WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on a state-owned oil firm in Venezuela, the latest move of the Trump administration to mount pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to cede power to the opposition.

The sanctions on Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., or PDVSA, will block 7 billion U.S. dollars in assets and could result in a loss of 11 billion dollars in sales next year, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton told a White House briefing.

TEHRAN, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian security official said here Tuesday that the Islamic republic has no plan to boost the range of its missiles, official IRNA news agency reported.

"Iran has no scientific and operational limits to increase the range its missiles, however, it has no intention to boost the range of missiles only because of its defense doctrine," Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said.

Meanwhile, Iran continuously work to enhance the accuracy of its missiles, Shamkhani was quoted as saying.

New Delhi, Jan 28 : Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the "Goa audio tapes", cited by the Congress to attack the Centre on the Rafale issue, were authentic and the state's Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is in possession of "explosive secrets" that give him power over Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Jaipur, Jan 28 (PTI) Polling in the assembly election in Rajasthan's Ramgarh constituency ended Monday with a voter turnout of 78.45 per cent, officials said.

They, however, said the turnout is likely to increase as there were people in queues in several booths after 5 PM, the scheduled time for voting to end.

Final voter turnout will be released later, they said.

ABUJA, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Monday defended the president's suspension of the country's chief justice over alleged breach of asset-declaration rules.

Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, told media in Abuja that the suspension of Walter Onnoghen was a consequence of his breach of the code of conduct for public officers, and has nothing to do with the forthcoming elections in February.

New Delhi, Jan 28 (PTI) The Congress on Monday slammed the BJP for its attack over former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah's alleged misbehavior with a woman at an event, saying it does not have the moral, constitutional or political right to talk about women's issues.

Siddaramaiah landed in a controversy Monday when he snatched the microphone from a woman during a verbal duel resulting in her dupatta getting dislodged at an event in Varuna in Mysuru.

Guwahati/Shillong/Aizawl, Jan 28 (PTI) Regional parties across the Northeast which are in alliance with the BJP will meet in Guwahati on Tuesday to put forth their objections to the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill.

They will be joined by the JD(U), NDA's major ally in Bihar, and the AGP, which recently snapped ties with the BJP in Assam over the proposed legislation that seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim nationals from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India.

ABUJA, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Monday defended the president's suspension of the country's chief justice over alleged breach of asset-declaration rules.

Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, told media in Abuja that the suspension of Walter Onnoghen was a consequence of his breach of the code of conduct for public officers, and has nothing to do with the forthcoming elections in February.

New Delhi, Jan 28 (PTI) Delhi Police's Special Cell has arrested a 35-year-old man for allegedly supplying ammunition to the CPI (Maoist) in Bihar's Ara, officials said Monday.

Raj Bahadur alias Raj Kishore, a resident of Kasap village in Ara town of Bihar's Bhojpur district, was carrying a reward of Rs 1 Lakh on his head, police said Monday.

The arrest was made on January 23 after police got a tip-off that Bahadur will visit one of his acquaintance in the Shiv Ganj Colony area of the Ara city, police said.

Raipur, Jan 28 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi announced Monday that his party would ensure minimum income guarantee for every poor in the country if it returns to power after the Lok Sabha polls due in April-May

He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP of trying to create two Indias -- "one of the Rafale scam, Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi and the other of the poor farmers"

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Veteran socialist George Fernandes, who was the defence minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, passed away Tuesday following a prolonged illness, his long time associate Jaya Jaitly said. He was 88.

Fernandes was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, which had forced him out of the public eye for last many years, and had recently contracted swine flu, she said, adding that he died at his residence here.

Pune, Jan 28 (PTI) Thousands of sugarcane cultivators Monday carried out a protest march to the Maharashtra Sugar Commissionerate in Pune demanding fair and remunerative price and clearance of dues by sugar mills.

The protest, led Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader and Lok Sabha MP Raju Shetti, started from Alka Chowk.