Asian&nbsp;shares&nbsp;rose on Wednesday and European stocks looked set for gains after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/nifty-sensex-end-lower-it-stocks-slump-263898">US&nbsp;President Donald&nbsp;Trump</a>&nbsp;said negotiators were close to inking an initial&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal, while expectations the Federal Reserve will keep rates low underpinned sentiment.

Trump's upbeat comments on&nbsp;trade&nbsp;stoked confidence in Asia with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific&nbsp;shares&nbsp;outside Japan&nbsp;up 0.29 per cent. Australian shares added 0.93 per cent&nbsp;and Japan's Nikkei rose 0.39 per cent.

In Europe, pan-region Euro Stoxx 50 futures were up 0.16 per cent&nbsp;at 3,710, German DAX futures&nbsp; gained 0.16 per cent&nbsp;to 13,262.5 and FTSE futures rose 0.1 per cent&nbsp;to 7,412.

Chinese blue-chip&nbsp;shares, in contrast, dropped 0.21 per cent&nbsp;after the data showed profits at&nbsp;China's industrial firms declined in annual terms for the third consecutive month in October. The decline tracked sustained drops in producer prices and exports and underscored slowing momentum in the world's second-largest economy.

Trump&nbsp;said on Tuesday the United States and&nbsp;China&nbsp;are close to agreement on the first phase of a&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;after top negotiators from the two countries spoke by telephone and agreed to keep working on remaining issues.

The positive mood pushed Wall Street indexes to fresh record closing highs on Tuesday. But while&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said Washington was in the "final throes" of work on a&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;with Beijing, he also underscored&nbsp;US&nbsp;support for protesters in Hong Kong, seen as a sore point for Beijing.

Trump's comments came alongside softer-than-expected economic data from the United States, which showed a fourth straight monthly contraction in consumer confidence and an unexpected drop in new home sales in October.

However, consumer confidence still remained at levels able to support steady consumer spending, and the housing data for September was revised up, with purchases touching more than 12-year highs.

Kay Van-Petersen, the global macro strategist at Saxo Capital Markets in Singapore, said while&nbsp;US-China&nbsp;trade&nbsp;headlines may be driving some tactical,&nbsp;near-term moves in the market, they were mostly just "noise".

The broader market direction is "about the accommodative Fed and accommodative monetary policy and the fact that structurally the meta-trend is still lower in yields and rates," he said.

Some analysts said a fall in&nbsp;US&nbsp;bond yields on Tuesday also pointed to more mechanical explanations beyond&nbsp;trade&nbsp;for rising equity prices.

"It reinforces the notion that it really is the Fed pump-priming to grease the wheels of market liquidity which are driving both these moves," Greg McKenna, strategist at McKenna Macro, said in a morning note.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Monday monetary policy was "well-positioned" to support the strong&nbsp;US&nbsp;labor market.

On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2 per cent&nbsp;to 28,121.68, the S&amp;P 500&nbsp; gained 0.22per cent&nbsp;to 3,140.52 and the Nasdaq Composite&nbsp;added 0.18 per cent&nbsp;to 8,647.93. All three indexes notched record closing highs.

On Wednesday, the rally in US&nbsp;Treasuries moderated across the curve, with benchmark 10-year notes&nbsp;yielding 1.7431 per cent, up from their&nbsp;US&nbsp;close of 1.74 per cent&nbsp;on Tuesday.

The two-year yield watched as a guide to market expectations of Fed policy, rose to 1.5939 per cent&nbsp;compared with the&nbsp;US&nbsp;close of 1.586 per cent.

In currency markets, the dollar strengthened 0.11 per cent against the yen to 109.15&nbsp;and the euro&nbsp;weakened 0.08 per cent&nbsp;to buy $1.1009.

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, was up 0.09 per cent&nbsp;at 98.341.

Oil prices retreated after rising Tuesday on reassuring&nbsp;trade&nbsp;headlines. The US&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate crude&nbsp;was down 0.21 per cent&nbsp;at $58.29 per barrel.

Global benchmark Brent crude lost 0.11 per cent&nbsp;to $64.20 per barrel.

Gold was lower, changing hands at $1,458.33 per ounce on the spot market, down 0.2 per cent.

Asian shares rose on Wednesday and European stocks looked set for gains after US President Donald Trump said negotiators were close to inking an initial trade deal, while expectations the Federal Reserve will keep rates low underpinned sentiment.

Asian shares rose on Wednesday and European stocks looked set for gains after US President Donald Trump said negotiators were close to inking an initial trade deal, while expectations the Federal Reserve will keep rates low underpinned sentiment. Trump's upbeat comments on trade stoked confidence in Asia with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan up 0.29 per cent. Australian shares added 0.93 per cent and Japan's Nikkei rose 0.39 per cent. In Europe, pan-region Euro Stoxx 50 futures were up 0.16 per cent at 3,710, German DAX futures gained 0.16 per cent to 13,262.5 and FTSE futures rose 0.1 per cent to 7,412. Chinese blue-chip shares, in contrast, dropped 0.21 per cent after the data showed profits at China's industrial firms declined in annual terms for the third consecutive month in October. The decline tracked sustained drops in producer prices and exports and underscored slowing momentum in the world's second-largest economy. Trump said on Tuesday the United States and China are close to agreement on the first phase of a trade deal after top negotiators from the two countries spoke by telephone and agreed to keep working on remaining issues. The positive mood pushed Wall Street indexes to fresh record closing highs on Tuesday. But while Trump said Washington was in the "final throes" of work on a trade deal with Beijing, he also underscored US support for protesters in Hong Kong, seen as a sore point for Beijing. Trump's comments came alongside softer-than-expected economic data from the United States, which showed a fourth straight monthly contraction in consumer confidence and an unexpected drop in new home sales in October. However, consumer confidence still remained at levels able to support steady consumer spending, and the housing data for September was revised up, with purchases touching more than 12-year highs. Kay Van-Petersen, the global macro strategist at Saxo Capital Markets in Singapore, said while US-China trade headlines may be driving some tactical, near-term moves in the market, they were mostly just "noise". The broader market direction is "about the accommodative Fed and accommodative monetary policy and the fact that structurally the meta-trend is still lower in yields and rates," he said. Some analysts said a fall in US bond yields on Tuesday also pointed to more mechanical explanations beyond trade for rising equity prices. "It reinforces the notion that it really is the Fed pump-priming to grease the wheels of market liquidity which are driving both these moves," Greg McKenna, strategist at McKenna Macro, said in a morning note. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Monday monetary policy was "well-positioned" to support the strong US labor market. On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2 per cent to 28,121.68, the S&P 500 gained 0.22per cent to 3,140.52 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.18 per cent to 8,647.93. All three indexes notched record closing highs. On Wednesday, the rally in US Treasuries moderated across the curve, with benchmark 10-year notes yielding 1.7431 per cent, up from their US close of 1.74 per cent on Tuesday. The two-year yield watched as a guide to market expectations of Fed policy, rose to 1.5939 per cent compared with the US close of 1.586 per cent. In currency markets, the dollar strengthened 0.11 per cent against the yen to 109.15 and the euro weakened 0.08 per cent to buy $1.1009. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, was up 0.09 per cent at 98.341. Oil prices retreated after rising Tuesday on reassuring trade headlines. The US West Texas Intermediate crude was down 0.21 per cent at $58.29 per barrel. Global benchmark Brent crude lost 0.11 per cent to $64.20 per barrel. Gold was lower, changing hands at $1,458.33 per ounce on the spot market, down 0.2 per cent.

Asian shares climb as Trump says US-China trade deal near

Trump impeachment row: Next phase of hearings on December 4th. Watch video to know more.

Trump impeachment row: Next phase of hearings on December 4th

A Washington appeals court judge ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's top aides must comply with subpoenas issued by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senior-democrat-says-next-step-underway-in-trump-impeachment-probe-264274">impeachment investigation</a> against him.

In a case involving former White House counsel Don McGahn, who was subpoenaed in May by the House Judiciary Committee, Judge Ketanji Jackson ruled that senior administration officials cannot claim absolute immunity from testifying based on their closeness to the US leader.

While Jackson ruled specifically on McGahn's case, she said it had broad application to all current and former presidential aides.

"Presidents are not kings," Jackson wrote in her decision.&nbsp;

"No one, not even the head of the Executive branch, is above the law."

Watch: Will US President Donald Trump be impeached?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/will-us-president-donald-trump-be-fired-263694/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

She said Congress has the power to subpoena any of the president's advisors, whether they are involved in domestic policies or sensitive national security issues.

"It goes without saying that the law applies to former White House Counsel Don McGahn, just as it does to other current and former senior-level White House officials," she wrote.

That ruling could open a path for the House Intelligence Committee,&nbsp;which is building a case for impeachment charges against Trump based on his pressuring Ukraine for domestic political help,&nbsp;to force testimony from three top witnesses: former national security advisor John Bolton, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

All are believed to have direct knowledge of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-democrat-says-more-testimony-hearings-possible-in-trump-impeachment-264258">Trump's alleged demand</a> that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky open investigations into his Democratic rivals in exchange for a high profile summit and much-needed military aid.

The ruling could also give fresh life to the stalled impeachment case in the Judiciary Committee, which has tried to develop charges against Trump for obstructing the Russian collusion investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Mueller's final report in April outlined 10 acts of alleged obstruction by the president.

"Don McGahn is a central witness to allegations that President Trump obstructed Special Counsel Mueller's investigation," Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said in a statement.

"The administration's claim that officials can claim 'absolute immunity' from Congressional subpoenas has no basis in law, as the court recognized today."

But <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-accuses-impeachment-witness-of-lying-defends-use-of-giuliani-264142">testimony won't happen right away</a>, as the Justice Department plans to appeal Jackson's decision, said department spokesperson Kerri Kupec.

That could take the case to the Supreme Court, and in the meantime, the department could seek a court stay to prevent McGahn or others from speaking before the two committees.

A Washington appeals court judge ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's top aides must comply with subpoenas issued by the impeachment investigation against him.

A Washington appeals court judge ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's top aides must comply with subpoenas issued by the impeachment investigation against him. In a case involving former White House counsel Don McGahn, who was subpoenaed in May by the House Judiciary Committee, Judge Ketanji Jackson ruled that senior administration officials cannot claim absolute immunity from testifying based on their closeness to the US leader. While Jackson ruled specifically on McGahn's case, she said it had broad application to all current and former presidential aides. "Presidents are not kings," Jackson wrote in her decision. "No one, not even the head of the Executive branch, is above the law." Watch: Will US President Donald Trump be impeached? She said Congress has the power to subpoena any of the president's advisors, whether they are involved in domestic policies or sensitive national security issues. "It goes without saying that the law applies to former White House Counsel Don McGahn, just as it does to other current and former senior-level White House officials," she wrote. That ruling could open a path for the House Intelligence Committee, which is building a case for impeachment charges against Trump based on his pressuring Ukraine for domestic political help, to force testimony from three top witnesses: former national security advisor John Bolton, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. All are believed to have direct knowledge of Trump's alleged demand that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky open investigations into his Democratic rivals in exchange for a high profile summit and much-needed military aid. The ruling could also give fresh life to the stalled impeachment case in the Judiciary Committee, which has tried to develop charges against Trump for obstructing the Russian collusion investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller's final report in April outlined 10 acts of alleged obstruction by the president. "Don McGahn is a central witness to allegations that President Trump obstructed Special Counsel Mueller's investigation," Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said in a statement. "The administration's claim that officials can claim 'absolute immunity' from Congressional subpoenas has no basis in law, as the court recognized today." But testimony won't happen right away, as the Justice Department plans to appeal Jackson's decision, said department spokesperson Kerri Kupec. That could take the case to the Supreme Court, and in the meantime, the department could seek a court stay to prevent McGahn or others from speaking before the two committees.

White House must comply with impeachment subpoenas: Court

An ambitious "phase two" trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;between the United States and&nbsp;China&nbsp;is looking less likely as the two countries struggle to strike a preliminary "phase one" agreement, according to&nbsp;US&nbsp;and Beijing&nbsp;officials, lawmakers and trade experts.

In October,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-fires-us-navy-chief-richard-spencer-over-seal-case-264270">US&nbsp;President Donald Trump</a> said during a press conference with<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-china-trade-deal-may-not-be-signed-this-year-263497"> Chinese vice-premier Liu He</a> that he expected to quickly dive into a second phase of talks once "phase one" had been completed. The second phase would focus on a key&nbsp;US&nbsp;complaint that&nbsp;China&nbsp;effectively steals&nbsp;US&nbsp;intellectual property by forcing&nbsp;US&nbsp;companies to transfer their technology to Chinese rivals, he said at the time.

But the November 2020&nbsp;US&nbsp;presidential election, the difficulties in getting the first-stage done, combined with the White House's reluctance to work with other countries to pressure Beijing are dimming hopes for anything more ambitious in the near future, the sources said.

The 16-month trade war with&nbsp;China&nbsp;has thrown&nbsp;US&nbsp;businesses and farmers into turmoil, disrupted global supply chains and been a drag on economies worldwide. Failure to address a key reason it was started is already raising questions about whether the sacrifice has been worth it. Meanwhile, many of Beijing's trade practices that many free-market economies see as unfair remain unaddressed.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that the signing of a phase one&nbsp;deal&nbsp;could slide into next year as the two countries tussle over Beijing's demand for more extensive tariff rollbacks.

Officials&nbsp;in Beijing&nbsp;say&nbsp;they don't anticipate sitting down to discuss&nbsp;a phase two&nbsp;deal&nbsp;before the&nbsp;US&nbsp;election, in part because they want to wait to see if Trump wins a second term.

"It's Trump who wants to sign these&nbsp;deals, not us. We can wait," one Chinese official told Reuters.

Representative Jim Costa, a California Democrat who sits on two key agricultural committees, said in Congress on Wednesday that "pragmatic" Chinese sources had told him the same thing.

Trump's main priority at the moment is to secure a big phase one announcement, locking in big-ticket Chinese purchases of&nbsp;US&nbsp;agricultural goods that he can tout as an important win during his re-election campaign, according to a Trump administration official.

After that,&nbsp;China&nbsp;could recede somewhat on Trump's policy agenda as he turns to domestic issues, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. He will probably leave other major contentious issues&nbsp;to senior aides, who are likely to continue pushing Beijing over the theft of&nbsp;US&nbsp;intellectual property, its militarization of the South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea and its human rights record, the official said.

"As soon as we finish phase one we're going to start negotiating phase two," a second administration official said. "As far as timing around when a phase two&nbsp;deal&nbsp;could be completed, that's not something I can speculate on."

The Trump White House initially laid out ambitious plans to restructure the United States' relationship with&nbsp;China, including addressing what a 2018 United States Trade Representative investigation concluded were Beijing's "unfair, unreasonable, and market-distorting practices."

There is broad bipartisan support for Trump's drive to hold&nbsp;China&nbsp;accountable for years of economic espionage, cyber-attacks, forced technology transfer and dumping of low-priced goods made with hefty government subsidies.

But many of these critical concerns will not be addressed in phase one agreement, which focuses on&nbsp;China's&nbsp;agricultural product buys, tariff rollbacks, and includes some intellectual property pledges.

"That's the easy stuff," said Costa. The harder issues&nbsp;are "industrial espionage, copyrights, complying with those issues, privacy and security issues."

Further complicating the issue, Trump's economic advisers are split: some are pushing Trump to agree to a quick phase one&nbsp;deal&nbsp;to appease markets and business executives, others want him to push for a more comprehensive agreement.

