<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-hold-second-round-of-trilateral-dialogue-with-pakistan-china-184232">Afghanistan has voiced</a> appreciation for the "flexibility" shown by its "strategic partner" the US in exempting the Chabahar port project, being developed by India, from its tough sanctions against Iran.

Last month, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-central-bank-expected-to-raise-rates-tuesday-trump-lashes-out-at-it-184903">Trump administration</a> exempted India from imposition of certain sanctions for the development of the strategically-located Chabahar Port in Iran, along with the construction of the railway line connecting it with Afghanistan.&nbsp;

The US had imposed "the toughest ever" sanctions on a defiant Iran aimed at altering the Iranian regime's "behaviour". The sanctions cover Iran's banking and energy sectors and reinstate penalties for countries and companies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere that do not halt Iranian oil imports.&nbsp;

However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said that eight countries -- India, China, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey -- were temporarily allowed to continue buying Iranian oil as they showed "significant reduction" in oil purchase from the Persian Gulf country.&nbsp;

"The Chabahar Port remains an important gateway for providing commercially viable access to the sea linking the Indian Ocean with Afghanistan, Central Asia and beyond. In this regard, we appreciate the collaboration and flexibility of our strategic partner, the United States to work with Afghanistan, Iran and India towards exempting the port from its Sanctions, Afghanistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Mahmoud Saikal said Monday at a Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Saikal said since last year, Kabul has operationalised air-cargo corridors with India, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Europe, Russia, UAE, Saudi Arabia and China, leading to a substantial increase in export of Afghan products abroad.&nbsp;

The year 2018 also witnessed the implementation of the Afghanistan section of the TAPI gas pipeline project, "which will revolutionise the energy sector in Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India".&nbsp;

A State Department spokesperson had said that the fate of Chabahar Port that the "exception relates to reconstruction assistance and economic development for Afghanistan. These activities are vital for the ongoing support of Afghanistan's growth and humanitarian relief."&nbsp;

India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Tanmaya Lal told the Security Council meeting that New Delhi is working closely with Kabul in implementing development projects.&nbsp;

In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan inked a pact which entailed establishment of Transit and Transport Corridor among the three countries using Chabahar Port as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation in Iran, besides multi-modal transport of goods and passengers across the three nations.

The port in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich nations southern coast is easily accessible from India's western coast and is increasingly seen as a counter to Pakistan's Gwadar Port, which is being developed with Chinese investment and is located at distance of around 80 kms from Chabahar.&nbsp;

The Chabahar Port is considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries besides ramping up trade among the three countries after Pakistan denied transit access to India.&nbsp;

India also criticised the inability and unwillingness of the international community and the Security Council to deal effectively with the source of deteriorating security situation and growing terror attacks in the war-torn country.&nbsp;

"The sanctuaries and safe havens provided to these terror networks for years are well known. The activities of Taliban, Haqqani Network, Da'esh, Al Qaeda and its proscribed affiliates including the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed have to be stopped," Lal said.&nbsp;

He also strongly criticized the Security Council sanctions committee for refusing to designate new leaders of the Taliban or to freeze the assets of the slain leader of Taliban, saying the powerful UN body is falling short of what is expected of it by the Afghans and international community. From the lessons from the past, we who are located in New York, are aware that peace in Afghanistan is tied to the peace and security in the entire world."

Afghanistan has voiced appreciation for the "flexibility" shown by its "strategic partner" the US in exempting the Chabahar port project, being developed by India, from its tough sanctions against Iran.

Afghanistan has voiced appreciation for the "flexibility" shown by its "strategic partner" the US in exempting the Chabahar port project, being developed by India, from its tough sanctions against Iran. Last month, the Trump administration exempted India from imposition of certain sanctions for the development of the strategically-located Chabahar Port in Iran, along with the construction of the railway line connecting it with Afghanistan. The US had imposed "the toughest ever" sanctions on a defiant Iran aimed at altering the Iranian regime's "behaviour". The sanctions cover Iran's banking and energy sectors and reinstate penalties for countries and companies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere that do not halt Iranian oil imports. However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said that eight countries -- India, China, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey -- were temporarily allowed to continue buying Iranian oil as they showed "significant reduction" in oil purchase from the Persian Gulf country. "The Chabahar Port remains an important gateway for providing commercially viable access to the sea linking the Indian Ocean with Afghanistan, Central Asia and beyond. In this regard, we appreciate the collaboration and flexibility of our strategic partner, the United States to work with Afghanistan, Iran and India towards exempting the port from its Sanctions, Afghanistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Mahmoud Saikal said Monday at a Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan. Saikal said since last year, Kabul has operationalised air-cargo corridors with India, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Europe, Russia, UAE, Saudi Arabia and China, leading to a substantial increase in export of Afghan products abroad. The year 2018 also witnessed the implementation of the Afghanistan section of the TAPI gas pipeline project, "which will revolutionise the energy sector in Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India". A State Department spokesperson had said that the fate of Chabahar Port that the "exception relates to reconstruction assistance and economic development for Afghanistan. These activities are vital for the ongoing support of Afghanistan's growth and humanitarian relief." India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Tanmaya Lal told the Security Council meeting that New Delhi is working closely with Kabul in implementing development projects. In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan inked a pact which entailed establishment of Transit and Transport Corridor among the three countries using Chabahar Port as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation in Iran, besides multi-modal transport of goods and passengers across the three nations. The port in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich nations southern coast is easily accessible from India's western coast and is increasingly seen as a counter to Pakistan's Gwadar Port, which is being developed with Chinese investment and is located at distance of around 80 kms from Chabahar. The Chabahar Port is considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries besides ramping up trade among the three countries after Pakistan denied transit access to India. India also criticised the inability and unwillingness of the international community and the Security Council to deal effectively with the source of deteriorating security situation and growing terror attacks in the war-torn country. "The sanctuaries and safe havens provided to these terror networks for years are well known. The activities of Taliban, Haqqani Network, Da'esh, Al Qaeda and its proscribed affiliates including the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed have to be stopped," Lal said. He also strongly criticized the Security Council sanctions committee for refusing to designate new leaders of the Taliban or to freeze the assets of the slain leader of Taliban, saying the powerful UN body is falling short of what is expected of it by the Afghans and international community. From the lessons from the past, we who are located in New York, are aware that peace in Afghanistan is tied to the peace and security in the entire world."

Afghanistan appreciates US' flexibility towards exempting Chabahar port from Iran sanctions 

Donald Trump said Saturday that his interior secretary will be leaving soon -- the latest in a series of high-profile departures from an administration beset by turnover and alleged ethical failings.

Zinke's exit will remove the distraction of the ethical issues that have dogged him -- and that reportedly have annoyed Trump -- but is unlikely to mark a shift away from the concerted environmental deregulation that took place during the secretary's tenure at the Interior Department.

"Secretary of the Interior @RyanZinke will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years," Trump wrote on Twitter, highlighting the fact that Zinke's tenure was substantially longer than that of some other former top officials in the administration.

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Secretary of the Interior <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanZinke?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RyanZinke</a> will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years. Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation.......
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1073944491588022272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation," the president said, adding that a replacement would be announced next week.

The interior secretary is responsible for overseeing conservation and mineral extraction on public land that, if stitched together, would be larger than Mexico.

Zinke tied his departure to the burden of "false allegations" against him.

"I cannot justify spending thousands of dollars defending myself and my family against false allegations. It is better for the President and Interior to focus on accomplishments rather than fictitious allegations," he said in a statement on Twitter.

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I love working for the President and am incredibly proud of all the good work we’ve accomplished together. However, after 30 years of public service, I cannot justify spending thousands of dollars defending myself and my family against false allegations. Full statement attached. <a href="https://t.co/gwo75SA6bM">pic.twitter.com/gwo75SA6bM</a>
— Secretary Ryan Zinke (@SecretaryZinke) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecretaryZinke/status/1074014810830974977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Zinke, a former Montana congressman, has been the subject of various investigations linked to his real estate holdings in his home state and his actions in office, making him a lightning rod for complaints from Democrats.&nbsp;

They expressed no regrets over his impending departure.

'Staggering ethical abuses'

"Ryan Zinke was one of the most toxic members of the cabinet in the way he treated our environment, our precious public lands, and the way he treated the govt like it was his personal honey pot," tweeted Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer.

"The swamp cabinet will be a little less foul without him."

Nancy Pelosi, the incoming speaker of the House of Representatives, also offered a harsh assessment.

"Secretary Zinke has been a shameless handmaiden for the special interests," she said in a statement.

"His staggering ethical abuses have delivered a serious and lasting blow to America's public lands, environment, clean air and clean water," she said.

Zinke's planned departure will see him leave office before the newly Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is seated, meaning he will avoid the threat of legislative investigation come January.

Along with Trump's first environmental protection chief Scott Pruitt -- who resigned in July amid a series of scandals over ethical lapses and lavish spending -- Zinke helped spearhead a presidential push to sharply relax environmental regulations and expand energy production.

The Zinke announcement came just a week after another impending high-profile departure -- that of Trump's chief of staff John Kelly -- was made public.

Riding with Pence

Trump on Friday tapped Mick Mulvaney -- the director of the Office of Management and Budget -- to serve as chief of staff on an acting basis, setting him up to be the third person to hold the post since the president took office in early 2017.

A series of other top officials have left the Trump White House, including a secretary of state, two national security advisors and an attorney general, as well as Pruitt.

Zinke is one of several members of Trump's cabinet to come under fire over expenditures, including reports that his department was spending nearly $139,000 to upgrade three sets of double doors in his office -- a cost he later said he negotiated down to $75,000.

He had been the subject of some 15 investigations, including one for taking a government security detail with him on a vacation trip to Turkey, according to The Washington Post.

He has also faced criticism over costly US Park Police helicopter flights last year that allowed him to return to Washington for a horseback ride with Vice President Mike Pence, and several other flights on non-commercial aircraft.

Zinke, a former Navy SEAL who wore cowboy boots to the office and carried himself with a Western swagger, seemed to emulate Trump when under fire, lashing back rather than retreating.

Last month, when a Democratic congressman said it was time for new leadership at the Interior Department, Zinke suggested in a tweet that his critic had a drinking problem.

"It's hard for him to think straight from the bottom of the bottle," he wrote, a comment that many in Washington thought crossed a line.

Donald Trump said Saturday that his interior secretary will be leaving soon -- the latest in a series of high-profile departures from an administration beset by turnover and alleged ethical failings.

Donald Trump said Saturday that his interior secretary will be leaving soon -- the latest in a series of high-profile departures from an administration beset by turnover and alleged ethical failings. Zinke's exit will remove the distraction of the ethical issues that have dogged him -- and that reportedly have annoyed Trump -- but is unlikely to mark a shift away from the concerted environmental deregulation that took place during the secretary's tenure at the Interior Department. "Secretary of the Interior @RyanZinke will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years," Trump wrote on Twitter, highlighting the fact that Zinke's tenure was substantially longer than that of some other former top officials in the administration. Secretary of the Interior @RyanZinke will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years. Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation....... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2018 × "Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation," the president said, adding that a replacement would be announced next week. The interior secretary is responsible for overseeing conservation and mineral extraction on public land that, if stitched together, would be larger than Mexico. Zinke tied his departure to the burden of "false allegations" against him. "I cannot justify spending thousands of dollars defending myself and my family against false allegations. It is better for the President and Interior to focus on accomplishments rather than fictitious allegations," he said in a statement on Twitter. I love working for the President and am incredibly proud of all the good work we’ve accomplished together. However, after 30 years of public service, I cannot justify spending thousands of dollars defending myself and my family against false allegations. Full statement attached. pic.twitter.com/gwo75SA6bM — Secretary Ryan Zinke (@SecretaryZinke) December 15, 2018 × Zinke, a former Montana congressman, has been the subject of various investigations linked to his real estate holdings in his home state and his actions in office, making him a lightning rod for complaints from Democrats. They expressed no regrets over his impending departure. 'Staggering ethical abuses' "Ryan Zinke was one of the most toxic members of the cabinet in the way he treated our environment, our precious public lands, and the way he treated the govt like it was his personal honey pot," tweeted Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer. "The swamp cabinet will be a little less foul without him." Nancy Pelosi, the incoming speaker of the House of Representatives, also offered a harsh assessment. "Secretary Zinke has been a shameless handmaiden for the special interests," she said in a statement. "His staggering ethical abuses have delivered a serious and lasting blow to America's public lands, environment, clean air and clean water," she said. Zinke's planned departure will see him leave office before the newly Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is seated, meaning he will avoid the threat of legislative investigation come January. Along with Trump's first environmental protection chief Scott Pruitt -- who resigned in July amid a series of scandals over ethical lapses and lavish spending -- Zinke helped spearhead a presidential push to sharply relax environmental regulations and expand energy production. The Zinke announcement came just a week after another impending high-profile departure -- that of Trump's chief of staff John Kelly -- was made public. Riding with Pence Trump on Friday tapped Mick Mulvaney -- the director of the Office of Management and Budget -- to serve as chief of staff on an acting basis, setting him up to be the third person to hold the post since the president took office in early 2017. A series of other top officials have left the Trump White House, including a secretary of state, two national security advisors and an attorney general, as well as Pruitt. Zinke is one of several members of Trump's cabinet to come under fire over expenditures, including reports that his department was spending nearly $139,000 to upgrade three sets of double doors in his office -- a cost he later said he negotiated down to $75,000. He had been the subject of some 15 investigations, including one for taking a government security detail with him on a vacation trip to Turkey, according to The Washington Post. He has also faced criticism over costly US Park Police helicopter flights last year that allowed him to return to Washington for a horseback ride with Vice President Mike Pence, and several other flights on non-commercial aircraft. Zinke, a former Navy SEAL who wore cowboy boots to the office and carried himself with a Western swagger, seemed to emulate Trump when under fire, lashing back rather than retreating. Last month, when a Democratic congressman said it was time for new leadership at the Interior Department, Zinke suggested in a tweet that his critic had a drinking problem. "It's hard for him to think straight from the bottom of the bottle," he wrote, a comment that many in Washington thought crossed a line.

As Zinke departs, Trump to announce new interior secretary next week

The Trump administration is making all efforts to ensure that any IMF loan to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-lodges-protest-against-pak-over-pok-ministers-presence-in-saarc-meet-in-islamabad-183617">Pakistan is not used to repay</a> its Chinese debt, a US official told lawmakers Wednesday.

Pakistan is seeking $8 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to bail itself out from a severe balance-of-payments crisis that threatens to cripple the country's economy.

A recent meeting between the IMF and Pakistan ended in a stalemate.

The US feels that the huge Chinese debt was responsible for the economic challenges in Pakistan.&nbsp;

"We are working and making clear within the IMF that if it were going to supply any funding to Pakistan that it would not be used to repay Chinese loans," David Malpass, Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs, told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing.

There are concerns among American lawmakers that the IMF money could be used to repay Chinese debt.&nbsp;

Malpass said that the US is also trying to make sure that Pakistan changes its economic programme so that it's not a failure in the future.&nbsp;

During the House Financial Services Committee hearing on 'Evaluating the Effectiveness of the International Financial Institutions' Congressman Ed Royce said Pakistan is currently seeking a multibillion-dollar IMF bailout.

"In July, Secretary (of State, Mike) Pompeo said there's no rationale for IMF tax dollars and those associated with American dollars that are part of IMF funding for those to go to bailout Chinese bond holders or China itself," he said.

"We will make strong efforts, and I believe successful efforts, to make sure that what you describe doesn't happen, meaning a payoff of Beijing via Islamabad," Malpass said.&nbsp;

Malpass said that IMF loans tend to be shorter maturity loans and China's loans to Pakistan have been longer maturity loans.&nbsp;

"So from the standpoint of that money being used, we will look for was that that roundtripping does not happen the way you described," he said.

"But important in this, is the structural reforms in Pakistan that are necessary for it to stop being such a poor country," Malpass said.

The Trump administration is making all efforts to ensure that any IMF loan to Pakistan is not used to repay its Chinese debt, a US official told lawmakers Wednesday.

The Trump administration is making all efforts to ensure that any IMF loan to Pakistan is not used to repay its Chinese debt, a US official told lawmakers Wednesday. Pakistan is seeking $8 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to bail itself out from a severe balance-of-payments crisis that threatens to cripple the country's economy. A recent meeting between the IMF and Pakistan ended in a stalemate. The US feels that the huge Chinese debt was responsible for the economic challenges in Pakistan. "We are working and making clear within the IMF that if it were going to supply any funding to Pakistan that it would not be used to repay Chinese loans," David Malpass, Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs, told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing. There are concerns among American lawmakers that the IMF money could be used to repay Chinese debt. Malpass said that the US is also trying to make sure that Pakistan changes its economic programme so that it's not a failure in the future. During the House Financial Services Committee hearing on 'Evaluating the Effectiveness of the International Financial Institutions' Congressman Ed Royce said Pakistan is currently seeking a multibillion-dollar IMF bailout. "In July, Secretary (of State, Mike) Pompeo said there's no rationale for IMF tax dollars and those associated with American dollars that are part of IMF funding for those to go to bailout Chinese bond holders or China itself," he said. "We will make strong efforts, and I believe successful efforts, to make sure that what you describe doesn't happen, meaning a payoff of Beijing via Islamabad," Malpass said. Malpass said that IMF loans tend to be shorter maturity loans and China's loans to Pakistan have been longer maturity loans. "So from the standpoint of that money being used, we will look for was that that roundtripping does not happen the way you described," he said. "But important in this, is the structural reforms in Pakistan that are necessary for it to stop being such a poor country," Malpass said.

No IMF money to Pakistan to repay Chinese debt: US

US President Donald Trump has privately admitted to his aides that Michael Cohen was a "liar", hours after the former lawyer of US President was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-trump-lawyer-says-job-was-to-cover-up-boss-dirty-deeds-sentenced-to-3-years-in-jail-183565">sentenced to three years of prison</a> over federal crimes.

While Trump did not respond to a barrage of questions asked by reporters over the sentencing at a public event, he privately told his administration officials that Cohen was a "liar", CNN reported.

During the hearing at a New York court, Cohen, although, admitted to the crimes he committed, he continued his tirade against Trump, saying he was living in a "personal and mental" prison since he started working for him and acknowledged that he was doing his duty to cover up the "dirty deeds" of the US President.

"Recently the President tweeted a statement calling me weak and it was correct but for a much different reason than he was implying. It was because time and time again I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds," Cohen said.

"This may seem hard to believe, but today is one of the most meaningful days of my life. I have been living in a personal and mental incarceration ever since the day that I accepted the offer to work for a real estate mogul whose business acumen that I deeply admired," Cohen added.

Former Attorney admitted to lying to Congress, violating campaign finance laws and tax evasion. He was ordered to pay US $1.39 million in restitution, forfeit US $500,000 and cough up an additional US $50,000 fine by the US District Judge William Pauley.

The judge also ordered Cohen to surrender himself to the authorities by March 6 next year.

US President Donald Trump has privately admitted to his aides that Michael Cohen was a "liar", hours after the former lawyer of US President was sentenced to three years of prison over federal crimes.

