Former US president Barack Obama is reportedly in talks with streaming service giant Netflix to produce a series of shows.

The number of episodes and the format of the show has not been decided yet.

Media reports say after leaving White House Obama has always planned to pursue digital media venture.

Michelle Obama, his wife and former first lady, will also be involved in the production of shows.

According to reports, the series would provide the former president with a &#39;&#39;global platform&#39;&#39; to communicate with a larger audience.

Obama earlier discussed producing shows that will highlight inspirational stories.

In another show, Obama would moderate discussions on topics related to his presidency such as healthcare, immigration, voting rights and climate change along with Michelle Obama.

The final deal is yet to be finalised&nbsp;as the negotiations are still underway.

 
&nbsp;

The number of episodes and the format of the show is still being worked out

Former US president Barack Obama is reportedly in talks with streaming service giant Netflix to produce a series of shows. The number of episodes and the format of the show has not been decided yet. Media reports say after leaving White House Obama has always planned to pursue digital media venture. Michelle Obama, his wife and former first lady, will also be involved in the production of shows. According to reports, the series would provide the former president with a ''global platform'' to communicate with a larger audience. Obama earlier discussed producing shows that will highlight inspirational stories. In another show, Obama would moderate discussions on topics related to his presidency such as healthcare, immigration, voting rights and climate change along with Michelle Obama. The final deal is yet to be finalised as the negotiations are still underway.

Barack Obama in talks with Netflix for production deal

Michelle Obama&#39;s forthcoming memoir, &quot;Becoming,&quot; is set for worldwide release on November 13, at which time the former first lady will embark on a global tour to promote the book, publisher Penguin Random House said on Sunday.

The volume fulfills half of the deal the company reached with former US&nbsp;President Barack Obama and his wife the month after he left office calling for the couple to each publish one book, reportedly for a sum worth more than $60 million.

Michelle Obama&#39;s book will chronicle her life from a childhood growing up on Chicago&#39;s South Side through her years inside the White House as a mother of two and the nation&#39;s first African-American first lady, the publisher said.

&quot;Writing &#39;Becoming&#39; has been a deeply personal experience. It has allowed me, for the very first time, the space to honestly reflect on the unexpected trajectory of my life,&quot; the former first lady said in a statement.

&quot;Becoming&quot; is to be published simultaneously in 24 languages around the world and will be released in the United States and Canada through the publisher&#39;s Crown Publisher Group, according to Penguin Random House.

Michelle Obama, a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, will also read for the audio edition of the book, the publisher said. Details of a planned international book tour are to be announced at a later date.

The same company also published Barack Obama&#39;s three previous books -- &quot;Dreams of My Father,&quot; &quot;The Audacity of Hope&quot; and &quot;Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters.&quot; His wife&#39;s only previous book was a 2012 work on gardening, titled &quot;American Grown,&quot; which focused on her initiative to promote organic food and healthy eating.

The 44th US&nbsp;president has yet to schedule his memoir under his latest Penguin Random House deal, a book that would presumably cover his time in the Oval Office.

The publisher has previously said that the Obamas, in keeping with their past practice, planned to donate a significant portion of their proceeds to charity, including the Obama Foundation.

Memoirs by former first ladies usually have sold well, according to the Washington Post, with notable works including Laura Bush&#39;s &quot;Spoken from the Heart&quot; and Hillary Clinton&#39;s &quot;Living History.&quot; 
&nbsp;

Michelle Obama's book will chronicle her life from a childhood growing up on Chicago's South Side through her years inside the White House as a mother of two and the nation's first African-American first lady

Michelle Obama's forthcoming memoir, "Becoming," is set for worldwide release on November 13, at which time the former first lady will embark on a global tour to promote the book, publisher Penguin Random House said on Sunday. The volume fulfills half of the deal the company reached with former US President Barack Obama and his wife the month after he left office calling for the couple to each publish one book, reportedly for a sum worth more than $60 million. Michelle Obama's book will chronicle her life from a childhood growing up on Chicago's South Side through her years inside the White House as a mother of two and the nation's first African-American first lady, the publisher said. "Writing 'Becoming' has been a deeply personal experience. It has allowed me, for the very first time, the space to honestly reflect on the unexpected trajectory of my life," the former first lady said in a statement. "Becoming" is to be published simultaneously in 24 languages around the world and will be released in the United States and Canada through the publisher's Crown Publisher Group, according to Penguin Random House. Michelle Obama, a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, will also read for the audio edition of the book, the publisher said. Details of a planned international book tour are to be announced at a later date. The same company also published Barack Obama's three previous books -- "Dreams of My Father," "The Audacity of Hope" and "Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters." His wife's only previous book was a 2012 work on gardening, titled "American Grown," which focused on her initiative to promote organic food and healthy eating. The 44th US president has yet to schedule his memoir under his latest Penguin Random House deal, a book that would presumably cover his time in the Oval Office. The publisher has previously said that the Obamas, in keeping with their past practice, planned to donate a significant portion of their proceeds to charity, including the Obama Foundation. Memoirs by former first ladies usually have sold well, according to the Washington Post, with notable works including Laura Bush's "Spoken from the Heart" and Hillary Clinton's "Living History."

Michelle Obama memoir 'Becoming' set for publication in November

The US government on Tuesday proposed extending the availability of skimpy health insurance plans to millions of Americans in another Trump administration move aimed at undercutting the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare.

The US Department of Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule that such plans, now available only for periods of three months or less, will be available for up to 12 months. The agency is considering whether these plans will be renewable.&nbsp;

The plans will not include the benefits that define the insurance created under Democratic former President Barack Obama, including required health benefits such as maternity coverage and the guarantee of insurance regardless of health.&nbsp;

Obamacare currently allows for such short-duration plans, but they are limited to three months. The agency said it expects 100,000 to 200,000 people to shift from an Obamacare plan to such insurance in 2019 when the rule would go into effect, but that millions more people who have no insurance will likely sign up.

America`s Health Insurance Plans, the biggest US health industry lobby, said it was concerned the expansion would make it more expensive to cover the sicker people, particularly those with pre-existing conditions, who remain on the Obamacare marketplace. About 10 million people are enrolled in Obamacare plans that are eligible for income-based subsidies.

Evercore ISI analyst Michael Newshel said in a research note that while the magnitude of the new rule`s impact is debatable, directionally it is &quot;another negative more for the stability of the individual insurance market.&quot;

Even so, there were no new negatives in the government rule proposal, Newshel said. Shares in insurers which sell these plans were mixed. Centene Corp gained $1.18, or 1 per cent, to $101.40; Molina Healthcare rose 68 cents, or less than 1 per cent, to $72.80; Anthem Inc fell $2.53, or about 1 per cent, to $232.49; and Cigna Corp fell $2.29, or 1 per cent, to $191.60.&nbsp;

The premiums on the plans have been rising each year since the marketplace was launched and increased in the double digits in 2018, reflecting a costly pool of members, fewer insurers and less competition, and the government decision to pull back billions of dollars in payments to insurers.

Republican President Donald Trump last year issued an executive order requiring the agency, which oversees the Obamacare individual market, to propose such a rule as part of its goal to make health insurance more affordable.

The order also required an extension of association-based health plans that do not comply with Obamacare and more use of tax-free health savings accounts.&nbsp;

US&nbsp;health officials said they did not expect the introduction of the plans to contribute to a rise in premiums in the ACA marketplace.

The US government on Tuesday proposed extending the availability of skimpy health insurance plans to millions of Americans in another Trump administration move aimed at undercutting the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare

The US government on Tuesday proposed extending the availability of skimpy health insurance plans to millions of Americans in another Trump administration move aimed at undercutting the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare. The US Department of Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule that such plans, now available only for periods of three months or less, will be available for up to 12 months. The agency is considering whether these plans will be renewable. The plans will not include the benefits that define the insurance created under Democratic former President Barack Obama, including required health benefits such as maternity coverage and the guarantee of insurance regardless of health. Obamacare currently allows for such short-duration plans, but they are limited to three months. The agency said it expects 100,000 to 200,000 people to shift from an Obamacare plan to such insurance in 2019 when the rule would go into effect, but that millions more people who have no insurance will likely sign up. America`s Health Insurance Plans, the biggest US health industry lobby, said it was concerned the expansion would make it more expensive to cover the sicker people, particularly those with pre-existing conditions, who remain on the Obamacare marketplace. About 10 million people are enrolled in Obamacare plans that are eligible for income-based subsidies. Evercore ISI analyst Michael Newshel said in a research note that while the magnitude of the new rule`s impact is debatable, directionally it is "another negative more for the stability of the individual insurance market." Even so, there were no new negatives in the government rule proposal, Newshel said. Shares in insurers which sell these plans were mixed. Centene Corp gained $1.18, or 1 per cent, to $101.40; Molina Healthcare rose 68 cents, or less than 1 per cent, to $72.80; Anthem Inc fell $2.53, or about 1 per cent, to $232.49; and Cigna Corp fell $2.29, or 1 per cent, to $191.60. The premiums on the plans have been rising each year since the marketplace was launched and increased in the double digits in 2018, reflecting a costly pool of members, fewer insurers and less competition, and the government decision to pull back billions of dollars in payments to insurers. Republican President Donald Trump last year issued an executive order requiring the agency, which oversees the Obamacare individual market, to propose such a rule as part of its goal to make health insurance more affordable. The order also required an extension of association-based health plans that do not comply with Obamacare and more use of tax-free health savings accounts. US health officials said they did not expect the introduction of the plans to contribute to a rise in premiums in the ACA marketplace.

US to extend skimpy health insurance outside of Obamacare

Donald Trump has come last in a US presidential &quot;greatness&quot; survey.&nbsp;

The survey, published Monday,&nbsp;was conducted by the University of Houston and Boise State University.

The survey was based on some 170&nbsp;responses from current and former members of the American Political Science Association&#39;s presidents and executive politics section.

Abraham Lincoln, George&nbsp;Washington, Franklin D Roosevelt, Theodore Rosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, were the top five presidents of America.

Former President Barack Obama came in at eighth spot.&nbsp;Geroge W Bush was number 30&nbsp;on the list.

 
&nbsp;

Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Franklin D Roosevelt, Theodore Rosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, were the top five presidents of America

Donald Trump has come last in a US presidential "greatness" survey. The survey, published Monday, was conducted by the University of Houston and Boise State University. The survey was based on some 170 responses from current and former members of the American Political Science Association's presidents and executive politics section. Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Franklin D Roosevelt, Theodore Rosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, were the top five presidents of America. Former President Barack Obama came in at eighth spot. Geroge W Bush was number 30 on the list.

US presidential 'greatness' survey: Donald Trump comes last

Former U.S. President Barack Obama joked about his ears and gray hair and praised his wife Michelle Obama`s &quot;hotness&quot; at the unveiling of the couple`s official portraits at the Smithsonian`s National Portrait Gallery on Monday.

The Obamas selected artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald for the paintings, which take their place in the National Portrait Gallery`s collection of presidential portraits.&nbsp;

Wiley and Sherald were the first black artists ever commissioned to paint a president or first lady for the Smithsonian.&nbsp;

For Obama`s portrait by Wiley, the former president is depicted sitting in a brown chair with a backdrop of bright green leaves and colourful flowers. Sherald`s painting of Michelle Obama shows her sitting with one hand under her chin and the other draped across her lap, while wearing a long flowing dress decorated with geometric shapes.

Obama, the first African-American U.S. president, complimented Sherald for her portrait of Michelle.

&quot;I want to thank you for so spectacularly capturing the grace and beauty and intelligence and charm and hotness of the woman that I love,&quot; Obama said.

He quipped that Wiley, who painted his portrait, was at a disadvantage because his subject was &quot;less becoming.&quot;

&quot;I tried to negotiate less gray hair and Kehinde`s artistic integrity would not allow him to do what I asked,&quot; Obama said in tongue-in-cheek fashion. &quot;I tried to negotiate smaller ears - struck out on that as well.&quot;

New York Times art critic Holland Cotter said while he was impressed by Barack Obama`s unusual depiction, he was disappointed that the focus of Michelle Obama`s portrait appeared to be her dress.&nbsp;

&quot;I was anticipating &mdash; hoping for &mdash; a bolder, more incisive image of the strong-voiced person I imagine this former first lady to be,&quot; Cotter said in his review. Most Twitter posts described the portraits as stunning, although a few criticized them as poorly executed.&nbsp;

&quot;Behold the beauty of Barack and Michelle Obama`s official portrait,&quot; tweeted @newyorknewart.&nbsp;

Michelle Obama said she hoped the portrait would have an impact on young girls of colour in the years ahead.&nbsp;

&quot;They will look up and they will see an image of someone who looks like them, hanging on the wall of this great American institution,&quot; she said. &quot;I know the kind of impact that will have on their lives, because I was one of those girls.&quot;

The Portrait Gallery`s tradition of commissioning presidential portraits began with President George H.W. Bush. Other portraits were acquired as gifts, bought at auctions or through other means.

