WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday struggled with the question of when federal contractors can be sued for defrauding the government in a case involving a 19-year-old Massachusetts woman who suffered a fatal 2009 seizure at a mental health facility. The parents of Yarushka Rivera claimed that Universal Health Services Inc, which owned the facility, provided “gravely inadequate treatment” and used “unsupervised and unqualified personnel.” Their lawsuit said King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based Universal Health Services, one of the nation’s largest hospital operators, defrauded the government because it was receiving federal Medicaid funding to provide treatment to low-income people and failed to comply with all necessary requirements. Rivera died in October 2009 of a seizure after being treated at the mental health center in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Julio Escobar and his wife, Carmen Correa, filed suit against Universal Health Services in U.S. District Court in Boston in 2011. They said they had received information that more than 20 treatment providers at the Lawrence facility, including a nurse who prescribed medication to Rivera, were not properly licensed or supervised as required by state law and federal regulations.  The parents sued under the False Claims Act, which allows individuals to make claims that the federal government has been defrauded.  During the one-hour oral argument, liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan signaled support for the parents’ fraud claims. Sotomayor said billing for services that were not carried out in full was like a government contractor providing the military “guns that don’t shoot.” Kagan similarly questioned whether the claim against Universal Health Services was any different than a failure by a federal contractor to provide the military boots that can be worn and food that can be eaten. Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts appeared more hostile to the fraud claim, saying companies should not necessarily be liable for fraud just because they do not follow every procedure. “That causes concern, of course, because there are thousands of pages of regulations under Medicaid or Medicare programs,”  Roberts said. Medicare provides healthcare assistance to the elderly. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in 2014. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated it in March 2015. Universal Health Services then appealed, asking the Supreme Court to resolve what kind of lawsuits can be brought under the False Claims Act. Business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, filed briefs backing the company, saying fraud claims should be allowed only when they involve specific violations of the terms of a contract with the government and not violations of other regulations.

Summary: अमेरिकी न्यायाधीशों ने महिला की मौत पर संघीय धोखाधड़ी के दावे पर विचार किया


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. companies are looking for ways to persuade President-elect Donald Trump to soften his threats to cancel the Obama administration’s opening to Cuba, a reversal they fear could cost them hundreds of millions of dollars. During his campaign, Trump said he thought restoring diplomatic ties with Cuba was fine, but that Democratic President Barack Obama should have pushed harder for concessions from Havana before easing restrictions on travel and trade. On Monday, three days after the death of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, the Republican president-elect said in a Twitter post that he would end what he referred to as Obama’s “deal” if Cuba did not do more for its people. But he did not promise to reverse the changes, and advocates for closer ties said they hoped the businessman-turned-politician would stay true to his roots and foster economic ties. “He has said things that are frankly hopeful to folks on both sides of the debate,” U.S. Representative Mark Sanford, one of several Republican lawmakers who back increased engagement, told Reuters. Trade associations for companies with business interests in Cuba hope to persuade Trump to continue Obama’s opening, and have been discussing a joint effort to press the Republican’s administration, a person with knowledge of the talks said. Trump won the White House on promises to create jobs. Advocates for increased engagement argue that promoting U.S. trade with Cuba would create opportunities, and jobs, in industries from telecommunications to agriculture, and particularly in tourism. Several U.S. airlines are already flying to Cuba, Starwood Hotels & Resorts signed a contract to manage a Cuban hotel and Carnival Corp has begun cruises to the island. While business in Cuba has yet to generate much revenue for U.S. companies, reversing Obama’s policies could leave Americans out of a potential market or mean their investments so far have been wasted. “If the U.S. continues to limit trade (with Cuba), and the European Union, China and Russia continue to expand trade, there will be a smaller piece of cake left for U.S. companies,” said Jose Maria Vinales Camallonga, director of International Operations at Lupicinio, a Spanish law firm that represents large corporations in their Cuba dealings. As Trump issued his tweet on Monday, American Airlines Flight 17, the first commercial flight in more than half a century between the United States and Havana took off for the Cuban capital, part of a wider push by U.S. carriers to boost flights there. If flights stopped or demand slipped because Trump imposed new travel restrictions, U.S. airlines could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in potential revenue in the years to come, said John Kavulich, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council. The Department of Transportation has authorized 1.2 million seats for trips to Cuba by commercial U.S. carriers per year, below the 3.4 million airlines requested, but representing significant revenue, he said. Cuba also represents a potential market for U.S. products such as chickens, wheat and rice, though U.S. farm exports to the island have actually fallen since Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro moved to normalize relations in December 2014. Still, lawmakers from several states with big agricultural sectors like Arkansas and Texas back closer ties. If Trump reversed Obama’s Cuba policies “he would have to take on one of his main constituencies, which is the business community,” said Julia Sagebien, an expert on Cuban business at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.  In a bid to cement Obama’s Cuba policy before Trump takes over on Jan. 20, the administration has been encouraging U.S. companies to forge further business deals. More than half a dozen announcements, in areas from travel to manufacturing to telecommunications, had been expected in the next two months, a person familiar with the matter said. But Fidel Castro’s death and uncertainty about Trump’s plans could affect that timeline, the person said.

Summary: अमेरिकी कंपनियों को उम्मीद है कि ट्रम्प व्यावसायिक जड़ों पर टिके रहेंगे, क्यूबा संबंधों का समर्थन करेंगे


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump came to office promising that he would produce so much winning that Americans would be sick of it. As he struggles to produce wins, some signs of frustration are starting to appear. Democrats’ gleeful declarations that they outsmarted Republicans in a battle over a spending bill that avoided a government shutdown drew the ire of the president. Democrats were happy that funding for Trump’s Mexico border wall was not included.  Trump tweeted on Tuesday that maybe a government shutdown would not be so bad and that Republicans should consider changing Senate rules to make it easier to pass spending and other bills without any Democratic support.  “Our country needs a good ‘shutdown’ in September to fix mess!” he wrote.  His comment frustrated some of his fellow Republicans in  Congress, who chafed at the suggestion that the White House could dictate Senate rules, or send a message that a shutdown, which costs the economy millions, was desirable. “I think it would be a good thing at this point if the iPhone was put in a safe, locked away and maybe returned in four years,” Republican Senator Bob Corker, who was once on the short list to be Trump’s vice president, told reporters. “That’s just not constructive. Those are the kinds of things that should never happen, and... it’s damaging to our credibility. It’s damaging to trust here within the (Capitol) building,” Corker said. Trump marked his 100th day in office on Saturday and used last week to argue that he has made major progress in rolling back federal regulations and improving the climate for job creation. But with his healthcare reform effort flagging, Trump has been unable to get a major piece of legislation through a Congress controlled by his own Republican Party, leaving him without a signature victory. With Democrats celebrating concessions they extracted in the spending bill, Trump used a Rose Garden ceremony honoring the Air Force Academy’s football team to declare he and Republicans got more from the legislation than might appear. “After years of partisan bickering and gridlock, this bill is a clear win for the American people,” Trump said. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney gave three news briefings to promote Trump gains from the bill, the first on Monday night and the second on Tuesday morning in a conference call for reporters. The conference call was marred by technical issues at times, with Mulvaney straining to be heard over orchestra music that mysteriously began playing. “All right,” Mulvaney told reporters at one point. “I’ll try to answer it one more time, and clearly we’re having a lot of background noise here.” Later, in the White House briefing room, Mulvaney said he understood Trump’s frustration, accusing Democrats of trying to “spike the football” by publicly celebrating the budget deal as a Democratic victory in an effort to make the president look bad after he negotiated in good faith. He said Democrats were thwarted by Republicans in their attempt to add bailout money for Puerto Rico. “We’ve got a lot to do between now and September. I don’t anticipate a shutdown in September, but if the Democrats aren’t going to behave any better than they have in the last couple of days, it may be inevitable,” Mulvaney said. Democrats quickly denounced Trump’s musings about closing the federal government. “Here we saw Democrats and Republicans working together in the best traditions of the Senate, and the president disparages it in a way that’s destructive,” Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer said.   Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate would debate the funding bill this week and that most Republicans did not favor a change in the rules to make it easier to pass legislation without Democratic support. Trump said his fellow Republicans had to acquiesce to Democratic demands in spending bill because the party’s majority was too slim to win the 60 Senate votes needed to advance the legislation without them. Republicans hold 52 of the Senate’s 100 seats. “The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%,” Trump wrote on Twitter  Republicans last forced a government closure in 2013 for 17 days. Democrats said Trump would shoulder the blame for any shutdown now.

Summary: ट्रम्प ने भविष्य में सरकार को बंद करने और कानूनों को आसानी से पारित करने का आग्रह किया


JUBA (Reuters) - Rebels in South Sudan attacked government forces in Unity State, where oil fields have been abandoned due to fighting, and 25 people including civilians were killed, a local government official said on Tuesday. South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after protracted bloodshed, fell into civil war in late 2013 with troops loyal to President Salva Kiir fighting those of the ex-vice president he sacked, Riek Machar. Those killed during Monday s fighting in the town of NhialDiu included women, elderly people and local police officers, Lam Tungwar, state minister of information of Northern Liech state, told Reuters. A rebel spokesman, Lam Paul Gabriel, put the death toll at 18 while the government said it had managed to repulse the rebels and were pursuing them. Dickson Gatluak Jock, military spokesman for South Sudanese Vice President Taban Deng Gai, said the attack coincided with  dialogue in NhialDiu between pro-rebel and pro-government clans aimed at securing peace in the region.

