U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea on Monday that recent American military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed President Donald Trump&#39;s resolve should not be questioned, but Pyongyang vowed to continue missile and nuclear tests.

After a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang and a failed North Korean missile test during the weekend, U.S. officials praised China for stepping up efforts to rein in North Korea, Beijing&#39;s neighbour and ally.

But Pence and South Korea&#39;s acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, said they would proceed with the early deployment to South Korea of the U.S. THAAD missile-defence system, in spite of Chinese objections.

At a White House Easter celebration on Monday, Trump was asked if he had a message for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and replied: &ldquo;Gotta behave.&rdquo;

But senior North Korean officials remained defiant.

North Korea&#39;s deputy representative to the United Nations, Kim In Ryong, accused Washington of creating &ldquo;a situation where nuclear war could break out at any time&rdquo; and said Pyongyang&#39;s next nuclear test would take place &quot;at a time and at a place where our headquarters deems necessary.&quot;

North Korea&#39;s Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol told the BBC that missiles would continue to be tested on &quot;a weekly, monthly and yearly basis.&quot;

Kim Song Gyong, director general of the European Department of North Korea&#39;s Foreign Ministry, told Reuters in Pyongyang that if Washington made &quot;the slightest movement&quot; to make a nuclear strike on North Korea, Pyongyang would strike first and &quot;destroy the aggressors without any mercy.&rdquo;

He went on to clarify that the approach of a U.S. naval strike force led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to Korean waters would not be considered enough to constitute &ldquo;the slightest movement&rdquo;.

Korean tensions have escalated following repeated North Korean missile tests and concerns that Pyongyang may soon conduct a sixth nuclear bomb test in defiance of U.N. sanctions. Washington is increasingly worried about North Korean efforts to develop a nuclear-tipped missile that could hit the U.S. mainland.

Speaking alongside Hwang, Pence said the world had witnessed Trump&#39;s resolve in the past two weeks, which saw a U.S. missile attack on a Syrian airfield and the dropping of a powerful non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State in Afghanistan.

&quot;North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region,&quot; Pence said on what was his first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show that Trump is not turning his back on the increasingly volatile part of the world.

Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, visited the North-South border on Monday and said Washington would stand by its &quot;ironclad alliance&quot; with South Korea.

&quot;All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country,&quot; he told reporters as tinny propaganda music floated across from the North Korean side of the so-called demilitarized zone (DMZ).

The Trump administration has said that military action remains an option for dealing with North Korea.

But mindful that this would likely trigger massive retaliation and casualties in South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops there, U.S. officials say the Trump administration&#39;s main focus is on tougher economic sanctions to try to get Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programs.

Trump himself, when asked on Monday if he was considering military action, told Fox News Channel he didn&#39;t want to &quot;telegraph&quot; his plans like the previous administration.

&quot;We&rsquo;ll see what happens. I hope things work out well,&quot; he said but added that the United States had tried to engage the North Koreans in talks for a long time.

On Sunday, Trump&#39;s national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said that the United States, its allies and China were working on a range of responses to North Korea&#39;s latest missile test, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

He indicated Trump was not considering military action for now, despite the dispatch the carrier group.

U.S. officials say tougher sanctions could include an oil embargo, a global ban on North Korea&#39;s airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang. They say greater Chinese cooperation is vital.

NO &#39;RED LINES&#39;

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said China had taken some &quot;very helpful&quot; steps, although it remained to be seen how effective these would be. Asked if Trump had a &quot;red line&quot; on North Korea, Spicer said the president did not believe these worked.

Susan Thornton, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and China&#39;s top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, agreed in a phone call on Sunday on the need for strict enforcement of U.N. resolutions and for international action to press Pyongyang &quot;to cease provocative actions and recommit to peaceful denuclearisation.&rdquo;

Thornton said any new North Korean nuclear test &quot;would draw a pretty significant international response.&quot;

&quot;We&rsquo;re definitely not seeking conflict or regime change,&quot; she said. &quot;But we are committed to defending our people and our allies should it be necessary.&rdquo;

Pence is expected to discuss Korean tensions with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday when he travels to Tokyo for economic talks with Finance Minister Taro Aso. He will also visit Jakarta and Sydney.

His economic discussions will be closely watched to see how hard a line Washington is prepared to take on trade. Trump campaigned on an &quot;America First&quot; platform, and has vowed to narrow big trade deficits with nations like China and Japan.

But Trump has also shown willingness to link trade to other issues, saying he would cut a better trade deal with China if it exerts influence on North Korea.

China has appeared increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang, speaking out against its weapons tests and supporting United Nations sanctions, while repeatedly calling for talks.

China banned imports of North Korean coal, the country&#39;s most important export, in February, and Chinese media have raised the possibility of restricting oil shipments to the North.

However, Beijing says the crisis is one between the United States and North Korea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the situation was &quot;highly sensitive, complicated and high risk&quot; and all sides should &quot;avoid taking provocative actions &quot;

(Reuters)

The statement was made by the country's deputy representative to the UN who accused America of creating the situation

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea on Monday that recent American military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed President Donald Trump's resolve should not be questioned, but Pyongyang vowed to continue missile and nuclear tests. After a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang and a failed North Korean missile test during the weekend, U.S. officials praised China for stepping up efforts to rein in North Korea, Beijing's neighbour and ally. But Pence and South Korea's acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, said they would proceed with the early deployment to South Korea of the U.S. THAAD missile-defence system, in spite of Chinese objections. At a White House Easter celebration on Monday, Trump was asked if he had a message for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and replied: “Gotta behave.” But senior North Korean officials remained defiant. North Korea's deputy representative to the United Nations, Kim In Ryong, accused Washington of creating “a situation where nuclear war could break out at any time” and said Pyongyang's next nuclear test would take place "at a time and at a place where our headquarters deems necessary." North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol told the BBC that missiles would continue to be tested on "a weekly, monthly and yearly basis." Kim Song Gyong, director general of the European Department of North Korea's Foreign Ministry, told Reuters in Pyongyang that if Washington made "the slightest movement" to make a nuclear strike on North Korea, Pyongyang would strike first and "destroy the aggressors without any mercy.” He went on to clarify that the approach of a U.S. naval strike force led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to Korean waters would not be considered enough to constitute “the slightest movement”. Korean tensions have escalated following repeated North Korean missile tests and concerns that Pyongyang may soon conduct a sixth nuclear bomb test in defiance of U.N. sanctions. Washington is increasingly worried about North Korean efforts to develop a nuclear-tipped missile that could hit the U.S. mainland. Speaking alongside Hwang, Pence said the world had witnessed Trump's resolve in the past two weeks, which saw a U.S. missile attack on a Syrian airfield and the dropping of a powerful non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State in Afghanistan. "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said on what was his first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show that Trump is not turning his back on the increasingly volatile part of the world. Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, visited the North-South border on Monday and said Washington would stand by its "ironclad alliance" with South Korea. "All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country," he told reporters as tinny propaganda music floated across from the North Korean side of the so-called demilitarized zone (DMZ). The Trump administration has said that military action remains an option for dealing with North Korea. But mindful that this would likely trigger massive retaliation and casualties in South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops there, U.S. officials say the Trump administration's main focus is on tougher economic sanctions to try to get Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programs. Trump himself, when asked on Monday if he was considering military action, told Fox News Channel he didn't want to "telegraph" his plans like the previous administration. "We’ll see what happens. I hope things work out well," he said but added that the United States had tried to engage the North Koreans in talks for a long time. On Sunday, Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said that the United States, its allies and China were working on a range of responses to North Korea's latest missile test, citing what he called an international consensus to act. He indicated Trump was not considering military action for now, despite the dispatch the carrier group. U.S. officials say tougher sanctions could include an oil embargo, a global ban on North Korea's airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang. They say greater Chinese cooperation is vital. NO 'RED LINES' White House spokesman Sean Spicer said China had taken some "very helpful" steps, although it remained to be seen how effective these would be. Asked if Trump had a "red line" on North Korea, Spicer said the president did not believe these worked. Susan Thornton, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and China's top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, agreed in a phone call on Sunday on the need for strict enforcement of U.N. resolutions and for international action to press Pyongyang "to cease provocative actions and recommit to peaceful denuclearisation.” Thornton said any new North Korean nuclear test "would draw a pretty significant international response." "We’re definitely not seeking conflict or regime change," she said. "But we are committed to defending our people and our allies should it be necessary.” Pence is expected to discuss Korean tensions with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday when he travels to Tokyo for economic talks with Finance Minister Taro Aso. He will also visit Jakarta and Sydney. His economic discussions will be closely watched to see how hard a line Washington is prepared to take on trade. Trump campaigned on an "America First" platform, and has vowed to narrow big trade deficits with nations like China and Japan. But Trump has also shown willingness to link trade to other issues, saying he would cut a better trade deal with China if it exerts influence on North Korea. China has appeared increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang, speaking out against its weapons tests and supporting United Nations sanctions, while repeatedly calling for talks. China banned imports of North Korean coal, the country's most important export, in February, and Chinese media have raised the possibility of restricting oil shipments to the North. However, Beijing says the crisis is one between the United States and North Korea. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the situation was "highly sensitive, complicated and high risk" and all sides should "avoid taking provocative actions " (Reuters)

'Nuclear war could break out at any time,' says North Korea

The United States is considering separating immigrant children from their parents in a bid to deter illegal migration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly said Monday.

Kelly, in an interview with CNN, was asked whether DHS was weighing an initiative that would split children from their parents if they were caught trying to enter the US illegally.

&quot;I would do almost anything to deter the people from Central America to getting on this very, very dangerous network that brings them up through Mexico into the United States,&quot; Kelly said. &quot;We have tremendous experience in dealing with unaccompanied minors,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

He noted the DHS turns them over to the Health and Human Services department, which puts the children in foster care or links them with parents or family members in the United States.

&quot;Yes, I am considering, in order to deter more movement along this terribly dangerous network, I am considering exactly that. They will be well-cared for as we deal with their parents.&quot;

The<a href="http://nypost.com/2017/03/06/homeland-security-chief-considering-separating-illegal-immigrant-kids-from-parents/" target="_blank"> New York Post</a> reports that Homeland Security officials say that people trying to sneak into the US bring along kids to take advantage of the system, which allows adults with children to stay in the country until their case is heard.&nbsp;

The New York Post says that tens of thousands of parents and children mostly fleeing violence in Central American countries have been caught trying to cross into the US illegally in recent years. While the families are usually detained for a few days or week before an immigration judge decides their case. If their case goes to a federal immigration court, it can take years.

One unnamed official told CNN, &quot;We are seeing kids essentially kidnapped and used to get here and stay,&quot; The report said.

The proposal would allow&nbsp;US immigration officials to keep the children separated from the adults who brought them to the US, <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/03/politics/dhs-children-adults-border/" target="_blank">CNN </a>reports. The adults could be kept in detention, while the children could be moved elsewhere under protected status, possibly with family already in the US or in state protective custody, such as the child protective services, <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/03/politics/dhs-children-adults-border/" target="_blank">CNN reports</a>.

&nbsp;

President Donald Trump ran on a platform arguing that mass immigration by unskilled workers costs US taxpayers billions of dollars and depresses wages and job opportunities.

He vowed to build a wall on the Mexican border to keep out migrants he branded drug-dealers, murderers and rapists.

Federal agents in recent weeks have launched sweeps across the country to round up undocumented immigrants.

