US President-elect Donal trump&#39;s calls for jailing anyone who burns the US flag faced a backlash Tuesday from much of political Washington.

Trump tweeted that anyone who burns the US flag must face &quot;consequences&quot;&nbsp;on Tuesday.

He posted on Twitter: &quot;Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!&quot;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/803567993036754944">November 29, 2016</a></blockquote>

White House spokesman Josh Earnest responded by saying that though he himself found the burning of the flag &quot;offensive&quot;,&nbsp;&quot;the freedom that we all have to express ourselves in the way that we choose&quot; is protected under the US Constitution.

&quot;The vast majority of Americans, myself included, find the burning of the flag offensive, but we have a responsibility as a country to carefully protect our rights,&quot; Earnest said.

President Barack Obama&#39;s spokesman also said such rights applied to &quot;being able to say whatever you want on Twitter,&quot; a sly reference to Trump&#39;s unprecedented use of social media to bash opponents and the press, news agency AFP reported.

Trump&#39;s allies in the Congress also politely pushed back.

&quot;That activity is a protected First Amendment right, a form of unpleasant speech, and in this country we have a long tradition of respecting unpleasant speech,&quot; senate majority leader Mitch McConnell told reporters when asked about Trump&#39;s suggestion, reported AFP. &quot;I happen to support the Supreme Court decision on that matter.&quot;

The country&#39;s top court had made a ruling allowing the burning of American flag in the name of freedom of expression.

In 2012, conservative justice Antonin Scalia explained the importance of differentiating between personal opinions and respect for the law, reported AFP.

&quot;If I were king, I would not allow people to go about burning the American flag,&quot; said Scalia, who died early this year. &quot;However, we have a First Amendment which says that the right of free speech shall not be abridged, and it is addressed in particular to speech critical of the government. I mean, that was the main kind of speech that tyrants would seek to suppress.&quot;

&quot;Burning the flag is a form of expression,&quot; Scalia said.

Theodore Boutrous, a constitutional law expert, told AFP that Scalia had joined the majority in the appeals case of Texas v. Johnson, which held &quot;unequivocally&quot; that flag burning is protected speech under the First Amendment.

&quot;The Constitution protects all Americans, even those who act like they hold it in contempt,&quot; Boutrous said.

(With inputs from AFP)

Trump tweeted that anyone who burnt the flag must be punished with 'loss of citizenship or year in jail'

US President-elect Donal trump's calls for jailing anyone who burns the US flag faced a backlash Tuesday from much of political Washington. Trump tweeted that anyone who burns the US flag must face "consequences" on Tuesday. He posted on Twitter: "Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!" Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016 White House spokesman Josh Earnest responded by saying that though he himself found the burning of the flag "offensive", "the freedom that we all have to express ourselves in the way that we choose" is protected under the US Constitution. "The vast majority of Americans, myself included, find the burning of the flag offensive, but we have a responsibility as a country to carefully protect our rights," Earnest said. President Barack Obama's spokesman also said such rights applied to "being able to say whatever you want on Twitter," a sly reference to Trump's unprecedented use of social media to bash opponents and the press, news agency AFP reported. Trump's allies in the Congress also politely pushed back. "That activity is a protected First Amendment right, a form of unpleasant speech, and in this country we have a long tradition of respecting unpleasant speech," senate majority leader Mitch McConnell told reporters when asked about Trump's suggestion, reported AFP. "I happen to support the Supreme Court decision on that matter." The country's top court had made a ruling allowing the burning of American flag in the name of freedom of expression. In 2012, conservative justice Antonin Scalia explained the importance of differentiating between personal opinions and respect for the law, reported AFP. "If I were king, I would not allow people to go about burning the American flag," said Scalia, who died early this year. "However, we have a First Amendment which says that the right of free speech shall not be abridged, and it is addressed in particular to speech critical of the government. I mean, that was the main kind of speech that tyrants would seek to suppress." "Burning the flag is a form of expression," Scalia said. Theodore Boutrous, a constitutional law expert, told AFP that Scalia had joined the majority in the appeals case of Texas v. Johnson, which held "unequivocally" that flag burning is protected speech under the First Amendment. "The Constitution protects all Americans, even those who act like they hold it in contempt," Boutrous said. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump calls for punishment for US flag burners, faces backlash

United States President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated a second Indian-American woman to a top administration position, putting her in charge of a federal agency within the health department as part of a &quot;dream team&quot; which he said would transform America&#39;s healthcare system.

&quot;I am pleased to nominate (Dr) Seema Verma to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,&quot; Trump said in a statement.

The announcement came along with Trump&#39;s nomination of Congressman Tom Price as his Health and Human Services Secretary.

A leading expert in the country on Medicare and Medicaid, Verma would serve as Administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

&quot;She has decades of experience advising on Medicare and Medicaid policy and helping states navigate our complicated systems. Together, Chairman Price and Seema Verma are the dream team that will transform our healthcare system for the benefit of all Americans,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;I am honoured to be nominated by President-elect Trump today,&quot; said Verma, who met Trump in New York last week.

&quot;I look forward to helping him tackle our nation&#39;s daunting healthcare problems in a responsible and sustainable way,&quot; she said.

Her nomination comes days after Indian-American Nikki Haley was named as US envoy to the United Nations by Trump. Haley had scripted history by becoming the first-ever Indian-American to be appointed to a cabinet-level post in any US administration.

Verma currently is the President, CEO and founder of SVC, Inc, a national health policy consulting company.

Based in Indianapolis, Verma has supported Indiana through development of the historic programme since its inception in 2007, from development of the enabling legislation, negotiating the financing plan with the state&#39;s hospital association, developing the federal waiver, supporting federal negotiations and leading the implementation of the programme, including the operational design.

For more than 20 years, she has worked extensively on a variety of policy and strategic projects involving Medicaid, insurance, and public health, working with Governors&#39; offices, state medicaid agencies, state health departments, state departments of insurance, as well as the federal government, private companies and foundations.

&quot;Verma has extensive experience redesigning Medicaid programmes in several states. Verma is the architect of the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), the nation&#39;s first consumer directed Medicaid programme under Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana and then-Governor Pence&#39;s HIP 2.0 waiver proposal,&quot; said the presidential transition team.

Verma received her Master&#39;s degree in Public Health, with a concentration in health policy and management from Johns Hopkins University, and her Bachelor&#39;s degree in Life Sciences from the University of Maryland. She served as the state of Indiana&#39;s health reform lead following the passage of Obamacare in 2010.

(PTI)

Dr Seema Verma's nomination comes days after Indian-American Nikki Haley was named as US envoy to the United Nations by Trump

United States President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated a second Indian-American woman to a top administration position, putting her in charge of a federal agency within the health department as part of a "dream team" which he said would transform America's healthcare system. "I am pleased to nominate (Dr) Seema Verma to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services," Trump said in a statement. The announcement came along with Trump's nomination of Congressman Tom Price as his Health and Human Services Secretary. A leading expert in the country on Medicare and Medicaid, Verma would serve as Administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "She has decades of experience advising on Medicare and Medicaid policy and helping states navigate our complicated systems. Together, Chairman Price and Seema Verma are the dream team that will transform our healthcare system for the benefit of all Americans," Trump said. "I am honoured to be nominated by President-elect Trump today," said Verma, who met Trump in New York last week. "I look forward to helping him tackle our nation's daunting healthcare problems in a responsible and sustainable way," she said. Her nomination comes days after Indian-American Nikki Haley was named as US envoy to the United Nations by Trump. Haley had scripted history by becoming the first-ever Indian-American to be appointed to a cabinet-level post in any US administration. Verma currently is the President, CEO and founder of SVC, Inc, a national health policy consulting company. Based in Indianapolis, Verma has supported Indiana through development of the historic programme since its inception in 2007, from development of the enabling legislation, negotiating the financing plan with the state's hospital association, developing the federal waiver, supporting federal negotiations and leading the implementation of the programme, including the operational design. For more than 20 years, she has worked extensively on a variety of policy and strategic projects involving Medicaid, insurance, and public health, working with Governors' offices, state medicaid agencies, state health departments, state departments of insurance, as well as the federal government, private companies and foundations. "Verma has extensive experience redesigning Medicaid programmes in several states. Verma is the architect of the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), the nation's first consumer directed Medicaid programme under Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana and then-Governor Pence's HIP 2.0 waiver proposal," said the presidential transition team. Verma received her Master's degree in Public Health, with a concentration in health policy and management from Johns Hopkins University, and her Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences from the University of Maryland. She served as the state of Indiana's health reform lead following the passage of Obamacare in 2010. (PTI)

Donald Trump nominates second Indian-American woman to top administration

President-elect Donald Trump named Wall Street veteran Steven Mnuchin for Treasury secretary Wednesday, filling key slots on his economic team even as he announced plans to leave his businesses to avoid any conflict of interest.

Mnuchin and billionaire Wilbur Ross were asked in a television interview with CNBC if they could confirm reports they had been named to lead the US Treasury and Commerce departments, respectively.

&quot;We can, indeed,&quot; said Mnuchin. &quot;We&#39;re thrilled to be here and we&#39;re thrilled to work for the president-elect and honoured to have these positions.&quot;

Mnuchin, 53, is a former Goldman Sachs partner who was Trump&#39;s campaign chairman and Ross is an investor who has made billions turning around distressed companies.

With his appointment, Mnuchin is now being rewarded for taking Trump&#39;s side at a time when the Republican Party&#39;s major political donors, such as the billionaire Koch brothers, had avoided him.

Trump&#39;s picks, although not yet confirmed by his White House transition team, would be the first major nominations to his economic policy team.

They came as the president-elect announced he will be leaving his private businesses to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest while in the White House, while insisting he was not legally bound to do so.

In a series of Tweets, Trump said he would unveil his plans at a December 15 news conference in New York with his children.

He said he would &quot;discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&quot;

&quot;While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses.&quot;

The billionaire real-estate mogul has yet to explain in detail how he intends to separate himself from his complex business empire while president.

US presidents typically put their assets in blind trusts managed without their input.

But Trump has said he wants to leave the management of his extensive business interests to his children.

At the same time, he has reportedly looked into getting a security clearance for his son-in-law Jared Kushner so he could continue as a special adviser.

Trump&#39;s picks

Mnuchin has an unusual resume: he studied at Yale University and was a partner in Goldman Sachs, before he launched an investment fund backed by Democratic Party supporter George Soros and financed Hollywood blockbusters like &quot;Avatar&quot; and &quot;Suicide Squad.&quot;

Now the Wall Street veteran has to help deliver on the campaign pledges that took Trump to the White House amid modest growth and economic anxiety.

Trump has vowed to cut corporate taxes, as a bid to encourage multinational companies to repatriate their earnings, and to scrap the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation, which was enacted to protect consumers and the financial system from Wall Street excesses that caused the financial crisis.

Ross is a billionaire investor known for taking over ailing steel and coal companies, and then selling them for a big profit.

He will oversee many of the trade disputes with countries like China, many of which are complaints about dumping of cheaply-produced steel and aluminum into the US market.

Ross, whose fortune is estimated at $2.9 billion, has advocated steep tariffs on Chinese imports. 
 
(AFP)

Trump has also chosen billionaire investor Wilbur Ross for heading the Commerce department

President-elect Donald Trump named Wall Street veteran Steven Mnuchin for Treasury secretary Wednesday, filling key slots on his economic team even as he announced plans to leave his businesses to avoid any conflict of interest. Mnuchin and billionaire Wilbur Ross were asked in a television interview with CNBC if they could confirm reports they had been named to lead the US Treasury and Commerce departments, respectively. "We can, indeed," said Mnuchin. "We're thrilled to be here and we're thrilled to work for the president-elect and honoured to have these positions." Mnuchin, 53, is a former Goldman Sachs partner who was Trump's campaign chairman and Ross is an investor who has made billions turning around distressed companies. With his appointment, Mnuchin is now being rewarded for taking Trump's side at a time when the Republican Party's major political donors, such as the billionaire Koch brothers, had avoided him. Trump's picks, although not yet confirmed by his White House transition team, would be the first major nominations to his economic policy team. They came as the president-elect announced he will be leaving his private businesses to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest while in the White House, while insisting he was not legally bound to do so. In a series of Tweets, Trump said he would unveil his plans at a December 15 news conference in New York with his children. He said he would "discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" "While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses." The billionaire real-estate mogul has yet to explain in detail how he intends to separate himself from his complex business empire while president. US presidents typically put their assets in blind trusts managed without their input. But Trump has said he wants to leave the management of his extensive business interests to his children. At the same time, he has reportedly looked into getting a security clearance for his son-in-law Jared Kushner so he could continue as a special adviser. Trump's picks Mnuchin has an unusual resume: he studied at Yale University and was a partner in Goldman Sachs, before he launched an investment fund backed by Democratic Party supporter George Soros and financed Hollywood blockbusters like "Avatar" and "Suicide Squad." Now the Wall Street veteran has to help deliver on the campaign pledges that took Trump to the White House amid modest growth and economic anxiety. Trump has vowed to cut corporate taxes, as a bid to encourage multinational companies to repatriate their earnings, and to scrap the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation, which was enacted to protect consumers and the financial system from Wall Street excesses that caused the financial crisis. Ross is a billionaire investor known for taking over ailing steel and coal companies, and then selling them for a big profit. He will oversee many of the trade disputes with countries like China, many of which are complaints about dumping of cheaply-produced steel and aluminum into the US market. Ross, whose fortune is estimated at $2.9 billion, has advocated steep tariffs on Chinese imports. (AFP)

Trump names Wall Street veteran Steven Mnuchin Treasury secretary

US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to terminate the deal with Cuba if Havana did not respond with a better offer, a move that would upend the historic rapprochement engineered under his predecessor Barack Obama..

&quot;If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the US as a whole, I will terminate deal,&quot; Trump said on Twitter.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/803237535178772481">November 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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His senior advisors had vowed to strike a &quot;better deal&quot; with the island country after former leader Fidel Castro&#39;s death on Friday. Republicans have long condemned the arrangement for giving up too much to the communist-ruled country without significant gains in return.

To the White House&#39;s likely dismay, Castro&#39;s death has pressed Trump to respond to an issue that almost certainly would have remained further down on his agenda, AFP said.

Prominent Republicans have blasted Castro as a murderous tyrant since his death. Trump himself called Castro a &quot;brutal dictator.&quot;

There was, however, no direct threat to the political alliance announced by Obama and Raul Castro in 2014 until Trump&#39;s tweet on Monday.

But no one close to Trump had directly threatened to end the political opening announced &nbsp;by Obama and his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro -- until Trump&#39;s Monday morning tweet.

Communications director Jason Miller told reporters on a call that Trump is &quot;aware of the nuances and complexities&quot; of the challenges faced by Cuba&#39;s people, and that he will address the issue &quot;once he becomes president,&quot; reported AFP.

&quot;To be clear, the president-elect wants to see freedom in Cuba for the Cubans, and a good deal for Americans where we aren&#39;t played for fools,&quot; Miller added. &quot;Our priorities are the release of political prisoners, return of fugitives from American law, and also political and religious freedoms for all Cubans living in oppression.&quot;

Trump changed his stance on Cuba several times during his presidential campaign. First, he supported the opening of diplomatic ties between the countries. But he pledged before elections to reverse Obama&#39;s &quot;one-sided&quot; deal that he said benefitted the other side.

&quot;All of the concessions that Barack Obama has granted the Castro regime were done through executive order, which means the next president can reverse them, and that I will do unless the Castro regime meets our demands.&quot; Trump said in September, reported AFP.

&quot;We&#39;ve got to have a better deal,&quot; Trump&#39;s chief of staff, Reince Priebus, said on Fox News Sunday.

Trumps team has criticised the concessions they said that were made to Havana, significantly the easing of the 1962 US economic embargo.

&quot;Though the tragedies, deaths and pain caused by Fidel Castro cannot be erased, our administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty,&quot; Trump said after Castro&#39;s death.

Just weeks before the presidential election, Obama in October had aimed to make the normalisation policy with Cuba &quot;irreversible&quot; by announcing a directive and unveiling a new round of loosened trade and travel rules.

Senior officials at the time had said that the changes could be reversed when the new administration took office.

(AFP)

'If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people... and the US as a whole, I will terminate deal,' he tweeted

US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to terminate the deal with Cuba if Havana did not respond with a better offer, a move that would upend the historic rapprochement engineered under his predecessor Barack Obama.. "If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the US as a whole, I will terminate deal," Trump said on Twitter. If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2016 × His senior advisors had vowed to strike a "better deal" with the island country after former leader Fidel Castro's death on Friday. Republicans have long condemned the arrangement for giving up too much to the communist-ruled country without significant gains in return. To the White House's likely dismay, Castro's death has pressed Trump to respond to an issue that almost certainly would have remained further down on his agenda, AFP said. Prominent Republicans have blasted Castro as a murderous tyrant since his death. Trump himself called Castro a "brutal dictator." There was, however, no direct threat to the political alliance announced by Obama and Raul Castro in 2014 until Trump's tweet on Monday. But no one close to Trump had directly threatened to end the political opening announced by Obama and his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro -- until Trump's Monday morning tweet. Communications director Jason Miller told reporters on a call that Trump is "aware of the nuances and complexities" of the challenges faced by Cuba's people, and that he will address the issue "once he becomes president," reported AFP. "To be clear, the president-elect wants to see freedom in Cuba for the Cubans, and a good deal for Americans where we aren't played for fools," Miller added. "Our priorities are the release of political prisoners, return of fugitives from American law, and also political and religious freedoms for all Cubans living in oppression." Trump changed his stance on Cuba several times during his presidential campaign. First, he supported the opening of diplomatic ties between the countries. But he pledged before elections to reverse Obama's "one-sided" deal that he said benefitted the other side. "All of the concessions that Barack Obama has granted the Castro regime were done through executive order, which means the next president can reverse them, and that I will do unless the Castro regime meets our demands." Trump said in September, reported AFP. "We've got to have a better deal," Trump's chief of staff, Reince Priebus, said on Fox News Sunday. Trumps team has criticised the concessions they said that were made to Havana, significantly the easing of the 1962 US economic embargo. "Though the tragedies, deaths and pain caused by Fidel Castro cannot be erased, our administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty," Trump said after Castro's death. Just weeks before the presidential election, Obama in October had aimed to make the normalisation policy with Cuba "irreversible" by announcing a directive and unveiling a new round of loosened trade and travel rules. Senior officials at the time had said that the changes could be reversed when the new administration took office. (AFP)

Trump threatens to end US-Cuba deal

Anticipating a more protectionist US&nbsp;technology visa programme under a Donald Trump administration, India&#39;s $150 billion IT services sector will speed up acquisitions in the United States and recruit more heavily from college campuses there.

