Amid worsening ties between the United Nations and Pakistan, the US embassy on Tuesday that Washington wants to estlabish a new relationship with Islamabad.

The statement was given by a senior aide to Trump during his visit to Pakistan.&nbsp;

Lisa Curtis, deputy assistant to the U.S. president, also voiced U.S. concerns about Pakistan&#39;s deficiencies in preventing terrorist-financing during her two-day trip to the nuclear-armed South Asian nation.

Last week, Washington persuaded member states of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to put Pakistan back on the watchlist of nations with inadequate terrorist financing or money laundering controls.

The U.S. move infuriated Islamabad amid fears it could hurt the fragile economy of Pakistan, whose de facto finance minister accused Washington of trying to embarrass his country.

&quot;Ms. Curtis said that the United States seeks to move toward a new relationship with Pakistan, based on a shared commitment to defeat all terrorist groups that threaten regional stability,&quot; the U.S. embassy said in a statement.

The embassy informed that this new relationship between the two nations would also be based on a shared vision of a peaceful future for Afghanistan

Tensions with historically Washington have pushed Pakistan further into the arms of China. Closer diplomatic and military ties between Beijing and Islamabad have come at a time when China is helping Pakistan&#39;s economy grow by investing billions in infrastructure projects.&nbsp;

In January, &nbsp;the Trump administration suspended about $2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan, days after Trump tweeted that Pakistan has given nothing but lies and deceit in return for generous aid.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The statement was given by a senior aide to Trump during his visit to Pakistan

Amid worsening ties between the United Nations and Pakistan, the US embassy on Tuesday that Washington wants to estlabish a new relationship with Islamabad. The statement was given by a senior aide to Trump during his visit to Pakistan. Lisa Curtis, deputy assistant to the U.S. president, also voiced U.S. concerns about Pakistan's deficiencies in preventing terrorist-financing during her two-day trip to the nuclear-armed South Asian nation. Last week, Washington persuaded member states of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to put Pakistan back on the watchlist of nations with inadequate terrorist financing or money laundering controls. The U.S. move infuriated Islamabad amid fears it could hurt the fragile economy of Pakistan, whose de facto finance minister accused Washington of trying to embarrass his country. "Ms. Curtis said that the United States seeks to move toward a new relationship with Pakistan, based on a shared commitment to defeat all terrorist groups that threaten regional stability," the U.S. embassy said in a statement. The embassy informed that this new relationship between the two nations would also be based on a shared vision of a peaceful future for Afghanistan Tensions with historically Washington have pushed Pakistan further into the arms of China. Closer diplomatic and military ties between Beijing and Islamabad have come at a time when China is helping Pakistan's economy grow by investing billions in infrastructure projects. In January, the Trump administration suspended about $2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan, days after Trump tweeted that Pakistan has given nothing but lies and deceit in return for generous aid.

US seeking new relationship with Pakistan, says President Trump's aide

US President Donald Trump plans to discuss gun legislation with lawmakers this week, the White House said Monday, and he told governors not to worry about the National Rifle Association as they mull responses to the massacre of 17 people at a Florida high school.

&quot;Don`t worry about the NRA. They`re on our side,&quot; Trump told more than 35 governors, including Rick Scott of Florida, during a White House meeting. &quot;If they`re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That`s OK. They`re doing what they think is right.&quot;

The February 14 massacre of students and educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, by a gunman with a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle reignited the nation`s long-running debate over gun rights.&nbsp;

Trump, a Republican who backed gun rights during and since his 2016 presidential campaign, has been under pressure to show he is responding without alienating Republicans who oppose restrictions on gun rights. He plans to meet with lawmakers from both parties on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at a news briefing.

Trump, who had lunch with senior NRA officials on Sunday, on Monday repeated his suggestion that arming teachers could help stop more rampages. He did not mention raising the legal age to buy assault rifles to 21, an idea he emphasised last week and one that Florida`s Scott, also a Republican, backed after the rampage.

The NRA could not be reached for immediate comment.

Investigators said this month`s assault was carried out by Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at the high school, with a legally purchased AR-15 assault weapon.

The shooting has rattled long-drawn political lines on gun rights in the United States, where Republican officials have often opposed any efforts to tighten gun ownership rules, partly out of concern about retribution by the powerful NRA.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, told Trump that teachers in his state do not want to carry weapons.

&quot;I have listened to the first-grade teachers who don`t want to be pistol-packing first-grade teachers,&quot; Inslee said. &quot;Let`s just take that off the table and move forward.&quot;

But Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said more than 100 school districts in his state have trained teachers and other staff to carry a weapon and respond to attacks.

&quot;Some school districts, they promote it,&quot; Abbott said. &quot;They will have signs out front, a warning sign, `Be aware there are armed personnel on campus.`&quot;

Florida plans to invest $500 million to have a significant law enforcement presence in every public school in the state, Scott told the White House meeting.

Trump says would have run in

Trump criticised the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting.

An armed school resource officer stationed at the school stayed outside during the attack, and has since resigned. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has been criticised for his department`s response to the shooting.

&quot;The way they performed was, frankly, disgusting,&quot; Trump said, adding that he believed that if he were in the same situation, he would have run into the school &quot;even if I didn`t have a weapon.&quot;

The businessman-turned-politician avoided military service during the Vietnam War through student and medical deferments.

He has called the school resource officer, Scot Peterson, a &quot;coward.&quot;

An attorney for Peterson defended his actions in a statement, saying he had remained outside because he believed the gunfire was occurring outside the school.

&quot;Allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue,&quot; attorney Joseph DiRuzzo said in a statement.

Trump has said he plans to limit sales of &quot;bump stocks,&quot; which can modify a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle to fire at high rates of speed akin to a machine gun. Fully automatic machine guns are largely banned under US law.

The NRA has pushed back against that idea, saying it would impinge on the rights of law-abiding gun owners while having no effect on public safety.

A gunman in Las Vegas last year used assault rifles equipped with bump stocks to kill 58 people in the deadliest attack by a single shooter in US history. Bump stocks have not played a prominent role in other recent US mass shootings.

'Don`t worry about the NRA. They`re on our side,' Trump told more than 35 governors during a White House meeting. 'If they`re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That`s OK. They`re doing what they think is right'

US President Donald Trump plans to discuss gun legislation with lawmakers this week, the White House said Monday, and he told governors not to worry about the National Rifle Association as they mull responses to the massacre of 17 people at a Florida high school. "Don`t worry about the NRA. They`re on our side," Trump told more than 35 governors, including Rick Scott of Florida, during a White House meeting. "If they`re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That`s OK. They`re doing what they think is right." The February 14 massacre of students and educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, by a gunman with a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle reignited the nation`s long-running debate over gun rights. Trump, a Republican who backed gun rights during and since his 2016 presidential campaign, has been under pressure to show he is responding without alienating Republicans who oppose restrictions on gun rights. He plans to meet with lawmakers from both parties on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at a news briefing. Trump, who had lunch with senior NRA officials on Sunday, on Monday repeated his suggestion that arming teachers could help stop more rampages. He did not mention raising the legal age to buy assault rifles to 21, an idea he emphasised last week and one that Florida`s Scott, also a Republican, backed after the rampage. The NRA could not be reached for immediate comment. Investigators said this month`s assault was carried out by Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at the high school, with a legally purchased AR-15 assault weapon. The shooting has rattled long-drawn political lines on gun rights in the United States, where Republican officials have often opposed any efforts to tighten gun ownership rules, partly out of concern about retribution by the powerful NRA. Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, told Trump that teachers in his state do not want to carry weapons. "I have listened to the first-grade teachers who don`t want to be pistol-packing first-grade teachers," Inslee said. "Let`s just take that off the table and move forward." But Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said more than 100 school districts in his state have trained teachers and other staff to carry a weapon and respond to attacks. "Some school districts, they promote it," Abbott said. "They will have signs out front, a warning sign, `Be aware there are armed personnel on campus.`" Florida plans to invest $500 million to have a significant law enforcement presence in every public school in the state, Scott told the White House meeting. Trump says would have run in Trump criticised the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting. An armed school resource officer stationed at the school stayed outside during the attack, and has since resigned. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has been criticised for his department`s response to the shooting. "The way they performed was, frankly, disgusting," Trump said, adding that he believed that if he were in the same situation, he would have run into the school "even if I didn`t have a weapon." The businessman-turned-politician avoided military service during the Vietnam War through student and medical deferments. He has called the school resource officer, Scot Peterson, a "coward." An attorney for Peterson defended his actions in a statement, saying he had remained outside because he believed the gunfire was occurring outside the school. "Allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue," attorney Joseph DiRuzzo said in a statement. Trump has said he plans to limit sales of "bump stocks," which can modify a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle to fire at high rates of speed akin to a machine gun. Fully automatic machine guns are largely banned under US law. The NRA has pushed back against that idea, saying it would impinge on the rights of law-abiding gun owners while having no effect on public safety. A gunman in Las Vegas last year used assault rifles equipped with bump stocks to kill 58 people in the deadliest attack by a single shooter in US history. Bump stocks have not played a prominent role in other recent US mass shootings.

Trump plans to discuss gun legislation with lawmakers, says NRA 'on our side'

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Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said today, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/meghalaya-nagaland-to-go-to-polls-today-34157">Voting begins in Meghalaya and Nagaland</a>

Voting for the 60-member assemblies will be held from 7 am till 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syrias-ghouta-russia-orders-daily-5-hour-truce-34166">Syria&#39;s Ghouta: Russia orders daily 5-hour truce</a>

Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria&#39;s eastern Ghouta, after a UN&nbsp;Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-would-have-run-unarmed-into-florida-school-34164">Trump says would have run unarmed into Florida school</a>

President Donald Trump said Monday he would have rushed unarmed into the Florida school targeted by a mass shooter, as student survivors of the slaughter brought their campaign for gun control to Congress.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/psg-striker-neymar-jr-suffers-metatarsal-fracture-34158">PSG&#39;s Neymar suffers metatarsal fracture</a>

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar suffered a sprained ankle and a fractured metatarsal when he was stretchered off in Sunday&#39;s win over Marseille, the Ligue 1 leaders announced on Monday.

Sridevi died due to accidental drowning, Dubai Police say another 'clearance' required before body can be released Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said today, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues. Voting begins in Meghalaya and Nagaland Voting for the 60-member assemblies will be held from 7 am till 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm. Syria's Ghouta: Russia orders daily 5-hour truce Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria's eastern Ghouta, after a UN Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country. Trump says would have run unarmed into Florida school President Donald Trump said Monday he would have rushed unarmed into the Florida school targeted by a mass shooter, as student survivors of the slaughter brought their campaign for gun control to Congress. PSG's Neymar suffers metatarsal fracture Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar suffered a sprained ankle and a fractured metatarsal when he was stretchered off in Sunday's win over Marseille, the Ligue 1 leaders announced on Monday.

WION Morning News Brief, February 27, 2018

President Donald Trump said Monday he would have rushed unarmed into the Florida school targeted by a mass shooter, as student survivors of the slaughter brought their campaign for gun control to Congress.

Nearly two weeks after the attack in Parkland, Florida left 17 people dead, US lawmakers reconvened after a one-week recess under intensifying pressure to address gun violence.

Trump has since called for reforms including tougher background checks on firearm purchases, but the White House has yet to announce support for specific legislation in Congress, where enacting federal gun restrictions faces major obstacles especially in an election year.

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<h5>I really believe I&#39;d run in there even if I didn&#39;t have a weapon,&#39; Trump said. &#39;You never know until you&#39;re tested&#39;</h5>
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During a White House meeting with state governors, Trump said he would have felt compelled to confront the shooter.

&quot;I really believe I&#39;d run in there even if I didn&#39;t have a weapon,&quot; Trump said. &quot;You never know until you&#39;re tested.&quot;

Having previously criticized an armed deputy who failed to intervene in the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Trump also branded the performance of some local law enforcement &quot;frankly disgusting.&quot;

The deputy, Scot Peterson, pushed back through his lawyer, saying he positioned himself outside a school building because he believed the shots were originating from outside.

&quot;The allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue,&quot; lawyer Joseph DiRuzzo said in a statement.&nbsp;

Lunch with the NRA 
Spurred to action by the shooting -- the worst at a US school in six years -- several Parkland survivors travelled to the US Capitol, where they met Monday with top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers.

Trump, who touted his Second Amendment credentials on the 2016 campaign trail, said he lunched Sunday with Wayne LaPierre, the head of the powerful National Rifle Association, and told him changes were needed.

&quot;We&#39;re going to do strong background checks. Very strong,&quot; Trump told the governors. &quot;If we see a sicko, I don&#39;t want him having a gun.&quot;

Trump has also called for boosting school security, and controversially, arming some teachers and staff in addition to on-campus guards.

Most Democrats want gun control efforts brought to fruition in Congress, and a new CNN poll showed that 70 percent of Americans support stricter gun laws, up 18 points since October.

But it remains unclear just what measures can pass Congress in Washington&#39;s overheated partisan fog, and Republican House and Senate leaders have remained largely silent on the issue.&nbsp;

Senate Republican Pat Toomey and centrist Democrat Joe Manchin want to reprise their 2013 bill that would expand background checks to include purchases online and at gun shows.&nbsp;

Manchin told reporters Trump would need to express his support for the measure for it to pass the Republican-controlled Senate.

Republicans from suburban districts, where calls for gun control have gained ground, have expressed openness to raising the age limit for purchasing semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21, or banning devices that turn such weapons into machine guns.

Senator Susan Collins, a Republican moderate, said she also supports expanding background checks and addressing mental health.

&quot;I definitely want to see the issue taken up,&quot; she told AFP.

But many conservatives consider any tightening of gun laws a creeping assault on citizens&#39; constitutional right to bear arms.

&quot;I don&#39;t think we need more gun control, I think we need better idiot control,&quot; said Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana.

The split appeared to leave the prospects of significant new gun legislation in doubt.

Some Republicans are pushing the so-called &quot;Fix NICS&quot; bill which would compel agencies to report information into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

&quot;We must do much more than that,&quot; said top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer as he touted legislation that expands background checks.

Doing so, he said, would require Republicans to &quot;break free from the iron grip of the NRA.&quot;

Emotional return to Parkland 
With the gun debate raging, Parkland students and teachers made an emotional return to their school Sunday, setting foot on site for the first time since the massacre.

Staff returned to work on Monday, and classes were to resume Wednesday.

Parkland&#39;s students, in the spotlight as they spur the conversation on guns, received praise Monday from First Lady Melania Trump, who said she was &quot;heartened to see children across this country using their voices to speak out and try to create change.&quot;

&quot;They are our future and they deserve a voice,&quot; she said.

Seventeen people died in the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

President Donald Trump said Monday he would have rushed unarmed into the Florida school targeted by a mass shooter, as student survivors of the slaughter brought their campaign for gun control to Congress. Nearly two weeks after the attack in Parkland, Florida left 17 people dead, US lawmakers reconvened after a one-week recess under intensifying pressure to address gun violence. Trump has since called for reforms including tougher background checks on firearm purchases, but the White House has yet to announce support for specific legislation in Congress, where enacting federal gun restrictions faces major obstacles especially in an election year. I really believe I'd run in there even if I didn't have a weapon,' Trump said. 'You never know until you're tested' × During a White House meeting with state governors, Trump said he would have felt compelled to confront the shooter. "I really believe I'd run in there even if I didn't have a weapon," Trump said. "You never know until you're tested." Having previously criticized an armed deputy who failed to intervene in the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Trump also branded the performance of some local law enforcement "frankly disgusting." The deputy, Scot Peterson, pushed back through his lawyer, saying he positioned himself outside a school building because he believed the shots were originating from outside. "The allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue," lawyer Joseph DiRuzzo said in a statement. Lunch with the NRA Spurred to action by the shooting -- the worst at a US school in six years -- several Parkland survivors travelled to the US Capitol, where they met Monday with top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers. Trump, who touted his Second Amendment credentials on the 2016 campaign trail, said he lunched Sunday with Wayne LaPierre, the head of the powerful National Rifle Association, and told him changes were needed. "We're going to do strong background checks. Very strong," Trump told the governors. "If we see a sicko, I don't want him having a gun." Trump has also called for boosting school security, and controversially, arming some teachers and staff in addition to on-campus guards. Most Democrats want gun control efforts brought to fruition in Congress, and a new CNN poll showed that 70 percent of Americans support stricter gun laws, up 18 points since October. But it remains unclear just what measures can pass Congress in Washington's overheated partisan fog, and Republican House and Senate leaders have remained largely silent on the issue. Senate Republican Pat Toomey and centrist Democrat Joe Manchin want to reprise their 2013 bill that would expand background checks to include purchases online and at gun shows. Manchin told reporters Trump would need to express his support for the measure for it to pass the Republican-controlled Senate. Republicans from suburban districts, where calls for gun control have gained ground, have expressed openness to raising the age limit for purchasing semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21, or banning devices that turn such weapons into machine guns. Senator Susan Collins, a Republican moderate, said she also supports expanding background checks and addressing mental health. "I definitely want to see the issue taken up," she told AFP. But many conservatives consider any tightening of gun laws a creeping assault on citizens' constitutional right to bear arms. "I don't think we need more gun control, I think we need better idiot control," said Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana. The split appeared to leave the prospects of significant new gun legislation in doubt. Some Republicans are pushing the so-called "Fix NICS" bill which would compel agencies to report information into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. "We must do much more than that," said top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer as he touted legislation that expands background checks. Doing so, he said, would require Republicans to "break free from the iron grip of the NRA." Emotional return to Parkland With the gun debate raging, Parkland students and teachers made an emotional return to their school Sunday, setting foot on site for the first time since the massacre. Staff returned to work on Monday, and classes were to resume Wednesday. Parkland's students, in the spotlight as they spur the conversation on guns, received praise Monday from First Lady Melania Trump, who said she was "heartened to see children across this country using their voices to speak out and try to create change." "They are our future and they deserve a voice," she said.