The Obamas selected artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald for the paintings

Former U.S. President Barack Obama joked about his ears and gray hair and praised his wife Michelle Obama`s "hotness" at the unveiling of the couple`s official portraits at the Smithsonian`s National Portrait Gallery on Monday. The Obamas selected artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald for the paintings, which take their place in the National Portrait Gallery`s collection of presidential portraits. Wiley and Sherald were the first black artists ever commissioned to paint a president or first lady for the Smithsonian. For Obama`s portrait by Wiley, the former president is depicted sitting in a brown chair with a backdrop of bright green leaves and colourful flowers. Sherald`s painting of Michelle Obama shows her sitting with one hand under her chin and the other draped across her lap, while wearing a long flowing dress decorated with geometric shapes. Obama, the first African-American U.S. president, complimented Sherald for her portrait of Michelle. "I want to thank you for so spectacularly capturing the grace and beauty and intelligence and charm and hotness of the woman that I love," Obama said. He quipped that Wiley, who painted his portrait, was at a disadvantage because his subject was "less becoming." "I tried to negotiate less gray hair and Kehinde`s artistic integrity would not allow him to do what I asked," Obama said in tongue-in-cheek fashion. "I tried to negotiate smaller ears - struck out on that as well." New York Times art critic Holland Cotter said while he was impressed by Barack Obama`s unusual depiction, he was disappointed that the focus of Michelle Obama`s portrait appeared to be her dress. "I was anticipating — hoping for — a bolder, more incisive image of the strong-voiced person I imagine this former first lady to be," Cotter said in his review. Most Twitter posts described the portraits as stunning, although a few criticized them as poorly executed. "Behold the beauty of Barack and Michelle Obama`s official portrait," tweeted @newyorknewart. Michelle Obama said she hoped the portrait would have an impact on young girls of colour in the years ahead. "They will look up and they will see an image of someone who looks like them, hanging on the wall of this great American institution," she said. "I know the kind of impact that will have on their lives, because I was one of those girls." The Portrait Gallery`s tradition of commissioning presidential portraits began with President George H.W. Bush. Other portraits were acquired as gifts, bought at auctions or through other means.

Barack Obama unveils official portraits, jokes about wife's 'hotness'

Congress voted on Monday to end a three-day US&nbsp;government shutdown, approving another short-term funding bill as Democrats accepted promises from Republicans for a broad debate later on the future of young illegal immigrants.

The fourth temporary funding bill since October easily passed the Senate and the House of Representatives. That sent it to the White House, which said President Donald Trump was expected to sign the bill, a product chiefly of negotiations among Senate leaders.

Enactment by Trump of the bill will allow the government to reopen fully on Tuesday and keep the lights on through February 8, when Congress will have to revisit the budget and immigration policy, two disparate issues that have become closely linked.

The House approved the funding bill by a vote of 266-150 just hours after it passed the Senate by a vote of 81-18.

Trump&#39;s attempts to negotiate an end to the shutdown with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer collapsed on Friday in recriminations and fingerpointing. The Republican president took a new swipe at Democrats as he celebrated the Senate`s pact.

&quot;I am pleased that Democrats in Congress have come to their senses,&quot; Trump said in a statement. &quot;We will make a long-term deal on immigration if and only if it`s good for the country.&quot;

Immigration and the budget are entangled because of Congress&#39;&nbsp;failure last year to approve a budget on time by October 1, just weeks after Trump summarily ordered an end by March to Obama-era legal protections for young immigrants known as &quot;Dreamers.&quot;

The budget failure has necessitated passage by Congress of a series of temporary funding measures, giving Democrats leverage each step of the way since they hold votes needed to overcome a 60-vote threshold in the Senate for most legislation.

With government spending authority about to expire again at midnight on Friday, Democrats withheld support for a fourth stopgap spending bill and demanded action for the Dreamers.

Dreamers

The roughly 700,000 young people were brought to the United States illegally as children, mainly from Mexico and Central America. They mostly grew up in the United States.

Former President Barack Obama&#39;s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, programme gave the Dreamers legal protections and shielded them from deportation.

Democrats, as a condition of supporting a new spending stopgap, demanded a resolution of the uncertain future Trump created for the Dreamers with his DACA order last year.

But Democratic leaders, worried about being blamed for the disruptive shutdown that resulted, relented in the end and accepted a pledge by Republicans to hold a debate later over the fate of the Dreamers and related immigration issues.

Tens of thousands of federal workers had begun closing down operations for lack of funding on Monday, the first weekday since the shutdown, but essential services such as security and defence operations had continued.&nbsp;

The shutdown undercut Trump`s self-crafted image as a dealmaker who would repair the broken culture in Washington.&nbsp;

It forced Trump to cancel a weekend trip to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and created uncertainty around his scheduled trip this week to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.&nbsp;

The US&nbsp;government cannot fully operate without funding bills that are voted in Congress regularly. Washington has been hampered by frequent threats of a shutdown in recent years as the two parties fight over spending, immigration and other issues. The last US&nbsp;government shutdown was in 2013.&nbsp;

Both sides in Washington had tried to blame each other for the shutdown. The White House on Saturday refused to negotiate on immigration issues until the government reopened.&nbsp;

On Monday, Trump met separately at the White House with Republican senators who have taken a harder line on immigration and with moderate Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Doug Jones.

Why do we have to wait?

Some liberal groups were infuriated by the decision to reopen the government.

&quot;Today&#39;s cave by Senate Democrats - led by weak-kneed, right-of-centre Democrats - is why people don&rsquo;t believe the Democratic Party stands for anything,&quot; said Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

Markets have absorbed the shutdown drama over the past week.

US&nbsp;stocks advanced on Monday as each of Wall Street&#39;s main indexes touched a record intraday level after the shutdown deal.&nbsp;

For Jovan Rodriguez of Brooklyn, New York, a Dreamer whose family came from Mexico when he was 3 years old and ultimately settled in Texas, the latest development was more of the same.

&quot;Why do we have to wait - again? It`s like our lives are suspended in limbo,&quot; he said. And they have been for months. I don&#39;t trust the Republicans and I don&#39;t trust (Senate Majority Leader Mitch) McConnell with just a promise. That&#39;s not good enough any more.&quot;

The fourth temporary funding bill since October easily passed the Senate and the House of Representatives

Congress voted on Monday to end a three-day US government shutdown, approving another short-term funding bill as Democrats accepted promises from Republicans for a broad debate later on the future of young illegal immigrants. The fourth temporary funding bill since October easily passed the Senate and the House of Representatives. That sent it to the White House, which said President Donald Trump was expected to sign the bill, a product chiefly of negotiations among Senate leaders. Enactment by Trump of the bill will allow the government to reopen fully on Tuesday and keep the lights on through February 8, when Congress will have to revisit the budget and immigration policy, two disparate issues that have become closely linked. The House approved the funding bill by a vote of 266-150 just hours after it passed the Senate by a vote of 81-18. Trump's attempts to negotiate an end to the shutdown with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer collapsed on Friday in recriminations and fingerpointing. The Republican president took a new swipe at Democrats as he celebrated the Senate`s pact. "I am pleased that Democrats in Congress have come to their senses," Trump said in a statement. "We will make a long-term deal on immigration if and only if it`s good for the country." Immigration and the budget are entangled because of Congress' failure last year to approve a budget on time by October 1, just weeks after Trump summarily ordered an end by March to Obama-era legal protections for young immigrants known as "Dreamers." The budget failure has necessitated passage by Congress of a series of temporary funding measures, giving Democrats leverage each step of the way since they hold votes needed to overcome a 60-vote threshold in the Senate for most legislation. With government spending authority about to expire again at midnight on Friday, Democrats withheld support for a fourth stopgap spending bill and demanded action for the Dreamers. Dreamers The roughly 700,000 young people were brought to the United States illegally as children, mainly from Mexico and Central America. They mostly grew up in the United States. Former President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, programme gave the Dreamers legal protections and shielded them from deportation. Democrats, as a condition of supporting a new spending stopgap, demanded a resolution of the uncertain future Trump created for the Dreamers with his DACA order last year. But Democratic leaders, worried about being blamed for the disruptive shutdown that resulted, relented in the end and accepted a pledge by Republicans to hold a debate later over the fate of the Dreamers and related immigration issues. Tens of thousands of federal workers had begun closing down operations for lack of funding on Monday, the first weekday since the shutdown, but essential services such as security and defence operations had continued. The shutdown undercut Trump`s self-crafted image as a dealmaker who would repair the broken culture in Washington. It forced Trump to cancel a weekend trip to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and created uncertainty around his scheduled trip this week to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The US government cannot fully operate without funding bills that are voted in Congress regularly. Washington has been hampered by frequent threats of a shutdown in recent years as the two parties fight over spending, immigration and other issues. The last US government shutdown was in 2013. Both sides in Washington had tried to blame each other for the shutdown. The White House on Saturday refused to negotiate on immigration issues until the government reopened. On Monday, Trump met separately at the White House with Republican senators who have taken a harder line on immigration and with moderate Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Doug Jones. Why do we have to wait? Some liberal groups were infuriated by the decision to reopen the government. "Today's cave by Senate Democrats - led by weak-kneed, right-of-centre Democrats - is why people don’t believe the Democratic Party stands for anything," said Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. Markets have absorbed the shutdown drama over the past week. US stocks advanced on Monday as each of Wall Street's main indexes touched a record intraday level after the shutdown deal. For Jovan Rodriguez of Brooklyn, New York, a Dreamer whose family came from Mexico when he was 3 years old and ultimately settled in Texas, the latest development was more of the same. "Why do we have to wait - again? It`s like our lives are suspended in limbo," he said. And they have been for months. I don't trust the Republicans and I don't trust (Senate Majority Leader Mitch) McConnell with just a promise. That's not good enough any more."

Government shutdown fizzles on spending, immigration deal in US Congress

Jay-Z is leading nominations Sunday for the Grammys, was feted Saturday by music industry heavyweights -- and, in between, was taken to task by the president of the United States.

President Donald Trump criticized Jay-Z on his Twitter feed, likely in response to the rap mogul&#39;s denunciations of the US leader in an interview.

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Somebody please inform Jay-Z that because of my policies, Black Unemployment has just been reported to be at the LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/957603800579297280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Trump was accurately pointing to record-low unemployment for US minorities, although critics note that the US economic expansion began well before under his predecessor Barack Obama.

Jay-Z, who along with his wife Beyonce became friends and political allies of Obama, in the interview broadcast Saturday on CNN, said that Trump&#39;s belittling remarks toward people of colour overshadowed any employment data.

&quot;Money doesn&#39;t equate to happiness. It doesn&#39;t. That&#39;s missing the whole point,&quot; said Jay-Z, no stranger to flashing his material wealth.

&quot;You treat people like human beings, then that&#39;s the main point,&quot; he told host Van Jones, a former aide to Obama.

Jay-Z said that Trump&#39;s election laid bare the persistence of racism in the United States and voiced dismay at the president&#39;s reported quip that he did not want immigrants coming from &quot;shithole&quot; countries in Africa or predominantly black Haiti.

&quot;It&#39;s real hurtful. Because it&#39;s looking down at a whole population of people and it&#39;s so misinformed because these places have beautiful people and beautiful everything,&quot; Jay-Z said.

Jay-Z is in the running for eight Grammys on Sunday amid acclaim for his latest album &quot;4:44,&quot; a strikingly introspective work in which he addresses institutional racism, apologizes to Beyonce for infidelity and supports his mother as she comes out as a lesbian.

Jay-Z on Saturday night received an award as an &quot;industry icon&quot; at a pre-Grammy gala, where the rapper voiced contrition for boycotting the music industry&#39;s prize night two decades earlier.

President Donald Trump criticized Jay-Z on his Twitter feed, likely in response to the rap mogul's denunciations of the US leader in an interview

Jay-Z is leading nominations Sunday for the Grammys, was feted Saturday by music industry heavyweights -- and, in between, was taken to task by the president of the United States. President Donald Trump criticized Jay-Z on his Twitter feed, likely in response to the rap mogul's denunciations of the US leader in an interview. Somebody please inform Jay-Z that because of my policies, Black Unemployment has just been reported to be at the LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2018 × Trump was accurately pointing to record-low unemployment for US minorities, although critics note that the US economic expansion began well before under his predecessor Barack Obama. Jay-Z, who along with his wife Beyonce became friends and political allies of Obama, in the interview broadcast Saturday on CNN, said that Trump's belittling remarks toward people of colour overshadowed any employment data. "Money doesn't equate to happiness. It doesn't. That's missing the whole point," said Jay-Z, no stranger to flashing his material wealth. "You treat people like human beings, then that's the main point," he told host Van Jones, a former aide to Obama. Jay-Z said that Trump's election laid bare the persistence of racism in the United States and voiced dismay at the president's reported quip that he did not want immigrants coming from "shithole" countries in Africa or predominantly black Haiti. "It's real hurtful. Because it's looking down at a whole population of people and it's so misinformed because these places have beautiful people and beautiful everything," Jay-Z said. Jay-Z is in the running for eight Grammys on Sunday amid acclaim for his latest album "4:44," a strikingly introspective work in which he addresses institutional racism, apologizes to Beyonce for infidelity and supports his mother as she comes out as a lesbian. Jay-Z on Saturday night received an award as an "industry icon" at a pre-Grammy gala, where the rapper voiced contrition for boycotting the music industry's prize night two decades earlier.

Jay-Z, leading on Grammy Day, attacked by Trump

Democrats said on Tuesday they had withdrawn an offer to fund US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s border wall, as tough negotiations over the future of young illegal immigrants known as &quot;Dreamers&quot; resumed in the Senate.

A day after the end of a government shutdown linked to wrangling over immigration, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he pulled the offer because of what he said was Trump&#39;s failure to follow through on the outlines of an agreement the two men discussed on Friday.

