Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The US Congress is set to vote this week on a resolution seeking to curb President Donald Trump&rsquo;s authority to conduct military operations against Iran without explicit legislative approval, lawmakers and aides said on Tuesday. The measure, introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, would direct the president to terminate the use of US armed forces in hostilities against Iran unless authorized by Congress or in response to an imminent threat, according to the text of the resolution and a statement from Kaine&rsquo;s office. &ldquo;We should not be going into a war in the Middle East or anywhere without good, solid reason that has had its tires kicked and that has demonstrated that is of a magnitude sufficient to warrant losses that could reach this scale,&rdquo; Kaine said. &ldquo;This President has asserted no real reason that is clear to the American public, and that&rsquo;s why the American public so far is so against this.&rdquo; The votes are expected midweek in both chambers and would invoke the 1973 War Powers Resolution &mdash; a law passed during the Vietnam War to check a president&#39;s unilateral power to commit the country to armed conflict. In the Senate, the bipartisan resolution is led by Kaine and Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. According to TIME magazine, the president would require explicit congressional authorization to engage in further hostilities against Iran. The US Senate is expected to take up the measure first, Senate aides said, with a parallel resolution likely to be introduced in the US House of Representatives later in the week, according to House Democratic leadership staff. Several Republicans, however, defended Trump&rsquo;s actions as falling within his authority as commander-in-chief, according to floor speeches and party statements. &ldquo;I pray so hard for my colleagues to exercise the judgment that this is not the right time for more war,&rdquo; Kaine concluded. &ldquo;I pray that my colleagues will support the War Powers Resolution.&rdquo; The vote is expected on Wednesday, with the House likely to consider the measure later this week, congressional aides said.

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, speaks to the press alongside Senator Tim Kaine (L), Democrat from Virginia, following a closed-door lunch meeting with Senate Democrats at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 3, 2026

Americas

Lawmakers move to reassert constitutional authority over military action as bipartisan senators push for the president to require explicit approval for further hostilities against Tehran, arguing the administration has not presented sufficient justification for continued escalation.

Congress to vote on Trump’s war powers as US-Israel strikes on Iran enter fifth day

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, on Sunday posted an image on X mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, captioned &ldquo;Trump&rsquo;s puppet.&rdquo; The social media post comes after an email, released as part of the latest tranche of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/epstein-files-claim-modi-sang-and-danced-to-court-us-president" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Epstein-related</a>&nbsp;documents declassified by the US Department of Justice on Friday, claimed that the Indian prime minister &ldquo;danced and sang&rdquo; in Israel for the benefit of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-sec-asks-court-to-bypass-indian-government-to-serve-adani" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">US president</a>&nbsp;following a meeting weeks earlier.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 753px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2017848017756549585&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=2cb4db0916aee510872ef08fb588a1cae4e23768&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The declassified email from the Jeffrey Epstein files has triggered controversy in India, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to ingratiate himself with the United States president during a 2017 overseas visit, a claim seized upon by India&rsquo;s opposition as deeply damaging and warranting public explanation. Modi and Epstein&ldquo;The Indian Prime Minister Modi took advice and danced and sang in Israel for the benefit of the US President. They had met a few weeks ago. IT WORKED,&rdquo; the email states. The Congress reacted sharply, alleging that the disclosure points to a &ldquo;deep and long-standing&rdquo; association between Modi and Epstein, a convicted sex offender whose international connections continue to draw scrutiny. Shameful for India&ldquo;Now it is clear that Prime Minister Modi has a very deep and long-standing connection with Jeffrey Epstein, which is shameful for India,&rdquo; the Congress said in a post on its X account.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 946px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2017606087365824569&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=2cb4db0916aee510872ef08fb588a1cae4e23768&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The party noted that Modi undertook an official visit to Israel from July 4 to 6, 2017, and that the email was dated just three days later. It further pointed out that the Indian prime minister had met Trump in Washington shortly before that visit, on June 25-26. India&rsquo;s Foreign Office dismissed the claims, rejecting the substance of the email while acknowledging the timing of the prime minister&rsquo;s official travel.

