Trump administration had decided to revoke the rule that allows spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States, likely causing a muddle in technology jobs, reports said on Saturday.&nbsp;

As per rules by former President Barack Obama&#39;s administration, spouses of H-1B visa holders - while waiting for their green card - had been permitted to work in the US on H-4 dependent visas.&nbsp;

According to media reports, the Department of Homeland Security has decided to take away this rule, it said in a statement on Thursday.&nbsp;

&quot;DHS is proposing to remove from its regulations certain H-4 spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants as a class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation,&quot; said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a latest regulation.

According to the notice, the changes are being made in light of President Trump&#39;s &#39;Buy American and Hire American&#39; order issued earlier this year.

Also&nbsp;Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-makes-it-more-difficult-for-h-1b-visa-extension-22885" target="_blank">Trump administration makes it more difficult to extend H-1B visas</a>

The statement also mentioned ways to review the definition of the different occupations that may be eligible for the program &quot;to increase focus on truly obtaining the best and brightest foreign nationals.&quot;

&quot;This announcement places into jeopardy thousands of hardworking, contributing individuals who have started their own businesses and often have US citizen children who will needlessly be forced to revert to a status of inactivity,&quot; Leon Fresco, an immigration attorney who worked for the Obama administration, told the daily.

Trump administration&#39;s decision to revamp the H-1B program has lead to a stir in India, which accounts for 70% of all H-1B workers.

As per media reports, this rule could potentially reduce the number of highly-skilled workers in the US.&nbsp;

It&#39;s a program that&#39;s mostly popular in the tech community, with many engineers vying for one of the programme&#39;s 85,000 visas each year.

According to media reports, the Department of Homeland Security has decided to take away this rule, it said in a statement on Thursday

Trump administration had decided to revoke the rule that allows spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States, likely causing a muddle in technology jobs, reports said on Saturday. As per rules by former President Barack Obama's administration, spouses of H-1B visa holders - while waiting for their green card - had been permitted to work in the US on H-4 dependent visas. According to media reports, the Department of Homeland Security has decided to take away this rule, it said in a statement on Thursday. "DHS is proposing to remove from its regulations certain H-4 spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants as a class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation," said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a latest regulation. According to the notice, the changes are being made in light of President Trump's 'Buy American and Hire American' order issued earlier this year. Also Read: Trump administration makes it more difficult to extend H-1B visas The statement also mentioned ways to review the definition of the different occupations that may be eligible for the program "to increase focus on truly obtaining the best and brightest foreign nationals." "This announcement places into jeopardy thousands of hardworking, contributing individuals who have started their own businesses and often have US citizen children who will needlessly be forced to revert to a status of inactivity," Leon Fresco, an immigration attorney who worked for the Obama administration, told the daily. Trump administration's decision to revamp the H-1B program has lead to a stir in India, which accounts for 70% of all H-1B workers. As per media reports, this rule could potentially reduce the number of highly-skilled workers in the US. It's a program that's mostly popular in the tech community, with many engineers vying for one of the programme's 85,000 visas each year.

Trump administration may revoke rule allowing spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in United States

The US has resumed premium processing of H-1B work visas in all categories, months after it was suspended temporarily to handle the huge rush of applications for the work visas popular among Indian IT professionals.

Premium processing of H-1B visa was suspended in April to handle huge rush of new petitions. In September, the country opened up some categories of the H-1B visas for the fast processing.

&quot;Premium processing is now available for all types of H- 1B petitions,&quot; US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said yesterday.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year.

As mandated by the Congress every year USCIS can issue a maximum of 65,000 H-1B visas and 20,000 to those who have earned a higher education in STEM subjects from a US higher educational institution.

H-1B visas to several categories like those in academic and research institutes are exempted from the Congressional mandated limit.

When a petitioner requests the agency&#39;s premium processing service, USCIS guarantees a 15-calendar day processing time.

If that time is not met, the agency will refund the petitioner&#39;s premium processing service fee and continue with the expedited processing of the application.

Meanwhile, Kenneth Juster, nominee for US Ambassador to India, during his confirmation hearing said that H-1B visa has been an important part of the India-US relationship and there is a consensus that it should be corrected to high-quality jobs.

&quot;I think there is a consensus that it (H-1B) should be corrected to high-quality jobs. I think that message from my understanding is being heard in India as well in the United States,&quot; Juster told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

&quot;However, actual details on what will be the final policy on H-1B remains to be determined. So I&#39;m not really in a position to represent the administration on where they are&nbsp;Juster said when asked about his position on H-1B visas by Senator Chris Coons.

The Trump administration is currently reviewing the H-1B visa policy as it thinks that the visa is being misused by companies to replace American workers.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj raised the visa issue with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when the two leaders met in New York last month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

&nbsp;

The US has resumed premium processing of H-1B work visas in all categories, months after it was suspended temporarily to handle the huge rush of applications for the work visas

The US has resumed premium processing of H-1B work visas in all categories, months after it was suspended temporarily to handle the huge rush of applications for the work visas popular among Indian IT professionals. Premium processing of H-1B visa was suspended in April to handle huge rush of new petitions. In September, the country opened up some categories of the H-1B visas for the fast processing. "Premium processing is now available for all types of H- 1B petitions," US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said yesterday. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year. As mandated by the Congress every year USCIS can issue a maximum of 65,000 H-1B visas and 20,000 to those who have earned a higher education in STEM subjects from a US higher educational institution. H-1B visas to several categories like those in academic and research institutes are exempted from the Congressional mandated limit. When a petitioner requests the agency's premium processing service, USCIS guarantees a 15-calendar day processing time. If that time is not met, the agency will refund the petitioner's premium processing service fee and continue with the expedited processing of the application. Meanwhile, Kenneth Juster, nominee for US Ambassador to India, during his confirmation hearing said that H-1B visa has been an important part of the India-US relationship and there is a consensus that it should be corrected to high-quality jobs. "I think there is a consensus that it (H-1B) should be corrected to high-quality jobs. I think that message from my understanding is being heard in India as well in the United States," Juster told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "However, actual details on what will be the final policy on H-1B remains to be determined. So I'm not really in a position to represent the administration on where they are Juster said when asked about his position on H-1B visas by Senator Chris Coons. The Trump administration is currently reviewing the H-1B visa policy as it thinks that the visa is being misused by companies to replace American workers. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj raised the visa issue with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when the two leaders met in New York last month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

US resumes premium processing of all H-1B visa categories

The Trump administration today threw its weight behind<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-attempting-to-tie-india-to-its-chariot-says-china-daily-20971" target="_blank"> India&#39;s opposition to the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying it passes through a disputed territory</a> and no country should put itself into a position of dictating the Belt and Road initiative.

India skipped the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in May this year due to its sovereignty concerns. It&nbsp;is<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/india-a-retail-power-china-ready-to-offer-help-says-state-run-daily-times-20523" target="_blank"> a flagship project of China&#39;s prestigious One Belt One Road (OBOR), which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).</a>

Having returned from his maiden trip to India last week wherein he met his counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-defence-secretary-james-mattis-holds-talks-with-indian-defence-minister-in-new-delhi-20666" target="_blank">US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis today appeared to be a strong opponent of China&#39;s ambitious OBOR initiative.</a>

&quot;In a globalised world, there are many belts and many roads, and no one nation should put itself into a position of dictating &#39;one belt, one road&#39;,&quot; Mattis told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing.

&quot;That said, the One Belt One Road also goes through the disputed territory, and I think, that in itself shows the vulnerability of trying to establish that sort of a dictate,&quot; Mattis said apparently referring to India&#39;s position on CPEC.

Mattis was responding to a question from Senator Charles Peters over OBOR and China&#39;s policy in this regard.

&quot;The One Belt One Road strategy seeks to secure China&#39;s control over both the continental and the maritime interest, in their eventual hope of dominating Eurasia and exploiting natural resources there, things that are certainly at odds with US policy. So what role do you see China playing in Afghanistan, and particularly related to their One Belt One Road,&quot; Peter had asked.

The Trump administration today threw its weight behind India's opposition to the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying it passes through a disputed territory and no country should put itself into a position of dictating the Belt and Road initiative

The Trump administration today threw its weight behind India's opposition to the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying it passes through a disputed territory and no country should put itself into a position of dictating the Belt and Road initiative. India skipped the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in May this year due to its sovereignty concerns. It is a flagship project of China's prestigious One Belt One Road (OBOR), which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Having returned from his maiden trip to India last week wherein he met his counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis today appeared to be a strong opponent of China's ambitious OBOR initiative. "In a globalised world, there are many belts and many roads, and no one nation should put itself into a position of dictating 'one belt, one road'," Mattis told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing. "That said, the One Belt One Road also goes through the disputed territory, and I think, that in itself shows the vulnerability of trying to establish that sort of a dictate," Mattis said apparently referring to India's position on CPEC. Mattis was responding to a question from Senator Charles Peters over OBOR and China's policy in this regard. "The One Belt One Road strategy seeks to secure China's control over both the continental and the maritime interest, in their eventual hope of dominating Eurasia and exploiting natural resources there, things that are certainly at odds with US policy. So what role do you see China playing in Afghanistan, and particularly related to their One Belt One Road," Peter had asked.

One Belt One Road goes through disputed territory: US

President Donald Trump&#39;s ouster of chief strategist Steve Bannon is unlikely to mark the abandonment of the administration&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; agenda that has unnerved investors and trade partners and split the White House into nationalist and globalist camps.

Within hours of leaving Trump&#39;s administration on Friday, Bannon was back at the helm of Breitbart News, the hard-right news site he ran before becoming the main architect of Trump&#39;s 2016 presidential campaign.

