President Barack Obama has asked people to give Donald Trump time and space to build his team, but has said he would speak out if the US&#39;s core values are threatened.

Obama was speaking at a press conference in Lima, Peru to mark the end of the Apec summit.

&quot;I want to be respectful of the office and give the president-elect an opportunity to put forward his platform and his arguments without somebody popping off,&quot; Obama said, amid concerns about Trump&#39;s administration picks and public statements.

But, he added that if there is something that &quot;goes to core questions about our values and our ideals, and if I think that it&#39;s necessary or helpful for me to defend those ideals then I&#39;ll examine it when it comes.&quot;

Obama&#39;s words go against tradition, with most former US presidents choosing not to comment on their successors.&nbsp;

Obama also reiterated that he and his team would give incoming President Trump the utmost support to help with the transition, in the same manner&nbsp;that George W Bush and his team had done with Obama.&nbsp;

US underpins world order

The outgoing president also underpinned the importance of the US, saying:&nbsp;&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;&nbsp;

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 percent everywhere, then it collapses.&quot;

&quot;There&#39;s nobody to fill the void. There really isn&#39;t,&quot; he said.

&#39;Not optimistic&#39; about Syria

Obama also painted a gloomy picture of the future of Syria, especially after Russia and the Syrian government resumed bombardment of Aleppo last week, which has left scores of civilians dead.&nbsp;

&quot;I am not optimistic about the short term prospects in Syria,&quot; Obama said at the press conference.

&quot;Once Russia and Iran made a decision to back (Bashar al) Assad in a brutal air campaign... it was very hard to see a way in which even a trained and committed moderate opposition could hold its ground for long periods of time.&quot;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

He said he will speak up, against tradition, if core US values 'are threatened'

President Barack Obama has asked people to give Donald Trump time and space to build his team, but has said he would speak out if the US's core values are threatened. Obama was speaking at a press conference in Lima, Peru to mark the end of the Apec summit. "I want to be respectful of the office and give the president-elect an opportunity to put forward his platform and his arguments without somebody popping off," Obama said, amid concerns about Trump's administration picks and public statements. But, he added that if there is something that "goes to core questions about our values and our ideals, and if I think that it's necessary or helpful for me to defend those ideals then I'll examine it when it comes." Obama's words go against tradition, with most former US presidents choosing not to comment on their successors. Obama also reiterated that he and his team would give incoming President Trump the utmost support to help with the transition, in the same manner that George W Bush and his team had done with Obama. US underpins world order The outgoing president also underpinned the importance of the US, saying: "The main advice that I give to the incoming president is the United States really is an indispensable nation in our world order." 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 percent everywhere, then it collapses." "There's nobody to fill the void. There really isn't," he said. 'Not optimistic' about Syria Obama also painted a gloomy picture of the future of Syria, especially after Russia and the Syrian government resumed bombardment of Aleppo last week, which has left scores of civilians dead. "I am not optimistic about the short term prospects in Syria," Obama said at the press conference. "Once Russia and Iran made a decision to back (Bashar al) Assad in a brutal air campaign... it was very hard to see a way in which even a trained and committed moderate opposition could hold its ground for long periods of time." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Obama says, if need be, he will speak out on Trump after leaving office

John McCain, the Arizona Senator and chairman of the armed services committee, said that regardless of what Donald Trump says, any attempt to bring back waterboarding,&nbsp;a form of torture that&nbsp;simulates drowning, would be challenged in court, the Guardian reports.

&quot;I don&#39;t give a damn what the president of the United States wants to do or anybody else wants to do. We will not waterboard. We will not do it,&quot; McCain told a panel discussion at the Halifax international security forum, the Guardian reports.

McCain, who was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, said extreme interrogation techniques, a euphemism for torture, are&nbsp;illegal under US law and under the Geneva conventions.&nbsp;

During the 2016 US election, Trump said that he would try to change the laws opposing waterboarding.

In a speech in <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/6/29/12058208/trump-waterboarding">Ohio</a>, he told the crowd waterboarding is &quot;peanuts&quot; compared to what terrorist organisations do. When he asked the crowd what they thought about it, they applauded, and he went on to descibe his feelings on waterboarding. &quot;I like it a lot. I don&#39;t think it&#39;s tough enough.

(WION)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

'I don't give a damn what the president of the United States wants to do'

John McCain, the Arizona Senator and chairman of the armed services committee, said that regardless of what Donald Trump says, any attempt to bring back waterboarding, a form of torture that simulates drowning, would be challenged in court, the Guardian reports. "I don't give a damn what the president of the United States wants to do or anybody else wants to do. We will not waterboard. We will not do it," McCain told a panel discussion at the Halifax international security forum, the Guardian reports. McCain, who was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, said extreme interrogation techniques, a euphemism for torture, are illegal under US law and under the Geneva conventions. During the 2016 US election, Trump said that he would try to change the laws opposing waterboarding. In a speech in Ohio, he told the crowd waterboarding is "peanuts" compared to what terrorist organisations do. When he asked the crowd what they thought about it, they applauded, and he went on to descibe his feelings on waterboarding. "I like it a lot. I don't think it's tough enough. (WION)

John McCain says US will never waterboard under Trump

Donald Trump might be threatening to build a wall all along it but on Saturday -- Sunday is UN Children&#39;s Day -- the US-Mexico border &quot;opened&quot; for just a little bit. Three minutes to be exact.

Migrant advocacy group Border Angels got six Mexican-American families to meet their long-separated relatives from across the border as part of its &quot;Opening the Door of Hope&quot; event.

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Border Patrol agents patrol the United States-Mexico Border wall during the &#39;Opening the Door Of Hope&#39; event. (AFP)
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One by one, each family was escorted to the opening in the steel fence separating the San Diego suburb of San Ysidro from Tijuana in Mexico, and for three minutes -- under the watchful eye of border agents&nbsp;-- hugged and kissed their loved ones who had waited on the other side.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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For 20 years, Laura Avila (in picture)&nbsp;had yearned to hug her mother again. On Saturday, tears streaming down her face, the 35-year-old had her wish finally come true. (AFP)
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&quot;I last saw my mother when she was 50 and next week she turns 71,&quot; Avila, who lives in the Los Angeles area, told AFP after the emotional reunion. &quot;It was an early Christmas present for the two of us, and a birthday present for her.&quot;

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Laura Avila hugs her daughter Laura Vera Martinez after seeing her own mother. (AFP)
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&quot;She had to take a four-hour flight from Puebla (in east-central Mexico) to see us,&quot; Avila said of her mother who had been deported after illegally entering the US.&nbsp;Most of the six families had had parents deported back to Mexico.&nbsp;

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Luis Hernandez hugs his Father Eduardo. (AFP)
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Many like Luis Hernandez were allowed to stay in the US because of President Barack Obama&#39;s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme which allows immigrants who arrived in the US as children to work and study in the country on a temporary basis, while the parents are deported.

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Adrian Gonalez Morales consoles his daughter Aileen after seeing, and hugging, her grandparents. (AFP)
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These so-called &quot;Dreamers&quot; &nbsp;are now worried that Trump will repeal the action, leading to tragic consequences for&nbsp;some 750,000 people. &#39;I am terrified,&#39;&nbsp;said Luis Hernandez, 25, who hadn&#39;t seen his father in five years.

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Fears over Trump pushing ahead with his harsh immigration proposals were on everyone&#39;s mind. (AFP)
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&#39;What Trump has proposed is so scary for a lot of minorities, myself included,&#39;&nbsp;said Hernandez, who runs a television and Internet service in Los Angeles. &#39;He has said he plans to undo the law that protects me.&#39;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Briefly on Saturday, 6 Mexican-American families got to meet long-separated parents who'd been deported back to Mexico from the States

Donald Trump might be threatening to build a wall all along it but on Saturday -- Sunday is UN Children's Day -- the US-Mexico border "opened" for just a little bit. Three minutes to be exact. Migrant advocacy group Border Angels got six Mexican-American families to meet their long-separated relatives from across the border as part of its "Opening the Door of Hope" event. Border Patrol agents patrol the United States-Mexico Border wall during the 'Opening the Door Of Hope' event. (AFP) × One by one, each family was escorted to the opening in the steel fence separating the San Diego suburb of San Ysidro from Tijuana in Mexico, and for three minutes -- under the watchful eye of border agents -- hugged and kissed their loved ones who had waited on the other side. For 20 years, Laura Avila (in picture) had yearned to hug her mother again. On Saturday, tears streaming down her face, the 35-year-old had her wish finally come true. (AFP) × "I last saw my mother when she was 50 and next week she turns 71," Avila, who lives in the Los Angeles area, told AFP after the emotional reunion. "It was an early Christmas present for the two of us, and a birthday present for her." Laura Avila hugs her daughter Laura Vera Martinez after seeing her own mother. (AFP) × "She had to take a four-hour flight from Puebla (in east-central Mexico) to see us," Avila said of her mother who had been deported after illegally entering the US. Most of the six families had had parents deported back to Mexico. Luis Hernandez hugs his Father Eduardo. (AFP) × Many like Luis Hernandez were allowed to stay in the US because of President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme which allows immigrants who arrived in the US as children to work and study in the country on a temporary basis, while the parents are deported. Adrian Gonalez Morales consoles his daughter Aileen after seeing, and hugging, her grandparents. (AFP) × These so-called "Dreamers" are now worried that Trump will repeal the action, leading to tragic consequences for some 750,000 people. 'I am terrified,' said Luis Hernandez, 25, who hadn't seen his father in five years. Fears over Trump pushing ahead with his harsh immigration proposals were on everyone's mind. (AFP) × 'What Trump has proposed is so scary for a lot of minorities, myself included,' said Hernandez, who runs a television and Internet service in Los Angeles. 'He has said he plans to undo the law that protects me.' (WION with inputs from AFP)

In pictures: After 20 years, 3 minutes to embrace on US-Mexico border

China&#39;s President Xi Jinping said his country&#39;s ties with the United States had&nbsp;reached a &#39;hinge moment&#39;, indirectly hinting at difficult moments Beijing may encounter when&nbsp;Donald Trump assumes the presidency.

Xi said he hoped that the two countries would continue to &quot;manage differences&quot; in the future and urged the incoming Trump administration to &quot;make sure there is a smooth transition in the relationship&quot;.

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The Chinese premier made the cautionary statement when he met his US counterpart Barack Obama for the last time on the sidelines of the&nbsp;Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru.

Xi voiced his skepticism about the next administration&nbsp;because Trump repeatedly beat China with a stick during his campaign trail.

In his election speeches, Trump had accused&nbsp;Beijing several times of&nbsp;inventing&nbsp;global warming and rigging the rules of global trade.

Obama also stressed on the need to have a healthy bilateral relations with Beijing because it &quot;benefits our two peoples and benefits the entire globe&quot;.

&quot;We&#39;ve demonstrated what&#39;s possible when our two countries work together,&quot; he said, referring to their agreement to tackle global warming.&nbsp;

Xi and Obama have met a total of nine times.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

He was indirectly hinting at difficult moments Beijing might encounter after Donald Trump assumes the presidency.

China's President Xi Jinping said his country's ties with the United States had reached a 'hinge moment', indirectly hinting at difficult moments Beijing may encounter when Donald Trump assumes the presidency. Xi said he hoped that the two countries would continue to "manage differences" in the future and urged the incoming Trump administration to "make sure there is a smooth transition in the relationship". Xi said he hoped the two countries would continue to 'manage differences' in the future × The Chinese premier made the cautionary statement when he met his US counterpart Barack Obama for the last time on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru. Xi voiced his skepticism about the next administration because Trump repeatedly beat China with a stick during his campaign trail. In his election speeches, Trump had accused Beijing several times of inventing global warming and rigging the rules of global trade. Obama also stressed on the need to have a healthy bilateral relations with Beijing because it "benefits our two peoples and benefits the entire globe". "We've demonstrated what's possible when our two countries work together," he said, referring to their agreement to tackle global warming. Xi and Obama have met a total of nine times. (WION with inputs from AFP)

China-US relations have reached 'hinge moment', says Xi

Mexico&#39;s President Enrique Pena Nieto said Saturday his government will seek a dialogue with US President-elect Donald Trump, who infuriated Mexicans with vitriolic attacks on their country and its people during his campaign.

Pena Nieto, whose country relies on the United States as its largest trading partner, was cautious as he discussed the impending change of leadership north of the border at a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders.

&quot;In the face of the positions that president-elect Trump has taken, we are prioritizing dialogue as a path to build a new agenda for our bilateral relations,&quot; Pena Nieto said during a roundtable on trade at the summit in Lima, Peru

&quot;For Mexico, our relation with the United States is central, given the level of trade and integration we have now,&quot; he added.

&quot;Mexico, like the rest of the world, is about to begin a new era in our relations with the United States, and in trade terms we want to give that relationship its fair value.&quot;

But Pena Nieto also had thinly veiled criticism for the protectionist policies embraced by Trump, who has attacked free-trade agreements as sending American jobs to Mexico and other countries with cheaper labor.

&quot;Let&#39;s not allow ourselves to be confused by these protectionist sentiments that are starting to grow in different parts of the world. I believe globalization has brought more benefits than harm,&quot; Pena Nieto said.

He pushed back against Trump&#39;s calls to tear up or renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Mexico, the United States and Canada, saying his country &quot;will continue to be a fervent believer in openness.&quot;

But he said he is prepared to &quot;modernize&quot; aspects of the deal, including on environmental and labor issues.

Trump sharply criticized NAFTA and other trade deals on the campaign trail, saying they sent American jobs to countries with cheaper labor.

The brash billionaire also insulted Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists, vowed to force Mexico to pay billions of dollars to build a wall along the border, and threatened to restrict the remittances that the 34 million Mexican immigrants in the United States send home.

Peso under fire&nbsp;

Trade between Mexico and the United States totaled $532 billion last year.

Mexico gets crucial access to the US market through NAFTA, which took effect in 1994.

Pena Nieto met Saturday with the deal&#39;s other key leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, on the sidelines of the summit.

The Mexican leader also met Trump during the US campaign -- a sit-down that was fiercely criticized in Mexico at the time, but was hailed as visionary by some after the election.

Pena Nieto plans to meet Trump again before he takes office on January 20.

Mexico has been in the line of fire for the political and market turbulence unleashed by Trump&#39;s shock win last week.

The Mexican peso -- which rose and fell during the campaign in inverse relation to Trump&#39;s performance in the polls -- was rocked by the election, plunging to a record low.

The Mexican stock market also sank 3.68 percent.

The turmoil caused the central bank to raise its key interest rate this week to counter inflationary pressure.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

'For Mexico, our relation with the United States is central, given the level of trade and integration we have now,' Neito said

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto said Saturday his government will seek a dialogue with US President-elect Donald Trump, who infuriated Mexicans with vitriolic attacks on their country and its people during his campaign. Pena Nieto, whose country relies on the United States as its largest trading partner, was cautious as he discussed the impending change of leadership north of the border at a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders. "In the face of the positions that president-elect Trump has taken, we are prioritizing dialogue as a path to build a new agenda for our bilateral relations," Pena Nieto said during a roundtable on trade at the summit in Lima, Peru "For Mexico, our relation with the United States is central, given the level of trade and integration we have now," he added. "Mexico, like the rest of the world, is about to begin a new era in our relations with the United States, and in trade terms we want to give that relationship its fair value." But Pena Nieto also had thinly veiled criticism for the protectionist policies embraced by Trump, who has attacked free-trade agreements as sending American jobs to Mexico and other countries with cheaper labor. "Let's not allow ourselves to be confused by these protectionist sentiments that are starting to grow in different parts of the world. I believe globalization has brought more benefits than harm," Pena Nieto said. He pushed back against Trump's calls to tear up or renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Mexico, the United States and Canada, saying his country "will continue to be a fervent believer in openness." But he said he is prepared to "modernize" aspects of the deal, including on environmental and labor issues. Trump sharply criticized NAFTA and other trade deals on the campaign trail, saying they sent American jobs to countries with cheaper labor. The brash billionaire also insulted Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists, vowed to force Mexico to pay billions of dollars to build a wall along the border, and threatened to restrict the remittances that the 34 million Mexican immigrants in the United States send home. Peso under fire Trade between Mexico and the United States totaled $532 billion last year. Mexico gets crucial access to the US market through NAFTA, which took effect in 1994. Pena Nieto met Saturday with the deal's other key leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, on the sidelines of the summit. The Mexican leader also met Trump during the US campaign -- a sit-down that was fiercely criticized in Mexico at the time, but was hailed as visionary by some after the election. Pena Nieto plans to meet Trump again before he takes office on January 20. Mexico has been in the line of fire for the political and market turbulence unleashed by Trump's shock win last week. The Mexican peso -- which rose and fell during the campaign in inverse relation to Trump's performance in the polls -- was rocked by the election, plunging to a record low. The Mexican stock market also sank 3.68 percent. The turmoil caused the central bank to raise its key interest rate this week to counter inflationary pressure. (AFP)

Turning other cheek, Mexican president vows to seek dialogue with Trump

Moderate US Republican Mitt Romney, known for his harsh criticism of Donald Trump during the campaign, said on Saturday he had a &quot;far-reaching&quot; conversation with the president-elect, who is believed to be sounding him out as a candidate for secretary of state.

