Page 1637 - Politics
Argentines protest in push for 'food emergency' declaration
Thousands took to the streets in 50 Argentine cities and towns Wednesday demanding that the government declare a "food emergency" and put an end to suffocating price increases. "We are losing work, food, education, housing... it's desperation that is emerging among our people," said Osvaldo Ulacio, 60, as he marched in the capital Buenos Aires. "They have left us no other tool than to come out in the streets to fight for our rights," added 29-year-old Diego Quintero. Since President Mauricio Macri came to power in 2015, electricity bills have gone up 2.1 percent and gas 3 percent. The government blamed the increase on the removal of significant subsidies in place under the previous administration. "In the neighborhoods, hunger has come back... it's the worst since the crisis in 2001," said Daniel Menendez, one of the protest leaders in Buenos Aires, referring to the year of a major financial crash. "The crisis is dramatic with falling wages, factories and businesses closing, and soup .
Trump says shutdown 'would be a terrible thing'
With just two days remaining before the short-term spending bill approaches the February 15 deadline, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) said that he did not want yet another partial government shutdown, asserting that it "would be a terrible thing" and did not want to see "another one."Hinting at imposing national emergency to bypass Congress and go ahead with the border wall along the Mexico border, Trump called the Democrats as "stingy" for not meeting his target for funding of the barrier, adding, "we have options that most people don't really understand", The Hill reported."I don't want to see a shutdown. Shutdown would be a terrible thing. I don't want to see another one. There's no reason for it," he said.Earlier on Tuesday, the US President expressed displeasure over the deal reached by the Congressional negotiators to avert another government shutdown. The bipartisan agreement would provide USD 1.3 billion in funding to build 55 miles of the wall along the ...
Like his father, Akhilesh should also accept the truth: Yogi on Mulayam praising PM Modi
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav should accept the truth which his father spoke in Parliament.Samajwadi party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and wished that the latter returns to power after the General Elections this year, "I congratulate the Prime Minister because he has tried to take everybody along. I want to say that all members must win and come again and Narendra Modi should become the Prime Minister again," Mulayam said in Lok Sabha.Commenting on Mulayam's comment, Adityanath said, "This is the truth, and truth always wins. What Mulayamji said in the Parliament is the truth, I am sure like Mulayamji, his son should also accept this truth."The SP veteran's stance is being perceived as a jolt to the efforts of Akhilesh Yadav who had joined hands with the opposition parties to counter the BJP in the general elections.
Venezuela's Guaido announces new board for key US-based oil subsidiary
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido Wednesday announced the appointment of a new board for Citgo, the US-based arm of state oil firm PDVSA that until recently was a major source of revenue for President Nicolas Maduro's embattled regime. Guaido -- who has been recognized as acting president by more than 50 countries and also heads the opposition-controlled National Assembly legislature, which appointed the new board -- is locked in a battle with Maduro for control of the crisis-hit country. The United States, which is leading the push to topple Maduro, has sanctioned key regime financial assets including the Citgo subsidiary, and on Wednesday President Donald Trump once more refused to rule out military action against the leftist leader. Announcing the new six-member board on Twitter, Guaido said it "will be made up of qualified Venezuelans, who are free of corruption and without any partisan affiliation." "With this decision, we are not only protecting our assets, we are ...
Israel opposes UN council visit to Palestinian territories
Israel has told the UN Security Council that it opposes a planned visit by the top UN body to the Palestinian territories for a close-up look at the situation, Kuwait's ambassador said Wednesday. Kuwait and other council members proposed the visit to the occupied territories during a meeting last week on Israel's decision to end the international observer force in the West Bank city of Hebron. During a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, the council president briefed members on talks held with Israel and the Palestinians on the proposal for a visit. "He said Israel categorically refused the council visit," Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi told reporters after the meeting. "They don't want to receive a visit by the Security Council" even though they are prepared to welcome delegations from countries on the council, he added. "We expressed our regret that this visit will not take place because it has been raised many times by the council." The Israeli mission did not immediately ...
Rebuking Trump, House votes to end US help in Saudi's Yemen war
The US House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to end American involvement in Saudi Arabia's war effort in neighbouring Yemen, dealing a rebuke to President Donald Trump and his alliance with Riyadh. The chamber voted 248 to 177 to approve historic legislation that would direct the president within 30 days to "remove United States armed forces from hostilities in or affecting the Republic of Yemen", where a years-old conflict has killed thousands of civilians. Eighteen Republicans joined all voting Democrats in supporting the measure, a striking curtailment of presidential war powers. The vote puts pressure on the Senate to act. The Senate easily passed a similar measure late last year condemning the administration's defense of the Saudi kingdom, but it died as the last Congress ended with the then Republican-controlled House not bringing it to a vote. Today the House is under Democratic control, and the measure moved swiftly on the floor. "With my resolution passing the House, we are ...
