Donald Trump meets ''Hell of a Guy'' Recep today

A meeting to thaw U.S.-Turkey ties

Trump Impeachment: Public hearings in impeachment probe Set to start.

Trump Impeachment: Public hearings today

President Donald Trump on Tuesday dangled the prospect of completing an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-us-agree-tariff-rollback-if-phase-one-trade-deal-is-completed-260641">initial trade deal with China</a> "soon," but offered no new details on negotiations in a campaign-style speech touting his administration's economic record.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/global-markets-asian-shares-a-sea-of-red-as-hk-chaos-hits-sentiment-261277">Markets had been on edge</a> about Trump's highly anticipated remarks to The Economic Club of New York, but barely moved after the speech, which contained no major policy announcements. Rumours early on Tuesday that Trump might announce a venue and date for signing a trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping proved unfounded.

Trump said US&nbsp;and Chinese negotiators were "close" to a "phase one" trade deal, but largely repeated well-worn rhetoric about China's "cheating" on trade.

"They are dying to make a deal. We're the ones that are deciding whether or not we want to make a deal," Trump said, echoing remarks he made on Saturday.

"We're close," he said. "A significant phase one trade deal with China could happen. Could happen soon. But we will only accept a deal if it's good for the United States and our workers and our great companies."

Trump said he would raise tariffs on Chinese goods "very substantially" if China does not make a deal with the United States. "And that's going to be true for other countries that mistreat us too," he added.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow later told CNBC that the phase one agreement could include some adjustments to tariffs already in place, but neither side would agree to such steps "until the entire deal is put together."

US&nbsp;stocks largely drifted sideways as Trump spoke, holding onto modest gains. The S&amp;P 500 was up about 0.3 per cent&nbsp;in afternoon trade, close to a record high. The response in bond and foreign exchange markets was equally subdued.

"The only thing that's maybe new is that he did not announce a date and a time for a signing ceremony," Greg Anderson, global head of foreign exchange strategy at BMO Capital Markets in New York, said of the speech. "Where markets had been hoping for that, those hopes were dashed," he added, saying that buying of riskier assets faded when it became apparent that no major announcement would be made.

Trump once again took aim at the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions that have left US interest rates higher than many other economies and said he would prefer negative rates.

The Fed has cut interest rates three times since July, following a string of nine increases since late 2015. Trump has repeatedly railed against the Fed for not lowering rates even more.

"Remember we are actively competing with nations that openly cut interest rates so that many are now actually getting paid when they pay off their loan, known as negative interest. Who ever heard of such a thing?" Trump said in his remarks.

"Give me some of that. Give me some of that money. I want some of that money. Our Federal Reserve doesn't let us do it," he said.

But Kudlow told CNBC that he did not believe negative rates were needed given the strong US&nbsp;economic performance. "I don’t think the United states needs negatives rates ... because our economy is in very good shape," Kudlow said.

Trump touted tax cuts passed by Republicans in 2017, saying they have created an unprecedented economic boom, and said there was room for further reductions in rates too. He alluded to a Republican "tax cut 2.0" plan that has been stalled by Democrats in the House of Representatives.

As he often has, Trump pointed to the stock market's run-up as a validation of his economic and trade policies.

The S&amp;P is up more than 36 per cent&nbsp;since Trump took office, though two-thirds of that gain occurred in his first year in office before he began imposing tariffs on imports from China. Stocks have found the going far more choppy since the first wave of tariffs were imposed in 2018, though all three major indexes hit record highs last week.

The latest back-and-forth between Washington and Beijing illustrates the bumpy state of play. Last week, officials from both sides said they had a deal to roll back tariffs, only to have Trump deny any deal had been agreed on.

Tuesday was Trump's second appearance at the storied Economic Club of New York, which has hosted US&nbsp;presidents including Woodrow Wilson and John F. Kennedy, as well as foreign leaders like former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev&nbsp;and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.Trump previously addressed the organization in 2016 when running for president.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday dangled the prospect of completing an initial trade deal with China "soon," but offered no new details on negotiations in a campaign-style speech touting his administration's economic record.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday dangled the prospect of completing an initial trade deal with China "soon," but offered no new details on negotiations in a campaign-style speech touting his administration's economic record. Markets had been on edge about Trump's highly anticipated remarks to The Economic Club of New York, but barely moved after the speech, which contained no major policy announcements. Rumours early on Tuesday that Trump might announce a venue and date for signing a trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping proved unfounded. Trump said US and Chinese negotiators were "close" to a "phase one" trade deal, but largely repeated well-worn rhetoric about China's "cheating" on trade. "They are dying to make a deal. We're the ones that are deciding whether or not we want to make a deal," Trump said, echoing remarks he made on Saturday. "We're close," he said. "A significant phase one trade deal with China could happen. Could happen soon. But we will only accept a deal if it's good for the United States and our workers and our great companies." Trump said he would raise tariffs on Chinese goods "very substantially" if China does not make a deal with the United States. "And that's going to be true for other countries that mistreat us too," he added. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow later told CNBC that the phase one agreement could include some adjustments to tariffs already in place, but neither side would agree to such steps "until the entire deal is put together." US stocks largely drifted sideways as Trump spoke, holding onto modest gains. The S&P 500 was up about 0.3 per cent in afternoon trade, close to a record high. The response in bond and foreign exchange markets was equally subdued. "The only thing that's maybe new is that he did not announce a date and a time for a signing ceremony," Greg Anderson, global head of foreign exchange strategy at BMO Capital Markets in New York, said of the speech. "Where markets had been hoping for that, those hopes were dashed," he added, saying that buying of riskier assets faded when it became apparent that no major announcement would be made. Trump once again took aim at the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions that have left US interest rates higher than many other economies and said he would prefer negative rates. The Fed has cut interest rates three times since July, following a string of nine increases since late 2015. Trump has repeatedly railed against the Fed for not lowering rates even more. "Remember we are actively competing with nations that openly cut interest rates so that many are now actually getting paid when they pay off their loan, known as negative interest. Who ever heard of such a thing?" Trump said in his remarks. "Give me some of that. Give me some of that money. I want some of that money. Our Federal Reserve doesn't let us do it," he said. But Kudlow told CNBC that he did not believe negative rates were needed given the strong US economic performance. "I don’t think the United states needs negatives rates ... because our economy is in very good shape," Kudlow said. Trump touted tax cuts passed by Republicans in 2017, saying they have created an unprecedented economic boom, and said there was room for further reductions in rates too. He alluded to a Republican "tax cut 2.0" plan that has been stalled by Democrats in the House of Representatives. As he often has, Trump pointed to the stock market's run-up as a validation of his economic and trade policies. The S&P is up more than 36 per cent since Trump took office, though two-thirds of that gain occurred in his first year in office before he began imposing tariffs on imports from China. Stocks have found the going far more choppy since the first wave of tariffs were imposed in 2018, though all three major indexes hit record highs last week. The latest back-and-forth between Washington and Beijing illustrates the bumpy state of play. Last week, officials from both sides said they had a deal to roll back tariffs, only to have Trump deny any deal had been agreed on. Tuesday was Trump's second appearance at the storied Economic Club of New York, which has hosted US presidents including Woodrow Wilson and John F. Kennedy, as well as foreign leaders like former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.Trump previously addressed the organization in 2016 when running for president.

Trump says China trade deal 'close' but dashes hopes for signing details

By:&nbsp;Henrik Selin

1. What is the process for a country to leave the Paris Agreement? 
President Trump announced in the summer of 2017 that he intended to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, as he had pledged during the 2016 campaign. The agreement was adopted in 2015 and entered into international legal force on November 4, 2016.

Article 28 of the agreement stipulates that a member can begin a formal withdrawal process no earlier than three years after the treaty enters into force. The Trump administration took this step when it notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations on November 4, 2019, that it intends to leave.

Trump’s notice of withdrawal will become effective one year later, on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 – one day after the next presidential election.

2. What does the US exit mean for curbing climate change? 
The Trump administration’s action will have political and practical implications, but it is unclear exactly how severe they will be.

The Paris Agreement was adopted thanks in part to strong political backing from the Obama administration, and US&nbsp;disengagement now creates a political void. Other major emitters, including China and the European Union, have made it clear that they still support the treaty, but US absence will change the political dynamics.

US withdrawal makes it more important for the remaining countries to show strong political commitment to collectively implementing the treaty. At the New York Climate Action Summit in September 2019, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called on countries to accelerate action to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions

“The climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win,” Guterres said.

Many countries’ voluntary pledges under the Paris Agreement are modest, and scientists estimate that taken together, they are wholly inadequate to meet stated temperature goals focused on average global temperature increases of 2 degrees Celsius and 1.5°C.

Currently, the US&nbsp;is the world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, producing roughly 15% of global annual carbon dioxide emissions. In addition to pulling out of the Paris Agreement, the Trump administration is rolling back relevant federal mandates and making it harder for US states such as California to take action to reduce fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.

But the future trajectory of US greenhouse gas emissions is not determined by whether or not the country belongs to the Paris Agreement. Key factors are federal and state-level policy decisions, economic trends in energy markets and the pace of technological development. Renewable energy sources are rapidly becoming cheaper, making them more economically attractive.

Even after exiting the Paris Agreement, the United States may end up meeting its commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 26%-28% below the 2005 level by 2025. But that’s only a fraction of what will be required over the next few decades to constitute a serious contribution toward meeting global temperature goals. Put another way, addressing climate change will require strong efforts by all major emitters – including the US – to speed up the transition to a lower-carbon economy.

3. How many other countries have not joined the Paris Agreement? 
Currently 186 countries – counting the US – plus the European Union are parties to the Paris Agreement. When the US leaves, it will join a short but eclectic list of nations that have signed but not ratified the agreement, including Angola, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, South Sudan, Turkey and Yemen.

4. Can the US rejoin the Paris Agreement? 
Yes. The pact sets out procedures for both leaving and joining the treaty after its entry into force.

Article 21 states that a country that is not a party to the agreement can join it by submitting a formal notification, which will take effect 30 days later. This procedure is the same whether a country used to be a party and then withdrew, or is joining for the first time.

If a candidate other than President Trump wins the 2020 election, he or she will take office on January 20, 2021 and could serve notice that day that the US planned to rejoin the Paris Agreement. In this scenario, the United States could be back by late February of 2021, less than four months after President Trump’s move to withdraw becomes official.

However, when the US joined the Paris Agreement in late 2015, the Obama administration made a legal assessment that this decision was up to the president, classifying it as an executive agreement that did not require Senate approval or changes to US domestic laws. If a future return were conditioned on Senate ratification, it is highly unlikely that it would receive the necessary 67 votes, due to strong opposition mainly from Republican senators.

Even if the United States does rejoin the Paris Agreement in the future, other countries will remember that it unilaterally left an agreement that had global support and may well believe that the US could do so again in the future. America’s reputation as a reliable international partner has already suffered damage that will take a long time to repair.

(Henrik Selin is an Associate Professor in the Frederick S Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-the-paris-agreement-on-climate-change-succeed-without-the-us-4-questions-answered-126477">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

&nbsp;

By: Henrik Selin 1. What is the process for a country to leave the Paris Agreement? President Trump announced in the summer of 2017 that he intended to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, as he had pledged during the 2016 campaign.

By: Henrik Selin 1. What is the process for a country to leave the Paris Agreement? President Trump announced in the summer of 2017 that he intended to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, as he had pledged during the 2016 campaign. The agreement was adopted in 2015 and entered into international legal force on November 4, 2016. Article 28 of the agreement stipulates that a member can begin a formal withdrawal process no earlier than three years after the treaty enters into force. The Trump administration took this step when it notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations on November 4, 2019, that it intends to leave. Trump’s notice of withdrawal will become effective one year later, on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 – one day after the next presidential election. 2. What does the US exit mean for curbing climate change? The Trump administration’s action will have political and practical implications, but it is unclear exactly how severe they will be. The Paris Agreement was adopted thanks in part to strong political backing from the Obama administration, and US disengagement now creates a political void. Other major emitters, including China and the European Union, have made it clear that they still support the treaty, but US absence will change the political dynamics. US withdrawal makes it more important for the remaining countries to show strong political commitment to collectively implementing the treaty. At the New York Climate Action Summit in September 2019, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called on countries to accelerate action to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions “The climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win,” Guterres said. Many countries’ voluntary pledges under the Paris Agreement are modest, and scientists estimate that taken together, they are wholly inadequate to meet stated temperature goals focused on average global temperature increases of 2 degrees Celsius and 1.5°C. Currently, the US is the world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, producing roughly 15% of global annual carbon dioxide emissions. In addition to pulling out of the Paris Agreement, the Trump administration is rolling back relevant federal mandates and making it harder for US states such as California to take action to reduce fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions. But the future trajectory of US greenhouse gas emissions is not determined by whether or not the country belongs to the Paris Agreement. Key factors are federal and state-level policy decisions, economic trends in energy markets and the pace of technological development. Renewable energy sources are rapidly becoming cheaper, making them more economically attractive. Even after exiting the Paris Agreement, the United States may end up meeting its commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 26%-28% below the 2005 level by 2025. But that’s only a fraction of what will be required over the next few decades to constitute a serious contribution toward meeting global temperature goals. Put another way, addressing climate change will require strong efforts by all major emitters – including the US – to speed up the transition to a lower-carbon economy. 3. How many other countries have not joined the Paris Agreement? Currently 186 countries – counting the US – plus the European Union are parties to the Paris Agreement. When the US leaves, it will join a short but eclectic list of nations that have signed but not ratified the agreement, including Angola, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, South Sudan, Turkey and Yemen. 4. Can the US rejoin the Paris Agreement? Yes. The pact sets out procedures for both leaving and joining the treaty after its entry into force. Article 21 states that a country that is not a party to the agreement can join it by submitting a formal notification, which will take effect 30 days later. This procedure is the same whether a country used to be a party and then withdrew, or is joining for the first time. If a candidate other than President Trump wins the 2020 election, he or she will take office on January 20, 2021 and could serve notice that day that the US planned to rejoin the Paris Agreement. In this scenario, the United States could be back by late February of 2021, less than four months after President Trump’s move to withdraw becomes official. However, when the US joined the Paris Agreement in late 2015, the Obama administration made a legal assessment that this decision was up to the president, classifying it as an executive agreement that did not require Senate approval or changes to US domestic laws. If a future return were conditioned on Senate ratification, it is highly unlikely that it would receive the necessary 67 votes, due to strong opposition mainly from Republican senators. Even if the United States does rejoin the Paris Agreement in the future, other countries will remember that it unilaterally left an agreement that had global support and may well believe that the US could do so again in the future. America’s reputation as a reliable international partner has already suffered damage that will take a long time to repair. (Henrik Selin is an Associate Professor in the Frederick S Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Can the Paris Agreement on climate change succeed without the US? 4 questions answered

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japans-abe-tells-cabinet-to-compile-stimulus-package-to-support-economy-260734">Prime Minister Shinzo Abe</a> surged back to power seven years ago, pledging to bolster Japan's defences in response to a growing threat from China and aiming to amend the pacifist constitution.

Now on track to become Japan's longest-serving premier, Abe has kept his first promise. The second remains elusive.

