Despite Trump threats, migrant 'caravan' rolls on towards America

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-admits-khashoggi-died-in-consulate-donald-trump-says-saudi-explanation-credible-172411">Saudi Arabia admits Khashoggi died in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-admits-khashoggi-died-in-consulate-donald-trump-says-saudi-explanation-credible-172411">consulate</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-admits-khashoggi-died-in-consulate-donald-trump-says-saudi-explanation-credible-172411">, Donald Trump says Saudi explanation credible</a>

Saudi Arabia said on Friday that journalist Jamal Khashoggi died in a fight inside its Istanbul consulate and said it had fired two senior officials over the incident, giving an account that U.S. President Donald Trump said was credible.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/three-fourths-of-h1b-visa-holders-in-2018-are-indians-us-report-172413">Three-fourths of H-1B visa holders in 2018 are Indians: US report</a>

Nearly three out of every four H-1B visa holders as of October 5 are Indian citizens, an official US report has said. 
According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), there were as many as 419,637 foreign nationals working in the US on H-1B visas as on October 5.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/over-60-dead-in-amritsar-train-accident-centre-to-give-rs-2-lakh-to-kin-of-deceased-rs-50000-to-injured-172416">Over 60 dead, at least 72 injured in Amritsar train accident, Punjab declares mourning on Saturday</a>

Over 60 people have been dead and at least 70 were left injured on Friday when a speeding train mowed them down while they were celebrating Dussehra.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sabarimala-is-south-indias-ayodhya-vhp-172417">Sabarimala is South India's Ayodhya: VHP</a>

Responding to the comparison drawn by Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury between the violence in Sabarimala and the uproar witnessed during the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) spokesperson Vinod Bansal said the Sabarimala Temple was southern India`s Ayodhya.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-braces-for-militant-attacks-as-polling-centres-open-172420">Afghanistan braces for militant attacks as polling </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-braces-for-militant-attacks-as-polling-centres-open-172420">centres</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-braces-for-militant-attacks-as-polling-centres-open-172420"> open</a>

Afghans are bracing for more deadly violence on Saturday as voting gets under way in the long-delayed legislative election that the Taliban has vowed to attack.

Saudi Arabia admits Khashoggi died in consulate, Donald Trump says Saudi explanation credible Saudi Arabia said on Friday that journalist Jamal Khashoggi died in a fight inside its Istanbul consulate and said it had fired two senior officials over the incident, giving an account that U.

Saudi Arabia admits Khashoggi died in consulate, Donald Trump says Saudi explanation credible Saudi Arabia said on Friday that journalist Jamal Khashoggi died in a fight inside its Istanbul consulate and said it had fired two senior officials over the incident, giving an account that U.S. President Donald Trump said was credible. Three-fourths of H-1B visa holders in 2018 are Indians: US report Nearly three out of every four H-1B visa holders as of October 5 are Indian citizens, an official US report has said. According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), there were as many as 419,637 foreign nationals working in the US on H-1B visas as on October 5. Over 60 dead, at least 72 injured in Amritsar train accident, Punjab declares mourning on Saturday Over 60 people have been dead and at least 70 were left injured on Friday when a speeding train mowed them down while they were celebrating Dussehra. Sabarimala is South India's Ayodhya: VHP Responding to the comparison drawn by Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury between the violence in Sabarimala and the uproar witnessed during the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) spokesperson Vinod Bansal said the Sabarimala Temple was southern India`s Ayodhya. Afghanistan braces for militant attacks as polling centres open Afghans are bracing for more deadly violence on Saturday as voting gets under way in the long-delayed legislative election that the Taliban has vowed to attack.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The Trump government is planning to "revise" a rule that may impact thousands of immigrant workers from India.

The rule that was introduced by the Obama administration grants work permits to H-4 visa holders who are the spouse&nbsp;of professionals holding H-1B visas.

A significant number of H-1B visa holders in the US hail from India and therefore any revision in the rule is expected to leave a major impact on Indians present in the US.

The visas were issued to the immigrants in 2015 under a special order issued by the previous Obama administration.

While the move is expected to impact over 70,000 Indians, the Department of Homeland Security believes that it will benefit US workers.&nbsp;

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in its Unified Fall Agenda released on Wednesday said it believed that abandoning the current practice of granting employment authorisation to H-4 dependent spouses would benefit some US workers.

The DHS said the proposed rule would no longer allow H-4 workers to enter the labour market early.

The DHS, which has already delayed three times this year issuing of the necessary notification, said in its agenda that it was on its way to remove H-4 dependent spouses from getting work authorisation.

"Some US workers would benefit from this proposed rule by having a better chance at obtaining jobs that some of the population of the H-4 workers currently hold, as the proposed rule would no longer allow H-4 workers to enter the labour market early," it said.

As of December 25, 2017, US Citizenship and Immigration Services had approved 126,853 applications for employment authorisation for H-4 visa holders.

These counts all approvals since May 2015 when the rule was implemented. This number includes 90,946 initial approvals, 35,219 renewals, and 688 replacements for lost cards.

(With inputs from PTI)

 
 
&nbsp;

The Trump government is planning to "revise" a rule that may impact thousands of immigrant workers from India. The rule that was introduced by the Obama administration grants work permits to H-4 visa holders who are the spouse of professionals holding H-1B visas.

The Trump government is planning to "revise" a rule that may impact thousands of immigrant workers from India. The rule that was introduced by the Obama administration grants work permits to H-4 visa holders who are the spouse of professionals holding H-1B visas. A significant number of H-1B visa holders in the US hail from India and therefore any revision in the rule is expected to leave a major impact on Indians present in the US. The visas were issued to the immigrants in 2015 under a special order issued by the previous Obama administration. While the move is expected to impact over 70,000 Indians, the Department of Homeland Security believes that it will benefit US workers. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in its Unified Fall Agenda released on Wednesday said it believed that abandoning the current practice of granting employment authorisation to H-4 dependent spouses would benefit some US workers. The DHS said the proposed rule would no longer allow H-4 workers to enter the labour market early. The DHS, which has already delayed three times this year issuing of the necessary notification, said in its agenda that it was on its way to remove H-4 dependent spouses from getting work authorisation. "Some US workers would benefit from this proposed rule by having a better chance at obtaining jobs that some of the population of the H-4 workers currently hold, as the proposed rule would no longer allow H-4 workers to enter the labour market early," it said. As of December 25, 2017, US Citizenship and Immigration Services had approved 126,853 applications for employment authorisation for H-4 visa holders. These counts all approvals since May 2015 when the rule was implemented. This number includes 90,946 initial approvals, 35,219 renewals, and 688 replacements for lost cards. (With inputs from PTI)

US plans to remove H-4 visa work permits, move may impact over 70,000 Indians

President Donald Trump on Thursday (October 18) said the upcoming midterm election would be about "Kavanaugh, the caravan, law and order and common sense," during a campaign rally in Montana.

"I have created so many jobs. I've made this country so great that everybody wants to come in," Trump said in a speech where he blamed Democrats for obstructing his efforts to build a wall along the US&nbsp;border with Mexico.

Trump also shared a surprising benefit of becoming president and the constant scrutiny from the media.

"They used to say 'he wears a hairpiece. He wears a hairpiece.' They don't say that anymore," Trump said.

Referencing to his recent visits to hurricane impacted areas, Trump added, "These people have seen me under every condition known to man. You walk around in those conditions. You can't fake it...It might be one of the best things that's happened to me in a long time."

Trump is on a three-state tour in the western part of the United States advocating for Republican candidates who are running for election in November with the hope of keeping control of the US&nbsp;Senate and House of Representatives in Republican hands.

President Donald Trump on Thursday (October 18) said the upcoming midterm election would be about "Kavanaugh, the caravan, law and order and common sense," during a campaign rally in Montana.

President Donald Trump on Thursday (October 18) said the upcoming midterm election would be about "Kavanaugh, the caravan, law and order and common sense," during a campaign rally in Montana. "I have created so many jobs. I've made this country so great that everybody wants to come in," Trump said in a speech where he blamed Democrats for obstructing his efforts to build a wall along the US border with Mexico. Trump also shared a surprising benefit of becoming president and the constant scrutiny from the media. "They used to say 'he wears a hairpiece. He wears a hairpiece.' They don't say that anymore," Trump said. Referencing to his recent visits to hurricane impacted areas, Trump added, "These people have seen me under every condition known to man. You walk around in those conditions. You can't fake it...It might be one of the best things that's happened to me in a long time." Trump is on a three-state tour in the western part of the United States advocating for Republican candidates who are running for election in November with the hope of keeping control of the US Senate and House of Representatives in Republican hands.

Trump shares surprising perk of being president, says election will be about 'Kavanaugh, caravan, common sense'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-saudi-journalist-likely-dead-warns-of-severe-response-172200">Trump says Saudi journalist likely dead, warns of 'severe' response</a>

President Donald Trump said Thursday he now believes journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead and warned of "very severe" consequences should Saudi Arabia be proven responsible.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ahead-of-pm-modis-visit-sri-lanka-drops-chinese-housing-deal-to-favour-indian-company-172218">As PM Wickremesinghe visits India, Sri Lanka drops Chinese housing deal to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ahead-of-pm-modis-visit-sri-lanka-drops-chinese-housing-deal-to-favour-indian-company-172218">favour</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ahead-of-pm-modis-visit-sri-lanka-drops-chinese-housing-deal-to-favour-indian-company-172218"> Indian joint venture</a>

Ahead of Lankan PM Wickremesinghe's visit to India, the Lankan government dropped a $300-million housing deal with China for a joint venture with an Indian company.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-treasury-secretary-mnuchin-withdraws-from-saudi-conference-172206">US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin withdraws from Saudi conference</a>

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday said he would no longer attend next week’s investment conference in Saudi Arabia, as the Trump administration awaited the outcome of investigations into missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-should-stay-in-afghanistan-until-peace-achieved-pakistan-172201">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-should-stay-in-afghanistan-until-peace-achieved-pakistan-172201"> should stay in Afghanistan until peace achieved: Pakistan</a>

Pakistan on Thursday said that the US should stay in Afghanistan until peace was achieved in the war-torn country.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sanctity-of-sabarimala-temple-should-be-preserved-devotees-172199">Sanctity of Sabarimala temple should be preserved: Devotees</a>

A day after protests and violence against the entry of women of menstruating age at the Sabarimala temple was witnessed, devotees visiting the shrine reiterated that the sanctity of the temple and Lord Ayyappa "must be preserved at any cost".

Trump says Saudi journalist likely dead, warns of 'severe' response President Donald Trump said Thursday he now believes journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead and warned of "very severe" consequences should Saudi Arabia be proven responsible.

Trump says Saudi journalist likely dead, warns of 'severe' response President Donald Trump said Thursday he now believes journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead and warned of "very severe" consequences should Saudi Arabia be proven responsible. As PM Wickremesinghe visits India, Sri Lanka drops Chinese housing deal to favour Indian joint venture Ahead of Lankan PM Wickremesinghe's visit to India, the Lankan government dropped a $300-million housing deal with China for a joint venture with an Indian company. US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin withdraws from Saudi conference US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday said he would no longer attend next week’s investment conference in Saudi Arabia, as the Trump administration awaited the outcome of investigations into missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. US should stay in Afghanistan until peace achieved: Pakistan Pakistan on Thursday said that the US should stay in Afghanistan until peace was achieved in the war-torn country. Sanctity of Sabarimala temple should be preserved: Devotees A day after protests and violence against the entry of women of menstruating age at the Sabarimala temple was witnessed, devotees visiting the shrine reiterated that the sanctity of the temple and Lord Ayyappa "must be preserved at any cost".

A Republican congressman in central Arkansas and his challenger on Thursday condemned a political action committee's radio ad that suggests white Democrats will lynch black Americans if they win the midterm election next month.

GOP Representative&nbsp;French Hill criticized the ad from Black Americans for the President's Agenda, which invokes the accusation that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a woman when he was a teenager.

A woman in the ad says that "white Democrats will be lynching black folk again."I'm voting to keep Congressman French Hill and the Republicans because we have to protect our men and boys," the woman in the ad says.

"We can't afford to let white Democrats take us back to bad old days of race verdicts, life sentences and lynchings when a white girl screams rape." Hill, who represents the 2nd District covering Little Rock and seven central Arkansas counties, blasted the ad.

"I condemn this outrageous ad in the strongest terms," he said in a statement. "There's no place in Arkansas for this nonsense." Vernon Robinson, the PAC's co-founder and treasurer, said the ad has been running in Little Rock.

He said the ad is part of a US $50,000 buy that includes a similar spot running on stations in Missouri, where Republican Josh Hawley is trying to unseat Democratic Senator&nbsp;Claire McCaskill. The group had not coordinated the ad with Hill or spoken to his campaign about it, Robinson said.

Robinson did not immediately respond to an email Thursday night from The Associated Press asking if the group planned to pull the ad. Clarke Tucker, the Democratic state legislator trying to unseat Hill, also condemned the ad.

"Congressman Hill and his allies will have to live with the kind of campaign they're running. This radio ad is disgraceful and has no place in our society,"

Tucker said in a statement. "We won't let these shameful tactics distract us from why we're running, to stand up for the people in Central Arkansas on the critical issues in our lives, not just health care and good-paying jobs but also having some basic decency in our political process."

The North Carolina-based PAC was formed earlier this year and this week reported having about US $52,507 cash on hand and US $62,769 in debt.

Arkansas hasn't sent a Democrat to the US&nbsp;House since 2010, but Tucker is mounting a surprisingly competitive bid to unseat the two-term Hill.

Democrats are relying on a heavy turnout in Little Rock and its surrounding county, which is about 37 per cent black and 6 per cent Hispanic.&nbsp;

A Republican congressman in central Arkansas and his challenger on Thursday condemned a political action committee's radio ad that suggests white Democrats will lynch black Americans if they win the midterm election next month.

A Republican congressman in central Arkansas and his challenger on Thursday condemned a political action committee's radio ad that suggests white Democrats will lynch black Americans if they win the midterm election next month. GOP Representative French Hill criticized the ad from Black Americans for the President's Agenda, which invokes the accusation that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a woman when he was a teenager. A woman in the ad says that "white Democrats will be lynching black folk again."I'm voting to keep Congressman French Hill and the Republicans because we have to protect our men and boys," the woman in the ad says. "We can't afford to let white Democrats take us back to bad old days of race verdicts, life sentences and lynchings when a white girl screams rape." Hill, who represents the 2nd District covering Little Rock and seven central Arkansas counties, blasted the ad. "I condemn this outrageous ad in the strongest terms," he said in a statement. "There's no place in Arkansas for this nonsense." Vernon Robinson, the PAC's co-founder and treasurer, said the ad has been running in Little Rock. He said the ad is part of a US $50,000 buy that includes a similar spot running on stations in Missouri, where Republican Josh Hawley is trying to unseat Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill. The group had not coordinated the ad with Hill or spoken to his campaign about it, Robinson said. Robinson did not immediately respond to an email Thursday night from The Associated Press asking if the group planned to pull the ad. Clarke Tucker, the Democratic state legislator trying to unseat Hill, also condemned the ad. "Congressman Hill and his allies will have to live with the kind of campaign they're running. This radio ad is disgraceful and has no place in our society," Tucker said in a statement. "We won't let these shameful tactics distract us from why we're running, to stand up for the people in Central Arkansas on the critical issues in our lives, not just health care and good-paying jobs but also having some basic decency in our political process." The North Carolina-based PAC was formed earlier this year and this week reported having about US $52,507 cash on hand and US $62,769 in debt. Arkansas hasn't sent a Democrat to the US House since 2010, but Tucker is mounting a surprisingly competitive bid to unseat the two-term Hill. Democrats are relying on a heavy turnout in Little Rock and its surrounding county, which is about 37 per cent black and 6 per cent Hispanic.

