Outgoing US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson left the State Department on Thursday, calling Washington a &quot;mean-spirited town&quot; but saying nothing about President Donald Trump in his farewell remarks to department employees.

Although it was Tillerson&#39;s last day at the State Department, he retains the title of secretary of state until March 31, just over a year since he began the job.

Trump fired Tillerson last week via a tweet, capping months of friction over policy on North Korea, Russia and Iran. Trump named CIA Director Mike Pompeo as Tillerson&#39;s successor.

&quot;This can be a very mean-spirited town but you don&#39;t have to choose to participate in that,&quot; Tillerson told staff gathered in the lobby of the State Department, his comments interrupted by loud applause.

&quot;Each of us get to choose the person we want to be and the way we want to be treated and the way we will treat others,&quot; he said.

Since his firing, Tillerson has pointedly declined to thank Trump for giving him the opportunity to run the State Department. He made no mention of the president in his remarks.

Tillerson, who has delegated his responsibilities to his deputy, John Sullivan, met Pompeo on Monday.

Pompeo&#39;s nomination hearing is expected to take place as soon as April 12.

Trump fired Tillerson last week via a tweet, capping months of friction over policy on North Korea, Russia and Iran. Trump named CIA Director Mike Pompeo as Tillerson's successor.

Outgoing US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson left the State Department on Thursday, calling Washington a "mean-spirited town" but saying nothing about President Donald Trump in his farewell remarks to department employees. Although it was Tillerson's last day at the State Department, he retains the title of secretary of state until March 31, just over a year since he began the job. Trump fired Tillerson last week via a tweet, capping months of friction over policy on North Korea, Russia and Iran. Trump named CIA Director Mike Pompeo as Tillerson's successor. "This can be a very mean-spirited town but you don't have to choose to participate in that," Tillerson told staff gathered in the lobby of the State Department, his comments interrupted by loud applause. "Each of us get to choose the person we want to be and the way we want to be treated and the way we will treat others," he said. Since his firing, Tillerson has pointedly declined to thank Trump for giving him the opportunity to run the State Department. He made no mention of the president in his remarks. Tillerson, who has delegated his responsibilities to his deputy, John Sullivan, met Pompeo on Monday. Pompeo's nomination hearing is expected to take place as soon as April 12.

Tillerson bids farewell to 'mean-spirited' Washington in speech to staff

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump shook up his foreign policy team again on Thursday, replacing HR&nbsp;McMaster as national security adviser with John Bolton, a hawk who has advocated using military force against North Korea and Iran.

The move, announced in a tweet, came little more than a week after the firing by Trump of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state. Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo was nominated to replace him.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I am pleased to announce that, effective 4/9/18, <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmbJohnBolton</a> will be my new National Security Advisor. I am very thankful for the service of General H.R. McMaster who has done an outstanding job &amp; will always remain my friend. There will be an official contact handover on 4/9.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/976948306927607810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The shake-up means Trump is bringing in top advisers more likely to agree with his views, with a prospective summit meeting approaching between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. That is supposed to happen by the end of May.

McMaster, hired early in Trump&#39;s presidency to replace scandal-tarred Michael Flynn as national security adviser, had been widely expected to leave soon.

Trump found McMaster&#39;s style grating and had been looking for a replacement, advisers said.

The White House said Trump and McMaster had &quot;mutually agreed&quot; that he would leave.

&quot;I am very thankful for the service of General H.R. McMaster who has done an outstanding job &amp; will always remain my friend,&quot; Trump&#39;s tweet said.

The announcement came a day after Trump was angered by a leak of information from his presidential briefing papers that said he was advised specifically not to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin on his disputed re-election.

&quot;The two have been discussing this for some time. The timeline was expedited as they both felt it was important to have the new team in place, instead of constant speculation. This was not related to any one moment or incident, rather it was the result of ongoing conversations between the two,&quot; a senior White House official said.

McMaster, 55, is to stay on until mid-April. He said in a statement he was also requesting retirement from the U.S. Army, in which he holds the rank of three-star general.

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly had been hoping to entice McMaster into another military assignment in order to qualify as a four-star general.

&#39;FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS&#39;

The hiring of Bolton, 69, which does not require U.S. Senate confirmation, came despite concerns by some foreign policy analysts that the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations might use his position to pursue his own global views, rather than carry out Trump&#39;s.

&ldquo;Bolton has long been an advocate for pre-emptive military action against North Korea, and his appointment as National Security Adviser is a strong signal that President Trump remains open to these options,&quot; said Abraham Denmark, deputy assistant secretary of defence for East Asia under former President Barack Obama.

&quot;We should also expect an even more confrontational approach to China - a trade war may just be the beginning of a broader geopolitical competition,&rdquo; he said.

The announcement was made shortly after Bolton and Trump met in the Oval Office.

As the State Department&#39;s top arms control official under President George W. Bush, Bolton was a leading advocate of the 2003 invasion of Iraq - which was later found to have been based on bogus and exaggerated intelligence about President Saddam Hussein&#39;s weapons of mass destruction and ties to terrorism.

In recent years, as a conservative media commentator, Bolton has advocated hardline positions on stopping Pyongyang from getting nuclear weapons that could threaten the United States. He has also advocated getting rid of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, a pact Trump has also heavily criticized.

&ldquo;Bolton has long supported regime change in North Korea and closer ties with Taiwan. Fasten your seat belts,&rdquo; said Bonnie Glaser, Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

The shake-up means Trump is bringing in top advisers more likely to agree with his views, with a prospective summit meeting approaching between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

US President Donald Trump shook up his foreign policy team again on Thursday, replacing HR McMaster as national security adviser with John Bolton, a hawk who has advocated using military force against North Korea and Iran. The move, announced in a tweet, came little more than a week after the firing by Trump of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state. Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo was nominated to replace him. I am pleased to announce that, effective 4/9/18, @AmbJohnBolton will be my new National Security Advisor. I am very thankful for the service of General H.R. McMaster who has done an outstanding job & will always remain my friend. There will be an official contact handover on 4/9. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 22, 2018 × The shake-up means Trump is bringing in top advisers more likely to agree with his views, with a prospective summit meeting approaching between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. That is supposed to happen by the end of May. McMaster, hired early in Trump's presidency to replace scandal-tarred Michael Flynn as national security adviser, had been widely expected to leave soon. Trump found McMaster's style grating and had been looking for a replacement, advisers said. The White House said Trump and McMaster had "mutually agreed" that he would leave. "I am very thankful for the service of General H.R. McMaster who has done an outstanding job & will always remain my friend," Trump's tweet said. The announcement came a day after Trump was angered by a leak of information from his presidential briefing papers that said he was advised specifically not to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin on his disputed re-election. "The two have been discussing this for some time. The timeline was expedited as they both felt it was important to have the new team in place, instead of constant speculation. This was not related to any one moment or incident, rather it was the result of ongoing conversations between the two," a senior White House official said. McMaster, 55, is to stay on until mid-April. He said in a statement he was also requesting retirement from the U.S. Army, in which he holds the rank of three-star general. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly had been hoping to entice McMaster into another military assignment in order to qualify as a four-star general. 'FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS' The hiring of Bolton, 69, which does not require U.S. Senate confirmation, came despite concerns by some foreign policy analysts that the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations might use his position to pursue his own global views, rather than carry out Trump's. “Bolton has long been an advocate for pre-emptive military action against North Korea, and his appointment as National Security Adviser is a strong signal that President Trump remains open to these options," said Abraham Denmark, deputy assistant secretary of defence for East Asia under former President Barack Obama. "We should also expect an even more confrontational approach to China - a trade war may just be the beginning of a broader geopolitical competition,” he said. The announcement was made shortly after Bolton and Trump met in the Oval Office. As the State Department's top arms control official under President George W. Bush, Bolton was a leading advocate of the 2003 invasion of Iraq - which was later found to have been based on bogus and exaggerated intelligence about President Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction and ties to terrorism. In recent years, as a conservative media commentator, Bolton has advocated hardline positions on stopping Pyongyang from getting nuclear weapons that could threaten the United States. He has also advocated getting rid of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, a pact Trump has also heavily criticized. “Bolton has long supported regime change in North Korea and closer ties with Taiwan. Fasten your seat belts,” said Bonnie Glaser, Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

In yet another shake-up of his foreign policy team, Trump replaces NSA McMaster with Bolton

The threat of a global trade war sent stock markets sliding and investors rushing for the safety of currencies like the yen and government bonds on Friday, after US&nbsp;President Donald Trump announced tariffs on up to $60 billion of Chinese goods.

World stocks, down 3.4 per cent since Monday, are on course for their worst week since early February, when a spike in volatility sent markets into a tailspin.

European stocks fell at the open, with Germany&#39;s Dax down 1.6 per cent, the French CAC 40 1.5 per cent lower and Britain&#39;s FTSE 100 0.8 per cent in the red.

That followed large falls in the US, with the S&amp;P 500 shedding 2.5 per cent, and overnight in Asia, where the Japanese Nikkei 225 was the biggest loser slumping 4.5 per cent.

Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Thursday that could impose tariffs on up to $60 billion of imports from China, although the measures have a 30-day consultation period.

China urged the United States to &quot;pull back from the brink&quot;, but investors fear Trump&#39;s tariffs are leading the world&#39;s two largest economies into a trade war with potentially dire consequences for the global economy.

China disclosed its own plans on Friday to impose tariffs on up to $3 billion of US&nbsp;imports in retaliation against the US&nbsp;tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium products.

&quot;The equity markets are getting clobbered, which is not that surprising with fears of a trade war breaking out,&quot; said Paul Fage, a TD Securities emerging markets strategist.

With investors seeking out safer assets, many jumped into government bond markets in Europe and the United States.

US&nbsp;10-year Treasury yields, which fell almost 8 basis points on Thursday, were set for their biggest two-week fall since September. In Europe, benchmark issuer Germany&#39;s 10-year bond yield hovered close to 10-week lows struck a day earlier at around 0.52 per cent and was on track for its biggest two-week drop since August, down 13 basis points.

Many investors also turned to the yen, a currency likely to benefit from a full-fledged trade war. The Japanese currency gained 0.4 per cent against the dollar to 104.87 yen, the first time it has been below 105 since November 2016.

The Swiss franc, another currency bought in times of market uncertainty, rose 0.3 per cent versus the dollar, although it remained flat against the euro.

The dollar fell 0.2 per cent against a basket of currencies.

&quot;The FX market itself isn&#39;t sure, and its reaction to risk-off and lower bond yields across the board is to buy the yen and the Swiss franc,&quot; Kit Juckes, an FX strategist at Societe Generale, wrote in a daily note.

In commodity markets, oil prices recouped overnight losses after Saudi Arabia said that OPEC and Russian-led production curbs introduced in 2017 will need to be extended into 2019.

US&nbsp;crude futures were up 0.8 per cent at $64.79 per barrel after losing 1.3 per cent on Thursday and Brent gained 0.45 per&nbsp; cent to $69.22.

Safe-haven spot gold rose 1 per cent to $1,341 an ounce, highest since February 20.

Copper and iron prices both fell, as investors bet demand for the metals would suffer in a trade war.

Daniel Lockyer, senior fund manager at Hawksmoor Investment Management, said financial markets had got ahead of themselves and were failing to price in the risk a number of factors could trigger a sell-off.

&quot;It&#39;s not that we thought trade wars would cause the market to fall, it&#39;s that there was too much optimism priced into stock markets,&quot; he said.

The threat of a global trade war sent stock markets sliding and investors rushing for the safety of currencies like the yen and government bonds on Friday, after US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on up to $60 billion of Chinese goods

The threat of a global trade war sent stock markets sliding and investors rushing for the safety of currencies like the yen and government bonds on Friday, after US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on up to $60 billion of Chinese goods. World stocks, down 3.4 per cent since Monday, are on course for their worst week since early February, when a spike in volatility sent markets into a tailspin. European stocks fell at the open, with Germany's Dax down 1.6 per cent, the French CAC 40 1.5 per cent lower and Britain's FTSE 100 0.8 per cent in the red. That followed large falls in the US, with the S&P 500 shedding 2.5 per cent, and overnight in Asia, where the Japanese Nikkei 225 was the biggest loser slumping 4.5 per cent. Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Thursday that could impose tariffs on up to $60 billion of imports from China, although the measures have a 30-day consultation period. China urged the United States to "pull back from the brink", but investors fear Trump's tariffs are leading the world's two largest economies into a trade war with potentially dire consequences for the global economy. China disclosed its own plans on Friday to impose tariffs on up to $3 billion of US imports in retaliation against the US tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium products. "The equity markets are getting clobbered, which is not that surprising with fears of a trade war breaking out," said Paul Fage, a TD Securities emerging markets strategist. With investors seeking out safer assets, many jumped into government bond markets in Europe and the United States. US 10-year Treasury yields, which fell almost 8 basis points on Thursday, were set for their biggest two-week fall since September. In Europe, benchmark issuer Germany's 10-year bond yield hovered close to 10-week lows struck a day earlier at around 0.52 per cent and was on track for its biggest two-week drop since August, down 13 basis points. Many investors also turned to the yen, a currency likely to benefit from a full-fledged trade war. The Japanese currency gained 0.4 per cent against the dollar to 104.87 yen, the first time it has been below 105 since November 2016. The Swiss franc, another currency bought in times of market uncertainty, rose 0.3 per cent versus the dollar, although it remained flat against the euro. The dollar fell 0.2 per cent against a basket of currencies. "The FX market itself isn't sure, and its reaction to risk-off and lower bond yields across the board is to buy the yen and the Swiss franc," Kit Juckes, an FX strategist at Societe Generale, wrote in a daily note. In commodity markets, oil prices recouped overnight losses after Saudi Arabia said that OPEC and Russian-led production curbs introduced in 2017 will need to be extended into 2019. US crude futures were up 0.8 per cent at $64.79 per barrel after losing 1.3 per cent on Thursday and Brent gained 0.45 per cent to $69.22. Safe-haven spot gold rose 1 per cent to $1,341 an ounce, highest since February 20. Copper and iron prices both fell, as investors bet demand for the metals would suffer in a trade war. Daniel Lockyer, senior fund manager at Hawksmoor Investment Management, said financial markets had got ahead of themselves and were failing to price in the risk a number of factors could trigger a sell-off. "It's not that we thought trade wars would cause the market to fall, it's that there was too much optimism priced into stock markets," he said.

Global stocks slide, yen jumps, as trade war fears grip markets

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mark-zuckerbergs-shine-dims-as-guardian-of-facebook-users-36795" target="_blank">Mark Zuckerberg&#39;s shine dims as guardian of Facebook users</a>

Mark Zuckerberg rose to wealth and fame with a mission of connecting everyone through Facebook, but now faces the wrath of users outraged he isn&#39;t doing more to defend their data.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-yet-another-shake-up-trump-replaces-nation-security-adviser-mcmaster-with-bolton-36782" target="_blank">In yet another shake-up of his foreign policy team, Trump replaces NSA McMaster with Bolton</a>

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump shook up his foreign policy team again on Thursday, replacing HR&nbsp;McMaster as national security adviser with John Bolton, a hawk who has advocated using military force against North Korea and Iran.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/breaking-the-aadhaar-encryption-may-take-more-than-the-age-of-the-universe-uidai-ceo-36798" target="_blank">Breaking Aadhaar encryption may take &#39;more than </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/breaking-the-aadhaar-encryption-may-take-more-than-the-age-of-the-universe-uidai-ceo-36798" target="_blank">age</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/breaking-the-aadhaar-encryption-may-take-more-than-the-age-of-the-universe-uidai-ceo-36798" target="_blank"> of universe&#39;: UIDAI CEO</a>

Unique Identification Authority of India CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey on Thursday afternoon got a unique opportunity to make a PowerPoint presentation in the Supreme court to defend the government&#39;s ambitious Aadhaar scheme.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/babri-masjid-ram-janmabhoomi-case-supreme-court-to-continue-final-hearing-36785" target="_blank">Babri Masjid case: Supreme Court to continue &#39;final hearing&#39; today</a>

The Supreme Court will continue to hear the final arguments in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case on Friday. The court will hear 13 appeals filed against the 2010 judgment of the Allahabad High Court in four civil suits.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-strikes-back-in-trade-spat-aims-tariffs-at-3-billion-us-goods-36786" target="_blank">China strikes back in trade spat, aims tariffs at $3 billion US goods</a>

China unveiled plans on Friday to impose tariffs on up to $3 billion of US&nbsp;imports in retaliation against US&nbsp;tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium products, as the world&#39;s two largest economies stood on the brink of a trade war.

&nbsp;

Mark Zuckerberg's shine dims as guardian of Facebook users Mark Zuckerberg rose to wealth and fame with a mission of connecting everyone through Facebook, but now faces the wrath of users outraged he isn't doing more to defend their data. In yet another shake-up of his foreign policy team, Trump replaces NSA McMaster with Bolton US President Donald Trump shook up his foreign policy team again on Thursday, replacing HR McMaster as national security adviser with John Bolton, a hawk who has advocated using military force against North Korea and Iran. Breaking Aadhaar encryption may take 'more than age of universe': UIDAI CEO Unique Identification Authority of India CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey on Thursday afternoon got a unique opportunity to make a PowerPoint presentation in the Supreme court to defend the government's ambitious Aadhaar scheme. Babri Masjid case: Supreme Court to continue 'final hearing' today The Supreme Court will continue to hear the final arguments in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case on Friday. The court will hear 13 appeals filed against the 2010 judgment of the Allahabad High Court in four civil suits. China strikes back in trade spat, aims tariffs at $3 billion US goods China unveiled plans on Friday to impose tariffs on up to $3 billion of US imports in retaliation against US tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium products, as the world's two largest economies stood on the brink of a trade war.

WION Morning News Brief, March 23, 2018

Mark Zuckerberg rose to wealth and fame with a mission of connecting everyone through Facebook, but now faces the wrath of users outraged he isn&#39;t doing more to defend their data.

The latest crisis laying siege to the leading online social network has raised the specter that he has lost control of his creation and been naive about the unintended consequences of people sharing so much about themselves.

&quot;If Facebook was a typical company, and Zuckerberg was the founder, he would probably be gone,&quot; said tech industry analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group.

&quot;He looks like a guy who really doesn&#39;t know what he is doing. He is not the hero that a lot of people had viewed him as; his reputation and image are badly damaged.&quot;

Facebook has prospered on digital advertising that benefits from being able to use what people share about themselves to target ads.