Trump, who spent his first weekend outside Manhattan since his election, met for roughly 90 minutes with Romney, who emerged from the session saying nothing about whether he was offered the job or interested in it.

&quot;We had a far-reaching conversation with regards to the various theatres in the world where there are interests of the United States of real significance,&quot; Romney said.

&quot;We discussed those areas and exchanged our views on those topics.&quot;

Meeting at a Trump golf course in New Jersey, the president-elect sat down with Romney a day after naming three polarizing conservatives to fill key national security and judicial posts.

Romney took no questions and ignored a reporter who shouted to ask if he still considered Trump a &quot;con man.&quot;

Earlier, as Romney walked toward reporters, Trump cupped his hands around his mouth and said of the meeting, &quot;it went great.&quot; Romney was received warmly upon arrival, shaking hands with Trump and VP-elect Mike Pence.

With some 15 senior positions in his cabinet still to fill, the real estate billionaire decamped Friday night to the huge, exclusive Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, a one-and-a-half-hour drive from his Fifth Avenue headquarters at Trump Tower.

He will remain in Bedminster until Sunday night, far from the protesters besieging his New York building.

Trump has not appeared in public since he gave reporters the slip to take his family to dinner in New York on Tuesday. He has not spoken publicly since the broadcast of an interview on CBS&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes&quot; on Sunday night, except for communicating through his favorite media, Twitter.

&#39;Working all weekend&#39;&nbsp;

The Bedminster golf course is one of Trump&#39;s favorite sanctuaries, where he likes to spend weekends and where he prepared for campaign debates against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

In addition to Romney, Trump met with retired general James Mattis who is a candidate for defense secretary and education secretary hopeful Michelle Rhee, a former head of public schools in Washington DC. Several business leaders including Lew Eisenberg, Andrew Puzder, Betsy DeVos and Todd Ricketts, the owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team were also on Trump&#39;s expected schedule.

Romney -- the failed 2012 Republican presidential candidate -- is a long-shot possibility for secretary of state, along with former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Romney would bring a more orthodox Republican worldview to foreign policy. He described Russia in 2012 as the main American geopolitical threat -- a sharp contrast to Trump, who has exchanged compliments with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During Trump&#39;s campaign, Romney described him as a &quot;fraud,&quot; rebuking the tycoon for proposals such as banning the entry of all foreign Muslims.

Draining the swamp?&nbsp;

Trump also nominated anti-immigration Senator Jeff Sessions, one of his earliest supporters during the campaign, to be attorney general on Friday, signaling he is prepared to take his hard line on illegal immigration to the White House.

To lead the CIA, Trump tapped hawkish Congressman Mike Pompeo, a strident opponent of the Iran nuclear deal and a sharp critic of former secretary of state Clinton during hearings into the 2012 attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya.

The incoming commander-in-chief also appointed retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn as his national security advisor. A controversial retired intelligence officer, Flynn, 57, has described Islam as a &quot;cancer&quot; and a &quot;political ideology,&quot; and in February tweeted that &quot;fear of Muslims is rational.&quot;

He has also courted controversy for refusing to rule out &quot;enhanced&quot; interrogation techniques such as waterboarding that have been described as torture and that Trump has repeatedly condoned.

Flynn&#39;s appointment does not require Senate approval.

But that of Sessions as attorney general does, and he has baggage: racially charged comments he made in the 1980s that cost him a chance for a job for life as a federal judge.

Sessions also fiercely opposes immigration and waged war on efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform through Congress in 2007 and 2013.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, a leader of the party&#39;s left wing, is spearheading calls for Trump to withdraw his nomination.

&quot;Trump isn&#39;t &#39;draining the swamp,&#39;&quot; she tweeted about his promise to sideline lobbyists and other insiders in Washington. &quot;He&#39;s inviting the biggest, ugliest swamp monsters in the front door.&quot; 
&nbsp;

(AFP)

Trump is believed to be sounding Romney out as a candidate for secretary of state

Moderate US Republican Mitt Romney, known for his harsh criticism of Donald Trump during the campaign, said on Saturday he had a "far-reaching" conversation with the president-elect, who is believed to be sounding him out as a candidate for secretary of state. Trump, who spent his first weekend outside Manhattan since his election, met for roughly 90 minutes with Romney, who emerged from the session saying nothing about whether he was offered the job or interested in it. "We had a far-reaching conversation with regards to the various theatres in the world where there are interests of the United States of real significance," Romney said. "We discussed those areas and exchanged our views on those topics." Meeting at a Trump golf course in New Jersey, the president-elect sat down with Romney a day after naming three polarizing conservatives to fill key national security and judicial posts. Romney took no questions and ignored a reporter who shouted to ask if he still considered Trump a "con man." Earlier, as Romney walked toward reporters, Trump cupped his hands around his mouth and said of the meeting, "it went great." Romney was received warmly upon arrival, shaking hands with Trump and VP-elect Mike Pence. With some 15 senior positions in his cabinet still to fill, the real estate billionaire decamped Friday night to the huge, exclusive Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, a one-and-a-half-hour drive from his Fifth Avenue headquarters at Trump Tower. He will remain in Bedminster until Sunday night, far from the protesters besieging his New York building. Trump has not appeared in public since he gave reporters the slip to take his family to dinner in New York on Tuesday. He has not spoken publicly since the broadcast of an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes" on Sunday night, except for communicating through his favorite media, Twitter. 'Working all weekend' The Bedminster golf course is one of Trump's favorite sanctuaries, where he likes to spend weekends and where he prepared for campaign debates against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. In addition to Romney, Trump met with retired general James Mattis who is a candidate for defense secretary and education secretary hopeful Michelle Rhee, a former head of public schools in Washington DC. Several business leaders including Lew Eisenberg, Andrew Puzder, Betsy DeVos and Todd Ricketts, the owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team were also on Trump's expected schedule. Romney -- the failed 2012 Republican presidential candidate -- is a long-shot possibility for secretary of state, along with former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. Romney would bring a more orthodox Republican worldview to foreign policy. He described Russia in 2012 as the main American geopolitical threat -- a sharp contrast to Trump, who has exchanged compliments with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During Trump's campaign, Romney described him as a "fraud," rebuking the tycoon for proposals such as banning the entry of all foreign Muslims. Draining the swamp? Trump also nominated anti-immigration Senator Jeff Sessions, one of his earliest supporters during the campaign, to be attorney general on Friday, signaling he is prepared to take his hard line on illegal immigration to the White House. To lead the CIA, Trump tapped hawkish Congressman Mike Pompeo, a strident opponent of the Iran nuclear deal and a sharp critic of former secretary of state Clinton during hearings into the 2012 attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya. The incoming commander-in-chief also appointed retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn as his national security advisor. A controversial retired intelligence officer, Flynn, 57, has described Islam as a "cancer" and a "political ideology," and in February tweeted that "fear of Muslims is rational." He has also courted controversy for refusing to rule out "enhanced" interrogation techniques such as waterboarding that have been described as torture and that Trump has repeatedly condoned. Flynn's appointment does not require Senate approval. But that of Sessions as attorney general does, and he has baggage: racially charged comments he made in the 1980s that cost him a chance for a job for life as a federal judge. Sessions also fiercely opposes immigration and waged war on efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform through Congress in 2007 and 2013. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, a leader of the party's left wing, is spearheading calls for Trump to withdraw his nomination. "Trump isn't 'draining the swamp,'" she tweeted about his promise to sideline lobbyists and other insiders in Washington. "He's inviting the biggest, ugliest swamp monsters in the front door." (AFP)

Trump meets with Romney, no word on job offer

Saturday morning, New York time, president-elect Donald Trump tweeted that his future vice president, Mike Pence, was &quot;harassed&quot; by the cast of the Broadway play, &quot;Hamilton&quot;.&nbsp;

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Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing.This should not happen!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/799972624713420804">November 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
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When Mike Pence arrived in the New York theater he was booed by the crowd. Pence has a record of making homophobic laws, such as voting to ban same sex marriage, signing a bill to jail same-sex couples applying for a marriage license, wanting to divert funds from HIV prevention to conversion therapy, and others.

Brandon Victor Dixon --&nbsp;one of the stars of Hamilton, a cast which contains several&nbsp;members of the gay and queer community&nbsp;--&nbsp;pleaded with the crowd to stop booing, and asked that the future vice president protect all Americans.

Dixon said: &quot;We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us. We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us.&quot;&nbsp;The crowd applauded.&nbsp;

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Yes <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MikePence?src=hash">#MikePence</a> was at <a href="https://twitter.com/HamiltonMusical">@HamiltonMusical</a> here&#39;s what we had to say <a href="https://t.co/YIjt7JZ3gF">pic.twitter.com/YIjt7JZ3gF</a>
&mdash; G R E G O R Y (@ghaney22) <a href="https://twitter.com/ghaney22/status/799824250630762500">November 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
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In response to this&nbsp;plea to the vice president-elect,&nbsp;the president-elect demanded an apology.

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The Theater must always be a safe and special place.The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/799974635274194947">November 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
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(WION)

&nbsp;

The lead actor stopped the crowd from booing and asked Pence for protection, for which Trump demanded he apologize

Saturday morning, New York time, president-elect Donald Trump tweeted that his future vice president, Mike Pence, was "harassed" by the cast of the Broadway play, "Hamilton". Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing.This should not happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2016 × When Mike Pence arrived in the New York theater he was booed by the crowd. Pence has a record of making homophobic laws, such as voting to ban same sex marriage, signing a bill to jail same-sex couples applying for a marriage license, wanting to divert funds from HIV prevention to conversion therapy, and others. Brandon Victor Dixon -- one of the stars of Hamilton, a cast which contains several members of the gay and queer community -- pleaded with the crowd to stop booing, and asked that the future vice president protect all Americans. Dixon said: "We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us. We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us." The crowd applauded. Yes #MikePence was at @HamiltonMusical here's what we had to say pic.twitter.com/YIjt7JZ3gF — G R E G O R Y (@ghaney22) November 19, 2016 × In response to this plea to the vice president-elect, the president-elect demanded an apology. The Theater must always be a safe and special place.The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2016 × (WION)

Trump says Broadway actor 'harassed' vice president-elect Mike Pence

Nearly 200 nations agreed around midnight on Friday to work out the rules for a landmark 2015 global deal to tackle climate change within two years in a new sign of international support for a pact opposed by US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump.

At the end of two-week talks on global warming in Marrakesh, which were extended an extra day, many nations appealed to Trump, who has called climate change a hoax, to reconsider his threat to tear up the Paris Agreement for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Showing determination to keep the Paris Agreement on track, the conference agreed to work out a rule book at the latest by December 2018.

A rule book is needed because the Paris Agreement left many details vague, such as how countries will report and monitor their national pledges to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Two years may sounds like a long time, but it took four to work out detailed rules for the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement&#39;s predecessor, which obliged only developed countries to cut their emissions. Paris requires commitments by all.

The final text also urged rich nations to keep building towards a goal of providing $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020.

Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told a news conference that Marrakesh had been the start of turning promises made in Paris into action.

&quot;We will continue on the path,&quot; he said, urging Trump to join other nations in acting to limit emissions.

Fiji&#39;s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who will host next year&#39;s climate meeting in Germany, invited Trump to drop his scepticism about climate change and visit the South Pacific nation to see the effects of stronger storms and rising seas.

Trump plans to favour fossil fuels over renewable energies and has threatened to halt any U.S. taxpayer funds for U.N. climate programmes.

On Thursday, governments reaffirmed their commitment to &quot;full implementation&quot; of the Paris accord which seeks to phase out greenhouse gas emissions this century and to limit a global average rise in temperature to &quot;well below&quot; 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

&quot;Not one country has said that if President Trump pulls the United States out of Paris, they will follow him,&quot; said Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Environmental groups said the outcome in Marrakesh was a step in the right direction, but many issues needed to be resolved over the next two years, including funds for developing nations.

&quot;Rich countries have been trying to wriggle out of their pledges to help poorer countries meet the costs of coping with impacts and greening their economies,&quot; said Harjeet Singh at ActionAid.

Also on Friday, a group of 48 developing countries most at risk from climate change said they would strive to make their energy production 100 percent renewable &quot;as rapidly as possible&quot;, as part of efforts to limit global warming.

(Reuters)

Many nations appealed to Trump, who has called climate change a hoax, to reconsider his threat to tear up the Paris Agreement

Nearly 200 nations agreed around midnight on Friday to work out the rules for a landmark 2015 global deal to tackle climate change within two years in a new sign of international support for a pact opposed by US President-elect Donald Trump. At the end of two-week talks on global warming in Marrakesh, which were extended an extra day, many nations appealed to Trump, who has called climate change a hoax, to reconsider his threat to tear up the Paris Agreement for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Showing determination to keep the Paris Agreement on track, the conference agreed to work out a rule book at the latest by December 2018. A rule book is needed because the Paris Agreement left many details vague, such as how countries will report and monitor their national pledges to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Two years may sounds like a long time, but it took four to work out detailed rules for the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement's predecessor, which obliged only developed countries to cut their emissions. Paris requires commitments by all. The final text also urged rich nations to keep building towards a goal of providing $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020. Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told a news conference that Marrakesh had been the start of turning promises made in Paris into action. "We will continue on the path," he said, urging Trump to join other nations in acting to limit emissions. Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who will host next year's climate meeting in Germany, invited Trump to drop his scepticism about climate change and visit the South Pacific nation to see the effects of stronger storms and rising seas. Trump plans to favour fossil fuels over renewable energies and has threatened to halt any U.S. taxpayer funds for U.N. climate programmes. On Thursday, governments reaffirmed their commitment to "full implementation" of the Paris accord which seeks to phase out greenhouse gas emissions this century and to limit a global average rise in temperature to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). "Not one country has said that if President Trump pulls the United States out of Paris, they will follow him," said Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists. Environmental groups said the outcome in Marrakesh was a step in the right direction, but many issues needed to be resolved over the next two years, including funds for developing nations. "Rich countries have been trying to wriggle out of their pledges to help poorer countries meet the costs of coping with impacts and greening their economies," said Harjeet Singh at ActionAid. Also on Friday, a group of 48 developing countries most at risk from climate change said they would strive to make their energy production 100 percent renewable "as rapidly as possible", as part of efforts to limit global warming. (Reuters)

Under Trump shadow, climate talks set 2018 as deadline to agree rules

Steve Bannon rose to immense political power by orchestrating Donald Trump&#39;s stunning White House victory, an accomplishment he suggested on Friday puts him in the company of ex-vice president Dick Cheney, Darth Vader -- and even the devil himself.

&quot;Darkness is good,&quot; Bannon, who was named Trump&#39;s chief strategist for the incoming administration last Sunday after he turned the struggling candidate&#39;s presidential campaign into ballot box gold, told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview.

&quot;Dick Cheney. Darth Vader. Satan. That&#39;s power.&quot;&nbsp;

The 62-year-old leader of the Breitbart News website, which has been described as a haven for the &quot;alt-right&quot; anti-mainstream movement, ignited controversy this year due to his alleged alignment with white supremacists, white nationalists and anti-Semites.

The alt-right movement enthusiastically backed Trump in the 2016 race, with figures like former Ku Klux Klan imperial wizard David Duke expressing their support.

Bannon insisted during the interview at Trump Tower in Manhattan that he is not a racist, but a nationalist compelled to return America&#39;s working class to prominence in a rapidly changing and modernising world.

