Washington lawyer Emmet Flood is under consideration for a White House job to assist US President Donald Trump with the Russia probe, according to some media reports.&nbsp;

Flood, who advised former President Bill Clinton in impeachment proceedings, met with Trump in the White House, but no decision about the job has been made.

The meeting comes as Trump&#39;s outside legal team has been negotiating with US&nbsp;special counsel Robert Mueller over a possible interview with the president, another reports claimed.&nbsp;

Mueller is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, whether there was any collusion with the Trump campaign, and possibly obstruction of justice related to the probe.

Meanwhile, Russia has denied interfering in the election campaign. Trump has said there was no collusion between Moscow and his campaign and no obstruction.

White House officials on Saturday expressed concern about news that an impeachment lawyer&nbsp;might join the team at this point, another media report said.

Flood advised Bill Clinton in the late 1990s in impeachment proceedings brought by the U.S. House of Representatives and tried before the U.S. Senate, where he was acquitted.

Flood also spent two years in the White House Counsel&#39;s office, where he handled executive-privilege related disputes for President George W. Bush&#39;s administration to Congressional investigations and other inquiries. He also once clerked for Associate Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

&nbsp;

No decision about the job has been made yet

Washington lawyer Emmet Flood is under consideration for a White House job to assist US President Donald Trump with the Russia probe, according to some media reports. Flood, who advised former President Bill Clinton in impeachment proceedings, met with Trump in the White House, but no decision about the job has been made. The meeting comes as Trump's outside legal team has been negotiating with US special counsel Robert Mueller over a possible interview with the president, another reports claimed. Mueller is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, whether there was any collusion with the Trump campaign, and possibly obstruction of justice related to the probe. Meanwhile, Russia has denied interfering in the election campaign. Trump has said there was no collusion between Moscow and his campaign and no obstruction. White House officials on Saturday expressed concern about news that an impeachment lawyer might join the team at this point, another media report said. Flood advised Bill Clinton in the late 1990s in impeachment proceedings brought by the U.S. House of Representatives and tried before the U.S. Senate, where he was acquitted. Flood also spent two years in the White House Counsel's office, where he handled executive-privilege related disputes for President George W. Bush's administration to Congressional investigations and other inquiries. He also once clerked for Associate Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Donald Trump met with Bill Clinton's impeachment lawyer to assist in Russia probe: Source

US President Donald Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania to bolster support for state Representative Rick Saccone who will contest in Tuesday&#39;s special congressional election to secure a House seat, the media reported.

&quot;This guy should win easily... I hate to put pressure on you, Rick,&quot; Trump said on Saturday night at the rally in Moon Township, the heart of America`s steel industry where he beat Hillary Clinton by 20 percentage points in 2016.

Trump opened his 75-minute whirlwind of a speech by touting his administration&#39;s new trade tariffs &mdash; 25 per cent on steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminium imports &mdash; before wading into the Olympics, previewing his 2020 campaign slogan and again called for enacting the death penalty for drug dealers, reports CNN.

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Republican congressional candidate Rick Saccone speaks during a Make America Great Again rally in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. (Reuters)
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President Donald Trump attacked his critics, promoted his steel and aluminium tariffs and tossed out an idea to have drug dealers face the death penalty, addressing the rally.

But while he heartily endorsed Saccone as a &quot;really good person,&quot; Trump spent a lot of time talking about his own fortunes in a &quot;Make America Great Again&quot; rally in an airport hangar at the Pittsburgh International Airport.

He said it was crucial for Republicans to muster forces to turn back a strong Democratic drive to win one or both houses of the US Congress in November midterm elections.

&quot;We need Republicans. We need the vote,&quot; Trump said, saying Democrats would take away, among other things, &quot;your Second Amendment rights&quot; to bear firearms.

Continuing his battle against the mainstream news media, Trump insulted NBC News&#39; &quot;Meet the Press&quot; host Chuck Todd and Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

He called NBC host Chuck Todd &mdash; who he&rsquo;s nicknamed &ldquo;sleepy eyes&rdquo; &mdash; a &ldquo;sleeping son of a b***h&rdquo; and described Democratic Rep 
representative Maxine Waters as a &ldquo;very low IQ individual,&rdquo;&nbsp;reports CNN.

Under pressure over a scandal involving a porn star named Stormy Daniels, Trump singled out his wife, Melania, for praise.

&quot;You think her life is so easy folks? Not so easy,&quot; he said.

Saccone is trying to win an election on Tuesday in Pennsylvania&#39;s 18th District to replace Republican Tim Murphy, who resigned last fall while enmeshed in a sex scandal.

Polls show Saccone is in a close race against Democrat Conor Lamb. A Saccone loss would be the first loss of a Republican seat in the House of Representatives since Trump took office in January 2017, although Republicans would still control of the chamber.

The race could signal how much help Trump can provide Republican congressional candidates trying to keep control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in midterm elections next November.

Typically the party that controls the White House loses seats in the US Congress in the first election after a new president takes office. Trump hopes a strong economy and tax cuts enacted in December will help him beat the odds.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Trump attacked his critics, promoted his steel and aluminium tariffs and tossed out an idea to have drug dealers face the death penalty, addressing the rally

US President Donald Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania to bolster support for state Representative Rick Saccone who will contest in Tuesday's special congressional election to secure a House seat, the media reported. "This guy should win easily... I hate to put pressure on you, Rick," Trump said on Saturday night at the rally in Moon Township, the heart of America`s steel industry where he beat Hillary Clinton by 20 percentage points in 2016. Trump opened his 75-minute whirlwind of a speech by touting his administration's new trade tariffs — 25 per cent on steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminium imports — before wading into the Olympics, previewing his 2020 campaign slogan and again called for enacting the death penalty for drug dealers, reports CNN. Republican congressional candidate Rick Saccone speaks during a Make America Great Again rally in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. (Reuters) × President Donald Trump attacked his critics, promoted his steel and aluminium tariffs and tossed out an idea to have drug dealers face the death penalty, addressing the rally. But while he heartily endorsed Saccone as a "really good person," Trump spent a lot of time talking about his own fortunes in a "Make America Great Again" rally in an airport hangar at the Pittsburgh International Airport. He said it was crucial for Republicans to muster forces to turn back a strong Democratic drive to win one or both houses of the US Congress in November midterm elections. "We need Republicans. We need the vote," Trump said, saying Democrats would take away, among other things, "your Second Amendment rights" to bear firearms. Continuing his battle against the mainstream news media, Trump insulted NBC News' "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd and Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters. He called NBC host Chuck Todd — who he’s nicknamed “sleepy eyes” — a “sleeping son of a b***h” and described Democratic Rep representative Maxine Waters as a “very low IQ individual,” reports CNN. Under pressure over a scandal involving a porn star named Stormy Daniels, Trump singled out his wife, Melania, for praise. "You think her life is so easy folks? Not so easy," he said. Saccone is trying to win an election on Tuesday in Pennsylvania's 18th District to replace Republican Tim Murphy, who resigned last fall while enmeshed in a sex scandal. Polls show Saccone is in a close race against Democrat Conor Lamb. A Saccone loss would be the first loss of a Republican seat in the House of Representatives since Trump took office in January 2017, although Republicans would still control of the chamber. The race could signal how much help Trump can provide Republican congressional candidates trying to keep control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in midterm elections next November. Typically the party that controls the White House loses seats in the US Congress in the first election after a new president takes office. Trump hopes a strong economy and tax cuts enacted in December will help him beat the odds. (With inputs from Agencies)

Trump holds rally in Pennsylvania for Republican candidate, calls NBC anchor 'a sleeping son of a b***h'

President Donald Trump announced his slogan for 2020 US presidential election on Saturday during a rally in Moon Township.

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Epic crowd in Moon Township, Pennsylvania tonight. Thank you! Get out on Tuesday and VOTE for Rick <a href="https://twitter.com/Saccone4PA18?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Saccone4PA18</a>. Together, we are MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! <a href="https://t.co/ckbCOsDQ2l">pic.twitter.com/ckbCOsDQ2l</a>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/972647673944780802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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His new slogan is &#39;Keep America Great&#39; a continuation of his previous slogan &#39;Make America Great Again&#39;.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-re-election-ad-calls-democrats-complicit-in-murder-by-illegal-immigrants-30303">Trump re-election </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-re-election-ad-calls-democrats-complicit-in-murder-by-illegal-immigrants-30303">ad</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-re-election-ad-calls-democrats-complicit-in-murder-by-illegal-immigrants-30303"> calls Democrats &#39;complicit&#39; in murder by illegal immigrants</a>

During the rally, Trump explained that he can&#39;t use same &#39;Make America Great Again&#39; again as he has already done that; right? he asked the crowd.

Donald Trump has already begun his campaign for 2020 elections.

Earlier in March Trump hired digital media director of his 2016 campaign, Brad Parscale, as his campaign manager for 2020 elections.

Trump had already filed for re-election on his inauguration day in 2017, which was an unusual move as no president has ever done on his inauguration day.

The move allows Trump to begin campaigning long before the November 2020 election, allowing him to raise money and hold rallies.

During the rally, Trump explained that he can't use same 'Make America Great Again' again as he has already done that

President Donald Trump announced his slogan for 2020 US presidential election on Saturday during a rally in Moon Township. Epic crowd in Moon Township, Pennsylvania tonight. Thank you! Get out on Tuesday and VOTE for Rick @Saccone4PA18. Together, we are MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/ckbCOsDQ2l — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 11, 2018 × His new slogan is 'Keep America Great' a continuation of his previous slogan 'Make America Great Again'. Also read: Trump re-election ad calls Democrats 'complicit' in murder by illegal immigrants During the rally, Trump explained that he can't use same 'Make America Great Again' again as he has already done that; right? he asked the crowd. Donald Trump has already begun his campaign for 2020 elections. Earlier in March Trump hired digital media director of his 2016 campaign, Brad Parscale, as his campaign manager for 2020 elections. Trump had already filed for re-election on his inauguration day in 2017, which was an unusual move as no president has ever done on his inauguration day. The move allows Trump to begin campaigning long before the November 2020 election, allowing him to raise money and hold rallies.

Donald Trump's 2020 slogan 'Keep America Great'

US President Donald Trump is heading to California, a state at the forefront of resistance to his anti-immigration agenda, for what is almost certain to be a contentious trip.

Trump&#39;s first trip to California as president, on Tuesday, comes at a time of high tensions between his Republican administration and the Democratic-leaning most populous US state, especially on immigration issues.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has accused the state of deliberately obstructing enforcement of federal law by offering undocumented immigrants sanctuary protections.

Governor Jerry Brown said the Trump administration &quot;is basically going to war against the state of California,&quot; after the Justice Department sued to block its sanctuary laws.

&quot;Sanctuary jurisdictions are the best friend of smugglers, gang members, drug dealers, human traffickers, killers and other violent offenders,&quot; the president said in his weekly address.

&quot;The state of California is sheltering dangerous criminals in a brazen and lawless attack on our constitutional system of government .&quot;

The president will land at the Miramar air base in southern California and then go see prototypes of the wall he wants to build on America&#39;s southern border.

California was among the plaintiffs that launched an unsuccessful court challenge to waivers to environmental regulations that were granted so the construction of the prototypes and the replacement of existing border fencing could proceed.

&quot;We&#39;re going for what we hope to be an incredibly positive trip,&quot; White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Friday, while also taking aim at California for &quot;refusing to follow federal law,&quot; a reference to the state&#39;s efforts to shelter illegal immigrants from deportation.

Trump will also meet with members of the US military, Sanders said.

And he is expected to wrap up the visit with an evening of fundraising in Beverly Hills to raise money for his 2020 re-election campaign.

&#39;War&#39; against California

The &quot;Golden State&quot; and the president are at odds over issues ranging from immigration and the environment to marijuana and guns.

Trump&#39;s visit is &quot;part of a bigger concerted effort to push back on liberal efforts on immigration in California,&quot; said Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University.

&quot;He&#39;s trying to shore up the California GOP (Republican Party) for the mid-terms and 2020,&quot; Zelizer said, referring to 2018 Congressional elections and the presidential race two years later.

Despite its generally liberal leanings, &quot;California is a place with money,&quot; and the president has had success with people such as Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur known for his conservative positions, as well as in wealthy Orange County, Zelizer said.

The Los Angeles Times reported that donors will contribute up to $250,000 a person to Trump&#39;s re-election campaign and the Republican party at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills, citing an invitation obtained by the newspaper.

Focus on Republican areas

Trump has taken longer to visit California following his election than any president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt, according to US media.

&quot;His whole focus till now has been... on Republican areas,&quot; Zelizer said. &quot;He&#39;s not someone who wants to see the whole country, not a traveler interested in sensing the pulse of the nation.&quot;

Trump&#39;s visit to California will be marked by protests, both for and against the president and his policies.

Alliance San Diego, which namely advocates on behalf of immigrants, is planning a news conference and a protest the day before the president&#39;s arrival &quot;to set the tone for Trump&#39;s visit,&quot; said executive director Andrea Guerrero.

Events and demonstrations could last until after his departure, she said.

Jeff Schwilk, the founder of San Diegans for Secure borders, told the Los Angeles Times that he is planning an event to support Trump&#39;s visit to inspect border wall prototypes.

In another sign of the tensions at play as Trump readies for his trip, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint in San Diego federal court challenging the Trump administration&#39;s practice of &quot;forcibly separating&quot; asylum-seeking parents and young children.

US President Donald Trump is heading to California, a state at the forefront of resistance to his anti-immigration agenda, for what is almost certain to be a contentious trip

US President Donald Trump is heading to California, a state at the forefront of resistance to his anti-immigration agenda, for what is almost certain to be a contentious trip. Trump's first trip to California as president, on Tuesday, comes at a time of high tensions between his Republican administration and the Democratic-leaning most populous US state, especially on immigration issues. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has accused the state of deliberately obstructing enforcement of federal law by offering undocumented immigrants sanctuary protections. Governor Jerry Brown said the Trump administration "is basically going to war against the state of California," after the Justice Department sued to block its sanctuary laws. "Sanctuary jurisdictions are the best friend of smugglers, gang members, drug dealers, human traffickers, killers and other violent offenders," the president said in his weekly address. "The state of California is sheltering dangerous criminals in a brazen and lawless attack on our constitutional system of government ." The president will land at the Miramar air base in southern California and then go see prototypes of the wall he wants to build on America's southern border. California was among the plaintiffs that launched an unsuccessful court challenge to waivers to environmental regulations that were granted so the construction of the prototypes and the replacement of existing border fencing could proceed. "We're going for what we hope to be an incredibly positive trip," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Friday, while also taking aim at California for "refusing to follow federal law," a reference to the state's efforts to shelter illegal immigrants from deportation. Trump will also meet with members of the US military, Sanders said. And he is expected to wrap up the visit with an evening of fundraising in Beverly Hills to raise money for his 2020 re-election campaign. 'War' against California The "Golden State" and the president are at odds over issues ranging from immigration and the environment to marijuana and guns. Trump's visit is "part of a bigger concerted effort to push back on liberal efforts on immigration in California," said Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. "He's trying to shore up the California GOP (Republican Party) for the mid-terms and 2020," Zelizer said, referring to 2018 Congressional elections and the presidential race two years later. Despite its generally liberal leanings, "California is a place with money," and the president has had success with people such as Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur known for his conservative positions, as well as in wealthy Orange County, Zelizer said. The Los Angeles Times reported that donors will contribute up to $250,000 a person to Trump's re-election campaign and the Republican party at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills, citing an invitation obtained by the newspaper. Focus on Republican areas Trump has taken longer to visit California following his election than any president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt, according to US media. "His whole focus till now has been... on Republican areas," Zelizer said. "He's not someone who wants to see the whole country, not a traveler interested in sensing the pulse of the nation." Trump's visit to California will be marked by protests, both for and against the president and his policies. Alliance San Diego, which namely advocates on behalf of immigrants, is planning a news conference and a protest the day before the president's arrival "to set the tone for Trump's visit," said executive director Andrea Guerrero. Events and demonstrations could last until after his departure, she said. Jeff Schwilk, the founder of San Diegans for Secure borders, told the Los Angeles Times that he is planning an event to support Trump's visit to inspect border wall prototypes. In another sign of the tensions at play as Trump readies for his trip, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint in San Diego federal court challenging the Trump administration's practice of "forcibly separating" asylum-seeking parents and young children.

Trump to make first trip as president to defiant California

President Donald Trump renewed his demand Saturday that the European Union halts its trade barriers to US products in order to spare his allies new steel and aluminium tariffs.

The American president made his comments after crunch talks in Brussels between EU negotiators and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in an effort to defuse a bitter row that many fear could turn into an all-out trade war.

The EU&#39;s top trade official said the US failed to provide full clarity on how Europe and Japan could be spared set to continue next week.

&quot;The European Union, wonderful countries who treat the US&nbsp;very badly on trade, are complaining about the tariffs on Steel &amp; Aluminum,&quot; Trump said.&nbsp;

&quot;If they drop their horrific barriers &amp; tariffs on US&nbsp;products going in, we will likewise drop ours. Big Deficit. If not, we Tax Cars etc. FAIR!&quot;

President Donald Trump&#39;s announcement of duties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium has stung the European Union, along with other major partners including Japan, whose Economy Minister Hiroshige Seko also attended the talks in Brussels.

&quot;As long-standing security partners of the United States, (the EU and Japan) underlined to ambassador Lighthizer their expectation that EU and Japanese exports to the US would be exempted from the application of higher tariffs,&quot; an EU statement said after the talks.

But after two-way talks with Lighthizer, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem tweeted: &quot;No immediate clarity on the exact US procedure for exemption, however, so discussions will continue next week.&quot;Brussels has gone the furthest in fighting back against Washington&#39;s shock measures, loudly announcing a list of US products to hit with countermeasures if its exports are affected by the tariffs.&nbsp;

In announcing the measures, European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker taunted Trump, saying the EU could match &quot;stupid with stupid.&quot;

Lighthizer, a loyalist to Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; mantra, made no official comment after the talks, but the three sides did agree on a series of next steps to address the oversupply worldwide of steel and other materials, mainly by China.

This progress was &quot;unexpected&quot; and a source of cautious optimism on solving the tariff row, an EU official said on condition of anonymity.