Posters thanking Mulayam for praising PM Modi in LS put up in Lucknow
After Samajwadi party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and wished that the latter returns to power after the General Elections this year, posters thanking the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister appeared here on Wednesday.The poster carried a message, "Thank you Mulayam Singh Yadav, today you reiterated the wish of 125 crore Indians in the Lok Sabha."In a surprising statement which left the opposition squirming, Mulayam in the Lok Sabha said he wished to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi back as Prime Minister of India.Notably, Congress leader and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was sitting next to Mulayam in the Lok Sabha.Mulayam's comments came at a time when his son and Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav has been seen supporting Opposition leaders in forging an anti-BJP alliance to oust Prime Minister Modi-led government from the Centre."I congratulate the Prime Minister because he has tried to take everybody along. I want to .
Trump: China trade talks going 'very well' before high-level parley
WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday trade talks with China were "going along very well" as the world's two largest economies try to resolve their seven-month tariff war ahead of a March 1 deadline for a deal.
20 village heads, ex-servicemen leave on Army-sponsored capacity-building tour outside J&K
The Army flagged off a group of 20 village heads and ex-servicemen from the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday on a capacity-building tour to outside the state, a defence spokesman said. During the 16-day tour to Pune, Chennai, Puducherry and New Delhi, the group will visit the model villages of Hiware Bazaar and Ralegaon Sidhi, where it will witness the implementation of the self-governance concept through the Panchayati Raj system, he added. The Army spokesman said a close interaction of the group with anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare was also being planned. The group will next visit Chennai, where the "Unmukt" workshop will be held, he said, adding that the event will give the participants an opportunity to learn self-sustainability skills through group discussions and activities. They would also be visiting the Sustainable Livelihood Institute in Puducherry, where a small workshop on the rural self-governance model would be conducted, he ...
Operational toilets, drinking water major needs of children: study
As the country gears up to host the general election in a couple of months,availability of operational toilets, ban on child labour, availability of drinking water, provision of all-weather roads ensuring easy access to schools, emerged to be the major needs of children, according to a recent study. These are the needs highlighted by children in the document 'Our Aspirations From Our Government: The Voice of India's Children', prepared and published byan NGO, CRY Child Rights and You. The document aimed at influencing the leaders and the political parties to prioritise children's issues in their election agenda. With the parliament election around the corner, CRY has launched an initiative through which they want to convey the voices of children their aspirations and demands from the leaders of all political parties and request them to keep children's demands in mind while drafting election manifestos for their outfits. Elaborating on the objective of the initiative, Puja Marwaha, .
US fails to halt Iran bid to free frozen billions
An international court Wednesday ruled Iran can proceed with a bid to unfreeze assets in the United States, rejecting Washington's claims the case must be halted because of Tehran's alleged support for international terrorism. Washington had argued that Iran's "unclean hands" - a reference to Tehran's suspected backing of terror groups -- should disqualify its lawsuit to recover USD 2 billion in assets frozen by the US Supreme Court in 2016. But the International Court of Justice in The Hague threw out the US challenges, and said that it had the right to hold full hearings at a later date as to whether Tehran will get the money back. Chief judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said the UN's top court "unanimously rejects the preliminary objections to admissibility raised by the United States of America". The court also "finds that it has jurisdiction" in the case, Yusuf said at the end of an hour-long reading of the decision. Tehran said the United States had illegally seized Iranian financial .
Telangana Congress hits out at TRS for 'silence' on oppn protests against NDA govt
Hitting out at the ruling TRS in Telangana for its alleged silence on the opposition protests against the NDA government at the Centre, the Congress unit of the southern state on Wednesday said Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao should hold a stir in Delhi or elsewhere against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the alleged injustices meted out to the state. "When the entire opposition is raising its voice against the injustices being done by the BJP government, the TRS is aligning with PM Modi," Telangana Congress treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy said in a statement. "When one state (Andhra Pradesh) is openly holding protests against the injustices, why KCR is supporting the BJP by remaining silent on the issue?," he asked. Reddy alleged that Telangana did not get its due share in any of the five regular budgets and the latest interim budget of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. He said it was highly regrettable that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi
Modi, opposition leaders recall experiences of 16th Lok Sabha
As the curtains came down on the 16th Lok Sabha on the last day of the Budget session, the members recalled their experiences, with some of them becoming emotional.
