Page 690 - Politics

Venezuela uprising: Guaido admits there weren't enough military defectors on his side to declare victory

Venezuela's self-proclaimed President Juan Guaido admitted that he did not have enough military defectors on his side to declare victory during yesterday's uprising in Caracas.Addressing a gathering of his supporters during a rally against the Nicolas Maduro government on Wednesday, Guaido said, "We have to insist that all the armed forces [show up] together. We are not asking for a confrontation. We are not asking for a confrontation among brothers, it's the opposite. We just want them to be on the side of the people."Thousands of pro-Guaido supporters demonstrated in Venezuela's capital on Wednesday, a day after violent clashes broke out between protesters and government forces, injuring 71, reported CNN.Meanwhile, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro told reporters here that the possibility of his country intervening in Venezuela is "close to zero."Bolsonaro added that the 25 members of the military who requested asylum at the Brazilian Embassy in Caracas on Tuesday were not able to ..

How will listing Masood Azhar help when Pak PM is friends with Modi: Digvijaya

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh asked how designating Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist would help when Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan flaunts his friendship with Narendra Modi.At a time when the nation is celebrating India's diplomatic victory, Singh, Congress' candidate from Bhopal, said, "How will listing (Masood Azhar as a global terrorist) help when Pakistan Prime Minister is flaunting his friendship with Modi ji. I would say, Dawood Ibrahim, Masood Azhar, and Hafiz Saeed should be immediately handed over to India."India's representative to the United Nations UN Syed Akburuddin on Wednesday announced that Masood Azhar was declared a global terrorist by the UN.Azhar is the head of the terrorist group responsible, notably, for the Pulwama attack on February 14, which killed 40 CRPF personnel in South Kashmir.A global terrorist tag under the UN's 1267 committee would lead to a freeze on Azhar's assets and a ban on his travel and constraints ..

Attorney general refuses to testify in House on Mueller report

US Attorney General Bill Barr has refused to testify at a House of Representatives hearing Thursday on his handling of the Mueller report, setting up a showdown that could see Democrats take legal steps to compel his appearance. House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler said Barr had also refused to supply the panel with a full and unredacted copy of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible obstruction by President Donald Trump. Nadler said Barr, who testified for five hours at a Senate hearing Wednesday, did not want to appear before the House panel if he was subjected to questioning by a lawyer from the committee in addition to its members. "He is terrified at having to face a skilled attorney," Nadler said, adding that "when push comes to shove, the administration cannot dictate the terms of our hearing in our hearing room." The Justice Department acknowledged that Nadler's rules change to allow lawyers to question Barr ...

Republican concern could doom Trump's Fed pick Moore

Several Senate Republicans expressed concern or outright opposition Wednesday to conservative pundit Stephen Moore gaining a seat on the US Federal Reserve board, potentially torpedoing President Donald Trump's pick before his official nomination. Five of the 53 Republicans in the 100-member chamber told AFP there were serious problems with Trump's choice of Moore, adding to the concerns that at least two other Republican senators shared with reporters in recent days. Trump has repeatedly ignored norms designed to protect the Fed's independence from political influence, which could undermine its credibility, and his nominations of Moore as well as the now-withdrawn Hermain Cain led some to see an attempt to bring pressure from the inside. Senator Joni Ernst hardened her opposition after the emergence of articles and speeches by Moore over the years, some of which have been criticized as sexist or trafficked in racism. "I'm a no," she said. Ernst, who this year divulged that she ...

As ally struggles, US sees narrowing path on Venezuela

After an uprising in Venezuela quickly fizzled out, the United States is insisting that President Nicolas Maduro's days remain numbered. But experts warn of limited options to break a protracted stalemate in which Washington may have overestimated the opposition leader's strength. Juan Guaido, who is recognized as interim president by the United States and more than 50 other countries, on Tuesday claimed support from a group of "brave soldiers" at a base in Caracas, but Maduro quashed ensuing street protests within hours. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Wednesday that "military action is possible." But short of that, the United States has already forcefully intervened for three months, including imposing sweeping sanctions on Venezuela's state-run oil company, a lifeline for the cash-strapped government. Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, which promotes democratic governance in Latin America, said the latest bid by Guaido brought to mind his failed ...

