WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed a move by Saudi Arabia s future king that tightened his grip on power through the arrests of royals, ministers and investors in an anti-corruption purge. The endorsement cemented a U.S.-Saudi relationship that has improved dramatically under Trump s presidency, partly because of both leaders  vision of confronting Riyadh s arch-rival Iran more aggressively in the region.  Trump tweeted on Monday that he had  great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia  following the mass arrests - the biggest such purge of the kingdom s affluent elite in its modern history. Trump also tweeted that  they know exactly what they are doing,  adding:  Some of those they are harshly treating have been  milking  their country for years.  The purge was the latest in a series of dramatic steps by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MbS as he is commonly referred to in Western circles, to assert Saudi influence internationally and amass more power for himself at home. A U.S. official who declined to be named told Reuters that MbS  has become the primary driver of Saudi policy-making. He has moved aggressively to sideline opponents, concentrate decision-making authority, and establish himself as the undisputed heir to the al Saud legacy.   He seeks to reinvigorate the public s confidence in the Saudi monarchy by diversifying the economy, loosening religious restrictions, and carrying out wide ranging social reforms,  the official said. Trump s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, the president s senior adviser, who has cultivated a close relationship with MbS, recently returned from Saudi Arabia, fuelling speculation on whether he may have had wind of MbS  plans. The White House said at the time the trip was reported that it was within the context of Kushner s efforts on Israeli-Palestinian peace conversations. Among those arrested were billionaire investor Alwaleed bin Talal, who is one of the kingdom s most prominent businessmen and whose investments in companies like Twitter make him the most recognized Saudi name on Wall Street.  It s an impressive feat to have basically neutered virtually all of the sources of potential opposition, dissent rivalry, whether it s religious, media, political, military,  said Rob Malley, vice president for policy of the International Crisis Group.  On the other hand... it s always risky to make too many enemies at the same time. It s not clear how those enemies can react,  said Malley, a former senior adviser on Middle East affairs under President Barack Obama. Also detained was Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, who was replaced as minister of the National Guard, a pivotal power base rooted in the kingdom s tribes. That recalled a palace coup in June that ousted Mohammed bin Nayef as heir to the throne. A former senior U.S. intelligence official cautioned that given the National Guard s loyalties, MbS could face a backlash.  I find it difficult  to believe that it (National Guard) will simply roll over and accept the imposition of new leadership in such an arbitrary fashion.  ANTI-IRANIAN CONFRONTATION U.S.-Saudi ties had been strained under Obama, who Riyadh felt considered their alliance less important than negotiating the Iran nuclear deal. But the Trump administration has vowed to confront Iran much more aggressively in the region, where it shares the Saudi view that Tehran is fomenting instability via a number of proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen among other countries. Tehran denies the allegations. Events in Saudi Arabia in recent days appeared to open the prospect for a sharper confrontation with Iran and its proxies. Saudi Arabia accused Lebanon on Monday of declaring war against it because of what it called aggression by the Iran-backed Lebanese Shi ite group Hezbollah. Saudi-allied Lebanese politician Saad al-Hariri quit as prime minister on Saturday, announcing his resignation from Riyadh and blaming Iran and Hezbollah in his resignation speech. Also on Saturday, Saudi Arabia s air defense forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired from warring Yemen over the capital, Riyadh. The Pentagon praised Saudi Arabia for  exposing  Iran s role in Yemen and Tehran s provision of missile systems to Houthi militia fighting there.  Between that (Hariri s resignation) and the missile launch on Riyadh ... the coincidence of those two does mean that the prospect of some escalation, some strike either against Hezbollah or against Iran or against both is more likely, certainly than it was a few days ago,  Malley told Reuters.

Summary: ट्रम्प ने सऊदी अरब के शुद्धिकरण की प्रशंसा की, राजा और क्राउन प्रिंस में विश्वास व्यक्त किया


YANGON (Reuters) - The United Nations named a new interim U.N. resident coordinator for Myanmar on Tuesday, appointing Knut Ostby of Norway to take over the humanitarian role at a time of growing strains with the Myanmar government over the handling of the Rohingya crisis. The appointment of a temporary placeholder was expected after Myanmar blocked an upgrade of the U.N. country chief position. Myanmar s de facto leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has told diplomats in private meetings that she is frustrated with the United Nations, particularly its human rights arm. Ostby, who has served with the United Nations in a number of hotspots, including Afghanistan and East Timor, will replace Renata Lok-Dessallien, who has completed her term. Some 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh after ethnic violence erupted in Myanmar s northern Rakhine state in late August. Rights monitors and Rohingya refugees say the army and Rakhine Buddhist vigilantes have forced them to flee their homes. U.N. investigators interviewing Rohingyas living in refugee camps near Cox s Bazar said on Friday they had gathered testimony pointing to a  consistent, methodical pattern  of killings, torture, rape and arson. The fact-finding team, led by former Indonesian attorney general Marzuki Darusman, said the death toll from the Myanmar army s crackdown following Rohingya insurgent attacks on Aug. 25 was unknown, but  may turn out to be extremely high . The U.N. team, which was established by the U.N. Human Rights Council in March, renewed its appeal for access to Rakhine state and for talks with the Myanmar government and military to  establish the facts . In the early stages of the crisis, the United Nations described the military campaign as  ethnic cleansing , an accusation rejected by Myanmar, which says its military was engaged in counter-insurgency operations against Rohingya militants behind a series of attacks on security posts. Suu Kyi has said the refugees can return, but thousands  continue to arrive in Bangladesh. Myanmar, an overwhelmingly Buddhist country with small Christian and Muslim minorities, is struggling to emerge from decades of military rule, and Suu Kyi s democratically elected government is engaged in a peace dialogue with members of various armed ethnic groups.

Summary: रोहिंग्या संकट पर तनाव बढ़ने पर संयुक्त राष्ट्र ने म्यांमार की भूमिका के लिए नॉर्वे को चुना


NEWARK, N.J. (Reuters) - Two former allies of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie deliberately closed access lanes to the George Washington Bridge in a “vicious” and unlawful political revenge scheme, a federal prosecutor said on Friday at the close of their criminal trial. Bridget Kelly, the governor’s former deputy chief of staff, and Bill Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, abused their power to create a massive traffic jam in order to punish a local mayor for failing to back Christie’s re-election campaign, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Cortes told jurors in Newark, New Jersey. “As cruel and callous as that scheme was, what makes it unlawful was that they misused government resources to carry it out,” Cortes said in closing arguments at federal court in Newark, New Jersey. Baroni’s lawyer is expected to deliver his closing argument later on Friday. The Port Authority operates the George Washington Bridge, said by the agency to be the world’s busiest. Kelly and Baroni are charged with fraud, conspiracy and depriving residents of Fort Lee, New Jersey, of their civil rights. Former Port Authority executive David Wildstein has pleaded guilty and appeared as the government’s star witness. Christie has not been charged and has steadfastly denied any advance knowledge of the plan. But Wildstein, Baroni and Kelly all testified that they told the governor some details about the lane closures either beforehand or while they were occurring.  The so-called “Bridgegate” scandal tarnished Christie’s national reputation, damaging his unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination. The trial has cast an unflattering light on Christie as a temperamental bully whose administration used the Port Authority to hand out favors, and penalties, to local officials. Kelly and Baroni, both of whom testified in their own defense, said they were duped by Wildstein and his claim that the lane closures were part of a legitimate traffic study. But Cortes warned jurors not to be fooled by that “preposterous” assertion, pointing to Kelly’s now-infamous email to Wildstein in which she wrote, “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” as evidence of her guilt. During his closing argument, Cortes showed jurors numerous messages sent among Kelly, Wildstein and Baroni suggesting they deliberately ignored Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich’s desperate pleas for help as the gridlock became untenable, delaying first responders and stranding school buses for hours. At one point, Wildstein told Baroni that his response to Sokolich should be “radio silence.”

Summary: न्यू जर्सी के 'ब्रिजगेट' प्रतिवादियों ने 'दुष्ट' योजना को अंजाम दियाः अभियोजक


SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Zealand Green Party leader James Shaw said on Thursday he was confident of reaching an agreement with Labour and New Zealand First to provide support for the formation of a coalition government.  Shaw said a final decision would be made on Thursday evening and he was  very confident  of a change in government after nearly a decade of center-right National governments.  The incoming Labour-New Zealand First coalition needs the Greens to commit to a confidence and supply agreement in parliament to ensure they have a majority.

Summary: एनजेड ग्रीन पार्टी के नेता लेबर के नेतृत्व वाली गठबंधन सरकार के साथ बातचीत कर रहे हैं


TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said on Wednesday that any attempt to revise Tokyo s 2015 agreement with South Korea over   comfort women  forced to work in Japan s wartime military brothels would be unacceptable and make relations unmanageable. Kono s comment comes after his South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, said the agreement failed to meet the needs of victims and apologized for the controversial deal.  The Japan-South Korea agreement is an agreement between the two governments and one that has been highly appreciated by international society,  Kono said in a written statement.  If the South Korean government ... tried to revise the agreement that is already being implemented, that would make Japan s ties with South Korea unmanageable and it would be unacceptable.

