WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One of Rex Tillerson’s first directives as U.S. secretary of state was an order to senior staff that his briefing materials not exceed two pages. It was a reflection of Tillerson’s management style honed at the helm of Exxon Mobil, an oil company known for its relentless focus on efficiency, and one reason his closest aides at the State Department refer to him as “the CEO” rather than “the Secretary.”  More than a dozen current and former U.S. officials familiar with briefing procedures said Tillerson’s predecessors would typically request far more detailed information. His aide R.C. Hammond said the directive reflected Tillerson’s focus on key facts rather than lack of interest in finer points of foreign policy.  “He is asking people to be efficient with their information,” Hammond said, adding that if Tillerson needed more information he would ask for it. “He is a decision-maker and he needs the facts in front of him.” As a first-time government official with no prior diplomatic experience, Tillerson faces close scrutiny over how successful he will be in managing both the State Department bureaucracy and its relations with Donald Trump and his administration. Senior State Department officials who have attended meetings with Tillerson say they find him sociable and a man of substance, whose direct manner and probing questions reflect his training as an engineer seeking to solve problems rather than play politics. The veteran oil executive also made a good impression on his first foreign trip to a Group of 20 summit in Bonn, Germany, last week. Four senior diplomats who met him told Reuters they were relieved to find that he was pragmatic and open to dialogue.  Yet a key concern for U.S. diplomats is how effective his team can be in shaping foreign policy in the new administration. Just two State Department positions of 116 key posts requiring executive branch nomination have been filled, according to the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service - Tillerson’s and that of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.  For example, Tillerson still has no deputy after Trump rejected his top choice, Elliott Abrams. “People want to back him,” one veteran senior official said  about the former Exxon Mobil boss. “But people are feeling that this building is being stripped,” said the official, referring to a sense that with so many top positions vacant, the State Department is not fully equipped to help make policy in the new administration. There is also unease over possible deep staff cuts and the future of some departments. Two people said employees in the Bureau of Management and Resources were told to apply for other positions within the State Department. Hammond, Tillerson’s aide said no decision had been taken to close that division.       On one recent matter of longstanding U.S. foreign policy, Tillerson appeared to be sidelined. On Feb. 14, while Tillerson was at a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a State Department dining room, news headlines emerged suggesting the United States was backing away from supporting a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. The two-state solution is the bedrock of the international community’s policy for a settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, but Trump suggested last week he was open to abandoning it if both sides agree. “No one had been informed of any changes in policy and the Secretary was about to leave on his first major trip,” said one senior State Department official, referring to Tillerson’s visit to Bonn. Tillerson’s acting deputy Tom Shannon also did not take part in Trump’s meeting with Netanyahu at the White House the following day when his boss was on his way to Europe, according to one U.S. official. It was unclear whether Tillerson had been left out of the loop deliberately or by accident, said two officials.  A White House official told Reuters he did not know whether Tillerson was briefed in advance. In response to broader concerns about communication between the State Department and the new administration, he said both coordinated “very well.” “There are open lines of communications in both directions,” the official, who declined to be named, said. “The White House and the State Department coordinate closely across a full range of issues that concern both organizations.”To be sure, on another important issue, Tillerson had his say in persuading Trump to back Washington’s stance on “One China” policy, which acknowledges Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of it. Trump has in the past appeared to question whether the United States would continue to respect that. Hammond said Tillerson was on the phone with Trump several times a day.  “This is the general style of the president to have quick check-ins with people, get people’s advice on things,” he said. “Information for CEOs flows up, and as a former CEO (Tillerson) understands that.” Tillerson has said little publicly since he started and his aides are quick to draw a contrast between him and predecessor John Kerry, a former senator and presidential candidate who reveled in extensive foreign travel and deal making. “Tillerson is not John Kerry, it is unfair to compare the two,” said Hammond. “He will quietly go about his job as a counselor and advisor to the president.” For Tillerson’s State Department the concern is how to maintain a similar degree of communication with an administration grappling with a succession of crises, nine officials involved in foreign policy and security issues, said. Over the past month the White House has faced legal setbacks over its immigration orders, the resignation of Trump’s national security adviser and an investigation into possible links between his campaign and Russian intelligence. Monday’s resignation of Michael Flynn, who served as Trump’s national security adviser for just 24 days, in particular created a vacuum at the National Security Council, which acts  as a key partner for the State Department in formulating Washington’s foreign policy.

Summary: 'सी. ई. ओ.' टिलरसन को आंतरिक संदेहों का सामना करना पड़ रहा है, संकटग्रस्त व्हाइट हाउस


LONDON (Reuters) - Two of Britain s most senior officers said the pressure on the police forces was not sustainable after last week s attack on a packed London train became the fifth major attack this year. Fewer officers could make it harder to prevent future attacks and it will force difficult choices about where to put police resources, they said. A homemade bomb engulfed a train carriage in flames at Parsons Green underground station in west London last Friday injuring 30. Cressida Dick, London s police Commissioner, said it could have been much worse. Britain had previously faced four deadly incidents since March which killed a total of 36 people.  In the long run, if we continue with this level of threat, which is what people are predicting ... this is not sustainable for my police service,  Dick said in an interview on LBC radio. Six men have been arrested and four remain in custody since the Parsons Green attack.  That was a very very dangerous bomb. It partially detonated, it had a large quantity of explosive and it was packed with shrapnel. So it could have been so much worse,  Dick said.  While the bombing at Parsons Green was not deadly, the aftermath of the attack still saw extra police on the streets and the threat level raised a notch to critical. Interior minister Amber Rudd has announced an extra 24 million pounds ($32.55 million) of funding for counter-terrorism policing following the bombing, in addition to 707 million previously announced support for 2017/2018.  But while the government has committed to increase the overall spend on counter-terrorism by 3 billion pounds, Sara Thornton, head of National Police Chiefs  Council (NPCC), said that not enough of the budget would support frontline officers. There are about 20,000 fewer officers than there were when Prime Minister Theresa May s Conservatives came to power in 2010 and Thornton said numbers were at levels last seen in 1985 despite a 10 percent rise in crime last year.      Every time there s a terror attack, we mobilize specialist officers and staff to respond but the majority of the officers and staff responding come from mainstream policing,  she wrote  in a blog post on the NPCC website.   This puts extra strain on an already stretched service.

Summary: लंदन बम विस्फोट के बाद ब्रिटिश पुलिस को हमलों से तनाव महसूस हो रहा है


BEIRUT (Reuters) - Buses carrying evacuated Islamic State fighters reached Syria s Deir al-Zor on Wednesday in return for releasing a Hezbollah prisoner, a commander in the pro-Damascus alliance told Reuters.  Damascus and Hezbollah allowed nearly 300 lightly armed militants and 300 relatives to leave the Syria-Lebanon border in a surrender deal, after an offensive there last month.      The transfer marked the first time Islamic State publicly agreed to such an evacuation from territory it held. A U.S.-led coalition had stopped the 17 buses from reaching Deir al-Zor for weeks and the convoy split in two. It was not immediately clear if all the buses arrived in Islamic State territory in the eastern Syrian province on Wednesday.  The deal has been completed,  said the commander in the military alliance fighting in support of the Damascus government. The buses took the route between the town of al-Sukhna and Deir al-Zor, a main road that the Syrian army and allied forces captured in recent days, the commander said. Along the route, the combatants swapped the evacuees for a Hezbollah prisoner who had been in Islamic State captivity, the non-Syrian commander added.          Under the evacuation deal in August, Islamic State militants left their border foothold after a week-long battle in return for safe passage to Deir al-Zor province in Syria.      Iran-backed Hezbollah has played a major role in fighting Sunni militants along the border. Since early in the six-year Syrian conflict, it has sent thousands of fighters to support President Bashar al-Assad s government.  Lebanon s Shi ite Hezbollah retrieved the remains of some of its forces killed in Syria as part of the swap, and was meant to get back one of its fighters that Islamic State held captive.  The deal included recovering the bodies of nine Lebanese soldiers that Islamic State captured in 2014. The transfer ended any insurgent presence from the Syrian war on the frontier, where the Lebanese army also fought the militants in a separate offensive on its side.  But the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State blocked the convoy from entering IS territory in east Syria, near the border with Iraq, by cratering roads and destroying bridges. The convoy split in two, with 11 buses remaining in the open desert and others retreating into government territory.  Last week, the U.S. coalition said its surveillance aircraft moved away from the buses in the no-man s land after pro-Syrian government forces  advanced past  the convoy. Damascus was responsible for the evacuees, it said.  The Syrian army and its allies reached Deir al-Zor city, breaking an Islamic State siege of an enclave there that had lasted three years.  U.S.-backed Syrian militias have also launched a separate assault in another part of Deir al-Zor province, which has become Islamic State s last major foothold in Syria.

