The top four Democratic and Republican congressional negotiators on border security funding resumed talks on Monday, with the possibility of another partial US government shutdown looming if they fail to reach a deal by a Friday deadline.

The talks, which had broken down over the weekend, restarted in the US Capitol just hours before a scheduled rally in the Texas border city of El Paso, where President Donald Trump will promote his promised wall along the US-Mexico border, a proposal opposed by Democrats.

An anti-wall protest will greet the Republican president, led by hometown Democrat Beto O'Rourke, the former congressman who is considering running for his party's 2020 presidential nomination after gaining national prominence last year by nearly upsetting Republican Ted Cruz in a US Senate race in Texas.

In Washington, the lawmakers hope to reach an agreement on Monday to allow time for the legislation to pass the House of Representatives and Senate and get Trump's signature by Friday, when funding is due to expire for the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and several other federal agencies.

Trump, who in December said he would be "proud" to shut the federal government over border security, took a different tack on Monday. "It's up to the Democrats," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked whether the government was headed toward its second shutdown of the winter.

The talks stumbled over the weekend over funding for physical barriers along the border and a Democratic proposal to reduce allotted spaces in immigration detention facilities for people facing deportation.

Democrats oppose the Trump administration expanding its capacity to hold more people arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for eventual deportation.

The White House and the top Republican in Congress on Monday blasted the Democratic plan, which calls for lowering an existing cap on beds at the detention facilities to 35,520 from the current 40,520 in return for giving Republicans some of the money they want for physical border barriers.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the proposal a "poison pill" introduced into the talks by the Democrats, saying it would result in the release of thousands of illegal immigrants.

'CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC'

House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, a Democrat who heads the House-Senate negotiating committee, expressed hope for a deal as she headed into the meeting.

The House Appropriations Committee's top Republican, Kay Granger, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, a Republican, and that panel's top Democrat, Patrick Leahy, attended the talks, which lasted a little over an hour.

Granger said some progress was made and the four would meet again later in the evening. "We had a good discussion. It’s like all negotiations go. We put out what we want, what they want, we didn’t finish, we will be meeting again today," she said.

Trump's December demand for $5.7 billion to help construct a border wall triggered a 35-day partial government shutdown that ended last month without him getting wall funding. Trump agreed to reopen the government for three weeks to allow congressional negotiators time to find a compromise on government funding for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends on September 30, to avert another shutdown on February 15.

Trump made a border wall one of his central 2016 campaign promises, saying it is needed to curb illegal immigration, drug trafficking and other crimes. Democrats, who assumed control of the House last month from Trump's fellow Republicans, have called a wall ineffective, expensive and immoral.

Democrats generally push for less use of detention, arguing it is much cheaper to release some immigrants but require restrictions on them such as wearing ankle bracelets that track their location. Republicans want to increase the number of beds in detention facilities to enable holding more people to speed up and expand deportations.

Trump, who has sought to crack down on illegal and legal immigration and has called the situation at the border a national security crisis, deployed 3,750 more US troops there this month.

Rebuking Trump, California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, said he would pull hundreds of the state's National Guard troops from the border.

"The border 'emergency' is nothing more than a manufactured crisis - and CA's National Guard will not be part of this political theatre," Newsom wrote on Twitter.

New Mexico's Democratic governor made a similar move last week.

The top four Democratic and Republican congressional negotiators on border security funding resumed talks on Monday, with the possibility of another partial US government shutdown looming if they fail to reach a deal by a Friday deadline.

The top four Democratic and Republican congressional negotiators on border security funding resumed talks on Monday, with the possibility of another partial US government shutdown looming if they fail to reach a deal by a Friday deadline. The talks, which had broken down over the weekend, restarted in the US Capitol just hours before a scheduled rally in the Texas border city of El Paso, where President Donald Trump will promote his promised wall along the US-Mexico border, a proposal opposed by Democrats. An anti-wall protest will greet the Republican president, led by hometown Democrat Beto O'Rourke, the former congressman who is considering running for his party's 2020 presidential nomination after gaining national prominence last year by nearly upsetting Republican Ted Cruz in a US Senate race in Texas. In Washington, the lawmakers hope to reach an agreement on Monday to allow time for the legislation to pass the House of Representatives and Senate and get Trump's signature by Friday, when funding is due to expire for the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and several other federal agencies. Trump, who in December said he would be "proud" to shut the federal government over border security, took a different tack on Monday. "It's up to the Democrats," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked whether the government was headed toward its second shutdown of the winter. The talks stumbled over the weekend over funding for physical barriers along the border and a Democratic proposal to reduce allotted spaces in immigration detention facilities for people facing deportation. Democrats oppose the Trump administration expanding its capacity to hold more people arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for eventual deportation. The White House and the top Republican in Congress on Monday blasted the Democratic plan, which calls for lowering an existing cap on beds at the detention facilities to 35,520 from the current 40,520 in return for giving Republicans some of the money they want for physical border barriers. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the proposal a "poison pill" introduced into the talks by the Democrats, saying it would result in the release of thousands of illegal immigrants. 'CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC' House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, a Democrat who heads the House-Senate negotiating committee, expressed hope for a deal as she headed into the meeting. The House Appropriations Committee's top Republican, Kay Granger, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, a Republican, and that panel's top Democrat, Patrick Leahy, attended the talks, which lasted a little over an hour. Granger said some progress was made and the four would meet again later in the evening. "We had a good discussion. It’s like all negotiations go. We put out what we want, what they want, we didn’t finish, we will be meeting again today," she said. Trump's December demand for $5.7 billion to help construct a border wall triggered a 35-day partial government shutdown that ended last month without him getting wall funding. Trump agreed to reopen the government for three weeks to allow congressional negotiators time to find a compromise on government funding for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends on September 30, to avert another shutdown on February 15. Trump made a border wall one of his central 2016 campaign promises, saying it is needed to curb illegal immigration, drug trafficking and other crimes. Democrats, who assumed control of the House last month from Trump's fellow Republicans, have called a wall ineffective, expensive and immoral. Democrats generally push for less use of detention, arguing it is much cheaper to release some immigrants but require restrictions on them such as wearing ankle bracelets that track their location. Republicans want to increase the number of beds in detention facilities to enable holding more people to speed up and expand deportations. Trump, who has sought to crack down on illegal and legal immigration and has called the situation at the border a national security crisis, deployed 3,750 more US troops there this month. Rebuking Trump, California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, said he would pull hundreds of the state's National Guard troops from the border. "The border 'emergency' is nothing more than a manufactured crisis - and CA's National Guard will not be part of this political theatre," Newsom wrote on Twitter. New Mexico's Democratic governor made a similar move last week.

