President Donald Trump said Friday he has not agreed to roll back tariffs on Chinese imports, dampening recent optimism for a major de-escalation in the US-China trade war.

Trump's remarks appeared to push back against Beijing's claims this week that the two sides had agreed to remove tariffs in stages as part of a partial deal announced last month.

Hopes for progress in defusing trade tensions have driven global stocks higher this month.&nbsp;

"They would like to have a rollback. I haven't agreed to anything,"&nbsp;Trump told reporters at the White House.&nbsp;

"China would like to get somewhat of a rollback, not a complete rollback, because they know I won't do it."

Beijing, however, said such this week the two sides had already agreed to mutual tariff reductions.

Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng announced Thursday US and Chinese officials had "agreed to roll back the additional tariffs in stages, as progress is made towards a (final) agreement."

The United States and China have imposed steep tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in two-way trade, and another round of US duties are set to hit on December 15 on $160 billion in Chinese goods.

Trump again said Beijing is eager for a deal because their economy is hurting, although economic data show the conflict has hit US businesses as well, and the uncertainty over the dispute between the economic powers is undermining global growth.

"They would like to make a deal much more than I do," Trump said, adding that the initial agreement will be signed "in our country," possibly in Iowa.

Investors worldwide have been cheered in recent days by reports quoting sources in Washington and Beijing saying duties already imposed could be removed in a proportional way.

But markets also have been buffeted by conflicting comments from White House officials, including China hardliner Peter Navarro who earlier Friday cast doubt on any plans to remove punitive duties.

"What is on the table is tariffs coming in December, December 15," Peter Navarro told NPR radio. "We would be willing I think,&nbsp;it's up to the president,&nbsp;to postpone those tariffs."

"But not roll back any existing tariffs. That's a fine distinction here."

White House economic aide Larry Kudlow was less categorical, telling Bloomberg on Thursday that if the sides reach a phase one trade deal, "there are going to be tariff agreements and concessions."

Trump administration officials, on the other hand, have been upbeat about the general prospects for a mini deal but without revealing any details.

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham told Fox News Channel: "we are very, very optimistic that we will reach a deal soon."

President Donald Trump said Friday he has not agreed to roll back tariffs on Chinese imports, dampening recent optimism for a major de-escalation in the US-China trade war.

President Donald Trump said Friday he has not agreed to roll back tariffs on Chinese imports, dampening recent optimism for a major de-escalation in the US-China trade war. Trump's remarks appeared to push back against Beijing's claims this week that the two sides had agreed to remove tariffs in stages as part of a partial deal announced last month. Hopes for progress in defusing trade tensions have driven global stocks higher this month. "They would like to have a rollback. I haven't agreed to anything," Trump told reporters at the White House. "China would like to get somewhat of a rollback, not a complete rollback, because they know I won't do it." Beijing, however, said such this week the two sides had already agreed to mutual tariff reductions. Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng announced Thursday US and Chinese officials had "agreed to roll back the additional tariffs in stages, as progress is made towards a (final) agreement." The United States and China have imposed steep tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in two-way trade, and another round of US duties are set to hit on December 15 on $160 billion in Chinese goods. Trump again said Beijing is eager for a deal because their economy is hurting, although economic data show the conflict has hit US businesses as well, and the uncertainty over the dispute between the economic powers is undermining global growth. "They would like to make a deal much more than I do," Trump said, adding that the initial agreement will be signed "in our country," possibly in Iowa. Investors worldwide have been cheered in recent days by reports quoting sources in Washington and Beijing saying duties already imposed could be removed in a proportional way. But markets also have been buffeted by conflicting comments from White House officials, including China hardliner Peter Navarro who earlier Friday cast doubt on any plans to remove punitive duties. "What is on the table is tariffs coming in December, December 15," Peter Navarro told NPR radio. "We would be willing I think, it's up to the president, to postpone those tariffs." "But not roll back any existing tariffs. That's a fine distinction here." White House economic aide Larry Kudlow was less categorical, telling Bloomberg on Thursday that if the sides reach a phase one trade deal, "there are going to be tariff agreements and concessions." Trump administration officials, on the other hand, have been upbeat about the general prospects for a mini deal but without revealing any details. White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham told Fox News Channel: "we are very, very optimistic that we will reach a deal soon."

No agreement on China tariff rollback: Trump

United States President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-york-judge-orders-trump-to-pay-2-million-for-misusing-namesake-charity-260638">Donald Trump</a> mocked "little" billionaire and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday, saying his potential opponent for the 2020 election would fail if he joined the race.

"He doesn't have the magic to do well... Little Michael will fail," Trump told reporters at the White House as he headed to the southern state of Georgia to rally support.

Bloomberg, 77, is expected to enter the race Friday to become the Democratic nominee for US president, setting up a showdown with fellow septuagenarian Joe Biden as the leading centrist candidate.&nbsp;

He is expected to file paperwork in at least one state declaring himself a candidate, according to multiple outlets including The New York Times.

Bloomberg had said back in March he wouldn't run, but more recently has been toying with the idea of throwing his hat in the ring, according to an advisor.

He sent members of staff to Alabama to gather the signatures required&nbsp;to register for its primary ahead of the deadline Friday in anticipation of a bid, the reports said.

Bloomberg advisor Howard Wolfson said in a statement that the billionaire wanted to ensure that the job of defeating Trump was seen through in 2020.

"He's not going to do well, but I think he's going to hurt Biden actually," <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-defiant-at-louisiana-rally-after-democrat-wins-260535">Trump</a> added.

"There's nobody I'd rather run against than Little Michael."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/who-is-michael-bloomberg-a-profile-of-expected-democratic-contender-for-us-presidential-race-260806">In pictures:&nbsp;Who is Michael Bloomberg? A profile of expected Democratic contender for US presidential race</a>

United States President Donald Trump mocked "little" billionaire and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday, saying his potential opponent for the 2020 election would fail if he joined the race.

United States President Donald Trump mocked "little" billionaire and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday, saying his potential opponent for the 2020 election would fail if he joined the race. "He doesn't have the magic to do well... Little Michael will fail," Trump told reporters at the White House as he headed to the southern state of Georgia to rally support. Bloomberg, 77, is expected to enter the race Friday to become the Democratic nominee for US president, setting up a showdown with fellow septuagenarian Joe Biden as the leading centrist candidate. He is expected to file paperwork in at least one state declaring himself a candidate, according to multiple outlets including The New York Times. Bloomberg had said back in March he wouldn't run, but more recently has been toying with the idea of throwing his hat in the ring, according to an advisor. He sent members of staff to Alabama to gather the signatures required to register for its primary ahead of the deadline Friday in anticipation of a bid, the reports said. Bloomberg advisor Howard Wolfson said in a statement that the billionaire wanted to ensure that the job of defeating Trump was seen through in 2020. "He's not going to do well, but I think he's going to hurt Biden actually," Trump added. "There's nobody I'd rather run against than Little Michael." In pictures: Who is Michael Bloomberg? A profile of expected Democratic contender for US presidential race

Trump dismisses 'little' Michael Bloomberg's likely White House run

China and the United States have agreed to roll back tariffs on each others' goods in a "phase one" trade deal if it is completed, officials from both sides said on Thursday, sparking division among some advisers to President Donald Trump.

China and the United States have agreed to roll back tariffs on each others' goods in a "phase one" trade deal if it is completed, officials from both sides said on Thursday, sparking division among some advisers to President Donald Trump. The Chinese commerce ministry, without laying out a timetable, said the two countries had agreed to cancel the tariffs in phases. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the rollback would be part of the first phase of a trade agreement that is still being put to paper for Trump and President Xi Jinping to sign. White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told Fox News Channel the United States is "very, very optimistic" about completing a deal that would defuse a 16-month trade war between the world's two largest economies. "I cannot get ahead of the talks with China, but we are very, very optimistic that we will reach a deal soon," she said. Experts warn the pact could still fall apart. US officials said a lot of work remained to be done when Trump announced the outlines of an interim deal last month. Trump has used tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese goods as his primary weapon in the protracted trade war. The prospect of lifting them, even in phases, has drawn fierce opposition from advisers in and outside of the White House who remain wary of giving up a key aspect of US leverage. US stocks pared gains after Reuters reported that the plan faced internal opposition. "There is no specific agreement for a phased rollback of the tariffs," said Michael Pillsbury, an outside adviser to Trump. "The American side has been ambiguous when and which tariffs will be lifted. The Chinese have some wishful thinking and are trying to soothe their domestic hardliners that the tariffs will someday come off." If an interim deal is finished and signed, it is widely expected to include a US pledge to scrap tariffs scheduled for December 15 on about $156 billion worth of Chinese imports, including cell phones, laptop computers and toys. Tariff cancellation was an important condition for any agreement, Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said, adding that both must simultaneously cancel some tariffs on each other's goods to reach the phase one pact. "Both sides have agreed to cancel additional tariffs in different phases, as both sides make progress in their negotiations," Gao told a regular briefing. A spokesman for the US Treasury department declined to comment and the U.S. Trade Representative's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Republican lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to tie any tariff rollbacks to Beijing's compliance with specific elements of the agreement. "The tariffs should be phased out piece by piece as China complies," one congressional source said. Trump-Xi meeting In what could be another gesture to boost optimism, China's state news agency Xinhua reported late on Thursday that the Chinese customs and Ministry of Agriculture are considering removing restrictions on US poultry imports. China has banned all US poultry and eggs since January 2015 due to an avian influenza outbreak. The optimism over a phase one trade deal boosted stocks globally; bond yields shuffled higher. A source previously told Reuters that Chinese negotiators wanted the United States to drop 15% tariffs on about $125 billion worth of Chinese goods that took effect on Sept. 1. They also sought relief from earlier 25% tariffs on about $250 billion of imports, ranging from machinery and semiconductors to furniture. A person familiar with China's negotiating position said it was pressing Washington to "remove all tariffs as soon as possible". A deal may be signed before the end of the year by Trump and Xi at a yet-to-be determined location. Dozens of venues have been suggested for a meeting, which had originally been set to take place on the sidelines of a now-cancelled mid-November summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in Chile, a senior Trump administration official told Reuters on Wednesday. One possible location was London, where the leaders could meet after a NATO summit that Trump is due to attend from Dec. 3-4, the official said. Gao declined to say when and where such a meeting could be. Since Trump took office in 2017, his administration has been pressing China to curb massive subsidies to state-owned firms and end the forced transfer of American technology to Chinese firms as a price of doing business in China. The president's tough stance on China has earned him praise from his political base, and he may be reluctant to appear conciliatory on the issue going into his 2020 re-election campaign. But Trump has also sought to portray stock market gains as a reflection of his stewardship of the economy, and the market has reacted positively to any hints of an end to the two countries' trade dispute.

China, US agree tariff rollback if phase one trade deal is completed

A New York state judge ordered U.S. President Donald Trump to pay $2 million for misusing his namesake charitable foundation, resulting in funds being used to advance his 2016 presidential campaign.

Donald Trump to pay $2 Million for Charity Foundation misuse

The&nbsp;head&nbsp;of the&nbsp;U.N. agency&nbsp;for&nbsp;Palestinian&nbsp;refugees has resigned&nbsp;amid&nbsp;an internal&nbsp;probe&nbsp;into alleged mismanagement and ethical abuses at the organization, the United Nations said Wednesday.

"A short while ago, UNRWA's Commissioner-General, Pierre Krahenbuhl, informed the secretary-general that he was resigning, effective immediately,"&nbsp;U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a news briefing.

The&nbsp;U.N. earlier announced Krahenbuhl had been placed on administrative leave, to be replaced on an interim basis by the&nbsp;agency's acting deputy chief Christian Saunders.

An internal&nbsp;ethics&nbsp;report has alleged mismanagement and abuses of authority at the highest levels of the&nbsp;U.N. agency, which has also faced a financial crisis after the United States suspended and later cut all its funding for it in 2018.

U.N. investigators have been probing the allegations in the confidential report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

The report describes "credible and corroborated" allegations of serious ethical abuses, including ones involving Krahenbuhl, a Swiss national.

The&nbsp;agency&nbsp;confirmed Wednesday that its internal&nbsp;probe&nbsp;had so far "revealed management issues which relate specifically to the commissioner general."

According to a separate statement from&nbsp;U.N. headquarters, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said preliminary findings revealed no "fraud or misappropriation of operational funds" by Krahenbuhl.

"There are, however, managerial issues that need to be addressed," it said.

According to the confidential report, the allegations include senior management engaging in "sexual misconduct, nepotism, retaliation, discrimination and other abuses of authority, for personal gain, to suppress legitimate dissent, and to otherwise achieve their personal objectives."

Krahenbuhl himself was alleged to have been romantically involved with a colleague appointed in 2015 to a newly created role of senior adviser after an "extreme fast-track" process, the report says.

That enabled her to join him on international business class flights, the report alleges.

"I have rejected these accusations since the beginning and I continue to do so," Krahenbuhl told Swiss television station RTS.

"I can tell you clearly that there is no corruption case, nor fraud, nor mismanagement of funds received from donors," he said, adding that any personal relationship with a colleague "was confirmed as being non-existent by the internal report."&nbsp;

Describing an atmosphere of "hyperpolarization," Krahenbuhl said he stepped down in order to give the organization a needed "psychological shock."

Krahenbuhl's resignation comes as the&nbsp;U.N. General Assembly is due to renew U.N. RWA's mandate for another three years, despite fierce opposition from the United States, which considers it to be inadequate.

A number of other countries have suspended their contributions pending the outcome of the internal&nbsp;probe.

Guterres' spokesman said the secretary-general reiterated his "appreciation to UNRWA for their excellent work."

"At this time, it is vital that member states and other partners remain committed to UNRWA and the services it provides," Dujarric said.

"It is also critical for the international community to support the crucial work performed by the&nbsp;agency&nbsp;in the areas of health, education, and humanitarian assistance, which is a source of stability in a volatile region."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/public-hearings-in-trump-impeachment-probe-start-next-week-us-lawmaker-260398">US President Donald Trump's</a> administration, along with Israel, accuses UNRWA of perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian&nbsp;conflict.

The&nbsp;agency&nbsp;disputes that and says the services it provides would otherwise not be available to Palestinians.

Following Wednesday's announcement, Israel called the organization's operational model "unsustainable."

"The international community needs to find a new model that will provide humanitarian assistance to those who truly need it, and must remove from the agenda the futile idea of the return of the refugees," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

UNRWA was set up in the years after more than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled their lands during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel.

It provides schooling and medical services to millions of impoverished refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as the&nbsp;Palestinian&nbsp;territories, and employs around 30,000 people, mostly Palestinians.

A European diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity said he was "grateful for all (Krahenbuhl) did to stabilize the organization during a difficult time, but stepping aside now is the correct decision."

The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees has resigned amid an internal probe into alleged mismanagement and ethical abuses at the organization, the United Nations said Wednesday.

