Fox Corp debuted on the Nasdaq on Tuesday, marking a new phase for billionaire Rupert Murdoch's media business after the $71 billion sale of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc's film and television assets to Walt Disney Co.

The company also appointed former US House Speaker Paul Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Formula One Group Chase Carey and two others to its board. Carey was president and chief operating officer at Twenty-First Century Fox from 2009 to 2015.

The newly spun-off media company, which will house assets including Fox News Channel and Fox Broadcast Network, is expected to bring in around $10 billion in annual revenue.

Brokerage MoffettNathanson had started covering Fox with "buy" rating last week ahead of the debut, saying Fox Broadcasting Network and Fox News are "an unrivaled pair of must-have" content that will drive strong, industry-leading revenue growth for years.

Meanwhile, Disney's deal got the last approval from Mexico's telecoms regulator last week, subject to conditions including the sale of Fox Sports channels.

The US Justice Department too has asked Disney, which owns cable sports network ESPN, to divest Fox's 22 networks that provide sports programming for regional and local markets.

Disney won a bidding war last year against cable company Comcast Corp to acquire Twenty-First Century's film and TV assets.

Share of the company was trading marginally down 0.9 per cent at $41.29 on Tuesday.

Fox Corp debuted on the Nasdaq on Tuesday, marking a new phase for billionaire Rupert Murdoch's media business after the $71 billion sale of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc's film and television assets to Walt Disney Co.

Fox Corp debuted on the Nasdaq on Tuesday, marking a new phase for billionaire Rupert Murdoch's media business after the $71 billion sale of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc's film and television assets to Walt Disney Co. The company also appointed former US House Speaker Paul Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Formula One Group Chase Carey and two others to its board. Carey was president and chief operating officer at Twenty-First Century Fox from 2009 to 2015. The newly spun-off media company, which will house assets including Fox News Channel and Fox Broadcast Network, is expected to bring in around $10 billion in annual revenue. Brokerage MoffettNathanson had started covering Fox with "buy" rating last week ahead of the debut, saying Fox Broadcasting Network and Fox News are "an unrivaled pair of must-have" content that will drive strong, industry-leading revenue growth for years. Meanwhile, Disney's deal got the last approval from Mexico's telecoms regulator last week, subject to conditions including the sale of Fox Sports channels. The US Justice Department too has asked Disney, which owns cable sports network ESPN, to divest Fox's 22 networks that provide sports programming for regional and local markets. Disney won a bidding war last year against cable company Comcast Corp to acquire Twenty-First Century's film and TV assets. Share of the company was trading marginally down 0.9 per cent at $41.29 on Tuesday.

Murdoch's new Fox debuts on Nasdaq, names ex-Speaker Paul Ryan to board

US lawmakers advanced a critical $1.3 trillion federal spending bill Thursday, as Congress sprints to avoid a another embarrassing government shutdown ahead of a rapidly approaching funding deadline.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump has given his blessing to the bipartisan deal that negotiators clinched the previous evening, even though the White House acknowledged it did not fulfill all of their wishes.

With a Friday midnight deadline looming, the catchall bill, known as an &quot;omnibus,&quot; comfortably passed the House of Representatives on a 256-167 vote.

&quot;The House just voted to rebuild our military, secure our borders, and give our service members their largest pay raise in eight years,&quot; House Speaker Paul Ryan said after the vote.&nbsp;

The bill now heads to the Senate for debate and final passage. It was introduced late Wednesday after weeks of haggling, leaving lawmakers mere hours to peruse and vote on a 2,232-page bill that will touch every aspect of American life.

&quot;Is the president going to sign the bill? The answer is yes,&quot; Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters.

&quot;Is it perfect? No. Is it exactly what we asked for? No.&quot;

It sets defense spending levels at $700 billion for the year, an increase of $61 billion over the 2017 cap, while non-defense domestic spending will reach $591 billion, an increase of about 10 percent.

It provides $1.6 billion -- far less than Trump wanted -- for border security and funds to construct or fix nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) of border fencing and barriers, boosts infrastructure spending, and increases funds for school safety and student grants.

It leaves intact funding for women`s health provider Planned Parenthood, a target of relentless criticsm from pro-life Republicans.But in a major blow to Democrats, it fails to include protections for immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children, or language that would help prevent the president from firing Robert Mueller, the special counsel heading the investigation of Russia`s meddling in the 2016 elections.

And it leaves out a long-sought provision to stabilize the insurance market by funding subsidies that could lower insurance rates for low-income families by about 40 percent.

That health care negotiation apparently broke down over disputes over abortion-related language in the bill.

&quot;I`m extremely disappointed,&quot; the provision`s co-author, Senate Republican Susan Collins, told reporters.

Among the sensitive issues addressed in the bill is gun safety, which has been the focus of national attention in the aftermath of deadly school shootings.&nbsp;

Lawmakers said it includes a provision to strengthen compliance with background checks for firearm sales, and one that reverses what has essentially served as a ban on federal research on gun violence.

Even while professing his support, Trump lamented having to &quot;waste money&quot; on &quot;Dem giveaways&quot; to secure the military funding.

Timing over the next 36 hours is critical.&nbsp;

The Senate is now set to consider the measure, but any senator can slow down the process if he or she does not want to speed the bill through, dragging debate beyond the Friday deadline.&nbsp;

&quot;Clearly it`s a concern,&quot; Republican Senator Roger Wicker told AFP about the short timing. &quot;And it`s a very poor way to legislate.&quot;

US lawmakers advanced a critical $1.3 trillion federal spending bill Thursday, as Congress sprints to avoid another embarrassing government shutdown ahead of a rapidly approaching funding deadline

US lawmakers advanced a critical $1.3 trillion federal spending bill Thursday, as Congress sprints to avoid a another embarrassing government shutdown ahead of a rapidly approaching funding deadline. President Donald Trump has given his blessing to the bipartisan deal that negotiators clinched the previous evening, even though the White House acknowledged it did not fulfill all of their wishes. With a Friday midnight deadline looming, the catchall bill, known as an "omnibus," comfortably passed the House of Representatives on a 256-167 vote. "The House just voted to rebuild our military, secure our borders, and give our service members their largest pay raise in eight years," House Speaker Paul Ryan said after the vote. The bill now heads to the Senate for debate and final passage. It was introduced late Wednesday after weeks of haggling, leaving lawmakers mere hours to peruse and vote on a 2,232-page bill that will touch every aspect of American life. "Is the president going to sign the bill? The answer is yes," Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters. "Is it perfect? No. Is it exactly what we asked for? No." It sets defense spending levels at $700 billion for the year, an increase of $61 billion over the 2017 cap, while non-defense domestic spending will reach $591 billion, an increase of about 10 percent. It provides $1.6 billion -- far less than Trump wanted -- for border security and funds to construct or fix nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) of border fencing and barriers, boosts infrastructure spending, and increases funds for school safety and student grants. It leaves intact funding for women`s health provider Planned Parenthood, a target of relentless criticsm from pro-life Republicans.But in a major blow to Democrats, it fails to include protections for immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children, or language that would help prevent the president from firing Robert Mueller, the special counsel heading the investigation of Russia`s meddling in the 2016 elections. And it leaves out a long-sought provision to stabilize the insurance market by funding subsidies that could lower insurance rates for low-income families by about 40 percent. That health care negotiation apparently broke down over disputes over abortion-related language in the bill. "I`m extremely disappointed," the provision`s co-author, Senate Republican Susan Collins, told reporters. Among the sensitive issues addressed in the bill is gun safety, which has been the focus of national attention in the aftermath of deadly school shootings. Lawmakers said it includes a provision to strengthen compliance with background checks for firearm sales, and one that reverses what has essentially served as a ban on federal research on gun violence. Even while professing his support, Trump lamented having to "waste money" on "Dem giveaways" to secure the military funding. Timing over the next 36 hours is critical. The Senate is now set to consider the measure, but any senator can slow down the process if he or she does not want to speed the bill through, dragging debate beyond the Friday deadline. "Clearly it`s a concern," Republican Senator Roger Wicker told AFP about the short timing. "And it`s a very poor way to legislate."