&quot;If Trump wants his allies to demonstrate that they are united in tackling problems with China, this is precisely that,&quot; the source added.With tensions at a peak, the EU had sought to keep low expectations for any breakthrough on Saturday. European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen said it would be &quot;a meeting, not THE meeting.&quot;

Along with a huge range of steel products, the EU&#39;s hit list of flagship American products lined up for countermeasures include peanut butter, bourbon whiskey and denim jeans.

Germany -- singled out for particular criticism by Trump -- accused Washington of protectionism, calling the tariffs an &quot;affront to close partners.&quot;

German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that &quot;no one can win in such a race to the bottom&quot; while French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump risked provoking a mutually destructive &quot;trade war.&quot;

Trump said the tariffs, which will come into effect 15 days after he formally unveiled them Thursday, will not initially apply to Canada and Mexico. He also added Australia to the list of likely carve-outs.

Complicating matters, Trump indicated that the sparing of Australia was linked to an unspecified &quot;security agreement&quot; outside of trade policy.

This shed light on Trump&#39;s attacks against Germany -- the biggest economy in the European Union -- that have accused Berlin of contributing much less than the US toward the funding of NATO.&nbsp;

The EU exports around five billion euros ($4 billion) worth of steel and a billion euros worth of aluminium to the US each year, and the European Commission, the bloc&#39;s executive arm, estimates Trump&#39;s tariffs could cost some 2.8 billion euros.

Brussels is also looking at &quot;safeguard&quot; measures to protect its industry -- restricting the bloc&#39;s imports of steel and aluminium to stop foreign supplies flooding the European market, which is allowed under World Trade Organization rules.

The American president made his comments after crunch talks in Brussels between EU negotiators and US Trade Representative

President Donald Trump renewed his demand Saturday that the European Union halts its trade barriers to US products in order to spare his allies new steel and aluminium tariffs. The American president made his comments after crunch talks in Brussels between EU negotiators and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in an effort to defuse a bitter row that many fear could turn into an all-out trade war. The EU's top trade official said the US failed to provide full clarity on how Europe and Japan could be spared set to continue next week. "The European Union, wonderful countries who treat the US very badly on trade, are complaining about the tariffs on Steel & Aluminum," Trump said. "If they drop their horrific barriers & tariffs on US products going in, we will likewise drop ours. Big Deficit. If not, we Tax Cars etc. FAIR!" President Donald Trump's announcement of duties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium has stung the European Union, along with other major partners including Japan, whose Economy Minister Hiroshige Seko also attended the talks in Brussels. "As long-standing security partners of the United States, (the EU and Japan) underlined to ambassador Lighthizer their expectation that EU and Japanese exports to the US would be exempted from the application of higher tariffs," an EU statement said after the talks. But after two-way talks with Lighthizer, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem tweeted: "No immediate clarity on the exact US procedure for exemption, however, so discussions will continue next week."Brussels has gone the furthest in fighting back against Washington's shock measures, loudly announcing a list of US products to hit with countermeasures if its exports are affected by the tariffs. In announcing the measures, European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker taunted Trump, saying the EU could match "stupid with stupid." Lighthizer, a loyalist to Trump's "America First" mantra, made no official comment after the talks, but the three sides did agree on a series of next steps to address the oversupply worldwide of steel and other materials, mainly by China. This progress was "unexpected" and a source of cautious optimism on solving the tariff row, an EU official said on condition of anonymity. "If Trump wants his allies to demonstrate that they are united in tackling problems with China, this is precisely that," the source added.With tensions at a peak, the EU had sought to keep low expectations for any breakthrough on Saturday. European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen said it would be "a meeting, not THE meeting." Along with a huge range of steel products, the EU's hit list of flagship American products lined up for countermeasures include peanut butter, bourbon whiskey and denim jeans. Germany -- singled out for particular criticism by Trump -- accused Washington of protectionism, calling the tariffs an "affront to close partners." German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that "no one can win in such a race to the bottom" while French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump risked provoking a mutually destructive "trade war." Trump said the tariffs, which will come into effect 15 days after he formally unveiled them Thursday, will not initially apply to Canada and Mexico. He also added Australia to the list of likely carve-outs. Complicating matters, Trump indicated that the sparing of Australia was linked to an unspecified "security agreement" outside of trade policy. This shed light on Trump's attacks against Germany -- the biggest economy in the European Union -- that have accused Berlin of contributing much less than the US toward the funding of NATO. The EU exports around five billion euros ($4 billion) worth of steel and a billion euros worth of aluminium to the US each year, and the European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, estimates Trump's tariffs could cost some 2.8 billion euros. Brussels is also looking at "safeguard" measures to protect its industry -- restricting the bloc's imports of steel and aluminium to stop foreign supplies flooding the European market, which is allowed under World Trade Organization rules.

Trump presses EU on trade barriers in tit-for-tat

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump will not meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unless Pyongyang takes &quot;concrete actions,&quot; the White House said on Friday as it faced criticism for agreeing to talks that would give North Korea international legitimacy.

&quot;The president will not have the meeting without seeing concrete steps and concrete actions take place by North Korea, so the president will actually be getting something,&quot; White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a news briefing.

Sanders did not specify what actions North Korea needed to take, and a White House official later said she was not intending to set new conditions for talks with Kim.

But the comments were a sign that an end to a standoff between the two countries over North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapon program is not imminent.

The United States has long said it wants any talks to aim at Pyongyang abandoning its nuclear weapons and missile programs.

Hopes for a breakthrough with North Korea rose on Thursday when Trump said he was prepared to hold an unprecedented meeting with Kim.

The two leaders prompted jitters around the world last year as they exchanged bellicose insults over the North&#39;s attempts to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States. Pyongyang has pursued its nuclear program in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

But tension eased around last month&#39;s Winter Olympics in South Korea, laying the groundwork for what would be the first meeting between leaders from North Korea and the United States, and the biggest foreign policy gamble for Trump since he took office in January last year.

The head of South Korea&#39;s National Security Office, Chung Eui-yong, speaking in Washington on Thursday after briefing Trump about a meeting South Korean officials held with Kim this week, said the US&nbsp;president had agreed to meet the North Korean leader by May in response to an invitation from Kim.

Kim had &quot;committed to denuclearization&quot; and to suspending nuclear and missile tests, Chung said.

Buying time?

A senior State Department official said the talks would likely only be a preliminary discussion about holding future negotiations.

&quot;The expectation is that the talks would lead to a discussion around a conclusion that we&#39;re ready to engage in negotiations,&quot; the official said.

Trump&#39;s sudden decision to meet with Kim stunned even people in his own administration.

Sanders&#39; comments seemed aimed at criticism in the United States that Trump took a misstep by agreeing to talks - thus giving Pyongyang the international legitimacy it seeks - but without earning any big concessions from the North.

&quot;The Administration must go into any meeting with a plan to ensure that negotiations with Kim Jong-un produce real results, not a photo op that lends legitimacy to North Korea&rsquo;s murderous regime,&rdquo; US&nbsp;Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat who is vice chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said in a statement.

Some US&nbsp;officials and experts worry North Korea could buy time to build up and refine its nuclear arsenal if it drags out talks with Washington.

A White House official said Trump remained committed to a meeting with Kim based on the conditions laid out by South Korea on Thursday: that Kim is committed to denuclearization, will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests, and understands that US-South Korean military exercises must continue.

&ldquo;(The North Koreans) are saying the right things and we&rsquo;re going to listen to them at the table and we&rsquo;re going to see where this leads,&rdquo; the official said.

No venue or date has been announced for the summit, which is expected to be held in May. Neutral Switzerland, which often hosts summits, said it was ready to facilitate the meeting.

China welcomes talks

A Trump-Kim summit would be a major turnaround after a year in which North Korea has carried out a battery of missile tests that Washington sees as provocative and after a barrage of insults between the two leaders.

US-based experts say North Korea appeared to show last November that it has succeeded in developing a missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon anywhere in the United States.

Trump has derided Kim as a &quot;maniac,&quot; referred to him as &quot;little rocket man&quot; and threatened in a speech last year to &quot;totally destroy&quot; North Korea, a country of 26 million people, if it attacked the United States or one of its allies.

Kim responded by calling Trump a &quot;mentally deranged US&nbsp;dotard.&quot;

The Trump administration has led a worldwide push to tighten international sanctions on North Korea to choke off resources needed for its weapons programs.

World leaders welcomed prospects for a possible thaw in the Korea standoff including China, which is North Korea&#39;s largest trading partner and its sole major ally.

President Xi Jinping told Trump in a phone call on Friday that he appreciates his desire to resolve the North Korea issue politically, Chinese state media said.

Xi &quot;hopes the United States and North Korea start contacts and dialogue as soon as possible and strive to reach positive results,&quot; the report added.

Sarah Sanders did not specify what actions North Korea needed to take, and a White House official later said she was not intending to set new conditions for talks with Kim

US President Donald Trump will not meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unless Pyongyang takes "concrete actions," the White House said on Friday as it faced criticism for agreeing to talks that would give North Korea international legitimacy. "The president will not have the meeting without seeing concrete steps and concrete actions take place by North Korea, so the president will actually be getting something," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a news briefing. Sanders did not specify what actions North Korea needed to take, and a White House official later said she was not intending to set new conditions for talks with Kim. But the comments were a sign that an end to a standoff between the two countries over North Korea's nuclear weapon program is not imminent. The United States has long said it wants any talks to aim at Pyongyang abandoning its nuclear weapons and missile programs. Hopes for a breakthrough with North Korea rose on Thursday when Trump said he was prepared to hold an unprecedented meeting with Kim. The two leaders prompted jitters around the world last year as they exchanged bellicose insults over the North's attempts to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States. Pyongyang has pursued its nuclear program in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions. But tension eased around last month's Winter Olympics in South Korea, laying the groundwork for what would be the first meeting between leaders from North Korea and the United States, and the biggest foreign policy gamble for Trump since he took office in January last year. The head of South Korea's National Security Office, Chung Eui-yong, speaking in Washington on Thursday after briefing Trump about a meeting South Korean officials held with Kim this week, said the US president had agreed to meet the North Korean leader by May in response to an invitation from Kim. Kim had "committed to denuclearization" and to suspending nuclear and missile tests, Chung said. Buying time? A senior State Department official said the talks would likely only be a preliminary discussion about holding future negotiations. "The expectation is that the talks would lead to a discussion around a conclusion that we're ready to engage in negotiations," the official said. Trump's sudden decision to meet with Kim stunned even people in his own administration. Sanders' comments seemed aimed at criticism in the United States that Trump took a misstep by agreeing to talks - thus giving Pyongyang the international legitimacy it seeks - but without earning any big concessions from the North. "The Administration must go into any meeting with a plan to ensure that negotiations with Kim Jong-un produce real results, not a photo op that lends legitimacy to North Korea’s murderous regime,” US Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat who is vice chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said in a statement. Some US officials and experts worry North Korea could buy time to build up and refine its nuclear arsenal if it drags out talks with Washington. A White House official said Trump remained committed to a meeting with Kim based on the conditions laid out by South Korea on Thursday: that Kim is committed to denuclearization, will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests, and understands that US-South Korean military exercises must continue. “(The North Koreans) are saying the right things and we’re going to listen to them at the table and we’re going to see where this leads,” the official said. No venue or date has been announced for the summit, which is expected to be held in May. Neutral Switzerland, which often hosts summits, said it was ready to facilitate the meeting. China welcomes talks A Trump-Kim summit would be a major turnaround after a year in which North Korea has carried out a battery of missile tests that Washington sees as provocative and after a barrage of insults between the two leaders. US-based experts say North Korea appeared to show last November that it has succeeded in developing a missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon anywhere in the United States. Trump has derided Kim as a "maniac," referred to him as "little rocket man" and threatened in a speech last year to "totally destroy" North Korea, a country of 26 million people, if it attacked the United States or one of its allies. Kim responded by calling Trump a "mentally deranged US dotard." The Trump administration has led a worldwide push to tighten international sanctions on North Korea to choke off resources needed for its weapons programs. World leaders welcomed prospects for a possible thaw in the Korea standoff including China, which is North Korea's largest trading partner and its sole major ally. President Xi Jinping told Trump in a phone call on Friday that he appreciates his desire to resolve the North Korea issue politically, Chinese state media said. Xi "hopes the United States and North Korea start contacts and dialogue as soon as possible and strive to reach positive results," the report added.

US seeks 'concrete actions' from North Korea before planned talks

The United States President Donald Trump&#39;s dream of getting a military parade will soon be fulfilled. &nbsp; &nbsp;

However, the parade will not involve any heavy military vehicles like tanks to avoid doing damage to the streets of Washington.

According to a guidance memo from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the event will include &#39;no tanks&#39;.

Though, it will play the host to a heavy air component at the end of the parade, to include older aircraft as available.&nbsp;

Earlier reports said that Trump had asked for a military parade and the Pentagon was reviewing potential dates.

The White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump had asked the Defense Department to explore the idea.

&quot;President Trump is incredibly supportive of America&#39;s great service members who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;He has asked the Department of Defense to explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation,&quot; Sanders said.

&nbsp;The parade is expected to take place in November, most likely on Veterans Day (November 11), from the White House to the U.S.&nbsp;Capitol Building.

In September 2017, President Trump had shared how impressed he was by the Bastille Day celebrations in Paris.&nbsp;

He had visited French President Emmanuel Macron and concluded &quot;to a large extent, because of what I witnessed, we may do something like that on July 4th in Washington, down Pennsylvania Avenue&quot;.

The cost of the parade, however, remains unclear.&nbsp;

The parade will not involve any heavy military vehicles

The United States President Donald Trump's dream of getting a military parade will soon be fulfilled. However, the parade will not involve any heavy military vehicles like tanks to avoid doing damage to the streets of Washington. According to a guidance memo from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the event will include 'no tanks'. Though, it will play the host to a heavy air component at the end of the parade, to include older aircraft as available. Earlier reports said that Trump had asked for a military parade and the Pentagon was reviewing potential dates. The White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump had asked the Defense Department to explore the idea. "President Trump is incredibly supportive of America's great service members who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe." "He has asked the Department of Defense to explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation," Sanders said. The parade is expected to take place in November, most likely on Veterans Day (November 11), from the White House to the U.S. Capitol Building. In September 2017, President Trump had shared how impressed he was by the Bastille Day celebrations in Paris. He had visited French President Emmanuel Macron and concluded "to a large extent, because of what I witnessed, we may do something like that on July 4th in Washington, down Pennsylvania Avenue". The cost of the parade, however, remains unclear.

Donald Trump to get military parade but without tanks

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that China&#39;s President Xi Jinping is being &quot;helpful&quot; as the United States moves toward a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump gave few details in a tweet about his telephone conversation with Xi Friday, but the White House had said the two leaders committed to keeping the pressure on North Korea until it takes &quot;tangible steps&quot; toward denuclearisation.

Trump stunned the world this week by accepting an invitation to meet Kim before the end of May, an unexpected turnabout after months of intensifying brinksmanship that sent tensions soaring.

Trump tweeted that Xi &quot;appreciates that the US is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative. China continues to be helpful!&quot;

The White House said the ever-more-powerful Chinese president committed to &quot;maintain pressure and sanctions until North Korea takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation.&quot;

Trump praised a possible future agreement with the communist North as &quot;very good&quot; for the international community as a whole in a Friday tweet.

&quot;The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined,&quot; Trump wrote.

As aides scrambled to catch up with the president`s decision, taken before consulting key confidantes, the White House sent mixed messages about conditions.

&quot;They`ve made promises to denuclearize, they`ve made promises to stop nuclear and missile testing,&quot; White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

&quot;We`re not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea,&quot; she told reporters.

Officials behind the scenes said this did not constitute a change of heart.In the Hague, former secretary of state and Trump rival Hillary Clinton questioned the administration`s readiness for the diplomatic challenge ahead.

&quot;If you want to talk to Kim Jong-un about his nuclear weapons you need experienced diplomats,&quot; Clinton told Dutch tabloid Algemeen Dagblad in an interview published Saturday.

She said the State Department was &quot;being eroded,&quot; and experienced diplomats on the North Korean issue were in short supply because many have left.

&quot;You cannot have diplomacy without diplomats,&quot; she said, adding &quot;the danger is not being recognized by the Trump government.&quot;

Clinton`s words echo those of veteran diplomat and former US ambassador to the United Nations, Bill Richardson, who warned that negotiating with North Korea was not &quot;reality television.&quot;

&quot;It`s a real opportunity... I worry about the president`s unpreparedness and lack of discipline. But I commend him for his very bold move in accepting the invitation,&quot; Richardson said on Friday.

&quot;But this is not `The Apprentice` or a reality TV event. It`s a negotiation with an unpredictable leader who has at least 20 nuclear weapons and who threatens the United States,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Trump tweeted that Xi 'appreciates that the US is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative. China continues to be helpful!'

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that China's President Xi Jinping is being "helpful" as the United States moves toward a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump gave few details in a tweet about his telephone conversation with Xi Friday, but the White House had said the two leaders committed to keeping the pressure on North Korea until it takes "tangible steps" toward denuclearisation. Trump stunned the world this week by accepting an invitation to meet Kim before the end of May, an unexpected turnabout after months of intensifying brinksmanship that sent tensions soaring. Trump tweeted that Xi "appreciates that the US is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative. China continues to be helpful!" The White House said the ever-more-powerful Chinese president committed to "maintain pressure and sanctions until North Korea takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation." Trump praised a possible future agreement with the communist North as "very good" for the international community as a whole in a Friday tweet. "The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined," Trump wrote. As aides scrambled to catch up with the president`s decision, taken before consulting key confidantes, the White House sent mixed messages about conditions. "They`ve made promises to denuclearize, they`ve made promises to stop nuclear and missile testing," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. "We`re not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea," she told reporters. Officials behind the scenes said this did not constitute a change of heart.In the Hague, former secretary of state and Trump rival Hillary Clinton questioned the administration`s readiness for the diplomatic challenge ahead. "If you want to talk to Kim Jong-un about his nuclear weapons you need experienced diplomats," Clinton told Dutch tabloid Algemeen Dagblad in an interview published Saturday. She said the State Department was "being eroded," and experienced diplomats on the North Korean issue were in short supply because many have left. "You cannot have diplomacy without diplomats," she said, adding "the danger is not being recognized by the Trump government." Clinton`s words echo those of veteran diplomat and former US ambassador to the United Nations, Bill Richardson, who warned that negotiating with North Korea was not "reality television." "It`s a real opportunity... I worry about the president`s unpreparedness and lack of discipline. But I commend him for his very bold move in accepting the invitation," Richardson said on Friday. "But this is not `The Apprentice` or a reality TV event. It`s a negotiation with an unpredictable leader who has at least 20 nuclear weapons and who threatens the United States," he said.