Summary: जापान ने कहा कि दक्षिण कोरिया के साथ आरामदायक महिला समझौते में संशोधन अस्वीकार्य है


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is nearing completion of a policy review to determine how far it goes in rolling back former President Barack Obama’s engagement with Cuba and could make an announcement next month, according to current and former U.S. officials and people familiar with the discussions. President Donald Trump’s advisers are crafting recommendations that could call for tightening some of the trade and travel rules that Obama eased in his rapprochement with Havana but which are expected to stop short of breaking diplomatic relations restored in 2015 after more than five decades of hostility, the sources said. The policy review, coordinated by the National Security Council, is expected pick up steam now that Trump has returned from his first foreign trip, one administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Trump threatened in a tweet shortly after his election in November to “terminate” Obama’s approach unless Cuba made significant concessions, something its Communist leadership is unlikely to do. The White House said in February that Cuba policy was under comprehensive review and that human rights on the island would be a major part of any revised strategy. Obama implemented his Cuba normalization measures through executive actions that bypassed Congress, and Trump is believed to have the power to undo much of it with the stroke of a pen. But there are divisions within his administration over to what extent he should go, especially given that Obama’s opening to Washington’s former Cold War foe has created opportunities for American companies ranging from telecommunications to airlines. Some aides have argued that Trump, a former real estate magnate who won the presidency promising to unleash U.S. businesses and create jobs, would have a hard time defending any moves that close off the Cuban market. A group of 54 U.S. senators reintroduced legislation last Thursday to repeal all remaining restrictions on travel to Cuba, signaling support for U.S.-Cuba detente on Capitol Hill. But the Republican administration has been under heavy pressure from Cuban-American lawmakers such as U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and U.S. Representative Mario Diaz-Balart to take a much harder line than Trump’s Democratic predecessor. There is little support in the administration, however, for a full-scale reversal of Obama’s steps that began with a  breakthrough with Cuban President Raul Castro in 2014. Among the options under consideration are tightening restrictions on U.S. firms doing business with Cuban state or military enterprises and re-imposing stricter rules on  Americans traveling there, according to people familiar with the discussions. It remains unclear, however, which recommendation will make their way to Trump, though the sources said a list was likely to be ready for his consideration in coming days or weeks. “We’re getting closer,” an administration official said. An announcement of changes could come as soon as June, according to the official and people familiar with the matter. The Daily Caller newspaper reported on Sunday that Trump would announce policy changes in a June speech in Miami, citing sources from a group opposed to the broader U.S. economic embargo that remains in place against Cuba. But the timing could also depend on factors such as whether Trump fills key Latin America posts at the State Department and elsewhere that remain vacant, sources told Reuters. The White House considered making a Cuba announcement on May 20 to mark the 115th anniversary of Cuba’s independence, but that coincided with Trump’s overseas trip and the review also was not yet finished, the sources said.

Summary: ट्रंप प्रशासन क्यूबा नीति समीक्षा पूरी करने के करीबः सूत्र


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump ignited a political firestorm on Tuesday by firing FBI Director James Comey, who had been leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign’s possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome.  READ THE LATEST ON THE COMEY FIRINGDefending firing of FBI director, Trump derides Democratic criticsSenate Republican leader opposed new Russia investigationThe Republican president said he fired Comey, the top U.S. law enforcement official, over his handling of an election-year email scandal involving then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.  The move stunned Washington and raised suspicions among Democrats and others that the White House was trying to blunt the FBI probe involving Russia.  Some Democrats compared Trump’s move to the “Saturday Night Massacre” of 1973, in which President Richard Nixon fired an independent special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal.  White House officials denied allegations that there was any political motive in the move by Trump, who took office on Jan. 20.  Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he spoke to Trump and told him he was “making a very big mistake” in firing Comey, adding the president did not “really answer” in response.  An independent investigation into Moscow’s role in the election “is now the only way to go to restore the American people’s faith,” Schumer said.  Though many Democrats have criticized Comey’s handling of the Clinton email probe, they said they were troubled by the timing of Trump’s firing of him.  Senator Richard Burr, the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is overseeing its own investigation into Russian interference during the election, said in a statement he was also troubled by the timing of Comey’s termination.  “His dismissal, I believe, is a loss for the Bureau and the nation,” Burr said.  U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in a January report that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered an effort to disrupt the 2016 election, with the aim of helping Trump.  CNN reported on Tuesday night that federal prosecutors had issued grand jury subpoenas to former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, seeking business records, as part of the probe into Russian interference in the election.  Trump’s firing of Comey came a day after former acting Attorney General Sally Yates told a Senate panel that she had informed the White House on Jan. 26 that Flynn was at risk of blackmail by Moscow because he had been untruthful about his discussions with the Russian ambassador, Sergei Kislyak. Trump fired Flynn 18 days later.  Russia has repeatedly denied any meddling in the election and the Trump administration denies allegations of collusion with Russia.  Trump, in a letter to Comey released by the White House, said: “It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission.”  The president told Comey in the letter that he accepted the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions that he could no longer provide effective leadership. Comey’s term was to run through September 2023. He was appointed director by Democratic President Barack Obama in 2013.  Sessions advised Trump’s campaign before being picked by the president to lead the Justice Department. Sessions had recused himself from involvement in the Russia investigation, after he misstated his own 2016 contacts with Russia’s ambassador to Washington.  Comey’s deputy, Andrew McCabe, became acting FBI director. The White House said the search for a new permanent director would begin immediately.  Pushing back against critics of the move, White House officials said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, a career prosecutor who took office on April 25, assessed the situation at the FBI and concluded that Comey had lost his confidence.  Rosenstein sent his recommendation to Sessions, who concurred and they forwarded their recommendation to Trump, who accepted it on Tuesday, they said.  The White House released a memo in which Rosenstein wrote: “I cannot defend the Director’s handling of the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary Clinton’s emails, and I do not understand his refusal to accept the nearly universal judgment that he was mistaken.”  Rosenstein cited several former Justice Department officials’ comments criticizing Comey’s handling of the Clinton email investigation, including his public statements.  But one of those he cited, Donald Ayer, a former deputy attorney general under President H.W. Bush, questioned the purported reasons for the firing. Reached by Reuters, Ayer said in an email that the administration’s explanation was “a sham.”  Comey was traveling in Los Angeles when the news broke that he had been fired.  In an odd twist, a White House official said the letter firing him was delivered to the FBI by Keith Schiller, Trump’s longtime armed personal bodyguard who is now director of Oval Office Operations at the White House.  Trump, in the letter, said: “While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau.”  Comey, 56, had been the target of criticism from many quarters for his handling of a probe involving Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was U.S. secretary of state under Obama. As recently as Tuesday, the FBI clarified remarks that Comey made on the matter last week.  Trump had originally criticized the FBI director for not pursuing criminal charges against Clinton last July, but later lavished praise on him.  Comey had said in July the Clinton email case should be closed without prosecution, but then declared - 11 days before the Nov. 8 election - that he had reopened the investigation because of a discovery of a new trove of Clinton-related emails.  Clinton and other Democrats say they believe Comey’s decision help cost her the election.  The firing came as a shock to FBI staff, nearly all of whom had confidence in Comey despite the controversy surrounding his handling of the Clinton email situation, according to an FBI official who spoke on condition of anonymity.  The official said there was concern among agents that the firing was a political act related to the Russian investigation.  Other current and former U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials questioned the White House explanation for Comey’s firing.  “Trump praised him for the work on the email investigation, so that’s not it,” said Austin Berglas, a former FBI supervisory agent on hacking cases. “I think he realized the extent of the Russia investigation under way and moved him out. To me, that’s the only logical explanation right now.”  Trump’s dismissal of Comey does not mean the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the U.S. presidential election will be disrupted or end - career FBI staffers can continue the probe even as the search for a new FBI director begins, legal experts said.  Republican Representative Justin Amash wrote on Twitter that he and his staff were reviewing the possibility of drafting legislation to create an independent commission to look into the Russian campaign meddling.  Legislation related to the appointment of a special prosecutor or independent counsel has lapsed. But Justice Department regulations provide for the appointment of a special counsel, which is selected by the attorney general, or acting attorney general in the case of recusal, the experts said.

Summary: ट्रम्प ने एफ. बी. आई. निदेशक कोमी को बर्खास्त किया, अमेरिकी राजनीतिक तूफान की शुरुआत की


JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian prosecutors charged a former parliament speaker on Wednesday in connection with a $170 million graft scandal after he held up proceedings for hours at the opening of his trial, saying he was ill. Setya Novanto has been brought to trial by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which suspects extensive pilfering of public funds linked to a national identity card program. Novanto, who resigned as speaker of parliament this week,  has denied wrongdoing.  He had managed to cling to power through several previous corruption cases and repeatedly missed summonses for questioning by the anti-graft agency in connection with this case in recent months, saying he needed heart surgery. Novanto, who arrived at court in a white shirt and a bright orange jacket usually worn by the KPK s graft suspects, said he had diarrhea and needed medical attention. Prosecutors from the KPK said he was lying and that doctors had given him a clean bill of health earlier on Wednesday. He declined to confirm to the court details like his name or place of birth. After long delays to allow doctors to examine Novanto, the  presiding judge at the Jakarta corruption court let prosecutors read out the charges, which included unlawful intervention in the procurement process of the ID cards.  We are sure the defendant is healthy and can follow the court proceedings. This is part of the defendant s lies,  prosecutor Irene Putri said as defense lawyers called for more medical examinations for their client. The KPK is investigating state losses amounting to about $170 million linked to the national electronic identity card scheme after allegations that sums ranging from $5,000 to $5.5 million - generated by marking up procurement costs - were  divided up among politicians in parliament. KPK investigators last month put Novanto under armed guard in hospital and then took him into custody. Novanto s case has riveted the media and captured the attention of social media users, many of whom have mocked him in widely shared posts. The allegations against Novanto have reinforced the perception among Indonesians that their parliament, long regarded as riddled with entrenched corruption, is a failing institution. Indonesia was ranked last year at 90 out of 176 countries on Transparency International s corruption perception index. The watchdog has singled out parliament as Indonesia s most corrupt institution, and in July called on President Joko Widodo to protect the KPK against attempts by the legislature to weaken the commission s powers.