Bannon can now do more to further conservative causes because &quot;he can speak his mind&quot; without the constraints of working in the White House, Rick Weatherly, 61, a maintenance technician from the Denver suburb of Lakewood, said on Saturday.

Trump appeared to agree, tweeting: &quot;Steve Bannon will be a tough and smart new voice at @BreitbartNews ... maybe even better than ever before. Fake News needs the competition!&quot;

Bannon, 63, was instrumental in some of Trump&#39;s most contentious policies including the travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority nations, departure from the Paris climate accord and rejection of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

He was no friend to the Republican political establishment and was loathed by liberals, but became a darling of some of the president&#39;s hard-line conservative supporters.

&quot;Trump will now have a great external ally,&quot; a source close to Bannon said on condition of anonymity. &quot;He will use his big hammer against the congressional leadership in support of the president&#39;s agenda.&quot;

Trump supporters in south Florida, Chicago and Colorado told Reuters that they were not concerned that Bannon&#39;s departure meant the president was distancing himself from policies he supported during last year&#39;s campaign.

&quot;I think Trump will be fine,&quot; said Bob Janda, a 67-year-old small business owner in Chicago.

Nor is Bannon likely to be distanced from Trump&#39;s ear, a White House official said on condition of anonymity.

&#39;Direct pipeline&#39;

Bannon joined a string of senior officials who have left the Trump administration in the past five weeks, leading to the appointment of retired Marine general John Kelly as the new White House chief of staff.

Kelly has succeeded in imposing some order on what had been a haphazard operation, but Bannon will still have &quot;a direct pipeline into the Oval Office with Breitbart, Twitter and the TV,&quot; the same White House official added.

&nbsp;&quot;My guess is he&#39;ll (Bannon) probably be more effective goading the president&nbsp;from outside, especially if the president feels boxed in by John Kelly&#39;s clean lines of authority and (national security adviser H.R.) McMaster&#39;s orderly processes,&quot; said Kori Schake, a research fellow at Stanford University&#39;s Hoover Institution who previously served in the White House.

&quot;Seems to me that&nbsp;Bannon was symptom not cause: The president seems to share his dark vision, revel in the&nbsp;support of people Bannon represents,&quot; Schake added.

Prior to joining the Trump campaign, Bannon had spearheaded Breitbart&#39;s shift into a forum for the &quot;alt-right,&quot; a loose online confederation of neo-Nazis, white supremacists and anti-Semites.

His departure capped a tumultuous week in which Trump was widely criticized for saying both sides were responsible for last weekend&#39;s violence at a Charlottesville, Virginia rally organized by neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

Bannon told the conservative&nbsp;Weekly&nbsp;Standard&nbsp;on Friday that he would use Breitbart to attack opponents of the populist and nationalist agenda he championed, including establishment Republicans.

At the same time he appeared to suggest that his departure signaled a major shift for the Trump agenda. &quot;The Trump presidency that we fought for, and won, is over,&quot; Bannon said.

Defense policy is one area where Bannon could play a role from the outside.

While many of Trump&#39;s national security aides favor sending several thousand more troops to Afghanistan, where the Taliban insurgents have been regaining ground, Bannon argued for withdrawing the 8,400 U.S. personnel still there.

He also had advocated restraint in dealing with North Korea, rejecting the use of military force to solve the recent crisis.

&quot;There is a danger that if he continues to bang away on issues that appeal to Breitbart&#39;s audience but aren&#39;t going anywhere, Bannon risks splitting the administration&#39;s loose coalition of hard-right ideologues, traditional conservatives, and middle-of-the-road voters who didn&#39;t like Hillary Clinton,&quot; another Trump administration official said, also on condition of anonymity.

Bannon joined a string of senior officials who have left the Trump administration in the past five weeks, leading to the appointment of retired Marine general John Kelly as the new White House chief of staff

President Donald Trump's ouster of chief strategist Steve Bannon is unlikely to mark the abandonment of the administration's "America First" agenda that has unnerved investors and trade partners and split the White House into nationalist and globalist camps. Within hours of leaving Trump's administration on Friday, Bannon was back at the helm of Breitbart News, the hard-right news site he ran before becoming the main architect of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Bannon can now do more to further conservative causes because "he can speak his mind" without the constraints of working in the White House, Rick Weatherly, 61, a maintenance technician from the Denver suburb of Lakewood, said on Saturday. Trump appeared to agree, tweeting: "Steve Bannon will be a tough and smart new voice at @BreitbartNews ... maybe even better than ever before. Fake News needs the competition!" Bannon, 63, was instrumental in some of Trump's most contentious policies including the travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority nations, departure from the Paris climate accord and rejection of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. He was no friend to the Republican political establishment and was loathed by liberals, but became a darling of some of the president's hard-line conservative supporters. "Trump will now have a great external ally," a source close to Bannon said on condition of anonymity. "He will use his big hammer against the congressional leadership in support of the president's agenda." Trump supporters in south Florida, Chicago and Colorado told Reuters that they were not concerned that Bannon's departure meant the president was distancing himself from policies he supported during last year's campaign. "I think Trump will be fine," said Bob Janda, a 67-year-old small business owner in Chicago. Nor is Bannon likely to be distanced from Trump's ear, a White House official said on condition of anonymity. 'Direct pipeline' Bannon joined a string of senior officials who have left the Trump administration in the past five weeks, leading to the appointment of retired Marine general John Kelly as the new White House chief of staff. Kelly has succeeded in imposing some order on what had been a haphazard operation, but Bannon will still have "a direct pipeline into the Oval Office with Breitbart, Twitter and the TV," the same White House official added. "My guess is he'll (Bannon) probably be more effective goading the president from outside, especially if the president feels boxed in by John Kelly's clean lines of authority and (national security adviser H.R.) McMaster's orderly processes," said Kori Schake, a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution who previously served in the White House. "Seems to me that Bannon was symptom not cause: The president seems to share his dark vision, revel in the support of people Bannon represents," Schake added. Prior to joining the Trump campaign, Bannon had spearheaded Breitbart's shift into a forum for the "alt-right," a loose online confederation of neo-Nazis, white supremacists and anti-Semites. His departure capped a tumultuous week in which Trump was widely criticized for saying both sides were responsible for last weekend's violence at a Charlottesville, Virginia rally organized by neo-Nazis and white supremacists. Bannon told the conservative Weekly Standard on Friday that he would use Breitbart to attack opponents of the populist and nationalist agenda he championed, including establishment Republicans. At the same time he appeared to suggest that his departure signaled a major shift for the Trump agenda. "The Trump presidency that we fought for, and won, is over," Bannon said. Defense policy is one area where Bannon could play a role from the outside. While many of Trump's national security aides favor sending several thousand more troops to Afghanistan, where the Taliban insurgents have been regaining ground, Bannon argued for withdrawing the 8,400 U.S. personnel still there. He also had advocated restraint in dealing with North Korea, rejecting the use of military force to solve the recent crisis. "There is a danger that if he continues to bang away on issues that appeal to Breitbart's audience but aren't going anywhere, Bannon risks splitting the administration's loose coalition of hard-right ideologues, traditional conservatives, and middle-of-the-road voters who didn't like Hillary Clinton," another Trump administration official said, also on condition of anonymity.

Trump presidency that we fought for, and won, is over: Steve Bannon

At least 40 people were arrested for protesting the Trump administration&#39;s anticipated cuts to Medicaid. Yesterday, US Senate leaders unveiled a draft of the legislation they want to replace the Afforcable Care Act, informally known as Obamacare.

It proposes to kill a tax on the wealthy that pays for it, and reduces aid to the poor, Reuters reports.

Dozens of disabled men and women were arrested after their pariticpation in a &quot;die-in&quot; protest outside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel&#39;s Washington office, the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-43-protesters-arrested-in-die-in-at-1498161963-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">LA Times</a> reports. The demonstration was organised by the national disability group ADAPT in response to the GOP&#39;s healthcare plan which proposes to drastically cut Medicaid.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A picture is worth a 1000 soulless words... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHCA?src=hash">#AHCA</a> <a href="https://t.co/TjK04aboPE">pic.twitter.com/TjK04aboPE</a>
&mdash; Jeffrey Lieber (@JeffLieber) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffLieber/status/877976665065889792">June 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Here is footage of one&nbsp;woman forcibly&nbsp;removed from her wheelchair:

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A horrific metaphor for Trumpcare: this disabled woman literally being ripped from her wheelchair. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopTrumpcare?src=hash">#StopTrumpcare</a> <a href="https://t.co/F5kmz8rnCv">pic.twitter.com/F5kmz8rnCv</a>
&mdash; Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattmfm/status/877932005593300993">June 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

President Barack Obama, whose legacy is the&nbsp;Affordable Care Act, weighed in with a Facebook post that has gone viral. He began by appealing to the non-partisan nature of access to&nbsp;healthcare&nbsp;before explicitly calling the Republican&#39;s proposed plan: &quot;a&nbsp;massive transfer of wealth from middle-class and poor families to the richest people in America. It hands enormous tax cuts to the rich and to the drug and insurance industries, paid for by cutting health care for everybody else&quot;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="281" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbarackobama%2Fposts%2F10154996557026749&amp;width=500" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="500"></iframe>

<h3>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/republicans-unveil-meaner-senate-health-bill-but-lack-votes-to-pass-it-17172" target="_blank">Republicans unveil &#39;meaner&#39; Senate health bill, but lack votes to pass it</a></h3>

&nbsp;

The draft is unlikely to succeed: Senator Rand Paul and three other conservative Republicans said they were &quot;not ready&quot; to vote for it. Democrats need only three Republicans to nix the measure in the Republican-led chamber.