US lawmakers meet on border security, scrambling to avert shutdown

President Donald Trump promises a shift to sunny optimism in the State of the Union speech but with his congressional Democratic nemesis seated right behind him, will he be able to resist throwing his usual thunderbolts?

The annual presidential speech to Congress is typically a ritualistic set piece, bloated by lofty rhetoric and endless ovations.

Trump's dramatically delayed State of the Union on Tuesday is, like the president himself, less predictable.

The White House is flagging an "optimistic," "unifying," even "visionary" speech to mark this presidency's midway point. In an excerpt released Friday, Trump predicts Republicans and Democrats can "break decades of political stalemate."

But the mood in Washington is as hostile as it has been for years following the confrontation between Trump and the Democratic-led House of Representatives over his demand for funding for a US-Mexico border wall.

Already, the row has triggered a crippling five-week partial shutdown of government and led to the State of the Union speech itself being put off by a week.

And who'll be sitting on a dais just a few feet behind Trump when he speaks? The House Democrats' steely speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Wall fight

Pelosi has frustrated Trump since December by pushing back against the wall project. Neither is there much sign of a thaw ahead of the president's February 15 deadline for Congress finally to come up with funding or face renewed conflict.

Pelosi, Trump said in an interview with CBS television's "Face the Nation" Sunday talkshow, is "rigid" and "very bad for the country."

If Congress doesn't relent, Trump says he could repeat his government shutdown tactic, which earlier this year led to the temporary freezing of 800,000 federal jobs.

Alternatively, he could bypass Congress altogether, declaring a national emergency due to what he claims is an invasion of criminals along the border, thereby attempting to secure wall funds unilaterally.

It's a move that would spark uproar and lawsuits accusing Trump of manufacturing a crisis for his own political gain.

But not only is an emergency declaration a real possibility, it could, Trump has teased, be unleashed during his speech.

Achievements and threats

Traditionally, the State of the Union is a showcase for the president's accomplishments and broad new proposals.

Trump can be counted on to tout the strength of the US economy, a key message in his looming 2020 reelection campaign. The White House says he will also propose federal infrastructure spending, an area where Democrats could conceivably join forces with the government.

More contentiously, Trump will claim foreign policy successes.

That means defending his push -- criticized by some in the security services and the Republicans -- to withdraw US soldiers from Syria and Afghanistan as soon as possible.

Trump is likewise expected to update Congress on China trade talks and on his intention to hold a second summit with reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whom he is trying to persuade to give up nuclear weapons.

And he may use the high-profile occasion to dial up the pressure on Venezuela's leftist leader Nicolas Maduro -- with opposition leader Juan Guaido's envoy to Washington among the top guests invited to attend.

At each listing of successes, Trump will see Republican legislators rise to clap.

The opposition, however, may greet much of the speech with silence or even the odd heckle, like the "You lie!" yelled at Barack Obama in 2009.

Democrats are lining up ahead of the 2020 polls to take on a president they see as already badly wounded.

Among those watching Trump from the chamber will be members of House investigative committees determined to probe the president's personal finances and other sensitive areas.

That's on top of the huge report by special prosecutor Robert Mueller, who is charged with examining alleged collusion between the Trump election campaign and the Kremlin.

So Trump could breathe fire during his big speech. But Pelosi and her Democrats will be breathing down his neck.

President Donald Trump promises a shift to sunny optimism in the State of the Union speech but with his congressional Democratic nemesis seated right behind him, will he be able to resist throwing his usual thunderbolts?

