The dollar took US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's impeachment in stride on Thursday while its Australian counterpart rallied after a surprise fall in the country's unemployment rate. The British pound&nbsp;remained under pressure on renewed fears of a chaotic exit from the European Union. It was last at $1.3081 after sliding nearly 2 per cent&nbsp;in as many days.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/euro-steady-as-us-dollar-set-for-worst-week-since-october-266647">Dollar</a> traders were sanguine after a majority of lawmakers in the US&nbsp;House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump.

The dollar was a shade firmer against the safe-haven yen&nbsp;at 109.56. An index that tracks the dollar against six major currencies hovered at 97.347, not far from a six-day high of 97.475 touched on Wednesday.

"It is unlikely that the Senate will support the motion when it votes in January, as is required to remove Trump from office," ANZ economists wrote in a note.

The Aussie dollar climbed as high as $0.6883 after the robust jobs data suggested the country's labour market might have enough life in it to lessen the need for more interest rate cuts. It was last at $0.6878.

In New Zealand, better-than-expected third-quarter economic growth data sent the kiwi dollar&nbsp;bouncing off a one-week low at $0.6592.

Risk sensitive currencies such as the Aussie and the kiwi started December on a firm footing after a preliminary US-China <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/us-china-trade-conflict-lack-of-trust-hobbling-the-ability-to-reach-a-deal-198533">trade deal</a> and a landslide Conservative election win in the UK removed two major uncertainties hanging over markets.

However, fears have resurfaced this week as the spectre of US-led <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/trade-war-goes-digital-countries-eye-tariffs-on-internet-economy-266783">tariff war</a> has not completely disappeared with traders awaiting more details on the "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/phase-one-trade-deal-reached-with-us-china-268186">phase one</a>" deal with Beijing.

US&nbsp;Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Tuesday that the United States may raise tariffs on European goods as it tries to shrink its chronic trade deficit with the continent, re-igniting worries of the prospects of the export-driven euro.

The euro&nbsp;held close to Wednesday's trough of $1.1109 against the dollar, shrugging off a better-than-expected survey of German business morale. It was last at $1.1126.

"The most significant piece of news overnight has been the German December IFO survey, which... has shown evidence that the German economy may be in the process of pulling itself up by its boot straps," said Ray Attrill, Sydney-based head of forex strategy at National Australia Bank.

"Improvement in the German – and broader Eurozone – economy – is fundamental to our expectation for a softer US&nbsp;dollar and stronger Euro next year."

Markets will focus on interest rate decisions from the Bank of England, which is seen unlikely to change policy. At its previous meeting, two of the central bank's nine policymakers voted to cut interest rates.

The dollar took US President Donald Trump's impeachment in stride on Thursday while its Australian counterpart rallied after a surprise fall in the country's unemployment rate.

The dollar took US President Donald Trump's impeachment in stride on Thursday while its Australian counterpart rallied after a surprise fall in the country's unemployment rate. The British pound remained under pressure on renewed fears of a chaotic exit from the European Union. It was last at $1.3081 after sliding nearly 2 per cent in as many days. Dollar traders were sanguine after a majority of lawmakers in the US House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump. The dollar was a shade firmer against the safe-haven yen at 109.56. An index that tracks the dollar against six major currencies hovered at 97.347, not far from a six-day high of 97.475 touched on Wednesday. "It is unlikely that the Senate will support the motion when it votes in January, as is required to remove Trump from office," ANZ economists wrote in a note. The Aussie dollar climbed as high as $0.6883 after the robust jobs data suggested the country's labour market might have enough life in it to lessen the need for more interest rate cuts. It was last at $0.6878. In New Zealand, better-than-expected third-quarter economic growth data sent the kiwi dollar bouncing off a one-week low at $0.6592. Risk sensitive currencies such as the Aussie and the kiwi started December on a firm footing after a preliminary US-China trade deal and a landslide Conservative election win in the UK removed two major uncertainties hanging over markets. However, fears have resurfaced this week as the spectre of US-led tariff war has not completely disappeared with traders awaiting more details on the "phase one" deal with Beijing. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Tuesday that the United States may raise tariffs on European goods as it tries to shrink its chronic trade deficit with the continent, re-igniting worries of the prospects of the export-driven euro. The euro held close to Wednesday's trough of $1.1109 against the dollar, shrugging off a better-than-expected survey of German business morale. It was last at $1.1126. "The most significant piece of news overnight has been the German December IFO survey, which... has shown evidence that the German economy may be in the process of pulling itself up by its boot straps," said Ray Attrill, Sydney-based head of forex strategy at National Australia Bank. "Improvement in the German – and broader Eurozone – economy – is fundamental to our expectation for a softer US dollar and stronger Euro next year." Markets will focus on interest rate decisions from the Bank of England, which is seen unlikely to change policy. At its previous meeting, two of the central bank's nine policymakers voted to cut interest rates.

Dollar barely flinches after Trump impeachment, Aussie jumps on solid jobs data

US President Donald Trump on Thursday blasted the Democrats and said that the party is "consumed with hatred" after he was impeached Wednesday for abuse of power and obstructing Congress.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday blasted the Democrats and said that the party is "consumed with hatred" after he was impeached Wednesday for abuse of power and obstructing Congress. "While we're creating jobs and fighting for Michigan, the radical Left in Congress is consumed with envy and hatred and rage, you see what's going on," the Republican leader said at a campaign rally in the state. "These people are crazy," he added. × Trump accused the Democratic Party, which controls the House of Representatives where the votes took place, of "trying to nullify the ballots of tens of millions of patriotic Americans." "This lawless, partisan impeachment is a political suicide march for the Democrat Party," Trump told a rollicking rally for his re-election campaign in Michigan just as the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted to impeach him. He said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats had given themselves an "eternal mark of shame" and that tens of millions of people will show up next year to overturn Democratic control of the House and "vote Pelosi the hell out of office." "They're the ones who should be impeached, every one of them," he said of Democrats. (With inputs from agencies)

Impeached US President Trump says Democrats 'consumed with hatred'

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/taiwan-conducts-military-exercise-amid-tensions-with-china-142795">Taiwan</a>&nbsp;is ramping up efforts ahead of a January 11&nbsp;election&nbsp;to combat fake news and disinformation that the government says China is bombarding the island with to undermine its democracy.

But&nbsp;Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang, which favours close ties with China, is crying foul, accusing the ruling <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-interfering-in-election-every-day-taiwan-president-tsai-ing-wen-263144">Democratic Progressive Party</a> (DPP) of running its own disinformation campaign, saying the threat is closer to home.

Taiwan's rambunctious democracy has long been deeply polarised and partisan.

Accusations of dirty-doings, denials and counter-denials are part and parcel of political life on the island, played out on its many cable news channels and online, mostly on Facebook, messaging app Line and the&nbsp;Taiwan-focused bulletin board PTT.

Fake news and disinformation campaigns are a problem governments around the world are trying to tackle. US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/donald-trumps-attitude-towards-india-unpredictable-unreliable-238560">Donald Trump</a> has repeatedly lambasted US&nbsp;media for what he says is its "fake news" about him and his administration.

Taiwan, which holds presidential and legislative&nbsp;elections on January 11, says it is particularly vulnerable to influence-peddling by its giant, autocratic neighbour China, which claims&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;as its own territory, to be brought under Beijing's rule by force if need be.

"Taiwan&nbsp;is a democratic, open society. They are using our freedom and openness, bringing in news that is not beneficial to the government," Chiu Chui-cheng, deputy head of&nbsp;Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, told Reuters, referring to China.

"They are seeking to confuse the perception of people. It's a perception war," he said. "Mainland China uses organisations in&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;to help disseminate fake news."

But the Kuomintang and its presidential candidate, Han Kuo-yu, lagging in the polls behind President Tsai Ing-wen, say voters should focus on what the ruling party is doing to muddy the waters, and should stop trying to "smear them red" a reference to the colours of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-china-communist-partys-xi-event-begins-499">China's Communist Party</a>.

"Have a look on the internet, isn't about more than 90 percent of online news attacks against Han Kuo-yu?" Han's campaign spokeswoman, Anne Wang, told Reuters.

She said almost nobody on the PTT bulletin board supported the Kuomintang, which undermined ruling party complaints of Beijing's interference on behalf of the opposition party.

"If mainland China wants to support the Kuomintang, how can that be the result?" she asked.

"Is their (China's) fake news cyber army too weak? Have they failed? Or is the cyber army in service of the DPP more powerful and ferocious?"

The suicide of&nbsp;Taiwan's consul general in the Japanese city of Osaka last year, following fake reports he had not done enough to help&nbsp;Taiwanese stranded by a typhoon, has been seized upon by the Kuomintang, after Taipei prosecutors this month filed charges against one of the people accused of spreading the reports, a prominent DPP member.

Kuomintang legislator Lai Shyh-bao said it was ironic that Tsai blamed DPP losses in mayoral&nbsp;elections last year on fake news.

"Now we know that she is the commander of all the fake news," Lai said.

The DPP says it had nothing to do with the consul general's death.

"Fake news is encroaching on&nbsp;Taiwan's democracy, splitting apart&nbsp;Taiwan's people. Everyone needs to be on guard," DPP spokeswoman Lee Yen-jong said.

Fact-checking groups say people are being bombarded with fake news and have set up websites and chat rooms, and held seminars, to help people identify it.

Government task forces have been mandated to "bust rumours" while a security agency has launched a "special mission" to crack down on suspected fake news from China to influence votes, according to an official with knowledge of the matter who declined to be identified.

"Fake news destroys trust between people," said Johnson Liang, founder of the group Cofacts.

"When the trust between people has been lost, you won't trust that politicians will do things beneficial to you, neither will you believe that representatives will speak up for you."

China denies seeking to interfere in&nbsp;Taiwan's&nbsp;election.

Its policy-making&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Affairs Office said it was "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mesut-ozil-deceived-by-fake-news-will-be-pleased-to-see-him-go-to-xinjiang-china-268547">fake news</a>" to suggest that it was trying to meddle.

"Every time there is a&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;regional&nbsp;election, various fake news is 'created' to make rumours about and smear the mainland," the office said in a statement to Reuters.

The DPP reacted angrily to pictures on social media supposedly showing its deputy secretary-general, Lin Fei-fan, dining with self-professed&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;spy Wang Liqiang.

Wang has described in Australian media how he worked with China's Communist Party to meddle in&nbsp;Taiwan. China says he is a convicted fraudster. The Kuomintang also says they have serious doubts about his claims.

The DPP says the person identified in the picture as Li is an assistant to a Hong Kong legislator and blamed "China-friendly forces" for the "fake message".

Internet companies have moved to tackle fake news as the&nbsp;elections approach. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/facebook-shares-fall-over-possible-us-antitrust-move-268567">Facebook</a> has vowed to step up efforts to counter disinformation and "state-backed influence operations". Line Corp has teamed up with several advocacy groups to help users verify information.

Facebook last week removed more than 200 accounts, pages and groups to help "protect the integrity of&nbsp;Taiwan's&nbsp;elections".

Taiwan&nbsp;FactCheck Centre, which is collaborating with Line, said it had seen a sharp increase in political messages on the platform since September.

"We're overwhelmed," said Summer Chen, the group's chief editor.

"There are a lot of rumours before the&nbsp;elections. They are spreading faster and mobilising hatred," she told Reuters, referring to rumours she believed were coming from China.