Trump says Chinese president 'helpful' on Kim Jong-un meeting

Florida Governor Rick Scott, a staunch ally of the National Rifle Association (NRA), signed into law on Friday a bill imposing a 21-year-old legal age requirement and three-day waiting period on all gun purchases and allowing the arming of some school employees.

Within hours, the NRA filed a court challenge to provisions raising the legal age for buying a rifle or shotgun, asserting that the higher requirement - consistent with the minimum age nationally for handgun purchases - violates the US&nbsp;Constitution.

Final passage of the bill by state lawmakers came three weeks to the day after a gunman opened fire with a semiautomatic assault-style rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public in Parkland, Florida, killing 14 students and three faculty members.

Swift action in the Republican-controlled statehouse, where the powerful NRA gun lobbying organization has long held sway, was propelled in large part by an extraordinary counter-lobbying campaign waged by young survivors from the massacre and parents of the victims.

The Parkland massacre and response to it by Florida lawmakers signaled a possible turning point in the national debate between advocates for tougher firearms restrictions and proponents of the right to bear arms as enshrined in the Second Amendment of the US&nbsp;Constitution.

Gun control supporters said the tragedy - the deadliest US&nbsp;high school shooting ever - has given new momentum to firearms-safety measures pending in at least two dozen states, many in solidly conservative parts of the nation.

&quot;Today should serve as an example to the entire country that government can and must move fast,&quot; Scott said in remarks before the signing, surrounded by survivors of the shooting and their families.

One of them, Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was among those killed, hailed the bill as &quot;a start.&quot;

&quot;We&#39;re going to work on moving forward and hitting every other state to make sure they follow the lead of Florida,&quot; he told reporters.

Scott, a Republican who received the NRA&#39;s endorsement as governor and its highest rating for supporting the rights of gun owners, said the bill represented a compromise balancing concerns on both sides of the gun debate.

The NRA&#39;s lawsuit, filed in US&nbsp;District Court in Tallahassee, said that barring adults under the age of 21 from buying rifles was unconstitutional, violating both the Second Amendment and Americans&#39; 14th Amendment rights to equal protection under the law.

A statement issued earlier by the NRA had derided the higher minimum age and new waiting period for rifle sales as a prescription that &quot;punishes law-abiding gun owners for the criminal acts of a deranged individual.&quot;

Still, other states appeared ready to follow Florida&#39;s lead on at least some new gun-safety measures.

Five states - Alabama, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Utah - have seen so-called &quot;red flag&quot; bills introduced since the Florida massacre to make it easier for police to confiscate weapons from someone found to pose a threat of violent behavior, according to Kristin Brown, co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Such a provision was included in the Florida package enacted on Friday.

The legislation, while containing a number of other provisions student activists and their parents from Parkland had embraced, left out one of their chief demands - a ban on assault-style weapons like the one used in the Feb. 14 rampage.

Arming school personnel

The bill also was controversial for including provisions allowing school staff to be specially trained and deputized to carry guns on the job as campus &quot;guardians,&quot; though local sheriffs and individual school districts may opt out of the program if they wish.

Most classroom teachers are excluded from volunteering for the program, a compromise aimed at earning the support of the governor, and many lawmakers, who opposed the idea.

&quot;My daughter is a teacher, and I believe teachers should teach,&quot; governor said. The bill left only non-teacher staff eligible to participate, such as administrators, guidance counselors, librarians and coaches.

Florida now joins at least six other states - Georgia, Kansas, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming - with laws allowing public school employees to carry firearms to work, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

President Donald Trump has voiced support for the idea, also espoused by the NRA.

Critics have said arming school staff only heightens the risks of gun violence, and poses a particular risk to minority students, who they said were more likely to be shot in the heat of a disciplinary situation or if mistaken as an intruder.

Scott said he remained dissatisfied with the guardian provisions but signed the bill nonetheless, saying it would enhance school safety overall.

&quot;I am glad, however, that the plan in this bill is not mandatory, which means it will be up to locally elected officials,&quot; Scott said.

Besides his objections to arming teachers, Scott was on record as being opposed to extending Florida&#39;s existing three-day waiting period for handgun sales to purchases of all firearms, as the new law now does.

The measure also raises the legal age for all gun purchases to 21. The minimum age for handguns nationally is 21, but a person as young as 18 previously could buy a rifle in Florida.

Nikolas Cruz, the accused gunman charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder in the Parkland shooting, was 18 years old when he legally purchased the AR-15 assault-style rifle used in the massacre, according to authorities.

Cruz, now 19, had a history of mental issues, numerous encounters with police and was expelled from Stoneman Douglas last year for disciplinary problems, according to authorities.

The bill imposes a 21-year-old legal age requirement and three-day waiting period on all gun purchases and allowing the arming of some school employees

Florida Governor Rick Scott, a staunch ally of the National Rifle Association (NRA), signed into law on Friday a bill imposing a 21-year-old legal age requirement and three-day waiting period on all gun purchases and allowing the arming of some school employees. Within hours, the NRA filed a court challenge to provisions raising the legal age for buying a rifle or shotgun, asserting that the higher requirement - consistent with the minimum age nationally for handgun purchases - violates the US Constitution. Final passage of the bill by state lawmakers came three weeks to the day after a gunman opened fire with a semiautomatic assault-style rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public in Parkland, Florida, killing 14 students and three faculty members. Swift action in the Republican-controlled statehouse, where the powerful NRA gun lobbying organization has long held sway, was propelled in large part by an extraordinary counter-lobbying campaign waged by young survivors from the massacre and parents of the victims. The Parkland massacre and response to it by Florida lawmakers signaled a possible turning point in the national debate between advocates for tougher firearms restrictions and proponents of the right to bear arms as enshrined in the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. Gun control supporters said the tragedy - the deadliest US high school shooting ever - has given new momentum to firearms-safety measures pending in at least two dozen states, many in solidly conservative parts of the nation. "Today should serve as an example to the entire country that government can and must move fast," Scott said in remarks before the signing, surrounded by survivors of the shooting and their families. One of them, Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was among those killed, hailed the bill as "a start." "We're going to work on moving forward and hitting every other state to make sure they follow the lead of Florida," he told reporters. Scott, a Republican who received the NRA's endorsement as governor and its highest rating for supporting the rights of gun owners, said the bill represented a compromise balancing concerns on both sides of the gun debate. The NRA's lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Tallahassee, said that barring adults under the age of 21 from buying rifles was unconstitutional, violating both the Second Amendment and Americans' 14th Amendment rights to equal protection under the law. A statement issued earlier by the NRA had derided the higher minimum age and new waiting period for rifle sales as a prescription that "punishes law-abiding gun owners for the criminal acts of a deranged individual." Still, other states appeared ready to follow Florida's lead on at least some new gun-safety measures. Five states - Alabama, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Utah - have seen so-called "red flag" bills introduced since the Florida massacre to make it easier for police to confiscate weapons from someone found to pose a threat of violent behavior, according to Kristin Brown, co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Such a provision was included in the Florida package enacted on Friday. The legislation, while containing a number of other provisions student activists and their parents from Parkland had embraced, left out one of their chief demands - a ban on assault-style weapons like the one used in the Feb. 14 rampage. Arming school personnel The bill also was controversial for including provisions allowing school staff to be specially trained and deputized to carry guns on the job as campus "guardians," though local sheriffs and individual school districts may opt out of the program if they wish. Most classroom teachers are excluded from volunteering for the program, a compromise aimed at earning the support of the governor, and many lawmakers, who opposed the idea. "My daughter is a teacher, and I believe teachers should teach," governor said. The bill left only non-teacher staff eligible to participate, such as administrators, guidance counselors, librarians and coaches. Florida now joins at least six other states - Georgia, Kansas, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming - with laws allowing public school employees to carry firearms to work, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. President Donald Trump has voiced support for the idea, also espoused by the NRA. Critics have said arming school staff only heightens the risks of gun violence, and poses a particular risk to minority students, who they said were more likely to be shot in the heat of a disciplinary situation or if mistaken as an intruder. Scott said he remained dissatisfied with the guardian provisions but signed the bill nonetheless, saying it would enhance school safety overall. "I am glad, however, that the plan in this bill is not mandatory, which means it will be up to locally elected officials," Scott said. Besides his objections to arming teachers, Scott was on record as being opposed to extending Florida's existing three-day waiting period for handgun sales to purchases of all firearms, as the new law now does. The measure also raises the legal age for all gun purchases to 21. The minimum age for handguns nationally is 21, but a person as young as 18 previously could buy a rifle in Florida. Nikolas Cruz, the accused gunman charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder in the Parkland shooting, was 18 years old when he legally purchased the AR-15 assault-style rifle used in the massacre, according to authorities. Cruz, now 19, had a history of mental issues, numerous encounters with police and was expelled from Stoneman Douglas last year for disciplinary problems, according to authorities.

Florida governor signs gun-safety bill into law after school shooting

US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-push-for-reciprocal-tax-on-trade-partners-32660">reciprocal tax</a>&quot; on countries like India and China if they do not match America&#39;s tariff.

Trump has, in recent days, spoken a number of times about the 50 per cent&nbsp;duty that India levies&nbsp;on high-end motorbikes that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/harley-davidson-issue-after-india-reduces-import-duty-by-half-trump-says-us-gets-nothing-34174" target="_blank">Harley-Davidson</a>, an American company, sells in India. He has repeatedly insisted that the US levies &quot;zero&quot; duty &mdash; or &quot;nothing&quot; &mdash; on motorbikes imported from India.

&quot;We&#39;re going to be doing a reciprocal tax programme, at some point so that if China is going to charge us 25 per cent or if India is going to charge us 75 per cent and we charge them nothing,&quot; he said as he imposed a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium from all countries except Canada and Mexico.

Opinion: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-the-modi-trump-love-connection-explained-34411" target="_blank">The Modi-Trump love connection explained</a>

&quot;They are 50, they are 75 or they are 25, we are going to be doing the same numbers. It&#39;s called reciprocal. It&#39;s a mirror of taxes. So they charge us 50, we would charge them 50,&quot; Trump said.

The US President said the stage for the imposition of reciprocal tax has been set in the first year of his administration.

He said American companies had not been treated fairly by other countries.

Referring to a tweet by Tesla chief Elan Musk, Trump said China charges 25 per cent duty on American cars whereas it is just 2.5 per cent on import of Chinese cars into the US.

Trump said the &quot;reciprocal tax&quot; programme would ensure &quot;fair trade deals&quot; for the US.

The US president mentioned China several times as he signed two proclamations to impose import duties on steel and aluminium.

&quot;China says it&#39;s got two per cent, but it sends much more. We&#39;re going to have a great relationship, hopefully, with China, but we have to do something. We&#39;re losing with China $500 billion a year. We have to do something,&quot; Trump told reporters during the signing ceremony.

Trump said the US is going to stop the trans-shipping. &quot;Well, we&#39;ll let it happen, but they&#39;ve got to pay. So trans-shipping, frankly, is a big deal,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;And they trans-ship, and we&#39;re going to accept their product, but it&#39;s going to cost a lot of money from the standpoint of the trans-shipper,&quot; he added.

The US, he said, is negotiating now with China.

&quot;We&#39;re in the midst of a big negotiation. I don&#39;t know that anything is going to come of it. They have been very helpful. President Xi (Jinping), I have great respect for. A lot of respect,&quot; he said.

&quot;But we&#39;re going to cut down the deficits one way or the other. We have a deficit with China of at least $500 billion. When you add intellectual property, it&#39;s much higher than that,&quot; Trump said.

 
&nbsp;

'We're going to be doing a reciprocal tax programme, at some point so that if China is going to charge us 25% or if India is going to charge us 75% and we charge them nothing,' said Trump

US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose "reciprocal tax" on countries like India and China if they do not match America's tariff. Trump has, in recent days, spoken a number of times about the 50 per cent duty that India levies on high-end motorbikes that Harley-Davidson, an American company, sells in India. He has repeatedly insisted that the US levies "zero" duty — or "nothing" — on motorbikes imported from India. "We're going to be doing a reciprocal tax programme, at some point so that if China is going to charge us 25 per cent or if India is going to charge us 75 per cent and we charge them nothing," he said as he imposed a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium from all countries except Canada and Mexico. Opinion: The Modi-Trump love connection explained "They are 50, they are 75 or they are 25, we are going to be doing the same numbers. It's called reciprocal. It's a mirror of taxes. So they charge us 50, we would charge them 50," Trump said. The US President said the stage for the imposition of reciprocal tax has been set in the first year of his administration. He said American companies had not been treated fairly by other countries. Referring to a tweet by Tesla chief Elan Musk, Trump said China charges 25 per cent duty on American cars whereas it is just 2.5 per cent on import of Chinese cars into the US. Trump said the "reciprocal tax" programme would ensure "fair trade deals" for the US. The US president mentioned China several times as he signed two proclamations to impose import duties on steel and aluminium. "China says it's got two per cent, but it sends much more. We're going to have a great relationship, hopefully, with China, but we have to do something. We're losing with China $500 billion a year. We have to do something," Trump told reporters during the signing ceremony. Trump said the US is going to stop the trans-shipping. "Well, we'll let it happen, but they've got to pay. So trans-shipping, frankly, is a big deal," he said. "And they trans-ship, and we're going to accept their product, but it's going to cost a lot of money from the standpoint of the trans-shipper," he added. The US, he said, is negotiating now with China. "We're in the midst of a big negotiation. I don't know that anything is going to come of it. They have been very helpful. President Xi (Jinping), I have great respect for. A lot of respect," he said. "But we're going to cut down the deficits one way or the other. We have a deficit with China of at least $500 billion. When you add intellectual property, it's much higher than that," Trump said.

Trump threatens 'reciprocal tax' on India, China

The BSE Sensex extended gains for the second straight day by rising about 139 points in opening trade on sustained buying by domestic institutional investors amid a firm trend at other Asian bourses.

The 30-share barometer, which had gained 318.48 points in the previous session, was trading higher by 138.52 points, or 0.41 per cent, at 33,490.09. Sectoral indices led by Metal, IT, Teck, Consumer Durables and FMCG led the gains, rising by up to 0.64 per cent.

On similar lines, the NSE Nifty was up by 35.35 points, or 0.34 per cent, at 10,278 points.

Traders said sentiment remained upbeat on increased buying by domestic institutional investors and a firm trend at other Asian markets, extending gains on Wall Street following signs from the White House that US President Donald Trump&#39;s tariffs may be softer than initially feared.

Major gainers that supported the upmove were Bajaj Auto, Bharti Airtel, Asian Paints, Tata Steel, Adani Ports, Hero MotoCorp, HDFC, ITC and Dr Reddy&#39;s, rising by up to 1.03 per cent.

However, Gitanjali Gems remained under selling pressure and traded 4.82 per cent lower at Rs 15.80.

Domestic institutional investors bought shares worth a net Rs 675.26 crore, while foreign portfolio investors sold shares worth a net Rs 364.80 crore yesterday, provisional data showed.

Globally, Hong Kong&#39;s Hang Seng was up 0.85 per cent, Shanghai&#39;s Composite rose 0.11 per cent and Japan&#39;s Nikkei went up by 0.87 per cent in early deals.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.38 per cent higher in yesterday&#39;s trade.&nbsp;

The BSE Sensex extended gains for the second straight day by rising about 139 points in opening trade on sustained buying by domestic institutional investors amid a firm trend at other Asian bourses

The BSE Sensex extended gains for the second straight day by rising about 139 points in opening trade on sustained buying by domestic institutional investors amid a firm trend at other Asian bourses. The 30-share barometer, which had gained 318.48 points in the previous session, was trading higher by 138.52 points, or 0.41 per cent, at 33,490.09. Sectoral indices led by Metal, IT, Teck, Consumer Durables and FMCG led the gains, rising by up to 0.64 per cent. On similar lines, the NSE Nifty was up by 35.35 points, or 0.34 per cent, at 10,278 points. Traders said sentiment remained upbeat on increased buying by domestic institutional investors and a firm trend at other Asian markets, extending gains on Wall Street following signs from the White House that US President Donald Trump's tariffs may be softer than initially feared. Major gainers that supported the upmove were Bajaj Auto, Bharti Airtel, Asian Paints, Tata Steel, Adani Ports, Hero MotoCorp, HDFC, ITC and Dr Reddy's, rising by up to 1.03 per cent. However, Gitanjali Gems remained under selling pressure and traded 4.82 per cent lower at Rs 15.80. Domestic institutional investors bought shares worth a net Rs 675.26 crore, while foreign portfolio investors sold shares worth a net Rs 364.80 crore yesterday, provisional data showed. Globally, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 0.85 per cent, Shanghai's Composite rose 0.11 per cent and Japan's Nikkei went up by 0.87 per cent in early deals. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.38 per cent higher in yesterday's trade.

Sensex extends gains, up 139 points in early trade on global cues

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-agrees-meet-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-35147">Trump says sanctions will remain as he agrees to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un</a>

US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korea&#39;s Kim Jong-un by May in response to Kim&#39;s invitation to hold the first meeting between leaders of the United States and North Korea, a South Korean envoy said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/emmanuel-macron-to-arrive-in-delhi-on-friday-35156">French President Emmanuel Macron to arrive in Delhi today on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/emmanuel-macron-to-arrive-in-delhi-on-friday-35156">four-day</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/emmanuel-macron-to-arrive-in-delhi-on-friday-35156"> visit</a>

French President France Emmanuel Macron to arrive in New Delhi on Friday on a four-day state visit.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/biplab-deb-to-be-sworn-in-as-tripura-chief-minister-on-friday-35152">Biplab Deb to be sworn in as Tripura chief minister on Friday</a>

Biplab Kumar Deb will be sworn in as the chief minister of Tripura on Friday, officially ushering the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the Left bastion.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-signs-sweeping-tariffs-canada-mexico-exempted-35148">Trump signs sweeping tariffs; Canada, Mexico exempted</a>

US President Donald Trump slapped steep trade tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum Thursday, drawing sharp protests from allies at home and abroad as the contentious move raised the specter of a global trade war.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-minister-says-us-tariffs-wrong-way-to-resolve-trade-issues-35151">UK minister says US tariffs &#39;wrong way&#39; to resolve trade issues</a>

Britain&#39;s trade minister Liam Fox on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump&#39;s announcement of duties on steel and aluminium imports to America, saying it was the &quot;wrong way&quot; to resolve trade disputes.

