11 killed in South Carolina floods – Governor Nikki Haley says such floods not seen in 1,000 years.

South Carolina is reeling under heavy floods due to rainfall of up to 14-inches that has taken at least 11 lives and has left tens of thousands without power or drinking water. Governor Nikki Haley has described it as the floods the like of which has not been seen in the region for 1,000 years.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 6 October 2015.

President Barack Obama has signed a disaster declaration so that federal aid would be available to the southern state. A tropical air mass over much of South Carolina starting had dumped 14 inches (36 centimeters) of rain. This was a new record, as indicated by the National Weather Service.
That downpour caused sudden and dramatic flooding, bursting dams and leaving residents scrambling for safety. Nearly 26,000 people had no power and 40,000 had no drinking water. At least four people lost their lives in weather-related traffic accidents, while seven more have drowned. Those killed included five who were trapped in vehicles overcome by flood water.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Activists on kayaks protest against drilling for oil in Alaska

Hundreds of activists on kayaks are protesting in Seattle on the arrival of Polar Pioneer, an Arctic oil drilling rig, which is a part of oil giant Shell's controversial plans to begin exploration in Alaska this summer.
This drilling has the approval of President Barack Obama and this has angered environmentalists who believe that drilling in the remote and environmentally sensitive waters is risky and out of step with attempts to move away from the use of fossil fuels.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 17 May 2015.

Some of the protesters greeted the vessel when it arrived in Seattle, while hundreds have joined the flotilla of kayaks in Elliott Bay. Police and the coastguard are trying to keep the protesters at a safe distance from the rig for safety.
In the opinion of protesters, the future can be a great place for us all without petroleum products and exploration in Alaska is not necessary. Moreover, the frigid temperatures, high winds, shallow seas are all deterrents and, when it is said that oil will create jobs that can just as well come from wind and solar power.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Iran nuclear deal could see Iran run centrifuges at its Fordo facilities

#irannucleardeal #fordo #centrifuges #uraniumemrichment The Iran nuclear deal is supposed to be finalized by end March and indications are there that Iran may get permission to retain a once-secret fortified bunker full of centrifuges in Fordo facility as part of a deal over its nuclear program.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 27 March 2015.

US officials who are negotiating the deal are believed to be considering a quid pro quo that would allow Iran to keep hundreds of centrifuges at its Fordo facility and, in return, it would reduce the number of centrifuges at other locations.
Under the agreement that is being worked out, the Fordo centrifuges would not be allowed to enrich uranium. However, other elements like zinc and xenon could be processed for medical and other scientific research. Incidentally, the existence of Fordo had been revealed early in the presidency of Barack Obama after western intelligence agencies had come across it.
The International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA has criticized Iran for breaching an agreement under which it is necessary to declare such facilities as they were being built. Fordo is seen as a symbol of Iran's record of concealing its nuclear program. An obvious inference is that Iran want to enrich uranium for military in purposes but Iran continues to deny any such intention. It maintains that its nuclear program is for civilian and peaceful ends only.

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Iranians hang Obama’s effigy from gallows even as Kerry pursues nuclear deal with Iran

#IranNuclearDeal #IslamicRevolution #sanctions #Tehran The U.S. and Iran have been trying to reach a final nuclear agreement on a nuclear deal by a March 31 deadline against a backdrop of ongoing anti-American hatred in the Islamic republic but, the ground reality shows that there is no love lost between the US and Iran.
It has been reported in foxnews.com dated 25 February 2015 that Iranians had shown an effigy of President Barack Obama hanging from the gallows at a huge Tehran-sponsored rally held to mark the Islamic Revolution’s 36th anniversary. US Secretary of State John Kerry has been depicted as a devious fox.
It seems hundreds of thousands of Iranians took part in the Feb. 11 Revolution Day. This day commemorates the 1979 overthrow of the U.S.-assisted Shah of Iran and the Iranians, as they have in past, chanted, “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” and also burned and trampled an American flag.
The bone of contention is Iran’s nuclear ambitions – while the U.S. and other superpowers want to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, Iran continues to justify its stand by insisting that its nuclear intentions are peaceful. The U.S. and the other superpowers have been trying to work out a deal with Iran so that Iran’s nuclear program is put on hold and, in exchange, the U.S. would lift billions of dollars in sanctions that have damaged Iran’s economy. However, nothing seems to be happening.

