In his meeting with the top intelligence officials, President-elect Donald Trump declined to single out Russia over cyber-interference in the US election.

Trump made the statement after meeting four top intelligence chiefs who have concluded that senior Russian government officials were behind an unprecedented effort to influence the election.

The director of National Intelligence James Clapper, while appearing before a Senate committee, had said that he was &quot;resolute&quot; in his belief that the Russians launched a campaign to influence the US presidential elections by staging cyber attacks on the Democatic party. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election,&quot; Trump&nbsp;said in a statement.

(With inputs from AFP)

Trump denied that Russia altered the election results but conceded they, and others, tried to break through the government's institutions

In his meeting with the top intelligence officials, President-elect Donald Trump declined to single out Russia over cyber-interference in the US election. Trump made the statement after meeting four top intelligence chiefs who have concluded that senior Russian government officials were behind an unprecedented effort to influence the election. The director of National Intelligence James Clapper, while appearing before a Senate committee, had said that he was "resolute" in his belief that the Russians launched a campaign to influence the US presidential elections by staging cyber attacks on the Democatic party. "While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election," Trump said in a statement. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump admits Russia interfered with US election after meeting intelligence heads

First lady&nbsp;Michelle&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;made an impassioned case for embracing diversity and welcoming all religious groups on Friday in a not-so-veiled message to her husband&#39;s successor two weeks ahead of Inauguration Day.

In what was billed as her last formal speech before President Barack&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;leaves office, the first lady said at an event honouring high school counsellors that the United States belonged to people from all backgrounds and walks of life.

&quot;Our glorious diversity - our diversities of faiths and colours and creeds - that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are,&quot; she said.

The remarks were reminiscent of her vigorous campaign speeches in favour of Democrat Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed building a wall along the border of Mexico and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country.

&quot;If you or your parents are immigrants, know that you are part of a proud American tradition: the infusion of new cultures, talents and ideas, generation after generation, that has made us the greatest country on earth,&quot; Mrs.&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;said.

&quot;If you are a person of faith, know that religious diversity is a great American tradition, too ...&nbsp;And whether you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh - these religions are teaching our young people about justice and compassion and honesty.&quot;

Mrs.&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;gave a series of high-profile speeches at campaign events for Clinton last year and made clear her disapproval of Trump for questioning President&nbsp;Obama&#39;s citizenship and for the New York businessman&#39;s treatment of women after a recording was released in which he bragged about groping women.

Trump was a leader of the so-called birther movement that questioned whether PresidentObama, who was born in Hawaii, had been born in the United States.

Mrs.&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;has kept a lower public profile since the election.

Choking up on Friday, she said being first lady had been the greatest honour of her life.

&quot;So that&#39;s my final message to young people as first lady.&nbsp;It is simple.&nbsp;I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;Lead by example with hope, never fear.&nbsp;And know that I will be with you, rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life.&quot;

(Reuters)

Talking about diversity, she sent a not-so-veiled message to Donald Trump two weeks ahead of Inauguration Day

First lady Michelle Obama made an impassioned case for embracing diversity and welcoming all religious groups on Friday in a not-so-veiled message to her husband's successor two weeks ahead of Inauguration Day. In what was billed as her last formal speech before President Barack Obama leaves office, the first lady said at an event honouring high school counsellors that the United States belonged to people from all backgrounds and walks of life. "Our glorious diversity - our diversities of faiths and colours and creeds - that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are," she said. The remarks were reminiscent of her vigorous campaign speeches in favour of Democrat Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed building a wall along the border of Mexico and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country. "If you or your parents are immigrants, know that you are part of a proud American tradition: the infusion of new cultures, talents and ideas, generation after generation, that has made us the greatest country on earth," Mrs. Obama said. "If you are a person of faith, know that religious diversity is a great American tradition, too ... And whether you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh - these religions are teaching our young people about justice and compassion and honesty." Mrs. Obama gave a series of high-profile speeches at campaign events for Clinton last year and made clear her disapproval of Trump for questioning President Obama's citizenship and for the New York businessman's treatment of women after a recording was released in which he bragged about groping women. Trump was a leader of the so-called birther movement that questioned whether PresidentObama, who was born in Hawaii, had been born in the United States. Mrs. Obama has kept a lower public profile since the election. Choking up on Friday, she said being first lady had been the greatest honour of her life. "So that's my final message to young people as first lady. It is simple. I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong," she said. "Lead by example with hope, never fear. And know that I will be with you, rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life." (Reuters)

'Lead by example', says Michelle Obama in final speech as first lady

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign of hacking and media manipulation aimed at undermining the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton and boosting Donald Trump, US intelligence said in a report Friday.

The campaign first aimed at damaging a potential Clinton presidency, and then turned to supporting Trump after a victory by the Republican businessman appeared possible, said the report from the Director of National Intelligence.

&quot;We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia&#39;s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency,&quot; it said.

The report said that Putin acted on grudges against the United States after being embarrassed by the Panama Papers on secret offshore banking and the Olympic doping scandal, and that he also blamed Clinton for ostensibly inciting mass protests against his regime in 2011-2012.

The report warned US allies that Russia will likely attempt to influence their elections, making use of its experience with the US vote.

&quot;We assess Moscow will apply lessons learned from its Putin-ordered campaign aimed at the US presidential election to future influence efforts worldwide, including against US allies and their election processes,&quot; it said.

The 25-page public report, which was half the length of the classified version presented to President Barack Obama on Thursday and President-elect Trump on Friday, provided little in the way of detailed evidence to link Putin and Russian intelligence to the hacking and release via WikiLeaks of Democratic Party files that hurt Clinton&#39;s campaign.

Russia has denied interfering in the election, and Trump has repeatedly questioned the US intelligence community`s conclusions on the issue.

(Reuters)

Parts of the declassified report hint at Russia's role in swaying elections in favour of Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign of hacking and media manipulation aimed at undermining the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton and boosting Donald Trump, US intelligence said in a report Friday. The campaign first aimed at damaging a potential Clinton presidency, and then turned to supporting Trump after a victory by the Republican businessman appeared possible, said the report from the Director of National Intelligence. "We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency," it said. The report said that Putin acted on grudges against the United States after being embarrassed by the Panama Papers on secret offshore banking and the Olympic doping scandal, and that he also blamed Clinton for ostensibly inciting mass protests against his regime in 2011-2012. The report warned US allies that Russia will likely attempt to influence their elections, making use of its experience with the US vote. "We assess Moscow will apply lessons learned from its Putin-ordered campaign aimed at the US presidential election to future influence efforts worldwide, including against US allies and their election processes," it said. The 25-page public report, which was half the length of the classified version presented to President Barack Obama on Thursday and President-elect Trump on Friday, provided little in the way of detailed evidence to link Putin and Russian intelligence to the hacking and release via WikiLeaks of Democratic Party files that hurt Clinton's campaign. Russia has denied interfering in the election, and Trump has repeatedly questioned the US intelligence community`s conclusions on the issue. (Reuters)

US: Intelligence report reveals Putin sought to help Trump

The US Congress on Friday certified Donald Trump&#39;s presidential election win, even as some of the members raised objections about the vote count in some states and the Russian hacking scandal. &nbsp;

&quot;I object because people are horrified by the overwhelming evidence of Russian interference in our election,&quot; said Representative Barbara Lee of California before being overruled, Reuters reported.

The final vote count was held in the House of Representatives chamber that certified Trump&#39;s nomination as the President of the United States.

Donald Trump had received 304 votes while his rival Hillary Clinton got 227 votes in a hotly-contested election.

The US Vice President Joe Biden said the official count &quot;shall be deemed sufficient declaration&quot; for Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence to take their oaths of office on January 20, reported AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)

The US Vice President Joe Biden said the official count "shall be deemed sufficient declaration" for Trump to take oath

The US Congress on Friday certified Donald Trump's presidential election win, even as some of the members raised objections about the vote count in some states and the Russian hacking scandal. "I object because people are horrified by the overwhelming evidence of Russian interference in our election," said Representative Barbara Lee of California before being overruled, Reuters reported. The final vote count was held in the House of Representatives chamber that certified Trump's nomination as the President of the United States. Donald Trump had received 304 votes while his rival Hillary Clinton got 227 votes in a hotly-contested election. The US Vice President Joe Biden said the official count "shall be deemed sufficient declaration" for Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence to take their oaths of office on January 20, reported AFP. (With inputs from agencies)

US Congress affirms Trump's presidential win

Yahoo Finance on Thursday came under fire after it posted a tweet with a racist typo. The tweet read: &quot;Trump wants a much *igger navy. Here&rsquo;s how much it will cost.&quot; 
 
While the tweet was about President-elect Donald Trump&rsquo;s idea to expand the US navy, the change in one letter - from &ldquo;b&rdquo; to &ldquo;n&rdquo; - turned it into a cringeworthy sentence.

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A screenshot of the offensive tweet made by Yahoo Finance. (Source: archive.is) (Others)
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If Twitter users are to be believed, the tweet was up for over 20 minutes, which led to a plethora of retweets. Yahoo Finance, however, later deleted the tweet and apologised for the mistake. But before Yahoo removed it, a lot of users had already taken screenshots of the distasteful tweet.

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We deleted an earlier tweet due to a spelling error. We apologize for the mistake.
&mdash; Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooFinance/status/817234871018024961">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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While some believe that an autocorrect must have led to this typo, others are of the opinion that it was sheer carelessness in typing as &ldquo;b&rdquo; and &ldquo;n&rdquo; are placed next to each other on the keyboard.

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In all fairness to <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooFinance">@YahooFinance</a> my phone autocorrects &#39;Chino Hills&#39; to &#39;Chink&#39; and you can bet I&#39;ve never typed that word til now ??
&mdash; Jen Holdcamp (@pupusa) <a href="https://twitter.com/pupusa/status/817256595692273664">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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But as happens with every Twitter controversy, Twitterati didn&#39;t let go of the opportunity and slammed Yahoo Finance with their wit and sarcasm.

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I may have goofed with some typos before but at least I&#39;m not the person that runs the Yahoo Finance twitter <a href="https://t.co/njSAfudsLF">pic.twitter.com/njSAfudsLF</a>
&mdash; 1994 Subaru Outback (@Sadieisonfire) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sadieisonfire/status/817230661346095104">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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The &#39;B&#39; on the keyboard of the Yahoo Finance headline writer: Just press me and hit send on this story. 
 
The &#39;N&#39; on the keyboard: <a href="https://t.co/yYFnCJLtY1">pic.twitter.com/yYFnCJLtY1</a>
&mdash; Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/jemelehill/status/817233136958500864">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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If Yahoo Finance can&#39;t spell or proofread I am not trusting their financial advice. ??
&mdash; BlkPhilosophersStone (@HarmonyEliana) <a href="https://twitter.com/HarmonyEliana/status/817247830825762820">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Job opening at <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooFinance">@YahooFinance</a>. Requirement- cannot be dyslexic. Cant be afraid of re-reading and editing before blundering.. I mean posting..
&mdash; Dani (@danielleK23) <a href="https://twitter.com/danielleK23/status/817256753809137665">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump is currently calling up the Yahoo Finance intern and offering him a job as Social Media Director.
&mdash; Ugene&#39;s Politics ?? (@UgenesPolitics) <a href="https://twitter.com/UgenesPolitics/status/817236554703917056">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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Yahoo Finance&#39;s social media correspondent tomorrow at work <a href="https://t.co/Zu0PaG1Adx">pic.twitter.com/Zu0PaG1Adx</a>
&mdash; Mitch Broyles (@broylesmb) <a href="https://twitter.com/broylesmb/status/817244386597683200">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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the yahoo finance account admin right now: <a href="https://t.co/0BUuaQACRk">pic.twitter.com/0BUuaQACRk</a>
&mdash; Marvelous David ?? (@Marvelouspapi) <a href="https://twitter.com/Marvelouspapi/status/817237492478996481">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Yahoo Finance&quot; needs to cut a check to black twitter for saving their company and making jokes out of this situation.
&mdash; ????Eddie ???? (@Cooleybali) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cooleybali/status/817254079181176833">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Now do you FINALLY get why we need the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Edit?src=hash">#Edit</a> function <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter">@twitter</a>? Peep the &#39;Yahoo Finance&#39; trend if you haven&#39;t already. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EpicTypoGoof?src=hash">#EpicTypoGoof</a>??????????
&mdash; ??GoldieDoc?????? (@OneGold1) <a href="https://twitter.com/OneGold1/status/817257393994145793">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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If you&#39;re having a bad day, at least be thankful you&#39;re not the person running Yahoo Finance&#39;s social media right now.
&mdash; Daniel Atkins (@Daniel_Jared93) <a href="https://twitter.com/Daniel_Jared93/status/817251665103360005">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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If Yahoo Finance can&#39;t spell or proofread I am not trusting their financial advice. ??
&mdash; BlkPhilosophersStone (@HarmonyEliana) <a href="https://twitter.com/HarmonyEliana/status/817247830825762820">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

(WION) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Yahoo later deleted the tweet and apologised for the mistake

Yahoo Finance on Thursday came under fire after it posted a tweet with a racist typo. The tweet read: "Trump wants a much *igger navy. Here’s how much it will cost." While the tweet was about President-elect Donald Trump’s idea to expand the US navy, the change in one letter - from “b” to “n” - turned it into a cringeworthy sentence. A screenshot of the offensive tweet made by Yahoo Finance. (Source: archive.is) (Others) × If Twitter users are to be believed, the tweet was up for over 20 minutes, which led to a plethora of retweets. Yahoo Finance, however, later deleted the tweet and apologised for the mistake. But before Yahoo removed it, a lot of users had already taken screenshots of the distasteful tweet. We deleted an earlier tweet due to a spelling error. We apologize for the mistake. — Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) January 6, 2017 × While some believe that an autocorrect must have led to this typo, others are of the opinion that it was sheer carelessness in typing as “b” and “n” are placed next to each other on the keyboard. In all fairness to @YahooFinance my phone autocorrects 'Chino Hills' to 'Chink' and you can bet I've never typed that word til now ?? — Jen Holdcamp (@pupusa) January 6, 2017 × But as happens with every Twitter controversy, Twitterati didn't let go of the opportunity and slammed Yahoo Finance with their wit and sarcasm. I may have goofed with some typos before but at least I'm not the person that runs the Yahoo Finance twitter pic.twitter.com/njSAfudsLF — 1994 Subaru Outback (@Sadieisonfire) January 6, 2017 × The 'B' on the keyboard of the Yahoo Finance headline writer: Just press me and hit send on this story. The 'N' on the keyboard: pic.twitter.com/yYFnCJLtY1 — Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 6, 2017 × If Yahoo Finance can't spell or proofread I am not trusting their financial advice. ?? — BlkPhilosophersStone (@HarmonyEliana) January 6, 2017 × Job opening at @YahooFinance. Requirement- cannot be dyslexic. Cant be afraid of re-reading and editing before blundering.. I mean posting.. — Dani (@danielleK23) January 6, 2017 × Trump is currently calling up the Yahoo Finance intern and offering him a job as Social Media Director. — Ugene's Politics ?? (@UgenesPolitics) January 6, 2017 × Yahoo Finance's social media correspondent tomorrow at work pic.twitter.com/Zu0PaG1Adx — Mitch Broyles (@broylesmb) January 6, 2017 × the yahoo finance account admin right now: pic.twitter.com/0BUuaQACRk — Marvelous David ?? (@Marvelouspapi) January 6, 2017 × "Yahoo Finance" needs to cut a check to black twitter for saving their company and making jokes out of this situation. — ????Eddie ???? (@Cooleybali) January 6, 2017 × Now do you FINALLY get why we need the #Edit function @twitter? Peep the 'Yahoo Finance' trend if you haven't already. #EpicTypoGoof?????????? — ??GoldieDoc?????? (@OneGold1) January 6, 2017 × If you're having a bad day, at least be thankful you're not the person running Yahoo Finance's social media right now. — Daniel Atkins (@Daniel_Jared93) January 6, 2017 × If Yahoo Finance can't spell or proofread I am not trusting their financial advice. ?? — BlkPhilosophersStone (@HarmonyEliana) January 6, 2017 × (WION)

Twitterati troll Yahoo Finance for making racist typo in tweet

In a mandate issued by US President-elect Donald Trump, the political ambassadors appointed by President Barack Obama are to resign by Inauguration Day, the US ambassador to New Zealand said on Friday.