Radio ad in Arkansas suggests 'lynching' if Democrats win

Two of President Donald Trump's top advisers got into a heated exchange outside the Oval Office on Thursday as passions boiled over about how to handle illegal immigration, two sources familiar with the incident said.

The altercation occurred between White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, who is a former homeland security secretary, and Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, the sources said.

One source described the argument as a "tense exchange" but said that it had blown over, and that it involved the job performance of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, a former deputy to Kelly. Another source said it was "not a big deal."

Trump, asked about the incident, told reporters: "That I have not heard about."

A senior White House official said later that Nielsen and Bolton had a nice conversation in Bolton's office after the exchange and agreed the goal was to protect borders.

Earlier this year, the New York Times reported that Nielsen was close to resigning after being criticized by Trump at a Cabinet meeting for what he said was her failure to secure US&nbsp;borders.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement: "While we are passionate about solving the issue of illegal immigration, we are not angry at one another. However, we are furious at the failure of Congressional Democrats to help us address this growing crisis."

Trump threatened on Thursday to deploy the military and close the southern US&nbsp;border as Hondurans and Salvadorans joined thousands of migrants in Guatemala hoping to travel north.

"I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught – and if unable to do so I will call up the US&nbsp;Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!' Trump said in a tweet.

Two of President Donald Trump's top advisers got into a heated exchange outside the Oval Office on Thursday as passions boiled over about how to handle illegal immigration, two sources familiar with the incident said.

Two of President Donald Trump's top advisers got into a heated exchange outside the Oval Office on Thursday as passions boiled over about how to handle illegal immigration, two sources familiar with the incident said. The altercation occurred between White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, who is a former homeland security secretary, and Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, the sources said. One source described the argument as a "tense exchange" but said that it had blown over, and that it involved the job performance of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, a former deputy to Kelly. Another source said it was "not a big deal." Trump, asked about the incident, told reporters: "That I have not heard about." A senior White House official said later that Nielsen and Bolton had a nice conversation in Bolton's office after the exchange and agreed the goal was to protect borders. Earlier this year, the New York Times reported that Nielsen was close to resigning after being criticized by Trump at a Cabinet meeting for what he said was her failure to secure US borders. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement: "While we are passionate about solving the issue of illegal immigration, we are not angry at one another. However, we are furious at the failure of Congressional Democrats to help us address this growing crisis." Trump threatened on Thursday to deploy the military and close the southern US border as Hondurans and Salvadorans joined thousands of migrants in Guatemala hoping to travel north. "I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught – and if unable to do so I will call up the US Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!' Trump said in a tweet.

Two top Trump aides tangle outside Oval Office over immigration

President Donald Trump said Thursday he now believes journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead and warned of "very severe" consequences should Saudi Arabia be proven responsible.

"It certainly looks that way to me. It's very sad," Trump told journalists when asked if he believed that Khashoggi, who disappeared more than two weeks ago, is no longer alive.

Asked about the potential US response to Saudi Arabia, which is accused of murdering the Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi regime, Trump said: "It will have to be very severe. It's bad, bad stuff."

This marked a hardening of tone from the Trump administration, which has been reluctant to blame ally Saudi Arabia, despite mounting evidence that the kingdom's agents killed and dismembered Khashoggi inside its consulate in Istanbul more than two weeks ago.

A former regime insider, Khashoggi had become a critic of powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the point man in ever-tightening military and commercial relations between the petro-state and the Trump administration.

Just hours earlier, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had told Trump the Saudis should be given "a few more days to complete" an investigation.

Only then, Pompeo said, "we can make decisions how or if the United States should respond."

In a possible sign of how the Saudis will seek to defuse the diplomatic crisis, The New York Times reported that the country's rulers could come out and blame General Ahmed al-Assiri, a top intelligence official close to the crown prince.

Call for UN probe&nbsp;

Four prominent human rights and press freedom groups on Thursday urged Turkey to request a United Nations investigation to prevent a "whitewash" of the alleged crime.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders said such a probe established by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would finally clear up the affair.

But the United States, the Saudis' most powerful patron, has repeatedly given the country's royals the benefit of the doubt, with Trump and top officials stressing that the US-Saudi relationship cannot be put at risk.

Trump has repeatedly praised massive Saudi arms purchases, while Pompeo used much of his brief remarks on Thursday to recall Washington's "long strategic relationship with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

The Saudis "continue to be an important counter-terrorism partner, they have custody of the two holy sites... We need to be mindful of that as well," he said.

Market takes a hit&nbsp;

The furor has also blown a hole in next week's Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, which was meant to showcase Prince Mohammed's plans for modernizing the desert kingdom.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he was pulling out, joining senior ministers from Britain, France and the Netherlands, as well as a string of corporate leaders.

Mnuchin's announcement on Twitter helped push down stock prices on Wall Street.

His withdrawal "raises worry that the administration is being pushed to take a harder line against Saudi Arabia over the Khashoggi murder and there could be retaliation," said Karl Haeling of LBBW.

Responses from Saudi Arabia could include selling US Treasuries, or punishing US companies seeking business in the kingdom, Haeling said.

Most analysts don't think Saudi Arabia would cut off oil supplies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, took a dig at Washington, saying that "the US holds a certain responsibility over what happened to him."

But he said Moscow would not "start deteriorating relations" with Saudi Arabia as long as "it did not know what really happened."

Gory details&nbsp;

Neither Turkey nor the United States has publicly confirmed that Khashoggi is dead or said officially that Riyadh is to blame.

But a steady stream of unconfirmed leaks from officials to Turkish media have painted a detailed and horrifying picture of Khashoggi's last minutes, allegedly at the hands of 15 Saudi agents waiting for him when he came to the consulate for paperwork.

The pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper on Wednesday claimed it had heard audio tapes in which Khashoggi's alleged killers tortured him by cutting his fingers off before his decapitation.

The pro-government Sabah newspaper on Thursday said Saudi security official Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, believed to be close to the crown prince, was the leader of the operation.

"Here is the head of the execution team," said Sabah's headline, and the paper then detailed Mutreb's movements on the day Khashoggi went missing.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he now believes journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead and warned of "very severe" consequences should Saudi Arabia be proven responsible.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he now believes journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead and warned of "very severe" consequences should Saudi Arabia be proven responsible. "It certainly looks that way to me. It's very sad," Trump told journalists when asked if he believed that Khashoggi, who disappeared more than two weeks ago, is no longer alive. Asked about the potential US response to Saudi Arabia, which is accused of murdering the Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi regime, Trump said: "It will have to be very severe. It's bad, bad stuff." This marked a hardening of tone from the Trump administration, which has been reluctant to blame ally Saudi Arabia, despite mounting evidence that the kingdom's agents killed and dismembered Khashoggi inside its consulate in Istanbul more than two weeks ago. A former regime insider, Khashoggi had become a critic of powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the point man in ever-tightening military and commercial relations between the petro-state and the Trump administration. Just hours earlier, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had told Trump the Saudis should be given "a few more days to complete" an investigation. Only then, Pompeo said, "we can make decisions how or if the United States should respond." In a possible sign of how the Saudis will seek to defuse the diplomatic crisis, The New York Times reported that the country's rulers could come out and blame General Ahmed al-Assiri, a top intelligence official close to the crown prince. Call for UN probe Four prominent human rights and press freedom groups on Thursday urged Turkey to request a United Nations investigation to prevent a "whitewash" of the alleged crime. The Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders said such a probe established by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would finally clear up the affair. But the United States, the Saudis' most powerful patron, has repeatedly given the country's royals the benefit of the doubt, with Trump and top officials stressing that the US-Saudi relationship cannot be put at risk. Trump has repeatedly praised massive Saudi arms purchases, while Pompeo used much of his brief remarks on Thursday to recall Washington's "long strategic relationship with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia." The Saudis "continue to be an important counter-terrorism partner, they have custody of the two holy sites... We need to be mindful of that as well," he said. Market takes a hit The furor has also blown a hole in next week's Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, which was meant to showcase Prince Mohammed's plans for modernizing the desert kingdom. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he was pulling out, joining senior ministers from Britain, France and the Netherlands, as well as a string of corporate leaders. Mnuchin's announcement on Twitter helped push down stock prices on Wall Street. His withdrawal "raises worry that the administration is being pushed to take a harder line against Saudi Arabia over the Khashoggi murder and there could be retaliation," said Karl Haeling of LBBW. Responses from Saudi Arabia could include selling US Treasuries, or punishing US companies seeking business in the kingdom, Haeling said. Most analysts don't think Saudi Arabia would cut off oil supplies. Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, took a dig at Washington, saying that "the US holds a certain responsibility over what happened to him." But he said Moscow would not "start deteriorating relations" with Saudi Arabia as long as "it did not know what really happened." Gory details Neither Turkey nor the United States has publicly confirmed that Khashoggi is dead or said officially that Riyadh is to blame. But a steady stream of unconfirmed leaks from officials to Turkish media have painted a detailed and horrifying picture of Khashoggi's last minutes, allegedly at the hands of 15 Saudi agents waiting for him when he came to the consulate for paperwork. The pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper on Wednesday claimed it had heard audio tapes in which Khashoggi's alleged killers tortured him by cutting his fingers off before his decapitation. The pro-government Sabah newspaper on Thursday said Saudi security official Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, believed to be close to the crown prince, was the leader of the operation. "Here is the head of the execution team," said Sabah's headline, and the paper then detailed Mutreb's movements on the day Khashoggi went missing.

Trump says Saudi journalist likely dead, warns of 'severe' response

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed confidence in intelligence reports that suggest a high-level Saudi role in the suspected killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In an interview with the New York Times, Trump said, however, it was still "a little bit early" to draw definitive conclusions about who may have been behind it.

Trump met for less than an hour with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who gave the president an update on his talks this week with Saudi and Turkish officials about the Khashoggi case amid concern that the journalist was killed in the consulate after entering it on Oct. 2.

Pompeo told reporters after his talks with Trump that he made clear to the Saudis in his visit to Riyadh that "we take this matter with respect to Mr. Khashoggi very seriously."

"They made clear to me that they too understand the serious nature of the disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi. They also assured me that they will conduct a complete, thorough investigation of all of the facts surrounding Mr. Khashoggi and that they will do so in a timely fashion," Pompeo added.

Pompeo said he told Trump that "we ought to give them a few more days to complete" their investigation in order to get a full understanding of what happened "at which point we can make decisions about how - or if - the United States should respond to the incident surrounding Mr. Khashoggi."

"I think it's important for us all to remember to, we have a long - since 1932 - a long strategic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Pompeo added.

Meanwhile, four prominent human rights and press freedom groups on Thursday urged Turkey to request a United Nations investigation into the possible murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi to prevent a "whitewash" of the alleged crime.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders said such a probe established by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would shed light on the fate of the prominent journalist.

Turkish officials have said they believe Khashoggi - a US&nbsp;resident and Washington Post columnist who was a strong critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - was murdered at the consulate and his body chopped up and removed.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed confidence in intelligence reports that suggest a high-level Saudi role in the suspected killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed confidence in intelligence reports that suggest a high-level Saudi role in the suspected killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In an interview with the New York Times, Trump said, however, it was still "a little bit early" to draw definitive conclusions about who may have been behind it. Trump met for less than an hour with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who gave the president an update on his talks this week with Saudi and Turkish officials about the Khashoggi case amid concern that the journalist was killed in the consulate after entering it on Oct. 2. Pompeo told reporters after his talks with Trump that he made clear to the Saudis in his visit to Riyadh that "we take this matter with respect to Mr. Khashoggi very seriously." "They made clear to me that they too understand the serious nature of the disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi. They also assured me that they will conduct a complete, thorough investigation of all of the facts surrounding Mr. Khashoggi and that they will do so in a timely fashion," Pompeo added. Pompeo said he told Trump that "we ought to give them a few more days to complete" their investigation in order to get a full understanding of what happened "at which point we can make decisions about how - or if - the United States should respond to the incident surrounding Mr. Khashoggi." "I think it's important for us all to remember to, we have a long - since 1932 - a long strategic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Pompeo added. Meanwhile, four prominent human rights and press freedom groups on Thursday urged Turkey to request a United Nations investigation into the possible murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi to prevent a "whitewash" of the alleged crime. The Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders said such a probe established by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would shed light on the fate of the prominent journalist. Turkish officials have said they believe Khashoggi - a US resident and Washington Post columnist who was a strong critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - was murdered at the consulate and his body chopped up and removed.

Trump says too early to assign blame in Khashoggi's apparent killing

President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied covering up for ally Saudi Arabia in the suspected murder of a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/missing-saudi-journalist-was-decapitated-report-171928">critical journalist</a> and said that he should know what happened to Jamal Khashoggi within days.

"No not at all, I just want to find out what's happening," Trump told reporters in the White House when asked if his consistently cautious approach to the scandal amounts to a cover-up. "I'm not giving cover at all."

The president said he would get a "full report" from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the diplomat's return from meetings with Saudi and Turkish leaders and that he'd then know the truth.

"We will probably know that by the end of the week," Trump said.

His comments followed publication in pro-government Turkish media of allegations purporting to confirm that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-considers-admitting-khashoggi-died-in-botched-interrogation-reports-171638">Khashoggi was not just murdered</a> by Saudi agents in their consulate in Istanbul, but dismembered.

According to the reports, the assassination squad included agents tied to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a powerful figure in the Saudi royal family and lynchpin in the trend toward ever-tightening relations with the White House.

The US president has been on the defensive ever since Khashoggi -- a US resident and Washington Post contributor who had criticized Prince Mohammed -- vanished on October 2 after visiting the Istanbul consulate.

The controversy has blown a massive hole in Prince Mohammed's bid to promote himself as the modern face of Saudi Arabia and led to a spate of cancelations by attendees at a major Riyadh investment conference scheduled next week.

But Trump has slow-pedaled on the possibility of action against Saudi Arabia, which he has repeatedly praised as a historic customer for the US weapons industry. Earlier Wednesday, he told Fox Business that the US relies on the kingdom in the fight against terrorism.

After talks with the Saudi leadership in Riyadh marked by expressions of mutual goodwill, Pompeo met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

But Pompeo was tight-lipped, telling journalists he did not want "to talk about any of the facts."

Turkish police on Wednesday began searching the residence of the Saudi consul in Istanbul for their investigation, with forensics experts in white overalls entering the building, an AFP correspondent said.

The Saudi consul Mohammed al-Otaibi left Istanbul for Riyadh on a scheduled Saudia flight Tuesday afternoon, with Ankara insisting he had not been expelled but left of his own choice.

Turkish police on Monday night also carried out an eight-hour search at the consulate itself, taking away soil and DNA samples. Erdogan said toxic material was found which had been "painted over".

Several US media outlets said Monday that the Saudis are preparing a report that Khashoggi's death resulted from a botched interrogation. However there has yet to be any sign of this being published.

Pro-government Turkish daily Yeni Safak reported it had heard audio recordings of Khashoggi being tortured during an interrogation, having his fingers cut off and then being decapitated.

It said al-Otaibi can be heard on one tape saying during Khashoggi's torture: "Do this outside. You are going to get me in trouble."