India

Opposition party's social media post comes after an email, released as part of Epstein-related declassified documents, claims Modi ‘danced and sang’ in Israel for the benefit of the US president following a meeting weeks earlier.

Congress mocks Modi as ‘Trump's puppet’ amid Epstein email controversy

ISLAMABAD: Indian opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, will lead a protest rally against the repeal of MGNREGA by BJP, in Rai Bareily, tommorow on Jan. 20, congressional leadership said. The Congress party has called for a 45-day campaign protesting the government&#39;s decision to repeal MGNREGA, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The campaign began Jan. 10 and runs through Feb. 25. MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of paid work per year to rural households and is considered India&#39;s largest social security program.&nbsp; The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now propose replacing it with new legislation called the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Bill 2025.<iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2012855979650527449&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8734299eaffa5aa6807a7925124cc0046a4c738c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe><div class="fr-embed" style="line-height: 2;"> </div> The campaign, named MGNREGA Bachao Sangram (Hindi for &quot;war to save MGNREGA&quot;) is gathering momentum in Indian Punjab, where thousands of people including MGNREGA workers are participating in rallies.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2010693550871318796&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8734299eaffa5aa6807a7925124cc0046a4c738c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 825px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>The president of congress&rsquo; Punjab chapter, Amrinder Singh Warrin, in a statement to Indian media, said, &ldquo;the BJP government has changed the system of allocating funds, which were earlier decided in the villages and panchayats but will now be decided in Delhi&rdquo;.&nbsp;He lamented that, &ldquo;A rights based law has been turned into charity&rdquo;. Protesters plan to surround state residences of BJP-affiliated officials and state legislative buildings in the second phase, Congress member K.C. Venugopal said in a statement.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2012927952762421676&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8734299eaffa5aa6807a7925124cc0046a4c738c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>National Students Union of India (NSUI) posted on X that, &ldquo;Under the Modi government, access is shrinking, certainty is vanishing, and livelihoods are being pushed to the margins.&rdquo;&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-5" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2012780572087853067&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8734299eaffa5aa6807a7925124cc0046a4c738c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 945px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>The statement further said that &ldquo;Modi has changed the &lsquo;Right to work&rsquo; into permission.&rdquo; Indian media outlets reported the massive turnout of tens of thousands at the protests as historic, marking a significant challenge to the ruling party&#39;s attempt to overhaul rural employment guarantees in the world&#39;s most populous nation.&nbsp;

Congress has announced a 45-day mobilisation titled “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram”, running from January 10 to February 25