US spending bill passes House, heads to Senate as shutdown deadline looms

US&nbsp;House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday (March 20) said he has been assured that fellow Republican President Donald Trump is not considering firing U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

&quot;The special counsel should be free to follow through his investigation to completion without interference, absolutely,&quot; Ryan said at a news conference. &quot;I am confident that he&#39;ll be able to do that. I&#39;ve received assurances that his firing is not even under consideration.&quot;

Ryan, who has supported the special counsel probe of Russian election meddling, did not elaborate on the assurances.&nbsp;&nbsp;

He did not answer if legislation to protect Mueller was something he would support.

Ryan&#39;s statement comes as Republicans face criticism for not taking a hard stance against the possibility that President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/donald-trump/">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;could fire the special counsel. The speaker&#39;s remarks largely line up with other GOP lawmakers&#39; statements on Mueller.

Ryan, who has supported the special counsel probe of Russian election meddling, did not elaborate on the assurances

US House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday (March 20) said he has been assured that fellow Republican President Donald Trump is not considering firing U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller. "The special counsel should be free to follow through his investigation to completion without interference, absolutely," Ryan said at a news conference. "I am confident that he'll be able to do that. I've received assurances that his firing is not even under consideration." Ryan, who has supported the special counsel probe of Russian election meddling, did not elaborate on the assurances. He did not answer if legislation to protect Mueller was something he would support. Ryan's statement comes as Republicans face criticism for not taking a hard stance against the possibility that President Donald Trump could fire the special counsel. The speaker's remarks largely line up with other GOP lawmakers' statements on Mueller.

US House Speaker Ryan says assured Trump won't fire Mueller

US President Donald Trump slapped steep trade tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum Thursday, drawing sharp protests from allies at home and abroad as the contentious move raised the specter of a global trade war.&nbsp;

Signaling a sharp departure from a decades-long US-led drive for more open and less regulated trade, Trump declared that America had been &quot;ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices.&quot;

&quot;It&#39;s really an assault on our country,&quot; he said, in announcing the tariffs of 25 per cent on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminum.

Trump said the tariffs -- which will come into effect after 15 days -- will not initially apply to Canada and Mexico, and that close partners on security and trade could negotiate exemptions.

&quot;Many of the countries that treat us the worst on trade and on the military are our allies, as they call them,&quot; he complained.

The tariffs, worth billions of dollars, sparked immediate protests from top trading partners the European Union and Brazil, with retaliatory action expected from China and other economic powers.

Leaning on a little-used and decades old national security clause in US trade law, Trump said he was fulfilling a campaign promise.

&quot;I&#39;ve been talking about this a long time, a lot longer than my political career,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ve been treated very badly by our past administrations, by presidents that represented us that didn&#39;t know what they were doing.&quot;

The mercurial 45th president compared his action to those of predecessors George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and William McKinley.

Real friends

Canada, America&#39;s neighbor to the north, was its single-largest source of steel last year, followed by Brazil, South Korea, Russia, Mexico, Japan and Germany.

Regarding alumina and aluminum, Canada was also by far the largest supplier followed by China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump had indicated he would be flexible toward &quot;real friends,&quot; and during the signing confirmed Canada and Mexico would be permanently exempted if the ongoing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement is successful.

The US leader had also added Australia to a list of likely carve-outs, as a &quot;great country&quot; and &quot;long term partner.&quot;

But he singled out Germany for criticism, reviving a longstanding gripe that European NATO allies do not pay their fair share.

&quot;We have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years on trade and on military,&quot; he said.

The EU&#39;s top trade official Cecilia Malmstroem insisted the entire bloc &quot;should be excluded&quot; from the tariffs as a &quot;close ally,&quot; vowing to &quot;seek more clarity&quot; from Washington.&nbsp;

Britain meanwhile said it would &quot;work with EU partners to consider the scope for exemptions outlined today,&quot; saying &quot;tariffs are not the right way&quot; to tackle the problem of global over-capacity in steel.

Major producer Brazil immediately vowed to take &quot;all necessary steps&quot; in order to &quot;protect its rights and interests&quot; in response to the US move.

China had also warned it was ready to respond -- although Trump struck a more conciliatory tone in his announcement, pointing to negotiations under way to trim Washington&#39;s soaring bilateral trade deficit with Beijing.

Partners promise backlash&nbsp;

Last week Trump stunned the world -- and his own aides -- with an off-the-cuff announcement of his plan, even before White House lawyers judged the legality of the tariffs.&nbsp;

The metals are used in everything from cars to construction, roads to railways.&nbsp;

While the full economic impact remains unknown, the political fallout was swift with the top Republican in Congress Paul Ryan publicly denouncing Trump&#39;s move, and vowing to push him to narrow its focus to &quot;countries and practices that violate trade law.&quot;

More than 100 Republican lawmakers had written to Trump expressing &quot;deep concern&quot; about the policy, which threatens to sour already vinegared trans-Atlantic relations.

The European Union has promised tariffs on items from steel to peanut butter, bourbon and denim -- most of which are produced in states that Trump needs to win reelection.

Even as Trump approved the tariffs, 11 partners in the Asia-Pacific were in Santiago, Chile, to sign a multilateral trade deal embraced by president Barack Obama but rejected by Trump.&nbsp;

The White House was left scrambling to catch up following Trump&#39;s shock move last week, as top economic advisor Gary Cohn -- who opposed it -- quit in protest.

&quot;He may be globalist, but I still like him,&quot; Trump joked earlier Thursday, alluding to an ideological clash within his administration that the &quot;nationalists&quot; appear to have decisively won.