&quot;I will be departing on January 20th,&quot; ambassador Mark Gilbert said in a Twitter message to Reuters.

Gilbert added that the mandate was issued &quot;without exceptions&quot; through an order sent in a State Department cable on December 23, Reuters reported.

A New York Times report quoted a diplomatic source as saying that previous US administrations have traditionally granted extensions to some ambassadors to remain in places for a couple weeks or even months.

The order threatens to leave the United States without Senate-confirmed envoys for months in critical nations like Germany, Canada and Britain, the New York Times reported.

Officials from the State Department and Trump&#39;s transition team were was not immediately available for comment, Reuters said.

Political ambassadors, especially ones with close ties to the president, often leave with the end of their term.

A senior Trump transition official told the newspaper that it was a simple move to ensure timely departure of Obama&#39;s overseas envoys.

The official told The New York Times that the move should not come as a surprise to the ambassadors.

Trump has taken a strict stance against leaving any of Obama&#39;s political appointees in place as he prepares to take office on January 20, the newspaper said.

Diplomats told New York Times the order has thrown their personal lives into a tailspin, leaving them scrambling to secure living arrangements and acquire visas allowing them to stay in their countries so their children can remain in school.

(With inputs from Reuters)

A senior Trump transition official told The New York Times that it was a simple move to ensure timely departure of Obama's overseas envoys

In a mandate issued by US President-elect Donald Trump, the political ambassadors appointed by President Barack Obama are to resign by Inauguration Day, the US ambassador to New Zealand said on Friday. "I will be departing on January 20th," ambassador Mark Gilbert said in a Twitter message to Reuters. Gilbert added that the mandate was issued "without exceptions" through an order sent in a State Department cable on December 23, Reuters reported. A New York Times report quoted a diplomatic source as saying that previous US administrations have traditionally granted extensions to some ambassadors to remain in places for a couple weeks or even months. The order threatens to leave the United States without Senate-confirmed envoys for months in critical nations like Germany, Canada and Britain, the New York Times reported. Officials from the State Department and Trump's transition team were was not immediately available for comment, Reuters said. Political ambassadors, especially ones with close ties to the president, often leave with the end of their term. A senior Trump transition official told the newspaper that it was a simple move to ensure timely departure of Obama's overseas envoys. The official told The New York Times that the move should not come as a surprise to the ambassadors. Trump has taken a strict stance against leaving any of Obama's political appointees in place as he prepares to take office on January 20, the newspaper said. Diplomats told New York Times the order has thrown their personal lives into a tailspin, leaving them scrambling to secure living arrangements and acquire visas allowing them to stay in their countries so their children can remain in school. (With inputs from Reuters)

Trump asks US envoys appointed by Obama to quit by Inauguration Day

US President-elect Donald Trump has picked former US senator Dan Coats as his director of national intelligence, two senior transition officials said.&nbsp;

The official announcement was expected this week as Trump makes decisions on some of the remaining major positions he must fill before his inauguration on January 20.

Coats, 73, is a traditional conservative from Indiana who was also a US ambassador to Germany for Republican President George W. Bush.

Two senior transition officials said Trump had chosen Coats.

A source close to the transition said Trump had also considered New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for the job but that Christie had chosen not to take it.

(Reuters)

Dan Coats has served as US ambassador to Germany

US President-elect Donald Trump has picked former US senator Dan Coats as his director of national intelligence, two senior transition officials said. The official announcement was expected this week as Trump makes decisions on some of the remaining major positions he must fill before his inauguration on January 20. Coats, 73, is a traditional conservative from Indiana who was also a US ambassador to Germany for Republican President George W. Bush. Two senior transition officials said Trump had chosen Coats. A source close to the transition said Trump had also considered New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for the job but that Christie had chosen not to take it. (Reuters)

Trump to nominate ex-senator Dan Coats as National Intelligence director

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said that the he is &quot;even more resolute&quot; in his belief that Russia interfered with the US presidential election by staging cyber attacks on Democrats, Reuters reported.

Clapper told the Senate Armed Services Committee that &quot;our assessment now is even more resolute than it was&quot; on October 7 when the government first publicly accused Russia.

&quot;I don&#39;t think we&#39;ve ever encountered a more aggressive or direct campaign to interfere in our election process than we&#39;ve seen in this case,&quot; said&nbsp;Clapper during the hearing, Reuters stated in a report.

Clapper also pointed to widespread use of fake news in influencing the outcome of the US presidential polls, <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2017/01/05/russia_used_fake_news_to_influence_the_election_james_clapper_says.html">Slate said in a report</a>.&nbsp;

The hearing was chaired by Senator John McCain, one of the most outspoken critic of Russia in US Congress.&nbsp;

US Presdient-elect has consistently played down Russia&#39;s role in US presidential elections.&nbsp;

He has been critical of US intelligence agencies&#39; findings about Russia&#39;s alleged interfence in the US presidential elections.

Trump will be briefed by intelligence agency chiefs on Friday on hacks that targeted the Democratic Party before the election.

(With inputs from Reuters)

James Clapper said 'our assessment now is even more resolute than it was' on October 7 when the government first publicly accused Russia

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said that the he is "even more resolute" in his belief that Russia interfered with the US presidential election by staging cyber attacks on Democrats, Reuters reported. Clapper told the Senate Armed Services Committee that "our assessment now is even more resolute than it was" on October 7 when the government first publicly accused Russia. "I don't think we've ever encountered a more aggressive or direct campaign to interfere in our election process than we've seen in this case," said Clapper during the hearing, Reuters stated in a report. Clapper also pointed to widespread use of fake news in influencing the outcome of the US presidential polls, Slate said in a report. The hearing was chaired by Senator John McCain, one of the most outspoken critic of Russia in US Congress. US Presdient-elect has consistently played down Russia's role in US presidential elections. He has been critical of US intelligence agencies' findings about Russia's alleged interfence in the US presidential elections. Trump will be briefed by intelligence agency chiefs on Friday on hacks that targeted the Democratic Party before the election. (With inputs from Reuters)

US National Intelligence chief 'even more resolute' Russia interfered in elections

US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday targeted Japanese auto giant Toyota Motors for its plan to build Corolla cars for the US market at a plant in Mexico.&nbsp;

&quot;Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for US. NO WAY! Build plant in US or pay big border tax,&quot; Trump said in a post on Twitter.&nbsp;

Toyota, which announced its plan to build the Mexican facility in April 2015, had no immediate comment.

Following Trump&#39;s tweet, the automaker&#39;s stock on the US market, fell 0.5 percent to $120.45 on the New York Stock Exchange.

This was Trump&#39;s latest broadside against automakers building cars in Mexico.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda said in Japan on Thursday that the automaker has no immediate plans to curb production in Mexico, preferring to wait until after Trump`s January 20 inauguration before deciding whether to make any changes.

Earlier, US car maker Ford Motors had decided to scrap its plant in Mexico and said it will create jobs in US by investing $700 million in its plant in Michigan.

Trump has also said General Motors could become subject to tariffs on Mexico-made cars for the US market.

(Reuters)

Earlier, US car maker Ford Motors had decided to scrap its plant in Mexico following Trump's criticism

US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday targeted Japanese auto giant Toyota Motors for its plan to build Corolla cars for the US market at a plant in Mexico. "Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for US. NO WAY! Build plant in US or pay big border tax," Trump said in a post on Twitter. Toyota, which announced its plan to build the Mexican facility in April 2015, had no immediate comment. Following Trump's tweet, the automaker's stock on the US market, fell 0.5 percent to $120.45 on the New York Stock Exchange. This was Trump's latest broadside against automakers building cars in Mexico. Toyota President Akio Toyoda said in Japan on Thursday that the automaker has no immediate plans to curb production in Mexico, preferring to wait until after Trump`s January 20 inauguration before deciding whether to make any changes. Earlier, US car maker Ford Motors had decided to scrap its plant in Mexico and said it will create jobs in US by investing $700 million in its plant in Michigan. Trump has also said General Motors could become subject to tariffs on Mexico-made cars for the US market. (Reuters)

Trump targets Toyota on plans to make cars for US in Mexico

Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson has agreed to sever all ties with ExxonMobil, putting deferred stock awards in an independently managed trust, the company he headed until last week said.

The agreement was reached in consultation with federal ethics regulators to comply with conflict of interest requirements, it said in a statement late Tuesday.

It is not immediately clear&nbsp;why Tillerson is required to formally sever all ties with his private business, while president-elect Donald Trump is aparently free not to.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-tweets-he-will-leave-business-never-says-he-will-sell-it-9533">Trump has so far refused to </a>sever his private business interests while serving in public office, saying via Twitter that instead he will give control of his business interests to his children, who are currently sitting in on official meetings with world leaders and are playing an active role on his transition team.

Trump was the first US presidential candidate in 40 years to conceal his tax return from the public. He pledged to release them, but said he was forbidden&nbsp;because his taxes&nbsp;were under audit by the IRS, who responded by saying&nbsp;that he was indeed under audit but was&nbsp;free to release them to the public. Then Trump pledged to release them if he won, and has so far still refused.&nbsp;His son, Donald Trump Jr,&nbsp;stated&nbsp;that his father didn&#39;t&nbsp;publicly release&nbsp;his&nbsp;tax returns&nbsp;because they were 12,000 pages <a href="http://time.com/money/4495037/donald-trump-release-tax-returns/">it would subject&nbsp;them&nbsp;to public scrutiny.</a>

Under the arrangement reached with ExxonMobil&#39;s board of directors, Tillerson will place the value of some two million company shares that he would have received over the next ten years in an independently managed trust.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senator-mccain-has-concerns-about-tillerson-nomination-10714">Tillerson owned</a> $218 million in Exxon stock, a pension worth $70 million, and between 2012-2015 has had annual compensation packages worth between $28-40 million annually.

He will give up $4.1 million in cash bonuses that had been scheduled to be paid out over the next three years, as well as other benefits. &quot;The net effect of the agreement is a reduction of approximately $7 million in compensation owed to Tillerson,&quot; the company said in a statement.

Additionally, Tillerson has committed to selling the more than 600,000 Exxon shares he currently owns. The trust will not be permitted to hold Exxon stock, and Tillerson will be barred from working in the oil and gas industry for the next 10 years.

Despite making these concessions, it is unclear how Tillerson can keep&nbsp;his duties&nbsp;as Secretary of State separate from all the&nbsp;former industry colleagues and politicians he encountered as CEO of the world&#39;s largest private oil companies.

Tillerson, who was nominated last month to be President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s chief diplomat, retired December 31 after more than forty years at Exxon Mobil, the last ten years as CEO.

Tillerson is regarded as a controversial choice as secretary of state. He&nbsp;has only ever worked at ExxonMobil, and has no experience in politics. Democrats and Republicans have expressed concern over&nbsp;his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin personally awarded Tillerson with the Order of Friendship.

The FBI, CIA and the White House all have stated that they believe Putin interfered with the US election to help get Donald Trump elected.

Senior Republican senator John McCain, also the chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senator-mccain-has-concerns-about-tillerson-nomination-10714">has called Putin a &quot;thug and a murderer&quot;, and has cast doubt on Tillerson&#39;s appointment.</a>

&quot;I and several of my colleagues have concerns about Mr Tillerson, and some of his past activities, specifically his relationship with Vladimir Putin,&quot; McCain told reporters on December 27.

Tillerson has also been criticised for deals struck on behalf of ExxonMobil that were at odds with US foreign policy. Tillerson criticised US sanctions against Russia after Putin invaded Crimea.

At the time, Exxon had discovered vast deposits of untapped oil in Russia. Oil and tax revenues fund&nbsp;half of Russia&#39;s budget, so this sanction badly affected Putin, while also preventing Exxon&nbsp;from making hundreds of millions of dollars, <a href="http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2016/12/14/13940866/trump-rex-tillerson-sanctions-russia">if not trillions</a>.

(With inputs from AFP)

Tillerson, the multimillionaire with suspicious links to Putin, pledged to do what Trump has not: separate public office from private profit

Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson has agreed to sever all ties with ExxonMobil, putting deferred stock awards in an independently managed trust, the company he headed until last week said. The agreement was reached in consultation with federal ethics regulators to comply with conflict of interest requirements, it said in a statement late Tuesday. It is not immediately clear why Tillerson is required to formally sever all ties with his private business, while president-elect Donald Trump is aparently free not to. Trump has so far refused to sever his private business interests while serving in public office, saying via Twitter that instead he will give control of his business interests to his children, who are currently sitting in on official meetings with world leaders and are playing an active role on his transition team. Trump was the first US presidential candidate in 40 years to conceal his tax return from the public. He pledged to release them, but said he was forbidden because his taxes were under audit by the IRS, who responded by saying that he was indeed under audit but was free to release them to the public. Then Trump pledged to release them if he won, and has so far still refused. His son, Donald Trump Jr, stated that his father didn't publicly release his tax returns because they were 12,000 pages it would subject them to public scrutiny. Under the arrangement reached with ExxonMobil's board of directors, Tillerson will place the value of some two million company shares that he would have received over the next ten years in an independently managed trust. Tillerson owned $218 million in Exxon stock, a pension worth $70 million, and between 2012-2015 has had annual compensation packages worth between $28-40 million annually. He will give up $4.1 million in cash bonuses that had been scheduled to be paid out over the next three years, as well as other benefits. "The net effect of the agreement is a reduction of approximately $7 million in compensation owed to Tillerson," the company said in a statement. Additionally, Tillerson has committed to selling the more than 600,000 Exxon shares he currently owns. The trust will not be permitted to hold Exxon stock, and Tillerson will be barred from working in the oil and gas industry for the next 10 years. Despite making these concessions, it is unclear how Tillerson can keep his duties as Secretary of State separate from all the former industry colleagues and politicians he encountered as CEO of the world's largest private oil companies. Tillerson, who was nominated last month to be President-elect Donald Trump's chief diplomat, retired December 31 after more than forty years at Exxon Mobil, the last ten years as CEO. Tillerson is regarded as a controversial choice as secretary of state. He has only ever worked at ExxonMobil, and has no experience in politics. Democrats and Republicans have expressed concern over his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin personally awarded Tillerson with the Order of Friendship. The FBI, CIA and the White House all have stated that they believe Putin interfered with the US election to help get Donald Trump elected. Senior Republican senator John McCain, also the chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, has called Putin a "thug and a murderer", and has cast doubt on Tillerson's appointment. "I and several of my colleagues have concerns about Mr Tillerson, and some of his past activities, specifically his relationship with Vladimir Putin," McCain told reporters on December 27. Tillerson has also been criticised for deals struck on behalf of ExxonMobil that were at odds with US foreign policy. Tillerson criticised US sanctions against Russia after Putin invaded Crimea. At the time, Exxon had discovered vast deposits of untapped oil in Russia. Oil and tax revenues fund half of Russia's budget, so this sanction badly affected Putin, while also preventing Exxon from making hundreds of millions of dollars, if not trillions. (With inputs from AFP)

Rex Tillerson pledges to sever Exxon ties before becoming US state secretary

Newly appointed United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday, and the two had &quot;a very positive discussion on US-UN relations,&quot; said a UN spokesman, a week after Trump slammed the world body on Twitter.

Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister and UN refugee chief who began his five-year term on Sunday, spoke by phone with Trump, who will take office on January 20, said UN spokesman Farhan Haq.&nbsp;

&quot;This was an introductory phone call during which they had a very positive discussion on US-UN relations. The secretary-general said that he looked forward to engaging with the president after his inauguration,&quot; Haq told reporters.

Trump took to Twitter to disparage the 193-member world body after the United States abstained in a December 23 UN Security Council vote, allowing the adoption of a resolution demanding an end to settlement building by US ally Israel.

Trump, who had called on the outgoing Obama administration to veto the resolution, warned that &quot;things will be different&quot; at the United Nations after he takes office, without offering any details.&nbsp;

He followed up with another tweet on December 26: &quot;The United Nations has such great potential but right now it is just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time. So sad!&quot;

Guterres responded in an interview with Snapchat on Tuesday: &quot;President-elect Trump also said the UN has an enormous potential. That`s exactly what I feel. My job is to make sure that potential becomes a reality.&quot;

In an address to UN staff in New York on Tuesday, Guterres acknowledged that in some parts of the world there was a resistance and scepticism about the role of the United Nations.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said on Wednesday that the president-elect would work with Rex Tillerson, his secretary of state nominee, and Nikki Haley, his choice for US ambassador to the United Nations, to &quot;demand some reform and change.&quot; Both Tillerson and Haley must be confirmed by the US Senate before taking office.

The United States is the largest contributor to the United Nations, paying 22 percent of the $5.4 billion core UN&nbsp;budget and 28 percent of the $7.9 billion UN peacekeeping budget. Following passage of the UN resolution on Israeli settlements, a top US senator threatened to work to cut US funding.

&quot;This gives Guterres a reason for going big on reform quickly,&quot; said a senior UN&nbsp;diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. &quot;He needs to make sure he is reforming the UN&nbsp;fast enough and radically enough in order to engage the incoming US administration.&quot;

(Reuters)

The United States is the largest contributor to the United Nations, paying 22 percent of the $5.4 billion core UN budget

Newly appointed United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday, and the two had "a very positive discussion on US-UN relations," said a UN spokesman, a week after Trump slammed the world body on Twitter. Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister and UN refugee chief who began his five-year term on Sunday, spoke by phone with Trump, who will take office on January 20, said UN spokesman Farhan Haq. "This was an introductory phone call during which they had a very positive discussion on US-UN relations. The secretary-general said that he looked forward to engaging with the president after his inauguration," Haq told reporters. Trump took to Twitter to disparage the 193-member world body after the United States abstained in a December 23 UN Security Council vote, allowing the adoption of a resolution demanding an end to settlement building by US ally Israel. Trump, who had called on the outgoing Obama administration to veto the resolution, warned that "things will be different" at the United Nations after he takes office, without offering any details. He followed up with another tweet on December 26: "The United Nations has such great potential but right now it is just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time. So sad!" Guterres responded in an interview with Snapchat on Tuesday: "President-elect Trump also said the UN has an enormous potential. That`s exactly what I feel. My job is to make sure that potential becomes a reality." In an address to UN staff in New York on Tuesday, Guterres acknowledged that in some parts of the world there was a resistance and scepticism about the role of the United Nations. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said on Wednesday that the president-elect would work with Rex Tillerson, his secretary of state nominee, and Nikki Haley, his choice for US ambassador to the United Nations, to "demand some reform and change." Both Tillerson and Haley must be confirmed by the US Senate before taking office. The United States is the largest contributor to the United Nations, paying 22 percent of the $5.4 billion core UN budget and 28 percent of the $7.9 billion UN peacekeeping budget. Following passage of the UN resolution on Israeli settlements, a top US senator threatened to work to cut US funding. "This gives Guterres a reason for going big on reform quickly," said a senior UN diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. "He needs to make sure he is reforming the UN fast enough and radically enough in order to engage the incoming US administration." (Reuters)

UN chief Guterres speaks with US President-elect Trump

Ford Motor Co on Tuesday scrapped a planned Mexican car factory and added 700 jobs in Michigan following criticism by Donald Trump, as the US&nbsp;president-elect turned his attention towards rival General Motors Co with the threat of a &quot;big border tax&quot; over compact cars made in Mexico.

Ford CEO Mark Fields called the move &quot;a vote of confidence&quot; in Trump, but primarily a response to a decline in the North American demand for small cars like those that would have been made at the Mexican plant. He said the company would have made the same decision even if Trump had not been elected.

Ford will cancel plans unveiled in April to spend $1.6 billion to build the new plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, a project that Trump urged the company to abandon and described as an &quot;absolute disgrace&quot; during the election campaign.&nbsp;

The number&nbsp;two&nbsp;US&nbsp;automaker also said it would invest $700 million in the Flat Rock, Michigan factory plant and would make new electric, hybrid and autonomous vehicles there.

Trump&#39;s efforts to browbeat the US&nbsp;car industry show that he may go further than other modern presidents to try to influence corporate decisions, especially those related to trade and investment.&nbsp;

Investors on Tuesday sold off shares of Kansas City Southern railroad, a company that is heavily dependent on shipping goods across the US-Mexico border.&nbsp;

In a Twitter post hours before Ford&#39;s announcement, Trump wrote, &quot;General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to US&nbsp;car dealers-tax free across border. Make in USA&nbsp;or pay big border tax!&quot; GM, the largest US&nbsp;automaker, said making some of the Cruze cars in the plant in Coahuila, Mexico was part of its strategy to serve global customers, not sell those vehicles in the United States.

Trump&#39;s GM tweet was his latest broadside aimed at an American company over jobs, imports and costs even before he takes office on January&nbsp;20.

Such remarks have signalled an uncommon degree of intervention for an incoming US&nbsp;president into the affairs of US&nbsp;corporations.

Mexico&#39;s government said it regrets Ford&#39;s decision and has made sure that the company will reimburse the state for any costs associated with the investment.&nbsp;

Ford spokeswoman Jennifer Flake said the automaker will save $500 million by not opening the new plant in the near term, but will have some undisclosed costs to retool the other Mexican plant to build the Focus. GM shares were up 0.5 per cent, or $0.17, to $35.00. Ford shares rose 3.3 per cent, or $0.40 a share, to $12.53.

&nbsp;

Trump Notified

Top Ford executives personally notified Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence of their decision. Fields praised tax and regulatory proposals advocated by Trump and his fellow Republicans who control Congress.

&quot;Our view is that we see a more positive US&nbsp;manufacturing business environment under President-elect Trump and the pro-growth policies and proposals that he&#39;s talking about, so this is a vote of confidence for President-elect Trump and some of the policies that they may be pursuing,&quot; Fields said.

Trump said during the presidential campaign that if elected he would not allow Ford to open the new plant in Mexico and would slap hefty tariffs taxes on imported Ford vehicles.

Trump during the campaign also accused Mexico of sending criminals and rapists into the United States and vowed to build a border wall to combat illegal immigration.

Since winning the November&nbsp;8 election, Trump has targeted a wide range of American companies also including United Technologies Inc, Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp. Trump also has touted decisions by companies to keep some production in the United States, including United`s Carrier unit in Indiana.

Trump previously vowed to hit companies that shift production from America to other countries with a 35 per cent tax on their exports into the United States. He also has denounced the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Fields said there were no negotiations between Ford and the incoming president over the decision to cancel the Mexico plant or invest in Michigan.

Ford will build a battery electric SUV with a 300-mile (482-kilometre) driving range at the Michigan plant by 2020, and will launch production there by 2021 of a fully autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel or a brake pedal for use in ride services fleets. Ford also plans new hybrid versions of its F-150 pickup truck, Mustang and police vehicles by 2020.

GM said it sold about 190,000 Cruze cars in the United States in 2016. All of the sedan versions sold in the United States, or about 185,500, were built at its plant in Lordstown, Ohio. About 4,500 hatchback versions of the Cruze were assembled in Mexico and sold in the United States.

Union workers gathered at the Flat Rock factory cheered Fields as he announced the new jobs. Hiring of the 700 new workers there will probably start in 2018 and the majority of it in 2020, Fields said.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Trump's tweets signal an uncommon degree of intervention for an incoming US?president into the affairs of US?corporations

Ford Motor Co on Tuesday scrapped a planned Mexican car factory and added 700 jobs in Michigan following criticism by Donald Trump, as the US president-elect turned his attention towards rival General Motors Co with the threat of a "big border tax" over compact cars made in Mexico. Ford CEO Mark Fields called the move "a vote of confidence" in Trump, but primarily a response to a decline in the North American demand for small cars like those that would have been made at the Mexican plant. He said the company would have made the same decision even if Trump had not been elected. Ford will cancel plans unveiled in April to spend $1.6 billion to build the new plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, a project that Trump urged the company to abandon and described as an "absolute disgrace" during the election campaign. The number two US automaker also said it would invest $700 million in the Flat Rock, Michigan factory plant and would make new electric, hybrid and autonomous vehicles there. Trump's efforts to browbeat the US car industry show that he may go further than other modern presidents to try to influence corporate decisions, especially those related to trade and investment. Investors on Tuesday sold off shares of Kansas City Southern railroad, a company that is heavily dependent on shipping goods across the US-Mexico border. In a Twitter post hours before Ford's announcement, Trump wrote, "General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to US car dealers-tax free across border. Make in USA or pay big border tax!" GM, the largest US automaker, said making some of the Cruze cars in the plant in Coahuila, Mexico was part of its strategy to serve global customers, not sell those vehicles in the United States. Trump's GM tweet was his latest broadside aimed at an American company over jobs, imports and costs even before he takes office on January 20. Such remarks have signalled an uncommon degree of intervention for an incoming US president into the affairs of US corporations. Mexico's government said it regrets Ford's decision and has made sure that the company will reimburse the state for any costs associated with the investment. Ford spokeswoman Jennifer Flake said the automaker will save $500 million by not opening the new plant in the near term, but will have some undisclosed costs to retool the other Mexican plant to build the Focus. GM shares were up 0.5 per cent, or $0.17, to $35.00. Ford shares rose 3.3 per cent, or $0.40 a share, to $12.53. Trump Notified Top Ford executives personally notified Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence of their decision. Fields praised tax and regulatory proposals advocated by Trump and his fellow Republicans who control Congress. "Our view is that we see a more positive US manufacturing business environment under President-elect Trump and the pro-growth policies and proposals that he's talking about, so this is a vote of confidence for President-elect Trump and some of the policies that they may be pursuing," Fields said. Trump said during the presidential campaign that if elected he would not allow Ford to open the new plant in Mexico and would slap hefty tariffs taxes on imported Ford vehicles. Trump during the campaign also accused Mexico of sending criminals and rapists into the United States and vowed to build a border wall to combat illegal immigration. Since winning the November 8 election, Trump has targeted a wide range of American companies also including United Technologies Inc, Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp. Trump also has touted decisions by companies to keep some production in the United States, including United`s Carrier unit in Indiana. Trump previously vowed to hit companies that shift production from America to other countries with a 35 per cent tax on their exports into the United States. He also has denounced the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada. Fields said there were no negotiations between Ford and the incoming president over the decision to cancel the Mexico plant or invest in Michigan. Ford will build a battery electric SUV with a 300-mile (482-kilometre) driving range at the Michigan plant by 2020, and will launch production there by 2021 of a fully autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel or a brake pedal for use in ride services fleets. Ford also plans new hybrid versions of its F-150 pickup truck, Mustang and police vehicles by 2020. GM said it sold about 190,000 Cruze cars in the United States in 2016. All of the sedan versions sold in the United States, or about 185,500, were built at its plant in Lordstown, Ohio. About 4,500 hatchback versions of the Cruze were assembled in Mexico and sold in the United States. Union workers gathered at the Flat Rock factory cheered Fields as he announced the new jobs. Hiring of the 700 new workers there will probably start in 2018 and the majority of it in 2020, Fields said. (Reuters)

After Trump's twitter threat, Ford scraps Mexico plant

US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump has mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over his latest missile threats, saying it won&#39;t ever materialise.

&quot;North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US. It won`t happen!&quot; Trump tweeted on Monday.

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North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won&#39;t happen!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/816057920223846400">January 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The President-elect also dragged China into the issue, saying Beijing is doing nothing to help with the rogue nation.

&quot;China has been taking out massive amounts of money &amp; wealth from the U.S. in totally one-sided trade, but won&#39;t help with North Korea. Nice!&quot; Trump tweeted.

The President-elect&#39;s remarks came after the North Korean leader declared in a televised New Year&#39;s Day speech that his military is on the brink of testing its first intercontinental ballistic missile: A&nbsp;rocket that can be equipped with nuclear weapons and is powerful enough to reach any part of the US.

Kim&#39;s comments fuelled speculation that Pyongyang will test a long-range missile to coincide with his birthday on January 8, or around the time of Trump&#39;s inauguration, in an attempt to ratchet up the pressure ahead of any negotiations with Washington, reports the Guardian.&nbsp;

(ANI)&nbsp;

Donald Trump has mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over his latest nuclear missile threats, saying it won't ever materialise

US President-elect Donald Trump has mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over his latest missile threats, saying it won't ever materialise. "North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US. It won`t happen!" Trump tweeted on Monday. North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won't happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2017 × The President-elect also dragged China into the issue, saying Beijing is doing nothing to help with the rogue nation. "China has been taking out massive amounts of money & wealth from the U.S. in totally one-sided trade, but won't help with North Korea. Nice!" Trump tweeted. The President-elect's remarks came after the North Korean leader declared in a televised New Year's Day speech that his military is on the brink of testing its first intercontinental ballistic missile: A rocket that can be equipped with nuclear weapons and is powerful enough to reach any part of the US. Kim's comments fuelled speculation that Pyongyang will test a long-range missile to coincide with his birthday on January 8, or around the time of Trump's inauguration, in an attempt to ratchet up the pressure ahead of any negotiations with Washington, reports the Guardian. (ANI)

Trump responds to North Korea's nuclear threats via twitter

US House Republicans have scrapped a contentious move that would have weakened an independent congressional ethics office hours before lawmakers were to vote on it, AFP reported.

