President Donald Trump&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;pardoned a conservative commentator and said he was considering pardoning lifestyle maven Martha Stewart and commuting a former Illinois governor's prison sentence, prompting critics to accuse him of subverting the rule of law.

Trump announced on Twitter his decision to pardon pundit and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to U.S. campaign finance law violations and was an outspoken critic of Democratic former President Barack Obama, saying he had been "treated very unfairly by our government!"

The Republican president then told reporters on a flight to Houston he was also considering a pardon for Stewart, who was convicted in 2004 on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements in an insider-trading probe.

James Comey, whom Trump fired as FBI director last year and has repeatedly assailed, was the lead federal prosecutor in Stewart's case and played a role in the prosecution of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the chief of staff to former Vice President Dick Cheney. Trump pardoned Libby in April.

Trump also said he might commute the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat convicted of corruption charges, and was considering pardoning a woman convicted of a drug-related charge after reality TV star Kim Kardashian discussed the case with him&nbsp;on Wednesday.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley, briefing reporters on Air Force One as Trump later flew to Dallas for Republican fundraising events, denied that celebrity was a consideration in whom the president decides to pardon.

"Look, there are plenty of people the president is looking at right now under the pardon process," he said.

The U.S. Constitution gives the president the power to issue pardons, and Trump sometimes has used that authority to benefit convicted figures revered by some on the political right such as former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio and Libby.

After D'Souza's pardon, some constitutional scholars, legal analysts and Democratic lawmakers accused Trump of undermining the rule of law with pardons based on political considerations.

Critics said the president was sending a message to people caught up in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump's 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia, including his longtime private lawyer Michael Cohen, whose business dealings&nbsp;are separately under scrutiny in New York.

"Trump's Dinesh D'Souza pardon today, on top of his pardons of Scooter Libby and Joe Arpaio, makes sense only as an elephant-whistle to Michael Cohen & all who know damning things about Trump: protect me & I'll have your back. Turn on me & your goose is cooked. More obstruction!" Harvard Law School constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe wrote on Twitter.

"As with the pardon of Joe Arpaio, Trump is sending a message that he will reward political allies for loyalty with get-out-of-jail-free cards," Democratic U.S. Representative Don Beyer said on Twitter. "He doesn't care about the rule of law."

Trump denies any collusion with Russia and has called Mueller's probe a "witch hunt."

D'Souza, 53, admitted in 2014 he illegally reimbursed two "straw donors" who donated $10,000 each to the unsuccessful 2012 U.S. Senate campaign in New York of Wendy Long, a Republican he had known since attending Dartmouth College in the 1980s.

He was sentenced to five years of probation after telling the judge he was ashamed of his actions and contrite. "I cannot believe how stupid I was, how careless, and how irresponsible," D'Souza wrote in a statement to the judge.

Some conservatives complained of selective prosecution of D'Souza. The prosecutor, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, was an Obama appointee later fired by Trump.

On Thursday, D'Souza thanked Trump in Twitter posts that also slammed Bharara. "KARMA IS A BITCH DEPT: @PreetBharara wanted to destroy a fellow Indian American to advance his career. Then he got fired & I got pardoned," D'Souza wrote.

Bharara earlier said on Twitter: "The President has the right to pardon but the facts are these: D'Souza intentionally broke the law, voluntarily pled guilty, apologised for his conduct & the judge found no unfairness. The career prosecutors and agents did their job."

Stewart and Blagojevich both were involved with Trump's "Apprentice" reality TV television show.

Blagojevich was convicted of corruption offences including soliciting bribes for appointment to the U.S. Senate seat Obama vacated after being elected president in 2008.

Last August, Trump pardoned Arpaio less than a month after his conviction for criminal contempt in a case involving racial profiling of Hispanics. Arpaio was known for his crackdown on illegal immigrants in Arizona's Maricopa County.

Libby was convicted in 2007 of lying in an investigation into the unmasking of a CIA agent.

Trump last week posthumously pardoned boxer Jack Johnson, the first black world heavyweight champion, who was jailed a century ago because of his relationship with a white woman.

<img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif" />

Trump said he was also considering pardoning a woman convicted of a drug-related charge after reality TV star Kim Kardashian discussed the case with him on Wednesday. Critics have accused him of subverting the rule of law

President Donald Trump on Thursday pardoned a conservative commentator and said he was considering pardoning lifestyle maven Martha Stewart and commuting a former Illinois governor's prison sentence, prompting critics to accuse him of subverting the rule of law. Trump announced on Twitter his decision to pardon pundit and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to U.S. campaign finance law violations and was an outspoken critic of Democratic former President Barack Obama, saying he had been "treated very unfairly by our government!" The Republican president then told reporters on a flight to Houston he was also considering a pardon for Stewart, who was convicted in 2004 on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements in an insider-trading probe. James Comey, whom Trump fired as FBI director last year and has repeatedly assailed, was the lead federal prosecutor in Stewart's case and played a role in the prosecution of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the chief of staff to former Vice President Dick Cheney. Trump pardoned Libby in April. Trump also said he might commute the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat convicted of corruption charges, and was considering pardoning a woman convicted of a drug-related charge after reality TV star Kim Kardashian discussed the case with him on Wednesday. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley, briefing reporters on Air Force One as Trump later flew to Dallas for Republican fundraising events, denied that celebrity was a consideration in whom the president decides to pardon. "Look, there are plenty of people the president is looking at right now under the pardon process," he said. The U.S. Constitution gives the president the power to issue pardons, and Trump sometimes has used that authority to benefit convicted figures revered by some on the political right such as former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio and Libby. After D'Souza's pardon, some constitutional scholars, legal analysts and Democratic lawmakers accused Trump of undermining the rule of law with pardons based on political considerations. Critics said the president was sending a message to people caught up in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump's 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia, including his longtime private lawyer Michael Cohen, whose business dealings are separately under scrutiny in New York. "Trump's Dinesh D'Souza pardon today, on top of his pardons of Scooter Libby and Joe Arpaio, makes sense only as an elephant-whistle to Michael Cohen & all who know damning things about Trump: protect me & I'll have your back. Turn on me & your goose is cooked. More obstruction!" Harvard Law School constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe wrote on Twitter. "As with the pardon of Joe Arpaio, Trump is sending a message that he will reward political allies for loyalty with get-out-of-jail-free cards," Democratic U.S. Representative Don Beyer said on Twitter. "He doesn't care about the rule of law." Trump denies any collusion with Russia and has called Mueller's probe a "witch hunt." D'Souza, 53, admitted in 2014 he illegally reimbursed two "straw donors" who donated $10,000 each to the unsuccessful 2012 U.S. Senate campaign in New York of Wendy Long, a Republican he had known since attending Dartmouth College in the 1980s. He was sentenced to five years of probation after telling the judge he was ashamed of his actions and contrite. "I cannot believe how stupid I was, how careless, and how irresponsible," D'Souza wrote in a statement to the judge. Some conservatives complained of selective prosecution of D'Souza. The prosecutor, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, was an Obama appointee later fired by Trump. On Thursday, D'Souza thanked Trump in Twitter posts that also slammed Bharara. "KARMA IS A BITCH DEPT: @PreetBharara wanted to destroy a fellow Indian American to advance his career. Then he got fired & I got pardoned," D'Souza wrote. Bharara earlier said on Twitter: "The President has the right to pardon but the facts are these: D'Souza intentionally broke the law, voluntarily pled guilty, apologised for his conduct & the judge found no unfairness. The career prosecutors and agents did their job." Stewart and Blagojevich both were involved with Trump's "Apprentice" reality TV television show. Blagojevich was convicted of corruption offences including soliciting bribes for appointment to the U.S. Senate seat Obama vacated after being elected president in 2008. Last August, Trump pardoned Arpaio less than a month after his conviction for criminal contempt in a case involving racial profiling of Hispanics. Arpaio was known for his crackdown on illegal immigrants in Arizona's Maricopa County. Libby was convicted in 2007 of lying in an investigation into the unmasking of a CIA agent. Trump last week posthumously pardoned boxer Jack Johnson, the first black world heavyweight champion, who was jailed a century ago because of his relationship with a white woman.

Trump says he may pardon Martha Stewart, former Illinois governor

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;it may take more than one meeting with North Korean leader&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong Un to seal a denuclearization deal and that he would like Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons program as quickly as possible under any agreement.

Trump, in a brief interview with Reuters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Texas for Republican fund raising events, said he was still hoping for a summit with&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;on&nbsp;June 12&nbsp;in Singapore.

The president emphasized that it may take more than one meeting to reach an agreement.

"I’d like to see it done in one meeting. But oftentimes that’s not the way deals work," Trump said.

"There’s a very good chance that it won’t be done in one meeting or two meetings or three meetings. But it’ll get done at some point. It may get done really nicely and really intelligently, or it may not get done intelligently. It may have to be the hard way," he said.

The president said he believed&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;wanted a deal.

"But I think it’ll get done in a very smart, organized fashion and I think that&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong Un wants to see it also. And I’m going to be very happy when the day arrives when we can take sanctions off, and have a very good relationship with the entire Korean Peninsula," Trump said.

US ally South Korea and North Korea have technically been at war for decades, even though the Korean War's military combat ended in 1953, because a peace agreement was never signed.

The president said he will most likely be visited by North Korean envoy&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Yong Chol&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;at the White House after the official's meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York.

The North Korean official is carrying a letter to Trump from&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong Un.

"I look forward to seeing the letter and I look forward to&nbsp;June 12&nbsp;where hopefully we can make progress," Trump said.

Disputes between Washington and Pyongyang led Trump to announce last Thursday he was canceling the meeting with&nbsp;Kim, only to say the following day that it could still go ahead. The days since have seen a flurry of diplomatic efforts to get the summit back on track.

In a letter to&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;last Thursday cancelling the summit, Trump accused North Korea of "open hostility," but urged&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;to "call me or write" if he had a change of heart.

In his interview with Reuters, the U.S. president said a nuclear deal with North Korea would have to cover its missile program.

"It means missiles," Trump said.

He said he wanted to see denuclearization occur at a rapid pace.

“I’d like to see a total denuclearization in as quick a period of time as is practicable," he said. "You’re talking about machinery, you’re talking about things that can’t necessarily happen immediately but they can happen in as rapid a fashion as they can happen. That’s what I want to happen."

North Korea has made advances in missile technology in recent years but Trump has sworn not to allow it to develop nuclear missiles that could hit the United States.

The president emphasized that it may take more than one meeting to reach an agreement

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday it may take more than one meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to seal a denuclearization deal and that he would like Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons program as quickly as possible under any agreement. Trump, in a brief interview with Reuters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Texas for Republican fund raising events, said he was still hoping for a summit with Kim on June 12 in Singapore. The president emphasized that it may take more than one meeting to reach an agreement. "I’d like to see it done in one meeting. But oftentimes that’s not the way deals work," Trump said. "There’s a very good chance that it won’t be done in one meeting or two meetings or three meetings. But it’ll get done at some point. It may get done really nicely and really intelligently, or it may not get done intelligently. It may have to be the hard way," he said. The president said he believed Kim wanted a deal. "But I think it’ll get done in a very smart, organized fashion and I think that Kim Jong Un wants to see it also. And I’m going to be very happy when the day arrives when we can take sanctions off, and have a very good relationship with the entire Korean Peninsula," Trump said. US ally South Korea and North Korea have technically been at war for decades, even though the Korean War's military combat ended in 1953, because a peace agreement was never signed. The president said he will most likely be visited by North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol on Friday at the White House after the official's meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York. The North Korean official is carrying a letter to Trump from Kim Jong Un. "I look forward to seeing the letter and I look forward to June 12 where hopefully we can make progress," Trump said. Disputes between Washington and Pyongyang led Trump to announce last Thursday he was canceling the meeting with Kim, only to say the following day that it could still go ahead. The days since have seen a flurry of diplomatic efforts to get the summit back on track. In a letter to Kim last Thursday cancelling the summit, Trump accused North Korea of "open hostility," but urged Kim to "call me or write" if he had a change of heart. In his interview with Reuters, the U.S. president said a nuclear deal with North Korea would have to cover its missile program. "It means missiles," Trump said. He said he wanted to see denuclearization occur at a rapid pace. “I’d like to see a total denuclearization in as quick a period of time as is practicable," he said. "You’re talking about machinery, you’re talking about things that can’t necessarily happen immediately but they can happen in as rapid a fashion as they can happen. That’s what I want to happen." North Korea has made advances in missile technology in recent years but Trump has sworn not to allow it to develop nuclear missiles that could hit the United States.

Trump: Nuclear deal may take more than one meeting with North Korea's Kim

Singapore hotel rooms are being snapped up, police are preparing to lock down the city and thousands of journalists are set to jet in for the greatest media circus on Earth -- the US-North Korea summit.

Top officials are scrambling to salvage the historic meeting between President Donald Trump and the North's leader&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Unplanned for&nbsp;June 12&nbsp;in the city-state.

If the summit -- already cancelled once by Trump before plans got back on track -- does go ahead, then tiny, placid Singapore will be the unlikely ground zero for one of the biggest geopolitical events of recent times.

The delegations of US and North Korean officials, along with their security details, are expected to be huge. But they are likely to pale in comparison to the gigantic media pack set to swarm the tropical city-state.

Some 3,000 people are expected to apply for media accreditation, sources involved in planning the event who spoke on condition of anonymity told.

It should easily eclipse the contingent of journalists at the last comparable event in Singapore, the 2015 meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's then-leader Ma Ying-jeou. Hundreds of journalists witnessed that meeting.

There was a foretaste of the coming invasion this week as reporters camped out at the upscale Fullerton hotel to get a glimpse of&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Chang Son,&nbsp;Kim's de facto chief of staff, who is in Singapore to lay the ground for the meeting.

Meanwhile, top hotels rumoured to be summit venues -- the frontrunner is the five-star Shangri-La, where the Xi-Ma meeting took place -- are almost fully booked.

But while world leaders hold their breath amid rising hopes a summit could lead to Pyongyang permanently abandoning its nuclear weapons programme, some Singaporeans were more concerned about the potential disruption to their peaceful lives.

Chang Anthony posted on Facebook that the meeting in the squeaky-clean city-state -- calm and stable to the point of sometimes being mocked as boring -- was "going to cause us inconvenience".

"Can government declare a (public holiday) for this special day?" he asked.&nbsp;

"Oh crap, two most unpopular leaders in the world coming here for world peace," lamented Timothy Klein on the site.

Security will certainly be onerous, with large numbers of police set to be deployed and extensive road closures expected around the summit venue.

But Lim Tai Wei, a fellow at the National University of Singapore's East Asia Institute, played down fears the event could cause widespread disruption.

"You have to bear in mind that the country has the experience of hosting the Xi-Ma meeting in 2015, and also previously having hosted past US presidents," he told AFP.

While some may lament the sudden influx of media and diplomats, businesses see it as an opportunity.

In a city famous for the "Singapore Sling" cocktail, watering hole Escobar is proving the country's bartenders can still rise to the occasion with two special summit drinks.

The "Trump" is a blue, bourbon-based cocktail while the "Kim" is a red-coloured cocktail with soju, a Korean liquor, as its base. Both cost Sg$12.60 ($9.40), a reference to the summit's expected date.

The bar -- named after drug kingpin Pablo Escobar -- will also have a "US-North Korea showdown" where customers who order a tray of 20 shots get to compete in a game of "rock, paper, scissors" while wearing gloves emblazoned with the countries' flags.

And there is a special treat for weary summit participants.