Signaling a sharp departure from a decades-long US-led drive for more open and less regulated trade, Trump declared that America had been 'ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices'

US President Donald Trump slapped steep trade tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum Thursday, drawing sharp protests from allies at home and abroad as the contentious move raised the specter of a global trade war. Signaling a sharp departure from a decades-long US-led drive for more open and less regulated trade, Trump declared that America had been "ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices." "It's really an assault on our country," he said, in announcing the tariffs of 25 per cent on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminum. Trump said the tariffs -- which will come into effect after 15 days -- will not initially apply to Canada and Mexico, and that close partners on security and trade could negotiate exemptions. "Many of the countries that treat us the worst on trade and on the military are our allies, as they call them," he complained. The tariffs, worth billions of dollars, sparked immediate protests from top trading partners the European Union and Brazil, with retaliatory action expected from China and other economic powers. Leaning on a little-used and decades old national security clause in US trade law, Trump said he was fulfilling a campaign promise. "I've been talking about this a long time, a lot longer than my political career," he said. "We've been treated very badly by our past administrations, by presidents that represented us that didn't know what they were doing." The mercurial 45th president compared his action to those of predecessors George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and William McKinley. Real friends Canada, America's neighbor to the north, was its single-largest source of steel last year, followed by Brazil, South Korea, Russia, Mexico, Japan and Germany. Regarding alumina and aluminum, Canada was also by far the largest supplier followed by China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Trump had indicated he would be flexible toward "real friends," and during the signing confirmed Canada and Mexico would be permanently exempted if the ongoing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement is successful. The US leader had also added Australia to a list of likely carve-outs, as a "great country" and "long term partner." But he singled out Germany for criticism, reviving a longstanding gripe that European NATO allies do not pay their fair share. "We have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years on trade and on military," he said. The EU's top trade official Cecilia Malmstroem insisted the entire bloc "should be excluded" from the tariffs as a "close ally," vowing to "seek more clarity" from Washington. Britain meanwhile said it would "work with EU partners to consider the scope for exemptions outlined today," saying "tariffs are not the right way" to tackle the problem of global over-capacity in steel. Major producer Brazil immediately vowed to take "all necessary steps" in order to "protect its rights and interests" in response to the US move. China had also warned it was ready to respond -- although Trump struck a more conciliatory tone in his announcement, pointing to negotiations under way to trim Washington's soaring bilateral trade deficit with Beijing. Partners promise backlash Last week Trump stunned the world -- and his own aides -- with an off-the-cuff announcement of his plan, even before White House lawyers judged the legality of the tariffs. The metals are used in everything from cars to construction, roads to railways. While the full economic impact remains unknown, the political fallout was swift with the top Republican in Congress Paul Ryan publicly denouncing Trump's move, and vowing to push him to narrow its focus to "countries and practices that violate trade law." More than 100 Republican lawmakers had written to Trump expressing "deep concern" about the policy, which threatens to sour already vinegared trans-Atlantic relations. The European Union has promised tariffs on items from steel to peanut butter, bourbon and denim -- most of which are produced in states that Trump needs to win reelection. Even as Trump approved the tariffs, 11 partners in the Asia-Pacific were in Santiago, Chile, to sign a multilateral trade deal embraced by president Barack Obama but rejected by Trump. The White House was left scrambling to catch up following Trump's shock move last week, as top economic advisor Gary Cohn -- who opposed it -- quit in protest. "He may be globalist, but I still like him," Trump joked earlier Thursday, alluding to an ideological clash within his administration that the "nationalists" appear to have decisively won.

Trump signs sweeping tariffs; Canada, Mexico exempted

US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday urged President Donald Trump&#39;s eldest son to testify to a congressional committee about alleged links between Trump&#39;s team and Russia in the 2016 presidential election campaign.

If he testified,&nbsp;Donald Trump Jr would be the first member of the Republican president&#39;s inner circle of relatives and White House aides to give testimony to congressional investigations into the Russia allegations.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, a Republican, planned to send a letter on Thursday to the younger Trump to ask him to appear before his committee in a public session, CNN reported.

Ryan, the top-ranking Republican in Congress, told a news conference he supported that.

&quot;I think any witness who&#39;s been asked to testify in Congress should do that,&quot; Ryan said.

Accusations that Moscow interfered in the election and colluded with the Trump campaign have dominated Trump&#39;s first months in office. Russia denies meddling in the campaign, and Trump says there was no collusion.

Trump Jr disclosed this week that he had met with a Russian lawyer last year who was said to be offering damaging information on Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton.

Trump Jr eagerly agreed to meet the lawyer, who he was told by an intermediary was part of Moscow&#39;s official support for his father&#39;s campaign, according to emails the son released this week.

The emails were the most concrete evidence that Trump&#39;s campaign might have been willing to accept Russian help to win the election, a subject that has also prompted an investigation by a federal special counsel.

Trump said in Paris on Thursday that the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, was a private attorney and not a Russian government lawyer, and that nothing of substance came of the meeting.

My son a wonderful young man: Donald Trump

&quot;My son is a wonderful young man. He took a meeting with a Russian lawyer, not a government lawyer but a Russian lawyer. It was a short meeting. It was a meeting that went very, very quickly, very fast,&quot; he said at a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.

US intelligence agencies said earlier this year that Russia sought to help Trump win the 2016 election by hacking private emails from Democratic Party officials and disseminating false information online.

Trump said it was normal in US politics for campaign teams to look into allegations about their opponents, as his son agreed to do before the meeting in June 2016.

&quot;I&rsquo;ve only been in politics for two years, but I&rsquo;ve had many people call up,&nbsp;&#39;Oh gee, we have information on this factor or this person or frankly Hillary,&rsquo; &ndash; that&rsquo;s very standard in politics. Politics is not the nicest business in the world, but it&#39;s very standard,&quot; he said.

Watchdog groups filed a complaint against Donald Trump Jr,&nbsp;Trump&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former campaign chief Paul Manafort on Thursday with the federal agency that oversees elections, arguing the three violated the law by meeting with the Russian.

The complaint with the Federal Election Commission was signed by Common Cause, the Campaign Legal Center, Democracy 21 and two campaign lawyers involved with those groups.

The Russia allegations forced US Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the election after media reports revealed he held undisclosed meetings with the Russian ambassador to Washington, Sergei Kislyak.

Sessions, who testified to Congress in June about his dealings with Russian officials, released a government form on Thursday dealing with contacts he has had with foreign nationals, including Russian government officials, but much of it was redacted.

Trump Jr disclosed this week that he had met with a Russian lawyer last year who was said to be offering damaging information on Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton

US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday urged President Donald Trump's eldest son to testify to a congressional committee about alleged links between Trump's team and Russia in the 2016 presidential election campaign. If he testified, Donald Trump Jr would be the first member of the Republican president's inner circle of relatives and White House aides to give testimony to congressional investigations into the Russia allegations. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, a Republican, planned to send a letter on Thursday to the younger Trump to ask him to appear before his committee in a public session, CNN reported. Ryan, the top-ranking Republican in Congress, told a news conference he supported that. "I think any witness who's been asked to testify in Congress should do that," Ryan said. Accusations that Moscow interfered in the election and colluded with the Trump campaign have dominated Trump's first months in office. Russia denies meddling in the campaign, and Trump says there was no collusion. Trump Jr disclosed this week that he had met with a Russian lawyer last year who was said to be offering damaging information on Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton. Trump Jr eagerly agreed to meet the lawyer, who he was told by an intermediary was part of Moscow's official support for his father's campaign, according to emails the son released this week. The emails were the most concrete evidence that Trump's campaign might have been willing to accept Russian help to win the election, a subject that has also prompted an investigation by a federal special counsel. Trump said in Paris on Thursday that the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, was a private attorney and not a Russian government lawyer, and that nothing of substance came of the meeting. My son a wonderful young man: Donald Trump "My son is a wonderful young man. He took a meeting with a Russian lawyer, not a government lawyer but a Russian lawyer. It was a short meeting. It was a meeting that went very, very quickly, very fast," he said at a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron. US intelligence agencies said earlier this year that Russia sought to help Trump win the 2016 election by hacking private emails from Democratic Party officials and disseminating false information online. Trump said it was normal in US politics for campaign teams to look into allegations about their opponents, as his son agreed to do before the meeting in June 2016. "I’ve only been in politics for two years, but I’ve had many people call up, 'Oh gee, we have information on this factor or this person or frankly Hillary,’ – that’s very standard in politics. Politics is not the nicest business in the world, but it's very standard," he said. Watchdog groups filed a complaint against Donald Trump Jr, Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former campaign chief Paul Manafort on Thursday with the federal agency that oversees elections, arguing the three violated the law by meeting with the Russian. The complaint with the Federal Election Commission was signed by Common Cause, the Campaign Legal Center, Democracy 21 and two campaign lawyers involved with those groups. The Russia allegations forced US Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the election after media reports revealed he held undisclosed meetings with the Russian ambassador to Washington, Sergei Kislyak. Sessions, who testified to Congress in June about his dealings with Russian officials, released a government form on Thursday dealing with contacts he has had with foreign nationals, including Russian government officials, but much of it was redacted.

