European Union countries on Monday gave the final green light for Brussels to open trade talks with Washington, despite France's opposition, several EU sources told AFP.

The EU's 28 member states had struggled for months to agree on a mandate to open trans-Atlantic talks, with some fearing the delay would restart a trade war with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-slams-huawei-for-hiring-former-obama-cyber-security-official-210479">US President Donald Trump</a>.

EU sources said France voted against the mandate and Belgium abstained during a meeting of EU ministers in Luxembourg.

Pursuing a limited trade deal is a key element of a truce negotiated in July that came close to imploding last week after the US threatened $11 billion in fresh trade tariffs against Europe.

Paris voted against the mandate worried about domestic blowback just months ahead of European elections, set for May 23 to 26.&nbsp;

French President Emmanuel Macron has insisted on the US first signing back up to the Paris climate accord after Trump dumped the pact in 2017, infuriating Macron.

But only a qualified majority of EU members was needed to support the talks, meaning France's "non" remained largely symbolic.

European Union countries on Monday gave the final green light for Brussels to open trade talks with Washington, despite France's opposition, several EU sources told AFP.

European Union countries on Monday gave the final green light for Brussels to open trade talks with Washington, despite France's opposition, several EU sources told AFP. The EU's 28 member states had struggled for months to agree on a mandate to open trans-Atlantic talks, with some fearing the delay would restart a trade war with US President Donald Trump. EU sources said France voted against the mandate and Belgium abstained during a meeting of EU ministers in Luxembourg. Pursuing a limited trade deal is a key element of a truce negotiated in July that came close to imploding last week after the US threatened $11 billion in fresh trade tariffs against Europe. Paris voted against the mandate worried about domestic blowback just months ahead of European elections, set for May 23 to 26. French President Emmanuel Macron has insisted on the US first signing back up to the Paris climate accord after Trump dumped the pact in 2017, infuriating Macron. But only a qualified majority of EU members was needed to support the talks, meaning France's "non" remained largely symbolic.

European Union green lights trade talks with Washington: Sources

This segment of WION brings to you top stories of the morning from across the globe. Watch this video to get updated with the latest information.

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - April 15th, 2019

An idea floated by President <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-threatens-tariffs-if-mexico-does-not-help-with-immigration-drugs-208019&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwitipTO_87hAhWBknAKHQPAD6kQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0OzfMD1fWS1tC5U77aCgTx">Donald Trump</a> to send immigrants from the border to "sanctuary cities" to exact revenge on Democratic foes could end up doing the migrants favour by placing them in locations that make it easier to put down roots and stay in the country.

The plan would put thousands of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-changes-mind-and-extends-liberians-immigration-protections-in-us-206411&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwitipTO_87hAhWBknAKHQPAD6kQFggOMAM&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0OdhGsoUZ43CDmNs3XNEt1">immigrants</a> in cities that are not only welcoming to them but also more likely to rebuff federal officials carrying out deportation orders.

Many of these locations have more resources to help immigrants make their legal cases to stay in the United States than smaller cities, with some of the nation's biggest immigration advocacy groups based in places like San Francisco, New York City and Chicago.

The downside for the immigrants would be a high cost of living in the cities. The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University announced this week that an analysis found that immigrants in sanctuary cities such as New York and Los Angeles are 20 per cent less likely to be arrested out in the community than in cities without such policies.

"With immigrants being less likely to commit crimes than the US-born population, and with sanctuary jurisdictions being safer and more productive than non-sanctuary jurisdictions, the data damn this proposal as a politically motivated stunt that seeks to play politics with peoples' lives," said George Gascon, district attorney for San Francisco.

Trump has grown increasingly frustrated over the situation at the border, where tens of thousands of immigrant families are crossing each month, many to claim asylum.

His administration has attempted several efforts to stop the flow, and he recently shook up the top ranks of the Department of Homeland Security.

The idea to ship immigrants to Democratic strongholds was considered twice in recent months, but the White House and Department of Homeland Security said the plan had been rejected.

But Trump said Friday he was still considering the idea. "Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only," Trump tweeted.

He added that "The Radical Left always seems to have an Open Borders, Open Arms policy - so this should make them very happy!" Wilson Romero is an immigrant from Honduras who chose to settle in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Romero, 27, was separated from his daughter, now 7, by federal authorities at the US border at El Paso, Texas, last year and jailed for three months before being released and making his way to live with his mother in San Jose, California.

There he was reunited with his daughter, who attends public kindergarten. Romero says he goes about daily errands in public without worry of discrimination.

His daughter has made friends and has playdates with the children of Mexican American families.

It's a far cry from his hometown in the violence-plagued outskirts of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, that he fled after his brother-in-law was killed. To him, the biggest problem with being in the Bay Area is the high cost of living.

The former textile factory worker relies on his mother's income from waitressing for food and clothing, and he's started thinking about asking legal permission to move to North Carolina, where an uncle resides and says it's cheaper to live and work.

"To tell the truth, it's a little tight now, financially speaking," said Romero, a former textile factory worker, who said he doesn't know of any charities that may be willing to help. The plan discussed by Trump would also have financial, logistical and legal issues.

The transportation of immigrants who are arrested at the border to large and faraway cities would be burdensome and costly at a time when Immigration and Customs Enforcement is already stretched thin, having released over 125,000 immigrants into the country pending their immigration court since Dec. 21. They are currently being released mainly in border states.

Flights chartered by ICE cost about USD 7,785 per flight hour, according to the agency, and require multiple staffers, including an in-flight medical professional. The agency also uses commercial flights.

Doing longer transports would increase liability for the agency, especially considering that many of the immigrants in its care are families with young children.

And despite the consideration given to releasing the immigrants on the streets to sanctuary cities, the Trump administration actually has plenty of jail space to detain families.

As of April 11, the nation's three facilities to detain immigrant families were nowhere near capacity, including a Pennsylvania facility housing only nine immigrants.

It's also unclear how long the immigrants would stay in these cities because they are required to provide an address to federal authorities - typically of a family member - as a condition of their release.

"It's illogical," said Angela Chan, policy director and senior attorney with the San Francisco-based Asian Law Caucus.

"It's just alarming that they are spending so much effort and so much time to engage in political theatre." The Trump administration has long pushed back against cities with sanctuary policies, which generally prohibit local authorities to cooperate with federal immigration policy, often by refusing to hold people arrested on local charges past their release date at the request of immigration officers.

Over 100 local governments around the country have adopted a variety of these policies "New York City will always be the ultimate city of immigrants - the President's empty threats won't change that," New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said in a statement.

But Trump seemed ready to step up his fight with the cities, vowing to "give them an unlimited supply" of immigrants from the border.

An idea floated by President Donald Trump to send immigrants from the border to "sanctuary cities" to exact revenge on Democratic foes could end up doing the migrants favour by placing them in locations that make it easier to put down roots and stay in the country.

An idea floated by President Donald Trump to send immigrants from the border to "sanctuary cities" to exact revenge on Democratic foes could end up doing the migrants favour by placing them in locations that make it easier to put down roots and stay in the country. The plan would put thousands of immigrants in cities that are not only welcoming to them but also more likely to rebuff federal officials carrying out deportation orders. Many of these locations have more resources to help immigrants make their legal cases to stay in the United States than smaller cities, with some of the nation's biggest immigration advocacy groups based in places like San Francisco, New York City and Chicago. The downside for the immigrants would be a high cost of living in the cities. The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University announced this week that an analysis found that immigrants in sanctuary cities such as New York and Los Angeles are 20 per cent less likely to be arrested out in the community than in cities without such policies. "With immigrants being less likely to commit crimes than the US-born population, and with sanctuary jurisdictions being safer and more productive than non-sanctuary jurisdictions, the data damn this proposal as a politically motivated stunt that seeks to play politics with peoples' lives," said George Gascon, district attorney for San Francisco. Trump has grown increasingly frustrated over the situation at the border, where tens of thousands of immigrant families are crossing each month, many to claim asylum. His administration has attempted several efforts to stop the flow, and he recently shook up the top ranks of the Department of Homeland Security. The idea to ship immigrants to Democratic strongholds was considered twice in recent months, but the White House and Department of Homeland Security said the plan had been rejected. But Trump said Friday he was still considering the idea. "Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only," Trump tweeted. He added that "The Radical Left always seems to have an Open Borders, Open Arms policy - so this should make them very happy!" Wilson Romero is an immigrant from Honduras who chose to settle in the San Francisco Bay Area. Romero, 27, was separated from his daughter, now 7, by federal authorities at the US border at El Paso, Texas, last year and jailed for three months before being released and making his way to live with his mother in San Jose, California. There he was reunited with his daughter, who attends public kindergarten. Romero says he goes about daily errands in public without worry of discrimination. His daughter has made friends and has playdates with the children of Mexican American families. It's a far cry from his hometown in the violence-plagued outskirts of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, that he fled after his brother-in-law was killed. To him, the biggest problem with being in the Bay Area is the high cost of living. The former textile factory worker relies on his mother's income from waitressing for food and clothing, and he's started thinking about asking legal permission to move to North Carolina, where an uncle resides and says it's cheaper to live and work. "To tell the truth, it's a little tight now, financially speaking," said Romero, a former textile factory worker, who said he doesn't know of any charities that may be willing to help. The plan discussed by Trump would also have financial, logistical and legal issues. The transportation of immigrants who are arrested at the border to large and faraway cities would be burdensome and costly at a time when Immigration and Customs Enforcement is already stretched thin, having released over 125,000 immigrants into the country pending their immigration court since Dec. 21. They are currently being released mainly in border states. Flights chartered by ICE cost about USD 7,785 per flight hour, according to the agency, and require multiple staffers, including an in-flight medical professional. The agency also uses commercial flights. Doing longer transports would increase liability for the agency, especially considering that many of the immigrants in its care are families with young children. And despite the consideration given to releasing the immigrants on the streets to sanctuary cities, the Trump administration actually has plenty of jail space to detain families. As of April 11, the nation's three facilities to detain immigrant families were nowhere near capacity, including a Pennsylvania facility housing only nine immigrants. It's also unclear how long the immigrants would stay in these cities because they are required to provide an address to federal authorities - typically of a family member - as a condition of their release. "It's illogical," said Angela Chan, policy director and senior attorney with the San Francisco-based Asian Law Caucus. "It's just alarming that they are spending so much effort and so much time to engage in political theatre." The Trump administration has long pushed back against cities with sanctuary policies, which generally prohibit local authorities to cooperate with federal immigration policy, often by refusing to hold people arrested on local charges past their release date at the request of immigration officers. Over 100 local governments around the country have adopted a variety of these policies "New York City will always be the ultimate city of immigrants - the President's empty threats won't change that," New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said in a statement. But Trump seemed ready to step up his fight with the cities, vowing to "give them an unlimited supply" of immigrants from the border.

Send immigrants from the border to 'sanctuary cities': Donald Trump

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticised President Donald Trump on Saturday for a Twitter post that used 9/11 imagery while suggesting Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Muslim, was dismissive of the New York attacks.

"The memory of 9/11 is sacred ground, and any discussion of it must be done with reverence," Pelosi said in a statement posted on Twitter. "The President shouldn't use the painful images of 9/11 for a political attack."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
WE WILL NEVER FORGET! <a href="https://t.co/VxrGFRFeJM">pic.twitter.com/VxrGFRFeJM</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1116817144006750209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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On Friday, Trump tweeted a video suggesting that Omar, a U.S. representative from Minnesota, was dismissive of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The video spliced news footage of 9/11 with a clip from a speech Omar gave last month in which she described the terror attack as "some people did something."

The Trump tweet included the words "WE WILL NEVER FORGET!"

&nbsp;

In Omar's speech, given to a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, she said Muslims had "lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I'm tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it."

Omar said the advocacy group recognised that "some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties."

Lawmakers from Trump's Republican party have accused Omar of minimizing the 9/11 attacks, while critics of the president say he took Omar's words out of context in order to stoke anti-Muslim sentiment.

"No one person – no matter how corrupt, inept, or vicious – can threaten my unwavering love for America," Omar wrote in a tweet on Saturday. "I stand undeterred to continue fighting for equal opportunity in our pursuit of happiness for all Americans."

