Xi Jinping can now be President for life: China's parliament removes limits

In a historic decision, China on Sunday removed the two-term limit on presidency, clearing the decks for the all-powerful President Xi Jinping to rule the world's most populous country for life.

Scrapping the 35-year old rule brought by "paramount" leader Deng Xiaoping to prevent the country from returning to one-man rule like that of Mao Zedong, China's largely ceremonial parliament amended the Constitution by lifting the two-term limit.

With term limits gone, Xi can rule China until he retires, dies or is ousted.

He is already dubbed as the country's next Mao, founder of modern China who ruled from 1949 until his death in 1976.

SC refuses to entertain fresh plea against triple talaq and polygamy

The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a fresh plea challenging the constitutional validity of 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy practices among Muslims, saying the issue is already pending consideration.

The court, however, said the verdict rendered in pending petition will govern the outcome of the present plea as well.

"We are of the view that the issues agitated in the instant petition are already pending consideration before this court.

"It is, therefore, not necessary for us to entertain another writ petition on the same cause, which is already before this Court," a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and D Y Chandrachud said.

While disposing of the plea filed by one Gurudas Mitra, the bench said, "It is needless to mention that the determination rendered in the pending petitions will govern the outcome of the present petition as well."
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Mr Comey and all the President's lies

Weeks after being described by Donald Trump as a “nut job,” James Comey on Thursday deftly recast his confrontation with the president as a clash between the legal principles at the foundation of American democracy, and a venal, self-interested politician who does not recognize, let alone uphold, them.

In sworn testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mr Comey, the former FBI director, made clear that he had no confidence in the president’s integrity. Why? “The nature of the person,” he said. Confronted with low presidential character for the first time in his career, Comey began writing meticulous notes of every conversation with Trump. “I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting,” he said.

Comey said he was stunned during one Oval Office meeting by Trump’s request — which he very reasonably understood as an order — to drop the FBI investigation into Michael Flynn. Flynn had been forced to resign as national security adviser the day before, after lying about his contacts with Russia. And Russia, Comey usefully reminded the senators, had gone to unprecedented lengths to disrupt the 2016 presidential election, using “overwhelming” technological firepower.

“This is about America,” Comey kept saying. Russia “tried to shape the way we think, we vote, we act — that is a big deal,” he added. “They’re coming after America. ... They want to undermine our credibility in the face of the world.”

And yet Trump, the beneficiary of Moscow’s meddling, has never appeared even slightly concerned by this Russian attack. He told Comey to stand down and fired him when he refused. “I was fired because of the Russia investigation,” Comey testified. “That is a very big deal.” As he decried Russia’s attempt to “dirty” American democratic institutions,Comey could as well have been talking about Trump’s behavior.

With restrained fury, Comey described President Trump’s remarks last month that the bureau was a mess and that the director had lost the trust of his agents as “lies, plain and simple.”

Confronted later with the sworn testimony of a dignified and affronted lawman, the White House press office, its own credibility in tatters, was left to feebly insist, “The president is not a liar.”

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