After the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-stock-exchange-tumbles-post-increase-in-price-for-steel-aluminium-export-34463">US president announced steep tariff duty</a> on steel amid global criticism, Trump in an early morning tweet said &quot;trade wars are good&quot;, and easy to win.

On Thursday,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-impose-tariffs-on-steel-aluminium-imports-34459"> the US administration had announced </a>tariff up to 25 percent on the steel exports, as a result, the US stock markets fell dramatically with the S&amp;P 500 falling 1.3 per cent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1.7 per cent.

However, in the tweet President Trump said: &quot;When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win.&quot;

The US president&#39;s move was roundly condemned by leaders worldwide. Canada, the next door neighbour, said it will retaliate against any US tariffs on steel and aluminium products.

However, Trump refused to take a step back, tweeting today: &quot;Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don&rsquo;t trade anymore-we win big. It&rsquo;s easy!&quot;

Russia said it was &quot;concerned&quot; by US President&#39;s decision to impose steep tariffs on steel, and Germany &quot;rejected&quot; the move outright.

&quot;The federal government rejects such tariffs... the problem of global overcapacity in the steel and aluminium sectors cannot be solved by this unilateral measure from the United States,&quot; Germany said.

German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel said the European Union must respond &quot;with determination&quot; to US President Donald Trump.

Russia said it was "concerned" by US President's decision to impose steep tariffs on steel, and Germany "rejected" the move outright.

After the US president announced steep tariff duty on steel amid global criticism, Trump in an early morning tweet said "trade wars are good", and easy to win. On Thursday, the US administration had announced tariff up to 25 percent on the steel exports, as a result, the US stock markets fell dramatically with the S&P 500 falling 1.3 per cent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1.7 per cent. However, in the tweet President Trump said: "When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win." The US president's move was roundly condemned by leaders worldwide. Canada, the next door neighbour, said it will retaliate against any US tariffs on steel and aluminium products. However, Trump refused to take a step back, tweeting today: "Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don’t trade anymore-we win big. It’s easy!" Russia said it was "concerned" by US President's decision to impose steep tariffs on steel, and Germany "rejected" the move outright. "The federal government rejects such tariffs... the problem of global overcapacity in the steel and aluminium sectors cannot be solved by this unilateral measure from the United States," Germany said. German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel said the European Union must respond "with determination" to US President Donald Trump.

Trade wars are good and easy to win: Trump

US President Donald Trump plans to discuss gun legislation with lawmakers this week, the White House said Monday, and he told governors not to worry about the National Rifle Association as they mull responses to the massacre of 17 people at a Florida high school.

&quot;Don`t worry about the NRA. They`re on our side,&quot; Trump told more than 35 governors, including Rick Scott of Florida, during a White House meeting. &quot;If they`re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That`s OK. They`re doing what they think is right.&quot;

The February 14 massacre of students and educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, by a gunman with a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle reignited the nation`s long-running debate over gun rights.&nbsp;

Trump, a Republican who backed gun rights during and since his 2016 presidential campaign, has been under pressure to show he is responding without alienating Republicans who oppose restrictions on gun rights. He plans to meet with lawmakers from both parties on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at a news briefing.

Trump, who had lunch with senior NRA officials on Sunday, on Monday repeated his suggestion that arming teachers could help stop more rampages. He did not mention raising the legal age to buy assault rifles to 21, an idea he emphasised last week and one that Florida`s Scott, also a Republican, backed after the rampage.

The NRA could not be reached for immediate comment.

Investigators said this month`s assault was carried out by Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at the high school, with a legally purchased AR-15 assault weapon.

The shooting has rattled long-drawn political lines on gun rights in the United States, where Republican officials have often opposed any efforts to tighten gun ownership rules, partly out of concern about retribution by the powerful NRA.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, told Trump that teachers in his state do not want to carry weapons.

&quot;I have listened to the first-grade teachers who don`t want to be pistol-packing first-grade teachers,&quot; Inslee said. &quot;Let`s just take that off the table and move forward.&quot;

But Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said more than 100 school districts in his state have trained teachers and other staff to carry a weapon and respond to attacks.

&quot;Some school districts, they promote it,&quot; Abbott said. &quot;They will have signs out front, a warning sign, `Be aware there are armed personnel on campus.`&quot;

Florida plans to invest $500 million to have a significant law enforcement presence in every public school in the state, Scott told the White House meeting.

Trump says would have run in

Trump criticised the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting.

An armed school resource officer stationed at the school stayed outside during the attack, and has since resigned. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has been criticised for his department`s response to the shooting.

&quot;The way they performed was, frankly, disgusting,&quot; Trump said, adding that he believed that if he were in the same situation, he would have run into the school &quot;even if I didn`t have a weapon.&quot;

The businessman-turned-politician avoided military service during the Vietnam War through student and medical deferments.

He has called the school resource officer, Scot Peterson, a &quot;coward.&quot;

An attorney for Peterson defended his actions in a statement, saying he had remained outside because he believed the gunfire was occurring outside the school.

&quot;Allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue,&quot; attorney Joseph DiRuzzo said in a statement.

Trump has said he plans to limit sales of &quot;bump stocks,&quot; which can modify a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle to fire at high rates of speed akin to a machine gun. Fully automatic machine guns are largely banned under US law.

The NRA has pushed back against that idea, saying it would impinge on the rights of law-abiding gun owners while having no effect on public safety.

A gunman in Las Vegas last year used assault rifles equipped with bump stocks to kill 58 people in the deadliest attack by a single shooter in US history. Bump stocks have not played a prominent role in other recent US mass shootings.