Beijing&nbsp;officials, meanwhile, are baulking at pursuing larger structural changes to managing&nbsp;China's economy, anxious not to appear to be kowtowing to&nbsp;US&nbsp;interests.

Both&nbsp;China&nbsp;and the United States have a clear interest in getting a phase one&nbsp;deal&nbsp;completed relatively soon to soothe markets and assuage domestic policy concerns, said Matthew Goodman, a former&nbsp;US&nbsp;government official and trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

He sees a good chance that the two sides will hammer out some phase one&nbsp;deal, but is far less convinced that a broader&nbsp;deal&nbsp;can be reached before the election. One key problem, he said, was the continued lack of a coherent&nbsp;US&nbsp;strategy for&nbsp;dealing with&nbsp;China.

"I think phase one probably will happen because both presidents want it," Goodman said at a Congressional briefing last week. But he said&nbsp;China&nbsp;was less willing now to make structural changes that might have been possible in the spring. "They're not going to do those things," he said.

Josh Kallmer, a former official with the&nbsp;US&nbsp;Trade Representative's office and now executive vice president of the Information Technology Industry Council, said it was "technically possible, but hard to imagine" that the United States and Beijing could negotiate a phase two&nbsp;deal&nbsp;in the next year.

The United States needs better coordination with its allies to pressure&nbsp;China&nbsp;to make urgently needed structural changes, including ending the forced transfer of technology and better intellectual property protections, trade experts and former&nbsp;officials&nbsp;say.

Europe and other&nbsp;US&nbsp;allies have been reluctant to join Washington's pressure campaign on Beijing, partly due to frustration with the administration's focus on unilateral action and in part due to their reliance on Chinese investment.

"We need an international coalition to successfully attack phase two," said Kellie Meiman Hock, managing partner at McLarty Associates, a trade consulting group in Washington.

An ambitious "phase two" trade deal between the United States and China is looking less likely as the two countries struggle to strike a preliminary "phase one" agreement, according to US and Beijing officials, lawmakers and trade experts.

An ambitious "phase two" trade deal between the United States and China is looking less likely as the two countries struggle to strike a preliminary "phase one" agreement, according to US and Beijing officials, lawmakers and trade experts. In October, US President Donald Trump said during a press conference with Chinese vice-premier Liu He that he expected to quickly dive into a second phase of talks once "phase one" had been completed. The second phase would focus on a key US complaint that China effectively steals US intellectual property by forcing US companies to transfer their technology to Chinese rivals, he said at the time. But the November 2020 US presidential election, the difficulties in getting the first-stage done, combined with the White House's reluctance to work with other countries to pressure Beijing are dimming hopes for anything more ambitious in the near future, the sources said. The 16-month trade war with China has thrown US businesses and farmers into turmoil, disrupted global supply chains and been a drag on economies worldwide. Failure to address a key reason it was started is already raising questions about whether the sacrifice has been worth it. Meanwhile, many of Beijing's trade practices that many free-market economies see as unfair remain unaddressed. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the signing of a phase one deal could slide into next year as the two countries tussle over Beijing's demand for more extensive tariff rollbacks. Officials in Beijing say they don't anticipate sitting down to discuss a phase two deal before the US election, in part because they want to wait to see if Trump wins a second term. "It's Trump who wants to sign these deals, not us. We can wait," one Chinese official told Reuters. Representative Jim Costa, a California Democrat who sits on two key agricultural committees, said in Congress on Wednesday that "pragmatic" Chinese sources had told him the same thing. Trump's main priority at the moment is to secure a big phase one announcement, locking in big-ticket Chinese purchases of US agricultural goods that he can tout as an important win during his re-election campaign, according to a Trump administration official. After that, China could recede somewhat on Trump's policy agenda as he turns to domestic issues, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. He will probably leave other major contentious issues to senior aides, who are likely to continue pushing Beijing over the theft of US intellectual property, its militarization of the South China Sea and its human rights record, the official said. "As soon as we finish phase one we're going to start negotiating phase two," a second administration official said. "As far as timing around when a phase two deal could be completed, that's not something I can speculate on." The Trump White House initially laid out ambitious plans to restructure the United States' relationship with China, including addressing what a 2018 United States Trade Representative investigation concluded were Beijing's "unfair, unreasonable, and market-distorting practices." There is broad bipartisan support for Trump's drive to hold China accountable for years of economic espionage, cyber-attacks, forced technology transfer and dumping of low-priced goods made with hefty government subsidies. But many of these critical concerns will not be addressed in phase one agreement, which focuses on China's agricultural product buys, tariff rollbacks, and includes some intellectual property pledges. "That's the easy stuff," said Costa. The harder issues are "industrial espionage, copyrights, complying with those issues, privacy and security issues." Further complicating the issue, Trump's economic advisers are split: some are pushing Trump to agree to a quick phase one deal to appease markets and business executives, others want him to push for a more comprehensive agreement. Beijing officials, meanwhile, are baulking at pursuing larger structural changes to managing China's economy, anxious not to appear to be kowtowing to US interests. Both China and the United States have a clear interest in getting a phase one deal completed relatively soon to soothe markets and assuage domestic policy concerns, said Matthew Goodman, a former US government official and trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He sees a good chance that the two sides will hammer out some phase one deal, but is far less convinced that a broader deal can be reached before the election. One key problem, he said, was the continued lack of a coherent US strategy for dealing with China. "I think phase one probably will happen because both presidents want it," Goodman said at a Congressional briefing last week. But he said China was less willing now to make structural changes that might have been possible in the spring. "They're not going to do those things," he said. Josh Kallmer, a former official with the US Trade Representative's office and now executive vice president of the Information Technology Industry Council, said it was "technically possible, but hard to imagine" that the United States and Beijing could negotiate a phase two deal in the next year. The United States needs better coordination with its allies to pressure China to make urgently needed structural changes, including ending the forced transfer of technology and better intellectual property protections, trade experts and former officials say. Europe and other US allies have been reluctant to join Washington's pressure campaign on Beijing, partly due to frustration with the administration's focus on unilateral action and in part due to their reliance on Chinese investment. "We need an international coalition to successfully attack phase two," said Kellie Meiman Hock, managing partner at McLarty Associates, a trade consulting group in Washington.

No 'phase two' US-China deal, officials say

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 - November 25th, 2019

Democratic US lawmakers have begun the next step in the impeachment enquiry into President Donald Trump - writing a report on their findings - but still could take more testimony and hold additional hearings, the chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee said on Sunday.

Democratic US lawmakers have begun the next step in the impeachment enquiry into President Donald Trump - writing a report on their findings - but still could take more testimony and hold additional hearings, the chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee said on Sunday. Representative Adam Schiff, whose committee is leading the inquiry that threatens Trump's presidency, said the panel has started work on the report after two weeks of public hearings with testimony from current and former US officials. The panel has held five public hearings and has no more scheduled. The report is an important step toward a possible vote in the Democratic-led House on articles of impeachment - formal charges - against the Republican president. If those are approved, the Senate, controlled by Republicans, would then hold a trial on whether to convict Trump and remove him from office. Republicans have shown little inclination toward removing Trump, who is seeking re-election in 2020. The inquiry centres on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden as well as a discredited conspiracy theory promoted by Trump that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US presidential election. Hunter Biden had worked for Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company. "We don't foreclose the possibility of more depositions, more hearings. We are in the process of getting more documents all the time. So that investigative work is being done," Schiff said on CNN's "State of the Union." "What we're not prepared to do is wait months and months while the administration plays a game of 'rope a dope' in an effort to try to stall. We're not willing to go down that road." Schiff said. Democrats have accused Trump of abusing his power by pressuring a vulnerable US ally to interfere in an American election by digging up dirt on his domestic political opponents. Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face Trump in the November 2020 election. With the first party nominating contests set for February, "there's an urgency to make sure the election and the ballot box have integrity," Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell, an Intelligence Committee member, told the "Fox News Sunday" program. Trump's administration has refused to provide documents requested by House Democrats and blocked witnesses from testifying, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. The president's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, also has refused to cooperate. Bolton and other officials have sought court rulings on whether they should comply with a congressional subpoena or honour the Trump administration's order not to testify, a process that could take months. Republicans defend Trump Trump has said he did nothing wrong and dismisses the inquiry as politically motivated. Many Republicans in Congress have rallied to his defence and assailed the Democrats leading the inquiry. There were "no impeachable offences" and no direct evidence against the president, Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican Intelligence Committee member, told the Fox News program "Sunday Morning Futures." Schiff said the committee is learning more every day but the evidence already collected is so "overwhelming and uncontested" that Democratic lawmakers decided to begin writing a report on the findings for transmission to the House Judiciary Committee, which would draft any articles of impeachment. "Even as we compile this report, even as we submit evidence to the Judiciary Committee, we're going to continue our investigation," Schiff said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program. The Judiciary Committee could conduct more proceedings if needed, including hearings, that allow Trump and his counsel to participate. The panel would draft any articles of impeachment against Trump before they would go to the full House for a vote. Democrats also are looking into whether Trump's decision to withhold $391 million in security aid to Ukraine was intended to pressure Kiev into conducting the two investigations that could benefit Trump politically. The money - approved by the US Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country - was later provided to Kiev in September after the controversy had spilt into public view. Schiff said his committee has been in touch with federal prosecutors in Manhattan about the possibility of getting witness testimony from Lev Parnas, an indicted Ukrainian-American businessman who has ties to Giuliani. Parnas, who has already been subpoenaed for documents, had worked with Giuliani at a time when Trump's lawyer was pushing for Ukraine to conduct the two investigations. A lawyer for Parnas has said he would comply with the document request and is willing to appear before the House panel.

Senior Democrat says next step underway in Trump impeachment probe

US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that "Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper" over US Navy's&nbsp;handling of the SEAL case.&nbsp;

"I was not pleased with the way that Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s trial was handled by the Navy," Trump said on Twitter adding, "therefore, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. I thank Richard for his service &amp; commitment."

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I was not pleased with the way that Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s trial was handled by the Navy. He was treated very badly but, despite this, was completely exonerated on all major charges. I then restored Eddie’s rank. Likewise, large cost overruns from past administration’s.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1198746358091530241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Eddie will retire peacefully with all of the honours that he has earned, including his Trident Pin."

Trump named Ambassador to Norway Ken Braithwaite as his nominee for the Navy chief's post, adding that he is&nbsp;"a man of great achievement and success, I know Ken will do an outstanding job!"

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....contracting procedures were not addressed to my satisfaction. Therefore, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. I thank Richard for his service &amp; commitment. Eddie will retire peacefully with all of the.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1198746376420679680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Navy's clash with the president boiled over after Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher who was accused of war crimes was found guilty of a lesser offence, Trump intervened in the case to reverse Gallagher's demotion by the Navy, including a possible stripping of the Trident pin.&nbsp;

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....honors that he has earned, including his Trident Pin. Admiral and now Ambassador to Norway Ken Braithwaite will be nominated by me to be the new Secretary of the Navy. A man of great achievement and success, I know Ken will do an outstanding job!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1198746377720909824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Gallagher was accused in the stabbing to death of a wounded Islamic State prisoner in Iraq in 2017, attempted murder of other civilians and obstruction of justice, although he was acquitted of the charges but was convicted of posing with a dead Islamic State fighter's body in a group picture with other SEALs. There were three other members against whom the Navy had launched investigations.

Meanwhile, US defence&nbsp;secretary Mark Esper said he had asked for Spencer's resignation "after losing trust and confidence in him regarding his lack of candour over conversations with the White House," the Department of Defence said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that "Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper" over US Navy's handling of the SEAL case.

US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that "Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper" over US Navy's handling of the SEAL case. "I was not pleased with the way that Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s trial was handled by the Navy," Trump said on Twitter adding, "therefore, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. I thank Richard for his service & commitment." I was not pleased with the way that Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s trial was handled by the Navy. He was treated very badly but, despite this, was completely exonerated on all major charges. I then restored Eddie’s rank. Likewise, large cost overruns from past administration’s..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2019 × "Eddie will retire peacefully with all of the honours that he has earned, including his Trident Pin." Trump named Ambassador to Norway Ken Braithwaite as his nominee for the Navy chief's post, adding that he is "a man of great achievement and success, I know Ken will do an outstanding job!" ....contracting procedures were not addressed to my satisfaction. Therefore, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. I thank Richard for his service & commitment. Eddie will retire peacefully with all of the..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2019 × Navy's clash with the president boiled over after Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher who was accused of war crimes was found guilty of a lesser offence, Trump intervened in the case to reverse Gallagher's demotion by the Navy, including a possible stripping of the Trident pin. ....honors that he has earned, including his Trident Pin. Admiral and now Ambassador to Norway Ken Braithwaite will be nominated by me to be the new Secretary of the Navy. A man of great achievement and success, I know Ken will do an outstanding job! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2019 × Gallagher was accused in the stabbing to death of a wounded Islamic State prisoner in Iraq in 2017, attempted murder of other civilians and obstruction of justice, although he was acquitted of the charges but was convicted of posing with a dead Islamic State fighter's body in a group picture with other SEALs. There were three other members against whom the Navy had launched investigations. Meanwhile, US defence secretary Mark Esper said he had asked for Spencer's resignation "after losing trust and confidence in him regarding his lack of candour over conversations with the White House," the Department of Defence said in a statement.

Trump fires US navy chief Richard Spencer over SEAL case

The US Navy will proceed in its effort to oust a member of its elite SEAL commando unit, an official said Saturday, defying the wishes of President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

Edward Gallagher had been accused of war crimes in a high-profile case but was found guilty only of a lesser offence. On November 15, Trump reversed the demotion handed down to the 40-year-old under his conviction.

The Navy this week launched a procedure under which a peer review board could strip him and three other members of his unit of their Trident pins -- effectively booting them from the SEALs.

A rankled Trump declared on Twitter on Thursday that "The Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher's Trident Pin."

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The Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin. This case was handled very badly from the beginning. Get back to business!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1197507542726909952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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On Saturday, however, a senior Pentagon official who requested anonymity in order to speak freely said the "peer review board is proceeding."

Whether Gallagher can remain in the unit or not will be determined by a panel of Navy SEAL officers that is set to convene in December.

The move came as multiple US news outlets reported that Navy Secretary Richard Spencer had threatened to resign over the affair, a claim he sharply denied.

"Contrary to popular belief, I am still here. I did not threaten to resign," Spencer said, speaking at a forum in Halifax, Canada.

The US Navy chief said he did not consider Trump's tweet to be a formal order.&nbsp;

"I need a formal order to act," Spencer told reporters on the sidelines of the forum.

According to the US Constitution, the president is the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces.

Gallagher, a 15-year Navy SEAL, had been accused in the stabbing death of a wounded Islamic State prisoner in Iraq in 2017, attempted murder of other civilians and obstruction of justice.&nbsp;

In July, he was acquitted of charges related to those accusations, but was convicted of a lesser charge -- posing with the slain fighter's body in a group picture with other SEALs.

As a result, he was demoted one rank, from chief petty officer to petty officer first class.

Gallagher's case had been championed by Fox News, which the president follows closely.

The US Navy will proceed in its effort to oust a member of its elite SEAL commando unit, an official said Saturday, defying the wishes of President Donald Trump.