President Donald Trump promises a shift to sunny optimism in the State of the Union speech but with his congressional Democratic nemesis seated right behind him, will he be able to resist throwing his usual thunderbolts? The annual presidential speech to Congress is typically a ritualistic set piece, bloated by lofty rhetoric and endless ovations. Trump's dramatically delayed State of the Union on Tuesday is, like the president himself, less predictable. The White House is flagging an "optimistic," "unifying," even "visionary" speech to mark this presidency's midway point. In an excerpt released Friday, Trump predicts Republicans and Democrats can "break decades of political stalemate." But the mood in Washington is as hostile as it has been for years following the confrontation between Trump and the Democratic-led House of Representatives over his demand for funding for a US-Mexico border wall. Already, the row has triggered a crippling five-week partial shutdown of government and led to the State of the Union speech itself being put off by a week. And who'll be sitting on a dais just a few feet behind Trump when he speaks? The House Democrats' steely speaker Nancy Pelosi. Wall fight Pelosi has frustrated Trump since December by pushing back against the wall project. Neither is there much sign of a thaw ahead of the president's February 15 deadline for Congress finally to come up with funding or face renewed conflict. Pelosi, Trump said in an interview with CBS television's "Face the Nation" Sunday talkshow, is "rigid" and "very bad for the country." If Congress doesn't relent, Trump says he could repeat his government shutdown tactic, which earlier this year led to the temporary freezing of 800,000 federal jobs. Alternatively, he could bypass Congress altogether, declaring a national emergency due to what he claims is an invasion of criminals along the border, thereby attempting to secure wall funds unilaterally. It's a move that would spark uproar and lawsuits accusing Trump of manufacturing a crisis for his own political gain. But not only is an emergency declaration a real possibility, it could, Trump has teased, be unleashed during his speech. Achievements and threats Traditionally, the State of the Union is a showcase for the president's accomplishments and broad new proposals. Trump can be counted on to tout the strength of the US economy, a key message in his looming 2020 reelection campaign. The White House says he will also propose federal infrastructure spending, an area where Democrats could conceivably join forces with the government. More contentiously, Trump will claim foreign policy successes. That means defending his push -- criticized by some in the security services and the Republicans -- to withdraw US soldiers from Syria and Afghanistan as soon as possible. Trump is likewise expected to update Congress on China trade talks and on his intention to hold a second summit with reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whom he is trying to persuade to give up nuclear weapons. And he may use the high-profile occasion to dial up the pressure on Venezuela's leftist leader Nicolas Maduro -- with opposition leader Juan Guaido's envoy to Washington among the top guests invited to attend. At each listing of successes, Trump will see Republican legislators rise to clap. The opposition, however, may greet much of the speech with silence or even the odd heckle, like the "You lie!" yelled at Barack Obama in 2009. Democrats are lining up ahead of the 2020 polls to take on a president they see as already badly wounded. Among those watching Trump from the chamber will be members of House investigative committees determined to probe the president's personal finances and other sensitive areas. That's on top of the huge report by special prosecutor Robert Mueller, who is charged with examining alleged collusion between the Trump election campaign and the Kremlin. So Trump could breathe fire during his big speech. But Pelosi and her Democrats will be breathing down his neck.

Trump promises sunny State of Union speech but clouds thicken

United States House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said on Saturday she has been flooded with &quot;obscene and sick&quot; calls and text messages after a hacker linked to Russia posted personal contact information online for her and hundreds of other Democratic lawmakers and aides. 
 
Pelosi sent a letter to colleagues warning them to take precautions and said she was changing her phone number after a hacker identified as &quot;Guccifer 2.0&quot; posted the personal cellphone numbers and email addresses on Friday.&nbsp; 
 
The posted information appeared to have been gained in the electronic breach of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the fundraising and campaign arm of Democrats in the House of Representatives. 
 
Other Democratic campaign groups, including the Democratic National Committee, also were targeted by the cyber attack, which was made public late last month. 
 
&quot;On a personal note, I was in the air flying from Florida to California when the news broke. Upon landing, I have received scores of mostly obscene and sick calls, voicemails and text messages,&quot; Pelosi told her colleagues, urging them to keep their phones and incoming text messages away from their family members and children. 
 
&quot;This is a sad course of events, not only for us, but more importantly for our country,&quot; said Pelosi, who earlier in the week blamed Russia for the cyber attack and called it an &quot;electronic Watergate&quot; akin to the 1972 burglary at Democratic Party headquarters that ultimately brought down Republican President Richard Nixon. 
 
John Ramsey, the House`s chief information security officer, sent a memo to lawmakers and aides whose information had been made public urging them to change passwords for all their accounts and to consider changing their non-House email addresses. 
 
He said the hacker had uploaded a spreadsheet with a mix of House and personal email addresses and cellphone numbers for &quot;nearly every&quot; House Democrat and &quot;an assorted number of Republicans,&quot; and similar information for hundreds of staffers. 
 
&quot;Along with the Excel file, `Guccifer 2.0` uploaded documents that included the account names and passwords for an assortment of subscription services used by the DCCC. Initial analysis identifies some members` home addresses, along with their spouse`s name, marital status, and religion,&quot; the memo said. 
 
US intelligence officials have concluded that Guccifer 2.0 is an individual or group operating with or for the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency. Russia has denied involvement in the breach. 
 
The potential Russian involvement in the cyber attack has ignited a fierce campaign debate, with Democrats accusing the Russians of trying to aid Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. 
 