The daily reported that in another tape, an unknown individual tells Otaibi: "If you want to live when you return to Saudi Arabia, be quiet!"

The New York Times reported Tuesday that a suspect identified by Turkey was a frequent companion of the prince's. Three other suspects are linked to his security detail and a fifth is a high-level forensic doctor, the Times said.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde was the latest to pull out of Prince Mohammed's much-trumpeted investment conference next week. An IMF spokesman said she had postponed her planned trip to the Middle East with a stop in Saudi Arabia.

Pompeo came to Ankara after Riyadh where he held a 20-minute talk with King Salman and then a brief meeting and much lengthier dinner with his son Prince Mohammed.

The top US diplomat said that in Saudi Arabia he stressed the "importance of them conducting a complete investigation."

"They made a commitment that they would show the entire world the results of their investigation," said Pompeo, adding Saudi also vowed that no-one would have immunity.

Pompeo held 40 minutes of talks at the airport with Erdogan.&nbsp;

Interviewed by state-run Anadolu news agency, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu refused to be drawn into commenting on what may have happened inside the consulate.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied covering up for ally Saudi Arabia in the suspected murder of a critical journalist and said that he should know what happened to Jamal Khashoggi within days.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied covering up for ally Saudi Arabia in the suspected murder of a critical journalist and said that he should know what happened to Jamal Khashoggi within days. "No not at all, I just want to find out what's happening," Trump told reporters in the White House when asked if his consistently cautious approach to the scandal amounts to a cover-up. "I'm not giving cover at all." The president said he would get a "full report" from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the diplomat's return from meetings with Saudi and Turkish leaders and that he'd then know the truth. "We will probably know that by the end of the week," Trump said. His comments followed publication in pro-government Turkish media of allegations purporting to confirm that Khashoggi was not just murdered by Saudi agents in their consulate in Istanbul, but dismembered. According to the reports, the assassination squad included agents tied to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a powerful figure in the Saudi royal family and lynchpin in the trend toward ever-tightening relations with the White House. The US president has been on the defensive ever since Khashoggi -- a US resident and Washington Post contributor who had criticized Prince Mohammed -- vanished on October 2 after visiting the Istanbul consulate. The controversy has blown a massive hole in Prince Mohammed's bid to promote himself as the modern face of Saudi Arabia and led to a spate of cancelations by attendees at a major Riyadh investment conference scheduled next week. But Trump has slow-pedaled on the possibility of action against Saudi Arabia, which he has repeatedly praised as a historic customer for the US weapons industry. Earlier Wednesday, he told Fox Business that the US relies on the kingdom in the fight against terrorism. After talks with the Saudi leadership in Riyadh marked by expressions of mutual goodwill, Pompeo met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. But Pompeo was tight-lipped, telling journalists he did not want "to talk about any of the facts." Turkish police on Wednesday began searching the residence of the Saudi consul in Istanbul for their investigation, with forensics experts in white overalls entering the building, an AFP correspondent said. The Saudi consul Mohammed al-Otaibi left Istanbul for Riyadh on a scheduled Saudia flight Tuesday afternoon, with Ankara insisting he had not been expelled but left of his own choice. Turkish police on Monday night also carried out an eight-hour search at the consulate itself, taking away soil and DNA samples. Erdogan said toxic material was found which had been "painted over". Several US media outlets said Monday that the Saudis are preparing a report that Khashoggi's death resulted from a botched interrogation. However there has yet to be any sign of this being published. Pro-government Turkish daily Yeni Safak reported it had heard audio recordings of Khashoggi being tortured during an interrogation, having his fingers cut off and then being decapitated. It said al-Otaibi can be heard on one tape saying during Khashoggi's torture: "Do this outside. You are going to get me in trouble." The daily reported that in another tape, an unknown individual tells Otaibi: "If you want to live when you return to Saudi Arabia, be quiet!" The New York Times reported Tuesday that a suspect identified by Turkey was a frequent companion of the prince's. Three other suspects are linked to his security detail and a fifth is a high-level forensic doctor, the Times said. International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde was the latest to pull out of Prince Mohammed's much-trumpeted investment conference next week. An IMF spokesman said she had postponed her planned trip to the Middle East with a stop in Saudi Arabia. Pompeo came to Ankara after Riyadh where he held a 20-minute talk with King Salman and then a brief meeting and much lengthier dinner with his son Prince Mohammed. The top US diplomat said that in Saudi Arabia he stressed the "importance of them conducting a complete investigation." "They made a commitment that they would show the entire world the results of their investigation," said Pompeo, adding Saudi also vowed that no-one would have immunity. Pompeo held 40 minutes of talks at the airport with Erdogan. Interviewed by state-run Anadolu news agency, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu refused to be drawn into commenting on what may have happened inside the consulate.

Jamal Khashoggi case: Trump says he is not covering for Saudis, truth will be out in days

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump heaped more criticism on the Federal Reserve in an interview with Fox Business Network on Tuesday, extending his discontent beyond its chairman, Jerome Powell, whom he has frequently critiqued in public.

"My biggest threat is the Fed," he said, according to excerpts released before the interview with "Trish Regan Primetime" airs. "I put a couple of other people there I’m not so happy with too but for the most part I’m very happy with people."

Last week, Trump criticized the US&nbsp;central bank twice, saying it was raising interest rates so swiftly that it threatened the country's economic health.

Nonetheless, in the face of a hot labour market and signs of inflation, the Fed has settled into a gradual policy tightening and is expected to raise interest rates again in December.

Past US&nbsp;presidents have been reticent to criticize the central bank because its independence is seen as important for economic stability. But Trump in the past week has called the Fed "crazy," "loco," "ridiculous," and "too cute."

Trump has said he is not trying to oust Powell, whom he appointed to replace former Chair Janet Yellen. The president also appointed two of the three other policymakers on the Fed's powerful Board of Governors, Randal Quarles and Richard Clarida.

"Can I be honest? I’m not blaming anybody," Trump said in the interview. "I put (Powell) there. And maybe it’s right, maybe it’s wrong, but I put him there."

The Fed independently makes policy decisions but regularly reports to Congress. Data since the Fed's last meeting in September has been in line with its portrait of a strong economy, and policymakers have said they expect to continue a rate-hike cycle that began in late 2015.

Republican US&nbsp;Representative Jeb Hensarling, who is set to retire as chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee that oversees the central bank, said Trump "clearly has his own style." But "I don't think the fact that he has publicly criticized the Fed, in any way shape or form, is going to impinge upon (its) independence," he told Reuters.

US President Donald Trump heaped more criticism on the Federal Reserve in an interview with Fox Business Network on Tuesday, extending his discontent beyond its chairman, Jerome Powell, whom he has frequently critiqued in public.

US President Donald Trump heaped more criticism on the Federal Reserve in an interview with Fox Business Network on Tuesday, extending his discontent beyond its chairman, Jerome Powell, whom he has frequently critiqued in public. "My biggest threat is the Fed," he said, according to excerpts released before the interview with "Trish Regan Primetime" airs. "I put a couple of other people there I’m not so happy with too but for the most part I’m very happy with people." Last week, Trump criticized the US central bank twice, saying it was raising interest rates so swiftly that it threatened the country's economic health. Nonetheless, in the face of a hot labour market and signs of inflation, the Fed has settled into a gradual policy tightening and is expected to raise interest rates again in December. Past US presidents have been reticent to criticize the central bank because its independence is seen as important for economic stability. But Trump in the past week has called the Fed "crazy," "loco," "ridiculous," and "too cute." Trump has said he is not trying to oust Powell, whom he appointed to replace former Chair Janet Yellen. The president also appointed two of the three other policymakers on the Fed's powerful Board of Governors, Randal Quarles and Richard Clarida. "Can I be honest? I’m not blaming anybody," Trump said in the interview. "I put (Powell) there. And maybe it’s right, maybe it’s wrong, but I put him there." The Fed independently makes policy decisions but regularly reports to Congress. Data since the Fed's last meeting in September has been in line with its portrait of a strong economy, and policymakers have said they expect to continue a rate-hike cycle that began in late 2015. Republican US Representative Jeb Hensarling, who is set to retire as chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee that oversees the central bank, said Trump "clearly has his own style." But "I don't think the fact that he has publicly criticized the Fed, in any way shape or form, is going to impinge upon (its) independence," he told Reuters.

Trump widens Fed critique, calls it 'my biggest threat'

Budding diplomatic crisis with ally Saudi Arabia, cleaning up after Hurricane Michael, stock market jitters and... President Donald Trump focused Tuesday on calling a rival Democratic senator names.

Trump's mockery of liberal Senator Elizabeth Warren's claim to have Native American blood has finally boiled up from a bizarre political sideshow to full-blown White House obsession.

Latching on to a disproven theory that Warren used her tribal heritage claim to advance her academic career at Harvard, Trump <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senator-warren-mocked-by-trump-as-pocahontas-releases-dna-test-171612">revels in denigrating the Democrat as "Pocahontas."</a>

Pocahontas was a historical 17th century figure, long famous in US pop culture, but who has been turned by Trump into a jibe against Warren that he often repeats to laughter from the crowds at his campaign rallies.

Warren -- touted as a likely Democratic challenger to Trump in 2020 -- thought she'd put the matter to bed on Monday when she released a DNA test showing she does indeed have a sliver of Native American heritage.

But Trump, who once promised to pay $1 million to charity if Warren could ever prove her claim, savaged the senator again Tuesday in no less than three early morning tweets.

"Pocahontas (the bad version), sometimes referred to as Elizabeth Warren, is getting slammed. She took a bogus DNA test and it showed that she may be 1/1024, far less than the average American," he said.

He pointed out that the Cherokee Nation tribe -- which Warren has said an ancestor belonged to -- had rejected the relevance of her DNA claim, saying a "DNA test is useless to determine tribal citizenship."

"Now Cherokee Nation denies her," Trump gleefully tweeted. "Even they don’t want her. Phony!"

Budding diplomatic crisis with ally Saudi Arabia, cleaning up after Hurricane Michael, stock market jitters and... President Donald Trump focused Tuesday on calling a rival Democratic senator names.

Budding diplomatic crisis with ally Saudi Arabia, cleaning up after Hurricane Michael, stock market jitters and... President Donald Trump focused Tuesday on calling a rival Democratic senator names. Trump's mockery of liberal Senator Elizabeth Warren's claim to have Native American blood has finally boiled up from a bizarre political sideshow to full-blown White House obsession. Latching on to a disproven theory that Warren used her tribal heritage claim to advance her academic career at Harvard, Trump revels in denigrating the Democrat as "Pocahontas." Pocahontas was a historical 17th century figure, long famous in US pop culture, but who has been turned by Trump into a jibe against Warren that he often repeats to laughter from the crowds at his campaign rallies. Warren -- touted as a likely Democratic challenger to Trump in 2020 -- thought she'd put the matter to bed on Monday when she released a DNA test showing she does indeed have a sliver of Native American heritage. But Trump, who once promised to pay $1 million to charity if Warren could ever prove her claim, savaged the senator again Tuesday in no less than three early morning tweets. "Pocahontas (the bad version), sometimes referred to as Elizabeth Warren, is getting slammed. She took a bogus DNA test and it showed that she may be 1/1024, far less than the average American," he said. He pointed out that the Cherokee Nation tribe -- which Warren has said an ancestor belonged to -- had rejected the relevance of her DNA claim, saying a "DNA test is useless to determine tribal citizenship." "Now Cherokee Nation denies her," Trump gleefully tweeted. "Even they don’t want her. Phony!"

Trump tears into rival Democrat 'Pocahontas'

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he did not want to walk away from Saudi Arabia over the disappearance and alleged killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, arguing the US relies on the kingdom in the fight against terrorism.

Asked during an interview on Fox Business what action he had in mind for Riyadh if he learned it was responsible, Trump said: "Well, I hope we're going to be on the better side of the equation."

"You know we need Saudi Arabia in terms of our fight against all of the terrorism, everything that's happening in Iran and other places."

Asked if the US would not then walk away from Saudi Arabia, he said: "I do not want to do that and frankly they have a tremendous order, $110 billion." The reference was to promised US arms sales to the kingdom.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he did not want to walk away from Saudi Arabia over the disappearance and alleged killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, arguing the US relies on the kingdom in the fight against terrorism.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he did not want to walk away from Saudi Arabia over the disappearance and alleged killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, arguing the US relies on the kingdom in the fight against terrorism. Asked during an interview on Fox Business what action he had in mind for Riyadh if he learned it was responsible, Trump said: "Well, I hope we're going to be on the better side of the equation." "You know we need Saudi Arabia in terms of our fight against all of the terrorism, everything that's happening in Iran and other places." Asked if the US would not then walk away from Saudi Arabia, he said: "I do not want to do that and frankly they have a tremendous order, $110 billion." The reference was to promised US arms sales to the kingdom.

Trump says US needs Saudi Arabia in fight against terrorism

Anyone entering the US illegally would be arrested, detained and then deported back, President Donald Trump has warned as he threatened three Central American nations to halt a migrant caravan from heading to America or lose millions of dollars in foreign aid.

Trump's warning comes amidst reports that a new migrant caravan from Honduras comprising about 1600 people is moving towards the US via Guatemala.

The caravan, formed in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula on Saturday, crossed into Guatemala on Monday. Guatemala detained one of its coordinators on Tuesday, but other members of the caravan are advancing through Guatemala with hopes of reaching the US border.

"Anybody entering the United States illegally will be arrested and detained, prior to being sent back to their country!" Trump said in a late-night tweet.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Anybody entering the United States illegally will be arrested and detained, prior to being sent back to their country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1052369731959820292?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He said his administration has informed the three countries - Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador - that America will stop all payments to them if they allow their citizens to enter the US.

"We have today informed the countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador that if they allow their citizens, or others, to journey through their borders and up to the United States, with the intention of entering our country illegally, all payments made to them will STOP (END)!" Trump said in another tweet.

In 2017, the US gave US $248 million to Guatemala, US $175 million to Honduras and US $115 million to El Salvador in foreign aid.

Vice President Mike Pence also tweeted earlier, saying that he had spoken with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez and Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales.

He said Trump's message to Honduras also applied to Guatemala, "no more aid if it's not stopped!"

"Spoke with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales about caravan heading for the US and made clear our borders and sovereignty must be maintained. We expect our partners to do all they can to assist and appreciate their support. Reiterated POTUS' message: no more aid if it's not stopped!" Pence tweeted.

This caravan's emergence comes nearly six months after another caravan consisting largely of Honduran immigrants reached the US-Mexico border.

Its formation also comes just weeks before high-stakes midterm elections in the United States, in which many Republican candidates have been echoing President Trump's message of boosting border security and cracking down on illegal immigration.

Trump has been a fierce advocate of building a border wall with Mexico to tighten the US' immigration controls.

He believes border security is a serious national issue and the lack of it poses a substantial threat to the "sovereignty and safety" of America and its citizens.

During his campaign, Trump tapped into the immigration concerns of many Americans who worry about loss of economic opportunities and the threat of criminals and terrorists entering the country.

His call for the construction of a border wall was one of his most popular proposals and helped the billionaire tycoon to galvanise masses.&nbsp;

Anyone entering the US illegally would be arrested, detained and then deported back, President Donald Trump has warned as he threatened three Central American nations to halt a migrant caravan from heading to America or lose millions of dollars in foreign aid.