Taiwan is ramping up efforts ahead of a January 11 election to combat fake news and disinformation that the government says China is bombarding the island with to undermine its democracy.

Taiwan is ramping up efforts ahead of a January 11 election to combat fake news and disinformation that the government says China is bombarding the island with to undermine its democracy. But Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang, which favours close ties with China, is crying foul, accusing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of running its own disinformation campaign, saying the threat is closer to home. Taiwan's rambunctious democracy has long been deeply polarised and partisan. Accusations of dirty-doings, denials and counter-denials are part and parcel of political life on the island, played out on its many cable news channels and online, mostly on Facebook, messaging app Line and the Taiwan-focused bulletin board PTT. Fake news and disinformation campaigns are a problem governments around the world are trying to tackle. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly lambasted US media for what he says is its "fake news" about him and his administration. Taiwan, which holds presidential and legislative elections on January 11, says it is particularly vulnerable to influence-peddling by its giant, autocratic neighbour China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be brought under Beijing's rule by force if need be. "Taiwan is a democratic, open society. They are using our freedom and openness, bringing in news that is not beneficial to the government," Chiu Chui-cheng, deputy head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, told Reuters, referring to China. "They are seeking to confuse the perception of people. It's a perception war," he said. "Mainland China uses organisations in Taiwan to help disseminate fake news." But the Kuomintang and its presidential candidate, Han Kuo-yu, lagging in the polls behind President Tsai Ing-wen, say voters should focus on what the ruling party is doing to muddy the waters, and should stop trying to "smear them red" a reference to the colours of China's Communist Party. "Have a look on the internet, isn't about more than 90 percent of online news attacks against Han Kuo-yu?" Han's campaign spokeswoman, Anne Wang, told Reuters. She said almost nobody on the PTT bulletin board supported the Kuomintang, which undermined ruling party complaints of Beijing's interference on behalf of the opposition party. "If mainland China wants to support the Kuomintang, how can that be the result?" she asked. "Is their (China's) fake news cyber army too weak? Have they failed? Or is the cyber army in service of the DPP more powerful and ferocious?" The suicide of Taiwan's consul general in the Japanese city of Osaka last year, following fake reports he had not done enough to help Taiwanese stranded by a typhoon, has been seized upon by the Kuomintang, after Taipei prosecutors this month filed charges against one of the people accused of spreading the reports, a prominent DPP member. Kuomintang legislator Lai Shyh-bao said it was ironic that Tsai blamed DPP losses in mayoral elections last year on fake news. "Now we know that she is the commander of all the fake news," Lai said. The DPP says it had nothing to do with the consul general's death. "Fake news is encroaching on Taiwan's democracy, splitting apart Taiwan's people. Everyone needs to be on guard," DPP spokeswoman Lee Yen-jong said. Fact-checking groups say people are being bombarded with fake news and have set up websites and chat rooms, and held seminars, to help people identify it. Government task forces have been mandated to "bust rumours" while a security agency has launched a "special mission" to crack down on suspected fake news from China to influence votes, according to an official with knowledge of the matter who declined to be identified. "Fake news destroys trust between people," said Johnson Liang, founder of the group Cofacts. "When the trust between people has been lost, you won't trust that politicians will do things beneficial to you, neither will you believe that representatives will speak up for you." China denies seeking to interfere in Taiwan's election. Its policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office said it was "fake news" to suggest that it was trying to meddle. "Every time there is a Taiwan regional election, various fake news is 'created' to make rumours about and smear the mainland," the office said in a statement to Reuters. The DPP reacted angrily to pictures on social media supposedly showing its deputy secretary-general, Lin Fei-fan, dining with self-professed Chinese spy Wang Liqiang. Wang has described in Australian media how he worked with China's Communist Party to meddle in Taiwan. China says he is a convicted fraudster. The Kuomintang also says they have serious doubts about his claims. The DPP says the person identified in the picture as Li is an assistant to a Hong Kong legislator and blamed "China-friendly forces" for the "fake message". Internet companies have moved to tackle fake news as the elections approach. Facebook has vowed to step up efforts to counter disinformation and "state-backed influence operations". Line Corp has teamed up with several advocacy groups to help users verify information. Facebook last week removed more than 200 accounts, pages and groups to help "protect the integrity of Taiwan's elections". Taiwan FactCheck Centre, which is collaborating with Line, said it had seen a sharp increase in political messages on the platform since September. "We're overwhelmed," said Summer Chen, the group's chief editor. "There are a lot of rumours before the elections. They are spreading faster and mobilising hatred," she told Reuters, referring to rumours she believed were coming from China.

Chinese 'rumours' and 'cyber armies': Taiwan fights election 'fake news'

Trump impeachment saga: What you need to know ahead of the vote

The American public is about evenly split over whether President Donald Trump should be impeached and removed from office. House of Representatives poised to vote on articles of impeachment this week. The impeachment vote in the House of Representatives will take place on December 18. #DonaldTrumpImpeachment #DonaldTrump #America

Americans remain divided on Donald Trump Impeachment

An enraged US President Donald Trump said he was being subjected to an "attempted coup" and a witch trial as Democrats set a historic impeachment vote for Wednesday.

An enraged US President Donald Trump said he was being subjected to an "attempted coup" and a witch trial as Democrats set a historic impeachment vote for Wednesday. In an extraordinarily angry six-page letter, Trump on Tuesday told Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the Democratic-led House of Representatives, that "history will judge you harshly." Referring to a famous miscarriage of justice and religious extremism in the 17th-century United States, resulting in 20 executions, Trump said he'd been given less rights than "those accused in the Salem Witch Trials." The letter came just minutes before Pelosi announced that the House would vote Wednesday to make Trump only the third US leader ever impeached and placed on trial in the Senate. "Tomorrow the House of Representatives will exercise one of the most solemn powers granted to us by the Constitution as we vote to approve two articles of impeachment against the president of the United States," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to Democratic colleagues on Tuesday. "During this very prayerful moment in our nation's history, we must honor our oath to support and defend our constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic," she added. Frustration and fury Trump is accused of attempting to force Ukraine into what would have been a damaging announcement of an unfounded probe into a main 2020 reelection rival, Joe Biden. He is also accused of obstructing Congress by refusing to cooperate with the impeachment investigation, barring staff from testifying and holding back documentary evidence. The two articles of impeachment are certain to pass in the House, where Democrats hold a firm majority. That will send the case to the Senate, where a trial of Trump is expected to open in January, and his acquittal is equally expected, given the Republicans' control there. Even with that likely outcome, Trump virtually exploded in an extraordinary outpouring of frustration and fury in the letter to Pelosi defending his record and attacking Democrats. The letter, on White House paper and ending with his characteristic oversized signature in thick black pen, accused the veteran Democratic politician of "breaking your allegiance to the Constitution" and "declaring open war on American Democracy." It repeated his claim that the entire case against him is a "hoax" and a "colossal injustice." It said Democrats were being driven in impeachment "by your most deranged and radical representatives of the far left." Democrats do the numbers In a comment in Congress likely to further enrage Trump, Pelosi dismissed the missive as "really sick." With the exception of just two, her party's 235 members in Congress appeared poised to stand united in voting through the formal impeachment charges Wednesday. While some members from relatively conservative districts face the possibility of being voted out of office next year for their stance, they stood together under Pelosi's political wrangling. "My military service taught me to put our country -- not politics -- first, and my time as a federal prosecutor taught me about the importance of the rule of law and of justice," declared Mikie Sherrill, a first-term representative from a Trump-leaning district in New Jersey. "I will be voting in favor of the articles of impeachment." "I know some people will be angry at my decision, but I was elected to do what is right, not politically safe," said Anthony Brindisi, another first-term Democrat, from a conservative New York constituency. Tensions in Congress Tensions boiled over in Congress meanwhile over impeachment. At a hearing in the House Rules Committee, which sets out the procedures for votes, senior Republican Doug Collins accused Democrats of trying to rush through the impeachment. "There will be a day of reckoning," Collins warned. "Whatever you may gain will be short-lived." And the top two senators butted heads over what form the trial will take. Democrats are insisting on calling White House officials as witnesses, but Republicans appear to want to put the entire scandal to rest. Senior Democrat Chuck Schumer wants Trump's chief of staff, former national security advisor and two others to testify. But Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who can largely set the rules, rejected this and dismissed any idea that the trial wasn't a purely political exercise. "I think we're going to get almost an entirely partisan impeachment," he said. "This is a political process. There is nothing judicial about it. I'm not impartial about this at all."

Impeachment inquiry: Trump pens blistering letter to Nancy Pelosi, accuses Democrats of  'attempted coup

Republican <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/how-the-impeachment-inquiry-might-affect-donald-trumps-2020-re-election-chances-253716">Donald Trump</a> is this week likely to become the third <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/for-russia-talk-of-donald-trump-impeachment-is-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-254956">US president</a> to be impeached when the Democratic-led House of Representatives votes on charges stemming from his effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/how-does-the-impeachment-of-a-us-president-work-265766">Trump</a> faces one charge of abusing his power by asking Ukraine to investigate Biden, a leading Democratic contender to oppose him in the 2020 US presidential election, and one of obstructing Congress' investigation into the matter.

Watch:&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/debate-on-impeachment-articles-underway-on-trump-267994/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The president has denied wrongdoing and accused Democrats of a baseless and politically-motivated bid to oust him from power.

The House is likely to take up impeachment on Wednesday, setting the stage for a vote this week on whether to approve the charges and send the matter to the Republican-led Senate to hold a trial on whether to remove Trump from office.

Democrats, who enjoy a 36-seat majority in the House, are expected to win an impeachment vote, which requires a simple majority.

Republicans hold 53 of the 100 seats in the Senate, where they appear likely to prevail in any trial against Trump, which would require a two-thirds majority of those present to remove him from office.

Seeking to shape any trial, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called on Sunday for testimony from White House acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, former national security adviser John Bolton, Mulvaney aide Robert Blair and budget official Michael Duffey.

Schumer made his appeal in a letter to Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said last week he was coordinating with the White House and has raised the prospect of a short impeachment trial in which no witnesses would be called.

"I hope we can come to an agreement about a fair trial," Schumer told MSNBC in an interview on Monday.

House Democrats also sought testimony from the four men in their inquiry, but they did not appear.

The House Judiciary Committee voted 23-17 on Friday along party lines to approve the two charges against Trump and to send the matter to the full chamber. Late on Sunday, the panel issued its full report detailing the case against him.

In a tweet on Monday, White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said Schumer's comments seeking fairness were "laughable" after the release of the 658-page report "in the middle of the night. Thankfully the people of this country continue to see the partisan sham that this is."

A McConnell spokesman did not directly address Schumer's requests, but said the Senate majority leader "plans to meet with Leader Schumer to discuss the contours of a trial soon."

Defection

No US&nbsp;president has been removed as a direct result of impeachment.

Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before he could be removed, while Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached by the House, respectively in 1868 and 1998, but not convicted by the Senate.

Senior House Democrats expect to win any impeachment vote, albeit with the possibility of some defections from moderates facing tough re-elections next year in Trump-leaning districts.

Representative Jeff Van Drew, a conservative Democrat from New Jersey who opposed impeachment, is planning to become a Republican, media reported over the weekend. The news prompted a mass resignation of staffers in his office.