Trump says would have run unarmed into Florida school

The junior partner in Australia&#39;s coalition government elected as its new leader on Monday a former newspaper editor who takes over as deputy prime minister after an embarrassing sex scandal threatened a decades-old conservative alliance.

Michael McCormack was chosen in a party-room ballot to replace Barnaby Joyce as the leader of the rural-based National Party after Joyce, who campaigned on family values, resigned over an extramarital affair with his former media secretary.

Joyce is expecting a child with his former staff member and has left his marriage of 24 years. He resisted weeks of pressure to quit but said on Friday he would resign as party leader after a new allegation of sexual harassment emerged.

Under the terms of the coalition deal with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull&#39;s centre-right Liberal Party, the leader of the Nationals automatically becomes deputy prime minister.

The drawn-out saga over Joyce&#39;s extramarital affair had threatened to fracture the alliance between the Liberals and Nationals that has been in place for almost 100 years.

McCormack won the party-room vote over a single challenger, George Christensen, who had proposed breaking the alliance with the Nationals&#39; senior partner.

&quot;I will honour that faith and trust and responsibility by always doing my best,&quot; McCormack told reporters in Canberra.

The alliance suffered during a public falling-out between Turnbull and Joyce over the deputy leader&#39;s affair. Turnbull described it as a &quot;shocking error of judgment&quot;, to which Joyce replied by calling Turnbull &quot;inept&quot;.

Turnbull pointedly did not leave Joyce as acting prime minister when he left Australia last week for meetings with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump in Washington.

McCormack has kept a low profile in recent years but his appointment is not without controversy. He was forced to apologise for stridently homophobic comments he made in an editorial when he was running a rural newspaper in 1993.

Turnbull, also a former journalist, welcomed McCormack&#39;s appointment.

&quot;Our enduring and successful political partnership will continue under Michael&rsquo;s leadership of the National Party,&quot; Turnbull said in an emailed statement.

Political analysts saw McCormack&#39;s low profile as an early obstacle before elections due by May 2019.

&quot;It will take quite a bit of time before McCormack registers with voters in rural and regional Australia,&quot; said Haydon Manning, a political science professor at Flinders University in South Australia.

&quot;Turnbull doesn&#39;t have much time before the election and he losses his best asset in Joyce, who is without doubt the best retail politician,&quot; he said.

Joyce now moves to the backbench. Little-known outside Australia, he made international headlines in 2015 when he deported two dogs brought into Australia by US&nbsp;actor Johnny Depp without the proper paperwork, a row that became known as the &quot;war on terrier&quot;. 
&nbsp;

Michael McCormack was chosen in a party-room ballot to replace Barnaby Joyce as the leader of the rural-based National Party

The junior partner in Australia's coalition government elected as its new leader on Monday a former newspaper editor who takes over as deputy prime minister after an embarrassing sex scandal threatened a decades-old conservative alliance. Michael McCormack was chosen in a party-room ballot to replace Barnaby Joyce as the leader of the rural-based National Party after Joyce, who campaigned on family values, resigned over an extramarital affair with his former media secretary. Joyce is expecting a child with his former staff member and has left his marriage of 24 years. He resisted weeks of pressure to quit but said on Friday he would resign as party leader after a new allegation of sexual harassment emerged. Under the terms of the coalition deal with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's centre-right Liberal Party, the leader of the Nationals automatically becomes deputy prime minister. The drawn-out saga over Joyce's extramarital affair had threatened to fracture the alliance between the Liberals and Nationals that has been in place for almost 100 years. McCormack won the party-room vote over a single challenger, George Christensen, who had proposed breaking the alliance with the Nationals' senior partner. "I will honour that faith and trust and responsibility by always doing my best," McCormack told reporters in Canberra. The alliance suffered during a public falling-out between Turnbull and Joyce over the deputy leader's affair. Turnbull described it as a "shocking error of judgment", to which Joyce replied by calling Turnbull "inept". Turnbull pointedly did not leave Joyce as acting prime minister when he left Australia last week for meetings with US President Donald Trump in Washington. McCormack has kept a low profile in recent years but his appointment is not without controversy. He was forced to apologise for stridently homophobic comments he made in an editorial when he was running a rural newspaper in 1993. Turnbull, also a former journalist, welcomed McCormack's appointment. "Our enduring and successful political partnership will continue under Michael’s leadership of the National Party," Turnbull said in an emailed statement. Political analysts saw McCormack's low profile as an early obstacle before elections due by May 2019. "It will take quite a bit of time before McCormack registers with voters in rural and regional Australia," said Haydon Manning, a political science professor at Flinders University in South Australia. "Turnbull doesn't have much time before the election and he losses his best asset in Joyce, who is without doubt the best retail politician," he said. Joyce now moves to the backbench. Little-known outside Australia, he made international headlines in 2015 when he deported two dogs brought into Australia by US actor Johnny Depp without the proper paperwork, a row that became known as the "war on terrier".

New deputy leader for Australia after sex scandal forces party shake-up

US President Donald Trump gave a cautious response to North Korea&#39;s offer of talks Monday, saying they would take place &quot;only under the right conditions.&quot;

&quot;We have been very tough with them,&quot; Trump said at the White House, after Pyongyang signaled its willingness to return to the negotiating table.

Also&nbsp;read - <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/north-korea-willing-to-hold-talks-with-us-says-seoul-34014">North Korea willing to hold talks with </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/north-korea-willing-to-hold-talks-with-us-says-seoul-34014">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/north-korea-willing-to-hold-talks-with-us-says-seoul-34014">, says Seoul</a>

&quot;So they want to talk &quot; Trump said, claiming that as a &quot;first&quot; and adding &quot;we&#39;ll see what happens.&quot;

He did not spell out his conditions for talks.

North Korea&#39;s offer is a barbed one, coming as allies Seoul and Washington struggle to agree on how to deal with the rogue nuclear power.

US officials fret that the offer could be an effort to drive a wedge between the allies or to buy time.

Trump&#39;s administration has embarked on a policy of &quot;maximum pressure&quot; to convince the North to abandon threatening missile and nuclear programs.

Trump has pointedly refused to rule out military action, much to the concern of South Korea.

On Monday South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged the United States to &quot;lower the threshold for talks.&quot;

&quot;It&#39;s important that the US and the North sit together as soon as possible,&quot; Moon said.

Washington has long insisted that Pyongyang takes steps towards denuclearization before any talks take place.

'So they want to talk' Trump said, claiming that as a 'first' and adding 'we'll see what happens'

US President Donald Trump gave a cautious response to North Korea's offer of talks Monday, saying they would take place "only under the right conditions." "We have been very tough with them," Trump said at the White House, after Pyongyang signaled its willingness to return to the negotiating table. Also read - North Korea willing to hold talks with US, says Seoul "So they want to talk " Trump said, claiming that as a "first" and adding "we'll see what happens." He did not spell out his conditions for talks. North Korea's offer is a barbed one, coming as allies Seoul and Washington struggle to agree on how to deal with the rogue nuclear power. US officials fret that the offer could be an effort to drive a wedge between the allies or to buy time. Trump's administration has embarked on a policy of "maximum pressure" to convince the North to abandon threatening missile and nuclear programs. Trump has pointedly refused to rule out military action, much to the concern of South Korea. On Monday South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged the United States to "lower the threshold for talks." "It's important that the US and the North sit together as soon as possible," Moon said. Washington has long insisted that Pyongyang takes steps towards denuclearization before any talks take place.

North Korea talks only under 'right conditions': North Korea

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The CBI has registered a case against Simbhaoli Sugars Limited, its Chairman Gurmit Singh Mann, Deputy Managing Director Gurpal Singh and others in connection with an alleged bank loan fraud of Rs 97.85 crore.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fir-against-aap-mla-naresh-balyan-for-saying-officers-should-be-beaten-up-34048">Delhi: FIR filed against AAP MLA Naresh Balyan for saying officers &#39;should be beaten up&#39;</a>

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Uttam Nagar&#39;s MLA Naresh Balyan has been booked for saying that officers obstructing public work &quot;should be beaten up&quot;, police said on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/manohar-parrikar-readmitted-to-goa-hospital-34042">Goa CM Manohar Parrikar readmitted to hospital</a>

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was admitted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital in Panaji on Sunday evening after he complained of uneasiness, a GMCH official said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-gun-lobby-pushes-back-against-trumps-gun-plans-after-florida-shooting-34050">US gun lobby pushes back against Trump&#39;s gun plans after Florida shooting</a>

The National Rifle Association pushed back on Sunday against modest proposals by President Donald Trump and other Republicans to change U.S. gun laws in the wake of a school shooting in Florida that killed 17 students and staff.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-shooting-students-brace-for-emotional-return-to-florida-school-34039">After shooting, students brace for emotional return to Florida school</a>

Students and teachers preparing to return to the Florida school that was the scene of a gruesome mass shooting called the prospect &quot;daunting&quot; and &quot;scary&quot; Sunday as they urged politicians to act swiftly to address gun violence.

CBI registers Rs 97-cr bank loan fraud case against Simbhaoli Sugars Ltd, chairman, deputy MD The CBI has registered a case against Simbhaoli Sugars Limited, its Chairman Gurmit Singh Mann, Deputy Managing Director Gurpal Singh and others in connection with an alleged bank loan fraud of Rs 97.85 crore. Delhi: FIR filed against AAP MLA Naresh Balyan for saying officers 'should be beaten up' Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Uttam Nagar's MLA Naresh Balyan has been booked for saying that officers obstructing public work "should be beaten up", police said on Sunday. Goa CM Manohar Parrikar readmitted to hospital Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was admitted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital in Panaji on Sunday evening after he complained of uneasiness, a GMCH official said. US gun lobby pushes back against Trump's gun plans after Florida shooting The National Rifle Association pushed back on Sunday against modest proposals by President Donald Trump and other Republicans to change U.S. gun laws in the wake of a school shooting in Florida that killed 17 students and staff. After shooting, students brace for emotional return to Florida school Students and teachers preparing to return to the Florida school that was the scene of a gruesome mass shooting called the prospect "daunting" and "scary" Sunday as they urged politicians to act swiftly to address gun violence.

WION Morning News Brief, February 26, 2018

The United States is seeking to have the United Nations ban 33 vessels from ports worldwide and blacklist 27 shipping businesses for helping North Korea circumvent sanctions.

The US request to a UN sanctions committee, came as President Donald Trump announced Friday the &quot;heaviest sanctions ever&quot; on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

Japan joined the United States in supporting the request concerning three of the 33 vessels for carrying out ship-to-ship transfers of oil destined for North Korea in violation of UN resolutions.

Council members have until Friday at 3:00 pm to raise objections to the proposed sanctions.

The measures will come into effect if none of the council members, including the North&#39;s ally China, block the request.

Only eight vessels have so far been banned from ports for sanctions-busting and the US request would significantly expand the blacklist in a bid to cripple North Korea&#39;s maritime network.

Last year, the Security Council adopted a series of resolutions to ban North Korean exports of commodities in a bid to cut off revenue to North Korea&#39;s military programs.

The measures severely restrict deliveries of oil and refined petroleum products to North Korea, but a recent report by a UN panel of experts found that Pyongyang was flouting sanctions.

North Korea earned $200 million in revenue last year from exports of coal, iron, steel and other banned commodities, the report said.

The United States and Japan are strong backers of sanctions as a way to pressure Pyongyang to come to the negotiating table and end its drive to develop nuclear weapons.

The US request to a UN sanctions committee, came as President Donald Trump announced Friday the 'heaviest sanctions ever' on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests

The United States is seeking to have the United Nations ban 33 vessels from ports worldwide and blacklist 27 shipping businesses for helping North Korea circumvent sanctions. The US request to a UN sanctions committee, came as President Donald Trump announced Friday the "heaviest sanctions ever" on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. Japan joined the United States in supporting the request concerning three of the 33 vessels for carrying out ship-to-ship transfers of oil destined for North Korea in violation of UN resolutions. Council members have until Friday at 3:00 pm to raise objections to the proposed sanctions. The measures will come into effect if none of the council members, including the North's ally China, block the request. Only eight vessels have so far been banned from ports for sanctions-busting and the US request would significantly expand the blacklist in a bid to cripple North Korea's maritime network. Last year, the Security Council adopted a series of resolutions to ban North Korean exports of commodities in a bid to cut off revenue to North Korea's military programs. The measures severely restrict deliveries of oil and refined petroleum products to North Korea, but a recent report by a UN panel of experts found that Pyongyang was flouting sanctions. North Korea earned $200 million in revenue last year from exports of coal, iron, steel and other banned commodities, the report said. The United States and Japan are strong backers of sanctions as a way to pressure Pyongyang to come to the negotiating table and end its drive to develop nuclear weapons.

US seeks UN ban on 33 ships, 27 firms over North Korea smuggling

Democratic lawmakers released a partially-redacted rebuttal Saturday of a controversial Republican memo alleging bias and abuse of power in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

The Democratic document -- which President Donald Trump dubbed a &quot;political and legal BUST&quot; -- is the latest salvo in a partisan fight over the Russia investigation, which was launched in 2016 and has come under repeated fire from Trump and other Republicans.

The Republican memo, which was released earlier this month over the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice`s objections, said that unsubstantiated Democrat-funded research was used to obtain a warrant to surveil Carter Page, a former Trump campaign aide.

&quot;FBI and DOJ officials did not &#39;abuse&#39;&nbsp;the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) process, omit material information, or subvert this vital tool to spy on the Trump campaign,&quot; the Democrats` text said, referring to the process under which secret surveillance warrants are obtained.

&quot;In fact, DOJ and the FBI would have been remiss in their duty to protect the country had they not sought a FISA warrant and repeated renewals to conduct temporary surveillance of Carter Page, someone the FBI assessed to be an agent of the Russian government.

&quot;DOJ cited multiple sources to support the case for surveilling Page,&quot; and &quot;the warrant request was based on compelling evidence and probable cause,&quot; said the document.

The White House initially blocked the release of the Democratic memo, citing its inclusion of sensitive information, and Trump took aim at the now-redacted text.

&quot;The Democrat memo response on government surveillance abuses is a total political and legal BUST. Just confirms all of the terrible things that were done. SO ILLEGAL!&quot; he wrote on Twitter.

White House spokesman Raj Shah termed it a &quot;political-driven document&quot; that is &quot;loaded with uncorroborated allegations&quot; and &quot;fails to answer serious concerns raised&quot; in the Republican memo.

Representative Devin Nunes, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee and the architect of the Republican text, also criticized the Democratic rebuttal.

&quot;What you`re not gonna see is anything that actually rejects what was in our memo,&quot; which aimed to show &quot;that FISA abuse had occurred,&quot; Nunes said at an annual Republican conference.

Democrats &quot;are advocating that it`s OK for the FBI and DOJ to use political dirt paid for by one campaign and use it against the other campaign,&quot; he said, referring to information compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele.

The Democratic document said the Russia meddling investigation was &quot;based on troubling law enforcement and intelligence information unrelated to the `dossier,`&quot; and that Page had officially left the Trump campaign before the application to surveil him was filed.

But information from Steele was used in the surveillance warrant application, according to the memo, which said that &quot;multiple independent sources&quot; -- which were redacted from the document -- confirmed his reporting, and contradicted testimony by Page.

Representative Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the intelligence panel, criticized the White House for delaying the release of the memo.

The document &quot;should put to rest any concerns that the American people might have as to the conduct of the FBI, the Justice Department and the FISC,&quot; Schiff said in a statement, referring to the

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which hears applications for FISA warrants.

&quot;It is time for our committee to return to the core investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, the role US persons played in that interference and what we need to do to protect the country going forward.&quot;

America`s leading intelligence agencies concluded last year that Russian President Vladimir Putin had directed a broad intelligence effort to influence the 2016 presidential election to undermine the campaign of Democrat Hillary Clinton and boost Trump&#39;s chances, but the president has repeatedly denied colluding with Moscow.