Summary: दमिश्क समर्थक कमांडर का कहना है कि इस्लामिक स्टेट के लड़ाके सीरिया के देइर अल-ज़ोर तक पहुँच गए हैं


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A resolution calling for Iran to release two U.S. citizens imprisoned there for months will be introduced on Wednesday by House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce, a Republican, and Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly, their offices said. The resolution will call for Iran to immediately and unconditionally release businessman Siamak Namazi and his father, Baquer Namazi, 80, both of whom have dual citizenship. The text of the resolution was seen by Reuters. It will also call for U.S. President Barack Obama to undertake efforts to secure their release.  Siamak Namazi was detained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in October while visiting relatives and has been barred from leaving Iran since July 2015. His father was arrested in Tehran in February. “Iran’s continued wrongful jailing of Americans is very disturbing,” Royce said in an emailed statement on Tuesday. “Siamak and Baquer Namazi deserve to be free and with their families, and this resolution should push President Obama to step up efforts to bring them home.” The resolution “encourages the President to utilize appropriate measures” against Iran’s government if the Namazis are not released, but it stops short of calling for economic sanctions, a specific request by a representative of the Namazi family, said one source familiar with the resolution who declined to be named. Siamak Namazi has criticized sanctions against Iran, writing in a 2013 opinion piece in the New York Times that Western sanctions had blocked medicines from reaching the country.  U.S. State Department spokesman Sam Werberg said the agency does not comment on resolutions before they have been formally introduced. He added, “We are not aware of any charges against either Siamak or Baquer and we believe that both reported detentions are unjust.”  Five American citizens were released from Iranian prisons in January as part of a prisoner swap with the United States.  Iran has detained several other dual nationals since that swap, including Homa Hoodfar, a Canadian-Iranian woman, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman and project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, and Nazak Afshar, a French-Iranian woman.

Summary: अमेरिकी विधायक ईरान द्वारा पकड़े गए अमेरिकियों की रिहाई की मांग करेंगे


GENEVA (Reuters) - North Korea is ready to send  more gift packages  to the United States, one of its top diplomats said on Tuesday, dismissing the international uproar over his country s latest and biggest nuclear weapons test. Han Tae Song, ambassador of the Democratic People s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the United Nations in Geneva, was addressing the U.N.-sponsored Conference on Disarmament two days after his country detonated its sixth nuclear test explosion.   I am proud of saying that just two days ago on the third of September, DPRK successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test for intercontinental ballistic rocket under its plan for building a strategic nuclear force,  Han told the Geneva forum.  The recent self-defense measures by my country, DPRK, are a  gift package  addressed to none other than the U.S.,  Han said.  The U.S. will receive more  gift packages  from my country as long as its relies on reckless provocations and futile attempts to put pressure on the DPRK,  he added without elaborating. U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood sought to turn the tables on Han by using his language against him.  With regard to the so-called gift packages that the North is presenting, my recommendation to the North would be, instead of spending inordinate amounts of money on nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, that it give its people the gift package of peace with their neighbors, economic development and an opportunity to rejoin the family of nations.  Han said military measures being taken by North Korea were  an exercise of restraint and justified self-defense right  to counter  the ever-growing and decade-long U.S. nuclear threat and hostile policy aimed at isolating my country.  Pressure or sanctions will never work on my country,  Han declared, adding:  The DPRK will never under any circumstances put its nuclear deterrence on the negotiating table.  Wood said that North Korea had defied the international community once again with its test.   We look forward to working with our partners in the (U.N. Security) Council with regard to a new resolution that will put some of the strongest sanctions possible on the DPRK,  he told the conference.  Advances in the regime s nuclear and missile program are a threat to us all ... now is the time to say tests, threats and destabilizing actions will no longer be tolerated,  Wood said.  It can no longer be business as usual with this regime.   The White House said on Monday President Donald Trump had agreed  in principle  to scrap a warhead weight limit on South Korea s missiles following the North s latest test.     The United States accused North Korea s trading partners of aiding its nuclear ambitions and said Pyongyang was  begging for war .

Summary: उत्तर कोरिया ने अमेरिका के लिए 'और उपहार पैकेज' की चेतावनी दी


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan on Wednesday called on health insurance companies to “stick it out” in the Obamacare marketplace despite concerns over its stability, saying  Republicans are continuing their push to replace current law. Speaking in an interview with Axios news outlet, Ryan said he could not address ongoing litigation over the fate of the Obamacare cost-sharing subsidies but that he has encouraged insurers to still participate in 2018.

Summary: पॉल रयान ने स्वास्थ्य बीमाकर्ताओं से 'इसे बाहर रखने' का आग्रह कियाः एक्सियोस


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate voted almost unanimously on Tuesday to confirm South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as ambassador to the United Nations, sending a rising Republican star to represent President Donald Trump at an institution he has criticized. Haley was backed by 96 senators, with only four opposed. She impressed lawmakers during her confirmation hearing this month. Haley, 45, promised to press for U.N. reforms but also fight for human rights and support international institutions, often breaking from Trump’s positions. “American values that we all hold dear and want to promote around the world are things that she has the ability to communicate and cares deeply about,” said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker. The “No” votes came from Democratic Senators Tom Udall, Chris Coons and Martin Heinrich, and Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. “Like many Americans, and many of our allies, I am concerned about President Trump’s erratic statements and positions on foreign policy, and that concern is only deepened by the fact that his nominee to be ambassador to the United Nations has no real diplomatic experience,” Udall said. Haley has only held office in the state where she has been governor since 2011. The daughter of immigrants from India, Haley attracted national attention in 2015 when she secured the removal of the Confederate battle flag from South Carolina’s capitol grounds after a white supremacist killed nine black churchgoers in Charleston. She did not endorse Trump during last year’s presidential primaries and has warned that some of his most inflammatory statements promoted hate. During her confirmation hearing, Haley seconded criticism of the 193-nation organization by Trump and many of their fellow Republicans. She called for a close look at U.S. spending on the United Nations and blasted what she called its bias against Israel. Washington provides 22 percent of the U.N. budget. The United States and its frequent rivals Russia and China all hold permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council, along with U.S. allies Britain and France. Haley won plaudits at her hearing for promising to stand up to Russia and agreeing that its actions, including bombing hospitals in Syria, should be considered war crimes. Haley was easily approved earlier on Tuesday by the 21-member Foreign Relations Committee. Haley is only the fourth confirmed member of Trump’s Cabinet, joining Defense Secretary James Mattis, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo. Unusually, Trump’s pick for secretary of state was not confirmed before his U.N. ambassador. His choice, former Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson, faced unanimous opposition from the 10 Foreign Relations Committee Democrats after a confirmation hearing at which they said he seemed poorly prepared. The full, Republican-led Senate is expected to confirm Tillerson early next week. Haley is due to be sworn in on Wednesday. She is being succeeded as South Carolina’s governor by Republican Lieutenant Governor Henry McMaster.

Summary: अमेरिकी सीनेट ने हेली को ट्रम्प के संयुक्त राष्ट्र राजदूत के रूप में पुष्टि की


(Reuters) - A photo of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton glancing at a newspaper headline about U.S. Vice President Mike Pence using private email has gone viral on social media, with thousands of people commenting on it. Pence and others involved in the Republican presidential campaign last year criticized Clinton’s use of a private email server during her time as U.S. Secretary of State. Clinton was on an airplane traveling from Boston to New York on Friday when a fellow passenger snapped a photo of her glancing down at Friday’s USA Today newspaper front page headline “Pence used personal email in office”. Pence’s use of an AOL email account was first reported by the Indianapolis Star on Thursday. It said Pence used the account, which was hacked last summer, at times to discuss sensitive matters and homeland security issues while he was governor of Indiana. Pence said on Friday he had complied with Indiana laws in his use of the email account, and he had an outside attorney review his private email records and archive those related to state business. During the campaign, U.S. President Donald Trump and Pence said Clinton’s use of a private server broke the law and endangered national security - complaints that led their supporters to chant “Lock her up!” at rallies. The State Department’s internal watchdog said Clinton’s use of a private server broke department rules. The FBI reviewed her emails for classified material, but it found that no criminal charges were warranted.