US House Speaker Paul Ryan urges Trump son to testify in Congress

Republican members of the US house of representatives on Tuesday unanimously chose Paul Ryan to keep his job as Speaker, following the party&#39;s victory at the polls last week, the House GOP conference announced.

&quot;It is a tremendous honor to be nominated by my colleagues to serve as Speaker of the House. Now it&#39;s time to go big,&quot; Ryan, a 46-year-old lawmaker from Wisconsin, tweeted after the closed-doors vote at the Capitol.

Democrats and Republicans will formally vote to elect the chamber&#39;s speaker after newly-elected lawmakers take up their seats on January 3.

Given that the Republicans maintain their majority in the House, Ryan&#39;s re-election as speaker is essentially a foregone conclusion -- unless another Republican decides to mount a surprise challenge between now and then.

On the Democratic side, internal divisions have delayed the election of a party leader in the House until November 30.

The role is currently held by Nancy Pelosi, 76, but she may face a challenge from the party&#39;s young guard, in the person of 43-year-old Ohio lawmaker Tim Ryan.

The Republican majority in both the House and Senate is expected to clear the way for President-elect Donald Trump to roll out much of his conservative agenda unfettered.

In a sign that the party leadership&#39;s resistance to the maverick billionaire has all but disappeared, House Republicans assembling for the internal vote were each given one of Trump&#39;s trademark red &quot;Make America Great Again&quot; baseball caps.

Ryan himself -- who kept his distance and on several occasions criticised Trump during the White House campaign -- has swung firmly behind the 45th US president, who will take office on January 20.

&quot;Seventy perc ent of the people in this nation think America is going down the wrong path,&quot; Ryan told a news conference on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

&quot;They now just said, get on a better way, a better path. That&#39;s our job. Not to look backwards but to look forward.&quot;

Trump and the Republicans appear to be in broad agreement on a roadmap that includes replacing President Barack Obama&#39;s trademark health care law, building a wall -- or fence -- on the Mexican border, and slashing taxes.

&quot;We&#39;re on the same page with our president-elect,&quot; Ryan said. &quot;I talked with Donald Trump virtually every single day.&quot;

Definitive results from last Tuesday&#39;s election have yet to come in, but Republicans are assured of holding at least 239 seats in the House of Representatives, against 193 for Democrats, and at least 51 of 100 seats in the Senate.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Despite the unanimous decision, a formal vote will be cast to elect Speaker by the new-elected lawmakers on January 3

Republican members of the US house of representatives on Tuesday unanimously chose Paul Ryan to keep his job as Speaker, following the party's victory at the polls last week, the House GOP conference announced. "It is a tremendous honor to be nominated by my colleagues to serve as Speaker of the House. Now it's time to go big," Ryan, a 46-year-old lawmaker from Wisconsin, tweeted after the closed-doors vote at the Capitol. Democrats and Republicans will formally vote to elect the chamber's speaker after newly-elected lawmakers take up their seats on January 3. Given that the Republicans maintain their majority in the House, Ryan's re-election as speaker is essentially a foregone conclusion -- unless another Republican decides to mount a surprise challenge between now and then. On the Democratic side, internal divisions have delayed the election of a party leader in the House until November 30. The role is currently held by Nancy Pelosi, 76, but she may face a challenge from the party's young guard, in the person of 43-year-old Ohio lawmaker Tim Ryan. The Republican majority in both the House and Senate is expected to clear the way for President-elect Donald Trump to roll out much of his conservative agenda unfettered. In a sign that the party leadership's resistance to the maverick billionaire has all but disappeared, House Republicans assembling for the internal vote were each given one of Trump's trademark red "Make America Great Again" baseball caps. Ryan himself -- who kept his distance and on several occasions criticised Trump during the White House campaign -- has swung firmly behind the 45th US president, who will take office on January 20. "Seventy perc ent of the people in this nation think America is going down the wrong path," Ryan told a news conference on Tuesday morning. "They now just said, get on a better way, a better path. That's our job. Not to look backwards but to look forward." Trump and the Republicans appear to be in broad agreement on a roadmap that includes replacing President Barack Obama's trademark health care law, building a wall -- or fence -- on the Mexican border, and slashing taxes. "We're on the same page with our president-elect," Ryan said. "I talked with Donald Trump virtually every single day." Definitive results from last Tuesday's election have yet to come in, but Republicans are assured of holding at least 239 seats in the House of Representatives, against 193 for Democrats, and at least 51 of 100 seats in the Senate. (AFP)

Republicans re-elect Paul Ryan as House speaker

US President-elect Donald Trump has promised to deport&nbsp;millions of undocumented migrants.&nbsp;

In an interview with CBS&#39;s 60 Minutes, Trump said &quot;What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, where a lot of these people, probably two million, it could be even three million, we are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarcerate.&quot;

&quot;But we&#39;re getting them out of our country, they&#39;re here illegally,&quot; Indian news agency, the Press trust of India quoted Trump saying.&nbsp;

&quot;After the border is secure and after everything gets normalised, we&#39;re going to make a determination on the people that they&#39;re talking about who are terrific people, they&#39;re terrific people but we are gonna make a determination at that,&quot; Trump added.&nbsp;

No deportation force

House speaker Paul Ryan assured that despite Trump&#39;s vow people will not be rounded-up and deported.&nbsp;

&quot;We are not planning on erecting a deportation force. Donald Trump&#39;s not planning on that,&quot; Ryan told CNN.