In congressional hearings, Democrats have accused Trump of endangering the U.S. Constitution, jeopardizing national security and undermining the integrity of next year's U.S. presidential election by asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July phone call to investigate Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who was on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

Democrats argue impeachment is an urgent necessity because Trump has continued his alleged misconduct, endangering the integrity of the 2020 election.

Republicans have defended Trump and accused Democrats of a partisan effort aimed at overturning his upset 2016 victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump has branded the entire impeachment drive a sham.

"READ THE TRANSCRIPTS! The Impeachment Hoax is the greatest con job in the history of American politics!" he said in a tweet on Monday.

Trump has alleged the Bidens were involved in corruption in Ukraine and should be investigated there, but has offered no evidence. Biden, a former U.S. vice president, has denied wrongdoing.

Republican Donald Trump is this week likely to become the third US president to be impeached when the Democratic-led House of Representatives votes on charges stemming from his effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden.

Republican Donald Trump is this week likely to become the third US president to be impeached when the Democratic-led House of Representatives votes on charges stemming from his effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden. Trump faces one charge of abusing his power by asking Ukraine to investigate Biden, a leading Democratic contender to oppose him in the 2020 US presidential election, and one of obstructing Congress' investigation into the matter. Watch: The president has denied wrongdoing and accused Democrats of a baseless and politically-motivated bid to oust him from power. The House is likely to take up impeachment on Wednesday, setting the stage for a vote this week on whether to approve the charges and send the matter to the Republican-led Senate to hold a trial on whether to remove Trump from office. Democrats, who enjoy a 36-seat majority in the House, are expected to win an impeachment vote, which requires a simple majority. Republicans hold 53 of the 100 seats in the Senate, where they appear likely to prevail in any trial against Trump, which would require a two-thirds majority of those present to remove him from office. Seeking to shape any trial, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called on Sunday for testimony from White House acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, former national security adviser John Bolton, Mulvaney aide Robert Blair and budget official Michael Duffey. Schumer made his appeal in a letter to Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said last week he was coordinating with the White House and has raised the prospect of a short impeachment trial in which no witnesses would be called. "I hope we can come to an agreement about a fair trial," Schumer told MSNBC in an interview on Monday. House Democrats also sought testimony from the four men in their inquiry, but they did not appear. The House Judiciary Committee voted 23-17 on Friday along party lines to approve the two charges against Trump and to send the matter to the full chamber. Late on Sunday, the panel issued its full report detailing the case against him. In a tweet on Monday, White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said Schumer's comments seeking fairness were "laughable" after the release of the 658-page report "in the middle of the night. Thankfully the people of this country continue to see the partisan sham that this is." A McConnell spokesman did not directly address Schumer's requests, but said the Senate majority leader "plans to meet with Leader Schumer to discuss the contours of a trial soon." Defection No US president has been removed as a direct result of impeachment. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before he could be removed, while Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached by the House, respectively in 1868 and 1998, but not convicted by the Senate. Senior House Democrats expect to win any impeachment vote, albeit with the possibility of some defections from moderates facing tough re-elections next year in Trump-leaning districts. Representative Jeff Van Drew, a conservative Democrat from New Jersey who opposed impeachment, is planning to become a Republican, media reported over the weekend. The news prompted a mass resignation of staffers in his office. In congressional hearings, Democrats have accused Trump of endangering the U.S. Constitution, jeopardizing national security and undermining the integrity of next year's U.S. presidential election by asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July phone call to investigate Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who was on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. Democrats argue impeachment is an urgent necessity because Trump has continued his alleged misconduct, endangering the integrity of the 2020 election. Republicans have defended Trump and accused Democrats of a partisan effort aimed at overturning his upset 2016 victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump has branded the entire impeachment drive a sham. "READ THE TRANSCRIPTS! The Impeachment Hoax is the greatest con job in the history of American politics!" he said in a tweet on Monday. Trump has alleged the Bidens were involved in corruption in Ukraine and should be investigated there, but has offered no evidence. Biden, a former U.S. vice president, has denied wrongdoing.

Donald Trump on track to become third US president to be impeached

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has accused South Korea of being a rich nation that is profiting off the&nbsp;US&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-south-korea-postpone-joint-drills-in-act-of-goodwill-262741">military</a> forces, which are stationed in the country as a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-koreans-fearful-of-nightmare-us-troop-withdrawal-199239">legacy</a> of the 1950-1953 Korean War and continued threats from North Korea.

South Korean lawmakers have said&nbsp;Washington&nbsp;is seeking up to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-south-korea-resume-defence-cost-sharing-talks-after-trumps-5-bn-demand-gets-dubbed-as-robbery-262883">$5&nbsp;billion</a>&nbsp;a year to support the&nbsp;troops&nbsp;- more than five times the amount&nbsp;Seoul&nbsp;agreed to pay this year.

But the&nbsp;US's chief negotiator James DeHart told reporters after Wednesday's meeting that "($5&nbsp;billion) is not the number we are currently focusing on in the negotiation," according to Yonhap News Agency.

"We have been coordinating and compromising. But the figure we&nbsp;agree&nbsp;on will be very different from our initial proposal and will also be different from what we are currently hearing from the Korean side," he added.

As part of his 'America First" policy, Trump has&nbsp;demanded that many&nbsp;US&nbsp;allies, including NATO members and Japan, pay more towards defence.

The lack of a deal in the talks led on South Korea's side by chief negotiator Jeong Eun-bo, could result in a repeat of last year when the two countries missed a year-end deadline but reached a retroactive&nbsp;agreement in the new year.

Some experts, both&nbsp;US&nbsp;and Korean, have warned that if no&nbsp;agreement is reached, it could throw the future of the&nbsp;US&nbsp;presence in South Korea into doubt.

The next set of talks will be in the United States in January, with the exact timing still to be determined.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said their negotiators emphasized the need for "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable&nbsp;agreements," that will strengthen the alliance.

"The two sides have expanded their understanding of each other through many discussions despite differences in their positions on various issues, and decided to continue close consultations," it said in a statement.

The dispute has been a rare public sign of discord in the alliance that has for 70 years formed a buffer against North Korean aggression. The two Koreas remain technically at war after the Korean War ended in a truce but not a peace treaty.

There have been several public protests in South Korea against the&nbsp;US&nbsp;calls for more money, and a survey by the Chicago Council of Global Affairs found that only 4&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of South Korean respondents said&nbsp;Seoul&nbsp;should meet <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-warns-united-states-not-to-exploit-close-trump-kim-ties-258322">Trump</a>'s&nbsp;demands.

On the other hand, 74 per cent&nbsp;of those questioned said they supported the long-term stationing of American&nbsp;troops&nbsp;in South Korea.

If no deal is reached, the most immediate effect may be on thousands of South Korean civilians who work for the&nbsp;US&nbsp;military and who could be placed on unpaid leave.

US President Donald Trump has accused South Korea of being a rich nation that is profiting off the US military forces, which are stationed in the country as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War and continued threats from North Korea.

US President Donald Trump has accused South Korea of being a rich nation that is profiting off the US military forces, which are stationed in the country as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War and continued threats from North Korea. South Korean lawmakers have said Washington is seeking up to $5 billion a year to support the troops - more than five times the amount Seoul agreed to pay this year. But the US's chief negotiator James DeHart told reporters after Wednesday's meeting that "($5 billion) is not the number we are currently focusing on in the negotiation," according to Yonhap News Agency. "We have been coordinating and compromising. But the figure we agree on will be very different from our initial proposal and will also be different from what we are currently hearing from the Korean side," he added. As part of his 'America First" policy, Trump has demanded that many US allies, including NATO members and Japan, pay more towards defence. The lack of a deal in the talks led on South Korea's side by chief negotiator Jeong Eun-bo, could result in a repeat of last year when the two countries missed a year-end deadline but reached a retroactive agreement in the new year. Some experts, both US and Korean, have warned that if no agreement is reached, it could throw the future of the US presence in South Korea into doubt. The next set of talks will be in the United States in January, with the exact timing still to be determined. South Korea's Foreign Ministry said their negotiators emphasized the need for "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable agreements," that will strengthen the alliance. "The two sides have expanded their understanding of each other through many discussions despite differences in their positions on various issues, and decided to continue close consultations," it said in a statement. The dispute has been a rare public sign of discord in the alliance that has for 70 years formed a buffer against North Korean aggression. The two Koreas remain technically at war after the Korean War ended in a truce but not a peace treaty. There have been several public protests in South Korea against the US calls for more money, and a survey by the Chicago Council of Global Affairs found that only 4 per cent of South Korean respondents said Seoul should meet Trump's demands. On the other hand, 74 per cent of those questioned said they supported the long-term stationing of American troops in South Korea. If no deal is reached, the most immediate effect may be on thousands of South Korean civilians who work for the US military and who could be placed on unpaid leave.

Seoul, Washington fail to agree on cost of US troops; US denies $5 billion demand

Hollywood legend Jane Fonda revealed she attempted to meet President Donald Trump shortly after his election with a group of "beautiful, voluptuous, brilliant" climate activists including Pamela Anderson in order to convince him to tackle global warming.

But after discussing her idea with the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump, Fonda did not hear back, which eventually helped convince her to move for several months to Washington and use the power of her celebrity to help drive mass mobilizations.

Speaking at the National Press Club on Tuesday, Fonda, who turns 82 on Saturday, said she hatched the plan the day after the New York real estate tycoon was elected in 2016.

"I kind of know men like Trump, not as bad, but you know, I sort of know those inclinations," she said.

"And I thought, I'm going to get three or four of the most beautiful, voluptuous, brilliant climate activists -- Pamela Anderson is one of them -- and a few scientists, and I'm going to make an appointment, and we're all going to see Trump and we're going to get on our knees," she added, to laughter.

"And we're going to say to him, President Trump, you can be the hero of the entire world, you can be the most important human being ever to be born, the most better, perfect, wonderful, big, huge, wonderful, if you protect the planet."

She said she then called Kushner, who referred her to his wife Ivanka -- the "environmentalist in the family" -- to call her back. Fonda said Ivanka laughed when told the plan but did not take it further.

- Pity for Trump -

The Oscar-winning actress, who made a name for herself as a pacifist and feminist since the 1970s, has been taking part in non-sanctioned protests outside the US Capitol since October and getting arrested alongside other activists, hoping to spark a mass movement of millions to force the government to act.

Asked what she thought of Trump's repeated mockery of Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and its impact on other teens fighting for climate action, Fonda said the president deserved pity, not scorn, because he sounded "traumatized."

"A man who could do that to a girl like Greta is so empty, so lacking in empathy and compassion, that we need to be compassionate," she said.&nbsp;

"We may hate the behavior! But we have to understand that the behavior is the language of the traumatized, so we don't hate the traumatized."

"I do have empathy, but I'm afraid that there's no change in him," she added.

Fonda concluded that whether Trump won re-election next year or a Democrat took the White House, activists "still have to be in the streets holding their feet to the fire."

"There's a big advantage of being old, because you can look back and you can see presidents. I've seen presidents, and when we don't force the people in office to do what they need to do, terrible things happen."

Hollywood legend Jane Fonda revealed she attempted to meet President Donald Trump shortly after his election with a group of "beautiful, voluptuous, brilliant" climate activists including Pamela Anderson in order to convince him to tackle global warming.