Summary: दक्षिण सूडान के तेल क्षेत्र में लड़ाई में कम से कम 25 लोगों की मौत


BERLIN (Reuters) - Less involvement by the United States in international affairs under President Donald Trump will have an impact on Germany and its European neighbors, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Tuesday, warning of a shifting world order.   The withdrawal of the United States under Donald Trump from its reliable role as a guarantor of western-led multilateralism accelerates a change of the world order with immediate consequences for German and European interests,  Gabriel said.

Summary: आंतरिक मुद्दों पर अमेरिका का ध्यान विश्व व्यवस्था को बदल देगाः जर्मनी


CLARK, Philippines (Reuters) - The timing of U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis  trip to the Philippines this week couldn t have been better, coming just as it celebrated a victory against Islamist militants in Marawi City - with a critical dose of help from the U.S. military. But as Mattis met President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, five Russian warships were parked off the Philippines and Moscow was preparing to formally hand over thousands of assault rifles, a million rounds of ammunition and 20 army trucks at a public ceremony on Wednesday. Duterte, known for his strident anti-American rhetoric, has made no secret of his plans to cultivate ties with America s rivals, Russia and China. Those efforts appear to be starting to bear fruit. Just before he met Mattis, Duterte sat down with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday, who, like Mattis, was attending a gathering of Asian defense ministers north of Manila. Shoigu signed two military deals, including the procurement of unspecified equipment. On Wednesday, Duterte was scheduled to visit a Russian anti-submarine ship, the Admiral Pantaleyev, docked in Manila.  U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim played down any U.S. concerns about Duterte s outreach to China and Russia and noted that the United States, a former colonial power, was the country s only treaty ally, with far deeper ties in the Philippines.  I m not really threatened by this notion that China or Russia are providing some military equipment to the Philippines,  Kim told a small group of reporters traveling with Mattis.   We have been providing very important equipment to the Philippines for many, many years. The fact that the Chinese and the Russians have provided some rifles, I m not sure is really such a cause for concern for the United States.  Duterte s often profanity-laden tirades against the United States have become his trademark during his year-old presidency, and he has chided Washington for treating his country  like a dog,  despite the longstanding U.S. assistance. Still, Duterte s rhetoric has been inconsistent, and he warmly greeted visiting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in August, calling himself a  humble friend  of the United States at the time.  On Tuesday, he cautiously kept to scripted dialogue at the start of his meeting with Mattis, as he welcomed him to the Philippines and spoke warmly of ties.  I want to be (as) politically correct as possible and I want to be understood. So reading this speech will be good,  he said before reporters were escorted out of the room. Ahead of a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to the Philippines, the U.S. envoy cited an improvement in  tone and substance  in bilateral ties over the 10 months since he s been in his post.  President Duterte has made clear that even as he pursues improved relations with countries like China and Russia, he will continue to focus on making sure that the U.S.-Philippines alliance remains strong,  Kim said. The same day that Mattis landed in the Philippines, Manila announced the end of five months of military operations in a southern city of Marawi held by pro-Islamic State rebels, after a fierce and unfamiliar urban war that marked the country s biggest security crisis in years. The rebel occupation stunned a military inexperienced in urban combat and stoked wider concerns that Islamic State loyalists have gained influence among local Muslims and have ambitions to use the island of Mindanao as a base for operations in Southeast Asia. Mattis, on his flight to the Philippines, commended Manila on the operation and on Tuesday discussed ways to deepen U.S.-Philippines military ties in talks with the Philippine defense minister.  It was a tough fight,  Mattis said during his flight, adding he thought the Philippines had sent  a very necessary message to the terrorists.  Kim said the U.S. military assistance made a  huge difference  in the battle in Marawi, particularly its intelligence support, including with the deployment of Gray Eagle and P-3 Orion aircraft.  I think all of us were surprised by the extent of infiltration by the terrorists into Marawi City,  he said.  When you encounter a situation like that, you obviously need good intelligence to be able to target key areas and I think that s where our support was quite critical.  On Monday night, Philippine military chief General Eduardo Ano said the U.S. technical support  tilted the balance  because  we had a very hard grasp of the situation in the early days  until information flowed and helped defeat the militants. The United States also provided information Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi gave $1.5 million in January for the attack on Marawi, Ano said. But even on Marawi, Duterte has also credited U.S. rival China for its assistance. Duterte said it was one of the 100 sniper rifles donated by China that fired the bullet that killed Isnilon Hapilon, Islamic State s  emir  in Southeast Asia, on Oct. 16. The ranger unit conducting the operation said the shot was fired from a heavier weapon mounted on an armored vehicle.  Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters on Tuesday about the receipt of heavy equipment from China to help rebuild Marawi, and also noted the receipt of rifles and ammunition from Beijing. He expected to receive four fast boats from China before the end of the year. The United States has for decades been the Philippines  defense treaty ally and its biggest source of hardware and training, providing about $1 billion in equipment since 2000.

Summary: अमेरिका ने फिलीपींस में सैन्य संबंधों पर जोर दिया क्योंकि दुतेर्ते ने रूस, चीन को अदालत में पेश किया


WASHINGTON/HAVANA (Reuters) - The United States and Cuba have concluded a “substantive” second round of talks on multibillion-dollar claims against one another in Washington and agreed to hold more regular meetings on the matter, a State Department Official said on Friday. The former Cold War foes had a first meeting outlining their respective claims in December in Havana as part of a deepening detente. The issue is one of the key and complex obstacles to normalization of relations between the two countries. “The second meeting was more substantive both in exploring more details about claims that need to be resolved but also in reviewing the practices of both countries in solving claims,” the State Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity. “Both sides agreed they would have more regular meetings.” There is no set date yet for the next meeting, which will place in Havana, in accordance with bilateral protocol, the official said. Cuba wants at least $121 billion in reparations for economic damages caused by the U.S. trade embargo and at least $181 billion for “human damages.” The United States has awarded its firms and individuals $1.9 billion worth of claims against Cuba for factories, farms, homes and other assets that were nationalized on the island after Fidel Castro’s rebels came to power in 1959. Those claims are now roughly worth $8 billion when including 6 percent annual interest.  The Cuban government has reached settlements with other countries for expropriated assets but it cut off negotiations with the United States when bilateral relations soured in the 1960s. Many of the nationalized companies no longer exist and individual claims have been passed to heirs. The State Department official said the United States also is claiming $2.2 billion for court judgments outstanding against Cuba and hundreds of millions for former government mining interests on the island. Cuba’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement the two countries had continued sharing information on their respective claims “with the aim of preparing the process of negotiation.”

Summary: अमेरिका, क्यूबा ने दावों पर 'ठोस' दूसरे दौर की वार्ता की


CAIRO (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday, the Trump administration s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was the  greatest crime  and a flagrant violation of international law.  Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of Palestine,  he told an emergency meeting of Muslim leaders in Turkey. He said the United States was giving away Jerusalem as if it were an American city.  It crosses all the red lines,  he said. Abbas said it was unacceptable for the United States to have a role in the Middle East peace process because it was biased in favor of Israel.

Summary: फिलिस्तीन के अब्बास ने कहा कि अमेरिकी यरुशलम निर्णय 'सबसे बड़ा अपराध' है


WASHINGTON/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that vote in favor of a draft United Nations resolution calling for the United States to withdraw its decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel s capital.  They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us. Well, we re watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We ll save a lot. We don t care,  Trump told reporters at the White House. The 193-member U.N. General Assembly will hold a rare emergency special session on Thursday - at the request of Arab and Muslim countries - to vote on a draft resolution, which the United States vetoed on Monday in the 15-member U.N. Security Council. The remaining 14 Security Council members voted in favor of the Egyptian-drafted resolution, which did not specifically mention the United States or Trump but which expressed  deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem.  U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, in a letter to dozens of U.N. states on Tuesday seen by Reuters, warned that Trump had asked her to  report back on those countries who voted against us.  She bluntly echoed that call in a Twitter post:  The U.S. will be taking names.   Several senior diplomats said Haley s warning was unlikely to change many votes in the General Assembly, where such direct, public threats are rare. Some diplomats brushed off the warning as more likely aimed at impressing U.S. voters.  According to figures from the U.S. government s aid agency USAID, in 2016 the United States provided some $13 billion in economic and military assistance to countries in sub-Saharan Africa and $1.6 billion to states in East Asia and Oceania. It provided some $13 billion to countries in the Middle East and North Africa, $6.7 billion to countries in South and Central Asia, $1.5 billion to states in Europe and Eurasia and $2.2 billion to Western Hemisphere countries, according to USAID.  Miroslav Lajcak, president of the General Assembly, declined to comment on Trump s remarks, but added:  It s the right and responsibility of member states to express their views.  A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also declined to comment on Trump s remarks on Wednesday.    I like the message that Nikki sent yesterday at the United Nations, for all those nations that take our money and then they vote against us at the Security Council, or they vote against us potentially at the assembly,  Trump said. Trump abruptly reversed decades of U.S. policy this month when he recognized Jerusalem as Israel s capital, generating outrage from Palestinians and the Arab world and concern among Washington s Western allies. He also plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. The draft U.N. resolution calls on all countries to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem.  A senior diplomat from a Muslim country, speaking on condition of anonymity, said of Haley s letter:  States resort to such blatant bullying only when they know they do not have a moral or legal argument to convince others.   Responding directly to that comment on Twitter, Haley said:  Actually it is when a country is tired of being taken for granted.  A senior Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, described Haley s letter as  poor tactics  at the United Nations  but pretty good for Haley 2020 or Haley 2024,  referring to speculation that Haley might run for higher office.   She s not going to win any votes in the General Assembly or the Security Council, but she is going to win some votes in the U.S. population,  the Western diplomat said.  A senior European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, agreed Haley was unlikely to sway many U.N. states.   We are missing some leadership here from the U.S. and this type of letter is definitely not helping to establish U.S. leadership in the Middle East peace process,  the diplomat said. Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there. Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian state to be in the city s eastern sector, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and annexed in a move never recognized internationally.  The first name that she should write down is Bolivia,  Bolivia s U.N. Ambassador Sacha Sergio Llorentty Sol z said of Haley s message.  We regret the arrogance and disrespect to the sovereign decision of member states and to multilateralism.