‘Right to Work’ Row: Congress steps up opposition with Rahul Gandhi rally 

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s opposition party Congress has strongly condemned the police handling of an attack on Muslim youths at a birthday party in Bareilly, calling it evidence of &ldquo;discriminatory practices&rdquo; that embolden fringe right-wing groups in the country&rsquo;s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, Indian media reported. Senior Congress leader Anil Yadav said, &ldquo;Such incidents are a blot on civilized society and raise question marks on rule of law. Instead of taking strict action against anti-social elements who disrupted the celebration and attempted to communalise the environment, the police booked the victims.&rdquo; &lsquo;Discriminatory attitude&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;FIR against the accused is registered only after public outcry.&rdquo; Yadav said, &ldquo;It highlights the discriminatory attitude of the police, which is emboldening the fringe right-wing organizations in Uttar Pradesh. Such occurrences are happening on a daily basis.&rdquo; The attack occurred on December 27 at a restaurant in Prem Nagar, where a first-year BSc Nursing student was celebrating her birthday with friends. Of the nine attendees, two male guests were Muslim. Accusation of &lsquo;love jihad&rsquo;Videos that went viral showed a group of right-wing activists storming the caf&eacute;, raising slogans, and allegedly assaulting the youths, accusing them of &ldquo;love jihad&rdquo;, Indian media reported. A journalist, Mohammed Zubair, shared footage of the reported attack on his X account.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005158144734101928&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0be6aaa2fee7f4e690364f483cdfecd12b20b76c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2005158144734101928"></iframe></div></div>According to Indian media, the student said in a video, &ldquo;They barged into my birthday party and assaulted my friend. There were only two Muslims present, and most of the guests were Hindus. The attackers tried to harass and snatch my phone. We were helpless for some time.&rdquo; Punishing the victims&nbsp;Initially, the local police issued challans against the victims and caf&eacute; staff for disturbing the peace, prompting widespread social media outrage. Following the backlash, the police registered FIR 532/25 under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Rishabh Thakur, Deepak Pathak, and 20&ndash;25 others for assault, trespass with intent to cause hurt, grievous hurt, and severe criminal intimidation. Ashutosh Shivam, Circle Officer City 1, Bareilly, said, &ldquo;We are identifying the people involved in the assault.&rdquo; Law enforcement failure&nbsp;The Congress criticized the ruling BJP government, saying the incident reflects growing insecurity for minority communities in Uttar Pradesh and a failure of law enforcement to act impartially.

Congress condemns police action after a birthday party attack in Bareilly, accusing them of ‘discriminatory practices’; UP Police initially issued challans to victims, but after backlash, an FIR was filed against attackers, highlighting law enforcement bias.

Indian opposition slams police for ‘discriminatory practices’ after Bareilly birthday party attack

SANTIAGO: After his victory Sunday, Chile&#39;s hard-right president-elect Jose Antonio Kast, will inherit a stalled economy, high crime rates and a fractured congress. Here are the main challenges facing the 59-year-old veteran politico when he takes office on March 11. - Crime and punishment -Although Chile is among Latin America&#39;s safest countries, crime is a top concern, and a concern that Kast has promised to solve. But he will have to contend with a plethora of transnational gangs like Venezuela&#39;s Tren de Aragua, who arrived in Chile hoping to expand their business. As a result, the homicide rate rose 140 percent in the past decade before stabilizing.&nbsp;Kidnappings also surged. Kast plans a frontal attack on organized crime and drug trafficking, mass expulsions of undocumented migrants, more police firepower, and military deployment in critical areas. His anti-immigration plan, which opponents call unrealistic, involves inviting undocumented migrants to leave. Kast has said he rejects raids, like those carried out in the United States under the administration of President Donald Trump. &quot;If migration doesn&#39;t decrease and insecurity perception doesn&#39;t improve, it could blow up in his face (&hellip;) He may face a very complex scenario if results don&#39;t come quickly,&rdquo; said Alejandro Olivares, political analyst at the University of Chile. - It&#39;s the economy... -Kast has said that within 18 months he will reduce public spending by $6 billion. But he has given few details about how this would be done and how he would avoid sparking a recession. &quot;There will be cuts to shrink the state, similar to those seen in other regional countries,&quot; said Stephanie Alenda, researcher at Andr&eacute;s Bello University. Kast said he wants to boost investment through lower taxes and fewer regulations, aiming for four percent annual growth, above 2024&#39;s rate of 2.6 percent. - Tax cuts -Though the right holds a parliamentary majority, Kast may need center-left votes, especially in the Senate, if he wants to pass legislation. It would be a change in course for his Republican Party who, during its six-year history, has shunned deals with the government and traditional right -- which he has dubbed the &quot;cowardly right.&quot; &quot;Most reforms he seeks will necessarily go through Congress,&quot; warns Rodrigo Arellano, political analyst at the Development University. &quot;They&#39;ll try to block us. But we&#39;ll fight for Chile&#39;s destiny,&quot; Kast said at his last campaign rally, sounding less than conciliatory. - Street opposition -Kast&#39;s defense of Augusto Pinochet&#39;s dictatorship has turbocharged the opposition against him He has previously criticized memorials for victims but avoided such topics during the campaign. He has also quieted his ultraconservative agenda against abortion and same-sex marriage. However, he is willing to consider pardons for human rights violators. &quot;He&#39;ll confront street opposition, unions, students, and we&#39;ll see how he handles it,&quot; said Roberto Funk, political scientist at the University of Chile.

