South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual large-scale military drills on Sunday, but continued a separate joint naval exercise that has triggered dire threats from nuclear-armed North Korea.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running sky-high for weeks, with signs that the North might be preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test -- and with Washington refusing to rule out a military strike in response.

The massive &quot;Foal Eagle&quot; drill, which the defence ministry in Seoul said was ending as scheduled on Sunday, involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops.

Another annual joint exercise known as &quot;Key Resolve&quot; ended last month.

Both play out scenarios for a conflict with North Korea, but Seoul and Washington insist they are purely defensive in nature, despite Pyongyang&#39;s claims that they are provocative rehearsals for invasion.

Their conclusion normally signals a period of relative calm in North-South tensions, but this year the situation looks set to remain highly volatile.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump has warned of a possible &quot;major conflict&quot; while Pyongyang has carried out a series of failed missile tests, including one on Saturday, and a massive live-fire military exercise.

The South Korean defence ministry confirmed Sunday that a joint naval drill with a US strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, was still ongoing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

The exercise, aimed at verifying the allies&#39; capability to track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles, is expected to continue until sometime next week.

Through state media, North Korea has threatened to attack the Carl Vinson, and a state-sponsored website on Sunday also warned of a possible strike against a US nuclear-powered submarine despatched to the area.

China is &quot;putting pressure&quot; on its ally North Korea to curb its weapons programmes, Trump told the CBS television network&#39;s &quot;Face the Nation&quot; programme.

If North Korea carries out another nuclear test &quot;I would not be happy,&quot; he said.

&quot;And I can tell you also, I don&#39;t believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either,&quot; Trump said in excerpts of the interview released Saturday.

Asked if &quot;not happy&quot; signified &quot;military action,&quot; Trump answered: &quot;I don&#39;t know. I mean, we&#39;ll see.&quot;

&#39;Catastrophic consequences&#39;&nbsp;

Pyongyang&#39;s show of defiance included a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of &quot;catastrophic consequences&quot; if the international community -- most notably China -- failed to pressure the North into abandoning its weapons programme.

Military options for dealing with the North were still &quot;on the table&quot;, Tillerson said.

China has repeatedly pushed back at the idea that it alone holds the solution to curbing the North&#39;s nuclear ambitions, and warned that any use of US force would only lead to &quot;bigger disasters&quot;.

Pope Francis this weekend called for negotiations to resolve tensions over North Korea.

&quot;There are plenty of mediators in the world who are putting themselves forward. Norway, for example which is ready to help,&quot; he said.

The tensions have also triggered some friction between Seoul and Washington, with Trump suggesting in a recent interview that the South should pay for the $1.0-billion dollar THAAD anti-missile system that the US is deploying on its ally&#39;s territory.

But on Sunday South Korea said US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster had spoken by phone with his counterpart in Seoul and both sides had reaffirmed that Washington would bear the cost of the THAAD deployment, as initially agreed.

Trump&#39;s interview remarks &quot;were made in a general context, reflecting the American public&#39;s hopes for (defense) cost sharing,&quot; McMaster was quoted as saying by the South&#39;s presidential office.

The two countries have had a security alliance since the 1950-53 Korean war, and more than 28,000 US troops are stationed in the South.

Beijing has been infuriated by the THAAD deployment, which it says upsets the regional security balance.

(AFP)

Tensions have deepened in the region as the North is reportedly preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test

South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual large-scale military drills on Sunday, but continued a separate joint naval exercise that has triggered dire threats from nuclear-armed North Korea. Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running sky-high for weeks, with signs that the North might be preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test -- and with Washington refusing to rule out a military strike in response. The massive "Foal Eagle" drill, which the defence ministry in Seoul said was ending as scheduled on Sunday, involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops. Another annual joint exercise known as "Key Resolve" ended last month. Both play out scenarios for a conflict with North Korea, but Seoul and Washington insist they are purely defensive in nature, despite Pyongyang's claims that they are provocative rehearsals for invasion. Their conclusion normally signals a period of relative calm in North-South tensions, but this year the situation looks set to remain highly volatile. US President Donald Trump has warned of a possible "major conflict" while Pyongyang has carried out a series of failed missile tests, including one on Saturday, and a massive live-fire military exercise. The South Korean defence ministry confirmed Sunday that a joint naval drill with a US strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, was still ongoing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). The exercise, aimed at verifying the allies' capability to track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles, is expected to continue until sometime next week. Through state media, North Korea has threatened to attack the Carl Vinson, and a state-sponsored website on Sunday also warned of a possible strike against a US nuclear-powered submarine despatched to the area. China is "putting pressure" on its ally North Korea to curb its weapons programmes, Trump told the CBS television network's "Face the Nation" programme. If North Korea carries out another nuclear test "I would not be happy," he said. "And I can tell you also, I don't believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either," Trump said in excerpts of the interview released Saturday. Asked if "not happy" signified "military action," Trump answered: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see." 'Catastrophic consequences' Pyongyang's show of defiance included a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of "catastrophic consequences" if the international community -- most notably China -- failed to pressure the North into abandoning its weapons programme. Military options for dealing with the North were still "on the table", Tillerson said. China has repeatedly pushed back at the idea that it alone holds the solution to curbing the North's nuclear ambitions, and warned that any use of US force would only lead to "bigger disasters". Pope Francis this weekend called for negotiations to resolve tensions over North Korea. "There are plenty of mediators in the world who are putting themselves forward. Norway, for example which is ready to help," he said. The tensions have also triggered some friction between Seoul and Washington, with Trump suggesting in a recent interview that the South should pay for the $1.0-billion dollar THAAD anti-missile system that the US is deploying on its ally's territory. But on Sunday South Korea said US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster had spoken by phone with his counterpart in Seoul and both sides had reaffirmed that Washington would bear the cost of the THAAD deployment, as initially agreed. Trump's interview remarks "were made in a general context, reflecting the American public's hopes for (defense) cost sharing," McMaster was quoted as saying by the South's presidential office. The two countries have had a security alliance since the 1950-53 Korean war, and more than 28,000 US troops are stationed in the South. Beijing has been infuriated by the THAAD deployment, which it says upsets the regional security balance. (AFP)

US, South Korea continue joint naval drills amid Pyongyang threats

Pope Francis said on Saturday a third country should try to mediate the dispute between North Korea and Washington, saying the situation had become &quot;too hot&quot; and the world risked a devastating war.

Francis said he believed &quot;a good part of humanity&quot; would be destroyed in any widespread war.

Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him back from Cairo, Francis also said he was ready to meet US President Donald Trump when he is in Europe next month but that he was not aware that Washington had made a request for a meeting.

In answer to a question about the tensions between the United States and North Korea, Francis said the United Nations should re-assert its leadership in world diplomacy because it had become &quot;too watered down&quot;.

(Reuters)

Pope Francis said the situation had become 'too hot' and the world risked a devastating war

Pope Francis said on Saturday a third country should try to mediate the dispute between North Korea and Washington, saying the situation had become "too hot" and the world risked a devastating war. Francis said he believed "a good part of humanity" would be destroyed in any widespread war. Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him back from Cairo, Francis also said he was ready to meet US President Donald Trump when he is in Europe next month but that he was not aware that Washington had made a request for a meeting. In answer to a question about the tensions between the United States and North Korea, Francis said the United Nations should re-assert its leadership in world diplomacy because it had become "too watered down". (Reuters)

Pope Francis urges mediation to end North Korean crisis

President Donald Trump complained on Thursday that the United States was being unfairly treated in the Paris Climate Agreement and told Reuters he would announce a decision in about two weeks on whether Washington would remain in the accord.

The Republican Trump, elected in November, had vowed during his campaign to withdraw from the Paris accord within 100 days of becoming president, part of a broader plan to sweep away Obama administration environmental protections he said were hobbling the economy.

He has since said he is open to staying in the pact if Washington gets better terms, and scores of large U.S. companies and several Republican lawmakers have urged him to stay in the deal as a way to protect American industry interests overseas.

Trump, who will mark the 100th day of his presidency on Saturday, told Reuters in an interview he would announce his decision &quot;in about two weeks,&quot; but complained that China, India, Russia and other countries were paying too little to help poorer countries battle climate change under the agreement&#39;s Green Climate Fund.

&quot;It&#39;s not a fair situation because they are paying virtually nothing and we are paying massive amounts of money,&quot; he said.

Asked for a hint of what his decision might be, he said: &quot;I can say this, we want to be treated fairly.&quot;

An administration source told Reuters earlier that Trump administration officials would likely meet in May to decide whether to keep the United States in the climate deal, having had an initial meeting on Thursday at the White House.

The group of advisers, which includes Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and national security adviser H.R. McMaster, was on track to make the decision before a Group of Seven summit on May 26, the source said.

CABINET DIFFERENCES

Tillerson, the former head of Exxon Mobil Corp, and Perry have said the country should remain in the agreement. McMaster shares that view, a source outside the administration said.

Opponents of the pact include Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, the former attorney general of oil-producing state Oklahoma, and White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Nearly 200 countries struck the Paris agreement to limit climate change by cutting carbon dioxide emissions and making investments in clean energy.

Many companies such as BP Plc and Microsoft Corp have urged the United States to stay in the agreement to protect their competitiveness.

A group of nine Republican lawmakers on Thursday urged Trump to stick to the pact, but to weaken the U.S. pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Congressman Kevin Cramer of oil-producing state North Dakota and eight other Republicans in the House of Representatives sent a letter to Trump urging him to use the country&#39;s &quot;seat at the Paris table to defend and promote our commercial interest, including our manufacturing and fossil fuel sectors.&quot;

If the United States is to stay in the 2015 agreement, Washington should present a new emissions cutting pledge that &quot;does no harm to our economy,&quot; said the letter from Cramer, who advised Trump on energy and climate during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump&#39;s Democratic predecessor, former President Barack Obama, had pledged a 26 percent to 28 percent cut in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels, by 2025. Most scientists say the world needs to curb greenhouse gas emissions to limit the effects of climate change, including rising seas, deadly heatwaves, and severe storms and droughts.

The Republican lawmakers also said Washington should retain its seat on the Green Climate Fund but not make additional transfers to it. Obama pledged $3 billion to the fund in 2014, and gave $1 billion to it, with the last $500 million payment coming in his last days as president.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

'It's not a fair situation because they are paying virtually nothing and we are paying massive amounts of money,' he said

President Donald Trump complained on Thursday that the United States was being unfairly treated in the Paris Climate Agreement and told Reuters he would announce a decision in about two weeks on whether Washington would remain in the accord. The Republican Trump, elected in November, had vowed during his campaign to withdraw from the Paris accord within 100 days of becoming president, part of a broader plan to sweep away Obama administration environmental protections he said were hobbling the economy. He has since said he is open to staying in the pact if Washington gets better terms, and scores of large U.S. companies and several Republican lawmakers have urged him to stay in the deal as a way to protect American industry interests overseas. Trump, who will mark the 100th day of his presidency on Saturday, told Reuters in an interview he would announce his decision "in about two weeks," but complained that China, India, Russia and other countries were paying too little to help poorer countries battle climate change under the agreement's Green Climate Fund. "It's not a fair situation because they are paying virtually nothing and we are paying massive amounts of money," he said. Asked for a hint of what his decision might be, he said: "I can say this, we want to be treated fairly." An administration source told Reuters earlier that Trump administration officials would likely meet in May to decide whether to keep the United States in the climate deal, having had an initial meeting on Thursday at the White House. The group of advisers, which includes Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and national security adviser H.R. McMaster, was on track to make the decision before a Group of Seven summit on May 26, the source said. CABINET DIFFERENCES Tillerson, the former head of Exxon Mobil Corp, and Perry have said the country should remain in the agreement. McMaster shares that view, a source outside the administration said. Opponents of the pact include Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, the former attorney general of oil-producing state Oklahoma, and White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. Nearly 200 countries struck the Paris agreement to limit climate change by cutting carbon dioxide emissions and making investments in clean energy. Many companies such as BP Plc and Microsoft Corp have urged the United States to stay in the agreement to protect their competitiveness. A group of nine Republican lawmakers on Thursday urged Trump to stick to the pact, but to weaken the U.S. pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Congressman Kevin Cramer of oil-producing state North Dakota and eight other Republicans in the House of Representatives sent a letter to Trump urging him to use the country's "seat at the Paris table to defend and promote our commercial interest, including our manufacturing and fossil fuel sectors." If the United States is to stay in the 2015 agreement, Washington should present a new emissions cutting pledge that "does no harm to our economy," said the letter from Cramer, who advised Trump on energy and climate during his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump's Democratic predecessor, former President Barack Obama, had pledged a 26 percent to 28 percent cut in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels, by 2025. Most scientists say the world needs to curb greenhouse gas emissions to limit the effects of climate change, including rising seas, deadly heatwaves, and severe storms and droughts. The Republican lawmakers also said Washington should retain its seat on the Green Climate Fund but not make additional transfers to it. Obama pledged $3 billion to the fund in 2014, and gave $1 billion to it, with the last $500 million payment coming in his last days as president. (Reuters)

Paris climate agreement:?Trump says India, China pay too little to help poor countries

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday a major conflict with North Korea is possible in the standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute.

&quot;There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely,&quot; Trump told Reuters in an Oval Office interview ahead of his 100th day in office on Saturday.

Nonetheless, Trump said he wanted to peacefully resolve a crisis that has bedeviled multiple US presidents, a path that he and his administration are emphasizing by preparing a variety of new economic sanctions while not taking the military option off the table.

&quot;We&#39;d love to solve things diplomatically but it&#39;s very difficult,&quot; he said.

In other highlights of the 42-minute interview, Trump was cool to speaking again with Taiwan&#39;s president after an earlier telephone call with her angered China.

He also said he wants South Korea to pay the cost of the US THAAD anti-missile defense system, which he estimated at $1 billion, and intends to renegotiate or terminate a US free trade pact with South Korea because of a deep trade deficit with Seoul.

Asked when he would announce his intention to renegotiate the pact, Trump said: &ldquo;Very soon. I&rsquo;m announcing it now.&rdquo;

Trump also said he was considering adding stops to Israel and Saudi Arabia to a Europe trip next month, emphasizing that he wanted to see an Israeli-Palestinian peace. He complained that Saudi Arabia was not paying its fair share for U.S. defense.

Asked about the fight against Islamic State, Trump said the militant group had to be defeated.

&quot;I have to say, there is an end. And it has to be humiliation,&quot; he said, when asked about what the endgame was for defeating Islamist violent extremism.

Xi &#39;trying very hard&#39;

Trump said North Korea was his biggest global challenge. He lavished praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping for Chinese assistance in trying to rein in Pyongyang. The two leaders met in Florida earlier this month.

&quot;I believe he is trying very hard. He certainly doesn&rsquo;t want to see turmoil and death. He doesn&rsquo;t want to see it. He is a good man. He is a very good man and I got to know him very well.

&quot;With that being said, he loves China and he loves the people of China. I know he would like to be able to do something, perhaps it&#39;s possible that he can&rsquo;t,&quot; Trump said.

Trump spoke just a day after he and his top national security advisers briefed U.S. lawmakers on the North Korean threat and one day before Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will press the United Nations Security Council on sanctions to further isolate Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs.

The Trump administration on Wednesday declared North Korea &quot;an urgent national security threat and top foreign policy priority.&quot; It said it was focusing on economic and diplomatic pressure, including Chinese cooperation in containing its defiant neighbor and ally, and remained open to negotiations.

U.S. officials said military strikes remained an option but played down the prospect, though the administration has sent an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine to the region in a show of force.

Any direct U.S. military action would run the risk of massive North Korean retaliation and huge casualties in Japan and South Korea and among U.S. forces in both countries.

I hope he&#39;s rational

Trump, asked if he considered North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to be rational, said he was operating from the assumption that he is rational. He noted that Kim had taken over his country at an early age.

&quot;He&#39;s 27 years old. His father dies, took over a regime. So say what you want but that is not easy, especially at that age.

&quot;I&#39;m not giving him credit or not giving him credit, I&#39;m just saying that&#39;s a very hard thing to do. As to whether or not he&#39;s rational, I have no opinion on it. I hope he&#39;s rational,&quot; he said.

Trump, sipping a Coke delivered by an aide after the president ordered it by pressing a button on his desk, rebuffed an overture from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who told Reuters a direct phone call with Trump could take place again after their first conversation in early December angered Beijing.

China considers neighboring Taiwan to be a renegade province.

&quot;My problem is that I have established a very good personal relationship with President Xi,&quot; said Trump. &quot;I really feel that he is doing everything in his power to help us with a big situation. So I wouldn&rsquo;t want to be causing difficulty right now for him.

&quot;So I would certainly want to speak to him first.&quot;

Trump also said he hoped to avoid a potential government shutdown amid a dispute between congressional Republicans and Democrats over a spending deal with a Saturday deadline looming.

But he said if a shutdown takes place, it will be the Democrats&#39; fault for trying to add money to the legislation to &quot;bail out Puerto Rico&quot; and other items.

He also defended the one-page tax plan he unveiled on Wednesday from criticism that it would increase the U.S. deficit, saying better trade deals and economic growth would offset the costs.

&quot;We will do trade deals that are going to make up for a tremendous amount of the deficit. We are going to be doing trade deals that are going to be much better trade deals,&quot; Trump said.

(Reuters)

'There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely,' Trump told Reuters

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday a major conflict with North Korea is possible in the standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute. "There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely," Trump told Reuters in an Oval Office interview ahead of his 100th day in office on Saturday. Nonetheless, Trump said he wanted to peacefully resolve a crisis that has bedeviled multiple US presidents, a path that he and his administration are emphasizing by preparing a variety of new economic sanctions while not taking the military option off the table. "We'd love to solve things diplomatically but it's very difficult," he said. In other highlights of the 42-minute interview, Trump was cool to speaking again with Taiwan's president after an earlier telephone call with her angered China. He also said he wants South Korea to pay the cost of the US THAAD anti-missile defense system, which he estimated at $1 billion, and intends to renegotiate or terminate a US free trade pact with South Korea because of a deep trade deficit with Seoul. Asked when he would announce his intention to renegotiate the pact, Trump said: “Very soon. I’m announcing it now.” Trump also said he was considering adding stops to Israel and Saudi Arabia to a Europe trip next month, emphasizing that he wanted to see an Israeli-Palestinian peace. He complained that Saudi Arabia was not paying its fair share for U.S. defense. Asked about the fight against Islamic State, Trump said the militant group had to be defeated. "I have to say, there is an end. And it has to be humiliation," he said, when asked about what the endgame was for defeating Islamist violent extremism. Xi 'trying very hard' Trump said North Korea was his biggest global challenge. He lavished praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping for Chinese assistance in trying to rein in Pyongyang. The two leaders met in Florida earlier this month. "I believe he is trying very hard. He certainly doesn’t want to see turmoil and death. He doesn’t want to see it. He is a good man. He is a very good man and I got to know him very well. "With that being said, he loves China and he loves the people of China. I know he would like to be able to do something, perhaps it's possible that he can’t," Trump said. Trump spoke just a day after he and his top national security advisers briefed U.S. lawmakers on the North Korean threat and one day before Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will press the United Nations Security Council on sanctions to further isolate Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs. The Trump administration on Wednesday declared North Korea "an urgent national security threat and top foreign policy priority." It said it was focusing on economic and diplomatic pressure, including Chinese cooperation in containing its defiant neighbor and ally, and remained open to negotiations. U.S. officials said military strikes remained an option but played down the prospect, though the administration has sent an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine to the region in a show of force. Any direct U.S. military action would run the risk of massive North Korean retaliation and huge casualties in Japan and South Korea and among U.S. forces in both countries. I hope he's rational Trump, asked if he considered North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to be rational, said he was operating from the assumption that he is rational. He noted that Kim had taken over his country at an early age. "He's 27 years old. His father dies, took over a regime. So say what you want but that is not easy, especially at that age. "I'm not giving him credit or not giving him credit, I'm just saying that's a very hard thing to do. As to whether or not he's rational, I have no opinion on it. I hope he's rational," he said. Trump, sipping a Coke delivered by an aide after the president ordered it by pressing a button on his desk, rebuffed an overture from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who told Reuters a direct phone call with Trump could take place again after their first conversation in early December angered Beijing. China considers neighboring Taiwan to be a renegade province. "My problem is that I have established a very good personal relationship with President Xi," said Trump. "I really feel that he is doing everything in his power to help us with a big situation. So I wouldn’t want to be causing difficulty right now for him. "So I would certainly want to speak to him first." Trump also said he hoped to avoid a potential government shutdown amid a dispute between congressional Republicans and Democrats over a spending deal with a Saturday deadline looming. But he said if a shutdown takes place, it will be the Democrats' fault for trying to add money to the legislation to "bail out Puerto Rico" and other items. He also defended the one-page tax plan he unveiled on Wednesday from criticism that it would increase the U.S. deficit, saying better trade deals and economic growth would offset the costs. "We will do trade deals that are going to make up for a tremendous amount of the deficit. We are going to be doing trade deals that are going to be much better trade deals," Trump said. (Reuters)

Trump warns of 'major, major' conflict with North Korea

The United States has spelled out its desire to ramp up sanctions against North Korea in order to bring its leader Kim Jong-Un &quot;to his senses&quot;.