"If you can show that you're a delegate attending the event, I'll buy you a round of drinks on the house," owner Stan Sri Ganesh said

Top officials are scrambling to salvage the historic meeting between President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un planned for June 12 in the city-state

Singapore hotel rooms are being snapped up, police are preparing to lock down the city and thousands of journalists are set to jet in for the greatest media circus on Earth -- the US-North Korea summit. Top officials are scrambling to salvage the historic meeting between President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Unplanned for June 12 in the city-state. If the summit -- already cancelled once by Trump before plans got back on track -- does go ahead, then tiny, placid Singapore will be the unlikely ground zero for one of the biggest geopolitical events of recent times. The delegations of US and North Korean officials, along with their security details, are expected to be huge. But they are likely to pale in comparison to the gigantic media pack set to swarm the tropical city-state. Some 3,000 people are expected to apply for media accreditation, sources involved in planning the event who spoke on condition of anonymity told. It should easily eclipse the contingent of journalists at the last comparable event in Singapore, the 2015 meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's then-leader Ma Ying-jeou. Hundreds of journalists witnessed that meeting. There was a foretaste of the coming invasion this week as reporters camped out at the upscale Fullerton hotel to get a glimpse of Kim Chang Son, Kim's de facto chief of staff, who is in Singapore to lay the ground for the meeting. Meanwhile, top hotels rumoured to be summit venues -- the frontrunner is the five-star Shangri-La, where the Xi-Ma meeting took place -- are almost fully booked. But while world leaders hold their breath amid rising hopes a summit could lead to Pyongyang permanently abandoning its nuclear weapons programme, some Singaporeans were more concerned about the potential disruption to their peaceful lives. Chang Anthony posted on Facebook that the meeting in the squeaky-clean city-state -- calm and stable to the point of sometimes being mocked as boring -- was "going to cause us inconvenience". "Can government declare a (public holiday) for this special day?" he asked. "Oh crap, two most unpopular leaders in the world coming here for world peace," lamented Timothy Klein on the site. Security will certainly be onerous, with large numbers of police set to be deployed and extensive road closures expected around the summit venue. But Lim Tai Wei, a fellow at the National University of Singapore's East Asia Institute, played down fears the event could cause widespread disruption. "You have to bear in mind that the country has the experience of hosting the Xi-Ma meeting in 2015, and also previously having hosted past US presidents," he told AFP. While some may lament the sudden influx of media and diplomats, businesses see it as an opportunity. In a city famous for the "Singapore Sling" cocktail, watering hole Escobar is proving the country's bartenders can still rise to the occasion with two special summit drinks. The "Trump" is a blue, bourbon-based cocktail while the "Kim" is a red-coloured cocktail with soju, a Korean liquor, as its base. Both cost Sg$12.60 ($9.40), a reference to the summit's expected date. The bar -- named after drug kingpin Pablo Escobar -- will also have a "US-North Korea showdown" where customers who order a tray of 20 shots get to compete in a game of "rock, paper, scissors" while wearing gloves emblazoned with the countries' flags. And there is a special treat for weary summit participants. "If you can show that you're a delegate attending the event, I'll buy you a round of drinks on the house," owner Stan Sri Ganesh said

Placid Singapore braces for Trump-Kim storm

President Donald Trump on Thursday played down the chances of a quick breakthrough in talks with North Korea about its nuclear arsenal, as the top US&nbspdiplomat and a senior official from Pyongyang wrapped up two days of negotiations.

Trump, in a brief interview with Reuters aboard Air Force One on the way to Texas, said he was still hoping to hold an unprecedented summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore.

"I’d like to see it done in one meeting," he said. "But often times that’s not the way deals work. There’s a very good chance that it won’t be done in one meeting or two meetings or three meetings.&nbspBut it’ll get done at some point."

It was not clear if Trump meant he would need a second summit with Kim to reach the U.S. goal of persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear arms, or if he believed more lower-level talks were needed.

US&nbspSecretary of State Mike Pompeo and high-ranking North Korean official Kim Yong Chol concluded two days of meetings in New York on Thursday aimed at clearing the way for the summit.

"The meetings went well. They made progress," a senior U.S. State Department official said.

Trump said the North Korean envoy would be coming most likely on Friday to the White House to present him with a letter from Kim Jong Un.

North Korea, whose nuclear ambitions have been a source of world tension for decades, has made advances in missile technology in recent years but Trump has sworn not to allow it to develop nuclear missiles that could hit the United States.

He wants North Korea to "denuclearize," meaning to get rid of its nuclear arms, but the leadership in Pyongyang is believed to regard nuclear weapons as crucial to its survival and has rejected unilaterally disarming.

DIPLOMATIC FLURRY

Trump and Kim traded insults and threats of war last year but in March the bellicose rhetoric gave way to a proposal for a historic summit. However, disputes between Washington and Pyongyang led Trump to announce on May 24 he was cancelling the Singapore meeting with Kim, only to say the following day that it could still happen.

The days since have seen a flurry of diplomatic efforts to get the summit back on track.

If the North Korean delegation goes to the White House, it would be the first visit there by high-level Pyongyang officials since 2000 when senior figure Jo Myong Rok met President Bill Clinton.

Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol met for the second day in New York on Thursday. They shook hands at the start of their latest meeting at a condominium overlooking the East River.

Four officials from both sides sat across each other around a table in a room with a bay window that gave spectacular views of Manhattan, including the U.N. headquarters.

Kim Yong Chol is a close aide of leader Kim Jong Un and is vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee.

The United States, in return for North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons, could potentially loosen economic sanctions, leading to possible food and other aid to North Korea and improved ties with South Korea.

North and South Korea have technically been at war for decades, even though the Korean War's military combat ended in 1953 because a peace agreement was never signed.

China, North Korea's main trading partner and a key ally, said it supported and encouraged the "emerging good faith" between the United States and North Korea.

"At the same time as working to achieve the goal of denuclearization, we should also build long-term and effective initiatives to keep peace on the Korean peninsula," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said in Beijing.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and high-ranking North Korean official Kim Yong Chol concluded two days of meetings in New York on Thursday aimed at clearing the way for the summit.

President Donald Trump on Thursday played down the chances of a quick breakthrough in talks with North Korea about its nuclear arsenal, as the top US&nbspdiplomat and a senior official from Pyongyang wrapped up two days of negotiations. Trump, in a brief interview with Reuters aboard Air Force One on the way to Texas, said he was still hoping to hold an unprecedented summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore. "I’d like to see it done in one meeting," he said. "But often times that’s not the way deals work. There’s a very good chance that it won’t be done in one meeting or two meetings or three meetings.&nbspBut it’ll get done at some point." It was not clear if Trump meant he would need a second summit with Kim to reach the U.S. goal of persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear arms, or if he believed more lower-level talks were needed. US&nbspSecretary of State Mike Pompeo and high-ranking North Korean official Kim Yong Chol concluded two days of meetings in New York on Thursday aimed at clearing the way for the summit. "The meetings went well. They made progress," a senior U.S. State Department official said. Trump said the North Korean envoy would be coming most likely on Friday to the White House to present him with a letter from Kim Jong Un. North Korea, whose nuclear ambitions have been a source of world tension for decades, has made advances in missile technology in recent years but Trump has sworn not to allow it to develop nuclear missiles that could hit the United States. He wants North Korea to "denuclearize," meaning to get rid of its nuclear arms, but the leadership in Pyongyang is believed to regard nuclear weapons as crucial to its survival and has rejected unilaterally disarming. DIPLOMATIC FLURRY Trump and Kim traded insults and threats of war last year but in March the bellicose rhetoric gave way to a proposal for a historic summit. However, disputes between Washington and Pyongyang led Trump to announce on May 24 he was cancelling the Singapore meeting with Kim, only to say the following day that it could still happen. The days since have seen a flurry of diplomatic efforts to get the summit back on track. If the North Korean delegation goes to the White House, it would be the first visit there by high-level Pyongyang officials since 2000 when senior figure Jo Myong Rok met President Bill Clinton. Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol met for the second day in New York on Thursday. They shook hands at the start of their latest meeting at a condominium overlooking the East River. Four officials from both sides sat across each other around a table in a room with a bay window that gave spectacular views of Manhattan, including the U.N. headquarters. Kim Yong Chol is a close aide of leader Kim Jong Un and is vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee. The United States, in return for North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons, could potentially loosen economic sanctions, leading to possible food and other aid to North Korea and improved ties with South Korea. North and South Korea have technically been at war for decades, even though the Korean War's military combat ended in 1953 because a peace agreement was never signed. China, North Korea's main trading partner and a key ally, said it supported and encouraged the "emerging good faith" between the United States and North Korea. "At the same time as working to achieve the goal of denuclearization, we should also build long-term and effective initiatives to keep peace on the Korean peninsula," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said in Beijing.

Trump plays down chances of quick North Korea breakthrough, talks wrap up

US President Donald Trump is concerned about China's unfair trade practices and striving to stop Beijing from such practices and theft of American intellectual property, the White House said today.

The White House statement came a day after it renewed its threat to place 25 per cent tariffs on USD 50 billion in Chinese goods in retaliation of the latter's unfair trade practices.

At the same time, US President Donald Trump is having a "good relationship" with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and both are continuing to have conversations when it comes to North Korea.

"The President continues to have a good relationship with President Xi, but what he is concerned about is making sure he stops the unfair trade practices that China has engaged in for decades stopping the intellectual property theft that China has been engaged in and making sure that we no longer allow China to play on a different playing field than the rest of us," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference

She expressed hope that the two leaders will continue to share a good relationship but added that Trump would not stand for any unfair trade policy.&nbsp;

"He's not going to allow American workers to be taken advantage of. He's going to call that out, and he's going to step up and make those changes," she said in response to a question.

Congressman Drew Ferguson applauded the Trump administration for their decision to place restrictions on China's acquisition of sensitive American technology.

"We must not allow this country to overtake the United States and become a leading power," Ferguson said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Commerce announced the affirmative preliminary determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of imports of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China, finding that exporters in China received countervailable subsidies ranging from 12.81 per cent to 94.67 per cent.

As such, the Commerce Department will instruct US Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China based on these preliminary rates.

In 2017, imports of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China were valued at an estimated USD 22.5 million.&nbsp;

The White House statement came a day after it renewed its threat to place 25 per cent tariffs on USD 50 billion in Chinese goods in retaliation of the latter's unfair trade practices

US President Donald Trump is concerned about China's unfair trade practices and striving to stop Beijing from such practices and theft of American intellectual property, the White House said today. The White House statement came a day after it renewed its threat to place 25 per cent tariffs on USD 50 billion in Chinese goods in retaliation of the latter's unfair trade practices. At the same time, US President Donald Trump is having a "good relationship" with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and both are continuing to have conversations when it comes to North Korea. "The President continues to have a good relationship with President Xi, but what he is concerned about is making sure he stops the unfair trade practices that China has engaged in for decades stopping the intellectual property theft that China has been engaged in and making sure that we no longer allow China to play on a different playing field than the rest of us," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference She expressed hope that the two leaders will continue to share a good relationship but added that Trump would not stand for any unfair trade policy. "He's not going to allow American workers to be taken advantage of. He's going to call that out, and he's going to step up and make those changes," she said in response to a question. Congressman Drew Ferguson applauded the Trump administration for their decision to place restrictions on China's acquisition of sensitive American technology. "We must not allow this country to overtake the United States and become a leading power," Ferguson said. Meanwhile, the Department of Commerce announced the affirmative preliminary determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of imports of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China, finding that exporters in China received countervailable subsidies ranging from 12.81 per cent to 94.67 per cent. As such, the Commerce Department will instruct US Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China based on these preliminary rates. In 2017, imports of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China were valued at an estimated USD 22.5 million.

Trump concerned about China's unfair trade practices: White House

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in New York&nbsp;on Wednesday&nbsp;to meet with North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol, the most senior North Korean envoy to hold talks with American officials on US&nbsp;soil&nbsp;in 18 years.

Kim is a former spy chief and trusted adviser to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, playing a pivotal role in preparations for&nbsp;a historic&nbsp;summit between Kim and US&nbsp;President Donald Trump.

Sent as Kim Jong Un's envoy to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February, Kim Yong Chol told South Korean President Moon Jae-in Pyongyang was open to talks with Washington, the first indication North Korea was changing course after months of trading threats and insults with the United States.

Sent as Kim Jong Un's envoy to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February, Kim Yong Chol told South Korean President Moon Jae-in Pyongyang was open to talks with Washington

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in New York on Wednesday to meet with North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol, the most senior North Korean envoy to hold talks with American officials on US soil in 18 years. Kim is a former spy chief and trusted adviser to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, playing a pivotal role in preparations for a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump. Sent as Kim Jong Un's envoy to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February, Kim Yong Chol told South Korean President Moon Jae-in Pyongyang was open to talks with Washington, the first indication North Korea was changing course after months of trading threats and insults with the United States.

Pompeo, North Korean envoy wrap up meeting in New York

The US&nbsp;military on Wednesday renamed its&nbsp;PacificCommand&nbsp;the US&nbsp;Indo-Pacific&nbsp;Command, in a largely&nbsp;symbolic&nbsp;move underscoring the growing importance of&nbsp;India&nbsp;to the Pentagon, US&nbsp;officials said.

US&nbsp;Pacific&nbsp;Command, which is responsible for all US&nbsp;military activity in the greater&nbsp;Pacific region, has about 375,000 civilian and military personnel assigned to its area of responsibility, which includes&nbsp;India.

"Relationships with our&nbsp;Pacific&nbsp;and&nbsp;Indian Ocean allies and partners have proven critical to maintaining regional stability," US&nbsp;Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in prepared remarks.

"In recognition of the increasing connectivity between the&nbsp;Indian and&nbsp;Pacific&nbsp;Oceans, today we rename&nbsp;the US&nbsp;Pacific&nbsp;Command&nbsp;to US&nbsp;Indo-Pacific&nbsp;Command," Mattis said.

He was speaking during a change of&nbsp;command&nbsp;ceremony. Admiral Philip Davidson was assuming leadership of the&nbsp;command&nbsp;from Admiral Harry Harris, who is President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to South Korea.

The renaming does not mean additional assets will be sent to the region at this time but rather recognizes&nbsp;India's increasing military relevance for the United States.

In 2016, the United States and&nbsp;India&nbsp;signed an agreement governing the&nbsp;use of each other's land, air and naval bases for repair and resupply, a step toward building defense ties as they seek to counter the growing maritime assertiveness of China.

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said they had noted the name&nbsp;change.

"We will continue to pay attention to developments," he told a regular monthly news briefing.

The United States is also keen to tap into&nbsp;India's large defense market. It has emerged as&nbsp;India's No. 2 weapons supplier, closing $15 billion worth of deals over the last decade.

Mattis has been pushing for a waiver for countries like&nbsp;India after Trump signed a law last year which said that any country trading with Russia's defense and intelligence sectors would face sanctions.

"I think&nbsp;India&nbsp;and the relationship with the United States is the potentially most historic opportunity we have in the 21st-century and I intend to pursue that quite rigorously," Davidson, the incoming head of the&nbsp;command, said last month.

However, experts said the&nbsp;name&nbsp;change would mean little unless it was tied to a broader strategy.

"Renaming PACOM is ultimately a&nbsp;symbolic&nbsp;act ... (it) will have a very limited impact unless the US&nbsp;follows through with a significant array of initiatives and investments that reflect a wider aperture," said Abraham Denmark, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia under President Barack Obama.

US Pacific Command has about 375,000 civilian and military personnel assigned to its area of responsibility, which includes India

The US military on Wednesday renamed its PacificCommand the US Indo-Pacific Command, in a largely symbolic move underscoring the growing importance of India to the Pentagon, US officials said. US Pacific Command, which is responsible for all US military activity in the greater Pacific region, has about 375,000 civilian and military personnel assigned to its area of responsibility, which includes India. "Relationships with our Pacific and Indian Ocean allies and partners have proven critical to maintaining regional stability," US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in prepared remarks. "In recognition of the increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, today we rename the US Pacific Command to US Indo-Pacific Command," Mattis said. He was speaking during a change of command ceremony. Admiral Philip Davidson was assuming leadership of the command from Admiral Harry Harris, who is President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to South Korea. The renaming does not mean additional assets will be sent to the region at this time but rather recognizes India's increasing military relevance for the United States. In 2016, the United States and India signed an agreement governing the use of each other's land, air and naval bases for repair and resupply, a step toward building defense ties as they seek to counter the growing maritime assertiveness of China. Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said they had noted the name change. "We will continue to pay attention to developments," he told a regular monthly news briefing. The United States is also keen to tap into India's large defense market. It has emerged as India's No. 2 weapons supplier, closing $15 billion worth of deals over the last decade. Mattis has been pushing for a waiver for countries like India after Trump signed a law last year which said that any country trading with Russia's defense and intelligence sectors would face sanctions. "I think India and the relationship with the United States is the potentially most historic opportunity we have in the 21st-century and I intend to pursue that quite rigorously," Davidson, the incoming head of the command, said last month. However, experts said the name change would mean little unless it was tied to a broader strategy. "Renaming PACOM is ultimately a symbolic act ... (it) will have a very limited impact unless the US follows through with a significant array of initiatives and investments that reflect a wider aperture," said Abraham Denmark, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia under President Barack Obama.

US Pacific Command changes name underscoring growing importance of India to Pentagon

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Thursday, the Russian foreign ministry said, and invited him to visit Russia.

Lavrov visited the secretive state ahead of a possible landmark summit between US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader in June.

Russia has appeared to be on the fringes of a flurry of international diplomacy as North Korea and the United States have taken steps to set up talks aimed at ending years of tension over Pyongyang's nuclear programme.

Lavrov on Thursday passed on good wishes to Kim from Russian President Vladimir Putin and invited him to visit Moscow, TV footage showed.

"Come to Russia. We would be very happy to see you," Lavrov, seated across a table from Kim, said.

He expressed Moscow's support for the declaration between North and South Korea last month in which they agreed to work for the denuclearisation of the peninsula.

Lavrov also held talks with his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho, in what was his first trip to North Korea since 2009, Russian news agencies said.

Lavrov said Moscow hoped all sides would take a delicate approach to possible forthcoming talks on a nuclear settlement on the peninsula and not try to rush the process.

"This will allow for the realisation not only of the denuclearisation of the whole Korean peninsula but also to provide sustainable peace and stability across north-east Asia," Lavrov was quoted as saying by his ministry.