Kelly spoke after Trump earlier in the day signed a revised ban on refugees and on travellers from six Muslim-majority nations.

With his first executive order rejected by federal courts, the new, scaled-back order freezes refugee admissions for 120 days and halts new visas for Syrians, Iranians, Libyans, Somalis, Yemenis and Sudanese citizens for 90 days.

The order takes effect March 16.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

'Yes...I am considering exactly that. They will be well-cared for as we deal with their parents,' said Homeland Security chief John Kelly

The United States is considering separating immigrant children from their parents in a bid to deter illegal migration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly said Monday. Kelly, in an interview with CNN, was asked whether DHS was weighing an initiative that would split children from their parents if they were caught trying to enter the US illegally. "I would do almost anything to deter the people from Central America to getting on this very, very dangerous network that brings them up through Mexico into the United States," Kelly said. "We have tremendous experience in dealing with unaccompanied minors," he said. He noted the DHS turns them over to the Health and Human Services department, which puts the children in foster care or links them with parents or family members in the United States. "Yes, I am considering, in order to deter more movement along this terribly dangerous network, I am considering exactly that. They will be well-cared for as we deal with their parents." The New York Post reports that Homeland Security officials say that people trying to sneak into the US bring along kids to take advantage of the system, which allows adults with children to stay in the country until their case is heard. The New York Post says that tens of thousands of parents and children mostly fleeing violence in Central American countries have been caught trying to cross into the US illegally in recent years. While the families are usually detained for a few days or week before an immigration judge decides their case. If their case goes to a federal immigration court, it can take years. One unnamed official told CNN, "We are seeing kids essentially kidnapped and used to get here and stay," The report said. The proposal would allow US immigration officials to keep the children separated from the adults who brought them to the US, CNN reports. The adults could be kept in detention, while the children could be moved elsewhere under protected status, possibly with family already in the US or in state protective custody, such as the child protective services, CNN reports. President Donald Trump ran on a platform arguing that mass immigration by unskilled workers costs US taxpayers billions of dollars and depresses wages and job opportunities. He vowed to build a wall on the Mexican border to keep out migrants he branded drug-dealers, murderers and rapists. Federal agents in recent weeks have launched sweeps across the country to round up undocumented immigrants. Kelly spoke after Trump earlier in the day signed a revised ban on refugees and on travellers from six Muslim-majority nations. With his first executive order rejected by federal courts, the new, scaled-back order freezes refugee admissions for 120 days and halts new visas for Syrians, Iranians, Libyans, Somalis, Yemenis and Sudanese citizens for 90 days. The order takes effect March 16. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US mulls separating children of illegal immigrants from parents caught at Mexico border

President Donald Trump&#39;s national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned late on Monday after coming under fire over whether he discussed the possibility of lifting US&nbsp;sanctions on Russia before Trump took office.

Retired General Keith Kellogg, who has been chief of staff of the White House National Security Council, was named the acting national security adviser while Trump determines who should fill the position.

Kellogg, retired General David Petraeus, a former CIA director, and Robert Harward, a former deputy commander of US&nbsp;Central Command, are under consideration for the position, a White House official said.

Flynn submitted his resignation hours after Trump said through a spokesman that he was reviewing the situation and talking to vice president Mike Pence.

Flynn had promised Pence he had not discussed US&nbsp;sanctions with the Russians, but transcripts of intercepted communications, described by US&nbsp;officials, showed that the subject had come up in conversations between him and the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey&nbsp;Kislyak.

Such contacts could potentially be in violation of a law banning private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act.

Flynn&#39;s departure was the most dramatic moment yet of Trump&#39;s young presidency, a 24-day period during which his White House has been repeatedly distracted by miscues and internal dramas.

&quot;Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador. I have sincerely apologised to the president and the vice president, and they have accepted my apology,&quot; Flynn said in his resignation letter.

Flynn&#39;s resignation came after it was reported that the Justice Department warned the White House weeks ago that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Russian officials before Trump took power on Jan&nbsp;20.

A US&nbsp;official confirmed a Washington Post report that Sally Yates, the then-acting US&nbsp;attorney general, told the White House late last month that she believed Flynn had misled them about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

She said Flynn might have put himself in a compromising position, possibly leaving himself vulnerable to blackmail, the official said. Yates was later fired for opposing Trump&#39;s temporary entry ban for people from seven mostly Muslim nations.

A US&nbsp;official, describing the intercepted communications, said Flynn did not make any promises about lifting the sanctions.

But he did indicate that sanctions imposed by President Barack Obama on Russia for its Ukraine incursion &quot;would not necessarily carry over to an administration seeking to improve relations between the US&nbsp;and Russia,&quot; the official said.

Flynn, a retired US&nbsp;Army lieutenant general, was an early supporter of Trump and shares his interest in shaking up the establishment in Washington. He frequently raised eyebrows among Washington&#39;s foreign policy establishment for trying to persuade Trump to warm up US&nbsp;relations with Russia.

A US&nbsp;official said Flynn&#39;s departure, coupled with Russia&#39;s aggression in Ukraine and Syria and Republican congressional opposition to removing sanctions on Russia, removes Trump&#39;s most ardent advocate of taking a softer line toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.

His leaving &quot;may make a significant course change less likely, at least anytime soon,&quot; the official said.

Another official said Flynn&#39;s departure may strengthen the hands of some cabinet secretaries, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

However, the second official said, Flynn&#39;s departure could also reinforce the power of presidential aides Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, whom he described as already having the president&#39;s ear.

Congressional Democrats expressed alarm at the developments surrounding Flynn and called for a classified briefing by administration officials to explain what had happened.

&quot;We are communicating this request to the Department of Justice and FBI this evening,&quot; said Democratic representatives John Conyers of Michigan and Elijah Cummings of Maryland.

US&nbsp;Representative Adam Schiff of California, ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Flynn&#39;s departure does not end the questions over his contacts with the Russians.

&quot;The Trump administration has yet to be forthcoming about who was aware of Flynn&#39;s conversations with the ambassador and whether he was acting on the instructions of the president or any other officials, or with their knowledge.&quot;

(Reuters)

The resignation came over fears he was vulnerable to blackmail by Russia

President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned late on Monday after coming under fire over whether he discussed the possibility of lifting US sanctions on Russia before Trump took office. Retired General Keith Kellogg, who has been chief of staff of the White House National Security Council, was named the acting national security adviser while Trump determines who should fill the position. Kellogg, retired General David Petraeus, a former CIA director, and Robert Harward, a former deputy commander of US Central Command, are under consideration for the position, a White House official said. Flynn submitted his resignation hours after Trump said through a spokesman that he was reviewing the situation and talking to vice president Mike Pence. Flynn had promised Pence he had not discussed US sanctions with the Russians, but transcripts of intercepted communications, described by US officials, showed that the subject had come up in conversations between him and the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak. Such contacts could potentially be in violation of a law banning private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act. Flynn's departure was the most dramatic moment yet of Trump's young presidency, a 24-day period during which his White House has been repeatedly distracted by miscues and internal dramas. "Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador. I have sincerely apologised to the president and the vice president, and they have accepted my apology," Flynn said in his resignation letter. Flynn's resignation came after it was reported that the Justice Department warned the White House weeks ago that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Russian officials before Trump took power on Jan 20. A US official confirmed a Washington Post report that Sally Yates, the then-acting US attorney general, told the White House late last month that she believed Flynn had misled them about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States. She said Flynn might have put himself in a compromising position, possibly leaving himself vulnerable to blackmail, the official said. Yates was later fired for opposing Trump's temporary entry ban for people from seven mostly Muslim nations. A US official, describing the intercepted communications, said Flynn did not make any promises about lifting the sanctions. But he did indicate that sanctions imposed by President Barack Obama on Russia for its Ukraine incursion "would not necessarily carry over to an administration seeking to improve relations between the US and Russia," the official said. Flynn, a retired US Army lieutenant general, was an early supporter of Trump and shares his interest in shaking up the establishment in Washington. He frequently raised eyebrows among Washington's foreign policy establishment for trying to persuade Trump to warm up US relations with Russia. A US official said Flynn's departure, coupled with Russia's aggression in Ukraine and Syria and Republican congressional opposition to removing sanctions on Russia, removes Trump's most ardent advocate of taking a softer line toward Russian President Vladimir Putin. His leaving "may make a significant course change less likely, at least anytime soon," the official said. Another official said Flynn's departure may strengthen the hands of some cabinet secretaries, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. However, the second official said, Flynn's departure could also reinforce the power of presidential aides Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, whom he described as already having the president's ear. Congressional Democrats expressed alarm at the developments surrounding Flynn and called for a classified briefing by administration officials to explain what had happened. "We are communicating this request to the Department of Justice and FBI this evening," said Democratic representatives John Conyers of Michigan and Elijah Cummings of Maryland. US Representative Adam Schiff of California, ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Flynn's departure does not end the questions over his contacts with the Russians. "The Trump administration has yet to be forthcoming about who was aware of Flynn's conversations with the ambassador and whether he was acting on the instructions of the president or any other officials, or with their knowledge." (Reuters)

Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn resigns

Mexico will name a new ambassador to the US, The Hill reports, citing&nbsp;Mexican Foreign Relations Secretariat sources.&nbsp;

The current ambassador Carlos Sada Solana will be replaced by Geronimo Gutierrez, who is currently the managing director of the North American Development Bank.&nbsp;Previously, Gutierrez was the undersecretary for North American affairs at the Foreign Relations Secretariat, The Hill reports.

The announcement is expected to come on Friday, The Hill reports. 
&nbsp; 
The change in appointment comes as relations between the country are strained, as Trump has promised to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), build a wall along the border that the President-elect says Mexico will fund, deport millions of mexicans and place tariffs on goods manufactured in Mexico.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
This post is considered to be Mexico&#39;s highest appointment because of the historical closeness between the two countries and because millions of Mexicans currently live in America.

&nbsp;(WION)

The change comes at a crucial juncture, with Donald Trump about to become US president

Mexico will name a new ambassador to the US, The Hill reports, citing Mexican Foreign Relations Secretariat sources. The current ambassador Carlos Sada Solana will be replaced by Geronimo Gutierrez, who is currently the managing director of the North American Development Bank. Previously, Gutierrez was the undersecretary for North American affairs at the Foreign Relations Secretariat, The Hill reports. The announcement is expected to come on Friday, The Hill reports. The change in appointment comes as relations between the country are strained, as Trump has promised to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), build a wall along the border that the President-elect says Mexico will fund, deport millions of mexicans and place tariffs on goods manufactured in Mexico. This post is considered to be Mexico's highest appointment because of the historical closeness between the two countries and because millions of Mexicans currently live in America. (WION)

Mexico to name new US ambassador: Reports

Russia is ready to become a &quot;new reliable partner&quot; of the Philippines to supply the traditional US&nbsp;ally with sophisticated weapons, Russia&#39;s ambassador said on Wednesday.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has thrown the future of Philippine-US&nbsp;relations into question with angry outbursts against the former colonial power and some scaling back of military ties while taking steps to boost ties with China and Russia.

Illustrating the transformation of Philippine foreign relations since Duterte took office in June, two Russian warships are on four-day visit to Manila this week, the first official navy-to-navy contact between the two countries.

Russian Ambassador Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev took the opportunity to hold a news conference on board the anti-submarine vessel Admiral Tributs. He said he understood that the Philippines was intent on diversifying its foreign partners.

&quot;It&#39;s not a choice between these partners and those ones. Diversification means preserving and keeping old traditional partners and getting new ones,&quot; he said.

