Page 1678 - Politics
Offensive begins to free last IS-held Syrian territory
US-backed Kurdish fighters have launched an offensive to free the last Syrian territory held by the Islamic State (IS) terror group, defence officials said on Sunday.
Virginia lieutenant governor wants accusations investigated
Virginia's embattled lieutenant governor on Saturday called for authorities, including the FBI, to investigate sexual assault allegations made against him while defying widespread calls for his resignation with a plea for "space in this moment for due process." Democratic Lt Gov Justin Fairfax issued a statement repeating his strong denials that he had ever sexually assaulted anyone and made clear he does not intend to immediately resign, despite having lost almost his entire base of support. Meanwhile, Gov Ralph Northam pledged to work at healing the state's racial divide and made his first official appearance a week after a racist photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page surfaced and he acknowledged wearing blackface in the 1980s. Northam has also defied calls from practically his entire party to step down. Saturday capped an astonishing week in Virginia politics that saw all three of the state's top elected officials embroiled in potentially career-ending scandals, and the ...
Modi slams Naidu, says he has done a volte-face on development
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday launched a scathing attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu, saying he has made a "U-turn" on promises of development to the state and was only replicating the former's schemes. Modi lashed out at Naidu for aligning with the Congress, saying the former chief minister NT Ramarao (NTR) had launched the party to make Andhra Pradesh "congress-mukth" after he was a victim of its 'arrogance.' Naidu was indeed a senior to him, but only in losing elections, switching alliances and ditching his father-in-law NT Rama Rao, Modi said at a public rally here. "He keeps reminding me he is senior. There is no debate in this. I have never shown any disrespect to you since you are a senior. You are a senior in changing alliances. A senior biting the back of your own father-in-law. A senior in losing one election after the other, where as I am not," the Prime Minister said. Further, Naidu was senior in embracing tomorrow .
UP Congress workers plan grand welcome for Priyanka, Rahul
Enthused by the appointment of new leaders to steer them into the coming Lok Sabha election, Congressmen have planned a grand welcome to the party's general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and others when they arrive in the state capital on Monday. Congress workers, led by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Raj Babbar, have made elaborate arrangements to welcome their leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi and in-charge of the state's western region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who will accompany Priyanka Vadra as she makes her first public appearance in the state after her new assignment. The trio, who will arrive at the Lucknow airport, will pass through the main areas of the state capital to reach the Nehru Bhawan office of the UPCC. They will be welcomed by party workers and leaders at nearly 37 points in the city between the airport and the UPCC office, Congress spokesman Anshu Awasthi told PTI. Before reaching the Congress ...
TDP protest Modi's visit to Andhra Pradesh
TDP workers staged protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrived Sunday on his first visit to the state after the ruling Telugu Desam Party severed ties with the NDA. The Chandrababu Naidu-led party quit the BJP-led alliance protesting the "injustice" done to the state post-bifurcation. Giving the protocol a go-by, none of the state ministers turned up at the Gannavaram airport to formally receive the Prime Minister, who is on an official-cum-political visit. BJP leaders alleged that people were "thwarted," from reaching the venue in large numbers and said countdown would start for Naidu when Modi commences his rally. This is Modi's first visit to Andhra Pradesh, a year after the ruling Telugu Desam Party walked out of the BJP-led NDA. The ruling party organised protests in various cities and towns in the state Sunday in protest against Modi's visit. At Vijayawada and Guntur, TDP workers donned black shirts and took out rallies demanding that "Modi go ...
Day ahead of poll announcement, MP govt made 'Up-Lokayukt' appointment
The post of Up-Lokayukt (Deputy Lokayukta) in Madhya Pradesh's anti-corruption watchdog was created and subsequently filled a day ahead of announcement of assembly polls by the Election Commission, documents obtained under RTI Act show. Within three days, the whole process of appointment from writing a letter to Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court, seeking nomination of the suitable candidate, to finally approving the appointment was completed, the documents received in response to an RTI query filed by transparency activist Ajay Dubey reveal. After the documents were made public, transparency activists have raised their voice at the "lightening speed" with which the appointment was processed. "The appointment of Up-Lokayukt was made within three days. It was done a day ahead of announcement of assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh. Why did government think of filling the post of Up-Lokayukt towards the end of their tenure," asked Dubey. According to the documents, former chief ...