US President-elect Donald Trump criticised the Republican lawmakers who had mooted to bring the control of the non-partisan Office of Congressional Ethics under the broad oversight of Congressional Commitee on Ethics, giving most of the powers to lawmakers themselves to decide on their own conduct.

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With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/816298944456232960">January 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=&lt;center&gt;&lt;blockquote class=twitter-tweet data-lang=en&gt;&lt;p lang=en dir=ltr&gt;With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it&lt;/p&gt;? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) &lt;a data-cke-saved-href=https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/816298944456232960 href=https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/816298944456232960&gt;January 3, 2017&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
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........may be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DTS?src=hash">#DTS</a>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/816300003442495488">January 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The move was also criticised by Democrats and some Republicans.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who had created the ethics office when she was&nbsp;House Speaker, said Republicans were eliminating the only independent body charged with monitoring their actions, Reuters reported.

&quot;Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress,&quot; Pelosi said in a statement. 
&nbsp; 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The move came under criticism from US President-elect Donald Trump

US House Republicans have scrapped a contentious move that would have weakened an independent congressional ethics office hours before lawmakers were to vote on it, AFP reported. US President-elect Donald Trump criticised the Republican lawmakers who had mooted to bring the control of the non-partisan Office of Congressional Ethics under the broad oversight of Congressional Commitee on Ethics, giving most of the powers to lawmakers themselves to decide on their own conduct. With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017 × ........may be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance! #DTS — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017 × The move was also criticised by Democrats and some Republicans. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who had created the ethics office when she was House Speaker, said Republicans were eliminating the only independent body charged with monitoring their actions, Reuters reported. "Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress," Pelosi said in a statement. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US Republicans scrap move to gut non-partisan ethics watchdog

The Republican-led US Congress begins a new session on Tuesday&nbsp;where it will start laying plans for enacting President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations.

With Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republican lawmakers hope to get a quick start on priorities that were blocked during Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s eight years in the White House.

Since his election on November 8, the Republican president-elect has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during the campaign such as simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Obama&rsquo;s signature health insurance program known as Obamacare.

Republicans have long sought to dismantle Obamacare, insisting it was unworkable and hampered job growth. But they face a dilemma over how to provide health insurance for the 13.8 million people enrolled in Obamacare who could lose their coverage. The law aims to provide health insurance to economically disadvantaged people and expand coverage for others.

Last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that before the election, he assumed Democrats would take back control of the Senate and hold on to the White House, ending any talk of repealing Obamacare.

&quot;I didn&#39;t think...Trump had a chance of winning,&quot; McConnell said in a December 19 interview with Kentucky Educational Television.

The opposite occurred and now Republicans find they have to deliver on their campaign promise, even though they have not agreed on a replacement healthcare program.

Trump kept up his attack on the law on Tuesday, tweeting: &quot;People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn&#39;t work, and it is not affordable,&quot; and adding, &quot;It is lousy healthcare.&quot;

The first meeting of the 115th Congress will be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in.

Amid the celebration will be a move by House Republicans to clear the decks for Obamacare repeal.

That will come in the form of a vote on rules governing House procedures in the two-year term of the chamber. Tucked into the rules package is a move to prevent Democrats from slowing or stopping Obamacare repeal legislation because of the potential cost to the US Treasury of doing so.

Leading Democrats warned on Monday of a fierce battle over Obamacare.

&quot;We&#39;re going to fight as hard as ever to protect the ACA (Affordable Care Act),&quot; said Representative Steny Hoyer, the House&#39;s second-ranking Democrat.

Speaking to reporters, Hoyer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they would launch an effort to mobilise grassroots support for Obamacare by explaining how repeal would create a ripple effect hurting a majority of Americans.

Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare.

&nbsp;

Cabinet, Supreme Court nominations

The Senate will kick off hearings on Trump&#39;s choices to head his Cabinet departments and other top jobs in the new administration.

It is also expected to receive a Supreme Court nomination from Trump early in his term to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February. Republicans refused to consider Obama&#39;s nomination of Merrick Garland last year.

Prominent Republican Senator John McCain has warned that Rex Tillerson, Trump&#39;s choice for secretary of state, will have to explain his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom McCain has called a &quot;thug and a murderer&quot;.

Tillerson, who spent much of his career at Exxon Mobil Corp, has been involved in business dealings in Russia and opposed US sanctions against Moscow for its incursion into Crimea.

While McConnell repeatedly called for removing Obamacare &quot;root and branch,&quot; he said in the Kentucky television interview that his top priorities for the new Congress were dealing with the &quot;massive overregulation&quot; he said had been a brake on the US economy and accomplishing tax code changes to stop companies from moving jobs offshore.

Republican lawmakers also want to curtail or block regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008.

Republicans might use upcoming spending bills funding government agencies to try to kill some of those regulations. Trump is also expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end.

Republicans will hold a slightly smaller majority in both the Senate and House than they enjoyed the past two years. That means Democrats will still have bargaining power, especially on issues that divide Republicans, such as spending priorities.

(Reuters)

Republican's are eager for Trump's agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations

The Republican-led US Congress begins a new session on Tuesday where it will start laying plans for enacting President-elect Donald Trump's agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations. With Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republican lawmakers hope to get a quick start on priorities that were blocked during Democratic President Barack Obama's eight years in the White House. Since his election on November 8, the Republican president-elect has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during the campaign such as simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Obama’s signature health insurance program known as Obamacare. Republicans have long sought to dismantle Obamacare, insisting it was unworkable and hampered job growth. But they face a dilemma over how to provide health insurance for the 13.8 million people enrolled in Obamacare who could lose their coverage. The law aims to provide health insurance to economically disadvantaged people and expand coverage for others. Last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that before the election, he assumed Democrats would take back control of the Senate and hold on to the White House, ending any talk of repealing Obamacare. "I didn't think...Trump had a chance of winning," McConnell said in a December 19 interview with Kentucky Educational Television. The opposite occurred and now Republicans find they have to deliver on their campaign promise, even though they have not agreed on a replacement healthcare program. Trump kept up his attack on the law on Tuesday, tweeting: "People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn't work, and it is not affordable," and adding, "It is lousy healthcare." The first meeting of the 115th Congress will be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in. Amid the celebration will be a move by House Republicans to clear the decks for Obamacare repeal. That will come in the form of a vote on rules governing House procedures in the two-year term of the chamber. Tucked into the rules package is a move to prevent Democrats from slowing or stopping Obamacare repeal legislation because of the potential cost to the US Treasury of doing so. Leading Democrats warned on Monday of a fierce battle over Obamacare. "We're going to fight as hard as ever to protect the ACA (Affordable Care Act)," said Representative Steny Hoyer, the House's second-ranking Democrat. Speaking to reporters, Hoyer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they would launch an effort to mobilise grassroots support for Obamacare by explaining how repeal would create a ripple effect hurting a majority of Americans. Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare. Cabinet, Supreme Court nominations The Senate will kick off hearings on Trump's choices to head his Cabinet departments and other top jobs in the new administration. It is also expected to receive a Supreme Court nomination from Trump early in his term to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February. Republicans refused to consider Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland last year. Prominent Republican Senator John McCain has warned that Rex Tillerson, Trump's choice for secretary of state, will have to explain his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom McCain has called a "thug and a murderer". Tillerson, who spent much of his career at Exxon Mobil Corp, has been involved in business dealings in Russia and opposed US sanctions against Moscow for its incursion into Crimea. While McConnell repeatedly called for removing Obamacare "root and branch," he said in the Kentucky television interview that his top priorities for the new Congress were dealing with the "massive overregulation" he said had been a brake on the US economy and accomplishing tax code changes to stop companies from moving jobs offshore. Republican lawmakers also want to curtail or block regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008. Republicans might use upcoming spending bills funding government agencies to try to kill some of those regulations. Trump is also expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end. Republicans will hold a slightly smaller majority in both the Senate and House than they enjoyed the past two years. That means Democrats will still have bargaining power, especially on issues that divide Republicans, such as spending priorities. (Reuters)

New Republican-led US Congress lays groundwork for reversing Obama agenda

A plane carrying 35 Russian diplomats expelled from the United States over Moscow&#39;s alleged interference in the presidential election took off from Washington on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported.

&quot;The plane has taken off, everyone is on board,&quot; said the Russian embassy in Washington, quoted by the state-owned RIA Novosti agency.

Relatives of the diplomats are also onboard the plane flown specially from Russia, for a total of 96 passengers onboard.

The expulsions were part of a package of sanctions ordered by President Barack Obama on Thursday in the final weeks of his administration.

&quot;We can confirm that the 35 Russian diplomats declared persona non grata have, along with their family members, departed the United States,&quot; a State Department spokesman told AFP.

The diplomats, described as intelligence operatives based at the Russian embassy in Washington and the consulate in San Francisco, had been given 72 hours on Thursday to leave the country.

US intelligence says the Kremlin ordered a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign staff emails in a bid to put Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

Obama also ordered the closure of two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the United States says were used &quot;for intelligence-related purposes.&quot;

Economic sanctions were also announced against Russia&#39;s FSB and GRU intelligence agencies. Four GRU officers including agency chief Igor Korobov also face sanctions.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations.

President Vladimir Putin has ruled out sending home US diplomats in retaliation -- a move interpreted as a sign he is looking to Trump to rebuild US-Russian ties after the US inauguration on January 20.

Trump has cast doubt on the US intelligence findings, saying he knows &quot;things that other people don&#39;t know&quot; about the situation. The populist billionaire is seeking closer ties with Putin.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

The diplomats, described as intelligence operatives, had been given 72 hours on Thursday to leave the country

A plane carrying 35 Russian diplomats expelled from the United States over Moscow's alleged interference in the presidential election took off from Washington on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported. "The plane has taken off, everyone is on board," said the Russian embassy in Washington, quoted by the state-owned RIA Novosti agency. Relatives of the diplomats are also onboard the plane flown specially from Russia, for a total of 96 passengers onboard. The expulsions were part of a package of sanctions ordered by President Barack Obama on Thursday in the final weeks of his administration. "We can confirm that the 35 Russian diplomats declared persona non grata have, along with their family members, departed the United States," a State Department spokesman told AFP. The diplomats, described as intelligence operatives based at the Russian embassy in Washington and the consulate in San Francisco, had been given 72 hours on Thursday to leave the country. US intelligence says the Kremlin ordered a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign staff emails in a bid to put Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Obama also ordered the closure of two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the United States says were used "for intelligence-related purposes." Economic sanctions were also announced against Russia's FSB and GRU intelligence agencies. Four GRU officers including agency chief Igor Korobov also face sanctions. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations. President Vladimir Putin has ruled out sending home US diplomats in retaliation -- a move interpreted as a sign he is looking to Trump to rebuild US-Russian ties after the US inauguration on January 20. Trump has cast doubt on the US intelligence findings, saying he knows "things that other people don't know" about the situation. The populist billionaire is seeking closer ties with Putin. (AFP)

Plane with expelled diplomats leaves US

A Russian bank regularly pinged a server registered to the Trump Organisation based in New York, a cybersecurity firm told Slate &mdash;&nbsp;an allegation that has been denied by&nbsp;presidential nominee Donald Trump.

The Slate report stated that there was &quot;a sustained relationship between a server registered to the Trump Organization and two servers registered to an entity called Alfa-Bank&quot;, a private bank based out of Russia.

Trump&nbsp;campaign press secretary Hope Hicks said it was not a secret server and had been set up for marketing purposes. He insisted that the server had not been used since 2010.&nbsp;

&ldquo;To be clear, The Trump Organization is not sending or receiving any communications from this email server,&rdquo; Hicks said.&nbsp;

&quot;The Trump Organization has no communication or relationship with this entity or any Russian entity,&quot; he maintained.

Slate published the report after speaking to several unnamed domain name system (DNS) specialists and a series of experts on the subject.

The report said that in late July, a DNS specialist going by the name of Tea Leaves found communication emanating from Russia.&nbsp;

Initially, Tea Leaves thought that it was Russian malware but later noticed that a bank from Russia &quot;kept irregularly pinging a server registered to the Trump Organization on Fifth Avenue&quot;.&nbsp;

When the cyber expert chose to dig further with some of his peers, they found that the server&nbsp;was &quot;first registered to Trump&rsquo;s business in 2009 and was set up to run consumer marketing campaigns&quot;.

However, the traffic on the server was so miniscule that it would be unfeasible for a company to keep the server active, Tea Leaves said.

These allegations are set to pour fuel to fire about Trump&#39;s closeness to Russia and its president Vladimir Putin.

The Slate report came hours before the FBI said they had found no link between Trump and the Russian government.

FBI sleuths also dismissed the Slate report, saying that the cyber experts were simply trying to &quot;disrupt&quot; the US election, New York Times quoted unnamed officials as saying.

(WION)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A Slate report had stated that there was 'a sustained relationship' between servers connecting Trump Organization and Alfa-Bank

A Russian bank regularly pinged a server registered to the Trump Organisation based in New York, a cybersecurity firm told Slate — an allegation that has been denied by presidential nominee Donald Trump. The Slate report stated that there was "a sustained relationship between a server registered to the Trump Organization and two servers registered to an entity called Alfa-Bank", a private bank based out of Russia. Trump campaign press secretary Hope Hicks said it was not a secret server and had been set up for marketing purposes. He insisted that the server had not been used since 2010. “To be clear, The Trump Organization is not sending or receiving any communications from this email server,” Hicks said. "The Trump Organization has no communication or relationship with this entity or any Russian entity," he maintained. Slate published the report after speaking to several unnamed domain name system (DNS) specialists and a series of experts on the subject. The report said that in late July, a DNS specialist going by the name of Tea Leaves found communication emanating from Russia. Initially, Tea Leaves thought that it was Russian malware but later noticed that a bank from Russia "kept irregularly pinging a server registered to the Trump Organization on Fifth Avenue". When the cyber expert chose to dig further with some of his peers, they found that the server was "first registered to Trump’s business in 2009 and was set up to run consumer marketing campaigns". However, the traffic on the server was so miniscule that it would be unfeasible for a company to keep the server active, Tea Leaves said. These allegations are set to pour fuel to fire about Trump's closeness to Russia and its president Vladimir Putin. The Slate report came hours before the FBI said they had found no link between Trump and the Russian government. FBI sleuths also dismissed the Slate report, saying that the cyber experts were simply trying to "disrupt" the US election, New York Times quoted unnamed officials as saying. (WION)

US election: Trump denies secret server linked to Russia

Republican US Senator John McCain promised on Saturday&nbsp;continued support for Kiev in the face of aggression from Moscow, as he spent New Year&#39;s Eve on the front line in Ukraine&#39;s eastern conflict zone.

McCain was one of a bipartisan group of 27 US senators who sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump in December, urging him to take a tough line against Russia over what they termed its &quot;military land grab&quot; in Ukraine.

&quot;I send the message from the American people&mdash;we are with you, your fight is our fight and we will win together,&quot; McCain said.

&quot;In 2017, we will defeat the invaders and send them back where they came from. To Vladimir Putin&mdash;you will never defeat the Ukrainian people and deprive them of their independence and freedom,&quot; McCain said after a visit to a military base in the southeastern town of Shyrokyne.