The Pentagon released a statement that underlined Washington&#39;s tough stance on North Korea, which has pooh-poohed several economic sanctions in the past to continue with its ballistic missile programme.

After briefing senators at the White House, a&nbsp;statement from Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stated US President Donald Trump&#39;s desire to &quot;dismantle&quot; North Korea&#39;s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes by &quot;tightening economic sanctions&quot;.

Although Washington remained on the front foot about its policies towards Pyongyang, the joint statement said they were involved in getting help from the &quot;international community to incrcease pressure&quot; on North Korea and convice them to &quot;return to the path of dialogue&quot;.

Reiterating its statement that &quot;all options were on the table&quot;, the statement further said: &quot;We want to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not to his knees.&quot;

The Trump administration has been wary of North Korea&#39;s intention to continue with their nuclear testing and has warned about military action if needed.

The US has also reached out to China to placate the isolated regime.&nbsp;

But if China&#39;s efforts are not enough to deter North Korea, the Trump administration has underscored the possibilities of a military solution.

THAAD trouble

The US sent the THAAD defence intercepting equipment to be installed in South Korea on Wednesday morning.

But the installation of the THAAD in a golf course in Seongju county has elicited heated protests from residents, who believe that the presence of the missile interceptor would goad North leader Kim Jong-Un to attack their region.

THAAD&#39;s deployment in South Korea has also vexed and angered Beijing in equal measure.

Its presence angers Beijing as it would help the US to monitor and perhaps scuttle their missile programmes. And it angers them because it is likely to escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula.

But the US and South Korea governments have remained steadfast about their decision to install THAAD.

They feel the increasing bellicosity of the North has left them with little option but to place the THAAD in South Korea.

THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.

North&#39;s defiance

North Korea has been ruffling feathers by flexing its military might.

Apart from test-firing missiles and threatening to launch ballistic missiles towards the US, Pyongyang has been recently busy in tom-tomming its largest-ever firing drill to mark the&nbsp;founding anniversary of its military.

The regime has, like in the past, routinely dismissed suggestions of sanctions and military threat to continue building their weaponry.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

While a military solution remains an option, the US first wants to impose tough economic sanctions to deter North Korea from its nuclear programme

The United States has spelled out its desire to ramp up sanctions against North Korea in order to bring its leader Kim Jong-Un "to his senses". The Pentagon released a statement that underlined Washington's tough stance on North Korea, which has pooh-poohed several economic sanctions in the past to continue with its ballistic missile programme. After briefing senators at the White House, a statement from Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stated US President Donald Trump's desire to "dismantle" North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes by "tightening economic sanctions". Although Washington remained on the front foot about its policies towards Pyongyang, the joint statement said they were involved in getting help from the "international community to incrcease pressure" on North Korea and convice them to "return to the path of dialogue". Reiterating its statement that "all options were on the table", the statement further said: "We want to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not to his knees." The Trump administration has been wary of North Korea's intention to continue with their nuclear testing and has warned about military action if needed. The US has also reached out to China to placate the isolated regime. But if China's efforts are not enough to deter North Korea, the Trump administration has underscored the possibilities of a military solution. THAAD trouble The US sent the THAAD defence intercepting equipment to be installed in South Korea on Wednesday morning. But the installation of the THAAD in a golf course in Seongju county has elicited heated protests from residents, who believe that the presence of the missile interceptor would goad North leader Kim Jong-Un to attack their region. THAAD's deployment in South Korea has also vexed and angered Beijing in equal measure. Its presence angers Beijing as it would help the US to monitor and perhaps scuttle their missile programmes. And it angers them because it is likely to escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula. But the US and South Korea governments have remained steadfast about their decision to install THAAD. They feel the increasing bellicosity of the North has left them with little option but to place the THAAD in South Korea. THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. North's defiance North Korea has been ruffling feathers by flexing its military might. Apart from test-firing missiles and threatening to launch ballistic missiles towards the US, Pyongyang has been recently busy in tom-tomming its largest-ever firing drill to mark the founding anniversary of its military. The regime has, like in the past, routinely dismissed suggestions of sanctions and military threat to continue building their weaponry. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US wants to ramp up North Korea sanctions to bring Kim 'to his senses'

The Donald Trump administration has proposed to dramatically slash corporate tax rates to spur economic growth and boost job&nbsp;creation, the White House said, a move that will also benefit the president&#39;s own company.

Dubbing it as the largest-ever tax reforms in US history, the White House said the rate of corporation tax would be lowered from 35 per cent to 15 per cent.

Gary Cohn, the chief economic advisor to US President Donald Trump, and Steven Mnuchin, the treasure secretary, also announced that they would simplify tax declaration for individuals.

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<h5>Analysts say cutting the top corporate rate to 15 per cent could add more than $2 trillion to the deficit over a decade.</h5>
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The administration wants to cut the number of income tax brackets from seven to three (10 per cent, 25 per cent and 35 per cent).

&quot;We are going to cut taxes for businesses to make them competitive and we&#39;re going to cut taxes for the American people especially low- and middle-income families,&quot; said Cohn, who heads the new National Economic Council.

Cohn also underlined the need to overhaul the tax system to make US corporates more competitive.

The proposed reforms were unveiled to the media in a one-page, bullet-pointed outline.

When asked questions about the fine print of their plan, White House said: &quot;We will let you know the details at the appropriate time.&quot;

Cohn and Mnuchin maintained that the &quot;once-in-a-lifetime&quot; reforms were all about &quot;creating job and economic growth&quot; when they were asked by the media about how the cut in corporate taxes would benefit Trump personally.

Rich-friendly reforms?

Analysts say cutting the top corporate rate to 15 per cent could add more than $2 trillion to the deficit over a decade.

They also dispute White House expectations that the tax cuts will boost economic growth and bring in enough revenues to offset the cost. That assumption is unrealistic, they say.

Guardian quoted critics as saying that the proposed big bang is a figleaf and &quot;basically a huge tax cut for the rich&quot;.

They believe that the potential burgeoning of the fiscal deficit would result in fall in the standard of living.

Some sections of the media have also pointed out that the new tax plan is opaque and lacks clarity.

The White House officials did not provide sufficient&nbsp;details on how the tax cuts would be paid for at a time when Congress is riven by concerns over US debt and deficit spending.

Simplified declarations&nbsp;

For individuals, the reform promises to simplify tax declaration by, among other things, reducing the number of income tax brackets from seven to three, at 10 per cent, 25 per cent and 35 per cent.

The standard tax-free deduction would be doubled, a change Cohn said would amount to &quot;a zero tax rate&quot; on a married couple&#39;s first $24,000 in annual income.

The proposal also calls for eliminating a 3.8 per cent tax on investment income used to help meet costs under for President Barack Obama&#39;s health care program, and the Alternative Minimum Tax, paid by people and companies who enjoy large deductions on standard income tax.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Analysts believe the dramatic lowering of top corporate rate could add more than $2 trillion to the deficit over the next ten years

The Donald Trump administration has proposed to dramatically slash corporate tax rates to spur economic growth and boost job creation, the White House said, a move that will also benefit the president's own company. Dubbing it as the largest-ever tax reforms in US history, the White House said the rate of corporation tax would be lowered from 35 per cent to 15 per cent. Gary Cohn, the chief economic advisor to US President Donald Trump, and Steven Mnuchin, the treasure secretary, also announced that they would simplify tax declaration for individuals. Analysts say cutting the top corporate rate to 15 per cent could add more than $2 trillion to the deficit over a decade. × The administration wants to cut the number of income tax brackets from seven to three (10 per cent, 25 per cent and 35 per cent). "We are going to cut taxes for businesses to make them competitive and we're going to cut taxes for the American people especially low- and middle-income families," said Cohn, who heads the new National Economic Council. Cohn also underlined the need to overhaul the tax system to make US corporates more competitive. The proposed reforms were unveiled to the media in a one-page, bullet-pointed outline. When asked questions about the fine print of their plan, White House said: "We will let you know the details at the appropriate time." Cohn and Mnuchin maintained that the "once-in-a-lifetime" reforms were all about "creating job and economic growth" when they were asked by the media about how the cut in corporate taxes would benefit Trump personally. Rich-friendly reforms? Analysts say cutting the top corporate rate to 15 per cent could add more than $2 trillion to the deficit over a decade. They also dispute White House expectations that the tax cuts will boost economic growth and bring in enough revenues to offset the cost. That assumption is unrealistic, they say. Guardian quoted critics as saying that the proposed big bang is a figleaf and "basically a huge tax cut for the rich". They believe that the potential burgeoning of the fiscal deficit would result in fall in the standard of living. Some sections of the media have also pointed out that the new tax plan is opaque and lacks clarity. The White House officials did not provide sufficient details on how the tax cuts would be paid for at a time when Congress is riven by concerns over US debt and deficit spending. Simplified declarations For individuals, the reform promises to simplify tax declaration by, among other things, reducing the number of income tax brackets from seven to three, at 10 per cent, 25 per cent and 35 per cent. The standard tax-free deduction would be doubled, a change Cohn said would amount to "a zero tax rate" on a married couple's first $24,000 in annual income. The proposal also calls for eliminating a 3.8 per cent tax on investment income used to help meet costs under for President Barack Obama's health care program, and the Alternative Minimum Tax, paid by people and companies who enjoy large deductions on standard income tax. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump proposes slashing corporate, individual tax rate to spur economy

NAFTA partners Mexico, Canada and the United States plan to swiftly renegotiate their free trade deal, the White House announced Wednesday.

President Donald Trump &quot;agreed not to terminate NAFTA at this time and the leaders agreed to proceed swiftly... to enable the renegotiation of the NAFTA deal,&quot; a statement said.

The announcement came after reports in US media had said that Trump was considering giving formal notice of pulling the United States out of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

A draft executive order was in the final stages of review, two White House officials told the Politico news website, and could be unveiled within a week or two. The New York Times had quoted a senior administration official saying Trump was likely to sign such an executive order.

But late Wednesday Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross brushed off the reports as &quot;rumor&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;There was a rumor today that there would be an executive order, just a rumor, and my practice is to comment on things we have actually done or are doing as opposed to commenting on rumors,&quot; he said.

Trump calls NAFTA, established January 1, 1994, a &quot;disaster&quot; and has pledged to renegotiate the terms or abandon the pact altogether.

He blames NAFTA for the loss of millions of US industrial jobs, mostly to Mexico.

His administration also slapped tariffs in recent days on some imports of Canadian timber and threatened to retaliate against Canadian moves that harm US dairy farmers. Timber and milk, however, are not covered by NAFTA.

The White House statement said Trump spoke late Wednesday with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada.&nbsp;

&quot;Both conversations were pleasant and productive,&quot; it said.

Trump was quoted in the statement saying &quot;it is my privilege to bring NAFTA up to date through renegotiation. It is an honor to deal with both President Pena Nieto and Prime Minister Trudeau, and I believe that the end result will make all three countries stronger and better.&quot;

(AFP)

President Donald Trump "agreed not to terminate NAFTA at this time and the leaders agreed to proceed swiftly... to enable the renegotiation of the NAFTA deal," a statement said

NAFTA partners Mexico, Canada and the United States plan to swiftly renegotiate their free trade deal, the White House announced Wednesday. President Donald Trump "agreed not to terminate NAFTA at this time and the leaders agreed to proceed swiftly... to enable the renegotiation of the NAFTA deal," a statement said. The announcement came after reports in US media had said that Trump was considering giving formal notice of pulling the United States out of the North American Free Trade Agreement. A draft executive order was in the final stages of review, two White House officials told the Politico news website, and could be unveiled within a week or two. The New York Times had quoted a senior administration official saying Trump was likely to sign such an executive order. But late Wednesday Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross brushed off the reports as "rumor". "There was a rumor today that there would be an executive order, just a rumor, and my practice is to comment on things we have actually done or are doing as opposed to commenting on rumors," he said. Trump calls NAFTA, established January 1, 1994, a "disaster" and has pledged to renegotiate the terms or abandon the pact altogether. He blames NAFTA for the loss of millions of US industrial jobs, mostly to Mexico. His administration also slapped tariffs in recent days on some imports of Canadian timber and threatened to retaliate against Canadian moves that harm US dairy farmers. Timber and milk, however, are not covered by NAFTA. The White House statement said Trump spoke late Wednesday with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada. "Both conversations were pleasant and productive," it said. Trump was quoted in the statement saying "it is my privilege to bring NAFTA up to date through renegotiation. It is an honor to deal with both President Pena Nieto and Prime Minister Trudeau, and I believe that the end result will make all three countries stronger and better." (AFP)

US, Mexico and Canada agree to renegotiate NAFTA: White House

Donald Trump and the US media may still be at war after the president&#39;s first 100 days but both sides are also reaping benefits from the hostilities between the former reality TV star and what he calls the &quot;fake news&quot; industry.

Trump&#39;s decision to snub this weekend&#39;s White House Correspondents&#39; Dinner has underlined how little love is lost between the president and &quot;the opposition&quot; -- as his top advisor Steve Bannon has dubbed the media.

But analysts say that while Trump uses the press as a foil to deflect bad news, media outlets are getting a lift from consumers looking for credible information about his administration -- or simply tuning in for a dose of the daily Trump show.

&quot;Trump has been gold for the mainstream media,&quot; says Tobe Berkovitz, a former political consultant who is now a communications professor at Boston University.

Berkovitz says Trump has &quot;a handy devil he can blame for all his stumbles,&quot; and as a result, &quot;both sides are pretty happy with each other.&quot;

Newspapers such as the New York Times have seen a significant bounce in circulation since Trump`s victory last November and cable news networks have also enjoyed a ratings rise.&nbsp;

&quot;You can attribute a lot of that to Donald Trump,&quot; said Dan Kennedy, a Northeastern University journalism professor, said there is more interest in news because it is a time of &quot;great anxiety.&quot;

A key question for the media is whether the bump in ratings and subscriptions is temporary or indicative of a trend.

&quot;It may end up being more sustainable than we might think even if Trump goes away,&quot; said Kennedy.

&quot;There is so much concern over fake news, and the garbage that is shared on Facebook,&quot; he added. &quot;We are seeing a flight to quality.&quot;

The apparent bad blood between Trump and the Washington press corps stands in stark contrast with relations under his predecessor Barack Obama who was a regular turn at the annual correspondents&#39; dinner.

Trump regularly refers to the New York Times as a &quot;failing&quot; newspaper and often has digs at traditional cable networks. 
But he has nevertheless granted interviews to nearly all the mainstream media and some pundits say the seeming animosity is not all that it appears.

&quot;It&#39;s more than a little bit of a show,&quot; says Kennedy.

Trump, he said, &quot;turns around and calls a lot of the reporters that he excoriates publicly.&quot;

Politico reporters Ben Schreckinger and Hadas Gold, who interviewed more than three dozen members of the White House press corps, wrote that Trump is engaged in a &quot;fake war&quot; on the press, that the president`s staff works to maintain relationships with journalists.

Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who worked for president George W. Bush, says Trump appears to help himself politically by vilifying the media, in which trust is at historic lows.

&quot;Donald Trump strikes a chord when he takes the press on,&quot; Fleischer told a recent symposium at the Newseum in Washington. 
Charlie Spiering, a reporter at the pro-Trump Breitbart News, told the same forum that the mainstream press is an easy target.

Spiering said Trump`s bashing of news outlets isn`t &quot;to denigrate the press,&quot; but because &quot;it was popular among his base -- his base loves those taglines.&quot;Nevertheless, the short-term lift from Trump may be the harbinger of longer problems, says Jeff Jarvis, a City University of New York journalism professor.

&quot;If it`s bad for democracy, it`s bad for the press,&quot; Jarvis said.

&quot;He&#39;s attacking our credibility, attacking our trust.&quot;

Reporter Jim Acosta of CNN -- whom Trump singled out as &quot;fake news&quot; in his first press conference after his election -- has similar worries.

&quot;When he leaves office, we need Republicans to believe what is being said in the mainstream press just as much as we need Democrats to,&quot; Acosta told the Newseum event.

A Pew Research Center survey released this month found 83 percent of respondents said the relationship between Trump and the media is &quot;unhealthy&quot; and 73 percent said the tensions hinder public access to important political news.

A separate Gallup survey found 37 percent of Americans felt the news media was &quot;not tough enough&quot; on Trump while 32 percent said it was &quot;too tough.&quot; Only one in four said the press had struck a good balance.

(AFP)

Trump's decision to snub this weekend`s White House Correspondents' Dinner has underlined how little love is lost between the president and "the opposition" -- as his top advisor Steve Bannon has dubbed the media.

Donald Trump and the US media may still be at war after the president's first 100 days but both sides are also reaping benefits from the hostilities between the former reality TV star and what he calls the "fake news" industry. Trump's decision to snub this weekend's White House Correspondents' Dinner has underlined how little love is lost between the president and "the opposition" -- as his top advisor Steve Bannon has dubbed the media. But analysts say that while Trump uses the press as a foil to deflect bad news, media outlets are getting a lift from consumers looking for credible information about his administration -- or simply tuning in for a dose of the daily Trump show. "Trump has been gold for the mainstream media," says Tobe Berkovitz, a former political consultant who is now a communications professor at Boston University. Berkovitz says Trump has "a handy devil he can blame for all his stumbles," and as a result, "both sides are pretty happy with each other." Newspapers such as the New York Times have seen a significant bounce in circulation since Trump`s victory last November and cable news networks have also enjoyed a ratings rise. "You can attribute a lot of that to Donald Trump," said Dan Kennedy, a Northeastern University journalism professor, said there is more interest in news because it is a time of "great anxiety." A key question for the media is whether the bump in ratings and subscriptions is temporary or indicative of a trend. "It may end up being more sustainable than we might think even if Trump goes away," said Kennedy. "There is so much concern over fake news, and the garbage that is shared on Facebook," he added. "We are seeing a flight to quality." The apparent bad blood between Trump and the Washington press corps stands in stark contrast with relations under his predecessor Barack Obama who was a regular turn at the annual correspondents' dinner. Trump regularly refers to the New York Times as a "failing" newspaper and often has digs at traditional cable networks. But he has nevertheless granted interviews to nearly all the mainstream media and some pundits say the seeming animosity is not all that it appears. "It's more than a little bit of a show," says Kennedy. Trump, he said, "turns around and calls a lot of the reporters that he excoriates publicly." Politico reporters Ben Schreckinger and Hadas Gold, who interviewed more than three dozen members of the White House press corps, wrote that Trump is engaged in a "fake war" on the press, that the president`s staff works to maintain relationships with journalists. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who worked for president George W. Bush, says Trump appears to help himself politically by vilifying the media, in which trust is at historic lows. "Donald Trump strikes a chord when he takes the press on," Fleischer told a recent symposium at the Newseum in Washington. Charlie Spiering, a reporter at the pro-Trump Breitbart News, told the same forum that the mainstream press is an easy target. Spiering said Trump`s bashing of news outlets isn`t "to denigrate the press," but because "it was popular among his base -- his base loves those taglines."Nevertheless, the short-term lift from Trump may be the harbinger of longer problems, says Jeff Jarvis, a City University of New York journalism professor. "If it`s bad for democracy, it`s bad for the press," Jarvis said. "He's attacking our credibility, attacking our trust." Reporter Jim Acosta of CNN -- whom Trump singled out as "fake news" in his first press conference after his election -- has similar worries. "When he leaves office, we need Republicans to believe what is being said in the mainstream press just as much as we need Democrats to," Acosta told the Newseum event. A Pew Research Center survey released this month found 83 percent of respondents said the relationship between Trump and the media is "unhealthy" and 73 percent said the tensions hinder public access to important political news. A separate Gallup survey found 37 percent of Americans felt the news media was "not tough enough" on Trump while 32 percent said it was "too tough." Only one in four said the press had struck a good balance. (AFP)

Trump and the media: A win-win reality show?

Donald Trump spent his life running a family firm and the White House is no exception: the first 100 days have given his adult children an unprecedented role even if the first lady lives in the shadows.

Here is a look at the president&#39;s tight-knit, wealthy celebrity clan, who with the arguable exception of his third wife appear comfortable in the spotlight and content to defy critics&#39; outrage about nepotism.

Gatekeepers Ivanka and Jared 
 
Trump&#39;s 35-year-old daughter Ivanka, a mother-of-three and ex model-turned-businesswoman who reportedly has some Democratic friends -- is reputedly Trump&#39;s favourite child, and the woman most often seen at his side.