Trump says sanctions will remain as he agrees to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korea's Kim Jong-un by May in response to Kim's invitation to hold the first meeting between leaders of the United States and North Korea, a South Korean envoy said. French President Emmanuel Macron to arrive in Delhi today on four-day visit French President France Emmanuel Macron to arrive in New Delhi on Friday on a four-day state visit. Biplab Deb to be sworn in as Tripura chief minister on Friday Biplab Kumar Deb will be sworn in as the chief minister of Tripura on Friday, officially ushering the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the Left bastion. Trump signs sweeping tariffs; Canada, Mexico exempted US President Donald Trump slapped steep trade tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum Thursday, drawing sharp protests from allies at home and abroad as the contentious move raised the specter of a global trade war. UK minister says US tariffs 'wrong way' to resolve trade issues Britain's trade minister Liam Fox on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump's announcement of duties on steel and aluminium imports to America, saying it was the "wrong way" to resolve trade disputes.

WION Morning News Brief, March 9, 2018

A federal judge on Thursday expressed skepticism about whether U.S. President Donald Trump can constitutionally block Twitter users whose views he does not like from following and responding to his own Twitter account.

At a hearing in Manhattan federal court, U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald asked Michael Baer, a lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice arguing for Trump, whether letting the president bar users from @realDonaldTrump would violate their First Amendment free speech rights.

She asked whether Twitter was different from a public town hall, where government officials would be unable to pull the plug from a microphone to mute speakers with unwelcome views.

&quot;Once it is a public forum, you can`t shut somebody up because you don`t like what they`re saying,&quot; Buchwald said.

Baer said the appropriate analogy was not a town hall, but rather Trump choosing to walk away from someone at a public event.

&quot;The president has an associational interest in deciding who he`s going to spend his time with in that setting,&quot; he said.

Near the close of the hearing, Buchwald suggested the lawsuit could be easily resolved if Trump agreed to mute, rather than block, Twitter users whose tweets he did not want to read. Both sides` lawyers said they were receptive to the idea.

If Trump muted a user, he would not see that user`s tweets, but the user could still see and respond to the president`s tweets.

The lawsuit was filed against Trump in July by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and several Twitter users. Buchwald is considering motions from both sides seeking judgment in their favor.

The plaintiffs have said Trump`s account is a public forum, and that the president cannot block Twitter users simply because they criticize him in replies to his tweets.

Trump`s Twitter use draws intense interest for his unvarnished commentary, including attacks on critics. His tweets often shape news.

Katherine Fallow, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told Buchwald the record &quot;shows unambiguously that the president operates his account in an official capacity.&quot;

Baer acknowledged that Trump sometimes uses his Twitter account to announce policy, but said that blocking users was not an official action.

Baer also argued that the court cannot order the president to unblock users, because of his position as head of another branch of government.

Twitter lets users post short texts, called tweets, to which other users may respond.

The judge asked whether Twitter was different from a public town hall

A federal judge on Thursday expressed skepticism about whether U.S. President Donald Trump can constitutionally block Twitter users whose views he does not like from following and responding to his own Twitter account. At a hearing in Manhattan federal court, U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald asked Michael Baer, a lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice arguing for Trump, whether letting the president bar users from @realDonaldTrump would violate their First Amendment free speech rights. She asked whether Twitter was different from a public town hall, where government officials would be unable to pull the plug from a microphone to mute speakers with unwelcome views. "Once it is a public forum, you can`t shut somebody up because you don`t like what they`re saying," Buchwald said. Baer said the appropriate analogy was not a town hall, but rather Trump choosing to walk away from someone at a public event. "The president has an associational interest in deciding who he`s going to spend his time with in that setting," he said. Near the close of the hearing, Buchwald suggested the lawsuit could be easily resolved if Trump agreed to mute, rather than block, Twitter users whose tweets he did not want to read. Both sides` lawyers said they were receptive to the idea. If Trump muted a user, he would not see that user`s tweets, but the user could still see and respond to the president`s tweets. The lawsuit was filed against Trump in July by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and several Twitter users. Buchwald is considering motions from both sides seeking judgment in their favor. The plaintiffs have said Trump`s account is a public forum, and that the president cannot block Twitter users simply because they criticize him in replies to his tweets. Trump`s Twitter use draws intense interest for his unvarnished commentary, including attacks on critics. His tweets often shape news. Katherine Fallow, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told Buchwald the record "shows unambiguously that the president operates his account in an official capacity." Baer acknowledged that Trump sometimes uses his Twitter account to announce policy, but said that blocking users was not an official action. Baer also argued that the court cannot order the president to unblock users, because of his position as head of another branch of government. Twitter lets users post short texts, called tweets, to which other users may respond.

US judge questions whether Trump can block Twitter users

US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korea&#39;s Kim Jong-un by May in response to Kim&#39;s invitation to hold the first meeting between leaders of the United States and North Korea, a South Korean envoy said.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/971915531346436096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Kim has committed to &quot;denuclearization&quot; and to suspending nuclear or missile tests, South Korea&#39;s National Security Office head Chung Eui- yong told reporters at the White House after briefing Trump on South Korean officials&#39; meeting with Kim on Monday.

A meeting between Kim and Trump, who have exchanged bellicose insults in the past year that have raised fear of war, would mark a dramatic breakthrough in efforts to resolve the tense standoff over North Korea&#39;s effort to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland.

&quot;I told him (Trump) that in our meeting that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that he&#39;s committed to denuclearization,&quot; Chung said. &quot;Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests,&quot; news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&quot;He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible,&quot; he said. &quot;President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve denuclearization.&quot;

Trump hailed the progress being made but said that sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached.&nbsp;

&#39;&#39;Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!,&#39;&#39;&nbsp; Trump tweeted immediately&nbsp;after&nbsp; Eui- yong&nbsp;made an announcement regarding the meeting.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s aides have been wary of North Korea&#39;s diplomatic overtures because of its history of reneging on international commitments.

The announcement came after a South Korean delegation held unprecedented talks with Kim earlier this week.

Ties between the two Koreas have improved since their joint participation in the Winter Olympics.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

South Korean national security adviser Chung Eui-yong, speaking at the White House, said Mr Trump would meet Mr Kim by May.

US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korea's Kim Jong-un by May in response to Kim's invitation to hold the first meeting between leaders of the United States and North Korea, a South Korean envoy said. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2018 × Kim has committed to "denuclearization" and to suspending nuclear or missile tests, South Korea's National Security Office head Chung Eui- yong told reporters at the White House after briefing Trump on South Korean officials' meeting with Kim on Monday. A meeting between Kim and Trump, who have exchanged bellicose insults in the past year that have raised fear of war, would mark a dramatic breakthrough in efforts to resolve the tense standoff over North Korea's effort to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. "I told him (Trump) that in our meeting that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that he's committed to denuclearization," Chung said. "Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests," news agency Reuters reported. "He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," he said. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve denuclearization." Trump hailed the progress being made but said that sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. ''Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!,'' Trump tweeted immediately after Eui- yong made an announcement regarding the meeting. Trump's aides have been wary of North Korea's diplomatic overtures because of its history of reneging on international commitments. The announcement came after a South Korean delegation held unprecedented talks with Kim earlier this week. Ties between the two Koreas have improved since their joint participation in the Winter Olympics. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

Trump says sanctions will remain as he agrees to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

US President Donald Trump slapped steep trade tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum Thursday, drawing sharp protests from allies at home and abroad as the contentious move raised the specter of a global trade war.&nbsp;

Signaling a sharp departure from a decades-long US-led drive for more open and less regulated trade, Trump declared that America had been &quot;ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices.&quot;

&quot;It&#39;s really an assault on our country,&quot; he said, in announcing the tariffs of 25 per cent on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminum.

Trump said the tariffs -- which will come into effect after 15 days -- will not initially apply to Canada and Mexico, and that close partners on security and trade could negotiate exemptions.

&quot;Many of the countries that treat us the worst on trade and on the military are our allies, as they call them,&quot; he complained.

The tariffs, worth billions of dollars, sparked immediate protests from top trading partners the European Union and Brazil, with retaliatory action expected from China and other economic powers.

Leaning on a little-used and decades old national security clause in US trade law, Trump said he was fulfilling a campaign promise.

&quot;I&#39;ve been talking about this a long time, a lot longer than my political career,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ve been treated very badly by our past administrations, by presidents that represented us that didn&#39;t know what they were doing.&quot;

The mercurial 45th president compared his action to those of predecessors George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and William McKinley.

Real friends

Canada, America&#39;s neighbor to the north, was its single-largest source of steel last year, followed by Brazil, South Korea, Russia, Mexico, Japan and Germany.

Regarding alumina and aluminum, Canada was also by far the largest supplier followed by China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump had indicated he would be flexible toward &quot;real friends,&quot; and during the signing confirmed Canada and Mexico would be permanently exempted if the ongoing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement is successful.

The US leader had also added Australia to a list of likely carve-outs, as a &quot;great country&quot; and &quot;long term partner.&quot;

But he singled out Germany for criticism, reviving a longstanding gripe that European NATO allies do not pay their fair share.

&quot;We have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years on trade and on military,&quot; he said.

The EU&#39;s top trade official Cecilia Malmstroem insisted the entire bloc &quot;should be excluded&quot; from the tariffs as a &quot;close ally,&quot; vowing to &quot;seek more clarity&quot; from Washington.&nbsp;

Britain meanwhile said it would &quot;work with EU partners to consider the scope for exemptions outlined today,&quot; saying &quot;tariffs are not the right way&quot; to tackle the problem of global over-capacity in steel.

Major producer Brazil immediately vowed to take &quot;all necessary steps&quot; in order to &quot;protect its rights and interests&quot; in response to the US move.

China had also warned it was ready to respond -- although Trump struck a more conciliatory tone in his announcement, pointing to negotiations under way to trim Washington&#39;s soaring bilateral trade deficit with Beijing.

Partners promise backlash&nbsp;

Last week Trump stunned the world -- and his own aides -- with an off-the-cuff announcement of his plan, even before White House lawyers judged the legality of the tariffs.&nbsp;

The metals are used in everything from cars to construction, roads to railways.&nbsp;

While the full economic impact remains unknown, the political fallout was swift with the top Republican in Congress Paul Ryan publicly denouncing Trump&#39;s move, and vowing to push him to narrow its focus to &quot;countries and practices that violate trade law.&quot;

More than 100 Republican lawmakers had written to Trump expressing &quot;deep concern&quot; about the policy, which threatens to sour already vinegared trans-Atlantic relations.

The European Union has promised tariffs on items from steel to peanut butter, bourbon and denim -- most of which are produced in states that Trump needs to win reelection.

Even as Trump approved the tariffs, 11 partners in the Asia-Pacific were in Santiago, Chile, to sign a multilateral trade deal embraced by president Barack Obama but rejected by Trump.&nbsp;

The White House was left scrambling to catch up following Trump&#39;s shock move last week, as top economic advisor Gary Cohn -- who opposed it -- quit in protest.

&quot;He may be globalist, but I still like him,&quot; Trump joked earlier Thursday, alluding to an ideological clash within his administration that the &quot;nationalists&quot; appear to have decisively won.

Signaling a sharp departure from a decades-long US-led drive for more open and less regulated trade, Trump declared that America had been 'ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices'

US President Donald Trump slapped steep trade tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum Thursday, drawing sharp protests from allies at home and abroad as the contentious move raised the specter of a global trade war. Signaling a sharp departure from a decades-long US-led drive for more open and less regulated trade, Trump declared that America had been "ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices." "It's really an assault on our country," he said, in announcing the tariffs of 25 per cent on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminum. Trump said the tariffs -- which will come into effect after 15 days -- will not initially apply to Canada and Mexico, and that close partners on security and trade could negotiate exemptions. "Many of the countries that treat us the worst on trade and on the military are our allies, as they call them," he complained. The tariffs, worth billions of dollars, sparked immediate protests from top trading partners the European Union and Brazil, with retaliatory action expected from China and other economic powers. Leaning on a little-used and decades old national security clause in US trade law, Trump said he was fulfilling a campaign promise. "I've been talking about this a long time, a lot longer than my political career," he said. "We've been treated very badly by our past administrations, by presidents that represented us that didn't know what they were doing." The mercurial 45th president compared his action to those of predecessors George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and William McKinley. Real friends Canada, America's neighbor to the north, was its single-largest source of steel last year, followed by Brazil, South Korea, Russia, Mexico, Japan and Germany. Regarding alumina and aluminum, Canada was also by far the largest supplier followed by China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Trump had indicated he would be flexible toward "real friends," and during the signing confirmed Canada and Mexico would be permanently exempted if the ongoing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement is successful. The US leader had also added Australia to a list of likely carve-outs, as a "great country" and "long term partner." But he singled out Germany for criticism, reviving a longstanding gripe that European NATO allies do not pay their fair share. "We have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years on trade and on military," he said. The EU's top trade official Cecilia Malmstroem insisted the entire bloc "should be excluded" from the tariffs as a "close ally," vowing to "seek more clarity" from Washington. Britain meanwhile said it would "work with EU partners to consider the scope for exemptions outlined today," saying "tariffs are not the right way" to tackle the problem of global over-capacity in steel. Major producer Brazil immediately vowed to take "all necessary steps" in order to "protect its rights and interests" in response to the US move. China had also warned it was ready to respond -- although Trump struck a more conciliatory tone in his announcement, pointing to negotiations under way to trim Washington's soaring bilateral trade deficit with Beijing. Partners promise backlash Last week Trump stunned the world -- and his own aides -- with an off-the-cuff announcement of his plan, even before White House lawyers judged the legality of the tariffs. The metals are used in everything from cars to construction, roads to railways. While the full economic impact remains unknown, the political fallout was swift with the top Republican in Congress Paul Ryan publicly denouncing Trump's move, and vowing to push him to narrow its focus to "countries and practices that violate trade law." More than 100 Republican lawmakers had written to Trump expressing "deep concern" about the policy, which threatens to sour already vinegared trans-Atlantic relations. The European Union has promised tariffs on items from steel to peanut butter, bourbon and denim -- most of which are produced in states that Trump needs to win reelection. Even as Trump approved the tariffs, 11 partners in the Asia-Pacific were in Santiago, Chile, to sign a multilateral trade deal embraced by president Barack Obama but rejected by Trump. The White House was left scrambling to catch up following Trump's shock move last week, as top economic advisor Gary Cohn -- who opposed it -- quit in protest. "He may be globalist, but I still like him," Trump joked earlier Thursday, alluding to an ideological clash within his administration that the "nationalists" appear to have decisively won.

Trump signs sweeping tariffs; Canada, Mexico exempted

Britain&#39;s trade minister Liam Fox on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump&#39;s announcement of duties on steel and aluminium imports to America, saying it was the &quot;wrong way&quot; to resolve trade disputes.

&quot;We can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel but this is the wrong way to go about it,&quot; he told the live TV audience of a BBC current affairs show.

&quot;Protectionism, tariffs never really work,&quot; Fox added.

Trump imposed the tariffs -- 25 per cent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium -- despite calls for restraint from Britain and repeated warnings from the European Union and other allies that it could trigger a full-on trade war.

Announcing the move Trump leaned on a little-used and decades old national security clause in US trade law, but said Canada and Mexico would be excluded and other countries could negotiate exemptions.

Fox said he would travel to Washington next week for meetings with US officials about the tariffs and the possible exemptions for America&#39;s allies.

&quot;We&#39;ll have to wait to see what the announcements are,&quot; he added on the potential opt-outs.

&quot;We&#39;ll wait to see whether there&#39;s a time for negotiation -- that&#39;s why I&#39;m going to Washington next week.&quot;

Fox argued it was &quot;doubly absurd&quot; to target Britain with steel tariffs on national security grounds when it only provided the US with one percent of its imports and made steel for the American military.

The British steel industry could be badly hit by the tariffs, with trade body UK Steel saying the tariffs could have a &quot;profound and detrimental impact&quot;.

Britain is currently a member of the European Union and would be bound by US measures against the bloc and any retaliation it launches.

The EU, which says it should also be excluded from the duties, has already drawn up a hitlist of flagship American products to target for countermeasures.

'We can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel but this is the wrong way to go about it,' Liam Fox said

Britain's trade minister Liam Fox on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump's announcement of duties on steel and aluminium imports to America, saying it was the "wrong way" to resolve trade disputes. "We can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel but this is the wrong way to go about it," he told the live TV audience of a BBC current affairs show. "Protectionism, tariffs never really work," Fox added. Trump imposed the tariffs -- 25 per cent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium -- despite calls for restraint from Britain and repeated warnings from the European Union and other allies that it could trigger a full-on trade war. Announcing the move Trump leaned on a little-used and decades old national security clause in US trade law, but said Canada and Mexico would be excluded and other countries could negotiate exemptions. Fox said he would travel to Washington next week for meetings with US officials about the tariffs and the possible exemptions for America's allies. "We'll have to wait to see what the announcements are," he added on the potential opt-outs. "We'll wait to see whether there's a time for negotiation -- that's why I'm going to Washington next week." Fox argued it was "doubly absurd" to target Britain with steel tariffs on national security grounds when it only provided the US with one percent of its imports and made steel for the American military. The British steel industry could be badly hit by the tariffs, with trade body UK Steel saying the tariffs could have a "profound and detrimental impact". Britain is currently a member of the European Union and would be bound by US measures against the bloc and any retaliation it launches. The EU, which says it should also be excluded from the duties, has already drawn up a hitlist of flagship American products to target for countermeasures.