Hollywood legend Jane Fonda revealed she attempted to meet President Donald Trump shortly after his election with a group of "beautiful, voluptuous, brilliant" climate activists including Pamela Anderson in order to convince him to tackle global warming. But after discussing her idea with the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump, Fonda did not hear back, which eventually helped convince her to move for several months to Washington and use the power of her celebrity to help drive mass mobilizations. Speaking at the National Press Club on Tuesday, Fonda, who turns 82 on Saturday, said she hatched the plan the day after the New York real estate tycoon was elected in 2016. "I kind of know men like Trump, not as bad, but you know, I sort of know those inclinations," she said. "And I thought, I'm going to get three or four of the most beautiful, voluptuous, brilliant climate activists -- Pamela Anderson is one of them -- and a few scientists, and I'm going to make an appointment, and we're all going to see Trump and we're going to get on our knees," she added, to laughter. "And we're going to say to him, President Trump, you can be the hero of the entire world, you can be the most important human being ever to be born, the most better, perfect, wonderful, big, huge, wonderful, if you protect the planet." She said she then called Kushner, who referred her to his wife Ivanka -- the "environmentalist in the family" -- to call her back. Fonda said Ivanka laughed when told the plan but did not take it further. - Pity for Trump - The Oscar-winning actress, who made a name for herself as a pacifist and feminist since the 1970s, has been taking part in non-sanctioned protests outside the US Capitol since October and getting arrested alongside other activists, hoping to spark a mass movement of millions to force the government to act. Asked what she thought of Trump's repeated mockery of Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and its impact on other teens fighting for climate action, Fonda said the president deserved pity, not scorn, because he sounded "traumatized." "A man who could do that to a girl like Greta is so empty, so lacking in empathy and compassion, that we need to be compassionate," she said. "We may hate the behavior! But we have to understand that the behavior is the language of the traumatized, so we don't hate the traumatized." "I do have empathy, but I'm afraid that there's no change in him," she added. Fonda concluded that whether Trump won re-election next year or a Democrat took the White House, activists "still have to be in the streets holding their feet to the fire." "There's a big advantage of being old, because you can look back and you can see presidents. I've seen presidents, and when we don't force the people in office to do what they need to do, terrible things happen."

Jane Fonda tried to meet Trump with 'beautiful' climate activists

President Donald Trump's administration said Tuesday it does not consider the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 to be genocide, seeking to placate Turkey which was angered that the US Congress recognized it as such.

"The position of the administration has not changed" after the votes by Congress, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a terse statement.

"Our views are reflected in the president's definitive statement on this issue from last April," she said.

In the statement on the mass killings' anniversary, Trump said the United States honored victims of "one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century" but did not use the word genocide.

He instead encouraged Armenians and Turks to "acknowledge and reckon with their painful history."

Armenia says that 1.5 million were killed in an effort to wipe out the Christian ethnic group in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, the forerunner of modern-day Turkey.

Turkey puts the number far lower and adamantly rejects the term genocide, saying that Turks also died in what it considers fighting as part of First World War.

Turkey last week summoned the US ambassador to Ankara, David Satterfield, after the Senate followed the House of Representatives in recognizing the killings as genocide.

The Senate and House resolutions, both passed overwhelmingly, said it was the policy of the United States "to commemorate the Armenian genocide through official recognition and remembrance."

But the so-called simple resolutions, unlike laws passed by Congress, do not have the force of law or require the president's signature, meaning that the administration still has significant leeway in how to proceed.

Allies of Trump had initially tried to block the resolutions in Congress in hopes of preserving relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

During a meeting in Washington last month, Trump said he was a "big fan" of Erdogan despite wide criticism in Congress over his human rights record and his incursion into Syria to fight Kurdish fighters formerly allied with Washington.

Trump has also held off on sanctions urged by Congress over the NATO ally's purchase of Russia's S-400 missile defence system.

Previous presidents have also struggled with how to address the events of 1915, with the Armenian-American community pushing hard for genocide recognition.

Barack Obama as a candidate promised to recognize the genocide but after his election did not use the word, instead of saying that he stood by his pre-White House views.

sct/jm

President Donald Trump's administration said Tuesday it does not consider the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 to be genocide, seeking to placate Turkey which was angered that the US Congress recognized it as such.

President Donald Trump's administration said Tuesday it does not consider the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 to be genocide, seeking to placate Turkey which was angered that the US Congress recognized it as such. "The position of the administration has not changed" after the votes by Congress, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a terse statement. "Our views are reflected in the president's definitive statement on this issue from last April," she said. In the statement on the mass killings' anniversary, Trump said the United States honored victims of "one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century" but did not use the word genocide. He instead encouraged Armenians and Turks to "acknowledge and reckon with their painful history." Armenia says that 1.5 million were killed in an effort to wipe out the Christian ethnic group in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, the forerunner of modern-day Turkey. Turkey puts the number far lower and adamantly rejects the term genocide, saying that Turks also died in what it considers fighting as part of First World War. Turkey last week summoned the US ambassador to Ankara, David Satterfield, after the Senate followed the House of Representatives in recognizing the killings as genocide. The Senate and House resolutions, both passed overwhelmingly, said it was the policy of the United States "to commemorate the Armenian genocide through official recognition and remembrance." But the so-called simple resolutions, unlike laws passed by Congress, do not have the force of law or require the president's signature, meaning that the administration still has significant leeway in how to proceed. Allies of Trump had initially tried to block the resolutions in Congress in hopes of preserving relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During a meeting in Washington last month, Trump said he was a "big fan" of Erdogan despite wide criticism in Congress over his human rights record and his incursion into Syria to fight Kurdish fighters formerly allied with Washington. Trump has also held off on sanctions urged by Congress over the NATO ally's purchase of Russia's S-400 missile defence system. Previous presidents have also struggled with how to address the events of 1915, with the Armenian-American community pushing hard for genocide recognition. Barack Obama as a candidate promised to recognize the genocide but after his election did not use the word, instead of saying that he stood by his pre-White House views. sct/jm

Placating Turkey, Trump admin says doesn't recognise Armenian genocide

US President Donald Trump Impeachment saga: Will Donald Trump go down as 3rd Prez in history to be impeached? #US #USPresident #DonaldTrump #Trumpimpeachment

Will Donald Trump go down as 3rd Prez in history to be impeached?

US&nbsp;special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, urged Pyongyang on Monday to return offers of talks, dismissing leader Kim Jong Un's year-end deadline while highlighting Washington's willingness to discuss "all issues of interest".

Tension has been rising in recent weeks as Pyongyang has conducted a series of weapons tests and waged a war of words with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, stoking fears the two countries could return to a collision course they had been on before launching diplomacy last year.

Biegun arrived in Seoul on Sunday amid speculation he might try to salvage negotiations by reaching out to North Korea, which has vowed to take an unspecified "new path" if Washington fails to soften its stance before the end of the year.

"The United States does not have a deadline. We have a goal," Biegun told a joint news conference with his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon - Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at&nbsp;the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.

"Let me speak directly to our counterparts in North Korea. It is time for us to do our jobs. Let's get this done. We are here, and you know how to reach us," Biegun said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-comments-hostile-and-unnecessary-us-envoy-stephen-biegun-268473">'HOSTILE, UNNECESSARY'</a>

Kim and Trump met three times since last year to negotiate an end to North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes but there has been scant progress. Working-level talks led by Biegun in October in Stockholm fell apart.

On Sunday, state media said North Korea had successfully conducted another test at a satellite launch site aimed at "restraining and overpowering the US&nbsp;nuclear threat," a second such test in a week.

Seoul officials are concerned the flare-up may signal a repeat of earlier cycles of détente&nbsp;ending in escalations.

Biegun, who also met South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday, expressed regret over statements from North Korean officials in recent weeks, describing them as "so hostile and negative and so unnecessary".

"But it does not have to be this way. It is not yet too late," Biegun said.

Analysts said chances are slim for North Korea to accept Biegun's call for dialogue, citing Pyongyang's recent statements Washington had "<a href="Not interested in meaningless talks just so Trump can boast: North Korea">nothing to offer</a>" even if were talks to reopen.

"For North Koreans, Biegun effectively challenged their supreme leader by brushing off the year-end deadline," said Shin Beomchul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.

Chun Yung-woo, a former South Korean nuclear envoy, said Biegun's offer appeared to be aimed at undercutting Pyongyang's bid to deal directly with Trump.

Trump's re-election battle and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/how-does-the-impeachment-of-a-us-president-work-265766">impeachment </a>inquiry against him may have led Kim to overestimate North Korea's leverage, diplomatic sources have told Reuters.

"North Korea won't likely show up at the negotiating table unless the United States promises to make clear concessions instead of calling for a meeting for meeting's sake," said Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Kyungnam University in Seoul.

US special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, urged Pyongyang on Monday to return offers of talks, dismissing leader Kim Jong Un's year-end deadline while highlighting Washington's willingness to discuss "all issues of interest".

US special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, urged Pyongyang on Monday to return offers of talks, dismissing leader Kim Jong Un's year-end deadline while highlighting Washington's willingness to discuss "all issues of interest". Tension has been rising in recent weeks as Pyongyang has conducted a series of weapons tests and waged a war of words with US President Donald Trump, stoking fears the two countries could return to a collision course they had been on before launching diplomacy last year. Biegun arrived in Seoul on Sunday amid speculation he might try to salvage negotiations by reaching out to North Korea, which has vowed to take an unspecified "new path" if Washington fails to soften its stance before the end of the year. "The United States does not have a deadline. We have a goal," Biegun told a joint news conference with his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon - Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. "Let me speak directly to our counterparts in North Korea. It is time for us to do our jobs. Let's get this done. We are here, and you know how to reach us," Biegun said. 'HOSTILE, UNNECESSARY' Kim and Trump met three times since last year to negotiate an end to North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes but there has been scant progress. Working-level talks led by Biegun in October in Stockholm fell apart. On Sunday, state media said North Korea had successfully conducted another test at a satellite launch site aimed at "restraining and overpowering the US nuclear threat," a second such test in a week. Seoul officials are concerned the flare-up may signal a repeat of earlier cycles of détente ending in escalations. Biegun, who also met South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday, expressed regret over statements from North Korean officials in recent weeks, describing them as "so hostile and negative and so unnecessary". "But it does not have to be this way. It is not yet too late," Biegun said. Analysts said chances are slim for North Korea to accept Biegun's call for dialogue, citing Pyongyang's recent statements Washington had "nothing to offer" even if were talks to reopen. "For North Koreans, Biegun effectively challenged their supreme leader by brushing off the year-end deadline," said Shin Beomchul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. Chun Yung-woo, a former South Korean nuclear envoy, said Biegun's offer appeared to be aimed at undercutting Pyongyang's bid to deal directly with Trump. Trump's re-election battle and the impeachment inquiry against him may have led Kim to overestimate North Korea's leverage, diplomatic sources have told Reuters. "North Korea won't likely show up at the negotiating table unless the United States promises to make clear concessions instead of calling for a meeting for meeting's sake," said Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Kyungnam University in Seoul.

