Donald Trump has mocked Dr Christine Blasey Ford's testimony of her alleged sexual assault by Judge Brett Kavanaugh, whom Trump has nominated to the US Supreme Court.&nbsp;

The alleged sexual assault took place 36 years ago in 1982 when Ford was 15 and Kavanaugh 17.&nbsp;

"I had one beer, right?" Trump said, apparently re-enacting Blasey Ford's questioning by a Senate panel as he addressed a campaign rally in Southaven, Mississippi.

"'How did you get home?' I don't remember. 'How did you get there?' I don't remember. 'Where was the place?' I don't remember. 'How many years ago was it?' I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know," he added, to cheers from supporters.

"'What neighborhood was it in?' I don't know. 'Where's the house?' I don't know. 'Upstairs, downstairs, where was it?' I don't know. But I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember. And a man's life is in tatters. A man's life is shattered."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
And they wonder why we march. 
 
WATCH: President Trump mocks Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Trump's Supreme Court pick Judge Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, during rally in Mississippi.<a href="https://t.co/MhKey5urE5">pic.twitter.com/MhKey5urE5</a>
— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly 📢 (@AynRandPaulRyan) <a href="https://twitter.com/AynRandPaulRyan/status/1047292381349855232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Kavanaugh's confirmation to the US Supreme Court has been thrown off the rails by Ford's testimony, and cleaved an already-divided nation into two.&nbsp;

Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. Her testimony was followed by Kavanaugh's.&nbsp;

Commentators have since said Ford came across as very credible, answering all questions put to her, while Kavanaugh sometimes came across as evasive.&nbsp;

Ford's allegations are now being investigated by the FBI.&nbsp;

The FBI is expected to wrap up its investigation in a week.&nbsp;

Reuters reported Trump as saying on Tuesday he thought Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court would be confirmed after the FBI wraps up its investigation.&nbsp;

Trump's attack Tuesday quickly drew scorn from critics, who said such taunts were part of the reason survivors of sexual assault are afraid to go public.

"A vicious, vile and soulless attack on Dr. Christine Blasey Ford," tweeted Michael Bromwich, a former high-ranking Department of Justice official who is currently representing the psychology professor.

"Is it any wonder that she was terrified to come forward, and that other sexual assault survivors are as well? She is a remarkable profile in courage. He is a profile in cowardice."

(With inputs from AFP)

Donald Trump has mocked Dr Christine Blasey Ford's testimony of her alleged sexual assault by Judge Brett Kavanaugh, whom Trump has nominated to the US Supreme Court.

Donald Trump has mocked Dr Christine Blasey Ford's testimony of her alleged sexual assault by Judge Brett Kavanaugh, whom Trump has nominated to the US Supreme Court. The alleged sexual assault took place 36 years ago in 1982 when Ford was 15 and Kavanaugh 17. "I had one beer, right?" Trump said, apparently re-enacting Blasey Ford's questioning by a Senate panel as he addressed a campaign rally in Southaven, Mississippi. "'How did you get home?' I don't remember. 'How did you get there?' I don't remember. 'Where was the place?' I don't remember. 'How many years ago was it?' I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know," he added, to cheers from supporters. "'What neighborhood was it in?' I don't know. 'Where's the house?' I don't know. 'Upstairs, downstairs, where was it?' I don't know. But I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember. And a man's life is in tatters. A man's life is shattered." And they wonder why we march. WATCH: President Trump mocks Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Trump's Supreme Court pick Judge Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, during rally in Mississippi.pic.twitter.com/MhKey5urE5 — Holly Figueroa O'Reilly 📢 (@AynRandPaulRyan) October 3, 2018 × Kavanaugh's confirmation to the US Supreme Court has been thrown off the rails by Ford's testimony, and cleaved an already-divided nation into two. Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. Her testimony was followed by Kavanaugh's. Commentators have since said Ford came across as very credible, answering all questions put to her, while Kavanaugh sometimes came across as evasive. Ford's allegations are now being investigated by the FBI. The FBI is expected to wrap up its investigation in a week. Reuters reported Trump as saying on Tuesday he thought Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court would be confirmed after the FBI wraps up its investigation. Trump's attack Tuesday quickly drew scorn from critics, who said such taunts were part of the reason survivors of sexual assault are afraid to go public. "A vicious, vile and soulless attack on Dr. Christine Blasey Ford," tweeted Michael Bromwich, a former high-ranking Department of Justice official who is currently representing the psychology professor. "Is it any wonder that she was terrified to come forward, and that other sexual assault survivors are as well? She is a remarkable profile in courage. He is a profile in cowardice." (With inputs from AFP)

Donald Trump mocks Dr Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault testimony 

There is unlikely to be any changes in America's policy on suspension of aid to Pakistan until it makes substantial progress against terrorists and their safe havens, the Trump administration has told Islamabad as the two countries try to reset their strained ties.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, during their meetings with Pakistan's new Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi here, are understood to have told the Pakistani leadership that in its assessment the US does not see any changes on the ground when it comes to taking actions against terrorists operating from its soil.

Given Pakistan's influence over the Taliban, the Trump administration also wants Islamabad to bring them to the peace table.

Notably, the State Department till late in the night had refrained from issuing any readout of the meeting between Qureshi and Pompeo, which is understood to have lasted for 20 minutes at their Foggy Bottom headquarters.

The White House normally does not issue a readout of the meeting that its National Security Advisor has with foreign leaders. Qureshi and Pompeo did appear for a handshake photo op before the meeting, during which they did not issue opening remarks.

According to informed sources familiar with the development, the US side is upset because of Qureshi's faux pas about handshake he had with President Donald Trump during a luncheon in New York, which he described to the media as a meeting.

Meanwhile, in a readout of the meetings, the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington said that Qureshi had a wide range of discussions with both Pompeo and Bolton which included among others bilateral and regional issues.

Qureshi said that close engagement between Pakistan and the US had always been mutually beneficial and a factor for stability in South Asia. He stressed that, going forward, a broad-based and structured framework for dialogue would best serve the two countries' shared interests, the statement said.

Noting that Pakistan and the US share a common desire for peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region at large, Qureshi reiterated Pakistan's support for a political settlement in Afghanistan, saying the use of force had failed to deliver results.

Qureshi told Pompeo that "peace in South Asia, which was a common goal for both the US and Pakistan, would remain elusive until all disputes, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, are resolved".

Pompeo, according to the embassy statement, said the US looked forward to working with the new government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan in implementing its reform agenda.

"In the context of achieving stability in South Asia, Qureshi briefed his US interlocutor about India's aggressive posturing in the region.

"Qureshi underscored that, on its part, Pakistan remained committed to engaging India in a comprehensive peace dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute," the statement added.

The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists.

Last month, the Trump administration cancelled $ 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups active on its soil.&nbsp;

There is unlikely to be any changes in America's policy on suspension of aid to Pakistan until it makes substantial progress against terrorists and their safe havens, the Trump administration has told Islamabad as the two countries try to reset their strained ties.

There is unlikely to be any changes in America's policy on suspension of aid to Pakistan until it makes substantial progress against terrorists and their safe havens, the Trump administration has told Islamabad as the two countries try to reset their strained ties. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, during their meetings with Pakistan's new Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi here, are understood to have told the Pakistani leadership that in its assessment the US does not see any changes on the ground when it comes to taking actions against terrorists operating from its soil. Given Pakistan's influence over the Taliban, the Trump administration also wants Islamabad to bring them to the peace table. Notably, the State Department till late in the night had refrained from issuing any readout of the meeting between Qureshi and Pompeo, which is understood to have lasted for 20 minutes at their Foggy Bottom headquarters. The White House normally does not issue a readout of the meeting that its National Security Advisor has with foreign leaders. Qureshi and Pompeo did appear for a handshake photo op before the meeting, during which they did not issue opening remarks. According to informed sources familiar with the development, the US side is upset because of Qureshi's faux pas about handshake he had with President Donald Trump during a luncheon in New York, which he described to the media as a meeting. Meanwhile, in a readout of the meetings, the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington said that Qureshi had a wide range of discussions with both Pompeo and Bolton which included among others bilateral and regional issues. Qureshi said that close engagement between Pakistan and the US had always been mutually beneficial and a factor for stability in South Asia. He stressed that, going forward, a broad-based and structured framework for dialogue would best serve the two countries' shared interests, the statement said. Noting that Pakistan and the US share a common desire for peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region at large, Qureshi reiterated Pakistan's support for a political settlement in Afghanistan, saying the use of force had failed to deliver results. Qureshi told Pompeo that "peace in South Asia, which was a common goal for both the US and Pakistan, would remain elusive until all disputes, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, are resolved". Pompeo, according to the embassy statement, said the US looked forward to working with the new government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan in implementing its reform agenda. "In the context of achieving stability in South Asia, Qureshi briefed his US interlocutor about India's aggressive posturing in the region. "Qureshi underscored that, on its part, Pakistan remained committed to engaging India in a comprehensive peace dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute," the statement added. The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. Last month, the Trump administration cancelled $ 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups active on its soil.

Trump admin unlikely to change policy on suspension of aid to Pakistan

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran on Wednesday for threats to American missions in Iraq and said the United States was terminating a treaty of amity with Tehran.

"Iran is the origin of the current threat to Americans in Iraq," Pompeo told reporters at the State Department. "Our intelligence in this regard is solid. We can see the hand of the Ayatollah and his henchmen supporting these attacks on the United States."

The United States announced on Friday it will effectively close its consulate in the Iraqi city of Basra and relocate diplomatic personnel assigned there following increasing threats from Iran and Iran-backed militia, including rocket fire.

The decision added to mounting tension between the United States and Iran, which is the target of increasing US economic sanctions.

On Wednesday, the World Court ordered the United States to ensure that sanctions against Iran, due to be tightened next month, do not affect humanitarian aid or civil aviation safety.

Judges at the International Court of Justice handed a victory to Tehran, which had argued that sanctions imposed since May by the administration of US President Donald Trump violate the terms of a 1955 Treaty of Amity between the two countries.

Washington responded by pulling out of the treaty, something Pompeo said should have been done decades ago.

"We're disappointed that the court failed to recognize that it has no jurisdiction to issue any order relating to these sanctions measures with the United States, which is doing its work on Iran to protect its own essential security interests," Pompeo said.

He said the United States would work to ensure it is providing humanitarian assistance to the Iranian people.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran on Wednesday for threats to American missions in Iraq and said the United States was terminating a treaty of amity with Tehran.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran on Wednesday for threats to American missions in Iraq and said the United States was terminating a treaty of amity with Tehran. "Iran is the origin of the current threat to Americans in Iraq," Pompeo told reporters at the State Department. "Our intelligence in this regard is solid. We can see the hand of the Ayatollah and his henchmen supporting these attacks on the United States." The United States announced on Friday it will effectively close its consulate in the Iraqi city of Basra and relocate diplomatic personnel assigned there following increasing threats from Iran and Iran-backed militia, including rocket fire. The decision added to mounting tension between the United States and Iran, which is the target of increasing US economic sanctions. On Wednesday, the World Court ordered the United States to ensure that sanctions against Iran, due to be tightened next month, do not affect humanitarian aid or civil aviation safety. Judges at the International Court of Justice handed a victory to Tehran, which had argued that sanctions imposed since May by the administration of US President Donald Trump violate the terms of a 1955 Treaty of Amity between the two countries. Washington responded by pulling out of the treaty, something Pompeo said should have been done decades ago. "We're disappointed that the court failed to recognize that it has no jurisdiction to issue any order relating to these sanctions measures with the United States, which is doing its work on Iran to protect its own essential security interests," Pompeo said. He said the United States would work to ensure it is providing humanitarian assistance to the Iranian people.

Iran is origin of threat to US missions in Iraq: Pompeo

President Donald Trump made an undiplomatic remark about close ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, saying he warned Saudi Arabia’s King Salman he would not last in power “for two weeks” without the backing of the US&nbsp;military.

“We protect Saudi Arabia. Would you say they’re rich. And I love the King, King Salman. But I said ‘King - we’re protecting you-you might not be there for two weeks without us - you have to pay for your military,’” Trump said to cheers at a rally in Southaven, Mississippi.

Trump did not say when he made those remarks to the Saudi monarch.

Despite the harsh words, the Trump administration has had a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which it views as a bulwark against Iran’s ambitions in the region.

Trump made Saudi Arabia his first stop on his maiden international trip as president last year.

Trump called King Salman on Saturday and they discussed efforts being made to maintain supplies to ensure oil market stability and global economic growth, according to Saudi state news agency SPA.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s top oil exporter and the de facto leader of OPEC, which has been criticized by Trump for high oil prices.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, Trump said OPEC members were “as usual ripping off the rest of the world.”

“We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good. We want them to stop raising prices, we want them to start lowering prices,” Trump said.

He has also pressed other US&nbsp;allies, such as Japan, South Korea and Germany, to take more of the financial burden of their defense.

President Donald Trump made an undiplomatic remark about close ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, saying he warned Saudi Arabia’s King Salman he would not last in power “for two weeks” without the backing of the US military.

President Donald Trump made an undiplomatic remark about close ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, saying he warned Saudi Arabia’s King Salman he would not last in power “for two weeks” without the backing of the US military. “We protect Saudi Arabia. Would you say they’re rich. And I love the King, King Salman. But I said ‘King - we’re protecting you-you might not be there for two weeks without us - you have to pay for your military,’” Trump said to cheers at a rally in Southaven, Mississippi. Trump did not say when he made those remarks to the Saudi monarch. Despite the harsh words, the Trump administration has had a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which it views as a bulwark against Iran’s ambitions in the region. Trump made Saudi Arabia his first stop on his maiden international trip as president last year. Trump called King Salman on Saturday and they discussed efforts being made to maintain supplies to ensure oil market stability and global economic growth, according to Saudi state news agency SPA. Saudi Arabia is the world’s top oil exporter and the de facto leader of OPEC, which has been criticized by Trump for high oil prices. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, Trump said OPEC members were “as usual ripping off the rest of the world.” “We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good. We want them to stop raising prices, we want them to start lowering prices,” Trump said. He has also pressed other US allies, such as Japan, South Korea and Germany, to take more of the financial burden of their defense.