Summary: इंडोनेशिया की भ्रष्टाचार अदालत ने देरी के बाद पूर्व संसद अध्यक्ष को दोषी ठहराया


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would defer to Defense Secretary James Mattis regarding the use of waterboarding as an intelligence-gathering tool, even though Trump said he still believes the practice works. Trump said Mattis does not “necessarily believe” in waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques, which many lawmakers and other rights groups denounce as torture. “I don’t necessarily agree, but I would tell you that he will override because I’m giving him that power,” Trump said of Mattis during a joint press conference at the White House with visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May. “I happen to feel that it does work. I’ve been open about that for a long period of time. But I am going with our leaders,” Trump said.

Summary: ट्रम्प ने कहा कि वह वाटरबोर्डिंग पर रक्षा मंत्री मैटिस को टाल देंगे


YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar must guarantee  equal rights  for everyone in troubled Rakhine state as talks on repatriation of more than 620,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh gather steam, the new EU ambassador to the country said on Thursday. Kristian Schmidt, who took over the European Union mission in Yangon some two months ago, also called on the administration of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to  break down barriers  between Buddhist and Muslim communities in Rakhine. He said the return of refugees should be voluntary and the involvement of the United Nations agencies in the repatriation process would be  extremely useful .  The initial deal struck by Bangladesh and Myanmar mentions the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, but does not specify its role. Schmidt said Myanmar must address the  root causes  of the Rakhine crisis, such as decades-long discrimination against the Rohingya population that included restrictions on movement and lack of access to proper education.  The primary priority, which is for the local authorities and the union government to establish rule of law, non-discriminatory civilian administration ... and equal rights for everyone,  Schmidt told Reuters in an interview in Yangon.  There are root causes that must be addressed in Rakhine state so when the refugees return they do not return to the situation ex ante - this is not sustainable,  he said. The exodus of Rohingya was triggered by an army crackdown in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces on Aug. 25 - attacks Schmidt referred to as  terrorism  and the EU has condemned. Schmidt said confining the Rohingya to villages reduced education opportunities and could have radicalized some.   You should not be surprised later that some of the elements of that population radicalizes. Becomes increasingly desperate,  he said. Amid the army crackdown, scores of Rohingya villages were burnt and refugees have told reporters of killings and rapes. The United Nations and the United States have both accused Myanmar of  ethnic cleansing , a charge the country denies. In response to the army operation, Brussels suspended invitations to Myanmar army chief Min Aung Hlaing and senior army officers.  We are ready to review that decision at any time in light of positive or not-so-positive news. We still of course understand the importance the military of Myanmar plays in Myanmar s economic and democratic transition so dialogue is open,  said Schmidt. He added, however, that there was the need for accountability and reiterated the EU s support for a U.N.-mandated fact-finding mission that Suu Kyi s administration has opposed and blocked from operating in the country.  There has to be a credible, independent investigation of the events that led 620,000 people to flee to quite horrible conditions on the other side of the border,  he said.  We need to know.  The Danish diplomat spoke on the sidelines of a conference promoting the EU s  Erasmus+  program of exchanges between university students. He wants Myanmar students to take part in it to help overhaul institutions as the country emerges from decades of isolation under military dictatorship.

Summary: यूरोपीय संघ ने म्यांमार के अशांत रखाइन में सभी के लिए 'समान अधिकारों' का आह्वान किया


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May should clear up what financial commitments Britain is willing to honor as part of its divorce agreement with the European Union, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Thursday.  Theresa May has to come up with more clarity on what she means by  other commitments  in her Florence speech. I phoned her last week, and tried to encourage her to do that and so far she hasn t,  Rutte told reporters on arriving at an EU summit. Asked if the clarification was needed on money, Rutte said:  Yes, primarily, and about citizens rights and border controls   these are still difficult issues, but particularly the question of the exit bill,  he said.

Summary: ब्रेक्सिट तलाक विधेयक पर ब्रिटेन को स्पष्ट होना चाहिएः डच प्रधानमंत्री


The following statements were posted to the verified Twitter accounts of U.S. President Donald Trump, @realDonaldTrump and @POTUS.  The opinions expressed are his own. Reuters has not edited the statements or confirmed their accuracy.  @realDonaldTrump : - The Failing @nytimes, the pipe organ for the Democrat Party, has become a virtual lobbyist for them with regard to our massive Tax Cut Bill. They are wrong so often that now I know we have a winner! [0701 EST] -- Source link: (bit.ly/2jBh4LU) (bit.ly/2jpEXYR)

Summary: फैक्टबॉक्सः ट्विटर पर ट्रम्प (30 नवंबर)-न्यूयॉर्क टाइम्स


VIENNA (Reuters) - Support for Austria s ruling Social Democrats has slipped since a scandal embroiled the party ahead of an Oct. 15 election but they are in a tight battle with the far right for second place, a poll showed on Thursday. Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz s conservative People s Party had 34 percent ahead of the far right Freedom Party on 27 percent, according to the Research Affairs poll published by tabloid daily Oesterreich. Chancellor Christian Kern s Social Democrats had 22 percent down 2 percentage points but given a margin of error of 4.3 percent second place was too close to call. The Social Democrats said last weekend it was unwittingly involved in two Facebook accounts that made unsubstantiated allegations against Kurz and the party chairman announced his resignation. Details of the scandal were unclear.  The party launched an investigation and a spokesman for the Vienna prosecutor s office said on Thursday it had opened a defamation inquiry against persons unknown based on a complaint by the Social Democrats.  We are conducting an investigation against persons unknown for defamation,  a spokesman for the Vienna prosecutors  office said.  Of course, we must now approach Facebook and ask if they can help us further in seeking out these persons unknown.  Facebook said on Wednesday in response to a request for help from the Social Democrats:  We are assessing the request and will reply once that assessment is complete.      Like many polls in Austria, the online survey carried out from Monday to Wednesday had a relatively small sample size    of 600 people and a wide margin of error. The People s Party shot to first place in opinion polls when Kurz took over as its leader in May. Other parties were on 6 percent or less.

Summary: ऑस्ट्रिया की सत्तारूढ़ पार्टी के लिए समर्थन 15 अक्टूबर के मतदान से पहले गिर गयाः सर्वेक्षण


NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Two weeks before the first contest of the 2016 presidential race, Republicans and business leaders who fear the party has been hijacked by the likes of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz found little to comfort them in the latest debate. Both candidates, one a billionaire developer with no political experience and the other a U.S. Senator from Texas with a reputation for clashing with his colleagues in Washington D.C., stood center stage Thursday night and, for the most part, dominated the proceedings. More mainstream hopefuls such as former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Ohio Governor John Kasich, and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio from Florida were left nipping at their heels and squabbling. With characteristic bravado, Trump dubbed himself the winner on Friday. Speaking to 250 people at Living History Farms in Iowa, he called the debate “interesting” and said “even the pundits last night were treating me nicely.” Trump told MSNBC the overnight polls showed him winning the debate, saying Cruz was “very strident” and made “inappropriate” comments. “I don’t know that he’s a nice guy,” Trump said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program. “I think he hurt himself last night.” Trump, 69, and Cruz, 45, whom opinion polls have locked in a tight struggle to win the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses, clashed at several points, befitting their leading-men status. That left little room for rivals hurriedly trying to close the gap before voting begins for real to choose the party’s nominee for November’s general election. “They are digging themselves a bit of a hole,” said Fergus Cullen, the former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party. “It’s entirely possible the final two candidates will be Trump and Cruz, and people like me will be despondent.” Business leaders expressed concern about the direction of the party. Xenophobic views about Muslims and Latinos, fanned by Trump’s national dominance in the Republican race, risked undermining business hopes of immigration reform, for example. Rhetoric about the country’s income gap and China have also eroded prospects for business-friendly solutions on trade and tax reform, some said. “Policy and politics in this country have become bogged down in a sort of quicksand. It’s almost like the harder we push the deeper we sink,” said David French, senior vice president for government relations at the National Retail Federation.  Dan Danner, president and chief executive officer of the National Federation of Independent Business, a Washington group representing 330,000 small businesses that employ around three  million people, said he was also worried. “Small businesses probably represent every ethnic group and are more diverse than many large corporate entities. I don’t think they’re for walling us off from the rest of the world,” he said. “And small businesses vote. And they vote in much higher proportions than the overall population.” Both Trump and Cruz have called for cracking down on legal and illegal immigration. Trump has also advocated a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country after the Dec. 2 shooting deaths of 14 people in San Bernardino, California inspired by Islamist militancy. Thomas Donohue, CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is often viewed as the country’s most powerful mainstream business lobby group, fretted in a speech in Washington on Thursday that the rhetoric in the Republican primary campaign was “damn serious and sometimes a little scary.” New Hampshire holds its primary about a week after Iowa’s caucuses and perhaps offers the best chance for a more moderate option to surface as a prime challenger. Iowa Republicans historically tend to favor more conservative candidates.  But in New Hampshire right now, “the mainstream Republicans are as splintered and scattered as ever,” Cullen said, leaving open the possibility that Trump could win that state as well. Indeed, there seemed to be some acknowledgement during the debate that only one more serious contender might emerge from the rest of the field. That had Christie and Rubio, both of whom hope to win New Hampshire, repeatedly locking horns.  “They know what lane they’re in and who they’re fighting,” said Chip Felkel, a Republican strategist in South Carolina, which also holds its primary next month. “It’s Trump and Cruz, and the other four jockeying for some momentum.” Trump and Cruz dominated social media mentions in the debate. And according to Google’s analytics, which tracked audience responses, Trump and Cruz came out the winners.  “More and more, this is coming down to a two-man race. The polling, the support, it is more and more looking like it is Donald Trump and me,” Cruz said in an interview on Fox Business Network afterwards. Even before the debate there were signs of establishment concern about Trump and Cruz, who are both vying for support from the Tea Party movement, which advocates for smaller government and fewer taxes. Peter Wehner, who worked in the last three Republican presidential administrations, wrote a scathing op-ed in the New York Times slamming Trump on Thursday. In a shift, most of the field left Trump alone during the debate, and at times praised him. Even Trump’s statements about prohibiting Muslim immigration drew a strong rebuke only from Bush, with other candidates such as Cruz and Rubio sounding notes of sympathy with Trump’s position. New Hampshire’s Cullen held out hope that Rubio, or someone else, might still find time to take on his party’s more extreme elements. But, he lamented, “the odds are dropping.”