&quot;So we&#39;re going to have to start on a new basis and the wall offer is off the table,&quot; Schumer told reporters. An aide said the offer was withdrawn on Sunday.

Trump said on Twitter late on Tuesday night: &quot;Cryin&rsquo; Chuck Schumer fully understands, especially after his humiliating defeat, that if there is no Wall, there is no DACA. We must have safety and security, together with a strong Military, for our great people!&quot;

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Cryin&rsquo; Chuck Schumer fully understands, especially after his humiliating defeat, that if there is no Wall, there is no DACA. We must have safety and security, together with a strong Military, for our great people!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/956015565776277510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Congressional Hispanic Caucus expressed fears on Tuesday that Republicans in the House of Representatives would pursue a harsh immigration bill written by Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte.

The House measure would allow Dreamers to renew their legal status for three years, instead of putting them on a pathway to citizenship, and would call for hiring 10,000 more agents at US&nbsp;borders while shutting down some visa programs and taking other steps to find people who are in the country illegally.

Republican Trump said during the 2016 election campaign Mexico would pay the cost of building a wall along the southwestern border of the United States to keep out illegal immigrants. Mexico has rejected the idea.

As a result, Trump has been forced to ask Congress for US&nbsp;taxpayer funds for the wall. Government estimates are that it could cost more than $21 billion.

With Democrats and many Republicans arguing there are more effective border enforcement tools than a wall, the proposal has become a major sticking point in immigration negotiations, which in turn have complicated talks about funding federal agencies.

The Senate&#39;s No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin, asked by a reporter whether Schumer offered Trump $25 billion for the wall in a major concession to the president, did not dispute the figure, but said: &quot;He did it in the context of a negotiation.&quot;

Protecting the &#39;dreamers&#39;

Democrats have been spearheading an effort to protect about 700,000 young Dreamers after Trump announced in September the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program instituted by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama.

The program, which began in 2012, gave qualified Dreamers, who were brought illegally to the United States as children, temporary protection from deportation and the ability to study and work in the United States.

Senator John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, criticized Schumer for pulling the wall funding offer.

&quot;That basically sets the DACA discussion back,&quot; he told reporters.

Cornyn said there had been discussions of he and Durbin being a &quot;clearing house&quot; for suggestions from senators on legislation to rescue Dreamers from the threat of deportation and provide permanent protections for them.

In agreeing on Monday to end a three-day government shutdown - the first since 2013 - and fund the government until Feb. 8, Senate Democrats got a promise from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he would allow an immigration debate on the Senate floor in the near future.

Durbin said a similar commitment was now needed from Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, where a Dreamer bill would presumably face a much harder path to passage than in the Senate.

The White House on Tuesday rejected the idea that a bipartisan bill sponsored by Durbin and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham could be the core of a solution.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the proposal was &quot;totally unacceptable to the president and should be declared dead on arrival.&quot;

Trump himself has vacillated on immigration between tough rhetoric demanding a US&nbsp;border wall and a softer tone urging a &quot;bill of love&quot; for Dreamers.

&quot;Nobody knows for sure that the Republicans &amp; Democrats will be able to reach a deal on DACA by February 8, but everyone will be trying,&quot; Trump tweeted. 
&nbsp;

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he pulled the offer because of what he said was Trump's failure to follow through on the outlines of an agreement the two men discussed on Friday

Democrats said on Tuesday they had withdrawn an offer to fund US President Donald Trump's border wall, as tough negotiations over the future of young illegal immigrants known as "Dreamers" resumed in the Senate. A day after the end of a government shutdown linked to wrangling over immigration, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he pulled the offer because of what he said was Trump's failure to follow through on the outlines of an agreement the two men discussed on Friday. "So we're going to have to start on a new basis and the wall offer is off the table," Schumer told reporters. An aide said the offer was withdrawn on Sunday. Trump said on Twitter late on Tuesday night: "Cryin’ Chuck Schumer fully understands, especially after his humiliating defeat, that if there is no Wall, there is no DACA. We must have safety and security, together with a strong Military, for our great people!" Cryin’ Chuck Schumer fully understands, especially after his humiliating defeat, that if there is no Wall, there is no DACA. We must have safety and security, together with a strong Military, for our great people! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2018 × The Congressional Hispanic Caucus expressed fears on Tuesday that Republicans in the House of Representatives would pursue a harsh immigration bill written by Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte. The House measure would allow Dreamers to renew their legal status for three years, instead of putting them on a pathway to citizenship, and would call for hiring 10,000 more agents at US borders while shutting down some visa programs and taking other steps to find people who are in the country illegally. Republican Trump said during the 2016 election campaign Mexico would pay the cost of building a wall along the southwestern border of the United States to keep out illegal immigrants. Mexico has rejected the idea. As a result, Trump has been forced to ask Congress for US taxpayer funds for the wall. Government estimates are that it could cost more than $21 billion. With Democrats and many Republicans arguing there are more effective border enforcement tools than a wall, the proposal has become a major sticking point in immigration negotiations, which in turn have complicated talks about funding federal agencies. The Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin, asked by a reporter whether Schumer offered Trump $25 billion for the wall in a major concession to the president, did not dispute the figure, but said: "He did it in the context of a negotiation." Protecting the 'dreamers' Democrats have been spearheading an effort to protect about 700,000 young Dreamers after Trump announced in September the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program instituted by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama. The program, which began in 2012, gave qualified Dreamers, who were brought illegally to the United States as children, temporary protection from deportation and the ability to study and work in the United States. Senator John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, criticized Schumer for pulling the wall funding offer. "That basically sets the DACA discussion back," he told reporters. Cornyn said there had been discussions of he and Durbin being a "clearing house" for suggestions from senators on legislation to rescue Dreamers from the threat of deportation and provide permanent protections for them. In agreeing on Monday to end a three-day government shutdown - the first since 2013 - and fund the government until Feb. 8, Senate Democrats got a promise from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he would allow an immigration debate on the Senate floor in the near future. Durbin said a similar commitment was now needed from Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, where a Dreamer bill would presumably face a much harder path to passage than in the Senate. The White House on Tuesday rejected the idea that a bipartisan bill sponsored by Durbin and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham could be the core of a solution. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the proposal was "totally unacceptable to the president and should be declared dead on arrival." Trump himself has vacillated on immigration between tough rhetoric demanding a US border wall and a softer tone urging a "bill of love" for Dreamers. "Nobody knows for sure that the Republicans & Democrats will be able to reach a deal on DACA by February 8, but everyone will be trying," Trump tweeted.

US Democrats withdraw offer to fund Trump's border wall

Twitter had a field day when it learned that the official Twitter handle of Melania Trump -- run by the Office of First Lady Melania Trump -- follows only five people including Former US President Barack Obama.&nbsp;

The first lady follows her husband Donald Trump&#39;s private Twitter account, his presidential account along with Vice President Mike Pence and his wife&#39;s Twitter account.

In a comic tweet, British novelist Matt Haig noted that &quot;It&rsquo;s a lovely bit of husband-trolling that Melania Trump only follows five people and one of them is Barack Obama,&rdquo; she tweeted last Friday.

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It&#39;s a lovely bit of husband-trolling that Melania Trump only follows five people and one of them is Barack Obama.
&mdash; Matt Haig (@matthaig1) <a href="https://twitter.com/matthaig1/status/959443139588231168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It is not clear when did the first lady start following Obama.

Melania Trump&#39;s @FLOTUS Twitter account has 240 tweets with a whopping 9.78 million followers.&nbsp;

&nbsp; 
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It is not clear when did the first lady start following Obama

Twitter had a field day when it learned that the official Twitter handle of Melania Trump -- run by the Office of First Lady Melania Trump -- follows only five people including Former US President Barack Obama. The first lady follows her husband Donald Trump's private Twitter account, his presidential account along with Vice President Mike Pence and his wife's Twitter account. In a comic tweet, British novelist Matt Haig noted that "It’s a lovely bit of husband-trolling that Melania Trump only follows five people and one of them is Barack Obama,” she tweeted last Friday. It's a lovely bit of husband-trolling that Melania Trump only follows five people and one of them is Barack Obama. — Matt Haig (@matthaig1) February 2, 2018 × It is not clear when did the first lady start following Obama. Melania Trump's @FLOTUS Twitter account has 240 tweets with a whopping 9.78 million followers.

Melania Trump's first lady Twitter handle follows five people including former President Obama

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned the United States to withdraw any American forces from the Syrian town of Manbij, vowing Turkish troops would expand a cross-border military operation to the key strategic hub.

Erdogan blamed Washington for the presence in Manbij of fighters from the Peoples&#39; Protection Units (YPG) and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing, which Ankara sees as terror groups.

Turkey on January 20 launched a major operation aimed at ousting YPG forces from their enclave of the northwestern town of Afrin. However moving east to Manbij -- where unlike Afrin there is a US military presence -- would mark a major escalation.

Accusing Washington of breaking past promises, Erdogan said: &quot;They (Americans) told us they will pull out of Manbij. They said they will not stay in Manbij... Why don&#39;t you just go?&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;Who did you bring there? PYD. Who did you bring there? YPG. Who did you bring there? PKK,&quot; he said.

Turkey considers YPG as Syrian offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK) which has waged an insurgency since 1984 and is designated a terrorist outfit by Ankara and its Western allies.

&quot;And then you tell us not to come to Manbij! We will come to Manbij to return it to its original owners,&quot; he added.

Turkey considers towns like Manbij to be originally Arab-majority territory whose ethnic balance was upset in favour of the Kurds during the seven-year civil war.

Turkey&#39;s Western allies, including the United States, do not classify the YPG as a terror group and have worked closely with its fighters in the battle against Islamic State jihadists.

In 2016, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance dominated by the YPG, captured Manbij from IS.

In a show of anger at Turkey&#39;s NATO ally, Erdogan asked the United States what it was doing in Syria in the first place.

&quot;You do not have a border, you are not a neighbour (of Syria),&quot; he said. &quot;What&#39;s your business there? We have a 911 kilometre (566 miles) border.&quot;

Erdogan also accused US President Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama of failing to tell the truth over US support for the YPG.

&quot;They told us many things but unfortunately they did not tell the truth,&quot; Erdogan said. &quot;Mr Obama did not tell the truth and now Mr Trump is heading down the same path.&quot;

Erdogan blamed Washington for the presence in Manbij of fighters from the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned the United States to withdraw any American forces from the Syrian town of Manbij, vowing Turkish troops would expand a cross-border military operation to the key strategic hub. Erdogan blamed Washington for the presence in Manbij of fighters from the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing, which Ankara sees as terror groups. Turkey on January 20 launched a major operation aimed at ousting YPG forces from their enclave of the northwestern town of Afrin. However moving east to Manbij -- where unlike Afrin there is a US military presence -- would mark a major escalation. Accusing Washington of breaking past promises, Erdogan said: "They (Americans) told us they will pull out of Manbij. They said they will not stay in Manbij... Why don't you just go?" "Who did you bring there? PYD. Who did you bring there? YPG. Who did you bring there? PKK," he said. Turkey considers YPG as Syrian offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged an insurgency since 1984 and is designated a terrorist outfit by Ankara and its Western allies. "And then you tell us not to come to Manbij! We will come to Manbij to return it to its original owners," he added. Turkey considers towns like Manbij to be originally Arab-majority territory whose ethnic balance was upset in favour of the Kurds during the seven-year civil war. Turkey's Western allies, including the United States, do not classify the YPG as a terror group and have worked closely with its fighters in the battle against Islamic State jihadists. In 2016, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance dominated by the YPG, captured Manbij from IS. In a show of anger at Turkey's NATO ally, Erdogan asked the United States what it was doing in Syria in the first place. "You do not have a border, you are not a neighbour (of Syria)," he said. "What's your business there? We have a 911 kilometre (566 miles) border." Erdogan also accused US President Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama of failing to tell the truth over US support for the YPG. "They told us many things but unfortunately they did not tell the truth," Erdogan said. "Mr Obama did not tell the truth and now Mr Trump is heading down the same path."

Erdogan warns US to quit Syria's Manbij

As the 45th President of the United States delivered his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/state-of-the-union-address-us-president-donald-trump-bids-for-safe-strong-and-united-america-31271">first State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;today, Donald Trump touched upon the themes of building a stronger, safer and united America, and pacing towards realising the &#39;American dream&#39;.

As he went on talking about growing America&#39;s economy and empowering its citizens, comparisons were leveled between every word that he uttered with what his predecessor Barack Obama noted in his address last year.&nbsp;

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Barack Obama, in his much-lauded Union speech, last year focussed on the poor and middle-class. More or less, his address brimmed to full with ideas that aimed at enabling the weaker American lot to succeed.&nbsp;

Obama took the opportunity and the platform provided by SOTU to propagate the idea of government programmes like Obamacare. Trump went ahead and repealed Obamacare soon after he assumed his office.

&quot;We repealed the core of disastrous Obamacare &ndash; the individual mandate is now gone,&quot; Trump shared today.&nbsp;

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<h5>Trump went ahead and repealed Obamacare soon after he assumed his office.</h5>
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Trump&#39;s address, that ended a short while ago, focussed more on loading the pockets of an average American with newer tax cuts in place.