US President Donald Trump has privately admitted to his aides that Michael Cohen was a "liar", hours after the former lawyer of US President was sentenced to three years of prison over federal crimes. While Trump did not respond to a barrage of questions asked by reporters over the sentencing at a public event, he privately told his administration officials that Cohen was a "liar", CNN reported. During the hearing at a New York court, Cohen, although, admitted to the crimes he committed, he continued his tirade against Trump, saying he was living in a "personal and mental" prison since he started working for him and acknowledged that he was doing his duty to cover up the "dirty deeds" of the US President. "Recently the President tweeted a statement calling me weak and it was correct but for a much different reason than he was implying. It was because time and time again I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds," Cohen said. "This may seem hard to believe, but today is one of the most meaningful days of my life. I have been living in a personal and mental incarceration ever since the day that I accepted the offer to work for a real estate mogul whose business acumen that I deeply admired," Cohen added. Former Attorney admitted to lying to Congress, violating campaign finance laws and tax evasion. He was ordered to pay US $1.39 million in restitution, forfeit US $500,000 and cough up an additional US $50,000 fine by the US District Judge William Pauley. The judge also ordered Cohen to surrender himself to the authorities by March 6 next year.

Trump calls Cohen 'liar' after his sentencing: Report

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-adds-pakistan-to-blacklist-for-religious-freedom-violations-183342">Trump Administration</a>'s move to downgrade Pakistan as a country of particular concern was a courageous one, an influential US lawmaker said Tuesday.

"This administration has had the courage to hold Pakistan accountable for its persistent and systemic failures to protect the civil and human rights of religious minorities," said Congressman Chris Smith, Chairman of House global human rights subcommittee.

"This designation gives hope and voice to the suffering Shia, Christian, Hindu, Ahmadi, and other minority citizens, whose very presence counters religious extremism in Pakistan," he said.

Smith welcomed the Trump Administration's move in this regard after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had designated Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as "Countries of Particular Concern" (CPC) in a congressionally-mandated annual report.

In his report, Pompeo re-designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as CPCs and added Pakistan to the list.

Smith also welcomed the State Department's inclusion of Russia on its religious freedom "Special Watch List" for governments that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom.

"The violations of religious freedom in Russia are real, thoroughly documented and at times, brutal," Smith stated at a hearing he chaired of the Helsinki Commission on "Religious Freedom in Eurasia" Tuesday.

"The Russian government deserves this -- and next year, we should consider carefully whether it belongs on the list of Countries of Particular Concern -- the 'CPC' list for the worst of the worst," he said.

Pompeo also designated Russia, Comoros and Uzbekistan on the Special Watch List, a category created by an act authored by Smith, the Frank R Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, signed into law in 2016, for governments that have engaged in or tolerated "severe violations of religious freedom".&nbsp;

He also designated al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qaeda, al-Shabab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan and the Taliban as "Entities of Particular Concern" (EPC), another category created by Smith's law for non-state entities which are among the worst offenders of religious freedom.

The CPC and EPC designations carry with them legal tools, such as sanctions, for the US to use to hold the worst offenders of religious freedom accountable for their violations.

Smith's international religious freedom law also provides the president and the State Department with more resources to promote religious freedom abroad.

Smith said absent from the CPC list was Vietnam, despite repeated recommendations from the bipartisan US Commission on International Religious Freedom that it be designated as a CPC. Vietnam was on the CPC list from 2004 until 2006, when it was removed.

"Vietnam was not designated as a 'country of particular concern' -- a significant omission," Smith said. "The administration should condition assistance on improvements in religious freedom and related human rights in Vietnam," he added.&nbsp;

The Trump Administration's move to downgrade Pakistan as a country of particular concern was a courageous one, an influential US lawmaker said Tuesday. "This administration has had the courage to hold Pakistan accountable for its persistent and systemic failures to protect the civil and human rights of religious minorities," said Congressman Chris Smith, Chairman of House global human rights subcommittee.

The Trump Administration's move to downgrade Pakistan as a country of particular concern was a courageous one, an influential US lawmaker said Tuesday. "This administration has had the courage to hold Pakistan accountable for its persistent and systemic failures to protect the civil and human rights of religious minorities," said Congressman Chris Smith, Chairman of House global human rights subcommittee. "This designation gives hope and voice to the suffering Shia, Christian, Hindu, Ahmadi, and other minority citizens, whose very presence counters religious extremism in Pakistan," he said. Smith welcomed the Trump Administration's move in this regard after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had designated Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as "Countries of Particular Concern" (CPC) in a congressionally-mandated annual report. In his report, Pompeo re-designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as CPCs and added Pakistan to the list. Smith also welcomed the State Department's inclusion of Russia on its religious freedom "Special Watch List" for governments that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom. "The violations of religious freedom in Russia are real, thoroughly documented and at times, brutal," Smith stated at a hearing he chaired of the Helsinki Commission on "Religious Freedom in Eurasia" Tuesday. "The Russian government deserves this -- and next year, we should consider carefully whether it belongs on the list of Countries of Particular Concern -- the 'CPC' list for the worst of the worst," he said. Pompeo also designated Russia, Comoros and Uzbekistan on the Special Watch List, a category created by an act authored by Smith, the Frank R Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, signed into law in 2016, for governments that have engaged in or tolerated "severe violations of religious freedom". He also designated al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qaeda, al-Shabab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan and the Taliban as "Entities of Particular Concern" (EPC), another category created by Smith's law for non-state entities which are among the worst offenders of religious freedom. The CPC and EPC designations carry with them legal tools, such as sanctions, for the US to use to hold the worst offenders of religious freedom accountable for their violations. Smith's international religious freedom law also provides the president and the State Department with more resources to promote religious freedom abroad. Smith said absent from the CPC list was Vietnam, despite repeated recommendations from the bipartisan US Commission on International Religious Freedom that it be designated as a CPC. Vietnam was on the CPC list from 2004 until 2006, when it was removed. "Vietnam was not designated as a 'country of particular concern' -- a significant omission," Smith said. "The administration should condition assistance on improvements in religious freedom and related human rights in Vietnam," he added.

Trump administration move on Pak religious freedom a courageous decision: US lawmaker 

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/trump-administration-move-on-pak-religious-freedom-a-courageous-decision-us-lawmaker-183359">Trump Administration</a> on Tuesday designated Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia and seven others as countries of particular concern for having engaged in or tolerated "systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom."

Simultaneously, the Trump Administration also designated al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qaeda, al-Shabab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan, and the Taliban as Entities of Particular Concern.

"On November 28, 2018, I designated Burma (Myanmar), China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated "systematic, ongoing, (and) egregious violations of religious freedom," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday.

"I also placed Comoros, Russia, and Uzbekistan on a Special Watch List for governments that have engaged in or tolerated 'severe violations of religious freedom'," Pompeo said in a statement.

Observing that in far too many places across the globe, individuals continue to face harassment, arrests, or even death for simply living their lives in accordance with their beliefs, Pompeo asserted that the US will not stand by as spectators in the face of such oppression.

Protecting and promoting international religious freedom is a top foreign policy priority of the Trump Administration, he said.

"In July, I hosted the first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, which brought together some 85 like-minded governments and more than 400 civil society organisations to harness global attention and motivate forceful action to advance respect for the human right of religious freedom," he added.

Asserting that safeguarding religious freedom is vital to ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity, Pompeo said that these designations are aimed at improving the lives of individuals and the broader success of their societies.

"I recognise that several designated countries are working to improve their respect for religious freedom; I welcome such initiatives and look forward to continuing the dialogue," Pompeo said.

The US remains committed to working with governments, civil society organisations, and religious leaders to advance religious freedom around the world, he added.

The Trump Administration on Tuesday designated Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia and seven others as countries of particular concern for having engaged in or tolerated "systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.

The Trump Administration on Tuesday designated Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia and seven others as countries of particular concern for having engaged in or tolerated "systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom." Simultaneously, the Trump Administration also designated al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qaeda, al-Shabab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan, and the Taliban as Entities of Particular Concern. "On November 28, 2018, I designated Burma (Myanmar), China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated "systematic, ongoing, (and) egregious violations of religious freedom," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday. "I also placed Comoros, Russia, and Uzbekistan on a Special Watch List for governments that have engaged in or tolerated 'severe violations of religious freedom'," Pompeo said in a statement. Observing that in far too many places across the globe, individuals continue to face harassment, arrests, or even death for simply living their lives in accordance with their beliefs, Pompeo asserted that the US will not stand by as spectators in the face of such oppression. Protecting and promoting international religious freedom is a top foreign policy priority of the Trump Administration, he said. "In July, I hosted the first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, which brought together some 85 like-minded governments and more than 400 civil society organisations to harness global attention and motivate forceful action to advance respect for the human right of religious freedom," he added. Asserting that safeguarding religious freedom is vital to ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity, Pompeo said that these designations are aimed at improving the lives of individuals and the broader success of their societies. "I recognise that several designated countries are working to improve their respect for religious freedom; I welcome such initiatives and look forward to continuing the dialogue," Pompeo said. The US remains committed to working with governments, civil society organisations, and religious leaders to advance religious freedom around the world, he added.

US adds Pakistan, China to its blacklist for religious freedom violations 

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will leave his job at the end of the year, extending the historically high turnover in the top ranks of his administration.&nbsp;

On Friday, Trump announced a new US attorney general and a new US ambassador to the United Nations, and on Saturday he nominated Army General Mark Milley to replace Marine General Joseph Dunford as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.&nbsp;

Trump's White House has had the highest turnover of senior-level staff of the past five presidents, according to figures compiled by the Brookings Institution think tank.

Here are some senior figures who have been fired or quit the administration since Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2017. 
2018

John Kelly - A White House official said Trump has been in discussions for months with Nick Ayers, a top aide to Vice President Mike Pence, about replacing Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general who was hired to bring order to the chaotic Trump White House but ultimately fell out with his boss.

Matthew Whitaker - Trump said he will nominate William Barr to be attorney general, replacing Whitaker, who was named acting attorney general only a month ago. Whitaker replaced Jeff Sessions in the top Justice Department post. He immediately came under scrutiny over past remarks critical of a probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and any collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign. As acting attorney general, Whitaker took over supervision of the probe, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Some lawmakers worried Trump might order Whitaker to undermine the inquiry, fears that Trump allies called unwarranted. The Senate must confirm any nominee for attorney general; Democrats immediately voiced concerns about Barr.

Jeff Sessions - After months of being attacked and ridiculed by the president, the former senator was forced out on November 7.

Nikki Haley - She said on October 9 that she would step down at the end of the year as US ambassador to the United Nations. On Friday, Trump put forward State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as her successor, also subject to Senate review.&nbsp;

Don McGahn - Trump said in August the White House counsel would leave amid strains between the two over the Mueller probe.

Scott Pruitt - The Environmental Protection Agency chief quit on July 5 under fire over a series of ethics controversies.&nbsp;

David Shulkin - White House officials said on March 28 that the Veteran Affairs secretary would resign.

H.R. McMaster - The national security adviser was replaced on March 22 with John Bolton.

Andrew McCabe - The deputy FBI director was fired in mid-March by Sessions.

Rex Tillerson - The secretary of state was fired by Trump on March 13 after rifts between them. On Friday, Trump tweeted that Tillerson was "dumb as a rock" and "lazy as hell."

Gary Cohn - The National Economic Council director and former Goldman Sachs president said on March 5 he would resign.

Hope Hicks - The White House communications director, a long-serving and trusted Trump aide, resigned on February 28.

Rob Porter - The White House staff secretary resigned in February after accusations of domestic abuse from former wives.&nbsp; 
2017

Omarosa Manigault Newman - The former reality TV star was fired as assistant to the president in December.

Richard Cordray - The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau`s first director quit in November.

Tom Price - The Health and Human Services secretary quit under pressure from Trump on September 29 overtravel practices.

Stephen Bannon - Trump`s chief strategist was fired by Trump in mid-August after clashing with White House moderates.

Anthony Scaramucci - The White House communications director was fired by Trump in July after 10 days on the job.

Reince Priebus - Replaced as chief of staff by John Kelly, Priebus lost Trump's confidence after setbacks in Congress.

Sean Spicer - Resigned as White House press secretary in July, ending a turbulent tenure.

Walter Shaub - The head of the US Office of Government Ethics, who clashed with Trump, stepped down in July.

Michael Dubke - Resigned as White House communications director in late May.

James Comey - The FBI director, who led the Russia probe before Mueller, was fired by Trump in May.

Katie Walsh - The deputy White House chief of staff was transferred out to a Republican activist group in March.

Michael Flynn - Resigned in February as Trump's national security adviser. Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. He is set to be sentenced in December.

Sally Yates - Trump fired the acting US attorney general in January after she ordered Justice Department lawyers not to enforce Trump's immigration ban.

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will leave his job at the end of the year, extending the historically high turnover in the top ranks of his administration.

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will leave his job at the end of the year, extending the historically high turnover in the top ranks of his administration. On Friday, Trump announced a new US attorney general and a new US ambassador to the United Nations, and on Saturday he nominated Army General Mark Milley to replace Marine General Joseph Dunford as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump's White House has had the highest turnover of senior-level staff of the past five presidents, according to figures compiled by the Brookings Institution think tank. Here are some senior figures who have been fired or quit the administration since Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2017. 2018 John Kelly - A White House official said Trump has been in discussions for months with Nick Ayers, a top aide to Vice President Mike Pence, about replacing Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general who was hired to bring order to the chaotic Trump White House but ultimately fell out with his boss. Matthew Whitaker - Trump said he will nominate William Barr to be attorney general, replacing Whitaker, who was named acting attorney general only a month ago. Whitaker replaced Jeff Sessions in the top Justice Department post. He immediately came under scrutiny over past remarks critical of a probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and any collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign. As acting attorney general, Whitaker took over supervision of the probe, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Some lawmakers worried Trump might order Whitaker to undermine the inquiry, fears that Trump allies called unwarranted. The Senate must confirm any nominee for attorney general; Democrats immediately voiced concerns about Barr. Jeff Sessions - After months of being attacked and ridiculed by the president, the former senator was forced out on November 7. Nikki Haley - She said on October 9 that she would step down at the end of the year as US ambassador to the United Nations. On Friday, Trump put forward State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as her successor, also subject to Senate review. Don McGahn - Trump said in August the White House counsel would leave amid strains between the two over the Mueller probe. Scott Pruitt - The Environmental Protection Agency chief quit on July 5 under fire over a series of ethics controversies. David Shulkin - White House officials said on March 28 that the Veteran Affairs secretary would resign. H.R. McMaster - The national security adviser was replaced on March 22 with John Bolton. Andrew McCabe - The deputy FBI director was fired in mid-March by Sessions. Rex Tillerson - The secretary of state was fired by Trump on March 13 after rifts between them. On Friday, Trump tweeted that Tillerson was "dumb as a rock" and "lazy as hell." Gary Cohn - The National Economic Council director and former Goldman Sachs president said on March 5 he would resign. Hope Hicks - The White House communications director, a long-serving and trusted Trump aide, resigned on February 28. Rob Porter - The White House staff secretary resigned in February after accusations of domestic abuse from former wives. 2017 Omarosa Manigault Newman - The former reality TV star was fired as assistant to the president in December. Richard Cordray - The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau`s first director quit in November. Tom Price - The Health and Human Services secretary quit under pressure from Trump on September 29 overtravel practices. Stephen Bannon - Trump`s chief strategist was fired by Trump in mid-August after clashing with White House moderates. Anthony Scaramucci - The White House communications director was fired by Trump in July after 10 days on the job. Reince Priebus - Replaced as chief of staff by John Kelly, Priebus lost Trump's confidence after setbacks in Congress. Sean Spicer - Resigned as White House press secretary in July, ending a turbulent tenure. Walter Shaub - The head of the US Office of Government Ethics, who clashed with Trump, stepped down in July. Michael Dubke - Resigned as White House communications director in late May. James Comey - The FBI director, who led the Russia probe before Mueller, was fired by Trump in May. Katie Walsh - The deputy White House chief of staff was transferred out to a Republican activist group in March. Michael Flynn - Resigned in February as Trump's national security adviser. Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. He is set to be sentenced in December. Sally Yates - Trump fired the acting US attorney general in January after she ordered Justice Department lawyers not to enforce Trump's immigration ban.

Factbox: Trump administration departures, resignations and firings

John Kelly is expected to resign as US&nbsp;President Donald <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/total-bs-john-kelly-on-reports-he-called-trump-idiot-133881?amp">Trump's chief of staff in the</a> coming days, CNN reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources.

Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

The rocky relationship between Trump and Kelly, 68, a retired Marine Corps general, has been widely reported. CNN, citing its sources, said their relationship was now worse than ever and that the two were not on speaking terms, but added that no decision on Kelly's possible departure was final until it was announced.

A source told Reuters last month that Trump was considering a replacement for Kelly. Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is a possible contender, the source said.

Kelly had sought to bring more order and stability to a White House that has often been chaotic under the unpredictable Trump. 
&nbsp;

John Kelly is expected to resign as US President Donald Trump's chief of staff in the coming days, CNN reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources. Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

John Kelly is expected to resign as US President Donald Trump's chief of staff in the coming days, CNN reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources. Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. The rocky relationship between Trump and Kelly, 68, a retired Marine Corps general, has been widely reported. CNN, citing its sources, said their relationship was now worse than ever and that the two were not on speaking terms, but added that no decision on Kelly's possible departure was final until it was announced. A source told Reuters last month that Trump was considering a replacement for Kelly. Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is a possible contender, the source said. Kelly had sought to bring more order and stability to a White House that has often been chaotic under the unpredictable Trump.

White House chief of staff John Kelly to resign: Report

As Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou gets <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/huawei-cfo-to-appear-in-canada-court-as-chinese-media-slam-arrest-182169">set to appear in a Canadian court</a>, China today expressed concern over reports of Japan deciding to ban Huawei and ZTE over cybersecurity.

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported that the government plans to revise internal procurement rules to exclude products made by Huawei and ZTE. &nbsp; &nbsp;

"We express serious concern about the reports. The Chinese government has always encouraged Chinese companies to follow market principles and international rules while conducting overseas investment and corporation&nbsp;in accordance with local laws," the Chinese foreign ministry said.

Wanzhou, 46, was arrested by Canadian authorities on US request over alleged use of global banking system to evade US sanctions on Iran. The Trump administration has requested its allies not to use Huawei and ZTE over cybersecurity fears.

The Yomiuri newspaper said the Japanese government was not likely to communicate the decision officially."We hope that Japan will provide a level playing field for Chinese companies to operate in Japan," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

"Huawei and ZTE have legally operated in Japan for a long time. We hope the Japanese side can provide a fair competition environment for Chinese companies operating in Japan and not do anything to harm bilateral corporation and mutual trust," the Chinese foreign ministry said while defending the two companies.

The Chinese foreign ministry said neither Canada nor the US had provided any evidence that Meng had broken the law. US intelligence officials have declared Huawei a national security threat and has been facing 5G ban in Australia and New Zealand.

"China has always protected the legitimate rights of foreigners in China in accordance with the law," the foreign ministry asserted.

Reports said Huawei had appointed Chairman Liang Hua as acting CFO following Meng's arrest. Meng is set to appear for bail hearing on Friday. Huawei said "the company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng."

 
&nbsp;

As Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou gets set to appear in a Canadian court, China today expressed concern over reports of Japan deciding to ban Huawei and ZTE over cybersecurity.

As Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou gets set to appear in a Canadian court, China today expressed concern over reports of Japan deciding to ban Huawei and ZTE over cybersecurity. Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported that the government plans to revise internal procurement rules to exclude products made by Huawei and ZTE. "We express serious concern about the reports. The Chinese government has always encouraged Chinese companies to follow market principles and international rules while conducting overseas investment and corporation in accordance with local laws," the Chinese foreign ministry said. Wanzhou, 46, was arrested by Canadian authorities on US request over alleged use of global banking system to evade US sanctions on Iran. The Trump administration has requested its allies not to use Huawei and ZTE over cybersecurity fears. The Yomiuri newspaper said the Japanese government was not likely to communicate the decision officially."We hope that Japan will provide a level playing field for Chinese companies to operate in Japan," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. "Huawei and ZTE have legally operated in Japan for a long time. We hope the Japanese side can provide a fair competition environment for Chinese companies operating in Japan and not do anything to harm bilateral corporation and mutual trust," the Chinese foreign ministry said while defending the two companies. The Chinese foreign ministry said neither Canada nor the US had provided any evidence that Meng had broken the law. US intelligence officials have declared Huawei a national security threat and has been facing 5G ban in Australia and New Zealand. "China has always protected the legitimate rights of foreigners in China in accordance with the law," the foreign ministry asserted. Reports said Huawei had appointed Chairman Liang Hua as acting CFO following Meng's arrest. Meng is set to appear for bail hearing on Friday. Huawei said "the company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng."

Serious concern over Japan planning to ban Huawei, ZTE: China

The Trump administration has suspended <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-remains-a-critical-partner-to-us-south-asia-strategy-pentagon-178292">security assistance to Pakistan</a>&nbsp;because it failed to address the problem of militant safe havens inside its territory, the White House has said.

"The (Trump) Administration has been clear to Pakistani leaders that it expects them to constructively address the problem of militant safe havens in Pakistan," an official from the National Security Council, the White House, told PTI.

"Because Pakistan failed to address the problem, the Administration suspended security assistance," the official said, requesting anonymity.

"We remain hopeful that Pakistan will realize it is in its own interest to cooperate with the US strategy in Afghanistan," said the official responding to Pakistani <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-lost-over-123-billion-by-joining-us-war-on-terror-aid-received-was-minuscule-20-bn-imran-khan-on-trumps-tirade-178222">Prime Minister Imran Khan</a> accusing President Donald Trump of false assertion in his country's fight against terror.

First in an interview to Fox News on Sunday and then in two tweets on Monday, Trump had accused Pakistan of not doing "a damn thing" for the United States.&nbsp;

He alleged that Pakistan knew that Osama bin Laden, the al Qaida leader, was living in a mansion on the outskirts of its garrison city of Abbottabad and all the aid being given to Pakistan, which is $1.3 billion per annum, was a waste.

As a result, Trump defended his decision to cut all security assistance to Pakistan.

The Pakistani prime minister responded with a tweet saying that his country had suffered enough by fighting terrorism on behalf of the United States.&nbsp;

"Now we will do what is best for our people &amp; our interests," the cricketer-turned-politician said on Twitter.&nbsp;

Trump's latest interview and tweets, which were a statement of fact being said and felt by top US officials for long, has furthered deteriorated US-Pak relationship.&nbsp;

Senator Rand Paul, who has for the last several years, sought to cut all assistance to Pakistan, supported Trump's decision.&nbsp;

"I agree completely. That's why we should push hard on Pakistan to let persecuted Christian Asia Bibi find asylum in America," he said retweeting Trump's posts.

Paul has urged Trump to grant political asylum and refugee status to Asia Bibi.

"Until Asia Bibi is freed, Pakistan should not receive a penny of US&nbsp;Aid! Not one penny should go to any nation that persecutes or kills Christians!" Paul wrote in an op-ed in Breitbart News.

"During my time in Congress, I have introduced legislation to directly go after Pakistan's foreign aid and turn up the pressure on them to release Asia Bibi and stop persecuting religious minorities," he said.

In fact, over the past few years, a consensus seems to have emerged in the US Congress, think-tank and the administration that Pakistan has not been doing enough in the fight against terrorism and that it is playing a double game.

"Because they enjoy safe haven in Pakistan. Next question," Jeff M Smith of The Heritage Foundation think-tank said responding to a tweet from Imran Khan in which he said that "Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops &amp; reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before."&nbsp;

The Trump administration has suspended security assistance to Pakistan because it failed to address the problem of militant safe havens inside its territory, the White House has said.

The Trump administration has suspended security assistance to Pakistan because it failed to address the problem of militant safe havens inside its territory, the White House has said. "The (Trump) Administration has been clear to Pakistani leaders that it expects them to constructively address the problem of militant safe havens in Pakistan," an official from the National Security Council, the White House, told PTI. "Because Pakistan failed to address the problem, the Administration suspended security assistance," the official said, requesting anonymity. "We remain hopeful that Pakistan will realize it is in its own interest to cooperate with the US strategy in Afghanistan," said the official responding to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan accusing President Donald Trump of false assertion in his country's fight against terror. First in an interview to Fox News on Sunday and then in two tweets on Monday, Trump had accused Pakistan of not doing "a damn thing" for the United States. He alleged that Pakistan knew that Osama bin Laden, the al Qaida leader, was living in a mansion on the outskirts of its garrison city of Abbottabad and all the aid being given to Pakistan, which is $1.3 billion per annum, was a waste. As a result, Trump defended his decision to cut all security assistance to Pakistan. The Pakistani prime minister responded with a tweet saying that his country had suffered enough by fighting terrorism on behalf of the United States. "Now we will do what is best for our people & our interests," the cricketer-turned-politician said on Twitter. Trump's latest interview and tweets, which were a statement of fact being said and felt by top US officials for long, has furthered deteriorated US-Pak relationship. Senator Rand Paul, who has for the last several years, sought to cut all assistance to Pakistan, supported Trump's decision. "I agree completely. That's why we should push hard on Pakistan to let persecuted Christian Asia Bibi find asylum in America," he said retweeting Trump's posts. Paul has urged Trump to grant political asylum and refugee status to Asia Bibi. "Until Asia Bibi is freed, Pakistan should not receive a penny of US Aid! Not one penny should go to any nation that persecutes or kills Christians!" Paul wrote in an op-ed in Breitbart News. "During my time in Congress, I have introduced legislation to directly go after Pakistan's foreign aid and turn up the pressure on them to release Asia Bibi and stop persecuting religious minorities," he said. In fact, over the past few years, a consensus seems to have emerged in the US Congress, think-tank and the administration that Pakistan has not been doing enough in the fight against terrorism and that it is playing a double game. "Because they enjoy safe haven in Pakistan. Next question," Jeff M Smith of The Heritage Foundation think-tank said responding to a tweet from Imran Khan in which he said that "Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops & reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before."

Suspended security assistance to Pak for failure to address militant safe havens: US

The Trump administration has said it is coming out with new proposals to not only revise the definition of speciality occupations under <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/it-companies-file-lawsuit-against-us-immigration-agency-over-shorter-duration-of-h1b-visas-171689">H-1B visas</a>, but also the definition of employment under this foreign work visa category which is popular among Indian companies.

Such a move, which is part of the Unified Fall Agenda of the Trump administration will have a detrimental impact on the functioning of Indian IT companies in the US and also small and medium-sized contractual companies in the IT sector, which are mostly owned by Indian Americans.

On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plans to come out with its new proposal by January, 2019.

It will "propose to revise the definition of speciality occupation" to increase focus on obtaining the best and the brightest foreign nationals via the H-1B programme.

It will also "revise the definition" of employment and employer-employee relationship to "better protect" US workers and wages, DHS said. In addition, DHS will propose additional requirements designed to ensure employers pay appropriate wages to H-1B visa holders, the administration said.

The DHS reiterated that it is proposing to remove from its regulations certain <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-revoke-work-permits-families-h-1b-visa-holders-3-months-report-167086">H-4 spouses</a> of H-1B non-immigrants as a class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation.

The DHS said it is also finalising its interim regulation governing petitions filed on behalf of alien workers subject to the annual numerical limitations applicable to the H-1B non-immigrant classification.

This rule precludes an individual from filing duplicate petitions on behalf of the same alien temporary worker. This rule also makes accommodations for petitioners to create a more efficient filing process for H-1B petitions subject to the annual numerical limitation.

Observing that the demand for H-1B visas has often exceeded the numerical limitation, DHS said it is proposing to establish an electronic registration programme for such applications. This will allow USCIS to more efficiently manage the intake and lottery process for these H-1B petitions, it said.&nbsp;

The Trump administration has said it is coming out with new proposals to not only revise the definition of speciality occupations under H-1B visas, but also the definition of employment under this foreign work visa category which is popular among Indian companies.

The Trump administration has said it is coming out with new proposals to not only revise the definition of speciality occupations under H-1B visas, but also the definition of employment under this foreign work visa category which is popular among Indian companies. Such a move, which is part of the Unified Fall Agenda of the Trump administration will have a detrimental impact on the functioning of Indian IT companies in the US and also small and medium-sized contractual companies in the IT sector, which are mostly owned by Indian Americans. On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plans to come out with its new proposal by January, 2019. It will "propose to revise the definition of speciality occupation" to increase focus on obtaining the best and the brightest foreign nationals via the H-1B programme. It will also "revise the definition" of employment and employer-employee relationship to "better protect" US workers and wages, DHS said. In addition, DHS will propose additional requirements designed to ensure employers pay appropriate wages to H-1B visa holders, the administration said. The DHS reiterated that it is proposing to remove from its regulations certain H-4 spouses of H-1B non-immigrants as a class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation. The DHS said it is also finalising its interim regulation governing petitions filed on behalf of alien workers subject to the annual numerical limitations applicable to the H-1B non-immigrant classification. This rule precludes an individual from filing duplicate petitions on behalf of the same alien temporary worker. This rule also makes accommodations for petitioners to create a more efficient filing process for H-1B petitions subject to the annual numerical limitation. Observing that the demand for H-1B visas has often exceeded the numerical limitation, DHS said it is proposing to establish an electronic registration programme for such applications. This will allow USCIS to more efficiently manage the intake and lottery process for these H-1B petitions, it said.

US proposes major changes in H-1B visas; may impact Indian IT companies in US

Venezuelan Socialist President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday accused the Trump administration of seeking to assassinate him, as relations strain between the ideologically opposed nations. Asked about the remarks, the White House did not immediately provide a comment.

Venezuela's opposition says Maduro lobs ludicrous accusations at enemies to deflect from his own incompetence.

Almost 2 million Venezuelans have fled the ailing oil-rich nation since 2015, driven out by brutal food and medicine shortages, hyperinflation, and violent crime. Washington has imposed sanctions on Venezuela, denouncing Maduro as a dictator who has quashed human rights and triggered an economic meltdown.

On Wednesday, the White House accused Maduro's government of involvement in the death of a jailed Venezuelan politician whom authorities say killed himself but whom opposition parties say was murdered.

In a televised broadcast on Thursday night, Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader, said the United States had asked the government in neighbouring Colombia to kill him.&nbsp;

"They have given the order from the White House that Maduro be killed," said Maduro, flanked by workers. He vowed that "they will not even touch a single hair of mine." Maduro did not give an explanation for his accusations and did not provide any evidence.&nbsp;

Venezuela's Information Ministry did not respond to a request for further information. Maduro contends that he is the victim of an "economic war" led by US-backed adversaries.&nbsp;

He denies limiting political freedoms, insisting that Washington-supported opposition leaders have plotted assassination attempts and sought to overthrow him through violent street protests.

Venezuelan Socialist President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday accused the Trump administration of seeking to assassinate him, as relations strain between the ideologically opposed nations.

Venezuelan Socialist President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday accused the Trump administration of seeking to assassinate him, as relations strain between the ideologically opposed nations. Asked about the remarks, the White House did not immediately provide a comment. Venezuela's opposition says Maduro lobs ludicrous accusations at enemies to deflect from his own incompetence. Almost 2 million Venezuelans have fled the ailing oil-rich nation since 2015, driven out by brutal food and medicine shortages, hyperinflation, and violent crime. Washington has imposed sanctions on Venezuela, denouncing Maduro as a dictator who has quashed human rights and triggered an economic meltdown. On Wednesday, the White House accused Maduro's government of involvement in the death of a jailed Venezuelan politician whom authorities say killed himself but whom opposition parties say was murdered. In a televised broadcast on Thursday night, Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader, said the United States had asked the government in neighbouring Colombia to kill him. "They have given the order from the White House that Maduro be killed," said Maduro, flanked by workers. He vowed that "they will not even touch a single hair of mine." Maduro did not give an explanation for his accusations and did not provide any evidence. Venezuela's Information Ministry did not respond to a request for further information. Maduro contends that he is the victim of an "economic war" led by US-backed adversaries. He denies limiting political freedoms, insisting that Washington-supported opposition leaders have plotted assassination attempts and sought to overthrow him through violent street protests.

Trump administration trying to kill me: Venezuela President Maduro

By:&nbspCharles Hankla*

The latest G-7 summit, held June 8 to 9 in Quebec, was one of the most contentious in years.

That's because Donald Trump and his counterparts from six other industrialised countries have been at loggerheads over the president's aggressive but unstable trade policy. Trump's renunciation of the Iran nuclear deal, his efforts to renegotiate NAFTA and his intransigent stance on climate change are not helping matters. Nor is his proposal to readmit Russia to the G-7 gathering.

But the ink on the G-7 communique wasn't dry before Trump darted to Singapore to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for nuclear talks, another example of his unpredictable decision-making style. One moment he’s threatening war with the dictator, and the next he’s buttering him up for a summit.

One way to understand Trump's foreign policy decisions is to focus on their inconsistency rather than their content. Let's take trade policy as an example.

I have written a number of times about the economic dangers of the Trump administration's tilt toward protectionism. And I have pointed to the risk that Trump's use of trade policy as a unilateral weapon could undermine the rule-based international order.

I remain worried about these issues, but what has struck me much more deeply in recent days is the seeming inconsistency, indeed instability, of Trump's behavior on trade. It is worth considering its causes and consequences – which extend far beyond trade to his nuclear game of chess with North Korea and Iran.

Trouble in Trump trade land

First, let's review just a few of Trump's recent trade decisions.

At the G7, Trump's belligerent and unpredictable trade policy was the main reason the other leaders – which also include Germany's Angela Merkel, the U.K.'s Theresa May and France's Emmanuel Macron – are so perturbed. Some commentators are even beginning to term the meeting a "G6 plus one" to signify Trump's estrangement from his allies.

Recent events have inflamed tensions significantly. The White House said on May 31 that it would impose steel and aluminum tariffs on the European Union, Canada and Mexico. The three had previously received exemptions from the new tariffs, first imposed in March and justified with a little-used national security provision.

All are now planning retaliatory tariffs against the United States, along with legal action at the World Trade Organisation. Friends indeed.

It's the same story with China, which Trump has not only made subject to the same metals tariffs but has also threatened with US$50 billion of other sanctions if it doesn't meet a series of demands.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross recently traveled to Beijing hoping to negotiate increased Chinese purchases of American goods and a reduction of its trade deficit with the U.S. He was forced to return empty-handed after the Chinese government declared itself unwilling to act without an American promise to drop its tariff threats. An earlier leak that China would purchase an additional $200 million of U.S. exports turned out to be wildly optimistic.

The United States now finds itself isolated, not only from China but from its strongest allies as well. Is this a temporary step in negotiations, or is it the new normal?

Shifting trade winds

Of course, Trump's proclivity for changing his mind is well-known, but all the same there is an understandable tendency among commentators to focus on the content of his policy choices.

This is especially true on trade, where Trump's protectionist rhetoric has been exuberant, to say the least.

And it is true that Trump's actions have been more anti-trade than those of his predecessors, beginning with his withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership during the first week of his presidency.

Nevertheless, over the last few months, Trump's trade policy has seemed increasingly erratic. He publicly discussed reentering the Pacific trade deal and just as quickly dismissed the idea. He imposed metal tariffs, immediately granted exemptions to most of America’s major exporters and then withdrew those exemptions three months later. He threatened China with new tariffs on $150 billion worth of exports, then suspended them and risked political capital to save the Chinese corporation ZTE. And after pushing for extraordinary trade concessions from China, he had to take a U-turn after it denied that it had agreed to the most important of those demands.

Two schools of thought

There are two schools of thought about what is driving this policy instability.

Supporters of the president tend to see it as a negotiating tactic, the "Art of the Deal" on a grander scale. Trump, they believe, is trying to throw world leaders off-balance so that he can extract more trade concessions from them.

Trump’s detractors, by contrast, see the president as hopelessly adrift, swayed this way and that by the varying opinions of his advisers. When globalists such as Steve Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross, secretaries of the treasury and commerce, respectively, have his ear, the president softens his stance on trade. But when U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and White House adviser Peter Navarro, economic nationalists both, are in the room, Trump doubles down on protection.

Master negotiator?

If U.S. observers accept that Trump's shifting policy is part of a broader negotiating strategy, Americans can perhaps hope for a better outcome than what they see now.

Indeed, there is some basis in game theory for "irrational" behavior as a negotiating technique. Nobel laureate Thomas Schelling, in his 1960 classic "The Strategy of Conflict," pointed out that negotiators with a reputation for overreacting when their demands aren't met can be in a stronger position to extract concessions.

If a country can convince its opponent of its willingness to follow through on threats even when they are self-destructive, the country can more effectively compel changes in behavior. Moreover, if an opponent doubts the ability of a country's leaders to understand or carefully consider the consequences of the opponent's threats, the country is, ironically, in a stronger negotiating position. This "irrationality" approach was famously termed the "madman strategy" by Richard Nixon and played a role in motivating his escalation of the Vietnam War during the Paris negotiations.

Perhaps, then, Americans are witnessing the early stages of a negotiating strategy that will ultimately bear fruit.

Or malleable amateur?

Even in this optimistic scenario, however, the president's approach seems too myopic.

After all, international trade negotiations do not play by the same rules as military diplomacy, where much of this theory was developed. Such techniques might have a greater chance of working with Iran and North Korea, but of course, the risks of escalation here are even more severe.

Trade is different because it is mutually beneficial and also because it requires cooperation that is sustained over time. A country's reputation for stable compliance with its agreements is thus put at a premium otherwise, the country risks being shunned by potential partners. To wrest trade concessions from America's partners may be satisfying, but if it is accomplished at the cost of weakening the world trading system, it is hardly worth the price.

The costs of instability

If, on the other hand, Trump's unstable policy is a symptom of indecision in the face of the competing agendas of his aides, the world economy may be in for a bumpy ride. Irrational behavior can be used selectively as a negotiating technique but has a high cost if not applied carefully and strategically. If a country's negotiating partners doubt its willingness or ability to follow through on its promises, cooperation becomes impossible.

In the final analysis, a stable and rule-based trading system is in the United States' long-term interest. Inconsistent and aggressive trade policies, whether produced by a master negotiator or a malleable amateur, risk poisoning the mutual trust necessary to make such a system function.

Some are now saying that President Trump is in the early stages of reconsidering America's membership in the WTO. Hopefully, the president will come to understand what is at stake soon, before it is too late.

(Charles Hankla is an Associate Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University.)