The proposal, worked on in secret by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans, was welcomed by Donald Trump, Reuters reports.

&nbsp;

As the first draft of the ACA's replacement was released, President Barack Obama criticised it harshly

At least 40 people were arrested for protesting the Trump administration's anticipated cuts to Medicaid. Yesterday, US Senate leaders unveiled a draft of the legislation they want to replace the Afforcable Care Act, informally known as Obamacare. It proposes to kill a tax on the wealthy that pays for it, and reduces aid to the poor, Reuters reports. Dozens of disabled men and women were arrested after their pariticpation in a "die-in" protest outside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel's Washington office, the LA Times reports. The demonstration was organised by the national disability group ADAPT in response to the GOP's healthcare plan which proposes to drastically cut Medicaid. A picture is worth a 1000 soulless words... #AHCA pic.twitter.com/TjK04aboPE — Jeffrey Lieber (@JeffLieber) June 22, 2017 × Here is footage of one woman forcibly removed from her wheelchair: A horrific metaphor for Trumpcare: this disabled woman literally being ripped from her wheelchair. #StopTrumpcare pic.twitter.com/F5kmz8rnCv — Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) June 22, 2017 × President Barack Obama, whose legacy is the Affordable Care Act, weighed in with a Facebook post that has gone viral. He began by appealing to the non-partisan nature of access to healthcare before explicitly calling the Republican's proposed plan: "a massive transfer of wealth from middle-class and poor families to the richest people in America. It hands enormous tax cuts to the rich and to the drug and insurance industries, paid for by cutting health care for everybody else". Also read: Republicans unveil 'meaner' Senate health bill, but lack votes to pass it The draft is unlikely to succeed: Senator Rand Paul and three other conservative Republicans said they were "not ready" to vote for it. Democrats need only three Republicans to nix the measure in the Republican-led chamber. The proposal, worked on in secret by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans, was welcomed by Donald Trump, Reuters reports.

US healthcare Bill: 43 protesters arrested, dozens ripped from wheelchairs

The White House is bringing together drone makers, wireless companies and venture capitalists on Thursday to look at ways government can help speed new technologies to the marketplace.

President Donald Trump will meet with the chief executives of General Electric, Honeywell International&nbsp;and AT&amp;T, major drone industry firms and venture capitalists.

Michael Kratsios, the White House&#39;s deputy chief technology officer, told reporters the goal of the sessions is to find ways the United States &quot;can maintain its leadership creating and fostering entirely new technologies that will drive our economic growth&quot;.

The chief executives of several unmanned aerial system, or drone, companies including Kespry Inc, AirMap, Airspace Inc, Measure UAS Inc, Trumbull Unmanned, and PrecisionHawk Inc are attending the White House sessions.

Senior executives at Xcel Energy, Verizon Communications&nbsp;and CenturyLink&nbsp;are also taking part as are venture capital firms including AOL co-founder Steve Case who heads Revolution LLC, 500 Startups, Cayuga Ventures, Epic Ventures and Lightspeed Ventures.

The administration wants to promote the development and commercialisation of emerging technologies and speed the development of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones and 5G wireless technology, Kratsios said.

The Obama administration implemented rules that opened the skies to low-level small drones for education, research and routine commercial use. The Trump administration is considering whether to expand drone use for purposes such as deliveries where aircraft would fly beyond the sight of an operator. Security issues would need to be resolved.

The FAA in March estimated that by 2021 the fleet of small hobbyist drones will more than triple and the commercial drone fleet will increase tenfold to about 442,000.

Last year, the FCC cleared the way for 5G, a lightning-fast next generation of wireless services. Testing is under way and deployment is expected around 2020.

New 5G networks are expected to provide speeds at least 10 times and maybe 100 times faster than today&#39;s 4G networks. The next generation of wireless signals needs to be much faster and far more responsive to allow advanced technologies such as virtual surgery or controlling machines remotely, regulators say.

The networks could help wirelessly connect devices such as thermostats or washing machines to facilitate the &quot;internet of things&quot;.

(Reuters)

Trump administration is considering expanding drone use for deliveries where aircraft would fly beyond the sight of an operator

The White House is bringing together drone makers, wireless companies and venture capitalists on Thursday to look at ways government can help speed new technologies to the marketplace. President Donald Trump will meet with the chief executives of General Electric, Honeywell International and AT&T, major drone industry firms and venture capitalists. Michael Kratsios, the White House's deputy chief technology officer, told reporters the goal of the sessions is to find ways the United States "can maintain its leadership creating and fostering entirely new technologies that will drive our economic growth". The chief executives of several unmanned aerial system, or drone, companies including Kespry Inc, AirMap, Airspace Inc, Measure UAS Inc, Trumbull Unmanned, and PrecisionHawk Inc are attending the White House sessions. Senior executives at Xcel Energy, Verizon Communications and CenturyLink are also taking part as are venture capital firms including AOL co-founder Steve Case who heads Revolution LLC, 500 Startups, Cayuga Ventures, Epic Ventures and Lightspeed Ventures. The administration wants to promote the development and commercialisation of emerging technologies and speed the development of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones and 5G wireless technology, Kratsios said. The Obama administration implemented rules that opened the skies to low-level small drones for education, research and routine commercial use. The Trump administration is considering whether to expand drone use for purposes such as deliveries where aircraft would fly beyond the sight of an operator. Security issues would need to be resolved. The FAA in March estimated that by 2021 the fleet of small hobbyist drones will more than triple and the commercial drone fleet will increase tenfold to about 442,000. Last year, the FCC cleared the way for 5G, a lightning-fast next generation of wireless services. Testing is under way and deployment is expected around 2020. New 5G networks are expected to provide speeds at least 10 times and maybe 100 times faster than today's 4G networks. The next generation of wireless signals needs to be much faster and far more responsive to allow advanced technologies such as virtual surgery or controlling machines remotely, regulators say. The networks could help wirelessly connect devices such as thermostats or washing machines to facilitate the "internet of things". (Reuters)

White House aims to speed US drone, wireless technologies

The Trump administration has rolled out a new questionnaire for US visa applicants worldwide that asks for social media handles for the last five years and biographical information going back 15 years.

The new questions, part of an effort to tighten vetting of would-be visitors to the United States, was approved on May 23 by the Office of Management and Budget despite criticism from a range of education officials and academic groups during a public comment period.

Critics argued that the new questions would be overly burdensome, lead to long delays in processing and discourage international students and scientists from coming to the United States.

Under the new procedures, consular officials can request all prior passport numbers, five years&#39; worth of social media handles, email addresses and phone numbers and 15 years of biographical information including addresses, employment and travel history.&nbsp; 
Officials will request the additional information when they determine &quot;that such information is required to confirm identity or conduct more rigorous national security vetting,&quot; a State Department official said on Wednesday.

The State Department said earlier the tighter vetting would apply to visa applicants &quot;who have been determined to warrant additional scrutiny in connection with terrorism or other national security-related visa ineligibilities.&quot;

President Donald Trump has vowed to increase national security and border protections, proposing to give more money to the military and make Mexico pay to build a wall along the southern U.S. border.

He has tried to implement a temporary travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority nations that a US&nbsp;appeals court refused to reinstate, calling it discriminatory and setting the stage for a showdown in the Supreme Court.

The Office of Management and Budget granted emergency approval for the new questions for six months, rather than the usual three years.

While the new questions are voluntary, the form says failure to provide the information may delay or prevent the processing of an individual visa application.

Immigration lawyers and advocates say the request for 15 years of detailed biographical information, as well as the expectation that applicants remember all their social media handles, is likely to catch applicants who make innocent mistakes or do not remember all the information requested.

The new questions grant &quot;arbitrary power&quot; to consular officials to determine who gets a visa with no effective check on their decisions, said Babak Yousefzadeh, a San Francisco-based attorney and president of the Iranian American Bar Association.

&quot;The United States has one of the most stringent visa application processes in the world,&quot; Yousefzadeh said. &quot;The need for tightening the application process further is really unknown and unclear.&quot;

(Reuters)

The Trump administration has rolled out a new questionnaire for US visa applicants worldwide

The Trump administration has rolled out a new questionnaire for US visa applicants worldwide that asks for social media handles for the last five years and biographical information going back 15 years. The new questions, part of an effort to tighten vetting of would-be visitors to the United States, was approved on May 23 by the Office of Management and Budget despite criticism from a range of education officials and academic groups during a public comment period. Critics argued that the new questions would be overly burdensome, lead to long delays in processing and discourage international students and scientists from coming to the United States. Under the new procedures, consular officials can request all prior passport numbers, five years' worth of social media handles, email addresses and phone numbers and 15 years of biographical information including addresses, employment and travel history. Officials will request the additional information when they determine "that such information is required to confirm identity or conduct more rigorous national security vetting," a State Department official said on Wednesday. The State Department said earlier the tighter vetting would apply to visa applicants "who have been determined to warrant additional scrutiny in connection with terrorism or other national security-related visa ineligibilities." President Donald Trump has vowed to increase national security and border protections, proposing to give more money to the military and make Mexico pay to build a wall along the southern U.S. border. He has tried to implement a temporary travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority nations that a US appeals court refused to reinstate, calling it discriminatory and setting the stage for a showdown in the Supreme Court. The Office of Management and Budget granted emergency approval for the new questions for six months, rather than the usual three years. While the new questions are voluntary, the form says failure to provide the information may delay or prevent the processing of an individual visa application. Immigration lawyers and advocates say the request for 15 years of detailed biographical information, as well as the expectation that applicants remember all their social media handles, is likely to catch applicants who make innocent mistakes or do not remember all the information requested. The new questions grant "arbitrary power" to consular officials to determine who gets a visa with no effective check on their decisions, said Babak Yousefzadeh, a San Francisco-based attorney and president of the Iranian American Bar Association. "The United States has one of the most stringent visa application processes in the world," Yousefzadeh said. "The need for tightening the application process further is really unknown and unclear." (Reuters)

Trump administration approves tougher visa vetting, including social media checks

Days after finance minister Arun Jaitley raised the issue of restrictions on H-1B visa with his American counterpart Steven Mnuchin, the US has said that it greatly values investments by Indian companies and wants strong economic ties between the two nations. 
 