I told Saudi king he wouldn't last without US support: Trump

Less than five weeks before elections that will determine control of the US Congress for the next two years, about a third of registered voters do not know the name of their party's candidate for office, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll found.

Name recognition is critical in motivating voters, is the reason candidates spend millions of dollars on TV ads and is a major factor in incumbents' advantage in fending off challengers.

But it may be slightly less critical on November 6 as many voters may view their choices as referendums on a man whose name will not be on the ballot: Republican President Donald Trump.

"With the current party polarization, voters increasingly vote based on party (read: like or dislike Trump) rather than the local candidates," Robert Erikson, a professor of political science at Columbia University in New York City, wrote in an email.

A Reuter/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found that 34 per cent of Republican registered voters and 32.5 per cent of Democratic registered voters said they did not know the names of their party's congressional candidates in their districts.

The poll of 2,597 registered voters taken September 24-30 had a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of 3 percentage points.

The level of congressional candidate name recognition is about in line with recent elections, said Marc Hetherington, a professor of political science at the University of North Carolina.

"People aren't voting for their side as much as they are voting against the other side," Hetherington said. "It really doesn't matter what the names are these days."

Generic party interest is not working to Republicans' advantage nationally. Some 54 per cent of US adults told Reuters/Ipsos they disapprove of the way Trump is handling the presidency and Democrats have a 9 percentage point lead in a generic question on which party they expect to vote for in Congress.

Democrats need to pick up 23 seats in the House to win a majority that they could use to more effectively oppose Trump's agenda.&nbsp;

Beyond party and name recognition, gender may play a role in voters' decisions this year, said Michael Cornfield, an associate professor of political management at George Washington University. The #MeToo movement and protests around Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have played into that trend.

"In these cases, it's not just the name," Cornfield said in an email. "Gender relations may be the top issue."

Less than five weeks before elections that will determine control of the US Congress for the next two years, about a third of registered voters do not know the name of their party's candidate for office, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll found.

Less than five weeks before elections that will determine control of the US Congress for the next two years, about a third of registered voters do not know the name of their party's candidate for office, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll found. Name recognition is critical in motivating voters, is the reason candidates spend millions of dollars on TV ads and is a major factor in incumbents' advantage in fending off challengers. But it may be slightly less critical on November 6 as many voters may view their choices as referendums on a man whose name will not be on the ballot: Republican President Donald Trump. "With the current party polarization, voters increasingly vote based on party (read: like or dislike Trump) rather than the local candidates," Robert Erikson, a professor of political science at Columbia University in New York City, wrote in an email. A Reuter/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found that 34 per cent of Republican registered voters and 32.5 per cent of Democratic registered voters said they did not know the names of their party's congressional candidates in their districts. The poll of 2,597 registered voters taken September 24-30 had a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of 3 percentage points. The level of congressional candidate name recognition is about in line with recent elections, said Marc Hetherington, a professor of political science at the University of North Carolina. "People aren't voting for their side as much as they are voting against the other side," Hetherington said. "It really doesn't matter what the names are these days." Generic party interest is not working to Republicans' advantage nationally. Some 54 per cent of US adults told Reuters/Ipsos they disapprove of the way Trump is handling the presidency and Democrats have a 9 percentage point lead in a generic question on which party they expect to vote for in Congress. Democrats need to pick up 23 seats in the House to win a majority that they could use to more effectively oppose Trump's agenda. Beyond party and name recognition, gender may play a role in voters' decisions this year, said Michael Cornfield, an associate professor of political management at George Washington University. The #MeToo movement and protests around Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have played into that trend. "In these cases, it's not just the name," Cornfield said in an email. "Gender relations may be the top issue."

What's in a name? One-third of US voters don't know candidates

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-helped-parents-dodge-millions-taxes-new-york-times-169054">Trump helped parents dodge millions in taxes: New York Times</a>

Donald Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes and received far more money from his father's real estate empire than he has claimed in the past, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/death-toll-indonesia-earthquake-rises-nearly-1300-reports-169055">Death</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/death-toll-indonesia-earthquake-rises-nearly-1300-reports-169055"> toll in Indonesia earthquake, tsunami crosses 1,300: Reports</a>

The death toll from the powerful earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia has crossed 1,300 people, news reports citing the country's disaster management agency officials said Wednesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kisan-kranti-padyatra-ends-delhi-after-midnight-march-chaudhary-charan-singh-memorial">Farmers' protest ends in Delhi after midnight march to Chaudhary Charan Singh </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kisan-kranti-padyatra-ends-delhi-after-midnight-march-chaudhary-charan-singh-memorial">memorial</a>

The 'Kisan Kranti Padyatra', which was begun on September 23 by the Bharatiya Kisan Union, finished at the Kisan Ghat in the national capital on Wednesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/very-scary-time-young-american-men-says-trump-169056">'Very scary time' for young American men, says Trump</a>

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the reaction to decades-old allegations of sexual assault against his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh makes it "a very scary time" for young men in the United States.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/un-expert-voices-fears-rohingyas-india-set-expel-169058">UN expert voices fears for Rohingyas India is set to expel</a>

A United Nations legal expert has voiced concern over India's plan to deport on Wednesday seven Rohingyas to Myanmar where the army is accused of ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority.

&nbsp;

Trump helped parents dodge millions in taxes: New York Times Donald Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes and received far more money from his father's real estate empire than he has claimed in the past, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Trump helped parents dodge millions in taxes: New York Times Donald Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes and received far more money from his father's real estate empire than he has claimed in the past, The New York Times reported Tuesday. Death toll in Indonesia earthquake, tsunami crosses 1,300: Reports The death toll from the powerful earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia has crossed 1,300 people, news reports citing the country's disaster management agency officials said Wednesday. Farmers' protest ends in Delhi after midnight march to Chaudhary Charan Singh memorial The 'Kisan Kranti Padyatra', which was begun on September 23 by the Bharatiya Kisan Union, finished at the Kisan Ghat in the national capital on Wednesday. 'Very scary time' for young American men, says Trump US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the reaction to decades-old allegations of sexual assault against his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh makes it "a very scary time" for young men in the United States. UN expert voices fears for Rohingyas India is set to expel A United Nations legal expert has voiced concern over India's plan to deport on Wednesday seven Rohingyas to Myanmar where the army is accused of ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority.

News brief: Big stories of the day

In a move to chip away&nbsp;at protections of the LGBTQ community, United States is reportedly denying visas to the partners of more than 100 gay diplomats unless they get married, news agency AFP reported quoting officials on Tuesday.

Around 105 families are affected by the decision, of whom 55 are posted at US-based international organizations such as the United Nations, the report added quoting a State Department official.

Under the new guidelines, diplomats regardless of sexual orientation will need to be married by the end of the year in order for their partners to receive visas.

Under the earlier policy implemented by former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the United States issued visas to same-sex partners regardless of their marital status.

Diplomats can still obtain visas for their partners if they get married, including if they do so while in the United States.

Former US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power decried the Trump administration's move as "needlessly cruel &amp; bigoted."

She noted that only 12 per cent of UN member states allow same-sex marriage.

A UN spokesman said that about 10 staff members in New York were affected and have been asked to show marriage certificates by the end of the year.

"This is a US policy, and as with other national policies in countries where staff is based, we will have to comply with it," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq.

(With inputs from AFP)

In a move to chip away at protections of the LGBTQ community, United States is reportedly denying visas to the partners of more than 100 gay diplomats unless they get married, news agency AFP reported quoting officials on Tuesday.

In a move to chip away at protections of the LGBTQ community, United States is reportedly denying visas to the partners of more than 100 gay diplomats unless they get married, news agency AFP reported quoting officials on Tuesday. Around 105 families are affected by the decision, of whom 55 are posted at US-based international organizations such as the United Nations, the report added quoting a State Department official. Under the new guidelines, diplomats regardless of sexual orientation will need to be married by the end of the year in order for their partners to receive visas. Under the earlier policy implemented by former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the United States issued visas to same-sex partners regardless of their marital status. Diplomats can still obtain visas for their partners if they get married, including if they do so while in the United States. Former US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power decried the Trump administration's move as "needlessly cruel & bigoted." She noted that only 12 per cent of UN member states allow same-sex marriage. A UN spokesman said that about 10 staff members in New York were affected and have been asked to show marriage certificates by the end of the year. "This is a US policy, and as with other national policies in countries where staff is based, we will have to comply with it," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump administration to refuse visas to unmarried gay diplomats

The Trump administration will send messages to more than 200 million US cellphones on Wednesday testing a previously unused presidential alert system that aims to warn the public in the event of a national emergency.

The test message was originally scheduled for September but was pushed back to Wednesday at 2:18 pm EDT (1818 GMT). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which will send the alert, said the messages would bear the headline “Presidential Alert,” and that phones will make a loud tone and have a special vibration.

The test has been scheduled to ensure that the alert system would work in the event of a national emergency. The message will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” A separate alert on TV and radios will be issued at 2:20 pm (1820 GMT)

The tests have drawn a lot of attention on social media in part because of President Donald Trump's propensity for sending tweets to his 55 million followers.

On a conference call, government officials told reporters that Trump would not personally trigger the alert -- from his phone or any other device -- and emphasized that no president could "wake up one morning and attempt to send a personal message."

The test alert will be sent by a device similar to a laptop from a FEMA laboratory.

An actual alert would be used for an impending missile attack or another national emergency.

Then-President Barack Obama signed a law in 2016 requiring FEMA to create a system allowing the president to send cellphone alerts regarding public safety emergencies.

Federal Communications Commissioner Mike O'Rielly told reporters on Tuesday that an April 5 regional test of the emergency alert system in the Washington area showed some potential issues.

He said some people did not receive alerts on some devices during that test. "We're trying to analyze that," O'Rielly said.

The country's wireless emergency alert system has issued over 36,000 alerts for situations such as missing children, extreme weather and natural disasters since 2012, but never a presidential directive.

Cellphone users can opt out of natural disaster or missing children alerts, but not presidential alerts. Verizon Communications Inc said nearly all of its mobile phone handsets are capable of getting alerts.

Government officials estimated that the alert would reach upwards of 225 million US cellphones or around 75 per cent of all phones. They said a person on a call lasting 30 minutes may not get the alert as with phones with an active data connection.

The Trump administration will send messages to more than 200 million US cellphones on Wednesday testing a previously unused presidential alert system that aims to warn the public in the event of a national emergency.

The Trump administration will send messages to more than 200 million US cellphones on Wednesday testing a previously unused presidential alert system that aims to warn the public in the event of a national emergency. The test message was originally scheduled for September but was pushed back to Wednesday at 2:18 pm EDT (1818 GMT). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which will send the alert, said the messages would bear the headline “Presidential Alert,” and that phones will make a loud tone and have a special vibration. The test has been scheduled to ensure that the alert system would work in the event of a national emergency. The message will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” A separate alert on TV and radios will be issued at 2:20 pm (1820 GMT) The tests have drawn a lot of attention on social media in part because of President Donald Trump's propensity for sending tweets to his 55 million followers. On a conference call, government officials told reporters that Trump would not personally trigger the alert -- from his phone or any other device -- and emphasized that no president could "wake up one morning and attempt to send a personal message." The test alert will be sent by a device similar to a laptop from a FEMA laboratory. An actual alert would be used for an impending missile attack or another national emergency. Then-President Barack Obama signed a law in 2016 requiring FEMA to create a system allowing the president to send cellphone alerts regarding public safety emergencies. Federal Communications Commissioner Mike O'Rielly told reporters on Tuesday that an April 5 regional test of the emergency alert system in the Washington area showed some potential issues. He said some people did not receive alerts on some devices during that test. "We're trying to analyze that," O'Rielly said. The country's wireless emergency alert system has issued over 36,000 alerts for situations such as missing children, extreme weather and natural disasters since 2012, but never a presidential directive. Cellphone users can opt out of natural disaster or missing children alerts, but not presidential alerts. Verizon Communications Inc said nearly all of its mobile phone handsets are capable of getting alerts. Government officials estimated that the alert would reach upwards of 225 million US cellphones or around 75 per cent of all phones. They said a person on a call lasting 30 minutes may not get the alert as with phones with an active data connection.

America to buzz as phones get 'presidential alert' test 

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he thought the conservative federal appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh would win Senate confirmation once the FBI finishes its investigation, reported news agency Reuters.

Five days after an extraordinary Senate hearing watched by millions of people in which a university professor, Christine Blasey Ford, detailed her sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh, Trump seemed to raise the issue of false accusations against men, the report added.

"What neighbourhood was it in? I don't know," Trump said at the rally. "Where's the house? I don't know. Upstairs, downstairs, where I was. I don't know. But I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember. And a man's life is in tatters," Trump said.

The allegations of sexual misconduct against his US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have emerged because "They have been trying to destroy Judge Kavanaugh since the very first second he was announced."

The fight over Kavanaugh's nomination to a lifetime job on the top US court comes against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement fighting sexual harassment and assault that has toppled a succession of powerful men.

