US President Donald Trump on Wednesday blasted the US court system as &ldquo;broken and unfair&rdquo; after a federal judge blocked his move to end the program protecting young immigrants brought to the United States illegally by their parents, commonly known as &ldquo;Dreamers.&rdquo;&nbsp;

The Trump administration in September announced it would rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, drawing challenges in multiple federal courts from Democratic state attorneys general, organizations and individuals.&nbsp;

Late on Tuesday, US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled that DACA must remain in place while the litigation is resolved.&nbsp;

In a post on Twitter on Wednesday morning, Trump wrote, &ldquo;It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.&rdquo;&nbsp;

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It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/951094078661414912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It was not immediately clear which court Trump was referring to in his post. Alsup&rsquo;s court is the District Court for the Northern District of California. Appeals of decisions by that court are commonly handled by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which also reviews appeals of rulings by district courts in the US West, Hawaii and Guam.&nbsp;

Earlier on Wednesday, the White House branded the federal judge&rsquo;s ruling as &ldquo;outrageous.&rdquo;&nbsp;

&ldquo;An issue of this magnitude must go through the normal legislative process,&rdquo; White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. &ldquo;President Trump is committed to the rule of law, and will work with members of both parties to reach a permanent solution that corrects the unconstitutional actions taken by the last administration.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Alsup ruled that the federal government did not have to process new applications from people who had never before received protection under the program. However, he ordered the government to continue processing renewal applications from people who had previously been covered.&nbsp;

The ruling could complicate negotiations between Trump and congressional leaders over immigration reform. Sanders called the decision &ldquo;outrageous, especially in light of the President&rsquo;s successful bipartisan meeting with House and Senate members at the White House&rdquo; on immigration reform on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The Trump administration in September announced it would rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday blasted the US court system as “broken and unfair” after a federal judge blocked his move to end the program protecting young immigrants brought to the United States illegally by their parents, commonly known as “Dreamers.” The Trump administration in September announced it would rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, drawing challenges in multiple federal courts from Democratic state attorneys general, organizations and individuals. Late on Tuesday, US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled that DACA must remain in place while the litigation is resolved. In a post on Twitter on Wednesday morning, Trump wrote, “It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.” It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 × It was not immediately clear which court Trump was referring to in his post. Alsup’s court is the District Court for the Northern District of California. Appeals of decisions by that court are commonly handled by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which also reviews appeals of rulings by district courts in the US West, Hawaii and Guam. Earlier on Wednesday, the White House branded the federal judge’s ruling as “outrageous.” “An issue of this magnitude must go through the normal legislative process,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. “President Trump is committed to the rule of law, and will work with members of both parties to reach a permanent solution that corrects the unconstitutional actions taken by the last administration.” Alsup ruled that the federal government did not have to process new applications from people who had never before received protection under the program. However, he ordered the government to continue processing renewal applications from people who had previously been covered. The ruling could complicate negotiations between Trump and congressional leaders over immigration reform. Sanders called the decision “outrageous, especially in light of the President’s successful bipartisan meeting with House and Senate members at the White House” on immigration reform on Tuesday.

Donald Trump calls US court system 'unfair' after DACA ruling

US President Donald Trump will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos later this month, opening up a distinct possibility of a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This would be for the first time in 18 years that a US president would be attending an annual gathering of global economic leaders.

&quot;The president welcomes opportunities to advance his &#39;America First&#39; agenda with world leaders,&quot; White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference.

She said Trump looks forward to promoting his policies to strengthen &quot;American businesses, American industries, and American workers&quot;.

Details of the president&#39;s trip to Davos, including bilateral meetings, are being worked out, Sanders said.

&quot;We&#39;re finalising the details on exactly when the president will be there. We don&#39;t have any commitments beyond this year at this point,&quot; she said, adding that the White House is looking forward to be part of the process.

&quot;The president&#39;s message is very much the same here as it will be there; just the same as it was here, as it was when he made many stops in Asia. This is very much an America First agenda,&quot; Sanders said.

She said Trump is &quot;still 100 per cent focused and committed&#39; to promoting policies that strength American businesses and the American worker.

&quot;That&#39;s going to be the same whether he&#39;s in the US or any other place,&quot; Sanders said.

Several senior members of the Cabinet and administration will be part of this event, she said.

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2018 will take place later this month in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, under the theme &#39;Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World&#39;.

Modi will travel to Switzerland on January 22 on a two- day visit during which he will deliver the keynote address at the plenary session of the WEF.

This would be the first time since 1997 that an Indian prime minister will attend the Davos summit.&nbsp;

This would be for the first time in 18 years that a US president would be attending an annual gathering of global economic leaders

US President Donald Trump will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos later this month, opening up a distinct possibility of a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This would be for the first time in 18 years that a US president would be attending an annual gathering of global economic leaders. "The president welcomes opportunities to advance his 'America First' agenda with world leaders," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference. She said Trump looks forward to promoting his policies to strengthen "American businesses, American industries, and American workers". Details of the president's trip to Davos, including bilateral meetings, are being worked out, Sanders said. "We're finalising the details on exactly when the president will be there. We don't have any commitments beyond this year at this point," she said, adding that the White House is looking forward to be part of the process. "The president's message is very much the same here as it will be there; just the same as it was here, as it was when he made many stops in Asia. This is very much an America First agenda," Sanders said. She said Trump is "still 100 per cent focused and committed' to promoting policies that strength American businesses and the American worker. "That's going to be the same whether he's in the US or any other place," Sanders said. Several senior members of the Cabinet and administration will be part of this event, she said. The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2018 will take place later this month in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, under the theme 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World'. Modi will travel to Switzerland on January 22 on a two- day visit during which he will deliver the keynote address at the plenary session of the WEF. This would be the first time since 1997 that an Indian prime minister will attend the Davos summit.

Trump may meet Modi at Davos World Economic Forum

President Donald Trump took command of a high-profile White House meeting on immigration Tuesday, coaxing Republican and Democratic lawmakers toward a compromise on the fate of undocumented migrants who came to the United States as children.

Trump also signalled he was open to more comprehensive immigration reform to address millions of other undocumented people living in the shadows but did not give ground to Democrats over his plans for a border wall.

&quot;It should be a bill of love,&quot; Trump said of a measure under negotiation that would protect hundreds of thousands of so-called &quot;Dreamers&quot; from deportation.

&quot;But it also has to be a bill where we&#39;re able to secure our border. Drugs are pouring into our country at a record pace. A lot of people are coming in that we can&#39;t have,&quot; Trump added, urging lawmakers to &quot;put country before party&quot; and strike a quick solution.

Trump, seated at a long table with some two dozen lawmakers from the House and Senate, presided over the bipartisan talks, allowing journalists rare access to nearly an hour of the meeting.

The president said he would &quot;take the heat&quot; politically if lawmakers were to move toward broader action that would provide a pathway to citizenship for about 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

&quot;You are not that far away from comprehensive immigration reform,&quot; he told Senator Lindsey Graham, after the Republican lawmaker floated the idea of more sweeping legislation.

&quot;You created an opportunity here, Mr President, and you need to close the deal,&quot; Graham told him as TV cameras rolled.

Trump&#39;s position appeared at odds with his 2016 campaign when his platform focused largely on border security and immigration curtailment, and many of his core supporters raged at the prospect of legalizing millions of undocumented immigrants.

The image of Trump presiding over such sensitive negotiations appeared tailor-made for the White House to push back against a narrative -- fueled by a recent explosive West Wing expose -- questioning Trump&#39;s mental fitness, with aides were doubting his ability to govern.

Lives &#39;in the balance&#39;

In September, Trump said he was scrapping the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but then delayed enforcement to give Congress six months -- until March -- to craft a lasting solution.

So-called &quot;Dreamers&quot; were protected from deportation under the policy enacted during Barack Obama&#39;s presidency.

On Tuesday, Trump said a &quot;permanent&quot; solution was needed for Dreamers, but also insisted on the importance of border security, especially with Mexico.

&quot;We need a wall,&quot; Trump said.

Any deal, he added, would need to be accompanied by money for a border wall, measures that limit immigrants from bringing family members into the country in the future -- a policy known as &quot;chain migration&quot; -- and an end to the green card lottery system.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the group had agreed to negotiate legislation that accomplishes &quot;critically needed reforms&quot; in the above areas, as well as DACA.

But a path through Congress remained unclear. The two parties were at odds over whether to pass the measure as a stand-alone bill, as Senate Republican leadership wants, or attach it to a federal spending package that must pass by January 19 in order to avert a government shutdown.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he will bring up a narrow, DACA-related measure unattached to budget issues or broader immigration reforms.

&quot;There are a number of moving parts here that need to be dealt with,&quot; McConnell told reporters after the meeting, but DACA &quot;will not be a part of any overall spending agreement.&quot;&nbsp;

McConnell nonetheless expressed optimism that a DACA fix could be complete before the March deadline when the grants of legal status begin expiring.

Senate Democrat Dick Durbin, a leading proponent of codifying immigration protections, noted that about 1,000 people per day will lose their DACA status beginning March 5.

&quot;Lives are hanging in the balance,&quot; said Durbin, who was seated next to Trump. &quot;We&#39;ve got the time to do it.&quot;

Not all lawmakers were optimistic about a solution.

&quot;I don&#39;t think they&#39;re closer,&quot; said Republican Senator John Kennedy, who was not at the talks.

&quot;The problem is that the Democrats, they want all the dessert and they don&#39;t want to eat any spinach,&quot; he added. &quot;They&#39;re just dying to give amnesty to somebody.&quot;

Donald Trump took command of a high-profile White House meeting on immigration Tuesday

President Donald Trump took command of a high-profile White House meeting on immigration Tuesday, coaxing Republican and Democratic lawmakers toward a compromise on the fate of undocumented migrants who came to the United States as children. Trump also signalled he was open to more comprehensive immigration reform to address millions of other undocumented people living in the shadows but did not give ground to Democrats over his plans for a border wall. "It should be a bill of love," Trump said of a measure under negotiation that would protect hundreds of thousands of so-called "Dreamers" from deportation. "But it also has to be a bill where we're able to secure our border. Drugs are pouring into our country at a record pace. A lot of people are coming in that we can't have," Trump added, urging lawmakers to "put country before party" and strike a quick solution. Trump, seated at a long table with some two dozen lawmakers from the House and Senate, presided over the bipartisan talks, allowing journalists rare access to nearly an hour of the meeting. The president said he would "take the heat" politically if lawmakers were to move toward broader action that would provide a pathway to citizenship for about 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. "You are not that far away from comprehensive immigration reform," he told Senator Lindsey Graham, after the Republican lawmaker floated the idea of more sweeping legislation. "You created an opportunity here, Mr President, and you need to close the deal," Graham told him as TV cameras rolled. Trump's position appeared at odds with his 2016 campaign when his platform focused largely on border security and immigration curtailment, and many of his core supporters raged at the prospect of legalizing millions of undocumented immigrants. The image of Trump presiding over such sensitive negotiations appeared tailor-made for the White House to push back against a narrative -- fueled by a recent explosive West Wing expose -- questioning Trump's mental fitness, with aides were doubting his ability to govern. Lives 'in the balance' In September, Trump said he was scrapping the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but then delayed enforcement to give Congress six months -- until March -- to craft a lasting solution. So-called "Dreamers" were protected from deportation under the policy enacted during Barack Obama's presidency. On Tuesday, Trump said a "permanent" solution was needed for Dreamers, but also insisted on the importance of border security, especially with Mexico. "We need a wall," Trump said. Any deal, he added, would need to be accompanied by money for a border wall, measures that limit immigrants from bringing family members into the country in the future -- a policy known as "chain migration" -- and an end to the green card lottery system. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the group had agreed to negotiate legislation that accomplishes "critically needed reforms" in the above areas, as well as DACA. But a path through Congress remained unclear. The two parties were at odds over whether to pass the measure as a stand-alone bill, as Senate Republican leadership wants, or attach it to a federal spending package that must pass by January 19 in order to avert a government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he will bring up a narrow, DACA-related measure unattached to budget issues or broader immigration reforms. "There are a number of moving parts here that need to be dealt with," McConnell told reporters after the meeting, but DACA "will not be a part of any overall spending agreement." McConnell nonetheless expressed optimism that a DACA fix could be complete before the March deadline when the grants of legal status begin expiring. Senate Democrat Dick Durbin, a leading proponent of codifying immigration protections, noted that about 1,000 people per day will lose their DACA status beginning March 5. "Lives are hanging in the balance," said Durbin, who was seated next to Trump. "We've got the time to do it." Not all lawmakers were optimistic about a solution. "I don't think they're closer," said Republican Senator John Kennedy, who was not at the talks. "The problem is that the Democrats, they want all the dessert and they don't want to eat any spinach," he added. "They're just dying to give amnesty to somebody."

Trump embraces role as negotiator in chief on immigration

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamala-mills-fire-hotelier-arrested-for-sheltering-accused-29051">Kamala Mills fire: Hotelier arrested for sheltering accused</a>

The Mumbai Police have arrested a Juhu-based hotelier for sheltering three owners of &#39;1 Above&#39; pub, after a police probe, Vishal Kariya confessed to having sheltered the accused trio -- Kripesh Sanghvi, Jigar Sanghvi and Abhijeet Mankar -- at his Juhu residence.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-has-suspended-military-intelligence-cooperation-with-us-defence-minister-khurram-dastgir-khan-29060">Pakistan has suspended military intelligence cooperation with </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-has-suspended-military-intelligence-cooperation-with-us-defence-minister-khurram-dastgir-khan-29060">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-has-suspended-military-intelligence-cooperation-with-us-defence-minister-khurram-dastgir-khan-29060">: Defence </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-has-suspended-military-intelligence-cooperation-with-us-defence-minister-khurram-dastgir-khan-29060">minister</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-has-suspended-military-intelligence-cooperation-with-us-defence-minister-khurram-dastgir-khan-29060"> Khurram Dastgir Khan</a>

Pakistan defence minister Khurram Dastgir Khan said today that his country has suspended military and intelligence cooperation with the US as relations between the two allies continued to nosedive.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/our-weapons-are-only-aimed-at-at-united-states-north-korea-official-29048">Our weapons &#39;are only aimed&#39; at </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/our-weapons-are-only-aimed-at-at-united-states-north-korea-official-29048">United</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/our-weapons-are-only-aimed-at-at-united-states-north-korea-official-29048"> States: North Korea official</a>

North Korea said after its first talks with South Korea in more than two years that it would not discuss its nuclear weapons with Seoul because they were aimed only at the United States, not its &quot;brethren&quot; in South Korea. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/dominos-ceo-patrick-doyle-to-step-down-in-june-29058">Domino&#39;s CEO Patrick Doyle to step down in June</a>

Patrick Doyle, Domino&#39;s chief executive officer will step down this June, the fast-food giant announced Tuesday, he will be replaced by Domino&#39;s current chief of international business, Richard Allison.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/six-including-four-policemen-killed-in-quetta-blast-29034">Pakistan: Six including five policemen killed in Quetta suicide bombing</a>

Five police personnel and a passerby were killed and 16 others injured on Tuesday when a suspected suicide bomb rocked Quetta&#39;s Zarghoon road near the Balochistan Assembly building.&nbsp;

Kamala Mills fire: Hotelier arrested for sheltering accused The Mumbai Police have arrested a Juhu-based hotelier for sheltering three owners of '1 Above' pub, after a police probe, Vishal Kariya confessed to having sheltered the accused trio -- Kripesh Sanghvi, Jigar Sanghvi and Abhijeet Mankar -- at his Juhu residence. Pakistan has suspended military intelligence cooperation with US: Defence minister Khurram Dastgir Khan Pakistan defence minister Khurram Dastgir Khan said today that his country has suspended military and intelligence cooperation with the US as relations between the two allies continued to nosedive. Our weapons 'are only aimed' at United States: North Korea official North Korea said after its first talks with South Korea in more than two years that it would not discuss its nuclear weapons with Seoul because they were aimed only at the United States, not its "brethren" in South Korea. Domino's CEO Patrick Doyle to step down in June Patrick Doyle, Domino's chief executive officer will step down this June, the fast-food giant announced Tuesday, he will be replaced by Domino's current chief of international business, Richard Allison. Pakistan: Six including five policemen killed in Quetta suicide bombing Five police personnel and a passerby were killed and 16 others injured on Tuesday when a suspected suicide bomb rocked Quetta's Zarghoon road near the Balochistan Assembly building.

WION Morning News Brief, January 10, 2018

Donald Trump will take his populist message directly to the world&#39;s political and business elite later this month, becoming the first US president to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos in nearly 20 years.

Trump -- who ran for president on a nationalist &quot;America First&quot; platform -- will mingle at the annual Alpine festival of globalism in Switzerland, and perhaps offer a few views of his own, the White House said.

&quot;The president welcomes opportunities to advance his America First agenda with world leaders,&quot; White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

&quot;At this year&#39;s World Economic Forum, the president looks forward to promoting his policies to strengthen American businesses, American industries and American workers.&quot;

A string of US presidents have avoided attending the annual upscale event, fearing a sojourn to a European ski resort would make them look out of touch.&nbsp;

The last president to go was Bill Clinton, who attended in 2000.

The gathering might seem antithetical to Trump&#39;s brand of politics, but the White House insists his message will be the same surrounded by chalets as it would be in Washington.

Looking to make his mark

Trump, a real estate mogul-turned-president, has rarely shied away from the rich and famous but may have an additional geopolitical incentive to attend.

Last year, the forum was dominated by the appearance of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi became the first Chinese leader to go, picking up the mantle of defender of free trade and globalization in the face of Trump&#39;s protectionist rhetoric.&nbsp;

&quot;No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war,&quot; Xi warned, fueling a sense of rapidly growing China stepping into a space vacated by the United States.

During a decades-long spending spree, China has bankrolled infrastructure projects from Sri Lanka to Zambia, often earning political influence in the process.

Last year, the Trump administration was represented by informal emissary Anthony Scaramucci, who challenged Beijing to match words and deeds.

Firms were also quick to point out the gap between Xi&#39;s rhetoric and the realities of doing business in China, which is a frequently tortuous affair.