MP: Army officers claim miscreants obstructed them from casting votes, lodge complaint

Army officials in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur have filed a complaint against unidentified miscreants for allegedly trying to snatch their voter ID cards of general voters, obstructing Army voters posted in Cantonment there and circulating videos to malign the Army's image, on April 29."On 29 April 2019, day of voting for Parliamentary Elections, soldiers and their spouses of the Grenadiers Regimental Centre proceeded to cast their votes on a bona fide transport viz Army vehicle at Booth no 146, Swami Vivekananda Higher Secondary School, Katanga, Jabalpur. At booth no 146 when the soldiers of the Indian Army were in the process of exercising their right to vote, certain miscreants approached and snatched their voter identity cards by using criminal force and tried to obstruct them from casting their votes," the letter dated May 01 stated."...By circulating the video in the social media there has been a deliberate attempt by the unidentified miscreants to malign the image of the Indian ..

Andhra Pradesh I-T officer caught red-handed accepting bribe

A team of Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) officers has caught an Income Tax officer accepting a bribe worth Rs 2 lakh.The accused, A.S Chandra Sekhar Reddy, was nabbed from his office here on April 29 along with the aforesaid amount and relevant incriminating documents, read a press note issued by the CBI on Wednesday.As per the statement, the CBI's Visakhapatnam branch had received a complaint on April 29 stating that Reddy, an Income Tax officer, had demanded Rs 7.5 lakh as bribe for disposing favourably an appeal referred before the Commissioner of Income Tax.Reddy had directed the complainant to pay a sum of Rs 2 lakh on April 29 and the balance in two installments before May 3, failing to do which the officer said he would close the appeal.The complainant then approached the CBI for help, who, in turn, laid a trap for the accused officer after filing a case against him.During the course of proceedings, the CBI, in its press note, said Reddy forcibly got hold of a scissor ..

Azhar proscribed under Anti-Terrorism Act much before his UN listing, claims Pak

Hours after the United Nations designated Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday claimed that Azhar was listed under Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Act "much before" the case of his listing was taken up before the UN."You are aware that the listing of Maulana Masood Azhar had been under consideration in the Sanctions Committee for several years, (since 2009). He has been proscribed under Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Act for some time, even before his case for listing was taken up by the Sanctions Committee," read a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry.The statement further argued that the earlier proposals to list the JeM chief "failed to generate the requisite consensus in the sanction committee" as the information regarding terrorist activities of Azhar and his outfits did not meet the technical rules and regulations."These proposals were aimed at maligning Pakistan and the legitimate struggle of the people of

Pompeo to see German, British leaders amid trans-Atlantic tensions

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet the German and British leaders this month facing a raft of trans-Atlantic disputes, on a trip that will also affirm US interests in the Arctic. Pompeo heads to Berlin on May 7 to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel and a day later will see Prime Minister Theresa May in London, the State Department announced Wednesday. Merkel has not hidden her differences with President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly taken the unusual step of criticizing the close ally, especially over the chancellor's welcome of migrants. The US administration has sharply diverged with Europe on a series of key issues including climate change and Iran, with Trump pulling out of widely backed international accords. In London, Pompeo will be laying the groundwork for a June 3-5 state visit by Trump, whom May is welcoming despite his attacks on her handling of Britain's exit from the European Union. Pompeo will start his trip by attending a meeting of ministers of the Arctic ...

'If Indira Gandhi is lauded for '71 war, why can't Modi be praised for airstrike'

In a scathing attack at Congress, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked if former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was praised for "splitting Pakistan in 1971", why can't incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi be praised for the Balakot air strikes."Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was hailed for splitting Pakistan in 1971. Atal Bihari Vajpayee praised her in the Parliament for her work. I want to ask Congress if Indira Ji was hailed for splitting Pakistan in 1971 to create Bangladesh, why can't Narendra Modi be praised for the Balakot air strikes," Singh asked.Accusing the Opposition of "politicising" air strikes conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Jaish-e-Mohammad's (JeM) terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot by raising doubts, Singh claimed the number of terrorists killed across the border was "high"."...I would like to say we carried out the air strikes on the basis of credible intelligence inputs, and I can say that in world history, no one has conducted such a big operation ...