Under pressure from moderate fellow Republicans, Trump on Friday ordered an FBI investigation lasting up to a week into the allegations against his nominee. 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he thought the conservative federal appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh would win Senate confirmation once the FBI finishes its investigation, reported news agency Reuters.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he thought the conservative federal appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh would win Senate confirmation once the FBI finishes its investigation, reported news agency Reuters. Five days after an extraordinary Senate hearing watched by millions of people in which a university professor, Christine Blasey Ford, detailed her sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh, Trump seemed to raise the issue of false accusations against men, the report added. "What neighbourhood was it in? I don't know," Trump said at the rally. "Where's the house? I don't know. Upstairs, downstairs, where I was. I don't know. But I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember. And a man's life is in tatters," Trump said. The allegations of sexual misconduct against his US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have emerged because "They have been trying to destroy Judge Kavanaugh since the very first second he was announced." The fight over Kavanaugh's nomination to a lifetime job on the top US court comes against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement fighting sexual harassment and assault that has toppled a succession of powerful men. Under pressure from moderate fellow Republicans, Trump on Friday ordered an FBI investigation lasting up to a week into the allegations against his nominee.

Kavanaugh would win Senate confirmation once FBI finishes probe: Trump

Donald Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes and received far more money from his father's real estate empire than he has claimed in the past, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Trump "participated in dubious tax schemes during the 1990s, including instances of outright fraud, that greatly increased the fortune he received from his parents," the newspaper said.

Trump has stated on numerous occasions that he received little help from his father, New York property developer Fred Trump, in building his fortune.

But the newspaper said its exhaustive investigation of a vast trove of tax returns and confidential records found this was not true.

It said that Trump received the equivalent of $413 million in today's dollars from his father's real estate activities.

"By age 3, Mr. Trump was earning $200,000 a year in today's dollars from his father's empire," the Times said. "He was a millionaire by age 8.

"Soon after Mr. Trump graduated from college, he was receiving the equivalent of $1 million a year from his father," it said. "The money increased with the years, to more than $5 million annually in his 40s and 50s."

"Much of this money came to Mr. Trump because he helped his parents dodge taxes," the Times said.

"He and his siblings set up a sham corporation to disguise millions of dollars in gifts from their parents," it said.

Trump also "helped his father take improper tax deductions worth millions more," the newspaper added.

"He also helped formulate a strategy to undervalue his parents' real estate holdings by hundreds of millions of dollars on tax returns, sharply reducing the tax bill."

The Times said Trump's parents, Fred and Mary Trump, who died respectively in 1999 and 2000, transferred more than $1 billion in wealth to their children.

This could have produced a tax bill of at least $550 million but the Trumps paid a total of just $52.2 million, the Times said, citing tax records.

Trump declined to comment on the article but Charles Harder, one of his lawyers, issued a statement to the newspaper.

"The New York Times's allegations of fraud and tax evasion are 100 percent false, and highly defamatory," Harder said. "There was no fraud or tax evasion by anyone. The facts upon which The Times bases its false allegations are extremely inaccurate."

"President Trump had virtually no involvement whatsoever with these matters," Harder added.

"The affairs were handled by other Trump family members who were not experts themselves and therefore relied entirely upon the aforementioned licensed professionals to ensure full compliance with the law."

Breaking with the practice of past presidents, Trump has refused so far to release his tax returns.

Donald Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes and received far more money from his father's real estate empire than he has claimed in the past, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Donald Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes and received far more money from his father's real estate empire than he has claimed in the past, The New York Times reported Tuesday. Trump "participated in dubious tax schemes during the 1990s, including instances of outright fraud, that greatly increased the fortune he received from his parents," the newspaper said. Trump has stated on numerous occasions that he received little help from his father, New York property developer Fred Trump, in building his fortune. But the newspaper said its exhaustive investigation of a vast trove of tax returns and confidential records found this was not true. It said that Trump received the equivalent of $413 million in today's dollars from his father's real estate activities. "By age 3, Mr. Trump was earning $200,000 a year in today's dollars from his father's empire," the Times said. "He was a millionaire by age 8. "Soon after Mr. Trump graduated from college, he was receiving the equivalent of $1 million a year from his father," it said. "The money increased with the years, to more than $5 million annually in his 40s and 50s." "Much of this money came to Mr. Trump because he helped his parents dodge taxes," the Times said. "He and his siblings set up a sham corporation to disguise millions of dollars in gifts from their parents," it said. Trump also "helped his father take improper tax deductions worth millions more," the newspaper added. "He also helped formulate a strategy to undervalue his parents' real estate holdings by hundreds of millions of dollars on tax returns, sharply reducing the tax bill." The Times said Trump's parents, Fred and Mary Trump, who died respectively in 1999 and 2000, transferred more than $1 billion in wealth to their children. This could have produced a tax bill of at least $550 million but the Trumps paid a total of just $52.2 million, the Times said, citing tax records. Trump declined to comment on the article but Charles Harder, one of his lawyers, issued a statement to the newspaper. "The New York Times's allegations of fraud and tax evasion are 100 percent false, and highly defamatory," Harder said. "There was no fraud or tax evasion by anyone. The facts upon which The Times bases its false allegations are extremely inaccurate." "President Trump had virtually no involvement whatsoever with these matters," Harder added. "The affairs were handled by other Trump family members who were not experts themselves and therefore relied entirely upon the aforementioned licensed professionals to ensure full compliance with the law." Breaking with the practice of past presidents, Trump has refused so far to release his tax returns.

Trump helped parents dodge millions in taxes: New York Times

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the reaction to decades-old allegations of sexual assault against his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh makes it "a very scary time" for young men in the United States.

His remarks came as he responded to questions about allegations against the conservative jurist by three women who say Kavanaugh drunkenly sexually abused or harassed them when they were students in the 1980s.

"It's a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House.

Trump said Kavanaugh -- who denies the allegations and is adamant he did not drink to the point of blacking out, despite enjoying beer in his younger years -- has been treated unfairly.

"My whole life, I've heard you're innocent until proven guilty. But now you're guilty until proven innocent," Trump said.

The FBI is conducting a Senate-requested probe into the sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh, whom Trump described as "a great judge" who "has been very brutally treated."

Trump was more prudent however when asked about the outcome of the upcoming Senate vote on whether to approve Kavanaugh for the highest US court.

That "is going to depend on what comes back from the FBI," Trump said. "The FBI is working very hard and let's see what happens."

In an extraordinary Senate hearing on Thursday, Kavanaugh said the confirmation process had become a "national disgrace," adding that the accusations had "destroyed my family and my good name."

Senators, including Republican Jeff Flake, struck a deal the following day that gives the FBI one week to conduct an investigation and deliver a report. 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the reaction to decades-old allegations of sexual assault against his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh makes it "a very scary time" for young men in the United States.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the reaction to decades-old allegations of sexual assault against his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh makes it "a very scary time" for young men in the United States. His remarks came as he responded to questions about allegations against the conservative jurist by three women who say Kavanaugh drunkenly sexually abused or harassed them when they were students in the 1980s. "It's a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House. Trump said Kavanaugh -- who denies the allegations and is adamant he did not drink to the point of blacking out, despite enjoying beer in his younger years -- has been treated unfairly. "My whole life, I've heard you're innocent until proven guilty. But now you're guilty until proven innocent," Trump said. The FBI is conducting a Senate-requested probe into the sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh, whom Trump described as "a great judge" who "has been very brutally treated." Trump was more prudent however when asked about the outcome of the upcoming Senate vote on whether to approve Kavanaugh for the highest US court. That "is going to depend on what comes back from the FBI," Trump said. "The FBI is working very hard and let's see what happens." In an extraordinary Senate hearing on Thursday, Kavanaugh said the confirmation process had become a "national disgrace," adding that the accusations had "destroyed my family and my good name." Senators, including Republican Jeff Flake, struck a deal the following day that gives the FBI one week to conduct an investigation and deliver a report.

'Very scary time' for young American men, says Trump

Donald Trump described India as ''Tariff King''

North Korea said on Tuesday that declaring the end of the 1950-53 Korean War "can never be a bargaining chip" for getting North Korea denuclearised, and said the country "will not particularly hope for it" if the United States does not want the end of the war, according to state media KCNA.

In a joint statement with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in their Pyongyang summit last month, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un expressed a willingness to “permanently dismantle” the Yongbyon nuclear complex if the United States takes the corresponding action.

Moon said this would include a declaration of an official end to the war.

In a commentary, KCNA said on Tuesday that declaring the war's end should have "been resolved half a century ago," and called it "the most basic and primary process for the establishment of new DPRK-US relations and peace" on the Korean peninsula "to which the US was also committed,", referring to North Korea by its official name, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

At their unprecedented summit in June, US President Donald Trump and Kim agreed in broad terms to "build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula."

However, Washington wants North Korea to first provide a complete inventory of its weapons programs and take irreversible steps to give up its arsenal.

KCNA said the Yongbyon nuclear facility, which the North expressed a willingness to take offline if the United States takes the corresponding action, "is a core one for its nuclear program."

"The DPRK is taking substantial and crucial steps to implement the joint statement made at the DPRK-US summit, but the US is still trying to subdue someone by resorting to sanctions," the unnamed commentary accused.

However, three senior US officials involved in North Korea policy previously told Reuters that no progress has been made in moving toward serious negotiations on eliminating or even halting Kim’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Dismantling Yongbyon would slow the production of fissile material, but not reduce the current stockpile of plutonium and highly enriched uranium, nor clear suspicions of other secret production sites, an expert previously told Reuters.

North Korea said on Tuesday that declaring the end of the 1950-53 Korean War "can never be a bargaining chip" for getting North Korea denuclearised, and said the country "will not particularly hope for it" if the United States does not want the end of the war, according to state media KCNA.

North Korea said on Tuesday that declaring the end of the 1950-53 Korean War "can never be a bargaining chip" for getting North Korea denuclearised, and said the country "will not particularly hope for it" if the United States does not want the end of the war, according to state media KCNA. In a joint statement with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in their Pyongyang summit last month, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un expressed a willingness to “permanently dismantle” the Yongbyon nuclear complex if the United States takes the corresponding action. Moon said this would include a declaration of an official end to the war. In a commentary, KCNA said on Tuesday that declaring the war's end should have "been resolved half a century ago," and called it "the most basic and primary process for the establishment of new DPRK-US relations and peace" on the Korean peninsula "to which the US was also committed,", referring to North Korea by its official name, Democratic People's Republic of Korea. At their unprecedented summit in June, US President Donald Trump and Kim agreed in broad terms to "build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula." However, Washington wants North Korea to first provide a complete inventory of its weapons programs and take irreversible steps to give up its arsenal. KCNA said the Yongbyon nuclear facility, which the North expressed a willingness to take offline if the United States takes the corresponding action, "is a core one for its nuclear program." "The DPRK is taking substantial and crucial steps to implement the joint statement made at the DPRK-US summit, but the US is still trying to subdue someone by resorting to sanctions," the unnamed commentary accused. However, three senior US officials involved in North Korea policy previously told Reuters that no progress has been made in moving toward serious negotiations on eliminating or even halting Kim’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Dismantling Yongbyon would slow the production of fissile material, but not reduce the current stockpile of plutonium and highly enriched uranium, nor clear suspicions of other secret production sites, an expert previously told Reuters.

North Korea says war's end can't be bargaining chip for denuclearisation: Report

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/magnitude-62-quake-hits-near-flores-indonesia-usgs-168856">Twin quakes hit off </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/magnitude-62-quake-hits-near-flores-indonesia-usgs-168856">Indonesian</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/magnitude-62-quake-hits-near-flores-indonesia-usgs-168856"> island of Sumba, just days after 840 died in Sulawesi</a>

Two quakes struck in quick succession off the southern coast of Indonesia's Sumba island on Tuesday morning, sending startled people into the streets for safety.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britain-will-stop-favouring-eu-workers-after-brexit-pm-theresa-may-168857">Britain will stop favouring EU workers after Brexit: PM Theresa May</a>

Britain will end preferential access for European Union workers after Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Tuesday, saying she wanted to attract high-skilled immigrants wherever they were from.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ronaldo-denies-fake-news-rape-claim-police-reopen-investigation-168859">Ronaldo denies 'fake news' rape claim as police reopen investigation</a>

Police said Monday they had reopened an investigation into a rape accusation made by a former model who says soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo attacked her in his Las Vegas hotel penthouse suite in 2009.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-kavanaugh-had-bit-difficulty-alcohol-168862">Trump says Kavanaugh had a 'bit of difficulty' with alcohol</a>

US President Donald Trump defended Monday his embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but said that the appeals court judge has had a "bit of difficulty" with alcohol.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/child-abuse-leaves-molecular-scars-victims-study-168858">Child abuse leaves 'molecular scars' on victims: Study</a>

Children subjected to abuse may carry the physical hallmark of that trauma in their cells, scientists said Tuesday, in research that could help criminal investigations probing historic mistreatment.

&nbsp;

Twin quakes hit off Indonesian island of Sumba, just days after 840 died in Sulawesi Two quakes struck in quick succession off the southern coast of Indonesia's Sumba island on Tuesday morning, sending startled people into the streets for safety.

Twin quakes hit off Indonesian island of Sumba, just days after 840 died in Sulawesi Two quakes struck in quick succession off the southern coast of Indonesia's Sumba island on Tuesday morning, sending startled people into the streets for safety. Britain will stop favouring EU workers after Brexit: PM Theresa May Britain will end preferential access for European Union workers after Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Tuesday, saying she wanted to attract high-skilled immigrants wherever they were from. Ronaldo denies 'fake news' rape claim as police reopen investigation Police said Monday they had reopened an investigation into a rape accusation made by a former model who says soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo attacked her in his Las Vegas hotel penthouse suite in 2009. Trump says Kavanaugh had a 'bit of difficulty' with alcohol US President Donald Trump defended Monday his embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but said that the appeals court judge has had a "bit of difficulty" with alcohol. Child abuse leaves 'molecular scars' on victims: Study Children subjected to abuse may carry the physical hallmark of that trauma in their cells, scientists said Tuesday, in research that could help criminal investigations probing historic mistreatment.

US President Donald Trump defended Monday his embattled Supreme Court nominee <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-he-wants-comprehensive-fbi-investigation-kavanaugh-168846">Brett </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-he-wants-comprehensive-fbi-investigation-kavanaugh-168846">Kavanaugh</a>, but said that the appeals court judge has had a "bit of difficulty" with alcohol.

