<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pelosi-says-trump-has-admitted-to-bribery-as-impeachment-probe-intensifies-262171">Donald Trump</a> on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to bar a prosecutor from obtaining his tax returns, arguing that as president he has blanket immunity.

Trump, a former New York businessman, is the first American president since Richard Nixon not to make his tax returns public, arguing they're under audit by the Internal Revenue Service.

Opposition Democrats have turned to the courts to force their release in a case that's considered a crucial test of the separation of powers. And if the US high court,&nbsp;where conservative judges hold the majority, decides to take up the case, their decision will receive endless scrutiny.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr, a Democrat, has demanded Trump's tax returns dating back to 2011 as part of an investigation into payments made by Michael Cohen, the president's former personal attorney, to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who claimed to have had a sexual liaison with Trump before he ran for president in 2016.

Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that Trump must hand over the documents.

But the president's attorneys argue that he enjoys immunity both from prosecution and from any acts of investigation.

"For the first time in our nation's history, a state or local prosecutor has launched a criminal investigation of the President of the United States and subjected him to coercive criminal process," Trump's attorney Jay Sekulow said, according to US media.

"Politically motivated subpoenas like this one are a perfect illustration of why a sitting president should be categorically immune from state criminal process," he said.

At a hearing on the case on October 23, one of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/despite-wonderful-meeting-trump-and-erdogan-fail-to-resolve-conflicts-262004">Trump's</a> lawyers went so far as to argue that the president would have immunity even if he shot someone in the street,&nbsp;a statement immediately challenged by jurists and mocked by Democrats.

There have been various other attempts to obtain the returns by Democratic lawmakers in New York and in the House of Representatives.

Donald Trump on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to bar a prosecutor from obtaining his tax returns, arguing that as president he has blanket immunity. Trump, a former New York businessman, is the first American president since Richard Nixon not to make his tax returns public, arguing they're under audit by the Internal Revenue Service.

Donald Trump on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to bar a prosecutor from obtaining his tax returns, arguing that as president he has blanket immunity. Trump, a former New York businessman, is the first American president since Richard Nixon not to make his tax returns public, arguing they're under audit by the Internal Revenue Service. Opposition Democrats have turned to the courts to force their release in a case that's considered a crucial test of the separation of powers. And if the US high court, where conservative judges hold the majority, decides to take up the case, their decision will receive endless scrutiny. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr, a Democrat, has demanded Trump's tax returns dating back to 2011 as part of an investigation into payments made by Michael Cohen, the president's former personal attorney, to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who claimed to have had a sexual liaison with Trump before he ran for president in 2016. Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that Trump must hand over the documents. But the president's attorneys argue that he enjoys immunity both from prosecution and from any acts of investigation. "For the first time in our nation's history, a state or local prosecutor has launched a criminal investigation of the President of the United States and subjected him to coercive criminal process," Trump's attorney Jay Sekulow said, according to US media. "Politically motivated subpoenas like this one are a perfect illustration of why a sitting president should be categorically immune from state criminal process," he said. At a hearing on the case on October 23, one of Trump's lawyers went so far as to argue that the president would have immunity even if he shot someone in the street, a statement immediately challenged by jurists and mocked by Democrats. There have been various other attempts to obtain the returns by Democratic lawmakers in New York and in the House of Representatives.

Donald Trump asks United States Supreme Court to protect his tax returns

Turkey will not give up on Russian S-400 air defense system to acquire US Patriots, says Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan: Turkey won’t give up on Russia’s S-400

U.S. President Trump lashes out at the Democrats, impeachment hearings to continue. Watch this video to know more.

U.S. President Trump lashes out at the Democrats, impeachment hearings to continue

The former US ambassador to Ukraine, whom President Donald Trump called "bad news" before firing her, will be in the spotlight on Friday when she testifies at the second day of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pelosi-says-trump-has-admitted-to-bribery-as-impeachment-probe-intensifies-262171">televised impeachment hearings</a>.

The session before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, scheduled to begin at 9 am (1400 GMT), is part of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-hearings-focus-on-ukraine-pressure-campaign-in-first-day-261996">Democratic-led impeachment inquiry</a> that threatens Trump's presidency even as he seeks re-election in November 2020.

Marie Yovanovitch was removed from her post as ambassador to Kiev in May after coming under attack by Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, at a time when he was working to persuade Ukraine to carry out two investigations that would benefit the Republican president politically.

Giuliani was trying to engineer Ukrainian investigations of Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden and the former US vice president's son Hunter, who had served as a board member for the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, as well as a debunked conspiracy theory embraced by some Trump allies that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US election.

The focus of the impeachment inquiry is on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was elected in May, to open the investigations.

Democrats are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in US security aid to Ukraine as leverage to pressure Kiev. The money, approved by the US Congress to help a US ally combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country, was later provided to Ukraine.

Watch: Trump impeachment saga -&nbsp;Americans watch Trump probe live on TV

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Trump has denied any wrongdoing and calls the impeachment probe a sham.

The hearings may pave the way for the Democratic-led House to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump of the charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal.

Yovanovitch, who has worked for both Republican and Democratic administrations, told lawmakers behind closed doors on October&nbsp;11 that Trump ousted her based on "unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives" after she came under attack by Giuliani. She also denied allegations by Trump allies that she was disloyal to him and said she did not know what Giuliani's motivations were for attacking her.

Yovanovitch said Giuliani's associates "may well have believed that their personal financial ambitions were stymied by our anti-corruption policy in Ukraine."

Trump called Yovanovitch "bad news" in the phone call to Zelenskiy and added that "she's going to go through some things," according to a White House summary. Zelenskiy told Trump: "I agree with you 100 per cent" that she was a "bad ambassador."

'Go big or go home'

In her private testimony to lawmakers, Yovanovitch also described how Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, had urged her to use Twitter to express support for Trump to save her job. "He said, you know, you need to go big or go home. You need to, you know, tweet out there that you support the president," she said.

Three more public hearings are scheduled for next week.

Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Intelligence Committee member, said he hoped that Republican lawmakers treat Yovanovitch fairly.

"I hope that they treat her with the dignity she deserves, the respect that she deserves. By all accounts, she was an excellent member of the foreign service," Krishnamoorthi told Reuters.

Krishnamoorthi said the evidence suggested she was removed to make way for the Trump administration's "irregular channel" of diplomacy in crafting Ukraine policy personally beneficial to Trump in which Giuliani played a central role along with diplomats Sondland and Kurt Volker, as well as Energy Secretary Rick Perry.

The hearing comes a day after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters that Trump already had admitted to bribery in the Ukraine scandal.

"The bribe is to grant or withhold military assistance in return for a public statement of a fake investigation into the elections," Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, told a news conference.

Pelosi's comments could offer a preview of articles of impeachment Democrats might put forward.

Two other career US diplomats, William Taylor and George Kent, testified on Wednesday in the first public hearing, expressing alarm over the pressure tactics on Ukraine by Giuliani for investigations that would benefit Trump politically.

Taylor is acting US ambassador to Ukraine. His aide David Holmes, who Taylor said overheard a July 26 telephone conversation in which Trump asked Sondland about progress in getting the Ukrainians to do the investigations, is due to appear before lawmakers in a private session on Friday.

The former US ambassador to Ukraine, whom President Donald Trump called "bad news" before firing her, will be in the spotlight on Friday when she testifies at the second day of televised impeachment hearings.

The former US ambassador to Ukraine, whom President Donald Trump called "bad news" before firing her, will be in the spotlight on Friday when she testifies at the second day of televised impeachment hearings. The session before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, scheduled to begin at 9 am (1400 GMT), is part of the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry that threatens Trump's presidency even as he seeks re-election in November 2020. Marie Yovanovitch was removed from her post as ambassador to Kiev in May after coming under attack by Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, at a time when he was working to persuade Ukraine to carry out two investigations that would benefit the Republican president politically. Giuliani was trying to engineer Ukrainian investigations of Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden and the former US vice president's son Hunter, who had served as a board member for the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, as well as a debunked conspiracy theory embraced by some Trump allies that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US election. The focus of the impeachment inquiry is on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was elected in May, to open the investigations. Democrats are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in US security aid to Ukraine as leverage to pressure Kiev. The money, approved by the US Congress to help a US ally combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country, was later provided to Ukraine. Watch: Trump impeachment saga - Americans watch Trump probe live on TV × Trump has denied any wrongdoing and calls the impeachment probe a sham. The hearings may pave the way for the Democratic-led House to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump of the charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal. Yovanovitch, who has worked for both Republican and Democratic administrations, told lawmakers behind closed doors on October 11 that Trump ousted her based on "unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives" after she came under attack by Giuliani. She also denied allegations by Trump allies that she was disloyal to him and said she did not know what Giuliani's motivations were for attacking her. Yovanovitch said Giuliani's associates "may well have believed that their personal financial ambitions were stymied by our anti-corruption policy in Ukraine." Trump called Yovanovitch "bad news" in the phone call to Zelenskiy and added that "she's going to go through some things," according to a White House summary. Zelenskiy told Trump: "I agree with you 100 per cent" that she was a "bad ambassador." 'Go big or go home' In her private testimony to lawmakers, Yovanovitch also described how Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, had urged her to use Twitter to express support for Trump to save her job. "He said, you know, you need to go big or go home. You need to, you know, tweet out there that you support the president," she said. Three more public hearings are scheduled for next week. Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Intelligence Committee member, said he hoped that Republican lawmakers treat Yovanovitch fairly. "I hope that they treat her with the dignity she deserves, the respect that she deserves. By all accounts, she was an excellent member of the foreign service," Krishnamoorthi told Reuters. Krishnamoorthi said the evidence suggested she was removed to make way for the Trump administration's "irregular channel" of diplomacy in crafting Ukraine policy personally beneficial to Trump in which Giuliani played a central role along with diplomats Sondland and Kurt Volker, as well as Energy Secretary Rick Perry. The hearing comes a day after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters that Trump already had admitted to bribery in the Ukraine scandal. "The bribe is to grant or withhold military assistance in return for a public statement of a fake investigation into the elections," Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, told a news conference. Pelosi's comments could offer a preview of articles of impeachment Democrats might put forward. Two other career US diplomats, William Taylor and George Kent, testified on Wednesday in the first public hearing, expressing alarm over the pressure tactics on Ukraine by Giuliani for investigations that would benefit Trump politically. Taylor is acting US ambassador to Ukraine. His aide David Holmes, who Taylor said overheard a July 26 telephone conversation in which Trump asked Sondland about progress in getting the Ukrainians to do the investigations, is due to appear before lawmakers in a private session on Friday.

Trump impeachment hearing day-2: Ousted 'bad news' US ambassador to Ukraine to testify today

From Amazon fires to Venice floods: Climate change triggers a series of calamities worldwide

The US&nbsp;government recorded a $134 billion budget deficit in October, the first month of the new fiscal year, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday.

That compared to a budget deficit of $100 billion in the same month last year, according to the Treasury's monthly budget statement.

Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a $133 billion deficit for the month.

Unadjusted receipts last month totalled $246 billion, down 3 per cent&nbsp;from October 2018, while unadjusted outlays were $380 billion, a rise of 8 per cent&nbsp;from the same month a year earlier.

The US&nbsp;government's fiscal year ends in September each year. Fiscal year 2019 saw a widening in the deficit to $984 billion, the largest budget deficit in seven years, a result of the Trump administration's decision to cut taxes and increase government spending.

Those figures reflected the second full budget year under US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, a Republican, and a time when the country had an expanding tax base with moderate economic growth and an unemployment rate near a 50-year low.

When adjusted for calendar effects, the deficit for October remained at $134 billion compared with an adjusted deficit of $113 billion in October 2018.

The US government recorded a $134 billion budget deficit in October, the first month of the new fiscal year, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday. That compared to a budget deficit of $100 billion in the same month last year, according to the Treasury's monthly budget statement.

The US government recorded a $134 billion budget deficit in October, the first month of the new fiscal year, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday. That compared to a budget deficit of $100 billion in the same month last year, according to the Treasury's monthly budget statement. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a $133 billion deficit for the month. Unadjusted receipts last month totalled $246 billion, down 3 per cent from October 2018, while unadjusted outlays were $380 billion, a rise of 8 per cent from the same month a year earlier. The US government's fiscal year ends in September each year. Fiscal year 2019 saw a widening in the deficit to $984 billion, the largest budget deficit in seven years, a result of the Trump administration's decision to cut taxes and increase government spending. Those figures reflected the second full budget year under US President Donald Trump, a Republican, and a time when the country had an expanding tax base with moderate economic growth and an unemployment rate near a 50-year low. When adjusted for calendar effects, the deficit for October remained at $134 billion compared with an adjusted deficit of $113 billion in October 2018.

US government posts $134 billion deficit in October

The US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's threat to jack up US&nbsp;tariffs on Chinese goods if the world's two largest economies fail to reach a trade deal could raise the price of cellphones, laptops, and toys less than two weeks before Christmas.

Trump on Tuesday said a trade deal with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-china-trade-deal-close-but-dashes-hopes-for-signing-details-261767">China was "close," </a>but offered no details and warned that he would raise tariffs "substantially" on Chinese goods without a deal.

Stocks fell on Wednesday in Asia and Europe and initially in the United States as investors digested his comments.

Trump's threat was a reference to previously announced 15 per cent&nbsp;tariffs on about $156 billion worth of Chinese-made consumer goods scheduled to take effect on December&nbsp;15, according multiple trade experts and a source close to the White House. Known as the "4B" list of goods, those tariffs would hit video game consoles, computer monitors, Christmas decorations and other items often given as gifts.

White House advisers said last week the December&nbsp;15 tariffs would likely be averted if a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-us-agree-tariff-rollback-if-phase-one-trade-deal-is-completed-260641"> "phase one" trade deal </a>was reached. Trump's threat, and the markets' reaction, illustrate how volatile the trade talks between the United States and China remains, and how important they are to the global economy.

The Trump administration hoped to avert the December&nbsp;15 tariffs, if possible, said William Reinsch, a former senior US&nbsp;Commerce official and trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

More so than previous tariffs, these would hit consumers particularly hard at a sensitive time, he said. "Trump does not want to do that right before Christmas. The optics would be terrible," he said.

While most goods that Americans will buy before Christmas had been shipped long before, the imposition of the tariffs could trigger some "opportunistic price increases" on the part of retailers, he added.

Reinsch and other experts said they still expected Washington and Beijing to reach a "phase one" agreement before that point, but the timing was looking less certain.

"We're in sort of a dangerous moment because both sides feel they have the upper hand, but I don't think the talks have collapsed," Reinsch said.

Trump could theoretically increase tariffs already imposed on $250 billion of Chinese goods, according to congressional aides, former US&nbsp;officials, and trade experts. There is no indication the White House is considering that at this time.

Trump had agreed in October to skip raising those tariffs to 30 per cent&nbsp;from the 25 per cent&nbsp;rate in place now. That would affect goods ranging from industrial components and semiconductors to furniture and building supplies.

A 15 per cent&nbsp;tariff on about $125 billion of goods that went into effect on September&nbsp;1, including flat-panel television sets, flash memory devices, smart speakers, Bluetooth headphones, bed linens, multifunction printers and many types of footwear, could also be increased, trade experts said.

People familiar with the discussions say that China has asked for these September&nbsp;1 tariffs to be removed completely.

Scott McCandless, principal at PwC, said he was still fairly optimistic about the two sides reaching a "phase one" deal, given the positive impact it would have on key constituencies such as farmers ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

More tariffs on consumer goods aren't likely, he said. "Consumers have been a bright spot in the economy, so they will want to avoid any impact on that," he said.