&quot;We don&#39;t interfere with your relations with your traditional partners, and your traditional partners should respect the interest of the Philippines and Russia.&quot;

The Russian navy visit comes less than a month after Duterte sent his foreign and defence ministers to Moscow to discuss arms deals after a US&nbsp;senator said he would block the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines, due to concern about a rising death toll in a &quot;war on drugs&quot; launched by Duterte.

Khovaev said Russia had a range of weapons to offer.

&quot;We are ready to supply small arms and light weapons, some aeroplanes, helicopters, submarines and many, many other weapons. Sophisticated weapons. Not the second-hand ones,&quot; Khovaev said.

He said it was too early to talk about the scope of military cooperation but, in a clear reference to the United States, said old allies should not worry.

Earlier, a US Senator said Washington will stop selling the Philippines guns as Duterte's 'drug war' that has killed thousands continues

Russia is ready to become a "new reliable partner" of the Philippines to supply the traditional US ally with sophisticated weapons, Russia's ambassador said on Wednesday. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has thrown the future of Philippine-US relations into question with angry outbursts against the former colonial power and some scaling back of military ties while taking steps to boost ties with China and Russia. Illustrating the transformation of Philippine foreign relations since Duterte took office in June, two Russian warships are on four-day visit to Manila this week, the first official navy-to-navy contact between the two countries. Russian Ambassador Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev took the opportunity to hold a news conference on board the anti-submarine vessel Admiral Tributs. He said he understood that the Philippines was intent on diversifying its foreign partners. "It's not a choice between these partners and those ones. Diversification means preserving and keeping old traditional partners and getting new ones," he said. "We don't interfere with your relations with your traditional partners, and your traditional partners should respect the interest of the Philippines and Russia." The Russian navy visit comes less than a month after Duterte sent his foreign and defence ministers to Moscow to discuss arms deals after a US senator said he would block the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines, due to concern about a rising death toll in a "war on drugs" launched by Duterte. Khovaev said Russia had a range of weapons to offer. "We are ready to supply small arms and light weapons, some aeroplanes, helicopters, submarines and many, many other weapons. Sophisticated weapons. Not the second-hand ones," Khovaev said. He said it was too early to talk about the scope of military cooperation but, in a clear reference to the United States, said old allies should not worry.

Putin offers Duterte arms and close friendship

The Republican-led US Congress begins a new session on Tuesday&nbsp;where it will start laying plans for enacting President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations.

With Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republican lawmakers hope to get a quick start on priorities that were blocked during Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s eight years in the White House.

Since his election on November 8, the Republican president-elect has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during the campaign such as simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Obama&rsquo;s signature health insurance program known as Obamacare.

Republicans have long sought to dismantle Obamacare, insisting it was unworkable and hampered job growth. But they face a dilemma over how to provide health insurance for the 13.8 million people enrolled in Obamacare who could lose their coverage. The law aims to provide health insurance to economically disadvantaged people and expand coverage for others.

Last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that before the election, he assumed Democrats would take back control of the Senate and hold on to the White House, ending any talk of repealing Obamacare.

&quot;I didn&#39;t think...Trump had a chance of winning,&quot; McConnell said in a December 19 interview with Kentucky Educational Television.

The opposite occurred and now Republicans find they have to deliver on their campaign promise, even though they have not agreed on a replacement healthcare program.

Trump kept up his attack on the law on Tuesday, tweeting: &quot;People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn&#39;t work, and it is not affordable,&quot; and adding, &quot;It is lousy healthcare.&quot;

The first meeting of the 115th Congress will be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in.

Amid the celebration will be a move by House Republicans to clear the decks for Obamacare repeal.

That will come in the form of a vote on rules governing House procedures in the two-year term of the chamber. Tucked into the rules package is a move to prevent Democrats from slowing or stopping Obamacare repeal legislation because of the potential cost to the US Treasury of doing so.

Leading Democrats warned on Monday of a fierce battle over Obamacare.

&quot;We&#39;re going to fight as hard as ever to protect the ACA (Affordable Care Act),&quot; said Representative Steny Hoyer, the House&#39;s second-ranking Democrat.

Speaking to reporters, Hoyer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they would launch an effort to mobilise grassroots support for Obamacare by explaining how repeal would create a ripple effect hurting a majority of Americans.

Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare.

&nbsp;

Cabinet, Supreme Court nominations

The Senate will kick off hearings on Trump&#39;s choices to head his Cabinet departments and other top jobs in the new administration.

It is also expected to receive a Supreme Court nomination from Trump early in his term to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February. Republicans refused to consider Obama&#39;s nomination of Merrick Garland last year.

Prominent Republican Senator John McCain has warned that Rex Tillerson, Trump&#39;s choice for secretary of state, will have to explain his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom McCain has called a &quot;thug and a murderer&quot;.

Tillerson, who spent much of his career at Exxon Mobil Corp, has been involved in business dealings in Russia and opposed US sanctions against Moscow for its incursion into Crimea.

While McConnell repeatedly called for removing Obamacare &quot;root and branch,&quot; he said in the Kentucky television interview that his top priorities for the new Congress were dealing with the &quot;massive overregulation&quot; he said had been a brake on the US economy and accomplishing tax code changes to stop companies from moving jobs offshore.

Republican lawmakers also want to curtail or block regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008.

Republicans might use upcoming spending bills funding government agencies to try to kill some of those regulations. Trump is also expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end.

Republicans will hold a slightly smaller majority in both the Senate and House than they enjoyed the past two years. That means Democrats will still have bargaining power, especially on issues that divide Republicans, such as spending priorities.

(Reuters)

Republican's are eager for Trump's agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations

The Republican-led US Congress begins a new session on Tuesday where it will start laying plans for enacting President-elect Donald Trump's agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations. With Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republican lawmakers hope to get a quick start on priorities that were blocked during Democratic President Barack Obama's eight years in the White House. Since his election on November 8, the Republican president-elect has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during the campaign such as simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Obama’s signature health insurance program known as Obamacare. Republicans have long sought to dismantle Obamacare, insisting it was unworkable and hampered job growth. But they face a dilemma over how to provide health insurance for the 13.8 million people enrolled in Obamacare who could lose their coverage. The law aims to provide health insurance to economically disadvantaged people and expand coverage for others. Last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that before the election, he assumed Democrats would take back control of the Senate and hold on to the White House, ending any talk of repealing Obamacare. "I didn't think...Trump had a chance of winning," McConnell said in a December 19 interview with Kentucky Educational Television. The opposite occurred and now Republicans find they have to deliver on their campaign promise, even though they have not agreed on a replacement healthcare program. Trump kept up his attack on the law on Tuesday, tweeting: "People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn't work, and it is not affordable," and adding, "It is lousy healthcare." The first meeting of the 115th Congress will be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in. Amid the celebration will be a move by House Republicans to clear the decks for Obamacare repeal. That will come in the form of a vote on rules governing House procedures in the two-year term of the chamber. Tucked into the rules package is a move to prevent Democrats from slowing or stopping Obamacare repeal legislation because of the potential cost to the US Treasury of doing so. Leading Democrats warned on Monday of a fierce battle over Obamacare. "We're going to fight as hard as ever to protect the ACA (Affordable Care Act)," said Representative Steny Hoyer, the House's second-ranking Democrat. Speaking to reporters, Hoyer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they would launch an effort to mobilise grassroots support for Obamacare by explaining how repeal would create a ripple effect hurting a majority of Americans. Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare. Cabinet, Supreme Court nominations The Senate will kick off hearings on Trump's choices to head his Cabinet departments and other top jobs in the new administration. It is also expected to receive a Supreme Court nomination from Trump early in his term to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February. Republicans refused to consider Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland last year. Prominent Republican Senator John McCain has warned that Rex Tillerson, Trump's choice for secretary of state, will have to explain his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom McCain has called a "thug and a murderer". Tillerson, who spent much of his career at Exxon Mobil Corp, has been involved in business dealings in Russia and opposed US sanctions against Moscow for its incursion into Crimea. While McConnell repeatedly called for removing Obamacare "root and branch," he said in the Kentucky television interview that his top priorities for the new Congress were dealing with the "massive overregulation" he said had been a brake on the US economy and accomplishing tax code changes to stop companies from moving jobs offshore. Republican lawmakers also want to curtail or block regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008. Republicans might use upcoming spending bills funding government agencies to try to kill some of those regulations. Trump is also expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end. Republicans will hold a slightly smaller majority in both the Senate and House than they enjoyed the past two years. That means Democrats will still have bargaining power, especially on issues that divide Republicans, such as spending priorities. (Reuters)

New Republican-led US Congress lays groundwork for reversing Obama agenda

Chinese state media on Friday expressed alarm and warned of a &quot;showdown with the US&quot; after President-elect Donald Trump named Peter Navarro, an economist who has urged a hard line against China, to head a new White House National Trade Council.

Navarro is an academic and one-time investment adviser who has authored books such as &quot;Death by China: How America Lost its Manufacturing Base&quot;. The book was made into a documentary film about Beijing&#39;s desire to become the dominant economic and military power in Asia.

&quot;That individuals such as Navarro who have a bias against China are being picked to work in leading positions in the next administration, is no laughing matter,&quot; the official English-language China Daily said in an editorial.

&quot;The new administration should bear in mind that with economic and trade ties between the world&#39;s two largest economies now the closest they have ever been, any move to damage the win-win relationship will only result in a loss for both sides.&quot;

The previous day, China&#39;s foreign ministry said in reaction it was playing close attention to Trump&#39;s transition team and possible policy direction, that cooperation between the two countries was the only correct choice.

The Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party&#39;s official People&#39;s Daily, said Trump&#39;s decision over Navarro was &quot;by no means a positive signal&quot;.

&quot;China needs to face up to the reality that the Trump team maintains a hard-line attitude toward China. It must discard any illusions and make full preparations for any offensive move by the Trump government,&quot; the Global Times said in an editorial.

&quot;China is powerful enough to withstand pressures from the Trump government. Beijing will get used to the tensions between the two countries. If Washington dares to provoke China over its core interests, Beijing won&#39;t fear setting up a showdown with the US, pressuring the latter to pay respect to China.&quot;

Trump, a Republican, made trade a centrepiece of his presidential campaign and railed against what he said were bad deals the United States had made with other countries. He has threatened to hit Mexico and China with high tariffs once he takes office on Jan. 20.

Navarro, 67, a professor at University of California, Irvine, advised Trump during the campaign. As well as describing what he sees as America&#39;s losing economic war with China, Navarro has highlighted concerns over environmental issues related to Chinese imports and the theft of US&nbsp;intellectual property.