An unpaid adviser with an office in the West Wing, who with husband Jared Kushner still has investments worth up to $740 million, Ivanka is a routine fixture at meetings with visiting heads of state.

To many she is the de facto first lady, taking on duties traditionally carried out by a wife -- from dialing up the International Space Station, to accompanying the Canadian prime minister to Broadway or attending the G20 in Berlin, provoking groans for defending her father.

She does all this looking immaculate in a parade of designer frocks, and posting glossy photographs of her family and White House moments to her 3.4 million Instagram followers.

The US press often portrays her and Jared as moderating influences over a president hot to temper, but there has been little evidence that their assumed progressive views have tempered policy decisions.

Sales of her clothing line, which she ran before moving to Washington, soared last year, but the brand was dumped by some department stores under pressure from activists demanding a boycott of Trump products.

Jared, 36, is one of the most powerful men in Washington, a &quot;special advisor&quot; with a widening portfolio of responsibilities spanning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, America&#39;s opioid epidemic and extending to a tour of Iraq before the secretary of state.

His widening role has been accompanied by reports of bitter infighting with right-wing ideologue and chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Orthodox Jewish and the grandson of Holocaust survivors, Kushner has no prior experience other than discretion, loyalty, running the family&#39;s real estate business and publishing a New York magazine

Home guard Don Jr and Eric 
 
Unlike sister Ivanka who stepped down from the family business, Trump&#39;s two eldest sons Don Jr. and Eric stayed behind in New York and run the Trump Organization in their father&#39;s absence.

Technically not supposed to discuss business with their father, his refusal to divest completely from the sprawling group has been slammed by ethics experts. Both sons are happy to engage with the media.

Father of five Don Jr, 39, is thought to harbor political ambitions of his own. Eric, 33, has given a slew of interviews, suggesting that Ivanka influenced the missile strikes on Syria, calling nepotism a &quot;factor of life&quot; and standing by his father&#39;s predilection for golf.

First lady who? 
 
Melania, a 47-year-old former model from Slovenia and Trump&#39;s third wife, is the first foreign-born first lady in two centuries.

Known for a fondness for European designer clothes, nude photo shoots in the past and taking a back seat, Melania lives in New York with 11-year-old son Barron and makes only fleeting public appearances.

Officially moving into the White House this summer at the end of the school year, she is considered a reluctant first lady who has been criticized for plagiarizing Michelle Obama and for her heavy accent.

More than half a million people signed a petition demanding she move straight to Washington or foot herself the bill for the $127,000-$146,000 a day security costs of staying behind in New York.

She settled a lawsuit with the Daily Mail that alleged she worked as an escort in the 1990s. She was most recently in the headlines for nudging her husband into raising his arm for the national anthem at the Easter egg roll. 
 
(AFP)

The president's tight-knit, wealthy celebrity clan, who with the arguable exception of his third wife appear comfortable in the spotlight

Donald Trump spent his life running a family firm and the White House is no exception: the first 100 days have given his adult children an unprecedented role even if the first lady lives in the shadows. Here is a look at the president's tight-knit, wealthy celebrity clan, who with the arguable exception of his third wife appear comfortable in the spotlight and content to defy critics' outrage about nepotism. Gatekeepers Ivanka and Jared Trump's 35-year-old daughter Ivanka, a mother-of-three and ex model-turned-businesswoman who reportedly has some Democratic friends -- is reputedly Trump's favourite child, and the woman most often seen at his side. An unpaid adviser with an office in the West Wing, who with husband Jared Kushner still has investments worth up to $740 million, Ivanka is a routine fixture at meetings with visiting heads of state. To many she is the de facto first lady, taking on duties traditionally carried out by a wife -- from dialing up the International Space Station, to accompanying the Canadian prime minister to Broadway or attending the G20 in Berlin, provoking groans for defending her father. She does all this looking immaculate in a parade of designer frocks, and posting glossy photographs of her family and White House moments to her 3.4 million Instagram followers. The US press often portrays her and Jared as moderating influences over a president hot to temper, but there has been little evidence that their assumed progressive views have tempered policy decisions. Sales of her clothing line, which she ran before moving to Washington, soared last year, but the brand was dumped by some department stores under pressure from activists demanding a boycott of Trump products. Jared, 36, is one of the most powerful men in Washington, a "special advisor" with a widening portfolio of responsibilities spanning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, America's opioid epidemic and extending to a tour of Iraq before the secretary of state. His widening role has been accompanied by reports of bitter infighting with right-wing ideologue and chief strategist Steve Bannon. Orthodox Jewish and the grandson of Holocaust survivors, Kushner has no prior experience other than discretion, loyalty, running the family's real estate business and publishing a New York magazine Home guard Don Jr and Eric Unlike sister Ivanka who stepped down from the family business, Trump's two eldest sons Don Jr. and Eric stayed behind in New York and run the Trump Organization in their father's absence. Technically not supposed to discuss business with their father, his refusal to divest completely from the sprawling group has been slammed by ethics experts. Both sons are happy to engage with the media. Father of five Don Jr, 39, is thought to harbor political ambitions of his own. Eric, 33, has given a slew of interviews, suggesting that Ivanka influenced the missile strikes on Syria, calling nepotism a "factor of life" and standing by his father's predilection for golf. First lady who? Melania, a 47-year-old former model from Slovenia and Trump's third wife, is the first foreign-born first lady in two centuries. Known for a fondness for European designer clothes, nude photo shoots in the past and taking a back seat, Melania lives in New York with 11-year-old son Barron and makes only fleeting public appearances. Officially moving into the White House this summer at the end of the school year, she is considered a reluctant first lady who has been criticized for plagiarizing Michelle Obama and for her heavy accent. More than half a million people signed a petition demanding she move straight to Washington or foot herself the bill for the $127,000-$146,000 a day security costs of staying behind in New York. She settled a lawsuit with the Daily Mail that alleged she worked as an escort in the 1990s. She was most recently in the headlines for nudging her husband into raising his arm for the national anthem at the Easter egg roll. (AFP)

Meet the Trumps: The White House family business, first lady who?

Nobody could claim to be shocked after&nbsp;the presidential candidate who ran on &quot;bomb the sh*t out of them&quot; rained Tomahawk missiles&nbsp;on&nbsp;Syria and dropped what is literally called&nbsp;the &quot;Mother Of All Bombs&quot; in Afghanistan,&nbsp;but tough words against Canada?

Canada is now bracing for trade disputes with the US after what some may see as surprisingly anti-Canadian rhetoric coming from the Trump White House.&nbsp;

On Tuesday Trump&nbsp;said:&nbsp;&quot;People don&#39;t realise that Canada has been very rough on the United States. Everyone thinks of Canada as being wonderful and so do I. I love Canada. But they&#39;ve outsmarted our politicians for years.&quot;&nbsp;

The US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Canada was &quot;not a good neighbour&quot;.

As&nbsp;statements, this is placid stuff by&nbsp;Trump White House standards. These&nbsp;Americans&nbsp;seem to be using Canadian passive aggressiveness against Canada. But in action Trump&#39;s pledge&nbsp;to charge an additional&nbsp;20 per cent tax on softwood lumber, key in the construction industry,&nbsp;from Canada is highly provocative. In a $5 billion industry,&nbsp;US dollars, this amounts to an additional $1 billion.

And Reuters <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-rekindles-trade-conflict-with-canada-over-lumber-14898" target="_blank">reported </a>that the US Commerce department&nbsp;&quot;will instruct US Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits based on these preliminary rates,&quot; and that&nbsp;&quot;certain companies will be subject to the retroactive collection of cash deposits&quot; for up to 90 days.

Fair play is apparently the US getting hundreds of millions of dollars in cash for something that has already happened.&nbsp;The previous softwood lumber deal expired in October 2015, but what gives the US grounds to make these kind of claims is unclear.

In response, Prime Minister Trudeau&#39;s office has&nbsp;&quot;refuted the baseless allegations by the US Department of Commerce and the decision to impose unfair duties,&quot; according to summary of the call published in <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/04/25/canada-braces-for-tough-times-in-us-lumber-dispute.html" target="_blank">media reports</a>.

&nbsp;

Is this new? No

While it&#39;s tempting to read this as a sign that Trump&#39;s unhinged bellicosity will extend even to Canada--a country&nbsp;the planet largely sees as an innocent darling, although less so as&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/canadas-justin-trudeau-liberal-signs-and-symbols-6370">evidence </a>to the contrary mounts--squeezing Canada for more money despite signed free trade agreements is an American tradition. Complaining about America doing this is a Canadian tradition.

It&#39;s a fight that first erupted in the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-17/u-s-and-canada-say-divisions-remain-in-softwood-lumber-dispute" target="_blank">1980s</a>. In fact,&nbsp;trying to screw Canada on softwood lumber&nbsp;may be the only political&nbsp;precedent Trump has decided not to smash.

Wilbur Ross continued:&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not a question of President Trump messing with the Canadians. We believe the Canadians violated legitimate practice.&rdquo; That Canada violated legitimate practices is a little rich, coming from&nbsp;a man&nbsp;who represents a president&nbsp;currently under FBI investigation for&nbsp;colluding&nbsp;with a hostile foreign government, and who for&nbsp;decades has been so linked to the Russian mafia he may as well be a made man, if he isn&#39;t already. (Here<a href="http://thegopwatchdog.com/136-paths-to-putin/" target="_blank">&nbsp;are 136</a>&nbsp;links between Trump&#39;s orbit and Russia&#39;s.)&nbsp;

But to be fair, the softwood lumber issue does predate&nbsp;Trump, and is&nbsp;sufficiently&nbsp;thorny and complicated to have put these two otherwise chummy, successive governments at odds for&nbsp;decades. Maybe Canada violated agreements, but it&#39;s impossible to hear the US president, the king of the &quot;<a href="http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/trump-university-its-worse-than-you-think" target="_blank">bait and switch</a>&quot; con, and take his word for it.

People outside North America may look at this and wonder:&nbsp;If Trump will pick a fight with Canada, which country is immune? Well, they should know,&nbsp;this is an old fight.

But in case&nbsp;anyone thinks the US&nbsp;isn&#39;t being a little ornery&nbsp;with its northern neighbour, Trump is&nbsp;targeting not just lumberjacks&nbsp;but&nbsp;Canada&#39;s other notorious fat cats: Dairy farmers.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Canada has made business for our dairy farmers in Wisconsin and other border states very difficult. We will not stand for this. Watch!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/856847826663460865">April 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Trump has spent months blasting NAFTA, but&nbsp;also recently praised it, and now seems to be harsh&nbsp;on it again. While the lumber fight may be old, moving forward with free trade deals&nbsp;the script&nbsp;is far from clear.

Trying to predict&nbsp;what this erratic,&nbsp;monumentally inexperienced and unqualified guy&nbsp;will do&nbsp;next is anyone&#39;s guess.&nbsp;

(WION)

While it's tempting to see this new trade dispute as Trump's bellicosity extending even to Canada, it's actually Washington-Ottawa tradition

Nobody could claim to be shocked after the presidential candidate who ran on "bomb the sh*t out of them" rained Tomahawk missiles on Syria and dropped what is literally called the "Mother Of All Bombs" in Afghanistan, but tough words against Canada? Canada is now bracing for trade disputes with the US after what some may see as surprisingly anti-Canadian rhetoric coming from the Trump White House. On Tuesday Trump said: "People don't realise that Canada has been very rough on the United States. Everyone thinks of Canada as being wonderful and so do I. I love Canada. But they've outsmarted our politicians for years." The US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Canada was "not a good neighbour". As statements, this is placid stuff by Trump White House standards. These Americans seem to be using Canadian passive aggressiveness against Canada. But in action Trump's pledge to charge an additional 20 per cent tax on softwood lumber, key in the construction industry, from Canada is highly provocative. In a $5 billion industry, US dollars, this amounts to an additional $1 billion. And Reuters reported that the US Commerce department "will instruct US Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits based on these preliminary rates," and that "certain companies will be subject to the retroactive collection of cash deposits" for up to 90 days. Fair play is apparently the US getting hundreds of millions of dollars in cash for something that has already happened. The previous softwood lumber deal expired in October 2015, but what gives the US grounds to make these kind of claims is unclear. In response, Prime Minister Trudeau's office has "refuted the baseless allegations by the US Department of Commerce and the decision to impose unfair duties," according to summary of the call published in media reports. Is this new? No While it's tempting to read this as a sign that Trump's unhinged bellicosity will extend even to Canada--a country the planet largely sees as an innocent darling, although less so as evidence to the contrary mounts--squeezing Canada for more money despite signed free trade agreements is an American tradition. Complaining about America doing this is a Canadian tradition. It's a fight that first erupted in the 1980s. In fact, trying to screw Canada on softwood lumber may be the only political precedent Trump has decided not to smash. Wilbur Ross continued: “It’s not a question of President Trump messing with the Canadians. We believe the Canadians violated legitimate practice.” That Canada violated legitimate practices is a little rich, coming from a man who represents a president currently under FBI investigation for colluding with a hostile foreign government, and who for decades has been so linked to the Russian mafia he may as well be a made man, if he isn't already. (Here are 136 links between Trump's orbit and Russia's.) But to be fair, the softwood lumber issue does predate Trump, and is sufficiently thorny and complicated to have put these two otherwise chummy, successive governments at odds for decades. Maybe Canada violated agreements, but it's impossible to hear the US president, the king of the "bait and switch" con, and take his word for it. People outside North America may look at this and wonder: If Trump will pick a fight with Canada, which country is immune? Well, they should know, this is an old fight. But in case anyone thinks the US isn't being a little ornery with its northern neighbour, Trump is targeting not just lumberjacks but Canada's other notorious fat cats: Dairy farmers. Canada has made business for our dairy farmers in Wisconsin and other border states very difficult. We will not stand for this. Watch! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2017 × Trump has spent months blasting NAFTA, but also recently praised it, and now seems to be harsh on it again. While the lumber fight may be old, moving forward with free trade deals the script is far from clear. Trying to predict what this erratic, monumentally inexperienced and unqualified guy will do next is anyone's guess. (WION)

Trump's tough talk on Canadian lumber anything but unprecedented

Donald Trump and US lawmakers inched closer to a deal Tuesday avoiding a government shutdown, as the president, eager to showcase a win marking his first 100 days, retreated from a demand to fund a border wall.

With the government set to exhaust its current funding at midnight Friday, the White House is under the gun to craft a compromise that would keep the government running while not appearing to cave on Trump&#39;s demand that Congress fund a wall on the border with Mexico.

&quot;Hopefully, we&#39;ll reach an agreement some time in the next couple of days,&quot; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, but he did not rule out passing a short-term extension that gives lawmakers time to craft a final deal.

While lawmaker said the funding legislation would steer clear of including funding for a border wall, it is expected to cover broader border security measures, such as the use of drones or anti-tunnelling technology.

But a deal remained far from certain. Among the sticking points is the fate of cost-sharing arrangements that help reduce health insurance costs for low-income Americans buying plans through the Affordable Care Act, the reform implemented by Trump&#39;s predecessor Barack Obama.

Trump had been on a collision course with lawmakers over the wall, demanding that Congress include funding to start construction in its new spending bill.

Democrats blasted the approach, warning that Republicans risked being blamed for shuttering the government barely three months into Trump&#39;s administration.

&quot;There aren&#39;t enough Republican votes to put the wall in&quot; to the spending bill, said veteran Senator Patrick Leahy, top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee.

With jitters rippling through Washington, Trump apparently agreed to soften his demand days before the deadline.

- Optimism - 
He told a group of conservative journalists he was open to delaying funding for the wall&#39;s construction until September, a White House official said, according to The Washington Post.

By Tuesday, the administration was acknowledging Trump&#39;s plan could be pushed back.

&quot;Building that wall and having it funded remains an important priority to him,&quot; advisor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.&nbsp;

&quot;But we also know that that can happen later this year and into next year.&quot;

With shutdown fever appearing to break in Washington, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said he was &quot;optimistic&quot; about reaching a timely deal, provided Republicans do not include controversial other issues such as defunding Planned Parenthood clinics.

&quot;We&#39;re pleased he&#39;s backing off,&quot; Schumer said of Trump&#39;s funding demand.&nbsp;

Instead of a wall, lawmakers are expressing support for a broader set of border security measures, including using drones and other high technology.

&quot;We&#39;re not opposed to border security,&quot; Schumer said.&nbsp;

&quot;We are opposed to the wall. And we&#39;re not going to allow any dollars in any kind of border security appropriation to be used for a wall. Period.&quot;

Building the wall was Trump&#39;s signature campaign promise, but Democrats note that Trump pledged Mexico would pay for it.

Even as the White House appeared to soften its rigid posture, Trump sent mixed messages.

&quot;Don&#39;t let the fake media tell you that I have changed my position on the WALL. It will get built and help stop drugs, human trafficking etc,&quot; he said Tuesday on Twitter.

The president then insisted the wall would be built &quot;soon,&quot; but offered no time frame other than within his four-year term.

&quot;The wall&#39;s going to get built, folks,&quot; Trump told reporters.

- &#39;Active negotiations&#39; - 
Congress, returning from a two-week break, now has three days to strike a deal.

Lawmakers have warned that a stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, may be needed to give Congress breathing room to finalize the spending details.

&quot;This is active negotiations,&quot; Republican Senator David Purdue said.

With the 100-day mark landing on Saturday and few legislative victories under his belt, Trump is pressing to fulfill another campaign pledge.

As a candidate, he repeatedly vowed to reform the tax code and slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent.&nbsp;

An announcement on such reforms is due Wednesday.

Conservatives have sought a reduction in tax rates for years, but they are also adamant about reducing the debt. Some Republicans appeared hesitant to embrace such slashes to &nbsp;corporate tax rates.

&quot;Fifteen percent might be too low,&quot; House Republican Leonard Lance told CNN.

Democrats have expressed little appetite for dramatically reducing taxes, especially for big business.

If there are no significant tax breaks for small business or working-class Americans, &quot;that would certainly for me be a non-starter,&quot; Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow said.

(AFP)

Donald Trump and US lawmakers inched closer to a deal Tuesday avoiding a government shutdown, as the president, eager to showcase a win marking his first 100 days, retreated from a demand to fund a border wall. With the government set to exhaust its current funding at midnight Friday, the White House is under the gun to craft a compromise that would keep the government running while not appearing to cave on Trump's demand that Congress fund a wall on the border with Mexico. "Hopefully, we'll reach an agreement some time in the next couple of days," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, but he did not rule out passing a short-term extension that gives lawmakers time to craft a final deal. While lawmaker said the funding legislation would steer clear of including funding for a border wall, it is expected to cover broader border security measures, such as the use of drones or anti-tunnelling technology. But a deal remained far from certain. Among the sticking points is the fate of cost-sharing arrangements that help reduce health insurance costs for low-income Americans buying plans through the Affordable Care Act, the reform implemented by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama. Trump had been on a collision course with lawmakers over the wall, demanding that Congress include funding to start construction in its new spending bill. Democrats blasted the approach, warning that Republicans risked being blamed for shuttering the government barely three months into Trump's administration. "There aren't enough Republican votes to put the wall in" to the spending bill, said veteran Senator Patrick Leahy, top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. With jitters rippling through Washington, Trump apparently agreed to soften his demand days before the deadline. - Optimism - He told a group of conservative journalists he was open to delaying funding for the wall's construction until September, a White House official said, according to The Washington Post. By Tuesday, the administration was acknowledging Trump's plan could be pushed back. "Building that wall and having it funded remains an important priority to him," advisor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News. "But we also know that that can happen later this year and into next year." With shutdown fever appearing to break in Washington, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said he was "optimistic" about reaching a timely deal, provided Republicans do not include controversial other issues such as defunding Planned Parenthood clinics. "We're pleased he's backing off," Schumer said of Trump's funding demand. Instead of a wall, lawmakers are expressing support for a broader set of border security measures, including using drones and other high technology. "We're not opposed to border security," Schumer said. "We are opposed to the wall. And we're not going to allow any dollars in any kind of border security appropriation to be used for a wall. Period." Building the wall was Trump's signature campaign promise, but Democrats note that Trump pledged Mexico would pay for it. Even as the White House appeared to soften its rigid posture, Trump sent mixed messages. "Don't let the fake media tell you that I have changed my position on the WALL. It will get built and help stop drugs, human trafficking etc," he said Tuesday on Twitter. The president then insisted the wall would be built "soon," but offered no time frame other than within his four-year term. "The wall's going to get built, folks," Trump told reporters. - 'Active negotiations' - Congress, returning from a two-week break, now has three days to strike a deal. Lawmakers have warned that a stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, may be needed to give Congress breathing room to finalize the spending details. "This is active negotiations," Republican Senator David Purdue said. With the 100-day mark landing on Saturday and few legislative victories under his belt, Trump is pressing to fulfill another campaign pledge. As a candidate, he repeatedly vowed to reform the tax code and slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent. An announcement on such reforms is due Wednesday. Conservatives have sought a reduction in tax rates for years, but they are also adamant about reducing the debt. Some Republicans appeared hesitant to embrace such slashes to corporate tax rates. "Fifteen percent might be too low," House Republican Leonard Lance told CNN. Democrats have expressed little appetite for dramatically reducing taxes, especially for big business. If there are no significant tax breaks for small business or working-class Americans, "that would certainly for me be a non-starter," Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow said. (AFP)

US govt shutdown threat ebbs as Trump retreats from demand to fund wall

The United States has started installing the controversial THAAD missile defence equipment in South Korea, as Washington&#39;s relations with North Korea remains on a&nbsp;knife edge.