Anyone entering the US illegally would be arrested, detained and then deported back, President Donald Trump has warned as he threatened three Central American nations to halt a migrant caravan from heading to America or lose millions of dollars in foreign aid. Trump's warning comes amidst reports that a new migrant caravan from Honduras comprising about 1600 people is moving towards the US via Guatemala. The caravan, formed in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula on Saturday, crossed into Guatemala on Monday. Guatemala detained one of its coordinators on Tuesday, but other members of the caravan are advancing through Guatemala with hopes of reaching the US border. "Anybody entering the United States illegally will be arrested and detained, prior to being sent back to their country!" Trump said in a late-night tweet. Anybody entering the United States illegally will be arrested and detained, prior to being sent back to their country! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2018 × He said his administration has informed the three countries - Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador - that America will stop all payments to them if they allow their citizens to enter the US. "We have today informed the countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador that if they allow their citizens, or others, to journey through their borders and up to the United States, with the intention of entering our country illegally, all payments made to them will STOP (END)!" Trump said in another tweet. In 2017, the US gave US $248 million to Guatemala, US $175 million to Honduras and US $115 million to El Salvador in foreign aid. Vice President Mike Pence also tweeted earlier, saying that he had spoken with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez and Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales. He said Trump's message to Honduras also applied to Guatemala, "no more aid if it's not stopped!" "Spoke with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales about caravan heading for the US and made clear our borders and sovereignty must be maintained. We expect our partners to do all they can to assist and appreciate their support. Reiterated POTUS' message: no more aid if it's not stopped!" Pence tweeted. This caravan's emergence comes nearly six months after another caravan consisting largely of Honduran immigrants reached the US-Mexico border. Its formation also comes just weeks before high-stakes midterm elections in the United States, in which many Republican candidates have been echoing President Trump's message of boosting border security and cracking down on illegal immigration. Trump has been a fierce advocate of building a border wall with Mexico to tighten the US' immigration controls. He believes border security is a serious national issue and the lack of it poses a substantial threat to the "sovereignty and safety" of America and its citizens. During his campaign, Trump tapped into the immigration concerns of many Americans who worry about loss of economic opportunities and the threat of criminals and terrorists entering the country. His call for the construction of a border wall was one of his most popular proposals and helped the billionaire tycoon to galvanise masses.

'Arrest, detain and deport': Donald Trump on people entering US illegally

US President Donald Trump said Monday that "rogue killers" could be to blame for the disappearance of a dissident Saudi journalist and said that the oil-rich state's monarch emphatically denies involvement.

"The denial was very, very strong," Trump told reporters at the White House after talking to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-king-orders-public-prosecutor-to-open-internal-investigation-into-khashoggi-case-171569">King Salman</a> by telephone. "It sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers. Who knows?"

"All I can do is report what he told me. He told me in a very firm way that they had no knowledge of it. He said it very strongly," Trump said.

Trump said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on his way to Saudi Arabia within the hour to discuss the controversy over journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a contributor to The Washington Post and critic of powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Khashoggi vanished after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-to-search-saudi-consulate-in-missing-journalist-khashoggi-case-source-171581">Turkish sources say he was murdered there</a> by a team of Saudi agents.

Trump has taken a cautious position, threatening &nbsp;"severe punishment" should proof emerge of Saudi guilt, but insisting that he will not risk billions of dollars in deals to sell US weapons to the kingdom, a strategic ally in the tinder box Middle East.

Following days of mounting tensions, Saudi officials were allowing Turkish investigators to enter the consulate on Monday.

A Turkish diplomatic source said it was expected that the search, to be conducted jointly with Saudi authorities, would "take place towards the evening."

Lurid claims have appeared in Turkish media, including that Khashoggi was tortured before being killed and cut up. However, the Turkish leadership has so far refrained from pointing the finger directly at Riyadh in public comments.

The controversy has also embarrassed Saudi Arabia's other traditional Western allies -- many of them arms suppliers to the kingdom -- and undermined efforts by the prince, Mohammed, to present himself as the modernizing future of the kingdom.

An investment conference seen as a platform for the crown prince, due to take place next week in Riyadh and dubbed "Davos in the Desert," has been hit by a string of prominent cancellations.

Business barons including British billionaire Richard Branson and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, as well as media powerhouses like Bloomberg and CNN, have pulled out of the Future Investment Initiative (FII).&nbsp;

In major new twin blows to the credibility of the event, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Ford chairman Bill Ford also cancelled plans to attend, CNBC reported.

In Washington, Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, is coming under pressure after having spearheaded the administration's strategy to forge close ties with Mohammed.

But US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday that he still plans to attend the Saudi conference.

"If more information comes out over the next week, I will obviously take that into account," he said.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that "rogue killers" could be to blame for the disappearance of a dissident Saudi journalist and said that the oil-rich state's monarch emphatically denies involvement.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that "rogue killers" could be to blame for the disappearance of a dissident Saudi journalist and said that the oil-rich state's monarch emphatically denies involvement. "The denial was very, very strong," Trump told reporters at the White House after talking to King Salman by telephone. "It sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers. Who knows?" "All I can do is report what he told me. He told me in a very firm way that they had no knowledge of it. He said it very strongly," Trump said. Trump said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on his way to Saudi Arabia within the hour to discuss the controversy over journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a contributor to The Washington Post and critic of powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Khashoggi vanished after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Turkish sources say he was murdered there by a team of Saudi agents. Trump has taken a cautious position, threatening "severe punishment" should proof emerge of Saudi guilt, but insisting that he will not risk billions of dollars in deals to sell US weapons to the kingdom, a strategic ally in the tinder box Middle East. Following days of mounting tensions, Saudi officials were allowing Turkish investigators to enter the consulate on Monday. A Turkish diplomatic source said it was expected that the search, to be conducted jointly with Saudi authorities, would "take place towards the evening." Lurid claims have appeared in Turkish media, including that Khashoggi was tortured before being killed and cut up. However, the Turkish leadership has so far refrained from pointing the finger directly at Riyadh in public comments. The controversy has also embarrassed Saudi Arabia's other traditional Western allies -- many of them arms suppliers to the kingdom -- and undermined efforts by the prince, Mohammed, to present himself as the modernizing future of the kingdom. An investment conference seen as a platform for the crown prince, due to take place next week in Riyadh and dubbed "Davos in the Desert," has been hit by a string of prominent cancellations. Business barons including British billionaire Richard Branson and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, as well as media powerhouses like Bloomberg and CNN, have pulled out of the Future Investment Initiative (FII). In major new twin blows to the credibility of the event, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Ford chairman Bill Ford also cancelled plans to attend, CNBC reported. In Washington, Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, is coming under pressure after having spearheaded the administration's strategy to forge close ties with Mohammed. But US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday that he still plans to attend the Saudi conference. "If more information comes out over the next week, I will obviously take that into account," he said.

'Rogue killers' may have killed missing Saudi journalist Khashoggi: Trump

US&nbsp;Senator Elizabeth Warren has released a DNA test that shows "strong evidence" she has Native-American heritage, a smackdown of President Donald Trump's ridicule of her as "fake Pocahontas" while she signals a possible 2020 presidential run.

Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, said last month she would take a "hard look" at running for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Trump in 2020. She and Trump clashed frequently through the 2016 presidential campaign and Trump has cast aspersions on her claim to Native-American ancestry.

"When I decided to run for Senate in 2012, I never thought that my family's Native American heritage would come under attack and my dead parents would be called liars," she said in a statement on Monday.

"And I never expected the president of the United States to use my family's story as a racist political joke," she said.

Trump taunted Warren over the issue at a July rally in Montana.

"I will give you a million dollars to your favorite charity, paid for by Trump, if you take the test and it shows you're an Indian," he said. "I have a feeling she will say no."

However, when Trump was asked about the DNA test on Monday, he said, "Who cares?" as he left Washington to visit hurricane-stricken areas in Florida and Georgia.

Warren provided the DNA test results in a statement, showing the lineage goes back six to 10 generations. https://bit.ly/2OqLmUz

The analysis of Warren's DNA was done by Carlos D. Bustamante, a Stanford University professor who the Boston Globe reported was an expert in the field.

The professor concluded that most of the senator's DNA shows European ancestry, but there is a Native-American segment. Warren has said that her Native-American ancestry possibly goes back to the 1700s, including Cherokee blood on her mother's side, according to family lore.

Warren's release of the DNA results could be a prelude to a possible presidential run.

Known as a liberal firebrand in her party, Warren is a former Harvard Law School professor who has championed populist economics including student loan reform and a higher minimum wage.

Warren was an architect of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau set up after the 2008 financial crisis and has been a strong voice in the U.S. Senate on financial issues.

Trump has repeatedly called Warren "Pocahontas," the name of a 17th century Native American teenager, to draw attention to a controversy over her heritage raised during Warren’s 2012 Senate race.

Warren, campaigning with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016, attacked Trump as an "insecure money grubber" who is driven by greed and hate.

"I hope she's running for president, because I think she'll be very easy," Trump said as he left the White House.

US Senator Elizabeth Warren has released a DNA test that shows "strong evidence" she has Native-American heritage, a smackdown of President Donald Trump's ridicule of her as "fake Pocahontas" while she signals a possible 2020 presidential run.

US Senator Elizabeth Warren has released a DNA test that shows "strong evidence" she has Native-American heritage, a smackdown of President Donald Trump's ridicule of her as "fake Pocahontas" while she signals a possible 2020 presidential run. Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, said last month she would take a "hard look" at running for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Trump in 2020. She and Trump clashed frequently through the 2016 presidential campaign and Trump has cast aspersions on her claim to Native-American ancestry. "When I decided to run for Senate in 2012, I never thought that my family's Native American heritage would come under attack and my dead parents would be called liars," she said in a statement on Monday. "And I never expected the president of the United States to use my family's story as a racist political joke," she said. Trump taunted Warren over the issue at a July rally in Montana. "I will give you a million dollars to your favorite charity, paid for by Trump, if you take the test and it shows you're an Indian," he said. "I have a feeling she will say no." However, when Trump was asked about the DNA test on Monday, he said, "Who cares?" as he left Washington to visit hurricane-stricken areas in Florida and Georgia. Warren provided the DNA test results in a statement, showing the lineage goes back six to 10 generations. https://bit.ly/2OqLmUz The analysis of Warren's DNA was done by Carlos D. Bustamante, a Stanford University professor who the Boston Globe reported was an expert in the field. The professor concluded that most of the senator's DNA shows European ancestry, but there is a Native-American segment. Warren has said that her Native-American ancestry possibly goes back to the 1700s, including Cherokee blood on her mother's side, according to family lore. Warren's release of the DNA results could be a prelude to a possible presidential run. Known as a liberal firebrand in her party, Warren is a former Harvard Law School professor who has championed populist economics including student loan reform and a higher minimum wage. Warren was an architect of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau set up after the 2008 financial crisis and has been a strong voice in the U.S. Senate on financial issues. Trump has repeatedly called Warren "Pocahontas," the name of a 17th century Native American teenager, to draw attention to a controversy over her heritage raised during Warren’s 2012 Senate race. Warren, campaigning with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016, attacked Trump as an "insecure money grubber" who is driven by greed and hate. "I hope she's running for president, because I think she'll be very easy," Trump said as he left the White House.

US Senator Warren, mocked by Trump as 'Pocahontas', releases DNA test

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he had spoken to Saudi King Salman Salman bin Abdulaziz who had denied any knowledge of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi fate. Trump added that he was sending his Secretary of State&nbsp;Mike Pompeo to meet with Salman.

"Just spoke to the King of Saudi Arabia who denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened “to our Saudi Arabian citizen.” He said that they are working closely with Turkey to find answer . I am immediately sending our Secretary of State to meet with King!", Trump said in a tweet.

A day before the US President warned of severe punishment to Saudi Arabia if it&nbsp;is found responsible for&nbsp;the disappearance of the missing journalist.

However, the US president has repeatedly made clear that he will not risk billions of dollars in deals to sell weapons to the kingdom, which is a strategic ally in the tinderbox Middle East.

Senior journalist Khashoggi, 59, a strong critic of the Saudi establishment had taken US citizenship after leaving his country and had written several articles against Saudi Arabia's repressive policies for the Washington Post.

The New York Times revealed earlier that a group of 15 men flew down to Turkey in a private jet in order to kill Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey. The Turkish government openly accused Saudi Arabia of colluding to kill the journalist.

The journalist had entered the Saudi consulate to submit documents seeking a divorce from his wife living in Saudi Arabia so that he could remarry again in Turkey.

Saudi Arabia has denied any hand in Khashoggi's disappearance asserting that he walked out of the consulate from the back door. However, his fiance, Hatice Cengiz, who accompanied him to the consulate on October 2 said he never came out of the consulate as she waited outside.

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Just spoke to the King of Saudi Arabia who denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened “to our Saudi Arabian citizen.” He said that they are working closely with Turkey to find answer. I am immediately sending our Secretary of State to meet with King!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1051814214212485120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Following days of mounting tensions, Saudi officials were allowing Turkish investigators to enter the consulate on Monday.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he had spoken to Saudi King Salman Salman bin Abdulaziz who had denied any knowledge of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi fate.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he had spoken to Saudi King Salman Salman bin Abdulaziz who had denied any knowledge of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi fate. Trump added that he was sending his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to meet with Salman. "Just spoke to the King of Saudi Arabia who denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened “to our Saudi Arabian citizen.” He said that they are working closely with Turkey to find answer . I am immediately sending our Secretary of State to meet with King!", Trump said in a tweet. A day before the US President warned of severe punishment to Saudi Arabia if it is found responsible for the disappearance of the missing journalist. However, the US president has repeatedly made clear that he will not risk billions of dollars in deals to sell weapons to the kingdom, which is a strategic ally in the tinderbox Middle East. Senior journalist Khashoggi, 59, a strong critic of the Saudi establishment had taken US citizenship after leaving his country and had written several articles against Saudi Arabia's repressive policies for the Washington Post. The New York Times revealed earlier that a group of 15 men flew down to Turkey in a private jet in order to kill Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey. The Turkish government openly accused Saudi Arabia of colluding to kill the journalist. The journalist had entered the Saudi consulate to submit documents seeking a divorce from his wife living in Saudi Arabia so that he could remarry again in Turkey. Saudi Arabia has denied any hand in Khashoggi's disappearance asserting that he walked out of the consulate from the back door. However, his fiance, Hatice Cengiz, who accompanied him to the consulate on October 2 said he never came out of the consulate as she waited outside. Just spoke to the King of Saudi Arabia who denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened “to our Saudi Arabian citizen.” He said that they are working closely with Turkey to find answer. I am immediately sending our Secretary of State to meet with King! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2018 × Following days of mounting tensions, Saudi officials were allowing Turkish investigators to enter the consulate on Monday. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump says Saudi king denies knowledge of missing journalist's fate

An American pastor held for two years in Turkey on terror-related charges arrived home in the United States on Saturday and sat down with US President Donald Trump, who signaled an easing in the diplomatic crisis sparked by the case.

Andrew Brunson -- who has become a cause celebre for Trump's conservative Christian base -- received a hero's welcome at the White House shortly after his arrival at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.

Brunson thanked Trump and his administration, saying "you really fought for us" and later kneeled to pray for the president, his hand on Trump's shoulder.

Trump repeatedly thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his help on the case, which caused not only a serious diplomatic row between the NATO allies but led to a crash in the lira, exposing Turkey's economic fragility.

"It's not an easy situation for Turkey either. They had a lot of difficult situations going on and I do want to thank President Erdogan for making this possible," Trump said.