(Reuters)

Beijing is 'alarmed' after Trump picks the author of 'Death by China: How America Lost its Manufacturing Base' to lead a major trade council

Chinese state media on Friday expressed alarm and warned of a "showdown with the US" after President-elect Donald Trump named Peter Navarro, an economist who has urged a hard line against China, to head a new White House National Trade Council. Navarro is an academic and one-time investment adviser who has authored books such as "Death by China: How America Lost its Manufacturing Base". The book was made into a documentary film about Beijing's desire to become the dominant economic and military power in Asia. "That individuals such as Navarro who have a bias against China are being picked to work in leading positions in the next administration, is no laughing matter," the official English-language China Daily said in an editorial. "The new administration should bear in mind that with economic and trade ties between the world's two largest economies now the closest they have ever been, any move to damage the win-win relationship will only result in a loss for both sides." The previous day, China's foreign ministry said in reaction it was playing close attention to Trump's transition team and possible policy direction, that cooperation between the two countries was the only correct choice. The Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said Trump's decision over Navarro was "by no means a positive signal". "China needs to face up to the reality that the Trump team maintains a hard-line attitude toward China. It must discard any illusions and make full preparations for any offensive move by the Trump government," the Global Times said in an editorial. "China is powerful enough to withstand pressures from the Trump government. Beijing will get used to the tensions between the two countries. If Washington dares to provoke China over its core interests, Beijing won't fear setting up a showdown with the US, pressuring the latter to pay respect to China." Trump, a Republican, made trade a centrepiece of his presidential campaign and railed against what he said were bad deals the United States had made with other countries. He has threatened to hit Mexico and China with high tariffs once he takes office on Jan. 20. Navarro, 67, a professor at University of California, Irvine, advised Trump during the campaign. As well as describing what he sees as America's losing economic war with China, Navarro has highlighted concerns over environmental issues related to Chinese imports and the theft of US intellectual property. (Reuters)

Chinese-state media bristle over Trump's anti-China appointment

One of President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s most divisive promises, to ban Muslims from entering America, disappeared from his campaign website before reappearing on Thursday.

Trump&#39;s campaign staff told US media that text of the pledge, posted in December following terror attacks in San Bernardino, California, vanished because of a technical glitch.

It reappeared after journalists questioned the disappearance.

&quot;The website was temporarily redirecting all specific press release pages to the homepage. It is currently being addressed and will be fixed shortly,&quot; the campaign said in a statement.

Trump said in December that Muslim immigrants pose the United States a security threat and called for &quot;a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country&#39;s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.&quot;

It was one of a number of his statements,including a pledge to build a wall on the Mexican border and criticism of women who accused him of sexual harassment, that prompted the greatest backlash against his campaign, with accusations of xenophobia.

Later, he shifted to say immigration should be suspended from any country &quot;that has been compromised by terrorism.&quot;

His stance apparently helped win him the presidency with the support of a majority of white, working-class voters.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

Trump's campaign staff told US media that text of the pledge vanished because of a technical glitch

One of President-elect Donald Trump's most divisive promises, to ban Muslims from entering America, disappeared from his campaign website before reappearing on Thursday. Trump's campaign staff told US media that text of the pledge, posted in December following terror attacks in San Bernardino, California, vanished because of a technical glitch. It reappeared after journalists questioned the disappearance. "The website was temporarily redirecting all specific press release pages to the homepage. It is currently being addressed and will be fixed shortly," the campaign said in a statement. Trump said in December that Muslim immigrants pose the United States a security threat and called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on." It was one of a number of his statements,including a pledge to build a wall on the Mexican border and criticism of women who accused him of sexual harassment, that prompted the greatest backlash against his campaign, with accusations of xenophobia. Later, he shifted to say immigration should be suspended from any country "that has been compromised by terrorism." His stance apparently helped win him the presidency with the support of a majority of white, working-class voters. (AFP)

Trump's Muslim ban temporarily removed from website

The leaders of Muslim and gay rights groups in Chicago, one of America&#39;s biggest cities, on Monday joined forces to slam Donald Trump in the wake of the Orlando massacre, saying now was not a time for divisions. 
 
On June 12, 49 people were killed and 53 others wounded in the shooting at a gay nightclub in the central Florida city. The shooter Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Muslim American of Afghan descent, was killed in a shootout with police. 
 
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has since renewed calls for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States and controversially suggested on Sunday that profiling of Muslims was not off the table. 
 
In Chicago, which has both a large Muslim population and a vibrant lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, leaders said Trump&#39;s comment were divisive and unproductive. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re scared, because it starts rhetorically, and then more people accept it if you don&#39;t nip it in the bud,&quot; Ahmed Rehab, the leader of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told AFP. 
 
&quot;If common sense doesn&#39;t step in right now, people are capable of mass hysteria, and he is fanning those flames,&quot; he said, speaking of Trump. 
 
Rehab said there was fear in Chicago&#39;s Muslim community, one of the largest in the United States, that they could potentially become targets of hate crimes. 
 
In the past week, there have been two threats emailed and phoned into area mosques, he said. 
 
&quot;There is never a time to divide Americans, and of course that is especially true at a time of deep national pain,&quot; James Bennett of Lambda Legal, an LGBT group, told a press conference. 
 
Rehab told reporters that his group and Lambda Legal planned to meet every two weeks with the goal of making &quot;clear statements on a mutual agenda of equal civil rights of all people regardless of their background.&quot; 
 
Bennett chimed in: &quot;I would encourage people to watch Chicago&#39;s example.&quot; 
 
Sending a message 
 
Illinois is home to an estimated 400,000 Muslims and 370,000 LGBT people, most of them located in the greater Chicago area, which has a population of about 5.2 million people. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re trying to send a message that this is not the time to try to pit communities against each other,&quot; said Brian Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, a gay rights group. 
 
&quot;Any public official or media personality who says such things that would not only suggest divides, but suggest putting in place actual divides, is deeply concerning,&quot; Johnson told AFP. 
 
On Sunday, Trump said profiling of Muslims, and racial profiling more generally, was &quot;not the worst thing to do.&quot; 
 
&quot;I hate the concept of profiling. But we have to use common sense. We&#39;re not using common sense,&quot; Trump said. 
 
African-Americans, Latinos, Muslims and other minorities in the United States have complained bitterly for decades about the practice in which police use a person&#39;s race, religion, national origin or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting them of committing a crime. 
 
&quot;He questions Muslims&#39; assimilation into America. I question his assimilation into our American values,&quot; Rehab said.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

'There is never a time to divide Americans and that is especially true at a time of deep national pain,' they said

The leaders of Muslim and gay rights groups in Chicago, one of America's biggest cities, on Monday joined forces to slam Donald Trump in the wake of the Orlando massacre, saying now was not a time for divisions. On June 12, 49 people were killed and 53 others wounded in the shooting at a gay nightclub in the central Florida city. The shooter Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Muslim American of Afghan descent, was killed in a shootout with police. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has since renewed calls for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States and controversially suggested on Sunday that profiling of Muslims was not off the table. In Chicago, which has both a large Muslim population and a vibrant lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, leaders said Trump's comment were divisive and unproductive. "We're scared, because it starts rhetorically, and then more people accept it if you don't nip it in the bud," Ahmed Rehab, the leader of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told AFP. "If common sense doesn't step in right now, people are capable of mass hysteria, and he is fanning those flames," he said, speaking of Trump. Rehab said there was fear in Chicago's Muslim community, one of the largest in the United States, that they could potentially become targets of hate crimes. In the past week, there have been two threats emailed and phoned into area mosques, he said. "There is never a time to divide Americans, and of course that is especially true at a time of deep national pain," James Bennett of Lambda Legal, an LGBT group, told a press conference. Rehab told reporters that his group and Lambda Legal planned to meet every two weeks with the goal of making "clear statements on a mutual agenda of equal civil rights of all people regardless of their background." Bennett chimed in: "I would encourage people to watch Chicago's example." Sending a message Illinois is home to an estimated 400,000 Muslims and 370,000 LGBT people, most of them located in the greater Chicago area, which has a population of about 5.2 million people. "We're trying to send a message that this is not the time to try to pit communities against each other," said Brian Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, a gay rights group. "Any public official or media personality who says such things that would not only suggest divides, but suggest putting in place actual divides, is deeply concerning," Johnson told AFP. On Sunday, Trump said profiling of Muslims, and racial profiling more generally, was "not the worst thing to do." "I hate the concept of profiling. But we have to use common sense. We're not using common sense," Trump said. African-Americans, Latinos, Muslims and other minorities in the United States have complained bitterly for decades about the practice in which police use a person's race, religion, national origin or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting them of committing a crime. "He questions Muslims' assimilation into America. I question his assimilation into our American values," Rehab said. (AFP)

In Chicago, Muslim and gay rights leaders take on Trump

Accepting the United States is probably the world`s sole superpower, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow was ready to work with Washington. 
 
Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, Putin said: &quot;America is a great power.&nbsp;Today, probably, the only superpower. We accept that.&quot; 
 
&quot;We want to and are ready to work with the United States,&quot; Putin added. 
 
Hinting to the US-EU sanctions on Russia in response to its military actions in Ukraine, Putin said: &quot;The world needs such strong nations, like the US. And we need them.&nbsp;But we don`t need them constantly getting mixed up in our affairs, instructing us how to live, preventing Europe from building a relationship with us.&quot; 
 
When asked about presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, Putin called him as a &quot;flamboyant&quot; or &quot;colourful&quot; man. 
 
Putin also spoke about the presumptive Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, saying he did not work much with her directly when she was the secretary of state. 
 
&quot;She probably has her own view of US-Russian relations,&quot; he said. The Russian President, however, praised her husband and former US president Bill Clinton. 
 
&quot;We had a very nice relationship,&quot; the Guardian quoted Putin as saying.&nbsp; 
(ANI)

Russian President doesn't really know Hillary Clinton but praises Bill

Accepting the United States is probably the world`s sole superpower, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow was ready to work with Washington. Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, Putin said: "America is a great power. Today, probably, the only superpower. We accept that." "We want to and are ready to work with the United States," Putin added. Hinting to the US-EU sanctions on Russia in response to its military actions in Ukraine, Putin said: "The world needs such strong nations, like the US. And we need them. But we don`t need them constantly getting mixed up in our affairs, instructing us how to live, preventing Europe from building a relationship with us." When asked about presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, Putin called him as a "flamboyant" or "colourful" man. Putin also spoke about the presumptive Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, saying he did not work much with her directly when she was the secretary of state. "She probably has her own view of US-Russian relations," he said. The Russian President, however, praised her husband and former US president Bill Clinton. "We had a very nice relationship," the Guardian quoted Putin as saying. (ANI)

Putin says America 'probably' the only superpower and calls Donald Trump 'flamboyant'

Chile upset favourites Argentina with a penalty shootout victory in the Copa America final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday to retain their title in the world`s oldest continental soccer competition. 
 
Chile earned themselves bragging rights as South America`s dominant team as they beat heavyweights Argentina 4-2 on penalties for a second straight year. 
 
Lionel Messi missed from the spot in the shootout, cutting a dejected figure after the result was sealed and Argentina`s trophy drought had been extended to 23 years. 
 
&quot;We are an historic group and we proved that today,&quot; Chilean striker Eduardo Vargas told TV cameras after the game. 
 
The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and also after another half an hour of extra time in a match where both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half. 
 
Chilean substitute Francisco Silva placed his penalty low and to the right of Sergio Romero to score the decider after Messi and Lucas Biglia missed for Argentina and Arturo Vidal missed for Chile. 
 
The win was the second Copa America in a row for Chile, who won their first Copa title at home last year in exactly the same fashion, beating Argentina on penalties after the teams had drawn 0-0 after extra time. 
 
The excitement of the penalty finish barely made up for a disappointing game in which both teams failed to provide many memorable moments for the announced sellout 82,000 crowd in New Jersey. 
 
The bulk of first half action involved referee Heber Lopes in an overly physical encounter. 
 
The Brazilian sent off Marcelo Diaz on 27 minutes for a second crude challenge on Messi, and then he levelled the sides 15 minutes later when he showed Marcos Rojo a straight red for a harsh tackle on Vidal. 
 