The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees has resigned amid an internal probe into alleged mismanagement and ethical abuses at the organization, the United Nations said Wednesday. "A short while ago, UNRWA's Commissioner-General, Pierre Krahenbuhl, informed the secretary-general that he was resigning, effective immediately," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a news briefing. The U.N. earlier announced Krahenbuhl had been placed on administrative leave, to be replaced on an interim basis by the agency's acting deputy chief Christian Saunders. An internal ethics report has alleged mismanagement and abuses of authority at the highest levels of the U.N. agency, which has also faced a financial crisis after the United States suspended and later cut all its funding for it in 2018. U.N. investigators have been probing the allegations in the confidential report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP. The report describes "credible and corroborated" allegations of serious ethical abuses, including ones involving Krahenbuhl, a Swiss national. The agency confirmed Wednesday that its internal probe had so far "revealed management issues which relate specifically to the commissioner general." According to a separate statement from U.N. headquarters, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said preliminary findings revealed no "fraud or misappropriation of operational funds" by Krahenbuhl. "There are, however, managerial issues that need to be addressed," it said. According to the confidential report, the allegations include senior management engaging in "sexual misconduct, nepotism, retaliation, discrimination and other abuses of authority, for personal gain, to suppress legitimate dissent, and to otherwise achieve their personal objectives." Krahenbuhl himself was alleged to have been romantically involved with a colleague appointed in 2015 to a newly created role of senior adviser after an "extreme fast-track" process, the report says. That enabled her to join him on international business class flights, the report alleges. "I have rejected these accusations since the beginning and I continue to do so," Krahenbuhl told Swiss television station RTS. "I can tell you clearly that there is no corruption case, nor fraud, nor mismanagement of funds received from donors," he said, adding that any personal relationship with a colleague "was confirmed as being non-existent by the internal report." Describing an atmosphere of "hyperpolarization," Krahenbuhl said he stepped down in order to give the organization a needed "psychological shock." Krahenbuhl's resignation comes as the U.N. General Assembly is due to renew U.N. RWA's mandate for another three years, despite fierce opposition from the United States, which considers it to be inadequate. A number of other countries have suspended their contributions pending the outcome of the internal probe. Guterres' spokesman said the secretary-general reiterated his "appreciation to UNRWA for their excellent work." "At this time, it is vital that member states and other partners remain committed to UNRWA and the services it provides," Dujarric said. "It is also critical for the international community to support the crucial work performed by the agency in the areas of health, education, and humanitarian assistance, which is a source of stability in a volatile region." US President Donald Trump's administration, along with Israel, accuses UNRWA of perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The agency disputes that and says the services it provides would otherwise not be available to Palestinians. Following Wednesday's announcement, Israel called the organization's operational model "unsustainable." "The international community needs to find a new model that will provide humanitarian assistance to those who truly need it, and must remove from the agenda the futile idea of the return of the refugees," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. UNRWA was set up in the years after more than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled their lands during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel. It provides schooling and medical services to millions of impoverished refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as the Palestinian territories, and employs around 30,000 people, mostly Palestinians. A European diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity said he was "grateful for all (Krahenbuhl) did to stabilize the organization during a difficult time, but stepping aside now is the correct decision."

Head of U.N. Palestinian agency resigns amid ethics probe

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Wednesday and the two leaders reconfirmed they will meet in Washington on Nov. 13 at Trump's invitation, Turkish officials said.

Earlier this week, three Turkish officials had said Erdogan might call off the visit in protest of votes in the US&nbsp;House of Representatives to recognise mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide and to seek sanctions on Turkey.

However, officials on Wednesday said the visit would go ahead and that the two leaders had exchanged views on bilateral issues and regional developments during their phone call.

Turkish sources say Trump and Erdogan have a strong bond despite anger in Congress over Turkey's Syria offensive and its purchase of Russian air defences, and despite what Ankara sees as the US&nbsp;president's own erratic pronouncements.

Those personal ties could prove crucial, given NATO member Turkey's purchase of Moscow's S-400 missile defence system, which under US&nbsp;law should trigger sanctions.

Turkey has already been suspended from the F-35 fighter jet programme in which it was both joint producer and customer, and the offensive it launched against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria on Oct. 9 set the stage for further US&nbsp;retaliation.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday and the two leaders reconfirmed they will meet in Washington on Nov. 13 at Trump's invitation, Turkish officials said.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday and the two leaders reconfirmed they will meet in Washington on Nov. 13 at Trump's invitation, Turkish officials said. Earlier this week, three Turkish officials had said Erdogan might call off the visit in protest of votes in the US House of Representatives to recognise mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide and to seek sanctions on Turkey. However, officials on Wednesday said the visit would go ahead and that the two leaders had exchanged views on bilateral issues and regional developments during their phone call. Turkish sources say Trump and Erdogan have a strong bond despite anger in Congress over Turkey's Syria offensive and its purchase of Russian air defences, and despite what Ankara sees as the US president's own erratic pronouncements. Those personal ties could prove crucial, given NATO member Turkey's purchase of Moscow's S-400 missile defence system, which under US law should trigger sanctions. Turkey has already been suspended from the F-35 fighter jet programme in which it was both joint producer and customer, and the offensive it launched against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria on Oct. 9 set the stage for further US retaliation.

Turkey's Erdogan speaks with Trump, to visit Washington next week

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Wednesday (November 6) departed Washington for a campaign stop, amid reports that the White House was expected to expand its communications team to bolster its defense against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/public-hearings-in-trump-impeachment-probe-start-next-week-us-lawmaker-260398">impeachment</a>.

Trump, who was departing Washington for a political rally in Louisiana, ignored shouted questions from reporters on impeachment including whether he was concerned about the first public hearings on his impeachment scheduled for November 13th and 15th.

The White House is said to be bringing on former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Treasury Department spokesman Tony Sayegh to help make its case in the weeks to come, according to a senior administration official.

Democrats will bring their impeachment case against Trump directly to the public with televised congressional hearings next week, lawmakers said on Wednesday (November 6).

Three US&nbsp;diplomats who expressed alarm about President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine will serve as star witnesses when Democrats bring their impeachment case against Trump directly to the public with televised congressional hearings next week, lawmakers said on Wednesday.

In a preview of what is to come, lawmakers leading the probe released testimony that showed the top US&nbsp;diplomat in Ukraine, William Taylor, believed a White House-led effort to pressure Kiev to investigate Ukrainian energy company Burisma was motivated by a desire to help Trump win re-election next year.

Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, served on Burisma's board of directors. Joe Biden is a leading Democratic contender to face Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Televised public hearings featuring US&nbsp;officials testifying in Congress about alleged wrongdoing by Trump could crowd out other issues like the economy and immigration as voters turn their minds to the November 2020 election.

The hearings would be a likely prelude to articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump being brought to a vote in the House.

Democrats said they had enough material to move forward with public impeachment hearings even though some Trump administration officials have refused to cooperate.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (November 6) departed Washington for a campaign stop, amid reports that the White House was expected to expand its communications team to bolster its defense against impeachment.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (November 6) departed Washington for a campaign stop, amid reports that the White House was expected to expand its communications team to bolster its defense against impeachment. Trump, who was departing Washington for a political rally in Louisiana, ignored shouted questions from reporters on impeachment including whether he was concerned about the first public hearings on his impeachment scheduled for November 13th and 15th. The White House is said to be bringing on former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Treasury Department spokesman Tony Sayegh to help make its case in the weeks to come, according to a senior administration official. Democrats will bring their impeachment case against Trump directly to the public with televised congressional hearings next week, lawmakers said on Wednesday (November 6). Three US diplomats who expressed alarm about President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine will serve as star witnesses when Democrats bring their impeachment case against Trump directly to the public with televised congressional hearings next week, lawmakers said on Wednesday. In a preview of what is to come, lawmakers leading the probe released testimony that showed the top US diplomat in Ukraine, William Taylor, believed a White House-led effort to pressure Kiev to investigate Ukrainian energy company Burisma was motivated by a desire to help Trump win re-election next year. Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, served on Burisma's board of directors. Joe Biden is a leading Democratic contender to face Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Televised public hearings featuring US officials testifying in Congress about alleged wrongdoing by Trump could crowd out other issues like the economy and immigration as voters turn their minds to the November 2020 election. The hearings would be a likely prelude to articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump being brought to a vote in the House. Democrats said they had enough material to move forward with public impeachment hearings even though some Trump administration officials have refused to cooperate.

Ahead of impeachment hearings, Trump may expand communications team to bolster defense

Europe's share markets hit a more than 4-year peak and bond yields shuffled higher on Thursday, as Beijing signalled a 'phase 1' <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/china-says-it-has-agreed-with-united-states-to-cancel-tariffs-in-phases-260538">trade deal</a> with the United States was close to being sealed.

Asia had been quiet overnight but things sparked just before Europe opened when China's commerce ministry said the world's two economic giants were working on a deal that would roll back trade tariffs in different stages.

Cue optimism. The pan-European STOXX 600 index&nbsp;rose 0.4 percent&nbsp;to its highest since July 2015 led by the export-heavy DAX&nbsp;percent&nbsp;in Frankfurt despite worse-than-expected German industrial output data.

European government bond yields -- which move inverse to the price -- rose too. Benchmark Bund yields were heading towards their highest in more than three months while the dollar took background from the safe-haven yen in the currency markets.

"Everything is moving together for now on this trade deal news," said Saxo Bank's head of FX strategy John Hardy. "The question is, how much was already baked into the cake and can we really see more specifics?" he added.

Among the top gainers across European sub-sectors were automakers&nbsp;and miners,&nbsp;while defensive plays such as telecoms and utilities fell, which all pointed to higher risk appetite.

E-Mini futures for the S&amp;P 500, which has already set a new record high this week, were also a solid 0.5&nbsp;percent&nbsp;better off.

Asia, in contrast, had barely budged. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan&nbsp;dipped a slight 0.2 percent, just off a six-month high hit earlier in the week.

Japan's Nikkei dithered either side of flat in very quiet trade, having touched a 13-month top on Wednesday. South Korean stocks&nbsp;stalled after hitting their highest since May, while Shanghai blue chips&nbsp;eked out a 0.2&nbsp;percent&nbsp;rise.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that a meeting between US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to sign the interim trade deal could be delayed until December as discussions continue over terms and venue.

Among various suggestions was to sign a deal after a scheduled NATO meeting in London in early December.

"One could take the view that by not committing to meet the original deadline it gives more time for a somewhat more comprehensive agreement to be thrashed out," said Ray Attrill, head of FX strategy at National Australia Bank.

The overnight pause in the risk rally helped US&nbsp;bonds recoup a little of their recent losses. Yields on benchmark US&nbsp;10-year notes fell back to 1.84&nbsp;percent&nbsp;from a two-month top of 1.87 percent&nbsp;.

That kept the dollar in check, it was at 109.00 yen&nbsp;from a weekly high of 109.24 and was a smidgen lower on a basket of currencies at 97.965.

The euro was trying to sustain a bounce at $1.1079 previously close to chart support at $1.1060.

Spot gold was little changed at $1,490.38 per ounce and well within recent tight trading ranges.

Oil prices clawed higher after taking a hit from a surprisingly large build in US&nbsp;crude inventories.

US&nbsp;crude&nbsp;was 57 cents higher at $56.92 a barrel, while Brent crude made 5&nbsp;cents to $62.23.

Europe's share markets hit a more than 4-year peak and bond yields shuffled higher on Thursday, as Beijing signalled a 'phase 1' trade deal with the United States was close to being sealed.

Europe's share markets hit a more than 4-year peak and bond yields shuffled higher on Thursday, as Beijing signalled a 'phase 1' trade deal with the United States was close to being sealed. Asia had been quiet overnight but things sparked just before Europe opened when China's commerce ministry said the world's two economic giants were working on a deal that would roll back trade tariffs in different stages. Cue optimism. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.4 percent to its highest since July 2015 led by the export-heavy DAX percent in Frankfurt despite worse-than-expected German industrial output data. European government bond yields -- which move inverse to the price -- rose too. Benchmark Bund yields were heading towards their highest in more than three months while the dollar took background from the safe-haven yen in the currency markets. "Everything is moving together for now on this trade deal news," said Saxo Bank's head of FX strategy John Hardy. "The question is, how much was already baked into the cake and can we really see more specifics?" he added. Among the top gainers across European sub-sectors were automakers and miners, while defensive plays such as telecoms and utilities fell, which all pointed to higher risk appetite. E-Mini futures for the S&P 500, which has already set a new record high this week, were also a solid 0.5 percent better off. Asia, in contrast, had barely budged. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dipped a slight 0.2 percent, just off a six-month high hit earlier in the week. Japan's Nikkei dithered either side of flat in very quiet trade, having touched a 13-month top on Wednesday. South Korean stocks stalled after hitting their highest since May, while Shanghai blue chips eked out a 0.2 percent rise. Reuters reported on Wednesday that a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to sign the interim trade deal could be delayed until December as discussions continue over terms and venue. Among various suggestions was to sign a deal after a scheduled NATO meeting in London in early December. "One could take the view that by not committing to meet the original deadline it gives more time for a somewhat more comprehensive agreement to be thrashed out," said Ray Attrill, head of FX strategy at National Australia Bank. The overnight pause in the risk rally helped US bonds recoup a little of their recent losses. Yields on benchmark US 10-year notes fell back to 1.84 percent from a two-month top of 1.87 percent . That kept the dollar in check, it was at 109.00 yen from a weekly high of 109.24 and was a smidgen lower on a basket of currencies at 97.965. The euro was trying to sustain a bounce at $1.1079 previously close to chart support at $1.1060. Spot gold was little changed at $1,490.38 per ounce and well within recent tight trading ranges. Oil prices clawed higher after taking a hit from a surprisingly large build in US crude inventories. US crude was 57 cents higher at $56.92 a barrel, while Brent crude made 5 cents to $62.23.

US-China trade deal hopes restart stocks rally

Nick Harper, WION Correspondent brings you the detail on Trump Impeachment Inquiry

Fineprint: Nick Harper on Trump Impeachment Inquiry

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 7th, 2019

A US-led naval coalition officially launched operations in Bahrain Thursday to protect shipping in the troubled waters of the Gulf, after a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/americas/us-will-respond-with-great-force-if-iran-attacks-interests-donald-trump-220247">string of attacks </a>that Washington and its allies blamed on Iran.

The coalition, aimed at warding off the perceived threat to the world's oil supply, has been in the making since June.

Iran, which has denied any responsibility for the mystery attacks, has put forward its own proposals for boosting Gulf security that pointedly excludes outside powers.

Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, joined the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) in August. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates followed suit in September.&nbsp;

Australia and Britain are the main Western countries to have agreed to send warships to escort Gulf shipping. The newest member, Albania, joined on Friday.&nbsp;

Vessels will be escorted through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic chokepoint at the head of the Gulf and the main artery for the transport of Middle East oil.&nbsp;

Vice Admiral Jim Malloy, commander of US Naval Forces in the Middle East, said Operation Sentinel is a defensive measure aimed at protecting Gulf waters.&nbsp;

"While Sentinel's operational design is threat-based, it does not threaten," he said during a ceremony at the IMSC's command centre.&nbsp;

"We employ capable warships on patrol, but there is no offensive line of effort in this construct, other than a commitment to defend each other if attacked.

"Our commitment to the region isn't short-lived, it is enduring, and we will operate as part of Sentinel for as long as it's needed -- as long as the threat looms."