If Facebook was betting on people&#39;s better natures when it came to truthfully sharing, respecting others, and being able to connect with anyone, it wasn&#39;t always a winning wager.

The California-based social network has been a flashpoint for controversies about bullying, harassment, free speech, extremist propaganda, election meddling, privacy, and more.

&quot;They don&#39;t put enough effort into making sure the user is protected and the experience is assured,&quot; analyst Enderle said.

&quot;They only care about the advertisers, and the user is basically a digital slave.&quot;

DROPOUT TO BILLIONAIRE

A public apology by Zuckerberg failed to quell outrage over the hijacking of personal data from millions of people, as critics demanded that the social media giant go much further to protect user privacy.

Belatedly speaking out about the harvesting of Facebook user data by a British firm linked to President Donald Trump&#39;s 2016 election campaign, Zuckerberg admitted Wednesday to betraying the trust of its more than two billion users, and promised to &quot;step up.&quot;

Vowing to stop data leaking to application makers and to give users more control over their information, he also said he was ready to testify before US lawmakers following -- which a powerful congressional committee promptly asked him to do.

Zuckerberg has grown from a Harvard dropout who changed what it means to be social into a billionaire philanthropist bent on shaping a better world for his daughters.

Zuckerberg and his doctor wife, Priscilla Chan, have pledged to give away their Facebook fortune to make the world a healthier, happier place for children.

&quot;Having kids changes a lot,&quot; Zuckerberg said this week in an interview with CNN.

&quot;I used to think that the most important thing to me by far was having the greatest impact across the world as I can; now I just really care about building something my girls are going to grow up and be proud of me for.&quot;

Zuckerberg cemented his fortune, and a place in Silicon Valley history, by leading Facebook to a historic Wall Street debut in 2012.

The $16 billion IPO was structured to keep control of Facebook in the hands of Zuckerberg, who has been Time&#39;s &quot;Person of the Year&quot; and cracked the Forbes list of 20 richest people in the world.

The hoodie-wearing 33-year-old, depicted in the Hollywood drama &quot;The Social Network&quot; as a socially challenged computer geek, has evolved into a confident chief executive.

Zuckerberg still favors t-shirts, jeans and sneakers, topped off by his trademark hooded sweatshirt and a mop of curly hair.

He is known for setting annual goals, which have included wearing ties every day; only eating meat of animals he kills himself; and learning to speak Chinese.

His personal goal this year is to fix Facebook, making sure it fosters real-world community.

&#39;Thefacebook&#39; 

Born on May 14, 1984, Zuckerberg was raised in Dobbs Ferry outside New York, one of four children of a dentist father and a psychiatrist mother.

He began writing computer programs at the age of 11, including one said to resemble Pandora&#39;s musical taste program which reportedly drew the interest of AOL and Microsoft.

He went to high school at the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy, where he was captain of the fencing team, before entering elite Harvard University.

Zuckerberg launched Thefacebook.com, as it was then known, from his dorm room on February 4, 2004 with some of his roommates and classmates.

Facebook&#39;s early years were not without controversy, however.

In 2008, a $65 million settlement was reached with three Harvard classmates -- twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra -- over their charges that Zuckerberg had stolen the idea for Facebook from them.

The conflict was at the heart of &quot;The Social Network,&quot; the Oscar-winning film written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher.

Zuckerberg left Harvard in May 2004 for Silicon Valley, where he received his first major funding -- $500,000 -- from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.

He has been referred to by some as being struck in the mold of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Zuckerberg has praised Jobs as a friend and a role model.

The latest crisis laying siege to the leading online social network has raised the specter that he has lost control of his creation and been naive about the unintended consequences of people sharing so much about themselves.

Mark Zuckerberg rose to wealth and fame with a mission of connecting everyone through Facebook, but now faces the wrath of users outraged he isn't doing more to defend their data. The latest crisis laying siege to the leading online social network has raised the specter that he has lost control of his creation and been naive about the unintended consequences of people sharing so much about themselves. "If Facebook was a typical company, and Zuckerberg was the founder, he would probably be gone," said tech industry analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group. "He looks like a guy who really doesn't know what he is doing. He is not the hero that a lot of people had viewed him as; his reputation and image are badly damaged." Facebook has prospered on digital advertising that benefits from being able to use what people share about themselves to target ads. If Facebook was betting on people's better natures when it came to truthfully sharing, respecting others, and being able to connect with anyone, it wasn't always a winning wager. The California-based social network has been a flashpoint for controversies about bullying, harassment, free speech, extremist propaganda, election meddling, privacy, and more. "They don't put enough effort into making sure the user is protected and the experience is assured," analyst Enderle said. "They only care about the advertisers, and the user is basically a digital slave." DROPOUT TO BILLIONAIRE A public apology by Zuckerberg failed to quell outrage over the hijacking of personal data from millions of people, as critics demanded that the social media giant go much further to protect user privacy. Belatedly speaking out about the harvesting of Facebook user data by a British firm linked to President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, Zuckerberg admitted Wednesday to betraying the trust of its more than two billion users, and promised to "step up." Vowing to stop data leaking to application makers and to give users more control over their information, he also said he was ready to testify before US lawmakers following -- which a powerful congressional committee promptly asked him to do. Zuckerberg has grown from a Harvard dropout who changed what it means to be social into a billionaire philanthropist bent on shaping a better world for his daughters. Zuckerberg and his doctor wife, Priscilla Chan, have pledged to give away their Facebook fortune to make the world a healthier, happier place for children. "Having kids changes a lot," Zuckerberg said this week in an interview with CNN. "I used to think that the most important thing to me by far was having the greatest impact across the world as I can; now I just really care about building something my girls are going to grow up and be proud of me for." Zuckerberg cemented his fortune, and a place in Silicon Valley history, by leading Facebook to a historic Wall Street debut in 2012. The $16 billion IPO was structured to keep control of Facebook in the hands of Zuckerberg, who has been Time's "Person of the Year" and cracked the Forbes list of 20 richest people in the world. The hoodie-wearing 33-year-old, depicted in the Hollywood drama "The Social Network" as a socially challenged computer geek, has evolved into a confident chief executive. Zuckerberg still favors t-shirts, jeans and sneakers, topped off by his trademark hooded sweatshirt and a mop of curly hair. He is known for setting annual goals, which have included wearing ties every day; only eating meat of animals he kills himself; and learning to speak Chinese. His personal goal this year is to fix Facebook, making sure it fosters real-world community. 'Thefacebook' Born on May 14, 1984, Zuckerberg was raised in Dobbs Ferry outside New York, one of four children of a dentist father and a psychiatrist mother. He began writing computer programs at the age of 11, including one said to resemble Pandora's musical taste program which reportedly drew the interest of AOL and Microsoft. He went to high school at the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy, where he was captain of the fencing team, before entering elite Harvard University. Zuckerberg launched Thefacebook.com, as it was then known, from his dorm room on February 4, 2004 with some of his roommates and classmates. Facebook's early years were not without controversy, however. In 2008, a $65 million settlement was reached with three Harvard classmates -- twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra -- over their charges that Zuckerberg had stolen the idea for Facebook from them. The conflict was at the heart of "The Social Network," the Oscar-winning film written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher. Zuckerberg left Harvard in May 2004 for Silicon Valley, where he received his first major funding -- $500,000 -- from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. He has been referred to by some as being struck in the mold of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Zuckerberg has praised Jobs as a friend and a role model.

Mark Zuckerberg's shine dims as guardian of Facebook users

The blueprint of the digital campaign with detailed insights&nbsp;of Trump presidential campaign has been obtained by the British daily, the Guardian on Thursday.

The blueprint file is a 27-page presentation presented to Cambridge Analytica employees of London, New York and Washington DC after Trump&#39;s victory in one of the most controversial elections in the United States.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Made by the Cambridge Analytica officials who were working with Donald Trump during his presidential campaign, shows the techniques&nbsp;that were used through social media platforms such as Google, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube users&#39; data.

According to the Guardian report, 10,000 different ads were tailor-made with intensive survey research and data modelling.

The report further mentions that those ads were viewed billion of times.

Cambridge Analytica, a data mining firm came under fire after it got&nbsp;accused of obtaining Facebook users&#39; data&nbsp;with illegal measures.

Cambridge Analytica and its parent company Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL) has allegedly worked in over two hundred elections across the world in countries like India and Argentina, Nigeria among others.&nbsp;

The blueprint of the digital campaign with detailed insights of Trump presidential campaign has been obtained by the British daily, the Guardian on Thursday

The blueprint of the digital campaign with detailed insights of Trump presidential campaign has been obtained by the British daily, the Guardian on Thursday. The blueprint file is a 27-page presentation presented to Cambridge Analytica employees of London, New York and Washington DC after Trump's victory in one of the most controversial elections in the United States. Made by the Cambridge Analytica officials who were working with Donald Trump during his presidential campaign, shows the techniques that were used through social media platforms such as Google, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube users' data. According to the Guardian report, 10,000 different ads were tailor-made with intensive survey research and data modelling. The report further mentions that those ads were viewed billion of times. Cambridge Analytica, a data mining firm came under fire after it got accused of obtaining Facebook users' data with illegal measures. Cambridge Analytica and its parent company Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL) has allegedly worked in over two hundred elections across the world in countries like India and Argentina, Nigeria among others.

10,000 ads were tailor-made during Trump digital campaign: Report

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/two-dead-as-suspected-is-gunman-takes-hostages-in-france-36862">Two dead as suspected IS gunman takes hostages in France</a>

At least two people were killed after a gunman claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group opened fire and took hostages at a supermarket in southwest France on Friday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trade-deficit-with-china-costs-2-million-jobs-to-us-white-house-36858">Trade</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trade-deficit-with-china-costs-2-million-jobs-to-us-white-house-36858"> deficit with China costs 2 million jobs to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trade-deficit-with-china-costs-2-million-jobs-to-us-white-house-36858">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trade-deficit-with-china-costs-2-million-jobs-to-us-white-house-36858">: White House</a>

America&#39;s massive trade deficit with China is estimated to have resulted in about two million job losses in the US, the White House has said, defending President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to initiate strong actions against China&#39;s &quot;unfair&quot; trade practices.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/victory-of-truth-says-arvind-kejriwal-after-delhi-high-court-sets-aside-disqualification-of-aap-mlas-36845">Victory</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/victory-of-truth-says-arvind-kejriwal-after-delhi-high-court-sets-aside-disqualification-of-aap-mlas-36845"> of </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/victory-of-truth-says-arvind-kejriwal-after-delhi-high-court-sets-aside-disqualification-of-aap-mlas-36845">truth,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/victory-of-truth-says-arvind-kejriwal-after-delhi-high-court-sets-aside-disqualification-of-aap-mlas-36845"> tweets Arvind Kejriwal after Delhi High Court sets aside disqualification of AAP MLAs</a>

After the high court set aside the Election Commission order disqualifying 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs (Members of Legislative Assembly) in an office of profit case, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal called it a &quot;victory of truth.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/karti-chidambaram-granted-bail-in-inx-media-case-36833">Karti Chidambaram granted bail in INX Media case</a>

Karti Chidambaram has been granted bail in INX Media case. The Delhi high court while granting the bail told him not to travel abroad.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-strikes-kill-37-civilians-in-eastern-ghouta-monitor-36842">Russian strikes kill 37 civilians in Eastern Ghouta: Monitor</a>

Thirty-seven civilians died in the the shrinking rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta&#39;s Arbin area near Damascus overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday.

Two dead as suspected IS gunman takes hostages in France At least two people were killed after a gunman claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group opened fire and took hostages at a supermarket in southwest France on Friday. Trade deficit with China costs 2 million jobs to US: White House America's massive trade deficit with China is estimated to have resulted in about two million job losses in the US, the White House has said, defending President Donald Trump's decision to initiate strong actions against China's "unfair" trade practices. Victory of truth, tweets Arvind Kejriwal after Delhi High Court sets aside disqualification of AAP MLAs After the high court set aside the Election Commission order disqualifying 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs (Members of Legislative Assembly) in an office of profit case, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal called it a "victory of truth." Karti Chidambaram granted bail in INX Media case Karti Chidambaram has been granted bail in INX Media case. The Delhi high court while granting the bail told him not to travel abroad. Russian strikes kill 37 civilians in Eastern Ghouta: Monitor Thirty-seven civilians died in the the shrinking rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta's Arbin area near Damascus overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday.

Wion evening news brief, March 23, 2018

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/zuckerberg-says-facebook-made-mistakes-on-user-data-vows-curbs-36672">Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg</a> has said that Facebook is enhancing its security features and working towards making the social media platform a&nbsp;secure place to ensure the integrity of upcoming elections in India.

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Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/everything-you-want-to-know-about-cambridge-analytica-36662">Everything you want to know about Cambridge Analytica</a>

With the social media giant facing increasing criticism over its alleged links with Cambridge Analytica which reportedly manipulated Facebook data during the US presidential elections, Zuckerberg said&nbsp;&nbsp;Facebook is enhancing its security features and is working towards making the social media platform a &quot;secure place&quot;&nbsp;to ensure&nbsp;integrity of the upcoming general elections in India due to be held in 2019.

During an&nbsp;interview&nbsp;to a US daily, Zuckerberg said that the massive focus for Facebook right now is to &quot;not only focus on 2018 mid-term elections of US but the Indian elections and other major upcoming elections around the world.&quot;

&quot;We have a responsibility to do this not only for the 2018 midterms in the US, which are going to be a huge deal this year, and that&#39;s just a huge focus of us. But there&#39;s a big election in India this year,&quot; the Facebook founder said.

Zuckerberg also mentioned about artificial intelligence(AI) tools that Facebook is going to use to prevent fake news and information manipulation during elections.

According to reports, such tools were used for the first time during the 2017 French elections.

Amid the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook data breach row, Indian IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had warned Facebook on Wednesday to take &quot;stringent&quot;&nbsp;action against any attempt to influence polls through data theft.

Ravi Shankar Prasad went a step forward and threatened Zuckerberg that he could be summoned to India if needed.

Uk based data analysis company, Cambridge Analytica has been accused of harvesting private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump&#39;s 2016 election campaign, the New York Times and London&#39;s Observer reported on Saturday (March 18).

The reports have mentioned that the firm has worked for some Indian clients as well.

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Zuckerberg also mentioned about the artificial intelligence tools that Facebook is going to use to prevent fake news and information manipulation during elections

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said that Facebook is enhancing its security features and working towards making the social media platform a secure place to ensure the integrity of upcoming elections in India. × Also read: Everything you want to know about Cambridge Analytica With the social media giant facing increasing criticism over its alleged links with Cambridge Analytica which reportedly manipulated Facebook data during the US presidential elections, Zuckerberg said Facebook is enhancing its security features and is working towards making the social media platform a "secure place" to ensure integrity of the upcoming general elections in India due to be held in 2019. During an interview to a US daily, Zuckerberg said that the massive focus for Facebook right now is to "not only focus on 2018 mid-term elections of US but the Indian elections and other major upcoming elections around the world." "We have a responsibility to do this not only for the 2018 midterms in the US, which are going to be a huge deal this year, and that's just a huge focus of us. But there's a big election in India this year," the Facebook founder said. Zuckerberg also mentioned about artificial intelligence(AI) tools that Facebook is going to use to prevent fake news and information manipulation during elections. According to reports, such tools were used for the first time during the 2017 French elections. Amid the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook data breach row, Indian IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had warned Facebook on Wednesday to take "stringent" action against any attempt to influence polls through data theft. Ravi Shankar Prasad went a step forward and threatened Zuckerberg that he could be summoned to India if needed. Uk based data analysis company, Cambridge Analytica has been accused of harvesting private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, the New York Times and London's Observer reported on Saturday (March 18). The reports have mentioned that the firm has worked for some Indian clients as well.

Facebook enhancing security features to ensure integrity of upcoming elections in India: Zuckerberg

In his effort to improve Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s badly tarnished image and project the kingdom as embracing an unidentified form of moderate Islam, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has hinted that he envisions a conservative rather than an ultra-conservative society. But this is not one in which citizens are fully free to make personal, let alone political choices of their own. Prince Mohammed&rsquo;s vision, although not spelled out in great detail, seemed evident in an interview with 60 Minutes on CBS News, his first with a Western television program, on the eve of a three-week trip that is taking him across the United States.

The trip is designed to cement relations with the Trump administration following the dismissal of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Prince Mohammed and his United Arab Emirates counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed, viewed Tillerson as unenthusiastic about their hegemonic designs for a swath of land stretching across the Middle East from the Horn of Africa to South Asia, including the Saudi-Emirati-led boycott of Qatar.

The visit comes barely a month before President Donald Trump has to decide whether to pull the US out of the 2015 international agreement with Iran designed to curb the Islamic republic&rsquo;s nuclear program. A withdrawal could lead to the agreement&rsquo;s collapse and spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. &ldquo;Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb, but without a doubt, if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible,&rdquo; Prince Mohammed told CBS.

The prince&rsquo;s trip is also intended to project the kingdom as a beacon of moderation - rather than a promoter of ultra-conservatism - and cutting-edge modernity led by a young reformist but autocratic king-in-waiting. 
Prince Mohammed and President Trump

In a meeting at the White House, Prince Mohammed and President Trump touted the economic benefits of the two countries&rsquo; relationship, with massive US arms sales and other deals, including nuclear sales that would involve reducing US safeguards by giving the kingdom the right to enrich uranium. Both leaders asserted that the deals would significantly boost employment in both Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Prince Mohammed is also scheduled to meet members of Congress, think tanks and academics, oil executives, businessmen and representatives of Silicon Valley&rsquo;s high-tech industry and Hollywood.

Both Prince Mohammed and Trump need to demonstrate economic progress to boost or cement their popularity at home. The crown prince needs to show to Saudis that he is feted as a leader despite mounting international criticism of his conduct in the Yemen war, his domestic power and asset grab under the mum of an anti-corruption campaign, the kingdom&rsquo;s long-standing political and social restrictions, and its four-decade-long global support for ultra-conservative Sunni Islam.

Beyond concern about the high civilian casualty rate in Yemen and the war having sparked one of the worst humanitarian crises of today, many fear that potentially destabilizing anti-Saudi sentiment in the ravaged country will persist long after the guns fall silent. Those fears are reinforced by contradictory Saudi measures. While on the one hand pledging billions of dollars in aid and allowing at least some relief to get into Yemen, Saudi Arabia has aggravated the crisis by expelling tens of thousands of Yemeni workers in recent months.

