YANGON/NAYPYITAW (Reuters) - Members of the U.S. Congress said on Tuesday operations carried out against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar had “all the hallmarks” of ethnic cleansing, while the country’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi expressed doubts about allegations of rights abuses. The U.S. Senate members also said they were disturbed by a “violent and disproportionate” security response to Rohingya militant attacks that have driven more than 600,000 people from Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh. Human rights monitors have accused Myanmar’s military of atrocities, including mass rape, against the stateless Rohingya during so-called clearance operations following insurgent attacks on 30 police posts and an army base. Myanmar’s government has denied most of the claims, and the army last week said its own probe found no evidence of wrongdoing by troops. “We are not hearing of any violations going on at the moment,” Suu Kyi told reporters in response to a question about human rights abuses at the end of the Asia-Europe Meeting, or ASEM, in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw. “We can’t say whether it has happened or not. As a responsibility of the government, we have to make sure that it won’t happen.” Nobel laureate Suu Kyi said she hoped talks with Bangladesh’s foreign minister this week would lead to a deal on the “safe and voluntary return” of those who have fled. Suu Kyi’s less than two-year old civilian government has faced heavy international criticism for its response to the crisis, though it has no control over the generals it has to share power with under Myanmar’s transition to power after decades of military rule. While a top UN official has described the military’s actions as a textbook case of “ethnic cleansing”, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on a visit to Myanmar last week refused to label it as such. In early November, U.S. lawmakers proposed targeted sanctions and travel restrictions on Myanmar military officials. Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, who was among the sponsors of the legislation introduced in the Senate, led a congressional delegation that visited Rakhine this week, but was blocked from traveling to the violence-hit north of the state and to Rohingya camps. The group also traveled to Cox’s Bazar district in Bangladesh, where Rohingya refugees are huddled into makeshift camps and fed by overstretched aid agencies. “Many refugees have suffered direct attacks including loved ones, children and husbands being killed in front of them, wives and daughters being raped, burns and other horrific injuries. This has all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing,” Merkley told reporters in Myanmar on Tuesday. “We are profoundly disturbed by the violent and disproportionate response against the Rohingya by the military and local groups,” he said. The delegation called for Myanmar to allow an investigation into the alleged atrocities that would involve the international community. “We want to emphasize that the world is watching,” Merkley said, adding that it was important Myanmar allow anyone who wants to come back to return to their homes and their farms. Merkley said the delegation was “not here today to recommend…what the U.S. government would do or should do,” when asked about the legislation introduced in the Congress. Myanmar officials have so far said they plan to resettle most returnees in new “model villages”, rather than on the land they previously occupied, an approach the United Nations has criticized in the past as effectively creating permanent camps. “Individuals cannot be coming back…simply to return to camps where there would be continued discrimination, restrictions on full participation in the economy and society,” said Merkley. He warned that isolating people in camps creates a “two-tier society that is fundamentally incompatible with the future of democracy and it guarantees perpetuation of suspicions and misunderstandings and conflicts.” Speaking earlier on Tuesday, Suu Kyi said discussions would be held with the Bangladesh foreign minister on Wednesday and Thursday about repatriation. Officials from both countries began talks last month on how to process the Rohingya wanting to return. “We hope that this would result in an MOU signed quickly, which would enable us to start the safe and voluntarily return of all of those who have gone across the border,” Suu Kyi said. The Rohingya are largely stateless and many people in Myanmar view them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Suu Kyi said Myanmar would follow the framework of an  agreement reached in the 1990s to cover the earlier repatriation of Rohingya, who had fled to Bangladesh to escape previous bouts of ethnic violence. That agreement did not address the citizenship status of Rohingya, and Bangladesh has been pressing for a repatriation process that provided Rohingya with more safeguards this time. “It’s on the basis of residency...this was agreed by the two governments long time ago with success, so this will be formula we will continue to follow,” Suu Kyi said. Earlier talks between the two countries reached a broad agreement to work out a repatriation deal, but a senior Myanmar official later accused Bangladesh of dragging its feet in order to secure funding from aid agencies for hosting the refugees.

Summary: अमेरिकी कांग्रेस के सदस्यों ने म्यांमार में 'जातीय सफाई' की निंदा की; सू की को आरोपों पर संदेह है


SHAMLAPUR, Bangladesh/DHAKA (Reuters) - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi came under more pressure on Tuesday to halt violence against Rohingya Muslims that has sent nearly 125,000 of them fleeing over the border to Bangladesh in just over 10 days. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the risk of ethnic cleansing and regional destabilization. He   urged the U.N. Security Council to press for restraint and calm in a rare letter to express concern that the violence could spiral into a  humanitarian catastrophe.  Reuters reporters saw hundreds more exhausted Rohingya arriving on boats near the Bangladeshi border village of Shamlapur on Tuesday, suggesting the exodus was far from over. The International Organization for Migration said humanitarian assistance needed to increase urgently and that     it and partner agencies had an immediate funding gap of $18 million over the next three months to boost lifesaving services for the new arrivals. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said after meeting Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka that Jakarta was ready to help Bangladesh in dealing with the crisis.  This humanitarian crisis shall be ended. I want to repeat, this humanitarian crisis shall be ended , she told reporters in Dhaka, a day after she held talks in the Myanmar capital. The latest violence in Myanmar s northwestern Rakhine state began on Aug. 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked dozens of police posts and an army base. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive have killed at least 400 people and triggered the exodus of villagers to Bangladesh. Myanmar officials blamed Rohingya militants for the burning of homes and civilian deaths, but rights monitors and Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh say the Myanmar army is trying to force them out with a campaign of arson and killings. When asked if the violence could be described as ethnic cleansing, Guterres told reporters on Tuesday:  We are facing a risk, I hope we don t get there.   I appeal to all, all authorities in Myanmar, civilian authorities and military authorities, to indeed put an end to this violence that, in my opinion, is creating a situation that can destabilize the region,  he said. The treatment of Buddhist-majority Myanmar s roughly 1.1 million Muslim Rohingya is the biggest challenge facing Suu Kyi, who has been accused by Western critics of not speaking out for the minority that has long complained of persecution. Myanmar says its security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against  terrorists.   H.T. Imam, a political adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said other countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations could join Indonesia in putting pressure on fellow member Myanmar. Malaysia, another ASEAN member, summoned Myanmar s ambassador to express displeasure over the violence and scolded Myanmar for making  little, if any  progress on the problem.  Malaysia believes that the matter of sustained violence and discrimination against the Rohingyas should be elevated to a higher international forum,  Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said in a statement. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who has said the violence against Rohingyas constituted genocide, told Suu Kyi the violence was of deep concern to the Muslim world, and that he was sending his foreign minister to Bangladesh. Pakistan, home to a large Rohingya community, has expressed  deep anguish  over the situation. About 210,000 Rohingya have sought refuge in Bangladesh since October, when Rohingya insurgents staged smaller attacks on security posts, triggering a major Myanmar army counter-offensive. Refugees arriving in Shamlapur, and residents of the village, said hundreds of boats arrived on Monday and Tuesday with several thousand people. Reuters reporters saw men, women and children with a few possessions, including chickens, disembark from one boat.  The army set fire to houses,  said Salim Ullah, 28, a farmer from Myanmar s village of Kyauk Pan Du, gripping a sack of belongings.  We got on the boat at daybreak. I came with my mother, wife and two children. There were 40 people on the boat.  The new arrivals - many sick or wounded - have strained the resources of aid agencies and communities already helping hundreds of thousands of refugees from previous spasms of violence in Myanmar.     Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said one camp in Bangladesh, Kutupalong, had reached  full capacity  and resources at others were stretched.  We are doing what we can, but will need to seek more resources,  Tan said. Bangladesh is concerned about Myanmar army activity on the border and would lodge a complaint if Bangladeshi territory was violated, an Interior Ministry official said. A Bangladesh border guard officer said two blasts were heard on Tuesday on the Myanmar side, after two on Monday fueled speculation Myanmar forces had laid land mines. One boy had his left leg blown off near a border crossing before being brought to Bangladesh for treatment, while another boy suffered minor injuries, the officer, Manzurul Hassan Khan, said, adding the blast could have been a mine explosion. The Myanmar army has not commented on the blasts but said in a statement on Tuesday that Rohingya insurgents were planning bomb attacks in Myanmar cities including the capital, Naypyitaw, Yangon and Mandalay to  attract more attention from the world .

Summary: म्यांमार की सू की दबाव में हैं क्योंकि लगभग 1,25,000 रोहिंग्या हिंसा से भाग रहे हैं


MOSCOW (Reuters) - Six Russian long-range bombers struck Islamic State targets near the town of Albu Kamal in Syria s Deir al-Zor Province on Wednesday, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement. The TU-22M3 bombers took off from bases in Russia and overflew Iran and Iraq before launching the strike, it said.  The ministry said the planes had bombed Islamic State supply depots, militants, and armored vehicles and that satellite and drone surveillance had confirmed that all of the designated targets had been destroyed.  It said Sukhoi-30SM fighter jets, based at the Hmeymim air base in Syria used by Russian forces, had escorted the bombers while they were in Syrian air space and that all the bombers had safely returned to their bases. Russia on Tuesday accused the United States of providing de-facto cover for Islamic State units in Syria and of only pretending to fight terrorism in the Middle East. Specifically, the Russian Defence Ministry said the U.S. air force had tried to hinder Russian strikes on Islamic State militants around Albu Kamal. Asked about the Russian allegations, Colonel Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State, said:   The Russian ministry of defense statements are about as accurate as their air campaign and I think that is a reason for them to start, you know, coming out with their latest barrage of lies.