Indian companies including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys and Wipro have long used H1-B skilled worker visas to fly computer engineers to the US, their largest overseas market, temporarily to service clients.

Staff from those three companies accounted for around 86,000 new H1-B workers in 2005-14. The US&nbsp;currently issues close to that number of H1-B visas each year.

President-elect Trump&#39;s campaign rhetoric, and his pick for Attorney General of Senator Jeff Sessions, a long-time critic of the visa programme, have many expecting a tighter regime.

&quot;The world over, there&#39;s a lot of protectionism coming in and push back on immigration. Unfortunately, people are confusing immigration with a high-skilled temporary workforce, because we are really a temporary workforce,&quot; said Pravin Rao, chief operating officer at Infosys, India&#39;s second-largest information technology firm.

While few expect a complete shutdown of skilled worker visas as Indian engineers are an established part of the fabric of Silicon Valley, and US&nbsp;businesses depend on their cheaper IT and software solutions, any changes are likely to push up costs.

And a more restrictive programme would likely mean Indian IT firms sending fewer developers and engineers to the United States, and increasing campus recruitment there.

&quot;We have to accelerate hiring of locals if they are available, and start recruiting freshers from universities there,&quot; said Infosys&#39; Rao, noting a shift from the traditional model of recruiting mainly experienced people in the US.

&quot;Now we have to get into a model where we will recruit freshers, train them and gradually deploy them, and this will increase our costs,&quot; he said, noting Infosys typically recruits 500-700 people each quarter in the US&nbsp;and Europe, around 80 per cent of whom are locals.

Trump&#39;s election win and Britain&#39;s referendum vote to leave the European Union are headwinds for India&#39;s IT sector, as clients such as big US&nbsp;and British banks and insurers hold off on spending while the dust settles.

In India&#39;s IT hub of Bengaluru and the financial capital Mumbai, executives expect a Trump administration to raise the minimum wage for foreign workers, pressuring already squeezed margins.

Buying US&nbsp;companies would help Indian IT firms build their local headcount, increase their on-the-ground presence in key markets and help counter any protectionist regulations.

Indian software services companies have invested more than $2 billion in the United States in the past five years. North America accounts for more than half of the sector&#39;s revenue.

&quot;We have to accelerate acquisitions,&quot; said Rao at Infosys, which in the past two years has bought companies including US-based Noah Consulting and Kallidus Technologies.

Jatin Dalal, Wipro&#39;s chief financial officer, said his growth strategy is to buy companies that offer something beyond what Wipro already does, or new, disruptive firms - such as Appirio, a US&nbsp;cloud services firm.

The chief executive of Tech Mahindra, CP&nbsp;Gurnani, said his firm, which two years ago bought network services management firm Lightbridge Communications Corp, is on the look-out for more US&nbsp;acquisitions, particularly in healthcare and fin tech - financial technology firms that are disrupting traditional banking services.

In a broader shift from labour intensive onsite projects, Indian IT firms are also turning to higher-tech services such as automation, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms.

With better technology and faster networks, IT firms are encouraging Western clients to adopt more virtual services.

Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka says he has focused on automation and AI as growth drivers since 2014. &quot;The AI platform is 5-6 per cent of our revenues,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;Three years ago, it was zero.&quot;

More automation would mean fewer onshore developers.

&quot;The &#39;Plan B&#39; would be to accelerate the trend ... to reduce their reliance on people and increase their focus on delivering automation, leveraging the cloud for their clients,&quot; said Partha Iyengar, Gartner&#39;s head of research in India.

(Reuters)

Trump's pick for attorney general of senator Jeff Sessions, a long-time critic of the visa programme, have many expecting a tighter regime

Anticipating a more protectionist US technology visa programme under a Donald Trump administration, India's $150 billion IT services sector will speed up acquisitions in the United States and recruit more heavily from college campuses there. Indian companies including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys and Wipro have long used H1-B skilled worker visas to fly computer engineers to the US, their largest overseas market, temporarily to service clients. Staff from those three companies accounted for around 86,000 new H1-B workers in 2005-14. The US currently issues close to that number of H1-B visas each year. President-elect Trump's campaign rhetoric, and his pick for Attorney General of Senator Jeff Sessions, a long-time critic of the visa programme, have many expecting a tighter regime. "The world over, there's a lot of protectionism coming in and push back on immigration. Unfortunately, people are confusing immigration with a high-skilled temporary workforce, because we are really a temporary workforce," said Pravin Rao, chief operating officer at Infosys, India's second-largest information technology firm. While few expect a complete shutdown of skilled worker visas as Indian engineers are an established part of the fabric of Silicon Valley, and US businesses depend on their cheaper IT and software solutions, any changes are likely to push up costs. And a more restrictive programme would likely mean Indian IT firms sending fewer developers and engineers to the United States, and increasing campus recruitment there. "We have to accelerate hiring of locals if they are available, and start recruiting freshers from universities there," said Infosys' Rao, noting a shift from the traditional model of recruiting mainly experienced people in the US. "Now we have to get into a model where we will recruit freshers, train them and gradually deploy them, and this will increase our costs," he said, noting Infosys typically recruits 500-700 people each quarter in the US and Europe, around 80 per cent of whom are locals. Trump's election win and Britain's referendum vote to leave the European Union are headwinds for India's IT sector, as clients such as big US and British banks and insurers hold off on spending while the dust settles. In India's IT hub of Bengaluru and the financial capital Mumbai, executives expect a Trump administration to raise the minimum wage for foreign workers, pressuring already squeezed margins. Buying US companies would help Indian IT firms build their local headcount, increase their on-the-ground presence in key markets and help counter any protectionist regulations. Indian software services companies have invested more than $2 billion in the United States in the past five years. North America accounts for more than half of the sector's revenue. "We have to accelerate acquisitions," said Rao at Infosys, which in the past two years has bought companies including US-based Noah Consulting and Kallidus Technologies. Jatin Dalal, Wipro's chief financial officer, said his growth strategy is to buy companies that offer something beyond what Wipro already does, or new, disruptive firms - such as Appirio, a US cloud services firm. The chief executive of Tech Mahindra, CP Gurnani, said his firm, which two years ago bought network services management firm Lightbridge Communications Corp, is on the look-out for more US acquisitions, particularly in healthcare and fin tech - financial technology firms that are disrupting traditional banking services. In a broader shift from labour intensive onsite projects, Indian IT firms are also turning to higher-tech services such as automation, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. With better technology and faster networks, IT firms are encouraging Western clients to adopt more virtual services. Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka says he has focused on automation and AI as growth drivers since 2014. "The AI platform is 5-6 per cent of our revenues," he told Reuters. "Three years ago, it was zero." More automation would mean fewer onshore developers. "The 'Plan B' would be to accelerate the trend ... to reduce their reliance on people and increase their focus on delivering automation, leveraging the cloud for their clients," said Partha Iyengar, Gartner's head of research in India. (Reuters)

Fearing a tighter US visa regime under Donald Trump, Indian IT firms rush to hire, acquire

The White House on Monday said that there was no substantial evidence to support Trump&#39;s claims that &#39;millions&#39; had voted illegally in the November presidential election.

&quot;There has been no evidence produced to substantiate a claim like that,&quot; said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, news agency AFP reported.

Experts also dismissed his claims as the Green Party advanced their efforts to organise vote recounts in three key swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where Trump gained victory over Clinton.

US President-elect Donald Trump had tweeted on Sunday that he would have won the popular vote had &quot;millions of people&quot; not voted illegally.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/802972944532209664">November 27, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;

Trump secured the Electoral College count in the November 8 election but lost the popular vote to his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by more than two million votes.

He further tweeted complaining about the bias in the media.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California - so why isn&#39;t the media reporting on this? Serious bias - big problem!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/803033642545115140">November 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;

Green party candidate Jill Stein filed for a statewide recount of votes in Wisconsin last Friday. She announced on Monday that voters had requested for recounts in more than &nbsp;100 precincts in Pennsylvania and said more would follow, AFP reported. The party also announed their intentions to file for recount in Michigan state on Wednesday.

Despite a huge call for recounts, experts and analysts do not expect any major change in the results.&nbsp;

Trump won 306 Electoral College votes, compared to 232 for Clinton after officials in Michigan on Monday certified the state&#39;s election results, AFP said.

Elected officials from both major parties dismissed Trump&#39;s claims as totally unsubstantiated.

&quot;I have not seen anything in the millions, I don&#39;t know what he was talking about,&quot; Republican Senator James Lankford told CNN, reported AFP.

Some experts warn that the claims could &nbsp;set a dangerous precedent by potentially undermining trust in democracy.

&quot;I think he&#39;s trying to plant a seed of doubt in the American public to negate against the things advanced on the other side of the aisle about potential irregularities or even fraud that are the basis for the recounts,&quot; said Costas Panagopoulos, a political scientist at Fordham University, reported AFP.

Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign has announced its participation in the recount process, though they said they have not found any evidence of vote tampering. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)

On Sunday, the US president-elect claimed he would have won the popular vote if it were not for 'the millions of people who voted illegally'

The White House on Monday said that there was no substantial evidence to support Trump's claims that 'millions' had voted illegally in the November presidential election. "There has been no evidence produced to substantiate a claim like that," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, news agency AFP reported. Experts also dismissed his claims as the Green Party advanced their efforts to organise vote recounts in three key swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where Trump gained victory over Clinton. US President-elect Donald Trump had tweeted on Sunday that he would have won the popular vote had "millions of people" not voted illegally. In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016 Trump secured the Electoral College count in the November 8 election but lost the popular vote to his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by more than two million votes. He further tweeted complaining about the bias in the media. Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California - so why isn't the media reporting on this? Serious bias - big problem! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2016 Green party candidate Jill Stein filed for a statewide recount of votes in Wisconsin last Friday. She announced on Monday that voters had requested for recounts in more than 100 precincts in Pennsylvania and said more would follow, AFP reported. The party also announed their intentions to file for recount in Michigan state on Wednesday. Despite a huge call for recounts, experts and analysts do not expect any major change in the results. Trump won 306 Electoral College votes, compared to 232 for Clinton after officials in Michigan on Monday certified the state's election results, AFP said. Elected officials from both major parties dismissed Trump's claims as totally unsubstantiated. "I have not seen anything in the millions, I don't know what he was talking about," Republican Senator James Lankford told CNN, reported AFP. Some experts warn that the claims could set a dangerous precedent by potentially undermining trust in democracy. "I think he's trying to plant a seed of doubt in the American public to negate against the things advanced on the other side of the aisle about potential irregularities or even fraud that are the basis for the recounts," said Costas Panagopoulos, a political scientist at Fordham University, reported AFP. Hillary Clinton's campaign has announced its participation in the recount process, though they said they have not found any evidence of vote tampering. (With inputs from AFP)

'No evidence' to substantiate Trump's 'illegal' vote claims: White House

Anticipating a more protectionist US technology visa programme under a Donald Trump administration, India&#39;s $150 billion IT services sector will speed up acquisitions in the United States and recruit more heavily from college campuses there.

Indian companies including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys and Wipro have long used H1-B skilled worker visas to fly computer engineers to the US., their largest overseas market, temporarily to service clients.

Staff from those three companies accounted for around 86,000 new H1-B workers in 2005-14. The US currently issues close to that number of H1-B visas each year.

President-elect Trump&#39;s campaign rhetoric, and his pick for Attorney General of Senator Jeff Sessions, a long-time critic of the visa programme, have many expecting a tighter regime.

&quot;The world over, there&#39;s a lot of protectionism coming in and push back on immigration. Unfortunately, people are confusing immigration with a high-skilled temporary workforce, because we are really a temporary workforce,&quot; said Pravin Rao, chief operating officer at Infosys, India&#39;s second-largest information technology firm.

While few expect a complete shutdown of skilled worker visas as Indian engineers are an established part of the fabric of Silicon Valley, and US businesses depend on their cheaper IT and software solutions, any changes are likely to push up costs.

And a more restrictive programme would likely mean Indian IT firms sending fewer developers and engineers to the United States, and increasing campus recruitment there.

&quot;We have to accelerate hiring of locals if they are available, and start recruiting freshers from universities there,&quot; said Infosys&#39; Rao, noting a shift from the traditional model of recruiting mainly experienced people in the U.S.

&quot;Now we have to get into a model where we will recruit freshers, train them and gradually deploy them, and this will increase our costs,&quot; he said, noting Infosys typically recruits 500-700 people each quarter in the U.S. and Europe, around 80 percent of whom are locals.

Acquisitions in US to increase

Trump&#39;s election win and Britain&#39;s referendum vote to leave the European Union are headwinds for India&#39;s IT sector, as clients such as big U.S. and British banks and insurers hold off on spending while the dust settles.

In India&#39;s IT hub of Bengaluru and the financial capital Mumbai, executives expect a Trump administration to raise the minimum wage for foreign workers, pressuring already squeezed margins.

Buying U.S. companies would help Indian IT firms build their local headcount, increase their on-the-ground presence in key markets and help counter any protectionist regulations.

Indian software services companies have invested more than $2 billion in the United States in the past five years. North America accounts for more than half of the sector&#39;s revenue.

&quot;We have to accelerate acquisitions,&quot; said Rao at Infosys, which in the past two years has bought companies including U.S.-based Noah Consulting and Kallidus Technologies.

Jatin Dalal, Wipro&#39;s chief financial officer, said his growth strategy is to buy companies that offer something beyond what Wipro already does, or new, disruptive firms - such as Appirio, a U.S. cloud services firm.

The chief executive of Tech Mahindra, C.P. Gurnani, said his firm, which two years ago bought network services management firm Lightbridge Communications Corp, is on the look-out for more U.S. acquisitions, particularly in healthcare and fintech - financial technology firms that are disrupting traditional banking services.

Offshoring and automation

In a broader shift from labour intensive onsite projects, Indian IT firms are also turning to higher-tech services such as automation, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms.

With better technology and faster networks, IT firms are encouraging Western clients to adopt more virtual services.

Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka says he has focused on automation and AI as growth drivers since 2014. &quot;The AI platform is 5-6 percent of our revenues,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;Three years ago, it was zero.&quot;

More automation would mean fewer onshore developers.

&quot;The &#39;Plan B&#39; would be to accelerate the trend ... to reduce their reliance on people and increase their focus on delivering automation, leveraging the cloud for their clients,&quot; said Partha Iyengar, Gartner&#39;s head of research in India.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

India's IT sector is anticipating more visa restrictions under the Trump administration

Anticipating a more protectionist US technology visa programme under a Donald Trump administration, India's $150 billion IT services sector will speed up acquisitions in the United States and recruit more heavily from college campuses there. Indian companies including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys and Wipro have long used H1-B skilled worker visas to fly computer engineers to the US., their largest overseas market, temporarily to service clients. Staff from those three companies accounted for around 86,000 new H1-B workers in 2005-14. The US currently issues close to that number of H1-B visas each year. President-elect Trump's campaign rhetoric, and his pick for Attorney General of Senator Jeff Sessions, a long-time critic of the visa programme, have many expecting a tighter regime. "The world over, there's a lot of protectionism coming in and push back on immigration. Unfortunately, people are confusing immigration with a high-skilled temporary workforce, because we are really a temporary workforce," said Pravin Rao, chief operating officer at Infosys, India's second-largest information technology firm. While few expect a complete shutdown of skilled worker visas as Indian engineers are an established part of the fabric of Silicon Valley, and US businesses depend on their cheaper IT and software solutions, any changes are likely to push up costs. And a more restrictive programme would likely mean Indian IT firms sending fewer developers and engineers to the United States, and increasing campus recruitment there. "We have to accelerate hiring of locals if they are available, and start recruiting freshers from universities there," said Infosys' Rao, noting a shift from the traditional model of recruiting mainly experienced people in the U.S. "Now we have to get into a model where we will recruit freshers, train them and gradually deploy them, and this will increase our costs," he said, noting Infosys typically recruits 500-700 people each quarter in the U.S. and Europe, around 80 percent of whom are locals. Acquisitions in US to increase Trump's election win and Britain's referendum vote to leave the European Union are headwinds for India's IT sector, as clients such as big U.S. and British banks and insurers hold off on spending while the dust settles. In India's IT hub of Bengaluru and the financial capital Mumbai, executives expect a Trump administration to raise the minimum wage for foreign workers, pressuring already squeezed margins. Buying U.S. companies would help Indian IT firms build their local headcount, increase their on-the-ground presence in key markets and help counter any protectionist regulations. Indian software services companies have invested more than $2 billion in the United States in the past five years. North America accounts for more than half of the sector's revenue. "We have to accelerate acquisitions," said Rao at Infosys, which in the past two years has bought companies including U.S.-based Noah Consulting and Kallidus Technologies. Jatin Dalal, Wipro's chief financial officer, said his growth strategy is to buy companies that offer something beyond what Wipro already does, or new, disruptive firms - such as Appirio, a U.S. cloud services firm. The chief executive of Tech Mahindra, C.P. Gurnani, said his firm, which two years ago bought network services management firm Lightbridge Communications Corp, is on the look-out for more U.S. acquisitions, particularly in healthcare and fintech - financial technology firms that are disrupting traditional banking services. Offshoring and automation In a broader shift from labour intensive onsite projects, Indian IT firms are also turning to higher-tech services such as automation, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. With better technology and faster networks, IT firms are encouraging Western clients to adopt more virtual services. Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka says he has focused on automation and AI as growth drivers since 2014. "The AI platform is 5-6 percent of our revenues," he told Reuters. "Three years ago, it was zero." More automation would mean fewer onshore developers. "The 'Plan B' would be to accelerate the trend ... to reduce their reliance on people and increase their focus on delivering automation, leveraging the cloud for their clients," said Partha Iyengar, Gartner's head of research in India. (Reuters)

Trump win spurs India's IT firms to speed up recruitments from US campuses

US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday said that &quot;million of illegal&quot; ballots stopped him from winning the popular vote in the 2016 presidential elections.

