV after the model code came into force."Can permission be granted to a party to have their own TV channel even after the model code of conduct (MCC) is enforced? If no permission was sought, then what action has been taken?" AAP legal cell member Mohd Irshad had said in his letter to the Chief Election ...
Congress manifesto document of lies: Modi
Terming the Congress manifesto a "dhakosla patra" (document of lies), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the Congress of failing to fulfil the aspirations of the people in the northeast in 60 long years.
US approves sale of 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to India for USD 2.6 billion
The US has approved the sale of 24 multi-role MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopters to India at an estimated cost of USD 2.6 billion, the State Department has announced, boosting the Indian Navy's anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare operations as China expands its presence in the Indian Ocean. Designed for hunting submarines as well as knocking out ships and conducting search-and-rescue operations at sea, the Lockheed Martin-built helicopters, would replace India's aging fleet of British-made Sea King helicopters. The Trump Administration on Tuesday notified the Congress that it has approve sale of 24 MH-60R multi-mission helicopters, which will provide the Indian defence forces the capability to perform anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare missions. The helicopters are designed to operate from frigates, destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers. In its notification, the State Department told the Congress that this proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national ...
Sena targets Congress over "Hindu terror"
The Shiv Sena on Wednesday accused the Congress of spreading the word "Hindu terror" during its rule, saying it encouraged terrorists from Pakistan to carry out their activities in India. It also criticised former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah over their stand on Article 35-A of the Constitution, saying if such voices are not curbed, the border state will remain in the grip of unrest and instability. The remarks of the Sena, a constituent of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, came two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the Congress, accusing it of insulting "peace-loving" Hindus by linking them to terrorism. "The word 'saffron terror' or 'Hindu terror' was spread when the Congress was in power at the Centre. Besides allegations, false cases were also filed against Hindus in the Samjhauta train blast and Malegaon bomb blast cases," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'. It claimed that "gross injustice" was
Lost and found: Israel's classified documents of weapons deals with India
A delegation led by Israel's National Security Adviser lost classified documents related to weapons deals with India but in a stroke of luck they were recovered, thanks to a restaurant waiter's presence of mind, a media report said on Wednesday. National Security Adviser (NSA) Meir Ben Shabbat travelled with several members of the National Security Council (NSC) to India in January this year when he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. The Israeli NSA in those meetings also discussed about different weapons deals between the two countries, newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Israel reportedly wishes to sell India several advanced weapons manufactured by defence industries, such as spy planes, unmanned aircraft, anti-tank missiles, cannons and radar systems. An aide to Shabbath had printed several documents related to possible weapons deal with India ahead of the trip, which reportedly also included classified information. The delegation dined at a ...
BJP is Mizoram's 'last hope', says party's first LS poll candidate from state
Feeling betrayed by the Congress, people in Mizoram see Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a messiah of development and the BJP as their "last hope", claims Nirupam Chakma, the saffron party's first Lok Sabha candidate from the northeastern state. The five-time Congress legislator, who switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2015, said people of the state gave ample opportunities to the Congress as well as the regional Mizo National Front (MNF) but have been repeatedly disappointed. It won't be wrong to say the BJP is the last ray of hope for the people of Mizoram. The Congress has failed them and they will not elect a Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha polls, Chakma told PTI in an interview. People in the state, he said, want to give a chance to the Modi-led BJP. It is their last hope to see Mizoram tread new paths in development and be put on the same pedestal as high growth states such as Maharashtra and Gujarat, Chakma said. "People's opinion about the BJP is changing for good ..
Rising Thai political star faces fresh legal woes after election
The telegenic leader of a Thai political party who rode to prominence during last month's election on a wave of millennial support stands accused of inciting unrest, he said Wednesday, blaming his latest legal woes on a "dark influence". Billionaire Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit heads up the youth-oriented Future Forward Party, which came out of nowhere to amass more than 6 million votes in the March 24 vote, the first since a 2014 coup. Future Forward has joined an anti-junta coalition with six other parties claiming the right to form a government in the aftermath of a disputed vote whose full results will not be ratified until May 9. But the fierce anti-junta critic said on Facebook he has now been summoned to appear at a Bangkok police station Saturday to hear incitement charges against him which carry a maximum sentence of seven years. He called it "an old political game" that he expected to intensify after the party's strong election showing. "The dark influence will not leave ...
Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam agents of BJP: Bhim Army chief
Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar Azad Wednesday alleged Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav were "agents" of the BJP, adding he will not contest from Varanasi if his candidature scuttled the Dalit movement. He made the remarks during a public meeting in Jaipur days after BSP chief Mayawati termed him a "BJP agent" and alleged that he was contesting from Varanasi as part of the saffron party's conspiracy to divide Dalit votes. Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has entered into an alliance with SP in Uttar Pradesh to take on the BJP. "Akhilesh Yadav gave promotion to officers who inflicted atrocities on Dalits. His father says in Parliament that he wants Modi to become prime minister again. They are agents of the BJP, not me," the Bhim Army chief said. "They call me an agent for questioning them. Yes, I am an agent of B R Ambedkar... If my own people were not in my way, I would have shown you (Akhilesh) that if we can vote you to power, we can pull
Paris-Berlin launch bloc to fight fraying global unity
Amid signs that support for international institutions and cooperation is fraying, France and Germany have launched an Alliance for Multilateralism.
Tamil Nadu: Rs 2.10 cr seized from former district secretary
The Election Commission Flying Squad officials seized Rs 2.10 crore in cash from a former Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) party district secretary, Thangadurai, during vehicle frisking near Perambalur, officials said on Wednesday.Acting on a specific tip-off on Tuesday, the EC officials intercepted the car in which former district secretary Thangadurai was travelling. During the search, officials found that 2.10 crore cash was concealed inside the car doors. The car and cash have been seized and sent to Permabalur collector office for further investigation.At present, officials are interrogating Thangadurai.Voting in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 18. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.
Owaisi calls PM Modi a 'King of liars'
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Assadudin Owaisi called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "king of lairs".Addressing a gathering here on Tuesday, Owaisi said: "PM Modi and lies go hand in hand. His name should not be Chowkidar, but 'Jhootho ka Badshah' (king of lairs). What have you done for our state? We presented several proposals in the parliament, but they were not acted upon."His remarks came after the Prime Minister on April 1 addressed an election rally in Telangana, where he hit out at Owaisi and referred him as a "speed breaker" in "Hyderabad's development".Owaisi also posted on his twitter handle, "PM Modi called Majlis a 'speed breaker' and we proudly own it. We are a speed breaker against anyone who wants to destroy our Constitution and tehzeeb."AIMIM Chief also called PM Modi "Chichora" (Frivolous) during his speech.He also accused the Prime Minister of triggering communal sentiments to win the elections."Modi came to Hyderabad and as usual peddled lies.
Dimple Yadav to file papers for Kannauj on April 6
Dimple Yadav, wife of Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, will re-contest from the Kannauj parliamentary seat and will file her nomination on April 6.