President Donald Trump plans to nominate Patrick Shanahan, a former<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/wall-street-falls-as-white-house-plans-to-raise-china-tariffs-216536&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiVgJjsq5DiAhUQ63MBHQPmDr04FBAWMAF6BAgOEAI&amp;usg=AOvVaw30tEi3Z-dFj6kb01bknfo3"> Boeing Co executive</a>, as his defence secretary, the White House said on Thursday, breaking with tradition by choosing someone who made a career at a top defence company as Pentagon chief.&nbsp;

Shanahan had been under investigation by the<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/pentagon-preparing-to-move-f-35-manufacturing-work-out-of-turkey-215777&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiP1t76q5DiAhWI63MBHSuTBLMQFjACegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2RfVJO3oZ_OXM1PSEXkCp8"> Pentagon</a> inspector general for allegedly seeking preferential treatment of Boeing while at the Defence Department but he was cleared of wrongdoing in April. He has been acting defence secretary since January, the longest in Pentagon history.

"Based upon his outstanding service to the country and his demonstrated ability to lead, President Trump intends to nominate <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-plays-important-role-in-afghan-peace-process-acting-us-defence-secretary-217162&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjYopOMrJDiAhXR7HMBHQr2DvMQFjACegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Y3Uknh9v8Ni71efCGGM5h">Patrick M. Shanahan </a>to be the secretary of defence," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Early tests for Shanahan will include handling growing tensions with Iran, renewed missile tests by North Korea and questions about how the United States should handle the political and economic crisis in Venezuela.

Shanahan said in a statement that he was committed to modernising US&nbsp;military forces and if confirmed would aggressively implement Trump`s national defence strategy which prioritises competition with China and Russia over the counterinsurgency wars that have consumed the Pentagon for much of the past two decades.

Shanahan, 56, was thrust into the role in an acting capacity in January after Jim Mattis abruptly resigned over policy differences with Trump.&nbsp;

On his first day as acting Pentagon chief in January, Shanahan told civilian leaders of the US&nbsp;military to focus on "China, China, China."&nbsp;

The Trump administration has announced its intention to withdraw most US&nbsp;troops from Syria and diplomatic efforts are underway to bring an end to the 17-year-old war Afghanistan.

But the most pressing short-term issue is likely to be Iran. Earlier this week the Pentagon said it was sending a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East after US&nbsp;intelligence signalled possible preparations by Tehran to stage attacks against US&nbsp;forces or interests.

Shanahan is expected to be confirmed by senators, though he could face a tough confirmation process because of his tenure at Boeing.

Lawmakers have previously expressed concern about undue influence on the Pentagon from defence companies.&nbsp;

Ties between Boeing and the Trump administration run deep, with Trump using the company`s products and sites as a backdrop for major announcements.

Boeing, the world`s largest planemaker, is facing one of the biggest crises in its 103-year history following the disasters on Lion Air in Indonesia last year and another on Ethiopian Airlines in March, which together killed all 346 on board.

The Pentagon inspector general started the investigation of Shanahan in March for allegedly promoting Boeing in Pentagon meetings and disparaging competitors. But a report published on April 25 said none of the allegations was substantiated.

Defence secretaries have traditionally come from a political or policy background, serving as a counterweight to the military brass in decision making. Mattis, a retired Marine general, was one of the few former military leaders to become the secretary.&nbsp;

Mattis implicitly criticised Trump in his resignation letter for failing to value allies who fight alongside the United States, including in places like Syria.

Shanahan is unlikely to be an effective counterweight to Trump`s often impulsive decision making. He toured the US border with Mexico in February in what was seen as a show of support for Trump`s planned border wall.&nbsp;

BOEING TIES

Shanahan has been serving in an acting capacity since the start of the year, making him the longest acting defence secretary ever. He joined Boeing in 1986 and spent more than three decades there, working on the 737 and 787 Dreamliner commercial aeroplanes.&nbsp;

Shanahan was also the president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems and worked on the Apache, Chinook and Osprey military aircraft.&nbsp;

Trump himself has been a strong proponent of military products made by US&nbsp;defence companies. In phone calls and public appearances with world leaders, Trump has gone further than any of his predecessors to act as a salesman for the US defence industry.

A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Shanahan believed that he was answerable to Trump and it was his job to implement decisions made by the president.&nbsp;

In February, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator James Inhofe, said he did not think Trump would nominate Shanahan. But since then, officials say Inhofe has privately told Shanahan he would back him.&nbsp;

"We need a confirmed leader at the Department and, after working with him closely over the last few months, I welcome his selection," Inhofe said in a statement on Thursday.

During Shanahan`s Senate confirmation hearing to be deputy defence secretary in 2017, the committee`s then-chairman, John McCain, voiced deep concern about giving the deputy job to an executive from one of the five corporations accounting for the lion’s share of US&nbsp;defence spending.

"I have to have confidence that the fox is not going to be put back into the henhouse," said McCain, who died in August.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

President Donald Trump plans to nominate Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing Co executive, as his defence secretary, the White House said on Thursday, breaking with tradition by choosing someone who made a career at a top defence company as Pentagon chief.

President Donald Trump plans to nominate Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing Co executive, as his defence secretary, the White House said on Thursday, breaking with tradition by choosing someone who made a career at a top defence company as Pentagon chief. Shanahan had been under investigation by the Pentagon inspector general for allegedly seeking preferential treatment of Boeing while at the Defence Department but he was cleared of wrongdoing in April. He has been acting defence secretary since January, the longest in Pentagon history. "Based upon his outstanding service to the country and his demonstrated ability to lead, President Trump intends to nominate Patrick M. Shanahan to be the secretary of defence," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. Early tests for Shanahan will include handling growing tensions with Iran, renewed missile tests by North Korea and questions about how the United States should handle the political and economic crisis in Venezuela. Shanahan said in a statement that he was committed to modernising US military forces and if confirmed would aggressively implement Trump`s national defence strategy which prioritises competition with China and Russia over the counterinsurgency wars that have consumed the Pentagon for much of the past two decades. Shanahan, 56, was thrust into the role in an acting capacity in January after Jim Mattis abruptly resigned over policy differences with Trump. On his first day as acting Pentagon chief in January, Shanahan told civilian leaders of the US military to focus on "China, China, China." The Trump administration has announced its intention to withdraw most US troops from Syria and diplomatic efforts are underway to bring an end to the 17-year-old war Afghanistan. But the most pressing short-term issue is likely to be Iran. Earlier this week the Pentagon said it was sending a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East after US intelligence signalled possible preparations by Tehran to stage attacks against US forces or interests. Shanahan is expected to be confirmed by senators, though he could face a tough confirmation process because of his tenure at Boeing. Lawmakers have previously expressed concern about undue influence on the Pentagon from defence companies. Ties between Boeing and the Trump administration run deep, with Trump using the company`s products and sites as a backdrop for major announcements. Boeing, the world`s largest planemaker, is facing one of the biggest crises in its 103-year history following the disasters on Lion Air in Indonesia last year and another on Ethiopian Airlines in March, which together killed all 346 on board. The Pentagon inspector general started the investigation of Shanahan in March for allegedly promoting Boeing in Pentagon meetings and disparaging competitors. But a report published on April 25 said none of the allegations was substantiated. Defence secretaries have traditionally come from a political or policy background, serving as a counterweight to the military brass in decision making. Mattis, a retired Marine general, was one of the few former military leaders to become the secretary. Mattis implicitly criticised Trump in his resignation letter for failing to value allies who fight alongside the United States, including in places like Syria. Shanahan is unlikely to be an effective counterweight to Trump`s often impulsive decision making. He toured the US border with Mexico in February in what was seen as a show of support for Trump`s planned border wall. BOEING TIES Shanahan has been serving in an acting capacity since the start of the year, making him the longest acting defence secretary ever. He joined Boeing in 1986 and spent more than three decades there, working on the 737 and 787 Dreamliner commercial aeroplanes. Shanahan was also the president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems and worked on the Apache, Chinook and Osprey military aircraft. Trump himself has been a strong proponent of military products made by US defence companies. In phone calls and public appearances with world leaders, Trump has gone further than any of his predecessors to act as a salesman for the US defence industry. A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Shanahan believed that he was answerable to Trump and it was his job to implement decisions made by the president. In February, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator James Inhofe, said he did not think Trump would nominate Shanahan. But since then, officials say Inhofe has privately told Shanahan he would back him. "We need a confirmed leader at the Department and, after working with him closely over the last few months, I welcome his selection," Inhofe said in a statement on Thursday. During Shanahan`s Senate confirmation hearing to be deputy defence secretary in 2017, the committee`s then-chairman, John McCain, voiced deep concern about giving the deputy job to an executive from one of the five corporations accounting for the lion’s share of US defence spending. "I have to have confidence that the fox is not going to be put back into the henhouse," said McCain, who died in August.

Trump picks ex-Boeing executive Shanahan as defence secretary

Donald Trump Is Spoiling For A Fight With Iran. But His Carrot & Stick Diplomacy Is Unlikely To Cause Any Impact To Iran What worked with North Korea won't work with Iran; Trump's carrot-and-stick policy is unlikely to force Iran into a corner because it's a regional powerhouse. Palki explains the situation

Gravitas: Trump's carrot-and-stick policy unlikely to work with Iran

U.S. Uses A Mix Of Sanctions & Blacklisting To Target Iran. Here's How The U.S. Has Targetted Iran This Year Palki summarises the timeline of the U.S.-Iran Standoff. U.S. has maintained the pressure on Iran while Iran has threatened to scale bank its commitment to 2015 Nuclear deal

Gravitas: U.S-Iran standoff: the sequence of events

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/looking-at-north-korea-situation-very-seriously-nobodys-happy-about-it-trump-217360">Looking at North Korea situation very seriously, nobody's happy about it: Trump</a>

President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was studying the situation in North Korea "very seriously," after Pyongyang welcomed a US envoy's visit to Seoul by firing two missiles.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/an-all-english-affair-at-europa-arsenal-chelsea-book-final-berth-217357">An all-English affair at Europa: Arsenal, Chelsea book final berth</a>

&nbsp;A hat-trick from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and an Alexandre Lacazette strike booked Arsenal's place in the Europa League final with a 4-2 win at Valencia on Thursday to seal an emphatic 7-3 aggregate victory.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-us-chinese-officials-meet-for-trade-talks-trumps-tariffs-on-china-set-to-take-effect-217361">As US, Chinese officials meet for trade talks, Trump's tariffs on China set to take effect</a>

Top US and Chinese trade negotiators concluded the first of two days of talks on Thursday to rescue a trade deal that is close to collapsing as Washington prepares to go ahead with plans to hike tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of goods imported from China.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/strong-63-magnitude-quake-hits-southern-japan-no-tsunami-threat-217364">Strong 6.3-magnitude quake hits southern Japan, no tsunami threat</a>

A strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit southern Japan Friday, the US Geological Survey said, but Japanese authorities said there was no tsunami threat.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-8-dead-in-baghdad-suicide-bombing-security-official-217368">At least 8 dead in Baghdad suicide bombing: Security official</a>

At least eight people were killed and 15 wounded in a suicide bombing at a market in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, a security official said.

Looking at North Korea situation very seriously, nobody's happy about it: Trump President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was studying the situation in North Korea "very seriously," after Pyongyang welcomed a US envoy's visit to Seoul by firing two missiles.

