Page 1679 - Politics

'Humanitarian aid is a big lie', says Venezuelan VP

The provisions of a humanitarian aid initiated by Washington is a "big lie", Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Saturday (local time), adding that such moves indirectly reflected on the United States' intention to topple President Nicolas Maduro from power.In an interview with the Russian Times, the Venezuelan Vice President said: "This [humanitarian assistance] is a big lie."Addressing the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in the country, Rodriguez added that Venezuela's social "wounds" resulted due to the economic "blockade" exerted by the US. In order to put an end to the crisis, the incumbent government of Venezuela needs to enter into a dialogue with the Opposition, a move which is impeded by Donald Trump-led US government, the Vice President added to her statement."We say: 'yes to dialog' and 'no to war'," Rodriguez said, adding that the South American nation has been facing "total political and ideological rejection" by the US and its allies (over the ...

PM Modi to unveil development projects in Karnataka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil development projects in Karnataka's twin cities of Hubballi and Dharwad northwest region and address a BJP convention on Sunday, a party official said.

US seeks UN draft resolution calling for Venezuela elections

The United States has shared with its UN Security Council allies a draft resolution calling for international aid to be delivered in Venezuela and for a presidential vote to take place. While no date has yet been set for a vote on the American draft, and negotiations are ongoing, Russia is likely to use its veto power to block it as part of its support of Nicolas Maduro's regime, diplomats said. The text, a copy of which was obtained by AFP on Saturday, expresses "full support for the National Assembly as the only democratically elected institution in Venezuela." The legislative body's chairman, Juan Guaido, has declared himself interim president of Venezuela, challenging Maduro's rule. The draft resolution stresses "deep concern with the violence and excessive use of force by Venezuelan security forces against unarmed, peaceful protesters." It also "calls for the immediate start of a political process leading to free, fair and credible presidential elections, with international ...

Iraq, France discuss bilateral ties

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi met with visiting French Minister of Defence Florence Parly in Baghdad to discuss means of cooperation between the two countries.

Trinamool Congress blames BJP for MLA Satyajit Biswas' murder

Trinamool Congress has been blaming BJP for the murder of its MLA Satyajit Biswas in West Bengal's Nadia district.Trinamool legislator from Krishnagunj in Nadia district, Satyajit Biswas was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Saturday evening at Phulbari in Jalpaiguri. The incident happened when Biswas was attending Saraswati Puja celebrations at Phulbari.The accused managed to flee from the spot after killing Biswas. Police have initiated a probe and are looking for the accused.According to reports, the lawmaker was shot multiple times from a close range when he was coming down the stage after attending the event.Gauri Shankar Dutta, TMC's district president alleged that BJP leaders conspired to kill Biswas as he defeated the BJP candidate twice by a huge margin."Satyajit Biswas was BJP's target for a very long time. He had been a preventive wall of the attempts of Mukul Roy and Soumitra Thakur for movement of 'Matua' votes to BJP. The murder of Biswas is the handiwork of Mukul

Rahul Gandhi has become 'King of lies': Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday accused Congress president Rahul Gandhi of being a 'King of lies.'Speaking at an event here, Chouhan said: "He has become a king of lies. He has got Rafael-iya, as he cannot see anything beyond Rafael. The kind of allegations he is putting are unacceptable. He is using foul language and is repeating lies. The allegations he is putting on us regarding Rafael get scrapped automatically."Further sharpening his attack at the Congress president, Chouhan asserted: "In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls public will do a treatment of his Rafael-iya and the BJP will come in power."Hitting out at the Congress party, Chouhan alleged that there is an internal difference of opinion in the party. Chouhan also accused the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh for not fulfilling its promise. He added, "Rahul Gandhi had said if farm loans are not waived off he will change the CM. Till date no farm loan has been waived off. They are just ...

Priyanka, Rahul, Scindia to visit Lucknow tomorrow

Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh (UP)-East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and General Secretary for UP-West Jyotiraditya Scindia will visit Lucknow on February 11 along with Congress President Rahul Gandhi.The tour is expected to last for four days. This will be Priyanka's first visit after being appointed as the general secretary.As per information, the leaders are expected to carry out a 12-kilometre long road show. Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal, on Thursday, informed that after the road show the leaders are expected to interact with the party workers at the Congress office in the city.According to officials, the party office in the state has been revamped and preparations are on in full swing to welcome the newly-appointed general secretaries.Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) is preparing to give Priyanka a grand welcome who will be on her first visit to the state and the UPCC headquarters after her appointment as general secretary.Several rooms of the

AP: Cong, left plan to hold protests ahead of PM Modi's visit today

Congress and left parties are planning to hold protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Andhra Pradesh visit. They have also announced state-wide protests with empty vessels.Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Andhra Pradesh on Sunday. It is the Prime Minister's first visit to the state after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) pulled out of the BJP-led NDA last year.Earlier on Saturday, anti-Modi posters surfaced in the state. However, it is yet to be ascertained who put up those posters.Some of the posters read '#NoMoreModi #ModiIsAMistake', 'Modi Never Again', among others.Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday gave a clarion call to his workers to hold Gandhian protests during Prime Minister Modi's visit to the state on Sunday.While speaking to his party leaders through a teleconference, Naidu said: "Tomorrow is a dark day. Prime Minister Modi is coming to witness the injustice that was done to Andhra Pradesh by him. Modi is weakening the ..

