(Reuters) - The following is the full text of the speech delivered on Thursday by former Massachusetts Governor and 2012 Republican nominee for U.S. president Mitt Romney to the Institute of Politics at the University of Utah. I am not here to announce my candidacy for office.  I am not going to endorse a candidate today. Instead, I would like to offer my perspective on the nominating process of my party. In 1964, days before the presidential election which, incidentally, we lost, Ronald Reagan went on national television and challenged America saying that it was a “Time for Choosing.” He saw two paths for America, one that embraced conservative principles dedicated to lifting people out of poverty and helping create opportunity for all, and the other, an oppressive government that would lead America down a darker, less free path. I’m no Ronald Reagan and this is a different moment but I believe with all my heart and soul that we face another time for choosing, one that will have profound consequences for the Republican Party and more importantly, for the country. I say this in part because of my conviction that America is poised to lead the world for another century. Our technology engines, our innovation dynamic, and the ambition and skill of our people will propel our economy and raise our standard of living. America will remain as it is today, the envy of the world. Warren Buffett was 100% right when he said last week that “the babies being born in America today are the luckiest crop in history.” That doesn’t mean we don’t have real problems and serious challenges. At home, poverty persists and wages are stagnant. The horrific massacres of Paris and San Bernardino, the nuclear ambitions of the Iranian mullahs, the aggressions of Putin, the growing assertiveness of China and the nuclear tests of North Korea confirm that we live in troubled and dangerous times. But if we make the right choices, America’s future will be even better than our past and better than our present. On the other hand, if we make improvident choices, the bright horizon I foresee will never materialize. Let me put it plainly, if we Republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee, the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished. Let me explain why. First, the economy: If Donald Trump’s plans were ever implemented, the country would sink into a prolonged recession. A few examples: His proposed 35% tariff-like penalties would instigate a trade war that would raise prices for consumers, kill export jobs, and lead entrepreneurs and businesses to flee America. His tax plan, in combination with his refusal to reform entitlements and to honestly address spending would balloon the deficit and the national debt. So even as Donald Trump has offered very few specific economic plans, what little he has said is enough to know that he would be very bad for American workers and for American families. But wait, you say, isn’t he a huge business success that knows what he’s talking about? No he isn’t. His bankruptcies have crushed small businesses and the men and women who worked for them. He inherited his business, he didn’t create it. And what ever happened to Trump Airlines? How about Trump University? And then there’s Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks, and Trump Mortgage? A business genius he is not. Now not every policy Donald Trump has floated is bad. He wants to repeal and replace Obamacare. He wants to bring jobs home from China and Japan. But his prescriptions to do these things are flimsy at best.  At the last debate, all he could remember about his healthcare plan was to remove insurance boundaries between states. Successfully bringing jobs home requires serious policy and reforms that make America the place businesses want to plant and grow. You can’t punish business into doing the things you want. Frankly, the only serious policy proposals that deal with the broad range of national challenges we confront, come today from Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and John Kasich. One of these men should be our nominee.  I know that some people want the race to be over. They look at history and say a trend like Mr. Trump’s isn’t going to be stopped. Perhaps. But the rules of political history have pretty much all been shredded during this campaign. If the other candidates can find common ground, I believe we can nominate a person who can win the general election and who will represent the values and policies of conservatism. Given the current delegate selection process, this means that I would vote for Marco Rubio in Florida, for John Kasich in Ohio, and for Ted Cruz or whichever one of the other two contenders has the best chance of beating Mr. Trump in a given state. Let me turn to national security and the safety of our homes and loved ones. Trump’s bombast is already alarming our allies and fueling the enmity of our enemies. Insulting all Muslims will keep many of them from fully engaging with us in the urgent fight against ISIS. And for what purpose? Muslim terrorists would only have to lie about their religion to enter the country. What he said on “60 Minutes” about Syria and ISIS has to go down as the most ridiculous and dangerous idea of the campaign season: Let ISIS take out Assad, he said, and then we can pick up the remnants. Think about that: Let the most dangerous terror organization the world has ever known take over a country? This is recklessness in the extreme. Donald Trump tells us that he is very, very smart. I’m afraid that when it comes to foreign policy he is very, very not smart. I am far from the first to conclude that Donald Trump lacks the temperament of be president.  After all, this is an individual who mocked a disabled reporter, who attributed a reporter’s questions to her menstrual cycle, who mocked a brilliant rival who happened to be a woman due to her appearance, who bragged about his marital affairs, and who laces his public speeches with vulgarity. Donald Trump says he admires Vladimir Putin, while has called George W. Bush a liar. That is a twisted example of evil trumping good. There is dark irony in his boasts of his sexual exploits during the Vietnam War while John McCain, whom he has mocked, was imprisoned and tortured. Dishonesty is Trump’s hallmark: He claimed that he had spoken clearly and boldly against going into Iraq. Wrong, he spoke in favor of invading Iraq. He said he saw thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating 9/11. Wrong, he saw no such thing.  He imagined it. His is not the temperament of a stable, thoughtful leader. His imagination must not be married to real power. The President of the United States has long been the leader of the free world. The president and yes the nominees of the country’s great parties help define America to billions of people. All of them bear the responsibility of being an example for our children and grandchildren. Think of Donald Trump’s personal qualities, the bullying, the greed, the showing off, the misogyny, the absurd third grade theatrics. We have long referred to him as “The Donald.” He is the only person in America to whom we have added an article before his name. It wasn’t because he had attributes we admired. Now imagine your children and your grandchildren acting the way he does.  Will you welcome that?  Haven’t we seen before what happens when people in prominent positions fail the basic responsibility of honorable conduct?  We have, and it always injures our families and our country. Watch how he responds to my speech today. Will he talk about our policy differences or will he attack me with every imaginable low road insult? This may tell you what you need to know about his temperament, his stability, and his suitability to be president. Trump relishes any poll that reflects what he thinks of himself. But polls are also saying that he will lose to Hillary Clinton.   On Hillary Clinton’s watch at the State Department, America’s interests were diminished in every corner of the world. She compromised our national secrets, dissembled to the families of the slain, and jettisoned her most profound beliefs to gain presidential power.  For the last three decades, the Clintons have lived at the intersection of money and politics, trading their political influence to enrich their personal finances. They embody the term “crony capitalism.” It disgusts the American people and causes them to lose faith in our political process.  A person so untrustworthy and dishonest as Hillary Clinton must not become president. But a Trump nomination enables her victory.  The audio and video of the infamous Tapper-Trump exchange on the Ku Klux Klan will play a hundred thousand times on cable and who knows how many million times on social media.  There are a number of people who claim that Mr. Trump is a con man, a fake. There is indeed evidence of that. Mr. Trump has changed his positions not just over the years, but over the course of the campaign, and on the Ku Klux Klan, daily for three days in a row. We will only really know if he is the real deal or a phony if he releases his tax returns and the tape of his interview with the New York Times. I predict that there are more bombshells in his tax returns. I predict that he doesn’t give much if anything to the disabled and to our veterans. I predict that he told the New York Times that his immigration talk is just that: talk. And I predict that despite his promise to do so, first made over a year ago, he will never ever release his tax returns. Never.  Not the returns under audit, not even the returns that are no longer being audited. He has too much to hide. Nor will he authorize the Times to release the tapes. If I’m right, you will have all the proof you need to know that Donald Trump is a phony. Attacking me as he surely will won’t prove him any less of a phony. It’s entirely in his hands to prove me wrong. All he has to do is to release his back taxes like he promised he would, and let us hear what he said behind closed doors to the New York Times. Ronald Reagan used to quote a Scottish philosopher who predicted that democracies and civilizations couldn’t last more than about 200 years. John Adams wrote this: “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” I believe that America has proven these dire predictions wrong for two reasons. First, we have been blessed with great presidents, with giants among us. Men of character, integrity and selflessness have led our nation from its very beginning. None were perfect: each surely made mistakes. But in every case, they acted out of the desire to do what was right for America and for freedom. The second reason is because we are blessed with a great people, people who at every critical moment of choosing have put the interests of the country above their own.  These two things are related: our presidents time and again have called on us to rise to the occasion. John F. Kennedy asked us to consider what we could do for our country. Lincoln drew upon the better angels of our nature to save the union.  I understand the anger Americans feel today. In the past, our presidents have channeled that anger, and forged it into resolve, into endurance and high purpose, and into the will to defeat the enemies of freedom. Our anger was transformed into energy directed for good.  Mr. Trump is directing our anger for less than noble purposes. He creates scapegoats of Muslims and Mexican immigrants, he calls for the use of torture and for killing the innocent children and family members of terrorists.  He cheers assaults on protesters. He applauds the prospect of twisting the Constitution to limit first amendment freedom of the press. This is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss. Here’s what I know. Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He’s playing the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat. His domestic policies would lead to recession. His foreign policies would make America and the world less safe. He has neither the temperament nor the judgment to be president. And his personal qualities would mean that America would cease to be a shining city on a hill.  America has greatness ahead. This is a time for choosing. God bless us to choose a nominee who will make that vision a reality.