&nbsp;

Trump and Putin

Trump signalled during his campaign that he might take a softer line in dealings with Moscow, repeatedly praising Russian President Putin&#39;s leadership. Trump&nbsp;also repeatedly denied having any relationship to Vladimir Putin, but was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-video-shows-trump-lying-admits-he-has-a-relationship-with-vladimir-putin-10313">filmed </a>in 2013,&nbsp;talking about&nbsp;&quot;having a relationship&quot; with Vladimir Putin.

Since the November 8 US election, Trump has nominated several&nbsp;people in his cabinet with very close Russian ties, like <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senator-mccain-has-concerns-about-tillerson-nomination-10714">Rex Tillerson</a>, who personally received the&nbsp;Order of Friendship award from&nbsp;Russian president Vladimir Putin.

President Barack Obama, the CIA and FBI have all explicitly stated their belief that the Russian government interfered with the US election to help Trump win.&nbsp;The two major intelligence agencies published a joint report, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/29/fbi-dhs-russian-hacking-report">describing Russian interference.</a>

Donald Trump, who claimed that he does not need daily intelligence briefings because he&#39;s a &quot;smart person&quot;, has dismissed all claims&nbsp;about&nbsp;Russian inteference. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/99-senators-believe-russia-interfered-in-us-elections-republican-senator-graham-10642">Republican Senator Lindsey Graham</a> has stated that&nbsp;99 of 100 Senators also believe Russia interefered with the election.

&nbsp;

Trump and Ukraine

Trump&#39;s election caused jitters in Ukraine but officials in Kiev hope that the incoming president&#39;s policies, influenced by Republican hawks and a Republican-voting Ukrainian diaspora, will be friendlier towards Ukraine than his campaign rhetoric and actions might have suggested.

Ukraine has relied on Western support and economic aid since street protests in 2014 which toppled a Kremlin-backed president and were followed by a war with pro-Russian separatists and Russia&#39;s annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine. 
 
(With inputs from Reuters)

The Republican senator is strongly opposing the president-elect's various connections to Putin and Russia

Republican US Senator John McCain promised on Saturday continued support for Kiev in the face of aggression from Moscow, as he spent New Year's Eve on the front line in Ukraine's eastern conflict zone. McCain was one of a bipartisan group of 27 US senators who sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump in December, urging him to take a tough line against Russia over what they termed its "military land grab" in Ukraine. "I send the message from the American people—we are with you, your fight is our fight and we will win together," McCain said. "In 2017, we will defeat the invaders and send them back where they came from. To Vladimir Putin—you will never defeat the Ukrainian people and deprive them of their independence and freedom," McCain said after a visit to a military base in the southeastern town of Shyrokyne. Trump and Putin Trump signalled during his campaign that he might take a softer line in dealings with Moscow, repeatedly praising Russian President Putin's leadership. Trump also repeatedly denied having any relationship to Vladimir Putin, but was filmed in 2013, talking about "having a relationship" with Vladimir Putin. Since the November 8 US election, Trump has nominated several people in his cabinet with very close Russian ties, like Rex Tillerson, who personally received the Order of Friendship award from Russian president Vladimir Putin. President Barack Obama, the CIA and FBI have all explicitly stated their belief that the Russian government interfered with the US election to help Trump win. The two major intelligence agencies published a joint report, describing Russian interference. Donald Trump, who claimed that he does not need daily intelligence briefings because he's a "smart person", has dismissed all claims about Russian inteference. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has stated that 99 of 100 Senators also believe Russia interefered with the election. Trump and Ukraine Trump's election caused jitters in Ukraine but officials in Kiev hope that the incoming president's policies, influenced by Republican hawks and a Republican-voting Ukrainian diaspora, will be friendlier towards Ukraine than his campaign rhetoric and actions might have suggested. Ukraine has relied on Western support and economic aid since street protests in 2014 which toppled a Kremlin-backed president and were followed by a war with pro-Russian separatists and Russia's annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine. (With inputs from Reuters)

Senator McCain says US united with Ukraine in fight against Russia

Opener Lokesh Rahul hit a career-best 199 to power India&#39;s strong reply as England bowlers struggled on day three of the fifth and final Test in Chennai on Sunday.

India were 391 for four at stumps with Karun Nair (71) and Murali Vijay (17) at the crease. The hosts still trail by 86 runs in response to England`s 477.

Rahul shared a 161-run fourth-wicket partnership with Nair before missing out on what could have been his maiden double century.

Rahul, who recorded his fourth Test century, was the ninth batsman in the world to get out on 199 after falling to leg-spinner Adil Rashid in the final moments of the day.

The 24-year-old batsman chased Rashid&#39;s widish delivery on the off-side to give away a catch to point as he crumpled into a heap with hands on head.

Earlier Rahul had surpassed his previous best of 158 as he entertained a raucous Sunday crowd with a couple of reverse sweeps.

He struck 16 fours and 3 sixes during his marathon knock, prompting England skipper Alastair Cook to rotate his bowling options.

The tourists took the second new ball in the 85th over of the innings but Rahul and Nair made sure that India continued to mount the runs.

Nair recorded his maiden Test fifty in just his third match to play the perfect sheet anchor role as Rahul piloted the Indian innings till his departure.

England pacemen worked hard on a batting-friendly MA Chidambaram pitch to claim two crucial wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara (16) and skipper Virat Kohli (15) in the afternoon session.

It was the first time in the series that Kohli, who leads the batting chart with 655 runs, had been out for less than 40. He chipped a drive to extra cover off Stuart Broad.

Overnight batsmen Parthiv Patel and Rahul made England`s bowlers toil earlier in the day with a 152-run opening stand, before Moeen Ali&#39;s off-spin prised out Patel -- the only wicket of the morning session.

It was India&#39;s first century opening partnership in 32 innings even though wicketkeeper Patel was filling in for regular opener Vijay, who got treated for a bruised shoulder before coming into bat.

Patel (71) was undone when he played against the spin of a flighted and sharply turning delivery from Ali to spoon a simple catch to Jos Buttler at cover.

India hold an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series.

(AFP)

Unlike Trump, the Republican senator was angry Russia interfered with the US election. 'When you attack a country, it's an act of war'

Opener Lokesh Rahul hit a career-best 199 to power India's strong reply as England bowlers struggled on day three of the fifth and final Test in Chennai on Sunday. India were 391 for four at stumps with Karun Nair (71) and Murali Vijay (17) at the crease. The hosts still trail by 86 runs in response to England`s 477. Rahul shared a 161-run fourth-wicket partnership with Nair before missing out on what could have been his maiden double century. Rahul, who recorded his fourth Test century, was the ninth batsman in the world to get out on 199 after falling to leg-spinner Adil Rashid in the final moments of the day. The 24-year-old batsman chased Rashid's widish delivery on the off-side to give away a catch to point as he crumpled into a heap with hands on head. Earlier Rahul had surpassed his previous best of 158 as he entertained a raucous Sunday crowd with a couple of reverse sweeps. He struck 16 fours and 3 sixes during his marathon knock, prompting England skipper Alastair Cook to rotate his bowling options. The tourists took the second new ball in the 85th over of the innings but Rahul and Nair made sure that India continued to mount the runs. Nair recorded his maiden Test fifty in just his third match to play the perfect sheet anchor role as Rahul piloted the Indian innings till his departure. England pacemen worked hard on a batting-friendly MA Chidambaram pitch to claim two crucial wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara (16) and skipper Virat Kohli (15) in the afternoon session. It was the first time in the series that Kohli, who leads the batting chart with 655 runs, had been out for less than 40. He chipped a drive to extra cover off Stuart Broad. Overnight batsmen Parthiv Patel and Rahul made England`s bowlers toil earlier in the day with a 152-run opening stand, before Moeen Ali's off-spin prised out Patel -- the only wicket of the morning session. It was India's first century opening partnership in 32 innings even though wicketkeeper Patel was filling in for regular opener Vijay, who got treated for a bruised shoulder before coming into bat. Patel (71) was undone when he played against the spin of a flighted and sharply turning delivery from Ali to spoon a simple catch to Jos Buttler at cover. India hold an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series. (AFP)

Senator McCain meets Ukraine president, says Russia must 'pay the price' for cyber attacks

US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for refraining from retaliation in a dispute over spying and cyber attacks, in another sign that the Republican plans to patch up badly frayed relations with Moscow.

Putin on Friday ruled out tit-for-tat expulsions of Americans in response to US sanctions over alleged cyberattacks, a move that won plaudits from President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump&#39;s intervention -- in a tweet -- however illustrated the shifting political tide in Washington barely three weeks before the Republican is due to succeed Obama at the White House.

&quot;Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!&quot; the incoming US president wrote.

Putin&#39;s decision came despite the foreign ministry asking him to send home 35 US diplomats after President Barack Obama had turfed out the same number of Russian staff.

The alleged hacking of the US presidential election in November outraged Obama, culminating in the expulsions and other sanctions.

But outlining why he would not retaliate Putin cited Trump&#39;s imminent accession.

&quot;We will not expel anyone,&quot; Putin said in a statement, also inviting children of US diplomats to a holiday party at the Kremlin.

Instead, Moscow would plan its next steps &quot;based on the policies pursued by the administration of president Donald Trump&quot;, while warning that the Kremlin reserves the right to respond.

The Russian leader chided the outgoing Obama for &quot;unfriendly steps&quot; amounting to &quot;a provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations&quot;.

Putin&#39;s remarks confirmed that Moscow is pinning its hopes on Trump to help rebuild ties -- which have plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War -- when he takes office next month.

Trump has repeatedly praised Putin and nominated people seen as friendly toward Moscow to senior administration posts, but it is unclear whether he would seek to roll back Obama&#39;s actions.

&nbsp;

State Deptartment silent

Putin had ended his statement on the sanctions by wishing Obama and Trump a Happy New Year, separately congratulating the US president-elect in a New Year message.

Prior to Trump&#39;s remarks, a State Department official&#39;s limited response had symbolised the gulf between the Obama adminstration and the soon to be inaugurated new US president.

&quot;We have seen President Putin&#39;s remarks. We have nothing further to add,&quot; the official said.

Obama on Thursday unleashed a barrage of sanctions against Russia over alleged cyberattacks aimed at tilting the November election in Trump&#39;s favour.

The move came after years of bad blood with Putin that had seen Washington slap sanctions on Moscow over its interference in Ukraine and Syria.

In response to the purported hacks, dubbed &quot;Grizzly Steppe&quot; by US officials, Obama announced penalties against Russia&#39;s military and domestic intelligence agencies, and gave the 35 suspected &quot;intelligence operatives&quot; 72 hours to leave.

The Kremlin said it was sending a special plane to fly diplomats and their families from the United States, following reports they are not able to purchase plane tickets at such short notice.&nbsp;

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian news agencies that 96 people would be leaving the US.

US intelligence has concluded that the Kremlin ordered a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign staff emails in a bid to put Trump in the Oval Office.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the hacking allegations.

&nbsp;

&#39;Americans should be alarmed&#39;

Trump too has questioned whether Russia tipped the electoral scale, painting Obama&#39;s accusations as a thinly veiled effort by a Democratic president to cover up for his party&#39;s loss.&nbsp;

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency have both stated that Russia interfered with the US election.&nbsp;

For weeks while he was campaigning, Donald Trump said the 2016 US election was &quot;rigged&quot;, and when pressed on the issue he refused to say that he would accept its results if&nbsp;he lost. Now that he has won, he accepts the results.

Trump, however, has said he will meet intelligence leaders next week for a briefing on the situation.

Obama -- who has also clashed with Trump over his Israel policy in recent days -- pointedly stated that &quot;all Americans should be alarmed by Russia&#39;s actions&quot;.

It remains unclear whether Trump will move to roll back the sanctions. Leading Republican lawmakers have publicly warned him to stay tough on Putin.

Beyond the election row, Obama also linked the fresh sanctions to harassment of US diplomats in Moscow, which Washington described as &quot;unprecedented&quot; in the post-Cold War era.

US officials, meanwhile, played down the impact sanctions against the GRU and the FSB could have on intelligence-sharing on issues like counterterrorism, saying cooperation was already limited.

Both agencies will face penalties, along with GRU agency chief Igor Korobov and three of his deputies.

In addition, the US Treasury hit two individuals, Evgeniy Bogachev and Aleksey Belan, with sanctions for &quot;involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities&quot;.

The sanctions freeze any assets they may have in the United States and block US companies from doing business with them.

The US government is also declassifying technical information on Russian cyber activity to help companies defend against future attacks.

(With inputs from agencies)

Putin did not expel US diplomats after Obama, reacting to Russian interference with the US election, sent 35 Russian intel ops home

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for refraining from retaliation in a dispute over spying and cyber attacks, in another sign that the Republican plans to patch up badly frayed relations with Moscow. Putin on Friday ruled out tit-for-tat expulsions of Americans in response to US sanctions over alleged cyberattacks, a move that won plaudits from President-elect Donald Trump. Trump's intervention -- in a tweet -- however illustrated the shifting political tide in Washington barely three weeks before the Republican is due to succeed Obama at the White House. "Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!" the incoming US president wrote. Putin's decision came despite the foreign ministry asking him to send home 35 US diplomats after President Barack Obama had turfed out the same number of Russian staff. The alleged hacking of the US presidential election in November outraged Obama, culminating in the expulsions and other sanctions. But outlining why he would not retaliate Putin cited Trump's imminent accession. "We will not expel anyone," Putin said in a statement, also inviting children of US diplomats to a holiday party at the Kremlin. Instead, Moscow would plan its next steps "based on the policies pursued by the administration of president Donald Trump", while warning that the Kremlin reserves the right to respond. The Russian leader chided the outgoing Obama for "unfriendly steps" amounting to "a provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations". Putin's remarks confirmed that Moscow is pinning its hopes on Trump to help rebuild ties -- which have plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War -- when he takes office next month. Trump has repeatedly praised Putin and nominated people seen as friendly toward Moscow to senior administration posts, but it is unclear whether he would seek to roll back Obama's actions. State Deptartment silent Putin had ended his statement on the sanctions by wishing Obama and Trump a Happy New Year, separately congratulating the US president-elect in a New Year message. Prior to Trump's remarks, a State Department official's limited response had symbolised the gulf between the Obama adminstration and the soon to be inaugurated new US president. "We have seen President Putin's remarks. We have nothing further to add," the official said. Obama on Thursday unleashed a barrage of sanctions against Russia over alleged cyberattacks aimed at tilting the November election in Trump's favour. The move came after years of bad blood with Putin that had seen Washington slap sanctions on Moscow over its interference in Ukraine and Syria. In response to the purported hacks, dubbed "Grizzly Steppe" by US officials, Obama announced penalties against Russia's military and domestic intelligence agencies, and gave the 35 suspected "intelligence operatives" 72 hours to leave. The Kremlin said it was sending a special plane to fly diplomats and their families from the United States, following reports they are not able to purchase plane tickets at such short notice. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian news agencies that 96 people would be leaving the US. US intelligence has concluded that the Kremlin ordered a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign staff emails in a bid to put Trump in the Oval Office. Moscow has repeatedly denied the hacking allegations. 'Americans should be alarmed' Trump too has questioned whether Russia tipped the electoral scale, painting Obama's accusations as a thinly veiled effort by a Democratic president to cover up for his party's loss. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency have both stated that Russia interfered with the US election. For weeks while he was campaigning, Donald Trump said the 2016 US election was "rigged", and when pressed on the issue he refused to say that he would accept its results if he lost. Now that he has won, he accepts the results. Trump, however, has said he will meet intelligence leaders next week for a briefing on the situation. Obama -- who has also clashed with Trump over his Israel policy in recent days -- pointedly stated that "all Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions". It remains unclear whether Trump will move to roll back the sanctions. Leading Republican lawmakers have publicly warned him to stay tough on Putin. Beyond the election row, Obama also linked the fresh sanctions to harassment of US diplomats in Moscow, which Washington described as "unprecedented" in the post-Cold War era. US officials, meanwhile, played down the impact sanctions against the GRU and the FSB could have on intelligence-sharing on issues like counterterrorism, saying cooperation was already limited. Both agencies will face penalties, along with GRU agency chief Igor Korobov and three of his deputies. In addition, the US Treasury hit two individuals, Evgeniy Bogachev and Aleksey Belan, with sanctions for "involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities". The sanctions freeze any assets they may have in the United States and block US companies from doing business with them. The US government is also declassifying technical information on Russian cyber activity to help companies defend against future attacks. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump praises 'very smart' Putin for holding back amid hacking row

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In a series of retaliatory measure against Russia over vote meddling, the&nbsp;United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on two top Russian intelligence agencies, expelled 35 agents, and ordered the shutting down of two Russian compounds on US soil.