The US Navy will proceed in its effort to oust a member of its elite SEAL commando unit, an official said Saturday, defying the wishes of President Donald Trump. Edward Gallagher had been accused of war crimes in a high-profile case but was found guilty only of a lesser offence. On November 15, Trump reversed the demotion handed down to the 40-year-old under his conviction. The Navy this week launched a procedure under which a peer review board could strip him and three other members of his unit of their Trident pins -- effectively booting them from the SEALs. A rankled Trump declared on Twitter on Thursday that "The Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher's Trident Pin." The Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin. This case was handled very badly from the beginning. Get back to business! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2019 × On Saturday, however, a senior Pentagon official who requested anonymity in order to speak freely said the "peer review board is proceeding." Whether Gallagher can remain in the unit or not will be determined by a panel of Navy SEAL officers that is set to convene in December. The move came as multiple US news outlets reported that Navy Secretary Richard Spencer had threatened to resign over the affair, a claim he sharply denied. "Contrary to popular belief, I am still here. I did not threaten to resign," Spencer said, speaking at a forum in Halifax, Canada. The US Navy chief said he did not consider Trump's tweet to be a formal order. "I need a formal order to act," Spencer told reporters on the sidelines of the forum. According to the US Constitution, the president is the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces. Gallagher, a 15-year Navy SEAL, had been accused in the stabbing death of a wounded Islamic State prisoner in Iraq in 2017, attempted murder of other civilians and obstruction of justice. In July, he was acquitted of charges related to those accusations, but was convicted of a lesser charge -- posing with the slain fighter's body in a group picture with other SEALs. As a result, he was demoted one rank, from chief petty officer to petty officer first class. Gallagher's case had been championed by Fox News, which the president follows closely.

US Navy defies Trump, proceeds in effort to expel SEAL

US&nbsp;House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Democrats have begun writing their report on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-accuses-impeachment-witness-of-lying-defends-use-of-giuliani-264142">impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump</a> - a key step moving the process forward - but still may obtain more witness depositions and hold further hearings, the panel's chairman said on Sunday.

Representative Adam Schiff, who is spearheading the inquiry that threatens Trump presidency, said the Democratic-led committee would continue investigations as it works on the report after two weeks of public hearings with testimony from current and former US&nbsp;officials. The panel has held five public hearings and has no more scheduled.

The report could pave the way for House consideration of articles of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-behaviour-worse-than-nixon-head-of-impeachment-probe-263752">impeachment - formal charges</a> - against Trump. If these are approved, the Senate, controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, would then hold a trial on whether to convict the president and remove him from office.

The inquiry centers on a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate political rival Joe Biden as well as a discredited conspiracy theory promoted by Trump that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election.

"We don't foreclose the possibility of more depositions, more hearings. We are in the process of getting more documents all the time. So that investigative work is being done," Schiff said on CNN's "State of the Union" program.

"What we're not going to do is wait months and months while the administration plays a game of 'rope a dope' in an effort to try to stall. We're not willing to go down that road," Schiff said.

"Rope a dope" is a term originated by the late boxer Muhammad Ali referring to delaying tactics.

Trump's administration has refused to provide documents requested by House Democrats and blocked witnesses from testifying including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Other current and former officials have defied White House instructions not to testify.

Schiff said the committee learns more information every day and he expects that to continue but the evidence is already so "overwhelming and uncontested" that lawmakers wanted to begin drafting the report for transmission the Judiciary Committee.

"Even as we compile this report, even as we submit evidence to the Judiciary Committee, we're going to continue our investigation," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

The Judiciary Committee could conduct more proceedings if needed, including hearings, that allow Trump and his counsel to participate. The panel would draft any articles of impeachment against Trump before they would go to the full House for a vote.

Democrats also are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable US&nbsp;ally facing Russian aggression - as leverage to pressure Kiev into conducting the two investigations that could be politically beneficial to Trump.

The money - approved by the US&nbsp;Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country - was later provided to Kiev in September after the controversy had spilled into public view.

Trump is running for re-election in 2020. Biden is a leading Democratic contender to face Trump in that election.

US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Democrats have begun writing their report on the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump - a key step moving the process forward - but still may obtain more witness depositions and hold further hearings, the panel's chairman said on Sunday.

US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Democrats have begun writing their report on the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump - a key step moving the process forward - but still may obtain more witness depositions and hold further hearings, the panel's chairman said on Sunday. Representative Adam Schiff, who is spearheading the inquiry that threatens Trump presidency, said the Democratic-led committee would continue investigations as it works on the report after two weeks of public hearings with testimony from current and former US officials. The panel has held five public hearings and has no more scheduled. The report could pave the way for House consideration of articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. If these are approved, the Senate, controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, would then hold a trial on whether to convict the president and remove him from office. The inquiry centers on a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate political rival Joe Biden as well as a discredited conspiracy theory promoted by Trump that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US presidential election. "We don't foreclose the possibility of more depositions, more hearings. We are in the process of getting more documents all the time. So that investigative work is being done," Schiff said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. "What we're not going to do is wait months and months while the administration plays a game of 'rope a dope' in an effort to try to stall. We're not willing to go down that road," Schiff said. "Rope a dope" is a term originated by the late boxer Muhammad Ali referring to delaying tactics. Trump's administration has refused to provide documents requested by House Democrats and blocked witnesses from testifying including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Other current and former officials have defied White House instructions not to testify. Schiff said the committee learns more information every day and he expects that to continue but the evidence is already so "overwhelming and uncontested" that lawmakers wanted to begin drafting the report for transmission the Judiciary Committee. "Even as we compile this report, even as we submit evidence to the Judiciary Committee, we're going to continue our investigation," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press." The Judiciary Committee could conduct more proceedings if needed, including hearings, that allow Trump and his counsel to participate. The panel would draft any articles of impeachment against Trump before they would go to the full House for a vote. Democrats also are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable US ally facing Russian aggression - as leverage to pressure Kiev into conducting the two investigations that could be politically beneficial to Trump. The money - approved by the US Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country - was later provided to Kiev in September after the controversy had spilled into public view. Trump is running for re-election in 2020. Biden is a leading Democratic contender to face Trump in that election.

Top Democrat says more testimony, hearings possible in Trump impeachment

President Donald Trump on Friday accused a witness in the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry of lying and offered an explanation for his controversial use of his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine policy, saying Giuliani's crime-fighting abilities were needed to deal with a corrupt country.

President Donald Trump on Friday accused a witness in the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry of lying and offered an explanation for his controversial use of his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine policy, saying Giuliani's crime-fighting abilities were needed to deal with a corrupt country. Trump made his remarks the day after the fifth and final scheduled day of public hearings in the US House of Representatives inquiry, which threatens his presidency even as he seeks re-election in November 2020. The Republican president took issue with testimony on Thursday by David Holmes, a US embassy official in Ukraine. Holmes said under oath that at a Kiev restaurant he overheard a July 26 cellphone conversation in which Trump loudly pressed Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, for details on whether Ukraine would carry out politically motivated investigations the president was seeking. "I guarantee you that never took place," Trump told Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends" program. "That was a total phony deal," he added. Trump appointed Sondland to the envoy post after the wealthy Oregon hotelier donated $1 million to his inaugural committee. While Sondland in testimony described an easygoing relationship between the two, Trump said on Friday he had spoken with him "a few times," adding, "I hardly know him, OK?" In another development, Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton said that Twitter Inc had returned control to him of his personal account. He accused the White House of blocking his access to it after he left his post in September. In a post on the account, Bolton asked whether the White House had done so "out of fear of what I may say?" A person close to Bolton told Reuters there were numerous requests made to the White House on Bolton's behalf to stop blocking his access before going to the company to regain control. Bolton so far has declined to cooperate in the impeachment inquiry. Later on Friday, Bolton told reporters at the Union Station in Washington: "We have regained control of the Twitter account. Twitter detached the White House." Asked if he was prepared to testify at the impeachment hearings, Bolton said: "I have no comment." Trump, a prolific Twitter user, denied in the Fox interview that Bolton's access had been blocked by the White House. Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Testimony at the hearings put a spotlight on Trump's decision to give Giuliani, a private citizen with no formal job in his administration, an outsized role to shape American policy toward Ukraine rather than using the U.S. government's usual diplomatic and national security channels. Bolton is among the various US officials described as being alarmed at Giuliani's actions, including pushing Ukraine to conduct two investigations that could harm Trump's political adversaries. Former White House Russia expert Fiona Hill recalled how Bolton called Giuliani "a hand grenade who's going to blow everybody up." During the hearings, current and former White House officials and diplomats voiced alarm at Giuliani's activities. Trump said Giuliani was the right person for the job. "He's like an iconic figure in this country for two reasons. He was the greatest mayor in the history of New York and he was the greatest crime fighter probably in the last 50 years," Trump said of Giuliani, who previously served as the mayor of the largest U.S. city and as a federal prosecutor. "He's also a friend of mine. He's a great person," Trump added. " ... When you're dealing with a corrupt country - if Rudy Giuliani - he's got credentials because of his reputation... When Rudy Giuliani goes there and you hear it's a corrupt country, I mean, it means a lot." Trump did not address what he actually told Giuliani to do. Trump call A focus of the inquiry is a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open two investigations. One involved Joe Biden, a top contender for the Democratic nomination to face Trump in the 2020 presidential election, and his son Hunter Biden, who had worked for Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Trump has accused Biden of corruption, but has not provided evidence. Biden has denied wrongdoing. The other investigation involved a debunked conspiracy theory promoted by Trump and his allies that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to hurt his candidacy and boost Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Trump touted that theory again on Friday. U.S. intelligence agencies and former Special Counsel Robert Mueller determined that Russia used a campaign of propaganda and hacking to interfere in the election to try to help Trump win. Testimony in the impeachment inquiry has shown that Trump in May instructed top U.S. officials to work with Giuliani on Ukraine policy. This came after the president removed Marie Yovanovitch as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine at Giuliani's urging even as the former mayor was pressing officials in Kiev to conduct the two investigations. Democrats also are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in security aid to Ukraine as leverage to pressure Kiev into digging up dirt on his political adversaries. The money - approved by the U.S. Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country - was provided to Ukraine in September only after the controversy spilled into public view. Trump said Ukraine is "known as being the third most corrupt country in the world." "Are we going to be sending massive amounts of money to a country and they're corrupt and they steal the money and it goes into everybody's bank account?" Trump told Fox News. Ukraine ranked 120 out of the 180 countries assessed in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index in 2018. Its score of 32 out of 100 on the index, which is widely used by companies when deciding where to do business, indicates Ukraine has serious corruption issues. If the Democratic-led House approved articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump, the Senate would then hold a trial on whether to convict Trump and remove him from office. Trump's fellow Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for removing him. "I want a trial," Trump told Fox News.

Trump accuses impeachment witness of lying, defends use of Giuliani

US Vice President Mike Pence avoided meeting Iraqi federal government leaders during a surprise trip Saturday to the country, where deadly anti-government protests have highlighted Washington's diminished influence.

In his first visit as vice president, Pence visited American troops at Ain al-Asad base in western Iraq's Anbar province, but was not expected to travel to the capital.

His trip came after weeks of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-dead-in-iraq-capital-as-top-cleric-bluntly-pushes-reform-263953">anti-government rallies </a>across Baghdad and the south.

Iraqi officials told AFP that Pence spoke to Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi by telephone.

"There won't be a meeting as they had a phone call. The prime minister isn't going to Anbar" to meet Pence, one source said.

President Barham Saleh's office told AFP it was not aware Pence was coming to Iraq and had no meeting planned. The US embassy said it had no details to share.

Pence did met Iraqi Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani and his prime minister Masrour Barzani in Arbil, the Kurdish presidency said, publishing pictures of the encounters.

Pence tweeted images of himself and his wife speaking to US forces and carrying a roast turkey, traditionally served during the American Thanksgiving holiday celebrated next week.

"Happy Thanksgiving from Iraq. @SecondLady and I are so honoured to be with our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines here in Iraq!" he tweeted.

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Happy Thanksgiving from Iraq. <a href="https://twitter.com/SecondLady?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecondLady</a> and I are so honored to be with our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines here in Iraq! We are so proud of you and thankful for you all! <a href="https://t.co/bzcM1fGgiG">pic.twitter.com/bzcM1fGgiG</a>
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1198238137543053312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The visit echoed President Donald Trump's own surprise trip to Ain al-Asad a year ago, where he briefly met troops just after Christmas but controversially did not see officials in Baghdad.

Trump's visit was veiled in such secrecy that there was speculation most Iraqi authorities had not been told he president was coming.

Pence's trip came as the death toll from weeks of anti-government rallies across Iraq's capital and the south rose even further.

One protester killed&nbsp;

One protester was killed and 17 were wounded in clashes with security forces Saturday on the Al-Ahrar bridge in Baghdad, a medical source said.

Demonstrators have massed on three main bridges leading from their protest camp in Tahrir (Liberation) Square to the western bank of the river Tigris, where government offices and foreign embassies are based.

Since Thursday, nine protesters have been killed in skirmishes with security forces there.

Around 350 people have been killed and 15,000 wounded since demonstrations erupted on October 1 amid outrage over rampant government corruption and lack of jobs.&nbsp;

Protesters are demanding a total overhaul of the ruling system in place since the US-led invasion of 2003 that toppled then-dictator Saddam Hussein.

The US then dismantled Iraq's security forces and tried to rebuild the country's institutions by working closely with a newfound political class.

But ties are now at their "coldest" since 2003, American and Iraqi officials have told AFP.

Abdel Mahdi, in office for the past year, has yet to visit Washington amid frustrations in the White House that his office was "too close" to Tehran.

Tensions between the US and Iran have spiralled since Washington unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 deal over the latter's nuclear programme and began imposing a series of crushing sanctions.

Baghdad, which has close ties with both countries, has feared being caught in the middle.

Washington has already slapped sanctions on Iraqi officials, military factions and institutions with ties to blacklisted Iranian organisations.

'Not welcome in Iraq'&nbsp;

In July, the US singled out the leaders of two paramilitary groups in Iraq that Pence accused of being tied to Iran.

Rayan al-Kildani and Waad Qado -- the former a Christian and the latter a member of the Shabak minority -- were both sanctioned over "serious human rights abuse" by them or their organisations.

Kildani reacted to Pence's visit on Saturday, tweeting: "To the American vice president who came to Iraq stealthily... You are not welcome on Iraqi territory."

Kildani and Qado's factions belong to the Hashed al-Shaabi, a powerful Shiite-majority paramilitary network that includes many groups with close ties to Tehran.

Hashed leaders and Iran have been widely criticised in the recent protests, accused of defending the very government the demonstrators want to bring down.

Many of their offices have been burned in Iraq's restive south, the scene of new protests on Saturday.

US Vice President Mike Pence avoided meeting Iraqi federal government leaders during a surprise trip Saturday to the country, where deadly anti-government protests have highlighted Washington's diminished influence.