Summary: रूसी लंबी दूरी के बमवर्षकों ने सीरिया में इस्लामिक स्टेट के ठिकानों पर हमला किया


PARIS/BERLIN (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron, concerned that a divisive discussion over euro zone reform might undermine his broader European agenda, has begun prioritizing other areas of EU cooperation, French officials say. Macron hinted at the shift at an EU summit in October when he described his plan to create a budget for the 19-nation currency bloc as a long-term project whose logic would become clear once Europe moved towards closer integration in other areas, such as defense, migration, energy and digital. Since then, French officials have told Reuters the Elysee does not want to get bogged down in a technical debate over euro zone reform at a time when the EU can deliver on other fronts that may resonate more with the public.  The euro zone is just one piece of the puzzle and I don t necessarily think it s the best one to start with,  one senior official said.  It is not our goal to have a technocratic discussion about the budget and how it would work.  During his election campaign, 39-year-old Macron talked intently about euro zone reform, seeing it as critical to strengthening the European project after years of tumult and ensuring another sovereign debt crisis didn t occur. After barely two decades of the euro, he wanted to make sure the single currency project had the strength and flexibility to last the long-run, while remaining responsive to the 350 million EU citizens who depend on it daily. French officials stress that Macron has not discarded his ideas for the euro zone. But the decision to shift them down the priority list is a recognition of the political realities in Europe. It also underscores an irony: for years German Chancellor Angela Merkel waited for an ambitious partner in France. Now she has one, but is less able to deliver herself. Germany, with which Macron had hoped to agree deep changes to euro area governance in the first half of 2018, faces months of political limbo as Merkel tries to cobble together a coalition. Early signals from Germany and other EU members have underscored how difficult it will be for Macron to deliver on his euro zone ambitions, which call for the budget, a finance minister and a separate parliament for the currency bloc. It did not go unnoticed in Paris that the new Dutch government, in its October coalition agreement, voiced opposition to any euro zone fiscal mechanism to cushion economic shocks. Earlier this month, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte spoke of his opposition to more European integration and other ideas  coming from France . A new right-wing government in Austria could adopt a similar stance to the Dutch.  Focusing on the technical details of European reform is the wrong approach,  said Sylvie Goulard, a former member of the European Parliament who served briefly as Macron s defense minister.  You really need to focus on the bigger picture - the challenge from (U.S President Donald) Trump and from China,  she said, echoing the view from people in Macron s entourage. On Friday, leaders of the 19 nations that use the euro meet in Brussels to discuss how to strengthen their currency union. The meeting is unlikely to produce anything concrete, due to political uncertainty in Berlin, and the EU goal of agreeing concrete proposals by June now looks ambitious. The prospect of another German  grand coalition  that includes the Macron-friendly Social Democrats (SPD) has alleviated some of concerns in Paris. SPD leader Martin Schulz made clear in a speech last week that he would put Europe at the top of his party s agenda in looming negotiations with Merkel, calling for a  United States of Europe  by 2025. But whether the weakened Schulz, who barely talked about Europe during the election campaign, can push Merkel towards Macron on the issue of euro zone reform is questionable.  I am very skeptical. I don t share the big hopes for the Merkel and Macron couple,  Henrik Enderlein, who heads the Berlin office of the Delors Institute, said last week at an event at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. The more cautious stance in Paris also reflects doubts about Merkel s own commitment to the changes Macron is seeking. During her coalition talks with the Free Democrats and Greens, which collapsed last month, Merkel was not an enthusiastic advocate for Macron s ideas, according to several participants from the Greens party. One central difference between Berlin and Paris has become obvious in recent months. While Macron has pushed for a multi-speed Europe in which France and Germany lead the way, there is a cross-party consensus in Berlin that any reform push should include a broad swathe of EU members. That s a position that is also backed by the European Commission. The contrast was apparent during French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire s visit to Berlin last month, where he sparred with the Greens on the inclusiveness issue, participants said. Officials in Berlin have been impressed by Macron s domestic reform push and there is a broad consensus in Merkel s party that the next German government must find ways to work with the French president. On Monday, she vowed to work with France on a joint corporate tax policy, digital initiatives and the harmonization of arms export policies. But there was no mention of his euro zone ideas.  There is still the old instinct to do as little as possible on the euro area,  said Jeromin Zettelmeyer, a former official in the German economy ministry who developed euro zone reform ideas with Macron s team when he was French economy minister.  But the old instinct to do as little as possible to accommodate France, that is gone. There is a sense that something constructive must be done.

Summary: जैसे-जैसे प्रतिरोध बढ़ता जा रहा है, मैक्रों ने अपना ध्यान यूरो सुधारों से हटा दिया है


AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A Texas bill that would restrict insurance coverage for abortions was approved by the state’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Wednesday, a move critics called cruel and damaging to women’s health. The House measure would ban insurance coverage for abortions and require women who wanted coverage to purchase a supplemental plan for an abortion, the latest effort by the most-populous Republican-controlled state to place restrictions on the procedure. If enacted, the bill would take effect on Dec. 1 and make Texas the 11th state to restrict abortion coverage in private insurance plans written in the state.  The Republican-dominated Senate has passed a similar bill, and Republican Governor Greg Abbott has shown support for the measures.  The bill’s backers say it would protect abortion opponents from subsidizing the procedure. A Democratic critic decried it as forcing people to buy “rape insurance.” “It’s a question of economic freedom and freedom in general,” Republican Representative John Smithee, the bill’s sponsor, said in House debate on Tuesday ahead of the bill receiving preliminary approval. The Republican sponsor of the Senate bill, Brandon Creighton, has told local media supplemental coverage would cost $12 to $80 a year House Bill 214, which passed mostly on a party-line vote, does not offer exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Abortion rights groups are likely fight the measure in court if enacted. “Women and parents will be faced with the horrific decision of having to purchase ‘rape insurance’ to cover them if they are victimized,” Democratic Representative Chris Turner said in a statement. “This is not only ridiculous, but it is cruel.”  Idaho, Kansas and Oklahoma are among the 10 other states that make abortion coverage a supplement on private plans. There are 25 states with restrictions on abortion coverage in plans set up by state exchanges as part of the Affordable Care Act under former Democratic President Barack Obama, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks such legislation.  “It is surprising that Texas has not done this before,” said Elizabeth Nash, senior state issues manager for Guttmacher. The insurance measure is one of several bills concerning abortion before Texas lawmakers in a special session that runs through next week. The Senate has already approved bills that include requiring physicians to improve notification of complications that occur during abortions and another that prohibits local governments from having contracts with abortion providers and their affiliates.

Summary: गर्भपात के लिए बीमा कवरेज को प्रतिबंधित करने वाला टेक्सास विधेयक मंजूरी के करीब


VENICE (Reuters) - The Italian government is ready to open negotiations with Lombardy and Veneto after the two wealthy regions voted overwhelmingly for greater autonomy, Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Tuesday. Unlike a recent referendum on independence in Catalonia, which sparked a political crisis in Spain, the Italian votes this weekend were legal, but not binding on Rome. Making clear he had no intention of making a drama out of the twin ballots, Gentiloni said he was ready to discuss how Lombardy and Veneto wanted to proceed.  Here we are talking about how to make Italy work better. We are not calling into question Italy and its unity,  Gentiloni said during a visit to an oil refinery close to Venice, the capital of the northeastern Veneto region.  The government is ready to look into the merits of this ... it will be a complex discussion that can t be done in five minutes,  he added. Regional governments have the right to ask for greater oversight in 23 policy areas, including the environment, infrastructure, health and education. The most delicate negotiations are likely to be over tax returns, with Veneto demanding that it be allowed to spend 90 percent of all the taxes raised on its own territory. Among Italy s 20 regions, Lombardy and Veneto account for just under a third of its economic output and are home to around 25 percent of its population. Italy s poorer, less developed southern regions are worried that they will receive less funding in future if Lombardy and Veneto get to keep more of their own tax take. Five regions in Italy   the islands of Sicily and Sardinia and three relatively small border areas with linguistic minorities   already have special autonomous status under the constitution. Veneto wants to join them. However, this would need a change to the constitution, which the government seems unwilling to accept.  We are ready (to grant greater powers) within the limits fixed by our laws and by our constitution,  Gentiloni said. Negotiations are likely to take many months and look certain to be interrupted by national elections due by next May. Any deal between the government and the regions will have to be approved by parliament.  The latest opinion polls suggest a hung parliament will emerge from the forthcoming election, making it impossible to predict the government formation that will carry on the negotiations. (Refiles, changing headline)