The Democratic document is the latest salvo in a partisan fight over the Russia investigation

Democratic lawmakers released a partially-redacted rebuttal Saturday of a controversial Republican memo alleging bias and abuse of power in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The Democratic document -- which President Donald Trump dubbed a "political and legal BUST" -- is the latest salvo in a partisan fight over the Russia investigation, which was launched in 2016 and has come under repeated fire from Trump and other Republicans. The Republican memo, which was released earlier this month over the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice`s objections, said that unsubstantiated Democrat-funded research was used to obtain a warrant to surveil Carter Page, a former Trump campaign aide. "FBI and DOJ officials did not 'abuse' the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) process, omit material information, or subvert this vital tool to spy on the Trump campaign," the Democrats` text said, referring to the process under which secret surveillance warrants are obtained. "In fact, DOJ and the FBI would have been remiss in their duty to protect the country had they not sought a FISA warrant and repeated renewals to conduct temporary surveillance of Carter Page, someone the FBI assessed to be an agent of the Russian government. "DOJ cited multiple sources to support the case for surveilling Page," and "the warrant request was based on compelling evidence and probable cause," said the document. The White House initially blocked the release of the Democratic memo, citing its inclusion of sensitive information, and Trump took aim at the now-redacted text. "The Democrat memo response on government surveillance abuses is a total political and legal BUST. Just confirms all of the terrible things that were done. SO ILLEGAL!" he wrote on Twitter. White House spokesman Raj Shah termed it a "political-driven document" that is "loaded with uncorroborated allegations" and "fails to answer serious concerns raised" in the Republican memo. Representative Devin Nunes, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee and the architect of the Republican text, also criticized the Democratic rebuttal. "What you`re not gonna see is anything that actually rejects what was in our memo," which aimed to show "that FISA abuse had occurred," Nunes said at an annual Republican conference. Democrats "are advocating that it`s OK for the FBI and DOJ to use political dirt paid for by one campaign and use it against the other campaign," he said, referring to information compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele. The Democratic document said the Russia meddling investigation was "based on troubling law enforcement and intelligence information unrelated to the `dossier,`" and that Page had officially left the Trump campaign before the application to surveil him was filed. But information from Steele was used in the surveillance warrant application, according to the memo, which said that "multiple independent sources" -- which were redacted from the document -- confirmed his reporting, and contradicted testimony by Page. Representative Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the intelligence panel, criticized the White House for delaying the release of the memo. The document "should put to rest any concerns that the American people might have as to the conduct of the FBI, the Justice Department and the FISC," Schiff said in a statement, referring to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which hears applications for FISA warrants. "It is time for our committee to return to the core investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, the role US persons played in that interference and what we need to do to protect the country going forward." America`s leading intelligence agencies concluded last year that Russian President Vladimir Putin had directed a broad intelligence effort to influence the 2016 presidential election to undermine the campaign of Democrat Hillary Clinton and boost Trump's chances, but the president has repeatedly denied colluding with Moscow.

Democrats release counter-memo over Russia probe

Beijing has protested against Washington&#39;s decision to impose sanctions against Chinese companies accused of conducting illicit economic deals with North Korea, the foreign ministry said.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced measures targeting more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels and trade businesses, hailing the package as the &quot;heaviest sanctions ever&quot; levied on the nuclear-armed regime.&nbsp;

The measures, which the US says are aimed at forcing Pyongyang to roll back its banned nuclear and weapons programmes, apply to companies located or registered in North Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Tanzania, Panama and Comoros.

Washington has been locked in a nuclear standoff with Pyongyang, which is trying to develop missiles that could deliver an atomic weapon to major US cities, and the sanctions are designed to put the squeeze on North Korea&#39;s already precarious economy and fuel supply.

&quot;China is strongly opposed to the United States&#39; long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions on Chinese entities and individuals,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Saturday.

&quot;We have lodged solemn representations to the United States and asked the US&nbsp;to immediately cease the wrong practice so as to avoid undermining relevant cooperation between the two sides,&quot; he added.

China, North Korea&#39;s only major ally, has steadfastly rebuffed Washington&#39;s calls for a full oil embargo -- fearing the chaotic collapse of the Pyongyang regime -- but has accepted caps agreed at the United Nations.

&quot;We will never allow Chinese citizens or companies to be engaged in activities that violate resolutions from the United Nations Security Council,&quot; Geng said.

But Washington says its latest measures target entities that have helped Pyongyang evade UN sanctions.

The North Korean military and broader economy depend heavily on imports of coal and oil from Russia and China, with the latter accounting for some 90 percent of the country&#39;s trade.

Last year, the Security Council adopted a series of resolutions to ban North Korean exports of commodities, including coal, iron and steel.

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced measures targeting more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels and trade businesses

Beijing has protested against Washington's decision to impose sanctions against Chinese companies accused of conducting illicit economic deals with North Korea, the foreign ministry said. US President Donald Trump on Friday announced measures targeting more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels and trade businesses, hailing the package as the "heaviest sanctions ever" levied on the nuclear-armed regime. The measures, which the US says are aimed at forcing Pyongyang to roll back its banned nuclear and weapons programmes, apply to companies located or registered in North Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Tanzania, Panama and Comoros. Washington has been locked in a nuclear standoff with Pyongyang, which is trying to develop missiles that could deliver an atomic weapon to major US cities, and the sanctions are designed to put the squeeze on North Korea's already precarious economy and fuel supply. "China is strongly opposed to the United States' long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions on Chinese entities and individuals," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Saturday. "We have lodged solemn representations to the United States and asked the US to immediately cease the wrong practice so as to avoid undermining relevant cooperation between the two sides," he added. China, North Korea's only major ally, has steadfastly rebuffed Washington's calls for a full oil embargo -- fearing the chaotic collapse of the Pyongyang regime -- but has accepted caps agreed at the United Nations. "We will never allow Chinese citizens or companies to be engaged in activities that violate resolutions from the United Nations Security Council," Geng said. But Washington says its latest measures target entities that have helped Pyongyang evade UN sanctions. The North Korean military and broader economy depend heavily on imports of coal and oil from Russia and China, with the latter accounting for some 90 percent of the country's trade. Last year, the Security Council adopted a series of resolutions to ban North Korean exports of commodities, including coal, iron and steel.

Beijing protests US sanctions on Chinese firms over North Korea ties

US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today reiterated their commitment to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific and affirmed the importance of expanding quadrilateral co-operation with India and Japan.

Following their meeting, the White House said Trump and Turnbull &quot;discussed ways to deepen trilateral cooperation with Japan and affirmed the importance of expanding cooperation between Australia, the US, Japan, and India.&quot;

Expressing serious concerns about the situation in the South China Sea, they called upon parties to exercise restraint and resolve disputes peacefully based on international law.

Trump thanked Turnbull for his continued support for the US&#39; program of Freedom of Navigation Operations.

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Australia to advance United States-Australia support for high-quality infrastructure investment in the Indo-Pacific region and encourage reforms to improve regulations, transparency, and local capital markets.

This is probably aimed at the One Belt One Road initiative of China, which has created a sense of anxiety among various countries in the region.

The joint statement, however did not mention the Chinese initiative in this regard, which the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, has called as predatory economics.

According to the joint statement, the two countries intend to launch the United States-Australia Strategic Partnership on Energy in the Indo-Pacific region to promote energy infrastructure, low emissions technologies, and global gas markets.

Affirming their support for global health security to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, the two countries also agreed to intensify cooperation to support the growth of digital trade between them, ensure an open, free and secure Internet, and advocate the liberalisation and facilitation of global digital trade.

Sharing concerns about terrorists&#39; use of cyberspace and the evolving threat of terrorism to both nations and the global community, Trump and Turnbull discussed about Afghanistan and on-going efforts to assist its people in their quest for peace and security and to deny terrorists access to safe havens there.

Trump, according to the White House, thanked Turnbull for Australia&#39;s leadership on counterterrorism issues in Southeast Asia and its substantial contributions to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

They further discussed cooperation as terrorist fighters depart Iraq and Syria and return to their home countries.

Earlier at a joint White House news conference, Trump thanked the prime minister for serving as a strong voice for peace and stability across the entire Indo-Pacific region.

&quot;Australia is one of our closest partners in our campaign of maximum pressure to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula. Today, we put the strongest sanctions on Korea that we have ever put on a country.

We must continue to stand together to prevent the brutal dictatorship from threatening the world with nuclear devastation,&quot; he said.

&quot;Our nations, likewise, share a commitment to keeping our people safe from terrorism. Australian troops are currently serving alongside Americans and our partners in Afghanistan and the coalition to defeat ISIS. Together, we&#39;re denying terrorists safe haven, cutting off their funding and discrediting their wicked ideology,&quot; Trump said.

The strong partnership can also be seen in the flourishing economic relationship, he added.

Turnbull said that the meeting was a great opportunity to strengthen and deepen their engagement with the US and to lay the groundwork for a new phase of intensified cooperation, the next 100 years of mateship.

&quot;We recognise that the prosperity of our region, and indeed the world, has been underpinned and in fact built on a foundation of a rules-based order which has been secured by the leadership of the United States ever since the Second World War. That leadership has been critical,&quot; Turnbull said.

The relationship between the two countries is based not only on history, but also the same values they share and a deep well of trust and spirit based on those enduring values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, enterprise, ingenuity, the spirit of having a go, he said.

&quot;And, if it doesn&#39;t work out, dust yourself off and have another go. That is a core American and Australian value. That spirit of enterprise is what leads us on. Of course, our relationship is underpinned by millions of people-to-people and family links and, of course, the extensive economic cooperation we&#39;ve spoken about,&quot; he added.

The White House said Trump and Turnbull 'discussed ways to deepen trilateral cooperation with Japan and affirmed the importance of expanding cooperation between Australia, the US, Japan, and India'

US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today reiterated their commitment to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific and affirmed the importance of expanding quadrilateral co-operation with India and Japan. Following their meeting, the White House said Trump and Turnbull "discussed ways to deepen trilateral cooperation with Japan and affirmed the importance of expanding cooperation between Australia, the US, Japan, and India." Expressing serious concerns about the situation in the South China Sea, they called upon parties to exercise restraint and resolve disputes peacefully based on international law. Trump thanked Turnbull for his continued support for the US' program of Freedom of Navigation Operations. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Australia to advance United States-Australia support for high-quality infrastructure investment in the Indo-Pacific region and encourage reforms to improve regulations, transparency, and local capital markets. This is probably aimed at the One Belt One Road initiative of China, which has created a sense of anxiety among various countries in the region. The joint statement, however did not mention the Chinese initiative in this regard, which the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, has called as predatory economics. According to the joint statement, the two countries intend to launch the United States-Australia Strategic Partnership on Energy in the Indo-Pacific region to promote energy infrastructure, low emissions technologies, and global gas markets. Affirming their support for global health security to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, the two countries also agreed to intensify cooperation to support the growth of digital trade between them, ensure an open, free and secure Internet, and advocate the liberalisation and facilitation of global digital trade. Sharing concerns about terrorists' use of cyberspace and the evolving threat of terrorism to both nations and the global community, Trump and Turnbull discussed about Afghanistan and on-going efforts to assist its people in their quest for peace and security and to deny terrorists access to safe havens there. Trump, according to the White House, thanked Turnbull for Australia's leadership on counterterrorism issues in Southeast Asia and its substantial contributions to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. They further discussed cooperation as terrorist fighters depart Iraq and Syria and return to their home countries. Earlier at a joint White House news conference, Trump thanked the prime minister for serving as a strong voice for peace and stability across the entire Indo-Pacific region. "Australia is one of our closest partners in our campaign of maximum pressure to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula. Today, we put the strongest sanctions on Korea that we have ever put on a country. We must continue to stand together to prevent the brutal dictatorship from threatening the world with nuclear devastation," he said. "Our nations, likewise, share a commitment to keeping our people safe from terrorism. Australian troops are currently serving alongside Americans and our partners in Afghanistan and the coalition to defeat ISIS. Together, we're denying terrorists safe haven, cutting off their funding and discrediting their wicked ideology," Trump said. The strong partnership can also be seen in the flourishing economic relationship, he added. Turnbull said that the meeting was a great opportunity to strengthen and deepen their engagement with the US and to lay the groundwork for a new phase of intensified cooperation, the next 100 years of mateship. "We recognise that the prosperity of our region, and indeed the world, has been underpinned and in fact built on a foundation of a rules-based order which has been secured by the leadership of the United States ever since the Second World War. That leadership has been critical," Turnbull said. The relationship between the two countries is based not only on history, but also the same values they share and a deep well of trust and spirit based on those enduring values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, enterprise, ingenuity, the spirit of having a go, he said. "And, if it doesn't work out, dust yourself off and have another go. That is a core American and Australian value. That spirit of enterprise is what leads us on. Of course, our relationship is underpinned by millions of people-to-people and family links and, of course, the extensive economic cooperation we've spoken about," he added.

Trump, Turnbull discuss ways to expand ties with India, Japan

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/madhya-pradesh-bypolls-voting-in-mungaoli-kolaras-assembly-constituencies-underway-33877">Madhya Pradesh </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/madhya-pradesh-bypolls-voting-in-mungaoli-kolaras-assembly-constituencies-underway-33877">bypolls</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/madhya-pradesh-bypolls-voting-in-mungaoli-kolaras-assembly-constituencies-underway-33877">: Voting in Mungaoli, Kolaras assembly constituencies underway</a>

Voting for bypolls to two assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh begins on Saturday. Mungaoli and Kolaras seats were vacated after the death of sitting Congress MLAs Mahendra Singh Kalukheda (Mungaoli) and Ram Singh Yadav (Kolaras).&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/18-killed-as-2-bomb-blasts-gunfire-rock-somalias-capital-mogadishu-33874">At least 18 killed after two car bombs explode in Somalia&#39;s capital Mogadishu</a>

Twin car bombs killed 18 people in Somalia`s capital Mogadishu on Friday in an attack by the Islamist militant group al Shabaab, but security forces shot dead five assailants, officials said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-hear-writ-petition-by-trans-woman-shanavi-ponnusamy-33871">Supreme Court to hear writ petition by trans-woman Shanavi Ponnusamy</a>

The Supreme Court to hear the writ petition filed by trans-woman Shanavi Ponnusamy, who alleged Air India, refused her a job due to her gender, on March 5.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/donald-trump-names-india-china-to-defend-pulling-out-of-paris-climate-deal-33870">Donald Trump names India, China to defend pulling out of Paris climate deal</a>

US President Donald Trump has once again named India and China to defend his policy on climate change and reiterated that these countries and some others benefited the most from the Paris agreement while America didn&#39;t get any advantage.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/three-bombs-hit-capital-of-myanmars-rakhine-state-police-33875">Three bombs hit capital of Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state: Police</a>

Three bombs exploded in different locations in Rakhine&#39;s state capital Sittwe early Saturday morning, including at the home of a high ranking official, Myanmar police told AFP.

Madhya Pradesh bypolls: Voting in Mungaoli, Kolaras assembly constituencies underway Voting for bypolls to two assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh begins on Saturday. Mungaoli and Kolaras seats were vacated after the death of sitting Congress MLAs Mahendra Singh Kalukheda (Mungaoli) and Ram Singh Yadav (Kolaras). At least 18 killed after two car bombs explode in Somalia's capital Mogadishu Twin car bombs killed 18 people in Somalia`s capital Mogadishu on Friday in an attack by the Islamist militant group al Shabaab, but security forces shot dead five assailants, officials said. Supreme Court to hear writ petition by trans-woman Shanavi Ponnusamy The Supreme Court to hear the writ petition filed by trans-woman Shanavi Ponnusamy, who alleged Air India, refused her a job due to her gender, on March 5. Donald Trump names India, China to defend pulling out of Paris climate deal US President Donald Trump has once again named India and China to defend his policy on climate change and reiterated that these countries and some others benefited the most from the Paris agreement while America didn't get any advantage. Three bombs hit capital of Myanmar's Rakhine state: Police Three bombs exploded in different locations in Rakhine's state capital Sittwe early Saturday morning, including at the home of a high ranking official, Myanmar police told AFP.

WION Morning News Brief, February 24, 2018

A former senior official in Donald Trump&#39;s 2016 presidential campaign, Rick Gates, pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators, and he is cooperating with a federal probe into Russia&#39;s role in the election.

Gates, who was a deputy campaign manager for Trump, is being investigated by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which is probing alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. election.

Gates had been potentially facing decades in prison on much more serious charges, including bank fraud and conspiracy to launder money. Under the charges he pleaded guilty to, he faces a maximum sentence of nearly six years.

Prosecutors said they could ask the judge for a reduction in Gates&#39; sentence based on the extent of his cooperation with Mueller&#39;s probe.

The plea increases pressure on Paul Manafort, who was Trump&#39;s campaign manager for five months in 2016, to also seek a plea deal. However, Manafort said in a statement issued after Gates&#39; plea deal that he maintained his innocence.

Cooperation by Gates, and potentially by Manafort at a later stage, could provide a rich vein of information for Mueller, whose Russia probe includes looking into whether Trump&#39;s campaign colluded with Moscow to interfere in the election.

Gates&#39; plea deal appeared to be partially motivated by his concern over legal costs and the strain on his family.