Yonhap, South Korea&#39;s largest news agency, reported that six trailers carrying the THAAD missile had entered a golf course in South Korea on Wednesday morning.

The deployment of the advanced missile defence system in South Korea is to counter any threat from Pyongyang, who have thumbed nose at a series of sanctions to go ahead with their ballistic missile programme.

North Korea has also been vocal about their plan to conduct their sixth nuclear weapons test.

South Korea&#39;s defence ministry said the THAAD will be fully operational by the end of 2017.

South Korea and the US decided to position the THAAD weeks back following an increasingly bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang.

The THAAD system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.

Controversial THAAD

Although THAAD will ease South Korea&#39;s security, China has been a vocal critic of the advanced missile interceptor.

Beijing feels the deployment of THAAD not only enables US&#39; presence in the region, the defence system will also help Washington monitor and disrupt their missile tests.

China has long been against the deployment of THAAD in the region, but South Korea&#39;s decision to install it amid the sabre-rattling of their neighbours has angered Beijing.

In recent days, China has not only put an unofficial sanction on South Korean companies operating in their country, its hackers linked to &quot;military and intelligence agencies&quot; have &quot;launched a variety of attacks against the South Korea&#39;s government, military and a big conglomerate&quot;, according to a report in the Journal.

Local unrest

The deployment has also raised concerns among locals.

Residents of Seongju county in South Korea and the police clashed with each other over the deployment of THAAD in one of the region&#39;s golf courses.

The residents have been against the positioning of THAAD there because they believe it would infuriate North leader Kim Jong-Un and would prompt him to attack them.

They also cite environmental concerns.

On Wednesday, all hands were on the deck for the police as they had to contend with about 8,000 angry residents. The police had to call for back-up as scuffles erupted between the two factions.

US offensive

The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to the western Pacific.

Trump has indicated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, and reject bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang.

The US has long pushed for China to make more efforts to curb Pyongyang&#39;s behaviour.

But Beijing has resisted, concerned that a regime collapse could trigger a flood of refugees across the border and leave the US military on its doorstep.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called Monday for &quot;restraint&quot; regarding North Korea in a telephone conversation with Trump.

US defence leaders and other top officials are to give a classified briefing on North Korea to all senators in an unusual meeting at the White House later Wednesday.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The THAAD arrived in the South as North Korea continues with its ballistic missile programme

The United States has started installing the controversial THAAD missile defence equipment in South Korea, as Washington's relations with North Korea remains on a knife edge. Yonhap, South Korea's largest news agency, reported that six trailers carrying the THAAD missile had entered a golf course in South Korea on Wednesday morning. The deployment of the advanced missile defence system in South Korea is to counter any threat from Pyongyang, who have thumbed nose at a series of sanctions to go ahead with their ballistic missile programme. North Korea has also been vocal about their plan to conduct their sixth nuclear weapons test. South Korea's defence ministry said the THAAD will be fully operational by the end of 2017. South Korea and the US decided to position the THAAD weeks back following an increasingly bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang. The THAAD system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. Controversial THAAD Although THAAD will ease South Korea's security, China has been a vocal critic of the advanced missile interceptor. Beijing feels the deployment of THAAD not only enables US' presence in the region, the defence system will also help Washington monitor and disrupt their missile tests. China has long been against the deployment of THAAD in the region, but South Korea's decision to install it amid the sabre-rattling of their neighbours has angered Beijing. In recent days, China has not only put an unofficial sanction on South Korean companies operating in their country, its hackers linked to "military and intelligence agencies" have "launched a variety of attacks against the South Korea's government, military and a big conglomerate", according to a report in the Journal. Local unrest The deployment has also raised concerns among locals. Residents of Seongju county in South Korea and the police clashed with each other over the deployment of THAAD in one of the region's golf courses. The residents have been against the positioning of THAAD there because they believe it would infuriate North leader Kim Jong-Un and would prompt him to attack them. They also cite environmental concerns. On Wednesday, all hands were on the deck for the police as they had to contend with about 8,000 angry residents. The police had to call for back-up as scuffles erupted between the two factions. US offensive The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to the western Pacific. Trump has indicated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, and reject bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang. The US has long pushed for China to make more efforts to curb Pyongyang's behaviour. But Beijing has resisted, concerned that a regime collapse could trigger a flood of refugees across the border and leave the US military on its doorstep. Chinese President Xi Jinping called Monday for "restraint" regarding North Korea in a telephone conversation with Trump. US defence leaders and other top officials are to give a classified briefing on North Korea to all senators in an unusual meeting at the White House later Wednesday. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US' missile defence interceptor arrives in South Korea to counter North's threat

A US&nbsp;State Department website on Monday took down an article it published this month about President Donald Trump&#39;s Mar-a-Lago resort which had prompted criticism from prominent ethics experts that the piece represented use of public office for private gain.

The original article was posted on April 4 on the &quot;Share America&quot; website, overseen by the State Department&#39;s Bureau of International Information Programs. It was also shared on the websites and social media pages of several US embassies, including those in the United Kingdom, Portugal and Albania, as well as the State Department&#39;s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.

Although it was posted weeks ago, the article surfaced on Monday when it was shared widely on social media.

The State Department removed the article&#39;s content around 7 pm&nbsp;on Monday, replacing it with a short statement saying its intention &quot;was to inform the public about where the President has been hosting world leaders. We regret any misperception and have removed the post.&quot;

The article described the history of Trump&#39;s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and its size, status as a registered historic site, interior decoration and oceanfront location.

&quot;By visiting this &#39;winter White House,&#39; Trump is belatedly fulfilling the dream of Mar-a-Lago&#39;s original owner and designer,&quot; socialite and cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, the article said. &quot;Post&#39;s dream of a winter White House came true with Trump&#39;s election in 2016.&quot;

A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House did not know about the article in advance, and declined to comment further.

Norman Eisen, ethics chief under Trump&#39;s predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama, said on Twitter that the article violated a federal statute barring the use of public office for private gain.

Richard Painter, a former ethics lawyer for Republican President George W. Bush, said on Twitter that the post constituted &quot;use of public office for private gain pure and simple.&quot;

Scott Amey, an attorney with the nonpartisan Project on Government Oversight, said the post may not be an outright endorsement of Mar-a-Lago, but that &quot;someone inside of the government should have said &#39;no&#39; to the story and further helping Trump make money while serving in the White House.&quot;

The &quot;Share America&quot; article said that in 1973, Post willed the estate to the US&nbsp;government, intending it to be used as a winter White House for the president to entertain foreign dignitaries.

But Presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter never used the property, and in 1981 the government returned the estate to the Post Foundation because it was costing too much to maintain, according to the article.

Trump, a businessman turned politician, bought the property in 1985, and turned it into a club open to dues-paying members 10 years later, it said.

The club has a $200,000 membership fee, and Trump has hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the resort. Trump&#39;s frequent visits there have come under scrutiny due to their expense and questions of how he has handled sensitive national security information while there.

Trump maintains ownership of his global business empire, though he has handed off control to his two oldest sons, an arrangement that ethics watchdogs said would not prevent conflicts of interest. 
 
(Reuters)

The article was criticised for violating a federal statute barring the use of public office for private gain

A US State Department website on Monday took down an article it published this month about President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort which had prompted criticism from prominent ethics experts that the piece represented use of public office for private gain. The original article was posted on April 4 on the "Share America" website, overseen by the State Department's Bureau of International Information Programs. It was also shared on the websites and social media pages of several US embassies, including those in the United Kingdom, Portugal and Albania, as well as the State Department's Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. Although it was posted weeks ago, the article surfaced on Monday when it was shared widely on social media. The State Department removed the article's content around 7 pm on Monday, replacing it with a short statement saying its intention "was to inform the public about where the President has been hosting world leaders. We regret any misperception and have removed the post." The article described the history of Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and its size, status as a registered historic site, interior decoration and oceanfront location. "By visiting this 'winter White House,' Trump is belatedly fulfilling the dream of Mar-a-Lago's original owner and designer," socialite and cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, the article said. "Post's dream of a winter White House came true with Trump's election in 2016." A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House did not know about the article in advance, and declined to comment further. Norman Eisen, ethics chief under Trump's predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama, said on Twitter that the article violated a federal statute barring the use of public office for private gain. Richard Painter, a former ethics lawyer for Republican President George W. Bush, said on Twitter that the post constituted "use of public office for private gain pure and simple." Scott Amey, an attorney with the nonpartisan Project on Government Oversight, said the post may not be an outright endorsement of Mar-a-Lago, but that "someone inside of the government should have said 'no' to the story and further helping Trump make money while serving in the White House." The "Share America" article said that in 1973, Post willed the estate to the US government, intending it to be used as a winter White House for the president to entertain foreign dignitaries. But Presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter never used the property, and in 1981 the government returned the estate to the Post Foundation because it was costing too much to maintain, according to the article. Trump, a businessman turned politician, bought the property in 1985, and turned it into a club open to dues-paying members 10 years later, it said. The club has a $200,000 membership fee, and Trump has hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the resort. Trump's frequent visits there have come under scrutiny due to their expense and questions of how he has handled sensitive national security information while there. Trump maintains ownership of his global business empire, though he has handed off control to his two oldest sons, an arrangement that ethics watchdogs said would not prevent conflicts of interest. (Reuters)

US State Department website removes article on Trump resort

Barack Obama, making his first major appearance since leaving the White House, made no mention on Monday of his successor, Donald Trump, but urged young people to get more involved in their communities at a time of stark political divides.

&ldquo;What&rsquo;s been going on since I&rsquo;ve been gone?&rdquo; joked the former Democratic president as he moderated an event at the University of Chicago in the city where he began his political career and which will be the site of his presidential library.

Obama, who once taught constitutional law at the school, recalled starting out as a young community organiser in the city and told a panel of six current and former students that he decided to focus his post-presidency on encouraging young people to engage with their communities.

&quot;The single most important thing I can do is to help in any way prepare the next generation of leadership to take up the baton and to take their own crack at changing the world,&quot; he told an audience of several hundred people.

Obama has largely stayed out of the public eye since leaving office in January despite efforts by Trump and the Republican-led Congress to undo much of his legacy, including on healthcare and the environment.

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Trump, a Republican, has said he &quot;inherited a mess&quot; and accused Obama in March, without providing evidence, of wiretapping his 2016 presidential campaign. Obama has denied the charge and FBI Director James Comey told a congressional hearing he had seen no evidence to support the allegation.

Obama was not asked about Trump by the students and he took no questions from reporters.

Saying it had long been his goal to bridge the country&#39;s deep political divide, Obama said: &quot;It&rsquo;s harder and harder to find common ground because of the money in politics.&quot;

&quot;Special interests dominate the debates in Washington in ways that don&rsquo;t match up with what the broad majority of Americans feel,&rdquo; he said.

Obama added that changes in the way people use media allow them to converse just with those who agree with their own points of view.

On Sunday, as part of a programme to help at-risk young people, Obama met privately with men from Chicago&#39;s troubled South Side to discuss solutions for the violence and joblessness that have marked that neighbourhood.

The former president, who together with his wife, Michelle, recently struck a two-book, $65 million memoir deal, is expected to travel to Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel next month.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

He urged young people to get more involved in their communities at a time of stark political divides

Barack Obama, making his first major appearance since leaving the White House, made no mention on Monday of his successor, Donald Trump, but urged young people to get more involved in their communities at a time of stark political divides. “What’s been going on since I’ve been gone?” joked the former Democratic president as he moderated an event at the University of Chicago in the city where he began his political career and which will be the site of his presidential library. Obama, who once taught constitutional law at the school, recalled starting out as a young community organiser in the city and told a panel of six current and former students that he decided to focus his post-presidency on encouraging young people to engage with their communities. "The single most important thing I can do is to help in any way prepare the next generation of leadership to take up the baton and to take their own crack at changing the world," he told an audience of several hundred people. Obama has largely stayed out of the public eye since leaving office in January despite efforts by Trump and the Republican-led Congress to undo much of his legacy, including on healthcare and the environment. 'What’s been going on since I’ve been gone?' Obama joked. × Trump, a Republican, has said he "inherited a mess" and accused Obama in March, without providing evidence, of wiretapping his 2016 presidential campaign. Obama has denied the charge and FBI Director James Comey told a congressional hearing he had seen no evidence to support the allegation. Obama was not asked about Trump by the students and he took no questions from reporters. Saying it had long been his goal to bridge the country's deep political divide, Obama said: "It’s harder and harder to find common ground because of the money in politics." "Special interests dominate the debates in Washington in ways that don’t match up with what the broad majority of Americans feel,” he said. Obama added that changes in the way people use media allow them to converse just with those who agree with their own points of view. On Sunday, as part of a programme to help at-risk young people, Obama met privately with men from Chicago's troubled South Side to discuss solutions for the violence and joblessness that have marked that neighbourhood. The former president, who together with his wife, Michelle, recently struck a two-book, $65 million memoir deal, is expected to travel to Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel next month. (Reuters)

Obama makes first post-presidency appearance, no mention of Trump

Any &quot;serious actions&quot; taken by the Trump Administration on the H-1B visa programme would be a cause of &quot;worry&quot; as a majority of Indian exports in the services sector go to the US, Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian government Arvind Subramanian has said.

&quot;If there are serious actions taken it&#39;s something that&#39;s going to kind of worry us a lot because, remember that our exports of services are about 40 to 45 per cent of the total exports,? Subramanian told an audience here last week.

&quot;Something like 50 to 60 per cent of all our exports of services goes to the United States. So it would worry us quite a bit,? he said while responding to a question on the H1-B visa during his visit at the Peterson Institute, a top American economic think-tank.

Subramanian said that India would be &quot;okay&quot; as long as the visa reforms are manageable and it&#39;s keeping a close watch on it.

&quot;Anything that is going to interfere with export growth creates anxiety (in India). In the context of the United States, we&#39;re all watching very carefully the H1-B visa situation,? the Chief Economic Adviser said.

&quot;On the visa side, I don&#39;t know but as long as you know we can keep this thing manageable. You know it should be okay,? he said.

During his US visit, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also taken up the the H-1B issue with the American side and highlighted the contribution Indian companies and professionals are making to the US economy.

President Donald Trump had earlier this month signed an executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop its &quot;abuse&quot; and ensure that the visas are given to the &quot;most-skilled or highest paid&quot; petitioners, a decision that would impact India&#39;s USD 150 billion IT industry.

The Indian IT industry expressed serious concerns over this as these visas were mainly used by domestic IT professionals for short-term work in America.

The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations.

The US market accounts for about 60 per cent of the revenue of the Indian IT industry.

Reforming the H-1B visa system was one of the major election promises of Trump. As per several US reports, a majority of the H-1B visas every year are grabbed by Indian IT professionals.

India accounts for the highest pool of qualified IT professionals, whose services go a long way in making American companies globally competitive.&nbsp;

(PTI)

Arvind Subramanian said India will be 'okay' as long as the reforms are manageable

Any "serious actions" taken by the Trump Administration on the H-1B visa programme would be a cause of "worry" as a majority of Indian exports in the services sector go to the US, Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian government Arvind Subramanian has said. "If there are serious actions taken it's something that's going to kind of worry us a lot because, remember that our exports of services are about 40 to 45 per cent of the total exports,? Subramanian told an audience here last week. "Something like 50 to 60 per cent of all our exports of services goes to the United States. So it would worry us quite a bit,? he said while responding to a question on the H1-B visa during his visit at the Peterson Institute, a top American economic think-tank. Subramanian said that India would be "okay" as long as the visa reforms are manageable and it's keeping a close watch on it. "Anything that is going to interfere with export growth creates anxiety (in India). In the context of the United States, we're all watching very carefully the H1-B visa situation,? the Chief Economic Adviser said. "On the visa side, I don't know but as long as you know we can keep this thing manageable. You know it should be okay,? he said. During his US visit, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also taken up the the H-1B issue with the American side and highlighted the contribution Indian companies and professionals are making to the US economy. President Donald Trump had earlier this month signed an executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop its "abuse" and ensure that the visas are given to the "most-skilled or highest paid" petitioners, a decision that would impact India's USD 150 billion IT industry. The Indian IT industry expressed serious concerns over this as these visas were mainly used by domestic IT professionals for short-term work in America. The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations. The US market accounts for about 60 per cent of the revenue of the Indian IT industry. Reforming the H-1B visa system was one of the major election promises of Trump. As per several US reports, a majority of the H-1B visas every year are grabbed by Indian IT professionals. India accounts for the highest pool of qualified IT professionals, whose services go a long way in making American companies globally competitive. (PTI)

Major action on H1-B visa cause for worry, will impact exports: Chief Economic Adviser

Nuclear-armed North Korea on Tuesday marked a military anniversary with a massive conventional firing drill, Seoul said, as a US guided-missile submarine docked in South Korea amid tensions over Pyongyang&#39;s weapons ambitions.

Speculation had mounted that the North could carry out a sixth nuclear test or another missile launch to mark 85 years since the founding of its army.

But no such event -- which usually happens in the morning -- had taken place by the evening, and instead Seoul&#39;s defence ministry said Pyongyang was conducting a &quot;massive fire drill&quot; in the eastern port city of Wonsan.

The South&#39;s Yonhap news agency cited a government source as saying the exercise was the North&#39;s &quot;largest ever&quot; and was presumed to have been overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un.

Washington has sent the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to the Korean peninsula, where it is expected to arrive -- after a derision-provoking delay -- later this week.

Confusion had clouded the carrier&#39;s whereabouts earlier this month after US officials indicated it was sailing towards North Korea when in fact it was heading south.

The vessel will take part in joint naval drills with the South&#39;s forces to &quot;demonstrate Seoul and Washington&#39;s strong determination to punish North Korean provocations&quot;, the South Korean Navy said in a statement.

They will take place in the East Sea, the South&#39;s name for the Sea of Japan, it said, and the two allies will also begin joint naval exercises in the West Sea -- what it calls the Yellow Sea -- on Tuesday &quot;in relation to the current security situation&quot;.

The nuclear-powered US submarine USS Michigan also made a port call at Busan in the South on Tuesday in another show of force, while US navy destroyers carried out separate joint exercises with Japanese and South Korean vessels.

President Donald Trump has said the US was sending an &quot;armada&quot; to the Korean peninsula, including submarines.

According to the US Navy&#39;s Submarine Force Pacific website, the USS Michigan carries more than 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

They are capable of precision strikes against the North&#39;s nuclear facilities, but the South Korean Navy called the visit &quot;routine&quot; and said the submarine would not take part in any joint exercises.

&nbsp;

&#39;Brutal punishment&#39;

North Korea has ambitions to build a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the US mainland. Tensions have soared in recent months as it carried out a string of missile tests that sparked tit-for-tat sabre-rattling between it and Washington.

Pyongyang&#39;s rhetoric always intensifies in the spring, when Seoul and Washington hold joint military drills which it sees as rehearsals for an invasion.

The North&#39;s Rodong Sinmun -- the official mouthpiece of the ruling Workers&#39; Party of Korea -- warned Tuesday of dire consequences in the event of a US-led pre-emptive strike.

It promised &quot;the most brutal punishment... in the sky and land as well as at sea and from underwater without any warning or prior notice&quot;.

North Korea launched two missile tests this month while Trump and his senior aides have warned that &quot;all options are on the table&quot; against Pyongyang, including military action.

Trump on Monday urged UN Security Council ambassadors to consider stronger sanctions against Pyongyang, and US senators will be briefed on North Korea at the White House on Wednesday.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to chair a ministerial-level Security Council meeting on the North on Friday.

The North says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against invasion. A spokesman for its foreign ministry on Tuesday claimed the meetings -- coupled with Trump&#39;s fresh policy of &quot;maximum pressure and engagement&quot; on Pyongyang -- showed the threat it faced from the US.

&quot;They are explicitly advocating pressure on us, which is as dangerous as lighting the fuse on an all-out war,&quot; he said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency.

Top nuclear envoys from Japan, South Korea and the United States met Tuesday in Tokyo and vowed &quot;stern action&quot; against any fresh North Korean provocations.