Summary: अधिक स्वायत्तता के आह्वान पर चर्चा के लिए तैयार है इटलीः जेंटिलोनी


DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland s scandal-hit deputy prime minister resigned on Tuesday, averting a government collapse and potential snap election that had threatened to complicate Brexit talks next month between Britain and the European Union.  Opposition parties had demanded Frances Fitzgerald step down after the release of fresh documents about her disputed handling of a police whistleblower who alleged corruption in the force. Fianna Fail, the main opposition party, which props up Fine Gael Prime Minister Leo Varadkar s minority government, said her resignation meant a December election would be avoided. It had warned it might force a snap poll if Fitzgerald refused to quit.  Today I made the decision to tender my resignation to the Taoiseach (prime minister), stepping down with immediate effect,  Fitzgerald said in a statement.  I have decided on this occasion to put the national interest ahead of my own personal reputation. I believe it is necessary to take this decision to avoid an unwelcome and potentially destabilizing general election at this historically critical time.  Ireland s political crisis exploded in the run-up to a key Brexit summit next month at which Varadkar is set to play a major role. He must tell fellow EU leaders whether he believes sufficient progress has been made on the future of the border between Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland.  The border   the only land frontier between Britain and the EU   is one of three issues Brussels wants broadly resolved before it decides whether to move talks on Britain s divorce from the EU onto a second phase about trade, as Britain wants. While Varadkar has likely avoided the prospect of having to travel to Brussels in a caretaker capacity, his handling of the crisis has badly damaged him, his governing Fine Gael party and relations with its Fianna Fail opponents. While Fitzgerald s ministerial colleagues continued to back her in public ahead of the cabinet meeting at which she stood down, Tuesday s newspaper front pages were full of quotes from unnamed Fine Gael lawmakers and ministers saying she had to go. Some Fine Gael members who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said they were furious with Varadkar and Fitzgerald s handling of the crisis, having been forced to spend four days strongly defending the deputy prime minister since it broke. Members of the opposition Labour and Sinn Fein parties and political analysts said as Fitzgerald resigned that an election was still likely to follow in the next three or four months.   Whatever happens today, the timeline of this administration is very much foreshortened by the events of the last two weeks,  Labour leader Brendan Howlin told national broadcaster RTE.  I think right now he (Varadkar) has probably lost the dressing room, you can see that in today s newspapers, and he s done some damage to himself and the stability of the government too,  added Howlin, a former cabinet colleague of Varadkar. The crisis was the first major test of the 38-year-old prime minister who succeeded Enda Kenny in June. With a reputation as a straight-talker, he has been likened to French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by colleagues excited at the prospect of a generational shift. While an opinion poll on Saturday gave Fine Gael a one-point lead over Fianna Fail, bookmaker Paddy Power said on Tuesday that it made Fianna Fail slight favorites to win the most seats at the next election. The two center-right parties are fierce rivals but disagree little on policy. A three-year confidence and supply agreement between them is due to run until this time next year.   I think there is damage (but) nobody is enhanced by this debacle. I don t think either party comes out of it particularly well,  said Theresa Reidy, a politics lecturer at University College Cork, referring to Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.   But Fine Gael are in government so they are more damaged by it.

Summary: आयरलैंड के उप प्रधानमंत्री ने दिया इस्तीफा, चुनाव का खतरा टला


BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control parts of the country, said on Sunday the U.N.-backed government was obsolete and he would listen to the will of the people, a firm hint he may run in elections expected next year. Haftar styles himself as a strongman capable of ending the chaos of armed factions that has gripped oil-producing Libya since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. His comments, made at a military graduation ceremony, recall those of Egyptian General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi when he was testing the ground before becoming a presidential candidate. Sisi was eventually elected in 2014. Just as Sisi built up wide support after toppling Egypt s Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in 2013, supporters of Haftar speak of a similar situation developing in Libya, with rallies held in some eastern cities calling on him to run.  We declare clearly and unequivocally our full compliance with the orders of the free Libyan people, which is its own guardian and the master of its land,  Haftar said in a speech. He spoke in the eastern city of Benghazi, from where his forces managed to expel Islamist militants during a three-year battle. Haftar also dismissed a series of United Nations-led talks to bridge differences between Libya s two rival administrations, one linked to him in the east and one backed by the United Nations in the capital Tripoli, which he now declared obsolete.  Despite all the brilliant slogans during talks between rivals for power from the dialogue of Ghadames (Libya) and ending in Tunisia via Geneva, Skhirat (Morocco) and others, all of were just ink on paper,  he said, listing host cities of U.N. talks. The U.N. has tried to find a solution including Haftar who said his command had been threatened with sanctions should he seek a deal outside the dialogue. Some 1,000 Haftar supporters rallied in Benghazi, demanding the general take over after a U.N. deal for a political solution missed what they said was a self-imposed deadline on Sunday.  The U.N. says no such timeline exists and its mediation will continue. The turnout was smaller than initially expected. In Tripoli, home to a government opposed by Haftar, an unknown armed faction opened fire in the air to disperse some 150 supporters of the general on the central martyrs square, witnesses said. Nobody was hurt. The U.N. launched a new round of talks in September in Tunis between the rival factions to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2018, but they broke off after one month without any deal. A formidable obstacle to progress was the issue of Haftar s own rule. He remains popular among some Libyans in the east weary of the chaos but faces opposition from many in western Libya. In his speech Haftar said his forces, known as the Libyan National Army (LNA), could only be placed under an authority that had been elected by the Libyan people - a further  indication that he might take part in the election. The large North African country has been in turmoil since Gaddafi s downfall opened up space to Islamist militants and smuggling networks that have sent hundreds of thousands of migrants across the Mediterranean to Europe. Haftar is just one of many players in Libya, which is controlled by armed groups divided along political, religious, regional and business lines. Aguila Saleh, president of the eastern House of Representatives that backs Haftar, said it was time to start preparing for parliamentary and presidential elections, according to a video posted on social media.

Summary: पूर्वी लीबिया के कमांडर हफ्तार का कहना है कि U.N.-backed सरकार अप्रचलित हो गई है, चुनावों में संकेत चल सकते हैं


LONDON (Reuters) - Britain s 91-year-old Queen Elizabeth has asked her eldest son, Prince Charles, to lay a wreath on her behalf at London s main war memorial on Remembrance Sunday, breaking with her usual custom of laying it herself. The monarch will view the long wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in central London on Nov. 12 from the balcony of the nearby Foreign Office, alongside her husband Prince Philip, who is 96.  At Her Majesty s request, a wreath will be laid on her behalf by The Prince of Wales,  Buckingham Palace said in a statement, referring to the heir-to-the-throne by his official title. The wreath-laying itself involves bending over to place the wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph, then walking backwards down a few steps. A palace source said the queen had primarily made the decision to view the ceremony from the balcony to be with her husband, whilst also acknowledging that the event itself was demanding for someone in their 90s. The head of state has been gradually reducing her workload and younger royals including Charles have been taking up some of her duties. Philip retired from public life in August but was keen to attend the annual ceremony, which commemorates the fallen of two World Wars and later conflicts. The queen has missed the wreath-laying ceremony only six times in her 65-year reign.  On four of those occasions she was on foreign visits: to Ghana in 1961, Brazil in 1968, Kenya in 1983 and South Africa in 1999. She also missed the ceremonies in 1959 and 1963, before the births of her two youngest children, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

Summary: ब्रिटेन की महारानी एलिजाबेथ ने श्रद्धांजलि समारोह में पुष्पांजलि अर्पित की


MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday her cabinet fully backed her approach to Brexit, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Johnson, a leading campaigner to leave the European Union in last year s referendum, has set out a number of demands in recent weeks over how Britain should leave the bloc that go beyond May s plans.  What I have is a cabinet that is united in the mission of the government,  May told BBC television.   Boris is absolutely behind the Florence speech and the line that we have taken,  she said in reference to a speech she made in Italy last month about her approach to Brexit.

Summary: ब्रिटिश पीएम मे ने कहा कि विदेश मंत्री जॉनसन उनकी ब्रेक्सिट योजनाओं का समर्थन करते हैं


TORONTO (Reuters) - The attention paid by Americans to the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Washington this week sparked cynicism and delight back home, as Canadians more accustomed to being ignored weren’t entirely sure what to make of the fanfare. With photos of the visit between Trudeau and U.S. President Barack Obama gracing Friday’s front pages of the New York Times and Washington Post, Canadians lined up to dismiss and embrace the high-profile of the visit in equal measure. “The American media noticed us!” a headline in Canada’s National Post newspaper noted in mock delight, as it devoted the entire front page to a photo of Obama and Trudeau hugging, eyes closed, and the next four pages to details of the visit, noting the “budding bromance” between Obama and Trudeau. But columnist Rex Murphy noted the parallels between the media attention of Trudeau and that devoted to the newly elected Obama years earlier, and the risk of being judged on style before substance is proven: “... while it’s always nice for Canada, or her representatives, to be in America’s and the world’s eye, too much should not be made of it.”  The election of the photogenic Trudeau, 44, in October has vaulted Canada from obscurity to celebrity abroad, with foreign news outlets and fashion magazines alike praising the Liberal prime minister for his progressive take on feminism, the environment and refugees, as well as his good looks. That global audiences are joining the homegrown “Trudeaumania,” a phenomenon first seen a generation ago amid the popularity of Trudeau’s father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, leaves Canadians a bit bemused. “You would think that this was tantamount to the moon landing!” one commenter wrote in response to a Canadian Broadcasting Corp solicitation for comments on what Canadians thought of the Washington visit. “Enough with the glitter and love-ins,” another chimed in, trying to counter a wave of positive comment about the success of Trudeau on the world stage. But while the Toronto Star, the nation’s largest newspaper, acknowledged the high-profile visit would be hard for cynical Canadians to take, it cautioned against scorning the fanfare. “Dismiss showmanship at your peril because without it, we are nothing more than squabbles over soft-wood lumber and country-of-origin labeling. It may not last. But right now it is a win for Canada,” columnist Tim Harper wrote.

Summary: कनाडा के प्रधानमंत्री के लिए अमेरिकी धूमधाम ने घर में भौहें उठा दीं


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping to congratulate him on a new leadership line-up unveiled at the Communist Party Congress in Beijing. The two also discussed North Korea and trade, Trump said in a Twitter post. “Spoke to President Xi of China to congratulate him on his extraordinary elevation. Also discussed NoKo & trade, two very important subjects!” Trump wrote. Xi told Trump China would “unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development” and promote “coordination and cooperation among world major powers”, the official Xinhua news agency reported late on Wednesday. “China attaches great importance to the Sino-U.S. relations and is willing to promote the long-term, healthy and stable development of bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefits,” Xinhua cited Xi as saying. Trump is expected to meet Xi when he visits China next month, when the two are likely to discuss issues related to North Korea and U.S.-China trade.

Summary: ट्रंप ने चीन के राष्ट्रपति शी जिनपिंग को 'असाधारण पदोन्नति' के लिए बधाई दी


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday that he sees a 50 percent probability that Republicans will be able to pass their healthcare bill. “I think they have at best a 50-50 chance of passing this bill,” he said in an interview with ABC’s “This Week.”