UK minister says US tariffs 'wrong way' to resolve trade issues

&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
President Donald Trump&#39;s team played down talk of a trade war Wednesday as it fought to limit a financial market sell-off, promising a quick decision on contentious tariffs that prompted a popular economic advisor to the president to quit.

Administration big guns Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin rushed to the cameras to calm market jitters over proposed steel and aluminium duties, which they indicated were still negotiable and would not hurt growth.&nbsp;

Trump is set to formalize the tariffs at a signing ceremony Thursday afternoon, and Canada and Mexico will be exempt initially, Peter Navarro, a top trade advisor, told Fox Business Network Wednesday night.

As markets fell on news that Wall Street favourite Gary Cohn, Trump`s top economic adviser, had resigned from the White House in protest at Trump&#39;s trade decision and global partners vowed retaliation, Ross tried to calm fears of a trade war.

&quot;We&#39;re going to have sensible relations with our allies,&quot; he told CNBC, claiming that Trump&#39;s policy was well &quot;thought through. We&#39;re not looking for a trade war.&quot; Mnuchin joined the effort, claiming that the tariffs, which are not yet finalized, would not hurt the administration&#39;s projections for three percent growth.&nbsp;

&quot;We&#39;re comfortable that we&#39;re going to manage through this so that it is not detrimental to our growth projections,&quot; he told Fox Business.

As stocks fell off on Wall Street, a fierce battle over Trump&#39;s proposals raged behind the scenes in Washington.

Trump surprised and angered Republican lawmakers with his impromptu tariff announcement last week.&nbsp;

Congress is now starting to contemplate legislation that would block the measures from taking effect.

&quot;We are still trying to work with POTUS to avoid that outcome,&quot; a congressional source told AFP.Even Trump&#39;s most accommodating allies have begun to speak out against what amounts to a major break with Republican orthodoxy.

&quot;There is a lot of concern among Republican senators that this could sort of metastasize into a larger trade war,&quot; Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell told reporters.&nbsp;

&quot;Many of our members are discussing with the administration just how broad, how sweeping this might be,&quot; he added. &quot;There&#39;s a high level of concern about interfering with what appears to be an economy that`s taking off in every respect.&quot;

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders also tried to soothe unease, projecting calm and saying a decision would come soon.

&quot;We are still on pace for an announcement on that at the end of this week,&quot; she said, adding that Trump would also quickly move to replace Cohn with a mainstream pick.

&quot;The president&#39;s got a number of people that could potentially fill that role,&quot; she said.

&quot;What I can assure you obviously is he&#39;s going to make a good pick that can help him continue to further building a strong economy and continue creating jobs and continue focusing on long-term economic success.&quot;

Despite Republican agitation, it is far from clear that Trump will back down.

Cohn&#39;s departure has given the president&#39;s &quot;nationalist&quot; advisors like arch China skeptic Peter Navarro and Commerce boss Ross the whip hand.

Cohn, a 57-year-old former Goldman Sachs executive, had lobbied passionately against the tariffs before losing out.

Ross offered an olive branch, claiming, contrary to the statements of his White House colleagues earlier in the week, that Trump could agree to tariff carve outs for Canada, Mexico and perhaps others.

Data released Wednesday showed the US foreign trade deficit widened in January to its highest level in nine years, heaping pressure on Trump, who had campaigned on a promise to reverse that trend.

Trump took to Twitter to blame the deficit on &quot;bad policies &amp; leadership&quot; from his White House predecessors.

He also took aim at perennial trade bogeyman, Beijing.

&quot;China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States,&quot; he tweeted.

&quot;Our relationship with China has been a very good one, and we look forward to seeing what ideas they come back with. We must act soon!&quot;

China warned Thursday it was ready to respond to US tariffs if they materialize.

&quot;Choosing a trade war is surely the wrong prescription, in the end you will only hurt others and yourself,&quot; Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, adding that &quot;China will certainly make an appropriate and necessary response.&quot; 
&nbsp;

Trump is set to formalize the tariffs at a signing ceremony Thursday afternoon

President Donald Trump's team played down talk of a trade war Wednesday as it fought to limit a financial market sell-off, promising a quick decision on contentious tariffs that prompted a popular economic advisor to the president to quit. Administration big guns Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin rushed to the cameras to calm market jitters over proposed steel and aluminium duties, which they indicated were still negotiable and would not hurt growth. Trump is set to formalize the tariffs at a signing ceremony Thursday afternoon, and Canada and Mexico will be exempt initially, Peter Navarro, a top trade advisor, told Fox Business Network Wednesday night. As markets fell on news that Wall Street favourite Gary Cohn, Trump`s top economic adviser, had resigned from the White House in protest at Trump's trade decision and global partners vowed retaliation, Ross tried to calm fears of a trade war. "We're going to have sensible relations with our allies," he told CNBC, claiming that Trump's policy was well "thought through. We're not looking for a trade war." Mnuchin joined the effort, claiming that the tariffs, which are not yet finalized, would not hurt the administration's projections for three percent growth. "We're comfortable that we're going to manage through this so that it is not detrimental to our growth projections," he told Fox Business. As stocks fell off on Wall Street, a fierce battle over Trump's proposals raged behind the scenes in Washington. Trump surprised and angered Republican lawmakers with his impromptu tariff announcement last week. Congress is now starting to contemplate legislation that would block the measures from taking effect. "We are still trying to work with POTUS to avoid that outcome," a congressional source told AFP.Even Trump's most accommodating allies have begun to speak out against what amounts to a major break with Republican orthodoxy. "There is a lot of concern among Republican senators that this could sort of metastasize into a larger trade war," Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell told reporters. "Many of our members are discussing with the administration just how broad, how sweeping this might be," he added. "There's a high level of concern about interfering with what appears to be an economy that`s taking off in every respect." White House press secretary Sarah Sanders also tried to soothe unease, projecting calm and saying a decision would come soon. "We are still on pace for an announcement on that at the end of this week," she said, adding that Trump would also quickly move to replace Cohn with a mainstream pick. "The president's got a number of people that could potentially fill that role," she said. "What I can assure you obviously is he's going to make a good pick that can help him continue to further building a strong economy and continue creating jobs and continue focusing on long-term economic success." Despite Republican agitation, it is far from clear that Trump will back down. Cohn's departure has given the president's "nationalist" advisors like arch China skeptic Peter Navarro and Commerce boss Ross the whip hand. Cohn, a 57-year-old former Goldman Sachs executive, had lobbied passionately against the tariffs before losing out. Ross offered an olive branch, claiming, contrary to the statements of his White House colleagues earlier in the week, that Trump could agree to tariff carve outs for Canada, Mexico and perhaps others. Data released Wednesday showed the US foreign trade deficit widened in January to its highest level in nine years, heaping pressure on Trump, who had campaigned on a promise to reverse that trend. Trump took to Twitter to blame the deficit on "bad policies & leadership" from his White House predecessors. He also took aim at perennial trade bogeyman, Beijing. "China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States," he tweeted. "Our relationship with China has been a very good one, and we look forward to seeing what ideas they come back with. We must act soon!" China warned Thursday it was ready to respond to US tariffs if they materialize. "Choosing a trade war is surely the wrong prescription, in the end you will only hurt others and yourself," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, adding that "China will certainly make an appropriate and necessary response."

Embattled White House promises quick tariff decision

President Donald Trump pledged Thursday the United States will show &quot;flexibility&quot; to &quot;real friends&quot; as the White House prepares to roll out steel and aluminum tariffs that have sparked fears of a global trade war.

Trump&#39;s impromptu announcement he intends to slap 25 per cent import taxes on steel and 10 per cent on aluminum, has sparked a revolt within his own Republican party, pushed a top aide to quit, and angered major trading partners who vowed retaliation.

The proposed duties -- which have already roiled world markets for days -- are to be formalized at a signing ceremony later Thursday, and Canada and Mexico will initially be exempt according to Trump&#39;s top trade advisor Peter Navarro.

&quot;We have to protect &amp; build our Steel and Aluminum Industries while at the same time showing great flexibility and cooperation toward those that are real friends and treat us fairly on both trade and the military,&quot; the president tweeted -- saying he was &quot;looking forward&quot; to the 3:30 pm White House meeting.

Administration big guns Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin rushed to calm market jitters Wednesday over the tariff plans, which they indicated were still negotiable and would not hurt growth.&nbsp;

The US would offer temporary relief to Canada and Mexico for 30 days, the Washington Post reported citing senior US officials, breaks that could be extended depending on progress in the ongoing North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations.

But Brussels warned against letting individual European states off the hook -- such as Washington&#39;s close ally Britain -- saying any such exemption would be viewed as applying to the whole bloc.

European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen said Brussels would not accept a carve-out for Britain, which has voted to leave the EU but remains a member until 2019.

&quot;What I have read today is that they are probably considering some exemptions to NAFTA countries... but also they have mentioned the UK and maybe some other countries,&quot; Katainen told reporters.

&quot;So if they try to make (an) exemption for one of our member states it means the EU as a whole.&quot;

Partners promise backlash

The EU had already sounded a stern warning Wednesday as it readied to lash back with US-targeted tariffs of its own on everything from steel to peanut butter, orange juice, cranberries, bourbon and denim jeans.

&quot;Trade wars are bad and easy to lose,&quot; EU President Donald Tusk warned, directly rebuffing Trump&#39;s assertion last week that they were &quot;good and easy to win&quot;.

With markets tumbling following the resignation of Wall Street favorite Gary Cohn -- Trump&#39;s top economic adviser who had lobbied ardently against the tariffs -- Ross tried to assuage fears.

&quot;We&#39;re going to have sensible relations with our allies,&quot; he told a media, claiming that Trump&#39;s policy was well &quot;thought through. We&#39;re not looking for a trade war.

Data released Wednesday showed the US foreign trade deficit widened in January to its highest level in nine years -- heaping pressure on Trump, who had campaigned on a promise to reverse that trend.

Trump blamed the deficit on his White House predecessors, while also taking aim at Beijing.

&quot;China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States,&quot; he tweeted.

&quot;Our relationship with China has been a very good one, and we look forward to seeing what ideas they come back with. We must act soon!&quot;

China meanwhile warned Thursday it was ready to respond to US tariffs if they materialize.

&quot;Choosing a trade war is surely the wrong prescription, in the end you will only hurt others and yourself,&quot; Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, adding that &quot;China will certainly make an appropriate and necessary response.&quot;

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Trump's impromptu announcement he intends to slap 25 per cent import taxes on steel and 10 per cent on aluminum, has sparked a revolt within his own Republican party, pushed a top aide to quit, and angered major trading partners who vowed retaliation

President Donald Trump pledged Thursday the United States will show "flexibility" to "real friends" as the White House prepares to roll out steel and aluminum tariffs that have sparked fears of a global trade war. Trump's impromptu announcement he intends to slap 25 per cent import taxes on steel and 10 per cent on aluminum, has sparked a revolt within his own Republican party, pushed a top aide to quit, and angered major trading partners who vowed retaliation. The proposed duties -- which have already roiled world markets for days -- are to be formalized at a signing ceremony later Thursday, and Canada and Mexico will initially be exempt according to Trump's top trade advisor Peter Navarro. "We have to protect & build our Steel and Aluminum Industries while at the same time showing great flexibility and cooperation toward those that are real friends and treat us fairly on both trade and the military," the president tweeted -- saying he was "looking forward" to the 3:30 pm White House meeting. Administration big guns Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin rushed to calm market jitters Wednesday over the tariff plans, which they indicated were still negotiable and would not hurt growth. The US would offer temporary relief to Canada and Mexico for 30 days, the Washington Post reported citing senior US officials, breaks that could be extended depending on progress in the ongoing North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations. But Brussels warned against letting individual European states off the hook -- such as Washington's close ally Britain -- saying any such exemption would be viewed as applying to the whole bloc. European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen said Brussels would not accept a carve-out for Britain, which has voted to leave the EU but remains a member until 2019. "What I have read today is that they are probably considering some exemptions to NAFTA countries... but also they have mentioned the UK and maybe some other countries," Katainen told reporters. "So if they try to make (an) exemption for one of our member states it means the EU as a whole." Partners promise backlash The EU had already sounded a stern warning Wednesday as it readied to lash back with US-targeted tariffs of its own on everything from steel to peanut butter, orange juice, cranberries, bourbon and denim jeans. "Trade wars are bad and easy to lose," EU President Donald Tusk warned, directly rebuffing Trump's assertion last week that they were "good and easy to win". With markets tumbling following the resignation of Wall Street favorite Gary Cohn -- Trump's top economic adviser who had lobbied ardently against the tariffs -- Ross tried to assuage fears. "We're going to have sensible relations with our allies," he told a media, claiming that Trump's policy was well "thought through. We're not looking for a trade war. Data released Wednesday showed the US foreign trade deficit widened in January to its highest level in nine years -- heaping pressure on Trump, who had campaigned on a promise to reverse that trend. Trump blamed the deficit on his White House predecessors, while also taking aim at Beijing. "China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States," he tweeted. "Our relationship with China has been a very good one, and we look forward to seeing what ideas they come back with. We must act soon!" China meanwhile warned Thursday it was ready to respond to US tariffs if they materialize. "Choosing a trade war is surely the wrong prescription, in the end you will only hurt others and yourself," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, adding that "China will certainly make an appropriate and necessary response."

Trump vows 'flexibility' for 'real friends' in tariff row

A trade war with the US will benefit no one, China warned on Thursday, as it prepares for an &#39;appropriate and necessary response&#39; to US&nbsp;if President Donald Trump fires the first shots.

&quot;Choosing a trade war is surely the wrong prescription, in the end, you will only hurt others and yourself,&quot; news agency AFP quoted Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi as saying during a press conference, adding that &quot;China will certainly make an appropriate and necessary response.&quot;

The Trump administration is expected to formally introduce previously announced tariffs on steel and aluminium imports on Thursday in the US.

US imports from China of these two goods make up a small proportion of its total imports from the world&#39;s second-largest economy.&nbsp;But the tariffs may be the first foray into an American trade war with Beijing.

In coming weeks, the Trump administration is expected to issue a report on intellectual property theft which may hammer China and possibly incite further tariffs on a wide range of Chinese imports, reported AFP.

Trump brought up the forthcoming moves on Wednesday, saying on Twitter that the US had asked China to develop a plan to reduce the deficit by one billion dollars.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States. Our relationship with China has been a very good one, and we look forward to seeing what ideas they come back with. We must act soon!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/971402791930552322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The amount is a drop in the bucket compared with record $375.2 billion trade deficit with China the US racked up last year.

&quot;The U.S. is acting swiftly on Intellectual Property theft. We cannot allow this to happen as it has for many years!&quot; the president also tweeted on Wednesday.

(With AFP inputs)&nbsp;

The Trump administration is expected to formally introduce previously announced tariffs on steel and aluminium imports on Thursday in the US.

A trade war with the US will benefit no one, China warned on Thursday, as it prepares for an 'appropriate and necessary response' to US if President Donald Trump fires the first shots. "Choosing a trade war is surely the wrong prescription, in the end, you will only hurt others and yourself," news agency AFP quoted Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi as saying during a press conference, adding that "China will certainly make an appropriate and necessary response." The Trump administration is expected to formally introduce previously announced tariffs on steel and aluminium imports on Thursday in the US. US imports from China of these two goods make up a small proportion of its total imports from the world's second-largest economy. But the tariffs may be the first foray into an American trade war with Beijing. In coming weeks, the Trump administration is expected to issue a report on intellectual property theft which may hammer China and possibly incite further tariffs on a wide range of Chinese imports, reported AFP. Trump brought up the forthcoming moves on Wednesday, saying on Twitter that the US had asked China to develop a plan to reduce the deficit by one billion dollars. China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States. Our relationship with China has been a very good one, and we look forward to seeing what ideas they come back with. We must act soon! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 7, 2018 × The amount is a drop in the bucket compared with record $375.2 billion trade deficit with China the US racked up last year. "The U.S. is acting swiftly on Intellectual Property theft. We cannot allow this to happen as it has for many years!" the president also tweeted on Wednesday. (With AFP inputs)

Trade war with US will benefit no one, warns China as it readies for 'appropriate response'

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The TDP on Wednesday night decided to pull out of the NDA government at the Centre and asked two of its ministers in the Modi government to tender their resignation tomorrow, but kept the door for ties with the BJP ajar.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-police-confirm-russian-ex-spy-and-daughter-hit-by-nerve-agent-35026">UK police confirm Russian ex-spy, daughter hit by </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-police-confirm-russian-ex-spy-and-daughter-hit-by-nerve-agent-35026">nerve</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-police-confirm-russian-ex-spy-and-daughter-hit-by-nerve-agent-35026"> agent</a>

The Russian former double-agent who collapsed in a British town alongside his daughter was targeted with a nerve agent, while a responding policeman has also been hospitalised, police said Wednesday.

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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/grenade-blast-kills-one-in-sri-lanka-communal-violence-social-media-blocked-35029">Grenade blast kills one in Sri Lanka communal violence, social media blocked</a>

A grenade blast killed one person in further violence between majority Buddhist Sinhalese and minority Muslims in Sri Lanka on Wednesday as the government moved to block social messaging networks in an effort to halt the bloodshed.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-urges-us-north-korea-to-hold-talks-sooner-than-later-35044">China urges </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-urges-us-north-korea-to-hold-talks-sooner-than-later-35044">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-urges-us-north-korea-to-hold-talks-sooner-than-later-35044">, North Korea to hold talks &#39;sooner than later&#39;</a>

China&#39;s foreign minister urged the United States and North Korea Thursday to start talks as soon as possible, stressing that &quot;the sincerity&quot; of all parties to solve the nuclear crisis would be tested.

TDP to pull out of NDA government, keeps door for alliance with BJP ajar The TDP on Wednesday night decided to pull out of the NDA government at the Centre and asked two of its ministers in the Modi government to tender their resignation tomorrow, but kept the door for ties with the BJP ajar. UK police confirm Russian ex-spy, daughter hit by nerve agent The Russian former double-agent who collapsed in a British town alongside his daughter was targeted with a nerve agent, while a responding policeman has also been hospitalised, police said Wednesday. Pornstar Stormy Daniels' lawyer confirms her affair with Donald Trump Pornstar Stormy Daniels' lawyer admitted that she had a sexual relationship with US President Donald Trump. In a television interview, Michael Avenatti confirmed the same also stating that he was not aware of the $130,000 payoff to buy her silence. Grenade blast kills one in Sri Lanka communal violence, social media blocked A grenade blast killed one person in further violence between majority Buddhist Sinhalese and minority Muslims in Sri Lanka on Wednesday as the government moved to block social messaging networks in an effort to halt the bloodshed. China urges US, North Korea to hold talks 'sooner than later' China's foreign minister urged the United States and North Korea Thursday to start talks as soon as possible, stressing that "the sincerity" of all parties to solve the nuclear crisis would be tested.