&quot;We want every American to know the dignity of a hard day&rsquo;s work; we want every child to be safe in their home at night, and we want every citizen to be proud of this land that we love,&quot; said Trump noting that the key to a stronger nation is closely tied to economic growth and prosperity.&nbsp;

While terms like &quot;middle-class&quot; emerged at the top of Obama&#39;s address, Trump&#39;s was painted with the idea of realising the &quot;American dream&quot;.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/what-is-state-of-the-union-address-31215">What is the State of the Union Address?</a>

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<h5>Obama put regulations in place, Trump&#39;s approach seems to depend less on them.</h5>
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Obama put regulations in place, Trump&#39;s approach seems to depend less on them. According to reports, the Trump administration scrapped over 1,500 incomplete Obama rules in 2017.

&quot;In our drive to make Washington accountable, we have eliminated more regulations in our first year than any administration in history,&quot; exclaimed Trump during his address.&nbsp;

Obama and Trump, both addressed the immigration policy of the land.&nbsp;

&quot;I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That&#39;s why my Administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That&#39;s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office,&quot; noted Obama in his 2017 address.

&quot;Struggling communities, especially immigrant communities, will also be helped by immigration policies that focus on the best interests of American Workers and American Families,&quot; Trump shared today.&nbsp;

And while economic prosperity, for Obama, was manifested in providing equal opportunities to all.

&quot;You see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent and ingenuity of every person in this country. That means women should earn equal pay for equal work. It means we should support everyone who&#39;s willing to work; and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs,&quot; spoke Obama.&nbsp;

The Trump administration bats for &quot;privatisation&quot; and infrastructural boost. &nbsp;

&quot;Tonight, I am calling on the Congress to produce a bill that generates at least $1.5 trillion for the new infrastructure investment we need,&quot; Trump&#39;s address noted.&nbsp;

Barack Obama is his much-lauded Union speech last year focussed on the poor and middle-class

As the 45th President of the United States delivered his first State of the Union address today, Donald Trump touched upon the themes of building a stronger, safer and united America, and pacing towards realising the 'American dream'. As he went on talking about growing America's economy and empowering its citizens, comparisons were leveled between every word that he uttered with what his predecessor Barack Obama noted in his address last year. Obama took the opportunity and the platform provided by SOTU to propagate the idea of government programmes like Obamacare. × Barack Obama, in his much-lauded Union speech, last year focussed on the poor and middle-class. More or less, his address brimmed to full with ideas that aimed at enabling the weaker American lot to succeed. Obama took the opportunity and the platform provided by SOTU to propagate the idea of government programmes like Obamacare. Trump went ahead and repealed Obamacare soon after he assumed his office. "We repealed the core of disastrous Obamacare – the individual mandate is now gone," Trump shared today. Trump went ahead and repealed Obamacare soon after he assumed his office. × Trump's address, that ended a short while ago, focussed more on loading the pockets of an average American with newer tax cuts in place. "We want every American to know the dignity of a hard day’s work; we want every child to be safe in their home at night, and we want every citizen to be proud of this land that we love," said Trump noting that the key to a stronger nation is closely tied to economic growth and prosperity. While terms like "middle-class" emerged at the top of Obama's address, Trump's was painted with the idea of realising the "American dream". Also read: What is the State of the Union Address? Obama put regulations in place, Trump's approach seems to depend less on them. × Obama put regulations in place, Trump's approach seems to depend less on them. According to reports, the Trump administration scrapped over 1,500 incomplete Obama rules in 2017. "In our drive to make Washington accountable, we have eliminated more regulations in our first year than any administration in history," exclaimed Trump during his address. Obama and Trump, both addressed the immigration policy of the land. "I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That's why my Administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That's why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office," noted Obama in his 2017 address. "Struggling communities, especially immigrant communities, will also be helped by immigration policies that focus on the best interests of American Workers and American Families," Trump shared today. And while economic prosperity, for Obama, was manifested in providing equal opportunities to all. "You see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent and ingenuity of every person in this country. That means women should earn equal pay for equal work. It means we should support everyone who's willing to work; and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs," spoke Obama. The Trump administration bats for "privatisation" and infrastructural boost. "Tonight, I am calling on the Congress to produce a bill that generates at least $1.5 trillion for the new infrastructure investment we need," Trump's address noted.

State of the Union address: Barack Obama versus Donald Trump

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-live-lunar-eclipse-gives-super-blue-blood-moon-31350" target="_blank">Watch Live: Lunar eclipse gives super blue blood moon</a>

The super blood blue moon is currently visible in Los Angeles, California and Tokyo. Residents in Arizona and Los Angeles were the first to witness the sightings. Stargazers in Tokyo were also able to see the first glimpse of the unique celestial phenomena.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-2016-17-gdp-growth-unchanged-at-71-per-cent-government-data-31349" target="_blank">India&#39;s 2016-17 GDP growth unchanged at 7.1 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-2016-17-gdp-growth-unchanged-at-71-per-cent-government-data-31349" target="_blank">per cent</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-2016-17-gdp-growth-unchanged-at-71-per-cent-government-data-31349" target="_blank">: Government data</a>

India&#39;s annual economic growth in the fiscal year that ended in March 2017 was unchanged at 7.1 percent, a government statement said on Wednesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/state-of-the-union-address-barack-obama-versus-donald-trump-31291" target="_blank">State of the Union address: Barack Obama versus Donald Trump</a>

As the 45th President of the United States delivered his&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/state-of-the-union-address-us-president-donald-trump-bids-for-safe-strong-and-united-america-31271">first State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;today, Donald Trump touched upon the themes of building a stronger, safer and united America, and pacing towards realising the &#39;American dream&#39;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/earthquake-hits-afghanistan-1-killed-in-pakistan-31314" target="_blank">Earthquake hits Afghanistan, 1 killed in Pakistan</a>

A powerful<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/earthquake-jolts-delhi-tremors-felt-across-north-india-31299">&nbsp;6.1 magnitude earthquake hit northern</a>&nbsp;Afghanistan today. No casualties were immediately reported in &nbsp;Afghanistan. The epicentre was near Afghanistan&#39;s Jarm which had witnessed a devastating earthquake in 2015.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-bans-ivory-sales-traders-angry-31346" target="_blank">Hong Kong bans ivory sales, traders angry</a>

Hong Kong voted to ban ivory sales in a landmark move Wednesday to end the infamous trade in the city.

Watch Live: Lunar eclipse gives super blue blood moon The super blood blue moon is currently visible in Los Angeles, California and Tokyo. Residents in Arizona and Los Angeles were the first to witness the sightings. Stargazers in Tokyo were also able to see the first glimpse of the unique celestial phenomena. India's 2016-17 GDP growth unchanged at 7.1 per cent: Government data India's annual economic growth in the fiscal year that ended in March 2017 was unchanged at 7.1 percent, a government statement said on Wednesday. State of the Union address: Barack Obama versus Donald Trump As the 45th President of the United States delivered his first State of the Union address today, Donald Trump touched upon the themes of building a stronger, safer and united America, and pacing towards realising the 'American dream'. Earthquake hits Afghanistan, 1 killed in Pakistan A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit northern Afghanistan today. No casualties were immediately reported in Afghanistan. The epicentre was near Afghanistan's Jarm which had witnessed a devastating earthquake in 2015. Hong Kong bans ivory sales, traders angry Hong Kong voted to ban ivory sales in a landmark move Wednesday to end the infamous trade in the city.

WION Evening News brief, January 31, 2018

US Ambassador to Panama John Feeley has resigned, telling the State Department he no longer feels able to serve President Donald Trump.

&quot;As a junior foreign service officer, I signed an oath to serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies,&quot; Feeley said, according to an excerpt of his resignation letter read to Reuters on Friday.

&quot;My instructors made clear that if I believed I could not do that, I would be honour bound to resign. That time has come.&quot;

Under Secretary of State, Steve Goldstein confirmed that he knew of Feeley&#39;s planned departure ahead of the president&#39;s alleged remarks on Thursday.

He said the ambassador, a career diplomat who spent most of his life working on Latin American issues, was resigning due to &quot;personal reasons&quot;.

Feeley was appointed to the diplomatic post by former US President Barack Obama in July 2015.

President Donald Trump on Thursday questioned why the United States would want to have immigrants from Haiti and African nations, referring to some as &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/why-do-we-want-people-from-these-shithole-countries-trump-over-immigrants-from-africa-haiti-29278">shithole countries</a>&quot;, which created a lot of stir.&nbsp;

Speaking to reporters, Goldstein said that he was aware of Feeley&#39;s planned departure 24 months in advance, before Trump&#39;s alleged use of the term&nbsp;&quot;shithole countries.&quot;

&quot;Everyone has a line that they will not cross,&quot; Goldstein told reporters at the State Department. &quot;If the ambassador feels that he can no longer serve ... then he has made the right decision for himself and we respect that.&quot;

A State Department spokeswoman confirmed Feeley's departure, saying that he 'has informed the White House, the Department of State, and the Government of Panama of his decision to retire for personal reasons, as of March 9 of this year.'

US Ambassador to Panama John Feeley has resigned, telling the State Department he no longer feels able to serve President Donald Trump. "As a junior foreign service officer, I signed an oath to serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies," Feeley said, according to an excerpt of his resignation letter read to Reuters on Friday. "My instructors made clear that if I believed I could not do that, I would be honour bound to resign. That time has come." Under Secretary of State, Steve Goldstein confirmed that he knew of Feeley's planned departure ahead of the president's alleged remarks on Thursday. He said the ambassador, a career diplomat who spent most of his life working on Latin American issues, was resigning due to "personal reasons". Feeley was appointed to the diplomatic post by former US President Barack Obama in July 2015. President Donald Trump on Thursday questioned why the United States would want to have immigrants from Haiti and African nations, referring to some as "shithole countries", which created a lot of stir. Speaking to reporters, Goldstein said that he was aware of Feeley's planned departure 24 months in advance, before Trump's alleged use of the term "shithole countries." "Everyone has a line that they will not cross," Goldstein told reporters at the State Department. "If the ambassador feels that he can no longer serve ... then he has made the right decision for himself and we respect that."

US ambassador to Panama resigns, says he cannot work with Trump anymore

Former US president Barack Obama had received gifts worth about US $3,000 during his visit to India in 2015 as Chief Guest at the Republic Day Parade, according to the State Department.

Obama was the first US head of state who attended the parade in 2015.

According to the Department of State&#39;s Protocol Office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Obama telegram facsimile from the US to India&#39;s Constituent Assembly in 1946 and reproduction of the cover page of a report on India&#39;s Constitutional Debates.

Modi also presented him a framed photograph of Marian Anderson&#39;s radio interview in India and a hand-carved wooden Jali box with a small wooden latch and photo of Marian Anderson&#39;s radio interview in India on the lid.

Among other gifts from Modi were a CD set, title: All India Radio Interview with Marian Anderson, November 18 1957, New Delhi.

Obama also received a hand-carved black wooden Jali box with painting on the lid; blue Shahmina shawl, red Shahmina shawl and beige and cream coloured shahmina shawl. The State Department Protocol Office have estimated their value at US $1,231.

The Rajghat Samadhi Committee presented him a model spinning wheel with white tread looped around the wheel and a cloth scroll listing the Seven Social Sins as articulated by Mahatma Gandhi.

He also received a book on Mahatma Gandhi titled &quot;An Autobiography: The Story of my Experiments with the Truth&quot; and a bronze-coloured bust of Mohandas Karamchard Gandhi on a wood base. The gifts were estimated to be a value of US $929.01.

The then president Pranab Mukherjee presented Obama a book titled &quot;Thoughts and Reflections&quot;, &quot;Winged Wonders of Rashtrapati Bhavan RB Series 2012-2014&quot; along with a Photobook, titled &quot;State Visit of His Excellency Barack H Obama, President of the United States of America and Michelle Obama to India on January 25 to 27 January 2015&quot;.

The gifts were estimated to be US $825.

The First Lady Michelle Obama received gifts worth over US $1500, according to the list. All the gifts have been handed over to the National Archive.

Michelle was given by Modi a hand-embroidered Shahmina shawl, hand-carved wooden Jali box, and assorted Indian tea of an estimated value of US $662. While rest of the items were given to the National Archives, the tea box was handled pursuant to United States Secret Service policy, the Office of Protocol said.

And finally, President Mukherjee presented to Michelle pashmina Shawl with hand-embroidery and specially commissioned tea set, including pot, six cups, six saucers, milk pitcher, and sugar jar, at an estimated value of US $900.

Obama was the first US head of state who attended the Republic Day parade in 2015.