'Don`t worry about the NRA. They`re on our side,' Trump told more than 35 governors during a White House meeting. 'If they`re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That`s OK. They`re doing what they think is right'

US President Donald Trump plans to discuss gun legislation with lawmakers this week, the White House said Monday, and he told governors not to worry about the National Rifle Association as they mull responses to the massacre of 17 people at a Florida high school. "Don`t worry about the NRA. They`re on our side," Trump told more than 35 governors, including Rick Scott of Florida, during a White House meeting. "If they`re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That`s OK. They`re doing what they think is right." The February 14 massacre of students and educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, by a gunman with a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle reignited the nation`s long-running debate over gun rights. Trump, a Republican who backed gun rights during and since his 2016 presidential campaign, has been under pressure to show he is responding without alienating Republicans who oppose restrictions on gun rights. He plans to meet with lawmakers from both parties on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at a news briefing. Trump, who had lunch with senior NRA officials on Sunday, on Monday repeated his suggestion that arming teachers could help stop more rampages. He did not mention raising the legal age to buy assault rifles to 21, an idea he emphasised last week and one that Florida`s Scott, also a Republican, backed after the rampage. The NRA could not be reached for immediate comment. Investigators said this month`s assault was carried out by Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at the high school, with a legally purchased AR-15 assault weapon. The shooting has rattled long-drawn political lines on gun rights in the United States, where Republican officials have often opposed any efforts to tighten gun ownership rules, partly out of concern about retribution by the powerful NRA. Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, told Trump that teachers in his state do not want to carry weapons. "I have listened to the first-grade teachers who don`t want to be pistol-packing first-grade teachers," Inslee said. "Let`s just take that off the table and move forward." But Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said more than 100 school districts in his state have trained teachers and other staff to carry a weapon and respond to attacks. "Some school districts, they promote it," Abbott said. "They will have signs out front, a warning sign, `Be aware there are armed personnel on campus.`" Florida plans to invest $500 million to have a significant law enforcement presence in every public school in the state, Scott told the White House meeting. Trump says would have run in Trump criticised the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting. An armed school resource officer stationed at the school stayed outside during the attack, and has since resigned. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has been criticised for his department`s response to the shooting. "The way they performed was, frankly, disgusting," Trump said, adding that he believed that if he were in the same situation, he would have run into the school "even if I didn`t have a weapon." The businessman-turned-politician avoided military service during the Vietnam War through student and medical deferments. He has called the school resource officer, Scot Peterson, a "coward." An attorney for Peterson defended his actions in a statement, saying he had remained outside because he believed the gunfire was occurring outside the school. "Allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue," attorney Joseph DiRuzzo said in a statement. Trump has said he plans to limit sales of "bump stocks," which can modify a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle to fire at high rates of speed akin to a machine gun. Fully automatic machine guns are largely banned under US law. The NRA has pushed back against that idea, saying it would impinge on the rights of law-abiding gun owners while having no effect on public safety. A gunman in Las Vegas last year used assault rifles equipped with bump stocks to kill 58 people in the deadliest attack by a single shooter in US history. Bump stocks have not played a prominent role in other recent US mass shootings.

Trump plans to discuss gun legislation with lawmakers, says NRA 'on our side'

US President Donald Trump has said that ties with China have improved, but also warned that the relationship could be derailed over trade disputes as Beijing is &quot;absolutely killing us&quot; on this.

The Trump administration has threatened tough action against China including punitive tariffs, sanctions and even a trade war.

Tensions have escalated between Beijing and Washington in recent months, with China reporting a record $275.8 billion trade surplus with the US, contrary to Trump&#39;s goal to narrow the US trade deficit with China.

&quot;I have to say, we&#39;ve developed a great relationship with China, other than the fact that they&#39;ve been killing us on trade for the last long period of time... killing us, absolutely killing the United States on trade. But we have developed a great relationship with China; probably closer than we&#39;ve ever had,&quot; Trump told reporters at a joint White House news conference.

Trump said his personal relationship with President Xi Jinping is quite extraordinary.

&quot;He&#39;s somebody that I like and I think he likes me. With that being said, he likes China and I like the United States. But a lot of things are happening. It&#39;s going to be a very interesting period of time,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

But his administration, he asserted, has to straighten out the trade imbalance with China, he said. &quot;So much (trade imbalance), it&#39;s no good,&quot; he said.

China, he conceded, is tough and getting stronger. &quot;They&#39;re getting stronger, to a large extent, with a lot of the money they&#39;ve made from having poor leadership in the US, because the US leadership has allowed them to get away with murder,&quot; he said.

&quot;With that being said, I think we can have a truly great, even trading relationship with China. Hopefully, that&#39;s going to work out. And hopefully, the relationship I have with President Xi will make that happen. Only time will tell,&quot; he noted.

According to Trump, trade is the only thing that comes between having a better relationship with China.

&quot;The only thing that can get in its way is the trade because it&#39;s so one-sided, it&#39;s so lopsided. And the people that stood here for many years, in this position, right where I am right now, should never have allowed that to happen. It&#39;s very unfair to the United States, and it&#39;s very unfair to the workers of the United States. Very, very unfair,&quot; he rued.&nbsp;

&quot;Even today, it&#39;s extremely hard for companies that want to do business in China, because the barriers are incredible, whereas the barriers coming into our country are foolishly not. Foolishly. I believe in reciprocal trade. If they do something to us, we do something to them,&quot; he said.