Three others were booked, including Messi for diving inside the box, in a first half that had as many cards as shots on goal. 
 
The second half provided more of the same and although Chile, who have never beaten Argentina in open play in 26 previous Copa America encounters, at least managed to call Romero into action, neither side created any clear cut chances. 
 
The 30 minutes of extra time was more of the same, although Vargas came close for Chile and substitute Sergio Aguero had a nice header tipped over by Claudio Bravo. 
 
The Centenary Copa America was played in the United States for the first time this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the inaugural Copa America in 1916. 
 
The tournament was expanded to 16 teams, 10 from South America and six from the CONCACAF region of North and central America and the Caribbean. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
 
(Reuters)

Win on penalties. Both sides were reduced to 10 men in the first half

Chile upset favourites Argentina with a penalty shootout victory in the Copa America final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday to retain their title in the world`s oldest continental soccer competition. Chile earned themselves bragging rights as South America`s dominant team as they beat heavyweights Argentina 4-2 on penalties for a second straight year. Lionel Messi missed from the spot in the shootout, cutting a dejected figure after the result was sealed and Argentina`s trophy drought had been extended to 23 years. "We are an historic group and we proved that today," Chilean striker Eduardo Vargas told TV cameras after the game. The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and also after another half an hour of extra time in a match where both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half. Chilean substitute Francisco Silva placed his penalty low and to the right of Sergio Romero to score the decider after Messi and Lucas Biglia missed for Argentina and Arturo Vidal missed for Chile. The win was the second Copa America in a row for Chile, who won their first Copa title at home last year in exactly the same fashion, beating Argentina on penalties after the teams had drawn 0-0 after extra time. The excitement of the penalty finish barely made up for a disappointing game in which both teams failed to provide many memorable moments for the announced sellout 82,000 crowd in New Jersey. The bulk of first half action involved referee Heber Lopes in an overly physical encounter. The Brazilian sent off Marcelo Diaz on 27 minutes for a second crude challenge on Messi, and then he levelled the sides 15 minutes later when he showed Marcos Rojo a straight red for a harsh tackle on Vidal. Three others were booked, including Messi for diving inside the box, in a first half that had as many cards as shots on goal. The second half provided more of the same and although Chile, who have never beaten Argentina in open play in 26 previous Copa America encounters, at least managed to call Romero into action, neither side created any clear cut chances. The 30 minutes of extra time was more of the same, although Vargas came close for Chile and substitute Sergio Aguero had a nice header tipped over by Claudio Bravo. The Centenary Copa America was played in the United States for the first time this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the inaugural Copa America in 1916. The tournament was expanded to 16 teams, 10 from South America and six from the CONCACAF region of North and central America and the Caribbean. (Reuters) (Reuters)

Chile upset favourites Argentina, keep the Copa

Freshly minted as his party&#39;s choice for the White House, Republican Donald Trump today will make a display of solidarity with his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a social conservative who is at odds with Trump on many issues. 
 
Pence, the keynote speaker on the third day of the Republican convention in Cleveland, has been well-received by the Republican Party&#39;s social conservative wing, who were skeptical of Trump&#39;s commitment to opposing abortion and same-sex marriage but trust his running mate, a former US lawmaker. 
 
But joint appearances between the two men have been awkward. Trump and Pence shared the stage only briefly on Saturday as Pence publicly agreed to be Trump&#39;s running mate, and their first televised interview together, on CBS&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes&quot;, was not smooth. 
 
For example, asked about Pence&#39;s support in Congress for war in Iraq, Trump responded, &quot;I don&#39;t care,&quot; saying Pence was allowed to make occasional mistakes. When the interviewer asked if Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton should get the same wiggle room on her own Iraq vote when she was a US senator, Trump said, &quot;No&quot;. 
 
The choreography of the Cleveland convention, where Trump was formally named the party&#39;s nominee for the November 8 election, has been uneven. At times, anti-Trump delegates interrupted to shout their displeasure. Tuesday&#39;s session was intended to focus on the economy, but few speakers hewed to the theme. 
 
Several convention delegates called Trump&#39;s choice of running mate a step toward uniting a bitterly divided Republican Party and working to build bridges with the party&#39;s establishment. Pence&#39;s performance today and his interactions with Trump, could help to sell hesitant Republicans at home on the duo. 
 
Pence will speak in prime time today, a day dedicated to &quot;Make America First Again&quot;. Earlier in the day, he will appear with his wife, Karen, Trump and his family at a welcome event. 
 
On Tuesday, Pence delivered a surprise address to the American Conservative Union, where he repeatedly compared Trump to former Republican President Ronald Reagan, a favourite among the party faithful. He said he had gotten to know Trump and knew he cared about helping Americans. 
 
&quot;For all the world he reminds me of Ronald Reagan,&quot; Pence said. &quot;My fellow conservatives, it&#39;s time for us to come together. Come together around this good man.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The two shared the stage only briefly on Saturday at the Republican Convention, but now Pence compares Trump to Ronald Reagan

Freshly minted as his party's choice for the White House, Republican Donald Trump today will make a display of solidarity with his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a social conservative who is at odds with Trump on many issues. Pence, the keynote speaker on the third day of the Republican convention in Cleveland, has been well-received by the Republican Party's social conservative wing, who were skeptical of Trump's commitment to opposing abortion and same-sex marriage but trust his running mate, a former US lawmaker. But joint appearances between the two men have been awkward. Trump and Pence shared the stage only briefly on Saturday as Pence publicly agreed to be Trump's running mate, and their first televised interview together, on CBS's "60 Minutes", was not smooth. For example, asked about Pence's support in Congress for war in Iraq, Trump responded, "I don't care," saying Pence was allowed to make occasional mistakes. When the interviewer asked if Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton should get the same wiggle room on her own Iraq vote when she was a US senator, Trump said, "No". The choreography of the Cleveland convention, where Trump was formally named the party's nominee for the November 8 election, has been uneven. At times, anti-Trump delegates interrupted to shout their displeasure. Tuesday's session was intended to focus on the economy, but few speakers hewed to the theme. Several convention delegates called Trump's choice of running mate a step toward uniting a bitterly divided Republican Party and working to build bridges with the party's establishment. Pence's performance today and his interactions with Trump, could help to sell hesitant Republicans at home on the duo. Pence will speak in prime time today, a day dedicated to "Make America First Again". Earlier in the day, he will appear with his wife, Karen, Trump and his family at a welcome event. On Tuesday, Pence delivered a surprise address to the American Conservative Union, where he repeatedly compared Trump to former Republican President Ronald Reagan, a favourite among the party faithful. He said he had gotten to know Trump and knew he cared about helping Americans. "For all the world he reminds me of Ronald Reagan," Pence said. "My fellow conservatives, it's time for us to come together. Come together around this good man." (Reuters)

After awkward start, Trump, Pence put relationship on display

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro threatened Monday to seek the arrest of Kimberly-Clark representatives after the US paper products company shut down production in the country amid a deep economic crisis. 
 
The company, which halted operations two weeks ago, produced items that are in extremely short supply in Venezuela like toilet paper, diapers and feminine hygiene products. 
 
Maduro accused the company of failing to fund social benefits that its workers had been promised. About 900 workers were laid off by the company.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The ones who must go to jail will go to jail, no matter where they are,&quot; Maduro said, adding that alerts for their arrests would be issued through Interpol. 
 
The company&#39;s factory in the city of Maracay has been turned over to its workers, and Maduro insisted that all production lines were in operation. 
 
But one worker at the plant, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP only one of 11 production lines was active. 
 
Fedecamaras, a national business group, estimates that 85 per cent of the country&#39;s industries were paralysed in May due to a lack of raw materials. 
 
The country has been mired in a deepening economic crisis under Maduro&#39;s leftist government, with widespread shortages of basic goods, soaring inflation and rising insecurity. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

He accused paper products company Kimberly-Clark of failing to fund social benefits that its workers had been promised

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro threatened Monday to seek the arrest of Kimberly-Clark representatives after the US paper products company shut down production in the country amid a deep economic crisis. The company, which halted operations two weeks ago, produced items that are in extremely short supply in Venezuela like toilet paper, diapers and feminine hygiene products. Maduro accused the company of failing to fund social benefits that its workers had been promised. About 900 workers were laid off by the company. "The ones who must go to jail will go to jail, no matter where they are," Maduro said, adding that alerts for their arrests would be issued through Interpol. The company's factory in the city of Maracay has been turned over to its workers, and Maduro insisted that all production lines were in operation. But one worker at the plant, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP only one of 11 production lines was active. Fedecamaras, a national business group, estimates that 85 per cent of the country's industries were paralysed in May due to a lack of raw materials. The country has been mired in a deepening economic crisis under Maduro's leftist government, with widespread shortages of basic goods, soaring inflation and rising insecurity. (Reuters)

Venezuela President threatens arrest of officials after US company shuts down production

The US&nbsp;Congress on Friday released a long-classified section of the official report on the September&nbsp;11 attacks that discussed potential links between some of the hijackers and Saudi Arabia but said the links were not independently verified.

The 28 pages of the report on the 2002 investigation focus on potential Saudi links to the 2001 aircraft attacks on the United States, in which nearly 3000 people died.

They were issued by the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee after years of wrangling in Washington between Congress and different administrations, Republicans and Democrats, and urging by families of those killed.

The release of the previously classified pages is unlikely to end the controversy over the role of Saudi Arabia, an important US&nbsp;partner in the Middle East. Many US&nbsp;officials who opposed their release had worried they would damage diplomatic relations.

Fifteen of the 19 September 11 hijackers were Saudi citizens.

&quot;According to various FBI documents and CIA memorandum, some of the September 11 hijackers, while in the United States, apparently had contacts with individuals who may be connected to the Saudi Government,&quot; the report said, giving a catalogue of alleged links.

They included reported contacts between Saudis in California and a statement that a man who was reportedly a Saudi Interior Ministry official stayed at the same Virginia hotel as one hijacker in September 2001.

Another section said that Omar al-Bayoumi, said to be a Saudi intelligence officer, met with two hijackers at a public place after they arrived in San Diego. It said, citing FBI files, that his salary rose to $3700 a month from $465 two months after two of the hijackers arrived in California.

One page described how two of the hijackers asked flight attendants technical questions during a trip in 1999 from Phoenix to Washington to attend a party at the Saudi embassy. One tried twice to enter the cockpit. The plane made an emergency landing and the FBI investigated, but did not prosecute. 
&nbsp;

Controversy will continue

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said its agreement to the release is not an indication that the intelligence community agrees with the pages&#39; accuracy or concurs with the information it contains.

The office also on Friday released a declassified summary of an assessment of whether Riyadh may have supported Al-Qaeda before and after the attacks, saying the Saudi government and many of its agencies had been infiltrated and exploited by individuals associated with or sympathetic to Osama bin Laden&#39;s militant network.

Several members of Congress said they were pleased the pages had finally been released. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the intelligence panel, said he hoped the release would quiet rumours.

&quot;The Intelligence Community and the 9/11 Commission, which followed the Joint Inquiry that produced these so-called 28 pages, investigated the questions they raised and was never able to find sufficient evidence to support them,&quot; he said.

Legislation that would allow families of September&nbsp;11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia has been passed by the US&nbsp;Senate and is making its way through the House, despite President Barack Obama&#39;s threat to veto the measure.

A September&nbsp;11 families group made clear the pages&#39; release would not stop their push for the legislation. &quot;Congress has to stand up for the interests of the thousands of innocent Americans who lost loved ones on 9/11,&quot; the &quot;9/11 Families&quot; organisation said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia&#39;s ambassador to the United States, Abdullah al-Saud, said the country welcomed the release.