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticised President Donald Trump on Saturday for a Twitter post that used 9/11 imagery while suggesting Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Muslim, was dismissive of the New York attacks.

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticised President Donald Trump on Saturday for a Twitter post that used 9/11 imagery while suggesting Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Muslim, was dismissive of the New York attacks. "The memory of 9/11 is sacred ground, and any discussion of it must be done with reverence," Pelosi said in a statement posted on Twitter. "The President shouldn't use the painful images of 9/11 for a political attack." WE WILL NEVER FORGET! pic.twitter.com/VxrGFRFeJM — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2019 × On Friday, Trump tweeted a video suggesting that Omar, a U.S. representative from Minnesota, was dismissive of the Sept. 11 attacks. The video spliced news footage of 9/11 with a clip from a speech Omar gave last month in which she described the terror attack as "some people did something." The Trump tweet included the words "WE WILL NEVER FORGET!" In Omar's speech, given to a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, she said Muslims had "lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I'm tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it." Omar said the advocacy group recognised that "some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties." Lawmakers from Trump's Republican party have accused Omar of minimizing the 9/11 attacks, while critics of the president say he took Omar's words out of context in order to stoke anti-Muslim sentiment. "No one person – no matter how corrupt, inept, or vicious – can threaten my unwavering love for America," Omar wrote in a tweet on Saturday. "I stand undeterred to continue fighting for equal opportunity in our pursuit of happiness for all Americans."

Pelosi hits Trump over use of 9/11 images to criticise Muslim lawmaker

US Secretary of State <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/mike-pompeo-says-trump-resort-arrest-shows-chinas-threat-208259&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiB1-SP4s7hAhUX3Y8KHVscBYwQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0FExGDZDzqoKhD9gUwfp72">Mike Pompeo</a> landed in Peru on Saturday on the third leg of a four-nation tour of Latin American allies focusing heavily on Venezuela and countering China's economic reach.

Pompeo held talks with President Martin Vizcarra and Foreign Minister Nestor Popolizio before attending a dinner for business leaders.

He paid tribute to Peru's welcome for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan refugees and Vizcarra's fight against corruption, which has embroiled the previous four Peruvian presidents.

But he became irritated when a reporter asked if that contradicted the US President Donald Trump's harsh immigration policy at home.

"Our objective is to allow people to stay in their home countries, this is President Trump's desire, we want to create conditions in these countries where they can stay in their own country," he told the press conference with Popolizio.

Pompeo also spoke by telephone with Brazil's Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, the State Department announced late Saturday.

"They reaffirmed the close friendship between the United States and Brazil and pledged to continue working together to address the... crises in Venezuela, their effects on Venezuela's neighbours, and the need for outside actors, including Cuba, Russia, and China, to stop propping up Nicolas Maduro," spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

Visit Paraguay

Earlier Pompeo had become the first US secretary of state to visit Paraguay, formerly ruled as a dictatorship, since 1965, paying tribute to the country's transition to democracy as an inspiration to the region.

The top US diplomat arrived in Asuncion late Friday after talks with Chile's President Sebastian Pinera in Santiago that focused heavily on his country's developing trade relationship with China.

The highlight of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-protecting-violent-islamic-terror-groups-from-un-sanctions-mike-pompeo-206163">Pompeo</a>'s trip will be a brief visit Sunday to the Colombian city of Cucuta on the Venezuelan border, where he will meet refugees.&nbsp;

All four countries on his itinerary are led by right-wing or centre-right leaders favourable to Washington's uncompromising approach to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

In Asuncion, Pompeo had praised Paraguay's support for US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido in Venezuela, and its role in the Lima Group of mostly Latin American nations seeking a solution to the Venezuela crisis.&nbsp;

"Paraguay is a leader in defending democracy and calling Maduro as he is, a tyrant who has ruined his country," Pompeo said.

Foreign Minister Luis Castiglioni said Paraguay's position on Venezuela remained strongly aligned with that of the United States.

"We have always said: with dictators, with tyrants, there is no dialogue. You fight them. We must fight them until liberties are restored so that the Venezuelan people can return to live with dignity," he told reporters.

Asked by a US journalist if Paraguay would back military intervention in Venezuela, he said: "We are convinced that all the diplomatic efforts that are being made to isolate this regime will have results in a short time."

Transnational crime&nbsp;

The two officials also discussed Paraguay's commitments on combatting threats of terrorism, drug trafficking and transnational crime in what is known as the tri-border area, the border region Paraguay shares with Argentina and Brazil.

"Paraguay has declared all-out war against transnational crime," said Castiglioni.

"This battle that we are fighting is a battle of no return until we win. We have assured the Secretary of State that Paraguay wants to cooperate very closely with the US government since we are on the same path."

The US official said before his arrival in Chile on Friday that the current US administration had "spent a lot of time" in Latin America seeking to improve trade in a region which has turned its back in recent years on a slew of leftist governments.

"This is a historic opportunity," he told reporters, referring to "a handful of countries that are truly market driven, democratic in ways that we haven’t had in South America for decades. And we think it creates real opportunity."

Asked about China's influence at a press conference following a working lunch with his Chilean counterpart Roberto Ampuero, Pompeo said: "I think the Chilean government and the United States government both share the same concerns."

"China's trade activities often are deeply connected to their national security mission, their technological goals, their desire to steal intellectual property, to have forced technology transfer, to engage in activity that is not economic," he said.&nbsp;

He iterated his concerns Saturday in Peru.

"Too often we see China's predatory lending and debt diplomacy reverse positive advances in this area," he said.&nbsp;

"Our shared goal would be to resist Chinese overtures and promote transparency."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in Peru on Saturday on the third leg of a four-nation tour of Latin American allies focusing heavily on Venezuela and countering China's economic reach.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in Peru on Saturday on the third leg of a four-nation tour of Latin American allies focusing heavily on Venezuela and countering China's economic reach. Pompeo held talks with President Martin Vizcarra and Foreign Minister Nestor Popolizio before attending a dinner for business leaders. He paid tribute to Peru's welcome for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan refugees and Vizcarra's fight against corruption, which has embroiled the previous four Peruvian presidents. But he became irritated when a reporter asked if that contradicted the US President Donald Trump's harsh immigration policy at home. "Our objective is to allow people to stay in their home countries, this is President Trump's desire, we want to create conditions in these countries where they can stay in their own country," he told the press conference with Popolizio. Pompeo also spoke by telephone with Brazil's Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, the State Department announced late Saturday. "They reaffirmed the close friendship between the United States and Brazil and pledged to continue working together to address the... crises in Venezuela, their effects on Venezuela's neighbours, and the need for outside actors, including Cuba, Russia, and China, to stop propping up Nicolas Maduro," spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. Visit Paraguay Earlier Pompeo had become the first US secretary of state to visit Paraguay, formerly ruled as a dictatorship, since 1965, paying tribute to the country's transition to democracy as an inspiration to the region. The top US diplomat arrived in Asuncion late Friday after talks with Chile's President Sebastian Pinera in Santiago that focused heavily on his country's developing trade relationship with China. The highlight of Pompeo's trip will be a brief visit Sunday to the Colombian city of Cucuta on the Venezuelan border, where he will meet refugees. All four countries on his itinerary are led by right-wing or centre-right leaders favourable to Washington's uncompromising approach to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. In Asuncion, Pompeo had praised Paraguay's support for US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido in Venezuela, and its role in the Lima Group of mostly Latin American nations seeking a solution to the Venezuela crisis. "Paraguay is a leader in defending democracy and calling Maduro as he is, a tyrant who has ruined his country," Pompeo said. Foreign Minister Luis Castiglioni said Paraguay's position on Venezuela remained strongly aligned with that of the United States. "We have always said: with dictators, with tyrants, there is no dialogue. You fight them. We must fight them until liberties are restored so that the Venezuelan people can return to live with dignity," he told reporters. Asked by a US journalist if Paraguay would back military intervention in Venezuela, he said: "We are convinced that all the diplomatic efforts that are being made to isolate this regime will have results in a short time." Transnational crime The two officials also discussed Paraguay's commitments on combatting threats of terrorism, drug trafficking and transnational crime in what is known as the tri-border area, the border region Paraguay shares with Argentina and Brazil. "Paraguay has declared all-out war against transnational crime," said Castiglioni. "This battle that we are fighting is a battle of no return until we win. We have assured the Secretary of State that Paraguay wants to cooperate very closely with the US government since we are on the same path." The US official said before his arrival in Chile on Friday that the current US administration had "spent a lot of time" in Latin America seeking to improve trade in a region which has turned its back in recent years on a slew of leftist governments. "This is a historic opportunity," he told reporters, referring to "a handful of countries that are truly market driven, democratic in ways that we haven’t had in South America for decades. And we think it creates real opportunity." Asked about China's influence at a press conference following a working lunch with his Chilean counterpart Roberto Ampuero, Pompeo said: "I think the Chilean government and the United States government both share the same concerns." "China's trade activities often are deeply connected to their national security mission, their technological goals, their desire to steal intellectual property, to have forced technology transfer, to engage in activity that is not economic," he said. He iterated his concerns Saturday in Peru. "Too often we see China's predatory lending and debt diplomacy reverse positive advances in this area," he said. "Our shared goal would be to resist Chinese overtures and promote transparency."

Pompeo in Peru to maintain regional pressure on Venezuela's Maduro

The White House said Sunday it is looking at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-could-send-migrants-to-sanctuary-cities-209995">ways to transfer undocumented migrants to US sanctuary cities</a> as Democrats accused President Donald Trump of creating "manufactured chaos" at the US-Mexico border.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced an "extensive review" of the potential plan on ABC's "This Week" after Trump confirmed press reports that his administration had proposed the controversial move.

So-called sanctuary cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York are among hundreds of mainly Democrat-run jurisdictions across the US that limit cooperation in complying with requests from immigration officials.

"This is an option on the table," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said of the proposal in an interview on ABC's "This Week."

Trump "heard the idea, he likes it, so –- well, we're looking to see if there are options that make it possible and doing a full and thorough and extensive review," she said.

The president revived the idea on Twitter and in comments to reporters on Friday after the White House had said earlier in the week it was off the table.

Department of Homeland Security officials were reported to have pushed back against the transfers of detained migrants as illegal, impractical and counter-productive.

But in a tweet late Saturday, Trump insisted the US has "the absolute right to have apprehended illegal immigrants transferred to Sanctuary Cities."

"We hereby demand that they be taken care of at the highest level, especially by the State of California, which is well known (for) its poor management &amp; high taxes!" he posted.

Trump has staked his presidency on his insistence that the United States is being overrun by migrants and asylum seekers.

Political 'pawns'

But opponents, mostly in the Democratic Party, say his push for building more walls on the Mexican border and his almost daily denunciations of migrants as dangerous criminals incite racial hatred.

"This is again the manufactured chaos that he's created over the last two years on the border," Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told ABC.

Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, called Trump's push for transfers of migrants to sanctuary cities "another misuse of presidential power."

He said the president had no right to use funds appropriated by Congress for other purposes "to ship immigrants all over the country."

"Nor is it right for the president to use immigrants or people claiming political asylum as pawns in a fight against political opponents," he said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Critics warn migrant transfers would further burden already stretched immigration authorities while making it more difficult to track those that have been unloaded in sympathetic jurisdictions.

Sanders acknowledged that it was not "ideal" solution but argued that Democrats had "stated time and time again they support open borders, they support sanctuary cities." &nbsp;

"So, let's spread out some of that burden and let's put it in some of those other locations if that's what they want to see happen and are refusing to actually help fix the problem."

The White House said Sunday it is looking at ways to transfer undocumented migrants to US sanctuary cities as Democrats accused President Donald Trump of creating "manufactured chaos" at the US-Mexico border.