&quot;Well, that never happened, and it&#39;s gotten worse and worse over the years. But we&#39;ll correct it. That can be the only thing that can get in the way of a truly long-term great relationship. Because we have all the ingredients for friendship,&quot; said the US President.

The US Commerce Department recently recommended imposing heavy tariffs on China and other countries to counter a global glut in steel and aluminium.

Beijing has warned it could take retaliatory action if necessary.&nbsp;

China reporting a record $275.8 billion trade surplus with the US, contrary to Trump's goal to narrow the US trade deficit with China

US President Donald Trump has said that ties with China have improved, but also warned that the relationship could be derailed over trade disputes as Beijing is "absolutely killing us" on this. The Trump administration has threatened tough action against China including punitive tariffs, sanctions and even a trade war. Tensions have escalated between Beijing and Washington in recent months, with China reporting a record $275.8 billion trade surplus with the US, contrary to Trump's goal to narrow the US trade deficit with China. "I have to say, we've developed a great relationship with China, other than the fact that they've been killing us on trade for the last long period of time... killing us, absolutely killing the United States on trade. But we have developed a great relationship with China; probably closer than we've ever had," Trump told reporters at a joint White House news conference. Trump said his personal relationship with President Xi Jinping is quite extraordinary. "He's somebody that I like and I think he likes me. With that being said, he likes China and I like the United States. But a lot of things are happening. It's going to be a very interesting period of time," he said. But his administration, he asserted, has to straighten out the trade imbalance with China, he said. "So much (trade imbalance), it's no good," he said. China, he conceded, is tough and getting stronger. "They're getting stronger, to a large extent, with a lot of the money they've made from having poor leadership in the US, because the US leadership has allowed them to get away with murder," he said. "With that being said, I think we can have a truly great, even trading relationship with China. Hopefully, that's going to work out. And hopefully, the relationship I have with President Xi will make that happen. Only time will tell," he noted. According to Trump, trade is the only thing that comes between having a better relationship with China. "The only thing that can get in its way is the trade because it's so one-sided, it's so lopsided. And the people that stood here for many years, in this position, right where I am right now, should never have allowed that to happen. It's very unfair to the United States, and it's very unfair to the workers of the United States. Very, very unfair," he rued. "Even today, it's extremely hard for companies that want to do business in China, because the barriers are incredible, whereas the barriers coming into our country are foolishly not. Foolishly. I believe in reciprocal trade. If they do something to us, we do something to them," he said. "Well, that never happened, and it's gotten worse and worse over the years. But we'll correct it. That can be the only thing that can get in the way of a truly long-term great relationship. Because we have all the ingredients for friendship," said the US President. The US Commerce Department recently recommended imposing heavy tariffs on China and other countries to counter a global glut in steel and aluminium. Beijing has warned it could take retaliatory action if necessary.

China absolutely killing US on trade says US president Trump

US president Donald Trump <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korean-president-willing-to-hold-summit-with-kim-jong-un-29072">sidestepped the recent North, South Korean</a> peace moves at the Winter Olympics and unveiled the largest-ever sanctions on Kim Jong Un&#39;s regime.

Trump outlined sanctions against 56 entities linked to North Korea.

&quot;Today I am announcing that we are launching the largest-ever set of new sanctions on the North Korean regime,&quot;&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said.

The US president said the Treasury Department will soon take action to further cut off sources of &quot;revenue and fuel&quot; that North Korea uses to fund its nuclear program and sustain its military.

Trump said the effort will target more than 50 &quot;vessels, shipping companies, and trade businesses that are assisting North Korea in evading sanctions.&quot;

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin confirmed the sanctions covered &quot;virtually all the ships&quot; North Korea is &quot;using at this moment in time.&quot;

US vice president Mike Pence on a visit to Japan recently had hinted about the&nbsp;sanctions which the US president has now put into effect.

The&nbsp;president&#39;s decision comes even as his daughter Ivanka is in South Korea for the Winter Olympics.

Trump&#39;s sanctions comes&nbsp;as tension in the Korean peninsula has cooled in recent weeks after North Korea decided to send a delegation for the Winter Olympics and took part in a joint ice skating team with its neighbour.

North Korea leader&#39;s sister Kim Yo Jong visited South Korea for the opening ceremony of the Winter Game at Pyeongchang which was closely followed worldwide, after a series of nuclear tests over the past several months by Kim had severely dented&nbsp;relations between the two nations.

The president's decision comes even as his daughter Ivanka is in South Korea for the Winter Olympics.

US president Donald Trump sidestepped the recent North, South Korean peace moves at the Winter Olympics and unveiled the largest-ever sanctions on Kim Jong Un's regime. Trump outlined sanctions against 56 entities linked to North Korea. "Today I am announcing that we are launching the largest-ever set of new sanctions on the North Korean regime," Trump said. The US president said the Treasury Department will soon take action to further cut off sources of "revenue and fuel" that North Korea uses to fund its nuclear program and sustain its military. Trump said the effort will target more than 50 "vessels, shipping companies, and trade businesses that are assisting North Korea in evading sanctions." Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin confirmed the sanctions covered "virtually all the ships" North Korea is "using at this moment in time." US vice president Mike Pence on a visit to Japan recently had hinted about the sanctions which the US president has now put into effect. The president's decision comes even as his daughter Ivanka is in South Korea for the Winter Olympics. Trump's sanctions comes as tension in the Korean peninsula has cooled in recent weeks after North Korea decided to send a delegation for the Winter Olympics and took part in a joint ice skating team with its neighbour. North Korea leader's sister Kim Yo Jong visited South Korea for the opening ceremony of the Winter Game at Pyeongchang which was closely followed worldwide, after a series of nuclear tests over the past several months by Kim had severely dented relations between the two nations.