(This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com/global">The Conversation</a>. Read the original <a href="https://theconversation.com/trump-could-be-using-advanced-game-theory-negotiating-techniques-or-hes-hopelessly-adrift-97836">article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Trump’s renunciation of the Iran nuclear deal, his efforts to renegotiate NAFTA and his intransigent stance on climate change are not helping matters. Nor is his proposal to readmit Russia to the G-7 gathering

By: Charles Hankla* The latest G-7 summit, held June 8 to 9 in Quebec, was one of the most contentious in years. That's because Donald Trump and his counterparts from six other industrialised countries have been at loggerheads over the president's aggressive but unstable trade policy. Trump's renunciation of the Iran nuclear deal, his efforts to renegotiate NAFTA and his intransigent stance on climate change are not helping matters. Nor is his proposal to readmit Russia to the G-7 gathering. But the ink on the G-7 communique wasn't dry before Trump darted to Singapore to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for nuclear talks, another example of his unpredictable decision-making style. One moment he’s threatening war with the dictator, and the next he’s buttering him up for a summit. One way to understand Trump's foreign policy decisions is to focus on their inconsistency rather than their content. Let's take trade policy as an example. I have written a number of times about the economic dangers of the Trump administration's tilt toward protectionism. And I have pointed to the risk that Trump's use of trade policy as a unilateral weapon could undermine the rule-based international order. I remain worried about these issues, but what has struck me much more deeply in recent days is the seeming inconsistency, indeed instability, of Trump's behavior on trade. It is worth considering its causes and consequences – which extend far beyond trade to his nuclear game of chess with North Korea and Iran. Trouble in Trump trade land First, let's review just a few of Trump's recent trade decisions. At the G7, Trump's belligerent and unpredictable trade policy was the main reason the other leaders – which also include Germany's Angela Merkel, the U.K.'s Theresa May and France's Emmanuel Macron – are so perturbed. Some commentators are even beginning to term the meeting a "G6 plus one" to signify Trump's estrangement from his allies. Recent events have inflamed tensions significantly. The White House said on May 31 that it would impose steel and aluminum tariffs on the European Union, Canada and Mexico. The three had previously received exemptions from the new tariffs, first imposed in March and justified with a little-used national security provision. All are now planning retaliatory tariffs against the United States, along with legal action at the World Trade Organisation. Friends indeed. It's the same story with China, which Trump has not only made subject to the same metals tariffs but has also threatened with US$50 billion of other sanctions if it doesn't meet a series of demands. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross recently traveled to Beijing hoping to negotiate increased Chinese purchases of American goods and a reduction of its trade deficit with the U.S. He was forced to return empty-handed after the Chinese government declared itself unwilling to act without an American promise to drop its tariff threats. An earlier leak that China would purchase an additional $200 million of U.S. exports turned out to be wildly optimistic. The United States now finds itself isolated, not only from China but from its strongest allies as well. Is this a temporary step in negotiations, or is it the new normal? Shifting trade winds Of course, Trump's proclivity for changing his mind is well-known, but all the same there is an understandable tendency among commentators to focus on the content of his policy choices. This is especially true on trade, where Trump's protectionist rhetoric has been exuberant, to say the least. And it is true that Trump's actions have been more anti-trade than those of his predecessors, beginning with his withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership during the first week of his presidency. Nevertheless, over the last few months, Trump's trade policy has seemed increasingly erratic. He publicly discussed reentering the Pacific trade deal and just as quickly dismissed the idea. He imposed metal tariffs, immediately granted exemptions to most of America’s major exporters and then withdrew those exemptions three months later. He threatened China with new tariffs on $150 billion worth of exports, then suspended them and risked political capital to save the Chinese corporation ZTE. And after pushing for extraordinary trade concessions from China, he had to take a U-turn after it denied that it had agreed to the most important of those demands. Two schools of thought There are two schools of thought about what is driving this policy instability. Supporters of the president tend to see it as a negotiating tactic, the "Art of the Deal" on a grander scale. Trump, they believe, is trying to throw world leaders off-balance so that he can extract more trade concessions from them. Trump’s detractors, by contrast, see the president as hopelessly adrift, swayed this way and that by the varying opinions of his advisers. When globalists such as Steve Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross, secretaries of the treasury and commerce, respectively, have his ear, the president softens his stance on trade. But when U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and White House adviser Peter Navarro, economic nationalists both, are in the room, Trump doubles down on protection. Master negotiator? If U.S. observers accept that Trump's shifting policy is part of a broader negotiating strategy, Americans can perhaps hope for a better outcome than what they see now. Indeed, there is some basis in game theory for "irrational" behavior as a negotiating technique. Nobel laureate Thomas Schelling, in his 1960 classic "The Strategy of Conflict," pointed out that negotiators with a reputation for overreacting when their demands aren't met can be in a stronger position to extract concessions. If a country can convince its opponent of its willingness to follow through on threats even when they are self-destructive, the country can more effectively compel changes in behavior. Moreover, if an opponent doubts the ability of a country's leaders to understand or carefully consider the consequences of the opponent's threats, the country is, ironically, in a stronger negotiating position. This "irrationality" approach was famously termed the "madman strategy" by Richard Nixon and played a role in motivating his escalation of the Vietnam War during the Paris negotiations. Perhaps, then, Americans are witnessing the early stages of a negotiating strategy that will ultimately bear fruit. Or malleable amateur? Even in this optimistic scenario, however, the president's approach seems too myopic. After all, international trade negotiations do not play by the same rules as military diplomacy, where much of this theory was developed. Such techniques might have a greater chance of working with Iran and North Korea, but of course, the risks of escalation here are even more severe. Trade is different because it is mutually beneficial and also because it requires cooperation that is sustained over time. A country's reputation for stable compliance with its agreements is thus put at a premium otherwise, the country risks being shunned by potential partners. To wrest trade concessions from America's partners may be satisfying, but if it is accomplished at the cost of weakening the world trading system, it is hardly worth the price. The costs of instability If, on the other hand, Trump's unstable policy is a symptom of indecision in the face of the competing agendas of his aides, the world economy may be in for a bumpy ride. Irrational behavior can be used selectively as a negotiating technique but has a high cost if not applied carefully and strategically. If a country's negotiating partners doubt its willingness or ability to follow through on its promises, cooperation becomes impossible. In the final analysis, a stable and rule-based trading system is in the United States' long-term interest. Inconsistent and aggressive trade policies, whether produced by a master negotiator or a malleable amateur, risk poisoning the mutual trust necessary to make such a system function. Some are now saying that President Trump is in the early stages of reconsidering America's membership in the WTO. Hopefully, the president will come to understand what is at stake soon, before it is too late. (Charles Hankla is an Associate Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University.) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Understanding Trump's negotiating techniques ahead of meeting with Kim

There have been "no big changes" in the H-1B programme and "nothing new" on the H-4 visa policy, the US said on Wednesday, amid the Trump administration's plan to overhaul the immigration system.

US Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) in Delhi, MaryKay L Carlson said granting employment visa and work permits are the sovereign decision of a country.&nbsp

The US Mission here today observed 'Student Visa Day', an event to celebrate higher education ties between India and the United States.

"There have been no big changes in the H-1B programme and nothing new on H-4...," Carlson told reporters here.

Certainly, employment visa and work permits for Indians is the sovereign decision of the US, the official said.

The Trump administration's move to end the Obama-era rule could have an impact on more than 70,000 H-4 visas holders, who have work permits.

H-4 is issued to the spouse of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from India.&nbsp

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had last month said the government would make all efforts to persuade the Trump administration against such a move.

In her annual press conference on May 28, the minister had said it was true that President Donald Trump was reviewing the H-4 visa programme and there were reports of its possible revocation.

On the occasion of 'Student Visa Day', the Mission also dedicated the day to student visa applicants who have enrolled for higher studies in different US universities.

The US Embassy in New Delhi and the consulate general of Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai, welcomed over 4,000 Indian students, who applied for visas to study in the United States.

In 2017, more than 1,86,000 Indian students were enrolled in US institutions for higher education, more than double the number from a decade ago and a 12 per cent increase from the year before.

India is the second leading place of origin for students coming to the US, with Indians comprising over 17 per cent of the total international students in the United States, according to the US.

Consular staff members wore shirts and hats from their alma maters.

Some consulates invited guest alumni speakers, while others had a video or "selfie" station.

Representatives from partners, including EducationUSA, the American Library, and recent US graduates were present at the event to give their insights and answer queries from students about studying in the United States.

US Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) in Delhi, MaryKay L Carlson said granting employment visa and work permits are the sovereign decision of a country.

There have been "no big changes" in the H-1B programme and "nothing new" on the H-4 visa policy, the US said on Wednesday, amid the Trump administration's plan to overhaul the immigration system. US Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) in Delhi, MaryKay L Carlson said granting employment visa and work permits are the sovereign decision of a country. The US Mission here today observed 'Student Visa Day', an event to celebrate higher education ties between India and the United States. "There have been no big changes in the H-1B programme and nothing new on H-4...," Carlson told reporters here. Certainly, employment visa and work permits for Indians is the sovereign decision of the US, the official said. The Trump administration's move to end the Obama-era rule could have an impact on more than 70,000 H-4 visas holders, who have work permits. H-4 is issued to the spouse of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from India. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had last month said the government would make all efforts to persuade the Trump administration against such a move. In her annual press conference on May 28, the minister had said it was true that President Donald Trump was reviewing the H-4 visa programme and there were reports of its possible revocation. On the occasion of 'Student Visa Day', the Mission also dedicated the day to student visa applicants who have enrolled for higher studies in different US universities. The US Embassy in New Delhi and the consulate general of Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai, welcomed over 4,000 Indian students, who applied for visas to study in the United States. In 2017, more than 1,86,000 Indian students were enrolled in US institutions for higher education, more than double the number from a decade ago and a 12 per cent increase from the year before. India is the second leading place of origin for students coming to the US, with Indians comprising over 17 per cent of the total international students in the United States, according to the US. Consular staff members wore shirts and hats from their alma maters. Some consulates invited guest alumni speakers, while others had a video or "selfie" station. Representatives from partners, including EducationUSA, the American Library, and recent US graduates were present at the event to give their insights and answer queries from students about studying in the United States.

'No big changes' in H-1B visa: US Deputy Chief of Mission Carlson

The US unemployment rate fell to its lowest level&nbsp;in 18 years&nbsp;in May, the Labor Department reported&nbsp;Friday, showing the world's biggest economy remains robust even as President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies have stoked fears of an all-out trade war.

The jobless rate fell to 3.8 per cent from 3.9 per cent in the prior month, the lowest level since April 2000.

The last time the rate was lower than 3.8 per cent was December 1969.

With a shortage of workers reported throughout the country and across many industries and skill levels, the latest data confirmed wages are rising.

The economy added 223,000 non-farm jobs last month, stronger than the consensus forecast of economists, and better than the increase of 159,000 in April.

And the jobless rate for African American workers dropped sharply in the month to 5.9 per cent from 6.6 per cent, the lowest since the government began keeping records in 1972.

President Donald Trump has been touting that figure as a major accomplishment of his economic policies.

"We have reached yet one more historic milestone with 3.8 per cent unemployment just announced, and another all-time record low African-American unemployment," Trump said at an event shortly after the data were released.

At an event later&nbsp;Friday&nbsp;he continued to tout the strong results.

"We have such a great country right now," he said. "We have some of the best economic numbers we've ever had as a nation and that goes a long way. And we're building something very special."

But many economists and businesses have warned that jobs and economic growth could be victims of Trump's confrontational trade policies which includes steep tariffs on steel and aluminium that have hit key alli

Trump broke with protocol by tweeting about the report an hour before release time, hinting the figures would be positive.

"Looking forward to seeing the employment numbers at&nbsp;8:30&nbsp;this morning," he said on Twitter.

The data are kept strictly confidential and subject to tight security to prevent early release since investors worldwide are waiting to trade on the information.&nbsp;

The report is given to the White House a day in advance, although officials never hint at the contents.

A government rule prevents officials from commenting on sensitive data reports until one hour after release, something Trump administration officials have ignored on various occasions.

Markets did not appear to react to the tweet ahead of release time but were delighted afterwards.&nbsp;

US stocks surged after the opening bell, and mostly continued upward, with the tech-rich Nasdaq closing up 1.5 per cent, while the Dow gained 0.9 per cent.

With robust hiring continuing -- well beyond the monthly average of 179,000 for the past three months -- employers have been reporting the need to increase salaries and benefits to attract workers and keep them from being poached by competitors.

The report shows average hourly earnings rose 0.3 per cent last month to $26.92, which is 2.7 per cent higher than a year ago.

And the pace of hiring is shrinking the pool of available workers -- defined as those working or actively looking for work -- and that was the main driver behind the lower unemployment rate.&nbsp;

With wage gains finally above the Federal Reserve's two per cent inflation target, the central bank will be watching carefully to see if rising salaries translate into accelerating price increases.

However, the Fed signalled clearly that it is willing to tolerate inflation slightly above two per cent for a short period.

The central bank is widely expected to raise the benchmark lending rate at its meeting later in June, the second increase of three or four expected this year.

Hiring was strong across multiple sectors, although there was a slowdown in manufacturing -- contrary to Trump's repeated claims that the industry is adding workers due to last year's tax cuts and his trade policies, which include steep tariffs on aluminium and steel.

The manufacturing sector added 18,000 workers, the least since September 2017, retailers added 31,000, while health care rose 29,000 and construction 25,000.

Ben Herzon of IHS Markit said the labour market "is tightening rapidly" -- meaning the jobless rate is likely to fall further.

"Nearly all aspects of this report were positive and consistent with the solid growth of wage-and-salary income in the second quarter," Herzon said.

The jobless rate fell to 3.8 per cent from 3.9 per cent in the prior month, the lowest level since April 2000

The US unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in 18 years in May, the Labor Department reported Friday, showing the world's biggest economy remains robust even as President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies have stoked fears of an all-out trade war. The jobless rate fell to 3.8 per cent from 3.9 per cent in the prior month, the lowest level since April 2000. The last time the rate was lower than 3.8 per cent was December 1969. With a shortage of workers reported throughout the country and across many industries and skill levels, the latest data confirmed wages are rising. The economy added 223,000 non-farm jobs last month, stronger than the consensus forecast of economists, and better than the increase of 159,000 in April. And the jobless rate for African American workers dropped sharply in the month to 5.9 per cent from 6.6 per cent, the lowest since the government began keeping records in 1972. President Donald Trump has been touting that figure as a major accomplishment of his economic policies. "We have reached yet one more historic milestone with 3.8 per cent unemployment just announced, and another all-time record low African-American unemployment," Trump said at an event shortly after the data were released. At an event later Friday he continued to tout the strong results. "We have such a great country right now," he said. "We have some of the best economic numbers we've ever had as a nation and that goes a long way. And we're building something very special." But many economists and businesses have warned that jobs and economic growth could be victims of Trump's confrontational trade policies which includes steep tariffs on steel and aluminium that have hit key alli Trump broke with protocol by tweeting about the report an hour before release time, hinting the figures would be positive. "Looking forward to seeing the employment numbers at 8:30 this morning," he said on Twitter. The data are kept strictly confidential and subject to tight security to prevent early release since investors worldwide are waiting to trade on the information. The report is given to the White House a day in advance, although officials never hint at the contents. A government rule prevents officials from commenting on sensitive data reports until one hour after release, something Trump administration officials have ignored on various occasions. Markets did not appear to react to the tweet ahead of release time but were delighted afterwards. US stocks surged after the opening bell, and mostly continued upward, with the tech-rich Nasdaq closing up 1.5 per cent, while the Dow gained 0.9 per cent. With robust hiring continuing -- well beyond the monthly average of 179,000 for the past three months -- employers have been reporting the need to increase salaries and benefits to attract workers and keep them from being poached by competitors. The report shows average hourly earnings rose 0.3 per cent last month to $26.92, which is 2.7 per cent higher than a year ago. And the pace of hiring is shrinking the pool of available workers -- defined as those working or actively looking for work -- and that was the main driver behind the lower unemployment rate. With wage gains finally above the Federal Reserve's two per cent inflation target, the central bank will be watching carefully to see if rising salaries translate into accelerating price increases. However, the Fed signalled clearly that it is willing to tolerate inflation slightly above two per cent for a short period. The central bank is widely expected to raise the benchmark lending rate at its meeting later in June, the second increase of three or four expected this year. Hiring was strong across multiple sectors, although there was a slowdown in manufacturing -- contrary to Trump's repeated claims that the industry is adding workers due to last year's tax cuts and his trade policies, which include steep tariffs on aluminium and steel. The manufacturing sector added 18,000 workers, the least since September 2017, retailers added 31,000, while health care rose 29,000 and construction 25,000. Ben Herzon of IHS Markit said the labour market "is tightening rapidly" -- meaning the jobless rate is likely to fall further. "Nearly all aspects of this report were positive and consistent with the solid growth of wage-and-salary income in the second quarter," Herzon said.

US unemployment falls to 3.8% in May, lowest in 18 years

The move to rescind work authorisation to certain categories of H-4 visa holders is in final stages, the Trump administration has told a US court.

H-4 visas are issued to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from India.

The Trump administration is planning to end the Obama-era rule allowing spouses of H1-B visa holders to work legally in the US, a move that could have a devastating impact on more than 70,000 H-4 visa holders who have work permits.

The proposed rule is currently in final clearance, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told a federal court in a status update.

The Trump administration yesterday told the court that once the proposal is cleared through the DHS, it will be sent to the Office of Management and Budget for review under Executive Order for regulatory and planning review.

As previously represented to the Court, the DHS intends to proceed with publication of this new rule concerning the H-4 visa rule, the DHS said in its court filing.

The previous Obama administration under an executive order in 2015 had started giving work authorisation permits to certain categories of H-4 visa holders, who were mostly spouses of H-1B visa holders.

According to a recent Congressional report, a staggering 93 per cent of the total H-4 visa holders in the US having work authorisation are from India.

The final notification to rescind the work authorisation is expected to be issued in June.

Last week, a bipartisan group of 130 US lawmakers led by influential Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal urged the Trump administration to continue granting work authorisation to certain dependent spouses of non-immigrant workers holding H-1B visas.

Providing work authorisation for accompanying spouses helps US employers recruit and retain highly-qualified employees, putting US policy on par with other countries, such as Canada and Australia, competing to attract talented foreign nationals, the lawmakers had said.&nbsp

H-4 visas are issued to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from India.

The move to rescind work authorisation to certain categories of H-4 visa holders is in final stages, the Trump administration has told a US court. H-4 visas are issued to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from India. The Trump administration is planning to end the Obama-era rule allowing spouses of H1-B visa holders to work legally in the US, a move that could have a devastating impact on more than 70,000 H-4 visa holders who have work permits. The proposed rule is currently in final clearance, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told a federal court in a status update. The Trump administration yesterday told the court that once the proposal is cleared through the DHS, it will be sent to the Office of Management and Budget for review under Executive Order for regulatory and planning review. As previously represented to the Court, the DHS intends to proceed with publication of this new rule concerning the H-4 visa rule, the DHS said in its court filing. The previous Obama administration under an executive order in 2015 had started giving work authorisation permits to certain categories of H-4 visa holders, who were mostly spouses of H-1B visa holders. According to a recent Congressional report, a staggering 93 per cent of the total H-4 visa holders in the US having work authorisation are from India. The final notification to rescind the work authorisation is expected to be issued in June. Last week, a bipartisan group of 130 US lawmakers led by influential Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal urged the Trump administration to continue granting work authorisation to certain dependent spouses of non-immigrant workers holding H-1B visas. Providing work authorisation for accompanying spouses helps US employers recruit and retain highly-qualified employees, putting US policy on par with other countries, such as Canada and Australia, competing to attract talented foreign nationals, the lawmakers had said.