&quot;We want to see US-India business-to-business ties remain strong,&quot; State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday. 
 
He was responding to questions on the ongoing review of H-1B visas by the Trump Administration and its impact on the Indian IT companies, who are heavily dependent on it. 
 
&quot;We greatly value Indian companies&#39; continued investment in the US economy, which also, of course, supports thousands of US jobs,&quot; Toner said. 
 
&quot;With respect to any new requirements on visas, I&#39;d have to check and see if that&#39;s been updated,&quot; he said, adding that under the current government, the US has been looking at ways to strengthen the processes like visa interview and admission processes in new ways. 
 
Toner said that it&#39;s been from the beginnings of this administration and certainly with respect to immigration and with refugee flows as well. 
 
&quot;Those processes are ongoing,&quot; he added. 
 
On being asked about the visa review process, Toner said, &quot;It&#39;s important to remember that this is always a part of how our consular bureau works and our consular officers work overseas, and our embassies and missions work overseas, and that is we&#39;re always reviewing the processes that are in place to issue these visas and finding ways to strengthen them, because we want to ensure the security of the American people&quot;. 
 
During his US visit, Jaitley on Sunday raised the H-1B issue with Mnuchin as India fears the curb would impact the movement of Indian IT professionals to America and highlighted the contribution Indian companies and professionals are making to the US economy. 
 
The development came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop its &quot;abuse&quot;&nbsp;and ensure that the visas are given to the &quot;most-skilled or highest paid&quot; petitioners,&nbsp;a decision that would impact India&#39;s USD 150 billion IT industry. 
 
(PTI)

US says it has been looking at ways to strengthen processes like visa interview and admission processes in new ways

Days after finance minister Arun Jaitley raised the issue of restrictions on H-1B visa with his American counterpart Steven Mnuchin, the US has said that it greatly values investments by Indian companies and wants strong economic ties between the two nations. "We want to see US-India business-to-business ties remain strong," State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday. He was responding to questions on the ongoing review of H-1B visas by the Trump Administration and its impact on the Indian IT companies, who are heavily dependent on it. "We greatly value Indian companies' continued investment in the US economy, which also, of course, supports thousands of US jobs," Toner said. "With respect to any new requirements on visas, I'd have to check and see if that's been updated," he said, adding that under the current government, the US has been looking at ways to strengthen the processes like visa interview and admission processes in new ways. Toner said that it's been from the beginnings of this administration and certainly with respect to immigration and with refugee flows as well. "Those processes are ongoing," he added. On being asked about the visa review process, Toner said, "It's important to remember that this is always a part of how our consular bureau works and our consular officers work overseas, and our embassies and missions work overseas, and that is we're always reviewing the processes that are in place to issue these visas and finding ways to strengthen them, because we want to ensure the security of the American people". During his US visit, Jaitley on Sunday raised the H-1B issue with Mnuchin as India fears the curb would impact the movement of Indian IT professionals to America and highlighted the contribution Indian companies and professionals are making to the US economy. The development came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop its "abuse" and ensure that the visas are given to the "most-skilled or highest paid" petitioners, a decision that would impact India's USD 150 billion IT industry. (PTI)

Strengthening processes to issue H1-B visas, want to ensure security of Americans: US

The United States dropped a massive GBU-43 bomb, the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday against a series of caves used by Islamic State militants, the military said.

As many as 36 suspected Islamic State militants have been killed in the strike, Reuters quoted the Afghanistan defence ministry as saying.

&quot;No civilian has been hurt and only the base which Daesh used to launch attacks in other parts of the province, was destroyed,&quot; Waziri, defence ministry spokesman, said in a statement, using an Arabic term for Islamic State, which has established a small stronghold in eastern Afghanistan and launched deadly attacks on the capital, Kabul.

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It was the first time the United States has used this size of bomb in a conflict. It was dropped from an MC-130 aircraft in the Achin district of Nangarhar province, close to the border with Pakistan, Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said.

Also known as the &quot;mother of all bombs&quot;, the GBU-43 is a 21,600 pound (9,797 kg) GPS-guided munition and was first tested in March 2003, just days before the start of the Iraq war.

The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious, with a number of militant groups trying to claim territory more than 15 years after the US&nbsp;invasion which toppled the Taliban government.

General John Nicholson, the head of US&nbsp;and international forces in Afghanistan, said the bomb was used against caves and bunkers housing fighters of the Islamic State in Afghanistan, also known as ISIS-K.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer opened his daily news briefing speaking about the use of the bomb and said, &quot;We targeted a system of tunnels and caves that ISIS fighters used to move around freely, making it easier for them to target US&nbsp;military advisers and Afghan forces in the area.&quot;

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai&nbsp;condemned the attack, calling it &quot;inhumane&#39;&quot;.

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I vehemently and in strongest words condemn the dropping of the latest weapon, the largest non-nuclear <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bomb?src=hash">#bomb</a>, on Afghanistan by US...1/2
&mdash; Hamid Karzai (@KarzaiH) <a href="https://twitter.com/KarzaiH/status/852606412064772096">April 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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2/2 military. This is not the war on terror but the inhuman and most brutal misuse of our country as testing ground for new and dangerous...
&mdash; Hamid Karzai (@KarzaiH) <a href="https://twitter.com/KarzaiH/status/852606929142722560">April 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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2/3 weapons. It is upon us,Afghans, to stop the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USA?src=hash">#USA</a>.
&mdash; Hamid Karzai (@KarzaiH) <a href="https://twitter.com/KarzaiH/status/852607272035524609">April 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Last week, a US&nbsp;soldier was killed in the same district as the bomb was dropped while conducting operations against Islamic State.

&quot;The United States takes the fight against ISIS very seriously and in order to defeat the group, we must deny them operational space, which we did,&quot; Spicer said.

He said the bomb was used at around 7 pm local time and described the device as &quot;a large, powerful and accurately delivered weapon.&quot; The United States took &quot;all precautions necessary to prevent civilian casualties and collateral damage,&quot; he said.

US&nbsp;officials say intelligence suggests Islamic State is based overwhelmingly in Nangarhar and neighboring Kunar province.

Estimates of its strength in Afghanistan vary. US&nbsp;officials have said they believe the movement has only 700 fighters but Afghan officials estimate it has about 1,500.

Islamic State&#39;s offshoot in Afghanistan is suspected of carrying out several attacks on minority Shi&#39;ite Muslim targets.

The Afghan Taliban, which is trying to overthrow the US-backed government in Kabul, are fiercely opposed to Islamic State and the two group have clashed as they seek to expand territory and influence.

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The strike was carried out to neutralise an IS tunnel. The US has never used this bomb in its military operation. It has a blast radius of nearly 50 kms. A GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, nicknamed MOAB, was dropped at 7pm (WION)
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(Reuters)

&nbsp;

The MOAB, also known as the 'mother of all bombs', was used against caves and bunkers housing fighters of the Islamic State

The United States dropped a massive GBU-43 bomb, the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday against a series of caves used by Islamic State militants, the military said. As many as 36 suspected Islamic State militants have been killed in the strike, Reuters quoted the Afghanistan defence ministry as saying. "No civilian has been hurt and only the base which Daesh used to launch attacks in other parts of the province, was destroyed," Waziri, defence ministry spokesman, said in a statement, using an Arabic term for Islamic State, which has established a small stronghold in eastern Afghanistan and launched deadly attacks on the capital, Kabul. It was the first time the United States has used this size of bomb in a conflict. It was dropped from an MC-130 aircraft in the Achin district of Nangarhar province, close to the border with Pakistan, Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said. Also known as the "mother of all bombs", the GBU-43 is a 21,600 pound (9,797 kg) GPS-guided munition and was first tested in March 2003, just days before the start of the Iraq war. The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious, with a number of militant groups trying to claim territory more than 15 years after the US invasion which toppled the Taliban government. General John Nicholson, the head of US and international forces in Afghanistan, said the bomb was used against caves and bunkers housing fighters of the Islamic State in Afghanistan, also known as ISIS-K. White House spokesman Sean Spicer opened his daily news briefing speaking about the use of the bomb and said, "We targeted a system of tunnels and caves that ISIS fighters used to move around freely, making it easier for them to target US military advisers and Afghan forces in the area." Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai condemned the attack, calling it "inhumane'". I vehemently and in strongest words condemn the dropping of the latest weapon, the largest non-nuclear #bomb, on Afghanistan by US...1/2 — Hamid Karzai (@KarzaiH) April 13, 2017 × 2/2 military. This is not the war on terror but the inhuman and most brutal misuse of our country as testing ground for new and dangerous... — Hamid Karzai (@KarzaiH) April 13, 2017 × 2/3 weapons. It is upon us,Afghans, to stop the #USA. — Hamid Karzai (@KarzaiH) April 13, 2017 × Last week, a US soldier was killed in the same district as the bomb was dropped while conducting operations against Islamic State. "The United States takes the fight against ISIS very seriously and in order to defeat the group, we must deny them operational space, which we did," Spicer said. He said the bomb was used at around 7 pm local time and described the device as "a large, powerful and accurately delivered weapon." The United States took "all precautions necessary to prevent civilian casualties and collateral damage," he said. US officials say intelligence suggests Islamic State is based overwhelmingly in Nangarhar and neighboring Kunar province. Estimates of its strength in Afghanistan vary. US officials have said they believe the movement has only 700 fighters but Afghan officials estimate it has about 1,500. Islamic State's offshoot in Afghanistan is suspected of carrying out several attacks on minority Shi'ite Muslim targets. The Afghan Taliban, which is trying to overthrow the US-backed government in Kabul, are fiercely opposed to Islamic State and the two group have clashed as they seek to expand territory and influence. The strike was carried out to neutralise an IS tunnel. The US has never used this bomb in its military operation. It has a blast radius of nearly 50 kms. A GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, nicknamed MOAB, was dropped at 7pm (WION) × (Reuters)

US 'MOAB' bombing in Afghanistan killed 36 Islamic State militants

The Trump administration is crafting a big new arms package for Taiwan that could include advanced rocket systems and anti-ship missiles to defend against China, US officials said, a deal sure to anger Beijing.