Trump called Kavanaugh's treatment unfair, days after the FBI opened a Senate-requested probe into allegations by three women that a drunken Kavanaugh sexually abused them or engaged in sexual misconduct while they were students in the 1980s.

In a White House press conference, Trump sought to excuse excessive drinking by teenagers, while going beyond Kavanaugh's own testimony on his past use of alcohol to the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.

"I was surprised at how vocal he was about the fact that he likes beer," the president said.

"He's had a little bit of difficulty. He talked about things that happened when he drank. This is not a man that said... he was perfect with respect to alcohol."

He also questioned why investigators needed to examine the 53-year-old Kavanaugh's high school record.

"I think it's very unfair to bring up things like this," Trump said.

"I graduated from high school and while I did not drink, I saw a lot of people drinking," he said.

"They drink beer and go crazy and they were in high school... Does that mean that they can't do something they want to do in their life?"

'I like beer'

In Thursday's extraordinary hearing, Kavanaugh vehemently denied the sexual abuse allegations, and also aggressively challenged suggestions he had a drinking problem at the time.

"I drank beer with my friends. Sometimes I had too many beers," he told the panel. &nbsp;

"Yes, we drank beer. I liked beer. I still like beer," he said.

"If every American who drinks beer or every American who drank beer in high school is suddenly presumed guilty of sexual assault, it will be an ugly, new place in this country."

Trump meanwhile said the White House would not restrict the new FBI probe, requested by senators before they take a final vote on Kavanaugh.

"I think the FBI should do what they have to do to get to the answer," Trump said.

"I want it to be comprehensive.... With that being said, I would like to go quickly," he added.

"We don't want to go on a witch hunt, do we?"

Senators, including Republican Jeff Flake, struck a deal Friday that gives the FBI one week to conduct its investigation and deliver its report.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate, made up of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats, will be "voting this week" on advancing the Kavanaugh nomination, setting up a possible final confirmation vote this weekend or early next week.

"The time for endless delay and obstruction has come to a close," McConnell said.

Last week, Flake expressed eagerness to see Kavanaugh confirmed but said he wanted a "better process" for assessing the allegations. Flake said over the weekend that he would vote for Kavanaugh unless the FBI finds something in its investigation.

US President Donald Trump defended Monday his embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but said that the appeals court judge has had a "bit of difficulty" with alcohol.

US President Donald Trump defended Monday his embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but said that the appeals court judge has had a "bit of difficulty" with alcohol. Trump called Kavanaugh's treatment unfair, days after the FBI opened a Senate-requested probe into allegations by three women that a drunken Kavanaugh sexually abused them or engaged in sexual misconduct while they were students in the 1980s. In a White House press conference, Trump sought to excuse excessive drinking by teenagers, while going beyond Kavanaugh's own testimony on his past use of alcohol to the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. "I was surprised at how vocal he was about the fact that he likes beer," the president said. "He's had a little bit of difficulty. He talked about things that happened when he drank. This is not a man that said... he was perfect with respect to alcohol." He also questioned why investigators needed to examine the 53-year-old Kavanaugh's high school record. "I think it's very unfair to bring up things like this," Trump said. "I graduated from high school and while I did not drink, I saw a lot of people drinking," he said. "They drink beer and go crazy and they were in high school... Does that mean that they can't do something they want to do in their life?" 'I like beer' In Thursday's extraordinary hearing, Kavanaugh vehemently denied the sexual abuse allegations, and also aggressively challenged suggestions he had a drinking problem at the time. "I drank beer with my friends. Sometimes I had too many beers," he told the panel. "Yes, we drank beer. I liked beer. I still like beer," he said. "If every American who drinks beer or every American who drank beer in high school is suddenly presumed guilty of sexual assault, it will be an ugly, new place in this country." Trump meanwhile said the White House would not restrict the new FBI probe, requested by senators before they take a final vote on Kavanaugh. "I think the FBI should do what they have to do to get to the answer," Trump said. "I want it to be comprehensive.... With that being said, I would like to go quickly," he added. "We don't want to go on a witch hunt, do we?" Senators, including Republican Jeff Flake, struck a deal Friday that gives the FBI one week to conduct its investigation and deliver its report. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate, made up of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats, will be "voting this week" on advancing the Kavanaugh nomination, setting up a possible final confirmation vote this weekend or early next week. "The time for endless delay and obstruction has come to a close," McConnell said. Last week, Flake expressed eagerness to see Kavanaugh confirmed but said he wanted a "better process" for assessing the allegations. Flake said over the weekend that he would vote for Kavanaugh unless the FBI finds something in its investigation.

Trump says Kavanaugh had a 'bit of difficulty' with alcohol

The United States and Canada reached a deal on Sunday to salvage NAFTA as a trilateral pact with Mexico, beating a midnight deadline with agreements to substantially boost American access to Canada's dairy market and protect Canada from possible US auto tariffs, sources with direct knowledge of the talks said.

President Donald Trump had threatened to splinter the nearly 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement into a bilateral pact with Mexico and tax Canadian vehicle exports to the United States if Ottawa had failed to sign on before a midnight Sunday deadline (0400 GMT Monday).

But Trump has approved the "framework" deal with Canada, a source familiar with the decision said, just days after he sharply criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his NAFTA negotiating team.

Trump blames NAFTA for the loss of American manufacturing jobs and wants major changes to the pact, which underpins $1.2 trillion in annual trade. Markets fear its demise would cause major economic disruption.

Negotiators from both sides spent two days talking by phone as they tried to settle a range of difficult issues such as access to Canada's closed dairy market and US tariffs.

The deal will preserve a trade dispute settlement mechanism that Canada fought hard to maintain to protect its lumber industry and other sectors from US anti-dumping tariffs, Canadian sources said.

But this came at a cost.

Canada had agreed to provide US dairy farmers access to about 3.5 per cent of its approximately $16 billion annual domestic dairy market, the sources said, adding that the Canadian government is prepared to offer compensation to dairy farmers hurt by the deal.

The influential Dairy Farmers of Canada lobby group - which strongly opposes the idea - said in a statement that it insisted "any final NAFTA deal should have no further negative impact on the dairy sector."

Canada also agreed to a quota of 2.6 million vehicles exported to the United States in the event that Trump imposes 25 per cent global autos tariffs on national security grounds, Canadian and US&nbsp;auto industry sources said.

The quota would allow for significant growth in tariff-free automotive exports from Canada above current production levels of about 2 million units, safeguarding Canadian plants.

But the deal failed to resolve US tariffs on Canada's steel and aluminum exports, the Canadian sources said.

"We celebrate the trilateral agreement. The door is closed to the fragmentation of the region," Jesus Seade, President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's NAFTA negotiator said on Twitter. "NAFTA 2 will give certainty and stability to Mexican trade with its partners in North America."

The Canadian dollar and Mexican peso both rallied as word circulated that a trilateral deal had been hammered out. The loonie was up 0.60 per cent versus the greenback while the peso gained 0.80 per cent.

US&nbsp;stocks looked set to rally on the news. S&amp;P 500 Index e-mini futures were up 0.6 per cent, suggesting the benchmark index was on track to open the week back near record territory.

US business groups opposed turning NAFTA into a bilateral deal because the three nations' economies have become closely intertwined since the original pact came into force in 1994.

Officials have blown through several deadlines since the talks started in August 2017.

The United States and Canada reached a deal on Sunday to salvage NAFTA as a trilateral pact with Mexico, beating a midnight deadline with agreements to substantially boost American access to Canada's dairy market and protect Canada from possible US auto tariffs, sources with direct knowledge of the talks said.

The United States and Canada reached a deal on Sunday to salvage NAFTA as a trilateral pact with Mexico, beating a midnight deadline with agreements to substantially boost American access to Canada's dairy market and protect Canada from possible US auto tariffs, sources with direct knowledge of the talks said. President Donald Trump had threatened to splinter the nearly 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement into a bilateral pact with Mexico and tax Canadian vehicle exports to the United States if Ottawa had failed to sign on before a midnight Sunday deadline (0400 GMT Monday). But Trump has approved the "framework" deal with Canada, a source familiar with the decision said, just days after he sharply criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his NAFTA negotiating team. Trump blames NAFTA for the loss of American manufacturing jobs and wants major changes to the pact, which underpins $1.2 trillion in annual trade. Markets fear its demise would cause major economic disruption. Negotiators from both sides spent two days talking by phone as they tried to settle a range of difficult issues such as access to Canada's closed dairy market and US tariffs. The deal will preserve a trade dispute settlement mechanism that Canada fought hard to maintain to protect its lumber industry and other sectors from US anti-dumping tariffs, Canadian sources said. But this came at a cost. Canada had agreed to provide US dairy farmers access to about 3.5 per cent of its approximately $16 billion annual domestic dairy market, the sources said, adding that the Canadian government is prepared to offer compensation to dairy farmers hurt by the deal. The influential Dairy Farmers of Canada lobby group - which strongly opposes the idea - said in a statement that it insisted "any final NAFTA deal should have no further negative impact on the dairy sector." Canada also agreed to a quota of 2.6 million vehicles exported to the United States in the event that Trump imposes 25 per cent global autos tariffs on national security grounds, Canadian and US auto industry sources said. The quota would allow for significant growth in tariff-free automotive exports from Canada above current production levels of about 2 million units, safeguarding Canadian plants. But the deal failed to resolve US tariffs on Canada's steel and aluminum exports, the Canadian sources said. "We celebrate the trilateral agreement. The door is closed to the fragmentation of the region," Jesus Seade, President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's NAFTA negotiator said on Twitter. "NAFTA 2 will give certainty and stability to Mexican trade with its partners in North America." The Canadian dollar and Mexican peso both rallied as word circulated that a trilateral deal had been hammered out. The loonie was up 0.60 per cent versus the greenback while the peso gained 0.80 per cent. US stocks looked set to rally on the news. S&P 500 Index e-mini futures were up 0.6 per cent, suggesting the benchmark index was on track to open the week back near record territory. US business groups opposed turning NAFTA into a bilateral deal because the three nations' economies have become closely intertwined since the original pact came into force in 1994. Officials have blown through several deadlines since the talks started in August 2017.

Canada, US reach deal to save NAFTA as trilateral trade pact

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-says-not-micromanaging-fbi-probe-kavanaugh-168642">White House says not 'micromanaging' FBI probe of Kavanaugh</a>

The FBI is free to investigate any sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that it deems credible, two White House spokeswomen said on Sunday, rebuffing reports that the administration has tried to limit the probe.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-adviser-kellyanne-conway-im-victim-sexual-assault-168641">Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway: 'I'm a victim of sexual assault'</a>

Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump and one of the most public faces of his administration, revealed on Sunday that she has been a victim of sexual assault.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/canada-us-reach-nafta-deal-report-168658">Canada, US reach NAFTA deal: Report</a>

Canadian and US negotiators reached a deal late Sunday on reforming the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canadian media reported.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-president-joko-widodo-visits-worst-hit-areas-earthquake-and-tsunami-168657">Indonesian earthquake: President Joko Widodo visits worst hit</a>

Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Sunday visited Palu, a coastal city on Sulawesi island, hit by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that triggered a tsunami with waves as high as six metres (20 feet) two days ago.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kanye-west-delivers-pro-donald-trump-speech-saturday-night-live-168659">Kanye West delivers pro-Donald Trump speech at Saturday Night Live</a>

 
Kanye West, who has been vocal about his support for US President Donald Trump, delivered a pro-Trump speech on the premiere of the 44th season of `Saturday Night Live`.

&nbsp;

White House says not 'micromanaging' FBI probe of Kavanaugh The FBI is free to investigate any sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that it deems credible, two White House spokeswomen said on Sunday, rebuffing reports that the administration has tried to limit the probe.

White House says not 'micromanaging' FBI probe of Kavanaugh The FBI is free to investigate any sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that it deems credible, two White House spokeswomen said on Sunday, rebuffing reports that the administration has tried to limit the probe. Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway: 'I'm a victim of sexual assault' Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump and one of the most public faces of his administration, revealed on Sunday that she has been a victim of sexual assault. Canada, US reach NAFTA deal: Report Canadian and US negotiators reached a deal late Sunday on reforming the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canadian media reported. Indonesian earthquake: President Joko Widodo visits worst hit Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Sunday visited Palu, a coastal city on Sulawesi island, hit by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that triggered a tsunami with waves as high as six metres (20 feet) two days ago. Kanye West delivers pro-Donald Trump speech at Saturday Night Live Kanye West, who has been vocal about his support for US President Donald Trump, delivered a pro-Trump speech on the premiere of the 44th season of `Saturday Night Live`.

US and Canadian negotiators were holding eleventh-hour talks on Sunday aimed at revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement ahead of a Washington-imposed deadline.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was to convene an emergency ministerial meeting at 10:00 pm (0200 GMT) on Sunday evening -- two hours ahead of the deadline, officials said.

The talks were being held remotely, unlike in previous rounds where Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland traveled to Washington.

"Lots of progress, but we're not there yet," David MacNaughton, Canada's ambassador to the United States, said in Ottawa before heading back to Washington earlier on Sunday.

Peter Navarro, an adviser to US President Donald Trump on trade, told Fox News: "Everybody is negotiating in good faith right now as we speak.&nbsp;

"The deadline is midnight tonight to get the text into Congress to make sure this goes forward."

Canada's The Globe and Mail cited sources on both sides of the border as saying a deal was close.

Most of the "substantive work" has been completed, with a "handful" of details remaining, the newspaper reported.

The United States and Mexico want to push a deal they separately negotiated through their respective legislatures before Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador takes office on December 1.

In the United States, Congress must have the text of the deal by Sunday if a 60-day review period is to be respected.