Summary: जेरूसलम में मतदान को लेकर ट्रम्प ने संयुक्त राष्ट्र के सदस्यों को दी जाने वाली सहायता में कटौती की धमकी दी


MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte taunted the head of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Saturday, asking if he was a pedophile because of his focus on the killing of teenagers in the government s bloody war on drugs. Duterte also suggested to lawmakers that the CHR s proposed 678 million Philippine peso ($13.2 million) budget could be used to equip police with body cameras if the legislators preferred not to restore funding for the agency, with which he has repeatedly clashed over his anti-drugs campaign. The CHR requested a budget of 1.72 billion pesos for 2018, but the government proposed 678 million instead. Duterte s allies in the lower house of Congress then voted to allocate it just 1,000 pesos ($20), in what critics of the drugs war said was retaliation for its efforts to investigate thousands of killings in the past 15 months, including those of two teenagers in August.  Why is this guy so pre...suffocated with the issue of young people, especially boys? Are you a pedophile?  Duterte asked, referring to CHR head Chito Gascon.  Why are you smitten with teenagers? Are you? I m having my doubts. Are you gay or a pedophile?  he asked. CHR spokeswoman Jacqueline de Guia said the president s remarks deviated public attention away from a critical human rights issue in the country.  These are remarks that do not show respect for the dignity of others. The public must understand that the death of children concerns us all as they are especially vulnerable and need state protection,  De Guia told Reuters in a mobile phone message. Duterte also accused Gascon of being a spokesman for the opposition and criticized his scrutiny of police anti-drug activities.  Why can t you move on to other issues that are besetting this country?  Duterte said, citing the suffering of the people in the besieged southern city of Marawi.  Critics say police are executing suspects under what is effectively a government policy. Duterte has rejected that claim while the police say they only kill in self-defense. The CHR has long said it lacks the manpower and resources to fully investigate the killings, the majority of which activists say are of drug users and small-time peddlers, with few high-profile arrests. Vice President Leni Robredo, who was not Duterte s running mate and has locked horns with him numerous times, said the lawmakers  move regarding CHR s budget effectively abolishes the constitutional body. Filipinos largely support the crackdown as a means to tackle rampant crime, which Duterte says stems from drug addiction. Duterte reiterated there will be no let-up in the campaign, which he said was targeted at organized criminals trafficking in drugs and not at  teenagers without a sin . The firebrand leader, who is also fighting communist rebels following a breakdown in peace talks with the government, said he remained open to resuming negotiations to end the conflict that has dragged on for nearly five decades.

Summary: फिलीपींस के दुतेर्ते ने मानवाधिकार एजेंसी के प्रमुख से पूछाः 'क्या आप पीडोफाइल हैं?'


SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore named a former speaker of parliament as the multicultural city-state s first woman president on Wednesday while critics expressed dismay that other candidates were disqualified and the election went uncontested. Aiming to strengthen a sense of inclusivity, Singapore had decreed the presidency, a largely ceremonial six-year post, would be reserved for candidates from the minority Malay community this time. The returning officer declared Halimah Yacob, 63, elected on Wednesday after nominations closed. Of the four other applicants, two were not Malays and two were not qualified to contest, the elections department said on Monday. Halimah had automatically qualified because she held a senior public post for over three years. If the election had been held, all citizens would have been eligible to vote. Several critics went online to protest against the stringent eligibility rules, which include a stipulation that a candidate from the private sector should have headed a company with paid-up capital of at least S$500 million ($370 million). The prime minister s office said it had no comment on   criticism of the election process.  It would have restored some of the lost moral authority by her winning against credible opponents through popular votes,  said opposition politician Yee Jenn Jong in a blog post.  She is, after all, a veteran in elections and has won handsomely in the four general elections she stood in.  The rights group Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) said it hoped  more will be done to improve access to politics for all of Singapore s women .  Unfortunately, the process that led to this outcome has not reflected our hopes,  it said in a statement posted online. Displays of dissent are rare in Singapore, one of the richest and most politically stable countries in the world. It has been ruled by the People s Action Party (PAP) since independence in 1965 and the current prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, is the son of the country s founding father Lee Kuan Yew. In the 2015 general election   held months after the death of Lee Kuan Yew   the PAP won almost 70 per cent of the popular vote and swept all but six of parliament s 89 seats. The incoming president, who is to be sworn in on Thursday, appeared unfazed by the controversy.  Although this is a reserved election, I m not a reserved president,  Halimah said in a speech at the election nominations office.  I m a president for everyone.  Whether or not there is an election or no election, my promise is to serve everyone and I will serve with great vigor, with a lot of hard work, with the same passion and commitment.

Summary: सिंगापुर ने पहली महिला राष्ट्रपति को नामित किया, चुनाव प्रक्रिया पर उठीं भौंहें


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans lawmakers on Tuesday started trying to kill a brand-new U.S. rule prohibiting banks and credit card companies from requiring customers who open new accounts to sign an agreement that they will not join a group lawsuit in the event of a dispute. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Monday finalized the new rule banning “mandatory arbitration clauses” requiring consumers to forego class-action suits and instead settle disputes in negotiations overseen by arbitrators frequently hired by companies. The rule immediately ran into fierce opposition by Wall Street and Republicans who control both Congress and the White House. They have long criticized the consumer agency, which is run by a Democrat, Richard Cordray. Senator Tom Cotton, a member of the Banking Committee, has already announced he is drafting a resolution to kill the rule. His fellow Republican Senator Pat Toomey, chair of the subcommittee on financial institutions and consumer protection, said he is considering a similar step.  Republican lawmakers plan to eliminate the rule, using a law that allows Congress to undo new regulations with simple majority votes in both chambers and a signature from the president. Analysts and consumer advocates have said the agency’s rule may survive the Congressional challenge. Still, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is contemplating a legal challenge and Trump administration officials are also looking at ways to kill the rule. Isaac Boltansky, a policy analyst for the investment firm Compass Point Research & Trading, said the rule has a slightly better than 50 percent chance of surviving in Congress. Joe Valenti, who tracks the issue for the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress, said the House of Representatives was unified against the rule, which opponents have argued benefits class-action lawyers, not consumers. “It comes down to the Senate,” said Valenti, noting that the rule would survive if only three Republicans in that chamber switched sides. That is possible, said Ed Mierzwinksi, the consumer program director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups. He noted that Senate Republicans have struggled to gather enough votes for majorities and the calendar is swollen with pressing legislation and confirmation hearings. In addition, Mierzwinksi said, senators may be leery of appearing to side with Wall Street against consumers. He noted that Wells Fargo & Co used clauses in its account-opening agreements to block customers from suing over its phantom account scandal. Supporters of the rule say mandatory arbitration denies citizens their day in court and is rigged in favor of big firms. They say litigants banding together in a class-action lawsuit have a better chance of getting companies to answer publicly for illegal activities and that fears of such a suit can discourage law breaking. The consumer protection agency wrote the rule after conducting a lengthy, multi-year study of the issue. Opponents of the rule say the study is flawed and that arbitration is cheaper and faster than class-action lawsuits and produces better awards for consumers. The Chamber is exploring a prompt legal challenge to the rule, said Matt Webb, senior vice president for its legal reform institute. Another possible challenge could come from the acting comptroller of the currency, Keith Noreika. He is laying groundwork to invoke an untested provision of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law that allows the council of the country’s top financial regulators to nullify a consumer agency rule if they decide it threatens the safety and soundness of the banking system. Rohit Chopra, senior fellow at the Consumer Federation of America and former CFPB assistant director, said a lawsuit will probably fail because the law says the agency can restrict arbitration as long as it hews to its study.  He said the Dodd-Frank provision that the comptroller’s office is looking at was meant to keep risks to the financial system at bay.  “To suggest that this rule would cause a financial crisis is ridiculous on its face,” he said.

Summary: रिपब्लिकन ने जबरन मध्यस्थता पर नए अमेरिकी प्रतिबंध पर वापस हड़ताल की


ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish authorities issued detention warrants for 133 people working in the finance and labor ministries, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Thursday, as part of a widening crackdown following last year s failed coup attempt. The suspects were detained for allegedly using ByLock, an encrypted messaging app which the government says was used by the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara of orchestrating last July s abortive putsch. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, denies involvement. Anadolu said 101 of the suspects were from the finance ministry and 32 from the labor ministry. It said two of the suspects from each ministry were active workers. Since then more than 50,000 people have been jailed pending trial over links to Gulen, while 150,000 people have been sacked or suspended from jobs in the public and private sectors. Rights groups and some of Turkey s Western allies have voiced concern about the crackdown, fearing the government is using the coup as a pretext to quash dissent. The government says only such a purge could neutralize the threat represented by Gulen s network, which it says deeply infiltrated institutions such as the army, schools and courts.