&quot;I think we should put people&#39;s minds at ease: That is not what our focus is. That is not what we&#39;re focused on. We&#39;re focused on securing the border. We think that&#39;s first and foremost, before we get into any other immigration issue, we&#39;ve got to know who&#39;s coming and going into the country -- we&#39;ve got to secure the border,&quot; he added.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump said 'people with criminal records, gang members, drug dealers' will be deported or imprisoned

US President-elect Donald Trump has promised to deport millions of undocumented migrants. In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, Trump said "What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, where a lot of these people, probably two million, it could be even three million, we are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarcerate." "But we're getting them out of our country, they're here illegally," Indian news agency, the Press trust of India quoted Trump saying. "After the border is secure and after everything gets normalised, we're going to make a determination on the people that they're talking about who are terrific people, they're terrific people but we are gonna make a determination at that," Trump added. No deportation force House speaker Paul Ryan assured that despite Trump's vow people will not be rounded-up and deported. "We are not planning on erecting a deportation force. Donald Trump's not planning on that," Ryan told CNN. "I think we should put people's minds at ease: That is not what our focus is. That is not what we're focused on. We're focused on securing the border. We think that's first and foremost, before we get into any other immigration issue, we've got to know who's coming and going into the country -- we've got to secure the border," he added. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump promises to immediately deport up to 3 million immigrants

Republican Donald Trump took steps to steer his White House campaign back into favour with his party establishment yesterday by endorsing US house of representatives speaker Paul Ryan and two Republican senators seeking re-election, after expressing coolness towards them earlier this week. 
 
&quot;I need a Republican senate and a house to accomplish all of the changes that we have to make,&quot; Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, in northern Wisconsin, Ryan&#39;s home state. He also endorsed senators John McCain of Arizona and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, whom he called a &quot;rising star&quot;. 
 
&quot;We will have disagreements, but we will disagree as friends,&quot; Trump said. 
 
Ryan, the top US elected Republican, had no plans to attend the event, in a sign of lingering frictions between the pair. His Republican primary challenger, businessman Paul Nehlen, did attend, according to a spokesman. 
 
Trump earlier this week refused to endorse Ryan when he told The Washington Post he was &quot;not quite there yet&quot;, using the same phrase Ryan had used about Trump before finally endorsing him. He said in the same interview that McCain had not done enough for veterans and criticised Ayotte for distancing herself from him during the campaign. 
 
Ryan, who was earlier endorsed by Trump&#39;s vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, is viewed by establishment Republicans as a possible presidential candidate in the future. He is expected to win a challenge for his House seat in next week&#39;s Republican primary. 
 
Trump&#39;s endorsement emerged as he took other steps to get his campaign back on track after days of controversy and falling poll numbers that have given Democrat Hillary Clinton the advantage in the race to the November 8 election. 
 
In the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday, Clinton&#39;s lead over Trump narrowed to less than three percentage points, down from nearly eight points on Monday. 
 
Trump yesterday announced he was setting up an advisory team to help guide him on economic policy. The group relies heavily on hedge fund managers and investment bankers, a group Trump has railed against in the past, and includes no women. 
 
In addition, Trump plans to release his framework for boosting the US economy in a speech in Detroit on Monday, an event that will offer him a chance to avoid theatrics and detail how he would handle economic issues if elected. 
 
Trump economic adviser Stephen Moore told Reuters that the candidate&#39;s plan would focus on four areas: tax, deregulation, energy policy and trade. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be an all-encompassing look at how we reform the economy,&rdquo; Moore said. 
 
At a rally in Des Moines, Trump showed newfound discipline, mostly sticking to his central charge that Clinton is the &quot;queen of corruption&quot;. He defended himself against her charge that he is temperamentally unfit for the White House. 
 
&quot;All my life I&#39;ve been told, &#39;You have the greatest temperament,&#39;&quot; he said.&nbsp;He urged voters to also consider his vice presidential running mate, who appeared with him at the event.&nbsp;&quot;If you don&#39;t like me, that&#39;s okay, vote for Pence, because it&#39;s the same thing,&quot; he said. 
 
Trump also defended himself against what he called the news media&#39;s claim that he kicked a baby out of an event earlier this week in Virginia. &quot;I love babies,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Short-circuited&quot; 
 
Clinton sought to take advantage of Trump&#39;s dip in the polls at a conference of minority journalists in Washington, where she pledged an all-out fight for comprehensive immigration reform if she wins the November 8 election. 
 
At the event, Clinton did what she has rarely done during the presidential campaign: take questions from reporters. 
 
She addressed two of the largest issues that continue to dog her campaign: the controversy over her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state during the Obama administration, and continuing scepticism among voters about her trustworthiness. 
 
Clinton conceded that she had &ldquo;short-circuited&rdquo; earlier in the week in interviews when she had asserted that FBI director James Comey had concluded that she had been truthful in her statements about the&nbsp;use of the private server. 
 
Clinton had repeatedly said publicly that she never sent emails containing classified material, a finding that Comey contradicted at the conclusion of the FBI&rsquo;s probe in July, when he rebuked her for &quot;extremely careless&quot; handling of classified information while recommending that no criminal charges be filed. 
 
Yesterday, Clinton maintained that &ldquo;I never sent or received anything marked classified&rdquo;, while acknowledging that some material she sent may retroactively have been considered classified by other government agencies.&nbsp;Republicans have repeatedly charged that Clinton endangered national security with her handling of classified material. 
 
The email controversy has fuelled a perception among a majority of voters that Clinton is untrustworthy. &ldquo;I take it seriously,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t make me feel good when people say those things. And I recognise that I have work to do.&rdquo; 
 
Still, as she has often done during her career, Clinton attributed much of her low standing on this issue to attacks from Republicans. &ldquo;Maybe just maybe when I&rsquo;m actually running for a job, there is a real benefit to those on the other side to try and stir up as much concern as possible,&rdquo; she said. 
 
Finance and industry leaders 
 
Trump&#39;s campaign said his economic advisory panel included former steel executive Dan DiMicco, Howard Lorber, CEO of tobacco company Vector Group Ltd, and Trump campaign finance chairman and investment manager Steven Mnuchin. 
 
Hedge fund managers John Paulson and Steve Feinberg, anti-tax advocacy group Club for Growth&#39;s Stephen Moore, and David Malpass, who has served under previous Republican administrations in the Treasury and State Departments, were also named. 
 
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn turned down an invitation to join the group because he is considering funding a Super PAC focussed on regulatory reform, Icahn&#39;s general counsel told Reuters yesterday. 
 
Trump&#39;s moves came after many Republicans urged the candidate to correct course following a tumultuous week. 
 
The real estate mogul and former reality television star was caught up for days in a public spat with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. The parents had spoken out against Trump at last week&#39;s Democratic National Convention. Many Republicans, including Ryan, McCain and Ayotte, were critical of Trump&#39;s insistent attacks on the parents. 
 