High political stakes

Trump has been pushing for a complete overhaul of the 25-year-old trade deal, which he says has been a "rip-off" for the United States.

Speaking at a political rally in Wheeling, West Virginia on Saturday night, Trump told supporters: "We'll see what happens with Canada, if they come along. They have to be fair."

In August -- more than a year into the negotiations -- the United States and Mexico announced they had reached a two-way deal, after breaking away for bilateral talks on their outstanding issues.

But the ensuing talks to incorporate Canada have stumbled.

Ottawa and Washington remain at odds over Canada's managed dairy sector, and the dispute resolution provisions in NAFTA.

But concessions on dairy would be politically difficult for Trudeau's government, a matter complicated yet further by elections being held Monday in the key dairy producing province of Quebec.

The main Quebec parties and farmers' organizations are in favor of retaining the "supply management" system, which controls the production and price of milk and poultry and ensures stable incomes for Canadian farmers.

Tempers flared this week on both sides as the end-of-month deadline approached.

"We're not getting along with their negotiators," Trump said Wednesday of Canada.

Trudeau fired back: "We won't sign a bad deal for Canada."

The political stakes are high on both sides of the US-Canadian border: Trump needs to look strong heading into the November midterm elections, while Trudeau does not want to be seen as caving before next year's general election.

US and Canadian negotiators were holding eleventh-hour talks on Sunday aimed at revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement ahead of a Washington-imposed deadline.

US and Canadian negotiators were holding eleventh-hour talks on Sunday aimed at revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement ahead of a Washington-imposed deadline. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was to convene an emergency ministerial meeting at 10:00 pm (0200 GMT) on Sunday evening -- two hours ahead of the deadline, officials said. The talks were being held remotely, unlike in previous rounds where Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland traveled to Washington. "Lots of progress, but we're not there yet," David MacNaughton, Canada's ambassador to the United States, said in Ottawa before heading back to Washington earlier on Sunday. Peter Navarro, an adviser to US President Donald Trump on trade, told Fox News: "Everybody is negotiating in good faith right now as we speak. "The deadline is midnight tonight to get the text into Congress to make sure this goes forward." Canada's The Globe and Mail cited sources on both sides of the border as saying a deal was close. Most of the "substantive work" has been completed, with a "handful" of details remaining, the newspaper reported. The United States and Mexico want to push a deal they separately negotiated through their respective legislatures before Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador takes office on December 1. In the United States, Congress must have the text of the deal by Sunday if a 60-day review period is to be respected. High political stakes Trump has been pushing for a complete overhaul of the 25-year-old trade deal, which he says has been a "rip-off" for the United States. Speaking at a political rally in Wheeling, West Virginia on Saturday night, Trump told supporters: "We'll see what happens with Canada, if they come along. They have to be fair." In August -- more than a year into the negotiations -- the United States and Mexico announced they had reached a two-way deal, after breaking away for bilateral talks on their outstanding issues. But the ensuing talks to incorporate Canada have stumbled. Ottawa and Washington remain at odds over Canada's managed dairy sector, and the dispute resolution provisions in NAFTA. But concessions on dairy would be politically difficult for Trudeau's government, a matter complicated yet further by elections being held Monday in the key dairy producing province of Quebec. The main Quebec parties and farmers' organizations are in favor of retaining the "supply management" system, which controls the production and price of milk and poultry and ensures stable incomes for Canadian farmers. Tempers flared this week on both sides as the end-of-month deadline approached. "We're not getting along with their negotiators," Trump said Wednesday of Canada. Trudeau fired back: "We won't sign a bad deal for Canada." The political stakes are high on both sides of the US-Canadian border: Trump needs to look strong heading into the November midterm elections, while Trudeau does not want to be seen as caving before next year's general election.

Canada to hold emergency ministers' meeting as NAFTA deadline looms

Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump and one of the most public faces of his administration, revealed on Sunday that she has been a victim of sexual assault.

Conway made the disclosure to CNN's Jake Tapper on his State of the Union news show, while defending Trump's embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-says-not-micromanaging-fbi-probe-kavanaugh-168642">White House says not 'micromanaging' FBI probe of Kavanaugh</a>

"I feel very empathetic, frankly, towards victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment and rape," she said, before pausing to clear her throat.

"I'm a victim of sexual assault. I don't expect Judge Kavanaugh, or Jake Tapper, or Jeff Flake, or anybody, to be held responsible for that. You have to be responsible for your own conduct," she added, visibly emotional.

Tapper, who appeared to have been caught off-guard, offered his sympathies.

"This is the first time I've ever heard you talk about something personal like that, and I'm sorry," he said.

"I've just had it," she replied.

Tapper then noted that Conway continues to work for President Trump, though numerous sexual misconduct allegations have been lodged against him.

But Conway, who had earlier in the interview argued that sexual assault was being used as a pretext to pursue political agendas, returned to the same theme.

"Don't conflate that with this, and certainly don't conflate it with what happened to me," she hit back.&nbsp;

"Don't always bring Trump into everything that happens in this universe. That's mistake number one."

Trump on Friday ordered a new FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court pick, as the Senate delayed a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to make way for the probe.

The decision came a day after a dramatic hearing watched by more than 20 million people at which university professor Christine Blasey Ford accused the judge of pinning her down and assaulting her in the 1980s.

At least three women have now accused the 53-year-old conservative judge of sexual misconduct while drunk, both as a high school student and later at Yale University.

Republicans see Kavanaugh as pivotal to their gaining control of the nine-member Supreme Court bench.

Trump nominated him to replace Anthony Kennedy, who for years was a swing vote between four conservative and four liberal justices.

Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump and one of the most public faces of his administration, revealed on Sunday that she has been a victim of sexual assault.

Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump and one of the most public faces of his administration, revealed on Sunday that she has been a victim of sexual assault. Conway made the disclosure to CNN's Jake Tapper on his State of the Union news show, while defending Trump's embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Also read: White House says not 'micromanaging' FBI probe of Kavanaugh "I feel very empathetic, frankly, towards victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment and rape," she said, before pausing to clear her throat. "I'm a victim of sexual assault. I don't expect Judge Kavanaugh, or Jake Tapper, or Jeff Flake, or anybody, to be held responsible for that. You have to be responsible for your own conduct," she added, visibly emotional. Tapper, who appeared to have been caught off-guard, offered his sympathies. "This is the first time I've ever heard you talk about something personal like that, and I'm sorry," he said. "I've just had it," she replied. Tapper then noted that Conway continues to work for President Trump, though numerous sexual misconduct allegations have been lodged against him. But Conway, who had earlier in the interview argued that sexual assault was being used as a pretext to pursue political agendas, returned to the same theme. "Don't conflate that with this, and certainly don't conflate it with what happened to me," she hit back. "Don't always bring Trump into everything that happens in this universe. That's mistake number one." Trump on Friday ordered a new FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court pick, as the Senate delayed a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to make way for the probe. The decision came a day after a dramatic hearing watched by more than 20 million people at which university professor Christine Blasey Ford accused the judge of pinning her down and assaulting her in the 1980s. At least three women have now accused the 53-year-old conservative judge of sexual misconduct while drunk, both as a high school student and later at Yale University. Republicans see Kavanaugh as pivotal to their gaining control of the nine-member Supreme Court bench. Trump nominated him to replace Anthony Kennedy, who for years was a swing vote between four conservative and four liberal justices.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway: 'I'm a victim of sexual assault'

US President Donald Trump Saturday said that India wants to have a trade deal with the US because it does not want him to impose tariffs on their products.

Trump's remarks, for the second time in recent weeks, comes days after Assistant US Trade Representative Mark Linscott returned from India where he had detailed discussion with senior Indian officials on bilateral trade and a possible trade deal between the two countries.&nbsp;

Trump often accuses India of imposing 100 per cent tariffs on American products.

"We have a country, take India. Good relationship. They want to make a deal now because they don't want me to do what I'm going to do, with I have to. So, they (Indians) call us. They didn't want to make a deal with anybody else," he said.&nbsp;

Trump referred to India in the context of his repeated allegation that other countries have been taking advantage of America in the past.

Trump in early this month had said India wanted a trade deal with the US despite the US administration's tough stance on the issue.

"Take India. You talk about free trade. So, let's say they (Indians) charge us 60 per cent tariff on a product. And for the same product when they send it in (America), we charge them nothing. So now I want to charge them 25 per cent or 20 or 10 or something," Trump said.

"What do you think? That's not free trade. We don't like it. I said, where are these people coming from? So, think of it. Where are they coming from? You have no idea how difficult it is. Where are they coming?" Trump said on Saturday referring to the conversations he is having with India.

Trump told the crowd that he is using India just as an example.&nbsp; 
The president said he can give an example of other countries which are "brutal" to what they do with the United States.&nbsp;

"I could give you (examples of) others that are brutal, just brutal what they do to us, how they take advantage of the stupidity. We never even had people negotiate, they just do whatever they want," Trump said as he went back to the India example.

"Remember this. A lot of the people that are fighting me in what I'm doing have ownership of companies in these other countries. Remember that, please. Remember that, or they're represented by lobbies," Trump said, as he lashed out at those who are opposing his America First trade policies.

Trump said nobody wants to talk about the jobs created and nobody wants to talk about all the money that's flowing into the coffers of the United States of America, he said.&nbsp;

"The people that are against it are usually having companies...You know you go to these other countries, they have companies there too," he alleged.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump Saturday said that India wants to have a trade deal with the US because it does not want him to impose tariffs on their products. Trump's remarks, for the second time in recent weeks, comes days after Assistant US Trade Representative Mark Linscott returned from India where he had detailed discussion with senior Indian officials on bilateral trade and a possible trade deal between the two countries.

US President Donald Trump Saturday said that India wants to have a trade deal with the US because it does not want him to impose tariffs on their products. Trump's remarks, for the second time in recent weeks, comes days after Assistant US Trade Representative Mark Linscott returned from India where he had detailed discussion with senior Indian officials on bilateral trade and a possible trade deal between the two countries. Trump often accuses India of imposing 100 per cent tariffs on American products. "We have a country, take India. Good relationship. They want to make a deal now because they don't want me to do what I'm going to do, with I have to. So, they (Indians) call us. They didn't want to make a deal with anybody else," he said. Trump referred to India in the context of his repeated allegation that other countries have been taking advantage of America in the past. Trump in early this month had said India wanted a trade deal with the US despite the US administration's tough stance on the issue. "Take India. You talk about free trade. So, let's say they (Indians) charge us 60 per cent tariff on a product. And for the same product when they send it in (America), we charge them nothing. So now I want to charge them 25 per cent or 20 or 10 or something," Trump said. "What do you think? That's not free trade. We don't like it. I said, where are these people coming from? So, think of it. Where are they coming from? You have no idea how difficult it is. Where are they coming?" Trump said on Saturday referring to the conversations he is having with India. Trump told the crowd that he is using India just as an example. The president said he can give an example of other countries which are "brutal" to what they do with the United States. "I could give you (examples of) others that are brutal, just brutal what they do to us, how they take advantage of the stupidity. We never even had people negotiate, they just do whatever they want," Trump said as he went back to the India example. "Remember this. A lot of the people that are fighting me in what I'm doing have ownership of companies in these other countries. Remember that, please. Remember that, or they're represented by lobbies," Trump said, as he lashed out at those who are opposing his America First trade policies. Trump said nobody wants to talk about the jobs created and nobody wants to talk about all the money that's flowing into the coffers of the United States of America, he said. "The people that are against it are usually having companies...You know you go to these other countries, they have companies there too," he alleged.

India wants to have trade deal with US to avoid tariffs: Donald Trump

The Trump administration has reiterated its support for India's bid for a permanent seat on a reformed UN Security Council, a senior US official said, emphasizing that the two "global partners" share a commitment to work together on global challenges like denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asia Region Alice Wells said US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale met Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale at the beginning of the week of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly to build on the momentum of the first 2+2 meeting between the US and India in New Delhi as well as to reaffirm the strategic convergence that Washington sees in the bilateral ties.

"We really are global partners and the meeting (between Hale and Gokhale) reaffirmed our shared commitment to working together on international challenges - from a denuclearised Korean Peninsula to a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan," Wells told reporters Friday during a briefing on US priorities in the South and Central Asia Region.

The American diplomat said the US reiterates its support for India's role in a reformed UN Security Council.

The New York meeting was a continuation of the discussion at the 2+2 meeting.

"It's a conversation that really covers the map in terms of how we can work together in Afghanistan, what we are doing to promote free and open Indo-Pacific and also in particular, how we are both very supportive of the democratic developments that we see transpiring in the Maldives," she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called Maldives' President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and congratulated him.

The US too congratulated the people of Maldives, saying they had peacefully raised their voices to determine the future of their country.

During Modi's visit to Washington in June last year, Trump supported India's bid for a permanent seat in a reformed UNSC and in other multilateral institutions such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

"As global non-proliferation partners, the United States expressed strong support for India's early membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Australia Group," a joint statement issued after the meeting between Modi and Trump had said.

The Trump administration has reiterated its support for India's bid for a permanent seat on a reformed UN Security Council, a senior US official said, emphasizing that the two "global partners" share a commitment to work together on global challenges like denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

The Trump administration has reiterated its support for India's bid for a permanent seat on a reformed UN Security Council, a senior US official said, emphasizing that the two "global partners" share a commitment to work together on global challenges like denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asia Region Alice Wells said US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale met Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale at the beginning of the week of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly to build on the momentum of the first 2+2 meeting between the US and India in New Delhi as well as to reaffirm the strategic convergence that Washington sees in the bilateral ties. "We really are global partners and the meeting (between Hale and Gokhale) reaffirmed our shared commitment to working together on international challenges - from a denuclearised Korean Peninsula to a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan," Wells told reporters Friday during a briefing on US priorities in the South and Central Asia Region. The American diplomat said the US reiterates its support for India's role in a reformed UN Security Council. The New York meeting was a continuation of the discussion at the 2+2 meeting. "It's a conversation that really covers the map in terms of how we can work together in Afghanistan, what we are doing to promote free and open Indo-Pacific and also in particular, how we are both very supportive of the democratic developments that we see transpiring in the Maldives," she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called Maldives' President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and congratulated him. The US too congratulated the people of Maldives, saying they had peacefully raised their voices to determine the future of their country. During Modi's visit to Washington in June last year, Trump supported India's bid for a permanent seat in a reformed UNSC and in other multilateral institutions such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group. "As global non-proliferation partners, the United States expressed strong support for India's early membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Australia Group," a joint statement issued after the meeting between Modi and Trump had said.

