The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday (September 11) granted a request by President Donald Trump's administration to fully enforce a new rule that would curtail asylum applications by immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, a key element of his hardline immigration policies.

U.S. Supreme Court ratifies Trump's  asylum policy

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday welcomed China`s decision to exempt some US anti-cancer drugs and other goods from its tariffs and announced a short delay to scheduled tariff hikes on billions worth of Chinese goods.

Stock markets in Asia rose on the news in early Thursday trade, as the concessions came days ahead of a planned meeting aimed at defusing the escalating<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-heightened-us-china-tensions-science-suffers-collateral-damage-228220"> trade war between the world`s two largest economies</a>.

Also read--&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explainer-us-china-trade-war-the-levers-they-can-pull-224809">US-China trade war: The levers they can pull</a>

China`s decision to exempt some US goods was a "big move" by Beijing and a positive gesture before trade negotiators from both countries meet in Washington, Trump told reporters at the White House.

China on Wednesday announced its first batch of tariff exemptions for 16 types of US products, including some anti-cancer drugs and lubricants, as well as animal feed ingredients whey and fish meal, according to a Ministry of Finance statement on its website.

"They made a couple of moves ... that were pretty good," Trump said at an unrelated event on vaping. "I think it was a gesture, okay? But it was a big move."

On Wednesday, Trump wrote in a post on Twitter that the United States had agreed to delay increasing tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports from October 1 to October 15 "as a gesture of good will." The tariffs were set to increase to 30 per cent&nbsp;from 25 per cent&nbsp;on the goods.

Trump said he hoped to reach a trade agreement with China following more than a year of tit-for-tat exchanges of tariffs that have roiled global markets.

"I deal with them and I know them and I like them," he said. "I hope we can do something."

Asian stocks rose on Thursday, while China`s yuan currency was also up 0.27 per cent in offshore trade, as investors hoped for a thaw in US-China trade frictions.

Deputy trade negotiators are due to meet in Washington in mid-September, with minister-level talks to follow in October. Exact dates for the meetings have not been released.&nbsp;

The gestures may ease tensions ahead of the negotiations, but some analysts don`t see it as a signal that both sides are readying a deal.

"The exemption could be seen as a gesture of sincerity towards the US ahead of negotiations in October but is probably more a means of supporting the economy," ING`s Greater China economist Iris Pang wrote in a note.&nbsp;

"There are still many uncertainties in the coming trade talks. An exemption list of just 16 items will not change China`s stance," she said.

Indeed, the exempted list pales in comparison to over 5,000 types of US products that are already subject to China`s additional tariffs.&nbsp;

Moreover, major US imports, such as soybeans and pork, are still subject to hefty additional duties, as China has ramped up imports from Brazil and other supplying countries.

Beijing has said it would work on exempting some US products from tariffs if they are not easily substituted from elsewhere. The United States is by far China`s largest supplier of whey, which is an important ingredient in piglet feed and difficult to source in large volumes from elsewhere.

Analysts say that with its duties on soybeans and US-made cars, China is taking aim at a key political support base of Trump, mainly the factories and farms across the Midwest and South at a time of receding momentum in the world`s top economy.

China has imposed several rounds of duties on US goods in retaliation against US&nbsp;Section 301 tariffs, beginning last year in July and August with a 25 per cent&nbsp;levy on about $50 billion of US imports.

In all, the United States and China have slapped tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods in a bitter trade war that has raised the spectre of a global recession, with further tariffs slated to take effect in coming months.

The items on the two tariff exemption lists - posted on the ministry`s website - will not be subject to additional duties imposed by China on US goods "as countermeasures to US Section 301 measures," the ministry said in its statement.

The exemption will take effect on September 17 and be valid for a year through to September 16, 2020, it said. Beijing said in May that it would start a waiver programme, amid growing worries over the cost of the protracted trade war on its already slowing economy.

ING`s Pang noted the United States had also exempted imports of 110 Chinese products from tariffs in July, including high-value items such as medical equipment and parts.

Talks

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are expected to meet in early October in the US capital, but key officials are tamping down expectations for a major accord.

For two years, the Trump administration has sought to pressure China to make sweeping changes to its policies on intellectual property protection, forced transfers of technology to Chinese firms, industrial subsidies and market access.

Beijing and Washington were close to a deal last spring but US officials said China backed away from an agreed text over a reluctance to change laws to address US complaints.

The South China Morning Post reported, citing an unidentified source, that China was expected to buy more agricultural products in hopes of a better trade deal with the United States.

Senior White House adviser Peter Navarro this week urged investors, businesses and the public to be patient about the trade dispute.

Earlier on Wednesday, a survey by a prominent American business association showed the trade dispute was souring the profit and investment outlook for US companies operating in the world`s second-biggest economy.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday welcomed China`s decision to exempt some US anti-cancer drugs and other goods from its tariffs and announced a short delay to scheduled tariff hikes on billions worth of Chinese goods.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday welcomed China`s decision to exempt some US anti-cancer drugs and other goods from its tariffs and announced a short delay to scheduled tariff hikes on billions worth of Chinese goods. Stock markets in Asia rose on the news in early Thursday trade, as the concessions came days ahead of a planned meeting aimed at defusing the escalating trade war between the world`s two largest economies. Also read-- US-China trade war: The levers they can pull China`s decision to exempt some US goods was a "big move" by Beijing and a positive gesture before trade negotiators from both countries meet in Washington, Trump told reporters at the White House. China on Wednesday announced its first batch of tariff exemptions for 16 types of US products, including some anti-cancer drugs and lubricants, as well as animal feed ingredients whey and fish meal, according to a Ministry of Finance statement on its website. "They made a couple of moves ... that were pretty good," Trump said at an unrelated event on vaping. "I think it was a gesture, okay? But it was a big move." On Wednesday, Trump wrote in a post on Twitter that the United States had agreed to delay increasing tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports from October 1 to October 15 "as a gesture of good will." The tariffs were set to increase to 30 per cent from 25 per cent on the goods. Trump said he hoped to reach a trade agreement with China following more than a year of tit-for-tat exchanges of tariffs that have roiled global markets. "I deal with them and I know them and I like them," he said. "I hope we can do something." Asian stocks rose on Thursday, while China`s yuan currency was also up 0.27 per cent in offshore trade, as investors hoped for a thaw in US-China trade frictions. Deputy trade negotiators are due to meet in Washington in mid-September, with minister-level talks to follow in October. Exact dates for the meetings have not been released. The gestures may ease tensions ahead of the negotiations, but some analysts don`t see it as a signal that both sides are readying a deal. "The exemption could be seen as a gesture of sincerity towards the US ahead of negotiations in October but is probably more a means of supporting the economy," ING`s Greater China economist Iris Pang wrote in a note. "There are still many uncertainties in the coming trade talks. An exemption list of just 16 items will not change China`s stance," she said. Indeed, the exempted list pales in comparison to over 5,000 types of US products that are already subject to China`s additional tariffs. Moreover, major US imports, such as soybeans and pork, are still subject to hefty additional duties, as China has ramped up imports from Brazil and other supplying countries. Beijing has said it would work on exempting some US products from tariffs if they are not easily substituted from elsewhere. The United States is by far China`s largest supplier of whey, which is an important ingredient in piglet feed and difficult to source in large volumes from elsewhere. Analysts say that with its duties on soybeans and US-made cars, China is taking aim at a key political support base of Trump, mainly the factories and farms across the Midwest and South at a time of receding momentum in the world`s top economy. China has imposed several rounds of duties on US goods in retaliation against US Section 301 tariffs, beginning last year in July and August with a 25 per cent levy on about $50 billion of US imports. In all, the United States and China have slapped tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods in a bitter trade war that has raised the spectre of a global recession, with further tariffs slated to take effect in coming months. The items on the two tariff exemption lists - posted on the ministry`s website - will not be subject to additional duties imposed by China on US goods "as countermeasures to US Section 301 measures," the ministry said in its statement. The exemption will take effect on September 17 and be valid for a year through to September 16, 2020, it said. Beijing said in May that it would start a waiver programme, amid growing worries over the cost of the protracted trade war on its already slowing economy. ING`s Pang noted the United States had also exempted imports of 110 Chinese products from tariffs in July, including high-value items such as medical equipment and parts. Talks Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are expected to meet in early October in the US capital, but key officials are tamping down expectations for a major accord. For two years, the Trump administration has sought to pressure China to make sweeping changes to its policies on intellectual property protection, forced transfers of technology to Chinese firms, industrial subsidies and market access. Beijing and Washington were close to a deal last spring but US officials said China backed away from an agreed text over a reluctance to change laws to address US complaints. The South China Morning Post reported, citing an unidentified source, that China was expected to buy more agricultural products in hopes of a better trade deal with the United States. Senior White House adviser Peter Navarro this week urged investors, businesses and the public to be patient about the trade dispute. Earlier on Wednesday, a survey by a prominent American business association showed the trade dispute was souring the profit and investment outlook for US companies operating in the world`s second-biggest economy.

As ‘goodwill gesture', US will delay 5% boost in tariffs on Chinese imports: Trump

President Donald Trump on Wednesday (September 11) said the United States has hit the Taliban "harder than they have ever been hit before" just days after he cancelled a secret Camp David meeting with Taliban leaders and declared the peace talks dead. Trump's comments came as he spoke at a remembrance ceremony for the 18th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Watch this video to know more.

18th anniversary of 9/11 attacks, Trump observes silence

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday granted a request by President Donald Trump`s administration to fully enforce a new rule that would curtail asylum applications by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-give-additional-120-million-to-help-venezuelan-migrants-247770">immigrants </a>at the US-Mexico border, a key element of his hardline <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-deny-citizenship-to-immigrants-who-use-public-benefits-us-242502">immigration policies</a>.

The court said the rule, which requires most<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/few-immigrants-fit-the-legal-definition-of-global-refugees-239846"> immigrants</a> who want asylum to first seek safe haven in a third country through which they travelled on their way to the United States, could go into effect as litigation challenging its legality continues.

Among the nine judges on the court, liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented.

The court`s ruling handed a victory to Trump at a time when much of his immigration agenda had been struck down by lower courts. "BIG United States Supreme Court WIN for the Border on Asylum!" Trump said on Twitter.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BIG United States Supreme Court WIN for the Border on Asylum! <a href="https://t.co/9Ka00qK1Ob">https://t.co/9Ka00qK1Ob</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171918282905018370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The rule would bar almost all <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shock-investment-urged-to-stem-flow-of-central-american-migrants-245236">immigrants</a> from applying for asylum at the southern border. It represents the latest effort by Trump`s administration to crack down on immigration, a signature issue during his presidency and 2020 re-election bid.

The American Civil Liberties Union and others who challenged the administration`s policy in federal court said it violates US immigration law and accused the administration of failing to follow the correct legal process in issuing the rule, which was unveiled on July 15.

In her dissent, Sotomayor said that the government`s rule may be in significant tension with the asylum statute.

"It is especially concerning, moreover, that the rule the government promulgated topples decades of settled asylum practices and affects some of the most vulnerable people in the Western Hemisphere — without affording the public a chance to weigh in."

Eight days after the rule went into effect in July, California-based US District Judge Jon Tigar issued a nationwide injunction blocking it.

Then began a back-and-forth between Tigar and the 9th Circuit, which scaled back the injunction so that the Trump rule was blocked in the border states of California and Arizona while in effect in Texas and New Mexico.

Tigar ruled to restore the nationwide ban on Monday, but the 9th Circuit scaled it back again on Tuesday night.

They were both trumped by Supreme Court, which will allow the asylum restriction to remain in place until the underlying legality of the rule is determined at trial.

"This is just a temporary step, and we`re hopeful we`ll prevail at the end of the day," ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said. "The lives of thousands of families are at stake."

The Republican president`s administration issued the rule in an attempt to reduce the surging number of asylum claims primarily by Central American migrants who have crossed the US-Mexico border in large numbers during his presidency.

The rule would block nearly all families and individuals from countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala from entering the United States as asylum seekers after crossing through Mexico. The rule would keep asylum protections for Mexican citizens.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said the Trump administration was "pleased" by the Supreme Court`s decision, which he said rejected an "erroneous" ruling by the lower court judge.

But Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the US House of Representatives` Judiciary Committee, and Zoe Lofgren, the head of the judiciary panel`s immigration subcommittee, called the court`s decision disappointing.

"Lives will be lost. This rule will result in those fleeing fear and persecution to be turned away at our doorstep and will only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the region," they said in a statement.

Government argued right to set policy

The rule drew legal challenges including from a coalition of groups represented by the ACLU who accused the administration of pursuing an "asylum ban" and jeopardizing the safety of migrants fleeing persecution.

In the administration`s request to fully enforce the rule, US Solicitor General Noel Francisco asked the Supreme Court to issue a stay blocking the injunction while litigation over the issue proceeds because the judge`s order interferes with the government`s authority to establish immigration policy.

The administration said the rule screens out asylum claims that are unlikely to succeed and "deters aliens without a genuine need for asylum from making the arduous and potentially dangerous journey from Central America to the United States."