Rescinding of H-4 visa work permit in final stages: Trump administration

&nbspUS&nbspSecretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo promised on Thursday to rebuild the State Department that has been gutted by the departure of senior diplomats and has found itself sidelined in foreign policy decisions under the Trump administration.

A reorganization and hiring freeze initiated by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has left the rank and file demoralized, with vacancies in most of the jobs that are filled by political appointees.

Pompeo, director of the CIA, said he would work quickly in his new role to fill the gaps.

"This is critical to strengthening the finest diplomatic corps in the world, and America and the world needs us to be that," he said in his confirmation hearing at the Senate.

President Donald Trump nominated Pompeo to become the country's top diplomat on March 13 when he fired Tillerson. Tillerson, a former chief executive of Exxon Mobil, had a rocky relationship with Trump in just over a year in the job.

The start of Pompeo's hearing was disrupted by half a dozen protesters chanting "No Pompeo, no more war" before they were led out by security officials.

Pompeo appeared emotional at the start of his testimony as he talked about his family and offered personal details about himself, such as his love of meatballs.

Trump developed a warm relationship with Pompeo during White House meetings over the first year of his presidency and believes the former Republican congressman shares more of his world view than Tillerson, who at times disagreed with the president.

"Good luck to Mike Pompeo during his Confirmation Hearing today. He will be a great Secretary of State!" the Republican president said on Twitter.

Senators have said they want to make sure that Pompeo will be able to stand up to Trump, and they pressed him on the issue.

Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it was fair to question whether his relationship with Trump was "rooted in a candid, healthy and give-and-take dynamic."

"I know that you have developed a close relationship with the president and I believe that relationship could well serve you if you're confirmed as secretary of state. However, many strong voices have been terminated or resigned," Corker said.

Among the first issues Pompeo was pressed on was whether or not Trump had talked to him about the Russia investigation looking into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Pompeo acknowledged he had been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose federal probe includes looking into whether there was collusion with Moscow by Trump campaign aides, but he declined to discuss details.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Russia interfered in the campaign in hopes of tilting the election in Trump's favour. Moscow has denied the charge and Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign.

Trump has been accused by Democrats and some of his fellow Republicans of being too soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Pompeo has signalled he will take a tough line on Russia..

Pompeo, who is seen as more of a hard-liner than Tillerson on issues including the nuclear agreement with Iran that he strongly opposed, said he wants to work with U.S. allies to fix the deal.

"I want to fix this deal. That's the objective," he said, when pressed on whether the United States should withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers.

He denied that he had advocated for regime change in North Korea.

A reorganization and hiring freeze initiated by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has left the rank and file demoralized, with vacancies in most of the jobs that are filled by political appointees.

&nbspUS&nbspSecretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo promised on Thursday to rebuild the State Department that has been gutted by the departure of senior diplomats and has found itself sidelined in foreign policy decisions under the Trump administration. A reorganization and hiring freeze initiated by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has left the rank and file demoralized, with vacancies in most of the jobs that are filled by political appointees. Pompeo, director of the CIA, said he would work quickly in his new role to fill the gaps. "This is critical to strengthening the finest diplomatic corps in the world, and America and the world needs us to be that," he said in his confirmation hearing at the Senate. President Donald Trump nominated Pompeo to become the country's top diplomat on March 13 when he fired Tillerson. Tillerson, a former chief executive of Exxon Mobil, had a rocky relationship with Trump in just over a year in the job. The start of Pompeo's hearing was disrupted by half a dozen protesters chanting "No Pompeo, no more war" before they were led out by security officials. Pompeo appeared emotional at the start of his testimony as he talked about his family and offered personal details about himself, such as his love of meatballs. Trump developed a warm relationship with Pompeo during White House meetings over the first year of his presidency and believes the former Republican congressman shares more of his world view than Tillerson, who at times disagreed with the president. "Good luck to Mike Pompeo during his Confirmation Hearing today. He will be a great Secretary of State!" the Republican president said on Twitter. Senators have said they want to make sure that Pompeo will be able to stand up to Trump, and they pressed him on the issue. Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it was fair to question whether his relationship with Trump was "rooted in a candid, healthy and give-and-take dynamic." "I know that you have developed a close relationship with the president and I believe that relationship could well serve you if you're confirmed as secretary of state. However, many strong voices have been terminated or resigned," Corker said. Among the first issues Pompeo was pressed on was whether or not Trump had talked to him about the Russia investigation looking into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Pompeo acknowledged he had been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose federal probe includes looking into whether there was collusion with Moscow by Trump campaign aides, but he declined to discuss details. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Russia interfered in the campaign in hopes of tilting the election in Trump's favour. Moscow has denied the charge and Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign. Trump has been accused by Democrats and some of his fellow Republicans of being too soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Pompeo has signalled he will take a tough line on Russia.. Pompeo, who is seen as more of a hard-liner than Tillerson on issues including the nuclear agreement with Iran that he strongly opposed, said he wants to work with U.S. allies to fix the deal. "I want to fix this deal. That's the objective," he said, when pressed on whether the United States should withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers. He denied that he had advocated for regime change in North Korea.

Trump nominee Pompeo pledges to rebuild State Department

The Trump administration is warning Pakistan it could lose U.S. civilian aid worth tens of millions of dollars this year if Washington finds that the South Asian nation has not done enough to combat human trafficking, U.S. officials said.

An aid cutback would deal a fresh blow to US-Pakistan relations following President Donald Trump’s suspension in January of some $2 billion in US&nbspsecurity assistance over what Trump said was Islamabad's failure to crack down on Afghan insurgent sanctuaries used for attacks into Afghanistan.

A large portion of US&nbspcivilian aid - $265 million in 2017, according to a source at the US&nbspEmbassy in Islamabad – could be withheld if the State Department puts Pakistan on a list of worst global offenders in human trafficking in an annual report due out in June.

The funding is relatively modest for the size of Pakistan's economy. But Islamabad could suffer a heavier jolt if Washington also decides to oppose new assistance from international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

These are all sanctions that the United States, under federal law, can impose on any country receiving the lowest grade on human trafficking unless Trump issues a full or partial waiver. He did so for most countries on last year's blacklist, following a pattern set by recent predecessors who were especially lenient on U.S. allies and partners.

By making good on its threat against Pakistan, the Trump administration would raise questions about whether it was using the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report to pressure Islamabad to do more on counter-terrorism.

The report is not supposed to be influenced by other geopolitical considerations, but human rights groups accused the Trump administration last year, and the Obama administration before it, of sometimes prioritizing economic and security interests over human trafficking concerns.

Pakistani Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal told Reuters the country has "taken very stringent steps" against human trafficking and the issue "should not be used for political means to pressurize countries."

A senior Trump administration official said no decision on the ranking has been made, but that Pakistan, long an uneasy US&nbspally, has been told it can avoid a lower ranking - and a possible aid cut - only “if we see them making sincere efforts to address the problems that have been raised."

The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied any link between Pakistan’s cooperation with Trump’s strategy to force the Afghan Taliban into peace talks and the possible loss of U.S. civilian assistance, stressing that any TIP decision would be based solely on Islamabad’s human trafficking record.

The State Department declined to comment, except to cite the penalties available under the US&nbspanti-human trafficking law.

Pakistan has long rejected U.S. accusations that it provides Afghan Taliban and allied Haqqani network militants with sanctuaries from which they attack the Kabul government and U.S.-led foreign forces in Afghanistan.

CIVILIAN AID HANGS IN BALANCE

Future civilian aid hinges on Pakistan's rating in the State Department’s 2018 TIP report, an assessment of how more than 180 countries and territories are fighting human smuggling, modern slavery and related issues like child soldiers.

Pakistan has been on the report’s Tier 2 "Watch List" for four years, the limit a country can remain at the second-to-worst ranking. Unless it is upgraded, Pakistan will drop to Tier 3, the lowest rung, alongside Iran, North Korea and Syria, among others.

This would trigger the suspension of civilian assistance, except for humanitarian and trade-related aid, unless Trump, who has been stridently critical of Pakistan, waives the penalties. A Tier 3 rating assesses that a country does not comply with minimum U.S. standards against human trafficking.

Pakistan has struggled to eradicate bonded labour practices, especially in dirty brick kilns where children often work.

Iqbal said Pakistan would soon enact tougher laws. He did not confirm, however, that Washington had warned his government about potential aid cuts related to human trafficking.

“This cause is much more valuable than billions of dollars in aid because this is about human dignity," he told Reuters. "There has to be more understanding of the efforts that countries like us are doing."

Pakistani officials dismissed the impact of a loss of US&nbspcivilian aid, most of which flows through non-governmental organizations, on the country's growing economy of nearly $300 billion.

Still, they have expressed concern that Washington wants international bodies to punish Pakistan for not heeding Trump's South Asia security agenda.

&nbspIn February, urged by the United States and European powers, the Financial Action Task Force, a global money-laundering watchdog, placed Pakistan on a terrorist financing watchlist.

Pakistan fears Washington could use its vote in the IMF, to which the United States is the largest contributor, to oppose new loans to Islamabad. Pakistan's economic growth has surged to above 5 percent, but many analysts expect Pakistan to seek a new IMF bailout this year due to a ballooning current account deficit and dwindling foreign currency reserves.

An aid cutback would deal a fresh blow to US-Pakistan relations following President Donald Trump’s suspension in January of some $2 billion in U.S. security assistance

The Trump administration is warning Pakistan it could lose U.S. civilian aid worth tens of millions of dollars this year if Washington finds that the South Asian nation has not done enough to combat human trafficking, U.S. officials said. An aid cutback would deal a fresh blow to US-Pakistan relations following President Donald Trump’s suspension in January of some $2 billion in US&nbspsecurity assistance over what Trump said was Islamabad's failure to crack down on Afghan insurgent sanctuaries used for attacks into Afghanistan. A large portion of US&nbspcivilian aid - $265 million in 2017, according to a source at the US&nbspEmbassy in Islamabad – could be withheld if the State Department puts Pakistan on a list of worst global offenders in human trafficking in an annual report due out in June. The funding is relatively modest for the size of Pakistan's economy. But Islamabad could suffer a heavier jolt if Washington also decides to oppose new assistance from international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. These are all sanctions that the United States, under federal law, can impose on any country receiving the lowest grade on human trafficking unless Trump issues a full or partial waiver. He did so for most countries on last year's blacklist, following a pattern set by recent predecessors who were especially lenient on U.S. allies and partners. By making good on its threat against Pakistan, the Trump administration would raise questions about whether it was using the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report to pressure Islamabad to do more on counter-terrorism. The report is not supposed to be influenced by other geopolitical considerations, but human rights groups accused the Trump administration last year, and the Obama administration before it, of sometimes prioritizing economic and security interests over human trafficking concerns. Pakistani Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal told Reuters the country has "taken very stringent steps" against human trafficking and the issue "should not be used for political means to pressurize countries." A senior Trump administration official said no decision on the ranking has been made, but that Pakistan, long an uneasy US&nbspally, has been told it can avoid a lower ranking - and a possible aid cut - only “if we see them making sincere efforts to address the problems that have been raised." The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied any link between Pakistan’s cooperation with Trump’s strategy to force the Afghan Taliban into peace talks and the possible loss of U.S. civilian assistance, stressing that any TIP decision would be based solely on Islamabad’s human trafficking record. The State Department declined to comment, except to cite the penalties available under the US&nbspanti-human trafficking law. Pakistan has long rejected U.S. accusations that it provides Afghan Taliban and allied Haqqani network militants with sanctuaries from which they attack the Kabul government and U.S.-led foreign forces in Afghanistan. CIVILIAN AID HANGS IN BALANCE Future civilian aid hinges on Pakistan's rating in the State Department’s 2018 TIP report, an assessment of how more than 180 countries and territories are fighting human smuggling, modern slavery and related issues like child soldiers. Pakistan has been on the report’s Tier 2 "Watch List" for four years, the limit a country can remain at the second-to-worst ranking. Unless it is upgraded, Pakistan will drop to Tier 3, the lowest rung, alongside Iran, North Korea and Syria, among others. This would trigger the suspension of civilian assistance, except for humanitarian and trade-related aid, unless Trump, who has been stridently critical of Pakistan, waives the penalties. A Tier 3 rating assesses that a country does not comply with minimum U.S. standards against human trafficking. Pakistan has struggled to eradicate bonded labour practices, especially in dirty brick kilns where children often work. Iqbal said Pakistan would soon enact tougher laws. He did not confirm, however, that Washington had warned his government about potential aid cuts related to human trafficking. “This cause is much more valuable than billions of dollars in aid because this is about human dignity," he told Reuters. "There has to be more understanding of the efforts that countries like us are doing." Pakistani officials dismissed the impact of a loss of US&nbspcivilian aid, most of which flows through non-governmental organizations, on the country's growing economy of nearly $300 billion. Still, they have expressed concern that Washington wants international bodies to punish Pakistan for not heeding Trump's South Asia security agenda. &nbspIn February, urged by the United States and European powers, the Financial Action Task Force, a global money-laundering watchdog, placed Pakistan on a terrorist financing watchlist. Pakistan fears Washington could use its vote in the IMF, to which the United States is the largest contributor, to oppose new loans to Islamabad. Pakistan's economic growth has surged to above 5 percent, but many analysts expect Pakistan to seek a new IMF bailout this year due to a ballooning current account deficit and dwindling foreign currency reserves.

Pakistan could face US aid cuts over human trafficking: Sources

The Trump administration rolled back Obama-era pollution and fuel efficiency rules for cars and light trucks on Monday, saying they were too stringent.&nbsp;

The decision by President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency means the emission standards for vehicles in the 2022-2025 model years will be revised, as sought by automakers.

"The Obama administration's determination was wrong," said EPA chief Scott Pruitt.

Former President Barack Obama's EPA "made assumptions about the standards that didn't comport with reality, and set the standards too high," Pruitt said in a statement.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers applauded the move, saying it would "keep new vehicles affordable to more Americans."

"This was the right decision, and we support the administration for pursuing a data-driven effort and a single national program as it works to finalize future standards," said the industry group representing Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and others.

The rules set in 2012, known as the Corporate Average Fuel Economy or CAFE standards, sought to reduce pollutants released into the air by gradually increasing fuel efficiency across all models offered by manufacturers to 54.5 miles per gallon (4.32 litres per 100 kilometres), compared to 35.5 miles per gallon in 2016.

Pruitt said the EPA in 2012 cut short its review of the standards for "politically charged expediency," but he will work with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop new, "more appropriate" rules.

The agency is also examining the waiver that allows California, the most popular US state, to impose tougher requirements than called for under the Clean Air Act.

One state cannot "dictate standards for the rest of the country," Pruitt said.

"EPA will set a national standard for greenhouse gas emissions that allows auto manufacturers to make cars that people both want and can afford - while still expanding environmental and safety benefits of newer cars."

This is likely to open a long legal battle between California, a traditionally Democratic state, and Trump's Republican administration.&nbsp;

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the EPA's "assault" on CAFE standards "risks our ability to protect our children`s health, tackle climate change and save hardworking Americans money."&nbsp;

"We're ready to file suit if needed to protect these critical standards and to fight the Administration`s war on our environment," Becerra said.

Trump has been scaling back many types of regulations, including environmental standards, set by his Democratic predecessor, including pulling out of the Paris climate accord.

'The Obama administration's determination was wrong,' said Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt

The Trump administration rolled back Obama-era pollution and fuel efficiency rules for cars and light trucks on Monday, saying they were too stringent. The decision by President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency means the emission standards for vehicles in the 2022-2025 model years will be revised, as sought by automakers. "The Obama administration's determination was wrong," said EPA chief Scott Pruitt. Former President Barack Obama's EPA "made assumptions about the standards that didn't comport with reality, and set the standards too high," Pruitt said in a statement. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers applauded the move, saying it would "keep new vehicles affordable to more Americans." "This was the right decision, and we support the administration for pursuing a data-driven effort and a single national program as it works to finalize future standards," said the industry group representing Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and others. The rules set in 2012, known as the Corporate Average Fuel Economy or CAFE standards, sought to reduce pollutants released into the air by gradually increasing fuel efficiency across all models offered by manufacturers to 54.5 miles per gallon (4.32 litres per 100 kilometres), compared to 35.5 miles per gallon in 2016. Pruitt said the EPA in 2012 cut short its review of the standards for "politically charged expediency," but he will work with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop new, "more appropriate" rules. The agency is also examining the waiver that allows California, the most popular US state, to impose tougher requirements than called for under the Clean Air Act. One state cannot "dictate standards for the rest of the country," Pruitt said. "EPA will set a national standard for greenhouse gas emissions that allows auto manufacturers to make cars that people both want and can afford - while still expanding environmental and safety benefits of newer cars." This is likely to open a long legal battle between California, a traditionally Democratic state, and Trump's Republican administration. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the EPA's "assault" on CAFE standards "risks our ability to protect our children`s health, tackle climate change and save hardworking Americans money." "We're ready to file suit if needed to protect these critical standards and to fight the Administration`s war on our environment," Becerra said. Trump has been scaling back many types of regulations, including environmental standards, set by his Democratic predecessor, including pulling out of the Paris climate accord.

Trump rolls back Obama-era fuel efficiency rules

The process of filing petitions for H-1B visa has begun amidst unprecedented scrutiny by the United States President Donald Trump`s administration.&nbsp;

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is the federal agency responsible to process the visas, has indicated that there will be zero tolerance for even minor errors.&nbsp;

H-1B is considered as the most sought-after work visa among highly-skilled Indian professionals. It is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.&nbsp;

Earlier in March, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services had announced that it will temporarily be suspended the premium processing for the H-1B visa.&nbsp;

"The USCIS will begin accepting applications for the fiscal year 2019 (October 2018 to September 2019) from April 2. The suspension will last until September 10," the body had said.&nbsp;

"This temporary suspension will help us reduce overall H-1B processing times. By temporarily suspending premium processing, we will be able to process long-pending petitions, which we have currently been unable to process due to the high volume of incoming petitions and the significant surge in premium processing requests over the past few years," the USCIS added.&nbsp;

The Donald Trump administration recently announced a new measure, making the approval of H-1B visa more tougher.&nbsp;

As per the new policy, any company will have to make one more clarification to prove that its H-1B employee at a third-party worksite has specific and non-qualifying speculative assignments in a speciality occupation.&nbsp;

The updated policy is a part of Trump's "Buy American and Hire American" Executive Order, which directs to protect the interests of US workers.&nbsp;

According to the US administration officials, the scrutiny is needed to ensure the integrity of the controversial visa programme, which according to critics has cost American jobs.