Trump administration reiterates support for India's role in reformed UNSC

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/30-dead-after-quake-tsunami-hit-small-city-indonesian-island-sulawesi-168346">30 dead after </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/30-dead-after-quake-tsunami-hit-small-city-indonesian-island-sulawesi-168346">quake</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/30-dead-after-quake-tsunami-hit-small-city-indonesian-island-sulawesi-168346">, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/30-dead-after-quake-tsunami-hit-small-city-indonesian-island-sulawesi-168346">tsunami</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/30-dead-after-quake-tsunami-hit-small-city-indonesian-island-sulawesi-168346"> hit Indonesia's Sulawesi island</a>

At least 30 people have been reported dead at an Indonesia hospital after Tsunami and earthquake hit a small city on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Friday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-orders-fbi-probe-kavanaugh-senate-delays-final-vote-168336">Trump orders FBI probe of Kavanaugh as Senate delays </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-orders-fbi-probe-kavanaugh-senate-delays-final-vote-168336">final</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-orders-fbi-probe-kavanaugh-senate-delays-final-vote-168336"> vote</a>

US President Donald Trump ordered a new FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court pick Friday, as the Senate delayed a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to make way for the probe.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fuel-prices-continue-rise-fourth-day-week-petrol-price-reaches-rs-8340-delhi-168339">Fuel prices continue to rise on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fuel-prices-continue-rise-fourth-day-week-petrol-price-reaches-rs-8340-delhi-168339">fourth</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fuel-prices-continue-rise-fourth-day-week-petrol-price-reaches-rs-8340-delhi-168339"> day this week, petrol jumps to Rs 83.40 in Delhi</a>

Fuel prices in the national capital continued to rise on Saturday with petrol prices registering an increase of Rs 0.22 paise while diesel shot up by Rs 0.21 paise.

Petrol in Delhi today will be sold at Rs 83.40 per litre whereas diesel amounts to Rs 74.63 per litre.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-possible-contender-2018-nobel-peace-prize-168340">US President Donald Trump possible contender for 2018 Nobel Peace Prize?</a>

US President Donald Trump is a contender for this year's Nobel Peace Prize after holding a historical meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12, 2018 which ambitiously aimed to pave the way for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/human-rights-lawyer-amal-clooney-appeals-suu-kyi-reporters-release-168351">Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney appeals to Suu Kyi for reporters' release</a>

Prominent human rights lawyer Amal Clooney appealed to Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday over a pardon for two Reuters journalists imprisoned in Myanmar, saying the Nobel laureate held the key to their release.

30 dead after quake, tsunami hit Indonesia's Sulawesi island At least 30 people have been reported dead at an Indonesia hospital after Tsunami and earthquake hit a small city on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Friday.

30 dead after quake, tsunami hit Indonesia's Sulawesi island At least 30 people have been reported dead at an Indonesia hospital after Tsunami and earthquake hit a small city on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Friday. Trump orders FBI probe of Kavanaugh as Senate delays final vote US President Donald Trump ordered a new FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court pick Friday, as the Senate delayed a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to make way for the probe. Fuel prices continue to rise on fourth day this week, petrol jumps to Rs 83.40 in Delhi Fuel prices in the national capital continued to rise on Saturday with petrol prices registering an increase of Rs 0.22 paise while diesel shot up by Rs 0.21 paise. Petrol in Delhi today will be sold at Rs 83.40 per litre whereas diesel amounts to Rs 74.63 per litre. US President Donald Trump possible contender for 2018 Nobel Peace Prize? US President Donald Trump is a contender for this year's Nobel Peace Prize after holding a historical meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12, 2018 which ambitiously aimed to pave the way for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney appeals to Suu Kyi for reporters' release Prominent human rights lawyer Amal Clooney appealed to Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday over a pardon for two Reuters journalists imprisoned in Myanmar, saying the Nobel laureate held the key to their release.

Venezuela's embattled President Nicolas Maduro said Friday that he would not pass up a chance to meet with his US counterpart Donald Trump, if that meant ironing out the countries' many disagreements.

Just back from his UN General Assembly trip, Maduro was speaking in response to remarks made by the US leader at the meeting that Venezuela was a "mess" that had to be "cleaned up".

"I'm told that the United States president once again mentioned me. My response is that I am brave enough, decisive enough and forceful enough to meet President Trump, greet him with respect and establish a high-ranking dialogue... If such an opportunity were to arise, I would not miss it," said the socialist leader, whose country is in an economic mega-crisis.

"I would be ready to meet any time, any place, extend my hand, speak, see him face to face and look in his eyes. And I know that if that were to happen, a lot of things would change," Maduro said at the international airport in Maiquetia, near Caracas.

While at the UN General Assembly, Trump also remarked that all options were on the table in the case of Venezuela. Thousands have fled hunger and economic collapse in the state-led economy.&nbsp;

On whether he would meet Maduro, Trump kept his cards close to his vest, saying only that he'd see what happens.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, the US Treasury announced new sanctions against Venezuelan first lady Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, an attorney and the president's wife, as one of the figures who has helped Maduro retain his grip on power, along with Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

He said Maduro's socialism "has bankrupted the oil-rich nation and driven its people into abject poverty."

Venezuela's embattled President Nicolas Maduro said Friday that he would not pass up a chance to meet with his US counterpart Donald Trump, if that meant ironing out the countries' many disagreements.

Venezuela's embattled President Nicolas Maduro said Friday that he would not pass up a chance to meet with his US counterpart Donald Trump, if that meant ironing out the countries' many disagreements. Just back from his UN General Assembly trip, Maduro was speaking in response to remarks made by the US leader at the meeting that Venezuela was a "mess" that had to be "cleaned up". "I'm told that the United States president once again mentioned me. My response is that I am brave enough, decisive enough and forceful enough to meet President Trump, greet him with respect and establish a high-ranking dialogue... If such an opportunity were to arise, I would not miss it," said the socialist leader, whose country is in an economic mega-crisis. "I would be ready to meet any time, any place, extend my hand, speak, see him face to face and look in his eyes. And I know that if that were to happen, a lot of things would change," Maduro said at the international airport in Maiquetia, near Caracas. While at the UN General Assembly, Trump also remarked that all options were on the table in the case of Venezuela. Thousands have fled hunger and economic collapse in the state-led economy. On whether he would meet Maduro, Trump kept his cards close to his vest, saying only that he'd see what happens. On Tuesday, the US Treasury announced new sanctions against Venezuelan first lady Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, an attorney and the president's wife, as one of the figures who has helped Maduro retain his grip on power, along with Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. He said Maduro's socialism "has bankrupted the oil-rich nation and driven its people into abject poverty."

Venezuela's Maduro says he wouldn't miss 'chance' to meet Trump

US President Donald Trump ordered a new FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court pick Friday, as the Senate delayed a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to make way for the probe.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Just started, tonight, our 7th FBI investigation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. He will someday be recognized as a truly great Justice of The United States Supreme Court!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1045832351211835392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lawmakers-rage-us-court-nominee-kavanaugh-faces-first-vote-168318">Lawmakers rage as US supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faces first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lawmakers-rage-us-court-nominee-kavanaugh-faces-first-vote-168318"> vote</a>

After a dramatic day-long hearing at which a university professor accused Kavanaugh of pinning her down and assaulting her at a party in the 1980s, the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier Friday approved his nomination in a preliminary vote along party lines.

But committee chair Chuck Grassley then bowed to intense pressure from inside and outside Congress and announced he was asking Trump to order the new background review that "must be completed no later than one week from today." Trump, who repeatedly blasted Democratic opposition to Kavanaugh as a political "con-job," agreed.

"I've ordered the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation to update Judge Kavanaugh's file. As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week," the president said in a statement.

Trump's order and the decision to put off a final vote came after a key Republican senator, Jeff Flake, threatened to break ranks with his party because of the clouds hanging over Kavanaugh's head.

At least three women have now accused the 53-year-old conservative judge of sexual misconduct while drunk, as a high school and later a university student.

Democrats have repeatedly demanded those charges be assessed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine if he is suitable for the lifetime high court appointment.

Flake's stunning 11th-hour move played out on national television amid heated partisan debate and raucous protests in the halls of the Capital, where one woman cornered the Arizona senator in an elevator demanding he oppose Kavanaugh, citing her own experience with sexual assault.

"This country's being ripped apart," said Flake. "And we have to ensure that we do due diligence here." His move earned the endorsement of another Republican seen as wavering on the nomination, Lisa Murkowski.

With the Republicans holding a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate, that placed pressure on Trump to order the FBI probe.

Republicans see Kavanaugh as pivotal to their gaining control of the nine-member Supreme Court bench. Trump nominated him to replace Anthony Kennedy, who for years was a swing vote between four conservative and four liberal justices.

US President Donald Trump ordered a new FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court pick Friday, as the Senate delayed a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to make way for the probe.

US President Donald Trump ordered a new FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court pick Friday, as the Senate delayed a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to make way for the probe. Just started, tonight, our 7th FBI investigation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. He will someday be recognized as a truly great Justice of The United States Supreme Court! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 29, 2018 × Lawmakers rage as US supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faces first vote After a dramatic day-long hearing at which a university professor accused Kavanaugh of pinning her down and assaulting her at a party in the 1980s, the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier Friday approved his nomination in a preliminary vote along party lines. But committee chair Chuck Grassley then bowed to intense pressure from inside and outside Congress and announced he was asking Trump to order the new background review that "must be completed no later than one week from today." Trump, who repeatedly blasted Democratic opposition to Kavanaugh as a political "con-job," agreed. "I've ordered the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation to update Judge Kavanaugh's file. As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week," the president said in a statement. Trump's order and the decision to put off a final vote came after a key Republican senator, Jeff Flake, threatened to break ranks with his party because of the clouds hanging over Kavanaugh's head. At least three women have now accused the 53-year-old conservative judge of sexual misconduct while drunk, as a high school and later a university student. Democrats have repeatedly demanded those charges be assessed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine if he is suitable for the lifetime high court appointment. Flake's stunning 11th-hour move played out on national television amid heated partisan debate and raucous protests in the halls of the Capital, where one woman cornered the Arizona senator in an elevator demanding he oppose Kavanaugh, citing her own experience with sexual assault. "This country's being ripped apart," said Flake. "And we have to ensure that we do due diligence here." His move earned the endorsement of another Republican seen as wavering on the nomination, Lisa Murkowski. With the Republicans holding a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate, that placed pressure on Trump to order the FBI probe. Republicans see Kavanaugh as pivotal to their gaining control of the nine-member Supreme Court bench. Trump nominated him to replace Anthony Kennedy, who for years was a swing vote between four conservative and four liberal justices.

Trump orders FBI probe of Kavanaugh as Senate delays final vote

Trump orders FBI probe into Kavanaugh

Brett Kavanaugh's US Supreme Court nomination was expected to pass a first Senate hurdle Friday following dramatic testimony from both the conservative judge and the woman who says he attacked her -- but first, lawmakers hurled abuse at each other over the process.

The Senate Judiciary Committee opened their session under extraordinarily tense circumstances, with America's political polarization on full display on Capitol Hill as Kavanaugh's supporters and opponents squared off in hearing rooms and protest-filled hallways.

The panel was set to vote at 1:30 pm (1730 GMT) along party lines, with a narrow victory for President Donald Trump's pick virtually ensured after key Republican Jeff Flake said he would back the judge.

Kavanaugh's nomination would then go to the full Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 51-49 edge.

Trump whole-heartedly reaffirmed support for Kavanaugh to join the nation's top bench after the judge furiously refuted the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford, 51, who told a packed hearing room he had sexually assaulted her 36 years ago.

The emotional, duelling accounts sent Republican and Democratic senators into a full uproar of insults and festering recriminations over the nomination process.&nbsp;

Some Republicans said the Senate was seeing its darkest days since the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court hearings of 1991, or even the Joseph McCarthy hearings of 1954.

Democrats shot back that the 53-year-old Kavanaugh was aggressive and partisan in his testimony.

"I have never seen a nominee for any position behave in that manner," senior Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said.

After the hearing, the nation's leading legal organization, the American Bar Association -- which initially endorsed Kavanaugh -- called for the vote to be postponed until an FBI investigation could be carried out.

But the Senate committee of 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats plowed ahead, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell insisted the full Senate would hold a confirmation vote "in the coming days."

"There is simply no reason to deny Judge Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court on the basis of evidence presented to us," Grassley said.

Democrats expressed outrage and some walked out of the committee meeting Friday after Republicans unanimously backed moving forward to a vote.

'Surreal'

"It's almost surreal," veteran Senate Democrat Patrick Leahy told his colleagues, saying the Senate was "no longer an independent branch of government."

Female Democratic members of the House of Representatives stood in the back of the room in protest, while demonstrators in the hallways chanted "November is coming!" -- a reference to the upcoming midterm congressional elections. Several were arrested.

Flake, an outspoken Trump critic, arrived late at the judiciary vote after he was confronted by irate women who said they were victims of sexual assault.

