Iranian police said 139 foreign nationals have so far been arrested in the central province of Yazd for their participation in recent protests, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday, without specifying their nationalities. Yazd, a predominantly desert province with a relatively small population above 1 million, was one of many provinces affected by nationwide protests in January. The protests, which started in December over economic hardships and quickly turned political, were repressed in the most violent crackdown since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The official death toll stands at 3,117, although rights groups say many more people have been killed. US-based rights group HRANA has said that nearly 50,000 people have so far been arrested. Authorities blame Israel and the United States for fomenting the violence. "These (foreign) individuals played an active role in organising, inciting, and directing riotous actions, and in some cases were in contact with netwo...
US President Donald Trump has ramped up his attack on USAID funds given to India, claiming the grant is misused to boost voter turnout in Indian elections. Trump alleged that the US provided “18 million dollars” to India to assist with its election, adding, "Giving money to India for elections. Well, they don’t need money. They take advantage of us. They are one of the highest tariffs nations in the world. They have a 200 per cent tariff, and then we give them a lot of money for elections.” The president has repeatedly questioned the rationale behind the funding. On February 19, he remarked that the US "can hardly get in there" because of high tariffs, and later insinuated that the previous Biden administration’s grant was intended to meddle in elections. Trump further escalated the issue on Saturday when he mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time in this context, stating, "$21 million going to my friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India for voter turnout. We are giving $21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Firstpost (@firstpost) At a Republican governors' conference on Friday, he reiterated his claims, labelling the funding a "kickback scheme". "USD 21 million for voter turnout in India. Why are we caring about India turnout? We got enough problems... it's a kickback scheme, you know," he said. This marks the fourth time in five days that Trump has revisited his claims regarding USAID's role in funding electoral activities in India, a charge that continues to fuel political debate in the US.
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