Summary: पेंस के ईमेल की हेडलाइन पढ़ते हुए क्लिंटन की तस्वीर वायरल


WASHINGTON/FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Reuters) - A top aide to Hillary Clinton urged the FBI on Tuesday to disclose what it knows about any ties between Donald Trump and Russia, accusing the agency of unfairly publicizing its inquiry into Clinton’s email practices while staying quiet about the Republican presidential candidate. The Federal Bureau of Investigation opened a preliminary inquiry in recent months into allegations that Trump or his associates might have had questionable dealings with Russian people or businesses, but found no evidence to warrant opening a full investigation, according to sources familiar with the matter. The agency has not publicly discussed the probe. A week before Election Day, the Clinton campaign was trying to contain damage from the announcement by FBI Director James Comey on Friday that his agency was looking into newly discovered emails that might relate to Clinton’s use of a private server while she was secretary of state. Clinton has voiced confidence the FBI will not find anything problematic. She campaigned on Tuesday in the battleground state of Florida, where she was joined in Dade City by former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, whom Trump had mocked for gaining weight. Chants of “Lock her up!” from dozens of Trump supporters gathered nearby could be faintly heard while Clinton spoke. In Ft. Lauderdale, a young man who yelled, “She’s a liar” was escorted out of the rally. Several other protesters removed during the course of her speech. “I am sick and tired of the negative, dark, divisive, dangerous vision and behavior from people who support Donald Trump,” Clinton said as another protester was removed from the rally. Trump and other Republicans have seized on Comey’s announcement, which did not indicate any wrongdoing by Clinton, to ratchet up criticism of the Democratic candidate. She leads in most opinion polls ahead of the Nov. 8 election. Trump urged people on Tuesday who voted early for his Democratic rival to cancel their ballots and switch to him. “This is a message for any Democratic voters who have already cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton and who are having a bad case of buyer’s remorse, in other words you want to change your vote,” Trump told a Wisconsin rally. “So if you live here or in Michigan or Pennsylvania or Minnesota, you can change your vote to Donald Trump.” Several states, including those cited by Trump, have a process to allow voters who cast early ballots to change their votes, either by submitting new ballots or showing up at their polling place on Election Day.  Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook questioned why the FBI director had not released any information about the agency’s Russia inquiries. “If you’re in the business of releasing information about investigations on presidential candidates, release everything you have on Donald Trump. Release the information on his connections to the Russians,” Mook said on CNN. The FBI inquiry reviewed allegations that Trump or his associates might have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or engaged in contacts or commerce with people in Russia who are subject to U.S. or international financial sanctions.      The U.S. government has blamed Russia for cyber attacks on Democratic Party organizations. Democrats criticize Trump for taking what they say is a pro-Russia foreign policy stance. Russia’s possible role in the campaign again came into focus when online magazine Slate said a group of computer scientists had been alarmed by records showing thousands of apparent connection attempts between an email server operated on behalf of the Trump Organization and computers inside a Russian company, Alfa Bank in Moscow. Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said the server, which had been used to send out hotel marketing material, had been dormant for years.                Prominent U.S. cyber security company FireEye said it had been hired by Alfa Bank to investigate the records and had been granted access to the bank’s systems in Moscow to look for evidence of any relationship with Trump’s company or any signs of hacking or infection. FireEye said so far it had found no emails being sent back and forth or any other link. Opinion polls showed Clinton’s lead has narrowed slightly since early last week but it was too early to say whether the email controversy was hurting her. Clinton led businessman Trump in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll of likely voters released on Monday, by 44 percent to 39 percent. Clinton, hoping to be the first woman elected president, strengthened her lead over Trump in polls after the release last month of a 2005 video in which the Republican bragged in vulgar terms about groping women.         But in a dramatic twist, Comey told Congress in a letter on Friday that the FBI was reviewing the newly discovered emails. Comey had announced in July that the FBI had completed a probe into the email practices, concluding there were no grounds to bring any charges. Clinton’s team has been pressing the FBI to provide details on the new trove of emails, which Comey said may or may not be significant in the case.  Little is publicly known yet about the emails, other than that they were found during an unrelated probe into former U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Comey’s letter has provided Republicans with fresh fodder for attack in the waning days of the campaign. U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Tuesday that a Clinton presidency would bog down in “scandal baggage.” Congressional Republicans, who had been concerned Trump risked damaging their majorities in the House and Senate, were also encouraged by his recent statements on efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. A campaign aide said if Trump wins, he would ask Congress to begin working on legislation to repeal the law before the Jan. 20 inauguration.

Summary: क्लिंटन खेमे का कहना है कि एफ. बी. आई. को ट्रम्प के रूस संबंधों के बारे में जो कुछ भी पता है वह कहना चाहिए


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The guilty plea entered by former U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn to a charge of lying to the FBI implicates Flynn alone, the White House said in a statement on Friday. “Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr. Flynn,” said Ty Cobb, a White House attorney. “The false statements involved mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation in February of this year,” Cobb said, adding that the plea “clears the way for a prompt and reasonable conclusion” of the Office of the Special Counsel’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and potential collusion by Trump’s campaign.

Summary: व्हाइट हाउस का कहना है कि फ्लिन की रूस याचिका में अकेले फ्लिन को शामिल किया गया है


RIJEKA, Croatia (Reuters) - In a Croatian port sits a boat built to carry bananas from Africa to Italy, that laid mines for Nazi Germany and was sunk by Allied planes before it was salvaged as the personal yacht of a globe-trotting communist leader. Josip Broz Tito and the state he led - Yugoslavia - have long passed into history, and the boat, the Galeb (Seagull), was left to rust in a corner of Rijeka s once mighty docks. Now, with Rijeka readying to become European Capital of Culture in 2020, city authorities have secured European Union money to restore the 117-metre (384-feet) boat as a museum, just as debate in Croatia rages over the life and deeds of the man who graced the pink mattress in the front port-side cabin. If the Galeb was a symbol of Tito s prestige on the world stage   a communist leader welcome in ports West as well as East   its restoration is part of Croatia s own tortured process of reconciliation with its 20th century history. To conservatives in Croatia, Tito   who was born in what is today Croatia to a Croat father and Slovene mother   was a totalitarian dictator: to look fondly on him means to be nostalgic for a shared federal state that denied Croats their own until they forged one in a 1991-95 war.  Liberals, however, recall his guerrilla fight against the Nazis and the relative freedom and prosperity of Yugoslavs compared to those who lived in the Soviet Union or in its shadow. They see in the disdain of conservatives a thinly veiled fondness for the World War Two Croatian state that collaborated with the Nazis but was snuffed out with Tito s Partisan victory   a sentiment that has gained a foothold in mainstream Croatian politics in recent years. It is a tug-of-war over history and identity that was encapsulated this month in the renaming by Zagreb s city council of the capital s Marshal Tito Square to Republic of Croatia square. Days later, the government ordered the removal of a plaque near the site of a World War Two concentration camp that bore a notorious slogan associated with the Nazi puppet regime in Croatia.  We live in a time when history is being reinvented retroactively,  said Ivan Sarar, who as head of culture at Rijeka s city council is in charge of its 2020 makeover.  It s interesting that just by undertaking this (restoration) we have already been declared revisionists,  he told Reuters. After years of false-starts, work on restoring the Galeb is imminent   a mammoth, multi-million-euro task to recreate the 1950s chic of Tito s floating palace, host to over 100 heads of state and some of Hollywood s finest.  Some of the furniture remains - in Tito s cabin, his turquoise-tiled bathroom and the adjacent salon with doors that open to the deck. But the ship itself is little more than a rotting hull. The Galeb was the stage for Tito s major contribution to history, said Sarar, a showcase for the non-aligned movement he helped found in answer to the East-West polarization of the Cold War. But Sarar stressed:  We won t be soft on anyone.  He noted Tito s cozy ties with dictators around the world, the exodus of Italian residents of Rijeka when he took the city as part of Yugoslavia, and his denial of democracy during 35 years of one-man rule until his death in 1980. Yugoslavia fell apart in war a decade later and some 135,000 people were killed. It was Tito s seizure of Rijeka and the Istrian peninsula that cemented his status in this part of Croatia as a liberator. Dozens of streets in Istria still bear his name, as do others in the Balkans - most notably in Serbia, once the dominant republic in Yugoslavia. Conservatives, however, struck a blow with the renaming of Zagreb s Marshal Tito Square, part of a deal struck by the mayor to secure his majority in the city assembly. The man behind the initiative, leading right-wing politician Zlatko Hasanbegovic, told Reuters that while Tito was  undeniably a significant historical figure,  so were Napoleon, Stalin and Lenin.  In all countries, streets and squares bear the names of those who embody the values with which the entire nation identifies itself,  he said, describing the restoration of the Galeb as part of an attempt to revive the cult of Tito.   Those insisting on it should ask themselves how the tens of thousands of victims of Yugoslav communism look on that kind of quasi-cultural exhibitionism.  In Rijeka, Sarar denied planning any kind of homage to Tito.  We want to create a place for dialogue, away from the current situation of extreme black, white and red truths that lead nowhere,  he said.  It s bound to be difficult.