Lavrov visited the secretive state ahead of a possible landmark summit between US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader in June

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Thursday, the Russian foreign ministry said, and invited him to visit Russia. Lavrov visited the secretive state ahead of a possible landmark summit between US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader in June. Russia has appeared to be on the fringes of a flurry of international diplomacy as North Korea and the United States have taken steps to set up talks aimed at ending years of tension over Pyongyang's nuclear programme. Lavrov on Thursday passed on good wishes to Kim from Russian President Vladimir Putin and invited him to visit Moscow, TV footage showed. "Come to Russia. We would be very happy to see you," Lavrov, seated across a table from Kim, said. He expressed Moscow's support for the declaration between North and South Korea last month in which they agreed to work for the denuclearisation of the peninsula. Lavrov also held talks with his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho, in what was his first trip to North Korea since 2009, Russian news agencies said. Lavrov said Moscow hoped all sides would take a delicate approach to possible forthcoming talks on a nuclear settlement on the peninsula and not try to rush the process. "This will allow for the realisation not only of the denuclearisation of the whole Korean peninsula but also to provide sustainable peace and stability across north-east Asia," Lavrov was quoted as saying by his ministry.

Russia's Lavrov meets North Korea's Kim in Pyongyang, invites him to Moscow

Kim Kardashian West had a starry day on Wednesday as she met with US President Donald Trump and other officials, including senior adviser Jared Kushner at the White House to discuss prison reform.&nbsp;

Posting a photo with the TV reality star, Trump tweeted: "Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing.”

Kardashian kept it cool in a black suit paired with bright yellow stilettos as she was spotted leaving the White House with a small entourage an hour after she arrived at the White House.&nbsp;

Announcing the visit earlier, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders in a White House press briefing Wednesday afternoon said: "She is expected to be here at the White House. I can confirm she'll be here. We'll keep you posted on any meetings that take place and what those look like."

The reality star has been advocating for the pardon of a low-level drug offender named Alice Marie Johnson who has served more than 20 years in prison. On Wednesday before the meeting, Kardashian tweeted: "Happy Birthday Alice Marie Johnson. Today is for you," adding the prayer hands emoji.

After the meeting, she said in a statement: "I would like to thank President Trump for his time this afternoon. It is our hope that the President will grant clemency to Ms. Alice Marie Johnson who is serving a life sentence for a first-time, non-violent drug offense. We are optimistic about Ms. Johnson's future and hopeful that she -- and so many like her -- will get a second chance at life."

Even though Kim Kardashian has been a supporter of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton when she was contesting in 2016 presidential election, her husband, singer Kanye West has signalled staunch support for Trump. Last month, he released a photo wearing "Make America Great Again" cap. He followed it up with releasing a song defending his praise of the President.

Kim has been advocating for the pardon of a low-level drug offender named Alice Marie Johnson who has served more than 20 years in prison

Kim Kardashian West had a starry day on Wednesday as she met with US President Donald Trump and other officials, including senior adviser Jared Kushner at the White House to discuss prison reform. Posting a photo with the TV reality star, Trump tweeted: "Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing.” Kardashian kept it cool in a black suit paired with bright yellow stilettos as she was spotted leaving the White House with a small entourage an hour after she arrived at the White House. Announcing the visit earlier, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders in a White House press briefing Wednesday afternoon said: "She is expected to be here at the White House. I can confirm she'll be here. We'll keep you posted on any meetings that take place and what those look like." The reality star has been advocating for the pardon of a low-level drug offender named Alice Marie Johnson who has served more than 20 years in prison. On Wednesday before the meeting, Kardashian tweeted: "Happy Birthday Alice Marie Johnson. Today is for you," adding the prayer hands emoji. After the meeting, she said in a statement: "I would like to thank President Trump for his time this afternoon. It is our hope that the President will grant clemency to Ms. Alice Marie Johnson who is serving a life sentence for a first-time, non-violent drug offense. We are optimistic about Ms. Johnson's future and hopeful that she -- and so many like her -- will get a second chance at life." Even though Kim Kardashian has been a supporter of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton when she was contesting in 2016 presidential election, her husband, singer Kanye West has signalled staunch support for Trump. Last month, he released a photo wearing "Make America Great Again" cap. He followed it up with releasing a song defending his praise of the President.

Trump meets reality TV star Kim Kardashian to discuss prison reform

When Kim Yong Chol lands in New York this week, he will become the most senior North Korean envoy to hold talks with American officials on US&nbsp;soil&nbsp;in 18 years.

The former spy chief is a trusted adviser to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, playing a pivotal role in preparations for a historic summit between Kim and US&nbsp;President Donald Trump.

In a sign of his importance, Trump announced Kim Yong Chol's New York trip on Twitter&nbsp;on Tuesday.

The White House said he would meet US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later this week, the most high-level contact between the two countries in the United States since Jo Myong Rok, a marshal, met President Bill Clinton in 2000.

DIPLOMATIC HEAVYWEIGHT

Kim Yong Chol is a four-star general, vice chairman of the ruling Workers` Party`s Central Committee, and director of the United Front Department, which is responsible for inter-Korean relations.

Such positions, and his omnipresence before and during inter-Korean summits in April and&nbsp;on Saturday, making him one of the most powerful people in North Korea, South Korean officials say.

He has played a central role in the recent thaw in relations between the North and South Korea, as well as the United States.

Sent as Kim Jong Un`s envoy to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February, Kim Yong Chol told South Korean President Moon Jae-in Pyongyang was open to talks with Washington, the first indication North Korea was changing course after

months of trading threats and insults with the United States.

He and Kim Jong Un`s sister, Kim Yo Jong, were the only two officials to join the North Korean leader at the two inter-Korean summits.

He also coordinated Kim Jong Un`s two meetings with Pompeo in Pyongyang.

SPY UNDER SANCTIONS

Kim Yong Chol was previously chief of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a top North Korean military intelligence agency, and has spent nearly 30 years as a senior member of the intelligence community.

The United States and South Korea blacklisted him for supporting the North`s nuclear and missile programmes in 2010 and 2016, respectively.

A visit to the United States would indicate a waiver was granted.

He was accused by South Korea of masterminding deadly attacks on a South Korean navy ship and an island in 2010.

He was also linked by US&nbsp;intelligence to a devastating cyber attack on Sony Pictures in 2014.

North Korea denied any involvement in either incident.

Kim Yong Chol "stormed out of the room" during military talks in 2014 when the South demanded an apology for the 2010 attacks, according to South Korean officials.&nbsp;

"He is a tough negotiator and an expert on inter-Korean talks, but it is true that he had been a symbol of hawks rather than harmony and reconciliation until this year," said Moon Sang-gyun, a former South Korean defence official.&nbsp;

BODYGUARD TO KIM`S FATHER

Kim Yong Chol served in the military police in the demilitarized zone on the border of the two Koreas.

He was also a bodyguard to Kim Jong Il, the former leader and late father of Kim Jong Un, according to North Korea Leadership Watch, an affiliate of the 38 North think tank.

He has been closely linked to Kim Jong Un's succession and has been seen flanking the leader on several public visits.

Kim Yong Chol is known to be difficult to work with, sarcastic and not sufficiently deferential to his superiors, Leadership Watch said.

He has also suffered tough times. South Korea`s intelligence agency said in 2015 Kim Yong Chol was demoted to a three-star general after dozing off during a meeting.&nbsp;

In 2016, Seoul`s unification ministry said he was briefly sent to a re-education camp for his "overbearing" manner and abuse of power.

The former spy chief Kim Yong Chol is a trusted adviser to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, playing a pivotal role in preparations for a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump

When Kim Yong Chol lands in New York this week, he will become the most senior North Korean envoy to hold talks with American officials on US soil in 18 years. The former spy chief is a trusted adviser to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, playing a pivotal role in preparations for a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump. In a sign of his importance, Trump announced Kim Yong Chol's New York trip on Twitter on Tuesday. The White House said he would meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later this week, the most high-level contact between the two countries in the United States since Jo Myong Rok, a marshal, met President Bill Clinton in 2000. DIPLOMATIC HEAVYWEIGHT Kim Yong Chol is a four-star general, vice chairman of the ruling Workers` Party`s Central Committee, and director of the United Front Department, which is responsible for inter-Korean relations. Such positions, and his omnipresence before and during inter-Korean summits in April and on Saturday, making him one of the most powerful people in North Korea, South Korean officials say. He has played a central role in the recent thaw in relations between the North and South Korea, as well as the United States. Sent as Kim Jong Un`s envoy to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February, Kim Yong Chol told South Korean President Moon Jae-in Pyongyang was open to talks with Washington, the first indication North Korea was changing course after months of trading threats and insults with the United States. He and Kim Jong Un`s sister, Kim Yo Jong, were the only two officials to join the North Korean leader at the two inter-Korean summits. He also coordinated Kim Jong Un`s two meetings with Pompeo in Pyongyang. SPY UNDER SANCTIONS Kim Yong Chol was previously chief of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a top North Korean military intelligence agency, and has spent nearly 30 years as a senior member of the intelligence community. The United States and South Korea blacklisted him for supporting the North`s nuclear and missile programmes in 2010 and 2016, respectively. A visit to the United States would indicate a waiver was granted. He was accused by South Korea of masterminding deadly attacks on a South Korean navy ship and an island in 2010. He was also linked by US intelligence to a devastating cyber attack on Sony Pictures in 2014. North Korea denied any involvement in either incident. Kim Yong Chol "stormed out of the room" during military talks in 2014 when the South demanded an apology for the 2010 attacks, according to South Korean officials. "He is a tough negotiator and an expert on inter-Korean talks, but it is true that he had been a symbol of hawks rather than harmony and reconciliation until this year," said Moon Sang-gyun, a former South Korean defence official. BODYGUARD TO KIM`S FATHER Kim Yong Chol served in the military police in the demilitarized zone on the border of the two Koreas. He was also a bodyguard to Kim Jong Il, the former leader and late father of Kim Jong Un, according to North Korea Leadership Watch, an affiliate of the 38 North think tank. He has been closely linked to Kim Jong Un's succession and has been seen flanking the leader on several public visits. Kim Yong Chol is known to be difficult to work with, sarcastic and not sufficiently deferential to his superiors, Leadership Watch said. He has also suffered tough times. South Korea`s intelligence agency said in 2015 Kim Yong Chol was demoted to a three-star general after dozing off during a meeting. In 2016, Seoul`s unification ministry said he was briefly sent to a re-education camp for his "overbearing" manner and abuse of power.

The man sent by North Korean leader to US for high-level talks

The Czech Republic on Tuesday reopened its honorary consulate in Jerusalem, the CTK news agency reported, after President Milos Zeman voiced his wish to move the Czech embassy to the city from Tel Aviv.

The CTK named Dan Propper, a 78-year-old Israeli businessman of Czech origin, as the new honorary consul.&nbsp;

"I see my contribution as being especially focused on economic relations because I have links to the local entrepreneurial community," Propper told the CTK.&nbsp;

Opened in the early 1990s, the Czech honorary consulate in Jerusalem was closed in 2016 due to the death of the honorary consul.

The Czech Foreign Ministry vowed in April that the decision to reopen the honorary consulate had "no influence on the final agreement on Jerusalem" adding that Prague "fully respects the common position of the European Union that considers Jerusalem as the future capital of both states, that is to say, the State of Israel and the future state of Palestine."

US President Donald Trump broke with decades of policy, moving the US embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, infuriating Palestinians and intensifying protests on the Gaza border, with 60 killed in clashes with Israeli forces that day.

Trump's move ruptured generations of international consensus that Jerusalem's status should be settled as part of a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Palestinian Authority recalled its envoys to Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria after their ambassadors attended an Israeli reception marking the US embassy's move to Jerusalem.

Czech President Zeman, known for his pro-Israel stance, has repeatedly said he also wants to see his country's embassy transferred to Jerusalem.

The Czech Embassy (of Czechoslovakia then the Czech Republic) has been in Tel Aviv since 1949, except during the interruption of diplomatic relations under the former communist regime in Prague between 1967 and 1990.

Any decision to move the embassy would first need to be approved by the Czech government.

The CTK named Dan Propper, a 78-year-old Israeli businessman of Czech origin, as the new honorary consul

The Czech Republic on Tuesday reopened its honorary consulate in Jerusalem, the CTK news agency reported, after President Milos Zeman voiced his wish to move the Czech embassy to the city from Tel Aviv. The CTK named Dan Propper, a 78-year-old Israeli businessman of Czech origin, as the new honorary consul. "I see my contribution as being especially focused on economic relations because I have links to the local entrepreneurial community," Propper told the CTK. Opened in the early 1990s, the Czech honorary consulate in Jerusalem was closed in 2016 due to the death of the honorary consul. The Czech Foreign Ministry vowed in April that the decision to reopen the honorary consulate had "no influence on the final agreement on Jerusalem" adding that Prague "fully respects the common position of the European Union that considers Jerusalem as the future capital of both states, that is to say, the State of Israel and the future state of Palestine." US President Donald Trump broke with decades of policy, moving the US embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, infuriating Palestinians and intensifying protests on the Gaza border, with 60 killed in clashes with Israeli forces that day. Trump's move ruptured generations of international consensus that Jerusalem's status should be settled as part of a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority recalled its envoys to Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria after their ambassadors attended an Israeli reception marking the US embassy's move to Jerusalem. Czech President Zeman, known for his pro-Israel stance, has repeatedly said he also wants to see his country's embassy transferred to Jerusalem. The Czech Embassy (of Czechoslovakia then the Czech Republic) has been in Tel Aviv since 1949, except during the interruption of diplomatic relations under the former communist regime in Prague between 1967 and 1990. Any decision to move the embassy would first need to be approved by the Czech government.

Czech Republic re-opens honorary consulate in Jerusalem

Japan&nbspon Tuesday&nbspsaid it had detected what appeared to be a Chinese-flagged vessel, 350 km (218 miles) off Shanghai, conducting illegal transfers to a North Korean ship.

"Following a comprehensive assessment, the government of Japan strongly suspects that they conducted ship-to-ship transfers banned by UNSCR," Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a news release, referring to UN&nbspSecurity Council resolutions.

A Japanese P-3 maritime patrol plane detected the vessels, which lay alongside each other connected by hoses, on May 19, with one of the ships flying what seemed like a Chinese flag, it said.

China's Foreign Ministry said the information provided was "unclear" and it was hard to reach any definitive conclusions.

China has always fully enforced UN resolutions and if there is concrete proof of the resolutions being breached then China will handle it in accordance with the law, the ministry said in a statement sent to Reuters.

Japan's decision to voice its suspicion comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US&nbspPresident Donald Trump prepared for what may be a breakthrough summit as early as next month.

Japan is urging the United States and other countries to stick to a strict imposition of UN&nbspsanctions on North Korea until it abandons the development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

In April, the UN&nbspSecurity Council blacklisted dozens of ships and shipping companies over oil and coal smuggling by North Korea, including five based in China. The vessels are subject to a global port ban and must be deregistered.

China's Foreign Ministry said the information provided was "unclear" and it was hard to reach any definitive conclusions

Japan&nbspon Tuesday&nbspsaid it had detected what appeared to be a Chinese-flagged vessel, 350 km (218 miles) off Shanghai, conducting illegal transfers to a North Korean ship. "Following a comprehensive assessment, the government of Japan strongly suspects that they conducted ship-to-ship transfers banned by UNSCR," Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a news release, referring to UN&nbspSecurity Council resolutions. A Japanese P-3 maritime patrol plane detected the vessels, which lay alongside each other connected by hoses, on May 19, with one of the ships flying what seemed like a Chinese flag, it said. China's Foreign Ministry said the information provided was "unclear" and it was hard to reach any definitive conclusions. China has always fully enforced UN resolutions and if there is concrete proof of the resolutions being breached then China will handle it in accordance with the law, the ministry said in a statement sent to Reuters. Japan's decision to voice its suspicion comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US&nbspPresident Donald Trump prepared for what may be a breakthrough summit as early as next month. Japan is urging the United States and other countries to stick to a strict imposition of UN&nbspsanctions on North Korea until it abandons the development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. In April, the UN&nbspSecurity Council blacklisted dozens of ships and shipping companies over oil and coal smuggling by North Korea, including five based in China. The vessels are subject to a global port ban and must be deregistered.

Japan says it detects apparent Chinese ship breaking North Korea sanctions

President Donald Trump is running out of time to deliver a revamp of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) he promised for this year and people involved in the talks say the crunch is largely of his administration's own making.

Negotiators, industry lobbyists, trade experts and lawmakers briefed on the talks described how precious months passed before the US team presented its proposals and how the talks stalled because the demands far exceeded what&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;and Mexico had expected and Washington signalled no readiness to compromise.

In the end, an unusually tight timetable allowed little space to bridge differences on the core issues, such as the US&nbsp;and regional content requirements for the auto industry.

Talks started last August with a goal to conclude in just four months, but as a May 17 notification deadline to allow the current Republican-led US&nbsp;Congress to approve a new agreement before year-end passed, US&nbsp;Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer warned a deal was "nowhere near close."