Looking at North Korea situation very seriously, nobody's happy about it: Trump President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was studying the situation in North Korea "very seriously," after Pyongyang welcomed a US envoy's visit to Seoul by firing two missiles. An all-English affair at Europa: Arsenal, Chelsea book final berth A hat-trick from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and an Alexandre Lacazette strike booked Arsenal's place in the Europa League final with a 4-2 win at Valencia on Thursday to seal an emphatic 7-3 aggregate victory. As US, Chinese officials meet for trade talks, Trump's tariffs on China set to take effect Top US and Chinese trade negotiators concluded the first of two days of talks on Thursday to rescue a trade deal that is close to collapsing as Washington prepares to go ahead with plans to hike tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of goods imported from China. Strong 6.3-magnitude quake hits southern Japan, no tsunami threat A strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit southern Japan Friday, the US Geological Survey said, but Japanese authorities said there was no tsunami threat. At least 8 dead in Baghdad suicide bombing: Security official At least eight people were killed and 15 wounded in a suicide bombing at a market in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, a security official said.

News brief: Big stories of the day

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-slams-china-russia-aggressive-behaviour-in-the-arctic-216490">US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo</a> will be travelling to Russia on May 12-14, where he will meet President Vladimir Putin&nbsp;and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the State Department said on Friday.

The State Department also said that Pompeo will meet Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Pompeo and Putin will discuss the full range of bilateral and multilateral challenges.

Russia earlier announced Pompeo's visit but it had been unclear whether he would meet Putin. He will also hold talks in Sochi with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov -- their second meeting in as many weeks after they met on the sidelines of an Arctic conference in Helsinki. &nbsp;

Pompeo will also visit Moscow, where he will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier dedicated to Soviet troops killed in World War II -- an era when Moscow and Washington were allied.

Meanwhile, US President Donald <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/very-positive-venezuela-talks-with-russian-president-putin-donald-trump-215772">Trump met Putin on May 4</a> to discuss Venezuela crisis.

"It was a very positive conversation," Trump said. "He is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela."&nbsp;

US-Russian tensions have spiked over the months-long standoff in Venezuela, and the Kremlin's assessment of the Trump-Putin call differed substantially from that coming from the White House.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be travelling to Russia on May 12-14, where he will meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the State Department said on Friday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be travelling to Russia on May 12-14, where he will meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the State Department said on Friday. The State Department also said that Pompeo will meet Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Pompeo and Putin will discuss the full range of bilateral and multilateral challenges. Russia earlier announced Pompeo's visit but it had been unclear whether he would meet Putin. He will also hold talks in Sochi with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov -- their second meeting in as many weeks after they met on the sidelines of an Arctic conference in Helsinki. Pompeo will also visit Moscow, where he will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier dedicated to Soviet troops killed in World War II -- an era when Moscow and Washington were allied. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump met Putin on May 4 to discuss Venezuela crisis. "It was a very positive conversation," Trump said. "He is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela." US-Russian tensions have spiked over the months-long standoff in Venezuela, and the Kremlin's assessment of the Trump-Putin call differed substantially from that coming from the White House.

Pompeo to meet Putin on Russia visit: State Department

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that&nbsp;the tariffs on Chinese goods will bring more wealth to America "that even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind". "We have lost 500 billion dollars a year, for many years, on Crazy Trade with China. NO MORE!," his tweet read.&nbsp;

In a series of tweets, Trump stated that the United States will continue to negotiate with China "in the hopes that they do not again try to redo deal!"

He also said that&nbsp;talks with China continue in a very "congenial manner" and that "there is absolutely no need to rush".

"Tariffs are NOW being paid to the United States by China of 25% on 250 billion dollars worth of goods and products. These massive payments go directly to the Treasury of the US," he tweeted.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Tariffs will bring in FAR MORE wealth to our Country than even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind. Also, much easier &amp; quicker to do. Our Farmers will do better, faster, and starving nations can now be helped. Waivers on some products will be granted, or go to new source!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1126815715682656256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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"Also, much easier and quicker to do. Our farmers will do better, faster, and starving nations can now be helped. Waivers on some products will be granted, or go to new source!" Trump stated.&nbsp;

"If we bought 15 billion dollars of agriculture from our farmers, far more than China buys now, we would have more than 85 billion dollars left over for new infrastructure, healthcare, or anything else. China would greatly slow down, and we would automatically speed up!" he tweeted out.&nbsp;

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Tariffs will make our Country MUCH STRONGER, not weaker. Just sit back and watch! In the meantime, China should not renegotiate deals with the U.S. at the last minute. This is not the Obama Administration, or the Administration of Sleepy Joe, who let China get away with “murder!”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1126816259851673601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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"The process has begun to place additional tariffs at 25% on the remaining 325 billion dollars. The US&nbsp;only sells China approximately 100 billion dollars of goods and products, a very big imbalance. With the over 100 billion dollars in tariffs that we take in, we will buy," the US president tweeted out.&nbsp;

Trump's tweets come as new <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/its-unreasonable-chinese-wholesalers-fed-up-with-tariffs-as-trade-war-escalates-with-us-217502">US tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods kicked in on Friday</a>.&nbsp;

China's commerce ministry deeply regretted the move and vowed to take "necessary countermeasures".

The Chinese commerce ministry, however, did not elaborate on the "countermeasures". US and Chinese officials completed their talks on the first day when the two sides met in Washington on Thursday.

The US and &nbsp;Chinese officials met again on Friday for the second day of talks to resolve the trade dispute.

China's top trade negotiator Liu He said that an increase in US tariffs on Chinese goods "won't solve anything".

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the tariffs on Chinese goods will bring more wealth to America "that even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind".

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the tariffs on Chinese goods will bring more wealth to America "that even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind". "We have lost 500 billion dollars a year, for many years, on Crazy Trade with China. NO MORE!," his tweet read. In a series of tweets, Trump stated that the United States will continue to negotiate with China "in the hopes that they do not again try to redo deal!" He also said that talks with China continue in a very "congenial manner" and that "there is absolutely no need to rush". "Tariffs are NOW being paid to the United States by China of 25% on 250 billion dollars worth of goods and products. These massive payments go directly to the Treasury of the US," he tweeted. Tariffs will bring in FAR MORE wealth to our Country than even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind. Also, much easier & quicker to do. Our Farmers will do better, faster, and starving nations can now be helped. Waivers on some products will be granted, or go to new source! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2019 × "Also, much easier and quicker to do. Our farmers will do better, faster, and starving nations can now be helped. Waivers on some products will be granted, or go to new source!" Trump stated. "If we bought 15 billion dollars of agriculture from our farmers, far more than China buys now, we would have more than 85 billion dollars left over for new infrastructure, healthcare, or anything else. China would greatly slow down, and we would automatically speed up!" he tweeted out. Tariffs will make our Country MUCH STRONGER, not weaker. Just sit back and watch! In the meantime, China should not renegotiate deals with the U.S. at the last minute. This is not the Obama Administration, or the Administration of Sleepy Joe, who let China get away with “murder!” — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2019 × "The process has begun to place additional tariffs at 25% on the remaining 325 billion dollars. The US only sells China approximately 100 billion dollars of goods and products, a very big imbalance. With the over 100 billion dollars in tariffs that we take in, we will buy," the US president tweeted out. Trump's tweets come as new US tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods kicked in on Friday. China's commerce ministry deeply regretted the move and vowed to take "necessary countermeasures". The Chinese commerce ministry, however, did not elaborate on the "countermeasures". US and Chinese officials completed their talks on the first day when the two sides met in Washington on Thursday. The US and Chinese officials met again on Friday for the second day of talks to resolve the trade dispute. China's top trade negotiator Liu He said that an increase in US tariffs on Chinese goods "won't solve anything".

Trump defends latest tariff hike on China, says it 'will bring in far more wealth to US'

President Donald Trump plans to nominate Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, as his defense secretary. Watch this video to know more.

Patrick Shanahan to succeed Jim Mattis

The Russia probe plunged Washington into turmoil Wednesday as Donald Trump's son reportedly was ordered to testify before a Senate panel and the White House refused to release material on investigations into the president.

A day after the top Republican in Congress called the Russia probe "case closed," Trump's conflict with his Democratic opponents escalated to new heights as a House panel voted to hold the nation's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-panel-accuses-william-barr-of-contempt-as-trump-invokes-executive-privilege-217129">Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt</a> for refusing to turn over key documents.

Following a day of drama that included Trump asserting executive privilege for the first time in his presidency, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee took the surprise step of issuing a subpoena to Donald Trump Jr to testify as part of its investigation into Russian election interference, US media reported.

It was the first known legal summons issued to a member of the president's family to force testimony in the ongoing investigation, and comes after special counsel Robert Mueller declined to accuse Trump's 2016 campaign of criminal conspiracy to collude with the Russians.

Trump Jr, 41, has testified voluntarily in private once to the committee, and was peppered with questions about a June 9, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York that he and other campaign officials had with a Russian lawyer who had offered them dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Committee aides would not confirm the subpoena or what they want to discuss with the president's eldest son, who currently helps run the Trump Organization.

Citing a person close to Trump Jr, The Wall Street Journal reported he had offered to answer questions in writing from the committee, and planned to fight the subpoena, which demands he testify in person.

The White House has been seeking to shield a large swathe of material -- including redacted portions of Mueller's report -- subpoenaed by lawmakers seeking to exert their oversight responsibility.

The rare move to invoke executive privilege came as the House Judiciary Committee took its most substantive step yet against a member of the Trump administration by approving a contempt motion against Barr.

"This was a very grave and momentous step we were forced to take today," committee chairman Jerry Nadler said after the party-line vote. 
Nadler said the contempt citation will proceed "rapidly" for a full House vote but did not offer a timeline.

He accused Trump and the White House of stonewalling by preventing America's congressional representatives from conducting oversight of the executive branch.

"It's an attack on the essence of our democracy," Nadler said. "We are now in a constitutional crisis." The Department of Justice swiftly shot back, branding the contempt vote "inappropriate political theatrics." Hours earlier, Trump made clear he would assert his executive privilege to keep Mueller's full report under wraps.

"Neither the White House nor Attorney General Barr will comply with Chairman Nadler's unlawful and reckless demands," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd stressed that Trump had moved to keep "the entirety of the subpoenaed materials" from the eyes of Congress.

Nadler warned that such action "represents a clear escalation in the Trump administration's blanket defiance of Congress's constitutionally mandated duties." Democrats have struggled with their battle plan in the wake of the Mueller report.

Some have called for impeachment proceedings against Trump, while others stress the need to refocus on issues affecting everyday Americans ahead of the 2020 election.

Trump claimed the document exonerated him of wrongdoing. On the question of obstruction of justice, the report did not conclude Trump committed a crime, but Mueller wrote that "it also does not exonerate him."&nbsp;

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Trump's nemesis in Congress, has refrained from calling for his impeachment.

But on Wednesday she voiced support for the contempt move, and delivered a stinging message about the White House refusal to release the unredacted report.

"Is this what it looks like when you have nothing to hide?" Pelosi tweeted.

For several hours in the tense judiciary hearing, lawmakers traded barbs about Barr's brazen protection of the president and the calculated effort by Democrats to punish him and gain access to key material.

Addressing a rally of supporters in Florida on Wednesday night, Trump defended his attorney general as "great" and said that after Mueller's two-year probe found "nothing," the Democrats were not finished.

"You know it was going to be, like, 'we want the Mueller report.' Now they say, 'Mueller report, no, we want to start all over again.' It is a disgrace." Barr defied a subpoena to turn over a complete copy of Mueller's report and the underlying evidence, and last week refused to testify before the House Judiciary Committee.