But US officials suspect the operation and others directed at the DNC and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton`s campaign were more likely an attempt to pursue email chains into classified networks or in search of national security policy information than to influence the November 8 US election. 
 
&quot;The Russian assumption probably is that it doesn`t matter much who wins the election, because Wall Street and other powerful lobbies really run the country,&quot; one of the officials said on Saturday, speaking like the others on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence assessments. 
 
&quot;The old Soviet belief hasn`t faded completely when it comes to foreign policy,&quot; the official said. 
 
(Reuters)

Contact details and email addresses of hundreds of Democratic lawmakers outed online by hacker identified as Guccifer 2.0

United States House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said on Saturday she has been flooded with "obscene and sick" calls and text messages after a hacker linked to Russia posted personal contact information online for her and hundreds of other Democratic lawmakers and aides. Pelosi sent a letter to colleagues warning them to take precautions and said she was changing her phone number after a hacker identified as "Guccifer 2.0" posted the personal cellphone numbers and email addresses on Friday. The posted information appeared to have been gained in the electronic breach of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the fundraising and campaign arm of Democrats in the House of Representatives. Other Democratic campaign groups, including the Democratic National Committee, also were targeted by the cyber attack, which was made public late last month. "On a personal note, I was in the air flying from Florida to California when the news broke. Upon landing, I have received scores of mostly obscene and sick calls, voicemails and text messages," Pelosi told her colleagues, urging them to keep their phones and incoming text messages away from their family members and children. "This is a sad course of events, not only for us, but more importantly for our country," said Pelosi, who earlier in the week blamed Russia for the cyber attack and called it an "electronic Watergate" akin to the 1972 burglary at Democratic Party headquarters that ultimately brought down Republican President Richard Nixon. John Ramsey, the House`s chief information security officer, sent a memo to lawmakers and aides whose information had been made public urging them to change passwords for all their accounts and to consider changing their non-House email addresses. He said the hacker had uploaded a spreadsheet with a mix of House and personal email addresses and cellphone numbers for "nearly every" House Democrat and "an assorted number of Republicans," and similar information for hundreds of staffers. "Along with the Excel file, `Guccifer 2.0` uploaded documents that included the account names and passwords for an assortment of subscription services used by the DCCC. Initial analysis identifies some members` home addresses, along with their spouse`s name, marital status, and religion," the memo said. US intelligence officials have concluded that Guccifer 2.0 is an individual or group operating with or for the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency. Russia has denied involvement in the breach. The potential Russian involvement in the cyber attack has ignited a fierce campaign debate, with Democrats accusing the Russians of trying to aid Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. But US officials suspect the operation and others directed at the DNC and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton`s campaign were more likely an attempt to pursue email chains into classified networks or in search of national security policy information than to influence the November 8 US election. "The Russian assumption probably is that it doesn`t matter much who wins the election, because Wall Street and other powerful lobbies really run the country," one of the officials said on Saturday, speaking like the others on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence assessments. "The old Soviet belief hasn`t faded completely when it comes to foreign policy," the official said. (Reuters)

Democrat leader gets 'obscene' calls and texts as party dogged by another hack

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton paid an effective federal tax rate of 34.2 per cent last year and a combined federal, state and local effective tax rate of 43.2 per cent, her campaign said on Friday.&nbsp;Tax forms released by the campaign show that Clinton had a total yearly income of $10,594,529 in 2015 and a tax liability of $3,624,455. 
 
Clinton&#39;s running mate, US senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, along with his wife, Anne Holton, paid a federal effective tax rate of 20.3 per cent in 2015, the campaign said.&nbsp;&quot;Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine continue to set the standard for financial transparency,&quot; Clinton campaign aide Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement. 
 
&quot;In stark contrast, Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns.&quot; 
 
It is customary for US&nbsp;presidential candidates to make their tax returns public, although they are not required by law to do so.&nbsp;Clinton&#39;s tax returns have been made public, in some form, every year since 1977. 
 
Trump, a New York businessman, and his lawyers have cited an audit by the Internal Revenue Service as a reason he has refused to release his returns. Trump also has said his taxes are no one&#39;s business and that they reveal little.&nbsp;The IRS has said Trump can release his tax returns even while under audit. 
 
On Thursday, Trump&#39;s special counsel, Michael Cohen, told CNN he would not allow Trump to release them until the audits are complete. 
 
Politico has reported that Trump paid zero to very little taxes for two years in the 1990s, and a New York Times business columnist on Friday quoted a number of tax lawyers and accountants saying that could still be the case. 
 
Clinton&#39;s campaign has released tax returns going back to 2007. Clinton, who now lives in Chappaqua, New York, paid an average effective federal tax rate of about 32 per cent from 2007 to 2014 and an effective combined tax rate of approximately 40.5 per cent. 
 