America First

But it is unclear how Trump&#39;s pitch for &quot;America First&quot; trade will play among the disciples of a global rules-based order.

&quot;The question appears to be whether he&#39;ll play to the global Davos audience or use his speech to shock the crowd with the anti-globalization rhetoric he loves to use back home,&quot; said Scott Mulhauser, former chief of staff at the US Embassy in Beijing.&nbsp;

&quot;The two sides of Trump stand in particular contrast on trade and globalization and may even both appear in the same speech,&quot; added Mulhauser.&nbsp;

&quot;So this one should be fascinating -- and the signals he sends will be heard at home and across the globe.&quot;

Since coming to office in January 2017, Trump has ripped up or sought to renegotiate a series of trade pacts that underpin global commerce.

A series of investigations into Chinese trade practices have put his administration on a collision course with Beijing.

This year&#39;s Davos gathering takes place January 23-26, with a theme of &quot;Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World.&quot;

It is not yet clear when precisely Trump will attend.

US president Donald Trump would be the first US president to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos in nearly 20 years

Donald Trump will take his populist message directly to the world's political and business elite later this month, becoming the first US president to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos in nearly 20 years. Trump -- who ran for president on a nationalist "America First" platform -- will mingle at the annual Alpine festival of globalism in Switzerland, and perhaps offer a few views of his own, the White House said. "The president welcomes opportunities to advance his America First agenda with world leaders," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. "At this year's World Economic Forum, the president looks forward to promoting his policies to strengthen American businesses, American industries and American workers." A string of US presidents have avoided attending the annual upscale event, fearing a sojourn to a European ski resort would make them look out of touch. The last president to go was Bill Clinton, who attended in 2000. The gathering might seem antithetical to Trump's brand of politics, but the White House insists his message will be the same surrounded by chalets as it would be in Washington. Looking to make his mark Trump, a real estate mogul-turned-president, has rarely shied away from the rich and famous but may have an additional geopolitical incentive to attend. Last year, the forum was dominated by the appearance of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi became the first Chinese leader to go, picking up the mantle of defender of free trade and globalization in the face of Trump's protectionist rhetoric. "No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war," Xi warned, fueling a sense of rapidly growing China stepping into a space vacated by the United States. During a decades-long spending spree, China has bankrolled infrastructure projects from Sri Lanka to Zambia, often earning political influence in the process. Last year, the Trump administration was represented by informal emissary Anthony Scaramucci, who challenged Beijing to match words and deeds. Firms were also quick to point out the gap between Xi's rhetoric and the realities of doing business in China, which is a frequently tortuous affair. America First But it is unclear how Trump's pitch for "America First" trade will play among the disciples of a global rules-based order. "The question appears to be whether he'll play to the global Davos audience or use his speech to shock the crowd with the anti-globalization rhetoric he loves to use back home," said Scott Mulhauser, former chief of staff at the US Embassy in Beijing. "The two sides of Trump stand in particular contrast on trade and globalization and may even both appear in the same speech," added Mulhauser. "So this one should be fascinating -- and the signals he sends will be heard at home and across the globe." Since coming to office in January 2017, Trump has ripped up or sought to renegotiate a series of trade pacts that underpin global commerce. A series of investigations into Chinese trade practices have put his administration on a collision course with Beijing. This year's Davos gathering takes place January 23-26, with a theme of "Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World." It is not yet clear when precisely Trump will attend.

Trump to make surprise appearance at Davos

In a relief for Indian techies, US authorities today said that the Trump administration is not considering any proposal that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the country.

The announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came days after reports emerged that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of 7,50,000 Indians.

The reports had said it was mulling ending extensions for H-1B holders.

The USCIS &quot;is not considering a regulatory change that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the United States by changing interpretation of section certain language in Section 104 C of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) statute that states that USCIS may grant the extensions,&quot; an official said.

This provides for H-1B extensions beyond the 6-year limit.

&quot;Even if it were, such a change would not likely result in these H-1B visa holders having to leave the United States because employers could request extensions in one-year increments under section 106(a)-(b) of AC21 instead,&quot; Jonathan Withington, Chief of Media Relations at the USCIS, said in a statement.

&quot;The agency is considering a number of policy and regulatory changes to carry out the President&#39;s Buy American, Hire American Executive Order, including a thorough review of employment-based visa programmes,&quot; Withington said.

The statement comes after last week&#39;s news report by US- based news agency McClatchy DC Bureau according to which the US was considering new regulations to prevent the extension of H-1B visas, the most sought after by Indian IT professionals.

The USCIS was never considering such a policy change, he said adding that &quot;any suggestion that USCIS changed its position because of pressure is absolutely false.&quot;

The reported move had been opposed by both the industry and several lawmakers.

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), a trade association of Indian information technology, had warned that any disruptive move on the visa front would be detrimental for both India and the US.

The USCIS has a Congressional mandate to issue 65,000 H- 1B visas in general category and another 20,000 for those applicants having higher education -- masters and above -- from US universities in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

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.

Since taking office last January, the Trump administration has been talking about cracking down on the H- 1B visa scheme.

During his election campaign, President Trump promised to increase oversight of our H-1B and L-1 visa programmes to prevent its abuse.

The announcement came days after reports that Trump will tighten H-1B visa rules, leading to deportation of 7,50,000 Indians

In a relief for Indian techies, US authorities today said that the Trump administration is not considering any proposal that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the country. The announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came days after reports emerged that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of 7,50,000 Indians. The reports had said it was mulling ending extensions for H-1B holders. The USCIS "is not considering a regulatory change that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the United States by changing interpretation of section certain language in Section 104 C of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) statute that states that USCIS may grant the extensions," an official said. This provides for H-1B extensions beyond the 6-year limit. "Even if it were, such a change would not likely result in these H-1B visa holders having to leave the United States because employers could request extensions in one-year increments under section 106(a)-(b) of AC21 instead," Jonathan Withington, Chief of Media Relations at the USCIS, said in a statement. "The agency is considering a number of policy and regulatory changes to carry out the President's Buy American, Hire American Executive Order, including a thorough review of employment-based visa programmes," Withington said. The statement comes after last week's news report by US- based news agency McClatchy DC Bureau according to which the US was considering new regulations to prevent the extension of H-1B visas, the most sought after by Indian IT professionals. The USCIS was never considering such a policy change, he said adding that "any suggestion that USCIS changed its position because of pressure is absolutely false." The reported move had been opposed by both the industry and several lawmakers. The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), a trade association of Indian information technology, had warned that any disruptive move on the visa front would be detrimental for both India and the US. The USCIS has a Congressional mandate to issue 65,000 H- 1B visas in general category and another 20,000 for those applicants having higher education -- masters and above -- from US universities in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 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. Since taking office last January, the Trump administration has been talking about cracking down on the H- 1B visa scheme. During his election campaign, President Trump promised to increase oversight of our H-1B and L-1 visa programmes to prevent its abuse.

Relief for Indian techies, US says no change in H-1B extension policy

In a relief for Indian techies, US authorities today said that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-issues-new-rules-on-us-visa-waivers-26883" target="_blank">Trump administration</a> is not considering any proposal that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the country.&nbsp;

The announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came days after reports emerged that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-may-revoke-rule-allowing-spouses-of-h-1b-visa-holders-to-work-in-the-united-states-26905" target="_blank">Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules</a> that could lead to deportation of 7,50,000 Indians.&nbsp;

The reports had said it was mulling ending extensions for H-1B holders.&nbsp;

The USCIS &quot;is not considering a regulatory change that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the United States by changing interpretation of section certain language in Section 104 C of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) statute that states that USCIS may grant the extensions,&quot; an official said.&nbsp;

This provides for H-1B extensions beyond the 6-year limit.&nbsp;

&quot;Even if it were, such a change would not likely result in these H-1B visa holders having to leave the United States because employers could request extensions in one-year increments under section 106(a)-(b) of AC21 instead,&quot; Jonathan Withington, Chief of Media Relations at the USCIS, said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;The agency is considering a number of policy and regulatory changes to carry out the President&#39;s Buy American, Hire American Executive Order, including a thorough review of employment-based visa programmes,&quot; Withington said.&nbsp;

The statement comes after last week&#39;s news report by US-based news agency McClatchy DC Bureau according to which the US was considering new regulations to prevent the extension of H-1B visas, the most sought after by Indian IT professionals.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The USCIS was never considering such a policy change, he said adding that &quot;any suggestion that USCIS changed its position because of pressure is absolutely false.&quot;&nbsp;

The reported move had been opposed by both the industry and several lawmakers.&nbsp;

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), a trade association of Indian information technology, had warned that any disruptive move on the visa front would be detrimental for both India and the US.

The USCIS has a Congressional mandate to issue 65,000 H- 1B visas in general category and another 20,000 for those applicants having higher education -- masters and above -- from US universities in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.&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.&nbsp;

Since taking office last January, the Trump administration has been talking about cracking down on the H- 1B visa scheme.&nbsp;

During his election campaign, President Trump promised to increase oversight of our H-1B and L-1 visa programmes to prevent its abuse.&nbsp;

The announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came days after reports emerged that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of 7,50,000 Indians

In a relief for Indian techies, US authorities today said that the Trump administration is not considering any proposal that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the country. The announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came days after reports emerged that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of 7,50,000 Indians. The reports had said it was mulling ending extensions for H-1B holders. The USCIS "is not considering a regulatory change that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the United States by changing interpretation of section certain language in Section 104 C of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) statute that states that USCIS may grant the extensions," an official said. This provides for H-1B extensions beyond the 6-year limit. "Even if it were, such a change would not likely result in these H-1B visa holders having to leave the United States because employers could request extensions in one-year increments under section 106(a)-(b) of AC21 instead," Jonathan Withington, Chief of Media Relations at the USCIS, said in a statement. "The agency is considering a number of policy and regulatory changes to carry out the President's Buy American, Hire American Executive Order, including a thorough review of employment-based visa programmes," Withington said. The statement comes after last week's news report by US-based news agency McClatchy DC Bureau according to which the US was considering new regulations to prevent the extension of H-1B visas, the most sought after by Indian IT professionals. The USCIS was never considering such a policy change, he said adding that "any suggestion that USCIS changed its position because of pressure is absolutely false." The reported move had been opposed by both the industry and several lawmakers. The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), a trade association of Indian information technology, had warned that any disruptive move on the visa front would be detrimental for both India and the US. The USCIS has a Congressional mandate to issue 65,000 H- 1B visas in general category and another 20,000 for those applicants having higher education -- masters and above -- from US universities in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 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. Since taking office last January, the Trump administration has been talking about cracking down on the H- 1B visa scheme. During his election campaign, President Trump promised to increase oversight of our H-1B and L-1 visa programmes to prevent its abuse.

US Special counsel Robert Mueller&#39;s team wants to question President Donald Trump as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, media reports said today.

Mueller is trying to determine if Trump&#39;s campaign advisers colluded with the Russian government to influence the election.

The investigation also reportedly involves a probe into whether the President obstructed justice when he allegedly asked ex-FBI director James Comey to drop an inquiry into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

Flynn pleaded guilty in December to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador, becoming the first senior White House official to cut a cooperation deal in Mueller&#39;s inquiry.

 
Now Trump&#39;s legal team is pushing for a written question and answer, multiple media reports said.

There was no comment from Muller&#39;s office.

The White House and Trump has been saying that he is ready to cooperate as he has nothing to hide.

&quot;Mr Trump&#39;s lawyers are expected to try to set ground rules for any interview or provide answers to written questions. If Mr Trump were to refuse outright to cooperate, Mr Mueller could respond with a grand jury subpoena,&quot; The New York Times said.

The Wall Street Journal said some members of Trump&#39;s legal team believe a meeting between the president and Mueller would be &#39;gratuitous&#39;.

&quot;The White House does not comment on communications with the Office of the Special Counsel out of respect for the Office of the Special Counsel and its process. The White House is continuing its full cooperation with the Office of the Special Counsel in order to facilitate the earliest possible resolution,&quot; an attorney, who heads Trump&#39;s private legal team, said.

The possibility of Muller seeking to interview Trump, another media outlet said is an indication that the investigation is entering its final phase.

&quot;This is moving faster than anyone really realises,&quot; a source told The Washington Post.

Trump is comfortable participating in an interview and believes it would put to rest the questions about whether his campaign coordinated with Russia in the 2016 election, the person added.

So far, Mueller has interviewed several top present and former White House officials. Prominent among them include Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jarred Kushner.

The White House and Trump has been saying that he is ready to cooperate as he has nothing to hide.

US Special counsel Robert Mueller's team wants to question President Donald Trump as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, media reports said today. Mueller is trying to determine if Trump's campaign advisers colluded with the Russian government to influence the election. The investigation also reportedly involves a probe into whether the President obstructed justice when he allegedly asked ex-FBI director James Comey to drop an inquiry into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn pleaded guilty in December to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador, becoming the first senior White House official to cut a cooperation deal in Mueller's inquiry. Now Trump's legal team is pushing for a written question and answer, multiple media reports said. There was no comment from Muller's office. The White House and Trump has been saying that he is ready to cooperate as he has nothing to hide. "Mr Trump's lawyers are expected to try to set ground rules for any interview or provide answers to written questions. If Mr Trump were to refuse outright to cooperate, Mr Mueller could respond with a grand jury subpoena," The New York Times said. The Wall Street Journal said some members of Trump's legal team believe a meeting between the president and Mueller would be 'gratuitous'. "The White House does not comment on communications with the Office of the Special Counsel out of respect for the Office of the Special Counsel and its process. The White House is continuing its full cooperation with the Office of the Special Counsel in order to facilitate the earliest possible resolution," an attorney, who heads Trump's private legal team, said. The possibility of Muller seeking to interview Trump, another media outlet said is an indication that the investigation is entering its final phase. "This is moving faster than anyone really realises," a source told The Washington Post. Trump is comfortable participating in an interview and believes it would put to rest the questions about whether his campaign coordinated with Russia in the 2016 election, the person added. So far, Mueller has interviewed several top present and former White House officials. Prominent among them include Trump's son-in-law Jarred Kushner.

US Special counsel may question Trump on Russia probe

A naturalised American from India has been stripped of his US citizenship, the first case under a government initiative designed to clamp down on fraudulent immigration, widened under the Trump administration.

Baljinder Singh, 43, from Carteret, New Jersey became a naturalised citizen in 2006 after marrying his American wife.

But he arrived in the United States in 1991, flying into San Francisco without travel documents or proof of identity, giving his name as Davinder Singh, the Justice Department said.

He dodged a subsequent court hearing and was ordered to be deported in January 1992.

A month later he filed for asylum under the name Baljinder Singh, which he then abandoned after getting married.

Last Friday, a federal judge in New Jersey revoked his naturalisation, reverting him back to a lawful permanent resident, which means that he can be subject to removal proceedings.

&quot;I hope this case, and those to follow, send a loud message that attempting to fraudulently obtain US citizenship will not be tolerated,&quot; said US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Francis Cissna, a Trump administration appointee.

The Justice Department said it was the first denaturalisation under Operation Janus, a long-running Department of Homeland Security initiative against fraudulent immigration.

Last September the initiative identified 315,000 cases where fingerprint data was missing, raising concerns that at least some may have tried to circumvent criminal record and other background checks in the naturalization process.

The USCIS has plans to refer 1,600 other cases for prosecution.

The government filed the complaint against Singh last September, along with two other cases against Pakistan-born naturalised citizens in Connecticut and Florida.

President Donald Trump has stepped up a broader crackdown on illegal immigration since taking office in January 2017.

On Monday, the US government announced the end of a special protected status for about 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants, which threatens with deportation tens of thousands of well-established families with children born in the United States.

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Baljinder Singh, 43, from Carteret, New Jersey became a naturalised citizen in 2006 after marrying his American wife

A naturalised American from India has been stripped of his US citizenship, the first case under a government initiative designed to clamp down on fraudulent immigration, widened under the Trump administration. Baljinder Singh, 43, from Carteret, New Jersey became a naturalised citizen in 2006 after marrying his American wife. But he arrived in the United States in 1991, flying into San Francisco without travel documents or proof of identity, giving his name as Davinder Singh, the Justice Department said. He dodged a subsequent court hearing and was ordered to be deported in January 1992. A month later he filed for asylum under the name Baljinder Singh, which he then abandoned after getting married. Last Friday, a federal judge in New Jersey revoked his naturalisation, reverting him back to a lawful permanent resident, which means that he can be subject to removal proceedings. "I hope this case, and those to follow, send a loud message that attempting to fraudulently obtain US citizenship will not be tolerated," said US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Francis Cissna, a Trump administration appointee. The Justice Department said it was the first denaturalisation under Operation Janus, a long-running Department of Homeland Security initiative against fraudulent immigration. Last September the initiative identified 315,000 cases where fingerprint data was missing, raising concerns that at least some may have tried to circumvent criminal record and other background checks in the naturalization process. The USCIS has plans to refer 1,600 other cases for prosecution. The government filed the complaint against Singh last September, along with two other cases against Pakistan-born naturalised citizens in Connecticut and Florida. President Donald Trump has stepped up a broader crackdown on illegal immigration since taking office in January 2017. On Monday, the US government announced the end of a special protected status for about 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants, which threatens with deportation tens of thousands of well-established families with children born in the United States.

US: Indian-origin man is first to lose naturalised citizenship under Trump

After being a TV star for most of her adult life, speculation is now rife that Oprah Winfrey might take on Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential elections.

The speculation&nbsp;arose after Oprah&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/oprah-takes-golden-globes-by-storm-with-her-iconic-speech-7703" target="_blank">electrifying speech</a> at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night.&nbsp;

But could it actually happen?&nbsp;

If one were to do a SWOT analysis, these would be Oprah&#39;s strengths:&nbsp;

At 63, Oprah is younger than some of the top Democrats who might also run for the post including former vice-president Joe Biden and US Senator Bernie Sanders.

Oprah&#39;s wealth would also be a tremendous asset. Her current net worth is $2.8 billion; Trump is currently worth $3.1 billion.&nbsp;

Oprah has also built much goodwill among the Democrats by backing Barack Obama in 2008 and Hilary Clinton in 2016. She has also contributed more than $95,000 to the party.