The panel approved the 27-page contempt citation in which Nadler wrote that even the redacted report "offers disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels."

The Russia probe plunged Washington into turmoil Wednesday as Donald Trump's son reportedly was ordered to testify before a Senate panel and the White House refused to release material on investigations into the president.

The Russia probe plunged Washington into turmoil Wednesday as Donald Trump's son reportedly was ordered to testify before a Senate panel and the White House refused to release material on investigations into the president. A day after the top Republican in Congress called the Russia probe "case closed," Trump's conflict with his Democratic opponents escalated to new heights as a House panel voted to hold the nation's Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt for refusing to turn over key documents. Following a day of drama that included Trump asserting executive privilege for the first time in his presidency, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee took the surprise step of issuing a subpoena to Donald Trump Jr to testify as part of its investigation into Russian election interference, US media reported. It was the first known legal summons issued to a member of the president's family to force testimony in the ongoing investigation, and comes after special counsel Robert Mueller declined to accuse Trump's 2016 campaign of criminal conspiracy to collude with the Russians. Trump Jr, 41, has testified voluntarily in private once to the committee, and was peppered with questions about a June 9, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York that he and other campaign officials had with a Russian lawyer who had offered them dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Committee aides would not confirm the subpoena or what they want to discuss with the president's eldest son, who currently helps run the Trump Organization. Citing a person close to Trump Jr, The Wall Street Journal reported he had offered to answer questions in writing from the committee, and planned to fight the subpoena, which demands he testify in person. The White House has been seeking to shield a large swathe of material -- including redacted portions of Mueller's report -- subpoenaed by lawmakers seeking to exert their oversight responsibility. The rare move to invoke executive privilege came as the House Judiciary Committee took its most substantive step yet against a member of the Trump administration by approving a contempt motion against Barr. "This was a very grave and momentous step we were forced to take today," committee chairman Jerry Nadler said after the party-line vote. Nadler said the contempt citation will proceed "rapidly" for a full House vote but did not offer a timeline. He accused Trump and the White House of stonewalling by preventing America's congressional representatives from conducting oversight of the executive branch. "It's an attack on the essence of our democracy," Nadler said. "We are now in a constitutional crisis." The Department of Justice swiftly shot back, branding the contempt vote "inappropriate political theatrics." Hours earlier, Trump made clear he would assert his executive privilege to keep Mueller's full report under wraps. "Neither the White House nor Attorney General Barr will comply with Chairman Nadler's unlawful and reckless demands," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd stressed that Trump had moved to keep "the entirety of the subpoenaed materials" from the eyes of Congress. Nadler warned that such action "represents a clear escalation in the Trump administration's blanket defiance of Congress's constitutionally mandated duties." Democrats have struggled with their battle plan in the wake of the Mueller report. Some have called for impeachment proceedings against Trump, while others stress the need to refocus on issues affecting everyday Americans ahead of the 2020 election. Trump claimed the document exonerated him of wrongdoing. On the question of obstruction of justice, the report did not conclude Trump committed a crime, but Mueller wrote that "it also does not exonerate him." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Trump's nemesis in Congress, has refrained from calling for his impeachment. But on Wednesday she voiced support for the contempt move, and delivered a stinging message about the White House refusal to release the unredacted report. "Is this what it looks like when you have nothing to hide?" Pelosi tweeted. For several hours in the tense judiciary hearing, lawmakers traded barbs about Barr's brazen protection of the president and the calculated effort by Democrats to punish him and gain access to key material. Addressing a rally of supporters in Florida on Wednesday night, Trump defended his attorney general as "great" and said that after Mueller's two-year probe found "nothing," the Democrats were not finished. "You know it was going to be, like, 'we want the Mueller report.' Now they say, 'Mueller report, no, we want to start all over again.' It is a disgrace." Barr defied a subpoena to turn over a complete copy of Mueller's report and the underlying evidence, and last week refused to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. The panel approved the 27-page contempt citation in which Nadler wrote that even the redacted report "offers disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels."

Trump Jr subpoenaed as Congress battles White House over Russia report

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is open to talks with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-and-india-seen-as-europes-last-hope-to-save-iran-deal-217330">Iranian leadership</a>, amid mounting tensions between Washington and Tehran.

"What I would like to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-rejects-any-ultimatums-after-irans-move-on-nuclear-deal-217239">see with Iran</a>, I would like to see them call me," Trump told reporters at the White House.

The US president claimed that former US secretary of state John Kerry had told Iran "not to call."

"But they should call," he said. "If they do, we are open to talk to them."

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is open to talks with the Iranian leadership, amid mounting tensions between Washington and Tehran. "What I would like to see with Iran, I would like to see them call me," Trump told reporters at the White House.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is open to talks with the Iranian leadership, amid mounting tensions between Washington and Tehran. "What I would like to see with Iran, I would like to see them call me," Trump told reporters at the White House. The US president claimed that former US secretary of state John Kerry had told Iran "not to call." "But they should call," he said. "If they do, we are open to talk to them."

US President Donald Trump 'open to talks' with the Iranian leadership amid mounting tensions

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Wednesday to sanction Iran's steel, aluminium, copper and iron sectors, which provide crucial foreign currency earnings for its crippled economy. Trump also threatened further action unless Tehran "fundamentally" changed its behaviour.

US new sanctions likely to target Iranian oil, steel and copper

U.S President Donald Trump orders new sanctions on Iran. Watch this video to know.

U.S President orders new sanctions on Iran

A Democratic-led House panel on Wednesday approved a measure to hold <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-panel-readies-contempt-vote-against-william-barr-over-mueller-report-216540">US&nbsp;Attorney General William Barr in contempt</a> for refusing to hand over an unredacted copy of the Mueller report on Russian election interference even as President Donald Trump invoked the legal principle of executive privilege to block its disclosure.

Throwing down another challenge to Trump, the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted to recommend that the full House cite <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-attorney-general-william-barr-cancels-second-day-of-testimony-215539">Barr</a>, the top US&nbsp;law enforcement official and a Trump appointee, for contempt of Congress after he defied its subpoena for the complete report and underlying evidence.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-attorney-general-william-barr-refuses-to-testify-before-house-judiciary-committee-on-mueller-report-215205">US Attorney General William Barr refuses to testify before House Judiciary Committee on Mueller report</a>

"We are now in a constitutional crisis," Jerrold Nadler, the committee`s Democratic chairman, told reporters after the panel approved the contempt resolution on a party-line 24-16 vote, with Democrats in favour and Republicans opposed.

The confrontation escalated a clash between the Democratic-controlled House and Republican president over congressional authority under the US Constitution to investigate him, his administration, family and business interests.

The vote came hours after the White House took its own provocative step, asserting executive privilege to block the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller`s full report on Russian actions to boost Trump`s candidacy in the 2016 US&nbsp;election and related evidence such as investigative interviews.

"It is deeply disappointing that elected representatives of the American people have chosen to engage in such inappropriate political theatrics," Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said, adding that no one would force the department "to break the law" by handing over documents that cannot be disclosed such as secret grand jury material.

A House vote to hold Barr in contempt was likely to trigger a court battle, with fines and possible imprisonment at stake for him. Nadler said the full House vote would come "rapidly," without being more specific.

Executive privilege is only rarely invoked by US presidents to keep other branches of government from getting access to certain internal executive branch information. Trump had not previously taken such a step in his showdown with Congress.

The White House said Democrats forced the move. "Faced with Chairman Nadler`s blatant abuse of power, and at the attorney general`s request, the president has no other option than to make a protective assertion of executive privilege," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

Nadler said Trump`s stonewalling of Congress in various investigations was "an assertion of tyrannical power by the president and that cannot be allowed to stand," although the congressman tiptoed around the question of launching the impeachment process to try to remove Trump from office.

In a letter to Nadler, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd said Barr could not comply with the subpoena "without violating the law, court rules, and court orders, and without threatening the independence of the Department of Justice`s prosecutorial functions."

Trump, seeking re-election in 2020, is pushing back against numerous probes by House Democrats, ranging from Mueller`s inquiry to matters such as Trump`s tax returns and past financial records.

On Wednesday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said he had issued a subpoena to Barr for documents related to the Mueller investigation after the Justice Department responded to the panel`s requests "with silence or outright defiance." Schiff said he had set a deadline of May 15 for Barr to produce the materials.

`SELF-IMPEACHABLE`&nbsp;

Contempt of Congress is an offence that can be enforced several ways, most likely by a civil lawsuit, which could lead to a judge ordering imposing daily fines on the defendant or even arrest and imprisonment, according to legal experts.

The next step will be a floor vote by the full House. No action in the Republican-led Senate is needed.

Barr, who released a 448-page redacted version of the report on April 18, missed two deadlines to turn over the requested material after Nadler subpoenaed it last month. Nadler said lawmakers needed the material to determine whether Trump obstructed justice by trying to impede Mueller`s inquiry.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, said Trump`s moves to thwart House subpoenas were obstructing oversight by lawmakers and inquiries into Russian election interference.&nbsp;

"Every single day the president is making the case. He`s becoming self-impeachable," Pelosi told the Washington Post. Pelosi added that Barr, who last week also refused to testify before the House panel, should be held in contempt of Congress. She accused Barr last week of committing a crime by lying to lawmakers.

Trump has filed lawsuits meant to block House subpoenas seeking some of his financial and business records, and his administration refused to disclose his subpoenaed tax returns. In a letter seen by Reuters last week, White House legal counsel Emmet Flood asserted that Trump had the right to instruct his advisers not to testify before congressional oversight probes related to the Mueller investigation.

In a lengthy Judiciary Committee meeting, Republicans condemned the move to hold Barr in contempt. "What a cynical, mean-spirited, counterproductive and irresponsible step," said Doug Collins, the panel`s top Republican. Other Republicans accused Democrats of paving the way for impeachment.

Democrats said the Trump administration waived executive privilege when it allowed some senior Trump advisers, including former White House counsel Don McGahn, to talk to Mueller`s team during the investigation. The Justice Department said allowing such cooperation did not mean Trump relinquished the right to assert executive privilege now.

When the House was controlled by Republicans, it voted in 2012 to hold Eric Holder, attorney general under Democratic President Barack Obama, in contempt for failing to turn over subpoenaed Justice Department documents about a gun-running investigation. It was the first time Congress had held any Cabinet member in contempt.

A 1974 Supreme Court ruling made clear the contours of the doctrine of executive privilege. In the case US&nbsp;v&nbsp;Nixon, President Richard Nixon was ordered to deliver tapes and other subpoenaed materials to a judge for review. The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that a president`s right to privacy in his communications must be balanced against the power of Congress to investigate and oversee the executive branch. Nixon resigned as president.

Mueller`s report detailed extensive contacts between Trump`s campaign and Moscow, as well as the campaign`s expectation of benefiting from Russia`s efforts to tilt the election in Trump`s favour. But Mueller concluded there was insufficient evidence to show a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the campaign.

The report also described numerous actions by Trump to try to impede Mueller`s investigation, but Mueller offered no conclusion on whether Trump committed criminal obstruction.

A Democratic-led House panel on Wednesday approved a measure to hold US Attorney General William Barr in contempt for refusing to hand over an unredacted copy of the Mueller report on Russian election interference even as President Donald Trump invoked the legal principle of executive privilege to block its disclosure.