Summary: तुर्की ने तख्तापलट के बाद की जांच में 133 मंत्रालय के कर्मचारियों को हिरासत में लेने का आदेश दियाः अनादोलु


MANILA (Reuters) - Stepping up a campaign against President Rodrigo Duterte s bloody war on drugs, Catholic bishops in the Philippines have called for church bells to be rung for the next 40 nights, and congregations to light candles and pray for the killing to end. A pastoral letter by Catholic Bishops  Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) sent to priests urged Catholics to pray for victims from Saturday until All Saints  Day on Nov. 1, when Filipinos traditionally pay respects to the dead. More than 3,800 people have been killed in anti-drugs operations in the past 15 months and at least 2,100 murders are suspected of being drug-related, according to police data, though human rights groups believe the numbers are understated.  The relentless and bloody campaign against drugs that shows no sign of abating impels us, your bishops, to declare: In the name of God, stop the killings!  Archbishop Socrates Villegas, the head of the CBCP, said in the letter.  Such messages are typically read aloud in church or distributed to their congregations. Many Catholic churches in the capital have already started lighting candles and ringing bells for five minutes each day at 8 p.m.. Thousands of Filipinos rallied against Duterte on Thursday to protest against what they fear is an emerging dictatorship, and several churches held mass against the killings and urged people to renounce violence.  The bishops are among the most influential dissenting voices to come out against the Duterte s uncompromising strategy. Having been largely silent on the issue when it first erupted last year, priests have increasingly taken a stand against the anti-drugs campaign. As bodies started to appear nightly in Manila s slums, the church stepped up its opposition, denouncing the killings and in some cases, providing sanctuary to witnesses of killings and drug users who feared they could be targeted. Villegas said the country s bishops were firmly against drugs, but killing was not the solution and prayer was  the most powerful weapon in our arsenal . Rights groups dispute official police accounts that say drug suspects were killed because they violently resisted arrest. Critics accuse police of executing users and small-time dealers and planting evidence, which police reject. Pablo Virgilio David, bishop in Manila s Caloocan City, where large numbers of drug-related killings have taken place, urged the authorities to end the killings and let healing begin.  We disagree that we should treat them like monsters to be eliminated like stray cats and dogs,  he said of drug users and criminals.  We disagree that a criminal has no more hope of changing his life.

Summary: फिलीपींस के बिशपों ने खूनी ड्रग्स युद्ध के विरोध में घंटी बजाने और प्रार्थना करने का आग्रह किया


JUBA (Reuters) - The death toll from inter-clan fighting in South Sudan s Great Lakes region last week - a new source of violence in a country devastated by a four-year civil war - has reached at least 170, officials said on Tuesday. The clashes in the province s Malek county broke out after a group of young men from the Ruop ethnic group attacked rival youth from the Pakam group on Wednesday and Thursday. Revenge attacks have since taken place. Dharuai Mabor Teny, a member of parliament from the region, updated an earlier death toll of 45.  Right now, from both sides, we have 170 plus people who lost their lives. 342 houses have been burnt and almost 1,800 people displaced,  Teny told Reuters. The violence prompted the government to declare a three-month state of emergency in the region and surrounding areas on Monday. The military has also been ordered to deploy troops to quell the unrest. Shadrack Bol Maachok, the regional government s spokesman, said the widespread availability of arms complicated efforts to control the conflict.  Those arms in the hands of the civilians are going to be taken away and heavy forces are going to be brought here,  he told Reuters. The UN mission in South Sudan UNMISS said its troops were helping remove roadblocks mounted by the clashing groups in a bid to open up routes for movement and trade. South Sudan was plunged into war in 2013 after a political disagreement between President Salva Kiir and his former vice president Riek Machar escalated into a military confrontation. The fighting has killed tens of thousands, uprooted about a quarter of the population of 12 million people and left its small, oil-dependent economy moribund. Violence between rival communities is common in parts of South Sudan, often triggered by quarrels over scarce grazing land and cultural and political grievance

Summary: दक्षिण सूडान की महान झीलों में लड़ाई से मरने वालों की संख्या बढ़कर 170 हुई


MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia accused the United States on Tuesday of pretending to fight Islamic State and of deliberately reducing its air strikes in Iraq to allow the group s militants to stream into Syria to slow the Russian-backed advance of the Syrian army. The Pentagon strongly denied the accusations, saying that the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State posts data every day on the number and result of strikes for the public to see. In the latest sign of rising tensions between Moscow and Washington, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement that the U.S.-led coalition had sharply reduced its air strikes in Iraq in September when Syrian forces, backed by Russian air power, had started to retake Deir al-Zor Province.  Everyone sees that the U.S.-led coalition is pretending to fight Islamic State, above all in Iraq, but continuing to allegedly fight Islamic State in Syria actively for some reason,  said Major-General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for Russia s defense ministry. The result, he said, had been that militants had moved in large numbers from Iraqi border areas to Deir al-Zor where they were trying to dig in on the left bank of the River Euphrates.  The actions of the Pentagon and the coalition demand an explanation. Is their change of tack a desire to complicate as much as they can the Syrian army s operation, backed by the Russian air force, to take back Syrian territory to the east of the Euphrates?,  asked Konashenkov.  Or is it an artful move to drive Islamic State terrorists out of Iraq by forcing them into Syria and into the path of the Russian air force s pinpoint bombing?  In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Robert Manning described the Russian accusations as  absolutely false .  We remain committed to killing ISIS and denying them safe havens and the ability to carry out strikes in the region or globally,  Manning said, using an acronym for Islamic State. Konashenkov added that Syrian troops were in the midst of trying to push Islamic State out of the city of al-Mayadin, southeast of Deir al-Zor, but that IS tried daily to reinforce its ranks there with  foreign mercenaries  pouring in from Iraq.

Summary: रूस ने अमेरिका पर सीरिया, इराक में इस्लामिक स्टेट से लड़ने का नाटक करने का आरोप लगाया


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives Ethics Committee said on Tuesday it is investigating allegations of sexual harassment against Representative John Conyers. Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, said earlier on Tuesday his office had resolved a harassment case with a payment but no admission of guilt.

Summary: प्रतिनिधि कॉनयर्स के खिलाफ आरोपों की जांच कर रहा अमेरिकी सदन का नैतिकता पैनल


BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) - China warned self-ruled Taiwan on Wednesday that it would  reap the consequences  of promoting formal independence, a red line for Beijing which claims the island as its own. Taiwan s government hit back, saying it was a reality that the Republic of China, the island s formal name, was a sovereign country and that no matter what China said it could not change this fact. Taiwan is one of China s most sensitive issues. Beijing has never renounced the use of force to bring what it considers a wayward province under its rule.  Defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan in 1949 at the end of the Chinese civil war. Taiwan was a Japanese colony from 1895 until 1945.  Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, newly appointed Taiwan Premier William Lai said he was a  political worker who advocates Taiwan independence , but that it already was an independent country called the Republic of China and so had no need to declare independence. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for China s Taiwan Affairs Office, said in reaction that relations across the Taiwan Strait that separates them are not  country to country  relations, and there is no  one China and one Taiwan .  Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, has never been a country and can never become a country,  Ma said.  The mainland side resolutely opposes any form of  Taiwan independence  words or action, and will never allow the historical tragedy of national separation to repeat itself. The consequences will be reaped for engaging in Taiwan independence separatism,  he added, without elaborating. Taiwan s Mainland Affairs Council said it did not matter what Beijing said, it was an  objective reality  that the Republic of China was a sovereign state.  Taiwan s future and the development of relations across the Strait will be jointly decided by Taiwan s 23 million people,  it said. Taiwanese officials have said previously that there is no need to declare independence, as the Republic of China is already an independent country, though its territory only covers Taiwan, a few offshore islands close to China and some in the South China Sea.  Relations between Taipei and Beijing have nosedived since Tsai Ing-wen of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party won election last year. China suspects her of wanting independence, but she says she wants to maintain peace with China. Beijing has suspended a regular dialogue mechanism with Taipei established under the previous, China-friendly government in Taiwan, and there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan.

Summary: चीन ने कहा कि ताइवान कोई देश नहीं है, ताइवान ने कहा कि चीन को वास्तविकता की जांच करने की आवश्यकता है


BEIJING (Reuters) - With lavish pageantry and an uncharacteristic personal flourish, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday rolled out a red carpet welcome for U.S President Donald Trump at the Forbidden City, the ancient home of China’s emperors. While North Korea and trade are set to dominate the formal part of the visit, which ends on Friday, China has been keen to show the importance it puts on Trump’s visit, the first by a foreign leader since the end of a key Communist Party congress last month where Xi cemented his power. Trump and his wife Melania were whisked from Beijing airport - where they were met by China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi, a key player in the outreach to Trump since he won election a year ago - straight to the Forbidden City. Chatting over cups of tea, Trump showed Xi a video of his granddaughter Arabella Kushner singing in Mandarin and reciting classical Chinese poetry, prompting Xi to compliment her performance as worthy of an “A+”, Chinese state media said.  Xi said he hoped Arabella would visit China soon, noting that she was already a “child star” in China, the official Xinhua news agency said. A video of Arabella reciting a Chinese poem went viral on Chinese social media shortly after Trump’s election last year. In another break from precedent, Xi himself gave the Trumps a tour of the imperial treasures of the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage site cleared of tourists for the day, before the two first couples watched Chinese opera and an acrobatic display. “That’s something!” Trump said after the show, as he and Xi walked away. “We’re having a great time.” China had widely been expected to pull out all the stops for Trump, who has pressed it to do more to control its neighbor North Korea, and resolve a yawning trade gap with the United States.  The ceremony on Trump’s arrival at Beijing’s airport on Wednesday was also more elaborate than usual, with the Trumps met by a marching band and soldiers standing at attention. Smartly dressed children waving miniature Chinese and American flags jumped up and down as Trump’s motorcade passed.  In another rare, if not unprecedented step, Trump’s official ceremonial welcome at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday will be broadcast live on national television, state broadcaster CCTV said. While the sprawling palace complex in the center of Beijing is a regular stop for visiting dignitaries, it is rare for a Chinese leader to provide a personal escort, confirmation of the “state visit-plus” treatment that China had promised for Trump.