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday granted a request by President Donald Trump`s administration to fully enforce a new rule that would curtail asylum applications by immigrants at the US-Mexico border, a key element of his hardline immigration policies.

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday granted a request by President Donald Trump`s administration to fully enforce a new rule that would curtail asylum applications by immigrants at the US-Mexico border, a key element of his hardline immigration policies. The court said the rule, which requires most immigrants who want asylum to first seek safe haven in a third country through which they travelled on their way to the United States, could go into effect as litigation challenging its legality continues. Among the nine judges on the court, liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented. The court`s ruling handed a victory to Trump at a time when much of his immigration agenda had been struck down by lower courts. "BIG United States Supreme Court WIN for the Border on Asylum!" Trump said on Twitter. BIG United States Supreme Court WIN for the Border on Asylum! https://t.co/9Ka00qK1Ob — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2019 × The rule would bar almost all immigrants from applying for asylum at the southern border. It represents the latest effort by Trump`s administration to crack down on immigration, a signature issue during his presidency and 2020 re-election bid. The American Civil Liberties Union and others who challenged the administration`s policy in federal court said it violates US immigration law and accused the administration of failing to follow the correct legal process in issuing the rule, which was unveiled on July 15. In her dissent, Sotomayor said that the government`s rule may be in significant tension with the asylum statute. "It is especially concerning, moreover, that the rule the government promulgated topples decades of settled asylum practices and affects some of the most vulnerable people in the Western Hemisphere — without affording the public a chance to weigh in." Eight days after the rule went into effect in July, California-based US District Judge Jon Tigar issued a nationwide injunction blocking it. Then began a back-and-forth between Tigar and the 9th Circuit, which scaled back the injunction so that the Trump rule was blocked in the border states of California and Arizona while in effect in Texas and New Mexico. Tigar ruled to restore the nationwide ban on Monday, but the 9th Circuit scaled it back again on Tuesday night. They were both trumped by Supreme Court, which will allow the asylum restriction to remain in place until the underlying legality of the rule is determined at trial. "This is just a temporary step, and we`re hopeful we`ll prevail at the end of the day," ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said. "The lives of thousands of families are at stake." The Republican president`s administration issued the rule in an attempt to reduce the surging number of asylum claims primarily by Central American migrants who have crossed the US-Mexico border in large numbers during his presidency. The rule would block nearly all families and individuals from countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala from entering the United States as asylum seekers after crossing through Mexico. The rule would keep asylum protections for Mexican citizens. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said the Trump administration was "pleased" by the Supreme Court`s decision, which he said rejected an "erroneous" ruling by the lower court judge. But Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the US House of Representatives` Judiciary Committee, and Zoe Lofgren, the head of the judiciary panel`s immigration subcommittee, called the court`s decision disappointing. "Lives will be lost. This rule will result in those fleeing fear and persecution to be turned away at our doorstep and will only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the region," they said in a statement. Government argued right to set policy The rule drew legal challenges including from a coalition of groups represented by the ACLU who accused the administration of pursuing an "asylum ban" and jeopardizing the safety of migrants fleeing persecution. In the administration`s request to fully enforce the rule, US Solicitor General Noel Francisco asked the Supreme Court to issue a stay blocking the injunction while litigation over the issue proceeds because the judge`s order interferes with the government`s authority to establish immigration policy. The administration said the rule screens out asylum claims that are unlikely to succeed and "deters aliens without a genuine need for asylum from making the arduous and potentially dangerous journey from Central America to the United States."

US Supreme Court allows Trump to deny asylum to many Central Americans

US China Trade War: Trump delays Tariff hike on Chinese Goods

Trump delays Tariff hike on Chinese Goods

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani may not be the only one to have welcomed US President Donald J Trump’s cancellation of peace talks with the Taliban. Probably, so did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the run-up to this month’s Israeli elections.

The cancellation likely reduces fears harboured in recent weeks by Netanyahu and the Israeli intelligence community that the US president may reverse his hardline on Iran and seek to negotiate a resolution of differences with his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani.

Israeli fears were sparked by Trump’s repeated expression of interest in meeting with Rouhani, talks on the margins of last month’s gathering of Group of Seven leaders in Biarritz between French president Emmanuel Macron and Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and &nbsp;Trump’s last-minute pullback in June from launching a military strike against Iran.

Trump reiterated his willingness to talk to Rouhani a day after the cancellation and hours after Netanyahu sought to prove that Iran had been violating the 2015 international agreement designed to curb its nuclear ambitions.

The president told reporters that he had no objections to negotiating face-to-face with Rouhani. “Sure, anything’s possible. They would like to be able to solve their problem. We could solve it in 24 hours,” Trump said.

Netanyahu probably saw Trump’s firing on Tuesday of his national security advisor John Bolton, one of the Israeli leader’s foremost soul mates in the administration when it came to Iran, as another worrisome sign.&nbsp;

International Crisis Group Iran expert Ali Vaez voiced Netanyahu’s worst fears by describing Bolton’s departure as “an opportunity for de-escalation.”

Nevertheless, Netanyahu and Israeli intelligence were likely to draw two conclusions from the cancellation of the Taliban talks.

If Trump’s withdrawal in May of last year from the 2015 nuclear agreement, despite a consensus that the Islamic republic was abiding by the accord, convinced Iranians that the United States could not be trusted to honour its commitments, cancelling talks with the Taliban has highlighted the risks of engaging with the US president.

As a result, Rouhani, a strong proponent of the nuclear accord who was weakened by Trump’s withdrawal and has since been on the defensive against Iranian hardliners, is likely to be even more hesitant to engage with Trump.

That is what Netanyahu, betting on Rouhani’s track record in recent weeks, will count on.

Rouhani initially last month expressed willingness to meet Trump without preconditions but subsequently toughened his position by insisting that the United States first lift harsh economic sanctions imposed on Iran after the US withdrawal from the nuclear accord.

Rouhani told the Iranian parliament a day before MTrump’s latest overture and on the same day that the US president cancelled the Taliban talks that Iran’s response to American advances would “always be negative.”

The cancellation is also likely to reinforce Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s deep-rooted distrust of the United States.

Netanyahu and Israeli intelligence are likely to draw a second conclusion from the cancellation prompted by the Taliban’s continued attacks despite peace talks that last week killed a US soldier and 11 others.

Trump’s declaration that the talks were ‘dead’ raised the spectre of a president reluctant to embroil the United States in further military conflict ramping up operations in Afghanistan to counter anticipated Taliban activity.

In an effort to fortify his perceived, regained the advantage and distract attention from setbacks in his electoral campaign, Netanyahu charged in a short, televised address on Monday that Iran’s ‘duplicitous’ regime had been secretly developing nuclear weapons at a hitherto unknown site near Abadeh, south of the city of Isfahan.

Netanyahu asserted that Iran had destroyed the site once it realised that Israel had discovered it. Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, denied the Israeli allegations.

Analysts charged that Netanyahu was recycling dated information in a blurring of the lines between his electoral needs and Israel’s true security concerns.

“In the way Netanyahu presents things…there is a whiff of manipulation; contrary to what one might understand from his remarks, this was an Iranian violation from the period before the nuclear agreement, which went into effect in January 2015,” said Amos Harel, a columnist for Haaretz newspaper.

In attempting to persuade the Israeli electorate that he is the Israeli leader with the security credentials needed to protect Israel from the likes of Iran, stiffen the US resolve to force Iran on its knees, and convince other nations that Iran is the source of all evil, Netanyahu risks not only escalating tension in the Middle East but also sparking a regional nuclear arms race.

Netanyahu’s assertions threaten to reinforce Saudi resolve to match whatever advances Iran may make.

Saudi Arabia’s newly appointed oil minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, in his first remarks since being appointed this week, said that the kingdom wanted to push ahead with the full cycle of its nuclear program, including the production and enrichment of uranium for atomic fuel.

Iran in recent weeks has gradually breached the limits set on its enriched-uranium stockpile by the nuclear agreement and installed advanced centrifuges in a bid to force Europe to take effective steps to shield it against the full impact of US sanctions and prevent the collapse of the accord.

Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in an indication that a regional nuclear arms race could spiral out of control, this month demanded the right for his country to develop a nuclear military capability.

Not to mention that a nuclear arms race could prompt Israel, the Middle East’s so far only, albeit undeclared nuclear power, to enhance its capabilities to maintain its strategic edge.

Said Gulf scholar Luciano Zaccara: “With its ill-advised policies in the Gulf, the Trump administration is not only encouraging a nuclear race in the region…but it is also undermining the international non-proliferation regime…. In the current volatile situation in the Middle East...the lack of a robust non-proliferation agreement will encourage a nuclear race in the region and increase the chances of pre-emptive military attacks that could lead to large-scale war.”

The same could be said for Netanyahu’s approach.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani may not be the only one to have welcomed US President Donald J Trump’s cancellation of peace talks with the Taliban. Probably, so did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the run-up to this month’s Israeli elections.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani may not be the only one to have welcomed US President Donald J Trump’s cancellation of peace talks with the Taliban. Probably, so did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the run-up to this month’s Israeli elections. The cancellation likely reduces fears harboured in recent weeks by Netanyahu and the Israeli intelligence community that the US president may reverse his hardline on Iran and seek to negotiate a resolution of differences with his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani. Israeli fears were sparked by Trump’s repeated expression of interest in meeting with Rouhani, talks on the margins of last month’s gathering of Group of Seven leaders in Biarritz between French president Emmanuel Macron and Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and Trump’s last-minute pullback in June from launching a military strike against Iran. Trump reiterated his willingness to talk to Rouhani a day after the cancellation and hours after Netanyahu sought to prove that Iran had been violating the 2015 international agreement designed to curb its nuclear ambitions. The president told reporters that he had no objections to negotiating face-to-face with Rouhani. “Sure, anything’s possible. They would like to be able to solve their problem. We could solve it in 24 hours,” Trump said. Netanyahu probably saw Trump’s firing on Tuesday of his national security advisor John Bolton, one of the Israeli leader’s foremost soul mates in the administration when it came to Iran, as another worrisome sign. International Crisis Group Iran expert Ali Vaez voiced Netanyahu’s worst fears by describing Bolton’s departure as “an opportunity for de-escalation.” Nevertheless, Netanyahu and Israeli intelligence were likely to draw two conclusions from the cancellation of the Taliban talks. If Trump’s withdrawal in May of last year from the 2015 nuclear agreement, despite a consensus that the Islamic republic was abiding by the accord, convinced Iranians that the United States could not be trusted to honour its commitments, cancelling talks with the Taliban has highlighted the risks of engaging with the US president. As a result, Rouhani, a strong proponent of the nuclear accord who was weakened by Trump’s withdrawal and has since been on the defensive against Iranian hardliners, is likely to be even more hesitant to engage with Trump. That is what Netanyahu, betting on Rouhani’s track record in recent weeks, will count on. Rouhani initially last month expressed willingness to meet Trump without preconditions but subsequently toughened his position by insisting that the United States first lift harsh economic sanctions imposed on Iran after the US withdrawal from the nuclear accord. Rouhani told the Iranian parliament a day before MTrump’s latest overture and on the same day that the US president cancelled the Taliban talks that Iran’s response to American advances would “always be negative.” The cancellation is also likely to reinforce Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s deep-rooted distrust of the United States. Netanyahu and Israeli intelligence are likely to draw a second conclusion from the cancellation prompted by the Taliban’s continued attacks despite peace talks that last week killed a US soldier and 11 others. Trump’s declaration that the talks were ‘dead’ raised the spectre of a president reluctant to embroil the United States in further military conflict ramping up operations in Afghanistan to counter anticipated Taliban activity. In an effort to fortify his perceived, regained the advantage and distract attention from setbacks in his electoral campaign, Netanyahu charged in a short, televised address on Monday that Iran’s ‘duplicitous’ regime had been secretly developing nuclear weapons at a hitherto unknown site near Abadeh, south of the city of Isfahan. Netanyahu asserted that Iran had destroyed the site once it realised that Israel had discovered it. Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, denied the Israeli allegations. Analysts charged that Netanyahu was recycling dated information in a blurring of the lines between his electoral needs and Israel’s true security concerns. “In the way Netanyahu presents things…there is a whiff of manipulation; contrary to what one might understand from his remarks, this was an Iranian violation from the period before the nuclear agreement, which went into effect in January 2015,” said Amos Harel, a columnist for Haaretz newspaper. In attempting to persuade the Israeli electorate that he is the Israeli leader with the security credentials needed to protect Israel from the likes of Iran, stiffen the US resolve to force Iran on its knees, and convince other nations that Iran is the source of all evil, Netanyahu risks not only escalating tension in the Middle East but also sparking a regional nuclear arms race. Netanyahu’s assertions threaten to reinforce Saudi resolve to match whatever advances Iran may make. Saudi Arabia’s newly appointed oil minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, in his first remarks since being appointed this week, said that the kingdom wanted to push ahead with the full cycle of its nuclear program, including the production and enrichment of uranium for atomic fuel. Iran in recent weeks has gradually breached the limits set on its enriched-uranium stockpile by the nuclear agreement and installed advanced centrifuges in a bid to force Europe to take effective steps to shield it against the full impact of US sanctions and prevent the collapse of the accord. Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in an indication that a regional nuclear arms race could spiral out of control, this month demanded the right for his country to develop a nuclear military capability. Not to mention that a nuclear arms race could prompt Israel, the Middle East’s so far only, albeit undeclared nuclear power, to enhance its capabilities to maintain its strategic edge. Said Gulf scholar Luciano Zaccara: “With its ill-advised policies in the Gulf, the Trump administration is not only encouraging a nuclear race in the region…but it is also undermining the international non-proliferation regime…. In the current volatile situation in the Middle East...the lack of a robust non-proliferation agreement will encourage a nuclear race in the region and increase the chances of pre-emptive military attacks that could lead to large-scale war.” The same could be said for Netanyahu’s approach. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu encouraging a nuclear race

Iran’s ambassador to India, Ali Chegini, recently urged New Delhi to follow an independent line and take advantage of the opportunities presented by Iran in the oil and gas sector.&nbsp;

To buttress his point, he showcased how Beijing had refused to follow the sanctions imposed by the US targeting Iran’s oil and financial sectors.&nbsp;

According to Chegini, China had agreed to invest $280 billion in Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemical sectors that are being affected by US sanctions. As compared to China, India’s reaction is a tame capitulation to the American diktat.&nbsp;

China is receiving oil shipments from a larger number of Iranian tankers defying sanctions imposed by the United States to strangulate Tehran’s main source of income, because it clearly prizes self-interest over American unilateralism.&nbsp;

As it is, China, as Tehran’s top trading partner, receives the largest share of Iran’s crude exports. Besides, being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, it is able to neutralise America. It is sad to see India looking like a US lackey.