On Friday, a Turkish court in the western port city of Aliaga convicted Brunson on charges of espionage and aiding terror groups. It sentenced him to three years, one month and 15 days in jail -- but released him based on time served and good behavior.

Erdogan has said the court's decision was "taken independently."

Both Trump and Erdogan have denied reports that the two sides reached a secret deal for the 50-year-old Brunson to be released in exchange for the US easing "economic pressure" on Ankara.

"There was absolutely no deal made," Trump told reporters on Saturday. "We don't pay ransom" for hostages.

But as he tweeted earlier, "There was, however, great appreciation on behalf of the United States, which will lead to good, perhaps great, relations between the United States &amp; Turkey!"

Erdogan later responded: "I hope that the United States and Turkey continue cooperation in a manner that befits two allies."

Trump continued to celebrate Brunson's liberation into the night. "Big day! Pastor Andrew Brunson, who could have spent 35 years in a Turkish prison, was returned safely home to his family today," he tweeted.

'I am an innocent man' 
Brunson is an evangelical Presbyterian clergyman who lived in Turkey for nearly half his life, initially moving there in 1993 as part of a missionary program.

He was first detained in October 2016 and faced up to 35 years in jail. Prosecutors then demanded a sentence of up to 10 years. The pastor steadfastly insisted he was not guilty.

"I am an innocent man. I love Jesus. I love Turkey," he said in his final defense.

When the verdict was read out, Brunson wept and hugged his wife Norine.

After gathering his belongings, Brunson was driven to the airport in the Turkish city of Izmir, where he boarded a US military plane for Germany.&nbsp;

Upon arrival there for a refueling stop, he kissed an American flag presented to him by Richard Grenell, the US ambassador in Berlin.

'Navigate through a minefield' 
While the strain in US-Turkish relations eased with Brunson's release, problems remain.&nbsp;

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Turkey to "quickly release" other Americans in detention.

He said Washington would "continue to work hard to bring home all American hostages and those wrongfully imprisoned and detained."

NASA scientist Serkan Golge, a dual US-Turkish national, was jailed for seven and a half years in February on terror charges, a term reduced to five years last month.

And two Turkish employees of US diplomatic missions remain in jail. One of them, former Adana consulate staffer Hamza Ulucay, was denied release on Friday.

Anthony Skinner, director for Middle East and North Africa at the Verisk Maplecroft consultancy, said that the US and Turkey had plenty of disagreements beyond Brunson.

"The clamp has now been removed, which opens the way for bilateral negotiations to address other sources of disagreement, but Washington and Ankara still have to navigate through a minefield," Skinner said.

He pointed to Turkey's order for Russian S-400 missile defense systems, which has riled its Western allies, as well as Ankara's determination to do business with Iran in defiance of US sanctions.

Turkey is bracing for potential fines from US authorities over sanctions-busting by Turkish lender Halkbank, whose deputy director general has been jailed in the United States.&nbsp;

Brunson's release comes at a sensitive time for the Turkish leadership, which is under global scrutiny over how it handles the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul last week.

Both Erdogan and Trump have pressed Saudi Arabia to explain what happened to Khashoggi.&nbsp;

Now that the Brunson issue has been resolved to Washington's satisfaction, it could help the two sides coordinate their Saudi policy more closely.

An American pastor held for two years in Turkey on terror-related charges arrived home in the United States on Saturday and sat down with US President Donald Trump, who signaled an easing in the diplomatic crisis sparked by the case.

An American pastor held for two years in Turkey on terror-related charges arrived home in the United States on Saturday and sat down with US President Donald Trump, who signaled an easing in the diplomatic crisis sparked by the case. Andrew Brunson -- who has become a cause celebre for Trump's conservative Christian base -- received a hero's welcome at the White House shortly after his arrival at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington. Brunson thanked Trump and his administration, saying "you really fought for us" and later kneeled to pray for the president, his hand on Trump's shoulder. Trump repeatedly thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his help on the case, which caused not only a serious diplomatic row between the NATO allies but led to a crash in the lira, exposing Turkey's economic fragility. "It's not an easy situation for Turkey either. They had a lot of difficult situations going on and I do want to thank President Erdogan for making this possible," Trump said. On Friday, a Turkish court in the western port city of Aliaga convicted Brunson on charges of espionage and aiding terror groups. It sentenced him to three years, one month and 15 days in jail -- but released him based on time served and good behavior. Erdogan has said the court's decision was "taken independently." Both Trump and Erdogan have denied reports that the two sides reached a secret deal for the 50-year-old Brunson to be released in exchange for the US easing "economic pressure" on Ankara. "There was absolutely no deal made," Trump told reporters on Saturday. "We don't pay ransom" for hostages. But as he tweeted earlier, "There was, however, great appreciation on behalf of the United States, which will lead to good, perhaps great, relations between the United States & Turkey!" Erdogan later responded: "I hope that the United States and Turkey continue cooperation in a manner that befits two allies." Trump continued to celebrate Brunson's liberation into the night. "Big day! Pastor Andrew Brunson, who could have spent 35 years in a Turkish prison, was returned safely home to his family today," he tweeted. 'I am an innocent man' Brunson is an evangelical Presbyterian clergyman who lived in Turkey for nearly half his life, initially moving there in 1993 as part of a missionary program. He was first detained in October 2016 and faced up to 35 years in jail. Prosecutors then demanded a sentence of up to 10 years. The pastor steadfastly insisted he was not guilty. "I am an innocent man. I love Jesus. I love Turkey," he said in his final defense. When the verdict was read out, Brunson wept and hugged his wife Norine. After gathering his belongings, Brunson was driven to the airport in the Turkish city of Izmir, where he boarded a US military plane for Germany. Upon arrival there for a refueling stop, he kissed an American flag presented to him by Richard Grenell, the US ambassador in Berlin. 'Navigate through a minefield' While the strain in US-Turkish relations eased with Brunson's release, problems remain. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Turkey to "quickly release" other Americans in detention. He said Washington would "continue to work hard to bring home all American hostages and those wrongfully imprisoned and detained." NASA scientist Serkan Golge, a dual US-Turkish national, was jailed for seven and a half years in February on terror charges, a term reduced to five years last month. And two Turkish employees of US diplomatic missions remain in jail. One of them, former Adana consulate staffer Hamza Ulucay, was denied release on Friday. Anthony Skinner, director for Middle East and North Africa at the Verisk Maplecroft consultancy, said that the US and Turkey had plenty of disagreements beyond Brunson. "The clamp has now been removed, which opens the way for bilateral negotiations to address other sources of disagreement, but Washington and Ankara still have to navigate through a minefield," Skinner said. He pointed to Turkey's order for Russian S-400 missile defense systems, which has riled its Western allies, as well as Ankara's determination to do business with Iran in defiance of US sanctions. Turkey is bracing for potential fines from US authorities over sanctions-busting by Turkish lender Halkbank, whose deputy director general has been jailed in the United States. Brunson's release comes at a sensitive time for the Turkish leadership, which is under global scrutiny over how it handles the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul last week. Both Erdogan and Trump have pressed Saudi Arabia to explain what happened to Khashoggi. Now that the Brunson issue has been resolved to Washington's satisfaction, it could help the two sides coordinate their Saudi policy more closely.

Freed US pastor home from Turkey, meets Trump at White House

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday the United States would be "punishing" itself by halting military sales to Saudi Arabia even if it is proven that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the country's consulate in Istanbul.

Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Riyadh and a US resident, disappeared on October 2 after visiting the Saudi consulate. Turkey's government believes he was deliberately killed inside the building and his body removed.

Trump has forged closer ties with Saudi Arabia and is under international and domestic pressure to help determine what happened to Khashoggi and punish Saudi Arabia if investigations show its government had him killed.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike have demanded firm action. There was already mounting concern over civilian deaths caused by a Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen's civil war and some lawmakers have said Washington should block military sales to Riyadh if the allegations over Khashoggi are proven.

But Trump is firmly opposed.

"I actually think we’d be punishing ourselves if we did that," Trump told reporters at the White House.

"There are other things we can do that are very, very powerful, very strong and we’ll do them," he added, without saying what those measures might be.

Under US law, major foreign military sales can be blocked by Congress. An informal review process lets key lawmakers use a practice known as a "hold" to stall deals if they have concerns such as whether the weapons being supplied would be used to kill civilians.

Major US defence contractors, including Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Co, are among the beneficiaries of Washington's close ties to Riyadh and would be hurt by the halting of major arms deals.

Trump said on Saturday his administration won a $110 billion military order from Saudi Arabia and that the deal, combined with Saudi commitments to invest heavily in the United States, was worth hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs.

"If they don’t buy it from us, they’re going to buy it from Russia or they’re going to buy it from China," he said. "Think of that, $110 billion. All they’re going to do is give it to other countries, and I think that would be very foolish.”

It was unclear what specific measures, if any, Trump is considering against Saudi Arabia, which is the world's largest oil exporter, and one of his top allies.

The Trump administration plans to reimpose sanctions on oil exports from Iran on Nov. 5 and Trump has urged Saudi Arabia to boost oil output to help make up for the loss.

Trump said he would probably speak to Saudi Arabia's King Salman over the weekend "because I think it’s appropriate for me to ask him what’s going on."

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday the United States would be "punishing" itself by halting military sales to Saudi Arabia even if it is proven that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the country's consulate in Istanbul.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday the United States would be "punishing" itself by halting military sales to Saudi Arabia even if it is proven that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the country's consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Riyadh and a US resident, disappeared on October 2 after visiting the Saudi consulate. Turkey's government believes he was deliberately killed inside the building and his body removed. Trump has forged closer ties with Saudi Arabia and is under international and domestic pressure to help determine what happened to Khashoggi and punish Saudi Arabia if investigations show its government had him killed. Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike have demanded firm action. There was already mounting concern over civilian deaths caused by a Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen's civil war and some lawmakers have said Washington should block military sales to Riyadh if the allegations over Khashoggi are proven. But Trump is firmly opposed. "I actually think we’d be punishing ourselves if we did that," Trump told reporters at the White House. "There are other things we can do that are very, very powerful, very strong and we’ll do them," he added, without saying what those measures might be. Under US law, major foreign military sales can be blocked by Congress. An informal review process lets key lawmakers use a practice known as a "hold" to stall deals if they have concerns such as whether the weapons being supplied would be used to kill civilians. Major US defence contractors, including Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Co, are among the beneficiaries of Washington's close ties to Riyadh and would be hurt by the halting of major arms deals. Trump said on Saturday his administration won a $110 billion military order from Saudi Arabia and that the deal, combined with Saudi commitments to invest heavily in the United States, was worth hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs. "If they don’t buy it from us, they’re going to buy it from Russia or they’re going to buy it from China," he said. "Think of that, $110 billion. All they’re going to do is give it to other countries, and I think that would be very foolish.” It was unclear what specific measures, if any, Trump is considering against Saudi Arabia, which is the world's largest oil exporter, and one of his top allies. The Trump administration plans to reimpose sanctions on oil exports from Iran on Nov. 5 and Trump has urged Saudi Arabia to boost oil output to help make up for the loss. Trump said he would probably speak to Saudi Arabia's King Salman over the weekend "because I think it’s appropriate for me to ask him what’s going on."

Trump says US would be 'punishing' itself if it halts Saudi arms sales

US President Donald Trump has said that he wants people with merit, who can help, to enter the country and not sneak inside the border illegally.

"I'm very tough at the borders. We've been very tough at the borders. People have to come into our country legally, not illegally. Legally. And I want them to come in on merit," Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday.

Responding to a series of question on illegal immigration, the president reiterated that he wants people based on merit, a move that can help technology professionals from countries such as India.

"What I want is merit. I want a lot of people to come in. We have great car companies entering our country again. This hasn't happened for 35 years. We have companies like Foxconn going to Wisconsin with a massive, massive plant," he said.

"We need people coming in, but we want them to come in on merit. We want people that are going to help us. It's very important," Trump said.

Observing that immigration is not tricky to him, he insisted that the administration and the Congress have to do the right thing whether there's an election or not.

He opposed the chain migration policy and said, "If that's a bad policy, then guess what, a lot of bad things are going to happen. But a lot of people agree with me. I would say a vast majority of our country agrees. They don't want criminals coming into our country.They don't want people that they don't want in the country that aren't going to help us as a country. They don't want these people coming in. So we have a very strong policy."&nbsp;

"The one thing that really has changed over the last couple of years since I've been President -- our country is doing so well, even with real interest -- not with false interest rates. Zero interest. Anybody can do well with zero interest. We're the hottest country in the world, economically, by far. You take a look at us compared to China, compared to everybody else, we're the hottest country in the world. A lot of people are trying to come in. Our border security, our ICE, our law enforcement is doing an incredible job," he said.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump has said that he wants people with merit, who can help, to enter the country and not sneak inside the border illegally. "I'm very tough at the borders.

US President Donald Trump has said that he wants people with merit, who can help, to enter the country and not sneak inside the border illegally. "I'm very tough at the borders. We've been very tough at the borders. People have to come into our country legally, not illegally. Legally. And I want them to come in on merit," Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday. Responding to a series of question on illegal immigration, the president reiterated that he wants people based on merit, a move that can help technology professionals from countries such as India. "What I want is merit. I want a lot of people to come in. We have great car companies entering our country again. This hasn't happened for 35 years. We have companies like Foxconn going to Wisconsin with a massive, massive plant," he said. "We need people coming in, but we want them to come in on merit. We want people that are going to help us. It's very important," Trump said. Observing that immigration is not tricky to him, he insisted that the administration and the Congress have to do the right thing whether there's an election or not. He opposed the chain migration policy and said, "If that's a bad policy, then guess what, a lot of bad things are going to happen. But a lot of people agree with me. I would say a vast majority of our country agrees. They don't want criminals coming into our country.They don't want people that they don't want in the country that aren't going to help us as a country. They don't want these people coming in. So we have a very strong policy." "The one thing that really has changed over the last couple of years since I've been President -- our country is doing so well, even with real interest -- not with false interest rates. Zero interest. Anybody can do well with zero interest. We're the hottest country in the world, economically, by far. You take a look at us compared to China, compared to everybody else, we're the hottest country in the world. A lot of people are trying to come in. Our border security, our ICE, our law enforcement is doing an incredible job," he said.

Want people to come to US legally, on merit: Trump

Donald Trump has escalated his feud with China into a full-press offensive that has drawn comparisons to the Cold War. Now the question on both sides of the Pacific is, how will it end?

In recent weeks, Trump has slapped $250 billion worth of tariffs, boosted military support for rival Taiwan, accused China of interfering in US elections, stepped up denunciations of Beijing's human rights record and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-tightens-controls-on-china-imports-of-nuclear-components-170965">curtailed its access to US nuclear technology</a>.

The real estate mogul, who early in his tenure had described Chinese President Xi Jinping as a friend, was generally presumed to be most interested in trade as he has repeatedly vowed to ramp up US factory production by fighting back the flow of cheaper manufactured imports.&nbsp;

But his administration has expanded its pressure campaign to virtually all fronts, a strategy unprecedented since the time the United States and China established diplomatic relations four decades ago.

"It is a full-frontal assault by the US on China," said Elizabeth Economy, director for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"There is a general sense in Washington that China is simply too big now, it's simply too large as a country and as an economy, to allow it to continue to violate all sorts of expected international trade and investment norms," she said.

Economy said that the United States was also struck at how Xi has "presented a very different China to the world" with a "much more ambitious and expansive foreign policy."

"The US and other countries say, 'Okay, this is the China we have to deal with, not what we anticipated ten years ago.'"