And of course there is the fact that Oprah has appeared in homes across the US for 25 years -- Monday through Friday -- she is a well-known name.&nbsp;

Her weaknesses would include:&nbsp;

Even the most popular candidates need to get their message across to voters, identify their supporters, and, most important of all, get them to vote. Experienced politicians know how to build support systems to help them do all of that -- Oprah would have to start from scratch.&nbsp;

Oprah&#39;s business tries are extensive and include a cable channel and a magazine.&nbsp;She is also a contributor to CBS News&#39; &#39;60 minutes&#39;. Any of which may throw up conflicts of interests should she decide&nbsp;to run for the post.&nbsp;

Then again, if a property developer-turned-reality TV star with no prior political experience could win the US presidency on his first try, there is no reason to believe Oprah will necessarily be unsuccessful.&nbsp;

But having said that, three years is a long time in politics.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
And the first problem has already emerged.&nbsp;

A day after her Golden Globes speech, pictures emerged of Oprah with disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. Oprah, should she decide to run, would do well to remember presidential candidates face a vetting far more invasive than anything she has endured before.&nbsp;

The speculation arose after Oprah's electrifying speech at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night

After being a TV star for most of her adult life, speculation is now rife that Oprah Winfrey might take on Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential elections. The speculation arose after Oprah's electrifying speech at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night. But could it actually happen? If one were to do a SWOT analysis, these would be Oprah's strengths: At 63, Oprah is younger than some of the top Democrats who might also run for the post including former vice-president Joe Biden and US Senator Bernie Sanders. Oprah's wealth would also be a tremendous asset. Her current net worth is $2.8 billion; Trump is currently worth $3.1 billion. Oprah has also built much goodwill among the Democrats by backing Barack Obama in 2008 and Hilary Clinton in 2016. She has also contributed more than $95,000 to the party. And of course there is the fact that Oprah has appeared in homes across the US for 25 years -- Monday through Friday -- she is a well-known name. Her weaknesses would include: Even the most popular candidates need to get their message across to voters, identify their supporters, and, most important of all, get them to vote. Experienced politicians know how to build support systems to help them do all of that -- Oprah would have to start from scratch. Oprah's business tries are extensive and include a cable channel and a magazine. She is also a contributor to CBS News' '60 minutes'. Any of which may throw up conflicts of interests should she decide to run for the post. Then again, if a property developer-turned-reality TV star with no prior political experience could win the US presidency on his first try, there is no reason to believe Oprah will necessarily be unsuccessful. But having said that, three years is a long time in politics. And the first problem has already emerged. A day after her Golden Globes speech, pictures emerged of Oprah with disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. Oprah, should she decide to run, would do well to remember presidential candidates face a vetting far more invasive than anything she has endured before.

Oprah to take on Trump in 2020 US presidential election?

North Korea said after its first talks with South Korea in more than two years that it would not discuss its nuclear weapons with Seoul because they were aimed only at the United States, not its &quot;brethren&quot; in South Korea. &nbsp;

In a joint statement after 11 hours of talks, North Korea pledged to send a large delegation to next month&#39;s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea but made a &quot;strong complaint&quot; after Seoul proposed talks to denuclearise the Korean peninsula. &nbsp;

Officials from both sides said they agreed to meet again to resolve problems and avert accidental conflict, amid high tension over North Korea&#39;s program to develop nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States, but Pyongyang said disarmament would not be part of the discussions. &nbsp;

&quot;All our weapons including atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs and ballistic missiles are only aimed at the United States, not our brethren, nor China and Russia,&quot; Pyongyang&#39;s chief negotiator, Ri Son Gwon, said.&nbsp;

&quot;This is not a matter between North and South Korea, and to bring up this issue would cause negative consequences and risks turning all of today&#39;s good achievement into nothing,&quot; Ri, chairman of the North&#39;s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, warned in closing remarks. &nbsp;

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged threats and insults in the past year, raising tensions on the peninsula. &nbsp;&nbsp;

A spokesperson for the White House&#39;s National Security Council said North Korean participation in the Olympics would be &quot;an opportunity for the regime to see the value of ending its international isolation by denuclearising.&quot; &nbsp;

The White House did not comment on the United States being the only potential target of North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons. &nbsp;

In spite of Ri&#39;s remarks, South Korea&#39;s Unification Ministry said it believed inter-Korean ties and a series of steps agreed in the talks on Tuesday could lead to the discussion of a &quot;fundamental resolution&quot; of the nuclear issue in the future. &nbsp;

&quot;We will closely coordinate with the United States, China, Japan and other neighbours in this process,&quot; the ministry said in a statement. &nbsp;

It said South Korea had asked North Korea to halt hostile acts that stoke tension and that North had agreed that peace should be guaranteed in the region. &nbsp;

The North-South meeting came after a year of ramped-up North Korean missile launches and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. &nbsp;

The United States, which has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, initially responded coolly to the idea of inter-Korean meetings, but Trump later called them &quot;a good thing.&quot; &nbsp;

&quot;At the appropriate time, we&#39;ll get involved,&quot; he said on Saturday. &nbsp;

The United States has led an international campaign to step up sanctions on North Korea to press it to give up its weapons programmes. &nbsp;

&nbsp;The UN Security Council last month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to its test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Pyongyang called the sanctions an act of war. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&quot;High hopes&quot; &nbsp;

Earlier on Tuesday, Seoul said it was prepared to lift some sanctions temporarily so North Koreans could visit South Korea for the Winter Olympics. North Korea said its delegation would include athletes, high-ranking officials, a cheering squad, art performers, reporters and spectators. &nbsp;&nbsp;

South Korea has unilaterally banned several North Korean officials from entry in response to Pyongyang&#39;s missile and nuclear tests. &nbsp;

Talks will be held soon to work out the details of bringing the North Koreans to the Olympics, the South&#39;s unification ministry said. &nbsp;

Tuesday&#39;s talks, the first between the two Koreas since 2015, were held in the three-storey Peace House on the South Korean side of Panmunjom truce village that lies between North and South. &nbsp;

&quot;We came to this meeting with the thought of giving our brethren, who have high hopes for this dialogue, invaluable results as the first present of the year,&quot; Ri said at the start of the meeting. &nbsp;

Seoul said it proposed reunions of members of families divided between North and South in time for February&#39;s Lunar New Year holiday, but the joint statement made no mention of any agreement on reunions. &nbsp;

North Korea has finished technical work to restore a military hotline with South Korea, Seoul said, with normal communications set to resume on Wednesday. &nbsp;

North Korea cut communications in February 2016, following the South&#39;s decision to shut down a jointly run industrial park in the North. &nbsp;

North Korea responded &quot;positively&quot; to the South&#39;s proposal for athletes from both sides to march together in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, Seoul said. &nbsp;

Athletes of the two sides have not paraded together at an international sports event since the 2007 Asian Winter Games in China. &nbsp;

On Tuesday, China&#39;s Foreign Ministry said it was happy to see talks between North and South Korea and welcomed all positive steps. Russia echoed the sentiment, with a Kremlin spokesman saying: &quot;This is exactly the kind of dialogue that we said was necessary.&quot; &nbsp;

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said of the North-South agreement on the Pyeongchang games: &ldquo;These proposals mark a great step forward in the Olympic spirit.&rdquo; &nbsp;

The IOC would await official proposals on the number and names of athletes from the North and such matters as flag, anthem and ceremonies, he said.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged threats and insults in the past year, raising tensions on the peninsula

North Korea said after its first talks with South Korea in more than two years that it would not discuss its nuclear weapons with Seoul because they were aimed only at the United States, not its "brethren" in South Korea. In a joint statement after 11 hours of talks, North Korea pledged to send a large delegation to next month's Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea but made a "strong complaint" after Seoul proposed talks to denuclearise the Korean peninsula. Officials from both sides said they agreed to meet again to resolve problems and avert accidental conflict, amid high tension over North Korea's program to develop nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States, but Pyongyang said disarmament would not be part of the discussions. "All our weapons including atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs and ballistic missiles are only aimed at the United States, not our brethren, nor China and Russia," Pyongyang's chief negotiator, Ri Son Gwon, said. "This is not a matter between North and South Korea, and to bring up this issue would cause negative consequences and risks turning all of today's good achievement into nothing," Ri, chairman of the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, warned in closing remarks. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged threats and insults in the past year, raising tensions on the peninsula. A spokesperson for the White House's National Security Council said North Korean participation in the Olympics would be "an opportunity for the regime to see the value of ending its international isolation by denuclearising." The White House did not comment on the United States being the only potential target of North Korea's nuclear weapons. In spite of Ri's remarks, South Korea's Unification Ministry said it believed inter-Korean ties and a series of steps agreed in the talks on Tuesday could lead to the discussion of a "fundamental resolution" of the nuclear issue in the future. "We will closely coordinate with the United States, China, Japan and other neighbours in this process," the ministry said in a statement. It said South Korea had asked North Korea to halt hostile acts that stoke tension and that North had agreed that peace should be guaranteed in the region. The North-South meeting came after a year of ramped-up North Korean missile launches and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. The United States, which has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, initially responded coolly to the idea of inter-Korean meetings, but Trump later called them "a good thing." "At the appropriate time, we'll get involved," he said on Saturday. The United States has led an international campaign to step up sanctions on North Korea to press it to give up its weapons programmes. The UN Security Council last month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to its test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Pyongyang called the sanctions an act of war. "High hopes" Earlier on Tuesday, Seoul said it was prepared to lift some sanctions temporarily so North Koreans could visit South Korea for the Winter Olympics. North Korea said its delegation would include athletes, high-ranking officials, a cheering squad, art performers, reporters and spectators. South Korea has unilaterally banned several North Korean officials from entry in response to Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests. Talks will be held soon to work out the details of bringing the North Koreans to the Olympics, the South's unification ministry said. Tuesday's talks, the first between the two Koreas since 2015, were held in the three-storey Peace House on the South Korean side of Panmunjom truce village that lies between North and South. "We came to this meeting with the thought of giving our brethren, who have high hopes for this dialogue, invaluable results as the first present of the year," Ri said at the start of the meeting. Seoul said it proposed reunions of members of families divided between North and South in time for February's Lunar New Year holiday, but the joint statement made no mention of any agreement on reunions. North Korea has finished technical work to restore a military hotline with South Korea, Seoul said, with normal communications set to resume on Wednesday. North Korea cut communications in February 2016, following the South's decision to shut down a jointly run industrial park in the North. North Korea responded "positively" to the South's proposal for athletes from both sides to march together in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, Seoul said. Athletes of the two sides have not paraded together at an international sports event since the 2007 Asian Winter Games in China. On Tuesday, China's Foreign Ministry said it was happy to see talks between North and South Korea and welcomed all positive steps. Russia echoed the sentiment, with a Kremlin spokesman saying: "This is exactly the kind of dialogue that we said was necessary." International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said of the North-South agreement on the Pyeongchang games: “These proposals mark a great step forward in the Olympic spirit.” The IOC would await official proposals on the number and names of athletes from the North and such matters as flag, anthem and ceremonies, he said.

Our weapons 'are only aimed' at United States: North Korea official

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-and-south-korea-begin-talks-in-truce-village-28934">North and South Korea begin talks in truce village</a>

North and South Korea began talks in the border truce village of Panmunjom today as tensions between the two countries over Kim&#39;s repeated ballistic tests faded.

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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-would-welcome-challenge-from-oprah-winfrey-for-president-28935">Trump would welcome challenge from Oprah Winfrey for president</a>

US President Donald Trump would gladly face Oprah Winfrey as an opponent in the 2020 presidential race, a White House spokesman said on Monday after social media buzz from her speech at an award show thrust her name into the political arena.

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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-deport-2-lakh-salvadorans-28943">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-deport-2-lakh-salvadorans-28943"> to deport 2 lakh Salvadorans</a>

The United States has announced to terminate the provisional residency permits of about 2,00,000 Salvadorans living in the country since 2001.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/reports-says-china-shuts-128000-harmful-websites-in-2017-journalists-denied-access-to-files-related-to-tibet-and-taiwan-28936">China shut 128,000 &#39;harmful&#39; websites in 2017: Report</a>

In order to achieve the mission of &quot;tightening control&quot; over internet content, China banned 128,000 websites containing obscene information, a report said.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/todays-google-doodle-is-on-nobel-prize-winner-biochemist-har-gobind-khorana-28945">Google doodle on Indian-American biochemist Har Gobind Khorana</a>

Google doodle honoured Indian American biochemist, Har Gobind Khorana who shared 1968 Nobel Prize for physiology or medician with Marshall W Nirenberg and Robert W Holley on his 96th birthday.

North and South Korea begin talks in truce village North and South Korea began talks in the border truce village of Panmunjom today as tensions between the two countries over Kim's repeated ballistic tests faded. Trump would welcome challenge from Oprah Winfrey for president US President Donald Trump would gladly face Oprah Winfrey as an opponent in the 2020 presidential race, a White House spokesman said on Monday after social media buzz from her speech at an award show thrust her name into the political arena. US to deport 2 lakh Salvadorans The United States has announced to terminate the provisional residency permits of about 2,00,000 Salvadorans living in the country since 2001. China shut 128,000 'harmful' websites in 2017: Report In order to achieve the mission of "tightening control" over internet content, China banned 128,000 websites containing obscene information, a report said. Google doodle on Indian-American biochemist Har Gobind Khorana Google doodle honoured Indian American biochemist, Har Gobind Khorana who shared 1968 Nobel Prize for physiology or medician with Marshall W Nirenberg and Robert W Holley on his 96th birthday.

WION Morning News Brief, January 9, 2018

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump would gladly face Oprah Winfrey as an opponent in the 2020 presidential race, a White House spokesman said on Monday after social media buzz from her speech at an awards show thrust her name into the political arena.

&quot;We welcome the challenge, whether it be Oprah Winfrey or anybody else,&quot; Hogan Gidley told reporters on Air Force One during a flight to Nashville on Monday. &quot;We welcome all comers.&quot;

Winfrey, 63, stole the show at the Golden Globe awards on Sunday night with her speech upon receiving the Cecil B. DeMille award for achievement and lit up Twitter with a surge of tweets carrying &quot;#Oprahforpresident&quot; and &quot;#Oprah2020.&quot;

She is actively thinking about a run, CNN reported on Monday, citing two of her close friends. CNN did not name the friends, who it said had spoken on condition of anonymity.

At least one emphasized that Winfrey had made no firm decision.Winfrey has said in the past she is not interested in running for president, but the Los Angeles Times quoted Stedman Graham, Winfrey&#39;s longtime partner in business and life, as saying on Sunday that, &quot;It`s up to the people ... She would absolutely do it.&quot;

Wearing a black gown to show support for victims, she used her platform to promote the &quot;Time&#39;s Up&quot; movement against sexual harassment and assault, throwing her support behind others who have exposed sexual misconduct in Hollywood and elsewhere in politics and the media.&nbsp;

&quot;She had that room in her hands. It was like a campaign rally,&quot; said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a senior fellow at the University of Southern California&#39;s Price School of Public Policy.

The nine-minute speech generated two standing ovations from the Hollywood glitterati and prompted 220,000 posts on social media mentioning the words &quot;Oprah&quot; and &quot;president&quot; in just 24 hours, said Todd Grossman of social media analytics company Talkwalker.

After Trump won the White House in 2016 with help from his fame as a reality TV star, it no longer seems far-fetched to consider a similar campaign by Winfrey, an actress, movie and television producer, and chief executive of her OWN cable channel, political analysts said.

Winfrey, long associated with Democratic politics and fundraising, would likely face a crowded field in the Democratic primaries in the 2020 race.

But given her connections, Winfrey might have a fund-raising advantage over her rivals in liberal Hollywood, which is often called an automatic teller machine for Democratic candidates.

&quot;She&#39;s certainly a bigger celebrity than Trump ever was, especially in terms of connecting with her audience. Obviously, this has given her an opportunity. What does she do next with it?&quot; said Alan Schroeder, a journalism professor at Northeastern University in Boston who has written on the intersection of show business and politics.

Trump benefited from his star power to win more free media exposure than his rivals in the Republican primary and was able to run a relatively inexpensive campaign.

His committee spent $343 million in the primary and general election campaigns with the help of $47.5 million of the real estate developer&#39;s own money, which he lent to the campaign and later forgave.

Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent, spent $585 million including $1.5 million of her own money.

Winfrey could supplement any campaign with her own wealth. Forbes estimates she is worth $3.0 billion compared to $3.5 billion for Trump. She was raised in poverty by a single mother and went on to host the top-rated talk show &quot;The Oprah Winfrey Show&quot; for 25 years before ending it in 2011.

Jeffe, the USC professor, cautioned against thinking of Hollywood as a monolith of liberal Democrats. Besides the liberal creative talent, Hollywood money also comes from the more conservative, unionized trade and craft workforce as well as from the business interests.

&quot;She has credibility with all of them,&quot; Jeffe said.