The package is expected to be significantly larger than one that was shelved at the end of the Obama administration, the officials told Reuters on the eve of a visit to Beijing by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

&quot;The political desire is there to do a substantial sale,&quot; one administration official said, adding that internal deliberations had begun on a deal &quot;that&#39;s much stronger, much more significant than the one that was not accepted by the Obama people&quot;.

President Donald Trump&#39;s administration is eager to proceed with the sales, but it is expected to take months and possibly into next year for the White House to overcome obstacles, including concern that Beijing&#39;s sensitivities over Taiwan could make it harder to secure cooperation on priorities such as reining in North Korea, the official said.

Completion of a package also could be held up by the slow pace at which the Trump administration is filling national security jobs, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because initial work toward new arms sales has not been made public.

Discussions between Taiwan and the new administration already have begun, according to a person in Taipei familiar with the matter.

The White House declined to comment.

Details of the administration&#39;s approach to Taiwan emerged as Tillerson was due to visit China this weekend, where he will seek more Chinese support on North Korea and firm up the first meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected next month.

In December, President Barack Obama&#39;s administration put the brakes on a Taiwan deal under discussion. That package was worth $1 billion, Washington&#39;s Free Beacon newspaper reported this week, citing unnamed officials, who also were quoted as saying the Trump administration was now preparing new sales.

Ned Price, a National Security Council spokesman under Obama, said the previous administration put a &quot;relatively modest&quot; arms package for Taiwan on hold, in part to let the new administration make the decision.

The Trump administration source told Reuters that the new deals under consideration would likely top the $1 billion mark.

The new administration plans to focus more than the previous one on enhancing Taiwan&#39;s &quot;asymmetric&quot; capabilities, possibly with advanced multiple launch rocket systems, anti-ship missiles and other technologies that would enable Taiwan&#39;s military to defend against a much larger Chinese force in the event of an attack, the US&nbsp;official said.

Lockheed Martin Corp is the top US&nbsp;manufacturer of multiple launch rocket systems. Other foreign companies involved in the sector include Germany&rsquo;s Diehl and Britain&rsquo;s BAE Systems.

A $1.83 billion arms sale to Taiwan that Obama announced in December 2015, to China&#39;s dismay, included two Navy frigates in addition to anti-tank missiles and amphibious attack vehicles.

The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, acknowledging Taiwan as part of &ldquo;one China&rdquo;. But successive administrations have continued providing billions of dollars in arms as part of a congressionally mandated requirement to ensure the island can defend itself.

Taiwan has already been a major point of contention between Trump and China, which considers the island a renegade province.

As president-elect, Trump broke with protocol and accepted a congratulatory phone call from the Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in December, angering China. He then suggested he might abandon Washington&#39;s &quot;one China&quot; policy, which accepts the self-ruled island as part of China. Once in office, Trump reaffirmed the US&nbsp;commitment to the decades-old policy.

The White House is mindful that tensions could flare again over new arms sales. But some Trump aides insist they are needed to make clear that the United States, Taiwan&#39;s sole arms supplier, is committed to upgrading the island&#39;s defences.

(Reuters)

The package could include advanced rocket systems and anti-ship missiles to defend against China, US officials said

The Trump administration is crafting a big new arms package for Taiwan that could include advanced rocket systems and anti-ship missiles to defend against China, US officials said, a deal sure to anger Beijing. The package is expected to be significantly larger than one that was shelved at the end of the Obama administration, the officials told Reuters on the eve of a visit to Beijing by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. "The political desire is there to do a substantial sale," one administration official said, adding that internal deliberations had begun on a deal "that's much stronger, much more significant than the one that was not accepted by the Obama people". President Donald Trump's administration is eager to proceed with the sales, but it is expected to take months and possibly into next year for the White House to overcome obstacles, including concern that Beijing's sensitivities over Taiwan could make it harder to secure cooperation on priorities such as reining in North Korea, the official said. Completion of a package also could be held up by the slow pace at which the Trump administration is filling national security jobs, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because initial work toward new arms sales has not been made public. Discussions between Taiwan and the new administration already have begun, according to a person in Taipei familiar with the matter. The White House declined to comment. Details of the administration's approach to Taiwan emerged as Tillerson was due to visit China this weekend, where he will seek more Chinese support on North Korea and firm up the first meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected next month. In December, President Barack Obama's administration put the brakes on a Taiwan deal under discussion. That package was worth $1 billion, Washington's Free Beacon newspaper reported this week, citing unnamed officials, who also were quoted as saying the Trump administration was now preparing new sales. Ned Price, a National Security Council spokesman under Obama, said the previous administration put a "relatively modest" arms package for Taiwan on hold, in part to let the new administration make the decision. The Trump administration source told Reuters that the new deals under consideration would likely top the $1 billion mark. The new administration plans to focus more than the previous one on enhancing Taiwan's "asymmetric" capabilities, possibly with advanced multiple launch rocket systems, anti-ship missiles and other technologies that would enable Taiwan's military to defend against a much larger Chinese force in the event of an attack, the US official said. Lockheed Martin Corp is the top US manufacturer of multiple launch rocket systems. Other foreign companies involved in the sector include Germany’s Diehl and Britain’s BAE Systems. A $1.83 billion arms sale to Taiwan that Obama announced in December 2015, to China's dismay, included two Navy frigates in addition to anti-tank missiles and amphibious attack vehicles. The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, acknowledging Taiwan as part of “one China”. But successive administrations have continued providing billions of dollars in arms as part of a congressionally mandated requirement to ensure the island can defend itself. Taiwan has already been a major point of contention between Trump and China, which considers the island a renegade province. As president-elect, Trump broke with protocol and accepted a congratulatory phone call from the Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in December, angering China. He then suggested he might abandon Washington's "one China" policy, which accepts the self-ruled island as part of China. Once in office, Trump reaffirmed the US commitment to the decades-old policy. The White House is mindful that tensions could flare again over new arms sales. But some Trump aides insist they are needed to make clear that the United States, Taiwan's sole arms supplier, is committed to upgrading the island's defences. (Reuters)

Trump administration crafting big new arms sales to Taiwan: Sources

The Department of Justice is deploying 50 judges to immigration detention facilities across the United States, according to two sources and a letter seen by Reuters and sent to judges on Thursday.

The department is also considering asking judges to sit from 6 am&nbsp;to 10 pm, split between two rotating shifts, to adjudicate more cases, the sources said. A notice about shift times was not included in the letter.

The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment.

On Jan&nbsp;25 President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at speeding up deportations and holding migrants in detention until their cases can be heard.

Trump campaigned on a pledge to get tougher on the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants, playing on fears of violent crime while promising to build a wall on the border with Mexico and to stop potential terrorists from entering the country.

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The order called for the end of a policy known as &quot;catch and release&quot;, by which immigrants were released from detention and given a date to appear in court.

Immigration courts have a backlog of over 550,000 cases, according to the Justice Department&#39;s data, so many court dates are set years into the future.

Judges are employed by the Justice Department to oversee cases that determine if immigrants are given protections, such as asylum, or ordered deported. A handful of judges works from detention centres but most work from courts around the country.

Two sources familiar with the Justice Department&#39;s plan said the department would ask more judges to volunteer for one or two-month deployments at detention centres. If the department cannot find enough volunteers, the department would assign judges to detention centres, the sources said.

Judges who volunteer for the first 50 deployments would be sent to detention centres in Adelanto, California; San Diego, Chicago and elsewhere, according to the letter.

Republican Trump&#39;s policy on immigrants has been criticised by Democratic lawmakers and advocates for immigrants, who said he was jeopardising the rights and freedoms of millions while treating Mexico as an enemy, not an ally, and damaging the country&#39;s reputation as a welcoming place for immigrants.