The USCIS will begin accepting applications for the fiscal year 2019 (October 2018 to September 2019) from April 2

The process of filing petitions for H-1B visa has begun amidst unprecedented scrutiny by the United States President Donald Trump`s administration. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is the federal agency responsible to process the visas, has indicated that there will be zero tolerance for even minor errors. H-1B is considered as the most sought-after work visa among highly-skilled Indian professionals. It is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Earlier in March, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services had announced that it will temporarily be suspended the premium processing for the H-1B visa. "The USCIS will begin accepting applications for the fiscal year 2019 (October 2018 to September 2019) from April 2. The suspension will last until September 10," the body had said. "This temporary suspension will help us reduce overall H-1B processing times. By temporarily suspending premium processing, we will be able to process long-pending petitions, which we have currently been unable to process due to the high volume of incoming petitions and the significant surge in premium processing requests over the past few years," the USCIS added. The Donald Trump administration recently announced a new measure, making the approval of H-1B visa more tougher. As per the new policy, any company will have to make one more clarification to prove that its H-1B employee at a third-party worksite has specific and non-qualifying speculative assignments in a speciality occupation. The updated policy is a part of Trump's "Buy American and Hire American" Executive Order, which directs to protect the interests of US workers. According to the US administration officials, the scrutiny is needed to ensure the integrity of the controversial visa programme, which according to critics has cost American jobs.

'Tough' H-1B visa application process begins

The United States on Thursday took its most notable action against Russia since Donald Trump became president, slapping sanctions on a group of Russian individuals and entities, including Moscow&#39;s intelligence services, for meddling in the 2016 US election and malicious cyber attacks.

Under pressure to act, the administration still deferred making a move targeting Russian government officials and oligarchs, those closest to Russian President Vladimir Putin.&nbsp;

Thursday&#39;s announcement marked the first time that the US government stated publicly that Russia had attempted to break into the American energy grid, which US security officials have longed warned may be vulnerable to debilitating cyber attacks from hostile adversaries.

Trump has faced fierce criticism in the United States for doing too little to punish Russia for the election meddling and other actions, and a special counsel is looking into whether Trump&#39;s campaign colluded with the Russians, an allegation the president denies.

Combined with the United States joining Britain in blaming Moscow for poisoning a former Russian spy in southern England, the actions represented another plunge in U.S.-Russian relations despite Trump&#39;s stated desire for improved ties.&nbsp;

&quot;The administration is confronting and countering malign Russian cyber activity, including their attempted interference in U.S. elections, destructive cyber-attacks, and intrusions targeting critical infrastructure,&quot; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in announcing the new sanctions.

Trump has frequently questioned a January 2017 finding by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 campaign using hacking and propaganda in an effort eventually aimed at tilting the race in Trump&#39;s favor. Russia denies interfering in the election.

But Mnuchin was unequivocal in saying that Thursday&#39;s Treasury action &quot;counters Russia&#39;s continuing destabilizing activities, ranging from interference in the 2016 election to conducting destructive cyber-attacks.&quot;

A senior administration official told Reuters that Trump, who campaigned on warmer ties with Putin, has grown exasperated with Russian activity.

The Treasury Department aimed the sanctions at 19 Russian individuals and five groups. Sixteen of the Russian individuals and entities sanctioned were indicted on Feb. 16 as part of Mueller&#39;s criminal investigation. While Trump has frequently called the Russia probe a &quot;witch hunt,&quot; the new sanctions appear to affirm Mueller&#39;s investigative strategy.

Trump told reporters during a White House event with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar that &quot;it certainly looks like the Russians were behind&quot; the use of a nerve agent to attack Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent in England. Trump called it &quot;something that should never, ever happen, and we&#39;re taking it very seriously, as I think are many others.&quot;&nbsp;

Russian government hackers since at least March 2016 &quot;have also targeted U.S. government entities and multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including the energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing sectors,&quot; a Treasury Department statement said.

A senior administration told reporters on a conference call that Russian actors infiltrated parts of the U.S. energy sector.

&quot;We were able to identify where they were located within those business systems and remove them from those business systems,&quot; the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

&#39;DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES&#39;

Mnuchin said there would be additional sanctions against Russian government officials and oligarchs &quot;for their destabilizing activities.&quot; Mnuchin did not give a time frame for those sanctions, which he said would sever the individuals&#39; access to the U.S. financial system.

The new sanctions also include Russian intelligence services, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), and six individuals working on behalf of the GRU.

Thursday&#39;s action blocks all property of those targeted that is subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits American citizens from engaging in transactions with them.&nbsp;

The Treasury Department said the sanctions were also meant to counter destructive cyber attacks including the NotPetya attack that cost billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia and the United States. The United States and Britain last month attributed that attack to the Russian military.&nbsp;

Mueller&#39;s indictment stated that Russians adopted false online personas to push divisive messages, traveled to the United States to collect intelligence and staged political rallies while posing as Americans.

 
Both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress, which nearly unanimously passed a new sanctions bill against Russia last summer, had criticized Trump for not punishing Moscow. The Trump administration in January did not announce sanctions against Russia, for now, under the new law.&nbsp;

Republican Ed Royce, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed the new sanctions as an important step. &quot;But more must be done,&quot; Royce said in a statement, promising that his committee would &quot;keep pushing to counter Russian aggression.&quot;

The Treasury Department said it would keep pressure on Russia for its ongoing efforts to destabilize Ukraine and occupy the Crimea region, as well as corruption and human rights abuses.

Under pressure to act, the Trump administration still deferred making a move targeting Russian govt officials and oligarchs, those closest to Putin.

The United States on Thursday took its most notable action against Russia since Donald Trump became president, slapping sanctions on a group of Russian individuals and entities, including Moscow's intelligence services, for meddling in the 2016 US election and malicious cyber attacks. Under pressure to act, the administration still deferred making a move targeting Russian government officials and oligarchs, those closest to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thursday's announcement marked the first time that the US government stated publicly that Russia had attempted to break into the American energy grid, which US security officials have longed warned may be vulnerable to debilitating cyber attacks from hostile adversaries. Trump has faced fierce criticism in the United States for doing too little to punish Russia for the election meddling and other actions, and a special counsel is looking into whether Trump's campaign colluded with the Russians, an allegation the president denies. Combined with the United States joining Britain in blaming Moscow for poisoning a former Russian spy in southern England, the actions represented another plunge in U.S.-Russian relations despite Trump's stated desire for improved ties. "The administration is confronting and countering malign Russian cyber activity, including their attempted interference in U.S. elections, destructive cyber-attacks, and intrusions targeting critical infrastructure," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in announcing the new sanctions. Trump has frequently questioned a January 2017 finding by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 campaign using hacking and propaganda in an effort eventually aimed at tilting the race in Trump's favor. Russia denies interfering in the election. But Mnuchin was unequivocal in saying that Thursday's Treasury action "counters Russia's continuing destabilizing activities, ranging from interference in the 2016 election to conducting destructive cyber-attacks." A senior administration official told Reuters that Trump, who campaigned on warmer ties with Putin, has grown exasperated with Russian activity. The Treasury Department aimed the sanctions at 19 Russian individuals and five groups. Sixteen of the Russian individuals and entities sanctioned were indicted on Feb. 16 as part of Mueller's criminal investigation. While Trump has frequently called the Russia probe a "witch hunt," the new sanctions appear to affirm Mueller's investigative strategy. Trump told reporters during a White House event with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar that "it certainly looks like the Russians were behind" the use of a nerve agent to attack Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent in England. Trump called it "something that should never, ever happen, and we're taking it very seriously, as I think are many others." Russian government hackers since at least March 2016 "have also targeted U.S. government entities and multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including the energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing sectors," a Treasury Department statement said. A senior administration told reporters on a conference call that Russian actors infiltrated parts of the U.S. energy sector. "We were able to identify where they were located within those business systems and remove them from those business systems," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES' Mnuchin said there would be additional sanctions against Russian government officials and oligarchs "for their destabilizing activities." Mnuchin did not give a time frame for those sanctions, which he said would sever the individuals' access to the U.S. financial system. The new sanctions also include Russian intelligence services, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), and six individuals working on behalf of the GRU. Thursday's action blocks all property of those targeted that is subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits American citizens from engaging in transactions with them. The Treasury Department said the sanctions were also meant to counter destructive cyber attacks including the NotPetya attack that cost billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia and the United States. The United States and Britain last month attributed that attack to the Russian military. Mueller's indictment stated that Russians adopted false online personas to push divisive messages, traveled to the United States to collect intelligence and staged political rallies while posing as Americans. Both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress, which nearly unanimously passed a new sanctions bill against Russia last summer, had criticized Trump for not punishing Moscow. The Trump administration in January did not announce sanctions against Russia, for now, under the new law. Republican Ed Royce, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed the new sanctions as an important step. "But more must be done," Royce said in a statement, promising that his committee would "keep pushing to counter Russian aggression." The Treasury Department said it would keep pressure on Russia for its ongoing efforts to destabilize Ukraine and occupy the Crimea region, as well as corruption and human rights abuses.

US hits Russians with sanctions for election meddling, cyber attacks

India has played a responsible role in the economic development of Afghanistan, the Trump administration said today noting that the trilateral India-Afghan-US cooperation is not aimed at Pakistan.

&quot;India, we&#39;ve seen over the last several years, play a responsible role in the economic development and reconstruction of Afghanistan. And that role has been appreciated by the government of Afghanistan,&quot; senior US diplomat for South and Central Asia, Alice Wells, told a Washington audience.

Early this month, Wells was in Kabul to attend the Kabul process meeting. On the sidelines of it, she participated in the India-US-Afghanistan trilateral, which again raised eyebrows in Pakistan.

The trilateral meeting, she said, was to review how the three countries can better work together on development trade and investment priorities.

&quot;But that does not imply that we would support or think that there&#39;s any manipulation of Afghanistan so that it can be used against Pakistan,&quot; Wells said in response to a question at the US Institute of Peace, a US-Congress supported top American think-tank.

Pakistan, she said, has an important role to play in a peace process, and in stabilising Afghanistan.

&quot;We believe that Pakistan can help change and shape the calculus of the Taliban. We are engaged with Pakistan on how we can work together as well as address Pakistan&#39;s legitimate concerns through a negotiated process,&quot; she said.

"India, we've seen over the last several years, play a responsible role in the economic development and reconstruction of Afghanistan,'' senior US diplomat for South and Central Asia, Alice Wells, told a Washington audience.

India has played a responsible role in the economic development of Afghanistan, the Trump administration said today noting that the trilateral India-Afghan-US cooperation is not aimed at Pakistan. "India, we've seen over the last several years, play a responsible role in the economic development and reconstruction of Afghanistan. And that role has been appreciated by the government of Afghanistan," senior US diplomat for South and Central Asia, Alice Wells, told a Washington audience. Early this month, Wells was in Kabul to attend the Kabul process meeting. On the sidelines of it, she participated in the India-US-Afghanistan trilateral, which again raised eyebrows in Pakistan. The trilateral meeting, she said, was to review how the three countries can better work together on development trade and investment priorities. "But that does not imply that we would support or think that there's any manipulation of Afghanistan so that it can be used against Pakistan," Wells said in response to a question at the US Institute of Peace, a US-Congress supported top American think-tank. Pakistan, she said, has an important role to play in a peace process, and in stabilising Afghanistan. "We believe that Pakistan can help change and shape the calculus of the Taliban. We are engaged with Pakistan on how we can work together as well as address Pakistan's legitimate concerns through a negotiated process," she said.

India has played responsible role in Afghan economic development: US

The United States on Sunday made its strongest accusation to date of Moscow&#39;s complicity in civilian deaths in Syria, saying Russian aircraft flew bombing missions over the besieged eastern Ghouta region in defiance of a United Nations ceasefire.

The White House said Russian military aircraft took off from Humaymim Airfield in Syria and carried out at least 20 daily bombing missions in Damascus and eastern Ghouta between February 24 and February 28.

It did not say whether the jets dropped ordinance, which could be harder to determine than tracking the flight paths of Russian aircraft on US&nbsp;radar. But the United States directly accused Russia of killing civilians.&nbsp;

&quot;Russia has gone on to ignore (a UN&nbsp;ceasefire&#39;s) terms and to kill innocent civilians under the false auspices of counter-terrorism operations,&quot; the White House said in a statement.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed on Sunday to continue the offensive in eastern Ghouta, one of the deadliest in the war. A local insurgent group called it a &quot;scorched earth&quot; campaign.

With the war entering its eighth year, capturing eastern Ghouta would be a major victory for Assad, who has steadily regained control of rebel areas with Russian and Iranian support.

Government shelling and air strikes have killed 659 people in eastern Ghouta since February 18, while rebel shelling of Damascus has killed 27, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday that Syrian government air-strikes on eastern Ghouta and shelling from the rebel-held zone into Damascus probably constitute war crimes.

The White House called on pro-Assad forces to &quot;immediately cease targeting medical infrastructure and civilians.&quot;

In a separate statement later on Sunday, the White House said President Donald Trump and Egypt&#39;s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi &quot;discussed Russia and Iran&#39;s irresponsible support of the Assad regime&#39;s brutal attacks against innocent civilians.&quot;

&quot;President Trump and President al-Sisi agreed to work together on ending the humanitarian crisis in Syria and achieving Arab unity and security in the region,&quot; the White House statement said.

Russia and Damascus have accused rebels of preventing civilians from leaving eastern Ghouta during daily ceasefires. Rebels have consistently denied the accusation and say people will not leave because they fear the government.

The multi-sided war has killed hundreds of thousands of people since 2011. 
&nbsp;

The White House said Russian military aircraft took off from Humaymim Airfield in Syria and carried out at least 20 daily bombing missions in Damascus

The United States on Sunday made its strongest accusation to date of Moscow's complicity in civilian deaths in Syria, saying Russian aircraft flew bombing missions over the besieged eastern Ghouta region in defiance of a United Nations ceasefire. The White House said Russian military aircraft took off from Humaymim Airfield in Syria and carried out at least 20 daily bombing missions in Damascus and eastern Ghouta between February 24 and February 28. It did not say whether the jets dropped ordinance, which could be harder to determine than tracking the flight paths of Russian aircraft on US radar. But the United States directly accused Russia of killing civilians. "Russia has gone on to ignore (a UN ceasefire's) terms and to kill innocent civilians under the false auspices of counter-terrorism operations," the White House said in a statement. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed on Sunday to continue the offensive in eastern Ghouta, one of the deadliest in the war. A local insurgent group called it a "scorched earth" campaign. With the war entering its eighth year, capturing eastern Ghouta would be a major victory for Assad, who has steadily regained control of rebel areas with Russian and Iranian support. Government shelling and air strikes have killed 659 people in eastern Ghouta since February 18, while rebel shelling of Damascus has killed 27, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday that Syrian government air-strikes on eastern Ghouta and shelling from the rebel-held zone into Damascus probably constitute war crimes. The White House called on pro-Assad forces to "immediately cease targeting medical infrastructure and civilians." In a separate statement later on Sunday, the White House said President Donald Trump and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi "discussed Russia and Iran's irresponsible support of the Assad regime's brutal attacks against innocent civilians." "President Trump and President al-Sisi agreed to work together on ending the humanitarian crisis in Syria and achieving Arab unity and security in the region," the White House statement said. Russia and Damascus have accused rebels of preventing civilians from leaving eastern Ghouta during daily ceasefires. Rebels have consistently denied the accusation and say people will not leave because they fear the government. The multi-sided war has killed hundreds of thousands of people since 2011.

White House accuses Russia of killing civilians in Syria

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly today admitted the Trump administration&#39;s early handling of classified information and gatekeeping of sensitive secrets was not up to snuff.

Kelly told journalists that he had his &quot;eyes opened,&quot; after joining the White House in July last year, by the way people were treating documents and the number of staff who had access to secrets.

Painting a picture of a neophyte staff of outsiders, unfamiliar with Washington and learning how to run the world&#39;s preeminent superpower, Kelly said he moved to bring habits in line with the Pentagon and military, where he served for decades.

&quot;In terms of the handling of classified material&quot; he said the White House &quot;wasn&#39;t up to the standards that I&#39;d been used to.&quot; &quot;Nothing illegal,&quot; he added. &quot;But it wasn&#39;t quite up to the standards.&quot; &quot;Most of the people here in the White House had never worked in government before,&quot; he explained.

On Donald Trump&#39;s path to the White House he repeatedly pilloried his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, for storing government emails on a private server, suggesting that was a national security risk.

Kelly also admitted that his initial concerns sparked a further crackdown, when he noticed that around 35-40 White House staffers had top secret clearance and did not need it.

That top level of clearance is often used in the Situation Room and for the nation&#39;s most closely guarded secrets.

Kelly also noticed that many staff did not have final clearance and were working as FBI background checks were ongoing.

&quot;I&#39;m having my eyes opened here&quot; he said.

&quot;Of the people who are here, what is the percentage that are still on interim clearances?&quot; he asked, &quot;and the answer to that was a fair number. It was a lot.&quot; &quot;A couple of spreadsheets worth of people,&quot; he added. &quot;More people than I was comfortable with.&quot; The issue of clearances would ultimately engulf the White House, leading to -- according to other sources -- Jared Kushner having his clearance downgraded.

That downgrade raised questions about what may be holding up his background check and whether he can continue to lead Trump&#39;s efforts to negotiate Middle East peace with only &quot;secret&quot; not &quot;top secret&quot; clearance.

Kelly also admitted that the White House&#39;s handling of staff-secretary Rob Porter&#39;s departure amid allegations of domestic abuse was not ideal.

&quot;We didn&#39;t cover ourselves in glory in how we handled that.&quot;

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said that he had his 'eyes opened,' after joining the White House in July last year, by the way people were treating documents and the number of staff who had access to secrets

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly today admitted the Trump administration's early handling of classified information and gatekeeping of sensitive secrets was not up to snuff. Kelly told journalists that he had his "eyes opened," after joining the White House in July last year, by the way people were treating documents and the number of staff who had access to secrets. Painting a picture of a neophyte staff of outsiders, unfamiliar with Washington and learning how to run the world's preeminent superpower, Kelly said he moved to bring habits in line with the Pentagon and military, where he served for decades. "In terms of the handling of classified material" he said the White House "wasn't up to the standards that I'd been used to." "Nothing illegal," he added. "But it wasn't quite up to the standards." "Most of the people here in the White House had never worked in government before," he explained. On Donald Trump's path to the White House he repeatedly pilloried his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, for storing government emails on a private server, suggesting that was a national security risk. Kelly also admitted that his initial concerns sparked a further crackdown, when he noticed that around 35-40 White House staffers had top secret clearance and did not need it. That top level of clearance is often used in the Situation Room and for the nation's most closely guarded secrets. Kelly also noticed that many staff did not have final clearance and were working as FBI background checks were ongoing. "I'm having my eyes opened here" he said. "Of the people who are here, what is the percentage that are still on interim clearances?" he asked, "and the answer to that was a fair number. It was a lot." "A couple of spreadsheets worth of people," he added. "More people than I was comfortable with." The issue of clearances would ultimately engulf the White House, leading to -- according to other sources -- Jared Kushner having his clearance downgraded. That downgrade raised questions about what may be holding up his background check and whether he can continue to lead Trump's efforts to negotiate Middle East peace with only "secret" not "top secret" clearance. Kelly also admitted that the White House's handling of staff-secretary Rob Porter's departure amid allegations of domestic abuse was not ideal. "We didn't cover ourselves in glory in how we handled that."

White House admits lax handling of classified information

The Kremlin on Friday rejected US allegation that Russia violated its treaty obligations. The Trump administration had previously accused the Putin regime to have been developing destabilising weapons system for nearly a decade.&nbsp;

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Thursday noted the same shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an array of new nuclear weapons.