That means Japan, which US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has criticised over what he called an "unfair" security alliance, still faces limits on acting as a full-fledged American ally.

Trump has even suggested changing the two-way security pact that underpins the alliance, at a time when China is flexing its military muscle in the region and North Korea is pursuing nuclear and missile programmes.

During Abe's watch, Japan has boosted defence spending by 10 per cent&nbsp;after years of decline, expanding the military's ability to project power abroad. In a historic shift in 2014, his government reinterpreted the constitution to allow Japanese troops to fight overseas for the first time since World War Two.

But the conservative leader's inability to cement his legacy by revising the charter's pacifist Article 9 symbolises persistent public wariness about putting troops in harm's way far from home and a fear of entanglement in US-led wars.

"For the Japanese people, Article 9 is a kind of Bible," Hajime Funada, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker and former head of a panel on revising the charter, told Reuters.

Japan's US-drafted constitution is seen by conservatives as a humiliating symbol of defeat but by others as a brake on entanglement in foreign conflicts.

For both sides, a revision would be hugely symbolic.

According to a survey by NHK TV this week, voters gave the highest marks to Abe's security and diplomacy policies. But an Asahi newspaper survey earlier this year showed 64 per cent&nbsp;opposed revising Article 9 while 28 per cent&nbsp;favoured the amendment.

Any constitutional amendment requires approval by two-thirds of both houses of parliament and a majority in a national referendum.

Abe, who quit in 2007 after a troubled one-year term, returned to office in December 2012. On November&nbsp;20, he will exceed the record 2,886 days in office set by Taro Katsura in the early 20th century.

Abe's term as LDP leader ends in September 2021 and unless party rules are revised, that would spell the end of his tenure.

A five-year defence programme unveiled last year allocates 25.5 trillion yen ($233.7 billion) in spending, a 6.4 per cent&nbsp;rise over the previous five years, and includes refitting two warships as Japan's first aircraft carriers since World War Two, a step toward a full-fledged blue-water navy.

A year after the cabinet reinterpreted the constitution, parliament enacted laws that ended a ban on exercising the right of collective self-defence, or defending a friendly country under attack, if Japan's survival is threatened.

Such steps have further pushed the limits of Article 9, which, if taken literally, bans the maintenance of a standing military but has been stretched by previous administrations to allow armed forces for self-defence.

"There is not much left of the post-war constraints," said Richard Samuels, director of the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"It was under his (Abe's) administration where the fastest progress was achieved to get more distance from Article 9."

Nonetheless, Abe has been forced by public opinion and the LDP's less hawkish coalition partner, the Komeito party, to compromise.

"Theoretically, Abe has laid the groundwork for Japan to take one step closer to ... supporting the US&nbsp;in combat for collective interests," said Ellis Krauss, professor emeritus at the University of California, San Diego.

"But I don't think Japan is near actually doing it."

Last month, Japan proposed a mission by its navy in Middle East waterways, not as part of a US-led coalition to protect merchant ships but separately under a Japanese law allowing research and intelligence gathering.

Even that sparked calls for caution from liberal media.

For Abe, revising the constitution is a personal mission - one that eluded his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, who quit as premier in 1960 due to a furore over a US-Japan security pact.

"It's not only who he is, it's who his grandfather was and it's his base," Samuels said. "It's the view that says that ... we are a different Japan, no longer bound and constrained by the defeat of World War Two."

Abe has proposed writing the existence of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, as the military is known, into Article 9, far short of more drastic changes proposed previously by the LDP.

Critics in his own party say that would be a waste of political capital for little gain, although experts note an amendment could open the door to future bolder changes.

Abe appears unlikely to abandon the cause.

"Abe's fundamental philosophy is nationalism and without a change in Article 9, there can be no independence from the (US) Occupation regime," said Yoshihide Soeya, a political science professor at Keio University. "I think he'll never give it up."

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe surged back to power seven years ago, pledging to bolster Japan's defences in response to a growing threat from China and aiming to amend the pacifist constitution.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe surged back to power seven years ago, pledging to bolster Japan's defences in response to a growing threat from China and aiming to amend the pacifist constitution. Now on track to become Japan's longest-serving premier, Abe has kept his first promise. The second remains elusive. That means Japan, which US President Donald Trump has criticised over what he called an "unfair" security alliance, still faces limits on acting as a full-fledged American ally. Trump has even suggested changing the two-way security pact that underpins the alliance, at a time when China is flexing its military muscle in the region and North Korea is pursuing nuclear and missile programmes. During Abe's watch, Japan has boosted defence spending by 10 per cent after years of decline, expanding the military's ability to project power abroad. In a historic shift in 2014, his government reinterpreted the constitution to allow Japanese troops to fight overseas for the first time since World War Two. But the conservative leader's inability to cement his legacy by revising the charter's pacifist Article 9 symbolises persistent public wariness about putting troops in harm's way far from home and a fear of entanglement in US-led wars. "For the Japanese people, Article 9 is a kind of Bible," Hajime Funada, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker and former head of a panel on revising the charter, told Reuters. Japan's US-drafted constitution is seen by conservatives as a humiliating symbol of defeat but by others as a brake on entanglement in foreign conflicts. For both sides, a revision would be hugely symbolic. According to a survey by NHK TV this week, voters gave the highest marks to Abe's security and diplomacy policies. But an Asahi newspaper survey earlier this year showed 64 per cent opposed revising Article 9 while 28 per cent favoured the amendment. Any constitutional amendment requires approval by two-thirds of both houses of parliament and a majority in a national referendum. Abe, who quit in 2007 after a troubled one-year term, returned to office in December 2012. On November 20, he will exceed the record 2,886 days in office set by Taro Katsura in the early 20th century. Abe's term as LDP leader ends in September 2021 and unless party rules are revised, that would spell the end of his tenure. A five-year defence programme unveiled last year allocates 25.5 trillion yen ($233.7 billion) in spending, a 6.4 per cent rise over the previous five years, and includes refitting two warships as Japan's first aircraft carriers since World War Two, a step toward a full-fledged blue-water navy. A year after the cabinet reinterpreted the constitution, parliament enacted laws that ended a ban on exercising the right of collective self-defence, or defending a friendly country under attack, if Japan's survival is threatened. Such steps have further pushed the limits of Article 9, which, if taken literally, bans the maintenance of a standing military but has been stretched by previous administrations to allow armed forces for self-defence. "There is not much left of the post-war constraints," said Richard Samuels, director of the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "It was under his (Abe's) administration where the fastest progress was achieved to get more distance from Article 9." Nonetheless, Abe has been forced by public opinion and the LDP's less hawkish coalition partner, the Komeito party, to compromise. "Theoretically, Abe has laid the groundwork for Japan to take one step closer to ... supporting the US in combat for collective interests," said Ellis Krauss, professor emeritus at the University of California, San Diego. "But I don't think Japan is near actually doing it." Last month, Japan proposed a mission by its navy in Middle East waterways, not as part of a US-led coalition to protect merchant ships but separately under a Japanese law allowing research and intelligence gathering. Even that sparked calls for caution from liberal media. For Abe, revising the constitution is a personal mission - one that eluded his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, who quit as premier in 1960 due to a furore over a US-Japan security pact. "It's not only who he is, it's who his grandfather was and it's his base," Samuels said. "It's the view that says that ... we are a different Japan, no longer bound and constrained by the defeat of World War Two." Abe has proposed writing the existence of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, as the military is known, into Article 9, far short of more drastic changes proposed previously by the LDP. Critics in his own party say that would be a waste of political capital for little gain, although experts note an amendment could open the door to future bolder changes. Abe appears unlikely to abandon the cause. "Abe's fundamental philosophy is nationalism and without a change in Article 9, there can be no independence from the (US) Occupation regime," said Yoshihide Soeya, a political science professor at Keio University. "I think he'll never give it up."

Abe's mission unaccomplished: Pushing to revise Japan's pacifist charter

Immigrants known as "Dreamers" and senior Democrats rallied behind the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme on Tuesday as the US&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-supreme-court-to-examine-dreamers-program-that-trump-wants-axed-261490">Supreme Court considered</a> whether to let President Donald Trump end it.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse on a grey and chilly morning to show their support for the "Dreamers," immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally or overstayed a visa as children.

DACA, launched in 2012 by Democratic former President Barack Obama, provides roughly 661,000 such immigrants with deportation protection and work permits. Trump, a Republican known for his hardline immigration policies, announced plans in September 2017 to phase out DACA, but was blocked by lower courts.

Demonstrator Anel Medina, a 28-year-old DACA enrollee and oncology nurse at Penn Medicine in the Philadelphia area, said the programme changed her life. She was born in Mexico City, and her mother brought her to the United States at age 5. She was a college student and living without legal status when DACA was created in 2012.

"I was able to get a job ... finish nursing school," she said. "It was the moment I was waiting for."

Democratic congressional leaders criticized Trump and Republicans for failing to pass legislation to protect "Dreamers." The Democratic-led House passed a bill in June that would give legal status to an estimated 2.7 million people, but the Republican-controlled Senate has not taken up the measure.

"The president's relentless scapegoating of immigrants is the most un-American thing I can think of," Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, said during a news conference with roughly two dozen DACA recipients in the US&nbsp;Capitol.

Trump tweeted in the morning that he would strike a deal with Democrats to allow DACA recipients to stay if the Supreme Court rules against the programme, but also said many programme enrollees are "very tough, hardened criminals." The DACA programme bars applicants with serious criminal convictions.

Demonstrators at the protest outside the courthouse carried signs that read "home is here" and "defend DACA." Several hoisted depictions of monarch butterflies, which migrate from parts of the United States to Mexico and have become a symbol of the "Dreamers" movement.

No DACA opponents were evident outside the Supreme Court, but Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favours lower levels of immigration, argued that Trump's termination was lawful.

"President Obama's initial action was undertaken informally, and so the policy can be undone in precisely the same manner," Stein said in a statement.

Arisaid Gonzalez Porras and her brother Sergio, both DACA recipients and undergraduate students at Georgetown University, said the court should affirm the programme's legality, but that a permanent fix is needed.

"When the programme was rescinded it made a lot of us realise that DACA is just a Band Aid," she said.

Sammie Chai, a 19-year-old freshman at American University whose parents came to the United States from Malaysia, said she attended the demonstration in solidarity with "Dreamers" and other immigrants in the face of Trump's hardline policies.

"He exemplifies xenophobia," she said of Trump. "Everyone showing up here today, we're just showing that we will not stand for that."

Immigrants known as "Dreamers" and senior Democrats rallied behind the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme on Tuesday as the US Supreme Court considered whether to let President Donald Trump end it.

Immigrants known as "Dreamers" and senior Democrats rallied behind the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme on Tuesday as the US Supreme Court considered whether to let President Donald Trump end it. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse on a grey and chilly morning to show their support for the "Dreamers," immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally or overstayed a visa as children. DACA, launched in 2012 by Democratic former President Barack Obama, provides roughly 661,000 such immigrants with deportation protection and work permits. Trump, a Republican known for his hardline immigration policies, announced plans in September 2017 to phase out DACA, but was blocked by lower courts. Demonstrator Anel Medina, a 28-year-old DACA enrollee and oncology nurse at Penn Medicine in the Philadelphia area, said the programme changed her life. She was born in Mexico City, and her mother brought her to the United States at age 5. She was a college student and living without legal status when DACA was created in 2012. "I was able to get a job ... finish nursing school," she said. "It was the moment I was waiting for." Democratic congressional leaders criticized Trump and Republicans for failing to pass legislation to protect "Dreamers." The Democratic-led House passed a bill in June that would give legal status to an estimated 2.7 million people, but the Republican-controlled Senate has not taken up the measure. "The president's relentless scapegoating of immigrants is the most un-American thing I can think of," Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, said during a news conference with roughly two dozen DACA recipients in the US Capitol. Trump tweeted in the morning that he would strike a deal with Democrats to allow DACA recipients to stay if the Supreme Court rules against the programme, but also said many programme enrollees are "very tough, hardened criminals." The DACA programme bars applicants with serious criminal convictions. Demonstrators at the protest outside the courthouse carried signs that read "home is here" and "defend DACA." Several hoisted depictions of monarch butterflies, which migrate from parts of the United States to Mexico and have become a symbol of the "Dreamers" movement. No DACA opponents were evident outside the Supreme Court, but Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favours lower levels of immigration, argued that Trump's termination was lawful. "President Obama's initial action was undertaken informally, and so the policy can be undone in precisely the same manner," Stein said in a statement. Arisaid Gonzalez Porras and her brother Sergio, both DACA recipients and undergraduate students at Georgetown University, said the court should affirm the programme's legality, but that a permanent fix is needed. "When the programme was rescinded it made a lot of us realise that DACA is just a Band Aid," she said. Sammie Chai, a 19-year-old freshman at American University whose parents came to the United States from Malaysia, said she attended the demonstration in solidarity with "Dreamers" and other immigrants in the face of Trump's hardline policies. "He exemplifies xenophobia," she said of Trump. "Everyone showing up here today, we're just showing that we will not stand for that."

'Dreamers,' Democrats rally behind DACA as US top court mulls programme's fate

Indian markets led by banking and public sector undertakings (PSUs) opened with slight gains as investors awaited the retail inflation data and outcome of cabinet meeting due to be announced later today.

As per the latest trends, BSE Sensex rose 19.6 points or 0.05 per cent at 40,364.71, while NSE Nifty was up 4.95 points or 0.04 per cent at 11,918.4.&nbsp;

"Investors are expecting details about stake sale in some PSUs from today's cabinet meeting," said AK Prabhakar, head of research at IDBI Capital in Mumbai, reported Reuters.&nbsp;

India's industrial output fell at the fastest pace in more than six years in September, which added to the series of indicators that suggest an economic slowdown. Britannia Industries share' rose upto 3.6 per cent after the company posted a higher consolidated net profit for the quarter ending 
September on Monday and was the top gainer on Nifty today.

The shares of Yes Bank shares rose upto 3.15 per cent after a report claiming that Hero Corporate Services chairman was in talks to buy a stake in the lender. Along with Yes Bank, TCS, RIL, HCL Tech, Asian Paints, HUL and HDFC Bank, were other gainers in the Sensex pack, rising up to 2.05 per cent in morning trade.

The Asian markets and Wall Street witnessed a fall amid the deadlock in the US-China trade talks and concerns about escalating unrest in Hong Kong hurt demand for risky assets. The US President Donald Trump on Tuesday dubbed China as a cheater in trade despite seeking a truce that will settle the 18-month trade tussle between the United States and China. The markets in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul were trading up to 1.76 per cent lower due to growing protests in Hong Kong.&nbsp;

On Monday, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-closes-in-the-green-at-40345-nifty-bank-gains-by-12-per-cent-261425">Sensex </a>gained 21.47 points or 0.05 per cent and closed at 40,345.08. Similarly, the Nifty rose 5.30 points, or 0.04 per cent, at 11,913.45. The markets were closed on Tuesday for Guru Nanak Jayanti.&nbsp;

The Indian rupee shed 19 paise (intra-day) against the US dollar to trade at 71.66 in early session on Wednesday.