Summary: एक मृत तानाशाह, उसकी जंग लगी हुई नाव और इतिहास के लिए लड़ाई


BELFAST (Reuters) - The European Union has long aided efforts to heal the deep divisions that plague Northern Ireland, and many people on both sides of the sectarian rift fear what might happen when Brexit forces it to walk away.  Since a 1998 peace deal ended three decades of violence between Protestant pro-British unionists and Catholic Irish nationalists, in which 3,600 died, the EU has pumped about 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion) into projects to shore up that peace - more than any other body apart from the British state. It has enjoyed broad support and influence as a force viewed by both sides as a neutral broker separate from the British government, which is distrusted by many nationalists, and the Irish government, distrusted by many unionists. It has been able to take on projects others shy away from, such as the reintegration of former militants, both IRA and pro-union loyalists, and support for relatives of dead fighters.      Brexit is already rattling the region by raising concerns it will lead to a hard border with EU member Ireland. For some in both communities, the idea of a new, rigid frontier stirs painful memories of the British Army watchtowers and checkpoints that peppered the border during the decades of bloodshed.  It s a very fragile situation here, and in Westminster there seems to be a lack of consideration for Northern Ireland,  said Kate Clifford, director of the Rural Community Network, a community group that has received peace funding in the past.  Without a (EU) peace program behind that, without the impetus of the external force that is Europe, that honest broker, things will become very difficult,  she said.   While no one expects a return to the widespread violence of Northern Ireland s  Troubles  of the 1960s to 1990s, sectarian tensions still run high and intermittingly erupt into rioting.   Some British ministers argue that savings from leaving the bloc would allow the government to match all EU funding and last month British Prime Minister Theresa May said that her government would consider replacing that European money.  Yet London has offered no guarantees and, with Brexit negotiations between London and Brussels in their infancy, there is little certainty about how leaving the bloc will affect Britain s finances.   The British government s Northern Ireland office and the EU s Belfast office declined to comment. Since the EU s Northern Ireland PEACE program was founded in 1995, funded groups have worked with hundreds of thousands of Northern Ireland s 1.8 million citizens on conflict resolution, anti-sectarianism and supporting victims.  By the end of its latest funding drive, it will have pumped in 1.5 billion euros. This makes it by far the largest funder of organizations working on peace projects outside the British government, which has provided several billion euros worth of funds to the sector but does not provide a single figure for its investment.  For many such groups, the EU represents their largest single source of funds.  The EU has separately funded major infrastructure projects to the tune of billions of euros, including the 250-metre pedestrian bridge that links the mainly Protestant and Catholic sides of the River Foyle at Londonderry, the city where many see  The Troubles  of having first exploded in 1969.  While critics have at times questioned whether the bloc has spread its resources too thinly, its role is widely acknowledged as transformative for the region, particularly funding groups that have worked with thousands of former fighters and relatives of militants who died in the conflict.    A lot of energy was put in to supporting the process whereby these groups which were previously killing each other were working together,  said Avila Kilmurray, who managed EU PEACE funding for the reintegration of prisoners from the conflict from 1994-2014, as director of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.   The danger is that if there is that hiatus in terms of funding that makes it (the cooperation) much more difficult to actually maintain.   Many community workers voiced scepticism that Northern Ireland, already one of the British regions receiving the highest level of taxpayers  money, will remain a priority for the British government in the upheaval of Brexit.   In this work, I have met no one who actually believes that the Tory government care enough  to match the funding, said Kieran McEvoy, a professor at Queen s University Belfast s Institute of Conflict Transformation. At Belfast s most notorious flashpoint area - the streets between the fiercely loyalist Shankill Road and the nationalist Falls Road - former militants from both sides now work together.  Some bring children from both communities on joint holidays and contact each other during street trouble to try to calm the situation when matters start to get out of control. EU funding has been  absolutely critical  for projects that involve ex-militants, said Seanna Breathnach, a former IRA member. He works for the Coiste, which helps former fighters reintegrate into society and get jobs after leaving prison.   Activists say former prisoners have been able to influence the kind of young men who might be tempted to join dissident militants opposed to the peace deal.   The key is that young people are not sucked in - that we stop the glamorizing of violence that some people do,  Breathnach said.  Post-Brexit, activists say they will be faced with two main problems: convincing the British political establishment that Northern Ireland still needs a disproportionate level of state spending two decades after the peace; and to ensure Northern Irish politicians don t shy away from difficult projects. Kenny Donaldson is director of the South East Fermanagh Foundation, a support group for victims of militancy which gets 40-50 percent of its funding from the EU.  His fear, he said, was that many in the British political establishment did not appreciate how fragile Northern Ireland remained, with communities still harboring deep distrust of each other  We have to make that step from coexistence in isolation to meaningful integration,  he said.  While you only have coexistence you are too close to violence.

Summary: उत्तरी आयरलैंड को यूरोपीय संघ के शांति निर्माण और नकदी के ब्रेक्सिट नुकसान का डर है


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers said high-profile briefings by the Trump administration on North Korea on Wednesday failed to provide the firm strategy they had hoped for dealing with what they described as a major national security threat. As a standoff escalated over the reclusive Asian nation’s development of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles, President Donald Trump welcomed all 100 members of the Senate to a highly unusual meeting at the White House complex, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. While administration officials often travel to the Capitol to brief lawmakers on national security issues, this time the entire Senate hopped on buses to the White House. Vice President Mike Pence and the four officials later briefed the House of Representatives. That classified meeting took place in a secure auditorium at the Capitol complex. The briefings came as Trump tries to put the best face on his first 100 days in office. He has signed executive orders to roll back Democratic policies but the period has been defined by an absence of any major legislative achievements. A few Democrats dismissed the Senate White House “field trip” as little more than a photo opportunity.  Some Republicans were a little more enthusiastic. “It was an OK briefing,” Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters as he arrived back at the Senate. “I’m not certain I would have had the briefing today,” he said. Asked if the administration had a firm strategy, Senator John McCain, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, said, “They’re developing one.” This week, Trump has discussed North Korea with U.N. ambassadors, increased the U.S. military presence in the region, and leaned on China to pressure Pyongyang. Tillerson will chair a U.N. Security Council meeting on Friday to discuss tougher sanctions. After their briefing, members of the House expressed confidence in the administration officials who spoke, but some said they had real concerns. Representative Brad Sherman, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was not convinced that the administration would do enough to control Pyongyang. “I regard that level of resolve as very modest, weak and maybe even phony. The only way to put enough pressure on North Korea is to get China to do it,” Sherman told reporters. Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the administration wants to use “a variety” of tactics to push North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions and said he agreed that all options must be on the table. “We have to have incredible military presence in the region, including missile defense, especially for this regime,” he said.

Summary: अमेरिकी सांसदों का कहना है कि ट्रम्प प्रशासन में अभी भी स्पष्ट उत्तर कोरिया योजना का अभाव है


BERLIN (Reuters) - The U.S. military strike on a Syrian airbase was “understandable”, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Friday, given that the U.N. Security Council had failed to take decisive action after a deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria. The United States early on Friday fired dozens of cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase from which it said the chemical weapons attack was launched this week. “It was almost unbearable to see that the U.N. Security Council was not able to react clearly and unambiguously to the barbaric use of chemical weapons against innocent people in Syria,” Gabriel said during a trip to Mali. “It’s understandable that the United States have now reacted with an attack against the military structures of the Assad regime which caused this atrocious war crime.” Gabriel said the international community was united in shunning toxic gas as a weapon, adding: “As understandable as the USA’s military deployment against military infrastructure was in the wake of the U.N. Security Council’s failure, it’s now just as decisive to make a combined effort for peace under the roof of the U.N.,” he said. Gabriel said it was now necessary to wholeheartedly support the work of the United Nations to bring about a political solution to the civil war in Syria. “Only a new and democratic Syria will bring lasting peace. Europe and Germany are ready for that. The terrible events of recent days show the conflict parties involved in the region and also the USA and Russia are needed for that,” Gabriel added.

Summary: जर्मनी के विदेश मंत्री ने कहा कि सीरिया पर अमेरिकी हमला 'समझ में आता है'


(Reuters) - Australia said on Sunday it is stopping  undesirables  such as terrorists, pedophiles, organized criminals and drug smugglers from boarding flights to the country, defending its hardline immigration policy that has drawn criticism from rights groups.  Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said that Australian Border Force Airline Liaison Officers were operating in major transit airports to push those threats  beyond our borders .  Where other countries  allow people to arrive and then assess the threat then , the  Australian model  was to bar those considered a threat.   (Liaison officers) try to identify the threats   particularly given that we ve got foreign fighters coming back through Southeast Asia and all over   the idea is to stop them getting on planes,  the minister told the Nine Network.  According to media, immigration officials prevented 1,043 passengers from boarding flights to Australia since 2013. Australia has seen the rise of nationalist, anti-immigration politics with far-right wing parties such as One Nation garnering strong public support, while the popularity of the ruling center-right government has been languishing. Under its policy on asylum seekers arriving by boat, Australia turns back unauthorized vessels at sea to their port of origin when it can and sends those it cannot to controversial camps in the South Pacific for long-term detention. Earlier this year, the government announced it would raise the bar for handing out citizenships by lengthening the waiting period, adding a new  Australian values  test and raising the standard for English language as part of a shake up of its immigration program.

Summary: ऑस्ट्रेलिया ने कट्टर आप्रवासन नीति का बचाव करते हुए इसे 'अवांछनीय' बताया


LONDON (Reuters) - British police said on Friday that they were treating as a  terrorist incident  reports of a blast at a west London metro station.  Armed police rushed to reports of a fire on a train at a London underground station with local media reporting there had been an explosion on a packed rush-hour commuter train.  Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the senior national coordinator for CT policing, has declared it a terrorist incident,  the Metropolitan Police said in a statement on Friday.

Summary: ब्रिटिश पुलिस ने लंदन मेट्रो स्टेशन पर 'आतंकवादी घटना' को बताया


BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Thursday it had lodged stern representations with South Korea for installing the four remaining launchers of the U.S. anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on a former golf course. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comment at a regular press briefing.