&quot;I&#39;m not a white nationalist, I&#39;m a nationalist. I&#39;m an economic nationalist,&quot; Bannon said.&nbsp;

&quot;The globalists gutted the American working class and created a middle class in Asia.&quot;

While Breitbart News draws readers fed up with the multiculturalism, immigration policies and political correctness of the left, Bannon proclaims his anti-establishment bent is jobs-driven.

&quot;Like (19th century president Andrew) Jackson&#39;s populism, we&#39;re going to build an entirely new political movement,&quot; he told The Hollywood Reporter.

&quot;It&#39;s everything related to jobs,&quot; he added. &quot;I&#39;m the guy pushing a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan&quot; to rebuild US roads, ship yards, and steel mills.

&quot;It will be as exciting as the 1930s, greater than the (president Ronald) Reagan revolution -- conservatives, plus populists, in an economic nationalist movement.&quot;

Bannon had a blue-collar upbringing, but he quickly became part of the very establishment he rails against.&nbsp;

He began his career as a Goldman Sachs banker, then became a producer in Hollywood before taking over the Breitbart news platform. Bannon is currently on leave from Breitbart while working for Trump.

(AFP)

'Dick Cheney. Darth Vader. Satan. That's power,' he told the Hollywood Reporter in an interview?

Steve Bannon rose to immense political power by orchestrating Donald Trump's stunning White House victory, an accomplishment he suggested on Friday puts him in the company of ex-vice president Dick Cheney, Darth Vader -- and even the devil himself. "Darkness is good," Bannon, who was named Trump's chief strategist for the incoming administration last Sunday after he turned the struggling candidate's presidential campaign into ballot box gold, told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview. "Dick Cheney. Darth Vader. Satan. That's power." The 62-year-old leader of the Breitbart News website, which has been described as a haven for the "alt-right" anti-mainstream movement, ignited controversy this year due to his alleged alignment with white supremacists, white nationalists and anti-Semites. The alt-right movement enthusiastically backed Trump in the 2016 race, with figures like former Ku Klux Klan imperial wizard David Duke expressing their support. Bannon insisted during the interview at Trump Tower in Manhattan that he is not a racist, but a nationalist compelled to return America's working class to prominence in a rapidly changing and modernising world. "I'm not a white nationalist, I'm a nationalist. I'm an economic nationalist," Bannon said. "The globalists gutted the American working class and created a middle class in Asia." While Breitbart News draws readers fed up with the multiculturalism, immigration policies and political correctness of the left, Bannon proclaims his anti-establishment bent is jobs-driven. "Like (19th century president Andrew) Jackson's populism, we're going to build an entirely new political movement," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "It's everything related to jobs," he added. "I'm the guy pushing a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan" to rebuild US roads, ship yards, and steel mills. "It will be as exciting as the 1930s, greater than the (president Ronald) Reagan revolution -- conservatives, plus populists, in an economic nationalist movement." Bannon had a blue-collar upbringing, but he quickly became part of the very establishment he rails against. He began his career as a Goldman Sachs banker, then became a producer in Hollywood before taking over the Breitbart news platform. Bannon is currently on leave from Breitbart while working for Trump. (AFP)

For Trump chief strategist Bannon, 'darkness is good'

US President-elect Donald Trump has reached a $25 million settlement in class action suits that saw his now-defunct Trump University accused of fraud -- a deal that will spare him the embarrassment of further legal wrangling as he forms his government.

&quot;Today&#39;s $25 million settlement agreement is a stunning reversal by Donald Trump and a major victory for the over 6,000 victims of his fraudulent university,&quot; New York state attorney general Eric Schneiderman said in a statement.

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&quot;I am pleased that under the terms of this settlement, every victim will receive restitution and that Donald Trump will pay up to $1 million in penalties to the State of New York for violating state education laws.&quot;

A spokesperson for Schneiderman&#39;s office said the settlement covers all three cases against Trump University: two in California and one in New York.

The agreement came just an hour before a hearing in a San Diego federal court was about to begin to decide on a request by Trump -- who is currently holding daily consultations on his new cabinet -- to delay the trial.

The six-year-old lawsuit brought by former students alleges that now-defunct Trump University -- which was not an accredited college or university -- fleeced students by tricking them with aggressive marketing.

Students paid as much as $35,000 to enroll, wrongly believing they would make it big in real estate after being taught by experts hand-picked by Trump, the suit says.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s lawyers counter that many students have given the program a thumbs-up and those who failed to succeed have only themselves to blame. The school operated from 2005 to 2011.

In February, Trump tweeted that the program had a 98 percent approval rating: &quot;I could have settled but won&#39;t out of principal!&quot;

(AFP)

Former students of his now-defunct Trump University had accused him of fleecing them

US President-elect Donald Trump has reached a $25 million settlement in class action suits that saw his now-defunct Trump University accused of fraud -- a deal that will spare him the embarrassment of further legal wrangling as he forms his government. "Today's $25 million settlement agreement is a stunning reversal by Donald Trump and a major victory for the over 6,000 victims of his fraudulent university," New York state attorney general Eric Schneiderman said in a statement. Today's $25 million settlement agreement is a stunning reversal by Donald Trump and a major victory for the over 6,000 victims of his fraudulent university,' New York state attorney general Eric Schneiderman said × "I am pleased that under the terms of this settlement, every victim will receive restitution and that Donald Trump will pay up to $1 million in penalties to the State of New York for violating state education laws." A spokesperson for Schneiderman's office said the settlement covers all three cases against Trump University: two in California and one in New York. The agreement came just an hour before a hearing in a San Diego federal court was about to begin to decide on a request by Trump -- who is currently holding daily consultations on his new cabinet -- to delay the trial. The six-year-old lawsuit brought by former students alleges that now-defunct Trump University -- which was not an accredited college or university -- fleeced students by tricking them with aggressive marketing. Students paid as much as $35,000 to enroll, wrongly believing they would make it big in real estate after being taught by experts hand-picked by Trump, the suit says. Trump's lawyers counter that many students have given the program a thumbs-up and those who failed to succeed have only themselves to blame. The school operated from 2005 to 2011. In February, Trump tweeted that the program had a 98 percent approval rating: "I could have settled but won't out of principal!" (AFP)

Trump settles university lawsuit with $25 mn payout

Alphabet&#39;s Google is facing a tougher regulatory landscape as US President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s incoming administration looks poised to reverse Obama administration policies that often favoured the internet giant in the company&#39;s battles with telecoms and cable heavyweights, analysts say.

Google had close ties with outgoing Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s administration, and its employees donated much more to defeated Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton than to the Republican Trump.

In the most concrete sign yet that the tech policy balance may be tipping in favour of telecom firms ahead of Trump&#39;s presidency, the US Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday halted action on contentious regulatory reform measures opposed by companies such as AT&amp;T and CenturyLink.

In addition, the commission is now expected to reject FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler&#39;s high-profile proposal to open up the $20 billion market for rented pay-TV set-top boxes, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. That measure would have dealt a big blow to cable companies and created an opening for firms such as Google and Apple.

Obama had thrown his support behind the initiative, a move AT&amp;T decried as an improper intervention on behalf of what it called a &quot;Google proposal.&quot;

&quot;Google has been much more actively involved in this than Apple has,&quot; said Jan Dawson, analyst at Jackdaw Research. &quot;I&#39;m not sure it&#39;s critical to Google&#39;s business at all that it be allowed to provide these next generation set-top boxes, but there was a business opportunity there.&quot;

Cable companies have expressed concerns that rivals like Google or Apple could create devices or apps and insert their own content or advertising in cable content.

The FCC&#39;s moves came a day after Republican lawmakers urged Wheeler, a Democrat, to avoid any contested regulations in the waning days of the Obama administration, saying new rules would be subject to review by the incoming Republican-led Congress and Trump&#39;s administration and &quot;could create confusion if reversed.&quot;

&quot;The question is how far will the pendulum swing back&quot; in favour of telecom companies, said Hal Singer, senior fellow at the George Washington Institute of Public Policy. &quot;It has swung in Google&#39;s direction under the FCC and Chairman Wheeler.&quot; Among other regulations, Trump&#39;s Nov. 8 election has increased the chances that Obama&#39;s net neutrality rules, adopted by the FCC in early 2015, could be rolled back, analysts said.

Most Republicans strongly oppose net neutrality, which requires internet service providers to treat all data equally and bars them from obstructing or slowing down consumer access to web content. The rules were a victory for internet firms like Google and Netflix that have advocated an open internet.

Jimmy Schaeffler, telecom industry consultant at the Carmel Group, said that &quot;the bottom line is that things will change and there will be less optimism among and fewer opportunities&quot; for companies like Google that do not own the internet networks.

&quot;That&#39;s going to impede their success and those that rely on what they do,&quot; Schaeffler added.

Republicans in Congress or at a Republican-controlled FCC under a Trump administration could also pare back new privacy rules adopted in October that subject internet service providers to stricter rules than those faced by Google and other websites.

Since Trump&#39;s victory, Alphabet shares have fallen 2.4 percent, Netflix shares have dropped 5.9 per cent and Amazon shares are down 2 per cent. AT&amp;T and Verizon Communications shares have been relatively unchanged, while Comcast shares have soared 7.7 per cent.

Google did not respond to requests for comment.

Extensive ties

During Obama&#39;s presidency, more than 250 people moved between jobs at Google or related firms and the federal government, national political campaigns and Congress, according to a report this year by the Campaign for Accountability watchdog group&#39;s Google Transparency Project.

Eric Schmidt, Alphabet&#39;s executive chairman, was seen at Clinton&#39;s Election Night party wearing a staff badge in a widely circulated photo.

In the stolen and leaked emails of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta disclosed by WikiLeaks, an adviser wrote a memo to Clinton in 2014 that said &quot;working relationships with Google, Facebook, Apple, and other technology companies were important to us in 2012 and should be even more important to you in 2016, given their still-ascendent positions in the culture.&quot;

&quot;We have begun having discreet conversations with some of these companies to get a sense of their priorities for the coming cycle,&quot; the adviser wrote.

Telecoms and cable companies have accused Wheeler of favouring Google at the expense of cable companies. Responding to the criticism, Wheeler said in May: &quot;I hear that allegation, and I scratch my head. I don&#39;t get that charge.&quot;

&quot;Certainly the sort of cosy relationship that Google enjoyed with the Obama administration is not going to continue with Trump,&quot; Jackdaw Research&#39;s Dawson added.

Some analysts and former Google lobbyists noted that the company similarly faced a set of challenging regulatory dynamics when it opened its Washington office in 2005, with Republicans controlling the White House and both houses of Congress and the young tech firm widely perceived to have a liberal bent.

&quot;They have a tailwind (in the Obama administration), and that does end now,&quot; a former Google employee at the company&#39;s Washington office said. &quot;But I think in the long run Google is going to be just fine in Washington. In many ways, its whole operation was built just for moments like this.&quot;

(Reuters)

Google had close ties with outgoing Democratic President Barack Obama's administration

Alphabet's Google is facing a tougher regulatory landscape as US President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration looks poised to reverse Obama administration policies that often favoured the internet giant in the company's battles with telecoms and cable heavyweights, analysts say. Google had close ties with outgoing Democratic President Barack Obama's administration, and its employees donated much more to defeated Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton than to the Republican Trump. In the most concrete sign yet that the tech policy balance may be tipping in favour of telecom firms ahead of Trump's presidency, the US Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday halted action on contentious regulatory reform measures opposed by companies such as AT&T and CenturyLink. In addition, the commission is now expected to reject FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's high-profile proposal to open up the $20 billion market for rented pay-TV set-top boxes, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. That measure would have dealt a big blow to cable companies and created an opening for firms such as Google and Apple. Obama had thrown his support behind the initiative, a move AT&T decried as an improper intervention on behalf of what it called a "Google proposal." "Google has been much more actively involved in this than Apple has," said Jan Dawson, analyst at Jackdaw Research. "I'm not sure it's critical to Google's business at all that it be allowed to provide these next generation set-top boxes, but there was a business opportunity there." Cable companies have expressed concerns that rivals like Google or Apple could create devices or apps and insert their own content or advertising in cable content. The FCC's moves came a day after Republican lawmakers urged Wheeler, a Democrat, to avoid any contested regulations in the waning days of the Obama administration, saying new rules would be subject to review by the incoming Republican-led Congress and Trump's administration and "could create confusion if reversed." "The question is how far will the pendulum swing back" in favour of telecom companies, said Hal Singer, senior fellow at the George Washington Institute of Public Policy. "It has swung in Google's direction under the FCC and Chairman Wheeler." Among other regulations, Trump's Nov. 8 election has increased the chances that Obama's net neutrality rules, adopted by the FCC in early 2015, could be rolled back, analysts said. Most Republicans strongly oppose net neutrality, which requires internet service providers to treat all data equally and bars them from obstructing or slowing down consumer access to web content. The rules were a victory for internet firms like Google and Netflix that have advocated an open internet. Jimmy Schaeffler, telecom industry consultant at the Carmel Group, said that "the bottom line is that things will change and there will be less optimism among and fewer opportunities" for companies like Google that do not own the internet networks. "That's going to impede their success and those that rely on what they do," Schaeffler added. Republicans in Congress or at a Republican-controlled FCC under a Trump administration could also pare back new privacy rules adopted in October that subject internet service providers to stricter rules than those faced by Google and other websites. Since Trump's victory, Alphabet shares have fallen 2.4 percent, Netflix shares have dropped 5.9 per cent and Amazon shares are down 2 per cent. AT&T and Verizon Communications shares have been relatively unchanged, while Comcast shares have soared 7.7 per cent. Google did not respond to requests for comment. Extensive ties During Obama's presidency, more than 250 people moved between jobs at Google or related firms and the federal government, national political campaigns and Congress, according to a report this year by the Campaign for Accountability watchdog group's Google Transparency Project. Eric Schmidt, Alphabet's executive chairman, was seen at Clinton's Election Night party wearing a staff badge in a widely circulated photo. In the stolen and leaked emails of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta disclosed by WikiLeaks, an adviser wrote a memo to Clinton in 2014 that said "working relationships with Google, Facebook, Apple, and other technology companies were important to us in 2012 and should be even more important to you in 2016, given their still-ascendent positions in the culture." "We have begun having discreet conversations with some of these companies to get a sense of their priorities for the coming cycle," the adviser wrote. Telecoms and cable companies have accused Wheeler of favouring Google at the expense of cable companies. Responding to the criticism, Wheeler said in May: "I hear that allegation, and I scratch my head. I don't get that charge." "Certainly the sort of cosy relationship that Google enjoyed with the Obama administration is not going to continue with Trump," Jackdaw Research's Dawson added. Some analysts and former Google lobbyists noted that the company similarly faced a set of challenging regulatory dynamics when it opened its Washington office in 2005, with Republicans controlling the White House and both houses of Congress and the young tech firm widely perceived to have a liberal bent. "They have a tailwind (in the Obama administration), and that does end now," a former Google employee at the company's Washington office said. "But I think in the long run Google is going to be just fine in Washington. In many ways, its whole operation was built just for moments like this." (Reuters)

Google may face policy setbacks under Trump

US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said that she will serve her full term despite President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s criticism of her performance in the past.

&quot;I was confirmed by the Senate to a four-year term, which ends at the end of January of 2018, and it is fully my intention to serve out that term,&quot; Yellen told lawmakers on Thursday before the Joint Economic Committee of US Congress, Xinhua news agency reported.

Yellen spoke of the importance of central bank independence in her first public remarks after Trump&#39;s election. &quot;We have really seen terrible economic outcomes in countries where central banks have been subject to political pressure,&quot; she said.

&quot;It&#39;s critically important that a central bank have the ability to make judgments about how best to pursue those goals while being accountable for explaining its decisions and transparent in its decision-making,&quot; Yellen added.

Trump had criticised Yellen during the presidential campaign for maintaining low interest rates to support President Obama and create a &quot;false&quot; economy.

He had also spoken of replacing Yellen with a Republican after her term expires in 2018.

Markets were expecting a fiscal stimulus package from the Trump administration and the Republican-dominated Congress, Yellen was reported as saying.

An increase in interest rates could &quot;become appropriate relatively soon&quot; if incoming data provide further evidence of continued progress, she said. It thus raised market expectations of a rate hike at the Fed&#39;s next policy meeting on December 13-14.