The White House said Sunday it is looking at ways to transfer undocumented migrants to US sanctuary cities as Democrats accused President Donald Trump of creating "manufactured chaos" at the US-Mexico border. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced an "extensive review" of the potential plan on ABC's "This Week" after Trump confirmed press reports that his administration had proposed the controversial move. So-called sanctuary cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York are among hundreds of mainly Democrat-run jurisdictions across the US that limit cooperation in complying with requests from immigration officials. "This is an option on the table," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said of the proposal in an interview on ABC's "This Week." Trump "heard the idea, he likes it, so –- well, we're looking to see if there are options that make it possible and doing a full and thorough and extensive review," she said. The president revived the idea on Twitter and in comments to reporters on Friday after the White House had said earlier in the week it was off the table. Department of Homeland Security officials were reported to have pushed back against the transfers of detained migrants as illegal, impractical and counter-productive. But in a tweet late Saturday, Trump insisted the US has "the absolute right to have apprehended illegal immigrants transferred to Sanctuary Cities." "We hereby demand that they be taken care of at the highest level, especially by the State of California, which is well known (for) its poor management & high taxes!" he posted. Trump has staked his presidency on his insistence that the United States is being overrun by migrants and asylum seekers. Political 'pawns' But opponents, mostly in the Democratic Party, say his push for building more walls on the Mexican border and his almost daily denunciations of migrants as dangerous criminals incite racial hatred. "This is again the manufactured chaos that he's created over the last two years on the border," Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told ABC. Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, called Trump's push for transfers of migrants to sanctuary cities "another misuse of presidential power." He said the president had no right to use funds appropriated by Congress for other purposes "to ship immigrants all over the country." "Nor is it right for the president to use immigrants or people claiming political asylum as pawns in a fight against political opponents," he said on CNN's "State of the Union." Critics warn migrant transfers would further burden already stretched immigration authorities while making it more difficult to track those that have been unloaded in sympathetic jurisdictions. Sanders acknowledged that it was not "ideal" solution but argued that Democrats had "stated time and time again they support open borders, they support sanctuary cities." "So, let's spread out some of that burden and let's put it in some of those other locations if that's what they want to see happen and are refusing to actually help fix the problem."

After Trump floats idea, White House studying plan to send migrants to sanctuary cities

Ivanka Trump, daughter of the United States President Donald Trump, on Sunday touched down in Ethiopia as part of a government-organized trip to promote the empowerment of women, especially in the ambit of employment and business.&nbsp;

"Just landed in Addis Ababa, the diplomatic capital of Africa and the continent's highest city," Trump, who is also an advisor to her father, in a message shared on her Twitter account.&nbsp;

She later joined US Agency for International Development representatives at the Ethiopian Coffee Association (USAID).&nbsp;

"With USAID support, they are overcoming a lack of access to capital and growing their businesses," she said.&nbsp;

The first daughter was welcomed to Addis Ababa by the US representative to the African Union, Mary Beth Leonard, and the US ambassador to Ethiopia, Michael Raynor.&nbsp;

Trump met with female coffee entrepreneurs at the Dumoro café in the capital to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing women in the industry.&nbsp;

During the meeting, Trump said she supported initiatives to boost opportunities for women looking to start up business in Ethiopia and announced that a loan of $260,000 would be granted to help the company Azalech Coffee Roasting expand.&nbsp;

Trumps's entourage took part in a traditional coffee ceremony – the African nation is world-renowned for its quality coffee production.&nbsp;

The US State Department said the presidential advisor would visit both Ethiopia and the Ivory Coast between April&nbsp;14-17, along with the director of USAID, Mark Green.&nbsp;

The visit comes as part of Trump's Women's Global Development and Prosperity initiative which aims to help over 50 million women in developing countries improve their economic prospects by 2025.&nbsp;

The program aims to promote new projects, offer training, facilitate financial support and promote reforms to break down gender inequality faced by women, especially in developing nations.&nbsp;

It is to be financed with public and private funds, with an initial budget of around $50 million allocated by USAID, which came under fire when some interpreted the budget as being the equivalent of just $1 per woman the plan hopes to help.&nbsp;

Trump's visit to the Ivory Coast is set to focus on women in the cocoa industry.&nbsp;

Ivanka Trump, daughter of the United States President Donald Trump, on Sunday touched down in Ethiopia as part of a government-organized trip to promote the empowerment of women, especially in the ambit of employment and business.

Ivanka Trump, daughter of the United States President Donald Trump, on Sunday touched down in Ethiopia as part of a government-organized trip to promote the empowerment of women, especially in the ambit of employment and business. "Just landed in Addis Ababa, the diplomatic capital of Africa and the continent's highest city," Trump, who is also an advisor to her father, in a message shared on her Twitter account. She later joined US Agency for International Development representatives at the Ethiopian Coffee Association (USAID). "With USAID support, they are overcoming a lack of access to capital and growing their businesses," she said. The first daughter was welcomed to Addis Ababa by the US representative to the African Union, Mary Beth Leonard, and the US ambassador to Ethiopia, Michael Raynor. Trump met with female coffee entrepreneurs at the Dumoro café in the capital to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing women in the industry. During the meeting, Trump said she supported initiatives to boost opportunities for women looking to start up business in Ethiopia and announced that a loan of $260,000 would be granted to help the company Azalech Coffee Roasting expand. Trumps's entourage took part in a traditional coffee ceremony – the African nation is world-renowned for its quality coffee production. The US State Department said the presidential advisor would visit both Ethiopia and the Ivory Coast between April 14-17, along with the director of USAID, Mark Green. The visit comes as part of Trump's Women's Global Development and Prosperity initiative which aims to help over 50 million women in developing countries improve their economic prospects by 2025. The program aims to promote new projects, offer training, facilitate financial support and promote reforms to break down gender inequality faced by women, especially in developing nations. It is to be financed with public and private funds, with an initial budget of around $50 million allocated by USAID, which came under fire when some interpreted the budget as being the equivalent of just $1 per woman the plan hopes to help. Trump's visit to the Ivory Coast is set to focus on women in the cocoa industry.

Ivanka Trump touches down in Ethiopia for women entrepreneur initiative

Democratic <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/american-dream-under-attack-kamala-harris-formally-launches-bid-for-us-presidency-193280">US Senator Kamala Harris</a> released on Sunday 15 years of tax returns through 2018, offering the most complete look to date at a presidential candidate's finances.

Harris held public office during the years 2004 through 2018. With her husband, Douglas Emhoff, an attorney, she had a combined adjusted gross income in 2018 of about $1.89 million, and paid total taxes of about $697,000, according to the returns.

Harris and Emhoff, who have filed joint tax returns since marrying in 2014, have paid more than $2.2 million in federal taxes over the past five years at an average effective tax rate of 32.6 per cent, according to her campaign.

Harris' release of her tax filings follows that of fellow White House contenders like Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren. Senator Bernie Sanders has said he will release his tax filings this week. Tax day is April 15 in the United States.

Democrats in the 2020 race have released their tax returns as Republican President Donald Trump resists moves by congressional investigators to review his tax filings in probes related to his businesses and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump is the first modern US president not to release his tax returns to the public.

After taking control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 elections, Democrats passed a bill that would require presidential candidates to release their tax returns. It has not been voted on by the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans, but Harris supports such legislation.

Harris has also called for the repeal of the Republican tax law approved in 2016 that delivered major tax cuts to the wealthy and businesses.

In 2018, about $157,000 of Harris and Emhoff's $1.89 million in income came from Harris' salary as a US senator, with the bulk of the rest reported as partnership income from Emhoff's work at a law firm.

Before her marriage to Emhoff, most of the income Harris reported each year was from the salary she earned as California's attorney general and, before that, as San Francisco's district attorney.

Democratic US Senator Kamala Harris released on Sunday 15 years of tax returns through 2018, offering the most complete look to date at a presidential candidate's finances.

Democratic US Senator Kamala Harris released on Sunday 15 years of tax returns through 2018, offering the most complete look to date at a presidential candidate's finances. Harris held public office during the years 2004 through 2018. With her husband, Douglas Emhoff, an attorney, she had a combined adjusted gross income in 2018 of about $1.89 million, and paid total taxes of about $697,000, according to the returns. Harris and Emhoff, who have filed joint tax returns since marrying in 2014, have paid more than $2.2 million in federal taxes over the past five years at an average effective tax rate of 32.6 per cent, according to her campaign. Harris' release of her tax filings follows that of fellow White House contenders like Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren. Senator Bernie Sanders has said he will release his tax filings this week. Tax day is April 15 in the United States. Democrats in the 2020 race have released their tax returns as Republican President Donald Trump resists moves by congressional investigators to review his tax filings in probes related to his businesses and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Trump is the first modern US president not to release his tax returns to the public. After taking control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 elections, Democrats passed a bill that would require presidential candidates to release their tax returns. It has not been voted on by the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans, but Harris supports such legislation. Harris has also called for the repeal of the Republican tax law approved in 2016 that delivered major tax cuts to the wealthy and businesses. In 2018, about $157,000 of Harris and Emhoff's $1.89 million in income came from Harris' salary as a US senator, with the bulk of the rest reported as partnership income from Emhoff's work at a law firm. Before her marriage to Emhoff, most of the income Harris reported each year was from the salary she earned as California's attorney general and, before that, as San Francisco's district attorney.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris releases 15 years of tax returns

North Korea President Kim Jong Un says talks are only possible if US shows right attitude. Watch video to know more

Kim Jong Un: Open to third summit with Trump

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is willing to meet with US President Donald Trump a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korean-leader-says-us-must-change-stance-gives-deadline-209974">third time </a>if Washington comes to the table with the "right attitude", state media reported Saturday.

Kim also said he would wait until the end of the year "for the US to make a courageous decision" on another meeting, after his most recent summit with Trump in Vietnam broke down and both sides left without an agreement.

Washington has blamed the February deadlock on the North's demands for sanctions relief in return for limited nuclear disarmament, but Pyongyang said it had wanted only some of the measures eased.

In a speech to Pyongyang's rubber-stamp parliament Friday, Kim said the Hanoi meeting had made him question whether Washington is "genuinely interested" in improving its relations with Pyongyang.

"We are willing to give another try if the US offers to have a third summit with the right attitude and mutually acceptable terms," he said, according to a report by North Korean state media outlet KCNA.

Kim added that his personal relationship with Trump remained strong, adding they could "write letters to each other" whenever they wanted.&nbsp;

"We will wait with patience until the end of the year for the US to make a courageous decision," Kim said.

Trump and Kim held their first landmark summit in Singapore last June, where the pair signed a vaguely-worded agreement on the "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula".

But the failure to reach agreement at their second summit in Hanoi has raised questions over the future of the accord.

Trump said Thursday he was mulling the third summit with Kim ahead of a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in at the Oval Office -- a move supported by Seoul.

"Our government will do what we can in order to maintain the current momentum for dialogue," Moon's office said in a Saturday statement.

On Friday, the KCNA reported Kim was re-elected as chairman of the State Affairs Commission, the North's most important decision-making body.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is willing to meet with US President Donald Trump a third time if Washington comes to the table with the "right attitude", state media reported Saturday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is willing to meet with US President Donald Trump a third time if Washington comes to the table with the "right attitude", state media reported Saturday. Kim also said he would wait until the end of the year "for the US to make a courageous decision" on another meeting, after his most recent summit with Trump in Vietnam broke down and both sides left without an agreement. Washington has blamed the February deadlock on the North's demands for sanctions relief in return for limited nuclear disarmament, but Pyongyang said it had wanted only some of the measures eased. In a speech to Pyongyang's rubber-stamp parliament Friday, Kim said the Hanoi meeting had made him question whether Washington is "genuinely interested" in improving its relations with Pyongyang. "We are willing to give another try if the US offers to have a third summit with the right attitude and mutually acceptable terms," he said, according to a report by North Korean state media outlet KCNA. Kim added that his personal relationship with Trump remained strong, adding they could "write letters to each other" whenever they wanted. "We will wait with patience until the end of the year for the US to make a courageous decision," Kim said. Trump and Kim held their first landmark summit in Singapore last June, where the pair signed a vaguely-worded agreement on the "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". But the failure to reach agreement at their second summit in Hanoi has raised questions over the future of the accord. Trump said Thursday he was mulling the third summit with Kim ahead of a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in at the Oval Office -- a move supported by Seoul. "Our government will do what we can in order to maintain the current momentum for dialogue," Moon's office said in a Saturday statement. On Friday, the KCNA reported Kim was re-elected as chairman of the State Affairs Commission, the North's most important decision-making body.