US envoy Biegun to North Korea: 'We're here, you know how to reach us'

This segment of WION brings to you top stories of the morning from across the globe. Watch this video to get updated with the latest information

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - December 17, 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump said that there is no deadline for denuclearisation talks but U.S. is keeping a close watch on North Korea. Watch this video of WION Dispatch to know more. #NorthKorea #US #DonaldTrump

Donald Trump: U.S. is keeping a close watch on North Korea | WION Dispatch

British Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-stop-brexit-uks-johnson-gets-down-to-work-268636">Boris&nbsp;Johnson</a>&nbsp;will use the prospect of a&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;cliff-edge&nbsp;at the&nbsp;end&nbsp;of&nbsp;2020&nbsp;to&nbsp;demand&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-appeals-to-wto-against-the-european-unions-discriminative-palm-oil-restrictions-268519">European Union</a> gives him a comprehensive free&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;in less than 11 months.

In his boldest move since winning a majority in Thursday's election,&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;will use his control of parliament to outlaw any extension of the&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;transition period beyond&nbsp;2020.

"Our manifesto made clear that we will not extend&nbsp;the implementation period and the new <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/welcoming-new-lawmakers-johnson-vows-a-speedy-brexit-268427">Withdrawal Agreement Bill</a> will legally prohibit government agreeing to any extension," a senior government official said on Tuesday.

After the United Kingdom leaves the&nbsp;European Union on January&nbsp;31, it enters a transition period in which it remains an&nbsp;EU&nbsp;member in all but name while both sides try to hammer out a&nbsp;deal&nbsp;on their post-Brexit&nbsp;relationship.

A comprehensive free&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;would encompass everything from financial services and rules of origin to tariffs, state aid rules and fishing, though the scope and sequencing of any future&nbsp;deal&nbsp;is still up for discussion.

Sterling dropped as much as 0.7 per cent&nbsp;to $1.3236 in Asia after ITV first reported the move.

By enshrining in law his campaign promise not to extend&nbsp;the transition period beyond the&nbsp;end&nbsp;of&nbsp;2020,&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;cuts the amount of time he has to strike a&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;to 10-11 months from nearly three years.

While&nbsp;Johnson's large majority gives him the flexibility to change the law should he need to, he is sending a message to the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;whose leaders have cautioned London that more time would be needed for a comprehensive&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal.

"We are going to make sure that we get this&nbsp;deal&nbsp;done in time," Michael Gove, one of the most senior ministers in&nbsp;Johnson's government, told the BBC.

Johnson&nbsp;and US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-democrats-seek-testimony-from-bolton-and-other-trump-aides-268609">Donald Trump</a> said on Monday they looked forward to continued close cooperation and the negotiation of an "ambitious" UK-US&nbsp;free&nbsp;trade&nbsp;agreement.

If the United Kingdom and the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;failed to strike a&nbsp;deal&nbsp;on their future relationship and the transition period was not extended, then&nbsp;trade&nbsp;between the two would be on World&nbsp;Trade&nbsp;Organisation (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fate-of-wto-top-court-threatened-with-trump-administrations-move-to-block-new-appointments-267597">WTO</a>) terms more burdensome for businesses.

The&nbsp;EU&nbsp;hopes to start&nbsp;trade&nbsp;talks with Britain by March, leaving just 10 months to strike a&nbsp;deal&nbsp;and get it approved by London and the&nbsp;EU, including member states’ parliaments.

The&nbsp;EU&nbsp;insists it will not seal a&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;with a large, economically powerful neighbour without solid provisions to guarantee fair competition.

The&nbsp;EU’s&nbsp;demands will focus on environmental and labour standards, as well as state aid rules to ensure Britain would not be able to offer products on the bloc’s single market at unfairly low prices.

Britain’s conundrum is that it will be under pressure to loosen rules on agricultural and food standards to strike a bilateral&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;with the United States.

But this would be crossing a red line for the&nbsp;EU, which would restrict access to its market to protect its own producers.

Fishing is a particularly thorny issue as&nbsp;EU&nbsp;countries will no longer be able to operate in British waters as they do now.

With industry supply chains in the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;crossing borders multiple times for products like cars and drugs, agreeing exact rules to designate where products come from - and hence what regulations and taxes apply will also be fraught.

"It will be very complicated. It’s about an array of relations, in&nbsp;trade, in fishing and cooperation in security and foreign policy,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told an&nbsp;EU&nbsp;summit news conference on Friday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use the prospect of a Brexit cliff-edge at the end of 2020 to demand the European Union gives him a comprehensive free trade deal in less than 11 months.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use the prospect of a Brexit cliff-edge at the end of 2020 to demand the European Union gives him a comprehensive free trade deal in less than 11 months. In his boldest move since winning a majority in Thursday's election, Johnson will use his control of parliament to outlaw any extension of the Brexit transition period beyond 2020. "Our manifesto made clear that we will not extend the implementation period and the new Withdrawal Agreement Bill will legally prohibit government agreeing to any extension," a senior government official said on Tuesday. After the United Kingdom leaves the European Union on January 31, it enters a transition period in which it remains an EU member in all but name while both sides try to hammer out a deal on their post-Brexit relationship. A comprehensive free trade deal would encompass everything from financial services and rules of origin to tariffs, state aid rules and fishing, though the scope and sequencing of any future deal is still up for discussion. Sterling dropped as much as 0.7 per cent to $1.3236 in Asia after ITV first reported the move. By enshrining in law his campaign promise not to extend the transition period beyond the end of 2020, Johnson cuts the amount of time he has to strike a trade deal to 10-11 months from nearly three years. While Johnson's large majority gives him the flexibility to change the law should he need to, he is sending a message to the EU whose leaders have cautioned London that more time would be needed for a comprehensive trade deal. "We are going to make sure that we get this deal done in time," Michael Gove, one of the most senior ministers in Johnson's government, told the BBC. Johnson and US President Donald Trump said on Monday they looked forward to continued close cooperation and the negotiation of an "ambitious" UK-US free trade agreement. If the United Kingdom and the EU failed to strike a deal on their future relationship and the transition period was not extended, then trade between the two would be on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms more burdensome for businesses. The EU hopes to start trade talks with Britain by March, leaving just 10 months to strike a deal and get it approved by London and the EU, including member states’ parliaments. The EU insists it will not seal a trade deal with a large, economically powerful neighbour without solid provisions to guarantee fair competition. The EU’s demands will focus on environmental and labour standards, as well as state aid rules to ensure Britain would not be able to offer products on the bloc’s single market at unfairly low prices. Britain’s conundrum is that it will be under pressure to loosen rules on agricultural and food standards to strike a bilateral trade deal with the United States. But this would be crossing a red line for the EU, which would restrict access to its market to protect its own producers. Fishing is a particularly thorny issue as EU countries will no longer be able to operate in British waters as they do now. With industry supply chains in the EU crossing borders multiple times for products like cars and drugs, agreeing exact rules to designate where products come from - and hence what regulations and taxes apply will also be fraught. "It will be very complicated. It’s about an array of relations, in trade, in fishing and cooperation in security and foreign policy,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told an EU summit news conference on Friday.

Boris Johnson uses threat of Brexit cliff edge to demand European Union trade deal by end of 2020

Iranian President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ready-for-talks-if-united-states-lifts-sanctions-iran-266151">Hassan Rouhani</a> will visit Japan on December&nbsp;20-21 and meet Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/japan-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-might-cancel-india-trip-report-268002">Shinzo Abe</a>, as the Asian country, a US&nbsp;ally, looks to resolve Tehran's nuclear impasse with Washington.

Japan maintains friendly ties with both the United States and Iran and has previously tried to ease tensions between the two countries, which severed diplomatic relations after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the US-backed Shah.

Tensions have heightened between Tehran and Washington since last year when President<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-democrats-seek-testimony-from-bolton-and-other-trump-aides-268609"> Donald Trump</a> pulled out the United States from Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with six powers and re-imposed sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.

"Our country will persistently continue to support diplomatic efforts in cooperation with the United States, Iran and various other related countries aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East," Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, told a news conference on Tuesday.

He said the two leaders will meet on December 20.

Rouhani plans to tell Abe that the Iranian government would not oppose the deployment of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces to the Middle East, Kyodo news agency reported, citing a source.

Iran has rejected the presence of foreign forces in the region, saying it would create insecurity for oil and shipping.

Kyodo said the Japanese deployment will be sent to the Gulf of Oman, the northern part of the Arabian Sea, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, citing a draft plan.

Tokyo has decided not to be part of a US-led&nbsp;coalition to ensure maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital gateway for the world's oil industry, the news agency added.

The Nikkei business daily has previously said that Japan's government would propose deploying one escort ship and a patrol aircraft from the Maritime Self-Defense Force on a one-year mission that could be renewed annually.

It plans to finalise the plan by year-end, the Nikkei has reported.

Iran's state news agency IRNA on Monday quoted Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-plans-to-send-270-sailors-to-middle-east-to-guard-ships-266288"> Abbas Araghchi </a>as saying that Rouhani will travel to Japan on Friday for a visit that will be in line with the national interest of both countries.

"Japan's foreign policy is based on courage and farsightedness and this has been proved for many times in historical ties between the two countries," Araghchi said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will visit Japan on December 20-21 and meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the Asian country, a US ally, looks to resolve Tehran's nuclear impasse with Washington.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will visit Japan on December 20-21 and meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the Asian country, a US ally, looks to resolve Tehran's nuclear impasse with Washington. Japan maintains friendly ties with both the United States and Iran and has previously tried to ease tensions between the two countries, which severed diplomatic relations after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the US-backed Shah. Tensions have heightened between Tehran and Washington since last year when President Donald Trump pulled out the United States from Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with six powers and re-imposed sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy. "Our country will persistently continue to support diplomatic efforts in cooperation with the United States, Iran and various other related countries aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East," Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, told a news conference on Tuesday. He said the two leaders will meet on December 20. Rouhani plans to tell Abe that the Iranian government would not oppose the deployment of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces to the Middle East, Kyodo news agency reported, citing a source. Iran has rejected the presence of foreign forces in the region, saying it would create insecurity for oil and shipping. Kyodo said the Japanese deployment will be sent to the Gulf of Oman, the northern part of the Arabian Sea, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, citing a draft plan. Tokyo has decided not to be part of a US-led coalition to ensure maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital gateway for the world's oil industry, the news agency added. The Nikkei business daily has previously said that Japan's government would propose deploying one escort ship and a patrol aircraft from the Maritime Self-Defense Force on a one-year mission that could be renewed annually. It plans to finalise the plan by year-end, the Nikkei has reported. Iran's state news agency IRNA on Monday quoted Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying that Rouhani will travel to Japan on Friday for a visit that will be in line with the national interest of both countries. "Japan's foreign policy is based on courage and farsightedness and this has been proved for many times in historical ties between the two countries," Araghchi said.

Iran's Rouhani to visit Japan amid heightened tensions with United States

A proposal by China and Russia to ease UN&nbsp;sanctions on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-envoy-biegun-to-north-korea-were-here-you-know-how-to-reach-us-268526">North Korea</a> increases pressure on the United States and signals what is the likely end of unified efforts to persuade Pyongyang to give up its growing nuclear and missile arsenal.

On Monday China and Russia proposed the United Nations Security Council lift a ban on North Korea exporting statues, seafood, and textiles, and ease restrictions on infrastructure projects and North Koreans working overseas, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters.

The plan comes at a crucial moment just weeks before the deadline set by North Korea for Washington to offer more concessions and highlights deepening divides over how to engage with North Korea.