Putin announced that the new weapons system could hit almost any point in the world and is capable of evading a US-built missile shield.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any breach of international arms control pacts by Russia.&nbsp;

&quot;Russia does not plan to get dragged into any arms race,&quot; said Peskov.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any breach of international arms control pacts by Russia

The Kremlin on Friday rejected US allegation that Russia violated its treaty obligations. The Trump administration had previously accused the Putin regime to have been developing destabilising weapons system for nearly a decade. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Thursday noted the same shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an array of new nuclear weapons. Putin announced that the new weapons system could hit almost any point in the world and is capable of evading a US-built missile shield. Meanwhile, Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any breach of international arms control pacts by Russia. "Russia does not plan to get dragged into any arms race," said Peskov. (With inputs from Reuters)

Russia does not plan to get dragged into any arms race: Spokesperson

By Oscar Gil-Garcia*&nbsp;

 
For more than a decade, I documented one man&rsquo;s deportation, the impact on his family and his eventual return to the U.S.

I did this as part of my work studying the migration of indigenous Mayan refugees from Guatemala to Mexico and the U.S. My telling of the story of this man, who I&rsquo;ll call Alex to protect his identity, is forthcoming in the journal Representations. I believe it can help shed light on the human consequences of deportations and family separations &ndash; and the enormous risks deportees are willing to take, irrespective of walls, fences, and the danger of reuniting with their families.

Here is Alex&rsquo;s story.

An immigration raid

Alex was born in a refugee settlement in Chiapas, Mexico. His family is one of more than 200,000 Guatemalans who fled a protracted war, supported by the U.S. and its allies, that largely targeted the indigenous people in Guatemala. In Mexico, barriers to legal status barred refugees from formal employment. To improve his family&rsquo;s situation, he decided to enter the U.S. through a human smuggler, often referred to as a &ldquo;coyote,&rdquo; in 2000. He worked at a meatpacking plant and sent money to support his parents in Mexico.

Two years later, Alex fell in love with his wife, who we&rsquo;ll refer to as Grace, a Guatemalan national. Grace arrived in the U.S. in 1999, also with the help of a coyote, to join her parents who enrolled her in elementary school. Grace too was smitten, and in 2002 she decided to forgo her high school senior year to be with Alex. One year later, Grace gave birth to their first child.

In December of 2006, Alex was deported, without a hearing &ndash; a violation of international human rights law &ndash; in one of the largest immigration raids in U.S. history. He was separated from his wife and 3-year-old child. Family separation due to deportation is common. It is also a violation of the American Convention on Human Rights. Article 17 of the Convention, signed by the U.S. in 1969, states: &ldquo;The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state.&rdquo; The statement of this principle underscores how deportation violates one of the fundamental rights protected by the Convention &ndash; the rights of the family.

Back in Mexico, Alex faced a lack of job opportunities, compounded by racial discrimination toward indigenous peoples. Meanwhile, Grace, faced economic instability in the U.S. without Alex&rsquo;s income. Even so, she advised Alex to stay in Mexico, due to her fear of more raids and concern over increased criminalization to punish unauthorized migration. In addition, under enforcement priorities initiated under George W. Bush, unlawful entry and re-entry would initiate a new era in the criminalization of migration that involved the creation of new classes of &ldquo;felonies&rdquo; that apply only to noncitizens.

Six months later, Alex&rsquo;s wife and their son joined him in Chiapas, Mexico &ndash; becoming what are often referred to as &ldquo;de facto&rdquo; deportees. Studies have identified how deportees face stigma and discrimination upon return. National origins, language abilities and presumptions of why one was deported can become significant factors in the reintegration to home countries or the countries of spouses or parents. For example, Grace is a Guatemalan national and could not seek legal employment in Mexico.

Despite their reunification, Alex&rsquo;s family continued to face significant hardships in Mexico. Alex&rsquo;s friend, a coyote, informed him that he could make a livable wage working as a coyote and stay close to his family. Alex decided to explore this alternative.&nbsp;

Clandestine migration

Alex&rsquo;s participation in a human smuggling network came with enormous risks. One day, for example, armed bandits surrounded a group of migrants he was leading across the U.S.-Mexico border and confiscated their belongings. Alex ran into the desert bush and escaped to the U.S. side of the border.

After a night in the desert without food or water, Alex returned to Mexico. He later learned that the bandits had taken the migrants hostage, but that they were released after relatives in the U.S. paid an undisclosed ransom. Alex returned home and informed his wife and parents of the incident. All insisted that he no longer continue to work as a coyote.

A large body of research documents how the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border has led to a militarization and reorganization of drug trafficking organizations. Drug cartels can interfere with smuggling networks, making migrants even more vulnerable to assault or being forced to transport drugs. Scholar Laura Ortiz argues that the increased participation of imposter coyotes, who recruit migrants only to extort them, has helped reinforce dominant perceptions of smuggling as intertwined with drug trafficking. Despite this dominant perception, scholar Sim&oacute;n Pedro Izcara Palacios argues that human smuggling and drug trafficking are operated by different groups. Drug cartels are not directly involved with human smuggling, but instead extort fees from human smugglers. Indeed, Alex identified how cartels pressured smugglers to pay a user&rsquo;s fee for crossing the Sonora-Arizona border. Failure to pay can result in violence.

The risk of violence in coyote work, along with an absence of viable job opportunities in Chiapas, prompted Alex and his wife, now with four children, to make arrangements to join other family in the U.S. in 2015. Although Grace&rsquo;s father is a U.S. permanent resident, he could not sponsor them through what politicians refer to as &ldquo;chain migration&rdquo; because he failed to meet annual income criteria - no less than 125 percent of the federal poverty level. Without legal options, Alex paid US$3,500 to a fellow coyote to take his wife and children over the border. This coyote successfully led them to a location on the Sonora-Arizona border where U.S. immigration officials at the time captured and later released migrants.

Grace and her children turned themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol. Because of new legal protections for families and children in the U.S., Grace and her children were released following one night in detention. The U.S. government filed removal proceedings; and to provide an opportunity to appear before an immigration judge to adjudicate her case, Grace and her children received deportation relief.

To help finance his family&rsquo;s crossing, Alex decided to make a final clandestine crossing with eight migrants in the Sonora&ndash;Arizona corridor. Hours after beginning their journey, heavily armed men captured and held them hostage in a secluded building. A ransom was requested from U.S. kin of every migrant. Despite Grace&rsquo;s offer to pay the ransom for his release, his captors refused. Instead, Alex remained captive for several weeks and was physically tortured.

Eventually, he escaped his captors, but was stuck in the desert again. Without food or water, he turned himself in to U.S. Border Patrol agents who documented the physical wounds he sustained from his prolonged torture and placed him in detention.&nbsp;

Few options

Alex&rsquo;s previous unauthorized entry prompted what&rsquo;s called a &ldquo;reinstatement of removal,&rdquo; a provision under the 1996 immigration reform that re-established the order of removal from 2006. At the request of his family, I located and covered the cost of an attorney. Because Alex expressed a well-founded fear of persecution or torture upon return to Mexico, his attorney advised him to apply for either a &ldquo;withholding of removal,&rdquo; or protection under the Convention Against Torture. Unlike asylum, neither of these remedies offer a path to permanent resident status.

Additionally, the application would have required that Alex remain in detention &ndash; potentially six months to a year &ndash; during the adjudication of his case. Scholars have noted how prolonged detention can exacerbate post-traumatic stress and other harms that asylum seekers and their families may have suffered in their own countries. Others have identified how prolonged detention compromises due process protections that violate international human rights law and coerce migrants into surrendering to deportation. Several have identified how deportations can be tantamount to a death sentence.

His family feared that he too may be killed following deportation and begged him to permit the attorney to adjudicate his case. Alex weighed his options and declined legal counsel. Following the end of his sentence and deportation, he returned to Chiapas. Within a month he made arrangements with another coyote and paid $7,000 to cross via the Chihuahua-Texas border. Like most who attempt re-entry following an apprehension, he succeeded, and is now reunited with his wife and children in the U.S.&nbsp;

Family reunification

Alex says he never wanted to be a coyote. His story provides an opportunity to understand the complex motivations that fuel unauthorized re-entry of deportee parents with family in the U.S. A 2009 Department of Homeland Security report states that 21 percent of re-entries are those without a U.S.-born child, while more than one-third of re-entries are parents of U.S. citizen children. Scholars have also shown how deportees like Alex, who are separated from families in the U.S., are more likely to migrate again than those without family ties.

As the nation considers reforming immigration policy, it is important to remember that deterrence strategies are ineffective in reducing the intention to migrate, particularly among those with family in the U.S. Walls or even detention cells are no match for those with direct experience with crime and violence who have credible fear claims and those separated from their families in the U.S.

In 2017, two years after Alex&rsquo;s family&rsquo;s reunification in the U.S., Grace appeared in court for her immigration hearing. The immigration judge filed an order of removal. Like other returnees and recent unauthorized arrivals, both now face the threat of deportation. Until international protocols on the protection of migrants and their families are upheld, the U.S. will continue producing unauthorized persons or families who are at risk of deportation for years to come.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

* Oscar Gil-Garcia is an Assistant Professor &nbsp;in Binghamton University, State University of New York

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

While the U.S. considers reforming of immigration policy, it is important to remember that deterrence strategies are ineffective in reducing the intention to migrate, particularly among those with family in the U.S.

By Oscar Gil-Garcia* For more than a decade, I documented one man’s deportation, the impact on his family and his eventual return to the U.S. I did this as part of my work studying the migration of indigenous Mayan refugees from Guatemala to Mexico and the U.S. My telling of the story of this man, who I’ll call Alex to protect his identity, is forthcoming in the journal Representations. I believe it can help shed light on the human consequences of deportations and family separations – and the enormous risks deportees are willing to take, irrespective of walls, fences, and the danger of reuniting with their families. Here is Alex’s story. An immigration raid Alex was born in a refugee settlement in Chiapas, Mexico. His family is one of more than 200,000 Guatemalans who fled a protracted war, supported by the U.S. and its allies, that largely targeted the indigenous people in Guatemala. In Mexico, barriers to legal status barred refugees from formal employment. To improve his family’s situation, he decided to enter the U.S. through a human smuggler, often referred to as a “coyote,” in 2000. He worked at a meatpacking plant and sent money to support his parents in Mexico. Two years later, Alex fell in love with his wife, who we’ll refer to as Grace, a Guatemalan national. Grace arrived in the U.S. in 1999, also with the help of a coyote, to join her parents who enrolled her in elementary school. Grace too was smitten, and in 2002 she decided to forgo her high school senior year to be with Alex. One year later, Grace gave birth to their first child. In December of 2006, Alex was deported, without a hearing – a violation of international human rights law – in one of the largest immigration raids in U.S. history. He was separated from his wife and 3-year-old child. Family separation due to deportation is common. It is also a violation of the American Convention on Human Rights. Article 17 of the Convention, signed by the U.S. in 1969, states: “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state.” The statement of this principle underscores how deportation violates one of the fundamental rights protected by the Convention – the rights of the family. Back in Mexico, Alex faced a lack of job opportunities, compounded by racial discrimination toward indigenous peoples. Meanwhile, Grace, faced economic instability in the U.S. without Alex’s income. Even so, she advised Alex to stay in Mexico, due to her fear of more raids and concern over increased criminalization to punish unauthorized migration. In addition, under enforcement priorities initiated under George W. Bush, unlawful entry and re-entry would initiate a new era in the criminalization of migration that involved the creation of new classes of “felonies” that apply only to noncitizens. Six months later, Alex’s wife and their son joined him in Chiapas, Mexico – becoming what are often referred to as “de facto” deportees. Studies have identified how deportees face stigma and discrimination upon return. National origins, language abilities and presumptions of why one was deported can become significant factors in the reintegration to home countries or the countries of spouses or parents. For example, Grace is a Guatemalan national and could not seek legal employment in Mexico. Despite their reunification, Alex’s family continued to face significant hardships in Mexico. Alex’s friend, a coyote, informed him that he could make a livable wage working as a coyote and stay close to his family. Alex decided to explore this alternative. Clandestine migration Alex’s participation in a human smuggling network came with enormous risks. One day, for example, armed bandits surrounded a group of migrants he was leading across the U.S.-Mexico border and confiscated their belongings. Alex ran into the desert bush and escaped to the U.S. side of the border. After a night in the desert without food or water, Alex returned to Mexico. He later learned that the bandits had taken the migrants hostage, but that they were released after relatives in the U.S. paid an undisclosed ransom. Alex returned home and informed his wife and parents of the incident. All insisted that he no longer continue to work as a coyote. A large body of research documents how the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border has led to a militarization and reorganization of drug trafficking organizations. Drug cartels can interfere with smuggling networks, making migrants even more vulnerable to assault or being forced to transport drugs. Scholar Laura Ortiz argues that the increased participation of imposter coyotes, who recruit migrants only to extort them, has helped reinforce dominant perceptions of smuggling as intertwined with drug trafficking. Despite this dominant perception, scholar Simón Pedro Izcara Palacios argues that human smuggling and drug trafficking are operated by different groups. Drug cartels are not directly involved with human smuggling, but instead extort fees from human smugglers. Indeed, Alex identified how cartels pressured smugglers to pay a user’s fee for crossing the Sonora-Arizona border. Failure to pay can result in violence. The risk of violence in coyote work, along with an absence of viable job opportunities in Chiapas, prompted Alex and his wife, now with four children, to make arrangements to join other family in the U.S. in 2015. Although Grace’s father is a U.S. permanent resident, he could not sponsor them through what politicians refer to as “chain migration” because he failed to meet annual income criteria - no less than 125 percent of the federal poverty level. Without legal options, Alex paid US$3,500 to a fellow coyote to take his wife and children over the border. This coyote successfully led them to a location on the Sonora-Arizona border where U.S. immigration officials at the time captured and later released migrants. Grace and her children turned themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol. Because of new legal protections for families and children in the U.S., Grace and her children were released following one night in detention. The U.S. government filed removal proceedings; and to provide an opportunity to appear before an immigration judge to adjudicate her case, Grace and her children received deportation relief. To help finance his family’s crossing, Alex decided to make a final clandestine crossing with eight migrants in the Sonora–Arizona corridor. Hours after beginning their journey, heavily armed men captured and held them hostage in a secluded building. A ransom was requested from U.S. kin of every migrant. Despite Grace’s offer to pay the ransom for his release, his captors refused. Instead, Alex remained captive for several weeks and was physically tortured. Eventually, he escaped his captors, but was stuck in the desert again. Without food or water, he turned himself in to U.S. Border Patrol agents who documented the physical wounds he sustained from his prolonged torture and placed him in detention. Few options Alex’s previous unauthorized entry prompted what’s called a “reinstatement of removal,” a provision under the 1996 immigration reform that re-established the order of removal from 2006. At the request of his family, I located and covered the cost of an attorney. Because Alex expressed a well-founded fear of persecution or torture upon return to Mexico, his attorney advised him to apply for either a “withholding of removal,” or protection under the Convention Against Torture. Unlike asylum, neither of these remedies offer a path to permanent resident status. Additionally, the application would have required that Alex remain in detention – potentially six months to a year – during the adjudication of his case. Scholars have noted how prolonged detention can exacerbate post-traumatic stress and other harms that asylum seekers and their families may have suffered in their own countries. Others have identified how prolonged detention compromises due process protections that violate international human rights law and coerce migrants into surrendering to deportation. Several have identified how deportations can be tantamount to a death sentence. His family feared that he too may be killed following deportation and begged him to permit the attorney to adjudicate his case. Alex weighed his options and declined legal counsel. Following the end of his sentence and deportation, he returned to Chiapas. Within a month he made arrangements with another coyote and paid $7,000 to cross via the Chihuahua-Texas border. Like most who attempt re-entry following an apprehension, he succeeded, and is now reunited with his wife and children in the U.S. Family reunification Alex says he never wanted to be a coyote. His story provides an opportunity to understand the complex motivations that fuel unauthorized re-entry of deportee parents with family in the U.S. A 2009 Department of Homeland Security report states that 21 percent of re-entries are those without a U.S.-born child, while more than one-third of re-entries are parents of U.S. citizen children. Scholars have also shown how deportees like Alex, who are separated from families in the U.S., are more likely to migrate again than those without family ties. As the nation considers reforming immigration policy, it is important to remember that deterrence strategies are ineffective in reducing the intention to migrate, particularly among those with family in the U.S. Walls or even detention cells are no match for those with direct experience with crime and violence who have credible fear claims and those separated from their families in the U.S. In 2017, two years after Alex’s family’s reunification in the U.S., Grace appeared in court for her immigration hearing. The immigration judge filed an order of removal. Like other returnees and recent unauthorized arrivals, both now face the threat of deportation. Until international protocols on the protection of migrants and their families are upheld, the U.S. will continue producing unauthorized persons or families who are at risk of deportation for years to come. * Oscar Gil-Garcia is an Assistant Professor in Binghamton University, State University of New York (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Man struggles to help his family survive due to US immigration policies

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell to a near 45-year low last week, pointing to strong job growth in February, which should continue to underpin the economy.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 222,000 for the week ended February 17, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims fell to 216,000 in mid-January, which was the lowest level since January 1973.

Claims for six states, including California, were estimated because of Monday&#39;s Presidents Day holiday. While that probably distorted last week&#39;s data, the underlying trend in claims was consistent with a robust labor market.

&quot;Firms are extraordinarily unwilling to part company with workers reflecting, in all likelihood, the difficulty of replacing them,&quot; said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York.&nbsp;

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims unchanged at 230,000 in the latest week. It was the 155th straight week that claims remained below the 300,000 threshold, which is associated with a strong labor market. That is the longest such stretch since 1970, when the labor market was much smaller.

The labor market is near full employment, with the jobless rate at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent. Tightening labor market conditions are starting to push up wage growth, which could help to lift inflation toward the Federal Reserve 2 percent target.

Minutes of the US&nbsp;central bank&#39;s Jan. 30-31 policy meeting published on Wednesday showed policymakers upbeat in their assessment of the economy and a number &quot;judged that the continued tightening in labor markets was likely to translate into faster wage increases at some point.&quot;&nbsp;

US&nbsp;financial markets were little moved by the claims data.

The Labor Department said claims for California, Hawaii, Maine, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming were estimated. It also said claims-taking procedures in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands had still not returned to normal, months after the territories were slammed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.&nbsp;

The four-week moving average of initial claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, fell 2,250 to 226,000 last week.

The claims data covered the survey period for the nonfarm payrolls component of February&#39;s employment report. The four-week average of claims dropped 17,500 between the January and February survey weeks, suggesting solid job growth this month.&nbsp;

Payrolls increased by 200,000 jobs in January. Strong employment gains in February would seal the case for an interest rate increase next month. The Fed has forecast three rate increases this year. Most economists, however, expect four rate hikes in the wake of strong inflation readings in January.