Prince Mohammed also needs to demonstrate that he can attract foreign investment despite the arbitrary nature of the arrest in November 2017 of hundreds of senior members of the ruling al-Saud family, prominent businessmen and high-ranking officials, and reports that at least some of them were abused and tortured during their detention.

Most of the detainees were released after surrendering control of assets and/or paying substantial amounts of money. The government said it expects to raise $100 billion from the asset grab. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the most prominent detainees and the kingdom&rsquo;s most-high-profile businessman, who seemed to put up a fight during his detention, has since his release in January said that he would be investing in some of Prince Mohammed&rsquo;s pet projects. 
Reform in Saudi Arabia

Prince Mohammed has bolstered his image by vowing to return Saudi Arabia to an unidentified form of moderate Islam; forcing the country&rsquo;s ultra-conservative religious establishment to endorse his reforms; suggesting that the kingdom may halt its massive global funding of Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism to counter Iran&rsquo;s revolutionary zeal; surrendering control of the Saudi-managed Great Mosque in Brussels; granting women the right to drive, join the military and attend male sporting events; and creating a modern entertainment sector.

Despite the boldness of his moves, the crown prince has sent mixed messages about how far he is prepared to go. Women and men mix at concerts and theater plays but are segregated in the three sport stadiums that have been declared open to women.

While the crown prince has been decisive in his power and asset grab, he has yet to say a clear word about lifting Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s system of male guardianship that gives male relatives control of their lives. Similarly, there is no indication that gender segregation in restaurants and other public places will be lifted. Asked about the guardianship, Prince Mohammed evaded specifics. &ldquo;Today, Saudi women still have not received their full rights. There are rights stipulated in Islam that they still don&rsquo;t have. We have come a very long way and have a short way to go,&rdquo; he said to CBS News.

Middle East scholar As&rsquo;ad Abu Khalil, whose blog is named The Angry Arab News Service, posted a picture of Prince Mohammed meeting with President Trump, noting that there was not one woman on either side of the conference table.

Speaking Arabic despite having learned to speak English by watching movies, Prince Mohammed appeared in his CBS interview to defend allowing a mingling of the sexes in the workplace, while shying away from ultra-conservative Islam&rsquo;s ban on a man meeting a woman unaccompanied by a male relative in non-professional or non-public settings. &ldquo;We have extremists who forbid mixing between the two sexes and are unable to differentiate between a man and a woman alone together and their being together in a workplace,&rdquo; Prince Mohammed said.

The crown prince conceded that women had the right to determine what to wear if their clothes were &ldquo;decent, respectful clothing, like men.&rdquo; He did not define what would constitute decent but insisted that it did not have to be a &ldquo;black abaya or a black head cover.&rdquo;

No doubt, Prince Mohammed&rsquo;s social reforms and promised economic change provide him significant arrows in his multimillion-dollar PR blitz. That is getting him the support of the White House. &ldquo;Getting a strong presidential endorsement of the crown prince&#39;s trip to the US. to encourage investment in Saudi Arabia, that, I think, could be something that could be done,&quot; said Anthony H Cordesman, the Arleigh A Burke chair in strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Translating that into real policy and dollars could, however, prove to be a harder sell.

This <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/mohammed-bin-salman-us-trip-gulf-news-saudi-arabia-07978/">article</a> was originally published in <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/">Fair Observer</a>.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

Prince Mohammed’s social reforms and promised economic change in Saudi Arabia provide him significant arrows in his multimillion-dollar PR blitz.

In his effort to improve Saudi Arabia’s badly tarnished image and project the kingdom as embracing an unidentified form of moderate Islam, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has hinted that he envisions a conservative rather than an ultra-conservative society. But this is not one in which citizens are fully free to make personal, let alone political choices of their own. Prince Mohammed’s vision, although not spelled out in great detail, seemed evident in an interview with 60 Minutes on CBS News, his first with a Western television program, on the eve of a three-week trip that is taking him across the United States. The trip is designed to cement relations with the Trump administration following the dismissal of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Prince Mohammed and his United Arab Emirates counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed, viewed Tillerson as unenthusiastic about their hegemonic designs for a swath of land stretching across the Middle East from the Horn of Africa to South Asia, including the Saudi-Emirati-led boycott of Qatar. The visit comes barely a month before President Donald Trump has to decide whether to pull the US out of the 2015 international agreement with Iran designed to curb the Islamic republic’s nuclear program. A withdrawal could lead to the agreement’s collapse and spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. “Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb, but without a doubt, if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible,” Prince Mohammed told CBS. The prince’s trip is also intended to project the kingdom as a beacon of moderation - rather than a promoter of ultra-conservatism - and cutting-edge modernity led by a young reformist but autocratic king-in-waiting. Prince Mohammed and President Trump In a meeting at the White House, Prince Mohammed and President Trump touted the economic benefits of the two countries’ relationship, with massive US arms sales and other deals, including nuclear sales that would involve reducing US safeguards by giving the kingdom the right to enrich uranium. Both leaders asserted that the deals would significantly boost employment in both Saudi Arabia and the United States. Prince Mohammed is also scheduled to meet members of Congress, think tanks and academics, oil executives, businessmen and representatives of Silicon Valley’s high-tech industry and Hollywood. Both Prince Mohammed and Trump need to demonstrate economic progress to boost or cement their popularity at home. The crown prince needs to show to Saudis that he is feted as a leader despite mounting international criticism of his conduct in the Yemen war, his domestic power and asset grab under the mum of an anti-corruption campaign, the kingdom’s long-standing political and social restrictions, and its four-decade-long global support for ultra-conservative Sunni Islam. Beyond concern about the high civilian casualty rate in Yemen and the war having sparked one of the worst humanitarian crises of today, many fear that potentially destabilizing anti-Saudi sentiment in the ravaged country will persist long after the guns fall silent. Those fears are reinforced by contradictory Saudi measures. While on the one hand pledging billions of dollars in aid and allowing at least some relief to get into Yemen, Saudi Arabia has aggravated the crisis by expelling tens of thousands of Yemeni workers in recent months. Prince Mohammed also needs to demonstrate that he can attract foreign investment despite the arbitrary nature of the arrest in November 2017 of hundreds of senior members of the ruling al-Saud family, prominent businessmen and high-ranking officials, and reports that at least some of them were abused and tortured during their detention. Most of the detainees were released after surrendering control of assets and/or paying substantial amounts of money. The government said it expects to raise $100 billion from the asset grab. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the most prominent detainees and the kingdom’s most-high-profile businessman, who seemed to put up a fight during his detention, has since his release in January said that he would be investing in some of Prince Mohammed’s pet projects. Reform in Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed has bolstered his image by vowing to return Saudi Arabia to an unidentified form of moderate Islam; forcing the country’s ultra-conservative religious establishment to endorse his reforms; suggesting that the kingdom may halt its massive global funding of Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism to counter Iran’s revolutionary zeal; surrendering control of the Saudi-managed Great Mosque in Brussels; granting women the right to drive, join the military and attend male sporting events; and creating a modern entertainment sector. Despite the boldness of his moves, the crown prince has sent mixed messages about how far he is prepared to go. Women and men mix at concerts and theater plays but are segregated in the three sport stadiums that have been declared open to women. While the crown prince has been decisive in his power and asset grab, he has yet to say a clear word about lifting Saudi Arabia’s system of male guardianship that gives male relatives control of their lives. Similarly, there is no indication that gender segregation in restaurants and other public places will be lifted. Asked about the guardianship, Prince Mohammed evaded specifics. “Today, Saudi women still have not received their full rights. There are rights stipulated in Islam that they still don’t have. We have come a very long way and have a short way to go,” he said to CBS News. Middle East scholar As’ad Abu Khalil, whose blog is named The Angry Arab News Service, posted a picture of Prince Mohammed meeting with President Trump, noting that there was not one woman on either side of the conference table. Speaking Arabic despite having learned to speak English by watching movies, Prince Mohammed appeared in his CBS interview to defend allowing a mingling of the sexes in the workplace, while shying away from ultra-conservative Islam’s ban on a man meeting a woman unaccompanied by a male relative in non-professional or non-public settings. “We have extremists who forbid mixing between the two sexes and are unable to differentiate between a man and a woman alone together and their being together in a workplace,” Prince Mohammed said. The crown prince conceded that women had the right to determine what to wear if their clothes were “decent, respectful clothing, like men.” He did not define what would constitute decent but insisted that it did not have to be a “black abaya or a black head cover.” No doubt, Prince Mohammed’s social reforms and promised economic change provide him significant arrows in his multimillion-dollar PR blitz. That is getting him the support of the White House. “Getting a strong presidential endorsement of the crown prince's trip to the US. to encourage investment in Saudi Arabia, that, I think, could be something that could be done," said Anthony H Cordesman, the Arleigh A Burke chair in strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Translating that into real policy and dollars could, however, prove to be a harder sell. This article was originally published in Fair Observer. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: How far will crown prince Mohammed go?

US lawmakers advanced a critical $1.3 trillion federal spending bill Thursday, as Congress sprints to avoid a another embarrassing government shutdown ahead of a rapidly approaching funding deadline.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump has given his blessing to the bipartisan deal that negotiators clinched the previous evening, even though the White House acknowledged it did not fulfill all of their wishes.

With a Friday midnight deadline looming, the catchall bill, known as an &quot;omnibus,&quot; comfortably passed the House of Representatives on a 256-167 vote.

&quot;The House just voted to rebuild our military, secure our borders, and give our service members their largest pay raise in eight years,&quot; House Speaker Paul Ryan said after the vote.&nbsp;

The bill now heads to the Senate for debate and final passage. It was introduced late Wednesday after weeks of haggling, leaving lawmakers mere hours to peruse and vote on a 2,232-page bill that will touch every aspect of American life.

&quot;Is the president going to sign the bill? The answer is yes,&quot; Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters.

&quot;Is it perfect? No. Is it exactly what we asked for? No.&quot;

It sets defense spending levels at $700 billion for the year, an increase of $61 billion over the 2017 cap, while non-defense domestic spending will reach $591 billion, an increase of about 10 percent.

It provides $1.6 billion -- far less than Trump wanted -- for border security and funds to construct or fix nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) of border fencing and barriers, boosts infrastructure spending, and increases funds for school safety and student grants.

It leaves intact funding for women`s health provider Planned Parenthood, a target of relentless criticsm from pro-life Republicans.But in a major blow to Democrats, it fails to include protections for immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children, or language that would help prevent the president from firing Robert Mueller, the special counsel heading the investigation of Russia`s meddling in the 2016 elections.

And it leaves out a long-sought provision to stabilize the insurance market by funding subsidies that could lower insurance rates for low-income families by about 40 percent.

That health care negotiation apparently broke down over disputes over abortion-related language in the bill.

&quot;I`m extremely disappointed,&quot; the provision`s co-author, Senate Republican Susan Collins, told reporters.

Among the sensitive issues addressed in the bill is gun safety, which has been the focus of national attention in the aftermath of deadly school shootings.&nbsp;

Lawmakers said it includes a provision to strengthen compliance with background checks for firearm sales, and one that reverses what has essentially served as a ban on federal research on gun violence.

Even while professing his support, Trump lamented having to &quot;waste money&quot; on &quot;Dem giveaways&quot; to secure the military funding.

Timing over the next 36 hours is critical.&nbsp;

The Senate is now set to consider the measure, but any senator can slow down the process if he or she does not want to speed the bill through, dragging debate beyond the Friday deadline.&nbsp;

&quot;Clearly it`s a concern,&quot; Republican Senator Roger Wicker told AFP about the short timing. &quot;And it`s a very poor way to legislate.&quot;

US lawmakers advanced a critical $1.3 trillion federal spending bill Thursday, as Congress sprints to avoid another embarrassing government shutdown ahead of a rapidly approaching funding deadline

US lawmakers advanced a critical $1.3 trillion federal spending bill Thursday, as Congress sprints to avoid a another embarrassing government shutdown ahead of a rapidly approaching funding deadline. President Donald Trump has given his blessing to the bipartisan deal that negotiators clinched the previous evening, even though the White House acknowledged it did not fulfill all of their wishes. With a Friday midnight deadline looming, the catchall bill, known as an "omnibus," comfortably passed the House of Representatives on a 256-167 vote. "The House just voted to rebuild our military, secure our borders, and give our service members their largest pay raise in eight years," House Speaker Paul Ryan said after the vote. The bill now heads to the Senate for debate and final passage. It was introduced late Wednesday after weeks of haggling, leaving lawmakers mere hours to peruse and vote on a 2,232-page bill that will touch every aspect of American life. "Is the president going to sign the bill? The answer is yes," Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters. "Is it perfect? No. Is it exactly what we asked for? No." It sets defense spending levels at $700 billion for the year, an increase of $61 billion over the 2017 cap, while non-defense domestic spending will reach $591 billion, an increase of about 10 percent. It provides $1.6 billion -- far less than Trump wanted -- for border security and funds to construct or fix nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) of border fencing and barriers, boosts infrastructure spending, and increases funds for school safety and student grants. It leaves intact funding for women`s health provider Planned Parenthood, a target of relentless criticsm from pro-life Republicans.But in a major blow to Democrats, it fails to include protections for immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children, or language that would help prevent the president from firing Robert Mueller, the special counsel heading the investigation of Russia`s meddling in the 2016 elections. And it leaves out a long-sought provision to stabilize the insurance market by funding subsidies that could lower insurance rates for low-income families by about 40 percent. That health care negotiation apparently broke down over disputes over abortion-related language in the bill. "I`m extremely disappointed," the provision`s co-author, Senate Republican Susan Collins, told reporters. Among the sensitive issues addressed in the bill is gun safety, which has been the focus of national attention in the aftermath of deadly school shootings. Lawmakers said it includes a provision to strengthen compliance with background checks for firearm sales, and one that reverses what has essentially served as a ban on federal research on gun violence. Even while professing his support, Trump lamented having to "waste money" on "Dem giveaways" to secure the military funding. Timing over the next 36 hours is critical. The Senate is now set to consider the measure, but any senator can slow down the process if he or she does not want to speed the bill through, dragging debate beyond the Friday deadline. "Clearly it`s a concern," Republican Senator Roger Wicker told AFP about the short timing. "And it`s a very poor way to legislate."

US spending bill passes House, heads to Senate as shutdown deadline looms

US President Donald Trump said he was still willing to be interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller, refraining from criticism of his Russia election meddling probe.

&quot;I would like to,&quot; Trump told reporters when asked about the interview, which is fraught with danger for the president and expected to come within weeks.

The comment came after the head of Trump&#39;s legal team, John Dowd, resigned.

US President Donald Trump said he was still willing to be interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller, refraining from criticism of his Russia election meddling probe

US President Donald Trump said he was still willing to be interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller, refraining from criticism of his Russia election meddling probe. "I would like to," Trump told reporters when asked about the interview, which is fraught with danger for the president and expected to come within weeks. The comment came after the head of Trump's legal team, John Dowd, resigned.

Trump says still willing to talk to Mueller in Russia probe

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s lead lawyer for the federal special counsel probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election resigned on Thursday, the New York Times reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

John Dowd stepped down after concluding Trump was increasingly ignoring his advice, one of the people said, according to the Times.

Dowd has been the lead lawyer since last summer, when longtime Trump personal lawyer Marc Kasowitz stepped down, but the latest shakeup to the legal team has been rumored for several days.

Earlier this week, Trump beefed up his legal team with a lawyer who accuses the FBI and US&nbsp;Justice Department of trying to frame Trump with false charges of colluding with Russia during the 2016 election campaign, possibly signaling a more aggressive drive to discredit Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Washington lawyer Joseph diGenova will join the legal team this week, according to attorney Jay Sekulow, who also represents Trump.

Last week, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters that veteran Washington lawyer Emmet Flood is under consideration for a White House job assisting Trump with the Russia probe.

Mueller is investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 election. Moscow denies any interference and Trump has said there was no collusion.

US President Donald Trump's lead lawyer for the federal special counsel probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election resigned on Thursday

US President Donald Trump's lead lawyer for the federal special counsel probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election resigned on Thursday, the New York Times reported, citing two people familiar with the matter. John Dowd stepped down after concluding Trump was increasingly ignoring his advice, one of the people said, according to the Times. Dowd has been the lead lawyer since last summer, when longtime Trump personal lawyer Marc Kasowitz stepped down, but the latest shakeup to the legal team has been rumored for several days. Earlier this week, Trump beefed up his legal team with a lawyer who accuses the FBI and US Justice Department of trying to frame Trump with false charges of colluding with Russia during the 2016 election campaign, possibly signaling a more aggressive drive to discredit Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Washington lawyer Joseph diGenova will join the legal team this week, according to attorney Jay Sekulow, who also represents Trump. Last week, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters that veteran Washington lawyer Emmet Flood is under consideration for a White House job assisting Trump with the Russia probe. Mueller is investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 election. Moscow denies any interference and Trump has said there was no collusion.

Trump's lead lawyer John Dowd for federal Russia probe resigns: Report

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/zuckerberg-says-facebook-made-mistakes-on-user-data-vows-curbs-36672" target="_blank">Data breach: Zuckerberg says Facebook made mistakes on user data, vows curbs</a>

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that his company made mistakes in how it handled data belonging to 50 million of its users and promised tougher steps to restrict developers&#39; access to such information.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-announce-trade-sanctions-against-china-on-thursday-36677" target="_blank">Trump to announce trade sanctions against China on Thursday</a>

President Donald Trump is poised to unveil sanctions against China Thursday for the &quot;theft&quot; of US intellectual property, a White House official said, teeing up a second potential confrontation in as many months.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/court-orders-fir-against-cricketer-hardik-pandya-for-tweet-on-ambedkar-36680" target="_blank">Court orders FIR against cricketer Hardik Pandya for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/court-orders-fir-against-cricketer-hardik-pandya-for-tweet-on-ambedkar-36680" target="_blank">tweet</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/court-orders-fir-against-cricketer-hardik-pandya-for-tweet-on-ambedkar-36680" target="_blank"> on Ambedkar</a>

A special SC/ST court in Jodhpur, Rajasthan has directed police to file an FIR against cricketer Hardik Pandya for an alleged tweet about Ambedkar.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dravidian-language-family-is-4500-years-old-study-36676" target="_blank">Dravidian</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dravidian-language-family-is-4500-years-old-study-36676" target="_blank"> language family is 4,500 years old: Study</a>

The Dravidian language family, consisting of 80 varieties spoken by nearly 220 million people across southern and central India, originated about 4,500 years ago, a study has found.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/texas-bomb-suspect-blows-himself-up-leaves-confession-36685" target="_blank">Texas bomb suspect blows himself up, leaves confession</a>

A man suspected of carrying out a series of bombings in the Texas capital Austin blew himself up Wednesday, leaving behind a recorded video &quot;confession&quot; that police said portrayed &quot;challenges in his personal life.&quot;

Data breach: Zuckerberg says Facebook made mistakes on user data, vows curbs Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that his company made mistakes in how it handled data belonging to 50 million of its users and promised tougher steps to restrict developers' access to such information. Trump to announce trade sanctions against China on Thursday President Donald Trump is poised to unveil sanctions against China Thursday for the "theft" of US intellectual property, a White House official said, teeing up a second potential confrontation in as many months. Court orders FIR against cricketer Hardik Pandya for tweet on Ambedkar A special SC/ST court in Jodhpur, Rajasthan has directed police to file an FIR against cricketer Hardik Pandya for an alleged tweet about Ambedkar. Dravidian language family is 4,500 years old: Study The Dravidian language family, consisting of 80 varieties spoken by nearly 220 million people across southern and central India, originated about 4,500 years ago, a study has found. Texas bomb suspect blows himself up, leaves confession A man suspected of carrying out a series of bombings in the Texas capital Austin blew himself up Wednesday, leaving behind a recorded video "confession" that police said portrayed "challenges in his personal life."