Trump unveils 'largest-ever' sanctions against North Korea, targets fuel & shipping

US President Donald Trump said on Friday (February 23) the armed deputy assigned to the Florida high school where 17 people were shot dead did a &quot;poor job&quot; not confronting the gunman.

&quot;He was there for five minutes, for five minutes. That was during the entire shooting. He heard it right at the beginning. So he certainly did a poor job. But that&#39;s a case where somebody was outside, they&#39;re trained, but they didn&#39;t react properly under pressure or they were a coward. It was a real shock to the police department,&quot; Trump told reporters on the White House lawn.

Deputy Scot Peterson resigned after an internal investigation showed he failed to enter the school to confront the gunman during the attack, according to the county sheriff.

Peterson, who was on duty and in uniform as the resource officer posted at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was the only law enforcement officer present on February 14 when the rampage started.

Peterson&#39;s actions were caught on video during the massacre, which ranks as the second-deadliest shooting ever at a U.S. public school, carried out by a lone gunman wielding a semiautomatic AR-15-style assault rifle.

Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student, was later arrested and charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder in the assault.

&quot;This has been going on for a long time, many years, decades, and we&#39;re going to get it fixed. But the only way you&#39;re going to get it fixed is you have to have a certain degree of offensive power within the school. It can&#39;t only be defense. You have to have protection within the schools. And we&#39;re going to work it out,&quot; Trump said.

 
&nbsp;

Deputy Scot Peterson resigned after an internal investigation showed he failed to enter the school to confront the gunman during the attack, according to the county sheriff

US President Donald Trump said on Friday (February 23) the armed deputy assigned to the Florida high school where 17 people were shot dead did a "poor job" not confronting the gunman. "He was there for five minutes, for five minutes. That was during the entire shooting. He heard it right at the beginning. So he certainly did a poor job. But that's a case where somebody was outside, they're trained, but they didn't react properly under pressure or they were a coward. It was a real shock to the police department," Trump told reporters on the White House lawn. Deputy Scot Peterson resigned after an internal investigation showed he failed to enter the school to confront the gunman during the attack, according to the county sheriff. Peterson, who was on duty and in uniform as the resource officer posted at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was the only law enforcement officer present on February 14 when the rampage started. Peterson's actions were caught on video during the massacre, which ranks as the second-deadliest shooting ever at a U.S. public school, carried out by a lone gunman wielding a semiautomatic AR-15-style assault rifle. Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student, was later arrested and charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder in the assault. "This has been going on for a long time, many years, decades, and we're going to get it fixed. But the only way you're going to get it fixed is you have to have a certain degree of offensive power within the school. It can't only be defense. You have to have protection within the schools. And we're going to work it out," Trump said.

Armed deputy did 'poor job' not confronting Florida school gunman: Trump

America&#39;s bilateral trade deficit with four major countries, including India, narrowed in the first three quarters of 2017 as compared to the previous year, the US administration said in a report according to which India&#39;s growth has slowed due to the effects of its structural economic reforms.

The Economic Report of the President (ERP) that shows a path for continued growth and paints a rosy picture for the American economy, alleges that countries, including India and Brazil - both GATT signatories since 1948 - have been far less open, preserving high bound rates and avoiding universal binding coverage.

&quot;Growth in India has slowed due to the effects of its structural economic reforms. India&#39;s demonetisation of large-denomination notes in November 2016 invalidated 86 per cent of the cash in circulation in an economy where more than 90 per cent of transactions were cash-based,&quot; it said.

&quot;The introduction in July 2017 of a single, country-wide sales tax replaced a vast number of different state and local tax rates, and has created short-term uncertainty,&quot; the report noted. 
The report expressed concern over increasing share of non-performing loans (NPLs) in India&#39;s banking sector, which it said poses further risks.

According to country-sourced statistics provided to the IMF, NPLs as a share of all loans in India stood at 9.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2017, compared with 1.7 per cent in China (IMF 2017).

&quot;NPLs have increased at an alarming rate in recent years, with the current NPL slippage ratio in India almost double that in FY 2014/15 (IMF 2017b). Public sector banks, with the State Bank of India as a leading example, account for the lion&#39;s share of NPLs in the banking sector,&quot; it said.

The Reserve Bank of India predicts that gross NPLs as a proportion of all loans will increase to 10.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, and to 11. 1 per cent by September 2018.

&quot;However, the stress of India&#39;s banking sector may be ameliorated in the future, given that the government recently announced a $ 32.4 billion package to recapitalise publicly- owned banks,&quot; the report said.

Noting that India has been the most frequent user of anti-dumping measures, the White House said delays in the approval of agricultural products derived from biotechnology in China, the EU, India, and other countries result in increased market uncertainty among technology providers, farmers, and traders of US corn, soy, cotton, and alfalfa&mdash;leading to reduced exports of these products.

The Trump administration also blamed India for not implementing the WTO ruling on poultry.

&quot;India has failed to revise its requirements for poultry in a manner that would allow for US imports, and the case continues to be litigated in the WTO,&quot; it said.

&quot;Since 2007, India has restricted various US agricultural products, including poultry meat, eggs, and live pigs, supposedly to prevent the entry of avian influenza into India,&quot; the report said.

The US has maintained that no scientific basis supports the ban.

In March 2012, the US initiated a WTO dispute by requesting consultations with India.

In emerging and developing economies, such as Brazil, China, India, Russia, and certain other countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, strengthening the external environment continues to help output growth recover.