&quot;I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government&#39;s aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election,&quot; Obama said.

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<h5>These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests,&#39; said Obama</h5>
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&quot;These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests in violation of established international norms of behaviour.&quot;

Obama imposed sanctions against Russia&#39;s FSB and GRU intelligence agencies and ordered the closing down of two Russian compounds that the US says are used &quot;for intelligence-related purposes&quot;. The 35 intelligence operative -- based at the Russian embassy in Washington and the consulate in San Francisco -- have been declared &quot;persona non grata&quot; and ordered to leave the country within 72 hours.

US officials also moved to close two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland.

The latter facility, a summer house a short drive from the US capital, was once featured in a Washington lifestyle magazine and was described as a stately home surrounded by lush gardens on the banks of the Chester River.&nbsp;

The US government said it is now used &quot;for intelligence-related purposes&quot;.

&quot;All Americans should be alarmed by Russia&#39;s actions,&quot; Obama said.&nbsp;

&quot;Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year. Such activities have consequences.&quot;

The US intelligence community all agree that Russia interfered in US elections to put Trump in the White House. They also believe in Russian hand in the hacking and release of Democratic Party and Clinton staff emails.

People tied to a Russian disinformation campaign that US intelligence officials say targeted Clinton&#39;s campaign may also be named under the plans, according to CNN.

Republican Lindsey Graham said in an interview on Dec. 27 that 99 per cent of US senators believe Russia interfered in the US presidential elections.

Washington accuses the Russian military&#39;s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of hacking information with the intent to interfere with the US election -- and says the Federal Security Service (FSB) helped, AFP reported.

Four individual GRU officers including agency chief Igor Valentinovich Korobov and three other entities will face sanctions.

AFP reported that the US Treasury slapped sanctions on two individuals, Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev and Aleksey Alekseyevich Belan, for &quot;involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities.&quot;

The sanctions will freeze their assets in the US and block business with US companies.

Obama said that the government will continue to take actions,&#39;some of which will not be publicised&#39;.

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&quot;These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia&#39;s aggressive activities. We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicised,&quot; Obama said.

&quot;The United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia&#39;s efforts to undermine established international norms of behavior and interfere with democratic governance.&quot;

Trump denied any links with Russia and said,&quot;I think we ought to get on with our lives,&quot; on Wednesday.

The White House had warned Russia to stop cyber-meddling pre-elections, The Washington Post reported.

And about a week before the election, Washington sent a message to Moscow using a special crisis communication channel for the first time, asking it to stop targeting state voter registration and election systems, according to AFP.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow will respond to any &quot;hostile steps&quot; from Washington.

(With inputs from agencies)

It expels 35 Russian intelligence operatives, imposes sanctions on the FSB & GRU, and orders closing down of 2 Russian compounds on US soil

In a series of retaliatory measure against Russia over vote meddling, the United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on two top Russian intelligence agencies, expelled 35 agents, and ordered the shutting down of two Russian compounds on US soil. "I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government's aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election," Obama said. These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests,' said Obama × "These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests in violation of established international norms of behaviour." Obama imposed sanctions against Russia's FSB and GRU intelligence agencies and ordered the closing down of two Russian compounds that the US says are used "for intelligence-related purposes". The 35 intelligence operative -- based at the Russian embassy in Washington and the consulate in San Francisco -- have been declared "persona non grata" and ordered to leave the country within 72 hours. US officials also moved to close two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland. The latter facility, a summer house a short drive from the US capital, was once featured in a Washington lifestyle magazine and was described as a stately home surrounded by lush gardens on the banks of the Chester River. The US government said it is now used "for intelligence-related purposes". "All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions," Obama said. "Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year. Such activities have consequences." The US intelligence community all agree that Russia interfered in US elections to put Trump in the White House. They also believe in Russian hand in the hacking and release of Democratic Party and Clinton staff emails. People tied to a Russian disinformation campaign that US intelligence officials say targeted Clinton's campaign may also be named under the plans, according to CNN. Republican Lindsey Graham said in an interview on Dec. 27 that 99 per cent of US senators believe Russia interfered in the US presidential elections. Washington accuses the Russian military's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of hacking information with the intent to interfere with the US election -- and says the Federal Security Service (FSB) helped, AFP reported. Four individual GRU officers including agency chief Igor Valentinovich Korobov and three other entities will face sanctions. AFP reported that the US Treasury slapped sanctions on two individuals, Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev and Aleksey Alekseyevich Belan, for "involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities." The sanctions will freeze their assets in the US and block business with US companies. Obama said that the government will continue to take actions,'some of which will not be publicised'. Obama said that the government will continue to take actions, 'some of which will not be publicised' × "These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia's aggressive activities. We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicised," Obama said. "The United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia's efforts to undermine established international norms of behavior and interfere with democratic governance." Trump denied any links with Russia and said,"I think we ought to get on with our lives," on Wednesday. The White House had warned Russia to stop cyber-meddling pre-elections, The Washington Post reported. And about a week before the election, Washington sent a message to Moscow using a special crisis communication channel for the first time, asking it to stop targeting state voter registration and election systems, according to AFP. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow will respond to any "hostile steps" from Washington. (With inputs from agencies)

US retaliates against Russian 'interference' in election

China has urged the US not to allow the Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen to transit through US.&nbsp;

Tsai Ing-wen will make a stopover in US during her visit to meet allies in Latin America, ruffling feathers in the Chinese establishment, Reuters reported.

It is not clear whether Tsai Ing-wen will meet the US president-elect Donald Trump and his team.

The US mission in Taiwan, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), has termed the visit &quot;private and unofficial&quot; saying it is not in conflict with the &#39;&#39;one-China&#39;&#39; policy.&nbsp;

China considers Taiwan as a breakaway province and has objected to its diplomatic ties with another state.

US president-elect Donald Trump had called up the Taiwan president after his election moving away from the &#39;&#39;one-China&#39;&#39; policy which states the US doesn&#39;t have any official ties with Taiwan.&nbsp;

Tsai&#39;s proposed stopover comes on her way to Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. She will leave Taiwan on January 7 and return on January 15.

China&#39;s position on Taiwan has its roots in the Chinese Civil War of 1949 when the Nationalists were pushed to the present-day Taiwan by 
the Communists.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

China hopes the United States does not send any wrong signals to 'Taiwan?independence forces'

China has urged the US not to allow the Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen to transit through US. Tsai Ing-wen will make a stopover in US during her visit to meet allies in Latin America, ruffling feathers in the Chinese establishment, Reuters reported. It is not clear whether Tsai Ing-wen will meet the US president-elect Donald Trump and his team. The US mission in Taiwan, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), has termed the visit "private and unofficial" saying it is not in conflict with the ''one-China'' policy. China considers Taiwan as a breakaway province and has objected to its diplomatic ties with another state. US president-elect Donald Trump had called up the Taiwan president after his election moving away from the ''one-China'' policy which states the US doesn't have any official ties with Taiwan. Tsai's proposed stopover comes on her way to Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. She will leave Taiwan on January 7 and return on January 15. China's position on Taiwan has its roots in the Chinese Civil War of 1949 when the Nationalists were pushed to the present-day Taiwan by the Communists. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

China asks US not to allow Taiwan president stopover

Already battling headwinds of a slowing growth, the $150-billion Indian IT industry is staring at arguably its biggest uncertainty in recent times after Donald Trump was elected as President of the US, which accounts for around 60 per cent of its export earnings.

While artificial intelligence, digital and automation are the buzzwords this year, worrylines have started to emerge on &quot;creeping&quot; protectionism and negative sentiment in key markets.

IT companies, however, can take comfort from the fact that global technology spend is expected to grow 3 per cent in 2017 after sliding 0.3 per cent in 2016 and long-term targets of the industry of grossing $225 billion by 2020 and $350 billion by 2025 remain intact, at least for now.

&quot;For 2017, the big concern areas include protectionism and anti-globalisation creeping into markets like the US, the UK and the rest of Europe, Singapore and Australia. Second, the need to update skill base we have in India and rising need for digital and consulting skills, and third, the policy initiatives like GST which can impact the industry,&quot; said R Chandrashekhar, President of software association Nasscom.

Trump, who is due to take over as the 45th US President next month, is known for his hardline stance on protectionism and anti-immigration.

While the industry has tried putting on a brave front, there are underlying concerns about tightening of visa norms that will push up the cost of doing business.

Flagging the issue of protectionism and negative sentiment around skilled worker movement in the US, Chandrashekhar argues that corporate America also needs technology services, given the shortage of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills.

&quot;The issue is as much about what is good for the US economy. The fact is that according to US&#39; own statistics, over one million IT-related jobs will remain unfilled in 2018... So, reality has to be kept in mind before steps are taken,&quot; he said.

Indian players like TCS and Infosys are heavily dependent on the US market.

The other big market -- the UK -- also did not bring much good news for the sector this year, with the country announcing its separation from the EU.

While companies as well as industry body Nasscom said there may be short-term impact on contracts, Britain exiting from the UK holds opportunities for India over a longer term.

The IT industry, which has been a poster boy for Indian exports sector, has been battling factors like fluctuating currency and rising visa costs over the past many years.

In March this year, India filed a complaint in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the US decision to impose high fees on temporary working visas, a move that makes Indian IT companies less competitive in that market.&nbsp;

(PTI)

There are underlying concerns within the industry about tightening of visa norms as it will push up the cost of doing business

Already battling headwinds of a slowing growth, the $150-billion Indian IT industry is staring at arguably its biggest uncertainty in recent times after Donald Trump was elected as President of the US, which accounts for around 60 per cent of its export earnings. While artificial intelligence, digital and automation are the buzzwords this year, worrylines have started to emerge on "creeping" protectionism and negative sentiment in key markets. IT companies, however, can take comfort from the fact that global technology spend is expected to grow 3 per cent in 2017 after sliding 0.3 per cent in 2016 and long-term targets of the industry of grossing $225 billion by 2020 and $350 billion by 2025 remain intact, at least for now. "For 2017, the big concern areas include protectionism and anti-globalisation creeping into markets like the US, the UK and the rest of Europe, Singapore and Australia. Second, the need to update skill base we have in India and rising need for digital and consulting skills, and third, the policy initiatives like GST which can impact the industry," said R Chandrashekhar, President of software association Nasscom. Trump, who is due to take over as the 45th US President next month, is known for his hardline stance on protectionism and anti-immigration. While the industry has tried putting on a brave front, there are underlying concerns about tightening of visa norms that will push up the cost of doing business. Flagging the issue of protectionism and negative sentiment around skilled worker movement in the US, Chandrashekhar argues that corporate America also needs technology services, given the shortage of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills. "The issue is as much about what is good for the US economy. The fact is that according to US' own statistics, over one million IT-related jobs will remain unfilled in 2018... So, reality has to be kept in mind before steps are taken," he said. Indian players like TCS and Infosys are heavily dependent on the US market. The other big market -- the UK -- also did not bring much good news for the sector this year, with the country announcing its separation from the EU. While companies as well as industry body Nasscom said there may be short-term impact on contracts, Britain exiting from the UK holds opportunities for India over a longer term. The IT industry, which has been a poster boy for Indian exports sector, has been battling factors like fluctuating currency and rising visa costs over the past many years. In March this year, India filed a complaint in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the US decision to impose high fees on temporary working visas, a move that makes Indian IT companies less competitive in that market. (PTI)

Trump, protectionism major worry lines for India's IT sector in 2017

Donald Trump winning the US presidency was one of the defining moments of 2016.

All through his campaign, he had pitched himself as the &quot;outsider&quot; -- someone not part of Washington&rsquo;s political and bureaucratic elite.

He also promised to &ldquo;drain the swamp&rdquo; should he win the Oval Office.

So, now that he has won, who are the people that he&#39;s brought in? The ones that will take up key positions in a Donald Trump presidency?

Click on the graphic below to find out:&nbsp;

<iframe src="https://app.wisemapping.com/c/maps/497662/embed?zoom=1" style="width:770px;height:430px;border: 1px
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A one-stop guide to the people who will be key in a Trump presidency

Donald Trump winning the US presidency was one of the defining moments of 2016. All through his campaign, he had pitched himself as the "outsider" -- someone not part of Washington’s political and bureaucratic elite. He also promised to “drain the swamp” should he win the Oval Office. So, now that he has won, who are the people that he's brought in? The ones that will take up key positions in a Donald Trump presidency? Click on the graphic below to find out:

Interactive: All the president's men

US President-elect Donald Trump stirred a simmering dispute with Barack Obama on Wednesday, accusing him of derailing a smooth transition with &quot;inflammatory&quot; remarks, before appearing to row back.

Ever since the November 8 election, Trump and Obama have tried to bury political differences in favour of a united public front that would smooth the transfer of power on January 20.

But the Republican president-in-waiting unceremoniously cast any cordiality aside in a morning Twitter tirade from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

In a declaration that is unprecedented in its personal condemnation of a soon-to-be predecessor, the 70-year-old tweeted: &quot;Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!&quot;

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Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks.Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/814110460761018368">December 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
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But Trump later appeared to shift focus from his previous comments, stating the process was going &quot;very, very smoothly.&quot;

Trump said he had spoken to Obama in what he described as &quot;a very nice conversation... appreciated that he called.&quot;

&quot;I actually thought we covered a lot of territory,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;Our staffs have been getting along very well and I&#39;m getting along very well with him other than a couple of statements that I responded to.

&quot;We talked about it and smiled about it and nobody is ever going to know because we are never going to be going against each other.&quot;

White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the call &quot;was positive and focused on continuing a smooth and effective transition,&quot; adding the pair planned to keep in touch over the coming weeks.

Tensions between Trump and the current White House have been growing for weeks as Obama has become more outspoken about a vitriol-filled election that saw Democrat Hillary Clinton suffer a shock defeat.