The US President Donald Trump's threat to jack up US tariffs on Chinese goods if the world's two largest economies fail to reach a trade deal could raise the price of cellphones, laptops, and toys less than two weeks before Christmas.

The US President Donald Trump's threat to jack up US tariffs on Chinese goods if the world's two largest economies fail to reach a trade deal could raise the price of cellphones, laptops, and toys less than two weeks before Christmas. Trump on Tuesday said a trade deal with China was "close," but offered no details and warned that he would raise tariffs "substantially" on Chinese goods without a deal. Stocks fell on Wednesday in Asia and Europe and initially in the United States as investors digested his comments. Trump's threat was a reference to previously announced 15 per cent tariffs on about $156 billion worth of Chinese-made consumer goods scheduled to take effect on December 15, according multiple trade experts and a source close to the White House. Known as the "4B" list of goods, those tariffs would hit video game consoles, computer monitors, Christmas decorations and other items often given as gifts. White House advisers said last week the December 15 tariffs would likely be averted if a "phase one" trade deal was reached. Trump's threat, and the markets' reaction, illustrate how volatile the trade talks between the United States and China remains, and how important they are to the global economy. The Trump administration hoped to avert the December 15 tariffs, if possible, said William Reinsch, a former senior US Commerce official and trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. More so than previous tariffs, these would hit consumers particularly hard at a sensitive time, he said. "Trump does not want to do that right before Christmas. The optics would be terrible," he said. While most goods that Americans will buy before Christmas had been shipped long before, the imposition of the tariffs could trigger some "opportunistic price increases" on the part of retailers, he added. Reinsch and other experts said they still expected Washington and Beijing to reach a "phase one" agreement before that point, but the timing was looking less certain. "We're in sort of a dangerous moment because both sides feel they have the upper hand, but I don't think the talks have collapsed," Reinsch said. Trump could theoretically increase tariffs already imposed on $250 billion of Chinese goods, according to congressional aides, former US officials, and trade experts. There is no indication the White House is considering that at this time. Trump had agreed in October to skip raising those tariffs to 30 per cent from the 25 per cent rate in place now. That would affect goods ranging from industrial components and semiconductors to furniture and building supplies. A 15 per cent tariff on about $125 billion of goods that went into effect on September 1, including flat-panel television sets, flash memory devices, smart speakers, Bluetooth headphones, bed linens, multifunction printers and many types of footwear, could also be increased, trade experts said. People familiar with the discussions say that China has asked for these September 1 tariffs to be removed completely. Scott McCandless, principal at PwC, said he was still fairly optimistic about the two sides reaching a "phase one" deal, given the positive impact it would have on key constituencies such as farmers ahead of the 2020 presidential election. More tariffs on consumer goods aren't likely, he said. "Consumers have been a bright spot in the economy, so they will want to avoid any impact on that," he said.

Trump threat of more China tariffs could hit consumer goods before Christmas

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that President Donald Trump already has admitted to actions that amount to bribery in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-hearings-focus-on-ukraine-pressure-campaign-in-first-day-261996">Ukraine scandal </a>at the heart of a Democratic-led impeachment inquiry.

"The bribe is to grant or withhold military assistance in return for a public statement of a fake investigation into the elections. That's bribery," Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, said at a news conference.

"What the president has admitted to and says it's perfect, I say it's perfectly wrong. It's bribery.

Democrats are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in US security aid to Ukraine as leverage to pressure Kiev to conduct an investigation that would benefit him politically. The money, approved by the US Congress to help a US ally combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country, was later provided to Ukraine.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

Pelosi made her comments a day after the Democratic-controlled House held its first public hearing in the impeachment inquiry she announced in September. Another central figure - former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch - is due to testify on Friday.

If the House approves articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump, the Senate would then hold a trial on whether to convict him of the charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal.

The focus of the impeachment inquiry is a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden and the former vice president's son Hunter, who had served as a board member for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma. Trump also asked Zelenskiy to investigate a debunked conspiracy theory embraced by some Trump allies that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US election.

Pelosi compared Trump's actions to former President Richard Nixon's actions in the Watergate corruption scandal that led him in 1974 to become the only US president to resign.

She said that Trump's actions to enlist a foreign power to help him in a US election and the obstruction of information about that - she called it a cover-up - "makes what Nixon did look almost small."

Two career US diplomats, William Taylor and George Kent, testified on Wednesday in the first televised hearing of the inquiry that threatens Trump's presidency as he seeks re-election in November 2020.

Taylor, the acting ambassador to Ukraine, offered an account that linked the Republican president more directly to the pressure campaign on Ukraine.

The public hearings follow weeks of closed-door interviews with current and former US officials about Trump's dealings with Ukraine.

'False claims'

The House Intelligence Committee on Friday is due to hear in a public session from Yovanovitch, who Trump abruptly removed from her post as US ambassador to Ukraine in May.

Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani at the time was working to convince Ukraine to carry out the investigations.

Yovanovitch, who has worked for both Republican and Democratic administrations, told lawmakers behind closed doors on October 11 that Trump ousted her based on "unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives" after she came under attack by Giuliani. She also denied allegations by Trump allies that she was disloyal to him and said she did not know what Giuliani's motivations were for attacking her.

Yovanovitch said Giuliani's associates "may well have believed that their personal financial ambitions were stymied by our anti-corruption policy in Ukraine."

Trump called Yovanovitch "bad news" in the phone call to Zelenskiy, according to a White House summary.

Three more public hearings are scheduled for next week.

On Wednesday, Taylor offered a new disclosure that indicated Trump's keen interest in the investigations in Ukraine, saying a member of his staff overheard a July 26 phone call at a restaurant in which Trump asked about the probes he had asked Zelenskiy to conduct.

After the call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, a former political donor appointed as the US envoy to the European Union, the staff member asked Sondland what Trump thought about Ukraine, Taylor said.

"Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for," Taylor testified.

Trump told reporters after the hearing that he knew "nothing" about the call with Sondland.

"It's the first time I heard it," he said.

The staffer cited by Taylor is David Holmes, a Taylor aide who has been subpoenaed to testify in the inquiry on Friday behind closed doors, said a person familiar with the issue.

Republican lawmakers called Taylor's account hearsay.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said on Thursday that Sondland did not explicitly link the security aid to an investigation into the Bidens, Interfax Ukraine reported.

"Ambassador Sondland did not tell us, and certainly did not tell me, about a connection between the assistance and the investigations. You should ask him," Prystaiko said. 
&nbsp;

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that President Donald Trump already has admitted to actions that amount to bribery in the Ukraine scandal at the heart of a Democratic-led impeachment inquiry.

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that President Donald Trump already has admitted to actions that amount to bribery in the Ukraine scandal at the heart of a Democratic-led impeachment inquiry. "The bribe is to grant or withhold military assistance in return for a public statement of a fake investigation into the elections. That's bribery," Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, said at a news conference. "What the president has admitted to and says it's perfect, I say it's perfectly wrong. It's bribery. Democrats are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in US security aid to Ukraine as leverage to pressure Kiev to conduct an investigation that would benefit him politically. The money, approved by the US Congress to help a US ally combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country, was later provided to Ukraine. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. Pelosi made her comments a day after the Democratic-controlled House held its first public hearing in the impeachment inquiry she announced in September. Another central figure - former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch - is due to testify on Friday. If the House approves articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump, the Senate would then hold a trial on whether to convict him of the charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal. The focus of the impeachment inquiry is a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden and the former vice president's son Hunter, who had served as a board member for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma. Trump also asked Zelenskiy to investigate a debunked conspiracy theory embraced by some Trump allies that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US election. Pelosi compared Trump's actions to former President Richard Nixon's actions in the Watergate corruption scandal that led him in 1974 to become the only US president to resign. She said that Trump's actions to enlist a foreign power to help him in a US election and the obstruction of information about that - she called it a cover-up - "makes what Nixon did look almost small." Two career US diplomats, William Taylor and George Kent, testified on Wednesday in the first televised hearing of the inquiry that threatens Trump's presidency as he seeks re-election in November 2020. Taylor, the acting ambassador to Ukraine, offered an account that linked the Republican president more directly to the pressure campaign on Ukraine. The public hearings follow weeks of closed-door interviews with current and former US officials about Trump's dealings with Ukraine. 'False claims' The House Intelligence Committee on Friday is due to hear in a public session from Yovanovitch, who Trump abruptly removed from her post as US ambassador to Ukraine in May. Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani at the time was working to convince Ukraine to carry out the investigations. Yovanovitch, who has worked for both Republican and Democratic administrations, told lawmakers behind closed doors on October 11 that Trump ousted her based on "unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives" after she came under attack by Giuliani. She also denied allegations by Trump allies that she was disloyal to him and said she did not know what Giuliani's motivations were for attacking her. Yovanovitch said Giuliani's associates "may well have believed that their personal financial ambitions were stymied by our anti-corruption policy in Ukraine." Trump called Yovanovitch "bad news" in the phone call to Zelenskiy, according to a White House summary. Three more public hearings are scheduled for next week. On Wednesday, Taylor offered a new disclosure that indicated Trump's keen interest in the investigations in Ukraine, saying a member of his staff overheard a July 26 phone call at a restaurant in which Trump asked about the probes he had asked Zelenskiy to conduct. After the call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, a former political donor appointed as the US envoy to the European Union, the staff member asked Sondland what Trump thought about Ukraine, Taylor said. "Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for," Taylor testified. Trump told reporters after the hearing that he knew "nothing" about the call with Sondland. "It's the first time I heard it," he said. The staffer cited by Taylor is David Holmes, a Taylor aide who has been subpoenaed to testify in the inquiry on Friday behind closed doors, said a person familiar with the issue. Republican lawmakers called Taylor's account hearsay. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said on Thursday that Sondland did not explicitly link the security aid to an investigation into the Bidens, Interfax Ukraine reported. "Ambassador Sondland did not tell us, and certainly did not tell me, about a connection between the assistance and the investigations. You should ask him," Prystaiko said.

Pelosi says Trump has admitted to bribery as impeachment probe intensifies

North Korea threatened on Wednesday to retaliate if the United States goes ahead with scheduled military drills with South Korea, ramping up pressure on Washington to change course as a year-end North Korean deadline for US&nbsp;flexibility approaches.

The statement came even though Washington said last week that the joint aerial exercise planned for next month would be reduced in scope from previous drills.

"It is self-defence rights" to retaliate against any move which threatens its sovereignty and security, according to a statement from the State Affairs Commission, without elaborating.

It is rare for the commission, the supreme governing body chaired by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, to release a statement.

Last week, a senior North Korean <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/our-patience-reaching-uppermost-limit-north-korea-on-us-south-korea-military-excercise-260377">diplomat also blamed the US</a>&nbsp;joint aerial drill for "throwing cold water" over talks with Washington. Pyongyang opposes US-South Korean joint military exercises, viewing them as a rehearsal for invasion.

In its latest statement, Pyongyang said it had taken measures to calm Washington's concerns but that the United States had failed to reciprocate, leaving it with a "feeling of betrayal."

Asked to comment on the North Korea statement, the US&nbsp;State Department made no reference to the military exercises, but a spokeswoman referred to an agreement reached between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump at their first summit in Singapore in June 2018.

"President Trump remains committed to making progress toward the Singapore commitments of transformed relations, building lasting peace, and complete denuclearisation," she said.

Immediately following his first meeting with Kim, Trump made a surprise announcement that the United States would suspend military drills with South Korea. Since then, major exercises have been halted or scaled back.

Kim in April gave the United States a year-end deadline to show more flexibility in stalled denuclearisation talks.

This statement followed the collapse of his second summit with Trump in Hanoi in February, and has raised concerns that North Korea could return to nuclear bomb and long-range missile testing suspended since 2017.

North Korea has tested the limits of engagement with a string of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fires-short-range-projectiles-souths-military-259136">short-range missile launches</a>, and analysts say it appears to have been emboldened to toughen its approach by the impeachment inquiry into Trump in Washington.

Senior Democratic and Republican lawmakers presented duelling narratives on Wednesday as the congressional impeachment inquiry threatening Trump's presidency entered a crucial new phase with the first televised public hearing.

North Korea threatened on Wednesday to retaliate if the United States goes ahead with scheduled military drills with South Korea, ramping up pressure on Washington to change course as a year-end North Korean deadline for US flexibility approaches.

North Korea threatened on Wednesday to retaliate if the United States goes ahead with scheduled military drills with South Korea, ramping up pressure on Washington to change course as a year-end North Korean deadline for US flexibility approaches. The statement came even though Washington said last week that the joint aerial exercise planned for next month would be reduced in scope from previous drills. "It is self-defence rights" to retaliate against any move which threatens its sovereignty and security, according to a statement from the State Affairs Commission, without elaborating. It is rare for the commission, the supreme governing body chaired by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, to release a statement. Last week, a senior North Korean diplomat also blamed the US joint aerial drill for "throwing cold water" over talks with Washington. Pyongyang opposes US-South Korean joint military exercises, viewing them as a rehearsal for invasion. In its latest statement, Pyongyang said it had taken measures to calm Washington's concerns but that the United States had failed to reciprocate, leaving it with a "feeling of betrayal." Asked to comment on the North Korea statement, the US State Department made no reference to the military exercises, but a spokeswoman referred to an agreement reached between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump at their first summit in Singapore in June 2018. "President Trump remains committed to making progress toward the Singapore commitments of transformed relations, building lasting peace, and complete denuclearisation," she said. Immediately following his first meeting with Kim, Trump made a surprise announcement that the United States would suspend military drills with South Korea. Since then, major exercises have been halted or scaled back. Kim in April gave the United States a year-end deadline to show more flexibility in stalled denuclearisation talks. This statement followed the collapse of his second summit with Trump in Hanoi in February, and has raised concerns that North Korea could return to nuclear bomb and long-range missile testing suspended since 2017. North Korea has tested the limits of engagement with a string of short-range missile launches, and analysts say it appears to have been emboldened to toughen its approach by the impeachment inquiry into Trump in Washington. Senior Democratic and Republican lawmakers presented duelling narratives on Wednesday as the congressional impeachment inquiry threatening Trump's presidency entered a crucial new phase with the first televised public hearing.

North Korea warns of retaliation against US-South Korea military drills

Trump impeachment saga: Americans watch Trump probe live on TV. Watch video to know more.

Trump impeachment saga: Americans watch Trump probe live on TV

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 14th, 2019

Trump, Erdogan discuss Turkey's purchase of Russian Missile Defense System. Watch video to know more.

Trump, Erdogan discuss Turkey's purchase of Russian Missile Defense System

North Korea said on Thursday it has been offered a fresh meeting with the United States but is uninterested in more talks aimed at "appeasing us" ahead of a year-end deadline Pyongyang has set for Washington to show more flexibility in their negotiations.

Kim Myong Gil, the North's nuclear negotiator, said in a report carried by state media that Stephen Biegun, his US counterpart who jointly led last month's failed denuclearisation talks in Stockholm, had offered through a third country to meet again.

Kim and Biegun met last month in the Swedish capital for the first time since US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed in June to re-open negotiations that have been stalled since a failed summit in Vietnam in February.

But the meeting fell apart, with Kim saying the US side failed to present a new approach.

"If the negotiated solution of issues is possible, we are ready to meet with the US at any place and any time," Kim Myong Gil said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

But he called Biegun's proposal a "sinister aim of appeasing us in a bid to pass with ease" Pyongyang's year-end deadline. "We have no willingness to have such negotiations."

North Korea has been seeking a lifting of punishing sanctions, but the United States has insisted Kim Jong Un must dismantle his nuclear weapons programme first.

Joint drills

The North Korean statement came after General Mark Milley, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, reaffirmed that the United States was ready to use the "full range" of its capabilities to defend South Korea from any attack.