Summary: चीन ने थाड की तैनाती पर दक्षिण कोरिया के साथ कड़ा विरोध दर्ज कराया


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Saturday said she regretted saying “half” of Republican rival Donald Trump’s supporters belonged in a “basket of deplorables,” but made no apologies for calling out “prejudice and paranoia” among Trump’s campaign and supporters. “Last night I was ‘grossly generalistic,’ and that’s never a good idea. I regret saying ‘half’ - that was wrong,” Clinton said in a statement, the day after comments at a fundraiser in New York. But “Trump has built his campaign largely on prejudice and paranoia,” she said, adding: “I won’t stop calling out bigotry and racist rhetoric in this campaign.” Republicans and Trump supporters responded fiercely on social media to Clinton’s remarks at the LGBT fundraiser and the episode threatened to distract from her efforts to paint Trump as unqualified for the presidency.  But Trump on Saturday sought to use Clinton’s comments to make the same charge about her. “How can she be President of our country when she has such contempt and disdain for so many great Americans?” a Trump  statement asked. “Hillary Clinton should be ashamed of herself, and this proves beyond a doubt that she is unfit and incapable to serve as President of the United States,” he added.  At Friday night’s fundraiser, Clinton said Trump had given voice to hateful rhetoric through his behavior as a candidate for the White House in the Nov. 8 election.  “To just be grossly generalistic, you can put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the ‘basket of deplorables,’” Clinton said. “Unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.”  Some of those were irredeemable, she said, but they did not represent America. The other basket of Trump’s supporters constituted individuals desperate for change who felt let down by the government and the economy, Clinton added. “They don’t buy everything he says, but he seems to hold out some hope that their lives will be different,” Clinton said.  “Those are people we have to understand and empathize with, as well.” Trump’s campaign hammered on Clinton throughout the day. “Hillary Clinton’s low opinion of the people that support this campaign should be denounced in the strongest possible terms,” Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana and Trump’s running mate, said at the Values Voter Summit in Washington. “So let me just say from the bottom of my heart: Hillary, they are not a basket of anything. They are Americans, and they deserve your respect.” Trump, a New York businessman who has never run for political office before, regularly says things that some consider insulting, racist or off-color. On Friday night, he told supporters in Pensacola, Florida, that Clinton could shoot someone and not be prosecuted. “Because she’s being so protected, she could walk into this arena right now and shoot somebody with 20,000 people watching right smack in the middle of the heart and she wouldn’t be prosecuted, okay?” he said. [nL1N1BM031]   But Clinton’s remarks got top billing on Twitter where the  hashtag #BasketOfDeplorables was trending, with shows of  condemnation and support for Clinton. Twitter user Basketeer Vendetta, under the account Vendetta92429, tweeted a photo of Trump supporters wearing campaign T-shirts and hats, adding: “Proud to be part of the #BasketOfDeplorables with my fellow Americans.” And Trump himself tweeted: “Wow, Hillary Clinton was SO INSULTING to my supporters, millions of amazing, hard working people. I think it will cost her at the Polls!” But some Twitter users agreed with Clinton, referencing  remarks by Trump that have been called racist, such as when he described some Mexican immigrants drug dealers and rapists. Clinton’s comment could nevertheless end up being a boon to Trump. “As long as Trump stays out of the way and doesn’t overshadow Hillary’s comment, her ‘basket of deplorables’ comment should dominate the media in the coming days and runs the risk of negatively defining her campaign,” said Republican strategist Doug Heye. Republican strategist Ana Navarro, who has been highly critical of Trump, said Clinton might have crossed an important line. “When you are running for President, you are running to represent all Americans, even the ones you think are deplorable,” said Navarro. But Jamal Simmons, a Democratic consultant, said the remarks probably would not wrest voters from Clinton. “We’re moving to the part of the election process where there’s a lot less persuasion of new voters and more persuasion of the people who like you to turn out and work to elect you,” he added. Many of Clinton’s fundraisers have been closed to the media, but not the one on Friday night.   Some critics likened Clinton’s observation to 2012 Republican candidate Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” comment in which he said 47 percent of voters are dependent upon the government and would vote for President Barack Obama no matter what. His campaign struggled to recover after the remark leaked.  But Democratic strategist Jim Manley, who supports Clinton, pointed out that Romney was talking about all voters, and Clinton was specifically describing Trump supporters.

Summary: क्लिंटन ने ट्रम्प समर्थकों के 'आधे' को 'निंदनीय' बताते हुए खेद व्यक्त किया


BRASILIA (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge on Monday suspended criminal aspects of the leniency agreement of J&F Investimentos SA, a holding company run by the scandal-ridden Batista family, adding to uncertainty about billions of dollars of asset sales. Federal Judge Vallisney de Souza Oliveira held up the criminal immunity of additional J&F executives until the Supreme Court makes a final ruling on Joesley Batista s plea bargain in a corruption probe, whose benefits were revoked due to evidence he had hidden some crimes from prosecutors. Police flew Batista to Brasilia on Monday following his surrender to authorities in Sao Paulo over the weekend after he lost immunity from prosecution. Police also raided J&F s headquarters and Batista s home on orders from Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin. Uncertainty about J&F s leniency agreement could threaten an estimated 14 billion reais ($4.5 billion) of recent asset sales  and jeopardize the future of a company that diversified from meatpacking into fashion, energy, wood pulp and banking over the past five years. J&F lawyers said Joesley Batista  did not lie or omit information  in his plea deals. A lawyer for Batista did not take calls seeking comment. JBS SA (JBSS3.SA), the world s largest meatpacker and the crown jewel of the Batistas  empire, also signed terms last week to participate in the J&F leniency agreement. On Monday, JBS agreed to sell its British poultry unit Moy Park to U.S. subsidiary Pilgrim s Pride Corp (PPC.O) for $1 billion. Civil aspects of the J&F s leniency agreement, which was signed in June and ratified by Judge Oliveira on Friday, remain in effect, according to a statement late on Monday from federal prosecutors. J&F reached a deal with prosecutors earlier this year agreeing to pay a record fine of 10.3 billion reais for its role in a corruption scandal involving the bribery of hundreds of politicians. That settlement was based on a plea bargain signed by Joesley Batista and collaborators in May to deliver evidence including a recording of his conversation with President Michel Temer, which led to a corruption charge against the leader. But additional evidence later handed to prosecutors included another tape that appeared to show that Batista had been helped by federal prosecutor Marcelo Miller in crafting the plea deal and concealing certain crimes, according to prosecutors. Police also raided Miller s Rio de Janeiro home on Monday. His lawyers said he cooperated with the search and with investigators. The scandal was the latest shock to Brazil s business and political establishment after three years of investigation into widespread political bribery and kickbacks on contracts with state-run companies. The recording of President Temer provided to prosecutors by Batista allegedly revealed him endorsing hush payments to a possible witness in the graft probe. Temer has repeatedly denied the accusations and the lower house of Congress voted against him standing trial at the Supreme Court.  ($1 = 3.10 reais)

Summary: ब्राजील के न्यायाधीश ने जे एंड एफ उदारता, परिसंपत्तियों की बिक्री के पहलुओं को निलंबित कर दिया


YANGON (Reuters) - Two hunters from a remote village in the north of Myanmar s troubled Rakhine state were killed and two others were injured by unidentified gunmen after crossing the border into Bangladesh, Myanmar s government said on Monday. The incident took place on Sunday evening near the village of Aung Thabyay, which is located some 2 kilometers (1.24 miles)from Myanmar s border with Bangladesh.   The four crossed the border fence while searching for a boar and got shot by 15 people wearing civilian clothes with guns 100 yards from the border fence,  Myanmar said in a statement that gave no other details. The wounded hunters were treated at a hospital in the regional town of Maungdaw, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of where the incident took place. The hunters belong to a small ethnic group from northern Rakhine called the Daingnet that is mostly Buddhist. Unlike the Rohingya Muslims, they are recognized among Myanmar s 135  national races . About 600,000 people have crossed the border since Aug. 25 when Rohingya Muslim insurgent attacks on security posts were met by a counter-offensive by the Myanmar army in Rakhine. The  United Nations says the government s actions amount to ethnic cleansing.

Summary: म्यांमार-बांग्लादेश सीमा पर गोलीबारी की घटना में दो की मौत, दो घायल


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Thursday stood by his belief that both sides were to blame for violence in Charlottesville, Virginia,  between white supremacists and counterprotesters last month. Trump had drawn criticism for not initially condemning white supremacists who organized the event on Aug. 12, with even some of his fellow Republicans expressing dismay at his opinion.  Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One a day after a meeting with South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott, an African-American who had expressed concern about Trump’s comments. “We had a great talk yesterday,” he said of his meeting with Scott. “I think especially in the light of the advent of antifa, if you look at what’s going on there. You have some pretty bad dudes on the other side also. And essentially that’s what I said.” Trump said anti-fascist groups known as the “antifa” must share blame for neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan fighting with anti-racism protesters in the streets. One woman was killed when a suspected white nationalist crashed his car into demonstrators. On Thursday, the president also signed a resolution sent to him by Congress that condemned the violence in Charlottesville and opposed “hatred, bigotry, and racism in all forms.” “No matter the color of our skin or our ethnic heritage, we all live under the same laws, we all salute the same great flag, and we are all made by the same almighty God,” Trump said in a statement regarding the resolution.   In Berkeley, California, violence erupted on Aug. 27 when a small group of masked antifa and left-wing protestors attacked right-wing demonstrators.     “Now, because of what’s happened since then with antifa, you look at really what’s happened since Charlottesville. A lot of people are saying, in fact a lot of people have actually written, ‘Gee, Trump might have a point,’” he said.

Summary: ट्रम्प का कहना है कि फासीवाद विरोधी लोगों द्वारा की गई हिंसा उन्हें चार्लोट्सविले पर सही साबित करती है


UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Sweden and Britain on Monday requested a closed-door United Nations Security Council meeting on the  deteriorating situation  in Myanmar s Rakhine state, home to the majority-Buddhist nation s Rohingya Muslims, diplomats said.  The meeting would likely be held on Wednesday, diplomats said.   I think it will be a private meeting but with a public outcome of some form,  British U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters on Monday.   It s a sign of the significant worry that Security Council members have that the situation is continuing to deteriorate for many Rohingya who are seeking to flee Rakhine state in Burma and move into Bangladesh,  Rycroft said.  The United Nations  top human rights official slammed Myanmar earlier on Monday for conducting a  cruel military operation  against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, branding it  a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.   The Security Council discussed the situation behind closed doors on Aug. 30. In a rare letter to the council earlier this month, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern the violence could spiral into a  humanitarian catastrophe.  Rights groups informally briefed Security Council diplomats on the Myanmar violence on Friday. Russia and China did not send any diplomats, according to people at the meeting. Myanmar has said it is was counting on China and Russia to protect it from any Security Council censure.

