Monthly Archives: June 2017

(WASHINGTON) Hugging outside the White House Monday, President Donald Trump and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi heralded an increasingly close strategic partnership as the U.S. branded a top militant from neighboring Pakistan as a "global terrorist."

Trump declared he was "true friend" of India and said relations between the two largest democracies have never been better. But there were some tensions in the inaugural meeting between the two populist leaders. On trade, Trump demanded fewer barriers for American companies exporting to India.

Speaking in the Rose Garden after their talks, Trump said: "Both our nations have been struck by the evils of terrorism, and we are both determined to destroy terrorist organizations and the radical ideology that drives them. We will destroy radical Islamic terrorism."

Modi, a Hindu nationalist but also leader of a nation with nearly 175 million Muslims, did not use the same, charged terminology. He stressed the importance of "doing away" with terrorist sanctuaries and safe havens, apparently reflecting Indian concerns about militants based in Pakistan, India's historical archrival. He said the U.S. and India will enhance intelligence-sharing.

Hours before Modi's arrival, the State Department imposed sanctions on Syed Salahuddin, the Pakistan-based leader of Hizbul Mujahideen, the main rebel group that fights against Indian control in the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir. India's foreign ministry hailed the move.

Trump has so far focused on outreach to China, India's other strategic rival, as he looks to Beijing to rein in nuclear-armed North Korea. But Washington and New Delhi share concerns about China's rise as a military power that have underpinned increasingly close relations in the past decade.

The Trump administration says it want to provide India with improved defense technology. The State Department on Monday approved the $365 million sale of a C-17 military transport aircraft to India. The administration is also set to offer a $2 billion sale of U.S.-made unarmed drones to help in surveillance of the Indian Ocean.

Although Modi's two-day Washington visit, which began Sunday, is lower-key than his previous three trips to the U.S. since he took office in 2014, it has included plenty of face-time with Trump. Modi later joined the president and first lady for dinner the first dinner Trump has hosted for a foreign dignitary at the White House, although he has hosted the leaders of Japan and China at his resort in Florida.

Trump and Modi share a populist streak and a knack for social media, but their economic nationalist agendas could clash. While Trump champions the idea of "America First" and wants to stop the migration of jobs overseas, Modi has his own drive to boost manufacturing at home, dubbed "Make in India."

India is among the nations singled out by the Trump administration for their trade surpluses with the U.S., and it is also reviewing a visa program used heavily by skilled Indian workers. The U.S. deficit in goods and services with India last year was about $30 billion.

"It is important that barriers be removed to the export of U.S. goods into your markets, and that we reduce our trade deficit with your country," Trump said.

But Trump also lauded Modi's economic stewardship, and the praise was mutual. Modi, who invited the president and his family to visit India, extolled Trump's leadership qualities. He said the president's "vast and successful experience in the business world will lend an aggressive and forward-looking agenda to our relations."

The personal chemistry between the two leaders could prove as important as policy in setting the tone for the future. They appeared keen to show they got along hugging twice during their joint appearance. They did not take questions.

When it comes to terrorism, Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the Wilson Center, said the two leaders have a similar worldview that "it needs to be destroyed wherever it rears its murderous head."

He said the designation of Salahuddin shows that Washington is willing to work closely with New Delhi on terrorism-related matters, although it remains to be seen if that signals a tougher policy toward Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan-based militants of launching attacks on its soil.

The two leaders voiced a joint interest in bringing stability to Afghanistan, where India has committed $3 billion in aid since 2001. However, in their public remarks, they skirted the contentious issue of climate change. New Delhi has been irked by Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris accord.

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President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Exchange Hugs and Herald Stronger Ties - TIME

Sacramento Bee

How Donald Trump is killing romance Sacramento Bee In the treacherous, amusing and sometimes rewarding world of online dating, Donald Trump has become the newest way to find or reject a romantic match. Did you vote for or do you support Trump? Then I'm not your man. It would never work,. What I ...

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How Donald Trump is killing romance - Sacramento Bee

Republican support for the Senate health care bill is falling, after a report predicted 22 million people would lose insurance. Here are some key takeaways.

Undocumented immigrants in the United States appear to be avoiding medical treatment, out of fear they might be deported.

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In Britain, the Conservatives signed a deal with Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party that will allow Prime Minister Theresa May to govern, after she lost her majority in the recent general election.

And Mrs. May pledged that E.U. citizens currently living legally in Britain would not be asked to leave the country after its exit from the bloc.

Separately, the authorities are racing to identify and evacuate dozens of high-rises wrapped in the same kind of combustible cladding as Grenfell Tower in London, where a fire killed at least 79 people.

A regulatory gap allowed the claddings American manufacturer to sell the product for use in towers in Britain, despite a ban in the U.S.

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Climate conundrum: The amount of carbon dioxide humans are pumping into the air seems to have stabilized but data gathered at the worlds monitoring stations (like the one above in Australia) shows that excess carbon dioxide is still on the rise.

One terrifying possibility is that the worlds natural sponges for the greenhouse gas, like the ocean, are no longer able to keep up.

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We bring you news of the great male skirt rebellion of 2017.

French bus drivers suffering through last weeks heat wave were among the men conducting a sartorial revolt against dress codes barring shorts.

Our top fashion critic says the design crowd actually seems to be far more comfortable with skirts than shorts on men. Odds are, we are going to see more of it, she predicts. Employers had better get ready.