That India is feeling the pressure of US sanctions is evident from reports that New Delhi has reportedly directed at least one of the refiners to devise a payment mechanism that would avoid the US banking system in an effort to avoid exposure to American secondary sanctions.

Indian refiners had established a rupee-based barter system to pay for Iranian crude oil several years ago when paying in dollars was not an option.&nbsp;

Now that India is trying to find newer pastures to compensate its loss to Iran with supplies from the US and Venezuela, she is mulling an escape route to bypass US sanctions in its transactions with Venezuela.

How long will this subterfuge work? If the Trump administration decides to punish the People’s Bank of China or other Chinese banks that engage in transactions with the Central Bank of Iran, or penalise energy giant Sinopec, which, like Zhuhai Zhenrong, also imports oil from Iran, there would be massive trade repercussions and the headwinds might well shoot up fuel prices.

Iran is forging strong political links with American rivals such as China and Russia, and with India, that was formally, till the other day, “non-aligned”.&nbsp;

Iran’s link to China and India in terms of the role that Iranian oil and gas has played in their rapid economic growth is incontestable.&nbsp;

Beijing’s relatively new commercial and political relationship with Tehran, for example, that is still in its infancy as compared to India, has been created and sustained by an insatiable Chinese thirst for oil that its domestic production has failed to quench since the early to mid-1990s.&nbsp;

The Trump Administration’s decision to permanently end all sanction waivers earlier this year has forced India to not just slash Iranian crude imports, but to stop them altogether.&nbsp;

Even during the Iran–Iraq war, India shifted its oil supplies away from Iraq and Iran to elsewhere in the Gulf, but took care to keep good relations with both countries.

The first bilateral visit of Prime Minister Narsimha Rao to Iran took place in 1993 and a year later, Iran prevented Pakistan from tabling a resolution critical of India on the Kashmir issue at the UN Human Rights Commission. Rao’s understanding was that India had more in common with Shia Iran than with the ‘increasingly Wahhabised Arab world’.&nbsp;

In 2003, during Iranian President Khatami’s visit to New Delhi as a guest of honour on Republic Day, the two countries signed the New Delhi Declaration calling for a strategic partnership.&nbsp;

India has traditionally declined to be seen as being required to gang up with the United States against Iran. At the end of the day, it is time to question if the Trump administration’s goal of putting “maximum pressure” on Iran will work.

Importantly, in the face of the US President’s unpredictability – given that sanctions can hardly bring a regime down to its knees – how can India jettison so much at stake?&nbsp; 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-iran-jettisoning-energy-stakes-for-america-s-sake-2789104">original article</a>) 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Iran’s ambassador to India, Ali Chegini, recently urged New Delhi to follow an independent line and take advantage of the opportunities presented by Iran in the oil and gas sector.

Iran’s ambassador to India, Ali Chegini, recently urged New Delhi to follow an independent line and take advantage of the opportunities presented by Iran in the oil and gas sector. To buttress his point, he showcased how Beijing had refused to follow the sanctions imposed by the US targeting Iran’s oil and financial sectors. According to Chegini, China had agreed to invest $280 billion in Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemical sectors that are being affected by US sanctions. As compared to China, India’s reaction is a tame capitulation to the American diktat. China is receiving oil shipments from a larger number of Iranian tankers defying sanctions imposed by the United States to strangulate Tehran’s main source of income, because it clearly prizes self-interest over American unilateralism. As it is, China, as Tehran’s top trading partner, receives the largest share of Iran’s crude exports. Besides, being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, it is able to neutralise America. It is sad to see India looking like a US lackey. That India is feeling the pressure of US sanctions is evident from reports that New Delhi has reportedly directed at least one of the refiners to devise a payment mechanism that would avoid the US banking system in an effort to avoid exposure to American secondary sanctions. Indian refiners had established a rupee-based barter system to pay for Iranian crude oil several years ago when paying in dollars was not an option. Now that India is trying to find newer pastures to compensate its loss to Iran with supplies from the US and Venezuela, she is mulling an escape route to bypass US sanctions in its transactions with Venezuela. How long will this subterfuge work? If the Trump administration decides to punish the People’s Bank of China or other Chinese banks that engage in transactions with the Central Bank of Iran, or penalise energy giant Sinopec, which, like Zhuhai Zhenrong, also imports oil from Iran, there would be massive trade repercussions and the headwinds might well shoot up fuel prices. Iran is forging strong political links with American rivals such as China and Russia, and with India, that was formally, till the other day, “non-aligned”. Iran’s link to China and India in terms of the role that Iranian oil and gas has played in their rapid economic growth is incontestable. Beijing’s relatively new commercial and political relationship with Tehran, for example, that is still in its infancy as compared to India, has been created and sustained by an insatiable Chinese thirst for oil that its domestic production has failed to quench since the early to mid-1990s. The Trump Administration’s decision to permanently end all sanction waivers earlier this year has forced India to not just slash Iranian crude imports, but to stop them altogether. Even during the Iran–Iraq war, India shifted its oil supplies away from Iraq and Iran to elsewhere in the Gulf, but took care to keep good relations with both countries. The first bilateral visit of Prime Minister Narsimha Rao to Iran took place in 1993 and a year later, Iran prevented Pakistan from tabling a resolution critical of India on the Kashmir issue at the UN Human Rights Commission. Rao’s understanding was that India had more in common with Shia Iran than with the ‘increasingly Wahhabised Arab world’. In 2003, during Iranian President Khatami’s visit to New Delhi as a guest of honour on Republic Day, the two countries signed the New Delhi Declaration calling for a strategic partnership. India has traditionally declined to be seen as being required to gang up with the United States against Iran. At the end of the day, it is time to question if the Trump administration’s goal of putting “maximum pressure” on Iran will work. Importantly, in the face of the US President’s unpredictability – given that sanctions can hardly bring a regime down to its knees – how can India jettison so much at stake? (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Iran: Jettisoning energy stakes for America’s sake

Having once branded John Bolton a "war maniac", North Korean officials could see US President Donald Trump's removal of his national security adviser as a chance to resume denuclearization talks without facing an unyielding hawk on the other side.

Having once branded John Bolton a "war maniac", North Korean officials could see US President Donald Trump's removal of his national security adviser as a chance to resume denuclearization talks without facing an unyielding hawk on the other side. In the past, Bolton has proposed using military force to overthrow the ruling Kim family and US officials have said Bolton was responsible for the collapse of Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's second summit in Vietnam in February. Trump announced he had fired Bolton a day after North Korea signaled a new willingness to resume stalled denuclearization talks with the United States, but then conducted the latest in a spate of missile launches. Policy analysts say Bolton's departure could help US efforts to revive the talks but will not make Washington's aim of persuading Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons any easier. "The timing could be convenient for US diplomacy with North Korea," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Seoul’s Ewha University. "Pyongyang made its disdain for Bolton well known. Kim Jong-un can spin this personnel change in Washington as a win in North Korean domestic politics. That would increase the likelihood of denuclearisation talks restarting soon." Harry Kazianis, a North Korea expert at Washington's Center for the National Interest think tank, said Trump was now free to find a national security adviser opposed to wars of regime change and willing to back a diplomatic track with North Korea. Indeed, Trump's North Korea envoy, Stephen Biegun, a firm advocate of engagement with Pyongyang, is among the names that have been floated as possible successors to Bolton. Bolton has not been the only target of North Korean rhetoric. North Korea's official media has repeatedly denounced US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and urged Trump to replace him with a "more mature" interlocutor. Last month it called Pompeo a "diehard toxin" who only complicated talks. Speaking after Bolton's departure, Pompeo said there were "many times" that they had disagreed, but countries should not expect changes in approach. "Someone asked, would the policy be different absent any individual being here," Pompeo said to reporters at the White House. "These have been the president’s policies. We give him our best wisdom, we share with him our understanding ... but I don’t think that any leader around the world should make any assumption that because some one of us departs that President Trump’s foreign policy will change in a material way," Pompeo said. Trump has received plaudits and criticisms for his willingness to engage Kim Jong-un directly in three meetings since June last year, the first between leaders of two countries that have remained in a technical state of hostilities since the 1950-53 Korean War. Little progress has been made in getting Kim to give up his weapons programmes, but Trump has repeatedly pointed to North Korea's freeze in nuclear and long-range missile tests since 2017 as evidence of the success of his efforts. All that nearly fell apart in Hanoi when Trump followed Bolton's advice and handed Kim a piece of paper that bluntly called for the transfer of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and bomb fuel to the United States. The document effectively reprised Bolton's long-held and hard-line "Libya model" of unilateral denuclearization that North Korea has repeatedly rejected and analysts said would have been seen by Kim as insulting and provocative. While North Korea has said it is willing to resume talks, Kim has given a year-end deadline for Washington to take a new approach. Regardless of Bolton's departure, Washington has given no indication that it will soften its demand for North Korea's ultimate denuclearization, even though with Bolton gone, the risky all-or-nothing gambit is unlikely to be repeated. "Bolton may not be loved by everyone but surely was a bulwark against a half-baked nuclear deal with North Korea, knowing very well about its negotiating tactics," said Kim Hong-kyun, a former South Korean nuclear envoy. "Now that he’s gone, just at a time when the two countries are talking about restarting working-level talks, North Korea would try to make various attempts and use tricks to turn things to their advantage, seeing this as a chance to score points without defense from the other side." South Korea's presidential office declined to comment on Bolton's departure.

North Korea could warm up to talks after removal of 'war maniac' Bolton

Two Of The Largest Banks On The Wall Street Are Trying To Measure The Impact Of Trump's Tweets On Bond Yields!

Gravitas: From Covfefe to Volfefe: Tweeting Trump Impacts Markets

U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly fired his national security adviser John Bolton amid disagreements with his hard-line aide over how to handle foreign policy challenges such as North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan and Russia.

US President Donald Trump fires NSA John Bolton

Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday with a broadly upbeat tone across trading floors ahead of major meetings at the European and US central banks, while there is also a growing sense of optimism over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-us-trade-talks-to-restart-after-g20-tariff-truce-239483">China-US trade talks</a>.

News that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-asked-nsa-john-bolton-to-resign-tweets-us-president-donald-trump-248901">Donald Trump</a> had fired his fervently hawkish national security adviser also lifted sentiment with analysts saying it could see the White House take a less strident approach and ease geopolitical tensions.

With the global economy sputtering, attention has turned increasingly to central banks as investors look for more stimulus.

Watch Vidoe:&nbsp;US President Donald Trump fires NSA John Bolton

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On Thursday the European Central Bank holds one of its most anticipated gatherings and hopes are for a series of fresh measures including a possible interest rate cut, fresh bond-buying quantitative easing (QE) or other loosening tools.

That is followed by the Federal Reserve's board meeting next week, where it is tipped to announce another reduction in borrowing costs as the world's top economy which has so far been the strongest globally stutters.

"With the expectation of the resumption of quantitative easing by the ECB&nbsp;and a rate cut by the Federal Reserve next week, the risk environment has solidified and tempted investors out of hiding from the bond markets and back into equities," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA.

In the afternoon trade, Hong Kong climbed 1.6 per cent as investors made the most of the upbeat mood to pick up cheap stocks after months of sometimes violent protests in the city weighed on the stock market.

Tokyo finished one per cent higher, Singapore put on more than one per cent, Seoul rose 0.8 per cent, Sydney gained 0.4 per cent and Taipei added 0.3 per cent, while Manila, Mumbai, Bangkok, and Jakarta also posted gains.