A Democratic-led House panel on Wednesday approved a measure to hold US Attorney General William Barr in contempt for refusing to hand over an unredacted copy of the Mueller report on Russian election interference even as President Donald Trump invoked the legal principle of executive privilege to block its disclosure. Throwing down another challenge to Trump, the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted to recommend that the full House cite Barr, the top US law enforcement official and a Trump appointee, for contempt of Congress after he defied its subpoena for the complete report and underlying evidence. Also read: US Attorney General William Barr refuses to testify before House Judiciary Committee on Mueller report "We are now in a constitutional crisis," Jerrold Nadler, the committee`s Democratic chairman, told reporters after the panel approved the contempt resolution on a party-line 24-16 vote, with Democrats in favour and Republicans opposed. The confrontation escalated a clash between the Democratic-controlled House and Republican president over congressional authority under the US Constitution to investigate him, his administration, family and business interests. The vote came hours after the White House took its own provocative step, asserting executive privilege to block the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller`s full report on Russian actions to boost Trump`s candidacy in the 2016 US election and related evidence such as investigative interviews. "It is deeply disappointing that elected representatives of the American people have chosen to engage in such inappropriate political theatrics," Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said, adding that no one would force the department "to break the law" by handing over documents that cannot be disclosed such as secret grand jury material. A House vote to hold Barr in contempt was likely to trigger a court battle, with fines and possible imprisonment at stake for him. Nadler said the full House vote would come "rapidly," without being more specific. Executive privilege is only rarely invoked by US presidents to keep other branches of government from getting access to certain internal executive branch information. Trump had not previously taken such a step in his showdown with Congress. The White House said Democrats forced the move. "Faced with Chairman Nadler`s blatant abuse of power, and at the attorney general`s request, the president has no other option than to make a protective assertion of executive privilege," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. Nadler said Trump`s stonewalling of Congress in various investigations was "an assertion of tyrannical power by the president and that cannot be allowed to stand," although the congressman tiptoed around the question of launching the impeachment process to try to remove Trump from office. In a letter to Nadler, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd said Barr could not comply with the subpoena "without violating the law, court rules, and court orders, and without threatening the independence of the Department of Justice`s prosecutorial functions." Trump, seeking re-election in 2020, is pushing back against numerous probes by House Democrats, ranging from Mueller`s inquiry to matters such as Trump`s tax returns and past financial records. On Wednesday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said he had issued a subpoena to Barr for documents related to the Mueller investigation after the Justice Department responded to the panel`s requests "with silence or outright defiance." Schiff said he had set a deadline of May 15 for Barr to produce the materials. `SELF-IMPEACHABLE` Contempt of Congress is an offence that can be enforced several ways, most likely by a civil lawsuit, which could lead to a judge ordering imposing daily fines on the defendant or even arrest and imprisonment, according to legal experts. The next step will be a floor vote by the full House. No action in the Republican-led Senate is needed. Barr, who released a 448-page redacted version of the report on April 18, missed two deadlines to turn over the requested material after Nadler subpoenaed it last month. Nadler said lawmakers needed the material to determine whether Trump obstructed justice by trying to impede Mueller`s inquiry. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, said Trump`s moves to thwart House subpoenas were obstructing oversight by lawmakers and inquiries into Russian election interference. "Every single day the president is making the case. He`s becoming self-impeachable," Pelosi told the Washington Post. Pelosi added that Barr, who last week also refused to testify before the House panel, should be held in contempt of Congress. She accused Barr last week of committing a crime by lying to lawmakers. Trump has filed lawsuits meant to block House subpoenas seeking some of his financial and business records, and his administration refused to disclose his subpoenaed tax returns. In a letter seen by Reuters last week, White House legal counsel Emmet Flood asserted that Trump had the right to instruct his advisers not to testify before congressional oversight probes related to the Mueller investigation. In a lengthy Judiciary Committee meeting, Republicans condemned the move to hold Barr in contempt. "What a cynical, mean-spirited, counterproductive and irresponsible step," said Doug Collins, the panel`s top Republican. Other Republicans accused Democrats of paving the way for impeachment. Democrats said the Trump administration waived executive privilege when it allowed some senior Trump advisers, including former White House counsel Don McGahn, to talk to Mueller`s team during the investigation. The Justice Department said allowing such cooperation did not mean Trump relinquished the right to assert executive privilege now. When the House was controlled by Republicans, it voted in 2012 to hold Eric Holder, attorney general under Democratic President Barack Obama, in contempt for failing to turn over subpoenaed Justice Department documents about a gun-running investigation. It was the first time Congress had held any Cabinet member in contempt. A 1974 Supreme Court ruling made clear the contours of the doctrine of executive privilege. In the case US v Nixon, President Richard Nixon was ordered to deliver tapes and other subpoenaed materials to a judge for review. The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that a president`s right to privacy in his communications must be balanced against the power of Congress to investigate and oversee the executive branch. Nixon resigned as president. Mueller`s report detailed extensive contacts between Trump`s campaign and Moscow, as well as the campaign`s expectation of benefiting from Russia`s efforts to tilt the election in Trump`s favour. But Mueller concluded there was insufficient evidence to show a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the campaign. The report also described numerous actions by Trump to try to impede Mueller`s investigation, but Mueller offered no conclusion on whether Trump committed criminal obstruction.

US House panel accuses William Barr of contempt as Trump invokes executive privilege

On Sunday, President Trump tweeted a surprising announcement that he would order tariffs be increased from 10% to %25 on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. President Trump also threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all remaining Chinese imports (another $325 billion or so).

No end to US-China trade war

Iran-US tensions escalate as Trump imposes new sanctions

Iran is set to announce plans to reduce some of its commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal on May 8, one year after the US withdrew from the same agreement.Watch full video to know more.

Report: Iran to reduce commitments to 2015 Nuclear deal

US President Donald Trump`s businesses lost a total of more than $1 billion from 1985 to 1994, according to the New York Times, which said it obtained printouts from Trump`s official Internal Revenue Service tax transcripts.

The newspaper said Trump posted losses in excess of $250 million in both 1990 and 1991, which appeared to be more than double any other individual US&nbsp;taxpayer in an annual IRS sampling of high-income earners.

Trump lost so much money that he was able to avoid paying income taxes for eight of the 10 years, the Times said.

Over the 10 years, Trump`s core businesses, including casinos, hotels and apartment buildings, lost $1.17 billion, according to the newspaper.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Times quoted a lawyer for the president, Charles Harder, as saying the tax information was "highly inaccurate."

Trump, a real estate magnate who turned over the running of his businesses to his sons after his election in 2016, touted his business acumen and negotiating skills on the campaign trail.&nbsp;

Trump broke with a decades-old precedent by refusing to release his tax returns as a presidential candidate in 2016 or since being elected, saying he could not do so while his taxes were being audited.

On Monday, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin refused a request by the Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee for Trump`s tax returns.

Democrats want Trump`s tax data as part of their investigations of possible conflicts of interest posed by his continued ownership of extensive business interests, even as he serves as president.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump`s businesses lost a total of more than $1 billion from 1985 to 1994, according to the New York Times, which said it obtained printouts from Trump`s official Internal Revenue Service tax transcripts.

US President Donald Trump`s businesses lost a total of more than $1 billion from 1985 to 1994, according to the New York Times, which said it obtained printouts from Trump`s official Internal Revenue Service tax transcripts. The newspaper said Trump posted losses in excess of $250 million in both 1990 and 1991, which appeared to be more than double any other individual US taxpayer in an annual IRS sampling of high-income earners. Trump lost so much money that he was able to avoid paying income taxes for eight of the 10 years, the Times said. Over the 10 years, Trump`s core businesses, including casinos, hotels and apartment buildings, lost $1.17 billion, according to the newspaper. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Times quoted a lawyer for the president, Charles Harder, as saying the tax information was "highly inaccurate." Trump, a real estate magnate who turned over the running of his businesses to his sons after his election in 2016, touted his business acumen and negotiating skills on the campaign trail. Trump broke with a decades-old precedent by refusing to release his tax returns as a presidential candidate in 2016 or since being elected, saying he could not do so while his taxes were being audited. On Monday, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin refused a request by the Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee for Trump`s tax returns. Democrats want Trump`s tax data as part of their investigations of possible conflicts of interest posed by his continued ownership of extensive business interests, even as he serves as president.

Trump tax returns from 1985 to 1994 show $1 billion in losses: Report

Iran has suspended commitments under the 2015 international nuclear deal, a year after it was abandoned by the US. Watch WION West Asia Chief Daniele Pagani explains.

WION Explains: Iran Will Stop Complying With Some Parts of Nuclear Deal?

US raises tariffs on Chinese import for goods worth $200 Bn. Watch this video for complete details.

US raises tariffs on Chinese import for goods worth $200 Bn

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be happy to keep tariffs on Chinese imports in place, adding that China is mistaken if it hopes to negotiate trade later with a Democratic presidential administration.

"The reason for the China pullback &amp; attempted renegotiation of the Trade Deal is the sincere HOPE that they will be able to 'negotiate' with Joe Biden or one of the very weak Democrats," Trump tweeted.

"Guess what, that's not going to happen! China has just informed us that they (Vice-Premier) are now coming to the US to make a deal. We'll see, but I am very happy with over $100 Billion a year in Tariffs filling US coffers," he added.

The United States announced on Wednesday it would hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports from 10 to 25 per cent effective Friday, according to a notice posted on the Federal Register.

Sources with knowledge of the talks told that China has sought to alter previously agreed provisions specifying changes to Chinese laws affecting nearly every chapter of a nearly 150-page proposed trade deal between Washington and Beijing.

The changes sought by China would create major hurdles in reaching a deal in two days of talks with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He this week before the tariff increase goes into effect.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be happy to keep tariffs on Chinese imports in place, adding that China is mistaken if it hopes to negotiate trade later with a Democratic presidential administration.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be happy to keep tariffs on Chinese imports in place, adding that China is mistaken if it hopes to negotiate trade later with a Democratic presidential administration. "The reason for the China pullback & attempted renegotiation of the Trade Deal is the sincere HOPE that they will be able to 'negotiate' with Joe Biden or one of the very weak Democrats," Trump tweeted. "Guess what, that's not going to happen! China has just informed us that they (Vice-Premier) are now coming to the US to make a deal. We'll see, but I am very happy with over $100 Billion a year in Tariffs filling US coffers," he added. The United States announced on Wednesday it would hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports from 10 to 25 per cent effective Friday, according to a notice posted on the Federal Register. Sources with knowledge of the talks told that China has sought to alter previously agreed provisions specifying changes to Chinese laws affecting nearly every chapter of a nearly 150-page proposed trade deal between Washington and Beijing. The changes sought by China would create major hurdles in reaching a deal in two days of talks with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He this week before the tariff increase goes into effect.

Trump says he would be happy to keep tariffs on Chinese imports in place

According to the US media reports, President Donald Trump is exaggerating Iran Threat. Watch full video to know more.

Is US spoiling for a fight with Iran?

Iran&nbsp;said it had started scaling back parts of its commitments under its 2015 nuclear deal on Wednesday (May 8) and threatened to do more if world powers did not protect it from US sanctions, a year after Washington pulled out of the pact.

In a speech broadcast on national television,<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-must-resist-us-sanctions-through-oil-non-oil-exports-iran-president-rouhani-215895&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjpx7Xv04viAhW1juYKHYO2BE8QFjACegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2FsuGHqiemgNk0MV3DOw9q"> President Hassan Rouhani</a> said Tehran would move on to resuming high-level uranium enrichment if the remaining signatories Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia - did not make good on promises to shield its oil and banking sectors in the next 60 days.