North Korea says Americans are gangsters, threatens US imperialists with final doom

#northkorea #DPRK #theinterview #cyberwarfare North Korea has warned the United States that it will repel any aggression by the "gangster-like" Americans by using conventional weapons, nuclear strikes and cyber warfare. This threat had been made by the National Defense Commission (NDC) which is North Korea's top military organization. It has also ruled out face-to-face negotiations with Washington.
The headline of the statement is "US imperialists will face final doom" and observers feel it is a sort of reaction to what US president Barack Obama had said last month. At that time, he had described North Korea as the "most cut-off nation on Earth" and also mentioned about the regime's eventual collapse.
The DPRK feels humiliated by the remarks of President Obama and has said that in view of the fact that the gangster-like US imperialists are blaring that they will 'bring down' the DPRK (North Korea) ... the army and people of the DPRK cannot but officially notify the Obama administration ... that the DPRK has neither need nor willingness to sit at negotiating table with the US any longer. This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 4 February 2015.
It has gone on to add that North Korea was capable of bringing about the "final ruin of the US" with its "precision and diversified nuclear striking means". It does have expertise to carry out cyber warfare as was witnessed in the hacking of Sony Pictures movie ‘The Interview’.
The statement of North Korea comes weeks before the beginning of annual US-South Korea military exercises – this annual exercise gives rise to increase in tensions in the divided peninsula.

At least six killed in shell strike in Donetsk, Ukraine – peace talks abandoned

#ukraine #donetsk #luhansk #trolleybus #minsk At least six people who had queued up for aid outside the building in the center of the city have been killed when two artillery shells hit a cultural center and a trolleybus in Donetsk, Ukraine.
As per witnesses, five bodies were seen at this location - two of them were middle-aged women and two men were lying on the ground. Another man was killed in a car a very short distance away. He was trying to maneuver the car away as the shell came in, but did not succeed – he died in his driver's seat.
The shells damaged vehicles in the legion and, all the victims appeared to be dressed in civilian clothing. There is no clarity on whether the shells were fired by government troops or by pro-Russian separatists.
Reports also indicate about a battle in Debaltseve – this is believed to be a key government-held town of 25,000 people and it that straddles a railway that connect the two rebel centers of Luhansk and Donetsk.
President Barack Obama has, once again, expressed deep concern about renewed fighting between Russian-backed separatist and government forces in eastern Ukraine and has indicated that the US is exploring options short of military action to isolate Russia. US Secretary of State John Kerry has plans to visit Kiev for talks with President Petro Poroshenko and other Ukrainian officials.
The rebels have, reportedly, said that the peace talks due to take place in the Belarussian capital, Minsk, had been called off because Kiev did not send any representatives.

Pope Francis to focus his attention, in 2015, to climate change

#PopeFrancis #ClimateChange #CatholicBishops Pope Francis has shown that he is made of a different material and he is unhappy that no one is taking climate change seriously. People call him the “superman pope”, and President Obama has cited him as a key player in the thawing of relations with Cuba. Pope Francis has also lectured his cardinals on the need to clean up Vatican politics. And, his focus is now on climate change.
Among his plans for 2015 are to issue a lengthy message on the subject to the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, give an address to the UN general assembly and also call a summit of the world’s main religions. His basic intention is to influence the 2015 crucial climate meeting in Paris. On that occasion, the countries will try to conclude 20 years of fraught negotiations with a universal commitment to reduce emissions.
In March last Pope Francis had visited Tacloban – this was the city in the Philippine that had been devastated in 2012 by typhoon Haiyan. The pope would be publishing a rare encyclical on climate change and human ecology. He would also urge all Catholics to take action on moral and scientific grounds. He plans to send the document to the world’s 5,000 Catholic bishops and 400,000 priests, who will be expected to distribute it to parishioners.
He has very rightly remarked that the monopolizing of lands, deforestation, the appropriation of water, inadequate agro-toxics are some of the evils that tear man from the land of his birth. In this connection he has added that climate change, the loss of biodiversity and deforestation are already showing their devastating effects in the great cataclysms that are being witnessed.
The efforts of Pope Francis would possibly meet with resistance from certain groups but, for preservation of the world and for the sake of environmental protection, his stand should be appreciated.