Summary: शीर्ष सीनेट डेमोक्रेट शूमरः 50-50 संभावना है कि रिपब्लिकन स्वास्थ्य सेवा विधेयक पारित कर दें


(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has urged its people to report subversive comments spotted on social media via a phone app, a move denounced by a human rights watchdog as  Orwellian . The appeal, announced on a Twitter account run by the interior ministry late on Tuesday, coincides with an apparent crackdown on potential government critics and a call by exiled opposition figures for demonstrations.  When you notice any account on social networks publishing terrorist or extremist ideas, please report it immediately via the application #We re_all_security , it said, referring to a mobile phone app launched last year to enable civilians to report traffic violations and burglaries. Hours later, the public prosecutor tweeted a section of the kingdom s terrorism law which states:  Endangering national unity, obstructing the Basic Law of governance or some of its articles, and harming the state s reputation or status are terrorist crimes.  Exiled Saudi critics have called for demonstrations on Friday to galvanize opposition to the royal family and prominent clerics, intellectuals and activists, including prominent Islamist cleric Sheikh Salman al-Awdah, have been detained this week, activists say. Activists circulated lists of people detained on social media showing the number had risen to around 30 on Wednesday, including some with no clear links to Islamist activity or obvious history of opposition. Protests are banned in Saudi Arabia, as are political parties. Unions are illegal, the press is controlled and criticism of the royal family can lead to prison.  Riyadh says it does not have political prisoners, but senior officials have said monitoring activists is needed to maintain social stability. The detentions reported by activists follow widespread speculation, denied by officials, that King Salman intends to abdicate to his son, Crown Prince Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who dominates economic, diplomatic and domestic policy. There are also growing tensions with Qatar over its alleged support of Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood which is listed by Riyadh as a terrorist organization. Some Twitter users expressed support for the government s approach, using the  We re all Security  hashtag.  No flattery, no silence whether for a relative or friend in securing the homeland,  said one.  Defend your security. Chaos starts with slogans of freedom and reform. Do not believe them.  Another user called on people to photograph any  low-lifes  protesting on Friday and upload them to the app. Human Rights Watch, a New York-based watchdog, condemned the government dragnet, saying it called into question the authorities  commitment to free speech and the rule of law.  Saudi Arabia is reaching a new level of Orwellian reality when it goes beyond security services  repression and outsources monitoring of citizens  online comments to other citizens,  said Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson, referring to English writer George Orwell s dystopian novel  Nineteen Eighty-Four .  Saudi Arabia s new leadership is quickly showing it has no tolerance for critical thought or speech and is marshalling Saudi society to enforce red lines by spying on itself.  The government has not clearly acknowledged this week s detentions or responded to requests for comment. But state news agency SPA said on Tuesday authorities had uncovered  intelligence activities for the benefit of foreign parties  by a group of people it did not identify. A Saudi security source told Reuters the suspects were accused of  espionage activities and having contacts with external entities including the Muslim Brotherhood , which Riyadh has classified as a terrorist organization. The government toughened its stance on dissent following the Arab Spring in 2011 after it averted unrest by offering billions of dollars in handouts and state spending. But the Brotherhood, which represents an ideological threat to Riyadh s dynastic system of rule, has gained power elsewhere in the region. Since the kingdom s founding, the ruling Al Saud family has enjoyed a close alliance with clerics of the ultra-conservative Wahhabi school of Islam. In return, the clerics have espoused a political philosophy that demands obedience to the ruler. By contrast the Muslim Brotherhood advances an active political doctrine urging revolutionary action, which flies in the face of Wahhabi teaching. The Brotherhood-inspired Sahwa movement in the 1990s agitated to bring democracy to Saudi Arabia and criticized the ruling family for corruption, social liberalization and working with the West, including allowing U.S. troops into the kingdom during the 1991 Iraq war.  The Sahwa were largely undermined by a mixture of repression and co-optation but remain active. The al-Saud family has always regarded Islamist groups as the biggest internal threat to its rule over a country in which appeals to religious sentiment cannot be lightly dismissed and an al Qaeda campaign a decade ago killed hundreds. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and transport links with Qatar in June over its alleged support for Islamist militants, a charge that Doha denies.

Summary: सऊदी अरब ने सोशल मीडिया के मुखबिरों को 'ऑरवेलियन' करार दिया


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee flatly denied on Monday that there had been a wiretap on President Donald Trump’s Trump Tower in New York, but said it was possible other surveillance was used against Trump. “Let me be clear: We know there was not a wiretap on Trump Tower. However, it’s still possible that other surveillance activities were used against President Trump and his associates,” Republican Representative Devin Nunes said in his opening statement at a hearing on Russia’s involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Nunes said “numerous” current and former U.S. officials had leaked potentially classified information, and that his committee intended to identify them to bring them to justice.

Summary: हाउस इंटेलिजेंस पैनल के अध्यक्ष का कहना है कि ट्रम्प टॉवर पर कोई वायरटेप नहीं था


SYDNEY/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Investors and traders in Asia indicated on Monday they are mostly increasing their bets on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton winning the U.S. presidential race after the second of three debates with Republican party nominee Donald Trump.  Some, though remain cautious, saying there was still a chance of a surprise Trump win. They said many in the markets were wary after being burned by the shock “Brexit” vote in June. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged up around 0.1 percent by mid-afternoon in Singapore on Monday, while Wall Street index futures were little changed after Clinton exchanged barbs with Republican party nominee Donald Trump in the televised event, which was shown live across trading rooms during Asia’s morning.  The 90-minute debate quickly turned into an acrimonious discussion of a 2005 video that emerged on Friday in which Trump was heard using vulgar language and talking about groping women.  The controversy has caused some senior Republicans to withdraw their support for him.  “For those that think that Trump has a very, very low chance of winning the U.S. elections it might be a good time to go long on global equities,” said Itay Tuchman, Citi’s head of markets for Australia and New Zealand. Markets could be prematurely pricing in a Clinton victory, as they did during the “Brexit” vote in June, when the United Kingdom voted unexpectedly to leave the European Union, said Lee Jin Yang, research analyst for Aberdeen Asset Management in Singapore. “We need to remember that Brexit only became a key focus one week before the vote. The market had priced in near zero probability of it happening but it did.”  According to a CNN online poll, Clinton won the debate by  57 percent to 34 percent. But Josh Crabb, head of Asian equities at Old Mutual Global Investors in Hong Kong, said he is wary of such polls - especially after Brexit.  “The way that mainstream media, and a lot of commentators, interpret the outcome of the debate may be different to what the voting public in general takes away,” Crabb said. “That is a concern because often, a lot of these polls have not been quite as accurate as people are expecting.” Mathan Somasundarum, a strategist at stock brokerage Baillieu Holst in Sydney, said a Clinton victory would reduce the risk of the United States adopting a strong trade protectionist policy. Trump has been highly critical of the NAFTA trade deal with Mexico and Canada as well as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which has yet to be ratified by the U.S. Congress. He has promised to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it. “I would expect the U.S. dollar to weaken and you would expect then there is some pressure coming off emerging markets, and then commodities, which (are a) proxy for emerging markets,” Somasundarum said. “China, commodities and the Aussie dollar should do better.” While the markets had already begun to price in a Clinton victory even before the Republican party’s crisis over Trump’s 2005 remarks, some are beginning to game out what would happen if the Democrats won both houses of Congress, which are now Republican controlled.  The possibility of the Democrats controlling Congress and the White House is a concern to some in the markets as they see it leading to more regulation of businesses and higher taxes. “Over time, people will start thinking, is this going to mean a big difference in the way taxation works? Is it going to mean more government involvement?,” said Crabb at Old Mutual Global in Hong Kong. “But the immediate reaction will be a relief rally.” Angus Gluskie, managing director of White Funds Management in Sydney, said while markets usually view one party dominating the government as a risk, it could be different this time. “Investors have been disappointed by the political stalemate over recent years, which has prevented meaningful and well-needed changes being pursued,” Gluskie said. Steven Friedman, senior investment strategist at BNP Paris bas Investment Partners in New York, said he saw little in the debate that represented a game-changer for either candidate. “This obviously plays to Clinton’s advantage, given her lead in the polls,” he said. Strategists in a recent Reuters equity poll mostly viewed an election victory on Nov. 8 by Clinton as more positive for the stock market through the end of the year, largely because her positions - unlike her opponent’s - are well-known.  Chris Brankin, chief executive at stock brokerage TD Ameritrade Asia, said he thought Trump was much better prepared for the town hall debate in St. Louis than he was for the first debate, and that could give markets some pause.  “I have always said markets ‘know what they get’ with Hillary, as she as always been seen as pro-Wall Street and Trump is a bit of an unknown for investors.   “After tonight’s debate I still think there are a lot of questions as who will be elected into office next month and markets are probably going to remain range-bound till after the U.S. elections.”