&quot;There are, however, certain risks to future growth. As monetary policy normalises with higher interest rates in advanced economies, emerging and developing economies could face an outflow of capital,&quot; it said.

&quot;Financial stability risks are also increasing due to the increase in nonperforming loans on the private sector balance sheets of two of the biggest and fastest-growing emerging market economies - China and India.

Credit growth in China has arguably also become excessive, as it continues to shift from growth led by exports and investment to an economy led by internal demand,&quot; it said.&nbsp;

'Growth in India has slowed due to the effects of its structural economic reforms. India's demonetisation of large-denomination notes in November 2016 invalidated 86 per cent of the cash in circulation in an economy where more than 90 per cent of transactions were cash-based, Economic Report said

America's bilateral trade deficit with four major countries, including India, narrowed in the first three quarters of 2017 as compared to the previous year, the US administration said in a report according to which India's growth has slowed due to the effects of its structural economic reforms. The Economic Report of the President (ERP) that shows a path for continued growth and paints a rosy picture for the American economy, alleges that countries, including India and Brazil - both GATT signatories since 1948 - have been far less open, preserving high bound rates and avoiding universal binding coverage. "Growth in India has slowed due to the effects of its structural economic reforms. India's demonetisation of large-denomination notes in November 2016 invalidated 86 per cent of the cash in circulation in an economy where more than 90 per cent of transactions were cash-based," it said. "The introduction in July 2017 of a single, country-wide sales tax replaced a vast number of different state and local tax rates, and has created short-term uncertainty," the report noted. The report expressed concern over increasing share of non-performing loans (NPLs) in India's banking sector, which it said poses further risks. According to country-sourced statistics provided to the IMF, NPLs as a share of all loans in India stood at 9.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2017, compared with 1.7 per cent in China (IMF 2017). "NPLs have increased at an alarming rate in recent years, with the current NPL slippage ratio in India almost double that in FY 2014/15 (IMF 2017b). Public sector banks, with the State Bank of India as a leading example, account for the lion's share of NPLs in the banking sector," it said. The Reserve Bank of India predicts that gross NPLs as a proportion of all loans will increase to 10.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, and to 11. 1 per cent by September 2018. "However, the stress of India's banking sector may be ameliorated in the future, given that the government recently announced a $ 32.4 billion package to recapitalise publicly- owned banks," the report said. Noting that India has been the most frequent user of anti-dumping measures, the White House said delays in the approval of agricultural products derived from biotechnology in China, the EU, India, and other countries result in increased market uncertainty among technology providers, farmers, and traders of US corn, soy, cotton, and alfalfa—leading to reduced exports of these products. The Trump administration also blamed India for not implementing the WTO ruling on poultry. "India has failed to revise its requirements for poultry in a manner that would allow for US imports, and the case continues to be litigated in the WTO," it said. "Since 2007, India has restricted various US agricultural products, including poultry meat, eggs, and live pigs, supposedly to prevent the entry of avian influenza into India," the report said. The US has maintained that no scientific basis supports the ban. In March 2012, the US initiated a WTO dispute by requesting consultations with India. In emerging and developing economies, such as Brazil, China, India, Russia, and certain other countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, strengthening the external environment continues to help output growth recover. "There are, however, certain risks to future growth. As monetary policy normalises with higher interest rates in advanced economies, emerging and developing economies could face an outflow of capital," it said. "Financial stability risks are also increasing due to the increase in nonperforming loans on the private sector balance sheets of two of the biggest and fastest-growing emerging market economies - China and India. Credit growth in China has arguably also become excessive, as it continues to shift from growth led by exports and investment to an economy led by internal demand," it said.

India's growth slowed due to demonetisation, GST: USA

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President Trump today denied that he said teachers should be given guns to protect students from shooters. &quot;I never said give teachers guns,&quot; the president tweeted.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-saudi-arabia-turkey-blocked-us-move-to-place-pak-on-terror-financing-watch-list-report-33707" target="_blank">China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey blocked </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-saudi-arabia-turkey-blocked-us-move-to-place-pak-on-terror-financing-watch-list-report-33707" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-saudi-arabia-turkey-blocked-us-move-to-place-pak-on-terror-financing-watch-list-report-33707" target="_blank"> move to place Pak on terror-financing watch list: Report</a>

A report in the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) said three countries -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-moves-motion-to-place-pakistan-on-a-global-terrorist-financing-watchlist-at-fatf-32787">China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey</a>&nbsp;blocked the US efforts to place Pakistan on the &nbsp;Financial Action Task Force(FATF) watchlist.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-on-modernisation-path-under-general-bajwa-33721" target="_blank">Pak army on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-on-modernisation-path-under-general-bajwa-33721" target="_blank">modernisation</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-on-modernisation-path-under-general-bajwa-33721" target="_blank"> path under General Bajwa</a>

Pakistan Army has formulated a training policy for next three years starting from July 1st, 2017. The latest move is being seen as Pakistan&#39;s attempt to create a territorial army.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-chief-secretary-assault-case-aap-mlas-sent-to-judicial-custody-for-14-days-33728" target="_blank">Delhi Chief Secretary assault </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-chief-secretary-assault-case-aap-mlas-sent-to-judicial-custody-for-14-days-33728" target="_blank">case :</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-chief-secretary-assault-case-aap-mlas-sent-to-judicial-custody-for-14-days-33728" target="_blank"> AAP MLAs sent to judicial custody for 14 days</a>

Canadian MP Randeep Sarai takes responsibility for inviting Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal to India As the controversy over invitation to Punjab pro-Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal continued, the ministry of external affairs(MEA) said it was seeking information on how a visa was granted to Atwal. 'I never said give guns to teachers,' says Trump President Trump today denied that he said teachers should be given guns to protect students from shooters. "I never said give teachers guns," the president tweeted. China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey blocked US move to place Pak on terror-financing watch list: Report A report in the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) said three countries - China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey blocked the US efforts to place Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force(FATF) watchlist. Pak army on modernisation path under General Bajwa Pakistan Army has formulated a training policy for next three years starting from July 1st, 2017. The latest move is being seen as Pakistan's attempt to create a territorial army. Delhi Chief Secretary assault case : AAP MLAs sent to judicial custody for 14 days

WION Evening news brief, February 22, 2018

President Trump today denied that he said teachers should be given guns to protect students from shooters.