Chile’s president-elect Jose Antonio Kast faces stalled economy, rising crime, migration pressures and fragmented Congress, forcing choices on security, spending cuts, tax reforms and managing opposition over Pinochet legacy concerns

Chile president-elect Kast faces tough economic, security and political challenges

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has publicly rebuked several opposition leaders through an Islamophobic &ldquo;movie poster&rdquo; shared on X, accusing them of being sympathetic to Muslims and &ldquo;intruders.&rdquo; The mock poster, posted by the official BJP Delhi account, features India&rsquo;s Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party founder and national convener Arvind Kejriwal, and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav wearing Muslim skullcaps.&nbsp; The image is titled &ldquo;Ghuspaithiyon Ke Bhaijaan&rdquo; and includes the captions &ldquo;Directed by: Rahul Gandhi,&rdquo; &ldquo;Produced by: Mamata Banerjee,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Supporting Role: Arvind Kejriwal.&rdquo; It was shared alongside the message: &ldquo;The most trouble from SIR is faced by these sympathizers of the intruders.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1995374749728522248&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6bc66bbe3b23caf8095de451d9a26e689bb3eb87&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 754px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The post comes amid growing criticism from opposition parties over the Election Commission of India (ECI)&#39;s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters&rsquo; list. Rahul Gandhi, in a statement on X, had earlier questioned why the BJP had raised no objections to the revision process. &ldquo;Why doesn&#39;t BJP have any complaints against SIR? Haven&#39;t the names of their voters been deleted?&rdquo; he wrote.&nbsp; &ldquo;So far in this journey, I&#39;ve met thousands of such people whose names have been removed from the voter list in SIR &mdash; mostly poor, Dalits, backward classes, minorities, farmers, and laborers.&rdquo; Gandhi further alleged that &ldquo;It&#39;s absolutely clear &mdash; EC and BJP are working together to erase the opposition&#39;s votes.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1959530288192905270&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6bc66bbe3b23caf8095de451d9a26e689bb3eb87&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 696px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>According to Indian media, the second phase of SIR is being implemented across 12 states and territories, including Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep. Earlier this year, a similar revision took place in Bihar ahead of its November 6 state elections. The process resulted in the removal of approximately 6.5 million names, which the ECI stated was necessary to prevent the inclusion of &ldquo;foreign illegal immigrants,&rdquo; according to AFP.

India’s BJP shared an Islamophobic mock ‘movie poster’ depicting opposition leaders in skullcaps, accusing them of aiding 'intruders,' amid disputes over a voter-list revision that Rahul Gandhi says disproportionately remove poor and minority opposition voters.

