Page 627 - Politics
US lifts sanctions on Venezuelan general who turned against Maduro
The US on Tuesday announced that it was lifting sanctions imposed on Venezuela's former intelligence chief General Manuel Cristopher Figuera, who broke ranks with President Nicolas Maduro's regime and pledged his support to the country's opposition leader Juan Guaido.Making the announcement, US Vice President Mike Pence said that the US would remove the sanctions "for all those who step forward.""The United States of America will consider sanctions relief for all those who step forward, stand up for the Constitution and support the rule of law," The New York Times quoted Pence while speaking at the annual Washington Conference on the Americas.Pence said that the US, which was the first country to recognise Guaido, as the interim President of Venezuela, was sending a naval hospital ship called 'Comfort' to Central and South America on a five-month mission from next month to provide humanitarian aid to Venezuelan refugees.Reiterating that Maduro should step down, Pence said, "We will ...
Celebrities add colour to Bhopal campaign
The street-level campaign for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat doesnt match the nationwide audio-visual attention showered on the constituency.
US welcomes release of Reuters journalists in Myanmar
The White House on Tuesday welcomed the release of two Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo after they were pardoned by the civilian government of Myanmar. "Jailed for over 500 days since December 2017 for reporting on atrocities against the Rohingya, we are delighted they will be reunited with their families, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. The two journalists from the London-based news agency won international acclaim for their reporting on the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. Their December 2017 arrests made them an international cause celebre and a sign of Myanmar's deteriorating press freedoms under Nobel laureate and civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Sanders hoped other jailed journalists in Myanmar would also be freed. "A free press, freedom of religion, and the rule of law are fundamental principles for any democracy. The United States will continue promoting a stable, prosperous, and democratic transition in Burma," Sanders said. Welcoming their release ...
Amid tensions with Iran, Pompeo makes surprise visit to Iraq
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Tuesday made an unannounced visit to Iraq hours after abruptly cancelling a scheduled trip to Germany due to "pressing issues."Amid escalating tensions with Iran, Pompeo arrived in Baghdad and met Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi, President Barham Salih and other senior officials in his four-hour visit to the country, CNN reported.Linking his brief visit to "press US' concerns on Iran" to the Iraqi government, Pompeo said that his meetings were "productive" and said that he deliberated officials on "about the importance of Iraq ensuring that it's able to adequately protect Americans in their country.""They both provided assurances that they understood that was their responsibility," he said.Pompeo remarked that Washington "wanted to let them know about the increased threat stream that we had seen and give them a little bit more background on that so they could ensure that they were doing all they could to provide protection for our team.""They ..
India's candidate elected at UN to Narcotics Board
Jagjit Pavadia has been re-elected with the highest number of votes by the UN Economic and Social Council to a five-year term on International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), while China's candidate lost.
Sudan army rulers want to retain Sharia as legal guide
Sudan's army rulers Tuesday said Islamic law should remain as the guiding principle in a new civilian structure, after protest leaders handed in their proposals on changes they want enforced but kept silent on Sharia. The 10-member military council was handed proposals last week for the new civilian structures protest leaders want. The military council told reporters that the generals overall agreed to the proposals but they had "many reservations." This included the silence on Islamic Sharia law remaining the guiding principle of all laws. "The declaration failed to mention the sources of legislation, and the Islamic sharia law and tradition should be the source of legislation," Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi, spokesman for the military council, told reporters. Sudan, under ousted leader Omar al-Bashir, saw the Islamic law applied at random with the constitution saying that Sharia was the guiding principle. This led to thousands of women being flogged for "indecent ...
Argentina's Macri seeks deal with opposition over economic crisis
Argentina's President Mauricio Macri, under pressure over a misfiring economy, has called rival party leaders together to thrash out a series of policy measures to stabilise the crisis six months ahead of presidential elections. Macri sent an invitation to the country's main political and social leaders to join negotiations on agreeing a 10-point plan to get the economy under control. "Clearly, we have had problems agreeing on basic issues of our economic development," Macri wrote in his letter to leaders, including his leftist arch-rival Cristina Kirchner. "Therefore, every time an election campaign approaches, there are many doubts about our future." Macri's invitation has so far been received cooly by some leaders, including Peronist leader Sergio Massa and former economy minister Roberto Lavagna. Employers, unions and church leaders have also been invited to participate in the discussions. The embattled center-right president is seeking agreement on a 10-point list that includes ..