Yellen said that if the central bank delays rate hikes for too long, it could force the Fed to tighten rates abruptly and could encourage excessive risk-taking and undermine financial stability.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump had criticised Yellen for maintaining low interest rates to support President Obama and create a 'false' economy

US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said that she will serve her full term despite President-elect Donald Trump's criticism of her performance in the past. "I was confirmed by the Senate to a four-year term, which ends at the end of January of 2018, and it is fully my intention to serve out that term," Yellen told lawmakers on Thursday before the Joint Economic Committee of US Congress, Xinhua news agency reported. Yellen spoke of the importance of central bank independence in her first public remarks after Trump's election. "We have really seen terrible economic outcomes in countries where central banks have been subject to political pressure," she said. "It's critically important that a central bank have the ability to make judgments about how best to pursue those goals while being accountable for explaining its decisions and transparent in its decision-making," Yellen added. Trump had criticised Yellen during the presidential campaign for maintaining low interest rates to support President Obama and create a "false" economy. He had also spoken of replacing Yellen with a Republican after her term expires in 2018. Markets were expecting a fiscal stimulus package from the Trump administration and the Republican-dominated Congress, Yellen was reported as saying. An increase in interest rates could "become appropriate relatively soon" if incoming data provide further evidence of continued progress, she said. It thus raised market expectations of a rate hike at the Fed's next policy meeting on December 13-14. Yellen said that if the central bank delays rate hikes for too long, it could force the Fed to tighten rates abruptly and could encourage excessive risk-taking and undermine financial stability. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US Federal Reserve chair Yellen to complete term despite Trump's criticism

Photos of US President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s landmark first talks with a foreign leader show his daughter Ivanka was present, underscoring the family&#39;s influence as he readies to take power.

In the meeting with Japan&#39;s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the mogul&#39;s Trump Plaza residence, Ivanka, a model-turned-business executive, was seen seated as the group conversed in the opulent reception room.

Media were shut out of the gathering in Manhattan, but images released by the Japanese government also showed Ivanka and her husband, real estate developer and publisher Jared Kushner, standing and chatting with Abe.

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Ivanka and Kushner, both 35, have emerged as key advisers to Trump, who shocked the world by beating Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election.

World leaders have scrambled to establish ties with Trump but Abe was the first to see him in person since the vote which has provoked anxiety over US foreign policy and its commitment to security in Asia.&nbsp;

Abe told reporters afterwards that the encounter convinced him the US president-elect was someone &quot;in whom I can have great confidence&quot;.

&quot;We were able to have a very candid talk over a substantial amount of time. We held it in a very warm atmosphere,&quot; he said. &quot;Without confidence between the two nations, our alliance would never function in the future.&quot;

Also seen standing in one of the photos, amidst the gilt and chandeliers of Trump&#39;s skyscraper, was former general Michael Flynn, who has reportedly been offered the post of national security adviser.

But the presence of Ivanka, in a black-and-white dress and high heels, drew attention in protocol-conscious Japan, particularly after the tabloid press reported Trump planned to appoint her as US ambassador to Tokyo.

&quot;It&#39;s quite unusual to see a family member attending the first encounter between two leaders even if it&#39;s informal,&quot; said Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a professor at the University of Niigata Prefecture,

&quot;It indicates that she would be playing some important role in the Trump administration,&quot; he added.

&quot;But it&#39;s no surprise to see her there as she has already been involved in politics. Anyway, that&#39;s the Trump way.&quot;&nbsp;

Ivanka Trump is a key player in her father&#39;s business empire and has her own fashion label and jewellery line, and active Twitter and Instagram accounts that nourish her brand.

The Tokyo Sports newspaper carried an article headlined &quot;Trump daughter-blonde beauty Ms Ivanka the next ambassador to Japan!?&quot; on its website last Saturday.

It cited unidentified overseas media as having reported before the vote that Trump had secret plans to appoint her ambassador, replacing current envoy Caroline Kennedy who is the daughter of assassinated US president John F. Kennedy.

&quot;I don&#39;t think the possibility that Ivanka would be an ambassador to Japan is zero, but it`s too early to say,&quot; said Yamamoto.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Ivanka's presence drew attention in Japan, particularly after the tabloid press reported Trump planned to appoint her?US ambassador to Tokyo

Photos of US President-elect Donald Trump's landmark first talks with a foreign leader show his daughter Ivanka was present, underscoring the family's influence as he readies to take power. In the meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the mogul's Trump Plaza residence, Ivanka, a model-turned-business executive, was seen seated as the group conversed in the opulent reception room. Media were shut out of the gathering in Manhattan, but images released by the Japanese government also showed Ivanka and her husband, real estate developer and publisher Jared Kushner, standing and chatting with Abe. The pictures underscore his family's influence as Trump readies to take power × Ivanka and Kushner, both 35, have emerged as key advisers to Trump, who shocked the world by beating Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election. World leaders have scrambled to establish ties with Trump but Abe was the first to see him in person since the vote which has provoked anxiety over US foreign policy and its commitment to security in Asia. Abe told reporters afterwards that the encounter convinced him the US president-elect was someone "in whom I can have great confidence". "We were able to have a very candid talk over a substantial amount of time. We held it in a very warm atmosphere," he said. "Without confidence between the two nations, our alliance would never function in the future." Also seen standing in one of the photos, amidst the gilt and chandeliers of Trump's skyscraper, was former general Michael Flynn, who has reportedly been offered the post of national security adviser. But the presence of Ivanka, in a black-and-white dress and high heels, drew attention in protocol-conscious Japan, particularly after the tabloid press reported Trump planned to appoint her as US ambassador to Tokyo. "It's quite unusual to see a family member attending the first encounter between two leaders even if it's informal," said Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a professor at the University of Niigata Prefecture, "It indicates that she would be playing some important role in the Trump administration," he added. "But it's no surprise to see her there as she has already been involved in politics. Anyway, that's the Trump way." Ivanka Trump is a key player in her father's business empire and has her own fashion label and jewellery line, and active Twitter and Instagram accounts that nourish her brand. The Tokyo Sports newspaper carried an article headlined "Trump daughter-blonde beauty Ms Ivanka the next ambassador to Japan!?" on its website last Saturday. It cited unidentified overseas media as having reported before the vote that Trump had secret plans to appoint her ambassador, replacing current envoy Caroline Kennedy who is the daughter of assassinated US president John F. Kennedy. "I don't think the possibility that Ivanka would be an ambassador to Japan is zero, but it`s too early to say," said Yamamoto. (AFP)

Ivanka sat in on Trump-Abe talks

Kshama Sawant, an Indian-American Seattle city councilwoman, has reportedly been receiving threats for encouraging protesters to shut down President-elect Donald Trump&rsquo;s inauguration on January 20.

<a href="https://www.rawstory.com/2016/11/i-will-tattoo-a-swastika-on-your-head-seattle-councilwoman-threatened-after-calling-for-trump-protests/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Raw Story</a>&nbsp;reported that on election day in America, November 8, Sawant urged the public in a video to &ldquo;tell America we do not accept a racist agenda and let&rsquo;s make sure of that on Inauguration Day&rdquo;.

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a>&#39;s victory has already led to a reprehensible surge in hate crimes. We need to organize &amp; fightback <a href="https://t.co/dPHbQseIgv">https://t.co/dPHbQseIgv</a> <a href="https://t.co/MLWeFlpRP5">pic.twitter.com/MLWeFlpRP5</a>
&mdash; Kshama Sawant (@cmkshama) <a href="https://twitter.com/cmkshama/status/797163112193343488">November 11, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Raw Story&nbsp;published some of the emails Sawant received. &ldquo;Go back to India b****,&rdquo; read one email. &ldquo;I am tired of being shamed because I&rsquo;m a white male. You automatically think I&rsquo;m a racist. How about you go the f*** back to India or wherever you came from?&rdquo;

Council spokesperson Dana Robinson Slote added that one of Sawant&#39;s staffers was also threatened over the phone, and told: &quot;I will come and tattoo a swastika on your head and on that b****&rsquo;s head.&quot;

(This report first appeared in DNA)

&nbsp;

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Kshama Sawant has been receiving threatening e-mails after for encouraging protesters to shut down Trump's inauguration on January 20

Kshama Sawant, an Indian-American Seattle city councilwoman, has reportedly been receiving threats for encouraging protesters to shut down President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20. Raw Story reported that on election day in America, November 8, Sawant urged the public in a video to “tell America we do not accept a racist agenda and let’s make sure of that on Inauguration Day”. .@realDonaldTrump's victory has already led to a reprehensible surge in hate crimes. We need to organize & fightback https://t.co/dPHbQseIgv pic.twitter.com/MLWeFlpRP5 — Kshama Sawant (@cmkshama) November 11, 2016 × Raw Story published some of the emails Sawant received. “Go back to India b****,” read one email. “I am tired of being shamed because I’m a white male. You automatically think I’m a racist. How about you go the f*** back to India or wherever you came from?” Council spokesperson Dana Robinson Slote added that one of Sawant's staffers was also threatened over the phone, and told: "I will come and tattoo a swastika on your head and on that b****’s head." (This report first appeared in DNA)

Trump supporter threatens Indian American councilwoman, says, 'Go back to India b***h'

On his way to the polls on election day, Michael Flynn pulled out his phone and took a video of himself saying his vote for Donald Trump was part of a larger fight against &quot;the dishonesty and deceit of our government&quot;.

For Flynn, a retired US&nbsp;Army three-star general and one of Trump&#39;s closest advisers, it was another parting shot at an administration he thinks unfairly fired him from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in 2014 for telling hard truths about the war on Islamist extremism.

Named on Thursday to become Trump&#39;s national security adviser, Flynn is now poised for a second act in public life, and he has promised nothing short of an upheaval.

&quot;We just went through a revolution,&quot; Flynn, 57, told a forum on Saturday. &quot;This is probably the biggest election in our nation&#39;s history, since bringing on George Washington when he decided not to be a king. That&#39;s how important this is.&quot;

Flynn&#39;s advocates say his experience battling radical Islamist militants in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with candor that has ruffled feathers in Washington more than once, makes him the kind of ally Trump needs on his national security team.

David Deptula, a retired Air Force lieutenant general who used to work with Flynn, praised his willingness to &quot;speak truth to power and not politicise his answers&quot;.

&quot;Mike Flynn is a straight shooter and a no-bullshit kind of guy. And that&rsquo;s exactly what we need in terms of senior leaders giving advice to the national leadership,&quot; Deptula said.

His critics voice concerns about a management style that alienated some of his subordinates at DIA, a lumbering bureaucracy that Flynn sought to shake up. That&#39;s an explanation some gave for why he was pushed into retirement.

Flynn could not be reached for comment.

Several former US&nbsp;officials who worked closely with Flynn described him as extremely smart but a poor manager who advocated a precipitous overhaul of the DIA that ignited hostility and resistance from veteran intelligence officials.

&quot;Flynn understood that DIA was a mess,&quot; one said.

&quot;But he telegraphed his intent for radical change in a way that he immediately created resistance to his ideas, no matter their merits.&quot;

Two other former officials also said they had concerns about Flynn&#39;s management style, a potential liability in a White House job that requires coordinating US&nbsp;policy and resolving disagreements among senior officials at different agencies.

One of the officials said senior career DIA officials and other agency employees held Flynn responsible for an offensive &quot;Dress for Success&quot; presentation that was distributed to the workforce in January 2013.

It recommended gender-specific fashion guidelines, urged people to &quot;consider your body type&quot; and said makeup made women &quot;more attractive&quot;. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Flynn apologised for the presentation in a subsequent memo that said neither he nor the agency &quot;condone this briefing&quot;.

Policy concerns

Flynn&#39;s policy views suggest he will take a more aggressive approach against Islamist militants.

Former colleagues expect his effort to bolster America&#39;s battle against jihadists to be shaped by his belief that the United States is losing a global war against Islamist extremism that may last for generations.

In a new book Flynn co-authored, he prescribes a harder political line on Iran, including information warfare to expose shortcomings in Iran&#39;s revolution.

Like Trump, Flynn calls the 2003 invasion of Iraq a strategic blunder and says that energy should have been directed instead toward political support for opponents of Iran&#39;s theocratic rulers.

He shares Trump&#39;s vision of warmer relations with Israel but also advocates stronger ties with Egypt, whose autocratic president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, ousted the Muslim Brotherhood and was the first world leader to congratulate Trump on his victory.

Flynn&#39;s appearances on Russia&#39;s government-run broadcaster RT, particularly at a gala last year attended by President Vladimir Putin, have also raised eyebrows in military circles.

However, he has also expressed skepticism about Moscow&#39;s intentions, a view that does not seem to fit Trump&#39;s vision of a new era of detente with the Kremlin.

Although he has more experience battling the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and other militant groups than anyone else in Trump&#39;s inner circle, Flynn&#39;s critics in the intelligence community and the military question whether his ouster from the DIA has changed him.

&quot;The whole experience seems to have made him bitter,&quot; said another former US&nbsp;official who worked with Flynn and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Representative Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee, questioned Flynn&#39;s temperament, saying Trump needs someone more steady and &quot;thorough in their analysis&quot; to temper him.

&quot;I&#39;m not sure that&#39;s what you get with General Flynn. And I would be worried about an impulsive president with an impulsive security adviser,&quot; Schiff told CNN.

Former colleagues are alarmed by his adoption of Trump&#39;s divisive campaign rhetoric - including leading chants of &quot;Lock Her Up!&quot; aimed at Hillary Clinton during the Republican National Convention and saying on Twitter &quot;Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL.&quot;

&quot;I think what you have is frustration that eventually turns to anger after he leaves,&quot; said this former U.S. official. &quot;He was frustrated over DIA; he was frustrated over administration policy toward Syria; and he&#39;s frustrated and angry over his removal from the Department of Defense.&quot;

(Reuters)

This is a second shot for Flynn who thinks he was fired from the DIA in 2014 for telling hard truths about the war on Islamist extremism

On his way to the polls on election day, Michael Flynn pulled out his phone and took a video of himself saying his vote for Donald Trump was part of a larger fight against "the dishonesty and deceit of our government". For Flynn, a retired US Army three-star general and one of Trump's closest advisers, it was another parting shot at an administration he thinks unfairly fired him from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in 2014 for telling hard truths about the war on Islamist extremism. Named on Thursday to become Trump's national security adviser, Flynn is now poised for a second act in public life, and he has promised nothing short of an upheaval. "We just went through a revolution," Flynn, 57, told a forum on Saturday. "This is probably the biggest election in our nation's history, since bringing on George Washington when he decided not to be a king. That's how important this is." Flynn's advocates say his experience battling radical Islamist militants in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with candor that has ruffled feathers in Washington more than once, makes him the kind of ally Trump needs on his national security team. David Deptula, a retired Air Force lieutenant general who used to work with Flynn, praised his willingness to "speak truth to power and not politicise his answers". "Mike Flynn is a straight shooter and a no-bullshit kind of guy. And that’s exactly what we need in terms of senior leaders giving advice to the national leadership," Deptula said. His critics voice concerns about a management style that alienated some of his subordinates at DIA, a lumbering bureaucracy that Flynn sought to shake up. That's an explanation some gave for why he was pushed into retirement. Flynn could not be reached for comment. Several former US officials who worked closely with Flynn described him as extremely smart but a poor manager who advocated a precipitous overhaul of the DIA that ignited hostility and resistance from veteran intelligence officials. "Flynn understood that DIA was a mess," one said. "But he telegraphed his intent for radical change in a way that he immediately created resistance to his ideas, no matter their merits." Two other former officials also said they had concerns about Flynn's management style, a potential liability in a White House job that requires coordinating US policy and resolving disagreements among senior officials at different agencies. One of the officials said senior career DIA officials and other agency employees held Flynn responsible for an offensive "Dress for Success" presentation that was distributed to the workforce in January 2013. It recommended gender-specific fashion guidelines, urged people to "consider your body type" and said makeup made women "more attractive". Flynn apologised for the presentation in a subsequent memo that said neither he nor the agency "condone this briefing". Policy concerns Flynn's policy views suggest he will take a more aggressive approach against Islamist militants. Former colleagues expect his effort to bolster America's battle against jihadists to be shaped by his belief that the United States is losing a global war against Islamist extremism that may last for generations. In a new book Flynn co-authored, he prescribes a harder political line on Iran, including information warfare to expose shortcomings in Iran's revolution. Like Trump, Flynn calls the 2003 invasion of Iraq a strategic blunder and says that energy should have been directed instead toward political support for opponents of Iran's theocratic rulers. He shares Trump's vision of warmer relations with Israel but also advocates stronger ties with Egypt, whose autocratic president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, ousted the Muslim Brotherhood and was the first world leader to congratulate Trump on his victory. Flynn's appearances on Russia's government-run broadcaster RT, particularly at a gala last year attended by President Vladimir Putin, have also raised eyebrows in military circles. However, he has also expressed skepticism about Moscow's intentions, a view that does not seem to fit Trump's vision of a new era of detente with the Kremlin. Although he has more experience battling the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and other militant groups than anyone else in Trump's inner circle, Flynn's critics in the intelligence community and the military question whether his ouster from the DIA has changed him. "The whole experience seems to have made him bitter," said another former US official who worked with Flynn and spoke on condition of anonymity. Representative Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee, questioned Flynn's temperament, saying Trump needs someone more steady and "thorough in their analysis" to temper him. "I'm not sure that's what you get with General Flynn. And I would be worried about an impulsive president with an impulsive security adviser," Schiff told CNN. Former colleagues are alarmed by his adoption of Trump's divisive campaign rhetoric - including leading chants of "Lock Her Up!" aimed at Hillary Clinton during the Republican National Convention and saying on Twitter "Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL." "I think what you have is frustration that eventually turns to anger after he leaves," said this former U.S. official. "He was frustrated over DIA; he was frustrated over administration policy toward Syria; and he's frustrated and angry over his removal from the Department of Defense." (Reuters)

Fired US Army General Michael Flynn hired as Trump's national security adviser

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday he has &ldquo;great confidence&rdquo; in Trump after his meeting with the President-elect in New York.&nbsp;Abe is the first foreign leader to have met the US President-elect face-to-face.