WION Morning News Brief, March 22, 2018

President Donald Trump is poised to unveil sanctions against China Thursday for the &quot;theft&quot; of US intellectual property, a White House official said, teeing up a second potential confrontation in as many months.

Spokesman Raj Shah told AFP that Trump will announce actions following an &quot;investigation into China&#39;s state-led, market-distorting efforts to force, pressure, and steal US technologies and intellectual property.&quot;

According to his schedule, released by the White House on Wednesday evening, he will sign &quot;a Presidential Memorandum targeting China&#39;s economic aggression.&quot;

Beijing has already warned the Trump administration against the move, urging him not act &quot;emotionally.&quot;

It is just weeks since Trump short-circuited White House deliberations and announced a raft of sanctions on foreign-produced steel and aluminum off the cuff.

That move prompted the resignation of top economic advisor Gary Cohn, a global stock market selloff, legal disputes and threats of retaliatory measures.

On Wednesday Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned that the prospect of a trade war was a growing threat to the world&#39;s largest economy.

But the impulsive president is showing no sign of backing down.

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer recently put a separate proposed package of $30 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports on Trump&#39;s desk.

And Trump appears to have agreed to at least that amount, as he tries to fulfil campaign promises to get tough on &quot;cheating&quot; by US trade partners, which he says have destroyed American jobs.

The US trade deficit with China ran to a record $375 billion last year -- but US exports to the country were also at a record.

Washington has long accused Beijing of forcing US companies to turn over proprietary commercial information and intellectual property as a condition of operating in China.

Trump claims to have built up a generally good relationship with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping whom he has praised for his role in pressuring North Korea over its nuclear program.

However, the trade dispute threatens to cast a pall over those relations, especially given the recent warnings from Beijing.

A laundry list of grievances 
A senior official in Lighthizer&#39;s office said Wednesday that the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations had attempted over the decades to coax China into respecting market economics and trade liberalization, but had all failed.

The Trump administration opened an investigation last August, acting on a series of allegations against China including that as a condition of doing business, China forces US companies to enter joint ventures and transfer technology and trade secrets to domestic partners and that US companies are not able to license intellectual property in China as freely as Chinese companies.

US officials also allege China has hacked US networks and conducted industrial espionage to steal US intellectual property.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent his top economics advisor Liu He to Washington this month to discuss the tensions of trade, but the US official said that at no point had the Chinese made a constructive proposal.

&quot;Certainly by November, the background was such that officials in China had reason to know about the concerns we&#39;ve raised ... At least, as of today the administration has not been satisfied with the types of responses we&#39;ve been getting from China,&quot; the senior official in Lighthizer&#39;s office said, speaking on condition of anonymity in a briefing to reporters.

&quot;Obviously the president will have the final say in terms of what we end up doing here.&quot;

&quot;As a general matter, we do have very strong evidence that China uses foreign ownership restrictions such as joint venture requirements and foreign equity limitations to require or pressure technology transfer from US companies to Chinese entities,&quot; he added.

Tariffs talks 
Along with the announcement of that offensive, Washington also held out the possibility of a detente with regards to the EU, which reacted furiously to the news of steel and aluminum tariffs.

In a joint statement, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said they agreed to immediately begin &quot;a process of discussion&quot; on the tariffs and other matters &quot;with a view to identifying mutually acceptable outcomes as rapidly as possible.&quot;

Malmstrom had called for Europe to be exempted as a whole. Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Wednesday, European Council President Donald Tusk said he harbored &quot;cautious optimism&quot; on the prospects for a resolution.

The White House already said Canada and Mexico, which are major producers of the metals, will temporarily be exempt from the tariffs during talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

A spokesman said Trump will announce actions following an 'investigation into China's state-led, market-distorting efforts to force, pressure, and steal US technologies and intellectual property'

President Donald Trump is poised to unveil sanctions against China Thursday for the "theft" of US intellectual property, a White House official said, teeing up a second potential confrontation in as many months. Spokesman Raj Shah told AFP that Trump will announce actions following an "investigation into China's state-led, market-distorting efforts to force, pressure, and steal US technologies and intellectual property." According to his schedule, released by the White House on Wednesday evening, he will sign "a Presidential Memorandum targeting China's economic aggression." Beijing has already warned the Trump administration against the move, urging him not act "emotionally." It is just weeks since Trump short-circuited White House deliberations and announced a raft of sanctions on foreign-produced steel and aluminum off the cuff. That move prompted the resignation of top economic advisor Gary Cohn, a global stock market selloff, legal disputes and threats of retaliatory measures. On Wednesday Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned that the prospect of a trade war was a growing threat to the world's largest economy. But the impulsive president is showing no sign of backing down. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer recently put a separate proposed package of $30 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports on Trump's desk. And Trump appears to have agreed to at least that amount, as he tries to fulfil campaign promises to get tough on "cheating" by US trade partners, which he says have destroyed American jobs. The US trade deficit with China ran to a record $375 billion last year -- but US exports to the country were also at a record. Washington has long accused Beijing of forcing US companies to turn over proprietary commercial information and intellectual property as a condition of operating in China. Trump claims to have built up a generally good relationship with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping whom he has praised for his role in pressuring North Korea over its nuclear program. However, the trade dispute threatens to cast a pall over those relations, especially given the recent warnings from Beijing. A laundry list of grievances A senior official in Lighthizer's office said Wednesday that the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations had attempted over the decades to coax China into respecting market economics and trade liberalization, but had all failed. The Trump administration opened an investigation last August, acting on a series of allegations against China including that as a condition of doing business, China forces US companies to enter joint ventures and transfer technology and trade secrets to domestic partners and that US companies are not able to license intellectual property in China as freely as Chinese companies. US officials also allege China has hacked US networks and conducted industrial espionage to steal US intellectual property. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent his top economics advisor Liu He to Washington this month to discuss the tensions of trade, but the US official said that at no point had the Chinese made a constructive proposal. "Certainly by November, the background was such that officials in China had reason to know about the concerns we've raised ... At least, as of today the administration has not been satisfied with the types of responses we've been getting from China," the senior official in Lighthizer's office said, speaking on condition of anonymity in a briefing to reporters. "Obviously the president will have the final say in terms of what we end up doing here." "As a general matter, we do have very strong evidence that China uses foreign ownership restrictions such as joint venture requirements and foreign equity limitations to require or pressure technology transfer from US companies to Chinese entities," he added. Tariffs talks Along with the announcement of that offensive, Washington also held out the possibility of a detente with regards to the EU, which reacted furiously to the news of steel and aluminum tariffs. In a joint statement, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said they agreed to immediately begin "a process of discussion" on the tariffs and other matters "with a view to identifying mutually acceptable outcomes as rapidly as possible." Malmstrom had called for Europe to be exempted as a whole. Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Wednesday, European Council President Donald Tusk said he harbored "cautious optimism" on the prospects for a resolution. The White House already said Canada and Mexico, which are major producers of the metals, will temporarily be exempt from the tariffs during talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Trump to announce trade sanctions against China on Thursday

European Union leaders will Thursday press tech giants to protect personal data in the wake of the scandal over information harvested from Facebook, draft summit conclusions said.

The Brussels summit is tackling the row over the misuse of Facebook data by British firm Cambridge Analytica, which played a role in US President Donald Trump&#39;s election campaign.

&quot;Social networks and digital platforms need to guarantee transparent practices and full protection of citizens&#39; privacy and personal data,&quot; said the draft statement.

The leaders will further discuss the issue at a summit in the Bulgarian capital Sofia in May, it added.

EU President Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday that it would be added to the summit agenda at the last minute.

Tusk said leaders would tackle issues &quot;undermining trust in our democracies through fake news or election meddling&quot;.

He said this was &quot;particularly relevant in view of the recent revelations about Cambridge Analytica.&quot;

The EU leaders are taking up the issue following calls for an investigation by both the European Commission and the European Parliament, which has invited Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to speak to the assembly.

During a visit to the United States on Wednesday, EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova warned that Europe&#39;s General Data Protection Regulation would make it &quot;very, very expensive&quot; for violators once the legislation enters force on May 25.

Jourova added she is waiting &quot;impatiently&quot; for answers on the data breach after she failed to meet with a Facebook official specifically to discuss the problem.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg vowed Wednesday to &quot;step up&quot; to fix problems at the social media giant.

The EU unveiled on Wednesday proposals for a digital tax that targets US tech giants including Facebook.

European Union leaders will Thursday press tech giants to protect personal data in the wake of the scandal over information harvested from Facebook, draft summit conclusions said

European Union leaders will Thursday press tech giants to protect personal data in the wake of the scandal over information harvested from Facebook, draft summit conclusions said. The Brussels summit is tackling the row over the misuse of Facebook data by British firm Cambridge Analytica, which played a role in US President Donald Trump's election campaign. "Social networks and digital platforms need to guarantee transparent practices and full protection of citizens' privacy and personal data," said the draft statement. The leaders will further discuss the issue at a summit in the Bulgarian capital Sofia in May, it added. EU President Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday that it would be added to the summit agenda at the last minute. Tusk said leaders would tackle issues "undermining trust in our democracies through fake news or election meddling". He said this was "particularly relevant in view of the recent revelations about Cambridge Analytica." The EU leaders are taking up the issue following calls for an investigation by both the European Commission and the European Parliament, which has invited Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to speak to the assembly. During a visit to the United States on Wednesday, EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova warned that Europe's General Data Protection Regulation would make it "very, very expensive" for violators once the legislation enters force on May 25. Jourova added she is waiting "impatiently" for answers on the data breach after she failed to meet with a Facebook official specifically to discuss the problem. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg vowed Wednesday to "step up" to fix problems at the social media giant. The EU unveiled on Wednesday proposals for a digital tax that targets US tech giants including Facebook.

European Union leaders urge privacy protection amid Facebook row

US President Donald Trump denounced Tuesday a series of package bombings in Texas, calling those behind them &quot;very, very sick,&quot; following an explosion at a FedEx facility that officials said appeared to be linked to four others.

A series of blasts that has killed two people and injured several others has left the Texas state capital of Austin on edge.&nbsp;

Authorities responded late Tuesday en masse to the scene of another reported explosion, which turned out to be unrelated to the previous cases and caused by an &quot;incendiary device,&quot; not an explosive package, according to Austin police.&nbsp;

In the early morning hours, a package exploded at a FedEx facility in Schertz, outside of San Antonio and approximately 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Austin.&nbsp;

Officials connected that blast to four other bombings since early March, which killed two people and injured several more.

There were no serious injuries in the incident that saw a package at a FedEx sorting facility detonate.

&quot;It was mailed from Austin, it was to an Austin resident and it blew up on the conveyor belt,&quot; state attorney general Ken Paxton told KXAN television.

US Congressman Michael McCaul, the head of the House Homeland Security Committee who said he had spoken to law enforcement, added: &quot;All these devices are very similar.&quot;

Law enforcement confirmed they had found another package connected to the bombings at a separate FedEx facility near the Austin airport.

That package was discovered early in the day.&nbsp;

FedEx said it &quot;secured and turned over to law enforcement&quot; the second package, sent by &quot;the individual responsible&quot; for the blasts.&nbsp;

The company said in a statement that it had also provided &quot;extensive evidence related to these packages and the individual that shipped them collected from our advanced technology security systems.&quot;&nbsp;

The finding could be significant to investigators looking for evidence in their efforts to identify the perpetrator or a motive.&nbsp;

As the series of bombings held Austin on edge for another week, the White House weighed in for the first time since the crime wave began.&nbsp;

&quot;The bombings in Austin are terrible. Local, state and federal law enforcement working hand in hand to get to the bottom of it,&quot; Trump said.&nbsp;

&quot;This is obviously a very, very sick individual or maybe individuals. These are sick people, and we will get to the bottom of it.&quot;&nbsp;

&#39;Absolutely no clue&#39;&nbsp;

Despite hundreds of police officers and federal agents working the case, authorities appeared to have few leads.&nbsp;

&quot;We have no clue who this is, absolutely no clue,&quot; Texas Congressman Brian Babin told the Fox Business Network.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;m sure the FBI and the law enforcement agencies that are looking into this have some tips, some clues, but I haven&#39;t heard anything about it.&quot;

Senator Ted Cruz said he had spoken to Austin&#39;s mayor and police chief about the &quot;coordinated attacks,&quot; saying no effort should be spared to catch the bomber and &quot;put him behind bars before anyone else&#39;s life is at risk.&quot;

&quot;It&#39;s truly horrific what is happening in Austin,&quot; Cruz told reporters in Washington.

Austin&#39;s police chief Brian Manley said the bombings seemed to be evolving.

The first three explosive devices were concealed in packages left at residents&#39; doorsteps. A fourth was detonated with a tripwire, which Manley said suggested a perpetrator who &quot;shows a higher level of sophistication, a higher level of skill&quot; than initially believed.

&quot;And with what just occurred in Schertz, Texas, we&#39;ve now brought in a new element that that device was actually going through one of the carrier services, instead of being hand-delivered,&quot; Manley told an Austin city council hearing.

More than 1,200 calls have come in from residents since police urged them to report suspicious activities and items, Austin police said.

&quot;I will reach out to the suspect or suspects and ask that you contact us... communicate with us so that we can put this to an end,&quot; Manley said.

Authorities increased the reward offered for information leading to an arrest, bringing the total bounty to $115,000. 
&nbsp;

A series of blasts that has killed two people and injured several others has left the Texas state capital of Austin on edge.

US President Donald Trump denounced Tuesday a series of package bombings in Texas, calling those behind them "very, very sick," following an explosion at a FedEx facility that officials said appeared to be linked to four others. A series of blasts that has killed two people and injured several others has left the Texas state capital of Austin on edge. Authorities responded late Tuesday en masse to the scene of another reported explosion, which turned out to be unrelated to the previous cases and caused by an "incendiary device," not an explosive package, according to Austin police. In the early morning hours, a package exploded at a FedEx facility in Schertz, outside of San Antonio and approximately 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Austin. Officials connected that blast to four other bombings since early March, which killed two people and injured several more. There were no serious injuries in the incident that saw a package at a FedEx sorting facility detonate. "It was mailed from Austin, it was to an Austin resident and it blew up on the conveyor belt," state attorney general Ken Paxton told KXAN television. US Congressman Michael McCaul, the head of the House Homeland Security Committee who said he had spoken to law enforcement, added: "All these devices are very similar." Law enforcement confirmed they had found another package connected to the bombings at a separate FedEx facility near the Austin airport. That package was discovered early in the day. FedEx said it "secured and turned over to law enforcement" the second package, sent by "the individual responsible" for the blasts. The company said in a statement that it had also provided "extensive evidence related to these packages and the individual that shipped them collected from our advanced technology security systems." The finding could be significant to investigators looking for evidence in their efforts to identify the perpetrator or a motive. As the series of bombings held Austin on edge for another week, the White House weighed in for the first time since the crime wave began. "The bombings in Austin are terrible. Local, state and federal law enforcement working hand in hand to get to the bottom of it," Trump said. "This is obviously a very, very sick individual or maybe individuals. These are sick people, and we will get to the bottom of it." 'Absolutely no clue' Despite hundreds of police officers and federal agents working the case, authorities appeared to have few leads. "We have no clue who this is, absolutely no clue," Texas Congressman Brian Babin told the Fox Business Network. "I'm sure the FBI and the law enforcement agencies that are looking into this have some tips, some clues, but I haven't heard anything about it." Senator Ted Cruz said he had spoken to Austin's mayor and police chief about the "coordinated attacks," saying no effort should be spared to catch the bomber and "put him behind bars before anyone else's life is at risk." "It's truly horrific what is happening in Austin," Cruz told reporters in Washington. Austin's police chief Brian Manley said the bombings seemed to be evolving. The first three explosive devices were concealed in packages left at residents' doorsteps. A fourth was detonated with a tripwire, which Manley said suggested a perpetrator who "shows a higher level of sophistication, a higher level of skill" than initially believed. "And with what just occurred in Schertz, Texas, we've now brought in a new element that that device was actually going through one of the carrier services, instead of being hand-delivered," Manley told an Austin city council hearing. More than 1,200 calls have come in from residents since police urged them to report suspicious activities and items, Austin police said. "I will reach out to the suspect or suspects and ask that you contact us... communicate with us so that we can put this to an end," Manley said. Authorities increased the reward offered for information leading to an arrest, bringing the total bounty to $115,000.

Trump slams 'sick people' for Texas bombings after fifth blast

Cambridge Analytica has&nbsp;become the media&#39;s centre of attention in the United States and Britain and on Wednesday it became infamous in India as well.

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cambridge-analytica-facebook-row-indian-website-ovleno-currently-unavailable-36635"> Indian website &#39;Ovleno&#39; currently unavailable in Cambridge Analytica-Facebook </a>

The firm is now facing a government search of its London office, questions from US state authorities, and a demand by Facebook that it submit to a forensic audit.

Here is some of what is known about the company.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-mays-party-was-approached-by-cambridge-analytica-but-no-work-undertaken-spokesman-36644">Also read: UK PM May&#39;s party was approached by Cambridge Analytica, but no work undertaken says </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-mays-party-was-approached-by-cambridge-analytica-but-no-work-undertaken-spokesman-36644">Spokesman</a>

What is Cambridge Analytica and what do they do?