&nbsp;

Time pressure shifts

Up until a few weeks ago, Lighthizer thought Mexico faced the biggest time pressure to wrap up the talks before its&nbsp;July 1&nbsp;presidential elections.

In early May, however, Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo told Lighthizer in Washington that he would be able to negotiate a NAFTA agreement up until the&nbsp;Dec. 1&nbsp;transition to a new government - even if an opposition candidate won.

Suddenly, it was the United States running against the looming congressional deadline, the Mexican source said.

The Trump administration's negotiating goals submitted to Congress in July 2017 talked of shrinking trade deficits with Mexico and&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;and boosting US&nbsp;auto production.&nbsp;

In contrast, the US&nbsp;neighbours saw the talks more as a "modernization" exercise, proposing, for example, chapters on the digital trade that did not exist when NAFTA took effect in 1994.

Broadly, both were fine with the status quo, so when it took Washington two months to present specific demands the delay played into their hands.

"How can you launch talks to update a treaty and then make everyone wait months before you explain what you want," asked one Canadian official briefed on the talks.

Lighthizer's office said he was clear all along about aiming to "rebalance" NAFTA trade in US&nbsp;favour.

"The United States has been very clear and specific from the start about what we hope to see in a new NAFTA and has worked at an unprecedented pace to negotiate a better deal for America," the office's spokesman said.

When Lighthizer's team presented the demands in October, Canadian and Mexican officials said they amounted to surrendering decades of trade benefits, which they could not accept.

US&nbsp;business groups labelled those demands "poison pills" that threatened to derail the talks and prompt Trump to quit the pact. The key ones were: a steep increase in regional automotive content requirements, a demand for half the value of North American vehicles to originate in the United States and a requirement to renegotiate the pact every five years.

All remain unresolved, despite nearly eight weeks of marathon negotiations in Washington in April and May, focused mainly on autos.

Canada&nbsp;and Mexico had their role in running down the clock. It has taken Ottawa and Mexico three months to produce counterproposals, drawing criticism from Lighthizer they were failing to “engage.”

Canadian and Mexican negotiators argued they needed time to understand the logic of US&nbsp;demands because they came without customary backup evidence and analysis. US&nbsp;negotiators said it was the consequence of the extremely tight timetable.

But US&nbsp;chief negotiator John Melle privately complained to US&nbsp;colleagues that Ottawa was deliberately wasting time on less essential matters, such as proposed new chapters on women's and indigenous people's rights, a US&nbsp;source close to the talks said. Canadian officials deny trying to drag out negotiations.

Speaking at a business event early this year,&nbsp;Canada's veteran chief negotiator, Steve Verheul, described the talks as the "most unusual negotiation" he had ever been involved in, because of Washington's winner-takes-all approach.

"They are looking to strengthen the US&nbsp;and by doing that weaken&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;and Mexico."

&nbsp;

Which Lighthizer?

Trump's threats to quit NAFTA and Washington's uncompromising stance made some involved in the talks wonder whether its goal was to blow up the pact or improve it.

"My boss thinks 40 percent of Lighthizer wants a deal, 60 percent doesn't, and you see both Lighthizers, sometimes in the same conversation," one NAFTA diplomat said.

Lighthizer frequently told reporters and lawmakers that he was negotiating for “an audience of one,” and it was ultimately Trump's call whether to accept or reject a deal.

Talks seemed to gain some momentum in early April when US&nbsp;negotiators toned down their automotive demands - cutting the proposed regional content threshold by 10 percentage points to 75 percent, but with a $16 minimum wage component for 40 percent of autos. Mexico responded with 70 percent and 20 percent, respectively, though Guajardo&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;still put chances of a deal before&nbsp;July 1&nbsp;at about 40 percent.

However, with Washington waging trade battles on other fronts it has been hard to sustain that momentum.

For example, when the United States threatened to hit Chinese imports with tariffs because of intellectual property concerns and talks reached a critical phase in late April, a trade mission to Beijing took Lighthizer away from NAFTA for a week.

And last week, his office launched a national security investigation that could lead to tariffs on vehicle and auto parts imports from North America, Europe and Asia. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Reuters&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;the move was intended to pressure&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;and Mexico in the NAFTA talks.

Whether they will yield to that pressure is another matter and in the meantime, the probe could end tying up Lighthizer's stretched resources.

Even with a deal on autos, it could take time to work out other issues, such as intellectual property safeguards for drugmakers, said former US&nbsp;trade negotiator Wendy Cutler.

"Sometimes there's just not enough time to come up with creative solutions."

President Donald Trump is running out of time to deliver a revamp of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) he promised for this year

President Donald Trump is running out of time to deliver a revamp of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) he promised for this year and people involved in the talks say the crunch is largely of his administration's own making. Negotiators, industry lobbyists, trade experts and lawmakers briefed on the talks described how precious months passed before the US team presented its proposals and how the talks stalled because the demands far exceeded what Canada and Mexico had expected and Washington signalled no readiness to compromise. In the end, an unusually tight timetable allowed little space to bridge differences on the core issues, such as the US and regional content requirements for the auto industry. Talks started last August with a goal to conclude in just four months, but as a May 17 notification deadline to allow the current Republican-led US Congress to approve a new agreement before year-end passed, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer warned a deal was "nowhere near close." Time pressure shifts Up until a few weeks ago, Lighthizer thought Mexico faced the biggest time pressure to wrap up the talks before its July 1 presidential elections. In early May, however, Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo told Lighthizer in Washington that he would be able to negotiate a NAFTA agreement up until the Dec. 1 transition to a new government - even if an opposition candidate won. Suddenly, it was the United States running against the looming congressional deadline, the Mexican source said. The Trump administration's negotiating goals submitted to Congress in July 2017 talked of shrinking trade deficits with Mexico and Canada and boosting US auto production. In contrast, the US neighbours saw the talks more as a "modernization" exercise, proposing, for example, chapters on the digital trade that did not exist when NAFTA took effect in 1994. Broadly, both were fine with the status quo, so when it took Washington two months to present specific demands the delay played into their hands. "How can you launch talks to update a treaty and then make everyone wait months before you explain what you want," asked one Canadian official briefed on the talks. Lighthizer's office said he was clear all along about aiming to "rebalance" NAFTA trade in US favour. "The United States has been very clear and specific from the start about what we hope to see in a new NAFTA and has worked at an unprecedented pace to negotiate a better deal for America," the office's spokesman said. When Lighthizer's team presented the demands in October, Canadian and Mexican officials said they amounted to surrendering decades of trade benefits, which they could not accept. US business groups labelled those demands "poison pills" that threatened to derail the talks and prompt Trump to quit the pact. The key ones were: a steep increase in regional automotive content requirements, a demand for half the value of North American vehicles to originate in the United States and a requirement to renegotiate the pact every five years. All remain unresolved, despite nearly eight weeks of marathon negotiations in Washington in April and May, focused mainly on autos. Canada and Mexico had their role in running down the clock. It has taken Ottawa and Mexico three months to produce counterproposals, drawing criticism from Lighthizer they were failing to “engage.” Canadian and Mexican negotiators argued they needed time to understand the logic of US demands because they came without customary backup evidence and analysis. US negotiators said it was the consequence of the extremely tight timetable. But US chief negotiator John Melle privately complained to US colleagues that Ottawa was deliberately wasting time on less essential matters, such as proposed new chapters on women's and indigenous people's rights, a US source close to the talks said. Canadian officials deny trying to drag out negotiations. Speaking at a business event early this year, Canada's veteran chief negotiator, Steve Verheul, described the talks as the "most unusual negotiation" he had ever been involved in, because of Washington's winner-takes-all approach. "They are looking to strengthen the US and by doing that weaken Canada and Mexico." Which Lighthizer? Trump's threats to quit NAFTA and Washington's uncompromising stance made some involved in the talks wonder whether its goal was to blow up the pact or improve it. "My boss thinks 40 percent of Lighthizer wants a deal, 60 percent doesn't, and you see both Lighthizers, sometimes in the same conversation," one NAFTA diplomat said. Lighthizer frequently told reporters and lawmakers that he was negotiating for “an audience of one,” and it was ultimately Trump's call whether to accept or reject a deal. Talks seemed to gain some momentum in early April when US negotiators toned down their automotive demands - cutting the proposed regional content threshold by 10 percentage points to 75 percent, but with a $16 minimum wage component for 40 percent of autos. Mexico responded with 70 percent and 20 percent, respectively, though Guajardo on Friday still put chances of a deal before July 1 at about 40 percent. However, with Washington waging trade battles on other fronts it has been hard to sustain that momentum. For example, when the United States threatened to hit Chinese imports with tariffs because of intellectual property concerns and talks reached a critical phase in late April, a trade mission to Beijing took Lighthizer away from NAFTA for a week. And last week, his office launched a national security investigation that could lead to tariffs on vehicle and auto parts imports from North America, Europe and Asia. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Reuters on Thursday the move was intended to pressure Canada and Mexico in the NAFTA talks. Whether they will yield to that pressure is another matter and in the meantime, the probe could end tying up Lighthizer's stretched resources. Even with a deal on autos, it could take time to work out other issues, such as intellectual property safeguards for drugmakers, said former US trade negotiator Wendy Cutler. "Sometimes there's just not enough time to come up with creative solutions."

Delays and 'poison pills': Team Trump runs out of road in NAFTA talks

US President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump continues to win foreign trademarks for her company in countries like China. The latest in Ivanka's kitty is the 13th Chinese trademark bagged by her company in the past three months.&nbsp;

China, on Sunday, granted Trump's company the 13th trademark in around last 90 days this year. China has also granted her company another set of eight trademarks on a provisional basis.

With as many trademarks in place, Ivanka Trump will be able to market a host of products in China, from furniture, coffee, chocolates to perfume, baby blankets among a range of other products.

The development has sparked a wave of reactions with many noting if Ivanka's trademarks-bagging spree conflicts America's policy on trade and business with the Xi-Jinping regime.&nbsp;

Ivanka Trump now emerges at the centre of a controversy that sees the possibility of her using her status to swing business propositions with other countries in her favour. Many fear that Ivanka Trump may also design her policies influenced by the countries with which she engages in business.&nbsp;

Although Ivanka Trump no longer manages her brand, she continues to profit from it.&nbsp;

China has also granted her company another set of eight trademarks on a provisional basis

US President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump continues to win foreign trademarks for her company in countries like China. The latest in Ivanka's kitty is the 13th Chinese trademark bagged by her company in the past three months. China, on Sunday, granted Trump's company the 13th trademark in around last 90 days this year. China has also granted her company another set of eight trademarks on a provisional basis. With as many trademarks in place, Ivanka Trump will be able to market a host of products in China, from furniture, coffee, chocolates to perfume, baby blankets among a range of other products. The development has sparked a wave of reactions with many noting if Ivanka's trademarks-bagging spree conflicts America's policy on trade and business with the Xi-Jinping regime. Ivanka Trump now emerges at the centre of a controversy that sees the possibility of her using her status to swing business propositions with other countries in her favour. Many fear that Ivanka Trump may also design her policies influenced by the countries with which she engages in business. Although Ivanka Trump no longer manages her brand, she continues to profit from it.

Ivanka Trump's brand bags 13th Chinese trademark in 90 days

Ahead of the possible summit between the United States and North Korea, former North Korea spy chief and senior official Kim Yong Chol headed to Washington reportedly for talks with US officials, news agency Reuters reported on Tuesday.

According to reports, he stopped over Beijing, China -- an ally of North Korea -- while he was heading to Washington.&nbsp

Kim Yong Chol has been closely involved with talks with South Korea as well and his visit to the United States would further indicate preparations for the historic summit is moving ahead.

Meanwhile on Sunday also, US and North Korean officials met at a border village to resume the preparations for the first summit.

He had called off the planned summit last week citing "open hostility", from the North.&nbsp

However, On Saturday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korean-president-moon-jae-in-may-attend-us-north-korea-summit-report-140328">Kim and Moon Jae-in held talks in a surprise meeting</a> at the Panmunjom border truce village to ensure a successful US-North Korea summit.

On Friday Trump informed that it is back on track and it would take place on an originally scheduled date and place.

&nbsp

According to reports, he stopped over Beijing, China -- an ally of North Korea -- while he was heading to Washington

Ahead of the possible summit between the United States and North Korea, former North Korea spy chief and senior official Kim Yong Chol headed to Washington reportedly for talks with US officials, news agency Reuters reported on Tuesday. According to reports, he stopped over Beijing, China -- an ally of North Korea -- while he was heading to Washington. Kim Yong Chol has been closely involved with talks with South Korea as well and his visit to the United States would further indicate preparations for the historic summit is moving ahead. Meanwhile on Sunday also, US and North Korean officials met at a border village to resume the preparations for the first summit. He had called off the planned summit last week citing "open hostility", from the North. However, On Saturday Kim and Moon Jae-in held talks in a surprise meeting at the Panmunjom border truce village to ensure a successful US-North Korea summit. On Friday Trump informed that it is back on track and it would take place on an originally scheduled date and place.

Former North Korea spy chief on his way to Washington for talks with US officials: Report

United States President Donald Trump joined Americans in paying tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives while serving in the military services. However, the president's twitter wishes did not go very well with the war veterans and sparked an outcry on social media.

Donald Trump tweeted stating that dead veterans would be happy and proud "at how well our country is doing today".

Trump wrote, "Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!"

The veterans slammed the president and called his tweet the "most inappropriate" memorial day comment ever made by an American president.

"This is the most inappropriate #MemorialDay comment that a @POTUS has ever made. Self-promotion on a day to remember the fallen, and wishing those remembering their deceased loved ones a “happy” holiday is appalling. #CadetBoneSpurs," noted&nbsp;a group of war veterans.

The group was also furious at the Republican Party's effort to&nbsp;raise funds on Memorial Day by offering a 25 per cent discount on official Trump campaign merchandise.

"Really @GOP? You think this is what’s #MemorialDay is all about. Maybe you can #TakeAKnee and remember the fallen", the group tweeted in response to the Republican party's Memorial Day deal.

Several others, including family members of soldiers and veterans, expressed their anger on Twitter.

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“Mr. President: My father was MIA in Vietnam for 30 years. I will visit him at Arlington today. There is nothing “happy” about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MemorialDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MemorialDay</a>,” tweeted retired US Army Major General <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulDEaton52?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PaulDEaton52</a>. <a href="https://t.co/FwIjFGQENz">https://t.co/FwIjFGQENz</a>
— VoteVets (@votevets) <a href="https://twitter.com/votevets/status/1001183561049890822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Me"-morial Day.
— Mike Bender (@MikeBenderVO) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeBenderVO/status/1001111140389224450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Many people question this president, but it’s no small achievement to write the grossest, most inappropriate, most self-flattering Memorial Day message in the history of the US presidency <a href="https://t.co/t8JN7JNwdg">https://t.co/t8JN7JNwdg</a>
— David Frum (@davidfrum) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidfrum/status/1001085908240781313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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I don’t think I’ve EVER heard ANYONE say, “Happy Memorial Day”. My Dad, a Purple Heart-wearing Vietnam Veteran, is disgusted with this POtuS. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IgnorantAss?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IgnorantAss</a>
— KimAnnAlt (@kimannalt) <a href="https://twitter.com/kimannalt/status/1001182296991399936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Donald Trumps Memorial Day speech... 
 
<a href="https://t.co/eoC2C23ZrJ">pic.twitter.com/eoC2C23ZrJ</a>
— Anne Boleyn (@MsAnneBoleyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/MsAnneBoleyn/status/1001238439147196416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Really <a href="https://twitter.com/GOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GOP</a>? You think this is what’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MemorialDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MemorialDay</a> is all about. Maybe you can <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeAKnee?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TakeAKnee</a> and remember the fallen. <a href="https://t.co/Fakq5TOEWF">pic.twitter.com/Fakq5TOEWF</a>
— VoteVets (@votevets) <a href="https://twitter.com/votevets/status/1001228949446447104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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This is the most inappropriate <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MemorialDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MemorialDay</a> comment that a <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> has ever made. Self-promotion on a day to remember the fallen, and wishing those remembering their deceased loved ones a “happy” holiday is appalling. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CadetBoneSpurs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CadetBoneSpurs</a> <a href="https://t.co/kRse4dnwiu">pic.twitter.com/kRse4dnwiu</a>
— VoteVets (@votevets) <a href="https://twitter.com/votevets/status/1001095903615291395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States which is observed to remember&nbsp;American martyrs.