China ready for 'marathon'

Hua Po, a political commentator in Beijing, agreed that trade was only the "superficial" source of friction.

He believed that the underlying concern of the United States was the Made in China 2025 plan, under which Beijing has set a goal of rapidly ensuring that a majority of its industry is sourced domestically.

The United States accuses China of rampantly stealing technology and seeking an unfair trade advantage by forcing foreign businesses to work with local partners.

"Even if the trade issue is resolved, other problems between China and the United States will continue to exist," Hua said.

Hua said that Trump seemed to want "to fight a new cold war." But Hua doubted that the United States would enjoy the support of its allies, especially in Europe, which do not see China as the same type of threat as the former Soviet Union.

And amid turbulence on Wall Street, China is expecting the US economy to see growing strains as negative effects emerge from Trump's signature domestic policy of tax cuts, Hua said.

"China does believe that this dispute will last for some time. The United States wants to run a 100-meter race with China, but China wants a marathon with the United States," he said.

Diplomacy through confrontation

Tensions soared between the world's two largest economies last month at the annual UN General Assembly session.&nbsp;

A closed-door meeting of foreign ministers from the five permanent members of the Security Council turned "icy" as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lashed out aggressively against China, whose foreign minister, Wang Yi, responded with similar intensity, according to a witness.

Vice President Mike Pence a week later delivered a speech in which he took China to task and made the headline-grabbing claim, a month ahead of congressional elections, that Beijing was intervening in US politics, citing the Asian power's purchase of newspaper advertisements and its imposition of counter tariffs in politically crucial states.

The two countries have still kept in contact on resolving the nuclear crisis with North Korea, a top priority for both powers, with Pompeo visiting Beijing after a stop in Pyongyang.

Ryan Hass, the director for China policy on the White House's National Security Council under Obama, said that Trump had taken a new course by emphasizing public pressure over diplomacy with China.

He said that Trump had gambled "on the assumption that Beijing needs a stable relationship with Washington" and that Beijing is ready to moderate its policies both at home and abroad.

"Beijing believes Washington is organizing itself to contest China's rise. As such, Beijing sees little incentive to accommodate Trump's demands on trade or other issues, because doing so would not resolve the underlying source of intensifying rivalry -- Washington's efforts to hold back China's rise," said Hass, now a fellow at the Brookings Institution.

"Given these dynamics, it is unlikely that either side will moderate its approach in the foreseeable future," he said.

Donald Trump has escalated his feud with China into a full-press offensive that has drawn comparisons to the Cold War. Now the question on both sides of the Pacific is, how will it end?

Donald Trump has escalated his feud with China into a full-press offensive that has drawn comparisons to the Cold War. Now the question on both sides of the Pacific is, how will it end? In recent weeks, Trump has slapped $250 billion worth of tariffs, boosted military support for rival Taiwan, accused China of interfering in US elections, stepped up denunciations of Beijing's human rights record and curtailed its access to US nuclear technology. The real estate mogul, who early in his tenure had described Chinese President Xi Jinping as a friend, was generally presumed to be most interested in trade as he has repeatedly vowed to ramp up US factory production by fighting back the flow of cheaper manufactured imports. But his administration has expanded its pressure campaign to virtually all fronts, a strategy unprecedented since the time the United States and China established diplomatic relations four decades ago. "It is a full-frontal assault by the US on China," said Elizabeth Economy, director for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. "There is a general sense in Washington that China is simply too big now, it's simply too large as a country and as an economy, to allow it to continue to violate all sorts of expected international trade and investment norms," she said. Economy said that the United States was also struck at how Xi has "presented a very different China to the world" with a "much more ambitious and expansive foreign policy." "The US and other countries say, 'Okay, this is the China we have to deal with, not what we anticipated ten years ago.'" China ready for 'marathon' Hua Po, a political commentator in Beijing, agreed that trade was only the "superficial" source of friction. He believed that the underlying concern of the United States was the Made in China 2025 plan, under which Beijing has set a goal of rapidly ensuring that a majority of its industry is sourced domestically. The United States accuses China of rampantly stealing technology and seeking an unfair trade advantage by forcing foreign businesses to work with local partners. "Even if the trade issue is resolved, other problems between China and the United States will continue to exist," Hua said. Hua said that Trump seemed to want "to fight a new cold war." But Hua doubted that the United States would enjoy the support of its allies, especially in Europe, which do not see China as the same type of threat as the former Soviet Union. And amid turbulence on Wall Street, China is expecting the US economy to see growing strains as negative effects emerge from Trump's signature domestic policy of tax cuts, Hua said. "China does believe that this dispute will last for some time. The United States wants to run a 100-meter race with China, but China wants a marathon with the United States," he said. Diplomacy through confrontation Tensions soared between the world's two largest economies last month at the annual UN General Assembly session. A closed-door meeting of foreign ministers from the five permanent members of the Security Council turned "icy" as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lashed out aggressively against China, whose foreign minister, Wang Yi, responded with similar intensity, according to a witness. Vice President Mike Pence a week later delivered a speech in which he took China to task and made the headline-grabbing claim, a month ahead of congressional elections, that Beijing was intervening in US politics, citing the Asian power's purchase of newspaper advertisements and its imposition of counter tariffs in politically crucial states. The two countries have still kept in contact on resolving the nuclear crisis with North Korea, a top priority for both powers, with Pompeo visiting Beijing after a stop in Pyongyang. Ryan Hass, the director for China policy on the White House's National Security Council under Obama, said that Trump had taken a new course by emphasizing public pressure over diplomacy with China. He said that Trump had gambled "on the assumption that Beijing needs a stable relationship with Washington" and that Beijing is ready to moderate its policies both at home and abroad. "Beijing believes Washington is organizing itself to contest China's rise. As such, Beijing sees little incentive to accommodate Trump's demands on trade or other issues, because doing so would not resolve the underlying source of intensifying rivalry -- Washington's efforts to hold back China's rise," said Hass, now a fellow at the Brookings Institution. "Given these dynamics, it is unlikely that either side will moderate its approach in the foreseeable future," he said.

The Trump-China trade war: How will it end? 

US President Donald Trump hailed the decision of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-court-sentences-us-pastor-for-3-years-lifts-house-arrest-travel-ban-171161">Turkey court to&nbsp;release the American pastor Andrew Brunson</a> who was detained for the last two years in Turkey.

Trump tweeted, " My thoughts and prayers are with Pastor Brunson, and we hope to have him safely back home soon!

A Turkish court on Friday ordered the release of a pastor in a case that sparked a crisis in ties with the United States.

The court in the western town of Aliaga convicted Andrew Brunson on terror-related charges and sentenced him to three years, one month and 15 days in jail, an AFP correspondent said.

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My thoughts and prayers are with Pastor Brunson, and we hope to have him safely back home soon!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1050747691062493185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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However, he was freed taking into account time served and his good conduct in the trial, with the court lifting his house arrest and overseas travel ban, the correspondent added.

Brunson's detention since 2016 caused a rift between&nbsp;NATO allies Turkey and the US.

The US also slapped sanctions on Turkey which resulted&nbsp;in a crash in the Turkish lira.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Donald Trump hailed the decision of the Turkey court to release the American pastor Andrew Brunson who was detained for the last two years in Turkey.

US President Donald Trump hailed the decision of the Turkey court to release the American pastor Andrew Brunson who was detained for the last two years in Turkey. Trump tweeted, " My thoughts and prayers are with Pastor Brunson, and we hope to have him safely back home soon! A Turkish court on Friday ordered the release of a pastor in a case that sparked a crisis in ties with the United States. The court in the western town of Aliaga convicted Andrew Brunson on terror-related charges and sentenced him to three years, one month and 15 days in jail, an AFP correspondent said. My thoughts and prayers are with Pastor Brunson, and we hope to have him safely back home soon! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2018 × However, he was freed taking into account time served and his good conduct in the trial, with the court lifting his house arrest and overseas travel ban, the correspondent added. Brunson's detention since 2016 caused a rift between NATO allies Turkey and the US. The US also slapped sanctions on Turkey which resulted in a crash in the Turkish lira. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump says hopes to have freed US pastor 'back home soon'

On Wednesday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kanye-west-hugs-trump-muses-on-presidential-run-170975">Donald Trump</a> said "India is going to find out" whether it will be sanctioned for its purchase of the S-400 Triumf missile defence sytem from Russia.&nbsp;

And a day later, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert quoted him as saying "we'll take care of that" on the question of India buying oil from Iran.&nbsp;

The US, which imposed sanctions on Iran after Trump walked out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has been leaning on India to stop importing oil from Iran.&nbsp;

India has so far said that it will continue to buy oil from Iran. (India, which is the world's third largest importer of oil, gets about 10 per cent of its oil from Iran.)&nbsp;

"The President had addressed it. He was asked whether or not India would buy oil from Iran after sanctions are reimposed and president said 'we’ll take care of that'," US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said on Thursday.&nbsp;

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The President had addressed it, he was asked whether or not India would buy oil from Iran after sanctions are reimposed. And President said, 'we’ll take care of that.' He was asked also about CAATSA sanctions&amp;possible imposition of CAATSA sanctions: Heather Nauert, US State Dept <a href="https://t.co/hJeJ7BLY0q">pic.twitter.com/hJeJ7BLY0q</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1050584970736140289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"He was asked also about CAATSA sanctions and possible imposition of CAATSA sanctions," Nauert added.&nbsp;

"And he (US President) said, India is going to find out. And India will find out. We’ll see. So I’m not going to get ahead of him, but certainly when we hear about things such as purchasing oil or purchasing of the S-400 systems, it’s not helpful," she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a deal during Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to India to buy five units of the S-400. The deal will cost India over $5 billion.&nbsp;

India plans to use the defence sytem along its border with China.&nbsp;

The trouble is the purchase could attract US sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Throught Sanctions Act or CAATSA which says the US has to sanction any country which buys a significant portion of its military firepower from Russia. (The US was also keen that India buy its Thaad missile defence system rather than the S-400.)&nbsp;

India has asked that the sanctions be waived.&nbsp;

On Wednesday Donald Trump said "India is going to find out" whether it will be sanctioned for its purchase of the S-400 Triumf missile defence sytem from Russia.

On Wednesday Donald Trump said "India is going to find out" whether it will be sanctioned for its purchase of the S-400 Triumf missile defence sytem from Russia. And a day later, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert quoted him as saying "we'll take care of that" on the question of India buying oil from Iran. The US, which imposed sanctions on Iran after Trump walked out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has been leaning on India to stop importing oil from Iran. India has so far said that it will continue to buy oil from Iran. (India, which is the world's third largest importer of oil, gets about 10 per cent of its oil from Iran.) "The President had addressed it. He was asked whether or not India would buy oil from Iran after sanctions are reimposed and president said 'we’ll take care of that'," US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said on Thursday. The President had addressed it, he was asked whether or not India would buy oil from Iran after sanctions are reimposed. And President said, 'we’ll take care of that.' He was asked also about CAATSA sanctions&possible imposition of CAATSA sanctions: Heather Nauert, US State Dept pic.twitter.com/hJeJ7BLY0q — ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2018 × "He was asked also about CAATSA sanctions and possible imposition of CAATSA sanctions," Nauert added. "And he (US President) said, India is going to find out. And India will find out. We’ll see. So I’m not going to get ahead of him, but certainly when we hear about things such as purchasing oil or purchasing of the S-400 systems, it’s not helpful," she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a deal during Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to India to buy five units of the S-400. The deal will cost India over $5 billion. India plans to use the defence sytem along its border with China. The trouble is the purchase could attract US sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Throught Sanctions Act or CAATSA which says the US has to sanction any country which buys a significant portion of its military firepower from Russia. (The US was also keen that India buy its Thaad missile defence system rather than the S-400.) India has asked that the sanctions be waived.

We'll take care of that: Trump on India buying oil from Iran

President Donald Trump and rapper Kanye West were sitting down for lunch at the White House on Thursday to discuss prison reform as Trump seeks to use his celebrity roots to political advantage.

The two were to sit down for a roasted chicken lunch in the private dining room off the Oval Office, along with Hall of Fame NFL running back Jim Brown, as well as Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner.&nbsp;

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said Trump and his guests would discuss potential future clemencies for convicts along with "addressing the massive violent crime surge in Chicago" and efforts to create jobs for African-Americans.

Kanye's visit follows by several months a similar trip to the White House by his celebrity wife, Kim Kardashian West, who met with Trump on May 30 and persuaded him to grant clemency to Alice Johnson, who was serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug charge in Tennessee.

Kanye has drawn fire from other celebrities for his support of Trump, the former reality TV star currently looking ahead to congressional elections on Nov. 6 and his own re-election campaign in 2020.

The Republican president has advocated prison reform and said he was open to changes in sentencing guidelines, an issue that divides the Republican Party between "law and order" hardliners and moderates.

"There are people in jail for really long terms," Trump said in an interview with Fox News. "We do need reform. And that doesn`t mean easy. We`re going to make certain categories tougher, when it comes to drug dealing and other things.

"It`s very unfair to African-Americans it`s very unfair to everybody. And it`s also very costly."

He said he would overrule his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, who has balked at efforts to reduce sentences served by convicts and is unlikely to support new ones.&nbsp;

"Well if he doesn`t then he gets overruled by me, because I make the decisions, he doesn`t," Trump said.&nbsp;

Trump claims Kanye West as a friend and a "different kind of a guy" whose big following in the African-American community helped boost his approval ratings. Asked if he would consider campaigning with the rapper, Trump said, "I could see it. I could see it."

President Donald Trump and rapper Kanye West were sitting down for lunch at the White House on Thursday to discuss prison reform as Trump seeks to use his celebrity roots to political advantage.

President Donald Trump and rapper Kanye West were sitting down for lunch at the White House on Thursday to discuss prison reform as Trump seeks to use his celebrity roots to political advantage. The two were to sit down for a roasted chicken lunch in the private dining room off the Oval Office, along with Hall of Fame NFL running back Jim Brown, as well as Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said Trump and his guests would discuss potential future clemencies for convicts along with "addressing the massive violent crime surge in Chicago" and efforts to create jobs for African-Americans. Kanye's visit follows by several months a similar trip to the White House by his celebrity wife, Kim Kardashian West, who met with Trump on May 30 and persuaded him to grant clemency to Alice Johnson, who was serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug charge in Tennessee. Kanye has drawn fire from other celebrities for his support of Trump, the former reality TV star currently looking ahead to congressional elections on Nov. 6 and his own re-election campaign in 2020. The Republican president has advocated prison reform and said he was open to changes in sentencing guidelines, an issue that divides the Republican Party between "law and order" hardliners and moderates. "There are people in jail for really long terms," Trump said in an interview with Fox News. "We do need reform. And that doesn`t mean easy. We`re going to make certain categories tougher, when it comes to drug dealing and other things. "It`s very unfair to African-Americans it`s very unfair to everybody. And it`s also very costly." He said he would overrule his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, who has balked at efforts to reduce sentences served by convicts and is unlikely to support new ones. "Well if he doesn`t then he gets overruled by me, because I make the decisions, he doesn`t," Trump said. Trump claims Kanye West as a friend and a "different kind of a guy" whose big following in the African-American community helped boost his approval ratings. Asked if he would consider campaigning with the rapper, Trump said, "I could see it. I could see it."

Trump lunches with Kanye West, will talk justice reform

The shock exit of Nikki Haley, who was serving as the American Ambassador to the United Nations,&nbsp;from the Trump administration has surprised everyone.