A branch of SCL group, Cambridge Analytica works on everything from security research to counter-narcotics to political campaigns.

According to the New York Times report, Cambridge Analytics -- created around 2013 -- was initially focused on US elections with $15 million in backing, from billionaire Republican donor Robert Mercer and a name chosen by future Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon.

The news report further states that the company assisted Republican Senator Ted Cruz&#39;s presidential campaign before they assisted in Trump&#39;s 2016 campaign.

Cambridge Analytica markets itself as providing consumer research, targeted advertising and other data-related services to both political and corporate clients.

Though the company&#39;s corporate clients have not listed&nbsp;on their site there two sections - CA commercial and political.

Under the CA political portfolio section names like Donald Trump campaign, Ted Cruz, Thom Tillis, Ben Carson etc were mentioned.

Britain&#39;s Channel 4 News reported on Monday, based on a secretly recorded video, that Cambridge Analytica secretly stage-managed Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta&#39;s campaigns in the hotly contested 2013 and 2017 elections.&nbsp;

However, the reports were denied by the Cambridge Analytica.

The company&#39;s website lists five office locations in New York, Washington, London, Brazil and Malaysia.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/untitled%20design%20(8)-20180321040941.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Screengrab of the website of Cambridge Analytica. (Zee News Network)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

When did it first get attention?

The Company first got recognition after Trump won the 2016 presidential elections with the firm&#39;s help&nbsp;after the Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix reportedly went on to more clients to pitch his services.&nbsp;

The company boasted it could develop &quot;psychological profiles&quot;&nbsp;of consumers and voters which was a &quot;secret sauce&quot; it used to sway them more effectively than traditional advertising could.

Brad Parscale, who ran Trump&#39;s digital operations in 2016 though has refused to use Cambridge Analytica&#39;s data instead they relied on voter data from a Republican National Committee operation. 

What is it accused of?

The company is accused of illegally &quot;mining data&quot;&nbsp;of 50 million Facebook users that deceives both users and Facebook.

According to reports the data was harvested through an application developed by British academic Aleksandr Kogan.

According to a report by Reuters, some 270,000 people downloaded the application and logged in with their Facebook credentials, after which the application gathered their data and data about their friends&nbsp;which passed on to Cambridge Analytica by Kogan.

However, in a statement by Cambridge Analytica said that it did not initially know about Kogan violating Facebook&#39;s terms and they deleted the data once they found out in 2015.

But newspapers have reported that data has not been deleted. Cambridge Analytica has denied the allegations.

Reuters report quoted Facebook saying that it is investigating to verify the accuracy of the claim.

What happens next?

According to the Reuters report, Facebook has hired forensic auditors from the firms Stroz Friedberg for the audit and it is also pressurising Cambridge Analytica for further answers.

Facebook has further&nbsp;said that while they investigate&nbsp;it has suspended Cambridge Analytica, its parent SCL, Kogan and another man, Christopher Wylie, formerly of Cambridge Analytica, from its platform for violating Facebook rules.

Government authorities of USA and UK are also investigating the matter.

According to Reuters, the UK Information Commissioner&#39;s Office is pursuing a warrant to search Cambridge Analytica&#39;s office and asked Facebook&#39;s auditors to stand down in the meantime.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Cambridge Analytica is now facing a government search of its London office, questions from US state authorities, and a demand by Facebook that it submit to a forensic audit

Cambridge Analytica has become the media's centre of attention in the United States and Britain and on Wednesday it became infamous in India as well. Also read: Indian website 'Ovleno' currently unavailable in Cambridge Analytica-Facebook The firm is now facing a government search of its London office, questions from US state authorities, and a demand by Facebook that it submit to a forensic audit. Here is some of what is known about the company. Also read: UK PM May's party was approached by Cambridge Analytica, but no work undertaken says Spokesman What is Cambridge Analytica and what do they do? A branch of SCL group, Cambridge Analytica works on everything from security research to counter-narcotics to political campaigns. According to the New York Times report, Cambridge Analytics -- created around 2013 -- was initially focused on US elections with $15 million in backing, from billionaire Republican donor Robert Mercer and a name chosen by future Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon. The news report further states that the company assisted Republican Senator Ted Cruz's presidential campaign before they assisted in Trump's 2016 campaign. Cambridge Analytica markets itself as providing consumer research, targeted advertising and other data-related services to both political and corporate clients. Though the company's corporate clients have not listed on their site there two sections - CA commercial and political. Under the CA political portfolio section names like Donald Trump campaign, Ted Cruz, Thom Tillis, Ben Carson etc were mentioned. Britain's Channel 4 News reported on Monday, based on a secretly recorded video, that Cambridge Analytica secretly stage-managed Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta's campaigns in the hotly contested 2013 and 2017 elections. However, the reports were denied by the Cambridge Analytica. The company's website lists five office locations in New York, Washington, London, Brazil and Malaysia. Screengrab of the website of Cambridge Analytica. (Zee News Network) × When did it first get attention? The Company first got recognition after Trump won the 2016 presidential elections with the firm's help after the Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix reportedly went on to more clients to pitch his services. The company boasted it could develop "psychological profiles" of consumers and voters which was a "secret sauce" it used to sway them more effectively than traditional advertising could. Brad Parscale, who ran Trump's digital operations in 2016 though has refused to use Cambridge Analytica's data instead they relied on voter data from a Republican National Committee operation. What is it accused of? The company is accused of illegally "mining data" of 50 million Facebook users that deceives both users and Facebook. According to reports the data was harvested through an application developed by British academic Aleksandr Kogan. According to a report by Reuters, some 270,000 people downloaded the application and logged in with their Facebook credentials, after which the application gathered their data and data about their friends which passed on to Cambridge Analytica by Kogan. However, in a statement by Cambridge Analytica said that it did not initially know about Kogan violating Facebook's terms and they deleted the data once they found out in 2015. But newspapers have reported that data has not been deleted. Cambridge Analytica has denied the allegations. Reuters report quoted Facebook saying that it is investigating to verify the accuracy of the claim. What happens next? According to the Reuters report, Facebook has hired forensic auditors from the firms Stroz Friedberg for the audit and it is also pressurising Cambridge Analytica for further answers. Facebook has further said that while they investigate it has suspended Cambridge Analytica, its parent SCL, Kogan and another man, Christopher Wylie, formerly of Cambridge Analytica, from its platform for violating Facebook rules. Government authorities of USA and UK are also investigating the matter. According to Reuters, the UK Information Commissioner's Office is pursuing a warrant to search Cambridge Analytica's office and asked Facebook's auditors to stand down in the meantime. (With inputs from Reuters)

Everything you want to know about Cambridge Analytica

US President Donald Trump congratulated Vladimir Putin Tuesday on his re-election, as the leaders raised the prospect of a summit in the near future -- while sidestepping both the issue of election meddling and a spy attack that has rocked Moscow`s relations with the West.

Trump told reporters at the White House he had spoken with Putin, two days after the Russian strongman sailed to a fourth term as president, and with ties strained by the Cold War-style intrigue over the poisoning of an ex-spy in Britain.

&quot;I had a call with President Putin and congratulated him on his electoral victory,&quot; the US leader said.

&quot;The call had to do also with the fact that we will probably get together in the not-too-distant future,&quot; he added.

According to a Kremlin statement, the two leaders also stressed the importance of joint efforts to limit an arms race and boost economic cooperation.

&quot;On the whole, the conversation was constructive and business-like,&quot; the Kremlin said, adding that its goal was to help the two countries &quot;overcome the problems that had accumulated in the Russian-US relations&quot;.

Russia is under pressure from London and its allies to explain how its former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned on British soil, with a nerve agent the UK says is Soviet-designed.

Moscow has denied being involved.

Although the nerve attack has topped global headlines for weeks, it did not come up during the leaders` conversation, according to both the Kremlin and White House.

&quot;I don`t believe that was discussed in today`s call,&quot; White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

Neither did they address Washington`s imposition last week of a new round of sanctions against Moscow designed to punish Russians responsible for attempts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential elections.

Nor did they discuss the questions that have been raised over the weekend poll in Russia.

&quot;The focus was to talk about areas of shared interests,&quot; Sanders said.Those shared interests, according to the Kremlin, included the crises in Ukraine and Syria, and ways of &quot;developing practical cooperation&quot; in various spheres including the fight against terrorism.

Pyongyang`s nuclear program was on the agenda as Trump pushes forward with plans for a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

&quot;Satisfaction has been expressed with a certain decrease in tensions around the Korean peninsula,&quot; the Kremlin added.

The leaders also paid &quot;special attention&quot; to &quot;working out the issue of holding a possible meeting at the highest level.&quot;

In the aftermath of an election that appears to have had significant flaws, a prominent American critic of Putin -- and of Trump himself -- offered a stinging denunciation of the US commander in chief`s call.

&quot;An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections,&quot; said US Senator John McCain, who is home in Arizona battling cancer.

&quot;And by doing so with Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election to determine their country`s future.&quot;

The White House had earlier indicated that no call with Putin was planned, as the Russian leader played down talk of a rift.

On Sunday, Putin secured a landslide victory in a presidential election that saw him return to the Kremlin with a record vote share of 76.66 percent.

The Kremlin on Tuesday released a list of those who had sent congratulatory messages -- including the leaders of Greece, Germany, Iran, the Czech Republic, Finland, Syria and North Korea.

Western leaders were slow to congratulate Putin as monitors reported ballot stuffing and other alleged cases of fraud, though fewer irregularities were reported than in previous years.

Putin said Monday he would address disputes with the West but stressed that international relations were a two-way street.

&quot;From our side, we will do all we can so that the disputes with our partners be resolved by political and diplomatic means,&quot; he said.

&quot;It goes without saying that not everything depends on us -- as with love, both sides have to be involved, otherwise there can be no love at all.&quot;

According to a Kremlin statement, the two leaders also stressed the importance of joint efforts to limit an arms race and boost economic cooperation

US President Donald Trump congratulated Vladimir Putin Tuesday on his re-election, as the leaders raised the prospect of a summit in the near future -- while sidestepping both the issue of election meddling and a spy attack that has rocked Moscow`s relations with the West. Trump told reporters at the White House he had spoken with Putin, two days after the Russian strongman sailed to a fourth term as president, and with ties strained by the Cold War-style intrigue over the poisoning of an ex-spy in Britain. "I had a call with President Putin and congratulated him on his electoral victory," the US leader said. "The call had to do also with the fact that we will probably get together in the not-too-distant future," he added. According to a Kremlin statement, the two leaders also stressed the importance of joint efforts to limit an arms race and boost economic cooperation. "On the whole, the conversation was constructive and business-like," the Kremlin said, adding that its goal was to help the two countries "overcome the problems that had accumulated in the Russian-US relations". Russia is under pressure from London and its allies to explain how its former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned on British soil, with a nerve agent the UK says is Soviet-designed. Moscow has denied being involved. Although the nerve attack has topped global headlines for weeks, it did not come up during the leaders` conversation, according to both the Kremlin and White House. "I don`t believe that was discussed in today`s call," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. Neither did they address Washington`s imposition last week of a new round of sanctions against Moscow designed to punish Russians responsible for attempts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential elections. Nor did they discuss the questions that have been raised over the weekend poll in Russia. "The focus was to talk about areas of shared interests," Sanders said.Those shared interests, according to the Kremlin, included the crises in Ukraine and Syria, and ways of "developing practical cooperation" in various spheres including the fight against terrorism. Pyongyang`s nuclear program was on the agenda as Trump pushes forward with plans for a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "Satisfaction has been expressed with a certain decrease in tensions around the Korean peninsula," the Kremlin added. The leaders also paid "special attention" to "working out the issue of holding a possible meeting at the highest level." In the aftermath of an election that appears to have had significant flaws, a prominent American critic of Putin -- and of Trump himself -- offered a stinging denunciation of the US commander in chief`s call. "An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections," said US Senator John McCain, who is home in Arizona battling cancer. "And by doing so with Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election to determine their country`s future." The White House had earlier indicated that no call with Putin was planned, as the Russian leader played down talk of a rift. On Sunday, Putin secured a landslide victory in a presidential election that saw him return to the Kremlin with a record vote share of 76.66 percent. The Kremlin on Tuesday released a list of those who had sent congratulatory messages -- including the leaders of Greece, Germany, Iran, the Czech Republic, Finland, Syria and North Korea. Western leaders were slow to congratulate Putin as monitors reported ballot stuffing and other alleged cases of fraud, though fewer irregularities were reported than in previous years. Putin said Monday he would address disputes with the West but stressed that international relations were a two-way street. "From our side, we will do all we can so that the disputes with our partners be resolved by political and diplomatic means," he said. "It goes without saying that not everything depends on us -- as with love, both sides have to be involved, otherwise there can be no love at all."

US President Donald Trump  congratulates Vladimir Putin on election, summit on cards

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/cambridge-analytica-ceo-claims-influence-on-us-election-facebook-questioned-36557" target="_blank">Suspended Cambridge Analytica CEO claims influence on US election, Facebook questioned</a>

The suspended chief executive of Cambridge Analytica said in a secretly recorded video broadcast on Tuesday that his UK-based political consultancy&rsquo;s online campaign played a decisive role in US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s 2016 election victory.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/team-rahul-gandhi-set-to-take-charge-of-congress-top-leaders-resign-36565" target="_blank">Top leaders resign as Team Rahul gets set to take charge of Congress</a>

Resignations in the Congress have begun ahead of party President Rahul Gandhi&#39;s announcement of his new team.&nbsp;

Actor-politician Raj Babbar has quit as chief of the party&#39;s UP unit.&nbsp;

News reports added that Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki is also believed to have tendered his resignation to the party&#39;s central leadership. The reports added that a number of further resignations are expected.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/former-playboy-model-karen-mcdougal-sues-to-break-silence-on-alleged-trump-affair-36563" target="_blank">Now, ex-Playboy model wants to talk about </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/former-playboy-model-karen-mcdougal-sues-to-break-silence-on-alleged-trump-affair-36563" target="_blank">affair</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/former-playboy-model-karen-mcdougal-sues-to-break-silence-on-alleged-trump-affair-36563" target="_blank"> with Trump</a>

A former Playboy model who said she had an affair with President Donald Trump filed suit in California on Tuesday to release her from a legal agreement requiring her to stay silent, becoming the second woman this month to contest an arrangement to keep quiet about an alleged extramarital relationship with Trump.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-renews-pervez-musharrafs-passport-fearing-he-may-not-return-36558" target="_blank">Pakistan renews Pervez Musharraf&#39;s passport fearing he may not return</a>

Pakistan&#39;s former dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf&#39;s diplomatic passport was renewed two months before its expiry as the government feared that he might not return to face the high treason case, the country&#39;s Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nobody-is-better-than-me-on-pitch-cristiano-ronaldo-36564" target="_blank">Nobody better than me on the pitch: Cristiano Ronaldo</a>

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed the secret of his success ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

In a recent media interaction, he said, &quot;We should always believe we are the best.&quot;

&quot;You need to think big. I always believe that nobody is better than me, out on the pitch at least,&quot; he said.

Suspended Cambridge Analytica CEO claims influence on US election, Facebook questioned The suspended chief executive of Cambridge Analytica said in a secretly recorded video broadcast on Tuesday that his UK-based political consultancy’s online campaign played a decisive role in US President Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory. Top leaders resign as Team Rahul gets set to take charge of Congress Resignations in the Congress have begun ahead of party President Rahul Gandhi's announcement of his new team. Actor-politician Raj Babbar has quit as chief of the party's UP unit. News reports added that Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki is also believed to have tendered his resignation to the party's central leadership. The reports added that a number of further resignations are expected. Now, ex-Playboy model wants to talk about affair with Trump A former Playboy model who said she had an affair with President Donald Trump filed suit in California on Tuesday to release her from a legal agreement requiring her to stay silent, becoming the second woman this month to contest an arrangement to keep quiet about an alleged extramarital relationship with Trump. Pakistan renews Pervez Musharraf's passport fearing he may not return Pakistan's former dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf's diplomatic passport was renewed two months before its expiry as the government feared that he might not return to face the high treason case, the country's Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said. Nobody better than me on the pitch: Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed the secret of his success ahead of the FIFA World Cup. In a recent media interaction, he said, "We should always believe we are the best." "You need to think big. I always believe that nobody is better than me, out on the pitch at least," he said.

WION Morning News Brief, March 21, 2018

US President Donald Trump today criticised Iran&#39;s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the country&#39;s leadership while greeting Iranians celebrating the New Year&#39;s holiday known as Nowruz.

Trump, who has threatened to pull Washington out of a multilateral deal with Tehran to curb its nuclear programme, said Iranians today are grappling with &quot;rulers who serve themselves instead of serving the people.&quot;

&quot;I wish a beautiful and blessed Nowruz to the millions of people around the world who are celebrating the arrival of spring. The history of Nowruz is rooted in Iran, where for millennia a proud nation has overcome great challenges by the strength of its culture and the resilience of its people,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;Today, the Iranian people face another challenge: rulers who serve themselves instead of serving the people,&quot; he said in his annual message on Nowruz, which is being celebrated today.

Twenty-five centuries ago, he said, Darius the Great asked God to protect Iran from three dangers: hostile armies, drought, and falsehood.

&quot;Today, the Iranian regime&#39;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) represents all three,&quot; he alleged. 
First, the IRGC is not Iranian in name or deed. It is a hostile army that brutalises and steals from the Iranian people to fund terrorism abroad. Since 2012, the IRGC has spent more than USD16 billion of Iran&#39;s wealth to prop up the Assad regime and support militants and terrorists in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, he said.

&quot;Meanwhile, the average Iranian family is 15 per cent poorer today than it was 10 years ago, and nearly 30 per cent of Iran&#39;s youth are unemployed. Ordinary Iranians struggle economically and find it difficult to celebrate holidays like Nowruz,&quot; Trump said.

Second, the IRGC&#39;s corruption and mismanagement have exacerbated the effects of an on-going drought and created an ecological crisis. Unregulated dam construction by its companies like Khatam al-Anbia has dried rivers and lakes and helped create unprecedented dust storms that threaten Iranians&#39; jobs and lives, he said.

Third, deceit has become official state policy, Trump alleged. The IRGC employs propaganda and censorship to hide the fact that the Iranian regime plunders Iran&#39;s wealth and abuses its people. To hide the truth, Iran&#39;s rulers suppress their own citizens&#39; rights to free assembly, access to information, and equal opportunity, he said.