&quot;I never said give teachers guns,&quot; the president tweeted.

Trump was endorsed by the &nbsp;National Rifle Association(NRA) during the 2016 presidential campaign. He is seen by many in the United States as a &quot;pro-gun&quot; president who has close ties with the gun association. Students last week blasted Trump&#39;s alleged links with gun lobbyists after the attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in which 17 people were killed.

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I never said &ldquo;give teachers guns&rdquo; like was stated on Fake News <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/nbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBC</a>. What I said was to look at the possibility of giving &ldquo;concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience - only the best. 20% of teachers, a lot, would now be able to
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/966650397002813440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The US president added: &quot;What I said was to look at the possibility of giving &ldquo;concealed guns&quot; to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience.&quot;

&quot;only the best, 20 per cent teachers,&quot; he added.

&quot;Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards. Far more assets at much less cost than guards. A &ldquo;gun free&rdquo; school is a magnet for bad people,&quot; the President said on Twitter.

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....immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions. Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this. Far more assets at much less cost than guards. A &ldquo;gun free&rdquo; school is a magnet for bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/966653833047887874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The US Constitution protects the right of Americans to bear arms, a right fiercely defended by Republicans.

&quot;ATTACKS WOULD END!,&quot; the president tweeted in the end.

Students last week blasted Trump's alleged links with gun lobbyists

President Trump today denied that he said teachers should be given guns to protect students from shooters. "I never said give teachers guns," the president tweeted. Trump was endorsed by the National Rifle Association(NRA) during the 2016 presidential campaign. He is seen by many in the United States as a "pro-gun" president who has close ties with the gun association. Students last week blasted Trump's alleged links with gun lobbyists after the attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in which 17 people were killed. I never said “give teachers guns” like was stated on Fake News @CNN & @NBC. What I said was to look at the possibility of giving “concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience - only the best. 20% of teachers, a lot, would now be able to — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018 × The US president added: "What I said was to look at the possibility of giving “concealed guns" to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience." "only the best, 20 per cent teachers," he added. "Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards. Far more assets at much less cost than guards. A “gun free” school is a magnet for bad people," the President said on Twitter. ....immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions. Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this. Far more assets at much less cost than guards. A “gun free” school is a magnet for bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018 × The US Constitution protects the right of Americans to bear arms, a right fiercely defended by Republicans. "ATTACKS WOULD END!," the president tweeted in the end.

'I never said give guns to teachers,' tweets Trump

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-33554">Kamal Haasan to launch political party </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-33554">today,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-33554"> invites people to &#39;create a new era&#39;</a>

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has invited people to &#39;create a new era&#39; even as he gears up to launch his political party on Wednesday in Madurai.&nbsp;

Haasan began his political journey from the house of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Hours before launching his political party, he visited the residence of Kalam and interacted with his family members.

The actor will take out a rally from the house of Kalam at Rameswaram, culminating in Madurai where he will address a rally to announce the party&rsquo;s name and launch its flag.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-cs-assault-case-police-detains-aap-mla-prakash-jarwal-33546">Delhi Chief Secretary assault case: Police detain AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal</a>

AAP legislator Prakash Jarwal was detained last night in connection with the alleged assault on the Delhi chief secretary at the chief minister&#39;s residence, police said.

He was picked up from his house at Deoli and detained. There is a possibility he will be arrested later, sources said.

Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash has alleged that he was assaulted by AAP MLAs Amantullah Khan and others during a meeting at the Chief Minister&#39;s residence on Monday night.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-dated-bushra-when-i-was-still-his-wife-reham-khan-33552">Imran dated Bushra while I was still his wife: Reham Khan</a>

&quot;Imran dated Bushra when I was his wife,&quot; said Reham Khan, the second wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan.

Imran Khan, 65, tied the knot with Bushra Maneka in a private ceremony in Lahore on Sunday.

In an interview with The Times, Reham alleged that her ex-husband knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during her short-lived marriage with the former cricketer-turned-politician.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-backs-ban-on-bump-stocks-on-semi-automatic-weapons-33551">Trump backs ban on &#39;bump stocks&#39; on semi-automatic weapons</a>

Faced with an outpouring of grief and anger over a deadly school shooting in Florida, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threw his support behind moves to ban &quot;bump stocks&quot; -- an accessory that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one.

Trump also said school safety was a &quot;top priority&quot; for his administration and he would be holding meetings on the subject this week and also next week, when he holds talks with governors from all 50 US states.

Calls to ban bump stocks have been mounting since Stephen Paddock, a retired accountant, used them on several of his weapons to kill 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas in October 2017 in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-cancels-planned-meeting-with-us-vp-pence-33543">Secret Pence, North Korea meeting planned, then scrapped</a>

US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un&#39;s sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics this month but the North Koreans cancelled at the last minute, US officials said on Tuesday.