&quot;We hope the release of these pages will clear up, once and for all, any lingering questions or suspicions about Saudi Arabia&#39;s actions, intentions, or long-term friendship with the United States,&quot; he said.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters before the pages were released that they would show no evidence of Saudi complicity.

The Obama administration sent a declassified version of the 28 pages, with many lines and sentences blacked out to protect intelligence sources and methods, to Congress on Friday morning. The House intelligence panel released it a few hours later.

(Reuters)

A declassified summary of an assessment of whether Riyadh may have supported Al-Qaeda before and after the attacks was also released

The US Congress on Friday released a long-classified section of the official report on the September 11 attacks that discussed potential links between some of the hijackers and Saudi Arabia but said the links were not independently verified. The 28 pages of the report on the 2002 investigation focus on potential Saudi links to the 2001 aircraft attacks on the United States, in which nearly 3000 people died. They were issued by the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee after years of wrangling in Washington between Congress and different administrations, Republicans and Democrats, and urging by families of those killed. The release of the previously classified pages is unlikely to end the controversy over the role of Saudi Arabia, an important US partner in the Middle East. Many US officials who opposed their release had worried they would damage diplomatic relations. Fifteen of the 19 September 11 hijackers were Saudi citizens. "According to various FBI documents and CIA memorandum, some of the September 11 hijackers, while in the United States, apparently had contacts with individuals who may be connected to the Saudi Government," the report said, giving a catalogue of alleged links. They included reported contacts between Saudis in California and a statement that a man who was reportedly a Saudi Interior Ministry official stayed at the same Virginia hotel as one hijacker in September 2001. Another section said that Omar al-Bayoumi, said to be a Saudi intelligence officer, met with two hijackers at a public place after they arrived in San Diego. It said, citing FBI files, that his salary rose to $3700 a month from $465 two months after two of the hijackers arrived in California. One page described how two of the hijackers asked flight attendants technical questions during a trip in 1999 from Phoenix to Washington to attend a party at the Saudi embassy. One tried twice to enter the cockpit. The plane made an emergency landing and the FBI investigated, but did not prosecute. Controversy will continue The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said its agreement to the release is not an indication that the intelligence community agrees with the pages' accuracy or concurs with the information it contains. The office also on Friday released a declassified summary of an assessment of whether Riyadh may have supported Al-Qaeda before and after the attacks, saying the Saudi government and many of its agencies had been infiltrated and exploited by individuals associated with or sympathetic to Osama bin Laden's militant network. Several members of Congress said they were pleased the pages had finally been released. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the intelligence panel, said he hoped the release would quiet rumours. "The Intelligence Community and the 9/11 Commission, which followed the Joint Inquiry that produced these so-called 28 pages, investigated the questions they raised and was never able to find sufficient evidence to support them," he said. Legislation that would allow families of September 11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia has been passed by the US Senate and is making its way through the House, despite President Barack Obama's threat to veto the measure. A September 11 families group made clear the pages' release would not stop their push for the legislation. "Congress has to stand up for the interests of the thousands of innocent Americans who lost loved ones on 9/11," the "9/11 Families" organisation said in a statement. Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, Abdullah al-Saud, said the country welcomed the release. "We hope the release of these pages will clear up, once and for all, any lingering questions or suspicions about Saudi Arabia's actions, intentions, or long-term friendship with the United States," he said. White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters before the pages were released that they would show no evidence of Saudi complicity. The Obama administration sent a declassified version of the 28 pages, with many lines and sentences blacked out to protect intelligence sources and methods, to Congress on Friday morning. The House intelligence panel released it a few hours later. (Reuters)

Pages of US 9/11 report detailing possible Saudi ties made public

American sprinter Allyson Felix promises to be ready for Rio next month after a &quot;disappointing&quot; performance at the US Olympic trials that saw her fall short of qualifying to run a 200/400 double at the games. 
 
&quot;I do feel good going into Rio, my focus has not shifted from what I had hoped to do,&quot; said Felix, who met with the media in Beverly Hills following the trials. 
 
&quot;I think that what happened to me was just unfortunate. I think injuries are a part of sport and it is something that you just have to deal with. For me I feel so grateful to have made this team at all as two months ago I was not walking at all. So its pretty amazing to me that I&#39;m still going to Rio and while it doesn&#39;t look exactly how I hoped it would. But I&#39;m still going after it with everything I have.&quot; 
 
The defending Olympic champion at the 200 metre distance finished fourth at the trials, one spot short of earning the chance to defend her title. 
 
Felix cited a freak ankle injury in the spring that impacted her training. She will still be representing the US in the 400 metre run with hopes of earning a spot on the US relay teams. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m very hopeful to be on the relays and I&#39;m very and I hope to be on the 4x100 and the 4X400,&quot; said Felix.&nbsp;&quot;I think my biggest issue with running with the injury was running out of time, really. Now that I have another month to get back to 100 per cent I feel confident that I will be ready to go when it comes to Rio.&quot; 
 
The 30-year-old sprinter told Reuters though that she&#39;s not letting the potential threat of the Zika virus cast a shadow over the games in Brazil. 
 
&quot;I think obviously it is a real concern,&quot; said Felix. &quot;Yes it is, but I think for me I have to place my faith in the authorities that&#39;s there and if the USOC is telling us that we&#39;re ok to go and compete than that is what I&#39;m going to do.&quot; 
 
Felix is less confident though about that the ongoing doping issues surrounding track and field. 
 
&quot;I would hope that the playing field is more level,&quot; said Felix. &quot;But, I would say that my confidence isn&#39;t high to think that there are not real issues. Just the number of scandals we see now just shows the real issues that are there in sports. It is very hard to deal with as a clean athlete. You are going to the biggest race of your life and you hope that that is a clean race. But can you say that you are a 100 per cent that you are sure. I don&#39;t think that you can say that so. It is hard I think but I hope we are moving in the right direction. I think that exposing athletes that are happening now is I think is a step in the right direction.&quot; 
 
The 2016 Olympic games in Rio will open on August 6th and run through August 22. 
 
(Reuters)

Allyson Felix finished fourth at the trials, one spot short of earning the chance to defend her title

American sprinter Allyson Felix promises to be ready for Rio next month after a "disappointing" performance at the US Olympic trials that saw her fall short of qualifying to run a 200/400 double at the games. "I do feel good going into Rio, my focus has not shifted from what I had hoped to do," said Felix, who met with the media in Beverly Hills following the trials. "I think that what happened to me was just unfortunate. I think injuries are a part of sport and it is something that you just have to deal with. For me I feel so grateful to have made this team at all as two months ago I was not walking at all. So its pretty amazing to me that I'm still going to Rio and while it doesn't look exactly how I hoped it would. But I'm still going after it with everything I have." The defending Olympic champion at the 200 metre distance finished fourth at the trials, one spot short of earning the chance to defend her title. Felix cited a freak ankle injury in the spring that impacted her training. She will still be representing the US in the 400 metre run with hopes of earning a spot on the US relay teams. "I'm very hopeful to be on the relays and I'm very and I hope to be on the 4x100 and the 4X400," said Felix. "I think my biggest issue with running with the injury was running out of time, really. Now that I have another month to get back to 100 per cent I feel confident that I will be ready to go when it comes to Rio." The 30-year-old sprinter told Reuters though that she's not letting the potential threat of the Zika virus cast a shadow over the games in Brazil. "I think obviously it is a real concern," said Felix. "Yes it is, but I think for me I have to place my faith in the authorities that's there and if the USOC is telling us that we're ok to go and compete than that is what I'm going to do." Felix is less confident though about that the ongoing doping issues surrounding track and field. "I would hope that the playing field is more level," said Felix. "But, I would say that my confidence isn't high to think that there are not real issues. Just the number of scandals we see now just shows the real issues that are there in sports. It is very hard to deal with as a clean athlete. You are going to the biggest race of your life and you hope that that is a clean race. But can you say that you are a 100 per cent that you are sure. I don't think that you can say that so. It is hard I think but I hope we are moving in the right direction. I think that exposing athletes that are happening now is I think is a step in the right direction." The 2016 Olympic games in Rio will open on August 6th and run through August 22. (Reuters)

American Sprinter Felix readies for Rio

A Utah resident infected with the Zika virus has died, becoming the first Zika-related fatality in the continental United States, officials said on Friday. 
 
The elderly victim, who had an underlying health condition, died in late June after traveling to a country where the mosquito-transmitted virus is active, the Salt Lake County health department said. 
 
&quot;While this individual did test positive for Zika virus, the exact cause of death has not been determined, and it may not be possible to determine how the Zika infection contributed to the death,&quot; the health department said in a statement. 
 
The victim&#39;s identity and travel history would not be released, it added. 
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in April that a man in his 70s infected with the Zika virus had died of complications from the infection on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, which is part of US territory. 
 
The virus is spreading fast on the island, infecting as many as 50 pregnant women per day, health officials said earlier this week. 
 
So far, however, no cases of locally transmitted, mosquito-borne Zika have been reported in the continental United States, the CDC said in a statement on Friday. 
 
As of July 6, a total of 1,132 cases of people who contracted the virus while traveling abroad had been registered in the United States, it said. 
 
However, health officials are bracing for outbreaks of the virus among local mosquito populations.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;CDC has been working with state, local, and territorial health officials to prepare for the possibility of locally-acquired Zika infection in the United States,&quot; the CDC said. 
 
No vaccine or treatment for the Zika virus currently exists and many of those infected will not show symptoms, the CDC says. 
 
Pregnant women are the focus of greatest concern because the virus causes birth defects. 
 
US President Barack Obama has requested $1.9 billion to fight the virus, but lawmakers are deadlocked over the issue and there are fears Congress will fail to address the growing health crisis until after its summer recess in September. 
 
(AFP)

A public health institute said the US has around 1,132 registered cases of people who contracted the virus while travelling abroad

A Utah resident infected with the Zika virus has died, becoming the first Zika-related fatality in the continental United States, officials said on Friday. The elderly victim, who had an underlying health condition, died in late June after traveling to a country where the mosquito-transmitted virus is active, the Salt Lake County health department said. "While this individual did test positive for Zika virus, the exact cause of death has not been determined, and it may not be possible to determine how the Zika infection contributed to the death," the health department said in a statement. The victim's identity and travel history would not be released, it added. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in April that a man in his 70s infected with the Zika virus had died of complications from the infection on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, which is part of US territory. The virus is spreading fast on the island, infecting as many as 50 pregnant women per day, health officials said earlier this week. So far, however, no cases of locally transmitted, mosquito-borne Zika have been reported in the continental United States, the CDC said in a statement on Friday. As of July 6, a total of 1,132 cases of people who contracted the virus while traveling abroad had been registered in the United States, it said. However, health officials are bracing for outbreaks of the virus among local mosquito populations. "CDC has been working with state, local, and territorial health officials to prepare for the possibility of locally-acquired Zika infection in the United States," the CDC said. No vaccine or treatment for the Zika virus currently exists and many of those infected will not show symptoms, the CDC says. Pregnant women are the focus of greatest concern because the virus causes birth defects. US President Barack Obama has requested $1.9 billion to fight the virus, but lawmakers are deadlocked over the issue and there are fears Congress will fail to address the growing health crisis until after its summer recess in September. (AFP)

Continental US records first Zika-related death

The parents of an American student who went missing in Rome only to be found dead in the Tiber River met with Pope Francis on Wednesday, as video evidence emerged of the last moments of his life. 
 