Kim Jong-un is open to third Trump summit: North Korean state media 

US President Donald Trump said Friday he is seriously considering funnelling detained illegal migrants into the self-declared sanctuary cities that oppose his tough immigration policies.

Trump's announcement on Twitter reversed a previous White House assurance that the idea -- criticized as political retribution against cities led by opposition Democrats -- had been dropped.

"Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities," Trump said.

"The Radical Left always seems to have an Open Borders, Open Arms policy –- so this should make them very happy!" he tweeted.

The Washington Post revealed the proposal, which would mark a new flashpoint in the ever growing political divide over immigration.

Trump has staked his presidency on his insistence that the United States is being overrun by migrants and asylum seekers.&nbsp;

But opponents, mostly in the Democratic Party, say his push for building more walls on the Mexican border and his almost daily denunciations of migrants as dangerous criminals incite racial hatred.

In comments to reporters later, Trump said that he wanted Congress, where the House of Representatives is controlled by Democrats, to tighten visas and streamline the deportation process.

Otherwise, he warned, he'll order migrants to be dumped on the sanctuary cities.

"If they don't agree we might as well do what they say they want.... We'll bring them to sanctuary city areas and let that particular area take care of it," he said. "We can give them an unlimited supply."

And late Friday, he reiterated his call for a "merit" based immigration system.&nbsp;

"If the Radical Left Democrats all of a sudden don't want the Illegal Migrants in their Sanctuary Cities (no more open arms), why should others be expected to take them into their communities?" he tweeted.

&nbsp;Human 'pawns'&nbsp;

Sanctuary cities are places where local authorities -- usually Democratic-run -- have refused to hand over undocumented immigrants for deportation.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed&nbsp;dismissed Trump's proposal. 
"This is just another in a long line of scare tactics and half-baked ideas that are just about chasing headlines and distracting people from real issues," she tweeted.

Citing homeland security officials and leaked emails, the Post said White House officials first broached the plan in November, asking several agencies whether members of a caravan of migrants could be arrested at the border and then bussed "to small- and mid-sized sanctuary cities".

The White House told the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) that the plan was intended to alleviate a shortage of detention space, but would also send a message to Democrats, the Post said.&nbsp;

The suggested policy was pushed back within ICE, with a top official saying it was rife with concerns and noting "there are PR risks as well".

After the White House pressed the issue again earlier this year, ICE rebuffed it as "inappropriate."

The Post said a White House official and a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said the proposal was no longer under consideration. 
"This was just a suggestion that was floated and rejected, which ended any further discussion," a White House statement said.

US President Donald Trump said Friday he is seriously considering funnelling detained illegal migrants into the self-declared sanctuary cities that oppose his tough immigration policies.

US President Donald Trump said Friday he is seriously considering funnelling detained illegal migrants into the self-declared sanctuary cities that oppose his tough immigration policies. Trump's announcement on Twitter reversed a previous White House assurance that the idea -- criticized as political retribution against cities led by opposition Democrats -- had been dropped. "Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities," Trump said. "The Radical Left always seems to have an Open Borders, Open Arms policy –- so this should make them very happy!" he tweeted. The Washington Post revealed the proposal, which would mark a new flashpoint in the ever growing political divide over immigration. Trump has staked his presidency on his insistence that the United States is being overrun by migrants and asylum seekers. But opponents, mostly in the Democratic Party, say his push for building more walls on the Mexican border and his almost daily denunciations of migrants as dangerous criminals incite racial hatred. In comments to reporters later, Trump said that he wanted Congress, where the House of Representatives is controlled by Democrats, to tighten visas and streamline the deportation process. Otherwise, he warned, he'll order migrants to be dumped on the sanctuary cities. "If they don't agree we might as well do what they say they want.... We'll bring them to sanctuary city areas and let that particular area take care of it," he said. "We can give them an unlimited supply." And late Friday, he reiterated his call for a "merit" based immigration system. "If the Radical Left Democrats all of a sudden don't want the Illegal Migrants in their Sanctuary Cities (no more open arms), why should others be expected to take them into their communities?" he tweeted. Human 'pawns' Sanctuary cities are places where local authorities -- usually Democratic-run -- have refused to hand over undocumented immigrants for deportation. San Francisco Mayor London Breed dismissed Trump's proposal. "This is just another in a long line of scare tactics and half-baked ideas that are just about chasing headlines and distracting people from real issues," she tweeted. Citing homeland security officials and leaked emails, the Post said White House officials first broached the plan in November, asking several agencies whether members of a caravan of migrants could be arrested at the border and then bussed "to small- and mid-sized sanctuary cities". The White House told the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) that the plan was intended to alleviate a shortage of detention space, but would also send a message to Democrats, the Post said. The suggested policy was pushed back within ICE, with a top official saying it was rife with concerns and noting "there are PR risks as well". After the White House pressed the issue again earlier this year, ICE rebuffed it as "inappropriate." The Post said a White House official and a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said the proposal was no longer under consideration. "This was just a suggestion that was floated and rejected, which ended any further discussion," a White House statement said.

Trump says could send migrants to 'sanctuary cities'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said the breakdown in talks with the United States has raised the risks of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-says-must-deliver-blow-to-those-imposing-sanctions-report-209431">reviving tensions</a>, but he is only interested in meeting President Donald Trump again if the United States comes with the right attitude, state media KCNA said on Saturday.

Kim said that he will wait "until the end of this year" for the United States to decide to be more flexible, according to KCNA.

"What is needed is for the US&nbsp;to stop its current way of calculation, and come to us with a new calculation," Kim said in a speech to the Supreme People's Assembly on Friday, KCNA said.

Trump and Kim have met twice, in Hanoi in February and Singapore in June, building goodwill but failing to agree on a deal to lift sanctions in exchange for North Korea abandoning its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/with-a-piece-of-paper-trump-called-on-kim-to-hand-over-nuclear-weapons-206692">nuclear and missile programs</a>.

Trump said on Thursday he is open to meeting Kim again, but in his speech on Friday, the North Korean leader said the outcome in Hanoi led him to question the strategy he embraced last year of international engagement and economic development.

The Hanoi summit "raised strong questions about whether the steps we took under our strategic decision were right, and gave us a sense of caution about whether the US&nbsp;is even really trying to improve the DPRK-U.S. relationship," Kim said, using the initials of North Korea's full name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In Hanoi, the United States came with "completely unrealizable plans" and was "not really ready to sit with us face-to-face and solve the problem," Kim said.

"By that sort of thinking, the US&nbsp;will not be able to move us one iota even if they sat with us a hundred, thousand times, and will not be able to get what it wants at all," he said.

"I will be patient and wait until the end of this year for America's courageous decision, but it will be hard to get as good a chance as last time," Kim said.

Third summit in doubt

Kim said his personal relationship with Trump is still good, but that he had no interest in a third summit if it is a repeat of Hanoi.

At a meeting with South Korean President Moon in Washington on Thursday, Trump expressed a willingness to hold third summit with Kim but said that Washington would leave sanctions in place on Pyongyang.

Kim said U.S. leaders "mistakenly believe that if they pressure us to the maximum, they can subdue us." The current U.S. policy of sanctions and pressure is "like trying to put out a fire with oil," he added.

Still, Kim said he would not hesitate to sign an agreement if it takes into account both countries' considerations.

The United States had continued to provoke North Korea by testing an anti-ballistic missile system and conducting military drills with South Korea despite Trump's announcement that large-scale exercises would end, he said.

Last month, a senior North Korean official warned that Kim might rethink a moratorium on missile launches and nuclear tests in place since 2017 unless Washington makes concessions such as easing sanctions.

Kim complained that Washington is coercing South Korea into abiding by sanctions and not pushing forward with inter-Korea projects.

North Korea has a choice "to continue to improve inter-Korean relations to relieve pressure on the Korean peninsula or to go back to the past when things collapsed amid increasing risks of war," he said.

Still, North Korea is committed to better North-South relations and peaceful unification, Kim said.

"I would like to make it clear that it is my unwavering determination to make a new history of peace and prosperity," he said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said the breakdown in talks with the United States has raised the risks of reviving tensions, but he is only interested in meeting President Donald Trump again if the United States comes with the right attitude, state media KCNA said on Saturday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said the breakdown in talks with the United States has raised the risks of reviving tensions, but he is only interested in meeting President Donald Trump again if the United States comes with the right attitude, state media KCNA said on Saturday. Kim said that he will wait "until the end of this year" for the United States to decide to be more flexible, according to KCNA. "What is needed is for the US to stop its current way of calculation, and come to us with a new calculation," Kim said in a speech to the Supreme People's Assembly on Friday, KCNA said. Trump and Kim have met twice, in Hanoi in February and Singapore in June, building goodwill but failing to agree on a deal to lift sanctions in exchange for North Korea abandoning its nuclear and missile programs. Trump said on Thursday he is open to meeting Kim again, but in his speech on Friday, the North Korean leader said the outcome in Hanoi led him to question the strategy he embraced last year of international engagement and economic development. The Hanoi summit "raised strong questions about whether the steps we took under our strategic decision were right, and gave us a sense of caution about whether the US is even really trying to improve the DPRK-U.S. relationship," Kim said, using the initials of North Korea's full name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. In Hanoi, the United States came with "completely unrealizable plans" and was "not really ready to sit with us face-to-face and solve the problem," Kim said. "By that sort of thinking, the US will not be able to move us one iota even if they sat with us a hundred, thousand times, and will not be able to get what it wants at all," he said. "I will be patient and wait until the end of this year for America's courageous decision, but it will be hard to get as good a chance as last time," Kim said. Third summit in doubt Kim said his personal relationship with Trump is still good, but that he had no interest in a third summit if it is a repeat of Hanoi. At a meeting with South Korean President Moon in Washington on Thursday, Trump expressed a willingness to hold third summit with Kim but said that Washington would leave sanctions in place on Pyongyang. Kim said U.S. leaders "mistakenly believe that if they pressure us to the maximum, they can subdue us." The current U.S. policy of sanctions and pressure is "like trying to put out a fire with oil," he added. Still, Kim said he would not hesitate to sign an agreement if it takes into account both countries' considerations. The United States had continued to provoke North Korea by testing an anti-ballistic missile system and conducting military drills with South Korea despite Trump's announcement that large-scale exercises would end, he said. Last month, a senior North Korean official warned that Kim might rethink a moratorium on missile launches and nuclear tests in place since 2017 unless Washington makes concessions such as easing sanctions. Kim complained that Washington is coercing South Korea into abiding by sanctions and not pushing forward with inter-Korea projects. North Korea has a choice "to continue to improve inter-Korean relations to relieve pressure on the Korean peninsula or to go back to the past when things collapsed amid increasing risks of war," he said. Still, North Korea is committed to better North-South relations and peaceful unification, Kim said. "I would like to make it clear that it is my unwavering determination to make a new history of peace and prosperity," he said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un says US must change stance, gives deadline

The US Secret Service said Friday that agents intervened after a man in a wheelchair set fire to his jacket near one of the entrances to the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/grave-breaches-in-trump-white-house-security-clearances-whistleblower-to-congress-207305&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwi8r-bniM3hAhWJMI8KHYmEB7YQFggIMAE&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2FknSWGaVpkaqvPbsZTMtf">White House</a>.

The incident occurred at 2.45 pm outside the fence on the north side of the grounds.

"A male subject operating an electronic wheelchair-type scooter lit his outer jacket on fire while sitting along Pennsylvania Ave. outside the North Fence Line," the Secret Service said on Twitter. "Uniformed Division Officers immediately responded, extinguished the fire and rendered first aid."

The responding officers carried the man into nearby Lafayette Park.

As a precaution, authorities barred pedestrians from the stretch of Pennsylvania Ave. in front of the White House and entirely blocked vehicular traffic on an adjacent street.

"The male subject has been transported to a local hospital with what appears to be non-life threatening injuries," the Secret Service.

Citing unnamed law enforcement sources,&nbsp;News agency reported that the man had mental health issues.

While President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time of the incident, he was never in any danger, authorities said.