(Reuters)

Paul Ryan, the top US elected Republican who the establishment sees as a possible future presidential candidate, skipped the rally

Republican Donald Trump took steps to steer his White House campaign back into favour with his party establishment yesterday by endorsing US house of representatives speaker Paul Ryan and two Republican senators seeking re-election, after expressing coolness towards them earlier this week. "I need a Republican senate and a house to accomplish all of the changes that we have to make," Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, in northern Wisconsin, Ryan's home state. He also endorsed senators John McCain of Arizona and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, whom he called a "rising star". "We will have disagreements, but we will disagree as friends," Trump said. Ryan, the top US elected Republican, had no plans to attend the event, in a sign of lingering frictions between the pair. His Republican primary challenger, businessman Paul Nehlen, did attend, according to a spokesman. Trump earlier this week refused to endorse Ryan when he told The Washington Post he was "not quite there yet", using the same phrase Ryan had used about Trump before finally endorsing him. He said in the same interview that McCain had not done enough for veterans and criticised Ayotte for distancing herself from him during the campaign. Ryan, who was earlier endorsed by Trump's vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, is viewed by establishment Republicans as a possible presidential candidate in the future. He is expected to win a challenge for his House seat in next week's Republican primary. Trump's endorsement emerged as he took other steps to get his campaign back on track after days of controversy and falling poll numbers that have given Democrat Hillary Clinton the advantage in the race to the November 8 election. In the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday, Clinton's lead over Trump narrowed to less than three percentage points, down from nearly eight points on Monday. Trump yesterday announced he was setting up an advisory team to help guide him on economic policy. The group relies heavily on hedge fund managers and investment bankers, a group Trump has railed against in the past, and includes no women. In addition, Trump plans to release his framework for boosting the US economy in a speech in Detroit on Monday, an event that will offer him a chance to avoid theatrics and detail how he would handle economic issues if elected. Trump economic adviser Stephen Moore told Reuters that the candidate's plan would focus on four areas: tax, deregulation, energy policy and trade. “It’s going to be an all-encompassing look at how we reform the economy,” Moore said. At a rally in Des Moines, Trump showed newfound discipline, mostly sticking to his central charge that Clinton is the "queen of corruption". He defended himself against her charge that he is temperamentally unfit for the White House. "All my life I've been told, 'You have the greatest temperament,'" he said. He urged voters to also consider his vice presidential running mate, who appeared with him at the event. "If you don't like me, that's okay, vote for Pence, because it's the same thing," he said. Trump also defended himself against what he called the news media's claim that he kicked a baby out of an event earlier this week in Virginia. "I love babies," he said. "Short-circuited" Clinton sought to take advantage of Trump's dip in the polls at a conference of minority journalists in Washington, where she pledged an all-out fight for comprehensive immigration reform if she wins the November 8 election. At the event, Clinton did what she has rarely done during the presidential campaign: take questions from reporters. She addressed two of the largest issues that continue to dog her campaign: the controversy over her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state during the Obama administration, and continuing scepticism among voters about her trustworthiness. Clinton conceded that she had “short-circuited” earlier in the week in interviews when she had asserted that FBI director James Comey had concluded that she had been truthful in her statements about the use of the private server. Clinton had repeatedly said publicly that she never sent emails containing classified material, a finding that Comey contradicted at the conclusion of the FBI’s probe in July, when he rebuked her for "extremely careless" handling of classified information while recommending that no criminal charges be filed. Yesterday, Clinton maintained that “I never sent or received anything marked classified”, while acknowledging that some material she sent may retroactively have been considered classified by other government agencies. Republicans have repeatedly charged that Clinton endangered national security with her handling of classified material. The email controversy has fuelled a perception among a majority of voters that Clinton is untrustworthy. “I take it seriously,” she said. “It doesn’t make me feel good when people say those things. And I recognise that I have work to do.” Still, as she has often done during her career, Clinton attributed much of her low standing on this issue to attacks from Republicans. “Maybe just maybe when I’m actually running for a job, there is a real benefit to those on the other side to try and stir up as much concern as possible,” she said. Finance and industry leaders Trump's campaign said his economic advisory panel included former steel executive Dan DiMicco, Howard Lorber, CEO of tobacco company Vector Group Ltd, and Trump campaign finance chairman and investment manager Steven Mnuchin. Hedge fund managers John Paulson and Steve Feinberg, anti-tax advocacy group Club for Growth's Stephen Moore, and David Malpass, who has served under previous Republican administrations in the Treasury and State Departments, were also named. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn turned down an invitation to join the group because he is considering funding a Super PAC focussed on regulatory reform, Icahn's general counsel told Reuters yesterday. Trump's moves came after many Republicans urged the candidate to correct course following a tumultuous week. The real estate mogul and former reality television star was caught up for days in a public spat with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. The parents had spoken out against Trump at last week's Democratic National Convention. Many Republicans, including Ryan, McCain and Ayotte, were critical of Trump's insistent attacks on the parents. (Reuters)

Trump, looking to right campaign ship, endorses house speaker, senators

The top elected US Republican formally asked the country&#39;s intelligence chief not to give Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton any classified information during the election campaign, according to a letter released today. 
 
House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan said in the letter to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper that denying Clinton classified briefings during her run for the presidency would be an appropriate sanction for her improper handling of classified emails while secretary of state. 
 
Presidential candidates normally get access to classified information once they are formally nominated. 
 
The issue of Clinton&#39;s use of private email servers during her tenure as secretary of state has cast a cloud over her presidential campaign for the Nov. 8 election, raised questions among voters about her trustworthiness and given presidential rival Donald Trump an avenue of attack. 
 
Ryan&#39;s letter comes as congressional Republicans will get their first chance to grill FBI Director James Comey when he goes to Capitol Hill today to explain his decision not to recommend criminal charges against Clinton after a year-long investigation of her handling of classified emails while at state. 
 
Comey&#39;s testimony before the House Oversight Committee at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) will be the first time he has taken questions publicly since his announcement this week that the FBI was not recommending charges against Clinton. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch has accepted the FBI recommendation and will appear at a separate hearing next Tuesday. 
 
Comey said on Tuesday that 110 classified emails passed through Clinton&#39;s servers, which were not kept on a secure government server. He rebuked the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for &quot;extremely careless&quot; handling of classified information but said no reasonable prosecutor would charge her or her staff criminally. 
 
The Clinton campaign said it was pleased at the FBI&#39;s announcement and called the Republican-led call for Comey&#39;s hearing a &quot;taxpayer-funded sham of an inquiry&quot; intended to hurt Clinton politically. 
 
The Oversight Committee is chaired by Republican U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, known for his persistent questioning of Obama administration officials. 
 
Reputation for Independence 
 
Comey, a Republican who was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama and also served in the administration of former Republican President George W. Bush, has built a reputation as a straight shooter who does not bend to pressure from either party. 
 
He has differed sharply with the Obama administration, most recently over gun control and whether high-profile police brutality cases had inhibited law enforcement from stopping crime. 
 
Questions about the propriety of Clinton&#39;s use of unauthorized email servers in her Chappaqua, New York, home during her time as secretary of state from January 2009 until February 2013 have raised questions about her judgment from all sides of the political spectrum. 
 
Despite clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, Clinton can expect a further onslaught of attacks from Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, who has accused her of playing by a different set of rules from the American public. 
 
&quot;Hillary Clinton can&#39;t keep her emails safe, and you know what, folks, she sure as hell can&#39;t keep our country safe,&quot; Trump told a recent rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, charging that the investigation was &quot;rigged&quot; in Clinton&#39;s favor. 
 
Comey left the door open for other actions in the case, including downgrading security clearances for anyone who mishandles classified information as Clinton and her staff did. 
 