Senior US defence officials are gathering in Seoul for annual meetings as the two countries face intensifying threats from North Korea to stop joint military drills.

The United States is also seeking a greater financial contribution from South Korea for hosting American troops, while urging Seoul to revoke its decision to scrap an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan known as GSOMIA, which Washington fears would undermine trilateral cooperation.

Milley met his South Korean counterpart General Park Han-ki for the annual Military Committee Meeting (MCM) on Thursday.

Both sides discussed ways to maintain solid defence posture and a planned transfer of wartime operational control to South Korea, a joint statement said, even as they have scaled back joint exercises to expedite negotiations with North Korea.

Milley reiterated the "continued commitment to providing extended deterrence", the statement said.

"He affirmed that the United States remains prepared to respond to any attack on the Korean Peninsula, using the full range of U.S. military capabilities."

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper was arriving in Seoul later on Thursday, ahead of a meeting with South Korean Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo for the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) on Friday.

Esper said on Wednesday he was open to changes in US military activity in South Korea if it helped diplomats trying to jump-start stalled talks with North Korea.

Pyongyang has derided the US-South Korea exercises as hostile, even in the current reduced form. On Wednesday, it threatened to retaliate if the allies go ahead with scheduled drills in a rare statement from the State Affairs Commission, a top governing body chaired by leader Kim Jong Un.

Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea's Sejong Institute think-tank, said the North's statement appeared to be aimed at justifying future North Korean military actions.

Trilateral cooperation

Milley has hinted at raising the troop cost-sharing and Japan issues, though the joint statement did not address them directly.

Trump's insistence Seoul take on a greater share of the cost of the 28,500-strong US military presence as deterrence against North Korea has rattled South Korea. It could also set a precedent for upcoming US negotiations on defence cost-sharing with other allies.

A South Korean lawmaker said last week that US officials demanded up to $5 billion a year, more than five times what Seoul agreed to pay this year under a one-year deal.

Washington has also been pressing Seoul to reconsider its decision to scrap the GSOMIA intelligence-sharing pact with Japan. The pact, which South Korea decided not to renew, expires on November 23.

Esper said on Wednesday that GSOMIA "must be maintained" for cooperation between the United States, South Korea and Japan against any "North Korean bad behaviour".

Seoul's Defence Ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo said on Thursday it would reexamine GSOMIA "if Japan withdraws its unjust retaliatory measures and friendly relations between the two countries recover".

Relations have plunged after South Korea's top court last year ordered Japanese firms to compensate some wartime forced labourers, and Japan curbed exports of key industrial materials to South Korea in July.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee and Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Alex Richa

North Korea said on Thursday it has been offered a fresh meeting with the United States but is uninterested in more talks aimed at "appeasing us" ahead of a year-end deadline Pyongyang has set for Washington to show more flexibility in their negotiations.

North Korea said on Thursday it has been offered a fresh meeting with the United States but is uninterested in more talks aimed at "appeasing us" ahead of a year-end deadline Pyongyang has set for Washington to show more flexibility in their negotiations. Kim Myong Gil, the North's nuclear negotiator, said in a report carried by state media that Stephen Biegun, his US counterpart who jointly led last month's failed denuclearisation talks in Stockholm, had offered through a third country to meet again. Kim and Biegun met last month in the Swedish capital for the first time since US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed in June to re-open negotiations that have been stalled since a failed summit in Vietnam in February. But the meeting fell apart, with Kim saying the US side failed to present a new approach. "If the negotiated solution of issues is possible, we are ready to meet with the US at any place and any time," Kim Myong Gil said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency. But he called Biegun's proposal a "sinister aim of appeasing us in a bid to pass with ease" Pyongyang's year-end deadline. "We have no willingness to have such negotiations." North Korea has been seeking a lifting of punishing sanctions, but the United States has insisted Kim Jong Un must dismantle his nuclear weapons programme first. Joint drills The North Korean statement came after General Mark Milley, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, reaffirmed that the United States was ready to use the "full range" of its capabilities to defend South Korea from any attack. Senior US defence officials are gathering in Seoul for annual meetings as the two countries face intensifying threats from North Korea to stop joint military drills. The United States is also seeking a greater financial contribution from South Korea for hosting American troops, while urging Seoul to revoke its decision to scrap an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan known as GSOMIA, which Washington fears would undermine trilateral cooperation. Milley met his South Korean counterpart General Park Han-ki for the annual Military Committee Meeting (MCM) on Thursday. Both sides discussed ways to maintain solid defence posture and a planned transfer of wartime operational control to South Korea, a joint statement said, even as they have scaled back joint exercises to expedite negotiations with North Korea. Milley reiterated the "continued commitment to providing extended deterrence", the statement said. "He affirmed that the United States remains prepared to respond to any attack on the Korean Peninsula, using the full range of U.S. military capabilities." US Defense Secretary Mark Esper was arriving in Seoul later on Thursday, ahead of a meeting with South Korean Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo for the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) on Friday. Esper said on Wednesday he was open to changes in US military activity in South Korea if it helped diplomats trying to jump-start stalled talks with North Korea. Pyongyang has derided the US-South Korea exercises as hostile, even in the current reduced form. On Wednesday, it threatened to retaliate if the allies go ahead with scheduled drills in a rare statement from the State Affairs Commission, a top governing body chaired by leader Kim Jong Un. Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea's Sejong Institute think-tank, said the North's statement appeared to be aimed at justifying future North Korean military actions. Trilateral cooperation Milley has hinted at raising the troop cost-sharing and Japan issues, though the joint statement did not address them directly. Trump's insistence Seoul take on a greater share of the cost of the 28,500-strong US military presence as deterrence against North Korea has rattled South Korea. It could also set a precedent for upcoming US negotiations on defence cost-sharing with other allies. A South Korean lawmaker said last week that US officials demanded up to $5 billion a year, more than five times what Seoul agreed to pay this year under a one-year deal. Washington has also been pressing Seoul to reconsider its decision to scrap the GSOMIA intelligence-sharing pact with Japan. The pact, which South Korea decided not to renew, expires on November 23. Esper said on Wednesday that GSOMIA "must be maintained" for cooperation between the United States, South Korea and Japan against any "North Korean bad behaviour". Seoul's Defence Ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo said on Thursday it would reexamine GSOMIA "if Japan withdraws its unjust retaliatory measures and friendly relations between the two countries recover". Relations have plunged after South Korea's top court last year ordered Japanese firms to compensate some wartime forced labourers, and Japan curbed exports of key industrial materials to South Korea in July. (Reporting by Joyce Lee and Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Alex Richa

North Korea rebuffs US offer of December talks

US military exercises with South Korea could be scaled back to aid diplomacy with the nuclear-armed North, Defence Secretary Mark Esper said, as Pyongyang warned it was running out of patience.

The North has long protested joint military drills, which it condemns as preparations for invasion, and has set Washington an end-of-year deadline to come up with a new offer in deadlocked negotiations on its weapons programmes.

The US and South Korea last year cancelled several joint drills in the wake of the Singapore summit between President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un, but are due to carry out a combined air exercise later this month.

"We will adjust our exercise posture either more or less depending on what diplomacy may require," Esper told reporters on board his plane to Seoul, where he started an Asian tour Thursday.

The possible downsizing of the joint drills should not be seen as a "concession" to Pyongyang, he said, "but as a means to keep the door open to diplomacy".

"I'm all for diplomacy first," he added.

His comments came after Pyongyang reiterated its demands for the combined exercise to be scrapped.

"The US is not accepting with due consideration the year-end time limit that we set out of great patience and magnanimity," a spokesman for the State Affairs Commission (SAC) said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

The SAC is the North's top governing body and it is unusual for it to issue such declarations.

Holding the drills would be an "undisguised breach" of the Singapore summit declaration, it said, adding: "Betrayal is only what we feel from the US side."

"We no longer feel the need to exercise any more patience," it went on, but gave no details of the "new way" it was threatening to pursue if Washington did not meet its demands.

Negotiations have been gridlocked since the Hanoi summit between Kim and Trump broke up in February with disagreement over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return.

Working-level talks restarted in Sweden in October only to break down quickly, with the North blaming the US for not giving up its "old attitude".

Pyongyang has carried out a series of missile tests in recent weeks and months, including one launched at sea, which it said was fired from a submarine -- a potential strategic game-changer.

The tests would improve the North's capabilities, Esper acknowledged.

"Anytime you test, you learn something," he said. "We take them very seriously and we watch them very closely, but we're also not going to overreact and do something that, for example, could close the door to diplomacy."

North Korea's roving ambassador for the foreign ministry said Thursday that Pyongyang was not interested in US talks without concessions from Washington.

"I intuitively feel that the US is not ready to give a satisfactory answer to us and its proposal for dialogue with us is a trick to earn time," KCNA quoted Kim Myong Gil as saying.

"Explicitly speaking once again, I am not interested in such a meeting."

'Critical' pact

Esper arrived in South Korea Thursday and will meet with Seoul's Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo on Friday.&nbsp;

The US official is expected to urge the South to drop its plan to end a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan, which Washington considers vital to security co-operation in the face of the North and ultimately China.&nbsp;

In the latest manifestation of the neighbours' dispute over wartime history, Seoul announced in August it would terminate the pact, saying it did not serve national interests. The agreement expires at midnight on November 22.&nbsp;

"My message will be very clear," said Esper, the agreement "must be maintained".&nbsp;

It was "critical" to monitoring Pyongyang's activities, he added, calling on Seoul and Tokyo to resolve their differences to focus "as allies to deter North Korean bad behaviour."&nbsp;

"The only folks who are benefiting from this dispute right now are North Korea and China," he added.

A spokesman for the South's defence ministry said its position was "unchanged" and the intelligence agreement termination could only be reconsidered if Japan withdrew its "unfair retaliatory measures and friendly relations are restored".

Seoul and Tokyo are both major US allies, democracies and market economies faced with an overbearing China and the wayward North.

But their relationship continues to be heavily affected by Japan's colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

US military exercises with South Korea could be scaled back to aid diplomacy with the nuclear-armed North, Defence Secretary Mark Esper said, as Pyongyang warned it was running out of patience.

US military exercises with South Korea could be scaled back to aid diplomacy with the nuclear-armed North, Defence Secretary Mark Esper said, as Pyongyang warned it was running out of patience. The North has long protested joint military drills, which it condemns as preparations for invasion, and has set Washington an end-of-year deadline to come up with a new offer in deadlocked negotiations on its weapons programmes. The US and South Korea last year cancelled several joint drills in the wake of the Singapore summit between President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un, but are due to carry out a combined air exercise later this month. "We will adjust our exercise posture either more or less depending on what diplomacy may require," Esper told reporters on board his plane to Seoul, where he started an Asian tour Thursday. The possible downsizing of the joint drills should not be seen as a "concession" to Pyongyang, he said, "but as a means to keep the door open to diplomacy". "I'm all for diplomacy first," he added. His comments came after Pyongyang reiterated its demands for the combined exercise to be scrapped. "The US is not accepting with due consideration the year-end time limit that we set out of great patience and magnanimity," a spokesman for the State Affairs Commission (SAC) said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency. The SAC is the North's top governing body and it is unusual for it to issue such declarations. Holding the drills would be an "undisguised breach" of the Singapore summit declaration, it said, adding: "Betrayal is only what we feel from the US side." "We no longer feel the need to exercise any more patience," it went on, but gave no details of the "new way" it was threatening to pursue if Washington did not meet its demands. Negotiations have been gridlocked since the Hanoi summit between Kim and Trump broke up in February with disagreement over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return. Working-level talks restarted in Sweden in October only to break down quickly, with the North blaming the US for not giving up its "old attitude". Pyongyang has carried out a series of missile tests in recent weeks and months, including one launched at sea, which it said was fired from a submarine -- a potential strategic game-changer. The tests would improve the North's capabilities, Esper acknowledged. "Anytime you test, you learn something," he said. "We take them very seriously and we watch them very closely, but we're also not going to overreact and do something that, for example, could close the door to diplomacy." North Korea's roving ambassador for the foreign ministry said Thursday that Pyongyang was not interested in US talks without concessions from Washington. "I intuitively feel that the US is not ready to give a satisfactory answer to us and its proposal for dialogue with us is a trick to earn time," KCNA quoted Kim Myong Gil as saying. "Explicitly speaking once again, I am not interested in such a meeting." 'Critical' pact Esper arrived in South Korea Thursday and will meet with Seoul's Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo on Friday. The US official is expected to urge the South to drop its plan to end a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan, which Washington considers vital to security co-operation in the face of the North and ultimately China. In the latest manifestation of the neighbours' dispute over wartime history, Seoul announced in August it would terminate the pact, saying it did not serve national interests. The agreement expires at midnight on November 22. "My message will be very clear," said Esper, the agreement "must be maintained". It was "critical" to monitoring Pyongyang's activities, he added, calling on Seoul and Tokyo to resolve their differences to focus "as allies to deter North Korean bad behaviour." "The only folks who are benefiting from this dispute right now are North Korea and China," he added. A spokesman for the South's defence ministry said its position was "unchanged" and the intelligence agreement termination could only be reconsidered if Japan withdrew its "unfair retaliatory measures and friendly relations are restored". Seoul and Tokyo are both major US allies, democracies and market economies faced with an overbearing China and the wayward North. But their relationship continues to be heavily affected by Japan's colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

US, South Korea could scale back joint drills: Defense Secretary Mark Esper

China and the United States are holding in-depth discussions on a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-us-agree-tariff-rollback-if-phase-one-trade-deal-is-completed-260641">"phase one" trade agreement</a>, and cancelling tariffs is an important condition to reach such a deal, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday.

The degree of tariff cancellation should fully reflect the importance of a phase one agreement, ministry spokesman Gao Feng told a regular briefing.

On Tuesday, US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said a trade <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-china-trade-deal-close-but-dashes-hopes-for-signing-details-261767">deal with China was "close,"</a> but offered no details and warned that he would raise tariffs "substantially" on Chinese goods without such a deal.

Trump's threat was a reference to previously announced tariffs of 15 per cent&nbsp;on about $156 billion of Chinese consumer goods set to take effect on December&nbsp;15, according to trade experts and a source close to the White House.

Those tariffs would hit video game consoles, computer monitors, Christmas decorations and items given as gifts during the approaching festive season.

Last week, White House advisers said the December&nbsp;15 tariffs would probably be averted if a phase one trade deal was reached.

Highlighting the volatile state of play in the 16-month long trade war, officials of both sides had said last week they had a deal to roll back tariffs, only to have Trump deny any deal had been agreed.

Trump has used tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese goods as his primary weapon in the trade war, which is aimed at forcing major changes in China's trade and industrial policies.

The United States is demanding that China end the theft and forced transfer of American intellectual property and curb subsidies to state-owned enterprises, while granting US&nbsp;companies more access to China's markets.

Trump also wants China to vastly increase its purchases of US&nbsp;farm products.

China and the United States were on the brink of a deal in May when Beijing backed away, prompting Trump to raise tariff rates and embark on new rounds of punitive duties.

If an interim deal is finished and signed, it is widely expected to include a US&nbsp;pledge to scrap tariffs scheduled for December&nbsp;15.

But China was also seeking cancellation of other US&nbsp;tariffs put in place since July 2018.

Gao said last week that both countries must simultaneously cancel some tariffs on each other's goods to strike a phase one pact.

China and the United States are holding in-depth discussions on a "phase one" trade agreement, and cancelling tariffs is an important condition to reach such a deal, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday.