US Vice President Mike Pence avoided meeting Iraqi federal government leaders during a surprise trip Saturday to the country, where deadly anti-government protests have highlighted Washington's diminished influence. In his first visit as vice president, Pence visited American troops at Ain al-Asad base in western Iraq's Anbar province, but was not expected to travel to the capital. His trip came after weeks of anti-government rallies across Baghdad and the south. Iraqi officials told AFP that Pence spoke to Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi by telephone. "There won't be a meeting as they had a phone call. The prime minister isn't going to Anbar" to meet Pence, one source said. President Barham Saleh's office told AFP it was not aware Pence was coming to Iraq and had no meeting planned. The US embassy said it had no details to share. Pence did met Iraqi Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani and his prime minister Masrour Barzani in Arbil, the Kurdish presidency said, publishing pictures of the encounters. Pence tweeted images of himself and his wife speaking to US forces and carrying a roast turkey, traditionally served during the American Thanksgiving holiday celebrated next week. "Happy Thanksgiving from Iraq. @SecondLady and I are so honoured to be with our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines here in Iraq!" he tweeted. Happy Thanksgiving from Iraq. @SecondLady and I are so honored to be with our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines here in Iraq! We are so proud of you and thankful for you all! pic.twitter.com/bzcM1fGgiG — Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) November 23, 2019 × The visit echoed President Donald Trump's own surprise trip to Ain al-Asad a year ago, where he briefly met troops just after Christmas but controversially did not see officials in Baghdad. Trump's visit was veiled in such secrecy that there was speculation most Iraqi authorities had not been told he president was coming. Pence's trip came as the death toll from weeks of anti-government rallies across Iraq's capital and the south rose even further. One protester killed One protester was killed and 17 were wounded in clashes with security forces Saturday on the Al-Ahrar bridge in Baghdad, a medical source said. Demonstrators have massed on three main bridges leading from their protest camp in Tahrir (Liberation) Square to the western bank of the river Tigris, where government offices and foreign embassies are based. Since Thursday, nine protesters have been killed in skirmishes with security forces there. Around 350 people have been killed and 15,000 wounded since demonstrations erupted on October 1 amid outrage over rampant government corruption and lack of jobs. Protesters are demanding a total overhaul of the ruling system in place since the US-led invasion of 2003 that toppled then-dictator Saddam Hussein. The US then dismantled Iraq's security forces and tried to rebuild the country's institutions by working closely with a newfound political class. But ties are now at their "coldest" since 2003, American and Iraqi officials have told AFP. Abdel Mahdi, in office for the past year, has yet to visit Washington amid frustrations in the White House that his office was "too close" to Tehran. Tensions between the US and Iran have spiralled since Washington unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 deal over the latter's nuclear programme and began imposing a series of crushing sanctions. Baghdad, which has close ties with both countries, has feared being caught in the middle. Washington has already slapped sanctions on Iraqi officials, military factions and institutions with ties to blacklisted Iranian organisations. 'Not welcome in Iraq' In July, the US singled out the leaders of two paramilitary groups in Iraq that Pence accused of being tied to Iran. Rayan al-Kildani and Waad Qado -- the former a Christian and the latter a member of the Shabak minority -- were both sanctioned over "serious human rights abuse" by them or their organisations. Kildani reacted to Pence's visit on Saturday, tweeting: "To the American vice president who came to Iraq stealthily... You are not welcome on Iraqi territory." Kildani and Qado's factions belong to the Hashed al-Shaabi, a powerful Shiite-majority paramilitary network that includes many groups with close ties to Tehran. Hashed leaders and Iran have been widely criticised in the recent protests, accused of defending the very government the demonstrators want to bring down. Many of their offices have been burned in Iraq's restive south, the scene of new protests on Saturday.

American vice president avoids Baghdad leaders on surprise Iraq visit

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-votes-for-district-councillors-amid-anti-government-protests-263841">Hong Kong university campus</a> under siege for more than a week was a deserted wasteland on Saturday, with a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-would-be-obliterated-in-14-minutes-if-not-for-me-donald-trump-263961">handful of protesters</a> holed up in hidden refuges across the trashed grounds, as the city's focus turned to local elections.

The end of the siege at Polytechnic University on the Kowloon peninsula was approaching as some protesters desperately sought a way out and others vowed not to surrender, days after some of the worst violence since anti-government demonstrations escalated in June.

"If they storm in, there are a lot of places for us to hide," said Sam, a 21-year-old student, who was eating two-minute noodles in the cafeteria, while plotting his escape.

Police have set up high plastic barricades and a fence on the perimeter of the campus, which they have surrounded for more than a week. Early on Saturday, a Reuters witness saw three police vans drive in as about a dozen officers stood guard.

Watch: I saved lives in Hong Kong says Donald Trump

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About 1,000 people have been arrested in the siege in the Chinese-ruled city, about 300 of them younger than 18.

A single armed Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldier stood guard inside the Gun Club Hill Barracks next to the police fence on the edges of the university.

Rotting rubbish and boxes of unused petrol bombs littered the grounds, where many levels of the buildings resemble abandoned hideouts littered with items such as rucksacks, masks and water bottles.

In the early hours of Saturday, fire department officers inspected part of a sewer system through which some students had tried to flee earlier in the week, leaving backpacks, masks and other belongings scattered nearby.

The university standoff is nearing an end as a record 1,104 people gear up to run for 452 district council seats in elections on Sunday.

A record 4.1 million Hong Kong people, from a population of 7.4 million, have enrolled to vote, spurred in part by registration campaigns during months of protests.

Young pro-democracy activists are now running in some of the seats that were once uncontested and dominated by pro-Beijing candidates.

The protests snowballed from June after years of resentment over what many residents see as Chinese meddling in freedoms promised to Hong Kong when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Beijing has said it is committed to the "one country, two systems" formula by which Hong Kong is governed. It denies meddling in the affairs of the Asian financial hub and accuses foreign governments of stirring up trouble.

In an interview with Fox News Channel on Friday, US President Donald Trump said he had told Chinese President Xi Jinping that crushing the protests would have "a tremendous negative impact" on efforts to end the two countries' 16-month-long trade war.

"If it weren't for me Hong Kong would have been obliterated in 14 minutes," Trump said, without offering any evidence.

"He's got a million soldiers standing outside of Hong Kong that aren't going in only because I ask him, 'Please don't do it, you'll be making a big mistake, it's going to have a tremendous negative impact on the trade deal,' and he wants to make a trade deal."

A Hong Kong university campus under siege for more than a week was a deserted wasteland on Saturday, with a handful of protesters holed up in hidden refuges across the trashed grounds, as the city's focus turned to local elections.

A Hong Kong university campus under siege for more than a week was a deserted wasteland on Saturday, with a handful of protesters holed up in hidden refuges across the trashed grounds, as the city's focus turned to local elections. The end of the siege at Polytechnic University on the Kowloon peninsula was approaching as some protesters desperately sought a way out and others vowed not to surrender, days after some of the worst violence since anti-government demonstrations escalated in June. "If they storm in, there are a lot of places for us to hide," said Sam, a 21-year-old student, who was eating two-minute noodles in the cafeteria, while plotting his escape. Police have set up high plastic barricades and a fence on the perimeter of the campus, which they have surrounded for more than a week. Early on Saturday, a Reuters witness saw three police vans drive in as about a dozen officers stood guard. Watch: I saved lives in Hong Kong says Donald Trump × About 1,000 people have been arrested in the siege in the Chinese-ruled city, about 300 of them younger than 18. A single armed Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldier stood guard inside the Gun Club Hill Barracks next to the police fence on the edges of the university. Rotting rubbish and boxes of unused petrol bombs littered the grounds, where many levels of the buildings resemble abandoned hideouts littered with items such as rucksacks, masks and water bottles. In the early hours of Saturday, fire department officers inspected part of a sewer system through which some students had tried to flee earlier in the week, leaving backpacks, masks and other belongings scattered nearby. The university standoff is nearing an end as a record 1,104 people gear up to run for 452 district council seats in elections on Sunday. A record 4.1 million Hong Kong people, from a population of 7.4 million, have enrolled to vote, spurred in part by registration campaigns during months of protests. Young pro-democracy activists are now running in some of the seats that were once uncontested and dominated by pro-Beijing candidates. The protests snowballed from June after years of resentment over what many residents see as Chinese meddling in freedoms promised to Hong Kong when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Beijing has said it is committed to the "one country, two systems" formula by which Hong Kong is governed. It denies meddling in the affairs of the Asian financial hub and accuses foreign governments of stirring up trouble. In an interview with Fox News Channel on Friday, US President Donald Trump said he had told Chinese President Xi Jinping that crushing the protests would have "a tremendous negative impact" on efforts to end the two countries' 16-month-long trade war. "If it weren't for me Hong Kong would have been obliterated in 14 minutes," Trump said, without offering any evidence. "He's got a million soldiers standing outside of Hong Kong that aren't going in only because I ask him, 'Please don't do it, you'll be making a big mistake, it's going to have a tremendous negative impact on the trade deal,' and he wants to make a trade deal."

University campus siege nears end as Hong Kong gears up for election

Does Donald Trump seek Hong Kong crisis with Trade lens?

I saved lives in Hong Kong says Donald Trump

An irate Donald Trump said Friday he welcomes the prospect of an impeachment trial, as the US leader lashed out at "crazy" and "corrupt" opponents probing potential abuse of presidential power.

An irate Donald Trump said Friday he welcomes the prospect of an impeachment trial, as the US leader lashed out at "crazy" and "corrupt" opponents probing potential abuse of presidential power. After a week of dramatic impeachment testimony from current and former administration officials, an embattled Trump took to a favorite broadcaster to air a long, occasionally incoherent list of grievances -- against the FBI, his political adversaries, impeachment inquiry leaders, the "deep state," and more. "These people are sick," Trump raged down the telephone line to Fox at the start of a 53-minute tirade that showed how angered and unsettled he has been by an impeachment inquiry that threatens his presidency. Multiple witnesses, in often damning testimony under oath, buttressed charges the president conditioned much-needed military aid and a coveted White House meeting on Ukraine investigating his political rivals. But with many Republicans seemingly unmoved, Trump bashed the testimony as "total nonsense" and said he relished the chance to defend himself. "Frankly, I want a trial," Trump told morning show Fox and Friends. The House Intelligence Committee has not formally concluded its role in the inquiry, possibly waiting for a court ruling on Monday that could empower members to force senior Trump aides to testify. But Democrats appear determined to hold an impeachment vote in the House of Representatives by the end of the year, which could see Trump go on trial in the Senate in January. Removing him from office would require conviction by a two-thirds majority in the Republican-controlled upper chamber. 'Crazy as a bedbug' The increasing prospect of becoming only the third US president formally impeached, after Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, has riled the brash New York billionaire, and he fired off multiple attacks against rivals leading the effort. His main Democratic nemesis in Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is "crazy as a bedbug" for pressing a "scam" impeachment, he fumed. House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, who has presided over the public phase of the inquiry? A "nutjob" and a "sick puppy" who should be sued for having "lied" about the president's "flawless" Ukraine call, Trump added. Trump was quick to say he "hardly" knows several of the witnesses, including his own ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, who said Trump sought a quid pro quo from Ukraine. But he rushed to the defense of his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who has emerged in many accounts as having orchestrated the shadow policy to pressure Ukraine. "Rudy is a great crime fighter," Trump said, giving an unqualified endorsement to one of the most controversial figures in the Ukraine saga. "He is a friend of mine. He is a great person, an iconic figure in this country," he said of the former New York major. Trump also repeated the conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US election -- just a day after a former National Security Council expert, Fiona Hill, denounced that in testimony as a "fictional narrative" advanced by Russia to harm the United States. "They have the server from the DNC -- Democratic National Committee," Trump said of Ukraine, claiming that Democrats gave the computer to "a company owned by a very wealthy Ukrainian." The claim appeared to alarm Fox hosts, including Steve Doocy. "Are you sure they gave it to Ukraine?" a skeptical Doocy asked Trump. "That's what the word is, and that's what I asked actually in my phone call," Trump responded, referring to his July 25 conversation with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky at the heart of the impeachment inquiry. Trump mentioned his political rival Joe Biden to Zelensky and pressed the new president to investigate a Ukrainian firm where Biden's son worked while his father was vice president. Democrats argue that Trump's demand that a foreign leader investigate his potential adversary in the 2020 presidential election is impeachable conduct. Trump has said he was merely pressing Ukraine to ramp up its anti-corruption efforts. But he also claims the Bidens were involved in corruption. There is no evidence to back up the assertion, but Trump nonetheless repeated it on Fox, saying "you have to say Joe Biden is corrupt." Biden, who leads the Democratic 2020 nomination race, has said Trump has smeared him with corruption allegations because he fears a Biden candidacy. Polls show American voters believe Biden would have the best shot at defeating Trump. But Trump seized on polling released this week that shows him winning in hypothetical matchups against Biden and other Democrats in battleground Wisconsin, a state Trump flipped in 2016 but which Democrats aim to retake. "I'm going through the roof," Trump boasted.

Frustrated Trump lashes out at impeachment probe

Billionaire <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/michael-bloomberg-registers-committee-in-anticipation-of-white-house-run-263771">Michael Bloomberg</a>, a potential candidate for 2020 US election, is planning to launch a $31 million television advertising campaign on Monday.&nbsp;

As per ad tracking firm Advertising Analytics, Bloomberg has purchased a total of $31 million in advertising inserts, the largest sum ever spent by a US presidential candidate.&nbsp;

Bernie Sanders, one of the frontrunners in the presidential race, slammed the move in a tweet on Friday and stating he was "disgusted by the idea that Michael Bloomberg or any billionaire thinks they can circumvent the political process and spend tens of millions of dollars to buy elections".

He tweeted that if you can't build grassroot support for your candidacy than "you have no business running for president."&nbsp;

The amount exceeds the record $25 million spent by former US president Barack Obama in 2012 for his campaign and reflects the financial might of one of the richest men in the world.&nbsp;

Bloomberg, a former New York mayor from 2002 to 2013, registered on Thursday with the US Federal Election Commission, a step closer to running for US presidency.&nbsp;

Nearly two weeks ago, Bloomberg said that he was "close" to take a final call on whether to enter the crowded battleground of Democrats for 2020 presidency.&nbsp;

(with inputs from AFP)

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, a potential candidate for 2020 US election, is planning to launch a $31 million television advertising campaign on Monday. As per ad tracking firm Advertising Analytics, Bloomberg has purchased a total of $31 million in advertising inserts, the largest sum ever spent by a US presidential candidate.

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, a potential candidate for 2020 US election, is planning to launch a $31 million television advertising campaign on Monday. As per ad tracking firm Advertising Analytics, Bloomberg has purchased a total of $31 million in advertising inserts, the largest sum ever spent by a US presidential candidate. Bernie Sanders, one of the frontrunners in the presidential race, slammed the move in a tweet on Friday and stating he was "disgusted by the idea that Michael Bloomberg or any billionaire thinks they can circumvent the political process and spend tens of millions of dollars to buy elections". He tweeted that if you can't build grassroot support for your candidacy than "you have no business running for president." The amount exceeds the record $25 million spent by former US president Barack Obama in 2012 for his campaign and reflects the financial might of one of the richest men in the world. Bloomberg, a former New York mayor from 2002 to 2013, registered on Thursday with the US Federal Election Commission, a step closer to running for US presidency. Nearly two weeks ago, Bloomberg said that he was "close" to take a final call on whether to enter the crowded battleground of Democrats for 2020 presidency. (with inputs from AFP)

Potential US presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg spends record amount for TV ads

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/microsoft-increases-data-protection-responsibilities-for-european-union-262842">Microsoft&nbsp;Corp</a>&nbsp;said on Thursday it had been&nbsp;granted&nbsp;a&nbsp;licence&nbsp;from the US&nbsp;government to&nbsp;export&nbsp;software&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/some-huawei-suppliers-get-us-approval-to-restart-sales-to-blacklisted-firm-263525">Huawei&nbsp;Technologies Co </a>Ltd.