(Reuters)

Trump is now the only presidential candidate since 1977 to not publicly release his tax returns

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton paid an effective federal tax rate of 34.2 per cent last year and a combined federal, state and local effective tax rate of 43.2 per cent, her campaign said on Friday. Tax forms released by the campaign show that Clinton had a total yearly income of $10,594,529 in 2015 and a tax liability of $3,624,455. Clinton's running mate, US senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, along with his wife, Anne Holton, paid a federal effective tax rate of 20.3 per cent in 2015, the campaign said. "Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine continue to set the standard for financial transparency," Clinton campaign aide Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement. "In stark contrast, Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns." It is customary for US presidential candidates to make their tax returns public, although they are not required by law to do so. Clinton's tax returns have been made public, in some form, every year since 1977. Trump, a New York businessman, and his lawyers have cited an audit by the Internal Revenue Service as a reason he has refused to release his returns. Trump also has said his taxes are no one's business and that they reveal little. The IRS has said Trump can release his tax returns even while under audit. On Thursday, Trump's special counsel, Michael Cohen, told CNN he would not allow Trump to release them until the audits are complete. Politico has reported that Trump paid zero to very little taxes for two years in the 1990s, and a New York Times business columnist on Friday quoted a number of tax lawyers and accountants saying that could still be the case. Clinton's campaign has released tax returns going back to 2007. Clinton, who now lives in Chappaqua, New York, paid an average effective federal tax rate of about 32 per cent from 2007 to 2014 and an effective combined tax rate of approximately 40.5 per cent. (Reuters)

US Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton releases her tax returns

Western nations warned Monday that a new defamation bill could severely undermine freedom of speech in the Maldives, as they accused President Abdulla Yameen of eroding democracy on the honeymoon islands. 
 
The United States led calls on Yameen to withdraw the bill that is being discussed in parliament this week, saying it gave authorities powers to impose severe penalties on people seeking to exercise basic human rights. &quot;The defamation bill that has been introduced in the Maldivian parliament risks being, if passed, a serious setback for freedom of speech in the Maldives,&quot; the US embassy said in a statement. 
 
&quot;It will allow severe penalties to be imposed on those who wish to exercise their democratic rights and freedoms, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.&quot; 
 
The strongly-worded missive was supported by the Sri Lanka-based diplomatic missions of Britain, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and the European Union, which have responsibility for the Maldives. The statement also expressed &quot;concern about the erosion of fundamental freedoms and the institutions of democracy, including freedom of assembly and press&quot; under Yameen, who came to power in 2013. 
 
&quot;We urge President Yameen to reverse the backsliding of the past many months and return to the path of democracy, transparency, and rule of law -&ndash; for the well-being and prosperity of all of the people in the Maldives,&quot; it added. 
 
Maldivian police arrested 16 journalists in April for protesting against the bill, which seeks to criminalise defamation and proposes heavy fines and jail terms for offenders. 
 
Independent media institutions fear it could be used to stifle freedom of speech on the islands, whose pristine seas and white sandy beaches are a popular draw for wealthy Western tourists. The Indian Ocean archipelago adopted multiparty democracy in 2008 after decades of autocratic rule. 
 
But it has been gripped by turmoil since its first democratically-elected leader Mohamed Nasheed was toppled in 2012. Nasheed, whose jailing last year on terror charges has been widely criticised by the West, has since secured political asylum in Britain after travelling there for medical treatment while on prison leave. 
 
(AFP)

It will allow severe penalties to be imposed on those who wish to exercise their democratic rights and freedoms: US embassy

Western nations warned Monday that a new defamation bill could severely undermine freedom of speech in the Maldives, as they accused President Abdulla Yameen of eroding democracy on the honeymoon islands. The United States led calls on Yameen to withdraw the bill that is being discussed in parliament this week, saying it gave authorities powers to impose severe penalties on people seeking to exercise basic human rights. "The defamation bill that has been introduced in the Maldivian parliament risks being, if passed, a serious setback for freedom of speech in the Maldives," the US embassy said in a statement. "It will allow severe penalties to be imposed on those who wish to exercise their democratic rights and freedoms, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights." The strongly-worded missive was supported by the Sri Lanka-based diplomatic missions of Britain, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and the European Union, which have responsibility for the Maldives. The statement also expressed "concern about the erosion of fundamental freedoms and the institutions of democracy, including freedom of assembly and press" under Yameen, who came to power in 2013. "We urge President Yameen to reverse the backsliding of the past many months and return to the path of democracy, transparency, and rule of law -– for the well-being and prosperity of all of the people in the Maldives," it added. Maldivian police arrested 16 journalists in April for protesting against the bill, which seeks to criminalise defamation and proposes heavy fines and jail terms for offenders. Independent media institutions fear it could be used to stifle freedom of speech on the islands, whose pristine seas and white sandy beaches are a popular draw for wealthy Western tourists. The Indian Ocean archipelago adopted multiparty democracy in 2008 after decades of autocratic rule. But it has been gripped by turmoil since its first democratically-elected leader Mohamed Nasheed was toppled in 2012. Nasheed, whose jailing last year on terror charges has been widely criticised by the West, has since secured political asylum in Britain after travelling there for medical treatment while on prison leave. (AFP)

Proposed Maldives defamation bill threatens freedom of speech, critics warn

The head of the Democratic Party, Deborah Wasserman Schultz, on Sunday announced her intention to resign after this week&#39;s Democratic convention amid a furor over embarrassing leaked emails, as the Clinton team hopes to head off a growing rebellion by Bernie Sanders supporters on the eve of the convention to nominate Hillary Clinton for the White House. 
 