Summary: टेक्स्टः मिट रोमनी के भाषण ने डोनाल्ड ट्रम्प की आलोचना की


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday urged more than 25,000 volunteers and advocates who dialed in to a White House conference call to pull out the stops to boost the number of people signing up for Obamacare health insurance plans. Obama warned it will be challenging to overcome the skepticism about the plans given an onslaught of headlines about surging premium prices, but he said the stakes are high. “I think we’re at a critical time where we have to show that this program works for people, if they just see what their options are,” he told the volunteers, who work in their communities to encourage and assist enrollment. Americans who do not receive health insurance through their employer or through Medicare or Medicaid programs shop online for subsidized insurance plans starting Nov. 1 until the end of January. The average premium for benchmark 2017 plans sold on healthcare.gov rose 25 percent compared with 2016. Obama said tax credits will help more than seven in 10 shoppers get a plan for less than $75 per month, but said many may not bother looking because they have heard about spiking costs. “We’re going to have to clear the bugs off the windshield so people can see the road ahead, and that’s where you guys come in,” Obama said. The law has been fought by Republicans in Congress, who said it creates unwarranted government intervention in personal healthcare and private industry. Several big insurers, including UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH.N), Aetna Inc (AET.N) and Humana Inc (HUM.N), are pulling out of the online marketplaces selling the subsidized plans, citing bigger-than-expected financial losses. Aetna Chief Executive Mark Bertolini said on Thursday that the earliest his company may return to the marketplaces would be 2019. Obama said more young and healthy people need to sign up for plans. That would offset insurers’ costs of covering members with serious illnesses. Obama has said there are a series of improvements that could be made to his signature domestic policy achievement - the 2010 Affordable Care Act - if Congress and the next president, who will take office on Jan. 20, can work together. “Part of what we can do this time is to overcome the skeptics, to prove people wrong, and to provide momentum so that when the next administration comes in, they are starting from a position of strength,” Obama told the conference call.

Summary: ओबामा ने कार्यक्रम के लिए 'महत्वपूर्ण समय' पर ओबामाकेयर सैनिकों की रैली की


TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan and China need to drop historical baggage to seek a breakthrough in relations, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said in her first public comments since China s ruling Communist Party unveiled a new leadership line-up. Relations nose-dived after Tsai, who leads the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, took office last year, with China suspecting that she wants to push for the island s formal independence, a red line for Beijing. Beijing has suspended a regular dialogue mechanism with Taipei established under Taiwan s previous, China-friendly government, and there has been a dramatic fall in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan under Tsai s administration.  Right now is a turning point for change. I once again call on leaders of both sides to ... seek a breakthrough in cross-straits relations and to benefit the long-term welfare of people on both sides and to forever eliminate hostilities and conflict,  Tsai told a forum.  While acknowledging the changes in China s leadership announced on Wednesday, Tsai did not comment specifically on the composition of Xi s core team. But she reiterated that while the island s goodwill towards China would not change, Taipei would not submit to pressure. Responding to Tsai s speech, China s Taiwan Affairs Office said the political basis for relations across the Taiwan Strait was the  one China  principle, which states that the mainland and Taiwan are part of one China. As long as that is recognized, there are no obstacles to any talks between the sides, the office said in a statement carried by state media. China has been stepping up the pressure on Taiwan. This year, China s air force has carried out several rounds of drills near Taiwan, prompting the island s air force to scramble fighters. Defence Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said Taiwan was a part of China and the military exercises would continue as normal, adding that China was sincere in seeking  peaceful reunification .  At the same time, we have the ability, confidence and means to protect the country s unity, sovereignty, security and territorial integrity,  he told a monthly news conference in Beijing later in the day. Chinese President Xi Jinping drew strong applause at last week s start of the Communist Party Congress when he said any attempt to separate Taiwan from China would be thwarted.  Taipei s Mainland Affairs Council delivered a swift response, saying it was  absolutely  the right of Taiwan s 23 million people to decide their future. China regards self-ruled and democratic Taiwan as a wayward province, to be brought under Beijing s rule by force if necessary.

Summary: ताइवान के राष्ट्रपति ने चीन के संबंधों में प्रगति का आह्वान किया


The following timeline charts the origin and spread of the Zika virus from its discovery nearly 70 years ago: 1947: Scientists researching yellow fever in Uganda’s Zika Forest identify the virus in a rhesus monkey 1948: Virus recovered from Aedes africanus mosquito in Zika Forest 1952: First human cases detected in Uganda and Tanzania 1954: Virus found in Nigeria 1960s-80s: Zika detected in mosquitoes and monkeys across equatorial Africa 1969–83: Zika found in equatorial Asia, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan 2007: Zika spreads from Africa and Asia, first large outbreak on Pacific island of Yap 2012: Researchers identify two distinct lineages of the virus, African and Asian 2013–14: Zika outbreaks in French Polynesia, Easter Island, the Cook Islands and New Caledonia. Retrospective analysis shows possible link to birth defects and severe neurological complications in babies in French Polynesia March 2, 2015: Brazil reports illness characterized by skin rash in northeastern states July 17: Brazil reports detection of neurological disorders in newborns associated with history of infection Oct. 5: Cape Verde has cases of illness with skin rash  Oct. 22: Colombia confirms cases of Zika Oct. 30: Brazil reports increase in microcephaly, abnormally small heads, among newborns Nov. 11: Brazil declares public health emergency  November 2015-January 2016: Cases reported in Suriname, Panama, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Paraguay, Venezuela, French Guiana,  Martinique, Puerto Rico, Guyana, Ecuador, Barbados, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Curacao, Jamaica Feb. 1: World Health Organization (WHO) declares public health emergency of international concern Feb. 2: First case of Zika transmission in United States; local health officials say likely contracted through sex, not mosquito bite Feb. 5: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says virus being actively transmitted in 30 countries, mostly in the Americas Feb. 8: U.S. President Barack Obama requests $1.8 billion to fight Zika Feb. 12: Brazil investigating potential link between Zika infections and 4,314 suspected cases of microcephaly. Of those, 462 confirmed as microcephaly and 41 determined to be linked to virus  Feb. 17: Brazil investigating potential link between Zika and 4,443 suspected cases of microcephaly. Of those, 508 confirmed as microcephaly and most of those cases are linked to the virus. WHO seeks $56 million to fight Zika. Feb. 18: CDC adds Aruba and Bonaire to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 32. Feb. 23: CDC investigating 14 cases of possible sexual transmission of Zika. CDC also adds Trinidad and Tobago and Marshall Islands to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 34. Feb. 25: Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases number more than 580 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating an additional 4,100 suspected cases of microcephaly. Feb. 27: France detects first sexually transmitted case of Zika.  Feb. 29: CDC adds St. Maarten, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 36. March 1: Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases rose to 641 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating an additional 4,222 suspected cases of microcephaly. March 8: WHO advises pregnant women to avoid areas with Zika outbreak and said sexual transmission of the virus is “relatively common.” March 9: CDC adds New Caledonia to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 37. March 15: Cuba reports first case of Zika contracted in the country. March 16: Cape Verde identifies first case of microcephaly. March 18: CDC says during Jan. 1, 2015 to Feb. 26, 2016, 116 residents of the United States had evidence of recent Zika virus infection based on laboratory testing. Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases rose to 863 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating an additional 4,268 suspected cases of microcephaly. March 19: CDC adds Cuba to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 38. March 21: South Korea confirms first case of Zika. March 22: CDC adds Dominica to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 39. Bangladesh confirms first case of Zika virus. Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases rose to 907 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating an additional 4,293 suspected cases of microcephaly. March 29: Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases rose to 944 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil said the number of suspected cases of microcephaly dropped slightly to 4,291. March 31: According to the World Health Organization, there is a strong scientific consensus that Zika can cause the birth defect microcephaly as well as Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can result in paralysis, though conclusive proof may take months or years.  April 1: CDC adds Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 40. April 4: CDC adds Fiji to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 41. April 5: Vietnam reports first Zika infections. April 6: Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases rose to 1,046 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. The number of suspected cases of microcephaly dropped to 4,046. April 7: St. Lucia confirms first two cases of Zika, contracted locally. April 12: Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases rose to 1,113 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. The number of suspected cases of microcephaly dropped to 3,836. It was the second week in a row that the overall total figure fell. April 13: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that infection with the Zika virus in pregnant women is a cause of the birth defect microcephaly and other severe brain abnormalities in babies. The CDC said now that the causal relationship has been established, several important questions must still be answered with studies that could take years. CDC adds St. Lucia to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 42. April 14: Colombia confirms two microcephaly cases linked to Zika. April 18: Peru reports first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus. CDC adds Belize to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 43. April 19: Chilean authorities find Zika mosquito for first time in decades. April 25: Canada confirms first sexually transmitted Zika case. April 26: Brazil says the number of confirmed cases of microcephaly climbed to 1,198 from 1,168 in the week through April 23, but suspected ones under investigation continued to decline to 3,710 from 3,741 a week ago. Brazil registered 91,387 likely cases of the Zika virus from February until April 2, the health ministry said, in its first national report on the epidemic. April 29: Puerto Rico reports first death related to Zika, according to the CDC. The country also confirmed 683 Zika cases, including 65 pregnant women, and five suspected cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome from Zika, the CDC reported. May 4: Panama confirms four microcephaly cases tied to Zika. May 6: Spain gets first case of Zika-related brain defect in a fetus.       May 9: CDC adds Papua New Guinea, Saint Barthelemy and Peru to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 46. Honduras suspects first case of microcephaly in Zika patient. May 11: Brazil says the number of confirmed cases of microcephaly dropped to 1,326 in the week through May 7 as doctors and Brazilian health officials find that some suspected cases of microcephaly are not the disorder. Suspected ones under investigation continued to decline to 3,433. May 12: CDC adds Grenada to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 47. May 13: Puerto Rico reports first case of Zika-related microcephaly. May 20: WHO says an outbreak of Zika virus on the African island chain of Cape Verde is of the same strain as the one blamed for birth abnormalities in Brazil. May 24: Brazil reports the number of confirmed cases of microcephaly at 1,434 for the latest week to May 21. Suspected ones under investigation declined to 3,257. May 26: CDC adds Argentina to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 48. June 9: WHO issues updated guidelines on prevention of sexual transmission of the Zika virus, including advising women living in areas where the virus is being transmitted to delay getting pregnant. June 14: El Salvador confirms first case of microcephaly linked to Zika. June 23: CDC reports seven babies in the United States with microcephaly or other Zika-related birth defects such as serious brain abnormalities, and five lost pregnancies from either miscarriage, stillbirth or termination. June 28: First baby with Zika-related birth defect microcephaly born in Florida. June 30: CDC adds Anguilla to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 49. Guinea-Bissau confirms three cases of Zika, government says. Spain records first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus, health authorities said. July 8: CDC confirmed that a Utah resident’s death last month is the first Zika-related death in the continental United States. July 14: CDC adds Saint Eustatius to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 50. July 15: New York City’s health department reports the first female-to-male transmission of the Zika virus. July 18: CDC reports that caregiver of Utah man who died of Zika tested positive for virus. July 19: Florida health officials are investigating a case of Zika virus infection that does not appear to have stemmed from travel to another region with an outbreak. July 21: CDC reports 400 pregnant women in U.S. with evidence of Zika infection, up from 346 a week ago. The health agency also reports three more babies born in U.S. with birth defects linked to the Zika virus, bringing total to 12. Florida Department of Health said it was investigating a non travel-related case of Zika in Broward County, marking the second such case in the U.S. July 22: New York City health officials reports first baby born with Zika-related birth defect. July 25: Spain reports first case in Europe of baby born with Zika-related defect. CDC issues updated recommendations for preventing and testing for Zika infection, warning that the virus can be transmitted through unprotected sex with an infected female partner. July 26: Honduras detects 8 cases of babies with Zika-related defect. CDC adds Saba to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 51. July 27: Paraguay reports first cases of microcephaly linked to Zika. July 29: Florida authorities report what is believed to be the first evidence of local Zika transmission in the continental United States. Aug. 1: Florida identifies 10 more cases of Zika virus caused by mosquitoes, bringing total to 14. CDC issues guidelines for pregnant women who live in and traveled to affected area in a Miami neighborhood. Aug. 2: Health authorities in Florida add one more case of locally transmitted Zika, bringing total to 15. CDC adds Antigua, Barbuda, and Turks and Cacos to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 54. Aug. 3: U.S. researchers said they launched Zika vaccine clinical trial. Aug. 4: Cuba reports two cases of locally transmitted Zika. Aug. 5: Florida health authorities report another locally transmitted case, bringing total to 16. Aug. 9: Texas health officials said death of infant born with microcephaly is linked to Zika, the first casualty in the state associated with the virus. Cayman Islands reports first locally transmitted Zika case. SOURCES: World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Reuters