Sony releases ‘The Interview’ – movie-goers are delighted

#theinterview #kimjongun #christmasday Initial plans of Sony Pictures was to release ‘The Interview’, a spoof on the murder of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, in over 3000 movie theaters – but, it finally was released in 300 movie houses on Christmas Day. And – the public have loved it and are delighted.
In the opinion of the critics and early viewers, while "The Interview" is certainly not a masterpiece, but due to the prelaunch attention it received due to threats from hackers, the movie has become an event.
Many movie halls have made special holiday arrangements for the Seth Rogen-James Franco comedy depicting the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Sony Pictures had initially called off the release after major theater chains dropped the movie that was to have opened on as many as 3,000 screens.
But when President Barack Obama criticized the decision of Sony, its officials reconsidered and changed their minds and the movie became available on a variety of digital platforms like Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft's Xbox Video and a separate Sony website.
It is reported that Kim Song, a North Korean diplomat to the United Nations, has condemned the release and has remarked that it is "unpardonable mockery of our sovereignty and dignity of our supreme leader."
However, one spectator has suggested that as many people as possible should see it and the government should subsidize tickets. "The Interview" was not a great movie but, no one should go to see it expecting it to be a serious commentary on politics - it's fun.

2014 – The year of destruction of Syrian chemical weapons

#syriaassad #chemicalweapons In the civil war in Syria, thousands of people have died in the violence between the army of President Bashar al-Assad and the Free Syrian Army. Both the warring sides resorted to indiscriminate use of different types of weapons from firearms and missiles to aerial bombing.
At the height of fighting, reports surfaced about use of chemical weapons like mustard gas in certain localities of Syria. Both the sides blamed the other and when things came to a head, US President Barack Obama ruled that if chemical weapons were not surrendered, he would take it as a violation of the red line and would launch an attack on Syria.
Finally, after the involvement of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Syrian administration agreed to hand over the chemical weapons in a phased manner to a central agency.
Finally, President Bashar al-Assad agreed to hand over Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons which were to be destroyed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
The Special Coordinator for the Joint Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations has finally confirmed to the U N Security Council that 96 percent of Syria’s declared stockpile, including the most dangerous chemicals, had been destroyed and preparation were underway to destroy the remaining 12 production facilities.
“This is a chemical weapons disarmament process, it’s been unique,” said Sigrid Kaag after her final briefing to the Security Council in her capacity as the head of the joint mission dealing with Syria’s chemical weapons, which wound up its work at the end of September. The mission had overseen the destruction of 100 percent of “priority chemicals” and 96 percent of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile.

North Korea threatens to blow up White House because of Sony ‘Interview’ hacking

#sonyinterview North Korea has threatened to carry out strikes against the White House, Pentagon and "the whole US mainland" unless it withdraws its allegations that Pyongyang was responsible for the hacking of Sony Pictures that had planned to release the film The Interview on Christmas Day in America.
This film was a comedy that depicted the assassination of the North Korean leader and features James Franco and Seth Rogen as two journalists who are granted an audience with Kim Jong-Un and, the CIA then enlists the two of them to assassinate him.
US continues to insist that the hacking had been masterminded by North Koreans which Pyongyang does not accept.
In a fiery statement, North Korea has denied the US claims that it is behind cyber-attacks linked to a film that features the fictional killing of its leader Kim Jong-un. Of course, North Korea has a long history of issuing threats against the US and these latest threats comes days after the US formally accused the North of orchestrating a massive cyber-attack on Sony Pictures.
Due to the cyber-attack, the unreleased films The Interview and the script for the next James Bond film were leaked online apart from details of corporate finances and private emails between producers and Hollywood figures.
Incidentally, Pyongyang had offered to hold a joint inquiry with the US into the hacking but US president Barack Obama said that the US was considering putting North Korea back on its list of terrorism sponsors – this has angered Pyongyang still further.