&quot;North Korea dangled a meeting in hopes of the Vice President softening his message, which would have ceded the world stage for their propaganda during the Olympics,&quot; Pence&#39;s chief of staff, Nick Ayers, said in a statement.

But after Pence condemned North Korean human rights abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions, &quot;they walked away from a meeting or perhaps they were never sincere about sitting down,&quot; Ayers said. 
&nbsp;

Kamal Haasan to launch political party today, invites people to 'create a new era' Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has invited people to 'create a new era' even as he gears up to launch his political party on Wednesday in Madurai. Haasan began his political journey from the house of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Hours before launching his political party, he visited the residence of Kalam and interacted with his family members. The actor will take out a rally from the house of Kalam at Rameswaram, culminating in Madurai where he will address a rally to announce the party’s name and launch its flag. Delhi Chief Secretary assault case: Police detain AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal AAP legislator Prakash Jarwal was detained last night in connection with the alleged assault on the Delhi chief secretary at the chief minister's residence, police said. He was picked up from his house at Deoli and detained. There is a possibility he will be arrested later, sources said. Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash has alleged that he was assaulted by AAP MLAs Amantullah Khan and others during a meeting at the Chief Minister's residence on Monday night. Imran dated Bushra while I was still his wife: Reham Khan "Imran dated Bushra when I was his wife," said Reham Khan, the second wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan. Imran Khan, 65, tied the knot with Bushra Maneka in a private ceremony in Lahore on Sunday. In an interview with The Times, Reham alleged that her ex-husband knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during her short-lived marriage with the former cricketer-turned-politician. Trump backs ban on 'bump stocks' on semi-automatic weapons Faced with an outpouring of grief and anger over a deadly school shooting in Florida, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threw his support behind moves to ban "bump stocks" -- an accessory that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one. Trump also said school safety was a "top priority" for his administration and he would be holding meetings on the subject this week and also next week, when he holds talks with governors from all 50 US states. Calls to ban bump stocks have been mounting since Stephen Paddock, a retired accountant, used them on several of his weapons to kill 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas in October 2017 in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history. Secret Pence, North Korea meeting planned, then scrapped US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un's sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics this month but the North Koreans cancelled at the last minute, US officials said on Tuesday. "North Korea dangled a meeting in hopes of the Vice President softening his message, which would have ceded the world stage for their propaganda during the Olympics," Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, said in a statement. But after Pence condemned North Korean human rights abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions, "they walked away from a meeting or perhaps they were never sincere about sitting down," Ayers said.

WION News brief, February 21, 2018

Faced with an outpouring of grief and anger over a deadly school shooting in Florida, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threw his support behind moves to ban &quot;bump stocks&quot; -- an accessory that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one.

Trump also said school safety was a &quot;top priority&quot; for his administration and he would be holding meetings on the subject this week and also next week, when he holds talks with governors from all 50 US states.

Calls to ban bump stocks have been mounting since Stephen Paddock, a retired accountant, used them on several of his weapons to kill 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas in October 2017 in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history.

Although the former student who shot dead 17 people in Florida last week did not have bump stocks on his gun, there has been a renewed focus on the devices because outlawing them is a rare point of agreement between Democrats, some Republicans and the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby.

Dozens of shooting survivors plan to speak with lawmakers about gun control and school safety Wednesday at the state Capitol in Tallahassee.

Florida House rejects ban on assault weapons

Less than a week after the shooting, the Florida state House of Representatives rejected a ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines in a 36-71 vote, during a session that opened with a prayer for the people killed in the tragedy.

Trump -- who received strong backing from the NRA during his White House run -- said he had signed a memorandum &quot;directing the attorney general to propose regulations to ban all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns.&quot;&nbsp;

He said he expected them to be finalised &quot;very soon.&quot;

&quot;We cannot merely take actions that make us feel like we are making a difference,&quot; Trump said at a White House event to honour 12 Americans for heroism. &quot;We must actually make a difference.

&quot;We must move past cliches and tired debates and focus on evidence-based solutions and security measures that actually work,&quot; he said. &quot;We must do more to protect our children.&quot;

Trump said he would meet this week with students, local leaders, and members of law enforcement to develop &quot;concrete steps&quot; to &quot;secure our schools, safeguard our students, and protect our communities.&quot;

&quot;This includes implementing common sense security measures and addressing mental health issues,&quot; he said, &quot;including better coordination between federal and state law enforcement to take swift action when there are warning signs.&quot;

Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, had a history of troubling behaviour and a person close to him warned the FBI five weeks before the shooting that he was a threat -- but no action was taken.

Parkland students take action 
 
Cruz legally bought the gun he used in the attack -- &nbsp;an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle -- and the White House said it would consider options to raise the age for such purchases.

&quot;I think that&#39;s certainly something that&#39;s on the table for us to discuss and that we expect to come up over the next couple of weeks,&quot; spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters.

About 100 students at the Parkland high school where the shooting took place on February 14 were meanwhile heading to Tallahassee, the Florida state capital, to call for stricter gun control at a rally Wednesday.

Many of the students who survived the shooting have vowed to make the tragedy a turning point in America&#39;s deadlocked debate on gun control.

They are planning a march on Washington next month and they earned $1 million in pledges from Hollywood A-listers George Clooney and his human rights lawyer wife Amal, plus Oprah Winfrey.

The &quot;March for Our Lives&quot; is scheduled to take place on March 24, with sister rallies planned across the country.