Most European governments have declined to participate in the naval coalition, fearful of undermining their efforts to save a landmark 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, which was badly weakened by Washington's withdrawal last year.

Animosity between Tehran and Washington has soared since President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the deal and reimposed crippling US sanctions.

On May 12, the UAE said four commercial oil tankers -- two Saudi, one Emirati and one Norwegian -- had been targeted by "acts of sabotage" in waters off its coast.

Washington and Riyadh blamed Tehran, which denied involvement.

A month later, the Kokuka Courageous was hit and around the same time another tanker in the area, the Norwegian-owned Front Altair, was damaged by three explosions, according to the Norwegian Maritime Authority.

They were transiting through the Strait of Hormuz towards the Indian Ocean.

Then on September 14, drone strikes targeted two key Saudi oil facilities onshore, causing catastrophic damage and temporarily knocking out half of the kingdom's oil production.

The attacks were claimed by Yemen's Huthi rebels who are battling a Saudi-led coalition, but Washington and Riyadh blamed Iran, saying the strikes were carried out with advanced missiles and drones.

A US-led naval coalition officially launched operations in Bahrain Thursday to protect shipping in the troubled waters of the Gulf, after a string of attacks that Washington and its allies blamed on Iran.

A US-led naval coalition officially launched operations in Bahrain Thursday to protect shipping in the troubled waters of the Gulf, after a string of attacks that Washington and its allies blamed on Iran. The coalition, aimed at warding off the perceived threat to the world's oil supply, has been in the making since June. Iran, which has denied any responsibility for the mystery attacks, has put forward its own proposals for boosting Gulf security that pointedly excludes outside powers. Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, joined the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) in August. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates followed suit in September. Australia and Britain are the main Western countries to have agreed to send warships to escort Gulf shipping. The newest member, Albania, joined on Friday. Vessels will be escorted through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic chokepoint at the head of the Gulf and the main artery for the transport of Middle East oil. Vice Admiral Jim Malloy, commander of US Naval Forces in the Middle East, said Operation Sentinel is a defensive measure aimed at protecting Gulf waters. "While Sentinel's operational design is threat-based, it does not threaten," he said during a ceremony at the IMSC's command centre. "We employ capable warships on patrol, but there is no offensive line of effort in this construct, other than a commitment to defend each other if attacked. "Our commitment to the region isn't short-lived, it is enduring, and we will operate as part of Sentinel for as long as it's needed -- as long as the threat looms." Most European governments have declined to participate in the naval coalition, fearful of undermining their efforts to save a landmark 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, which was badly weakened by Washington's withdrawal last year. Animosity between Tehran and Washington has soared since President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the deal and reimposed crippling US sanctions. On May 12, the UAE said four commercial oil tankers -- two Saudi, one Emirati and one Norwegian -- had been targeted by "acts of sabotage" in waters off its coast. Washington and Riyadh blamed Tehran, which denied involvement. A month later, the Kokuka Courageous was hit and around the same time another tanker in the area, the Norwegian-owned Front Altair, was damaged by three explosions, according to the Norwegian Maritime Authority. They were transiting through the Strait of Hormuz towards the Indian Ocean. Then on September 14, drone strikes targeted two key Saudi oil facilities onshore, causing catastrophic damage and temporarily knocking out half of the kingdom's oil production. The attacks were claimed by Yemen's Huthi rebels who are battling a Saudi-led coalition, but Washington and Riyadh blamed Iran, saying the strikes were carried out with advanced missiles and drones.

US-led coalition launches operation to protect Gulf waters

French President&nbsp;Emmanuel Macron says he believes NATO is undergoing "brain death," lamenting a lack of coordination between Europe and the United States and unilateral actions in Syria by key member Turkey, in an interview published Thursday.

"What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO," Macron told The Economist magazine in an interview.

"You have no coordination whatsoever of strategic decision-making between the United States and its NATO allies. None. You have an uncoordinated aggressive action by another NATO ally, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-not-distancing-itself-from-nato-with-russian-missiles-deal-minister-215689">Turkey</a>, in an area where our interests are at stake," he added, according to an English transcript released by The Economist.

Macron's comments questioning the effectiveness of NATO threaten to send shock waves through the alliance ahead of a summit meeting Britain next month.

NATO has already been hit by Turkey's latest military operation against Kurdish militia in northern Syria -- which was staunchly opposed by fellow members like France -- and President Donald Trump's lack of enthusiasm for the organisation.

"There has been no NATO planning, nor any coordination. There hasn't even been any NATO deconfliction," Macron said.&nbsp;

And while NATO works well in communicating between armies and commanding operations, "strategically and politically, we need to recognise that we have a problem," he said.

"We should reassess the reality of what NATO is in the light of the commitment of the United States," he warned, adding that "In my opinion, Europe has the capacity to defend itself."

Macron argued that Europe could do this if "it accelerates the development of European defence."

'Head off on their own'&nbsp;

He expressed frustration that the United States under Trump had effectively allowed Turkey to go ahead with its operation in Syria by pulling back American forces.

"NATO as a system doesn't regulate its members," he said.

"So as soon as you have a member who feels they have a right to head off on their own, granted by the USA, they do it," he said.

"It's not in our interest" to push Turkey out of NATO "but perhaps to reconsider what NATO is."

The French president, seen by analysts as Europe's most prominent leader amid Brexit and the looming exit of <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/germany-commits-to-nato-spending-goal-by-2031-for-first-time-260572">German Chancellor</a> Angela Merkel in 2021, has sought to stand tall on the foreign policy stage and implement a vision of reforming Europe.

But he said Europe had been brought "to the edge of a precipice" by reducing the political scope of the European Union project since the mid-1990s.

"Europe has forgotten that it is a community, by increasingly thinking of itself as a market, with expansion as its end purpose," said Macron, who recently blocked expanding the EU further to include two more Balkan states.

Macron said it was a time of turmoil with Europe losing track of history, the US aligning more closely with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/russias-resurgence-and-chinas-rise-will-test-nato-219295">China</a> and authoritarian powers emerging in its neighbourhood.

"All this has led to the exceptional fragility of Europe which, if it can’t think of itself as a global power, will disappear, because it will take a hard knock," he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron says he believes NATO is undergoing "brain death," lamenting a lack of coordination between Europe and the United States and unilateral actions in Syria by key member Turkey, in an interview published Thursday.

French President Emmanuel Macron says he believes NATO is undergoing "brain death," lamenting a lack of coordination between Europe and the United States and unilateral actions in Syria by key member Turkey, in an interview published Thursday. "What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO," Macron told The Economist magazine in an interview. "You have no coordination whatsoever of strategic decision-making between the United States and its NATO allies. None. You have an uncoordinated aggressive action by another NATO ally, Turkey, in an area where our interests are at stake," he added, according to an English transcript released by The Economist. Macron's comments questioning the effectiveness of NATO threaten to send shock waves through the alliance ahead of a summit meeting Britain next month. NATO has already been hit by Turkey's latest military operation against Kurdish militia in northern Syria -- which was staunchly opposed by fellow members like France -- and President Donald Trump's lack of enthusiasm for the organisation. "There has been no NATO planning, nor any coordination. There hasn't even been any NATO deconfliction," Macron said. And while NATO works well in communicating between armies and commanding operations, "strategically and politically, we need to recognise that we have a problem," he said. "We should reassess the reality of what NATO is in the light of the commitment of the United States," he warned, adding that "In my opinion, Europe has the capacity to defend itself." Macron argued that Europe could do this if "it accelerates the development of European defence." 'Head off on their own' He expressed frustration that the United States under Trump had effectively allowed Turkey to go ahead with its operation in Syria by pulling back American forces. "NATO as a system doesn't regulate its members," he said. "So as soon as you have a member who feels they have a right to head off on their own, granted by the USA, they do it," he said. "It's not in our interest" to push Turkey out of NATO "but perhaps to reconsider what NATO is." The French president, seen by analysts as Europe's most prominent leader amid Brexit and the looming exit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2021, has sought to stand tall on the foreign policy stage and implement a vision of reforming Europe. But he said Europe had been brought "to the edge of a precipice" by reducing the political scope of the European Union project since the mid-1990s. "Europe has forgotten that it is a community, by increasingly thinking of itself as a market, with expansion as its end purpose," said Macron, who recently blocked expanding the EU further to include two more Balkan states. Macron said it was a time of turmoil with Europe losing track of history, the US aligning more closely with China and authoritarian powers emerging in its neighbourhood. "All this has led to the exceptional fragility of Europe which, if it can’t think of itself as a global power, will disappear, because it will take a hard knock," he said.

NATO experiencing 'brain death': President Macron

Germany will reach a NATO defence spending target by 2031, its defence minister said, missing a 2024 deadline agreed by the allies who are under heavy US&nbsp;pressure to beef up their military budgets.

Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said Germany would spend 2&nbsp;percent of its economic output on defence by 2031, belatedly reaching the goal set by NATO leaders at a 2014 summit, months after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

"NATO is and will remain the anchor of European security. But it is also clear that Europe must increase its own complementary ability to act," Kramp-Karrenbauer told a private event to honour NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday night.

"This starts with the defence budget. We need (to spend) 1.5 percent by&nbsp;2024 and 2&nbsp;percent &nbsp;by 2031 at the latest," she said, according to quotes of the speech provided by her office, the first time she has publicly committed to the target to an international audience and weeks before the next NATO summit on December 4.

However, she said the target was not because "others are calling for it but because it is in the interest of our own security".

Only seven NATO countries currently meet or exceed the 2&nbsp;percent&nbsp;target - the United States, Britain, Greece, Poland and the three Baltic states, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Germany is Europe's biggest economy and the second biggest in the NATO alliance after the United States.

Before Kramp-Karrenbauer, seen as a potential successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel, took up her post this year, Germany's fiscal plans saw defence spending falling slightly to 1.24&nbsp;percent&nbsp;in 2023, but the minister said she was determined to increase spending, as polls show a shift in German public support for the move.

"OFFENSIVE"

Years of defence cuts after the end of the Cold War have left Europeans without vital capabilities, including in Germany, which is one of the last NATO allies to fly ageing Tornado fighter planes that are becoming harder to repair as spare parts become scarce.

Kramp-Karrenbauer's comments came after she expressed a willingness for Germany to contribute more of NATO's running costs, taking some of the burden off the United States.

Germany's earlier reluctance to spend more on defence, in a country that is home to US&nbsp;troops in Europe, has been a sore point for US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, who has openly questioned NATO's continued value to Washington.

His envoy to Berlin, Richard Grenell, said in August that it was "offensive to assume that the US&nbsp;taxpayers continue to pay for more than 50,000 Americans in Germany but the Germans get to spend their (budget) surplus on domestic programmes".

Poland and the Baltic states, fearful of a more assertive <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/russias-resurgence-and-chinas-rise-will-test-nato-219295">Russia</a> after it annexed Crimea, have raised their military spending to the 2 percent&nbsp;target, drawing praise from Trump.

US&nbsp;complaints about Germany's defence spending pre-date <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-changes-tone-in-merkel-meeting-after-earlier-slamming-germany-150889/amp">Trump</a> but bilateral relations have deteriorated since he became president. The two allies disagree on a range of issues, including Iran, trade tariffs and the NordStream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.

Germany will reach a NATO defence spending target by 2031, its defence minister said, missing a 2024 deadline agreed by the allies who are under heavy US pressure to beef up their military budgets.

Germany will reach a NATO defence spending target by 2031, its defence minister said, missing a 2024 deadline agreed by the allies who are under heavy US pressure to beef up their military budgets. Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said Germany would spend 2 percent of its economic output on defence by 2031, belatedly reaching the goal set by NATO leaders at a 2014 summit, months after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula. "NATO is and will remain the anchor of European security. But it is also clear that Europe must increase its own complementary ability to act," Kramp-Karrenbauer told a private event to honour NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday night. "This starts with the defence budget. We need (to spend) 1.5 percent by 2024 and 2 percent by 2031 at the latest," she said, according to quotes of the speech provided by her office, the first time she has publicly committed to the target to an international audience and weeks before the next NATO summit on December 4. However, she said the target was not because "others are calling for it but because it is in the interest of our own security". Only seven NATO countries currently meet or exceed the 2 percent target - the United States, Britain, Greece, Poland and the three Baltic states, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Germany is Europe's biggest economy and the second biggest in the NATO alliance after the United States. Before Kramp-Karrenbauer, seen as a potential successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel, took up her post this year, Germany's fiscal plans saw defence spending falling slightly to 1.24 percent in 2023, but the minister said she was determined to increase spending, as polls show a shift in German public support for the move. "OFFENSIVE" Years of defence cuts after the end of the Cold War have left Europeans without vital capabilities, including in Germany, which is one of the last NATO allies to fly ageing Tornado fighter planes that are becoming harder to repair as spare parts become scarce. Kramp-Karrenbauer's comments came after she expressed a willingness for Germany to contribute more of NATO's running costs, taking some of the burden off the United States. Germany's earlier reluctance to spend more on defence, in a country that is home to US troops in Europe, has been a sore point for US President Donald Trump, who has openly questioned NATO's continued value to Washington. His envoy to Berlin, Richard Grenell, said in August that it was "offensive to assume that the US taxpayers continue to pay for more than 50,000 Americans in Germany but the Germans get to spend their (budget) surplus on domestic programmes". Poland and the Baltic states, fearful of a more assertive Russia after it annexed Crimea, have raised their military spending to the 2 percent target, drawing praise from Trump. US complaints about Germany's defence spending pre-date Trump but bilateral relations have deteriorated since he became president. The two allies disagree on a range of issues, including Iran, trade tariffs and the NordStream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.

Germany commits to NATO spending goal by 2031 for first time

It seems as if the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement has effectively ended. Is Iran using the nuclear programme to blackmail the world? Or did US sanctions force Iran to violate the deal? What's the impact on India?

On WION Edit, we explore the situation.

First, look at the nuclear agreement called the JCPOA and Iran's compliance record.

It was not a perfect deal but it was working. The deal did not have a clear way to stop Iran from developing nukes or to curb Iran's terror-sponsoring. Then they imposed sanctions and Iran's economy took a serious hit.

In 2015, when the deal was signed, when sanctions were lifted, Iran had hoped for a growth surge. That did not happen.

Then in 2018, when the deal collapsed and sanctions were back, Iran's economy suffered more. So, it started enriching uranium and even now, Iran says it will stop if America returns to the deal.

The country is bleeding. Inflation is touching 40 per cent. The government is paying the price. Hardliners are putting pressure on reformists. President Hassan Rouhani has been cornered. Iran is an oil-producing country, oil is its most profitable commodity and Iran is being banned for selling oil.

At a time when it desperately needs the money, a textbook case of being pushed to the wall.

Plus, US President Donald Trump remains evasive. He doesn't spell out what exactly he wants from Iran, what will it take to lift the sanctions.

And this should bother everyone. Because if Iran revives its nuclear ambitions, it's bad news for the whole world.

In any case, American sanctions on Iran are hurting other countries too. India is a case in point. Iran's tradition oil buyer and an old strategic and cultural ally.