India’s ruling BJP posts Islamophobic ‘movie poster’ targeting opposition

ISLAMABAD: Bihar&rsquo;s chief minister Nitish Kumar&rsquo;s pre-poll INR140 billion women&rsquo;s welfare payout has triggered an Indian Opposition uproar after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept to victory in Bihar, according to an Indian media report. The alliance -- which is led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s Bharatiya Janata Party -- in Bihar registered a clear victory on Friday (Nov. 14), with chief minister Kumar set for a fifth consecutive term, as the coalition won 202 of the 243 seats in the state. The large-scale direct benefit scheme, dubbed the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (MMRY), credited INR10,000 each to over 10 million women just days before the Election Commission of India announced the polling dates for the 243-member assembly.&nbsp; At least INR140 billion was disbursed, according to the media report. The Indian Opposition&rsquo;s anger has only grown since Friday.&nbsp; Last-minute welfare push&nbsp;Opposition leaders say Nitish Kumar&rsquo;s last-minute welfare push shaped voter behavior. Senior Indian journalist Rajdeep Sardesai has called it &ldquo;vote khareedi&rdquo; elections or &ldquo;vote buying&rdquo; elections in a vlog on his official YouTube channel. &ldquo;Why do you need to steal votes when you can buy them?&rdquo; Sardesai said. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) chief Sharad Pawar, a veteran from the INDIA bloc&#39;s side of the political spectrum, said on Saturday that the scheme &ldquo;generated a favorable effect for NDA&quot;, citing a similar pattern during the Maharashtra elections, according to the report.&nbsp; Higher women&rsquo;s voter turnout&nbsp;According to poll panel data, women&rsquo;s turnout in Bihar was 72%, significantly higher than men&rsquo;s 63%, which is being seen as a major factor boosting Nitish Kumar&#39;s pro-women image in general, the report states. Scheme timing and money transfer&nbsp;The Bihar cabinet cleared the MMRY scheme on Aug. 29.&nbsp; Under the scheme, 14.1 million women received INR10,000 each before polling. Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally launched MMRY on Sept. 26.&nbsp; Opposition smells a rat&nbsp;On Oct. 6, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the election schedule, which prompted the Opposition to become suspicious soon after. Opposition parties allege that one instalment of the payout was released on the very day elections were announced, and note that state-funded advertisements in October highlighted upcoming payment dates of November. Reflecting on the results, Mukesh Sahani of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) from the Mahagathbandhan, whose party drew a blank, argued that &ldquo;our mothers and sisters who live in poverty felt that the money would change their lives.&quot; &ldquo;Naturally, they voted for that promise,&rdquo; he said, calling the scheme &ldquo;a clear case of the government using state money as a campaign lever.&rdquo; &lsquo;Breach of code&rsquo;The poll code of conduct bars governments from announcing new financial grants or using public funds in ways that may influence voters from the moment elections are declared. The guidelines state that the party in power &ldquo;shall not use its official position for the purposes of its election campaign&rdquo; and that it cannot issue new financial promises or disbursements once the code is active. Opposition parties argue that continuing MMRY payments after Oct. 6 constituted a breach of the code. &lsquo;Mute spectator&rsquo;&nbsp;Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) chief Sharad Pawar asked why the ECI allowed distribution of scheme funds &ldquo;during Bihar polls.&rdquo; The ECI has not issued any formal clarification on the matter so far.&nbsp; Officials have maintained informally that schemes approved and notified before the MCC cannot be halted unless a new benefit is announced or expanded, a distinction the commission has made in other states, according to the Indian media report. But this has not been the case with the poll body always; it has strictly intervened in the past.&nbsp; According to the report, the ECI stopped the Andhra Pradesh government from disbursing INR141.65 billion under six direct benefit transfer schemes days before voting. The commission held that although funds were released earlier, the timing of the transfer, May 10 and 11, just before polling, could influence voters. The report said that in Tamil Nadu, the poll authorities have twice in the past two decades taken strong action against ongoing welfare schemes. The schemes were already under implementation before the election schedule was announced, the report said. According to another Indian media report, Congress&#39;s Ashok Gehlot blamed the Election Commission for being a &quot;mook darshak&quot; (mute spectator) as money was distributed during the polls, suggesting it was a form of &quot;vote chori&quot; (vote theft).

Asia

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s pre-poll INR140 billion women’s welfare payout sparked Opposition outrage, with critics alleging 'vote buying;' NDA’s landslide win followed, fueled by high female turnout, while the Election Commission remains allegedly ‘mute’ over the matter.