Summary: स्वीडन, ब्रिटेन ने म्यांमार की स्थिति पर संयुक्त राष्ट्र की बैठक की मांग की


BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. gas exporters and traders are aiming to grab a bigger chunk of the lucrative, growing business of exporting gas to China, the world s third-largest buyer, when they accompany Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to China next month. But the talk may all be hot air if the U.S. suppliers can t compete with bargain prices agreed on long-term deals with rivals Australia, Qatar and Malaysia. According to a list seen by Reuters, 10 of the 29 companies traveling with Ross and U.S President Donald Trump are involved in energy and gas. [L4N1N228C] Among them are Cheniere Energy Inc, which operates the only U.S. LNG export terminal and Freepoint Commodities, founded and run by David Messer, who led power utility Sempra s vaunted commodities division. [L4N1N228C] Their presence underscores the U.S. ambition to sell more of its excess gas abroad as the U.S. shale revolution threatens to upset the global LNG market. China s appetite has soared as it embarks on an audacious bid to heat millions of homes across the north by gas for the first time this winter and switch tens of thousands of industrial boilers to the cleaner fuel as part of its push to clear the skies.  Without sufficient domestic output to meet growing demand, imports have surged this year, offering huge potential for major exporting nations such as the United States.  We re on the mission to talk to Chinese companies to get something signed up,  said Frederick Jones, founder and chief executive of Delfin Midstream LLC, which is building floating LNG vessels that would sit 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana.  He s heading to Beijing on the trip scheduled to begin on Nov. 8 with his chief financial officer Matthew Weil. Delfin has no customers yet for its new terminal, but hopes to  showcase  the company to state-owned and large private companies. Delfin has been in talks with Chinese buyers for potential offtake deals as well as funds for financing, according to a person with knowledge of the exchanges. A Chinese oil trading executive involved in discussions ahead of the trip expected the delegation to yield several short-term supply deals. (For a graphic on 'LNG market overview' click reut.rs/2z21LDq) In May, the United States and China agreed to boost trade under the  100-day  trade talks aimed at reducing a U.S. trade deficit with China that reached $347 billion last year. Among the agreements is one allowing Chinese buyers to purchase long-term supplies from the United States directly.     Current long-term contracts with Qatar and Australia signed between 2009 and 2013 will expire around 2030/40, but China will need to top up imports to meet growing demand.  Uncertain when the global LNG market will bottom out, Chinese buyers are cautiously avoiding lining up new long-term contracts, but rather are looking at signing five-year or even shorter-term deals based on spot prices, sources said. U.S. imports of LNG have exploded this year.    (For a graphic on 'China LNG Imports by Origin' click reut.rs/2yO1bvM) In the first nine months of the year, shipments hit almost 600,000 tonnes, ranking the United States as the sixth largest LNG importer, leap-frogging Nigeria and Peru.  The average price China paid for U.S. LNG was $7.62 per million of British thermal units (mmBtu) over the past 12 months on a delivered basis, compared to $6.54 for Australia, according to Reuters calculations based on monthly customs data. In 2016, China imported just under 200,000 tonnes of LNG, up from 62,601 tonnes in 2015.  China expects that gas demand will rise to between 320 and 360 billion cubic metres per year by 2020. The increase is the equivalent of the annual consumption of Japan, Asia s second-largest gas consumer after China.  (For a graphic on 'China natural gas imports' click reut.rs/2xDm2CA)

Summary: गर्म हवा? अमेरिकी गैस निर्यातक चीन को एल. एन. जी. बेचने के लिए दौड़ पड़े


VALLETTA (Reuters) - Maltese police have arrested 10 suspects in the murder of anti-corruption blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia, the country s prime minister said on Monday, almost two months after she was killed when her car was blown up.  All of the suspects are Maltese nationals and most have a criminal record, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said, without providing any further details. The police have 48 hours to question the suspects, arraign them or release them. Muscat initially announced eight arrests at a press conference, then later said on Twitter that two more had been apprehended.  Authorities have all areas of interest under control since early this morning and searches are underway,  he said. A section of Lighters Wharf in Marsa was sealed off early on Monday as helicopters circled above. Military and police used sniffer dogs to search. Caruana Galizia, 53, was murdered on Oct. 16 as she was driving away from her house in northern Malta. She wrote a popular blog in which she relentlessly highlighted cases of alleged graft targeting politicians from across party lines. Galizia was following leads from the Panama Papers, which  were leaked in 2015 and show how the world s rich use offshore firms to hide their wealth. She had also accused senior figures in the government and opposition of corruption and money laundering. All have denied the accusations and Galizia was hit with 36 libel suits in the nine months preceding her death. Her murder shocked Malta and raised concern within the European Union about the rule of law on the Mediterranean island. Concluding a fact-finding mission on Friday, a group of EU lawmakers said there was a  perception of impunity  in Malta.

Summary: माल्टा पुलिस ने ब्लॉगर की हत्या के मामले में 10 संदिग्धों को गिरफ्तार कियाः प्रधानमंत्री


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed to free churches and other tax-exempt institutions of a 1954 U.S. law banning political activity, drawing fire from critics who accused him of rewarding his evangelical Christian supporters and turning houses of worship into political machines. As Trump used a prayer breakfast to take aim at a long-standing statutory barrier between politics and religion called the Johnson Amendment, civil liberties and gay rights groups expressed concern that he might consider an executive order to allow government agencies and businesses to deny services to gay people in the name of religious freedom. Trump did not reference such an order in his remarks. But he lambasted the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits tax-exempt organizations such as churches and other places of worship, charities and educational institutions from directly or indirectly participating in any political campaign in favor or against a political candidate.  “I will get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution. I will do that, remember,” Trump told U.S. politicians, religious leaders and guests including Jordan’s King Abdullah at the annual National Prayer Breakfast. White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters Trump wanted to find ways to make sure people were not penalized for following through on their religious beliefs.  A draft executive order on “religious freedom” circulating among advocacy groups would allow government officials to deny marriage licenses to gay couples and let businesses withhold services from gay people, activists said.  The White House said it was not working on such an order. Trump previously spoke out against the Johnson amendment during the campaign and won the support of evangelical Christian leaders including Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. A change in the law would require action in the Republican-led U.S. Congress, and Republican lawmakers introduced legislation that would reverse the policy. After Trump’s remarks, Republican House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters he has “always supported” eliminating the Johnson Amendment. Critics including the group Americans United for Separation of Church and State expressed alarm. “President Donald Trump and his allies in the religious right seek to turn America’s houses of worship into miniature political action committees,” said the group’s executive director, Barry Lynn. “It would also lead some houses of worship to focus on supporting candidates in exchange for financial and other aid. That would be a disaster for both churches and politics in America,” Lynn said. Peter Montgomery of the liberal advocacy group People For the American Way said Trump wants to pay back religious conservatives who helped get him elected “by letting them turn their churches into political machines with tax-exempt charitable dollars.” Scrapping the Johnson Amendment has been a goal of Christian conservatives, who contend it violates free speech and religious freedom rights. The U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion and bars the government from establishing an official religion. “We are encouraged to see that President Trump understands the very real constitutional violation posed by the Johnson Amendment and that he is committed to restoring a pastor’s right to speak freely from the pulpit without fearing government retribution,” said Erik Stanley, senior counsel for the conservative Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom. Trump used the opening moments of the usually solemn prayer breakfast to deride actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, his successor on a reality TV show, for his viewership ratings.  Trump said Schwarzenegger, the Republican former governor of California, had disastrous ratings on the NBC reality TV program “Celebrity Apprentice,” which Trump previously starred in. “They hired a big, big movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to take my place. And we know how that turned out,” Trump said. “It’s been a total disaster. ... And I want to just pray for Arnold if we can, for those ratings, OK?” Schwarzenegger, who endorsed Ohio Governor John Kasich over Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, shot back, alluding to the controversies of Trump’s first two weeks in office. “Hey Donald, I have a great idea,” Schwarzenegger said in a video. “Why don’t we switch jobs? You take over TV, because you’re such an expert in ratings, and I take over your job. And then people can finally sleep comfortably again.” Spicer later called Trump’s remarks “light-hearted” and part of an “absolutely beautiful” speech. Trump a week ago put a 120-day halt on the U.S. refugee program, barred Syrian refugees indefinitely and imposed a 90-day suspension on people from seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Trump defended his directive on Thursday as crucial to ensuring religious freedom and tolerance in America, and said he wanted to prevent a “beachhead of intolerance” from spreading in the United States. He also called terrorism a fundamental threat to religious freedom. “The world is in trouble, but we’re going to straighten it out. OK? That’s what I do. I fix things,” Trump said. “When you hear about the tough phone calls I’m having, don’t worry about it,” Trump added, apparently referring to telephone conversations including one with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. “It’s time we’re going to be a little tough folks. We’re taken advantage of by every nation in the world virtually. It’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump said.