"Don't look away from me! Look at me and tell me that it doesn't matter what happened to me, that you'll let people like that go to the highest court on the land," one weeping woman told an uncomfortable Flake as he stood in an elevator.

Two Republicans would need to defect, with all Democrats voting in opposition, in order to sink Kavanaugh in the full Senate vote.

With Flake now apparently backing the nominee, attention increases on two moderate Republican women senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.

Trump nominated Kavanaugh to replace Anthony Kennedy, who had been a swing vote on a court now divided between four conservative and four liberal justices.

The allegations by Blasey Ford, a psychology professor in California, have threatened to derail Trump's bid to tilt the court to the right.

Unequivocal denial

A defiant Kavanaugh came out with guns blazing on Thursday, insisting the assault never happened, accusing Democrats of destroying his reputation and condemning his confirmation battle as a "national disgrace."

"I categorically and unequivocally deny the allegation by Dr Ford," Kavanaugh said, his voice shaking with anger as he fought back tears.

"I've never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not in college, not ever."&nbsp;

In addition to Blasey Ford, two other women have come forward with allegations of assault against Kavanaugh, against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement.

As Thursday's marathon hearing wrapped up, Trump weighed in to stand by his man.&nbsp;

"Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him," he tweeted, minutes after the hearing adjourned.

During four hours of emotionally intense testimony, Blasey Ford said she was "100 percent" certain that Kavanaugh was the person who assaulted her at a high school party in suburban Maryland in 1982.

She said a drunken Kavanaugh and a friend of his, Mark Judge, pushed her into a bedroom, that Kavanaugh pinned her down and muffled her cries as he tried to pull off her clothes.

Democrats have pleaded with Grassley to subpoena Judge to appear before the committee to answer their questions, but the chairman has refused.

Brett Kavanaugh's US Supreme Court nomination was expected to pass a first Senate hurdle Friday following dramatic testimony from both the conservative judge and the woman who says he attacked her -- but first, lawmakers hurled abuse at each other over the process.

Brett Kavanaugh's US Supreme Court nomination was expected to pass a first Senate hurdle Friday following dramatic testimony from both the conservative judge and the woman who says he attacked her -- but first, lawmakers hurled abuse at each other over the process. The Senate Judiciary Committee opened their session under extraordinarily tense circumstances, with America's political polarization on full display on Capitol Hill as Kavanaugh's supporters and opponents squared off in hearing rooms and protest-filled hallways. The panel was set to vote at 1:30 pm (1730 GMT) along party lines, with a narrow victory for President Donald Trump's pick virtually ensured after key Republican Jeff Flake said he would back the judge. Kavanaugh's nomination would then go to the full Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 51-49 edge. Trump whole-heartedly reaffirmed support for Kavanaugh to join the nation's top bench after the judge furiously refuted the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford, 51, who told a packed hearing room he had sexually assaulted her 36 years ago. The emotional, duelling accounts sent Republican and Democratic senators into a full uproar of insults and festering recriminations over the nomination process. Some Republicans said the Senate was seeing its darkest days since the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court hearings of 1991, or even the Joseph McCarthy hearings of 1954. Democrats shot back that the 53-year-old Kavanaugh was aggressive and partisan in his testimony. "I have never seen a nominee for any position behave in that manner," senior Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said. After the hearing, the nation's leading legal organization, the American Bar Association -- which initially endorsed Kavanaugh -- called for the vote to be postponed until an FBI investigation could be carried out. But the Senate committee of 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats plowed ahead, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell insisted the full Senate would hold a confirmation vote "in the coming days." "There is simply no reason to deny Judge Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court on the basis of evidence presented to us," Grassley said. Democrats expressed outrage and some walked out of the committee meeting Friday after Republicans unanimously backed moving forward to a vote. 'Surreal' "It's almost surreal," veteran Senate Democrat Patrick Leahy told his colleagues, saying the Senate was "no longer an independent branch of government." Female Democratic members of the House of Representatives stood in the back of the room in protest, while demonstrators in the hallways chanted "November is coming!" -- a reference to the upcoming midterm congressional elections. Several were arrested. Flake, an outspoken Trump critic, arrived late at the judiciary vote after he was confronted by irate women who said they were victims of sexual assault. "Don't look away from me! Look at me and tell me that it doesn't matter what happened to me, that you'll let people like that go to the highest court on the land," one weeping woman told an uncomfortable Flake as he stood in an elevator. Two Republicans would need to defect, with all Democrats voting in opposition, in order to sink Kavanaugh in the full Senate vote. With Flake now apparently backing the nominee, attention increases on two moderate Republican women senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. Trump nominated Kavanaugh to replace Anthony Kennedy, who had been a swing vote on a court now divided between four conservative and four liberal justices. The allegations by Blasey Ford, a psychology professor in California, have threatened to derail Trump's bid to tilt the court to the right. Unequivocal denial A defiant Kavanaugh came out with guns blazing on Thursday, insisting the assault never happened, accusing Democrats of destroying his reputation and condemning his confirmation battle as a "national disgrace." "I categorically and unequivocally deny the allegation by Dr Ford," Kavanaugh said, his voice shaking with anger as he fought back tears. "I've never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not in college, not ever." In addition to Blasey Ford, two other women have come forward with allegations of assault against Kavanaugh, against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement. As Thursday's marathon hearing wrapped up, Trump weighed in to stand by his man. "Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him," he tweeted, minutes after the hearing adjourned. During four hours of emotionally intense testimony, Blasey Ford said she was "100 percent" certain that Kavanaugh was the person who assaulted her at a high school party in suburban Maryland in 1982. She said a drunken Kavanaugh and a friend of his, Mark Judge, pushed her into a bedroom, that Kavanaugh pinned her down and muffled her cries as he tried to pull off her clothes. Democrats have pleaded with Grassley to subpoena Judge to appear before the committee to answer their questions, but the chairman has refused.

Lawmakers rage as US supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faces first vote

A US House of Representatives committee voted on Friday to release dozens of transcripts of interviews from its investigation of Russia meddling in the 2016 US elections, including conversations with senior associates of President Donald Trump.

The House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously to send transcripts of 53 interviews to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which will scrub them of classified information before they are made public.

However, committee Democrats said Trump's fellow Republicans, who hold a majority in the House and thus control the panel, refused their request to immediately release all of the transcripts to Robert Mueller, the federal special counsel investigating Russia, Trump and the election.

Adam Schiff, the committee's top Democrat, told reporters after the meeting that Republicans refused to make some of the most important transcripts public, including interviews with fired FBI Director James Comey and Admiral Mike Rogers, the former National Security Agency director.

"There was no interest (from Republicans) in the public seeing anything that they thought might be damaging to the president," he said.

Democrats wanted all of the transcripts released.

The meeting was closed to the press.

Asked for a response to Schiff's comments, Jack Langer, a Republican committee spokesman, said in an emailed statement, "It's amusing to see the Democrats continuing to promote their never-ending chain of absurd conspiracy theories."

The transcript's release would let the public to see thousands of pages of interviews with people including the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and son-in-law and close adviser Jared Kushner, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.

Interviews with officials from former President Barack Obama's administration are also among the transcripts.

The transcripts include discussions about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York at which Russians offered to provide damaging information about Trump's Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Trump Jr. and Kushner, among others, attended the meeting with Nataliya Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer with Kremlin ties.

Committee Republicans announced in March that the panel's investigation was over and they had found no evidence of collusion between Trump's campaign and Moscow's efforts to influence US politics.

Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion. Moscow has denied meddling in the 2016 US campaign, but US&nbsp;intelligence agencies found that it did so to boost Trump.

A US House of Representatives committee voted on Friday to release dozens of transcripts of interviews from its investigation of Russia meddling in the 2016 US elections, including conversations with senior associates of President Donald Trump.

A US House of Representatives committee voted on Friday to release dozens of transcripts of interviews from its investigation of Russia meddling in the 2016 US elections, including conversations with senior associates of President Donald Trump. The House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously to send transcripts of 53 interviews to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which will scrub them of classified information before they are made public. However, committee Democrats said Trump's fellow Republicans, who hold a majority in the House and thus control the panel, refused their request to immediately release all of the transcripts to Robert Mueller, the federal special counsel investigating Russia, Trump and the election. Adam Schiff, the committee's top Democrat, told reporters after the meeting that Republicans refused to make some of the most important transcripts public, including interviews with fired FBI Director James Comey and Admiral Mike Rogers, the former National Security Agency director. "There was no interest (from Republicans) in the public seeing anything that they thought might be damaging to the president," he said. Democrats wanted all of the transcripts released. The meeting was closed to the press. Asked for a response to Schiff's comments, Jack Langer, a Republican committee spokesman, said in an emailed statement, "It's amusing to see the Democrats continuing to promote their never-ending chain of absurd conspiracy theories." The transcript's release would let the public to see thousands of pages of interviews with people including the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and son-in-law and close adviser Jared Kushner, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. Interviews with officials from former President Barack Obama's administration are also among the transcripts. The transcripts include discussions about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York at which Russians offered to provide damaging information about Trump's Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. Trump Jr. and Kushner, among others, attended the meeting with Nataliya Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer with Kremlin ties. Committee Republicans announced in March that the panel's investigation was over and they had found no evidence of collusion between Trump's campaign and Moscow's efforts to influence US politics. Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion. Moscow has denied meddling in the 2016 US campaign, but US intelligence agencies found that it did so to boost Trump.

US House committee votes to release Trump-Russia transcripts

Former US president Barack Obama warned Friday against rising nationalism as he painted a grim picture of American and global politics on a visit to Denmark.&nbsp;

"I'm concerned enough about the international and American trends that I thought it was important to offer my views," he told entrepreneurs and students in the Danish central city of Kolding.&nbsp;

"When you start seeing our politics driven completely free of facts, when you start seeing a debate that is driven solely on racial or nationalistic impulses, when you start seeing a rejection of science and expertise and logic in politics... we are beyond the sort of politics that will continue our best traditions," he added.&nbsp;

Relatively discreet since leaving the White House on January 20, 2017, the 44th President of the United States carefully avoided any direct reference to his successor Donald Trump.

"Maybe we got more jolt and more change than we expected in the US," Obama said, drawing laughter from the crowd.&nbsp;

He expressed concern over a lack of citizen engagement in public life and underlined the importance in the United States, Europe, and in other countries "to affirm the ideals of our constitution."

Referring to the right-wing populist Law and Justice Party (PiS)'s arrival in power in Poland and the fiercely anti-immigration government in Hungary, Obama said: "there is a shift that has implications for all of Europe."

"When a population is passive and ill-informed and not paying attention, that's when there is the greatest danger."

Former US president Barack Obama warned Friday against rising nationalism as he painted a grim picture of American and global politics on a visit to Denmark. "I'm concerned enough about the international and American trends that I thought it was important to offer my views," he told entrepreneurs and students in the Danish central city of Kolding.

Former US president Barack Obama warned Friday against rising nationalism as he painted a grim picture of American and global politics on a visit to Denmark. "I'm concerned enough about the international and American trends that I thought it was important to offer my views," he told entrepreneurs and students in the Danish central city of Kolding. "When you start seeing our politics driven completely free of facts, when you start seeing a debate that is driven solely on racial or nationalistic impulses, when you start seeing a rejection of science and expertise and logic in politics... we are beyond the sort of politics that will continue our best traditions," he added. Relatively discreet since leaving the White House on January 20, 2017, the 44th President of the United States carefully avoided any direct reference to his successor Donald Trump. "Maybe we got more jolt and more change than we expected in the US," Obama said, drawing laughter from the crowd. He expressed concern over a lack of citizen engagement in public life and underlined the importance in the United States, Europe, and in other countries "to affirm the ideals of our constitution." Referring to the right-wing populist Law and Justice Party (PiS)'s arrival in power in Poland and the fiercely anti-immigration government in Hungary, Obama said: "there is a shift that has implications for all of Europe." "When a population is passive and ill-informed and not paying attention, that's when there is the greatest danger."

Obama warns against 'racial', 'nationalistic' politics

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed Friday US President Donald Trump's isolationist speech at the United Nations as marking a welcome end to American interference in other countries' affairs.

In a robust address to the UN General Assembly, Trump denounced Tuesday a "globalist" view of the world, and signalled his commitment to following an "America First" foreign policy.

"In the last few decades the US took on some kind of role of making the world better that in fact was contrary to American interests, that's what President Trump spoke about," Orban said on Hungarian public radio.

The leader of the world's most powerful country had now "declared the end of that policy," according to the Hungarian premier, one of Trump's biggest supporters in Europe.

Under previous administrations, the "US thought it knows what is good, moral, just, and how the world should be, but we felt that... it wanted to impose its will on the whole world, for example on Hungary too," Orban said.

Trump's approach means the US can now be viewed differently, the prime minister added.

"We don't have to defend ourselves against it, or its incompetent attempts to wield cultural influence, but rather can now try to build a partnership on the basis of interests."

The fiercely nationalist Orban was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump after his shock election victory in 2016, and has regularly praised the US leader's immigration and security policies. &nbsp;

Trump is increasingly regarded globally as "a phenomenon, an icon... someone who represents something much more than himself," he said Friday.

After coming to power in 2010, the maverick Hungarian was often accused by Washington of steering his country away from democratic norms.&nbsp;

Former President Barack Obama and Trump's defeated election rival Hillary Clinton both warned Hungary against clamping down on the judiciary, press, and civil society organisations.&nbsp;

Orban said Friday that US policy towards Hungary in recent decades had often been "unfavourable".