Summary: समयरेखाः जीका की उत्पत्ति और वैश्विक प्रसार


JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Zimbabwe s longstanding government and ruling party mouthpiece, The Herald newspaper, has abruptly changed its tune on President Robert Mugabe s wife Grace, confirmation of her political downfall. The Herald often takes its marching orders from the information ministry. And it has always reported from the point of view of the winning faction in the ruling ZANU-PF, making it a reliable barometer of someone s political standing. In August, the paper ran a typically fawning portrait of Grace under the headline  A Loving Mother of the Nation.   Loving mother, compassionate philanthropist, astute businesswoman, perceptive politician, remarkable patriot, these are all adjectives that can be used to describe the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe,  The Herald gushed. Less than three months later and in the wake of a coup that threatens Mugabe s presidency and has seen both he and Grace expelled from ZANU-PF, her Herald portrayal was starkly different.  Grace Mugabe lacked grooming and true motherhood as shown by her foul language,  the paper quoted the ZANU-PF s youth wing as saying.   We take exception to the vulgar language which had become part of Mrs Mugabe s vocabulary,  it quoted a Youth League cadre as saying.  Zimbabweans, many of whom are devoutly religious and culturally conservative, often take offense at profanities.  The piece featured an unflattering picture of an unsmiling Grace - a sharp departure from the  loving mother  portrayal that included photos of her smiling and holding infants.  Until the events of the past week, the political fortunes of Grace   dubbed  Gucci Grace  for her reputed fondness shopping sprees   were on the rise, if The Herald s coverage was anything to go on. In September 2014, the University of Zimbabwe awarded her a PHD   raising eyebrows as her academic prowess had previously been unknown. But in Zimbabwe, the path to power is paved with academic letters. Weeks later, one Herald headline blared:  Dr Grace Mugabe honored in song.  At the time, she was being shoe-horned into the top position in ZANU-PF s Women s League, and the song was entitled:  Dr G Mugabe For Women s League Secretary.  Just 12 days ago, paper was reporting that the Women s League was backing Grace in her bid to become vice president. This was days after Mugabe sacked his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, clearing the path for Grace to assume the role and succeed her 93-year-old husband. It was this tilt at power that triggered the army backlash.

Summary: जिम्बाब्वे के राज्य मुखपत्र ने प्रथम महिला ग्रेस के पतन को कैद किया


YANGON (Reuters) - The United States temporarily suspended travel for American officials to parts of Myanmar s Rakhine state, the U.S. embassy said on Thursday, citing concerns over potential protests after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused Myanmar of  ethnic cleansing  in the state.

Summary: अमेरिका ने म्यांमार के अशांत रखाइन की आधिकारिक यात्रा स्थगित की


LONDON (Reuters) - Part of Britain s M1 motorway was closed on Tuesday after what police described as a suspicious object which appeared to be  some form of chemical  was found under a bridge. The object was discovered at around 0630 GMT and prompted police to close the motorway in both directions between Milton Keynes and Northampton in central England. Thames Valley Police said bomb disposal experts had examined the object and found it had no explosive element.  However chemical analysis is ongoing on the object to ascertain what the object might be but it appears to be some form of chemical,  police said. Photographs on social media showed long queues on the motorway, one of Britain s main road arteries between London and the north.  Police said they were working to divert motorists away from the scene and to move those who had been stuck on the carriageway. They appealed to drivers to avoid the area.

Summary: संदिग्ध वस्तु मिलने के बाद ब्रिटेन का एम1 मोटरवे आंशिक रूप से बंद


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday he would soon file a motion seeking to cut off an expected Democratic filibuster of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, setting the clock ticking toward a showdown vote later in the week. The motion would set up a vote, likely on Thursday, to try to cut off the filibuster, which would require a super-majority of 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate to end debate on Gorsuch’s nomination and move to a final up or down vote on confirmation. Enough Democrats have agreed to support a filibuster to block a final vote under current Senate rules, and McConnell is expected to seek a rule change to get the nomination approved by Friday.

Summary: सीनेट रिपब्लिकन नेता ने गोरसच पर प्रदर्शन करने के लिए घड़ी की टिक टिक शुरू की


MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippine environment minister said on Wednesday that a ban on new open pit mining in the country would remain in place, with President Rodrigo Duterte rejecting government panel recommendations to reverse it. The ban, implemented by former environment minister Regina Lopez from April covers new projects including the $5.9-billion copper-gold Tampakan project in southern Mindanao island, the biggest stalled mining venture in the Southeast Asian nation.  The President sets the policy. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will implement what the President deems as best for the country s interest,  Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu told Reuters in a text message. Open pit mining is allowed under the laws of the Southeast Asian country, the world s top nickel ore exporter, where many mines use it to extract minerals. But Lopez said the process ruins the economic potential of places where it is carried out. Duterte said late on Tuesday that he had rejected a recommendation by the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) to lift the ban because such mining is  destroying the soil and environment and no corrective measure is immediately (being) implemented . He added that while mining brings  good profit , he  can let it go . The comments by the firebrand leader followed an announcement on Monday by his spokesman that Duterte had not reversed the ban. The MICC, an inter-agency panel that makes recommendations on mining policy, is chaired by Cimatu and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez. Cimatu said last month that he supported the removal of the open pit ban and that his agency would strengthen regulations to prevent any excesses by miners. The ban would further halt development of the Tampakan project in the southern South Cotabato province. The project was first stopped after South Cotabato banned open-pit mining in 2010, and operator Glencore Plc quit the project five years later. Lopez, who stepped down in May after failing to win congressional confirmation after 10 months in office, has said the project would cover an area the size of 700 soccer fields in what otherwise would be agricultural land. Also covered by the ban is the $1.2 billion Silangan copper and gold mine in Mindanao by Philippine miner Philex Mining Corp.