US Secretary of State Pompeo makes unannounced trip to Iraq
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has made an unannounced trip to Iraq as Washington warns Iran against any action against American interests in the Middle East. Pompeo was in Baghdad briefly Tuesday night before flying out. Pompeo says his visit was meant to show US support for "a sovereign, independent" Iraq, free from the influence of neighbouring Iran. He met with Iraq's president and prime minister. Pompeo's visit comes amid increasing tensions between Washington and Tehran. The US is rushing an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East to deter or respond to any Iranian attack. US officials have said there are indications Iran is planning to retaliate for the Trump administration's stepped-up sanctions on the country, although the threat information remains vague.
Brazil's Bolsonaro signs decree easing gun laws
President Jair Bolsonaro loosened Brazil's strict gun laws by decree Tuesday, delivering on a campaign promise to make it easier for Brazilians to buy guns and ammunition amid rising crime fears. Bolsonaro signed the presidential decree surrounded by supporting lawmakers who applauded and made finger-gun gestures with their hands. It alters a 2003 law on firearms. The decree "lessens bureaucracy" in the gun market and opens Brazil to firearms and ammunition made outside the South American country, according to a summary of the decree released by the president's office. The full text of the decree had not yet been published. The summary said gun owners can now buy between 1,000 and 5,000 rounds of ammunition a year, depending on their license, up from 50 rounds. Lower-ranking military members can now carry guns after 10 years of service. "Public security starts inside your home," said Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain who made getting tough on criminals in a country that is ...
Trump provoking Democrats to impeach him: Pelosi
US President Donald Trump is trying to provoke the Democrats to impeach him as he wants to "solidify" his base ahead of the 2020 election, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday."Trump is goading us to impeach him. That's what he's doing. Every single day, he's just like, taunting, taunting and taunting, just because he knows that it would be very divisive in the country. But he doesn't really care. He just wants to solidify his base," The Hill quoted Pelosi as saying while speaking in an event.Pelosi made the comments after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had turned down a request by the House Democrats' to make Trump's personal tax returns public."I am informing you now that the Department may not lawfully fulfil the Committee's request," Mnuchin wrote in his one-page letter on Monday.The letter came after Mnuchin missed two deadlines in the last month to divulge taxes details.Mnuchin had said that the request by the Democrats is "unprecedented" arguing that it raises "serious
Denmark to hold parliamentary election on June 5
Denmark will hold a general election on June 5 to elect new MPs to the 179-member Parliament or the Folketing, the country's prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Tuesday.Rasmussen's minority government, which has the outside support of far-right Danish People's Party, has passed several legislations on tightening asylum and immigration rules, according to media reports.Rasmussen, who heads the Liberal Party, is in coalition with Liberal Alliance and the Conservatives and has been in power since 2015.According to latest opinion polls, Rasmussen's centre-right coalition will cede power to the opposition left-wing bloc, headed by the Social Democrats.While the ruling coalition would get 46 per cent of votes, the bloc led by Social Democrats would garner 54 per cent of votes, media reports said.Rasmussen's four-year term is slated to end on June 17 and has to hold a general election before his tenure finishes.Rasmussen has also served as Denmark's premier from 2009 to 2011.In the ..
Jeweller, his daughter shot at by Naxals in Bihar's Jamui
A jeweller named Raju Shah and his 20-year old daughter Nikki Kumari were shot at allegedly by Naxals dressed as policemen here on Tuesday. The incident happened in the area which comes under Malaypur police station.Both the injured were admitted to a nearby hospital, where their condition is said to be stable."Around 100-150 Naxals surrounded Raju's home while 15-20 Naxals came inside and started looting the valuables. When Raju protested against this, the Naxals shot at him and his daughter," said one of the relatives.Raju's relatives also accused the administration of being lax in responding to the situation. His nephew alleged that he called several police officers but the no action was taken by the administration.
Rahul Gandhi's act of trashing ordinance was height of arrogance: Sushma Swaraj
Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj has slammed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi by saying that his act of trashing the ordinance in 2013 was the height of "arrogance".In a tweet on Tuesday, Swaraj reminded Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi that her brother Rahul Gandhi had "insulted" the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by tearing apart the ordinance issued by the President."Priyanka ji, today you talked about arrogance. Let me remind you that when Rahul insulted his own Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh by tearing apart the ordinance issued by the President, it was the height of arrogance," Swaraj tweeted."What are you talking about? (kaun kisko suna raha hai)," Swaraj asked.Her tweets came in response to Priyanka's statement at a rally in Ambala.Earlier in the day, while speaking at a rally in Ambala, Haryana, Priyanka Gandhi had said, "The BJP needs to learn from the fate of Duryodhana from Mahabharata that this country has never forgiven the arrogant."The Union .