America's actions impact India in many ways. First, the Chabahar port which is crucial for India's strategic interests.&nbsp;Chabahar brings India, Afghanistan, and Iran together.

India has invested a lot in the Chabahar special economic zone and Hajigak iron and steel mining project. If Iran's economy deteriorates, it hurts India's investments - both strategic and monetary.

Aspect number 2,&nbsp; oil prices. India has diversified its oil sources. So, no supply disruptions. But if sanctions on Iran continue, prices might go up for a country that imports more than 80 per cent of its oil.

Aspect number 3, impact on India-Iran ties.

Yes, there are no permanent friends or foes in global politics. But India and Iran share historical ties.

Delhi is risking all this because of Washington.

India took a six-month grace period after US sanctions. Since May 2019, India has not bought oil from Iran. Now China has done the same. It was Iran's biggest buyer. More than 8 lakh barrels per day. It has stopped buying.

Both India and China have 'communicated' to the US about the strategic importance of Iran. Look at it, the US unilaterally walks out of a multi-lateral deal, which the US negotiated. Then it imposes sanctions on Iran.

And then it forces other countries to stop doing business with Iran. And what do these countries do? They comply.

So, who's the victim and who's the villain in this game?

The primary victims are the people of Iran. The secondary victims are developing countries like India and China.

The tertiary victim is regional peace. Who's the villain? An oppressive regime in Iran that wants to use this to blackmail the world and a president in Washington who views the world through the tinted glass of tariffs and sanctions. Both. 
 
(Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

It seems as if the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement has effectively ended. Is Iran using the nuclear programme to blackmail the world? Or did US sanctions force Iran to violate the deal?

It seems as if the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement has effectively ended. Is Iran using the nuclear programme to blackmail the world? Or did US sanctions force Iran to violate the deal? What's the impact on India? On WION Edit, we explore the situation. First, look at the nuclear agreement called the JCPOA and Iran's compliance record. It was not a perfect deal but it was working. The deal did not have a clear way to stop Iran from developing nukes or to curb Iran's terror-sponsoring. Then they imposed sanctions and Iran's economy took a serious hit. In 2015, when the deal was signed, when sanctions were lifted, Iran had hoped for a growth surge. That did not happen. Then in 2018, when the deal collapsed and sanctions were back, Iran's economy suffered more. So, it started enriching uranium and even now, Iran says it will stop if America returns to the deal. The country is bleeding. Inflation is touching 40 per cent. The government is paying the price. Hardliners are putting pressure on reformists. President Hassan Rouhani has been cornered. Iran is an oil-producing country, oil is its most profitable commodity and Iran is being banned for selling oil. At a time when it desperately needs the money, a textbook case of being pushed to the wall. Plus, US President Donald Trump remains evasive. He doesn't spell out what exactly he wants from Iran, what will it take to lift the sanctions. And this should bother everyone. Because if Iran revives its nuclear ambitions, it's bad news for the whole world. In any case, American sanctions on Iran are hurting other countries too. India is a case in point. Iran's tradition oil buyer and an old strategic and cultural ally. America's actions impact India in many ways. First, the Chabahar port which is crucial for India's strategic interests. Chabahar brings India, Afghanistan, and Iran together. India has invested a lot in the Chabahar special economic zone and Hajigak iron and steel mining project. If Iran's economy deteriorates, it hurts India's investments - both strategic and monetary. Aspect number 2, oil prices. India has diversified its oil sources. So, no supply disruptions. But if sanctions on Iran continue, prices might go up for a country that imports more than 80 per cent of its oil. Aspect number 3, impact on India-Iran ties. Yes, there are no permanent friends or foes in global politics. But India and Iran share historical ties. Delhi is risking all this because of Washington. India took a six-month grace period after US sanctions. Since May 2019, India has not bought oil from Iran. Now China has done the same. It was Iran's biggest buyer. More than 8 lakh barrels per day. It has stopped buying. Both India and China have 'communicated' to the US about the strategic importance of Iran. Look at it, the US unilaterally walks out of a multi-lateral deal, which the US negotiated. Then it imposes sanctions on Iran. And then it forces other countries to stop doing business with Iran. And what do these countries do? They comply. So, who's the victim and who's the villain in this game? The primary victims are the people of Iran. The secondary victims are developing countries like India and China. The tertiary victim is regional peace. Who's the villain? An oppressive regime in Iran that wants to use this to blackmail the world and a president in Washington who views the world through the tinted glass of tariffs and sanctions. Both. (Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

WION Edit: Nuclear deal crumbles - Is Iran a victim or a villain?

China and the United States have agreed to cancel in phases the tariffs imposed during their months-long trade war, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday, without specifying a timetable.

An interim US-China trade deal is widely expected to include a US&nbsp;pledge to scrap <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/china-presses-trump-for-more-tariff-roll-backs-in-phase-one-trade-deal-260005">tariffs</a> scheduled for December&nbsp;15 on about $156 billion worth of Chinese imports, including cell phones, laptop computers and toys.

Tariff cancellation was an important condition for any agreement, ministry spokesman Gao Feng said, adding that both must simultaneously cancel some tariffs on each other's goods to reach a "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-china-close-to-finalising-part-of-a-phase-one-trade-deal-report-258209">phase one</a>" trade deal.

"The trade war started with tariffs, and should end with the cancellation of tariffs," Gao told a regular news briefing.

The proportion of tariffs cancelled for both sides to reach a "phase one" deal must be the same, but the number to be cancelled can be negotiated, he added, without elaborating.

"In the past two weeks, the lead negotiators from both sides have had serious and constructive discussions on resolving various core concerns appropriately," Gao said.

"Both sides have agreed to cancel additional tariffs in different phases, as both sides make progress in their negotiations."

He did not give a timeline.

A source previously told Reuters that Chinese negotiators wanted the United States to drop 15 percent&nbsp;tariffs on about $125 billion worth of Chinese goods that took effect on September&nbsp;1.

They also sought relief from earlier 25 percent&nbsp;tariffs on about $250 billion of imports, ranging from machinery and semiconductors to furniture.

A person familiar with China's negotiating position said it was pressing Washington to "remove all tariffs as soon as possible".

A deal may be signed this month by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a yet-to-be-determined location.

Dozens of venues have been suggested for a meeting, which had originally been set to take place on the sidelines of a now-cancelled mid-November summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in Chile, a senior Trump administration official told Reuters on Wednesday.

One possible location was London, where the leaders could meet after a NATO summit that Trump is due to attend from December&nbsp;3-4, the official said.

Gao declined to say when and where such a meeting could be.

Since Trump took office in 2017, his administration has been pressing China to curb massive subsidies to state-owned firms and end the forced transfer of American technology to Chinese firms as a price of doing business in China.

China and the United States have agreed to cancel in phases the tariffs imposed during their months-long trade war, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday, without specifying a timetable.

China and the United States have agreed to cancel in phases the tariffs imposed during their months-long trade war, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday, without specifying a timetable. An interim US-China trade deal is widely expected to include a US pledge to scrap tariffs scheduled for December 15 on about $156 billion worth of Chinese imports, including cell phones, laptop computers and toys. Tariff cancellation was an important condition for any agreement, ministry spokesman Gao Feng said, adding that both must simultaneously cancel some tariffs on each other's goods to reach a "phase one" trade deal. "The trade war started with tariffs, and should end with the cancellation of tariffs," Gao told a regular news briefing. The proportion of tariffs cancelled for both sides to reach a "phase one" deal must be the same, but the number to be cancelled can be negotiated, he added, without elaborating. "In the past two weeks, the lead negotiators from both sides have had serious and constructive discussions on resolving various core concerns appropriately," Gao said. "Both sides have agreed to cancel additional tariffs in different phases, as both sides make progress in their negotiations." He did not give a timeline. A source previously told Reuters that Chinese negotiators wanted the United States to drop 15 percent tariffs on about $125 billion worth of Chinese goods that took effect on September 1. They also sought relief from earlier 25 percent tariffs on about $250 billion of imports, ranging from machinery and semiconductors to furniture. A person familiar with China's negotiating position said it was pressing Washington to "remove all tariffs as soon as possible". A deal may be signed this month by US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a yet-to-be-determined location. Dozens of venues have been suggested for a meeting, which had originally been set to take place on the sidelines of a now-cancelled mid-November summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in Chile, a senior Trump administration official told Reuters on Wednesday. One possible location was London, where the leaders could meet after a NATO summit that Trump is due to attend from December 3-4, the official said. Gao declined to say when and where such a meeting could be. Since Trump took office in 2017, his administration has been pressing China to curb massive subsidies to state-owned firms and end the forced transfer of American technology to Chinese firms as a price of doing business in China.

China says it has agreed with United States to cancel tariffs in phases

US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-impeachment-hearings-trump-may-expand-communications-team-to-bolster-defense-260440">Donald Trump</a> struck a defiant note on Wednesday at a rally in Louisiana a day after Democrats clinched victories in a raft of local elections that cast a shadow over his 2020 re-election hopes.

Speaking at a packed arena in the city of Monroe, Trump doubled down on his assertion that a House-led <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/public-hearings-in-trump-impeachment-probe-start-next-week-us-lawmaker-260398">impeachment inquiry</a> into his presidency was a hoax and sought to buoy support for Republican businessman Eddie Rispone's bid for the governorship.

"Eddie will defend your values from the all-out assault by the extreme left," he said, describing incumbent Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards as "dangerously soft on crime."

The remarks came after Democrats claimed an upset win on Tuesday in Kentucky over Republican Governor Matt Bevin after Trump campaigned for him, telling voters that pundits would say the president "suffered the greatest defeat in the history of the world" if he lost.

On Tuesday, Democrats also seized control of the state legislature in Virginia and gained ground in the key state of Pennsylvania, though Republicans held on to the governorship in Mississippi, where Trump also campaigned.

The loss in Kentucky may have raised questions about the success of Republican candidates who align themselves closely with the president. But Rispone, who also spoke at the rally, put himself squarely in the president's camp.

"Louisiana is Trump country," said Rispone, a little-known construction entrepreneur who will face off on Nov. 16 in a runoff election against Louisiana's popular conservative Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards.

Trump said he would return to the state next week for more campaigning.

Edwards, the only Democratic governor of a Deep South state, comfortably bested rival Rispone in a six-candidate primary last month, but he failed to secure the 50 percent needed to win a second term outright in Louisiana's unusual primary system.

An observant Roman Catholic, Edwards opposes abortion, and this year signed a law banning the procedure after 15 weeks, which could have contributed to dimmed enthusiasm among Democrats.

"John Bel Edwards broke his solemn promise to the people of Louisiana when he rammed - that's the only word I can say - rammed through the largest tax hike in Louisiana history," Trump said on Wednesday. "How did you ever get a liberal Democrat to be your governor?" Trump asked thousands of fans waving Trump 2020 signs.

Edwards, for his part, has criticized what he called efforts to nationalize the state race but also promised to work closely with Trump, who carried the conservative-leaning state in 2016 by 20 percentage points, should the Republican win a second term.

Trump faces headwinds of his own, as Democrats in the House of Representative mount an impeachment inquiry into whether he abused his office by pressuring Ukrainian authorities to investigate political rival Joe Biden by withholding millions in aid.

Trump visited Louisiana last month ahead of the primary vote, later taking credit for forcing a run-off.

"The Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, has done a poor job. NOW HE IS IN A RUNOFF WITH A GREAT REPUBLICAN ... 66 per cent&nbsp;DOWN TO 47 per cent&nbsp;after I explained what a bad job the Governor was doing,” Trump wrote on Twitter.

US President Donald Trump struck a defiant note on Wednesday at a rally in Louisiana a day after Democrats clinched victories in a raft of local elections that cast a shadow over his 2020 re-election hopes.

US President Donald Trump struck a defiant note on Wednesday at a rally in Louisiana a day after Democrats clinched victories in a raft of local elections that cast a shadow over his 2020 re-election hopes. Speaking at a packed arena in the city of Monroe, Trump doubled down on his assertion that a House-led impeachment inquiry into his presidency was a hoax and sought to buoy support for Republican businessman Eddie Rispone's bid for the governorship. "Eddie will defend your values from the all-out assault by the extreme left," he said, describing incumbent Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards as "dangerously soft on crime." The remarks came after Democrats claimed an upset win on Tuesday in Kentucky over Republican Governor Matt Bevin after Trump campaigned for him, telling voters that pundits would say the president "suffered the greatest defeat in the history of the world" if he lost. On Tuesday, Democrats also seized control of the state legislature in Virginia and gained ground in the key state of Pennsylvania, though Republicans held on to the governorship in Mississippi, where Trump also campaigned. The loss in Kentucky may have raised questions about the success of Republican candidates who align themselves closely with the president. But Rispone, who also spoke at the rally, put himself squarely in the president's camp. "Louisiana is Trump country," said Rispone, a little-known construction entrepreneur who will face off on Nov. 16 in a runoff election against Louisiana's popular conservative Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards. Trump said he would return to the state next week for more campaigning. Edwards, the only Democratic governor of a Deep South state, comfortably bested rival Rispone in a six-candidate primary last month, but he failed to secure the 50 percent needed to win a second term outright in Louisiana's unusual primary system. An observant Roman Catholic, Edwards opposes abortion, and this year signed a law banning the procedure after 15 weeks, which could have contributed to dimmed enthusiasm among Democrats. "John Bel Edwards broke his solemn promise to the people of Louisiana when he rammed - that's the only word I can say - rammed through the largest tax hike in Louisiana history," Trump said on Wednesday. "How did you ever get a liberal Democrat to be your governor?" Trump asked thousands of fans waving Trump 2020 signs. Edwards, for his part, has criticized what he called efforts to nationalize the state race but also promised to work closely with Trump, who carried the conservative-leaning state in 2016 by 20 percentage points, should the Republican win a second term. Trump faces headwinds of his own, as Democrats in the House of Representative mount an impeachment inquiry into whether he abused his office by pressuring Ukrainian authorities to investigate political rival Joe Biden by withholding millions in aid. Trump visited Louisiana last month ahead of the primary vote, later taking credit for forcing a run-off. "The Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, has done a poor job. NOW HE IS IN A RUNOFF WITH A GREAT REPUBLICAN ... 66 per cent DOWN TO 47 per cent after I explained what a bad job the Governor was doing,” Trump wrote on Twitter.

Trump defiant at Louisiana rally after Democrat wins

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday the United States was not fulfilling its pledge to remove a Kurdish militia from a Syrian border region and he will raise the issue <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkeys-erdogan-speaks-with-trump-to-visit-washington-next-week-260443">when he meets President Donald Trump next week</a>.

A month ago, Turkey launched a cross-border offensive with Syrian rebels against Kurdish YPG fighters and after seizing control of a 120 km swathe of territory reached a deal with the United States to keep them out of that area.

Erdogan is set to discuss the implementation of the agreement with Trump in Washington on November&nbsp;13 after confirming that the visit would go ahead following a phone call between the leaders overnight.

"While we hold these talks, those who promised us that the YPG...would withdraw from here within 120 hours have not achieved this," he told a news conference, referring to a deadline set in last month's agreement.