Bhavantar was launched only to launder money; Waqt hai badlav ka - I am confident we are coming back to power with a majority in 2019: Kamal Nath (IANS Interview Part II)
From a powerful Cabinet Minister and Congress General Secretary who managed key states and allies, Kamal Nath has migrated seamlessly to Bhopal, the power centre of Madhya Pradesh. Well versed in the art of real politik, the state's 18th Chief Minister has an onerous responsibility now that he has reversed the BJP's long winning streak in its quest to make India Congress Mukht. Blessed with innate strategic and tactical thinking, he has now set out to fix what was broken in the state.
As Kagame steps down, Egypt takes helm at African Union
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who led an active, reformist tenure as African Union chair, on Sunday passes the baton to Egypt, seen as more likely to focus on security issues than expanding the powers of the body. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will officially take over the post of ceremonial head of the AU which rotates between the five regions of the continent at the start of a two-day summit in Addis Ababa. While multiple crises on the continent will be on the agenda of heads of state from the 55 member nations, the summit will also focus on institutional reforms, and the establishment of a continent-wide free trade zone. The Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) was agreed by 44 nations in March 2018, but only 19 countries have ratified the agreement, with 22 needed for it to come into effect. The single market is a flagship of the AU's "Agenda 2063" programme, conceived as a strategic framework for socioeconomic transformation. Cairo is backing the initiative, but analysts
Modi arrives in Andhra, protests staged
Protests were staged across Andhra Pradesh on Sunday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on a day-long visit during which he will unveil developmental projects and address a mass rally.
Unemployment, fear, major poll planks for Congress: Chidambaram (IANS Interview)
The unemployment crisis and the "reign of fear" are two major planks the Congress is banking on in the Lok Sabha polls to dethrone the Narendra Modi government and defeat the BJP-RSS bid to replace the Indian Constitution with "Hindutva", says senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram.
Miffed weightlifters to return 'Bangla Gaurav' award
Indian veteran weightlifters Jyotsna Mukherjee and Chay Adok have decided to return their 'Bangla Gaurav' award, expressing discontent with the West Bengal government for allegedly giving secondary treatment to the sport in the state.Jyotsna, who received the honour in 2015, said on Saturday that there is not even a single weightlifting academy in the state which makes it difficult for budding weightlifters to train as they come from poor families."How can I keep the award when my brothers and sisters are crying. See, weightlifting people come from poor families. There is no state academy that could provide training facilities to them. Usually, one needs to spend around Rs 2-3 lakhs on weightlifting training. Without the government's help, we cannot do anything," Jyotsna told ANI.The weightlifter said that they are trying since 2012 to get a state academy for weightlifters but no attention is being paid to their demand.She said that they took the matter to the sports minister as well,
Democrat Warren kicks off 2020 run, ignoring ancestry row
Democrat Elizabeth Warren has officially kicked off her 2020 White House run with a full-throated pledge to defend working Americans, unbowed by a row over her Native American ancestry that has threatened to nip her campaign in the bud. "This is the fight of our lives," she told cheering supporters in gritty Lawrence, Massachusetts, against "a rigged system that props up the rich and powerful and kicks dirt on everyone else." "Millions of families can barely breathe," Warren said Saturday, in a feisty speech that struck aggressively populist and unapologetically left-leaning notes. "It is not right." The Massachusetts senator -- who had announced her intention to run on New Year's Eve -- is among the highest-profile of the growing pool of Democrats hoping to unseat President Donald Trump in 2020. The Democratic field is already the party's most diverse ever -- in gender, age and ethnic background -- and one of its more progressive. It includes several well-known women lawmakers, with .
Malaysia's toppled leader to go on trial over 1MDB scandal
Malaysia's toppled leader Najib Razak will go on trial this week over an extraordinary financial scandal that contributed to the downfall of his long-ruling coalition and reverberated around the world. The former prime minister and his cronies are accused of stealing USD 4.5 billion from Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB in a mind-boggling fraud that stretched from Switzerland to the Seychelles. The money was purportedly used to fund a global shopping spree - a USD 250-million super-yacht, high-end real estate, and Monet and Van Gogh artworks were among the items allegedly bought with cash plundered from public coffers. The scandal ensnared celebrities, with the fraud's suspected mastermind seen partying with Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton, while the new Malaysian government has accused Wall Street titan Goldman Sachs of stealing billions during its work with 1MDB. Public revulsion at the graft allegations played a large part in the election defeat of Najib - who set up the ...