Summary: बीजिंग यात्रा के पहले दिन चीन के राष्ट्रपति शी जिनपिंग ने ट्रम्प का स्वागत किया


PHOENIX (Reuters) - Two National Football League teams largely steered clear of a controversy over national anthem protests that have ensnared U.S. President Donald Trump and threatened to damage the game’s popularity, staging a “moment of unity” on Monday instead. The entire Dallas Cowboys team, including owner Jerry Jones, linked arms and knelt on the playing field for a moment before the game, but then stood respectfully as the “Star-Spangled Banner” was performed by singer Jordin Sparks. “We all agreed that our players wanted to make a statement about unity and we wanted to make a statement about equality,” Jones said after his team beat the Arizona Cardinals 28-17.  Jones has previously expressed pride that no players on his team had taken to one knee as the anthem was played and said he was disappointed to see such protests. Cardinals players joined arms as a giant flag was unfurled on the field but did not kneel. “Prior to the National Anthem, the @DallasCowboys and @AZCardinals shared a moment of unity on the field,” the NFL said in a Twitter post that was retweeted by the Cowboys.  Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick stirred a polarizing national debate in 2016 after refusing to stand during pre-game renditions of the “Star Spangled Banner” to protest against police violence against African-Americans. Kaepernick was not signed by an NFL team this season but several players have made similar gestures. Trump kicked off his battle with the largest-grossing U.S. professional sports league at a rally on Friday, when he said any protesting player was a “son of a bitch” who should be “fired.”Those remarks touched off protests by dozens of NFL players, coaches and even some owners at games on Sunday, along with criticism from many corners of the sports world. “The childishness, the gratuitous fear-mongering and race baiting has become so consistent that we almost expect it, the bar has been lowered so far,” Gregg Popovich, head coach of the San Antonio Spurs basketball team, told reporters.  The head of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) spoke out in support of the protesters at NFL games. “The athletes you see protesting are protesting because they love their country,” USOC Chief Executive Scott Blackmun told reporters in Park City, Utah. The International Olympic Committee’s charter prohibits “demonstrations of political, religious or racial propaganda” at Olympic venues. Not all players joined in Sunday’s protests. Notably, Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Alejandro Villanueva, a U.S. Army veteran, stood alone at the entrance to the stadium for the anthem on Sunday while his teammates waited in the locker room. Villanueva jerseys and other apparel have outsold those of all other players in the past 24 hours, said a spokesman for online retailer Fanatics, which operates NFLShop.com. Villanueva’s teammate, Ben Roethlisberger, said on Monday he regretted having missed the anthem. “I was unable to sleep last night,” Roethlisberger said in a statement. “I personally don’t believe the Anthem is ever the time to make any type of protest.”      Trump kept up his verbal battle with the players on Monday, saying on Twitter that his objection to the protests had nothing to do with race but was “about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!” The president, who has called for a boycott of NFL games, also tweeted: “Tremendous backlash against the NFL and its players for disrespect of our Country.” The demonstrations have become a thorny issue for the league, which has sought to support players’ rights to protest while trying to keep politics from overshadowing games. CBS Corp said overall viewership of games it broadcast on Sunday was up 4 percent from last year and 1 percent from last week. NBC, owned by Comcast Corp, said viewership for its Sunday night game was down compared with the week before. “The protest has nothing to do with respecting the flag. I agree with their message but not doing it during the anthem,” U.S. Air Force veteran Jimmy Phillips, 43, said before Monday’s game in Phoenix. Nike Inc said it supported athletes who had joined the protests. “Nike supports athletes and their right to freedom of expression on issues that are of great importance to our society,” Nike said in a statement. The debate attracted intense attention online, with the hashtag “#TakeAKnee” racking up 2.4 million mentions and “#TakeTheKnee” used 1.2 million times by Monday, while “#BoycottNFL” had 101,500 mentions. Prominent players continued to speak out against Trump on Monday.     New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who has said he considers Trump a friend, said on Monday he disagreed with the president’s remarks. “I thought it was just divisive,” Brady told Boston’s WEEI radio. At the same time as he berated the NFL, Trump praised car-racing league NASCAR, which saw no protests at its Sunday race in New Hampshire. (The story has been corrected to add missing words “we wanted to” in paragraph 3)

Summary: राष्ट्रगान के विरोध के बीच काउबॉय, कार्डिनल्स ने हथियार जोड़े


LONDON (Reuters) - Britain s Queen Elizabeth will add another landmark to her record-breaking reign on Monday when she and Prince Philip celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. Princess Elizabeth, as she was at the time, married dashing naval officer Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at London s Westminster Abbey on Nov. 20, 1947, just two years after the end of World War Two, in a lavish ceremony attended by statesmen and royalty from around the world. Seventy years on, Elizabeth, 91, and her 96-year-old husband will mark their platinum anniversary with a small family party at Windsor Castle, the monarch s home to the west of London. A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said there would be no public event to mark the occasion. Greek-born Philip, a descendant of Elizabeth s great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria in his own right, has been at his wife s side throughout her 65-year reign, the longest in British history. He was the person who broke the news to her in 1952 that her father, George VI, had died and that she was now queen.  One of the secrets of this very, very long marriage, and it s an incredibly impressive anniversary, is the fact Prince Philip has always seen it as his main duty to support the queen, to help her in whatever way he can,  royal historian Hugo Vickers told Reuters.  He is the only person who can actually tell the queen absolutely straight what he thinks, and if he thinks some idea is ridiculous he will say so in whatever language he chooses to use.  The couple first met when they attended the wedding of Prince Philip s cousin, Princess Marina of Greece, to Elizabeth s uncle, the Duke of Kent, in 1934.  Philip then gained the attention of his future wife when the then-13-year-old princess made a visit with her parents to Britain s Royal Naval College at Dartmouth in southern England where he was a cadet.  She was truly in love from the very beginning,  the queen s cousin Margaret Rhodes, a life-long friend and one of her bridesmaids who died last year, wrote in her memoir.     Their engagement was announced in July 1947 and they married four months later. With Britain still recovering from the war, the wedding offered a rare burst of color and pageantry against an austere background of rationing and shortages. The 21-year-old princess, who wore an ivory silk Norman Hartnell gown decorated with 10,000 seed pearls, had to collect coupons for her dress like other post-war brides and the couple spent their honeymoon in southern England and Scotland. While some two billion people were estimated to have watched the couple s grandson Prince William marry his wife Kate in 2011, their own wedding was only broadcast live to some 200 million radio listeners, although highlights of the day were captured on grainy black and white film footage.   I can see that you are sublimely happy with Philip which is right, but don t forget us is the wish of your ever loving & devoted Papa,  King George wrote to his daughter after the wedding. While royal watchers say Elizabeth and Philip have had their ups and downs like any married couple, they have avoided the travails of three of their four children whose marriages have ended in divorce, most notably heir Prince Charles s ill-fated union with his late first wife Princess Diana. It was at the couple s 50th wedding anniversary in 1997 that the queen paid a rare personal tribute to her husband.  He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years,  Elizabeth said.  No other British monarch has celebrated such a landmark, and indeed Elizabeth was the first to mark a diamond wedding anniversary in 2007.  Philip, who has suffered health issues in recent years and was hospitalized in June, retired from active public life in August. They both attended a memorial service on Remembrance Sunday on Nov. 12, although a royal source said the monarch had decided not to lay a wreath so she could watch from a nearby balcony alongside her husband.   Without Prince Philip the queen would have had a very tough and lonely life. He s been a complete support to her, a rock to her, from the moment she was on the throne,  royal biographer Claudia Joseph told Reuters.

Summary: 70 साल बाद मजबूत होते जा रहेः ब्रिटेन की महारानी एलिजाबेथ और प्रिंस फिलिप ने प्लैटिनम वर्षगांठ मनाई


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on Wednesday he does not expect an upcoming vote on a $700 million sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan to keep the deal from going ahead. However, he said there was still discussion of whether U.S. taxpayer funds could be used to finance the purchase. President Barack Obama’s administration announced on Feb. 12 that it had approved the sale of the Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) aircraft as well as radars and other equipment to Pakistan. It drew immediate criticism from India and concern from some members of Congress.  Republican Senator Rand Paul in late February invoked legislation known as the Arms Export Control Act in the hope of stopping the sale by passing a Resolution of Disapproval, calling Pakistan “an uncertain ally.” Cardin told reporters he opposed Paul’s resolution and expected it would fail, with the chamber’s Republican and Democratic leaders opposing it. The measure could be taken up by the Senate as soon as Thursday. Cardin said lawmakers had concerns about Pakistan’s nuclear program, commitment to fighting terrorist organizations and cooperation in the Afghanistan peace process but generally supported the sale. “It was not controversial that Pakistan needs to modernize its air force and its counter insurgency and counter-terrorism activities, particularly in the mountainous territory of the border with Afghanistan,” he said. Congress is currently considering a request to “reprogram” some funds, in other words, use them for a different purpose than allocated in a budget bill, to help finance the deal. Cardin said he was not yet prepared to make a judgment on whether U.S. taxpayer funds should be used to help Pakistan with the purchase.