'We welcome the challenge, whether it be Oprah Winfrey or anybody else,' spokesperson Hogan Gidley told reporters

US President Donald Trump would gladly face Oprah Winfrey as an opponent in the 2020 presidential race, a White House spokesman said on Monday after social media buzz from her speech at an awards show thrust her name into the political arena. "We welcome the challenge, whether it be Oprah Winfrey or anybody else," Hogan Gidley told reporters on Air Force One during a flight to Nashville on Monday. "We welcome all comers." Winfrey, 63, stole the show at the Golden Globe awards on Sunday night with her speech upon receiving the Cecil B. DeMille award for achievement and lit up Twitter with a surge of tweets carrying "#Oprahforpresident" and "#Oprah2020." She is actively thinking about a run, CNN reported on Monday, citing two of her close friends. CNN did not name the friends, who it said had spoken on condition of anonymity. At least one emphasized that Winfrey had made no firm decision.Winfrey has said in the past she is not interested in running for president, but the Los Angeles Times quoted Stedman Graham, Winfrey's longtime partner in business and life, as saying on Sunday that, "It`s up to the people ... She would absolutely do it." Wearing a black gown to show support for victims, she used her platform to promote the "Time's Up" movement against sexual harassment and assault, throwing her support behind others who have exposed sexual misconduct in Hollywood and elsewhere in politics and the media. "She had that room in her hands. It was like a campaign rally," said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a senior fellow at the University of Southern California's Price School of Public Policy. The nine-minute speech generated two standing ovations from the Hollywood glitterati and prompted 220,000 posts on social media mentioning the words "Oprah" and "president" in just 24 hours, said Todd Grossman of social media analytics company Talkwalker. After Trump won the White House in 2016 with help from his fame as a reality TV star, it no longer seems far-fetched to consider a similar campaign by Winfrey, an actress, movie and television producer, and chief executive of her OWN cable channel, political analysts said. Winfrey, long associated with Democratic politics and fundraising, would likely face a crowded field in the Democratic primaries in the 2020 race. But given her connections, Winfrey might have a fund-raising advantage over her rivals in liberal Hollywood, which is often called an automatic teller machine for Democratic candidates. "She's certainly a bigger celebrity than Trump ever was, especially in terms of connecting with her audience. Obviously, this has given her an opportunity. What does she do next with it?" said Alan Schroeder, a journalism professor at Northeastern University in Boston who has written on the intersection of show business and politics. Trump benefited from his star power to win more free media exposure than his rivals in the Republican primary and was able to run a relatively inexpensive campaign. His committee spent $343 million in the primary and general election campaigns with the help of $47.5 million of the real estate developer's own money, which he lent to the campaign and later forgave. Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent, spent $585 million including $1.5 million of her own money. Winfrey could supplement any campaign with her own wealth. Forbes estimates she is worth $3.0 billion compared to $3.5 billion for Trump. She was raised in poverty by a single mother and went on to host the top-rated talk show "The Oprah Winfrey Show" for 25 years before ending it in 2011. Jeffe, the USC professor, cautioned against thinking of Hollywood as a monolith of liberal Democrats. Besides the liberal creative talent, Hollywood money also comes from the more conservative, unionized trade and craft workforce as well as from the business interests. "She has credibility with all of them," Jeffe said.

Trump would welcome challenge from Oprah Winfrey for president

Nikki Haley has defended US President Donald Trump&#39;s recent &quot;nuclear button&quot; tweet warning Kim Jong Un of America&#39;s might, saying it was required to keep the North Korean leader &quot;on his toes&quot;.

Trump last week warned that his &quot;nuclear button&quot; is &quot;much bigger and more powerful&quot; than the one controlled by Kim, days after the North Korean leader said that Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear weapons can reach anywhere in the US and threatened that he has a nuclear button on his desk.

Haley, the Indian-American US Ambassador to the UN said that the North Korean regime needs to take a series of steps for talks, a day after Trump said that he is open to talks with the North Korean leader.

The steps include stop testing missiles and nuclear weapons and be willing to talk about banning their nuclear weapons, Haley was quoted as saying by ABC News yesterday.

Asked if the tweet was a good idea, she said: &quot;I think that he (Trump) always has to keep Kim on his toes. It&#39;s very important that we don&#39;t ever let him get so arrogant that he doesn&#39;t realise the reality of what would happen if he started a nuclear war&quot;.

Asked if Trump&#39;s statement at Camp David on Saturday meant any reversal of the stated US policy with regard to talks with North Korea, she said: &quot;There is no turnaround&quot;.

&quot;What he (Trump) has basically said is yes, there could be a time where we talk to North Korea but a lot of things have to happen before that actually takes place,&quot; Haley said.

They have to stop testing. They have to be willing to talk about banning their nuclear weapons. Those things have to happen, she said.

&quot;What we&#39;re trying to do is make sure we don&#39;t repeat what&#39;s happened in the last 25 years. Which is them start to act like they&#39;re coming to the table, they ask for a lot of money and then them cheat their way through.

&quot;We&#39;re going to be smart this time. We&#39;re going to make sure that whatever happens makes the United States safer and make sure that we denuclearise the (Korean) peninsula,&quot; Haley said.

'I think that he (Trump) always has to keep Kim on his toes. It's very important that we don't ever let him get so arrogant that he doesn't realise the reality of what would happen if he started a nuclear war,' Haley said

Nikki Haley has defended US President Donald Trump's recent "nuclear button" tweet warning Kim Jong Un of America's might, saying it was required to keep the North Korean leader "on his toes". Trump last week warned that his "nuclear button" is "much bigger and more powerful" than the one controlled by Kim, days after the North Korean leader said that Pyongyang's nuclear weapons can reach anywhere in the US and threatened that he has a nuclear button on his desk. Haley, the Indian-American US Ambassador to the UN said that the North Korean regime needs to take a series of steps for talks, a day after Trump said that he is open to talks with the North Korean leader. The steps include stop testing missiles and nuclear weapons and be willing to talk about banning their nuclear weapons, Haley was quoted as saying by ABC News yesterday. Asked if the tweet was a good idea, she said: "I think that he (Trump) always has to keep Kim on his toes. It's very important that we don't ever let him get so arrogant that he doesn't realise the reality of what would happen if he started a nuclear war". Asked if Trump's statement at Camp David on Saturday meant any reversal of the stated US policy with regard to talks with North Korea, she said: "There is no turnaround". "What he (Trump) has basically said is yes, there could be a time where we talk to North Korea but a lot of things have to happen before that actually takes place," Haley said. They have to stop testing. They have to be willing to talk about banning their nuclear weapons. Those things have to happen, she said. "What we're trying to do is make sure we don't repeat what's happened in the last 25 years. Which is them start to act like they're coming to the table, they ask for a lot of money and then them cheat their way through. "We're going to be smart this time. We're going to make sure that whatever happens makes the United States safer and make sure that we denuclearise the (Korean) peninsula," Haley said.

Trump has to keep Kim Jong-un 'on his toes': Nikki Haley on 'nuclear button' tweet

Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon on Sunday sought to back away from incendiary remarks quoted in an explosive new book that has landed him in hot water with the president he helped elect.

Bannon has found himself in dire straits since excerpts of Paul Wolff`s &quot;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House&quot; -- an explosive behind-the-scenes account that questions the president&#39;s fitness for office -- were first published on Wednesday.

He has been abandoned by financial patrons, condemned by erstwhile political allies and ridiculed by Trump himself over his reported comments in the book, which he has not denied making.

In the book, Bannon is quoted as saying a pre-election meeting involving son Donald Trump Jr. and a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer was &quot;treasonous,&quot; and that prosecutors investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia would &quot;crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV.&quot;

In a statement to the Axios news website, Bannon, who was a senior Trump adviser until he was ousted in August, said: &quot;Donald Trump Jr. is both a patriot and a good man. He has been relentless in his advocacy for his father and the agenda that has helped turn our country around.&quot;

His criticism, Bannon said, was aimed at onetime Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, &quot;a seasoned campaign professional&quot; who &quot;should have known (the Russians) are duplicitous, cunning and not our friends.&quot; But in &quot;Fire and Fury,&quot; Bannon is quoted as saying that &quot;the top three guys in the campaign&quot; -- Manafort, Donald Jr. and Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner -- attended the meeting he described as &quot;treasonous.&quot;

The closest Bannon came to an actual apology was saying he regretted the timing of his response.

&quot;I regret that my delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting regarding Don Jr. has diverted attention from the president&#39;s historical accomplishments.&quot;

Trump on Sunday continued his daily assault on &quot;Fire and Fury&quot; and its author, tweeting that the book -- which paints him as disengaged, ill-informed and unstable, with signs of serious memory loss -- was a &quot;Fake Book, written by a totally discredited author.&quot;&nbsp;

A day earlier, seeking to refute Wolff&#39;s suggestion that he lacked stability, Trump called himself a &quot;very stable genius.&quot;

Senior Trump policy adviser Stephen Miller treated the book derisively while insisting that his boss was in fact &quot;a political genius,&quot; in an interview with CNN on Sunday.

Wolff, Miller said, &quot;is a garbage author of a garbage book.&quot; He assailed Bannon, reportedly a key source for the author, as &quot;vindictive&quot; and &quot;out of touch with reality.

&quot;Wolff defended his work on Sunday, telling NBC he &quot;absolutely did not&quot; violate any off-the-record agreements in his reporting but conceding, of the total three hours he said he spent with Trump, that the president &quot;probably did not think of them as interviews.&quot;

He also portrayed a high level of concern in the White House over whether Trump risks being removed from office as unfit, as is possible -- if difficult -- under the constitution&#39;s 25th Amendment.

Almost daily, he said, White House aides would say, &quot;We&#39;re not at a 25th Amendment level yet.&quot;

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, rejected that notion, telling ABC that no one at the White House &quot;questions the stability of the president.&quot; She suggested that Wolff was someone who would &quot;lie for money and for power.&quot;

But Wolff insisted he did not enter the book project with an anti-Trump bias or agenda.

&quot;I would have been delighted to have written a contrarian account here: &#39;Donald Trump, this unexpected president, is actually going to succeed.&#39;&nbsp;Okay, that&#39;s not the story. He is not going to succeed. This is worse than everybody thought.&quot;

CIA director Mike Pompeo, appearing on Fox News Sunday, insisted that Wolff&#39;s portrayal of Trump was &quot;just pure fantasy.&quot; Far from being detached and unable to deal with complex policy issues, Pompeo said, &quot;The president is engaged, he understands the complexity, he asks really difficult questions of our team at the CIA.&quot;

He described Trump as an &quot;avid consumer&quot; of the agency&#39;s intelligence.

Pompeo added that Trump was &quot;completely fit,&quot; saying it was &quot;ludicrous&quot; to suggest otherwise.

But in a probable sign of White House sensitivities over the book, Miller lashed out in an unusually raw clash with his CNN interviewer, Jake Tapper.

Miller called Tapper &quot;condescending&quot; and &quot;snide,&quot; and accused CNN of engaging in &quot;negative anti-Trump hysterical coverage&quot; and &quot;spectacularly embarrassing false reporting.&quot;

The two men repeatedly spoke over each other before Tapper declared, &quot;I think I&#39;ve wasted enough of my viewers&#39;&nbsp;time. Thank you, Stephen,&quot; then turned away from Miller -- who was still talking -- to tersely announce the next guest.

Miller&#39;s combative performance on CNN got a thumbs up from his boss.

&quot;Jake Tapper of Fake News CNN just got destroyed in his interview with Stephen Miller of the Trump Administration. Watch the hatred and unfairness of this CNN flunky!&quot; Trump tweeted after the segment aired.

Bannon has found himself in dire straits since excerpts of Paul Wolff's 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House' were first published on Wednesday

Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon on Sunday sought to back away from incendiary remarks quoted in an explosive new book that has landed him in hot water with the president he helped elect. Bannon has found himself in dire straits since excerpts of Paul Wolff`s "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" -- an explosive behind-the-scenes account that questions the president's fitness for office -- were first published on Wednesday. He has been abandoned by financial patrons, condemned by erstwhile political allies and ridiculed by Trump himself over his reported comments in the book, which he has not denied making. In the book, Bannon is quoted as saying a pre-election meeting involving son Donald Trump Jr. and a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer was "treasonous," and that prosecutors investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia would "crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV." In a statement to the Axios news website, Bannon, who was a senior Trump adviser until he was ousted in August, said: "Donald Trump Jr. is both a patriot and a good man. He has been relentless in his advocacy for his father and the agenda that has helped turn our country around." His criticism, Bannon said, was aimed at onetime Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, "a seasoned campaign professional" who "should have known (the Russians) are duplicitous, cunning and not our friends." But in "Fire and Fury," Bannon is quoted as saying that "the top three guys in the campaign" -- Manafort, Donald Jr. and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner -- attended the meeting he described as "treasonous." The closest Bannon came to an actual apology was saying he regretted the timing of his response. "I regret that my delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting regarding Don Jr. has diverted attention from the president's historical accomplishments." Trump on Sunday continued his daily assault on "Fire and Fury" and its author, tweeting that the book -- which paints him as disengaged, ill-informed and unstable, with signs of serious memory loss -- was a "Fake Book, written by a totally discredited author." A day earlier, seeking to refute Wolff's suggestion that he lacked stability, Trump called himself a "very stable genius." Senior Trump policy adviser Stephen Miller treated the book derisively while insisting that his boss was in fact "a political genius," in an interview with CNN on Sunday. Wolff, Miller said, "is a garbage author of a garbage book." He assailed Bannon, reportedly a key source for the author, as "vindictive" and "out of touch with reality. "Wolff defended his work on Sunday, telling NBC he "absolutely did not" violate any off-the-record agreements in his reporting but conceding, of the total three hours he said he spent with Trump, that the president "probably did not think of them as interviews." He also portrayed a high level of concern in the White House over whether Trump risks being removed from office as unfit, as is possible -- if difficult -- under the constitution's 25th Amendment. Almost daily, he said, White House aides would say, "We're not at a 25th Amendment level yet." Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, rejected that notion, telling ABC that no one at the White House "questions the stability of the president." She suggested that Wolff was someone who would "lie for money and for power." But Wolff insisted he did not enter the book project with an anti-Trump bias or agenda. "I would have been delighted to have written a contrarian account here: 'Donald Trump, this unexpected president, is actually going to succeed.' Okay, that's not the story. He is not going to succeed. This is worse than everybody thought." CIA director Mike Pompeo, appearing on Fox News Sunday, insisted that Wolff's portrayal of Trump was "just pure fantasy." Far from being detached and unable to deal with complex policy issues, Pompeo said, "The president is engaged, he understands the complexity, he asks really difficult questions of our team at the CIA." He described Trump as an "avid consumer" of the agency's intelligence. Pompeo added that Trump was "completely fit," saying it was "ludicrous" to suggest otherwise. But in a probable sign of White House sensitivities over the book, Miller lashed out in an unusually raw clash with his CNN interviewer, Jake Tapper. Miller called Tapper "condescending" and "snide," and accused CNN of engaging in "negative anti-Trump hysterical coverage" and "spectacularly embarrassing false reporting." The two men repeatedly spoke over each other before Tapper declared, "I think I've wasted enough of my viewers' time. Thank you, Stephen," then turned away from Miller -- who was still talking -- to tersely announce the next guest. Miller's combative performance on CNN got a thumbs up from his boss. "Jake Tapper of Fake News CNN just got destroyed in his interview with Stephen Miller of the Trump Administration. Watch the hatred and unfairness of this CNN flunky!" Trump tweeted after the segment aired.

Bannon backs away from remarks that drew Trump's wrath

Michael Wolff&#39;s controversial book &quot;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House&quot; has become an instant bestseller in America -- its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-targets-book-threatens-ex-ally-bannon-with-legal-action-28582">release was pushed forward</a> after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/fire-and-fury-excerpts-from-tell-all-book-on-trump-28681">excerpts from the book</a> were published.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-angry-as-book-fire-and-fury-release-ahead-of-schedule-28665">Also read: Trump angry as book &#39;Fire and Fury&#39; releases ahead of schedule</a>

The book was scheduled to release on January 9 but the release date was pushed forward to January 5 after Trump&#39;s lawyer threatened to halt publication.

The book has made a number of unkind remarks&nbsp;about Trump and his family, including that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-did-not-want-to-be-us-president-book-28531">Trump </a>is mentally unfit for the job.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/fire-and-fury-author-says-his-revelations-will-bring-down-trump-28714">&#39;Fire and Fury&#39; author says his revelations will bring down Trump</a>

News reports say the book&#39;s publisher has been rushing to print more books ever since the controversy broke, and that it is going out of stock very soon.

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/no-one-inside-white-house-questions-trumps-mental-stability-haley-28826"> No one inside White House questions Trump&#39;s mental stability says </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/no-one-inside-white-house-questions-trumps-mental-stability-haley-28826">Nikki</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/no-one-inside-white-house-questions-trumps-mental-stability-haley-28826"> Haley</a>

Amazon is warning buyers of a 2 to 4 week waiting period. The book is on top of Amazon&#39;s bestseller list.

There have been reports on social media that a digital pirated version of the book is doing the rounds of the internet.

Indian readers however will need to wait until the end of January to read &quot;Fire and Fury&quot;.

&quot;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House&quot;&nbsp;will start selling on Amazon India from January 30. It is available for pre-order.&nbsp;

The book, 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House' by Michael Wolff, was released ahead of schedule after Trump threatened to stop its publication

Michael Wolff's controversial book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" has become an instant bestseller in America -- its release was pushed forward after excerpts from the book were published. Also read: Trump angry as book 'Fire and Fury' releases ahead of schedule The book was scheduled to release on January 9 but the release date was pushed forward to January 5 after Trump's lawyer threatened to halt publication. The book has made a number of unkind remarks about Trump and his family, including that Trump is mentally unfit for the job. Also read: 'Fire and Fury' author says his revelations will bring down Trump News reports say the book's publisher has been rushing to print more books ever since the controversy broke, and that it is going out of stock very soon. Also read: No one inside White House questions Trump's mental stability says Nikki Haley Amazon is warning buyers of a 2 to 4 week waiting period. The book is on top of Amazon's bestseller list. There have been reports on social media that a digital pirated version of the book is doing the rounds of the internet. Indian readers however will need to wait until the end of January to read "Fire and Fury". "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" will start selling on Amazon India from January 30. It is available for pre-order.

Book causing Trump 'Fire and Fury' to be in India on January 30

Stars at the Golden Globe Awards had plenty to say at Sunday`s ceremony, not shying away from addressing the sexual misconduct scandal that has roiled Hollywood whether in pointed barbs or impassioned speeches.