Thursday&#39;s claims report also showed the number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid declined 73,000 to 1.88 million in the week ended February 10. The four-week moving average of the so-called continuing claims fell 16,250 to 1.93 million. 
&nbsp;

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 222,000 for the week ended February 17

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell to a near 45-year low last week, pointing to strong job growth in February, which should continue to underpin the economy. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 222,000 for the week ended February 17, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims fell to 216,000 in mid-January, which was the lowest level since January 1973. Claims for six states, including California, were estimated because of Monday's Presidents Day holiday. While that probably distorted last week's data, the underlying trend in claims was consistent with a robust labor market. "Firms are extraordinarily unwilling to part company with workers reflecting, in all likelihood, the difficulty of replacing them," said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims unchanged at 230,000 in the latest week. It was the 155th straight week that claims remained below the 300,000 threshold, which is associated with a strong labor market. That is the longest such stretch since 1970, when the labor market was much smaller. The labor market is near full employment, with the jobless rate at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent. Tightening labor market conditions are starting to push up wage growth, which could help to lift inflation toward the Federal Reserve 2 percent target. Minutes of the US central bank's Jan. 30-31 policy meeting published on Wednesday showed policymakers upbeat in their assessment of the economy and a number "judged that the continued tightening in labor markets was likely to translate into faster wage increases at some point." US financial markets were little moved by the claims data. The Labor Department said claims for California, Hawaii, Maine, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming were estimated. It also said claims-taking procedures in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands had still not returned to normal, months after the territories were slammed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The four-week moving average of initial claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, fell 2,250 to 226,000 last week. The claims data covered the survey period for the nonfarm payrolls component of February's employment report. The four-week average of claims dropped 17,500 between the January and February survey weeks, suggesting solid job growth this month. Payrolls increased by 200,000 jobs in January. Strong employment gains in February would seal the case for an interest rate increase next month. The Fed has forecast three rate increases this year. Most economists, however, expect four rate hikes in the wake of strong inflation readings in January. Thursday's claims report also showed the number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid declined 73,000 to 1.88 million in the week ended February 10. The four-week moving average of the so-called continuing claims fell 16,250 to 1.93 million.

US jobless claims drop to near 45-year low

The US will continue to be a country of immigrants and that will not change, newly- appointed American envoy Kenneth Juster said today while asserting that the ongoing review of visas, including the H-1B category, was only for &quot;refinements&quot;.

Juster&#39;s comments came in the backdrop of reports that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of about 750,000 Indians. The US government, however, has denied these reports.

&quot;We have 4 million Indian-Americans in the US. So we are country of immigrants and that&#39;s what helped drive our economy and growth and made us where we are and that&#39;s not going to change,&quot; he said while delivering his first policy speech since taking over as ambassador.

He added that the US is looking at how various categories of visas are working and whether they need refinements.

&quot;We take more immigrants than any other country in the world,&quot; he added.

Every year, the US grants 85,000 H-1B visas to highly skilled applicants, including roughly 70 per cent for Indians, seeking employment and educational opportunities.

According to the National Foundation for American Policy, more than half of privately-held companies worth USD 1 billion or more in the US had at least one immigrant founder, with many entering America on an H-1B visa, including the CEOs of both Microsoft and Google.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India remains engaged with the Trump administration as well as the Congress on the H-1B visa issue.

&quot;We have shared our concerns to the US side. We have told them that this is a mutually beneficial partnership which should be nurtured and supported,&quot; he said.

Kumar said India continued to closely monitor the developments relating to the issue, adding that alarmist projections on possible difficulties to Indian professionals have been laid to rest by the Department of Homeland Security in the US.

Juster's comments came in the backdrop of reports that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of about 750,000 Indians

The US will continue to be a country of immigrants and that will not change, newly- appointed American envoy Kenneth Juster said today while asserting that the ongoing review of visas, including the H-1B category, was only for "refinements". Juster's comments came in the backdrop of reports that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of about 750,000 Indians. The US government, however, has denied these reports. "We have 4 million Indian-Americans in the US. So we are country of immigrants and that's what helped drive our economy and growth and made us where we are and that's not going to change," he said while delivering his first policy speech since taking over as ambassador. He added that the US is looking at how various categories of visas are working and whether they need refinements. "We take more immigrants than any other country in the world," he added. Every year, the US grants 85,000 H-1B visas to highly skilled applicants, including roughly 70 per cent for Indians, seeking employment and educational opportunities. According to the National Foundation for American Policy, more than half of privately-held companies worth USD 1 billion or more in the US had at least one immigrant founder, with many entering America on an H-1B visa, including the CEOs of both Microsoft and Google. Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India remains engaged with the Trump administration as well as the Congress on the H-1B visa issue. "We have shared our concerns to the US side. We have told them that this is a mutually beneficial partnership which should be nurtured and supported," he said. Kumar said India continued to closely monitor the developments relating to the issue, adding that alarmist projections on possible difficulties to Indian professionals have been laid to rest by the Department of Homeland Security in the US.

US will continue to be a country of immigrants: Juster

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday blasted the US court system as &ldquo;broken and unfair&rdquo; after a federal judge blocked his move to end the program protecting young immigrants brought to the United States illegally by their parents, commonly known as &ldquo;Dreamers.&rdquo;&nbsp;

The Trump administration in September announced it would rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, drawing challenges in multiple federal courts from Democratic state attorneys general, organizations and individuals.&nbsp;

Late on Tuesday, US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled that DACA must remain in place while the litigation is resolved.&nbsp;

In a post on Twitter on Wednesday morning, Trump wrote, &ldquo;It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.&rdquo;&nbsp;

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It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/951094078661414912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It was not immediately clear which court Trump was referring to in his post. Alsup&rsquo;s court is the District Court for the Northern District of California. Appeals of decisions by that court are commonly handled by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which also reviews appeals of rulings by district courts in the US West, Hawaii and Guam.&nbsp;

Earlier on Wednesday, the White House branded the federal judge&rsquo;s ruling as &ldquo;outrageous.&rdquo;&nbsp;

&ldquo;An issue of this magnitude must go through the normal legislative process,&rdquo; White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. &ldquo;President Trump is committed to the rule of law, and will work with members of both parties to reach a permanent solution that corrects the unconstitutional actions taken by the last administration.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Alsup ruled that the federal government did not have to process new applications from people who had never before received protection under the program. However, he ordered the government to continue processing renewal applications from people who had previously been covered.&nbsp;

The ruling could complicate negotiations between Trump and congressional leaders over immigration reform. Sanders called the decision &ldquo;outrageous, especially in light of the President&rsquo;s successful bipartisan meeting with House and Senate members at the White House&rdquo; on immigration reform on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The Trump administration in September announced it would rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday blasted the US court system as “broken and unfair” after a federal judge blocked his move to end the program protecting young immigrants brought to the United States illegally by their parents, commonly known as “Dreamers.” The Trump administration in September announced it would rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, drawing challenges in multiple federal courts from Democratic state attorneys general, organizations and individuals. Late on Tuesday, US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled that DACA must remain in place while the litigation is resolved. In a post on Twitter on Wednesday morning, Trump wrote, “It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.” It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 × It was not immediately clear which court Trump was referring to in his post. Alsup’s court is the District Court for the Northern District of California. Appeals of decisions by that court are commonly handled by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which also reviews appeals of rulings by district courts in the US West, Hawaii and Guam. Earlier on Wednesday, the White House branded the federal judge’s ruling as “outrageous.” “An issue of this magnitude must go through the normal legislative process,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. “President Trump is committed to the rule of law, and will work with members of both parties to reach a permanent solution that corrects the unconstitutional actions taken by the last administration.” Alsup ruled that the federal government did not have to process new applications from people who had never before received protection under the program. However, he ordered the government to continue processing renewal applications from people who had previously been covered. The ruling could complicate negotiations between Trump and congressional leaders over immigration reform. Sanders called the decision “outrageous, especially in light of the President’s successful bipartisan meeting with House and Senate members at the White House” on immigration reform on Tuesday.

Donald Trump calls US court system 'unfair' after DACA ruling

The Trump administration is nearing completion of a new &quot;Buy American&quot; plan that calls for US military attaches and diplomats to help drum up billions of dollars more in business overseas for the American weapons industry, going beyond the assistance they currently provide, US officials said.

President Donald Trump as early as February is expected to announce a &quot;whole of government&quot; effort to ease export rules on purchases by foreign countries of US-made military equipment, from fighter jets and drones to warships and artillery, according to people familiar with the plan.

Trump is seeking to fulfil a 2016 election campaign promise to create jobs in the United States by selling more goods and services abroad to bring down the US trade deficit from a six-year high of $50 billion.

The administration is also under pressure from US defence contractors facing growing competition from foreign rivals such as China and Russia. But any loosening of the restrictions on weapons sales would be in defiance of human rights and arms control advocates who said there was too great a risk of fueling violence in regions such as the Middle East and South Asia or arms being diverted to be used in terrorist attacks.

Besides the greater use of a network of military and commercial attaches already stationed at US embassies in foreign capitals, senior officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said another thrust of the plan will be to set in motion a realignment of the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR). It is a central policy governing arms exports since 1976 and has not been fully revamped in more than three decades.

This expanded government effort on behalf of American arms makers, together with looser restrictions on weapons exports and more favourable treatment of sales to non-NATO allies and partners, could bring additional billions of dollars in deals and more jobs, a senior US official said, without providing specifics.

The strategy of having the Pentagon and the US State Department take a more active role in securing foreign arms deals could especially benefit major defence contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co.

&quot;We want to see those guys, the commercial and military attach, unfettered to be salesmen for this stuff, to be promoters,&quot; said the senior administration official, who is close to the internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

A State Department official asked to confirm details of the coming new policy, said the revamped approach &quot;gives our partners a greater capacity to help share the burden of international security, benefits the defence industrial base and will provide more good jobs for American workers.&quot; 
The White House and Pentagon declined official comment.

Defense industry officials and lobbyists have privately welcomed what they expect will be a more sales-friendly approach. 
It is unclear how deeply the diplomats and military officers overseas will delve into dealmaking and what guidelines will be established, said officials in the administration.

Trump, a Republican, has the legal authority to direct government embassy &quot;security assistance officers,&quot; both military personnel and civilians, to do more to help drive arms sales.

Administration officials see this group, which already has duties such as managing military aid overseas and providing information to foreign governments for buying US arms, as underutilized by previous presidents.

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The Trump administration plans to cut regulations in order to boost arms sales overseas. (Reuters)
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&#39;Back seat&#39; for human rights?

One national security analyst said that easing export restrictions to allow defence contractors to reap greater profits internationally would increase the danger of top-of-the-line US weapons going to governments with poor human rights records or being used by militants.

&quot;This administration has demonstrated from the very beginning that human rights have taken a back seat to economic concerns,&quot; said Rachel Stohl, director of the conventional defense program at the Stimson Center in Washington. &quot;And the short-sightedness of a new arms export policy could have serious long-term implications.&quot;

The administration officials said human rights considerations would remain part of the formula for arms sales decisions. But they said such reviews would now afford greater weight than before to whether a deal would be good for the US economy and strengthen America&#39;s defence industrial base, in which case red tape would be cut accordingly.

Rules to make it easier to sell US-made military drones overseas and compete against fast-growing Chinese and Israeli rivals are also expected to be in the Trump plan, officials said.

Trump&#39;s Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, also sought to make it easier to sell to America&#39;s most trusted allies but in a more cautious approach that his administration billed as a way to boost American business while keeping strict controls against more dangerous arms proliferation. Foreign weapons sales soared during his tenure, with the United States retaining its position as the world&#39;s top arms supplier.

Shares of the five biggest US defence contractors, including Lockheed, Boeing, Raytheon Co, General Dynamics Corp and Northrop Grumman have more than tripled over the last five years and currently trade at or near all-time highs.

Foreign military sales in fiscal 2017, comprising much of Trump&#39;s first year in office and the final months of Obama&#39;s term, climbed to $42 billion, compared to $31 billion in the prior year, according to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The Trump administration is under pressure from US defence contractors facing growing competition from foreign rivals such as China and Russia.

The Trump administration is nearing completion of a new "Buy American" plan that calls for US military attaches and diplomats to help drum up billions of dollars more in business overseas for the American weapons industry, going beyond the assistance they currently provide, US officials said. President Donald Trump as early as February is expected to announce a "whole of government" effort to ease export rules on purchases by foreign countries of US-made military equipment, from fighter jets and drones to warships and artillery, according to people familiar with the plan. Trump is seeking to fulfil a 2016 election campaign promise to create jobs in the United States by selling more goods and services abroad to bring down the US trade deficit from a six-year high of $50 billion. The administration is also under pressure from US defence contractors facing growing competition from foreign rivals such as China and Russia. But any loosening of the restrictions on weapons sales would be in defiance of human rights and arms control advocates who said there was too great a risk of fueling violence in regions such as the Middle East and South Asia or arms being diverted to be used in terrorist attacks. Besides the greater use of a network of military and commercial attaches already stationed at US embassies in foreign capitals, senior officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said another thrust of the plan will be to set in motion a realignment of the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR). It is a central policy governing arms exports since 1976 and has not been fully revamped in more than three decades. This expanded government effort on behalf of American arms makers, together with looser restrictions on weapons exports and more favourable treatment of sales to non-NATO allies and partners, could bring additional billions of dollars in deals and more jobs, a senior US official said, without providing specifics. The strategy of having the Pentagon and the US State Department take a more active role in securing foreign arms deals could especially benefit major defence contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co. "We want to see those guys, the commercial and military attach, unfettered to be salesmen for this stuff, to be promoters," said the senior administration official, who is close to the internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity. A State Department official asked to confirm details of the coming new policy, said the revamped approach "gives our partners a greater capacity to help share the burden of international security, benefits the defence industrial base and will provide more good jobs for American workers." The White House and Pentagon declined official comment. Defense industry officials and lobbyists have privately welcomed what they expect will be a more sales-friendly approach. It is unclear how deeply the diplomats and military officers overseas will delve into dealmaking and what guidelines will be established, said officials in the administration. Trump, a Republican, has the legal authority to direct government embassy "security assistance officers," both military personnel and civilians, to do more to help drive arms sales. Administration officials see this group, which already has duties such as managing military aid overseas and providing information to foreign governments for buying US arms, as underutilized by previous presidents. The Trump administration plans to cut regulations in order to boost arms sales overseas. (Reuters) × 'Back seat' for human rights? One national security analyst said that easing export restrictions to allow defence contractors to reap greater profits internationally would increase the danger of top-of-the-line US weapons going to governments with poor human rights records or being used by militants. "This administration has demonstrated from the very beginning that human rights have taken a back seat to economic concerns," said Rachel Stohl, director of the conventional defense program at the Stimson Center in Washington. "And the short-sightedness of a new arms export policy could have serious long-term implications." The administration officials said human rights considerations would remain part of the formula for arms sales decisions. But they said such reviews would now afford greater weight than before to whether a deal would be good for the US economy and strengthen America's defence industrial base, in which case red tape would be cut accordingly. Rules to make it easier to sell US-made military drones overseas and compete against fast-growing Chinese and Israeli rivals are also expected to be in the Trump plan, officials said. Trump's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, also sought to make it easier to sell to America's most trusted allies but in a more cautious approach that his administration billed as a way to boost American business while keeping strict controls against more dangerous arms proliferation. Foreign weapons sales soared during his tenure, with the United States retaining its position as the world's top arms supplier. Shares of the five biggest US defence contractors, including Lockheed, Boeing, Raytheon Co, General Dynamics Corp and Northrop Grumman have more than tripled over the last five years and currently trade at or near all-time highs. Foreign military sales in fiscal 2017, comprising much of Trump's first year in office and the final months of Obama's term, climbed to $42 billion, compared to $31 billion in the prior year, according to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

Donald Trump to call on Pentagon, diplomats to play bigger role in arms sales: Sources

A group of Muhajirs in the US has lauded the Trump administration for putting Pakistan &quot;on notice&quot; for &quot;harbouring&quot; terror groups.

The term &#39;Muhajir&#39; is used to describe the Urdu-speaking immigrants who left India in 1947 and came to Pakistan. A large chunk of them settled in the Sindh province.

US Vice President Mike Pence, during an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to assess the ground realities in the war-torn country, said that President Donald Trump has put Pakistan on notice for providing safe havens to the Taliban and other militant groups.

&quot;As the president said, so I say now: Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with the US, and Pakistan has much to lose by continuing to harbour criminals and terrorists,&quot; Pence had said, issuing another stern warning to Pakistan.

In a letter to Trump, the World Muhajir Congress (WMC) welcomed the recent statement in this regard by Pence in Afghanistan.

This is a &quot;bold&quot; policy in placing Pakistan &quot;on notice&quot; regarding its ill-fated policy of harbouring and supporting terrorist organisations in South Asia, particularly through the powerful Pakistani military establishment and intelligence wing the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the WMC said.

The WMC claimed that due to Muhajirs&#39; strong opposition to radical Islamist voices in Pakistan, they are being singled out by military establishment through political persecution, extra-judicial killings, forced disappearances of Muhajir men, and a state-sponsored media trial that continues to portray them as &quot;agents of India&quot; and &quot;anti-state&quot;.

In its letter, the WMC also offered to assist the Trump administration in formulating policy matters for South Asia as it relates to Pakistan.

Trump, while announcing his South Asia Policy in August, had criticised Pakistan for not doing enough to combat terrorism.

Observing that Muhajirs are the most liberal, progressive and pro-Western people in Pakistan, the WMC said that they are America&#39;s natural allies in the region.

&quot;If given a chance, Muhajirs can play a leading role in eliminating terrorism and violence from the region,&quot; the WMC said in the letter.

The group offered unequivocal support to the Trump administration as it formulates a more tougher approach in dealing with Pakistan&#39;s duplicitous behaviour in the region, the letter added.&nbsp;

The term 'Muhajir' is used to describe the Urdu-speaking immigrants who left India in 1947 and came to Pakistan.

A group of Muhajirs in the US has lauded the Trump administration for putting Pakistan "on notice" for "harbouring" terror groups. The term 'Muhajir' is used to describe the Urdu-speaking immigrants who left India in 1947 and came to Pakistan. A large chunk of them settled in the Sindh province. US Vice President Mike Pence, during an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to assess the ground realities in the war-torn country, said that President Donald Trump has put Pakistan on notice for providing safe havens to the Taliban and other militant groups. "As the president said, so I say now: Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with the US, and Pakistan has much to lose by continuing to harbour criminals and terrorists," Pence had said, issuing another stern warning to Pakistan. In a letter to Trump, the World Muhajir Congress (WMC) welcomed the recent statement in this regard by Pence in Afghanistan. This is a "bold" policy in placing Pakistan "on notice" regarding its ill-fated policy of harbouring and supporting terrorist organisations in South Asia, particularly through the powerful Pakistani military establishment and intelligence wing the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the WMC said. The WMC claimed that due to Muhajirs' strong opposition to radical Islamist voices in Pakistan, they are being singled out by military establishment through political persecution, extra-judicial killings, forced disappearances of Muhajir men, and a state-sponsored media trial that continues to portray them as "agents of India" and "anti-state". In its letter, the WMC also offered to assist the Trump administration in formulating policy matters for South Asia as it relates to Pakistan. Trump, while announcing his South Asia Policy in August, had criticised Pakistan for not doing enough to combat terrorism. Observing that Muhajirs are the most liberal, progressive and pro-Western people in Pakistan, the WMC said that they are America's natural allies in the region. "If given a chance, Muhajirs can play a leading role in eliminating terrorism and violence from the region," the WMC said in the letter. The group offered unequivocal support to the Trump administration as it formulates a more tougher approach in dealing with Pakistan's duplicitous behaviour in the region, the letter added.

Muhajirs in US welcome Trump's move to put Pakistan on notice

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