"On November 20, the US&nbsp;Department of Commerce&nbsp;granted&nbsp;Microsoft's request for a license to&nbsp;export&nbsp;mass-market&nbsp;software&nbsp;to&nbsp;Huawei. We appreciate the Department's action in response to our request," a&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;spokesman told Reuters via email.

The administration of US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-behaviour-worse-than-nixon-head-of-impeachment-probe-263752">Donald Trump</a> said this week it would allow some suppliers to restart sales to the Chinese telecoms giant, which was placed on a trade blacklist over national security concerns six months ago.

The Commerce Department confirmed it had begun issuing licenses for some companies to sell goods to&nbsp;Huawei, expanding the company's supplier base and providing long-awaited clarity to the industry that once sold it billions of dollars worth of goods.

On Wednesday, a US&nbsp;official said it had received roughly 300&nbsp;licence&nbsp;requests, about half of which had been processed. Roughly half of those – or one-quarter of the total – had been approved and the rest denied.

It was not immediately clear which products had been approved for sale to&nbsp;Huawei, which is the world's top telecommunications equipment maker and second-largest smartphone maker. A person familiar with the process said Wednesday that some licenses for sales of cellphone components and non-electronic components were approved.

Microsoft&nbsp;declined to comment beyond its statement on which products had been approved, and the Commerce Department declined to comment.

Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, said the&nbsp;licence&nbsp;was most likely for the company's Windows operating system.

"This will be a major relief for&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;after an arduous period with large technology players like&nbsp;Microsoft, Google and others restricted on the platform," Ives said.

Huawei&nbsp;has been anxiously awaiting a&nbsp;licence&nbsp;for Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;Google to supply its mobile services to new models. Without access to Google services such as its Play Store for apps,&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;phones will become harder to sell to consumers outside of China. Google declined to comment on Thursday.

The granting of licenses comes as the Trump administration is working to sign a phase one trade deal with China to end a tit-for-tat trade war that has roiled markets and hit global growth.

But the move immediately met with opposition. A bipartisan group of 15 senators urged the Commerce Department to suspend the issuing of licenses, saying it could threaten US&nbsp;security.

In a letter on Thursday to Trump, the senators said the administration should halt issuing licenses until it provides Congress "a report outlining specific criteria for determining whether or not the approval of any license poses a national security threat."

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it had been granted a licence from the US government to export software to Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. "On November 20, the US Department of Commerce granted Microsoft's request for a license to export mass-market software to Huawei.

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it had been granted a licence from the US government to export software to Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. "On November 20, the US Department of Commerce granted Microsoft's request for a license to export mass-market software to Huawei. We appreciate the Department's action in response to our request," a Microsoft spokesman told Reuters via email. The administration of US President Donald Trump said this week it would allow some suppliers to restart sales to the Chinese telecoms giant, which was placed on a trade blacklist over national security concerns six months ago. The Commerce Department confirmed it had begun issuing licenses for some companies to sell goods to Huawei, expanding the company's supplier base and providing long-awaited clarity to the industry that once sold it billions of dollars worth of goods. On Wednesday, a US official said it had received roughly 300 licence requests, about half of which had been processed. Roughly half of those – or one-quarter of the total – had been approved and the rest denied. It was not immediately clear which products had been approved for sale to Huawei, which is the world's top telecommunications equipment maker and second-largest smartphone maker. A person familiar with the process said Wednesday that some licenses for sales of cellphone components and non-electronic components were approved. Microsoft declined to comment beyond its statement on which products had been approved, and the Commerce Department declined to comment. Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, said the licence was most likely for the company's Windows operating system. "This will be a major relief for Huawei after an arduous period with large technology players like Microsoft, Google and others restricted on the platform," Ives said. Huawei has been anxiously awaiting a licence for Alphabet Inc's Google to supply its mobile services to new models. Without access to Google services such as its Play Store for apps, Huawei phones will become harder to sell to consumers outside of China. Google declined to comment on Thursday. The granting of licenses comes as the Trump administration is working to sign a phase one trade deal with China to end a tit-for-tat trade war that has roiled markets and hit global growth. But the move immediately met with opposition. A bipartisan group of 15 senators urged the Commerce Department to suspend the issuing of licenses, saying it could threaten US security. In a letter on Thursday to Trump, the senators said the administration should halt issuing licenses until it provides Congress "a report outlining specific criteria for determining whether or not the approval of any license poses a national security threat."

Microsoft granted licence to export 'mass-market' software to Huawei

US President Donald Trump said Friday he had saved <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-university-seige-8-students-arrested-as-protests-fizzle-out-263764">Hong Kong </a>from being destroyed by persuading Chinese President Xi Jinping to hold off on sending in troops to crush its pro-democracy movement.

"If it weren't for me, Hong Kong would have been obliterated in 14 minutes," Trump said in a scattershot early morning interview with Fox News.

Trump's comments come as he mulls signing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-house-passes-hong-kong-rights-bill-president-trump-expected-to-sign-263483">congressionally-approved legislation </a>in support of the pro-democracy activists -- or bow to Beijing's threats of retaliation if the law is enacted.

Asked whether he would veto the legislation, green-lit by an overwhelming margin in Congress on Wednesday, Trump equivocated.

"I'll tell you we have to stand with Hong Kong but I'm also standing with President Xi. He is a friend of mine he is an incredible guy," Trump said. "I would like to see them work it out. We have to see them work it out," he added.

Trump cast his relationship with Xi as the bulwark keeping China from moving against the pro-democracy movement that has rocked Hong Kong during almost six months of increasingly violent protests.

He added that a "million soldiers standing outside of Hong Kong are not going only because I asked him: 'Please don't do that. You will be making a big mistake. It will have a tremendous negative impact on the trade deal.'"

Trump acknowledged that the tension over the former British colony -- handed back to China in 1997 -- has complicated efforts to strike a trade deal with Beijing, a top Trump priority and source of economic uncertainty as Washington heads into an election year.

US and Chinese trade negotiators are "potentially very close" to a deal, he said.

'Fightback'&nbsp;

Earlier in Beijing, Xi met a group of former US officials and other foreign dignitaries, including Richard Nixon's Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, ex-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Trump's erstwhile economic advisor Gary Cohn.

"As we always said we don't want to start the trade war but we are not afraid," Xi said. "When necessary we will fightback but we have been working actively to try not to have a trade war."

The Hong Kong bill awaiting Trump's signature supports human rights and democracy in the city while threatening to revoke its special economic status.

A separate measure bans the sale of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment used by the security forces to suppress pro-democracy protests.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi denounced the bill as "naked interference" in China's internal affairs and vowed retaliatory measures.

The law's overwhelming passage, first by a unanimous vote in the Senate followed by a 417-1 vote in House of Representatives on Wednesday, underscored the rare bipartisan support for the measure in the US Congress. 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump said Friday he had saved Hong Kong from being destroyed by persuading Chinese President Xi Jinping to hold off on sending in troops to crush its pro-democracy movement.

US President Donald Trump said Friday he had saved Hong Kong from being destroyed by persuading Chinese President Xi Jinping to hold off on sending in troops to crush its pro-democracy movement. "If it weren't for me, Hong Kong would have been obliterated in 14 minutes," Trump said in a scattershot early morning interview with Fox News. Trump's comments come as he mulls signing congressionally-approved legislation in support of the pro-democracy activists -- or bow to Beijing's threats of retaliation if the law is enacted. Asked whether he would veto the legislation, green-lit by an overwhelming margin in Congress on Wednesday, Trump equivocated. "I'll tell you we have to stand with Hong Kong but I'm also standing with President Xi. He is a friend of mine he is an incredible guy," Trump said. "I would like to see them work it out. We have to see them work it out," he added. Trump cast his relationship with Xi as the bulwark keeping China from moving against the pro-democracy movement that has rocked Hong Kong during almost six months of increasingly violent protests. He added that a "million soldiers standing outside of Hong Kong are not going only because I asked him: 'Please don't do that. You will be making a big mistake. It will have a tremendous negative impact on the trade deal.'" Trump acknowledged that the tension over the former British colony -- handed back to China in 1997 -- has complicated efforts to strike a trade deal with Beijing, a top Trump priority and source of economic uncertainty as Washington heads into an election year. US and Chinese trade negotiators are "potentially very close" to a deal, he said. 'Fightback' Earlier in Beijing, Xi met a group of former US officials and other foreign dignitaries, including Richard Nixon's Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, ex-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Trump's erstwhile economic advisor Gary Cohn. "As we always said we don't want to start the trade war but we are not afraid," Xi said. "When necessary we will fightback but we have been working actively to try not to have a trade war." The Hong Kong bill awaiting Trump's signature supports human rights and democracy in the city while threatening to revoke its special economic status. A separate measure bans the sale of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment used by the security forces to suppress pro-democracy protests. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi denounced the bill as "naked interference" in China's internal affairs and vowed retaliatory measures. The law's overwhelming passage, first by a unanimous vote in the Senate followed by a 417-1 vote in House of Representatives on Wednesday, underscored the rare bipartisan support for the measure in the US Congress.

Hong Kong would be 'obliterated in 14 minutes' if not for me: Donald Trump

The OECD trimmed its outlook for the global economy on Thursday, saying the world was headed for its weakest economic growth since the 2007-2008 financial crisis.

Urging governments to invest in digital and climate transformation, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said activity had been hobbled by weaker trade and investment in the past two years, as US President Donald Trump and Chinese leaders continue to be locked in a trade conflict.

The OECD now expects economic activity around the world to expand by 2.9 per cent next year, a decline of 0.1 percentage points from a previous forecast issued in September.

Growth was likely to remain slow, it said, with expansion in 2020-2021 seen at around 3.0 per cent, down from a 3.5 per cent rate projected only a year ago.

This was shaping up to be "the weakest rate since the global financial crisis", according to OECD chief economist Laurence Boone.

Growth this year was also likely to come in at 2.9 per cent, the OECD said in its November 2019 Economic Outlook.

Boone noted that "for the past two years, global growth outcomes and prospects have steadily deteriorated, amidst persistent policy uncertainty and weak trade and investment flows."

She said that central banks had taken decisive and timely monetary decisions that partly offset the negative effects of trade tensions.

But governments had not done the same, instead of failing to invest enough in long-term projects to improve infrastructure, advance digitalisation of their economies or in the fight against climate change.

Boone warned that the OECD was concerned the outlook would deteriorate further due to "unaddressed structural changes more than any cyclical shock".

She highlighted climate change and digitalisation as two examples, along with the fact that "trade and geopolitics are moving away from the multilateral order of the 1990s."

A breakdown of the forecasts showed that the US economy, the world's biggest, is tipped "to slow to 2.0 per cent by 2021, while growth in Japan and the euro area is expected to be around 0.7 and 1.2 per cent respectively," the report said.

In China, the world's second-biggest economy, growth was forecast to "continue to edge down, to around 5.5 per cent by 2021", it added.

Other emerging-market economies are expected to recover "only modestly," Boone said.

The OECD trimmed its outlook for the global economy on Thursday, saying the world was headed for its weakest economic growth since the 2007-2008 financial crisis.

The OECD trimmed its outlook for the global economy on Thursday, saying the world was headed for its weakest economic growth since the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Urging governments to invest in digital and climate transformation, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said activity had been hobbled by weaker trade and investment in the past two years, as US President Donald Trump and Chinese leaders continue to be locked in a trade conflict. The OECD now expects economic activity around the world to expand by 2.9 per cent next year, a decline of 0.1 percentage points from a previous forecast issued in September. Growth was likely to remain slow, it said, with expansion in 2020-2021 seen at around 3.0 per cent, down from a 3.5 per cent rate projected only a year ago. This was shaping up to be "the weakest rate since the global financial crisis", according to OECD chief economist Laurence Boone. Growth this year was also likely to come in at 2.9 per cent, the OECD said in its November 2019 Economic Outlook. Boone noted that "for the past two years, global growth outcomes and prospects have steadily deteriorated, amidst persistent policy uncertainty and weak trade and investment flows." She said that central banks had taken decisive and timely monetary decisions that partly offset the negative effects of trade tensions. But governments had not done the same, instead of failing to invest enough in long-term projects to improve infrastructure, advance digitalisation of their economies or in the fight against climate change. Boone warned that the OECD was concerned the outlook would deteriorate further due to "unaddressed structural changes more than any cyclical shock". She highlighted climate change and digitalisation as two examples, along with the fact that "trade and geopolitics are moving away from the multilateral order of the 1990s." A breakdown of the forecasts showed that the US economy, the world's biggest, is tipped "to slow to 2.0 per cent by 2021, while growth in Japan and the euro area is expected to be around 0.7 and 1.2 per cent respectively," the report said. In China, the world's second-biggest economy, growth was forecast to "continue to edge down, to around 5.5 per cent by 2021", it added. Other emerging-market economies are expected to recover "only modestly," Boone said.

OECD warns global growth 'weakest since financial crisis'

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - November 22, 2019

Hill and Holmes sworn in for impeachment hearing testimony. Watch video to know more.

Hill and Holmes sworn in for impeachment hearing testimony

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pelosi-says-trump-has-admitted-to-bribery-as-impeachment-probe-intensifies-262171">US&nbsp;House Speaker Nancy Pelosi</a> said on Thursday there was clear evidence <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-behaviour-worse-than-nixon-head-of-impeachment-probe-263752">President Donald Trump</a> had used his office for personal gain and undermined national security, but that no final impeachment decision had been made as House Democrats continued their impeachment inquiry into the Republican president.

Pelosi, speaking at her weekly press conference, reiterated that it was up to the House Intelligence Committee to determine how to proceed with the investigation as lawmakers continued to gather facts and hear from witnesses.

"The evidence is clear ... that the president has used his office for his own personal gain and in doing so undermined the national security," she told reporters. "He has violated his oath of office."

The Democrat-led House Intelligence Committee on Thursday was conducting its fifth and final scheduled day of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry centered on Trump's request in a July 25 phone call that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy conduct probes of Trump's political rivals.

The inquiry is also examining whether Trump's withholding of $391 million in security aid to Ukraine was meant to pressure Zelenskiy to undertake the investigations. 
Trump has denied wrongdoing.

The inquiry could lead the House to approve formal charges against Trump, known as articles of impeachment.

The Republican-controlled Senate would then hold a trial on whether to remove him from office, although few Republican senators have been critical of Trump so far.

Asked by a reporter whether the House was now ready to advance articles of impeachment against Trump, Pelosi said, "We haven't made any decision."

The nation's leading Democrat also left open the possibility of additional hearings by the House Intelligence Committee or the interviewing of additional witnesses.

"We are not finished yet. The day is not over and you never know what testimony of one person may lead to the need for testimony of another," Pelosi said.