Summary: फिलीपींस खुले गड्ढों में खनन पर प्रतिबंध बनाए रखने के लिए तैयार है क्योंकि दुतेर्ते ने इसे उठाने के आह्वान को अस्वीकार कर दिया है


ABOARD THE TCG ALEMDAR (Reuters) - In blazing sunlight, two dozen U.S. and Turkish sailors on a NATO exercise lower an American diving bell from an advanced Turkish rescue ship, sending it deep under the Aegean Sea where it is secured to a submarine.     Part of a combined NATO rescue simulation this week off Turkey s southwest coast, the seamless cooperation at sea comes amidst a storm between Ankara and its alliance allies who are  concerned about its decades-old commitment to the organization. Under President Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey, with NATO s second-biggest army, has sought to bolster ties with Russia and Iran.  In a clear sign of rapprochement, Ankara is buying a missile defense system from Russia - unnerving NATO officials, who are already wary of Moscow s military presence in the Middle East, as the system is incompatible with the alliance s systems.   Turkey said it opted for the S-400 anti-aircraft system because Western arms suppliers had not offered a  financially effective  alternative. The Pentagon said it expressed concern to Turkey about the deal.  They went crazy because we made the S-400 agreement. What were we supposed to do, wait for (them)?  Erdogan said recently.  If we have difficulty in obtaining any defense element from some places, if our initiatives are often frustrated by obstacles, what will we do? We will sort it out on our own.  Erdogan s frustration stems from Washington s support for the Syrian Kurdish YPG in the fight against Islamic State. Ankara sees the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has carried out an insurgency in Turkey s largely Kurdish southeast and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and Europe as well as Turkey. The president was also angry that U.S. prosecutors charged his former economy minister for conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran. The indictment marked the first time an ex-government member with close ties to Erdogan had been charged in the investigation that has strained relations between Washington and Ankara.  Part of the reason Erdogan is doing this S-400 deal is he s angry with the U.S. over the indictment of the former economy minister as well as continued U.S. cooperation with the YPG,  said Soner Cagaptay, a fellow at the Washington Institute think-tank and author of  The New Sultan: Erdogan and the Crisis of Modern Turkey .  He s using the S-400 as a lever, in terms of bargaining, to convince Washington to change its mind on a number of issues.  Ties with Europe, especially Germany, were hit by Turkey s crackdown after last year s failed coup. Some 150,000 people were purged from the civil service, military and private sector and over 50,000 jailed, including German nationals. Alarmed by what it sees as Ankara s deteriorating record on human rights, Germany has said it would restrict some arms sales to Turkey. It initially announced a freeze on major arms sales, but scaled that back, citing the fight against Islamic State. Ankara also refused to allow German lawmakers to visit their troops stationed at an air base in Turkey. This has led Germany to move troops involved in the campaign against Islamic State from Turkey s Incirlik base to Jordan. Turkey rejects the idea it is turning away from the West.  The good relations Turkey has developed with Russia are not an alternative to the good relations it has with the West, they complement each other,  Erdogan spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said. Erdogan told Reuters in an interview on Thursday that Turkey s position in NATO had not been weakened by the deal. Still, some fear Turkey might eventually find itself at the periphery of the alliance.   Germany is our most important supplier of weapons after the United States,  said Umit Pamir, a former Turkish diplomat. He said the suspension of arms sales, would  surely impact our defense systems . Erdogan has been on a push to improve ties with Moscow after Turkey s economy, particularly its tourism industry, was shaken by sanctions imposed by Russia after Turkey shot down one of its warplanes over Syria in late 2015. He is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next week to discuss a plan agreed by their countries and Iran to reduce the fighting in Syria s northwestern Idlib province. Turkey supports rebels against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Russia and Iran.  Erdogan plans to visit Iran next month. The two countries agreed in August to boost military cooperation when Iran s military chief, General Mohammad Baqeri, met Erdogan in a visit. The trip was the first by an Iranian military chief of staff to Turkey since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran. While they back opposite sides in Syria, Ankara and Tehran have found some common ground over their opposition to the Kurdish independence referendum in Iraq. Both countries fear that an independent Kurdish state could inflame separatists tensions with their Kurdish minorities. Recent discord over the S-400 purchase did not signal a drastic break from NATO for Turkey, said Mustafa Kibaroglu, a professor of international relations at Turkey s MEF University. He said the West had over-reacted to the purchase.   I don t think there is any debate about Turkey leaving an alliance it has invested so much in,  Kibaroglu said.  Are we going to bring down U.S. planes with our S-400s?  he said.  There is no backbone to these comments, it is purely political polemics, and we are not the ones doing this.

Summary: रूस के साथ तुर्की का मिसाइल सौदा नाटो के साथ तूफानी संबंधों को दर्शाता है


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ positions on fracking, free tuition and breaking up big banks wouldn’t sound out of place in an Oscar winning-actor’s acceptance speech.  But in famously liberal Hollywood, long used as an ATM by Democratic campaigns, Sanders’ message is not resonating as loudly as in other progressive bastions. The more moderate Hillary Clinton has far outpaced the Vermont senator in fundraising and has a deep line-up of A-list stars and top executives among her backers.   Celebrities don’t sway votes, but they can persuade people to listen to a candidate’s message, said historian Steven Ross, author of “Hollywood Left and Right: How Movie Stars Shaped American Politics.”  “It puts a candidate on their radar,” he said. Hollywood actors, studio executives and other employees of the film, TV and music industries have donated at least $8.4 million to Clinton’s campaign and the independent Super PAC that supports her bid, Priorities USA Action, according to a Reuters analysis of campaign finance data through March 31.  A pair of Clinton fundraisers held by actor George Clooney this month, at which tickets went for as much as $353,000 per couple, is not included in that total, but were reported by Deadline Hollywood to have raised an additional $15 million. By contrast, Sanders' campaign had raised about $1 million from entertainment industry donors through March 31, according to the campaign finance data. The Vermont senator, who called the price of the Clooney event "obscene," is not associated with a Super PAC and says he does not court wealthy donors. (Graphic on Hollywood flows to Sanders and Clinton: tmsnrt.rs/1U98K4g) All Republican presidential candidates combined collected $460,000, roughly 5 percent of entertainment industry donations, the data showed. Clinton’s support in Hollywood can be traced back to strong ties her husband built during his first presidential campaign in 1992, said Donna Bojarsky, a Democratic public policy consultant who worked as national entertainment coordinator for Bill Clinton’s campaign. Bill Clinton connected deeply with Hollywood, she said, in part because “he showed a real respect for and appreciation of pop culture. He followed it, and he enjoyed it.” Another reason for Hillary Clinton’s success in Hollywood is the backing of executives. While business people in Hollywood may be liberals, they are less likely to embrace a candidate who attacks corporations, said Ross, the historian. Sanders describes himself as a democratic socialist who wants higher taxes on wealthy people and corporations to help pay for college, healthcare, and other programs. “Corporate Hollywood is about business and the bottom line,” Ross said. The biggest Hollywood contributors to date are behind-the-scenes figures rather than stars, with about two-thirds of Clinton’s industry support through March coming from just three donors.  Haim Saban, CEO of Saban Capital Group, contributed $3.5 million, while DreamWorks Animation DWA.O CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and director Steven Spielberg donated $1 million each to Clinton and funds supporting her. But it is the celebrity backers who make headlines for a candidate, even if they’re not making hefty contributions. Pop singer Demi Lovato performed at a Clinton campaign rally, and “Scandal” star Kerry Washington recorded radio and TV ads for the former secretary of state.  “I really believe in her capacity to deliver on her messages,” Washington said in an interview. Sanders welcomed the band Vampire Weekend onto a stage in Iowa, where they joined the candidate to sing “This Land Is Your Land.” The Red Hot Chili Peppers performed at a Sanders fundraiser in Los Angeles.  Clinton’s celebrity support skews toward older men and women, and she attracts more minorities, while younger personalities gravitate to Sanders, said Dan Schnur, director of University of Southern California’s Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics and a former Republican political strategist.  These leanings reflect those of voters in general, Schnur said, though there are plenty of exceptions.  Ninety-year-old actor Dick Van Dyke, a Sanders supporter, is happy to buck the trend.   “People in my generation are set in their ways,” Van Dyke said in an interview. “Some people are afraid he might get a little too drastic, that he might do something to upset the apple cart.”   Sanders, not known for his sense of humor, has also attracted a number of comedians as supporters, including Danny DeVito, Bill Maher and Sarah Silverman.  “Bernie is not for sale,” says Silverman, a one-time Clinton backer, in a pro-Sanders video viewed more than 32 million times on Facebook. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime candidate who genuinely represents the people.” Schnur finds Sanders’ support among some comedians understandable. “If you decide to perform comedy for a living, you’ve probably got a little bit of an anarchist streak,” he said, and Sanders “challenges the establishment.”   THE BERNIE-HILLARY SPLIT At times the Sanders-Clinton divide in Hollywood has grown heated. When actor Susan Sarandon, a Sanders supporter, said in an MSNBC interview last month that she wasn’t sure she could vote for Clinton if she was the Democratic nominee, the reaction in Hollywood was intense. Her comments were seen as lending support to Trump.   Actor Jamie Lee Curtis, a Clinton supporter, tweeted that she respected but disagreed with Sarandon, calling her position “dangerous 2 women, minorities & migrants.” Debra Messing, one of the stars of NBC sitcom “Will and Grace,” also joined the Twitter fray, criticizing Sarandon for representing “the Bernie or BUST position which is so dangerous for our country.” Sarandon, who has donated $2,700 to Sanders, said her comments were reported incorrectly. “Of course I wouldn’t vote for Trump,” she said in an interview with Reuters. She is unrepentant in her support for Sanders. “We have to do something more than incremental change,” Sarandon said. Sanders is “about real change, progressive change,” she said. She said she worries about an industry backlash against Sanders supporters, given the reaction to her statements, as well as negative comments from feminist Gloria Steinem and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright about women supporting Sanders.  “It’s a much easier thing to be supporting Hillary than to be supporting Bernie if you are a woman in the industry.”  In the end, Hollywood’s Democrats will unite behind Clinton if she wins the nomination, predicted USC’s Schnur. “A Sanders-nista is not going to flip over and vote Republican,” he said.