(Reuters)

The move is aimed at speeding up deportations

The Department of Justice is deploying 50 judges to immigration detention facilities across the United States, according to two sources and a letter seen by Reuters and sent to judges on Thursday. The department is also considering asking judges to sit from 6 am to 10 pm, split between two rotating shifts, to adjudicate more cases, the sources said. A notice about shift times was not included in the letter. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment. On Jan 25 President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at speeding up deportations and holding migrants in detention until their cases can be heard. Trump campaigned on a pledge to get tougher on the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants, playing on fears of violent crime while promising to build a wall on the border with Mexico and to stop potential terrorists from entering the country. Immigration courts have a backlog of over 550,000 cases, according to the Justice Department's data, so many court dates are set years into the future × The order called for the end of a policy known as "catch and release", by which immigrants were released from detention and given a date to appear in court. Immigration courts have a backlog of over 550,000 cases, according to the Justice Department's data, so many court dates are set years into the future. Judges are employed by the Justice Department to oversee cases that determine if immigrants are given protections, such as asylum, or ordered deported. A handful of judges works from detention centres but most work from courts around the country. Two sources familiar with the Justice Department's plan said the department would ask more judges to volunteer for one or two-month deployments at detention centres. If the department cannot find enough volunteers, the department would assign judges to detention centres, the sources said. Judges who volunteer for the first 50 deployments would be sent to detention centres in Adelanto, California; San Diego, Chicago and elsewhere, according to the letter. Republican Trump's policy on immigrants has been criticised by Democratic lawmakers and advocates for immigrants, who said he was jeopardising the rights and freedoms of millions while treating Mexico as an enemy, not an ally, and damaging the country's reputation as a welcoming place for immigrants. (Reuters)

Trump administration deploying 50 judges to immigration detention facilities: Sources

Senior cabinet members have lobbied President Donald Trump to remove Iraq from a list of seven Muslim-majority nations included in an initial travel ban, and an administration official said the country likely would not appear on a new executive order expected soon.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, national security adviser H.R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security chief John Kelly all made the case to Trump to remove Iraq because of ongoing US military and civilian operations in the country, according to three US officials who said the Cabinet members made the case separately at recent meetings.

An administration official said the new executive order would likely exclude Iraq. Another US official said the State Department was confident Iraq would not appear, while a congressional aide said Iraq would be removed following conversations among White House advisers on Tuesday. When asked whether Iraq would be left out of the revised order, the White House said it did not have any announcements on the executive order right now.

A White House official said the order was likely to come on next Monday. Federal courts blocked Trump&#39;s January 27 executive order that temporarily barred travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Trump has said the travel limitations were necessary to protect the United States from attacks by Islamist militants. Americans were deeply divided over the measure, which had some support but stirred national protests and were condemned by prominent US companies and allies.

There are currently 5,200 American troops deployed in Iraq to assist Iraqi and Kurdish forces in retaking Mosul - the last city in Iraq under the control of Islamic State militants. Iraqis have fought alongside US troops for years and have worked as translators. Many Iraqis have resettled in the United States following threats over their affiliation with US troops.

The United States also relies on Iraq to provide visas for a substantial contracting force that supports the US military presence. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had asked Trump to lift the ban on people from his country during their first phone call on February&nbsp;10, resisting calls from influential pro-Iranian Shi&#39;ite politicians to retaliate against the ban.

(Reuters)

US cabinet members have made the case to President Trump to remove Iraq from new executive order likely to be announced next Monday

Senior cabinet members have lobbied President Donald Trump to remove Iraq from a list of seven Muslim-majority nations included in an initial travel ban, and an administration official said the country likely would not appear on a new executive order expected soon. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, national security adviser H.R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security chief John Kelly all made the case to Trump to remove Iraq because of ongoing US military and civilian operations in the country, according to three US officials who said the Cabinet members made the case separately at recent meetings. An administration official said the new executive order would likely exclude Iraq. Another US official said the State Department was confident Iraq would not appear, while a congressional aide said Iraq would be removed following conversations among White House advisers on Tuesday. When asked whether Iraq would be left out of the revised order, the White House said it did not have any announcements on the executive order right now. A White House official said the order was likely to come on next Monday. Federal courts blocked Trump's January 27 executive order that temporarily barred travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Trump has said the travel limitations were necessary to protect the United States from attacks by Islamist militants. Americans were deeply divided over the measure, which had some support but stirred national protests and were condemned by prominent US companies and allies. There are currently 5,200 American troops deployed in Iraq to assist Iraqi and Kurdish forces in retaking Mosul - the last city in Iraq under the control of Islamic State militants. Iraqis have fought alongside US troops for years and have worked as translators. Many Iraqis have resettled in the United States following threats over their affiliation with US troops. The United States also relies on Iraq to provide visas for a substantial contracting force that supports the US military presence. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had asked Trump to lift the ban on people from his country during their first phone call on February 10, resisting calls from influential pro-Iranian Shi'ite politicians to retaliate against the ban. (Reuters)

Trump may drop Iraq in new travel ban order expected soon

President Donald Trump&#39;s national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned late on Monday after coming under fire over whether he discussed the possibility of lifting US&nbsp;sanctions on Russia before Trump took office.

Retired General Keith Kellogg, who has been chief of staff of the White House National Security Council, was named the acting national security adviser while Trump determines who should fill the position.

Kellogg, retired General David Petraeus, a former CIA director, and Robert Harward, a former deputy commander of US&nbsp;Central Command, are under consideration for the position, a White House official said.

Flynn submitted his resignation hours after Trump said through a spokesman that he was reviewing the situation and talking to vice president Mike Pence.

Flynn had promised Pence he had not discussed US&nbsp;sanctions with the Russians, but transcripts of intercepted communications, described by US&nbsp;officials, showed that the subject had come up in conversations between him and the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey&nbsp;Kislyak.

Such contacts could potentially be in violation of a law banning private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act.

Flynn&#39;s departure was the most dramatic moment yet of Trump&#39;s young presidency, a 24-day period during which his White House has been repeatedly distracted by miscues and internal dramas.

&quot;Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador. I have sincerely apologised to the president and the vice president, and they have accepted my apology,&quot; Flynn said in his resignation letter.

Flynn&#39;s resignation came after it was reported that the Justice Department warned the White House weeks ago that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Russian officials before Trump took power on Jan&nbsp;20.

A US&nbsp;official confirmed a Washington Post report that Sally Yates, the then-acting US&nbsp;attorney general, told the White House late last month that she believed Flynn had misled them about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

She said Flynn might have put himself in a compromising position, possibly leaving himself vulnerable to blackmail, the official said. Yates was later fired for opposing Trump&#39;s temporary entry ban for people from seven mostly Muslim nations.

A US&nbsp;official, describing the intercepted communications, said Flynn did not make any promises about lifting the sanctions.

But he did indicate that sanctions imposed by President Barack Obama on Russia for its Ukraine incursion &quot;would not necessarily carry over to an administration seeking to improve relations between the US&nbsp;and Russia,&quot; the official said.

Flynn, a retired US&nbsp;Army lieutenant general, was an early supporter of Trump and shares his interest in shaking up the establishment in Washington. He frequently raised eyebrows among Washington&#39;s foreign policy establishment for trying to persuade Trump to warm up US&nbsp;relations with Russia.

A US&nbsp;official said Flynn&#39;s departure, coupled with Russia&#39;s aggression in Ukraine and Syria and Republican congressional opposition to removing sanctions on Russia, removes Trump&#39;s most ardent advocate of taking a softer line toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.

His leaving &quot;may make a significant course change less likely, at least anytime soon,&quot; the official said.

Another official said Flynn&#39;s departure may strengthen the hands of some cabinet secretaries, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

However, the second official said, Flynn&#39;s departure could also reinforce the power of presidential aides Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, whom he described as already having the president&#39;s ear.

Congressional Democrats expressed alarm at the developments surrounding Flynn and called for a classified briefing by administration officials to explain what had happened.

&quot;We are communicating this request to the Department of Justice and FBI this evening,&quot; said Democratic representatives John Conyers of Michigan and Elijah Cummings of Maryland.

US&nbsp;Representative Adam Schiff of California, ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Flynn&#39;s departure does not end the questions over his contacts with the Russians.

&quot;The Trump administration has yet to be forthcoming about who was aware of Flynn&#39;s conversations with the ambassador and whether he was acting on the instructions of the president or any other officials, or with their knowledge.&quot;

(Reuters)

The resignation came over fears he was vulnerable to blackmail by Russia

President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned late on Monday after coming under fire over whether he discussed the possibility of lifting US sanctions on Russia before Trump took office. Retired General Keith Kellogg, who has been chief of staff of the White House National Security Council, was named the acting national security adviser while Trump determines who should fill the position. Kellogg, retired General David Petraeus, a former CIA director, and Robert Harward, a former deputy commander of US Central Command, are under consideration for the position, a White House official said. Flynn submitted his resignation hours after Trump said through a spokesman that he was reviewing the situation and talking to vice president Mike Pence. Flynn had promised Pence he had not discussed US sanctions with the Russians, but transcripts of intercepted communications, described by US officials, showed that the subject had come up in conversations between him and the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak. Such contacts could potentially be in violation of a law banning private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act. Flynn's departure was the most dramatic moment yet of Trump's young presidency, a 24-day period during which his White House has been repeatedly distracted by miscues and internal dramas. "Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador. I have sincerely apologised to the president and the vice president, and they have accepted my apology," Flynn said in his resignation letter. Flynn's resignation came after it was reported that the Justice Department warned the White House weeks ago that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Russian officials before Trump took power on Jan 20. A US official confirmed a Washington Post report that Sally Yates, the then-acting US attorney general, told the White House late last month that she believed Flynn had misled them about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States. She said Flynn might have put himself in a compromising position, possibly leaving himself vulnerable to blackmail, the official said. Yates was later fired for opposing Trump's temporary entry ban for people from seven mostly Muslim nations. A US official, describing the intercepted communications, said Flynn did not make any promises about lifting the sanctions. But he did indicate that sanctions imposed by President Barack Obama on Russia for its Ukraine incursion "would not necessarily carry over to an administration seeking to improve relations between the US and Russia," the official said. Flynn, a retired US Army lieutenant general, was an early supporter of Trump and shares his interest in shaking up the establishment in Washington. He frequently raised eyebrows among Washington's foreign policy establishment for trying to persuade Trump to warm up US relations with Russia. A US official said Flynn's departure, coupled with Russia's aggression in Ukraine and Syria and Republican congressional opposition to removing sanctions on Russia, removes Trump's most ardent advocate of taking a softer line toward Russian President Vladimir Putin. His leaving "may make a significant course change less likely, at least anytime soon," the official said. Another official said Flynn's departure may strengthen the hands of some cabinet secretaries, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. However, the second official said, Flynn's departure could also reinforce the power of presidential aides Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, whom he described as already having the president's ear. Congressional Democrats expressed alarm at the developments surrounding Flynn and called for a classified briefing by administration officials to explain what had happened. "We are communicating this request to the Department of Justice and FBI this evening," said Democratic representatives John Conyers of Michigan and Elijah Cummings of Maryland. US Representative Adam Schiff of California, ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Flynn's departure does not end the questions over his contacts with the Russians. "The Trump administration has yet to be forthcoming about who was aware of Flynn's conversations with the ambassador and whether he was acting on the instructions of the president or any other officials, or with their knowledge." (Reuters)

Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn resigns

US President-elect Donald Trump knows who is America&rsquo;s &ldquo;true friend&rdquo; and his administration will foster constructive ties which will pay dividends on peace and prosperity in South Asia, said the&nbsp;Indian-American industrialist Shalabh Kumar, who, along with his&nbsp;family, have donated a whopping $1.1 million to the Trump campaign. Kumar&nbsp;was among the top 14 donors for the Trump campaign, and has since been appointed to the&nbsp;Transition Finance and Inauguration committee.