Lingering bitterness from their heated primary campaign erupted after more than 19,000 Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails, leaked on Friday, seemed to confirm Sanders&#39; frequent charge that the party played favourites in the race. 
 
The cache of emails leaked by the WikiLeaks website revealed DNC officials explored ways to undermine Sanders&#39; insurgent presidential campaign. This included raising questions about whether Sanders, who is Jewish, was really an atheist, so as to undermine him and his campaign in highly religious states. 
 
Wasserman Schultz will be replaced by interim chair Donna Brazile, a Democratic stategist and television commentator who has openly criticised the Sanders campaign. 
 
In a statement, DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said the best way for the party to accomplish its goal of putting Clinton in the White House was for her to step down. Sanders had demanded earlier in the day that Wasserman Schultz resign.&nbsp;Shortly after Wasserman Schultz did indeed make this announcement, Clinton named her honorary chair of the Clinton campaign team. 
 
The furor was a blow to a party keen on projecting stability in contrast to the volatility of Republican candidate Donald Trump, who was formally nominated at a raucous convention last week, and overshadowed preparations in Philadelphia for Clinton&#39;s coronation as the nominee to face Trump in the November 8, US presidential election. 
 
Sanders said Wasserman Schultz, a member of Congress from Florida, had made the right decision for the future of the Democratic Party. &quot;The party leadership must also always remain impartial in the presidential nominating process, something which did not occur in the 2016 race,&quot; he said. 
 
The emails angered many Sanders supporters who were already dismayed by Clinton&#39;s choice on Friday of low-key US Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her vice presidential running mate. Kaine, who could appeal to independents and moderates, has never been aligned with party liberals. Kaine is a vocal proponent of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an enormous free trade deal involving 12 countries, including those from South America, Asia and North America. 
 
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of downtown Philadelphia, livid over the treatment Bernie Sanders received from the DNC and were happy to hear Wasserman Schultz had resigned from her post. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m exited that Debbie Wasserman Shultz has resigned, I think there&#39;s hope for Bernie, it&#39;s not over yet,&quot; Bruce Eichbauer told Reuters. 
 
A Sanders campaign worker said Wasserman Shultz needs to apologise. 
 
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign manager Robby Mook blamed Moscow for hacking into the party&#39;s email, then sending the stolen messages to Wikileaks so as to advance the Trump campaign. As he said live on CNN: 
 
&quot;What is disturbing to us is that experts are telling us that Russians broke into the DNC, stole these emails and other experts are now saying that the Russians are now releasing these emails for the purpose of actually helping Donald Trump. I don&#39;t think it&#39;s coincidental that these emails were released on the eve of our convention here and that&#39;s disturbing.&quot; 
 
Sanders, who has endorsed Clinton and will speak on her behalf to the convention on Monday, waged a heated months-long battle for the nomination. Branding himself a democratic socialist, Sanders galvanised young and liberal voters with his calls to rein in Wall Street and eradicate income inequality. 
 
Earlier Sunday the hashtag #BernieMustDisavow was trending, as Sanders supporters were urging him to pull away from the Democratic party altogether, believing the Democratic party is too rigged against Sanders and that it&#39;s best for him to join Dr Jill Stein, the leader of the Green Party.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
There&#39;s still time for <a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders">@BernieSanders</a> to do the right thing - not for the DNC, but for America. <a href="https://t.co/P7MHWurKQJ">https://t.co/P7MHWurKQJ</a>
&mdash; Dr. Jill Stein (@DrJillStein) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrJillStein/status/757315692907655169">July 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
 
 
For good measure, Donald Trump posted a tweet about Wasserman Schultz, who is Jewish, which was seen by many as anti-Semitic: 
&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The highly neurotic Debbie Wasserman Schultz is angry that, after stealing and cheating her way to a Crooked Hillary victory, she&#39;s out!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/757343025983057922">July 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
 
 
The four-day Democratic convention will open on Monday. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Shortly after resignation speech, Clinton appointed her honorary chair of her campaign