Prosecutors allege that Manafort, with Gates&#39; assistance, laundered more than $30 million and duped banks into lending money. It says the pair used funds from secret offshore accounts to enjoy a life of luxury.

None of the charges to date against Gates or Manafort have made reference to any connection with Russian meddling in the 2016 election or possible collusion. Russia has denied the accusations of interference. Trump has said there was no collusion, and has also denied any attempt to obstruct Mueller&#39;s probe.

Mueller, appointed by the Department of Justice last year, has a broad brief that allows him to look into any wrongdoing uncovered in the course of his investigation.

Campaign role

While it was not clear what Gates might be able to reveal to investigators, he was on Trump&#39;s campaign team when his then-boss Manafort attended a meeting in June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York between senior campaign aides and a Russian lawyer.

Mueller, according to sources familiar with the investigation, has taken a keen interest in whether Democrats&#39; emails allegedly hacked by Russian intelligence and made public six days after that meeting were discussed then.

Gates helped run the campaign&#39;s day-to-day operations, played a key role at the Republican National Convention where Trump was chosen as the party&#39;s nominee and accompanied Trump on campaign flights.

He stayed on in the campaign even after Manafort resigned in August 2016 amid a controversy over cash payments from Ukraine. After Trump&#39;s election win, Gates was on Trump&#39;s presidential transition team and his inaugural committee.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow sought to meddle in the campaign to tilt the vote in favor of Trump, including by hacking the emails of leading Democrats and distributing disinformation and propaganda online.

Gates and Manafort were first charged in October. On Thursday, Mueller piled up more pressure on the pair - filing a 32-count indictment against them that includes charges of bank fraud and lying on tax returns.

As part of the conspiracy charge, prosecutors say that Gates and Manafort lied to the Justice Department in September 2016, when they were asked whether they had acted as foreign agents in 2013 on behalf of Ukraine&#39;s pro-Russian government.

In the plea deal, Gates agreed that he lied to the investigators on Mueller&#39;s team on Feb. 1, about a 2013 meeting between Manafort, a senior lobbyist and an unnamed member of Congress who sits on a congressional subcommittee with jurisdiction over Ukraine.

Gates&#39; plea may push Manafort to trying to reach his own plea deal and cooperate with the probe, despite his protestations to the contrary, said Michael Padula, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice.

&quot;His ability to negotiate a deal that is favorable to him at this point given that his codefendant has already made a deal with the government will depend on what he can potentially offer the special counsel regarding their investigation into Russia collusion,&quot; Padula said.

The White House said on Friday that the latest charges against Manafort and Gates were unrelated to Trump.

&quot;This indictment has nothing to do with the White House or the president. As you know, we have been cooperative with the special counsel and as we continue to see, there&#39;s no evidence of collusion, no evidence of wrongdoing,&quot; Mercedes Schlapp, the White House strategic communications director, told Fox News Channel.

A court filing on Friday charged that between 2008 and 2017, Gates and Manafort devised a scheme to defraud the United States to obtain money and property by making false representations to banks and other financial institutions. Toward the end of that period they worked for Trump&#39;s campaign.

In March 2016, Manafort fraudulently obtained a loan for over $3 million on a Manhattan condominium, prosecutors say.

In a letter to relatives and close friends that was obtained by ABC News, Gates expressed concern that a long trial would take a heavy toll.

&quot;The reality of how long this legal process will likely take, the cost, and the circus-like atmosphere of an anticipated trial are too much. I will better serve my family moving forward by exiting this process,&quot; he wrote.

Gates, who has a young family and who has been under house arrest, has been peppering the court since last year with requests to travel, coach his children&#39;s sports teams and attend school functions.

Rick Gates, who was a deputy campaign manager for Donald Trump, is being investigated by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which is probing alleged Russian meddling in the US election

A former senior official in Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, Rick Gates, pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators, and he is cooperating with a federal probe into Russia's role in the election. Gates, who was a deputy campaign manager for Trump, is being investigated by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which is probing alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. election. Gates had been potentially facing decades in prison on much more serious charges, including bank fraud and conspiracy to launder money. Under the charges he pleaded guilty to, he faces a maximum sentence of nearly six years. Prosecutors said they could ask the judge for a reduction in Gates' sentence based on the extent of his cooperation with Mueller's probe. The plea increases pressure on Paul Manafort, who was Trump's campaign manager for five months in 2016, to also seek a plea deal. However, Manafort said in a statement issued after Gates' plea deal that he maintained his innocence. Cooperation by Gates, and potentially by Manafort at a later stage, could provide a rich vein of information for Mueller, whose Russia probe includes looking into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow to interfere in the election. Gates' plea deal appeared to be partially motivated by his concern over legal costs and the strain on his family. Prosecutors allege that Manafort, with Gates' assistance, laundered more than $30 million and duped banks into lending money. It says the pair used funds from secret offshore accounts to enjoy a life of luxury. None of the charges to date against Gates or Manafort have made reference to any connection with Russian meddling in the 2016 election or possible collusion. Russia has denied the accusations of interference. Trump has said there was no collusion, and has also denied any attempt to obstruct Mueller's probe. Mueller, appointed by the Department of Justice last year, has a broad brief that allows him to look into any wrongdoing uncovered in the course of his investigation. Campaign role While it was not clear what Gates might be able to reveal to investigators, he was on Trump's campaign team when his then-boss Manafort attended a meeting in June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York between senior campaign aides and a Russian lawyer. Mueller, according to sources familiar with the investigation, has taken a keen interest in whether Democrats' emails allegedly hacked by Russian intelligence and made public six days after that meeting were discussed then. Gates helped run the campaign's day-to-day operations, played a key role at the Republican National Convention where Trump was chosen as the party's nominee and accompanied Trump on campaign flights. He stayed on in the campaign even after Manafort resigned in August 2016 amid a controversy over cash payments from Ukraine. After Trump's election win, Gates was on Trump's presidential transition team and his inaugural committee. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow sought to meddle in the campaign to tilt the vote in favor of Trump, including by hacking the emails of leading Democrats and distributing disinformation and propaganda online. Gates and Manafort were first charged in October. On Thursday, Mueller piled up more pressure on the pair - filing a 32-count indictment against them that includes charges of bank fraud and lying on tax returns. As part of the conspiracy charge, prosecutors say that Gates and Manafort lied to the Justice Department in September 2016, when they were asked whether they had acted as foreign agents in 2013 on behalf of Ukraine's pro-Russian government. In the plea deal, Gates agreed that he lied to the investigators on Mueller's team on Feb. 1, about a 2013 meeting between Manafort, a senior lobbyist and an unnamed member of Congress who sits on a congressional subcommittee with jurisdiction over Ukraine. Gates' plea may push Manafort to trying to reach his own plea deal and cooperate with the probe, despite his protestations to the contrary, said Michael Padula, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice. "His ability to negotiate a deal that is favorable to him at this point given that his codefendant has already made a deal with the government will depend on what he can potentially offer the special counsel regarding their investigation into Russia collusion," Padula said. The White House said on Friday that the latest charges against Manafort and Gates were unrelated to Trump. "This indictment has nothing to do with the White House or the president. As you know, we have been cooperative with the special counsel and as we continue to see, there's no evidence of collusion, no evidence of wrongdoing," Mercedes Schlapp, the White House strategic communications director, told Fox News Channel. A court filing on Friday charged that between 2008 and 2017, Gates and Manafort devised a scheme to defraud the United States to obtain money and property by making false representations to banks and other financial institutions. Toward the end of that period they worked for Trump's campaign. In March 2016, Manafort fraudulently obtained a loan for over $3 million on a Manhattan condominium, prosecutors say. In a letter to relatives and close friends that was obtained by ABC News, Gates expressed concern that a long trial would take a heavy toll. "The reality of how long this legal process will likely take, the cost, and the circus-like atmosphere of an anticipated trial are too much. I will better serve my family moving forward by exiting this process," he wrote. Gates, who has a young family and who has been under house arrest, has been peppering the court since last year with requests to travel, coach his children's sports teams and attend school functions.

Former Trump aid pleads guilty in Russia probe

US President Donald Trump has once again named India and China to defend his policy on climate change and reiterated that these countries and some others benefited the most from the Paris agreement while America didn&#39;t get any advantage.

&quot;We knocked out the Paris Climate Accord. It would have been a disaster. Would have been a disaster for our country,&quot; President Trump said in his address today to the Conservative Political Action Committee.

He was referring to his decision last year to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

On June last year, President Trump had announced to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change and renegotiate the deal that was agreed upon by over 190 countries during the previous Obama administration.

Arguing that countries like China and India are benefiting the most from the Paris Agreement, President Trump had said that the agreement on climate change was unfair to the US, as it badly hit its businesses and jobs.

Defending his decision President Trump said, &quot;You know, basically, it said, &#39;you have a lot of oil and gas that we found&#39; -- you know, technology has been amazing. And we found things that we never knew. But we have massive -- just about the top in the world -- we have massive energy reserves. We have coal. We have so much.&quot;

&quot;And basically, they were saying, don&#39;t use it. You can&#39;t use it. So what it does is it makes us uncompetitive with other countries. It&#39;s not going to happen, I told them. It&#39;s not going to happen,&quot; he added.

&quot;And China -- their agreement didn&#39;t kick in until 2030. Right? Our agreement kicks in immediately. Russia -- they&#39;re allowed to go back into the 1990s, which was not a clean environmental time,&quot; President Trump said.

Commenting on India and other countries, he said, &quot;Other countries, big countries -- India and others -- we had to pay, because they considered them a growing country.

&quot;They were a growing country. I said, What are we? Are we allowed to grow, too? Ok? No, Are we allowed to grow?,&quot; he said.

&quot;They called India a developing nation. They call China a developing nation. But the United States? We&#39;re developed. We can pay,&quot; President Trump said.

The President asked if people understood about the Paris Accord and said that his country is in favour of his decision.

&quot;Because it sounds so good. It&#39;s like some of the environmental regulations that I cut. They have the most beautiful titles. And sometimes, I&#39;d say, look, I&#39;m just going to close my eyes and sign this because you know what? I&#39;m going to get killed on this one. And I get so many thanks. The country knows what I&#39;m doing,&quot; he said.

&quot;We couldn&#39;t build. We couldn&#39;t farm. If you had a puddle on your land, they called it a lake for the purposes of environmental. I mean, it&#39;s crazy. It&#39;s crazy,&quot; President Trump said.&nbsp;

On June last year, President Trump had announced to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change

US President Donald Trump has once again named India and China to defend his policy on climate change and reiterated that these countries and some others benefited the most from the Paris agreement while America didn't get any advantage. "We knocked out the Paris Climate Accord. It would have been a disaster. Would have been a disaster for our country," President Trump said in his address today to the Conservative Political Action Committee. He was referring to his decision last year to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change. On June last year, President Trump had announced to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change and renegotiate the deal that was agreed upon by over 190 countries during the previous Obama administration. Arguing that countries like China and India are benefiting the most from the Paris Agreement, President Trump had said that the agreement on climate change was unfair to the US, as it badly hit its businesses and jobs. Defending his decision President Trump said, "You know, basically, it said, 'you have a lot of oil and gas that we found' -- you know, technology has been amazing. And we found things that we never knew. But we have massive -- just about the top in the world -- we have massive energy reserves. We have coal. We have so much." "And basically, they were saying, don't use it. You can't use it. So what it does is it makes us uncompetitive with other countries. It's not going to happen, I told them. It's not going to happen," he added. "And China -- their agreement didn't kick in until 2030. Right? Our agreement kicks in immediately. Russia -- they're allowed to go back into the 1990s, which was not a clean environmental time," President Trump said. Commenting on India and other countries, he said, "Other countries, big countries -- India and others -- we had to pay, because they considered them a growing country. "They were a growing country. I said, What are we? Are we allowed to grow, too? Ok? No, Are we allowed to grow?," he said. "They called India a developing nation. They call China a developing nation. But the United States? We're developed. We can pay," President Trump said. The President asked if people understood about the Paris Accord and said that his country is in favour of his decision. "Because it sounds so good. It's like some of the environmental regulations that I cut. They have the most beautiful titles. And sometimes, I'd say, look, I'm just going to close my eyes and sign this because you know what? I'm going to get killed on this one. And I get so many thanks. The country knows what I'm doing," he said. "We couldn't build. We couldn't farm. If you had a puddle on your land, they called it a lake for the purposes of environmental. I mean, it's crazy. It's crazy," President Trump said.

Donald Trump names India, China to defend pulling out of Paris climate deal

The United States President Donald Trump&#39;s son Donald Trump Jr on Friday praised the overall business environment in India and reiterated that it was easier to do business in India as compared to China.

Speaking at the 4th Global Business Summit here, Trump Jr. said: &quot;Indians do have a special entrepreneurial flair. It&#39;s easier to do business with Indians, because of the language, common law, the ability to build reliable relationships. It is almost like doing business back in the United States. For me, it has been, certainly been, easier to do business in India.&quot;

He was replying to a question during the meeting on why the Trump Organisation chose to build ultra-luxury apartments in India first than in China.

Trump Jr&nbsp;also praised the Narendra Modi-led government over-pushing for reforms.

Acknowledging that real estate in India had been going through a tough time, he saw it as a period of cleansing.

&quot;I have been coming here for ten years. Real estate was a four-letter word. People promised X, and delivered X minus a lot if anything at all.&quot; Things have changed a lot here, Trump Jr. said.

On the development of luxury real estate projects in India, Trump Jr. stated that his business brought &quot;authentic and truly global luxury&quot; to India.

&quot;This is now a mature market, our clients fly the world over; they know what luxury is and they are seeking it here. India was behind in such projects, but it has now caught up with the global standards,&quot; he said.

Also, he added that ever since Trump took over the president last year, the Trump Organisation would not sign any deals with any country, in order to avoid &quot;conflict of interests&quot; from the White House.

Trump Jr. is on a week-long visit to India to endorse his luxury real estate project, the Trump Towers in Gurugram, Pune, Mumbai and Kolkata.

He called on several real estate developers at Oberoi Hotel in Delhi and met with the members of real estate firms- M3M India and Tribeca Developers.

According to business partners in India, many units in the Trump Towers are selling about 30 percent per square foot higher than the current market rates. Trump Jr.&#39;s visit to India is expected to reinforce the trend.

India is Trump Organisation&#39;s biggest international market, with four real estate projects underway in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Gurugram.

The Trump Organisation has more business entities in India than in any other foreign country, financial filings show, with licensing bringing in estimated payments of 1.6 million dollars to 11 million dollars since 2014.

Trump Jr.&#39;s visit to India comes after his sister, Ivanka, visited Hyderabad in November last year to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES).&nbsp;

Trump Jr also praised the Narendra Modi-led government over-pushing for reforms

The United States President Donald Trump's son Donald Trump Jr on Friday praised the overall business environment in India and reiterated that it was easier to do business in India as compared to China. Speaking at the 4th Global Business Summit here, Trump Jr. said: "Indians do have a special entrepreneurial flair. It's easier to do business with Indians, because of the language, common law, the ability to build reliable relationships. It is almost like doing business back in the United States. For me, it has been, certainly been, easier to do business in India." He was replying to a question during the meeting on why the Trump Organisation chose to build ultra-luxury apartments in India first than in China. Trump Jr also praised the Narendra Modi-led government over-pushing for reforms. Acknowledging that real estate in India had been going through a tough time, he saw it as a period of cleansing. "I have been coming here for ten years. Real estate was a four-letter word. People promised X, and delivered X minus a lot if anything at all." Things have changed a lot here, Trump Jr. said. On the development of luxury real estate projects in India, Trump Jr. stated that his business brought "authentic and truly global luxury" to India. "This is now a mature market, our clients fly the world over; they know what luxury is and they are seeking it here. India was behind in such projects, but it has now caught up with the global standards," he said. Also, he added that ever since Trump took over the president last year, the Trump Organisation would not sign any deals with any country, in order to avoid "conflict of interests" from the White House. Trump Jr. is on a week-long visit to India to endorse his luxury real estate project, the Trump Towers in Gurugram, Pune, Mumbai and Kolkata. He called on several real estate developers at Oberoi Hotel in Delhi and met with the members of real estate firms- M3M India and Tribeca Developers. According to business partners in India, many units in the Trump Towers are selling about 30 percent per square foot higher than the current market rates. Trump Jr.'s visit to India is expected to reinforce the trend. India is Trump Organisation's biggest international market, with four real estate projects underway in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Gurugram. The Trump Organisation has more business entities in India than in any other foreign country, financial filings show, with licensing bringing in estimated payments of 1.6 million dollars to 11 million dollars since 2014. Trump Jr.'s visit to India comes after his sister, Ivanka, visited Hyderabad in November last year to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES).

Easier to do business in India than China: Trump Jr

The Trump administration has announced a new policy that makes very tough the procedure of issuing H-1B visas to those to be employed at one or more third-party worksites, a move that will hugely impact Indian IT companies and their employees.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-issues-new-rules-on-us-visa-waivers-26883" target="_blank">Trump administration issues new rules on US visa waivers</a>

Under the new policy, the company would have to go an extra length to prove that its H-1B employee at a third-party worksite has specific and non-qualifying speculative assignments in speciality occupation.