&ldquo;President-elect Trump has said that under Trump administration, the US and India will be &lsquo;best friends&rsquo; and that he loves the Hindu and Indian people, and particularly admires Prime Minister Narendra Modi,&rdquo; said&nbsp;Kumar.

&ldquo;Trump knows that India wants peace with Pakistan,&rdquo; he said, a day after the Pakistani government issued a readout of the telephonic conversation between Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Kumar, founder and chairman of the Republican Hindu Coalition, was instrumental in bringing Trump to a Hindu-American event less than a fortnight before the elections. He said the President-elect believes that many of the people of Pakistan seek peace with their neighbours and would like to stamp out radical Islamic terror.

&ldquo;Some of Pakistan&rsquo;s leaders, as well, have expressed these intentions and have a wonderful relationship with India&rsquo;s leaders. Trump knows who are the true friends of the US in the region,&rdquo; Kumar said. &ldquo;I know that President-elect Trump and the incoming administration will do everything it can to encourage these intentions and foster constructive relationships which will pay dividends on peace and prosperity in Asia and throughout the world,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;I believe that President-elect Trump would make supportive and kind statements about the Pakistani people and PM Sharif,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;President-elect Trump extends a hand in peace and friendship to all countries and all people who will deal fairly with the US and who seek a more peaceful and prosperous world. Under the administration, we will put America first, and will support alliances around the world that benefit the stability and welfare of all people,&rdquo; Kumar said.

(PTI)

Shalabh Kumar, a Trump aide who also donated to him over $1 million, said Trump's administration will foster constructive ties in South Asia

US President-elect Donald Trump knows who is America’s “true friend” and his administration will foster constructive ties which will pay dividends on peace and prosperity in South Asia, said the Indian-American industrialist Shalabh Kumar, who, along with his family, have donated a whopping $1.1 million to the Trump campaign. Kumar was among the top 14 donors for the Trump campaign, and has since been appointed to the Transition Finance and Inauguration committee. “President-elect Trump has said that under Trump administration, the US and India will be ‘best friends’ and that he loves the Hindu and Indian people, and particularly admires Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Kumar. “Trump knows that India wants peace with Pakistan,” he said, a day after the Pakistani government issued a readout of the telephonic conversation between Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Kumar, founder and chairman of the Republican Hindu Coalition, was instrumental in bringing Trump to a Hindu-American event less than a fortnight before the elections. He said the President-elect believes that many of the people of Pakistan seek peace with their neighbours and would like to stamp out radical Islamic terror. “Some of Pakistan’s leaders, as well, have expressed these intentions and have a wonderful relationship with India’s leaders. Trump knows who are the true friends of the US in the region,” Kumar said. “I know that President-elect Trump and the incoming administration will do everything it can to encourage these intentions and foster constructive relationships which will pay dividends on peace and prosperity in Asia and throughout the world,” he said. “I believe that President-elect Trump would make supportive and kind statements about the Pakistani people and PM Sharif,” he said. “President-elect Trump extends a hand in peace and friendship to all countries and all people who will deal fairly with the US and who seek a more peaceful and prosperous world. Under the administration, we will put America first, and will support alliances around the world that benefit the stability and welfare of all people,” Kumar said. (PTI)

Donald Trump knows who is America's 'true friend' in South Asia: Trump aide

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has accepted President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s offer to be the US&nbsp;ambassador to the United Nations, news agency ANI reported today.

While the presidential transition team did not confirm the news, several US media reported the news today.

Haley, 44, thus becomes the first woman and minority to join Trump&#39;s administration and would replace Samantha Power as the next US Ambassador to the UN, the Wall Street Journal reported.

She is also the first ever Indian-American cabinet rank official in any administration if confirmed by the senate.

Reports also suggested that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a Haley ally, is likely to be Trump&#39;s choice for secretary of state.

Trump has picked Gen (rtd) James Mattis as his Defense Secretary, these reports stated.

Haley met with Trump at Trump Tower in New York on Thursday, PTI reported. &quot;It was a good meeting. We talked about a multiple group of topics and it was nice meeting,&quot; she had told reporters on Monday.

A report in the Post and Courier, a South Carolina newspaper, said, &quot;The move, expected Wednesday, continues the steep political rise of the daughter of Indian immigrants that started six years ago when the Bamberg native was elected as South Carolina&#39;s first female and minority governor.&quot;

&quot;The planned nomination to the cabinet-level post, confirmed by multiple sources with knowledge of the decision, is likely to raise questions about Haley&#39;s qualifications for a major foreign policy role since she has little diplomatic experience as state lawmaker and governor,&quot; the daily added.

The Wall Street said former presidential candidate Ben Carson has been considered for leading the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, was a vocal critic of the real estate mogul on the campaign trail. She later voted for Trump, lamenting that she was &quot;not a fan&quot; of either candidate, PTI reported.

Born Nimrata &quot;Nikki&quot; Randhawa, Haley is the first minority and female governor of South Carolina, a deeply conservative state with a history of racial strife.

As the youngest governor in the US and only the second Indian-American to serve at the helm of a US state, she has been characterised as a rising star within the Republican Party.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Haley becomes the first woman and minority to join Trump's administration and would replace Samantha Power

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has accepted President-elect Donald Trump's offer to be the US ambassador to the United Nations, news agency ANI reported today. While the presidential transition team did not confirm the news, several US media reported the news today. Haley, 44, thus becomes the first woman and minority to join Trump's administration and would replace Samantha Power as the next US Ambassador to the UN, the Wall Street Journal reported. She is also the first ever Indian-American cabinet rank official in any administration if confirmed by the senate. Reports also suggested that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a Haley ally, is likely to be Trump's choice for secretary of state. Trump has picked Gen (rtd) James Mattis as his Defense Secretary, these reports stated. Haley met with Trump at Trump Tower in New York on Thursday, PTI reported. "It was a good meeting. We talked about a multiple group of topics and it was nice meeting," she had told reporters on Monday. A report in the Post and Courier, a South Carolina newspaper, said, "The move, expected Wednesday, continues the steep political rise of the daughter of Indian immigrants that started six years ago when the Bamberg native was elected as South Carolina's first female and minority governor." "The planned nomination to the cabinet-level post, confirmed by multiple sources with knowledge of the decision, is likely to raise questions about Haley's qualifications for a major foreign policy role since she has little diplomatic experience as state lawmaker and governor," the daily added. The Wall Street said former presidential candidate Ben Carson has been considered for leading the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, was a vocal critic of the real estate mogul on the campaign trail. She later voted for Trump, lamenting that she was "not a fan" of either candidate, PTI reported. Born Nimrata "Nikki" Randhawa, Haley is the first minority and female governor of South Carolina, a deeply conservative state with a history of racial strife. As the youngest governor in the US and only the second Indian-American to serve at the helm of a US state, she has been characterised as a rising star within the Republican Party. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Nikki Haley accepts Trump offer to be US ambassador to UN: Reports

Nikki Haley was today named as US ambassador to the United Nations by President-elect Donald Trump, becoming the first Indian-American to be appointed to a cabinet-level post in any US administration, PTI reported.

&quot;Governor Haley has a proven track record of bringing people together regardless of background or party affiliation to move critical policies forward for the betterment of her state and our country,&quot; Trump said

A former critic of Trump, the 44-year-old Haley is the first woman tapped by Trump for a top-level administration post during his transition to the White House.

&quot;She is also a proven dealmaker, and we look to be making plenty of deals. She will be a great leader representing us on the world stage,&quot; PTI reported Trump as saying.

The presidential transition team said this would a cabinet-level position in the Trump-Pence administration and&nbsp;would require confirmation by the Senate.

&quot;Our country faces enormous challenges here at home and internationally, and I am honoured that the President-elect has asked me to join his team and serve the country we love as the next Ambassador to the United Nations,&quot; Haley said, commenting on her nomination to the key post.

After working at her family&#39;s business, Haley turned her focus to economic development and has travelled abroad to negotiate with international companies on behalf of South Carolina.

As governor, she has led seven overseas trade missions and successfully attracted jobs and investment through negotiations with foreign companies, PTI reported from the official announcement.

Haley, currently serving the second term as governor, has served as her home state&#39;s first female and first minority governor.

The country&#39;s youngest governor&nbsp;has worked on trade and labour issues although she has little foreign policy experience.