China and the United States are holding in-depth discussions on a "phase one" trade agreement, and cancelling tariffs is an important condition to reach such a deal, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday. The degree of tariff cancellation should fully reflect the importance of a phase one agreement, ministry spokesman Gao Feng told a regular briefing. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said a trade deal with China was "close," but offered no details and warned that he would raise tariffs "substantially" on Chinese goods without such a deal. Trump's threat was a reference to previously announced tariffs of 15 per cent on about $156 billion of Chinese consumer goods set to take effect on December 15, according to trade experts and a source close to the White House. Those tariffs would hit video game consoles, computer monitors, Christmas decorations and items given as gifts during the approaching festive season. Last week, White House advisers said the December 15 tariffs would probably be averted if a phase one trade deal was reached. Highlighting the volatile state of play in the 16-month long trade war, officials of both sides had said last week they had a deal to roll back tariffs, only to have Trump deny any deal had been agreed. Trump has used tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese goods as his primary weapon in the trade war, which is aimed at forcing major changes in China's trade and industrial policies. The United States is demanding that China end the theft and forced transfer of American intellectual property and curb subsidies to state-owned enterprises, while granting US companies more access to China's markets. Trump also wants China to vastly increase its purchases of US farm products. China and the United States were on the brink of a deal in May when Beijing backed away, prompting Trump to raise tariff rates and embark on new rounds of punitive duties. If an interim deal is finished and signed, it is widely expected to include a US pledge to scrap tariffs scheduled for December 15. But China was also seeking cancellation of other US tariffs put in place since July 2018. Gao said last week that both countries must simultaneously cancel some tariffs on each other's goods to strike a phase one pact.

China holds in-depth talks with US on phase one of trade deal

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Wednesday pushed Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to walk away from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-should-scrap-russian-missile-system-or-face-us-sanctions-white-house-official-261262">purchase of a Russian missile</a> defence system, calling it a "very serious challenge" to bilateral ties, even though he described a meeting between the two leaders as "wonderful."

After the much anticipated <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/behind-trump-erdogan-bromance-a-white-house-meeting-to-repair-us-turkey-ties-261682">meeting at the White House</a> to address a crisis in relations, Trump said he was "a great fan" of the Turkish leader and that they had a "productive" encounter.

But both leaders fell short of explaining in concrete terms how they would overcome the mounting differences they have on numerous issues, from Erdogan's incursion in Syria against America's Kurdish allies to Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defence system.

"Turkey's acquisition of sophisticated Russian military equipment, such as the S-400, creates some very serious challenges for us and we are talking about it constantly," Trump told a joint news conference.

"We talked about it today, we're talking about it in the future, hopefully we'll be able to resolve that situation."

Minutes after their news conference, the White House released a statement using firmer language than the two leaders, who boast of having a warm personal relationship while their governments are largely on icy terms.

"In order to achieve progress on other fronts, it is vital that we resolve the issues involving Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system, strengthening our defence partnership," it said.

Washington says Ankara's purchase of the Russian system is not compatible with NATO defences and also poses a threat to the F-35 'stealth' fighter jet Lockheed Martin&nbsp;is developing. It is concerned that Turkey, a bulwark against the Soviet Union during the Cold War, is deepening ties with Moscow at the expense of its partnership with the United States.

Turkey had shrugged off threats of US&nbsp;sanctions and began receiving its first S-400 deliveries in July. To punish Turkey, the United States has banned sales of F-35s to the country and removed it from a multinational programme to produce the warplane.

On Wednesday, both leaders said they will work to resolve the issue, without saying how. "We've asked our secretary of state and minister of foreign affairs and our respective national security advisers to immediately work on resolving the S-400 issue," Trump said.

Erdogan said the two countries could only overcome the dispute through dialogue. "We are in agreement to further Turkish-American ties on a healthy ground. We have agreed to open a new page in our relationship," he said.

Despite the tensions on policy issues, Trump gave a warm welcome to Erdogan. It was in sharp contrast to anger in the US&nbsp;Congress over Ankara's offensive into Syria to drive out a Kurdish militia that has been Washington's main partner in the fight against Islamic State.

"We've been friends for a long time, almost from Day 1. We understand each others' country. We understand where we are coming from," Trump told Erdogan as they sat next to each other in the Oval Office. "They're highly respected in their country and in the region," Trump said of Erdogan and his wife, Emine.

Bilateral relations hit a fresh low last month when Erdogan began his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/key-developments-in-turkeys-offensive-in-syria-256638">cross-border incursion</a> against the Kurds.

Trump has come under intense pressure from his fellow Republicans for withdrawing US&nbsp;troops from the area and clearing the way for Turkey's incursion. On Wednesday, Erdogan said Turkey was the best partner for the United States to help fight Islamic State.

"Turkey and the United States can work together to finish Islamic State and bring peace to Syria. The most reliable US&nbsp;partner in the region to do this is Turkey," Erdogan said.

At a speech later in Washington, Erdogan said he asked Trump to cease support for the Kurdish YPG militia, who are seen as hostile by Ankara but form the backbone of the SDF, the main US&nbsp;partner in Syria fighting against Islamic State. He did not say how Trump responded.

A day ago, both senior administration officials and a State Department official in separate briefings told reporters that Washington had no intention of ending its partnership with the SDF.

Trump brought in five Republican senators to the White House to speak with Erdogan about the Syrian Kurds and the delivery of S-400s. Following the meeting, Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator close to Trump and who advocated imposing sanctions on Turkey over its incursion, said the discussion at the White House with Erdogan was "candid and frank."

"I'm hoping to salvage this relationship, but only time will tell if that is possible," Graham said in a statement.

Erdogan was critical of the US&nbsp;Congress, particularly of a House of Representatives vote last month in favour of a non-binding resolution recognising the killings of 1.5 million Armenians a century ago as a genocide, a symbolic but historic vote denounced by Turkey.

At his speech later, he called the House resolution as "shameful" and "against historical realities."

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday pushed Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to walk away from the purchase of a Russian missile defence system, calling it a "very serious challenge" to bilateral ties, even though he described a meeting between the two leaders as "wonderful.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday pushed Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to walk away from the purchase of a Russian missile defence system, calling it a "very serious challenge" to bilateral ties, even though he described a meeting between the two leaders as "wonderful." After the much anticipated meeting at the White House to address a crisis in relations, Trump said he was "a great fan" of the Turkish leader and that they had a "productive" encounter. But both leaders fell short of explaining in concrete terms how they would overcome the mounting differences they have on numerous issues, from Erdogan's incursion in Syria against America's Kurdish allies to Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defence system. "Turkey's acquisition of sophisticated Russian military equipment, such as the S-400, creates some very serious challenges for us and we are talking about it constantly," Trump told a joint news conference. "We talked about it today, we're talking about it in the future, hopefully we'll be able to resolve that situation." Minutes after their news conference, the White House released a statement using firmer language than the two leaders, who boast of having a warm personal relationship while their governments are largely on icy terms. "In order to achieve progress on other fronts, it is vital that we resolve the issues involving Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system, strengthening our defence partnership," it said. Washington says Ankara's purchase of the Russian system is not compatible with NATO defences and also poses a threat to the F-35 'stealth' fighter jet Lockheed Martin is developing. It is concerned that Turkey, a bulwark against the Soviet Union during the Cold War, is deepening ties with Moscow at the expense of its partnership with the United States. Turkey had shrugged off threats of US sanctions and began receiving its first S-400 deliveries in July. To punish Turkey, the United States has banned sales of F-35s to the country and removed it from a multinational programme to produce the warplane. On Wednesday, both leaders said they will work to resolve the issue, without saying how. "We've asked our secretary of state and minister of foreign affairs and our respective national security advisers to immediately work on resolving the S-400 issue," Trump said. Erdogan said the two countries could only overcome the dispute through dialogue. "We are in agreement to further Turkish-American ties on a healthy ground. We have agreed to open a new page in our relationship," he said. Despite the tensions on policy issues, Trump gave a warm welcome to Erdogan. It was in sharp contrast to anger in the US Congress over Ankara's offensive into Syria to drive out a Kurdish militia that has been Washington's main partner in the fight against Islamic State. "We've been friends for a long time, almost from Day 1. We understand each others' country. We understand where we are coming from," Trump told Erdogan as they sat next to each other in the Oval Office. "They're highly respected in their country and in the region," Trump said of Erdogan and his wife, Emine. Bilateral relations hit a fresh low last month when Erdogan began his cross-border incursion against the Kurds. Trump has come under intense pressure from his fellow Republicans for withdrawing US troops from the area and clearing the way for Turkey's incursion. On Wednesday, Erdogan said Turkey was the best partner for the United States to help fight Islamic State. "Turkey and the United States can work together to finish Islamic State and bring peace to Syria. The most reliable US partner in the region to do this is Turkey," Erdogan said. At a speech later in Washington, Erdogan said he asked Trump to cease support for the Kurdish YPG militia, who are seen as hostile by Ankara but form the backbone of the SDF, the main US partner in Syria fighting against Islamic State. He did not say how Trump responded. A day ago, both senior administration officials and a State Department official in separate briefings told reporters that Washington had no intention of ending its partnership with the SDF. Trump brought in five Republican senators to the White House to speak with Erdogan about the Syrian Kurds and the delivery of S-400s. Following the meeting, Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator close to Trump and who advocated imposing sanctions on Turkey over its incursion, said the discussion at the White House with Erdogan was "candid and frank." "I'm hoping to salvage this relationship, but only time will tell if that is possible," Graham said in a statement. Erdogan was critical of the US Congress, particularly of a House of Representatives vote last month in favour of a non-binding resolution recognising the killings of 1.5 million Armenians a century ago as a genocide, a symbolic but historic vote denounced by Turkey. At his speech later, he called the House resolution as "shameful" and "against historical realities."

Despite 'wonderful' meeting, Trump and Erdogan fail to resolve conflicts

The top US&nbsp;diplomat in Ukraine, testifying on Wednesday in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-impeachment-saga-americans-watch-trump-probe-live-on-tv-261932">first televised hearing</a> of the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, linked him more directly to a pressure campaign on Ukraine to conduct investigations that would benefit him politically.

William Taylor was one of two career diplomats who testified before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee as a crucial new phase began in the impeachment inquiry, which threatens Trump's presidency even as he seeks re-election in 2020.

Both Taylor and George Kent testified about the pressure Trump and allies applied to get Ukraine to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden over his son's business dealings in Ukraine.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-hearing-us-president-prioritised-biden-investigation-over-ukraine-aid-says-witness-261921">Their testimony</a> was calm and forceful, but it was not clear whether it would help Democrats break through a partisan divide and convince more Americans that the Republican president has committed misdeeds worthy of ousting him from office.

In a disclosure that drew the most attention, Taylor, acting ambassador to Ukraine, pointed to Trump's keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden, a former vice president, and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US&nbsp;security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated.

Taylor said a member of his staff overheard a July 26 phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, a former Trump political donor appointed as a senior diplomat, in which Trump asked about those investigations and Sondland told him the Ukrainians were ready to proceed.

After that conversation - which occurred a day after Trump had asked Ukraine's president during a phone call to conduct the investigations - the staff member asked Sondland, the US&nbsp;ambassador to the European Union, what Trump thought about Ukraine, Taylor said.

"Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for," Taylor testified, referring to Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

Asked by Adam Schiff, the committee's Democratic chairman, if that meant Trump cared more about the investigations than about Ukraine, Taylor said: "Yes, sir."

Taylor, who was appointed by Trump in June, also said withholding military aid from Ukraine, which has been locked in conflict with Russia since Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, undermined US&nbsp;strategic interests.

"It was counterproductive to all of what we had been trying to do. It was illogical ... It was crazy," he said.

At a White House news conference with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan after the hearing ended, Trump said he knew "nothing" about the call with Sondland that Taylor said his aide overheard.

"It's the first time I heard it," said Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing.

David Holmes, a Taylor aide subpoenaed to testify behind closed doors on Friday in the impeachment inquiry, is the staffer who overheard the call that Sondland made to Trump from Ukraine, said a person familiar with the issue.

Republican lawmakers called Taylor's account hearsay and noted Ukraine's president has not said he felt pressured by Trump.

&nbsp;

In Pictures:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/trump-impeachment-what-rules-will-the-house-use-in-televised-hearings-261826">Trump impeachment: What rules will the House use in televised hearings?</a>

&nbsp;

With a potential television audience of tens of millions looking on, Schiff opened the historic session - the first impeachment drama in two decades - in an ornate hearing room packed with journalists, lawmakers and members of the public. The contentious hearing lasted 5-1/2 hours.

Schiff and other Democrats accused Trump of abusing his power while the panel's senior Republican, Devin Nunes, denied that Trump and his aides improperly pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 election.

Taylor and Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, detailed the evidence they saw that US&nbsp;security aid - as well as a meeting with Trump at the White House - was withheld from Ukraine as leverage over Kiev.

"The questions presented by this impeachment inquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit that ally's vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections," Schiff said. "Our answer to these questions will affect not only the future of this presidency, but the future of the presidency itself."

Schiff added: "If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?"

This week's sessions, where Americans are hearing directly for the first time from people involved in events that sparked the congressional inquiry, may pave the way for the Democratic-led House to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump.

That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump of those charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal.

The inquiry is being conducted as the 2020 presidential campaign gathers steam. Opinion polls show Democrats strongly back impeachment and Republicans strongly oppose, leaving both parties appealing to a small sliver of the public - independents and others who have not made up their minds.

During his news conference with Erdogan, Trump said he had been too busy to watch the hearing. "I hear it's a joke," he said. "This is a sham and shouldn't be allowed."

Nunes accused Democrats of conducting a "carefully orchestrated smear campaign" and said they had combined with the media and "partisan bureaucrats" to try to overturn the results of the 2016 election won by Trump.

He hewed to the Republican strategy of arguing Trump did nothing wrong in asking Ukraine's new president to investigate Biden, calling it "an impeachment process in search of a crime."

The focus of the inquiry is on the July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US&nbsp;election. Hunter Biden had been a board member for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma.

Democrats say Trump abused his power by withholding the security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable US&nbsp;ally facing Russian aggression - as leverage to pressure Kiev into conducting the investigations.

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 Ukraine.

Both witnesses remained calm and unflappable throughout the marathon session. Taylor said at the outset: "I am not here to take one side or the other, or to advocate for any particular outcome of these proceedings."

Republican Jim Jordan, a forceful Trump ally, told Taylor: "You're their star witness," referring to the Democrats.

"I don't consider myself a star witness for anything," Taylor responded.

Taylor, a former US&nbsp;Army officer, previously served as US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine and is now the chargé d'affaires of the US&nbsp;Embassy in Kiev. Kent oversees Ukraine policy at the State Department.

"I do not believe the United States should ask other countries to engage in selective, politically associated investigations or prosecutions against opponents of those in power, because such selective actions undermine the rule of law regardless of the country," Kent said.

Taylor said he found two channels of US&nbsp;policy toward Ukraine - one regular and one "highly irregular" - and recounted how a Trump meeting with the Ukrainian president was improperly conditioned on Kiev agreeing to investigate Burisma and the debunked notion of Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election.

Taylor said he became aware that a hold on the security aid was contingent on Ukraine opening the investigations, which was alarming to him because it entailed "security assistance to a country at war."

Trump has derided some of the current and former US&nbsp;officials who have appeared before committees as "Never Trumpers" - a term referring to Republican opponents of the president whom he has called "human scum."

Asked during the hearing whether they are "never Trumpers," Taylor responded: "No, Sir," and Kent noted he had worked as a diplomat under presidents of both parties.

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, testifying on Wednesday in the first televised hearing of the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, linked him more directly to a pressure campaign on Ukraine to conduct investigations that would benefit him politically.