Trump wrote that dead veterans would be happy and proud 'at how well our country is doing today'

United States President Donald Trump joined Americans in paying tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives while serving in the military services. However, the president's twitter wishes did not go very well with the war veterans and sparked an outcry on social media. Donald Trump tweeted stating that dead veterans would be happy and proud "at how well our country is doing today". Trump wrote, "Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!" The veterans slammed the president and called his tweet the "most inappropriate" memorial day comment ever made by an American president. "This is the most inappropriate #MemorialDay comment that a @POTUS has ever made. Self-promotion on a day to remember the fallen, and wishing those remembering their deceased loved ones a “happy” holiday is appalling. #CadetBoneSpurs," noted a group of war veterans. The group was also furious at the Republican Party's effort to raise funds on Memorial Day by offering a 25 per cent discount on official Trump campaign merchandise. "Really @GOP? You think this is what’s #MemorialDay is all about. Maybe you can #TakeAKnee and remember the fallen", the group tweeted in response to the Republican party's Memorial Day deal. Several others, including family members of soldiers and veterans, expressed their anger on Twitter. “Mr. President: My father was MIA in Vietnam for 30 years. I will visit him at Arlington today. There is nothing “happy” about #MemorialDay,” tweeted retired US Army Major General @PaulDEaton52. https://t.co/FwIjFGQENz — VoteVets (@votevets) May 28, 2018 × "Me"-morial Day. — Mike Bender (@MikeBenderVO) May 28, 2018 × Many people question this president, but it’s no small achievement to write the grossest, most inappropriate, most self-flattering Memorial Day message in the history of the US presidency https://t.co/t8JN7JNwdg — David Frum (@davidfrum) May 28, 2018 × I don’t think I’ve EVER heard ANYONE say, “Happy Memorial Day”. My Dad, a Purple Heart-wearing Vietnam Veteran, is disgusted with this POtuS. #IgnorantAss — KimAnnAlt (@kimannalt) May 28, 2018 × Donald Trumps Memorial Day speech... pic.twitter.com/eoC2C23ZrJ — Anne Boleyn (@MsAnneBoleyn) May 28, 2018 × Really @GOP? You think this is what’s #MemorialDay is all about. Maybe you can #TakeAKnee and remember the fallen. pic.twitter.com/Fakq5TOEWF — VoteVets (@votevets) May 28, 2018 × This is the most inappropriate #MemorialDay comment that a @POTUS has ever made. Self-promotion on a day to remember the fallen, and wishing those remembering their deceased loved ones a “happy” holiday is appalling. #CadetBoneSpurs pic.twitter.com/kRse4dnwiu — VoteVets (@votevets) May 28, 2018 × The Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States which is observed to remember American martyrs.

War veterans slam Donald Trump for his self-congratulatory Memorial Day tweet

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-pm-abe-for-permanent-dismantling-of-north-koreas-nuclear-programme-white-house-140509">Trump, PM Abe for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-pm-abe-for-permanent-dismantling-of-north-koreas-nuclear-programme-white-house-140509">permanent</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-pm-abe-for-permanent-dismantling-of-north-koreas-nuclear-programme-white-house-140509"> dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear programme: White House</a>

Ahead of talks with Kim, US President Trump and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe agreed that North Korea should completely dismantle it's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and ballistic missile programs.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbse-class-10-results-to-be-declared-at-4-on-tuesday-140528">CBSE class 10 results to be declared at 4 on Tuesday</a>

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will announce&nbspClass 10 examinations&nbspresult on Tuesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fuel-prices-continue-to-mount-for-16th-straight-day-140503">Fuel prices continue to mount for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fuel-prices-continue-to-mount-for-16th-straight-day-140503">16th</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fuel-prices-continue-to-mount-for-16th-straight-day-140503"> straight day</a>

The escalating fuel prices in the country spilt into its 16th consecutive day as petrol price per litre in Delhi climbed to Rs 78.43. Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata witnessed petrol prices breaking the Rs 80+ mark at Rs 86.24, Rs 81.43 and Rs 81.06 respectively.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/war-veterans-slam-president-donald-trump-for-his-self-congratulatory-memorial-day-tweet-140523">War veterans slam Donald Trump for his self-congratulatory Memorial Day tweet</a>

United States President Donald Trump joined Americans in paying tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives while serving in the military services. However, the president's twitter wishes did not go very well with the war veterans and sparked an outcry on social media.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ex-isi-chief-on-no-fly-list-faces-inquiry-into-revelations-made-in-his-book-140501">Ex-ISI chief on 'no-fly list' faces </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ex-isi-chief-on-no-fly-list-faces-inquiry-into-revelations-made-in-his-book-140501">inquiry</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ex-isi-chief-on-no-fly-list-faces-inquiry-into-revelations-made-in-his-book-140501"> into revelations made in his book</a>

Pakistan's powerful spy agency ISI's former chief Lt Gen (retd.) Asad Durrani has been banned from leaving the country and will face a Court of Inquiry over a controversial book he recently co-authored with India's former intelligence head.

&nbsp

Trump, PM Abe for permanent dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear programme: White House Ahead of talks with Kim, US President Trump and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe agreed that North Korea should completely dismantle it's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and ballistic missile programs. CBSE class 10 results to be declared at 4 on Tuesday The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will announce&nbspClass 10 examinations&nbspresult on Tuesday. Fuel prices continue to mount for 16th straight day The escalating fuel prices in the country spilt into its 16th consecutive day as petrol price per litre in Delhi climbed to Rs 78.43. Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata witnessed petrol prices breaking the Rs 80+ mark at Rs 86.24, Rs 81.43 and Rs 81.06 respectively. War veterans slam Donald Trump for his self-congratulatory Memorial Day tweet United States President Donald Trump joined Americans in paying tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives while serving in the military services. However, the president's twitter wishes did not go very well with the war veterans and sparked an outcry on social media. Ex-ISI chief on 'no-fly list' faces inquiry into revelations made in his book Pakistan's powerful spy agency ISI's former chief Lt Gen (retd.) Asad Durrani has been banned from leaving the country and will face a Court of Inquiry over a controversial book he recently co-authored with India's former intelligence head.

News brief: Big stories of the day

President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed Monday that it is "imperative" to completely dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program, the White House said.

The US and Japanese leaders will meet ahead of a much-anticipated summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un back on schedule for June 12 in Singapore just days after Trump announced he was cancelling it.&nbsp;

The American president said the summit could go ahead as planned following a more appealing statement from Pyongyang and productive talks with North Korean officials.

Japan, which has by far the hardest line compared to neighbours China and South Korea, has been left uneasy by the pace of events, and by what it sees as an unwarranted softening toward an untrustworthy Pyongyang.

Abe and Trump spoke by telephone a day after American and North Korean officials met at a border truce village to prepare for the summit.

During a telephone call, the pair "discussed recent developments in North Korea and confirmed they would meet again to continue close coordination in advance of the expected meeting between the United States and North Korea," a White House statement read.

"The president and prime minister affirmed the shared imperative of achieving the complete and permanent dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and ballistic missile programs."

Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief.&nbsp;

Pyongyang has a different view of denuclearization and remains deeply worried that abandoning its deterrent would leave the country -- and its leader -- vulnerable, especially while the United States maintains a robust military presence in South Korea.

The US and Japanese leaders will meet ahead of a much-anticipated summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un back on schedule for June 12 in Singapore

President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed Monday that it is "imperative" to completely dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program, the White House said. The US and Japanese leaders will meet ahead of a much-anticipated summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un back on schedule for June 12 in Singapore just days after Trump announced he was cancelling it. The American president said the summit could go ahead as planned following a more appealing statement from Pyongyang and productive talks with North Korean officials. Japan, which has by far the hardest line compared to neighbours China and South Korea, has been left uneasy by the pace of events, and by what it sees as an unwarranted softening toward an untrustworthy Pyongyang. Abe and Trump spoke by telephone a day after American and North Korean officials met at a border truce village to prepare for the summit. During a telephone call, the pair "discussed recent developments in North Korea and confirmed they would meet again to continue close coordination in advance of the expected meeting between the United States and North Korea," a White House statement read. "The president and prime minister affirmed the shared imperative of achieving the complete and permanent dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and ballistic missile programs." Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief. Pyongyang has a different view of denuclearization and remains deeply worried that abandoning its deterrent would leave the country -- and its leader -- vulnerable, especially while the United States maintains a robust military presence in South Korea.

Trump, Abe say 'imperative' to dismantle North Korean weapons

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/terrorist-attacker-kills-three-in-belgiums-liege-gunman-dead-140693">'Terrorist' attacker kills three in Belgium's Liege, gunman dead</a>

A man killed two policewomen and a bystander in the Belgian city of Liege on Tuesday before being shot dead in a gunbattle at a school in what prosecutors are treating as a terrorist attack.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/what-is-the-s-400-missile-defence-system-that-india-is-eyeing-to-buy-140653">What is the S-400 missile defence system that India is eyeing to buy</a>

India has concluded price negotiations with Russia for a nearly Rs 40,000 crore deal to procure S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems for the Indian Air Force. S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/gaza-militants-launch-heavy-barrage-into-israel-israel-responds-with-air-strikes-140675">Gaza militants launch heavy barrage into Israel, Israel responds with air strikes</a>

Palestinian militants on Tuesday launched their heaviest mortar bomb barrage against Israel since a 2014 Gaza war and Israeli aircraft struck Islamic Jihad camps in the enclave in response.

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/trump-says-meetings-taking-place-on-us-north-korea-summit-140683">Trump says meetings taking place on US-North Korea summit</a>

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that several meetings were being carried out between the US and North Korea ahead of the historic summit and confirmed that a top North Korean official was en route to New York.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/up-bypolls-re-polling-to-take-place-at-73-booths-in-kairana-140707">UP </a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/up-bypolls-re-polling-to-take-place-at-73-booths-in-kairana-140707">bypolls</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/up-bypolls-re-polling-to-take-place-at-73-booths-in-kairana-140707">: Re-polling to take place at 73 booths in Kairana</a>

73 polling stations in Uttar Pradesh's Kairana Lok Sabha constituency will see repolling on Wednesday, the Election Commission has said.

&nbsp

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'Terrorist' attacker kills three in Belgium's Liege, gunman dead A man killed two policewomen and a bystander in the Belgian city of Liege on Tuesday before being shot dead in a gunbattle at a school in what prosecutors are treating as a terrorist attack. What is the S-400 missile defence system that India is eyeing to buy India has concluded price negotiations with Russia for a nearly Rs 40,000 crore deal to procure S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems for the Indian Air Force. S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. Gaza militants launch heavy barrage into Israel, Israel responds with air strikes Palestinian militants on Tuesday launched their heaviest mortar bomb barrage against Israel since a 2014 Gaza war and Israeli aircraft struck Islamic Jihad camps in the enclave in response. Trump says meetings taking place on US-North Korea summit US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that several meetings were being carried out between the US and North Korea ahead of the historic summit and confirmed that a top North Korean official was en route to New York. UP bypolls: Re-polling to take place at 73 booths in Kairana 73 polling stations in Uttar Pradesh's Kairana Lok Sabha constituency will see repolling on Wednesday, the Election Commission has said.

Events around the Korean peninsula have been moving at a dizzying pace over the last few days, with a summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un that was on, then off, then apparently on again.

Here's where we stand with what could be a historic meeting.

A few months ago Kim and Trump were hurling insults and threats of war with each other.

The rhetoric began to cool during the Winter Olympics in South Korea, and by mid-March, the two sides had agreed to a face-to-face.

After some back-and-forth,&nbsp;June 12&nbsp;in Singapore was fixed on, but as May ticked over both sides began casting doubt on the meeting.

The insults started up again, with North Korea calling US Vice President Mike Pence a "dummy", and both sides threatening to walk away.

Trump abruptly pulled the plug last week, only to apparently reverse course&nbsp;24 hours later&nbsp;in the wake of Pyongyang's emollient response.

Some say Trump's sudden willingness to walk rattled Pyongyang, which has since dialled down its rhetoric and expressed a willingness to talk "at any time".

"Trump's unexpected response totally took Kim by surprise and left the North scrambling to find a way to mend things," Cho Sung-ryul, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy, told AFP.&nbsp;

Others say the crisis was primarily averted by Kim and South Korea’s president Moon Jae-in, who made the extraordinary decision to meet in the Panmunjom truce village between the two Koreas.

The State Department says a team of US officials also met with North Koreans in Panmunjom&nbsp;on Sunday.

The Washington Post reported that senior diplomat Sung Kim was leading the US delegation and that the two sides planned to continue talking&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tuesday.

The White House said on the weekend that a separate team of officials was also on its way to Singapore to lay the ground for the meeting.

Few American officials have more experience of dealing with North Koreans than Sung Kim.

The Korean-born diplomat previously served as Washington's ambassador in Seoul and was a special envoy during ultimately fruitless Six-Party Talks in the mid-2000s.

He is currently Washington's envoy to the Philippines but has been called back to his old stomping ground -- Trump has yet to nominate an ambassador to Seoul.

Given the twists and turns, and the mercurial nature of the parties involved, few Korea watchers are prepared to say with any certainty. But most observers are confident the process is back on track -- for now.

In the last 48 hours, Trump has sounded upbeat, saying the&nbsp;June 12&nbsp;meeting will still go ahead, or that it could happen at a later date if more time is needed.

Usually, this kind of summits are planned months, sometimes years in advance.

Now officials have only a fortnight left to finalise thorny protocol details such as where in Singapore the talks will take place and how internationally sanctioned North Korean officials will travel there.

Importantly, they'll also have to decide what exactly the two men are going to talk about.

In a word, denuclearisation.

Both sides say they want it, but there is a yawning gulf between their definitions.

Washington says it wants to see the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation (CVID) of North Korea in return for sanctions and economic relief.

Trump wants to see CVID take place immediately -- although he has recently conceded a phased approach could be discussed.

Moon says Kim is also committed to the "complete" denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

But when asked if that meant the same as CVID, he told reporters that was something for Pyongyang and Washington to discuss.

Analysts believe North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent unless it is given security guarantees that the US won't try to topple the regime.

That may mean they will look for confidence-building measures such as a reduction in US troops in South Korea or joint military drills.

Kim Sung-han, professor of international relations at Korea University, said Trump will have difficulty accepting any conditions from North Korea, partly because he had been so critical of the Iran nuclear deal.&nbsp;

"If he believes that it would be hard to include CVID or any specific terms to mandate the North to carry out nuclear disarmament quickly, he may cancel the summit again, even days before the event," he said.

After some back-and-forth, June 12 in Singapore was fixed on, but as May ticked over both sides began casting doubt on the meeting

Events around the Korean peninsula have been moving at a dizzying pace over the last few days, with a summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un that was on, then off, then apparently on again. Here's where we stand with what could be a historic meeting. A few months ago Kim and Trump were hurling insults and threats of war with each other. The rhetoric began to cool during the Winter Olympics in South Korea, and by mid-March, the two sides had agreed to a face-to-face. After some back-and-forth, June 12 in Singapore was fixed on, but as May ticked over both sides began casting doubt on the meeting. The insults started up again, with North Korea calling US Vice President Mike Pence a "dummy", and both sides threatening to walk away. Trump abruptly pulled the plug last week, only to apparently reverse course 24 hours later in the wake of Pyongyang's emollient response. Some say Trump's sudden willingness to walk rattled Pyongyang, which has since dialled down its rhetoric and expressed a willingness to talk "at any time". "Trump's unexpected response totally took Kim by surprise and left the North scrambling to find a way to mend things," Cho Sung-ryul, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy, told AFP. Others say the crisis was primarily averted by Kim and South Korea’s president Moon Jae-in, who made the extraordinary decision to meet in the Panmunjom truce village between the two Koreas. The State Department says a team of US officials also met with North Koreans in Panmunjom on Sunday. The Washington Post reported that senior diplomat Sung Kim was leading the US delegation and that the two sides planned to continue talking Monday and Tuesday. The White House said on the weekend that a separate team of officials was also on its way to Singapore to lay the ground for the meeting. Few American officials have more experience of dealing with North Koreans than Sung Kim. The Korean-born diplomat previously served as Washington's ambassador in Seoul and was a special envoy during ultimately fruitless Six-Party Talks in the mid-2000s. He is currently Washington's envoy to the Philippines but has been called back to his old stomping ground -- Trump has yet to nominate an ambassador to Seoul. Given the twists and turns, and the mercurial nature of the parties involved, few Korea watchers are prepared to say with any certainty. But most observers are confident the process is back on track -- for now. In the last 48 hours, Trump has sounded upbeat, saying the June 12 meeting will still go ahead, or that it could happen at a later date if more time is needed. Usually, this kind of summits are planned months, sometimes years in advance. Now officials have only a fortnight left to finalise thorny protocol details such as where in Singapore the talks will take place and how internationally sanctioned North Korean officials will travel there. Importantly, they'll also have to decide what exactly the two men are going to talk about. In a word, denuclearisation. Both sides say they want it, but there is a yawning gulf between their definitions. Washington says it wants to see the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation (CVID) of North Korea in return for sanctions and economic relief. Trump wants to see CVID take place immediately -- although he has recently conceded a phased approach could be discussed. Moon says Kim is also committed to the "complete" denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. But when asked if that meant the same as CVID, he told reporters that was something for Pyongyang and Washington to discuss. Analysts believe North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent unless it is given security guarantees that the US won't try to topple the regime. That may mean they will look for confidence-building measures such as a reduction in US troops in South Korea or joint military drills. Kim Sung-han, professor of international relations at Korea University, said Trump will have difficulty accepting any conditions from North Korea, partly because he had been so critical of the Iran nuclear deal. "If he believes that it would be hard to include CVID or any specific terms to mandate the North to carry out nuclear disarmament quickly, he may cancel the summit again, even days before the event," he said.