US special representative Joseph Yun said he discussed American policy to &quot;enhance pressure&quot; on Pyongyang &quot;because we really do not believe that North Korea is ready to engage us towards denuclearisation&quot;.

The trio also agreed that China and Russia should play a bigger role in reining in the North, said Kim Hong-Kyun, South Korea&#39;s chief envoy on the issue.

&quot;Cooperation with China and Russia is the most important for effective pressure on North Korea,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

A government source said the exercise was the North's 'largest ever' and presumably was watched by Kim Jung Un

Nuclear-armed North Korea on Tuesday marked a military anniversary with a massive conventional firing drill, Seoul said, as a US guided-missile submarine docked in South Korea amid tensions over Pyongyang's weapons ambitions. Speculation had mounted that the North could carry out a sixth nuclear test or another missile launch to mark 85 years since the founding of its army. But no such event -- which usually happens in the morning -- had taken place by the evening, and instead Seoul's defence ministry said Pyongyang was conducting a "massive fire drill" in the eastern port city of Wonsan. The South's Yonhap news agency cited a government source as saying the exercise was the North's "largest ever" and was presumed to have been overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un. Washington has sent the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to the Korean peninsula, where it is expected to arrive -- after a derision-provoking delay -- later this week. Confusion had clouded the carrier's whereabouts earlier this month after US officials indicated it was sailing towards North Korea when in fact it was heading south. The vessel will take part in joint naval drills with the South's forces to "demonstrate Seoul and Washington's strong determination to punish North Korean provocations", the South Korean Navy said in a statement. They will take place in the East Sea, the South's name for the Sea of Japan, it said, and the two allies will also begin joint naval exercises in the West Sea -- what it calls the Yellow Sea -- on Tuesday "in relation to the current security situation". The nuclear-powered US submarine USS Michigan also made a port call at Busan in the South on Tuesday in another show of force, while US navy destroyers carried out separate joint exercises with Japanese and South Korean vessels. President Donald Trump has said the US was sending an "armada" to the Korean peninsula, including submarines. According to the US Navy's Submarine Force Pacific website, the USS Michigan carries more than 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles. They are capable of precision strikes against the North's nuclear facilities, but the South Korean Navy called the visit "routine" and said the submarine would not take part in any joint exercises. 'Brutal punishment' North Korea has ambitions to build a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the US mainland. Tensions have soared in recent months as it carried out a string of missile tests that sparked tit-for-tat sabre-rattling between it and Washington. Pyongyang's rhetoric always intensifies in the spring, when Seoul and Washington hold joint military drills which it sees as rehearsals for an invasion. The North's Rodong Sinmun -- the official mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea -- warned Tuesday of dire consequences in the event of a US-led pre-emptive strike. It promised "the most brutal punishment... in the sky and land as well as at sea and from underwater without any warning or prior notice". North Korea launched two missile tests this month while Trump and his senior aides have warned that "all options are on the table" against Pyongyang, including military action. Trump on Monday urged UN Security Council ambassadors to consider stronger sanctions against Pyongyang, and US senators will be briefed on North Korea at the White House on Wednesday. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to chair a ministerial-level Security Council meeting on the North on Friday. The North says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against invasion. A spokesman for its foreign ministry on Tuesday claimed the meetings -- coupled with Trump's fresh policy of "maximum pressure and engagement" on Pyongyang -- showed the threat it faced from the US. "They are explicitly advocating pressure on us, which is as dangerous as lighting the fuse on an all-out war," he said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency. Top nuclear envoys from Japan, South Korea and the United States met Tuesday in Tokyo and vowed "stern action" against any fresh North Korean provocations. US special representative Joseph Yun said he discussed American policy to "enhance pressure" on Pyongyang "because we really do not believe that North Korea is ready to engage us towards denuclearisation". The trio also agreed that China and Russia should play a bigger role in reining in the North, said Kim Hong-Kyun, South Korea's chief envoy on the issue. "Cooperation with China and Russia is the most important for effective pressure on North Korea," he said. (AFP)

North Korea marks military anniversary with firing drill

Days after finance minister Arun Jaitley raised the issue of restrictions on H-1B visa with his American counterpart Steven Mnuchin, the US has said that it greatly values investments by Indian companies and wants strong economic ties between the two nations. 
 
&quot;We want to see US-India business-to-business ties remain strong,&quot; State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday. 
 
He was responding to questions on the ongoing review of H-1B visas by the Trump Administration and its impact on the Indian IT companies, who are heavily dependent on it. 
 
&quot;We greatly value Indian companies&#39; continued investment in the US economy, which also, of course, supports thousands of US jobs,&quot; Toner said. 
 
&quot;With respect to any new requirements on visas, I&#39;d have to check and see if that&#39;s been updated,&quot; he said, adding that under the current government, the US has been looking at ways to strengthen the processes like visa interview and admission processes in new ways. 
 
Toner said that it&#39;s been from the beginnings of this administration and certainly with respect to immigration and with refugee flows as well. 
 
&quot;Those processes are ongoing,&quot; he added. 
 
On being asked about the visa review process, Toner said, &quot;It&#39;s important to remember that this is always a part of how our consular bureau works and our consular officers work overseas, and our embassies and missions work overseas, and that is we&#39;re always reviewing the processes that are in place to issue these visas and finding ways to strengthen them, because we want to ensure the security of the American people&quot;. 
 
During his US visit, Jaitley on Sunday raised the H-1B issue with Mnuchin as India fears the curb would impact the movement of Indian IT professionals to America and highlighted the contribution Indian companies and professionals are making to the US economy. 
 
The development came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop its &quot;abuse&quot;&nbsp;and ensure that the visas are given to the &quot;most-skilled or highest paid&quot; petitioners,&nbsp;a decision that would impact India&#39;s USD 150 billion IT industry. 
 
(PTI)

US says it has been looking at ways to strengthen processes like visa interview and admission processes in new ways

Days after finance minister Arun Jaitley raised the issue of restrictions on H-1B visa with his American counterpart Steven Mnuchin, the US has said that it greatly values investments by Indian companies and wants strong economic ties between the two nations. "We want to see US-India business-to-business ties remain strong," State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday. He was responding to questions on the ongoing review of H-1B visas by the Trump Administration and its impact on the Indian IT companies, who are heavily dependent on it. "We greatly value Indian companies' continued investment in the US economy, which also, of course, supports thousands of US jobs," Toner said. "With respect to any new requirements on visas, I'd have to check and see if that's been updated," he said, adding that under the current government, the US has been looking at ways to strengthen the processes like visa interview and admission processes in new ways. Toner said that it's been from the beginnings of this administration and certainly with respect to immigration and with refugee flows as well. "Those processes are ongoing," he added. On being asked about the visa review process, Toner said, "It's important to remember that this is always a part of how our consular bureau works and our consular officers work overseas, and our embassies and missions work overseas, and that is we're always reviewing the processes that are in place to issue these visas and finding ways to strengthen them, because we want to ensure the security of the American people". During his US visit, Jaitley on Sunday raised the H-1B issue with Mnuchin as India fears the curb would impact the movement of Indian IT professionals to America and highlighted the contribution Indian companies and professionals are making to the US economy. The development came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop its "abuse" and ensure that the visas are given to the "most-skilled or highest paid" petitioners, a decision that would impact India's USD 150 billion IT industry. (PTI)

Strengthening processes to issue H1-B visas, want to ensure security of Americans: US

The UN Security Council has to be ready to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, US President Donald Trump said Monday, calling the status quo &quot;unacceptable.&quot;

&quot;This is a real threat to the world,&quot; Trump said while hosting UN Security Council ambassadors at the White House. &quot;North Korea is a big world problem. And it&#39;s a problem we have to finally solve.&quot;

&quot;The council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs,&quot; he said.

The comments are sure to once again ratchet up tensions.

North Korea is pushing on with its ballistic missile program, believed to be preparing a sixth nuclear weapons test, and has detained a US citizen -- the third to be held in the country.

At the same time, the United States has ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to the western Pacific, near North Korea. The group is due to arrive by the end of April.

The Pentagon said its leaders and other top officials will give a classified briefing on North Korea to US senators on Wednesday at the White House, rather than the usual secure rooms at the Capitol.

US Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to Washington after visits to Asia and Australia, with North Korea headlining talks.

Trump has intimated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, while rejecting bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang.

&quot;People have put blindfolds on for decades and now it&#39;s time to solve the problem,&quot; he said.

The US leader spoke about North Korea in telephone conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday and with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, the White House said.

In the call with Xi, &quot;the two leaders reaffirmed the urgency of the threat posed by North Korea&#39;s missile and nuclear programs, and committed to strengthen coordination in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,&quot; a White House statement said.

(AFP)

Pyongyang is a real threat to the world, the US president told the United Nations Security Council ambassadors

The UN Security Council has to be ready to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, US President Donald Trump said Monday, calling the status quo "unacceptable." "This is a real threat to the world," Trump said while hosting UN Security Council ambassadors at the White House. "North Korea is a big world problem. And it's a problem we have to finally solve." "The council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs," he said. The comments are sure to once again ratchet up tensions. North Korea is pushing on with its ballistic missile program, believed to be preparing a sixth nuclear weapons test, and has detained a US citizen -- the third to be held in the country. At the same time, the United States has ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to the western Pacific, near North Korea. The group is due to arrive by the end of April. The Pentagon said its leaders and other top officials will give a classified briefing on North Korea to US senators on Wednesday at the White House, rather than the usual secure rooms at the Capitol. US Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to Washington after visits to Asia and Australia, with North Korea headlining talks. Trump has intimated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, while rejecting bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang. "People have put blindfolds on for decades and now it's time to solve the problem," he said. The US leader spoke about North Korea in telephone conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday and with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, the White House said. In the call with Xi, "the two leaders reaffirmed the urgency of the threat posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, and committed to strengthen coordination in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," a White House statement said. (AFP)

Trump urges UN to impose 'stronger sanctions' on North Korea

Three Yemeni civilians were killed when a drone attacked four suspected al Qaeda militants traveling in a vehicle in the southern part of the country, residents and a local official said on Monday.

Residents said the attack in al-Saeed area of Shabwa province on Sunday afternoon was by a United States drone, part of a campaign by President Donald Trump&#39;s administration against Yemen&#39;s al Qaeda branch.

They said Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was known to operate in the area and had been targeted by US&nbsp;forces in recent months.

The vehicle was completely destroyed in the drone strike, which also hit three civilians who happened to be passing nearby, the residents and local officials said.

AQAP has exploited two years of civil war to recruit followers and cement its dominance in the central and southern part of Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis to try to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power.

The Houthis seized much of northern Yemen including Sanaa in a series of lightning military operations that began in 2014, eventually forcing Hadi to flee. The Houthis regard their move on Sanaa as a revolution against corruption.

The United States has repeatedly attacked AQAP with aircraft and unmanned drones in what US&nbsp;officials say is a campaign to degrade the group&#39;s ability to coordinate attacks abroad.

The new US&nbsp;administration has not yet laid out a clear policy on drone strikes, but Trump has said he would support an escalation of the fight against Islamist militant groups.

US&nbsp;drone strikes have become more frequent in recent weeks, with at least six reported by Reuters last month.

In late January, at least 30 people were killed in a US&nbsp;commando dawn raid in southern Yemen, including at least 10 women and children, in the first such military operation authorised by President Donald Trump.

The previous administration regularly used drones to attack Islamic State, al Qaeda and other militant groups in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Human rights groups criticise the tactic because of civilian casualties.

(Reuters)

The civilians who died just happened to be passing by when the drone destroyed the car in which the suspected militants were traveling

Three Yemeni civilians were killed when a drone attacked four suspected al Qaeda militants traveling in a vehicle in the southern part of the country, residents and a local official said on Monday. Residents said the attack in al-Saeed area of Shabwa province on Sunday afternoon was by a United States drone, part of a campaign by President Donald Trump's administration against Yemen's al Qaeda branch. They said Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was known to operate in the area and had been targeted by US forces in recent months. The vehicle was completely destroyed in the drone strike, which also hit three civilians who happened to be passing nearby, the residents and local officials said. AQAP has exploited two years of civil war to recruit followers and cement its dominance in the central and southern part of Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis to try to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. The Houthis seized much of northern Yemen including Sanaa in a series of lightning military operations that began in 2014, eventually forcing Hadi to flee. The Houthis regard their move on Sanaa as a revolution against corruption. The United States has repeatedly attacked AQAP with aircraft and unmanned drones in what US officials say is a campaign to degrade the group's ability to coordinate attacks abroad. The new US administration has not yet laid out a clear policy on drone strikes, but Trump has said he would support an escalation of the fight against Islamist militant groups. US drone strikes have become more frequent in recent weeks, with at least six reported by Reuters last month. In late January, at least 30 people were killed in a US commando dawn raid in southern Yemen, including at least 10 women and children, in the first such military operation authorised by President Donald Trump. The previous administration regularly used drones to attack Islamic State, al Qaeda and other militant groups in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Human rights groups criticise the tactic because of civilian casualties. (Reuters)

US drone strike kills 3 civilians, 4 militants in Yemen: Residents

President Donald Trump said on Sunday he expected Mexico to pay for the wall he has promised to build along the southern border, resuscitating a campaign promise that roiled U.S. relations with Mexico in the first week of his presidency.

&quot;Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall,&quot; Trump said in a Twitter post.

Trump returned to his Mexico demand on a morning in which he simultaneously tried to pressure congressional Democrats to include funding for the border wall in must-pass spending legislation needed to keep the U.S. government open beyond Friday.

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<h5>Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall,&#39; Trump tweeted</h5>
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In Mexico City, a spokesman for the foreign ministry had no immediate comment on Trump&#39;s wall payment comment.

The Republican president&#39;s demand that Mexico pay for the border wall triggered a diplomatic crisis with the southern U.S. neighbor during the first week of his presidency. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Jan. 26 scrapped a planned trip to meet with Trump and the White House floated the idea of a 20 percent tax on goods from Mexico to pay for the wall.

The two leaders agreed the following day not to talk publicly about payment for the wall, the Mexican government said. The White House said the two recognized they had differences over the proposed wall but agreed to &quot;work these differences out.&quot;

Trump sought the wall, projected to cost more than $20 billion, as part of his effort to curb illegal immigration. Mexico has rejected payment for the construction project as out of the question.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions told ABC&#39;s &quot;This Week&quot; on Sunday the wall would get paid for one way or another.

&quot;I don&#39;t expect the Mexican government to appropriate money for it but there are ways that we can deal with our trade situation to create the revenue to pay for it, no doubt about it,&quot; Sessions said.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Mexico has earlier said paying is out of the question

President Donald Trump said on Sunday he expected Mexico to pay for the wall he has promised to build along the southern border, resuscitating a campaign promise that roiled U.S. relations with Mexico in the first week of his presidency. "Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall," Trump said in a Twitter post. Trump returned to his Mexico demand on a morning in which he simultaneously tried to pressure congressional Democrats to include funding for the border wall in must-pass spending legislation needed to keep the U.S. government open beyond Friday. Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall,' Trump tweeted × In Mexico City, a spokesman for the foreign ministry had no immediate comment on Trump's wall payment comment. The Republican president's demand that Mexico pay for the border wall triggered a diplomatic crisis with the southern U.S. neighbor during the first week of his presidency. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Jan. 26 scrapped a planned trip to meet with Trump and the White House floated the idea of a 20 percent tax on goods from Mexico to pay for the wall. The two leaders agreed the following day not to talk publicly about payment for the wall, the Mexican government said. The White House said the two recognized they had differences over the proposed wall but agreed to "work these differences out." Trump sought the wall, projected to cost more than $20 billion, as part of his effort to curb illegal immigration. Mexico has rejected payment for the construction project as out of the question. Attorney General Jeff Sessions told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday the wall would get paid for one way or another. "I don't expect the Mexican government to appropriate money for it but there are ways that we can deal with our trade situation to create the revenue to pay for it, no doubt about it," Sessions said. (Reuters)

Trump says Mexico 'eventually' will pay for border wall

A US citizen has reportedly been arrested as he tried to fly out of North Korea, becoming the third American to be detained there, South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency said Sunday.

The US State Department said it was aware of the reports, but there was no official confirmation of the arrest, which would come at a tense time in relations between Pyongyang and Washington.

Yonhap quoted sources as saying the man, identified only by his surname Kim, was arrested on Friday at Pyongyang International Airport on his way out of the country.

It said Kim, aged in his late 50s and a former professor at China&#39;s Yanbian University of Science and Technology, had been involved in aid programmes for the North.

He reportedly was in North Korea for about a month to discuss relief activities, Yonhap said. The reason for his arrest was unclear.

&quot;We are aware of reports that a US citizen was detained in North Korea,&quot; a State Department official said in Washington.

Due to the lack of diplomatic relations, &quot;In cases where US citizens are reported to be detained in North Korea, we work with the Swedish embassy, which serves as the United States&#39; Protecting Power in North Korea. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment,&quot; the official said.

South Korea&#39;s National Intelligence Service as well as the unification and foreign ministries said they could not confirm the report.

Two other US citizens held&nbsp;

But the director of a Seoul-based group called the World North Korea Research Center said his sources in Pyongyang had confirmed the arrest.

&quot;The reason North Korea is not saying anything yet is because it is not done with the investigations,&quot; Ahn Chan-il, a former defector, told AFP.

&quot;It is important for them to hold a US citizen hostage at this point to prevent Washington from carrying out a decapitation of Kim Jong-Un,&quot; Ahn said, referring to the North&#39;s fears that the US plans a secret military strike to topple its leader.

&quot;It&#39;s also a resolve to point a double-action revolver against the US and China because he is a US citizen who worked in China.&quot;

US President Donald Trump has urged China to take stronger steps to press the North to curb its nuclear and missile programmes.

Vice President Mike Pence, during a regional tour last week, warned that &quot;all options are on the table&quot; to curb the North&#39;s nuclear ambitions as fears grow it may be planning another atomic test.

Two other US citizens -- college student Otto Warmbier and Korean-American pastor Kim Dong-Chul -- are currently being held in the North after being sentenced to long prison terms.

The pastor Kim was sentenced last year to 10 years of hard labour for spying.

Also last year Warmbier was jailed for 15 years for stealing a propaganda sign and for &quot;crimes against the state&quot;.

North Korea has arrested and jailed several US citizens in the past decade, often releasing them only after high-profile visits by current or former US officials.

(AFP)

Although there was no official confirmation, US said a former professor named Kim was barred from flying out of Pyongyang

A US citizen has reportedly been arrested as he tried to fly out of North Korea, becoming the third American to be detained there, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Sunday. The US State Department said it was aware of the reports, but there was no official confirmation of the arrest, which would come at a tense time in relations between Pyongyang and Washington. Yonhap quoted sources as saying the man, identified only by his surname Kim, was arrested on Friday at Pyongyang International Airport on his way out of the country. It said Kim, aged in his late 50s and a former professor at China's Yanbian University of Science and Technology, had been involved in aid programmes for the North. He reportedly was in North Korea for about a month to discuss relief activities, Yonhap said. The reason for his arrest was unclear. "We are aware of reports that a US citizen was detained in North Korea," a State Department official said in Washington. Due to the lack of diplomatic relations, "In cases where US citizens are reported to be detained in North Korea, we work with the Swedish embassy, which serves as the United States' Protecting Power in North Korea. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment," the official said. South Korea's National Intelligence Service as well as the unification and foreign ministries said they could not confirm the report. Two other US citizens held But the director of a Seoul-based group called the World North Korea Research Center said his sources in Pyongyang had confirmed the arrest. "The reason North Korea is not saying anything yet is because it is not done with the investigations," Ahn Chan-il, a former defector, told AFP. "It is important for them to hold a US citizen hostage at this point to prevent Washington from carrying out a decapitation of Kim Jong-Un," Ahn said, referring to the North's fears that the US plans a secret military strike to topple its leader. "It's also a resolve to point a double-action revolver against the US and China because he is a US citizen who worked in China." US President Donald Trump has urged China to take stronger steps to press the North to curb its nuclear and missile programmes. Vice President Mike Pence, during a regional tour last week, warned that "all options are on the table" to curb the North's nuclear ambitions as fears grow it may be planning another atomic test. Two other US citizens -- college student Otto Warmbier and Korean-American pastor Kim Dong-Chul -- are currently being held in the North after being sentenced to long prison terms. The pastor Kim was sentenced last year to 10 years of hard labour for spying. Also last year Warmbier was jailed for 15 years for stealing a propaganda sign and for "crimes against the state". North Korea has arrested and jailed several US citizens in the past decade, often releasing them only after high-profile visits by current or former US officials. (AFP)

North Korea arrests US citizen amid heightened tension

Kendrick Lamar has pulled off the biggest US album debut this year with &quot;DAMN.,&quot; an introspective work of hip-hop storytelling that features Rihanna and U2.

&quot;DAMN.&quot; sold 603,000 copies or the equivalent in streaming and downloads in the week since its April 14 release, tracking service Nielsen Music said late Saturday.