Russia and China, which both wield veto power on the Security Council, were key votes in imposing the sanctions in recent years under the "maximum pressure" campaign championed by US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-democrats-seek-testimony-from-bolton-and-other-trump-aides-268609">Donald Trump</a>'s administration.

The United States says it would be premature for the UN&nbsp;to consider lifting sanctions right now and has called for North Korea to return to the negotiating table.

Since North Korea and the United States established a detente in 2018, however, both Moscow and Beijing have increasingly voiced support for easing sanctions. Now, the official proposal represents a new level of public pressure on the United States, analysts said.

Last week, China's ambassador to the UN&nbsp;said a major cause of the deadlock and rising tensions was a failure to respond to "positive steps" taken by North Korea toward denuclearisation.

"The Russia-China initiative at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-security-council-to-meet-over-north-korea-on-wednesday-at-us-request-267389">UNSC</a> is likely coordinated with Pyongyang as the proposal reflects North Korea's demands to be rewarded for the concessions it has already taken," said Artyom Lukin, a professor at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. "Pyongyang's recent threats of escalatory action are now backed by the Sino-Russian diplomatic offensive."

China and Russia are effectively undercutting the United States’ current strategy on North Korea, he said. "Pyongyang has again demonstrated its unrivaled capacity to exploit the rivalry between great powers."

China hopes the UN&nbsp;Security Council forms a consensus on the draft resolution, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday, urging North Korean and the United States to keep talking.

Other analysts noted Beijing and Moscow have shown increasing unity on the issue of security on the Korean peninsula.

Sanctions relief is crucial for both China's Northeast Area Revitalisation Plan as well as Russia's economic interests in the Russian Far East, said Anthony Rinna, a specialist in Korea-Russia relations at Sino-NK, a website that analyses the region.

"Recently the Chinese government has stated that sanctions relief for North Korea is imperative, and Beijing has a much higher chance than Moscow of being taken seriously in Washington," he said. "Furthermore, sanctions are a part of the joint Sino-Russian action plan for peace on the Korean Peninsula."&nbsp;

The call to lift sanctions affecting rail infrastructure and foreign workers, for example, are two areas that are key economic interests for Moscow, Rinna added.

North Korea has set a year-end deadline for Washington to make concessions like easing sanctions. Otherwise, leader Kim Jong Un has said he may be forced to choose an unspecified "new path."

China and Russia appear concerned about what North Korea's next steps may be, and the call for sanctions relief is a way to try to avoid a return to the nuclear weapons tests and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches that led the two countries to join the United States and its allies in imposing the strict sanctions, analysts said.

"Moscow generally feels that pressure is the wrong tack to take with North Korea, yet if Pyongyang engages in more provocations in the coming year this could be a serious test for both China and Russia's tolerance of North Korea," Rinna said.

China, meanwhile, appears to be wielding ever-greater economic clout over North Korea.

A recent report by a South Korean trade association found China's proportion of the North's overall external trade rose to 91.8 percent last year, compared with 17.3 percent in 2001. Thousands of Chinese tourists provide a further, much-needed economic lifeline.

Behind the scenes, there are reports that unofficial trade between China and North Korea has also increased.

"This could give Pyongyang pause if they're pondering a hardline approach for next year," said Andray Abrahamian, a visiting scholar at George Mason University Korea. "That said, they traditionally have pushed back hard against supposed Chinese leverage, aware that China is willing to punish North Korea."

Daniel DePetris, a fellow at Defense Priorities, a Washington-based think tank, said he hopes Russia and China teaming up could keep Kim restrained for the time being.

"We don’t know what China and Russia’s red-lines are, but it’s reasonably safe to assume another ICBM or nuclear test would force both countries to recalculate its current position," he said.

A proposal by China and Russia to ease UN sanctions on North Korea increases pressure on the United States and signals what is the likely end of unified efforts to persuade Pyongyang to give up its growing nuclear and missile arsenal.

A proposal by China and Russia to ease UN sanctions on North Korea increases pressure on the United States and signals what is the likely end of unified efforts to persuade Pyongyang to give up its growing nuclear and missile arsenal. On Monday China and Russia proposed the United Nations Security Council lift a ban on North Korea exporting statues, seafood, and textiles, and ease restrictions on infrastructure projects and North Koreans working overseas, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters. The plan comes at a crucial moment just weeks before the deadline set by North Korea for Washington to offer more concessions and highlights deepening divides over how to engage with North Korea. Russia and China, which both wield veto power on the Security Council, were key votes in imposing the sanctions in recent years under the "maximum pressure" campaign championed by US President Donald Trump's administration. The United States says it would be premature for the UN to consider lifting sanctions right now and has called for North Korea to return to the negotiating table. Since North Korea and the United States established a detente in 2018, however, both Moscow and Beijing have increasingly voiced support for easing sanctions. Now, the official proposal represents a new level of public pressure on the United States, analysts said. Last week, China's ambassador to the UN said a major cause of the deadlock and rising tensions was a failure to respond to "positive steps" taken by North Korea toward denuclearisation. "The Russia-China initiative at UNSC is likely coordinated with Pyongyang as the proposal reflects North Korea's demands to be rewarded for the concessions it has already taken," said Artyom Lukin, a professor at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. "Pyongyang's recent threats of escalatory action are now backed by the Sino-Russian diplomatic offensive." China and Russia are effectively undercutting the United States’ current strategy on North Korea, he said. "Pyongyang has again demonstrated its unrivaled capacity to exploit the rivalry between great powers." China hopes the UN Security Council forms a consensus on the draft resolution, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday, urging North Korean and the United States to keep talking. Other analysts noted Beijing and Moscow have shown increasing unity on the issue of security on the Korean peninsula. Sanctions relief is crucial for both China's Northeast Area Revitalisation Plan as well as Russia's economic interests in the Russian Far East, said Anthony Rinna, a specialist in Korea-Russia relations at Sino-NK, a website that analyses the region. "Recently the Chinese government has stated that sanctions relief for North Korea is imperative, and Beijing has a much higher chance than Moscow of being taken seriously in Washington," he said. "Furthermore, sanctions are a part of the joint Sino-Russian action plan for peace on the Korean Peninsula." The call to lift sanctions affecting rail infrastructure and foreign workers, for example, are two areas that are key economic interests for Moscow, Rinna added. North Korea has set a year-end deadline for Washington to make concessions like easing sanctions. Otherwise, leader Kim Jong Un has said he may be forced to choose an unspecified "new path." China and Russia appear concerned about what North Korea's next steps may be, and the call for sanctions relief is a way to try to avoid a return to the nuclear weapons tests and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches that led the two countries to join the United States and its allies in imposing the strict sanctions, analysts said. "Moscow generally feels that pressure is the wrong tack to take with North Korea, yet if Pyongyang engages in more provocations in the coming year this could be a serious test for both China and Russia's tolerance of North Korea," Rinna said. China, meanwhile, appears to be wielding ever-greater economic clout over North Korea. A recent report by a South Korean trade association found China's proportion of the North's overall external trade rose to 91.8 percent last year, compared with 17.3 percent in 2001. Thousands of Chinese tourists provide a further, much-needed economic lifeline. Behind the scenes, there are reports that unofficial trade between China and North Korea has also increased. "This could give Pyongyang pause if they're pondering a hardline approach for next year," said Andray Abrahamian, a visiting scholar at George Mason University Korea. "That said, they traditionally have pushed back hard against supposed Chinese leverage, aware that China is willing to punish North Korea." Daniel DePetris, a fellow at Defense Priorities, a Washington-based think tank, said he hopes Russia and China teaming up could keep Kim restrained for the time being. "We don’t know what China and Russia’s red-lines are, but it’s reasonably safe to assume another ICBM or nuclear test would force both countries to recalculate its current position," he said.

US led pressure fractures as China, Russia push for North Korea sanctions relief

US President Donald Trump said Monday he'd be "disappointed" if North Korea had something "in the works" as a year-end deadline from Pyongyang about the fate of their nuclear talks approaches, reported news agency AFP.

US President Donald Trump said Monday he'd be "disappointed" if North Korea had something "in the works" as a year-end deadline from Pyongyang about the fate of their nuclear talks approaches, reported news agency AFP. The nuclear-armed North has issued increasingly strident declarations in recent weeks, even promising an ominous "Christmas gift" if Washington does not come up with some concessions. The top US envoy to the negotiations with North Korea, Stephen Biegun, said in Seoul on Monday that Pyongyang's rumblings were "hostile and negative" -- and Trump said he was watching. "We'll see. I'd be disappointed if something would be in the works. And if it is, we'll take care of it," Trump said at the White House when asked about the situation. "We're watching it very closely." The negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled after the collapse of Hanoi between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea carried out a series of tests at its Sohae rocket facility this month after several weapons launch in recent weeks. "It's a concern -- their rhetoric," US Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters, saying further action by North Korea could be likely. Japan and others have said recent launches involved ballistic missiles, which Pyongyang is banned from testing under UN sanctions. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump says he'd be disappointed if North Korea had something 'in the works'

Gone are the days when leaders would reach out to other leaders directly or through formal diplomatic communications. #Gravitas #DonaldTrump #Trump #US #Trumptwitter

Gravitas: Trump Sets A New Twitter Record: 123 Tweets In 2 Hours!

Top Democrats in the US&nbsp;House of Representatives made a last-minute pitch to Republicans on Sunday for why they should put partisanship aside and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-looms-as-us-house-committee-approves-charges-268218">vote to impeach President Donald Trump</a>.

Trump is expected to become the third US&nbsp;president to be impeached when the full Democratic-led House votes on the charges, likely this week, setting up a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, speaking on ABC's "This Week," warned that Trump poses "a clear and present danger" to democracy.

Schiff and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, speaking on the same show, said lawmakers have a constitutional duty to hold Trump to account for trying to recruit Ukraine to launch a corruption investigation into his Democratic political rival Joe Biden.

Their comments come as the Democratically-controlled US&nbsp;House is poised later this week to vote along party lines on whether to approve two articles of impeachment. The Republican-controlled Senate has shown little appetite for removing Trump from office.

"The misconduct hasn't stopped," Schiff said, noting that Trump has still urged Ukraine, as well as China, to investigate the Biden family, and that Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani is still traveling to Ukraine to conduct a "sham" investigation.

"The threat to our election integrity ... goes on. It's a clear and present danger, I think, to our democracy and not something that we can turn away from simply because the Republicans in the House refuse to do their duty."

Both Democrats used their air time on Sunday to urge the Senate to call witnesses and seek documentary evidence that they said the White House has withheld.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has raised the prospect of conducting a short Senate impeachment trial without calling any witnesses.

Nadler on Sunday said such a move would do a disservice to the Senate, whose members will all effectively serve as jurors who will need to weigh the evidence to decide whether Trump should be convicted and removed from office.

“I think the record is overwhelming, but if they don’t think there is sufficient evidence on the record, they should demand the testimony of people ... like Secretary of State Pompeo, and Mulvaney, and others – John Bolton- who on the president’s instructions have refused to testify," Nadler said.

Some of Trump's staunch Republican defenders in the Senate have already said they believe Trump did nothing wrong, though others have taken a more cautious approach, saying they want to see the evidence first.

"I think we ought to hear what the House impeachment managers have to say, give the President's attorneys an opportunity to make their defense, and then make a decision about whether and to what extent we go forward from there," Republican Senator Pat Toomey said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

He added it would be “extremely inappropriate to put a bullet in this thing immediately" when the House votes to impeach Trump and kicks it over to the Senate for trial.