Rouhani has written to the leaders of those countries, saying it will start rolling back some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal on Wednesday, and will no longer sell enriched uranium and heavy water to other nations.

Rouhani warned of a firm response if&nbsp;Iran's nuclear case is referred again to the United Nations Security Council, but said Tehran was ready for negotiations over its nuclear programme.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal last year, and subsequently reimposed tough sanctions on&nbsp;Iran, including on its lifeblood oil exports with the stated intent of reducing them to zero and starving&nbsp;Iran's economy.

Iran said it had started scaling back parts of its commitments under its 2015 nuclear deal on Wednesday (May 8) and threatened to do more if world powers did not protect it from US sanctions, a year after Washington pulled out of the pact.

Iran said it had started scaling back parts of its commitments under its 2015 nuclear deal on Wednesday (May 8) and threatened to do more if world powers did not protect it from US sanctions, a year after Washington pulled out of the pact. In a speech broadcast on national television, President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would move on to resuming high-level uranium enrichment if the remaining signatories Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia - did not make good on promises to shield its oil and banking sectors in the next 60 days. Rouhani has written to the leaders of those countries, saying it will start rolling back some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal on Wednesday, and will no longer sell enriched uranium and heavy water to other nations. Rouhani warned of a firm response if Iran's nuclear case is referred again to the United Nations Security Council, but said Tehran was ready for negotiations over its nuclear programme. US President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal last year, and subsequently reimposed tough sanctions on Iran, including on its lifeblood oil exports with the stated intent of reducing them to zero and starving Iran's economy.

Iran will reduce its commitments to nuclear deal, says Rouhani

By Charles Hankla 
 
Last week President Donald Trump seemed to be on the cusp of a trade deal with China. A couple of threatening tweets later, the odds of ending the 16-month-old US-China trade war have dropped dramatically.

Whether or not American and Chinese trade negotiators ultimately salvage a deal – the US says China backpedaled on a commitment and intends to raise tariffs within days – the episode highlights drawbacks in Trump’s trade strategy, which tends to be protectionist, confrontational and negotiated one on one.

Unfortunately, Trump’s policies are only an acceleration of a trend in international trade that’s been going on for several decades. It’s a move away from multilateralism – in which many countries agree on certain trading principles – and toward bilateralism – which pits nation against nation, raising the stakes.

I am a specialist in the politics of trade. My observations lead me to believe that the increasing abandonment of multilateralism will have pernicious long-term consequences. Not only will trade become more costly for businesses and consumers, it may even make the planet a more dangerous place.

World trade – Trump style

Before we can understand what has changed, we need to revisit how trade deals have historically been done.

In the decades following World War II, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was the center of gravity for trade negotiations. While that system wasn’t perfect, most of the world’s countries could at least participate, to one degree or another, in hammering out the rules of trade.

This multilateral trading order reached its heyday in 1995, with the creation of the World Trade Organisation. But more recently, the system has weakened. Today, most of the world’s new agreements are struck between only two countries or within a single region.

Trump has shown little appetite for continuing the multilateral negotiations his predecessors were working on. He’s also hammered on regional accords, famously renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement and withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Trump’s clear preference is for bilateral deals where the US can use its market power to force concessions from its negotiating partners. But Trump has added a level of confrontation and antagonism to world trade not known in the postwar era.

For evidence, look no further than his threats to raise tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods if a deal falls through.

In essence, the United States under Trump has begun to see itself as the victim, rather than the guarantor, of the liberal trading order. This new perspective has made American negotiators more willing to extract temporary concessions from trading partners, even when these come at the cost of destabilizing the system as a whole.

Rules upon rules

One pernicious consequence of abandoning multilateralism is the mounting complexity and discriminatory nature of global trading arrangements.

In international trade, the fewer rules there are the better. One real benefit of the WTO system is that the same rules, more or less, apply to everyone.

But the world’s increasing rejection of multilateralism is creating a complex web of trade regulations that are tremendously hard to navigate. The number of preferential trade agreements jumped from just over 50 in 1990 to nearly 300 in 2010.

More deals like these mean that one set of rules is overlaid by more rules that only apply when trading with specific countries in certain goods and services. For this reason, the economist Jagdish Bhagwati has called bilateral deals “termites in the trading system.”

These “termites” and the informational burdens they create have real costs for companies and consumers, whether in Europe, Asia or the United States. And this growing complexity weakens competition by giving certain companies an edge over others based on their national origin, distorting the efficiency of global markets.

In the end, these burdens can discourage smaller companies from engaging in global commerce, make it more expensive for even the largest businesses and drive up the cost of products for consumers.

Trade conflicts

A second drawback to Trump’s approach is that it increases the risk of war, at least over the long term.

As the political economist David Lake has pointed out, one purpose of the trading system that the US helped set up after World War II was to forestall mutually antagonistic trading blocs like the ones built by Adolf Hitler or, earlier, by the European and Japanese colonial powers.

The origins of the two world wars may have been principally political, but there is little doubt that economic conflicts between blocs contributed to the military tensions.

During the postwar era, the multilateral system took a major step toward insulating trade from such international disputes and strategic competition. Outside of relations with the communist bloc, which only later participated in multilateral trade deals, there is ample reason to believe that economic interdependence helped produce the “long peace” of that period.

For this reason, we should all be worried about the wobbly state of the global trading system. Bilateral and regional deals are making it easier for large countries to use trade policy more explicitly as an arm of foreign and military policy.

Modern bilateral deals are not recreating the colonial systems of the past, but they do tend to center on major powers in what some scholars have called a “hub” and “spoke” pattern. The “hub” often enjoys significant influence over the “spoke,” and not just in commercial affairs. China’s overtures to African countries over a free trade deal, for example, are likely linked to its strategic interest in securing access to national resources.

While I’m not suggesting that these deals are likely to trigger a shooting war anytime soon, an increasingly fractured world will gradually reduce interdependence among countries – which can act as a strong incentive to avoid a fight.

If the rising number of bilateral deals become an instrument of security policy, and trade increasingly flows only to strategically friendly countries, we should all prepare for more violent conflict in the future. 
 
(Charles Hankla is Associate Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/trumps-one-on-one-approach-to-china-has-dangerous-implications-for-global-trade-and-world-peace-116505">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
 
&nbsp;

By Charles Hankla Last week President Donald Trump seemed to be on the cusp of a trade deal with China. A couple of threatening tweets later, the odds of ending the 16-month-old US-China trade war have dropped dramatically.

By Charles Hankla Last week President Donald Trump seemed to be on the cusp of a trade deal with China. A couple of threatening tweets later, the odds of ending the 16-month-old US-China trade war have dropped dramatically. Whether or not American and Chinese trade negotiators ultimately salvage a deal – the US says China backpedaled on a commitment and intends to raise tariffs within days – the episode highlights drawbacks in Trump’s trade strategy, which tends to be protectionist, confrontational and negotiated one on one. Unfortunately, Trump’s policies are only an acceleration of a trend in international trade that’s been going on for several decades. It’s a move away from multilateralism – in which many countries agree on certain trading principles – and toward bilateralism – which pits nation against nation, raising the stakes. I am a specialist in the politics of trade. My observations lead me to believe that the increasing abandonment of multilateralism will have pernicious long-term consequences. Not only will trade become more costly for businesses and consumers, it may even make the planet a more dangerous place. World trade – Trump style Before we can understand what has changed, we need to revisit how trade deals have historically been done. In the decades following World War II, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was the center of gravity for trade negotiations. While that system wasn’t perfect, most of the world’s countries could at least participate, to one degree or another, in hammering out the rules of trade. This multilateral trading order reached its heyday in 1995, with the creation of the World Trade Organisation. But more recently, the system has weakened. Today, most of the world’s new agreements are struck between only two countries or within a single region. Trump has shown little appetite for continuing the multilateral negotiations his predecessors were working on. He’s also hammered on regional accords, famously renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement and withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trump’s clear preference is for bilateral deals where the US can use its market power to force concessions from its negotiating partners. But Trump has added a level of confrontation and antagonism to world trade not known in the postwar era. For evidence, look no further than his threats to raise tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods if a deal falls through. In essence, the United States under Trump has begun to see itself as the victim, rather than the guarantor, of the liberal trading order. This new perspective has made American negotiators more willing to extract temporary concessions from trading partners, even when these come at the cost of destabilizing the system as a whole. Rules upon rules One pernicious consequence of abandoning multilateralism is the mounting complexity and discriminatory nature of global trading arrangements. In international trade, the fewer rules there are the better. One real benefit of the WTO system is that the same rules, more or less, apply to everyone. But the world’s increasing rejection of multilateralism is creating a complex web of trade regulations that are tremendously hard to navigate. The number of preferential trade agreements jumped from just over 50 in 1990 to nearly 300 in 2010. More deals like these mean that one set of rules is overlaid by more rules that only apply when trading with specific countries in certain goods and services. For this reason, the economist Jagdish Bhagwati has called bilateral deals “termites in the trading system.” These “termites” and the informational burdens they create have real costs for companies and consumers, whether in Europe, Asia or the United States. And this growing complexity weakens competition by giving certain companies an edge over others based on their national origin, distorting the efficiency of global markets. In the end, these burdens can discourage smaller companies from engaging in global commerce, make it more expensive for even the largest businesses and drive up the cost of products for consumers. Trade conflicts A second drawback to Trump’s approach is that it increases the risk of war, at least over the long term. As the political economist David Lake has pointed out, one purpose of the trading system that the US helped set up after World War II was to forestall mutually antagonistic trading blocs like the ones built by Adolf Hitler or, earlier, by the European and Japanese colonial powers. The origins of the two world wars may have been principally political, but there is little doubt that economic conflicts between blocs contributed to the military tensions. During the postwar era, the multilateral system took a major step toward insulating trade from such international disputes and strategic competition. Outside of relations with the communist bloc, which only later participated in multilateral trade deals, there is ample reason to believe that economic interdependence helped produce the “long peace” of that period. For this reason, we should all be worried about the wobbly state of the global trading system. Bilateral and regional deals are making it easier for large countries to use trade policy more explicitly as an arm of foreign and military policy. Modern bilateral deals are not recreating the colonial systems of the past, but they do tend to center on major powers in what some scholars have called a “hub” and “spoke” pattern. The “hub” often enjoys significant influence over the “spoke,” and not just in commercial affairs. China’s overtures to African countries over a free trade deal, for example, are likely linked to its strategic interest in securing access to national resources. While I’m not suggesting that these deals are likely to trigger a shooting war anytime soon, an increasingly fractured world will gradually reduce interdependence among countries – which can act as a strong incentive to avoid a fight. If the rising number of bilateral deals become an instrument of security policy, and trade increasingly flows only to strategically friendly countries, we should all prepare for more violent conflict in the future. (Charles Hankla is Associate Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Donald Trump’s one-on-one approach to China has dangerous implications for global trade

US&nbsp;Secretary of State<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/long-awaited-action-victory-for-us-diplomacy-mike-pompeo-on-unsc-listing-azhar-as-terrorist-215231&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiX34zAv4viAhWKrY8KHWatAcMQFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw28ilS_2r8yLkcfX-ECDai3"> Mike Pompeo</a> visited Britain on Wednesday to pitch a post-Brexit `special relationship` as Iran said it may stop complying with some parts of the nuclear deal which the United States withdrew from a year ago.