Summary: एशियाई निवेशकों, व्यापारियों ने चुनावी बहस के बाद क्लिंटन की जीत पर दांव लगाया


KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia has asked Interpol to try to locate a Malaysian financier for questioning over his suspected involvement in a multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the deputy prime minister said on Monday. The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to seize $1.7 billion in assets that it said were bought with misappropriated funds from 1MDB, according to dozens of civil lawsuits filed by the department in the past two years.  The assets include a private jet, a hotel and real estate in New York, and a $107 million interest in EMI Music Publishing bought by Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, the lawsuits said.  Low, whose whereabouts are unknown, has not been charged with any crime. But U.S. authorities have said they are pursuing a criminal probe into 1MDB-linked transactions.      We are confident Interpol will act professionally, but the police have yet to receive any detailed information (on Low s whereabouts),  Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in parliament. A spokesman for Low could not be reached for comment. Low has previously denied any wrongdoing, saying that the U.S. Justice Department s actions were  a further example of global overreach in pursuit of a deeply flawed case . Interpol did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.  1MDB, founded by Prime Minister Najib Razak, is facing money laundering probes in at least six countries including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore. A total of $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB by high-level officials of the fund and their associates, according to the U.S. lawsuits.  Low is accused in the lawsuits of using 1MDB-linked funds to buy Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio a $3.2 million Picasso painting, and giving about $9 million in jewelry to Australian model Miranda Kerr. DiCaprio and Kerr have turned over the items to U.S. authorities and promised to cooperate in the 1MDB probe. The lawsuits also said $681 million from 1MDB was transferred to the account of  Malaysian Official 1 , which U.S. and Malaysian sources have previously identified as Najib. Najib has denied any wrongdoing and a Malaysian government investigation has also cleared him of any wrongdoing. A Malaysian police probe into 1MDB is under way.

Summary: मलेशिया ने इंटरपोल से 1एम. डी. बी. घोटाले से जुड़े फाइनेंसर का पता लगाने को कहा


MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico’s peso surged more than 1.8 percent against the dollar on Sunday ahead of the U.S. presidential debate, after comments Donald Trump made about women in a video created a storm around his campaign. The currency moved after markets in Asia began Monday trading. At 3 p.m. CDT (2000 GMT), the peso had strengthened 1.89 percent to 18.955 per dollar. Republican nominee Donald Trump has vowed he would build a wall on the border with Mexico and renegotiate or scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement if he is elected.  The United States is Mexico’s main trading partner and Wall Street analysts say concern over any potential trade restrictions have hurt the peso.

Summary: अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति पद की बहस से पहले मैक्सिकन पेसो में उछाल


NEW YORK (Reuters) - A majority of Americans disagree with President Donald Trump’s assertion that football players should be fired for kneeling during the national anthem, even though most say they would personally stand during the song, according to an exclusive Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday. The Sept. 25-26 poll found that 57 percent of adults do not think the National Football League should fire players who kneel. This included 61 percent of NFL fans who watch at least a few games per season. The results were split along party lines, however, as 82 percent of Democrats and 29 percent of Republicans disagreed with the president’s comments about firing football players. For poll results, see: tmsnrt.rs/2y6pxBk Trump waded into the issue last week at a political rally when he bemoaned what he saw as a decline in the sport. Among other things, Trump criticized players who want to draw attention to what they believe is social and racial injustice by refusing to stand during the anthem. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say ‘get that son of a bitch off the field right now’,” Trump said at the rally. “He’s fired!” Trump, who once owned a pro football team in a now-defunct rival league, added that the NFL is “ruining the game” with a fixation on player safety.   The president’s comments sparked a swift and widespread rebuke from the NFL last weekend as many players, coaches and owners kneeled, locked arms or stayed off the field during pregame ceremonies. The Reuters/Ipsos poll explored the complicated feelings that many Americans have about how to express their nationality.  Eighty-five percent of adults said, for example, that they almost always “stand in silence” when the national anthem is played at an event they are attending. Seventy-four percent said they almost always put their hand over their heart. Yet, when it comes to professional athletes, there is less agreement about what is appropriate. While 58 percent of adults said that “professional athletes should be required to stand during the national anthem at sporting events,” there is rising support for those athletes who do not. In the latest poll, 40 percent of Americans said that they support the stance that some pro football players have made to not stand during the anthem. That is up from 28 percent who answered the same way in a similar Reuters/Ipsos poll last year. In addition, 53 percent of Americans do not think it is appropriate for the president to comment on “how the NFL and its players conduct themselves during the national anthem.” Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and a small number of other NFL players started kneeling during the national anthem last year to protest a series of high-profile police shootings that involved African-Americans.  The issue had largely faded at the start of the 2017 season, in part because Kaepernick was no longer playing for an NFL team. Trump’s comments, which were made in front of a conservative-leaning crowd in Alabama, reinvigorated the debate and made pregame NFL ceremonies must-see TV.  The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English throughout the United States. It gathered responses from 1,622 people, including 628 Democrats, 583 Republicans and 919 people who watched a football game at least a few times during the season.  The poll has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 5 percentage points.

Summary: राष्ट्रगान के दौरान घुटने टेकने वाले खिलाड़ियों को बर्खास्त करने पर अधिकांश वयस्क ट्रम्प से असहमत हैंः रॉयटर्स/इप्सोस पोल


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An already contentious move by Republican President Donald Trump to block opposition Democratic lawmakers from getting information about his administration received its most scathing criticism yet on Friday - from one of the most powerful Republican members of the U.S. Senate. Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa, in a more than 2,100-word letter to the White House, asked Trump to rescind unprecedented guidance that told executive agencies they do not have to honor requests for information from lawmakers in the minority party, currently the Democrats. This week in hearings all over Capitol Hill members of both parties have criticized the information block. Democrats have posited that the Trump administration is trying to hide mistakes, problems or wrongdoing from them. Grassley, who has served in the Senate since 1981, called the guidance “nonsense” and described it as “a bureaucratic effort by the Office of Legal Counsel to insulate the executive branch from scrutiny by the elected representatives of the American people.”  The Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over the Justice Department and its Office of Legal Counsel, which published the guidance last month. Grassley said it goes against the U.S. Constitution by misrepresenting how Congress functions and trying to tell the legislative branch how to do its job. It also impedes Democratic lawmakers’ ability to check up on the president, a responsibility also laid out in the constitution, Grassley wrote in a letter replete with footnotes and case citations. “I know from experience that a partisan response to oversight only discourages bipartisanship, decreases transparency, and diminishes the crucial role of the American people’s elected representatives,” he wrote. “Oversight brings transparency, and transparency brings accountability.”  The Justice Department declined to comment on Grassley’s letter or the guidance. The White House did not return a request for comment. The Office of Legal Counsel has not explained the impetus for publishing the opinion. The guidance did not single out Democrats by name. Instead, it addressed information requests to executive agencies from the highest-ranking lawmaker from the minority party sitting on congressional committees, called ranking members. The Republicans hold the majority in both the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives and therefore chair all the committees, with Democrats as ranking members.  The opinion said that agencies only have to respond to  information requests from committee chairs. Ranking member requests “do not trigger any obligation to accommodate congressional needs and are not legally enforceable through a subpoena or contempt proceedings,” it said.

Summary: 'मूर्खतापूर्ण': शक्तिशाली रिपब्लिकन ने व्हाइट हाउस की जानकारी को बंद करने की निंदा की


TOKYO (Reuters) - A Korean woman who was forced to work at a Japanese wartime military brothel and later lost a Supreme Court case seeking compensation from the Japanese government has died in Japan at the age of 95, a civic group said on Tuesday. The death of Song Shin-do leaves 32 women registered with the South Korean government as surviving  comfort women , as those forced to work in wartime brothels are euphemistically known in Japan. Japan s 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean peninsula and the legacy of World War Two remain highly sensitive in South Korea. The issue of  comfort women ,  is especially contentious. Song was born in Korea and said she was forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military for seven years in China, according to the Korean Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, a Seoul-based civic group that supports the women, which confirmed her death. After the war, Song moved to Japan with a Japanese soldier who later left her. After that, she lived with an ethnic Korean man in Japan, the group said. In 1993, Song filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court seeking an official apology and compensation from the Japanese government.  The case eventually went to Japan s Supreme Court, which dismissed her appeal in 2003 on the grounds that Japan had no legal obligation to pay for her suffering because a 20-year stature of limitations had expired, according to a summary by the Columbia Law School s Center for Korean Legal Studies. The South Korean civic group said Song had  suffered for seven years as a sex slave for the Japanese military . Some Japanese ultra-conservatives deny that the women were forced to work in the brothels. Japan says the matter of compensation for the women was settled under a 1965 treaty with South Korea.  In addition, Japan s then-chief cabinet secretary, Yohei Kono, apologized in a 1993 statement acknowledging authorities  involvement in coercing the women. Two years later, Japan created a fund to make payments to the women from donations, budgeted money for their welfare support and sent letters of apology from successive premiers. Under a pact endorsed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President  Moon Jae-in s predecessor, in 2015, Japan apologized again to the women and promised 1 billion yen ($9 million) for a fund to help them. The two governments agreed the issue would be  irreversibly resolved  if both fulfilled their obligations. But Moon has said the South Korean people did not accept the deal. Reminders of Japan s brutal rule are inflammatory for both sides. Japan wants South Korea to remove a statue near the Japanese consulate in Busan city commemorating Korean comfort women, as well as another near the Japanese embassy in Seoul.