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, testifying on Wednesday in the first televised hearing of the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, linked him more directly to a pressure campaign on Ukraine to conduct investigations that would benefit him politically. William Taylor was one of two career diplomats who testified before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee as a crucial new phase began in the impeachment inquiry, which threatens Trump's presidency even as he seeks re-election in 2020. Both Taylor and George Kent testified about the pressure Trump and allies applied to get Ukraine to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden over his son's business dealings in Ukraine. Their testimony was calm and forceful, but it was not clear whether it would help Democrats break through a partisan divide and convince more Americans that the Republican president has committed misdeeds worthy of ousting him from office. In a disclosure that drew the most attention, Taylor, acting ambassador to Ukraine, pointed to Trump's keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden, a former vice president, and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated. Taylor said a member of his staff overheard a July 26 phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, a former Trump political donor appointed as a senior diplomat, in which Trump asked about those investigations and Sondland told him the Ukrainians were ready to proceed. After that conversation - which occurred a day after Trump had asked Ukraine's president during a phone call to conduct the investigations - the staff member asked Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, what Trump thought about Ukraine, Taylor said. "Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for," Taylor testified, referring to Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Asked by Adam Schiff, the committee's Democratic chairman, if that meant Trump cared more about the investigations than about Ukraine, Taylor said: "Yes, sir." Taylor, who was appointed by Trump in June, also said withholding military aid from Ukraine, which has been locked in conflict with Russia since Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, undermined US strategic interests. "It was counterproductive to all of what we had been trying to do. It was illogical ... It was crazy," he said. At a White House news conference with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan after the hearing ended, Trump said he knew "nothing" about the call with Sondland that Taylor said his aide overheard. "It's the first time I heard it," said Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing. David Holmes, a Taylor aide subpoenaed to testify behind closed doors on Friday in the impeachment inquiry, is the staffer who overheard the call that Sondland made to Trump from Ukraine, said a person familiar with the issue. Republican lawmakers called Taylor's account hearsay and noted Ukraine's president has not said he felt pressured by Trump. In Pictures: Trump impeachment: What rules will the House use in televised hearings? With a potential television audience of tens of millions looking on, Schiff opened the historic session - the first impeachment drama in two decades - in an ornate hearing room packed with journalists, lawmakers and members of the public. The contentious hearing lasted 5-1/2 hours. Schiff and other Democrats accused Trump of abusing his power while the panel's senior Republican, Devin Nunes, denied that Trump and his aides improperly pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 election. Taylor and Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, detailed the evidence they saw that US security aid - as well as a meeting with Trump at the White House - was withheld from Ukraine as leverage over Kiev. "The questions presented by this impeachment inquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit that ally's vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections," Schiff said. "Our answer to these questions will affect not only the future of this presidency, but the future of the presidency itself." Schiff added: "If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?" This week's sessions, where Americans are hearing directly for the first time from people involved in events that sparked the congressional inquiry, may pave the way for the Democratic-led House to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump of those charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal. The inquiry is being conducted as the 2020 presidential campaign gathers steam. Opinion polls show Democrats strongly back impeachment and Republicans strongly oppose, leaving both parties appealing to a small sliver of the public - independents and others who have not made up their minds. During his news conference with Erdogan, Trump said he had been too busy to watch the hearing. "I hear it's a joke," he said. "This is a sham and shouldn't be allowed." Nunes accused Democrats of conducting a "carefully orchestrated smear campaign" and said they had combined with the media and "partisan bureaucrats" to try to overturn the results of the 2016 election won by Trump. He hewed to the Republican strategy of arguing Trump did nothing wrong in asking Ukraine's new president to investigate Biden, calling it "an impeachment process in search of a crime." The focus of the inquiry is on the July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US election. Hunter Biden had been a board member for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma. Democrats say Trump abused his power by withholding the security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable US ally facing Russian aggression - as leverage to pressure Kiev into conducting the investigations. 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 Ukraine. Both witnesses remained calm and unflappable throughout the marathon session. Taylor said at the outset: "I am not here to take one side or the other, or to advocate for any particular outcome of these proceedings." Republican Jim Jordan, a forceful Trump ally, told Taylor: "You're their star witness," referring to the Democrats. "I don't consider myself a star witness for anything," Taylor responded. Taylor, a former US Army officer, previously served as US ambassador to Ukraine and is now the chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy in Kiev. Kent oversees Ukraine policy at the State Department. "I do not believe the United States should ask other countries to engage in selective, politically associated investigations or prosecutions against opponents of those in power, because such selective actions undermine the rule of law regardless of the country," Kent said. Taylor said he found two channels of US policy toward Ukraine - one regular and one "highly irregular" - and recounted how a Trump meeting with the Ukrainian president was improperly conditioned on Kiev agreeing to investigate Burisma and the debunked notion of Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election. Taylor said he became aware that a hold on the security aid was contingent on Ukraine opening the investigations, which was alarming to him because it entailed "security assistance to a country at war." Trump has derided some of the current and former US officials who have appeared before committees as "Never Trumpers" - a term referring to Republican opponents of the president whom he has called "human scum." Asked during the hearing whether they are "never Trumpers," Taylor responded: "No, Sir," and Kent noted he had worked as a diplomat under presidents of both parties.

Trump impeachment hearings focus on Ukraine pressure campaign in first day

By: Mallika Singh

The United States'&nbsp;Federal Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday released its annual Hate Crime Statistics Report for the year 2018, which shows a slight decrease in the number of reported incidents from the previous year.&nbsp;

The statistics that are a compilation of data collected from 16,039 law enforcement agencies, reported 7,120 hate crimes to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program last year, just 55 fewer than 2017’s 7,175 reported incidents.&nbsp;

While the number of crimes motivated by bias or prejudice went down, there was an increase in the number of attacks targeting people instead of property, accounting for 61 per cent of the total reported incidents.&nbsp;

African-Americans constituted the largest category of targeted victims of hate crimes motivated by race, even when the share of anti-black incidents in all hate crimes fell to an all-time low.&nbsp;

There was a 21 per cent increase in hate crimes targeting Latino or Hispanic communities, constituting 13 per cent of the offences motivated by race and a total of 485 reported cases. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Watch: Hate crimes in the US - is Donald Trump responsible?

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This increase comes amidst a national priority shift from terrorism to immigration, which is also reflected in the consecutive second-year decline in Anti Muslim and Arab American offences. &nbsp;

While Anti Jews crimes comprised the largest share of offences motivated by religion with 835 reported instances, there was a three-fold increase in Anti-Sikh crimes with 60 reported cases, which makes the community the third-largest victim of crimes motivated by religion. &nbsp;

In crimes motivated by sexual orientation, anti-gay bias against males saw an increase of nearly 7 per cent from 2017, with anti-transgender crimes increasing by 34 per cent.&nbsp;

The FBI defines hate crimes as “a committed criminal offence which is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias(es) against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.”&nbsp;

Experts fear that there might come an increase in attacks ahead of heated 2020 presidential elections in the country, along with an increase in attacks on people rather than vandalism of property.&nbsp;

While the number of hate crimes in 2018 might have fallen by 0.77 per cent from the previous year, it is important to note that the data was collected from 110 fewer agencies than in 2017.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)

By: Mallika Singh The United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday released its annual Hate Crime Statistics Report for the year 2018, which shows a slight decrease in the number of reported incidents from the previous year.

By: Mallika Singh The United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday released its annual Hate Crime Statistics Report for the year 2018, which shows a slight decrease in the number of reported incidents from the previous year. The statistics that are a compilation of data collected from 16,039 law enforcement agencies, reported 7,120 hate crimes to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program last year, just 55 fewer than 2017’s 7,175 reported incidents. While the number of crimes motivated by bias or prejudice went down, there was an increase in the number of attacks targeting people instead of property, accounting for 61 per cent of the total reported incidents. African-Americans constituted the largest category of targeted victims of hate crimes motivated by race, even when the share of anti-black incidents in all hate crimes fell to an all-time low. There was a 21 per cent increase in hate crimes targeting Latino or Hispanic communities, constituting 13 per cent of the offences motivated by race and a total of 485 reported cases. Watch: Hate crimes in the US - is Donald Trump responsible? × This increase comes amidst a national priority shift from terrorism to immigration, which is also reflected in the consecutive second-year decline in Anti Muslim and Arab American offences. While Anti Jews crimes comprised the largest share of offences motivated by religion with 835 reported instances, there was a three-fold increase in Anti-Sikh crimes with 60 reported cases, which makes the community the third-largest victim of crimes motivated by religion. In crimes motivated by sexual orientation, anti-gay bias against males saw an increase of nearly 7 per cent from 2017, with anti-transgender crimes increasing by 34 per cent. The FBI defines hate crimes as “a committed criminal offence which is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias(es) against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.” Experts fear that there might come an increase in attacks ahead of heated 2020 presidential elections in the country, along with an increase in attacks on people rather than vandalism of property. While the number of hate crimes in 2018 might have fallen by 0.77 per cent from the previous year, it is important to note that the data was collected from 110 fewer agencies than in 2017. (With inputs from Reuters)

US hate crime report: Sikh third-largest targeted community; 21% rise in Anti-Latino violence

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-us-agree-tariff-rollback-if-phase-one-trade-deal-is-completed-260641">US-China trade war</a> is unlikely to see a permanent truce over the coming year, and while concerns have eased over a US&nbsp;recession, an economic rebound is also not expected any time soon, according to a Reuters poll of economists.

The November&nbsp;8-13 Reuters poll of over 100 economists showed a quarter-point Federal Reserve interest-rate cut would come in the third quarter next year; a poll three weeks ago had predicted a cut early next year.

That shift in expectations came after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell indicated that while the central bank was cautious about the trade conflict and slowing growth, it would now pause after cutting rates three times&nbsp;this year to 1.50-1.75 per cent.

While most major central banks are concerned about the ongoing trade dispute, stocks on Wall Street have touched record highs over the past few months on hopes for a resolution between Washington and Beijing.

But economists do not share the same view. While the median probability of a recession for the coming year fell to 25 per cent&nbsp;from 35 per cent&nbsp;last month, the economic growth outlook remained modest.

Over three-quarters of 53 economists who answered an additional question said a permanent truce in the US-China trade war was unlikely over the coming year.

"The global economic backdrop is going to remain tough, the US&nbsp;dollar is going to remain relatively firm and we are less positive on the trade story than perhaps the market is currently pricing. The talk of (tariff) rollbacks and stuff like that – we are not as certain that will actually come through," said James Knightley, chief international economist at ING.

"So, we think there is still scope for a weaker growth environment – with inflation being pretty benign - to give the Fed the opportunity to come in with a little bit more stimulus."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-china-trade-deal-close-but-dashes-hopes-for-signing-details-261767">President Donald Trump</a> said on Friday he had not agreed&nbsp;to rollbacks of US&nbsp;tariffs sought by China. Officials from both countries on Thursday said China and the United States had agreed to roll back tariffs on each others’ goods in a “phase one” trade deal.

The US&nbsp;economy is forecast to have expanded at an annualised pace of 1.9 per cent&nbsp;in the July-Sept period, slightly down from 2.0 per cent&nbsp;in the second quarter. Growth is expected to hover around that rate in each quarter through to the second half of 2021, according to economists.

Over 80 per cent&nbsp;of 52 respondents to an additional question said the Fed had done enough to delay the next recession but that already-modest growth forecasts were largely left unchanged.

"I think in terms of the risks, they are probably still tilted towards the Fed maybe cutting rates once more at some point in the coming months if growth slows further, certainly if there is some renewed breakdown in trade talks," said Andrew Hunter, senior US&nbsp;economist at Capital Economics.

"But barring that, it does look like they have done enough to avert a recession. In our baseline forecast, there is growth slowing a little bit further over the next couple of quarters but starting to recover next year."

Economists were almost evenly split about whether there would be any interest rate cuts.

While the median showed the Fed would next trim rates in the third quarter of 2020, taking the fed funds rate to 1.25 per cent-1.50 per cent, only a small majority of economists forecast at least one cut.

A strong minority - over 46 per cent&nbsp;of 93 economists - expected rates to be unchanged until at least 2021, compared to 31 per cent&nbsp;of 84 economists in October, in line with interest rate futures.

Asked about the Fed's next interest rate move, 55 of 75 economists said it would be a cut.

The Fed's preferred measure of inflation - the change in the core personal consumption expenditures price index - is expected to be 2.0 per cent&nbsp;in the first quarter and then to remain at 1.9 per cent&nbsp;at least until the second quarter of 2021.

"Limited inflation pressure will allow the Federal Reserve to err on the side of accommodation. The Federal Open Market Committee will probably remain on the sidelines for the next several months," said Michael Moran, chief economist at Daiwa Capital Markets.

"However, if momentum begins to fade as we expect, the Fed will probably make an effort to sustain the expansion."

The US-China trade war is unlikely to see a permanent truce over the coming year, and while concerns have eased over a US recession, an economic rebound is also not expected any time soon, according to a Reuters poll of economists.

The US-China trade war is unlikely to see a permanent truce over the coming year, and while concerns have eased over a US recession, an economic rebound is also not expected any time soon, according to a Reuters poll of economists. The November 8-13 Reuters poll of over 100 economists showed a quarter-point Federal Reserve interest-rate cut would come in the third quarter next year; a poll three weeks ago had predicted a cut early next year. That shift in expectations came after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell indicated that while the central bank was cautious about the trade conflict and slowing growth, it would now pause after cutting rates three times this year to 1.50-1.75 per cent. While most major central banks are concerned about the ongoing trade dispute, stocks on Wall Street have touched record highs over the past few months on hopes for a resolution between Washington and Beijing. But economists do not share the same view. While the median probability of a recession for the coming year fell to 25 per cent from 35 per cent last month, the economic growth outlook remained modest. Over three-quarters of 53 economists who answered an additional question said a permanent truce in the US-China trade war was unlikely over the coming year. "The global economic backdrop is going to remain tough, the US dollar is going to remain relatively firm and we are less positive on the trade story than perhaps the market is currently pricing. The talk of (tariff) rollbacks and stuff like that – we are not as certain that will actually come through," said James Knightley, chief international economist at ING. "So, we think there is still scope for a weaker growth environment – with inflation being pretty benign - to give the Fed the opportunity to come in with a little bit more stimulus." President Donald Trump said on Friday he had not agreed to rollbacks of US tariffs sought by China. Officials from both countries on Thursday said China and the United States had agreed to roll back tariffs on each others’ goods in a “phase one” trade deal. The US economy is forecast to have expanded at an annualised pace of 1.9 per cent in the July-Sept period, slightly down from 2.0 per cent in the second quarter. Growth is expected to hover around that rate in each quarter through to the second half of 2021, according to economists. Over 80 per cent of 52 respondents to an additional question said the Fed had done enough to delay the next recession but that already-modest growth forecasts were largely left unchanged. "I think in terms of the risks, they are probably still tilted towards the Fed maybe cutting rates once more at some point in the coming months if growth slows further, certainly if there is some renewed breakdown in trade talks," said Andrew Hunter, senior US economist at Capital Economics. "But barring that, it does look like they have done enough to avert a recession. In our baseline forecast, there is growth slowing a little bit further over the next couple of quarters but starting to recover next year." Economists were almost evenly split about whether there would be any interest rate cuts. While the median showed the Fed would next trim rates in the third quarter of 2020, taking the fed funds rate to 1.25 per cent-1.50 per cent, only a small majority of economists forecast at least one cut. A strong minority - over 46 per cent of 93 economists - expected rates to be unchanged until at least 2021, compared to 31 per cent of 84 economists in October, in line with interest rate futures. Asked about the Fed's next interest rate move, 55 of 75 economists said it would be a cut. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation - the change in the core personal consumption expenditures price index - is expected to be 2.0 per cent in the first quarter and then to remain at 1.9 per cent at least until the second quarter of 2021. "Limited inflation pressure will allow the Federal Reserve to err on the side of accommodation. The Federal Open Market Committee will probably remain on the sidelines for the next several months," said Michael Moran, chief economist at Daiwa Capital Markets. "However, if momentum begins to fade as we expect, the Fed will probably make an effort to sustain the expansion."