Turkish officials had previously said Erdogan might call off the US&nbsp;visit in protest at US.House of Representatives' votes to recognise mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide and to seek sanctions on Turkey.

After the deal with Washington, Ankara also reached an agreement with Moscow under which the YPG was to withdraw to a depth of 30 km along the entirety of the northeastern Syrian border with Turkey.

But Erdogan said this deal had also not been fulfilled, with YPG fighters still in the border strip, adding that he would hold talks with Putin soon on the issue.

Clashes&nbsp;in&nbsp;Syria

Speaking to reporters before leaving on a visit to Hungary, Erdogan said clashes in Syria were continuing, with 11 fighters from the Turkey-backed rebel Syrian National Army (SNA) killed on Thursday.

"These terrorists are attacking the SNA, and the SNA is retaliating in kind. There are 11 martyrs from the SNA this morning. Many more were killed on the other side," he said.

Under the two bilateral deals, Ankara stopped its offensive in return for the withdrawal of the YPG fighters. Turkish and Russian soldiers have so far held two joint patrols near the border to monitor implementation of their agreement.

Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist group because of its ties to militants who have fought an insurgency in southeast Turkey since 1984. US&nbsp;support for the YPG, which was a main ally in the fight against Islamic State, has infuriated Turkey.

Ankara began its offensive against the YPG after Trump announced an abrupt withdrawal of 1,000 US&nbsp;troops from northern Syria in early October. The US&nbsp;president has since said that some troops will continue to operate there.

Late on Wednesday, the commander of the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces said the group was resuming work with the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria.

"As a result of series of meetings with Coalition leaders, #SDF is resuming its joint programme of work with the Coalition to combat #ISIS and securing the infrastructure of NE #Syria," Mazloum Kobani wrote on Twitter.

Turkish sources say Trump and Erdogan have a strong bond despite anger in Congress over Turkey's Syria offensive and its purchase of Russian air defences, and despite what Ankara sees as the US&nbsp;president's own erratic pronouncements.

Those personal ties could prove crucial, given NATO member Turkey's purchase of Moscow's S-400 missile defence system, which under US&nbsp;law should trigger sanctions.

Turkey has already been suspended from the F-35 fighter jet programme in which it was both joint producer and customer, and the offensive it launched against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria on October&nbsp;9 set the stage for further US&nbsp;retaliation.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday the United States was not fulfilling its pledge to remove a Kurdish militia from a Syrian border region and he will raise the issue when he meets President Donald Trump next week.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday the United States was not fulfilling its pledge to remove a Kurdish militia from a Syrian border region and he will raise the issue when he meets President Donald Trump next week. A month ago, Turkey launched a cross-border offensive with Syrian rebels against Kurdish YPG fighters and after seizing control of a 120 km swathe of territory reached a deal with the United States to keep them out of that area. Erdogan is set to discuss the implementation of the agreement with Trump in Washington on November 13 after confirming that the visit would go ahead following a phone call between the leaders overnight. "While we hold these talks, those who promised us that the YPG...would withdraw from here within 120 hours have not achieved this," he told a news conference, referring to a deadline set in last month's agreement. Turkish officials had previously said Erdogan might call off the US visit in protest at US.House of Representatives' votes to recognise mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide and to seek sanctions on Turkey. After the deal with Washington, Ankara also reached an agreement with Moscow under which the YPG was to withdraw to a depth of 30 km along the entirety of the northeastern Syrian border with Turkey. But Erdogan said this deal had also not been fulfilled, with YPG fighters still in the border strip, adding that he would hold talks with Putin soon on the issue. Clashes in Syria Speaking to reporters before leaving on a visit to Hungary, Erdogan said clashes in Syria were continuing, with 11 fighters from the Turkey-backed rebel Syrian National Army (SNA) killed on Thursday. "These terrorists are attacking the SNA, and the SNA is retaliating in kind. There are 11 martyrs from the SNA this morning. Many more were killed on the other side," he said. Under the two bilateral deals, Ankara stopped its offensive in return for the withdrawal of the YPG fighters. Turkish and Russian soldiers have so far held two joint patrols near the border to monitor implementation of their agreement. Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist group because of its ties to militants who have fought an insurgency in southeast Turkey since 1984. US support for the YPG, which was a main ally in the fight against Islamic State, has infuriated Turkey. Ankara began its offensive against the YPG after Trump announced an abrupt withdrawal of 1,000 US troops from northern Syria in early October. The US president has since said that some troops will continue to operate there. Late on Wednesday, the commander of the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces said the group was resuming work with the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria. "As a result of series of meetings with Coalition leaders, #SDF is resuming its joint programme of work with the Coalition to combat #ISIS and securing the infrastructure of NE #Syria," Mazloum Kobani wrote on Twitter. Turkish sources say Trump and Erdogan have a strong bond despite anger in Congress over Turkey's Syria offensive and its purchase of Russian air defences, and despite what Ankara sees as the US president's own erratic pronouncements. Those personal ties could prove crucial, given NATO member Turkey's purchase of Moscow's S-400 missile defence system, which under US law should trigger sanctions. Turkey has already been suspended from the F-35 fighter jet programme in which it was both joint producer and customer, and the offensive it launched against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria on October 9 set the stage for further US retaliation.

Ahead of talks with Trump, Erdogan says United States not fulfilling Syria deal

By John Broich

Since US troops left their region, roughly 180,000 Kurds of northeastern Syria have been displaced, and over 200 have been killed.

Those Kurds, soldiers who’d battled the Islamic State and families, had hoped to secure a future Kurdistan state in areas now targeted by Turkish warplanes and patrolled by Russian mercenaries.

This is only the latest reversal for the Kurds, a group of around 40 million who identify with a regional homeland and common historical background, but are now divided between four countries. Despite their many attempts, there’ve never won and kept a Kurdish nation.

Drawing borders after WWI

The most decisive reversal came at the end of the first World War. That’s when the Allies, victors over Germany and the Ottoman Empire, divided their geographical spoils of war.

In a series of conferences in a succession of European palaces, Prime Minister David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau of France, Woodrow Wilson and dozens of other leaders conspired, harangued and horse-traded from 1919 to 1921. Under clouds of cigar smoke, between servings of foie gras and champagne, they redrew a large swath of the globe’s map.

Besides doling out spoils to themselves, such as far-flung German imperial holdings, their aims were to replace the Austro-Hungarian Empire, punish Germany in Europe and – the biggest task – fill the vacuum left by the demise of the sprawling Ottoman Empire, which before the war covered territory from the edge of Bulgaria to Yemen.

Their guiding principle for redrawing the map, at least in most cases, was the reigning concept of race nationalism, what’s often called today ethno-nationalism.

Simply put, the Allies’ delegates assumed that nation states should be composed as much as possible by single “races,” single ethnic and linguistic populations. So, they defined, in some ways created, new races – like, for example, Hungarians or Austrians – and drew borders around them.

Who should receive an ethno-state?

What to do in the big, central zone of the defeated Ottoman Empire, stretching between the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf?

Should there be one big, Greater Arabia or Arab federation, as some British officials promised their Arab allies who revolted against the Ottomans? Should there be many little nations, with borders around Christian Arabs, Muslim Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds? (Following their race-nation instinct, the British did support what they called a new “National Home for the Jewish people” in former Ottoman Palestine.)

That, too, is what President Woodrow Wilson’s call for self-determination dictated. Wilson himself was explicit in calling for a new, broadly encompassing Kurdistan.

They took for granted that Kurds were a race and that Kurdistan was a place. In fact, it was already depicted in pre-WWI atlases. The problem of drawing its borders fell, British Parliamentarians told themselves, to them in immediate postwar years. And it’s what some powerful people in British officialdom assumed would happen.

Not only did it fit British race thinking to create Kurdistan – to be heavily staffed by British “advisers” like the other new states, of course – but they believed the Kurds truculent and independent, unlikely to accede to domination by a neighbour.

They would “never accept an Arab ruler,” in the words of one British Colonial Office official, if they were embedded in an Arab nation.

A missed opportunity

But the Allies and the League of Nations never created Kurdistan. Why not?

British imperial self-interest, in this case, overruled ethnonational thinking. By the terms of the Sykes-Picot agreement, the secret French and British understanding of roughly who would get what after the war, the French claimed dominance of the northern Levant, what’s today Lebanon and Syria.

The British wanted a big geographical bloc in the region to match that of the French, to act as a counterweight. They formalized this by inventing a large country soon dubbed “Iraq.”

The line dividing Sykes-Picot’s French sphere and British sphere already cut straight through Kurdish areas. That partition was part of the reason why the British could not simply carve out a new, large Kurdistan (that they’d dominate like Iraq).

For another, British colonial officials, like the famous writer-turned-colonial administrator Gertrude Bell, wanted a Kurdish population retained in the new Iraq as a counterbalance to its large Shiite population, which was deemed seditious.

This represented classic British imperial thinking long employed in places like India: divide and conquer. The Kurds might not be particularly docile or loyal to the British, but they could be counted on not to unite with the Arabs or Assyrians, either, and throw off British meddling.

The British, too, suspected there were large oilfields under the important Kurdish capital of Mosul. Better to keep the Mosul region securely within Iraq, some leaders judged.

That colonial-era behavior had a recent analog, when President Donald Trump said that the Kurds could be allowed to remain near oilfields in far eastern Syria to protect them against the Islamic State. They’re still useful, it seems, for maintaining order above oil.

The roots of the trouble with Turkey 
 
The Allies’ last, half-hearted attempt to create at least a small Kurdistan took place during yet another conference of the Allies in the Paris suburb of Sèvres in 1920.

Planned for eastern Anatolia, or Asia Minor, squeezed into borders to which the Kurds objected as too little, this Kurdistan came to naught. The new, revolutionary nationalists in Turkey wanted their own race-nation of Turks. And they did not want Anatolia chopped up for the sake of Kurds or Armenians. They’d simply have to become Turks, too, or face the consequences.

From 1920, the new Turkish Army occupied what was to become the little Kurdistan, and the Allies had no will to challenge them. The last hope that WWI’s victors would create even a fractional Kurdistan disappeared without fanfare.

But the Kurds didn’t stop – have never stopped – resisting. When the British lumped them into their invented country of Iraq, the Kurds naturally revolted in 1919. When a delegation of British colonial authorities arrived to parley with the Kurdish leader, Sheikh Mahmoud Barzinji, the man calmly quoted Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, with its call for the “autonomous development” of the peoples formerly dominated by the Ottoman Empire. The British responded with two brigades.

Now, as then, it seems world powers support Kurd’s self-determination only until it’s no longer expedient.

(John Broich is Associate Professor, Case Western Reserve University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-there-is-no-kurdish-nation-126243">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; 
&nbsp;

By John Broich Since US troops left their region, roughly 180,000 Kurds of northeastern Syria have been displaced, and over 200 have been killed. Those Kurds, soldiers who’d battled the Islamic State and families, had hoped to secure a future Kurdistan state in areas now targeted by Turkish warplanes and patrolled by Russian mercenaries.

By John Broich Since US troops left their region, roughly 180,000 Kurds of northeastern Syria have been displaced, and over 200 have been killed. Those Kurds, soldiers who’d battled the Islamic State and families, had hoped to secure a future Kurdistan state in areas now targeted by Turkish warplanes and patrolled by Russian mercenaries. This is only the latest reversal for the Kurds, a group of around 40 million who identify with a regional homeland and common historical background, but are now divided between four countries. Despite their many attempts, there’ve never won and kept a Kurdish nation. Drawing borders after WWI The most decisive reversal came at the end of the first World War. That’s when the Allies, victors over Germany and the Ottoman Empire, divided their geographical spoils of war. In a series of conferences in a succession of European palaces, Prime Minister David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau of France, Woodrow Wilson and dozens of other leaders conspired, harangued and horse-traded from 1919 to 1921. Under clouds of cigar smoke, between servings of foie gras and champagne, they redrew a large swath of the globe’s map. Besides doling out spoils to themselves, such as far-flung German imperial holdings, their aims were to replace the Austro-Hungarian Empire, punish Germany in Europe and – the biggest task – fill the vacuum left by the demise of the sprawling Ottoman Empire, which before the war covered territory from the edge of Bulgaria to Yemen. Their guiding principle for redrawing the map, at least in most cases, was the reigning concept of race nationalism, what’s often called today ethno-nationalism. Simply put, the Allies’ delegates assumed that nation states should be composed as much as possible by single “races,” single ethnic and linguistic populations. So, they defined, in some ways created, new races – like, for example, Hungarians or Austrians – and drew borders around them. Who should receive an ethno-state? What to do in the big, central zone of the defeated Ottoman Empire, stretching between the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf? Should there be one big, Greater Arabia or Arab federation, as some British officials promised their Arab allies who revolted against the Ottomans? Should there be many little nations, with borders around Christian Arabs, Muslim Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds? (Following their race-nation instinct, the British did support what they called a new “National Home for the Jewish people” in former Ottoman Palestine.) That, too, is what President Woodrow Wilson’s call for self-determination dictated. Wilson himself was explicit in calling for a new, broadly encompassing Kurdistan. They took for granted that Kurds were a race and that Kurdistan was a place. In fact, it was already depicted in pre-WWI atlases. The problem of drawing its borders fell, British Parliamentarians told themselves, to them in immediate postwar years. And it’s what some powerful people in British officialdom assumed would happen. Not only did it fit British race thinking to create Kurdistan – to be heavily staffed by British “advisers” like the other new states, of course – but they believed the Kurds truculent and independent, unlikely to accede to domination by a neighbour. They would “never accept an Arab ruler,” in the words of one British Colonial Office official, if they were embedded in an Arab nation. A missed opportunity But the Allies and the League of Nations never created Kurdistan. Why not? British imperial self-interest, in this case, overruled ethnonational thinking. By the terms of the Sykes-Picot agreement, the secret French and British understanding of roughly who would get what after the war, the French claimed dominance of the northern Levant, what’s today Lebanon and Syria. The British wanted a big geographical bloc in the region to match that of the French, to act as a counterweight. They formalized this by inventing a large country soon dubbed “Iraq.” The line dividing Sykes-Picot’s French sphere and British sphere already cut straight through Kurdish areas. That partition was part of the reason why the British could not simply carve out a new, large Kurdistan (that they’d dominate like Iraq). For another, British colonial officials, like the famous writer-turned-colonial administrator Gertrude Bell, wanted a Kurdish population retained in the new Iraq as a counterbalance to its large Shiite population, which was deemed seditious. This represented classic British imperial thinking long employed in places like India: divide and conquer. The Kurds might not be particularly docile or loyal to the British, but they could be counted on not to unite with the Arabs or Assyrians, either, and throw off British meddling. The British, too, suspected there were large oilfields under the important Kurdish capital of Mosul. Better to keep the Mosul region securely within Iraq, some leaders judged. That colonial-era behavior had a recent analog, when President Donald Trump said that the Kurds could be allowed to remain near oilfields in far eastern Syria to protect them against the Islamic State. They’re still useful, it seems, for maintaining order above oil. The roots of the trouble with Turkey The Allies’ last, half-hearted attempt to create at least a small Kurdistan took place during yet another conference of the Allies in the Paris suburb of Sèvres in 1920. Planned for eastern Anatolia, or Asia Minor, squeezed into borders to which the Kurds objected as too little, this Kurdistan came to naught. The new, revolutionary nationalists in Turkey wanted their own race-nation of Turks. And they did not want Anatolia chopped up for the sake of Kurds or Armenians. They’d simply have to become Turks, too, or face the consequences. From 1920, the new Turkish Army occupied what was to become the little Kurdistan, and the Allies had no will to challenge them. The last hope that WWI’s victors would create even a fractional Kurdistan disappeared without fanfare. But the Kurds didn’t stop – have never stopped – resisting. When the British lumped them into their invented country of Iraq, the Kurds naturally revolted in 1919. When a delegation of British colonial authorities arrived to parley with the Kurdish leader, Sheikh Mahmoud Barzinji, the man calmly quoted Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, with its call for the “autonomous development” of the peoples formerly dominated by the Ottoman Empire. The British responded with two brigades. Now, as then, it seems world powers support Kurd’s self-determination only until it’s no longer expedient. (John Broich is Associate Professor, Case Western Reserve 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)

Why there is no Kurdish nation

US President Donald Trump impeachment public hearings to begin next week. To know more watch the video.

