Day: February 5, 2017

Trump Cabinet pick paid by ‘cult-like’ Iranian exile group

An official in U.S. President Donald Trump’s Cabinet and at least one of his advisers gave paid speeches for an Iranian exile group that killed Americans before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, ran donation scams and saw its members set themselves on fire over the arrest of their leader. Elaine Chao, confirmed this week as Trump’s transportation secretary, received $50,000 in 2015 for a five-minute speech to the political wing of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, previously called a “cult-like” terrorist group by the State Department.

Not – Lone Wolves’ After All: How ISISGuides World’s Terror Plots From Afar

Not ‘Lone Wolves’ After All: How ISIS Guides World’s Terror Plots From Afar New York Times, by Rukmini Callimachi HYDERABAD, India – When the Islamic State identified a promising young recruit willing to carry out an attack in one of India’s major tech hubs, the group made sure to arrange everything down to the bullets he needed to kill victims. For 17 months, terrorist operatives guided the recruit, a young engineer named Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani, through every step of what they planned to be the Islamic State’s first strike on Indian soil.

Iran lifts ban on American wrestling team

Iranian media are saying the country has lifted a ban on U.S. wrestlers, allowing them to take part in the Freestyle World Cup later this month in the Iranian city of Kermanshah. The Sunday report by the semi-official Fars news agency quotes Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying that the ban was lifted after the “discriminative restrictions” on Iranian nationals travelling to the U.S. was suspended by a U.S. federal judge.

Russian runner Antyukh announces retirement

Russian runner Natalia Antyukh has announced her retirement days after being stripped of an Olympic relay medal due to a teammate’s doping offence. Russian state news agency R-Sport quotes Antyukh, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist in the 400-meter hurdles, as saying she has had “enough” of competing and will not race any more.

Move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, and do it soon

With Donald Trump in the White House, speculation is mounting: Does he intend to act on his pre-election promise, dating back to January 2016 and reaffirmed both before and since his election, that he will transfer the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, in accordance with standard diplomatic practice and the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act? A plethora of pieces have argued against the move. For example, Talia Sasson’s Op-Ed in these pages, “Move the U.S. embassy at Israel’s peril,” argued against moving the embassy on the novel basis, among others, that “Never have the Palestinians given up Jerusalem as their capital.”

On call with Trump, Italy’s leader discusses NATO, migrants

Italy’s premier emphasized the significance of NATO and outlined a new agreement between Italy and Libya to fight human trafficking during a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni’s office says Sunday that the call Saturday evening focused on “bilateral relations between Italy and the USA, united by a historic friendship and collaboration.”

Rare frog, not seen since 1962, discovered in Zimbabwe

The Artholeptis troglodytes, also known as the “cave squeaker” because of its preferred habitat, was discovered in 1962 but there were no reported sightings of the elusive amphibian after that. An international “red list” of threatened species tagged them as critically endangered and possibly extinct.

Canberra schoolgirl Rosa Green to represent ACT in Miss Teen Galaxy Australia

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Sydney’s love affair with the Sevens could be rewarded

Men’s and women’s games could be played across all three days at next year’s Sydney Sevens, with the option being left open for the tournament to be moved ahead of the Wellington Sevens. South Africa dominated England in the Sydney Sevens final to win gold while New Zealand beat Australia again to pick up bronze.

SA beat England to Sydney 7s title

South Africa claimed revenge on England to win the Sydney Sevens and continue their dominance of the IRB World Series. The Blitzboks had been beaten by England during the pool stage but proved far too strong in a one-sided final, scoring five tries in a 29-14 victory.

Business environment becoming challenging for steel sector: SAIL

SAIL today said with the business environment becoming extremely challenging for the steel sector, it has identified five core areas, including optimisation of new assets utilisation, to turn impending challenges into opportunities. NEW DELHI: Country’s largest steel maker SAIL today said with the business environment becoming extremely challenging for the steel sector, it has identified five core areas, including optimisation of new assets utilisation, to turn impending challenges into opportunities.

Column 8

I too have burn marks over my front lawn says Joe Matheson of Umina Beach. “A motor bike tyre on a black bitumen road in summer gets considerably hotter than air temperature.