The meeting at the Trump Tower in Manhattan lasted for approximately 90 minutes, according to a Trump official.

&quot;We were able to have a very candid talk over a substantial amount of time. We held it in a very warm atmosphere,&quot; Abe told reporters after their meeting.

&quot;Without confidence between the two nations, our alliance would never function in the future,&quot; he added.

&quot;As an outcome of today&#39;s discussions, I am convinced&nbsp;Mr&nbsp;Trump is a leader in whom I can have great confidence.&quot;

The meeting was reportedly&nbsp;organised&nbsp;at the last minute after Abe called Trump to congratulate him, and mentioned that he would be passing through New York on his way to an Asia-Pacific trade summit in Peru.

Abe thanked Trump for meeting him.

&quot;Despite his extremely busy schedule because of decisions to be made vis-a-vis appointments or other related business, he was kind enough to receive me,&quot; the Japanese leader said.

&quot;I renewed my conviction that together with&nbsp;Mr&nbsp;Trump I will be able to establish a relationship of trust.&quot;

Abe added the two had agreed to meet again for deeper talks on a wider range of issues.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump is someone 'in whom I can have great confidence', said the Japanese PM. It was Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday he has “great confidence” in Trump after his meeting with the President-elect in New York. Abe is the first foreign leader to have met the US President-elect face-to-face. The meeting at the Trump Tower in Manhattan lasted for approximately 90 minutes, according to a Trump official. "We were able to have a very candid talk over a substantial amount of time. We held it in a very warm atmosphere," Abe told reporters after their meeting. "Without confidence between the two nations, our alliance would never function in the future," he added. "As an outcome of today's discussions, I am convinced Mr Trump is a leader in whom I can have great confidence." The meeting was reportedly organised at the last minute after Abe called Trump to congratulate him, and mentioned that he would be passing through New York on his way to an Asia-Pacific trade summit in Peru. Abe thanked Trump for meeting him. "Despite his extremely busy schedule because of decisions to be made vis-a-vis appointments or other related business, he was kind enough to receive me," the Japanese leader said. "I renewed my conviction that together with Mr Trump I will be able to establish a relationship of trust." Abe added the two had agreed to meet again for deeper talks on a wider range of issues. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Abe meets Trump, calls him able

US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump has offered retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn the job of national security adviser, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, citing a senior Trump official.

The official would not say whether Flynn, a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency who advised Trump during the campaign on national security issues, has officially accepted the job, according to AP.

(Reuters)

A senior Trump official told AP about the job offer, but did not say whether Flynn had officially accepted the job

US President-elect Donald Trump has offered retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn the job of national security adviser, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, citing a senior Trump official. The official would not say whether Flynn, a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency who advised Trump during the campaign on national security issues, has officially accepted the job, according to AP. (Reuters)

Trump has offered national security adviser job to Flynn: Associated Press

Donald Trump&rsquo;s top aide Steve Bannon had last year voiced his concern about most US-based tech companies being headed by people from South Asia or Asia.&nbsp;

Bannon was found expressing his concern&nbsp;during an interview with Donald Trump last year while he was still heading Breitbart News, a website and voice for the alt-right movement.

Washington Post put up the interview again as calls urging Trump to drop far-right advisor Bannon from his White House team has gained traction.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//www.washingtonpost.com/video/c/embed/5854c606-ab89-11e6-8f19-21a1c65d2043" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="100%"></iframe>Talking about skilled foreign labour, Trump during the interview had said, &ldquo;We&#39;ve gotta be able to keep great people in the country. We&#39;ve gotta create, you know, job creators... We have to keep our talented people in this country.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
However, Bannon disagreed with Trump&rsquo;s suggestion and expressed his concern over too many Asian CEOs leading tech companies in the US.

&ldquo;When two-thirds or three-quarters of the CEOs in Silicon Valley are from South Asia or from Asia... &rdquo; said Bannon, leaving the sentence unfinished. &ldquo;A country is more than an economy. We&rsquo;re a civic society,&rdquo; added Bannon.

Bannon also suggested during the interview that foreign students should go back to their respective countries after finishing their schooling in the US.

Drop Bannon, Sanders urges Trump

Senior democrat Bernie Sanders on Wednesday urged Donald Trump to rescind his controversial appointment of Steve Bannon as chief White House strategist.

The president-elect&#39;s choice of Bannon - chair of the pro-Trump news platform Breitbart and a key figure in his victorious election campaign - has whipped up a chorus of protests to which Sanders forcefully added his voice.

Trump&#39;s camp, however, rejects any suggestion that Bannon is a bigoted extremist, saying critics should look at his full resume.

(WION)

The newly-installed White House strategist had last year voiced his concern about the number of foreigners working in the US

Donald Trump’s top aide Steve Bannon had last year voiced his concern about most US-based tech companies being headed by people from South Asia or Asia. Bannon was found expressing his concern during an interview with Donald Trump last year while he was still heading Breitbart News, a website and voice for the alt-right movement. Washington Post put up the interview again as calls urging Trump to drop far-right advisor Bannon from his White House team has gained traction. Talking about skilled foreign labour, Trump during the interview had said, “We've gotta be able to keep great people in the country. We've gotta create, you know, job creators... We have to keep our talented people in this country." However, Bannon disagreed with Trump’s suggestion and expressed his concern over too many Asian CEOs leading tech companies in the US. “When two-thirds or three-quarters of the CEOs in Silicon Valley are from South Asia or from Asia... ” said Bannon, leaving the sentence unfinished. “A country is more than an economy. We’re a civic society,” added Bannon. Bannon also suggested during the interview that foreign students should go back to their respective countries after finishing their schooling in the US. Drop Bannon, Sanders urges Trump Senior democrat Bernie Sanders on Wednesday urged Donald Trump to rescind his controversial appointment of Steve Bannon as chief White House strategist. The president-elect's choice of Bannon - chair of the pro-Trump news platform Breitbart and a key figure in his victorious election campaign - has whipped up a chorus of protests to which Sanders forcefully added his voice. Trump's camp, however, rejects any suggestion that Bannon is a bigoted extremist, saying critics should look at his full resume. (WION)

Too many Asian CEOs in Silicon Valley affecting US society, suggests Steve Bannon

United States National Intelligence chief James Clapper resigned on Thursday following a directive from the White House to all Obama administration appointees to submit their letter of resignation before January 20.&nbsp;

&quot;I submitted my letter of resignation last night, which felt pretty good,&quot; Clapper said. &quot;I&#39;ve got 64 days left.&quot;

The retired three-star US Air Force General will stay on till President Obama leaves.&nbsp;

During his tenure, Clapper handled the re-emergence of Russian aggression, increased cyber and security threats as well as misleading a senate committee regarding federal policy on data collection of Americans, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

Director of&nbsp;National Intelligence has a six-year term and heads&nbsp;17 intelligence agencies and is the president&#39;s principal intelligence adviser and briefer.

Trump&#39;s candidates

Trump&#39;s leading contenders for the post include Robert Cardillo&nbsp;director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and former deputy director of national intelligence unde Clapper, Trump aides indicate.&nbsp;

Other candidates include retired Lieutenant General Ronald Burgess, former head of Defense Intelligence Agency in Obama&#39;s first term and Pete Hoekstra, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper formally submitted his resignation and said it 'felt pretty good'

United States National Intelligence chief James Clapper resigned on Thursday following a directive from the White House to all Obama administration appointees to submit their letter of resignation before January 20. "I submitted my letter of resignation last night, which felt pretty good," Clapper said. "I've got 64 days left." The retired three-star US Air Force General will stay on till President Obama leaves. During his tenure, Clapper handled the re-emergence of Russian aggression, increased cyber and security threats as well as misleading a senate committee regarding federal policy on data collection of Americans, Reuters reported. Director of National Intelligence has a six-year term and heads 17 intelligence agencies and is the president's principal intelligence adviser and briefer. Trump's candidates Trump's leading contenders for the post include Robert Cardillo director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and former deputy director of national intelligence unde Clapper, Trump aides indicate. Other candidates include retired Lieutenant General Ronald Burgess, former head of Defense Intelligence Agency in Obama's first term and Pete Hoekstra, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

US intelligence chief resigns

Indian-American politician Nikki Haley will meet US President-elect Donald Trump today, the presidential transition team has said amid reports that the two-term Governor of South Carolina is being considered for a Cabinet position, particularly for the high-profile post of secretary of state.

In a conference call with reporters last night, the transition teams spokesman Sean Spicer listed 44-year-old Haley as one of the candidates Trump would be meeting today.

Among others the 70-year-old Trump would be meeting include former secretary of State Henry Kissinger, General Jack Keane, Admiral Mike Rogers and Ken Blackwell.

While some of these meetings are about potential cabinet members, others are about sharing ideas and advice.

Earlier in the day, a close aide of Trump from South Carolina said that Haley was being considered for a cabinet position, including that of the secretary of state.

&quot;It would be like how Mr Trump is bringing fresh eyes to running our government,&quot; South Carolina Lt Governor Henry McMaster told The Post and Courier. The daily did not provide any other details.

McMaster was one of the earliest&nbsp;to&nbsp;endorse&nbsp;Trump during the primaries and has been praised by the president-elect several times in the past.

Haley had endorsed Florida senator Marco Rubio during the primaries and was also critical of Trump in her Republican response to the State of the Union Address by US President Barack Obama in January.

However, before the general elections, Haley came out in support of Trump, saying that she would be voting for the billionaire tycoon from New York.

The Trump transition team has so far not given any indication of who all will be filling various cabinet positions. The president-elect himself has tweeted that only he knows the final list.

McMaster, who started speaking with the Trump team soon after their historic victory told the local South Carolina daily that the first women governor of the State, who is also the first Indian-American woman governor, is being considered for various cabinet position, including the secretary of state.

Neither the office of the South Carolina governor nor the Trump transition team have responded to this report so far.

While the news was welcomed in South Carolina, a political analyst appeared to be skeptical of such a proposal. &quot;Secretary of state is going to be a bit of a stretch for Haley&#39;s area of expertise. Haley has yet to be vetted about foreign policy, trade and protectionism,&quot; said College of Charleston political scientist Kendra Stewart.

Haley is the second Indian-American name being floated for a cabinet position in the Trump administration. Former Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal is also appearing in many short-lists of potential cabinet names.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Trump is considering his trusted military advisor Lt Gen&nbsp;Michael Flynn as his national security advisor, the reports said.

Flynn, 56, was one of the top military leaders to have endorsed Trump and has been his closest military advisor for more than a year now.

&quot;Lieutenant General Michael Flynn has emerged as Donald Trump&#39;s leading candidate for national security adviser, according to people familiar with the president- elect&#39;s transition planning,&quot; National Review reported yesterday.

If selected, he would succeed Susan Rice as the National Security Advisor.

&quot;Like the president-elect, Flynn, a self-described &#39;maverick&#39;&nbsp;and longtime Democrat, shares a penchant for unvarnished straight talk that has earned him praise from some and condemnation from others,&quot; the National Review said.

(PTI) 
&nbsp;

The two-term Governor of South Carolina will meet Donald Trump today, the presidential transition team said

Indian-American politician Nikki Haley will meet US President-elect Donald Trump today, the presidential transition team has said amid reports that the two-term Governor of South Carolina is being considered for a Cabinet position, particularly for the high-profile post of secretary of state. In a conference call with reporters last night, the transition teams spokesman Sean Spicer listed 44-year-old Haley as one of the candidates Trump would be meeting today. Among others the 70-year-old Trump would be meeting include former secretary of State Henry Kissinger, General Jack Keane, Admiral Mike Rogers and Ken Blackwell. While some of these meetings are about potential cabinet members, others are about sharing ideas and advice. Earlier in the day, a close aide of Trump from South Carolina said that Haley was being considered for a cabinet position, including that of the secretary of state. "It would be like how Mr Trump is bringing fresh eyes to running our government," South Carolina Lt Governor Henry McMaster told The Post and Courier. The daily did not provide any other details. McMaster was one of the earliest to endorse Trump during the primaries and has been praised by the president-elect several times in the past. Haley had endorsed Florida senator Marco Rubio during the primaries and was also critical of Trump in her Republican response to the State of the Union Address by US President Barack Obama in January. However, before the general elections, Haley came out in support of Trump, saying that she would be voting for the billionaire tycoon from New York. The Trump transition team has so far not given any indication of who all will be filling various cabinet positions. The president-elect himself has tweeted that only he knows the final list. McMaster, who started speaking with the Trump team soon after their historic victory told the local South Carolina daily that the first women governor of the State, who is also the first Indian-American woman governor, is being considered for various cabinet position, including the secretary of state. Neither the office of the South Carolina governor nor the Trump transition team have responded to this report so far. While the news was welcomed in South Carolina, a political analyst appeared to be skeptical of such a proposal. "Secretary of state is going to be a bit of a stretch for Haley's area of expertise. Haley has yet to be vetted about foreign policy, trade and protectionism," said College of Charleston political scientist Kendra Stewart. Haley is the second Indian-American name being floated for a cabinet position in the Trump administration. Former Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal is also appearing in many short-lists of potential cabinet names. Meanwhile, Trump is considering his trusted military advisor Lt Gen Michael Flynn as his national security advisor, the reports said. Flynn, 56, was one of the top military leaders to have endorsed Trump and has been his closest military advisor for more than a year now. "Lieutenant General Michael Flynn has emerged as Donald Trump's leading candidate for national security adviser, according to people familiar with the president- elect's transition planning," National Review reported yesterday. If selected, he would succeed Susan Rice as the National Security Advisor. "Like the president-elect, Flynn, a self-described 'maverick' and longtime Democrat, shares a penchant for unvarnished straight talk that has earned him praise from some and condemnation from others," the National Review said. (PTI)

Indian-American governor Nikki Haley considered for secretary of state: Report

On Wednesday night, Trump surrogate Carl Higbie&nbsp;told Fox&#39;s Megyn Kelly that the creation of a Muslim&nbsp;registry&nbsp;in America created&nbsp;by a Trump administration has an established precedent:&nbsp;World War II Japanese internment camps.&nbsp;

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Trump surrogates are already citing Japanese internment camps from WW II as &quot;precedent&quot; for Muslim registry <a href="https://t.co/DVnjtom0mc">pic.twitter.com/DVnjtom0mc</a>
&mdash; Brendan Karet (@bad_takes) <a href="https://twitter.com/bad_takes/status/799079032499343360">November 17, 2016</a></blockquote>
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During World War II, Americans, and for that matter Canadians, with Japanese ancestry were forced into relocation and incarceration. In America alone,&nbsp;about 110,000-120,000 Japanese lived in such&nbsp;camps.