The Argentine expressed his &quot;profound emotion&quot; over the death of Beau Solomon, 19, who Italian police believe was killed during a late-night drunken skirmish with a homeless man, who pushed him into the river. 
 
The pontiff, who met Solomon&#39;s parents at the start of an audience with French pilgrims, assured them of his &quot;compassion and spiritual closeness through prayer&quot;, Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a note. 
 
The teenager&#39;s body was found on Monday after he disappeared in the early hours of Friday following an evening out in the hip Trastevere district near the Tiber with fellow foreign students. 
 
Investigators believe Solomon, in Rome for a five-week summer course at the John Cabot University, was robbed before his death, forced to hand over his wallet and mobile phone. 
 
He is then thought to have chased after the thieves, following them to the river. 
 
It is there he apparently ran into and brawled with 40-year-old homeless Italian Massimo Galioto, who was arrested on Tuesday for manslaughter. 
 
After witnesses told police they had seen a man being thrown into the water following a drunken altercation, a grainy video emerged, filmed by the owner of a summer festival stall still open on the opposite bank, which showed Galioto and Solomon. 
 
And footage recovered from a security camera in the area captures the moment the Wisconsin youngster fell in the river. 
 
Solomon&#39;s bank card was used in the days he went missing 
 
Galioto&#39;s companion, with whom he shared a tent on the embankment, told journalists he had not meant to hurt the student. 
 
&quot;They began to argue. They were pushing each other. Massimo pushed him, the boy pushed back, and then he fell in,&quot; she said. 
 
The young sports fan, who reportedly survived a rare form of cancer as a child and hoped to enter politics after university, suffered a wound to the head and his shirt was bloodied. 
 
Police suspect he may have hit his head on a rock when he fell. 
 
Galioto was detained for questioning over the weekend with seven fellow homeless people from the area, but was initially released, before being arrested after he was implicated by the rest of the group. 
 
The Repubblica daily said prosecutor Marcello Monteleone was investigating whether Solomon had been a victim of a criminal gang specialised in robbing tourists before his death. 
 
His bank card was used in the days he was missing by someone who withdrew over 1,500 euros ($1,675) in Milan. 
 
The Repubblica also carried an interview it had done last year with Galioto, on being a homeless man in Rome, in which he described life in his tent with his companion and their mongrel dogs. 
 
The self-declared former fishmonger said his world fell apart when he caught his wife in bed with another man. 
 
He severed all ties with his family, including his now 17-year old son, and was making what money he could through street juggling, before the arrest warrant fell. 
 
(AFP)

Italian police believe the student was killed during a late-night drunken skirmish with a homeless man

The parents of an American student who went missing in Rome only to be found dead in the Tiber River met with Pope Francis on Wednesday, as video evidence emerged of the last moments of his life. The Argentine expressed his "profound emotion" over the death of Beau Solomon, 19, who Italian police believe was killed during a late-night drunken skirmish with a homeless man, who pushed him into the river. The pontiff, who met Solomon's parents at the start of an audience with French pilgrims, assured them of his "compassion and spiritual closeness through prayer", Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a note. The teenager's body was found on Monday after he disappeared in the early hours of Friday following an evening out in the hip Trastevere district near the Tiber with fellow foreign students. Investigators believe Solomon, in Rome for a five-week summer course at the John Cabot University, was robbed before his death, forced to hand over his wallet and mobile phone. He is then thought to have chased after the thieves, following them to the river. It is there he apparently ran into and brawled with 40-year-old homeless Italian Massimo Galioto, who was arrested on Tuesday for manslaughter. After witnesses told police they had seen a man being thrown into the water following a drunken altercation, a grainy video emerged, filmed by the owner of a summer festival stall still open on the opposite bank, which showed Galioto and Solomon. And footage recovered from a security camera in the area captures the moment the Wisconsin youngster fell in the river. Solomon's bank card was used in the days he went missing Galioto's companion, with whom he shared a tent on the embankment, told journalists he had not meant to hurt the student. "They began to argue. They were pushing each other. Massimo pushed him, the boy pushed back, and then he fell in," she said. The young sports fan, who reportedly survived a rare form of cancer as a child and hoped to enter politics after university, suffered a wound to the head and his shirt was bloodied. Police suspect he may have hit his head on a rock when he fell. Galioto was detained for questioning over the weekend with seven fellow homeless people from the area, but was initially released, before being arrested after he was implicated by the rest of the group. The Repubblica daily said prosecutor Marcello Monteleone was investigating whether Solomon had been a victim of a criminal gang specialised in robbing tourists before his death. His bank card was used in the days he was missing by someone who withdrew over 1,500 euros ($1,675) in Milan. The Repubblica also carried an interview it had done last year with Galioto, on being a homeless man in Rome, in which he described life in his tent with his companion and their mongrel dogs. The self-declared former fishmonger said his world fell apart when he caught his wife in bed with another man. He severed all ties with his family, including his now 17-year old son, and was making what money he could through street juggling, before the arrest warrant fell. (AFP)

Pope meets parents of US student killed in Rome

A consortium led by US firm Noble Energy has approved a $265-million project to sink a new well in a major natural gas field off Israel, officials said today. 
 
Delek Drilling and Avner Oil Exploration, Israeli firms that are part of the partnership led by Noble, announced the financing for the Tamar field in the Mediterranean. 
 
&quot;The Tamar partners decided to approve a budget of about $265 million for drilling &#39;Tamar 8&#39; and connecting to existing infrastructure in the Tamar field,&quot; Delek and Avner said in a joint statement. 
 
It said the latest well would allow &quot;maximum supply from Tamar field during times of peak demand, in light of the volume of production from Tamar and the existing and expected demand for natural gas from the field&quot;. 
 
Tamar 8, the field&#39;s sixth production well, is located about 100 kilometres offshore and would reach a depth of around 3.5 kilometres below the sea bed, it said. 
 
Drilling is projected to start in the last quarter of this year. 
 
Completion of the well and its connection to the existing pipe network is expected to take four months, the statement added. 
 
The Tamar field was discovered in 2009 and began pumping in 2013. 
 
It is located some 130 kilometres off the Mediterranean port city of Haifa and has estimated reserves of up to 238 billion cubic metres. 
 
Its gas is so far being used for domestic supply within Israel. 
 
The US-led consortium is also developing Israel&#39;s mammoth Leviathan gas field and aims to bring it online in 2019. 
 
Israel hopes the development of Leviathan will allow it to export gas, which could help grease the wheels of regional diplomacy. 
 
Leviathan, discovered in 2010, is estimated to hold 1535 billion cubic metres of natural gas, along with 34.1 million barrels of condensate. 
 
Development of its own energy resources is seen as a major strategic asset for Israel, which has no oil and little water. 
 
(AFP) 
 
 
&nbsp;

Development of its own energy resources is seen as a major strategic asset for Israel, which has no oil and little water

A consortium led by US firm Noble Energy has approved a $265-million project to sink a new well in a major natural gas field off Israel, officials said today. Delek Drilling and Avner Oil Exploration, Israeli firms that are part of the partnership led by Noble, announced the financing for the Tamar field in the Mediterranean. "The Tamar partners decided to approve a budget of about $265 million for drilling 'Tamar 8' and connecting to existing infrastructure in the Tamar field," Delek and Avner said in a joint statement. It said the latest well would allow "maximum supply from Tamar field during times of peak demand, in light of the volume of production from Tamar and the existing and expected demand for natural gas from the field". Tamar 8, the field's sixth production well, is located about 100 kilometres offshore and would reach a depth of around 3.5 kilometres below the sea bed, it said. Drilling is projected to start in the last quarter of this year. Completion of the well and its connection to the existing pipe network is expected to take four months, the statement added. The Tamar field was discovered in 2009 and began pumping in 2013. It is located some 130 kilometres off the Mediterranean port city of Haifa and has estimated reserves of up to 238 billion cubic metres. Its gas is so far being used for domestic supply within Israel. The US-led consortium is also developing Israel's mammoth Leviathan gas field and aims to bring it online in 2019. Israel hopes the development of Leviathan will allow it to export gas, which could help grease the wheels of regional diplomacy. Leviathan, discovered in 2010, is estimated to hold 1535 billion cubic metres of natural gas, along with 34.1 million barrels of condensate. Development of its own energy resources is seen as a major strategic asset for Israel, which has no oil and little water. (AFP)

Israel-US consortium sinks $265 million in new gas well

Kuwait said on Sunday that it plans to tap the international debt market through bond issues to finance its budget deficit after recording a first shortfall in 16 years. 
 
The oil-rich Gulf state plans to &quot;borrow up to three billion Dinars ($10 billion) in US-denominated bonds from international markets, in both conventional and (Islamic) sukuk issuance,&quot; Finance minister Anas al-Saleh told parliament. 
 
The ministry will borrow another two billion Kuwaiti Dinars ($6.6 billion) in both conventional and Islamic instruments from the domestic market, Saleh said. 
 
It will be the country&#39;s first foreign debt in around two decades. 
 
The borrowings will take place during the 2016-2017 fiscal year, which began April 1 and end next March 31, the minister said, without giving specific dates. 
 
Saleh said the finance ministry has already borrowed $2.5 billion from the domestic market. 
 
Saleh, who is also acting oil minister, said Kuwait recorded its first budget deficit of 5.5 billion Dinars ($18.3 billion) in the 2015/2016 fiscal year. 
 
The emirate is also projecting a shortfall of $28 billion in the current fiscal year. 
 
Kuwait posted healthy budget surpluses for 16 consecutive fiscal years until oil prices began to slide two years ago. Oil income made up around 95 per cent of public revenues. 
 
During the surplus years, Kuwait piled up around $600 billion in its sovereign wealth fund managed by Kuwait Investment Authority in holdings mostly in the United States, Europe and Asia. 
 
(AFP)

This is the country's first foreign debt in around two decades

Kuwait said on Sunday that it plans to tap the international debt market through bond issues to finance its budget deficit after recording a first shortfall in 16 years. The oil-rich Gulf state plans to "borrow up to three billion Dinars ($10 billion) in US-denominated bonds from international markets, in both conventional and (Islamic) sukuk issuance," Finance minister Anas al-Saleh told parliament. The ministry will borrow another two billion Kuwaiti Dinars ($6.6 billion) in both conventional and Islamic instruments from the domestic market, Saleh said. It will be the country's first foreign debt in around two decades. The borrowings will take place during the 2016-2017 fiscal year, which began April 1 and end next March 31, the minister said, without giving specific dates. Saleh said the finance ministry has already borrowed $2.5 billion from the domestic market. Saleh, who is also acting oil minister, said Kuwait recorded its first budget deficit of 5.5 billion Dinars ($18.3 billion) in the 2015/2016 fiscal year. The emirate is also projecting a shortfall of $28 billion in the current fiscal year. Kuwait posted healthy budget surpluses for 16 consecutive fiscal years until oil prices began to slide two years ago. Oil income made up around 95 per cent of public revenues. During the surplus years, Kuwait piled up around $600 billion in its sovereign wealth fund managed by Kuwait Investment Authority in holdings mostly in the United States, Europe and Asia. (AFP)

Kuwait to tap foreign debt markets to finance deficit

Basketball fanatic Barack Obama named legendary centre Shaquille O&#39;Neal as sports envoy to Cuba&nbsp;on Friday, in a new sign of thawing ties between Washington and Havana. 
 