Former US president Barack Obama had received gifts worth about US $3,000 during his visit to India in 2015 as Chief Guest at the Republic Day Parade, according to the State Department. Obama was the first US head of state who attended the parade in 2015. According to the Department of State's Protocol Office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Obama telegram facsimile from the US to India's Constituent Assembly in 1946 and reproduction of the cover page of a report on India's Constitutional Debates. Modi also presented him a framed photograph of Marian Anderson's radio interview in India and a hand-carved wooden Jali box with a small wooden latch and photo of Marian Anderson's radio interview in India on the lid. Among other gifts from Modi were a CD set, title: All India Radio Interview with Marian Anderson, November 18 1957, New Delhi. Obama also received a hand-carved black wooden Jali box with painting on the lid; blue Shahmina shawl, red Shahmina shawl and beige and cream coloured shahmina shawl. The State Department Protocol Office have estimated their value at US $1,231. The Rajghat Samadhi Committee presented him a model spinning wheel with white tread looped around the wheel and a cloth scroll listing the Seven Social Sins as articulated by Mahatma Gandhi. He also received a book on Mahatma Gandhi titled "An Autobiography: The Story of my Experiments with the Truth" and a bronze-coloured bust of Mohandas Karamchard Gandhi on a wood base. The gifts were estimated to be a value of US $929.01. The then president Pranab Mukherjee presented Obama a book titled "Thoughts and Reflections", "Winged Wonders of Rashtrapati Bhavan RB Series 2012-2014" along with a Photobook, titled "State Visit of His Excellency Barack H Obama, President of the United States of America and Michelle Obama to India on January 25 to 27 January 2015". The gifts were estimated to be US $825. The First Lady Michelle Obama received gifts worth over US $1500, according to the list. All the gifts have been handed over to the National Archive. Michelle was given by Modi a hand-embroidered Shahmina shawl, hand-carved wooden Jali box, and assorted Indian tea of an estimated value of US $662. While rest of the items were given to the National Archives, the tea box was handled pursuant to United States Secret Service policy, the Office of Protocol said. And finally, President Mukherjee presented to Michelle pashmina Shawl with hand-embroidery and specially commissioned tea set, including pot, six cups, six saucers, milk pitcher, and sugar jar, at an estimated value of US $900.

Obama received gifts worth US $3,000 during 2015 India visit: State Department

Another deadline is looming and the world is again wondering: Will President Donald Trump tear up the deal Iran signed with world powers to curtail its nuclear program?&nbsp;

What is at stake and why is the issue back in the headlines?

On Friday, Trump is expected to announce that he continues to regard remaining in the Iran nuclear deal not to be in the interests of the United States.

He first announced this in October last year and under the US Iran Nuclear Agreement Act (INARA) of 2015 he is supposed to inform Congress every 90 days.

After he has made his decision -- or leaves his previous decision in place -- Congress may decide to re-impose some sanctions and modify INARA to end the 90-day cycle.&nbsp;

Does this mean new nuclear sanctions are imminent? Not necessarily.&nbsp;

The sanctions imposed on Iran to punish it for pursuing nuclear weapons were never lifted by the US Congress.

Instead, former president Barack Obama and so far Trump have temporarily cancelled them with a waiver in order to meet the US side of the bargain.

Starting this weekend and over the next week, the waivers on the most important packages of sanctions targeting Iran&#39;s oil and financial industries come up for renewal.

If Trump does not act to renew them, the sanctions &quot;snap back&quot; and Iranian businesses and foreign banks and traders who deal with them will once again be sanctioned.

Trump has made it clear that he is no fan of the Iran deal, and he has complained bitterly in the past when obliged to renew waivers on the sanctions packages.

But his most senior advisors, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, are said to be urging him to once again renew the waivers.

Washington&#39;s European allies, including deal signatories Britain, France and Germany are also desperately lobbying Trump to keep faith with the agreement.

On Wednesday, senior officials told AFP they &quot;expect&quot; Trump will grudgingly renew the waivers, but no-one in Washington is certain what the mercurial president will say.

Trump is also expected, however, to impose new sanctions on Iran targeting human right abuses and support for foreign extremist groups rather than nuclear back-sliding.

Would new sanctions or a return to old sanctions kill the deal and leave Iran free to resume a full, unmonitored nuclear drive?

Not necessarily. European powers, Russia and China have economic investments in Iran and have said they would remain in the deal if Iran does.

Iran may, therefore, continue to respect its side of the bargain and limit its nuclear activity to sites and practices that UN watchdog the IAEA deems consistent with the accord.

European banks and businesses would not, however, relish a return of US secondary sanctions excluding them from American markets if the deal with Iran.

This will allow Tehran to further drive a wedge between Washington and its traditional allies.

On Friday, Trump is expected to announce that he continues to regard remaining in the Iran nuclear deal not to be in the interests of the United States

Another deadline is looming and the world is again wondering: Will President Donald Trump tear up the deal Iran signed with world powers to curtail its nuclear program? What is at stake and why is the issue back in the headlines? On Friday, Trump is expected to announce that he continues to regard remaining in the Iran nuclear deal not to be in the interests of the United States. He first announced this in October last year and under the US Iran Nuclear Agreement Act (INARA) of 2015 he is supposed to inform Congress every 90 days. After he has made his decision -- or leaves his previous decision in place -- Congress may decide to re-impose some sanctions and modify INARA to end the 90-day cycle. Does this mean new nuclear sanctions are imminent? Not necessarily. The sanctions imposed on Iran to punish it for pursuing nuclear weapons were never lifted by the US Congress. Instead, former president Barack Obama and so far Trump have temporarily cancelled them with a waiver in order to meet the US side of the bargain. Starting this weekend and over the next week, the waivers on the most important packages of sanctions targeting Iran's oil and financial industries come up for renewal. If Trump does not act to renew them, the sanctions "snap back" and Iranian businesses and foreign banks and traders who deal with them will once again be sanctioned. Trump has made it clear that he is no fan of the Iran deal, and he has complained bitterly in the past when obliged to renew waivers on the sanctions packages. But his most senior advisors, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, are said to be urging him to once again renew the waivers. Washington's European allies, including deal signatories Britain, France and Germany are also desperately lobbying Trump to keep faith with the agreement. On Wednesday, senior officials told AFP they "expect" Trump will grudgingly renew the waivers, but no-one in Washington is certain what the mercurial president will say. Trump is also expected, however, to impose new sanctions on Iran targeting human right abuses and support for foreign extremist groups rather than nuclear back-sliding. Would new sanctions or a return to old sanctions kill the deal and leave Iran free to resume a full, unmonitored nuclear drive? Not necessarily. European powers, Russia and China have economic investments in Iran and have said they would remain in the deal if Iran does. Iran may, therefore, continue to respect its side of the bargain and limit its nuclear activity to sites and practices that UN watchdog the IAEA deems consistent with the accord. European banks and businesses would not, however, relish a return of US secondary sanctions excluding them from American markets if the deal with Iran. This will allow Tehran to further drive a wedge between Washington and its traditional allies.

Fate of Iran deal again in Trump's hands

National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers, the US signals intelligence czar, plans to retire within months after a four-year term scarred by damaging leaks, US intelligence sources confirmed Friday.

Rogers, who has led the NSA and its sister agency, the US Cyber Command, for four years, told staff in an internal letter Friday that he would depart in the spring, with his replacement to be nominated by President Donald Trump this month.

Named to the position in April 2014 by President Barack Obama, Rogers, 58, has almost completed one year under Trump, who has repeatedly delivered withering criticism of the US intelligence community.

Rogers was one of the four US security chiefs who presented a damning report to Trump on January 6, 2017 saying that Russians had interfered in the 2016 presidential election to boost his candidacy.&nbsp;

Trump has ever since refused to concede that conclusion, and Rogers is the only official who attended the meeting who kept his job through Trump&#39;s first year.

Besides keeping up US electronic spying, he has also spearheaded the country&#39;s ability to conduct offensive cyber operations, via the Cyber Command, a Pentagon unit.

And he has struggled to deal with the leak of ultra-secret NSA hacking tools, some of which are believed to have fallen into the hands of Russians.

Two former NSA hackers have agreed to plead guilty in recent months to charges of removing classified NSA materials to their homes, but neither has been accused of deliberate leaks.

According to a Washington Post report earlier this week, the NSA&#39;s 21,000-strong staff is facing a rapid turnover due to unhappiness with a Rogers-led reorganization and poor pay compared to the private sector.

National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers, the US signals intelligence czar, plans to retire within months after a four-year term scarred by damaging leaks

National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers, the US signals intelligence czar, plans to retire within months after a four-year term scarred by damaging leaks, US intelligence sources confirmed Friday. Rogers, who has led the NSA and its sister agency, the US Cyber Command, for four years, told staff in an internal letter Friday that he would depart in the spring, with his replacement to be nominated by President Donald Trump this month. Named to the position in April 2014 by President Barack Obama, Rogers, 58, has almost completed one year under Trump, who has repeatedly delivered withering criticism of the US intelligence community. Rogers was one of the four US security chiefs who presented a damning report to Trump on January 6, 2017 saying that Russians had interfered in the 2016 presidential election to boost his candidacy. Trump has ever since refused to concede that conclusion, and Rogers is the only official who attended the meeting who kept his job through Trump's first year. Besides keeping up US electronic spying, he has also spearheaded the country's ability to conduct offensive cyber operations, via the Cyber Command, a Pentagon unit. And he has struggled to deal with the leak of ultra-secret NSA hacking tools, some of which are believed to have fallen into the hands of Russians. Two former NSA hackers have agreed to plead guilty in recent months to charges of removing classified NSA materials to their homes, but neither has been accused of deliberate leaks. According to a Washington Post report earlier this week, the NSA's 21,000-strong staff is facing a rapid turnover due to unhappiness with a Rogers-led reorganization and poor pay compared to the private sector.

US National Security Agency chief to retire

US President Donald Trump has got similar approval ratings in his first year in office as former US president Barack Obama in a recent poll.&nbsp;

The Rasmussen Reports poll Thursday revealed Trump had an approval rating of 46 per cent and a disapproval rating of 53 per cent. This is similar to what Obama scored in his first year of the presidency in 2009.

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Obama had received an approval rating of 46 per cent and a disapproval rating of 54 per cent.&nbsp;

In terms of work done, the poll gave Trump an approval rating of 29 per cent and a disapproval rating of 44 per cent.&nbsp;

That was better than Obama, who got an approval rating of 24 per cent and a disapproval rating of 42 per cent.

On his inauguration day, Obama entered office with a high approval rating of 67 per cent&nbsp;and a disapproval rating of 32 per cent. Trump, on the other hand, received a much higher disapproval rating of almost 80 per cent.&nbsp;

Donald Trump has time and again protested against the unfavourable numbers released by media. The high disapproval and low approval rates for the current president are the outcomes of his controversial policies including ban on citizens from Muslim majority countries, constant jibes at North Korea over their nuclear tests, and recent&nbsp;one being his decision on Jerusalem.&nbsp;

A&nbsp;poll conducted by Politico/Morning Consult reflected a 51 per cent disapproval rating, with 60 per cent of respondents viewing Trump as &#39;reckless and stupid&#39;. At least 54 per cent believe Trump to be a &#39;sexist&#39;.

Rasmussen Reports' poll's number on Thursday revealed Trump getting an approval rating of 46 per cent, while disapproval rating of 53 per cent

US President Donald Trump has got similar approval ratings in his first year in office as former US president Barack Obama in a recent poll. The Rasmussen Reports poll Thursday revealed Trump had an approval rating of 46 per cent and a disapproval rating of 53 per cent. This is similar to what Obama scored in his first year of the presidency in 2009. Obama had received an approval rating of 46 per cent and a disapproval rating of 54 per cent. In terms of work done, the poll gave Trump an approval rating of 29 per cent and a disapproval rating of 44 per cent. That was better than Obama, who got an approval rating of 24 per cent and a disapproval rating of 42 per cent. On his inauguration day, Obama entered office with a high approval rating of 67 per cent and a disapproval rating of 32 per cent. Trump, on the other hand, received a much higher disapproval rating of almost 80 per cent. Donald Trump has time and again protested against the unfavourable numbers released by media. The high disapproval and low approval rates for the current president are the outcomes of his controversial policies including ban on citizens from Muslim majority countries, constant jibes at North Korea over their nuclear tests, and recent one being his decision on Jerusalem. A poll conducted by Politico/Morning Consult reflected a 51 per cent disapproval rating, with 60 per cent of respondents viewing Trump as 'reckless and stupid'. At least 54 per cent believe Trump to be a 'sexist'.

Trump's approval ratings similar to Obama's in first year in office

Former US&nbsp;president Barack Obama said the way people communicate via social media risked splintering society and leaders had to ensure the Internet did not cocoon-users within their own biases.

&quot;All of us in leadership have to find ways in which we can recreate a common space on the Internet,&quot; Obama said in an interview conducted by Britain&#39;s Prince Harry, broadcast on BBC radio on Wednesday.

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&quot;One of the dangers of the Internet is that people can have entirely different realities, they can be just cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases.&quot;

Obama has previously warned that social media platforms can lead people to make snap judgements about complex decisions although he has refrained from criticising his successor Donald Trump who regularly uses Twitter.

Obama said in the interview broadcast on Wednesday that social media should promote diverse views in a way that &quot;doesn&#39;t lead to a Balkanisation of our society&quot; and moving online communities offline helped people to see that many issues were not as simple as they might seem in a chatroom.

&quot;It&#39;s also, by the way, harder to be as obnoxious and cruel in person as people can be anonymously on the Internet,&quot; he said.

&quot;Meet in the pub...Meet at a place of worship. Meet in a neighbourhood and get to know each other.&quot;

Wedding diplomacy?&nbsp;

Obama spoke to Harry in an interview conducted by the prince as a guest editor for BBC radio&#39;s daily morning news show and focused on their shared interest in promoting causes. The interview took place in September.

Harry was asked by the BBC whether he would invite the Obamas to his wedding next year with U.S. actress Meghan Markle.