However, Shanghai was fell 0.4 per cent, with little major reaction to the news that China had listed 16 US categories of goods it would exempt from tariffs, ahead of planned top-level trade talks next month. Dealers also appeared to brush off Beijing's decision on Tuesday to lift limits on foreign investment in the country.

Wellington tumbled almost two per cent as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's government was rocked by its handling of sexual assault allegations against a top Labour Party staffer.

In early trade London rose 0.5 per cent, Frankfurt jumped 0.6 per cent and Paris edged up 0.3 per cent.

Trump's decision to sack John Bolton as a leading security adviser raised the possibility of an easing of tensions between the US and several nations, particularly Iran.

The controversial <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-security-adviser-john-bolton-to-urge-tougher-uk-stance-on-iran-and-china-242307">Bolton</a> was closely linked to the invasion of Iraq and other past aggressive US foreign policy decisions and was seen as one of the main driving forces in Trump's muscular approach to Tehran, North Korea, and Venezuela, among others.

Stephen Innes at AxiTrader said that while the move did not necessarily mean a huge change in policy direction, "it does eliminate the most vocal advocate for US military-enforced regime change in the Trump administration".

He added that "from a geopolitical risk perspective, it does lessen war risk premiums, especially in Syria, Venezuela, and Iran and opens the door to more friendly discussion with North Korea".

However, the possibility of dialling down in the stand-off between the US and Iran led to a plunge Tuesday in the price of oil, with WTI diving almost three per cent from an intraday high and Brent shedding 2.5 per cent.

The two contracts later clawed back some of the losses on bargain-buying expectations for more output cuts by leading producers led by Saudi Arabia.

In share trading companies linked to Apple enjoyed healthy buying after the US tech giant unveiled new iPhones, including a lower-priced offering, and set launch dates for its original video offering as well as its game subscription service.

In Tokyo, Alps Alpine surged three per cent, Japan Display put on nearly three per cent and Sharp rallied more than four per cent, while LG Display in Seoul was up two per cent in Seoul. Taipei-listed Foxconn rose by 0.2 per cent.

On forex markets, the positive vibe helped the dollar up against the safe-haven yen, while higher-yielding, riskier currencies edged up against the greenback.

The pound held its recent gains as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was pushing to strike a divorce agreement with the European Union, having lost a series of key votes to MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit.

Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday with a broadly upbeat tone across trading floors ahead of major meetings at the European and US central banks, while there is also a growing sense of optimism over China-US trade talks.

Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday with a broadly upbeat tone across trading floors ahead of major meetings at the European and US central banks, while there is also a growing sense of optimism over China-US trade talks. News that Donald Trump had fired his fervently hawkish national security adviser also lifted sentiment with analysts saying it could see the White House take a less strident approach and ease geopolitical tensions. With the global economy sputtering, attention has turned increasingly to central banks as investors look for more stimulus. Watch Vidoe: US President Donald Trump fires NSA John Bolton × On Thursday the European Central Bank holds one of its most anticipated gatherings and hopes are for a series of fresh measures including a possible interest rate cut, fresh bond-buying quantitative easing (QE) or other loosening tools. That is followed by the Federal Reserve's board meeting next week, where it is tipped to announce another reduction in borrowing costs as the world's top economy which has so far been the strongest globally stutters. "With the expectation of the resumption of quantitative easing by the ECB and a rate cut by the Federal Reserve next week, the risk environment has solidified and tempted investors out of hiding from the bond markets and back into equities," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA. In the afternoon trade, Hong Kong climbed 1.6 per cent as investors made the most of the upbeat mood to pick up cheap stocks after months of sometimes violent protests in the city weighed on the stock market. Tokyo finished one per cent higher, Singapore put on more than one per cent, Seoul rose 0.8 per cent, Sydney gained 0.4 per cent and Taipei added 0.3 per cent, while Manila, Mumbai, Bangkok, and Jakarta also posted gains. However, Shanghai was fell 0.4 per cent, with little major reaction to the news that China had listed 16 US categories of goods it would exempt from tariffs, ahead of planned top-level trade talks next month. Dealers also appeared to brush off Beijing's decision on Tuesday to lift limits on foreign investment in the country. Wellington tumbled almost two per cent as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's government was rocked by its handling of sexual assault allegations against a top Labour Party staffer. In early trade London rose 0.5 per cent, Frankfurt jumped 0.6 per cent and Paris edged up 0.3 per cent. Trump's decision to sack John Bolton as a leading security adviser raised the possibility of an easing of tensions between the US and several nations, particularly Iran. The controversial Bolton was closely linked to the invasion of Iraq and other past aggressive US foreign policy decisions and was seen as one of the main driving forces in Trump's muscular approach to Tehran, North Korea, and Venezuela, among others. Stephen Innes at AxiTrader said that while the move did not necessarily mean a huge change in policy direction, "it does eliminate the most vocal advocate for US military-enforced regime change in the Trump administration". He added that "from a geopolitical risk perspective, it does lessen war risk premiums, especially in Syria, Venezuela, and Iran and opens the door to more friendly discussion with North Korea". However, the possibility of dialling down in the stand-off between the US and Iran led to a plunge Tuesday in the price of oil, with WTI diving almost three per cent from an intraday high and Brent shedding 2.5 per cent. The two contracts later clawed back some of the losses on bargain-buying expectations for more output cuts by leading producers led by Saudi Arabia. In share trading companies linked to Apple enjoyed healthy buying after the US tech giant unveiled new iPhones, including a lower-priced offering, and set launch dates for its original video offering as well as its game subscription service. In Tokyo, Alps Alpine surged three per cent, Japan Display put on nearly three per cent and Sharp rallied more than four per cent, while LG Display in Seoul was up two per cent in Seoul. Taipei-listed Foxconn rose by 0.2 per cent. On forex markets, the positive vibe helped the dollar up against the safe-haven yen, while higher-yielding, riskier currencies edged up against the greenback. The pound held its recent gains as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was pushing to strike a divorce agreement with the European Union, having lost a series of key votes to MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit.

Asian markets extend gains over optimism on China-US trade talks

Iran said on Wednesday the firing of John Bolton as US national security adviser will not push Tehran to reconsider talks with the United States. "The departure of US National Security Adviser John Bolton from President Donald Trump's administration will not push Iran to reconsider talking with the US," state news agency IRNA quoted Tehran's United Nations envoy Majid Takhteravanchi as saying.

Iran said on Wednesday the firing of John Bolton as US national security adviser will not push Tehran to reconsider talks with the United States. "The departure of US National Security Adviser John Bolton from President Donald Trump's administration will not push Iran to reconsider talking with the US," state news agency IRNA quoted Tehran's United Nations envoy Majid Takhteravanchi as saying. He added there was no room for talks with the United States while sanctions against Iran remain in place, IRNA said. Meanwhile, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani urged the United States to end its policy of "maximum pressure" on his country, and said Tehran would cut its commitments to a 2015 nuclear deal further if necessary, state TV reported. "The United States should understand that militancy has no profit and must abandon its policy of maximum pressure on Iran ... Iran's commitments to the nuclear deal is proportional to other parties and we will take further steps if necessary," Rouhani was quoted as saying.

Iran says Bolton's departure will not push Tehran to talks with US

John Bolton's departure from the White House removes an obstacle to the possibility of US-Iranian nuclear talks, but the odds of such a dialogue leading anywhere remain low, current and former US officials said on Tuesday.

John Bolton's departure from the White House removes an obstacle to the possibility of US-Iranian nuclear talks, but the odds of such a dialogue leading anywhere remain low, current and former US officials said on Tuesday. President Donald Trump fired his national security adviser, a hawk on Iran who as a private citizen had advocated military action to destroy its nuclear programme and who disagreed with his boss on policies from Afghanistan to Russia while in office. Trump's third national security adviser, Bolton had argued for driving Iranian oil exports to zero and against Trump's desire to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. "Bolton has been 'Dr. No' when it comes to talks with Iran," Cliff Kupchan, a former State Department official now at the Eurasia Group political risk consultancy, wrote in an analysis. While Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei probably would not allow a meeting at this month's UN General Assembly, Kupchan said: "There's upward pressure on the chance of a meeting. If it does happen, we'd see more downward umph on the oil price." US oil prices fell more than 1 percent on the news of Bolton's departure, with investors betting that it increased the odds of the United States easing sanctions on Iran and reduced the odds of any possible US military strike. With Bolton's support, Trump last year abandoned the 2015 multilateral agreement reached by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, under which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in return for the easing of economic sanctions. Trump has since restored US sanctions and moved in May to try to cut Iran's oil exports, historically its main source of foreign exchange and government revenues, to zero. The Republican president argued the 2015 agreement did not do enough to keep Iran from eventually obtaining a nuclear weapon and he criticized it for failing to address Iran's ballistic missile programme and support for regional proxies. Iran says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes, such as power generation, and not to make bombs. 'Completely aligned' At a briefing, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he, Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were "completely aligned on our maximum pressure campaign." Administration officials believe pressure will eventually force Iran to yield to their demands for, among other things, much more intrusive inspections of nuclear sites. Asked at the same briefing if he could foresee a Trump-Rouhani meeting this month, Pompeo replied: "Sure." "The president has made very clear he is prepared to meet with no preconditions," Pompeo added. A former senior Trump administration official described Pompeo and Mnuchin as "softer" on Iran than Bolton and said that meant there was a chance for a Rouhani meeting if the Iranians dropped their demand for a full lifting of sanctions first. Other current and former US officials said there had never been much doubt that a meeting, at least from Trump's point of view, was conceivable but that the odds of either side being willing to compromise were low. "The problem has never been imagining talks between the two sides," said Phil Gordon, a former Obama State Department and White House official, saying Trump had shown through his talks with North Korea that he "loves to be at the center of things." "The problem, instead, is envisaging a deal that both sides could actually agree to. It is hard to see the Iranians accepting current US conditions, which include ending uranium enrichment forever, even more intrusive inspections, constraints on ballistic missiles and a complete change in Iran's regional policy," he added. "So to get a deal, Trump would have to significantly lower the bar, which would be hard to sell domestically and in the region," Gordon said. "Bolton's departure may remove one obstacle to that, but there are plenty still in the way."

Trump is prepared to meet Rouhani with no preconditions: Mike Pompeo

In its first reaction since US President Donald Trump called off talks with Taliban, India has called for direct talks between the Taliban and Afghan government and said outcome of any agreement should be based on constitutional legitimacy.

In its first reaction since US President Donald Trump called off talks with Taliban, India has called for direct talks between the Taliban and Afghan government and said outcome of any agreement should be based on constitutional legitimacy. India's envoy to United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin speaking at the quarterly debate on United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said, "It is the Afghan people who will implement and bear the consequences of any agreements arrived at. Hence, outcomes which have constitutional legitimacy and a political mandate and are arrived at in an inclusive and democratic way alone can ensure stability.", adding, "We, therefore, support the Secretary General’s call for direct talks." Highlighting the issue of cross border terror, Indian envoy called for an atmosphere free of terror for peace and reconciliation. "The support and safe havens enjoyed from beyond Afghanistan’s borders by groups such as the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, Da'esh, as well as al-Qaeda and its proscribed affiliates, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, must be addressed," he said. There has been a surge of violence in Afghanistan, which, Syed said, is deepening apprehensions that acts of terror are being used to jockey for a place of advantage in the negotiating process. US President over the weekend announced that he had planned to host Taliban at Camp David to hammer out a peace deal that could have seen American troops leaving Afghanistan after 18 years. India lauds Afghan cricket team in UN Indian envoy lauded the Afghan cricket team for their recent victories. "Afghan cricketers recorded, just less than 48 hours ago, their second victory in three cricket test matches that they have played thus far. Such a feat was last accomplished by any other country way back in the 19th century," Akbaruddin said. New Delhi is majorly supporting Afghan cricket team. It has helped build Kandahar cricket stadium which has a capacity of 14,000 and a stadium in Mazar-e-Sharif. Other than this, India is providing two “home grounds” in Greater Noida and Dehradun for Afghan team and also, technical and logistical support for players and the Afghanistan Cricket Board.

India calls for direct talks between Taliban and Afghan government after Trump scraps dialogue 

US President Donald Trump has changed tune on Kashmir again, he is offering to mediate Kashmir issue for the 4th time. Watch this video to know more.

Trump changes tune on Kashmir again, offers to mediate for the 4th time

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that he asked the United States National Security Adviser <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-calls-us-national-security-advisor-john-bolton-human-defect-221893">John Bolton</a> to resign after he "disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions."

“I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning,” Trump said on Twitter.

"....I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning. I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week," US President tweeted.

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....I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning. I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171452881729228802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Bolton denied being fired and said he had resigned.

The news — coming days after Trump caused uproar by revealing he was canceling secret talks with Afghanistan's Taliban — stunned Washington.

Bolton is a veteran and controversial figure closely linked to the invasion of Iraq and other aggressive foreign policy decisions. He had been seen as one of the main driving forces in the White House's muscular approach to Iran, Venezuela and other trouble spots. 
As often in the Trump presidency, the abrupt reshuffle appeared to contain an element of chaos.