India's Bihar pre-poll ₹140B women’s payout sparks outrage

ISLAMABAD: An Indian opposition leader has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi break his silence on US President Donald Trump&#39;s repeated claims of orchestrating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, accusing him of failing to challenge Trump&#39;s &ldquo;interference in India&#39;s internal matters.&rdquo; Supriya Shrinate, an Indian politician from the opposition Congress party, in a video post on X, took the Indian prime minister to task for what she called his inability to challenge the US president and not mentioning any of his telephone conversation with Trump in a recent post on X. The Indian prime minister in his post earlier on Wednesday on X stated: &ldquo;Thank you, President Trump, for your phone call and warm Diwali greetings. On this festival of lights, may our two great democracies continue to illuminate the world with hope and stand united against terrorism in all its forms.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1980826742379184347&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=e6b18b33aa53675afc390f166411878d938ff67d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 392px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Shrinate, in her post on Wednesday, said that the Indian prime minister hurls abuse at the opposition, and asked, &ldquo;Why does your [Modi&rsquo;s] light go out in front of Trump?&rdquo; She said President Trump is exposing PM Modi with every passing day. The politician said every Indian&#39;s blood boils when Donald Trump speaks on &quot;our matters.&quot; &quot;I got the ceasefire done,&quot; Trump has said this &quot;the 56th time,&quot; Shrinate said, adding, &ldquo;at least now say something Modi sarkar [government]&rdquo;. &quot;&#39;You are lying Donald Trump.&rsquo; Just this much, just this once, show us by saying it,&rdquo; she dared the Indian prime minister at the end of the video.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1981018977829614027&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=e6b18b33aa53675afc390f166411878d938ff67d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 903px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>

Politician says every Indian's blood boils when Donald Trump speaks on 'our matters;' 'I got the ceasefire done,' Trump has said this the 56th time, she says, adding, “At least now say something Modi sarkar [government].'

Indian opposition politician challenges Modi’s silence on Trump's remarks about ceasefire

WASHINGTON: More than two decades later, Congress is on the verge of writing a closing chapter to the war in Iraq. The Senate voted Thursday to repeal the resolution that authorized the 2003 US invasion, following a House vote last month that would return the basic war power to Congress. The amendment by Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, and Indiana Sen. Todd Young, a Republican, was approved by voice vote to an annual defense authorization bill that passed the Senate late Thursday &mdash; a unanimous endorsement for ending the war that many now view as a mistake. Iraqi deaths were estimated in the hundreds of thousands, and nearly 5,000 US troops were killed in the war after President George W. Bush&rsquo;s administration falsely claimed that then-President Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the way the war ends, not with a bang but a whimper,&rdquo; Kaine said after the vote, which lasted only a few seconds with no debate and no objections. Still, he said, &ldquo;America is forever changed by those wars, and the Middle East is too.&rdquo; Supporters in both the House and Senate say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the United States. The House added a similar amendment to its version of the defense measure in September, meaning the repeal is likely to end up in the final bill once the two chambers reconcile the two pieces of legislation. Both bills also repeal the 1991 authorization that sanctioned the US-led Gulf War. While Congress appears poised to pass the repeal, it is unclear whether President Donald Trump will support it. During his first term, his administration cited the 2002 Iraq resolution as part of its legal justification for a 2020 US drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani. It has otherwise been rarely used. Young said after the vote that he thinks Trump should &ldquo;take great pride&rdquo; in signing the bill after campaigning on ending so-called &ldquo;forever wars,&rdquo; especially because he would be the first president in recent history to legally end a longstanding war. He said the vote establishes an important precedent. &ldquo;Congress is now very clearly asserting that it is our prerogative and our responsibility not only to authorize but also to bring to an end military conflicts,&rdquo; Young said. The bipartisan vote, added to the larger bipartisan defense measure, came amid a bitter partisan standoff over a weeklong government shutdown. Young said the quick vote was an &ldquo;extraordinary moment&rdquo; that he hopes &ldquo;will help some people see that we can still do consequential things in the U.S. Congress.&rdquo; The Senate also voted to repeal the 2002 resolution two years ago on a 66-30 vote. While some Republicans privately told Kaine that they were still opposed to the measure, none objected to the unanimous vote on the floor Thursday evening. A separate 2001 authorization for the global war on terror would remain in place under the bill. While the 2002 and 1991 resolutions are rarely used and focused on just one country, Iraq, the 2001 measure gave President George W. Bush broad authority for the invasion of Afghanistan, approving force &ldquo;against those nations, organizations, or persons&rdquo; that planned or aided the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Passed in September 2001, it has been used in recent years to justify US military action against groups &mdash; including al-Qaida and its affiliates, such as the Islamic State group and al-Shabab &mdash; that are deemed to be a threat against America.