(with inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

Indian markets led by banking and public sector undertakings (PSUs) opened with slight gains as investors awaited the retail inflation data and outcome of cabinet meeting due to be announced later today.

Indian markets led by banking and public sector undertakings (PSUs) opened with slight gains as investors awaited the retail inflation data and outcome of cabinet meeting due to be announced later today. As per the latest trends, BSE Sensex rose 19.6 points or 0.05 per cent at 40,364.71, while NSE Nifty was up 4.95 points or 0.04 per cent at 11,918.4. "Investors are expecting details about stake sale in some PSUs from today's cabinet meeting," said AK Prabhakar, head of research at IDBI Capital in Mumbai, reported Reuters. India's industrial output fell at the fastest pace in more than six years in September, which added to the series of indicators that suggest an economic slowdown. Britannia Industries share' rose upto 3.6 per cent after the company posted a higher consolidated net profit for the quarter ending September on Monday and was the top gainer on Nifty today. The shares of Yes Bank shares rose upto 3.15 per cent after a report claiming that Hero Corporate Services chairman was in talks to buy a stake in the lender. Along with Yes Bank, TCS, RIL, HCL Tech, Asian Paints, HUL and HDFC Bank, were other gainers in the Sensex pack, rising up to 2.05 per cent in morning trade. The Asian markets and Wall Street witnessed a fall amid the deadlock in the US-China trade talks and concerns about escalating unrest in Hong Kong hurt demand for risky assets. The US President Donald Trump on Tuesday dubbed China as a cheater in trade despite seeking a truce that will settle the 18-month trade tussle between the United States and China. The markets in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul were trading up to 1.76 per cent lower due to growing protests in Hong Kong. On Monday, the Sensex gained 21.47 points or 0.05 per cent and closed at 40,345.08. Similarly, the Nifty rose 5.30 points, or 0.04 per cent, at 11,913.45. The markets were closed on Tuesday for Guru Nanak Jayanti. The Indian rupee shed 19 paise (intra-day) against the US dollar to trade at 71.66 in early session on Wednesday. (with inputs from agencies)

Indian markets steady in early trade ahead of cabinet meeting, inflation figures

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-faces-perilous-test-as-impeachment-hearings-open-261230">US&nbsp;President Donald Trump</a> said on Monday he will be meeting with vaping industry representatives as his administration considers tightening e-cigarette regulations amid a nationwide outbreak of vaping-related injuries and deaths.

"Will be meeting with representatives of the Vaping industry, together with medical professionals and individual state representatives, to come up with an acceptable solution to the Vaping and E-cigarette dilemma. Children’s health &amp; safety, together with jobs, will be a focus!" he wrote on Twitter.

Trump did not give a time for the meeting or offer any other details. He said on Friday that his administration would come out with "an important position" on vaping this week.

On Thursday, the CDC reported there have been 2,051 confirmed and probable US&nbsp;lung injury cases and 39 deaths associated with use of e-cigarettes, or vaping products. Nearly 85 per cent of lung injury patients in the nationwide outbreak have reported using products containing THC, the component of marijuana that gets people high.

In the CDC analysis, THC was detected in 23 of 28 patient samples of lung cells, including from three patients who said they did not use THC products. Nicotine was detected in 16 of 26 patient samples.

US&nbsp;public health officials have recommended that people avoid using e-cigarettes that contain THC or any products that come from illicit sources.

The Trump administration in September said the Food and Drug Administration was working on a "guidance document" that would lead to a ban of all e-cigarette flavours, aside from tobacco flavouring.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters that once the guidance was finalised, enforcement actions would begin to remove the products from store shelves.

In his remarks on Friday, Trump indicated that a flavour ban was still under consideration, but that other actions were as well, including <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-wants-to-raise-minimum-age-for-vaping-to-21-260898">raising the age </a>limit for e-cigarette purchases.

Asked if <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/special-report-juul-disregarded-early-evidence-it-was-hooking-teens-260137">Juul Labs Inc</a>, which dominates the US&nbsp;e-cigarette market, would participate in the discussions, a Juul spokesperson said the company was not lobbying on the issue.

"We are continuing to refrain from lobbying the administration on its draft flavour guidance while we take significant actions to combat underage use and convert adult smokers," the spokesperson said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's tweet.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he will be meeting with vaping industry representatives as his administration considers tightening e-cigarette regulations amid a nationwide outbreak of vaping-related injuries and deaths.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he will be meeting with vaping industry representatives as his administration considers tightening e-cigarette regulations amid a nationwide outbreak of vaping-related injuries and deaths. "Will be meeting with representatives of the Vaping industry, together with medical professionals and individual state representatives, to come up with an acceptable solution to the Vaping and E-cigarette dilemma. Children’s health & safety, together with jobs, will be a focus!" he wrote on Twitter. Trump did not give a time for the meeting or offer any other details. He said on Friday that his administration would come out with "an important position" on vaping this week. On Thursday, the CDC reported there have been 2,051 confirmed and probable US lung injury cases and 39 deaths associated with use of e-cigarettes, or vaping products. Nearly 85 per cent of lung injury patients in the nationwide outbreak have reported using products containing THC, the component of marijuana that gets people high. In the CDC analysis, THC was detected in 23 of 28 patient samples of lung cells, including from three patients who said they did not use THC products. Nicotine was detected in 16 of 26 patient samples. US public health officials have recommended that people avoid using e-cigarettes that contain THC or any products that come from illicit sources. The Trump administration in September said the Food and Drug Administration was working on a "guidance document" that would lead to a ban of all e-cigarette flavours, aside from tobacco flavouring. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters that once the guidance was finalised, enforcement actions would begin to remove the products from store shelves. In his remarks on Friday, Trump indicated that a flavour ban was still under consideration, but that other actions were as well, including raising the age limit for e-cigarette purchases. Asked if Juul Labs Inc, which dominates the US e-cigarette market, would participate in the discussions, a Juul spokesperson said the company was not lobbying on the issue. "We are continuing to refrain from lobbying the administration on its draft flavour guidance while we take significant actions to combat underage use and convert adult smokers," the spokesperson said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's tweet.

Trump to meet with vaping industry representatives over tightening e-cigarette regulations

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 12th, 2019

Angelica Villalobos came to the United States illegally as a child and lived in the shadows until she and 700,000 others like her gained protection from deportation under a program that the Supreme Court will take up on Tuesday.

Angelica Villalobos came to the United States illegally as a child and lived in the shadows until she and 700,000 others like her gained protection from deportation under a program that the Supreme Court will take up on Tuesday. The court will hear arguments on the fate of these people known as "Dreamers," whom the administration of then president Barack Obama "gave wings," in Villalobos' words, in 2012 by letting them have work and study permits. President Donald Trump -- who campaigned on a starkly anti-immigrant platform -- moved in 2017 to end the Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that has given Villalobos and others legal cover in the US. Trump gave Congress six months to devise a plan to replace DACA, saying he was sympathetic to the "Dreamers" but that Obama had established the program illegally. But lawmakers were unable to reach agreement, and the program expired the following year. The phase-out of the program has been appealed to several courts across the country, ultimately reaching the Supreme Court. It is not expected to issue a ruling before next year, when the US will hold a hotly contested presidential election. If the Supreme Court fails to extend legal protection to the "Dreamers," they are not expected to be automatically deported; most will probably slip quietly into the shadowy life of the undocumented, for whom working and studying is fraught with difficulty. In the meantime "this is has been like a roller coaster," said Villalobos, a 34 Mexican and mother of five who works in an auto repair shop in Oklahoma. She said she and her husband, who also entered illegally as a minor, talk to their children about what might happen if the court ruling does not go their way and they maybe cannot drive or work anymore -- "things that we're doing right now that keep the family more normal." 'Bargaining chips' Like them, nearly 700,000 others "have been in the country for at least 12 years, become part of the fabric of our communities or institutions," said Omar Jadwat of the American Civil Liberties Union. He said the Trump administration moved to end DACA in order to use "Dreamers" as "bargaining chips" with the Democrats to achieve other immigration goals. Indeed, Trump tried in vain to obtain congressional funding for his promised wall along the border with Mexico in exchange for new protections for the "Dreamers," many of whom have little to no memory of the country in which they were born. The vast majority are from Mexico, and smaller numbers come from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, South Korea, Brazil and other countries. The courts have stepped into this case because of questions about the Trump administration's motives for ending DACA. They have said so far that it acted "arbitrarily or capriciously." Noel Francisco, the solicitor general who will represent the government before the Supreme Court, said in September that what it has done with DACA is "entirely lawful and rational." Besides the fate of the immigrants, the case is important because of what it means for executive authority, said Steven Schwinn, a professor of law at the University of Chicago. He said the court could in effect extend the discretionary powers of the president by allowing him to do or undo policy without giving an explanation.

US Supreme Court to examine 'Dreamers' program that Trump wants axed

The US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Tuesday could take some control of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-faces-perilous-test-as-impeachment-hearings-open-261230">impeachment enquiry</a> into his dealings with Ukraine if he follows through on a promise to release a transcript of an April call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Trump said on Saturday he would likely release the transcript on Tuesday, describing it to reporters as "very important." He said on Twitter on Monday evening, however, that he would be releasing it "sometime this week," adding: "I am sure you will find it tantalizing!"

Just two days before the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-faces-perilous-test-as-impeachment-hearings-open-261230">first public hearings </a>in the impeachment inquiry, Trump issued a series of scathing tweets on Monday slamming the probe and the Democrats conducting it.

"It is a totally one-sided Witch Hunt. This can't be making the Democrats look good. Such a farce!" he said.

The investigation formally launched six weeks ago by Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has shadowed Trump's presidency, with the threat that he could be removed from office even as he seeks re-election next year.

He is only the fourth US&nbsp;president to face impeachment. None has been removed from office, although Richard Nixon resigned as he faced almost certain impeachment in 1974 over the Watergate scandal.

Democrats are investigating whether there are grounds to impeach Trump over his July 25 request in a phone call to Zelenskiy to investigate a domestic political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.

That call prompted a whistleblower complaint that led Democrats to launch the probe in September into whether Trump abused his power by withholding security assistance to put pressure on a vulnerable US&nbsp;ally.

The transcript Trump will release is from a call with Zelenskiy on April 12, after the Ukrainian was elected president, but before he took office. The White House did not release a readout of that conversation when it took place.

For the past two weeks, House investigators have been releasing transcripts of interviews conducted behind closed doors with witnesses, including diplomats and security aides, about dealings with Ukraine by administration officials and the president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.

On Monday, the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees released transcripts of interviews with one official from the Department of Defense and two from the State Department.

In her testimony, senior Pentagon official Laura Cooper, detailed confusion and concern in the US&nbsp;national security community after Trump's White House blocked nearly $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine without explanation.

"All of the senior leaders of the US&nbsp;national security departments and agencies were all unified in their, in their view that this assistance was essential," Cooper said, according to the transcript.

Trump has intensified his attacks on the investigation as public hearings approach. He issued a series of impeachment-related tweets on Monday evening, including accusing Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the Intelligence Committee, of fabricating transcripts.

There has been no suggestion by any witness or Republicans on the three committees that the transcripts have been inaccurate.

Democrats consider the open hearings that start on Wednesday crucial to building public support for a vote on articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. If that occurs, the 100-seat Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial.

Republicans have so far shown little interest in removing Trump from office.

The US President Donald Trump on Tuesday could take some control of the impeachment enquiry into his dealings with Ukraine if he follows through on a promise to release a transcript of an April call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

The US President Donald Trump on Tuesday could take some control of the impeachment enquiry into his dealings with Ukraine if he follows through on a promise to release a transcript of an April call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Trump said on Saturday he would likely release the transcript on Tuesday, describing it to reporters as "very important." He said on Twitter on Monday evening, however, that he would be releasing it "sometime this week," adding: "I am sure you will find it tantalizing!" Just two days before the first public hearings in the impeachment inquiry, Trump issued a series of scathing tweets on Monday slamming the probe and the Democrats conducting it. "It is a totally one-sided Witch Hunt. This can't be making the Democrats look good. Such a farce!" he said. The investigation formally launched six weeks ago by Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has shadowed Trump's presidency, with the threat that he could be removed from office even as he seeks re-election next year. He is only the fourth US president to face impeachment. None has been removed from office, although Richard Nixon resigned as he faced almost certain impeachment in 1974 over the Watergate scandal. Democrats are investigating whether there are grounds to impeach Trump over his July 25 request in a phone call to Zelenskiy to investigate a domestic political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. That call prompted a whistleblower complaint that led Democrats to launch the probe in September into whether Trump abused his power by withholding security assistance to put pressure on a vulnerable US ally. The transcript Trump will release is from a call with Zelenskiy on April 12, after the Ukrainian was elected president, but before he took office. The White House did not release a readout of that conversation when it took place. For the past two weeks, House investigators have been releasing transcripts of interviews conducted behind closed doors with witnesses, including diplomats and security aides, about dealings with Ukraine by administration officials and the president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. On Monday, the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees released transcripts of interviews with one official from the Department of Defense and two from the State Department. In her testimony, senior Pentagon official Laura Cooper, detailed confusion and concern in the US national security community after Trump's White House blocked nearly $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine without explanation. "All of the senior leaders of the US national security departments and agencies were all unified in their, in their view that this assistance was essential," Cooper said, according to the transcript. Trump has intensified his attacks on the investigation as public hearings approach. He issued a series of impeachment-related tweets on Monday evening, including accusing Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the Intelligence Committee, of fabricating transcripts. There has been no suggestion by any witness or Republicans on the three committees that the transcripts have been inaccurate. Democrats consider the open hearings that start on Wednesday crucial to building public support for a vote on articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. If that occurs, the 100-seat Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial. Republicans have so far shown little interest in removing Trump from office.

As impeachment probe starts new phase, Trump promises to release transcript

Hillary Clinton said Tuesday it was "shameful" that the British government had not published a delayed parliamentary report into possible Russian interference in British politics ahead of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-for-third-election-in-four-years-to-try-to-break-brexit-gridlock-258692">December elections</a>.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has previously rejected claims it was suppressing&nbsp;the report to avoid a scandal ahead of next month's snap poll.

"Every person who votes in this country deserves to see that report before your election happens," the defeated US presidential candidate told BBC Radio 4 during a book tour.

Clinton said there was "no doubt" that Russia is "determined to try to shape the politics of western democracies".

"Not to our benefit, but to theirs," said the Democrat, who lost the 2016 US election to President Donald Trump in a race that US intelligence chiefs have said was marred by Russian interference.&nbsp;

"I find it inexplicable that your government will not release a government report about Russian influence. Inexplicable and shameful," she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Britain's parliament was previously told a report by the Intelligence and Security Committee was sent to the prime minister for approval on October 17.

The probe into suspected Russian covert actions in Britain's democratic process reportedly includes examining whether Moscow tried to interfere with the 2016 Brexit vote and the 2017 general election.&nbsp;

Moscow has been accused of spearheading sophisticated disinformation campaigns around the world to further its interests.

The Intelligence and Security Committee, which oversees the work of the country's intelligence agencies, submits its reports to the government before publication to avoid the inadvertent release of sensitive information.