He tweeted: &quot;In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.&quot;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/802972944532209664">November 27, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
If the election were based on total popular vote I would have campaigned in N.Y. Florida and California and won even bigger and more easily
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/798519600413601792">November 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Before the elections, Trump had suggested that the&nbsp;results might be manipulated.

Neither he nor any of his aides has offered any evidence of the &quot;millions&quot; alleged to have voted illegally, nor did Trump explain why he would oppose a recount if illegal voting was such a serious problem, reported news agency AFP.

Trump&#39;s rival, Hillary Clinton, had won more popular votes. He further criticised the recount of votes in Wisconsin state, calling it a &quot;waste of time&quot;.

Trump and his aides pushed back hard on Sunday as the calls for recount threaten the legitimacy of Trump&#39;s win.

In a series of tweets he quoted Clinton about the need to respect the electoral process, while continuing to wage an extraordinarily public battle over the makeup of his future cabinet, AFP said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who knows who the finalists are!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/798721142525665280">November 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hillary Clinton conceded the election when she called me just prior to the victory speech and after the results were in. Nothing will change
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/802849330176659456">November 27, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The Green Party scam to fill up their coffers by asking for impossible recounts is now being joined by the badly defeated &amp; demoralized Dems
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/802671162383802368">November 27, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Trump&#39;s top aide Kellyanne Conway suggested on Sunday that the president-elect might rethink his decision of not pursuing Clinton&#39;s prosecution if her campaign pushes too hard for the recount.

Clinton&#39;s campaign has said it would join the process even though they have found no evidence of the results being manipulated in Trump&#39;s favour.

Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who received a fraction of the total vote in Wisconsin, filed for a recount of votes in the state. She further suggested a recount in the states of Michigan and Pennsylvania. Clinton&#39;s election lawyer, Marc Erik Elias, said they would also participate in recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged.

Conway said on ABC that while Trump was being &quot;magnanimous&quot; toward Clinton, &quot;I guess her attitude towards that is to have her counsel go and join this ridiculous recount,&quot; reported AFP.

Reince Priebus, Trump&#39;s chief of staff, said that while the president-elect is not &quot;seeking methods and ways to persecute and prosecute Hillary Clinton&quot;, Trump would probably be &quot;open to listening&quot; should any new findings against her emerge from future investigations.

Some pundits&nbsp;caution&nbsp;that Trump&#39;s claim that millions of voters voted illegally should be taken as a warning sign of a potential&nbsp;future clamp down on voting rights under his administration.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The Trump voting tweet may be more than an ego spasm. It may also be a warning that voting is about to be made more difficult for millions
&mdash; David Frum (@davidfrum) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidfrum/status/802981796249878528">November 27, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Bernie Sanders, Clinton&#39;s Democratic rival in the primary race and now a member of the Senate leadership, defended the Green Party&#39;s &quot;legal right&quot;&nbsp;to file for recount.

&quot;We have recounts probably almost every election. No one expects (there) to be profound change,&quot; he said on CNN. Most election experts do not expect the outcome to change dramatically.

Trump won Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by a total of just over 100,000 votes, even while compiling many more than the 270 votes needed for victory in the Electoral College.

(With inputs from AFP)

The US president-elect said he would have won the US popular vote were it not for 'millions of illegal' ballots

US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday said that "million of illegal" ballots stopped him from winning the popular vote in the 2016 presidential elections. He tweeted: "In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally." In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016 If the election were based on total popular vote I would have campaigned in N.Y. Florida and California and won even bigger and more easily — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2016 Before the elections, Trump had suggested that the results might be manipulated. Neither he nor any of his aides has offered any evidence of the "millions" alleged to have voted illegally, nor did Trump explain why he would oppose a recount if illegal voting was such a serious problem, reported news agency AFP. Trump's rival, Hillary Clinton, had won more popular votes. He further criticised the recount of votes in Wisconsin state, calling it a "waste of time". Trump and his aides pushed back hard on Sunday as the calls for recount threaten the legitimacy of Trump's win. In a series of tweets he quoted Clinton about the need to respect the electoral process, while continuing to wage an extraordinarily public battle over the makeup of his future cabinet, AFP said. Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who knows who the finalists are! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2016 Hillary Clinton conceded the election when she called me just prior to the victory speech and after the results were in. Nothing will change — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016 The Green Party scam to fill up their coffers by asking for impossible recounts is now being joined by the badly defeated & demoralized Dems — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016 Trump's top aide Kellyanne Conway suggested on Sunday that the president-elect might rethink his decision of not pursuing Clinton's prosecution if her campaign pushes too hard for the recount. Clinton's campaign has said it would join the process even though they have found no evidence of the results being manipulated in Trump's favour. Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who received a fraction of the total vote in Wisconsin, filed for a recount of votes in the state. She further suggested a recount in the states of Michigan and Pennsylvania. Clinton's election lawyer, Marc Erik Elias, said they would also participate in recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged. Conway said on ABC that while Trump was being "magnanimous" toward Clinton, "I guess her attitude towards that is to have her counsel go and join this ridiculous recount," reported AFP. Reince Priebus, Trump's chief of staff, said that while the president-elect is not "seeking methods and ways to persecute and prosecute Hillary Clinton", Trump would probably be "open to listening" should any new findings against her emerge from future investigations. Some pundits caution that Trump's claim that millions of voters voted illegally should be taken as a warning sign of a potential future clamp down on voting rights under his administration. The Trump voting tweet may be more than an ego spasm. It may also be a warning that voting is about to be made more difficult for millions — David Frum (@davidfrum) November 27, 2016 × Bernie Sanders, Clinton's Democratic rival in the primary race and now a member of the Senate leadership, defended the Green Party's "legal right" to file for recount. "We have recounts probably almost every election. No one expects (there) to be profound change," he said on CNN. Most election experts do not expect the outcome to change dramatically. Trump won Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by a total of just over 100,000 votes, even while compiling many more than the 270 votes needed for victory in the Electoral College. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump says 'millions' voted illegally, decries recount

Three mosques in the western California city of US have received hate letters calling Muslims &quot;vile and filthy&quot;, an association of Muslim-Americans said on Sunday.

The document further praised US President-elect Donald Trump and said that he had plans to &#39;cleanse&#39; America of Muslims.

The letter called on the Muslims to pack their bags and &quot;get out of Dodge,&quot; the council said.

Addressed to &quot;Children of Satan&quot;, the same letter was sent to mosques in San Jose in northern California and Long Beach and Claremont in the Los Angeles area, said the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, news agency AFP reported.

The letter threatened that Donald Trump was &quot;going to cleanse America and make it shine again. And, he&#39;s going to start with you Muslims.&quot;

&quot;This hate campaign targeting California houses of worship must be investigated as an act of religious intimidation, and our state&#39;s leaders should speak out against the growing anti-Muslim bigotry that leads to such incidents,&quot; said Hussam Ayloush, leader of the council&#39;s Los Angeles branch, reported AFP.

The document has prompted council chapters in California to appeal for stepped-up police protection of mosques, AFP said.

Trump had rallied against immigrants and Muslims in his presidential campaign. Since his victory in the November 8 elections, more than 100 anti-Muslim incidents have occurred across the country, said CAIR.

The council quoted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which monitors hate crimes, as saying over 700 incidents targeting different minority groups had been documented since election day.

(With inputs from AFP)

The letter further praised President-elect Donald Trump saying he plans to 'cleanse' America

Three mosques in the western California city of US have received hate letters calling Muslims "vile and filthy", an association of Muslim-Americans said on Sunday. The document further praised US President-elect Donald Trump and said that he had plans to 'cleanse' America of Muslims. The letter called on the Muslims to pack their bags and "get out of Dodge," the council said. Addressed to "Children of Satan", the same letter was sent to mosques in San Jose in northern California and Long Beach and Claremont in the Los Angeles area, said the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, news agency AFP reported. The letter threatened that Donald Trump was "going to cleanse America and make it shine again. And, he's going to start with you Muslims." "This hate campaign targeting California houses of worship must be investigated as an act of religious intimidation, and our state's leaders should speak out against the growing anti-Muslim bigotry that leads to such incidents," said Hussam Ayloush, leader of the council's Los Angeles branch, reported AFP. The document has prompted council chapters in California to appeal for stepped-up police protection of mosques, AFP said. Trump had rallied against immigrants and Muslims in his presidential campaign. Since his victory in the November 8 elections, more than 100 anti-Muslim incidents have occurred across the country, said CAIR. The council quoted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which monitors hate crimes, as saying over 700 incidents targeting different minority groups had been documented since election day. (With inputs from AFP)

US mosques receive hate letter calling Muslims 'vile and filthy'

Hillary Clinton&#39;s election lawyer Marc Elias announced on Saturday that the campaign would participate the recount of votes in Wisconsin state although it had found no evidence of the voting technology being manipulated in Trump&#39;s favour.

Eliad said in a post on Medium.com that the campaign would also join recounts in the closely contested states of Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged, news agency AFP reported.

Green Party candidate Jill Stein requested for a recount of votes in the state of Wisconsin.She has also declared her intention to file for recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

US President-elect Donald trump won the three states by just over a 100,000 votes pushing him above the 270 votes he needed to win in the Electoral College.

Elias said the campaign had not decided to seek a recount becuase they found no irregularity or evidence of attempts to change the voting technology.

&quot;But now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides,&quot; he added, reported AFP.

&quot;If Jill Stein follows through as she has promised and pursues recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan, we will take the same approach in those states as well,&quot; Elias said.

Experts say that there is no chance of overturning the result. However, the move could raise the questions over Trump&#39;s legitimate win in the elections again.&nbsp;

Clinton lost by around 20,000 votes in Wisconsin, 70,000 votes in Pennsylvania and 10,000 votes in Michigan. She, however, leads the popular vote at two million.

&quot;But regardless of the potential to change the outcome in any of the states, we feel it is important, on principle, to ensure our campaign is legally represented in any court proceedings and represented on the ground in order to monitor the recount process itself,&quot; Elias said.

&quot;While that effort has not, in our view, resulted in evidence of manipulation of results, now that a recount is underway, we believe we have an obligation to the more than 64 million Americans who cast ballots for Hillary Clinton to participate in ongoing proceedings to ensure that an accurate vote count will be reported.&quot;

Stein said that the &#39;reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts&#39; have caused suspicion&nbsp;over the legitimacy of election&nbsp;results among Americans.

&quot;These concerns need to be investigated before the 2016 presidential election is certified,&quot; she said. &quot;We deserve elections we can trust.&quot;

(With inputs from AFP)

Green Party candidate Jill Stein has filed a recount in Wisconsin and announced her intention to seek recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania

Hillary Clinton's election lawyer Marc Elias announced on Saturday that the campaign would participate the recount of votes in Wisconsin state although it had found no evidence of the voting technology being manipulated in Trump's favour. Eliad said in a post on Medium.com that the campaign would also join recounts in the closely contested states of Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged, news agency AFP reported. Green Party candidate Jill Stein requested for a recount of votes in the state of Wisconsin.She has also declared her intention to file for recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania. US President-elect Donald trump won the three states by just over a 100,000 votes pushing him above the 270 votes he needed to win in the Electoral College. Elias said the campaign had not decided to seek a recount becuase they found no irregularity or evidence of attempts to change the voting technology. "But now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides," he added, reported AFP. "If Jill Stein follows through as she has promised and pursues recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan, we will take the same approach in those states as well," Elias said. Experts say that there is no chance of overturning the result. However, the move could raise the questions over Trump's legitimate win in the elections again. Clinton lost by around 20,000 votes in Wisconsin, 70,000 votes in Pennsylvania and 10,000 votes in Michigan. She, however, leads the popular vote at two million. "But regardless of the potential to change the outcome in any of the states, we feel it is important, on principle, to ensure our campaign is legally represented in any court proceedings and represented on the ground in order to monitor the recount process itself," Elias said. "While that effort has not, in our view, resulted in evidence of manipulation of results, now that a recount is underway, we believe we have an obligation to the more than 64 million Americans who cast ballots for Hillary Clinton to participate in ongoing proceedings to ensure that an accurate vote count will be reported." Stein said that the 'reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts' have caused suspicion over the legitimacy of election results among Americans. "These concerns need to be investigated before the 2016 presidential election is certified," she said. "We deserve elections we can trust." (With inputs from AFP)

Clinton campaign to take part in state election recounts

US president-elect Donald Trump termed the recount of US presidential election votes in Wisconsin a &#39;scam&#39;.

&quot;This is a scam by the Green Party for an election that has already been conceded, and the results of this election should be respected instead of being challenged and abused, which is exactly what Jill Stein is doing,&quot; Trump added.

Green Partty candidate Jill Stein has filed a recount of votes in Wisconsin state, where Trump won by a small margin. She also announced that she would seek recounts in closely contested states of Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign announced its decision to join the recount on Saturday. The lawyer for the Democratic candidate, Marc Erik Elias, said the campaign would also participate in Michigan and Pennsylvania&#39;s recounts if they were arranged, news agency AFP reported.

Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, won Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by just over 100,000 votes. The victory in those states gave him the 270 votes needed for victory in the Electoral College.

Trump said &quot;the people have spoken and the election is over, and as Hillary Clinton herself said on election night, in addition to her conceding by congratulating me, &#39;We must accept this result and then look to the future,&#39;&quot; in a statement.

&quot;It is important to point out that with the help of millions of voters across the country, we won 306 electoral votes on Election Day -- the most of any Republican since 1988,&quot; Trump said.

Clinton&#39;s counsel Elias said that they had not planned to exercise the option of filing for recount because of no evidence of hacking or external efforts to change the voting technology, AFP reported.

&quot;But now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides,&quot; he added. He, however, did not make it clear how the campaign would participate in the process.

Although experts say there is virtually no chance of overturning the final result, the recounts could reignite debate over the legitimacy of Trump&#39;s election, already fueled by Clinton&#39;s lead in the popular vote, which now stands at more than two million, AFP said.

Elias said that the Clinton campaign had themselves investigated the results after receiving hundreds of messages, emails and calls from supporters, but had found no evidence that the results had been tampered to Trump&#39;s favour.

&quot;After a divisive and painful presidential race, reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts are causing many Americans to wonder if our election results are reliable,&quot; Stein said on her website.

Stein cited unspecified &quot;anomalies&quot; as grounds to mount a challenge to the November 8 election results in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, reported AFP.

(With inputs from AFP)

The US president-elect said his presidential win should be respected, not 'challenged and abused'

US president-elect Donald Trump termed the recount of US presidential election votes in Wisconsin a 'scam'. "This is a scam by the Green Party for an election that has already been conceded, and the results of this election should be respected instead of being challenged and abused, which is exactly what Jill Stein is doing," Trump added. Green Partty candidate Jill Stein has filed a recount of votes in Wisconsin state, where Trump won by a small margin. She also announced that she would seek recounts in closely contested states of Michigan and Pennsylvania. Hillary Clinton's campaign announced its decision to join the recount on Saturday. The lawyer for the Democratic candidate, Marc Erik Elias, said the campaign would also participate in Michigan and Pennsylvania's recounts if they were arranged, news agency AFP reported. Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, won Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by just over 100,000 votes. The victory in those states gave him the 270 votes needed for victory in the Electoral College. Trump said "the people have spoken and the election is over, and as Hillary Clinton herself said on election night, in addition to her conceding by congratulating me, 'We must accept this result and then look to the future,'" in a statement. "It is important to point out that with the help of millions of voters across the country, we won 306 electoral votes on Election Day -- the most of any Republican since 1988," Trump said. Clinton's counsel Elias said that they had not planned to exercise the option of filing for recount because of no evidence of hacking or external efforts to change the voting technology, AFP reported. "But now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides," he added. He, however, did not make it clear how the campaign would participate in the process. Although experts say there is virtually no chance of overturning the final result, the recounts could reignite debate over the legitimacy of Trump's election, already fueled by Clinton's lead in the popular vote, which now stands at more than two million, AFP said. Elias said that the Clinton campaign had themselves investigated the results after receiving hundreds of messages, emails and calls from supporters, but had found no evidence that the results had been tampered to Trump's favour. "After a divisive and painful presidential race, reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts are causing many Americans to wonder if our election results are reliable," Stein said on her website. Stein cited unspecified "anomalies" as grounds to mount a challenge to the November 8 election results in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, reported AFP. (With inputs from AFP)

State election recount 'scam': Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump and his top aides on Sunday doubled down on their criticism of Hillary Clinton&#39;s camp for joining a vote recount in Wisconsin, terming the decision &quot;ridiculous&quot; and &quot;a waste of time.&quot;

With the recount threatening to revive debate about the legitimacy of Trump&#39;s victory - Clinton won far more popular votes, while he carried the all-important Electoral College count - Trump aides pushed back hard on Sunday, even while continuing to wage an extraordinarily public battle over the makeup of the future cabinet.