The head of the Democratic Party, Deborah Wasserman Schultz, on Sunday announced her intention to resign after this week's Democratic convention amid a furor over embarrassing leaked emails, as the Clinton team hopes to head off a growing rebellion by Bernie Sanders supporters on the eve of the convention to nominate Hillary Clinton for the White House. Lingering bitterness from their heated primary campaign erupted after more than 19,000 Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails, leaked on Friday, seemed to confirm Sanders' frequent charge that the party played favourites in the race. The cache of emails leaked by the WikiLeaks website revealed DNC officials explored ways to undermine Sanders' insurgent presidential campaign. This included raising questions about whether Sanders, who is Jewish, was really an atheist, so as to undermine him and his campaign in highly religious states. Wasserman Schultz will be replaced by interim chair Donna Brazile, a Democratic stategist and television commentator who has openly criticised the Sanders campaign. In a statement, DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said the best way for the party to accomplish its goal of putting Clinton in the White House was for her to step down. Sanders had demanded earlier in the day that Wasserman Schultz resign. Shortly after Wasserman Schultz did indeed make this announcement, Clinton named her honorary chair of the Clinton campaign team. The furor was a blow to a party keen on projecting stability in contrast to the volatility of Republican candidate Donald Trump, who was formally nominated at a raucous convention last week, and overshadowed preparations in Philadelphia for Clinton's coronation as the nominee to face Trump in the November 8, US presidential election. Sanders said Wasserman Schultz, a member of Congress from Florida, had made the right decision for the future of the Democratic Party. "The party leadership must also always remain impartial in the presidential nominating process, something which did not occur in the 2016 race," he said. The emails angered many Sanders supporters who were already dismayed by Clinton's choice on Friday of low-key US Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her vice presidential running mate. Kaine, who could appeal to independents and moderates, has never been aligned with party liberals. Kaine is a vocal proponent of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an enormous free trade deal involving 12 countries, including those from South America, Asia and North America. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of downtown Philadelphia, livid over the treatment Bernie Sanders received from the DNC and were happy to hear Wasserman Schultz had resigned from her post. "I'm exited that Debbie Wasserman Shultz has resigned, I think there's hope for Bernie, it's not over yet," Bruce Eichbauer told Reuters. A Sanders campaign worker said Wasserman Shultz needs to apologise. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton's campaign manager Robby Mook blamed Moscow for hacking into the party's email, then sending the stolen messages to Wikileaks so as to advance the Trump campaign. As he said live on CNN: "What is disturbing to us is that experts are telling us that Russians broke into the DNC, stole these emails and other experts are now saying that the Russians are now releasing these emails for the purpose of actually helping Donald Trump. I don't think it's coincidental that these emails were released on the eve of our convention here and that's disturbing." Sanders, who has endorsed Clinton and will speak on her behalf to the convention on Monday, waged a heated months-long battle for the nomination. Branding himself a democratic socialist, Sanders galvanised young and liberal voters with his calls to rein in Wall Street and eradicate income inequality. Earlier Sunday the hashtag #BernieMustDisavow was trending, as Sanders supporters were urging him to pull away from the Democratic party altogether, believing the Democratic party is too rigged against Sanders and that it's best for him to join Dr Jill Stein, the leader of the Green Party. There's still time for @BernieSanders to do the right thing - not for the DNC, but for America. https://t.co/P7MHWurKQJ — Dr. Jill Stein (@DrJillStein) July 24, 2016 For good measure, Donald Trump posted a tweet about Wasserman Schultz, who is Jewish, which was seen by many as anti-Semitic: The highly neurotic Debbie Wasserman Schultz is angry that, after stealing and cheating her way to a Crooked Hillary victory, she's out! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2016 The four-day Democratic convention will open on Monday. (WION with inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Head of Democratic Party to resign amid email leak indicating anti-Sanders bias

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign on Wednesday signaled plans for a big assault on Republican Donald Trump, even as she battles to hold off rival Bernie Sanders in California.

Clinton, a former Secretary of State, is to deliver what her campaign described as a major speech today&nbsp;in San Diego to underscore what she feels would be the threat posed by Trump to U.S. national security if he is elected president on Nov. 8.

Her language to describe Trump has grown more aggressive by the day. On Wednesday, she seized on testimony released in a lawsuit against Trump University, in which some former workers said they believed Trump&#39;s for-profit school was fraudulent.

&quot;Trump and his employees took advantage of vulnerable Americans encouraging them to max out their credit cards, empty their retirement savings, destroy their financial futures, all while making promises they knew were false from the beginning,&quot; Clinton told a campaign event in Newark, New Jersey.

&quot;This is just more evidence that Donald Trump himself is a fraud.&quot;

Lawyers for Trump have said most students were satisfied with Trump University, dismissing the former workers&#39; testimony as discredited.

Trump, anticipating Clinton&#39;s foreign policy attacks on him, tried to raise doubts about her leadership skills at a rally in Sacramento, Calif.

&quot;She is a person with absolutely no natural talent,&quot; he said. &quot;All you have to do is watch her speak.&quot;

Repeatedly referring to Clinton as &quot;crooked Hillary,&quot; Trump sharply criticized her handling of foreign policy, including the Sept. 11, 2012, attack by Islamic militants on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador.

&quot;She went to sleep,&quot; Trump added.

Clinton&#39;s effort to define Trump as unfit to be commander-in-chief comes as she faces fierce opposition from Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont who has insisted on staying in the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination despite Clinton&#39;s nearly insurmountable lead.

California&#39;s primary next Tuesday is shaping up to be pivotal in the Democratic contest, with Clinton holding a 13-point advantage over Sanders, 51 percent to 38 percent, according to the Hoover Institution&#39;s Golden State Poll in the state. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll gave Clinton a much narrower lead of 49 percent, to 47 percent for Sanders.

Clinton, with 2,312 delegates, needs 71 more delegates to reach the required 2,383 for the Democratic nomination. Sanders has 1,545. At stake in the California primary are 548 delegates who are awarded proportional to the vote. Five other states also vote next Tuesday, including New Jersey, which could also turn the tide for Clinton.

Despite Clinton&#39;s perceived advantage, there are lingering concerns among some Democrats about possible weakness, given the protracted battle with Sanders, a democratic socialist whose calls for free college tuition have energized young voters.

Doug Schoen, a Democratic pollster, wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that California voters appeared to be leaning toward Sanders in recent days.