Black-white divide takes an ugly turn – black man kills two non-black police officers in New York

#NYPDOfficers #Brooklyn #blacklivesmatter A black gunman 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley has shot two NYPD Officers in Brooklyn – the two officers are Liu Wenjin and Raphael Ramos. They were Asian and Hispanic respectively. The officers were killed while they were on patrol in Brooklyn and the NYPD police chief has said that they were "targeted for their uniform".
Before shooting them, the gunman had indicated on social media that he planned to kill police in retaliation for the death of Eric Garner, a black man who died when white officers tried to arrest him for selling cigarettes in New York and Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, in Ferguson, Missouri.
The grand jury did not indict any of the two police officers involved in the killings and Ismaaiyl Brinsley decided to carry out revenge killings.
After killing the officers in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area, the gunman ran into a subway station where he shot himself. US President Barack Obama, who is currently on holiday in Hawaii, has strongly condemned the killings of the two NYPD officers.
As per reports it seems Brinsley approached the passenger window of a marked police car and opened fire, striking the Officers in the head. The officers were on special patrol doing crime reduction work in the area of Brooklyn. Incidentally, Brinsley had a history of arrests in Georgia for robbery, disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon and his last-known address was in Georgia, but he had some sort of ties to Brooklyn.

Sony cancels release of The Interview - a film on North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un

#TheInterview #KimJongUn The film ‘The Interview’ is made by Sony and is one that mocks the regime of North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-Un. It was scheduled to be released in the United States on Christmas Day but, that has been put on hold.
The reason is that studio of Sony suffered a damaging cyber-attack and it had no other option but to pull out The Interview, because cinema chains across the US had backed away from showing the film.
The film depicts a plot to assassinate North Korean leader #KimJongUn and stars Seth Rogen and James Franco. As per reports, the group that claimed responsibility for the cyber-attack had made terrorist threats against US cinemas if they went ahead and showed the movie.
U S President Barack Obama has criticized this decision of Sony and remarked that he believed the studio had "made a mistake". He minced no words when he said that there cannot be a society in which some dictatorship someplace can start imposing censorship.
The decision of Sony has been criticized by celebrities and film makers as well.
Sony has clarified that it has only cancelled the Christmas Day release and is exploring alternatives to release the film on another platform and hopes that anyone who wants to see this movie will get the opportunity to do so.
It seems the FBI is of the opinion that the hacking had been done by North Korea and has termed it as an act of state-sponsored "intimidation" but Pyongyang has denied it. Of course, a North Korean diplomat said that the film affected the image of their country.

The Obamas have faced racial discrimination – it’s not new in America

#blacklivesmatter Looks can deceive and this has been shown again and again – even the President of the US and the First Lady have faced such situations. In an interview with a celebrity weekly magazine, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have revealed their experiences of racism in America.
Michelle Obama had been mistaken for a shop assistant in a Target department store while her husband, the President himself, was mistaken for a waiter at a black-tie gala. He had been also mistaken for a parking attendant and a waiter in the past.
As First Lady Michelle remarked – these sort of incidents happen in the black community, and is to be taken in the regular course of life.
Their observations comes against the backdrop of a national debate about racism and racial profiling in America which is a result of a number of deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of white police officers.
The President went on to add that being mistaken for a waiter at a gala is different from a young man or boy being mistaken for a robber and to be handcuffed. It becomes worse if, by chance, he is walking down the street and is dressed in the way teenagers of today dress.
He said that he and Michelle had been discussing about race with their daughters Sasha and Malia since they were young. They have explained that even though vestiges of slavery no longer exist and things have gotten enormously better, those biases remain.