Summary: अमेरिकी सीनेटर को उम्मीद नहीं है कि पाकिस्तान की एफ-16 की बिक्री पर रोक लगाई जाएगी


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With a hug and a handshake, President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opened a new chapter in U.S.-Japan relations on Friday with Trump abruptly setting aside campaign pledges to force Tokyo to pay more for U.S. defense aid. The two leaders appeared to have established a quick friendship during a day of talks at the White House and a flight together aboard Air Force One to Florida for a weekend of golf. At a joint news conference with Abe, Trump avoided repeating harsh campaign rhetoric that accused Japan of taking advantage of U.S. security aid and stealing American jobs. It was a welcome affirmation for Japan in the face of challenges such as China’s maritime expansion and North Korea’s nuclear and missile development. “We are committed to the security of Japan and all areas under its administrative control and to further strengthening our very crucial alliance,” Trump said. “The bond between our two nations and the friendship between our two peoples runs very, very deep. This administration is committed to bringing those ties even closer,” he added. A joint U.S.-Japanese statement said the U.S. commitment to defend Japan through nuclear and conventional military capabilities is unwavering. The statement amounted to a victory for Abe, who came to Washington wanting to develop a sense of trust and friendship with the new U.S. president and send a message that the decades-old alliance is unshakeable. Japan got continued U.S. backing for its dispute with Beijing over islands in the East China Sea that China also claims. The statement said the two leaders affirmed that Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan security treaty covered the islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. Abe invited Trump for a visit to Japan this year and Trump accepted. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will make an early stop in Tokyo. But uncertainty remained in another area, that of trade, after Trump abruptly pulled the United States out of the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Abe said he was “fully aware” of Trump’s decision to withdraw from the multilateral trade accord. But he said Japan and the United States had agreed on a new framework for economic dialogue. “I am quite optimistic that ... good results will be seen from the dialogue,” he said, adding that Japan was looking for a fair, common set of rules for trade in the region.  A senior Japanese government spokesman said Abe and Trump did not discuss currency issues and that Trump did not request a bilateral trade deal.  The official told reporters that a U.S.-Japan economic dialogue will be led by Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and Vice President Mike Pence to address fiscal and monetary policies as well as infrastructure projects and trade. Trump, who spoke by phone on Thursday night with Chinese President Xi Jinping, also said he considered dealing with North Korea’s nuclear program a “very very high priority” but gave no hint as to how his approach would differ from that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. He predicted a level playing field on trade with China soon. The Mar-a-Lago visit will be Trump’s first use of his Florida getaway for diplomatic purposes. It will also be the most time Trump will have spent with a foreign leader since taking power last month and his second face-to-face meeting with a key ally after talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May two weeks ago. Trump hosted Abe at Trump Tower last year in his first talks with a foreign leader after his surprise win in the November presidential election. Abe played down his chances in scoring better than Trump in golf. “My scores in golf are not up to the level of Donald at all, but my policy is never up, never in, always aiming for the cup,” he said.  Japan has had lingering concerns about what Trump’s self-styled “America First” strategy means for U.S. foreign policy in Asia as well as what his decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact means for bilateral economic ties.     Abe pledged Japan would help create U.S. jobs, hoping to persuade Trump to turn down the heat on economic matters and stand by the alliance. To avoid questions about whether Japan is paying Trump for Abe to stay at the beachfront Mar-a-Lago retreat, the White House declared that the entire visit there, including golf, is the official gift for Abe from Trump.

Summary: ट्रम्प ने कहा कि अमेरिका अभियान की बयानबाजी के बदले जापान की सुरक्षा के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress would have a hard time slashing the corporate tax rate to below 26 percent, even if they eliminated nearly every business tax preference, according to a study released on Wednesday. The analysis by the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank, found Republicans might have to expand the federal budget deficit to cut the corporate rate to Trump’s proposed 15 percent or to the 23 percent level sought by leading tax policymakers from Congress and the administration. The corporate income tax rate is now 35 percent, although many companies pay far less than that thanks to abundant loopholes. “There’s a lower boundary on this and it’s much higher than what the president and congressional Republicans say,” said Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at the center. “The most likely outcome is that they’re not going to reduce corporate taxes as much as they’d like to,” he said. Republicans have vowed to slash business tax rates, saying it would boost economic growth and help create jobs. Eliminating tax breaks are a main focus of closed-door negotiations on Capitol Hill and in the White House. But no policymakers have gone as far as the Tax Policy Center did in its study, measuring the impact of throwing out hundreds of tax breaks, including subsidies for research, alternative energy, fossil fuels and domestic manufacturing. “In a revenue-neutral bill, Congress can’t get the rate below 26 percent even if it eliminates nearly every corporate tax expenditure,” Gleckman said in a blog posting accompanying the study.  White House officials and conservatives in Congress, including Senator Ted Cruz, have called for deficit-funded tax cuts as a way to spur economic growth. But analysts warn that expanding the deficit would undermine economic growth by raising the federal debt burden and forcing interest rates higher. Gleckman said policymakers could pay for tax cuts by finding new sources of revenue to compensate for lower rates, rather than expanding the deficit. But Republicans have already rejected revenue-raising options, including a border adjustment import tax and a carbon tax. The study was funded by the nonprofit Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Summary: अमेरिकी कॉर्पोरेट कर की दर को 26 प्रतिशत से नीचे लाना मुश्किलः अध्ययन


MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump was listening to Russia s views on the North Korean missile crisis which emphasize diplomacy over further sanctions or military action. Putin, speaking at an energy forum in Moscow, called for all sides to dial down the rhetoric on North Korea.

Summary: पुतिन का कहना है कि ट्रम्प उत्तर कोरिया संकट पर रूस के विचारों को सुन रहे हैं


ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed in a phone call on Monday that the international community should make  intense efforts  to solve the issue in Jerusalem, sources in Erdogan s office said. The two leaders, who discussed the blocking of a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for the U.S. declaration of Jerusalem as Israel s capital to be withdrawn, also agreed that any new tensions that could endanger the peace process in the region should be avoided, the sources said.

Summary: एर्दोगन, मई कहते हैं कि अंतर्राष्ट्रीय समुदाय को जेरूसलम मुद्दे को हल करने में सक्रिय होना चाहिए-तुर्की के सूत्र


WELLINGTON (Reuters) - The leader of the small New Zealand party holding the balance of power after an inconclusive election last month said he would hold a key board meeting on Monday as he nears a decision on which party he will support in a coalition government. The country has been in political limbo since Sept. 23 when neither the National Party, which has led the government since 2008, or the Labour Party scored enough seats to form a government. The New Zealand First has held negotiations with both over the past week, but has kept the country guessing over which way it was leaning. It convened a caucus on Friday, but the internal meetings were set to continue through Monday.  Members of the board will be ... flying in on Sunday and early Monday morning for a joint caucus and board meeting ... all day Monday,  Winston Peters, leader of the nationalist NZ First Party told reporters in Wellington. An announcement was expected sometime next week. NZ First s policies are more aligned with those of Labour - both favor curbing migration and foreign ownership, renegotiating certain trade deals and changes to the central bank s approach to monetary policy. But observers have said that a two-way coalition is much simpler to put together than one involving three parties. National won 56 seats at the September election, meaning it would only need NZ First s nine seats to have a majority in parliament. Labour, with 46 seats, will have to go into coalition with both the Greens and NZ First to be able to govern.  The most widespread criticism of the current state of play is that a party leader with 7.5 percent of the nation s vote has been allowed to dictate the outcome for 100 percent of New Zealanders,  Sean Kean, managing director of Auckland-based Triple T Consulting said. The political uncertainty has pushed the New Zealand dollar down 2.9 percent against the U.S. dollar since the vote. The New Zealand dollar was last 0.07 percent lower at $0.7125.

Summary: न्यूजीलैंड की किंगमेकर पार्टी सोमवार को प्रमुख बोर्ड बैठक करेगी


MADRID (Reuters) - An independent Catalonia would be forced out of the European Union and euro area which would directly hurt the regional economy, the Spanish economy minister said on Wednesday.  It d be out of all the treaties, 70 percent of its gross domestic product would be subject to tariffs and physical borders. It would be out of the euro zone and the banks wouldn t have ECB coverage ... it would have to create its own currency which would be very depreciated,  Luis de Guindos told parliament on Wednesday. Such a depreciation would lead to an estimated 25-30 percent drop in regional economic growth, elevated inflation and a doubling of unemployment rates, he said.

Summary: एक स्वतंत्र कैटेलोनिया यूरोपीय संघ से बाहर हो जाएगाः अर्थव्यवस्था मंत्री