Entering at number one on the benchmark Billboard chart, &quot;DAMN.&quot;&nbsp;sold more in a single week than any other album so far this year.

&quot;DAMN.&quot; follows Lamar&#39;s 2015 album &quot;To Pimp a Butterfly,&quot; which has quickly been hailed as a hip-hop classic with its innovative infusion of jazz and its lyricism that explored the state of black America.

While &quot;DAMN.&quot;&nbsp;has similarly won wide praise, it brings a more classic rap style, even with a pop-oriented collaboration with Rihanna and a guitar rock fusion with U2.

&quot;DAMN.&quot; is a highly personal work and culminates with a track in which Lamar recalls his father being shot while working at a Kentucky Fried Chicken branch in the Los Angeles area.

While &quot;DAMN.&quot; also has political references, Lamar said in an interview aired Friday that he did not want to focus too much on President Donald Trump.

&quot;I wanted more self-evaluation and discipline because of what&#39;s going on now,&quot; he told Apple Music&#39;s Beats 1 radio. &quot;We&#39;re not focusing on him,&quot; he said of Trump. &quot;What&#39;s going on now -- we&#39;re focusing on self.&quot;

Lamar&#39;s track &quot;Alright&quot; from &quot;To Pimp a Butterfly&quot; became an unofficial anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement. The rapper&#39;s admirers include then president Barack Obama, who invited Lamar to the White House.

Lamar topped the &quot;More Life&quot; collection by Drake -- the Toronto rapper known more for crowd-pulling dance tracks than social commentary -- which had earlier held the crown for biggest US album release of 2017.

But &quot;DAMN.&quot; remains well below Drake&#39;s last full-fledged album &quot;Views,&quot; which sold more than one million copies in its first week after its release a year ago.

The comparative sales figures are sure to be scrutinised as Lamar and Drake have made a series of critical, if indirect, comments about each other.

(AFP)

'DAMN.' is a highly personal work with a classic rap style, even with its collaboration with Rihanna and a guitar rock fusion with U2

Kendrick Lamar has pulled off the biggest US album debut this year with "DAMN.," an introspective work of hip-hop storytelling that features Rihanna and U2. "DAMN." sold 603,000 copies or the equivalent in streaming and downloads in the week since its April 14 release, tracking service Nielsen Music said late Saturday. Entering at number one on the benchmark Billboard chart, "DAMN." sold more in a single week than any other album so far this year. "DAMN." follows Lamar's 2015 album "To Pimp a Butterfly," which has quickly been hailed as a hip-hop classic with its innovative infusion of jazz and its lyricism that explored the state of black America. While "DAMN." has similarly won wide praise, it brings a more classic rap style, even with a pop-oriented collaboration with Rihanna and a guitar rock fusion with U2. "DAMN." is a highly personal work and culminates with a track in which Lamar recalls his father being shot while working at a Kentucky Fried Chicken branch in the Los Angeles area. While "DAMN." also has political references, Lamar said in an interview aired Friday that he did not want to focus too much on President Donald Trump. "I wanted more self-evaluation and discipline because of what's going on now," he told Apple Music's Beats 1 radio. "We're not focusing on him," he said of Trump. "What's going on now -- we're focusing on self." Lamar's track "Alright" from "To Pimp a Butterfly" became an unofficial anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement. The rapper's admirers include then president Barack Obama, who invited Lamar to the White House. Lamar topped the "More Life" collection by Drake -- the Toronto rapper known more for crowd-pulling dance tracks than social commentary -- which had earlier held the crown for biggest US album release of 2017. But "DAMN." remains well below Drake's last full-fledged album "Views," which sold more than one million copies in its first week after its release a year ago. The comparative sales figures are sure to be scrutinised as Lamar and Drake have made a series of critical, if indirect, comments about each other. (AFP)

Kendrick Lamar scores biggest US album release of year

Tens of thousands of people turned out in cities across the United States and beyond on Saturday for Earth Day events billed as a &quot;celebration of science&quot; to counter what organisers say is a growing disregard for evidence-based knowledge in Washington.

In hundreds of &quot;March for Science&quot; events from Boston to Sydney, Australia, engineers, researchers and teachers took a break from the lab to apply their ingenuity to colourful protest placards.

Demonstrators carried signs like &quot;There Is No Planet B,&quot; &quot;No One Is Above Peer Review,&quot; &quot;Revenge of the Nerds&quot; and &quot;Make Science Great Again,&quot; a play on US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s campaign promise to &quot;Make America Great Again.&quot; Other signs featured mathematical formulas in a display of geek humour.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/2017-04-23t041338z_1_lynxmped3m02q_rtroptp_3_earth-day-usa-march-20170423063732.JPG" />
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PhD in Organic Chemistry, Roxanne Kunz of Santa Monica, waits in Pershing Square before the March for Science Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California April 22, 2017. (Reuters)
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While the events were non-partisan according to organisers, many marchers were in effect protesting Trump&#39;s proposal to sharply cut federal science and research budgets and his administration&#39;s skepticism about climate change and the need to slow global warming.

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SO proud of the MASSIVE TURNOUT of our science community repping <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheResistance?src=hash">#TheResistance</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sciencemarchdc?src=hash">#sciencemarchdc</a> today, on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EarthDay?src=hash">#EarthDay</a>. 
Take THAT, trump. <a href="https://t.co/J6yvNZmJgU">pic.twitter.com/J6yvNZmJgU</a>
&mdash; BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mmpadellan/status/855947345275629574">April 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The marches put a new twist on the traditional Earth Day activities, the aim of which was to reaffirm &quot;the vital role science plays in our democracy,&quot; according to the march&#39;s website.

Festivities at one of the largest events on Washington&#39;s National Mall included scientific &quot;teach-ins&quot; and musical performances.

&quot;It&#39;s important to show this administration that we care about facts,&quot; said Chris Taylor, 24, who was part of an early crowd of about 15,000 who gathered on Washington&#39;s Mall for teach-ins on topics like climate change, water quality and sustainable food.

&quot;It just seems like they&#39;re not really concerned about economic growth or creating new technologies, just catering to massive corporations,&quot; said Taylor, who is earning a PhD in robotics at George Mason University in Virginia.

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Protesters hold placards and banners as they participate in the March for Science rally on Earth Day, in central Sydney, Australia April 22, 2017. (Reuters)
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In Los Angeles, at least 12,000 people joined the March for Science, police said. Some demonstrators walked in lab coats while others shaded themselves under umbrellas and signs as temperatures neared 90 Fahrenheit (32 Celsius).

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TRUMP: The protesters are paid. These marches are small. 
 
Well, here&#39;s Chicago today: <a href="https://t.co/iyfVfmFy8O">pic.twitter.com/iyfVfmFy8O</a>
&mdash; Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mikel_Jollett/status/855888338535948288">April 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

TRUMP SUPPORTS &#39;RIGOROUS SCIENCE&#39;

A fervent but good-natured anti-Trump tone was evident on San Francisco&#39;s waterfront, where thousands gathered near The Exploratorium science museum ahead of a march to city hall.

Many carried signs emblazoned with slogans such as &quot;Pruitt Plus Trump Equals Bad Chemistry,&quot; a reference to Scott Pruitt, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, who has questioned the scientific consensus on global warming.

March for Science is the latest in a series of national demonstrations staged since Trump&#39;s inauguration nearly 100 days ago. Previous marches and protests have focused on a range of partisan issues, from abortion rights to immigration policy.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday&#39;s marches, but Trump released a statement on his approach to environmental issues.

&quot;My administration is reducing unnecessary burdens on American workers and American companies, while being mindful that our actions must also protect the environment,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;Rigorous science is critical to my administration&#39;s efforts to achieve the twin goals of economic growth and environmental protection,&quot; said the president, who passed dozens of protesters as his motorcade made its way to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington.

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Demonstrators march to the US Capitol during the March for Science in Washington, US, April 22, 2017. (Reuters)
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&nbsp;

TUSSLE OVER CLIMATE CHANGE

In the past, Trump has said climate change was a hoax that was stifling policies to foster economic growth.

His administration is considering withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, a global accord aimed at reducing global emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Last year the United States, under President Barack Obama, joined more than 190 other countries in signing the pact.

Trump&#39;s proposed 2018 budget calls for deep spending cuts by government science agencies, including a 31 per cent reduction for the Environmental Protection Agency.

The scientific community&#39;s direct involvement in a national policy debate has stirred some criticism about whether scientists should get involved in politics. But organisers have defended the march as crucial because of the threat posed by discrediting scientific consensus and restricting research.

&quot;As scientists, as human beings, our mandate is clear - it&#39;s to stand up for what we know to be true,&quot; said Kellan Baker, a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and one of the speakers on the National Mall.

That theme was echoed by many who showed up in Washington for teach-ins, which organisers said were a centerpiece of the initial Earth Day held in 1970 to call attention to the environment.

&quot;Science isn&#39;t respected and it needs to be,&quot; said Sarah Binkow, 22, a civil engineer who traveled from Michigan to attend the Washington rally.

&quot;Being here definitely gives me hope that there&#39;s this overwhelming population that supports science and supports scientific theory,&quot; she said.

In Washington, speakers included Bill Nye, an educator and television personality known as &quot;the Science Guy,&quot; and Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician and public health advocate who first called attention to the high levels of lead in the drinking water of Flint, Michigan.

&quot;Flint is what happens when we dismiss science,&quot; she said, referring to the ongoing water&nbsp;crisis in Flint, Michigan that began in 2014.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The demonstrations countered what organisers say is a growing disregard for evidence-based knowledge in Washington under President Trump

Tens of thousands of people turned out in cities across the United States and beyond on Saturday for Earth Day events billed as a "celebration of science" to counter what organisers say is a growing disregard for evidence-based knowledge in Washington. In hundreds of "March for Science" events from Boston to Sydney, Australia, engineers, researchers and teachers took a break from the lab to apply their ingenuity to colourful protest placards. Demonstrators carried signs like "There Is No Planet B," "No One Is Above Peer Review," "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Make Science Great Again," a play on US President Donald Trump's campaign promise to "Make America Great Again." Other signs featured mathematical formulas in a display of geek humour. PhD in Organic Chemistry, Roxanne Kunz of Santa Monica, waits in Pershing Square before the March for Science Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California April 22, 2017. (Reuters) × While the events were non-partisan according to organisers, many marchers were in effect protesting Trump's proposal to sharply cut federal science and research budgets and his administration's skepticism about climate change and the need to slow global warming. SO proud of the MASSIVE TURNOUT of our science community repping #TheResistance at #sciencemarchdc today, on #EarthDay. Take THAT, trump. pic.twitter.com/J6yvNZmJgU — BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) April 23, 2017 × The marches put a new twist on the traditional Earth Day activities, the aim of which was to reaffirm "the vital role science plays in our democracy," according to the march's website. Festivities at one of the largest events on Washington's National Mall included scientific "teach-ins" and musical performances. "It's important to show this administration that we care about facts," said Chris Taylor, 24, who was part of an early crowd of about 15,000 who gathered on Washington's Mall for teach-ins on topics like climate change, water quality and sustainable food. "It just seems like they're not really concerned about economic growth or creating new technologies, just catering to massive corporations," said Taylor, who is earning a PhD in robotics at George Mason University in Virginia. Protesters hold placards and banners as they participate in the March for Science rally on Earth Day, in central Sydney, Australia April 22, 2017. (Reuters) × In Los Angeles, at least 12,000 people joined the March for Science, police said. Some demonstrators walked in lab coats while others shaded themselves under umbrellas and signs as temperatures neared 90 Fahrenheit (32 Celsius). TRUMP: The protesters are paid. These marches are small. Well, here's Chicago today: pic.twitter.com/iyfVfmFy8O — Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) April 22, 2017 × TRUMP SUPPORTS 'RIGOROUS SCIENCE' A fervent but good-natured anti-Trump tone was evident on San Francisco's waterfront, where thousands gathered near The Exploratorium science museum ahead of a march to city hall. Many carried signs emblazoned with slogans such as "Pruitt Plus Trump Equals Bad Chemistry," a reference to Scott Pruitt, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, who has questioned the scientific consensus on global warming. March for Science is the latest in a series of national demonstrations staged since Trump's inauguration nearly 100 days ago. Previous marches and protests have focused on a range of partisan issues, from abortion rights to immigration policy. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday's marches, but Trump released a statement on his approach to environmental issues. "My administration is reducing unnecessary burdens on American workers and American companies, while being mindful that our actions must also protect the environment," Trump said. "Rigorous science is critical to my administration's efforts to achieve the twin goals of economic growth and environmental protection," said the president, who passed dozens of protesters as his motorcade made its way to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington. Demonstrators march to the US Capitol during the March for Science in Washington, US, April 22, 2017. (Reuters) × TUSSLE OVER CLIMATE CHANGE In the past, Trump has said climate change was a hoax that was stifling policies to foster economic growth. His administration is considering withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, a global accord aimed at reducing global emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Last year the United States, under President Barack Obama, joined more than 190 other countries in signing the pact. Trump's proposed 2018 budget calls for deep spending cuts by government science agencies, including a 31 per cent reduction for the Environmental Protection Agency. The scientific community's direct involvement in a national policy debate has stirred some criticism about whether scientists should get involved in politics. But organisers have defended the march as crucial because of the threat posed by discrediting scientific consensus and restricting research. "As scientists, as human beings, our mandate is clear - it's to stand up for what we know to be true," said Kellan Baker, a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and one of the speakers on the National Mall. That theme was echoed by many who showed up in Washington for teach-ins, which organisers said were a centerpiece of the initial Earth Day held in 1970 to call attention to the environment. "Science isn't respected and it needs to be," said Sarah Binkow, 22, a civil engineer who traveled from Michigan to attend the Washington rally. "Being here definitely gives me hope that there's this overwhelming population that supports science and supports scientific theory," she said. In Washington, speakers included Bill Nye, an educator and television personality known as "the Science Guy," and Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician and public health advocate who first called attention to the high levels of lead in the drinking water of Flint, Michigan. "Flint is what happens when we dismiss science," she said, referring to the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan that began in 2014. (Reuters)

Earth Day: March for Science draws big crowds across US and beyond

For Grishma, an Indian software designer, President Donald Trump&#39;s review of the visa programme for bringing highly skilled workers into the United States comes at a bad time.

Fresh from gaining a master&#39;s degree in Europe, and with an offer of employment from a well-known US design firm, she was well on her way to fulfilling the ambition of many young Indian IT workers -- a dream job in America.

But as she waits in the H-1B visa queue for the green light, she is caught in a bind.

&quot;It&#39;s a weird time to be applying, with all the scrutiny,&quot; said Grishma, who gave only her first name for fear of jeopardising her chances of getting a visa.

The United States has already suspended the &quot;expedited processing option&quot; for applicants, under which she may have received a visa in weeks.

More broadly, uncertainty over the review announced this week has unsettled Grishma and many others like her.

She will have to wait until at least around August to learn her fate, but having accepted the US&nbsp;job offer she is not in a position to apply for positions elsewhere, including in Europe.

&quot;It&#39;s pretty debilitating,&quot; Grishma told Reuters. &quot;I&#39;d like to start work to mitigate the financial damage.&quot;

Trump&#39;s decision was not a huge surprise, given his election campaign pledge to put American jobs first.

But the executive order he signed, though vague in many areas, has prompted thousands of foreign workers already in the United States or applying for visas to work there to re-think their plans. Companies who send them also face huge uncertainty.

The concerns are particularly acute in India, where IT firms like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Ltd and Wipro Ltd are top beneficiaries of the H-1B visa programme, using it to send computer engineers to service clients in the United States, their largest overseas market.

Companies and staff realign

Experts say Trump&#39;s order to review visa processes is aimed at firms like TCS, Infosys and Wipro, which from 2005-14 snagged around 86,000 H-1B visas, roughly equivalent to the number of H-1B visas the United States issues in total each year.

Two industry sources said Infosys, India&#39;s No&nbsp;2 information technology (IT) services company, is applying for just under 1,000 H-1B visas this year, which one of the sources said was down from 6,500 applications in 2016 and some 9,000 in 2015.

It was not clear whether the sharp reduction in 2017 was in direct response to Trump&#39;s presidency, although the company has said for some time it wanted to cut dependence on &quot;fly-in&quot; staff.

TCS, Infosys and Wipro said they would not share data on the number of H-1B visas they had applied for this year.

With fewer visas going to Infosys, more might become available for smaller IT companies and big US&nbsp;tech companies, like Facebook and Microsoft Corp, that typically send in fewer H-1B applications each year.

US-based immigration lawyer Murali Bashyam, managing partner of Bashyam Spiro LLP which advises and works with small to mid-sized Indian IT firms, said clients had been in contact seeking clarity, while the number of visa applicants had fallen.

&quot;I think the reason for that is they get the sense that it&#39;s going to get so much tougher to comply with all of the changes ... that it might not be worth their money,&quot; he said.

&quot;There is a fear that radical immigration changes are coming, and if those radical immigration changes come then it could completely change the way IT staffing companies do business.&quot;

Bashyam said the number of people on H-1B visas already working in the United States who were considering returning to their home country had risen.

An engineer working at Cisco, who has been in the United States since 2011, said that three months ago he would not have considered returning to India.

But the review of the visa system, and any rule change that revoked the right for his wife to work in the United States on a dependent visa, could force him to change his mind.

&quot;If that happens, then I would definitely be interested in going back to India. Even though I&#39;m secure, I don&#39;t want to be in a situation where my wife cannot work,&quot; said the engineer, who declined to be named.

&quot;Those who have heavily invested here, who&#39;ve bought houses, property and are still on visas, are afraid.&quot;

&#39;I&#39;m looking eastward&#39;

According to Bashyam, some Indians on H-1B visas were cancelling plans to return home to visit their families in case they had problems getting back into the United States.

&quot;With everything that&#39;s going on, travelling outside the U.S. is the biggest fear for a lot of the H-1B workers working in the IT staffing industry,&quot; he said.

And the uncertainty is not limited to IT.

Trump&#39;s campaign rhetoric around tighter visa rules has led some Indian students considering studying abroad to look beyond the United States, which typically draws in over 100,000 Indian students annually.

One Canadian official said the number of student visa applications for certain courses in Canada had spiked over 250 per cent since Trump&#39;s election win in November.

Akshay Baliga, a management consultant with a H-1B visa that is valid until 2018, said he was not considering returning to the United States for work any time soon.

&quot;As a professional I&#39;m looking eastward,&quot; said Baliga, now based in India but who earlier studied and lived for years in America.

(Reuters)

The concerns are particularly acute in India, where IT firms like TCS, Infosys and Wipro are top beneficiaries of the H-1B visa programme

For Grishma, an Indian software designer, President Donald Trump's review of the visa programme for bringing highly skilled workers into the United States comes at a bad time. Fresh from gaining a master's degree in Europe, and with an offer of employment from a well-known US design firm, she was well on her way to fulfilling the ambition of many young Indian IT workers -- a dream job in America. But as she waits in the H-1B visa queue for the green light, she is caught in a bind. "It's a weird time to be applying, with all the scrutiny," said Grishma, who gave only her first name for fear of jeopardising her chances of getting a visa. The United States has already suspended the "expedited processing option" for applicants, under which she may have received a visa in weeks. More broadly, uncertainty over the review announced this week has unsettled Grishma and many others like her. She will have to wait until at least around August to learn her fate, but having accepted the US job offer she is not in a position to apply for positions elsewhere, including in Europe. "It's pretty debilitating," Grishma told Reuters. "I'd like to start work to mitigate the financial damage." Trump's decision was not a huge surprise, given his election campaign pledge to put American jobs first. But the executive order he signed, though vague in many areas, has prompted thousands of foreign workers already in the United States or applying for visas to work there to re-think their plans. Companies who send them also face huge uncertainty. The concerns are particularly acute in India, where IT firms like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Ltd and Wipro Ltd are top beneficiaries of the H-1B visa programme, using it to send computer engineers to service clients in the United States, their largest overseas market. Companies and staff realign Experts say Trump's order to review visa processes is aimed at firms like TCS, Infosys and Wipro, which from 2005-14 snagged around 86,000 H-1B visas, roughly equivalent to the number of H-1B visas the United States issues in total each year. Two industry sources said Infosys, India's No 2 information technology (IT) services company, is applying for just under 1,000 H-1B visas this year, which one of the sources said was down from 6,500 applications in 2016 and some 9,000 in 2015. It was not clear whether the sharp reduction in 2017 was in direct response to Trump's presidency, although the company has said for some time it wanted to cut dependence on "fly-in" staff. TCS, Infosys and Wipro said they would not share data on the number of H-1B visas they had applied for this year. With fewer visas going to Infosys, more might become available for smaller IT companies and big US tech companies, like Facebook and Microsoft Corp, that typically send in fewer H-1B applications each year. US-based immigration lawyer Murali Bashyam, managing partner of Bashyam Spiro LLP which advises and works with small to mid-sized Indian IT firms, said clients had been in contact seeking clarity, while the number of visa applicants had fallen. "I think the reason for that is they get the sense that it's going to get so much tougher to comply with all of the changes ... that it might not be worth their money," he said. "There is a fear that radical immigration changes are coming, and if those radical immigration changes come then it could completely change the way IT staffing companies do business." Bashyam said the number of people on H-1B visas already working in the United States who were considering returning to their home country had risen. An engineer working at Cisco, who has been in the United States since 2011, said that three months ago he would not have considered returning to India. But the review of the visa system, and any rule change that revoked the right for his wife to work in the United States on a dependent visa, could force him to change his mind. "If that happens, then I would definitely be interested in going back to India. Even though I'm secure, I don't want to be in a situation where my wife cannot work," said the engineer, who declined to be named. "Those who have heavily invested here, who've bought houses, property and are still on visas, are afraid." 'I'm looking eastward' According to Bashyam, some Indians on H-1B visas were cancelling plans to return home to visit their families in case they had problems getting back into the United States. "With everything that's going on, travelling outside the U.S. is the biggest fear for a lot of the H-1B workers working in the IT staffing industry," he said. And the uncertainty is not limited to IT. Trump's campaign rhetoric around tighter visa rules has led some Indian students considering studying abroad to look beyond the United States, which typically draws in over 100,000 Indian students annually. One Canadian official said the number of student visa applications for certain courses in Canada had spiked over 250 per cent since Trump's election win in November. Akshay Baliga, a management consultant with a H-1B visa that is valid until 2018, said he was not considering returning to the United States for work any time soon. "As a professional I'm looking eastward," said Baliga, now based in India but who earlier studied and lived for years in America. (Reuters)

Indian techies, IT firms fret as Trump orders H-1B visa review

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has &quot;strongly raised&quot; the H-1B visa issue with US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, highlighting the important role played by highly skilled Indian professionals in America, officials said Friday.