WION Morning News Brief, March 8, 2018

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump plans to offer Canada and Mexico a 30-day exemption from planned tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, which could be extended based on progress in NAFTA talks, a White House official said on Wednesday night.

The move, first reported by the Washington Post, followed comments earlier in the day by a White House spokeswoman that the impending tariffs could exclude Canada, Mexico and a clutch of other countries &quot;based on national security.&quot;

Trump was expected to sign a presidential proclamation to establish the tariffs during a ceremony on Thursday, but a White House official said later it could slide into Friday because documents had to be cleared through a legal process.

The president has faced mounting opposition to the tariffs from prominent congressional Republicans and business officials worried about their potential impact on the economy.

The tariffs would impose duties of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium to counter cheap imports, especially from China, that the president says undermine US&nbsp;industry and jobs.

A senior US&nbsp;official said the measures would take effect about two weeks after Trump signs the proclamation.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a regular media briefing on Wednesday: &quot;We expect that the president will sign something by the end of the week and there are potential carve-outs for Mexico and Canada based on national security, and possibly other countries as well based on that process.

&quot;It will be country by country, and it will be based on national security,&quot; she said.

Trump had said on Monday that Canada and Mexico would only be excluded after the successful renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Efforts by Trump and US&nbsp;trade negotiators to link the NAFTA talks to the duties have received short shrift from Ottawa and Mexico City.

Action that does not include exemptions risks retaliatory tariffs on US&nbsp;exports - not least by Canada and Europe - and complicates already tough trade talks on NAFTA.

The benchmark Standard &amp; Poor&#39;s 500 stock index ended slightly lower following a volatile session after Trump promised the tariffs but then said Mexico and Canada could be exempt.

The S&amp;P closed 0.05 per cent lower after being down 0.4 per cent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended down 0.33 per cent. The US&nbsp;dollar pared gains to end little changed, while the Canadian dollar and Mexican peso pared some losses.

Markets were rattled by Tuesday&#39;s resignation announcement by Trump&#39;s chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, who was seen as a bulwark against Trump&#39;s economic nationalism.

Cohn&#39;s departure, after an internal White House battle over Trump&#39;s plans to impose the tariffs, clears the way for greater influence by trade hardliners such as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Peter Navarro, Trump&#39;s trade policy adviser.

Sanders said Trump was considering several candidates to fill Cohn&#39;s position, while Navarro said he was not short-listed for the job.

China

In his first tweet on Wednesday, the Republican president showed no sign of backing away from the tariffs, saying the United States had lost more than 55,000 factories and 6 million manufacturing jobs and let its trade deficit soar since the 1989-1993 administration of President George H.W. Bush.

Later, his tweets turned to trade with China, demanding that Beijing lay out plans for reducing its trade surplus with the United States by $1 billion, which appeared to have been raised during a meeting with a top Chinese official last week.

&quot;China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States,&quot; Trump tweeted, without saying where the message had been conveyed.

China ran a record goods trade surplus with the United States last year of $375.2 billion

On Wednesday, more than 100 House of Representative Republicans, including Kevin Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee that oversees US&nbsp;trade policy, wrote to Trump praising him for standing up to &quot;bad actors,&quot; but emphasized that fairly traded products should be excluded from the tariffs.

In a separate letter, Iowa&#39;s congressional delegation, including two Republican senators, warned that the tariffs would hurt the state&#39;s farmers and manufacturing.

The head of the influential US&nbsp;Chamber of Commerce, Tom Donohue, warned about the impact to the economy.

&quot;We won&#39;t drive the economy to over 3 per cent growth or continue to create jobs if we go down this path,&quot; said Donohue, the chamber&#39;s president and chief executive. &quot;We urge the administration to take this risk seriously.&quot;

Trump had said on Monday that Canada and Mexico would only be excluded after the successful renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement

US President Donald Trump plans to offer Canada and Mexico a 30-day exemption from planned tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, which could be extended based on progress in NAFTA talks, a White House official said on Wednesday night. The move, first reported by the Washington Post, followed comments earlier in the day by a White House spokeswoman that the impending tariffs could exclude Canada, Mexico and a clutch of other countries "based on national security." Trump was expected to sign a presidential proclamation to establish the tariffs during a ceremony on Thursday, but a White House official said later it could slide into Friday because documents had to be cleared through a legal process. The president has faced mounting opposition to the tariffs from prominent congressional Republicans and business officials worried about their potential impact on the economy. The tariffs would impose duties of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium to counter cheap imports, especially from China, that the president says undermine US industry and jobs. A senior US official said the measures would take effect about two weeks after Trump signs the proclamation. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a regular media briefing on Wednesday: "We expect that the president will sign something by the end of the week and there are potential carve-outs for Mexico and Canada based on national security, and possibly other countries as well based on that process. "It will be country by country, and it will be based on national security," she said. Trump had said on Monday that Canada and Mexico would only be excluded after the successful renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Efforts by Trump and US trade negotiators to link the NAFTA talks to the duties have received short shrift from Ottawa and Mexico City. Action that does not include exemptions risks retaliatory tariffs on US exports - not least by Canada and Europe - and complicates already tough trade talks on NAFTA. The benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 stock index ended slightly lower following a volatile session after Trump promised the tariffs but then said Mexico and Canada could be exempt. The S&P closed 0.05 per cent lower after being down 0.4 per cent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended down 0.33 per cent. The US dollar pared gains to end little changed, while the Canadian dollar and Mexican peso pared some losses. Markets were rattled by Tuesday's resignation announcement by Trump's chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, who was seen as a bulwark against Trump's economic nationalism. Cohn's departure, after an internal White House battle over Trump's plans to impose the tariffs, clears the way for greater influence by trade hardliners such as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Peter Navarro, Trump's trade policy adviser. Sanders said Trump was considering several candidates to fill Cohn's position, while Navarro said he was not short-listed for the job. China In his first tweet on Wednesday, the Republican president showed no sign of backing away from the tariffs, saying the United States had lost more than 55,000 factories and 6 million manufacturing jobs and let its trade deficit soar since the 1989-1993 administration of President George H.W. Bush. Later, his tweets turned to trade with China, demanding that Beijing lay out plans for reducing its trade surplus with the United States by $1 billion, which appeared to have been raised during a meeting with a top Chinese official last week. "China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States," Trump tweeted, without saying where the message had been conveyed. China ran a record goods trade surplus with the United States last year of $375.2 billion On Wednesday, more than 100 House of Representative Republicans, including Kevin Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee that oversees US trade policy, wrote to Trump praising him for standing up to "bad actors," but emphasized that fairly traded products should be excluded from the tariffs. In a separate letter, Iowa's congressional delegation, including two Republican senators, warned that the tariffs would hurt the state's farmers and manufacturing. The head of the influential US Chamber of Commerce, Tom Donohue, warned about the impact to the economy. "We won't drive the economy to over 3 per cent growth or continue to create jobs if we go down this path," said Donohue, the chamber's president and chief executive. "We urge the administration to take this risk seriously."

Trump plans to offer Canada, Mexico 30-day tariff exemption: Official

Pornstar Stormy Daniels&#39; lawyer admitted that she had a&nbsp;sexual relationship with US President Donald Trump. In a television interview, Michael Avenatti confirmed the same also stating that he was not aware of the $130,000 payoff to buy her silence.

Avenatti was previously unavailable for comments on the matter.&nbsp;

While Daniels denied the alleged affair with the President previously, Trump continued to rubbish the allegations. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-won-stormy-daniels-legal-case-in-arbitration-white-house-35023">The US President won the lawsuit on Wednesday</a>, a day after Daniels sued seeking to invalidate a &quot;hush agreement&quot; she signed with Trump&#39;s lawyer.

Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, said in the lawsuit that Trump never signed the nondisclosure agreement, designed to keep her quiet about an &quot;intimate relationship&quot; she said she had with him over a decade ago.

Trump&#39;s failure to sign renders the pact invalid, the lawsuit said.

According to the lawsuit, Clifford and Trump had an intimate relationship that began in the summer of 2006, not long after Trump&#39;s wife Melania gave birth to their son Barron and lasted well into 2007.

The White House has had denied all reports linking the US President and Daniels.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Avenatti was previously unavailable for comments on the matter

Pornstar Stormy Daniels' lawyer admitted that she had a sexual relationship with US President Donald Trump. In a television interview, Michael Avenatti confirmed the same also stating that he was not aware of the $130,000 payoff to buy her silence. Avenatti was previously unavailable for comments on the matter. While Daniels denied the alleged affair with the President previously, Trump continued to rubbish the allegations. The US President won the lawsuit on Wednesday, a day after Daniels sued seeking to invalidate a "hush agreement" she signed with Trump's lawyer. Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, said in the lawsuit that Trump never signed the nondisclosure agreement, designed to keep her quiet about an "intimate relationship" she said she had with him over a decade ago. Trump's failure to sign renders the pact invalid, the lawsuit said. According to the lawsuit, Clifford and Trump had an intimate relationship that began in the summer of 2006, not long after Trump's wife Melania gave birth to their son Barron and lasted well into 2007. The White House has had denied all reports linking the US President and Daniels. (With inputs from Reuters)

Pornstar Stormy Daniels' lawyer confirms her affair with Donald Trump

China&#39;s foreign minister sought Thursday to downplay concerns about Beijing&#39;s global ambitions, while also hinting at consequences for countries that don&#39;t fall in line on issues like Taiwan.

Pledging that China had no desire to &quot;replace America&quot; on the global stage, Wang Yi said the Asian nation&#39;s path &quot;is totally different than the one that has already been taken by traditional major powers&quot;.

&quot;The more China develops, the more it can contribute to the world,&quot; Wang said in a wide-ranging press conference.

Wang spoke as 3,000 members of China&#39;s mostly ceremonial national legislature have gathered for their annual meeting in Beijing, where they are set to grant President Xi Jinping a nearly limitless mandate to realise his vision of a resurgent China.

Xi&#39;s ambitions are not limited to home: he has clearly articulated his vision of putting China at the centre of world affairs, a position reflecting its Chinese name: &quot;the Middle Kingdom.&quot;

The departure from the country&#39;s long-held stance of keeping a low profile had raised fears abroad of spreading Chinese influence.

On Thursday, Wang tried to strike a balance between reassurance and assertiveness, as Beijing deals with pressure from countries like the US to change its behaviour.

Here are some of the main takeaways:

Us-China Relations

As US president Donald Trump threatens a trade war with China, Wang warned that Beijing is ready to take an &quot;appropriate and necessary response&quot;.

&quot;China&#39;s development and rejuvenation can&#39;t be stopped,&quot; he said.

&quot;Some Americans think that therefore China wants to replace the US&#39;s international role, but that is a fundamental strategic misjudgement.&quot;

China and the US &quot;don&#39;t need to be rivals, they should be partners&quot;.

South China Sea

Nevertheless, China will not give an inch in the South China Sea, where it has built an archipelago of artificial islands hosting military facilities that the US and other nations say threaten freedom of navigation through the strategically vital waterway.

Beijing&#39;s &quot;resolve to protect the peace and the stability of the South China Sea cannot be shaken&quot;, Wang said about the region, where it has overlapping territorial claims with the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

The problems in the region are due to &quot;foreign forces&quot; which &quot;have sent fully armed warships and fighters to the South China Sea to flaunt their military might&quot;, he said, referring to operations by the US, Australia and Britain to assert their right to sail through the region.

Taiwan

Although China does not recognise the self-ruled island as an independent nation, Wang took questions about Beijing&#39;s relationship with Taipei, warning that the Taiwanese government must come around to China&#39;s way of thinking if it hopes to enjoy &quot;peaceful development&quot;.

The relationship between Beijing and Taipei has soured since the election of President Tsai Ying-wen, who has refused to acknowledge the so-called &quot;1992 consensus&quot;, which agrees that there is only one China without specifying whether Beijing or Taipei is its rightful representative.

&quot;The person who locked the door should open it,&quot; Wang said.

Only by taking the &quot;correct path&quot; of recognising the consensus can &quot;cross-strait relations restart building a promising prospect for peaceful development&quot;.

Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Abe is expected to make a visit to China after years of tense relations set off by a territorial dispute and festering disagreements over the legacy of the Second World War.

After mocking a Japanese reporter&#39;s Chinese language skills, Wang said that China &quot;wants the Japanese side to speak credibly in its politics, to behave properly in its actions&quot;.

North Korea

Wang cautiously welcomed the apparent breakthrough over the North Korea nuclear issue as an &quot;important step in the right direction&quot;.

He urged the US and North Korea to hold talks as soon as possible after Seoul said that Pyongyang was ready to discuss denuclearisation with Washington in return for security guarantees.

&quot;Now is the crucial moment to test the sincerity of the parties to solve the nuclear issue,&quot; he said.

Chinese minister Wang Yi spoke as 3,000 members of China's mostly ceremonial national legislature have gathered for their annual meeting in Beijing

China's foreign minister sought Thursday to downplay concerns about Beijing's global ambitions, while also hinting at consequences for countries that don't fall in line on issues like Taiwan. Pledging that China had no desire to "replace America" on the global stage, Wang Yi said the Asian nation's path "is totally different than the one that has already been taken by traditional major powers". "The more China develops, the more it can contribute to the world," Wang said in a wide-ranging press conference. Wang spoke as 3,000 members of China's mostly ceremonial national legislature have gathered for their annual meeting in Beijing, where they are set to grant President Xi Jinping a nearly limitless mandate to realise his vision of a resurgent China. Xi's ambitions are not limited to home: he has clearly articulated his vision of putting China at the centre of world affairs, a position reflecting its Chinese name: "the Middle Kingdom." The departure from the country's long-held stance of keeping a low profile had raised fears abroad of spreading Chinese influence. On Thursday, Wang tried to strike a balance between reassurance and assertiveness, as Beijing deals with pressure from countries like the US to change its behaviour. Here are some of the main takeaways: Us-China Relations As US president Donald Trump threatens a trade war with China, Wang warned that Beijing is ready to take an "appropriate and necessary response". "China's development and rejuvenation can't be stopped," he said. "Some Americans think that therefore China wants to replace the US's international role, but that is a fundamental strategic misjudgement." China and the US "don't need to be rivals, they should be partners". South China Sea Nevertheless, China will not give an inch in the South China Sea, where it has built an archipelago of artificial islands hosting military facilities that the US and other nations say threaten freedom of navigation through the strategically vital waterway. Beijing's "resolve to protect the peace and the stability of the South China Sea cannot be shaken", Wang said about the region, where it has overlapping territorial claims with the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. The problems in the region are due to "foreign forces" which "have sent fully armed warships and fighters to the South China Sea to flaunt their military might", he said, referring to operations by the US, Australia and Britain to assert their right to sail through the region. Taiwan Although China does not recognise the self-ruled island as an independent nation, Wang took questions about Beijing's relationship with Taipei, warning that the Taiwanese government must come around to China's way of thinking if it hopes to enjoy "peaceful development". The relationship between Beijing and Taipei has soured since the election of President Tsai Ying-wen, who has refused to acknowledge the so-called "1992 consensus", which agrees that there is only one China without specifying whether Beijing or Taipei is its rightful representative. "The person who locked the door should open it," Wang said. Only by taking the "correct path" of recognising the consensus can "cross-strait relations restart building a promising prospect for peaceful development". Japan Japanese Prime Minister Abe is expected to make a visit to China after years of tense relations set off by a territorial dispute and festering disagreements over the legacy of the Second World War. After mocking a Japanese reporter's Chinese language skills, Wang said that China "wants the Japanese side to speak credibly in its politics, to behave properly in its actions". North Korea Wang cautiously welcomed the apparent breakthrough over the North Korea nuclear issue as an "important step in the right direction". He urged the US and North Korea to hold talks as soon as possible after Seoul said that Pyongyang was ready to discuss denuclearisation with Washington in return for security guarantees. "Now is the crucial moment to test the sincerity of the parties to solve the nuclear issue," he said.

Not trying to 'replace America', says Chinese foreign minister

President Donald Trump has already won a legal case against adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in arbitration, his spokeswoman said on Wednesday, a day after Daniels sued seeking to invalidate a &quot;hush agreement&quot; she signed with Trump&#39;s lawyer.

Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, said in the lawsuit that Trump never signed the nondisclosure agreement, designed to keep her quiet about an &quot;intimate relationship&quot; she said she had with him over a decade ago.

Trump&#39;s failure to sign renders the pact invalid, the lawsuit said.

Clifford has said she was taking legal action to be able to speak freely about the &quot;intimate relationship&quot; without fear of retribution.

According to the lawsuit, Clifford and Trump had an intimate relationship that began in the summer of 2006, not long after Trump&#39;s wife Melania gave birth to their son Barron and lasted well into 2007.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied Trump had an affair with Clifford and said arbitration over the legal case with the actress was won by the president&#39;s personal attorneys.

&quot;The president has addressed these (allegations by Clifford) directly and made very well clear that none of these allegations are true,&quot; Sanders said at Wednesday`s White House press briefing.

&quot;This case has already been won in arbitration and anything beyond that, I would refer you to the president&#39;s outside counsel.&quot;

A lawyer for the actress, Michael Avenatti, did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

Clifford&#39;s lawsuit said Trump lawyer Michael Cohen initiated a &quot;bogus arbitration proceeding&quot; against her on February 27, without notifying her, as part of efforts to &quot;shut her up&quot; and &quot;protect Mr&nbsp;Trump.&quot;

Cohen&#39;s lawyer Lawrence Rosen said in a statement on Wednesday that Cohen obtained an order from an arbitrator prohibiting Clifford from disclosing confidential information related to the nondisclosure agreement.

Cohen has previously acknowledged he paid Clifford $130,000 in October out of his own pocket to not discuss her claims of an affair with Trump.