Delhi police arrest four people for cheating unemployed youth on pretext of giving jobs
The Delhi Police has arrested four persons for allegedly cheating unemployed youth on the pretext of providing government jobs."Acting on the complaint filed by Surendra Kumar, the police arrested four people who were running the syndicate of cheating unemployed youth on the pretext of providing government jobs," police said on Tuesday.Police also confiscated printing material, laptop, mobile phones, SIM cards, and other forged documents related to government plans from the accused."On April 14, the complainant saw an advertisement published in the National Hindi Daily Newspaper 'Dainik Jagran' regarding open recruitment under 'Ayushman Bharat Yojna'. He was later asked to deposit Rs. 12,500 into a bank account," added police."On further enquiry from the office of the Ayushman Bharat Yojna, he got to know that the men were trying to cheat him," police said.Police have registered a case in the matter and further investigation in the case is underway.
Report: Iran prepares to withdraw from parts of nuclear deal
Iran on Wednesday will announce it is partially withdrawing from the nuclear deal it struck with world powers, its state-run news agency reported, a year to the day that President Donald Trump pulled America from the accord. The terms of the withdrawal remain unclear, though the IRNA news agency said President Hassan Rouhani will explain Iran's decision in letters to leaders of Britain, France and Germany that will be handed to ambassadors in Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif separately will write to the European Union, the agency said. The semi-official ISNA news agency reported late Tuesday that Zarif had left for Moscow to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to discuss bilateral and international issues, without elaborating. Details of the letters, all to signers of the 2015 accord, will not be publicly disclosed, it said. The letters will come as officials in the Islamic Republic previously warned that Iran might increase its uranium enrichment, potentially
Sushma hits out at Priyanka over 'Duryodhana' jibe
Union Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday attacked Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi for accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of arrogance, saying her brother Rahul Gandhi had displayed his "arrogance" by going against his party-led government.
Congress 'cry baby', MCC doesn't stop free speech: Jaitley
Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday termed Congress the "cry baby" of the Lok Sabha elections over its complaints to the Election Commission against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while noting that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) does not take away the right to free speech.
Italian PM to meet Libyan military strongman 'very soon'
Pratica di Mare (Italy), May 7 (IANS/AKI) Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said on Tuesday he hoped to meet war-wracked Libya's eastern military strongman Khalifa Haftar for face-to-face talks aimed at de-escalating the deadly battle for the capital, Tripoli,"very soon".
Pulled up by EC over AAP meeting, banquet hall owner says session organised by local leader
The owner of a banquet hall, where Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members apparently attended a meeting without prior approval, Tuesday replied to the poll panel, saying that the session was organised by the leader of a local outfit. On Saturday, the BJP had filed a complaint with the chief electoral officer of Delhi, accusing AAP members and its MLA Amanatullah Khan of hosting meetings inside mosques to seek votes. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta had alleged in the complaint that one such meeting was held at a banquet hall in Lal Miyan on May 4 at 9pm. The complaint was forwarded to the returning officer of the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat. A flying squad subsequently reached the spot and recorded videos of the meeting, following which the returning officer issued a show-cause notice to the banquet hall owner. In his reply, the owner said the meeting was organised by a local leader, who has now been issued a show-cause notice seeking to know why the meeting was held .
WB BJP chief, Assam minister's convoy attacked in East Midnapore, 4 detained: Police
The convoy of West Bengal BJP chief and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was attacked in East Midnapore district's Khejuri Tuesday evening, police said. While the BJP held the Trinamool Congress responsible for the incident, the ruling party in West Bengal rubbished the allegation claiming the attack could have been perpetrated by "CPI(M)-sheltered anti-socials". Superintendent of Police V Solomon Nesakumar told PTI that neither Ghosh nor Sarma was injured but two vehicles were damaged because of stones thrown at the convoy. No official complaint was lodged but four people were detained in connection with the incident, he said. The incident occurred around 6.30 pm when the two BJP leaders were on their way to Khejuri under Kanthi Lok Sabha constituency to canvass for party candidate Debasish Samanta. "Ghosh was in Nandigram. He and Sarma were on their way to Khejuri when the attack happened. We have detained four people and investigating the incident," Solomon said. After ...