&quot;Despite the oppression they face, Iranians are fighting to reclaim their rights. They long for a springtime of hope, and the United States stands with the Iranian people in their aspirations to connect to the wider world and have a responsible and accountable government that truly serves their nation&#39;s interests,&quot; he said.

For this reason, the Department of Treasury yesterday issued guidance reaffirming America&#39;s support for the free flow of information to the citizens of Iran.

&quot;We also pledge to continue holding the IRGC and the Iranian regime accountable for conducting cyber-attacks abroad and for suppressing Iranian citizens who are protesting the oppression of their government at home,&quot; he said.

&quot;On behalf of the American people, may light prevail over darkness in this New Year, and may the Iranian people soon enjoy a new day of peace, prosperity, and joy,&quot; Trump said.

In a separate statement, the Deputy Secretary of State Jack Sullivan offered his best wishes to all of the communities here in the United States, as well as in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and around the globe as they gather around the Haftsin, cooking, feasting, dancing, singing, and spending time with family and friends.

Nowruz, which means &quot;new day&quot; in Persian, has its origins in the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism and is also celebrated in Afghanistan, Turkey, India and other countries.

In January, Trump delivered an ultimatum to the European signatories of the 2015 nuclear accord, which aimed to curb Iran&#39;s nuclear programme in return for lifting various trade and economic sanctions.

Twenty-five centuries ago, he said, Darius the Great asked God to protect Iran from three dangers: hostile armies, drought, and falsehood.

US President Donald Trump today criticised Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the country's leadership while greeting Iranians celebrating the New Year's holiday known as Nowruz. Trump, who has threatened to pull Washington out of a multilateral deal with Tehran to curb its nuclear programme, said Iranians today are grappling with "rulers who serve themselves instead of serving the people." "I wish a beautiful and blessed Nowruz to the millions of people around the world who are celebrating the arrival of spring. The history of Nowruz is rooted in Iran, where for millennia a proud nation has overcome great challenges by the strength of its culture and the resilience of its people," Trump said. "Today, the Iranian people face another challenge: rulers who serve themselves instead of serving the people," he said in his annual message on Nowruz, which is being celebrated today. Twenty-five centuries ago, he said, Darius the Great asked God to protect Iran from three dangers: hostile armies, drought, and falsehood. "Today, the Iranian regime's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) represents all three," he alleged. First, the IRGC is not Iranian in name or deed. It is a hostile army that brutalises and steals from the Iranian people to fund terrorism abroad. Since 2012, the IRGC has spent more than USD16 billion of Iran's wealth to prop up the Assad regime and support militants and terrorists in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, he said. "Meanwhile, the average Iranian family is 15 per cent poorer today than it was 10 years ago, and nearly 30 per cent of Iran's youth are unemployed. Ordinary Iranians struggle economically and find it difficult to celebrate holidays like Nowruz," Trump said. Second, the IRGC's corruption and mismanagement have exacerbated the effects of an on-going drought and created an ecological crisis. Unregulated dam construction by its companies like Khatam al-Anbia has dried rivers and lakes and helped create unprecedented dust storms that threaten Iranians' jobs and lives, he said. Third, deceit has become official state policy, Trump alleged. The IRGC employs propaganda and censorship to hide the fact that the Iranian regime plunders Iran's wealth and abuses its people. To hide the truth, Iran's rulers suppress their own citizens' rights to free assembly, access to information, and equal opportunity, he said. "Despite the oppression they face, Iranians are fighting to reclaim their rights. They long for a springtime of hope, and the United States stands with the Iranian people in their aspirations to connect to the wider world and have a responsible and accountable government that truly serves their nation's interests," he said. For this reason, the Department of Treasury yesterday issued guidance reaffirming America's support for the free flow of information to the citizens of Iran. "We also pledge to continue holding the IRGC and the Iranian regime accountable for conducting cyber-attacks abroad and for suppressing Iranian citizens who are protesting the oppression of their government at home," he said. "On behalf of the American people, may light prevail over darkness in this New Year, and may the Iranian people soon enjoy a new day of peace, prosperity, and joy," Trump said. In a separate statement, the Deputy Secretary of State Jack Sullivan offered his best wishes to all of the communities here in the United States, as well as in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and around the globe as they gather around the Haftsin, cooking, feasting, dancing, singing, and spending time with family and friends. Nowruz, which means "new day" in Persian, has its origins in the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism and is also celebrated in Afghanistan, Turkey, India and other countries. In January, Trump delivered an ultimatum to the European signatories of the 2015 nuclear accord, which aimed to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for lifting various trade and economic sanctions.

Donald Trump slams government of Iran in Nowruz message to Iranians

US&nbsp;House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday (March 20) said he has been assured that fellow Republican President Donald Trump is not considering firing U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

&quot;The special counsel should be free to follow through his investigation to completion without interference, absolutely,&quot; Ryan said at a news conference. &quot;I am confident that he&#39;ll be able to do that. I&#39;ve received assurances that his firing is not even under consideration.&quot;

Ryan, who has supported the special counsel probe of Russian election meddling, did not elaborate on the assurances.&nbsp;&nbsp;

He did not answer if legislation to protect Mueller was something he would support.

Ryan&#39;s statement comes as Republicans face criticism for not taking a hard stance against the possibility that President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/donald-trump/">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;could fire the special counsel. The speaker&#39;s remarks largely line up with other GOP lawmakers&#39; statements on Mueller.

Ryan, who has supported the special counsel probe of Russian election meddling, did not elaborate on the assurances

US House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday (March 20) said he has been assured that fellow Republican President Donald Trump is not considering firing U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller. "The special counsel should be free to follow through his investigation to completion without interference, absolutely," Ryan said at a news conference. "I am confident that he'll be able to do that. I've received assurances that his firing is not even under consideration." Ryan, who has supported the special counsel probe of Russian election meddling, did not elaborate on the assurances. He did not answer if legislation to protect Mueller was something he would support. Ryan's statement comes as Republicans face criticism for not taking a hard stance against the possibility that President Donald Trump could fire the special counsel. The speaker's remarks largely line up with other GOP lawmakers' statements on Mueller.

US House Speaker Ryan says assured Trump won't fire Mueller

The EU said reports that a firm hired by the Trump election campaign harvested the Facebook data of millions of users is &quot;horrifying&quot; and Europe must do everything to protect its own citizens.

EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said she would seek clarification from Facebook about the reports by the New York Times and The Observer when she visits the United States this week.

Cambridge Analytica, the data analysis firm hired by Donald Trump&#39;s 2016 presidential campaign, stole information from 50 million Facebook users&#39; profiles to help design software to predict and influence voters&#39; choices, according to the news reports.

&quot;Horrifying, if confirmed,&quot; Jourova, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, tweeted before travelling to the United States on Monday.

Her shock was over how the personal data of 50 million Facebook users &quot;could be so easily mishandled and used for political purpose!,&quot; Jourova said.

&quot;We don&#39;t want this in the EU and will take all possible legal measures including the stricter data protection rules and stronger enforcement granted by #GDPR,&quot; she said.

The European Union&#39;s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force on May 25 in a bid to protect users&#39; online privacy.

&quot;I expect the companies to take more responsibility when handling our personal data,&quot; she said.

Jourova said during her US visit she will seek &quot;further clarifications&quot; from Facebook on the problem.

During her nearly four years as commissioner, Jourova has held frequent talks with Facebook and other US tech giants in a bid to bolster Europeans personal data protections and rid the internet of hate speech.

Facebook said at the weekend it has suspended the account of Cambridge Analytica and the accounts of its parent organisation, Strategic Communication

Laboratories, as well as those of University of Cambridge psychologist Aleksandr Kogan and Christopher Wylie, a Canadian data analytics expert who worked with Kogan.

Cambridge Analytica was bankrolled to the tune of $15 million by US hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, a major Republican donor.

The Observer, based in Britain, said it was headed at the time by Steve Bannon, a top Trump adviser until he was fired last summer.

Facebook later pushed back against the claim of a data breach, issuing a fresh statement on Saturday that suggested the misused data was limited to those who voluntarily took the test.

Cambridge Analytica said it was in touch with Facebook to resolve the issue.&nbsp;

Cambridge Analytica said it was in touch with Facebook to resolve the issue

The EU said reports that a firm hired by the Trump election campaign harvested the Facebook data of millions of users is "horrifying" and Europe must do everything to protect its own citizens. EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said she would seek clarification from Facebook about the reports by the New York Times and The Observer when she visits the United States this week. Cambridge Analytica, the data analysis firm hired by Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, stole information from 50 million Facebook users' profiles to help design software to predict and influence voters' choices, according to the news reports. "Horrifying, if confirmed," Jourova, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, tweeted before travelling to the United States on Monday. Her shock was over how the personal data of 50 million Facebook users "could be so easily mishandled and used for political purpose!," Jourova said. "We don't want this in the EU and will take all possible legal measures including the stricter data protection rules and stronger enforcement granted by #GDPR," she said. The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force on May 25 in a bid to protect users' online privacy. "I expect the companies to take more responsibility when handling our personal data," she said. Jourova said during her US visit she will seek "further clarifications" from Facebook on the problem. During her nearly four years as commissioner, Jourova has held frequent talks with Facebook and other US tech giants in a bid to bolster Europeans personal data protections and rid the internet of hate speech. Facebook said at the weekend it has suspended the account of Cambridge Analytica and the accounts of its parent organisation, Strategic Communication Laboratories, as well as those of University of Cambridge psychologist Aleksandr Kogan and Christopher Wylie, a Canadian data analytics expert who worked with Kogan. Cambridge Analytica was bankrolled to the tune of $15 million by US hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, a major Republican donor. The Observer, based in Britain, said it was headed at the time by Steve Bannon, a top Trump adviser until he was fired last summer. Facebook later pushed back against the claim of a data breach, issuing a fresh statement on Saturday that suggested the misused data was limited to those who voluntarily took the test. Cambridge Analytica said it was in touch with Facebook to resolve the issue.

Trump campaign firm harvested Facebook data 'horrifying': EU

Facebook says it has suspended the account of Cambridge Analytica, the data analysis firm hired by Donald Trump&#39;s 2016 presidential campaign, amid reports it harvested the profile information of millions of US voters without their permission.

According to the New York Times and Britain&#39;s Observer, the company stole information from 50 million Facebook users&#39; profiles in the tech giant&#39;s biggest-ever data breach, to help them design software to predict and influence voters&#39; choices at the ballot box.

Also suspended were the accounts of its parent organization, Strategic Communication Laboratories, as well as those of University of Cambridge psychologist Aleksandr Kogan and Christopher Wylie, a Canadian data analytics expert who worked with Kogan.

Cambridge Analytica was bankrolled to the tune of $15 million by US hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, a major Republican donor. The Observer said it was headed at the time by Steve Bannon, a top Trump adviser until he was fired last summer.

&quot;In 2015, we learned that ... Kogan lied to us and violated our Platform Policies by passing data from an app that was using Facebook Login to SCL/Cambridge Analytica, a firm that does political, government and military work around the globe,&quot; Facebook said in a posting late Friday by its vice president and deputy general counsel Paul Grewal.

Kogan also improperly shared the data with Wylie, it said.&nbsp;

Kogan&#39;s app, thisisyourdigitallife, offered a personality prediction test, describing itself on Facebook as &quot;a research app used by psychologists.&quot;

Some 270,000 people downloaded the app, allowing Kogan to access information such as the city listed on their profile, or content they had &quot;liked.&quot;

&quot;However, the app also collected the information of the test-takers&#39; Facebook friends, leading to the accumulation of a data pool tens of millions-strong,&quot; the Observer reported. 
Facebook later pushed back against the claim of a data breach, issuing a fresh statement on Saturday that suggested the misused data was limited to those who voluntarily took the test.&nbsp;

&quot;People knowingly provided their information, no systems were infiltrated, and no passwords or sensitive pieces of information were stolen or hacked,&quot; Grewal said.

Cambridge Analytica meanwhile said it was in touch with Facebook &quot;in order to resolve this matter as quickly as possible .&quot;

It blamed the misuse of data on Kogan and said it has since deleted all the data it received from a company he founded, Global Science Research (GSR).&nbsp;

&quot;No data from GSR was used by Cambridge Analytica as part of the services it provided to the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign,&quot; it said.

&#39;Targeting their inner demons&#39; 
But Wylie, who later became a whistleblower, told the Observer: &quot;We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people&#39;s profiles. And built models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons. That was the basis that the entire company was built on.&quot;

Kogan legitimately obtained the information but &quot;violated platform policies&quot; by passing information to SCL/Cambridge Analytica and Wylie, according to Facebook.

Facebook said it removed the app in 2015 when it learned of the violation, and was told by Kogan and everyone who received the data that it had since been destroyed.

&quot;Several days ago, we received reports that, contrary to the certifications we were given, not all data was deleted,&quot; Grewal wrote.

&quot;We are moving aggressively to determine the accuracy of these claims. If true, this is another unacceptable violation of trust and the commitments they made.

&quot;We are suspending SCL/Cambridge Analytica, Wylie and Kogan from Facebook, pending further information.&quot;

British investigation

Cambridge Analytica, the US unit of British behavioral marketing firm SCL, rose to prominence as the firm that the pro-Brexit group Leave.EU hired for data-gathering and audience-targeting.

The company is facing an investigation by Britain&#39;s parliament and regulators over its handling of information.&nbsp;

On Saturday, Britain&#39;s information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said: &quot;We are investigating the circumstances in which Facebook data may have been illegally acquired and used.

&quot;It&#39;s part of our ongoing investigation into the use of data analytics for political purposes which was launched to consider how political parties and campaigns, data analytics companies and social media platforms in the UK are using and analyzing people&#39;s personal information to micro-target voters.&quot;

The New York Times meanwhile reported that copies of the data harvested for Cambridge Analytica were still online and that its team had viewed some of the raw data.

The company reportedly stole information from 50 million Facebook users' profiles to help it design software to predict and influence voters' choices at the ballot box

Facebook says it has suspended the account of Cambridge Analytica, the data analysis firm hired by Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, amid reports it harvested the profile information of millions of US voters without their permission. According to the New York Times and Britain's Observer, the company stole information from 50 million Facebook users' profiles in the tech giant's biggest-ever data breach, to help them design software to predict and influence voters' choices at the ballot box. Also suspended were the accounts of its parent organization, Strategic Communication Laboratories, as well as those of University of Cambridge psychologist Aleksandr Kogan and Christopher Wylie, a Canadian data analytics expert who worked with Kogan. Cambridge Analytica was bankrolled to the tune of $15 million by US hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, a major Republican donor. The Observer said it was headed at the time by Steve Bannon, a top Trump adviser until he was fired last summer. "In 2015, we learned that ... Kogan lied to us and violated our Platform Policies by passing data from an app that was using Facebook Login to SCL/Cambridge Analytica, a firm that does political, government and military work around the globe," Facebook said in a posting late Friday by its vice president and deputy general counsel Paul Grewal. Kogan also improperly shared the data with Wylie, it said. Kogan's app, thisisyourdigitallife, offered a personality prediction test, describing itself on Facebook as "a research app used by psychologists." Some 270,000 people downloaded the app, allowing Kogan to access information such as the city listed on their profile, or content they had "liked." "However, the app also collected the information of the test-takers' Facebook friends, leading to the accumulation of a data pool tens of millions-strong," the Observer reported. Facebook later pushed back against the claim of a data breach, issuing a fresh statement on Saturday that suggested the misused data was limited to those who voluntarily took the test. "People knowingly provided their information, no systems were infiltrated, and no passwords or sensitive pieces of information were stolen or hacked," Grewal said. Cambridge Analytica meanwhile said it was in touch with Facebook "in order to resolve this matter as quickly as possible ." It blamed the misuse of data on Kogan and said it has since deleted all the data it received from a company he founded, Global Science Research (GSR). "No data from GSR was used by Cambridge Analytica as part of the services it provided to the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign," it said. 'Targeting their inner demons' But Wylie, who later became a whistleblower, told the Observer: "We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people's profiles. And built models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons. That was the basis that the entire company was built on." Kogan legitimately obtained the information but "violated platform policies" by passing information to SCL/Cambridge Analytica and Wylie, according to Facebook. Facebook said it removed the app in 2015 when it learned of the violation, and was told by Kogan and everyone who received the data that it had since been destroyed. "Several days ago, we received reports that, contrary to the certifications we were given, not all data was deleted," Grewal wrote. "We are moving aggressively to determine the accuracy of these claims. If true, this is another unacceptable violation of trust and the commitments they made. "We are suspending SCL/Cambridge Analytica, Wylie and Kogan from Facebook, pending further information." British investigation Cambridge Analytica, the US unit of British behavioral marketing firm SCL, rose to prominence as the firm that the pro-Brexit group Leave.EU hired for data-gathering and audience-targeting. The company is facing an investigation by Britain's parliament and regulators over its handling of information. On Saturday, Britain's information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said: "We are investigating the circumstances in which Facebook data may have been illegally acquired and used. "It's part of our ongoing investigation into the use of data analytics for political purposes which was launched to consider how political parties and campaigns, data analytics companies and social media platforms in the UK are using and analyzing people's personal information to micro-target voters." The New York Times meanwhile reported that copies of the data harvested for Cambridge Analytica were still online and that its team had viewed some of the raw data.

Facebook suspends Trump campaign data firm Cambridge Analytica

North Korea is in talks with the US and Sweden to release three Americans held in the North, reports said, as diplomatic activities gathered pace ahead of Pyongyang&#39;s planned summits with Washington and Seoul.

The release of the three Korean-Americans -- all held in the North after being separately charged with unspecified &quot;hostile acts&quot; against the regime -- is under discussion through multiple channels almost two weeks after President Donald Trump agreed to meet the North&#39;s Kim Jong Un, reports said.

While Pyongyang has yet to confirm it even made the summit offer -- relayed by Seoul envoys who had met Kim in Pyongyang -- the stunning announcement has triggered a race to set a credible agenda for what would be historic talks between the two leaders.

Seoul-based MBC TV station reported Sunday that Pyongyang and Washington had &quot;practically reached&quot; a final agreement on the release of Kim Hak-song, Kim Sang-duk and Kim Dong-chul.

&quot;They are hammering out details over the timing of the release,&quot; it quoted an unnamed South Korean diplomatic source as saying. 
The negotiation was held through the North&#39;s mission to the United Nations and the US State Department -- an unofficial avenue of communication dubbed the &quot;New York channel,&quot; the source said.