Summary: कोरियाई 'आरामदायक महिला' का टोक्यो में 95 साल की उम्र में निधन, सियोल-टोक्यो संबंधों पर छाया संकट


EDINBURGH (Reuters) - U.S. basketball legend Dennis Rodman said on Wednesday he had skied and sung karaoke with his friend North Korea s leader Kim Jong Un and would like to  straighten things out  amid a nuclear standoff with the United States. Rodman has paid several visits to Kim in the isolated state but the two rarely discuss politics, the retired National Basketball Association star told British TV show  Good Morning Britain.  North Korea has carried out a series of nuclear and missile tests and U.S. President Donald Trump has responded with warnings of a  massive  military response.  For me to go over there and see (Kim) as much as I have, I basically hang out with him all the time. We laugh, we sing karaoke, we do a lot of cool things together. We ride horses, we hang out, we go skiing, we hardly ever talk politics and that s the good thing,  Rodman said, according to a transcript. The basketball ace expressed admiration for Trump but said the U.S. president could be  a little bit crazy sometimes .  Rodman last visited North Korea in June and earlier trips stoked talk that he could facilitate a breakthrough between Pyongyang and Washington, although his comments on Kim have also drawn ridicule. North Korea has long ignored warnings from the West and from its lone major ally, China, to halt its nuclear and missile tests which it conducts in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Rodman said he was not trying to defend the actions of Kim and was  just an ambassador for sports.  He said the relationship between the U.S. and Russia had changed  but for some reason we have a big issue with North Korea.    I don t love (Kim). I just want to try to straighten things out for everyone to get along together.  Rodman, nicknamed  The Worm  during his playing career and known for his flamboyant character, is considered one of the best defensive players and rebounders in NBA history. (This story has been refiled to change tense of word in lede)

Summary: डेनिस रॉडमैन ने किम जोंग उन के साथ स्कीइंग दोस्ती की बात की


CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela s opposition cried foul on Monday over the ruling socialists  win in gubernatorial elections, raising the threat of more foreign sanctions following the vote in what the United States called  an authoritarian dictatorship.  President Nicolas Maduro s candidates took 17 governorships, versus five for the opposition, in Sunday s nationwide poll, according to the pro-government electoral board.  The socialists  strong showing came despite devastating food shortages, triple-digit inflation, and a collapsing currency.  Polls had suggested the opposition would easily win a majority. Dismayed leaders of the Democratic Unity coalition demanded an audit after citing a litany of abuses, including multiple voting, state food handouts on the day of the poll, forced attendance at gunpoint and suspicious phone and power outages. The opposition fell short of offering detailed evidence of outright fraud, however, and there were no conventional foreign observer missions to verify claims of vote-rigging.  This is a process of electoral fraud without precedent in our history,  said opposition spokesman Angel Oropeza. An estimated 1 million voters were blocked from voting, he said, referring to claims the election board skewed results by relocating hundreds of polling places away from opposition strongholds.  Many dispirited opposition supporters now see foreign pressure as their only real hope of hurting Maduro ahead of next year s presidential vote. The United States condemned the elections as neither free nor fair and vowed to keep up pressure on Maduro for the erosion of democracy in the South American OPEC nation.  As long as the Maduro regime conducts itself as an authoritarian dictatorship, we will work with members of the international community and bring the full weight of American economic and diplomatic power to bear in support of the Venezuelan people as they seek to restore their democracy,  State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. The Trump administration has already imposed sanctions on Maduro and top officials, including election board head Tibisay Lucena. Washington has also struck at the government s ability to raise more funds via foreign debt. The European Union could also take measures against Maduro, who was narrowly elected to replace the late leader Hugo Chavez in 2013. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has also branded Venezuela a dictatorship, expressed concern at claims of  serious irregularities  and  lack of transparency  in the gubernatorial vote.  France deplores this situation and is working with its EU partners to examine appropriate measures to help resolve the serious crisis,  the French foreign ministry said. Venezuela s government, which insisted in advance of Sunday s vote that it would demonstrate its commitment to democracy, still retains significant support in poorer, rural settings. And it seems unlikely that supporters of the elite-led opposition, which has struggled to capitalize on discontent over the economy, will return to the streets en masse after months of grueling protests earlier this year. The protests failed to pressure the government into holding an early presidential election, freeing scores of jailed activists or accepting foreign humanitarian aid. At least 125 people died, while thousands were injured and arrested in violence.  Obviously, this was a brutal fraud,  said David Osorio, 21, who lost an eye when he was hit by a gas cannister in the clashes.  But I don t know if going back to the streets is best ... because the same will happen and many are simply not willing.  A few hundred opposition protesters massed in front of the electoral council in the southern Bolivar state, where results were still not given by Monday evening. The National Guard used tear gas to scatter the crowd, according to a Reuters witness.      Various opposition leaders acknowledged disillusionment and people staying home had played a big role.  We shot ourselves in the foot,  legislator Jose Guerra said, noting record turnout of 74 percent in a 2015 congress vote, which the opposition won, versus 61 percent on Sunday.  Flanked by his powerful wife, soldiers, and red-shirted party members, a jubilant Maduro painted the opposition as sore losers.  When they lose they cry fraud. When they win they shout  Down with Maduro,  said Maduro, 54. The opposition pocketed governorships including the turbulent Andean states of Merida and Tachira and the oil-producing region of Zulia.  The government, which had previously controlled 20 governorships, took states across Venezuela s languid plains and steamy Caribbean coast. It won back populous Miranda state, which includes part of the capital Caracas, and also won in Barinas, Chavez s home state, where his younger brother retained the top job.

Summary: वेनेजुएला में मतदान विवाद ने विदेशी प्रतिबंधों की धमकी बढ़ाई


MOSCOW (Reuters) - A senior Russian banker who met President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, did not do so on the Kremlin’s orders, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday. Kushner, who was quizzed on Monday by Senate investigators on his contacts with Russians as part of an investigation into possible Kremlin meddling in last year’s presidential election, said he had met Sergei Gorkov, the head of Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank, on Dec. 13. Russia flatly denies it interfered with the U.S. election.  When asked about Kushner’s meeting on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that Gorkov had been in the United States as part of a roadshow meeting various U.S. representatives in the course of his work. “These contacts do no need any approval from the Kremlin and naturally (these meetings) did not happen on the Kremlin’s orders,” Peskov said. He said it was “normal practice” for the head of a major Russian bank conducting a roadshow to hold various meetings.

Summary: ट्रंप के दामाद से मिलने वाला रूसी बैंकर हमारे आदेश पर काम नहीं कर रहाः क्रेमलिन


MADRID (Reuters) - Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont will speak in the regional parliament next Tuesday, a parliamentary spokeswoman said on Friday. Catalan parliamentary leaders will meet at 1330 GMT on Friday to decide the timing on this speech. It was unclear whether the meeting of the parliament scheduled for Monday to discuss the result of the banned referendum on splitting from Spain and a potential declaration of independence would still go ahead. Another regional government official, Raul Romeva, told BBC radio earlier that Catalonia s parliament would defy a Spanish court ban and go ahead on Monday with a debate that could lead to a declaration of independence from Spain.

Summary: कैटलन नेता पुइग्डेमोंट मंगलवार को कैटलन संसद में बोलेंगे


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump emerged from a meeting with the CEOs of Boeing and Lockheed Martin on Wednesday and said he was working to lower costs on planes sold to the government, including a new Air Force One fleet and the F-35 fighter jet. “Trying to get the costs down, costs. Primarily the F-35, we’re trying to get the cost down. It’s a program that’s very very expensive,” Trump told reporters after meeting with the aerospace executives and military advisers.

Summary: रक्षा अधिकारियों से मुलाकात के बाद ट्रम्प ने विमान की लागत में कटौती करने का संकल्प लिया


AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas measures criticized as being discriminatory for limiting transgender people’s access to bathrooms in schools and public buildings died on Tuesday, as the House adjourned and ended its special legislative session. Business leaders and civil rights groups had battled to defeat the bills, saying they advanced bigotry, would tarnish the state’s image and damage its economy. The measures were blocked by moderate House Republicans.  Adoption by Texas, the most populous Republican-dominated state, could have fed momentum in other socially conservative states on the issue, a flashpoint in the U.S. culture wars. “Finally, Texans can breathe a temporary sigh of relief,” said JoDee Winterhof, an official of the Human Rights Campaign that lobbied against the bills. “Texans don’t want harmful, anti-transgender legislation,” Winterhof, the campaign’s senior vice president for policy and political affairs, said in a statement. Momentum for so-called bathroom bills stalled this year when  North Carolina partially repealed a similar law in March. The original law prompted boycotts by athletic bodies and businesses that are estimated to have cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars. Texas could have lost about $5.6 billion through 2026 if it had enacted such a measure, said the Texas Association of Business, the state’s leading employer grouping. The House wound up its duties without taking action on any of the bills and adjourned “sine die,” a day ahead of the official end of the 30-day special session. House Speaker Joe Straus, a pro-business Republican who controls the agenda in the chamber, said the issue was not a priority. Straus’ position was reinforced by a well-financed campaign by major corporations, including Texas-based energy companies Halliburton and ExxonMobil Global Services, which have said the bills would make it hard for them to recruit top talent. The measure that advanced the farthest was Senate Bill 3, which passed easily on a party-line vote in the Republican-controlled Senate and then died in the House. It would have required people to use restrooms, showers and locker rooms in public schools and other state and local government facilities that match the sex on their birth certificate, as opposed to their gender identity. Supporters, including Republican Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, a staunch social conservative, say the proposed curbs promote public safety and protect vulnerable women and children.

Summary: टेक्सास 'बाथरूम बिल' का विशेष विधायी सत्र में निधन


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate Intelligence Committee investigating U.S. allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election said on Friday it had postponed a public hearing with Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s lawyer, and it would be rescheduled. On Sept. 19, the committee abruptly canceled an interview with Cohen as part of its investigation into Moscow’s suspected hacking and propaganda campaign and possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russian officials. The panel said then that Cohen had been asked to appear at an open hearing on Oct. 25. The September hearing was canceled after Cohen released a statement to the media, which committee leaders said violated the panel’s policy. Senators Richard Burr, the Intelligence committee’s Republican chairman, and Mark Warner, its Democratic vice chairman, did not offer an explanation on Friday for the postponement of the public hearing. They issued a brief joint statement: “The Committee’s public hearing with Michael Cohen has been postponed, and will be rescheduled at a later date. The Committee appreciates Mr. Cohen’s cooperation as its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections continues to make progress.” The intelligence panel, other congressional committees and special counsel Robert Mueller are investigating whether Russia intervened to tilt the 2016 election in favor of Republican Trump against his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. Russia has repeatedly denied the allegations by U.S. intelligence agencies that it meddled in the election and Trump denies any collusion by his campaign, calling the investigations a “witch hunt.”