&quot;I don&#39;t know about that,&quot; Harry said. &quot;We haven&rsquo;t put the invites or the guest list together. Who knows whether they are going to be invited or not. I wouldn&#39;t want to ruin that surprise.&quot;

The Sun newspaper said on Tuesday that British government officials had urged Harry not to invite the Obamas to his wedding for fear of angering Trump.

In the BBC interview, Obama spoke of being able to take a longer-term view on issues such as climate change.

&quot;Take some of the tragedies that have happened recently, with hurricanes devastating first Houston and parts of Florida and now Puerto Rico,&quot; he said.

&quot;Today those aren&rsquo;t my direct responsibilities but I can focus over the next 20 years in making sure that we don&rsquo;t have more hurricanes and natural disasters that are accelerated as a consequence of climate change and the ability to focus long term I think is a great luxury.&quot;

Obama has previously warned that social media platforms can lead people to make snap judgements about complex decisions although he has refrained from criticising his successor Donald Trump who regularly uses Twitter.

Former US president Barack Obama said the way people communicate via social media risked splintering society and leaders had to ensure the Internet did not cocoon-users within their own biases. "All of us in leadership have to find ways in which we can recreate a common space on the Internet," Obama said in an interview conducted by Britain's Prince Harry, broadcast on BBC radio on Wednesday. × "One of the dangers of the Internet is that people can have entirely different realities, they can be just cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases." Obama has previously warned that social media platforms can lead people to make snap judgements about complex decisions although he has refrained from criticising his successor Donald Trump who regularly uses Twitter. Obama said in the interview broadcast on Wednesday that social media should promote diverse views in a way that "doesn't lead to a Balkanisation of our society" and moving online communities offline helped people to see that many issues were not as simple as they might seem in a chatroom. "It's also, by the way, harder to be as obnoxious and cruel in person as people can be anonymously on the Internet," he said. "Meet in the pub...Meet at a place of worship. Meet in a neighbourhood and get to know each other." Wedding diplomacy? Obama spoke to Harry in an interview conducted by the prince as a guest editor for BBC radio's daily morning news show and focused on their shared interest in promoting causes. The interview took place in September. Harry was asked by the BBC whether he would invite the Obamas to his wedding next year with U.S. actress Meghan Markle. "I don't know about that," Harry said. "We haven’t put the invites or the guest list together. Who knows whether they are going to be invited or not. I wouldn't want to ruin that surprise." The Sun newspaper said on Tuesday that British government officials had urged Harry not to invite the Obamas to his wedding for fear of angering Trump. In the BBC interview, Obama spoke of being able to take a longer-term view on issues such as climate change. "Take some of the tragedies that have happened recently, with hurricanes devastating first Houston and parts of Florida and now Puerto Rico," he said. "Today those aren’t my direct responsibilities but I can focus over the next 20 years in making sure that we don’t have more hurricanes and natural disasters that are accelerated as a consequence of climate change and the ability to focus long term I think is a great luxury."

Watch: Obama urges 'leaders' not to split society with online biases

Former US President Barack Obama told Britain`s Prince Harry he was concerned social media was &quot;corroding civil discourse&quot;, in what he said was his first interview since leaving the White House, aired Wednesday.

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&nbsp;

&quot;One of the dangers of the internet is that people can have entirely different realities,&quot; he told the prince, who was guest editing BBC Radio 4`s Today programme.&nbsp;

&quot;They can be cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases. Things aren`t as simple as they`ve been portrayed in whatever chat room you`ve been in,&quot; he added.

&quot;The question has to do with how do we harness this technology in a way that allows a multiplicity of voices, allows a diversity of views, but doesn`t lead to a Balkanisation of society and allows ways of finding common ground.&quot;

The interview was recorded in Toronto, Canada, in September on the sidelines of the Invictus Games, the athletic tournament created by Harry for wounded former soldiers.

Despite admitting concern over the future of the US, Obama, who did not mention his successor Donald Trump by name, said he felt a sense of &quot;serenity&quot; on leaving the White House.

&quot;There was a sense that we had run a good race,&quot; he added.

On his new routine, Obama told the prince: &quot;I wake up later, it`s wonderful to be able to control your day.&quot;

The prince opened the discussion by saying: &quot;This is the first interview you`ve said `yes` to doing since you handed over the reins&quot;, to which Obama replied: &quot;that`s true&quot;.

Harry is due to marry his US actress girlfriend Megan Markle on May 19 at St George`s Chapel in Windsor Castle near London.

According to British press reports, civil servants are concerned that a wedding invite from the couple to Obama could cause a further rift between Britain and Trump following a series of high-profile spats.

Obama said he was concerned that social media was 'corroding civil discourse'

Former US President Barack Obama told Britain`s Prince Harry he was concerned social media was "corroding civil discourse", in what he said was his first interview since leaving the White House, aired Wednesday. × "One of the dangers of the internet is that people can have entirely different realities," he told the prince, who was guest editing BBC Radio 4`s Today programme. "They can be cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases. Things aren`t as simple as they`ve been portrayed in whatever chat room you`ve been in," he added. "The question has to do with how do we harness this technology in a way that allows a multiplicity of voices, allows a diversity of views, but doesn`t lead to a Balkanisation of society and allows ways of finding common ground." The interview was recorded in Toronto, Canada, in September on the sidelines of the Invictus Games, the athletic tournament created by Harry for wounded former soldiers. Despite admitting concern over the future of the US, Obama, who did not mention his successor Donald Trump by name, said he felt a sense of "serenity" on leaving the White House. "There was a sense that we had run a good race," he added. On his new routine, Obama told the prince: "I wake up later, it`s wonderful to be able to control your day." The prince opened the discussion by saying: "This is the first interview you`ve said `yes` to doing since you handed over the reins", to which Obama replied: "that`s true". Harry is due to marry his US actress girlfriend Megan Markle on May 19 at St George`s Chapel in Windsor Castle near London. According to British press reports, civil servants are concerned that a wedding invite from the couple to Obama could cause a further rift between Britain and Trump following a series of high-profile spats.

Watch: Barack Obama warns of dangers of social media in interview with Prince Harry

President Donald Trump is set to lay out Monday a new National Security Strategy built upon his trademark &quot;America First&quot; slogan, which is expected to have economic security at its core.

The US leader, who has dismantled the legacy of Barack Obama on issues ranging from climate change to free trade, and isolated Washington on the world stage, will unveil what is being billed as a comprehensive vision for tackling America&#39;s complex security challenges.

The new document, released periodically by the presidency, &quot;affirms the belief that America&#39;s economic security is national security,&quot; an administration official said.

It also reflects a determination to push for balance in US economic relations with the rest of the world, especially China.

&quot;The greatest weapon we have is our strong GDP,&quot; the official said, citing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

Trump has taken an aggressive stance on trade. He vows to reduce bilateral trade deficits, particularly with China, and has said he wants to level the playing field for American companies.

Asked on Monday about the expected US strategy, Beijing&#39;s foreign ministry Hua Chunying said US-China economic and trade relations &quot;are mutually beneficial.&quot;

She added that she hoped the new US policy will contribute to &quot;our common safeguard of the international peace and security.&quot;

Trump&#39;s National Security Strategy was a year in the making.

Beyond its focus on economic competitiveness, it will mark a break with his Democratic and Republican predecessors when it comes to &quot;homeland&quot; and border security, the US official added.&nbsp;

Trump has cracked down on immigration and wants a wall built on the Mexican border.

The new national security document is to be released following a speech by the president.

It identifies four main priorities: protecting the country and the American people, promoting American prosperity, preserving peace through strength and advancing American influence.

Climate not a priority&nbsp;

Addressing the United Nations in late September -- with a virulence rarely seen in that forum -- Trump hammered home his attachment to American &quot;sovereignty&quot; while calling into question many aspects of the multilateral world order.

But despite the fiery delivery, the address fell short of spelling out a veritable &quot;Trump doctrine&quot; regarding America&#39;s place in the world.

Asked about the role of climate change in the new document, the administration official said it &quot;is not identified as a national security threat&quot; to the US.

Ascending to power on a message resolutely sceptical of climate change, Trump said in June that he would pull the US out of the Paris agreement on climate change signed by almost 200 countries.

Obama was one of the main architects of the Paris pact to curb global warming, and had underscored on several occasions how climate and security had become intertwined.

A year before he left office, Obama said climate change would affect the way America&#39;s military must defend the country, through profound adjustments in organization, training and protection of infrastructure.

&quot;Climate change is an urgent and growing threat to our national security, contributing to increased natural disasters, refugee flows and conflicts over basic resources like food and water,&quot; according to the last National Security Strategy, issued in February 2015 during Obama&#39;s tenure.

On that occasion, he argued at length against the temptation to make hasty decisions in the management of international crises.

&quot;In a complex world, many of the security problems we face do not lend themselves to quick and easy fixes,&quot; Obama wrote, calling for &quot;strategic patience and persistence.&quot;

He will unveil a comprehensive vision to tackle America's complex security challenges

President Donald Trump is set to lay out Monday a new National Security Strategy built upon his trademark "America First" slogan, which is expected to have economic security at its core. The US leader, who has dismantled the legacy of Barack Obama on issues ranging from climate change to free trade, and isolated Washington on the world stage, will unveil what is being billed as a comprehensive vision for tackling America's complex security challenges. The new document, released periodically by the presidency, "affirms the belief that America's economic security is national security," an administration official said. It also reflects a determination to push for balance in US economic relations with the rest of the world, especially China. "The greatest weapon we have is our strong GDP," the official said, citing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Trump has taken an aggressive stance on trade. He vows to reduce bilateral trade deficits, particularly with China, and has said he wants to level the playing field for American companies. Asked on Monday about the expected US strategy, Beijing's foreign ministry Hua Chunying said US-China economic and trade relations "are mutually beneficial." She added that she hoped the new US policy will contribute to "our common safeguard of the international peace and security." Trump's National Security Strategy was a year in the making. Beyond its focus on economic competitiveness, it will mark a break with his Democratic and Republican predecessors when it comes to "homeland" and border security, the US official added. Trump has cracked down on immigration and wants a wall built on the Mexican border. The new national security document is to be released following a speech by the president. It identifies four main priorities: protecting the country and the American people, promoting American prosperity, preserving peace through strength and advancing American influence. Climate not a priority Addressing the United Nations in late September -- with a virulence rarely seen in that forum -- Trump hammered home his attachment to American "sovereignty" while calling into question many aspects of the multilateral world order. But despite the fiery delivery, the address fell short of spelling out a veritable "Trump doctrine" regarding America's place in the world. Asked about the role of climate change in the new document, the administration official said it "is not identified as a national security threat" to the US. Ascending to power on a message resolutely sceptical of climate change, Trump said in June that he would pull the US out of the Paris agreement on climate change signed by almost 200 countries. Obama was one of the main architects of the Paris pact to curb global warming, and had underscored on several occasions how climate and security had become intertwined. A year before he left office, Obama said climate change would affect the way America's military must defend the country, through profound adjustments in organization, training and protection of infrastructure. "Climate change is an urgent and growing threat to our national security, contributing to increased natural disasters, refugee flows and conflicts over basic resources like food and water," according to the last National Security Strategy, issued in February 2015 during Obama's tenure. On that occasion, he argued at length against the temptation to make hasty decisions in the management of international crises. "In a complex world, many of the security problems we face do not lend themselves to quick and easy fixes," Obama wrote, calling for "strategic patience and persistence."

President Trump to lay out 'America First' security strategy

In a video making rounds on the internet, Prince Harry of Wales can be seen interviewing former US President Barack Obama.&nbsp;

Prince Harry interviewed Obama for a BBC Radio 4 show as part of a guest editor gig for the station.&nbsp;According to Kensington Palace, the interview&nbsp;focuses on Obama&rsquo;s final day in office and his post-presidential plans, which include his initiatives through the Obama Foundation.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-and-meghan-markles-wedding-date-has-been-officially-announced-26857" target="_blank">Prince Harry and Meghan Markle&#39;s wedding date has been officially announced</a>

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Prince Harry&#39;s guest editorship of <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCRadio4?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BBCRadio4</a> Today programme on the 27th December will feature an interview with former US President <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BarackObama</a>. The interview focuses on their shared interest in building platforms for the next generation of young leaders. <a href="https://t.co/HaBaW0F5pM">pic.twitter.com/HaBaW0F5pM</a>
&mdash; Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/942349496725499904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Kensington Palace posted a preview of the interaction on its official Twitter page while the full interview will air on BBC Radio 4 on December 27.

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Here is a sneak preview of when <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BarackObama</a> met Prince Harry for the interview. Listen to the full interview on 27th December on <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCr4today?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BBCr4today</a>. <a href="https://t.co/p5I1dUdyhx">pic.twitter.com/p5I1dUdyhx</a>
&mdash; Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/942353717101318144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The interview was conducted when the two&nbsp;were at the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-with-actress-girlfriend-meghan-markle-launch-the-third-invictus-games-20572" target="_blank"> Invictus Games</a> in Toronto in September.

The duo&#39;s friendship dates to the month of May when Obama visited Prince Harry at Kensington Palace, where they discussed &ldquo;a range of shared interests,&rdquo; including empowering young people and the goals of their foundations, according to the palace.