Terror attack in Sydney - hostages held inside café in Martin Place

#sydneysiege The jihadists have attacked a chocolate café in Sydney and are believed to be holding hostages consisting of customers and staff of the Lindt café in central part of the city. It is an armed siege and gunmen are inside – they have forced sobbing hostages against the window with their hands raised. The jihadist flag has been seen in the windows. It is the flag of the Shahada of the Jabhat al Nusra.
The Australian police have sealed off the surrounding streets because there are genuine apprehensions that the attacker or attackers may be having shotgun and explosives.
The NYPD has indicated that they are 'aware of what's happening in Australia', and are ‘monitoring the situation in Sydney.' The U.S. government has evacuated its consulate in Sydney since it is very close to the scene of the confrontation.
It is believed that the attack has links to ISIS, the terror organization – it has been routinely encouraging its supporters to make small-scale 'lone wolf' attacks against the West, especially the United States.
President Barack Obama has been briefed on the situation by a homeland security and counter-terrorism adviser. As per preliminary reports, the Sydney incident began shortly after a 25-year-old suspect was arrested in a terror raid in the city. Officials have evacuated the Sydney Opera House nearby following reports of a suspicious device.
It may be recalled that in September, a man had been arrested – it was reported that he had plans to select an individual at random, behead him (or her), cover the body with the flag of ISIS and take a video of the same and use it further as propaganda material for the ISIS cause.

Putin signs defense deals with India, the United States not amused

In his eagerness to make more and more friends, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi treats all leaders on the same platform - and, in doing so, he is probably ruffling many feathers.
At this moment, Russian President Vladimir Putin is in India and has signed a number of defense and nuclear deals. But, the United States is not amused because one member of Putin’s team is Sergey Aksyonov, the Prime Minister of Crimea and Putin has earned a bad name because of his annexing of Crimea that once was a part of Ukraine.
This is a peculiar issue - the fact that Russia and India are concluding business ties, especially in the field of nuclear power when the US-India civilian nuclear deal is yet to attain fruition. It is bound to create complications. It may be recalled that the US had tried to isolate Putin for his invasion of Ukraine and a cold war is raging between the two super powers.
India does not support western sanctions against Russia for his actions in Ukraine, but it has also not approved the Russian annexation of Crimea either. Hence, the Prime Minister of Crimea in the team with Russian President has raised many eyebrows.
Anyway, New Delhi had indicated to Washington that it was not ''officially aware'' of Aksyonov's presence in the Putin delegation and, the US accepted that on face value but has asked for further clarifications. Incidentally, Petro Poroshenko has lashed out at India for entertaining the Crimean leader – in Petro’s words, India was placing more importance on money than values by welcoming the Aksyanov.
This incident could become an embarrassment when President Barack Obama visits India in late January to be chief guest at India's Republic Day parade – it is an occasion for New Delhi to showcase its military hardware, most of which is of Russian origin.

81 % Americans feel ISIS could attack the US – when captured they should be sent to Gitmo

A poll carried by a media house has revealed that a majority of American voters expect the ISIS to attack the US and want the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba to be the place where the captured terrorists should be sent instead of to a federal prison.
President Obama is keen to close Gitmo in order to fulfill a 2008 campaign promise, but 56 percent of voters want to keep it open. Although that is an increase from 52 percent in June, it is actually a decrease from a record 63 percent in 2013.
Party wise, the Democrats want Gitmo closed by a 12-point margin – in 2013 they favored to keep it open by 7 points. On the other hand, seven in 10 Republicans still want it open (71 percent), as do two-thirds of independents (66 percent).
A large 81-percent majority of Americans expect the Islamic extremist group ISIS to attempt a U.S. attack in the near future, including 48 percent who think it is “very” likely.
As to the priorities of President Obama, the poll put ISIS second only to the economy on the president’s list of priorities. The breakdown is - 38 percent say working on the economy should be Obama’s first priority followed by 21 percent who say ISIS. Another 12 percent say health care, 10 percent immigration and 9 percent race relations.
The poll is based on landline and cell phone interviews with 1,043 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from December 7-9, 2014. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