Trump Impeachment Inquiry: Public Hearings to start next week

US <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-impeachment-transcripts-go-public-as-whouse-stonewalls-260028">House&nbsp;impeachment</a>&nbsp;investigators on Tuesday&nbsp;summoned&nbsp;President Donald&nbsp;Trump's acting&nbsp;chief&nbsp;of&nbsp;staff&nbsp;Mick Mulvaney for a deposition, saying he has "substantial first-hand knowledge" of&nbsp;Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine.

Mulvaney is the latest administration official to be ordered to&nbsp;testify&nbsp;with the&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;probe&nbsp;closing in around those nearest the president as it proceeds into a new public phase, in which transcripts of closed-door testimony are being released.

Mulvaney is the highest-ranking White House official to be&nbsp;summoned&nbsp;in the&nbsp;probe, although he is unlikely to comply given the White House's opposition to administration officials cooperating with investigators.

The chairs of the three House committees leading the investigation wrote Mulvaney requesting he appear before the panels on Friday at 9:00 am.

"The investigation has revealed that you may have been directly involved in an effort orchestrated by President&nbsp;Trump, his personal agent, Rudolph Giuliani and others to withhold a coveted White House meeting and nearly $400 million in security assistance in order to pressure (Ukraine) to pursue investigations that would benefit President&nbsp;Trump's personal political interests," they wrote.

"Your failure or refusal to appear at the deposition, including at the direction or behest of the president, shall constitute further evidence of obstruction of the House's&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;inquiry and may be used as an adverse inference against you and the President."

Last month, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-houses-mick-mulvaney-did-not-mull-quitting-over-quid-pro-quo-flap-257178">Mulvaney</a> publicly stated that the decision to freeze aid was tied to the demand for investigations. He later walked back those comments.

Several current and former officials have defied House subpoenas or voluntary requests to&nbsp;testify.

John Eisenberg, a White House lawyer suspected of involvement in the Ukraine scandal, and Robert Blair, assistant to the president and senior advisor to Mulvaney, were among four officials who ignored calls to&nbsp;testify&nbsp;Monday.

The no-shows continued Tuesday when Wells Griffith, a White House adviser on energy, failed to appear.

US House impeachment investigators on Tuesday summoned President Donald Trump's acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney for a deposition, saying he has "substantial first-hand knowledge" of Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine.

US House impeachment investigators on Tuesday summoned President Donald Trump's acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney for a deposition, saying he has "substantial first-hand knowledge" of Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine. Mulvaney is the latest administration official to be ordered to testify with the impeachment probe closing in around those nearest the president as it proceeds into a new public phase, in which transcripts of closed-door testimony are being released. Mulvaney is the highest-ranking White House official to be summoned in the probe, although he is unlikely to comply given the White House's opposition to administration officials cooperating with investigators. The chairs of the three House committees leading the investigation wrote Mulvaney requesting he appear before the panels on Friday at 9:00 am. "The investigation has revealed that you may have been directly involved in an effort orchestrated by President Trump, his personal agent, Rudolph Giuliani and others to withhold a coveted White House meeting and nearly $400 million in security assistance in order to pressure (Ukraine) to pursue investigations that would benefit President Trump's personal political interests," they wrote. "Your failure or refusal to appear at the deposition, including at the direction or behest of the president, shall constitute further evidence of obstruction of the House's impeachment inquiry and may be used as an adverse inference against you and the President." Last month, Mulvaney publicly stated that the decision to freeze aid was tied to the demand for investigations. He later walked back those comments. Several current and former officials have defied House subpoenas or voluntary requests to testify. John Eisenberg, a White House lawyer suspected of involvement in the Ukraine scandal, and Robert Blair, assistant to the president and senior advisor to Mulvaney, were among four officials who ignored calls to testify Monday. The no-shows continued Tuesday when Wells Griffith, a White House adviser on energy, failed to appear.

Trump chief of staff summoned to testify in impeachment probe

A&nbsp;top&nbsp;ally&nbsp;of President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;admitted he told a&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;official that US military&nbsp;aid&nbsp;was contingent on Kyiv investigating&nbsp;Trump's Democratic rival Joe&nbsp;Biden, testimony released Tuesday showed.

In some of the most damning evidence yet to the House impeachment inquiry of&nbsp;Trump, Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, said he told a senior&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;official that military&nbsp;aid&nbsp;would likely not be released until Kyiv made clear it would investigate&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;and his son's ties to&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;energy firm Burisma.

Sondland, in amended testimony that reversed his earlier denial, admitted he laid out the allegedly illegal quid pro quo in a September 1 discussion with Andriy&nbsp;Yermak, a&nbsp;top&nbsp;advisor to&nbsp;Ukrainian&nbsp;President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Sondland said it was the culmination of months of pressure placed on Kyiv, primarily via&nbsp;Trump's personal lawyer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rudy-giulianis-associate-lev-parnas-will-comply-with-trump-impeachment-inquiry-260111">Rudy Giuliani</a>, to open "anti-corruption" investigations into the Bidens and into&nbsp;Trump's unfounded belief that&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;assisted the Democrats in the 2016 election.

Sondland told Yermak "that resumption of US&nbsp;aid&nbsp;would not likely occur until&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;provided the anti-corruption statement that we had been discussing for weeks," he told investigators.

The White House has repeatedly denied there was any link between the&nbsp;aid&nbsp;and any demands by&nbsp;Trump, despite the evidence from the summary of a July 25 phone call,&nbsp;just one week after&nbsp;aid&nbsp;was frozen,&nbsp;in which&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;sought a "favor" from Zelensky and referred directly to&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;and the 2016 issue.

Sondland, appointed ambassador by&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;after donating $1 million to his inauguration, said he was fully aware of the linkage made between the $391 million in US military&nbsp;aid&nbsp;and&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;helping&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;prepare to fight for reelection next year.

"I presumed that the&nbsp;aid&nbsp;suspension had become linked to the proposed anti-corruption statement" Zelensky was told to make regarding&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;and 2016 probes.

Sondland admitted to impeachment investigators that he understood the linkage was "improper."

Asked if it was illegal, Sondland responded: "I'm not a lawyer, but I assume so."Sondland's testimony, and that of Kurt Volker, the former US Special Representative to&nbsp;Ukraine, appeared to strengthen Democrats' charges that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;abused his office by seeking foreign help for his 2020 election campaign and should be impeached and removed from office.

The testimony, taken in private last month, was released as the House prepares for the second phase of the impeachment inquiry, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/committee-releases-first-transcripts-in-trump-impeachment-inquiry-259964">open hearings</a> that could within several weeks lead to articles of impeachment being passed by the House.

The White House, in a statement, said their testimony offered no new evidence for "this illegitimate impeachment sham."

The White House continued to block senior officials from testifying, and was expected to do the same in response to a Democrats' Tuesday request to&nbsp;Trump's chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and be interviewed by investigators.

Other witnesses have said that Mulvaney was responsible for freezing the&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;aid&nbsp;in mid-July, and that he told others it was done at&nbsp;Trump's command.

"No amount of salacious media-biased headlines, which are clearly designed to influence the narrative, change the fact that the president has done nothing wrong," said White House spokesperson Stephanie Grisham in a statement.

Yet, according to the transcripts, both Sondland and Volker described&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;as being transfixed by the wholly unsubstantiated idea, popular in Republican circles, that&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;assisted Democrats in their efforts to defeat&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;in the 2016 presidential election.

They also describe Giuliani as being&nbsp;Trump's point man for pushing Zelensky's government into finding dirt on&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;and the Democrats.

"He just kept saying: talk to Rudy, talk to Rudy," Sondland said of a May meeting with&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;on&nbsp;Ukraine.

A top ally of President Donald Trump admitted he told a Ukraine official that US military aid was contingent on Kyiv investigating Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden, testimony released Tuesday showed.

A top ally of President Donald Trump admitted he told a Ukraine official that US military aid was contingent on Kyiv investigating Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden, testimony released Tuesday showed. In some of the most damning evidence yet to the House impeachment inquiry of Trump, Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, said he told a senior Ukraine official that military aid would likely not be released until Kyiv made clear it would investigate Biden and his son's ties to Ukraine energy firm Burisma. Sondland, in amended testimony that reversed his earlier denial, admitted he laid out the allegedly illegal quid pro quo in a September 1 discussion with Andriy Yermak, a top advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Sondland said it was the culmination of months of pressure placed on Kyiv, primarily via Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, to open "anti-corruption" investigations into the Bidens and into Trump's unfounded belief that Ukraine assisted the Democrats in the 2016 election. Sondland told Yermak "that resumption of US aid would not likely occur until Ukraine provided the anti-corruption statement that we had been discussing for weeks," he told investigators. The White House has repeatedly denied there was any link between the aid and any demands by Trump, despite the evidence from the summary of a July 25 phone call, just one week after aid was frozen, in which Trump sought a "favor" from Zelensky and referred directly to Biden and the 2016 issue. Sondland, appointed ambassador by Trump after donating $1 million to his inauguration, said he was fully aware of the linkage made between the $391 million in US military aid and Ukraine helping Trump prepare to fight for reelection next year. "I presumed that the aid suspension had become linked to the proposed anti-corruption statement" Zelensky was told to make regarding Biden and 2016 probes. Sondland admitted to impeachment investigators that he understood the linkage was "improper." Asked if it was illegal, Sondland responded: "I'm not a lawyer, but I assume so."Sondland's testimony, and that of Kurt Volker, the former US Special Representative to Ukraine, appeared to strengthen Democrats' charges that Trump abused his office by seeking foreign help for his 2020 election campaign and should be impeached and removed from office. The testimony, taken in private last month, was released as the House prepares for the second phase of the impeachment inquiry, open hearings that could within several weeks lead to articles of impeachment being passed by the House. The White House, in a statement, said their testimony offered no new evidence for "this illegitimate impeachment sham." The White House continued to block senior officials from testifying, and was expected to do the same in response to a Democrats' Tuesday request to Trump's chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and be interviewed by investigators. Other witnesses have said that Mulvaney was responsible for freezing the Ukraine aid in mid-July, and that he told others it was done at Trump's command. "No amount of salacious media-biased headlines, which are clearly designed to influence the narrative, change the fact that the president has done nothing wrong," said White House spokesperson Stephanie Grisham in a statement. Yet, according to the transcripts, both Sondland and Volker described Trump as being transfixed by the wholly unsubstantiated idea, popular in Republican circles, that Ukraine assisted Democrats in their efforts to defeat Trump in the 2016 presidential election. They also describe Giuliani as being Trump's point man for pushing Zelensky's government into finding dirt on Biden and the Democrats. "He just kept saying: talk to Rudy, talk to Rudy," Sondland said of a May meeting with Trump on Ukraine.

Top Trump ally admits tying Ukraine aid to Biden investigation

President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-begins-formal-exit-from-paris-climate-pact-259963">Donald&nbsp;Trump</a>&nbsp;offered Tuesday to help&nbsp;Mexico&nbsp;hunt the killers of nine Mormon women and children shot dead in a lawless border area&nbsp;and said the United States stood ready to back its southern neighbor in a "war"&nbsp;on&nbsp;the drug&nbsp;cartels.

Gunmen ambushed the members of the LeBaron family,&nbsp;a large clan of&nbsp;Mormons&nbsp;who emigrated to&nbsp;Mexico&nbsp;in the late 19th century,&nbsp;on&nbsp;a rural road Monday between the states of Sonora and Chihuahua, which border the United States.

Three women and six children were killed, including two twin babies, said relatives and Mexican officials. Six children were also wounded in the attack, which left the family's three cars riddled with bullets and badly charred.

"If&nbsp;Mexico&nbsp;needs or requests help in cleaning out these monsters, the United States stands ready, willing &amp; able to get involved and do the job quickly and effectively,"&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;wrote in a tweet.

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A wonderful family and friends from Utah got caught between two vicious drug cartels, who were shooting at each other, with the result being many great American people killed, including young children, and some missing. If Mexico needs or requests help in cleaning out these.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1191708046126399488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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He praised Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for prioritizing the fight against drug trafficking, but said "the&nbsp;cartels&nbsp;have become so large and powerful that you sometimes need an army to defeat an army!

"This is the time for&nbsp;Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage&nbsp;WAR&nbsp;on&nbsp;the drug&nbsp;cartels&nbsp;and wipe them off the face of the earth."

Lopez Obrador&nbsp;said he would accept "all necessary cooperation" to get justice for the victims, all of whom lived&nbsp;on&nbsp;the Mexican side but had dual nationality.

But the left-wing populist, who has declared an end to&nbsp;Mexico's "drug wars," said he was not looking for a new one.

"We don't agree (with&nbsp;Trump)&nbsp;on&nbsp;that," he told a news conference. "War&nbsp;is synonymous with irrationality."

He later tweeted that he had thanked&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;for his support in a phone call.

The White House said the presidents had spoken about the "growing violent behavior" of drugs&nbsp;cartels&nbsp;and other criminal gangs.

"President&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;made clear that the United States condemns these senseless acts of violence that took the lives of nine American citizens and offered&nbsp;Mexico&nbsp;assistance to ensure the perpetrators face justice," said spokesman&nbsp;Hogan Gidley.&nbsp;

Devastated members of the LeBaron family took to social media to call for people's prayers and condemn the lawless violence gripping much of the border region.

"It was a massacre," Julian LeBaron, an activist who has denounced criminal groups in the area, told Mexican radio network Formula.

He said the women were&nbsp;on&nbsp;their way to the airport with their children when their SUVs were attacked.

Several children managed to escape and return home&nbsp;on&nbsp;foot, he added.

Another, a three-month-old baby, was found wounded but alive beneath her mother's body.

An eight-year-old girl was also left missing for about 24 hours, before being found several kilometers away, unharmed.

Relatives said the children were all deeply traumatized. Five wounded children were airlifted for medical treatment in Phoenix, Arizona.

Mexican Security Minister Alfonso Durazo said the family may have been mistakenly targeted or caught in the crossfire in turf wars between rival drug&nbsp;cartels. LeBaron, however, said the family believes they were deliberately attacked.

