US Ambassador to Estonia resigns in frustration over Trump
Washington, June 30 : The US Ambassador to Estonia has resigned in frustration with President Donald Trump's comments about, and the treatment of, European allies, a media report said.
James D. Melville Jr.'s resignation on Friday makes him the third ambassador in the last year to leave the State Department early, reports CNN.
"A Foreign Service Officer's DNA is programmed to support policy and we're schooled right from the start, that if there ever comes a point where one can no longer do so, particularly if one is in a position of leadership, the honourable course is to resign," Melville posted on Facebook.
"Having served under six presidents and 11 secretaries of state, I never really thought it would reach that point for me.
"For the President to say the EU was 'set up to take advantage of the US, to attack our piggy bank', or that 'NATO is as bad as NAFTA' is not only factually wrong, but proves to me that it's time to go," he added.
In a statement, a State Department spokesperson confirmed Melville's departure.
"Earlier today (Friday), the US' Ambassador to Estonia, Jim Melville, announced his intent to retire from the Foreign Service effective July 29 after 33 years of public service," the statement said.
The announcement of Melville's departure was followed by that of Susan Thornton, Trump's choice to be the nominee to be assistant secretary for East Asian affairs, later on Friday.
Melville and Thornton are the latest foreign service officer to leave in a department where the senior ranks have been deeply depleted and even rising stars have resigned rather than serve the President, reports CNN.
Last November, Elizabeth Shackelford, an award-winning US diplomat based in Nairobi, wrote to former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson a blistering resignation letter saying that the Trump administration had diminished the influence of State Department with its preference for military solutions.
This January, US Ambassador to Panama John Feeley resigned over differences with the Trump administration.
In March, US Ambassador to Mexico Roberta Jacobson, announced her decision to step down amid increased tensions between the US and Mexico.
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Punjab Police arrests 'serial killer' who murdered 11 men in 18 months
Rupnagar (Punjab), Dec 25: Police in Punjab's Rupnagar have arrested a man for allegedly killing 11 persons in the past 18 months, officials said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Ram Saroop alias Sodhi of village Chaura in Hoshiarpur district, was arrested on Monday in another case and during interrogation it came to light that he was a "serial killer", they said.
Police said his victims were men whom he used to offer lift in his car, and then rob them and kill them if they resisted.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Rupnagar, Gulneet Singh Khurana said that instructions were issued to police officers to solve the cases of heinous crimes in the district.
Khurana said a police team was formed to nab culprits involved in murder cases.
Referring to a murder case in Kiratpur Sahib, he divulged that a man aged about 37 years, who used to serve tea and water at Toll Plaza Modra, was murdered on August 18.
The investigations in this case led to the arrest of Ram Saroop and later his involvement in other cases got revealed during interrogation, police said.
Police said his victims were men whom he used to offer lift in his car. He used to later rob them and kill them if they resisted.
During the interrogation, the accused admitted that apart from this case, he had committed 10 other murders, the officials said.
The accused has also admitted to have committed killings in Fatehgarh Sahib and Hoshiarpur districts, they said.
He used to strangle his victims while in some cases he used objects like bricks to commit the crime, police said.