Haley was critical of Trump during the primary campaign and had backed Senator Marco Rubio in the Republican primary. However, before the general elections, she switched her position, saying she would vote for Trump.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Haley becomes the first woman tapped by Trump for a top-level administration post during his transition to the White House

Nikki Haley was today named as US ambassador to the United Nations by President-elect Donald Trump, becoming the first Indian-American to be appointed to a cabinet-level post in any US administration, PTI reported. "Governor Haley has a proven track record of bringing people together regardless of background or party affiliation to move critical policies forward for the betterment of her state and our country," Trump said A former critic of Trump, the 44-year-old Haley is the first woman tapped by Trump for a top-level administration post during his transition to the White House. "She is also a proven dealmaker, and we look to be making plenty of deals. She will be a great leader representing us on the world stage," PTI reported Trump as saying. The presidential transition team said this would a cabinet-level position in the Trump-Pence administration and would require confirmation by the Senate. "Our country faces enormous challenges here at home and internationally, and I am honoured that the President-elect has asked me to join his team and serve the country we love as the next Ambassador to the United Nations," Haley said, commenting on her nomination to the key post. After working at her family's business, Haley turned her focus to economic development and has travelled abroad to negotiate with international companies on behalf of South Carolina. As governor, she has led seven overseas trade missions and successfully attracted jobs and investment through negotiations with foreign companies, PTI reported from the official announcement. Haley, currently serving the second term as governor, has served as her home state's first female and first minority governor. The country's youngest governor has worked on trade and labour issues although she has little foreign policy experience. Haley was critical of Trump during the primary campaign and had backed Senator Marco Rubio in the Republican primary. However, before the general elections, she switched her position, saying she would vote for Trump. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Nikki Haley named US ambassador to United Nations

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

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

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

For Trump chief strategist Bannon, 'darkness is good'

Representative Mike Pompeo, President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s surprise choice to head the CIA, supports the US&nbsp;government&#39;s sweeping collection of Americans&#39; communications data and wants to scrap the nuclear deal with Iran.

The retired Army officer, West Point and Harvard Law School graduate also has defended the CIA&#39;s use of interrogation techniques that are widely condemned as torture.

The Kansas Republican has criticised Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server as secretary of state and her handling of the 2012 attacks on US&nbsp;posts in Benghazi, Libya.

A member of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, Pompeo, 52, was first elected in the 2010 Tea Party wave from the congressional district centered on his hometown of Wichita. Members of both parties regard him as intelligent, collegial and capable, with a keen grasp of national security issues.

&quot;Mike is very bright and hard-working, and will devote himself to helping the agency develop the best possible intelligence for policy makers,&quot; said Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee. &quot;While we have had our share of strong differences - principally on the politicisation of the tragedy in Benghazi - I know that he is someone who is willing to listen and engage.&quot;

Pompeo &quot;is a serious guy who studies issues carefully,&quot; said former National Security Agency and CIA director Michael Hayden.

Some civil liberties and human rights advocates, however, expressed concern over Pompeo&#39;s selection because he opposes closing the Guantanamo Bay detention centre.

They also criticised his support for the National Security Agency&#39;s now-defunct bulk communications metadata collection and other surveillance programs.

&quot;These positions and others merit serious public scrutiny through a confirmation process,&quot; said Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union.

In a January op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, he co-authored, Pompeo called for a &quot;fundamental upgrade to America&#39;s surveillance capabilities,&quot; including resuming bulk collection of domestic phone metadata, the numbers and time stamps of calls, but not their content.

The program, which a federal appeals court and two governmental review panels found to be illegal and ineffective, should be expanded to include &quot;publicly available financial and lifestyle information into a comprehensive, searchable database&quot;, and that &quot;legal and bureaucratic impediments to surveillance should be removed,&quot; he wrote.

He also called for the death penalty for Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor who disclosed the existence of the metadata program and other top-secret surveillance programs.

Pompeo stands a good chance of being confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. The announcement of his nomination was warmly greeted by Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which will conduct his confirmation hearing.

Pompeo has been at the forefront of attacks in Congress on Clinton, accusing her of &quot;criminality&quot; for storing emails containing classified information on her private server.

He served on the Republican-led House committee that investigated the attacks by Islamist extremists on US&nbsp;diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi that killed four Americans.

While the panel found no wrongdoing by the administration, Pompeo and another member appended to the final report a commentary accusing Clinton and other officials of failing to protect the posts and to respond appropriately to the attacks.

Democrats accused Pompeo of using inaccurate information to exaggerate alleged failures by Clinton on Benghazi.Some of Pompeo&#39;s positions also are at odds with the assessments of the intelligence officers and analysts Trump wants him to command.

While he has argued that the CIA&#39;s use of harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, which simulates drowning, produced useful intelligence, current CIA Director John Brennan has said he would resign if he were ordered to resume the practice.

Other CIA and military officers and FBI agents have said so-called &quot;enhanced interrogation techniques&quot; do not produce reliable information because prisoners will &quot;say anything&quot; to end their suffering, as one CIA official put it.

Pompeo also is at odds with the intelligence community&#39;s assessment of the 2015 deal that lifted financial sanctions from Iran in return for limits on its nuclear program.

He has vowed to overturn the deal&nbsp;and suggested in a 2014 roundtable with journalists that the United States should bomb Iran&#39;s nuclear facilities, a proposal that US&nbsp;intelligence experts said would only delay Tehran&#39;s development of a warhead, not halt it.

Pompeo also has opposed the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change, while at the CIA, a recently created Mission Center for Global Issues tracks global warming as a threat to U.S. security.

He has taken positions that are at odds with Trump&#39;s, notably on Russia&#39;s actions in Ukraine and its military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who also is supported by Iran.

Russia has established a toehold in the Middle East, and &quot;we now have the Iranian-Russian axis there largely running free,&quot; Pompeo told a security forum in 2015.

Pompeo, who was born in California, graduated first in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was an artillery officer in the army for five years. He received a degree from the Harvard Law School and was an editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review.

(Reuters)

Representative Mike Pompeo has also defended the CIA's use of interrogation techniques that are widely condemned as torture

Representative Mike Pompeo, President-elect Donald Trump's surprise choice to head the CIA, supports the US government's sweeping collection of Americans' communications data and wants to scrap the nuclear deal with Iran. The retired Army officer, West Point and Harvard Law School graduate also has defended the CIA's use of interrogation techniques that are widely condemned as torture. The Kansas Republican has criticised Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state and her handling of the 2012 attacks on US posts in Benghazi, Libya. A member of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, Pompeo, 52, was first elected in the 2010 Tea Party wave from the congressional district centered on his hometown of Wichita. Members of both parties regard him as intelligent, collegial and capable, with a keen grasp of national security issues. "Mike is very bright and hard-working, and will devote himself to helping the agency develop the best possible intelligence for policy makers," said Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee. "While we have had our share of strong differences - principally on the politicisation of the tragedy in Benghazi - I know that he is someone who is willing to listen and engage." Pompeo "is a serious guy who studies issues carefully," said former National Security Agency and CIA director Michael Hayden. Some civil liberties and human rights advocates, however, expressed concern over Pompeo's selection because he opposes closing the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. They also criticised his support for the National Security Agency's now-defunct bulk communications metadata collection and other surveillance programs. "These positions and others merit serious public scrutiny through a confirmation process," said Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. In a January op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, he co-authored, Pompeo called for a "fundamental upgrade to America's surveillance capabilities," including resuming bulk collection of domestic phone metadata, the numbers and time stamps of calls, but not their content. The program, which a federal appeals court and two governmental review panels found to be illegal and ineffective, should be expanded to include "publicly available financial and lifestyle information into a comprehensive, searchable database", and that "legal and bureaucratic impediments to surveillance should be removed," he wrote. He also called for the death penalty for Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor who disclosed the existence of the metadata program and other top-secret surveillance programs. Pompeo stands a good chance of being confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. The announcement of his nomination was warmly greeted by Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which will conduct his confirmation hearing. Pompeo has been at the forefront of attacks in Congress on Clinton, accusing her of "criminality" for storing emails containing classified information on her private server. He served on the Republican-led House committee that investigated the attacks by Islamist extremists on US diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi that killed four Americans. While the panel found no wrongdoing by the administration, Pompeo and another member appended to the final report a commentary accusing Clinton and other officials of failing to protect the posts and to respond appropriately to the attacks. Democrats accused Pompeo of using inaccurate information to exaggerate alleged failures by Clinton on Benghazi.Some of Pompeo's positions also are at odds with the assessments of the intelligence officers and analysts Trump wants him to command. While he has argued that the CIA's use of harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, which simulates drowning, produced useful intelligence, current CIA Director John Brennan has said he would resign if he were ordered to resume the practice. Other CIA and military officers and FBI agents have said so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" do not produce reliable information because prisoners will "say anything" to end their suffering, as one CIA official put it. Pompeo also is at odds with the intelligence community's assessment of the 2015 deal that lifted financial sanctions from Iran in return for limits on its nuclear program. He has vowed to overturn the deal and suggested in a 2014 roundtable with journalists that the United States should bomb Iran's nuclear facilities, a proposal that US intelligence experts said would only delay Tehran's development of a warhead, not halt it. Pompeo also has opposed the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change, while at the CIA, a recently created Mission Center for Global Issues tracks global warming as a threat to U.S. security. He has taken positions that are at odds with Trump's, notably on Russia's actions in Ukraine and its military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who also is supported by Iran. Russia has established a toehold in the Middle East, and "we now have the Iranian-Russian axis there largely running free," Pompeo told a security forum in 2015. Pompeo, who was born in California, graduated first in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was an artillery officer in the army for five years. He received a degree from the Harvard Law School and was an editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. (Reuters)

Trump's CIA pick supports domestic surveillance, opposes Iran deal

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

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

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

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

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