Here are some key quotes from the event: 
 
SETH MEYERS, HOST: 
&quot;We`re all here tonight courtesy of the Hollywood Foreign Press. A string of three words that could not have been better designed to infuriate our president. Hollywood Foreign Press.&quot;&nbsp; 
&quot;Time to address the elephant not in the room. Harvey Weinstein isn`t here tonight because, well, I`ve heard rumors that he`s crazy and difficult to work with. But don`t worry, he`ll be back in 20 years when he becomes the first person ever booed during the `In Memoriam.`&quot;&nbsp; 
 
OPRAH WINFREY, WINNER OF CECIL B. DEMILLE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: 
&quot;Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories we tell, and this year we became the story. But it`s not just a story affecting the entertainment industry ... I want to express gratitude to all the women who have endured years of abuse and assault because they, like my mother, had children to feed and bills to pay and dreams to pursue.&quot; 
 
LAURA DERN, WINNER OF BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS FOR TV SERIES &quot;BIG LITTLE LIES&quot;: 
&quot;Many of us were taught not to tattle. It was a culture of silencing, and that was normalized... May we teach our children that speaking out without the fear of retribution is our culture`s new North Star.&quot;

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A huge congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/LauraDern?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LauraDern</a>! She is awarded with the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoldenGlobes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoldenGlobes</a> Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a TV Series or TV Movie award. <a href="https://t.co/CTV8mmgIyl">pic.twitter.com/CTV8mmgIyl</a>
&mdash; Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) <a href="https://twitter.com/goldenglobes/status/950194720122093568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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STERLING K. BROWN, WINNER OF BEST ACTOR FOR TV DRAMA &quot;THIS IS US&quot;: 
&quot;Dan Fogelman, you wrote a role for a black man, that could only be played by a black man. And so what I appreciate so much about this thing is that I`ve been seen for who I am and being appreciated for who I am. And it makes it that much more difficult to dismiss me, or dismiss anybody who looks like me.&quot;

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SterlingKBrown?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SterlingKBrown</a> thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCThisisUs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBCThisIsUs</a> creator Dan Fogelman: &quot;You wrote a role for a black man. That can only be played by a black man. I&#39;m being seen for who I am.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/AevCojIid8">https://t.co/AevCojIid8</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoldenGlobes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoldenGlobes</a> <a href="https://t.co/rbXY1z8Nnl">pic.twitter.com/rbXY1z8Nnl</a>
&mdash; Hollywood Reporter (@THR) <a href="https://twitter.com/THR/status/950182788581376005?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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FRANCES MCDORMAND, WINNER OF BEST ACTRESS IN MOVIE DRAMA &quot;THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI&quot;: 
&quot;Many of you know I keep my politics private but it was really great to be in this room tonight and to be a part of a tectonic shift in our industry`s power structure. Trust me the women in this room tonight are not here for the food. We are here for the work.&quot;&nbsp;

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Let&#39;s hear it for our winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, Frances McDormand! She&#39;s honored for her role in <a href="https://twitter.com/3Billboards?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@3Billboards</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoldenGlobes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoldenGlobes</a> <a href="https://t.co/1bJOBP3YNW">pic.twitter.com/1bJOBP3YNW</a>
&mdash; Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) <a href="https://twitter.com/goldenglobes/status/950217777133977600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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REESE WITHERSPOON, WINNER FOR BEST LIMITED SERIES &quot;BIG LITTLE LIES:&quot; 
&quot;We see you, we hear you, and we will tell your stories.&quot;&nbsp;

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We are honored to announce &#39;Big Little Lies&#39; as our winner for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoldenGlobes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoldenGlobes</a> <a href="https://t.co/DdsKM5v3BY">pic.twitter.com/DdsKM5v3BY</a>
&mdash; Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) <a href="https://twitter.com/goldenglobes/status/950211060451049473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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NATALIE PORTMAN, WHILE ANNOUNCING THE NOMINEES IN BEST DIRECTOR-DRAMA CATEGORY 
&quot;And here are the all MALE nominees.&rdquo;&nbsp;

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NATALIE PORTMAN. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoldenGlobes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoldenGlobes</a> <a href="https://t.co/F1wWGYaJYo">pic.twitter.com/F1wWGYaJYo</a>
&mdash; Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cosmopolitan/status/950205931710832646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Stars at the Golden Globe Awards had plenty to say at Sunday`s ceremony.

Stars at the Golden Globe Awards had plenty to say at Sunday`s ceremony, not shying away from addressing the sexual misconduct scandal that has roiled Hollywood whether in pointed barbs or impassioned speeches. Here are some key quotes from the event: SETH MEYERS, HOST: "We`re all here tonight courtesy of the Hollywood Foreign Press. A string of three words that could not have been better designed to infuriate our president. Hollywood Foreign Press." "Time to address the elephant not in the room. Harvey Weinstein isn`t here tonight because, well, I`ve heard rumors that he`s crazy and difficult to work with. But don`t worry, he`ll be back in 20 years when he becomes the first person ever booed during the `In Memoriam.`" OPRAH WINFREY, WINNER OF CECIL B. DEMILLE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: "Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories we tell, and this year we became the story. But it`s not just a story affecting the entertainment industry ... I want to express gratitude to all the women who have endured years of abuse and assault because they, like my mother, had children to feed and bills to pay and dreams to pursue." LAURA DERN, WINNER OF BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS FOR TV SERIES "BIG LITTLE LIES": "Many of us were taught not to tattle. It was a culture of silencing, and that was normalized... May we teach our children that speaking out without the fear of retribution is our culture`s new North Star." A huge congratulations to @LauraDern! She is awarded with the #GoldenGlobes Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a TV Series or TV Movie award. pic.twitter.com/CTV8mmgIyl — Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 8, 2018 × STERLING K. BROWN, WINNER OF BEST ACTOR FOR TV DRAMA "THIS IS US": "Dan Fogelman, you wrote a role for a black man, that could only be played by a black man. And so what I appreciate so much about this thing is that I`ve been seen for who I am and being appreciated for who I am. And it makes it that much more difficult to dismiss me, or dismiss anybody who looks like me." .@SterlingKBrown thanks @NBCThisIsUs creator Dan Fogelman: "You wrote a role for a black man. That can only be played by a black man. I'm being seen for who I am." https://t.co/AevCojIid8 #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/rbXY1z8Nnl — Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 8, 2018 × FRANCES MCDORMAND, WINNER OF BEST ACTRESS IN MOVIE DRAMA "THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI": "Many of you know I keep my politics private but it was really great to be in this room tonight and to be a part of a tectonic shift in our industry`s power structure. Trust me the women in this room tonight are not here for the food. We are here for the work." Let's hear it for our winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, Frances McDormand! She's honored for her role in @3Billboards. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/1bJOBP3YNW — Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 8, 2018 × REESE WITHERSPOON, WINNER FOR BEST LIMITED SERIES "BIG LITTLE LIES:" "We see you, we hear you, and we will tell your stories." We are honored to announce 'Big Little Lies' as our winner for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television! #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/DdsKM5v3BY — Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 8, 2018 × NATALIE PORTMAN, WHILE ANNOUNCING THE NOMINEES IN BEST DIRECTOR-DRAMA CATEGORY "And here are the all MALE nominees.” NATALIE PORTMAN. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/F1wWGYaJYo — Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) January 8, 2018 ×

Golden Globes: From Trump to Time's Up, the powerful, savage quotes from the event

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un should never talk to each other on the phone, or through Twitter. Two unpredictable, nuclear-armed egotists are a threat to themselves and to the world, regardless of the size of their buttons.

Fortunately, cooler heads are now communicating between North and South Korea. Still, this is no time for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, nor the international community, to get comfortable with Kim Jong-un.

North Korea flouts international agreements, bolsters its economy through sordid means and is responsible for ghastly human rights abuses.

As a researcher on social justice and human security in North Korea, I have a reminder for Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as they prepare to meet in Vancouver next week to discuss North Korea: Kim Jong-un runs a feudal gangland, not a nation state. The rules of diplomacy do not apply to the Hermit Kingdom.

North Korea is isolated, hungry, without power and without allies. Yet Kim gathers resources for nuclear proliferation, missiles and prison camps. This is thanks to his business partners. The international community has mistakenly ignored them.

How to deal with Kim&rsquo;s belligerence? View him as a thug. And like any gangster, understand how he makes money and what really scares him.

First, target those who profit with Kim. Second, empower defectors who can speak to North Korea&rsquo;s grim reality. Their voices matter both within and outside of North Korea.

Kim acquires weapons by sea, he pays for them with narcotics, cyber-attacks and cryptocurrency. Masterful smugglers, North Korean vessels run under flags of convenience, shell companies process the funds, and other vessels entering North Korean waters deceptively turn off their broadcast identifiers.

&lsquo;Protector&rsquo; of North Koreans

I interviewed numerous North Korean defectors for three years. I also tracked vessels doing business with Mr. Kim. From this work, I make two conclusions about how the international community should approach North Korea.

First, Kim holds power through a projected image of ordained invincibility. He is the protector of the North Korean people. He may not provide enough food, and he may send them to prison camps, but only he can protect against pending violence from the United States.

Missile launches and nuclear tests pose little threat to the West. They are symbolic demonstrations of power for his compatriots.

Second, in order to prop up his image as the Great Marshal, Kim collects his military resources below the radar. Illegal smuggling, counterfeiting, insurance scams, weapons sales, cyber attacks, narcotics production and forced labour abroad bring in cash. And there are global markets for all, accessed through shady diplomats and shadowy shell companies. They skirt sanctions with impunity.

Formal diplomacy fails as North Korea relies more on the illicit, rather than the legitimate, international community. Until now.

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201062/original/file-20180107-26163-19vbufg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />
<figcaption>
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson take part in a joint media availability on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in December. The two will soon be meeting in Vancouver to discuss how to handle North Korea. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

Recent sanctions by the United States, the United Nations and the European Union are smarter. They target Kim&rsquo;s financial environment. Instead of sanctioning the target, new sanctions attack the banks and maritime operators that help him.

Already, maritime traffic into North Korea has dropped significantly and the regime is taking to sea-to-sea transfers to acquire goods &mdash; a high-risk, low-return operation. Kim&rsquo;s options are getting fewer.

It&rsquo;s a start, but not enough.

Targeting Kim&rsquo;s markets for missile tests and nuclear proliferation is good policy. It is easier, and safer, to prevent missiles getting in to North Korea than it is to shoot them down once they&rsquo;re flying out.

However, North Korea&rsquo;s trading partners are widespread and include businesses around the world, notably in Europe, India, Africa and even New Zealand.

Recognize that Kim&rsquo;s greatest fear is having his compatriots and the world know how weak he is. The missiles are more show than threat. It&rsquo;s why Kim is not fazed by Donald Trump&rsquo;s half-baked tweets.

Kim nervous about defectors&rsquo;s stories

He is, however, deeply frightened of defectors telling their stories. Their testimony will shatter his reputation and possibly land him in the International Court of Justice.

North Koreans are unlikely to oust Kim themselves and rebel against Juche, the regime&rsquo;s rigid social control system. China also fears the thought of any civil conflict in North Korea that could lead to a massive refugee crisis at its borders.

Strategic sanctions against North Korea are starting to put Kim in a bind. Winter is a hungry time in North Korea, and Kim will blame sanctions for upcoming food shortages.

Freeland, Tillerson and Moon must remain vigilant with smart sanctions and not trust Kim to make good on any agreement.

Instead, they must identify those who finance Kim, block their revenues and deal with him like an international criminal, not as a head of state.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/kim-jong-un-is-a-gangster-heres-how-to-sort-him-out-89656" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

In order to prop up his image as the Great Marshal, Kim collects his military resources below the radar. Illegal smuggling, counterfeiting, insurance scams, weapons sales, cyber attacks, narcotics production and forced labour abroad bring in cash.

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un should never talk to each other on the phone, or through Twitter. Two unpredictable, nuclear-armed egotists are a threat to themselves and to the world, regardless of the size of their buttons. Fortunately, cooler heads are now communicating between North and South Korea. Still, this is no time for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, nor the international community, to get comfortable with Kim Jong-un. North Korea flouts international agreements, bolsters its economy through sordid means and is responsible for ghastly human rights abuses. As a researcher on social justice and human security in North Korea, I have a reminder for Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as they prepare to meet in Vancouver next week to discuss North Korea: Kim Jong-un runs a feudal gangland, not a nation state. The rules of diplomacy do not apply to the Hermit Kingdom. North Korea is isolated, hungry, without power and without allies. Yet Kim gathers resources for nuclear proliferation, missiles and prison camps. This is thanks to his business partners. The international community has mistakenly ignored them. How to deal with Kim’s belligerence? View him as a thug. And like any gangster, understand how he makes money and what really scares him. First, target those who profit with Kim. Second, empower defectors who can speak to North Korea’s grim reality. Their voices matter both within and outside of North Korea. Kim acquires weapons by sea, he pays for them with narcotics, cyber-attacks and cryptocurrency. Masterful smugglers, North Korean vessels run under flags of convenience, shell companies process the funds, and other vessels entering North Korean waters deceptively turn off their broadcast identifiers. ‘Protector’ of North Koreans I interviewed numerous North Korean defectors for three years. I also tracked vessels doing business with Mr. Kim. From this work, I make two conclusions about how the international community should approach North Korea. First, Kim holds power through a projected image of ordained invincibility. He is the protector of the North Korean people. He may not provide enough food, and he may send them to prison camps, but only he can protect against pending violence from the United States. Missile launches and nuclear tests pose little threat to the West. They are symbolic demonstrations of power for his compatriots. Second, in order to prop up his image as the Great Marshal, Kim collects his military resources below the radar. Illegal smuggling, counterfeiting, insurance scams, weapons sales, cyber attacks, narcotics production and forced labour abroad bring in cash. And there are global markets for all, accessed through shady diplomats and shadowy shell companies. They skirt sanctions with impunity. Formal diplomacy fails as North Korea relies more on the illicit, rather than the legitimate, international community. Until now. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson take part in a joint media availability on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in December. The two will soon be meeting in Vancouver to discuss how to handle North Korea. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Recent sanctions by the United States, the United Nations and the European Union are smarter. They target Kim’s financial environment. Instead of sanctioning the target, new sanctions attack the banks and maritime operators that help him. Already, maritime traffic into North Korea has dropped significantly and the regime is taking to sea-to-sea transfers to acquire goods — a high-risk, low-return operation. Kim’s options are getting fewer. It’s a start, but not enough. Targeting Kim’s markets for missile tests and nuclear proliferation is good policy. It is easier, and safer, to prevent missiles getting in to North Korea than it is to shoot them down once they’re flying out. However, North Korea’s trading partners are widespread and include businesses around the world, notably in Europe, India, Africa and even New Zealand. Recognize that Kim’s greatest fear is having his compatriots and the world know how weak he is. The missiles are more show than threat. It’s why Kim is not fazed by Donald Trump’s half-baked tweets. Kim nervous about defectors’s stories He is, however, deeply frightened of defectors telling their stories. Their testimony will shatter his reputation and possibly land him in the International Court of Justice. North Koreans are unlikely to oust Kim themselves and rebel against Juche, the regime’s rigid social control system. China also fears the thought of any civil conflict in North Korea that could lead to a massive refugee crisis at its borders. Strategic sanctions against North Korea are starting to put Kim in a bind. Winter is a hungry time in North Korea, and Kim will blame sanctions for upcoming food shortages. Freeland, Tillerson and Moon must remain vigilant with smart sanctions and not trust Kim to make good on any agreement. Instead, they must identify those who finance Kim, block their revenues and deal with him like an international criminal, not as a head of state. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Kim Jong-un is a gangster

US President Donald Trump has postponed his &#39;fake news awards&#39; to next week (January 17), instead of today, citing high interest.

Trump tweeted last week awards would be given out on Monday, January 8 and &ldquo;cover Dishonesty &amp; Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media.&rdquo;

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I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST &amp; CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 o&rsquo;clock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty &amp; Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/948359545767841792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Trump has regularly slammed the coverage of his campaign and time in the White House.

&quot;The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt &amp; biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday,&quot; Donald Trump tweeted.

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The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt &amp; biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/950103659337134080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;The interest in, and importance of, these awards are far greater than anyone could have anticipated!&quot; US president said.

On January 2, Trump had tweeted that he would announce the awards to the media houses for &quot;dishonesty and bad reporting&quot;.

&quot;We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favourite President (me). They are all bad. Winner to receive the &#39;Fake news trophy,&quot; he tweeted on November 27.

As per the Trump Campaign list, the competition for &#39;King of Fake news&#39; is among three news organisations.

&quot;ABC News &#39;mistakenly&#39; reported that candidate Trump directed Michael Flynn to make contact with Russian officials before the election,&quot; it said.

&quot;CNN &#39;mistakenly&#39; reported that candidate Donald Trump and his son Donald J Trump, Jr had access to hacked documents from WikiLeaks,&quot; it wrote.

&quot;TIME &#39;mistakenly&#39; reported that President Trump removed a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr from the Oval Office,&quot; the Trump Campaign said, as it asked the participants to &quot;let the President know if there is another story you think should be crowned as the 2017 KING of Fake News&quot;.

Trump has reportedly often labelled media coverage critical of his administration as &ldquo;fake news,&rdquo; accusing leading US media of spreading &ldquo;fake news&rdquo; against him during the US presidential election campaign as well as after he became president.

Donald Trump has regularly slammed the coverage of his campaign and time in the White House.

US President Donald Trump has postponed his 'fake news awards' to next week (January 17), instead of today, citing high interest. Trump tweeted last week awards would be given out on Monday, January 8 and “cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media.” I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 o’clock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 × Trump has regularly slammed the coverage of his campaign and time in the White House. "The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday," Donald Trump tweeted. The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 × "The interest in, and importance of, these awards are far greater than anyone could have anticipated!" US president said. On January 2, Trump had tweeted that he would announce the awards to the media houses for "dishonesty and bad reporting". "We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favourite President (me). They are all bad. Winner to receive the 'Fake news trophy," he tweeted on November 27. As per the Trump Campaign list, the competition for 'King of Fake news' is among three news organisations. "ABC News 'mistakenly' reported that candidate Trump directed Michael Flynn to make contact with Russian officials before the election," it said. "CNN 'mistakenly' reported that candidate Donald Trump and his son Donald J Trump, Jr had access to hacked documents from WikiLeaks," it wrote. "TIME 'mistakenly' reported that President Trump removed a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr from the Oval Office," the Trump Campaign said, as it asked the participants to "let the President know if there is another story you think should be crowned as the 2017 KING of Fake News". Trump has reportedly often labelled media coverage critical of his administration as “fake news,” accusing leading US media of spreading “fake news” against him during the US presidential election campaign as well as after he became president.