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sweeping U.S. tax legislation appears to be on the verge of approval, lifting the prospects in particular for banks, telecoms, transports and other industries that stand to gain the most from lower corporate tax rates. The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives hit a last-minute snag on Tuesday in their drive to approve the legislation favored by President Donald Trump. The plan on Capitol Hill was for the Senate to delete three offending provisions in the House version and vote on the bill, then send it back to the House for a vote on Wednesday. The bill slashes the corporate income tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. That would boost overall earnings for S&P 500 companies by 9.1 percent, according to UBS equity strategists. For an interactive graphic on how the bill ripples through industries: tmsnrt.rs/2kf26gx Momentum behind the tax bill over the past month has helped propel the stock market, which had already rallied sharply this year, to fresh record highs. The S&P 500 has climbed about 5 percent since mid-November when the House of Representatives passed its tax overhaul bill. But the bill, which also includes a one-time tax on profits held overseas and industry-specific measures, would benefit some stocks, industries and sectors more than others.  The industries that stand to benefit most from the lower rates are telecoms, transportation, retail and banks, analysts said. But for some groups, such as tech and healthcare, the impact is more mixed.  Domestically geared healthcare companies that focus on services are poised to benefit from the lower tax rate. Hospital operator Universal Health Services Inc, lab-testing company Quest Diagnostics Inc and drug wholesaler Cardinal Health Inc are among the service companies set to benefit the most, according to Mizuho Securities. “We believe tax reform should be a significant positive cash flow event, especially for healthcare services companies that tend to have limited international exposure and significant capital expenditures,” Mizuho analysts said in a research note. While many large drugmakers already report adjusted tax rates in the low 20 percent range, a number of companies would benefit from the ability to bring back overseas cash, JPMorgan analyst Chris Schott said in a recent note. According to Schott, Pfizer Inc, with $160 billion in offshore earnings, and Merck & Co Inc, with $70 billion, are particularly poised to gain from repatriating overseas funds. Banks are expected to be among the biggest winners from a lower tax rate. The S&P 500 banks index has soared 9 percent since mid-November as the tax bill began moving swiftly through Congress.     Of the major S&P sectors, financials pay the highest effective tax rate at 27.5 percent, according to a Wells Fargo analysis of historical tax rates. Large U.S. banks will see an average 13 percent increase to earnings per share from the lower rate, according to Goldman Sachs analysts, with Wells Fargo & Co and PNC Financial Services Group having the biggest gains. Citizens Financial Group, Regions Financial Corp and M&T Bank Corp would see sizable earnings benefits and are also poised to be relative winners among large bank stocks, UBS analyst Saul Martinez said in a recent note. Banks could benefit indirectly if the tax bill provides an economic boost that spurs increased lending and higher interest rates. The technology sector, which had led the market’s rally for most of 2017, has underperformed the S&P 500 as the tax bill moved forward in Congress. Tech is expected to benefit less than most other sectors from a drop in the corporate rate, with an earnings boost of 5.3 percent, according to UBS. Semiconductors, whose shares have had a particularly rough ride in the past month, are expected to see earnings drop by 3.3 percent due to the overall bill, according to UBS. “Many chip companies have extensive international operations and relatively low blended tax rates,” Wells Fargo analysts said in a recent note. “We see the possibility of changes in the U.S. tax rules as a potential risk for such companies.” One area where large tech companies could benefit is by spending cash held overseas for uses such as stock buybacks that boost earnings per share. UBS points to Cisco Systems Inc and Qualcomm Inc as companies that could see among the biggest buyback boosts. “The tech sector would certainly be among the largest beneficiaries if cash stashed overseas can be repatriated at a low rate and presumably used for stock buybacks or dividends,” according to a recent note from Ed Yardeni, president of Yardeni Research.

Summary: अमेरिकी कर विधेयक के विजेताओं में बैंक, स्वास्थ्य सेवा कंपनियां


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday began implementing restrictions to its Visa Waiver Program under a law passed after last year’s Paris attacks that makes it harder for citizens of some countries to visit. Several of the Islamic State attackers who killed 130 people in France held European passports that would have allowed them to easily enter the United States under the former system. Citizens of the 38, mainly European, countries in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP), who were previously able to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa, must now obtain one if they have visited Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Syria since March 1, 2011.     They must also obtain a visa if they are dual Iranian, Iraqi, Sudanese or Syrian nationals, the U.S. State Department said. Citizens from the 38 nations are required to obtain a travel authorization through the so-called Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before coming to the United States. The State Department said that as of Thursday it would revoke the ESTA travel authorizations held by citizens from the 38 Visa Waiver Program countries if they are dual Iranian, Iraqi, Sudanese or Syrian citizens. However, it noted that under the new law the U.S. secretary of homeland security has the authority to issue waivers to the restrictions on law enforcement or national security grounds. People who could be eligible for a waiver include those who visited Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria on behalf of international organizations or humanitarian groups, or journalists who carried out reporting in the four countries. They may also include people who traveled for legitimate business reasons to Iraq or to Iran following the July 14, 2015 nuclear agreement. The Visa Waiver Program nations are Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and United Kingdom.

Summary: पेरिस हमलों के बाद अमेरिका ने आगंतुकों के लिए वीजा छूट के नियमों को कड़ा किया


LONDON (Reuters) - British detectives have arrested a 17-year-old youth in connection with a bomb attack on an underground train in London last week that injured 30 people, bringing the total number of arrests to six, police said on Thursday. The young man was arrested in the early hours of Thursday in Thornton Heath, south London. The other arrests had taken place in Dover on the south coast of England, Hounslow in west London and Newport in Wales. A home-made bomb went off on Sept. 15 during the morning rush hour on a packed underground Tube train at Parsons Green station, sending flames through the carriage, although it appeared that the device did not fully explode. It was the fifth major terrorism incident in Britain this year.  This continues to be a fast-moving investigation. A significant amount of activity has taken place since the attack on Friday,  said Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Metropolitan Police s Counter Terrorism Command.  We now have six males in custody and searches are continuing at five addresses. Detectives are carrying out extensive inquiries to determine the full facts behind the attack,  he said. The other men in custody in a south London police station are an 18-year-old, a 21-year-old, a 25-year-old, a 30-year-old and a 48-year-old.

Summary: ब्रिटिश पुलिस ने ट्यूब बम जांच में छठी गिरफ्तारी की


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A divided Republican Party on Wednesday fought over gun control legislation that was cobbled together following last month’s mass shooting in Orlando, raising questions over U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan’s ability to get the measure passed. While Democrats have said the gun control proposal put forward by Republican leaders was too weak, an influential group of approximately 40 conservative House Republicans announced their opposition as well, saying the plan did not do enough to protect gun buyers. The legislation fails “to do enough to address the threat of radical Islamic terrorism,” according to a statement by the conservative Freedom Caucus. The group also complained of “the inclusion of gun control provisions that fail to adequately protect due process.” With the Republican leadership’s legislation under attack from both liberals and conservatives, it was unclear whether Ryan could muster the 218 votes he would need for passage in the House of Representatives. Last month, the Senate failed to approve any of several competing Republican and Democratic gun control proposals offered in the wake of the June 12 shooting at a gay night club in Orlando that killed 49 and injured 53 others. During the Senate debate, Democratic lawmakers staged a sit-in on the House floor to pressure Republican leaders to pass legislation expanding background checks on gun sales and blocking gun purchases by people on terrorism watch lists. The Republican leadership bill, announced last Friday, would give the government three days to convince a judge that a gun sale should be blocked. Ryan said Wednesday that he intended to bring it to the floor for a vote this week or next, but also noted changes were being sought by numerous lawmakers. “The last thing we’re going to do is rush something to the floor that we don’t have right,” Ryan said. Representative Matt Salmon of Arizona, a Freedom Caucus member, said he objected to Ryan pushing the bill without allowing it to be processed by relevant committees first. Salmon said that Ryan told House Republicans in a closed meeting that he was rushing the legislation to the House floor because “there are members that need to have this vote” for political reasons in swing districts that could go either Republican or Democratic in the Nov. 8 elections. Democrats, meanwhile, continued to pressure Ryan for votes on their more sweeping gun control measures. Representative John Larson of Connecticut, a ringleader of the Democrats’ sit-in, said his fellow Democrats plan to support Republican mental health legislation that could help avert some mass shootings. Larson added he hoped it would be seen as an olive branch to Republicans toward progress on gun control. Scores of gun control advocates demonstrated outside the House chamber in sweltering heat on Wednesday morning, as 91 people wearing orange t-shirts stood on the steps leading to the House demanding action. They represented the 91 people who, according to government statistics, die each day in the United States from gun violence. Many of them die as a result of suicide.

Summary: अमेरिकी हाउस रिपब्लिकन बंदूक नियंत्रण पर एक-दूसरे से लड़ते हैं


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is negotiating the terms of Britain s exit from the bloc in good faith and is not working on a scenario where there is no agreement on the separation, the chairman of EU leaders Donald Tusk said on Tuesday. Britain is keen to start negotiating as quickly as possible the terms of its future relationship with the EU, including a transition period, after it leaves the bloc in March 2019.  But the EU does not want to start such negotiating until London and Brussels agree the terms of the divorce - citizen s rights, border issues in Northern Ireland and, crucially, how much money Britain owes the EU.  We hear from London that the UK government is preparing for a  no deal  scenario. I would like to say very clearly that the EU is not working on such a scenario,  European Council President Tusk said in a speech in Brussels.  We are negotiating in good faith, and we still hope that the so-called  sufficient progress  will be possible by December. However, if it turns out that the talks continue at a slow pace, and that sufficient progress hasn t been reached, then   together with our UK friends   we will have to think about where we are heading,  he said.

Summary: यूरोपीय संघ ब्रेक्सिट के लिए 'कोई सौदा नहीं' परिदृश्य पर काम नहीं कर रहा है


DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Saturday suspended any dialogue with Qatar, accusing it of  distorting facts , just after a report of a phone call between the leaders of both countries suggested a breakthrough in the Gulf dispute. Saudi Arabia s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by the telephone with Qatar s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Friday when they discussed the Gulf dispute, state media from both countries reported earlier.

Summary: सऊदी अरब ने कतर के साथ किसी भी वार्ता को निलंबित कियाः एस. पी. ए.


LONDON (Reuters) - The leaders of a far-right British political group, Britain First, were charged with causing religiously aggravated harassment on Wednesday, police said. Paul Golding, 35, and his deputy Jayda Fransen, 31, both from southeast London, were arrested in May over the distribution of leaflets in Kent to the east of London, and online videos they posted during a court trial. The case involved a number a Muslim men who were later convicted of rape. Both were bailed to appear at Medway magistrates in Kent on Oct. 17.  The fringe group, which is opposed to all mass immigration and says it is not a racist but a loyalist movement, has staged a number of demonstrations around Britain, usually attracting a few hundred protesters.