Obama had even congratulated Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-barack-obama-congratulates-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-on-their-engagement-25297" target="_blank">Twitter</a> after the couple announced their engagement last month.&nbsp;

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It is said that the interview happened when the two met during Invictus Games in September

In a video making rounds on the internet, Prince Harry of Wales can be seen interviewing former US President Barack Obama. Prince Harry interviewed Obama for a BBC Radio 4 show as part of a guest editor gig for the station. According to Kensington Palace, the interview focuses on Obama’s final day in office and his post-presidential plans, which include his initiatives through the Obama Foundation. Also Read: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding date has been officially announced Prince Harry's guest editorship of @BBCRadio4 Today programme on the 27th December will feature an interview with former US President @BarackObama. The interview focuses on their shared interest in building platforms for the next generation of young leaders. pic.twitter.com/HaBaW0F5pM — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) December 17, 2017 × Kensington Palace posted a preview of the interaction on its official Twitter page while the full interview will air on BBC Radio 4 on December 27. Here is a sneak preview of when @BarackObama met Prince Harry for the interview. Listen to the full interview on 27th December on @BBCr4today. pic.twitter.com/p5I1dUdyhx — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) December 17, 2017 × The interview was conducted when the two were at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September. The duo's friendship dates to the month of May when Obama visited Prince Harry at Kensington Palace, where they discussed “a range of shared interests,” including empowering young people and the goals of their foundations, according to the palace. Obama had even congratulated Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Twitter after the couple announced their engagement last month.

Watch: Prince Harry interviews Barack Obama for radio show

Former US President Barack Obama on Friday said that India should cherish and nurture its large Muslim population that thinks of itself as Indian.

Addressing the&nbsp;HT Leadership Summit in Delhi, Obama said a counter-narrative was taking shape in Europe, US and sometimes in India where tribal impulses are asserting themselves.&nbsp;

To a question whether Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden&#39;s presence in Pakistan, Obama said &#39;&#39;We had no evidence that Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden&#39;s presence in Pakistan.&#39;&#39;&nbsp;

The former U.S. president, on his first visit to India after demitting office in January, will interact with nearly 300 young leaders drawn from various parts of the country.

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It was a pleasure to meet, once again, former President <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BarackObama</a>, and learn about the new initiatives being taken forward under his leadership at the <a href="https://twitter.com/ObamaFoundation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ObamaFoundation</a> and his perspectives on further strengthening India-US strategic partnership. <a href="https://t.co/fvoGgF6CZM">pic.twitter.com/fvoGgF6CZM</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/936535066250960897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Obama, who arrived here on Thursday, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. Modi shared a picture of both on Twitter and said &#39;&#39;It was a pleasure to meet, once again, former President Barack Obama, and learn about the new initiatives being taken forward under his leadership at the Obama Foundation.&#39;&#39;&nbsp;

To a question whether Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden's presence in Pakistan, Obama said ''We had no evidence that Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden's presence in Pakistan.''?

Former US President Barack Obama on Friday said that India should cherish and nurture its large Muslim population that thinks of itself as Indian. Addressing the HT Leadership Summit in Delhi, Obama said a counter-narrative was taking shape in Europe, US and sometimes in India where tribal impulses are asserting themselves. To a question whether Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden's presence in Pakistan, Obama said ''We had no evidence that Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden's presence in Pakistan.'' The former U.S. president, on his first visit to India after demitting office in January, will interact with nearly 300 young leaders drawn from various parts of the country. It was a pleasure to meet, once again, former President @BarackObama, and learn about the new initiatives being taken forward under his leadership at the @ObamaFoundation and his perspectives on further strengthening India-US strategic partnership. pic.twitter.com/fvoGgF6CZM — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 1, 2017 × Obama, who arrived here on Thursday, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. Modi shared a picture of both on Twitter and said ''It was a pleasure to meet, once again, former President Barack Obama, and learn about the new initiatives being taken forward under his leadership at the Obama Foundation.''

India should cherish and nurture its large Muslim population: Obama

As Delhi&#39;s air quality continues to soar beyond &#39;hazardous&#39; level, a resident of the national capital urged former US president Barack Obama to wear a face mask while on his visit to the city for a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/barack-obama-to-address-town-hall-in-delhi-today-25550" target="_blank">town hall meeting</a> scheduled today. 
 
Amrit Sharma, a data scientist by profession, wrote an open letter to Obama. He also hoped that Mr Obama&#39;s move may go a long way in generating awareness among local residents and may even propel action on combating air pollution. Sharma has been invited to attend an interactive session with Obama at the town hall.&nbsp;

&ldquo;You are one the most photographed people on earth, but none of your photos could potentially save millions of lives yet. I believe that if you wear a face mask while you are in Delhi and take a photo (of it), that alone could have an impact,&rdquo; Sharma wrote in his letter to Obama. He also reasoned that most people can&#39;t really afford expensive face masks and air purifiers in a developing country like India.&nbsp;

The Centre said it will take &quot;harsh measures&quot;, if needed, to prevent any repeat of the recent smog episode,&quot; PTI reported. Emergency measures will kick in if PM2.5 and PM10 concentration cross 300 and 500 ug/m3 and stay there for 48 hours at a stretch. The government of Delhi has issued a health advisory urging people to avoid stepping out during early morning and late evening hours. Schools have been directed to avoid outdoor assemblies and other activities in the early morning hours.

Air quality at various areas in the city was recorded at &#39;hazardous&#39; level today. While air quality at Anand Vihar was recorded at 575 at 10 am today, DTU Delhi stood at 420. Gurugram&#39;s air quality was recorded at 253 and Dwarka was at 245.

(With inputs from PTI)

Barack Obama is on his visit to the city for a town hall meeting scheduled today

As Delhi's air quality continues to soar beyond 'hazardous' level, a resident of the national capital urged former US president Barack Obama to wear a face mask while on his visit to the city for a town hall meeting scheduled today. Amrit Sharma, a data scientist by profession, wrote an open letter to Obama. He also hoped that Mr Obama's move may go a long way in generating awareness among local residents and may even propel action on combating air pollution. Sharma has been invited to attend an interactive session with Obama at the town hall. “You are one the most photographed people on earth, but none of your photos could potentially save millions of lives yet. I believe that if you wear a face mask while you are in Delhi and take a photo (of it), that alone could have an impact,” Sharma wrote in his letter to Obama. He also reasoned that most people can't really afford expensive face masks and air purifiers in a developing country like India. The Centre said it will take "harsh measures", if needed, to prevent any repeat of the recent smog episode," PTI reported. Emergency measures will kick in if PM2.5 and PM10 concentration cross 300 and 500 ug/m3 and stay there for 48 hours at a stretch. The government of Delhi has issued a health advisory urging people to avoid stepping out during early morning and late evening hours. Schools have been directed to avoid outdoor assemblies and other activities in the early morning hours. Air quality at various areas in the city was recorded at 'hazardous' level today. While air quality at Anand Vihar was recorded at 575 at 10 am today, DTU Delhi stood at 420. Gurugram's air quality was recorded at 253 and Dwarka was at 245. (With inputs from PTI)

Delhi resident urges Barack Obama to wear a mask as air quality continues to dip

Former US President Barack Obama is in New Delhi holding a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-resident-urges-barack-obama-to-wear-a-mask-as-air-quality-continues-to-dip-25566" target="_blank">Town Hall</a>, interacting with a hall packed with close to 300 young leaders.

The event is organised by the Obama Foundation with an aim to educate the youth ways through which the Foundation can help them succeed in their field of work.

&quot;Young Indians like you aren&#39;t just going to define the future of this nation, you&#39;re going to shape the world,&quot; notes the official Obama Foundation website.&nbsp;

While actively interacting with the audience, Obama touched upon his experiences as the President of the United States and talked about moments in his life that went on to shape him into he is today.&nbsp;

&quot;Know ahead of time that change is hard, so you are not getting discouraged. Try to break up your efforts into bite-sized manageable pieces,&quot; he shared.&nbsp;

Barack Obama talked about the role of technology in today&#39;s world and how it has its advantages as well as dangers. &quot;We need to understand how to best understand and make use of technology. We must mix technology with social context. We can reach out to lot many people through technology, at the same time it can isolate people, therefore it must be used with discretion&quot; he shared.&nbsp;

Mr Obama identified the power that young people enjoy, calling them catalysts in the framework of change for the nation.

&quot;Good health community starts with young people. We need to find ways to empower and mentor young people. Mentor someone who is behind you, help them grow; find your voice and articulate your views,&quot; he noted.

Obama also shared his views on gender equality, LGBT rights and spoke on the role of art in bringing about social change.

&quot;We are moving toward greater equality... India has made amazing progress,&quot; he noted.&nbsp;

While actively interacting with the audience, Obama touched upon his experiences as the President of the United States

Former US President Barack Obama is in New Delhi holding a Town Hall, interacting with a hall packed with close to 300 young leaders. The event is organised by the Obama Foundation with an aim to educate the youth ways through which the Foundation can help them succeed in their field of work. "Young Indians like you aren't just going to define the future of this nation, you're going to shape the world," notes the official Obama Foundation website. While actively interacting with the audience, Obama touched upon his experiences as the President of the United States and talked about moments in his life that went on to shape him into he is today. "Know ahead of time that change is hard, so you are not getting discouraged. Try to break up your efforts into bite-sized manageable pieces," he shared. Barack Obama talked about the role of technology in today's world and how it has its advantages as well as dangers. "We need to understand how to best understand and make use of technology. We must mix technology with social context. We can reach out to lot many people through technology, at the same time it can isolate people, therefore it must be used with discretion" he shared. Mr Obama identified the power that young people enjoy, calling them catalysts in the framework of change for the nation. "Good health community starts with young people. We need to find ways to empower and mentor young people. Mentor someone who is behind you, help them grow; find your voice and articulate your views," he noted. Obama also shared his views on gender equality, LGBT rights and spoke on the role of art in bringing about social change. "We are moving toward greater equality... India has made amazing progress," he noted.

Watch: Mentor someone, help them grow, articulate your views: Obama to young India at Town Hall meet

Former US President Barack Obama is going to address a town hall in Delhi today for the Obama Foundation.

Obama will be speaking at a media conclave where he will also interact with nearly 300 young leaders from across the country.

&quot;The town hall will expand the conversation about what it means to be an active citizen and make an impact and how the Obama Foundation can support emerging leaders in this effort,&quot; said an official statement on Obama Foundation&#39;s website.

&quot;We&#39;ll also invite people across India to share their questions for President Obama online and anyone anywhere can tune-in to watch the Town Hall live on Obama.org.&quot;&nbsp;

Former US President is also expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The town hall will begin at 3:45 pm and will be streamed live at Obama.org and on its Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Prior to this, Obama has hosted events with young leaders in Germany, Indonesia, and Brazil.

 
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Former US President is also expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Former US President Barack Obama is going to address a town hall in Delhi today for the Obama Foundation. Obama will be speaking at a media conclave where he will also interact with nearly 300 young leaders from across the country. "The town hall will expand the conversation about what it means to be an active citizen and make an impact and how the Obama Foundation can support emerging leaders in this effort," said an official statement on Obama Foundation's website. "We'll also invite people across India to share their questions for President Obama online and anyone anywhere can tune-in to watch the Town Hall live on Obama.org." Former US President is also expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The town hall will begin at 3:45 pm and will be streamed live at Obama.org and on its Facebook page and YouTube channel. Prior to this, Obama has hosted events with young leaders in Germany, Indonesia, and Brazil.

Barack Obama to address town hall in Delhi today

Former United States President Barack Obama on Tuesday congratulated the newly-engaged couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.&nbsp;

Obama in a tweet said:&nbsp;&quot;Michelle and I are delighted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement. We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together&quot;.

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Michelle and I are delighted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement. We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together.
&mdash; Barack Obama (@BarackObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/935255366438408192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Prince Harry and Markle announced their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-announces-his-engagement-to-actress-meghan-markle-25254" target="_blank">engagement </a>on Monday after dating for one and a half years.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-prince-harry-proposed-meghan-markle-while-cooking-a-roast-chicken-25294" target="_blank">Prince Harry proposed Meghan Markle while cooking a roast chicken</a>

The two were first introduced by a mutual friend.&nbsp;

Prince Harry is the&nbsp;grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and is fifth in line to the throne.&nbsp;

Prince Harry (33) and Markel (36) will get married in the spring of 2018.

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The couple announced their engagement after dating for one and a half years

Former United States President Barack Obama on Tuesday congratulated the newly-engaged couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Obama in a tweet said: "Michelle and I are delighted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement. We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together". Michelle and I are delighted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement. We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together. — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 27, 2017 × Prince Harry and Markle announced their engagement on Monday after dating for one and a half years. Also Read: Prince Harry proposed Meghan Markle while cooking a roast chicken The two were first introduced by a mutual friend. Prince Harry is the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and is fifth in line to the throne. Prince Harry (33) and Markel (36) will get married in the spring of 2018.