Democrat Elizabeth Warren announces US presidency bid

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren has officially launched her election campaign to become the party's presidential candidate for the 2020 United States polls.

Presidential election in Macedonia to take place on Apr 21

The presidential elections in Macedonia will be held on April 21, Macedonian Speaker of Parliament Talat Xhaferi has said.

Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren kicks off 2020 Presidential campaign

Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren on Saturday (local time) kicked off her campaign for the post of President in the 2020 elections from Lawrence in Massachusetts.The Senator from Massachusetts anchored the backdrop of Everett Mills in Lawrence, site renown for the 1912 labour strike led by women and immigrants, to act against the wealthy power brokers who "have been waging class warfare against hardworking people for decades.""The man in the White House is not the cause of what is broken, he is just the latest and most extreme symptom of what's gone wrong in America," CNN quoted Warren while targeting President Donald Trump during her campaign."A product of a rigged system that props up the rich and powerful and kicks dirt on everyone else. So once he's gone, we can't pretend that none of this ever happened," she added.Warren is one of the first stalwarts from the Democrats to have announced her candidature for the 2020 Presidential elections, according to The New York Times.Warren ...

US-backed Kurds launch final attack against IS in Syria

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have started the final attacks against the Islamic State (IS) militant group in eastern Syria, Kurdish activists reported.

Karnataka CM for probe into authenticity of audio tape

Calling for an inquiry into the audio tape to ascertain if its voice was that of BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa, Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday offered to quit politics if it was proved fake and fabricated.

Rahul Gandhi agrees with our view of no-alliance with TMC: WB Congress chief

West Bengal Congress president Somen Mitra said Saturday that party president Rahul Gandhi has "agreed" with their views of not forging any alliance with the Trinamool Congress in the state in the coming parliamentary election and that he has left it to the state leadership to decide the electoral strategy. Mitra said Gandhi has given them the go-ahead on initiating talks with democratic and secular forces in the state. "Our party president has agreed with our views that aligning with TMC would be a disaster for the party in the state as it is because of TMC that BJP is gaining ground in Bengal. Rahulji has told us to prepare our own strategy and he has told us that he would agree with it," Mitra told PTI from New Delhi. Asked if this will open the door for forging alliance with the CPI(M)-led Left Front in the state, Mitra said they would discuss the matter in the party. "We would talk to secular and democratic forces, including the Left. But before initiating talks we would discuss .

Democrat Warren to kick off 2020 run, hobbled by ancestry row

Democrat Elizabeth Warren was set Saturday to officially kick off her 2020 White House run with a pledge to defend working Americans, even as a bitter row over her Native American ancestry threatens to nip her campaign in the bud. The Massachusetts senator -- who 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. Her past battles with Wall Street have brought her a large following, and she is considered to have one of the best campaign organizations of any Democrat. But it remains unclear how badly damaged Warren is by a stubborn controversy over her claim to Native American roots -- a claim Trump has seized upon to belittle her, mocking her as "Pocahontas" and alleging she lied about her origins for professional benefit. Hoping to put the controversy to rest, she released DNA tests in October -- but this backfired when they showed her to have only negligible amounts of ...

CPI-M slams MP government for invoking NSA in cow slaughter case

The CPI-M on Saturday slammed the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh for invoking the stringent National Security Act (NSA) in cases of alleged cow slaughter, terming it as an attempt to "appease the communal forces".

Delhi poll panel to take legal action against 'misleading' calls

Delhi's chief electoral officer on Saturday said that they will be taking legal action against those calling to residents of the capital to tell them that their names have been deleted from the electoral rolls and that they will get them restored.

Not a single infiltrator be allowed to stay: Shah

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) will remove infiltrators from the length and breadth of India and once the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returns to power in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will weed out every single infiltrator from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Kolkata to Kutch, BJP president Amit Shah said here on Saturday.

Talks with agitating Gujjars in Rajasthan fail; rail blockade continues

The Rajasthan government's attempt to persuade the protesting Gujjars blocking the Delhi-Mumbai railway route failed on Saturday, even as rail traffic remained disrupted on the section for the second consecutive day.

Rahul asks PCCs to work out alliances at state level

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met state party chiefs and legislative party leaders to review preparations and strategies in each state for the coming Lok Sabha elections and asked them to work out alliances at the state level.