Republican President Ronald Reagan issued an official apology&nbsp;to Japanese-Americans in the Civil Liberties act of 1988, which also paid out $20,000 to every surviving detainee, for a total cost of $1.2 billion.

Concerned Americans are gathering evidence of what the era of internment camps looked like.

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Lest we forget, this is what &quot;precedent&quot; looks like. <a href="https://t.co/QysTpGx5CJ">pic.twitter.com/QysTpGx5CJ</a>
&mdash; Jon Tsuei (@jontsuei) <a href="https://twitter.com/jontsuei/status/799110920458813440">November 17, 2016</a></blockquote>
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(WION)

We did it with Iran, we did it in World War II with the Japanese: Carl Higbie

On Wednesday night, Trump surrogate Carl Higbie told Fox's Megyn Kelly that the creation of a Muslim registry in America created by a Trump administration has an established precedent: World War II Japanese internment camps. Trump surrogates are already citing Japanese internment camps from WW II as "precedent" for Muslim registry pic.twitter.com/DVnjtom0mc — Brendan Karet (@bad_takes) November 17, 2016 × During World War II, Americans, and for that matter Canadians, with Japanese ancestry were forced into relocation and incarceration. In America alone, about 110,000-120,000 Japanese lived in such camps. Republican President Ronald Reagan issued an official apology to Japanese-Americans in the Civil Liberties act of 1988, which also paid out $20,000 to every surviving detainee, for a total cost of $1.2 billion. Concerned Americans are gathering evidence of what the era of internment camps looked like. Lest we forget, this is what "precedent" looks like. pic.twitter.com/QysTpGx5CJ — Jon Tsuei (@jontsuei) November 17, 2016 × (WION)

Trump surrogate cites Japanese internment camps as 'precedent' for proposed Muslim registry

One day before US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s first meeting with&nbsp;Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japanese officials said they had not finalised when or where in New York it would take place, who would be invited, or in some cases whom to call for answers.

Uncertainty over the talks shows the difficulties in turning Trump from a freewheeling businessman into a sitting president with a watertight schedule and a fully functioning administration by his inauguration on Jan. 20.

Japanese and US&nbsp;officials said on Wednesday the State Department had not been involved in planning the meeting, leaving the logistical and protocol details that normally would be settled far in advance still to be determined.

&ldquo;There has been a lot of confusion,&rdquo; said one Japanese official.

The meeting was only agreed to last week and Trump and his advisers have been busy in meetings at his headquarters in Manhattan&#39;s Trump Tower in recent days to work out who gets which job in the new administration.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said that to his knowledge, Trump&#39;s transition team had not been in contact with the department either to discuss the transition of government or to seek information ahead of his meetings with foreign leaders.

Trump is expected to use the Abe meeting to reassure Japan and other Asian allies rattled by his campaign rhetoric, advisers to Trump said. But Trump, a brash outsider with no diplomatic or government experience, and Abe, a veteran lawmaker, have differences on policy issues such as free trade.

Several Trump aides did not immediately answer requests on Wednesday for comment about the Abe visit or contact between the transition team and the State Department.

Transition speculation

Speculation about top appointments to the Trump administration has intensified since the head of the team overseeing the transition, New Jersey governor Chris Christie, was removed last week and replaced by vice president-elect Mike Pence.

Transition team officials said on Wednesday night that Trump planned to announce &quot;landing teams&quot; on Thursday that would begin setting up staff in key agencies, like the State and Justice departments.

Trump on Wednesday denounced reports of disorganisation in the team, singling out the New York Times for saying world leaders have had trouble getting in touch with him since his upset victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the Nov. 8 presidential election. The Republican real estate magnate said on Twitter he had taken &quot;calls from many foreign leaders despite what the failing @nytimes said. Russia, U.K., China, Saudi Arabia, Japan.&quot;

The Times, a frequent target of Trump&#39;s Twitter blasts, said on Tuesday that US&nbsp;allies were &quot;scrambling to figure out how and when to contact Mr. Trump&quot; and blindly dialing in to Trump Tower to try to reach him.

Trump and Pence had spoken to 29 foreign leaders, the transition team said on Wednesday. Trump has mostly stuck to normal practice for a US&nbsp;president-elect with the order in which he has spoken to foreign leaders on the phone since his election victory. But some of his contacts have stretched the limits of the usual procedure.

&#39;Only one who knows&#39;

Despite fevered speculation, Trump has yet to say who will fill Cabinet positions such as secretary of state, treasury secretary or defense secretary. His team said that was not unusual and was in line with the timing of the transition of Democrat Barack Obama to the White House after he won the presidency in 2008.

Trump could add son-in-law Jared Kushner as a top White House adviser, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, has been a central adviser during the campaign and transition. The Trump transition team has repeatedly denied it is seeking high-level security clearance for Kushner.

A federal anti-nepotism law prohibits a president from hiring family members to serve in his administration, but the Journal said it was not clear if the law applied to a position inside the White House. It added Kushner had indicated he would avoid the issue by not taking pay for any White House work.

Kellyanne Conway, a senior Trump aide who served as his campaign manager, said she did not think Kushner was seeking an official role in the White House.

(Reuters)

Donald Trump is expected to use the Abe meeting to reassure Japan and other Asian allies rattled by his campaign rhetoric

One day before US President-elect Donald Trump's first meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japanese officials said they had not finalised when or where in New York it would take place, who would be invited, or in some cases whom to call for answers. Uncertainty over the talks shows the difficulties in turning Trump from a freewheeling businessman into a sitting president with a watertight schedule and a fully functioning administration by his inauguration on Jan. 20. Japanese and US officials said on Wednesday the State Department had not been involved in planning the meeting, leaving the logistical and protocol details that normally would be settled far in advance still to be determined. “There has been a lot of confusion,” said one Japanese official. The meeting was only agreed to last week and Trump and his advisers have been busy in meetings at his headquarters in Manhattan's Trump Tower in recent days to work out who gets which job in the new administration. State Department spokesman John Kirby said that to his knowledge, Trump's transition team had not been in contact with the department either to discuss the transition of government or to seek information ahead of his meetings with foreign leaders. Trump is expected to use the Abe meeting to reassure Japan and other Asian allies rattled by his campaign rhetoric, advisers to Trump said. But Trump, a brash outsider with no diplomatic or government experience, and Abe, a veteran lawmaker, have differences on policy issues such as free trade. Several Trump aides did not immediately answer requests on Wednesday for comment about the Abe visit or contact between the transition team and the State Department. Transition speculation Speculation about top appointments to the Trump administration has intensified since the head of the team overseeing the transition, New Jersey governor Chris Christie, was removed last week and replaced by vice president-elect Mike Pence. Transition team officials said on Wednesday night that Trump planned to announce "landing teams" on Thursday that would begin setting up staff in key agencies, like the State and Justice departments. Trump on Wednesday denounced reports of disorganisation in the team, singling out the New York Times for saying world leaders have had trouble getting in touch with him since his upset victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the Nov. 8 presidential election. The Republican real estate magnate said on Twitter he had taken "calls from many foreign leaders despite what the failing @nytimes said. Russia, U.K., China, Saudi Arabia, Japan." The Times, a frequent target of Trump's Twitter blasts, said on Tuesday that US allies were "scrambling to figure out how and when to contact Mr. Trump" and blindly dialing in to Trump Tower to try to reach him. Trump and Pence had spoken to 29 foreign leaders, the transition team said on Wednesday. Trump has mostly stuck to normal practice for a US president-elect with the order in which he has spoken to foreign leaders on the phone since his election victory. But some of his contacts have stretched the limits of the usual procedure. 'Only one who knows' Despite fevered speculation, Trump has yet to say who will fill Cabinet positions such as secretary of state, treasury secretary or defense secretary. His team said that was not unusual and was in line with the timing of the transition of Democrat Barack Obama to the White House after he won the presidency in 2008. Trump could add son-in-law Jared Kushner as a top White House adviser, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, has been a central adviser during the campaign and transition. The Trump transition team has repeatedly denied it is seeking high-level security clearance for Kushner. A federal anti-nepotism law prohibits a president from hiring family members to serve in his administration, but the Journal said it was not clear if the law applied to a position inside the White House. It added Kushner had indicated he would avoid the issue by not taking pay for any White House work. Kellyanne Conway, a senior Trump aide who served as his campaign manager, said she did not think Kushner was seeking an official role in the White House. (Reuters)

Confusion shrouds Trump's first talks with Japanese PM Abe

Trump&rsquo;s transition team is having a hard time filling its seats and his campaign call to&nbsp;&quot;drain the swamp&quot; of Washington might make the process even more difficult.

According to a First Post report Trump&#39;s credo&nbsp;plan would ban all executive-branch officials from lobbying for five years after leaving their government jobs. The policy is aimed at checking the influence of lobbyists.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The ban also applies to the transition team members charged with helping to find, vet and hire for the incoming Republican administration,&quot; Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said late Wednesday according to the&nbsp;First Post report.&nbsp;

There is also conflicting information on whether JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co (JPM.N) chief executive Jamie Dimon could become the next US treasury secretary in President-elect Donald Trump&rsquo;s cabinet, and this has pushed the nation&rsquo;s largest bank into uncertainty.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, tweets from Fox Business News reporters indicated that Dimon was still in the race for the job. Fortune, however, reported that Dimon has formally told the Trump transition team that he is not interested in being the treasury secretary.

JPMorgan spokespeople have not made any official comment.

While a Trump transition team source told Reuters that Dimon is &quot;pitching hard&quot; for the Treasury role,&nbsp;two other sources indicated that he is not interested.&nbsp;

The speculations over his departure have put JPMorgan&rsquo;s investors in a state of frenzy. Dimon has run JPMorgan for a decade and is viewed as a torchbearer for Wall Street. He does not have a clear successor.

&quot;He is one of the best CEOs in the industry and corporate America, so if there were to be a quick departure that would be troubling,&quot; Walter Todd, chief investment officer at Greenwood Capital Management, which owns&nbsp;JPMorgan shares told Reuters. &quot;It is very difficult to replace someone like him.&quot;

&nbsp;

Education secretary

US media also reports&nbsp;that Trump is considering west Michigan donor and school choice advocate Betsy DeVos&nbsp;for the position of education secretary.&nbsp;

According to The Detroit News,the 58-year-old billionaire power broker has strong political connections and is rooting for charter schools and vouchers which, proponents claim, give parents and students more freedom to seek a higher-quality education. Critics on the other hand view charter schools as an effort to privatise education at the expense of public schools.

&ldquo;As chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, DeVos was a driving force behind a failed 2000 ballot proposal that would have amended the Michigan Constitution to create a voucher system allowing taxpayer funds to follow students to nonpublic schools,&rdquo;&nbsp;the Detroit News said in one of its reports.

The report also cited federal records showing that&nbsp;DeVos donated more than $320,000 to the Republican Party, candidates and political organizations in 2016. The Detroit News&nbsp;added, however, that she did not contribute to Trump after giving to both former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina during the GOP primary.

Trumo has said that he wants to invest $200 billion in school choice and he might consider eliminating or significantly reducing the size of the department of&nbsp;education.&nbsp;

(WION)

 
&nbsp;

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon reportedly turns down Treasury secretary post; Michigan mega donor Betsy DeVos rumoured for education secretary

Trump’s transition team is having a hard time filling its seats and his campaign call to "drain the swamp" of Washington might make the process even more difficult. According to a First Post report Trump's credo plan would ban all executive-branch officials from lobbying for five years after leaving their government jobs. The policy is aimed at checking the influence of lobbyists. “The ban also applies to the transition team members charged with helping to find, vet and hire for the incoming Republican administration," Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said late Wednesday according to the First Post report. There is also conflicting information on whether JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) chief executive Jamie Dimon could become the next US treasury secretary in President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet, and this has pushed the nation’s largest bank into uncertainty. On Wednesday, tweets from Fox Business News reporters indicated that Dimon was still in the race for the job. Fortune, however, reported that Dimon has formally told the Trump transition team that he is not interested in being the treasury secretary. JPMorgan spokespeople have not made any official comment. While a Trump transition team source told Reuters that Dimon is "pitching hard" for the Treasury role, two other sources indicated that he is not interested. The speculations over his departure have put JPMorgan’s investors in a state of frenzy. Dimon has run JPMorgan for a decade and is viewed as a torchbearer for Wall Street. He does not have a clear successor. "He is one of the best CEOs in the industry and corporate America, so if there were to be a quick departure that would be troubling," Walter Todd, chief investment officer at Greenwood Capital Management, which owns JPMorgan shares told Reuters. "It is very difficult to replace someone like him." Education secretary US media also reports that Trump is considering west Michigan donor and school choice advocate Betsy DeVos for the position of education secretary. According to The Detroit News,the 58-year-old billionaire power broker has strong political connections and is rooting for charter schools and vouchers which, proponents claim, give parents and students more freedom to seek a higher-quality education. Critics on the other hand view charter schools as an effort to privatise education at the expense of public schools. “As chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, DeVos was a driving force behind a failed 2000 ballot proposal that would have amended the Michigan Constitution to create a voucher system allowing taxpayer funds to follow students to nonpublic schools,” the Detroit News said in one of its reports. The report also cited federal records showing that DeVos donated more than $320,000 to the Republican Party, candidates and political organizations in 2016. The Detroit News added, however, that she did not contribute to Trump after giving to both former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina during the GOP primary. Trumo has said that he wants to invest $200 billion in school choice and he might consider eliminating or significantly reducing the size of the department of education. (WION)

Trump's transition team struggles to find takers to 'drain the swamp'

A day before US President-elect Donald Trump was set to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japanese officials say Trump&#39;s team has not provided any information when or where in New York the meeting will take place.&nbsp;

Abe will be the first foreign leader to meet Donald Trump after the November 8 upset win over Democrate nominee and rival Hillary Clinton.&nbsp;

The US state department has also not been involved in setting up the meeting, which ordinarily organises the details beforehand.&nbsp;

&quot;There has been a lot of confusion,&quot; one Japanese official said. The officials also said they did not to know who&nbsp;to contact regarding the meeting.&nbsp;Abe is currently on his way to the Asia-Pacific summit in Peru.