Summary: राष्ट्रपति पद की दौड़ में ट्रम्प और क्रूज़ के मजबूत होने से मुख्यधारा के रिपब्लिकन परेशान


MADRID (Reuters) - Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has until 10:00 a.m. local (0800 GMT) on Monday to clarify whether he is calling for the region s independence from Spain, with Madrid threatening a return to direct rule if his stance remains ambiguous. The wealthy region s threat to break away following a referendum that Spain s Constitutional Court said was illegal has plunged Spain into its worst political crisis since an attempted military coup in 1981, just six years after the death of dictator Francisco Franco. Puigdemont made a symbolic declaration of independence last Tuesday, only to suspend it seconds later and call for negotiations with Madrid on the region s future. Spain s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy then gave him a Monday deadline to clarify his position   and until Thursday to change his mind if he insists on a split   and said Madrid would suspend Catalonia s autonomy if he chooses independence. The Spanish government said Puigdemont should answer the formal requirement with a simple  Yes  or  No  and that any ambiguous response would be considered a confirmation that a declaration of independence had been made. This would trigger the Article 155 of the 1978 constitution, under which the government in Madrid can install direct rule in any of Spain s 17 autonomous communities if they break the law. The central government can then sack the local administration and install a new governing team, take control of the police and finances, and call for a snap election. Sources close to the Catalan government said Puigdemont would send Rajoy a letter before the deadline expires, although they declined to say what his answer would be. Local media, including Catalan public broadcaster TV-3 and Barcelona-based newspaper La Vanguardia, said on Sunday Puigdemont was unlikely to say clearly whether he had declared independence and send instead a more elaborate response.  Puigdemont, who is consulting local parties to prepare his answer, faces a dilemma. If he says he did proclaim independence, the central government will step in. If he says he did not, the far-left Catalan party CUP would probably withdraw its support for his minority government. The Catalan government says 90 percent of Catalans voted for a breakaway in an Oct. 1 referendum that central authorities in Madrid declared illegal and which most opponents of independence boycotted, reducing turnout to around 43 percent.  Puigdemont said on Sunday his answer would be inspired by democracy, something most political observers in Spain said was a sign he would push ahead with secession plans. If this was the case, and article 155 was invoked, Rajoy would then replace the Catalan government with a new set-up to manage the region, which could be run by politicians or technocrats, Madrid-based newspaper El Mundo reported on Sunday. Elections to the Catalan parliament would then be held within three months.

Summary: कैटलन नेता के लिए स्वतंत्रता का रुख स्पष्ट करने की समय सीमा निकट


LONDON (Reuters) - Sufficient progress has not yet been made in Brexit talks to allow negotiations to move to the next phase of discussing the future relationship including trade, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Tuesday. After a meeting in Downing Street with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Tusk said he welcomed a new constructive and realistic tone from the government, adding that  this shows that the philosophy of having a cake and eating it is finally coming at an end - at least I hope so.  He added:  We will discuss our future relations with the UK once there is so-called sufficient progress. The sides are working and we work hard at it. But if you ask me... I would say there s no sufficient progress yet, but we will work on it.  Britain wants to move divorce talks on from settling budget commitments with the bloc and issues such as the future status of EU citizens living in the UK to discussions about future trade relations. May, who hoped to give the negotiations a shot in the arm with a speech in Florence last week, earlier told Tusk that Britain and EU could make Brexit a success if the two sides were creative.  By being creative in the ways we approach these issues, we can find solutions that work both for the remaining (EU) 27 but also for the UK and maintain that cooperation and partnership between the UK and the EU,  May said.

Summary: ब्रेक्सिट वार्ता अभी अगले चरण के लिए तैयार नहीं हैः यूरोपीय संघ के टस्क


(Reuters) - Highlights of the day for U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday: Trump suffers a stunning political setback in a Congress controlled by his own party when Republican leaders pull legislation to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system, a major 2016 election campaign promise of the president and his allies. Trump says the healthcare legislation he supported had been “very, very close” to getting enough support in the House of Representatives and that now he probably will move on to tax reform. Wall Street’s predilection for a glass-half-full view of Trump is on full display as investors back off fears that a failure to repeal Obamacare would endanger his entire agenda in favor of optimism that he will simply get on with tax cuts and infrastructure spending. Nearly half of American adults say the Republican healthcare reform measure that was pulled from consideration by the House is “not an improvement” over Obamacare, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. The partisan divide over the House Intelligence Committee’s probe of Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election deepens when the committee’s top Democrat suggested its Republican chairman canceled a public hearing after pressure from the White House. A third of Democratic senators have so far announced they will vote against confirming Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, adding to a chorus of opposition from the left, but leaving questions over whether there will be a concerted effort to block a vote in the Senate. Trump’s administration approves TransCanada Corp’s Keystone XL pipeline, cheering the oil industry and angering environmentalists even as further hurdles for the controversial project loom. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says financial markets could improve “significantly” once they fully reflect the potential for economic growth from Trump’s policies. A federal judge in Virginia rules that Trump’s travel ban was justified, increasing the likelihood the measure will go before the Supreme Court as the decision takes an opposing view to courts in Maryland and Hawaii that have halted the order.  California approves vehicle pollution targets that the Trump administration last week put on hold, setting up a potential face-off between federal and state regulators that could be expensive for automakers and a headache for consumers. Trump touts Charter Communications Inc’s decision to invest $25 billion in the United States and its previously disclosed plan to hire 20,000 workers over four years.

Summary: हाइलाइट्सः 24 मार्च को शाम 5ः31 बजे ईडीटी पर ट्रम्प प्रेसीडेंसी


ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday Turkey could go as far as breaking off diplomatic ties with Israel if the United States formally recognizes Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, a move he said would be a  red line  for Muslims. U.S. officials have said Trump is likely to give a speech on Wednesday unilaterally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel s capital, a step that would break with decades of U.S. policy and could fuel violence in the Middle East. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. It later annexed it, declaring the whole of the city as its capital, a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians want Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.  I am saddened by the reports that the U.S. is getting ready to recognize Jerusalem as Israel s capital,  Erdogan said.  Mr. Trump, Jerusalem is the red line of Muslims. It is a violation of international law to take a decision supporting Israel while Palestinian society s wounds are still bleeding,  he told a parliamentary meeting of his ruling AK Party.  ...this can go as far as severing Turkey s ties with Israel. I am warning the United States not to take such a step which will deepen the problems in the region.  Israeli government spokesmen had no immediate reaction, but Education Minister Naftali Bennett, a senior partner in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu s coalition government, brushed off Erdogan s comments.  There will always be those who criticize, but at the end of the day it is better to have a united Jerusalem than Erdogan s sympathy,  he said.

Summary: येरुशलम के मुद्दे पर तुर्की इजरायल से संबंध तोड़ सकता हैः एर्दोगन


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. District Court judge on Friday said she would release former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort from house arrest once he meets certain conditions, expressing satisfaction that the $10 million he agreed to forfeit would be available if he ever failed to appear for court proceedings. In her order, Judge Amy Berman Jackson said to be released from home confinement, Manafort must execute documents agreeing to forfeit four properties, including two in New York, one in Alexandria, Virginia, and his Florida home.    He will be subject to restrictions including a curfew and electronic GPS monitoring but will be allowed to leave his home in Alexandria for his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, once he meets the conditions.  Manafort is charged with conspiring to launder money and failing to register as a foreign agent working on behalf of the government of Ukraine’s former pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych.  He is being prosecuted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as part of Mueller’s investigation into accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. In case the forfeited properties do not raise $10 million, the judge said, Manafort’s wife, Kathleen, has deposited $5 million in an account and his daughter Andrea Manafort Shand, $2 million in a separate account, to make up any difference. The assets cannot be touched without a court order. Once in Florida, Manafort must stay within the area, unless he is traveling to Washington for court appearances or meetings with counsel, according to the order. He needs permission for any other domestic travel and cannot leave the country.