In his latest early-morning Twitter storm, Trump quoted Clinton about the need to respect the electoral process, calling the presidential vote recount &quot;sad.&quot; It is time for people to accept the November 8 result and move ahead, he said on Saturday.

Trump&#39;s top aide Kellyanne Conway appeared on Sunday to at least hint that if the Clinton team pushes too hard on the recount, the president-elect might rethink his vow not to seek Clinton&#39;s prosecution for using a private email server when she was secretary of state.

While Trump was being &quot;magnanimous&quot; toward Clinton, &quot;I guess her attitude towards that is to have her counsel go and join this ridiculous recount,&quot; Conway said on ABC.

And Reince Priebus, Trump&#39;s chief of staff, said that while the president-elect is not &quot;seeking methods and ways to persecute and prosecute Hillary Clinton,&quot; Trump would probably be &quot;open to listening&quot; should any new findings against her emerge from future investigations.

Legal right

There was no immediate reaction from the Clinton team, but Bernie Sanders, Clinton&#39;s Democratic rival in the primary race and now a member of the Senate leadership, defended the recount.

&quot;The Green Party has the legal right to do it,&quot; he said on CNN. &quot;We have recounts probably almost every election. No one expects (there) to be profound change.&quot;

The recount was requested by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who received a minute fraction of the total vote in Wisconsin. Clinton&#39;s campaign has said it would join the process despite having seen no irregularities in the White House contest so far.

Marc Erik Elias, an election lawyer for the Democratic candidate, said in a post on Medium.com on Saturday that the campaign would also participate in recounts in the closely contested states of Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged.

Most election experts see almost no chance the election outcome could be reversed -- Clinton trails in each state by several thousand votes.&nbsp;

Trump won Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by a total of just over 100,000 votes, even while compiling many more than the 270 votes needed for victory in the Electoral College.

Trump on Saturday dismissed the recount movement as &quot;a scam by the Green Party for an election that has already been conceded.&quot;

Blowback against Romney

But the dispute continued to roil what has already been a rough transition period, as serious signs of internal discord over cabinet picks again emerged on Sunday.

The main source of discord appears to be the position of secretary of state, with some in the Trump camp supporting Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, as a more mainstream choice while others favor the more divisive former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

In what political analysts considered a highly unusual public airing of those tensions from within the Trump team, Conway last week tweeted that she had received &quot;a deluge&quot; of concern from people warning against Romney.

Asked about that on Sunday, she told NBC that she was not &quot;campaigning&quot; against Romney but was &quot;just astonished at the breathtaking volume and intensity of blowback&quot; to a possible Romney nomination.

&quot;People feel betrayed to think that Governor Romney, who went out of his way to question the character and the intellect and the integrity of Donald Trump... would be given the most significant cabinet post of all.&quot;

Trump supporters were infuriated in March when the former Massachusetts governor delivered a passionately worded attack on Trump on the part of the Republican Party&#39;s establishment, calling him a &quot;fraud,&quot; given to &quot;absurd third-grade theatrics.&quot;&nbsp;

However, the two seemed to have put their differences behind them when they met on November 19 to discuss a possible cabinet position.

Romney&#39;s supporters say he would bring deep experience in politics and government to the cabinet of a president with scant experience in either.

(AFP)

Trump quoted Clinton about the need to respect the electoral process, calling the presidential vote recount 'sad'

President-elect Donald Trump and his top aides on Sunday doubled down on their criticism of Hillary Clinton's camp for joining a vote recount in Wisconsin, terming the decision "ridiculous" and "a waste of time." With the recount threatening to revive debate about the legitimacy of Trump's victory - Clinton won far more popular votes, while he carried the all-important Electoral College count - Trump aides pushed back hard on Sunday, even while continuing to wage an extraordinarily public battle over the makeup of the future cabinet. In his latest early-morning Twitter storm, Trump quoted Clinton about the need to respect the electoral process, calling the presidential vote recount "sad." It is time for people to accept the November 8 result and move ahead, he said on Saturday. Trump's top aide Kellyanne Conway appeared on Sunday to at least hint that if the Clinton team pushes too hard on the recount, the president-elect might rethink his vow not to seek Clinton's prosecution for using a private email server when she was secretary of state. While Trump was being "magnanimous" toward Clinton, "I guess her attitude towards that is to have her counsel go and join this ridiculous recount," Conway said on ABC. And Reince Priebus, Trump's chief of staff, said that while the president-elect is not "seeking methods and ways to persecute and prosecute Hillary Clinton," Trump would probably be "open to listening" should any new findings against her emerge from future investigations. Legal right There was no immediate reaction from the Clinton team, but Bernie Sanders, Clinton's Democratic rival in the primary race and now a member of the Senate leadership, defended the recount. "The Green Party has the legal right to do it," he said on CNN. "We have recounts probably almost every election. No one expects (there) to be profound change." The recount was requested by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who received a minute fraction of the total vote in Wisconsin. Clinton's campaign has said it would join the process despite having seen no irregularities in the White House contest so far. Marc Erik Elias, an election lawyer for the Democratic candidate, said in a post on Medium.com on Saturday that the campaign would also participate in recounts in the closely contested states of Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged. Most election experts see almost no chance the election outcome could be reversed -- Clinton trails in each state by several thousand votes. Trump won Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by a total of just over 100,000 votes, even while compiling many more than the 270 votes needed for victory in the Electoral College. Trump on Saturday dismissed the recount movement as "a scam by the Green Party for an election that has already been conceded." Blowback against Romney But the dispute continued to roil what has already been a rough transition period, as serious signs of internal discord over cabinet picks again emerged on Sunday. The main source of discord appears to be the position of secretary of state, with some in the Trump camp supporting Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, as a more mainstream choice while others favor the more divisive former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. In what political analysts considered a highly unusual public airing of those tensions from within the Trump team, Conway last week tweeted that she had received "a deluge" of concern from people warning against Romney. Asked about that on Sunday, she told NBC that she was not "campaigning" against Romney but was "just astonished at the breathtaking volume and intensity of blowback" to a possible Romney nomination. "People feel betrayed to think that Governor Romney, who went out of his way to question the character and the intellect and the integrity of Donald Trump... would be given the most significant cabinet post of all." Trump supporters were infuriated in March when the former Massachusetts governor delivered a passionately worded attack on Trump on the part of the Republican Party's establishment, calling him a "fraud," given to "absurd third-grade theatrics." However, the two seemed to have put their differences behind them when they met on November 19 to discuss a possible cabinet position. Romney's supporters say he would bring deep experience in politics and government to the cabinet of a president with scant experience in either. (AFP)

Trump terms Clinton's efforts at vote recount as 'waste of time'

Qatar will continue to arm Syrian rebels even if Donald Trump ends US backing for the multinational effort, Doha&#39;s foreign minister said in an interview, signalling its determination to pursue a policy the US President-elect may abandon.

But foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the wealthy Gulf state would not &quot;go solo&quot; and supply shoulder-fired missiles to the rebels to defend themselves against Syrian and Russian warplanes.

While the rebels needed more military support, any move to supply &quot;Manpad&quot; anti-aircraft weapons to them would have to be decided collectively by the rebels&#39; backers, the minister, a member of Qatar&#39;s royal family, told Reuters late on Saturday.

Some Western officials worry that Gulf states, dismayed at effective Russian air support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, could supply such weapons. Washington fears they could be seized by jihadi groups and used against Western airliners.

Qatar is a top backer of rebels fighting Assad, working alongside Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Western nations in a military aid programme overseen by the US Central Intelligence Agency that provides moderate groups with arms and training.

Qatar was determined to carry on, Sheikh Mohammed said, sipping tea in his spacious office on the ministry&#39;s top floor overlooking the Gulf.

&quot;This support is going to continue, we are not going to stop it. It doesn&#39;t mean that if Aleppo falls we will give up on the demands of the Syrian people,&quot; he said.

Historically

&quot;Even if the regime captures it (Aleppo), I am sure they will have the ability to capture it back from the regime ... We need more military support, yes, but even more important we need to stop the bombardment and create safe zones for the civilians.&quot;

He said Assad was &quot;the fuel of Islamic State&quot; because his forces&#39; killing of Syrians helped the hardline group motivate young Syrian recruits. &quot;We never see any effort for him fighting Daesh,&quot; he said.

But Trump has signalled opposition to US support for the rebels, indicating he could abandon them to focus on fighting Islamic State which controls land in eastern and central Syria.

He might even cooperate against IS with Russia, which has been bombing the rebels for more than a year in western Syria. In an interview published this month, Assad said Trump would be a &quot;natural ally&quot; if he decides to &quot;fight the terrorists&quot;.

&quot;We want to have the US with us, for sure, they have been our historic ally,&quot; Sheikh Mohammed said.

&quot;But if they want to change their minds, are we going to change our position? For us, in Qatar at least, we are not going to change our position. Our position is based on principles, values and on our assessment of the situation there.&quot;

Qatar and other Gulf states believe the nationalist Sunni rebels are needed to build a stable Syria. But their policy has long been hampered by splits in the opposition and the prominent role jihadists have played in the insurgency.

Assad&#39;s government has accused Gulf states of backing what it calls terrorist groups in the country. Gulf states deny this and Sheikh Mohammed said any group that shared the values of al Qaeda was neither effective nor useful.

Assad, a member of the minority Alawite sect, is dependent on military support from Russia, Iran and Shi&#39;ite Islamist militias in the fight with the Sunni Muslim insurgency.

Sheikh Mohammed suggested that Trump&#39;s views about Syria might evolve once in office when he received intelligence reports about the &quot;reality&quot; on the ground.

Sheikh Mohammed said the reality was that Assad and violence by his forces were the core security risk, and that Islamic State was an outgrowth of the civil war. More hardline groups would emerge if the war does not come to a just end.

&quot;If we are not going to address the cause of all this ... without addressing the issue of al-Assad, we will have another extremist group, it will be more extreme and more brutal,&quot; he said, noting that Islamic State had evolved from al Qaeda.

Problems for decades

The minister hit out at Egypt, normally a close Gulf Arab ally, for appearing to side with Assad, and criticised Iran for what he said was interference in the affairs of Arab states.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose flagging economy has received billions of dollars from Gulf states, has supported Russia&#39;s decision to bomb in support of Assad.

&quot;For us unfortunately Egypt is supporting the regime ... We hope that they come back and be with us,&quot; he said. Support for Assad was the same as supporting terrorism, he said, &quot;because he is a terrorist and he is on equal footing with Daesh&quot;.

Sheikh Mohammed chided Western politicians for using anti-Muslim and anti-refugee rhetoric in election campaigns, saying it was against the values the West had long stood for.

&quot;Unfortunately these narratives ... will cause problems for decades because in Europe and the United States, the Muslim community is part of the texture of their society ... It will help them maybe to win the election but it will last for decades, it will create a problem within their communities.&quot;

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Qatar said it will continue to arm the rebels against Russian and Syrian forces after Trump signalled opposition to the multinational effort

Qatar will continue to arm Syrian rebels even if Donald Trump ends US backing for the multinational effort, Doha's foreign minister said in an interview, signalling its determination to pursue a policy the US President-elect may abandon. But foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the wealthy Gulf state would not "go solo" and supply shoulder-fired missiles to the rebels to defend themselves against Syrian and Russian warplanes. While the rebels needed more military support, any move to supply "Manpad" anti-aircraft weapons to them would have to be decided collectively by the rebels' backers, the minister, a member of Qatar's royal family, told Reuters late on Saturday. Some Western officials worry that Gulf states, dismayed at effective Russian air support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, could supply such weapons. Washington fears they could be seized by jihadi groups and used against Western airliners. Qatar is a top backer of rebels fighting Assad, working alongside Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Western nations in a military aid programme overseen by the US Central Intelligence Agency that provides moderate groups with arms and training. Qatar was determined to carry on, Sheikh Mohammed said, sipping tea in his spacious office on the ministry's top floor overlooking the Gulf. "This support is going to continue, we are not going to stop it. It doesn't mean that if Aleppo falls we will give up on the demands of the Syrian people," he said. Historically "Even if the regime captures it (Aleppo), I am sure they will have the ability to capture it back from the regime ... We need more military support, yes, but even more important we need to stop the bombardment and create safe zones for the civilians." He said Assad was "the fuel of Islamic State" because his forces' killing of Syrians helped the hardline group motivate young Syrian recruits. "We never see any effort for him fighting Daesh," he said. But Trump has signalled opposition to US support for the rebels, indicating he could abandon them to focus on fighting Islamic State which controls land in eastern and central Syria. He might even cooperate against IS with Russia, which has been bombing the rebels for more than a year in western Syria. In an interview published this month, Assad said Trump would be a "natural ally" if he decides to "fight the terrorists". "We want to have the US with us, for sure, they have been our historic ally," Sheikh Mohammed said. "But if they want to change their minds, are we going to change our position? For us, in Qatar at least, we are not going to change our position. Our position is based on principles, values and on our assessment of the situation there." Qatar and other Gulf states believe the nationalist Sunni rebels are needed to build a stable Syria. But their policy has long been hampered by splits in the opposition and the prominent role jihadists have played in the insurgency. Assad's government has accused Gulf states of backing what it calls terrorist groups in the country. Gulf states deny this and Sheikh Mohammed said any group that shared the values of al Qaeda was neither effective nor useful. Assad, a member of the minority Alawite sect, is dependent on military support from Russia, Iran and Shi'ite Islamist militias in the fight with the Sunni Muslim insurgency. Sheikh Mohammed suggested that Trump's views about Syria might evolve once in office when he received intelligence reports about the "reality" on the ground. Sheikh Mohammed said the reality was that Assad and violence by his forces were the core security risk, and that Islamic State was an outgrowth of the civil war. More hardline groups would emerge if the war does not come to a just end. "If we are not going to address the cause of all this ... without addressing the issue of al-Assad, we will have another extremist group, it will be more extreme and more brutal," he said, noting that Islamic State had evolved from al Qaeda. Problems for decades The minister hit out at Egypt, normally a close Gulf Arab ally, for appearing to side with Assad, and criticised Iran for what he said was interference in the affairs of Arab states. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose flagging economy has received billions of dollars from Gulf states, has supported Russia's decision to bomb in support of Assad. "For us unfortunately Egypt is supporting the regime ... We hope that they come back and be with us," he said. Support for Assad was the same as supporting terrorism, he said, "because he is a terrorist and he is on equal footing with Daesh". Sheikh Mohammed chided Western politicians for using anti-Muslim and anti-refugee rhetoric in election campaigns, saying it was against the values the West had long stood for. "Unfortunately these narratives ... will cause problems for decades because in Europe and the United States, the Muslim community is part of the texture of their society ... It will help them maybe to win the election but it will last for decades, it will create a problem within their communities." (Reuters)

Qatar will help Syrian rebels even if Trump ends US role

Sri Lanka&#39;s President Maithripala Sirisena has asked US President-elect Donald trump to urge the&nbsp;UN Human Rights Council to war crime charges against its military.

The Sinhalese-majority Sri Lankan army has been accused of of killing almost 40,000 Tamils during the final fight against Tamil Tigers in 2009.

The UNHRC has since asked the Lankan government to probe the war crimes, pay compensation to families of victims in an ethnic war that spanned 37 years and killed around 100,000 lives.

Sirisena&#39;s office on Sunday said they had sent a message to Trump, asking him to intervene in the matter. &nbsp;

&quot;I sent a special message to Donald Trump asking him to support us at the (council),&quot; the President said. &quot;I am asking him to help completely clear my country (of war crimes allegations) and allow us to start afresh.&quot;

The Sri Lankan president said he had made a similar request to the incoming&nbsp;UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.&nbsp;

The country&#39;s military had waged a decades-long war against cessationists Tamil Tigers because the latter wanted to carve out a Tamil state in the north and &nbsp;east of the country.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Lankan government was asked by UNHRC to probe war crimes, pay compensation to families of victims in an ethnic war spanning 37 years

Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena has asked US President-elect Donald trump to urge the UN Human Rights Council to war crime charges against its military. The Sinhalese-majority Sri Lankan army has been accused of of killing almost 40,000 Tamils during the final fight against Tamil Tigers in 2009. The UNHRC has since asked the Lankan government to probe the war crimes, pay compensation to families of victims in an ethnic war that spanned 37 years and killed around 100,000 lives. Sirisena's office on Sunday said they had sent a message to Trump, asking him to intervene in the matter. "I sent a special message to Donald Trump asking him to support us at the (council)," the President said. "I am asking him to help completely clear my country (of war crimes allegations) and allow us to start afresh." The Sri Lankan president said he had made a similar request to the incoming UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The country's military had waged a decades-long war against cessationists Tamil Tigers because the latter wanted to carve out a Tamil state in the north and east of the country. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Sri Lanka asks Donald Trump to help drop war crime charges at UN

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson dismissed suggestions on Saturday that Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union and the election of Donald Trump as US&nbsp;president would lead to Western powers withdrawing from engagement with the rest of the world.

Speaking during an overnight visit to Kabul that included meetings with President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Johnson said Britain remained committed to Afghanistan &quot;for the long haul&quot;.

As well as continued support for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission to train Afghan security forces, it was doing &quot;a hell of a lot&quot; for aid and development in Afghanistan, in areas like education, he said.

&quot;None of those will be affected by our relations with the treaties of the European Union, as you would expect,&quot; he said.

Britain&#39;s June 23 vote for &#39;Brexit&#39; and Trump&#39;s backing for an &quot;America First&quot; foreign policy have triggered alarm among some commentators who see signs of increasing isolationism among Western powers. However Johnson, one of the leaders of the pro-Brexit camp, rejected such fears.