Trump's tweeted announcement came shortly after the White House press office had said Bolton would shortly be giving a press conference on terrorism issues alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 
Bolton himself disputed Trump's version of events, apparently saying that the president had not fired him in person, as he claimed, late Monday.

"I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow," Bolton tweeted.

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I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow."
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1171455806069305346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump said he would name a new National Security Advisor next week.

(With inputs from AFP)

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that he asked the United States National Security Adviser John Bolton to resign after he "disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that he asked the United States National Security Adviser John Bolton to resign after he "disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions." “I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning,” Trump said on Twitter. "....I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning. I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week," US President tweeted. ....I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning. I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2019 × Bolton denied being fired and said he had resigned. The news — coming days after Trump caused uproar by revealing he was canceling secret talks with Afghanistan's Taliban — stunned Washington. Bolton is a veteran and controversial figure closely linked to the invasion of Iraq and other aggressive foreign policy decisions. He had been seen as one of the main driving forces in the White House's muscular approach to Iran, Venezuela and other trouble spots. As often in the Trump presidency, the abrupt reshuffle appeared to contain an element of chaos. Trump's tweeted announcement came shortly after the White House press office had said Bolton would shortly be giving a press conference on terrorism issues alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Bolton himself disputed Trump's version of events, apparently saying that the president had not fired him in person, as he claimed, late Monday. "I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow," Bolton tweeted. I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow." — John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) September 10, 2019 × Trump said he would name a new National Security Advisor next week. (With inputs from AFP)

I asked NSA John Bolton to resign, tweets US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump proclaimed talks with Afghanistan's Taliban leaders dead on Monday, while the general in charge said the US military is likely to ramp up operations in Afghanistan to counter an increase in Taliban attacks.

US President Donald Trump proclaimed talks with Afghanistan's Taliban leaders dead on Monday, while the general in charge said the US military is likely to ramp up operations in Afghanistan to counter an increase in Taliban attacks. Trump scrapped talks with the Taliban planned for Camp David, Maryland, over the weekend after an American soldier was killed by a suicide bomber in the capital Kabul last week. "They're dead. They're dead. As far as I'm concerned, they're dead," Trump told reporters when asked about the talks as he left the White House for a trip to North Carolina. Trump had hoped to cap months of US negotiations with the Taliban militants, who control large parts of Afghanistan, with a secret meeting at Camp David that would include Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and was aimed at securing an agreement to pull US troops out of America's longest war of 18 years. Despite the Afghan government's wariness of negotiating with the Taliban, Trump had hoped having both parties at the presidential retreat could produce a deal. A draft accord agreed last week would have seen about 5,000 American troops withdrawn over coming months in exchange for guarantees that Afghanistan would not be used as a base for militant attacks on the United States or its allies. Watch: Afghan Peace Talks - why It Fell Apart × Bringing US troops home from Afghanistan has been one of Trump's main foreign policy objectives, and the Republican president said his administration was still thinking about a drawdown of the 14,000 US soldiers in the country. "We'd like to get out but we'll get out at the right time," he said. However, the end of the talks has fuelled fears of a further increase in violence across Afghanistan. The Taliban had stepped up attacks even as the talks were taking place in recent weeks. US Marine General Kenneth McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, said on Monday the US military is likely to ramp up operations in Afghanistan to counter the upsurge. McKenzie said during a visit to Afghanistan that the Taliban "overplayed their hand" in peace negotiations by carrying out a spate of high profile attacks, including one that killed a US soldier last week. "We're certainly not going to sit still and let them carry out some self-described race to victory. That's not going to happen," McKenzie told a group of reporters travelling with him during a stop at Bagram Airfield in northeastern Afghanistan. Ghani, who was sidelined from months of negotiations between US officials and Taliban representatives, had been deeply suspicious of the talks. On Monday, Ghani made a renewed call for peace but insisted the Taliban must observe a ceasefire, which they have so far refused to do, as he sought to regain a hold on the peace process. "Peace without a ceasefire is impossible," Ghani said. The growing tension on the ground in Afghanistan adds to the uncertainty about the future course for American forces, many of whom must now simultaneously brace for an increase in fighting while also awaiting potential orders to withdraw. Trump has said he would like to reduce US troops in the country to about 8,600. The Taliban said on Sunday that more American lives would be lost as a result of Trump's decision to cancel talks. Asked whether increasing operations against the Taliban could include air strikes and raids by US and Afghan commandos, McKenzie responded: "I think we're talking a total spectrum." "We're going to make some decisions, I think, back in our nation's capital over the next few days and that will give us increased guidance going ahead," he added, without elaborating.

Trump says Taliban talks 'dead,' US military to ramp up Afghanistan operations

The US President Donald Trump has started a Twitter war with singer John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen. While Chrissy has been quite vocal about her views on Trump and the way the government works, this time it was the president himself who raked up some bad blood.&nbsp;

Trump took to Twitter to call Chrissy, ‘John Legend's "filthy-mouthed wife"' over her rant on criminal justice reform. His tweet was in reference to MSNBC’s coverage of criminal justice reform.

Trump tweeted, "When all of the people pushing so hard for Criminal Justice Reform were unable to come even close to getting it done, they came to me as a group and asked for my help. I got it done with a group of Senators &amp; others who would have never gone for it. [Barack] Obama couldn't even come close. A man named Van Jones, and many others, were profusely grateful (at that time!).”

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When all of the people pushing so hard for Criminal Justice Reform were unable to come even close to getting it done, they came to me as a group and asked for my help. I got it done with a group of Senators &amp; others who would never have gone for it. Obama couldn’t come close....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1170897584510124032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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.....the importance or passage of Criminal Justice Reform. They only talk about the minor players, or people that had nothing to do with it...And the people that so desperately sought my help when everyone else had failed, all they talk about now is Impeaching President Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1170897587387412480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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He continued, “I signed it into law, no one else did &amp; Republicans deserve much credit. But now that it is passed, people that had virtually nothing to do with it are taking the praise. Guys like boring musician John Legend and his filthy-mouthed wife, are talking about how great it is - but I didn't see them around when we needed help getting it passed."

Chrissy called out the president for mentioning her without so much taking her name. She wrote,&nbsp;"Lol what a p***y a** b***. tagged everyone but me. an honor, mister president.”

She then also posted a photo of herself&nbsp;and wrote, "Luna, remember the night before your first day of school? When mommy was making your sign and the p***y a** b**** president had his 9th meltdown of the day."

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Luna, remember the night before your first day of school? When mommy was making your sign and the pussy ass bitch president had his 9th meltdown of the day <a href="https://t.co/ZFZHJYrDPG">pic.twitter.com/ZFZHJYrDPG</a>
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/1170917891203403776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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the absolute best part of his tweet is I literally didn't speak in the special, nor was I mentioned. I'm cackling at the pointless addition of me because he cannot not be a bitch <a href="https://t.co/9ZkV7bh4FA">pic.twitter.com/9ZkV7bh4FA</a>
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/1170920399997038592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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John Legend responded too and wrote, “Imagine being president of a whole country and spending your Sunday night hate-watching MSNBC hoping somebody--ANYBODY--will praise you. &nbsp;Melania, please praise this man. &nbsp;He needs you.”

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Imagine being president of a whole country and spending your Sunday night hate-watching MSNBC hoping somebody--ANYBODY--will praise you. Melania, please praise this man. He needs you.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnlegend/status/1170914945287933953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The US President Donald Trump has started a Twitter war with singer John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen. While Chrissy has been quite vocal about her views on Trump and the way the government works, this time it was the president himself who raked up some bad blood.

The US President Donald Trump has started a Twitter war with singer John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen. While Chrissy has been quite vocal about her views on Trump and the way the government works, this time it was the president himself who raked up some bad blood. Trump took to Twitter to call Chrissy, ‘John Legend's "filthy-mouthed wife"' over her rant on criminal justice reform. His tweet was in reference to MSNBC’s coverage of criminal justice reform. Trump tweeted, "When all of the people pushing so hard for Criminal Justice Reform were unable to come even close to getting it done, they came to me as a group and asked for my help. I got it done with a group of Senators & others who would have never gone for it. [Barack] Obama couldn't even come close. A man named Van Jones, and many others, were profusely grateful (at that time!).” When all of the people pushing so hard for Criminal Justice Reform were unable to come even close to getting it done, they came to me as a group and asked for my help. I got it done with a group of Senators & others who would never have gone for it. Obama couldn’t come close.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2019 × .....the importance or passage of Criminal Justice Reform. They only talk about the minor players, or people that had nothing to do with it...And the people that so desperately sought my help when everyone else had failed, all they talk about now is Impeaching President Trump! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2019 × He continued, “I signed it into law, no one else did & Republicans deserve much credit. But now that it is passed, people that had virtually nothing to do with it are taking the praise. Guys like boring musician John Legend and his filthy-mouthed wife, are talking about how great it is - but I didn't see them around when we needed help getting it passed." Chrissy called out the president for mentioning her without so much taking her name. She wrote, "Lol what a p***y a** b***. tagged everyone but me. an honor, mister president.” She then also posted a photo of herself and wrote, "Luna, remember the night before your first day of school? When mommy was making your sign and the p***y a** b**** president had his 9th meltdown of the day." Luna, remember the night before your first day of school? When mommy was making your sign and the pussy ass bitch president had his 9th meltdown of the day pic.twitter.com/ZFZHJYrDPG — christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) September 9, 2019 × the absolute best part of his tweet is I literally didn't speak in the special, nor was I mentioned. I'm cackling at the pointless addition of me because he cannot not be a bitch pic.twitter.com/9ZkV7bh4FA — christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) September 9, 2019 × John Legend responded too and wrote, “Imagine being president of a whole country and spending your Sunday night hate-watching MSNBC hoping somebody--ANYBODY--will praise you. Melania, please praise this man. He needs you.” Imagine being president of a whole country and spending your Sunday night hate-watching MSNBC hoping somebody--ANYBODY--will praise you. Melania, please praise this man. He needs you. — John Legend (@johnlegend) September 9, 2019 ×

Donald Trump insults John Legend's wife Chrissy Teigen, the couple give it back

Rock legend Mick Jagger attacked US President Donald Trump for his rudeness and lies Saturday and for "tearing apart" environment controls when America should be setting the standard for the world.

The Rolling Stones singer said he was "absolutely behind" young climate change activists who had earlier occupied the red carpet at the Venice film festival, where he was starring in the psychological thriller, 'The Burnt Orange Heresy'.

Jagger said he deplored how politics has descended into name-calling, "including in my own country this week" -- a reference to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson comparing opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to a "big girl's blouse" and a "chlorinated chicken".

The icon, now 76, bewailed "the polarisation and incivility in public life", although the one-time bad boy of 1960s rock admitted he was "not always for civility" himself.

"But when you see it now... in so many countries, including my own this last week, but particularly the US, it's a sea change.

"It is not about manners," Jagger insisted, saying he was fearful about "where all this polarisation and rudeness and lying is going to lead us."

More worrying still, said the singer, was that what little environmental safeguards there were being swept away across the globe.

- 'Vote them out' - 
"We are in a very difficult situation at the moment, especially in the US, where all the environmental controls that were put in place -- that were just about adequate -- have been rolled back by the current administration so much that they are being wiped out," he added.

Jagger, who rarely comments on politics, said "the US should be the world leader in environmental control but now it has decided to go the other way.

"I am so glad that people feel so strongly about that that they want to protest," he said, referring to young activists from Greta Thunberg's Friday for Future movement who sprayed "Listen to your children" and "Make the red carpet green" on the festival's red carpet.

Co-star Donald Sutherland echoed his call to protest, and urged people to take to the streets and vote out Trump, Johnson and Brazil's far-right leader Jair Balsonaro.

"Mick is right, the controls (in the US) under Obama were barely adequate -- now they are being torn apart. It's the same in Brazil and they will be torn apart in England" after Brexit," he warned.

"When you are 85 years old and you have children and grandchildren, we will leave them nothing if we do not vote those people out of office in Brazil and in London and in Washington.

- 'Ruination of the world' - 
"They are ensuring the ruination of the world", something that "we have all contributed to", Sutherland added.

agger plays an art collector in a stylish thriller where it "is never clear who is telling truth".

"This movie is about fake(ness) and truth speaks to some of that, so it is part of this modern dialogue," he told reporters.

"We are going through a very strange time. You know you are living in it but you don't know what is going to happen at the end."

The Venice film festival ends on Saturday, with Roman Polanski's controversy-hit Dreyfus Affair story 'An Officer and a Spy' already bagging the top prize from international critics.

They picked out director Theo Court's 'White on White',, about the genocide of native people in Patagonia, for their sidebar prize.

Rock legend Mick Jagger attacked US President Donald Trump for his rudeness and lies Saturday and for "tearing apart" environment controls when America should be setting the standard for the world.

