Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, said Iran’s harassment of the arrested staff was “deplorable”. “We are following the situation with great concern,” Hillary Clinton said. “We find that the harassment of embassy staff is deplorable and we will continue to support the United Kingdom in calling for their release.” Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, warned that a forthcoming G8 summit could impose sanctions on Iran. Iran expelled two British diplomats last week and Whitehall responded by throwing out officials from the embassy in London. The Iranians have kept up a barrage of abuse over British inspired meddling in its internal affairs. Nine embassy staff were arrested on Saturday accused of playing a significant role in the protests but the release of five was confirmed. However a spokesman for Tehran’s foreign ministry backed away from threats to downgrade relations with London. “Shutting down of any embassy or downgrading of diplomatic ties with any country is not on Iran’s agenda at the moment,” said Hassan Qashqavi. “The Islamic Republic has no plans for lowering its ties with any European state, including Britain.”

Acutely conscious of the Hillary Clinton precedent which not only scarred Hillary Clinton’s reputation but also set back the cause of healthcare reform for a decade White House officials insist the president’s wife will steer clear of policy controversy. “It has never been our interest in having the first lady play a prominent or leading role in advancing our policy positions,” said one official. “You are not going to see her out there on the stump.” Oprah Winfrey recently described Michelle Obama first lady as “an authentically empowered real woman who looks and feels like a modern woman in the 21st century”. Others have praised her as a symbol of middle class, feminist accomplishment and stylish working motherhood. Michelle Obama gave up her $300,000 a year job to be a stay at home first lady. To expect a woman of such substance to bite her tongue on controversial issues may prove unrealistic. Michelle Obama has already instructed her staff to think “strategically” about maximising her impact on the issues she addresses; Michelle Obama is also hiring her own speechwriter. Sher insisted Michelle Obama was not about to turn into Hillary Mark Two: “My own perception of it is that she doesn’t want to get involved in wonky policy issues the kind of contentious legislative proposals that are going on at any given time.” Other Democrats are beginning to wonder how long she can restrict herself to such uncontroversial subjects as her daughters’ enthusiasm for vegetables.

Deputy secretary of states James Steinberg told reporters today that Hillary Clinton is recovering but is not up to making the trips for a series of meetings on major issues like Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan. and the Israel Palestinian peace process. Steinberg said he would lead the US delegation to a set of trips in Greece and William Burns, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, will head the US delegation to separate talks in Italy. While Hillary Clinton is recouperating.

A statement released by the State Department says Hillary Clinton had surgery yesterday morning at George Washington University Hospital. Hillary Clinton slipped in the State Department garage Wednesday and fractured her elbow on her way to a meeting at the White House.  Hillary Clinton was expected to make a full recovery “without lasting damage to her arm,” said Hillary Clinton’s chief of staff. State Department spokesman Ian Kelley said the surgery was performed under general anesthesia, and noted Hillary Clinton’s arm is in a cast and will be “for a while.” Hillary Clinton, was expected to rest this weekend at home, where her husband and daughter joined her Wednesday night. “She, Bill Clinton and Chelsea are grateful for the many prayers and messages of goodwill they have received these past few days,” Mills said. It was unclear if Hillary Clinton would be forced to cancel upcoming travel plans. “Decisions about her schedule and travel will be made and announced in the days to come,” said Mills.

Hillary Clinton said that Twitter has been essential in allowing Iranian protesters, especially the young, to remain in touch in the aftermath of last week’s disputed presidential election. State Department officials earlier this week urged Twitter to delay scheduled maintenance work to avoid interrupting its service in Iran. “I wouldn’t know a Twitter from a tweeter, but apparently, it is very important,” Hillary Clinton said during an appearance with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Hillary Clinton said she considered it important to keep “that line of communication open and enabling people to share information, particularly at a time when there not many other sources of information It is a fundamental right for people to be able to communicate.” Iranians protesting the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have been using the medium to organize demonstrations because they do not have access to other communications. Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents U.S. interests in the country in the absence of formal American Iranian ties, to protest “interventionist” U.S. statements. The officials didn’t specify statements that drew their protests. President Barack Obama said Tuesday that the continuing protests showed that “Iranian people are not convinced the legitimacy of the election.” Hillary Clinton said it was up to Iranians to “resolve this internal protest,” but said U.S. officials were committed to pursue ways of engaging the government in Tehran.