A high profile exit from team Trump,&nbsp;Haley was one of the few women in Trump's cabinet.

She was seen as one of the most effective and outspoken faces of the administration.&nbsp;

The daughter of&nbsp;immigrants from India, Haley was the first cabinet-level UN Ambassador for a Republican government since the end of cold war.&nbsp;

American media reports suggest that while some White House staffers were indeed caught by surprise, Haley had discussed her resignation with President Trump last week.&nbsp;

Nikki Haley's tenure as the UN ambassador has raised her political profile. In 2017, the Time magazine had put Haley on its cover -- as one of the women who is changing the world.&nbsp;

Haley is now being counted as one of the possible challengers to Trump in the 2020 general elections. She has however clarified that she has no intention of running for the post.

Many feel that she could be eyeing a role in the private sector for the short term.

Haley has spent eight years in government that includes a six-year tenure as the governor of the state of South Carolina. These are not well-paying jobs.

According to Haley's 2018 financial disclosures, she has a debt of more than one million dollars.&nbsp;

Experts also believe that Haley was being edged out by Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, who recently joined the Trump administration. Both Pompeo and Bolton are foreign policy hardliners, Haley wanted to toe a more moderate line.

As a result, she had frequent clashes with Trump in recent times, especially on policy decisions regarding Russia.&nbsp;

But there is little doubt that Haley is a strong candidate for the presidency of the United States. She has better approval ratings than Trump, and has found support among key Republican demographics.&nbsp;

If not 2020, we can certainly expect to hear more about haley in 2024.

Nikki Haley's decision to quit was indeed a surprise. And equally surprising was her appointment by Trump as the UN ambassador in 2016.

Haley was seen as a strong critic for Trump. For the 2016 elections, she threw her support behind Tump's rivals Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.&nbsp;

She even confronted candidate Trump's call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering America.&nbsp;

Despite Trump's bold and disruptive moves, Haley managed to use her ambassadorship at the United Nations to raise her political profile. Unlike several other former members of the Trump administration, she is leaving the job unscathed and on a high.&nbsp;

Even after joining the Trump administration Haley did not shy away from voicing her opinion on controversial issues. Even if it was at divergence with trump's views.&nbsp;

Most recently, when judge Brett Kavanaugh faced charges of sexual harassment just before his confirmation Haley argued that accusers should be heard.

Even when Trump mocked Christine Blasey Ford who had accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault.&nbsp;

While Haley's departure may have been on amicable terms, her departure will pinch the Trump administration.&nbsp;

She stood out for her outspoken criticism of Russia at the UN. Haley even backed Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as well as the US Withdrawal from the UN human rights council.&nbsp;

She will leave the position by the end of the year. Trump is yet to name her successor.

The shock exit of Nikki Haley, who was serving as the American Ambassador to the United Nations, from the Trump administration has surprised everyone. A high profile exit from team Trump, Haley was one of the few women in Trump's cabinet.

The shock exit of Nikki Haley, who was serving as the American Ambassador to the United Nations, from the Trump administration has surprised everyone. A high profile exit from team Trump, Haley was one of the few women in Trump's cabinet. She was seen as one of the most effective and outspoken faces of the administration. The daughter of immigrants from India, Haley was the first cabinet-level UN Ambassador for a Republican government since the end of cold war. American media reports suggest that while some White House staffers were indeed caught by surprise, Haley had discussed her resignation with President Trump last week. Nikki Haley's tenure as the UN ambassador has raised her political profile. In 2017, the Time magazine had put Haley on its cover -- as one of the women who is changing the world. Haley is now being counted as one of the possible challengers to Trump in the 2020 general elections. She has however clarified that she has no intention of running for the post. Many feel that she could be eyeing a role in the private sector for the short term. Haley has spent eight years in government that includes a six-year tenure as the governor of the state of South Carolina. These are not well-paying jobs. According to Haley's 2018 financial disclosures, she has a debt of more than one million dollars. Experts also believe that Haley was being edged out by Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, who recently joined the Trump administration. Both Pompeo and Bolton are foreign policy hardliners, Haley wanted to toe a more moderate line. As a result, she had frequent clashes with Trump in recent times, especially on policy decisions regarding Russia. But there is little doubt that Haley is a strong candidate for the presidency of the United States. She has better approval ratings than Trump, and has found support among key Republican demographics. If not 2020, we can certainly expect to hear more about haley in 2024. Nikki Haley's decision to quit was indeed a surprise. And equally surprising was her appointment by Trump as the UN ambassador in 2016. Haley was seen as a strong critic for Trump. For the 2016 elections, she threw her support behind Tump's rivals Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. She even confronted candidate Trump's call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering America. Despite Trump's bold and disruptive moves, Haley managed to use her ambassadorship at the United Nations to raise her political profile. Unlike several other former members of the Trump administration, she is leaving the job unscathed and on a high. Even after joining the Trump administration Haley did not shy away from voicing her opinion on controversial issues. Even if it was at divergence with trump's views. Most recently, when judge Brett Kavanaugh faced charges of sexual harassment just before his confirmation Haley argued that accusers should be heard. Even when Trump mocked Christine Blasey Ford who had accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault. While Haley's departure may have been on amicable terms, her departure will pinch the Trump administration. She stood out for her outspoken criticism of Russia at the UN. Haley even backed Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as well as the US Withdrawal from the UN human rights council. She will leave the position by the end of the year. Trump is yet to name her successor.

Nikki Haley: Resignation and future plans

Turkey on Thursday denied a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/americas/us-investigators-working-with-saudis-turkey-on-khashoggis-disappearance-trump-170925">claim by US President Donald Trump </a>that American investigators were collectively working with both Ankara and Riyadh to probe the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

"The information that the United States has tasked investigators over the Khashoggi case is not correct," said a Turkish diplomatic source quoted by the state-run Anadolu news agency.&nbsp;

The US President had said earlier that US investigators were working with Saudis and Turkey to find the whereabouts of the missing journalist.

Trump had&nbsp;said "we have investigators over there and we're working with Turkey and frankly we're working with Saudi Arabia".

Senior journalist Khashoggi, 59, who is a strong critic of the Saudi establishment had taken&nbsp;US citizenship after leaving his country and had written several articles against&nbsp;Saudi Arabia's repressive policies&nbsp;for the Washington Post.

The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-journalist-was-killed-by-15-man-hit-team-that-then-dismembered-his-body-with-bone-saw-nyt-170659">New York Times revealed on Wednesday that&nbsp;</a>a group of 15 men flew down to Turkey in a private jet in order to kill Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey. The Turkish government openly accused Saudi Arabia of colluding to kill the journalist.

Khashoggi had entered the Saudi consulate to submit documents seeking&nbsp;a divorce from his wife living in Saudi Arabia so that he could remarry again in Turkey.

Saudi Arabia has denied any hand in Khashoggi's disappearance asserting that he walked out of the consulate from the back door. However, his fiance, Hatice Cengiz, who accompanied him to the consulate on October 2nd said he never came out of the consulate as she waited outside.&nbsp;

Initially, the Turkey president Erdogan had said the journalist was being held inside the consulate as Saudi Arabia gave Turkish authorities permission to enter the premises and search for him, however, the authorities soon began to reveal through sources that he had, in fact, being killed, as reported by the New York Times article.

Khashoggi's own website on 3rd October had posted a message saying he was arrested at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul but state-run Saudi Press Agency said he had left the building and the consulate was carrying out follow-up procedures and coordinating with the Turkish authorities to "uncover the circumstances" of his disappearance.

Turkey on Thursday denied a claim by US President Donald Trump that American investigators were collectively working with both Ankara and Riyadh to probe the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Turkey on Thursday denied a claim by US President Donald Trump that American investigators were collectively working with both Ankara and Riyadh to probe the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. "The information that the United States has tasked investigators over the Khashoggi case is not correct," said a Turkish diplomatic source quoted by the state-run Anadolu news agency. The US President had said earlier that US investigators were working with Saudis and Turkey to find the whereabouts of the missing journalist. Trump had said "we have investigators over there and we're working with Turkey and frankly we're working with Saudi Arabia". Senior journalist Khashoggi, 59, who is a strong critic of the Saudi establishment had taken US citizenship after leaving his country and had written several articles against Saudi Arabia's repressive policies for the Washington Post. The New York Times revealed on Wednesday that a group of 15 men flew down to Turkey in a private jet in order to kill Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey. The Turkish government openly accused Saudi Arabia of colluding to kill the journalist. Khashoggi had entered the Saudi consulate to submit documents seeking a divorce from his wife living in Saudi Arabia so that he could remarry again in Turkey. Saudi Arabia has denied any hand in Khashoggi's disappearance asserting that he walked out of the consulate from the back door. However, his fiance, Hatice Cengiz, who accompanied him to the consulate on October 2nd said he never came out of the consulate as she waited outside. Initially, the Turkey president Erdogan had said the journalist was being held inside the consulate as Saudi Arabia gave Turkish authorities permission to enter the premises and search for him, however, the authorities soon began to reveal through sources that he had, in fact, being killed, as reported by the New York Times article. Khashoggi's own website on 3rd October had posted a message saying he was arrested at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul but state-run Saudi Press Agency said he had left the building and the consulate was carrying out follow-up procedures and coordinating with the Turkish authorities to "uncover the circumstances" of his disappearance.

Turkey denies Trump's claim of US investigators working on Khashoggi's case

Chinese stock markets plunged to their lowest levels in four years on Thursday following a global rout.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 5.22 per cent, or 142.38 points, to 2,583.46, marking the lowest level since November 2014.&nbsp;

The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, plummeted 6.45 per cent, or 89.15 points, to 1,293.90, the lowest point since September 2014.

European markets

Europe's main stock markets slid by around 1.5 per cent at the start of trading on Thursday following heavier falls across Asia and on Wall Street.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index slumped 1.4 per cent to 7,049.31 points compared with Wednesday's closing level.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 dropped 1.3 per cent to 11,558.98 points and the Paris CAC 40 shed 1.5 per cent to 5,128.22 points.

Trump's 'Fed is crazy' remark

The steep drop in Asia followed Wednesday's plunge in New York, with the Dow Jones dropping nearly 830 points -- the biggest fall since February -- after Trump's latest criticism of the Federal Reserve.

"I think the Fed is making a mistake," Trump told reporters as he arrived for a campaign rally ahead of the US mid-term elections.

Chinese stock markets plunged to their lowest levels in four years on Thursday following a global rout. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 5.22 per cent, or 142.

Chinese stock markets plunged to their lowest levels in four years on Thursday following a global rout. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 5.22 per cent, or 142.38 points, to 2,583.46, marking the lowest level since November 2014. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, plummeted 6.45 per cent, or 89.15 points, to 1,293.90, the lowest point since September 2014. European markets Europe's main stock markets slid by around 1.5 per cent at the start of trading on Thursday following heavier falls across Asia and on Wall Street. London's benchmark FTSE 100 index slumped 1.4 per cent to 7,049.31 points compared with Wednesday's closing level. In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 dropped 1.3 per cent to 11,558.98 points and the Paris CAC 40 shed 1.5 per cent to 5,128.22 points. Trump's 'Fed is crazy' remark The steep drop in Asia followed Wednesday's plunge in New York, with the Dow Jones dropping nearly 830 points -- the biggest fall since February -- after Trump's latest criticism of the Federal Reserve. "I think the Fed is making a mistake," Trump told reporters as he arrived for a campaign rally ahead of the US mid-term elections.

Chinese stocks sink to lowest levels since 2014

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/full-blown-us-china-trade-war-will-slow-global-growth-by-less-than-1-imf-170313">Full-blown US-China trade war will slow global growth by less than 1%: IMF</a>

An all-out trade war would slow the growth of the global economy, but not stop its expansion, with the United States and China also escaping a recession, according to forecasts published Tuesday by the International Monetary Fund.

In its latest World Economic Outlook report, the IMF conducted a series of calculations of the impact from the trade tariffs that the administration of US President Donald Trump has already implemented and has threatened to impose, as well as reprisals from China and other nations.

Yet, even in its worst-case scenario, the IMF found that the disruption won't kill off growth and drag the global economy into recession.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/alphabet-to-shut-google-social-site-after-user-data-exposed-170306">Google+ to shut down after data of at least 500,000 users exposed</a>

Alphabet Inc's Google will shut down the consumer version of its failed social network Google+ and tighten its data sharing policies after announcing on Monday that private profile data of at least 500,000 users may have been exposed to hundreds of external developers.

The issue was discovered and patched in March as part of a review of how Google shares data with other applications, Google said in a blog post. No developer exploited the vulnerability or misused data, the review found.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kavanaugh-seeks-new-tone-after-supreme-court-fight-trump-apologises-for-process-170304">Trump apologises to Kavanaugh, says he is innocent of sexual assault charges</a>

US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh sought to put a bruising confirmation battle behind him on Monday at a White House ceremony in which President Donald Trump declared him innocent of sexual misconduct and apologised for the heated process.

"On behalf of our nation, I want to apologise to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure," Trump said at the start of a ceremonial swearing-in in the East Room of the White House.

"Those who step forward to serve our country deserve a fair and dignified evaluation, not a campaign of political and personal destruction based on lies and deception," he said.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/jeremy-lalrinnunga-claims-indias-first-youth-olympics-gold-170318">Jeremy Lalrinnunga wins India's first Youth Olympics gold</a>

Weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga notched up India's maiden gold medal at the Youth Olympics, claiming the top honours in the men's 62 kg category here.&nbsp;

The 15-year-old from Aizwal, who is also a world youth silver-medallist, lifted a total of 274 kg (124 kg +150 kg) to finish on top in the Argentine capital on Monday night.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-he-likes-taylor-swifts-music-about-25-less-after-she-endorses-democrats-170321">Trump says he likes Taylor Swift's music 'about 25% less' after she endorses Democrats</a>

US President Donald Trump has said he likes Taylor Swift's music "about 25 per cent less" after the pop superstar endorsed the Democrats running for office in Tennessee in the upcoming US midterm elections.&nbsp;Tennessee is Swift's home state.&nbsp;

Swift backed Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper, who are running for the Senate and the House of Representatives. She also launched a fierce attack on Bredesen's opponent, the Republican Marsha Blackburn, who currently serves in the House.

Swift made her comments on Sunday on Instagram.&nbsp;

Full-blown US-China trade war will slow global growth by less than 1%: IMF An all-out trade war would slow the growth of the global economy, but not stop its expansion, with the United States and China also escaping a recession, according to forecasts published Tuesday by the International Monetary Fund.