Diplomatic duels: What now for the Trump-Kim summit?

Already been playing the role of mediator between the US and North Korea, South Korean president Moon Jae-in could be present in high-drama summit between the US and North Korea in June media reports said.

According to a report by BBC, South Korean officials have said that South Korean president could attend the summit. However, his attendance would depend on the progress of pre-summit talks between the US and North Korean leaders.

Meanwhile, US and North Korean officials met on Sunday at a border truce village to resume the preparations for the first ever face to face summit between US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

He had called off the planned summit last week citing "open hostility", from the North.&nbsp

However, On Saturday Kim and Moon Jae-in held talks in a surprise meeting at the Panmunjom border truce village to ensure a successful US-North Korea summit.

On Friday Trump informed that it is back on track and it would take place on an originally scheduled date and place.

Trump's cancellation of the summit blindsided treaty ally South Korea, which had brokered the remarkable detente between Washington and Pyongyang.

President Moon Jae-in had to scramble his national security team when news of Trump's decision first reached Seoul late Thursday evening as he called Washington's U-turn "shocking and very regrettable".

(With inputs from news agencies)

 
&nbsp

However, his attendance would depend on the progress of pre-summit talks between the US and North Korean leaders

Already been playing the role of mediator between the US and North Korea, South Korean president Moon Jae-in could be present in high-drama summit between the US and North Korea in June media reports said. According to a report by BBC, South Korean officials have said that South Korean president could attend the summit. However, his attendance would depend on the progress of pre-summit talks between the US and North Korean leaders. Meanwhile, US and North Korean officials met on Sunday at a border truce village to resume the preparations for the first ever face to face summit between US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He had called off the planned summit last week citing "open hostility", from the North. However, On Saturday Kim and Moon Jae-in held talks in a surprise meeting at the Panmunjom border truce village to ensure a successful US-North Korea summit. On Friday Trump informed that it is back on track and it would take place on an originally scheduled date and place. Trump's cancellation of the summit blindsided treaty ally South Korea, which had brokered the remarkable detente between Washington and Pyongyang. President Moon Jae-in had to scramble his national security team when news of Trump's decision first reached Seoul late Thursday evening as he called Washington's U-turn "shocking and very regrettable". (With inputs from news agencies)

South Korean president Moon Jae-in may attend US-North Korea summit: Report

China&nbsp;will host Iranian President Hassan Rouhani next month at a regional summit aimed at avoiding disruption of joint projects, its foreign ministry said on Monday, as major powers scramble to save Iran's nuclear deal after the United States pulled out.

Rouhani will pay a working visit to&nbsp;China&nbsp;and attend the summit of the&nbsp;China&nbsp;and Russia-led security bloc the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the ministry said.

It did not give exact dates for his visit, but the summit is scheduled to be held on the second weekend of June in the northern Chinese city of Qingdao.

Iran is currently an observer member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, though it has long sought full membership.

"Our hope is that&nbsp;China&nbsp;and Iran will have close consultation on the basis of observing the deal and push forward development of bilateral cooperation," Chinese deputy foreign minister Zhang Hanhui said at a briefing.

"We should together look into how to avoid major disruption of joint projects between the two sides," he added.

Russia has previously argued that with Western sanctions against Tehran lifted, it could finally become a member of the bloc which also includes four ex-Soviet Central Asian republics, Pakistan and India.

The 2015 agreement between Iran and world powers lifted international sanctions on Tehran.

In return, Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear activities, increasing the time it would need to produce an atom bomb if it chose to do so.

Since US&nbsp;President Donald Trump withdrew the United States this month, calling the agreement deeply flawed, European states have been scrambling to ensure Iran gets enough economic benefits to persuade it to stay in the deal.

China&nbsp;has also strongly supported the deal and is one of its signatories.

Hassan Rouhani will pay a working visit to China and attend the summit of the China and Russia-led security bloc the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the ministry said

China will host Iranian President Hassan Rouhani next month at a regional summit aimed at avoiding disruption of joint projects, its foreign ministry said on Monday, as major powers scramble to save Iran's nuclear deal after the United States pulled out. Rouhani will pay a working visit to China and attend the summit of the China and Russia-led security bloc the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the ministry said. It did not give exact dates for his visit, but the summit is scheduled to be held on the second weekend of June in the northern Chinese city of Qingdao. Iran is currently an observer member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, though it has long sought full membership. "Our hope is that China and Iran will have close consultation on the basis of observing the deal and push forward development of bilateral cooperation," Chinese deputy foreign minister Zhang Hanhui said at a briefing. "We should together look into how to avoid major disruption of joint projects between the two sides," he added. Russia has previously argued that with Western sanctions against Tehran lifted, it could finally become a member of the bloc which also includes four ex-Soviet Central Asian republics, Pakistan and India. The 2015 agreement between Iran and world powers lifted international sanctions on Tehran. In return, Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear activities, increasing the time it would need to produce an atom bomb if it chose to do so. Since US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States this month, calling the agreement deeply flawed, European states have been scrambling to ensure Iran gets enough economic benefits to persuade it to stay in the deal. China has also strongly supported the deal and is one of its signatories.

China to host Iran to avoid project disruption amid nuclear deal doubt

Amid the Donald Trump administration's heightened scrutiny of H1B work visas and uncertainty among IT professionals, Nasscom Chairman Rishad Premji has said it is important to "separate the sentiment from the fact" regarding the visas.

The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.&nbsp;

"I think it is important to separate the sentiment from the fact,&nbsp;Premji told PTI in an interview here.&nbsp;

He asserted that of the 65,000 H1B visas issued every year, the Indian IT industry uses less than 10,000, adding that 70 per cent of visas go to Indians but they do not go to Indian companies. This is very, very important to appreciate.

He said it is also a fact that by 2020 there will be shortage of 2.4 million people, according to data from the Department of Labour, in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) talent in the US, and half of these will be in the computer and IT related services.&nbsp;

Premji stressed that it is important to keep in mind that there is a base of seven million people in the technology space in the US.&nbsp;

"We are talking about 10,000 people on a seven million strong base."

We have got to put things in context and separate the sentiment from the fact,&nbsp;he said.

Premji, the Chief Strategy Officer and Member of the Board at Indian IT services giant Wipro, was in the city to address the NASSCOM C-Summit.

When asked about the H1B visas and the Trump administration's increased scrutiny over the temporary work visas most sought by Indian IT workers, Premji said that "fundamentally from a trade perspective, we have got to address more holistically the mobility of services as we address the mobility of products, which we have historically thought about in terms of trade. The mobility of services is as important a component.

He said that legislatively, nothing has changed regarding the H1B visas. While there are a lot of legislation being proposed, our sense is that it is difficult to predict them going through. But there is a strong enough conviction that they will not go through in their current avatar. It is difficult to get the both the Senate and the House to pass off on these, he said referring to various legislations proposing changes and amendments to the H1B visa rules and processes.

He, however, added that the administrative interpretation&nbsp;of some of the existing legislation is creating some level of anxiety, including through more demand for Request for Evidence (RFE) or more scrutiny when the visa comes up for renewal, without considering the fact that it was approved in the first place.&nbsp;

"Those kinds of things create a lot of administrative overhead and cost and that we have got to find a way of addressing."

He said that while these issues are "universal" and not for Indian IT companies only, "we have got to try and find a way to help the administration appreciate the value that these technical skills help to make organizations here more competitive.

Premji said there is a huge dearth and shortage of technical talent in the US. " I m quite hopeful that we will continue to work as an industry body to address that."

As an industry body, Nasscom is driving a lot of effort in terms of having strong spokespeople, working with research agencies and media outlets to make sure a "very fact-based and unemotional view" of the challenges and opportunity is presented.&nbsp;

Since taking office, Trump has ordered an overhaul of the H1B visa programme to check visa fraud and abuse, and his administration has taken steps to tighten scrutiny of applications, adding to the uncertainty and anxiety of thousands of IT workers on the visas over their future.&nbsp;

The National Foundation for American Policy in a report said that the 8,468 new H-1B visas for Indian-based companies in the financial year 2017 equalled only 0.006 per cent of the 160 million in the US labour force.&nbsp;

The top seven Indian-based companies received only 8,468 approved H-1B petitions for initial employment in FY 2017, a decline of 43 per cent for these companies since FY 2015 when it received 14,792 H-1B visas.&nbsp;

The data indicate the problem is not which companies are receiving H-1B visas, but that the 85,000-annual limit is too low for an economy of the size of the United States, it argued.

Based on the H-1B visa data obtained from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the foundation said that the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) received 2,312 H-1B visas in 2017 as against 4,674 in 2015, registering a drop of 51 per cent.&nbsp;

Infosys, during the same period, saw a whopping drop of 57 per cent from 2,830 in 2015 to 1,218 in 2017. Wipro received 1,210 H-1B visas in 2017 as against 3,079 in 2015. Among the seven Indian-based companies the H-1B approval of Tech Mahindra went up from 1,576 in 2015 to 2233 in 2017.

Amid the Donald Trump administration's heightened scrutiny of H1B work visas and uncertainty among IT professionals, Nasscom Chairman Rishad Premji has said it is important to 'separate the sentiment from the fact' regarding the visas

Amid the Donald Trump administration's heightened scrutiny of H1B work visas and uncertainty among IT professionals, Nasscom Chairman Rishad Premji has said it is important to "separate the sentiment from the fact" regarding the visas. The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. "I think it is important to separate the sentiment from the fact, Premji told PTI in an interview here. He asserted that of the 65,000 H1B visas issued every year, the Indian IT industry uses less than 10,000, adding that 70 per cent of visas go to Indians but they do not go to Indian companies. This is very, very important to appreciate. He said it is also a fact that by 2020 there will be shortage of 2.4 million people, according to data from the Department of Labour, in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) talent in the US, and half of these will be in the computer and IT related services. Premji stressed that it is important to keep in mind that there is a base of seven million people in the technology space in the US. "We are talking about 10,000 people on a seven million strong base." We have got to put things in context and separate the sentiment from the fact, he said. Premji, the Chief Strategy Officer and Member of the Board at Indian IT services giant Wipro, was in the city to address the NASSCOM C-Summit. When asked about the H1B visas and the Trump administration's increased scrutiny over the temporary work visas most sought by Indian IT workers, Premji said that "fundamentally from a trade perspective, we have got to address more holistically the mobility of services as we address the mobility of products, which we have historically thought about in terms of trade. The mobility of services is as important a component. He said that legislatively, nothing has changed regarding the H1B visas. While there are a lot of legislation being proposed, our sense is that it is difficult to predict them going through. But there is a strong enough conviction that they will not go through in their current avatar. It is difficult to get the both the Senate and the House to pass off on these, he said referring to various legislations proposing changes and amendments to the H1B visa rules and processes. He, however, added that the administrative interpretation of some of the existing legislation is creating some level of anxiety, including through more demand for Request for Evidence (RFE) or more scrutiny when the visa comes up for renewal, without considering the fact that it was approved in the first place. "Those kinds of things create a lot of administrative overhead and cost and that we have got to find a way of addressing." He said that while these issues are "universal" and not for Indian IT companies only, "we have got to try and find a way to help the administration appreciate the value that these technical skills help to make organizations here more competitive. Premji said there is a huge dearth and shortage of technical talent in the US. " I m quite hopeful that we will continue to work as an industry body to address that." As an industry body, Nasscom is driving a lot of effort in terms of having strong spokespeople, working with research agencies and media outlets to make sure a "very fact-based and unemotional view" of the challenges and opportunity is presented. Since taking office, Trump has ordered an overhaul of the H1B visa programme to check visa fraud and abuse, and his administration has taken steps to tighten scrutiny of applications, adding to the uncertainty and anxiety of thousands of IT workers on the visas over their future. The National Foundation for American Policy in a report said that the 8,468 new H-1B visas for Indian-based companies in the financial year 2017 equalled only 0.006 per cent of the 160 million in the US labour force. The top seven Indian-based companies received only 8,468 approved H-1B petitions for initial employment in FY 2017, a decline of 43 per cent for these companies since FY 2015 when it received 14,792 H-1B visas. The data indicate the problem is not which companies are receiving H-1B visas, but that the 85,000-annual limit is too low for an economy of the size of the United States, it argued. Based on the H-1B visa data obtained from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the foundation said that the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) received 2,312 H-1B visas in 2017 as against 4,674 in 2015, registering a drop of 51 per cent. Infosys, during the same period, saw a whopping drop of 57 per cent from 2,830 in 2015 to 1,218 in 2017. Wipro received 1,210 H-1B visas in 2017 as against 3,079 in 2015. Among the seven Indian-based companies the H-1B approval of Tech Mahindra went up from 1,576 in 2015 to 2233 in 2017.

Important to separate sentiment from facts on H1B: NASSCOM chief

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/90000-foreigners-rescued-by-india-in-4-years-proof-of-our-humane-foreign-policy-sushma-swaraj-140366">When people are dying on the border, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/90000-foreigners-rescued-by-india-in-4-years-proof-of-our-humane-foreign-policy-sushma-swaraj-140366">dialogue</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/90000-foreigners-rescued-by-india-in-4-years-proof-of-our-humane-foreign-policy-sushma-swaraj-140366"> is not appropriate: Sushma Swaraj on Pakistan</a>

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addressed an annual press conference on Monday in which she highlighted the achievements made by the Modi government over the past 4 years.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/this-retired-english-teacher-made-corrections-to-a-letter-sent-by-trump-and-mailed-it-back--140397">This retired English teacher made corrections to a letter sent by Trump and mailed it back</a>

A retired English teacher from the United States did not give any consideration to the fact that the letter she had received, had come from the White House and after being astounded by the grammatical mistakes made the rightful changes and sent it back.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ireland-abortion-law-may-be-termed-as-the-savitas-law-140367">Ireland abortion law may be termed as 'Savita's law'</a>

After Ireland welcomed the abortion vote, campaigners have said that they will be in full support if the new law will be named after the woman who died after miscarriage - Savita Halappanavar.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-foreign-minister-urges-on-strengthening-relations-with-india-140375">Iran Foreign Minister urges on strengthening relations with India</a>

Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Mohammad Javad Zarif, who arrived here on Monday on a one-day visit, stressed upon the idea of strengthening relations shared by the two countries.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-military-says-ex-spy-chief-will-not-be-allowed-to-leave-country-140413">Pakistan military says ex-spy chief will not be allowed to leave </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-military-says-ex-spy-chief-will-not-be-allowed-to-leave-country-140413">country</a>

Pakistan's military Monday took the unprecedented step of preventing a former spy chief from leaving the country, after he ignited a storm by co-authoring a book that touches on Pakistan's alleged roles in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

When people are dying on the border, dialogue is not appropriate: Sushma Swaraj on Pakistan External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addressed an annual press conference on Monday in which she highlighted the achievements made by the Modi government over the past 4 years. This retired English teacher made corrections to a letter sent by Trump and mailed it back A retired English teacher from the United States did not give any consideration to the fact that the letter she had received, had come from the White House and after being astounded by the grammatical mistakes made the rightful changes and sent it back. Ireland abortion law may be termed as 'Savita's law' After Ireland welcomed the abortion vote, campaigners have said that they will be in full support if the new law will be named after the woman who died after miscarriage - Savita Halappanavar. Iran Foreign Minister urges on strengthening relations with India Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Mohammad Javad Zarif, who arrived here on Monday on a one-day visit, stressed upon the idea of strengthening relations shared by the two countries. Pakistan military says ex-spy chief will not be allowed to leave country Pakistan's military Monday took the unprecedented step of preventing a former spy chief from leaving the country, after he ignited a storm by co-authoring a book that touches on Pakistan's alleged roles in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

US and North Korean officials met Sunday at a border truce village as preparations resumed for a high-stakes, high-drama summit that President Donald Trump said held "brilliant potential" for the North.

"I truly believe North Korea has brilliant potential and will be a great economic and financial Nation one day," Trump said on Twitter.&nbsp

"Kim Jong Un agrees with me on this. It will happen!," the president said, confirming that a US team "has arrived in North Korea to make arrangements for the summit" between himself and North Korean leader Kim.

His upbeat language contrasted sharply to that of only three days earlier, when Trump canceled the planned summit, citing "open hostility" from the North. An extraordinary flurry of diplomacy since then -- much of it led by South Korea -- appears to have put the meeting back on track.

Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met Saturday at the Panmunjom border truce village, in a surprise bid to salvage the June 12 summit planned for Singapore.

Announcing the lower-level talks held Sunday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, "We continue to prepare for a meeting between the President and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un."&nbsp

The Washington Post reported that the US delegation to the Panmunjom meeting -- in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea -- was led by Sung Kim, a former US ambassador to South Korea and former nuclear negotiator with the North. It said the Americans met with North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui.

The United States currently has no ambassador to South Korea, even as it takes up one of the most delicate diplomatic challenges in years.