Summary: अमेरिकी न्यायाधीश ने पूर्व ट्रम्प अभियान प्रबंधक मैनफोर्ट के लिए नजरबंदी हटा दी


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Trump National Golf Club in Westchester County, New York, has a magnificent course. Just ask its namesake, U.S. President Donald Trump, who until recently was quoted on its website saying the club “provides more than a membership – it’s a true luxury lifestyle.” The business is worth more than $50 million and yielded more than $10 million from 2015 to early 2016, according to the financial disclosure form Trump filed last May. But seven months earlier, an attorney for Trump filed a lawsuit against the town of Ossining, New York, seeking lower taxes, claiming the course was worth only $1.4 million. The lawsuit, which remains pending, has left at least one local official worried that taking a tough negotiating stance against a business owned by the world’s most powerful political figure puts her town of 25,000 residents at risk of retribution. “Are we, the puny town of Ossining, going to choose to go up against the president’s company?” said Dana Levenberg, the town supervisor. “I wouldn’t want to do anything that has negative repercussions for the town of Ossining.” Ethics experts said disagreements between Trump businesses and local governments create unavoidable conflicts of interest, since the federal government is a key source of funding and other benefits for municipalities and counties. Over decades as a hard-charging businessman, Trump has been embroiled in numerous legal battles with local governments, from lawsuits to property tax appeals to zoning fights. At least half a dozen disputes, including the Westchester lawsuit, remained unresolved as the Trump presidency began in late January. “Donald Trump has shown to date that he can play hardball in these kinds of disputes,” said Noah Bookbinder, executive director of the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics. “I would imagine any local official would at least have a moment of pause before going as hard as they otherwise would against the Trump companies.” But some local officials said they would handle Trump-related disputes in the same manner as any other, without fear or favor. In Florida’s Palm Beach County, where a Trump golf course was challenging its tax bill, the county mayor, Paulette Burdick, allowed that Trump’s position as president “would pop into my mind” but insisted that officials treat every resident equally. A White House spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment. The Trump Organization also did not respond to requests for comment. Although federal conflicts of interest law does not apply to the president, Trump has nevertheless faced criticism since his election about the potential conflicts posed by his business empire. Past officeholders have generally placed their assets in a blind trust to avoid any appearance of impropriety.  Trump, however, has refused to do so, instead turning over day-to-day management of his companies to his two adult sons without divesting his stake. Ethics experts have said that solution does nothing to address the problem, since Trump still stands to profit from businesses that remain under the control of his immediate family. According to public records and interviews with officials, Trump’s pending tax disputes at the time of his inauguration included cases in Florida, where his lawyers challenged the tax bills for two Trump-owned golf courses; Washington, D.C., where Trump’s new hotel sued the district over its assessment; and Chicago, where Trump’s company filed multiple lawsuits seeking property tax relief for a hotel. New York City records show Trump companies were seeking tax breaks for commercial space at both Trump Tower and Trump International Hotel and Tower. The president also filed appeals in Los Angeles County over the value of his Beverly Hills mansion. Over the years, Trump has repeatedly brought lawsuits against Palm Beach, Florida, for various issues related to Mar-A-Lago, his “winter White House,” though no case is active. His golf courses also frequently require permits from local governments for construction and development. Federal decisions on everything from antiterrorism funding to infrastructure projects can have an outsized impact on states and cities. The mere appearance of a possible quid pro quo “undermines public confidence,” said Larry Noble, the general counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan group dedicated to democratic reform. “It just distorts the decision-making field,” he said. “There are numerous ways a president can help a local government – or not.” Not all local officials share Levenberg’s concerns. In Palm Beach County, Steven Abrams is both a county commissioner and the chairman of the value adjustment board, which handles tax appeals, placing him squarely in the middle of the issue. But he said Trump’s status would have no impact on the process. “There are pretty standard formulas for determining” property values, he said. “There’s not a lot of room for discretion based on who you are.” For her part, Levenberg said the prospect of going up against the president’s business is “really scary.” But she said she has become more emboldened in recent months after receiving supportive emails from residents urging her to hold the line.  “You should be paying your share of taxes,” she said. “You need to shoulder your part of the community burden. And if you’re not doing it, that means everybody is picking up the slack for you.”

Summary: स्थानीय सरकारों के साथ ट्रम्प के विवाद नए हितों के टकराव पैदा कर सकते हैं


ROME (Reuters) - The bodies of seven migrants were discovered on Wednesday in a boat adrift off Libya while around 900 people were saved in operations in the southern Mediterranean, Italy s coastguard said. It was one of the most intense days of rescues recorded in the area in recent months and follows a sharp fall-off in the number of migrants reaching Italy. A Coastguard spokesman said the seven bodies were picked up by a boat under the command of a European Union naval force operating in the Mediterranean. He had no further information about who they were or how they had died. About 900 migrants were rescued in eight different missions, the spokesman said, adding that he expected they would be brought to Italy later in the week. Migrant arrivals in Italy fell 30 percent in the first eight months of the year, the Interior Ministry said this week, thanks mainly to a sharp decline since July when Italy struck a deal with Libya to block would-be asylum seekers from setting sail. As part of the deal, the Libyan coastguard has played a much more active role in preventing crossings. Earlier this week, it intercepted 299 migrants from sub-Saharan African countries on two rubber boats east of Tripoli, officials said. Libya s western shoreline is the main departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe by boat, many of them fleeing conflict or poverty.  The Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that between January and October, 111,397 migrants had reached Italy by boat against 159,427 in the same period in 2016. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that so far this year at least 2,630 people have died at sea trying to cross to Italy.

Summary: लीबिया के पास प्रवासी नौका में सात शव मिले


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts took issue on Wednesday with the Trump administration’s stance in an immigration case, saying it could make it too easy for the government to strip people of citizenship for lying about minor infractions. Roberts and other Supreme Court justices indicated support for a deported ethnic Serb immigrant named Divna Maslenjak over her bid to regain her U.S. citizenship after it was stripped because she falsely stated her husband had not served in the Bosnian Serb army in the 1990s after Yugoslavia’s collapse. Roberts seemed particularly concerned that the government was asserting it could revoke citizenship through criminal prosecution for trivial lies or omissions. He noted that in the past he has exceeded the speed limit while driving. If immigrants failed to disclose that on a citizenship application form asking them to list any instances of breaking the law, they could later lose their citizenship, the conservative chief justice said. “Now you say that if I answer that question ‘no,’ 20 years after I was naturalized as a citizen, you can knock on my door and say, ‘Guess what, you’re not an American citizen after all?’” Roberts asked Justice Department lawyer Robert Parker. Roberts described the administration’s interpretation as inviting “prosecutorial abuse” because the government could likely find a reason for stripping citizenship from most naturalized citizens. “That to me is troublesome to give that extraordinary power, which, essentially, is unlimited power, at least in most cases, to the government,” Roberts added. President Donald Trump has sought to restrict immigration and deport people who have entered the United States illegally. Maslenjak entered the United States with her husband and two children in 2000, granted refugee status over a claimed fear of ethnic persecution in Bosnia at the hands of Muslims. They settled in Ohio. She became a U.S. citizen in 2007. At issue is her concealment of her husband Ratko’s service in a Bosnian Serb Army brigade that participated in the notorious 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslims in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica. Maslenjak’s citizenship was revoked. She and her husband were deported to Serbia last October. Liberal Justice Stephen Breyer shared Roberts’ concern, noting he had once walked into a government building with a pocketknife on his key chain in violation of the law. “It’s, to me, rather surprising that the government of the United States thinks that Congress is interpreting this statute and wanted it interpreted in a way that would throw into doubt the citizenship of vast percentages of all naturalized citizens,” Breyer said. Conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy also rebuked Parker, saying, “It seems to me that your argument is demeaning the priceless value of citizenship.” There are around 20 million naturalized U.S. citizens, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The legal question is whether Maslenjak’s false statements had a material effect on the U.S. decision to grant her refugee status. The government argued it only matters that she made a false statement, not whether it had any impact on its decision to grant refugee status. At a 2009 hearing to help her husband avoid deportation after he was convicted of making a false statement by concealing his military service, she admitted that when she had applied to be a refugee she had not revealed that from 1992 to 1997 the family lived in Bosnia and her husband served in the military. She was later convicted of lying on her citizenship application. This was the last oral argument of the court’s current term. A ruling is due by the end of June.

Summary: अमेरिकी मुख्य न्यायाधीश ने ट्रम्प प्रशासन के आव्रजन मामले के रुख पर चिंता व्यक्त की


JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The African National Congress (ANC), South Africa s ruler since the end of apartheid, faces perhaps the most pivotal few days in its recent history when it meets over the weekend to choose a successor to Jacob Zuma as party leader. The ANC s electoral dominance means whoever wins the job is likely to become South Africa s next president. But Zuma s presidency, tainted by corruption and scandal, has badly tarnished the ANC s image both at home and abroad. The party once led by Nelson Mandela is now deeply divided. Investors will also be watching events closely. Economic growth in Africa s traditional powerhouse has been  lethargic over the last six years and the jobless rate stands near record levels. Political instability, including the questions over who will replace Zuma, has been cited by credit rating agencies as a big  factor behind their decision to cut South Africa to  junk . The two frontrunners in the race are Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a former cabinet minister and ex-wife of the president, who is backing her.  Ramaphosa s promises to fight corruption and revitalize the economy have gone down well with foreign investors and ANC members who think Zuma s handling of the economy could cost the party dearly in the next national election set for 2019. Dlamini-Zuma is associated with a radical brand of wealth redistribution which is popular with poorer ANC voters angry at racial inequality. Analysts say the outcome of the leadership contest is too close to call and that the bitterness of the power struggle between Ramaphosa and Dlamini-Zuma has increased the chances of the party splitting before the national election. The Ramaphosa camp sees the faction aligned with Zuma and Dlamini-Zuma as having seized control of the ANC and betrayed the values of the anti-apartheid struggle which it led. Dlamini-Zuma s team thinks Ramaphosa would not be decisive enough in addressing the gaping racial inequalities that persist in South Africa - the core of her campaign. Some analysts say Zuma s influence over who succeeds him has been diminished by his travails. The 75-year-old president has faced   and denied   numerous corruption allegations since taking office in 2009 and has survived several votes of no-confidence in parliament. The ANC expects to announce the winner early on Sunday, the second day of a five-day party conference which only takes place once every five years, ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said. Party officials insist members will accept the outcome of the leadership vote and avoid a fallout.  We need to take out this item from the conference agenda as quickly as possible,  ANC spokesman Kodwa told radio station 702 on Friday. Disillusioned ANC members have left to form new political groupings on several occasions   the most recent example being the African Democratic Change party founded by former ANC lawmaker Makhosi Khoza this year. In August, Zuma narrowly survived another attempt in parliament to force him from office after some members of his party voted with the opposition. Enoch Godongwana, who chairs a party committee on economic policy, said there had been interactions between the main opposing party factions to prevent the party splintering.  If the ANC collapses, do you have anything in its place which can hold this country together on a national basis? I would argue that at this stage in time you simply do not have a replacement for the ANC,  he told reporters on Thursday. Ramaphosa, a former trade union leader who became one of South Africa s richest people, is seen as more business-friendly than Dlamini-Zuma and the five other leadership contenders. Ramaphosa edged Dlamini-Zuma by getting the majority of nominations to become leader of the party, but it is far from certain he will become the next leader and therefore the likely next president. He is expected to be backed by ANC veterans, labor unions and civil society organizations.   If Dlamini-Zuma wins, a split is very likely, because the Ramaphosa camp views itself as the  old ANC . This is a last attempt by them to regain control of the party from the Zuma faction,  said Darias Jonker, director for Africa at Eurasia Group. Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said he thought Dlamini-Zuma would win the leadership, partly because of her strong support in KwaZulu-Natal province, which is sending the most delegates to the conference. As well as Zuma s support, she also has the backing of the ANC s influential women s and youth leagues.  The rand rallied on Friday on signs that her bid for the ANC leadership was weakened by court cases which will obstruct some delegates who back her from attending the party conference in Johannesburg. As well as electing a new leader, the ANC will choose senior officials such as the secretary general and members of the National Executive Committee. It will also set policy priorities for the leadup to the 2019 election.

Summary: नेतृत्व के चुनाव की पूर्व संध्या पर दक्षिण अफ्रीका की एएनसी के लिए लड़ाई की रेखाएँ खींची गईं


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republicans’ tax proposal will include a full repeal of federal deductions for both state and local taxes on income, property and sales, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy told reporters on Thursday.

Summary: सीनेट की कर योजना में संघीय एसएएलटी कटौती को पूरी तरह से निरस्त करना शामिल हैः सीनेटर


ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey hopes the United States will lift its decision on suspending visa services soon, the spokesman for the ruling AK Party said on Wednesday. Speaking at an interview with broadcaster A Haber, Mahir Unal said Ankara hopes the escalating dispute between the NATO allies will not impact military operations. Turkey was holding talks at the foreign ministry level to resolve the U.S. visa crisis, he also said.

Summary: तुर्की का कहना है कि उम्मीद है कि अमेरिका जल्द ही वीजा प्रतिबंध पर निर्णय उठाएगा


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama in a statement on Saturday offered his condolences to Fidel Castro’s family and added that history would judge Castro’s impact on Cuba and around the world.  “At this time of Fidel Castro’s passing, we extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people,” Obama said. “History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him.” Obama added that during his presidency he had worked to “put the past behind us,” while working on a future that was built on those things that were in common.

Summary: ओबामा ने कहा, इतिहास दुनिया पर कास्त्रो के प्रभाव का आकलन करेगा


AUSTIN, Texas/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican Representative Blake Farenthold said he would not seek re-election in November, denying allegations of sexual harassment by former staffers but admitting he allowed an unprofessional culture to flourish in his Capitol Hill office. The 55-year-old congressman from Corpus Christi, Texas, made the announcement on Thursday, a week after the House Ethics Committee said it was investigating him over allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation involving a former female staff member. The committee said it was also looking into whether Farenthold had made inappropriate statements to other members of his staff. In a videotaped statement on his campaign’s Facebook page, Farenthold said he was a political novice unprepared for his new responsibilities when he came to Washington for his first term in 2011. “I had no idea how to run a congressional office, and as a result, I allowed a workplace culture to take root in my office that was too permissive and decidedly unprofessional,” he said. Politico reported last week that the congressional Office of Compliance had paid $84,000 from a public fund on behalf of Farenthold for a sexual harassment claim. In 2014, his former communications director, Lauren Greene, filed a lawsuit accusing him of creating a hostile work environment, gender discrimination and retaliation, court documents showed. The two reached a confidential mediated agreement in 2015, according to a statement from Farenthold’s office that denied any wrongdoing by him. Reuters has been unable to verify the allegations against Farenthold, who said on Thursday that the charges were false.  “This issue has become a political distraction,” he said. “Quite simply, my constituents deserve better.” House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan called the allegations disconcerting, including reports outlining “unacceptable behaviors.”  “I think he’s made the right decision to retire,” Ryan said. Congress is reviewing its workplace policies on sexual harassment after a number of lawmakers have been accused of sexual misconduct in recent weeks amid a wave of such allegations against powerful men in entertainment, politics and the media.  Last week, Democratic Representative John Conyers and Republican Representative Trent Franks resigned, while Democratic Senator Al Franken said he would be stepping down in the coming weeks.

Summary: रिपब्लिकन प्रतिनिधि फ़ारेनथोल्ड फिर से चुनाव नहीं लड़ेंगे


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated Carnegie Mellon University Professor Marvin Goodfriend to become a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, adding a well-known monetary economist to a central bank losing two of its top economic thinkers. The nomination, if confirmed by the Senate, will help ensure the 7-member board of governors keeps at least four of those seats filled following the announced departure of Fed Chair Janet Yellen once her predecessor, current Fed Gov. Jerome Powell, is approved by the Senate. Along with Powell, Goodfriend would join recently appointed Vice Chair for Supervision Randal Quarles, and Fed Gov. Lael Brainard, atop the world’s most influential central bank. A former economic adviser in the administration of President Ronald Reagan and research director of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank from 1993 to 2005, Goodfriend is arguably the most conservative of Trump’s Fed appointments yet. He has been critical of some recent Fed practices including the purchase of mortgage backed securities. He has also argued that the central bank should invite more oversight from elected officials, including getting a congressional sign off on its 2 percent inflation target and more discussion of how its policy decisions line up with a “reference rule.” Those ideas are likely to find favor among conservatives on Capitol Hill who feel the Fed has accumulated too much influence. But his writings have also defied easy description. He has argued the benefits of negative interest rates, for example, as a way to give central banks more flexibility to combat crises, rather than having to resort to unconventional means like bond buying after rates are cut to zero. Perhaps most significantly, he will bring recognized academic credentials to a Fed board that is losing Yellen, a recognized expert on labor markets, and in October lost Vice Chair Stanley Fischer, one of the intellectual forces behind modern central banking. Powell, a lawyer, was lauded by Trump for his private sector experience, but also will be the first non-economist to run the Fed since the 1970s. Goodfriend will bring to the board background in many of the same debates and intellectual fights, over inflation targeting and other issues, that Fischer and Yellen have participated in over the years.

Summary: ट्रंप ने फेड गवर्नर पद के लिए मार्विन गुडफ्रैंड को नामित किया


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - FBI Director James Comey on Thursday met with senior congressional leaders, including the intelligence committee chiefs, FBI and congressional officials said. The officials declined to discuss the subject of Comey’s meeting with the group of leaders known as the “Gang of Eight”. U.S. President Donald Trump has alleged that the Obama administration wiretapped his election campaign. The Gang of Eight, who have routine access to highly classified materials, include House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes and its top Democrat, Adam Schiff. Senate members include Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and the top Republican and Democrat on the intelligence committee, Senators Richard Burr and Mark Warner. The House intelligence committee on Wednesday asked the Justice Department in a letter for copies of documents which if they exist could shed light on Trump’s allegation. A law enforcement source said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was in discussions with the National Security Division of the Justice Department as to how to respond to public and congressional inquiries about the existence or non-existence of such eavesdropping. If Trump’s campaign or advisers were indeed being wiretapped, the most likely legal path for the Obama administration to do so would be to have the Justice Department ask the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for permission to eavesdrop. Trump accused predecessor Barack Obama on Saturday of wiretapping him during the late stages of the campaign, but offered no evidence for an allegation which an Obama spokesman said was “simply false”. The intelligence committee’s letter, addressed to Dana Boente, the acting Deputy U.S. Attorney General, also asks for copies of any such orders actually issued by the court and any electronic surveillance warrants related to Trump or his associates issued last year by a federal judge or magistrate under a wide-ranging anti-crime law. Reuters saw a copy of the letter, signed by Nunes and Schiff, on Thursday. The letter has not been publicly released. Nunes said on Tuesday he had seen no evidence to support Trump’s wiretapping allegation. Law enforcement sources have said that the FBI is pursuing a wide-ranging counter-intelligence investigation of alleged contacts between Trump associates and Russians, as well as two separate investigations into pre-election email hacking linked to Russia which mainly targeted Democratic political operatives.