Summary: सीनेट पैनल ने रूस की जांच में ट्रम्प के वकील कोहेन के साथ सुनवाई स्थगित की


Fort Lauderdale and New York (Reuters) - When more than 7.4 million homes and businesses are without power after a hurricane, utility workers tend to get noticed a bit more than usual. That s what Gus Beyersdorf, 40, and his colleague Nick Jensen, 32, utility workers from Wisconsin, found out while inspecting power lines in Florida on Monday. The two - among the thousands of power-line workers brought in from out-of-state by major utilities - spent about five minutes outside a house in Fort Lauderdale, when two cars with women who said they lived in the neighborhood stopped to inquire about the return of power to their homes - obviously trying to get their attention.  I think you guys are sexy. Men in hard hats are attractive!  said one of the women, obviously just joking with the Wisconsin men, but also making it clear that she would like it if they would get the power turned back on at her house.  Major utilities in the state - including Florida Power & Light Co, Duke Energy Corp  and Tampa Electric - have mobilized tens of thousands of workers to deal with the enormous power outages, which by Monday evening numbered more than 7.4 million homes and businesses after Hurricane Irma landed as a Category 4 storm early Sunday.  While the numbers in Florida were declining slightly, more outages were being reported in Georgia and other states as Irma, now a tropical storm, moved north. Beyersdorf and Jensen left northern Wisconsin on Friday morning and raced to southern Florida to be in place ahead of Irma s impact. Between 2,000 and 3,000 utility workers from out-of-state are staying at BB&T Stadium in Broward County, which is home to the National Hockey League s Florida Panthers, said Beyersdorf.  Power losses in Georgia, which were nearing 900,000 as of 3 p.m. EDT, were expected to increase as the storm moved north.  In Florida, the state s biggest electric company said its outages dipped to 3.3 million from a peak of 3.6 million earlier on Monday. A total of almost 4.5 million Florida Power & Light customers have been affected by the storm, with about 1 million getting service restored, mostly by automated devices.  We ve never had that many outages, and I don t think any utility in the country ever has,  FPL Chief Executive Eric Silagy said at a news conference on Monday.  It is by far and away the largest in the history of our company.  FPL said it was still assessing the damage and could not yet say when it would restore service to most customers. Some homes and businesses could be without power for weeks, especially in the hardest-hit areas like southwest Florida, the NextEra Energy Inc unit said.  It took a week for Matthew,  Jensen said, referring to a hurricane that last year did not make landfall in Florida but caused power outages.  This one is going to take a lot longer.  As Irma pushed north, outage figures were increasing at other large utilities, including units of Duke Energy, Southern Co and Emera Inc.  Duke s outages held around 1.2 million on Monday evening, while Emera s Tampa Electric utility said outages eased to about 320,000 from a peak earlier on Monday of over 330,000. FPL said its two nuclear plants were safe. Both units at its Turkey Point facility, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Miami, were shut by early Monday. At its St. Lucie nuclear plant about 120 miles (190 km) north of Miami, FPL reduced power at Unit 1 because of salt buildup from Irma in the switchyard, NRC spokesman Roger Hannah said. The plant s other reactor, Unit 2, continued to operate at full power. Irma is expected to sap demand for fuel for a time, Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note on Monday, but they cautioned that supply could remain strained because of refining capacity offline after Hurricane Harvey, which hit Texas two weeks ago.

Summary: 74 लाख बिजली के बिना, उपयोगिता श्रमिकों को सम्मान मिलता है


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said on Tuesday he had “no documents to make relevant,” when asked by a lawmaker whether he would turn over memos about any conversations he might have had with President Donald Trump about the investigation into Russia and last year’s U.S. presidential election. Coats, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, repeatedly declined to say whether Trump asked him to help deny any collusion between his campaign team and Russia, as reported by the Washington Post, saying his talks with Trump were private. [nL1N1IP0RG]

Summary: अमेरिकी खुफिया प्रमुख का कहना है कि रूस पर ट्रम्प की किसी भी वार्ता पर कोई 'प्रासंगिक' ज्ञापन नहीं है


LISBON/MADRID (Reuters) - At least 36 people died in wildfires raging through parched farmlands and forests in Portugal and another three in neighboring northwestern Spain on Sunday and Monday. Firefighters were battling 50 blazes in Portugal and a similar number in Spain. Portugal s government asked for international help and declared a state of emergency in territory north of the Tagus river - about half of its landmass. Flames ripped across Iberian countryside left tinder-dry by an unusually hot summer and early autumn, fanned by strong winds as remnants of ex-Hurricane Ophelia brushed coastal areas. Television footage showed abandoned villages with many houses in embers and charred vehicles left on the roads. Portuguese opposition parties and the media harshly criticized the government for failing to prevent a new wave of deadly fires after the country s worst ever forest fire in June that killed 64 people.  Prime Minister Antonio Costa, however, refused to sack his interior minister and defended his government s attempts to reform the troubled forestry management system.   It s a structural problem that we are facing... This is not a time for resignations, but for solutions. Everything has to be transformed into reforms, to provide responses that the country needs so that nothing stays the way it was after this year,  he told reporters after a television address to the nation.   We are aware that the country wants results from us and we re running against time after decades of negligence,  Costa told reporters after his address. At the heart of the problem is poor land management in Portugal, where traditional small plots have become fire hazards after being abandoned by successive generations of landholders who moved to the cities.  Interior Minister Constanca Urbano de Sousa said climate change was also to blame.  We are facing new (weather) conditions ... In an era of climate change, such disasters are becoming reality all over the world,  she said, citing the wildfires burning in California. The weekend fires also injured 63 people in Portugal, civil protection service spokeswoman Patricia Gaspar said. The toll could still increase as seven people were unaccounted for. Water-spraying planes could not be deployed against most fires due to gigantic plumes of smoke that reduced visibility. But Gaspar said rains expected late on Monday and on Tuesday in the north of Portugal were likely to bring some relief. The Lisbon government has been criticized for a slow, inefficient response and a lack of fire-prevention policies, leaving Portugal with Europe s largest expanse of woodland burned by wildfires. Portugal s fires have burned over 40 percent of the total in all of the European Union this year. With just 2.1 percent of the EU s landmass, Portugal suffered the biggest fires during 2008-16 as well, with an average of 36 percent of the total. Three people died in Spain s northwestern Galicia region - two of them women found inside a burnt-out car, the third a man in his 70s killed as he tried to save his farm animals, according to local media. Most of the fires in Galicia were started deliberately, said Alberto Nunez Feijoo, head of the regional government.  Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said some of those responsible had already been identified. They could face up to 20 years in jail if convicted. At least two persons were arrested in Portugal for allegedly starting fires.

Summary: पुर्तगाल और स्पेन के जंगलों में लगी आग, कम से कम 39 लोगों की मौत


The following statements were posted to the verified Twitter accounts of U.S. President Donald Trump, @realDonaldTrump and @POTUS.  The opinions expressed are his own. Reuters has not edited the statements or confirmed their accuracy.  @realDonaldTrump : - Senator Luther Strange, who is doing a great job for the people of Alabama, will be on @foxandfriends at 7:15. Tough on crime, borders etc. [0630 EDT] - Big day in Alabama. Vote for Luther Strange, he will be great! [0808 EDT] - For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS! [1121 EDT] -- Source link: (bit.ly/2jBh4LU) (bit.ly/2jpEXYR)

Summary: फैक्टबॉक्सः ट्विटर पर ट्रम्प (15 अगस्त)-लूथर स्ट्रेंज, मैन्युफैक्चरिंग काउंसिल


LONDON (Reuters) - Britain s parliament will debate the Brexit withdrawal bill on Dec. 4, and on a further four days in the month, the leader of the House of Commons said on Thursday. The EU Withdrawal Bill, which faces much opposition in parliament, aims to sever political, financial and legal ties with the bloc and  copy and paste  many European rules and regulations into British law after the country leaves the European Union.