It remains far from clear how Trump and Kim might be able to bridge what appear to be vast differences in their expectations for what would be a historic meeting. But analysts on Sunday expressed increasing confidence that it will take place. &nbsp

Days of brinkmanship

The apparent progress in the on-again-off-again talks followed a tense and turbulent few days of diplomatic brinkmanship.

Within 24 hours of cancelling the summit Trump reversed course, saying it could still go ahead after productive talks were held with North Korean officials.

"It's moving along very nicely," Trump said at the White House on Saturday. "We're looking at June 12 in Singapore. That hasn't changed."

Trump's abrupt decision to pull out of the historic get-together had blindsided South Korea and Moon, who had been brokering a remarkable detente between Washington and Pyongyang in a bid to avoid a devastating conflict.

But Trump accompanied the cancellation with a letter to Kim that mixed tough language with an almost beseeching plea to get things back on track. Some critics mocked the letter's tone, but it may have achieved the desired result.

Kim 'met his match'

James Clapper, director of US national intelligence under former president Barack Obama, told CNN: "I support the letter that President Trump sent... In some ways, Kim Jong Un may have met his match here with our very unconventional president."&nbsp

Victor Cha, who was President George W. Bush's top advisor on North Korea and was briefly expected to get Trump's nod as ambassador to South Korea, said Sunday he was now confident the summit will take place.

"The summit's going forward" despite the unusually rushed pace of diplomacy and series of turnabouts.

The Moon and Trump administrations very much want the meeting, he said, "and Kim says he wants a summit, so it's going to happen."

There are still stark differences between what the two sides hope to achieve.

Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief.&nbsp

Pyongyang has a different view of denuclearization and remains deeply worried that abandoning its deterrent would leave the country -- and its leader -- vulnerable, especially while the United States maintains a robust military presence in South Korea.

Kim "has almost an emotional attachment and a personal psychological attachment to these nuclear weapons," US Senator Marco Rubio said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "They make him feel prestigious, they make him feel powerful."

Rubio said he was extremely skeptical that Kim might actually give up his nuclear arsenal.&nbsp

If Trump is unable to negotiate those weapons away and unwilling to live in a world where North Korea poses a nuclear threat, then "you're going to have to do something to go after them at some point," the senator said.

"It's not something that I relish or take lightly," Rubio said.

US and North Korean officials met Sunday at a border truce village as preparations resumed for a high-stakes, high-drama summit that President Donald Trump said held 'brilliant potential' for the North

US and North Korean officials met Sunday at a border truce village as preparations resumed for a high-stakes, high-drama summit that President Donald Trump said held "brilliant potential" for the North. "I truly believe North Korea has brilliant potential and will be a great economic and financial Nation one day," Trump said on Twitter. "Kim Jong Un agrees with me on this. It will happen!," the president said, confirming that a US team "has arrived in North Korea to make arrangements for the summit" between himself and North Korean leader Kim. His upbeat language contrasted sharply to that of only three days earlier, when Trump canceled the planned summit, citing "open hostility" from the North. An extraordinary flurry of diplomacy since then -- much of it led by South Korea -- appears to have put the meeting back on track. Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met Saturday at the Panmunjom border truce village, in a surprise bid to salvage the June 12 summit planned for Singapore. Announcing the lower-level talks held Sunday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, "We continue to prepare for a meeting between the President and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un." The Washington Post reported that the US delegation to the Panmunjom meeting -- in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea -- was led by Sung Kim, a former US ambassador to South Korea and former nuclear negotiator with the North. It said the Americans met with North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui. The United States currently has no ambassador to South Korea, even as it takes up one of the most delicate diplomatic challenges in years. It remains far from clear how Trump and Kim might be able to bridge what appear to be vast differences in their expectations for what would be a historic meeting. But analysts on Sunday expressed increasing confidence that it will take place. Days of brinkmanship The apparent progress in the on-again-off-again talks followed a tense and turbulent few days of diplomatic brinkmanship. Within 24 hours of cancelling the summit Trump reversed course, saying it could still go ahead after productive talks were held with North Korean officials. "It's moving along very nicely," Trump said at the White House on Saturday. "We're looking at June 12 in Singapore. That hasn't changed." Trump's abrupt decision to pull out of the historic get-together had blindsided South Korea and Moon, who had been brokering a remarkable detente between Washington and Pyongyang in a bid to avoid a devastating conflict. But Trump accompanied the cancellation with a letter to Kim that mixed tough language with an almost beseeching plea to get things back on track. Some critics mocked the letter's tone, but it may have achieved the desired result. Kim 'met his match' James Clapper, director of US national intelligence under former president Barack Obama, told CNN: "I support the letter that President Trump sent... In some ways, Kim Jong Un may have met his match here with our very unconventional president." Victor Cha, who was President George W. Bush's top advisor on North Korea and was briefly expected to get Trump's nod as ambassador to South Korea, said Sunday he was now confident the summit will take place. "The summit's going forward" despite the unusually rushed pace of diplomacy and series of turnabouts. The Moon and Trump administrations very much want the meeting, he said, "and Kim says he wants a summit, so it's going to happen." There are still stark differences between what the two sides hope to achieve. Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief. Pyongyang has a different view of denuclearization and remains deeply worried that abandoning its deterrent would leave the country -- and its leader -- vulnerable, especially while the United States maintains a robust military presence in South Korea. Kim "has almost an emotional attachment and a personal psychological attachment to these nuclear weapons," US Senator Marco Rubio said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "They make him feel prestigious, they make him feel powerful." Rubio said he was extremely skeptical that Kim might actually give up his nuclear arsenal. If Trump is unable to negotiate those weapons away and unwilling to live in a world where North Korea poses a nuclear threat, then "you're going to have to do something to go after them at some point," the senator said. "It's not something that I relish or take lightly," Rubio said.

Trump sees 'brilliant potential' for North Korea as summit prep continues

Germany's biggest lenders have shied away from business with Iran after past penalties for breaching US sanctions, but smaller banks have leapt on opportunities afforded by the nuclear deal rejected by Donald Trump.

There are just months to go until a November deadline issued by Washington after the US president abandoned a hard-fought agreement that loosened business restrictions on the Islamic Republic in exchange for Tehran giving up its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

But some firms plan to press on in their dealings with Iran despite the looming threat of penalties.

"We will continue to serve our clients," for now, said Patrizia Melfi, a director at the "international competence centre" (KCI) founded by six cooperative savings banks in the small town of Tuttlingen in southwest Germany.

The centre, which supports companies operating in sensitive markets like Iran or Sudan, has seen demand "rising sharply in the last few years, from firms listed on the Dax (Germany's index of blue-chip firms), from all over Germany and from Switzerland," she added.

German exports to Iran have grown since the nuclear deal was signed in 2015, adding 15.5 percent last year to reach almost 2.6 billion euros ($3.0 billion) after 22-percent growth in 2016.

Such figures remain vanishingly small compared with Germany's 111.5 billion euros in exports to the US -- its top customer.

Nevertheless, the KCI will "wait and see what the sanctions look like" before turning away from Iran, Melfi said.

Walking on eggshells

Already, firms dealing with Tehran must take great care not to fall foul of US restrictions.

Transactions are carried out in euros, and the KCI does not deal with businesses that have American citizens or green card resident holders on their boards.

What's more, products sold to Iran cannot contain more than 10 percent of parts manufactured in the US.

One of the most important inputs for the business is "courage among our managers" given the high risks involved, Melfi said.

Germany's two biggest banks, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, avoid Iran completely after being slapped with harsh fines in 2015 over their dealings there, with Deutsche alone paying $258 million in penalties.

DZ Bank, which operates as a central bank for more than 1,000 local co-op lenders, is withdrawing completely from payment services there, a spokesman told AFP.

That left KCI to seek out the German branch of Iranian state-owned bank Melli in Hamburg.

Even that linkage could break if Iran's biggest business bank appears on a US list of barred businesses as it has before.

Meanwhile, among Germany's roughly 390 Sparkasse savings banks, business with the regime is mostly limited to producing documents linked to export contracts.

"We will be looking even more closely at those" in the future, a person familiar with the trade told AFP.

Elsewhere in the German economy, the European-Iranian Trade Bank (EIH) founded in 1971 is another conduit to Tehran.

Also based in Hamburg, it for now remains "fully available to you with our products and services", the bank assures clients on its website, although "business policy decisions by European banks may result in short term or medium term restrictions on payments".

Effectively protected

Neither does the Bundesbank (German central bank) believe that much has so far changed for business with Iran.

"Only the European Union's sanctions regime will be decisive", if and when it is changed, the institution told AFP.

Any payment involving an Iranian party would have to be approved by the Bundesbank if things return to their pre-January 2016 state.

German banking lobby group Kreditwirtschaft has called on Berlin and other EU nations to clarify their stance -- and to make sure banks and their clients are "effectively protected against possible American sanctions".

KCI's Melfi said time is running out for EU governments to act.

"Many firms just want to stop anything with Iran, since they can't calculate the risk of staying," she noted.

On Friday for the first time since the Iran nuclear deal came into force in 2015, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany gathered in Vienna -- at Iran's request -- without the United States, to discuss how to save the agreement.

Germany's biggest lenders have shied away from business with Iran after past penalties for breaching US sanctions

Germany's biggest lenders have shied away from business with Iran after past penalties for breaching US sanctions, but smaller banks have leapt on opportunities afforded by the nuclear deal rejected by Donald Trump. There are just months to go until a November deadline issued by Washington after the US president abandoned a hard-fought agreement that loosened business restrictions on the Islamic Republic in exchange for Tehran giving up its pursuit of nuclear weapons. But some firms plan to press on in their dealings with Iran despite the looming threat of penalties. "We will continue to serve our clients," for now, said Patrizia Melfi, a director at the "international competence centre" (KCI) founded by six cooperative savings banks in the small town of Tuttlingen in southwest Germany. The centre, which supports companies operating in sensitive markets like Iran or Sudan, has seen demand "rising sharply in the last few years, from firms listed on the Dax (Germany's index of blue-chip firms), from all over Germany and from Switzerland," she added. German exports to Iran have grown since the nuclear deal was signed in 2015, adding 15.5 percent last year to reach almost 2.6 billion euros ($3.0 billion) after 22-percent growth in 2016. Such figures remain vanishingly small compared with Germany's 111.5 billion euros in exports to the US -- its top customer. Nevertheless, the KCI will "wait and see what the sanctions look like" before turning away from Iran, Melfi said. Walking on eggshells Already, firms dealing with Tehran must take great care not to fall foul of US restrictions. Transactions are carried out in euros, and the KCI does not deal with businesses that have American citizens or green card resident holders on their boards. What's more, products sold to Iran cannot contain more than 10 percent of parts manufactured in the US. One of the most important inputs for the business is "courage among our managers" given the high risks involved, Melfi said. Germany's two biggest banks, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, avoid Iran completely after being slapped with harsh fines in 2015 over their dealings there, with Deutsche alone paying $258 million in penalties. DZ Bank, which operates as a central bank for more than 1,000 local co-op lenders, is withdrawing completely from payment services there, a spokesman told AFP. That left KCI to seek out the German branch of Iranian state-owned bank Melli in Hamburg. Even that linkage could break if Iran's biggest business bank appears on a US list of barred businesses as it has before. Meanwhile, among Germany's roughly 390 Sparkasse savings banks, business with the regime is mostly limited to producing documents linked to export contracts. "We will be looking even more closely at those" in the future, a person familiar with the trade told AFP. Elsewhere in the German economy, the European-Iranian Trade Bank (EIH) founded in 1971 is another conduit to Tehran. Also based in Hamburg, it for now remains "fully available to you with our products and services", the bank assures clients on its website, although "business policy decisions by European banks may result in short term or medium term restrictions on payments". Effectively protected Neither does the Bundesbank (German central bank) believe that much has so far changed for business with Iran. "Only the European Union's sanctions regime will be decisive", if and when it is changed, the institution told AFP. Any payment involving an Iranian party would have to be approved by the Bundesbank if things return to their pre-January 2016 state. German banking lobby group Kreditwirtschaft has called on Berlin and other EU nations to clarify their stance -- and to make sure banks and their clients are "effectively protected against possible American sanctions". KCI's Melfi said time is running out for EU governments to act. "Many firms just want to stop anything with Iran, since they can't calculate the risk of staying," she noted. On Friday for the first time since the Iran nuclear deal came into force in 2015, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany gathered in Vienna -- at Iran's request -- without the United States, to discuss how to save the agreement.

Iran sanctions shadow falls on smaller German banks

Plans for a landmark summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un are moving "very nicely", US President Donald Trump said Sunday, as the South's leader said Kim told him the talks would be a historic opportunity to end decades of confrontation.

The latest conciliatory declarations capped a turbulent few days of diplomatic brinkmanship on the Korean Peninsula that had sent tensions soaring.

Trump rattled the region on Thursday by cancelling a planned June 12 meeting with Kim in Singapore, citing "open hostility" from Pyongyang.

But within 24 hours he reversed course, saying it could still go ahead after productive talks were held with North Korean officials.

"It's moving along very nicely," Trump told reporters late Saturday when asked for an update. "We're looking at June 12 in Singapore. That hasn't changed."

Trump's unpredictability sparked a sudden and surprise meeting on Saturday between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in -- only the fourth time leaders from the two countries have ever met -- as they scrambled to get the talks back on track.

Pictures showed them shaking hands and embracing on the North Korean side of the Demilitarised Zone separating the two nations.

Moon said Kim reached out to him to arrange the hasty meeting "without any formality". There the North Korean leader described the Singapore summit as a landmark opportunity to end decades of confrontation.

"He... expressed his intention to put an end to the history of war and confrontation through the success of the North-US summit and to cooperate for peace and prosperity," Moon told reporters in Seoul on Sunday.

Pyongyang's state-run KCNA news agency said Kim "expressed his fixed will on the historic DPRK-US summit talks", using the official abbreviation for North Korea.

Kim said the two Koreas should "positively cooperate with each other as ever to improve the DPRK-US&nbsprelations and establish mechanism for permanent and durable peace," KCNA added, saying South and North Korea would hold another round of "high-level" talks on June 1.

Shaky detente

Trump's original decision to abandon the historic summit initially blindsided South Korea, which had been brokering a remarkable detente between Washington and Pyongyang and is desperate to avoid conflict breaking out.

However, there was a further signal of progress Saturday as White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed a team of US officials was leaving for Singapore "in order to prepare should the summit take place".

Last year, Trump and Kim were trading war threats and insults after Pyongyang tested its most powerful nuclear weapon to date and missiles it said were capable of reaching the US mainland.

Tensions were calmed after Kim extended an olive branch by offering to send a delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea, sparking a rapid detente that led to Trump agreeing to hold direct talks with Pyongyang.

Moon won the election last year partly by vowing to be open to dialogue with the North and finding a solution to a Cold War-era sore that continues to blight the region.

The flurry of diplomatic backslapping and bonhomie disappeared in recent weeks as the summit was thrown into doubt by increasingly bellicose rhetoric from both top US administration officials and Pyongyang.

There are still stark differences between what the two sides hope to achieve.

Washington wants North Korea to give up all its nukes in a verifiable way as quickly as possible in return for sanctions and economic relief.

Pyongyang has a different view of what denuclearisation might look like and remains deeply worried that abandoning that deterrent would leave the country vulnerable to regime change.

"Kim stressed again that he had a firm determination towards complete denuclearisation," Moon told reporters Sunday.

"The thing he was uncertain about was not denuclearisation but concerns on whether he could trust that the US would end its hostile policy and guarantee the security of his regime when the North denuclearises itself."

Back on track

Saturday's meeting between Moon and Kim took place on the North Korean side of Panmunjom, a heavily fortified village that lies between the two countries where the 1953 armistice was signed.

Only last month, the two leaders met in the same village, with Kim famously inviting Moon to step briefly into the North before they both held talks in a building on the South's side.

Kim Yong-hyun, professor of North Korea studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said Moon and Kim moved quickly to defuse the crisis after Trump's shock cancellation.

"Moon essentially helped relay messages from Trump to Kim and vice versa, to further smooth the process and to resume negotiations," he told AFP, saying the Singapore meeting was "clearly back on track".

Unlike last month's summit, which was held in front of live TV cameras, Saturday's meeting took place in utmost secrecy, with reporters only told later that the face-to-face had taken place.

Footage released by the Blue House on Twitter, accompanied by a dramatic orchestral score, showed Moon arriving in a convoy of cars and first shaking hands with Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong, who has played a major public role in recent talks with the South.