US president Donald Trump postpones 'fake news awards', to now be presented on January 17

The Trump administration is nearing completion of a new &quot;Buy American&quot; plan that calls for US military attaches and diplomats to help drum up billions of dollars more in business overseas for the American weapons industry, going beyond the assistance they currently provide, US officials said.

President Donald Trump as early as February is expected to announce a &quot;whole of government&quot; effort to ease export rules on purchases by foreign countries of US-made military equipment, from fighter jets and drones to warships and artillery, according to people familiar with the plan.

Trump is seeking to fulfil a 2016 election campaign promise to create jobs in the United States by selling more goods and services abroad to bring down the US trade deficit from a six-year high of $50 billion.

The administration is also under pressure from US defence contractors facing growing competition from foreign rivals such as China and Russia. But any loosening of the restrictions on weapons sales would be in defiance of human rights and arms control advocates who said there was too great a risk of fueling violence in regions such as the Middle East and South Asia or arms being diverted to be used in terrorist attacks.

Besides the greater use of a network of military and commercial attaches already stationed at US embassies in foreign capitals, senior officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said another thrust of the plan will be to set in motion a realignment of the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR). It is a central policy governing arms exports since 1976 and has not been fully revamped in more than three decades.

This expanded government effort on behalf of American arms makers, together with looser restrictions on weapons exports and more favourable treatment of sales to non-NATO allies and partners, could bring additional billions of dollars in deals and more jobs, a senior US official said, without providing specifics.

The strategy of having the Pentagon and the US State Department take a more active role in securing foreign arms deals could especially benefit major defence contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co.

&quot;We want to see those guys, the commercial and military attach, unfettered to be salesmen for this stuff, to be promoters,&quot; said the senior administration official, who is close to the internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

A State Department official asked to confirm details of the coming new policy, said the revamped approach &quot;gives our partners a greater capacity to help share the burden of international security, benefits the defence industrial base and will provide more good jobs for American workers.&quot; 
The White House and Pentagon declined official comment.

Defense industry officials and lobbyists have privately welcomed what they expect will be a more sales-friendly approach. 
It is unclear how deeply the diplomats and military officers overseas will delve into dealmaking and what guidelines will be established, said officials in the administration.

Trump, a Republican, has the legal authority to direct government embassy &quot;security assistance officers,&quot; both military personnel and civilians, to do more to help drive arms sales.

Administration officials see this group, which already has duties such as managing military aid overseas and providing information to foreign governments for buying US arms, as underutilized by previous presidents.

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The Trump administration plans to cut regulations in order to boost arms sales overseas. (Reuters)
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&#39;Back seat&#39; for human rights?

One national security analyst said that easing export restrictions to allow defence contractors to reap greater profits internationally would increase the danger of top-of-the-line US weapons going to governments with poor human rights records or being used by militants.

&quot;This administration has demonstrated from the very beginning that human rights have taken a back seat to economic concerns,&quot; said Rachel Stohl, director of the conventional defense program at the Stimson Center in Washington. &quot;And the short-sightedness of a new arms export policy could have serious long-term implications.&quot;

The administration officials said human rights considerations would remain part of the formula for arms sales decisions. But they said such reviews would now afford greater weight than before to whether a deal would be good for the US economy and strengthen America&#39;s defence industrial base, in which case red tape would be cut accordingly.

Rules to make it easier to sell US-made military drones overseas and compete against fast-growing Chinese and Israeli rivals are also expected to be in the Trump plan, officials said.

Trump&#39;s Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, also sought to make it easier to sell to America&#39;s most trusted allies but in a more cautious approach that his administration billed as a way to boost American business while keeping strict controls against more dangerous arms proliferation. Foreign weapons sales soared during his tenure, with the United States retaining its position as the world&#39;s top arms supplier.

Shares of the five biggest US defence contractors, including Lockheed, Boeing, Raytheon Co, General Dynamics Corp and Northrop Grumman have more than tripled over the last five years and currently trade at or near all-time highs.

Foreign military sales in fiscal 2017, comprising much of Trump&#39;s first year in office and the final months of Obama&#39;s term, climbed to $42 billion, compared to $31 billion in the prior year, according to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The Trump administration is under pressure from US defence contractors facing growing competition from foreign rivals such as China and Russia.

The Trump administration is nearing completion of a new "Buy American" plan that calls for US military attaches and diplomats to help drum up billions of dollars more in business overseas for the American weapons industry, going beyond the assistance they currently provide, US officials said. President Donald Trump as early as February is expected to announce a "whole of government" effort to ease export rules on purchases by foreign countries of US-made military equipment, from fighter jets and drones to warships and artillery, according to people familiar with the plan. Trump is seeking to fulfil a 2016 election campaign promise to create jobs in the United States by selling more goods and services abroad to bring down the US trade deficit from a six-year high of $50 billion. The administration is also under pressure from US defence contractors facing growing competition from foreign rivals such as China and Russia. But any loosening of the restrictions on weapons sales would be in defiance of human rights and arms control advocates who said there was too great a risk of fueling violence in regions such as the Middle East and South Asia or arms being diverted to be used in terrorist attacks. Besides the greater use of a network of military and commercial attaches already stationed at US embassies in foreign capitals, senior officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said another thrust of the plan will be to set in motion a realignment of the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR). It is a central policy governing arms exports since 1976 and has not been fully revamped in more than three decades. This expanded government effort on behalf of American arms makers, together with looser restrictions on weapons exports and more favourable treatment of sales to non-NATO allies and partners, could bring additional billions of dollars in deals and more jobs, a senior US official said, without providing specifics. The strategy of having the Pentagon and the US State Department take a more active role in securing foreign arms deals could especially benefit major defence contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co. "We want to see those guys, the commercial and military attach, unfettered to be salesmen for this stuff, to be promoters," said the senior administration official, who is close to the internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity. A State Department official asked to confirm details of the coming new policy, said the revamped approach "gives our partners a greater capacity to help share the burden of international security, benefits the defence industrial base and will provide more good jobs for American workers." The White House and Pentagon declined official comment. Defense industry officials and lobbyists have privately welcomed what they expect will be a more sales-friendly approach. It is unclear how deeply the diplomats and military officers overseas will delve into dealmaking and what guidelines will be established, said officials in the administration. Trump, a Republican, has the legal authority to direct government embassy "security assistance officers," both military personnel and civilians, to do more to help drive arms sales. Administration officials see this group, which already has duties such as managing military aid overseas and providing information to foreign governments for buying US arms, as underutilized by previous presidents. The Trump administration plans to cut regulations in order to boost arms sales overseas. (Reuters) × 'Back seat' for human rights? One national security analyst said that easing export restrictions to allow defence contractors to reap greater profits internationally would increase the danger of top-of-the-line US weapons going to governments with poor human rights records or being used by militants. "This administration has demonstrated from the very beginning that human rights have taken a back seat to economic concerns," said Rachel Stohl, director of the conventional defense program at the Stimson Center in Washington. "And the short-sightedness of a new arms export policy could have serious long-term implications." The administration officials said human rights considerations would remain part of the formula for arms sales decisions. But they said such reviews would now afford greater weight than before to whether a deal would be good for the US economy and strengthen America's defence industrial base, in which case red tape would be cut accordingly. Rules to make it easier to sell US-made military drones overseas and compete against fast-growing Chinese and Israeli rivals are also expected to be in the Trump plan, officials said. Trump's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, also sought to make it easier to sell to America's most trusted allies but in a more cautious approach that his administration billed as a way to boost American business while keeping strict controls against more dangerous arms proliferation. Foreign weapons sales soared during his tenure, with the United States retaining its position as the world's top arms supplier. Shares of the five biggest US defence contractors, including Lockheed, Boeing, Raytheon Co, General Dynamics Corp and Northrop Grumman have more than tripled over the last five years and currently trade at or near all-time highs. Foreign military sales in fiscal 2017, comprising much of Trump's first year in office and the final months of Obama's term, climbed to $42 billion, compared to $31 billion in the prior year, according to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

Donald Trump to call on Pentagon, diplomats to play bigger role in arms sales: Sources

A day after US President Donald Trump said he is open to talks with the North Korean leader, his top Indian-American diplomat to the US said that Pyongyang needs to take a series of steps to make that happen.

Prominent among them being stop testing missiles and nuclear weapons and be willing to talk about banning their nuclear weapons, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley was quoted as saying by ABC News in an interview on Sunday.

&quot;There is no turnaround,&quot; Haley said when asked if Trump&#39;s statement at Camp David on Saturday meant any reversal of the stated US policy with regard to talks with North Korea.

&quot;What he (Trump) has basically said is yes, there could be a time where we talk to North Korea but a lot of things have to happen before that actually takes place,&quot; Haley said.

They have to stop testing. They have to be willing to talk about banning their nuclear weapons. Those things have to happen.

&quot;What we&#39;re trying to do is make sure we don&#39;t repeat what&#39;s happened the last 25 years,&quot; she said.

&quot;Which is them start to act like they&#39;re coming to the table, them ask for a lot of money and then them cheat their way through. We&#39;re going to be smart this time. We&#39;re going to make sure that whatever happens makes the United

States safer and make sure that we de-nuclearise the peninsula,&quot; Haley said.

Haley said stop testing is very important and has to be for a significant amount of time.

&quot;And then you go and you work toward the next step. This is going to be phases. This isn&#39;t going to happen overnight as we&#39;ve seen, but it&#39;s a dangerous situation,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

A day after US President Donald Trump said he is open to talks with the North Korean leader, his top Indian-American diplomat to the US said that Pyongyang needs to take steps to make that happen

A day after US President Donald Trump said he is open to talks with the North Korean leader, his top Indian-American diplomat to the US said that Pyongyang needs to take a series of steps to make that happen. Prominent among them being stop testing missiles and nuclear weapons and be willing to talk about banning their nuclear weapons, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley was quoted as saying by ABC News in an interview on Sunday. "There is no turnaround," Haley said when asked if Trump's statement at Camp David on Saturday meant any reversal of the stated US policy with regard to talks with North Korea. "What he (Trump) has basically said is yes, there could be a time where we talk to North Korea but a lot of things have to happen before that actually takes place," Haley said. They have to stop testing. They have to be willing to talk about banning their nuclear weapons. Those things have to happen. "What we're trying to do is make sure we don't repeat what's happened the last 25 years," she said. "Which is them start to act like they're coming to the table, them ask for a lot of money and then them cheat their way through. We're going to be smart this time. We're going to make sure that whatever happens makes the United States safer and make sure that we de-nuclearise the peninsula," Haley said. Haley said stop testing is very important and has to be for a significant amount of time. "And then you go and you work toward the next step. This is going to be phases. This isn't going to happen overnight as we've seen, but it's a dangerous situation," she said.

North Korea needs to take series of steps to mend ties with US: Haley

No one inside the White House questions the mental stability of President Donald Trump, his top envoy to the UN Nikki Haley said today.

Haley, the first ever cabinet-ranking official in any presidential administration, was responding to an allegation made against Trump in a controversial book &#39;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House&#39; by author Michael Wolff that hit the stores on Friday.

&quot;I know those people in the White House. These people love their country and respect our president... No one questions the (mental) stability of the president,&quot; Indian- American Haley, the US Ambassador to the UN.

Wolff said his book is based on interviews with some 200 people inside and outside the White House.

&quot;I can&#39;t vouch for anything like that. I don&#39;t know if it was 200 interviews with Steve Bannon, or if it was 200 interviews with himself, but I can tell you, I know these people. I work with these people,&quot; she said.

&quot;I work with the president and speak with him multiple times a week, this is a man, he didn&#39;t become the president by accident,&quot; she said.

&quot;We need to be realistic at the fact that every person, regardless of race, religion, or party, who loves the country, should support this president. It&#39;s that important,&quot; said the top American diplomat coming out in strong defence of the US President.

Haley said she is in constant communication with not only with the president but also with people around him.

&quot;I&#39;m around them all the time. I see these people put everything they have got into their jobs and into respecting and trusting the president. If they didn&#39;t, they wouldn&#39;t be there,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

Nikki Haley was responding to an allegation made against Trump in a controversial book 'Fire and Fury'

No one inside the White House questions the mental stability of President Donald Trump, his top envoy to the UN Nikki Haley said today. Haley, the first ever cabinet-ranking official in any presidential administration, was responding to an allegation made against Trump in a controversial book 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House' by author Michael Wolff that hit the stores on Friday. "I know those people in the White House. These people love their country and respect our president... No one questions the (mental) stability of the president," Indian- American Haley, the US Ambassador to the UN. Wolff said his book is based on interviews with some 200 people inside and outside the White House. "I can't vouch for anything like that. I don't know if it was 200 interviews with Steve Bannon, or if it was 200 interviews with himself, but I can tell you, I know these people. I work with these people," she said. "I work with the president and speak with him multiple times a week, this is a man, he didn't become the president by accident," she said. "We need to be realistic at the fact that every person, regardless of race, religion, or party, who loves the country, should support this president. It's that important," said the top American diplomat coming out in strong defence of the US President. Haley said she is in constant communication with not only with the president but also with people around him. "I'm around them all the time. I see these people put everything they have got into their jobs and into respecting and trusting the president. If they didn't, they wouldn't be there," she said.

No one inside White House questions Trump's mental stability: Nikki Haley

Two people were injured, one seriously, in an early-morning fire near the top of Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan, the New York Fire Department said on Monday.

US President Donald Trump was in Washington at the time.

Although local media initially reported there were no injuries, one person sustained a serious, possibly life-threatening injury, and another had a minor injury, the Fire Department said.

Eric Trump, one of the president&#39;s sons, said on Twitter that it was a small electrical fire in the cooling tower on the building&#39;s roof.

&quot;The New York Fire Department was here within minutes and did an incredible job,&quot; said the younger Trump. &quot;The men and women of the #FDNY are true heros and deserve our most sincere thanks and praise!&quot; 
 
Several social media users posted video and images, showing smoke rising from the roof of the building, which houses both residences and businesses.

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So Trump Tower NYC seems to be on fire... Photos courtesy of my Cousin. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/trumptower?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#trumptower</a> <a href="https://t.co/MGhoq9zfBB">pic.twitter.com/MGhoq9zfBB</a>
&mdash; Hugh Curran (@hughcurran) <a href="https://twitter.com/hughcurran/status/950342794631053312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Trump tower on fire <a href="https://t.co/mQgvpapw5U">pic.twitter.com/mQgvpapw5U</a>
&mdash; Andy Constan (@constanandy) <a href="https://twitter.com/constanandy/status/950342868329168898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Looks like fire dying down at Trump Tower <a href="https://t.co/wX0FgceBkH">pic.twitter.com/wX0FgceBkH</a>
&mdash; Jeff Levi (@levi1994) <a href="https://twitter.com/levi1994/status/950343153558618118?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The fire was reported by phone shortly before 7am EST (noon GMT) on the top floor of the 68-story structure, which had been Trump&#39;s primary residence before his election victory and inauguration nearly a year ago, the department said.

More than 90 minutes after the initial report, 84 firefighters and 26 units were still on the scene, according to department spokesman Firefighter Ken Reilly.

A fire broke out Monday on the roof of Trump Tower in New York.

Two people were injured, one seriously, in an early-morning fire near the top of Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan, the New York Fire Department said on Monday. US President Donald Trump was in Washington at the time. Although local media initially reported there were no injuries, one person sustained a serious, possibly life-threatening injury, and another had a minor injury, the Fire Department said. Eric Trump, one of the president's sons, said on Twitter that it was a small electrical fire in the cooling tower on the building's roof. "The New York Fire Department was here within minutes and did an incredible job," said the younger Trump. "The men and women of the #FDNY are true heros and deserve our most sincere thanks and praise!" Several social media users posted video and images, showing smoke rising from the roof of the building, which houses both residences and businesses. So Trump Tower NYC seems to be on fire... Photos courtesy of my Cousin. #trumptower pic.twitter.com/MGhoq9zfBB — Hugh Curran (@hughcurran) January 8, 2018 × Trump tower on fire pic.twitter.com/mQgvpapw5U — Andy Constan (@constanandy) January 8, 2018 × Looks like fire dying down at Trump Tower pic.twitter.com/wX0FgceBkH — Jeff Levi (@levi1994) January 8, 2018 × The fire was reported by phone shortly before 7am EST (noon GMT) on the top floor of the 68-story structure, which had been Trump's primary residence before his election victory and inauguration nearly a year ago, the department said. More than 90 minutes after the initial report, 84 firefighters and 26 units were still on the scene, according to department spokesman Firefighter Ken Reilly.

Two injured in fire at New York's Trump Tower

The European Union will invite Iran&#39;s foreign minister for talks about the recent anti-government protests that have hit the country, Germany&#39;s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Sunday.

&quot;Together with the EU&#39;s foreign policy chief (Federica Mogherini), we agreed to invite the Iranian foreign minister, if possible next week,&quot; Gabriel told German public broadcaster ZDF, without giving further details.&nbsp;

21 people have died and hundreds arrested since December 28 as protests over economic woes turned against the Iranian regime as a whole, with attacks on government buildings and police stations.

&quot;We very quickly affirmed that we support the freedom to demonstrate and that the state should support this,&quot; Gabriel said.

At the same time, Gabriel said Berlin will not follow the lead of US President Donald Trump, who pledged to help Iranians &quot;take back&quot; their government.

Trump also seized on the recent unrest to again slam a multiparty nuclear deal with Iran as deeply flawed.

Germany, as well as France, has &quot;warned against attempts at instrumentalising the domestic conflicts in Iran,&quot; said Gabriel.

The US on Friday took the Iran protests to the UN Security Council, where deep divisions emerged over the issue, with Russia arguing the demonstrations posed no threat to international peace and security.