&quot;If the question is do I think that the western world is going to start withdrawing or turning in on itself, then the answer is emphatically no, I don&#39;t think so,&quot; Johnson told reporters. &quot;That certainly won&#39;t be the situation with the United Kingdom.&quot;

&quot;We intend to be more engaged with the world, more outward-looking than ever before,&quot; he said.

&quot;I think we&#39;ll have to see how things pan out in Washington but I think that the interest of the United States in the security and stability of this part of the world will remain fundamental.&quot;

Johnson visited Kabul University, where he attended a performance of a scene from Shakespeare&#39;s tragedy Macbeth in Dari, as well as the British cemetery, with its memorial to more than 450 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

He said Britain could be proud of the sacrifices and achievements of its troops, despite the deteriorating situation in areas like Helmand, now in large part under Taliban control, where more British soldiers died than in any other province.

&quot;No one is sitting here and pretending that things are perfect but they are better by far than they were,&quot; he said.

&quot;There are many ways that in spite of all the difficulties and all the challenges, this place is better for the help that we have tried to give it over the years,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

Johnson said Britain's exit from the European Union will have no impact on its commitment with Afghanistan

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson dismissed suggestions on Saturday that Britain's exit from the European Union and the election of Donald Trump as US president would lead to Western powers withdrawing from engagement with the rest of the world. Speaking during an overnight visit to Kabul that included meetings with President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Johnson said Britain remained committed to Afghanistan "for the long haul". As well as continued support for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission to train Afghan security forces, it was doing "a hell of a lot" for aid and development in Afghanistan, in areas like education, he said. "None of those will be affected by our relations with the treaties of the European Union, as you would expect," he said. Britain's June 23 vote for 'Brexit' and Trump's backing for an "America First" foreign policy have triggered alarm among some commentators who see signs of increasing isolationism among Western powers. However Johnson, one of the leaders of the pro-Brexit camp, rejected such fears. "If the question is do I think that the western world is going to start withdrawing or turning in on itself, then the answer is emphatically no, I don't think so," Johnson told reporters. "That certainly won't be the situation with the United Kingdom." "We intend to be more engaged with the world, more outward-looking than ever before," he said. "I think we'll have to see how things pan out in Washington but I think that the interest of the United States in the security and stability of this part of the world will remain fundamental." Johnson visited Kabul University, where he attended a performance of a scene from Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth in Dari, as well as the British cemetery, with its memorial to more than 450 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan. He said Britain could be proud of the sacrifices and achievements of its troops, despite the deteriorating situation in areas like Helmand, now in large part under Taliban control, where more British soldiers died than in any other province. "No one is sitting here and pretending that things are perfect but they are better by far than they were," he said. "There are many ways that in spite of all the difficulties and all the challenges, this place is better for the help that we have tried to give it over the years," he said. (Reuters)

In Afghanistan, Britain's Johnson sees no sign of global retreat

Former Green Party candidate Jill Stein filed papers appealing for a vote recount in Wisconsin, one of the key batteground states won by US President-elect Donald Trump citing &quot;anomalies&quot; on Friday.&nbsp;

Stein will also challenge the presidential election results in Pennsylvania and Michigan, the other two rust-belt seats where Trump won.&nbsp;

The Wisconsin Elections Commission agreed to conduct the&nbsp;statewide votes recount adhereing to Stein&#39;s appeal.&nbsp;

The deadline for completing the recount is December 13 in Wisconsin and deadlines for filing papers in Pennsylvania and Michigan are Monday and Wednesday of next week.

&quot;These recounts are part of an election integrity movement to attempt to shine a light on just how untrustworthy the US election system is,&quot; Stein&#39;s fundraising website stated.&nbsp;

Stein has raised more than $4.8 million of her $7 million goal for the recount votes on her fundraising website.&nbsp;

&quot;After a divisive and painful presidential race, reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts are causing many Americans to wonder if our election results are reliable,&quot; Stein said.&nbsp;

&quot;These concerns need to be investigated before the 2016 presidential election is certified. We deserve elections we can trust.&quot;

The 2016 US Presidential elections were marred&nbsp;with allegations of Russian hacking and rigging accusations by Trump.&nbsp;

The recounting of votes could reignite the debate over the legitimacy of Trump&#39;s win after it was revealed rival and Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton&#39;s lead in popular vote stands at two million.&nbsp;

According to AFP, Clinton lost a margin of around 27,000 votes in Wisconsin and 60,000 votes in Pennsylvania but as per unofficial results released by Michigan&#39;s secretary of state&#39;s office, Trump was ahead of Clinton by a mere 10,704 votes.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Jill Stein will also challenge the results in Pennsylvania and Michigan, the other two rust-belt states where Trump won

Former Green Party candidate Jill Stein filed papers appealing for a vote recount in Wisconsin, one of the key batteground states won by US President-elect Donald Trump citing "anomalies" on Friday. Stein will also challenge the presidential election results in Pennsylvania and Michigan, the other two rust-belt seats where Trump won. The Wisconsin Elections Commission agreed to conduct the statewide votes recount adhereing to Stein's appeal. The deadline for completing the recount is December 13 in Wisconsin and deadlines for filing papers in Pennsylvania and Michigan are Monday and Wednesday of next week. "These recounts are part of an election integrity movement to attempt to shine a light on just how untrustworthy the US election system is," Stein's fundraising website stated. Stein has raised more than $4.8 million of her $7 million goal for the recount votes on her fundraising website. "After a divisive and painful presidential race, reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts are causing many Americans to wonder if our election results are reliable," Stein said. "These concerns need to be investigated before the 2016 presidential election is certified. We deserve elections we can trust." The 2016 US Presidential elections were marred with allegations of Russian hacking and rigging accusations by Trump. The recounting of votes could reignite the debate over the legitimacy of Trump's win after it was revealed rival and Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton's lead in popular vote stands at two million. According to AFP, Clinton lost a margin of around 27,000 votes in Wisconsin and 60,000 votes in Pennsylvania but as per unofficial results released by Michigan's secretary of state's office, Trump was ahead of Clinton by a mere 10,704 votes. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US presidential election: Wisconsin agrees to statewide recount

US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday called Cuban socialist icon Fidel Castro a &quot;brutal dictator who oppressed his people for six decades.&quot;

Castro died on Friday night at the age of 90.

Trump took to Twitter after Castro&#39;s death was announced by his brother and current Cuban President Raul Castro early on Saturday.

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Fidel Castro is dead!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/802499192237080576">November 26, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&quot;While Cuba remains a totalitarian island, it is my hope that today marks a move away from the horrors endured for too long, and toward a future in which the wonderful Cuban people finally live in the freedom they so richly deserve,&quot; Trump said in a statement, AFP reported.

He made no mention of his earlier threats to reverse a historic rapprochement carried out by the two countries under President Barack Obama, saying only &quot;our administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty.&quot;

 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

 
&nbsp;

'Today marks a move away from the horrors endured for too long' said Trump

US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday called Cuban socialist icon Fidel Castro a "brutal dictator who oppressed his people for six decades." Castro died on Friday night at the age of 90. Trump took to Twitter after Castro's death was announced by his brother and current Cuban President Raul Castro early on Saturday. Fidel Castro is dead! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2016 × "While Cuba remains a totalitarian island, it is my hope that today marks a move away from the horrors endured for too long, and toward a future in which the wonderful Cuban people finally live in the freedom they so richly deserve," Trump said in a statement, AFP reported. He made no mention of his earlier threats to reverse a historic rapprochement carried out by the two countries under President Barack Obama, saying only "our administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Fidel Castro 'brutal dictator': Donald Trump

US president-elect Donald Trump chose national security veteran Kathleen Troia &quot;KT&quot; McFarland as his senior adviser on Friday.

The 65-year-old had first worked in the White House under former president Richard Nixon. She will return as number two to former general Mike Flynn.

&quot;She has tremendous experience and innate talent that will complement the fantastic team we are assembling,&quot; Trump said, in a statement, news agency AFP reported.

McFarland will take responsibilty when President Barack Obama leaves office on January 20 next year. White House national security roles do not need to be confirmed by the Senate.

She would in any case have been an uncontroversial choice, with decades of experience under three former Republican presidents and as a former aide to foreign policy heavyweight Henry Kissinger, AFP said.

McFarland lost a bid in 2006 to seek the Republican nomination to challenge then New York senator Hillary Clinton&#39;s successful re-election bid.

She had worked as a deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs under president Ronald Reagan and between 1982. In 1985, the Fox News commentator served as defense secretary Caspar Weinberger&#39;s speechwriter and spokeswoman.

Trump also hired Don McGahn, a well-known campaign finance lawyer, as his White House counsel on Friday. Mc Gahn had been the chief counsel of the Trump campaign and was one of the few members of the Republican establishment to embrace the outsider candidate, Reuters said.

&ldquo;Don has a brilliant legal mind, excellent character and a deep understanding of constitutional law,&rdquo; Trump said in a statement.

(With inputs from Reuters and AFP)

The president-elect also chose finance lawyer Donald McGahn to be his White House counsel

US president-elect Donald Trump chose national security veteran Kathleen Troia "KT" McFarland as his senior adviser on Friday. The 65-year-old had first worked in the White House under former president Richard Nixon. She will return as number two to former general Mike Flynn. "She has tremendous experience and innate talent that will complement the fantastic team we are assembling," Trump said, in a statement, news agency AFP reported. McFarland will take responsibilty when President Barack Obama leaves office on January 20 next year. White House national security roles do not need to be confirmed by the Senate. She would in any case have been an uncontroversial choice, with decades of experience under three former Republican presidents and as a former aide to foreign policy heavyweight Henry Kissinger, AFP said. McFarland lost a bid in 2006 to seek the Republican nomination to challenge then New York senator Hillary Clinton's successful re-election bid. She had worked as a deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs under president Ronald Reagan and between 1982. In 1985, the Fox News commentator served as defense secretary Caspar Weinberger's speechwriter and spokeswoman. Trump also hired Don McGahn, a well-known campaign finance lawyer, as his White House counsel on Friday. Mc Gahn had been the chief counsel of the Trump campaign and was one of the few members of the Republican establishment to embrace the outsider candidate, Reuters said. “Don has a brilliant legal mind, excellent character and a deep understanding of constitutional law,” Trump said in a statement. (With inputs from Reuters and AFP)

Trump taps national security veteran for White House role

Egypt will initiate a trial against 292 jihadist suspects for plotting to assassinate&nbsp;President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the Saudi crown prince.

The suspects are also accused of launching a series of deadly attacks in the Sinai peninsula, a prosecution official said on Sunday.&nbsp;

The undertrials, who have alleged links with Islamic State terrorist organisation in the Middle East, have been involved in leading an insurrection in the Sinai.

All the 292 suspects were involved in the assassination plots to kill Sisi and the Saudi Prince, the official said, of which&nbsp;66 have confessed to their role during intense interrogations.

Two plots were made to kill Sisi -- one when he was in a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and the other time was in Cairo.

The suspects allegedly also planned to assassinate Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef in the Gulf kingdom and five Egyptian judges.

The prosecution official did not elaborate on the plan.

Most of the suspects are disgruntled former police officers who were dismissed for following jihadist ideology.

The prosecution also accuses the suspects of attacking army and police checkpoints and bases in the Sinai, and of responsibility for a February 2014 attack on a bus carrying South Korean tourists in the south Sinai tourist resort of Taba that killed three holidaymakers.

The army has been battling an Islamist insurgency in northern Sinai which escalated after the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump's victory was actually depressing for the United States itself, rather than for the rest of the world, the group's ideologues wrote

Egypt will initiate a trial against 292 jihadist suspects for plotting to assassinate President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the Saudi crown prince. The suspects are also accused of launching a series of deadly attacks in the Sinai peninsula, a prosecution official said on Sunday. The undertrials, who have alleged links with Islamic State terrorist organisation in the Middle East, have been involved in leading an insurrection in the Sinai. All the 292 suspects were involved in the assassination plots to kill Sisi and the Saudi Prince, the official said, of which 66 have confessed to their role during intense interrogations. Two plots were made to kill Sisi -- one when he was in a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and the other time was in Cairo. The suspects allegedly also planned to assassinate Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef in the Gulf kingdom and five Egyptian judges. The prosecution official did not elaborate on the plan. Most of the suspects are disgruntled former police officers who were dismissed for following jihadist ideology. The prosecution also accuses the suspects of attacking army and police checkpoints and bases in the Sinai, and of responsibility for a February 2014 attack on a bus carrying South Korean tourists in the south Sinai tourist resort of Taba that killed three holidaymakers. The army has been battling an Islamist insurgency in northern Sinai which escalated after the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad calls Donald Trump a 'man of bad character'

Bailey White, 13, stood patiently in line with her little brother Keaton at the gift store inside the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue on Wednesday afternoon, each clutching a stuffed terrier named Charlie that cost $35 per item.

The beagle, with a Trump monogram on its white bandana, was modeled on the pet dog of Eric Trump, the son of President-elect Donald Trump. It was one of the few items left on the shelves of the store, which had sold out of that morning&#39;s fresh batch of red &quot;MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN&quot; t-shirts by noon.

Bailey and Keaton, 10, however, were happy with their score. The children, who had traveled to New York from Florida originally for the Thanksgiving Day Parade, told Reuters they were huge fans of Donald Trump, listing at the top of their reasons his commitment to reduce illegal immigration. Or, as the younger brother puts it, &quot;To stop bad guys from getting in our country.&quot;

As businesses around the president-elect&#39;s glitzy New York home have had to deal with extra security and crowds reducing foot traffic sales in the lead up to Fifth Avenue&rsquo;s busiest shopping weekend, Trump souvenirs have been flying off the shelves at the billionaire&#39;s gift store.

Trump supporters like the White siblings and their mom Laura have proven to be a boon for at least one of the his businesses in the immediate aftermath of the US&nbsp;presidential election.

In just one hour, a Reuters reporter counted at least 100 people crowding the shop located on the lower level of the Tower to buy hats, pins and more. Many were disappointed to find the $30 dollar red &quot;MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN&quot; hat and all campaign t-shirts out of stock.

Just one door over, a single salesman sat in dim lighting in the middle of the day at a New York City souvenir store, also in Trump Tower, greeting visitors with, &quot;Looking for Trump merchandise?&quot; before redirecting them.

When asked if the number of visitors inside the Trump Tower had increased since the presidential results, a security guard in the building replied: &quot;One hundred per cent.&quot;

Outside, where some of the world&#39;s most well-known retailers spend more on rent than in just about any other city, shoppers had to fight through security, crowds and media packs to enter the Gucci store or tony jeweler Tiffany&#39;s.

Rosalia Betancourt, 69, first trekked to Trump Tower two days after Trump was elected in search for the eponymous red hat. They were sold out.

When Betancourt, who moved to New York from Venezuela more than four decades ago, braved holiday crowds a week later on Wednesday, she had to leave empty-handed once again.

&quot;It&#39;s all right&quot; she said. &quot;I guess I&#39;ll go online. It just has to be red.&quot;

Sari Nielsen, 71, was waiting at the Trump Cafe next door to the shop for the crowds to die down.

&quot;I want to buy my nephew Pete a Trump golf hat for Thanksgiving,&quot; said Nielsen, who moved to New York in 1975 from Argentina.

Shoppers also had the option of buying Trump cufflinks, blankets, bags, perfume, candy, books authored by members of the family and more.

The line shortened somewhat during lunchtime when visitors turned their attention to the Trump Grill, which does not offer reservations but a $25 dollar fixed-price meal.

Trisha Williams, 50, of San Jose, California also made the trip to New York for the parade with her son Cayden, 8, who stayed up and watched the election. The two stood outside the Trump Tower with their gold Trump store bags.

&quot;We wanted to experience it all and buy some merchandise,&quot; Trisha said.

But many of the items she wanted to buy were not available.

&quot;They didn&#39;t really have very much,&quot; Trisha said noting that a saleswoman at the store gave her a card outlining how she can make purchases online and that she&#39;s already followed her advice.