(Reuters)

Ryan said denying Hillary Clinton classified briefings would be an appropriate sanction for her improper handling of classified email

The top elected US Republican formally asked the country's intelligence chief not to give Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton any classified information during the election campaign, according to a letter released today. House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan said in the letter to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper that denying Clinton classified briefings during her run for the presidency would be an appropriate sanction for her improper handling of classified emails while secretary of state. Presidential candidates normally get access to classified information once they are formally nominated. The issue of Clinton's use of private email servers during her tenure as secretary of state has cast a cloud over her presidential campaign for the Nov. 8 election, raised questions among voters about her trustworthiness and given presidential rival Donald Trump an avenue of attack. Ryan's letter comes as congressional Republicans will get their first chance to grill FBI Director James Comey when he goes to Capitol Hill today to explain his decision not to recommend criminal charges against Clinton after a year-long investigation of her handling of classified emails while at state. Comey's testimony before the House Oversight Committee at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) will be the first time he has taken questions publicly since his announcement this week that the FBI was not recommending charges against Clinton. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch has accepted the FBI recommendation and will appear at a separate hearing next Tuesday. Comey said on Tuesday that 110 classified emails passed through Clinton's servers, which were not kept on a secure government server. He rebuked the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for "extremely careless" handling of classified information but said no reasonable prosecutor would charge her or her staff criminally. The Clinton campaign said it was pleased at the FBI's announcement and called the Republican-led call for Comey's hearing a "taxpayer-funded sham of an inquiry" intended to hurt Clinton politically. The Oversight Committee is chaired by Republican U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, known for his persistent questioning of Obama administration officials. Reputation for Independence Comey, a Republican who was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama and also served in the administration of former Republican President George W. Bush, has built a reputation as a straight shooter who does not bend to pressure from either party. He has differed sharply with the Obama administration, most recently over gun control and whether high-profile police brutality cases had inhibited law enforcement from stopping crime. Questions about the propriety of Clinton's use of unauthorized email servers in her Chappaqua, New York, home during her time as secretary of state from January 2009 until February 2013 have raised questions about her judgment from all sides of the political spectrum. Despite clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, Clinton can expect a further onslaught of attacks from Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, who has accused her of playing by a different set of rules from the American public. "Hillary Clinton can't keep her emails safe, and you know what, folks, she sure as hell can't keep our country safe," Trump told a recent rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, charging that the investigation was "rigged" in Clinton's favor. Comey left the door open for other actions in the case, including downgrading security clearances for anyone who mishandles classified information as Clinton and her staff did. (Reuters)

Speaker Paul Ryan formally asks that Clinton be denied classified data

Speaker of the US House of Representatives,&nbsp;Paul Ryan, has said that the Indian government is going to be America&#39;s &quot;great ally&quot;, and there is a need to nurture this relationship.
In a major foreign policy speech in which he was highly critical of President Barack Obama&#39;s policies, the US-India relationship was the only aspect of it which was appreciated by Ryan.
&quot;I think you need, in particular, specifically under Modi&#39;s leadership, and he and I have discussed this at great length yesterday, (US-India) have a great potential for the future. Particularly with the seas, in the Pacific and in the Indian Ocean, making sure that we help police the global commons and international order. Namely China building, you know, runways on islands in contested areas,&quot; Ryan said.

He said this in the speech at the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a joint meeting of the US Congress at his invitation.
Modi was the first foreign leader to be invited to address a joint sitting of the Congress under Ryan&#39;s speakership.&nbsp;On Wednesday, Modi and Ryan had a one-on-one interaction before the Prime Minister&#39;s address. Ryan also hosted a lunch for the visiting leader.

A day later, Ryan was all in praise for Modi.&nbsp;&quot;I think the Indian (government), the new Indian government, is going to be a great ally of ours and we have better security cooperation with them. That&#39;s one thing that we need to nurture and grow,&quot; Ryan told the audience at the Council on Foreign Relations, a top American think tank.

&quot;And those of us who are fans of Modi, you know, he&#39;s a conservative who wants, who embraces, free enterprise. He&#39;s bringing needed reform to the country,&quot; Ryan said, according to the remarks released by his office.

&quot;That&#39;s the kind of an alliance that we need to forge and build upon. That stands in stark contrast, I would argue, to the Obama foreign policy of the last eight years where we have neglected our allies and we have basically rewarded our enemies, our adversaries,&quot; said the Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Except for his comments on India, Ryan slammed Obama&#39;s foreign policy.&nbsp;&quot;We know that this new Obama foreign policy concept, leading from behind, can now be declared an unambiguous failure. It is making us unprepared. It is reducing our military capability and strength,&quot; he alleged.

Though Ryan, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, criticised most of Obama's policies, he appreciated the US-India relationship

Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, has said that the Indian government is going to be America's "great ally", and there is a need to nurture this relationship. In a major foreign policy speech in which he was highly critical of President Barack Obama's policies, the US-India relationship was the only aspect of it which was appreciated by Ryan. "I think you need, in particular, specifically under Modi's leadership, and he and I have discussed this at great length yesterday, (US-India) have a great potential for the future. Particularly with the seas, in the Pacific and in the Indian Ocean, making sure that we help police the global commons and international order. Namely China building, you know, runways on islands in contested areas," Ryan said. He said this in the speech at the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a joint meeting of the US Congress at his invitation. Modi was the first foreign leader to be invited to address a joint sitting of the Congress under Ryan's speakership. On Wednesday, Modi and Ryan had a one-on-one interaction before the Prime Minister's address. Ryan also hosted a lunch for the visiting leader. A day later, Ryan was all in praise for Modi. "I think the Indian (government), the new Indian government, is going to be a great ally of ours and we have better security cooperation with them. That's one thing that we need to nurture and grow," Ryan told the audience at the Council on Foreign Relations, a top American think tank. "And those of us who are fans of Modi, you know, he's a conservative who wants, who embraces, free enterprise. He's bringing needed reform to the country," Ryan said, according to the remarks released by his office. "That's the kind of an alliance that we need to forge and build upon. That stands in stark contrast, I would argue, to the Obama foreign policy of the last eight years where we have neglected our allies and we have basically rewarded our enemies, our adversaries," said the Speaker of the US House of Representatives. Except for his comments on India, Ryan slammed Obama's foreign policy. "We know that this new Obama foreign policy concept, leading from behind, can now be declared an unambiguous failure. It is making us unprepared. It is reducing our military capability and strength," he alleged.

Paul Ryan believes Indian government is going to be America's 'great ally'

Donald Trump offered a message of ethnic harmony yesterday at a Christian evangelical conference. He was trying to calm concern about his criticism of a Mexican-American judge. 
 
In a departure from his usual freewheeling style, Trump read a carefully scripted speech from a teleprompter as part of a new push by his campaign to tone down the outspoken New Yorker&#39;s harsh rhetoric. 
 
Trump&#39;s remarks included a wide-ranging attack on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. The 69-year-old said that money aimed at resettling Syrian refugees in the United States should instead be spent on tackling poverty in US cities. 
 
Speaking to the annual conference of the conservative Faith &amp; Freedom Coalition, Trump did not mention the controversy over his charge that US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel cannot treat him fairly because of his Mexican heritage. However, he did make a point of saying that he would represent all Americans if elected president on November 8. 
 
&quot;Freedom of any kind means no one should be judged by their race or their colour and the tone of his hue,&quot; Trump said. &quot;Right now, we have a very divided nation. We&#39;re going to bring our nation together.&quot; 
 
Paul Ryan, the top elected US Republican, had criticised Trump for what he called a &quot;textbook definition of a racist comment&quot; for his remarks about the judge. Other Republican leaders warned Trump to change his tone or risk losing their support. 
 
Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee who led a movement to derail Trump&#39;s nomination, told CNN he would not consider running for the White House. 
 
Romney blasted Trump for comments that he said denigrated Mexicans, women and religion. 
 
&quot;Presidents have an impact on the nature of our nation and trickle-down racism, trickle-down bigotry and trickle-down misogyny - all these things are extraordinarily dangerous to the heart and character of America,&quot; he said. 
 
Romney said he expects Trump to get the Republican nomination but added that he will not vote for either Trump or Clinton. He left open the possibility of casting a ballot for the Libertarian Party candidate, former New Mexico Governor, Gary Johnson. 
 
As Trump sought to rally more Republicans behind him, Clinton met with US Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts to try and shore up support from the left wing of the Democratic Party. 
 
Clinton later addressed the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the non-partisan arm of the women&#39;s health group, and had Trump trained in her sights. 
 
&ldquo;This is a man who has called women pigs, dogs and disgusting animals, it&rsquo;s kind of hard to imagine counting on him to respect our fundamental rights,&rdquo; said Clinton, the first woman to become the presumptive presidential nominee of a major party. 
 
Clinton leads Trump by 11 percentage points, nearly the same as a week ago, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday. 
 
The real estate mogul&#39;s struggle to unify Republicans behind his insurgent candidacy was apparent at the evangelical Faith &amp; Freedom conference where several speakers studiously avoided speaking his name. 
 
Former campaign rival Carly Fiorina steered clear of Trump, speaking instead of the need to prevent liberal policies taking hold. 
 
US Representative Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican, said a Republican president is needed, without mentioning Trump. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t want this contest this fall to just be a contest of personalities,&quot; she said. 
 
But conference organiser Ralph Reed was adamant in his support for Trump, saying the New Yorker has energised the evangelical vote in a way that past Republican presidential nominees failed to do. 
 
&quot;We understand that perfection is not the measure that should be applied,&quot; Reed told the crowd. 
 
 
SYRIAN REFUGEES 
 
Trump yesterday criticised Clinton&#39;s willingness to accept thousands of Syrian refugees into the United States and challenged her to &quot;replace her support for increased refugee admission&quot; in favour of a new jobs program for inner cities. 
 
He stopped short of repeating his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, a proposal that has drawn heavy fire from Republicans and Democrats. 
 
&quot;We have to temporarily stop this whole thing with what&rsquo;s going on with refugees where we don&rsquo;t know where they&rsquo;re coming from,&quot; Trump said. &quot;We have to use the money to take care of our poorest Americans so they can come out of this horrible situation that they&#39;re in.&quot; 
 
Yesterday at the funeral of boxing champion Muhammad Ali, a convert to Islam, one speaker, a rabbi, inveighed against politicians promoting intolerance of Muslims. 
 
&quot;We will not tolerate politicians or anyone else putting down Muslims and blaming Muslims for a few people,&quot; said Rabbi Michael Lerner, the editor of Tikkun magazine, who said he attended the ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky, as a representative of American Jews. 
 
Trump said Clinton&#39;s refusal to use the phrase &quot;radical Islamic terrorism&quot;, favoured by Republicans to describe violent Islamist militants, makes her unfit to be president.

The US Republican presidential candidate says freedom means nobody should be judged based on their race or skin colour

Donald Trump offered a message of ethnic harmony yesterday at a Christian evangelical conference. He was trying to calm concern about his criticism of a Mexican-American judge. In a departure from his usual freewheeling style, Trump read a carefully scripted speech from a teleprompter as part of a new push by his campaign to tone down the outspoken New Yorker's harsh rhetoric. Trump's remarks included a wide-ranging attack on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. The 69-year-old said that money aimed at resettling Syrian refugees in the United States should instead be spent on tackling poverty in US cities. Speaking to the annual conference of the conservative Faith & Freedom Coalition, Trump did not mention the controversy over his charge that US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel cannot treat him fairly because of his Mexican heritage. However, he did make a point of saying that he would represent all Americans if elected president on November 8. "Freedom of any kind means no one should be judged by their race or their colour and the tone of his hue," Trump said. "Right now, we have a very divided nation. We're going to bring our nation together." Paul Ryan, the top elected US Republican, had criticised Trump for what he called a "textbook definition of a racist comment" for his remarks about the judge. Other Republican leaders warned Trump to change his tone or risk losing their support. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee who led a movement to derail Trump's nomination, told CNN he would not consider running for the White House. Romney blasted Trump for comments that he said denigrated Mexicans, women and religion. "Presidents have an impact on the nature of our nation and trickle-down racism, trickle-down bigotry and trickle-down misogyny - all these things are extraordinarily dangerous to the heart and character of America," he said. Romney said he expects Trump to get the Republican nomination but added that he will not vote for either Trump or Clinton. He left open the possibility of casting a ballot for the Libertarian Party candidate, former New Mexico Governor, Gary Johnson. As Trump sought to rally more Republicans behind him, Clinton met with US Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts to try and shore up support from the left wing of the Democratic Party. Clinton later addressed the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the non-partisan arm of the women's health group, and had Trump trained in her sights. “This is a man who has called women pigs, dogs and disgusting animals, it’s kind of hard to imagine counting on him to respect our fundamental rights,” said Clinton, the first woman to become the presumptive presidential nominee of a major party. Clinton leads Trump by 11 percentage points, nearly the same as a week ago, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday. The real estate mogul's struggle to unify Republicans behind his insurgent candidacy was apparent at the evangelical Faith & Freedom conference where several speakers studiously avoided speaking his name. Former campaign rival Carly Fiorina steered clear of Trump, speaking instead of the need to prevent liberal policies taking hold. US Representative Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican, said a Republican president is needed, without mentioning Trump. "We don't want this contest this fall to just be a contest of personalities," she said. But conference organiser Ralph Reed was adamant in his support for Trump, saying the New Yorker has energised the evangelical vote in a way that past Republican presidential nominees failed to do. "We understand that perfection is not the measure that should be applied," Reed told the crowd. SYRIAN REFUGEES Trump yesterday criticised Clinton's willingness to accept thousands of Syrian refugees into the United States and challenged her to "replace her support for increased refugee admission" in favour of a new jobs program for inner cities. He stopped short of repeating his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, a proposal that has drawn heavy fire from Republicans and Democrats. "We have to temporarily stop this whole thing with what’s going on with refugees where we don’t know where they’re coming from," Trump said. "We have to use the money to take care of our poorest Americans so they can come out of this horrible situation that they're in." Yesterday at the funeral of boxing champion Muhammad Ali, a convert to Islam, one speaker, a rabbi, inveighed against politicians promoting intolerance of Muslims. "We will not tolerate politicians or anyone else putting down Muslims and blaming Muslims for a few people," said Rabbi Michael Lerner, the editor of Tikkun magazine, who said he attended the ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky, as a representative of American Jews. Trump said Clinton's refusal to use the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism", favoured by Republicans to describe violent Islamist militants, makes her unfit to be president.

Stung by criticism, Donald Trump vows to work for ethnic harmony

paul-ryan

Paul Ryan, News on Paul Ryan, stories on Paul Ryan, articles on Paul Ryan, Paul Ryan stories at Wion, Paul Ryan news, Paul Ryan latest news

paul ryan