A man fatally shot himself outside the White House in March 2018.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump were en route to the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on that occasion.

The shooting came about a week after a woman apparently suffering from mental disorders crashed her vehicle into one of the security barricades that protect the presidential residence.

In May 2017, the Secret Service detained a woman who jumped over a security barrier surrounding the White House.

She apparently intended to scale the north fence bordering the White House grounds, the Secret Service said then.

Two similar incidents took place in March 2017.

On March 10, a man identified as Jonathan T&nbsp;Tran climbed over the White House fence carrying pepper spray and moved around in the gardens and yard for almost 17 minutes before being arrested.

Eighteen days later, the Secret Service arrested a man carrying a package and making suspicious remarks near the White House.

The US Secret Service said Friday that agents intervened after a man in a wheelchair set fire to his jacket near one of the entrances to the White House. The incident occurred at 2.

The US Secret Service said Friday that agents intervened after a man in a wheelchair set fire to his jacket near one of the entrances to the White House. The incident occurred at 2.45 pm outside the fence on the north side of the grounds. "A male subject operating an electronic wheelchair-type scooter lit his outer jacket on fire while sitting along Pennsylvania Ave. outside the North Fence Line," the Secret Service said on Twitter. "Uniformed Division Officers immediately responded, extinguished the fire and rendered first aid." The responding officers carried the man into nearby Lafayette Park. As a precaution, authorities barred pedestrians from the stretch of Pennsylvania Ave. in front of the White House and entirely blocked vehicular traffic on an adjacent street. "The male subject has been transported to a local hospital with what appears to be non-life threatening injuries," the Secret Service. Citing unnamed law enforcement sources, News agency reported that the man had mental health issues. While President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time of the incident, he was never in any danger, authorities said. A man fatally shot himself outside the White House in March 2018. Trump and first lady Melania Trump were en route to the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on that occasion. The shooting came about a week after a woman apparently suffering from mental disorders crashed her vehicle into one of the security barricades that protect the presidential residence. In May 2017, the Secret Service detained a woman who jumped over a security barrier surrounding the White House. She apparently intended to scale the north fence bordering the White House grounds, the Secret Service said then. Two similar incidents took place in March 2017. On March 10, a man identified as Jonathan T Tran climbed over the White House fence carrying pepper spray and moved around in the gardens and yard for almost 17 minutes before being arrested. Eighteen days later, the Secret Service arrested a man carrying a package and making suspicious remarks near the White House.

Man sets fire to jacket in front of White House

An<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-launches-gaza-strikes-after-rockets-fired-at-tel-aviv-203444"> Israeli </a>air strike in central<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syrian-army-says-israeli-strikes-hit-northern-aleppo-city-damages-materials-only-206124"> Syria </a>wounded three combatants early Saturday, the official SANA news agency reported.

A Britain-based war monitor said the strike killed several Iranian fighters and wounded 17 Syrian troops and their allies.

An Israeli military spokesman declined to comment on the foreign media report.

"Around 2:30 am (2330 GMT Friday)... the Israeli air force carried out a strike targeting one of our military positions in the town of Misyaf," in Hama province north of Damascus, SANA quoted a military source as saying.

"Our air defence batteries intercepted some of the Israeli missiles," the source said, adding that the strike "wounded three combatants and destroyed buildings".

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strike targeted a Syrian military college in the town and two buildings used by Iranian forces in nearby villages -- a development centre for medium-range missiles in Zawi and a training camp in Sheikh Ghadban.&nbsp;

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets.

With the support of the US administration of President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed repeatedly to take whatever military action he deems necessary to prevent archfoe Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah establishing a continuing military presence.

Late last month, Trump broke with decades of international consensus to recognise Israel's unilateral annexation of the strategic Golan Heights, seized from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967.

The move was a diplomatic prize for Israel but met with a chorus of opposition from US foes and allies alike.

Iran and Hezbollah have both intervened in Syria's civil war, which erupted in 2011 to support forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

They were joined in 2015 by Russia, which supplied its S300 air defence system to Assad's forces after a Russian aircraft was downed by mistake by Syrian defence systems during an Israeli raid on September 17, killing all 15 people on board.

After several months of frosty relations, Russia and Israeli resumed coordination of their military operations in Syria and Israel's bombing campaign picked up again.

An Israeli air strike in central Syria wounded three combatants early Saturday, the official SANA news agency reported. A Britain-based war monitor said the strike killed several Iranian fighters and wounded 17 Syrian troops and their allies.

An Israeli air strike in central Syria wounded three combatants early Saturday, the official SANA news agency reported. A Britain-based war monitor said the strike killed several Iranian fighters and wounded 17 Syrian troops and their allies. An Israeli military spokesman declined to comment on the foreign media report. "Around 2:30 am (2330 GMT Friday)... the Israeli air force carried out a strike targeting one of our military positions in the town of Misyaf," in Hama province north of Damascus, SANA quoted a military source as saying. "Our air defence batteries intercepted some of the Israeli missiles," the source said, adding that the strike "wounded three combatants and destroyed buildings". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strike targeted a Syrian military college in the town and two buildings used by Iranian forces in nearby villages -- a development centre for medium-range missiles in Zawi and a training camp in Sheikh Ghadban. Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets. With the support of the US administration of President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed repeatedly to take whatever military action he deems necessary to prevent archfoe Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah establishing a continuing military presence. Late last month, Trump broke with decades of international consensus to recognise Israel's unilateral annexation of the strategic Golan Heights, seized from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967. The move was a diplomatic prize for Israel but met with a chorus of opposition from US foes and allies alike. Iran and Hezbollah have both intervened in Syria's civil war, which erupted in 2011 to support forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. They were joined in 2015 by Russia, which supplied its S300 air defence system to Assad's forces after a Russian aircraft was downed by mistake by Syrian defence systems during an Israeli raid on September 17, killing all 15 people on board. After several months of frosty relations, Russia and Israeli resumed coordination of their military operations in Syria and Israel's bombing campaign picked up again.

Israel raid wounds three in central Syria: state media

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tech-banking-stocks-lift-sensex-by-197-points-in-early-trading-206175&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwj9rez27MnhAhUs8HMBHdqGC2cQFggIMAE&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0hp7O3niZfH1W72QpAglMl">Asian shares</a> turned lower on Friday as trepidation ahead of the start of the US corporate earnings season and underlying anxiety over the global growth outlook eclipsed some reassuring US economic data.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was last down 0.1 per cent, having see-sawed within a tight range throughout the morning session

Despite broad weakness in the region, with Chinese blue-chips down 0.8 per cent ahead of the release of trade data, higher Chinese iron ore prices helped to push Australia's S&amp;P/ASX 200 index up 0.7 per cent.

Japan's Nikkei stock index gained 0.5 per cent.

Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets and Stockbroking in Sydney, said markets were in a "holding pattern" as they waited on Chinese trade data and the US earnings season.

Matt Simpson, the senior market analyst at GAIN Capital in Singapore, said a dovish shift by central banks, together with possible progress on a US-China trade deal and US President Donald Trump's talking up of the markets could help to support equities in the coming weeks.

"Consumer discretionary and information technology are more than outperforming the S&amp;P 500 rebound, and that generally is what you see in the start of an upswing, not near the end of a cycle," he said.

The tepid performance of Asian markets Friday followed a choppy session on Wall Street that left major indexes treading water, hemmed in by anxiety ahead of corporate earnings and worries about a global economic slowdown, which capped gains stemming from upbeat US economic data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.05 per cent to 26,143.05, the S&amp;P 500 closed flat at 2,888.32 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.21 per cent to 7,947.36.

Tempering expectations for a sharp slowdown in US growth as data that showed the number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits dropped to a 49-1/2-year low last week

Comments from US Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Richard Clarida that the US economy is in a "good place" but reemphasising the Fed's patience on rate hikes, also helped to reassure investors.

"One of the big takeaways from the past few days has been the broad decline in volatility across markets," National Australia Bank (NAB) analysts said in a morning note. NAB attributed the muted reaction to recent events to dovish policy shifts by central banks, signs that China's stimulus measures are having an effect, continued US-China trade talks and the Brexit delay.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Thursday that the six-month delay of Britain's exit from the European Union avoids the "terrible outcome" of a "no-deal" Brexit, but does nothing to lift uncertainty over the final outcome.

Underscoring ongoing threats to the health of the global economy, IMF Deputy Managing Director Mitsuhiro Furusawa warned that a bigger-than-expected slowdown in China's economy remains a key risk to global growth.

US Treasury yields inched lower amid the cautious retreat in shares, after earlier rising on the US jobless claims data, stronger producer prices and a weak 30-year bond auction.

On Friday morning, the yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes fell to 2.497 per cent compared with its US close of 2.504 per cent on Thursday. The two-year yield was unchanged at 2.356 per cent.

In currency markets, the dollar was up 0.1 per cent against the yen at 111.75, but a strong gain in the euro, which jumped 0.36 per cent on the day to buy $1.1290, pushed the dollar index down 0.2 per cent to 96.979.

Traders said demand for the euro jumped among Japanese players amid speculation toward cross-border flows.

US crude ticked up 0.35 per cent at $63.80 a barrel, while Brent crude was up 0.28 per cent at $71.03 per barrel.

Gold was flat after falling more than 1 per cent on Thursday to break below the key $1,300 level following solid US data. Spot gold traded at $1,292.03 per ounce.

Asian shares turned lower on Friday as trepidation ahead of the start of the US corporate earnings season and underlying anxiety over the global growth outlook eclipsed some reassuring US economic data.

Asian shares turned lower on Friday as trepidation ahead of the start of the US corporate earnings season and underlying anxiety over the global growth outlook eclipsed some reassuring US economic data. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was last down 0.1 per cent, having see-sawed within a tight range throughout the morning session Despite broad weakness in the region, with Chinese blue-chips down 0.8 per cent ahead of the release of trade data, higher Chinese iron ore prices helped to push Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index up 0.7 per cent. Japan's Nikkei stock index gained 0.5 per cent. Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets and Stockbroking in Sydney, said markets were in a "holding pattern" as they waited on Chinese trade data and the US earnings season. Matt Simpson, the senior market analyst at GAIN Capital in Singapore, said a dovish shift by central banks, together with possible progress on a US-China trade deal and US President Donald Trump's talking up of the markets could help to support equities in the coming weeks. "Consumer discretionary and information technology are more than outperforming the S&P 500 rebound, and that generally is what you see in the start of an upswing, not near the end of a cycle," he said. The tepid performance of Asian markets Friday followed a choppy session on Wall Street that left major indexes treading water, hemmed in by anxiety ahead of corporate earnings and worries about a global economic slowdown, which capped gains stemming from upbeat US economic data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.05 per cent to 26,143.05, the S&P 500 closed flat at 2,888.32 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.21 per cent to 7,947.36. Tempering expectations for a sharp slowdown in US growth as data that showed the number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits dropped to a 49-1/2-year low last week Comments from US Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Richard Clarida that the US economy is in a "good place" but reemphasising the Fed's patience on rate hikes, also helped to reassure investors. "One of the big takeaways from the past few days has been the broad decline in volatility across markets," National Australia Bank (NAB) analysts said in a morning note. NAB attributed the muted reaction to recent events to dovish policy shifts by central banks, signs that China's stimulus measures are having an effect, continued US-China trade talks and the Brexit delay. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Thursday that the six-month delay of Britain's exit from the European Union avoids the "terrible outcome" of a "no-deal" Brexit, but does nothing to lift uncertainty over the final outcome. Underscoring ongoing threats to the health of the global economy, IMF Deputy Managing Director Mitsuhiro Furusawa warned that a bigger-than-expected slowdown in China's economy remains a key risk to global growth. US Treasury yields inched lower amid the cautious retreat in shares, after earlier rising on the US jobless claims data, stronger producer prices and a weak 30-year bond auction. On Friday morning, the yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes fell to 2.497 per cent compared with its US close of 2.504 per cent on Thursday. The two-year yield was unchanged at 2.356 per cent. In currency markets, the dollar was up 0.1 per cent against the yen at 111.75, but a strong gain in the euro, which jumped 0.36 per cent on the day to buy $1.1290, pushed the dollar index down 0.2 per cent to 96.979. Traders said demand for the euro jumped among Japanese players amid speculation toward cross-border flows. US crude ticked up 0.35 per cent at $63.80 a barrel, while Brent crude was up 0.28 per cent at $71.03 per barrel. Gold was flat after falling more than 1 per cent on Thursday to break below the key $1,300 level following solid US data. Spot gold traded at $1,292.03 per ounce.