The LeBaron community are descendants of&nbsp;Mormons&nbsp;who fled the United States in the late 1800s after being persecuted for their traditions, including polygamy. Many are dual US-Mexican citizens.

One former member is George Romney, father of 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who was born in 1907 in Colonia Dublan in Chihuahua state, according to the US network NBC.

Mitt Romney said&nbsp;on&nbsp;Twitter he was "heartbroken for the victims of the horrific attacks."

It is not the first time the LeBaron family has been targeted. Julian LeBaron's brother Benjamin, founder of a crime-fighting group called SOS Chihuahua, was assassinated in 2009 after he led protests over the kidnapping of their 16-year-old brother.

The murder came after the&nbsp;Mormons&nbsp;refused to pay the ransom. The young LeBaron was eventually released.

The region around the 3,145-kilometer&nbsp;US-Mexican border is plagued by violent crime.

Trump, who is battling to build the border wall that was his signature campaign pledge, regularly tells&nbsp;Mexico&nbsp;to do more to fight drug trafficking and illegal migration across the frontier.

Lopez Obrador typically responds that the United States needs to crack down&nbsp;on&nbsp;illegal firearms trafficking, which generates an estimated $127 million in profits a year for the American gun industry.

Mexico&nbsp;has registered more than 250,000 murders since the government controversially deployed the army to fight drug trafficking in 2006.

Many experts blame the "drug wars" for spiraling violence, as fragmented&nbsp;cartels&nbsp;battle each other and the army.

Lopez Obrador has struggled to rein in the violence since taking office in December 2018. This year appears&nbsp;on&nbsp;track to set a new murder record in&nbsp;Mexico, with 25,890 so far.

President Donald Trump offered Tuesday to help Mexico hunt the killers of nine Mormon women and children shot dead in a lawless border area and said the United States stood ready to back its southern neighbor in a "war" on the drug cartels.

President Donald Trump offered Tuesday to help Mexico hunt the killers of nine Mormon women and children shot dead in a lawless border area and said the United States stood ready to back its southern neighbor in a "war" on the drug cartels. Gunmen ambushed the members of the LeBaron family, a large clan of Mormons who emigrated to Mexico in the late 19th century, on a rural road Monday between the states of Sonora and Chihuahua, which border the United States. Three women and six children were killed, including two twin babies, said relatives and Mexican officials. Six children were also wounded in the attack, which left the family's three cars riddled with bullets and badly charred. "If Mexico needs or requests help in cleaning out these monsters, the United States stands ready, willing & able to get involved and do the job quickly and effectively," Trump wrote in a tweet. A wonderful family and friends from Utah got caught between two vicious drug cartels, who were shooting at each other, with the result being many great American people killed, including young children, and some missing. If Mexico needs or requests help in cleaning out these..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2019 × He praised Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for prioritizing the fight against drug trafficking, but said "the cartels have become so large and powerful that you sometimes need an army to defeat an army! "This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth." Lopez Obrador said he would accept "all necessary cooperation" to get justice for the victims, all of whom lived on the Mexican side but had dual nationality. But the left-wing populist, who has declared an end to Mexico's "drug wars," said he was not looking for a new one. "We don't agree (with Trump) on that," he told a news conference. "War is synonymous with irrationality." He later tweeted that he had thanked Trump for his support in a phone call. The White House said the presidents had spoken about the "growing violent behavior" of drugs cartels and other criminal gangs. "President Trump made clear that the United States condemns these senseless acts of violence that took the lives of nine American citizens and offered Mexico assistance to ensure the perpetrators face justice," said spokesman Hogan Gidley. Devastated members of the LeBaron family took to social media to call for people's prayers and condemn the lawless violence gripping much of the border region. "It was a massacre," Julian LeBaron, an activist who has denounced criminal groups in the area, told Mexican radio network Formula. He said the women were on their way to the airport with their children when their SUVs were attacked. Several children managed to escape and return home on foot, he added. Another, a three-month-old baby, was found wounded but alive beneath her mother's body. An eight-year-old girl was also left missing for about 24 hours, before being found several kilometers away, unharmed. Relatives said the children were all deeply traumatized. Five wounded children were airlifted for medical treatment in Phoenix, Arizona. Mexican Security Minister Alfonso Durazo said the family may have been mistakenly targeted or caught in the crossfire in turf wars between rival drug cartels. LeBaron, however, said the family believes they were deliberately attacked. The LeBaron community are descendants of Mormons who fled the United States in the late 1800s after being persecuted for their traditions, including polygamy. Many are dual US-Mexican citizens. One former member is George Romney, father of 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who was born in 1907 in Colonia Dublan in Chihuahua state, according to the US network NBC. Mitt Romney said on Twitter he was "heartbroken for the victims of the horrific attacks." It is not the first time the LeBaron family has been targeted. Julian LeBaron's brother Benjamin, founder of a crime-fighting group called SOS Chihuahua, was assassinated in 2009 after he led protests over the kidnapping of their 16-year-old brother. The murder came after the Mormons refused to pay the ransom. The young LeBaron was eventually released. The region around the 3,145-kilometer US-Mexican border is plagued by violent crime. Trump, who is battling to build the border wall that was his signature campaign pledge, regularly tells Mexico to do more to fight drug trafficking and illegal migration across the frontier. Lopez Obrador typically responds that the United States needs to crack down on illegal firearms trafficking, which generates an estimated $127 million in profits a year for the American gun industry. Mexico has registered more than 250,000 murders since the government controversially deployed the army to fight drug trafficking in 2006. Many experts blame the "drug wars" for spiraling violence, as fragmented cartels battle each other and the army. Lopez Obrador has struggled to rein in the violence since taking office in December 2018. This year appears on track to set a new murder record in Mexico, with 25,890 so far.

Trump calls for 'war' on cartels as Mormons murdered in Mexico

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - November 6th, 2019

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-presses-election-rival-jeremy-corbyn-to-explain-brexit-stance-260104">British Prime Minister Boris Johnson</a>, in a phone call, urged US&nbsp;President Donald Trump to lift tariffs on goods including Scotch whisky, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.

Johnson also urged Trump not to impose tariffs on car exports, the statement added.

A White House statement about the call did not give any specifics on the two leaders' discussion of trade issues.

"The two leaders again reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Special Relationship through a robust bilateral free trade agreement once the United Kingdom leaves the EU," the White House said.

"The President also stressed the need for NATO allies to robustly fund their defenses," it said.

Last month, the United States slapped a 25%-tariff on Scotch whisky and other European products in retaliation for European Union subsidies on large aircraft.

Separately, the Trump administration has threatened to impose tariffs of as much as 25% on EU vehicles and parts. Washington is due to decide whether to enact the duties by Nov. 14. The tariffs have already been delayed once by six months, and trade experts say that could happen again.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a phone call, urged US President Donald Trump to lift tariffs on goods including Scotch whisky, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a phone call, urged US President Donald Trump to lift tariffs on goods including Scotch whisky, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. Johnson also urged Trump not to impose tariffs on car exports, the statement added. A White House statement about the call did not give any specifics on the two leaders' discussion of trade issues. "The two leaders again reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Special Relationship through a robust bilateral free trade agreement once the United Kingdom leaves the EU," the White House said. "The President also stressed the need for NATO allies to robustly fund their defenses," it said. Last month, the United States slapped a 25%-tariff on Scotch whisky and other European products in retaliation for European Union subsidies on large aircraft. Separately, the Trump administration has threatened to impose tariffs of as much as 25% on EU vehicles and parts. Washington is due to decide whether to enact the duties by Nov. 14. The tariffs have already been delayed once by six months, and trade experts say that could happen again.

Johnson, in phone call, urges Trump to lift tariffs on scotch whisky

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's suggestion that he could sign a trade <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/paris-climate-agreement-us-should-take-more-responsibility-says-china-260120">deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping</a> in Iowa has set off a flurry of excitement in Muscatine, Iowa, a city on the banks of the Mississippi River that has hosted Xi twice since 1985.

Xi received a key to the 24,000-population city during his first visit, when he led an agricultural study group and stayed at the home of a local family. He also met and befriended then-governor Terry Branstad, who is now Trump's ambassador to Beijing.

Xi returned with much fanfare in 2012 as China's vice president, visiting that home and meeting with a dozen local "Old Friends" - people he had met in the 1980s.

Those were more hopeful times in US-China relations, before Trump kicked off a debilitating tit-for-tat tariff war, and the US&nbsp;Secretary of State declared Xi's ruling Communist Party "truly hostile to the United States and our values."

US&nbsp;and Chinese trade negotiators are now racing to complete the text of a "phase one" agreement that could defuse the 16-month trade war. Tariffs have had an outsized impact on farmers in Iowa, a big exporter of soybeans.

Trump last week said he hoped to sign the trade deal with Xi at a US&nbsp;site, perhaps in Iowa. The location is still in flux, but one Beijing official said Xi is willing to travel to the United States.

Chuck Grassley, the Iowa Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said Iowa would be a great place to sign the trade deal. "Farmers in particular have been hard hit by the trade war and deserve recognition for their sacrifice," he said.

Greg Jenkins, who heads the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the community was keen to host a Trump-Xi visit, but he had not been contacted by either side.

"It would be really appropriate to have that happen, given the long relationship we've had with China and President Xi," Jenkins said. The city's ties to China may have been an accident of history, but "people have worked awfully hard to ensure that it is retained."

This year, the Shanghai Symphony will perform a free concert for the people of Muscatine, the fifth year of such arrangements that help keep ties close, he said.

The split-level house that Xi first visited in Muscatine has been purchased by a Chinese businessman, and renamed the Sino-US&nbsp;Friendship House. It regularly draws visitors from China.

Lee Belfield, general manager of the 122-room Merrill Hotel which opened in Muscatine in 2017 in part with Chinese funds, said he would "bend over backwards to accommodate" any request to host the meeting.

'Iowa is important'

While Xi's historical ties to Muscatine might mean he would receive a particularly warm welcome, an Iowa signing would also be a politically-savvy move for Trump, trade experts said.

"Iowa is important. It's Trump country. It's the farm base," said Ralph Winnie, director of the China program at the Eurasia Center in Washington.

"The people are warm and hardworking, so they will be wonderful hosts and that's always key. When you go to China, you're treated as an honored guest, the Chinese will expect to be treated the same way when they come."

When the Chinese leader visited Iowa in 2012, he told the Muscatine Journal: "You were the first group of Americans I came into contact with. To me, you are America."

Steve Bradford, senior vice president at HNI Corp, a Muscatine-based Fortune 100 company that builds office furniture, said a US-China trade deal would help his company, no matter where it was signed.

"These tariffs have had a stifling effect on business. Removing them would benefit the US&nbsp;and China," he said. HNI employs about 4,000 people in Iowa, many of whom live in or near Muscatine, he said.

US President Donald Trump's suggestion that he could sign a trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Iowa has set off a flurry of excitement in Muscatine, Iowa, a city on the banks of the Mississippi River that has hosted Xi twice since 1985.

US President Donald Trump's suggestion that he could sign a trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Iowa has set off a flurry of excitement in Muscatine, Iowa, a city on the banks of the Mississippi River that has hosted Xi twice since 1985. Xi received a key to the 24,000-population city during his first visit, when he led an agricultural study group and stayed at the home of a local family. He also met and befriended then-governor Terry Branstad, who is now Trump's ambassador to Beijing. Xi returned with much fanfare in 2012 as China's vice president, visiting that home and meeting with a dozen local "Old Friends" - people he had met in the 1980s. Those were more hopeful times in US-China relations, before Trump kicked off a debilitating tit-for-tat tariff war, and the US Secretary of State declared Xi's ruling Communist Party "truly hostile to the United States and our values." US and Chinese trade negotiators are now racing to complete the text of a "phase one" agreement that could defuse the 16-month trade war. Tariffs have had an outsized impact on farmers in Iowa, a big exporter of soybeans. Trump last week said he hoped to sign the trade deal with Xi at a US site, perhaps in Iowa. The location is still in flux, but one Beijing official said Xi is willing to travel to the United States. Chuck Grassley, the Iowa Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said Iowa would be a great place to sign the trade deal. "Farmers in particular have been hard hit by the trade war and deserve recognition for their sacrifice," he said. Greg Jenkins, who heads the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the community was keen to host a Trump-Xi visit, but he had not been contacted by either side. "It would be really appropriate to have that happen, given the long relationship we've had with China and President Xi," Jenkins said. The city's ties to China may have been an accident of history, but "people have worked awfully hard to ensure that it is retained." This year, the Shanghai Symphony will perform a free concert for the people of Muscatine, the fifth year of such arrangements that help keep ties close, he said. The split-level house that Xi first visited in Muscatine has been purchased by a Chinese businessman, and renamed the Sino-US Friendship House. It regularly draws visitors from China. Lee Belfield, general manager of the 122-room Merrill Hotel which opened in Muscatine in 2017 in part with Chinese funds, said he would "bend over backwards to accommodate" any request to host the meeting. 'Iowa is important' While Xi's historical ties to Muscatine might mean he would receive a particularly warm welcome, an Iowa signing would also be a politically-savvy move for Trump, trade experts said. "Iowa is important. It's Trump country. It's the farm base," said Ralph Winnie, director of the China program at the Eurasia Center in Washington. "The people are warm and hardworking, so they will be wonderful hosts and that's always key. When you go to China, you're treated as an honored guest, the Chinese will expect to be treated the same way when they come." When the Chinese leader visited Iowa in 2012, he told the Muscatine Journal: "You were the first group of Americans I came into contact with. To me, you are America." Steve Bradford, senior vice president at HNI Corp, a Muscatine-based Fortune 100 company that builds office furniture, said a US-China trade deal would help his company, no matter where it was signed. "These tariffs have had a stifling effect on business. Removing them would benefit the US and China," he said. HNI employs about 4,000 people in Iowa, many of whom live in or near Muscatine, he said.

Trump-Xi meeting in Iowa would be poignant reminder of better US-China ties

The&nbsp;United&nbsp;States&nbsp;and&nbsp;Britain&nbsp;remain&nbsp;committed&nbsp;to reaching a post-<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-kingdom-prime-minister-johnson-says-his-deal-is-only-way-to-get-brexit-done-259664">Brexit</a> bilateral free&nbsp;trade&nbsp;agreement, the White House said Tuesday,&nbsp;after&nbsp;President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;questioned whether such a&nbsp;deal&nbsp;is possible.

Last week,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the terms of his EU divorce&nbsp;deal&nbsp;meant that "under certain aspect... you can't&nbsp;trade" with the&nbsp;United&nbsp;States.

Trump&nbsp;used a lengthy appearance on Brexit Party leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-figurehead-nigel-farage-will-not-run-to-become-mp-259688">Nigel Farage's</a> radio phone-in show Thursday to share his characteristically blunt views ahead of a December 12 snap election in&nbsp;Britain.

Trump's remarks threatened to hurt Johnson at the outset of a campaign that has huge implications for&nbsp;Britain's future place in Europe and the rest of the world.

Both&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and Farage are deeply polarizing figures in&nbsp;Britain&nbsp;who could hurt Johnson's chances with more moderate voters.