Pompeo arrived in London after an unannounced visit to Iraq where he explained US&nbsp;security concerns amid rising Iranian activity. The US&nbsp;military said on Tuesday B-52 bombers would be part of additional forces being sent to the Middle East to counter what the administration of US <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/very-positive-venezuela-talks-with-russian-president-putin-donald-trump-215772&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjt_eTPv4viAhXBW3wKHbvoDDoQFjAHegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ze63rN5OGU2_wXvkJq-b-">President Donald Trump </a>says is "clear indications" of threats from Iran to US&nbsp;forces there.

"The message that we’ve sent to the Iranians, I hope, puts us in a position where we can deter and the Iranians will think twice about attacking American interests," Pompeo said, noting that US&nbsp;intelligence was "very specific" about "attacks that were imminent."

Iran will resume high-level enrichment of uranium if world powers do not protect its interests against US&nbsp;sanctions, President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, responding to the US&nbsp;withdrawal from a nuclear deal a year ago.

In London, Pompeo will meet Prime Minister Theresa May who is grappling with a three-year political crisis over the United Kingdom`s exit from the European Union. He will also meet Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

As Britain tries to extract itself from the EU after 46 years of membership, a divorce many diplomats say has already made Britain weaker, Pompeo will give a speech on the so-called special relationship with the United Kingdom.

Both Brexit and the sometimes unpredictable Trump presidency have strained relations between the world`s preeminent power and the United Kingdom, its main European ally. Trump is due to make a state visit to the United Kingdom in June.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Britain on Wednesday to pitch a post-Brexit `special relationship` as Iran said it may stop complying with some parts of the nuclear deal which the United States withdrew from a year ago.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Britain on Wednesday to pitch a post-Brexit `special relationship` as Iran said it may stop complying with some parts of the nuclear deal which the United States withdrew from a year ago. Pompeo arrived in London after an unannounced visit to Iraq where he explained US security concerns amid rising Iranian activity. The US military said on Tuesday B-52 bombers would be part of additional forces being sent to the Middle East to counter what the administration of US President Donald Trump says is "clear indications" of threats from Iran to US forces there. "The message that we’ve sent to the Iranians, I hope, puts us in a position where we can deter and the Iranians will think twice about attacking American interests," Pompeo said, noting that US intelligence was "very specific" about "attacks that were imminent." Iran will resume high-level enrichment of uranium if world powers do not protect its interests against US sanctions, President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, responding to the US withdrawal from a nuclear deal a year ago. In London, Pompeo will meet Prime Minister Theresa May who is grappling with a three-year political crisis over the United Kingdom`s exit from the European Union. He will also meet Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. As Britain tries to extract itself from the EU after 46 years of membership, a divorce many diplomats say has already made Britain weaker, Pompeo will give a speech on the so-called special relationship with the United Kingdom. Both Brexit and the sometimes unpredictable Trump presidency have strained relations between the world`s preeminent power and the United Kingdom, its main European ally. Trump is due to make a state visit to the United Kingdom in June.

Pompeo visits Brexit Britain as Iran warns over nuclear deal

US President Donald Trump's first ever speech at the UN general assembly in 2019 saw him call Iran, a cover for a corrupt dictatorship. Trump also aims to bring Iran's Oil exports down to zero. Watch full video to know more.

US President Donald Trump aims to bring Iran's Oil exports down to zero

A fuel tanker lorry has overturned and exploded near the airport in Niger's capital, Niamey, killing at least 58 people. Watch full video to know more.

WION Global Round-up: Niger fuel tanker explosion kills at least 58 people

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sending-carrier-bombers-to-mideast-is-psychological-warfare-iran-216721">US sending carrier, bombers to Mideast is 'psychological warfare': Iran</a>

Iran's top security body dismissed as "psychological warfare" a US announcement that a carrier strike group and bombers are being sent to the Middle East as a message to Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/americas/donald-trump-xi-jinping-and-trade-a-high-stakes-game-of-chicken-216697">Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and trade: A high-stakes game of chicken</a>

What happens when the planet's two biggest economies play a high-stakes game of chicken?

The world may be about to find out, with President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping both holding favourable enough economic hands to make it hard to predict who blinks first, analysts said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-top-trade-negotiator-to-visit-us-despite-tariffs-216689">China's top trade negotiator to visit US despite tariffs</a>

China said Tuesday its top trade negotiator will visit the United States for talks with American counterparts this week even as Washington stepped up pressure with plans to hike tariffs and complaints that Beijing was backtracking on its commitments.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/icse-isc-exam-results-declared-two-students-score-100-marks-216725">ICSE, ISC exam results declared, two students score 100% marks</a>

Girls outshone boys in the ICSE Class 10 and 12 examinations, with two students scoring 100 per cent marks.

This is the first time that students have scored 100 per cent marks in the ISC exam.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-says-jihadi-threat-persists-despite-arrests-216736">Sri Lanka says jihadi threat persists despite arrests</a>

Sri Lankan authorities have arrested or killed all the jihadists responsible for Easter suicide bombings, but the island still faces the threat of "global terrorism," the prime minister said Tuesday.

US sending carrier, bombers to Mideast is 'psychological warfare': Iran Iran's top security body dismissed as "psychological warfare" a US announcement that a carrier strike group and bombers are being sent to the Middle East as a message to Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.

US sending carrier, bombers to Mideast is 'psychological warfare': Iran Iran's top security body dismissed as "psychological warfare" a US announcement that a carrier strike group and bombers are being sent to the Middle East as a message to Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday. Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and trade: A high-stakes game of chicken What happens when the planet's two biggest economies play a high-stakes game of chicken? The world may be about to find out, with President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping both holding favourable enough economic hands to make it hard to predict who blinks first, analysts said. China's top trade negotiator to visit US despite tariffs China said Tuesday its top trade negotiator will visit the United States for talks with American counterparts this week even as Washington stepped up pressure with plans to hike tariffs and complaints that Beijing was backtracking on its commitments. ICSE, ISC exam results declared, two students score 100% marks Girls outshone boys in the ICSE Class 10 and 12 examinations, with two students scoring 100 per cent marks. This is the first time that students have scored 100 per cent marks in the ISC exam. Sri Lanka says jihadi threat persists despite arrests Sri Lankan authorities have arrested or killed all the jihadists responsible for Easter suicide bombings, but the island still faces the threat of "global terrorism," the prime minister said Tuesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/michael-cohen-accuses-trump-over-wikileaks-moscow-project-hush-payments-200061">Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer Michael Cohen</a> entered federal prison to serve a three-year sentence Monday for a crime he said was ordered by the US president, suggesting he still has more to tell about his former boss.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/michael-cohen-trumps-loyal-fixer-turned-tell-all-accuser-183620">Cohen</a>, 52, was sentenced to prison in December after admitting he paid hush money during the 2016 presidential election -- in violation of electoral laws -- to two women who said they had had affairs with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-is-a-racist-conman-and-cheat-ex-lawyer-michael-cohen-tells-congress-200117">Trump</a>, committed tax fraud, and lied to Congress.

"There still remains much to be told. And I look forward to the day that I can share the truth," he told reporters as he left his Manhattan residence for the federal prison in Otisville, New York.

"I hope when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice, and lies at the helm of our country," he said.

Hours later the onetime vice president and key problem-fixer at the Trump Organisation arrived at the rural prison north of New York City, becoming the second former top Trump aide serving hefty terms for multiple criminal offences, after former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

His lawyer Lanny Davis said Cohen was the victim of "selective prosecution and disproportionate sentencing and will continue to help prosecutors investigating the president.

"I will continue questioning why Michael is the only person within the Trump organisation to be prosecuted for crimes committed at the direction of and for the benefit of Mr Trump," Davis said.

Cohen: Trump ordered hush payments

Cohen, who worked for the real estate tycoon for a decade, fell out with the president after telling prosecutors and Congress that he was ordered to make the hush payments by Trump himself.

He showed evidence that Trump and his son signed reimbursement checks for the payoffs, which were made to keep two women silent about their alleged affairs with Trump in the weeks before the November 2016 presidential election.

"I didn't work for the campaign. I worked for him. And how come I'm the one that's going to prison? I'm not the one that slept with the porn star," Cohen said in an interview with The New Yorker, referring to one of the women.

After it became clear that Cohen was cooperating with investigators, Trump denigrated him as "weak" and a "rat" ready to make up any lies necessary to avoid prison.

The White House had no comment Monday about Cohen's entering prison.

But in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, current Trump Organisation executive vice president George Sorial dismissed Cohen as someone of few abilities who Trump kept on for years out of loyalty.

"Michael wasn't much of a lawyer," Sorial wrote. "He wasn't trusted to run his own department" and "wasn’t good enough to be given real control."

"He knows he’ll be remembered for turning on those most loyal to him."

Hoped for reduced sentence

But Cohen's case and testimony provided some of the most damaging information on Trump, leading to speculation that New York prosecutors might be reserving charges against the president until after he leaves office -- the earliest of which would be January 2021.

Father of two children in their 20s, Cohen had hoped until the last moment that his sentence would be reduced based on his readiness to cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling, and, separately, New York prosecutors.

Now disbarred and low on cash, Cohen has mentioned plans to write a book and have his experiences made into a film.

That would follow the footsteps of Richard Nixon's former lawyer John Dean, who pleaded guilty for having bought the silence of the Watergate scandal burglars in the early 1970s, and then wrote a book about his experience.

The Otisville prison conditions should allow Cohen to spend at least some time on such projects.

He is due to be held in the detention centre's low-security "camp," which holds detainees who are not considered to be dangerous, including many other white-collar criminals.

Practising Jews like Cohen who are sentenced to federal prison often request to be placed at Otisville because it provides kosher meals and detainees are allowed to follow the Shabbat day of rest.

The 120-some prisoners of this wing of the centre can use libraries, as well as basketball and tennis courts while wearing their beige uniforms.

Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer Michael Cohen entered federal prison to serve a three-year sentence Monday for a crime he said was ordered by the US president, suggesting he still has more to tell about his former boss.

Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer Michael Cohen entered federal prison to serve a three-year sentence Monday for a crime he said was ordered by the US president, suggesting he still has more to tell about his former boss. Cohen, 52, was sentenced to prison in December after admitting he paid hush money during the 2016 presidential election -- in violation of electoral laws -- to two women who said they had had affairs with Trump, committed tax fraud, and lied to Congress. "There still remains much to be told. And I look forward to the day that I can share the truth," he told reporters as he left his Manhattan residence for the federal prison in Otisville, New York. "I hope when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice, and lies at the helm of our country," he said. Hours later the onetime vice president and key problem-fixer at the Trump Organisation arrived at the rural prison north of New York City, becoming the second former top Trump aide serving hefty terms for multiple criminal offences, after former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. His lawyer Lanny Davis said Cohen was the victim of "selective prosecution and disproportionate sentencing and will continue to help prosecutors investigating the president. "I will continue questioning why Michael is the only person within the Trump organisation to be prosecuted for crimes committed at the direction of and for the benefit of Mr Trump," Davis said. Cohen: Trump ordered hush payments Cohen, who worked for the real estate tycoon for a decade, fell out with the president after telling prosecutors and Congress that he was ordered to make the hush payments by Trump himself. He showed evidence that Trump and his son signed reimbursement checks for the payoffs, which were made to keep two women silent about their alleged affairs with Trump in the weeks before the November 2016 presidential election. "I didn't work for the campaign. I worked for him. And how come I'm the one that's going to prison? I'm not the one that slept with the porn star," Cohen said in an interview with The New Yorker, referring to one of the women. After it became clear that Cohen was cooperating with investigators, Trump denigrated him as "weak" and a "rat" ready to make up any lies necessary to avoid prison. The White House had no comment Monday about Cohen's entering prison. But in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, current Trump Organisation executive vice president George Sorial dismissed Cohen as someone of few abilities who Trump kept on for years out of loyalty. "Michael wasn't much of a lawyer," Sorial wrote. "He wasn't trusted to run his own department" and "wasn’t good enough to be given real control." "He knows he’ll be remembered for turning on those most loyal to him." Hoped for reduced sentence But Cohen's case and testimony provided some of the most damaging information on Trump, leading to speculation that New York prosecutors might be reserving charges against the president until after he leaves office -- the earliest of which would be January 2021. Father of two children in their 20s, Cohen had hoped until the last moment that his sentence would be reduced based on his readiness to cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling, and, separately, New York prosecutors. Now disbarred and low on cash, Cohen has mentioned plans to write a book and have his experiences made into a film. That would follow the footsteps of Richard Nixon's former lawyer John Dean, who pleaded guilty for having bought the silence of the Watergate scandal burglars in the early 1970s, and then wrote a book about his experience. The Otisville prison conditions should allow Cohen to spend at least some time on such projects. He is due to be held in the detention centre's low-security "camp," which holds detainees who are not considered to be dangerous, including many other white-collar criminals. Practising Jews like Cohen who are sentenced to federal prison often request to be placed at Otisville because it provides kosher meals and detainees are allowed to follow the Shabbat day of rest. The 120-some prisoners of this wing of the centre can use libraries, as well as basketball and tennis courts while wearing their beige uniforms.

Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen begins 3-year jail term, says still 'much to be told'

What happens when the planet's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-top-trade-negotiator-to-visit-us-despite-tariffs-216689">two biggest economies</a> play a high-stakes game of chicken?

The world may be about to find out, with President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping both holding favourable enough economic hands to make it hard to predict who blinks first, analysts said.

Hope for an imminent resolution of the China-US trade dispute dimmed after Trump vowed to further raise import tariffs this week to punish China for what he framed as bad-faith negotiating, rocking world markets.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-fresh-tariffs-on-china-trump-spooks-global-markets-with-a-few-tweets-216519/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Here are some of the key questions regarding the impasse.

Why has Trump turned the screws now?That remains unclear but the president has been known to tout strong US economic data or Wall Street gains as evidence that he is "winning" the trade war and as leverage against China.

Recent developments will have given him ample reason to up the ante.

April data indicated vigorous American job growth, a fresh sign of US economic strength that has helped propel the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq stock indices to record highs this month. Last month figures showed the world's top economy grew at a faster pace than expected in the first quarter.

How will China react?Beijing's shrewd communist leaders have been negotiating favourable economic arrangements with the world for decades, and few observers would bet on them suddenly capitulating.

Whatever Xi does, he also has reason to hold firm.

The world's second-largest economy is decelerating from its era of hyper-growth, but it expanded by a better-than-forecast 6.4 per cent in January-March, a sign of stability despite the trade turbulence.

And Chinese stock markets -- among the world's worst in 2018 -- are up significantly this year after Beijing pulled an array of policy and monetary levers to keep the economy chugging.

"Both sides have reason to be confident and ask for more," said Bao Ting, a strategist with Great Wall Securities.

"It's not surprising for negotiations to go back and forth in the final stages" as the two sides drill down on nitty-gritty details, she added.

So whose hand is stronger?Probably Trump's, analysts say, because Xi faces a challenge maintaining the economic growth on which the government stakes its ruling legitimacy, while also implementing tricky reform of inefficient state industries.

Of particular concern is a fresh spike in debt this year as Chinese authorities have relied heavily on eased credit restrictions to juice the economy while they battle Trump's trade pressure.

The International Monetary Fund has previously called China's debt addiction "dangerous".&nbsp;

"This massive credit stimulus has stabilised China’s economy for now but the impact is unlikely to be long-lasting or without complication," said Brock Silvers, managing director of Kaiyuan Capital in Shanghai.

"China could soon regret a missed chance to end to what looks to be a worsening and increasingly risky trade war."

But China has for years used a flood of credit and targeted pump-priming to keep its economic miracle going, and today stands taller than ever.

"That gives China a lot of strength. They have many different ways of keeping things churning," said Christopher Balding, an expert on China's economy at Fulbright University in Ho Chi Minh City.

What if neither side blinks?Stocks fell worldwide after Trump's tariff threat, and an extension of the already lengthy trade standoff could spell more pain.

"If they fail to reach an agreement, China's economy would worsen and global economic growth would slow down," said Bao.

Much depends on whether China retaliates against Trump's move.

China is already wary over escalating the fight and seems unlikely to hit back with more tariffs at the moment and may favour yet more stimulus measures, said Tao Wang, head of China research for UBS.

But that could change. "Certainly the risk of an all-out US-China trade war has increased significantly," Tao said.

China said Tuesday its top negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, would attend the talks in Washington this week, which Goldman Sachs said in a research note, "would indicate that they believe a deal is still reasonably likely".

Will China ever meet overall US demands?Key US demands include greater access to China's markets, broad reform of a business playing field that heavily favours Chinese firms, and a loosening of heavy state control by Beijing.

But those are the very policies that abetted China's stunning economic rise, and Beijing is unlikely to surrender them, said Balding.

"This is a fundamental clash of worldviews between a capitalist, open economy and a closed communist one," Balding said.

"There aren't a lot of ways to square that circle."

Asking for the moon may just be Trump's "Art of the Deal" approach to securing at least something that he can tout heading into elections next year.

What happens when the planet's two biggest economies play a high-stakes game of chicken? The world may be about to find out, with President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping both holding favourable enough economic hands to make it hard to predict who blinks first, analysts said.

What happens when the planet's two biggest economies play a high-stakes game of chicken? The world may be about to find out, with President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping both holding favourable enough economic hands to make it hard to predict who blinks first, analysts said. Hope for an imminent resolution of the China-US trade dispute dimmed after Trump vowed to further raise import tariffs this week to punish China for what he framed as bad-faith negotiating, rocking world markets. Here are some of the key questions regarding the impasse. Why has Trump turned the screws now?That remains unclear but the president has been known to tout strong US economic data or Wall Street gains as evidence that he is "winning" the trade war and as leverage against China. Recent developments will have given him ample reason to up the ante. April data indicated vigorous American job growth, a fresh sign of US economic strength that has helped propel the S&P 500 and Nasdaq stock indices to record highs this month. Last month figures showed the world's top economy grew at a faster pace than expected in the first quarter. How will China react?Beijing's shrewd communist leaders have been negotiating favourable economic arrangements with the world for decades, and few observers would bet on them suddenly capitulating. Whatever Xi does, he also has reason to hold firm. The world's second-largest economy is decelerating from its era of hyper-growth, but it expanded by a better-than-forecast 6.4 per cent in January-March, a sign of stability despite the trade turbulence. And Chinese stock markets -- among the world's worst in 2018 -- are up significantly this year after Beijing pulled an array of policy and monetary levers to keep the economy chugging. "Both sides have reason to be confident and ask for more," said Bao Ting, a strategist with Great Wall Securities. "It's not surprising for negotiations to go back and forth in the final stages" as the two sides drill down on nitty-gritty details, she added. So whose hand is stronger?Probably Trump's, analysts say, because Xi faces a challenge maintaining the economic growth on which the government stakes its ruling legitimacy, while also implementing tricky reform of inefficient state industries. Of particular concern is a fresh spike in debt this year as Chinese authorities have relied heavily on eased credit restrictions to juice the economy while they battle Trump's trade pressure. The International Monetary Fund has previously called China's debt addiction "dangerous". "This massive credit stimulus has stabilised China’s economy for now but the impact is unlikely to be long-lasting or without complication," said Brock Silvers, managing director of Kaiyuan Capital in Shanghai. "China could soon regret a missed chance to end to what looks to be a worsening and increasingly risky trade war." But China has for years used a flood of credit and targeted pump-priming to keep its economic miracle going, and today stands taller than ever. "That gives China a lot of strength. They have many different ways of keeping things churning," said Christopher Balding, an expert on China's economy at Fulbright University in Ho Chi Minh City. What if neither side blinks?Stocks fell worldwide after Trump's tariff threat, and an extension of the already lengthy trade standoff could spell more pain. "If they fail to reach an agreement, China's economy would worsen and global economic growth would slow down," said Bao. Much depends on whether China retaliates against Trump's move. China is already wary over escalating the fight and seems unlikely to hit back with more tariffs at the moment and may favour yet more stimulus measures, said Tao Wang, head of China research for UBS. But that could change. "Certainly the risk of an all-out US-China trade war has increased significantly," Tao said. China said Tuesday its top negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, would attend the talks in Washington this week, which Goldman Sachs said in a research note, "would indicate that they believe a deal is still reasonably likely". Will China ever meet overall US demands?Key US demands include greater access to China's markets, broad reform of a business playing field that heavily favours Chinese firms, and a loosening of heavy state control by Beijing. But those are the very policies that abetted China's stunning economic rise, and Beijing is unlikely to surrender them, said Balding. "This is a fundamental clash of worldviews between a capitalist, open economy and a closed communist one," Balding said. "There aren't a lot of ways to square that circle." Asking for the moon may just be Trump's "Art of the Deal" approach to securing at least something that he can tout heading into elections next year.

Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and trade: A high-stakes game of chicken

China said Tuesday its top trade negotiator will visit the United States for talks with American counterparts this week even as Washington stepped up <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/adding-tariffs-cant-resolve-any-problem-says-china-on-trade-conflict-with-us-216682">pressure with plans to hike tariffs</a> and complaints that Beijing was backtracking on its commitments.

The commerce ministry confirmed in a brief statement that Vice Premier Liu He, President Xi Jinping's trade pointman, would visit the US on Thursday and Friday.

The trip is taking place a day later than expected after President Donald Trump jolted global markets by announcing that tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese merchandise will more than double to 25 per cent on Friday.

"China always believes that mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit are the premise and the basis for reaching an agreement. Adding tariffs will not solve any problem," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-fresh-tariffs-on-china-trump-spooks-global-markets-with-a-few-tweets-216519/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Confirmation of Liu's travel plans lifted Asian stock markets as his presence could raise hopes that a deal is still possible.

The tariffs announcement tanked stock markets worldwide on Monday and worried US farmers and businesses who have been banking on a resolution to the year-long conflict that has engulfed $360 billion in two-way trade.

US officials had said the world's two largest economies were close to an agreement but Beijing reversed course in recent days.

"Over the course of the last week or so, we've seen an erosion in commitments by China, I would say retreating from commitments that have already been made in our judgement," US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer was quoted as saying in media reports on Monday.

He said the tariffs would increase at 12:01 am on Friday.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin described the negotiations as 90 per cent complete but told reporters that in recent days the talks went "substantially backward", according to the media reports.

Complaining that talks were moving too slowly because China was trying to "renegotiate" the terms, Trump vowed Sunday to ratchet up existing tariffs this week and extend the 25 per cent punitive duties to the remaining $350 billion in Chinese goods imported into the country each year.

Speaking in Paris, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said "tensions between the United States and China are the threat for the world economy", and recent "rumours and tweets" made an agreement between the countries less likely.

'Precarious' position

Comments from officials in recent weeks indicated the sides were making progress towards an agreement aimed at addressing longstanding concerns about the forced transfer or outright theft of American technology, as well as reducing the US trade deficit with China.

"It is normal for the two sides to have divergences. China does not evade problems and is sincere in continuing consultations," Geng said.

But William Reinsch, trade policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said China will never meet all the US demands.