CNN said the prisoners&#39; release was also discussed at three-day talks in Stockholm between the North&#39;s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho and Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom that ended Saturday.

Sweden represents Washington&#39;s interests in talks with the North. It raised the issue of American detainees to &quot;move things in the right direction,&quot; CNN quoted one source as saying.

&quot;Any movement on the issue of these detainees would be a huge deal for the US,&quot; said the source.

Kim Dong-chul, a South Korea-born American pastor, has been detained by the North since 2015 when he was arrested for spying. He was sentenced to 10 years of hard labour in 2016.

Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang-duk -- or Tony Kim -- were both working at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, founded by evangelical Christians from overseas, when they were detained last year on suspicion of &quot;hostile acts.&quot; Reports on the detainees&#39; possible release come amid a flurry of diplomatic activities involving Pyongyang, Seoul, Washington and its allies.

During a visit to Pyongyang by Seoul&#39;s envoys earlier this month, Kim reportedly offered to meet Trump, with the US president subsequently agreeing to talks by May although no specific time or venue has been set.

Kim also agreed to hold a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next month -- the third ever between the two Koreas -- according to the envoys.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said in an interview aired Sunday that Kim was &quot;taking stock&quot; after Trump&#39;s surprise decision to accept the invitation, but that a channel of communication had been established.

The Stockholm talks overlapped with another meeting among the top national security advisors of the US, South Korea and Japan. 
US National Security Advisor HR McMaster, the South&#39;s Chung Eui-yong and Japan&#39;s Shotaro Yachi met in San Francisco over the weekend and vowed &quot;close policy coordination&quot; for the weeks ahead, Seoul&#39;s presidential office said.

They agreed that peace on the flashpoint Korean peninsula hinges on the success of the two planned summits, vowing &quot;not to repeat the failure of the past,&quot; it said in an apparent reference to previous botched nuclear disarmament negotiations with the North.

Also on Sunday, a senior North Korean diplomat arrived in Finland for talks on peninsula issues with former officials and academics from the US and South Korea.

The sudden rapprochement comes months after the North staged its most powerful nuclear test and test-fired missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.

Kim and Trump traded colourful threats of war and personal insults, which heightened global concerns of another conflict on the peninsula once brought to ruins by the 1950-53 Korean War.

During a visit to Pyongyang by Seoul's envoys earlier this month, Kim reportedly offered to meet Trump

North Korea is in talks with the US and Sweden to release three Americans held in the North, reports said, as diplomatic activities gathered pace ahead of Pyongyang's planned summits with Washington and Seoul. The release of the three Korean-Americans -- all held in the North after being separately charged with unspecified "hostile acts" against the regime -- is under discussion through multiple channels almost two weeks after President Donald Trump agreed to meet the North's Kim Jong Un, reports said. While Pyongyang has yet to confirm it even made the summit offer -- relayed by Seoul envoys who had met Kim in Pyongyang -- the stunning announcement has triggered a race to set a credible agenda for what would be historic talks between the two leaders. Seoul-based MBC TV station reported Sunday that Pyongyang and Washington had "practically reached" a final agreement on the release of Kim Hak-song, Kim Sang-duk and Kim Dong-chul. "They are hammering out details over the timing of the release," it quoted an unnamed South Korean diplomatic source as saying. The negotiation was held through the North's mission to the United Nations and the US State Department -- an unofficial avenue of communication dubbed the "New York channel," the source said. CNN said the prisoners' release was also discussed at three-day talks in Stockholm between the North's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho and Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom that ended Saturday. Sweden represents Washington's interests in talks with the North. It raised the issue of American detainees to "move things in the right direction," CNN quoted one source as saying. "Any movement on the issue of these detainees would be a huge deal for the US," said the source. Kim Dong-chul, a South Korea-born American pastor, has been detained by the North since 2015 when he was arrested for spying. He was sentenced to 10 years of hard labour in 2016. Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang-duk -- or Tony Kim -- were both working at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, founded by evangelical Christians from overseas, when they were detained last year on suspicion of "hostile acts." Reports on the detainees' possible release come amid a flurry of diplomatic activities involving Pyongyang, Seoul, Washington and its allies. During a visit to Pyongyang by Seoul's envoys earlier this month, Kim reportedly offered to meet Trump, with the US president subsequently agreeing to talks by May although no specific time or venue has been set. Kim also agreed to hold a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next month -- the third ever between the two Koreas -- according to the envoys. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said in an interview aired Sunday that Kim was "taking stock" after Trump's surprise decision to accept the invitation, but that a channel of communication had been established. The Stockholm talks overlapped with another meeting among the top national security advisors of the US, South Korea and Japan. US National Security Advisor HR McMaster, the South's Chung Eui-yong and Japan's Shotaro Yachi met in San Francisco over the weekend and vowed "close policy coordination" for the weeks ahead, Seoul's presidential office said. They agreed that peace on the flashpoint Korean peninsula hinges on the success of the two planned summits, vowing "not to repeat the failure of the past," it said in an apparent reference to previous botched nuclear disarmament negotiations with the North. Also on Sunday, a senior North Korean diplomat arrived in Finland for talks on peninsula issues with former officials and academics from the US and South Korea. The sudden rapprochement comes months after the North staged its most powerful nuclear test and test-fired missiles capable of reaching the US mainland. Kim and Trump traded colourful threats of war and personal insults, which heightened global concerns of another conflict on the peninsula once brought to ruins by the 1950-53 Korean War.

North Korea 'in talks to free US detainees' as diplomacy escalates

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-wins-another-term-but-what-happens-in-2024-36289" target="_blank">Russia&#39;s Putin wins yet another term but what happens in 2024?</a>

In power for almost two decades, Vladimir Putin predictably won a fourth Kremlin term in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">Russia&#39;s presidential election</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, extending his long rule for another six years.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank">YSR Congress, TDP to pitch for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank">no-trust</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank"> vote against </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank">government</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank"> today</a>

The YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam Party will pitch for taking up their notices of no-confidence motion against the Modi government when the Lok Sabha meets today amid no signs of a let-up in the deadlock in its proceedings.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-has-given-his-word-on-denuclearisation-south-korea-36295" target="_blank">Kim Jong-un &#39;has given his word&#39; on denuclearisation: South Korea</a>

North Korea&#39;s Kim Jong-un has &quot;given his word&quot; that he is committed to denuclearisation, South Korea&#39;s foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha was quoted as saying on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ola-uber-on-strike-today-demand-better-earnings-36298" target="_blank">Ola, Uber on strike today, demand better earnings</a>

App-based&nbsp;cabs Ola and Uber will begin with a strike&nbsp;in Mumbai on Monday for an indefinite period. The strike has been called by Maharashtra Navnirman Vahtuk Sena, the&nbsp;transport wing of Raj Thackeray led MNS.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-donald-trump-sharpens-attacks-on-russia-probe-36285" target="_blank">US President Donald Trump sharpens attacks on Russia probe</a>

President Donald Trump Sunday intensified his attacks on Robert Mueller&#39;s Russia investigation as biased against him, but stopped just short of targeting the special counsel &mdash; whose ouster lawmakers warned would cross a &quot;massive red line.&quot;

&nbsp;

Russia's Putin wins yet another term but what happens in 2024? In power for almost two decades, Vladimir Putin predictably won a fourth Kremlin term in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, extending his long rule for another six years. YSR Congress, TDP to pitch for no-trust vote against government today The YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam Party will pitch for taking up their notices of no-confidence motion against the Modi government when the Lok Sabha meets today amid no signs of a let-up in the deadlock in its proceedings. Kim Jong-un 'has given his word' on denuclearisation: South Korea North Korea's Kim Jong-un has "given his word" that he is committed to denuclearisation, South Korea's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha was quoted as saying on Sunday. Ola, Uber on strike today, demand better earnings App-based cabs Ola and Uber will begin with a strike in Mumbai on Monday for an indefinite period. The strike has been called by Maharashtra Navnirman Vahtuk Sena, the transport wing of Raj Thackeray led MNS. US President Donald Trump sharpens attacks on Russia probe President Donald Trump Sunday intensified his attacks on Robert Mueller's Russia investigation as biased against him, but stopped just short of targeting the special counsel — whose ouster lawmakers warned would cross a "massive red line."

WION Morning News Brief, March 19, 2018

A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard to death in Jerusalem&#39;s Old City on Sunday before being shot dead by a police officer, Israeli officials said.

The stabbing came with concerns over the potential for an upsurge in unrest in the coming weeks as the United States prepares to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

The security guard was taken to hospital in serious condition suffering a stab wound to his torso, medics said.

The hospital later announced he had died from his wounds. Israeli media reported that he was in his 30s, with some reports saying he was off-duty at the time.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed the assailant had been shot dead.

Israel&#39;s Shin Bet domestic security service identified the assailant as Abdul Rahmani Faddal, 28, and a father of two from Aqraba near Nablus in the north of the occupied West Bank.

The attack comes after a Friday car ramming by a Palestinian near Jenin in the northern West Bank that the army said killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded two others.

Tensions were high after Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas called for a day of rage on Friday to mark 100 days since US President Donald Trump&#39;s controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

Palestinians also see the city as their capital and Trump&#39;s recognition broke with decades of US policy that Jerusalem&#39;s status would be negotiated between the parties.

Palestinian leaders have boycotted Trump&#39;s administration over the declaration, though the White House says it still plans to push ahead with its efforts to restart peace talks.&nbsp;

At least 32 Palestinians and four Israelis have been killed since Trump&#39;s announcement, which set off major protests.

The United States is planning to open its new embassy in Jerusalem in May to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel&#39;s founding.

Palestinians commemorate May 15 as the Nakba, or &quot;catastrophe,&quot; marking when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either fled or were expelled in the 1948 war surrounding Israel&#39;s creation.

Gaza tensions 
There have also been tensions along the border between Gaza and Israel in recent days.

Israel&#39;s military said Sunday it had carried out an air raid overnight against an underground Hamas facility in the Gaza Strip and destroyed a separate tunnel under construction that could be used for attacks.

No casualties were reported in either operation, which came after an explosive device was detonated near the Gaza border with Israel, the latest in a string of such incidents.

Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, called Israel&#39;s actions an attempt &quot;to scare the people&quot; and head off planned protests along the border beginning later this month.

Israel &quot;bears all the consequences of the escalation,&quot; Hamas spokesman Fawzy Barhoum said.

Beginning on March 30, Gazans are planning to erect hundreds of tents near the Israeli border in a six-week show of support for Palestinian refugees.

Two explosive devices were detonated Thursday along the border, which had already provoked Israeli attacks on Hamas positions.

Also on February 17, four Israeli soldiers were wounded by an improvised explosive device on the border, sparking intense military retaliation.

It was not clear who was behind the blasts, but Israel held Hamas responsible as the de facto power in the Palestinian enclave.

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008. The strip has been under an Israeli blockade for around a decade.

The stabbing came with concerns over the potential for an upsurge in unrest in the coming weeks as the United States prepares to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem

A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard to death in Jerusalem's Old City on Sunday before being shot dead by a police officer, Israeli officials said. The stabbing came with concerns over the potential for an upsurge in unrest in the coming weeks as the United States prepares to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. The security guard was taken to hospital in serious condition suffering a stab wound to his torso, medics said. The hospital later announced he had died from his wounds. Israeli media reported that he was in his 30s, with some reports saying he was off-duty at the time. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed the assailant had been shot dead. Israel's Shin Bet domestic security service identified the assailant as Abdul Rahmani Faddal, 28, and a father of two from Aqraba near Nablus in the north of the occupied West Bank. The attack comes after a Friday car ramming by a Palestinian near Jenin in the northern West Bank that the army said killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded two others. Tensions were high after Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas called for a day of rage on Friday to mark 100 days since US President Donald Trump's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Palestinians also see the city as their capital and Trump's recognition broke with decades of US policy that Jerusalem's status would be negotiated between the parties. Palestinian leaders have boycotted Trump's administration over the declaration, though the White House says it still plans to push ahead with its efforts to restart peace talks. At least 32 Palestinians and four Israelis have been killed since Trump's announcement, which set off major protests. The United States is planning to open its new embassy in Jerusalem in May to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding. Palestinians commemorate May 15 as the Nakba, or "catastrophe," marking when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either fled or were expelled in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation. Gaza tensions There have also been tensions along the border between Gaza and Israel in recent days. Israel's military said Sunday it had carried out an air raid overnight against an underground Hamas facility in the Gaza Strip and destroyed a separate tunnel under construction that could be used for attacks. No casualties were reported in either operation, which came after an explosive device was detonated near the Gaza border with Israel, the latest in a string of such incidents. Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, called Israel's actions an attempt "to scare the people" and head off planned protests along the border beginning later this month. Israel "bears all the consequences of the escalation," Hamas spokesman Fawzy Barhoum said. Beginning on March 30, Gazans are planning to erect hundreds of tents near the Israeli border in a six-week show of support for Palestinian refugees. Two explosive devices were detonated Thursday along the border, which had already provoked Israeli attacks on Hamas positions. Also on February 17, four Israeli soldiers were wounded by an improvised explosive device on the border, sparking intense military retaliation. It was not clear who was behind the blasts, but Israel held Hamas responsible as the de facto power in the Palestinian enclave. Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008. The strip has been under an Israeli blockade for around a decade.

Israeli killed by Palestinian in Jerusalem Old City stabbing

President Donald Trump Sunday intensified his attacks on Robert Mueller&#39;s Russia investigation as biased against him, but stopped just short of targeting the special counsel &mdash; whose ouster lawmakers warned would cross a &quot;massive red line.&quot;

In a morning flurry on Twitter, Trump insisted that Mueller&#39;s team of investigators is staffed with &quot;hardened&quot; Democrats biased against him.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added...does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975350027169206273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;Does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!&quot; Trump wrote. The night before, he had tweeted, &quot;The Mueller probe should never have been started.&quot;

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The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975163071361683456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The salvo was the latest in a growing confrontation over Mueller`s investigation, which is probing whether Trump`s campaign colluded with Russian attempts to sway the 2016 election in his favour, but also whether the president sought to obstruct justice.

Trump also took aim at former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, who was sacked on Friday two days before his retirement, and former FBI director James Comey, who was fired by Trump last year over the Russia probe. McCabe had an early role in the Russia inquiry and has knowledge of Trump and Comey`s interactions.

McCabe`s lawyer, Michael Bromwich, offered a scathing response to the attacks on his client, saying on Twitter, &quot;We will not be responding to each childish, defamatory, disgusting &amp; false tweet by the President... But the tweets confirm that he has corrupted the entire process that led to Mr&nbsp;McCabe`s termination and has rendered it illegitimate.&quot;

It remains unclear when Mueller will conclude his investigation, but as it moves steadily closer to the president, his inner circle, and his business interests, he has lashed out ever more sharply.

Trump had warned last July that if Mueller broadened his inquiry to include the finances of the Trump Organization, it would be a &quot;violation.&quot;

But Mueller`s team has now subpoenaed Russia-related documents from the president&#39;s business, the New York Times reported Thursday.

Until now, the president has steered clear of directly attacking Mueller, the former FBI director who took over the Russia probe after Comey`s firing May 9, 2017.

But he has taken aim at the special counsel`s large team of lawyers, who were selected for their experience in financial fraud, money laundering, corruption, bribery and organized crime.

&quot;Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added,&quot; Trump said.

Republican allies of the president have seized upon the fact that some of Mueller`s team -- seven out of 17 lawyers, according to The Washington Post -- previously donated money to Democratic political candidates. 
The conservative website Daily Caller reported last month that 13 of the team were registered, Democrats.

But Mueller defenders say he, and more broadly the FBI, have safeguards in place to avoid letting any investigation be tainted by politics.

Mueller, who is widely respected in both political camps, was appointed FBI chief by the Republican president George W Bush and kept on under the Democrat Barack Obama.Lawmakers, including heavyweights from Trump`s own Republican Party, issued pointed warnings Sunday that any attempt by the president to oust Mueller as special counsel would have grave consequences.

&quot;He is following the evidence where it takes him and I think it`s very important he be allowed to do his job, without interference,&quot; Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on CNN. &quot;And there are many Republicans who share my view.&quot;

Any move to oust Mueller, Graham said, &quot;would be the beginning of the end of his presidency. Because we`re a rule of law nation.&quot; 
The Republican senator and frequent Trump critic Jeff Flake likewise warned on CNN that ousting Mueller was seen as &quot;a massive red line that can`t be crossed.&quot;

Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told ABC that firing Mueller &quot;would undoubtedly result in a constitutional crisis.&quot;

In earlier tweets, Trump accused Comey of lying under oath in congressional testimony and dismissed as &quot;fake memos&quot; contemporaneous notes McCabe and Comey took of their interactions with the president.

Those memos could be fodder for Mueller`s probe regarding potential obstruction of justice by the US leader.

After reports that Mueller had the memos, Trump tweeted, &quot;Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I don`t believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey.&quot;

McCabe has said he is the victim of a Trump administration &quot;war&quot; against the FBI and the special counsel.

Comey has pushed back as well. &quot;Mr. President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not,&quot; tweeted the former FBI chief, whose memoir is set for release a month from now.