The H-1B programme offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers.

Indian IT companies, which are among the major beneficiaries of H-1B visas, have a significant number of its employees deployed at third-party worksites. A significant number of American banking, travel and commercial services depend on on-site IT workers from India to get their job done.

The new move announced yesterday through a seven-page policy empowers the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to issue H-1B visas to an employee only for the period for which he/she has work at a third-party worksite.

As such the issuing of H-1B visas could be of less than three years. This would reverse the tradition of issuing the H-1B visas for three years at a time.

Effective immediately, the new guidance comes weeks ahead of the beginning of the H-1B visas filing season, which is expected to be April 2, for the fiscal year 2019 beginning October 1, 2018.

The guidance says in order for an H-1B petition involving a third-party worksite to be approved, the petitioner must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the beneficiary will be employed in a speciality occupation and the employer will maintain an employer-employee relationship with the beneficiary for the duration of the requested validity period.

When H-1B beneficiaries are placed at third-party worksites, the companies must demonstrate that they have specific and non-speculative qualifying assignments in a speciality occupation for that beneficiary for the entire time requested on the petition.

While an H-1B petition may be approved for up to three years, the USCIS will, in its discretion, generally limit the approval period to the length of time demonstrated that the beneficiary will be placed in non-speculative work and during which the petitioner will maintain the requisite employer-employee relationship, an official statement said.

Extensions of H-1B visas have become even tougher, in particular, if the employee has been on a bench for any part of their previous duration.

Sometimes American companies abruptly end the contract of an employee, as a result, the workers temporarily do not have any work, which in IT parlance is called on bench.

During this period, while they maintain their H-1B visas status, official investigations have revealed that foreign IT workers on H-1B visas do not get paid, which the USCIS says is illegal and abuse of the system.

&quot;If an H-1B petitioner is applying to extend H-1B employment for a beneficiary who was placed at one or more third-party worksites during the course of past employment with the same petitioner, that petitioner should also establish that the H-1B requirements have been met for the entire prior approval period,&quot; the USCIS said.

And if these conditions are not met, and if the petitioner did not comply with the terms and conditions of the original petition and did not file an amended petition on time, USCIS may have eligibility concerns about a subsequent petition filed to extend the beneficiary&#39;s employment, the policy memorandum said.

The latest policy memorandum is part of President Donald Trump&#39;s &#39;Buy American and Hire American Executive Order&#39; and the directive to protect the interests of US workers, it said.

Employment-based petitioners who circumvent the worker protections outlined in the nation&rsquo;s immigration laws not only injure US workers (eg their wages and job opportunities), but also the foreign workers for whom they are petitioning, it said.

Companies seeking H-1B visas for their employees working at a third-party site would now have an intensive paperwork to file before submitting their applications.

This includes evidence of actual work assignments, which may include technical documentation, milestone tables, marketing analysis, cost-benefit analysis, brochures, and funding documents.

The letter should provide information, such as a detailed description of the specialised duties the beneficiary will perform, the qualifications required to perform those duties, the duration of the job, salary or wages paid, hours worked, benefits, a detailed description of who will supervise the beneficiary and the beneficiary&rsquo;s duties, and any other related evidence, the USCIS said.&nbsp;

The H-1B programme offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers.

The Trump administration has announced a new policy that makes very tough the procedure of issuing H-1B visas to those to be employed at one or more third-party worksites, a move that will hugely impact Indian IT companies and their employees. Also read: Trump administration issues new rules on US visa waivers Under the new policy, the company would have to go an extra length to prove that its H-1B employee at a third-party worksite has specific and non-qualifying speculative assignments in speciality occupation. The H-1B programme offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers. Indian IT companies, which are among the major beneficiaries of H-1B visas, have a significant number of its employees deployed at third-party worksites. A significant number of American banking, travel and commercial services depend on on-site IT workers from India to get their job done. The new move announced yesterday through a seven-page policy empowers the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to issue H-1B visas to an employee only for the period for which he/she has work at a third-party worksite. As such the issuing of H-1B visas could be of less than three years. This would reverse the tradition of issuing the H-1B visas for three years at a time. Effective immediately, the new guidance comes weeks ahead of the beginning of the H-1B visas filing season, which is expected to be April 2, for the fiscal year 2019 beginning October 1, 2018. The guidance says in order for an H-1B petition involving a third-party worksite to be approved, the petitioner must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the beneficiary will be employed in a speciality occupation and the employer will maintain an employer-employee relationship with the beneficiary for the duration of the requested validity period. When H-1B beneficiaries are placed at third-party worksites, the companies must demonstrate that they have specific and non-speculative qualifying assignments in a speciality occupation for that beneficiary for the entire time requested on the petition. While an H-1B petition may be approved for up to three years, the USCIS will, in its discretion, generally limit the approval period to the length of time demonstrated that the beneficiary will be placed in non-speculative work and during which the petitioner will maintain the requisite employer-employee relationship, an official statement said. Extensions of H-1B visas have become even tougher, in particular, if the employee has been on a bench for any part of their previous duration. Sometimes American companies abruptly end the contract of an employee, as a result, the workers temporarily do not have any work, which in IT parlance is called on bench. During this period, while they maintain their H-1B visas status, official investigations have revealed that foreign IT workers on H-1B visas do not get paid, which the USCIS says is illegal and abuse of the system. "If an H-1B petitioner is applying to extend H-1B employment for a beneficiary who was placed at one or more third-party worksites during the course of past employment with the same petitioner, that petitioner should also establish that the H-1B requirements have been met for the entire prior approval period," the USCIS said. And if these conditions are not met, and if the petitioner did not comply with the terms and conditions of the original petition and did not file an amended petition on time, USCIS may have eligibility concerns about a subsequent petition filed to extend the beneficiary's employment, the policy memorandum said. The latest policy memorandum is part of President Donald Trump's 'Buy American and Hire American Executive Order' and the directive to protect the interests of US workers, it said. Employment-based petitioners who circumvent the worker protections outlined in the nation’s immigration laws not only injure US workers (eg their wages and job opportunities), but also the foreign workers for whom they are petitioning, it said. Companies seeking H-1B visas for their employees working at a third-party site would now have an intensive paperwork to file before submitting their applications. This includes evidence of actual work assignments, which may include technical documentation, milestone tables, marketing analysis, cost-benefit analysis, brochures, and funding documents. The letter should provide information, such as a detailed description of the specialised duties the beneficiary will perform, the qualifications required to perform those duties, the duration of the job, salary or wages paid, hours worked, benefits, a detailed description of who will supervise the beneficiary and the beneficiary’s duties, and any other related evidence, the USCIS said.

Donald Trump administration makes H1-B visa approval tough; Indian firms to be impacted

The United States is due to announce its largest package of sanctions yet against North Korea to further pressure Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programme, as South Korea readies itself for more talks with the North&#39;s officials.

Tougher sanctions may jeopardise the latest detente between the two Koreas amid their preparations to create conditions appropriate to hold a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

A senior US&nbsp;administration official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, called the new penalties &quot;the largest package of new sanctions against the North Korea regime,&quot; without giving details.

US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence had hinted at such a plan two weeks ago during a stop in Tokyo that preceded his visit to South Korea for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he wants to boost the &quot;warm climate of reconciliation and dialogue&quot; with South Korea after a high-level delegation including his sister returned from the Winter Olympics.

Last year, North Korea conducted dozens of missile launches and its sixth and largest nuclear test in defiance of United Nations sanctions. However, it has now been more than two months since its last missile test in late November.

The new US&nbsp;sanctions will be announced while Trump&#39;s daughter, Ivanka, is visiting South Korea to attend a dinner with Moon and the closing ceremony of the Games. In addition to the dinner which will feature a kosher menu for Ivanka&#39;s dietary restrictions, the Blue House has planned a small traditional Korean music performance for her delegation.

Her visit coincides with that of a sanctioned North Korean official, Kim Yong Chol, blamed for the deadly 2010 sinking of a South Korean navy ship that killed 46 sailors. His delegation will also meet with Moon.

The Blue House has said there are no official opportunities for US&nbsp;and North Korean officials to meet.

Right person

Kim Yong Chol is the vice-chairman of the North&#39;s ruling Workers&#39; Party&#39;s Central Committee and was previously chief of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a top North Korean military intelligence agency which South Korea blamed for the sinking of its navy corvette the Cheonan.

North Korea has denied any involvement in the sinking.

South Korea on Friday said it approved the Winter Olympic visit by Kim Yong Chol in the pursuit of peace and asked for public understanding.

&quot;Under current difficult circumstances, we have decided to focus on whether peace on the Korean peninsula and improvement in inter-Korean relations can be derived from dialogue with (the visiting North Korean officials), not on their past or who they are,&quot; said Unification Ministry Baik Tae-hyun in a media briefing.

A South Korean lawmaker briefed by the country&#39;s spy agency said on Friday that Kim was the &quot;right person&quot; for inter-Korean and denuclearisation talks.

&quot;Kim Yong Chol is the top official regarding inter-Korean relations and he is being accepted (here) as the right person to discuss various issues like easing military tension, improving inter-Korean ties and denuclearisation,&quot; said Kang Seok-ho to reporters.

Kim currently heads the United Front Department, the North&#39;s office responsible for handling inter-Korean affairs.

Protests against North Korea delegration&nbsp;

South Korea&#39;s decision on Thursday to allow Kim, currently sanctioned by the United States and South Korea, across the border has sparked protest from family members of the dead Cheonan sailors and opposition parties.

Some 70 members from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party staged a protest in front of the presidential Blue House on Friday, demanding the government withdraw its decision.

&quot;President Moon&#39;s decision to accept the North&#39;s facade of peace is a serious issue and it will go down in history as a crime eternal,&quot; said the party in a statement.

A group of family members of those killed in the Cheonan sinking has said it will hold a press conference against the decision on Saturday.

Acknowledging public angst over Kim&#39;s pending visit, Baik said the South&#39;s stance that the Cheonan sinking was instigated by the North has not changed.

&quot;However, what&#39;s important are efforts to create actual peace on the Korean peninsula so these kind of provocations don&#39;t occur again,&quot; said Baik, adding the government would make &quot;various efforts&quot; to assuage the public&#39;s concerns.

US Vice President Mike Pence had hinted at such a plan two weeks ago

The United States is due to announce its largest package of sanctions yet against North Korea to further pressure Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programme, as South Korea readies itself for more talks with the North's officials. Tougher sanctions may jeopardise the latest detente between the two Koreas amid their preparations to create conditions appropriate to hold a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. A senior US administration official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, called the new penalties "the largest package of new sanctions against the North Korea regime," without giving details. US Vice President Mike Pence had hinted at such a plan two weeks ago during a stop in Tokyo that preceded his visit to South Korea for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he wants to boost the "warm climate of reconciliation and dialogue" with South Korea after a high-level delegation including his sister returned from the Winter Olympics. Last year, North Korea conducted dozens of missile launches and its sixth and largest nuclear test in defiance of United Nations sanctions. However, it has now been more than two months since its last missile test in late November. The new US sanctions will be announced while Trump's daughter, Ivanka, is visiting South Korea to attend a dinner with Moon and the closing ceremony of the Games. In addition to the dinner which will feature a kosher menu for Ivanka's dietary restrictions, the Blue House has planned a small traditional Korean music performance for her delegation. Her visit coincides with that of a sanctioned North Korean official, Kim Yong Chol, blamed for the deadly 2010 sinking of a South Korean navy ship that killed 46 sailors. His delegation will also meet with Moon. The Blue House has said there are no official opportunities for US and North Korean officials to meet. Right person Kim Yong Chol is the vice-chairman of the North's ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee and was previously chief of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a top North Korean military intelligence agency which South Korea blamed for the sinking of its navy corvette the Cheonan. North Korea has denied any involvement in the sinking. South Korea on Friday said it approved the Winter Olympic visit by Kim Yong Chol in the pursuit of peace and asked for public understanding. "Under current difficult circumstances, we have decided to focus on whether peace on the Korean peninsula and improvement in inter-Korean relations can be derived from dialogue with (the visiting North Korean officials), not on their past or who they are," said Unification Ministry Baik Tae-hyun in a media briefing. A South Korean lawmaker briefed by the country's spy agency said on Friday that Kim was the "right person" for inter-Korean and denuclearisation talks. "Kim Yong Chol is the top official regarding inter-Korean relations and he is being accepted (here) as the right person to discuss various issues like easing military tension, improving inter-Korean ties and denuclearisation," said Kang Seok-ho to reporters. Kim currently heads the United Front Department, the North's office responsible for handling inter-Korean affairs. Protests against North Korea delegration South Korea's decision on Thursday to allow Kim, currently sanctioned by the United States and South Korea, across the border has sparked protest from family members of the dead Cheonan sailors and opposition parties. Some 70 members from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party staged a protest in front of the presidential Blue House on Friday, demanding the government withdraw its decision. "President Moon's decision to accept the North's facade of peace is a serious issue and it will go down in history as a crime eternal," said the party in a statement. A group of family members of those killed in the Cheonan sinking has said it will hold a press conference against the decision on Saturday. Acknowledging public angst over Kim's pending visit, Baik said the South's stance that the Cheonan sinking was instigated by the North has not changed. "However, what's important are efforts to create actual peace on the Korean peninsula so these kind of provocations don't occur again," said Baik, adding the government would make "various efforts" to assuage the public's concerns.

Trump to announce new sanctions against North Korea; South Korea preps for talks with North

US President Donald Trump had everyone cracking up when he made a joke about his loss of hair. The US President admitted having a bald spot. He further stated that he tries a lot to fix the issue. Trump&#39;s act of indulging in self-deprecating humour happened while he was addressing Conservatives outside Washington.

&quot;I try like hell to hide that bald spot folks, I work hard,&quot; Trump quipped.

&quot;It doesn&#39;t look bad, hey, we&#39;re hanging in,&quot; he exclaimed.

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xt5z7gSeis0" width="560"></iframe>

Trump&#39;s hay-coloured hair and the regime of keeping it prim and proper has long been the butt of jokes.

Michael Wolff, in his much controversial book &#39;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House&#39; has an excerpt that describes Ivanka Trump explaining her father&#39;s elaborate and meticulous hair-styling regime.&nbsp;

In the book, Ivanka is quoted describing her father&#39;s head as a &quot;clean pate&quot; and &quot;contained island after scalp-reduction surgery&quot;. She is also quoted saying that a &quot;flurry of hair&quot; surrounds Trump&#39;s head from the sides and front while all ends are the &quot;drawn up to meet in the centre and then swept back and secured by a stiffening spray&quot;.

Trump's hay-coloured hair and the regime of keeping it prim and proper has long been the butt of jokes

US President Donald Trump had everyone cracking up when he made a joke about his loss of hair. The US President admitted having a bald spot. He further stated that he tries a lot to fix the issue. Trump's act of indulging in self-deprecating humour happened while he was addressing Conservatives outside Washington. "I try like hell to hide that bald spot folks, I work hard," Trump quipped. "It doesn't look bad, hey, we're hanging in," he exclaimed. Trump's hay-coloured hair and the regime of keeping it prim and proper has long been the butt of jokes. Michael Wolff, in his much controversial book 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House' has an excerpt that describes Ivanka Trump explaining her father's elaborate and meticulous hair-styling regime. In the book, Ivanka is quoted describing her father's head as a "clean pate" and "contained island after scalp-reduction surgery". She is also quoted saying that a "flurry of hair" surrounds Trump's head from the sides and front while all ends are the "drawn up to meet in the centre and then swept back and secured by a stiffening spray".

In self-deprecating joke, Trump laughs at his bald spot

US President Donald Trump is &ldquo;not satisfied&rdquo; with the progress made by Pakistan in its fight against terrorism, the White House said on Friday.

The White House also said that for the first time, the US is holding Pakistan accountable for its actions.

&ldquo;I know that we have restored some clarity in our relationship with Pakistan. For the first time we&rsquo;re holding Pakistan accountable for its actions,&rdquo; White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah told reporters during a press conference.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve seen modest progress in terms of Pakistan&rsquo;s actual acknowledgement of these concerns, but the President is not satisfied with progress when it comes to Pakistan,&rdquo; Shah said.

He was responding to a question on the progress made in President&rsquo;s (Trump&rsquo;s) South Asia Policy which was announced in August last year.

&ldquo;The US is working closely with our partners in Afghanistan. We&rsquo;ve made significant progress against ISIS, reducing their presence and eliminating hundreds of fighters. We&rsquo;ve eliminated their top leaders, and we&rsquo;re working relentlessly to target their leadership and bases wherever they emerge,&rdquo; Shah said.

In another news conference, the Pentagon said that the South Asia policy offers an opportunity to Pakistan.