Top Democrats in the US House of Representatives made a last-minute pitch to Republicans on Sunday for why they should put partisanship aside and vote to impeach President Donald Trump.

Top Democrats in the US House of Representatives made a last-minute pitch to Republicans on Sunday for why they should put partisanship aside and vote to impeach President Donald Trump. Trump is expected to become the third US president to be impeached when the full Democratic-led House votes on the charges, likely this week, setting up a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, speaking on ABC's "This Week," warned that Trump poses "a clear and present danger" to democracy. Schiff and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, speaking on the same show, said lawmakers have a constitutional duty to hold Trump to account for trying to recruit Ukraine to launch a corruption investigation into his Democratic political rival Joe Biden. Their comments come as the Democratically-controlled US House is poised later this week to vote along party lines on whether to approve two articles of impeachment. The Republican-controlled Senate has shown little appetite for removing Trump from office. "The misconduct hasn't stopped," Schiff said, noting that Trump has still urged Ukraine, as well as China, to investigate the Biden family, and that Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani is still traveling to Ukraine to conduct a "sham" investigation. "The threat to our election integrity ... goes on. It's a clear and present danger, I think, to our democracy and not something that we can turn away from simply because the Republicans in the House refuse to do their duty." Both Democrats used their air time on Sunday to urge the Senate to call witnesses and seek documentary evidence that they said the White House has withheld. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has raised the prospect of conducting a short Senate impeachment trial without calling any witnesses. Nadler on Sunday said such a move would do a disservice to the Senate, whose members will all effectively serve as jurors who will need to weigh the evidence to decide whether Trump should be convicted and removed from office. “I think the record is overwhelming, but if they don’t think there is sufficient evidence on the record, they should demand the testimony of people ... like Secretary of State Pompeo, and Mulvaney, and others – John Bolton- who on the president’s instructions have refused to testify," Nadler said. Some of Trump's staunch Republican defenders in the Senate have already said they believe Trump did nothing wrong, though others have taken a more cautious approach, saying they want to see the evidence first. "I think we ought to hear what the House impeachment managers have to say, give the President's attorneys an opportunity to make their defense, and then make a decision about whether and to what extent we go forward from there," Republican Senator Pat Toomey said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. He added it would be “extremely inappropriate to put a bullet in this thing immediately" when the House votes to impeach Trump and kicks it over to the Senate for trial.

Top Democrats make case for Republicans to endorse Trump impeachment

North Korea has conducted another "crucial test" at its Sohae satellite launch site, news agency Reuters reported quoting state media on Saturday, as nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington remain deadlocked with a deadline approaching.

North Korea has conducted another "crucial test" at its Sohae satellite launch site, news agency Reuters reported quoting state media on Saturday, as nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington remain deadlocked with a deadline approaching. "Another crucial test was successfully conducted at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground from 22:41 to 22:48 on December 13," a spokesman for the North's National Academy of Defence Science said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency. The "research successes" will be "applied to further bolstering up the reliable strategic nuclear deterrent" of North Korea, the Reuters report added quoting the spokesman. The announcement comes after the United States tested a medium-range ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean on Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had agreed to shutter the Sohae site during a summit last year with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang as part of trust-building measures. Frustrated by the lack of sanctions relief after three summits with President Donald Trump, North Korea has vowed an ominous "Christmas gift" if the US does not come up with concessions by the end of the year. Earlier this month the North announced it conducted a "very important test" at the same site in Sohae. Pyongyang this week criticised Washington as "foolish" for convening a UN Security Council meeting over growing concern about short-range rockets fired from the isolated state. (With inputs from agencies)

North Korea conducts another 'crucial test' at satellite launch site : Report

Leaders across the globe reacts to Johnson's historic victory in UK elections.

World leader reacts to Boris Johnson's win

Former US First Lady Michelle Obama was quick to come to climate activist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-power-of-youth-greta-thunberg-named-time-magazines-person-of-the-year-267728">Greta Thunberg</a>'s defence after the latter was mocked by US President Donald Trump on Twitter.

In a tweet, Obama asked Thunberg not to let anyone dim her light.

"You have so much to offer us all. Ignore all the doubters...," her tweet read.

"@GretaThunberg, don’t let anyone dim your light. Like the girls I’ve met in Vietnam and all over the world, you have so much to offer us all. Ignore the doubters and know that millions of people are cheering you on," Obama's tweeted out.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GretaThunberg</a>, don’t let anyone dim your light. Like the girls I’ve met in Vietnam and all over the world, you have so much to offer us all. Ignore the doubters and know that millions of people are cheering you on.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichelleObama/status/1205354898231050241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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This comes after US President Donald Trump mocked Thunberg on Twitter and said that she should work on her "anger management problems".&nbsp;

"So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!" Trump's tweet read.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill! <a href="https://t.co/M8ZtS8okzE">https://t.co/M8ZtS8okzE</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1205100602025545730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Thunberg retaliated by changing her Twitter bio to, "A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend."

Thunberg was named as Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2019 earlier this week. The magazine ran the story with the subtitle ''The Power of Youth'' on its cover.&nbsp;

Last year, the magazine named 'The Guardians' as the people of the year. These included journalists who faced persecution, arrest or murder for their reporting. Those highlighted on four different covers were Jamal Khashoggi, Maria Ressa, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.

Former US First Lady Michelle Obama was quick to come to climate activist Greta Thunberg's defence after the latter was mocked by US President Donald Trump on Twitter.

Former US First Lady Michelle Obama was quick to come to climate activist Greta Thunberg's defence after the latter was mocked by US President Donald Trump on Twitter. In a tweet, Obama asked Thunberg not to let anyone dim her light. "You have so much to offer us all. Ignore all the doubters...," her tweet read. "@GretaThunberg, don’t let anyone dim your light. Like the girls I’ve met in Vietnam and all over the world, you have so much to offer us all. Ignore the doubters and know that millions of people are cheering you on," Obama's tweeted out. .@GretaThunberg, don’t let anyone dim your light. Like the girls I’ve met in Vietnam and all over the world, you have so much to offer us all. Ignore the doubters and know that millions of people are cheering you on. — Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) December 13, 2019 × This comes after US President Donald Trump mocked Thunberg on Twitter and said that she should work on her "anger management problems". "So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!" Trump's tweet read. So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill! https://t.co/M8ZtS8okzE — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2019 × Thunberg retaliated by changing her Twitter bio to, "A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend." Thunberg was named as Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2019 earlier this week. The magazine ran the story with the subtitle ''The Power of Youth'' on its cover. Last year, the magazine named 'The Guardians' as the people of the year. These included journalists who faced persecution, arrest or murder for their reporting. Those highlighted on four different covers were Jamal Khashoggi, Maria Ressa, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.

After Trump mocks Greta on Twitter, Michelle Obama tells Thunberg to 'ignore the doubters'

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-jr-subpoenaed-as-congress-battles-white-house-over-russia-report-217187">Donald Trump Jr</a>, the eldest son of US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he wants the United States to work with “its incredible allies” like India to make the world a safer place and present democracy as a shining beacon light for everyone to learn from.&nbsp;

“I want to see America maintain its rightful place as the leader of the free world. I want to see them be able to work with their incredible allies, like India to make the world a safer place. To use democracy as a shining beacon of light for everyone to be able to learn from,” Trump Jr said.

Trump Jr, was addressing the Indian-American community during a event in Long Island, US, along with Trump’s senior advisor for 2020 presidential campaign and former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle.&nbsp;

In the rally, he also spoke about this book: ‘Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us’, his father and ties with India.

Trump Jr said that father fought for American rights and businesses.&nbsp;

“To see what he’s been able to do and I imagine, in this community full of business leaders, you’ve seen those results yourself. But they’re not just benefits for you. They are benefits for everyone around, the employees that you hire, the businesses who are your suppliers, the beneficiaries. Everyone’s winning because of this" Trump Jr said.

“And that’s why I’ve been such an advocate for this (Donald Trump’s vision) because I want to see that winning continue.

Trump Jr added that his father have had a "wonderful" presidency and added that the road ahead will be entertaining "because my father will keep it so, I promise you that. It will be like Bollywood with a lot less dancing".

He also said that his business experience in India was "interesting, and certainly a little bit of a culture shock".&nbsp;

"It also made me appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit that so resides in my friends in the Indian community, that notion that you get a deal, go and get whatever it takes to make something happen and get it going.”&nbsp;

(with inputs from agencies)

Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he wants the United States to work with “its incredible allies” like India to make the world a safer place and present democracy as a shining beacon light for everyone to learn from.

Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he wants the United States to work with “its incredible allies” like India to make the world a safer place and present democracy as a shining beacon light for everyone to learn from. “I want to see America maintain its rightful place as the leader of the free world. I want to see them be able to work with their incredible allies, like India to make the world a safer place. To use democracy as a shining beacon of light for everyone to be able to learn from,” Trump Jr said. Trump Jr, was addressing the Indian-American community during a event in Long Island, US, along with Trump’s senior advisor for 2020 presidential campaign and former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle. In the rally, he also spoke about this book: ‘Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us’, his father and ties with India. Trump Jr said that father fought for American rights and businesses. “To see what he’s been able to do and I imagine, in this community full of business leaders, you’ve seen those results yourself. But they’re not just benefits for you. They are benefits for everyone around, the employees that you hire, the businesses who are your suppliers, the beneficiaries. Everyone’s winning because of this" Trump Jr said. “And that’s why I’ve been such an advocate for this (Donald Trump’s vision) because I want to see that winning continue. Trump Jr added that his father have had a "wonderful" presidency and added that the road ahead will be entertaining "because my father will keep it so, I promise you that. It will be like Bollywood with a lot less dancing". He also said that his business experience in India was "interesting, and certainly a little bit of a culture shock". "It also made me appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit that so resides in my friends in the Indian community, that notion that you get a deal, go and get whatever it takes to make something happen and get it going.” (with inputs from agencies)

Want to see US works with 'incredible allies' like India to make world safe: Donald Trump Jr

U.S. house judiciary commitee votes on impeachment articles, may be Trump is the U.S. third president in history to be impeached

U.S. House commitee votes to impeach Donald Trump

The US Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear President Donald Trump's appeals in three separate cases to prevent his financial records, including tax returns, being handed over to Democratic-led House of Representatives committees and a New York prosecutor.