In a morning flurry on Twitter, Trump insisted that Mueller's team of investigators is staffed with 'hardened' Democrats biased against him

President Donald Trump Sunday intensified his attacks on Robert Mueller's Russia investigation as biased against him, but stopped just short of targeting the special counsel — whose ouster lawmakers warned would cross a "massive red line." In a morning flurry on Twitter, Trump insisted that Mueller's team of investigators is staffed with "hardened" Democrats biased against him. Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added...does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2018 × "Does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!" Trump wrote. The night before, he had tweeted, "The Mueller probe should never have been started." The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2018 × The salvo was the latest in a growing confrontation over Mueller`s investigation, which is probing whether Trump`s campaign colluded with Russian attempts to sway the 2016 election in his favour, but also whether the president sought to obstruct justice. Trump also took aim at former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, who was sacked on Friday two days before his retirement, and former FBI director James Comey, who was fired by Trump last year over the Russia probe. McCabe had an early role in the Russia inquiry and has knowledge of Trump and Comey`s interactions. McCabe`s lawyer, Michael Bromwich, offered a scathing response to the attacks on his client, saying on Twitter, "We will not be responding to each childish, defamatory, disgusting & false tweet by the President... But the tweets confirm that he has corrupted the entire process that led to Mr McCabe`s termination and has rendered it illegitimate." It remains unclear when Mueller will conclude his investigation, but as it moves steadily closer to the president, his inner circle, and his business interests, he has lashed out ever more sharply. Trump had warned last July that if Mueller broadened his inquiry to include the finances of the Trump Organization, it would be a "violation." But Mueller`s team has now subpoenaed Russia-related documents from the president's business, the New York Times reported Thursday. Until now, the president has steered clear of directly attacking Mueller, the former FBI director who took over the Russia probe after Comey`s firing May 9, 2017. But he has taken aim at the special counsel`s large team of lawyers, who were selected for their experience in financial fraud, money laundering, corruption, bribery and organized crime. "Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added," Trump said. Republican allies of the president have seized upon the fact that some of Mueller`s team -- seven out of 17 lawyers, according to The Washington Post -- previously donated money to Democratic political candidates. The conservative website Daily Caller reported last month that 13 of the team were registered, Democrats. But Mueller defenders say he, and more broadly the FBI, have safeguards in place to avoid letting any investigation be tainted by politics. Mueller, who is widely respected in both political camps, was appointed FBI chief by the Republican president George W Bush and kept on under the Democrat Barack Obama.Lawmakers, including heavyweights from Trump`s own Republican Party, issued pointed warnings Sunday that any attempt by the president to oust Mueller as special counsel would have grave consequences. "He is following the evidence where it takes him and I think it`s very important he be allowed to do his job, without interference," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on CNN. "And there are many Republicans who share my view." Any move to oust Mueller, Graham said, "would be the beginning of the end of his presidency. Because we`re a rule of law nation." The Republican senator and frequent Trump critic Jeff Flake likewise warned on CNN that ousting Mueller was seen as "a massive red line that can`t be crossed." Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told ABC that firing Mueller "would undoubtedly result in a constitutional crisis." In earlier tweets, Trump accused Comey of lying under oath in congressional testimony and dismissed as "fake memos" contemporaneous notes McCabe and Comey took of their interactions with the president. Those memos could be fodder for Mueller`s probe regarding potential obstruction of justice by the US leader. After reports that Mueller had the memos, Trump tweeted, "Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I don`t believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey." McCabe has said he is the victim of a Trump administration "war" against the FBI and the special counsel. Comey has pushed back as well. "Mr. President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not," tweeted the former FBI chief, whose memoir is set for release a month from now.

US President Donald Trump sharpens attacks on Russia probe

President Donald Trump will unveil a plan on Monday to combat the opioid addiction crisis that includes seeking the death penalty for drug dealers and urging Congress to toughen sentencing laws for drug traffickers, White House officials said on Sunday.

The White House plan will also seek to cut opioid prescriptions by a third over the next three years by promoting practices that reduce overprescription of opioids in federal healthcare programs, officials told a news briefing.

Trump will outline his proposals at an event in New Hampshire, which has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic.

The rollout of the plan will be the latest White House action aimed at addressing a U.S. drug abuse crisis that is causing thousands of overdose deaths a year. Trump has said the United States will need &ldquo;toughness&rdquo; to reverse these trends.

&ldquo;The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers when it&rsquo;s appropriate under the current law,&rdquo; said Andrew Bremberg, director of Trump&rsquo;s Domestic Policy Council, in the briefing detailing the plan.

The White House did not offer any specific examples of when it would be appropriate to seek the death penalty for drug dealers and referred further questions to the Justice Department.

The current federal law allows for the death penalty in certain drug cases including murder related to a drug trafficking offense and murder committed during a drug-related drive-by shooting, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit capital punishment monitor.

It is unclear how this new plan will affect federal prosecutions.

Trump raised the issue of using the death penalty for drug dealers at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. He has repeatedly said individual drug dealers are responsible for thousands of deaths.

The White House is also asking lawmakers to lower the amount of drug possession that triggers mandatory minimum sentences for certain opioids &ldquo;to match the new reality of drugs like fentanyl, which are lethal in much, much smaller doses,&rdquo; Bremberg said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42,000 people died from opioid overdoses in 2016, the latest year with publicly available data.

In addition to pursuing street dealers, the plan directs the Justice Department to aggressively go after criminally negligent doctors and pharmacies and to take criminal and civil actions against opioid manufacturers that break the law.

The proposals will also seek to help those addicted to opioids by expanding access to treatment facilities.

The White House did not offer any specific examples of when it would be appropriate to seek the death penalty for drug dealers and referred further questions to the Justice Department

President Donald Trump will unveil a plan on Monday to combat the opioid addiction crisis that includes seeking the death penalty for drug dealers and urging Congress to toughen sentencing laws for drug traffickers, White House officials said on Sunday. The White House plan will also seek to cut opioid prescriptions by a third over the next three years by promoting practices that reduce overprescription of opioids in federal healthcare programs, officials told a news briefing. Trump will outline his proposals at an event in New Hampshire, which has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic. The rollout of the plan will be the latest White House action aimed at addressing a U.S. drug abuse crisis that is causing thousands of overdose deaths a year. Trump has said the United States will need “toughness” to reverse these trends. “The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers when it’s appropriate under the current law,” said Andrew Bremberg, director of Trump’s Domestic Policy Council, in the briefing detailing the plan. The White House did not offer any specific examples of when it would be appropriate to seek the death penalty for drug dealers and referred further questions to the Justice Department. The current federal law allows for the death penalty in certain drug cases including murder related to a drug trafficking offense and murder committed during a drug-related drive-by shooting, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit capital punishment monitor. It is unclear how this new plan will affect federal prosecutions. Trump raised the issue of using the death penalty for drug dealers at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. He has repeatedly said individual drug dealers are responsible for thousands of deaths. The White House is also asking lawmakers to lower the amount of drug possession that triggers mandatory minimum sentences for certain opioids “to match the new reality of drugs like fentanyl, which are lethal in much, much smaller doses,” Bremberg said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42,000 people died from opioid overdoses in 2016, the latest year with publicly available data. In addition to pursuing street dealers, the plan directs the Justice Department to aggressively go after criminally negligent doctors and pharmacies and to take criminal and civil actions against opioid manufacturers that break the law. The proposals will also seek to help those addicted to opioids by expanding access to treatment facilities.

Trump to seek death penalty for drug dealers: White House officials

Republican senators warned President Donald Trump on Sunday against firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller and said he must let federal investigators looking into Russian meddling in the US election do their jobs.

The Republican president has renewed his Twitter attacks on both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mueller&#39;s probe since the firing on Friday of the bureau&#39;s former deputy director, Andrew McCabe, days before he was eligible to retire with a full pension.

Republican Senator Jeff Flake, who has criticized Trump, said it appeared the president&#39;s latest comments were aimed at the firing of Mueller.

&quot;I don&#39;t know what the designs are on Mueller, but it seems to be building toward that, and I just hope it doesn&#39;t go there, because it can&#39;t. We can&rsquo;t in Congress accept that,&quot; Flake told CNN&#39;s &quot;State of the Union.&quot;

&quot;So I would expect to see considerable pushback in the next couple of days urging the president not to go there. He can&rsquo;t go there.&quot;

In a series of tweets over the weekend, Trump accused the FBI leadership of lies, corruption and leaking information. He called the Russia probe a politically motivated witch hunt.

&quot;The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime,&quot; Trump said on Saturday. On Sunday, he attacked former FBI Director James Comey and McCabe, top officials who were involved in the Russia probe and subsequently fired.

On Saturday, Trump personal lawyer John Dowd urged the Justice Department official overseeing Mueller, Rod Rosenstein, to &quot;bring an end to alleged Russia Collusion investigation manufactured by McCabe&#39;s boss James Comey.&quot;

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said it was very important that Mueller be allowed to proceed without interference and that many Republicans share this view.

&quot;The only reason Mr. Mueller could ever be dismissed is for cause. I see no cause when it comes to Mr. Mueller,&quot; Graham said on CNN. &quot;I pledge to the American people as a Republican, to ensure that Mr. Mueller can continue to do his job without any interference.&quot;

&quot;As I have said before, if he tried to do that, that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency, because we&rsquo;re a rule of law nation,&quot; Graham said.

Senator Angus King, an independent, also warned Trump against trying to fire Mueller.

&quot;This is a serious investigation, and if the president tries to terminate it prematurely, I think it will be a true constitutional crisis,&quot; he said on CBS.

Trump also drew criticism from fellow Republicans on Sunday over the firing of McCabe, who said he believed he was targeted because he corroborated Comey&#39;s claims that Trump tried to pressure Comey into killing the Russia probe.

&quot;I don&#39;t like the way it happened. He should&#39;ve been allowed to finish through the weekend,&quot; Senator Marco Rubio said on NBC&#39;s &quot;Meet the Press.&quot;

Rubio, who supports the special counsel probe, said the decision to fire McCabe was made before the release of the Justice Department inspector general&#39;s report that Attorney General Jeff Sessions cited in his dismissal.

Flake said the Senate Judiciary Committee would look at the report, which Sessions said concluded McCabe leaked information to reporters and misled investigators about his actions.

&quot;I&rsquo;m just puzzled by why the White House is going so hard at this, other than that they&rsquo;re very afraid of what might come out,&quot; he said on CNN.

Republican Senator Jeff Flake, who has criticized Trump, said it appeared the president's latest comments were aimed at the firing of Mueller.

Republican senators warned President Donald Trump on Sunday against firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller and said he must let federal investigators looking into Russian meddling in the US election do their jobs. The Republican president has renewed his Twitter attacks on both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mueller's probe since the firing on Friday of the bureau's former deputy director, Andrew McCabe, days before he was eligible to retire with a full pension. Republican Senator Jeff Flake, who has criticized Trump, said it appeared the president's latest comments were aimed at the firing of Mueller. "I don't know what the designs are on Mueller, but it seems to be building toward that, and I just hope it doesn't go there, because it can't. We can’t in Congress accept that," Flake told CNN's "State of the Union." "So I would expect to see considerable pushback in the next couple of days urging the president not to go there. He can’t go there." In a series of tweets over the weekend, Trump accused the FBI leadership of lies, corruption and leaking information. He called the Russia probe a politically motivated witch hunt. "The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime," Trump said on Saturday. On Sunday, he attacked former FBI Director James Comey and McCabe, top officials who were involved in the Russia probe and subsequently fired. On Saturday, Trump personal lawyer John Dowd urged the Justice Department official overseeing Mueller, Rod Rosenstein, to "bring an end to alleged Russia Collusion investigation manufactured by McCabe's boss James Comey." Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said it was very important that Mueller be allowed to proceed without interference and that many Republicans share this view. "The only reason Mr. Mueller could ever be dismissed is for cause. I see no cause when it comes to Mr. Mueller," Graham said on CNN. "I pledge to the American people as a Republican, to ensure that Mr. Mueller can continue to do his job without any interference." "As I have said before, if he tried to do that, that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency, because we’re a rule of law nation," Graham said. Senator Angus King, an independent, also warned Trump against trying to fire Mueller. "This is a serious investigation, and if the president tries to terminate it prematurely, I think it will be a true constitutional crisis," he said on CBS. Trump also drew criticism from fellow Republicans on Sunday over the firing of McCabe, who said he believed he was targeted because he corroborated Comey's claims that Trump tried to pressure Comey into killing the Russia probe. "I don't like the way it happened. He should've been allowed to finish through the weekend," Senator Marco Rubio said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Rubio, who supports the special counsel probe, said the decision to fire McCabe was made before the release of the Justice Department inspector general's report that Attorney General Jeff Sessions cited in his dismissal. Flake said the Senate Judiciary Committee would look at the report, which Sessions said concluded McCabe leaked information to reporters and misled investigators about his actions. "I’m just puzzled by why the White House is going so hard at this, other than that they’re very afraid of what might come out," he said on CNN.

US Republicans to Trump: Let Mueller do his job

US President Donald Trump today attacked special counsel Robert Mueller&#39;s investigation into Russia&#39;s election meddling as unfair, insisting the probe is staffed with &quot;hardened&quot; Democrats.

&quot;Does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!&quot; Trump tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975163071361683456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The salvo was the latest in an intensifying confrontation over Mueller&#39;s probe into whether Trump&#39;s campaign colluded with Russian attempts to sway the 2016 election in his favour.

The president also took aim at former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, who was fired on Friday two days before he was due to retire, and former FBI director James Comey, who Trump sacked last year over the Russia probe.

Until now, the president has steered clear of directly attacking Mueller, the former FBI director who took over the Russia probe after Comey&#39;s firing May 9, 2017.

&quot;Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added,&quot; Trump said.

Widely respected in both political camps, Mueller was appointed FBI chief by the Republican president George W. Bush, and kept on under the Democrat Barack Obama.

Lawmakers have repeatedly warned that any attempt by the president to oust him as special counsel would cross a red line.

In earlier tweets, Trump accused Comey of lying under oath in congressional testimony and dismissed as &quot;fake memos&quot; contemporaneous notes McCabe and Comey took of their interactions with the president.

Those memos could be fodder for Mueller&#39;s probe if he is pursuing potential obstruction of justice by the president.

&quot;Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I don&#39;t believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey.&quot;

After his firing, McCabe said he was the victim of a Trump administration &quot;war&quot; against the FBI and the special counsel.

Comey has pushed back as well. &quot;Mr President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not,&quot; he tweeted yesterday. (AFP) CPS 0

"Does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!" Trump tweeted.

US President Donald Trump today attacked special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's election meddling as unfair, insisting the probe is staffed with "hardened" Democrats. "Does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!" Trump tweeted. The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2018 × The salvo was the latest in an intensifying confrontation over Mueller's probe into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russian attempts to sway the 2016 election in his favour. The president also took aim at former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, who was fired on Friday two days before he was due to retire, and former FBI director James Comey, who Trump sacked last year over the Russia probe. Until now, the president has steered clear of directly attacking Mueller, the former FBI director who took over the Russia probe after Comey's firing May 9, 2017. "Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added," Trump said. Widely respected in both political camps, Mueller was appointed FBI chief by the Republican president George W. Bush, and kept on under the Democrat Barack Obama. Lawmakers have repeatedly warned that any attempt by the president to oust him as special counsel would cross a red line. In earlier tweets, Trump accused Comey of lying under oath in congressional testimony and dismissed as "fake memos" contemporaneous notes McCabe and Comey took of their interactions with the president. Those memos could be fodder for Mueller's probe if he is pursuing potential obstruction of justice by the president. "Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I don't believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey." After his firing, McCabe said he was the victim of a Trump administration "war" against the FBI and the special counsel. Comey has pushed back as well. "Mr President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not," he tweeted yesterday. (AFP) CPS 0

Donald Trump attacks fairness of Robert Mueller probe into Russia meddling in US elections

The North Korean and Swedish foreign ministers ended three days of talks on Saturday on the security situation on the Korean peninsula which may help prepare the way for a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

North Korea&rsquo;s Ri Yong Ho arrived in Stockholm on Thursday for talks with his Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom amid a flurry of diplomatic activity concerning the reclusive country and its nuclear ambitions.

Trump reaffirmed on Friday that he was willing to meet Kim after South Korean officials passed on an invitation earlier this month. North Korea has so far not publicly acknowledged the invitation.

&ldquo;The foreign ministers discussed opportunities and challenges for continued diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict as well as bilateral relations,&rdquo; the Swedish foreign ministry said in a statement after Ri and Wallstrom wound up their talks.

&ldquo;Sweden underlined the need for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear arms and missiles program in line with several Security Council resolutions.&rdquo;

No US government officials participated in the talks this week in Sweden, a State Department official said.

The Central Intelligence Agency has taken the lead on organizing potential discussions between the US and North Korea, The New York Times reported on Saturday. The head of the CIA, Mike Pompeo, has been named as a successor to run the State Department in the wake of the ouster of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The talks in Stockholm had initially been scheduled to conclude on Friday but were extended into the weekend.

&ldquo;The dialogue has been constructive,&rdquo; a source with knowledge of the discussions said. &ldquo;It should be seen as a positive sign that the meeting was extended (until Saturday).&rdquo;

The source said that Sweden had been in close touch with the United States and South Korea before the Stockholm meetings and hoped the talks would lead to further progress towards defusing tensions.

&ldquo;Sweden will continue to do what it can, but it is the protagonists themselves who have to drive the process forward,&rdquo; the source said.

In the wake of the Stockholm talks, Wallstrom will meet her South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha, who was in Washington this week for talks on North Korea and trade, in Brussels on Monday, Wallstrom&rsquo;s spokesman said.

Sweden is one of a handful of countries considered a possible venue for a meeting between Trump and Kim, who have engaged in bellicose mudslinging over North Korea and its nuclear arms program.

Trump reaffirmed on Friday that he was willing to meet Kim after South Korean officials passed on an invitation earlier this month. North Korea has so far not publicly acknowledged the invitation

The North Korean and Swedish foreign ministers ended three days of talks on Saturday on the security situation on the Korean peninsula which may help prepare the way for a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. North Korea’s Ri Yong Ho arrived in Stockholm on Thursday for talks with his Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom amid a flurry of diplomatic activity concerning the reclusive country and its nuclear ambitions. Trump reaffirmed on Friday that he was willing to meet Kim after South Korean officials passed on an invitation earlier this month. North Korea has so far not publicly acknowledged the invitation. “The foreign ministers discussed opportunities and challenges for continued diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict as well as bilateral relations,” the Swedish foreign ministry said in a statement after Ri and Wallstrom wound up their talks. “Sweden underlined the need for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear arms and missiles program in line with several Security Council resolutions.” No US government officials participated in the talks this week in Sweden, a State Department official said. The Central Intelligence Agency has taken the lead on organizing potential discussions between the US and North Korea, The New York Times reported on Saturday. The head of the CIA, Mike Pompeo, has been named as a successor to run the State Department in the wake of the ouster of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The talks in Stockholm had initially been scheduled to conclude on Friday but were extended into the weekend. “The dialogue has been constructive,” a source with knowledge of the discussions said. “It should be seen as a positive sign that the meeting was extended (until Saturday).” The source said that Sweden had been in close touch with the United States and South Korea before the Stockholm meetings and hoped the talks would lead to further progress towards defusing tensions. “Sweden will continue to do what it can, but it is the protagonists themselves who have to drive the process forward,” the source said. In the wake of the Stockholm talks, Wallstrom will meet her South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha, who was in Washington this week for talks on North Korea and trade, in Brussels on Monday, Wallstrom’s spokesman said. Sweden is one of a handful of countries considered a possible venue for a meeting between Trump and Kim, who have engaged in bellicose mudslinging over North Korea and its nuclear arms program.

Sweden, North Korea talks end, may help pave way for Trump-Kim encounter

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