Summary: सुदूर दक्षिणपंथी ब्रिटेन समूह के नेताओं पर धार्मिक रूप से बढ़े हुए उत्पीड़न का आरोप लगाया गया


(Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday strongly criticized the city of Chicago’s political leadership, citing its so-called sanctuary policies as an example of the breakdown of law and order in the country.   Sessions has begun imposing new restrictions on some law enforcement grants to cities that decline to use municipal resources to enforce federal immigration laws. Chicago, along with the state of California and city of San Francisco, sued this month over those conditions. President Donald Trump frequently criticizes Chicago and its high murder rate, and cracking down on illegal immigration was a theme of his 2016 presidential campaign. Democratic city and state leaders argue that sanctuary policies build trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement, which helps deter crime. In a speech in Miami, Sessions praised leaders of Miami-Dade County for complying with requirements that allow federal immigration authorities access to detainees in local jails. Chicago’s refusal to do the same has made it a haven for predators and drug dealers, Sessions said. “Respect for the rule of law has broken down,” Sessions said. “In Chicago, I suggest, the so-called ‘sanctuary’ policies are just one sad example.” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement the city “will not cave” to federal officials.   “In a week in which the Trump administration is being forced to answer questions about neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and the KKK,” Emanuel said, “they could not have picked a worse time to resume their attack on the immigrants who see America as a beacon of hope.” Sessions said Miami-Dade County’s homicide count is barely a third of what it was in the 1980s, and this year Chicago has more than three times as many as Miami-Dade does. The county includes the city of Miami and surrounding areas, and is  similar in population size to Chicago. Immigration advocates say there is no correlation between immigration and violent crime. Los Angeles, which also has embraced sanctuary city policies, has seen a sharp drop in homicides since they reached a high in the early 1990s.  In 1992, 1,094 people were killed in the city, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting statistics. In 2016, the Los Angeles Police Department reported 294 homicides. Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson said in a statement that shootings are down 16 percent this year, and that undocumented immigrants are not driving violence in the city.

Summary: सत्रों ने शिकागो अभयारण्य नीतियों की निंदा की


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If President Donald Trump, who refers to the media as “fake news,” wants his staff to use a more conciliatory approach with journalists, new communications director Anthony Scaramucci may be implementing such a shift - for now. The Wall Street financier and Republican fundraiser walked into the White House briefing room on Friday and immediately did what Sean Spicer, the outgoing press secretary, did not do on his first day in January: engage, in a friendly manner, with reporters. Wearing a blue tie and an American flag pin on a dark suit, Scaramucci bantered with correspondents, pledged to be transparent and even made respectful remarks about CNN, the cable network with which Trump and Spicer have sparred repeatedly. He made fun of himself, joking about his short stature and apologizing to Trump from the podium for having called the New York businessman a hack politician in 2015. “He brings it up every 15 seconds, all right?” Scaramucci said to laughter, referring to the president. “I should have never said that about him. So, Mr. President, if you’re listening, I personally apologize for the 50th time for saying that.” Trump was probably listening. Reporters peppered Scaramucci with questions on press-related issues that have dogged the relationship between the Trump presidency and the journalists that cover it. Did he support having briefings televised? “I obviously am committed to being transparent because I’m standing here. But I’d like to talk that over with the president,” he said. He noted that CNN had apologized when it reported something false about him and that he had accepted the apology. “There feels like there’s a little bit of media bias, and so what we hope we can do is de-escalate that and turn that around. And let’s let the message from the president get out there to the American people,” he said. He announced the new press secretary to take over from Spicer, who resigned earlier on Friday, would be Sarah Sanders.  Spicer’s debut at the White House podium in January featured a long scolding of reporters for their portrayal of Trump’s Inauguration Day crowd numbers. Asked on Friday whether he agreed with Trump’s contention, for which there is no evidence, that 3 million people voted illegally in the 2016 election, Scaramucci answered carefully. “So if the president says it, let me do more research on it, but my guess is that there’s probably some level of truth to that,” he said. “I think what we have found sometimes the president says stuff, some of you guys in the media think it’s not true or it isn’t true, and it turns out it’s closer to the truth than people think.”

Summary: ट्रम्प के नए कर्मचारी स्कारामुची ने मीडिया के साथ सुलह की शुरुआत की


LONDON (Reuters) - Iranian authorities sentenced a member of Iran s nuclear negotiating team to five years in jail, Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday although it gave no details of the case. Iran reached a nuclear deal with the United States and five other major powers in 2015 that led to the lifting of most of the international sanctions against Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program. The potential detente with the West has alarmed Iranian hardliners, who have seen a flood of European trade and investment delegations arrive in Tehran to discuss possible deals, according to Iran experts. Reports last year in the Iranian media said a nuclear negotiator with dual nationality had been arrested after being accused of providing sensitive economic information to Iran s enemies. In May, the judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said a member of the negotiating team who was facing espionage charges had been sentenced to a prison term, but added that he could not provide details since the verdict could be appealed.  The case was reviewed in an appeal court and a five-year jail sentence was upheld,  Tasnim quoted an  informed source  as saying on Wednesday but did not name the person. Tasnim reported in July 2016 that a member of the negotiating team who was in charge of banking affairs during the talks had been arrested.  The agency and some other semi-official media named him as Abdolrasul Dori Esfahani with Iranian-Canadian nationality and possibly holding other passports. Security officials have arrested several businessmen, including Iranians holding joint American, European or Canadian citizenship, as part of a crackdown on  Western infiltration . Iran s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in October 2015 detained Siamak Namazi, a businessman in his mid-40s with dual U.S.-Iranian citizenship, while he was visiting family in Tehran. The IRGC in February arrested his 80-year-old father, Baquer Namazi, a former Iranian provincial governor and former UNICEF official who also has dual citizenship. Both men were jailed in 2016 for 10 years for spying and cooperating with the U.S. government.

Summary: ईरान ने परमाणु वार्ता दल के सदस्य को पांच साल की जेल की सजा सुनाईः तसनीम


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democrats would not agree to postponing completion of this year’s spending legislation until 2017, the chamber’s top Democrat said on Thursday, warning the majority Republicans against considering such an approach when Congress returns next week. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid spoke after some conservative groups outside Congress earlier this week said it would be better for lawmakers not to finish a government appropriations bills until early 2017, when there will be a new president who could work out a deal with a newly elected Congress. The lawmakers return to work next week from a lengthy recess with appropriations bills unfinished for the coming fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. By law, lawmakers must act by Sept. 30 to approve the spending bills, or the government shuts down, as it did for two weeks in 2013 when appropriations bills had not been enacted in time. In a conference call with reporters, Reid said he worried that “we’re headed straight for another unnecessary government shutdown” unless action is taken.  Congress could pass a stop-gap continuing resolution that would keep the government running at current spending levels until next year, postponing final appropriations decisions until then without shutting down the government. Reid said Democrats favored approving a shorter stop-gap bill that would let lawmakers return to Washington later this year - presumably after the Nov. 8 election - to finish spending bills. “But we are not doing anything into next year,” he said. “And the Republicans should be made aware of that right now.”  Reid said he had met with President Barack Obama on Wednesday, implying Obama endorsed his stance. Although Democrats are in the minority in both the Senate and House, rules requiring a supermajority for many Senate actions give Democrats significant leverage. More than two dozen conservative groups wrote to lawmakers this week saying they were worried that Congress would use what is called a “lame duck” session immediately after the election to tack on additional spending and corporate welfare provisions to the appropriations bills. Among other things, Congress has not been able to decide how much to spend to fight the mosquito-borne Zika virus. The Republican leadership has not announced its plans for finishing work on spending bills. Staff members for both Republican leaders in the House and Senate said they would discuss the issue next week.

Summary: अमेरिकी सीनेट के रीड ने खर्च के फैसलों को स्थगित करने के खिलाफ चेतावनी दी


OTTAWA (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Friday said he was not worried by lower-than-expected tax revenues, saying that he has a backup plan for funding government if Congress did not raise the debt ceiling by August. Government tax receipts for early 2017 were 3 percent lower than expected, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said in a May 5 report. “Receipts are coming in somewhat lower, and I think that’s in expectation of that we’re going to do tax reform,” Mnuchin told a news conference in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, where he met with Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau. “I’ve been consistent in (saying) we hope Congress deals with the debt limit as soon as possible, but in any event, we’re not concerned,” he added. The weaker tax revenues have forced the Treasury to borrow more money than expected to cover the federal budget deficit, which is putting the government on track to hit its legal debt limit sooner than it forecast, experts say. Mnuchin wants lawmakers to raise Washington’s borrowing limit before they break for a long recess in August. Asked what would happen if Congress did not act before then, he replied: “We will be fine if they (Congress) don’t do it beforehand. ... We have plans and back-up plans for funding the government.” Pressed as to what he had in mind, Mnuchin said: “They are Treasury secretary superpowers.” President Donald Trump has made tax reform one of his biggest priorities. He has proposed cutting the corporate income tax to 15 percent, down from the current top corporate rate of 35 percent, though because of loopholes few multinational companies pay that rate. “Nothing is higher on my priority list than getting tax reform done this year. ... It is critical for economic growth,” Mnuchin said. Some Canadian politicians and business leaders are concerned that if Trump cuts corporate taxes, it could make companies north of the border less competitive. “As the U.S. moves forward with their plans, we’ll make sure we understand them well to ensure our tax system stays appropriate,” said Morneau, who gave no further details. Morneau said he and Mnuchin also spoke about lumber and trade. Canada softwood lumber exports have emerged as a trade irritant ahead of talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Washington in April imposed preliminary anti-subsidy duties averaging 20 percent on imports of Canadian softwood lumber.

Summary: म्नुचिन कम अमेरिकी कर प्राप्तियों से चिंतित नहीं हैं, उनके पास वित्तपोषण की योजना है