Obama -- who is still the most popular politician in the country -- recently suggested that he may have won a third term were he not constitutionally barred from doing so.

That seems to have irked the notoriously thin-skinned president-elect.

Competing claims

At the same time, the pair has competed to take credit for solid economic indicators.

After months of talking down the world&#39;s largest economy, Trump has tried to take credit for a number of economic developments that are roughly on trend.

Trump claimed Sprint was creating 5,000 US jobs &quot;because of me.&quot;

&quot;The U.S. Consumer Confidence Index for December surged nearly four points to 113.7, THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN MORE THAN 15 YEARS! Thanks Donald,&quot; he tweeted late Tuesday, referring to himself in the third person.

And Trump announced he would hold in early January a press conference previously set to take place earlier this month to discuss his vast business holdings.

The 70-year-old, who is the wealthiest man to become US president, has been beset by accusations of conflict of interest ever since beating Clinton to the presidency.

White House response

While the White House has seethed behind the scenes, there has been&nbsp;little public response to Trump&#39;s forays into US foreign and domestic policy before he takes office in less than a month.

But tensions reached something of a breaking point after the United States tacitly backed condemnation of Israeli settlement activity at the United Nations.&nbsp;

With Washington withholding its veto, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding a halt to Israeli settlement building in the Palestinian territories.&nbsp;

Trump followed up Wednesday&#39;s early tweet with another two taking aim at Obama&#39;s policy toward Israel.

&quot;We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the US, but.......&quot; he wrote.

&quot;Not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (UN)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!&quot;

Throughout the long election campaign, Obama made no secret of his disdain for Trump, describing him as ill-informed and unfit for office.

But since a landmark meeting in the Oval Office a few days after the election, Obama has tried flattery in a bid to bind Trump to the norms of office.

He has praised Trump on a historic victory and made plain that millions of Republican voters would also be hurt if Trump overturns his landmark health care law.&nbsp;

Obama has repeatedly vowed to make the transition as smooth as possible.

At lower levels, the transition has spluttered along after a slow start that saw many key departments wait for substantive meetings with Trump staff.

That is said to have improved in recent weeks, as &quot;landing teams&quot; have begun to work with government agencies and briefing materials have been distributed.

The real estate mogul-turned-commander-in-chief is gradually putting together a team that is made up of Republican establishment figures, billionaires, generals and far-right activists.

At Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday, he met potential secretaries of agriculture and discussed measures to repeal so-called Obamacare and reform veterans&#39; health care with notable doctors.

(AFP)

They have tried to bury their political differences but the President-elect cast any cordiality aside in another Twitter tirade

US President-elect Donald Trump stirred a simmering dispute with Barack Obama on Wednesday, accusing him of derailing a smooth transition with "inflammatory" remarks, before appearing to row back. Ever since the November 8 election, Trump and Obama have tried to bury political differences in favour of a united public front that would smooth the transfer of power on January 20. But the Republican president-in-waiting unceremoniously cast any cordiality aside in a morning Twitter tirade from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. In a declaration that is unprecedented in its personal condemnation of a soon-to-be predecessor, the 70-year-old tweeted: "Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks." "Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!" Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks.Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2016 × But Trump later appeared to shift focus from his previous comments, stating the process was going "very, very smoothly." Trump said he had spoken to Obama in what he described as "a very nice conversation... appreciated that he called." "I actually thought we covered a lot of territory," Trump said. "Our staffs have been getting along very well and I'm getting along very well with him other than a couple of statements that I responded to. "We talked about it and smiled about it and nobody is ever going to know because we are never going to be going against each other." White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the call "was positive and focused on continuing a smooth and effective transition," adding the pair planned to keep in touch over the coming weeks. Tensions between Trump and the current White House have been growing for weeks as Obama has become more outspoken about a vitriol-filled election that saw Democrat Hillary Clinton suffer a shock defeat. Obama -- who is still the most popular politician in the country -- recently suggested that he may have won a third term were he not constitutionally barred from doing so. That seems to have irked the notoriously thin-skinned president-elect. Competing claims At the same time, the pair has competed to take credit for solid economic indicators. After months of talking down the world's largest economy, Trump has tried to take credit for a number of economic developments that are roughly on trend. Trump claimed Sprint was creating 5,000 US jobs "because of me." "The U.S. Consumer Confidence Index for December surged nearly four points to 113.7, THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN MORE THAN 15 YEARS! Thanks Donald," he tweeted late Tuesday, referring to himself in the third person. And Trump announced he would hold in early January a press conference previously set to take place earlier this month to discuss his vast business holdings. The 70-year-old, who is the wealthiest man to become US president, has been beset by accusations of conflict of interest ever since beating Clinton to the presidency. White House response While the White House has seethed behind the scenes, there has been little public response to Trump's forays into US foreign and domestic policy before he takes office in less than a month. But tensions reached something of a breaking point after the United States tacitly backed condemnation of Israeli settlement activity at the United Nations. With Washington withholding its veto, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding a halt to Israeli settlement building in the Palestinian territories. Trump followed up Wednesday's early tweet with another two taking aim at Obama's policy toward Israel. "We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the US, but......." he wrote. "Not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (UN)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!" Throughout the long election campaign, Obama made no secret of his disdain for Trump, describing him as ill-informed and unfit for office. But since a landmark meeting in the Oval Office a few days after the election, Obama has tried flattery in a bid to bind Trump to the norms of office. He has praised Trump on a historic victory and made plain that millions of Republican voters would also be hurt if Trump overturns his landmark health care law. Obama has repeatedly vowed to make the transition as smooth as possible. At lower levels, the transition has spluttered along after a slow start that saw many key departments wait for substantive meetings with Trump staff. That is said to have improved in recent weeks, as "landing teams" have begun to work with government agencies and briefing materials have been distributed. The real estate mogul-turned-commander-in-chief is gradually putting together a team that is made up of Republican establishment figures, billionaires, generals and far-right activists. At Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday, he met potential secretaries of agriculture and discussed measures to repeal so-called Obamacare and reform veterans' health care with notable doctors. (AFP)

Trump, Obama disputes spill into the open

Despite all the anti-Chinese remarks he made, Donald Trump was a surprising hero among Chinese nationalists during the presidential campaign. The former reality TV star drew his support from Chinese netizens either privately sharing his loathing for self-serving elitists (China has plenty of them) or excited by the prospects of the oafish Trump speeding up American decline and Chinese ascendency.

These fans were in for a nasty shock when the president-elect tweeted that he had accepted a phone call of congratulations from Taiwanese President Tsai Yingwen&mdash;a figure of contempt for Chinese nationalists. The deceptively innocent exchange marked the first time in almost four decades that an American president (or soon to be president) had openly communicated with a leader of the island-state.

To make matters worse, Trump referred to Tsai on equal terms as president, thus directly contradicting the Beijing-invented narrative of Taiwan as a breakaway province from the Chinese mainland, rather than a de facto independent state with its own leader.

ONE CHINA POLICY

Days later, he hinted at a possible end to the One China policy, making the assertion that the United States was not necessarily bound to such an agreement. Under this policy, both Taipei and Beijing make claim to the title of China (Taiwan is officially the Republic of China), but agree that there is only &ldquo;one China&rdquo;&mdash;in an abstract sense if not a unified nation-state.

Beyond the relationship of the two Chinas, the policy means that no country can hold official relations with both the governments of Taipei and Beijing. For its part, the US gives diplomatic recognition to Beijing but still retains unofficial ties with Taipei.

If Trump steers US policy to treating Taiwan more like an independent state, it undermines the One China principle and by extension the Chinese Communist Party&rsquo;s (CCP) decades-old claim to the island. Feeling its sovereign right over Taipei under threat, Beijing will retaliate.

In fact, on December 15, China captured a US Navy drone, possibly to send Trump a warning message and flex its muscles in the South China Sea. Even before stepping into office, Trump has shown his potential to damage stability in East Asia.

Which makes the threats posed after Trump enters the White House all the more serious. If he chooses to further provoke China after his inauguration in January 2017, it could easily lead to a cycle of escalation in an already volatile region. Besides Taiwan, much of East and Southeast Asia (backed by the US) hold competing claims to territory with China.

It&rsquo;s not clear whether Trump&rsquo;s phone call with Tsai was an intentional plot to undermine Beijing or a result of his ignorance to the sensitivities within East Asian international politics. Given that he is a president-elect who rejects Central Intelligence Agency briefings, it was likely the latter. What kind of diplomatic crisis might he fall into next when dealing with, say, the South China Sea dispute?

DEAL OR NO DEAL

Trump should take a step back before nearing the brink with China. Besides, this diplomatic faux-pas should not be interpreted as a sign of his suddenly principled approach to world politics. Trump is right to stand up for Taiwan. But he is likely doing so for the wrong reasons.

Unlike his predecessors, Trump has shown little concern about US-led stability or democracy in the region. Rather, the protectionist president-elect wants to cut a deal with China over trade for the security of white-collar American jobs. In his official statement, Trump said: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know why we have to be bound by a &lsquo;one China policy&rsquo; unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.&rdquo;

Foreign policy is, of course, about making deals&mdash;a skill that Trump likes to remind people he excels at. But US policy needs to be underpinned by principles and a great strategy in order to work. Simply making deals risks reducing allies like Taiwan down to bargaining chips that can be tossed away when the price is right.

It is especially concerning when considering that no deal can be struck with China in Taiwan&rsquo;s favor. Beijing does not consider Taiwan&rsquo;s status up for negotiation&mdash;unless the outcome is bringing Taipei under CCP rule.

That would give Trump&rsquo;s Chinese fans something to cheer about.

President-elect Donald Trump?s China policy cannot be based on deal making alone

Despite all the anti-Chinese remarks he made, Donald Trump was a surprising hero among Chinese nationalists during the presidential campaign. The former reality TV star drew his support from Chinese netizens either privately sharing his loathing for self-serving elitists (China has plenty of them) or excited by the prospects of the oafish Trump speeding up American decline and Chinese ascendency. These fans were in for a nasty shock when the president-elect tweeted that he had accepted a phone call of congratulations from Taiwanese President Tsai Yingwen—a figure of contempt for Chinese nationalists. The deceptively innocent exchange marked the first time in almost four decades that an American president (or soon to be president) had openly communicated with a leader of the island-state. To make matters worse, Trump referred to Tsai on equal terms as president, thus directly contradicting the Beijing-invented narrative of Taiwan as a breakaway province from the Chinese mainland, rather than a de facto independent state with its own leader. ONE CHINA POLICY Days later, he hinted at a possible end to the One China policy, making the assertion that the United States was not necessarily bound to such an agreement. Under this policy, both Taipei and Beijing make claim to the title of China (Taiwan is officially the Republic of China), but agree that there is only “one China”—in an abstract sense if not a unified nation-state. Beyond the relationship of the two Chinas, the policy means that no country can hold official relations with both the governments of Taipei and Beijing. For its part, the US gives diplomatic recognition to Beijing but still retains unofficial ties with Taipei. If Trump steers US policy to treating Taiwan more like an independent state, it undermines the One China principle and by extension the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) decades-old claim to the island. Feeling its sovereign right over Taipei under threat, Beijing will retaliate. In fact, on December 15, China captured a US Navy drone, possibly to send Trump a warning message and flex its muscles in the South China Sea. Even before stepping into office, Trump has shown his potential to damage stability in East Asia. Which makes the threats posed after Trump enters the White House all the more serious. If he chooses to further provoke China after his inauguration in January 2017, it could easily lead to a cycle of escalation in an already volatile region. Besides Taiwan, much of East and Southeast Asia (backed by the US) hold competing claims to territory with China. It’s not clear whether Trump’s phone call with Tsai was an intentional plot to undermine Beijing or a result of his ignorance to the sensitivities within East Asian international politics. Given that he is a president-elect who rejects Central Intelligence Agency briefings, it was likely the latter. What kind of diplomatic crisis might he fall into next when dealing with, say, the South China Sea dispute? DEAL OR NO DEAL Trump should take a step back before nearing the brink with China. Besides, this diplomatic faux-pas should not be interpreted as a sign of his suddenly principled approach to world politics. Trump is right to stand up for Taiwan. But he is likely doing so for the wrong reasons. Unlike his predecessors, Trump has shown little concern about US-led stability or democracy in the region. Rather, the protectionist president-elect wants to cut a deal with China over trade for the security of white-collar American jobs. In his official statement, Trump said: “I don’t know why we have to be bound by a ‘one China policy’ unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.” Foreign policy is, of course, about making deals—a skill that Trump likes to remind people he excels at. But US policy needs to be underpinned by principles and a great strategy in order to work. Simply making deals risks reducing allies like Taiwan down to bargaining chips that can be tossed away when the price is right. It is especially concerning when considering that no deal can be struck with China in Taiwan’s favor. Beijing does not consider Taiwan’s status up for negotiation—unless the outcome is bringing Taipei under CCP rule. That would give Trump’s Chinese fans something to cheer about.

Diplomacy with Beijing is not that easy

Republican Lindsey Graham said in an interview on Tuesday that 99 per cent of US senators believe Russia interfered in the US presidential elections, which led to Trump winning.

&ldquo;There are 100 United States senators. ... I would say that 99 percent of us believe that the Russians did this, and we&rsquo;re going to do something about it,&rdquo; Graham told CNN&rsquo;s Jim Sciutto in an exclusive interview on Tuesday. &quot;We&#39;re going to put sanctions together that hit Putin as an individual and his inner circle for interfering in our election, and they&#39;re doing it all over the world -- not just in the United States.&quot;

Graham, along with senator John McCain, appeared on &quot;The Situation Room&quot; in the Baltic nation Estonia.

The American news network CNN reported that Graham, McCain and Democratic senator Amy Kloubuchar will be meeting with officials from Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia and Montenegro to discuss Russia.

A US political website &#39;The Hill&#39; on Tuesday reported that a lawsuit&nbsp;filed against the CIA, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence seeks records concerning the interference of Russia in the November 8 elections.

The website reported that a US journalist and a Ph.D candidate had filed the lawsuit as the agencies had failed to give out the information they requested under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Washington Post quoted, on December 9, a secret CIA report that found that Russian interference in the November 8 US presidential election helped Donald Trump win the White House. The Post also reported that individuals connected to the Russian government provided Wikileaks with hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee emails and Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign chief, among others.

United States President Barack Obama had ordered intelligence agencies to review Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential elections on December 9.

President-elect Donald Trump rejected Russian involvement in the elections.