Global Markets: Asian shares dip on caution over global growth, US earnings

South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived for talks with US President Donald Trump on Thursday (April 11) hoping to help put denuclearization negotiations with North Korea back on track after a failed summit between the United States and North Korean leaders in February.

South Korean president meets Trump hoping to revive North Korea talks

The US is currently undergoing a review of its assistance to Pakistan which is expected to be finalised soon, a top Trump administration official has told lawmakers.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-to-not-give-aid-to-pakistan-until-it-stops-harbouring-terrorists-nikki-haley-199764">relations between Pakistan and the US nosedived</a> after US President Donald Trump last year accused Islamabad of giving nothing to Washington but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists.

With Islamabad playing a crucial role in peace talks with the Taliban, which may ultimately result in the withdrawal of the 14,000 US troops from war-torn Afghanistan, the Trump administration seems to be reviewing its aid policy to Pakistan.

"We're undergoing a review of our assistance in Pakistan that we hope will be finalised soon. And we'll then report to you in terms of what will be going forward," USAID Administrator Mark Green told members of House Foreign Affairs Committee during a Congressional hearing on Thursday.

In September, the Trump administration cancelled $300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups like the Haqqani Network and Taliban active on its soil.

Trump also criticised Pakistan in a Twitter post back in November, saying Islamabad was not doing enough to stop terrorism.

"As with all of our programmes, we have the programme metrics that we use. One thing we're trying to do more of is to shift from outputs to outcomes. So, we have our roadmap with 17 objective metrics that help us measure capacity and commitment in each country where we work or want to work, like Pakistan," Green said in response to another question on Pakistan.

"So more and more we're trying to make sure that we're able to make a difference on the outcome side, hasting the capacity of our host country partners to take on these challenges themselves, although in Pakistan is daunting," he said, responding to a question from Congressman Brad Sherman.

US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is spearheading efforts to strike a peace deal with the Taliban with the help of Pakistan to end the 17-year Afghan war, America's longest.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

"In spite of our aid to Pakistan, conditions in the Sindh Province of South Pakistan continued to deteriorate in many areas. Schools and hospitals are getting worse in many areas as is water availability," Sherman said.

"We see the Hindu minorities subject to persecution to force conversions and forced marriages. What is USAID doing to ensure that assistance to Pakistan is improving the lives of ordinary people in Sindh?" he asked.

Sherman hoped that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will focus on the women and children and especially the minority religions in Pakistan's Sindh province.

"USAID has played an important role in Pakistan, particularly with its education system. Are there ways that charitable organisations can partner with USAID to support that work?" the Congressman asked.&nbsp;

The US is currently undergoing a review of its assistance to Pakistan which is expected to be finalised soon, a top Trump administration official has told lawmakers.

The US is currently undergoing a review of its assistance to Pakistan which is expected to be finalised soon, a top Trump administration official has told lawmakers. The relations between Pakistan and the US nosedived after US President Donald Trump last year accused Islamabad of giving nothing to Washington but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists. With Islamabad playing a crucial role in peace talks with the Taliban, which may ultimately result in the withdrawal of the 14,000 US troops from war-torn Afghanistan, the Trump administration seems to be reviewing its aid policy to Pakistan. "We're undergoing a review of our assistance in Pakistan that we hope will be finalised soon. And we'll then report to you in terms of what will be going forward," USAID Administrator Mark Green told members of House Foreign Affairs Committee during a Congressional hearing on Thursday. In September, the Trump administration cancelled $300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups like the Haqqani Network and Taliban active on its soil. Trump also criticised Pakistan in a Twitter post back in November, saying Islamabad was not doing enough to stop terrorism. "As with all of our programmes, we have the programme metrics that we use. One thing we're trying to do more of is to shift from outputs to outcomes. So, we have our roadmap with 17 objective metrics that help us measure capacity and commitment in each country where we work or want to work, like Pakistan," Green said in response to another question on Pakistan. "So more and more we're trying to make sure that we're able to make a difference on the outcome side, hasting the capacity of our host country partners to take on these challenges themselves, although in Pakistan is daunting," he said, responding to a question from Congressman Brad Sherman. US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is spearheading efforts to strike a peace deal with the Taliban with the help of Pakistan to end the 17-year Afghan war, America's longest. "In spite of our aid to Pakistan, conditions in the Sindh Province of South Pakistan continued to deteriorate in many areas. Schools and hospitals are getting worse in many areas as is water availability," Sherman said. "We see the Hindu minorities subject to persecution to force conversions and forced marriages. What is USAID doing to ensure that assistance to Pakistan is improving the lives of ordinary people in Sindh?" he asked. Sherman hoped that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will focus on the women and children and especially the minority religions in Pakistan's Sindh province. "USAID has played an important role in Pakistan, particularly with its education system. Are there ways that charitable organisations can partner with USAID to support that work?" the Congressman asked.

Trump administration reviewing its assistance to Pakistan: USAID

President Donald Trump considered nominating his daughter to head the World Bank, and she also would have been "great" as US ambassador to the United Nations, he said in an interview published Friday.

"She's a natural diplomat," Trump told The Atlantic. "She would've been great at the United Nations, as an example."

But if he had nominated his daughter -- who is a senior advisor to the president -- "they'd say nepotism, when it would've had nothing to do with nepotism. But she would've been incredible."

"I even thought of Ivanka for the World Bank," Trump said. "She would've been great at that because she's very good with numbers."

"She's got a great calmness... I've seen her under tremendous stress and pressure. She reacts very well -- that's usually a genetic thing, but it's one of those things, nevertheless," Trump said.

Trump ultimately nominated Kelly Knight Craft, his envoy to Canada, to be the next US ambassador to the United Nations, while David Malpass, a senior US Treasury official, became the new head of the World Bank.

President Donald Trump considered nominating his daughter to head the World Bank, and she also would have been "great" as US ambassador to the United Nations, he said in an interview published Friday.

President Donald Trump considered nominating his daughter to head the World Bank, and she also would have been "great" as US ambassador to the United Nations, he said in an interview published Friday. "She's a natural diplomat," Trump told The Atlantic. "She would've been great at the United Nations, as an example." But if he had nominated his daughter -- who is a senior advisor to the president -- "they'd say nepotism, when it would've had nothing to do with nepotism. But she would've been incredible." "I even thought of Ivanka for the World Bank," Trump said. "She would've been great at that because she's very good with numbers." "She's got a great calmness... I've seen her under tremendous stress and pressure. She reacts very well -- that's usually a genetic thing, but it's one of those things, nevertheless," Trump said. Trump ultimately nominated Kelly Knight Craft, his envoy to Canada, to be the next US ambassador to the United Nations, while David Malpass, a senior US Treasury official, became the new head of the World Bank.

Trump considered nominating daughter Ivanka for head of World Bank

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning, April 12th 2019

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

Donald Trump is the first president in four decades to not publicly release his tax returns. Watch video to know more.

Donald Trump refuses to release his tax returns

North Korean leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-may-be-invited-to-south-korea-asean-summit-in-november-207344">Kim Jong-un </a>said his country needs to deliver a "telling blow" to those imposing sanctions by ensuring its economy is more self-reliant, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Thursday.

It was the first time Kim stated North Korea's position on the second <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/donald-trump-kim-jong-un-summits-other-aim-was-to-sell-vietnam-model-to-north-korea-208086">US-North Korea summit in Hanoi </a>that collapsed in February and signalled a continued focus on economic development, a strategic direction officially declared a priority last April.

On North Korea's position on the summit, Kim said he would double down on efforts to create a self-supporting national economy "so as to deal a telling blow to the hostile forces who go with bloodshot eyes miscalculating that sanctions can bring (North Korea) to its knees," according to KCNA.

US-North Korean engagement has appeared to be in limbo since the Feb. 27-28 summit in Hanoi, which collapsed over differences about how far North Korea was willing to limit its nuclear programme and the degree of US willingness to ease economic sanctions.

Kim has continued to highlight his economic push in recent weeks despite the lack of sanctions relief.

State media have published images and reports of Kim's visits to at least four economic projects in five days over the past week, including a remodelled department store, tourist resorts, and an economic hub near the border with China.

At a similar plenary session last year, Kim formally announced a "new strategic line" that focused on economic progress and improving North Koreans' lives, rather than the previous two-pronged approach of economic and nuclear weapons development.

Despite not explicitly naming the "hostile forces" that imposed sanctions, Kim is displaying a more hardened stance toward Washington than was recently in state media, analysts said.

The comments were reported hours ahead of a summit between US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Javelin in Washington on Thursday to discuss North Korea and other alliance issues.

Moon has suggested that sanctions could be eased to allow inter-Korean economic engagement in return for some nuclear concessions by North Korea, but so far Washington has not agreed.

"It did not directly mention the US, but linked sanctions with hostile forces," said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. "He's saying North Korea would take an independent course unless the US offered to lift sanctions. You maintain sanctions, you're a hostile force; if you ease sanctions, you're not."

North Korea is expected to convene a session of its rubber-stamp legislature, the Supreme People's Assembly, on Thursday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country needs to deliver a "telling blow" to those imposing sanctions by ensuring its economy is more self-reliant, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Thursday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country needs to deliver a "telling blow" to those imposing sanctions by ensuring its economy is more self-reliant, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Thursday. It was the first time Kim stated North Korea's position on the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi that collapsed in February and signalled a continued focus on economic development, a strategic direction officially declared a priority last April. On North Korea's position on the summit, Kim said he would double down on efforts to create a self-supporting national economy "so as to deal a telling blow to the hostile forces who go with bloodshot eyes miscalculating that sanctions can bring (North Korea) to its knees," according to KCNA. US-North Korean engagement has appeared to be in limbo since the Feb. 27-28 summit in Hanoi, which collapsed over differences about how far North Korea was willing to limit its nuclear programme and the degree of US willingness to ease economic sanctions. Kim has continued to highlight his economic push in recent weeks despite the lack of sanctions relief. State media have published images and reports of Kim's visits to at least four economic projects in five days over the past week, including a remodelled department store, tourist resorts, and an economic hub near the border with China. At a similar plenary session last year, Kim formally announced a "new strategic line" that focused on economic progress and improving North Koreans' lives, rather than the previous two-pronged approach of economic and nuclear weapons development. Despite not explicitly naming the "hostile forces" that imposed sanctions, Kim is displaying a more hardened stance toward Washington than was recently in state media, analysts said. The comments were reported hours ahead of a summit between US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Javelin in Washington on Thursday to discuss North Korea and other alliance issues. Moon has suggested that sanctions could be eased to allow inter-Korean economic engagement in return for some nuclear concessions by North Korea, but so far Washington has not agreed. "It did not directly mention the US, but linked sanctions with hostile forces," said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. "He's saying North Korea would take an independent course unless the US offered to lift sanctions. You maintain sanctions, you're a hostile force; if you ease sanctions, you're not." North Korea is expected to convene a session of its rubber-stamp legislature, the Supreme People's Assembly, on Thursday.

North Korea's Kim says must deliver 'blow' to those imposing sanctions: Report

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's election victory improved the chances of a forthcoming US peace plan, despite deep skepticism from the Palestinians.

Trump, who had enthusiastically backed the right-wing premier's bid for a fifth mandate, said that he telephoned Netanyahu to offer congratulations as results gave Netanyahu a narrow parliamentary majority.

"The fact that Bibi won, I think we'll see some pretty good action in terms of peace," Trump told reporters, using Netanyahu's nickname.

"Everybody said you can't have peace in the Middle East with Israel and Palestinians. I think we have a chance and I think we now have a better chance," he added.

Centrist challenger Benny Gantz, a former military chief, conceded defeat with Netanyahu poised to form a coalition of hawkish and religious parties to become Israel's longest-serving prime minister.