She again issued an invitation to Trump to come forward, saying, "if you have any information that is exculpatory ... because it seems as if the facts are uncontested to what happened. Now if you have contrary, if you have reason to convince people that something was different, under oath, please let us know."&nbsp;

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday there was clear evidence President Donald Trump had used his office for personal gain and undermined national security, but that no final impeachment decision had been made as House Democrats continued their impeachment inquiry into the Republican president.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday there was clear evidence President Donald Trump had used his office for personal gain and undermined national security, but that no final impeachment decision had been made as House Democrats continued their impeachment inquiry into the Republican president. Pelosi, speaking at her weekly press conference, reiterated that it was up to the House Intelligence Committee to determine how to proceed with the investigation as lawmakers continued to gather facts and hear from witnesses. "The evidence is clear ... that the president has used his office for his own personal gain and in doing so undermined the national security," she told reporters. "He has violated his oath of office." The Democrat-led House Intelligence Committee on Thursday was conducting its fifth and final scheduled day of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry centered on Trump's request in a July 25 phone call that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy conduct probes of Trump's political rivals. The inquiry is also examining whether Trump's withholding of $391 million in security aid to Ukraine was meant to pressure Zelenskiy to undertake the investigations. Trump has denied wrongdoing. The inquiry could lead the House to approve formal charges against Trump, known as articles of impeachment. The Republican-controlled Senate would then hold a trial on whether to remove him from office, although few Republican senators have been critical of Trump so far. Asked by a reporter whether the House was now ready to advance articles of impeachment against Trump, Pelosi said, "We haven't made any decision." The nation's leading Democrat also left open the possibility of additional hearings by the House Intelligence Committee or the interviewing of additional witnesses. "We are not finished yet. The day is not over and you never know what testimony of one person may lead to the need for testimony of another," Pelosi said. She again issued an invitation to Trump to come forward, saying, "if you have any information that is exculpatory ... because it seems as if the facts are uncontested to what happened. Now if you have contrary, if you have reason to convince people that something was different, under oath, please let us know."

Pelosi says evidence is clear, Trump used office for personal gain

In all the hand-wringing that critics and commentators have done since President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, one of the common refrains emphasises the breach of trust between Washington and its Kurdish militia partners.

Some scholars of international relations put little stock in trust. Countries are selfish, after all.

Others see trust in impersonal terms, embedded in the rules, norms, institutions and alliances that bind countries to each other.

It turns out, though, that trust does matter in international relations. And in the Middle East, trust is often seen in personal terms.

For the American personnel who worked, ate and lived with the Syrian Kurds, trust-building was also a deeply personal experience. Trust underpinned the crucial intelligence cooperation between the US and its Kurdish partners. That cooperation helped plan and execute the raid that led to the capture killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

As one former American special operator has written, “Trust is a powerful commodity that has saved many lives in shadowy battlefields across the Middle East. But it takes a long time to build and can be gone in an instant.”

By contrast, mistrust, even if it is based on perception alone, can linger for decades, thwarting Washington’s foreign policy goals.

Defeating the Islamic State

I observed the long-term consequences of broken trust next door to Syria, in Iraq.

I served as a US diplomat in the southern Iraqi city of Basrah during 2015 and 2016, the height of the war against the Islamic State group, also known as IS.

At the time, after years of sectarian strife, dishonest governments and their broken promises, Iraqis seemed united around the common purpose of defeating IS. The corrupt and sectarian regime of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had been ousted. And the US was leading an international coalition to help the Iraqi government in the fight against IS, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance.

You might think that a war that the US was fighting on behalf of the Iraqi people, a war that was truly an existential one for the majority Iraqi Shia, would have produced at least some goodwill toward the United States.

Instead, when I arrived in Basrah in 2015, I discovered that many Iraqis, including the majority Shia Muslim population among whom I lived, believed that the United States was somehow in cahoots with the Islamic State.

Mistrust for decades 
 
The Middle East is rife with conspiracy theories. But this one was particularly jarring given that the United States was then engaged in a costly and very public effort to defeat the Islamic State, a terrorist group which declared the Shia apostates and said they must be killed.

Over time, I began to understand the roots of these attitudes. Disinformation and propaganda, especially from Iran, fueled them to some extent.

But there were deeper issues at play.

“The United States defeated Saddam’s armies in a matter of weeks,” incredulous Iraqis I met would say to me. “So how is it that you can’t defeat a ragtag army of jihadists in two years?”

Iranian disinformation campaigns blaming the US for the Islamic State were effective because of a deep gulf of mistrust between the US and Iraqis, which led to widespread cynicism among ordinary Iraqis about US motives.

The origins of this mistrust go back decades, from tacit US support for Saddam Hussein in the 1980s, when Washington turned a blind eye to the dictatorship’s atrocities against Iraqi Kurds.

The lack of trust helps explain why the US had such a hard time stabilizing Iraq after 2003, despite toppling a feared despot and despite investing billions of dollars in the country.

Roots in betrayal

Iraqi Shia are the largest Muslim sect in the country, but have less political power than Sunni Muslims. The Shia in particular have painful memories of an event that they see as a massive breach of trust between them and the US.

In 1991, encouraged by then-President George HW Bush, the Shia rose up against Saddam, only to be abandoned by the US.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi Shia were slaughtered.

I visited a memorial to the victims of Saddam’s suppression of the uprising, where I saw a leaflet displayed that was dropped by US and coalition aircraft calling on Iraqi soldiers and civilians to “fill the streets and alleys and bring down Saddam Hussein and his aides.”

“We thought this meant that the Americans would help us,” my guide at the museum told me. &nbsp;Many Iraqis I met also recalled the devastating 1990s sanctions on their country that were championed by the United States. Others talked of Washington’s failure to stabilize the country after 2003. Then there was the perception that the Obama administration came late to the war against the Islamic State.

Other Iraqis I met – young ones – told me of their resentment at US&nbsp;support for a political class in Baghdad that is seen as deeply corrupt. Some of them are no doubt protesting in the streets and squares of Iraqi cities today.

I attended lots of meetings with Iraqi Sunni tribal leaders in the south. They saw the Obama administration’s 2011 withdrawal of U.S. troops and general disengagement from Iraq as a betrayal of trust. They saw it as handing over Iraq to Iranian influence, which they fear.

Ultimately, Iraqis did not see the US as a credible, consistent or committed partner. Some turned to Iran for assistance, while turning against the United States. Perhaps it is no surprise that polls taken at the time I worked in Basrah showed that Iraqis saw Iran and Russia as more favourable security partners.

Can’t escape the past

Iraq is by no means a perfect analogy for the shattered trust between Washington and its Syrian Kurdish allies. Yet the Iraqi experience shows that distrust of the United States has deep roots in past US actions.

In Syria, too, the US has left a legacy of mistrust since 2011, from Obama’s failure to follow through on his call for Assad to step down, to his failure to impose meaningful costs on the Syrian regime for its use of chemical weapons. Trump’s withdrawal is just one episode in a longer story.

Despite breaches of trust, Iraqis continued to need US support. But that need paired with a lack of trust makes things difficult for American diplomats in Iraq. For me, it was often overwhelming to be at the receiving end of the immense disappointment, frustration and more rarely, hope, that the Iraqis have in the United States.

The Syrian Kurds, like the Iraqis, will still need the United States and continue to work with Washington. But the breach of trust will complicate cooperation, as it did in Iraq.

Not everything that Iraqis blame the United States for is fair. And it would be impossible for even the best-crafted US policies to satisfy all of Iraq’s diverse people.

At times I tried to remind my unfailingly hospitable Iraqi interlocutors, especially those in the government, to be a bit more introspective about their own failings and responsibility for Iraq’s post-Saddam ills. I tried to remind them that the United States invested a lot in Iraq, with limited results.

In the end, the credibility of the message was undercut by a lack of trust in the messenger.&nbsp;

(Mieczysław P Boduszyński is Assistant Professor of Politics, Pomona College)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/broken-trust-how-iraqis-lost-their-faith-in-washington-long-before-the-kurds-did-125636">original article</a>) 
&nbsp; 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

In all the hand-wringing that critics and commentators have done since President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, one of the common refrains emphasises the breach of trust between Washington and its Kurdish militia partners.

In all the hand-wringing that critics and commentators have done since President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, one of the common refrains emphasises the breach of trust between Washington and its Kurdish militia partners. Some scholars of international relations put little stock in trust. Countries are selfish, after all. Others see trust in impersonal terms, embedded in the rules, norms, institutions and alliances that bind countries to each other. It turns out, though, that trust does matter in international relations. And in the Middle East, trust is often seen in personal terms. For the American personnel who worked, ate and lived with the Syrian Kurds, trust-building was also a deeply personal experience. Trust underpinned the crucial intelligence cooperation between the US and its Kurdish partners. That cooperation helped plan and execute the raid that led to the capture killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. As one former American special operator has written, “Trust is a powerful commodity that has saved many lives in shadowy battlefields across the Middle East. But it takes a long time to build and can be gone in an instant.” By contrast, mistrust, even if it is based on perception alone, can linger for decades, thwarting Washington’s foreign policy goals. Defeating the Islamic State I observed the long-term consequences of broken trust next door to Syria, in Iraq. I served as a US diplomat in the southern Iraqi city of Basrah during 2015 and 2016, the height of the war against the Islamic State group, also known as IS. At the time, after years of sectarian strife, dishonest governments and their broken promises, Iraqis seemed united around the common purpose of defeating IS. The corrupt and sectarian regime of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had been ousted. And the US was leading an international coalition to help the Iraqi government in the fight against IS, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance. You might think that a war that the US was fighting on behalf of the Iraqi people, a war that was truly an existential one for the majority Iraqi Shia, would have produced at least some goodwill toward the United States. Instead, when I arrived in Basrah in 2015, I discovered that many Iraqis, including the majority Shia Muslim population among whom I lived, believed that the United States was somehow in cahoots with the Islamic State. Mistrust for decades The Middle East is rife with conspiracy theories. But this one was particularly jarring given that the United States was then engaged in a costly and very public effort to defeat the Islamic State, a terrorist group which declared the Shia apostates and said they must be killed. Over time, I began to understand the roots of these attitudes. Disinformation and propaganda, especially from Iran, fueled them to some extent. But there were deeper issues at play. “The United States defeated Saddam’s armies in a matter of weeks,” incredulous Iraqis I met would say to me. “So how is it that you can’t defeat a ragtag army of jihadists in two years?” Iranian disinformation campaigns blaming the US for the Islamic State were effective because of a deep gulf of mistrust between the US and Iraqis, which led to widespread cynicism among ordinary Iraqis about US motives. The origins of this mistrust go back decades, from tacit US support for Saddam Hussein in the 1980s, when Washington turned a blind eye to the dictatorship’s atrocities against Iraqi Kurds. The lack of trust helps explain why the US had such a hard time stabilizing Iraq after 2003, despite toppling a feared despot and despite investing billions of dollars in the country. Roots in betrayal Iraqi Shia are the largest Muslim sect in the country, but have less political power than Sunni Muslims. The Shia in particular have painful memories of an event that they see as a massive breach of trust between them and the US. In 1991, encouraged by then-President George HW Bush, the Shia rose up against Saddam, only to be abandoned by the US. Tens of thousands of Iraqi Shia were slaughtered. I visited a memorial to the victims of Saddam’s suppression of the uprising, where I saw a leaflet displayed that was dropped by US and coalition aircraft calling on Iraqi soldiers and civilians to “fill the streets and alleys and bring down Saddam Hussein and his aides.” “We thought this meant that the Americans would help us,” my guide at the museum told me. Many Iraqis I met also recalled the devastating 1990s sanctions on their country that were championed by the United States. Others talked of Washington’s failure to stabilize the country after 2003. Then there was the perception that the Obama administration came late to the war against the Islamic State. Other Iraqis I met – young ones – told me of their resentment at US support for a political class in Baghdad that is seen as deeply corrupt. Some of them are no doubt protesting in the streets and squares of Iraqi cities today. I attended lots of meetings with Iraqi Sunni tribal leaders in the south. They saw the Obama administration’s 2011 withdrawal of U.S. troops and general disengagement from Iraq as a betrayal of trust. They saw it as handing over Iraq to Iranian influence, which they fear. Ultimately, Iraqis did not see the US as a credible, consistent or committed partner. Some turned to Iran for assistance, while turning against the United States. Perhaps it is no surprise that polls taken at the time I worked in Basrah showed that Iraqis saw Iran and Russia as more favourable security partners. Can’t escape the past Iraq is by no means a perfect analogy for the shattered trust between Washington and its Syrian Kurdish allies. Yet the Iraqi experience shows that distrust of the United States has deep roots in past US actions. In Syria, too, the US has left a legacy of mistrust since 2011, from Obama’s failure to follow through on his call for Assad to step down, to his failure to impose meaningful costs on the Syrian regime for its use of chemical weapons. Trump’s withdrawal is just one episode in a longer story. Despite breaches of trust, Iraqis continued to need US support. But that need paired with a lack of trust makes things difficult for American diplomats in Iraq. For me, it was often overwhelming to be at the receiving end of the immense disappointment, frustration and more rarely, hope, that the Iraqis have in the United States. The Syrian Kurds, like the Iraqis, will still need the United States and continue to work with Washington. But the breach of trust will complicate cooperation, as it did in Iraq. Not everything that Iraqis blame the United States for is fair. And it would be impossible for even the best-crafted US policies to satisfy all of Iraq’s diverse people. At times I tried to remind my unfailingly hospitable Iraqi interlocutors, especially those in the government, to be a bit more introspective about their own failings and responsibility for Iraq’s post-Saddam ills. I tried to remind them that the United States invested a lot in Iraq, with limited results. In the end, the credibility of the message was undercut by a lack of trust in the messenger. (Mieczysław P Boduszyński is Assistant Professor of Politics, Pomona College) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

How Iraqis lost their faith in Washington, long before the Kurds did

President Donald Trump's love for sharpie scrawl. Watch video to know more.

President Donald Trump's love for sharpie scrawl

Will U.S. President Donald Trump be fired? Watch this report to understand.

Will US President Donald Trump be impeached?

Trump Anti-Immigration rhetotic drives students away

Fewer Foreign Students Flock to U.S!

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-cook-meeting-culminates-with-visit-to-apple-factory-263332">President Donald Trump toured Apple's Texas</a> manufacturing plant Wednesday in a visit marking a brief truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook.

"He is a very special person as far as this country is concerned," Trump said of Cook as they stood side-by-side, adding that he's done a "great job."

The visit gave Trump a chance to hail American manufacturing and step back, at least temporarily, from his tirade against big technology firms, including Apple, which he criticizes for manufacturing its products abroad.

Trump praised what he said was an "incredible product that is made right here."

"When you build in the United States you don't have to worry about tariffs," he said, referring to those waged by China.

Apple announced in September it would keep making its Mac Pro computer in the United States, after obtaining tariff exemptions for some components in the high-end computers.

The developments show an unusual Trump-Cook relationship in sharp contrast with the president's attacks on other tech giants.

"On the face of it, it's an unlikely relationship," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates who follows the sector.

Cook, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, has been able to sidestep much of Trump's anger by being "very diplomatic," Kay said.

"He's not saying 'I love Trump,' but he's not saying 'I hate Trump,'" said Kay.

"He hasn't made any disparaging public comments. By not ruffling Trump's feathers he's gotten quite a lot out of it."

Cook and Trump remain far apart on a number of issues including trade and immigration, with Apple opposing the White House plan to end protection for so-called "dreamers" who came to the US as children.

While Apple has acknowledged it has paid some tariffs imposed by Trump on goods imported from China, the iPhone maker has so far avoided a major impact from the trade friction.

Watch: Donald Trump calls Apple CEO Tim Cook as Tim Apple

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trump-calls-apple-ceo-tim-cooks-as-tim-apple-201910/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Sidestepping Trump tirades

Trump, who has called Google and social media firms "biased" and been especially critical of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos,&nbsp;accusing him of using his personal investment in The Washington Post for politics, has had mostly praise for the Apple CEO.

"Other companies hire very expensive consultants," Trump said in August. "But the only one who calls me is Tim Cook. He calls me whenever there's a problem."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-inquiry-us-president-says-does-not-know-sondland-very-well-263475">Trump, who once referred to the CEO as "Tim Apple"</a>, appears to be forging a friendly relationship with Cook even when he offers criticism.