Trade truce unlikely in 2020 but US recession fears recede: Study

Prosecutors delivered closing arguments in the trial of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's adviser Roger Stone on Wednesday, saying the Republican operative lied to Congress about his efforts to keep abreast of when WikiLeaks might dump damaging emails on Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election campaign because he knew it would make Trump look bad.

A lawyer for Stone countered in his closing argument that this purported motive lacked all "common sense" because Trump had already been elected president by the time Stone testified to the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in September 2017.

By then, attorney Bruce Rogow said, the campaign was "long since over."

"Why would he make stuff up? Why would he volunteer to testify? Why would Stone produce documents?" he asked.

Stone, 67, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements in testimony during the committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;elections.

"Roger Stone knew if this information came out, it would look really bad for his longtime associate Donald Trump, so he lied to the committee," prosecutor Jonathan Kravis told the jury in federal court in Washington.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Roger Stone is a political strategist. He knows how this is going to look."

The jury is expected to begin its deliberations on Thursday.

Prosecutors accused Stone of telling lawmakers five different lies related to WikiLeaks website and its founder Julian Assange. WikiLeaks released a series of damaging emails about Trump's Democratic election rival Clinton that US&nbsp;intelligence officials and Special Counsel Robert Mueller later concluded had been stolen by Russian hackers.

Some of those lies relate to the existence of certain texts or emails, while others pertain to Stone's conversations with Trump campaign officials and a supposed "intermediary" with WikiLeaks in early August 2016 whom Stone identified to lawmakers as being comedian Randy Credico.

Prosecutors said that Stone did not actually start talking to Credico about WikiLeaks until later that month, and the actual person to whom he was referring in testimony as an "intermediary" was conservative author Jerome Corsi whom Stone dispatched in an email to "Get to Assange!" and get the emails.

Kravis showed the jury a chart suggesting Stone and Credico had exchanged more than 1,500 messages, despite testimony by Stone that no such communications existed.

"No text messages? Not an email guy? Are you kidding me?" Kravis said.

Stone is also accused of tampering with Credico when he was subpoenaed by the committee and later interviewed by the FBI.

He also repeatedly urged Credico to "do a Frank Pentangeli" - a reference to a character in "The Godfather Part II" who recants his congressional testimony against a mobster amid intimidation.

"That is witness tampering, plain and simple," Kravis said.

Rogow dismissed the Pentangeli reference, saying Credico had done impressions of the character in the past and said the "odious language" they used was just part of how they interacted.

The trial has featured testimony from high-profile political figures including former Trump campaign CEO and former White House adviser Steve Bannon, and former Trump campaign deputy chairman Rick Gates.

Both testified they had spoken with Stone before and during the campaign about WikiLeaks, and they believed he had some insider information about WikiLeaks' Clinton email dump.

Gates testified that he overheard a phone conversation in late July 2016 between Trump and Stone that appeared to be about WikiLeaks, because after the call ended, Trump said that more information would be coming out soon. Stone's lawyer countered that the government had not presented any solid evidence about what was said on this call.

Prosecutors delivered closing arguments in the trial of US President Donald Trump's adviser Roger Stone on Wednesday, saying the Republican operative lied to Congress about his efforts to keep abreast of when WikiLeaks might dump damaging emails on Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election campaign because he knew it would make Trump look bad.

Prosecutors delivered closing arguments in the trial of US President Donald Trump's adviser Roger Stone on Wednesday, saying the Republican operative lied to Congress about his efforts to keep abreast of when WikiLeaks might dump damaging emails on Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election campaign because he knew it would make Trump look bad. A lawyer for Stone countered in his closing argument that this purported motive lacked all "common sense" because Trump had already been elected president by the time Stone testified to the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in September 2017. By then, attorney Bruce Rogow said, the campaign was "long since over." "Why would he make stuff up? Why would he volunteer to testify? Why would Stone produce documents?" he asked. Stone, 67, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements in testimony during the committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections. "Roger Stone knew if this information came out, it would look really bad for his longtime associate Donald Trump, so he lied to the committee," prosecutor Jonathan Kravis told the jury in federal court in Washington. "Ladies and gentlemen, Roger Stone is a political strategist. He knows how this is going to look." The jury is expected to begin its deliberations on Thursday. Prosecutors accused Stone of telling lawmakers five different lies related to WikiLeaks website and its founder Julian Assange. WikiLeaks released a series of damaging emails about Trump's Democratic election rival Clinton that US intelligence officials and Special Counsel Robert Mueller later concluded had been stolen by Russian hackers. Some of those lies relate to the existence of certain texts or emails, while others pertain to Stone's conversations with Trump campaign officials and a supposed "intermediary" with WikiLeaks in early August 2016 whom Stone identified to lawmakers as being comedian Randy Credico. Prosecutors said that Stone did not actually start talking to Credico about WikiLeaks until later that month, and the actual person to whom he was referring in testimony as an "intermediary" was conservative author Jerome Corsi whom Stone dispatched in an email to "Get to Assange!" and get the emails. Kravis showed the jury a chart suggesting Stone and Credico had exchanged more than 1,500 messages, despite testimony by Stone that no such communications existed. "No text messages? Not an email guy? Are you kidding me?" Kravis said. Stone is also accused of tampering with Credico when he was subpoenaed by the committee and later interviewed by the FBI. He also repeatedly urged Credico to "do a Frank Pentangeli" - a reference to a character in "The Godfather Part II" who recants his congressional testimony against a mobster amid intimidation. "That is witness tampering, plain and simple," Kravis said. Rogow dismissed the Pentangeli reference, saying Credico had done impressions of the character in the past and said the "odious language" they used was just part of how they interacted. The trial has featured testimony from high-profile political figures including former Trump campaign CEO and former White House adviser Steve Bannon, and former Trump campaign deputy chairman Rick Gates. Both testified they had spoken with Stone before and during the campaign about WikiLeaks, and they believed he had some insider information about WikiLeaks' Clinton email dump. Gates testified that he overheard a phone conversation in late July 2016 between Trump and Stone that appeared to be about WikiLeaks, because after the call ended, Trump said that more information would be coming out soon. Stone's lawyer countered that the government had not presented any solid evidence about what was said on this call.

Roger Stone trial closes with dueling versions of motives in 2016 Trump campaign

Extreme floods in Venice, fires in Australia and even an outbreak of plague in China have been attributed to climate change this week, while researchers have warned that global warming could saddle future generations with a life-long illness.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venice-devastated-by-second-highest-tide-in-history-261863">Venice declared a state of emergency</a> on Wednesday after "apocalyptic" floods swept through the lagoon city, flooding its historic basilica and inundating squares and centuries-old buildings.

"This is the result of climate change," city mayor Luigi Brugnaro said on Twitter.

City thoroughfares were turned into raging torrents, stone balustrades were shattered, boats tossed ashore and gondolas smashed against their moorings as the lagoon tide peaked at 187 cm (6ft 2ins).

It was the highest since the record 194 cm set in 1966, but rising water levels are becoming a regular threat to the tourist jewel.

"Venice is on its knees," said Brugnaro. "The damage will run into hundreds of millions of euros."

On the other side of the world, parts of Australia have been <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australians-shelter-and-flee-as-firefighters-battle-150-bushfires-261748">ravaged by wild bushfires</a> this week, with four people killed and communities forced to flee the flames.

Since 2016, parts of northern and inland New South Wales, along with southern Queensland, have been in a drought that the Bureau of Meteorology says is being driven, in part, by warmer sea-surface temperatures affecting rainfall patterns.

Air temperatures have also warmed over the past century, increasing the ferocity of droughts and fires.

But links between climate change and extreme weather events have become a political football in Australia.

The coal-industry supporting government accepts the need to cut emissions while arguing that stronger environmental action would cripple its economy.

That pits the country against its Pacific island neighbours which are particularly susceptible to warmer temperatures and rising seas.

Globally, concern about effective action has surged since US&nbsp;President Donald Trump abandoned the international Paris Accord on climate change and took steps to dismantle environmental protections.

Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro are among the world's only leaders who publicly question the science of climate change, despite devastating fires in their countries - in California and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/why-are-amazon-fires-so-damaging-and-how-can-we-stop-them-245735">Amazon basin</a> - that environmentalists at least partly blame on global warming.

While the politicians argue, the concern is growing about the impact on the health of a warmer world.

In China, health officials have reported a rare outbreak of pneumonic plague after two cases were confirmed this week in Beijing.

The two were infected in the province of Inner Mongolia, where rodent populations have expanded dramatically after persistent droughts, worsened by climate change, state media said.

An area the size of the Netherlands was hit by a "rat plague" last summer.

The wider implications for health are sobering.

The Lancet medical journal published a study this week saying climate change was already harming people's health by increasing the number of extreme weather events and exacerbating air pollution.

A warmer world brings risks of food shortages, infectious diseases, floods and extreme heat.

If nothing is done, the impacts could burden an entire generation with disease and illness throughout their lives, researchers said.

"Children are particularly vulnerable to the health risks of a changing climate. Their bodies and immune systems are still developing, leaving them more susceptible to disease and environmental pollutants," said Nick Watts, one of those who led the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change study.

Health damage in early childhood is "persistent and pervasive", he warned, bringing lifelong consequences.

"Without immediate action from all countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions, gains in wellbeing and life expectancy will be compromised, and climate change will come to define the health of an entire generation," he told a London briefing.

Extreme floods in Venice, fires in Australia and even an outbreak of plague in China have been attributed to climate change this week, while researchers have warned that global warming could saddle future generations with a life-long illness.

Extreme floods in Venice, fires in Australia and even an outbreak of plague in China have been attributed to climate change this week, while researchers have warned that global warming could saddle future generations with a life-long illness. Venice declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after "apocalyptic" floods swept through the lagoon city, flooding its historic basilica and inundating squares and centuries-old buildings. "This is the result of climate change," city mayor Luigi Brugnaro said on Twitter. City thoroughfares were turned into raging torrents, stone balustrades were shattered, boats tossed ashore and gondolas smashed against their moorings as the lagoon tide peaked at 187 cm (6ft 2ins). It was the highest since the record 194 cm set in 1966, but rising water levels are becoming a regular threat to the tourist jewel. "Venice is on its knees," said Brugnaro. "The damage will run into hundreds of millions of euros." On the other side of the world, parts of Australia have been ravaged by wild bushfires this week, with four people killed and communities forced to flee the flames. Since 2016, parts of northern and inland New South Wales, along with southern Queensland, have been in a drought that the Bureau of Meteorology says is being driven, in part, by warmer sea-surface temperatures affecting rainfall patterns. Air temperatures have also warmed over the past century, increasing the ferocity of droughts and fires. But links between climate change and extreme weather events have become a political football in Australia. The coal-industry supporting government accepts the need to cut emissions while arguing that stronger environmental action would cripple its economy. That pits the country against its Pacific island neighbours which are particularly susceptible to warmer temperatures and rising seas. Globally, concern about effective action has surged since US President Donald Trump abandoned the international Paris Accord on climate change and took steps to dismantle environmental protections. Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro are among the world's only leaders who publicly question the science of climate change, despite devastating fires in their countries - in California and the Amazon basin - that environmentalists at least partly blame on global warming. While the politicians argue, the concern is growing about the impact on the health of a warmer world. In China, health officials have reported a rare outbreak of pneumonic plague after two cases were confirmed this week in Beijing. The two were infected in the province of Inner Mongolia, where rodent populations have expanded dramatically after persistent droughts, worsened by climate change, state media said. An area the size of the Netherlands was hit by a "rat plague" last summer. The wider implications for health are sobering. The Lancet medical journal published a study this week saying climate change was already harming people's health by increasing the number of extreme weather events and exacerbating air pollution. A warmer world brings risks of food shortages, infectious diseases, floods and extreme heat. If nothing is done, the impacts could burden an entire generation with disease and illness throughout their lives, researchers said. "Children are particularly vulnerable to the health risks of a changing climate. Their bodies and immune systems are still developing, leaving them more susceptible to disease and environmental pollutants," said Nick Watts, one of those who led the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change study. Health damage in early childhood is "persistent and pervasive", he warned, bringing lifelong consequences. "Without immediate action from all countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions, gains in wellbeing and life expectancy will be compromised, and climate change will come to define the health of an entire generation," he told a London briefing.

Flood, fire and plague: climate change blamed for disasters

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, in gripping public testimony at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impeachment-witness-trumps-lawyer-rudy-guilliani-guided-irregular-ukraine-policy-channel-261903">historic impeachment hearing into President Donald Trump</a>, levelled a stark new accusation Wednesday about White House efforts to pressure Kiev to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden.

William Taylor, the acting US ambassador to Ukraine, told the House Intelligence Committee, which is conducting the hearings, that he was told Trump cared more about the probe into his likely 2020 rival than he did about Ukraine.

Trump is accused by Democrats in the House of Representatives of abusing his power by using US military aid to pressure Kiev into opening an investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

Trump, who maintains he did nothing wrong, dismissed the impeachment inquiry as a "witch hunt" and said he was too busy to watch the first televised hearings.

Taylor, who testified in a closed hearing last month, said he had since become aware of a telephone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the EU, that was overheard by a member of Taylor's staff.

Taylor said the staff member heard Trump asking Sondland about the status of the investigations. He said the staff member asked Sondland after the call what Trump thought about Ukraine.

"Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cared more about the investigations of Biden," Taylor said.

In his opening statement, Taylor recalled his opposition to making US military aid to Ukraine contingent on Ukraine opening an investigation of the Bidens.

"Withholding security assistance in exchange for help with a domestic political campaign in the United States would be crazy," he said. "I believed that then and I believe it now."

Taylor said an "irregular policy channel" involving former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney, was pushing for the Ukrainian probe into the Bidens.

'Scorched-earth war'

Democrats who control the House plan to prove over several weeks of hearings that Trump abused his office by asking Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.

The investigation threatens to make Trump only the third US president to be impeached, after Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998, although to be removed from office he would need to be convicted by the Republican-led Senate.

Neither Johnson or Clinton was convicted and removed. But in 1974 Richard Nixon resigned in the face of certain impeachment and removal from office for the Watergate scandal.

Opening the inquiry Wednesday morning, House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, the California congressman overseeing the probe, said "there are few actions as consequential as the impeachment of a president."

"The questions presented by this impeachment inquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit (Ukraine's) vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections," Schiff said. "If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?"

Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, hit back by accusing Democrats of waging a "scorched-earth war against President Trump" and a "carefully orchestrated media smear campaign."

"It's nothing more than an impeachment process in search of a crime," Nunes said.

Taylor and George Kent, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, have already testified in private that Trump used US military aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into the Bidens.

"I do not believe the United States should ask other countries to engage in selective politically associated investigations or prosecutions against opponents of those in power because such selective actions undermine the rule of law regardless of the country," Kent said in his opening statement Wednesday.

Speaking minutes before the hearing, Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the House, said the probe was necessary to show Trump he can't do "whatever he wants."

"That he is not above the law," Pelosi said. "And that he will be held accountable."&nbsp;

Slim majority favor impeachment

Coming just one year before national elections, the hearings carry great risks for both parties and no certain reward, with a divided US electorate weary of Washington infighting.

Polls show a slim majority of Americans favor impeaching the president.&nbsp;

But they also show that Trump's sizable voter base, which delivered his shock victory in 2016, rejects the allegations.

Republicans have sought, in closed door depositions over the last six weeks, to refocus attention on Biden's link, through his son, to Ukraine, and on the widely discredited theory Trump apparently believes that Ukraine assisted Democrats in the 2016 election.