William and Kate in New York City – a visit to remember

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, better known as William and Kate, ae on a three-day visit to the United States and apart from chatting with President Obama and Hillary Clinton, they received cheers from people on the street and met Jay-Z, Beyonce and King James -- also known as basketball star LeBron James.
Among their other activities were a look at an American-style protest as demonstrators marched outside Barclays Center in Brooklyn to show their anger about the lack of an indictment in the Eric Garner chokehold death.
Kate was, without doubt, the star of the show and screams greeted her when she arrived at a children's craft group in Harlem – she was greeted by the first lady of New York City, Chirlane McCray, amid tight security.
William, on his part, jetted down to Washington to meet President Obama at the White House and later spoke at a session of the World Bank about the need for an international effort to stop illegal trading in wildlife.
He subsequently flew back to New York on a U.S. Airways shuttle, first class.
At night, William and Kate attended a reception organized by the Royal Foundation in recognition of the conservation work carried out by Tusk Trust and United for Wildlife partners, including the Wildlife Conservation Society, Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy.
Present on the occasion was Hillary Clinton, the former first lady and possible presidential candidate, along with her daughter Chelsea.
The Royal couple finally made it to the Barclays Center to watch a game between the Brooklyn Nets and James' Cleveland Cavaliers. Beyonce -- Queen Bey to her fans -- and her husband, Jay-Z were at the game in Brooklyn. This celebrity couple used to be part owners of the Brooklyn basketball team.

President Obama has a sore throat – will he wear a mask in India on Republic Day

President Obama had been troubled with symptoms of sore throat over the past couple weeks. Hence, he underwent a routine CT scan while visiting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The examination lasted about 30-minutes according to the White House and his doctor.
The examination has revealed soft tissue swelling in the posterior throat and, hence, a routine CT scan was carried out. The president is a smoker and it seems he has quit the habit with the assistance of nicotine gum.
He is scheduled to visit India to be chief guest at the Republic Day parade and, with the level of pollution being what it is in Delhi, he would have to be extra careful. It would be embarrassing if he has to wear a mask during the R-Day parade.
He is used to the extremely stringent air quality standards in the US and the extent of pollution in Delhi could become a major irritant.
Last year, on 26th January, the visibility at the IGI was zero. Normally, at this time of the year, pollution levels are high. In the past in 2009, 2010 and 2014, there was dense smog. In 2008, 2011 and 2012 it was moderate.
In order to check pollution during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meet in China so that delegates are not uncomfortable, the Chinese government had taken some drastic measures like shutting down industries and taking off many cars off the roads. Both President Obama and President Putin were attending the summit.

Al-Qaeda in Yemen kills two hostages who were to be released

The two hostages American photojournalist Luke Somers and South African teacher Pierre Korkie were supposed to be released by the al-Qaeda in Yemen but, they have been killed during a rescue attempt by US and Yemeni forces.
It is understood that a total of 40 US special operations forces were involved in the rescue attempt and they were backed by Yemeni forces. They got to within 100 metres of the compound when they were spotted leading to a firefight ensued. During this encounter the pair was shot.
Reports indicate that the duo had been murdered by their al Qaeda captors - 10 of whom were also killed.
The raid was carried out in the Shabwah region of Yemen. It seems the release of 56-year-old Mr Korkie had been scheduled for Sunday but President Barack Obama authorized the raid because there was information to the effect that the life of American photojournalist Luke Somers was in imminent danger.
The national security chief of Yemen, Ali al Ahmadi, had revealed that the militants had planned to "execute" Mr Somers - who was born in Britain - on Saturday. Hence the raid.
It may be recalled that Mr and Mrs Korkie had been taken hostage by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in May 2013 - Mrs Korkie was released earlier this year. On the other hand, Mr Somers, who was born in Britain, was captured in September 2013 in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a.

President Obama is all praises for Prime Minister Naendra Modi

The US President Barack Obama is impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his method of working. Only a few days earlier, Obama had described Modi as a ‘man of action’ while in Myanmar on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit, and now Obama has revealed that he has been impressed by the efforts of Modi to shake up the "bureaucratic inertia" in India. Of course, Obama has added that this was a long-term project and time only will tell how successful Modi has been in his endeavor.
Obama had made these observations at a business roundtable, which was attended by top corporate leaders of the country. The roundtable had been organized to discuss the current economic condition of the US and across the globe and during interaction at the occasion, President Obama said that the US, over the last six years, has put more people back to work than Europe, Japan, and the rest of the advanced world combined.
Incidentally, Obama has accepted an invitation to be the chief guest at the annual Republic Day Parade in New Delhi on January 26 next year.
The episode of refusing an American visa to Modi had raised many heartaches and that is, now, a closed chapter.