"At some point, the president is going to figure out that they're not going to give him everything he wants," he told AFP.

That will put Trump in "a precarious political position", whether "to accept an agreement that will be criticised as weak, or not to have an agreement and be criticised for failing".

"And I can imagine that he is unhappy about that."

Freya Beamish of Pantheon Macroeconomics warned that Trump's aggressive tactics could backfire.

"It is much harder for China's leaders to do that if it looks like they have signed with a gun to their heads."

Restrained growth

US manufacturers and farmers were becoming more optimistic amid signs of progress and comments from officials that the talks were entering their final phase, reinforced by reports Beijing was sending 100 officials to this week's negotiations.

Trump credits the tariffs with the strong first quarter growth but economists and businesses have complained that the trade conflict is, in fact, hurting the bottom line and the uncertainty is causing them to delay investment.

Jake Colvin of the National Foreign Trade Council, a pro-trade US business group, said the tariffs "come at the expense of American businesses and farmers and consumers as well".

And escalating the tariffs to the remaining Chinese goods, which would be expected to spark further retaliation from Beijing, would cut 0.3 percentage points off US growth, according to Oxford Economics.

China said Tuesday its top trade negotiator will visit the United States for talks with American counterparts this week even as Washington stepped up pressure with plans to hike tariffs and complaints that Beijing was backtracking on its commitments.

China said Tuesday its top trade negotiator will visit the United States for talks with American counterparts this week even as Washington stepped up pressure with plans to hike tariffs and complaints that Beijing was backtracking on its commitments. The commerce ministry confirmed in a brief statement that Vice Premier Liu He, President Xi Jinping's trade pointman, would visit the US on Thursday and Friday. The trip is taking place a day later than expected after President Donald Trump jolted global markets by announcing that tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese merchandise will more than double to 25 per cent on Friday. "China always believes that mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit are the premise and the basis for reaching an agreement. Adding tariffs will not solve any problem," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing. Confirmation of Liu's travel plans lifted Asian stock markets as his presence could raise hopes that a deal is still possible. The tariffs announcement tanked stock markets worldwide on Monday and worried US farmers and businesses who have been banking on a resolution to the year-long conflict that has engulfed $360 billion in two-way trade. US officials had said the world's two largest economies were close to an agreement but Beijing reversed course in recent days. "Over the course of the last week or so, we've seen an erosion in commitments by China, I would say retreating from commitments that have already been made in our judgement," US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer was quoted as saying in media reports on Monday. He said the tariffs would increase at 12:01 am on Friday. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin described the negotiations as 90 per cent complete but told reporters that in recent days the talks went "substantially backward", according to the media reports. Complaining that talks were moving too slowly because China was trying to "renegotiate" the terms, Trump vowed Sunday to ratchet up existing tariffs this week and extend the 25 per cent punitive duties to the remaining $350 billion in Chinese goods imported into the country each year. Speaking in Paris, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said "tensions between the United States and China are the threat for the world economy", and recent "rumours and tweets" made an agreement between the countries less likely. 'Precarious' position Comments from officials in recent weeks indicated the sides were making progress towards an agreement aimed at addressing longstanding concerns about the forced transfer or outright theft of American technology, as well as reducing the US trade deficit with China. "It is normal for the two sides to have divergences. China does not evade problems and is sincere in continuing consultations," Geng said. But William Reinsch, trade policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said China will never meet all the US demands. "At some point, the president is going to figure out that they're not going to give him everything he wants," he told AFP. That will put Trump in "a precarious political position", whether "to accept an agreement that will be criticised as weak, or not to have an agreement and be criticised for failing". "And I can imagine that he is unhappy about that." Freya Beamish of Pantheon Macroeconomics warned that Trump's aggressive tactics could backfire. "It is much harder for China's leaders to do that if it looks like they have signed with a gun to their heads." Restrained growth US manufacturers and farmers were becoming more optimistic amid signs of progress and comments from officials that the talks were entering their final phase, reinforced by reports Beijing was sending 100 officials to this week's negotiations. Trump credits the tariffs with the strong first quarter growth but economists and businesses have complained that the trade conflict is, in fact, hurting the bottom line and the uncertainty is causing them to delay investment. Jake Colvin of the National Foreign Trade Council, a pro-trade US business group, said the tariffs "come at the expense of American businesses and farmers and consumers as well". And escalating the tariffs to the remaining Chinese goods, which would be expected to spark further retaliation from Beijing, would cut 0.3 percentage points off US growth, according to Oxford Economics.

China's top trade negotiator to visit US despite tariffs

When Tiger Woods won the Masters on April 14, President Donald Trump declared he was going to award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and ordered his aides to schedule the event as soon as possible.

Tiger Woods awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom

After dramatic appeals and testimony in Congress, Donald Trump's one-time<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-accuses-ex-lawyer-michael-cohen-of-perjury-citing-unpublished-book-200655&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjs5fHhl4biAhUM3o8KHbsEAncQFjAHegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2UUPrP5UNJOqE017oDJdfu"> personal lawyer Michael Cohen</a> is due to report to jail Monday to serve a sentence he deems unjust because he was simply following his boss's orders.

The longtime Trump admirer who once said he was ready to "take a bullet" for Trump is awaited at the federal prison in Otisville, New York by 2:00 pm (1800 GMT).

He was sentenced to three years in prison in December, after admitting to having paid hush money during the 2016 election to two women who said they had had affairs with Trump -- in violation of electoral laws -- having committed tax fraud and having lied to Congress.

The father of two children in their twenties, Cohen had hoped until the last moment that his sentence would be reduced, offering information to investigators that could compromise Trump and his family, including over the Russia investigation.

But even if<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/mueller-criticises-attorney-general-barrs-depiction-of-russia-probe-reports-215002&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjInar_l4biAhUMTI8KHYTHCbU4ChAWMAN6BAgPEAI&amp;usg=AOvVaw2KrVBmWXq0ymv9OhWFRvDO"> Special Counsel Robert Mueller</a> referred to the ex-attorney more than a hundred times in his report on Russian meddling in the US elections, prosecutors have not budged on Cohen's sentence.

Why Cohen?&nbsp;

The child of a Holocaust survivor and a nurse will become one of just two close aides of the president jailed for a lengthy period of time after Paul Manafort, Trump's ex-campaign manager who was sentenced to 7.5 years of prison.

Cohen worked for the Trump Organization for a decade and insists that all reprehensible acts took place at the behest of the president, who the ex-attorney claims would be ready to cling to power even if he loses his bid for a second term in 2020.

"How come I'm the only one?" Cohen asked in an interview with The New Yorker.

"I didn't work for the campaign. I worked for him. And how come I'm the one that's going to prison? I'm not the one that slept with the porn star," he added, referring to Stormy Daniels, one of the women who received hush money.

Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis said Friday that the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, should have gone to prison since he "signed hush money checks."

For the American president and his allies, Cohen's prison sentence has the taste of payback after the one-time attorney turned on his boss.

Trump called him "weak" and a "rat" ready to make up any lies necessary to avoid prison.

&nbsp;Final statements&nbsp;

Cohen, who has been disbarred and is running out of cash, has not said his last word.

This weekend, he told reporters following him in Manhattan as he spent his last moments of freedom with his son Jake, a student in Miami, that he would make some final statements Monday before going behind bars.

When he spoke to lawmakers earlier this year, Cohen mentioned plans to write a book and have his experiences made into a film.

In doing so, he would be following the example of Richard Nixon's ex-lawyer John Dean, who pleaded guilty for having bought the silence of the Watergate scandal burglars, and then wrote a book about his experience.

The Otisville prison conditions should allow Cohen to spend at least some time on such projects.

He is due to be held in the detention centre's low-security "camp," which holds detainees who are not considered to be dangerous, including many other white-collar criminals.

Practising Jews who are sentenced often request to be placed at Otisville because it provides kosher meals and detainees are allowed to follow the Shabbat day of rest.

The 120-some prisoners of this wing of the centre can use libraries, as well as basketball and tennis courts while wearing their beige uniforms.

Can Cohen hope for an expedited release for good behaviour?

"Because Congress eliminated parole in 1987, the best he can hope for is a 15 per cent reduction off his sentence for 'good behaviour,'" said criminal defence attorney Harlan Protass.

"He'll also likely spend the last six months of his sentence in a halfway house, like where former Congressman Anthony Weiner is now."

After dramatic appeals and testimony in Congress, Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer Michael Cohen is due to report to jail Monday to serve a sentence he deems unjust because he was simply following his boss's orders.

After dramatic appeals and testimony in Congress, Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer Michael Cohen is due to report to jail Monday to serve a sentence he deems unjust because he was simply following his boss's orders. The longtime Trump admirer who once said he was ready to "take a bullet" for Trump is awaited at the federal prison in Otisville, New York by 2:00 pm (1800 GMT). He was sentenced to three years in prison in December, after admitting to having paid hush money during the 2016 election to two women who said they had had affairs with Trump -- in violation of electoral laws -- having committed tax fraud and having lied to Congress. The father of two children in their twenties, Cohen had hoped until the last moment that his sentence would be reduced, offering information to investigators that could compromise Trump and his family, including over the Russia investigation. But even if Special Counsel Robert Mueller referred to the ex-attorney more than a hundred times in his report on Russian meddling in the US elections, prosecutors have not budged on Cohen's sentence. Why Cohen? The child of a Holocaust survivor and a nurse will become one of just two close aides of the president jailed for a lengthy period of time after Paul Manafort, Trump's ex-campaign manager who was sentenced to 7.5 years of prison. Cohen worked for the Trump Organization for a decade and insists that all reprehensible acts took place at the behest of the president, who the ex-attorney claims would be ready to cling to power even if he loses his bid for a second term in 2020. "How come I'm the only one?" Cohen asked in an interview with The New Yorker. "I didn't work for the campaign. I worked for him. And how come I'm the one that's going to prison? I'm not the one that slept with the porn star," he added, referring to Stormy Daniels, one of the women who received hush money. Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis said Friday that the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, should have gone to prison since he "signed hush money checks." For the American president and his allies, Cohen's prison sentence has the taste of payback after the one-time attorney turned on his boss. Trump called him "weak" and a "rat" ready to make up any lies necessary to avoid prison. Final statements Cohen, who has been disbarred and is running out of cash, has not said his last word. This weekend, he told reporters following him in Manhattan as he spent his last moments of freedom with his son Jake, a student in Miami, that he would make some final statements Monday before going behind bars. When he spoke to lawmakers earlier this year, Cohen mentioned plans to write a book and have his experiences made into a film. In doing so, he would be following the example of Richard Nixon's ex-lawyer John Dean, who pleaded guilty for having bought the silence of the Watergate scandal burglars, and then wrote a book about his experience. The Otisville prison conditions should allow Cohen to spend at least some time on such projects. He is due to be held in the detention centre's low-security "camp," which holds detainees who are not considered to be dangerous, including many other white-collar criminals. Practising Jews who are sentenced often request to be placed at Otisville because it provides kosher meals and detainees are allowed to follow the Shabbat day of rest. The 120-some prisoners of this wing of the centre can use libraries, as well as basketball and tennis courts while wearing their beige uniforms. Can Cohen hope for an expedited release for good behaviour? "Because Congress eliminated parole in 1987, the best he can hope for is a 15 per cent reduction off his sentence for 'good behaviour,'" said criminal defence attorney Harlan Protass. "He'll also likely spend the last six months of his sentence in a halfway house, like where former Congressman Anthony Weiner is now."

Michael Cohen, Trump's one-time aide who turned on him, due to report to jail today

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