Rock legend Mick Jagger attacked US President Donald Trump for his rudeness and lies Saturday and for "tearing apart" environment controls when America should be setting the standard for the world. The Rolling Stones singer said he was "absolutely behind" young climate change activists who had earlier occupied the red carpet at the Venice film festival, where he was starring in the psychological thriller, 'The Burnt Orange Heresy'. Jagger said he deplored how politics has descended into name-calling, "including in my own country this week" -- a reference to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson comparing opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to a "big girl's blouse" and a "chlorinated chicken". The icon, now 76, bewailed "the polarisation and incivility in public life", although the one-time bad boy of 1960s rock admitted he was "not always for civility" himself. "But when you see it now... in so many countries, including my own this last week, but particularly the US, it's a sea change. "It is not about manners," Jagger insisted, saying he was fearful about "where all this polarisation and rudeness and lying is going to lead us." More worrying still, said the singer, was that what little environmental safeguards there were being swept away across the globe. - 'Vote them out' - "We are in a very difficult situation at the moment, especially in the US, where all the environmental controls that were put in place -- that were just about adequate -- have been rolled back by the current administration so much that they are being wiped out," he added. Jagger, who rarely comments on politics, said "the US should be the world leader in environmental control but now it has decided to go the other way. "I am so glad that people feel so strongly about that that they want to protest," he said, referring to young activists from Greta Thunberg's Friday for Future movement who sprayed "Listen to your children" and "Make the red carpet green" on the festival's red carpet. Co-star Donald Sutherland echoed his call to protest, and urged people to take to the streets and vote out Trump, Johnson and Brazil's far-right leader Jair Balsonaro. "Mick is right, the controls (in the US) under Obama were barely adequate -- now they are being torn apart. It's the same in Brazil and they will be torn apart in England" after Brexit," he warned. "When you are 85 years old and you have children and grandchildren, we will leave them nothing if we do not vote those people out of office in Brazil and in London and in Washington. - 'Ruination of the world' - "They are ensuring the ruination of the world", something that "we have all contributed to", Sutherland added. agger plays an art collector in a stylish thriller where it "is never clear who is telling truth". "This movie is about fake(ness) and truth speaks to some of that, so it is part of this modern dialogue," he told reporters. "We are going through a very strange time. You know you are living in it but you don't know what is going to happen at the end." The Venice film festival ends on Saturday, with Roman Polanski's controversy-hit Dreyfus Affair story 'An Officer and a Spy' already bagging the top prize from international critics. They picked out director Theo Court's 'White on White',, about the genocide of native people in Patagonia, for their sidebar prize.

Mick Jagger blasts Trump for bad manners, lies

Democrats moved Monday to intensify their impeachment investigation of President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/afghanistan-donald-trump-calls-off-peace-talks-secret-summit-with-taliban-over-terror-attacks-248340">Donald Trump</a> as whiffs of new scandal surrounding the White House emerged related to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-2020-us-presidential-election-trump-accused-google-of-very-illegal-acts-241344">Trump's</a> business and his lawyer's involvement in Ukraine.

While the Democrat leadership remains reluctant to go all-in on impeachment, given that the Republican-controlled Senate would vote down any effort to oust Trump, the stepped-up investigation could add further pressure on the embattled president 14 months before the next elections.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler moved to formalize an investigation that had up to now avoided officially declaring the aim to impeach Trump and put him on trial in the Senate.

He laid out new procedures that he said would govern "the committee's investigation to determine whether to recommend articles of impeachment with respect to President Donald J Trump."

He also defined the investigation along four specific lines: allegations that Trump illegally interfered with the Russia election meddling investigation, that he took part in hush payments to alleged former mistresses, that he has used his office to enrich himself, and that he offered pardons to government and campaign officials to protect him. 
"No one is above the law," Nadler said in a statement.

"The unprecedented corruption, coverup, and crimes by the president are under investigation by the committee as we determine whether to recommend articles of impeachment or other Article 1 remedies," he said, referring to the US Constitution's section on legislative powers.

In recent weeks more than half of the 235 Democrats in the House of Representatives have endorsed impeachment, even as senior party officials, especially House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, continue to resist it.

Pelosi has made clear she believes the party needs to focus its energies on defeating Trump and the Republicans in the November 2020 election.

Nadler's new rules, which are expected to be passed by the committee on Thursday, will govern how witnesses will be called and questioned and how Trump's lawyers will be involved.

They are also expected to provide the committee with a broader ability to subpoena witnesses and documents, in the face of resistance by the White House.

"We will not allow Trump's continued obstruction to stop us from delivering the truth to the American people," Nadler said.

Meanwhile the Democratic heads of three other House committees announced an investigation into alleged efforts by Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani to pressure the Ukrainian government for their own political ends, including by withholding US security assistance.

They allege that Trump and Giuliani have pressured Kiev to prosecute Ukrainians who provided evidence against Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort in the Russia meddling investigation.

They also alleged that Kiev was pressured to provide damaging information on the son of former Democratic vice president Joe Biden, who could face Trump in next year's presidential election.

Hunter Biden worked for a Ukrainian gas company beginning in 2014, while his father was vice president.

Democrats moved Monday to intensify their impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump as whiffs of new scandal surrounding the White House emerged related to Trump's business and his lawyer's involvement in Ukraine.

Democrats moved Monday to intensify their impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump as whiffs of new scandal surrounding the White House emerged related to Trump's business and his lawyer's involvement in Ukraine. While the Democrat leadership remains reluctant to go all-in on impeachment, given that the Republican-controlled Senate would vote down any effort to oust Trump, the stepped-up investigation could add further pressure on the embattled president 14 months before the next elections. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler moved to formalize an investigation that had up to now avoided officially declaring the aim to impeach Trump and put him on trial in the Senate. He laid out new procedures that he said would govern "the committee's investigation to determine whether to recommend articles of impeachment with respect to President Donald J Trump." He also defined the investigation along four specific lines: allegations that Trump illegally interfered with the Russia election meddling investigation, that he took part in hush payments to alleged former mistresses, that he has used his office to enrich himself, and that he offered pardons to government and campaign officials to protect him. "No one is above the law," Nadler said in a statement. "The unprecedented corruption, coverup, and crimes by the president are under investigation by the committee as we determine whether to recommend articles of impeachment or other Article 1 remedies," he said, referring to the US Constitution's section on legislative powers. In recent weeks more than half of the 235 Democrats in the House of Representatives have endorsed impeachment, even as senior party officials, especially House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, continue to resist it. Pelosi has made clear she believes the party needs to focus its energies on defeating Trump and the Republicans in the November 2020 election. Nadler's new rules, which are expected to be passed by the committee on Thursday, will govern how witnesses will be called and questioned and how Trump's lawyers will be involved. They are also expected to provide the committee with a broader ability to subpoena witnesses and documents, in the face of resistance by the White House. "We will not allow Trump's continued obstruction to stop us from delivering the truth to the American people," Nadler said. Meanwhile the Democratic heads of three other House committees announced an investigation into alleged efforts by Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani to pressure the Ukrainian government for their own political ends, including by withholding US security assistance. They allege that Trump and Giuliani have pressured Kiev to prosecute Ukrainians who provided evidence against Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort in the Russia meddling investigation. They also alleged that Kiev was pressured to provide damaging information on the son of former Democratic vice president Joe Biden, who could face Trump in next year's presidential election. Hunter Biden worked for a Ukrainian gas company beginning in 2014, while his father was vice president.

US House steps up Donald Trump impeachment probe

The United States and Afghanistan's Taliban on Sunday both left the door open to fresh talks after President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled a secret summit, but the insurgents threatened to inflict greater costs.

The United States and Afghanistan's Taliban on Sunday both left the door open to fresh talks after President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled a secret summit, but the insurgents threatened to inflict greater costs. Washington also said it would not relent in fighting the militants after Trump blamed the scuttling of the unprecedented meeting on a Taliban attack that killed a US soldier. Trump said he had invited Taliban leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani for talks Sunday at the Camp David presidential retreat on a draft deal that would see the United States withdraw thousands of troops and wind down its longest-ever war. In a series of television interviews, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not rule out a return to talks but said the United States needed a "significant commitment" from the Taliban. "I'm not pessimistic," Pompeo told NBC. "I've watched the Taliban do things and say things they've not been permitted to do before." "I hope it's the case the Taliban will change their behaviour, will recommit to the things that we've been talking to them about for months," he said on ABC. "In the end, this will be resolved through a series of conversations," he added, urging the Taliban to drop their long-running refusal to negotiate with Ghani's internationally recognized government. He said that Trump had not decided whether to go ahead with a withdrawal, which under the draft deal would pull 5,000 of the roughly 13,000 US troops from Afghanistan next year. But Pompeo warned that the United States was "not going to reduce the pressure" on the Taliban, saying US forces had killed more than 1,000 insurgents in the past 10 days alone. 'Americans will be harmed' Veteran US negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad had spent a year meeting with the Taliban, who said that Trump showed "neither experience nor patience." "Americans will be harmed more than any other" by Trump's decision, warned a statement by the group's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. But he added that the Taliban still believed "that the American side will come back to this position" of talks that seek "the complete end of the occupation." The office of Ghani, whose government is rejected by the Taliban as illegitimate, cautiously saluted the "sincere efforts of its allies" after Trump called off the summit. The Afghan presidency in a statement also insisted that "real peace can only be achieved if the Taliban stop killing Afghans and accept a ceasefire and face-to-face talks with the Afghan government." Trump's dramatic about-face came weeks ahead of Afghanistan's presidential elections, raising fears that the Taliban will step up their campaign of violence to disrupt voting.

US, Taliban keep open door to talks after summit scrapped

Donald Trump calls off peace talks, Taliban threatens of a violent response. WION Exclusively speaks to Lawrence Sellin, Retired U.S. Army Colonel from Montana in U.S.

Donald Trump calls off peace talks, Taliban threatens of a violent response

Hundreds of Hong Kong protesters gathered downtown for a march to the US Consulate on Sunday, calling on President Donald Trump to liberate the Chinese-ruled city, the latest in a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/riot-police-deployed-as-hong-kong-protesters-target-airport-248205">series of demonstrations</a> that have gripped the city for months.

Police stood by as protesters waved the Stars and Stripes and placards appealing for US help, calling for democracy after another night of violence in the 14th week of unrest.

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper on Saturday urged the Chinese government to exercise restraint in Hong Kong.

Esper made his call in Paris as police in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/merkel-in-beijing-says-hong-kong-freedoms-must-be-guaranteed-248048">Hong Kong</a> prevented protesters from blocking access to the airport but fired tear gas for a second night running in the densely populated district of Mong Kok.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced concessions this week aimed at ending the protests, including formally scrapping a hugely unpopular extradition bill, which ignited the unrest in June. Many protesters said the concessions were too little, too late.

The former British colony of Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland. Many Hong Kong residents fear Beijing is eroding that autonomy.

China denies the accusation of meddling and says Hong Kong is an internal affair. It has denounced the protests, accusing the United States and Britain of fomenting unrest, and warned of the damage to the economy.

 
&nbsp;

Hundreds of Hong Kong protesters gathered downtown for a march to the US Consulate on Sunday, calling on President Donald Trump to liberate the Chinese-ruled city, the latest in a series of demonstrations that have gripped the city for months.

Hundreds of Hong Kong protesters gathered downtown for a march to the US Consulate on Sunday, calling on President Donald Trump to liberate the Chinese-ruled city, the latest in a series of demonstrations that have gripped the city for months. Police stood by as protesters waved the Stars and Stripes and placards appealing for US help, calling for democracy after another night of violence in the 14th week of unrest. US Defence Secretary Mark Esper on Saturday urged the Chinese government to exercise restraint in Hong Kong. Esper made his call in Paris as police in Hong Kong prevented protesters from blocking access to the airport but fired tear gas for a second night running in the densely populated district of Mong Kok. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced concessions this week aimed at ending the protests, including formally scrapping a hugely unpopular extradition bill, which ignited the unrest in June. Many protesters said the concessions were too little, too late. The former British colony of Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland. Many Hong Kong residents fear Beijing is eroding that autonomy. China denies the accusation of meddling and says Hong Kong is an internal affair. It has denounced the protests, accusing the United States and Britain of fomenting unrest, and warned of the damage to the economy.

Hong Kong protesters call on Donald Trump to 'liberate' the city

Peace talks called off over Kabul attack by U.S. President Donald Trump. Watch this video to know more.

Peace talks called off over Kabul attack by U.S. President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump said Saturday he had called off a secret summit with the Taliban and Afghanistan's leader, abruptly slamming the door on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pentagon-chief-says-us-working-towards-good-deal-with-taliban-248279">a year of diplomacy to end America's longest war</a>.

In a Saturday evening bombshell, Trump said that he had planned unprecedented, albeit separate, talks with the two sides Sunday in Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, but that the Taliban's persistent, grisly campaign of violence made them untrustworthy partners.

"Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the major Taliban leaders and, separately, the President of Afghanistan, were going to secretly meet with me at Camp David on Sunday," Trump said in a tweet.

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....only made it worse! If they cannot agree to a ceasefire during these very important peace talks, and would even kill 12 innocent people, then they probably don’t have the power to negotiate a meaningful agreement anyway. How many more decades are they willing to fight?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1170469621348098049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Unfortunately, in order to build false leverage, they admitted to an attack in Kabul that killed one of our great-great soldiers, and 11 other people. I immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations."