During the meeting here in Washington -- the first cabinet-level interaction between the two countries under the Trump administration -- Ross is believed to have said that US has started the process of reviewing H-1B visas issues and no decision has been taken on it yet, sources said.

Taking up the case of Indian IT companies and professionals, Jaitley told Ross about the contribution of highly skilled Indians in the economic development of the United States and India and stressed that they should continue to do so, which is in the best interest of the two countries, an Indian official said.

Ross is understood to have said that whatever the outcome of the review process, the Trump administration&#39;s objective is to have a merit-based immigration policy that gives preference to highly skilled professionals.

The executive order signed by Trump early this week calls for a review of H-1B visas by the departments of State, Labour, Homeland Security and Justice.

Jaitley, leading an Indian delegation, arrived in Washington DC yesterday morning to attend the annual Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Over the next two days, the Finance Minister is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the US, Australia, France, Indonesia and Sweden. He is also likely to meet finance ministers from neighbouring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Stressing that India-US relationship has bipartisan support in both the countries, the Finance Minister in his meeting with the commerce secretary said the two largest democratic countries of the world over the years have developed a&nbsp;strong strategic, economic and defence relationship.

The three phone conversations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump have had, along with the officials meeting, has shown that the two governments are going to build on this momentum in the years to come, the official said.

Briefing Ross on India&#39;s growth story, Jaitley is believed to have given an him insight into a series of &quot;far reaching reforms&quot; being undertaken by the Modi government post-demonetisation including the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Jaitley said the two countries should be able to move towards achieving the goal of $500 billion per annum in bilateral trade in the next few years.

In addition to his meetings and presentations at the annual Spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank, the Union minister is also scheduled to attend meetings of other multilateral forums including that of the G-20 finance ministers.

Before leaving Washington DC for New York on Sunday, he is expected to interact with think-tanks and eminent Indian-Americans.

(PTI)

The US commerce secretary said they have reviewed the process of reviewing H-1B visas issues and that no decision has been taken so far

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has "strongly raised" the H-1B visa issue with US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, highlighting the important role played by highly skilled Indian professionals in America, officials said Friday. During the meeting here in Washington -- the first cabinet-level interaction between the two countries under the Trump administration -- Ross is believed to have said that US has started the process of reviewing H-1B visas issues and no decision has been taken on it yet, sources said. Taking up the case of Indian IT companies and professionals, Jaitley told Ross about the contribution of highly skilled Indians in the economic development of the United States and India and stressed that they should continue to do so, which is in the best interest of the two countries, an Indian official said. Ross is understood to have said that whatever the outcome of the review process, the Trump administration's objective is to have a merit-based immigration policy that gives preference to highly skilled professionals. The executive order signed by Trump early this week calls for a review of H-1B visas by the departments of State, Labour, Homeland Security and Justice. Jaitley, leading an Indian delegation, arrived in Washington DC yesterday morning to attend the annual Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Over the next two days, the Finance Minister is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the US, Australia, France, Indonesia and Sweden. He is also likely to meet finance ministers from neighbouring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Stressing that India-US relationship has bipartisan support in both the countries, the Finance Minister in his meeting with the commerce secretary said the two largest democratic countries of the world over the years have developed a strong strategic, economic and defence relationship. The three phone conversations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump have had, along with the officials meeting, has shown that the two governments are going to build on this momentum in the years to come, the official said. Briefing Ross on India's growth story, Jaitley is believed to have given an him insight into a series of "far reaching reforms" being undertaken by the Modi government post-demonetisation including the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Jaitley said the two countries should be able to move towards achieving the goal of $500 billion per annum in bilateral trade in the next few years. In addition to his meetings and presentations at the annual Spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank, the Union minister is also scheduled to attend meetings of other multilateral forums including that of the G-20 finance ministers. Before leaving Washington DC for New York on Sunday, he is expected to interact with think-tanks and eminent Indian-Americans. (PTI)

India 'strongly raises' H-1B visa issue with US, highlights role of skilled professionals

The Trump administration had a simple but stark message for world financial leaders who gathered in Washington on Thursday amid worries about rising US&nbsp;protectionism: fair trade means tit-for-tat tariffs.

Speaking to bankers just hours after the formal start of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings, White House National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn said Washington was prepared to get tougher in the trade arena.

&quot;If you want to insist on having a tariff on a product - which we prefer you not - the president believes that we should treat you in a reciprocal fashion and that we should tax your product coming into the United States,&quot; Cohn said. &quot;That is free, that is open, and that is fair.&quot;

Asked at the Institute of International Finance about his message for his international counterparts, Cohn said the United States doesn&#39;t want to be &quot;taken advantage of&quot; any more.

&quot;The message is simple. We care about the United States of America, we care about economic prosperity, we care about economic growth, we care about trade, we care about being treated fairly,&quot; he said.

Earlier at the White House, President Donald Trump signed a directive to study whether steel imports into the United States should be restricted for national security reasons under a law passed in 1962.

Such moves, including a review of &quot;Buy American&quot; rules launched earlier this week, have raised concerns that the Trump administration is looking outside the World Trade Organization for remedies to restrict US&nbsp;imports.

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters on Thursday that more needed to be done to make the global trading system fairer and expressed a willingness to work with Trump to do just that.

In a news conference, Lagarde said there was a need to improve the WTO dispute settlement rules as well as reduce government subsidies for industry and tackle other trade distortions.

She said the IMF would do its part in working to cut government subsidies for industry and other trade practices that limit competition, but said &quot;protectionist measures&quot; needed to be avoided.

&quot;From the various contacts that I&#39;ve had with the (Trump) administration so far, I have every reason to believe that we will make progress, that we will cooperate all together in order to support and indeed improve the system as we have it,&quot; Lagarde said.

The IMF also has expressed concerns about the Trump administration&#39;s plan to cut taxes, releasing reports on Wednesday that said such a move could fuel financial risk-taking and increase public debt.

Appearing alongside Cohn, US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he would unveil the tax plan &quot;soon, very soon,&quot; and predicted it would be passed by Congress this year.

But he gave few details and shed no light on whether the plan would include a controversial border-tax component.

&quot;It will be sweeping, it will be significant and it will create a lot of economic growth,&quot; Mnuchin said. &quot;The plan will pay for itself with growth.&quot;

Separately, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim also put in a plug for free trade and said he was &quot;encouraged&quot; by his engagement so far with Trump. But he added that he would not reduce the multilateral lender&#39;s commitment to trade or to financing alternative energy projects.

&quot;The science of climate change didn&#39;t change with any particular election, and I don&#39;t see that it will,&quot; Kim said at a news conference. &quot;We have to be an evidence-based organisation.&quot;

&nbsp;

&#39;LITTLE LEVERAGE&#39;

The IMF and World Bank meetings come about a month after Mnuchin insisted that an anti-protectionism pledge be dropped from a Group of 20 communique issued in Baden-Baden, Germany.

Eswar Prasad, former head of the IMF&#39;s China department, said the Trump administration may choose to simply ignore the advice of the IMF and other institutions.

&quot;The IMF has little leverage since its limited toolkit of analysis-based advice, persuasion, and peer pressure is unlikely to have much of an impact on this administration&#39;s policies,&quot; said Prasad, now an international trade professor at Cornell University.

Mnuchin&#39;s decision against naming China a currency manipulator last week removed one concern for the IMF ahead of the meetings.

(Reuters)

Asked about his message for his international counterparts, Cohn said the United States doesn't want to be 'taken advantage of' any more

The Trump administration had a simple but stark message for world financial leaders who gathered in Washington on Thursday amid worries about rising US protectionism: fair trade means tit-for-tat tariffs. Speaking to bankers just hours after the formal start of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings, White House National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn said Washington was prepared to get tougher in the trade arena. "If you want to insist on having a tariff on a product - which we prefer you not - the president believes that we should treat you in a reciprocal fashion and that we should tax your product coming into the United States," Cohn said. "That is free, that is open, and that is fair." Asked at the Institute of International Finance about his message for his international counterparts, Cohn said the United States doesn't want to be "taken advantage of" any more. "The message is simple. We care about the United States of America, we care about economic prosperity, we care about economic growth, we care about trade, we care about being treated fairly," he said. Earlier at the White House, President Donald Trump signed a directive to study whether steel imports into the United States should be restricted for national security reasons under a law passed in 1962. Such moves, including a review of "Buy American" rules launched earlier this week, have raised concerns that the Trump administration is looking outside the World Trade Organization for remedies to restrict US imports. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters on Thursday that more needed to be done to make the global trading system fairer and expressed a willingness to work with Trump to do just that. In a news conference, Lagarde said there was a need to improve the WTO dispute settlement rules as well as reduce government subsidies for industry and tackle other trade distortions. She said the IMF would do its part in working to cut government subsidies for industry and other trade practices that limit competition, but said "protectionist measures" needed to be avoided. "From the various contacts that I've had with the (Trump) administration so far, I have every reason to believe that we will make progress, that we will cooperate all together in order to support and indeed improve the system as we have it," Lagarde said. The IMF also has expressed concerns about the Trump administration's plan to cut taxes, releasing reports on Wednesday that said such a move could fuel financial risk-taking and increase public debt. Appearing alongside Cohn, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he would unveil the tax plan "soon, very soon," and predicted it would be passed by Congress this year. But he gave few details and shed no light on whether the plan would include a controversial border-tax component. "It will be sweeping, it will be significant and it will create a lot of economic growth," Mnuchin said. "The plan will pay for itself with growth." Separately, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim also put in a plug for free trade and said he was "encouraged" by his engagement so far with Trump. But he added that he would not reduce the multilateral lender's commitment to trade or to financing alternative energy projects. "The science of climate change didn't change with any particular election, and I don't see that it will," Kim said at a news conference. "We have to be an evidence-based organisation." 'LITTLE LEVERAGE' The IMF and World Bank meetings come about a month after Mnuchin insisted that an anti-protectionism pledge be dropped from a Group of 20 communique issued in Baden-Baden, Germany. Eswar Prasad, former head of the IMF's China department, said the Trump administration may choose to simply ignore the advice of the IMF and other institutions. "The IMF has little leverage since its limited toolkit of analysis-based advice, persuasion, and peer pressure is unlikely to have much of an impact on this administration's policies," said Prasad, now an international trade professor at Cornell University. Mnuchin's decision against naming China a currency manipulator last week removed one concern for the IMF ahead of the meetings. (Reuters)

Trump admin, world financial officials clash over trade

Iran is &quot;not living up to the spirit&quot; of the nuclear deal struck with world powers in 2015, US President Donald Trump said Thursday, warning America would set out its position on that soon.

Trump`s administration has been publicly tightening the noose on Iran over the deal, which was negotiated by the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany to roll back Tehran`s nuclear program in return for the easing of sanctions.

&quot;It was a terrible agreement,&quot; said Trump, who has regularly blamed his predecessor Barack Obama for securing it. &quot;That was a bad one, as bad as I`ve ever seen negotiated.&quot;

&quot;Iran has not lived up to the spirit of the agreement, and they have to do that,&quot; Trump said in a joint news conference in the White House with Italy`s visiting Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

&quot;We`re analyzing it very, very carefully and will have something to say about it in the not-too-distant future.&quot;

Trump on Tuesday ordered a review of the deal led by his National Security Council, which will decide whether suspending sanctions &quot;is vital to the national security interests of the United States.&quot;

Although the State Department admits Iran has so far stuck to its side of the bargain, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday called the pact a failure and warned Iran risked becoming another North Korea: a hostile, nuclear-armed state.

He said Iran is &quot;the world`s leading state sponsor of terrorism&quot; and highlighted its military support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Huthi rebels in Yemen and militias in Iraq and in Lebanon.

&quot;Iran`s provocative actions threaten the United States, the region, and the world,&quot; Tillerson said.

On Thursday, the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, called Iran the &quot;chief culprit&quot; in Middle East conflicts and urged the UN Security Council to make handling the country a &quot;priority.&quot;

Iran`s ambassador to the UN, Gholamali Khoshroo, hit back by accusing the United States of waging a &quot;misleading propaganda campaign&quot; against his country.

Tehran has given no indication of wanting to ditch the deal.&nbsp;

But Iranians in their day-to-day lives have not seen as much advantage from the eased sanctions as they had hoped.

Disappointment over their continued economic stagnation has created an opening for conservative candidates in May 19 elections who are opposed to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate who helped oversee the nuclear deal`s conclusion.

(AFP)

'It was a terrible agreement,' said Trump, who has regularly blamed his predecessor Barack Obama for securing it

Iran is "not living up to the spirit" of the nuclear deal struck with world powers in 2015, US President Donald Trump said Thursday, warning America would set out its position on that soon. Trump`s administration has been publicly tightening the noose on Iran over the deal, which was negotiated by the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany to roll back Tehran`s nuclear program in return for the easing of sanctions. "It was a terrible agreement," said Trump, who has regularly blamed his predecessor Barack Obama for securing it. "That was a bad one, as bad as I`ve ever seen negotiated." "Iran has not lived up to the spirit of the agreement, and they have to do that," Trump said in a joint news conference in the White House with Italy`s visiting Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. "We`re analyzing it very, very carefully and will have something to say about it in the not-too-distant future." Trump on Tuesday ordered a review of the deal led by his National Security Council, which will decide whether suspending sanctions "is vital to the national security interests of the United States." Although the State Department admits Iran has so far stuck to its side of the bargain, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday called the pact a failure and warned Iran risked becoming another North Korea: a hostile, nuclear-armed state. He said Iran is "the world`s leading state sponsor of terrorism" and highlighted its military support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Huthi rebels in Yemen and militias in Iraq and in Lebanon. "Iran`s provocative actions threaten the United States, the region, and the world," Tillerson said. On Thursday, the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, called Iran the "chief culprit" in Middle East conflicts and urged the UN Security Council to make handling the country a "priority." Iran`s ambassador to the UN, Gholamali Khoshroo, hit back by accusing the United States of waging a "misleading propaganda campaign" against his country. Tehran has given no indication of wanting to ditch the deal. But Iranians in their day-to-day lives have not seen as much advantage from the eased sanctions as they had hoped. Disappointment over their continued economic stagnation has created an opening for conservative candidates in May 19 elections who are opposed to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate who helped oversee the nuclear deal`s conclusion. (AFP)

Iran 'not living up to the spirit' of the nuclear deal: Trump

US Vice President Mike Pence Thursday praised Indonesia&#39;s moderate form of Islam as &quot;an inspiration&quot; at the start of a visit to the Muslim-majority country seen as a bid by his administration to heal divisions with the Islamic world.

It came ahead of a visit by Pence to the largest mosque in Indonesia, which has the world&rsquo;s biggest Muslim population, where he will hold a multi-faith dialogue.

His visit represents the most high-profile outreach to Muslims by the Donald Trump administration since the brash billionaire came to office and echoes a similar trip by Barack and Michelle Obama in 2010.

Since becoming president almost 100 days ago, Trump has hosted leaders from majority-Muslim Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

But his administration has also tried to ban travellers from several Muslim-majority nations, citing concerns about terrorism -- an effort currently being challenged in US courts.&nbsp;

As a presidential candidate, Trump often appeared to flirt with the far right as he railed against &quot;radical Islamic terrorism&quot;.&nbsp;

Pence arrived at the presidential palace in Jakarta for talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo to a colourful official welcome by hundreds of schoolchildren in regional dress.

Indonesia, where most practice a moderate form of Islam, has long been held up as an example of a successful Muslim democracy where followers of the faith live largely peacefully alongside religious minorities.

After talks with Widodo, Pence said: &quot;Indonesia&#39;s tradition of moderate Islam is frankly an inspiration to the world and we commend you and your people.&nbsp;

&quot;In your nation as in mine, religion unifies, it doesn&rsquo;t divide.&quot;

&nbsp;

Tolerant Islam under threat

But his optimistic words came as Indonesia&#39;s traditionally inclusive Islam is under threat from the rising influence of hardliners and an increasing trend towards more conservative forms of the faith.

On Wednesday Jakarta&#39;s Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama was defeated in a run-off election to lead the capital by a Muslim challenger who was accused of pandering to hardliners to win votes.

Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok, lost after his once-unassailable lead in opinion polls was dented by allegations he committed blasphemy, claims that sparked mass protests led by radical groups but were seen by his supporters as unfair and politically motivated.

Pence is currently on a tour of South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Australia that is aimed at smoothing some of the rougher edges of Trump&#39;s rhetoric.

In South Korea and Japan, Pence played down protectionist declarations of &quot;America first&quot; and reaffirmed US treaty commitments to the security of the two countries as tensions rise over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear programme.

Pence&#39;s Muslim outreach in Indonesia has been welcomed locally, with Maruf Amin, the head of the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country&#39;s top Muslim clerical body, saying he hopes that it &quot;indicates a change in attitude&quot; towards Islam.

But it is unlikely to be enough to assuage fears that the Trump administration is anti-Islam.

&quot;President Trump&#39;s hostile pronouncements on Islam and Muslims have done considerable damage to his reputation in the Islamic world. It would take more than a visit to repair the damage,&quot; said Fawaz Gerges, an expert on the Middle East and Islam from the London School of Economics.

After his talks with Widodo, Pence also said that the US was committed to building a stronger defence partnership with Indonesia to combat the threat of terrorism.&nbsp;

Indonesia has long struggled with Islamic militancy, and in January last year suffered a suicide and gun attack claimed by the Islamic State group that left four assailants and four civilians dead.

He also pledged to uphold the &quot;fundamental freedom of navigation&quot; in the South China Sea. Indonesian and Chinese vessels have clashed repeatedly in recent times in waters near Indonesia&#39;s Natuna Islands, on the fringes of the disputed waters.&nbsp;

Widodo, who wants more foreign investment as he seeks to boost Southeast Asia&#39;s top economy, said the leaders had focused on &quot;the US commitment to enhance the strategic partnership with Indonesia, focusing on cooperation and investment&quot;.