Hillary Clinton, on her first visit to Canada as secretary of state, said the Buy American provision “isn’t being enforced in any way that is inconsistent” with U.S. trade obligations. “We take that very seriously,” she said. “Obviously, Canada is our No. 1 trading partner. It is a mutually beneficial relationship that we intend to not only nurture, but see grow.” Both Cannon and Hillary Clinton, after discussing the matter during their hour-long meeting in Niagara Falls, Ont., expressed optimism that a solution could be found. Cannon, at a morning ceremony on the Rainbow Bridge, warned of the dangers of protectionism, saying trade restrictions shouldn’t become a “major” obstacle for two countries that have been able to work out their differences before. Cannon’s comments came a day after Prime Minister Stephen Harper took to the U.S. airwaves to warn about “protectionist behaviour” by American state and municipal governments. The U.S. economic recovery bill, passed in February, dictates that the steel and manufactured goods bought with federal funds must be made in the U.S. Canada’s big city mayors have blasted the bill’s provision and suggested that they retaliate with their own Buy Canadian policy. Tackling another source of friction between the two countries  Arctic sovereignty Hillary Clinton seemed to suggest Canada and the U.S. should work together to avoid a “free for all” in the polar region. “There are issues of sovereignty and jurisdiction that have to be acknowledged and respected. But what we don’t want is for the Arctic to become “a free for all” Hillary Clinton said. “If there’s going to be greater maritime passageways, if there’s going to be more exploration for natural resources, if there are going to be more security issues, I think it’s in the Canadian and the United States’ interests to try to get ahead of those,” Hillary Clinton said. Cannon said progress is already being made through the Arctic Council, whose member states include Canada, the U.S. and Russia.

The US Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton, speaking a few days before elections in Iran that will determine the fate of President Ahmadinejad, also warned that the country would face retaliation if it launched a nuclear attack on Israel. As President Barack Obama extends “an open hand”, seeking direct talks with Tehran in his attempt to halt its nuclear program, Hillary Clinton appeared ready to unnerve the Iranian leadership with talk of a pre emptive strike “the way that we did attack Iraq”. Hillary Clinton said that she was trying to put herself in the shoes of the Iranian leadership, but added that Tehran “might have some other enemies that would do that to them”. It was a clear reference to Israel, where Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister, has talked about the possibility of military action to halt Iran’s nuclear program something he views as a threat to the Jewish state. Hillary Clinton, interviewed on the ABC program This Week a  year after she conceded to Barack Obama in the Democratic primary race, said that it was US policy that a nuclear attack by Iran on Israel would be seen as an attack on the US.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is leaving an Organization of American States conference in the Honduras saying that the group has reached no consensus on moves to allow Cuba to rejoin. Hillary Clinton told reporters before departing for Egypt that a frantic day of negotiations had failed to produce agreement among the 34 members about what to do about Cuba. The U.S. had wanted to tie Cuba’s potential readmittance to the group to democratic reform. But socialist Latin American leaders wanted to simply revoke Cuba’s nearly 50 year old suspension from the group. Hillary Clinton said negotiations will continue in her absence.

Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, called last night for Israel to halt all construction of settlements, considered illegal by the international community as they are civilian communities built on war conquered land. Binyamin Netanyahu, the hawkish Israeli Prime Minister, in Washington last week offered to dismantle new settlement outposts in return for being allowed to continue “natural growth” on the established West Bank communities. But Hillary Clinton made a surprisingly curt rebuttal to the proposal, insisting that Barack Obama who travels to Cairo next week to try to heal strained US ties with the Muslim world wanted a blanket ban on settlement growth. “He wants to see a stop to settlements not some settlements, not outposts, not ‘natural growth’ exceptions,” Hillary Clinton said. “We think it is in the best interests that settlement expansion cease. That is our position. That is what we have communicated very clearly. And we intend to press that point.”

Though Hillary Clinton has already made a trip to Asia after taking over, India was not on the agenda. This, perhaps, was due to the uncertainty of what kind of government would take over in Delhi. With the UPA storming back to power, the United States can expect continuity with acceleration inIndian policy towards Washington. As is well known, the PM is a votary of better relations with the US  exemplified by his push for the nuclear deal. US President Barack Obama’s special Af-Pak envoy Richard Holbrooke has already made two trips to India and a third is expected soon. The Barack Obama administration, clearly, sees India as a partner in efforts to stabilise the Af-Pak region. Hillary Clinton will not be the only high level visitor making a beeline for Delhi after the new government takes over. In June, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse is likely to be in Delhi, fresh after his victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.The PM himself is expected to make his first foreign trip abroad for the Brazil, Russia, India, China or BRICs summit to Yekaterinburg in Russia on June 16.