&quot;I wanted a jacket with a Trump logo and a t-shirt, but they didn&#39;t really have anything left.&quot;

(Reuters)

Trump souvenirs have been flying off the shelves at the billionaire's gift store

Bailey White, 13, stood patiently in line with her little brother Keaton at the gift store inside the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue on Wednesday afternoon, each clutching a stuffed terrier named Charlie that cost $35 per item. The beagle, with a Trump monogram on its white bandana, was modeled on the pet dog of Eric Trump, the son of President-elect Donald Trump. It was one of the few items left on the shelves of the store, which had sold out of that morning's fresh batch of red "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN" t-shirts by noon. Bailey and Keaton, 10, however, were happy with their score. The children, who had traveled to New York from Florida originally for the Thanksgiving Day Parade, told Reuters they were huge fans of Donald Trump, listing at the top of their reasons his commitment to reduce illegal immigration. Or, as the younger brother puts it, "To stop bad guys from getting in our country." As businesses around the president-elect's glitzy New York home have had to deal with extra security and crowds reducing foot traffic sales in the lead up to Fifth Avenue’s busiest shopping weekend, Trump souvenirs have been flying off the shelves at the billionaire's gift store. Trump supporters like the White siblings and their mom Laura have proven to be a boon for at least one of the his businesses in the immediate aftermath of the US presidential election. In just one hour, a Reuters reporter counted at least 100 people crowding the shop located on the lower level of the Tower to buy hats, pins and more. Many were disappointed to find the $30 dollar red "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN" hat and all campaign t-shirts out of stock. Just one door over, a single salesman sat in dim lighting in the middle of the day at a New York City souvenir store, also in Trump Tower, greeting visitors with, "Looking for Trump merchandise?" before redirecting them. When asked if the number of visitors inside the Trump Tower had increased since the presidential results, a security guard in the building replied: "One hundred per cent." Outside, where some of the world's most well-known retailers spend more on rent than in just about any other city, shoppers had to fight through security, crowds and media packs to enter the Gucci store or tony jeweler Tiffany's. Rosalia Betancourt, 69, first trekked to Trump Tower two days after Trump was elected in search for the eponymous red hat. They were sold out. When Betancourt, who moved to New York from Venezuela more than four decades ago, braved holiday crowds a week later on Wednesday, she had to leave empty-handed once again. "It's all right" she said. "I guess I'll go online. It just has to be red." Sari Nielsen, 71, was waiting at the Trump Cafe next door to the shop for the crowds to die down. "I want to buy my nephew Pete a Trump golf hat for Thanksgiving," said Nielsen, who moved to New York in 1975 from Argentina. Shoppers also had the option of buying Trump cufflinks, blankets, bags, perfume, candy, books authored by members of the family and more. The line shortened somewhat during lunchtime when visitors turned their attention to the Trump Grill, which does not offer reservations but a $25 dollar fixed-price meal. Trisha Williams, 50, of San Jose, California also made the trip to New York for the parade with her son Cayden, 8, who stayed up and watched the election. The two stood outside the Trump Tower with their gold Trump store bags. "We wanted to experience it all and buy some merchandise," Trisha said. But many of the items she wanted to buy were not available. "They didn't really have very much," Trisha said noting that a saleswoman at the store gave her a card outlining how she can make purchases online and that she's already followed her advice. "I wanted a jacket with a Trump logo and a t-shirt, but they didn't really have anything left." (Reuters)

Business booms at Trump Tower, nearby retailers hit by security and crowds

Born Nimrata &quot;Nikki&quot; Randhawa, Haley is the first minority and female governor of South Carolina, a deeply conservative state with a long history of racial strife.

She is the first Indian-American woman Governor and the second Indian-American governor of any State. Prior to becoming governor, she represented Lexington County in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011.

A true fiscal conservative and savvy businesswoman, Haley&#39;s leadership drove down South Carolina&#39;s unemployment to a 15 year low by adding more than 82,000 jobs in each of South Carolina&#39;s 46 counties, the transition team said.

Prior to dedicating her life to public service, Haley worked at her family business.

In 1998, Haley was named to the board of directors of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce and named to the board of directors of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce in 2003. She also became treasurer of the National Association of Women Business Owners in 2003 and president in 2004.

Haley is a proud graduate of Clemson University where she earned a degree in accounting.

Haley and her husband, Michael, a Captain in the Army National Guard and combat veteran who was deployed to Afghanistan&#39;s Helmand Province, have two children, Rena, 18, and Nalin, 15.

(PTI)

Haley is the first minority and female governor of South Carolina, a deeply conservative state with a long history of racial strife

Born Nimrata "Nikki" Randhawa, Haley is the first minority and female governor of South Carolina, a deeply conservative state with a long history of racial strife. She is the first Indian-American woman Governor and the second Indian-American governor of any State. Prior to becoming governor, she represented Lexington County in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011. A true fiscal conservative and savvy businesswoman, Haley's leadership drove down South Carolina's unemployment to a 15 year low by adding more than 82,000 jobs in each of South Carolina's 46 counties, the transition team said. Prior to dedicating her life to public service, Haley worked at her family business. In 1998, Haley was named to the board of directors of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce and named to the board of directors of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce in 2003. She also became treasurer of the National Association of Women Business Owners in 2003 and president in 2004. Haley is a proud graduate of Clemson University where she earned a degree in accounting. Haley and her husband, Michael, a Captain in the Army National Guard and combat veteran who was deployed to Afghanistan's Helmand Province, have two children, Rena, 18, and Nalin, 15. (PTI)

Who is Nikki Haley?

United States President-Elect Donald Trump on Tuesday cancelled a &quot;sit-down&quot; with journalists from The New York Times (NYT) apparently because they were &quot;not nice&quot; to him.

Hours later, he put out another tweet saying the meeting was back on.

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The meeting with the <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes">@nytimes</a> is back on at 12:30 today. Look forward to it!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/801087976889520128">November 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Trump, who was supposed to meet journalists from the newspaper and take on-record questions, announced through last-minute tweets that the meeting was off.

The New York Post quoted Trump&#39;s tweet:

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I cancelled today&#39;s meeting with the failing <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes">@nytimes</a> when the terms and conditions of the meeting were changed at the last moment. Not nice
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/801021596228091905">November 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The NYT issued a statement soon after saying that the publication was &quot;unaware that the meeting was cancelled until we saw the President Elect&rsquo;s tweet this morning.&quot; &quot;We did not change the ground rules at all and made no attempt to,&rdquo; NYT said in its statement.

Trump, however, indicated through his tweets that there was a possibility that a meeting with the &quot;failing nytimes&quot; may &nbsp;be set up in the future. &ldquo;Perhaps a new meeting will be set up with the @nytimes. In the meantime they continue to cover me inaccurately and with a nasty tone!&rdquo; he tweeted.

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I cancelled today&#39;s meeting with the failing <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes">@nytimes</a> when the terms and conditions of the meeting were changed at the last moment. Not nice
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/801021596228091905">November 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Perhaps a new meeting will be set up with the <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes">@nytimes</a>. In the meantime they continue to cover me inaccurately and with a nasty tone!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/801025256487940096">November 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The NYT further said in its statement that Trump&#39;s office on Monday had tried to get the paper to agree to a &quot;private, off-the-record&quot; which the paper refused to agree to. &quot; &quot;In the end, we concluded with them that we would go back to the original plan of a small of the record session and a larger on the record session with reporters and columnists.&rdquo;

The paper said it was unclear about the changed &quot;conditions&quot; that prompted Trump to cancel the meeting.

The move comes a day after the President elect chose to subject television executives and journalists to a dressing-down at a Trump Tower meeting on Monday.

&quot;Instead of striking a harmonious tone to build rapport following the election, Trump was combative,&quot; The Washington Post quoted a person who had participated in the meeting.

The Washington Post said Trump told a group comprising some of the biggest names of American television, including &nbsp;ABC news anchors George Stephanopoulos and David Muir, CNN&#39;s Wolf Blitzer and Erin Burnett, ABC correspondent Martha Raddatz, their coverage on him during his election campaign was &quot;unfair&quot; and &quot;dishonest&quot;.&nbsp;

CNN Worldwide chairman Jeff Zucker, NBC News president Deborah Turness, MSNBC president Phil Griffin, ABC News president James Goldston, and four top executives from Fox News, Bill Shine, Jack Abernethy, Jay Wallace and Suzanne Scott were also present in the meeting.

&quot;In a calm and deliberate voice, he told the group sitting around a conference table that they had failed to provide their viewers with fair and accurate coverage, and told them they failed to understand him or his appeal to millions of Americans,&quot; The Washington Post reported.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

A day earlier, Trump had come down on a group of TV executives and journalists and called their coverage 'unfair' and 'dishonest'

United States President-Elect Donald Trump on Tuesday cancelled a "sit-down" with journalists from The New York Times (NYT) apparently because they were "not nice" to him. Hours later, he put out another tweet saying the meeting was back on. The meeting with the @nytimes is back on at 12:30 today. Look forward to it! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2016 × Trump, who was supposed to meet journalists from the newspaper and take on-record questions, announced through last-minute tweets that the meeting was off. The New York Post quoted Trump's tweet: I cancelled today's meeting with the failing @nytimes when the terms and conditions of the meeting were changed at the last moment. Not nice — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2016 × The NYT issued a statement soon after saying that the publication was "unaware that the meeting was cancelled until we saw the President Elect’s tweet this morning." "We did not change the ground rules at all and made no attempt to,” NYT said in its statement. Trump, however, indicated through his tweets that there was a possibility that a meeting with the "failing nytimes" may be set up in the future. “Perhaps a new meeting will be set up with the @nytimes. In the meantime they continue to cover me inaccurately and with a nasty tone!” he tweeted. I cancelled today's meeting with the failing @nytimes when the terms and conditions of the meeting were changed at the last moment. Not nice — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2016 × Perhaps a new meeting will be set up with the @nytimes. In the meantime they continue to cover me inaccurately and with a nasty tone! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2016 × The NYT further said in its statement that Trump's office on Monday had tried to get the paper to agree to a "private, off-the-record" which the paper refused to agree to. " "In the end, we concluded with them that we would go back to the original plan of a small of the record session and a larger on the record session with reporters and columnists.” The paper said it was unclear about the changed "conditions" that prompted Trump to cancel the meeting. The move comes a day after the President elect chose to subject television executives and journalists to a dressing-down at a Trump Tower meeting on Monday. "Instead of striking a harmonious tone to build rapport following the election, Trump was combative," The Washington Post quoted a person who had participated in the meeting. The Washington Post said Trump told a group comprising some of the biggest names of American television, including ABC news anchors George Stephanopoulos and David Muir, CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Erin Burnett, ABC correspondent Martha Raddatz, their coverage on him during his election campaign was "unfair" and "dishonest". CNN Worldwide chairman Jeff Zucker, NBC News president Deborah Turness, MSNBC president Phil Griffin, ABC News president James Goldston, and four top executives from Fox News, Bill Shine, Jack Abernethy, Jay Wallace and Suzanne Scott were also present in the meeting. "In a calm and deliberate voice, he told the group sitting around a conference table that they had failed to provide their viewers with fair and accurate coverage, and told them they failed to understand him or his appeal to millions of Americans," The Washington Post reported. (WION)

Trump cancels meeting with 'failing' NYT journalists with last-minute tweet, reschedules hours later

US President-elect Donald Trump has said he will pull the plug on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal the day he assumes office on January 20.

Trump, outlining his plans for the first 100 days of his presidency, spelled out his intention of cancelling some of the &quot;job-killing&quot; restrictions put on energy production, including clean coal and shale oil.

He has also asked the Labour Department to crack down on the abuse of visas by immigrants.&nbsp;

Trump had made immigration and job creation the centrepieces of his election campaign -- issues that handed him a stunning win over Democrat Hillary Clinton earlier this month.

End of TPP?

The TPP trade deal was signed by 12 countries, including US and Japan, seemingly aimed to counter China&#39;s rise.

The deal, which was put on priority by outgoing President Barack Obama, intended to lower tariffs and strengthen economic ties.

The TPP -- signed by&nbsp;the US, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Peru -- aimed to create a single market similar to the EU.

But with the change of guard in Washington, the TPP trade deal will not see the light of day as Trump believes it would be a &quot;potential disaster for our country&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Instead, we will negotiate fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores,&quot; said Trump.

Trump&#39;s decision to scrap the TPP is chiefly to protect American jobs against cheap labour in Asia -- a promise he had made to the workers in the industrial towns&nbsp;of the US on his campaign trail.

Trump&#39;s announcement comes a week after&nbsp;US Trade Representative Michael Froman warned that scrapping the trade deal would have &quot;serious&quot; strategic and economic costs.

Other measures

Regarding energy, Trump said restrictions on certain production procedures would be lifted to &quot;create many millions of high-paying jobs&quot;.

&quot;That&#39;s what we want, that&#39;s what we have been waiting for,&quot; Trump said in the vieo message.

He also spoke about beefing up security of US&#39; vital infrastructure from cyber attacks, saying:&nbsp;&quot;I will ask the Department of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a comprehensive plan.&quot;

He also promised to look into visa programs that hurt the American worker.

Japan&#39;s chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga, however,&nbsp;said today&nbsp;that Japan is planning to &quot;take a lead in working to ensure that the TPP takes effect as soon as possible&quot;, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

He said Japan plans to lobby other signatories to the pact, adding that he&nbsp;had no comments on President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s statement that he intended to quit the trade pact on the first day of his presidency.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, signed by 12 countries, aims to create a single market similar to the EU

US President-elect Donald Trump has said he will pull the plug on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal the day he assumes office on January 20. Trump, outlining his plans for the first 100 days of his presidency, spelled out his intention of cancelling some of the "job-killing" restrictions put on energy production, including clean coal and shale oil. He has also asked the Labour Department to crack down on the abuse of visas by immigrants. Trump had made immigration and job creation the centrepieces of his election campaign -- issues that handed him a stunning win over Democrat Hillary Clinton earlier this month. End of TPP? The TPP trade deal was signed by 12 countries, including US and Japan, seemingly aimed to counter China's rise. The deal, which was put on priority by outgoing President Barack Obama, intended to lower tariffs and strengthen economic ties. The TPP -- signed by the US, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Peru -- aimed to create a single market similar to the EU. But with the change of guard in Washington, the TPP trade deal will not see the light of day as Trump believes it would be a "potential disaster for our country". "Instead, we will negotiate fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores," said Trump. Trump's decision to scrap the TPP is chiefly to protect American jobs against cheap labour in Asia -- a promise he had made to the workers in the industrial towns of the US on his campaign trail. Trump's announcement comes a week after US Trade Representative Michael Froman warned that scrapping the trade deal would have "serious" strategic and economic costs. Other measures Regarding energy, Trump said restrictions on certain production procedures would be lifted to "create many millions of high-paying jobs". "That's what we want, that's what we have been waiting for," Trump said in the vieo message. He also spoke about beefing up security of US' vital infrastructure from cyber attacks, saying: "I will ask the Department of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a comprehensive plan." He also promised to look into visa programs that hurt the American worker. Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga, however, said today that Japan is planning to "take a lead in working to ensure that the TPP takes effect as soon as possible", Reuters reported. He said Japan plans to lobby other signatories to the pact, adding that he had no comments on President-elect Donald Trump's statement that he intended to quit the trade pact on the first day of his presidency. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump says will pull out of TPP trade deal on day 1 of office

President-elect Donald Trump will not push for further investigation of Hillary Clinton related to her private email use and the Clinton Foundation, a close adviser said Tuesday, breaking with a key campaign theme.

Trump triggered consternation -- and widespread condemnation -- when he made an unprecedented campaign threat to jail his Democratic rival should he win the White House.

The Republican made Clinton&#39;s email scandal and allegations of pay-to-play at her family foundation a core theme of his campaign, railing against her &quot;crimes&quot; and leading fired-up supporters in chants of &quot;Lock her Up!&quot;&nbsp;

But since his election he has deflected questioning on the subject, saying in an interview he would think about it, but had other priorities as incoming head of state.

&quot;I think when the president-elect... tells you before he&#39;s even inaugurated that he doesn&#39;t wish to pursue these charges, it sends a very strong message, tone, and content&quot; to fellow Republicans, Trump aide Kellyanne Conway said in an interview on MSNBC&#39;s &quot;Morning Joe.&quot;

During their second presidential debate in October, Trump told Clinton he would instruct his attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into her email practices when secretary of state.

Clinton responded: &quot;It&#39;s just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country.&quot;

Trump then quipped: &quot;Because you&#39;d be in jail.&quot;

Conway told MSNBC that Clinton &quot;still has&nbsp;to&nbsp;face the fact a majority of Americans don&#39;t find her&nbsp;to&nbsp;be honest or trustworthy&quot;.

&quot;If Donald Trump can help her heal, perhaps that&#39;s a good thing,&quot; she added.

&quot;He&#39;s&nbsp;thinking of many different things as&nbsp;he prepares&nbsp;to&nbsp;become the president of the United States, and things&nbsp;that&nbsp;sound like the campaign aren&#39;t among them.&quot;

Clinton has attributed her loss to the bombshell decision by FBI director James Comey to re-open the probe into her use of a private email server, less than two weeks before the vote.

In a call with donors, she claimed that two letters Comey sent to Congress -- re-opening the probe and closing it again after finding no new evidence of wrongdoing -- had tilted crucial states towards her Republican rival.

Comey&#39;s second letter, sent three days before the election, stated that the FBI had not changed its July recommendation not to charge Clinton.

(AFP)

The announcement is at odds with Trump's key poll plank, in which he consistently vowed to jail Clinton if he won the White House

President-elect Donald Trump will not push for further investigation of Hillary Clinton related to her private email use and the Clinton Foundation, a close adviser said Tuesday, breaking with a key campaign theme. Trump triggered consternation -- and widespread condemnation -- when he made an unprecedented campaign threat to jail his Democratic rival should he win the White House. The Republican made Clinton's email scandal and allegations of pay-to-play at her family foundation a core theme of his campaign, railing against her "crimes" and leading fired-up supporters in chants of "Lock her Up!" But since his election he has deflected questioning on the subject, saying in an interview he would think about it, but had other priorities as incoming head of state. "I think when the president-elect... tells you before he's even inaugurated that he doesn't wish to pursue these charges, it sends a very strong message, tone, and content" to fellow Republicans, Trump aide Kellyanne Conway said in an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." During their second presidential debate in October, Trump told Clinton he would instruct his attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into her email practices when secretary of state. Clinton responded: "It's just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country." Trump then quipped: "Because you'd be in jail." Conway told MSNBC that Clinton "still has to face the fact a majority of Americans don't find her to be honest or trustworthy". "If Donald Trump can help her heal, perhaps that's a good thing," she added. "He's thinking of many different things as he prepares to become the president of the United States, and things that sound like the campaign aren't among them." Clinton has attributed her loss to the bombshell decision by FBI director James Comey to re-open the probe into her use of a private email server, less than two weeks before the vote. In a call with donors, she claimed that two letters Comey sent to Congress -- re-opening the probe and closing it again after finding no new evidence of wrongdoing -- had tilted crucial states towards her Republican rival. Comey's second letter, sent three days before the election, stated that the FBI had not changed its July recommendation not to charge Clinton. (AFP)

Donald Trump will not push for probe into Clinton's private email use

Hillary Clinton was about to be indicted, Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump: the battle over fake news is heating up after a White House campaign in which the misinformation industry may have swung the outcome of the vote.