Democrats have amassed evidence that Trump sought to leverage Zelensky's desire for a meeting between the two leaders and for some $391 million in aid to get Ukraine to find dirt on Biden, who could face Trump in next year's presidential election.

The key evidence is the official White House transcript of a July 25 phone call showing Trump pressuring Zelensky to open investigations into Biden and the 2016 conspiracy theory.

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, in gripping public testimony at the historic impeachment hearing into President Donald Trump, levelled a stark new accusation Wednesday about White House efforts to pressure Kiev to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden.

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, in gripping public testimony at the historic impeachment hearing into President Donald Trump, levelled a stark new accusation Wednesday about White House efforts to pressure Kiev to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden. William Taylor, the acting US ambassador to Ukraine, told the House Intelligence Committee, which is conducting the hearings, that he was told Trump cared more about the probe into his likely 2020 rival than he did about Ukraine. Trump is accused by Democrats in the House of Representatives of abusing his power by using US military aid to pressure Kiev into opening an investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. Trump, who maintains he did nothing wrong, dismissed the impeachment inquiry as a "witch hunt" and said he was too busy to watch the first televised hearings. Taylor, who testified in a closed hearing last month, said he had since become aware of a telephone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the EU, that was overheard by a member of Taylor's staff. Taylor said the staff member heard Trump asking Sondland about the status of the investigations. He said the staff member asked Sondland after the call what Trump thought about Ukraine. "Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cared more about the investigations of Biden," Taylor said. In his opening statement, Taylor recalled his opposition to making US military aid to Ukraine contingent on Ukraine opening an investigation of the Bidens. "Withholding security assistance in exchange for help with a domestic political campaign in the United States would be crazy," he said. "I believed that then and I believe it now." Taylor said an "irregular policy channel" involving former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney, was pushing for the Ukrainian probe into the Bidens. 'Scorched-earth war' Democrats who control the House plan to prove over several weeks of hearings that Trump abused his office by asking Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. The investigation threatens to make Trump only the third US president to be impeached, after Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998, although to be removed from office he would need to be convicted by the Republican-led Senate. Neither Johnson or Clinton was convicted and removed. But in 1974 Richard Nixon resigned in the face of certain impeachment and removal from office for the Watergate scandal. Opening the inquiry Wednesday morning, House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, the California congressman overseeing the probe, said "there are few actions as consequential as the impeachment of a president." "The questions presented by this impeachment inquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit (Ukraine's) vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections," Schiff said. "If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?" Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, hit back by accusing Democrats of waging a "scorched-earth war against President Trump" and a "carefully orchestrated media smear campaign." "It's nothing more than an impeachment process in search of a crime," Nunes said. Taylor and George Kent, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, have already testified in private that Trump used US military aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into the Bidens. "I do not believe the United States should ask other countries to engage in selective politically associated investigations or prosecutions against opponents of those in power because such selective actions undermine the rule of law regardless of the country," Kent said in his opening statement Wednesday. Speaking minutes before the hearing, Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the House, said the probe was necessary to show Trump he can't do "whatever he wants." "That he is not above the law," Pelosi said. "And that he will be held accountable." Slim majority favor impeachment Coming just one year before national elections, the hearings carry great risks for both parties and no certain reward, with a divided US electorate weary of Washington infighting. Polls show a slim majority of Americans favor impeaching the president. But they also show that Trump's sizable voter base, which delivered his shock victory in 2016, rejects the allegations. Republicans have sought, in closed door depositions over the last six weeks, to refocus attention on Biden's link, through his son, to Ukraine, and on the widely discredited theory Trump apparently believes that Ukraine assisted Democrats in the 2016 election. Democrats have amassed evidence that Trump sought to leverage Zelensky's desire for a meeting between the two leaders and for some $391 million in aid to get Ukraine to find dirt on Biden, who could face Trump in next year's presidential election. The key evidence is the official White House transcript of a July 25 phone call showing Trump pressuring Zelensky to open investigations into Biden and the 2016 conspiracy theory.

Trump impeachment hearing: US President prioritised Biden investigation over Ukraine aid, says witness

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign was keen to keep abreast of the release of emails potentially damaging to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, reaching all the way to Trump himself, the Republican's former deputy campaign chairman testified in court on Tuesday.

Rick Gates, testifying in the criminal trial in federal court in Washington of Trump's longtime political adviser Roger Stone, said he witnessed a call between Trump and Stone related to the WikiLeaks website in late July 2016.

WikiLeaks disclosed several batches of stolen emails in the months before the November election that damaged Clinton. US&nbsp;intelligence agencies and Special Counsel <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/robert-mueller-testimony-on-russia-meddling-investigation-postponed-reports-235395">Robert Muller</a> later concluded they had been stolen by Russian hackers.

Although Gates acknowledged he could not hear the contents of the call between then-candidate Trump and Stone as they were driving to LaGuardia Airport in New York City, he said that within 30 seconds or so of Trump hanging up, Trump said that "more information would be coming," in an apparent reference to WikiLeaks.

The testimony by Gates, who appeared under a cooperation agreement, could potentially hurt Stone as he faces charges of obstructing justice, witness tampering and lying to the US&nbsp;House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in its investigation into Russian interference in the election. Stone has pleaded not guilty.

The testimony also appears to conflict with sworn statements that Trump gave Mueller, in which the president wrote that he had "no recollection of the specifics of any conversation" with Stone from June 1, 2016 through November 8, 2016 and that he could "not recall discussing WikiLeaks" with Stone.

Both the government and Stone's defence team rested their cases on Tuesday. Closing arguments are scheduled for 1 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Wednesday, followed by jury deliberations.

Stone, a longtime Republican operative and self-proclaimed "dirty trickster," is accused of telling Congress five lies related to WikiLeaks.

One such allegation is whether Stone misled the committee in September 2017 by stating that he never spoke to Trump campaign officials about what he was hearing through an intermediary about WikiLeaks or the website's founder, Julian Assange.

Another allegation relates to claims Stone made that comedian Randy Credico was his intermediary with WikiLeaks. Prosecutors said Stone was not talking to Credico about WikiLeaks in the summer of 2016, but rather, he was speaking to conservative author named Jerome Corsi, whom Stone instructed in one email to "get to Assange!" and learn when the Clinton emails would be coming out.

Credico testified during the trial he never actually spoke to Assange on Stone's behalf, but at times pretended he would in order to get Stone off his back.

Gates' testimony on Tuesday offered a window into the Trump campaign's thinking on WikiLeaks, and appeared to align with testimony that former Trump campaign chief executive and ex-White House strategist Steve Bannon gave on Friday when Bannon said the campaign saw Stone as an "access point" to WikiLeaks.

Gates said Stone had spoken to him as early as spring 2016 about an expectation that "information would be coming out" from WikiLeaks.

He said he thought that Stone knew this through non-public information and that top campaign officials including Gates, then-campaign manager Paul Manafort and aides Jason Miller and Stephen Miller held brainstorming sessions based “in part on Mr. Stone’s predictions” about WikiLeaks' plans.

At first, those predictions did not pan out. But when WikiLeaks finally dumped a batch of emails on July 22, 2016, the campaign was elated.

"It was, in a way, a gift," Gates said.

Gates pled guilty last year to charges arising from Mueller's investigation.

In a court filing on Monday, prosecutors said the testimony by Gates - who also testified last year against Manafort in a trial in which Manafort was convicted and sent to prison for 7-1/2 years - will conclude his cooperation with the government, and they asked a judge to set a mid-December sentencing date.

Stone's attorneys tried to discredit Gates on Tuesday by repeatedly asking him about the crimes he committed with Manafort.

Later, they also filed a motion with the judge asking her to acquit Stone on charges of lying to Congress, saying the government had failed to prove that Stone actually had any intermediary with WikiLeaks. The judge has not yet ruled.

Stone's attorneys also say that his testimony fell into line with the parameters of the committee's investigation into Russian interference and that the scope of the probe in Stone's mind did not include WikiLeaks or Julian Assange.

In Stone's defence, his attorneys played the jury a roughly 50 minute-long audio tape of Stone's closed-door testimony to the committee, introduced some documents into evidence and rested their case without calling any witnesses.

US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign was keen to keep abreast of the release of emails potentially damaging to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, reaching all the way to Trump himself, the Republican's former deputy campaign chairman testified in court on Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign was keen to keep abreast of the release of emails potentially damaging to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, reaching all the way to Trump himself, the Republican's former deputy campaign chairman testified in court on Tuesday. Rick Gates, testifying in the criminal trial in federal court in Washington of Trump's longtime political adviser Roger Stone, said he witnessed a call between Trump and Stone related to the WikiLeaks website in late July 2016. WikiLeaks disclosed several batches of stolen emails in the months before the November election that damaged Clinton. US intelligence agencies and Special Counsel Robert Muller later concluded they had been stolen by Russian hackers. Although Gates acknowledged he could not hear the contents of the call between then-candidate Trump and Stone as they were driving to LaGuardia Airport in New York City, he said that within 30 seconds or so of Trump hanging up, Trump said that "more information would be coming," in an apparent reference to WikiLeaks. The testimony by Gates, who appeared under a cooperation agreement, could potentially hurt Stone as he faces charges of obstructing justice, witness tampering and lying to the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in its investigation into Russian interference in the election. Stone has pleaded not guilty. The testimony also appears to conflict with sworn statements that Trump gave Mueller, in which the president wrote that he had "no recollection of the specifics of any conversation" with Stone from June 1, 2016 through November 8, 2016 and that he could "not recall discussing WikiLeaks" with Stone. Both the government and Stone's defence team rested their cases on Tuesday. Closing arguments are scheduled for 1 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Wednesday, followed by jury deliberations. Stone, a longtime Republican operative and self-proclaimed "dirty trickster," is accused of telling Congress five lies related to WikiLeaks. One such allegation is whether Stone misled the committee in September 2017 by stating that he never spoke to Trump campaign officials about what he was hearing through an intermediary about WikiLeaks or the website's founder, Julian Assange. Another allegation relates to claims Stone made that comedian Randy Credico was his intermediary with WikiLeaks. Prosecutors said Stone was not talking to Credico about WikiLeaks in the summer of 2016, but rather, he was speaking to conservative author named Jerome Corsi, whom Stone instructed in one email to "get to Assange!" and learn when the Clinton emails would be coming out. Credico testified during the trial he never actually spoke to Assange on Stone's behalf, but at times pretended he would in order to get Stone off his back. Gates' testimony on Tuesday offered a window into the Trump campaign's thinking on WikiLeaks, and appeared to align with testimony that former Trump campaign chief executive and ex-White House strategist Steve Bannon gave on Friday when Bannon said the campaign saw Stone as an "access point" to WikiLeaks. Gates said Stone had spoken to him as early as spring 2016 about an expectation that "information would be coming out" from WikiLeaks. He said he thought that Stone knew this through non-public information and that top campaign officials including Gates, then-campaign manager Paul Manafort and aides Jason Miller and Stephen Miller held brainstorming sessions based “in part on Mr. Stone’s predictions” about WikiLeaks' plans. At first, those predictions did not pan out. But when WikiLeaks finally dumped a batch of emails on July 22, 2016, the campaign was elated. "It was, in a way, a gift," Gates said. Gates pled guilty last year to charges arising from Mueller's investigation. In a court filing on Monday, prosecutors said the testimony by Gates - who also testified last year against Manafort in a trial in which Manafort was convicted and sent to prison for 7-1/2 years - will conclude his cooperation with the government, and they asked a judge to set a mid-December sentencing date. Stone's attorneys tried to discredit Gates on Tuesday by repeatedly asking him about the crimes he committed with Manafort. Later, they also filed a motion with the judge asking her to acquit Stone on charges of lying to Congress, saying the government had failed to prove that Stone actually had any intermediary with WikiLeaks. The judge has not yet ruled. Stone's attorneys also say that his testimony fell into line with the parameters of the committee's investigation into Russian interference and that the scope of the probe in Stone's mind did not include WikiLeaks or Julian Assange. In Stone's defence, his attorneys played the jury a roughly 50 minute-long audio tape of Stone's closed-door testimony to the committee, introduced some documents into evidence and rested their case without calling any witnesses.

Trump campaign wanted updates on 2016 WikiLeaks releases on Clinton - Ex-aide testifies

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States knows the location of the third in command to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who killed himself last month during a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/al-baghdadis-death-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-leader-of-islamic-state-258617">US-led raid</a>.

"We have our eye on his third," Trump said during the question-and-answer session following a speech at the Economic Club of New York. "His third has got a lot of problems because we know where he is too."

Since Baghdadi's death, the United States and Turkey have targeted possible successors and sympathisers and arrested family members, seeking to prevent a resurgence of the militant group.

Trump did not identify the new target. Earlier this month, the United States, said it was looking into Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi, who has been appointed Islamic State's new leader.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States knows the location of the third in command to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who killed himself last month during a US-led raid.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States knows the location of the third in command to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who killed himself last month during a US-led raid. "We have our eye on his third," Trump said during the question-and-answer session following a speech at the Economic Club of New York. "His third has got a lot of problems because we know where he is too." Since Baghdadi's death, the United States and Turkey have targeted possible successors and sympathisers and arrested family members, seeking to prevent a resurgence of the militant group. Trump did not identify the new target. Earlier this month, the United States, said it was looking into Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi, who has been appointed Islamic State's new leader.

US has eye on Baghdadi's third in command: Trump

It would have been the right thing to do to capture Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi alive if it had been possible, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said on Wednesday.

Baghdadi died alongside three of his children by detonating an explosive-laden vest when he fled US forces during an attack in northwest Syria, US President Donald Trump said.

Corbyn, a long-time critic of US foreign policy who hopes to succeed Boris Johnson as Britain's prime minister after an election on Dec. 12, said people like Baghdadi needed to be put on trial at the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

"Him being removed from the scene is a very good thing," Corbyn told British radio station LBC.

"If it would have been possible to arrest him – and I don't know the details of the circumstances at the time, I’ve only seen various statements put out by the US about it - surely it would have been the right thing to do."

Corbyn told Iran's state-backed Press TV in 2011, before he was Labour leader, that the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of the United States was a "tragedy", as there had been no attempt to arrest him and put him on trial.

Corbyn has faced regular criticism from political opponents for meeting members of Irish and Palestinian militant groups over the decades, and previously called members of Hamas and Hezbollah "friends".

It would have been the right thing to do to capture Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi alive if it had been possible, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said on Wednesday.

It would have been the right thing to do to capture Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi alive if it had been possible, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said on Wednesday. Baghdadi died alongside three of his children by detonating an explosive-laden vest when he fled US forces during an attack in northwest Syria, US President Donald Trump said. Corbyn, a long-time critic of US foreign policy who hopes to succeed Boris Johnson as Britain's prime minister after an election on Dec. 12, said people like Baghdadi needed to be put on trial at the International Court of Justice in the Hague. "Him being removed from the scene is a very good thing," Corbyn told British radio station LBC. "If it would have been possible to arrest him – and I don't know the details of the circumstances at the time, I’ve only seen various statements put out by the US about it - surely it would have been the right thing to do." Corbyn told Iran's state-backed Press TV in 2011, before he was Labour leader, that the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of the United States was a "tragedy", as there had been no attempt to arrest him and put him on trial. Corbyn has faced regular criticism from political opponents for meeting members of Irish and Palestinian militant groups over the decades, and previously called members of Hamas and Hezbollah "friends".

Islamic State leader Baghdadi better captured alive: UK Labour's Corbyn

Is Trump making America a 'bitter' country?

Gravitas: Hate crimes in the US - Is Donald Trump responsible?

Exposing the dodgy track record of the U.S. on human rights, climate changes & other issues.