&ldquo;The (Defence) secretary believes that Pakistan has an opportunity to do more with respect to regional security, and that it&rsquo;s in its interests to do more with respect to regional security. It&rsquo;s an opportunity, and we would welcome Pakistan&rsquo;s involvement,&rdquo; Pentagon chief press spokesperson Dana White said.

The White House also said that for the first time, the US is holding Pakistan accountable for its actions

US President Donald Trump is “not satisfied” with the progress made by Pakistan in its fight against terrorism, the White House said on Friday. The White House also said that for the first time, the US is holding Pakistan accountable for its actions. “I know that we have restored some clarity in our relationship with Pakistan. For the first time we’re holding Pakistan accountable for its actions,” White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah told reporters during a press conference. “We’ve seen modest progress in terms of Pakistan’s actual acknowledgement of these concerns, but the President is not satisfied with progress when it comes to Pakistan,” Shah said. He was responding to a question on the progress made in President’s (Trump’s) South Asia Policy which was announced in August last year. “The US is working closely with our partners in Afghanistan. We’ve made significant progress against ISIS, reducing their presence and eliminating hundreds of fighters. We’ve eliminated their top leaders, and we’re working relentlessly to target their leadership and bases wherever they emerge,” Shah said. In another news conference, the Pentagon said that the South Asia policy offers an opportunity to Pakistan. “The (Defence) secretary believes that Pakistan has an opportunity to do more with respect to regional security, and that it’s in its interests to do more with respect to regional security. It’s an opportunity, and we would welcome Pakistan’s involvement,” Pentagon chief press spokesperson Dana White said.

Donald Trump not satisfied with progress in Pakistan: White House

The &quot;politics of demonisation&quot; provided fertile ground for human rights abuses in 2017, exemplified by the response of Europe and Donald Trump&#39;s US to the refugee-crisis, rights group Amnesty said today in its annual report.

The British-based group took particular aim at the US president&#39;s &quot;transparently hateful&quot; executive order banning entry to citizens of several Muslim-majority countries.

&quot;Throughout 2017, millions across the world experienced the bitter fruits of a rising politics of demonisation,&quot; said the report, which was launched this year for the first time in the United States.

It accused leaders of wealthy countries of approaching the refugee crisis &quot;with a blend of evasion and outright callousness&quot;.

&quot;Most European leaders have been unwilling to grapple with the big challenge of regulating migration safely and legally, and have decided that practically nothing is off limits in their efforts to keep refugees away from the continent&#39;s shores,&quot; it added.

Amnesty Secretary-General Salil Shetty singled out Trump for criticism, saying the travel ban &quot;set the scene for a year in which leaders took the politics of hate to its most dangerous conclusion&quot;.

He also condemned his decision to keep the US camp at Guantanamo Bay on Cuba open, and his ambivalent attitude to waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques.

&quot;You can imagine what this means for governments across the world who are extensively using torture,&quot; he said.

He noted that US attitudes had an impact across the world.

Tirana Hassan, director of crisis response at Amnesty International, said: &quot;When it comes to conflict, crisis and mass atrocities we have seen zero moral or legal leadership coming from the international community.&quot;

Amnesty said Myanmar&#39;s military crackdown on Rohingya insurgents, which prompted an exodus of nearly 700,000 Rohingya people into neighbouring Bangladesh, was the &quot;ultimate consequence of a society encouraged to hate, scapegoat and fear minorities&quot;.

&quot;This episode will stand in history as yet another testament to the world&#39;s catastrophic failure to address conditions that provide fertile ground for mass atrocity crimes,&quot; said the report.

It highlighted recent elections in Austria, France, Germany and the Netherlands, where &quot;some candidates sought to transpose social and economic anxieties into fear and blame&quot;, as evidence that the &quot;global battle of values reached a new level of intensity&quot; in 2017.

The report also accused governments of exploiting national security and terrorism concerns &quot;to reconfigure the balance between state powers and individual freedoms&quot;.

&quot;Europe has continued to slip towards a near-permanent state of securitisation,&quot; it warned.

&quot;France, for example, ended its state of emergency in November, but only after adopting a new anti-terror law.&quot; However, Amnesty said that it was possible for &quot;ordinary people&quot; to take back the initiative, noting the Florida students demanding more gun control after the Parkland school massacre.

&quot;There is no better example of that than what we&#39;ve seen with the kids in this country standing up against gun violence in the last few days,&quot; Shetty said.

The British-based group aimed at the US president's "transparently hateful" executive order banning entry to citizens of several Muslim-majority countries

The "politics of demonisation" provided fertile ground for human rights abuses in 2017, exemplified by the response of Europe and Donald Trump's US to the refugee-crisis, rights group Amnesty said today in its annual report. The British-based group took particular aim at the US president's "transparently hateful" executive order banning entry to citizens of several Muslim-majority countries. "Throughout 2017, millions across the world experienced the bitter fruits of a rising politics of demonisation," said the report, which was launched this year for the first time in the United States. It accused leaders of wealthy countries of approaching the refugee crisis "with a blend of evasion and outright callousness". "Most European leaders have been unwilling to grapple with the big challenge of regulating migration safely and legally, and have decided that practically nothing is off limits in their efforts to keep refugees away from the continent's shores," it added. Amnesty Secretary-General Salil Shetty singled out Trump for criticism, saying the travel ban "set the scene for a year in which leaders took the politics of hate to its most dangerous conclusion". He also condemned his decision to keep the US camp at Guantanamo Bay on Cuba open, and his ambivalent attitude to waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques. "You can imagine what this means for governments across the world who are extensively using torture," he said. He noted that US attitudes had an impact across the world. Tirana Hassan, director of crisis response at Amnesty International, said: "When it comes to conflict, crisis and mass atrocities we have seen zero moral or legal leadership coming from the international community." Amnesty said Myanmar's military crackdown on Rohingya insurgents, which prompted an exodus of nearly 700,000 Rohingya people into neighbouring Bangladesh, was the "ultimate consequence of a society encouraged to hate, scapegoat and fear minorities". "This episode will stand in history as yet another testament to the world's catastrophic failure to address conditions that provide fertile ground for mass atrocity crimes," said the report. It highlighted recent elections in Austria, France, Germany and the Netherlands, where "some candidates sought to transpose social and economic anxieties into fear and blame", as evidence that the "global battle of values reached a new level of intensity" in 2017. The report also accused governments of exploiting national security and terrorism concerns "to reconfigure the balance between state powers and individual freedoms". "Europe has continued to slip towards a near-permanent state of securitisation," it warned. "France, for example, ended its state of emergency in November, but only after adopting a new anti-terror law." However, Amnesty said that it was possible for "ordinary people" to take back the initiative, noting the Florida students demanding more gun control after the Parkland school massacre. "There is no better example of that than what we've seen with the kids in this country standing up against gun violence in the last few days," Shetty said.

Amnesty slams Trump-led 'politics of hate'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-shows-support-for-arming-teachers-to-prevent-school-shootings-33655">Arming teachers could stop school shootings, says Trump</a>

Donald Trump said on Wednesday that arming teachers could help prevent massacres like last week&rsquo;s mass shooting at a Florida high school, voicing support for an idea backed by the National Rifle Association gun rights group.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/migration-from-bangladesh-part-of-proxy-war-by-pakistan-supported-by-china-army-chief-33667">Migration from Bangladesh part of proxy war by Pakistan, supported by China: Army Chief</a>

Migration from Bangladesh into India is &quot;plannned&quot;, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday. The migration, he added, is part of a proxy war by Pakistan and is supported by China, to keep India&#39;s Northeast region on the boil.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/avani-chaturvedi-becomes-first-indian-woman-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-33666" target="_blank">Avani Chaturvedi becomes first Indian woman to fly fighter jet</a>

Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi created history when she become the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft, an IAF official said.

&quot;Chaturvedi became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo when she flew a MiG-21 bison in her first solo flight,&quot; PTI quoting an official stated.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-s-durga-cleared-by-cbfc-without-any-cuts-first-screening-to-take-place-in-kolkata-33658">&#39;S Durga&#39; cleared by CBFC without any cuts, first screening to take place in Kolkata</a>

In a relief to its makers, Malayalam film S Durga, which was dropped from the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) last year, has been cleared by the Revising Committee of the censor board without any cuts.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-upgrading-air-defence-in-tibet-to-counter-india-threat-says-state-media-33664">China upgrading air defence in Tibet to counter &#39;India threat&#39;, says state media</a>

China is upgrading air defence of its Western Theatre Command, which looks after the security along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), to &ldquo;confront any threat from India&rdquo;, an official media report quoted a military expert as saying.

Read the top 5 stories of the morning here

Arming teachers could stop school shootings, says Trump Donald Trump said on Wednesday that arming teachers could help prevent massacres like last week’s mass shooting at a Florida high school, voicing support for an idea backed by the National Rifle Association gun rights group. Migration from Bangladesh part of proxy war by Pakistan, supported by China: Army Chief Migration from Bangladesh into India is "plannned", Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday. The migration, he added, is part of a proxy war by Pakistan and is supported by China, to keep India's Northeast region on the boil. Avani Chaturvedi becomes first Indian woman to fly fighter jet Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi created history when she become the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft, an IAF official said. "Chaturvedi became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo when she flew a MiG-21 bison in her first solo flight," PTI quoting an official stated. 'S Durga' cleared by CBFC without any cuts, first screening to take place in Kolkata In a relief to its makers, Malayalam film S Durga, which was dropped from the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) last year, has been cleared by the Revising Committee of the censor board without any cuts. China upgrading air defence in Tibet to counter 'India threat', says state media China is upgrading air defence of its Western Theatre Command, which looks after the security along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), to “confront any threat from India”, an official media report quoted a military expert as saying.

WION News Brief, February 22, 2018

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell to a near 45-year low last week, pointing to strong job growth in February, which should continue to underpin the economy.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 222,000 for the week ended February 17, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims fell to 216,000 in mid-January, which was the lowest level since January 1973.

Claims for six states, including California, were estimated because of Monday&#39;s Presidents Day holiday. While that probably distorted last week&#39;s data, the underlying trend in claims was consistent with a robust labor market.

&quot;Firms are extraordinarily unwilling to part company with workers reflecting, in all likelihood, the difficulty of replacing them,&quot; said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York.&nbsp;

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims unchanged at 230,000 in the latest week. It was the 155th straight week that claims remained below the 300,000 threshold, which is associated with a strong labor market. That is the longest such stretch since 1970, when the labor market was much smaller.

The labor market is near full employment, with the jobless rate at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent. Tightening labor market conditions are starting to push up wage growth, which could help to lift inflation toward the Federal Reserve 2 percent target.

Minutes of the US&nbsp;central bank&#39;s Jan. 30-31 policy meeting published on Wednesday showed policymakers upbeat in their assessment of the economy and a number &quot;judged that the continued tightening in labor markets was likely to translate into faster wage increases at some point.&quot;&nbsp;

US&nbsp;financial markets were little moved by the claims data.

The Labor Department said claims for California, Hawaii, Maine, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming were estimated. It also said claims-taking procedures in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands had still not returned to normal, months after the territories were slammed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.&nbsp;

The four-week moving average of initial claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, fell 2,250 to 226,000 last week.

The claims data covered the survey period for the nonfarm payrolls component of February&#39;s employment report. The four-week average of claims dropped 17,500 between the January and February survey weeks, suggesting solid job growth this month.&nbsp;

Payrolls increased by 200,000 jobs in January. Strong employment gains in February would seal the case for an interest rate increase next month. The Fed has forecast three rate increases this year. Most economists, however, expect four rate hikes in the wake of strong inflation readings in January.

Thursday&#39;s claims report also showed the number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid declined 73,000 to 1.88 million in the week ended February 10. The four-week moving average of the so-called continuing claims fell 16,250 to 1.93 million. 
&nbsp;

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 222,000 for the week ended February 17

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell to a near 45-year low last week, pointing to strong job growth in February, which should continue to underpin the economy. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 222,000 for the week ended February 17, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims fell to 216,000 in mid-January, which was the lowest level since January 1973. Claims for six states, including California, were estimated because of Monday's Presidents Day holiday. While that probably distorted last week's data, the underlying trend in claims was consistent with a robust labor market. "Firms are extraordinarily unwilling to part company with workers reflecting, in all likelihood, the difficulty of replacing them," said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims unchanged at 230,000 in the latest week. It was the 155th straight week that claims remained below the 300,000 threshold, which is associated with a strong labor market. That is the longest such stretch since 1970, when the labor market was much smaller. The labor market is near full employment, with the jobless rate at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent. Tightening labor market conditions are starting to push up wage growth, which could help to lift inflation toward the Federal Reserve 2 percent target. Minutes of the US central bank's Jan. 30-31 policy meeting published on Wednesday showed policymakers upbeat in their assessment of the economy and a number "judged that the continued tightening in labor markets was likely to translate into faster wage increases at some point." US financial markets were little moved by the claims data. The Labor Department said claims for California, Hawaii, Maine, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming were estimated. It also said claims-taking procedures in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands had still not returned to normal, months after the territories were slammed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The four-week moving average of initial claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, fell 2,250 to 226,000 last week. The claims data covered the survey period for the nonfarm payrolls component of February's employment report. The four-week average of claims dropped 17,500 between the January and February survey weeks, suggesting solid job growth this month. Payrolls increased by 200,000 jobs in January. Strong employment gains in February would seal the case for an interest rate increase next month. The Fed has forecast three rate increases this year. Most economists, however, expect four rate hikes in the wake of strong inflation readings in January. Thursday's claims report also showed the number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid declined 73,000 to 1.88 million in the week ended February 10. The four-week moving average of the so-called continuing claims fell 16,250 to 1.93 million.

US jobless claims drop to near 45-year low

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that arming teachers could help prevent massacres like last week&rsquo;s mass shooting at a Florida high school, voicing support for an idea backed by the National Rifle Association gun rights group.

Trump made the comment during an emotional hour-long White House meeting with students who survived the Florida shooting and a parent whose child did not. Hundreds of students joined scattered protests across the country on Wednesday, including in Washington, Chicago, and Pittsburgh.

The Republican president, who has championed gun rights and was endorsed by the NRA during the 2016 campaign, said he would move quickly to tighten background checks for gun buyers and would consider raising the age for buying certain types of guns.

He spoke at length about how armed teachers and security guards could frighten off potential school shooters and prevent student deaths.

&ldquo;If you had a teacher ... who was adept at firearms, it could very well end the attack very quickly,&rdquo; said Trump.

The attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 students and educators were slain on Feb. 14 by a gunman with an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle in the second-deadliest shooting at a U.S. public school, has revived the long-running U.S. debate over gun rights.

The US Constitution protects the right of Americans to bear arms, a right fiercely defended by Republicans. But Trump has been under pressure to act.

Some of the participants at the meeting indicated support for Trump&rsquo;s idea of arming teachers. Others were opposed.

Mark Barden, whose son was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut, said his wife, Jackie, a teacher, &rdquo;will tell you that school teachers have more than enough responsibilities right now than to have to have the awesome responsibility of lethal force to take a life.

&ldquo;Nobody wants to see a shootout in a school,&rdquo; Barden said.

After the Sandy Hook shooting, a task force backed by the NRA recommended more armed guards and teachers in schools.

Trump listened intently to ideas from about 40 people, including those from six students who survived the Florida shooting.

&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t understand why I can still go in a store and buy a weapon of war, an AR,&rdquo; said Sam Zeif, 18, sobbing after he described texting his family members during the attack.

&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s never let this happen again, please, please,&rdquo; Zeif said.

Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow Pollack, 18, was killed, shouted: &ldquo;It should have been one school shooting and we should have fixed it. And I&lsquo;m pissed - because my daughter - I&lsquo;m not going to see again.&rdquo;

Trump sat in the middle of a semi-circle in the White House State Dining Room. Photographers captured images of his handwritten note card with questions like &ldquo;What would you most want me to know about your experience?&rdquo; and &ldquo;I hear you.&rdquo;

Protests

Before Trump&rsquo;s meeting, students across the United States walked out of classes in sympathy protests, including hundreds of teens from the Washington suburbs who gathered at the White House.

&rdquo;I came out here because I don&rsquo;t feel safe in my school,&ldquo; said Allyson Zadravec, 15, of Northwood High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. &rdquo;I want to make sure that everyone who can do something about it hears that I don&rsquo;t feel safe in my school.&rdquo;

In the Florida state capital, Tallahassee, students demanded that lawmakers restrict sales of assault rifles. Some wore T-shirts and carried signs reading: &ldquo;We call B.S.,&rdquo; one of the slogans of the movement started by the survivors.

Investigators said the assault was carried out by 19-year-old former Stoneman student Nikolas Cruz, who purchased an AR-15 nearly a year ago. Police charged Cruz, who had been kicked out of the school because of disciplinary problems, with 17 counts of premeditated murder.

&ldquo;Nikolas Cruz was able to purchase an assault rifle before he was able to buy a beer,&rdquo; said Laurenzo Prado, a Stoneman student, referring to a Florida law that allows people as young as 18 to buy assault weapons. &ldquo;The laws of the country have failed.&rdquo;

Lawmakers in Tallahassee said they would consider raising the age limit to 21, the same standard for handguns and alcohol, although the state Senate on Wednesday opted not to take up a gun control measure.