Summary: हॉलीवुड विज्ञापनों के लिए लड़ाई में-और नकदी-क्लिंटन नियम


BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union s chief Brexit negotiator told German industry on Wednesday that it was his responsibility to help European companies weather the exit of Britain from the EU, and he warned Britain that its economy had much to lose. In a series of speeches, Michel Barnier also said work remained to be done on how much Britain would pay the EU to cover its share of the EU budget after it leaves. British newspapers have reported his team has broadly agreed on a payment of around 50 billion euros ( 44 billion). The EU has given Britain until Monday to make an acceptable offer for a financial settlement, agree on the rights of EU citizens in Britain and ensure no hard border is set up with Ireland. Only then will it start talks on a future trade pact.  German business is worried about the impact of Brexit -   Britain is Germany s third-largest export destination and its fifth-biggest overall trading partner.   The future of the EU is more important than Brexit,  Barnier told the BDA employers association and the BDI industry group and DIHK chambers of commerce. Barnier said he wasn t sure if the  whole truth  had been explained to British business on the impact of Brexit.  My responsibility before you and everywhere in Europe is to tell the truth to European businesses,  he said in the speech to the BDA employers association. A trading relationship with a non-EU member inevitably involved friction, he said.  Whatever the outcome of the current negotiations, there will be no business as usual,  he said. Some politicians in Britain have argued that German companies depend on them for business, so Berlin under Chancellor Angela Merkel may help London get a deal. But only about 6 percent of Germany s trade in goods is with the United Kingdom, compared with 56 percent with the other EU countries, Barnier said - making it clear Britain had the most to lose. Barnier also pointed to value-added tax returns and the imports of animals and animal projects that are subject to checks at the EU s borders as potential problems. And he warned there was no guarantee that judgements by UK courts on trade disputes would automatically be recognised across the EU after Brexit. The BDI industry association and DIHK chambers of commerce stressed that the onus was on the British government to shift in its negotiations.  The British government must move so that the EU can give the green light in two weeks for phase two of the talks,  said the BDI and DIHK groups.  There can be no cherry picking for London. It is clear: our priority is to strengthen the EU and develop it further,  they said, stressing that the freedoms of the internal market would not be diluted for Britain during any transition phase. Barnier also warned that companies should prepare for a possible  no deal , which implies returning to trade tariffs under World Trade Organisation rules, and border controls. That scenario would lead to higher transport and storage costs, hitting companies operating on a just-in-time basis, he said.  The no-deal scenario is not our scenario, but since it cannot be ruled out, we have to prepare for it,  he said.

Summary: यूरोपीय संघ के बार्नियर ने ब्रेक्सिट के बाद ब्रिटेन के लिए निराशा और तबाही मचाई


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department released its annual report on human rights around the world on Friday but the release was overshadowed by criticism that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson gave the report little of the traditional attention or fanfare. Tillerson declined to unveil the report in person, breaking with precedent established during both Democratic and Republican administrations. A senior U.S. official answered reporters’ questions by phone on condition of anonymity rather than appearing on camera, also a break with precedent. “The report speaks for itself,” the official said in response to a question about why Tillerson did not unveil it. “We’re very, very proud of it. The facts should really be the story here.” The report, mandated by Congress, documents human rights conditions in nearly 200 countries and territories and is put together by staff in U.S. embassies. This year’s report was largely completed during former President Barack Obama’s tenure. According to the report, Philippine police and vigilantes “killed more than 6,000 suspected drug dealers and users” since July and extrajudicial killings have “increased sharply” in the Philippines in the last year. Philippine officials say their government does not tolerate human rights violations or state-sponsored extrajudicial killings. The report’s language on Russia remained broadly similar to that of years past, noting the country’s “authoritarian political system dominated by President Vladimir Putin.” President Donald Trump has said he would like to improve U.S. relations with Russia. Traditionally, the secretary of state unveils the report with public comments emphasizing the centrality of human rights in U.S. foreign policy and highlighting specific findings. Tillerson’s Democratic predecessors John Kerry and Hillary Clinton gave public comments on the report in 2013 and 2009, their first years in the post, respectively, and continued to present it throughout their tenures.  In 2005, during Republican President George W. Bush’s administration, the undersecretary of state for global affairs, Paula Dobriansky, presented the report on camera on behalf of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. So far in his one-month tenure, Tillerson has not held a news conference and has mostly refrained from answering questions from the media. Human rights groups criticized the way the report was rolled out. “It’s just signaling a lack of basic interest and understanding in how support for human rights reflects what’s best about America,” said Rob Berschinski, senior vice president for policy at Human Rights First. Berschinski was deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor until Jan. 20, and helped coordinate the report. On Friday, the U.S. official quoted from Tillerson’s confirmation hearing to offer proof that he views human rights conditions as crucial to U.S. interests, adding, “These statements are very clear about our commitment to human rights.” In the introduction to this year’s report, Tillerson wrote “our values are our interests when it comes to human rights.” But in his confirmation hearing, Tillerson sidestepped questions on human rights conditions in other countries, declining to condemn countries like Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, saying he wanted to see the facts first. Republican Senator Marco Rubio on Friday said on his Facebook page he was “disappointed that the secretary of state did not personally present the latest report.” “American leadership in defense of basic human rights, on behalf of those whose voices have been silenced, is needed now more than ever,” Rubio wrote.

Summary: मानवाधिकार रिपोर्ट के मौन जारी होने पर अमेरिकी विदेश विभाग की आलोचना


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) CEO Lloyd Blankfein said Thursday on Bloomberg TV that he would not be “one bit disappointed” if President Donald Trump nominated Jerome Powell as the new Federal Reserve chair. “His background is a terrific background - again a lot of government service, service in the Fed, service in the private sector,” Blankfein said. “I think he is a very great, credible candidate. There were other credible candidates as well but I am not one bit disappointed if it turns out to be J. Powell.”  Trump was expected on Thursday afternoon to nominate Powell for the post, putting his own stamp on the leadership of the U.S. central bank while signaling continuity on monetary policy. Asked about Powell’s lack of a PhD, Blankfein said, “I sometimes feel that people with PhDs - and believe me, I am not anti-intellectual, I have a law degree, my kids went to graduate school, I’m not against people who have PhDs — but sometimes I wish people who only have PhDs had a little more life and professional and business experience.” Blankfein also said a good U.S. tax plan will have “stimulative elements” and could get U.S. GDP growth to a higher level than 3 percent. “The free-est kind of stimulus you could provide for the economy is confidence and peeling away redundant or bad regulation, to be frank,” Blankfein said.  Asked about Bitcoin, which soared past $7,000 to a new record high on Thursday, Blankfein said: “I have a level of discomfort with it as I have a level of discomfort with anything that’s new. But I learned over the years that there’s a lot of things that work out pretty well that I don’t love. “Right now, I tell you, I don’t have an investment in it. But I’m not willing to pooh-pooh it and that’s why, I say, I am open to it,” Blankfein added.

Summary: गोल्डमैन का ब्लैंकफिनः अगर ट्रम्प पॉवेल को फेड अध्यक्ष के रूप में चुनते हैं तो 'थोड़ा निराश' नहीं होगा


TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Saturday he was not considering hiking the number of U.S. forces in the Middle East to address Iran’s “misbehavior” at this time, but warned that the world would not ignore Iranian activities. President Donald Trump has vowed a more aggressive policy against Tehran and his administration is warning of concrete action if Iran does not curb its ballistic missile program and continues support in regional proxy conflicts. The United States announced new sanctions on Friday, just two days after the Trump administration put Iran “on notice” following a ballistic missile test. Mattis said putting Iran on notice was worthwhile, given its behavior. “As far as Iran goes, this is the single biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world and I think it is wise to make certain that Iran recognizes that what it is doing is getting the attention of a lot of people,” Mattis told a news conference in Tokyo in his most detailed remarks on Iran since taking over the Pentagon. Still, he firmly played down the idea of any military buildup. “I don’t see any need to increase the number of forces we have in the Middle East at this time. That’s not in the cards right now,” he said. “We always have the capability to do so. But right now I don’t think it’s necessary.” The United States has already sent a Navy destroyer to patrol off the coast of Yemen to protect waterways from Houthi militia aligned with Iran. But there are other actions Washington could take, including giving greater priority to rotating aircraft carriers through the Gulf. There is currently no U.S. aircraft carrier in the Gulf, for example. The U.S. Navy believes having a robust presence helps deter any moves by Iran to block that strategic waterway. In 2008 and 2010, in moves that prompted critics to accuse Iran of destabilizing the region, the Islamic Republic threatened to disrupt oil shipping in the Gulf by shutting the Strait of Hormuz if there were any attack on its nuclear sites. Mattis said ignoring Iranian behavior - something former President Barack Obama’s critics routinely accused him of doing - wouldn’t work.      “It does no good to ignore it, it does no good to dismiss it,” Mattis said, without citing Obama or his policies. The White House has said that while the latest sanctions were a reaction to recent events, they had been under consideration before. It added that a landmark 2015 deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program was not in the best interest of the United States. Iran denounced the sanctions as illegal and said it would impose legal restrictions on American individuals and entities helping “regional terrorist groups”, state TV quoted a Foreign Ministry statement as saying. Those affected under the sanctions cannot access the U.S. financial system or deal with U.S. companies and are subject to secondary sanctions, meaning foreign companies and individuals are prohibited from dealing with them or risk being blacklisted by the United States.