In one tweet, he seemed to fret over the design of the latest iPhones which no longer have a home button.

"To Tim: The Button on the iPhone was FAR better than the Swipe!" Trump wrote.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Cook has quietly cultivated his relationship with Trump through the president's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both of whom advise the president.

Trump appears to have softened some of his positions on tariffs after hearing Cook's argument that punishing Apple would help foreign rivals such as Samsung.

"Tim Cook has gone out of his way it seems to develop a relationship with President Trump because he was concerned I'm sure of the potential impact on the business" from Trump's policies, said Bob O'Donnell of Technalysis Research.

Because most of Apple products are manufactured in China, "there was a potentially large impact on profitability," O'Donnell said.

"Tim Cook is trying to be pragmatic and trying to address the issue by tackling it head-on."

Apple, which benefited from legislation signed by Trump that reduced taxes on repatriated profits from 35 to 15 percent, has responded to White House efforts by pledging to invest $350 billion in the US economy by 2023 through its own manufacturing and from suppliers.

O'Donnell said that Cook's efforts to forge a relationship with Trump has some risks as well in Silicon Valley, where the president is unpopular.

"I think some people who are Apple fans and don't like Trump find it a little disconcerting," O'Donnell said.

Kay said however that Apple employees and customers understand the needs of the business, and that Cook's efforts might even ease some of the tensions between the White House and the tech industry.

"Maybe Tim can create&nbsp;a rosier halo around Silicon Valley," Kay said.

"If he puts a human face on Silicon Valley, it could give Trump a slightly different view."

President Donald Trump toured Apple's Texas manufacturing plant Wednesday in a visit marking a brief truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook.

President Donald Trump toured Apple's Texas manufacturing plant Wednesday in a visit marking a brief truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook. "He is a very special person as far as this country is concerned," Trump said of Cook as they stood side-by-side, adding that he's done a "great job." The visit gave Trump a chance to hail American manufacturing and step back, at least temporarily, from his tirade against big technology firms, including Apple, which he criticizes for manufacturing its products abroad. Trump praised what he said was an "incredible product that is made right here." "When you build in the United States you don't have to worry about tariffs," he said, referring to those waged by China. Apple announced in September it would keep making its Mac Pro computer in the United States, after obtaining tariff exemptions for some components in the high-end computers. The developments show an unusual Trump-Cook relationship in sharp contrast with the president's attacks on other tech giants. "On the face of it, it's an unlikely relationship," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates who follows the sector. Cook, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, has been able to sidestep much of Trump's anger by being "very diplomatic," Kay said. "He's not saying 'I love Trump,' but he's not saying 'I hate Trump,'" said Kay. "He hasn't made any disparaging public comments. By not ruffling Trump's feathers he's gotten quite a lot out of it." Cook and Trump remain far apart on a number of issues including trade and immigration, with Apple opposing the White House plan to end protection for so-called "dreamers" who came to the US as children. While Apple has acknowledged it has paid some tariffs imposed by Trump on goods imported from China, the iPhone maker has so far avoided a major impact from the trade friction. Watch: Donald Trump calls Apple CEO Tim Cook as Tim Apple Sidestepping Trump tirades Trump, who has called Google and social media firms "biased" and been especially critical of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, accusing him of using his personal investment in The Washington Post for politics, has had mostly praise for the Apple CEO. "Other companies hire very expensive consultants," Trump said in August. "But the only one who calls me is Tim Cook. He calls me whenever there's a problem." Trump, who once referred to the CEO as "Tim Apple", appears to be forging a friendly relationship with Cook even when he offers criticism. In one tweet, he seemed to fret over the design of the latest iPhones which no longer have a home button. "To Tim: The Button on the iPhone was FAR better than the Swipe!" Trump wrote. According to The Wall Street Journal, Cook has quietly cultivated his relationship with Trump through the president's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both of whom advise the president. Trump appears to have softened some of his positions on tariffs after hearing Cook's argument that punishing Apple would help foreign rivals such as Samsung. "Tim Cook has gone out of his way it seems to develop a relationship with President Trump because he was concerned I'm sure of the potential impact on the business" from Trump's policies, said Bob O'Donnell of Technalysis Research. Because most of Apple products are manufactured in China, "there was a potentially large impact on profitability," O'Donnell said. "Tim Cook is trying to be pragmatic and trying to address the issue by tackling it head-on." Apple, which benefited from legislation signed by Trump that reduced taxes on repatriated profits from 35 to 15 percent, has responded to White House efforts by pledging to invest $350 billion in the US economy by 2023 through its own manufacturing and from suppliers. O'Donnell said that Cook's efforts to forge a relationship with Trump has some risks as well in Silicon Valley, where the president is unpopular. "I think some people who are Apple fans and don't like Trump find it a little disconcerting," O'Donnell said. Kay said however that Apple employees and customers understand the needs of the business, and that Cook's efforts might even ease some of the tensions between the White House and the tech industry. "Maybe Tim can create a rosier halo around Silicon Valley," Kay said. "If he puts a human face on Silicon Valley, it could give Trump a slightly different view."

US President Donald Trump praises Apple chief Tim Cook for 'great job' in Austin after tirade against technology firms

The legislation supporting human rights and democracy in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-students-sewer-escape-thwarted-as-rows-with-uk-us-grow-263389">Hong Kong</a> was passed in the United States yesterday. The House, by 417 votes to 0, also approved Senate-cleared legislation that would ban sales of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment used by Hong Kong security forces.&nbsp;

It shall now be forwarded to US President Donald Trump.

The White House has not threatened to veto the measure and Trump is expected to sign it, reported AFP.

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act passed the House of Representatives by 417 to 0, one day after the Senate unanimously passed the measure, provoking the threat of ''countermeasures'' by Beijing.

According to the bill, the United States president shall annually review the trade status that the US grants to Hong Kong, with sanctions and threats to be imposed in case there are human rights and democracy violations in the city.&nbsp;

The House, by 417 votes to 0, also approved Senate-cleared legislation that would ban sales of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment used by Hong Kong security forces.

Owing to this bill, the two economic superpowers could jeopardise a major trade deal with has been in the works for months.

Watch: China slams US bill on Hong Kong

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-dispatch-china-slams-us-bill-on-hong-kong-263458/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-university-protest-fizzling-out-as-over-1000-arrested-by-authorities-263246">Beijing expressed anger earlier</a> Wednesday after the Senate's unanimous vote, warning of "strong countermeasures" if the bill becomes law, and summoning acting US charge d'affaires William Klein to lodge a protest.

The votes marked an unusually strong show of bipartisanship in divided Washington.

"China is taking aggressive action to impose total control through surveillance, political pressure and, as we saw this weekend, brute force," said Kevin McCarthy, Top House Republican said.

Congress voted, he added, "to protect American interests and hold China accountable for its misconduct."

"For 24 consecutive weeks, the people of Hong Kong have been asking for their democracy, freedoms and promised autonomy to be respected," Senate Democrat Ben Cardin said in a statement.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio said that as the Chinese Communist Party violates "basic rights" of the Hong Kong people, "the United States must make clear that we continue to stand with Hong Kongers fighting for their long-cherished freedoms."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-threatens-united-states-with-countermeasures-over-hong-kong-human-rights-and-democracy-act-263353">The rights bill passed</a> as dozens of pro-democracy protesters stood firm inside a besieged Hong Kong university, where a four-day standoff against police has caught the world's attention.

(With inputs from agencies)

The legislation supporting human rights and democracy in Hong Kong was passed in the United States yesterday. The House, by 417 votes to 0, also approved Senate-cleared legislation that would ban sales of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment used by Hong Kong security forces.

The legislation supporting human rights and democracy in Hong Kong was passed in the United States yesterday. The House, by 417 votes to 0, also approved Senate-cleared legislation that would ban sales of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment used by Hong Kong security forces. It shall now be forwarded to US President Donald Trump. The White House has not threatened to veto the measure and Trump is expected to sign it, reported AFP. The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act passed the House of Representatives by 417 to 0, one day after the Senate unanimously passed the measure, provoking the threat of ''countermeasures'' by Beijing. According to the bill, the United States president shall annually review the trade status that the US grants to Hong Kong, with sanctions and threats to be imposed in case there are human rights and democracy violations in the city. The House, by 417 votes to 0, also approved Senate-cleared legislation that would ban sales of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment used by Hong Kong security forces. Owing to this bill, the two economic superpowers could jeopardise a major trade deal with has been in the works for months. Watch: China slams US bill on Hong Kong Beijing expressed anger earlier Wednesday after the Senate's unanimous vote, warning of "strong countermeasures" if the bill becomes law, and summoning acting US charge d'affaires William Klein to lodge a protest. The votes marked an unusually strong show of bipartisanship in divided Washington. "China is taking aggressive action to impose total control through surveillance, political pressure and, as we saw this weekend, brute force," said Kevin McCarthy, Top House Republican said. Congress voted, he added, "to protect American interests and hold China accountable for its misconduct." "For 24 consecutive weeks, the people of Hong Kong have been asking for their democracy, freedoms and promised autonomy to be respected," Senate Democrat Ben Cardin said in a statement. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said that as the Chinese Communist Party violates "basic rights" of the Hong Kong people, "the United States must make clear that we continue to stand with Hong Kongers fighting for their long-cherished freedoms." The rights bill passed as dozens of pro-democracy protesters stood firm inside a besieged Hong Kong university, where a four-day standoff against police has caught the world's attention. (With inputs from agencies)

US House passes Hong Kong rights bill, President Trump expected to sign

China will strive to reach an initial <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-china-trade-deal-may-not-be-signed-this-year-263497">trade agreement </a>with the United States as both sides keep communication channels open, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday, in an attempt to allay fears talks might be unraveling.

China is willing to work with the United States to resolve each other's core concerns on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and will try hard to reach a "phase one" deal, Gao Feng, spokesman at the ministry, told reporters.

"This is in line with the interests of both China and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/donald-trump-says-us-is-still-talking-to-china-on-trade-263477">United States</a>, and of the world," Gao said.

Economists warn that the prolonged trade dispute between China and the United States is escalating risks to the global economy by disrupting supply chains, discouraging investment and dampening business confidence.

Completion of a phase one deal could slide into next year, trade experts and people close to the White House told Reuters previously, as Beijing presses for more extensive tariff rollbacks and the US&nbsp;administration counters with heightened demands of its own.

Officials from Beijing had suggested that Chinese President Xi Jinping and US&nbsp;counterpart Donald Trump might sign a deal in early December.

Some experts said the next date to watch was Dec&nbsp;15, when US&nbsp;tariffs on about $156 billion in Chinese goods are set to take effect, including holiday gift items such as electronics and Christmas decorations.

In a dinner speech in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said he was "cautiously optimistic" on a phase one deal, Bloomberg News said, citing people who attended the event ahead of a forum organised by Bloomberg LP.

Liu, China's chief negotiator at the trade talks, separately told one of the attendees that he was "confused" about the US&nbsp;demands, but was confident the first phase of a deal could be completed nevertheless, Bloomberg added.

Gao, when asked about sticking points and whether they were related to Washington's demand for China to buy more US&nbsp;farm goods and the tariff rollbacks, said he did not have more information to disclose beyond the fact that both parties would continue to communicate, and "outside rumours are not accurate."

A former Chinese commerce minister told Reuters that both sides should return to the time when the trade war first started.

"We should return to the point of origin and cancel all tariffs," Wei Jianguo said on the sidelines of the Bloomberg forum.

Wei said he was hopeful for a phase one pact, in light of the pressure on both the US&nbsp;and Chinese economies as the trade war dragged on.

"Now, Trump himself is cognizant about the needs of the (upcoming US) elections, and the US&nbsp;economy has also suffered great losses," he said.

"Under such circumstances, it is entirely possible to reach a phased agreement."

Hong Kong issue

A fresh row between Washington and Beijing over US&nbsp;legislation on Hong Kong has also threatened to undermine their trade talks and delay a phase one deal that investors had initially hoped to be signed by now.

The US&nbsp;House of Representatives on Wednesday passed two bills to back protesters in Hong Kong and send a warning to China about human rights, with Trump expected to sign them into law.

The measure, which has angered Beijing, would require the State Department to certify at least once a year that Hong Kong retains enough autonomy to qualify for the special US&nbsp;trading consideration that helped it become a world financial centre.

It also would provide for sanctions against officials responsible for human rights violations in the Chinese-ruled city.

"We urge the US&nbsp;side to cease this activity, stop before it's too late and take measures to prevent these measures from becoming law, stop meddling in Hong Kong's affairs and China's affairs," said Geng Shuang, spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry.

"If they must insist on going down this wrong path China will take strong counter-measures," Geng told reporters at a regular briefing on Thursday.

Demonstrators have protested for months in the streets of Hong Kong, amid increasing violence and fears that Beijing will ramp up its response to stop the civil disobedience.

Trump has 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign a bill passed by Congress, unless he opts to use his veto.

On Thursday, the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s main newspaper, the People's Daily, urged the United States to "rein in the horse at the edge of the precipice" and stop interfering in Hong Kong matters and China’s internal affairs.

"If the US&nbsp;side obstinately clings to its course, the Chinese side will inevitably adopt forceful measures to take resolute revenge, and all consequences will be borne by the United States," it said in a front-page editorial.

China will strive to reach an initial trade agreement with the United States as both sides keep communication channels open, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday, in an attempt to allay fears talks might be unraveling.

China will strive to reach an initial trade agreement with the United States as both sides keep communication channels open, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday, in an attempt to allay fears talks might be unraveling. China is willing to work with the United States to resolve each other's core concerns on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and will try hard to reach a "phase one" deal, Gao Feng, spokesman at the ministry, told reporters. "This is in line with the interests of both China and the United States, and of the world," Gao said. Economists warn that the prolonged trade dispute between China and the United States is escalating risks to the global economy by disrupting supply chains, discouraging investment and dampening business confidence. Completion of a phase one deal could slide into next year, trade experts and people close to the White House told Reuters previously, as Beijing presses for more extensive tariff rollbacks and the US administration counters with heightened demands of its own. Officials from Beijing had suggested that Chinese President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump might sign a deal in early December. Some experts said the next date to watch was Dec 15, when US tariffs on about $156 billion in Chinese goods are set to take effect, including holiday gift items such as electronics and Christmas decorations. In a dinner speech in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said he was "cautiously optimistic" on a phase one deal, Bloomberg News said, citing people who attended the event ahead of a forum organised by Bloomberg LP. Liu, China's chief negotiator at the trade talks, separately told one of the attendees that he was "confused" about the US demands, but was confident the first phase of a deal could be completed nevertheless, Bloomberg added. Gao, when asked about sticking points and whether they were related to Washington's demand for China to buy more US farm goods and the tariff rollbacks, said he did not have more information to disclose beyond the fact that both parties would continue to communicate, and "outside rumours are not accurate." A former Chinese commerce minister told Reuters that both sides should return to the time when the trade war first started. "We should return to the point of origin and cancel all tariffs," Wei Jianguo said on the sidelines of the Bloomberg forum. Wei said he was hopeful for a phase one pact, in light of the pressure on both the US and Chinese economies as the trade war dragged on. "Now, Trump himself is cognizant about the needs of the (upcoming US) elections, and the US economy has also suffered great losses," he said. "Under such circumstances, it is entirely possible to reach a phased agreement." Hong Kong issue A fresh row between Washington and Beijing over US legislation on Hong Kong has also threatened to undermine their trade talks and delay a phase one deal that investors had initially hoped to be signed by now. The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed two bills to back protesters in Hong Kong and send a warning to China about human rights, with Trump expected to sign them into law. The measure, which has angered Beijing, would require the State Department to certify at least once a year that Hong Kong retains enough autonomy to qualify for the special US trading consideration that helped it become a world financial centre. It also would provide for sanctions against officials responsible for human rights violations in the Chinese-ruled city. "We urge the US side to cease this activity, stop before it's too late and take measures to prevent these measures from becoming law, stop meddling in Hong Kong's affairs and China's affairs," said Geng Shuang, spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry. "If they must insist on going down this wrong path China will take strong counter-measures," Geng told reporters at a regular briefing on Thursday. Demonstrators have protested for months in the streets of Hong Kong, amid increasing violence and fears that Beijing will ramp up its response to stop the civil disobedience. Trump has 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign a bill passed by Congress, unless he opts to use his veto. On Thursday, the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s main newspaper, the People's Daily, urged the United States to "rein in the horse at the edge of the precipice" and stop interfering in Hong Kong matters and China’s internal affairs. "If the US side obstinately clings to its course, the Chinese side will inevitably adopt forceful measures to take resolute revenge, and all consequences will be borne by the United States," it said in a front-page editorial.