Trump also said he was open to looking at age limits, among other measures, and lamented the closure of many mental institutions to help assess violent people.

&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no ... middle ground of having that institution where you had trained people that could handle it and do something about it and find out how sick he really is,&rdquo; Trump said.

Trump on Tuesday directed the Justice Department to work on a regulation that would effectively ban &ldquo;bump stocks,&rdquo; an accessory that enables a rifle to shoot hundreds of rounds a minute.

Last October, a retired real estate investor and high-stakes gambler used multiple assault rifles equipped with bump stocks to kill 58 people at a Las Vegas outdoor concert, the deadliest attack by a single gunman in U.S. history. Bump stocks have not played a prominent role in other recent U.S. mass shootings.

The NRA opposes an outright ban on bump stocks but has said it would be open to restrictions on the devices.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer urged Trump to back the legislation, instead of a regulation, on bump stocks.

Additional reporting by Zachary Fagenson in Tallahassee, Fla., Katanga Johnson in Parkland, Fla., Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Keith Coffman in Denver and Richard Cowan, Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu, Mohammad Zargham and Eric Beech in Washington; Writing by Scott Malone and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Peter Cooney

Trump made the comment during an emotional hour-long White House meeting with students who survived the Florida shooting and a parent whose child did not

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that arming teachers could help prevent massacres like last week’s mass shooting at a Florida high school, voicing support for an idea backed by the National Rifle Association gun rights group. Trump made the comment during an emotional hour-long White House meeting with students who survived the Florida shooting and a parent whose child did not. Hundreds of students joined scattered protests across the country on Wednesday, including in Washington, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. The Republican president, who has championed gun rights and was endorsed by the NRA during the 2016 campaign, said he would move quickly to tighten background checks for gun buyers and would consider raising the age for buying certain types of guns. He spoke at length about how armed teachers and security guards could frighten off potential school shooters and prevent student deaths. “If you had a teacher ... who was adept at firearms, it could very well end the attack very quickly,” said Trump. The attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 students and educators were slain on Feb. 14 by a gunman with an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle in the second-deadliest shooting at a U.S. public school, has revived the long-running U.S. debate over gun rights. The US Constitution protects the right of Americans to bear arms, a right fiercely defended by Republicans. But Trump has been under pressure to act. Some of the participants at the meeting indicated support for Trump’s idea of arming teachers. Others were opposed. Mark Barden, whose son was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut, said his wife, Jackie, a teacher, ”will tell you that school teachers have more than enough responsibilities right now than to have to have the awesome responsibility of lethal force to take a life. “Nobody wants to see a shootout in a school,” Barden said. After the Sandy Hook shooting, a task force backed by the NRA recommended more armed guards and teachers in schools. Trump listened intently to ideas from about 40 people, including those from six students who survived the Florida shooting. “I don’t understand why I can still go in a store and buy a weapon of war, an AR,” said Sam Zeif, 18, sobbing after he described texting his family members during the attack. “Let’s never let this happen again, please, please,” Zeif said. Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow Pollack, 18, was killed, shouted: “It should have been one school shooting and we should have fixed it. And I‘m pissed - because my daughter - I‘m not going to see again.” Trump sat in the middle of a semi-circle in the White House State Dining Room. Photographers captured images of his handwritten note card with questions like “What would you most want me to know about your experience?” and “I hear you.” Protests Before Trump’s meeting, students across the United States walked out of classes in sympathy protests, including hundreds of teens from the Washington suburbs who gathered at the White House. ”I came out here because I don’t feel safe in my school,“ said Allyson Zadravec, 15, of Northwood High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. ”I want to make sure that everyone who can do something about it hears that I don’t feel safe in my school.” In the Florida state capital, Tallahassee, students demanded that lawmakers restrict sales of assault rifles. Some wore T-shirts and carried signs reading: “We call B.S.,” one of the slogans of the movement started by the survivors. Investigators said the assault was carried out by 19-year-old former Stoneman student Nikolas Cruz, who purchased an AR-15 nearly a year ago. Police charged Cruz, who had been kicked out of the school because of disciplinary problems, with 17 counts of premeditated murder. “Nikolas Cruz was able to purchase an assault rifle before he was able to buy a beer,” said Laurenzo Prado, a Stoneman student, referring to a Florida law that allows people as young as 18 to buy assault weapons. “The laws of the country have failed.” Lawmakers in Tallahassee said they would consider raising the age limit to 21, the same standard for handguns and alcohol, although the state Senate on Wednesday opted not to take up a gun control measure. Trump also said he was open to looking at age limits, among other measures, and lamented the closure of many mental institutions to help assess violent people. “There’s no ... middle ground of having that institution where you had trained people that could handle it and do something about it and find out how sick he really is,” Trump said. Trump on Tuesday directed the Justice Department to work on a regulation that would effectively ban “bump stocks,” an accessory that enables a rifle to shoot hundreds of rounds a minute. Last October, a retired real estate investor and high-stakes gambler used multiple assault rifles equipped with bump stocks to kill 58 people at a Las Vegas outdoor concert, the deadliest attack by a single gunman in U.S. history. Bump stocks have not played a prominent role in other recent U.S. mass shootings. The NRA opposes an outright ban on bump stocks but has said it would be open to restrictions on the devices. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer urged Trump to back the legislation, instead of a regulation, on bump stocks. Additional reporting by Zachary Fagenson in Tallahassee, Fla., Katanga Johnson in Parkland, Fla., Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Keith Coffman in Denver and Richard Cowan, Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu, Mohammad Zargham and Eric Beech in Washington; Writing by Scott Malone and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Peter Cooney

Arming teachers could stop school shootings, says Trump

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/canadian-mp-randeep-sarai-takes-responsibility-for-inviting-khalistani-terrorist-jaspal-atwal-33716" target="_blank">Canadian MP Randeep Sarai takes responsibility for inviting Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal to India</a>

As the controversy over invitation to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/khalistani-terrorist-should-never-have-been-invited-to-our-event-canada-33696">Punjab&nbsp;pro-Khalistani terrorist&nbsp;Jaspal&nbsp;</a>Atwal continued, the ministry of external affairs(MEA) said it was seeking information on how a visa was granted to Atwal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-never-said-give-guns-to-teachers-says-trump-33729" target="_blank">&#39;I never said give guns to teachers,&#39; says Trump</a>

President Trump today denied that he said teachers should be given guns to protect students from shooters. &quot;I never said give teachers guns,&quot; the president tweeted.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-saudi-arabia-turkey-blocked-us-move-to-place-pak-on-terror-financing-watch-list-report-33707" target="_blank">China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey blocked </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-saudi-arabia-turkey-blocked-us-move-to-place-pak-on-terror-financing-watch-list-report-33707" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-saudi-arabia-turkey-blocked-us-move-to-place-pak-on-terror-financing-watch-list-report-33707" target="_blank"> move to place Pak on terror-financing watch list: Report</a>

A report in the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) said three countries -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-moves-motion-to-place-pakistan-on-a-global-terrorist-financing-watchlist-at-fatf-32787">China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey</a>&nbsp;blocked the US efforts to place Pakistan on the &nbsp;Financial Action Task Force(FATF) watchlist.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-on-modernisation-path-under-general-bajwa-33721" target="_blank">Pak army on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-on-modernisation-path-under-general-bajwa-33721" target="_blank">modernisation</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-on-modernisation-path-under-general-bajwa-33721" target="_blank"> path under General Bajwa</a>

Pakistan Army has formulated a training policy for next three years starting from July 1st, 2017. The latest move is being seen as Pakistan&#39;s attempt to create a territorial army.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-chief-secretary-assault-case-aap-mlas-sent-to-judicial-custody-for-14-days-33728" target="_blank">Delhi Chief Secretary assault </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-chief-secretary-assault-case-aap-mlas-sent-to-judicial-custody-for-14-days-33728" target="_blank">case :</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-chief-secretary-assault-case-aap-mlas-sent-to-judicial-custody-for-14-days-33728" target="_blank"> AAP MLAs sent to judicial custody for 14 days</a>

Canadian MP Randeep Sarai takes responsibility for inviting Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal to India As the controversy over invitation to Punjab pro-Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal continued, the ministry of external affairs(MEA) said it was seeking information on how a visa was granted to Atwal. 'I never said give guns to teachers,' says Trump President Trump today denied that he said teachers should be given guns to protect students from shooters. "I never said give teachers guns," the president tweeted. China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey blocked US move to place Pak on terror-financing watch list: Report A report in the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) said three countries - China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey blocked the US efforts to place Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force(FATF) watchlist. Pak army on modernisation path under General Bajwa Pakistan Army has formulated a training policy for next three years starting from July 1st, 2017. The latest move is being seen as Pakistan's attempt to create a territorial army. Delhi Chief Secretary assault case : AAP MLAs sent to judicial custody for 14 days

WION Evening news brief, February 22, 2018

US President Donald Trump&#39;s elder son described India as an important market for The Trump Organization but said the global company will lose out on new deals because of self-imposed restrictions put in place by his father since he took office.

Donald Trump Jr.&#39;s comments, at the start of a trip to woo buyers for his luxury residential projects in several Indian cities, appeared aimed at blunting criticism that there could be possible conflict of interest in pushing the Trump brand name.

Trump Jr. said new business would take a hit in India.

&quot;Few years ago, I said it would become our largest (market) because I really believed in the market... I think it will continue to be the same when I am able to get back in the market and focus on the business side, on new deals again in the future, once my father is out of office,&quot; Trump Jr. told television channel CNBC-TV18 late on Tuesday.

Shortly before taking office last year, Trump Sr. said he would hand off control of his business empire, which includes luxury homes and hotels across the world, to his sons Donald and Eric, and move his assets into a trust to help ensure that he would not consciously take actions as president that would benefit him personally.

Many governments and private ethics watchdogs said he should have gone further, divesting himself of assets that could cause a conflict of interest. His partners in India meanwhile are playing up the Trump brand.

In the days leading up to Trump Jr.&#39;s visit, one of its development partners in Gurgaon, near the capital of New Delhi, launched an advertising campaign on the front page of India&#39;s most widely circulated newspapers to lure buyers.

Book your Trump Towers&#39; residence before Feb 22 and join Mr Donald Trump Jr. for a &quot;conversation and dinner&quot; on Feb 23, the advertisement said, luring buyers with a chance to rub shoulders with the president&#39;s family.

&quot;Opportunity cost of the deals&quot;

The promoter advertised that among the buyers for apartments in the 47-floor tower are a famous Indian cricketer and an art maestro, neither of whom was identified.

&quot;India, it has been an important market for us, but again there is this opportunity cost of the deals that we are not able to do that don&#39;t get discussed,&quot; Trump Jr. said, shrugging off criticism about profiteering from the president.

&quot;We could do so much more but we are not doing those,&quot; he said, adding that even as his father put curbs in place, he got no credit for doing so.

Trump Jr. will fly to Pune on Wednesday to meet his development partner after which he will be in Mumbai on Thursday attending a champagne reception with buyers of Trump apartments built in partnership with Lodha Developers.

Trump Jr. will be speaking to Indian business leaders later this week on Indo-Pacific ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be present at the event.

Trump Jr. told CNBC-TV18 that America&#39;s economic ties with India were important.

&quot;When you talk about this sort of natural business relationship, beyond the political relationship of the two largest democracies in the world, I think that is an important relationship to maintain especially when you look at what is going on in the world today in many of the other markets and in many of the upcoming powers,&quot; he said.

A U.S. intelligence assessment last year found Russia had meddled in the 2016 U.S. elections and that its goals eventually included aiding Trump Sr. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon in his new book expressed derision and astonishment over a 2016 meeting between Trump Jr., his father&#39;s top campaign officials and a Russian lawyer, terming it &quot;treasonous&quot;.

Russia has denied meddling in the election and Trump Sr. has denied any collusion between his campaign and Moscow.

Donald Trump Jr.'s comments, at the start of a trip to woo buyers for his luxury residential projects in several Indian cities, appeared aimed at blunting criticism that there could be possible conflict of interest in pushing the Trump brand name

US President Donald Trump's elder son described India as an important market for The Trump Organization but said the global company will lose out on new deals because of self-imposed restrictions put in place by his father since he took office. Donald Trump Jr.'s comments, at the start of a trip to woo buyers for his luxury residential projects in several Indian cities, appeared aimed at blunting criticism that there could be possible conflict of interest in pushing the Trump brand name. Trump Jr. said new business would take a hit in India. "Few years ago, I said it would become our largest (market) because I really believed in the market... I think it will continue to be the same when I am able to get back in the market and focus on the business side, on new deals again in the future, once my father is out of office," Trump Jr. told television channel CNBC-TV18 late on Tuesday. Shortly before taking office last year, Trump Sr. said he would hand off control of his business empire, which includes luxury homes and hotels across the world, to his sons Donald and Eric, and move his assets into a trust to help ensure that he would not consciously take actions as president that would benefit him personally. Many governments and private ethics watchdogs said he should have gone further, divesting himself of assets that could cause a conflict of interest. His partners in India meanwhile are playing up the Trump brand. In the days leading up to Trump Jr.'s visit, one of its development partners in Gurgaon, near the capital of New Delhi, launched an advertising campaign on the front page of India's most widely circulated newspapers to lure buyers. Book your Trump Towers' residence before Feb 22 and join Mr Donald Trump Jr. for a "conversation and dinner" on Feb 23, the advertisement said, luring buyers with a chance to rub shoulders with the president's family. "Opportunity cost of the deals" The promoter advertised that among the buyers for apartments in the 47-floor tower are a famous Indian cricketer and an art maestro, neither of whom was identified. "India, it has been an important market for us, but again there is this opportunity cost of the deals that we are not able to do that don't get discussed," Trump Jr. said, shrugging off criticism about profiteering from the president. "We could do so much more but we are not doing those," he said, adding that even as his father put curbs in place, he got no credit for doing so. Trump Jr. will fly to Pune on Wednesday to meet his development partner after which he will be in Mumbai on Thursday attending a champagne reception with buyers of Trump apartments built in partnership with Lodha Developers. Trump Jr. will be speaking to Indian business leaders later this week on Indo-Pacific ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be present at the event. Trump Jr. told CNBC-TV18 that America's economic ties with India were important. "When you talk about this sort of natural business relationship, beyond the political relationship of the two largest democracies in the world, I think that is an important relationship to maintain especially when you look at what is going on in the world today in many of the other markets and in many of the upcoming powers," he said. A U.S. intelligence assessment last year found Russia had meddled in the 2016 U.S. elections and that its goals eventually included aiding Trump Sr. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon in his new book expressed derision and astonishment over a 2016 meeting between Trump Jr., his father's top campaign officials and a Russian lawyer, terming it "treasonous". Russia has denied meddling in the election and Trump Sr. has denied any collusion between his campaign and Moscow.

Missing out on India deals because of father's self-imposed curbs: Trump Jr

A lawyer linked to a former campaign aide of President Donald Trump pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents Tuesday, as the probe into Russian election meddling gains pace.

Special prosecutor Robert Mueller&#39;s powerful team of investigators accused Alex van der Zwaan of knowingly making false statements about his communications with Richard Gates, a former senior official on the Trump campaign who is under indictment on money laundering and tax-related charges linked to his work in Ukraine.

Van der Zwaan, a London-based lawyer with the international law firm Skadden, was also accused of lying about his contacts with another unnamed person, the charges said. He will be sentenced April 3, according to the Special Counsel&#39;s Office.

Little information was provided about Van der Zwaan&#39;s links to the Trump campaign, but he represented his law firm in work done for the Ukraine government in 2012 on the corruption trial of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

At that time, Gates and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort were working for the Russian-backed Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych, who himself was brought down in an anti-corruption uprising in 2014.

Gates and Manafort, according to Ukraine government records, earned millions of dollars in their work for Yanukovych that was not reported.

Manafort too has been indicted by Mueller on money laundering and tax-related charges. In a filing Friday, Mueller&#39;s team said it had uncovered evidence of bank fraud by Manafort that was not covered in the original charges.

Mueller, whose work focuses on whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, issued a surprise indictment Friday charging 13 Russians with alleged meddling in US politics.

The special counsel is also examining whether Trump sought to obstruct his investigation.

The White House has repeatedly rejected allegations of wrongdoing.