21 people have died and hundreds arrested since December 28 as protests over economic woes turned against the Iranian regime

The European Union will invite Iran's foreign minister for talks about the recent anti-government protests that have hit the country, Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Sunday. "Together with the EU's foreign policy chief (Federica Mogherini), we agreed to invite the Iranian foreign minister, if possible next week," Gabriel told German public broadcaster ZDF, without giving further details. 21 people have died and hundreds arrested since December 28 as protests over economic woes turned against the Iranian regime as a whole, with attacks on government buildings and police stations. "We very quickly affirmed that we support the freedom to demonstrate and that the state should support this," Gabriel said. At the same time, Gabriel said Berlin will not follow the lead of US President Donald Trump, who pledged to help Iranians "take back" their government. Trump also seized on the recent unrest to again slam a multiparty nuclear deal with Iran as deeply flawed. Germany, as well as France, has "warned against attempts at instrumentalising the domestic conflicts in Iran," said Gabriel. The US on Friday took the Iran protests to the UN Security Council, where deep divisions emerged over the issue, with Russia arguing the demonstrations posed no threat to international peace and security.

European Union to invite Iran Foreign Minister for talks over protests

United States President Donald Trump needs to take a step back, exercise caution and patience, and focus more on having quiet diplomatic negotiations with Pakistan on the issue of neutralising support to terror elements operating from its soil, says an editorial in the New York Times.

The editorial is of the view that President Trump can ill-afford walking away from Pakistan at this juncture of his presidency, and will need to acknowledge that Islamabad has and will continue to be a source of vital intelligence.

He would also have to keep in mind that Pakistan has the world`s fastest-growing nuclear arsenal, which has always been a matter of regional and global concern.

&quot;Whether Pakistan will cooperate after the aid freeze remains to be seen. Initially, some Pakistani officials reacted harshly to the announcement, which came as a surprise, but on Friday, a Foreign Ministry statement talked about the need for mutual respect and patience as the two countries address common threats,&quot; says the editorial, suggesting that tone and engagement is now even-tempered.

&quot;Mr Trump could marshal other diplomatic tools to see if more constructive cooperation with Pakistan is possible. One idea would be to harness his new friendships with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to shut down Haqqani and other Taliban fund-raising efforts in the Persian Gulf. This would, of course, require quiet negotiations, not shouting,&quot; the editorial adds.

It further goes on to say that Pakistan has posed a dilemma for the United States for long, and the Trump administration`s announcement this week that it would freeze nearly all military aid to Pakistan, roughly USD 1.3 billion annually, should for now just be seen as an act of initial frustration and bombast.

It warns that Pakistan has the potential to retaliate by denying access, shutting down supply lines to Afghanistan, ally more closely with China and be more hard-line in its rivalry with India.

China could once again be the beneficiary of a Trump decision whose signature tune is estrangement with and from long-time partners.

The NYT editorial says that while Trump may have highlighted a real point, &quot;he has given no assurance that he would not make matters worse.&quot;

Americans last cut off assistance to Pakistan in the 1990s after it tested a nuclear weapon and underwent a military coup, creating distrust between the two countries that has never dissipated. But after September 11, 2001, the relationship transformed overnight.

Washington has demanded that Islamabad perform on counter-terrorism in return for new aid. Since then, Pakistan has played a double game, accepting American funding while backing militants who protect Pakistani interests in Afghanistan and Kashmir.President Trump is not the first to call a spade a spade.

In 2011, Admiral Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate committee that the Haqqani Network was a &quot;veritable arm&quot; of the Pakistani security service. &quot;Extremist organisations serving as proxies of the Government of Pakistan are attacking Afghan troops and civilians as well as US&nbsp;soldiers,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The editorial says Trump can ill-afford to walk away from Pakistan at this juncture of his presidency, and will need to acknowledge that Islamabad has and will continue to be a source of vital intelligence

United States President Donald Trump needs to take a step back, exercise caution and patience, and focus more on having quiet diplomatic negotiations with Pakistan on the issue of neutralising support to terror elements operating from its soil, says an editorial in the New York Times. The editorial is of the view that President Trump can ill-afford walking away from Pakistan at this juncture of his presidency, and will need to acknowledge that Islamabad has and will continue to be a source of vital intelligence. He would also have to keep in mind that Pakistan has the world`s fastest-growing nuclear arsenal, which has always been a matter of regional and global concern. "Whether Pakistan will cooperate after the aid freeze remains to be seen. Initially, some Pakistani officials reacted harshly to the announcement, which came as a surprise, but on Friday, a Foreign Ministry statement talked about the need for mutual respect and patience as the two countries address common threats," says the editorial, suggesting that tone and engagement is now even-tempered. "Mr Trump could marshal other diplomatic tools to see if more constructive cooperation with Pakistan is possible. One idea would be to harness his new friendships with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to shut down Haqqani and other Taliban fund-raising efforts in the Persian Gulf. This would, of course, require quiet negotiations, not shouting," the editorial adds. It further goes on to say that Pakistan has posed a dilemma for the United States for long, and the Trump administration`s announcement this week that it would freeze nearly all military aid to Pakistan, roughly USD 1.3 billion annually, should for now just be seen as an act of initial frustration and bombast. It warns that Pakistan has the potential to retaliate by denying access, shutting down supply lines to Afghanistan, ally more closely with China and be more hard-line in its rivalry with India. China could once again be the beneficiary of a Trump decision whose signature tune is estrangement with and from long-time partners. The NYT editorial says that while Trump may have highlighted a real point, "he has given no assurance that he would not make matters worse." Americans last cut off assistance to Pakistan in the 1990s after it tested a nuclear weapon and underwent a military coup, creating distrust between the two countries that has never dissipated. But after September 11, 2001, the relationship transformed overnight. Washington has demanded that Islamabad perform on counter-terrorism in return for new aid. Since then, Pakistan has played a double game, accepting American funding while backing militants who protect Pakistani interests in Afghanistan and Kashmir.President Trump is not the first to call a spade a spade. In 2011, Admiral Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate committee that the Haqqani Network was a "veritable arm" of the Pakistani security service. "Extremist organisations serving as proxies of the Government of Pakistan are attacking Afghan troops and civilians as well as US soldiers," he said.

US cannot risk abandoning 'troublesome ally' Pakistan: NYT editorial

US President Donald Trump today said that he would like to see North Korea get involved in the upcoming Winter Olympics in neighbouring South Korea and hoped that the two Koreas take it to the next level.

Trump was responding to a question on the move in this regard between the two Koreans, who are scheduled to hold their first talks on Tuesday. The president said he had some role in it as he took a strong stand against the North Koreans.

&quot;I&#39;d like to see them getting involved in the Olympics and maybe things go from there. So I&#39;m behind that 100 percent,&quot; Trump told reporters at a news conference in Camp David, the picturesque presidential resort in Maryland.

&quot;I spoke to the president, as you know, with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea. He thanked me very much for my tough stance and, you know, for 25 years they haven&#39;t been using a tough stance,&quot; Trump said.

Trump hoped that the two Koreans moved their relationship beyond just Olympics participation.

&quot;I hope they do. I would love to see them take it beyond the Olympics. We have a very good relationship with South Korea,&quot; he said.

&quot;I would love to see it go far beyond the Olympics, absolutely. And at the appropriate time, we&#39;ll get involved. I like the idea of their dealing with the Olympics. That should be between those two countries,&quot; Trump said.

Trump has adopted a tough approach against North Korea and has very often slammed its leader Kim Jong-un over tweeter. In a tweet this year he told the North Korean leader that he has a bigger nuclear button than his works and that his nuclear button works.

Responding to a question, Trump said he is open to the idea of talking with Kim Jong-un. &quot;Are you, willing to engage and phone talks with Kim Jong right now,&quot; he was asked.

&quot;Sure. I always believe in talking. Right now they&#39;re talking Olympics. It&#39;s a start. It&#39;s a big start. If we are not involved they wouldn&#39;t be talking about Olympics right now. They would be doing no talking.

He (Kim Jong Un) knows I&#39;m not messing around. I&#39;m not messing around. Not even a little bit. Not even one per cent. He understands that&quot; he said.

&quot;At the same time, if we can come up with a very peaceful and very good solution we&#39;re working on it with (Secretary of State) Rex (Tillerson). We&#39;re working on it with a lot of people. If something can happen and something can come out of those talks, that would be a great thing for all of humanity,&quot; he said.

&quot;That would be a great thing for the world. Very important,&quot; Trump said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

Donald Trump also said that he hopes that the two Koreas take it to the next level

US President Donald Trump today said that he would like to see North Korea get involved in the upcoming Winter Olympics in neighbouring South Korea and hoped that the two Koreas take it to the next level. Trump was responding to a question on the move in this regard between the two Koreans, who are scheduled to hold their first talks on Tuesday. The president said he had some role in it as he took a strong stand against the North Koreans. "I'd like to see them getting involved in the Olympics and maybe things go from there. So I'm behind that 100 percent," Trump told reporters at a news conference in Camp David, the picturesque presidential resort in Maryland. "I spoke to the president, as you know, with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea. He thanked me very much for my tough stance and, you know, for 25 years they haven't been using a tough stance," Trump said. Trump hoped that the two Koreans moved their relationship beyond just Olympics participation. "I hope they do. I would love to see them take it beyond the Olympics. We have a very good relationship with South Korea," he said. "I would love to see it go far beyond the Olympics, absolutely. And at the appropriate time, we'll get involved. I like the idea of their dealing with the Olympics. That should be between those two countries," Trump said. Trump has adopted a tough approach against North Korea and has very often slammed its leader Kim Jong-un over tweeter. In a tweet this year he told the North Korean leader that he has a bigger nuclear button than his works and that his nuclear button works. Responding to a question, Trump said he is open to the idea of talking with Kim Jong-un. "Are you, willing to engage and phone talks with Kim Jong right now," he was asked. "Sure. I always believe in talking. Right now they're talking Olympics. It's a start. It's a big start. If we are not involved they wouldn't be talking about Olympics right now. They would be doing no talking. He (Kim Jong Un) knows I'm not messing around. I'm not messing around. Not even a little bit. Not even one per cent. He understands that" he said. "At the same time, if we can come up with a very peaceful and very good solution we're working on it with (Secretary of State) Rex (Tillerson). We're working on it with a lot of people. If something can happen and something can come out of those talks, that would be a great thing for all of humanity," he said. "That would be a great thing for the world. Very important," Trump said.

Would like to see North Korea get involved in Winter Olympics: Trump

The US is keeping &quot;all options&quot; on the table to deal with Pakistan if it does not take decisive action against the Taliban and the Haqqani network and dismantle their safe havens, the White House warned today.

The warning came after the US suspended about USD 2 billion in security aid to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on terror groups.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes after President Donald Trump in a New Year&#39;s Day tweet accused the country of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing

&quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

&quot;The US does have a range of tools that we&#39;re looking at beyond just the security assistance issue to deal with Pakistan and to try to convince it to crack down on the Taliban and Haqqani network,&quot; a senior Trump administration official told reporters.

&quot;Certainly no one should doubt the US resolve to address this threat and all options I would say will be on the table,&quot; said the official on condition of anonymity.

While some policymakers have been asking the White House to revoke the non-NATO ally status of Pakistan and put pressure on the country through multilateral institutions like the International

Monetary Fund and the United Nations, Pentagon generals have indicated unilateral actions.

However, the official refrained from divulging any of the options that the administration is considering against Pakistan.

&quot;I&#39;m not able to comment on specific steps at this time. But nobody should doubt our resolve in trying to address these threats. We&#39;re looking at all options. We hope that we can cooperate with Pakistan.

But we do have options that we&#39;re considering,&quot; the official said.

The US wants action against the existing safe havens of the Taliban and the Haqqani network and demolish its ability to carry out strikes across the border in Afghanistan, the Official said and expressed hope that Pakistan would take actions that the US was seeking.

&quot;....That will allow the relationship to return to a more positive trajectory,&quot; the official said.

In August, while unveiling his new South Asia strategy, Trump had accused Pakistan of giving &quot;safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror,&quot; and said the time had come &quot;for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilisation, order, and to peace&quot;.

Trump&#39;s new policy, the official said, is driven by his desire to have a successful strategy in Afghanistan.

&quot;We firmly believes that for the future of the region, Pakistan needs to crack down on these terrorist elements. Unless they take a comprehensive approach to the terrorism problem it is going to threaten

US interests and everybody&#39;s interests including Pakistan&#39;s,&quot; the official said.

He said the announcement of the suspension of the security assistance to Pakistan clearly reflected the US&#39; frustration over Pakistan&#39;s failure to crack down on all terrorists who find shelter on its territory.

&quot;There has been ample time for Pakistan to show it is taking our request seriously. Unfortunately, we have not seen the kind of meaningful action that we were seeking,&quot; the White House official rued.

Responding to a question, the official said the US has &quot;a number of tools in its toolkit&quot; and can &quot;take unilateral&quot; steps.

But at this time, the US prefers to cooperate with Pakistan and is hopeful about it, the official said.

&quot;And we want to indicate Pakistan our seriousness about the issue of dealing with safe havens,&quot; the official said.

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said the US would restore the suspended security assistance to Pakistan if it takes action against terrorist groups.

&quot;We would restore the aid if we see decisive movements against the terrorists, who are as much of a threat against Pakistan as they are against us,&quot; Mattis told reporters.

The US is still working with Pakistan, he said but refrained from going into details.

&quot;The specific individual things we&#39;re doing our best handled in private, to ensure that we can be most productive. And that&#39;s what we&#39;re working now,&quot; he said.

Mattis had travelled to Pakistan last month for talks with the top Pakistani leadership.

&quot;There&#39;s a campaign plan now that starts regionally. So we started thinking about India and Pakistan and Afghanistan. We reinforced some of our forces there, because we found some forces didn&#39;t have the American advisers they needed, and the ones with advisers seemed to always win. The ones without them did not fare so well,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

The warning came after the US suspended about USD 2 billion in security aid to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on terror groups

The US is keeping "all options" on the table to deal with Pakistan if it does not take decisive action against the Taliban and the Haqqani network and dismantle their safe havens, the White House warned today. The warning came after the US suspended about USD 2 billion in security aid to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on terror groups. The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes after President Donald Trump in a New Year's Day tweet accused the country of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years. "The US does have a range of tools that we're looking at beyond just the security assistance issue to deal with Pakistan and to try to convince it to crack down on the Taliban and Haqqani network," a senior Trump administration official told reporters. "Certainly no one should doubt the US resolve to address this threat and all options I would say will be on the table," said the official on condition of anonymity. While some policymakers have been asking the White House to revoke the non-NATO ally status of Pakistan and put pressure on the country through multilateral institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations, Pentagon generals have indicated unilateral actions. However, the official refrained from divulging any of the options that the administration is considering against Pakistan. "I'm not able to comment on specific steps at this time. But nobody should doubt our resolve in trying to address these threats. We're looking at all options. We hope that we can cooperate with Pakistan. But we do have options that we're considering," the official said. The US wants action against the existing safe havens of the Taliban and the Haqqani network and demolish its ability to carry out strikes across the border in Afghanistan, the Official said and expressed hope that Pakistan would take actions that the US was seeking. "....That will allow the relationship to return to a more positive trajectory," the official said. In August, while unveiling his new South Asia strategy, Trump had accused Pakistan of giving "safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror," and said the time had come "for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilisation, order, and to peace". Trump's new policy, the official said, is driven by his desire to have a successful strategy in Afghanistan. "We firmly believes that for the future of the region, Pakistan needs to crack down on these terrorist elements. Unless they take a comprehensive approach to the terrorism problem it is going to threaten US interests and everybody's interests including Pakistan's," the official said. He said the announcement of the suspension of the security assistance to Pakistan clearly reflected the US' frustration over Pakistan's failure to crack down on all terrorists who find shelter on its territory. "There has been ample time for Pakistan to show it is taking our request seriously. Unfortunately, we have not seen the kind of meaningful action that we were seeking," the White House official rued. Responding to a question, the official said the US has "a number of tools in its toolkit" and can "take unilateral" steps. But at this time, the US prefers to cooperate with Pakistan and is hopeful about it, the official said. "And we want to indicate Pakistan our seriousness about the issue of dealing with safe havens," the official said. Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said the US would restore the suspended security assistance to Pakistan if it takes action against terrorist groups. "We would restore the aid if we see decisive movements against the terrorists, who are as much of a threat against Pakistan as they are against us," Mattis told reporters. The US is still working with Pakistan, he said but refrained from going into details. "The specific individual things we're doing our best handled in private, to ensure that we can be most productive. And that's what we're working now," he said. Mattis had travelled to Pakistan last month for talks with the top Pakistani leadership. "There's a campaign plan now that starts regionally. So we started thinking about India and Pakistan and Afghanistan. We reinforced some of our forces there, because we found some forces didn't have the American advisers they needed, and the ones with advisers seemed to always win. The ones without them did not fare so well," he said.

All options on the table to deal with Pakistan: White House

US President Donald Trump&#39;s recent outburst on Pakistan will further boost economic and defence ties between Beijing and Islamabad, including China acquiring a Pakistani military base close to Iran&#39;s Chabahar port, an official media report said on Friday.

Trump&#39;s January 1 Twitter attack against Pakistan where he accused it of providing safe havens to terrorists appears to be helping boost already close ties between Pakistan and China, a report in the state-run Global Times said.

It attributed Islamabad&#39;s decision to allow Chinese currency in bilateral trade and financing transactions as China has stepped up its investments in the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The report quoted a &#39;Washington Times&#39; report that China is in talks with Pakistan to build its second overseas military base as part of a push for greater maritime capabilities along strategic sea routes.

The facility could be built at Jiwani, a port near Iran&#39;s Chabahar close to the border in the Gulf of Oman, and is located a short distance from Gwadar in Balochistan province which is currently being developed b Chabahar port being jointly developed by Iran, India and Afghanistan&nbsp;to ensure a trade corridor for Indian exports to Afghanistan.

On China establishing a military base at Jiwani, a South Asian studies expert said, &quot;both Beijing and Islamabad have the ability to build a joint naval and air facility in Pakistan, but it is unnecessary at this time&quot;.

China has established its &quot;first overseas military base in Djibouti&quot;, in the Horn of Africa in the Indian Ocean. However, China officially states that it is only a logistics base to service its naval personnel deployed for anti-piracy operations.

Besides Djibouti, China has also acquired the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka on a 99-year lease.