(AFP)

Pence is currently on a tour of South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Australia to smooth some of the rougher edges of Trump's rhetoric

US Vice President Mike Pence Thursday praised Indonesia's moderate form of Islam as "an inspiration" at the start of a visit to the Muslim-majority country seen as a bid by his administration to heal divisions with the Islamic world. It came ahead of a visit by Pence to the largest mosque in Indonesia, which has the world’s biggest Muslim population, where he will hold a multi-faith dialogue. His visit represents the most high-profile outreach to Muslims by the Donald Trump administration since the brash billionaire came to office and echoes a similar trip by Barack and Michelle Obama in 2010. Since becoming president almost 100 days ago, Trump has hosted leaders from majority-Muslim Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. But his administration has also tried to ban travellers from several Muslim-majority nations, citing concerns about terrorism -- an effort currently being challenged in US courts. As a presidential candidate, Trump often appeared to flirt with the far right as he railed against "radical Islamic terrorism". Pence arrived at the presidential palace in Jakarta for talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo to a colourful official welcome by hundreds of schoolchildren in regional dress. Indonesia, where most practice a moderate form of Islam, has long been held up as an example of a successful Muslim democracy where followers of the faith live largely peacefully alongside religious minorities. After talks with Widodo, Pence said: "Indonesia's tradition of moderate Islam is frankly an inspiration to the world and we commend you and your people. "In your nation as in mine, religion unifies, it doesn’t divide." Tolerant Islam under threat But his optimistic words came as Indonesia's traditionally inclusive Islam is under threat from the rising influence of hardliners and an increasing trend towards more conservative forms of the faith. On Wednesday Jakarta's Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama was defeated in a run-off election to lead the capital by a Muslim challenger who was accused of pandering to hardliners to win votes. Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok, lost after his once-unassailable lead in opinion polls was dented by allegations he committed blasphemy, claims that sparked mass protests led by radical groups but were seen by his supporters as unfair and politically motivated. Pence is currently on a tour of South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Australia that is aimed at smoothing some of the rougher edges of Trump's rhetoric. In South Korea and Japan, Pence played down protectionist declarations of "America first" and reaffirmed US treaty commitments to the security of the two countries as tensions rise over Pyongyang's nuclear programme. Pence's Muslim outreach in Indonesia has been welcomed locally, with Maruf Amin, the head of the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country's top Muslim clerical body, saying he hopes that it "indicates a change in attitude" towards Islam. But it is unlikely to be enough to assuage fears that the Trump administration is anti-Islam. "President Trump's hostile pronouncements on Islam and Muslims have done considerable damage to his reputation in the Islamic world. It would take more than a visit to repair the damage," said Fawaz Gerges, an expert on the Middle East and Islam from the London School of Economics. After his talks with Widodo, Pence also said that the US was committed to building a stronger defence partnership with Indonesia to combat the threat of terrorism. Indonesia has long struggled with Islamic militancy, and in January last year suffered a suicide and gun attack claimed by the Islamic State group that left four assailants and four civilians dead. He also pledged to uphold the "fundamental freedom of navigation" in the South China Sea. Indonesian and Chinese vessels have clashed repeatedly in recent times in waters near Indonesia's Natuna Islands, on the fringes of the disputed waters. Widodo, who wants more foreign investment as he seeks to boost Southeast Asia's top economy, said the leaders had focused on "the US commitment to enhance the strategic partnership with Indonesia, focusing on cooperation and investment". (AFP)

Pence praises 'moderate Islam' in Indonesia in bid to heal divisions

International students pursuing post graduate degrees in the sciences and engineering are expressing grave concerns after President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday&nbsp;seeking a review of the US&nbsp;visa program for bringing high-skilled foreign workers into the country, putting technology firms and the outsourcing companies that serve them on notice that possible changes may be ahead.

At California State University - Long Beach, 20 miles south of Los Angeles, there are approximately 2700 international students from about 100 countries, many looking to work in the high-tech industry upon graduation.

Mayank Kasturia, a student from New Delhi, India who is expected to graduate with a degree in computer science in May said, &quot;One of the companies I talked to say, are you looking for any sponsorship and the moment I said yes, they said we are not providing any sponsorship. So please do try some other company which will provide you with sponsorship&quot;.

Kasturia, who also holds a part time job as an engineer with the campus radio station, is heartbroken that his American dream may soon end.

&quot;It&#39;s hard. Your heart like can&#39;t believe, like not ready to believe this is going to happen. This is happening with me. So it is hard to believe and everyone is following their dream and if there is something interrupting that dream that&#39;s hard for everyone,&quot; says Kasturia.

Traditionally, an international student with an advanced degree in science or engineering needs to get sponsorship and an H-1B visa from an American company in order to work and live in the US&nbsp;The executive order is aiming to change that. Following up his campaign promises, Trump wants the jobs to go to the US&nbsp;citizens or permanent residents.

(Reuters)

Following up his campaign promises, Trump wants the jobs to go to the US?citizens or permanent residents

International students pursuing post graduate degrees in the sciences and engineering are expressing grave concerns after President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday seeking a review of the US visa program for bringing high-skilled foreign workers into the country, putting technology firms and the outsourcing companies that serve them on notice that possible changes may be ahead. At California State University - Long Beach, 20 miles south of Los Angeles, there are approximately 2700 international students from about 100 countries, many looking to work in the high-tech industry upon graduation. Mayank Kasturia, a student from New Delhi, India who is expected to graduate with a degree in computer science in May said, "One of the companies I talked to say, are you looking for any sponsorship and the moment I said yes, they said we are not providing any sponsorship. So please do try some other company which will provide you with sponsorship". Kasturia, who also holds a part time job as an engineer with the campus radio station, is heartbroken that his American dream may soon end. "It's hard. Your heart like can't believe, like not ready to believe this is going to happen. This is happening with me. So it is hard to believe and everyone is following their dream and if there is something interrupting that dream that's hard for everyone," says Kasturia. Traditionally, an international student with an advanced degree in science or engineering needs to get sponsorship and an H-1B visa from an American company in order to work and live in the US The executive order is aiming to change that. Following up his campaign promises, Trump wants the jobs to go to the US citizens or permanent residents. (Reuters)

International students face uncertain future under Trump's reform of H1-B visa process

A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters&rsquo; faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former US&nbsp;officials told Reuters.

They described two confidential documents from the think tank as providing the framework and rationale for what US&nbsp;intelligence agencies have concluded was an intensive effort by Russia to interfere with the November&nbsp;8 election. US&nbsp;intelligence officials acquired the documents, which were prepared by the Moscow-based Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, after the election.

The institute is run by retired senior Russian foreign intelligence officials appointed by Putin&rsquo;s office.

The first Russian institute document was a strategy paper written last June that circulated at the highest levels of the Russian government but was not addressed to any specific individuals.

It recommended the Kremlin launch a propaganda campaign on social media and Russian state-backed global news outlets to encourage US&nbsp;voters to elect a president who would take a softer line towards Russia than the administration of then-President Barack Obama, the seven officials said.

A second institute document, drafted in October and distributed in the same way, warned that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was likely to win the election. For that reason, it argued, it was better for Russia to end its pro-Trump propaganda and instead intensify its messaging about voter fraud to undermine the US&nbsp;electoral system&rsquo;s legitimacy and damage Clinton&rsquo;s reputation in an effort to undermine her presidency, the seven officials said.

The current and former US&nbsp;officials spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the Russian documents&rsquo; classified status. They declined to discuss how the United States obtained them. US&nbsp;intelligence agencies also declined to comment on them.

Putin has denied interfering in the US&nbsp;election. Putin&rsquo;s spokesman and the Russian institute did not respond to requests for comment.

The documents were central to the Obama administration&#39;s conclusion that Russia mounted a &ldquo;fake news&rdquo; campaign and launched cyber attacks against Democratic Party groups and Clinton&#39;s campaign, the current and former officials said.

&ldquo;Putin had the objective in mind all along, and he asked the institute to draw him a road map,&rdquo; said one of the sources, a former senior US&nbsp;intelligence official.

Trump has said Russia&rsquo;s activities had no impact on the outcome of the race. Ongoing congressional and FBI investigations into Russian interference have so far produced no public evidence that Trump associates colluded with the Russian effort to change the outcome of the election.

Four of the officials said the approach outlined in the June strategy paper was a broadening of an effort the Putin administration launched in March 2016. That month the Kremlin instructed state-backed media outlets, including international platforms Russia Today and Sputnik news agency, to start producing positive reports on Trump&rsquo;s quest for the US&nbsp;presidency, the officials said.

Russia Today did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Sputnik dismissed the assertions by the US&nbsp;officials that it participated in a Kremlin campaign as an &ldquo;absolute pack of lies.&rdquo; &ldquo;And by the way, it&#39;s not the first pack of lies we&#39;re hearing from &#39;sources in U.S.&nbsp;official circles&#39;,&quot; the spokesperson said in an email.

&nbsp;

PRO-KREMLIN BLOGGERS

Russia Today and Sputnik published anti-Clinton stories while pro-Kremlin bloggers prepared a Twitter campaign calling into question the fairness of an anticipated Clinton victory, according to a <a href="https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ICA_2017_01.pdf" target="_blank">report </a>by US&nbsp;intelligence agencies on Russian interference in the election made public in January.

Russia Today&rsquo;s most popular Clinton video - &ldquo;How 100% of the 2015 Clintons&rsquo; &lsquo;charity&rsquo; went to ... themselves&rdquo; - accumulated 9 millions views on social media, according to the January <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RTAmerica/videos/10153703671361366/" target="_blank">report</a>.&nbsp;

The report said Russia Today and Sputnik &ldquo;consistently cast president elect-Trump as the target of unfair coverage from traditional media outlets.&quot;

The <a href="https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ICA_2017_01.pdf" target="_blank">report </a>said the agencies did not assess whether Moscow&rsquo;s effort had swung the outcome of the race in Trump&rsquo;s favour, because American intelligence agencies do not &ldquo;analyse US&nbsp;political processes or US&nbsp;public opinion&rdquo;.

&nbsp;

CYBER ATTACKS

Neither of the Russian institute documents mentioned the release of hacked Democratic Party emails to interfere with the US election,&nbsp;according to four of the officials. The officials said the hacking was a covert intelligence operation run separately out of the Kremlin.

The overt propaganda and covert hacking efforts reinforced each other, according to the officials. Both Russia Today and Sputnik heavily promoted the release of the hacked Democratic Party emails, which often contained embarrassing details.

Five of the US&nbsp;officials described the institute as the Kremlin&rsquo;s in-house foreign policy think tank.

The institute&rsquo;s director when the documents were written, Leonid Reshetnikov, rose to the rank of lieutenant general during a 33-year-career in Russia&rsquo;s foreign intelligence service, according to the institute&rsquo;s <a href="https://riss.ru/profile/prime/" target="_blank">website</a>. After Reshetnikov retired from the institute in January, Putin named as his replacement Mikhail Fradkov. The institute <a href="https://en.riss.ru/profile/mikhail-fradkov/" target="_blank">says </a>he served as the director of Russia&rsquo;s foreign intelligence service from 2007 to 2016.

Reuters was unable to determine if either man was directly involved in the drafting of the documents. Reshetnikov&rsquo;s office referred questions to the Russian institute.

On its <a href="https://en.riss.ru/about/]" target="_blank">website</a>, the Russian institute describes itself as providing &ldquo;expert appraisals,&rdquo; &ldquo;recommendations,&rdquo; and &ldquo;analytical materials&rdquo; to the Russian president&rsquo;s office, cabinet, National Security Council, ministries and parliament.

On Jan. 31, the <a href="http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/53793" target="_blank">websites </a>of Putin&rsquo;s office&nbsp;and the <a href="https://en.riss.ru/news/20063/" target="_blank">institute</a>&nbsp;posted a picture and transcript of Reshetnikov and his successor Fradkov meeting with Putin in the Kremlin. Putin thanked Reshetnikov for his service and told Fradkov he wanted the institute to provide objective information and analysis.

&ldquo;We did our best for nearly eight years to implement your foreign policy concept,&rdquo; Reshetnikov told Putin. &ldquo;The policy of Russia and the policy of the President of Russia have been the cornerstone of our operation.&rdquo;

(Reuters)

It recommended that the Kremlin launch a propaganda campaign on social media and Russian state-backed global news outlets

A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 US presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters’ faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former US officials told Reuters. They described two confidential documents from the think tank as providing the framework and rationale for what US intelligence agencies have concluded was an intensive effort by Russia to interfere with the November 8 election. US intelligence officials acquired the documents, which were prepared by the Moscow-based Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, after the election. The institute is run by retired senior Russian foreign intelligence officials appointed by Putin’s office. The first Russian institute document was a strategy paper written last June that circulated at the highest levels of the Russian government but was not addressed to any specific individuals. It recommended the Kremlin launch a propaganda campaign on social media and Russian state-backed global news outlets to encourage US voters to elect a president who would take a softer line towards Russia than the administration of then-President Barack Obama, the seven officials said. A second institute document, drafted in October and distributed in the same way, warned that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was likely to win the election. For that reason, it argued, it was better for Russia to end its pro-Trump propaganda and instead intensify its messaging about voter fraud to undermine the US electoral system’s legitimacy and damage Clinton’s reputation in an effort to undermine her presidency, the seven officials said. The current and former US officials spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the Russian documents’ classified status. They declined to discuss how the United States obtained them. US intelligence agencies also declined to comment on them. Putin has denied interfering in the US election. Putin’s spokesman and the Russian institute did not respond to requests for comment. The documents were central to the Obama administration's conclusion that Russia mounted a “fake news” campaign and launched cyber attacks against Democratic Party groups and Clinton's campaign, the current and former officials said. “Putin had the objective in mind all along, and he asked the institute to draw him a road map,” said one of the sources, a former senior US intelligence official. Trump has said Russia’s activities had no impact on the outcome of the race. Ongoing congressional and FBI investigations into Russian interference have so far produced no public evidence that Trump associates colluded with the Russian effort to change the outcome of the election. Four of the officials said the approach outlined in the June strategy paper was a broadening of an effort the Putin administration launched in March 2016. That month the Kremlin instructed state-backed media outlets, including international platforms Russia Today and Sputnik news agency, to start producing positive reports on Trump’s quest for the US presidency, the officials said. Russia Today did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Sputnik dismissed the assertions by the US officials that it participated in a Kremlin campaign as an “absolute pack of lies.” “And by the way, it's not the first pack of lies we're hearing from 'sources in U.S. official circles'," the spokesperson said in an email. PRO-KREMLIN BLOGGERS Russia Today and Sputnik published anti-Clinton stories while pro-Kremlin bloggers prepared a Twitter campaign calling into question the fairness of an anticipated Clinton victory, according to a report by US intelligence agencies on Russian interference in the election made public in January. Russia Today’s most popular Clinton video - “How 100% of the 2015 Clintons’ ‘charity’ went to ... themselves” - accumulated 9 millions views on social media, according to the January report. The report said Russia Today and Sputnik “consistently cast president elect-Trump as the target of unfair coverage from traditional media outlets." The report said the agencies did not assess whether Moscow’s effort had swung the outcome of the race in Trump’s favour, because American intelligence agencies do not “analyse US political processes or US public opinion”. CYBER ATTACKS Neither of the Russian institute documents mentioned the release of hacked Democratic Party emails to interfere with the US election, according to four of the officials. The officials said the hacking was a covert intelligence operation run separately out of the Kremlin. The overt propaganda and covert hacking efforts reinforced each other, according to the officials. Both Russia Today and Sputnik heavily promoted the release of the hacked Democratic Party emails, which often contained embarrassing details. Five of the US officials described the institute as the Kremlin’s in-house foreign policy think tank. The institute’s director when the documents were written, Leonid Reshetnikov, rose to the rank of lieutenant general during a 33-year-career in Russia’s foreign intelligence service, according to the institute’s website. After Reshetnikov retired from the institute in January, Putin named as his replacement Mikhail Fradkov. The institute says he served as the director of Russia’s foreign intelligence service from 2007 to 2016. Reuters was unable to determine if either man was directly involved in the drafting of the documents. Reshetnikov’s office referred questions to the Russian institute. On its website, the Russian institute describes itself as providing “expert appraisals,” “recommendations,” and “analytical materials” to the Russian president’s office, cabinet, National Security Council, ministries and parliament. On Jan. 31, the websites of Putin’s office and the institute posted a picture and transcript of Reshetnikov and his successor Fradkov meeting with Putin in the Kremlin. Putin thanked Reshetnikov for his service and told Fradkov he wanted the institute to provide objective information and analysis. “We did our best for nearly eight years to implement your foreign policy concept,” Reshetnikov told Putin. “The policy of Russia and the policy of the President of Russia have been the cornerstone of our operation.” (Reuters)

Putin-linked think tank planned to sway 2016 US election: Documents

US&nbsp;Democrats hope frustration with President Donald Trump will give them a surprise victory on Tuesday in an election to fill a vacant congressional seat in suburban Atlanta that has been held by Republicans for decades.

As voting concluded on Tuesday, Democrat Jon Ossoff, a 30-year-old political novice, was expected to come out atop a field of 18 candidates vying for a US&nbsp;House of Representatives seat that was vacated when Trump named Tom Price as his health secretary.

The drama hinged on whether the documentary filmmaker would win an outright majority of the vote, which would send him to Congress, or if he would fall short of 50 per cent and be forced into a June 20 runoff with one of the 11 Republicans in the race.

An Ossoff win would not tip the balance of power in Washington but could weaken the already shaky hold Trump has on his fellow Republicans by encouraging lawmakers to distance themselves from him.

&quot;It&#39;s a test case for how far a Democratic candidate can go in a Republican district on the strength of opposition to Trump,&quot; said Todd Rehm, a Georgia Republican strategist who is not affiliated with any candidate in the race.

The district, which encompasses a swath of well-heeled suburbs north of Atlanta, has elected Republicans to the House since the late 1970s, but Trump carried it by only 1 percentage point in the November presidential election.

Republicans in the race are split among Trump supporters and candidates trying to hold the president at arm&#39;s length. Party officials say they can beat Ossoff once the primary is over and they unite behind a single candidate.

The party avoided embarrassment last week when it narrowly held a conservative Kansas seat vacated when Trump tapped Republican Representative Mike Pompeo to head the Central Intelligence Agency.

&nbsp;

&#39;MAKE TRUMP FURIOUS&#39;

With the slogan &quot;Make Trump Furious,&quot; Ossoff aims to galvanise opposition to a president struggling with an approval rating that has not topped 50 per cent since he took office on January&nbsp;20, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.

Ossoff has drawn volunteers and donors from out of state who see the race as a way to strike a blow against Trump. He raised a stunning $8.3 million in the first three months of the year, fuelling a robust campaign.

&quot;They were ringing my phone off the hook,&quot; said Kim Fambro, 45, who said the outreach convinced her to vote for Ossoff.

Trump blasted Ossoff on Twitter and said in a robocall that the Democrat would &quot;raise your taxes, destroy your healthcare, and flood our country with illegal immigrants&quot;.

Ossoff said on CNN that Trump was misinformed about his positions and that he was focussed on issues affecting the region, not Washington.

Republicans have responded with millions of dollars of spending of their own, casting Ossoff as an inexperienced outsider who does not live in the area he hopes to represent. Ossoff, who grew up in the district, says he will move back if he wins.

(Reuters)

Jon Ossoff can fill a vacant congressional seat in suburban Atlanta that has been held by Republicans for decades

US Democrats hope frustration with President Donald Trump will give them a surprise victory on Tuesday in an election to fill a vacant congressional seat in suburban Atlanta that has been held by Republicans for decades. As voting concluded on Tuesday, Democrat Jon Ossoff, a 30-year-old political novice, was expected to come out atop a field of 18 candidates vying for a US House of Representatives seat that was vacated when Trump named Tom Price as his health secretary. The drama hinged on whether the documentary filmmaker would win an outright majority of the vote, which would send him to Congress, or if he would fall short of 50 per cent and be forced into a June 20 runoff with one of the 11 Republicans in the race. An Ossoff win would not tip the balance of power in Washington but could weaken the already shaky hold Trump has on his fellow Republicans by encouraging lawmakers to distance themselves from him. "It's a test case for how far a Democratic candidate can go in a Republican district on the strength of opposition to Trump," said Todd Rehm, a Georgia Republican strategist who is not affiliated with any candidate in the race. The district, which encompasses a swath of well-heeled suburbs north of Atlanta, has elected Republicans to the House since the late 1970s, but Trump carried it by only 1 percentage point in the November presidential election. Republicans in the race are split among Trump supporters and candidates trying to hold the president at arm's length. Party officials say they can beat Ossoff once the primary is over and they unite behind a single candidate. The party avoided embarrassment last week when it narrowly held a conservative Kansas seat vacated when Trump tapped Republican Representative Mike Pompeo to head the Central Intelligence Agency. 'MAKE TRUMP FURIOUS' With the slogan "Make Trump Furious," Ossoff aims to galvanise opposition to a president struggling with an approval rating that has not topped 50 per cent since he took office on January 20, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. Ossoff has drawn volunteers and donors from out of state who see the race as a way to strike a blow against Trump. He raised a stunning $8.3 million in the first three months of the year, fuelling a robust campaign. "They were ringing my phone off the hook," said Kim Fambro, 45, who said the outreach convinced her to vote for Ossoff. Trump blasted Ossoff on Twitter and said in a robocall that the Democrat would "raise your taxes, destroy your healthcare, and flood our country with illegal immigrants". Ossoff said on CNN that Trump was misinformed about his positions and that he was focussed on issues affecting the region, not Washington. Republicans have responded with millions of dollars of spending of their own, casting Ossoff as an inexperienced outsider who does not live in the area he hopes to represent. Ossoff, who grew up in the district, says he will move back if he wins. (Reuters)

US Democrats hope to strike blow at Trump in Georgia congressional race

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