Barack Obama congratulates Prince Harry, Meghan Markle on engagement

Former president Barak Obama&#39;s daughter&nbsp;Malia Obama has become the target of numerous tabloids and internet trolls&nbsp;after a video of her smoking cigarettes and blowing smoke rings surfaced on the internet.&nbsp;

A&nbsp;video of Malia, who is the first-year student at Harvard University, kissing her boyfriend&nbsp;also surfaced online last Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Several people criticised her &quot;inappropriate&quot; behaviour. However, others have come to her defence.&nbsp;

The president&#39;s daughter Ivanka tweeted on Friday: &quot;Malia Obama should be allowed the same privacy as her school-aged peers. She is a young adult and private citizen, and should be OFF limits.&quot;

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Malia Obama should be allowed the same privacy as her school aged peers. She is a young adult and private citizen, and should be OFF limits.
&mdash; Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/status/934108754731307009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Soon after, Chelsea Clinton tweeted: &ldquo;Malia Obama&rsquo;s private life, as a young woman, a college student, a private citizen, should not be your clickbait. Be better.&rdquo;

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Malia Obama&rsquo;s private life, as a young woman, a college student, a private citizen, should not be your clickbait. Be better.
&mdash; Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaClinton/status/934118380835082242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Malia, who is a?first-year student at Harvard University, has been attacked by many people as a video of her smoking cigarettes and blowing smoke rings surfaced around the internet.?

Former president Barak Obama's daughter Malia Obama has become the target of numerous tabloids and internet trolls after a video of her smoking cigarettes and blowing smoke rings surfaced on the internet. A video of Malia, who is the first-year student at Harvard University, kissing her boyfriend also surfaced online last Saturday. Several people criticised her "inappropriate" behaviour. However, others have come to her defence. The president's daughter Ivanka tweeted on Friday: "Malia Obama should be allowed the same privacy as her school-aged peers. She is a young adult and private citizen, and should be OFF limits." Malia Obama should be allowed the same privacy as her school aged peers. She is a young adult and private citizen, and should be OFF limits. — Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) November 24, 2017 × Soon after, Chelsea Clinton tweeted: “Malia Obama’s private life, as a young woman, a college student, a private citizen, should not be your clickbait. Be better.” Malia Obama’s private life, as a young woman, a college student, a private citizen, should not be your clickbait. Be better. — Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) November 24, 2017 ×

Ivanka Trump, Chelsea Clinton defend Malia Obama over smoking video

United States president Donald Trump promised to repeal and replace &#39;ObamaCare&#39; after the Republican tax cut bill is signed into law.

Claiming that the healthcare is a &#39;disaster, Trump took to Twitter and said: &ldquo;ObamaCare premiums are going up, up, up, just as I have been predicting for two years. ObamaCare is OWNED by the Democrats, and it is a disaster,&rdquo;

He further added that &#39;even though the Democrats were not for the&nbsp;repeal and replacement of ObamaCare, he planned to do so right after tax cuts.&#39;

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ObamaCare premiums are going up, up, up, just as I have been predicting for two years. ObamaCare is OWNED by the Democrats, and it is a disaster. But do not worry. Even though the Dems want to Obstruct, we will Repeal &amp; Replace right after Tax Cuts!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/933837062293291008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump&#39;s yet another attempt to repeal ObamaCare comes in the backdrop of an unexpected surge in the enrollment in the health-care law.

Almost 2.3 million people signed up for coverage through ObamaCare exchanges in the initial 18 days of the enrollment period &mdash; increasing the number of enrollments which took place in the same period under Obama&#39;s presidency, reports said.&nbsp;

According to reports, Trump also declared earlier this week that welfare reform would be the next topic on the list of agendas and not ObamaCare.

&quot;We&rsquo;re looking at welfare reform very strongly, and that&rsquo;ll all take place just after taxes, very soon, very shortly after taxes,&quot; Trump said at the White House.

Reports say that&nbsp;Republicans are now considering repealing the ObamaCare individual mandate in tax reform.

Republicans are trying to take a nibble out of Obamacare as part of the tax bill

United States president Donald Trump promised to repeal and replace 'ObamaCare' after the Republican tax cut bill is signed into law. Claiming that the healthcare is a 'disaster, Trump took to Twitter and said: “ObamaCare premiums are going up, up, up, just as I have been predicting for two years. ObamaCare is OWNED by the Democrats, and it is a disaster,” He further added that 'even though the Democrats were not for the repeal and replacement of ObamaCare, he planned to do so right after tax cuts.' ObamaCare premiums are going up, up, up, just as I have been predicting for two years. ObamaCare is OWNED by the Democrats, and it is a disaster. But do not worry. Even though the Dems want to Obstruct, we will Repeal & Replace right after Tax Cuts! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2017 × Trump's yet another attempt to repeal ObamaCare comes in the backdrop of an unexpected surge in the enrollment in the health-care law. Almost 2.3 million people signed up for coverage through ObamaCare exchanges in the initial 18 days of the enrollment period — increasing the number of enrollments which took place in the same period under Obama's presidency, reports said. According to reports, Trump also declared earlier this week that welfare reform would be the next topic on the list of agendas and not ObamaCare. "We’re looking at welfare reform very strongly, and that’ll all take place just after taxes, very soon, very shortly after taxes," Trump said at the White House. Reports say that Republicans are now considering repealing the ObamaCare individual mandate in tax reform.

Trump vows to repeal and replace ObamaCare

Former US President Barack Obama was summoned for jury duty on Wednesday -- he went -- but the Chicago court dismissed him soon after.&nbsp;

Obama was the only potential juror to arrive by motorcade, with tight security.&nbsp;

Several news media and court staff tried to get a picture with him.

&quot;He gorgeous!&quot; one court clerk exclaimed upon spotting the former president, the Chicago Tribune reported.&nbsp;

Potential juror Kelly Bulik told the newspaper she felt like a &quot;piece of melting butter&quot; as she shook his hand.

&quot;Thanks everybody for serving on the jury. Or, at least being willing to,&quot; Obama said. Apparently&nbsp;everybody laughed.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/a-sneak-peek-into-obamas-presidency-539#photo-28352" target="_blank">A sneak-peek into Obama&#39;s presidency</a>

Obama is not the first former US president to be summoned for jury duty, AFP reported.&nbsp;

George W Bush was also summoned in 2015 but like Obama,&nbsp;he too was dismissed.

Oprah Winfrey though served as a juror on a three-day murder trial ending in a conviction in 2004, again in Chicago.&nbsp;

Jury duty&nbsp;is not really thought of as something desirable in the US. 
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'He gorgeous!' one court clerk exclaimed upon spotting the former president

Former US President Barack Obama was summoned for jury duty on Wednesday -- he went -- but the Chicago court dismissed him soon after. Obama was the only potential juror to arrive by motorcade, with tight security. Several news media and court staff tried to get a picture with him. "He gorgeous!" one court clerk exclaimed upon spotting the former president, the Chicago Tribune reported. Potential juror Kelly Bulik told the newspaper she felt like a "piece of melting butter" as she shook his hand. "Thanks everybody for serving on the jury. Or, at least being willing to," Obama said. Apparently everybody laughed. Also read: A sneak-peek into Obama's presidency Obama is not the first former US president to be summoned for jury duty, AFP reported. George W Bush was also summoned in 2015 but like Obama, he too was dismissed. Oprah Winfrey though served as a juror on a three-day murder trial ending in a conviction in 2004, again in Chicago. Jury duty is not really thought of as something desirable in the US.

Barack Obama appears for jury duty but court says no thanks

An experiment conducted by Cambridge University researchers has shown that sheep possess&nbsp;face&nbsp;recognition abilities similar to&nbsp;that of monkeys, apes, and humans.&nbsp;

The sheep were trained to identify&nbsp;faces of prominent&nbsp;celebrities&nbsp;like&nbsp;Emma Watson, Jake Gyllenhaal, former US president Barack Obama and BBC journalist Fiona Bruce.

After the training, the animal was able to choose the photo of the celebrities over the unknown&nbsp;faces.&nbsp;

The experiment was performed on eight Female Welsh Mountain Sheep who were trained to mark out photos of familiar people over unfamiliar ones.

In return, they were given food as the reward for identifying the known picture.&nbsp;

The sheep were&nbsp;shown two different pictures on two computer screens. They selected their photos by breaking an infrared beam with their noses.&nbsp;

They even identified the celebrity from a different angle.&nbsp;

Later on, the sheep identified the images of the celebrities.&nbsp;

A previous study had already revealed that sheep had the ability to identify other sheep and human handlers that they were aware of.&nbsp;

 
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An experiment conducted by Cambridge University researchers have shown?sheep possessing?face?recognition abilities similar to?that of monkeys, apes, and humans

An experiment conducted by Cambridge University researchers has shown that sheep possess face recognition abilities similar to that of monkeys, apes, and humans. The sheep were trained to identify faces of prominent celebrities like Emma Watson, Jake Gyllenhaal, former US president Barack Obama and BBC journalist Fiona Bruce. After the training, the animal was able to choose the photo of the celebrities over the unknown faces. The experiment was performed on eight Female Welsh Mountain Sheep who were trained to mark out photos of familiar people over unfamiliar ones. In return, they were given food as the reward for identifying the known picture. The sheep were shown two different pictures on two computer screens. They selected their photos by breaking an infrared beam with their noses. They even identified the celebrity from a different angle. Later on, the sheep identified the images of the celebrities. A previous study had already revealed that sheep had the ability to identify other sheep and human handlers that they were aware of.

These sheep recognise Obama, Emma Watson and a BBC journalist

&nbsp;

Several world leaders have condemned the terrorist attack in New York in which a&nbsp;pickup driver killed eight people on Tuesday. Eleven others were seriously hurt when the truck driver struck in broad daylight just blocks from the 9/11 Memorial, on the West Side of Lower Manhattan, close to schools as children and their parents geared up to celebrate Halloween.

&quot;This was an act of terror and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea what was about to hit them,&quot; said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton tweeted &quot;New York&#39;s resilience is stronger than a cowardly act of terror. Thinking of the victims, their families, &amp; the responders who saved lives.&#39;&#39;

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New York&#39;s resilience is stronger than a cowardly act of terror. Thinking of the victims, their families, &amp; the responders who saved lives.
&mdash; Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) <a href="https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/925515496576962562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Television networks identified the 29-year-old as an Uzbek citizen living in Florida who had recently been staying in New Jersey, where the truck was rented. President Donald Trump denounced him as &quot;very sick&quot; and a &quot;deranged person.&quot;

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London stands in grief and solidarity with the great city of New York tonight. <a href="https://t.co/ojrxSDnZos">pic.twitter.com/ojrxSDnZos</a>
&mdash; Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SadiqKhan/status/925481529404424193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The United States &quot;must not&quot; allow Islamic State jihadists to &quot;return, or enter&quot; the country after being defeated overseas, Trump said, albeit as New York officials declined to link the assailant to a specific group.

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Our hearts are with the victims of this apparent act of terror in New York City. Thank you to all the first responders.
&mdash; Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerRyan/status/925476130274054144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The FBI and New York police urged members of the public to come forward with any information that could assist the investigation, which the mayor said preliminary information suggested was a lone wolf assault.

 
The attacker struck in TriBeCa, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city home to celebrities and wealthy families. In the aftermath of the attack, worried parents and children were seen evacuated from a nearby public shool.&quot;There was a smell of gunshots,&quot; said John Williams, 22, who arrived at the scene 30 seconds afterward en route to the park. &quot;There was a man lying on the ground. It looked as if he`d been shot.&quot;

Expressing his condolences to the victims of the attack. former president Barack Obama said that he and former first lady were thinking about the victims of the attack in New York City.New Yorkers are as tough as they come, he added.

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Michelle and I are thinking of the victims of today&#39;s attack in NYC and everyone who keeps us safe. New Yorkers are as tough as they come.
&mdash; Barack Obama (@BarackObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/925526988659548160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton tweeted "New York's resilience is stronger than a cowardly act of terror. Thinking of the victims, their families, & the responders who saved lives.''

Several world leaders have condemned the terrorist attack in New York in which a pickup driver killed eight people on Tuesday. Eleven others were seriously hurt when the truck driver struck in broad daylight just blocks from the 9/11 Memorial, on the West Side of Lower Manhattan, close to schools as children and their parents geared up to celebrate Halloween. "This was an act of terror and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea what was about to hit them," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton tweeted "New York's resilience is stronger than a cowardly act of terror. Thinking of the victims, their families, & the responders who saved lives.'' New York's resilience is stronger than a cowardly act of terror. Thinking of the victims, their families, & the responders who saved lives. — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 1, 2017 × Television networks identified the 29-year-old as an Uzbek citizen living in Florida who had recently been staying in New Jersey, where the truck was rented. President Donald Trump denounced him as "very sick" and a "deranged person." London stands in grief and solidarity with the great city of New York tonight. pic.twitter.com/ojrxSDnZos — Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) October 31, 2017 × The United States "must not" allow Islamic State jihadists to "return, or enter" the country after being defeated overseas, Trump said, albeit as New York officials declined to link the assailant to a specific group. Our hearts are with the victims of this apparent act of terror in New York City. Thank you to all the first responders. — Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) October 31, 2017 × The FBI and New York police urged members of the public to come forward with any information that could assist the investigation, which the mayor said preliminary information suggested was a lone wolf assault. The attacker struck in TriBeCa, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city home to celebrities and wealthy families. In the aftermath of the attack, worried parents and children were seen evacuated from a nearby public shool."There was a smell of gunshots," said John Williams, 22, who arrived at the scene 30 seconds afterward en route to the park. "There was a man lying on the ground. It looked as if he`d been shot." Expressing his condolences to the victims of the attack. former president Barack Obama said that he and former first lady were thinking about the victims of the attack in New York City.New Yorkers are as tough as they come, he added. Michelle and I are thinking of the victims of today's attack in NYC and everyone who keeps us safe. New Yorkers are as tough as they come. — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 1, 2017 ×

World leaders condemn New York terrorist attack

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