Will strive to reach 'phase one' trade deal with US: China

Day 4 of Trump's Impeachment Hearing: Sondland admits quid pro quo at hearing.

Trump Impeachment Saga: Sondland admits quid pro quo at hearing

Despite decades of sanctions, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-to-unblock-internet-once-abuse-stops-government-263177">Iran</a> has succeeded in developing its missile arsenal, which is larger than that of any other Middle Eastern country including Israel, a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pentagons-esper-says-it-is-crucial-south-korea-pays-more-for-us-troops-262466">Pentagon</a> study said Tuesday.

"Iran has an extensive missile development program, and the size and sophistication of its missile force continues to grow despite decades of counterproliferation efforts aimed at curbing its advancement," the Defense Intelligence Agency said.

The study said Iran considered missiles to be a strategic necessity due to the limitations of its air force, which still has some US planes ordered by the pro-Western shah, who was toppled in 1979.

"Lacking a modern air force, Iran has embraced ballistic missiles as a long-range strike capability to dissuade its adversaries in the region particularly the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia&nbsp;from attacking Iran," the report said.

Iran has "the largest missile force in the Middle East," the report said. A US intelligence official said on condition of anonymity that the assessment included Israel.

The report said that Iran had developed a series of missiles that could strike at a distance of 2,000 kilometres&nbsp;capable of reaching Israel or Saudi Arabia.

Iran in 2017 showcased the 1,250-mile-range Khoramshahr missile, which can carry multiple warheads. The Pentagon study, in line with a tweet at the time by President Donald Trump, said the missile appeared to use technology from North Korea.

But the Pentagon study said that Iran was spending slightly less on its military, with $20.7 billion budgeted in 2017.&nbsp;

Iran's economy has come under growing pressure since Trump last year withdrew from a denuclearization accord and reimposed sweeping sanctions.

Christian Saunders, an expert on Iran at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japanese-report-to-say-north-korea-has-miniaturised-nuclear-warheads-244550">Defense Intelligence Agency</a>, warned of the impact of an arms embargo is lifted on Iran next year.

"These restrictions are set to expire in October 2020, providing Tehran with an opportunity to acquire some advanced capabilities that have been beyond its reach for decades," Saunders told reporters.

The Islamic republic has faced UN-mandated sanctions on importing most weapons since 2006, but the embargo is set to expire five years after the implementation of the nuclear deal.

The accord, which Iran reached in 2015 with former <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-white-house-race-who-is-obamas-political-heir-262635">President Barack Obama's</a> administration as well as Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, is on life support after Trump left it and as Tehran takes steps to end compliance as a protest over continued sanctions.

A US intelligence official expected Iran to concentrate on procuring fighter jets and battle tanks, with Russia and China the most likely suppliers.

Iran argues that it must keep up its defences, pointing to Western support for Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war and Israel's undeclared nuclear program.

Despite decades of sanctions, Iran has succeeded in developing its missile arsenal, which is larger than that of any other Middle Eastern country including Israel, a Pentagon study said Tuesday.

Despite decades of sanctions, Iran has succeeded in developing its missile arsenal, which is larger than that of any other Middle Eastern country including Israel, a Pentagon study said Tuesday. "Iran has an extensive missile development program, and the size and sophistication of its missile force continues to grow despite decades of counterproliferation efforts aimed at curbing its advancement," the Defense Intelligence Agency said. The study said Iran considered missiles to be a strategic necessity due to the limitations of its air force, which still has some US planes ordered by the pro-Western shah, who was toppled in 1979. "Lacking a modern air force, Iran has embraced ballistic missiles as a long-range strike capability to dissuade its adversaries in the region particularly the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia from attacking Iran," the report said. Iran has "the largest missile force in the Middle East," the report said. A US intelligence official said on condition of anonymity that the assessment included Israel. The report said that Iran had developed a series of missiles that could strike at a distance of 2,000 kilometres capable of reaching Israel or Saudi Arabia. Iran in 2017 showcased the 1,250-mile-range Khoramshahr missile, which can carry multiple warheads. The Pentagon study, in line with a tweet at the time by President Donald Trump, said the missile appeared to use technology from North Korea. But the Pentagon study said that Iran was spending slightly less on its military, with $20.7 billion budgeted in 2017. Iran's economy has come under growing pressure since Trump last year withdrew from a denuclearization accord and reimposed sweeping sanctions. Christian Saunders, an expert on Iran at the Defense Intelligence Agency, warned of the impact of an arms embargo is lifted on Iran next year. "These restrictions are set to expire in October 2020, providing Tehran with an opportunity to acquire some advanced capabilities that have been beyond its reach for decades," Saunders told reporters. The Islamic republic has faced UN-mandated sanctions on importing most weapons since 2006, but the embargo is set to expire five years after the implementation of the nuclear deal. The accord, which Iran reached in 2015 with former President Barack Obama's administration as well as Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, is on life support after Trump left it and as Tehran takes steps to end compliance as a protest over continued sanctions. A US intelligence official expected Iran to concentrate on procuring fighter jets and battle tanks, with Russia and China the most likely suppliers. Iran argues that it must keep up its defences, pointing to Western support for Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war and Israel's undeclared nuclear program.

Pentagon says Iran's missiles unrivaled in Middle East

A key actor in President Donald&nbsp;Trump's alleged effort to pressure Ukraine for dirt on his political rivals will be in the&nbsp;hot&nbsp;seat&nbsp;Wednesday as Democrats build their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impeachment-inquiry-white-house-official-criticizes-trump-call-decries-cowardly-attacks-263213">case for impeaching</a> the US leader.

Numerous witnesses have fingered Gordon&nbsp;Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, as a central conveyor of&nbsp;Trump's demands that Ukraine investigate potential 2020 rival Joe Biden in exchange for unfreezing US aid to the country.

In earlier closed-door testimony&nbsp;Sondland&nbsp;repeated almost 100 times that he "can't remember" and "can't recall" when pressed over his dealings with&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and Ukraine.

Initially maintaining that he was unaware that US military aid was being held up in exchange for a probe, he later made a humiliating about-face, amending his testimony to state that he did in fact know this was the case.

In the second week of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-impeachment-public-hearings-today-261834">televised&nbsp;hearings</a>&nbsp;in the House Intelligence Committee, the hotel tycoon-turned-diplomat is expected to be confronted with powerful evidence that could force him into refusing to answer, or dramatically testifying against the US leader.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/trump-impeachment-what-rules-will-the-house-use-in-televised-hearings-261826">In Pictures:&nbsp;Trump impeachment: What rules will the House use in televised hearings?</a>

Sondland's testimony will come a day after Republicans struggled to defend&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;against mounting allegations of abuse of power and charges that he sought to "extort" Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

During nine hours of testimony Tuesday, four witnesses described how&nbsp;Trump,&nbsp;Sondland&nbsp;and&nbsp;Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani sought for months to persuade Ukraine to investigate both Biden and a baseless claim that the Kiev government helped Democrats in the 2016 US elections.

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, a respected member of the White House National Security Council, told the committee that&nbsp;Trump's July 25 phone call with Zelensky, seeking a "favor" to investigate Biden and the vague 2016 election meddling claim, was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-white-house-ukraine-expert-says-trump-request-for-biden-probe-was-improper-263232">"inappropriate," "improper"</a> and a "partisan play."

"Frankly I couldn't believe what I was hearing," Vindman said.&nbsp;

"It is improper for the president of the United States to demand a foreign government investigate a US citizen and a political opponent."&nbsp;

Sitting next to Vindman, Jennifer Williams, a foreign policy advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, said she too had doubts about the "unusual" July 25 call, which they both monitored from a separate room.

"The references to specific individuals and investigations such as former vice president Biden and his son, struck me as political in nature, given that the former vice president is a political opponent of the president," she told the panel.

Two other witnesses in a second session, former US special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker and National Security Council aide Tim Morrison, supported allegations the White House improperly sought the political assistance.

But both assigned more blame to an "irregular" diplomatic track in the hands of Giuliani and&nbsp;Sondland.

Volker said he worried about "conspiracy theories" that Giuliani "was conveying... to the president."&nbsp;

Also watch:&nbsp;US&nbsp;Ambassador Volker says he did not know Ukraine corruption probe was tied to Biden

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&nbsp;

Morrison, who only took his position in mid-July, said his predecessor warned him of "the Gordon problem," referring to&nbsp;Sondland's Ukraine dealings away from standard US diplomatic channels.&nbsp;

Republicans and the White House continued to insist that the investigation, which could see&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;impeached possibly as soon as the end of the year, was a political witch hunt.

"We have learned nothing new in today's illegitimate 'impeachment&nbsp;proceedings,'" said White House Spokesperson Stephanie Grisham.

"Today we are witnessing the Ukraine hoax, the direct-to-TV sequel to the Russia collusion hoax," said Devin Nunes, the senior Republican on the Intelligence Committee.

But rather than confront the evidence, they turned to character attacks on the witnesses, including questioning the allegiance of Kiev-born Vindman, a 20-year US army veteran, to the United States.&nbsp;

Vindman, dressed in military uniform decorated with his Purple Heart and other commendations, countered that he had raised questions about the July 25 phone call "out of a sense of duty," and called Republicans attacks on public servants "reprehensible."

Sondland's appearance could generate fireworks. He is close to&nbsp;Trump, he was named ambassador to the EU in 2017 after donating $1 million to the president's inauguration festivities.

David Holmes, an official at the US embassy in Ukraine, told investigators last week that, after a phone call to&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;from a Kiev restaurant,&nbsp;Sondland&nbsp;said the president sought political benefits from the bilateral relationship.

Trump&nbsp;"did not give a shit about Ukraine," but cares about "big stuff that benefits the president, like the Biden investigation," Holmes testified.

Testimony like that could force&nbsp;Sondland&nbsp;into a difficult choice between protecting himself by giving evidence against&nbsp;Trump, or facing his own legal problems by refusing to answer questions.

The White House "should be deeply concerned about&nbsp;Sondland's testimony tomorrow," said University of Alabama Law Professor Joyce Vance.

A key actor in President Donald Trump's alleged effort to pressure Ukraine for dirt on his political rivals will be in the hot seat Wednesday as Democrats build their case for impeaching the US leader.

A key actor in President Donald Trump's alleged effort to pressure Ukraine for dirt on his political rivals will be in the hot seat Wednesday as Democrats build their case for impeaching the US leader. Numerous witnesses have fingered Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, as a central conveyor of Trump's demands that Ukraine investigate potential 2020 rival Joe Biden in exchange for unfreezing US aid to the country. In earlier closed-door testimony Sondland repeated almost 100 times that he "can't remember" and "can't recall" when pressed over his dealings with Trump and Ukraine. Initially maintaining that he was unaware that US military aid was being held up in exchange for a probe, he later made a humiliating about-face, amending his testimony to state that he did in fact know this was the case. In the second week of televised hearings in the House Intelligence Committee, the hotel tycoon-turned-diplomat is expected to be confronted with powerful evidence that could force him into refusing to answer, or dramatically testifying against the US leader. In Pictures: Trump impeachment: What rules will the House use in televised hearings? Sondland's testimony will come a day after Republicans struggled to defend Trump against mounting allegations of abuse of power and charges that he sought to "extort" Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. During nine hours of testimony Tuesday, four witnesses described how Trump, Sondland and Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani sought for months to persuade Ukraine to investigate both Biden and a baseless claim that the Kiev government helped Democrats in the 2016 US elections. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, a respected member of the White House National Security Council, told the committee that Trump's July 25 phone call with Zelensky, seeking a "favor" to investigate Biden and the vague 2016 election meddling claim, was "inappropriate," "improper" and a "partisan play." "Frankly I couldn't believe what I was hearing," Vindman said. "It is improper for the president of the United States to demand a foreign government investigate a US citizen and a political opponent." Sitting next to Vindman, Jennifer Williams, a foreign policy advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, said she too had doubts about the "unusual" July 25 call, which they both monitored from a separate room. "The references to specific individuals and investigations such as former vice president Biden and his son, struck me as political in nature, given that the former vice president is a political opponent of the president," she told the panel. Two other witnesses in a second session, former US special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker and National Security Council aide Tim Morrison, supported allegations the White House improperly sought the political assistance. But both assigned more blame to an "irregular" diplomatic track in the hands of Giuliani and Sondland. Volker said he worried about "conspiracy theories" that Giuliani "was conveying... to the president." Also watch: US Ambassador Volker says he did not know Ukraine corruption probe was tied to Biden × Morrison, who only took his position in mid-July, said his predecessor warned him of "the Gordon problem," referring to Sondland's Ukraine dealings away from standard US diplomatic channels. Republicans and the White House continued to insist that the investigation, which could see Trump impeached possibly as soon as the end of the year, was a political witch hunt. "We have learned nothing new in today's illegitimate 'impeachment proceedings,'" said White House Spokesperson Stephanie Grisham. "Today we are witnessing the Ukraine hoax, the direct-to-TV sequel to the Russia collusion hoax," said Devin Nunes, the senior Republican on the Intelligence Committee. But rather than confront the evidence, they turned to character attacks on the witnesses, including questioning the allegiance of Kiev-born Vindman, a 20-year US army veteran, to the United States. Vindman, dressed in military uniform decorated with his Purple Heart and other commendations, countered that he had raised questions about the July 25 phone call "out of a sense of duty," and called Republicans attacks on public servants "reprehensible." Sondland's appearance could generate fireworks. He is close to Trump, he was named ambassador to the EU in 2017 after donating $1 million to the president's inauguration festivities. David Holmes, an official at the US embassy in Ukraine, told investigators last week that, after a phone call to Trump from a Kiev restaurant, Sondland said the president sought political benefits from the bilateral relationship. Trump "did not give a shit about Ukraine," but cares about "big stuff that benefits the president, like the Biden investigation," Holmes testified. Testimony like that could force Sondland into a difficult choice between protecting himself by giving evidence against Trump, or facing his own legal problems by refusing to answer questions. The White House "should be deeply concerned about Sondland's testimony tomorrow," said University of Alabama Law Professor Joyce Vance.

Trump emissary Sondland to speak at impeachment hearings

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