Summary: ईरान की चिंताओं को लेकर मध्य पूर्व में सैनिकों की बढ़ोतरी पर विचार नहीं कर रहा अमेरिकाः मैटिस


TOKYO (Reuters) - Takuya Yokota vividly remembers clutching a flashlight and running to the ocean with his mother and twin brother to look for his older sister in the dark, shouting her name. Megumi, then 13, had disappeared on her way home from school on a cold November day 40 years ago, kidnapped - it emerged decades later - by North Korean agents to help train spies. None of them has ever seen her again, one of scores Japan believes were snatched away in the 1970s and 80s.  Our house was thrust into a bottomless darkness,  Yokota, nine at the time, told Reuters.  Every day after that was silent and hard.  Now, as tensions rise after North Korean missile launches over Japan and nuclear tests, U.S. President Donald Trump has made Megumi s case part of his attacks on Pyongyang. He mentioned her in a September speech at the United Nations and during his Japan visit next week plans to meet her parents and other families whose loved ones were stolen. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made the abductions a keystone of his political career and said he won t rest until all 13 of those Pyongyang admits to kidnapping have returned and divulges information about the others Japan suspects were taken. Megumi Yokota has become the poster child for the cause. But progress has largely stalled since 2002, when five of the 13 returned home. Pyongyang said the other eight, including Megumi, were dead.  Trump is the third U.S. president abductee families have met, following George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Yokota hopes the Trump meeting will give the issue new life. With Abe in charge, Megumi s return may be closer, although Yokota shows hints of impatience with Abe, in office since late 2012.   I d like (Abe) to put his reputation and his government on the line and lead this issue to a resolution,  he said. Toru Hasuike, the brother of abductee Kaoru Hasuike, one of those who returned to Japan, says the Trump meeting is merely a nod to Abe s conservative base.  This is a performance, making political use of them,  he told Reuters, referring to the Yokotas.  Asking America for help is strange. It s our country, so the Japanese government should take responsibility to help them.  Raising the issue will generate more awareness, but progress is unlikely, said Robert Boynton, a journalism professor at New York University and author of a 2016 book on the abductions.  The sad thing is I think the North Koreans are playing a waiting game - waiting for people like the Yokotas to pass away, that the next generation won t be as exercised and the issue will just go away,  Boynton said. Takuya Yokota hopes to once again meet the older sister who doted on her twin brothers.  I think of her at work, I think of her before I sleep,  he said.  When it gets cold and the snow falls ... I wonder if she s warm enough. I think of this every day.

Summary: उत्तर कोरिया द्वारा अपहरण किए गए जापानियों के शोक संतप्त परिवारों ने ट्रम्प पर पिन की उम्मीदें लगा दीं


JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An ultra-Orthodox Jewish lawmaker resigned from the Israeli legislature on Wednesday after drawing rabbis  wrath for attending his gay nephew s wedding. Yigal Guetta of the Shas party said in an Israeli radio interview earlier this week that he and his family had gone to the celebration, held two years ago in Israel, because he wanted his sister s son to be happy, although gay marriage violated his own religious beliefs. A letter published on Monday by five prominent Israeli rabbis said same-sex marriage is an  abomination . Accusing Guetta of  desecrating God s will , they called on his party to fire him. Guetta made no immediate public statement after his resignation was confirmed by party officials. The newspaper Haaretz quoted a source close to the politician as saying he had refused to apologize and decided to quit, to avoid being asked to do so by Shas s own religious sages, who set party policy. Same-sex weddings held in Israel are not sanctioned by the state, and only Orthodox rabbis can issue marriage licenses. Couples may marry without a license, but the union won t be officially recognized. Israel does recognize same-sex couples who marry abroad and any other non-Orthodox weddings performed outside of the country.

Summary: भतीजे की समलैंगिक शादी के विवाद में इजरायली विधायक ने दिया इस्तीफा


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Paul Ryan was re-elected speaker of the House of Representatives on Tuesday as a Republican-led  Congress began a new session. The Wisconsin congressman was elected on a vote of 239-189. Ryan was first elected speaker in October 2015, after his predecessor John Boehner retired following repeated revolts by House conservatives.

Summary: रयान ने अमेरिकी प्रतिनिधि सभा के अध्यक्ष के रूप में फिर से चुनाव जीता


MADRID (Reuters) - Archaeologists in Spain have unearthed more bodies from mass graves dating back to the 1936-1939 civil war and the ensuing dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, including some still wearing rotting leather boots.  The digs in a local cemetery in Valladolid, central Spain, come amid renewed efforts by volunteer associations and victim campaign groups to shed a light on the bloody past and bring closure for relatives still searching for family members.  Four mass graves have now been excavated in Valladolid and 228 bodies recovered there since April 2016.  These graves are believed to be among more than 2,000 mass burial sites thought to exist across Spain from the civil war - an ideological struggle between right and left - more than 80 years ago. Historians estimate as many as 500,000 combatants and civilians were killed on the Republican and Nationalist sides in the war. After it ended, tens of thousands of Franco s enemies were killed or imprisoned in a campaign to wipe out dissent.  I hope that with forensic analysis we can find out who they once were,  said Julio del Olmo, one of those working on the exhumations.  The local council in Valladolid partly financed the excavation, in one of the few examples to date of authorities backing such digs. After Franco died in 1975, Spain passed an amnesty law in a bid to smooth the transition from dictatorship to democracy, pardoning the crimes of the fascist regime.  But there is increasing interest from new generations to face up to the past. For some, this lack of accountability meant that some of their relatives were never laid to rest.  Another similar, smaller-scale dig also took place in the village of Huesca near Zaragoza in northern Spain, at the request of a man searching for his great uncle. Two bodies were found there.   August 30 is the international day commemorating the victims of enforced disappearances.

Summary: स्पेन के पुरातत्वविदों ने सामूहिक कब्रों से गृह युद्ध में मारे गए और लोगों को निकाला


WASHINGTON/PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he will make his choice to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 2 as he seeks to restore the conservative majority on the high court, prompting Republicans in Congress to warn Democrats against blocking the nominee. Three U.S. appeals court judges are among those under close consideration by Trump to fill the vacancy left by the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia nearly a year ago. Appointment as a Supreme Court justice requires Senate confirmation for the lifetime post. Trump’s fellow Republicans control the Senate with a 52-48 majority, but Democrats could try to block the nomination using procedural hurdles. John Thune, the third-ranking Senate Republican, warned that his party would not allow Trump’s nominee to languish. “We will fill that seat,” the South Dakota senator said in response to a reporter’s question on whether Republicans might scrap the procedural hurdle known as the “filibuster” if Democrats use it to block the nomination. Speaking on the opening day of a three-day retreat for Senate and House of Representatives Republicans in Philadelphia, Thune said that Republicans will have opportunities to consult with Democrats. He did not say how long that consultation process would be allowed to go on before potentially taking steps to end a standoff if Democrats erect barriers to the nomination. More than three years ago, when Democrats controlled the Senate, they used their majority to change Senate rules in order to ban filibusters against presidential nominees other than for the Supreme Court. The move came after Republicans blocked several key appointees by then-President Barack Obama. On Tuesday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he told Trump in the meeting that Democrats would fight any nominee they consider to be outside the mainstream. Trump is in position to name Scalia’s replacement because the Republican-led U.S. Senate last year refused to consider Obama’s nominee, appeals court judge Merrick Garland. The current front-runners include three conservative jurists who were appointed to the bench by Republican former President George W. Bush: Neil Gorsuch, a judge on the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; Thomas Hardiman, who serves on the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; and William Pryor, a judge on the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters at a daily briefing on Wednesday that he would not get ahead of Trump’s decision, noting that the president had listed about 20 candidates for the Supreme Court during his campaign. If not selected for the nation’s top court, some nominees could be contenders for the more than 100 vacancies on lower federal courts, he added.