"What kind of people would kill so many in order to seemingly strengthen their bargaining position? They didn't, they only made it worse!" Trump said.

Watch: Taliban Attacks Kunduz City, 7 people killed in clashes

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A US soldier and another service member from Romania were killed in the car bombing Thursday in Kabul -- the latest major attack claimed by the Taliban even as they negotiated with a US envoy on the withdrawal of thousands of troops.

Trump would have met the Taliban at Camp David -- scene of secret 1978 talks as Jimmy Carter brokered peace between Israel and Egypt -- days before the 18th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which triggered the US invasion that toppled the militants' regime.

Washington was jolted by the announcement from Trump, who is fond of dramatic gestures but whose Twitter pronouncements have often come into question later.

"The idea that Trump was planning to host Taliban leaders at Camp David is a rather big surprise," said Laurel Miller, who served as the US special representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan until early in the Trump administration.

"Why a lethal attack in Kabul on Thursday would be the reason for calling it off, considering the multiple recent Taliban attacks, is unclear," Miller, now the Asia director of the International Crisis Group, told AFP.

Congressman Tom Malinowski, a Democrat who has been pressing for clarity on the US strategy in Afghanistan, called the idea of Taliban leaders at Camp David "weird."

"And everyone knew they've been continuously committing terrorist attacks. But I'm glad the president called off this farce, and hope this good decision sticks," Malinowski tweeted.

Deal unpopular in Kabul

The announcement by tweet appears abruptly to end, at least for now, a painstaking diplomatic process led for nearly a year by Zalmay Khalilzad, the Afghan-born veteran US diplomat who held nine rounds of talks with the Taliban, usually in Qatar.

Afghanistan's internationally recognized president, Ashraf Ghani, had been outspoken in his criticism of the emerging shape of the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban, who have refused to negotiate with his government.

Selling the plan in Kabul, Khalilzad said that he had reached an agreement "in principle" with the Taliban -- who ruled much of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 during which they imposed a draconian version of Islam.

According to parts of the draft deal that had been made public, the Pentagon would pull about 5,000 of the roughly 13,000 US troops from five bases across Afghanistan by early next year.

The insurgents in turn would renounce Al-Qaeda, promise to fight the Islamic State group and stop jihadists using Afghanistan as a safe haven -- the primary reason for the 2001 invasion.

US public opinion has soured on nearly two decades of war and Trump, after initially being persuaded to reinforce US troops, has said that the United States should not pursue "endless" war.

Question mark on troops

Trump's announcement draws a fresh question mark on whether the United States will leave Afghanistan anytime soon.

The decision comes weeks before Afghanistan is set to hold elections, an unwieldy exercise even in more stable times.

Trump had been uncharacteristically reticent about Afghanistan in recent weeks, with all eyes on whether he would approve a final deal.

Washington had hoped that a withdrawal of US troops would lead to negotiations between the Taliban and Kabul on a more permanent peace.

The Taliban have shown no signs of letting up on violence. Claiming responsibility for Thursday's bombing, which shook a fortified central area of Kabul, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that a "martyrdom seeker" -- or suicide bomber -- had killed "foreign invaders."

Trump has walked away from high-stakes talks before. In February, his aides pressed him not to accept a deal in Hanoi with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un -- another individual whom it would have long been unthinkable for a US president to meet.

But Trump soon made clear that he wanted to keep talking, calling Kim a friend, and arranged to meet him in June as the US leader visited the Korean peninsula.

US President Donald Trump said Saturday he had called off a secret summit with the Taliban and Afghanistan's leader, abruptly slamming the door on a year of diplomacy to end America's longest war.

US President Donald Trump said Saturday he had called off a secret summit with the Taliban and Afghanistan's leader, abruptly slamming the door on a year of diplomacy to end America's longest war. In a Saturday evening bombshell, Trump said that he had planned unprecedented, albeit separate, talks with the two sides Sunday in Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, but that the Taliban's persistent, grisly campaign of violence made them untrustworthy partners. "Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the major Taliban leaders and, separately, the President of Afghanistan, were going to secretly meet with me at Camp David on Sunday," Trump said in a tweet. ....only made it worse! If they cannot agree to a ceasefire during these very important peace talks, and would even kill 12 innocent people, then they probably don’t have the power to negotiate a meaningful agreement anyway. How many more decades are they willing to fight? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2019 × "Unfortunately, in order to build false leverage, they admitted to an attack in Kabul that killed one of our great-great soldiers, and 11 other people. I immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations." "What kind of people would kill so many in order to seemingly strengthen their bargaining position? They didn't, they only made it worse!" Trump said. Watch: Taliban Attacks Kunduz City, 7 people killed in clashes × A US soldier and another service member from Romania were killed in the car bombing Thursday in Kabul -- the latest major attack claimed by the Taliban even as they negotiated with a US envoy on the withdrawal of thousands of troops. Trump would have met the Taliban at Camp David -- scene of secret 1978 talks as Jimmy Carter brokered peace between Israel and Egypt -- days before the 18th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which triggered the US invasion that toppled the militants' regime. Washington was jolted by the announcement from Trump, who is fond of dramatic gestures but whose Twitter pronouncements have often come into question later. "The idea that Trump was planning to host Taliban leaders at Camp David is a rather big surprise," said Laurel Miller, who served as the US special representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan until early in the Trump administration. "Why a lethal attack in Kabul on Thursday would be the reason for calling it off, considering the multiple recent Taliban attacks, is unclear," Miller, now the Asia director of the International Crisis Group, told AFP. Congressman Tom Malinowski, a Democrat who has been pressing for clarity on the US strategy in Afghanistan, called the idea of Taliban leaders at Camp David "weird." "And everyone knew they've been continuously committing terrorist attacks. But I'm glad the president called off this farce, and hope this good decision sticks," Malinowski tweeted. Deal unpopular in Kabul The announcement by tweet appears abruptly to end, at least for now, a painstaking diplomatic process led for nearly a year by Zalmay Khalilzad, the Afghan-born veteran US diplomat who held nine rounds of talks with the Taliban, usually in Qatar. Afghanistan's internationally recognized president, Ashraf Ghani, had been outspoken in his criticism of the emerging shape of the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban, who have refused to negotiate with his government. Selling the plan in Kabul, Khalilzad said that he had reached an agreement "in principle" with the Taliban -- who ruled much of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 during which they imposed a draconian version of Islam. According to parts of the draft deal that had been made public, the Pentagon would pull about 5,000 of the roughly 13,000 US troops from five bases across Afghanistan by early next year. The insurgents in turn would renounce Al-Qaeda, promise to fight the Islamic State group and stop jihadists using Afghanistan as a safe haven -- the primary reason for the 2001 invasion. US public opinion has soured on nearly two decades of war and Trump, after initially being persuaded to reinforce US troops, has said that the United States should not pursue "endless" war. Question mark on troops Trump's announcement draws a fresh question mark on whether the United States will leave Afghanistan anytime soon. The decision comes weeks before Afghanistan is set to hold elections, an unwieldy exercise even in more stable times. Trump had been uncharacteristically reticent about Afghanistan in recent weeks, with all eyes on whether he would approve a final deal. Washington had hoped that a withdrawal of US troops would lead to negotiations between the Taliban and Kabul on a more permanent peace. The Taliban have shown no signs of letting up on violence. Claiming responsibility for Thursday's bombing, which shook a fortified central area of Kabul, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that a "martyrdom seeker" -- or suicide bomber -- had killed "foreign invaders." Trump has walked away from high-stakes talks before. In February, his aides pressed him not to accept a deal in Hanoi with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un -- another individual whom it would have long been unthinkable for a US president to meet. But Trump soon made clear that he wanted to keep talking, calling Kim a friend, and arranged to meet him in June as the US leader visited the Korean peninsula.

Afghanistan: Donald Trump calls off peace talks, secret summit with Taliban over terror attacks

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WION Exclusively speaks to Najib Sharifi, a strategic expert from Kabul over U.S. President Donald Trump's talks call off over Kabul blast.

WION Exclusive | In conversation with Najib Sharifi, a strategic expert from Afghanistan's Kabul

Afghanistan praised the "sincere efforts of its allies" Sunday after US President Donald Trump said he had called off negotiations with the Taliban, apparently ending a year-long diplomatic push to exit America's longest war.

"The Afghan government, in relation to the peace, appreciates the sincere efforts of its allies and is committed to working together with the United States and other allies to bring a lasting peace," said a statement from President Ashraf Ghani's office.

The statement came after Trump tweeted late Saturday that he had planned unprecedented, albeit separate, talks with the Taliban and with Ghani Sunday at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland.

The secret talks would have come after months of diplomatic wrangling between the US and the Taliban over a deal that would allow Washington to begin withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan.&nbsp;

But after the Taliban killed 12 people in a single attack in Kabul this week, including a US soldier, Trump said he "immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations".

His announcement left the withdrawal deal shrouded in uncertainty.&nbsp;

The US-backed government in Kabul had eyed the deal with deep unease and long complained of being sidelined from the talks.&nbsp;

"We have always insisted that real peace can only be achieved if the Taliban stop killing Afghans and accept a ceasefire, and face-to-face talks with the Afghan government," the statement from Ghani's office said.

A presidential election is scheduled for September 28, and Kabul "insists" the polls should be held to establish "a strong, lawful and legitimate government so that it can take forward the peace process with wisdom".

Afghanistan praised the "sincere efforts of its allies" Sunday after US President Donald Trump said he had called off negotiations with the Taliban, apparently ending a year-long diplomatic push to exit America's longest war.

Afghanistan praised the "sincere efforts of its allies" Sunday after US President Donald Trump said he had called off negotiations with the Taliban, apparently ending a year-long diplomatic push to exit America's longest war. "The Afghan government, in relation to the peace, appreciates the sincere efforts of its allies and is committed to working together with the United States and other allies to bring a lasting peace," said a statement from President Ashraf Ghani's office. The statement came after Trump tweeted late Saturday that he had planned unprecedented, albeit separate, talks with the Taliban and with Ghani Sunday at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. The secret talks would have come after months of diplomatic wrangling between the US and the Taliban over a deal that would allow Washington to begin withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan. But after the Taliban killed 12 people in a single attack in Kabul this week, including a US soldier, Trump said he "immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations". His announcement left the withdrawal deal shrouded in uncertainty. The US-backed government in Kabul had eyed the deal with deep unease and long complained of being sidelined from the talks. "We have always insisted that real peace can only be achieved if the Taliban stop killing Afghans and accept a ceasefire, and face-to-face talks with the Afghan government," the statement from Ghani's office said. A presidential election is scheduled for September 28, and Kabul "insists" the polls should be held to establish "a strong, lawful and legitimate government so that it can take forward the peace process with wisdom".

Afghan government praises 'sincere efforts' as Donald Trump calls off Taliban talks

Russia and Ukraine carried out a long-awaited <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mh17-suspect-among-prisoners-swapped-by-ukraine-with-russia-dutch-government-248309">prisoner swap</a> on Saturday (September 7). The step could thaw a deep freeze in relations since Moscow's annexation of the Crimea region in 2014.

A Russian aircraft carrying freed Russian prisoners from Kiev landed in Moscow while a Ukrainian plane with released Ukrainian prisoners aboard touched down in Kiev.

<img alt="Ukraine-Russia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dbbfd899-edab-45a9-83d3-563f5a6f81f8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%286%29_2.jpg" />

Relatives of Ukrainian prisoners, included in the Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap, wait for their arrival at Borispil International Airport outside Kiev, Ukraine September 7, 2019. (Reuters Photo)

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump welcomed the Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange Saturday as a potential step toward peace.

"Russia and Ukraine just swapped large numbers of prisoners. Very good news, perhaps a first giant step to peace. Congratulations to both countries!" Trump tweeted.

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Russia and Ukraine just swapped large numbers of prisoners. Very good news, perhaps a first giant step to peace. Congratulations to both countries!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1170333046672936965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, whose arrest and imprisonment in Russia has been a rallying cry for the entertainment industry and human-rights groups worldwide, has been sent back to Ukraine as part of the exchange.

Sentsov was an outspoken opponent of Ukraine's former pro-Russian government and of Russia's annexation of Crimea. In May 2014, he was arrested by Russian authorities at his home in Crimea, jailed for a year in Moscow, then convicted by a military court of terrorist crimes - charges that critics say were trumped up. Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The Dutch government said that Ukraine has included a man suspected of involvement in the downing of a Malaysia Airlines flight over eastern Ukraine in 2014, which killed 298 people, in the swap with Russia. Volodymyr Tsemakh, whom Ukraine's security service has identified as a former commander of Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, was transferred to Russia in the exchange of prisoners between Moscow and Kiev, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said.

Dutch prosecutors had urged Kiev not to allow Tsemakh to travel to Russia, fearing this could jeopardize the investigation into Flight MH17. He was released on bail by a Ukrainian court on Thursday (September 5).

Russia and Ukraine carried out a long-awaited prisoner swap on Saturday (September 7). The step could thaw a deep freeze in relations since Moscow's annexation of the Crimea region in 2014.