The US Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear President Donald Trump's appeals in three separate cases to prevent his financial records, including tax returns, being handed over to Democratic-led House of Representatives committees and a New York prosecutor. The Republican president is trying to block subpoenas for bank records, tax returns or other materials demanded by various Democratic-led House of Representatives committees investigating corruption or foreign meddling in the US elections process. The House probes are not part of the Democratic-led impeachment proceedings against Trump over his dealings with Ukraine. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, a Democrat, is seeking Trump's tax returns in a criminal investigation of the president, the Trump Organization and his family real estate business. The court will hold oral arguments in March, with rulings due by the end of June. "We are pleased that the Supreme Court granted review of the President’s three pending cases. These cases raise significant constitutional issues," said Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's lawyers. Democratic leaders in the House expressed disappointment that the justices' decision to hear the cases will result in further delay. "Unfortunately, the American people will now have to wait several more months for final rulings," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. "We are confident that the Supreme Court ... will uphold the Constitution, the rulings of the lower courts and ensure that Congressional oversight can proceed." A spokesman for Vance declined to comment. The cases are a test for how the justices view Trump's arguments that the subpoenas are a threat to the presidency, on the one hand, and the need for lawmakers or prosecutors for information to pursue legislation or criminal investigations on the other. The court has a 5-4 conservative majority including two Trump appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. The justices' decision to review the legality of the subpoenas investigating Trump's conduct adds another politically-contentious issue to a court term that already includes high-profile cases on abortion, LGBT worker rights, gun rights and the fate of "dreamer" immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children. One of the Trump cases is his appeal of a lower court ruling allowing a New York grand jury to subpoena his accounting firm Mazars LLP for his records. Trump's attorneys said prosecutors could be encouraged to investigate a president to advance their careers or score political points if that subpoena is enforced. Another case concerns a lower court decision in Washington that endorsed subpoenas issued by the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee to Mazars. Trump's lawyers say there was no legislative purpose for the subpoenas and that the aim was merely to dig for dirt on the president. In the third case, the justices will review a lower court ruling allowing the enforcement of separate House committee subpoenas targeting Trump-related financial records from Deutsche Bank AG and Capital One Financial Corp. The court on Friday extended its hold on the lower court ruling, which it had temporarily blocked last week. The lower court rulings in the congressional cases, if left intact, would bring House Democrats closer to getting some of the details about Trump's business interests. That outcome would also amount to a major blow for the president, who, unlike past presidents, has refused to publicly disclose his tax returns. Legal experts say the justices often hear cases when the president asks them to, but that does not mean Trump will ultimately prevail.

US Supreme Court takes up Trump bid to shield financial records

Democrats in the US House of Representatives on Friday took Republican President Donald Trump to the brink of impeachment by approving two charges against him over his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden.

Democrats in the US House of Representatives on Friday took Republican President Donald Trump to the brink of impeachment by approving two charges against him over his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden. A divided House Judiciary Committee voted 23-17 along party lines to approve articles of impeachment charging Trump with abusing the power of his office over the Ukraine scandal and obstructing House Democrats' attempts to investigate him for it. Trump is expected to become the third U.S. president to be impeached when the full Democratic-led House votes on the charges, likely next week, setting up a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate. Trump's fellow Republicans have shown no signs of wanting to remove Trump from office. In congressional hearings that have gripped Washington, Democrats accused the president of endangering the U.S. Constitution, jeopardizing national security and undermining the integrity of the 2020 election by asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July phone call to investigate Biden. "Today is a solemn and sad day," said Representative Jerrold Nadler, the judiciary committee's Democratic chairman. "For the third time in a little over a century and a half, the House Judiciary Committee has voted articles of impeachment against the president." Republicans have defended Trump and accused Democrats of a politically motivated farce aimed at overturning his surprise 2016 presidential election victory. "Impeachment is a hoax. It's a sham," Trump told reporters at the White House after the committee's vote. "There was nothing done wrong. To use the power of impeachment for this nonsense is an embarrassment to this country." If impeached, Trump is due to go on trial in the Senate in January just as the 2020 presidential campaign, in which he is seeking re-election, picks up speed. He said he thought Americans "are absolutely disgusted" with the process, but that it was benefiting him. "It's a very sad thing for our country, but it seems to be good for me politically," Trump said. Biden, a former U.S. vice president, is a leading Democratic candidate to face Trump in the Nov. 3 election. Trump has alleged that Biden was involved in corruption in Ukraine and should be investigated there, but has offered no evidence. Biden has denied wrongdoing. ABUSE CHARGE The abuse of power charge also accuses Trump of freezing nearly $400 million in U.S. security aid to Ukraine and offering a possible White House meeting to Zelenskiy to get him to publicly announce investigations of Biden and his son Hunter, who was on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. Trump also asked Ukraine to investigate a debunked theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 U.S. election. The obstruction charge against Trump is based on his directives to current and former administration officials such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry, even if that meant defying subpoenas. A senior Democratic aide said the tentative plans are for a debate as soon as Wednesday on the floor of the House followed by a vote that same day or Thursday on whether to approve the articles of impeachment and send Trump for trial. There must be 216 votes in favor for impeachment to go ahead. Democrats hold 233 seats, compared with 197 Republicans and one independent. Republicans say the president did nothing improper in his call with Zelenskiy, and that there is no direct evidence he withheld aid or a White House meeting in exchange for a favor. The upheaval has not seemed to concern investors. U.S. stocks hit fresh record highs on Friday on optimism over a possible trade deal between China and the United States before paring gains. No U.S. president has been removed as a direct result of impeachment. Republican Richard Nixon resigned before he could be impeached for the Watergate scandal, and Democrats Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached by the House but not convicted by the Senate. Twenty Republican senators would have to join all 45 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the Democrats to vote to remove Trump from office. The trial would be presided over by U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts. The length of the proceedings would depend on whether witnesses were called, a decision that is up to a majority vote in the chamber. Trump has signaled an interest in calling many witnesses, including Biden and Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, believing a big trial would be good for Republicans. A lengthy trial would eat up weeks of time ahead of the first Democratic presidential nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire in early February. Influential Republican senators have said they want to keep any trial as short as possible. "This needs to come to a quick end," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, a Republican who is a staunch defender of Trump, wrote on Twitter. Trump said on Friday he was open to either a short or long process in the Senate. "I'll do whatever I want ... So I'll do long or short," he said. "I wouldn't mind a long process, because I'd like to see the whistleblower, who's a fraud," Trump said, referring to the anonymous intelligence official who set off the House impeachment investigation by raising a flag about Trump's call with Zelenskiy in a whistleblower complaint. A Democratic lawmaker called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, to recuse himself from the trial after he said on Thursday he was coordinating his approach with the White House counsel. "He has effectively promised to let President Trump manage his own impeachment trial. The Senator must withdraw," Representative Val Demings said in a statement.

Trump impeachment looms as US House committee approves charges

US President Donald Trump on Friday congratulated British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on his election victory and said that Britain and the United States will now be free to strike a 'massive' new trade deal after Brexit.

US President Donald Trump on Friday congratulated British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on his election victory and said that Britain and the United States will now be free to strike a 'massive' new trade deal after Brexit. "This deal has the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal that could be made with the E.U. Celebrate Boris," Trump said in a tweet. Johnson secured a comfortable majority to ''get Brexit done''. Congratulations to Boris Johnson on his great WIN! Britain and the United States will now be free to strike a massive new Trade Deal after BREXIT. This deal has the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal that could be made with the E.U. Celebrate Boris! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2019 × Johnson increased his share of the ballot in his West London seat by 1.8 percentage points, winning 25,351 votes to give him an increased majority of 7,210. His Conservative Party made gains in the Midlands and North of England that had been Labour strongholds for generations, putting it on course for its best result since 1987.

Britain and US free to strike 'lucrative' trade deal after Brexit: Trump 

President Donald Trump on December 12 again publicly mocked teen climate crisis activist Greta Thunberg, tweeting that the 16-year-old Swede who has inspired protesters worldwide has "anger management" issues.

Donald Trump mocks climate activist Greta Thunberg

US&nbsp;lawmakers will vote Friday on whether to move forward with impeaching Republican <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-announces-a-pause-in-peace-talks-with-taliban-after-airbase-attack-267989">President Donald Trump</a>, as the Democratic head of the Judiciary Committee shocked Republicans by declining to hold a late-night vote after a hearing that lasted more than 14 hours.

The committee had been expected to approve two articles of impeachment late on Thursday, setting up a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-judiciary-committee-debate-over-impeachment-articles-against-trump-267946">vote by the Democratic</a>-controlled House next week that is expected to make Trump the third president in US&nbsp;history to be impeached.

Instead, as the clock ticked toward midnight, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler sent lawmakers home for the night and said members would return to vote Friday at 10 a.m. ET.

Asked why the votes did not occur late Thursday, House Judiciary Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon said "the American people deserve to see the vote."

The scheduling appeared to have nothing to do with the substance of the impeachment fight, but it incensed Republican leaders who said afterward many were planning travel home on Friday and would now have to reset their schedules.

Doug Collins, the top Republican on the panel, appeared shocked by the announcement and immediately reacted with anger at his Democratic counterpart for not consulting with him before rescheduling.

"This was the most bush league thing I have seen, forever," Collins told reporters. "This committee is more concerned about getting on TV in the morning than it was finishing its job tonight and letting the members go home. Words cannot describe how inappropriate this was."

Democrats had expected to wrap up the hearing early in the evening, but Republicans, led by Collins, proposed a series of amendments that had no hope of passage.

Republicans offered hours of remarks on their amendments, frequently repeating the same prepared commentary and often veering into other topics that ranged from natural gas drilling to the state of the economy.

The committee's debate began Wednesday evening.

If the House <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-impeachment-debate-opens-with-fiery-partisan-battle-267790">impeaches Trump</a>, who is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, he would then go on trial in the Senate. The Republican-led chamber is unlikely to vote to find the president guilty and remove him from office.

The House Judiciary Committee proceedings ground on through the afternoon and into the evening as Republicans, determined to stretch out the meeting, offered a series of amendments that would emasculate the articles of impeachment but had no hope of adoption.

US lawmakers will vote Friday on whether to move forward with impeaching Republican President Donald Trump, as the Democratic head of the Judiciary Committee shocked Republicans by declining to hold a late-night vote after a hearing that lasted more than 14 hours.

US lawmakers will vote Friday on whether to move forward with impeaching Republican President Donald Trump, as the Democratic head of the Judiciary Committee shocked Republicans by declining to hold a late-night vote after a hearing that lasted more than 14 hours. The committee had been expected to approve two articles of impeachment late on Thursday, setting up a vote by the Democratic-controlled House next week that is expected to make Trump the third president in US history to be impeached. Instead, as the clock ticked toward midnight, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler sent lawmakers home for the night and said members would return to vote Friday at 10 a.m. ET. Asked why the votes did not occur late Thursday, House Judiciary Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon said "the American people deserve to see the vote." The scheduling appeared to have nothing to do with the substance of the impeachment fight, but it incensed Republican leaders who said afterward many were planning travel home on Friday and would now have to reset their schedules. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the panel, appeared shocked by the announcement and immediately reacted with anger at his Democratic counterpart for not consulting with him before rescheduling. "This was the most bush league thing I have seen, forever," Collins told reporters. "This committee is more concerned about getting on TV in the morning than it was finishing its job tonight and letting the members go home. Words cannot describe how inappropriate this was." Democrats had expected to wrap up the hearing early in the evening, but Republicans, led by Collins, proposed a series of amendments that had no hope of passage. Republicans offered hours of remarks on their amendments, frequently repeating the same prepared commentary and often veering into other topics that ranged from natural gas drilling to the state of the economy. The committee's debate began Wednesday evening. If the House impeaches Trump, who is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, he would then go on trial in the Senate. The Republican-led chamber is unlikely to vote to find the president guilty and remove him from office. The House Judiciary Committee proceedings ground on through the afternoon and into the evening as Republicans, determined to stretch out the meeting, offered a series of amendments that would emasculate the articles of impeachment but had no hope of adoption.

US House committee postpones votes on articles of impeachment

Donald Trump mocks climate activist Greta Thunberg again. Greta must work on her anger management.

Donald Trump mocks Greta Thunberg again

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