Trump had welcomed Netanyahu to the White House just two weeks before the election to offer his latest landmark gesture of support -- US recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in 1967.

Peace plan doubts

Palestinian leaders are deeply sceptical of the US peace plan and have ruled out Trump as an honest broker after he recognized bitterly contested Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The peace plan is being developed by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, an Orthodox Jew whose close family ties to Netanyahu have heightened Palestinian suspicions on whether the US administration can serve as an honest broker.

US officials have only revealed vague outlines of what the plan might propose, but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has suggested it could break abruptly with precedent.

In two days of testimony before Senate committees, Pompeo declined to say whether the United States stood by its longstanding support for an independent Palestinian state.

"For decades now, there have been all these wonderful experts that have tried to resolve this crisis in the Middle East, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people, and they have each failed," Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday.

"So the old set of ideas isn't worth retreading. They have simply not succeeded," he said.

Pressed by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine -- who described himself as "kind of shocked" that Pompeo would not reaffirm US support for a two-state solution -- the top US diplomat said the United States wanted "good things" for the Palestinians but that a solution had to be acceptable to both sides.

"I would argue that millions of man-hours have been spent to try and build out a two-state solution. It hasn't worked to date. It may work this afternoon, but it hasn't worked yet," Pompeo said.

Pompeo said the peace plan would come out "before too long" and also include ideas aimed at Gulf Arab states, which have found increasing common ground with Israel in their hostility to Iran.

Vow to annex settlements

Pompeo repeatedly declined to weigh in on Netanyahu's election-eve vow to annex Jewish settlements built in the Israeli-occupied West Bank -- a move that would seek to formalize Israeli control over parts of the supposedly future Palestinian state.

Such a move would previously have been almost unthinkable, leaving Israel diplomatically isolated. But some analysts believe that Washington's relatively less controversial Golan Heights recognition may have paved the way.

In another sign of Israel's current feeling of strength, Netanyahu insisted last week that he would refuse removal of any Jewish settlements built inside occupied Palestinian land as part of any peace plan.

Netanyahu said he told Trump "there shouldn't be the removal of even one settlement."

Since taking office, Trump has also closed the Palestinians' office in Washington, pulled the United States from UN bodies accused of anti-Israel bias and cut off funding for the UN agency that provides schooling and other services to Palestinian refugees.

While Trump has rallied behind Netanyahu, the Israeli leader has seen growing disdain among Democrats.&nbsp;

Beto O'Rourke, a Democratic candidate for president, called Netanyahu "a racist" for his alliance with a far-right party and for warning about voting by Israel's Arab citizens.

Candidate Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish, has called Netanyahu "extreme right-wing" and said Trump needed to show "good faith" in brokering a peace deal.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's election victory improved the chances of a forthcoming US peace plan, despite deep skepticism from the Palestinians.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's election victory improved the chances of a forthcoming US peace plan, despite deep skepticism from the Palestinians. Trump, who had enthusiastically backed the right-wing premier's bid for a fifth mandate, said that he telephoned Netanyahu to offer congratulations as results gave Netanyahu a narrow parliamentary majority. "The fact that Bibi won, I think we'll see some pretty good action in terms of peace," Trump told reporters, using Netanyahu's nickname. "Everybody said you can't have peace in the Middle East with Israel and Palestinians. I think we have a chance and I think we now have a better chance," he added. Centrist challenger Benny Gantz, a former military chief, conceded defeat with Netanyahu poised to form a coalition of hawkish and religious parties to become Israel's longest-serving prime minister. Trump had welcomed Netanyahu to the White House just two weeks before the election to offer his latest landmark gesture of support -- US recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in 1967. Peace plan doubts Palestinian leaders are deeply sceptical of the US peace plan and have ruled out Trump as an honest broker after he recognized bitterly contested Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The peace plan is being developed by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, an Orthodox Jew whose close family ties to Netanyahu have heightened Palestinian suspicions on whether the US administration can serve as an honest broker. US officials have only revealed vague outlines of what the plan might propose, but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has suggested it could break abruptly with precedent. In two days of testimony before Senate committees, Pompeo declined to say whether the United States stood by its longstanding support for an independent Palestinian state. "For decades now, there have been all these wonderful experts that have tried to resolve this crisis in the Middle East, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people, and they have each failed," Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday. "So the old set of ideas isn't worth retreading. They have simply not succeeded," he said. Pressed by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine -- who described himself as "kind of shocked" that Pompeo would not reaffirm US support for a two-state solution -- the top US diplomat said the United States wanted "good things" for the Palestinians but that a solution had to be acceptable to both sides. "I would argue that millions of man-hours have been spent to try and build out a two-state solution. It hasn't worked to date. It may work this afternoon, but it hasn't worked yet," Pompeo said. Pompeo said the peace plan would come out "before too long" and also include ideas aimed at Gulf Arab states, which have found increasing common ground with Israel in their hostility to Iran. Vow to annex settlements Pompeo repeatedly declined to weigh in on Netanyahu's election-eve vow to annex Jewish settlements built in the Israeli-occupied West Bank -- a move that would seek to formalize Israeli control over parts of the supposedly future Palestinian state. Such a move would previously have been almost unthinkable, leaving Israel diplomatically isolated. But some analysts believe that Washington's relatively less controversial Golan Heights recognition may have paved the way. In another sign of Israel's current feeling of strength, Netanyahu insisted last week that he would refuse removal of any Jewish settlements built inside occupied Palestinian land as part of any peace plan. Netanyahu said he told Trump "there shouldn't be the removal of even one settlement." Since taking office, Trump has also closed the Palestinians' office in Washington, pulled the United States from UN bodies accused of anti-Israel bias and cut off funding for the UN agency that provides schooling and other services to Palestinian refugees. While Trump has rallied behind Netanyahu, the Israeli leader has seen growing disdain among Democrats. Beto O'Rourke, a Democratic candidate for president, called Netanyahu "a racist" for his alliance with a far-right party and for warning about voting by Israel's Arab citizens. Candidate Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish, has called Netanyahu "extreme right-wing" and said Trump needed to show "good faith" in brokering a peace deal.

Benjamin Netanyahu win gives US peace plan 'better chance:' Trump

Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who released reams of secret documents that embarrassed the United States government, was arrested by the British police on Thursday at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where he had lived since 2012, after Ecuador withdrew the asylum it had granted him.

WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange is arrested in London

Twitter took down a video from US President Donald Trump's account after Warner Bros. complained of copyright infringement. The video featured&nbsp;the president with a piece of music composer Hans Zimmer's score from ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ playing in the background.

Warner Bros. and its parent company WarnerMedia had earlier issued a statement:&nbsp;"The use of Warner Bros' score from The Dark Knight Rises in the campaign video was unauthorized. We are working through the appropriate legal channels to have it removed.”

In the video, you could&nbsp;see Trump meeting with foreign dignitaries such as North Korea's King Jong Un and Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, along with former US President Barack Obama, Amy Schumer and Rose O'Donnell.&nbsp;

The video was captioned, "First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you, then they call you racist."&nbsp;

For those uninitiated, Hans Zimmer has for long collaborated with director Christopher Nolan. He composed the score of all three of Nolan's Batman films. He even won a Grammy in 2009 for Best Score Soundtrack for ‘The Dark Knight’ and was nominated for the same award four years later with ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.&nbsp;

Twitter took down a video from US President Donald Trump's account after Warner Bros. complained of copyright infringement. The video featured the president with a piece of music composer Hans Zimmer's score from ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ playing in the background.

Twitter took down a video from US President Donald Trump's account after Warner Bros. complained of copyright infringement. The video featured the president with a piece of music composer Hans Zimmer's score from ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ playing in the background. Warner Bros. and its parent company WarnerMedia had earlier issued a statement: "The use of Warner Bros' score from The Dark Knight Rises in the campaign video was unauthorized. We are working through the appropriate legal channels to have it removed.” In the video, you could see Trump meeting with foreign dignitaries such as North Korea's King Jong Un and Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, along with former US President Barack Obama, Amy Schumer and Rose O'Donnell. The video was captioned, "First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you, then they call you racist." For those uninitiated, Hans Zimmer has for long collaborated with director Christopher Nolan. He composed the score of all three of Nolan's Batman films. He even won a Grammy in 2009 for Best Score Soundtrack for ‘The Dark Knight’ and was nominated for the same award four years later with ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.

Donald Trump's video taken down after Warner Bros. complains it uses a score from 'The Dark Knight Rises'

A video that President Donald Trump re-tweeted that included the soundtrack of a Batman movie was pulled from his account due to copyright violations. 
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they call you racist," read the text at the start of the fan-made 2020 Trump campaign video, as pictures of Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton flashed on the screen. 
 
The video, which Trump reposted Tuesday evening, showed images of his presidency, including his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 
 
"Your vote proved them all wrong," the two-minute video said, calling Trump's 2020 re-election a "great victory." The soundtrack of the video was composer Hans Zimmer's "Why Do We Fall?" from the 2012 movie "The Dark Knight Rises" - and movie Warner Brothers, which owns the Batman franchise, was not happy. 
 
"The use of Warner Bros.' score from The Dark Knight Rises' in the campaign video was unauthorized," the movie studio told Buzzfeed News. "We are working through the appropriate legal channels to have it removed." By Wednesday all that was left on Trump's Twitter feed was a dead link with a message that read "This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner." The video, however, garnered 101,000 likes and 31,000 retweets before it was pulled. 
 
This is not the first time that the president has retweeted controversial fan-made material.&nbsp;Previous cases include the image of the president body slamming a CNN logo.&nbsp;Musicians including Pharell Williams and Aerosmith have also complained about Trump using their music for political purposes

A video that President Donald Trump re-tweeted that included the soundtrack of a Batman movie was pulled from his account due to copyright violations. "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they call you racist," read the text at the start of the fan-made 2020 Trump campaign video, as pictures of Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton flashed on the screen.

A video that President Donald Trump re-tweeted that included the soundtrack of a Batman movie was pulled from his account due to copyright violations. "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they call you racist," read the text at the start of the fan-made 2020 Trump campaign video, as pictures of Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton flashed on the screen. The video, which Trump reposted Tuesday evening, showed images of his presidency, including his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. "Your vote proved them all wrong," the two-minute video said, calling Trump's 2020 re-election a "great victory." The soundtrack of the video was composer Hans Zimmer's "Why Do We Fall?" from the 2012 movie "The Dark Knight Rises" - and movie Warner Brothers, which owns the Batman franchise, was not happy. "The use of Warner Bros.' score from The Dark Knight Rises' in the campaign video was unauthorized," the movie studio told Buzzfeed News. "We are working through the appropriate legal channels to have it removed." By Wednesday all that was left on Trump's Twitter feed was a dead link with a message that read "This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner." The video, however, garnered 101,000 likes and 31,000 retweets before it was pulled. This is not the first time that the president has retweeted controversial fan-made material. Previous cases include the image of the president body slamming a CNN logo. Musicians including Pharell Williams and Aerosmith have also complained about Trump using their music for political purposes

Donald Trump's tweet using 'The Dark Knight Rises' music pulled down for copyright violation

New World Bank President David Malpass said on Tuesday he would not alter the lender's commitment to fight climate change, but pledged to step up its anti-poverty mission and to evolve the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/david-malpass-named-as-13th-world-bank-president-208226"> bank's relationship </a>with China.

Malpass, who started at the Bank on Tuesday, was nominated by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump. Some development professionals feared that he would pursue Trump's "America First" agenda at the bank by resuming financing for coal power projects and pressuring China.

But Malpass told reporters that he will pursue the World Bank's climate change goals, including its previous decision to withdraw from coal power funding. He called climate change a "key problem" facing many of the world's developing countries.

"The board and the governors have established a policy on that. I don’t expect a change in that policy," Malpass said,

A long-time finance executive, economist and government development official, Malpass most recently served as the U.S. Treasury's undersecretary for international affairs. He helped negotiate a $13 billion capital increase for the World Bank last year.

That refunding included requirements that the bank shift lending away from middle-income countries including China towards lower-income countries.