Summary: ट्रम्प ने चर्च की राजनीतिक गतिविधियों पर प्रतिबंध समाप्त करने का संकल्प लिया


(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday his administration wants more rigorous screening of refugees and visitors from certain countries to prevent terrorist attacks. Here is what Trump’s order on “extreme vetting” - denounced by civil rights groups as discriminatory - includes. The order bars the entry of foreign nationals from certain countries for 90 days. While no countries are specifically named in the order, it refers to a statute that would apply to seven Muslim-majority nations: Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Iraq. There is an exception for certain types of visas, including for diplomats and the United Nations. The temporary halt is aimed at giving the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and the Director of National Intelligence time to determine what information is needed from each country to ensure that visas are not issued to individuals posing a national security threat. The order calls for a review to create a single process for screening people entering the country, which could include holding more in-person interviews, searches of an expanded database of identity documents or longer application forms.  Under the current system, some visa applications require interviews but others do not. The government already has extensive databases but some believe they need to be expanded.       The order suspends the Visa Interview Waiver Program, which allows consular officers to exempt some applicants from face-to-face interviews if they are seeking to renew their temporary visas within a year of expiration. Immigration attorneys say the changes will make even routine applications much more complicated and time consuming and could mean that more people will need assistance to get through the visa process. In an attempt to ensure wait times for interviews are “not unduly affected,” the order calls for the hiring of more consular fellows to work in U.S. embassies abroad.  The order calls for the temporary halt of all refugee admissions for four months so the government can study the process and determine if additional checks are necessary, although there will be case-by-case exceptions. The order also implemented a blanket ban of all Syrian refugees until “sufficient changes” have been made to the refugee program, without giving more details. After the suspension is lifted, the government will give priority to applicants that are suffering religious-based prosecution, but only if they are minorities in their country. Trump said in a television interview that the move would protect Christians. It could also protect ethnic minorities like the Yazidis in the Middle East. This could potentially open the door to legal challenges claiming religious discrimination, some legal experts say. Once refugee admissions resume, fewer will be allowed. The 2017 cap was set at 50,000 people, compared to 85,000 designated by President Barack Obama for 2016. In a nod to certain states and cities that have objected to refugee resettlement, the order also seeks to give state and local jurisdictions a role in deciding whether or not to allow people to live there. COMPLETING THE “BIOMETRIC ENTRY-EXIT TRACKING SYSTEM” The system is aimed at tracking foreign visitors’ arrival and departure using information like finger prints. Former President Barack Obama’s administration had aimed to start implementing biometric exit checks at the country’s largest airports by 2018. Some experts have said that for the system to work properly, it would need to cover all land, air, and sea ports of entry, which is a major undertaking. According to a 2014 report from the Bipartisan Policy Center the system would be expensive to implement and would “offer mixed value for enforcement objectives.” (This version of the story has been refiled to fix spelling of “Iraq” in paragraph 3)

Summary: फैक्टबॉक्सः शरणार्थी कार्यक्रम रोकने के ट्रम्प के आदेश में क्या है


MOGADISHU (Reuters) - More than 200 people were killed by twin bomb blasts that struck busy junctions in the heart of Somalia s capital Mogadishu, officials said on Sunday, marking the deadliest attacks since an Islamist insurgency began in 2007. President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo declared three days of national mourning and called for donations of blood and funds to victims of Saturday s attack. At least 100 others were wounded.  Today s horrific attack proves our enemy would stop nothing to cause our people pain and suffering. Let s unite against terror,  he tweeted.  Police said a truck bomb exploded outside a hotel in the K5 intersection that is lined with government offices, restaurants and kiosks, flattening several buildings and setting dozens of vehicles on fire. Two hours later, another blast struck the capital s Medina district.  We have confirmed 200 civilians died in yesterday s blast. We understand the death toll is higher than that. Many people are still missing their relatives,  Abdifatah Omar Halane, the spokesman for Mogadishu s mayor, told Reuters.  A spokesman for Aamin Ambulance service said it knew of more than 250 people wounded during the bombings on Saturday.  Some people who searched for their relatives just found unrecognizable body parts,  its director Abdikadir Abdirahman told Reuters.   In our 10 year experience as the first responder in #Mogadishu, we haven t seen anything like this,  tweeted the ambulance service, which is reliant on private donations and the only free ambulance service in the city.  We re mourning the loss of 5 Somali Red Crescent volunteers, also killed in this attack,  tweeted the International Committee of the Red Cross.  Police and emergency workers searched the rubble of destroyed buildings on Sunday. They had recovered dozens of corpses the night before, most of which were charred beyond recognition. Hundreds of people came to the junction in search of missing family members and police cordoned off the area for security reasons. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, although the Islamist militant group al Shabaab, which is allied to al Qaeda, stages regular attacks in the capital and other parts of the country. The group is waging an insurgency against the U.N.-backed government and its African Union allies in a bid to topple the weak administration and impose its own strict interpretation of Islam. The militants were driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 and have been steadily losing territory since then to the combined forces of African Union peacekeepers and Somali security forces. But al Shabaab retains the ability to mount large, complex bomb attacks. Over the past three years, the number of civilians killed by insurgent bombings has steadily climbed as al Shabaab increases the size of its bombs.

Summary: सोमालिया की राजधानी मोगादिशु में विस्फोटों में मरने वालों की संख्या 200 के पार


NEW YORK (Reuters) - David Miller, a white collar defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, has emerged as a candidate to succeed Preet Bharara as the next Manhattan U.S. attorney, according to people familiar with the matter. Miller, a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in New York, has in recent weeks spoken with officials in the U.S. Department of Justice and the White House as well as members of Congress about the job, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity about the private discussions. The administration’s interest in Miller for the prestigious post has not been previously reported. Edward McNally, a partner at Kasowitz Benson Torres, has been viewed as the leading candidate among at least four people said to have been under consideration, according to sources and media reports. It is not clear who is now favored to get the position, which requires the President’s nomination and is subject to confirmation by the Senate. Spokespeople for Morgan Lewis, Kasowitz and the Department of Justice declined to comment. The White House did not respond to questions about Miller as a candidate. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is considered one of the most important posts in the U.S. justice system. It entails overseeing more than 200 prosecutors handling high-profile cases ranging from terrorism to wrongdoing on Wall Street, cyber attacks and corruption. In addition to Wall Street cases, whoever is chosen will inherit the office’s investigation into a scandal at Fox News Channel over payments to settle sexual harassment claims and the prosecution of a Turkish gold trader in a politically charged case that has angered Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Miller, 43, was an assistant U.S. attorney under Bharara from 2009 to 2014. During that time he was on a team of prosecutors involved in the office’s crackdown on insider trading and was lead counsel in prosecutions of narcotics-related cases, as well as mail fraud and embezzlement schemes. Bharara’s former deputy Joon Kim is currently acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney. Bharara was fired in March after refusing to resign along with 45 other U.S. attorneys from the Obama administration. The dismissal was a surprise because Bharara was asked by Trump in November to stay on. Bharara had built a strong reputation as Wall Street’s top cop and for going after political corruption, regardless of party. Both Miller’s and McNally’s law firms have ties to U.S. President Donald Trump. Sheri Dillon, a partner at Morgan Lewis, took part in  Trump’s January news conference on his plans to avoid conflicts of interest. Kasowitz has handled various cases for Trump for more than a decade and David Friedman, a former name partner at the firm, was confirmed in March as U.S. ambassador to Israel. Miller and McNally are both Republicans. Before his stint under Bharara, Miller served as a trial attorney in the Justice Department’s counterterrorism section and as assistant general counsel for the Central Intelligence Agency. While at the CIA, he assisted in prosecuting Lewis “Scooter” Libby, who was found guilty of lying and obstructing a probe into who blew the cover of a CIA officer in a case that fueled debate over the Iraq war. Miller’s former and current colleagues described him as a talented, “by-the-book” lawyer who - if chosen - could be expected to protect the office’s culture of independence.   “David Miller would be a fine choice,” said Carrie Cohen, a partner at Morrison Foerster whose time as a prosecutor in Manhattan overlapped with Miller’s.  “Appointing someone who previously worked in the office bodes well for bringing the types of cases it has historically brought, without fear or favor.”  McNally, 61, has had a wide-ranging career in law and government. He was interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois in late 2005 and 2006 and, during the 1980s, he worked as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan under Rudolph Giuliani.  He also has served as a White House speechwriter under President George H.W. Bush, was general counsel for homeland security and terrorism and spent three years as senior counsel in the criminal division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Other names that have cropped up in media reports as contenders for the post are Marc Mukasey, a defense lawyer whose father served as attorney general under Republican President George W. Bush and Edward O’Callaghan, a partner at Clifford Chance. O’Callaghan and Mukasey did not respond to emailed requests for comment. Besides Giuliani, who went on to become New York City Mayor and more recently a Trump adviser, past U.S. Attorneys for Manhattan include James Comey, now FBI director, and Robert Morgenthau, who was the inspiration for the first district attorney on the television series, “Law & Order.” According to his Linkedin profile, Miller has made a foray into television as a consultant for “Billions,” a Showtime TV drama that was reportedly inspired in part by Bharara’s investigation into hedge fund manager Steven Cohen.