The disorganisation in Trump&#39;s team is visible with many vying for top posts in his cabinet, contenders being dropped off and criticism over his choice of chief strategist. Trump has denied that the transition is anything but smooth.&nbsp;

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The failing <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes">@nytimes</a> story is so totally wrong on transition. It is going so smoothly. Also, I have spoken to many foreign leaders.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/798861300453539840">November 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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State department spokesman John Kirby said Trump&#39;s transition team was not in touch with the department regarding the transition process or organising meetings with foreign dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Only a day away, Japanese officials say Trump's team has not provided any information about the meeting's time or location

A day before US President-elect Donald Trump was set to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japanese officials say Trump's team has not provided any information when or where in New York the meeting will take place. Abe will be the first foreign leader to meet Donald Trump after the November 8 upset win over Democrate nominee and rival Hillary Clinton. The US state department has also not been involved in setting up the meeting, which ordinarily organises the details beforehand. "There has been a lot of confusion," one Japanese official said. The officials also said they did not to know who to contact regarding the meeting. Abe is currently on his way to the Asia-Pacific summit in Peru. The disorganisation in Trump's team is visible with many vying for top posts in his cabinet, contenders being dropped off and criticism over his choice of chief strategist. Trump has denied that the transition is anything but smooth. The failing @nytimes story is so totally wrong on transition. It is going so smoothly. Also, I have spoken to many foreign leaders. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2016 × State department spokesman John Kirby said Trump's transition team was not in touch with the department regarding the transition process or organising meetings with foreign dignitaries. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump's meeting with Japan PM Abe shrouded in confusion

A few days after the American shoe making company New Balance came under fire for claiming that a Donald Trump presidency would lead to good things for the company, Neo-Nazis have now declared it the &ldquo;official shoes of white people&rdquo;.&nbsp;

This is the second time this week that New Balance has landed in troubled waters.&nbsp;

Just a few hours after Trump won the US presidency, a senior official of the shoe-making company&nbsp;told the Wall Street Journal that &ldquo;things would go in the right direction&rdquo; now that Trump is here.&nbsp;

The statement referred to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which would create a free trade zone in the US and other Latin American and Asian countries. New Balance has for long opposed the TPP, &nbsp;saying that it would hinder the company&#39;s business;&nbsp;New Balance is one of the last American-made shoe companies.&nbsp;

The company blamed the Obama administration for &ldquo;turning deaf ears&rdquo; for&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;the TPP, The Washington Post reported. While Trump opposed the TPP, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders did too.&nbsp;In a statement to the Boston Globe, New Balance defended its opposition to TPP, saying&nbsp;it wanted to &ldquo;make more shoes in the US, not less&quot;. It also stressed that it will continue to support trade policies endorsed by Clinton, Sanders and Trump during the election cycle.&nbsp;

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New Balance: &quot;The Obama admin turned a deaf ear to us &amp; frankly w/ Pres-Elect Trump we feel things are going to move in the right direction&quot;
&mdash; Sara Germano (@germanotes) <a href="https://twitter.com/germanotes/status/796479327911247876">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The company&#39;s stance pushed some&nbsp;Trump opponents, who believe that New Balance&#39;s support for&nbsp;Trump&#39;s&nbsp;TPP position&nbsp;means the company supports the President-elect&#39;s stance of racism and xenophobia, to burn&nbsp;their New Balance sneakers. Many of them even took to Twitter to show their outrage.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/germanotes">@germanotes</a> so the fact that he&#39;s a racist and wholly unfit for the presidency didn&#39;t bother them? All about profit.
&mdash; Shauna James Ahern (@glutenfreegirl) <a href="https://twitter.com/glutenfreegirl/status/796531122867994624">November 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/SoleCollector">@SoleCollector</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/newbalance">@newbalance</a> good to know. I made a little bonfire tonight :) <a href="https://t.co/yOdCTbQgac">pic.twitter.com/yOdCTbQgac</a>
&mdash; skreetware (@milftears) <a href="https://twitter.com/milftears/status/796557820829175808">November 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
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To assuage the angry protesters, the company&nbsp;came out with an official statement on the social media.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://t.co/biUiwFkNzS">pic.twitter.com/biUiwFkNzS</a>
&mdash; New Balance (@newbalance) <a href="https://twitter.com/newbalance/status/796776290699399168">November 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
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However, the damage already seems to be done.&nbsp;In a post written over the weekend, neo-Nazi blogger Andrew Anglin declared New Balance the &ldquo;Official Shoes of White People,&quot; Washington Post reported.&nbsp;

Anglin even said that the&nbsp;New Balance is now their &ldquo;uniform&rdquo; and claimed they should view the company&rsquo;s statement on Trump&nbsp;as &ldquo;a gesture to support White people and to support US manufacturing,&quot; The Washington Post reported.

After seeing the company being associated with a Neo-Nazi agenda, New Balance issued another official statement.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://t.co/lXtWlCFkIV">pic.twitter.com/lXtWlCFkIV</a>
&mdash; New Balance (@newbalance) <a href="https://twitter.com/newbalance/status/798322478389035009">November 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Anglin responded to the tweet by falsely claiming that New Balance&#39;s account was hacked by somebody to denounce his &quot;Republican agenda&quot;, the Washington Post&nbsp;said.&nbsp;

(WION)

The move comes few days after the shoe making company claimed Trump presidency would make things 'good for them'

A few days after the American shoe making company New Balance came under fire for claiming that a Donald Trump presidency would lead to good things for the company, Neo-Nazis have now declared it the “official shoes of white people”. This is the second time this week that New Balance has landed in troubled waters. Just a few hours after Trump won the US presidency, a senior official of the shoe-making company told the Wall Street Journal that “things would go in the right direction” now that Trump is here. The statement referred to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which would create a free trade zone in the US and other Latin American and Asian countries. New Balance has for long opposed the TPP, saying that it would hinder the company's business; New Balance is one of the last American-made shoe companies. The company blamed the Obama administration for “turning deaf ears” for supporting the TPP, The Washington Post reported. While Trump opposed the TPP, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders did too. In a statement to the Boston Globe, New Balance defended its opposition to TPP, saying it wanted to “make more shoes in the US, not less". It also stressed that it will continue to support trade policies endorsed by Clinton, Sanders and Trump during the election cycle. New Balance: "The Obama admin turned a deaf ear to us & frankly w/ Pres-Elect Trump we feel things are going to move in the right direction" — Sara Germano (@germanotes) November 9, 2016 × The company's stance pushed some Trump opponents, who believe that New Balance's support for Trump's TPP position means the company supports the President-elect's stance of racism and xenophobia, to burn their New Balance sneakers. Many of them even took to Twitter to show their outrage. @germanotes so the fact that he's a racist and wholly unfit for the presidency didn't bother them? All about profit. — Shauna James Ahern (@glutenfreegirl) November 10, 2016 × @SoleCollector @newbalance good to know. I made a little bonfire tonight :) pic.twitter.com/yOdCTbQgac — skreetware (@milftears) November 10, 2016 × To assuage the angry protesters, the company came out with an official statement on the social media. pic.twitter.com/biUiwFkNzS — New Balance (@newbalance) November 10, 2016 × However, the damage already seems to be done. In a post written over the weekend, neo-Nazi blogger Andrew Anglin declared New Balance the “Official Shoes of White People," Washington Post reported. Anglin even said that the New Balance is now their “uniform” and claimed they should view the company’s statement on Trump as “a gesture to support White people and to support US manufacturing," The Washington Post reported. After seeing the company being associated with a Neo-Nazi agenda, New Balance issued another official statement. pic.twitter.com/lXtWlCFkIV — New Balance (@newbalance) November 15, 2016 × Anglin responded to the tweet by falsely claiming that New Balance's account was hacked by somebody to denounce his "Republican agenda", the Washington Post said. (WION)

Neo-Nazis declare New Balance sneakers 'official shoes of white people'

US President-elect Donald Trump, with vice-president elect Mike Pence, is&nbsp;readying&nbsp;to appoint candidates to his transition team on Tuesday.&nbsp;Trump, a political novice, is looking to fill&nbsp;his team with&nbsp;loyalists,&nbsp;top contenders being former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and former UN ambassador John Bolton.

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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>
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Mike Rogers, a former US congressman was suggested as possible candidate for the post of CIA director, but was rejected because Trump&#39;s advisers believed he did not pressure rival Hillary Clinton when he was the head of the House of Representatives intelligence committee.&nbsp;

Trump also dropped New Jersey governor Chris Christie last week to lead his transition team and replaced him with Mike Pence. Pence, along with Trump&#39;s three older children, will be overseeing the process. But with only&nbsp;weeks left until Trump takes office, Pence has not filled out the necessary legal paperwork&nbsp;with President Barack Obama&#39;s team.&nbsp;

Christie had already negotiated and signed this paperwork while leading Trump&#39;s transition, but since he was replaced Friday, the Trump team has refused to sign the paperwork again. As the New York Times reported, the team is trying to alter and update the initial agreement Christie signed.

The paperwork, a standard arrangement between the president-elect and the standing president, guarantees that the Obama and Trump administration will not publicly share information about each other. It is known as a memorandum of understanding, or MOU.

The Washington Examiner&nbsp;reports that Trump&#39;s transition team failed to appear at the Pentagon. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-transition-team_us_582b9516e4b0aa8910bd97a5?">The Huffington Post</a> reports that officials waited in vain for&nbsp;Trump&#39;s transition team to appear at the Department of Energy, who keep the nuclear weapons safe,&nbsp;at&nbsp;the Department of Transportation, and at the Justice Department. This confusion makes it impossible for the agencies to communicate with the staff who will be replacing them.

Giuliani and Bolton are the top contenders for secretary of state.&nbsp;Both are considered hardliners in their approach towards national security.&nbsp;

Mike Flynn, a retired Lieutenant General is a top candidate as national security adviser, while Jeff Sessions, Alabama senator is being considered for secretary or defence or attorney general.&nbsp;Steve Mnuchin, a Wall Street executive, might serve as treasury secretary.&nbsp;

The Huffington Post characterises the transition problem&nbsp;as &quot;twofold&quot;. On the one hand, Trump&#39;s anti-establishment inner circle are reluctant to work with experienced Republicans. Meanwhile&nbsp;GOP members who were eager for political control are unwilling to work under Trump and members of his team.&nbsp;

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After exchange w Trump transition team, changed my recommendation: stay away. They&#39;re angry, arrogant, screaming &quot;you LOST!&quot; Will be ugly.
&mdash; Eliot A Cohen (@EliotACohen) <a href="https://twitter.com/EliotACohen/status/798512852931788800">November 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and former UN ambassador John Bolton are being considered for secretary of state

US President-elect Donald Trump, with vice-president elect Mike Pence, is readying to appoint candidates to his transition team on Tuesday. Trump, a political novice, is looking to fill his team with loyalists, top contenders being former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and former UN ambassador John Bolton. 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 × Mike Rogers, a former US congressman was suggested as possible candidate for the post of CIA director, but was rejected because Trump's advisers believed he did not pressure rival Hillary Clinton when he was the head of the House of Representatives intelligence committee. Trump also dropped New Jersey governor Chris Christie last week to lead his transition team and replaced him with Mike Pence. Pence, along with Trump's three older children, will be overseeing the process. But with only weeks left until Trump takes office, Pence has not filled out the necessary legal paperwork with President Barack Obama's team. Christie had already negotiated and signed this paperwork while leading Trump's transition, but since he was replaced Friday, the Trump team has refused to sign the paperwork again. As the New York Times reported, the team is trying to alter and update the initial agreement Christie signed. The paperwork, a standard arrangement between the president-elect and the standing president, guarantees that the Obama and Trump administration will not publicly share information about each other. It is known as a memorandum of understanding, or MOU. The Washington Examiner reports that Trump's transition team failed to appear at the Pentagon. The Huffington Post reports that officials waited in vain for Trump's transition team to appear at the Department of Energy, who keep the nuclear weapons safe, at the Department of Transportation, and at the Justice Department. This confusion makes it impossible for the agencies to communicate with the staff who will be replacing them. Giuliani and Bolton are the top contenders for secretary of state. Both are considered hardliners in their approach towards national security. Mike Flynn, a retired Lieutenant General is a top candidate as national security adviser, while Jeff Sessions, Alabama senator is being considered for secretary or defence or attorney general. Steve Mnuchin, a Wall Street executive, might serve as treasury secretary. The Huffington Post characterises the transition problem as "twofold". On the one hand, Trump's anti-establishment inner circle are reluctant to work with experienced Republicans. Meanwhile GOP members who were eager for political control are unwilling to work under Trump and members of his team. After exchange w Trump transition team, changed my recommendation: stay away. They're angry, arrogant, screaming "you LOST!" Will be ugly. — Eliot A Cohen (@EliotACohen) November 15, 2016 × (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump leans toward loyalists as he mulls US Cabinet picks

PepsiCo&#39;s India-born CEO Indra Nooyi has said Hillary Clinton&#39;s defeat in the elections has left her daughters, gay workers and&nbsp;employees&nbsp;devasted, as there was &quot;serious concern&quot; among them about their safety in the US with Donald Trump as president.

&quot;Do you have a box of tissues here,&quot; Nooyi, a staunch Clinton supporter, said at the New York Times Dealbook Conference&nbsp;when asked how she felt on the morning of November 9, when Trump won the presidential election.

A visibly dejected Nooyi said Clinton&#39;s loss left her daughters and PepsiCo&#39;s employees devastated, and there were serious concerns among the company&#39;s workers, especially the non-white employees, about their safety in an America with Trump as its president.

&quot;I had to answer a lot of questions from my daughters, from our employees. They were all in mourning. Our employees were all crying. The question that they are asking, especially those who are not white, &#39;Are we safe?&#39;.&nbsp;Women are asking &#39;Are we safe?&#39;.&nbsp;LGBT people are asking &#39;Are we safe?&#39;&quot;&nbsp;she said at the conference on November 10.

Nooyi said she had never thought she would have to answer such questions, stressing that people across America should be assured that they will continue to be safe in the country.

&quot;The first thing that we all have to do is to assure everybody in the US that they are safe, nothing has changed because of this election. What we heard was election talk and that we will all come together and unify the country,&quot; she said.

Congratulating President-elect Donald Trump, Nooyi said those who supported Clinton are mourning but life has to go on.

&quot;The process of democracy happened, we just have to let life go on. We have to come together and life has to go on,&quot; she said.

Nooyi voiced concern that real issues facing the country were not talked about in the election campaign and serious discussions cannot happen in &quot;bursts of sound bites&quot; or 140 characters on social media.

&quot;...A lot of what should have been said during the elections, I don&#39;t think was said because I think we let the politics trump the issues. Pardon the pun, but I think that is what happened.

&quot;The real issues that face us as a country were never talked about, the reason being that if the real issues were put on the table we would have had to engage on a serious discussion. I don&#39;t think we are ready for serious discussions because the real issues don&#39;t lend themselves to 140 characters, the real issues don&#39;t lend themselves to sound bites on TV,&quot; she said.

Nooyi emphasised that at some point the nation will have to &quot;pick up the big issues of technological unemployment, global trade, immigration - all of which needs reform and have serious conversation about that. Who is going to call for that dialogue, who will participate in that dialogue and what are we going to do about the dialogue are all big questions. I don&#39;t know how we can have it in short bursts of sound bites. It would be counterproductive to do it in sound bites,&quot; she said.

(PTI)

Indra Nooyi said Clinton's loss left her daughters, gay workers and employees devasted and concerned about their safety

PepsiCo's India-born CEO Indra Nooyi has said Hillary Clinton's defeat in the elections has left her daughters, gay workers and employees devasted, as there was "serious concern" among them about their safety in the US with Donald Trump as president. "Do you have a box of tissues here," Nooyi, a staunch Clinton supporter, said at the New York Times Dealbook Conference when asked how she felt on the morning of November 9, when Trump won the presidential election. A visibly dejected Nooyi said Clinton's loss left her daughters and PepsiCo's employees devastated, and there were serious concerns among the company's workers, especially the non-white employees, about their safety in an America with Trump as its president. "I had to answer a lot of questions from my daughters, from our employees. They were all in mourning. Our employees were all crying. The question that they are asking, especially those who are not white, 'Are we safe?'. Women are asking 'Are we safe?'. LGBT people are asking 'Are we safe?'" she said at the conference on November 10. Nooyi said she had never thought she would have to answer such questions, stressing that people across America should be assured that they will continue to be safe in the country. "The first thing that we all have to do is to assure everybody in the US that they are safe, nothing has changed because of this election. What we heard was election talk and that we will all come together and unify the country," she said. Congratulating President-elect Donald Trump, Nooyi said those who supported Clinton are mourning but life has to go on. "The process of democracy happened, we just have to let life go on. We have to come together and life has to go on," she said. Nooyi voiced concern that real issues facing the country were not talked about in the election campaign and serious discussions cannot happen in "bursts of sound bites" or 140 characters on social media. "...A lot of what should have been said during the elections, I don't think was said because I think we let the politics trump the issues. Pardon the pun, but I think that is what happened. "The real issues that face us as a country were never talked about, the reason being that if the real issues were put on the table we would have had to engage on a serious discussion. I don't think we are ready for serious discussions because the real issues don't lend themselves to 140 characters, the real issues don't lend themselves to sound bites on TV," she said. Nooyi emphasised that at some point the nation will have to "pick up the big issues of technological unemployment, global trade, immigration - all of which needs reform and have serious conversation about that. Who is going to call for that dialogue, who will participate in that dialogue and what are we going to do about the dialogue are all big questions. I don't know how we can have it in short bursts of sound bites. It would be counterproductive to do it in sound bites," she said. (PTI)

Employees are scared for their safety after Trump's win: PepsiCo CEO

From the fight against climate change to dwindling budgets for research, the US scientific community fears the worst under Donald Trump, seen by many as the most hostile to science of any American president in history.

Trump will be &quot;the first anti-science president we have ever had,&quot; warned Michael Lubell, director of public affairs for the American Physical Society in Washington, in the British journal Nature. &quot;The consequences are going to be very, very severe.&quot;

Meanwhile, the vice president-elect, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, is an ultraconservative and a creationist who has rejected Charles Darwin&#39;s theory of evolution, the foundation of modern biology.