WION Edit: Hate crimes: U.S. Must clean up its act before blaming others

All you need to know about Trump public impeachment hearings that began on November 13.

Gravitas: Trump public impeachment hearings begin

Hate crimes in the U.S. at record high levels.

Gravitas: In Trump's America: Hate crimes spike

President Donald Trump is skipping the first televised hearings in his impeachment investigation, preferring instead to keep working, according to the White House spokeswoman Wednesday.

"He's in the Oval (office) in meetings. Not watching. He's working," Stephanie Grisham said more than an hour into the public hearing in Congress.

Senior Democratic and Republican lawmakers presented duelling narratives on Wednesday as a US congressional impeachment enquiry that threatens Donald Trump's tumultuous presidency entered a crucial new phase with the first public hearing.

Democrats leading the US House of Representatives probe have summoned three US diplomats - all of whom have previously expressed alarm in closed-door testimony about Trump's dealings with US ally Ukraine - to detail their concerns under the glare of wall-to-wall news coverage this week. The public hearings are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday.

With a potential television audience of tens of millions looking on, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, opened the historic session - the first impeachment spectacle in two decades - in an ornate hearing room packed with journalists, lawmakers and members of the public.

Schiff's accusations that Trump abused his power was met by a staunch denial by the panel's senior Republican, Devin Nunes, of the Republican president's complicity in a saga that revolves around whether Trump and his aides improperly pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on a political rival for his political benefit.

The day's two witnesses - William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, and George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs - followed with opening statements echoing their earlier closed-door testimony about their alarm over efforts to get Ukraine to open an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 election.

"The questions presented by this impeachment enquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit that ally's vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections," Schiff said in his opening statement.

"Our answer to these questions will affect not only the future of this presidency, but the future of the presidency itself, and what kind of conduct or misconduct the American people may come to expect from their commander-in-chief," Schiff said.

Schiff added, "If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?"

This week's hearings, where Americans are hearing directly for the first time from people involved in events that sparked the congressional inquiry, may pave the way for the Democratic-led House to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump.

That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump of those charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal.

Nunes accused the Democrats of conducting a "carefully orchestrated smear campaign" and of using the hearings as a "televised theatrical performance."

He hewed to the Republican strategy of arguing that Trump did nothing wrong or impeachable when he asked Ukraine's new president to investigate prominent Democrat Joe Biden, a former US vice president and key 2020 re-election rival.

"It's nothing more than an impeachment process in search of a crime," Nunes said.

Schiff said the inquiry looks at whether Trump sought to condition official acts such as a White House meeting or U.S. military assistance on Ukraine's willingness to carry out two political investigations that would help his re-election campaign.

"And if President Trump did either, whether such an abuse of his power is compatible with the office of the presidency?" Schiff asked.

The focus of the inquiry is on a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter Biden and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US election. Hunter Biden had worked for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma.

Democrats 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 investigations 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 Ukraine.

President Donald Trump is skipping the first televised hearings in his impeachment investigation, preferring instead to keep working, according to the White House spokeswoman Wednesday.

President Donald Trump is skipping the first televised hearings in his impeachment investigation, preferring instead to keep working, according to the White House spokeswoman Wednesday. "He's in the Oval (office) in meetings. Not watching. He's working," Stephanie Grisham said more than an hour into the public hearing in Congress. Senior Democratic and Republican lawmakers presented duelling narratives on Wednesday as a US congressional impeachment enquiry that threatens Donald Trump's tumultuous presidency entered a crucial new phase with the first public hearing. Democrats leading the US House of Representatives probe have summoned three US diplomats - all of whom have previously expressed alarm in closed-door testimony about Trump's dealings with US ally Ukraine - to detail their concerns under the glare of wall-to-wall news coverage this week. The public hearings are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday. With a potential television audience of tens of millions looking on, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, opened the historic session - the first impeachment spectacle in two decades - in an ornate hearing room packed with journalists, lawmakers and members of the public. Schiff's accusations that Trump abused his power was met by a staunch denial by the panel's senior Republican, Devin Nunes, of the Republican president's complicity in a saga that revolves around whether Trump and his aides improperly pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on a political rival for his political benefit. The day's two witnesses - William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, and George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs - followed with opening statements echoing their earlier closed-door testimony about their alarm over efforts to get Ukraine to open an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 election. "The questions presented by this impeachment enquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit that ally's vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections," Schiff said in his opening statement. "Our answer to these questions will affect not only the future of this presidency, but the future of the presidency itself, and what kind of conduct or misconduct the American people may come to expect from their commander-in-chief," Schiff said. Schiff added, "If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?" This week's hearings, where Americans are hearing directly for the first time from people involved in events that sparked the congressional inquiry, may pave the way for the Democratic-led House to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump of those charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal. Nunes accused the Democrats of conducting a "carefully orchestrated smear campaign" and of using the hearings as a "televised theatrical performance." He hewed to the Republican strategy of arguing that Trump did nothing wrong or impeachable when he asked Ukraine's new president to investigate prominent Democrat Joe Biden, a former US vice president and key 2020 re-election rival. "It's nothing more than an impeachment process in search of a crime," Nunes said. Schiff said the inquiry looks at whether Trump sought to condition official acts such as a White House meeting or U.S. military assistance on Ukraine's willingness to carry out two political investigations that would help his re-election campaign. "And if President Trump did either, whether such an abuse of his power is compatible with the office of the presidency?" Schiff asked. The focus of the inquiry is on a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter Biden and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US election. Hunter Biden had worked for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma. Democrats 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 investigations 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 Ukraine.

Trump 'not watching' impeachment hearing: White House spokeswoman

The impeachment inquiry into US President Donald Trump went public on Wednesday as lawmakers began their first televised public hearings, marking a new phase that could determine the fate of his tumultuous presidency.

Democrats leading the US House of Representatives probe have summoned three US&nbsp;diplomats - all of whom have previously expressed alarm in closed-door testimony about Trump's dealings with US&nbsp;ally Ukraine - to detail their concerns under the glare of wall-to-wall news coverage this week. The public hearings are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday.

With a potential television audience of tens of millions looking on, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, gaveled open the historic session in an ornate hearing room packed with journalists, lawmakers and members of the public.

"The questions presented by this impeachment enquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit that ally's vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections?" Schiff said in his opening statement.

"Whether President Trump sought to condition official acts, such as a White House meeting or US&nbsp;military assistance, on Ukraine's willingness to assist with two political investigations that would help his re-election campaign? And if President Trump did either, whether such an abuse of his power is compatible with the office of the presidency?" Schiff added.

"The matter is as simple, and as terrible as that," Schiff added. "Our answer to these questions will affect not only the future of this presidency, but the future of the presidency itself, and what kind of conduct or misconduct the American people may come to expect from their Commander-in-Chief.

Two witnesses – William Taylor, the top US&nbsp;diplomat in Ukraine, and George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs - will be the first to testify on Wednesday about whether Trump improperly pressured Ukraine for his own political benefit.

Taylor, a career diplomat and former US&nbsp;Army officer, previously served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and is now the chargé d'affaires of the US&nbsp;embassy in Kiev. Kent oversees Ukraine policy at the State Department.

Taylor and Kent, who had already agreed to testify but still received subpoenas to appear, arrived separately under heavy security, later taking their seats at the witness table, surrounded by news photographers.

Trump's fellow Republicans, who will also be able to question the witnesses, have crafted a defence strategy that will argue he did nothing wrong when he asked Ukraine's new president to investigate prominent Democrat Joe Biden, a former US vice president and key 2020 re-election rival.

This week's hearings, where Americans will hear directly for the first time from people involved in events that sparked the congressional inquiry, may pave the way for the Democratic-led House to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump.

That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump of those charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal.

Both sides are playing to a sharply polarized electorate as they move deeper into a six-week-old investigation that has cast a shadow over Trump's presidency with the threat of being removed from office even as he campaigns for a second term.

It has been two decades since Americans last witnessed impeachment proceedings against a president, and these will be the first of the social media era. Republicans, who then controlled the House, brought impeachment charges against Democratic President Bill Clinton in a scandal involving his sexual relationship with a White House intern. The Senate ultimately voted to keep Clinton in office.

Only two US presidents ever have been impeached. No president has been removed through the impeachment process.

Focus on Ukraine

The focus of the inquiry is on a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter Biden and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 U.S. election. Hunter Biden had worked for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma.

Democrats are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable U.S. ally facing Russian aggression - as leverage to pressure Kiev into conducting investigations politically beneficial to Trump. The money - approved by the U.S. Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country - was later provided to Ukraine.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing, derided some of the current and former US&nbsp;officials who have appeared before committees as "Never Trumpers" - a term referring to Republican opponents of the president who he has called "human scum" - and branded the investigation a witch hunt aimed at hurting his re-election changes.

Before the start of the hearing, Trump continued to raise doubts about the witnesses' loyalties, tweeting "NEVER TRUMPERS" and reiterating a refrain echoed by his political supporters: "READ THE TRANSCRIPT."

A handful of protesters stood outside the Capitol building holding signs reading "Remove Trump" and "Trump Lies all the Time."

Some Republicans tried to put the focus on the impeachment process established by Democrats, complaining of an inability to call the witnesses they want and the lack of counsel for the president in the proceedings.

Political motivations

Lawmakers leading the probe released transcripts of closed-door testimony last week showing that Taylor said a White House-led effort to pressure Kiev to investigate Ukrainian energy company Burisma was motivated by a desire to help Trump win re-election next year.

Taylor testified he had been concerned to learn that security aid to Ukraine, as well as a White House meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy, had been delayed for political reasons.

Kent said he had been alarmed by efforts by Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and others to pressure Ukraine. Kent said Giuliani - who Democrats have accused of conducting a shadow foreign policy effort in Ukraine to benefit the president - had conducted a "campaign full of lies" against Marie Yovanovitch, who was abruptly pulled from her post as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine in May. She will give public testimony on Friday.

Taylor and Kent were testifying together because "they both were witness to the full storyline of the president's misconduct," an official working on the impeachment inquiry said.

For both sides, the electoral implications of the impeachment process is clear as it looms over other issues, such as the economy and immigration, as the 2020 election campaign gathers steam.

Democrats are hoping to convince independent voters and other doubters that Trump was wrong not only in asking Ukraine to dig up dirt on his rival but in making it a "quid pro quo" - a Latin meaning a favour in exchange for a favour.

Republicans want to paint the hearings as a partisan exercise by Trump's opponents who resented failing to gain more politically from former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that detailed Russian interference in the 2016 election to boost Trump's candidacy. Mueller documented extensive contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia but found insufficient evidence to prove a criminal conspiracy.

The impeachment inquiry into US President Donald Trump went public on Wednesday as lawmakers began their first televised public hearings, marking a new phase that could determine the fate of his tumultuous presidency.

The impeachment inquiry into US President Donald Trump went public on Wednesday as lawmakers began their first televised public hearings, marking a new phase that could determine the fate of his tumultuous presidency. Democrats leading the US House of Representatives probe have summoned three US diplomats - all of whom have previously expressed alarm in closed-door testimony about Trump's dealings with US ally Ukraine - to detail their concerns under the glare of wall-to-wall news coverage this week. The public hearings are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday. With a potential television audience of tens of millions looking on, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, gaveled open the historic session in an ornate hearing room packed with journalists, lawmakers and members of the public. "The questions presented by this impeachment enquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit that ally's vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections?" Schiff said in his opening statement. "Whether President Trump sought to condition official acts, such as a White House meeting or US military assistance, on Ukraine's willingness to assist with two political investigations that would help his re-election campaign? And if President Trump did either, whether such an abuse of his power is compatible with the office of the presidency?" Schiff added. "The matter is as simple, and as terrible as that," Schiff added. "Our answer to these questions will affect not only the future of this presidency, but the future of the presidency itself, and what kind of conduct or misconduct the American people may come to expect from their Commander-in-Chief. Two witnesses – William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, and George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs - will be the first to testify on Wednesday about whether Trump improperly pressured Ukraine for his own political benefit. Taylor, a career diplomat and former US Army officer, previously served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and is now the chargé d'affaires of the US embassy in Kiev. Kent oversees Ukraine policy at the State Department. Taylor and Kent, who had already agreed to testify but still received subpoenas to appear, arrived separately under heavy security, later taking their seats at the witness table, surrounded by news photographers. Trump's fellow Republicans, who will also be able to question the witnesses, have crafted a defence strategy that will argue he did nothing wrong when he asked Ukraine's new president to investigate prominent Democrat Joe Biden, a former US vice president and key 2020 re-election rival. This week's hearings, where Americans will hear directly for the first time from people involved in events that sparked the congressional inquiry, may pave the way for the Democratic-led House to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump of those charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal. Both sides are playing to a sharply polarized electorate as they move deeper into a six-week-old investigation that has cast a shadow over Trump's presidency with the threat of being removed from office even as he campaigns for a second term. It has been two decades since Americans last witnessed impeachment proceedings against a president, and these will be the first of the social media era. Republicans, who then controlled the House, brought impeachment charges against Democratic President Bill Clinton in a scandal involving his sexual relationship with a White House intern. The Senate ultimately voted to keep Clinton in office. Only two US presidents ever have been impeached. No president has been removed through the impeachment process. Focus on Ukraine The focus of the inquiry is on a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter Biden and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 U.S. election. Hunter Biden had worked for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma. Democrats are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable U.S. ally facing Russian aggression - as leverage to pressure Kiev into conducting investigations politically beneficial to Trump. The money - approved by the U.S. Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country - was later provided to Ukraine. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, derided some of the current and former US officials who have appeared before committees as "Never Trumpers" - a term referring to Republican opponents of the president who he has called "human scum" - and branded the investigation a witch hunt aimed at hurting his re-election changes. Before the start of the hearing, Trump continued to raise doubts about the witnesses' loyalties, tweeting "NEVER TRUMPERS" and reiterating a refrain echoed by his political supporters: "READ THE TRANSCRIPT." A handful of protesters stood outside the Capitol building holding signs reading "Remove Trump" and "Trump Lies all the Time." Some Republicans tried to put the focus on the impeachment process established by Democrats, complaining of an inability to call the witnesses they want and the lack of counsel for the president in the proceedings. Political motivations Lawmakers leading the probe released transcripts of closed-door testimony last week showing that Taylor said a White House-led effort to pressure Kiev to investigate Ukrainian energy company Burisma was motivated by a desire to help Trump win re-election next year. Taylor testified he had been concerned to learn that security aid to Ukraine, as well as a White House meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy, had been delayed for political reasons. Kent said he had been alarmed by efforts by Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and others to pressure Ukraine. Kent said Giuliani - who Democrats have accused of conducting a shadow foreign policy effort in Ukraine to benefit the president - had conducted a "campaign full of lies" against Marie Yovanovitch, who was abruptly pulled from her post as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine in May. She will give public testimony on Friday. Taylor and Kent were testifying together because "they both were witness to the full storyline of the president's misconduct," an official working on the impeachment inquiry said. For both sides, the electoral implications of the impeachment process is clear as it looms over other issues, such as the economy and immigration, as the 2020 election campaign gathers steam. Democrats are hoping to convince independent voters and other doubters that Trump was wrong not only in asking Ukraine to dig up dirt on his rival but in making it a "quid pro quo" - a Latin meaning a favour in exchange for a favour. Republicans want to paint the hearings as a partisan exercise by Trump's opponents who resented failing to gain more politically from former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that detailed Russian interference in the 2016 election to boost Trump's candidacy. Mueller documented extensive contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia but found insufficient evidence to prove a criminal conspiracy.

'Future of presidency': House begins Trump impeachment inquiry hearings

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