A former head of domestic spy agency MI5 and the committee's chairman have suggested Johnson is stalling on the release of the 50-page report with the December 12 general election looming.

Jonathan Evans, head of MI5 from 2007 to 2013, called on the government to explain the delay.

Foreign Office minister Chris Pincher has previously said that the report is going through "an intensive security review".

Pincher has also played down concerns, saying there is "no evidence" to suggest there has been any successful Russian involvement in the British electoral system.

Hillary Clinton said Tuesday it was "shameful" that the British government had not published a delayed parliamentary report into possible Russian interference in British politics ahead of December elections.

Hillary Clinton said Tuesday it was "shameful" that the British government had not published a delayed parliamentary report into possible Russian interference in British politics ahead of December elections. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has previously rejected claims it was suppressing the report to avoid a scandal ahead of next month's snap poll. "Every person who votes in this country deserves to see that report before your election happens," the defeated US presidential candidate told BBC Radio 4 during a book tour. Clinton said there was "no doubt" that Russia is "determined to try to shape the politics of western democracies". "Not to our benefit, but to theirs," said the Democrat, who lost the 2016 US election to President Donald Trump in a race that US intelligence chiefs have said was marred by Russian interference. "I find it inexplicable that your government will not release a government report about Russian influence. Inexplicable and shameful," she told BBC Radio 5 Live. Britain's parliament was previously told a report by the Intelligence and Security Committee was sent to the prime minister for approval on October 17. The probe into suspected Russian covert actions in Britain's democratic process reportedly includes examining whether Moscow tried to interfere with the 2016 Brexit vote and the 2017 general election. Moscow has been accused of spearheading sophisticated disinformation campaigns around the world to further its interests. The Intelligence and Security Committee, which oversees the work of the country's intelligence agencies, submits its reports to the government before publication to avoid the inadvertent release of sensitive information. A former head of domestic spy agency MI5 and the committee's chairman have suggested Johnson is stalling on the release of the 50-page report with the December 12 general election looming. Jonathan Evans, head of MI5 from 2007 to 2013, called on the government to explain the delay. Foreign Office minister Chris Pincher has previously said that the report is going through "an intensive security review". Pincher has also played down concerns, saying there is "no evidence" to suggest there has been any successful Russian involvement in the British electoral system.

'Shameful' for UK not to publish Russia meddling probe: Hillary Clinton

A senior Pentagon official detailed confusion and concern in the US&nbsp;national security apparatus after the White House blocked aid to Ukraine without explanation, according to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-faces-perilous-test-as-impeachment-hearings-open-261230">testimony released on Monday</a> by the congressional impeachment panel into US&nbsp;President Donald Trump.

Testimony by Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defence, was the latest to be made public that showed the internal machinations of the administration as Trump insisted that nearly $400 million in aid slated for Ukraine be withheld until its president publicly launch an investigation into one of Trump's top political rivals.

Also on Monday, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney withdrew a motion to join a lawsuit seeking to have a judge settle whether he can be compelled by Congress to testify in the inquiry. Instead, Mulvaney will file his own lawsuit.

The congressional panel also released testimony on Monday from Catherine Croft and Christopher Anderson, both advisers to Ambassador Kurt Volker on Ukraine policy, who described their concerns about the Trump administration's Ukraine policy. Volker was Trump's special representative for Ukraine negotiations until he resigned in September.

The new transcripts come two days before the impeachment inquiry by Democratic-led US&nbsp;House of Representatives committees enters a crucial new public phase.

The first on-camera hearings in the investigation are set for later this week and focused on accusations that Trump improperly withheld security money as leverage to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-trump-ally-admits-tying-ukraine-aid-to-biden-investigation-260217">pressure Ukraine</a> to investigate political rival Joe Biden.

On Wednesday and Friday, US&nbsp;diplomats William Taylor, George Kent and Marie Yovanovitch are due to detail in public their concerns, previously expressed in testimony behind closed doors, that Trump and his administration sought to tie the security aid to investigations that might benefit his 2020 re-election bid.

The public testimony before the House Intelligence Committee will be carried by major broadcast and cable television networks and is expected to be viewed by millions of people, as Democrats seek to make the case for Trump's removal from office.

Trump took to Twitter on Monday to fume again about the investigation. He said he would release this week a transcript of an earlier call he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Cooper's October&nbsp;23 closed-door testimony became the scene of one of the most explosive moments of the inquiry so far, when about two dozen Republican lawmakers and allies of Trump stormed the secure room where she was speaking. Critics denounced the lawmakers' actions, saying they had compromised US&nbsp;security by taking phones into the secure room.

In her testimony, Cooper described at some length the approval process for the $391 million in aid to Ukraine, including that the Pentagon had determined that Kiev had met anti-corruption requirements for the release of the funds.

Trump and some of his supporters have argued that the funds - approved by the US&nbsp;Congress to help combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine - were blocked by Trump to press Zelenskiy's government to fight corruption, not to seek an investigation of Biden and his son.

"All of the senior leaders of the US&nbsp;national security departments and agencies were all unified in their - in their view that this assistance was essential," Cooper said, according to the transcript.

Cooper said the US&nbsp;military was concerned that denying US&nbsp;assistance would make it harder for Kiev to negotiate with Moscow.

"They are trying to negotiate a peace with Russia, and if they are seen as weak, and if they are seen to lack the backing of the United States for their armed forces, it makes it much more difficult for them to negotiate a peace on terms that are good for Ukraine."

The impeachment investigation began in September after a whistleblower within the US&nbsp;intelligence community brought a complaint against Trump over his July 25 call with Zelenskiy.

Democrats, who control the House, have argued that Trump abused his power in pressing a vulnerable US&nbsp;ally to carry out investigations that would benefit Trump politically. Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face the Republican president in the 2020 election. His son Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma.

Trump has denied there was a quid pro quo - or exchanging a favour for a favour - in his dealings with Ukraine. He defended his call with Zelenskiy as "perfect" and branded the probe a politically motivated hoax. Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday that the inquiry should be ended and the unnamed whistleblower, the whistleblower's lawyer and "Corrupt politician" Schiff should be investigated for fraud.

Democrats consider the open hearings to be crucial to building public support for a vote on articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. If that occurs, the 100-seat Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial on the charges.

Republicans have so far shown little support for removing Trump from office, which would require two-thirds of senators present to vote to convict him.

A senior Pentagon official detailed confusion and concern in the US national security apparatus after the White House blocked aid to Ukraine without explanation, according to testimony released on Monday by the congressional impeachment panel into US President Donald Trump.

A senior Pentagon official detailed confusion and concern in the US national security apparatus after the White House blocked aid to Ukraine without explanation, according to testimony released on Monday by the congressional impeachment panel into US President Donald Trump. Testimony by Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defence, was the latest to be made public that showed the internal machinations of the administration as Trump insisted that nearly $400 million in aid slated for Ukraine be withheld until its president publicly launch an investigation into one of Trump's top political rivals. Also on Monday, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney withdrew a motion to join a lawsuit seeking to have a judge settle whether he can be compelled by Congress to testify in the inquiry. Instead, Mulvaney will file his own lawsuit. The congressional panel also released testimony on Monday from Catherine Croft and Christopher Anderson, both advisers to Ambassador Kurt Volker on Ukraine policy, who described their concerns about the Trump administration's Ukraine policy. Volker was Trump's special representative for Ukraine negotiations until he resigned in September. The new transcripts come two days before the impeachment inquiry by Democratic-led US House of Representatives committees enters a crucial new public phase. The first on-camera hearings in the investigation are set for later this week and focused on accusations that Trump improperly withheld security money as leverage to pressure Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden. On Wednesday and Friday, US diplomats William Taylor, George Kent and Marie Yovanovitch are due to detail in public their concerns, previously expressed in testimony behind closed doors, that Trump and his administration sought to tie the security aid to investigations that might benefit his 2020 re-election bid. The public testimony before the House Intelligence Committee will be carried by major broadcast and cable television networks and is expected to be viewed by millions of people, as Democrats seek to make the case for Trump's removal from office. Trump took to Twitter on Monday to fume again about the investigation. He said he would release this week a transcript of an earlier call he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Cooper's October 23 closed-door testimony became the scene of one of the most explosive moments of the inquiry so far, when about two dozen Republican lawmakers and allies of Trump stormed the secure room where she was speaking. Critics denounced the lawmakers' actions, saying they had compromised US security by taking phones into the secure room. In her testimony, Cooper described at some length the approval process for the $391 million in aid to Ukraine, including that the Pentagon had determined that Kiev had met anti-corruption requirements for the release of the funds. Trump and some of his supporters have argued that the funds - approved by the US Congress to help combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine - were blocked by Trump to press Zelenskiy's government to fight corruption, not to seek an investigation of Biden and his son. "All of the senior leaders of the US national security departments and agencies were all unified in their - in their view that this assistance was essential," Cooper said, according to the transcript. Cooper said the US military was concerned that denying US assistance would make it harder for Kiev to negotiate with Moscow. "They are trying to negotiate a peace with Russia, and if they are seen as weak, and if they are seen to lack the backing of the United States for their armed forces, it makes it much more difficult for them to negotiate a peace on terms that are good for Ukraine." The impeachment investigation began in September after a whistleblower within the US intelligence community brought a complaint against Trump over his July 25 call with Zelenskiy. Democrats, who control the House, have argued that Trump abused his power in pressing a vulnerable US ally to carry out investigations that would benefit Trump politically. Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face the Republican president in the 2020 election. His son Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma. Trump has denied there was a quid pro quo - or exchanging a favour for a favour - in his dealings with Ukraine. He defended his call with Zelenskiy as "perfect" and branded the probe a politically motivated hoax. Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday that the inquiry should be ended and the unnamed whistleblower, the whistleblower's lawyer and "Corrupt politician" Schiff should be investigated for fraud. Democrats consider the open hearings to be crucial to building public support for a vote on articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. If that occurs, the 100-seat Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial on the charges. Republicans have so far shown little support for removing Trump from office, which would require two-thirds of senators present to vote to convict him.

Democrats release new batch of testimony from Trump impeachment inquiry

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - November 11th, 2019

Donald Trump faces the prospect of becoming only the third US president to be impeached when open hearings begin this week into his alleged effort to bolster his re-election hopes by pushing Ukraine to find dirt on a Democratic rival.

Donald Trump faces the prospect of becoming only the third US president to be impeached when open hearings begin this week into his alleged effort to bolster his re-election hopes by pushing Ukraine to find dirt on a Democratic rival. Having survived special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Trump now faces potential removal from office for pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, a leading candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Democrats have amassed evidence -- from a whistleblower complaint to the rough transcript of Trump's July 25 call with Zelensky and testimony from a dozen witnesses -- that the president abused his office by withholding aid and a requested White House meeting to force Zelensky into helping his personal political agenda. "This is a very simple, straightforward act. The president broke the law," Democratic Representative Jackie Speier said Sunday on ABC's "This Week" program. "This is a very strong case of bribery, because you have an elected official, the president, demanding action of a foreign country, in this case... and he is withholding aid," said Speier. The hearings begin on Wednesday in the House Intelligence Committee, with the first witnesses two officials who have already provided evidence against Trump in private testimony: Bill Taylor, the top American diplomat in Ukraine, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent. Risks for both sides On Sunday, Trump repeated his charge that the investigation is a "witch hunt" and that he did nothing wrong. "The call to the Ukrainian President was PERFECT. Read the Transcript!" he tweeted. "Republicans, don't be led into the fool's trap of saying it was not perfect but is not impeachable. No, it is much stronger than that. NOTHING WAS DONE WRONG!" But Democrats say the evidence against him is strong. Once the coming Intelligence Committee hearings are complete, the Judiciary Committee can draw up articles of impeachment, or formal charges, against Trump. Those would then be voted on by the full House of Representatives, reportedly before the end of the year. Impeachment would likely pass the Democratic-controlled House. The case would then be sent for trial in the Senate, where Republicans dominate and support for Trump remains firm. Coming just one year before national elections, and broadcast live, the impeachment hearings carry great risks for both parties and no certain reward, with the US electorate deeply divided and weary of Washington infighting. Polls show a slim majority of Americans favour impeaching the president. But they also show that Trump's sizable voter base, which delivered his shock victory in 2016, is so far impervious to the allegations. Republicans who disapprove of Trump's behaviour suggest they will continue to support him. "I believe it's inappropriate for a president to ask a foreign leader to investigate a political rival," Republican Representative Mac Thornberry said Sunday on ABC's "This week." "I don't believe it was impeachable," he said. "Most Republicans have said that would be a violation of the law," another Republican lawmaker, Will Hurd, told "Fox News Sunday." However, he said, they "have to truly consider whether impeachment is the right tool or not." Fiery hearings expected The hearings are likely to be fiery, with Republicans determined to paint witnesses as biased against Trump. They are prepared to disrupt testimony and shift the subject to the allegations Trump raised with Zelensky: that Biden protected his son Hunter's allegedly corrupt relationship with a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, and that Ukraine helped Democrats in the 2016 race. No evidence has surfaced to support either claim, but transcripts from earlier testimony show Republicans pressing witnesses on both counts. In closed-door testimony, the Intelligence Committee chairman, Adam Schiff, a veteran prosecutor, proved able to fend off disruptions and maintain a focus on the allegations against Trump. But that could change in front of a national television audience. Republicans are moving one of their wiliest and most agile counter-attackers, Jim Jordan, to the committee to joust with Schiff over control of the narrative. On Saturday, Republicans said they want to call a number of witnesses relevant not to the charges against Trump, but to Burisma and 2016, including Hunter Biden. Schiff made clear he will use his power as committee chairman to reject them. "This inquiry is not, and will not serve... as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations into the Bidens or 2016 that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit," he said in a statement Saturday. Republicans will also stress that Democrats have sparse direct evidence of abuse of power by Trump. Snubbing House subpoenas, the White House, citing Trump's executive privilege, blocked his top aides from testifying, and has withheld documents related to Ukraine policy. That has the executive and legislative branches in a constitutional showdown over their relative powers, with Schiff threatening to add obstruction to the impeachment charges against Trump.

Trump faces perilous test as impeachment hearings open

Asian shares sank on Monday, the safe-haven yen rose and gold jumped as fresh violence broke out in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hong-kong-protests-turn-violent-police-shoot-protester-amid-clashes-261252">Hong Kong</a>, while uncertainty still remained over whether the United States and China could end their damaging trade war.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index led the losses in Asia, down more than 2 per cent, after police fired live rounds at protestors on the eastern side of Hong Kong island. Cable TV and other Hong Kong media reported at least one protester being wounded. Video footage showed a protester lying in a pool of blood.

Chinese shares too faltered with the blue-chip CSI300 index down 1.3 per cent. South Korea's KOSPI lost 0.4 per cent.

Japan's Nikkei gave up early gains to drift away from a recent 13-month high after data showed the country's core machinery orders fell for a third straight month.

Australian shares bucked the downbeat trend, rising 0.55 per cent&nbsp;to a two-week high.

That left MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan down 0.5 per cent.

"The<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-us-agree-tariff-rollback-if-phase-one-trade-deal-is-completed-260641"> China-US&nbsp;trade war</a> and the Hong Kong protest are combining to cast a negative pall on Asian markets today," said James McGlew, analyst at stockbroking firm Argonaut.