Summary: एफ. बी. आई. के कोमी ने अमेरिकी कांग्रेस के शीर्ष नेताओं से मुलाकात की


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name former Goldman Sachs partner and Hollywood financier Steven Mnuchin as his nominee for Treasury secretary, a source said on Tuesday, putting a Wall Street veteran in the top U.S. economic Cabinet post. Mnuchin, who was Trump’s presidential campaign finance chairman, could be named as early as Wednesday, said a Republican source close to the decision. Mnuchin was chosen over several high-profile candidates, including JPMorgan Chase Chairman Jamie Dimon and Republican U.S. Representative Jeb Hensarling, chairman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee.  Mnuchin is the first person with extensive Wall Street experience to head the Treasury since his former boss, Henry Paulson, the former Goldman Sachs chief executive who served under President George W. Bush and steered Treasury through the chaotic initial stages of the 2008-2009 financial crisis. The current Treasury secretary, Jack Lew, worked for two years at Citigroup but has spent most of his career in government or academia. The selection of Mnuchin was first reported by The New York Times. A relatively little-known but successful private equity investor and hedge fund manager, Mnuchin spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs before leaving in 2002, when he launched Dune Capital Management. With Dune, Mnuchin has invested in movies produced by Rupert Murdoch’s 20th Century Fox and Time Warner Inc’s Warner Bros, including blockbusters “Avatar,” “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Suicide Squad.” The son of a Goldman Sachs partner who became an art dealer, Mnuchin worked hard to step outside his father’s shadow and make a name for himself, former colleagues said, rising to become the firm’s chief information officer in 1999. “He wanted to prove that he was there on the merits,” said a former Goldman colleague, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Mnuchin’s experience running Goldman’s mortgage-backed bond trading desk would later prove valuable when an opportunity arose in 2009 to buy the deeply discounted assets of failed California mortgage lender IndyMac Bank from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation during the financial crisis.  He assembled an investor group that included hedge fund  manager John Paulson to buy the assets for $1.55 billion, and moved to Los Angeles.  After rebranding the operation OneWest Bank, Mnuchin built it with other assets and professional sports team sponsorships into Southern California’s largest bank, with 73 branches and $23 billion in assets. His group sold OneWest to CIT Group Inc last year for $3.4 billion. The bank came under fire for its foreclosure practices as housing advocacy groups accused it of being too quick to foreclose on struggling homeowners. In 2011, dozens of demonstrators descended on Mnuchin’s $26.5 million home in the wealthy Bel Air neighborhood to protest OneWest’s eviction tactics, according to the Los Angeles Times. This month, two housing groups filed a complaint asking the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to investigate complaints that OneWest engaged in discriminatory “redlining” practices against black and Latino communities. Mnuchin must be confirmed by the Senate and the top Democrat on the chamber’s Finance Committee signaled he may be in for tough questioning. “Given Mr. Mnuchin’s history of profiting off the victims of predatory lending, I look forward to asking him how his Treasury Department would work for Americans who are still waiting for the economic recovery to show up in their communities,” Democratic Senator Ron Wyden said in a statement.  Although Mnuchin has a reputation for being a behind-the-scenes player in Hollywood, he appears on screen in the 2016 film “Rules Don’t Apply,” according to the IMDB movie database. The drama, which opened in theaters on Nov. 23, stars Warren Beatty, who also wrote and directed the film.

Summary: ट्रेजरी के लिए पूर्व गोल्डमैन बैंकर मेनुचिन को नामित करने की उम्मीदः सूत्र


SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile s conservative presidential candidate Sebastian Pinera on Wednesday promised to double economic growth and by 2025 make the country the first in Latin American to achieve  developed nation  status. Pinera said he would increase investment and eventually cut corporate taxes in his bid to expand Chile s economy. The country is currently judged an upper-middle-income nation by the World Bank and would have to lift per-capita income to join the group of economies termed  developed . Long the front-runner in November s election, recent polls show Pinera, 67, has increased his lead over his nearest opponent, center-left Senator Alejandro Guillier. Speaking at a news conference, Pinera said he would double growth after a four year period under President Michelle Bachelet in which Chile s economy slowed to an average annual rate of 1.8 percent expansion due to declining investment.  Pinera, who was president from 2010 to 2014, is strongly backed by the business community in Chile, Latin America s wealthiest country on a gross domestic product per capita basis. To triumph in a likely December run-off he will need to address middle-class demands for the country s affluence to be more fairly distributed.   Our mission, by 2025, is to see Chile become the first country in Latin America to reach developed nation status,  Pinera said. He also promised to leverage future growth to eradicate poverty and better share wealth.  Bachelet s tax and labor reforms - a hallmark of her center-left administration - have received a lukewarm reception across the political spectrum. Leftists complain the reforms are too timid and the conservative opposition says they have stoked market uncertainty and crimped private investment. Pinera promised to simplify Bachelet s tax reform to promote investment and balance the budget within six to eight years.   We re striving for a corporate tax rate comparable to that of OECD countries,  Pinera said. Chile s corporate tax rate in 2018 was 27 percent, compared to the OECD average of 24-25 percent. A recent spike in the price of copper, Chile s main export, has started to boost the country s coffers, leading the government to estimate higher growth of 3 percent next year up from 1.5 percent this year.

Summary: चिली के राष्ट्रपति पद के उम्मीदवार पिनेरा ने आर्थिक विकास को दोगुना करने का संकल्प लिया


WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand Labour leader Jacinda Ardern said on Sunday it would be difficult to complete coalition talks before all votes were tallied in an election that left both major parties needing the nationalist New Zealand First party to form a government   Speaking outside her home in Auckland, Ardern told media that her centre-left party would not concede, despite lagging almost 10 points behind the incumbent National Party, which received 46 percent of the vote in Saturday s election. A final tally of all votes, which will include overseas ballots, will not be released until Oct. 7.  New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has declined to say which party he will favor to form a coalition government and reiterated that he will not rush into a decision.

Summary: न्यूजीलैंड के लेबर नेता का कहना है कि वे अभी तक चुनाव स्वीकार नहीं करेंगे


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Democrats on the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives intelligence committees called on Wednesday for the White House to consider declassifying and releasing any intelligence community assessments of the hack into the Democratic National Committee email system. Experts have attributed the breach to Russian hackers. “Given the grave nature of this breach and the fact that it may ultimately be found to be a state-sponsored attempt to manipulate our presidential election, we believe a heightened measure of transparency is warranted,” Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Adam Schiff wrote in a letter to President Barack Obama. Obama said in an interview broadcast by NBC News on Tuesday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was investigating the leak of more than 19,000 DNC emails, which showed the committee had favored Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders for the party’s presidential nomination.

Summary: वरिष्ठ अमेरिकी सांसदों ने डी. एन. सी. हैक की जानकारी को अवर्गीकृत करने की मांग की


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was coy, in a letter sent to the head of a congressional committee on Wednesday, about possible plans to resign and run for governor of Ohio. CFPB Director Richard Cordray rebuffed efforts by one of his fiercest critics in Congress to declare whether he has future ambitions for public office. He also categorically rejected claims that the agency may be rushing out rules cracking down on payday lenders ahead of an imminent departure. “You ask whether I intend to serve my full statutory term,” Cordray said in his letter to Representative Jeb Hensarling, who chairs the House Financial Services Committee. “At this time, I have no further insights to provide on that subject.” Hensarling had pressed Cordray Tuesday on whether the bureau was rushing regulations, and demanded to know if Cordray planned to serve out his full term, which expires in July 2018 or when he would submit his resignation. Cordray noted in his letter that Hensarling has previously pressed him on the same question. Hensarling, a Republican, has been a fierce critic of the agency created in the aftermath of the 2007-2009 financial crisis by former Democratic President Barack Obama. He has suggested that political ambition could be impacting Cordray’s work as a regulator.  “I am disappointed by Director Cordray’s steadfast refusal to be transparent with the public about his intentions. If he intends to serve his full term, there is no reason not to say so,” said Hensarling in a statement to Reuters. “The only reasonable conclusion is that he therefore harbors partisan political ambitions, which calls into question the propriety of all of his recent and future actions as CFPB Director.” Cordray is one of the last high-ranking holdovers from the Obama administration. A former Ohio attorney general, he is widely rumored to be considering a run for Ohio governor in 2018. Cordray is set to speak at a Labor Day picnic on Monday hosted by the Cincinnati AFL-CIO. The CFPB has repeatedly decline to comment on whether Cordray intends to resign and seek public office. It is expected to finalize rules soon that would place new restrictions on payday and other small-dollar lending. If Cordray were to leave, it is unclear who would head the agency until a full-time director is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

Summary: सी. एफ. पी. बी. निदेशक ओहायो के गवर्नर के लिए संभावित इस्तीफे के बारे में टाल-मटोल करते हैं


MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Andy Murray thinks he played his best tennis of the tournament during his Australian Open quarter-final victory over David Ferrer on Wednesday after a tough few days when he was distracted by his father-in-law’s illness. The 28-year-old Scot came through a three-hour, 20-minute tussle with the Spanish eighth seed 6-3 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3 to take his place in the semi-finals for the sixth time in seven years. His win contributed to the best week for Britain at a Grand Slam for nearly 40 years, with Johanna Konta into the last four of the women’s draw and Murray’s brother Jamie into the last four of the men’s doubles with Brazil’s Bruno Soares. “I think today was probably the best match I played, especially in the second and third set. I started hitting the ball better from the back of the court. “Obviously the last few days have been tough and maybe I hadn’t played my best tennis and managed to get through.” Murray endured a worrisome few days after Nigel Sears, the father of his wife Kim and coach of Ana Ivanovic, collapsed in the stands at the Rod Laver Arena and was taken to hospital on Saturday. Sears was discharged on Sunday after being examined by a cardiologist and given the all-clear to join his pregnant daughter back home in Britain, leaving Murray free to focus on his tennis. The former Wimbledon champion, four times a losing finalist at Melbourne Park, has now reached the semi-finals or better at four of his last five grand slams. “Obviously I want to win these events. That’s why I’m still playing. After a tough year in 2014, I think I’m now sort of established again at the top of the game and giving myself chances. “That’s all I can keep doing. And working hard. I’ll give it my best in the next few days.” Murray will play Milos Raonic, who beat Gael Monfils in the last quarter-final, as he bids to reach a fifth Australian Open final.  Reflecting on the strong British showing, Murray said: “It’s pretty good for us to have people competing in almost all of the competitions.”  “It’s been a good Australian Open so far. Hopefully we can keep it going.”