British Defense Secretary sacked over Huawei leak

British Prime Minister Theresa May sacked the country's Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson on Wednesday (local time) following an inquiry into the leak of news that the UK government was preparing to give Huawei access to develop country's 5G network."The Prime Minister has this evening asked Gavin Williamson to leave the government, having lost confidence in his ability to serve in the role of Defense Secretary and as a member of her Cabinet," CNN quoted a government spokesperson, as saying.In a letter posted on his official Twitter handle, Williamson "strenuously" denied being the source of the leak, adding that he chose not to accept May's offer for him to resign because it would have suggested that he was guilty."I am sorry that you feel recent leaks from the National Security Council originated in my Department. I emphatically believe this was not the case. I strongly deny that I was in any way involved in this leak and I am confident that a thorough and formal inquiry would have

UK becomes first parliament to declare climate emergency

Britain's opposition Labour Party on Wednesday called for "real action" after parliament became the first in the world to vote to declare a climate emergency. "Thanks to pressure from the Labour Party, the UK just became the first country to declare an environment and #climateemergency," the party said on its Twitter page. "Now it's time for real action to tackle climate change." Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said he hoped the vote "will trigger a wave of action from parliaments and governments around the world". He hopes the move will increase pressure on the government and is demanding that the country takes action to help avoid more than 1.5 degrees centigrade of warming, requiring global emissions to be cut by almost half of 2010 levels by 2030. The vote was taken following 11 days of protests organised by climate activists Extinction Rebellion that brought several London sites to a standstill. Extinction Rebellion called the vote a "first step in the government telling the truth ...

Left parties file complaint against TMC for 'vote loot'

The Left parties on Wednesday lodged a complaint before the Election Commission (EC) against Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleging "vote loot" in booths of the Bolpur seat during fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls held on April 29.

India, Iran may hold next round of talks for trade agreement in May

According to trade experts, the proposed agreement will give India a greater market access in the Persian Gulf nation

US attorney general grilled over handling of Russia report

The US Justice Department head defended his handling of the Russia interference report on Wednesday after it emerged that lead investigator Robert Mueller had questioned his decision to declare that it cleared President Donald Trump. Facing allegations that he "whitewashed" the Mueller report, Attorney General Bill Barr told the Senate Judiciary Committee that after receiving it in March, it was his "baby" and therefore his prerogative to sum up its conclusions. The Democrats are debating whether Trump should be impeached for obstruction of justice based on the evidence set out in Mueller's 448-page report into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Barr rejected accusations that he misrepresented its conclusions when he declared in a March 24 memo that it did not support criminal charges against Trump. In a previously private March 27 letter to Barr made public Tuesday, Mueller complained that the attorney general's four-page summary "did not fully capture the context, nature, ...

UN warns Venezuela not to use deadly force against protesters

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned Venezuela's authorities on Wednesday not to use deadly force against demonstrators after opposition leader Juan Guaido called for protests against President Nicolas Maduro. Guterres spoke separately to Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza late Tuesday and to aides to Guaido after clashes earlier Tuesday left dozens injured in response to Guaido's call for the military to rise up against Maduro. "The secretary general reiterates his call to all sides to exercise maximum restraint and warns against the use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Tensions in Venezuela have soared after Guaido declared himself acting president on January 23, a move recognized by the United States and some 50 other countries. Russia and China however continue to back Maduro as the legitimate leader and have accused the United States of foreign interference. The United Nations has offered to help broker a ...

Clashes break out at Venezuela May Day protest

Clashes broke out between opposition supporters and Venezuela's armed forces in the capital Caracas on Wednesday as May Day protests got underway with opposition leader Juan Guaido attempting to rally demonstrators against President Nicolas Maduro. National Guard troops fired teargas at stone-throwing protesters attempting to block a highway close to the air base in eastern Caracas where Guaido had tried on Tuesday to spark a military uprising against Maduro. A second day of clashes between opposition supporters and Maduro's security services came as the United States said it was prepared to take military action, if necessary, to stem the crisis in the South American nation. The US and Russia, meanwhile, accused each other of making the crisis worse, evoking Cold War confrontations of the past. In a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Moscow of "destabilizing" Venezuela. Lavrov, in turn, charged that US interference was ...

MP government to get Vyapam scam probed afresh: Rahul

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that there will be fresh investigation into the scam involving Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, commonly known as Vyapam (Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal).

Congress, BJP spar over election of new Goa Speaker

The Congress on Wednesday alleged that the BJP was gearing up to call a one-day session of the Goa assembly on May 20 to elect a "reliable" Speaker as it was "expecting a spell of instability" after the results of four assembly bypolls are announced on May 23.

Kejriwal raises full statehood demand

The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday started its third phase of the Lok Sabha polls with a roadshow by party chief Arvind Kejriwal, where he urged the city to vote for the full statehood demand.