"Hong Kong protests have been dragging on for a while and the view from the financial world is that it's really starting to bite now. The further this drags on it's certainly going to be very negative."

In Asian hours on Monday, E-minis for the S&amp;P500 were 0.25 per cent&nbsp;lower indicating a weak open later in the day.

US&nbsp;bond markets are closed on Monday, but currency and equity markets are open.

Gold, which rises during times of uncertainty, rebounded from a three-month low touched on Friday to be last up 0.3 per cent&nbsp;at $1,462.11 an ounce.

In currencies, the Japanese yen gained on the dollar to 109.01 while the Australian dollar, a liquid gauge for risk, was off slightly at $0.6853.

The dollar index was a touch softer at 98.33 while the euro ticked up to $1.1022.

Market attention was also on the US-China trade talks.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-faces-perilous-test-as-impeachment-hearings-open-261230">US&nbsp;President Donald Trump </a>told reporters on Saturday that talks with China had moved more slowly than he would have liked, but added that Beijing wanted a deal more than he did.

That was a more upbeat tone than just a few days earlier when he had stressed that the White House would not agree to a full rollback of existing tariffs, remarks that hit stock prices and the dollar.

"Despite his bluster that 'China wants a trade deal more than I do', markets sense that Trump is likely quite keen to call a truce on what is becoming a serious U.S. economic risk heading into the 2020 election year," said David Bassanese, Sydney-based economist at Betashares.

By the close of Wall Street on Friday, optimism had returned to the market as investors bet that Washington needs a deal and it is in the interest of China, too. All three major US&nbsp;indexes eked out record closing highs.

The Dow inched up while the S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.3 per cent&nbsp;and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.5 per cent. The record closing high by the S&amp;P 500 was the fourth in six sessions.

"It will be the US-China trade talks that will continue to dictate the daily swings in sentiment this week," said Jeffrey Halley, senior analyst at OANDA.

Halley noted the negotiations were "starting to drag on in a disturbingly Brexit-like manner," referring to Britain's divorce deal with the European Union which is still up in the air almost three years after the country voted to leave the bloc.

US&nbsp;officials said a lot of work remained to be done when Trump announced the outlines of an interim deal last month, and Beijing has since pushed back on US&nbsp;demands for big agricultural purchases, among other issues.

Analysts said the outlook for equities was highly dependent on US&nbsp;economic data as a US-China trade agreement would help bolster manufacturing and industrial sectors.

"The Hong Kong protests have seen a knee-jerk rotation out of risk positioning," OANDA's Halley said. "The effects are more likely to be passing than permanent...as long as the trade talks stay on target."

Data on October US&nbsp;industrial production and retail sales, along with the National Federation of Independent Business's monthly small business survey, are scheduled for release this week.

In commodities, benchmark Brent crude fell 57 cents to $61.94 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slipped 48 cents to $56.76 a barrel.

Asian shares sank on Monday, the safe-haven yen rose and gold jumped as fresh violence broke out in Hong Kong, while uncertainty still remained over whether the United States and China could end their damaging trade war.

Asian shares sank on Monday, the safe-haven yen rose and gold jumped as fresh violence broke out in Hong Kong, while uncertainty still remained over whether the United States and China could end their damaging trade war. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index led the losses in Asia, down more than 2 per cent, after police fired live rounds at protestors on the eastern side of Hong Kong island. Cable TV and other Hong Kong media reported at least one protester being wounded. Video footage showed a protester lying in a pool of blood. Chinese shares too faltered with the blue-chip CSI300 index down 1.3 per cent. South Korea's KOSPI lost 0.4 per cent. Japan's Nikkei gave up early gains to drift away from a recent 13-month high after data showed the country's core machinery orders fell for a third straight month. Australian shares bucked the downbeat trend, rising 0.55 per cent to a two-week high. That left MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan down 0.5 per cent. "The China-US trade war and the Hong Kong protest are combining to cast a negative pall on Asian markets today," said James McGlew, analyst at stockbroking firm Argonaut. "Hong Kong protests have been dragging on for a while and the view from the financial world is that it's really starting to bite now. The further this drags on it's certainly going to be very negative." In Asian hours on Monday, E-minis for the S&P500 were 0.25 per cent lower indicating a weak open later in the day. US bond markets are closed on Monday, but currency and equity markets are open. Gold, which rises during times of uncertainty, rebounded from a three-month low touched on Friday to be last up 0.3 per cent at $1,462.11 an ounce. In currencies, the Japanese yen gained on the dollar to 109.01 while the Australian dollar, a liquid gauge for risk, was off slightly at $0.6853. The dollar index was a touch softer at 98.33 while the euro ticked up to $1.1022. Market attention was also on the US-China trade talks. US President Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday that talks with China had moved more slowly than he would have liked, but added that Beijing wanted a deal more than he did. That was a more upbeat tone than just a few days earlier when he had stressed that the White House would not agree to a full rollback of existing tariffs, remarks that hit stock prices and the dollar. "Despite his bluster that 'China wants a trade deal more than I do', markets sense that Trump is likely quite keen to call a truce on what is becoming a serious U.S. economic risk heading into the 2020 election year," said David Bassanese, Sydney-based economist at Betashares. By the close of Wall Street on Friday, optimism had returned to the market as investors bet that Washington needs a deal and it is in the interest of China, too. All three major US indexes eked out record closing highs. The Dow inched up while the S&P 500 climbed 0.3 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.5 per cent. The record closing high by the S&P 500 was the fourth in six sessions. "It will be the US-China trade talks that will continue to dictate the daily swings in sentiment this week," said Jeffrey Halley, senior analyst at OANDA. Halley noted the negotiations were "starting to drag on in a disturbingly Brexit-like manner," referring to Britain's divorce deal with the European Union which is still up in the air almost three years after the country voted to leave the bloc. US officials said a lot of work remained to be done when Trump announced the outlines of an interim deal last month, and Beijing has since pushed back on US demands for big agricultural purchases, among other issues. Analysts said the outlook for equities was highly dependent on US economic data as a US-China trade agreement would help bolster manufacturing and industrial sectors. "The Hong Kong protests have seen a knee-jerk rotation out of risk positioning," OANDA's Halley said. "The effects are more likely to be passing than permanent...as long as the trade talks stay on target." Data on October US industrial production and retail sales, along with the National Federation of Independent Business's monthly small business survey, are scheduled for release this week. In commodities, benchmark Brent crude fell 57 cents to $61.94 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slipped 48 cents to $56.76 a barrel.

Global Markets: Asian shares a sea of red as Hong Kong chaos hits sentiment

The United States is very upset about Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defence systems and could impose sanctions on Ankara if it does not "get rid" of them, White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said on Sunday.

"Turkey will feel the impact of those sanctions," O'Brien told CBS's "Face the Nation" in an interview, referring to penalties under the US&nbsp;law known as the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which he said would pass Congress with "overwhelming" bipartisan support.

His comments came ahead of a visit by Turkish President Tayyip <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkeys-erdogan-speaks-with-trump-to-visit-washington-next-week-260443">Erdogan to Washington</a> on November&nbsp;13 to meet US&nbsp;President Donald Trump for likely crucial talks as the two NATO allies have been at loggerheads over a range of issues.

One key disagreement is Ankara's purchase of the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile system, which Washington says is incompatible with NATO defences and threatens its Lockheed Martin&nbsp;F-35 fighter jets.

Despite threats of US&nbsp;sanctions, Turkey started receiving its first S-400 deliveries in July.

In response, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 programme, in which Ankara was a manufacturer and buyer. But so far, it has not slapped any sanctions on Ankara.

Turkey has not yet activated the S-400 batteries it received, and Washington still hopes to persuade its ally to "walk away" from the Russian systems.

"There's no place in NATO for the S-400. There's no place in NATO for significant Russian military purchases. That's a message that the president will deliver to him (Erdogan) very clearly when he's here," O'Brien said.

Earlier this month, the head of Turkey's Defence Industry Directorate said a second S-400 delivery to Turkey may be delayed beyond a planned 2020 timeline by talks on technology sharing and joint production.

The S-400 issue is part of a wider range of disagreements between Turkey and the United States.

Washington was incensed by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eight-killed-in-bombing-in-turkish-controlled-northeast-syria-261218">Turkey's offensive</a> into northern Syria against US-allied Kurdish YPG fighters last month. Turkey halted the incursion after the Kurds withdrew from a border region under a US- brokered truce.

The United States is very upset about Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defence systems and could impose sanctions on Ankara if it does not "get rid" of them, White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said on Sunday.

The United States is very upset about Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defence systems and could impose sanctions on Ankara if it does not "get rid" of them, White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said on Sunday. "Turkey will feel the impact of those sanctions," O'Brien told CBS's "Face the Nation" in an interview, referring to penalties under the US law known as the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which he said would pass Congress with "overwhelming" bipartisan support. His comments came ahead of a visit by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to Washington on November 13 to meet US President Donald Trump for likely crucial talks as the two NATO allies have been at loggerheads over a range of issues. One key disagreement is Ankara's purchase of the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile system, which Washington says is incompatible with NATO defences and threatens its Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. Despite threats of US sanctions, Turkey started receiving its first S-400 deliveries in July. In response, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 programme, in which Ankara was a manufacturer and buyer. But so far, it has not slapped any sanctions on Ankara. Turkey has not yet activated the S-400 batteries it received, and Washington still hopes to persuade its ally to "walk away" from the Russian systems. "There's no place in NATO for the S-400. There's no place in NATO for significant Russian military purchases. That's a message that the president will deliver to him (Erdogan) very clearly when he's here," O'Brien said. Earlier this month, the head of Turkey's Defence Industry Directorate said a second S-400 delivery to Turkey may be delayed beyond a planned 2020 timeline by talks on technology sharing and joint production. The S-400 issue is part of a wider range of disagreements between Turkey and the United States. Washington was incensed by Turkey's offensive into northern Syria against US-allied Kurdish YPG fighters last month. Turkey halted the incursion after the Kurds withdrew from a border region under a US- brokered truce.

Turkey will feel impact of sanctions over Russian S-400 missile deal, warns US

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - November 10th, 2019

US President Donald Trump will host NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Washington at a time of severe strain within the Atlantic alliance, the White House announced Saturday.&nbsp;

The two leaders will discuss NATO allies' "progress on increasing defence spending and ensuring more equitable burden-sharing," the White House statement said.

Trump has been a frequent critic of alliance members, notably Germany, complaining that many have not met their goal of devoting two per cent of economic output to defence spending.

Trump and Stoltenberg, who is Norwegian, will also discuss counterterrorism, cyber-security and protecting critical infrastructure.

The Thursday meeting will come a week after NATO came in for cutting criticism from French President Emmanuel Macron, who told The Economist magazine that "what we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO."

Macron cited a general lack of coordination between the US and Europe and the recent unilateral incursion by Turkey, a key member of the 70-year-old military alliance, into northern Syria.

"Strategically and politically," Macron said, "we need to recognize that we have a problem."&nbsp;

Macron was speaking ahead of a NATO summit meeting scheduled for December 3 and 4 in London.

But German Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking alongside Stoltenberg in Berlin after the Macron interview came out, defended NATO as "indispensable."&nbsp;

Macron "used drastic words," she said, adding, "that is not my view of cooperation in NATO."

In Washington, the NATO chief will also confer Thursday with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and members of Congress, the alliance said.

That same day, he will attend a ministerial-level meeting of a broad international coalition against the Islamic State group.

This session was requested urgently by France after Trump announced he was pulling US troops out of northern Syria, raising fears that the jihadist organization could stage a comeback.

US President Donald Trump will host NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Washington at a time of severe strain within the Atlantic alliance, the White House announced Saturday.

US President Donald Trump will host NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Washington at a time of severe strain within the Atlantic alliance, the White House announced Saturday. The two leaders will discuss NATO allies' "progress on increasing defence spending and ensuring more equitable burden-sharing," the White House statement said. Trump has been a frequent critic of alliance members, notably Germany, complaining that many have not met their goal of devoting two per cent of economic output to defence spending. Trump and Stoltenberg, who is Norwegian, will also discuss counterterrorism, cyber-security and protecting critical infrastructure. The Thursday meeting will come a week after NATO came in for cutting criticism from French President Emmanuel Macron, who told The Economist magazine that "what we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO." Macron cited a general lack of coordination between the US and Europe and the recent unilateral incursion by Turkey, a key member of the 70-year-old military alliance, into northern Syria. "Strategically and politically," Macron said, "we need to recognize that we have a problem." Macron was speaking ahead of a NATO summit meeting scheduled for December 3 and 4 in London. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking alongside Stoltenberg in Berlin after the Macron interview came out, defended NATO as "indispensable." Macron "used drastic words," she said, adding, "that is not my view of cooperation in NATO." In Washington, the NATO chief will also confer Thursday with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and members of Congress, the alliance said. That same day, he will attend a ministerial-level meeting of a broad international coalition against the Islamic State group. This session was requested urgently by France after Trump announced he was pulling US troops out of northern Syria, raising fears that the jihadist organization could stage a comeback.

Donald Trump to host NATO chief as alliance faces strains

Iran has discovered a new oilfield with 53 billion barrels of oil in the southwest of the country,&nbsp;President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, news agency Reuters reported.

"Despite America's sanctions... Iranian workers have found an oil field with 53 billion barrels of reserves," Rouhani was quoted as saying by Reuters.

According to a report, the latest find&nbsp;would increase Iran's proven reserves by about a third.

The field covers 2,400 square kilometres (926 square miles) and is located in Iran's southwestern province of Khuzestan, Rouhani said in a speech aired on state TV.

Tensions between Iran and the United States have soared since President Donald Trump pulled out of a 2015 international deal that was meant to lift sanctions in exchange for a commitment from Tehran that it would cease trying to develop nuclear weapons.

The United States, France, Germany, Britain, and Saudi Arabia have all, to varying degrees, blamed Iran for the brazen September 14 airstrikes on the kingdom's Abqaiq plant and Khurais oil field.

Earlier this week, the United States imposed sanctions on nine people with ties to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including his chief of staff, one of his sons and the head of Iran's judiciary.

The United States also sanctioned Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, the department said in the statement, which came 40 years after Iran seized the US embassy in Tehran, taking more than 50 Americans hostage.

(With inputs from agencies)

Iran has discovered a new oilfield with 53 billion barrels of oil in the southwest of the country, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, news agency Reuters reported.

Iran has discovered a new oilfield with 53 billion barrels of oil in the southwest of the country, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, news agency Reuters reported. "Despite America's sanctions... Iranian workers have found an oil field with 53 billion barrels of reserves," Rouhani was quoted as saying by Reuters. According to a report, the latest find would increase Iran's proven reserves by about a third. The field covers 2,400 square kilometres (926 square miles) and is located in Iran's southwestern province of Khuzestan, Rouhani said in a speech aired on state TV. Tensions between Iran and the United States have soared since President Donald Trump pulled out of a 2015 international deal that was meant to lift sanctions in exchange for a commitment from Tehran that it would cease trying to develop nuclear weapons. The United States, France, Germany, Britain, and Saudi Arabia have all, to varying degrees, blamed Iran for the brazen September 14 airstrikes on the kingdom's Abqaiq plant and Khurais oil field. Earlier this week, the United States imposed sanctions on nine people with ties to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including his chief of staff, one of his sons and the head of Iran's judiciary. The United States also sanctioned Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, the department said in the statement, which came 40 years after Iran seized the US embassy in Tehran, taking more than 50 Americans hostage. (With inputs from agencies)

Iran finds new oil field with 53 billion barrels of crude: Hassan Rouhani

Iran should come to the negotiating table with world powers and Gulf countries to seek a new deal that would deescalate regional tensions and revive its economy, a senior United Arab Emirates official said on Sunday.