Summary: ब्रिटेन के ब्रेक्सिट वापसी विधेयक पर 4 दिसंबर से होगी बहस


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republicans on Tuesday linked repealing a key component of Obamacare to their ambitious tax-cut plan, raising new political risks and uncertainties for the tax measure that financial markets have been monitoring closely for months. In comments that infuriated Democrats and left some senior Republicans unsure what comes next, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told reporters: “We’re optimistic that inserting the individual mandate repeal would be helpful and that’s obviously the view of the Senate Finance Committee Republicans as well.” The finance panel, which had been in session for two days, abruptly adjourned on Tuesday as Democrats slammed the Republicans’ handling of their tax proposals, for which formal legislative language has still not been unveiled. Ron Wyden, the committee’s top Democrat, demanded more time for Democrats to discuss the issue “because we were never told that healthcare was going to be part of it and this just flew in literally out of nowhere in the last 20 minutes.” Tying Obamacare to the tax program introduces new risks for the Republicans and for President Donald Trump. Together, they have yet to score a major legislative win since Trump took power in January, even with control of Congress and the White House. The president, who has struggled in his relations with Congress, suggested in a tweet on Monday that the mandate repeal should be added to the tax plan, following up on a similar Nov. 3 tweet. No final decision on such a move was made at the Senate Republicans’ weekly luncheon, Senator Susan Collins told reporters afterward. She played a key role in July’s collapse of a years-long push by fellow Republicans to gut Obamacare, former Democratic President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act. “I personally think that it complicates tax reform to put the repeal of the individual mandate in there,” Collins said. Asked if she would back the tax bill if a mandate repeal were added, she said: “I’m going to wait and see.” Senator John McCain, who was also central to his party’s failed Obamacare repeal earlier this year, was non-committal on putting the mandate repeal in the tax plan, saying: “I want to see the whole bill before I decide.” The Senate and House of Representatives are developing separate tax-cut packages they plan to reconcile eventually and send to Trump’s desk for enactment into law, an outcome Republicans are eager to achieve so they can face U.S. voters next year with at least one major legislative achievement. House Speaker Paul Ryan, asked why the repeal of the Obamacare mandate was not in the House version of the tax proposal, told Fox News on Tuesday: “We didn’t want to complicate tax reform, make it harder than it otherwise would be.” The House had already agreed to eliminate the mandate in a healthcare bill it passed in May, he noted, adding: “We want to see the Senate go first and see if they can get that done and then we’ll discuss whether or not it’s included at the end.” The Trump administration strongly supports the House version of the tax legislation, saying its passage would be “an important first step in achieving comprehensive tax reform,” the White House said in a statement on Tuesday.      U.S. financial markets have been watching closely, with U.S. stocks rallying in recent months, partly on hopes of business tax cuts. They showed little reaction to Tuesday’s developments. The individual mandate requires Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty to Washington, a provision that Republicans have long opposed as government overreach. But the mandate plays a critical role in Obamacare by requiring young, healthy people, who might otherwise go without coverage, to purchase insurance and help offset the costs of covering sicker and older Americans. Underscoring the devastating consequences for Obamacare if the mandate were repealed, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said last week that such a change would increase the number of Americans without health insurance by 13 million by 2027. The CBO added that  mandate repeal would raise the average insurance policy premiums in the Obamacare marketplaces by about 10 percent annually over the next decade. Repealing the mandate would also lower the federal deficit by $338 billion over the same time period, the CBO said, a finding that several Republican senators said influenced the move. Eliminating the individual mandate would lower the number of Americans with health insurance, meaning the federal government would spend less on subsidizing coverage for lower- and middle-income people, making that money available to pay for tax cuts. Neither the Senate nor the House tax plans now includes repealing the mandate. But both plan would add about $1.5 trillion over 10 years to the federal deficit and the national debt, which now exceeds $20 trillion. Congressional Republicans hope to pass tax legislation by the end of the year and are moving fast, despite uncertainties. They hold only a razor-thin 52-48 majority in the Senate. If Democrats remain united in opposition, Republicans could afford to lose no more than two senators from within their own ranks and still secure passage of tax legislation. Democrats have dismissed the Republican plans as deficit-expanding giveaways to corporations and the wealthy. Representative Lloyd Doggett, a senior member of the House tax committee, said in a statement that the House tax bill was “just a way to curry favor with Washington special interests – awarding tax windfalls to large multinational corporations and the fortunate few that sit way atop the economic ladder.”

Summary: सीनेट रिपब्लिकन ने प्रमुख ओबामाकेयर जनादेश को निरस्त करने के लिए कर योजना को जोड़ा


SINGAPORE (Reuters) - There are no Muslim Malays in the top echelons of Singapore s army, and few among the senior ranks of its judiciary, but a member of its poorest ethnic minority is set to become the first woman president of the Southeast Asian city state this week. Halimah Yacob, a former speaker of parliament, will be formally named to the mostly ceremonial post on Wednesday,  media reported, after other candidates fell short of the criteria set for contesting the election. Aiming to strengthen a sense of inclusivity in the multicultural country, Singapore had decreed the presidency would be reserved for candidates from the Malay community this time. Halimah s experience as house speaker automatically qualified her under the nomination rules.  Of the four other applicants, two were not Malays and two were not given certificates of eligibility, the elections department said. The last Malay to hold the presidency was Yusof Ishak, whose image adorns the country s banknotes. Yusof was president between 1965 and 1970, the first years of Singapore s independence following a short-lived union with neighboring Malaysia, but executive power lay with Lee Kuan Yew, the country s first prime minister. The separation of Singapore from Malaysia gave ethnic Malays a clear majority in Malaysia, while ethnic Chinese formed the majority in independent Singapore. Leaders of both countries, however, recognized that peace and prosperity depended on preserving harmony between the two groups. But living in a Muslim-dominated neighborhood, with Malaysia and Indonesia next door, Singapore s leaders have long worried about the risk of conflicted loyalties among Malays.  You put in a Malay officer who s very religious and who has family ties in Malaysia in charge of a machine-gun unit, that s a very tricky business,  the late Lee Kuan Yew was widely quoted as saying in 1999. For Lee, whose son, Lee Hsien Loong, is now prime minister, the answer to social cohesion lay in creating a culture of meritocracy, rather than adopting policies of positive discrimination to boost the chances of advancement for Singapore s Malay and Indian minorities. Still, a government report published in 2013 found Malays  felt they were sometimes discriminated against and had limited prospects in some institutions, such as the armed forces.  Singapore s economic success and education policies have helped swell the ranks of middle-class Malays, but the last census in 2010 showed they lagged other ethnic groups on socio-economic measures such as household incomes and home ownership. Malays, who form just over 13 percent of Singapore s 3.9 million citizens and permanent residents, also underperform on measures such as university and secondary school education. Despite being the establishment candidate, Halimah wears a hijab, which is banned in state schools and public sector jobs that require uniforms. But she has seldom spoken publicly on the issue and there is little sign of change in official attitudes.  Farid Khan, one of the unsuccessful candidates and the chairman of marine services firm Bourbon Offshore Asia, told Reuters more Malays now hold political office, and some are making their way in the corporate world, but  there is still room for improvement.  The prospect of a Malay president is by itself unlikely to resolve concerns over under-representation, but analysts and advocates say it could help foster trust among communities.  Yet the reserved election has also injured some pride.  It cheapens the credibility of a Malay person that it requires a token election for us to be president,  said Malay comedian and television personality Hirzi Zulkiflie.  Some people intending to run are very capable.

Summary: मलय महिला बनेंगी सिंगापुर की राष्ट्रपति, अल्पसंख्यक प्रतिनिधित्व को एजेंडे में रखा


KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Police in Malaysia have arrested seven youths in connection with a fire at an Islamic boarding school in Kuala Lumpur that killed at least 23 people, mostly teenagers. The seven, aged 11 to 18, were brought to court and remanded for seven days, Kuala Lumpur police chief Amar Singh told reporters at a news conference on Saturday.  I can assure you now that the case is solved with the arrest of the seven of them,  Singh said. It was the most deadly incident of its kind in Malaysia in two decades, and has outraged the public, some of whom have called for greater safety and tougher regulation at such religious schools. The arrested include students from the surrounding neighborhood, and some have tested positive for consuming marijuana. The police are treating the case as one of murder and mischief by fire. The blaze erupted early on Thursday in a top-floor dormitory at the three-storey boarding school where most of the students were sleeping in bunk beds, with many of the windows covered by metal grilles. Asked if the suspects had planned to kill the victims, Singh said:  Intention was to burn, but it could be because of their age or because of their maturity levels, perhaps they may not have known that it would cause deaths.  Two gas cylinders were brought up from the kitchen to the second floor, he said.

Summary: मलेशिया के स्कूल में भीषण आग लगने के बाद पुलिस ने सात युवाओं को गिरफ्तार किया


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court justices on Monday struggled over how to determine when states have unlawfully considered race in drawing legislative districts as they weighed cases in which Republicans in Virginia and North Carolina were accused of trying to dilute the clout of black voters. Based on two hours of oral arguments in the cases before the eight justices, it appeared that the voters who challenged Virginia’s plan may win but the North Carolina case’s outcome was less clear. Conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy, who sided with the court’s liberals in a ruling last year involving Alabama legislative districts, could again be pivotal. Race can be considered in redrawing boundaries of voting districts only in certain instances, such as when states are seeking to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act. That law protects minority voters and was enacted to address a history of racial discrimination in voting, especially in southern states. In both cases before the justices, voters accused Republicans of packing black voters, who tend to back Democratic candidates, into certain districts to diminish their voting power and make surrounding districts more white and more likely to support Republicans. In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to throw out a lower court’s decision upholding a Republican-backed state legislature redistricting plan in Alabama that crammed black voters into certain districts in a way critics claimed lessened their influence at the polls. The Supreme Court has never said redistricting cannot be based on nakedly partisan aims like maximizing one party’s election chances. Justice Stephen Breyer, who wrote the ruling in the Alabama case, acknowledged the difficulties in assessing when race has been taken into account appropriately in drawing voting districts. “No one, I think, has a good answer to that question. There is just slightly better, slightly worse,” Breyer said. Fellow liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor said that “it’s real easy” for states to say mere politics motivated their decisions “even though there’s a lot of direct evidence that it really was race.” Conservative justices, often skeptical about considering  race in any context, expressed sympathy for the problems states face in trying to avoid lawsuits while also complying with the voting law. “Maybe there’s no way around it, but isn’t this just an invitation for litigation in every one of these instances?”  Justice Samuel Alito asked. North Carolina appealed a February federal court ruling  that found that Republicans who redrew U.S. House of Representatives districts after the 2010 census took race too much into consideration. Virginia voters who challenged the way 12 state House of Delegates boundaries were drawn by Republicans after the 2010 census appealed an October 2015 federal district court ruling upholding the districts. Rulings in both cases are due by the end of June.

Summary: अमेरिकी शीर्ष अदालत ने विधायी जिलों के लिए नस्लीय चुनौतियों पर विचार किया


MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a reported plan by Ukraine to cut all diplomatic ties with Russia would further deepen a crisis between the two countries and end up hurting the interests of both Ukrainians and Russians. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking on a conference call with reporters, was responding to a report in Russia s Kommersant newspaper which said that the Ukrainian parliament was expected to vote to cut all diplomatic ties on Nov. 16. Ties between Moscow and Kiev have been in crisis since Russia annexed Ukraine s Crimea region in 2014 and a pro-Russian separatist uprising broke out in eastern Ukraine that same year.

Summary: क्रेमलिन ने यूक्रेन के राजनयिक संबंधों में कटौती करने पर आपसी नुकसान की चेतावनी दी