Time for hardtalk welcome to hardtalk. Im stephen sackur. There was a time last year when it seemed that president maduros grip on power in venezuela was loosening. Yet here we are, two months away from a president ial election with maduro oozing confidence and his opponents seemingly in disarray. My guest today is one diehard anti regime activist, david smolansky, who was the mayor of a district in caracas until he fled the country to escape a jail term for aiding the street protests last year. Why does venezuelas opposition so consistently promise more than it delivers . David smolansky in washington, dc, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you very much for having me. Were glad to have you on the show, albeit via satellite in washington, dc. How does it feel to be a venezuelan, a politician, an activist who currently is living in the us capital . Do you feel uncomfortable . Obviously it is not comfortable because i want to be in my country. I am a public servant. I was removed from office wi
Im stephen sackur. There was a time last year when it seemed that president maduros grip on power in venezuela was loosening. Yet here we are, two months away from a president ial election with maduro oozing confidence and his opponents seemingly in disarray. My guest today is one diehard anti regime activist, david smolansky, who was the mayor of a district in caracas until he fled the country to escape a jail term for aiding the street protests last year. Why does venezuelas opposition so consistently promise more than it delivers . David smolansky in washington, dc. Welcome to hardtalk. Thank you very much for having me. Were glad to have you on the show, albeit via satellite in washington, dc. How does it feel to be a venezuelan, a politician, an activist who currently is living in the us capital . Do you feel uncomfortable . Obviously it is not comfortable because i want to be in my country. I am a public servant. I was removed from office with no justification at all. But at the
Attacks on the president , describing his administration as reckless, outrageous and undignified. That was from Senatorjeff Flake of arizona who announced he would not seek re election and would not remain silent or complicit. Earlier, another senator, bob corker, described President Trump as an utterly untruthful president and said he had also decided not to seek re election next year. Peter bowes reports. A hostile reception on many fronts. Donald trump arrived on capitol hill to talk about tax reform with republican leaders, but he had to run the gauntlet. A protester accusing him of being treasonous. Treason treason it was a minor outburst can pad with what was to come. A searing takedown from the floor of the senate. I rise today to address a matter which has been very much on my mind. At a moment when it seems that our democracy is more defined wire discord and our dysfunction than by our own values and st and principles. Dysfunction than by our own values and st and principles.
That coming from february next year. Hello and welcome to bbc news. The position of xijinping has never been stronger. Now he is building around him a team to help rule in his image. The make up of the communist partys Politburo Standing Committee, the most senior Decision Making body in the country, has just been announced to the public. The members of that committee are being introduced. Lets have a look at the annex to the great hall. Xi jinping is spelling out the individuals who have been introduced one by one. There are Seven Members of the standing committee. The premier is remaining on the committee, and is among the seven. As we hear from the man committee, and is among the seven. As we hearfrom the man in charge, lets go over to our correspondent who has been following the detail of who has been following the detail of who has been brought in on what is obviously a critically important team. It is always men. No women have ever featured in the committee of the Political Burea
Russia has demanded the us provide evidence of its claim that Chemical Weapons were stored at a Syrian Air Base targeted in a Missile Strike on friday. Meanwhile, the uk foreign secretary, borisjohnson, said the chemical attack has fundamentally changed the situation in syria. He has called off a visit to moscow. The us Secretary Of State has had a Phone Conversation with his russian counterpart ahead of face to face talks next week. This was President Trumps message to the Syrian Government and its russian backers yesterday, delivered with force. The United States and her allies reject syrian denials they used a Chemical Weapon against civilians, including children. Now britains followed up with a diplomatic rebuke. Boris johnsons called Off Talks In Moscow On Monday and issued a Written Statement instead. Developments in syria have changed the situation fundamentally. The planned visit by Borisjohnson To Moscow would have been the first by any British Foreign secretary for five years