Qureshi claims India failed to isolate Pakistan
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Wednesday claimed that India has failed to diplomatically isolate Islamabad, according to a media report. Briefing Parliament, the minister claimed India on multiple occasions tried to harm Pakistan's diplomatic ties with other countries. Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived following a spate of terror attacks on Indian military bases by Pakistan-based terror groups since January 2016. Following the strikes, India announced it will not engage in talks with Pakistan, saying terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand. India in September cancelled the proposed meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistan counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi in New York citing the brutal killing of security personnel by Pakistan-based entities. "India's failure to isolate Islamabad diplomatically is a win for the country," Qureshi was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune. He reiterated to strengthen Pakistan's position in the ...
Rahul, BJP trade charges over Rafale deal
Rahul Gandhi and the BJP traded charges over the Rafale issue on Wednesday as the Congress chief claimed that a purported dissent note by some officials on the aircraft deal demolished Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim of better pricing and faster delivery, while the ruling party cited the CAG report to assert that it had exposed his lies. The BJP demanded that Gandhi withdraw his allegations against the Modi government and tender an apology in the light of the CAG report and an earlier Supreme Court order. At a press conference, the Congress president dismissed the CAG report on the multi-billion-dollar pact as a "cover up" that was not worth the papers it was written on. On the other hand, BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad referred to the Supreme Court order, which said there was no occasion to doubt the Rafale jets purchase, to assert there was nothing left for Gandhi to question the deal, but he had been peddling lies and fake information by misrepresenting ...
4 'rebel' Congress MLAs attend Karnataka assembly session
Four 'rebel' Congress legislators, who defied the party whip to absent themselves from the budget session since February 6, came to the assembly on Wednesday and were seen sitting on the treasury benches.
HC stays SIT probe against principal secy of former C'garh CM
The Chhattisgarh High Court Wednesday stayed a probe by the state government-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) against a former principal secretary to the chief minister in the erstwhile BJP government. The newly-formed Congress government in the state had recently set up a four-member SIT to probe allegations against Aman Singh, former Principal Secretary to the then Chief Minister Raman Singh. "Aman Singh had filed an application for interim relief in the high court citing that without lodging an FIR, the SIT cannot be constituted," his lawyer Kishore Bhaduri said. After hearing the arguments on Wednesday, Justice Prashant Mishra stayed the probe by the SIT till further order and sought a reply from the state government by February 27, he said. Last week, the Chhattisgarh government had ordered the state's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to form an SIT to probe the allegations against Singh. The probe was ordered based on a complaint to the PMO by Vijay Mishra, he said. As ..
Opposition decides to have pre-poll alliance, common minimum programme for LS polls
In a significant development, major national parties on Thursday decided to have a pre-poll pact and a common minimum programme (CMP) to defeat the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls even as Congress appeared to keep its options open about tying up with Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the AAP in Delhi.
Opposition calls Punjab governor's address 'bundle of lies'
Opposition parties AAP, SAD and the BJP Wednesday described Governor V P Singh Badnore's address "a bundles of lies". They targeted the Congress government on a host of issues, including farm debt waiver, unemployment and the law and order situation, even as ruling party legislators hailed the government's policies and programmes. Responding to the governor's address on the second day of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha session here, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra attacked the government for rolling out "incomplete" farm loan waiver. "Farmers who were anticipating debt waiver have been left in the lurch. The waiver is a farce and has not benefited anyone in the state," claimed Chandumajra. The Punjab government has played a cruel joke by not paying outstanding dues of cane growers, he said. Chandumajra took on the state government on the law and order situation. He said several teachers were beaten up by the police in Patiala, when they were protesting against the .
Oppn leaders vow to join hands to defeat BJP; to frame common minimum programme
Moving forward on a united anti-BJP front for the Lok Sabha elections, top opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee Wednesday agreed to work together to prepare a common minimum programme to oust the Modi government and to consider forging a pre-poll alliance. The meeting, hosted by NCP president Sharad Pawar at his residence here, also saw Congress chief Gandhi and AAP's Arvind Kejriwal coming together for the first time, while West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu said the entire opposition needs to come together due to "democratic compulsions to save India". Leaders indicated that the parties may contest separately in some states, but there was an urgent need to work together at the national level. The BJP has been calling the attempts by opposition parties to forge an alliance a desperate bid to save themselves from the Modi government's crackdown on corruption. After the meeting, which took place ...