Last week, Google and Facebook moved to cut off ad revenue to bogus news sites. But media watchers say more is needed to stamp out a powerful phenomenon seen by some people as a threat to democracy itself.

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<h5>The fake news hoaxes of the 2016 election season were in many cases spectacular -- &#39;Did the Clintons Commit Murder?&#39; -- and created by groups purely out to make money from clicks and ads</h5>
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&nbsp;

One of those people is President Barack Obama, who has warned that fake news threatens the basic principle of freedom of speech.

&quot;If everything seems to be the same and no distinctions are made, then we won&#39;t know what to protect,&quot; Obama said during a visit to Germany.

The hoaxes of the 2016 election season were in many cases spectacular -- &quot;Did the Clintons Commit Murder?&quot; -- and created by groups purely out to make money from clicks and ads.

And since Trump&#39;s victory, reports have exposed the dark underbelly of operations -- run from Macedonia to California -- that boast of making easy money with wholly fabricated stories, under such headlines as &quot;Look At Sick Thing He Just Did To STAB Trump In The Back.&quot;

An analysis published by BuzzFeed News found that the 20 top-performing bogus stories from hoax websites and extremely partisan blogs generated slightly more than 8.7 million &quot;shares&quot; on Facebook to just 7.4 million from major news websites, in the three months before the election.

Now, the outcry over fake news and its apparent role in the election is prompting calls for Facebook to consider itself a media company, with editorial responsibilities, which the social network has repeatedly rejected.

Arbiters of truth?&nbsp;

Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan argued that Facebook &quot;should hire a top-flight executive editor and give that person the resources, power and staff to make sound editorial decisions.&quot;

For Gabriel Kahn, a former journalist who teaches at the University of Southern California, &quot;they&#39;re in the same business as pretty much every media company, which is aggregating audiences and using that to sell advertisements.&quot;

And Kahn believes that Facebook, by considering itself a &quot;neutral&quot; platform, &quot;allows the media ecosystem to be polluted&quot; with bogus news.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Friday offered additional insight on plans to curb online misinformation while arguing for caution.

&quot;The problems here are complex, both technically and philosophically,&quot; Zuckerberg said in a posting.

&quot;We believe in giving people a voice... We do not want to be arbiters of truth ourselves, but instead rely on our community and trusted third parties.&quot;

Zuckerberg said nonetheless that Facebook would step up efforts to weed out fake news with &quot;stronger detection,&quot; an easier process to report hoaxes and &quot;third party verification&quot; from &quot;respected fact checking organizations.&quot;

Tech entrepreneur Elad Gil said it should not be too difficult for a company like Facebook to apply its technical expertise to determine when a news story is fake.&nbsp;

&quot;Intriguingly, a group of undergrads at Princeton were able to build a quick and dirty fake news classifier during a 36-hour hackathon,&quot; Gil said in a blog post.

&#39;Click farms&#39; vs ideology&nbsp;

Northeastern University journalism professor Dan Kennedy argued that it is important to differentiate between &quot;click farms&quot; which make money off entirely fake news and politically driven news sites.

&quot;I think Facebook could do a lot to crack down on fake news, and I think that&#39;s something everybody could agree on, but if they try to go against the ideologically motivated sites it will inevitably get caught up in the culture wars,&quot; Kennedy said.

The prevalence of ersatz news, analysts note, comes in a context of deep distrust of mainstream media, which is often accused of one-sidedness.

Any effort to filter out those voices could &quot;lead to the relitigation of ancient disputes over media bias,&quot; said Kennedy.

Reason magazine editor Scott Shackleford said it would be hard to draw a line between filtering bogus news and ideological censorship.

&quot;So a decision by Facebook to censor &#39;fake news&#39; would heavily weigh in favor of the more mainstream and &#39;powerful&#39; traditional media outlets,&quot; he wrote.

City University of New York journalism professor Jeff Jarvis and startup entrepreneur John Borthwick argued in a blog post that the media and technology industries should work together to help readers establish the credibility of news.

&quot;We do not believe that the platforms should be put in the position of judging what is fake or real, true or false as censors for all,&quot; they wrote.

&quot;The platforms need to give users better information and media need to help them.&quot;

Even if the online platforms do not turn into media firms, the two wrote in the blog, they should &quot;hire high-level journalists inside their organizations&quot; to &quot;bring a sense of public responsibility to their companies&quot; and &quot;to explain journalism to the technologists and technology to the journalists.&quot;

(AFP)

Google and FB moved last week to cut ad revenue to fake news sites but media watchers say more needs to be done

Hillary Clinton was about to be indicted, Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump: the battle over fake news is heating up after a White House campaign in which the misinformation industry may have swung the outcome of the vote. Last week, Google and Facebook moved to cut off ad revenue to bogus news sites. But media watchers say more is needed to stamp out a powerful phenomenon seen by some people as a threat to democracy itself. The fake news hoaxes of the 2016 election season were in many cases spectacular -- 'Did the Clintons Commit Murder?' -- and created by groups purely out to make money from clicks and ads × One of those people is President Barack Obama, who has warned that fake news threatens the basic principle of freedom of speech. "If everything seems to be the same and no distinctions are made, then we won't know what to protect," Obama said during a visit to Germany. The hoaxes of the 2016 election season were in many cases spectacular -- "Did the Clintons Commit Murder?" -- and created by groups purely out to make money from clicks and ads. And since Trump's victory, reports have exposed the dark underbelly of operations -- run from Macedonia to California -- that boast of making easy money with wholly fabricated stories, under such headlines as "Look At Sick Thing He Just Did To STAB Trump In The Back." An analysis published by BuzzFeed News found that the 20 top-performing bogus stories from hoax websites and extremely partisan blogs generated slightly more than 8.7 million "shares" on Facebook to just 7.4 million from major news websites, in the three months before the election. Now, the outcry over fake news and its apparent role in the election is prompting calls for Facebook to consider itself a media company, with editorial responsibilities, which the social network has repeatedly rejected. Arbiters of truth? Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan argued that Facebook "should hire a top-flight executive editor and give that person the resources, power and staff to make sound editorial decisions." For Gabriel Kahn, a former journalist who teaches at the University of Southern California, "they're in the same business as pretty much every media company, which is aggregating audiences and using that to sell advertisements." And Kahn believes that Facebook, by considering itself a "neutral" platform, "allows the media ecosystem to be polluted" with bogus news. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Friday offered additional insight on plans to curb online misinformation while arguing for caution. "The problems here are complex, both technically and philosophically," Zuckerberg said in a posting. "We believe in giving people a voice... We do not want to be arbiters of truth ourselves, but instead rely on our community and trusted third parties." Zuckerberg said nonetheless that Facebook would step up efforts to weed out fake news with "stronger detection," an easier process to report hoaxes and "third party verification" from "respected fact checking organizations." Tech entrepreneur Elad Gil said it should not be too difficult for a company like Facebook to apply its technical expertise to determine when a news story is fake. "Intriguingly, a group of undergrads at Princeton were able to build a quick and dirty fake news classifier during a 36-hour hackathon," Gil said in a blog post. 'Click farms' vs ideology Northeastern University journalism professor Dan Kennedy argued that it is important to differentiate between "click farms" which make money off entirely fake news and politically driven news sites. "I think Facebook could do a lot to crack down on fake news, and I think that's something everybody could agree on, but if they try to go against the ideologically motivated sites it will inevitably get caught up in the culture wars," Kennedy said. The prevalence of ersatz news, analysts note, comes in a context of deep distrust of mainstream media, which is often accused of one-sidedness. Any effort to filter out those voices could "lead to the relitigation of ancient disputes over media bias," said Kennedy. Reason magazine editor Scott Shackleford said it would be hard to draw a line between filtering bogus news and ideological censorship. "So a decision by Facebook to censor 'fake news' would heavily weigh in favor of the more mainstream and 'powerful' traditional media outlets," he wrote. City University of New York journalism professor Jeff Jarvis and startup entrepreneur John Borthwick argued in a blog post that the media and technology industries should work together to help readers establish the credibility of news. "We do not believe that the platforms should be put in the position of judging what is fake or real, true or false as censors for all," they wrote. "The platforms need to give users better information and media need to help them." Even if the online platforms do not turn into media firms, the two wrote in the blog, they should "hire high-level journalists inside their organizations" to "bring a sense of public responsibility to their companies" and "to explain journalism to the technologists and technology to the journalists." (AFP)

Facebook in crosshairs as fake news battle heats up

Britain on Tuesday dismissed US President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s unprecedented expression of support for Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage to be made British ambassador to Washington, saying pointedly that there is no vacancy for the job.

Trump, who after his election victory met Farage before any EU leaders, said on Twitter that &quot;many people&quot; would like to see the former metals trader turned politician as Britain&#39;s ambassador.

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Many people would like to see <a href="https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage">@Nigel_Farage</a> represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States. He would do a great job!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/800887087780294656">November 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Prime Minister Theresa May, who congratulated Trump on his victory, was swift to reject such an undiplomatic proposal, with a spokesman saying Britain already had an excellent ambassador to Washington and that London would appoint its own envoys.

&quot;We have first rate ambassador in Washington,&quot; Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who campaigned for Brexit, told the British parliament. &quot;There is no vacancy for that position.&quot;

It is highly unusual in the modern era for leaders to publicly suggest to foreign nations whom they would like to see as ambassador, though during strained relations they sometimes reject or expel envoys.

Trump`s suggestion provoked anger, support and even hilarity in Britain, with one lawmaker, Conservative Simon Burns, joking that perhaps Britain should suggest Hillary Clinton as its preferred choice as ambassador to London.

But the apparent public suggestion about who to appoint as ambassador by the man who will lead Britain&#39;s most powerful ally puts Prime Minister May in a difficult position just as she tries to build ties with Washington ahead of leaving the EU.

London is trying to gauge whether Trump would support a special trade deal with Britain as it negotiates a divorce from the EU. Britain also places great store on what it calls its &quot;special relationship&quot; with the United States.

&quot;Mind your own business&quot;

Farage, who spent decades campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union and helped force former Prime Minister David Cameron to call the June referendum that brought the Brexit vote, spoke at a Trump rally during the U.S. campaign and visited the president-elect after his victory.

As leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and one of the key figures of the successful Brexit campaign, Farage has repeatedly angered EU leaders by predicting the collapse of the EU, which he says is run by an out-of-touch elite of &quot;idiots&quot;.

Farage said Trump`s suggestion that he serve as ambassador had come &quot;like a bolt from the blue&quot; but Trump understood loyalty in a way that those in the &quot;cesspit&quot; of career politics did not.&nbsp;

&quot;I am in a good position with the President-elect&rsquo;s support to help. The world has changed and it`s time that Downing Street did too,&quot; Farage said in an article written for the Breitbart news website.

&quot;I would do anything to help our national interest and to help cement ties with the incoming Anglophile administration,&quot; Farage said.

A photograph of Trump greeting Farage in front of a gilded elevator shortly after the US election caused consternation in EU capitals, many of whom view Trump with a mixture of fear and puzzlement.

His suggestion of Farage also provoked anger among some British lawmakers.

&quot;Many people think you should mind your own business and talk about pussy-grabbing less, but hey, life is a constant disappointment,&quot; Jess Phillips, a lawmaker for the opposition Labour Party, said on Twitter in a reference to Trump`s previous vulgar comments about groping women.&nbsp;

&quot;No vacancy&quot;

Accused by his critics of being a racist and a bigot, Farage peppers his speeches with jokes and the odd expletive while railing against what he calls the doomed European superstate and immigration into Britain.

He is a member of the European parliament but has failed in his efforts to win election to the British parliament.

Farage said Trump would be a great president after &quot;the political revolution&quot; that brought Brexit in Britain and Trump to power in the United States.

&quot;In the United Kingdom the people have spoken but the players at the top have, I am afraid, stayed the same,&quot; Farage, 52, said.&nbsp;

&quot;Those who supported Remain now hold senior positions. Worst still, those who were openly abusive about Trump now pretend to be his friend,&quot; said Farage.&nbsp;

Farage has urged May to build ties with Trump, who provoked criticism in Britain with his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. Queen Elizabeth might invite Trump for a state visit to Britain next year.

Farage made light of allegations of sexual assault against Trump during the US campaign by encouraging him to &quot;come and schmooze&quot; May but adding &quot;don&#39;t touch her for goodness sake&quot;.

When US President Barack Obama said before the referendum that Britain would be at the back of the queue for a trade deal, Farage said it was disgraceful to intervene in the sovereign affairs of Britain.&nbsp;

In a radio interview after the US election, Farage described the US president as: &quot;That Obama creature &ndash; a loathsome individual who couldn`t stand our country.&quot;

The way ambassadors are chosen in the United States and Europe differ significantly.

It is common practice for the United States to appoint celebrities or campaign donors as envoys, for example when Richard Nixon appointed Shirley Temple as his envoy to Ghana in 1974.

European states mostly appoint career diplomats or officials with long experience as ambassadors.

Kim Darroch, the current British ambassador in Washington, did not reply to emails from Reuters requesting comment on Trump`s remarks. His email bounced back with an out of office reply saying that the ambassador was travelling.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Trump had tweeted that 'many people' would like to see Nigel Farage as Britain's ambassador to the US

Britain on Tuesday dismissed US President-elect Donald Trump's unprecedented expression of support for Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage to be made British ambassador to Washington, saying pointedly that there is no vacancy for the job. Trump, who after his election victory met Farage before any EU leaders, said on Twitter that "many people" would like to see the former metals trader turned politician as Britain's ambassador. Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States. He would do a great job! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2016 × Prime Minister Theresa May, who congratulated Trump on his victory, was swift to reject such an undiplomatic proposal, with a spokesman saying Britain already had an excellent ambassador to Washington and that London would appoint its own envoys. "We have first rate ambassador in Washington," Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who campaigned for Brexit, told the British parliament. "There is no vacancy for that position." It is highly unusual in the modern era for leaders to publicly suggest to foreign nations whom they would like to see as ambassador, though during strained relations they sometimes reject or expel envoys. Trump`s suggestion provoked anger, support and even hilarity in Britain, with one lawmaker, Conservative Simon Burns, joking that perhaps Britain should suggest Hillary Clinton as its preferred choice as ambassador to London. But the apparent public suggestion about who to appoint as ambassador by the man who will lead Britain's most powerful ally puts Prime Minister May in a difficult position just as she tries to build ties with Washington ahead of leaving the EU. London is trying to gauge whether Trump would support a special trade deal with Britain as it negotiates a divorce from the EU. Britain also places great store on what it calls its "special relationship" with the United States. "Mind your own business" Farage, who spent decades campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union and helped force former Prime Minister David Cameron to call the June referendum that brought the Brexit vote, spoke at a Trump rally during the U.S. campaign and visited the president-elect after his victory. As leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and one of the key figures of the successful Brexit campaign, Farage has repeatedly angered EU leaders by predicting the collapse of the EU, which he says is run by an out-of-touch elite of "idiots". Farage said Trump`s suggestion that he serve as ambassador had come "like a bolt from the blue" but Trump understood loyalty in a way that those in the "cesspit" of career politics did not. "I am in a good position with the President-elect’s support to help. The world has changed and it`s time that Downing Street did too," Farage said in an article written for the Breitbart news website. "I would do anything to help our national interest and to help cement ties with the incoming Anglophile administration," Farage said. A photograph of Trump greeting Farage in front of a gilded elevator shortly after the US election caused consternation in EU capitals, many of whom view Trump with a mixture of fear and puzzlement. His suggestion of Farage also provoked anger among some British lawmakers. "Many people think you should mind your own business and talk about pussy-grabbing less, but hey, life is a constant disappointment," Jess Phillips, a lawmaker for the opposition Labour Party, said on Twitter in a reference to Trump`s previous vulgar comments about groping women. "No vacancy" Accused by his critics of being a racist and a bigot, Farage peppers his speeches with jokes and the odd expletive while railing against what he calls the doomed European superstate and immigration into Britain. He is a member of the European parliament but has failed in his efforts to win election to the British parliament. Farage said Trump would be a great president after "the political revolution" that brought Brexit in Britain and Trump to power in the United States. "In the United Kingdom the people have spoken but the players at the top have, I am afraid, stayed the same," Farage, 52, said. "Those who supported Remain now hold senior positions. Worst still, those who were openly abusive about Trump now pretend to be his friend," said Farage. Farage has urged May to build ties with Trump, who provoked criticism in Britain with his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. Queen Elizabeth might invite Trump for a state visit to Britain next year. Farage made light of allegations of sexual assault against Trump during the US campaign by encouraging him to "come and schmooze" May but adding "don't touch her for goodness sake". When US President Barack Obama said before the referendum that Britain would be at the back of the queue for a trade deal, Farage said it was disgraceful to intervene in the sovereign affairs of Britain. In a radio interview after the US election, Farage described the US president as: "That Obama creature – a loathsome individual who couldn`t stand our country." The way ambassadors are chosen in the United States and Europe differ significantly. It is common practice for the United States to appoint celebrities or campaign donors as envoys, for example when Richard Nixon appointed Shirley Temple as his envoy to Ghana in 1974. European states mostly appoint career diplomats or officials with long experience as ambassadors. Kim Darroch, the current British ambassador in Washington, did not reply to emails from Reuters requesting comment on Trump`s remarks. His email bounced back with an out of office reply saying that the ambassador was travelling. (Reuters)

'No vacancy' for Farage as ambassador: Britain turns down Trump's suggestion

President-elect Donald Trump met with three Indian business partners in Trump Tower this week, raising questions about the murky line between his private business interests and the role he will take on as public servant.

The Hill, citing India&#39;s Economic Times, reports that Trump met with Atul Chordia, Sagar Chordia and Kalpesh Mehta. The meeting was also attended by Trump&#39;s children, who are also members of Trump&#39;s transition team.