Tensions in the Gulf have risen since attacks on oil tankers in a vital global shipping lane this summer, including off the UAE coast, and a major assault on energy facilities in Saudi Arabia.

Washington has blamed Iran, which has denied being behind the attacks on global energy infrastructure.&nbsp;

On Thursday, Iran said it had resumed uranium enrichment at its Fordow nuclear site, stepping further away from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers after the United States pulled out of it.

"Further escalation at this point serves no one and we strongly believe that there is room for collective diplomacy to succeed," UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said in a speech in Abu Dhabi.

He warned against a "false choice" between war and the "flawed" atomic deal.

The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on Iran since pulling out of the pact as part of its "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran.

Gargash said new talks with Iran should not just deal with the nuclear issue but also address concerns over its ballistic missile programme and regional interventions through proxy groups.

These topics mean regional countries would need to be involved in the discussions, he said at an annual strategic debate in the UAE capital.

The UAE, which says Iran is a destabilising force in the region, backed US President Donald Trump's maximum pressure campaign against Tehran but called for de-escalation after the attacks.

"I believe there could be a path to a deal with Iran that all parties might soon be ready to embark on. It will be long, and patience and courage will be required," Gargash said.

It was important that the international community be on the same page, especially the United States and European Union countries, as well as regional states, he added.

Washington says it hopes the sanctions, which are aimed at halting all Iranian oil exports, will force Iran into negotiations to reach a wider deal.

But Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has banned Iranian officials from holding such talks unless the United States returns to the nuclear deal and lifts all sanctions.

Iran should come to the negotiating table with world powers and Gulf countries to seek a new deal that would deescalate regional tensions and revive its economy, a senior United Arab Emirates official said on Sunday.

Iran should come to the negotiating table with world powers and Gulf countries to seek a new deal that would deescalate regional tensions and revive its economy, a senior United Arab Emirates official said on Sunday. Tensions in the Gulf have risen since attacks on oil tankers in a vital global shipping lane this summer, including off the UAE coast, and a major assault on energy facilities in Saudi Arabia. Washington has blamed Iran, which has denied being behind the attacks on global energy infrastructure. On Thursday, Iran said it had resumed uranium enrichment at its Fordow nuclear site, stepping further away from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers after the United States pulled out of it. "Further escalation at this point serves no one and we strongly believe that there is room for collective diplomacy to succeed," UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said in a speech in Abu Dhabi. He warned against a "false choice" between war and the "flawed" atomic deal. The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on Iran since pulling out of the pact as part of its "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran. Gargash said new talks with Iran should not just deal with the nuclear issue but also address concerns over its ballistic missile programme and regional interventions through proxy groups. These topics mean regional countries would need to be involved in the discussions, he said at an annual strategic debate in the UAE capital. The UAE, which says Iran is a destabilising force in the region, backed US President Donald Trump's maximum pressure campaign against Tehran but called for de-escalation after the attacks. "I believe there could be a path to a deal with Iran that all parties might soon be ready to embark on. It will be long, and patience and courage will be required," Gargash said. It was important that the international community be on the same page, especially the United States and European Union countries, as well as regional states, he added. Washington says it hopes the sanctions, which are aimed at halting all Iranian oil exports, will force Iran into negotiations to reach a wider deal. But Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has banned Iranian officials from holding such talks unless the United States returns to the nuclear deal and lifts all sanctions.

UAE calls for Iran talks with world powers, region

US President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed Germany as a "treasured" ally as commemorations were held marking 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

"The Cold War has long since passed, but tyrannical regimes around the world continue to employ the oppressive tactics of Soviet-style totalitarianism," Trump said in a message from Washington.

"I congratulate the German people on the tremendous strides that have been made in reuniting their country and in rebuilding former East Germany... We will continue working with Germany, one of our most treasured allies, to ensure that the flames of freedom burn as a beacon of hope and opportunity for the entire world to see."

On November 9, 1989, East German border guards, overwhelmed by large crowds, threw open the gates to West Berlin, allowing free passage for the first time since the Wall was built.

The momentous event would ultimately bring the communist regime crashing down, leading to German reunification a year later.

In Berlin on Saturday, Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Wall should remind Germans "that we have to do our part for freedom and democracy."

US President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed Germany as a "treasured" ally as commemorations were held marking 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. "The Cold War has long since passed, but tyrannical regimes around the world continue to employ the oppressive tactics of Soviet-style totalitarianism," Trump said in a message from Washington.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed Germany as a "treasured" ally as commemorations were held marking 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. "The Cold War has long since passed, but tyrannical regimes around the world continue to employ the oppressive tactics of Soviet-style totalitarianism," Trump said in a message from Washington. "I congratulate the German people on the tremendous strides that have been made in reuniting their country and in rebuilding former East Germany... We will continue working with Germany, one of our most treasured allies, to ensure that the flames of freedom burn as a beacon of hope and opportunity for the entire world to see." On November 9, 1989, East German border guards, overwhelmed by large crowds, threw open the gates to West Berlin, allowing free passage for the first time since the Wall was built. The momentous event would ultimately bring the communist regime crashing down, leading to German reunification a year later. In Berlin on Saturday, Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Wall should remind Germans "that we have to do our part for freedom and democracy."

Trump hails Germany as 'treasured' ally, 30 years after fall of Berlin Wall

President Donald Trump on Friday said that the US has a "very good" relationship with India and "lots of things" are happening between the two countries 
On the possible visit to India, the US president Trump said that he will go to the country at "some point". He also made a reference to the Houston event in Texas in September. 
 
"We are dealing with India on lots of different things. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a very great friend of mine. you saw me at Houston. We have a lots of things are happening with India," Trump told reporters outside the White House when asked about the progress in his trade deal with India. 
 
In September while sharing a stage with Trump in Houston, Modi had invited the US President and his family to visit India, saying it will give a new height to the shared dreams of the two countries. 
 
Watch: US president to visit India soon, PM Modi invited him with family

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-president-to-visit-india-soon-pm-modi-invited-him-with-family-261000/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

New Delhi and Washington are engaged in talks to resolve the trade tensions between the two countries. 
 
Tensions on the trade front between the two countries had emerged in June after US President Donald Trump revoked preferential trade privileges, in response to which India imposed tariffs on 28 US products, including almonds and apples. 
 
India had been the biggest beneficiary of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), a programme designed to help developing countries sell to US consumers.

&nbsp;

President Donald Trump on Friday said that the US has a "very good" relationship with India and "lots of things" are happening between the two countries On the possible visit to India, the US president Trump said that he will go to the country at "some point".

President Donald Trump on Friday said that the US has a "very good" relationship with India and "lots of things" are happening between the two countries On the possible visit to India, the US president Trump said that he will go to the country at "some point". He also made a reference to the Houston event in Texas in September. "We are dealing with India on lots of different things. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a very great friend of mine. you saw me at Houston. We have a lots of things are happening with India," Trump told reporters outside the White House when asked about the progress in his trade deal with India. In September while sharing a stage with Trump in Houston, Modi had invited the US President and his family to visit India, saying it will give a new height to the shared dreams of the two countries. Watch: US president to visit India soon, PM Modi invited him with family New Delhi and Washington are engaged in talks to resolve the trade tensions between the two countries. Tensions on the trade front between the two countries had emerged in June after US President Donald Trump revoked preferential trade privileges, in response to which India imposed tariffs on 28 US products, including almonds and apples. India had been the biggest beneficiary of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), a programme designed to help developing countries sell to US consumers.

United States President Donald Trump to visit India 'at some point'

New York business tycoon Michael Bloomberg has paved the way for a shot at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-dismisses-little-michael-bloombergs-likely-white-house-run-260893">US presidency</a>, registering as a candidate in the Alabama Democratic primary race before Friday's filing deadline.&nbsp;

Although the 77-year-old billionaire has not publicly announced his run, his inclusion among a crowded field kept his options open for mounting a concerted bid to topple a fellow New Yorker, President Donald Trump.

Analysts say a Bloomberg candidacy could do the most damage to the prospects of frontrunner Joe Biden, but the former vice president put on a brave face Friday and said he was not worried Bloomberg would draw away centrist voters.

Bloomberg's name was posted among 17 candidates on the Alabama Democratic Party's website only hours before registration closed.&nbsp;

Alabama is not one of the early primaries but it has the earliest deadline to register.

Biden, who will also turn 77 on November 20, has placed himself in the political center with South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, while Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren run to his left.

"Michael's a solid guy," Biden told reporters in Concord, New Hampshire while registering to take part in the February primary in the northeastern state.

"I have no, no problem with him getting in the race," Biden said. "And in terms of he's running because of me, last polls I looked at I'm pretty far ahead.

"If I'm not mistaken I'm doing pretty well, both relative to Trump and relative to all the people running," he said.

Jason Mollica of American University said the entry of Bloomberg in the race could be "an indication that he believes the Democrats do not have a strong candidate that can defeat President Trump."

"Mr Biden's campaign isn't the strength it was at the start and if Mr Bloomberg gains the support of the centrists in the Democratic Party, that is a big sign for Mr Biden the party doesn't feel he's the right candidate, either," Mollica said.

Kyle Kondik of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia said a Bloomberg run could conceivably draw support away from Biden but it remains to be seen how much backing he'll receive in a crowded field.

"At first blush, yes, one might think Bloomberg would hurt Biden more than others," Kondik said. "But we have to remember that sometimes voters don't fit neatly into ideological categories.

"While neither is running hard to the left and both are older white men, voters might perceive key differences between them," Kondik said. "Bloomberg has to actually show he can draw significant support in order to hurt Biden."

'Doesn't have the magic'

Trump weighed in Friday on a potential Bloomberg bid.

"Little Michael will fail," Trump told reporters in a reference to the stature of the 5ft, 8in (1.73m) Bloomberg. "He doesn't have the magic to do well.&nbsp;

"There's nobody I'd rather run against than little Michael," Trump added. "He's not going to do well but I think he's going to hurt Biden actually."

Bloomberg said back in March he wouldn't run, but has been toying for weeks with the idea of seeking the White House after all, according to advisors.

"We now need to finish the job and ensure that Trump is defeated -- but Mike is increasingly concerned that the current field of candidates is not well-positioned to do that," Bloomberg advisor Howard Wolfson said in a statement.

"Based on his record of accomplishment, leadership and his ability to bring people together to drive change, Mike would be able to take the fight to Trump and win," Wolfson added, according to Bloomberg News.

Bloomberg, co-founder and CEO of the media and financial information company that bears his name, is one of the richest people in the United States according to Forbes, worth $52.4 billion.

His huge personal wealth would likely shake up the contest at a time when Biden's fundraising is sagging.

Bloomberg, who was elected mayor of the Big Apple in 2001 and served until 2013, is seen as close to Wall Street and opposed to some of the policies espoused by the more liberal Warren and Sanders.

His entry would bloat an already crowded field of contenders, with 17 candidates vying for the right to take on Trump in November 2020 as the Democratic nominee.

Bloomberg has switched between the Republican and Democratic parties over the years and also served as an independent mayor.

He has used some of his fortune to back Democratic politicians and fund policies that he believes in -- including gun control and the fight against climate change.

Bloomberg considered running for president as an independent in 2016 but eventually opted not to for fear of splitting the Democratic vote.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

New York business tycoon Michael Bloomberg has paved the way for a shot at the US presidency, registering as a candidate in the Alabama Democratic primary race before Friday's filing deadline.

New York business tycoon Michael Bloomberg has paved the way for a shot at the US presidency, registering as a candidate in the Alabama Democratic primary race before Friday's filing deadline. Although the 77-year-old billionaire has not publicly announced his run, his inclusion among a crowded field kept his options open for mounting a concerted bid to topple a fellow New Yorker, President Donald Trump. Analysts say a Bloomberg candidacy could do the most damage to the prospects of frontrunner Joe Biden, but the former vice president put on a brave face Friday and said he was not worried Bloomberg would draw away centrist voters. Bloomberg's name was posted among 17 candidates on the Alabama Democratic Party's website only hours before registration closed. Alabama is not one of the early primaries but it has the earliest deadline to register. Biden, who will also turn 77 on November 20, has placed himself in the political center with South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, while Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren run to his left. "Michael's a solid guy," Biden told reporters in Concord, New Hampshire while registering to take part in the February primary in the northeastern state. "I have no, no problem with him getting in the race," Biden said. "And in terms of he's running because of me, last polls I looked at I'm pretty far ahead. "If I'm not mistaken I'm doing pretty well, both relative to Trump and relative to all the people running," he said. Jason Mollica of American University said the entry of Bloomberg in the race could be "an indication that he believes the Democrats do not have a strong candidate that can defeat President Trump." "Mr Biden's campaign isn't the strength it was at the start and if Mr Bloomberg gains the support of the centrists in the Democratic Party, that is a big sign for Mr Biden the party doesn't feel he's the right candidate, either," Mollica said. Kyle Kondik of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia said a Bloomberg run could conceivably draw support away from Biden but it remains to be seen how much backing he'll receive in a crowded field. "At first blush, yes, one might think Bloomberg would hurt Biden more than others," Kondik said. "But we have to remember that sometimes voters don't fit neatly into ideological categories. "While neither is running hard to the left and both are older white men, voters might perceive key differences between them," Kondik said. "Bloomberg has to actually show he can draw significant support in order to hurt Biden." 'Doesn't have the magic' Trump weighed in Friday on a potential Bloomberg bid. "Little Michael will fail," Trump told reporters in a reference to the stature of the 5ft, 8in (1.73m) Bloomberg. "He doesn't have the magic to do well. "There's nobody I'd rather run against than little Michael," Trump added. "He's not going to do well but I think he's going to hurt Biden actually." Bloomberg said back in March he wouldn't run, but has been toying for weeks with the idea of seeking the White House after all, according to advisors. "We now need to finish the job and ensure that Trump is defeated -- but Mike is increasingly concerned that the current field of candidates is not well-positioned to do that," Bloomberg advisor Howard Wolfson said in a statement. "Based on his record of accomplishment, leadership and his ability to bring people together to drive change, Mike would be able to take the fight to Trump and win," Wolfson added, according to Bloomberg News. Bloomberg, co-founder and CEO of the media and financial information company that bears his name, is one of the richest people in the United States according to Forbes, worth $52.4 billion. His huge personal wealth would likely shake up the contest at a time when Biden's fundraising is sagging. Bloomberg, who was elected mayor of the Big Apple in 2001 and served until 2013, is seen as close to Wall Street and opposed to some of the policies espoused by the more liberal Warren and Sanders. His entry would bloat an already crowded field of contenders, with 17 candidates vying for the right to take on Trump in November 2020 as the Democratic nominee. Bloomberg has switched between the Republican and Democratic parties over the years and also served as an independent mayor. He has used some of his fortune to back Democratic politicians and fund policies that he believes in -- including gun control and the fight against climate change. Bloomberg considered running for president as an independent in 2016 but eventually opted not to for fear of splitting the Democratic vote.