When the imposing seven-foot one-inch player was dominating courts for the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat in Florida, he was just a short hop from the island state. 
 
But, like other Americans, he was separated from his fans in communist Cuba by the US embargo on its economy and decades of Cold War hostility between the neighbours. 
 
The United States and Cuba finally restored ties last year and officials from both countries are gingerly negotiating a new relationship, even as parts of the embargo fall away. 
 
In the latest stage in the rapprochement, the retired baller will travel to Cuba from&nbsp;June 24 to 28, meet young people, talks sport and business, and visit cultural sites. 
 
(AFP)

Shaquille O'Neal will go on a four-day tour to Cuba where he will meet young people and talk about sports

Basketball fanatic Barack Obama named legendary centre Shaquille O'Neal as sports envoy to Cuba on Friday, in a new sign of thawing ties between Washington and Havana. When the imposing seven-foot one-inch player was dominating courts for the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat in Florida, he was just a short hop from the island state. But, like other Americans, he was separated from his fans in communist Cuba by the US embargo on its economy and decades of Cold War hostility between the neighbours. The United States and Cuba finally restored ties last year and officials from both countries are gingerly negotiating a new relationship, even as parts of the embargo fall away. In the latest stage in the rapprochement, the retired baller will travel to Cuba from June 24 to 28, meet young people, talks sport and business, and visit cultural sites. (AFP)

Viva Shaq! Obama names basketball legend as sports envoy to Cuba

Colombians are cautiously awaiting a peace deal in the South American nation after Bogota and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) announced an agreement on a bilateral ceasefire and the end to hostilities at peace talks in Cuba on Wednesday. 
 
Authorities said the formal accord on the point will be signed today by President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s always something important when it becomes concrete because there are a lot of doubts about what was really agreed in Havana and which hasn&#39;t yet surfaced. Citizens still don&#39;t know (about the peace agreement). We all want peace and hopefully this (deal) is good,&quot; said citizen, Terencio Poo. 
 
Agreement on a third point of the negotiating agenda would be a major step forward in efforts by the two sides to end 50 years of war that have killed 220,000 people and displaced millions. 
 
Santos has promised the final accord will be put to the Colombian people in a plebiscite, and must win over those sceptical of FARC promises to rejoin civil society, including supporters of hard-line former President Alvaro Uribe who claims a deal will grant guerrillas impunity for war crimes. 
 
&quot;Hopefully the announcement tomorrow tells us that there will be jail for those who have committed heinous crimes and crimes against humanity,&quot; said co-President of the Democratic Centre opposition party, Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, 
 
Once there is agreement on the third agenda point, the only remaining topic is how exactly the referendum will be organised. 
If approved by the public, it would bring to an end Latin America&#39;s longest armed conflict. 
 
&quot;There are a lot generations, like mine, who never seen a single day of peace and tomorrow will be practically the end of the war,&quot; said Senator Mauricio Lizcano from Santos` ruling party. 
 
President Santos has said this week the government and the rebels will complete negotiations for a final deal by July 20. The ceasefire, which includes terms for the FARC&#39;s demobilisation, laying down of arms, and security for former fighters, does not begin until the final deal is signed. 
 
Colombian citizen Mariana Hoyos said Wednesday&#39;s ceasefire announcement is the first of many steps of a peace to come. 
&quot;This is the first step and I think there is still a lot to be done, but this is the start,&quot; she said. 
 
Cuban President Raul Castro, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet are also expected to attend the signing ceremony in Havana the two sides said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

If approved, it would bring to an end Latin America's longest armed conflict

Colombians are cautiously awaiting a peace deal in the South American nation after Bogota and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) announced an agreement on a bilateral ceasefire and the end to hostilities at peace talks in Cuba on Wednesday. Authorities said the formal accord on the point will be signed today by President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. "It's always something important when it becomes concrete because there are a lot of doubts about what was really agreed in Havana and which hasn't yet surfaced. Citizens still don't know (about the peace agreement). We all want peace and hopefully this (deal) is good," said citizen, Terencio Poo. Agreement on a third point of the negotiating agenda would be a major step forward in efforts by the two sides to end 50 years of war that have killed 220,000 people and displaced millions. Santos has promised the final accord will be put to the Colombian people in a plebiscite, and must win over those sceptical of FARC promises to rejoin civil society, including supporters of hard-line former President Alvaro Uribe who claims a deal will grant guerrillas impunity for war crimes. "Hopefully the announcement tomorrow tells us that there will be jail for those who have committed heinous crimes and crimes against humanity," said co-President of the Democratic Centre opposition party, Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, Once there is agreement on the third agenda point, the only remaining topic is how exactly the referendum will be organised. If approved by the public, it would bring to an end Latin America's longest armed conflict. "There are a lot generations, like mine, who never seen a single day of peace and tomorrow will be practically the end of the war," said Senator Mauricio Lizcano from Santos` ruling party. President Santos has said this week the government and the rebels will complete negotiations for a final deal by July 20. The ceasefire, which includes terms for the FARC's demobilisation, laying down of arms, and security for former fighters, does not begin until the final deal is signed. Colombian citizen Mariana Hoyos said Wednesday's ceasefire announcement is the first of many steps of a peace to come. "This is the first step and I think there is still a lot to be done, but this is the start," she said. Cuban President Raul Castro, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet are also expected to attend the signing ceremony in Havana the two sides said. (Reuters)

Colombians cautiously optimistic about peace deal with FARC

An armed man was fatally shot by police after holding two people hostage in an Amarillo, Texas, Walmart store on Tuesday in an incident law enforcement described as workplace violence. 
 
The suspect was identified as Mohammad Moghaddam, 54, Amarillo police said, adding he was shot by a police SWAT unit. 
 
The two hostages were unharmed. One was a manager with whom the suspect had a work-related dispute, the department said. 
 
Moghaddam fired a shot when he entered the store and took two people hostage. The three then moved to an office inside the store, said deputy Danny Alexander, a spokesman for the Randall County Sheriff&#39;s Office. 
 
No further details about the suspect were immediately available. There were no reports of anyone else being injured in the incident. 
 
&quot;All customers and our two associates who were held hostage are safe. This was a very difficult situation and we are thankful for the quick response from law enforcement,&quot; said Deisha Barnett, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. 
 
(Reuters )

Both hostages were unharmed. One was a manager with whom the suspect reportedly had a work-related dispute, police said

An armed man was fatally shot by police after holding two people hostage in an Amarillo, Texas, Walmart store on Tuesday in an incident law enforcement described as workplace violence. The suspect was identified as Mohammad Moghaddam, 54, Amarillo police said, adding he was shot by a police SWAT unit. The two hostages were unharmed. One was a manager with whom the suspect had a work-related dispute, the department said. Moghaddam fired a shot when he entered the store and took two people hostage. The three then moved to an office inside the store, said deputy Danny Alexander, a spokesman for the Randall County Sheriff's Office. No further details about the suspect were immediately available. There were no reports of anyone else being injured in the incident. "All customers and our two associates who were held hostage are safe. This was a very difficult situation and we are thankful for the quick response from law enforcement," said Deisha Barnett, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Reuters )

Police shoot armed hostage-taker at Texas Walmart

Pakistan is considering buying used F-16 fighter jets from Jordan, media reported today, after a plan to buy eight of the aircraft from the United States fell through because of the refusal of the US Congress to finance the deal. 
 
Some of Pakistan&#39;s fleet of F-16 jets are due to be decommissioned in the next few years and the government says it needs the aircraft to fight Islamist militants in remote mountains near Afghanistan. 
 
The military also sees the aircraft as vital in case of war against old rival India. The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought three wars since they gained independence from Britain in 1947. 
 
&quot;We are now going for a third-party transfer of F-16s and have an offer from Jordan,&quot; defence secretary Alam Khattak told a joint sitting of the senate defence and foreign affairs committees on Monday, newspapers reported. 
 
An air force spokesman declined to say how many F-16s Pakistan has but the number of the aircraft in service is believed to be about 70. 
 
Jordan had offered to sell Pakistan 16 used F-16s of the Block-30 variant, an older version than the Block-52s that Pakistan would have obtained from the United States, the Dawn newspaper reported. 
 
The US deal, valued at $699 million, came unstuck after the US Congress refused to authorise the use of government funds to pay for the aircraft under the foreign military financing (FMF) programme. 
 
Members of the US Congress, led by Republican Chairman of the senate foreign relations committee Bob Corker, demanded that Pakistan stop harbouring militant groups like the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network, which are leading an insurgency against a US-backed government in Kabul. 
 
Pakistan says it is acting against the militants, citing military operations in lawless ethnic Pashtun lands that border Afghanistan. 
 
Pakistan says the F-16s, with their precision strike ability and night-flying capability, are essential for that fight. 
 
The difficulty over the F-16 deal was the latest sign of increasingly frayed ties between Pakistan and the United States. 
 
Last month, a US drone killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the then chief of the Afghan Taliban, on Pakistani soil. 
 
Pakistan condemned the strike as a violation of its sovereignty, and as not being conducive towards encouraging the Taliban to enter talks with the Afghan government. 
 
Pakistan has bought Jordanian F-16s before, procuring 13 of them in 2014, Dawn reported. The current batch on offer were manufactured between 1988 and 1990, and were upgraded in 2001/02, Dawn said.

You'll get the jets when you stop harbouring militant groups like the Afghan Taliban, said the US

Pakistan is considering buying used F-16 fighter jets from Jordan, media reported today, after a plan to buy eight of the aircraft from the United States fell through because of the refusal of the US Congress to finance the deal. Some of Pakistan's fleet of F-16 jets are due to be decommissioned in the next few years and the government says it needs the aircraft to fight Islamist militants in remote mountains near Afghanistan. The military also sees the aircraft as vital in case of war against old rival India. The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought three wars since they gained independence from Britain in 1947. "We are now going for a third-party transfer of F-16s and have an offer from Jordan," defence secretary Alam Khattak told a joint sitting of the senate defence and foreign affairs committees on Monday, newspapers reported. An air force spokesman declined to say how many F-16s Pakistan has but the number of the aircraft in service is believed to be about 70. Jordan had offered to sell Pakistan 16 used F-16s of the Block-30 variant, an older version than the Block-52s that Pakistan would have obtained from the United States, the Dawn newspaper reported. The US deal, valued at $699 million, came unstuck after the US Congress refused to authorise the use of government funds to pay for the aircraft under the foreign military financing (FMF) programme. Members of the US Congress, led by Republican Chairman of the senate foreign relations committee Bob Corker, demanded that Pakistan stop harbouring militant groups like the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network, which are leading an insurgency against a US-backed government in Kabul. Pakistan says it is acting against the militants, citing military operations in lawless ethnic Pashtun lands that border Afghanistan. Pakistan says the F-16s, with their precision strike ability and night-flying capability, are essential for that fight. The difficulty over the F-16 deal was the latest sign of increasingly frayed ties between Pakistan and the United States. Last month, a US drone killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the then chief of the Afghan Taliban, on Pakistani soil. Pakistan condemned the strike as a violation of its sovereignty, and as not being conducive towards encouraging the Taliban to enter talks with the Afghan government. Pakistan has bought Jordanian F-16s before, procuring 13 of them in 2014, Dawn reported. The current batch on offer were manufactured between 1988 and 1990, and were upgraded in 2001/02, Dawn said.

After America says no, Pakistan mulls buying used F-16s from Jordan

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