&quot;There&#39;s a fear that the scientific infrastructure in the US is going to be on its knees,&quot; said Robin Bell, a geophysicist at Columbia University and incoming president-elect of the American Geophysical Union. &quot;Everything from funding to being able to attract the global leaders we need to do basic science research.&quot;

A key worry is how the New York billionaire declared climate change to be &quot;hoax&quot; orchestrated by the Chinese, and vowed to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.&nbsp;

&quot;If Trump makes good on his campaign promises and pulls out of the Paris Treaty, it is difficult to see a path forward to keeping warming below dangerous levels,&quot; said Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) at Pennsylvania State University.

&nbsp;

Lost decade

The United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China. For John Abraham, professor of engineering at University of St&nbsp;Thomas in Minnesota, the election of Trump &quot;has cost us at least a decade&quot; in the fight against global warming.

&quot;I study ocean warming and energy balances of the Earth,&quot; he told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;The data is staring us right in the face. We could not afford this election result.&quot;

&quot;The only way we can avoid serious climate change is to rapidly implement Obama&#39;s work,&quot; he added.

Early in October, nearly 400 scientists, including 30 Nobel laureates, wrote an open letter, criticising Trump&#39;s proposed plans to abandon global climate deals.

&quot;A &#39;Parexit&#39; would send a clear signal to the rest of the world: &#39;The United States does not care about the global problems of human-caused climate change,&#39;&quot; they wrote. &quot;The consequences of opting out of the global community would be severe and long-lasting -- for our planet&#39;s climate and for the international credibility of the United States.&quot;

&nbsp;

Trump &#39;uninformed&#39;

&quot;Clearly he is uninformed on many things,&quot; said Rush Holt, director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world&#39;s largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science.

He raised concern about Trump&#39;s choice of leading climate skeptic Myron Ebell to head the transition of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency through which President Barack Obama set many of his tougher regulations on pollution from power plants and automobiles.&nbsp;

However Holt, a former lawmaker himself, cautioned that when it comes to Trump, &quot;it&#39;s not really clear what he thinks about climate change,&quot; he told AFP, noting that Trump has often made contradictory statements. For instance, Trump applied for permits to build a sea wall protecting one of his golf courses in Ireland, citing the dangers of sea level rise.

&quot;It may well be that if it&#39;s presented to him as a matter of dollars and cents then he would think about it differently than if it is presented as a matter of domestic politics or international politics.&quot;

Perhaps the realm of space exploration,&nbsp;long a bipartisan source of pride among Americans,&nbsp;is the only area of science where Trump&#39;s support has been clear. Answering a question from ScienceDebate.org, Trump said space exploration will promote interest in science education and bring jobs and investment to the country.

&quot;Observation from space and exploring beyond our own space neighbourhood should be priorities,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

Trump declared climate change to be a 'hoax' orchestrated by China, and vowed to pull out from the legally-binding Paris climate accord

From the fight against climate change to dwindling budgets for research, the US scientific community fears the worst under Donald Trump, seen by many as the most hostile to science of any American president in history. Trump will be "the first anti-science president we have ever had," warned Michael Lubell, director of public affairs for the American Physical Society in Washington, in the British journal Nature. "The consequences are going to be very, very severe." Meanwhile, the vice president-elect, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, is an ultraconservative and a creationist who has rejected Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, the foundation of modern biology. "There's a fear that the scientific infrastructure in the US is going to be on its knees," said Robin Bell, a geophysicist at Columbia University and incoming president-elect of the American Geophysical Union. "Everything from funding to being able to attract the global leaders we need to do basic science research." A key worry is how the New York billionaire declared climate change to be "hoax" orchestrated by the Chinese, and vowed to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. "If Trump makes good on his campaign promises and pulls out of the Paris Treaty, it is difficult to see a path forward to keeping warming below dangerous levels," said Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) at Pennsylvania State University. Lost decade The United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China. For John Abraham, professor of engineering at University of St Thomas in Minnesota, the election of Trump "has cost us at least a decade" in the fight against global warming. "I study ocean warming and energy balances of the Earth," he told AFP. "The data is staring us right in the face. We could not afford this election result." "The only way we can avoid serious climate change is to rapidly implement Obama's work," he added. Early in October, nearly 400 scientists, including 30 Nobel laureates, wrote an open letter, criticising Trump's proposed plans to abandon global climate deals. "A 'Parexit' would send a clear signal to the rest of the world: 'The United States does not care about the global problems of human-caused climate change,'" they wrote. "The consequences of opting out of the global community would be severe and long-lasting -- for our planet's climate and for the international credibility of the United States." Trump 'uninformed' "Clearly he is uninformed on many things," said Rush Holt, director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science. He raised concern about Trump's choice of leading climate skeptic Myron Ebell to head the transition of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency through which President Barack Obama set many of his tougher regulations on pollution from power plants and automobiles. However Holt, a former lawmaker himself, cautioned that when it comes to Trump, "it's not really clear what he thinks about climate change," he told AFP, noting that Trump has often made contradictory statements. For instance, Trump applied for permits to build a sea wall protecting one of his golf courses in Ireland, citing the dangers of sea level rise. "It may well be that if it's presented to him as a matter of dollars and cents then he would think about it differently than if it is presented as a matter of domestic politics or international politics." Perhaps the realm of space exploration, long a bipartisan source of pride among Americans, is the only area of science where Trump's support has been clear. Answering a question from ScienceDebate.org, Trump said space exploration will promote interest in science education and bring jobs and investment to the country. "Observation from space and exploring beyond our own space neighbourhood should be priorities," he said. (AFP)

Trump presidency has American scientists scared

Donald Trump in 2012 stated on Twitter that the electoral college was a &quot;disaster for democracy&quot;, but his opinion has reversed itself ever since being elected the next US president despite losing the popular vote.

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That feeling when the system is rigged, but then you realize it&#39;s rigged in a way that benefits you <a href="https://t.co/rCCCjUzEPr">pic.twitter.com/rCCCjUzEPr</a>
&mdash; Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattdpearce/status/798522791997771780">November 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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On Tuesday, Trump said that the electoral college was &quot;actually genius&quot;.

Trump appeared&nbsp;sensitive against the charge that his presidency isn&#39;t a reflection of the will of the American populace, and&nbsp;defended himself for winning the presidency even though more Americans voted for Hillary Clinton

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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>
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&nbsp;

(WION)

&nbsp;

In 2012 he called it a 'disaster for a democracy', but after winning the US election despite losing the popular vote he said it was 'genius'

Donald Trump in 2012 stated on Twitter that the electoral college was a "disaster for democracy", but his opinion has reversed itself ever since being elected the next US president despite losing the popular vote. That feeling when the system is rigged, but then you realize it's rigged in a way that benefits you pic.twitter.com/rCCCjUzEPr — Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) November 15, 2016 × On Tuesday, Trump said that the electoral college was "actually genius". Trump appeared sensitive against the charge that his presidency isn't a reflection of the will of the American populace, and defended himself for winning the presidency even though more Americans voted for Hillary Clinton 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 × (WION)

Trump reverses opinion of electoral college

The deal struck between Australia and the outgoing Obama administration to relocate as many as 1,200 asylum seekers to the United States will begin after President-elect Donald Trump takes over the office in January 2017, Reuters reported Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as saying.

Turnbull on Sunday&nbsp;said that the US had agreed to take &ldquo;substantial&rdquo; number of refugees held in the detention camps of Papua New Guinea and the island of Nauru, Reuters reported. Many of the refugees are Muslims who have fled conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Trump&#39;s transition team, however, has not commented on the deal that was announced earlier this month.&nbsp;

The spokesperson for the US State Department, too, refused to provide the details on Turnbull&#39;s comments, but said that &ldquo;the United States had a longstanding programme of accepting refugees referred for resettlement by the UN refugee agency and would determine the size of in consultation with that agency&rdquo;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Asylum seeker&nbsp;deals

The resettlement deal was announced as a quid pro quo after the Australian government agreed to accept people from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador as part of Australia&#39;s annual intake of 18,750 asylum seekers, thus helping the Central American refugees from Washington to resettle.&nbsp;

Analysts have, however, suggested that the timings of the deal, that came days before in the anticipation of Democrat Hillary Clinton winning the US presidency, might mean that the deal could be dashed. Trump, notorious&nbsp;for his anti-immigration stance, on Sunday said that he &nbsp;would deport up to three&nbsp;million illegal immigrants living in the US.&nbsp;

&quot;But by holding off and starting the process in the expectation that Hillary Clinton would win the US presidency, it gives Trump the ability to reject the deal,&rdquo; said Peter Chen, professor of political science, University of Sydney. Should Trump reject the deal, Turnbull would have to look for another country that would take the refugees, Reuters said.

Turnbull, however, expressed confidence in the new US administration standing by the deal, since it did not require any increase in the United States&#39; annual intake of asylum seekers, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump's anti-refugee comments during the election makes it uncertain if this already made US-Australia asylum seeker deal will be honoured

The deal struck between Australia and the outgoing Obama administration to relocate as many as 1,200 asylum seekers to the United States will begin after President-elect Donald Trump takes over the office in January 2017, Reuters reported Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as saying. Turnbull on Sunday said that the US had agreed to take “substantial” number of refugees held in the detention camps of Papua New Guinea and the island of Nauru, Reuters reported. Many of the refugees are Muslims who have fled conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Trump's transition team, however, has not commented on the deal that was announced earlier this month. The spokesperson for the US State Department, too, refused to provide the details on Turnbull's comments, but said that “the United States had a longstanding programme of accepting refugees referred for resettlement by the UN refugee agency and would determine the size of in consultation with that agency”. Asylum seeker deals The resettlement deal was announced as a quid pro quo after the Australian government agreed to accept people from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador as part of Australia's annual intake of 18,750 asylum seekers, thus helping the Central American refugees from Washington to resettle. Analysts have, however, suggested that the timings of the deal, that came days before in the anticipation of Democrat Hillary Clinton winning the US presidency, might mean that the deal could be dashed. Trump, notorious for his anti-immigration stance, on Sunday said that he would deport up to three million illegal immigrants living in the US. "But by holding off and starting the process in the expectation that Hillary Clinton would win the US presidency, it gives Trump the ability to reject the deal,” said Peter Chen, professor of political science, University of Sydney. Should Trump reject the deal, Turnbull would have to look for another country that would take the refugees, Reuters said. Turnbull, however, expressed confidence in the new US administration standing by the deal, since it did not require any increase in the United States' annual intake of asylum seekers, Reuters reported. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

After Trump takes office, about 1,200 asylum seekers to be resettled in US: Australian PM Turnbull

A week after climate change denier Donald Trump&#39;s election to the White House, world leaders will on Tuesday address a key UN meeting in Marrakesh to keep a climate rescue plan on track.&nbsp;

UN chief Ban Ki-moon, King Mohammed of conference host Morocco, and France&#39;s President Francois Hollande will open a &quot;high-level&quot; segment of the annual UN forum, the first since last year&#39;s adoption of the Paris Agreement to stave off calamitous global warming.

This will be followed by speeches from nearly 60 heads of state and government from mainly African countries, but also some from Europe and several island states.

&quot;We expect of the heads of state to reiterate their commitment (to the deal)... and send a strong message to Trump and the rest of the world,&quot; Celia Gautier of the Climate Action Network, a grouping of NGOs, told AFP on Monday.

The election of Trump, who has called climate change a &quot;hoax&quot; and has threatened to &quot;cancel&quot; the Paris pact, has been uppermost on the minds of many delegates and negotiators gathered since last Monday to thrash out a roadmap for putting the agreement into action.

The hard-fought deal set an objective of limiting average global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels by cutting planet-heating greenhouse gases from burning coal, oil, and gas.

Many fear that withdrawal by the United States, a champion of the deal under Barack Obama, would shatter the political goodwill built up over years of negotiations, and put the very planet-saving goals of the deal at risk.&nbsp;

While waiting for news from Washington, many now look to the rest of the world to strongly restate their commitment to the pact -- with or without the US.

All eyes will be on Marrakesh, where 39 kings and presidents and 18 prime ministers are scheduled to address the 22nd Conference of Parties (COP22 for short) of the UN&#39;s climate convention, which gathers 196 nations and the EU bloc.

Call to action&nbsp;

To date, 109 of the 197 parties have officially ratified the Paris Agreement, which entered into force on November 4 after crossing the threshold of 55 ratifications by countries representing 55 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

They included the United States, which represents about 14 percent of global emissions, and China which accounts for 25 percent.

Beijing&#39;s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua stressed Monday that tackling climate was a &quot;common and shared responsibility&quot;.

&quot;International cooperation is a must for us to address climate change,&quot; he said in Marrakesh.

In Marrakesh, developing nations have been pushing for stronger finance commitments from the developed world, particularly for infrastructure to help them better cope with climate change-induced harms.

Scientists say warming over 2 degrees&nbsp;Celsius will yield dangerous sea level rise, harsher storms, and droughts, disease spread and conflict over ever-scarcer resources.

&quot;Now, more than ever, governments meeting in Marrakesh must commit to action to protect millions of vulnerable people from climate change,&quot; said Oxfam, which fights for poor people&#39;s interests at the climate talks.

Among the speakers on Tuesday&#39;s agenda are Sudan&#39;s Omar al-Bashir, for whom the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur.

Approached for comment, the UNFCCC said by email on Monday Bashir was invited by Morocco, which is not a party to the court&#39;s founding Rome Statute.

&quot;If even al-Bashir can contribute to the global climate effort, then President-elect Donald Trump will have no excuse,&quot; commented climate activist Mohamed Adow of ChristianAid.

(AFP)

World leaders will address a key UN meeting in Marrakesh on Tuesday, try and keep the Paris Agreement on track.?

A week after climate change denier Donald Trump's election to the White House, world leaders will on Tuesday address a key UN meeting in Marrakesh to keep a climate rescue plan on track. UN chief Ban Ki-moon, King Mohammed of conference host Morocco, and France's President Francois Hollande will open a "high-level" segment of the annual UN forum, the first since last year's adoption of the Paris Agreement to stave off calamitous global warming. This will be followed by speeches from nearly 60 heads of state and government from mainly African countries, but also some from Europe and several island states. "We expect of the heads of state to reiterate their commitment (to the deal)... and send a strong message to Trump and the rest of the world," Celia Gautier of the Climate Action Network, a grouping of NGOs, told AFP on Monday. The election of Trump, who has called climate change a "hoax" and has threatened to "cancel" the Paris pact, has been uppermost on the minds of many delegates and negotiators gathered since last Monday to thrash out a roadmap for putting the agreement into action. The hard-fought deal set an objective of limiting average global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels by cutting planet-heating greenhouse gases from burning coal, oil, and gas. Many fear that withdrawal by the United States, a champion of the deal under Barack Obama, would shatter the political goodwill built up over years of negotiations, and put the very planet-saving goals of the deal at risk. While waiting for news from Washington, many now look to the rest of the world to strongly restate their commitment to the pact -- with or without the US. All eyes will be on Marrakesh, where 39 kings and presidents and 18 prime ministers are scheduled to address the 22nd Conference of Parties (COP22 for short) of the UN's climate convention, which gathers 196 nations and the EU bloc. Call to action To date, 109 of the 197 parties have officially ratified the Paris Agreement, which entered into force on November 4 after crossing the threshold of 55 ratifications by countries representing 55 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. They included the United States, which represents about 14 percent of global emissions, and China which accounts for 25 percent. Beijing's climate envoy Xie Zhenhua stressed Monday that tackling climate was a "common and shared responsibility". "International cooperation is a must for us to address climate change," he said in Marrakesh. In Marrakesh, developing nations have been pushing for stronger finance commitments from the developed world, particularly for infrastructure to help them better cope with climate change-induced harms. Scientists say warming over 2 degrees Celsius will yield dangerous sea level rise, harsher storms, and droughts, disease spread and conflict over ever-scarcer resources. "Now, more than ever, governments meeting in Marrakesh must commit to action to protect millions of vulnerable people from climate change," said Oxfam, which fights for poor people's interests at the climate talks. Among the speakers on Tuesday's agenda are Sudan's Omar al-Bashir, for whom the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur. Approached for comment, the UNFCCC said by email on Monday Bashir was invited by Morocco, which is not a party to the court's founding Rome Statute. "If even al-Bashir can contribute to the global climate effort, then President-elect Donald Trump will have no excuse," commented climate activist Mohamed Adow of ChristianAid. (AFP)

Under Trump shadow, world leaders tackle climate change

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