Summary: ट्रम्प 2 फरवरी को अमेरिकी सुप्रीम कोर्ट के न्यायाधीश का चयन करेंगे


ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey is working with Russia to evacuate around 500 people from the besieged Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.  There are around 500 people, including 170 children and women who need urgent humanitarian aid,  Erdogan said ahead of his departure on an official visit to Sudan. He said he had discussed the issue with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Ankara aimed to bring people in need of assistance to Turkey to provide treatment and care. The Russian and Turkish chiefs of staff would discuss the  steps to be taken in operations that would also involve the  Turkish Red Cresent and Turkey s Disaster and Emergency Organisation (AFAD), Erdogan said. In November, the U.N. humanitarian adviser for Syria called the situation in eastern Ghouta a humanitarian emergency.

Summary: सीरिया के घौता से घायलों को इलाज के लिए लाना चाहता है तुर्की


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker agreed over dinner in Brussels on Monday that the pace of Brexit negotiations should be stepped up in the coming months. Describing the meeting which lasted around two hours as  constructive and friendly , a joint statement said they had  reviewed the progress made in the Article 50 negotiations so far and agreed that these efforts should accelerate over the months to come .

Summary: मे, जंकर ब्रेक्सिट वार्ता की गति बढ़ाने पर सहमत हुए


PARIS (Reuters) - French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Saturday he believed the banks that closed the accounts of far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen and her party had good reasons to do so. But Le Maire also told France Inter radio that he had asked the central Bank of France to look into whether the law had been complied with and that its governor would release his conclusions on Monday. Le Pen earlier this week accused two banks   Societe Generale and HSBC   of launching a  banking fatwa  to silence her National Front party by closing bank accounts belonging to her and her party. The banks said they had acted within regulatory requirements but declined to offer fuller explanations.  If Societe Generale closes the accounts of the National Front, and also I point out that another bank closed the personal account of Marine Le Pen, it s because it had good reasons to do so. I trust French banking institutions,  Le Maire said.  My duty as economy and finance Minister is to verify the law has been complied with. So I asked the Bank of France.... I am convinced that the law has been complied with and that these banks had good reasons to take these decisions.  Le Pen was defeated in this year s presidential election and her party fared poorly in parliamentary elections. She has accused French banks of being politically biased for not lending to her campaigns.

Summary: फ्रांस के मंत्री का मानना है कि बैंकों के पास नेशनल फ्रंट के खाते बंद करने के 'अच्छे कारण' थे


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday there could be unintended consequences from legislation allowing relatives of Sept. 11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia. “It appears there may be some unintended ramification of that (the law) and I do think it is worth further discussing,” Republican McConnell told reporters. Congress on Wednesday overwhelmingly rejected President Barack Obama’s veto of the legislation.

Summary: सीनेटर मैककॉनेलः सऊदी विधेयक के अनपेक्षित परिणाम हो सकते हैं


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Monday he was “disappointed” the former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled him on his contacts with Russia, and supported the decision by President Donald Trump to dismiss him.  “I was disappointed to learn that the facts that have been conveyed to me by General Flynn were inaccurate,” he told reporters during a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels, adding that he “fully supported” the resignation.

Summary: पेंस ने फ्लिन पर 'निराश' कहा, इस्तीफे का समर्थन किया


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Friday he was disappointed with the Senate’s failure to pass healthcare legislation but urged Republican senators not to give up as their colleagues in the House moved on to tax reform. “I am disappointed and frustrated, but we should not give up. I encourage the Senate to continue working toward a real solution that keeps our promise,” Ryan, the top Republican in Congress, said in a statement. He said the House would move on to tax reform including cutting taxes for middle class families.

Summary: रयान ने सीनेट हेल्थकेयर वोट पर निराशा जताई, लेकिन 'हमें हार नहीं माननी चाहिए'


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A spokesman for Terry Branstad on Wednesday denied reports that President-elect Donald Trump has chosen the Iowa governor to be U.S. ambassador to China. “Those reports are premature and not accurate,” said Ben Hammes, Branstad’s communications director.

Summary: ब्रैनस्टैड द्वारा चीन में राजदूत के रूप में चुने जाने की रिपोर्ट गलत हैः ब्रैनस्टैड प्रवक्ता


GOTHENBURG, Sweden (Reuters) - European Union leaders will press Theresa May to meet their conditions soon for launching post-Brexit trade talks when she holds talks on the sidelines of a summit in Sweden on Friday, EU officials said. The British prime minister dismissed via a spokesman a report on Thursday that she was ready to raise her offer of cash to settle London s obligations to the Union on leaving but a top EU lawmaker said he came away from a meeting with May in London optimistic that Britain was moving towards a deal with Brussels. At the Gothenburg talks devoted to labor and social reform, May will have a chance to speak to her peers on the sidelines   though German Chancellor Angela Merkel will skip the event. A key moment may be May s meeting before lunch with Donald Tusk, the summit chair who is overseeing the withdrawal process. Tusk will remind May, according to an EU source, that  time is short  to deliver on hopes raised at an EU summit in October that sufficient progress would be made toward agreeing divorce terms this month that leaders would give a green light in mid-December to opening talks on the future relationship. The Union s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said he needs to hear more from Britain on three key divorce conditions, including the financial settlement, by the start of next month if the EU is to be in a position for all 27 other national leaders to trigger the second phase at a summit on Dec. 14-15. EU officials have begun internal preparations to be able to launch trade negotiations after the summit, the source noted, but added:  Tusk will inform May that such a positive scenario is not a given, will require more work and that time is short.   And he will ask May how the UK plans to progress on the three key issues for Phase One.  May s spokesman described as  speculation  a newspaper report that she was planning to spend another 20 billion pounds (26 billion euros) to settle EU demands for Britain to pay its share of spending the EU has already agreed during British membership but will not actually pay out until after it leaves.  I would say it is yet more speculation,  he said.  We want to make progress as quickly as possible and we want to move onto talks about the future relationship as quickly as possible.  A further 26 billion euros would go a long way to meeting a demand that Brussels has put at around 60 billion euros. That is because May has already asked for a two-year transition period after Brexit in March 2019. That would bring in some 20 billion euros as Britain would go on contributing to the budget to retain its full membership of the European single market. A Merkel ally in Brussels, Manfred Weber, the German leader of the center-right bloc in the European Parliament, struck a notably upbeat tone after meeting May and other key British ministers in London on Tuesday. While insisting he had not heard concrete new proposals   that is not his role   he came away believing the British wanted to move toward a divorce deal.  My main message is I am more optimistic,  he told reporters.  There is progress.  As well as the Brexit  bill , Brussels also wants Britain to offer more in the way of rights for EU citizens living there and ensuring that its border with Ireland will remain unobstructed while also not creating a loophole in EU customs arrangements.

Summary: यूरोपीय संघ शिखर सम्मेलन में मे पर दबाव बनाएगा, ब्रिटेन ने ब्रेक्सिट प्रस्ताव वार्ता को खारिज किया


WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand s small nationalist party, which holds the balance of power after last month s inconclusive elections, will make an announcement on Thursday on the result of talks with the two major parties to form the next government. The move should put an end to weeks of political uncertainty in the small Pacific island nation, after neither major party won enough seats on Sept. 23 to form a government, leaving both courting the leader of New Zealand First, Winston Peters.  New Zealand First will be in a position tomorrow afternoon to make an announcement on the result of negotiations following the 2017 general election,  the party said in a statement. Thursday s event could also shed light on the economic direction for New Zealand, since both the National Party and the Labour Party differ on immigration and trade, key sources of the country s robust growth in recent years. Peters has held lengthy talks with both National, which has been in power for nearly a decade, and opposition Labour, but has kept his cards close to his chest regarding coalition prospects. Peters has notified the leaders of both parties about Thursday s announcement, the statement added. The New Zealand dollar, already under pressure earlier on Wednesday, briefly fell to the day s low of $0.7153 after the statement.  If it goes down the path of a Labour-Green coalition, we can expect the kiwi will probably come under far greater pressure, purely on the basis that that is a complete unknown,  said Stuart Ive, a dealer at OM Financial.  If it s announced that a National coalition is being formed, we can probably see the kiwi pick back up again,  in a short relief rally before markets return to focusing on economic fundamentals, he added, using the currency s nickname. NZ First has more in common with Labour on the policy front, as both want to rein in immigrants and foreign ownership, change certain trade deals and adjust the central bank s mandate. But some analysts say a two-way coalition with National would be more straightforward than a three-way coalition with Labour and the Greens. Labour needs the seats of both the Greens and New Zealand First to reach a majority in parliament.