Congress is set to withdraw the 2002 Iraq War authorization with bipartisan support, formally ending the conflict and reinforcing congressional war powers, as Iraq is now seen as a strategic US ally.


US Senate unanimously endorses repeal of 2002 Iraq war resolution

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LAS VEGAS: A federal judge disqualified Nevada acting US Attorney Sigal Chattah from several cases after concluding Tuesday that the Trump appointee has stayed in the temporary job longer than allowed by law. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">US District Judge David G. Campbell disqualified Chattah from supervising the criminal prosecutions, siding with defense lawyers who argued that her authority expired in July. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Campbell ordered government attorneys on the cases to tell the court within seven days that Chattah is not directing their work. He did not dismiss the indictments, however. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A phone call seeking comment was not answered Tuesday night by Chattah&rsquo;s office, and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to an emailed request. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The decision marks the second setback in recent weeks for the Trump administration&rsquo;s effort to keep acting US attorneys in place beyond the 120-day legal limit. In August, another judge reached a similar conclusion regarding Alina Habba, the acting US attorney in New Jersey. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Under federal law, if a permanent U.S. attorney is not nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate within 120 days, judges of the federal district court can appoint an interim until the vacancy is filled, Campbell wrote in his ruling. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Campbell took aim at the Trump administration&rsquo;s strategy of using a string of temporary appointments to allow Trump&rsquo;s candidates to bypass the usual requirement that US attorneys be confirmed by the Senate &mdash; something that generally requires a degree of bipartisan support. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He pointed to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, which Congress passed specifically to regulate the temporary filling of executive branch vacancies that require presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;The procedure used by the government to appoint Ms. Chattah was never intended by Congress,&rdquo; Campbell wrote. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chattah, a conservative lawyer, drew opposition from Nevada&rsquo;s Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen. Both vowed to block her if the administration sought to make her appointment permanent, calling her an election denier who has advocated for political violence and supported illegal actions by Trump. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chattah previously represented Nevada churches that challenged the state&#39;s COVID-19 restrictions, arguing they violated First Amendment rights by treating churches differently than casinos or other secular businesses. She ran for state attorney general in 2022 but lost to Aaron Ford, a Democrat. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chattah also represented one of six Nevada Republican Party members accused of submitting certificates to Congress falsely declaring Donald Trump the winner of the 2020 presidential election in the state. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The appointment of Trump loyalists to the Department of Justice has also deepened concerns that the agency, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, is being weaponized in pursuit of investigations and now prosecutions of people the president regards as political enemies. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last Thursday former FBI Director James Comey was charged with lying to Congress in a criminal case filed days after Trump appeared to urge Bondi to prosecute him. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trump has also pushed the department to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully sued him for fraud. Pressure from the White House also led to the resignation of a top federal prosecutor in Virginia.

Attorney Sigal Chattah appears in court in Las Vegas, March 4, 2024

A federal judge disqualified Nevada acting US Attorney Sigal Chattah from several cases after concluding Tuesday that the Trump appointee has stayed in the temporary job longer than allowed by law.

Articles tagged with "Congress"