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Finally, The New York Times has set up the Reader Center, a forum for our journalists to speak directly to you about our coverage.

In one of the first such posts, a top editor addresses a frequent complaint that we are overly focused on U.S. politics.

You can contact the Reader Center at nytnews@nytimes.com.

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European Union officials are expected to issue a record fine of at least $1.2 billion against Google as soon as today for breaking the regions competition rules. Above, Margrethe Vestager, the blocs competition chief.

There was widespread criticism of Italys decision to use billions in taxpayer money to wind down two banks, and of the E.U.s swift approval.

American hedge funds are taking their aggressive strategies to Europe, where companies have fewer tools to thwart activist investors.

Amazons newest Echo smart speaker has a touch screen.

Heres a snapshot of global markets.

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany softened her opposition to gay marriage, saying Conservative lawmakers could deviate from the partys position in a future vote of conscience. [Deutsche Welle]

In France, a court rejected a request to establish a shelter for migrants but ordered the local authorities to allow the distribution of aid. [France 24/Le Monde]

In Moscow, a jury could soon reach a verdict in the trial of five men accused of killing Boris Nemtsov, a leading Russian opposition figure, in 2015. [TASS]

A Swedish tourist kidnapped by Islamist militants in Mali in 2011 has returned home. A South African fellow traveler remains missing. [Radio Sweden]

Liu Xiaobo, the jailed Chinese Nobel Peace laureate, has been transferred to a hospital to be treated for late-stage cancer. [The New York Times]

In Brazil, President Michel Temer was charged with corruption. [The New York Times]

A court in Madrid ruled that exhuming Salvador Dals corpse was the only way to resolve a womans claim that she is the Surrealist painters daughter. [The New York Times]

Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.

Give biking to work a try. Start with our guide.

If you find yourself nodding off at your desk today, take a nap. Itll do wonders for your productivity.

Recipe of the day: A cucumber and yogurt salad sprinkled with dill and sour cherries is a great complement to a hearty main dish.

New Zealand won the Americas Cup, the most prestigious prize in yachting. The Kiwis took calculated risks to overcome tight budget constraints.

Thousands of patients may receive incorrect cancer diagnoses each year because of biopsy mix-ups. And heres how to make sense of shifting advice on prostate cancer screenings.

In the French village of Courances, about an hours drive south of Paris, a furniture designer and a restaurateur find silence (for her) and outstanding produce (for him).

Today is Seven Sleepers Day, which both celebrates an ancient legend and supposedly predicts the weather in the German-speaking parts of Europe.

The legend stretches back centuries. It involves a group of seven youths who escaped religious persecution by hiding in a cave, where they slept for hundreds of years before awakening.

More practically speaking, the days weather is thought to foretell conditions for the rest of the summer, similar to the way Groundhog Day predicts the arrival of spring in the U.S.

Above, a hiker on Herzogstand Mountain in southern Germany.

According to one saying, If Seven Sleepers is wet, it rains unceasingly. More precisely, if it rains on June 27, it will pour for seven weeks.

The days predictive power is helped, as Germanys weather service explains, by the jet stream, which stabilizes around this time, providing, with some variation, a consistent forecast.

(Confusing matters, the days name in German is Siebenschlfertag, but it did not get that name from Siebenschlfer, a word for a common European dormouse that hibernates for about seven months.)

Palko Karasz contributed reporting.

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Donald Trump, Theresa May, Angela Merkel: Your Tuesday Briefing - New York Times

Wall Street Journal (subscription)

North Korea Compares Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler Wall Street Journal (subscription) SEOULNorth Korea's state media described President Donald Trump's America First policy as Nazism in the 21st century, and compared the U.S. president to Adolf Hitler, in the harshest language that Pyongyang has directed at the Trump administration. North Korea compares Donald Trump to Hitler in attack on 'racist' America First policiesTelegraph.co.uk all 13 news articles »

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North Korea Compares Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

The 59-year-old actor said that he will be bringing back his famous Donald Trump impersonation to "Saturday Night Live" this fall.

"Yea, we're going to fit that in. I think people have enjoyed it," said Baldwin, who was in New York City on Monday to promote is new movie "Blind." His busy fall schedule will keep the number of Trump impersonations to a minimum, he said, which means SNL fans will be treated to "a couple celery sticks" rather than a "whole meal" of blonde wigs and orange bronzer.

Baldwin has hosted "SNL" a record 17 times and his Trump impersonation has become one of his most memorable sketches.

During his Spike TV roast, which was taped on Sunday night at New York City's Apollo Theater, his Hollywood cohorts, Robert De Niro, Julianne Moore, Tracy Morgan and Horatio Sands all commended Baldwin's spot-on Trump impression during their roasts.

Baldwin's success on "SNL" and in movies means he's in a position to be selective about the projects he works on. Baldwin says that he picks his roles wisely because he doesn't need to work out of necessity.

"You get a little bit older and you think, 'Do I want to work right now?' For me the question is not what do I want to do [it's] do I want to do anything? Do I want to work? I don't need to work. Do I want to work or do I want to just take it easy and smell the roses or do something else? When I decide I want to go to work I look at what's out there and pick something that's the best that's available to me."

"Blind" hits theaters on July 14.

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Alec Baldwin will return to 'SNL' as Donald Trump - CNN