Van der Zwaan, a London-based lawyer with the international law firm Skadden, was also accused of lying about his contacts with another unnamed person, the charges against him said

A lawyer linked to a former campaign aide of President Donald Trump pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents Tuesday, as the probe into Russian election meddling gains pace. Special prosecutor Robert Mueller's powerful team of investigators accused Alex van der Zwaan of knowingly making false statements about his communications with Richard Gates, a former senior official on the Trump campaign who is under indictment on money laundering and tax-related charges linked to his work in Ukraine. Van der Zwaan, a London-based lawyer with the international law firm Skadden, was also accused of lying about his contacts with another unnamed person, the charges said. He will be sentenced April 3, according to the Special Counsel's Office. Little information was provided about Van der Zwaan's links to the Trump campaign, but he represented his law firm in work done for the Ukraine government in 2012 on the corruption trial of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. At that time, Gates and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort were working for the Russian-backed Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych, who himself was brought down in an anti-corruption uprising in 2014. Gates and Manafort, according to Ukraine government records, earned millions of dollars in their work for Yanukovych that was not reported. Manafort too has been indicted by Mueller on money laundering and tax-related charges. In a filing Friday, Mueller's team said it had uncovered evidence of bank fraud by Manafort that was not covered in the original charges. Mueller, whose work focuses on whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, issued a surprise indictment Friday charging 13 Russians with alleged meddling in US politics. The special counsel is also examining whether Trump sought to obstruct his investigation. The White House has repeatedly rejected allegations of wrongdoing.

Lawyer linked to ex-Trump campaign aide pleads guilty to lying in Russia probe

The United States President Donald Trump&#39;s son, Donald Trump Jr, is coming to India with business and foreign policy in mind.

The executive vice-director of Trump Organisation is scheduled to arrive in India on his maiden visit on Tuesday.

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US President Donald Trump&#39;s son <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DonaldTrumpJr?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DonaldTrumpJr</a> arrives in Delhi. He is on a week-long visit to India. <a href="https://t.co/3hnjPSBBZ7">pic.twitter.com/3hnjPSBBZ7</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/965776965578960896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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During the week-long trip, Donald Trump Jr&nbsp;will not only endorse his luxurious residential project-Trump Towers, but he is scheduled to deliver a speech on foreign policy in India.

Trump Jr&nbsp;will meet with Indian investors and business leaders in Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune and Gurugram respectively, The Washington Post reported.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DonaldTrumpJr?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DonaldTrumpJr</a> met real estate developers at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a>&#39;s Oberoi Hotel. <a href="https://t.co/Chve4YeuWe">pic.twitter.com/Chve4YeuWe</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/965848746742435840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The eldest son of Donald Trump has already advertised himself prior to his visit.

Full-page advertisements in Indian newspapers on Monday invited prospective investors to buy into the Trump Organisation&#39;s project in Gurugram to join Donald Trump Jr at a dinner later this week.

&quot;Trump has arrived. Have you?&quot; read the advertisement, inviting buyers to book their apartments in Trump Towers by Wednesday &quot;for a conversation and dinner&quot; with Trump Jr on Friday. An advertisement in newspapers on Sunday read, &quot;Trump is here. Are you invited?&quot;

Trump Jr&nbsp;will also deliver his maiden speech in India where he will speak on &quot;Reshaping Indo-Pacific Ties: The New Era of Cooperation&quot; at a global business summit on Friday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will also be present, will speak at the summit on the topic of &quot;Preparing India for the Future&quot;.

In the US, some experts have pointed out the conflict of interests during Donald Trump Jr&#39;s India visit.

&quot;The planned speech by Trump Jr&nbsp;has renewed conflict of interest concerns, with some questioning why the US President&#39;s son will be lecturing on foreign policy while simultaneously trying to hawk his family business&#39;s lavish new condominiums,&quot; The Washington Post reported.

&quot;News that the Trump Organisation would be offering buyers in the Trump Tower the chance to meet the president&#39;s son sparked criticism of potential conflict of interest, and the fact that Trump Jr&nbsp;will be giving a foreign policy speech while on a private business trip complicates the matter further&quot;, The Washington Post quoted ethics expert as saying.

Trump Jr&nbsp;will also visit Kolkata, where the construction of a project with 137 luxury units will begin soon.

Talking about his trip earlier this month, Trump Jr&nbsp;said, &quot;India is such an incredible country and our brand has enjoyed tremendous success in the region for many years. This trip is a celebration of all we have achieved, including the launch of the Trump developments in Kolkata and Delhi which have been underway for many months.&quot;

According to business partners in India, many units in the Trump Towers are selling about 30 percent per square foot higher than the current market rates. Trump Jr.&#39;s visit to India is expected to reinforce the trend.

India is Trump Organisation&#39;s biggest international market, with four real estate projects underway in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Gurugram.

Trump Jr&#39;s visit to India comes after his sister, Ivanka, visited Hyderabad in November last year to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit&nbsp;(GES).

Trump Jr will also give a speech — 'Reshaping Indo-Pacific Ties: The New Era of Cooperation' — on foreign policy at a global business summit on Friday

The United States President Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, is coming to India with business and foreign policy in mind. The executive vice-director of Trump Organisation is scheduled to arrive in India on his maiden visit on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump's son #DonaldTrumpJr arrives in Delhi. He is on a week-long visit to India. pic.twitter.com/3hnjPSBBZ7 — ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2018 × During the week-long trip, Donald Trump Jr will not only endorse his luxurious residential project-Trump Towers, but he is scheduled to deliver a speech on foreign policy in India. Trump Jr will meet with Indian investors and business leaders in Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune and Gurugram respectively, The Washington Post reported. #DonaldTrumpJr met real estate developers at #Delhi's Oberoi Hotel. pic.twitter.com/Chve4YeuWe — ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2018 × The eldest son of Donald Trump has already advertised himself prior to his visit. Full-page advertisements in Indian newspapers on Monday invited prospective investors to buy into the Trump Organisation's project in Gurugram to join Donald Trump Jr at a dinner later this week. "Trump has arrived. Have you?" read the advertisement, inviting buyers to book their apartments in Trump Towers by Wednesday "for a conversation and dinner" with Trump Jr on Friday. An advertisement in newspapers on Sunday read, "Trump is here. Are you invited?" Trump Jr will also deliver his maiden speech in India where he will speak on "Reshaping Indo-Pacific Ties: The New Era of Cooperation" at a global business summit on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will also be present, will speak at the summit on the topic of "Preparing India for the Future". In the US, some experts have pointed out the conflict of interests during Donald Trump Jr's India visit. "The planned speech by Trump Jr has renewed conflict of interest concerns, with some questioning why the US President's son will be lecturing on foreign policy while simultaneously trying to hawk his family business's lavish new condominiums," The Washington Post reported. "News that the Trump Organisation would be offering buyers in the Trump Tower the chance to meet the president's son sparked criticism of potential conflict of interest, and the fact that Trump Jr will be giving a foreign policy speech while on a private business trip complicates the matter further", The Washington Post quoted ethics expert as saying. Trump Jr will also visit Kolkata, where the construction of a project with 137 luxury units will begin soon. Talking about his trip earlier this month, Trump Jr said, "India is such an incredible country and our brand has enjoyed tremendous success in the region for many years. This trip is a celebration of all we have achieved, including the launch of the Trump developments in Kolkata and Delhi which have been underway for many months." According to business partners in India, many units in the Trump Towers are selling about 30 percent per square foot higher than the current market rates. Trump Jr.'s visit to India is expected to reinforce the trend. India is Trump Organisation's biggest international market, with four real estate projects underway in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Gurugram. Trump Jr's visit to India comes after his sister, Ivanka, visited Hyderabad in November last year to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES).

Donald Trump Jr in India, to have dinner with Trump Tower buyers

The US government on Tuesday proposed extending the availability of skimpy health insurance plans to millions of Americans in another Trump administration move aimed at undercutting the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare.

The US Department of Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule that such plans, now available only for periods of three months or less, will be available for up to 12 months. The agency is considering whether these plans will be renewable.&nbsp;

The plans will not include the benefits that define the insurance created under Democratic former President Barack Obama, including required health benefits such as maternity coverage and the guarantee of insurance regardless of health.&nbsp;

Obamacare currently allows for such short-duration plans, but they are limited to three months. The agency said it expects 100,000 to 200,000 people to shift from an Obamacare plan to such insurance in 2019 when the rule would go into effect, but that millions more people who have no insurance will likely sign up.

America`s Health Insurance Plans, the biggest US health industry lobby, said it was concerned the expansion would make it more expensive to cover the sicker people, particularly those with pre-existing conditions, who remain on the Obamacare marketplace. About 10 million people are enrolled in Obamacare plans that are eligible for income-based subsidies.

Evercore ISI analyst Michael Newshel said in a research note that while the magnitude of the new rule`s impact is debatable, directionally it is &quot;another negative more for the stability of the individual insurance market.&quot;

Even so, there were no new negatives in the government rule proposal, Newshel said. Shares in insurers which sell these plans were mixed. Centene Corp gained $1.18, or 1 per cent, to $101.40; Molina Healthcare rose 68 cents, or less than 1 per cent, to $72.80; Anthem Inc fell $2.53, or about 1 per cent, to $232.49; and Cigna Corp fell $2.29, or 1 per cent, to $191.60.&nbsp;

The premiums on the plans have been rising each year since the marketplace was launched and increased in the double digits in 2018, reflecting a costly pool of members, fewer insurers and less competition, and the government decision to pull back billions of dollars in payments to insurers.

Republican President Donald Trump last year issued an executive order requiring the agency, which oversees the Obamacare individual market, to propose such a rule as part of its goal to make health insurance more affordable.

The order also required an extension of association-based health plans that do not comply with Obamacare and more use of tax-free health savings accounts.&nbsp;

US&nbsp;health officials said they did not expect the introduction of the plans to contribute to a rise in premiums in the ACA marketplace.

The US government on Tuesday proposed extending the availability of skimpy health insurance plans to millions of Americans in another Trump administration move aimed at undercutting the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare

The US government on Tuesday proposed extending the availability of skimpy health insurance plans to millions of Americans in another Trump administration move aimed at undercutting the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare. The US Department of Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule that such plans, now available only for periods of three months or less, will be available for up to 12 months. The agency is considering whether these plans will be renewable. The plans will not include the benefits that define the insurance created under Democratic former President Barack Obama, including required health benefits such as maternity coverage and the guarantee of insurance regardless of health. Obamacare currently allows for such short-duration plans, but they are limited to three months. The agency said it expects 100,000 to 200,000 people to shift from an Obamacare plan to such insurance in 2019 when the rule would go into effect, but that millions more people who have no insurance will likely sign up. America`s Health Insurance Plans, the biggest US health industry lobby, said it was concerned the expansion would make it more expensive to cover the sicker people, particularly those with pre-existing conditions, who remain on the Obamacare marketplace. About 10 million people are enrolled in Obamacare plans that are eligible for income-based subsidies. Evercore ISI analyst Michael Newshel said in a research note that while the magnitude of the new rule`s impact is debatable, directionally it is "another negative more for the stability of the individual insurance market." Even so, there were no new negatives in the government rule proposal, Newshel said. Shares in insurers which sell these plans were mixed. Centene Corp gained $1.18, or 1 per cent, to $101.40; Molina Healthcare rose 68 cents, or less than 1 per cent, to $72.80; Anthem Inc fell $2.53, or about 1 per cent, to $232.49; and Cigna Corp fell $2.29, or 1 per cent, to $191.60. The premiums on the plans have been rising each year since the marketplace was launched and increased in the double digits in 2018, reflecting a costly pool of members, fewer insurers and less competition, and the government decision to pull back billions of dollars in payments to insurers. Republican President Donald Trump last year issued an executive order requiring the agency, which oversees the Obamacare individual market, to propose such a rule as part of its goal to make health insurance more affordable. The order also required an extension of association-based health plans that do not comply with Obamacare and more use of tax-free health savings accounts. US health officials said they did not expect the introduction of the plans to contribute to a rise in premiums in the ACA marketplace.

US to extend skimpy health insurance outside of Obamacare

The driver of a van carrying journalists covering President Donald Trump was detained on Monday after Secret Service officials found a gun in his bag during a security sweep before the vehicle was to drive onto the president&#39;s Florida property.

The Secret Service said no one had been put in danger.

The male driver told reporters he had forgotten to leave his personal firearm in another vehicle.

He and the other drivers of three media vans were replaced before the vehicles drove on to Trump&#39;s Mar-a-Lago compound, where the vans joined the president&#39;s motorcade.

&quot;The individual was found to be in lawful possession of a prohibited item (firearm) outside the secure area at a Secret Service security screening checkpoint,&quot; the Secret Service said in a statement.

The man could be seen being questioned as journalists were driven away from the area where the security sweeps had taken place.

&quot;The incident was investigated by the Secret Service and our partners at the Palm Beach County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office (PBSO) and resolved. At no time was any Secret Service protectee in danger or impacted,&quot; the statement said.

A pool of reporters travels as part of the president&#39;s motorcade in Washington and on domestic and foreign trips. Drivers of the vans are sometimes volunteers and are sometimes hired for the job. The driver on Monday was a hired contractor.

The male driver told reporters he had forgotten to leave his personal firearm in another vehicle

The driver of a van carrying journalists covering President Donald Trump was detained on Monday after Secret Service officials found a gun in his bag during a security sweep before the vehicle was to drive onto the president's Florida property. The Secret Service said no one had been put in danger. The male driver told reporters he had forgotten to leave his personal firearm in another vehicle. He and the other drivers of three media vans were replaced before the vehicles drove on to Trump's Mar-a-Lago compound, where the vans joined the president's motorcade. "The individual was found to be in lawful possession of a prohibited item (firearm) outside the secure area at a Secret Service security screening checkpoint," the Secret Service said in a statement. The man could be seen being questioned as journalists were driven away from the area where the security sweeps had taken place. "The incident was investigated by the Secret Service and our partners at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) and resolved. At no time was any Secret Service protectee in danger or impacted," the statement said. A pool of reporters travels as part of the president's motorcade in Washington and on domestic and foreign trips. Drivers of the vans are sometimes volunteers and are sometimes hired for the job. The driver on Monday was a hired contractor.

Driver of van slated to be in Trump motorcade detained for having gun

Donald Trump has come last in a US presidential &quot;greatness&quot; survey.&nbsp;

The survey, published Monday,&nbsp;was conducted by the University of Houston and Boise State University.

The survey was based on some 170&nbsp;responses from current and former members of the American Political Science Association&#39;s presidents and executive politics section.

Abraham Lincoln, George&nbsp;Washington, Franklin D Roosevelt, Theodore Rosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, were the top five presidents of America.

Former President Barack Obama came in at eighth spot.&nbsp;Geroge W Bush was number 30&nbsp;on the list.

 
&nbsp;

Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Franklin D Roosevelt, Theodore Rosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, were the top five presidents of America

Donald Trump has come last in a US presidential "greatness" survey. The survey, published Monday, was conducted by the University of Houston and Boise State University. The survey was based on some 170 responses from current and former members of the American Political Science Association's presidents and executive politics section. Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Franklin D Roosevelt, Theodore Rosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, were the top five presidents of America. Former President Barack Obama came in at eighth spot. Geroge W Bush was number 30 on the list.

US presidential 'greatness' survey: Donald Trump comes last

United States President Donald Trump took a swipe at media mega-celebrity Oprah Winfrey following her appearance in CBS&#39; show, &#39;60 Minutes&#39;, where she led a panel discussion with voters from Michigan state.

Taking to Twitter, the US President said the questions posed by the &quot;very insecure Oprah Winfrey&quot; were biased and slanted.

&quot;Just watched a very insecure Oprah Winfrey, who at one point I knew very well, interview a panel of people on 60 Minutes. The questions were biased and slanted, the facts incorrect. Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others!&quot; Trump tweeted.

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Just watched a very insecure Oprah Winfrey, who at one point I knew very well, interview a panel of people on 60 Minutes. The questions were biased and slanted, the facts incorrect. Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/965442990134251520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Winfrey questioned seven Michigan voters who voted for Trump and seven who voted against him.

Trump&#39;s mocking remark about hoping for Winfrey to run for President comes in light of the fact that anti-Trump voices have continually called for her to run for President in 2022.

Admiration and praises poured in for her especially after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-oprah-winfreys-winning-speech-at-the-golden-globes-will-give-you-goosebumps-28844" target="_blank">her powerful speech</a> at the recent Golden Globes Awards.

'Just watched a very insecure Oprah Winfrey, who at one point I knew very well, interview a panel of people on 60 Minutes. The questions were biased and slanted, the facts incorrect,' Trump tweeted

United States President Donald Trump took a swipe at media mega-celebrity Oprah Winfrey following her appearance in CBS' show, '60 Minutes', where she led a panel discussion with voters from Michigan state. Taking to Twitter, the US President said the questions posed by the "very insecure Oprah Winfrey" were biased and slanted. "Just watched a very insecure Oprah Winfrey, who at one point I knew very well, interview a panel of people on 60 Minutes. The questions were biased and slanted, the facts incorrect. Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others!" Trump tweeted. Just watched a very insecure Oprah Winfrey, who at one point I knew very well, interview a panel of people on 60 Minutes. The questions were biased and slanted, the facts incorrect. Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2018 × Winfrey questioned seven Michigan voters who voted for Trump and seven who voted against him. Trump's mocking remark about hoping for Winfrey to run for President comes in light of the fact that anti-Trump voices have continually called for her to run for President in 2022. Admiration and praises poured in for her especially after her powerful speech at the recent Golden Globes Awards.

Trump takes swipe at 'very insecure' Oprah Winfrey

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