(WION)

'We're going to put sanctions together that hit Putin as an individual and his inner circle for interfering in our election'

Republican Lindsey Graham said in an interview on Tuesday that 99 per cent of US senators believe Russia interfered in the US presidential elections, which led to Trump winning. “There are 100 United States senators. ... I would say that 99 percent of us believe that the Russians did this, and we’re going to do something about it,” Graham told CNN’s Jim Sciutto in an exclusive interview on Tuesday. "We're going to put sanctions together that hit Putin as an individual and his inner circle for interfering in our election, and they're doing it all over the world -- not just in the United States." Graham, along with senator John McCain, appeared on "The Situation Room" in the Baltic nation Estonia. The American news network CNN reported that Graham, McCain and Democratic senator Amy Kloubuchar will be meeting with officials from Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia and Montenegro to discuss Russia. A US political website 'The Hill' on Tuesday reported that a lawsuit filed against the CIA, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence seeks records concerning the interference of Russia in the November 8 elections. The website reported that a US journalist and a Ph.D candidate had filed the lawsuit as the agencies had failed to give out the information they requested under the Freedom of Information Act. The Washington Post quoted, on December 9, a secret CIA report that found that Russian interference in the November 8 US presidential election helped Donald Trump win the White House. The Post also reported that individuals connected to the Russian government provided Wikileaks with hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee emails and Hillary Clinton's campaign chief, among others. United States President Barack Obama had ordered intelligence agencies to review Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential elections on December 9. President-elect Donald Trump rejected Russian involvement in the elections. (WION)

99% senators believe Russia interfered in US elections: Republican senator Graham

US President-elect Donald Trump said he plans to close down his controversial Trump foundation while an investigation is ongoing into the charitable institution.

He said he was making the decision to &quot;avoid even the appearance of any conflict&quot; with his presidency.

&quot;The foundation has done enormous good works over the years in contributing millions of dollars to countless worthy groups, including supporting veterans, law enforcement officers and children,&quot; Trump said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;However, to avoid even the appearance of any conflict with my role as president I have decided to continue to pursue my strong interest in philanthropy in other ways.&quot;

Trump&#39;s businesses have attracted increasing scrutiny since his election victory on November 8. The shuttering of his charity would be his first big step to avoid a brewing storm of potential conflicts of interest, news agency AFP said.

Trump has already directed his counsel to start the process of closing down the foundation.

The Trump Foundation is under investigation by New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman. The attorney general&#39;s office on Saturday said that the president-elect could not shut down the foundation yet.

&quot;The Trump Foundation is still under investigation by this office and cannot legally dissolve until that investigation is complete,&quot; Schneiderman spokeswoman Amy Spitalnick said.

An investigation by the Washington Post in June had found that Trump had paid only a small amount of the money he&#39;d promised to the charity. He pledged to donate $1 million to a non-profit group for veterans after public pressure.

Critics say Trump will run into conflicts unless he fully divests himself of all his business and charitable interests, AFP said.

(With inputs from AFP)

The Trump Foundation is under investigation by New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman

US President-elect Donald Trump said he plans to close down his controversial Trump foundation while an investigation is ongoing into the charitable institution. He said he was making the decision to "avoid even the appearance of any conflict" with his presidency. "The foundation has done enormous good works over the years in contributing millions of dollars to countless worthy groups, including supporting veterans, law enforcement officers and children," Trump said in a statement. "However, to avoid even the appearance of any conflict with my role as president I have decided to continue to pursue my strong interest in philanthropy in other ways." Trump's businesses have attracted increasing scrutiny since his election victory on November 8. The shuttering of his charity would be his first big step to avoid a brewing storm of potential conflicts of interest, news agency AFP said. Trump has already directed his counsel to start the process of closing down the foundation. The Trump Foundation is under investigation by New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman. The attorney general's office on Saturday said that the president-elect could not shut down the foundation yet. "The Trump Foundation is still under investigation by this office and cannot legally dissolve until that investigation is complete," Schneiderman spokeswoman Amy Spitalnick said. An investigation by the Washington Post in June had found that Trump had paid only a small amount of the money he'd promised to the charity. He pledged to donate $1 million to a non-profit group for veterans after public pressure. Critics say Trump will run into conflicts unless he fully divests himself of all his business and charitable interests, AFP said. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump says he intends to dissolve controversial charitable foundation

President-elect Donald Trump indicated Friday he did not fear a new arms race and warned the United States would match any move by another country to boost its nuclear arsenal, in a spectacular new foray into foreign policy.

His stunning -- and initially unexplained -- use of language reminiscent of the Cold War rocked the Washington establishment two days before Christmas, and left Americans baffled by the seemingly mixed messages Trump is sending Russia.&nbsp;

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Trump began upping the nuclear rhetoric with a bombshell tweet Thursday calling for America to &quot;greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.&quot;

Anti-proliferation campaigners and lawmakers were aghast at the sabre-rattling talk, though some observers wondered how much stock to put into Trump&#39;s words -- and even whether they may be part of a deliberate strategy to bring about a promised rapprochement with Russia.

Matters were not helped after his aides struggled to come up with a coherent take on what Trump meant, leaving Americans scrambling to make sense of the president-elect&#39;s tweet which, as has often been the case since his election, landed without context or detail.

His remarks came hours after President Vladimir Putin declared Russia needs to &quot;strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces,&quot; and a day after the president-elect met with Pentagon brass.

When asked for clarity, Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, said Trump would not tolerate other countries increasing their nuclear arsenal without responding.

&quot;There&#39;s a few countries around the globe, Russia being one of them, China, others, that have talked about increasing their nuclear capabilities,&quot; Spicer told the MSNBC news network.

&quot;The president-elect&#39;s point is unless these guys come to their senses and recognise that this is not a smart move, increasing the nuclear stockpile around the globe is not good for anybody, the US is not going to sit back and take it.&quot;

In a subsequent interview on CNN, Spicer warned: &quot;If another country wants to threaten our sovereignty or our safety, he will act.&quot;

Putin sees &#39;nothing unusual&#39;

Early Friday, Trump was quoted telling MSNBC -- when asked in an off-air telephone call to clarify his nuclear policy tweet -- that his administration had no reservations about entering &quot;an arms race.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;This morning he told me on the phone, &#39;Let it be an arms race. We&#39;ll outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all,&#39;&quot; network host Mika Brzezinksi said.

On Thursday, Trump spokesman Jason Miller had tried to nuance Trump&#39;s tweet and claimed he was actually &quot;referring to the threat of nuclear proliferation and the critical need to prevent it -- particularly to and among terrorist organisations and unstable and rogue regimes.&quot;

The debate marks a jarring departure from the stance of President Barack Obama, who in a famous 2009 speech in Prague called for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

In 2010, Obama and Russia&#39;s then-president Dmitry Medvedev signed the so-called New START treaty that calls for a significant reduction in the nuclear arsenals of both countries.

Ties between Moscow and Washington hit their lowest point since the Cold War under Obama due to the Ukraine crisis and Russia&#39;s military intervention in Syria.

But on Friday, Putin said he found &quot;nothing unusual&quot; about Trump&#39;s call to boost America&#39;s nuclear capability.

&quot;During his election campaign he spoke about the necessity of strengthening the nuclear component of the United States, to strengthen the armed forces,&quot; the Russian leader told his annual year-end press conference.

More at play?

Even as the country reeled from his Twitter outburst, Trump sowed further confusion Friday by releasing a copy of what he called a &quot;very nice letter&quot; in which the Kremlin strongman offered him Christmas greetings and called for greater bilateral cooperation.

Trump has often said he admires Putin&#39;s leadership qualities and the US intelligence community concluded that Russia was responsible for cyber attacks ahead of November&#39;s election that sought to tip the balance in favour of the Republican.

Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, suggested something more was at play between Trump and Putin.

&quot;One possibility is that this isn&#39;t all nonsense or even a mistake, but rather is part of a choreographed effort&quot; between Putin and Trump, he said on MSNBC.

&quot;One could imagine that they simply re-sign the START treaty, tell us, &#39;Look, we solved this nuclear problem or at least played it down, and now is the time to eliminate sanctions and make other concessions to Russia.&#39;&quot;

Trump&#39;s transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Moves by Trump to ratchet up nuclear capabilities may meet stiff opposition from Democratic lawmakers, though options for blocking him will be limited with Republican majorities in the House and the Senate.

&quot;Congress must not allow the Tweeter in Chief to unleash a dangerous and costly nuclear arms race,&quot; Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said in a tweet.

(AFP)

After he says US 'must greatly strengthen... nuclear capability', Americans left baffled by mixed message he is sending Russia

President-elect Donald Trump indicated Friday he did not fear a new arms race and warned the United States would match any move by another country to boost its nuclear arsenal, in a spectacular new foray into foreign policy. His stunning -- and initially unexplained -- use of language reminiscent of the Cold War rocked the Washington establishment two days before Christmas, and left Americans baffled by the seemingly mixed messages Trump is sending Russia. Matters were not helped after his aides struggled to come up with a coherent take on what Trump meant × Trump began upping the nuclear rhetoric with a bombshell tweet Thursday calling for America to "greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes." Anti-proliferation campaigners and lawmakers were aghast at the sabre-rattling talk, though some observers wondered how much stock to put into Trump's words -- and even whether they may be part of a deliberate strategy to bring about a promised rapprochement with Russia. Matters were not helped after his aides struggled to come up with a coherent take on what Trump meant, leaving Americans scrambling to make sense of the president-elect's tweet which, as has often been the case since his election, landed without context or detail. His remarks came hours after President Vladimir Putin declared Russia needs to "strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces," and a day after the president-elect met with Pentagon brass. When asked for clarity, Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, said Trump would not tolerate other countries increasing their nuclear arsenal without responding. "There's a few countries around the globe, Russia being one of them, China, others, that have talked about increasing their nuclear capabilities," Spicer told the MSNBC news network. "The president-elect's point is unless these guys come to their senses and recognise that this is not a smart move, increasing the nuclear stockpile around the globe is not good for anybody, the US is not going to sit back and take it." In a subsequent interview on CNN, Spicer warned: "If another country wants to threaten our sovereignty or our safety, he will act." Putin sees 'nothing unusual' Early Friday, Trump was quoted telling MSNBC -- when asked in an off-air telephone call to clarify his nuclear policy tweet -- that his administration had no reservations about entering "an arms race." "This morning he told me on the phone, 'Let it be an arms race. We'll outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all,'" network host Mika Brzezinksi said. On Thursday, Trump spokesman Jason Miller had tried to nuance Trump's tweet and claimed he was actually "referring to the threat of nuclear proliferation and the critical need to prevent it -- particularly to and among terrorist organisations and unstable and rogue regimes." The debate marks a jarring departure from the stance of President Barack Obama, who in a famous 2009 speech in Prague called for the elimination of nuclear weapons. In 2010, Obama and Russia's then-president Dmitry Medvedev signed the so-called New START treaty that calls for a significant reduction in the nuclear arsenals of both countries. Ties between Moscow and Washington hit their lowest point since the Cold War under Obama due to the Ukraine crisis and Russia's military intervention in Syria. But on Friday, Putin said he found "nothing unusual" about Trump's call to boost America's nuclear capability. "During his election campaign he spoke about the necessity of strengthening the nuclear component of the United States, to strengthen the armed forces," the Russian leader told his annual year-end press conference. More at play? Even as the country reeled from his Twitter outburst, Trump sowed further confusion Friday by releasing a copy of what he called a "very nice letter" in which the Kremlin strongman offered him Christmas greetings and called for greater bilateral cooperation. Trump has often said he admires Putin's leadership qualities and the US intelligence community concluded that Russia was responsible for cyber attacks ahead of November's election that sought to tip the balance in favour of the Republican. Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, suggested something more was at play between Trump and Putin. "One possibility is that this isn't all nonsense or even a mistake, but rather is part of a choreographed effort" between Putin and Trump, he said on MSNBC. "One could imagine that they simply re-sign the START treaty, tell us, 'Look, we solved this nuclear problem or at least played it down, and now is the time to eliminate sanctions and make other concessions to Russia.'" Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Moves by Trump to ratchet up nuclear capabilities may meet stiff opposition from Democratic lawmakers, though options for blocking him will be limited with Republican majorities in the House and the Senate. "Congress must not allow the Tweeter in Chief to unleash a dangerous and costly nuclear arms race," Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said in a tweet. (AFP)

But what did Trump mean?

A Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;ally has ignited widespread outrage after wishing for US President Barack Obama&#39;s death and making racially charged comments about the first lady.&nbsp;

Carl Paladino -- a businessman who served as a co-chairman of the president-elect&#39;s New York State election campaign -- made the incendiary jabs in a year-end feature published on Friday in Artvoice, a weekly newspaper in upstate New York.

Asked what he would &quot;most like to see happen&quot; in 2017, the former Republican candidate for governor of New York state said he hoped Obama &quot;catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations&quot; with a type of beef cattle and &quot;dies before his trial.&quot;

When questioned what he would &quot;most like to see go&quot; next year, Paladino replied &quot;Michelle Obama.&quot;

&quot;I&#39;d like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla.&quot;

Paladino&#39;s remarks quickly spurred angry reaction on social media and drew the ire of elected officials.&nbsp;

Andrew Cuomo -- current New York governor who beat Paladino in 2010 -- slammed his ex-rival&#39;s comments as &quot;racist, ugly and reprehensible.&quot;

&quot;Paladino has a long history of racist and incendiary comments,&quot; Cuomo said in a statement. &quot;His remarks do not reflect the sentiments or opinions of any real New Yorker.

&quot;He has embarrassed the good people of the state with his latest hate-filled rage.&quot;

Trump&nbsp;did not personally defend or call out his political ally, though a spokeswoman for the president-elect said the comments &quot;are absolutely reprehensible, and they serve no place in our public discourse,&quot; according to the New York Times.

Facing broad condemnation, Paladino published an open letter that his remarks had &quot;nothing to do with race.&quot; In the statement he went on to call Obama &quot;a yellow-bellied coward&quot; and said the first lady should &quot;leave and go someplace she will be happy.&quot;

Paladino -- a developer in the city of Buffalo, New York -- visited&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;Tower earlier this month, a meeting he described to The Buffalo News as &quot;very warm.&quot;

(AFP)

Carl Paladino said he wished to see Barack Obama die and wanted Michelle to 'live with Maxie, the gorilla'

A Donald Trump ally has ignited widespread outrage after wishing for US President Barack Obama's death and making racially charged comments about the first lady. Carl Paladino -- a businessman who served as a co-chairman of the president-elect's New York State election campaign -- made the incendiary jabs in a year-end feature published on Friday in Artvoice, a weekly newspaper in upstate New York. Asked what he would "most like to see happen" in 2017, the former Republican candidate for governor of New York state said he hoped Obama "catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations" with a type of beef cattle and "dies before his trial." When questioned what he would "most like to see go" next year, Paladino replied "Michelle Obama." "I'd like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla." Paladino's remarks quickly spurred angry reaction on social media and drew the ire of elected officials. Andrew Cuomo -- current New York governor who beat Paladino in 2010 -- slammed his ex-rival's comments as "racist, ugly and reprehensible." "Paladino has a long history of racist and incendiary comments," Cuomo said in a statement. "His remarks do not reflect the sentiments or opinions of any real New Yorker. "He has embarrassed the good people of the state with his latest hate-filled rage." Trump did not personally defend or call out his political ally, though a spokeswoman for the president-elect said the comments "are absolutely reprehensible, and they serve no place in our public discourse," according to the New York Times. Facing broad condemnation, Paladino published an open letter that his remarks had "nothing to do with race." In the statement he went on to call Obama "a yellow-bellied coward" and said the first lady should "leave and go someplace she will be happy." Paladino -- a developer in the city of Buffalo, New York -- visited Trump Tower earlier this month, a meeting he described to The Buffalo News as "very warm." (AFP)

Trump's ally ignites outrage for making disparaging Obama, Michelle comments

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