Bloomberg files papers paving way for US presidential bid

Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko considered opening an investigation into a political rival of US President Donald Trump in exchange for a meeting in Washington, The Wall Street Journal reported citing unnamed sources close to the matter. 
 
Trump associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, arrested last month in the US on charges of campaign finance violations, reportedly met with Poroshenko in February 2019 and offered a meeting with the US president in exchange for an investigation into former US Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. 
 
The prospective investigation was an attempt to dig up dirt on Biden, a Democratic frontrunner for the White House, whose son was a board member at Ukrainian oil company Burisma. A probe into alleged Ukrainian interference into the 2016 US presidential election was also part of the request. 
 
Trump’s attempts to solicit Poroshenko’s successor, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to launch an investigation into the Bidens are now at the centre of an impeachment enquiry into the US president. 
 
As one of Wall Street Journal’s sources noted, Poroshenko was ready to consider the proposal because, at the time, he was running for reelection and saw a photo op with the US president as an opportunity to boost domestic ratings. The source said that Poroshenko had asked the Ukrainian embassy to make necessary preparations for an official visit between the first and second rounds of the election. 
 
The meeting never came to fruition as there was no official invitation from the White House, according to the publication, since Poroshenko was unlikely to win the election. 
 
House Democrats last September launched an impeachment enquiry into Trump’s activity after a whistleblower report highlighted a telephone conversation with Zelenskyy. The enquiry is held on grounds of abusing presidential powers, withholding military aid from Ukraine in exchange for the investigation thereby inviting a foreign power to interfere in US elections. Trump denies the charges, saying his phone call with Zelenksyy was "perfect."

Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko considered opening an investigation into a political rival of US President Donald Trump in exchange for a meeting in Washington, The Wall Street Journal reported citing unnamed sources close to the matter.

Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko considered opening an investigation into a political rival of US President Donald Trump in exchange for a meeting in Washington, The Wall Street Journal reported citing unnamed sources close to the matter. Trump associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, arrested last month in the US on charges of campaign finance violations, reportedly met with Poroshenko in February 2019 and offered a meeting with the US president in exchange for an investigation into former US Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. The prospective investigation was an attempt to dig up dirt on Biden, a Democratic frontrunner for the White House, whose son was a board member at Ukrainian oil company Burisma. A probe into alleged Ukrainian interference into the 2016 US presidential election was also part of the request. Trump’s attempts to solicit Poroshenko’s successor, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to launch an investigation into the Bidens are now at the centre of an impeachment enquiry into the US president. As one of Wall Street Journal’s sources noted, Poroshenko was ready to consider the proposal because, at the time, he was running for reelection and saw a photo op with the US president as an opportunity to boost domestic ratings. The source said that Poroshenko had asked the Ukrainian embassy to make necessary preparations for an official visit between the first and second rounds of the election. The meeting never came to fruition as there was no official invitation from the White House, according to the publication, since Poroshenko was unlikely to win the election. House Democrats last September launched an impeachment enquiry into Trump’s activity after a whistleblower report highlighted a telephone conversation with Zelenskyy. The enquiry is held on grounds of abusing presidential powers, withholding military aid from Ukraine in exchange for the investigation thereby inviting a foreign power to interfere in US elections. Trump denies the charges, saying his phone call with Zelenksyy was "perfect."

Trump associates offered US visit to Ukraine's ex-president for investigation: Report

Two White House national security officials sounded alarms about improper pressure on Ukraine in early July, well before President Donald Trump's bombshell phone call with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky, according to impeachment testimony released Friday.

Fiona Hill and Alexander Vindman told House investigators that on July 10, they reported concerns to White House attorney John Eisenberg over top Trump allies pressuring Kiev for political help for the US leader. That was two weeks before Trump spoke to Zelensky.

Hill said she did so at the instruction of then-national security advisor John Bolton, who was adamantly opposed to the efforts to seek dirt from Ukraine on Trump's Democratic rivals.

She and Vindman both said acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Trump-appointed Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland were behind the pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden.

They said Sondland specifically pushed Ukrainian officials in July 10 meetings for a Biden-focused investigation in exchange for a high-profile meeting between Trump and Zelensky.

Bolton was furious over the effort and halted the initial meeting that day, Hill said.

But Sondland continued in a second meeting, saying it was policy stipulated by Mulvaney, Trump's top aide in the Oval Office.

"You go and tell Eisenberg that I am not part of whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up on this," Hill said Bolton told her.

"You go and tell him what you've heard and what I've said."

Nevertheless, on July 25 Trump delivered the same message to Zelensky -- that cooperation, including a meeting and military aid, could be contingent on Ukraine opening the investigations the White House sought.

That phone call, after it was exposed by an intelligence community whistleblower, sparked the Congressional investigation that now has Trump facing impeachment for abuse of office. &nbsp;

Sondland drove 'Burisma' probe

Hill, who was the National Security Council's senior director for Europe and Russia at the time, and Vindman, a Ukraine expert who worked under her, said they took part in a July 10 meeting with Ukraine officials in Bolton's office in the White House.&nbsp;

Sondland and US Energy Secretary Rick Perry were also in the meeting.

"The meeting proceeded well until the Ukrainians broached the subject of a meeting between the two presidents," Vindman recounted.

Sondland "said that he had had a conversation with Mr Mulvaney, and this is what was required in order to get a meeting," Vindman said.

At that point, Bolton curtly ended the meeting, both Hill and Vindman said.

But minutes later in another White House room, Sondland continued to press the investigations requirement with the Ukrainians, further alarming the two officials.

Hill said Sondland specifically mentioned Burisma, the Ukraine energy company where Biden's son Hunter had been a director.&nbsp;

Trump has repeatedly accused the Bidens of unspecified "corruption" due to that relationship.

Separately, Hill and Vindman went to Eisenberg, the White House attorney in charge of national security matters, with their concerns.

Their reports made clear that senior officials in the White House were aware of the impropriety and possible illegality of the Ukraine machinations well before Trump and Zelensky spoke on July 25.

In the period in between, other witnesses have said, Mulvaney abruptly froze $391 million in military aid already approved for Ukraine.

After the July 25 call, Vindman again reported his concerns to Eisenberg.

Vindman had listened to the call and said "there was no doubt" Trump was pressuring Ukraine for investigations that could help his 2020 reelection campaign.

But Eisenberg, according to Vindman and other witnesses, hid an abbreviated official transcript of the call in a highly classified computer filing system not normally used for such records, as if to prevent others from ever seeing it.

Two White House national security officials sounded alarms about improper pressure on Ukraine in early July, well before President Donald Trump's bombshell phone call with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky, according to impeachment testimony released Friday.

Two White House national security officials sounded alarms about improper pressure on Ukraine in early July, well before President Donald Trump's bombshell phone call with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky, according to impeachment testimony released Friday. Fiona Hill and Alexander Vindman told House investigators that on July 10, they reported concerns to White House attorney John Eisenberg over top Trump allies pressuring Kiev for political help for the US leader. That was two weeks before Trump spoke to Zelensky. Hill said she did so at the instruction of then-national security advisor John Bolton, who was adamantly opposed to the efforts to seek dirt from Ukraine on Trump's Democratic rivals. She and Vindman both said acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Trump-appointed Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland were behind the pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden. They said Sondland specifically pushed Ukrainian officials in July 10 meetings for a Biden-focused investigation in exchange for a high-profile meeting between Trump and Zelensky. Bolton was furious over the effort and halted the initial meeting that day, Hill said. But Sondland continued in a second meeting, saying it was policy stipulated by Mulvaney, Trump's top aide in the Oval Office. "You go and tell Eisenberg that I am not part of whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up on this," Hill said Bolton told her. "You go and tell him what you've heard and what I've said." Nevertheless, on July 25 Trump delivered the same message to Zelensky -- that cooperation, including a meeting and military aid, could be contingent on Ukraine opening the investigations the White House sought. That phone call, after it was exposed by an intelligence community whistleblower, sparked the Congressional investigation that now has Trump facing impeachment for abuse of office. Sondland drove 'Burisma' probe Hill, who was the National Security Council's senior director for Europe and Russia at the time, and Vindman, a Ukraine expert who worked under her, said they took part in a July 10 meeting with Ukraine officials in Bolton's office in the White House. Sondland and US Energy Secretary Rick Perry were also in the meeting. "The meeting proceeded well until the Ukrainians broached the subject of a meeting between the two presidents," Vindman recounted. Sondland "said that he had had a conversation with Mr Mulvaney, and this is what was required in order to get a meeting," Vindman said. At that point, Bolton curtly ended the meeting, both Hill and Vindman said. But minutes later in another White House room, Sondland continued to press the investigations requirement with the Ukrainians, further alarming the two officials. Hill said Sondland specifically mentioned Burisma, the Ukraine energy company where Biden's son Hunter had been a director. Trump has repeatedly accused the Bidens of unspecified "corruption" due to that relationship. Separately, Hill and Vindman went to Eisenberg, the White House attorney in charge of national security matters, with their concerns. Their reports made clear that senior officials in the White House were aware of the impropriety and possible illegality of the Ukraine machinations well before Trump and Zelensky spoke on July 25. In the period in between, other witnesses have said, Mulvaney abruptly froze $391 million in military aid already approved for Ukraine. After the July 25 call, Vindman again reported his concerns to Eisenberg. Vindman had listened to the call and said "there was no doubt" Trump was pressuring Ukraine for investigations that could help his 2020 reelection campaign. But Eisenberg, according to Vindman and other witnesses, hid an abbreviated official transcript of the call in a highly classified computer filing system not normally used for such records, as if to prevent others from ever seeing it.

Officials raised alarm over White House Ukraine talks in early July: Testimony

The outgoing president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday he believes the US will not impose new tariffs on imported European cars in the coming days.

President Donald Trump's administration has been threatening since last year to impose tariffs on auto imports to defend the US automaking sector, a symbol of American manufacturing.

After postponing such measures in May, Trump is due to decide by mid-November whether to impose the supplemental tariffs on cars built in EU countries -- a step particularly feared by the big German automakers.&nbsp;

But in an interview with a German newspaper, Juncker said he was "fully informed" on the issue and that Trump "will not do it".

"Trump will criticise a little, but there will not be tariffs on cars," he told the Suddeutsche Zeitung published Friday.

If adopted, it would mark the latest escalation of the trade conflict between Brussels and Washington, coming only weeks after the US imposed new punitive taxes on European products worth $7.5 billion.&nbsp;

That increase came in mid-October, four days after the World Trade Organisation (WTO) gave Washington a green light to take retaliatory trade measures against the EU over its subsidies to European aerospace giant Airbus.&nbsp;

The United States also imposed heightened tariffs last year on EU-made steel and aluminium products.

On November 3, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross suggested Washington may not need to impose new customs taxes on auto imports.

"We've had very good conversations with our European friends, with our Japanese friends, with our Korean friends," Ross said.

The outgoing president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday he believes the US will not impose new tariffs on imported European cars in the coming days.

The outgoing president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday he believes the US will not impose new tariffs on imported European cars in the coming days. President Donald Trump's administration has been threatening since last year to impose tariffs on auto imports to defend the US automaking sector, a symbol of American manufacturing. After postponing such measures in May, Trump is due to decide by mid-November whether to impose the supplemental tariffs on cars built in EU countries -- a step particularly feared by the big German automakers. But in an interview with a German newspaper, Juncker said he was "fully informed" on the issue and that Trump "will not do it". "Trump will criticise a little, but there will not be tariffs on cars," he told the Suddeutsche Zeitung published Friday. If adopted, it would mark the latest escalation of the trade conflict between Brussels and Washington, coming only weeks after the US imposed new punitive taxes on European products worth $7.5 billion. That increase came in mid-October, four days after the World Trade Organisation (WTO) gave Washington a green light to take retaliatory trade measures against the EU over its subsidies to European aerospace giant Airbus. The United States also imposed heightened tariffs last year on EU-made steel and aluminium products. On November 3, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross suggested Washington may not need to impose new customs taxes on auto imports. "We've had very good conversations with our European friends, with our Japanese friends, with our Korean friends," Ross said.

Trump will not impose tariffs on European Union cars: Juncker

Angry kin of nine American citizens massacred in a suspected gangland ambush in northern Mexico urged the government to accept US help to destroy drug cartels that one grieving relative described as being "as bad or worse than ISIS."

Funerals of the three mothers and six children began to be held in Mexico on Thursday after the government said they were caught in the crossfire of a territorial feud between the Juarez Cartel and its rival the Sinaloa Cartel on Monday.

The victims belonged to three families of dual US-Mexican citizenship born to breakaway Mormon communities founded in the north of Mexico several decades ago, and mourners came from thousands of miles to pay their last respects.

Sadness and anger gripped grieving relatives, and some urged Mexico's leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to accept US President Donald Trump's offer to help crush the gangs.

"I really believe that the cartels in Mexico have moved to another level of barbarity, they are as bad or worse than ISIS. ISIS have an ideology," said Rosa LeBaron, 65, whose cousins, nieces and nephews died in the attacks. "These sicarios (hitmen), why are they doing it? Out of greed and pure evil."

She said Mexico needed to overcome pride, and accept outside help from a neighbouring country or international coalition, like the United Nations, to stamp out the cartels.

"This is so beyond comprehension, we're living like we're in Afghanistan, 100 miles from the US border," said LeBaron.

More than 250,000 Mexicans have been killed in the mounting violence that has gripped the country since 2007, many of them victims of drug-related violence.

"They have to wipe these bad men out of Mexico just like the coalition that goes into Syria and these places."

Julian LeBaron, another relative of the victims and a local activist, said he would welcome outside assistance to find the killers, adding that he didn't think Mexico's government was capable of stopping violence and impunity.

"If the United States or Canada offers to help us, or if extraterrestrials offer to help us, of course, we're going to accept it," he told local news outlet Uno TV. "The institutions are corrupt, they're rotten to the core."

President Lopez Obrador said he believed that Mexico could resolve its security problems without foreign "intervention," but he has opened the door to FBI cooperation provided the country's national sovereignty is not violated.

The slaughter of the women and children in their cars on an isolated dirt road in the border state of Sonora sparked revulsion and outrage in the United States just as Trump is gearing up for his re-election campaign in 2020.

One Republican Senator, Josh Hawley from Missouri, reacted on Twitter by saying that the United States should impose sanctions on Mexican officials "who won't confront cartels."

Republican Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas told Fox News earlier this week "the only thing that can counteract bullets is more and bigger bullets," suggesting the United States may need to intervene.

The killings follow a series of mass shootings that have piled pressure on Lopez Obrador to make good on his 2018 election campaign pledge to end years of violence.