Summary: फेरर की जीत मेरा सर्वश्रेष्ठ मैच थाः मर्रे


LONDON (Reuters) - Britain wants to have closer defence cooperation with the European Union after Brexit than other countries outside the union, according to a document that sets out a vision of  a deep security partnership  aimed at nudging talks forward. Stating that Britain is  unconditionally committed  to maintaining European security, the government said it wanted to contribute military assets to EU operations after it leaves the bloc and may offer to continue exchanging classified information.  The pledges were detailed in the government s sixth  future partnership paper  - part of efforts to counter criticism by EU officials that it is not prepared for negotiations to unravel more than 40 years of union. Underlining that Britain has the largest defence and development budgets in Europe, officials pressed what they consider to be one of their strongest arguments - that the government can offer defence and security support to the EU.  At a time of increased threats and international instability, the UK remains unwavering in its commitment to uphold European security,  Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said in a statement. Britain s role in the continent s defence  has never been more vital,  he said. Britain has deployed troops in some Baltic states to counter a resurgent Russia, has worked with the EU to tackle piracy off the Horn of Africa and worked on joint defence projects, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. The EU executive said it would analyse the British proposal but stressed its policy of not opening negotiations on its future relationship with Britain until there is more progress on settling the terms of the British withdrawal from the bloc.  The EU is willing to establish partnerships with the UK in areas unrelated to trade, in particular the fight against terrorism and international crime as well as security, defence and foreign policy,  the European Commission s chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas told reporters. Pro-Brexit supporters argued before the EU referendum last year that closer defence cooperation between the bloc s member states was another sign of closer union, and on Tuesday the Veterans for Britain group said the paper was  a grave mistake . Tuesday s paper was intended as a conversation-starter rather than a concrete negotiating position, setting out areas such as information and personnel exchanges where Britain could contribute to European security, subject to negotiations. Some in Britain have suggested defence cooperation could be used as leverage in talks that so far have moved slowly, bogged down in arguments over the divorce bill. But its usefulness as leverage to push talks forward could be limited by the acknowledgement in the paper that Britain also benefits from security and intelligence sharing.  To meet our shared threats and maintain our values, continuity of areas that are at the heart of our joint foreign policy, defence and security, and development of infrastructure will be vital,  the paper said.

Summary: ब्रेक्सिट के बाद लंदन यूरोपीय संघ के साथ "गहरी सुरक्षा साझेदारी" चाहता है


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Several Republicans took to social media Wednesday to declare they will never back Donald Trump for U.S. president even after Ted Cruz, the billionaire businessman’s closest rival, dropped out of the race for the party nomination. The anti-Trump declarations came from a range of quarters, including at least one Republican U.S. senator and a number of political commentators who have been leading voices of the #NeverTrump movement that has resisted his candidacy. Trump’s victory in the Indiana primary on Tuesday prompted Cruz’s surprise decision to suspend his campaign and left Trump a largely uncontested path to securing the roughly 200 delegates he still needs to lock down the Republican presidential nomination for the Nov. 8 election. “Reporters keep asking if Indiana changes anything for me. The answer is simple: No,” U.S. Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska said on Twitter. Sasse included a link to a February Facebook post in which he appealed to Trump backers to drop their support. Mark Salter, a former speech writer for Senator John McCain, said he would support former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination, over Trump. “The GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks it’s on the level. I’m with her,” Salter (@MarkSalter55) tweeted, referring to a common rallying cry among Clinton supporters.  But the high-profile “Stop Trump” or “Never Trump” effort launched by conservative Republicans failed to significantly slow Trump’s momentum and appeared not to have achieved its mission as the date nears for the Republicans’ convention in July. After Trump’s Indiana victory on Tuesday night, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called for the party to back Trump. “@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton,” Priebus (@Reince) tweeted. Still, it was clear that Trump faces some difficulty bringing all Republicans on board. Bill Kristol, a neoconservative and editor of the Weekly Standard, offered a scathing retort to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s call to back Trump. “If you’re for Trump you functionally are for a man unfit to be president, & for the degradation of [American] conservatism,” tweeted Kristol (@BillKristol) early Wednesday. “Never ever ever Trump. Simple as that,” tweeted Tim Miller (@Timodc), former campaign communications director for Jeb Bush, who dropped out of the White House race earlier this year. Several Republican voters said on Twitter that they were changing their party affiliation, while some posted photos of their voter registration cards lit ablaze.

Summary: कुछ रिपब्लिकन पंडित, राजनेता अवज्ञाकारी बने हुए हैं #NeverTrump


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday described as bizarre the legal process used by companies to challenge competitors’ patents as the Supreme Court heard a case involving a vehicle speedometer that alerts drivers if they are driving too quickly. The eight justices heard an appeal filed by Cuozzo Speed Technologies LLC, whose speedometer patent was invalidated in a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office review board procedure after being challenged by GPS device maker Garmin Ltd in 2012. The issue before the justices during a one-hour argument in the case was whether the U.S. government has made it too easy for companies to pursue challenges to the patents of other companies.  New Jersey-based Cuozzo challenged the board’s action in federal court, and an appeals court last year upheld the agency’s action. Cuozzo then asked the Supreme Court to reverse the appellate decision. Garmin is no longer involved in the case. Roberts was the most outspoken critic among the eight justices of the current system in which companies can adopt a dual-track strategy by challenging patents simultaneously in federal court and through the agency review board. Roberts described the system as a “bizarre way to ... decide a legal question” and a “very extraordinary animal in legal culture to have two different proceedings addressing the same question.” Justice Stephen Breyer appeared more sympathetic to the patent office. He said the 2011 law that set up the review board procedure may have intended to counter criticism that the patent office issues “too many patents that shouldn’t have been issued in the first place.” So-called patent trolls, entities that hold patents only for the purpose of suing firms seeking to develop new products, have benefited from that generosity. Breyer indicated that the patent office views the law as allowing a second bite at the question of whether a patent should have been issued. Breyer called it a “partial-Groundhog Day statute,” referring to the 1993 film “Groundhog Day” in which Bill Murray’s character repeatedly re-lives the same day. Companies that are frequent targets of patent suits, including Apple Inc and Google Inc, have turned to the patent office procedure, known as “inter partes review” (IPR), to try to fight off patent challenges. Google and Apple joined court papers backing the patent office. Cuozzo told the justices that in nearly 85 percent of cases some or all of the patents challenged were canceled. A ruling is due by the end of June.

Summary: मुख्य न्यायाधीश ने अमेरिकी पेटेंट चुनौती प्रक्रिया को विचित्र बताया


ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey said on Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump told President Tayyip Erdogan he had issued instructions that weapons should not be provided to Kurdish YPG fighters in Syria, and that the Turkish government hoped to see that order carried out.  Our discomfort regarding the provision of weapons to the YPG was conveyed to Mr Trump once again... Trump very clearly said he had given instructions to not provide weapons to the YPG,  Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a news conference in Ankara.  We welcome the promise of not providing weapons to the YPG, and want to see it implemented practically.  Cavusoglu also said that Russia, Iran and Turkey would decide jointly who would attend Syrian peace talks. Turkey has said it would not accept the presence of YPG representatives.

Summary: तुर्की का कहना है कि ट्रम्प ने एर्दोगन से कहा था कि कुर्दिश वाई. पी. जी. को हथियारों की आपूर्ति नहीं की जाएगी


MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia’s newly installed ambassador to Washington said on Friday that he had a warm and constructive meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian news agencies reported. “I was received by President Trump, I presented my credentials. For my part I said that we are looking forward to an improvement in the relations between our two countries,” Tass news agency quoted the ambassador, Anatoly Antonov, as saying. “President Trump received me in a warm and friendly way ... The atmosphere was very genial, constructive and welcoming. At least, that was my personal feeling,” Russia’s RIA news agency quoted Antonov as saying. “We, together with his colleagues, his staff, agreed to continue our cooperation.” “I said that I look forward to working with the U.S government in the area of Russian-American mutual interests. And I said that, as far as Russia is concerned, we are ready to do that, we’re ready to take concrete steps.” Antonov took over as ambassador from Sergei Kislyak, whose contacts with members of Trump’s campaign team made him a central figure in the row over Russian influence on last year’s U.S. presidential election. A special counsel and congressional panels are investigating allegations of Russian meddling in the election, and whether members of the Trump campaign had improper contacts with figures linked to the Russian state. Russia denies trying to interfere in the election. Antonov, born in 1955, is a diplomat by training and before his posting to Washington was a deputy foreign minister. Between 2011 and 2016, he served as deputy defense minister, a period that coincided with Moscow’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. Two years ago, the European Union put him on its list of officials subject to Ukraine-related sanctions, citing his involvement in supporting the deployment of Russian troops to Ukraine.

Summary: रूस के नए राजदूत ने ट्रंप के साथ 'गर्मजोशी भरी' बैठक का वर्णन कियाः एजेंसियां