On Tuesday,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and Johnson spoke, the White House said.

"The two leaders again reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Special Relationship through a robust bilateral free&nbsp;trade&nbsp;agreement once the&nbsp;United&nbsp;Kingdom leaves the European Union," deputy press secretary Judd Deere said.

Trump&nbsp;also insisted that NATO allies "robustly fund their defenses", a reflection of his argument that the US bears a disproportionate share of spending within the transatlantic alliance.

The United States and Britain remain committed to reaching a post-Brexit bilateral free trade agreement, the White House said Tuesday, after President Donald Trump questioned whether such a deal is possible.

The United States and Britain remain committed to reaching a post-Brexit bilateral free trade agreement, the White House said Tuesday, after President Donald Trump questioned whether such a deal is possible. Last week, Trump warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the terms of his EU divorce deal meant that "under certain aspect... you can't trade" with the United States. Trump used a lengthy appearance on Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage's radio phone-in show Thursday to share his characteristically blunt views ahead of a December 12 snap election in Britain. Trump's remarks threatened to hurt Johnson at the outset of a campaign that has huge implications for Britain's future place in Europe and the rest of the world. Both Trump and Farage are deeply polarizing figures in Britain who could hurt Johnson's chances with more moderate voters. On Tuesday, Trump and Johnson spoke, the White House said. "The two leaders again reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Special Relationship through a robust bilateral free trade agreement once the United Kingdom leaves the European Union," deputy press secretary Judd Deere said. Trump also insisted that NATO allies "robustly fund their defenses", a reflection of his argument that the US bears a disproportionate share of spending within the transatlantic alliance.

United States says committed to Britain trade deal after Trump expresses doubt

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/committee-releases-first-transcripts-in-trump-impeachment-inquiry-259964">Witness transcripts</a> in the impeachment probe into Donald Trump were made public for the first time Monday, with the former US ambassador to Kyiv telling investigators she felt threatened by the president in his call to Ukraine's leader.

Democrats are entering an open phase of a congressional probe into potential abuse of power by Trump that has divided Washington as Republicans seek to defend him and his opponents pursue his removal from office.

The release of Marie Yovanovitch's deposition came as the White House hardened its opposition to the inquiry, with Trump's top national security lawyer defying a subpoena to testify early Monday.

The probe is examining how Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival Joe Biden, including by withholding $391 million in military aid that had been approved by Congress to help the US ally defend itself against Russian aggression.

Yovanovitch, who had urged Ukraine to do more to fight corruption, testified last month that she was ousted in May over "false claims" spread by questionable actors allied to Trump.

According to her deposition, she was alarmed by the deepening involvement of Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani in Ukrainian affairs, and in particular his efforts to get Kiev to investigate Biden.

She said she was "shocked" when she read the summary of Trump's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-to-launch-trump-impeachment-inquiry-over-ukraine-controversy-251842">July 25 call</a> with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which Trump said the ambassador was "going to go through some things."

"I was very concerned. I still am," Yovanovitch says.

"Did you feel threatened?" an investigator asks Yovanovitch in the transcript.

"Yes," she replies.

"I really don't know her," Trump told reporters of Yovanovitch on Monday, adding that he was "sure she's a very fine woman."

In fact, Yovanovitch came up repeatedly in Trump's phone call with Zelensky, with the US president describing her as "bad news," according to a White House summary of the conversation.

The release is the first of what House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff said would be several key depositions.

He also released testimony from Michael McKinley, a former senior advisor to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who resigned in September after concluding that the department was not defending top diplomats.

He said he asked Pompeo three times to defend Yovanovitch, eventually telling him that "this situation isn't acceptable." But the secretary was essentially non-responsive.

In his 37 years as a diplomat he had "never seen" efforts to use the State Department and its missions "to procure negative political information for domestic purposes," McKinley told investigators.

The depositions demonstrate "the contamination of US foreign policy by an irregular back channel that sought to advance the president's personal and political interests, and the serious concerns that this activity elicited across our government," Schiff and the chairs of two other panels leading the investigation said in a statement.

Schiff said testimony would be released Tuesday from two more key witnesses, then-special representative on Ukraine Kurt Volker and US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland.

They were in text message chains in which diplomats expressed misgivings about the prospective quid pro quo of political investigations for military aid.

Prior to the release of the first transcripts, Trump sought to attack their credibility by suggesting, without evidence, that Schiff would "change the words that were said to suit the Dems' purposes."

Meanwhile John Eisenberg, Trump's deputy counsel for national security affairs, defied a congressional subpoena, a sign of renewed White House stonewalling.

Eisenberg is reported to have been on the July 25 call. But Trump said Monday there was "no reason" for witnesses to answer questions by investigators.

"This is just another Democrat Hoax that I have had to live with from the day I got elected," the president said.

Robert Blair, an assistant to the president and senior advisor to the acting chief of staff, also refused to testify.

Trump senior associate counsel Michael Ellis and White House budget office associate director for energy Brian McCormack were due for depositions too.

But Schiff said the White House instructed them not to appear, a clear signal that "their testimony would be further incriminating of the president."

Witness transcripts in the impeachment probe into Donald Trump were made public for the first time Monday, with the former US ambassador to Kyiv telling investigators she felt threatened by the president in his call to Ukraine's leader.

Witness transcripts in the impeachment probe into Donald Trump were made public for the first time Monday, with the former US ambassador to Kyiv telling investigators she felt threatened by the president in his call to Ukraine's leader. Democrats are entering an open phase of a congressional probe into potential abuse of power by Trump that has divided Washington as Republicans seek to defend him and his opponents pursue his removal from office. The release of Marie Yovanovitch's deposition came as the White House hardened its opposition to the inquiry, with Trump's top national security lawyer defying a subpoena to testify early Monday. The probe is examining how Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival Joe Biden, including by withholding $391 million in military aid that had been approved by Congress to help the US ally defend itself against Russian aggression. Yovanovitch, who had urged Ukraine to do more to fight corruption, testified last month that she was ousted in May over "false claims" spread by questionable actors allied to Trump. According to her deposition, she was alarmed by the deepening involvement of Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani in Ukrainian affairs, and in particular his efforts to get Kiev to investigate Biden. She said she was "shocked" when she read the summary of Trump's July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which Trump said the ambassador was "going to go through some things." "I was very concerned. I still am," Yovanovitch says. "Did you feel threatened?" an investigator asks Yovanovitch in the transcript. "Yes," she replies. "I really don't know her," Trump told reporters of Yovanovitch on Monday, adding that he was "sure she's a very fine woman." In fact, Yovanovitch came up repeatedly in Trump's phone call with Zelensky, with the US president describing her as "bad news," according to a White House summary of the conversation. The release is the first of what House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff said would be several key depositions. He also released testimony from Michael McKinley, a former senior advisor to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who resigned in September after concluding that the department was not defending top diplomats. He said he asked Pompeo three times to defend Yovanovitch, eventually telling him that "this situation isn't acceptable." But the secretary was essentially non-responsive. In his 37 years as a diplomat he had "never seen" efforts to use the State Department and its missions "to procure negative political information for domestic purposes," McKinley told investigators. The depositions demonstrate "the contamination of US foreign policy by an irregular back channel that sought to advance the president's personal and political interests, and the serious concerns that this activity elicited across our government," Schiff and the chairs of two other panels leading the investigation said in a statement. Schiff said testimony would be released Tuesday from two more key witnesses, then-special representative on Ukraine Kurt Volker and US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland. They were in text message chains in which diplomats expressed misgivings about the prospective quid pro quo of political investigations for military aid. Prior to the release of the first transcripts, Trump sought to attack their credibility by suggesting, without evidence, that Schiff would "change the words that were said to suit the Dems' purposes." Meanwhile John Eisenberg, Trump's deputy counsel for national security affairs, defied a congressional subpoena, a sign of renewed White House stonewalling. Eisenberg is reported to have been on the July 25 call. But Trump said Monday there was "no reason" for witnesses to answer questions by investigators. "This is just another Democrat Hoax that I have had to live with from the day I got elected," the president said. Robert Blair, an assistant to the president and senior advisor to the acting chief of staff, also refused to testify. Trump senior associate counsel Michael Ellis and White House budget office associate director for energy Brian McCormack were due for depositions too. But Schiff said the White House instructed them not to appear, a clear signal that "their testimony would be further incriminating of the president."

First impeachment transcripts go public as White House stonewalls

The possibility of talks between nuclear-armed North Korea and Washington is "narrowing", Pyongyang said Tuesday after the US State Department reaffirmed its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Last month the North walked away from working-level nuclear talks with the US in Sweden, saying it was disappointed at the lack of "new and creative" solutions offered by Washington.

The process has been deadlocked since the Hanoi summit between leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump broke up in February amid disagreement over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return.

Pyongyang has since demanded Washington come forward with a new approach by the end of this year and has carried out a series of launches, the latest of them last week, when it said it fired a "super-large multiple rocket launcher".

On Friday the State Department in an annual report reaffirmed the North's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, reiterating that it was "implicated in assassinations on foreign soil".

Kim's older half-brother Kim Jong Nam was killed at Kuala Lumpur's international airport in 2017. Authorities implicated Pyongyang but in April Malaysian prosecutors dropped murder charges against a Vietnamese woman who was the only remaining suspect.

North Korea's foreign ministry condemned the document as "a grave politically-motivated provocation", the official KCNA news agency reported Tuesday, a spokesperson calling the US a "hotbed and ringleader of terrorism" itself.

"The channel of the dialogue between the DPRK and the US is more and more narrowing due to such attitude and stand of the US," he added using the initials for the North's official name.

The possibility of talks between nuclear-armed North Korea and Washington is "narrowing", Pyongyang said Tuesday after the US State Department reaffirmed its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The possibility of talks between nuclear-armed North Korea and Washington is "narrowing", Pyongyang said Tuesday after the US State Department reaffirmed its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. Last month the North walked away from working-level nuclear talks with the US in Sweden, saying it was disappointed at the lack of "new and creative" solutions offered by Washington. The process has been deadlocked since the Hanoi summit between leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump broke up in February amid disagreement over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return. Pyongyang has since demanded Washington come forward with a new approach by the end of this year and has carried out a series of launches, the latest of them last week, when it said it fired a "super-large multiple rocket launcher". On Friday the State Department in an annual report reaffirmed the North's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, reiterating that it was "implicated in assassinations on foreign soil". Kim's older half-brother Kim Jong Nam was killed at Kuala Lumpur's international airport in 2017. Authorities implicated Pyongyang but in April Malaysian prosecutors dropped murder charges against a Vietnamese woman who was the only remaining suspect. North Korea's foreign ministry condemned the document as "a grave politically-motivated provocation", the official KCNA news agency reported Tuesday, a spokesperson calling the US a "hotbed and ringleader of terrorism" itself. "The channel of the dialogue between the DPRK and the US is more and more narrowing due to such attitude and stand of the US," he added using the initials for the North's official name.

North Korea says chance of talks with US 'narrowing'

President Xi Jinping on Tuesday pledged to further open <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-face-off-over-south-china-sea-at-asean-summit-259920">China's economy</a>, declaring the world must "knock down walls" as he opened an annual trade fair in Shanghai.

Xi addressed an audience including French President Emmanuel Macron at the import exhibition, staged annually by China to show its willingness to free up its vast domestic markets in the face of criticism that they are too cosseted by Beijing.

The world community must "continue to knock down walls instead of building walls, resolutely oppose protectionism and unilateralism, (and) continuously reduce trade barriers", Xi said.

The speech was light on specifics, however, and thus unlikely to mollify foreign critics who accuse China of a range of protectionist measures and failing to deliver on reform promises.

With China and the US working to lock in a partial trade deal announced last month, Xi steered clear of their tariff war in his remarks.

It was a stark contrast to his keynote last year at the height of the trade confrontation, when Xi took a swipe at the Trump administration, decrying "protectionism", "isolationism" and "the law of the jungle", while not specifically naming the United States.

Speaking after Xi, Macron complained that the US-China trade war "only creates losers" and was weighing on global growth.

He said he hoped the world’s two largest economies can reach an agreement that also will "preserve the interests" of other trade partners, starting with the European Union.

Without directly naming US President Donald Trump, Macron decried "unilateral action, the use of tariffs as a weapon, (and) survival of the fittest".

But the French leader also said China's market-opening "must be speeded up and made more transparent".

Xi told delegates he hoped a China-backed proposed regional trade deal could be signed soon, a day after it was dealt a blow by India's withdrawal.

At a summit in Bangkok, India expressed concerns that its economy would be flooded by cheap Chinese goods as a result of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

RCEP was meant to account for 30 per cent of global gross domestic product and loop in half of the world's people, but also notably excludes the United States.

"I hope the agreement will be signed and entered into force at an early date," Xi said in Shanghai.

He said China would be "happy" to reach free-trade agreements with other countries, adding that officials would speed up negotiations on an investment accord with the European Union as well as a pact with Japan and South Korea.

President Xi Jinping on Tuesday pledged to further open China's economy, declaring the world must "knock down walls" as he opened an annual trade fair in Shanghai.

President Xi Jinping on Tuesday pledged to further open China's economy, declaring the world must "knock down walls" as he opened an annual trade fair in Shanghai. Xi addressed an audience including French President Emmanuel Macron at the import exhibition, staged annually by China to show its willingness to free up its vast domestic markets in the face of criticism that they are too cosseted by Beijing. The world community must "continue to knock down walls instead of building walls, resolutely oppose protectionism and unilateralism, (and) continuously reduce trade barriers", Xi said. The speech was light on specifics, however, and thus unlikely to mollify foreign critics who accuse China of a range of protectionist measures and failing to deliver on reform promises. With China and the US working to lock in a partial trade deal announced last month, Xi steered clear of their tariff war in his remarks. It was a stark contrast to his keynote last year at the height of the trade confrontation, when Xi took a swipe at the Trump administration, decrying "protectionism", "isolationism" and "the law of the jungle", while not specifically naming the United States. Speaking after Xi, Macron complained that the US-China trade war "only creates losers" and was weighing on global growth. He said he hoped the world’s two largest economies can reach an agreement that also will "preserve the interests" of other trade partners, starting with the European Union. Without directly naming US President Donald Trump, Macron decried "unilateral action, the use of tariffs as a weapon, (and) survival of the fittest". But the French leader also said China's market-opening "must be speeded up and made more transparent". Xi told delegates he hoped a China-backed proposed regional trade deal could be signed soon, a day after it was dealt a blow by India's withdrawal. At a summit in Bangkok, India expressed concerns that its economy would be flooded by cheap Chinese goods as a result of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). RCEP was meant to account for 30 per cent of global gross domestic product and loop in half of the world's people, but also notably excludes the United States. "I hope the agreement will be signed and entered into force at an early date," Xi said in Shanghai. He said China would be "happy" to reach free-trade agreements with other countries, adding that officials would speed up negotiations on an investment accord with the European Union as well as a pact with Japan and South Korea.

Xi Jinping pledges wider market access, free-trade deals

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - November 5th, 2019

Committee releases first transcripts in Trump impeachment inquiry. Watch video to know more.

Committee releases first transcripts in Trump impeachment inquiry

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