US President Donald Trump's recent outburst on Pakistan will further boost economic and defence ties between Beijing and Islamabad, including China acquiring a Pakistani military base close to Iran's Chabahar port, an official media report said on Friday

US President Donald Trump's recent outburst on Pakistan will further boost economic and defence ties between Beijing and Islamabad, including China acquiring a Pakistani military base close to Iran's Chabahar port, an official media report said on Friday. Trump's January 1 Twitter attack against Pakistan where he accused it of providing safe havens to terrorists appears to be helping boost already close ties between Pakistan and China, a report in the state-run Global Times said. It attributed Islamabad's decision to allow Chinese currency in bilateral trade and financing transactions as China has stepped up its investments in the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The report quoted a 'Washington Times' report that China is in talks with Pakistan to build its second overseas military base as part of a push for greater maritime capabilities along strategic sea routes. The facility could be built at Jiwani, a port near Iran's Chabahar close to the border in the Gulf of Oman, and is located a short distance from Gwadar in Balochistan province which is currently being developed b Chabahar port being jointly developed by Iran, India and Afghanistan to ensure a trade corridor for Indian exports to Afghanistan. On China establishing a military base at Jiwani, a South Asian studies expert said, "both Beijing and Islamabad have the ability to build a joint naval and air facility in Pakistan, but it is unnecessary at this time". China has established its "first overseas military base in Djibouti", in the Horn of Africa in the Indian Ocean. However, China officially states that it is only a logistics base to service its naval personnel deployed for anti-piracy operations. Besides Djibouti, China has also acquired the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka on a 99-year lease.

Donald Trump's pressure on Pakistan may push it closer to China: Report

The following are excerpts from &quot;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,&quot; an incendiary new book by Michael Wolff which was rushed into bookstores Friday after President Donald Trump failed to suppress it.

The book quickly sold out in shops in the US capital, with some lining up at midnight to get their hands on the instant best-seller, dismissed by Trump as &quot;phony&quot; and &quot;full of lies.&quot;

Without addressing specifics, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said there were things in the book that were &quot;completely untrue,&quot; while Trump denounced comments attributed to Steve Bannon, saying his former chief strategist had &quot;lost his mind.&quot;

Team Trump: running to lose&nbsp;

&quot;We&#39;re all losers,&#39; Trump would say. &#39;All our guys are terrible, nobody knows what they&#39;re doing.&#39;&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;&#39;This thing,&#39; he told the Mercers, &#39;is so fucked up&#39;&quot;.

Trump was reportedly addressing the family of Bob Mercer, the ultra-conservative billionaire sponsors who swung behind his campaign in its final months -- and who reiterated their support in the wake of Wolff&#39;s bombshell book.

The shock of election night&nbsp;

&quot;When the unexpected trend -- Trump might actually win -- seemed confirmed, Don Jr. told a friend that his father, or DJT, as he called him, looked as if he had seen a ghost. Melania, to whom Donald Trump had made his solemn guarantee, was in tears -- and not of joy.&quot;

&quot;There was, in the space of little more than an hour, in Steve Bannon&#39;s not unamused observation, a befuddled Trump morphing into a disbelieving Trump and then into a horrified Trump. But still to come was the final transformation: Suddenly, Donald Trump became a man who believed that he deserved to be, and was wholly capable of being, the president of the United States.&quot;

Bannon on meeting with Russians&nbsp;

&quot;The three senior guys in the campaign,&#39; an incredulous Bannon went on, &#39;thought it was a good idea to meet with a foreign government inside Trump Tower in the conference room on the 25th floor -- with no lawyers.&nbsp;

&#39;They didn&#39;t have any lawyers. Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad shit, and I happen to think it&#39;s all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately.&#39;&quot;

Bannon was referring to Trump&#39;s son Donald Jr, son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign manager Paul Manafort.

Learning the constitution&nbsp;

&quot;Early in the campaign, in a Producers-worthy scene, (campaign aide) Sam Nunberg was sent to explain the Constitution to the candidate: &#39;I got as far as the Fourth Amendment before his finger is pulling down on his lip and his eyes are rolling back in his head.&#39;&quot;

George W. Bush on Trump&#39;s inaugural address&nbsp;

&quot;That&#39;s some weird shit.&quot;

Trump&#39;s Putin obsession&nbsp;

&quot;What has he gotten himself into with the Russians?&#39; pressed (the late Fox News chairman Roger) Ailes. &#39;Mostly,&#39; said Bannon, &#39;he went to Russia and he thought he was going to meet Putin. But Putin couldn&#39;t give a shit about him. So he&#39;s kept trying.&#39;&quot;

Trump&#39;s Murdoch obsession&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;ll call him,&#39; said Ailes. &#39;But Trump would jump through hoops for Rupert. Like for Putin. Sucks up and shits down. I just worry about who&#39;s jerking whose chain.&#39;&quot;

&nbsp;Murdoch on Trump

&quot;What a fucking idiot,&#39; said Murdoch, shrugging, as he got off the phone&quot; after talking immigration issues with Trump.

Too much to think about 

&quot;I wouldn&#39;t give Donald too much to think about,&#39; said an amused Ailes. Bannon snorted. &#39;Too much, too little&mdash;doesn&#39;t necessarily change things.&#39;&quot;

Trump fears being poisoned&nbsp;

&quot;He had a longtime fear of being poisoned, one reason why he liked to eat at McDonald&#39;s -- nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely pre-made.&quot;

Flattery and Egyptian shoes&nbsp;

&quot;Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Egyptian strongman, ably stroked the president and said, &#39;You are a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible.&#39; (To Sisi, Trump replied, &#39;Love your shoes. Boy, those shoes. Man.&hellip;&#39;)&quot;

&nbsp;&#39;Our man&#39; in Saudi 

&quot;Within weeks of (Trump&#39;s Saudi) trip, MBS (Mohammed bin Salman), detaining MBN (Mohammed bin Nayef) quite in the dead of night, would force him to relinquish the Crown Prince title, which MBS would then assume for himself. Trump would tell friends that he and Jared had engineered a Saudi coup: &#39;We&#39;ve put our man on top!&#39;&quot;

Ivanka&#39;s presidential ambitions 

&quot;Balancing risk against reward, both Jared and Ivanka decided to accept roles in the West Wing over the advice of almost everyone they knew. It was a joint decision by the couple, and, in some sense, a joint job. Between themselves, the two had made an earnest deal: If sometime in the future the opportunity arose, she&#39;d be the one to run for president. The first woman president, Ivanka entertained, would not be Hillary Clinton; it would be Ivanka Trump.&quot;

Her brothers&#39; presidential nicknames&nbsp;

&quot;His sons, Don Jr. and Eric -- behind their backs known to Trump insiders as Uday and Qusay, after the sons of Saddam Hussein.&quot;

&nbsp;And the comb-over: explained by Ivanka

&quot;She often described the mechanics behind it to friends: an absolutely clean pate -- a contained island after scalp-reduction surgery -- surrounded by a furry circle of hair around the sides and front, from which all ends are drawn up to meet in the center and then swept back and secured by a stiffening spray. The color, she would point out to comical effect, was from a product called Just for Men -- the longer it w

The following are excerpts from 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,' an incendiary new book by Michael Wolff which was rushed into bookstores Friday after President Donald Trump failed to suppress it

The following are excerpts from "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," an incendiary new book by Michael Wolff which was rushed into bookstores Friday after President Donald Trump failed to suppress it. The book quickly sold out in shops in the US capital, with some lining up at midnight to get their hands on the instant best-seller, dismissed by Trump as "phony" and "full of lies." Without addressing specifics, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said there were things in the book that were "completely untrue," while Trump denounced comments attributed to Steve Bannon, saying his former chief strategist had "lost his mind." Team Trump: running to lose "We're all losers,' Trump would say. 'All our guys are terrible, nobody knows what they're doing.'" "'This thing,' he told the Mercers, 'is so fucked up'". Trump was reportedly addressing the family of Bob Mercer, the ultra-conservative billionaire sponsors who swung behind his campaign in its final months -- and who reiterated their support in the wake of Wolff's bombshell book. The shock of election night "When the unexpected trend -- Trump might actually win -- seemed confirmed, Don Jr. told a friend that his father, or DJT, as he called him, looked as if he had seen a ghost. Melania, to whom Donald Trump had made his solemn guarantee, was in tears -- and not of joy." "There was, in the space of little more than an hour, in Steve Bannon's not unamused observation, a befuddled Trump morphing into a disbelieving Trump and then into a horrified Trump. But still to come was the final transformation: Suddenly, Donald Trump became a man who believed that he deserved to be, and was wholly capable of being, the president of the United States." Bannon on meeting with Russians "The three senior guys in the campaign,' an incredulous Bannon went on, 'thought it was a good idea to meet with a foreign government inside Trump Tower in the conference room on the 25th floor -- with no lawyers. 'They didn't have any lawyers. Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad shit, and I happen to think it's all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately.'" Bannon was referring to Trump's son Donald Jr, son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign manager Paul Manafort. Learning the constitution "Early in the campaign, in a Producers-worthy scene, (campaign aide) Sam Nunberg was sent to explain the Constitution to the candidate: 'I got as far as the Fourth Amendment before his finger is pulling down on his lip and his eyes are rolling back in his head.'" George W. Bush on Trump's inaugural address "That's some weird shit." Trump's Putin obsession "What has he gotten himself into with the Russians?' pressed (the late Fox News chairman Roger) Ailes. 'Mostly,' said Bannon, 'he went to Russia and he thought he was going to meet Putin. But Putin couldn't give a shit about him. So he's kept trying.'" Trump's Murdoch obsession "I'll call him,' said Ailes. 'But Trump would jump through hoops for Rupert. Like for Putin. Sucks up and shits down. I just worry about who's jerking whose chain.'" Murdoch on Trump "What a fucking idiot,' said Murdoch, shrugging, as he got off the phone" after talking immigration issues with Trump. Too much to think about "I wouldn't give Donald too much to think about,' said an amused Ailes. Bannon snorted. 'Too much, too little—doesn't necessarily change things.'" Trump fears being poisoned "He had a longtime fear of being poisoned, one reason why he liked to eat at McDonald's -- nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely pre-made." Flattery and Egyptian shoes "Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Egyptian strongman, ably stroked the president and said, 'You are a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible.' (To Sisi, Trump replied, 'Love your shoes. Boy, those shoes. Man.…')" 'Our man' in Saudi "Within weeks of (Trump's Saudi) trip, MBS (Mohammed bin Salman), detaining MBN (Mohammed bin Nayef) quite in the dead of night, would force him to relinquish the Crown Prince title, which MBS would then assume for himself. Trump would tell friends that he and Jared had engineered a Saudi coup: 'We've put our man on top!'" Ivanka's presidential ambitions "Balancing risk against reward, both Jared and Ivanka decided to accept roles in the West Wing over the advice of almost everyone they knew. It was a joint decision by the couple, and, in some sense, a joint job. Between themselves, the two had made an earnest deal: If sometime in the future the opportunity arose, she'd be the one to run for president. The first woman president, Ivanka entertained, would not be Hillary Clinton; it would be Ivanka Trump." Her brothers' presidential nicknames "His sons, Don Jr. and Eric -- behind their backs known to Trump insiders as Uday and Qusay, after the sons of Saddam Hussein." And the comb-over: explained by Ivanka "She often described the mechanics behind it to friends: an absolutely clean pate -- a contained island after scalp-reduction surgery -- surrounded by a furry circle of hair around the sides and front, from which all ends are drawn up to meet in the center and then swept back and secured by a stiffening spray. The color, she would point out to comical effect, was from a product called Just for Men -- the longer it w

'Fire and Fury': Excerpts from tell-all book on Trump

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday he planned to stay in his post through 2018 despite speculation he might leave soon due to a fractious relationship with President Donald Trump, whom he reportedly called a &quot;moron.&quot;

In an interview with CNN, Tillerson said he thought the Trump administration had a &quot;very successful&quot; year in 2017 and was now executing policies that he hoped would lead to &quot;a very, very successful 2018.&quot;

When pressed on his plans, Tillerson said, &quot;I intend to be here for the whole year.&quot;

Tillerson&#39;s relationship with Trump appeared to sour over the course of the year. NBC reported in October that Tillerson referred to the president as a &quot;moron&quot; after a Pentagon meeting in July. In November, there were reports the White House was contemplating replacing him.

Tillerson told CNN the president had given him no indication his job was in jeopardy.

The CNN interview coincided with the release of a sharply critical book on Trump&#39;s first year as president. The book portrayed the US&nbsp;leader as behaving like a child and raised new questions about his fitness for public office.

Asked if he shared the assessment that Trump was not mentally fit for office, Tillerson said: &quot;I&#39;ve never questioned his mental fitness. I have no reason to question his mental fitness.&quot;

Tillerson said it took him a while to learn how to best communicate with Trump, who he did not know before becoming secretary of state. Tillerson, a former Exxon chief executive, said he and the president had different management and decision-making styles.

&quot;I&#39;ve had to spend a lot of time understanding how to best communicate with him so I can serve his needs with information,&quot; Tillerson told CNN.

&quot;Something I had to learn is what is effective with this president,&quot; Tillerson said. &quot;He is not typical of presidents of the past. I think that&#39;s well recognized. That&#39;s also though why the American people chose him.&quot;

He said he tries to brief Trump on all sides of an issue, &quot;even when I know it&#39;s not the side that he really wants to consider.&quot;

&quot;People should feel good about the way decisions are made because it&#39;s not just one of giving in to what you think the president wants, rather helping him see the full array of all of the options,&quot; Tillerson said.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday he planned to stay in his post through 2018 despite speculation he might leave soon due to a fractious relationship with President Donald Trump, whom he reportedly called a 'moron'

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday he planned to stay in his post through 2018 despite speculation he might leave soon due to a fractious relationship with President Donald Trump, whom he reportedly called a "moron." In an interview with CNN, Tillerson said he thought the Trump administration had a "very successful" year in 2017 and was now executing policies that he hoped would lead to "a very, very successful 2018." When pressed on his plans, Tillerson said, "I intend to be here for the whole year." Tillerson's relationship with Trump appeared to sour over the course of the year. NBC reported in October that Tillerson referred to the president as a "moron" after a Pentagon meeting in July. In November, there were reports the White House was contemplating replacing him. Tillerson told CNN the president had given him no indication his job was in jeopardy. The CNN interview coincided with the release of a sharply critical book on Trump's first year as president. The book portrayed the US leader as behaving like a child and raised new questions about his fitness for public office. Asked if he shared the assessment that Trump was not mentally fit for office, Tillerson said: "I've never questioned his mental fitness. I have no reason to question his mental fitness." Tillerson said it took him a while to learn how to best communicate with Trump, who he did not know before becoming secretary of state. Tillerson, a former Exxon chief executive, said he and the president had different management and decision-making styles. "I've had to spend a lot of time understanding how to best communicate with him so I can serve his needs with information," Tillerson told CNN. "Something I had to learn is what is effective with this president," Tillerson said. "He is not typical of presidents of the past. I think that's well recognized. That's also though why the American people chose him." He said he tries to brief Trump on all sides of an issue, "even when I know it's not the side that he really wants to consider." "People should feel good about the way decisions are made because it's not just one of giving in to what you think the president wants, rather helping him see the full array of all of the options," Tillerson said.

Tillerson says will stay as top US diplomat through 2018

National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers, the US signals intelligence czar, plans to retire within months after a four-year term scarred by damaging leaks, US intelligence sources confirmed Friday.

Rogers, who has led the NSA and its sister agency, the US Cyber Command, for four years, told staff in an internal letter Friday that he would depart in the spring, with his replacement to be nominated by President Donald Trump this month.

Named to the position in April 2014 by President Barack Obama, Rogers, 58, has almost completed one year under Trump, who has repeatedly delivered withering criticism of the US intelligence community.

Rogers was one of the four US security chiefs who presented a damning report to Trump on January 6, 2017 saying that Russians had interfered in the 2016 presidential election to boost his candidacy.&nbsp;

Trump has ever since refused to concede that conclusion, and Rogers is the only official who attended the meeting who kept his job through Trump&#39;s first year.

Besides keeping up US electronic spying, he has also spearheaded the country&#39;s ability to conduct offensive cyber operations, via the Cyber Command, a Pentagon unit.

And he has struggled to deal with the leak of ultra-secret NSA hacking tools, some of which are believed to have fallen into the hands of Russians.

Two former NSA hackers have agreed to plead guilty in recent months to charges of removing classified NSA materials to their homes, but neither has been accused of deliberate leaks.

According to a Washington Post report earlier this week, the NSA&#39;s 21,000-strong staff is facing a rapid turnover due to unhappiness with a Rogers-led reorganization and poor pay compared to the private sector.

National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers, the US signals intelligence czar, plans to retire within months after a four-year term scarred by damaging leaks

National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers, the US signals intelligence czar, plans to retire within months after a four-year term scarred by damaging leaks, US intelligence sources confirmed Friday. Rogers, who has led the NSA and its sister agency, the US Cyber Command, for four years, told staff in an internal letter Friday that he would depart in the spring, with his replacement to be nominated by President Donald Trump this month. Named to the position in April 2014 by President Barack Obama, Rogers, 58, has almost completed one year under Trump, who has repeatedly delivered withering criticism of the US intelligence community. Rogers was one of the four US security chiefs who presented a damning report to Trump on January 6, 2017 saying that Russians had interfered in the 2016 presidential election to boost his candidacy. Trump has ever since refused to concede that conclusion, and Rogers is the only official who attended the meeting who kept his job through Trump's first year. Besides keeping up US electronic spying, he has also spearheaded the country's ability to conduct offensive cyber operations, via the Cyber Command, a Pentagon unit. And he has struggled to deal with the leak of ultra-secret NSA hacking tools, some of which are believed to have fallen into the hands of Russians. Two former NSA hackers have agreed to plead guilty in recent months to charges of removing classified NSA materials to their homes, but neither has been accused of deliberate leaks. According to a Washington Post report earlier this week, the NSA's 21,000-strong staff is facing a rapid turnover due to unhappiness with a Rogers-led reorganization and poor pay compared to the private sector.

US National Security Agency chief to retire

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