Malpass at the time was highly critical of China's continued borrowing from the World Bank and of Beijing's Belt and Road initiative. But he said on Tuesday that new lending to Chinese projects was already declining and the relationship would shift towards one of increased contributions to the bank and sharing of expertise.

"That means an evolution where they are much less of a borrower, and they have more to offer in terms of their participation in capital increases, their participation in IDA, where China has been ramping up its contributions," he said, referring to the International Development Association, the World Bank's fund for the poorest countries.

He said he would work with China to boost the standards of its development projects with more debt transparency and open procurement standards.

His view on China contrasted those of U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who told lawmakers that Malpass' presence at the World Bank would help the United States compete with China's Belt and Road initiative. That program entails hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure development and investment by China in about 65 countries with an emphasis on transportation routes.

Asked at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Tuesday what the United States could do to "push back" on China's growing presence in international development, Mnuchin replied, "I think the single best thing is that David Malpass, who was my undersecretary, is now head of the World Bank."

The World Bank, combined with a new U.S. development agency created by Congress last year, "can be a serious competitor to their Belt and Road," Mnuchin added.

The United States remains the World Bank's largest shareholder, and the Treasury oversees the U.S. interests at the institution.

Malpass said he saw no need for a restructuring of the World Bank's operations, but he would seek to make lending more effective at lifting people out of poverty.

New World Bank President David Malpass said on Tuesday he would not alter the lender's commitment to fight climate change, but pledged to step up its anti-poverty mission and to evolve the bank's relationship with China.

New World Bank President David Malpass said on Tuesday he would not alter the lender's commitment to fight climate change, but pledged to step up its anti-poverty mission and to evolve the bank's relationship with China. Malpass, who started at the Bank on Tuesday, was nominated by US President Donald Trump. Some development professionals feared that he would pursue Trump's "America First" agenda at the bank by resuming financing for coal power projects and pressuring China. But Malpass told reporters that he will pursue the World Bank's climate change goals, including its previous decision to withdraw from coal power funding. He called climate change a "key problem" facing many of the world's developing countries. "The board and the governors have established a policy on that. I don’t expect a change in that policy," Malpass said, A long-time finance executive, economist and government development official, Malpass most recently served as the U.S. Treasury's undersecretary for international affairs. He helped negotiate a $13 billion capital increase for the World Bank last year. That refunding included requirements that the bank shift lending away from middle-income countries including China towards lower-income countries. Malpass at the time was highly critical of China's continued borrowing from the World Bank and of Beijing's Belt and Road initiative. But he said on Tuesday that new lending to Chinese projects was already declining and the relationship would shift towards one of increased contributions to the bank and sharing of expertise. "That means an evolution where they are much less of a borrower, and they have more to offer in terms of their participation in capital increases, their participation in IDA, where China has been ramping up its contributions," he said, referring to the International Development Association, the World Bank's fund for the poorest countries. He said he would work with China to boost the standards of its development projects with more debt transparency and open procurement standards. His view on China contrasted those of U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who told lawmakers that Malpass' presence at the World Bank would help the United States compete with China's Belt and Road initiative. That program entails hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure development and investment by China in about 65 countries with an emphasis on transportation routes. Asked at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Tuesday what the United States could do to "push back" on China's growing presence in international development, Mnuchin replied, "I think the single best thing is that David Malpass, who was my undersecretary, is now head of the World Bank." The World Bank, combined with a new U.S. development agency created by Congress last year, "can be a serious competitor to their Belt and Road," Mnuchin added. The United States remains the World Bank's largest shareholder, and the Treasury oversees the U.S. interests at the institution. Malpass said he saw no need for a restructuring of the World Bank's operations, but he would seek to make lending more effective at lifting people out of poverty.

New World Bank boss vows to keep climate goals, evolve China relationship

President Donald Trump continued to dismantle the nation’s top domestic security agency Monday as the White House announced the imminent removal of U.S. Secret Service Director, the latest in a series of departures from the Department of Homeland Security.

A purge underway at US Homeland Security Department?

Twitter has deleted a video by US President Donald Trump for his 2020 election bid, that used unauthorised music from Warner Bros' blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises", after the studio complained to the social media platform.

The microblogging site complied with Warner Bros' demand to protect its copyright late Tuesday, hours after the US President tweeted a provocative campaign video, set to a track from the score of Christopher Nolan's final movie in his massively successful Batman trilogy.

"The use of Warner Bros' score from 'The Dark Knight Rises' in the campaign video was unauthorised. We are working through the appropriate legal channels to have it removed," Warner Bros told Deadline in a statement.

The video in Trump's tweet, captioned as "Make America Great Again", has now been replaced by a message that it was no longer available "in response to a report by the copyright owner".

Scored by Hans Zimmer, the now removed video was set to the Oscar-winning music composer's tune "Why Do We Fall?" from the 2012 film's soundtrack.

The roughly two-minute video juxtaposes brief shots of prominent Democrats ? from Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to comedians Rosie O'Donnell and Amy Schumer ? against images of Trump from his first two years in office, including his meetings with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and Brazil's far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.

It also shared a Fox News headline saying "Mueller report shows no proof Trump team conspired with Russia", along with text that read "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they call you racist."

The video clip, first posted by Twitter handle Team Trump, amassed over 1 million views in less than three hours.

Twitter has deleted a video by US President Donald Trump for his 2020 election bid, that used unauthorised music from Warner Bros' blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises", after the studio complained to the social media platform.

Twitter has deleted a video by US President Donald Trump for his 2020 election bid, that used unauthorised music from Warner Bros' blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises", after the studio complained to the social media platform. The microblogging site complied with Warner Bros' demand to protect its copyright late Tuesday, hours after the US President tweeted a provocative campaign video, set to a track from the score of Christopher Nolan's final movie in his massively successful Batman trilogy. "The use of Warner Bros' score from 'The Dark Knight Rises' in the campaign video was unauthorised. We are working through the appropriate legal channels to have it removed," Warner Bros told Deadline in a statement. The video in Trump's tweet, captioned as "Make America Great Again", has now been replaced by a message that it was no longer available "in response to a report by the copyright owner". Scored by Hans Zimmer, the now removed video was set to the Oscar-winning music composer's tune "Why Do We Fall?" from the 2012 film's soundtrack. The roughly two-minute video juxtaposes brief shots of prominent Democrats ? from Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to comedians Rosie O'Donnell and Amy Schumer ? against images of Trump from his first two years in office, including his meetings with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and Brazil's far-right president Jair Bolsonaro. It also shared a Fox News headline saying "Mueller report shows no proof Trump team conspired with Russia", along with text that read "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they call you racist." The video clip, first posted by Twitter handle Team Trump, amassed over 1 million views in less than three hours.

Twitter takes down Trump campaign clip with 'Dark Knight Rises' score after Warner Bros complaint

A US federal judge on Monday blocked President <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-mocks-asylum-seekers-explains-halt-of-funds-to-central-american-nations-208466&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjSnMjFlsLhAhWIdXAKHavzDsYQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Vh8vyjlHwwldinu358Njt">Donald Trump</a>'s policy of returning <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/our-country-is-full-turn-around-trump-to-asylum-seekers-at-mexico-border-208260&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwi8_9utlsLhAhUEdXAKHZQJBJ4QFggIMAE&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ULYB2eMHyrQUIPnkIs0I4">asylum </a>seekers to Mexico to wait out the processing of their cases, saying the Department of Homeland Security had overstepped its authority.

The ruling by US District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco marked a rebuke for the Trump administration's efforts to stop the flow of migrants seeking asylum through the US border with <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/our-country-is-full-turn-around-trump-to-asylum-seekers-at-mexico-border-208260&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjSnMjFlsLhAhWIdXAKHavzDsYQFggIMAE&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw3wwjmYvsEcHbqu2YPADmBv">Mexico</a>.

The decision, which goes into effect on Friday, comes just days after outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen had vowed to expand the controversial program.

Several hundred people seeking asylum have been returned to Mexico to await the outcome of their request under the policy first implemented in January at the San Ysidro port of entry in California and later extended to Calexico, a second California border point, and El Paso, Texas.

"A 9th Circuit Judge just ruled that Mexico is too dangerous for migrants. So unfair to the US OUT OF CONTROL!," Trump furiously tweeted.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A 9th Circuit Judge just ruled that Mexico is too dangerous for migrants. So unfair to the U.S. OUT OF CONTROL! <a href="https://t.co/XF8o3jMDle">https://t.co/XF8o3jMDle</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1115451908213411845?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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While any appeal against Seeborg's ruling will be heard by the federal Ninth Circuit appeals court - a frequent target of Trump's ire - Seeborg himself is not on the circuit.

Elsewhere, rights groups welcomed the ruling, saying the return policy failed to provide adequate safeguards to protect asylum seekers from persecution.

"Try as it may, the Trump administration cannot simply ignore our laws in order to accomplish its goal of preventing people from seeking asylum in the United States," said Judy Rabinovitz, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Immigrants' Rights Project.&nbsp;

The ACLU and several other groups, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, had sought an injunction against the policy on behalf of 11 asylum seekers from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala who were returned to Mexico after seeking asylum at the US border.

In his 27-page ruling - which can be appealed - Seeborg said at issue was not whether the policy is "a wise, intelligent, or humane policy" but rather whether it exposes aliens to "unduly dangerous circumstances."

He noted that the plaintiffs in the case were not challenging the "system" of expedited removal.

Trump, who originally dubbed the measure the "Remain in Mexico" policy, unveiled it last year as a series of caravans with thousands of Central American migrants made their way to the US-Mexican border.

Mexico said it was cooperating with US authorities concerning the migrants being sent back, but only for humanitarian reasons.

Migrants who reach US soil have a legal right to seek asylum and are usually held in detention facilities while their application is processed, or released into the United States.

A US federal judge on Monday blocked President Donald Trump's policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico to wait out the processing of their cases, saying the Department of Homeland Security had overstepped its authority.

A US federal judge on Monday blocked President Donald Trump's policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico to wait out the processing of their cases, saying the Department of Homeland Security had overstepped its authority. The ruling by US District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco marked a rebuke for the Trump administration's efforts to stop the flow of migrants seeking asylum through the US border with Mexico. The decision, which goes into effect on Friday, comes just days after outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen had vowed to expand the controversial program. Several hundred people seeking asylum have been returned to Mexico to await the outcome of their request under the policy first implemented in January at the San Ysidro port of entry in California and later extended to Calexico, a second California border point, and El Paso, Texas. "A 9th Circuit Judge just ruled that Mexico is too dangerous for migrants. So unfair to the US OUT OF CONTROL!," Trump furiously tweeted. A 9th Circuit Judge just ruled that Mexico is too dangerous for migrants. So unfair to the U.S. OUT OF CONTROL! https://t.co/XF8o3jMDle — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 9, 2019 × While any appeal against Seeborg's ruling will be heard by the federal Ninth Circuit appeals court - a frequent target of Trump's ire - Seeborg himself is not on the circuit. Elsewhere, rights groups welcomed the ruling, saying the return policy failed to provide adequate safeguards to protect asylum seekers from persecution. "Try as it may, the Trump administration cannot simply ignore our laws in order to accomplish its goal of preventing people from seeking asylum in the United States," said Judy Rabinovitz, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Immigrants' Rights Project. The ACLU and several other groups, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, had sought an injunction against the policy on behalf of 11 asylum seekers from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala who were returned to Mexico after seeking asylum at the US border. In his 27-page ruling - which can be appealed - Seeborg said at issue was not whether the policy is "a wise, intelligent, or humane policy" but rather whether it exposes aliens to "unduly dangerous circumstances." He noted that the plaintiffs in the case were not challenging the "system" of expedited removal. Trump, who originally dubbed the measure the "Remain in Mexico" policy, unveiled it last year as a series of caravans with thousands of Central American migrants made their way to the US-Mexican border. Mexico said it was cooperating with US authorities concerning the migrants being sent back, but only for humanitarian reasons. Migrants who reach US soil have a legal right to seek asylum and are usually held in detention facilities while their application is processed, or released into the United States.

US judge blocks Trump's policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico

U.S. President Donald Trump designated Iran's elite force a foreign terrorist organization. Watch this video to know more.

Iran elite force a terror group for U.S

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