Summary: न्यूजीलैंड की किंगमेकर पार्टी गुरुवार को सरकार बनाने के लिए बातचीत के परिणाम का खुलासा करेगी


GENEVA (Reuters) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) have joined global human rights groups in their rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump for condoning torture. Trump told ABC television in an interview on Wednesday that he thought waterboarding “worked” as an intelligence-gathering tool but would defer to his cabinet on whether to use it in interrogations. Two U.S. officials said also on Wednesday that Trump may order a review that could lead to bringing back a CIA program for holding terrorism suspects in secret overseas “black site” prisons. “These practices of torturing detainees and ‘disappearing’ them in black sites are serious crimes which must never be repeated,” Ian Seiderman, Legal and Policy Director of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said in a statement. ICRC spokesman Ewan Watson said: “For any political leader to advocate torture is very worrying indeed. Experience has shown that using torture doesn’t work, it only grows hatred.” Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reprieve, a British-based group which represented scores of Guantanamo detainees, have also issued rebukes. Seiderman told Reuters TV that Trump, as commander-in-chief of U.S. forces, “has already signaled to those in the field that may have a propensity to engage in such practice that it is OK with the leader.  “He is also sending a very unfortunate signal to other states and other countries, when the leader of the U.S says it is OK, then maybe they will think it is OK”. According to a document published in the Washington Post, Trump may be planning to revoke Obama directives including one guaranteeing ICRC access to all detainees in U.S. custody. The Trump administration has denied it came from the White House.  ICRC officials have visited security detainees in U.S. custody in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo in Cuba. Their findings on conditions and treatment are shared only with detaining authorities.  In 2004, a leaked ICRC report detailed U.S. mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, including keeping them naked for days in darkness. It said the mistreatment “in some cases was tantamount to torture”.  An international scandal ensued, fueled by explicit photos taken by U.S. soldiers who had abused prisoners. The ICRC has had a long and constructive dialogue with U.S. authorities on issues linked to detention and armed conflict, ICRC spokeswoman Anna Nelson said.  “We plan to continue visiting detainees held by the U.S. authorities, monitoring their treatment and conditions of detention, and engaging confidentially with the authorities on these important issues,” she said.  Torture is forbidden under U.S. and international law, and by pacts such as the U.N. Convention against Torture and the Geneva Conventions.

Summary: आई. सी. आर. सी., न्यायविदों ने ट्रम्प की यातना टिप्पणियों की फटकार लगाई, 'ब्लैक साइट' रिपोर्ट


(Reuters) - A court in Vietnam jailed a blogger on Monday for seven years for  conducting propaganda against the state , the latest action against a critic of the one-party state. Nguyen Van Hoa, 22, rose to prominence after a toxic waste spill from a steel mill built by Taiwan s Formosa Plastics Corp s Vietnam unit that polluted more than 200 km (125 miles) of coast, sparking rare protests in the Communist Party-ruled country.      Despite sweeping economic reforms and growing openness to social change, including gay, lesbian and transgender rights, Vietnam retains tight media censorship and its government does not tolerate criticism. In recent months, authorities have stepped up measures to silence critics whose voices on various issues have been amplified by social media in a country that is among Facebook s top 10 by users. The people s court in Ha Tinh province said on its website Hoa had been found guilty of propaganda against the state. It said Hoa produced videos to call for protests after the spill. Neither Hoa nor or a legal or family representative were available for comment. Hoa was arrested and prosecuted in April for publishing anti-government content. The Formosa incident, one of Vietnam s worst environmental disasters, is a sensitive topic for the government as it balances political stability, environmental protection and foreign investment, one of the drivers of economic growth. The government has said it will prosecute identified Formosa protesters for  causing public disorder . Another critic of the steel mill spill, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, known as  Me Nam  (Mother Mushroom), was given a 10-year jail term for publishing propaganda against the state. A prominent rights lawyer who has represented Quynh, said on Monday the Bar Federation in Phu Yen province had revoked his licence to practice.  The government does not want me to work as a lawyer anymore because I have been defending poor people, people who were unjustly charged ... cases that are sensitive in Vietnam,  the lawyer, Vo An Don, told Reuters. Don said he would not be able to defend Quynh at her appeal hearing. Reuters was unable to immediately reach the Bar Federation or government authorities for comment on the case.

Summary: वियतनाम की अदालत ने प्रसार पर 'प्रचार' के लिए ब्लॉगर को सात साल की जेल की सजा सुनाई


BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iran s Supreme Court has upheld a death sentence against an Iranian academic with Swedish residency convicted of espionage, Amnesty International and his family said on Tuesday. Ahmadreza Djalali, a doctor and lecturer at the Karolinska Institute, a Stockholm medical university, was accused of providing information to Israel to help it assassinate several senior nuclear scientists. Djalali was arrested in Iran in April 2016 and later convicted of espionage. He denied the charges, Amnesty said.  At least four scientists were killed between 2010 and 2012 in what Tehran said was a program of assassinations meant to sabotage its efforts to develop nuclear energy. Western powers and Israel said Iran aimed to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran denied this. The Islamic Republic hanged a man in 2012 over the killings, saying he had links to Israel. Djalali s lawyers were told on Saturday that the Supreme Court had considered his case and upheld his Oct. 24 sentence in a secret process without allowing them to file defense submissions, London-based Amnesty said.  This is not only a shocking assault on the right to a fair trial but is also in utter disregard for Ahmadreza Djalali s right to life,  Magdalena Mughrabi, Amnesty s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement. Vida Mehrannia, Djalali s wife, said the whole family were in shock at the decision and that they had informed the Swedish government about the latest development in the case.  The judicial process was not fair and legal from the beginning. None of the court sessions was held in public and the interrogators imposed their decision on the judges,  she told Reuters by telephone from Stockholm. The Iranian judiciary could not be reached for comment.  Amnesty said in October that the court verdict against Djalali stated he had worked with the Israeli government which then helped him obtain a Swedish residency permit. Djalali was on a business trip to Iran when he was arrested and sent to Evin prison. He was held in solitary confinement for three months of his detention and tortured, Amnesty said.  It said Djalali wrote a letter inside Evin last August stating he was being held for refusing to spy for Iran. Sweden condemned the sentence in October and said it had raised the matter with Iranian envoys in Stockholm and Tehran. Seventy-five Nobel prize laureates petitioned Iranian authorities last month to release Djalali so he could  continue his scholarly work for the benefit of mankind . They said Djalali has suggested it was his refusal to work for Iranian intelligence services that led to this  unfair, flawed trial . The United Nations and international human rights organizations regularly list Iran as a country with one of the world s highest execution rates. Rights groups have criticized Iran for its regular resort to capital punishment.

Summary: ईरान ने स्वीडिश निवास के साथ ईरानी शिक्षाविद के लिए मौत की सजा बरकरार रखी


CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa s top prosecutor said police were still examining a trove of leaked documents detailing relations between the wealthy Gupta family and President Jacob Zuma, but it was too early to say if a prosecution should be launched. Wednesday s comments to lawmakers by Shaun Abrahams were the first time the head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has spoken publicly about the Gupta case.  The leaked emails need to be investigated,  Abrahams told a parliamentary committee in response to a question on whether his department had taken a position on the matter.  How can you make a determination on its admissibility if that (police) investigation is still ongoing? , he said. The elite  Hawks  police unit, which probes organized and commercial crime and major corruption, is investigating the Gupta allegations, NPA officials told a parliamentary briefing. Under the South African system, police investigate a case and then send a report to the NPA, which decides whether to take the case further. Senior ANC members and the opposition accuse the brothers of using their relationship with Zuma to wield influence and win government contracts, allegations that in part stem from a trove of 100,000 documents and emails leaked to reporters. The Gupta family of Indian-born businessmen were not immediately available for comment on Abraham s remarks. The brothers, who own a computer business and uranium mine, have previously denied any wrongdoing. Atul Gupta, one of three Gupta brothers, said last month that the emails were fake. Zuma has also denied any wrongdoing but his relationship with the Guptas has deepened a divide within his ruling African National Congress ahead of a conference in December where Zuma s successor as party leader - and therefore president - will be chosen. Zuma survived a no-confidence motion in August. He can remain president until a 2019 election but some opposition politicians have demanded he resign over material in the leaked emails.

Summary: गुप्ता के ईमेल अभी भी जांच के दायरे मेंः दक्षिण अफ्रीका के शीर्ष अभियोजक


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For the second time on Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence took the rare step of breaking a tie in the U.S. Senate, as he cast the deciding vote in rolling back protections for federal funds for family planning and reproductive health.  In a 51-50 vote, senators approved killing a rule intended to keep federal grants flowing to clinics that provide contraception and other services in states that want to block the funding. In recent years states such as Texas have kept some healthcare providers from receiving the grants, as part of the country’s longstanding fight over abortion.  Earlier in the day, Pence was called upon to end the deadlock over advancing the resolution to a final vote.

Summary: सीनेट ने परिवार नियोजन कोष की रक्षा के लिए बनाए गए नियम को रद्द कर दिया


(Reuters) - Bill Clinton faced down protesters for 10 minutes at a presidential campaign rally in Philadelphia for his wife, Hillary Clinton, over their criticisms that a 1994 crime bill he approved while president led to a surge in black people being imprisoned. Several protesters heckled him and held signs, including one that read “CLINTON Crime Bill Destroyed Our Communities.” Video footage of Hillary Clinton defending the bill in 1994 by calling young people in gangs “super predators” who need to “be brought to heel” have been widely circulated during the campaign by activists in the Black Lives Matter protest movement. Bill Clinton defended her 1994 remarks, which protesters say were racially insensitive.  “I don’t know how you would characterize the gang leaders who got 13-year-old kids hopped on crack and sent them out on the street to murder other African-American children,” he said, shaking his finger at a heckler as Clinton supporters cheered, according to video of the event. “Maybe you thought they were good citizens. She didn’t.”  Hillary Clinton, who also has faced protesters upset by her remarks, has said she regrets using the term.  Bill Clinton said last year that he regrets signing the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act into law because it contributed to the country’s high incarceration rate of black people for nonviolent crimes.

Summary: बिल क्लिंटन ने प्रदर्शनकारियों के लिए पत्नी की 'सुपर प्रिडेटर' टिप्पणी का बचाव किया