Russia and Ukraine carried out a long-awaited prisoner swap on Saturday (September 7). The step could thaw a deep freeze in relations since Moscow's annexation of the Crimea region in 2014. A Russian aircraft carrying freed Russian prisoners from Kiev landed in Moscow while a Ukrainian plane with released Ukrainian prisoners aboard touched down in Kiev. Relatives of Ukrainian prisoners, included in the Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap, wait for their arrival at Borispil International Airport outside Kiev, Ukraine September 7, 2019. (Reuters Photo) Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump welcomed the Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange Saturday as a potential step toward peace. "Russia and Ukraine just swapped large numbers of prisoners. Very good news, perhaps a first giant step to peace. Congratulations to both countries!" Trump tweeted. Russia and Ukraine just swapped large numbers of prisoners. Very good news, perhaps a first giant step to peace. Congratulations to both countries! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2019 × Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, whose arrest and imprisonment in Russia has been a rallying cry for the entertainment industry and human-rights groups worldwide, has been sent back to Ukraine as part of the exchange. Sentsov was an outspoken opponent of Ukraine's former pro-Russian government and of Russia's annexation of Crimea. In May 2014, he was arrested by Russian authorities at his home in Crimea, jailed for a year in Moscow, then convicted by a military court of terrorist crimes - charges that critics say were trumped up. Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The Dutch government said that Ukraine has included a man suspected of involvement in the downing of a Malaysia Airlines flight over eastern Ukraine in 2014, which killed 298 people, in the swap with Russia. Volodymyr Tsemakh, whom Ukraine's security service has identified as a former commander of Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, was transferred to Russia in the exchange of prisoners between Moscow and Kiev, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said. Dutch prosecutors had urged Kiev not to allow Tsemakh to travel to Russia, fearing this could jeopardize the investigation into Flight MH17. He was released on bail by a Ukrainian court on Thursday (September 5).

Russia and Ukraine carry out prisoner swap, Trump calls it first giant step to peace

It's been six days and Donald Trump and the US media can't seem to let go of a tit-for-tat involving the danger Alabama faced during Hurricane Dorian.

The bizarre episode has taken on an even more bizarre mascot -- a Sharpie marker used to alter a map of the storm's trajectory.

Trump has insisted via Twitter to his more than 60 million followers that he was correct about the danger the southern US state had faced. He has brandished a mysteriously altered weather map in the Oval Office. He has deployed a rear admiral.&nbsp;

And the US media has lapped it up.

On Friday -- a day when survivors in the Bahamas and other places where the hurricane actually did hit were trying to rebuild their lives -- the US president once more took to Twitter to argue about Alabama.

The media "went Crazy, hoping against hope that I made a mistake (which I didn't)," he wrote. "Still without an apology."

The spat might seem insignificant as one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record wheels up the edge of the US east coast after pulverizing the Bahamas.

But in terms of attention given by Trump, what's become known as "Sharpie-gate" is no sideshow.

The strange tale began when Trump tweeted on Sunday that Alabama was among the states facing damage from the still approaching Dorian and would "most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated."

Minutes after Trump's alarming tweet, the National Weather Service (NWS) counter-tweeted: "Alabama will NOT see any impacts from #Dorian. We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane #Dorian will be felt across Alabama. The system will remain too far east."

By Friday, however, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency in charge of the NWS, seemed to vindicate Trump.

"From Wednesday, August 28, through Monday, September 2, the information provided by NOAA and the National Hurricane Center to President Trump and the wider public demonstrated that tropical-storm-force winds from Hurricane Dorian could impact Alabama. This is clearly demonstrated in Hurricane Advisories #15 through #41," it said.

Furthermore, it stated, "The Birmingham National Weather Service's Sunday morning tweet spoke in absolute terms that were inconsistent with probabilities from the best forecast products available at the time."

Back down? Double down?

Opponents of Trump pounced on the topic. Trump, as he usually does, doubled down.

Over and over this week he kept talking about Alabama, even when no other officials did, and he raged at the media for pointing out that Alabama still hadn't been hit and, in fact, never had been in real danger.

On Wednesday, the back-and-forth took a still more curious turn.

In the Oval Office, Trump showed off a weather map showing an earlier -- now completely out of date -- forecast of Dorian's track that predicted the storm passing right across Florida, rather than turning up the coast.

Added to the end of the path? A large bulge, apparently drawn in black Sharpie marker, that extended the storm deep into Alabama.

Facing even more derision from TV comedians, satirists and Democratic opponents, Trump once more doubled down.

Late Thursday, the White House sent out the copy of a sombre letter by Rear Admiral Peter Brown -- Trump's counter-terrorism adviser -- saying that back on Sunday he'd been the one to brief the president on Alabama being a possible target.

On Friday, Trump accused the media of being "fixated" on the issue.

"This nonsense has never happened to another President," he said.

But the icing on the cake came in the form of an item now for purchase on the Trump 2020 campaign merchandise website: a set of "Official Donald J. Trump Fine Point Markers."&nbsp;

"Buy the official Trump marker, which is different than every other marker on the market, because this one has the special ability to drive @CNN and the rest of the fake news crazy! #KeepMarkersGreat," Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted. 
&nbsp;

It's been six days and Donald Trump and the US media can't seem to let go of a tit-for-tat involving the danger Alabama faced during Hurricane Dorian. The bizarre episode has taken on an even more bizarre mascot -- a Sharpie marker used to alter a map of the storm's trajectory.

It's been six days and Donald Trump and the US media can't seem to let go of a tit-for-tat involving the danger Alabama faced during Hurricane Dorian. The bizarre episode has taken on an even more bizarre mascot -- a Sharpie marker used to alter a map of the storm's trajectory. Trump has insisted via Twitter to his more than 60 million followers that he was correct about the danger the southern US state had faced. He has brandished a mysteriously altered weather map in the Oval Office. He has deployed a rear admiral. And the US media has lapped it up. On Friday -- a day when survivors in the Bahamas and other places where the hurricane actually did hit were trying to rebuild their lives -- the US president once more took to Twitter to argue about Alabama. The media "went Crazy, hoping against hope that I made a mistake (which I didn't)," he wrote. "Still without an apology." The spat might seem insignificant as one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record wheels up the edge of the US east coast after pulverizing the Bahamas. But in terms of attention given by Trump, what's become known as "Sharpie-gate" is no sideshow. The strange tale began when Trump tweeted on Sunday that Alabama was among the states facing damage from the still approaching Dorian and would "most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated." Minutes after Trump's alarming tweet, the National Weather Service (NWS) counter-tweeted: "Alabama will NOT see any impacts from #Dorian. We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane #Dorian will be felt across Alabama. The system will remain too far east." By Friday, however, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency in charge of the NWS, seemed to vindicate Trump. "From Wednesday, August 28, through Monday, September 2, the information provided by NOAA and the National Hurricane Center to President Trump and the wider public demonstrated that tropical-storm-force winds from Hurricane Dorian could impact Alabama. This is clearly demonstrated in Hurricane Advisories #15 through #41," it said. Furthermore, it stated, "The Birmingham National Weather Service's Sunday morning tweet spoke in absolute terms that were inconsistent with probabilities from the best forecast products available at the time." Back down? Double down? Opponents of Trump pounced on the topic. Trump, as he usually does, doubled down. Over and over this week he kept talking about Alabama, even when no other officials did, and he raged at the media for pointing out that Alabama still hadn't been hit and, in fact, never had been in real danger. On Wednesday, the back-and-forth took a still more curious turn. In the Oval Office, Trump showed off a weather map showing an earlier -- now completely out of date -- forecast of Dorian's track that predicted the storm passing right across Florida, rather than turning up the coast. Added to the end of the path? A large bulge, apparently drawn in black Sharpie marker, that extended the storm deep into Alabama. Facing even more derision from TV comedians, satirists and Democratic opponents, Trump once more doubled down. Late Thursday, the White House sent out the copy of a sombre letter by Rear Admiral Peter Brown -- Trump's counter-terrorism adviser -- saying that back on Sunday he'd been the one to brief the president on Alabama being a possible target. On Friday, Trump accused the media of being "fixated" on the issue. "This nonsense has never happened to another President," he said. But the icing on the cake came in the form of an item now for purchase on the Trump 2020 campaign merchandise website: a set of "Official Donald J. Trump Fine Point Markers." "Buy the official Trump marker, which is different than every other marker on the market, because this one has the special ability to drive @CNN and the rest of the fake news crazy! #KeepMarkersGreat," Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted.

Donald Trump, US media just can't let go of 'Sharpie-gate'

US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-2020-us-presidential-election-trump-accused-google-of-very-illegal-acts-241344">Donald Trump</a> on Friday said the costs of his protracted trade war are <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-tears-into-china-on-twitter-as-trade-talks-resume-239492">falling squarely on China</a>, but a top adviser warned that the struggle between the economic superpowers could drag on for years.

Top-level negotiators are due to resume stalled talks in Washington early next month, with lower-level staff preparing the way in late September, according to officials on both sides.

And Trump says the pressure is on China to come to the table.

"China is eating the tariffs," Trump said on Twitter, repeating his claim that higher duties mean Washington is collecting billions of dollars from the Asian giant, without costs being passed on to US importers.

"China having a worst year in decades. Talks happening, good for all!"

The face-off between the number one and two economies began about 18 months ago and now features steep tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of trade. Trump says he wants to force China into radical change on protection for intellectual property and other key aspects of the current trading relationship.&nbsp;

But White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow cautioned that the trade war could be a drawn-out contest resembling the Cold War under president Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.

"The stakes are so high, we have to get it right. If that takes a decade, so be it," Kudlow told reporters.

"This is the kind of thing where you're looking at far-reaching consequences... so if it takes us more time to do it and to get it right, so be it," he said.

"I didn't go through the whole Cold War, but a lot of it. You know, it took decades, decades, to get where we wanted to be with the old Soviet Union."

Economic fallout

Trump has repeatedly insisted that US tariffs and China's slowing economy will pressure Beijing to cut a deal. There are signs that the trade war has also begun to weigh on the US economy, however.

Corporate earnings reports indicate US companies have been hit by the tit-for-tat measures and overall uncertainty. A report released this week said more than 10,000 job cuts announced last month stemmed from "trade difficulties."

Tariffs were hiked by both sides last month and US duties on Chinese goods are due to rise further in October and December.

However, Kudlow said the face-to-face talks will resume in a good atmosphere.

"I'm just saying it is a good thing that they're coming here, and tempers are calmer," Kudlow said on CNBC television.

"We would love to go back to where we were in May, where we were getting kind of close to an agreement, maybe 90 per cent of the way," he added.

"It's very positive that we negotiate and it may well be that something positive comes out of that."

Talks abruptly broke up in May, with Washington accusing Beijing of retracting core commitments just when an overall agreement was close to fruition.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said the costs of his protracted trade war are falling squarely on China, but a top adviser warned that the struggle between the economic superpowers could drag on for years.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said the costs of his protracted trade war are falling squarely on China, but a top adviser warned that the struggle between the economic superpowers could drag on for years. Top-level negotiators are due to resume stalled talks in Washington early next month, with lower-level staff preparing the way in late September, according to officials on both sides. And Trump says the pressure is on China to come to the table. "China is eating the tariffs," Trump said on Twitter, repeating his claim that higher duties mean Washington is collecting billions of dollars from the Asian giant, without costs being passed on to US importers. "China having a worst year in decades. Talks happening, good for all!" The face-off between the number one and two economies began about 18 months ago and now features steep tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of trade. Trump says he wants to force China into radical change on protection for intellectual property and other key aspects of the current trading relationship. But White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow cautioned that the trade war could be a drawn-out contest resembling the Cold War under president Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. "The stakes are so high, we have to get it right. If that takes a decade, so be it," Kudlow told reporters. "This is the kind of thing where you're looking at far-reaching consequences... so if it takes us more time to do it and to get it right, so be it," he said. "I didn't go through the whole Cold War, but a lot of it. You know, it took decades, decades, to get where we wanted to be with the old Soviet Union." Economic fallout Trump has repeatedly insisted that US tariffs and China's slowing economy will pressure Beijing to cut a deal. There are signs that the trade war has also begun to weigh on the US economy, however. Corporate earnings reports indicate US companies have been hit by the tit-for-tat measures and overall uncertainty. A report released this week said more than 10,000 job cuts announced last month stemmed from "trade difficulties." Tariffs were hiked by both sides last month and US duties on Chinese goods are due to rise further in October and December. However, Kudlow said the face-to-face talks will resume in a good atmosphere. "I'm just saying it is a good thing that they're coming here, and tempers are calmer," Kudlow said on CNBC television. "We would love to go back to where we were in May, where we were getting kind of close to an agreement, maybe 90 per cent of the way," he added. "It's very positive that we negotiate and it may well be that something positive comes out of that." Talks abruptly broke up in May, with Washington accusing Beijing of retracting core commitments just when an overall agreement was close to fruition.

Donald Trump bullish on China tariffs, but aide warns of long haul

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U.S. Supreme Court ratifies Trump's asylum policy