"I suffered so much with (Clinton) that I cannot even tell you," he said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed Friday US President Donald Trump's isolationist speech at the United Nations as marking a welcome end to American interference in other countries' affairs.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed Friday US President Donald Trump's isolationist speech at the United Nations as marking a welcome end to American interference in other countries' affairs. In a robust address to the UN General Assembly, Trump denounced Tuesday a "globalist" view of the world, and signalled his commitment to following an "America First" foreign policy. "In the last few decades the US took on some kind of role of making the world better that in fact was contrary to American interests, that's what President Trump spoke about," Orban said on Hungarian public radio. The leader of the world's most powerful country had now "declared the end of that policy," according to the Hungarian premier, one of Trump's biggest supporters in Europe. Under previous administrations, the "US thought it knows what is good, moral, just, and how the world should be, but we felt that... it wanted to impose its will on the whole world, for example on Hungary too," Orban said. Trump's approach means the US can now be viewed differently, the prime minister added. "We don't have to defend ourselves against it, or its incompetent attempts to wield cultural influence, but rather can now try to build a partnership on the basis of interests." The fiercely nationalist Orban was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump after his shock election victory in 2016, and has regularly praised the US leader's immigration and security policies. Trump is increasingly regarded globally as "a phenomenon, an icon... someone who represents something much more than himself," he said Friday. After coming to power in 2010, the maverick Hungarian was often accused by Washington of steering his country away from democratic norms. Former President Barack Obama and Trump's defeated election rival Hillary Clinton both warned Hungary against clamping down on the judiciary, press, and civil society organisations. Orban said Friday that US policy towards Hungary in recent decades had often been "unfavourable". "I suffered so much with (Clinton) that I cannot even tell you," he said.

Hungary PM hails 'icon' Trump's isolationist UN speech

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/merkel-plans-meet-macron-putin-erdogan-syria-october-168197">German Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to meet Macron, Putin, Erdogan on Syria in October</a>

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday she and the leaders of Turkey, Russia and France planned to hold a summit next month on the situation in war-ravaged Syria.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supriya-sule-says-pawar-has-been-misunderstood-rafale-168216">Supriya Sule says Pawar has been misunderstood on Rafale remarks</a>

NCP leader Supriya Sule on Friday said party chief Sharad Pawar`s comment on the Prime Minister and the Rafale deal have been misunderstood as he has actually demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into it.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/smartphone-users-india-consuming-average-1gb-data-day-report-168206">Smartphone users in India consuming average 1GB data a day: Report</a>

Smartphone users in India are using up to one 1GB data a day, jumping from an average use of 4GB a month before, a Neilson India report said.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senate-panel-heads-vote-trumps-supreme-court-nominee-brett-kavanaugh-168163">US Senate panel heads to vote on Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh</a>

Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to a lifetime seat on the US Supreme Court hung in the balance on Friday after a jarring and raucous hearing into sexual misconduct allegations against him.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-rocked-75-magnitude-quake-tsunami-warning-issued-168167">Indonesia rocked by 7.5 magnitude quake, tsunami warning called off</a>

Indonesia on Friday was struck by a very strong 7.5 magnitude earthquake, news agency AFP reported citing US Geological Survey.

&nbsp;

German Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to meet Macron, Putin, Erdogan on Syria in October German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday she and the leaders of Turkey, Russia and France planned to hold a summit next month on the situation in war-ravaged Syria.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to meet Macron, Putin, Erdogan on Syria in October German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday she and the leaders of Turkey, Russia and France planned to hold a summit next month on the situation in war-ravaged Syria. Supriya Sule says Pawar has been misunderstood on Rafale remarks NCP leader Supriya Sule on Friday said party chief Sharad Pawar`s comment on the Prime Minister and the Rafale deal have been misunderstood as he has actually demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into it. Smartphone users in India consuming average 1GB data a day: Report Smartphone users in India are using up to one 1GB data a day, jumping from an average use of 4GB a month before, a Neilson India report said. US Senate panel heads to vote on Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to a lifetime seat on the US Supreme Court hung in the balance on Friday after a jarring and raucous hearing into sexual misconduct allegations against him. Indonesia rocked by 7.5 magnitude quake, tsunami warning called off Indonesia on Friday was struck by a very strong 7.5 magnitude earthquake, news agency AFP reported citing US Geological Survey.

By Gaurav Khanna and Munseob Lee

Much of the current debate over immigration is about what kind of impact immigrants have on jobs and wages for workers born in the United States.

Seldom does anyone talk about how immigration leads to a wider variety of better products for the American consumer. We recently conducted a study to shine more light on the matter.

We are economists with a keen interest in growth and innovation and how immigration affects the economy.

What we found is that the more companies hire certain highly skilled and mostly college-educated foreign workers, the more those businesses create new products. In fact, we found that hiring high-skill immigrants has a stronger association with innovation than spending money on research and development.

In other words, more highly educated immigrant workers means more and better products – such as more efficient laptops, TVs and other electronics – on the American marketplace.

The creation of newer, better products

We discovered this by taking a closer look at “product reallocation.”

Economists have long regarded product reallocation as a primary indicator of how innovation affects economic growth. Product reallocation is simply the entry of newer products and exit of older products. For instance, innovation will lead to incremental changes to electronic products like laptops and TVs, which will make them more efficient. When these changes are made, a new model of the product is introduced in the market, and the older, obsolete model is phased out. The Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter referred to this type of innovation as “creative destruction.”

Creative destruction, like other forms of innovation, drives companies to grow and increases the productivity of the economy as a whole. In addition, other work has shown that immigration is also strongly associated with patenting.

While patenting is a useful measure of innovation, it captures a very specific type of innovation. This is because some industries are more likely to get their innovations patented than others, depending on changes that may take place as a result of court rulings, new policies and the tax code. Consequently, many important innovations never get patented, and many things that get patented rarely get used.

The advantage of product reallocation – our measure of innovation – is that it captures incremental innovations that are usually not patented and thereby missed by previous research on the impact of immigration.

The connection between migration and production

There happens to be a good way to figure out which firms are hiring high-skill foreign workers.

To hire such a worker, companies must file a labour certification application to obtain an H-1B visa for the employee. H-1B visas allow US companies to temporarily hire foreign workers in jobs that require the “theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific speciality, or its equivalent,” according to the federal agency that oversees the program.

We obtained data on all labour certification applications for every company that filed at least one from 2001 to 2015. This data shows the employer name and location, details about the work start and end dates, the occupation and job title.

We combined this dataset with product details by looking at barcodes generated from point-of-sale systems, like the cash registers or payment terminals, from about 35,000 stores across the country. The first few digits of a barcode on products actually identify which company produced these products. This allows us to create measures of product entry and exit – that is, reallocation – at the company level.

Our research looks at the level of innovation, or reallocation rates, by four different types of business: those that hire H-1B workers, those that don’t, those that spend a lot on research and development and those that have different combinations of both.

If anything is clear from our study, it is that companies that hire more H-1B workers, regardless of how much they spend on research and development, have higher rates of product reallocation.

One of the main reasons we’re confident in our conclusion is the timing of the effects. Hiring an H-1B employee today was clearly associated with innovation gains in subsequent years. Specifically, a 10 per cent increase in the share of H-1B workers is associated with a 2 per cent increase in product reallocation – a rather meaningful increase in innovation.

In short, H-1B hiring seems to have a stronger association with reallocation rates than research and development, often seen as a wellspring for innovation.

Economic growth and consumer welfare

The US has the advantage of being a profitable hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. It can attract the best and the brightest minds from around the world, offering not just commensurate compensation but also the chance to interact with other innovators and entrepreneurs.

Given the rapidly increasing number of college graduates from populous countries like India and China, especially those specializing in science and engineering degrees, there is a growing pool of potential workers that US employers can choose from.

An added perk: Foreign workers may bring a slightly different set of skills, which in combination with the skill-set of US-born workers, can help produce new and more efficient products. As faster laptops, more effective pharmaceuticals, better cellphones and other higher quality electronics are introduced into the market, we reap their benefits as consumers.

Innovation also helps drive growth and raises productivity across sectors of the economy. For instance, many industries – from car manufacturers to bankers – use software and electronics in their production processes.

To that end, more efficient electronics not only benefit consumers, but also raise the productivity of all sectors that use such products, fueling growth for the economy as a whole.

(Gaurav Khanna is Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California San Diego; &nbsp;Munseob Lee is Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California San Diego)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/hiring-highly-educated-immigrants-leads-to-more-innovation-and-better-products-100087">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Gaurav Khanna and Munseob Lee Much of the current debate over immigration is about what kind of impact immigrants have on jobs and wages for workers born in the United States.

By Gaurav Khanna and Munseob Lee Much of the current debate over immigration is about what kind of impact immigrants have on jobs and wages for workers born in the United States. Seldom does anyone talk about how immigration leads to a wider variety of better products for the American consumer. We recently conducted a study to shine more light on the matter. We are economists with a keen interest in growth and innovation and how immigration affects the economy. What we found is that the more companies hire certain highly skilled and mostly college-educated foreign workers, the more those businesses create new products. In fact, we found that hiring high-skill immigrants has a stronger association with innovation than spending money on research and development. In other words, more highly educated immigrant workers means more and better products – such as more efficient laptops, TVs and other electronics – on the American marketplace. The creation of newer, better products We discovered this by taking a closer look at “product reallocation.” Economists have long regarded product reallocation as a primary indicator of how innovation affects economic growth. Product reallocation is simply the entry of newer products and exit of older products. For instance, innovation will lead to incremental changes to electronic products like laptops and TVs, which will make them more efficient. When these changes are made, a new model of the product is introduced in the market, and the older, obsolete model is phased out. The Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter referred to this type of innovation as “creative destruction.” Creative destruction, like other forms of innovation, drives companies to grow and increases the productivity of the economy as a whole. In addition, other work has shown that immigration is also strongly associated with patenting. While patenting is a useful measure of innovation, it captures a very specific type of innovation. This is because some industries are more likely to get their innovations patented than others, depending on changes that may take place as a result of court rulings, new policies and the tax code. Consequently, many important innovations never get patented, and many things that get patented rarely get used. The advantage of product reallocation – our measure of innovation – is that it captures incremental innovations that are usually not patented and thereby missed by previous research on the impact of immigration. The connection between migration and production There happens to be a good way to figure out which firms are hiring high-skill foreign workers. To hire such a worker, companies must file a labour certification application to obtain an H-1B visa for the employee. H-1B visas allow US companies to temporarily hire foreign workers in jobs that require the “theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific speciality, or its equivalent,” according to the federal agency that oversees the program. We obtained data on all labour certification applications for every company that filed at least one from 2001 to 2015. This data shows the employer name and location, details about the work start and end dates, the occupation and job title. We combined this dataset with product details by looking at barcodes generated from point-of-sale systems, like the cash registers or payment terminals, from about 35,000 stores across the country. The first few digits of a barcode on products actually identify which company produced these products. This allows us to create measures of product entry and exit – that is, reallocation – at the company level. Our research looks at the level of innovation, or reallocation rates, by four different types of business: those that hire H-1B workers, those that don’t, those that spend a lot on research and development and those that have different combinations of both. If anything is clear from our study, it is that companies that hire more H-1B workers, regardless of how much they spend on research and development, have higher rates of product reallocation. One of the main reasons we’re confident in our conclusion is the timing of the effects. Hiring an H-1B employee today was clearly associated with innovation gains in subsequent years. Specifically, a 10 per cent increase in the share of H-1B workers is associated with a 2 per cent increase in product reallocation – a rather meaningful increase in innovation. In short, H-1B hiring seems to have a stronger association with reallocation rates than research and development, often seen as a wellspring for innovation. Economic growth and consumer welfare The US has the advantage of being a profitable hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. It can attract the best and the brightest minds from around the world, offering not just commensurate compensation but also the chance to interact with other innovators and entrepreneurs. Given the rapidly increasing number of college graduates from populous countries like India and China, especially those specializing in science and engineering degrees, there is a growing pool of potential workers that US employers can choose from. An added perk: Foreign workers may bring a slightly different set of skills, which in combination with the skill-set of US-born workers, can help produce new and more efficient products. As faster laptops, more effective pharmaceuticals, better cellphones and other higher quality electronics are introduced into the market, we reap their benefits as consumers. Innovation also helps drive growth and raises productivity across sectors of the economy. For instance, many industries – from car manufacturers to bankers – use software and electronics in their production processes. To that end, more efficient electronics not only benefit consumers, but also raise the productivity of all sectors that use such products, fueling growth for the economy as a whole. (Gaurav Khanna is Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California San Diego; Munseob Lee is Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California San Diego) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Hiring educated immigrants leads to more innovation

donald-trump

Donald Trump, News on Donald Trump, stories on Donald Trump, articles on Donald Trump, Donald Trump stories at Wion, Donald Trump news, Donald Trump latest news

donald trump

Donald Trump mocks Dr Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault testimony

Trump admin unlikely to change policy on suspension of aid to Pakistan

Iran is origin of threat to US missions in Iraq: Pompeo

I told Saudi king he wouldn't last without US support: Trump

What's in a name? One-third of US voters don't know candidates

News brief: Big stories of the day

Trump administration to refuse visas to unmarried gay diplomats

America to buzz as phones get 'presidential alert' test

Kavanaugh would win Senate confirmation once FBI finishes probe: Trump

Trump helped parents dodge millions in taxes: New York Times

'Very scary time' for young American men, says Trump

Donald Trump described India as ''Tariff King''

North Korea says war's end can't be bargaining chip for denuclearisation: Report

News brief: Big stories of the day

Trump says Kavanaugh had a 'bit of difficulty' with alcohol

Canada, US reach deal to save NAFTA as trilateral trade pact

News brief: Big stories of the day

Canada to hold emergency ministers' meeting as NAFTA deadline looms

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway: 'I'm a victim of sexual assault'

India wants to have trade deal with US to avoid tariffs: Donald Trump

Trump administration reiterates support for India's role in reformed UNSC

News brief: Big stories of the day

Venezuela's Maduro says he wouldn't miss 'chance' to meet Trump

Trump orders FBI probe of Kavanaugh as Senate delays final vote

Trump orders FBI probe into Kavanaugh

Lawmakers rage as US supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faces first vote