Catalan separatists trial: not just legal battle, media one too
The trial on Tuesday of 12 Catalan leaders over their role in Catalonia's failed independence bid will be fought between Madrid and the separatists in the international media as much as in the courtroom. "We have to use this trial as a tool of denunciation, use it in our goal to make Catalonia independent," the head of influential grassroots separatist group ANC, Elisenda Paluzie, said before the start of the trial at Spain's Supreme Court on February 12. The separatists who govern the wealthy northeastern region have for years tried to convince the world of the legitimacy of their cause and make the case that Spain lacks political freedoms. But with over 600 journalists from 150 media outlets from around the world accredited to cover the trial, Spain's central government does not want to remain on the sidelines. The foreign ministry has set up an office charged with promoting Spain's image abroad, called Global Spain. It announced before the start of the trial that it would launch ...
New Muslim lawmakers' criticism of Israel pressures US Democrats
The support for a boycott of Israel by the first two Muslim women in the US Congress has opened a breach in the Democratic Party and threatens to create a fissure in the ironclad US-Israeli alliance. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib made their debut in the House of Representatives in January openly declaring their support for the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, or BDS. The movement, launched more than a decade ago and modeled on the 1960s movement to pressure South Africa over apartheid, calls for people and groups to sever economic, cultural and academic ties to Israel, and to support sanctions against the Jewish state. But for Israel partisans -- including many Democrats and Republicans in Congress -- BDS smacks of anti-Semitism and poses a threat to Israel. Tlaib, 42, has Palestinian roots and represents a district of suburban Detroit, Michigan that is home to thousands of Muslims. She argues that BDS can draw a focus on "issues like the racism and the ...
Modi's leadership qualities 'unmatched', he will be BJP's PM
Narendra Modi will be the BJP's prime ministerial candidate even if the ruling NDA falls short of a majority in the Lok Sabha elections as his leadership qualities are "unmatched", Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has said. He, however, asserted that the BJP will improve upon its performance in the 2014 polls and cross the 300-seat mark. The NDA, he claimed, will clinch over 400 seats. Speaking on the Ram temple issue, Maurya said its construction in Ayodhya was only a matter of time and that the Centre will "remove all the hurdles" coming in the way. "In 2014, we had won 282 seats. But in 2019, the BJP alone will cross 300 seats. With our NDA partners we will cross the 400 mark under the leadership of Modi," Maurya told PTI in an interview during his recent West Bengal visit. When asked will the BJP plump for Modi even if he failed to lead the NDA to a straight victory and a second successive stint in power, he replied in the affirmative, ...
Democrat Elizabeth Warren launches 2020 US presidential campaign
Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren has officially launched her 2020 presidential campaign at a rally, using the backdrop of Everett Mills -- the site of a historic 1912 labour strike led by women and immigrants.
Venezuelan military official drops allegiance to Maduro
An active-duty Venezuelan army colonel who is a military doctor has dropped his allegiance to President Nicolas Maduro, backing opposition leader Juan Guaido instead. "Ninety per cent of us in the armed forces are really unhappy," Colonel Ruben Paz Jimenez said in a video released Saturday. "We are being used to keep them in power." He urged his fellow soldiers to help allow humanitarian aid into Venezuela. The shipment of US aid is currently in Cucuta, Colombia, on the border. Maduro has vowed to prevent the aid from entering, labeling it a precursor of a US invasion. A week ago, Air Force General Francisco Yanez also dropped his allegiance to Maduro. The military's backing is critical to the sway of power in Venezuela. Venezuela's self-proclaimed acting president Guaido on Friday refused to rule out the possibility of authorizing United States intervention to help force President Nicolas Maduro from power and alleviate a humanitarian crisis. The opposition leader launched a bid to ..
French 'yellow vest' protester loses fingers in violent clashes
A "yellow vest" protester in France had his fingers ripped off during violent clashes at the Parliament building in Paris, as the anti-government protests entered its 13th week, the media reported on Sunday.
Will break ties with NDA if Citizenship Amendment Bill is passed in Rajya Sabha: Meghalaya CM
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Saturday stated that his party, National People's Party (NPP), has decided that if the central government passes the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha then they will break ties with NDA.While addressing the media here, Sangma said: "National People's Party (NPP) has decided if the Bill (Citizenship Amendment Bill) is passed in Rajya Sabha, the party will break its ties with the NDA. This decision was taken in the general body meeting."Furthermore, Sangma said a resolution has been passed in this regard and will be submitted to the Narendra Modi government."The party took a unanimous resolution to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 and based on that decision a resolution has been passed which will be submitted to the Government of India to oppose this Bill and not to go ahead with it in Rajya Sabha."The Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on January 8 and the centre is expecting to get Rajya Sabha's nod in the ongoing session.