Full-blown US-China trade war will slow global growth by less than 1%: IMF An all-out trade war would slow the growth of the global economy, but not stop its expansion, with the United States and China also escaping a recession, according to forecasts published Tuesday by the International Monetary Fund. In its latest World Economic Outlook report, the IMF conducted a series of calculations of the impact from the trade tariffs that the administration of US President Donald Trump has already implemented and has threatened to impose, as well as reprisals from China and other nations. Yet, even in its worst-case scenario, the IMF found that the disruption won't kill off growth and drag the global economy into recession. Google+ to shut down after data of at least 500,000 users exposed Alphabet Inc's Google will shut down the consumer version of its failed social network Google+ and tighten its data sharing policies after announcing on Monday that private profile data of at least 500,000 users may have been exposed to hundreds of external developers. The issue was discovered and patched in March as part of a review of how Google shares data with other applications, Google said in a blog post. No developer exploited the vulnerability or misused data, the review found. Trump apologises to Kavanaugh, says he is innocent of sexual assault charges US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh sought to put a bruising confirmation battle behind him on Monday at a White House ceremony in which President Donald Trump declared him innocent of sexual misconduct and apologised for the heated process. "On behalf of our nation, I want to apologise to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure," Trump said at the start of a ceremonial swearing-in in the East Room of the White House. "Those who step forward to serve our country deserve a fair and dignified evaluation, not a campaign of political and personal destruction based on lies and deception," he said. Jeremy Lalrinnunga wins India's first Youth Olympics gold Weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga notched up India's maiden gold medal at the Youth Olympics, claiming the top honours in the men's 62 kg category here. The 15-year-old from Aizwal, who is also a world youth silver-medallist, lifted a total of 274 kg (124 kg +150 kg) to finish on top in the Argentine capital on Monday night. Trump says he likes Taylor Swift's music 'about 25% less' after she endorses Democrats US President Donald Trump has said he likes Taylor Swift's music "about 25 per cent less" after the pop superstar endorsed the Democrats running for office in Tennessee in the upcoming US midterm elections. Tennessee is Swift's home state. Swift backed Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper, who are running for the Senate and the House of Representatives. She also launched a fierce attack on Bredesen's opponent, the Republican Marsha Blackburn, who currently serves in the House. Swift made her comments on Sunday on Instagram.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped to accelerate a second summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as he kicked off an Asian trip Saturday featuring a meeting with North Korea's leader.

Pompeo arrived in Tokyo on the first leg of a tour that will take him to Pyongyang for a fourth time as the contours of a possibly historic US-North Korea deal take shape.

Speaking on the plane on the way from the United States, Pompeo said his aim was to "develop sufficient trust" between the historic foes to inch towards peace.

"Then we are also going to set up the next summit," said Pompeo.

However, he played down expectations for a major breakthrough, saying: "I doubt we will get it nailed but begin to develop options for both location and timing for when Chairman Kim will meet with the president again."

"Maybe we will get further than that."

In June, Trump met Kim in Singapore in the first-ever summit between the countries. 
No sitting US president has visited North Korea, which according to human rights groups remains one of the most repressive countries on Earth.

Since the Singapore summit, which yielded what critics charge was a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the road towards better ties has been bumpy.

Trump scrapped a previously planned trip by his top diplomat to Pyongyang after what he said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration.

But the unorthodox US president has also declared himself "in love" with the strongman in Pyongyang.

Pompeo has repeatedly declined to be drawn out publicly on the shape of an eventual agreement. The United States has called for a comprehensive accord and strict enforcement of sanctions on North Korea in the meantime.

'Grand bargain'

Pompeo kicks off his trip in Tokyo, holding talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

Japan, which has seen North Korean missiles fly over its territory and been threatened with annihilation, has historically taken a hard line on Pyongyang and stressed the need to maintain pressure on the regime.

More recently, however, Abe has said the only way to improve strained ties is a face-to-face meeting with former international pariah Kim.

After Tokyo, Pompeo travels to Pyongyang and then on to South Korea, whose dovish president Moon Jae-in has served as a go-between for the two sides.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like.

In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. 
In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a full-blown peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said.

Pompeo refused to be drawn on the outlines of a deal, saying only that his "mission is to make sure that we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve."

After Seoul, Pompeo closes his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline.

The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped to accelerate a second summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as he kicked off an Asian trip Saturday featuring a meeting with North Korea's leader.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped to accelerate a second summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as he kicked off an Asian trip Saturday featuring a meeting with North Korea's leader. Pompeo arrived in Tokyo on the first leg of a tour that will take him to Pyongyang for a fourth time as the contours of a possibly historic US-North Korea deal take shape. Speaking on the plane on the way from the United States, Pompeo said his aim was to "develop sufficient trust" between the historic foes to inch towards peace. "Then we are also going to set up the next summit," said Pompeo. However, he played down expectations for a major breakthrough, saying: "I doubt we will get it nailed but begin to develop options for both location and timing for when Chairman Kim will meet with the president again." "Maybe we will get further than that." In June, Trump met Kim in Singapore in the first-ever summit between the countries. No sitting US president has visited North Korea, which according to human rights groups remains one of the most repressive countries on Earth. Since the Singapore summit, which yielded what critics charge was a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the road towards better ties has been bumpy. Trump scrapped a previously planned trip by his top diplomat to Pyongyang after what he said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. But the unorthodox US president has also declared himself "in love" with the strongman in Pyongyang. Pompeo has repeatedly declined to be drawn out publicly on the shape of an eventual agreement. The United States has called for a comprehensive accord and strict enforcement of sanctions on North Korea in the meantime. 'Grand bargain' Pompeo kicks off his trip in Tokyo, holding talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kono. Japan, which has seen North Korean missiles fly over its territory and been threatened with annihilation, has historically taken a hard line on Pyongyang and stressed the need to maintain pressure on the regime. More recently, however, Abe has said the only way to improve strained ties is a face-to-face meeting with former international pariah Kim. After Tokyo, Pompeo travels to Pyongyang and then on to South Korea, whose dovish president Moon Jae-in has served as a go-between for the two sides. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a full-blown peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. Pompeo refused to be drawn on the outlines of a deal, saying only that his "mission is to make sure that we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve." After Seoul, Pompeo closes his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump.

Pompeo eyes progress over Trump-Kim summit on Asia trip

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/backing-from-senators-puts-kavanaugh-on-track-for-us-supreme-court-169715">Backing from senators puts Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh on track for US Supreme Court</a>

President Donald Trump's nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, looked headed for a lifetime job on the US Supreme Court on Friday after two crucial senators said that sexual misconduct accusations against the judge would not prevent them from voting to confirm him.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-to-keep-buying-iranian-oil-despite-us-sanctions-sources-169718">India to keep buying oil from Iran despite US sanctions: Sources</a>

India will buy 9 million barrels of Iranian oil in November, two industry sources said, indicating the world's third-biggest oil importer will continue purchasing crude from the Islamic republic despite US sanctions coming into force on November 4.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-divided-un-china-quietly-blazes-path-to-power-169721">In divided UN, China quietly blazes </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-divided-un-china-quietly-blazes-path-to-power-169721">path</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-divided-un-china-quietly-blazes-path-to-power-169721"> to power</a>

Criticised by the White House for&nbsp;alleged interference in US politics, China has quietly blazed a path at the United Nations where it is, little by little, becoming one of the most influential members.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-economy-booms-as-elections-near-but-who-gets-credit-169720">US economy booms as elections near, but who gets credit?</a>

Forecasts point to solid chances that Democrats could wrest control of the House of Representatives away from Republicans, drastically shifting the political landscape in Washington.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-joint-statement-russia-reaffirms-unwavering-support-to-india-for-unsc-seat-169714">In </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-joint-statement-russia-reaffirms-unwavering-support-to-india-for-unsc-seat-169714">joint</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-joint-statement-russia-reaffirms-unwavering-support-to-india-for-unsc-seat-169714"> statement, Russia reaffirms 'unwavering support' to India for UNSC seat</a>

Russia reaffirmed its "unwavering support" to India for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council as both nations called for reform of the powerful UN organ to better reflect the current world order and make it more effective in dealing with emerging global challenges. 
&nbsp;

Backing from senators puts Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh on track for US Supreme Court President Donald Trump's nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, looked headed for a lifetime job on the US Supreme Court on Friday after two crucial senators said that sexual misconduct accusations against the judge would not prevent them from voting to confirm him.

Backing from senators puts Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh on track for US Supreme Court President Donald Trump's nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, looked headed for a lifetime job on the US Supreme Court on Friday after two crucial senators said that sexual misconduct accusations against the judge would not prevent them from voting to confirm him. India to keep buying oil from Iran despite US sanctions: Sources India will buy 9 million barrels of Iranian oil in November, two industry sources said, indicating the world's third-biggest oil importer will continue purchasing crude from the Islamic republic despite US sanctions coming into force on November 4. In divided UN, China quietly blazes path to power Criticised by the White House for alleged interference in US politics, China has quietly blazed a path at the United Nations where it is, little by little, becoming one of the most influential members. US economy booms as elections near, but who gets credit? Forecasts point to solid chances that Democrats could wrest control of the House of Representatives away from Republicans, drastically shifting the political landscape in Washington. In joint statement, Russia reaffirms 'unwavering support' to India for UNSC seat Russia reaffirmed its "unwavering support" to India for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council as both nations called for reform of the powerful UN organ to better reflect the current world order and make it more effective in dealing with emerging global challenges.

Control of the US Congress hangs in the balance in hard-fought midterm elections next month. And, even with a booming economy, the party in power does not have the wind at its back.

The lowest unemployment level in nearly 50 years has also not substantially lifted President Donald Trump's standing in opinion polls, and he remains among the least popular US leaders of the last 70 years.&nbsp;

Forecasts point to solid chances that Democrats could wrest control of the House of Representatives away from Republicans, drastically shifting the political landscape in Washington.

Below are some facts on the recent run of the world's largest economy.

How good is the economy?

Quite. By most measures, it is unusually strong. US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said last week the outlook was "remarkably positive." &nbsp;&nbsp;

GDP grew at a 4.2 per cent clip in the second quarter, the strongest in nearly four years and the fastest among advanced economies -- though it was helped by a few one-off factors that are unlikely to be replicated later in the year.

The last time the unemployment rate was this low -- 3.7 per cent -- president Richard Nixon was enacting tax reform and The Beatles were breaking up.&nbsp; 
Inflation is rising only slowly, but enough to eat into wages, which also are growing sluggishly.

Job creation through September has averaged 218,000 net new positions a month so far this year, the fastest rate since 2015.

Consumer and business confidence, as well as measures of services and manufacturing activity, are all at historically high levels.&nbsp;

But the housing sector, which can be a leading indicator in the economic cycle, appears in decline, with building and sales steadily weakening.

Wall Street also has been very happy for much of the past 20 months, repeatedly smashing records.

But economist Jared Bernstein, adviser to former Vice President Joe Biden, notes that prosperity has not been evenly shared.

Corporate after-tax profits rose 14.9 percent in the first six quarters of the Trump era, but mid-level hourly wages gained only 0.5 percent in the same period.

Credit to Trump or Obama ?

Economists caution against attributing economic performance, good or bad, solely to presidents.

Trump has forcefully claimed ownership for the current economy but it was former President Barack Obama who presided over most of the recovery.

"There's no question that there's a mixture of credit involved. President Obama took office during the worst downturn since the Great Depression," Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a Republican former director of the Congressional Budget Office, told AFP.

But Trump has slashed taxes and regulations to energize businesses, Holtz-Eakin said.

Following December's tax cuts and a big spending package enacted in February, the US economy does appear to be growing faster than it did in the prior two years -- for now -- and business investment picked up.

The International Monetary Fund in July forecast US growth of 2.9 per cent for 2018, which would match the expansion in 2015 under Obama.

But as unemployment has fallen and available workers have become scarce, job growth has actually slowed under Trump.

Since January 2017, the economy had added 3.9 million jobs. But in the final 21 months of Obama's presidency, there were 4.5 million net new positions created.

And, since peaking at 10 per cent in October 2009, the US unemployment rate has fallen 6.3 percentage points: 5.3 points of that was under Obama and just one under Trump.

What are the risks?

Predicting recessions is a notoriously difficult task. But economists say dangers to the US economy, and the odds of a downturn, are growing.

The trade war with China, America's largest trading partner, already is causing "chaos" for US electronics manufacturers, according to the Institute for Supply Management, with the hit to US supply chains likely to show up in economic data in the near future.

And there are no negotiations between Washington and Beijing currently scheduled.

As the Fed raises lending rates, there is a growing risk of popping an asset bubble created by years of easy money from the Fed -- and thus wiping out household wealth and tipping the economy into recession.

Economic contagion could also spread from emerging markets as they suffer capital flight, falling currency values and rising debt costs.

Record high global debt is a key risk flagged by the IMF, as it reached an all-time high of $182 trillion -- almost 60 per cent higher than in 2007.

Control of the US Congress hangs in the balance in hard-fought midterm elections next month. And, even with a booming economy, the party in power does not have the wind at its back.

Control of the US Congress hangs in the balance in hard-fought midterm elections next month. And, even with a booming economy, the party in power does not have the wind at its back. The lowest unemployment level in nearly 50 years has also not substantially lifted President Donald Trump's standing in opinion polls, and he remains among the least popular US leaders of the last 70 years. Forecasts point to solid chances that Democrats could wrest control of the House of Representatives away from Republicans, drastically shifting the political landscape in Washington. Below are some facts on the recent run of the world's largest economy. How good is the economy? Quite. By most measures, it is unusually strong. US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said last week the outlook was "remarkably positive." GDP grew at a 4.2 per cent clip in the second quarter, the strongest in nearly four years and the fastest among advanced economies -- though it was helped by a few one-off factors that are unlikely to be replicated later in the year. The last time the unemployment rate was this low -- 3.7 per cent -- president Richard Nixon was enacting tax reform and The Beatles were breaking up. Inflation is rising only slowly, but enough to eat into wages, which also are growing sluggishly. Job creation through September has averaged 218,000 net new positions a month so far this year, the fastest rate since 2015. Consumer and business confidence, as well as measures of services and manufacturing activity, are all at historically high levels. But the housing sector, which can be a leading indicator in the economic cycle, appears in decline, with building and sales steadily weakening. Wall Street also has been very happy for much of the past 20 months, repeatedly smashing records. But economist Jared Bernstein, adviser to former Vice President Joe Biden, notes that prosperity has not been evenly shared. Corporate after-tax profits rose 14.9 percent in the first six quarters of the Trump era, but mid-level hourly wages gained only 0.5 percent in the same period. Credit to Trump or Obama ? Economists caution against attributing economic performance, good or bad, solely to presidents. Trump has forcefully claimed ownership for the current economy but it was former President Barack Obama who presided over most of the recovery. "There's no question that there's a mixture of credit involved. President Obama took office during the worst downturn since the Great Depression," Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a Republican former director of the Congressional Budget Office, told AFP. But Trump has slashed taxes and regulations to energize businesses, Holtz-Eakin said. Following December's tax cuts and a big spending package enacted in February, the US economy does appear to be growing faster than it did in the prior two years -- for now -- and business investment picked up. The International Monetary Fund in July forecast US growth of 2.9 per cent for 2018, which would match the expansion in 2015 under Obama. But as unemployment has fallen and available workers have become scarce, job growth has actually slowed under Trump. Since January 2017, the economy had added 3.9 million jobs. But in the final 21 months of Obama's presidency, there were 4.5 million net new positions created. And, since peaking at 10 per cent in October 2009, the US unemployment rate has fallen 6.3 percentage points: 5.3 points of that was under Obama and just one under Trump. What are the risks? Predicting recessions is a notoriously difficult task. But economists say dangers to the US economy, and the odds of a downturn, are growing. The trade war with China, America's largest trading partner, already is causing "chaos" for US electronics manufacturers, according to the Institute for Supply Management, with the hit to US supply chains likely to show up in economic data in the near future. And there are no negotiations between Washington and Beijing currently scheduled. As the Fed raises lending rates, there is a growing risk of popping an asset bubble created by years of easy money from the Fed -- and thus wiping out household wealth and tipping the economy into recession. Economic contagion could also spread from emerging markets as they suffer capital flight, falling currency values and rising debt costs. Record high global debt is a key risk flagged by the IMF, as it reached an all-time high of $182 trillion -- almost 60 per cent higher than in 2007.

US economy booms as elections near, but who gets credit?

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