Sanders has been holding events every day this week in the state. Clinton canceled a New Jersey event planned for today&nbsp;to go to California a day earlier than anticipated and is to stay there until Monday.

&quot;The inevitability behind Mrs. Clinton&rsquo;s nomination will be in large measure eviscerated if she loses the June 7 California primary to Bernie Sanders,&quot; Schoen wrote. &quot;That could well happen.&quot;

&nbsp;

&#39;CAN&#39;T IGNORE TRUMP&#39;

Other Democrats expressed confidence in Clinton&#39;s position and her move to assail Trump on foreign policy.

&quot;I think she has to,&quot; said Democratic strategist Jim Manley. &quot;Leaving aside California, I think they can&rsquo;t just ignore Donald Trump in that they should be spending a majority of time focusing on him instead of Sanders at this point, because based on the math Sanders can&rsquo;t win.&quot;

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has faced criticism for a variety of positions on foreign policy, such as his willingness to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his idea that Japan and South Korea might need to develop nuclear arsenals.

On the other hand, past Republican presidents and current Democratic President Barack Obama have, like Trump, said NATO nations should pay more for their defense to ease the U.S. burden. Trump, however, has declared NATO obsolete and in need of reconfiguring.

A Clinton aide said &nbsp;Hillary Clinton,&nbsp;would say Trump had not outlined a coherent foreign policy doctrine and had proven himself to be temperamentally unfit to serve as president.

Democratic Presidential front runner Hillary Clinton plans for a big assault on Republican Donald Trump, even as she battles another Democratic rival Bernie Sanders

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton's campaign on Wednesday signaled plans for a big assault on Republican Donald Trump, even as she battles to hold off rival Bernie Sanders in California. Clinton, a former Secretary of State, is to deliver what her campaign described as a major speech today in San Diego to underscore what she feels would be the threat posed by Trump to U.S. national security if he is elected president on Nov. 8. Her language to describe Trump has grown more aggressive by the day. On Wednesday, she seized on testimony released in a lawsuit against Trump University, in which some former workers said they believed Trump's for-profit school was fraudulent. "Trump and his employees took advantage of vulnerable Americans encouraging them to max out their credit cards, empty their retirement savings, destroy their financial futures, all while making promises they knew were false from the beginning," Clinton told a campaign event in Newark, New Jersey. "This is just more evidence that Donald Trump himself is a fraud." Lawyers for Trump have said most students were satisfied with Trump University, dismissing the former workers' testimony as discredited. Trump, anticipating Clinton's foreign policy attacks on him, tried to raise doubts about her leadership skills at a rally in Sacramento, Calif. "She is a person with absolutely no natural talent," he said. "All you have to do is watch her speak." Repeatedly referring to Clinton as "crooked Hillary," Trump sharply criticized her handling of foreign policy, including the Sept. 11, 2012, attack by Islamic militants on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador. "She went to sleep," Trump added. Clinton's effort to define Trump as unfit to be commander-in-chief comes as she faces fierce opposition from Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont who has insisted on staying in the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination despite Clinton's nearly insurmountable lead. California's primary next Tuesday is shaping up to be pivotal in the Democratic contest, with Clinton holding a 13-point advantage over Sanders, 51 percent to 38 percent, according to the Hoover Institution's Golden State Poll in the state. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll gave Clinton a much narrower lead of 49 percent, to 47 percent for Sanders. Clinton, with 2,312 delegates, needs 71 more delegates to reach the required 2,383 for the Democratic nomination. Sanders has 1,545. At stake in the California primary are 548 delegates who are awarded proportional to the vote. Five other states also vote next Tuesday, including New Jersey, which could also turn the tide for Clinton. Despite Clinton's perceived advantage, there are lingering concerns among some Democrats about possible weakness, given the protracted battle with Sanders, a democratic socialist whose calls for free college tuition have energized young voters. Doug Schoen, a Democratic pollster, wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that California voters appeared to be leaning toward Sanders in recent days. Sanders has been holding events every day this week in the state. Clinton canceled a New Jersey event planned for today to go to California a day earlier than anticipated and is to stay there until Monday. "The inevitability behind Mrs. Clinton’s nomination will be in large measure eviscerated if she loses the June 7 California primary to Bernie Sanders," Schoen wrote. "That could well happen." 'CAN'T IGNORE TRUMP' Other Democrats expressed confidence in Clinton's position and her move to assail Trump on foreign policy. "I think she has to," said Democratic strategist Jim Manley. "Leaving aside California, I think they can’t just ignore Donald Trump in that they should be spending a majority of time focusing on him instead of Sanders at this point, because based on the math Sanders can’t win." Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has faced criticism for a variety of positions on foreign policy, such as his willingness to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his idea that Japan and South Korea might need to develop nuclear arsenals. On the other hand, past Republican presidents and current Democratic President Barack Obama have, like Trump, said NATO nations should pay more for their defense to ease the U.S. burden. Trump, however, has declared NATO obsolete and in need of reconfiguring. A Clinton aide said Hillary Clinton, would say Trump had not outlined a coherent foreign policy doctrine and had proven himself to be temperamentally unfit to serve as president.

Battling to hold off Sanders,Clinton to assail Trump on foreign policy

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