Asked about the payment by Cohen to Clifford, Huckabee Sanders said she was not aware Trump knew of it at the time.

Cohen did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump attorneys John Dowd and Jay Sekulow were not immediately available for comment.

Stormy Daniels said in the lawsuit that Trump never signed the nondisclosure agreement, designed to keep her quiet about an 'intimate relationship'

President Donald Trump has already won a legal case against adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in arbitration, his spokeswoman said on Wednesday, a day after Daniels sued seeking to invalidate a "hush agreement" she signed with Trump's lawyer. Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, said in the lawsuit that Trump never signed the nondisclosure agreement, designed to keep her quiet about an "intimate relationship" she said she had with him over a decade ago. Trump's failure to sign renders the pact invalid, the lawsuit said. Clifford has said she was taking legal action to be able to speak freely about the "intimate relationship" without fear of retribution. According to the lawsuit, Clifford and Trump had an intimate relationship that began in the summer of 2006, not long after Trump's wife Melania gave birth to their son Barron and lasted well into 2007. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied Trump had an affair with Clifford and said arbitration over the legal case with the actress was won by the president's personal attorneys. "The president has addressed these (allegations by Clifford) directly and made very well clear that none of these allegations are true," Sanders said at Wednesday`s White House press briefing. "This case has already been won in arbitration and anything beyond that, I would refer you to the president's outside counsel." A lawyer for the actress, Michael Avenatti, did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Clifford's lawsuit said Trump lawyer Michael Cohen initiated a "bogus arbitration proceeding" against her on February 27, without notifying her, as part of efforts to "shut her up" and "protect Mr Trump." Cohen's lawyer Lawrence Rosen said in a statement on Wednesday that Cohen obtained an order from an arbitrator prohibiting Clifford from disclosing confidential information related to the nondisclosure agreement. Cohen has previously acknowledged he paid Clifford $130,000 in October out of his own pocket to not discuss her claims of an affair with Trump. Asked about the payment by Cohen to Clifford, Huckabee Sanders said she was not aware Trump knew of it at the time. Cohen did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump attorneys John Dowd and Jay Sekulow were not immediately available for comment.

Trump won Stormy Daniels legal case in arbitration: White House

US President Donald Trump has tumbled down more than 200 places in the world&#39;s billionaire rankings after losing around $400 million in his net worth from last year.

The businessman who is now worth US $3.1 million is now ranked at 766 this year, down from 554 in 2017.&nbsp;

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/forbes-rich-list-amazons-jeff-bezos-is-richest-man-mukesh-ambani-ranked-19th-711">Forbes rich list: Amazon&#39;s Jeff Bezos is </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/forbes-rich-list-amazons-jeff-bezos-is-richest-man-mukesh-ambani-ranked-19th-711">richest</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/forbes-rich-list-amazons-jeff-bezos-is-richest-man-mukesh-ambani-ranked-19th-711">&nbsp;man, Mukesh Ambani ranked 19th</a>

The magazine said the drop was partially due to a fall in the value of central New York property values and falling revenues at his golf courses.

According to reports, Trump Tower, the President&#39;s New York home, lost an estimated $41 million in value last year.

The value of Trump&rsquo;s hotel licensing and management company dropped an estimated $50 million in the last year, as the power of the Trump brand seems to be fading in markets like Toronto and New York, where investors have removed the president&rsquo;s name from hotels.&nbsp;

Trump also shelled out $25 million in settling lawsuits that alleged his Trump University real estate courses defrauded students.

The estimate is well below Trump&rsquo;s claim during the election campaign in 2015 that his net worth was &ldquo;in excess of ten billion dollars&rdquo;.&nbsp;

Trump is the first billionaire president who stepped away from his businesses when he entered the White House, handing control to his two eldest sons, Don Jr. and Eric.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pornstar-stormy-daniels-files-lawsuit-against-trump-over-hush-agreement-34943">Pornstar Stormy Daniels files lawsuit against Trump over &#39;hush agreement&#39;</a>

Top of the list is the founder and boss of online giant Amazon, Jeff Bezos. Bezos&#39; fortune has leapt to $112bn from an estimated $39.2bn last year.

The businessman who is now worth US $3.1 million is now ranked at 766 this year, down from 554 in 2017

US President Donald Trump has tumbled down more than 200 places in the world's billionaire rankings after losing around $400 million in his net worth from last year. The businessman who is now worth US $3.1 million is now ranked at 766 this year, down from 554 in 2017. Also see: Forbes rich list: Amazon's Jeff Bezos is richest man, Mukesh Ambani ranked 19th The magazine said the drop was partially due to a fall in the value of central New York property values and falling revenues at his golf courses. According to reports, Trump Tower, the President's New York home, lost an estimated $41 million in value last year. The value of Trump’s hotel licensing and management company dropped an estimated $50 million in the last year, as the power of the Trump brand seems to be fading in markets like Toronto and New York, where investors have removed the president’s name from hotels. Trump also shelled out $25 million in settling lawsuits that alleged his Trump University real estate courses defrauded students. The estimate is well below Trump’s claim during the election campaign in 2015 that his net worth was “in excess of ten billion dollars”. Trump is the first billionaire president who stepped away from his businesses when he entered the White House, handing control to his two eldest sons, Don Jr. and Eric. Also read: Pornstar Stormy Daniels files lawsuit against Trump over 'hush agreement' Top of the list is the founder and boss of online giant Amazon, Jeff Bezos. Bezos' fortune has leapt to $112bn from an estimated $39.2bn last year.

Trump tumbles down more than 200 places in Forbes' richest list

Stock markets rallied in Asia on Tuesday as shock over Donald Trump`s controversial trade tariffs move gave way to hope that any measures will not be as bad as initially thought.

The tycoon sparked fears of a global trade war last week when he unveiled plans to slap levies on imports of steel and aluminum.

The news sent markets into a tailspin from Sydney to New York, with investors already on edge at the prospect of rising interest rates and the end of crisis-era central bank stimulus measures.

However, after another down day in Asia Monday, investors in New York rushed back as they bet that Trump would not push through with extreme protectionist policies.

&quot;Given the overwhelmingly negative response from industry leaders, international financial markets and even the furious backlash from loyal members of Trump`s administration, there is growing optimism that perhaps significant exemptions will be forthcoming,&quot; said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trade at OANDA.

&quot;Investors remain guardedly optimistic.&quot;

However, he warned that &quot;expecting for cooler heads to prevail might be far too optimistic given that President Trump promoted reforms of US trade policies as a cornerstone of his election campaign, and it`s challenging to envision him backing down.&quot;

Trump campaigned on a protectionist &quot;America First&quot; platform, promising to pull out of global trade deals which he said were hurting US workers. All three main indexes on Wall Street rose between one and 1.4 per cent Monday and those gains filtered through to Asia on Tuesday.

Tokyo ended 1.8 per cent higher, with Kobe Steel up slightly ahead of a news conference in which its CEO Hiroya Kawasaki resigned following publication of a report by the firm that found staff, including executives, changed or falsified inspection data before shipping products.

Hong Kong jumped 1.9 per cent in the afternoon, while Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, and Taipei were all more than one per cent higher. Shanghai reversed early losses to close one per cent higher.

Attention will now turn to the release Friday of US jobs and wage growth data, which will give a fresh idea of the state of the world`s top economy.

Worries about rising wages fuelling inflation and pushing up interest rates sharply have spooked investors since the start of February.

Tuesday`s more upbeat tone helped the dollar against the yen, which had rallied on its safe-haven status. But the US unit slipped against the pound and euro.

The greenback also declined against high-yielding currencies, with the Australian dollar, Korean won and South African rand among the main winners.

Crude prices extended Monday`s gains on reports of easing US stockpiles and news of a halt at an oilfield in Libya.&nbsp;

Prices were also boosted by bullish comments from top energy producers meeting this week at an annual energy gathering in Houston, analysts said.

&quot;Oil prices were `talked up` from the sidelines of the CERAWeek Energy conference by OPEC,&quot; said Sukrit Vijayakar of Trifecta Consultants.

Officials at the conference are widely expected to address a global supply glut, with surging US shale production threatening to derail efforts by OPEC and Russia to stabilize prices by capping output.

 
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.8 per cent at 21,417.76 (close)

 
Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 1.9 per cent at 30,451.71

 
Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.0 per cent at 3,289.64 (close)

 
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.2352 from $1.2335 at 2200 GMT

 
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3850 from $1.3844

 
Dollar/yen: UP at 106.23 yen from 106.18 yen

 
Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP 15 cents at $62.72 per barrel

 
Oil - Brent North Sea: UP 12 cents at $65.66

 
New York - Dow: UP 1.4 per cent at 24,874.76 (close)

 
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.7 per cent at 7,115.98 (close)

Stock markets rallied in Asia on Tuesday as shock over Donald Trump`s controversial trade tariffs move gave way to hope that any measures will not be as bad as initially thought

Stock markets rallied in Asia on Tuesday as shock over Donald Trump`s controversial trade tariffs move gave way to hope that any measures will not be as bad as initially thought. The tycoon sparked fears of a global trade war last week when he unveiled plans to slap levies on imports of steel and aluminum. The news sent markets into a tailspin from Sydney to New York, with investors already on edge at the prospect of rising interest rates and the end of crisis-era central bank stimulus measures. However, after another down day in Asia Monday, investors in New York rushed back as they bet that Trump would not push through with extreme protectionist policies. "Given the overwhelmingly negative response from industry leaders, international financial markets and even the furious backlash from loyal members of Trump`s administration, there is growing optimism that perhaps significant exemptions will be forthcoming," said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trade at OANDA. "Investors remain guardedly optimistic." However, he warned that "expecting for cooler heads to prevail might be far too optimistic given that President Trump promoted reforms of US trade policies as a cornerstone of his election campaign, and it`s challenging to envision him backing down." Trump campaigned on a protectionist "America First" platform, promising to pull out of global trade deals which he said were hurting US workers. All three main indexes on Wall Street rose between one and 1.4 per cent Monday and those gains filtered through to Asia on Tuesday. Tokyo ended 1.8 per cent higher, with Kobe Steel up slightly ahead of a news conference in which its CEO Hiroya Kawasaki resigned following publication of a report by the firm that found staff, including executives, changed or falsified inspection data before shipping products. Hong Kong jumped 1.9 per cent in the afternoon, while Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, and Taipei were all more than one per cent higher. Shanghai reversed early losses to close one per cent higher. Attention will now turn to the release Friday of US jobs and wage growth data, which will give a fresh idea of the state of the world`s top economy. Worries about rising wages fuelling inflation and pushing up interest rates sharply have spooked investors since the start of February. Tuesday`s more upbeat tone helped the dollar against the yen, which had rallied on its safe-haven status. But the US unit slipped against the pound and euro. The greenback also declined against high-yielding currencies, with the Australian dollar, Korean won and South African rand among the main winners. Crude prices extended Monday`s gains on reports of easing US stockpiles and news of a halt at an oilfield in Libya. Prices were also boosted by bullish comments from top energy producers meeting this week at an annual energy gathering in Houston, analysts said. "Oil prices were `talked up` from the sidelines of the CERAWeek Energy conference by OPEC," said Sukrit Vijayakar of Trifecta Consultants. Officials at the conference are widely expected to address a global supply glut, with surging US shale production threatening to derail efforts by OPEC and Russia to stabilize prices by capping output. Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.8 per cent at 21,417.76 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 1.9 per cent at 30,451.71 Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.0 per cent at 3,289.64 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.2352 from $1.2335 at 2200 GMT Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3850 from $1.3844 Dollar/yen: UP at 106.23 yen from 106.18 yen Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP 15 cents at $62.72 per barrel Oil - Brent North Sea: UP 12 cents at $65.66 New York - Dow: UP 1.4 per cent at 24,874.76 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.7 per cent at 7,115.98 (close)

Asian markets rally on hopes Trump will temper tariffs threat

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump faced growing pressure on Monday from political and diplomatic allies as well as US&nbsp;companies urging him to pull back from proposed steel and aluminium tariffs, although he said he would stick to his guns.

Inside the White House, there still appeared to be confusion about the timing and extent of the planned tariffs, which would hit allies like Canada and Mexico hard. 
Efforts by Trump and US&nbsp;trade negotiators to link the NAFTA trade pact talks to the duties received short shrift from Ottawa and Mexico City.

Leading Republicans turned up the pressure on Trump, with House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan leading the charge. Ryan&#39;s home state of Wisconsin would be hit by proposed European counter-measures on Harley-Davidson Inc motorbikes.&nbsp;

Representative Kevin Brady, another top House Republican, called on Trump not to hit America&#39;s closest allies.

Business leaders are pressing for a meeting with Trump to brief him on the negative repercussions of the tariffs on companies that use steel and aluminium, a source familiar with the matter said.

A meeting had not yet been set up, the source said. The White House had no comment.

The planned tariffs have roiled world stock markets as investors worried about the prospect of an escalating trade war that would derail global economic growth.

Stocks across the globe rose on Monday, however, after four days in decline as investors saw the tariff threats as a US&nbsp;negotiating tactic and not a done deal and as pressure grew on Trump to back off.&nbsp;

&quot;We&#39;re not backing down,&quot; Trump said during a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. &quot;I don`t think you&#39;re going to have a trade war,&quot; he added, without elaborating.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Trump on Monday to tell him the tariffs would be an impediment to talks on updating NAFTA, a Canadian government official said.

Canada is the single largest supplier of steel and aluminium to the United States. In the call, Trudeau &quot;forcefully defended&quot; Canadian workers and industries, said the official, describing the conversation as constructive.

Earlier comments from Trump had stoked talk of a global trade war as he described them as easy to win and issued a threat to German carmakers. One of those, BMW, runs a plant in the United States that is the largest single autos exporter in the country and has created thousands of jobs.

Most responses to Trump&#39;s proposed tariffs have been targeted. The European Union said it would hit Harleys, bourbon and jeans, iconic American products. It did not threaten to ramp up the issue.

China has been largely mum, urging caution, and both Canada and Mexico have stressed the targeted nature of any response.

Stresses inside the White House

Trump was expected to finalize the planned tariffs later in the week, although some observers familiar with the process said it could occur next week. The initial announcement by Trump last week came as a surprise.

The United States, Mexico and Canada have been holding talks over changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement, a pact that Trump has threatened to abandon.

Six months of tense talks have produced little in the way of progress and a move by Washington to link the steel and aluminium tariffs to progress on NAFTA was rebuffed by Canada and Mexico.&nbsp;

US&nbsp;Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer also attempted to drive a wedge between Canada and Mexico when he suggested the United States would be willing to hold bilateral, rather than trilateral talks. The two countries again stood firm.&nbsp;

In Washington, aides scrambled to meet Trump&rsquo;s demand for the paperwork to be completed for a formal announcement. The exact timing was unclear as the tariff documentation had to be drafted and go through a variety of reviews, a process that takes days, an administration official said.

There was always a chance that Trump &rdquo;could amend his initial announcement&rdquo; to take account of the concerns expressed about it, said a source familiar with the internal debate at the White House.

Trump&#39;s trade trail&nbsp;

Trump has frequently talked tough on trade, although his actions have not always matched his words. On his first day in office in January 2017, he withdrew from the 14-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, a deal that was dead on arrival in the U.S. Congress in any case.

He has frequently tweeted and said that he would pull out of NAFTA, which he has called a jobs killer. But a year after taking office, the 1994 deal remains intact.

Trump has approved a series of small-scale trade actions, of which the steel and aluminium duties would be a part. Taken together with actions on washing machines and solar panels, the proposed move accounts for just 4.1 percent of US&nbsp;imports. In terms of global trade, they are just 0.6 percent, investment bank Morgan Stanley said in a report.

The head of the World Trade Organization warned of a real risk of triggering an escalation of global trade barriers and a deep recession, even as financial markets and many economists started to discount the risk of a global crisis.

&quot;We must make every effort to avoid the fall of the first dominoes. There is still time,&quot; WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo told the heads of WTO delegations at a closed-door meeting in Geneva.&nbsp;

Inside the White House, there still appeared to be confusion about the timing and extent of the planned tariffs

US President Donald Trump faced growing pressure on Monday from political and diplomatic allies as well as US companies urging him to pull back from proposed steel and aluminium tariffs, although he said he would stick to his guns. Inside the White House, there still appeared to be confusion about the timing and extent of the planned tariffs, which would hit allies like Canada and Mexico hard. Efforts by Trump and US trade negotiators to link the NAFTA trade pact talks to the duties received short shrift from Ottawa and Mexico City. Leading Republicans turned up the pressure on Trump, with House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan leading the charge. Ryan's home state of Wisconsin would be hit by proposed European counter-measures on Harley-Davidson Inc motorbikes. Representative Kevin Brady, another top House Republican, called on Trump not to hit America's closest allies. Business leaders are pressing for a meeting with Trump to brief him on the negative repercussions of the tariffs on companies that use steel and aluminium, a source familiar with the matter said. A meeting had not yet been set up, the source said. The White House had no comment. The planned tariffs have roiled world stock markets as investors worried about the prospect of an escalating trade war that would derail global economic growth. Stocks across the globe rose on Monday, however, after four days in decline as investors saw the tariff threats as a US negotiating tactic and not a done deal and as pressure grew on Trump to back off. "We're not backing down," Trump said during a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "I don`t think you're going to have a trade war," he added, without elaborating. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Trump on Monday to tell him the tariffs would be an impediment to talks on updating NAFTA, a Canadian government official said. Canada is the single largest supplier of steel and aluminium to the United States. In the call, Trudeau "forcefully defended" Canadian workers and industries, said the official, describing the conversation as constructive. Earlier comments from Trump had stoked talk of a global trade war as he described them as easy to win and issued a threat to German carmakers. One of those, BMW, runs a plant in the United States that is the largest single autos exporter in the country and has created thousands of jobs. Most responses to Trump's proposed tariffs have been targeted. The European Union said it would hit Harleys, bourbon and jeans, iconic American products. It did not threaten to ramp up the issue. China has been largely mum, urging caution, and both Canada and Mexico have stressed the targeted nature of any response. Stresses inside the White House Trump was expected to finalize the planned tariffs later in the week, although some observers familiar with the process said it could occur next week. The initial announcement by Trump last week came as a surprise. The United States, Mexico and Canada have been holding talks over changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement, a pact that Trump has threatened to abandon. Six months of tense talks have produced little in the way of progress and a move by Washington to link the steel and aluminium tariffs to progress on NAFTA was rebuffed by Canada and Mexico. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer also attempted to drive a wedge between Canada and Mexico when he suggested the United States would be willing to hold bilateral, rather than trilateral talks. The two countries again stood firm. In Washington, aides scrambled to meet Trump’s demand for the paperwork to be completed for a formal announcement. The exact timing was unclear as the tariff documentation had to be drafted and go through a variety of reviews, a process that takes days, an administration official said. There was always a chance that Trump ”could amend his initial announcement” to take account of the concerns expressed about it, said a source familiar with the internal debate at the White House. Trump's trade trail Trump has frequently talked tough on trade, although his actions have not always matched his words. On his first day in office in January 2017, he withdrew from the 14-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, a deal that was dead on arrival in the U.S. Congress in any case. He has frequently tweeted and said that he would pull out of NAFTA, which he has called a jobs killer. But a year after taking office, the 1994 deal remains intact. Trump has approved a series of small-scale trade actions, of which the steel and aluminium duties would be a part. Taken together with actions on washing machines and solar panels, the proposed move accounts for just 4.1 percent of US imports. In terms of global trade, they are just 0.6 percent, investment bank Morgan Stanley said in a report. The head of the World Trade Organization warned of a real risk of triggering an escalation of global trade barriers and a deep recession, even as financial markets and many economists started to discount the risk of a global crisis. "We must make every effort to avoid the fall of the first dominoes. There is still time," WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo told the heads of WTO delegations at a closed-door meeting in Geneva.