However, he has resisted taking a tougher line with the gangs, instead pursuing a strategy of non-confrontation he calls "hugs not bullets" and arguing he can end violence by addressing the root causes of crime such as poverty and joblessness.

Adrian LeBaron, whose daughter and grandchildren died in the attack, reflected the views of several other relatives who said they had little faith in Mexico's judicial system and federal government, but still hopes the country will rise to the challenge.

"I love Mexico, and this happened in Mexico, and these children are Mexican," he said. "The FBI, the whole world, must be dying to do something, but it wouldn't be right... we should be able to do it."

Angry kin of nine American citizens massacred in a suspected gangland ambush in northern Mexico urged the government to accept US help to destroy drug cartels that one grieving relative described as being "as bad or worse than ISIS.

Angry kin of nine American citizens massacred in a suspected gangland ambush in northern Mexico urged the government to accept US help to destroy drug cartels that one grieving relative described as being "as bad or worse than ISIS." Funerals of the three mothers and six children began to be held in Mexico on Thursday after the government said they were caught in the crossfire of a territorial feud between the Juarez Cartel and its rival the Sinaloa Cartel on Monday. The victims belonged to three families of dual US-Mexican citizenship born to breakaway Mormon communities founded in the north of Mexico several decades ago, and mourners came from thousands of miles to pay their last respects. Sadness and anger gripped grieving relatives, and some urged Mexico's leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to accept US President Donald Trump's offer to help crush the gangs. "I really believe that the cartels in Mexico have moved to another level of barbarity, they are as bad or worse than ISIS. ISIS have an ideology," said Rosa LeBaron, 65, whose cousins, nieces and nephews died in the attacks. "These sicarios (hitmen), why are they doing it? Out of greed and pure evil." She said Mexico needed to overcome pride, and accept outside help from a neighbouring country or international coalition, like the United Nations, to stamp out the cartels. "This is so beyond comprehension, we're living like we're in Afghanistan, 100 miles from the US border," said LeBaron. More than 250,000 Mexicans have been killed in the mounting violence that has gripped the country since 2007, many of them victims of drug-related violence. "They have to wipe these bad men out of Mexico just like the coalition that goes into Syria and these places." Julian LeBaron, another relative of the victims and a local activist, said he would welcome outside assistance to find the killers, adding that he didn't think Mexico's government was capable of stopping violence and impunity. "If the United States or Canada offers to help us, or if extraterrestrials offer to help us, of course, we're going to accept it," he told local news outlet Uno TV. "The institutions are corrupt, they're rotten to the core." President Lopez Obrador said he believed that Mexico could resolve its security problems without foreign "intervention," but he has opened the door to FBI cooperation provided the country's national sovereignty is not violated. The slaughter of the women and children in their cars on an isolated dirt road in the border state of Sonora sparked revulsion and outrage in the United States just as Trump is gearing up for his re-election campaign in 2020. One Republican Senator, Josh Hawley from Missouri, reacted on Twitter by saying that the United States should impose sanctions on Mexican officials "who won't confront cartels." Republican Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas told Fox News earlier this week "the only thing that can counteract bullets is more and bigger bullets," suggesting the United States may need to intervene. The killings follow a series of mass shootings that have piled pressure on Lopez Obrador to make good on his 2018 election campaign pledge to end years of violence. However, he has resisted taking a tougher line with the gangs, instead pursuing a strategy of non-confrontation he calls "hugs not bullets" and arguing he can end violence by addressing the root causes of crime such as poverty and joblessness. Adrian LeBaron, whose daughter and grandchildren died in the attack, reflected the views of several other relatives who said they had little faith in Mexico's judicial system and federal government, but still hopes the country will rise to the challenge. "I love Mexico, and this happened in Mexico, and these children are Mexican," he said. "The FBI, the whole world, must be dying to do something, but it wouldn't be right... we should be able to do it."

Mexican cartels 'worse than IS': massacre victims' kin urge US help

A New York state judge on Thursday ordered U.S. President Donald Trump to pay $2 million (USD) for misusing his namesake charitable foundation, resulting in funds being distributed to his 2016 presidential campaign.

NY Judge fines U.S. Prez Trump with $2 million for misusing his namesake

United States President Donald Trump on Friday said he wanted to raise the minimum age for the purchase of e-cigarettes from 18 to 21 as part of a plan to curtail youth vaping.

But he also indicated that he was concerned about the impact of regulation on business, in a sign that the administration is considering stepping back from a previously announced complete ban on flavoured e-juices that are popular among adolescents.

"We're going to be coming out with a very important position on vaping. We have to take care of our kids most importantly, so we're going to have an age limit of 21 or so" he told reporters, adding that a policy would be announced "next week."

The administration announced in September it would soon ban flavoured products, but it appeared lobbying efforts by the vaping industry may have changed that position.

"We have a lot of people to look at, including jobs frankly," said Trump. "It has become a big industry. We're gonna take care of it."

The vaping industry is facing unprecedented scrutiny amid a mysterious epidemic of lung conditions linked to e-cigarette use that has killed 39 people and sickened more than 2,000 in the US in recent months.

Investigators say no single substance is behind the outbreak, but preliminary work has linked a cutting agent used in cannabis flavourings, usually sold on the black market, to lung injury.

The federal minimum age for purchasing tobacco products is 18, but states can also set their own law and several have already passed bills restricting their sale to people aged 21 and over.

United States President Donald Trump on Friday said he wanted to raise the minimum age for the purchase of e-cigarettes from 18 to 21 as part of a plan to curtail youth vaping.

United States President Donald Trump on Friday said he wanted to raise the minimum age for the purchase of e-cigarettes from 18 to 21 as part of a plan to curtail youth vaping. But he also indicated that he was concerned about the impact of regulation on business, in a sign that the administration is considering stepping back from a previously announced complete ban on flavoured e-juices that are popular among adolescents. "We're going to be coming out with a very important position on vaping. We have to take care of our kids most importantly, so we're going to have an age limit of 21 or so" he told reporters, adding that a policy would be announced "next week." The administration announced in September it would soon ban flavoured products, but it appeared lobbying efforts by the vaping industry may have changed that position. "We have a lot of people to look at, including jobs frankly," said Trump. "It has become a big industry. We're gonna take care of it." The vaping industry is facing unprecedented scrutiny amid a mysterious epidemic of lung conditions linked to e-cigarette use that has killed 39 people and sickened more than 2,000 in the US in recent months. Investigators say no single substance is behind the outbreak, but preliminary work has linked a cutting agent used in cannabis flavourings, usually sold on the black market, to lung injury. The federal minimum age for purchasing tobacco products is 18, but states can also set their own law and several have already passed bills restricting their sale to people aged 21 and over.

Trump wants to raise minimum age for vaping to 21

A top US diplomat told congressional investigators that President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani conducted a "campaign full of lies" against the US ambassador to Ukraine before she was recalled from her post, according to a transcript of his testimony released on Thursday.

George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, told the Trump impeachment inquiry that he was also subject to attacks by Giuliani but was told to "keep my head down" by a senior State Department official.

The Democratic-led inquiry in the House of Representatives is focused on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Joe Biden, a former vice president and now a leading Democratic rival in the November 2020 presidential election.

Giuliani is central to the inquiry and has been mentioned frequently in testimony by State Department diplomats who have painted a picture of the former New York City mayor running a shadow US policy toward Ukraine to pressure it to carry out a corruption investigation into Biden and his son, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company.

Kent mentioned Giuliani 73 times in his testimony to lawmakers delivered behind closed doors on October 15 but only released on Thursday.

Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, was abruptly pulled from her post in May. Kent said Giuliani conducted a smear campaign against the envoy.

"His assertions and allegations against former Ambassador Yovanovitch were without basis, untrue, period," Kent testified.

"Mr Giuliani, at that point, had been carrying on a campaign for several months full of lies and incorrect information about Ambassador Yovanovitch, so this was a continuation of his campaign of lies," Kent said.

Neither Giuliani nor a lawyer for him responded immediately to requests for comment on Kent's testimony.

Kent said Ukrainian officials understood when they met Giuliani that he was not a regular private citizen and understood he represented Trump.

"Giuliani was not consulting with the State Department about what he was doing in the first half of 2019. And to the best of my knowledge, he's never suggested that he was promoting US policy," Kent said.

For nearly a year, Giuliani has pursued unsubstantiated allegations that Biden pushed to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor to stop him from investigating Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company on the board of which Biden's son, Hunter, served.

Giuliani also told Reuters he played a role in the effort to remove Yovanovitch.

Star witnesses

Democrats have been releasing transcripts of the closed-door interviews as they prepare for public hearings in Congress next week. Kent is among the three US diplomats who will serve as star witnesses.

Lawmakers are trying to determine whether Trump froze $391 million in US&nbsp;security assistance for Ukraine to put pressure on Zelenskiy to conduct the investigation, thus misusing US foreign policy for his personal gain.

Trump's defenders say there is no evidence of him and the Ukrainian president engaging in a "quid pro quo" - exchanging favour for favour - because the aid to Ukraine was released and Zelenskiy never explicitly promised anything.

A quid pro quo is not necessary to prove high crimes or misdemeanours, which is the standard the US Constitution requires for the impeachment of a president.

Kent and William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, will testify on November 13. Yovanovitch will testify on November&nbsp;15.

Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee Thursday night to appear on Friday, an official working on the inquiry said. This week, the White House rebuffed a committee request for Mulvaney to appear.

Mulvaney caused a stir with a statement at an October 17 news conference that the White House had withheld security assistance for Ukraine. "There is going to be political influence in foreign policy," he said.

If the Democratic-controlled House votes to impeach Trump, the Republican-controlled Senate would then hold a trial on whether to remove him from office.

Senate Republicans have so far shown little appetite for ousting the president.

The impeachment inquiry met on Thursday for the first time with an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, but former national security adviser John Bolton failed to heed a request to appear.

Lawmakers are also seeking to find out how much Pence knew about efforts by Trump and those around him to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son.

Jennifer Williams, a career foreign service officer and special adviser to Pence for Europe and Russia, was testifying to members of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees after receiving a subpoena to compel her testimony.

Williams told investigators she found Trump's July call with Zelenskiy unusual because it was political, not diplomatic in nature, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source.

But she did not raise concerns about the call with her superiors and, when asked what Pence knew, said she never heard him mention anything about investigation of the 2016 elections, Burisma or the Bidens.

Bolton, a foreign policy hawk fired by Trump in September, was also called to appear on Thursday but did not show, and his attorney said he would not testify voluntarily.

An official of the House Intelligence Committee said Bolton had threatened to take the committee to court if it subpoenas him. A congressional source said the inquiry was unlikely to go down that route.

Bolton's office and his attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

The Washington Post, citing people familiar with Bolton's views, said although he is willing, he wants to first see how a court battle between Congress and the White House over the constitutionality of the subpoenas shakes out.

The battle is likely to go to the Supreme Court and could spill into next year.

A top US diplomat told congressional investigators that President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani conducted a "campaign full of lies" against the US ambassador to Ukraine before she was recalled from her post, according to a transcript of his testimony released on Thursday.

A top US diplomat told congressional investigators that President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani conducted a "campaign full of lies" against the US ambassador to Ukraine before she was recalled from her post, according to a transcript of his testimony released on Thursday. George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, told the Trump impeachment inquiry that he was also subject to attacks by Giuliani but was told to "keep my head down" by a senior State Department official. The Democratic-led inquiry in the House of Representatives is focused on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Joe Biden, a former vice president and now a leading Democratic rival in the November 2020 presidential election. Giuliani is central to the inquiry and has been mentioned frequently in testimony by State Department diplomats who have painted a picture of the former New York City mayor running a shadow US policy toward Ukraine to pressure it to carry out a corruption investigation into Biden and his son, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company. Kent mentioned Giuliani 73 times in his testimony to lawmakers delivered behind closed doors on October 15 but only released on Thursday. Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, was abruptly pulled from her post in May. Kent said Giuliani conducted a smear campaign against the envoy. "His assertions and allegations against former Ambassador Yovanovitch were without basis, untrue, period," Kent testified. "Mr Giuliani, at that point, had been carrying on a campaign for several months full of lies and incorrect information about Ambassador Yovanovitch, so this was a continuation of his campaign of lies," Kent said. Neither Giuliani nor a lawyer for him responded immediately to requests for comment on Kent's testimony. Kent said Ukrainian officials understood when they met Giuliani that he was not a regular private citizen and understood he represented Trump. "Giuliani was not consulting with the State Department about what he was doing in the first half of 2019. And to the best of my knowledge, he's never suggested that he was promoting US policy," Kent said. For nearly a year, Giuliani has pursued unsubstantiated allegations that Biden pushed to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor to stop him from investigating Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company on the board of which Biden's son, Hunter, served. Giuliani also told Reuters he played a role in the effort to remove Yovanovitch. Star witnesses Democrats have been releasing transcripts of the closed-door interviews as they prepare for public hearings in Congress next week. Kent is among the three US diplomats who will serve as star witnesses. Lawmakers are trying to determine whether Trump froze $391 million in US security assistance for Ukraine to put pressure on Zelenskiy to conduct the investigation, thus misusing US foreign policy for his personal gain. Trump's defenders say there is no evidence of him and the Ukrainian president engaging in a "quid pro quo" - exchanging favour for favour - because the aid to Ukraine was released and Zelenskiy never explicitly promised anything. A quid pro quo is not necessary to prove high crimes or misdemeanours, which is the standard the US Constitution requires for the impeachment of a president. Kent and William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, will testify on November 13. Yovanovitch will testify on November 15. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee Thursday night to appear on Friday, an official working on the inquiry said. This week, the White House rebuffed a committee request for Mulvaney to appear. Mulvaney caused a stir with a statement at an October 17 news conference that the White House had withheld security assistance for Ukraine. "There is going to be political influence in foreign policy," he said. If the Democratic-controlled House votes to impeach Trump, the Republican-controlled Senate would then hold a trial on whether to remove him from office. Senate Republicans have so far shown little appetite for ousting the president. The impeachment inquiry met on Thursday for the first time with an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, but former national security adviser John Bolton failed to heed a request to appear. Lawmakers are also seeking to find out how much Pence knew about efforts by Trump and those around him to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son. Jennifer Williams, a career foreign service officer and special adviser to Pence for Europe and Russia, was testifying to members of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees after receiving a subpoena to compel her testimony. Williams told investigators she found Trump's July call with Zelenskiy unusual because it was political, not diplomatic in nature, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source. But she did not raise concerns about the call with her superiors and, when asked what Pence knew, said she never heard him mention anything about investigation of the 2016 elections, Burisma or the Bidens. Bolton, a foreign policy hawk fired by Trump in September, was also called to appear on Thursday but did not show, and his attorney said he would not testify voluntarily. An official of the House Intelligence Committee said Bolton had threatened to take the committee to court if it subpoenas him. A congressional source said the inquiry was unlikely to go down that route. Bolton's office and his attorney did not respond to a request for comment. The Washington Post, citing people familiar with Bolton's views, said although he is willing, he wants to first see how a court battle between Congress and the White House over the constitutionality of the subpoenas shakes out. The battle is likely to go to the Supreme Court and could spill into next year.

US diplomat says Giuliani waged campaign of 'lies' against envoy to Ukraine

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