Plans for a landmark summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un are moving 'very nicely', US President Donald Trump said Sunday

Plans for a landmark summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un are moving "very nicely", US President Donald Trump said Sunday, as the South's leader said Kim told him the talks would be a historic opportunity to end decades of confrontation. The latest conciliatory declarations capped a turbulent few days of diplomatic brinkmanship on the Korean Peninsula that had sent tensions soaring. Trump rattled the region on Thursday by cancelling a planned June 12 meeting with Kim in Singapore, citing "open hostility" from Pyongyang. But within 24 hours he reversed course, saying it could still go ahead after productive talks were held with North Korean officials. "It's moving along very nicely," Trump told reporters late Saturday when asked for an update. "We're looking at June 12 in Singapore. That hasn't changed." Trump's unpredictability sparked a sudden and surprise meeting on Saturday between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in -- only the fourth time leaders from the two countries have ever met -- as they scrambled to get the talks back on track. Pictures showed them shaking hands and embracing on the North Korean side of the Demilitarised Zone separating the two nations. Moon said Kim reached out to him to arrange the hasty meeting "without any formality". There the North Korean leader described the Singapore summit as a landmark opportunity to end decades of confrontation. "He... expressed his intention to put an end to the history of war and confrontation through the success of the North-US summit and to cooperate for peace and prosperity," Moon told reporters in Seoul on Sunday. Pyongyang's state-run KCNA news agency said Kim "expressed his fixed will on the historic DPRK-US summit talks", using the official abbreviation for North Korea. Kim said the two Koreas should "positively cooperate with each other as ever to improve the DPRK-US&nbsprelations and establish mechanism for permanent and durable peace," KCNA added, saying South and North Korea would hold another round of "high-level" talks on June 1. Shaky detente Trump's original decision to abandon the historic summit initially blindsided South Korea, which had been brokering a remarkable detente between Washington and Pyongyang and is desperate to avoid conflict breaking out. However, there was a further signal of progress Saturday as White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed a team of US officials was leaving for Singapore "in order to prepare should the summit take place". Last year, Trump and Kim were trading war threats and insults after Pyongyang tested its most powerful nuclear weapon to date and missiles it said were capable of reaching the US mainland. Tensions were calmed after Kim extended an olive branch by offering to send a delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea, sparking a rapid detente that led to Trump agreeing to hold direct talks with Pyongyang. Moon won the election last year partly by vowing to be open to dialogue with the North and finding a solution to a Cold War-era sore that continues to blight the region. The flurry of diplomatic backslapping and bonhomie disappeared in recent weeks as the summit was thrown into doubt by increasingly bellicose rhetoric from both top US administration officials and Pyongyang. There are still stark differences between what the two sides hope to achieve. Washington wants North Korea to give up all its nukes in a verifiable way as quickly as possible in return for sanctions and economic relief. Pyongyang has a different view of what denuclearisation might look like and remains deeply worried that abandoning that deterrent would leave the country vulnerable to regime change. "Kim stressed again that he had a firm determination towards complete denuclearisation," Moon told reporters Sunday. "The thing he was uncertain about was not denuclearisation but concerns on whether he could trust that the US would end its hostile policy and guarantee the security of his regime when the North denuclearises itself." Back on track Saturday's meeting between Moon and Kim took place on the North Korean side of Panmunjom, a heavily fortified village that lies between the two countries where the 1953 armistice was signed. Only last month, the two leaders met in the same village, with Kim famously inviting Moon to step briefly into the North before they both held talks in a building on the South's side. Kim Yong-hyun, professor of North Korea studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said Moon and Kim moved quickly to defuse the crisis after Trump's shock cancellation. "Moon essentially helped relay messages from Trump to Kim and vice versa, to further smooth the process and to resume negotiations," he told AFP, saying the Singapore meeting was "clearly back on track". Unlike last month's summit, which was held in front of live TV cameras, Saturday's meeting took place in utmost secrecy, with reporters only told later that the face-to-face had taken place. Footage released by the Blue House on Twitter, accompanied by a dramatic orchestral score, showed Moon arriving in a convoy of cars and first shaking hands with Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong, who has played a major public role in recent talks with the South.

Trump and Kim raise summit hopes after days of brinkmanship

Kim Jong Un believes a summit with US President Donald Trump will be a landmark opportunity to end decades of confrontation, South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said Sunday following his<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/korean-leaders-vow-to-meet-frequently-in-the-future-report-140040"> surprise meeting with the North Korean leader</a>.

"He (Kim) also expressed his intention to put an end to the history of war and confrontation through the success of the North-US summit and to cooperate for peace and prosperity," Moon told reporters, adding both he and Kim agreed to meet or talk in person "if necessary".

Moon and Kim held a surprise summit in the Demilitarised Zone separating their two nations on Saturday in a scramble to save a slated June 12 summit between North Korea and the United States in the city-state of Singapore.

Trump rattled the region on Thursday by cancelling his meeting with Kim, citing "open hostility" from Pyongyang.

But within 24 hours he reversed course, saying it could still go ahead after productive talks were held with North Korean officials.

During his two hour meeting with Kim, Moon said he urged both Washington and Pyongyang "to remove misunderstandings through direct communication and to have sufficient dialogue in advance through working-level negotiations on the agendas to be agreed upon at the summit".

"Chairman Kim agreed on that," he added.

Moon said the Pyongyang regime reaffirmed its commitment to give up its nuclear weapons but had its own security concerns if it took that step.

"Kim stressed again that he had a firm determination towards complete denuclearisation," the South Korean president added.

"The thing he was uncertain about was not denuclearisation but concerns on whether he could trust that the US would end its hostile policy and guarantee the security of his regime when the North denuclearises itself."

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-still-sees-june-12-singapore-summit-with-kim-140048">Talks with North Korea on summit going 'very well': US President Donald Trump</a>

Moon and Kim held a surprise summit in the Demilitarised Zone separating their two nations on Saturday in a scramble to save a slated June 12 summit.

Kim Jong Un believes a summit with US President Donald Trump will be a landmark opportunity to end decades of confrontation, South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said Sunday following his surprise meeting with the North Korean leader. "He (Kim) also expressed his intention to put an end to the history of war and confrontation through the success of the North-US summit and to cooperate for peace and prosperity," Moon told reporters, adding both he and Kim agreed to meet or talk in person "if necessary". Moon and Kim held a surprise summit in the Demilitarised Zone separating their two nations on Saturday in a scramble to save a slated June 12 summit between North Korea and the United States in the city-state of Singapore. Trump rattled the region on Thursday by cancelling his meeting with Kim, citing "open hostility" from Pyongyang. But within 24 hours he reversed course, saying it could still go ahead after productive talks were held with North Korean officials. During his two hour meeting with Kim, Moon said he urged both Washington and Pyongyang "to remove misunderstandings through direct communication and to have sufficient dialogue in advance through working-level negotiations on the agendas to be agreed upon at the summit". "Chairman Kim agreed on that," he added. Moon said the Pyongyang regime reaffirmed its commitment to give up its nuclear weapons but had its own security concerns if it took that step. "Kim stressed again that he had a firm determination towards complete denuclearisation," the South Korean president added. "The thing he was uncertain about was not denuclearisation but concerns on whether he could trust that the US would end its hostile policy and guarantee the security of his regime when the North denuclearises itself." Also read: Talks with North Korea on summit going 'very well': US President Donald Trump

Kim Jong Un hopes Trump summit will 'end history of confrontation': South Korea president

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that things are moving "very nicely" towards a summit on June 12 in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"It's moving along very nicely," Trump said at the White House during a meeting with a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/american-wife-freed-from-venezuela-jail-arrive-in-us-senator-140044"> US prisoner freed by Venezuela</a>.

"We're looking at June 12 in Singapore. It hasn't changed.

Trump rattled the region on Thursday by cancelling his June 12 meeting with Kim in the Southeast Asian city-state, citing "open hostility" from Pyongyang.

But within 24 hours he reversed course, saying it could still go ahead after productive talks were held with North Korean officials.

"There are meetings going on as we speak," Trump said. "I think there's a lot of goodwill."

His comments came after North Korea said Kim was "fixed" on holding the summit with Trump, raising hopes the historic meeting might still take place after a turbulent few days of diplomatic brinkmanship.

The latest conciliatory declaration from Pyongyang came as the White House confirmed it was sending a team to Singapore to prepare for the talks -- a further signal that both sides were moving to cool tensions following a rollercoaster few days on the Korean Peninsula.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korean-president-met-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-saturday-seoul-139956">South Korean president met North Korea's Kim Jong-un Saturday</a>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/korean-leaders-vow-to-meet-frequently-in-the-future-report-140040">Korean leaders vow to 'meet frequently in the future': Report</a>

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that things are moving 'very nicely' towards a summit on June 12 in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that things are moving "very nicely" towards a summit on June 12 in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "It's moving along very nicely," Trump said at the White House during a meeting with a US prisoner freed by Venezuela. "We're looking at June 12 in Singapore. It hasn't changed. Trump rattled the region on Thursday by cancelling his June 12 meeting with Kim in the Southeast Asian city-state, citing "open hostility" from Pyongyang. But within 24 hours he reversed course, saying it could still go ahead after productive talks were held with North Korean officials. "There are meetings going on as we speak," Trump said. "I think there's a lot of goodwill." His comments came after North Korea said Kim was "fixed" on holding the summit with Trump, raising hopes the historic meeting might still take place after a turbulent few days of diplomatic brinkmanship. The latest conciliatory declaration from Pyongyang came as the White House confirmed it was sending a team to Singapore to prepare for the talks -- a further signal that both sides were moving to cool tensions following a rollercoaster few days on the Korean Peninsula. Also read: South Korean president met North Korea's Kim Jong-un Saturday Also read: Korean leaders vow to 'meet frequently in the future': Report

Talks with North Korea on summit going 'very well': US President Donald Trump

An American and his wife held nearly two years in a Venezuelan jail arrived home in the United States Saturday after their release in what Venezuela's leftist government said was a gesture aimed at fostering dialogue with Washington to avert US "aggressions."

"We're home," tweeted United States Senator Bob Corker, whose meeting in Caracas Friday with President Nicolas Maduro paved the way for the release of Joshua Holt and Thamara Caleno.

Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, who led a two-year effort to win the couple's freedom, posted a video of their airport reunion with Holt's parents in Washington.&nbsp

US President Donald Trump said Holt would be received with his family at the White House on Saturday evening.

Hatch praised the "pivotal efforts" of Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, to win Holt and Caleno's freedom.

"Good news about the release of the American hostage from Venezuela," Trump tweeted. "The great people of Utah will be very happy!"

Maduro ordered the couple's release as a "gesture" aimed at promoting dialogue between Caracas and Washington, Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez told reporters in Caracas.

He said it was part of "efforts to maintain a respectful dialogue, diplomatic relations of respect, that permit gates to be opened to avoid the aggressions to which (Venezuela) has been subjected."

He apparently was referring to US sanctions, which Washington has tightened since Maduro was reelected earlier this month in elections that the US rejected as a "sham."

But Vice President Mike pence immediately squelched any suggestion that the sanctions -- which aim to deprive the cash-starved regime of revenue -- would be eased.

"Very glad that Josh Holt is now back home with his family – where he has always belonged. Sanctions continue until democracy returns to Venezuela," Pence said in a tweet.

Marriage, then arrest

Holt, a 26-year-old Mormon missionary from Utah, had traveled to Venezuela in June 2016 to marry Thamara, whom he had met on the internet.

Shortly after they married, however, the couple was arrested by the Venezuelan intelligence service Sebin, and accused of possessing weapons and plotting to destabilize the Maduro government.

Top officials in the Socialist regime labeled Holt a US spy. In December, the Justice Ministry decided to bring the couple to trial, and rejected a petition for his conditional release.

Holt and his wife were being held at a prison in Caracas known as the Helicoide where the Sebin keeps political prisoners.

Earlier this month, he surfaced during a protest by opposition activists jailed in the massive hilltop structure, and appealed for US help in a video posted on Twitter.

"I'm calling on the people of America. I need your help to get me out of this place," Holt said in the video.

He also appeared in a photo taken of a group of prisoners inside the detention center.

A family statement issued by Holt's lawyer in Venezuela, Carlos Trujillo, expressed thanks for "your collaboration during this time of anguish we have been through."

The statement expressed gratitude "to everyone who participated in this miracle."

Sanctions bite

Holt's release comes as Maduro moves to ease tensions that have spiked since the May 20 elections, which were boycotted by most opposition parties and denounced as illegitimate by the US, EU, Canada and at least a dozen Latin American countries.&nbsp

The Trump administration tightened financial sanctions on cash-strapped Venezuela after the vote.

The Venezuelan president then retaliated by giving the two top US diplomats in the country 48 hours to leave, accusing them of conspiring against his government.

On Friday, however, human rights monitors reported the release of 20 activists who had been jailed in the western state of Zulia for protesting against the government.

In taking the oath of office on Thursday, Maduro acknowledged that the sanctions are biting.

"I can't deceive anybody, they are going to create grave difficulties, painful difficulties," he said.

"A profound rectification is needed, things have to be done anew and better. We are not doing things well and we have to change this country."

The Venezuelan economy is in shambles. Hyperinflation is expected to hit 13,000 percent this year and dire shortages of food that have driven hundreds of thousands of citizens to pour into neighboring Colombia and Brazil.

Maduro has blamed the US for his country's woes, but most economists point to years of destructive policies and corruption as well as a period of plunging oil prices.

Venezuela -- once one of Latin America's most prosperous countries -- has the world's largest oil reserves but oil production has fallen sharply in recent years as corruption, disinvestment and the loss of skilled workers take their toll.

An American and his wife held nearly two years in a Venezuelan jail arrived home in the United States Saturday after their release

An American and his wife held nearly two years in a Venezuelan jail arrived home in the United States Saturday after their release in what Venezuela's leftist government said was a gesture aimed at fostering dialogue with Washington to avert US "aggressions." "We're home," tweeted United States Senator Bob Corker, whose meeting in Caracas Friday with President Nicolas Maduro paved the way for the release of Joshua Holt and Thamara Caleno. Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, who led a two-year effort to win the couple's freedom, posted a video of their airport reunion with Holt's parents in Washington. US President Donald Trump said Holt would be received with his family at the White House on Saturday evening. Hatch praised the "pivotal efforts" of Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, to win Holt and Caleno's freedom. "Good news about the release of the American hostage from Venezuela," Trump tweeted. "The great people of Utah will be very happy!" Maduro ordered the couple's release as a "gesture" aimed at promoting dialogue between Caracas and Washington, Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez told reporters in Caracas. He said it was part of "efforts to maintain a respectful dialogue, diplomatic relations of respect, that permit gates to be opened to avoid the aggressions to which (Venezuela) has been subjected." He apparently was referring to US sanctions, which Washington has tightened since Maduro was reelected earlier this month in elections that the US rejected as a "sham." But Vice President Mike pence immediately squelched any suggestion that the sanctions -- which aim to deprive the cash-starved regime of revenue -- would be eased. "Very glad that Josh Holt is now back home with his family – where he has always belonged. Sanctions continue until democracy returns to Venezuela," Pence said in a tweet. Marriage, then arrest Holt, a 26-year-old Mormon missionary from Utah, had traveled to Venezuela in June 2016 to marry Thamara, whom he had met on the internet. Shortly after they married, however, the couple was arrested by the Venezuelan intelligence service Sebin, and accused of possessing weapons and plotting to destabilize the Maduro government. Top officials in the Socialist regime labeled Holt a US spy. In December, the Justice Ministry decided to bring the couple to trial, and rejected a petition for his conditional release. Holt and his wife were being held at a prison in Caracas known as the Helicoide where the Sebin keeps political prisoners. Earlier this month, he surfaced during a protest by opposition activists jailed in the massive hilltop structure, and appealed for US help in a video posted on Twitter. "I'm calling on the people of America. I need your help to get me out of this place," Holt said in the video. He also appeared in a photo taken of a group of prisoners inside the detention center. A family statement issued by Holt's lawyer in Venezuela, Carlos Trujillo, expressed thanks for "your collaboration during this time of anguish we have been through." The statement expressed gratitude "to everyone who participated in this miracle." Sanctions bite Holt's release comes as Maduro moves to ease tensions that have spiked since the May 20 elections, which were boycotted by most opposition parties and denounced as illegitimate by the US, EU, Canada and at least a dozen Latin American countries. The Trump administration tightened financial sanctions on cash-strapped Venezuela after the vote. The Venezuelan president then retaliated by giving the two top US diplomats in the country 48 hours to leave, accusing them of conspiring against his government. On Friday, however, human rights monitors reported the release of 20 activists who had been jailed in the western state of Zulia for protesting against the government. In taking the oath of office on Thursday, Maduro acknowledged that the sanctions are biting. "I can't deceive anybody, they are going to create grave difficulties, painful difficulties," he said. "A profound rectification is needed, things have to be done anew and better. We are not doing things well and we have to change this country." The Venezuelan economy is in shambles. Hyperinflation is expected to hit 13,000 percent this year and dire shortages of food that have driven hundreds of thousands of citizens to pour into neighboring Colombia and Brazil. Maduro has blamed the US for his country's woes, but most economists point to years of destructive policies and corruption as well as a period of plunging oil prices. Venezuela -- once one of Latin America's most prosperous countries -- has the world's largest oil reserves but oil production has fallen sharply in recent years as corruption, disinvestment and the loss of skilled workers take their toll.

American, wife freed from Venezuela jail arrive in US: Senator

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