Trump faces pushback on tariffs but says he will not back down

US President Donald Trump&#39;s hard-line approach to the Palestinians is similar to herding cows for slaughter, a top Palestinian official said Tuesday.

The comments came a day after the US leader welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington and ahead of the expected launch of Trump&#39;s plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace.&nbsp;

&quot;Today what is happening with us is what you call in the United States a cattle shoot trap,&quot; Mohammad Shtayyeh, an adviser to president Mahmud Abbas, told journalists in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

&quot;They bring the cattle in a yard with one single exit, with a man on a horse and a whip. And they keep pushing the cow into the trap. By the time every single cow gets through, it is shot in the head with an electric gun, then goes in a belt to the slaughtering house, then we eat it as hamburger.&quot;

&quot;With the Palestinians, what is happening is exactly the same.&quot;

He listed off a number of controversial Trump decisions, including December&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and his freezing of tens of millions in dollars in funding for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, as evidence of a systematic attempt to squeeze them.

Both the Palestinians and Israel see Jerusalem as their capital and the US decision to move its Israeli embassy there prompted the Palestinians to say the White House could no longer be the primary mediator between the two sides.

On Monday during a meeting with Netanyahu, Trump said he might attend the opening of the embassy in May.

Despite the poor relations with the Palestinians, the White House is still expected to present a proposal for Israeli-Palestinian peace in the coming weeks.

&quot;The Palestinians, I think, are wanting to come back to the table very badly,&quot; Trump said as he sat alongside Netanyahu at the White House.

&quot;If they don&#39;t, you don&#39;t have peace. And that&#39;s a possibility also.&quot;

The comments came a day after the US leader welcomed Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump's hard-line approach to the Palestinians is similar to herding cows for slaughter, a top Palestinian official said Tuesday. The comments came a day after the US leader welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington and ahead of the expected launch of Trump's plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. "Today what is happening with us is what you call in the United States a cattle shoot trap," Mohammad Shtayyeh, an adviser to president Mahmud Abbas, told journalists in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "They bring the cattle in a yard with one single exit, with a man on a horse and a whip. And they keep pushing the cow into the trap. By the time every single cow gets through, it is shot in the head with an electric gun, then goes in a belt to the slaughtering house, then we eat it as hamburger." "With the Palestinians, what is happening is exactly the same." He listed off a number of controversial Trump decisions, including December's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and his freezing of tens of millions in dollars in funding for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, as evidence of a systematic attempt to squeeze them. Both the Palestinians and Israel see Jerusalem as their capital and the US decision to move its Israeli embassy there prompted the Palestinians to say the White House could no longer be the primary mediator between the two sides. On Monday during a meeting with Netanyahu, Trump said he might attend the opening of the embassy in May. Despite the poor relations with the Palestinians, the White House is still expected to present a proposal for Israeli-Palestinian peace in the coming weeks. "The Palestinians, I think, are wanting to come back to the table very badly," Trump said as he sat alongside Netanyahu at the White House. "If they don't, you don't have peace. And that's a possibility also."

Trump peace efforts like herding cows to slaughter: Palestinian official

World stocks and emerging markets fell for the fifth straight day on Monday, hammered by fears of a global trade war and the prospect of political instability in Europe after inconclusive elections in Italy.&nbsp;

Assets considered low-risk - including gold, the yen, and German bonds - were in heavy demand, with yields on the latter at the lowest in a month.&nbsp;

&quot;There is nothing in the global set-up that&#39;s positive for equities at the moment especially as (share) prices are still out of whack with latest developments,&quot; said Salman Ahmed, chief investment strategist at Lombard Odier Investment Managers.&nbsp;

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump last week sent world markets lower after threatening hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, sparking threats of retaliatory action from trade partners worldwide.

On Sunday, Italian voters delivered a hung parliament, flocking to anti-immigrant and eurosceptic parties in record numbers in a development seen as a setback to stability and wider European integration.&nbsp;

Italian stocks were down 1 per cent at six-month lows, though broader European markets reversed opening losses to trade marginally higher.

MSCI&#39;s all-country equity index slipped 0.2 per cent after emerging Asian and Japanese shares fell more than 0.7 per cent.&nbsp;

Emerging shares took the biggest beating, falling almost one per cent to three-week lows.&nbsp;

Ahmed said developments in Italy represented&nbsp; &quot;a medium to small shock&quot; with implications for asset prices, while the risk of trade wars was a far bigger issue.&nbsp;

Canada and Mexico have threatened retaliation, and the European Union said it would apply 25 per cent tariffs on about $3.5 billion of US&nbsp;imports if Trump carried out his threat. 
China too said it would defend its interests.&nbsp;

&quot;Markets are not priced for trade wars and now you are also seeing a negative reaction to the US&nbsp;moves from Europe and Canada,&quot; Ahmed said.

&quot;The major vulnerability is in emerging markets,&quot; he added, referring to the developing world`s reliance on trade which has been expanding faster than economic growth in recent years, a key for company profits and equity returns.

Most emerging currencies weakened around 0.3-0.5 per cent to the dollar. 
Overshadowing Germany.

The growth concerns pushed investors towards Bunds, with 10-year German yields falling to nearly six-week lows.

Yields on 10-year Italian government bonds jumped 10 basis points at the open, reversing some of the gains they had enjoyed in the run-up to the election. That, in turn, pushed up yields on other lower-rated European bonds from Spain and Portugal.

The prospect of prolonged Italian instability drove the euro to six-month lows versus the yen. Against the dollar, it approached seven-week lows hit last week.

The single currency clawed back some of those losses as the day progressed but Italy continued to overshadow Germany&#39;s progress towards a new government - its Social Democrats on Sunday having decisively backed a coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel`s conservatives.

&quot;Even though Europe is traditionally driven by the French-German axis, Italy is still hugely important,&quot; Erik Norland, senior economist at CME Group, said.

&quot;To have (Italy) not in favor of deeper integration, anti-immigrant and moving to a different fiscal line from Germany will limit the upside to the euro in the coming days and weeks.&quot;

The dollar too languished near one-week lows against a basket of currencies and was not far off November 2016 lows plumbed versus the yen last week immediately after Trump&#39;s trade threats.

Wall Street appeared set for a weak open, with futures down 0.3 per cent.

Gold benefited from the turbulence, rising 0.3 per cent to one-week lows.&nbsp;

While other commodities could suffer should the growth outlook soften, copper prices stayed flat on the day while crude prices rose half a cent before an oil producers&#39;&nbsp;meeting that could discuss limiting output further.

World stocks and emerging markets fell for the fifth straight day on Monday, hammered by fears of a global trade war and the prospect of political instability in Europe after inconclusive elections in Italy

World stocks and emerging markets fell for the fifth straight day on Monday, hammered by fears of a global trade war and the prospect of political instability in Europe after inconclusive elections in Italy. Assets considered low-risk - including gold, the yen, and German bonds - were in heavy demand, with yields on the latter at the lowest in a month. "There is nothing in the global set-up that's positive for equities at the moment especially as (share) prices are still out of whack with latest developments," said Salman Ahmed, chief investment strategist at Lombard Odier Investment Managers. US President Donald Trump last week sent world markets lower after threatening hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, sparking threats of retaliatory action from trade partners worldwide. On Sunday, Italian voters delivered a hung parliament, flocking to anti-immigrant and eurosceptic parties in record numbers in a development seen as a setback to stability and wider European integration. Italian stocks were down 1 per cent at six-month lows, though broader European markets reversed opening losses to trade marginally higher. MSCI's all-country equity index slipped 0.2 per cent after emerging Asian and Japanese shares fell more than 0.7 per cent. Emerging shares took the biggest beating, falling almost one per cent to three-week lows. Ahmed said developments in Italy represented "a medium to small shock" with implications for asset prices, while the risk of trade wars was a far bigger issue. Canada and Mexico have threatened retaliation, and the European Union said it would apply 25 per cent tariffs on about $3.5 billion of US imports if Trump carried out his threat. China too said it would defend its interests. "Markets are not priced for trade wars and now you are also seeing a negative reaction to the US moves from Europe and Canada," Ahmed said. "The major vulnerability is in emerging markets," he added, referring to the developing world`s reliance on trade which has been expanding faster than economic growth in recent years, a key for company profits and equity returns. Most emerging currencies weakened around 0.3-0.5 per cent to the dollar. Overshadowing Germany. The growth concerns pushed investors towards Bunds, with 10-year German yields falling to nearly six-week lows. Yields on 10-year Italian government bonds jumped 10 basis points at the open, reversing some of the gains they had enjoyed in the run-up to the election. That, in turn, pushed up yields on other lower-rated European bonds from Spain and Portugal. The prospect of prolonged Italian instability drove the euro to six-month lows versus the yen. Against the dollar, it approached seven-week lows hit last week. The single currency clawed back some of those losses as the day progressed but Italy continued to overshadow Germany's progress towards a new government - its Social Democrats on Sunday having decisively backed a coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel`s conservatives. "Even though Europe is traditionally driven by the French-German axis, Italy is still hugely important," Erik Norland, senior economist at CME Group, said. "To have (Italy) not in favor of deeper integration, anti-immigrant and moving to a different fiscal line from Germany will limit the upside to the euro in the coming days and weeks." The dollar too languished near one-week lows against a basket of currencies and was not far off November 2016 lows plumbed versus the yen last week immediately after Trump's trade threats. Wall Street appeared set for a weak open, with futures down 0.3 per cent. Gold benefited from the turbulence, rising 0.3 per cent to one-week lows. While other commodities could suffer should the growth outlook soften, copper prices stayed flat on the day while crude prices rose half a cent before an oil producers' meeting that could discuss limiting output further.

Trade war fears, Italian election buffet world shares

Donald Trump on Monday said he &#39;may&#39; attend United States embassy opening in Jerusalem.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israeli-prime-minister-to-meet-trump-in-white-house-as-scandal-grows-back-home-34791">Israeli Prime Minister to meet Trump in White House as scandal grows back home</a>

The US embassy opening is scheduled to take place on May 14 of this year coinciding with 70th anniversary of the founding day of Jerusalem.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting the United States on Monday during which he is also scheduled for lunch with the US Prime Minister.

Trump&nbsp;has offered unswerving support for Israel and its government in the past.

During the visit, the duo to discuss his Trump&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital triggering an outrage from all over the world.

Controversial move of Jerusalem as Israeli capital received an extra boost on Monday when Guatemala also announced to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

&nbsp;

The US embassy opening is scheduled to take place on May 14 of this year coinciding with 70th anniversary of the founding day of Jerusalem

Donald Trump on Monday said he 'may' attend United States embassy opening in Jerusalem. Also read: Israeli Prime Minister to meet Trump in White House as scandal grows back home The US embassy opening is scheduled to take place on May 14 of this year coinciding with 70th anniversary of the founding day of Jerusalem. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting the United States on Monday during which he is also scheduled for lunch with the US Prime Minister. Trump has offered unswerving support for Israel and its government in the past. During the visit, the duo to discuss his Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital triggering an outrage from all over the world. Controversial move of Jerusalem as Israeli capital received an extra boost on Monday when Guatemala also announced to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Trump says he 'may' attend US embassy opening in Jerusalem

Benjamin Netanyahu was to meet his &quot;true friend&quot; Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, even as an ex-aide to the Israeli prime minister signed a state witness deal in a corruption probe tightening around him back home.

Netanyahu, who is also grappling with a spreading governmental crisis that could trigger early elections, was due to meet Trump in the Oval Office and have a working lunch with the US leader, although analysts said little of note was likely to emerge from the meeting.

The Israeli leader has embraced the Trumpian tactic of denouncing as &quot;fake news&quot; the corruption allegations hanging over his head, a method Trump has honed in dealing with an investigation into whether his campaign team colluded with Russia during the 2016 US elections.

Trump has offered unswerving support for Israel and its government, and the two leaders were sure to discuss his recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, a controversial move that received an extra boost Monday when Guatemala announced it too was moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The two leaders were also expected to discuss efforts to curb Iran&#39;s regional influence.

The White House meeting, held during Netanyahu&#39;s visit to the annual conference of the influential lobby group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), will provide a boost for the right-wing Israeli leader as scandals and political turmoil brew at home.

&quot;I think they are partners in ideology, and the ideology is a populist, conservative ideology which says that the old liberal elites are against us,&quot; said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at Jerusalem&#39;s Hebrew University.&nbsp;

The Israeli leader&#39;s domestic problems mounted even as he prepared to meet Trump, when Israeli media reported that a former spokesman for his family, Nir Hefetz, had become the third Netanyahu associate to sign a state witness deal with prosecutors in recent months.

Hefetz is alleged to have acted as a messenger between Netanyahu, the telecoms mogul Shaul Elovitch and the news website Walla!, media reports said.

Police suspect the telecoms firm Bezeq was given regulatory breaks in return for Netanyahu receiving positive coverage on Walla!, a news website owned by Bezeq.

Hefetz is also suspected of trying to bribe a retired judge to block a probe into the prime minister&#39;s wife, Sara Netanyahu, over alleged misuse of public funds, according to reports.

Countering Iran

While Trump&#39;s plan to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem this year has brought the two leaders closer together, it has infuriated the Palestinian leadership and was condemned by 128 states in a United Nations General Assembly vote in December.&nbsp;

The issue has also caused a widening rift in US public opinion. A survey in January by the Pew Research Center showed that 79 percent of Republicans were more sympathetic towards Israel than the Palestinians, against just 27 percent among Democrats.

The Middle East peace process grew even more complicated recently after Jared Kushner, the president&#39;s son-in-law and one of his senior advisers, lost his top-secret security clearance.&nbsp;

But Netanyahu is not thought to be overly concerned about any delay in restarting the peace talks.

In his encounters with Trump and at the AIPAC conference, he is expected to focus mainly on Iran as Israel&#39;s greatest enemy, and one he says seeks a permanent military presence in neighboring Syria.

The prime minister is also expected to call again for changes to, or the cancellation of, the nuclear accord between world powers and Iran, said Zalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington.&nbsp;

Netanyahu was due to meet Trump in the Oval Office and have a working lunch with the US leader

Benjamin Netanyahu was to meet his "true friend" Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, even as an ex-aide to the Israeli prime minister signed a state witness deal in a corruption probe tightening around him back home. Netanyahu, who is also grappling with a spreading governmental crisis that could trigger early elections, was due to meet Trump in the Oval Office and have a working lunch with the US leader, although analysts said little of note was likely to emerge from the meeting. The Israeli leader has embraced the Trumpian tactic of denouncing as "fake news" the corruption allegations hanging over his head, a method Trump has honed in dealing with an investigation into whether his campaign team colluded with Russia during the 2016 US elections. Trump has offered unswerving support for Israel and its government, and the two leaders were sure to discuss his recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, a controversial move that received an extra boost Monday when Guatemala announced it too was moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The two leaders were also expected to discuss efforts to curb Iran's regional influence. The White House meeting, held during Netanyahu's visit to the annual conference of the influential lobby group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), will provide a boost for the right-wing Israeli leader as scandals and political turmoil brew at home. "I think they are partners in ideology, and the ideology is a populist, conservative ideology which says that the old liberal elites are against us," said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. The Israeli leader's domestic problems mounted even as he prepared to meet Trump, when Israeli media reported that a former spokesman for his family, Nir Hefetz, had become the third Netanyahu associate to sign a state witness deal with prosecutors in recent months. Hefetz is alleged to have acted as a messenger between Netanyahu, the telecoms mogul Shaul Elovitch and the news website Walla!, media reports said. Police suspect the telecoms firm Bezeq was given regulatory breaks in return for Netanyahu receiving positive coverage on Walla!, a news website owned by Bezeq. Hefetz is also suspected of trying to bribe a retired judge to block a probe into the prime minister's wife, Sara Netanyahu, over alleged misuse of public funds, according to reports. Countering Iran While Trump's plan to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem this year has brought the two leaders closer together, it has infuriated the Palestinian leadership and was condemned by 128 states in a United Nations General Assembly vote in December. The issue has also caused a widening rift in US public opinion. A survey in January by the Pew Research Center showed that 79 percent of Republicans were more sympathetic towards Israel than the Palestinians, against just 27 percent among Democrats. The Middle East peace process grew even more complicated recently after Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and one of his senior advisers, lost his top-secret security clearance. But Netanyahu is not thought to be overly concerned about any delay in restarting the peace talks. In his encounters with Trump and at the AIPAC conference, he is expected to focus mainly on Iran as Israel's greatest enemy, and one he says seeks a permanent military presence in neighboring Syria. The prime minister is also expected to call again for changes to, or the cancellation of, the nuclear accord between world powers and Iran, said Zalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister to meet Trump in White House as scandal grows back home

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