The Indian business partners are building a Trump-branded luxury apartment complex just south of Mumbai, The Hill reports.

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Atul &amp; Sagar Chordia, Kalpesh Mehta meets U S President Mr Donald Trump at Trump Towers New York office just now <a href="https://t.co/v7D3Uqx03d">pic.twitter.com/v7D3Uqx03d</a>
&mdash; DEVENDRA JAIN (@shubham9601) <a href="https://twitter.com/shubham9601/status/798650633632890880">November 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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A spokeswoman for Trump told the New York Times that the three Indian real estate developers flew from India to congratulate him.&nbsp;&quot;It was not a formal meeting of any kind,&quot; said Breanna Butler, a Trump Organization spokeswoman.

When asked whether the meeting included talks of Trump&#39;s businesses in India, Trump&#39;s spokespeople declined to comment.

But Mehta told the Economic Times that Donald Trump Jr showed interest in expanding business in India.

Trump promised to hand off his business to his three adult children in a blind trust to avoid the potential for conflict of interest while serving as president.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s unique situation poses problems: it is unclear how he can&nbsp;leave his assets in a &quot;blind trust&quot; when his assets are landmark buildings with his last name written on them in giant gold letters.

Trump is known as a real estate developer, but actually he mostly licenses&nbsp;his name to other developers for branding rights. In other words, his assets is quite literally his name.

Trouble already

Trump was criticized earlier this week for hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Trump Tower in a meeting also attended by his daughter, Ivanka and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is a member of his transition team and, as <a href="http://fortune.com/2016/11/18/ivanka-trump-shinzo-abe/">Fortune </a>reports,&nbsp;consulted a lawyer about joining the Trump administration without violating the laws against nepotism.

Ivanka does not have security clearance and is an executive at the Trump Organization, The Hill reports.

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Ivanka Trump sat in on her father&#39;s meeting today with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, per handout photo <a href="https://t.co/tEbfYYeJFA">pic.twitter.com/tEbfYYeJFA</a>
&mdash; Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeneps/status/799441149920415744">November 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Noah Bookbinder, executive director for Citizens of Responsibility and Ethics, commented to The Hill: &quot;Donald Trump&#39;s children and son-in-law have been deeply involved in the transition and selecting who will be part of his adminitration...At the same time they are deeply involved in the business. There does not seem to be any sign of a meaningful separation of Trump government operations and his business operations.&quot;

&nbsp;(WION)

There does not seem to be any sign of a meaningful separation of Trump government operations and his business operations: Watchdog

President-elect Donald Trump met with three Indian business partners in Trump Tower this week, raising questions about the murky line between his private business interests and the role he will take on as public servant. The Hill, citing India's Economic Times, reports that Trump met with Atul Chordia, Sagar Chordia and Kalpesh Mehta. The meeting was also attended by Trump's children, who are also members of Trump's transition team. The Indian business partners are building a Trump-branded luxury apartment complex just south of Mumbai, The Hill reports. Atul & Sagar Chordia, Kalpesh Mehta meets U S President Mr Donald Trump at Trump Towers New York office just now pic.twitter.com/v7D3Uqx03d — DEVENDRA JAIN (@shubham9601) November 15, 2016 × A spokeswoman for Trump told the New York Times that the three Indian real estate developers flew from India to congratulate him. "It was not a formal meeting of any kind," said Breanna Butler, a Trump Organization spokeswoman. When asked whether the meeting included talks of Trump's businesses in India, Trump's spokespeople declined to comment. But Mehta told the Economic Times that Donald Trump Jr showed interest in expanding business in India. Trump promised to hand off his business to his three adult children in a blind trust to avoid the potential for conflict of interest while serving as president. Trump's unique situation poses problems: it is unclear how he can leave his assets in a "blind trust" when his assets are landmark buildings with his last name written on them in giant gold letters. Trump is known as a real estate developer, but actually he mostly licenses his name to other developers for branding rights. In other words, his assets is quite literally his name. Trouble already Trump was criticized earlier this week for hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Trump Tower in a meeting also attended by his daughter, Ivanka and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is a member of his transition team and, as Fortune reports, consulted a lawyer about joining the Trump administration without violating the laws against nepotism. Ivanka does not have security clearance and is an executive at the Trump Organization, The Hill reports. Ivanka Trump sat in on her father's meeting today with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, per handout photo pic.twitter.com/tEbfYYeJFA — Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) November 18, 2016 × Noah Bookbinder, executive director for Citizens of Responsibility and Ethics, commented to The Hill: "Donald Trump's children and son-in-law have been deeply involved in the transition and selecting who will be part of his adminitration...At the same time they are deeply involved in the business. There does not seem to be any sign of a meaningful separation of Trump government operations and his business operations." (WION)

Trump meets with 3 Indian business partners after promising not to

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump confirmed to him he was willing to mend ties, though he also said he would welcome President Barack Obama in Russia.

&quot;The President-elect confirmed he is willing to normalise Russian-American relations. I told him the same. We did not discuss where and when we would meet.&quot;

Putin also told a news conference in Lima after the APEC summit that Russia is ready to freeze oil output at current levels.

Putin said he thanked Obama during Sunday&#39;s meeting in Lima &quot;for the years of joint work&quot;.

&quot;I told him that we would be happy to see him (Obama) in Russia anytime if he wants, can and has desire&quot;, Putin said.

(Reuters)

'The President-elect confirmed he is willing to normalise Russian-American relations. I told him the same,' said Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday US President-elect Donald Trump confirmed to him he was willing to mend ties, though he also said he would welcome President Barack Obama in Russia. "The President-elect confirmed he is willing to normalise Russian-American relations. I told him the same. We did not discuss where and when we would meet." Putin also told a news conference in Lima after the APEC summit that Russia is ready to freeze oil output at current levels. Putin said he thanked Obama during Sunday's meeting in Lima "for the years of joint work". "I told him that we would be happy to see him (Obama) in Russia anytime if he wants, can and has desire", Putin said. (Reuters)

Putin says Trump confirmed willing to mend ties

Former marine James &#39;Mad Dog&#39; Mattis may become&nbsp;the next Pentagon chief after US President-elect Donald Trump was effusive in his&nbsp;praise for&nbsp;him on Twitter.

Calling him a &quot;true general&#39;s general&quot; on Twitter, Trump said Mattis was &quot;being considered for Secretary of Defense&quot;.

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<h5>A colourful combat commander and voracious reader, Mattis has been quoted as saying, &#39;Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet&#39;</h5>
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Although Trump has yet to announce his entire team,&nbsp;his selection of his cabinet so far&nbsp;has been assailed by Democrats and his critics. His naysayers say&nbsp;people who have been handpicked by Trump to hold key judicial and diplomatic posts under his administration have dubious antecedents.

Trump has also moved to mend fences with moderate Republicans as he goes about building a new administration, interviewing one-time foe Mitt Romney for secretary of state, and inviting his ousted transition chief Chris Christie for a sit-down Sunday at his Trump National Golf Club.

Vice president-elect Mike Pence informed that Trump&#39;s critic Mitt Romney was also under &quot;active consideration&quot; to become the next Secretary of State.

He and Vice President-elect Mike&nbsp;Pence&nbsp;began their day attending a Sunday service at a Presbyterian church in the New Jersey countryside.

Cabinet auditions

The 70-year-old Republican billionaire promised reporters they would &quot;hear some things&quot; after a second marathon day of meetings at his New Jersey golf retreat, a 90-minute drive from Manhattan.

&quot;General James &#39;Mad Dog&#39; Mattis, who is being considered for Secretary of Defense, was very impressive yesterday. A true General&#39;s General!&quot; Trump said on Twitter.

The 66-year-old Mattis, who called Trump &quot;the real deal&quot; after their meeting Saturday, is a retired Marine Corps general who led the US Central Command from 2010-2013, overseeing the US withdrawal from Iraq and a surge in Afghanistan.

A colourful combat commander and voracious reader, he has been quoted as saying, &quot;Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.&quot;

Chris Christie, who threw his support to Trump after his own bid for the Republican presidential nomination fizzled, appeared back in favour after being pushed out as transition chief.

The New Jersey governor has been under a cloud over a scandal involving the closing of a major bridge linking New York and New Jersey, allegedly to punish a Democratic mayor. Two former Christie aides were recently convicted in the case.

Asked on Saturday if &quot;Bridgegate&quot; disqualified the governor from serving in the cabinet, Trump retorted: &quot;We like Chris a lot.&quot;

Others meeting Trump on Sunday include former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani; immigration hardliner Kris Kobach; Wilbur Ross, under consideration for commerce secretary; global investor David McCormick and conservative writer John Gray.

Trump will also meet with Bob Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) who has urged African Americans to vote for their best interests rather than be wedded to any political party.

Exit polls showed some 88 percent of African American voters supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton versus just eight percent for Trump.

Trump&#39;s interview with Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who called him a &quot;fraud&quot; during the campaign, suggested to some observers that he is looking for a mix of views despite the hard-line cast of his national security team so far.

Romney himself said nothing after Saturday&#39;s session. But&nbsp;Pence&nbsp;confirmed that Romney was under consideration for secretary of state, a post also sought by Giuliani and others.

Trump&#39;s picks so far include ultra-conservative Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general, hawkish congressman Mike Pompeo as CIA director and retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn as his national security adviser. His choice of Steve Bannon, seen as an ideologue of the ultra-conservative alt-right movement, as chief strategist has also drawn fire.

(AFP)

Trump announced on Twitter that General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis was being considered for the defence secretary position

Former marine James 'Mad Dog' Mattis may become the next Pentagon chief after US President-elect Donald Trump was effusive in his praise for him on Twitter. Calling him a "true general's general" on Twitter, Trump said Mattis was "being considered for Secretary of Defense". A colourful combat commander and voracious reader, Mattis has been quoted as saying, 'Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet' × Although Trump has yet to announce his entire team, his selection of his cabinet so far has been assailed by Democrats and his critics. His naysayers say people who have been handpicked by Trump to hold key judicial and diplomatic posts under his administration have dubious antecedents. Trump has also moved to mend fences with moderate Republicans as he goes about building a new administration, interviewing one-time foe Mitt Romney for secretary of state, and inviting his ousted transition chief Chris Christie for a sit-down Sunday at his Trump National Golf Club. Vice president-elect Mike Pence informed that Trump's critic Mitt Romney was also under "active consideration" to become the next Secretary of State. He and Vice President-elect Mike Pence began their day attending a Sunday service at a Presbyterian church in the New Jersey countryside. Cabinet auditions The 70-year-old Republican billionaire promised reporters they would "hear some things" after a second marathon day of meetings at his New Jersey golf retreat, a 90-minute drive from Manhattan. "General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis, who is being considered for Secretary of Defense, was very impressive yesterday. A true General's General!" Trump said on Twitter. The 66-year-old Mattis, who called Trump "the real deal" after their meeting Saturday, is a retired Marine Corps general who led the US Central Command from 2010-2013, overseeing the US withdrawal from Iraq and a surge in Afghanistan. A colourful combat commander and voracious reader, he has been quoted as saying, "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet." Chris Christie, who threw his support to Trump after his own bid for the Republican presidential nomination fizzled, appeared back in favour after being pushed out as transition chief. The New Jersey governor has been under a cloud over a scandal involving the closing of a major bridge linking New York and New Jersey, allegedly to punish a Democratic mayor. Two former Christie aides were recently convicted in the case. Asked on Saturday if "Bridgegate" disqualified the governor from serving in the cabinet, Trump retorted: "We like Chris a lot." Others meeting Trump on Sunday include former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani; immigration hardliner Kris Kobach; Wilbur Ross, under consideration for commerce secretary; global investor David McCormick and conservative writer John Gray. Trump will also meet with Bob Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) who has urged African Americans to vote for their best interests rather than be wedded to any political party. Exit polls showed some 88 percent of African American voters supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton versus just eight percent for Trump. Trump's interview with Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who called him a "fraud" during the campaign, suggested to some observers that he is looking for a mix of views despite the hard-line cast of his national security team so far. Romney himself said nothing after Saturday's session. But Pence confirmed that Romney was under consideration for secretary of state, a post also sought by Giuliani and others. Trump's picks so far include ultra-conservative Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general, hawkish congressman Mike Pompeo as CIA director and retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn as his national security adviser. His choice of Steve Bannon, seen as an ideologue of the ultra-conservative alt-right movement, as chief strategist has also drawn fire. (AFP)

Trump may pick 'Mad Dog' for Pentagon chief

US President Barack Obama made a strident case for his successor Donald Trump to retain America&#39;s support for a liberal world order on Sunday, warning world peace and prosperity depend on it.

&quot;The main advice that I give to the incoming president is the United States really is an indispensable nation in our world order,&quot; Obama said in Peru as he wrapped up his final foreign visit.

The United States&#39; ability to uphold &quot;international norms and rules. That&#39;s what&#39;s made the modern world,&quot; Obama said, admitting that Washington had not always fulfilled its own ideals, but remained vital to global security.

&quot;Here in Latin America, there&#39;s been times when countries felt disrespected and on occasion had cause for that.&quot;

But he argued history served as a warning for those imagining or flirting with a revised global order.

&quot;Take an example like Europe before that order was imposed. We had two world wars in a span of 30 years. In the second one, 60 million people were killed. Not half a million, not a million but 60 million. Entire continents in rubble.&quot;

&quot;We&#39;re not going to be able to handle every problem, but the American president and the United States of America, if we&#39;re not on the side of what&#39;s right, if we&#39;re not making the argument and fighting for it even if sometimes we&#39;re not able to deliver it 100 per cent everywhere, then it collapses.&quot;

&quot;There&#39;s nobody to fill the void. There really isn&#39;t,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

America's ability to uphold 'international norms and rules. That's what's made the modern world', Obama said

US President Barack Obama made a strident case for his successor Donald Trump to retain America's support for a liberal world order on Sunday, warning world peace and prosperity depend on it. "The main advice that I give to the incoming president is the United States really is an indispensable nation in our world order," Obama said in Peru as he wrapped up his final foreign visit. The United States' ability to uphold "international norms and rules. That's what's made the modern world," Obama said, admitting that Washington had not always fulfilled its own ideals, but remained vital to global security. "Here in Latin America, there's been times when countries felt disrespected and on occasion had cause for that." But he argued history served as a warning for those imagining or flirting with a revised global order. "Take an example like Europe before that order was imposed. We had two world wars in a span of 30 years. In the second one, 60 million people were killed. Not half a million, not a million but 60 million. Entire continents in rubble." "We're not going to be able to handle every problem, but the American president and the United States of America, if we're not on the side of what's right, if we're not making the argument and fighting for it even if sometimes we're not able to deliver it 100 per cent everywhere, then it collapses." "There's nobody to fill the void. There really isn't," he said. (AFP)

Obama warns Trump that US underpins world order

US President-elect Donald Trump will work to ensure there is &quot;proper separation&quot; between his business empire and his job as president of the United States, vice president-elect Mike Pence said on Sunday, amid fresh concerns about conflict of interest following a meeting with Indian real estate executives.

Trump, who has said he planned to turn over handling of the Trump Organization to his adult children, has come under criticism for the&nbsp;meeting on Tuesday with three Indian businessmen who are partners in a project to build a Trump-branded luxury apartment complex in Mumbai.

Pence said on the CBS program &quot;Face the Nation&quot; that Trump and his family would &quot;work with the best legal minds in this country and create the proper separation from their business enterprise during his duties as president of the United States.&quot;

A photo of the three executives meeting with Trump was posted on Twitter. Indian newspapers reported last week that the business leaders talked with the Trump Organization about expanding the Trump branded projects in India.

Incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, speaking on CNN&#39;s &quot;State of the Union&quot; program, said Trump would comply with all laws and have the White House counsel&#39;s office &quot;review all of these things.&quot;

&quot;And we will have every &#39;I&#39; dotted and every &#39;T&#39; crossed, and I can assure the American people that there wouldn&#39;t be any wrongdoing&nbsp;or any sort of undue influence over any decision-making,&quot; Priebus said.

Trump, who takes office on January 20, has said his businesses will be overseen by his three grown children, Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump.

Priebus was asked if it was appropriate for family members to sit in on official meetings after Ivanka Trump attended her father&#39;s meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday.

&quot;Donald Trump has been very clear from the very beginning that his family is very important to him,&quot; Priebus said on CNN.

(Reuters)

Trump will work to ensure there is 'proper separation' between his business empire and his new job, said Mike Pence

US President-elect Donald Trump will work to ensure there is "proper separation" between his business empire and his job as president of the United States, vice president-elect Mike Pence said on Sunday, amid fresh concerns about conflict of interest following a meeting with Indian real estate executives. Trump, who has said he planned to turn over handling of the Trump Organization to his adult children, has come under criticism for the meeting on Tuesday with three Indian businessmen who are partners in a project to build a Trump-branded luxury apartment complex in Mumbai. Pence said on the CBS program "Face the Nation" that Trump and his family would "work with the best legal minds in this country and create the proper separation from their business enterprise during his duties as president of the United States." A photo of the three executives meeting with Trump was posted on Twitter. Indian newspapers reported last week that the business leaders talked with the Trump Organization about expanding the Trump branded projects in India. Incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" program, said Trump would comply with all laws and have the White House counsel's office "review all of these things." "And we will have every 'I' dotted and every 'T' crossed, and I can assure the American people that there wouldn't be any wrongdoing or any sort of undue influence over any decision-making," Priebus said. Trump, who takes office on January 20, has said his businesses will be overseen by his three grown children, Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump. Priebus was asked if it was appropriate for family members to sit in on official meetings after Ivanka Trump attended her father's meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday. "Donald Trump has been very clear from the very beginning that his family is very important to him," Priebus said on CNN. (Reuters)

Trump team promises to address ethics concerns on businesses

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