Summary: नया दावेदार वॉल स्ट्रीट का शीर्ष पुलिस अधिकारी बनने के लिए उभरता हैः सूत्र


TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan hopes to find a  natural way  to exchange views with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders that starts in Vietnam this week, the self-ruled island s envoy to the meeting said on Monday. Relations between Beijing and Taipei have nosedived since President Tsai Ing-wen was elected last year. China believes she wants formal independence for Taiwan, a red line for Beijing. For her part, Tsai says she wants to maintain peace with China but will defend Taiwan s democracy and security. China regards Taiwan as its sovereign territory. China has suspended a regular dialogue mechanism with Taiwan, stepped up military drills around the island and boosted diplomatic pressure by siphoning off its remaining diplomatic allies. Speaking to reporters before leaving for Vietnam, Taiwan s APEC envoy James Soong said Tsai had both pointed out to him and said publicly that Taiwan was willing to engage with China.  Moreover, we also need to say that both sides of the Taiwan Strait should have some constructive dialogue,  Soong said.   President Tsai has clearly said to us to use a natural way with Xi Jinping at this APEC meeting to have the opportunity to exchange views,  he added, without elaborating on how the two might meet. At the last APEC summit in the Peruvian capital of Lima, Xi and Soong chatted briefly on the sidelines, but had no formal bilateral meeting. The China-born Soong heads the China-friendly People First Party, has met Xi twice before and has visited China. He referred to his past meetings with Xi and also Tsai s recent reiteration that peace and sincerity should mark engagement by both sides.  I will have the opportunity to express this view again to the other side,  Soong said. China has not said if Xi plans to meet Soong. Asked last week about the possibility of a Xi-Soong meeting, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong would say only that China hoped Taiwan s  activities  at APEC would accord with the grouping s rules and not affect the summit.  Despite Taiwan s lack of diplomatic recognition from the vast majority of countries, APEC allows the island to participate as a separate economic, rather than political, entity. In 2013, Xi told Taiwan s envoy at an APEC summit in Indonesia that a political solution for Taiwan could not wait forever.

Summary: ताइवान को ए. पी. ई. सी. में चीन के शी के साथ जुड़ने का 'स्वाभाविक तरीका' खोजने की उम्मीद है


CATANO, Puerto Rico (Reuters) - Wading through highways swamped by turbid waters that sloshed over scattered, sunken belongings, residents of this Puerto Rican barrio flooded by Hurricane Maria have begun emerging from their shattered homes. Lying southwest of the capital San Juan, the Juana Matos neighborhood in Catano municipality took a huge hit from Maria after the storm slammed winds of up to 155 mph (249 kmh) into Puerto Rico early on Wednesday, destroying or damaging an estimated 80 percent of housing in the working-class barrio. The storm, the second Category 5 hurricane to batter the Caribbean this month, claimed at least 32 lives across the region, including 15 in Puerto Rico, and shut down power and communications across the island of 3.4 million people. By Thursday, Maria s floodwaters had turned the heart of the predominantly wood-built Juana Matos barrio into a series of waterways more suited to boats than walking.  It s like we re in Venice,  said 69-year-old steel worker Joaquin Rebollo, looking out across a broad channel that is normally teeming with cars.  It was a really bad experience, really bad. I almost died of fright.  Pitching the roof off his home and dozens of others in the area, Maria began to work through the wiring around the house as darkness descended across the island.  It was like (Maria) was chewing the cables,  he said, vividly making as if to bite through power lines with his teeth. Opposite him, residents trudged up to their knees in waters covering what was the main highway connecting Catano with the municipality of Bayamon further south. Rebollo and many neighbors left their homes in the hope the flooding that rose to four feet in some areas would recede. Houses locked for the storm were stripped of roofs or walls. Stranded cars stood half-sunk in driveways and satellite dishes tilted towards the sky to receive signals that had gone.  I peeked my head out during the storm and felt the wind - and saw the wood, the roof, and the windows in the air,  said Domingo Avilez, 47, who took cover inside a small cement stock room beneath his mother s house when Maria struck. By the end, the stock room was the only room left. Local officials estimate upwards of 2,000 people live in Juana Matos, and many too old or unwilling to evacuate watched from upper floors as the floodwaters turned streets into stagnant canals that seeped through their homes.  Well, we re alive,  said 75-year-old grandfather Angel Santos from the debris-strewn second floor of his wooden home.  These are the works of God, so there s nothing you can do,  Santos said, reflecting the faith evident among many Puerto Ricans hit by Maria just days after Hurricane Irma left. Even those on the edge of the flood-prone barrio in homes high enough to avoid shipping huge quantities of water suffered brutal incursions. Magdalena Oliveras, a 52-year-old housewife, showed the twisted metal blinds of her two-meter high washroom window she said had been mangled by a deluge from a nearby building. Lidia Espinal, 57, a longtime Juana Matos resident from the Dominican Republic, suffered a double blow on Wednesday morning before phone lines went down with a call from her homeland to say her younger brother had suffered a fatal heart attack. But Maria s presence meant she could not travel back.  I lost everything in my house, the good things, the roof, the windows. The stove is full of water,  she said.  But the death of my brother taught me that we can t hold on to material things. Because life does not come back.

Summary: तूफान मारिया ने प्यूर्टो रिको बैरिओ को डूबे हुए 'वेनिस' में डाल दिया


MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he faced no credible high-profile political opponents as he prepared to run for re-election in March, but would work to try to create a more balanced political system. Putin, whom critics have accused of using state TV, the courts and the police to demonize and marginalize the liberal opposition, said earlier this month he would run for re-election in March 2018 - a contest he seems sure to win comfortably and extend his grip on power into a third decade. But in a sign the former KGB officer is keen to strengthen his role as a father of the nation figure rather than as a party political figure, Putin said he planned to run as an independent candidate and garner support from more than one party.  The ruling United Russia party has traditionally backed Putin and is likely to do so again this time, but Putin clearly wants to generate a higher turnout by styling himself as someone who is above the often grubby fray of Russian party politics. Putin said it was too early to set out his electoral program, but named priority issues, aside from helping forge what he called a flexible political system, as nurturing a high-tech economy, improving infrastructure, healthcare, education, productivity and increasing people s real incomes. Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000, longer than veteran Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and outstripped only by dictator Josef Stalin. With an approval rating of around 80 percent if, as expected, he wins what would be a fourth presidential term, he will be eligible to serve another six years until 2024, when he turns 72. Putin said he was aware he faced no real competition.  The political environment, like the economic environment, needs to be competitive,  Putin told an audience of more than 1,600 Russian and foreign reporters gathered in a Moscow conference hall for his annual news conference.  I will strive for us to have a balanced political system.  He said he regretted the lack of competition, but accused his political opponents of failing to come up with any positive ideas to tackle Russia s problems.   It s important not to just make noise on public squares and speak about the regime,  said Putin.   It s important to propose something to make things better. But when you start to compare what the leaders of the opposition are proposing, especially the leaders of the non-systemic (liberal) opposition, there are a lot of problems.  Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is unlikely to be allowed to run against Putin due to what he says is a trumped up criminal conviction, posted an instant riposte on social media. He said he had launched his own program this week but accused Putin of doing his best to ignore it.

Summary: रूस के पुतिन, आसान पुनर्निर्वाचन की राह पर, प्रतिद्वंद्वियों की कमी पर विलाप करते हैं


BERLIN (Reuters) - If U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wins the election in November, it would be problematic for the entire world and encourage copycats in Europe, European Parliament President Martin Schulz told a German magazine. “Trump is not only a problem for the EU but also for the whole world,” Schulz said in an interview with Der Spiegel published online on Thursday. “If a man who shows off by not having a clue and by saying that specialist knowledge is elitist rubbish ends up in the White House, a critical point will have been reached,” said Schulz, a German center-left Social Democrat. Such a scenario would mean that there is an “obviously irresponsible man” sitting in a position that demands the utmost sense of responsibility, Schulz said. He added that he was concerned that Trump getting into power would spur on copycats in Europe. “That’s why I want Hillary Clinton to win.”

Summary: डोनाल्ड ट्रम्प पूरी दुनिया के लिए एक समस्या हैंः यूरोपीय संघ के शुल्ज


NAIROBI (Reuters) - The U.S. embassy in Eritrea said it has received reports of gunfire in several parts of the capital, Asmara, after protests erupted in one of Africa s most secretive nations.  The embassy advises U.S. citizens to avoid the downtown area where protests appear to be more prevalent,  it said in a statement late on Tuesday.  Avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place and exercise caution when in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.  It was not immediately clear what had caused the protests. Opposition outlets said the incidents were triggered after the government tried to close down an Islamic school in a predominantly Muslim district.  In some footage posted online, shots are heard being fired to disperse crowds. Via Twitter, Information Minister Yemane Ghebremeskel downplayed the protests, saying:  Small demonstration by one school in Asmara dispersed without any casualty.  Eritrea, which sits on the Red Sea coast next to one of the world s busiest shipping lanes, seceded from Ethiopia in 1991 after a three-decade war for independence.  Conflict broke out once again seven years later over a border spat with neighboring Ethiopia, and the UN has since accused the government in Asmara of committing crimes against humanity under the guise of national security.  A U.N. Commission of Inquiry report last year said that atrocities - including an indefinite military national service program that amounted to mass enslavement - had been committed since the country s independence and were ongoing. Eritrea denies the charges.

Summary: एरिट्रिया की राजधानी में गोलीबारी की आवाज सुनी गई क्योंकि विरोध प्रदर्शन शुरू हो गए, अमेरिकी दूतावास ने कहा


LONDON (Reuters) - Part of London s busy underground train system was closed on Friday following a bomb attack which police are treating as a terrorist incident. Trains between Wimbledon and Edgware Road in west London on the District line were suspended swiftly after the incident.  A further stretch of the District line between High St Kensington and Edgware Road which had reopened was closed again due to the attack which injured 22 people.  It is related to the Parsons Green incident,  a spokesman for Transport for London said.

Summary: पहले के बम के कारण पश्चिम लंदन मेट्रो लाइन का एक हिस्सा बंद कर दिया गया