&quot;Amal and I are so inspired by the courage and eloquence of these young men and women from Stoneman Douglas High School,&quot; Clooney said in a statement, pledging $500,000 to help fund the event.

&quot;Our family will be there on March 24 to stand side by side with this incredible generation of young people from all over the country.&quot;

Winfrey then tweeted: &quot;George and Amal, I couldn&#39;t agree with you more. I am joining forces with you and will match your $500,000 donation.&quot; 
&nbsp;

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George and Amal, I couldn&rsquo;t agree with you more. I am joining forces with you and will match your $500,000 donation to &lsquo;March For Our Lives.&rsquo; These inspiring young people remind me of the Freedom Riders of the 60s who also said we&rsquo;ve had ENOUGH and our voices will be heard.
&mdash; Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) <a href="https://twitter.com/Oprah/status/966079086379507712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The US Congress is deadlocked on the gun control debate, accomplishing nothing since the October shooting in Las Vegas.

Americans support stricter gun laws by a 66 percent to 31 percent margin, according to a poll released on Tuesday by Quinnipiac University.

It described the margin as &quot;the highest level of support&quot; for stricter gun control since it began surveys on the question in 2008. 
&nbsp;

'Bump stocks' are an accessory that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one.

Faced with an outpouring of grief and anger over a deadly school shooting in Florida, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threw his support behind moves to ban "bump stocks" -- an accessory that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one. Trump also said school safety was a "top priority" for his administration and he would be holding meetings on the subject this week and also next week, when he holds talks with governors from all 50 US states. Calls to ban bump stocks have been mounting since Stephen Paddock, a retired accountant, used them on several of his weapons to kill 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas in October 2017 in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history. Although the former student who shot dead 17 people in Florida last week did not have bump stocks on his gun, there has been a renewed focus on the devices because outlawing them is a rare point of agreement between Democrats, some Republicans and the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby. Dozens of shooting survivors plan to speak with lawmakers about gun control and school safety Wednesday at the state Capitol in Tallahassee. Florida House rejects ban on assault weapons Less than a week after the shooting, the Florida state House of Representatives rejected a ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines in a 36-71 vote, during a session that opened with a prayer for the people killed in the tragedy. Trump -- who received strong backing from the NRA during his White House run -- said he had signed a memorandum "directing the attorney general to propose regulations to ban all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns." He said he expected them to be finalised "very soon." "We cannot merely take actions that make us feel like we are making a difference," Trump said at a White House event to honour 12 Americans for heroism. "We must actually make a difference. "We must move past cliches and tired debates and focus on evidence-based solutions and security measures that actually work," he said. "We must do more to protect our children." Trump said he would meet this week with students, local leaders, and members of law enforcement to develop "concrete steps" to "secure our schools, safeguard our students, and protect our communities." "This includes implementing common sense security measures and addressing mental health issues," he said, "including better coordination between federal and state law enforcement to take swift action when there are warning signs." Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, had a history of troubling behaviour and a person close to him warned the FBI five weeks before the shooting that he was a threat -- but no action was taken. Parkland students take action Cruz legally bought the gun he used in the attack -- an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle -- and the White House said it would consider options to raise the age for such purchases. "I think that's certainly something that's on the table for us to discuss and that we expect to come up over the next couple of weeks," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters. About 100 students at the Parkland high school where the shooting took place on February 14 were meanwhile heading to Tallahassee, the Florida state capital, to call for stricter gun control at a rally Wednesday. Many of the students who survived the shooting have vowed to make the tragedy a turning point in America's deadlocked debate on gun control. They are planning a march on Washington next month and they earned $1 million in pledges from Hollywood A-listers George Clooney and his human rights lawyer wife Amal, plus Oprah Winfrey. The "March for Our Lives" is scheduled to take place on March 24, with sister rallies planned across the country. "Amal and I are so inspired by the courage and eloquence of these young men and women from Stoneman Douglas High School," Clooney said in a statement, pledging $500,000 to help fund the event. "Our family will be there on March 24 to stand side by side with this incredible generation of young people from all over the country." Winfrey then tweeted: "George and Amal, I couldn't agree with you more. I am joining forces with you and will match your $500,000 donation." George and Amal, I couldn’t agree with you more. I am joining forces with you and will match your $500,000 donation to ‘March For Our Lives.’ These inspiring young people remind me of the Freedom Riders of the 60s who also said we’ve had ENOUGH and our voices will be heard. — Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) February 20, 2018 × The US Congress is deadlocked on the gun control debate, accomplishing nothing since the October shooting in Las Vegas. Americans support stricter gun laws by a 66 percent to 31 percent margin, according to a poll released on Tuesday by Quinnipiac University. It described the margin as "the highest level of support" for stricter gun control since it began surveys on the question in 2008.

Trump backs ban on 'bump stocks' on semi-automatic weapons

The driver of a van carrying journalists covering President Donald Trump was detained on Monday after Secret Service officials found a gun in his bag during a security sweep before the vehicle was to drive onto the president&#39;s Florida property.

The Secret Service said no one had been put in danger.

The male driver told reporters he had forgotten to leave his personal firearm in another vehicle.

He and the other drivers of three media vans were replaced before the vehicles drove on to Trump&#39;s Mar-a-Lago compound, where the vans joined the president&#39;s motorcade.

&quot;The individual was found to be in lawful possession of a prohibited item (firearm) outside the secure area at a Secret Service security screening checkpoint,&quot; the Secret Service said in a statement.

The man could be seen being questioned as journalists were driven away from the area where the security sweeps had taken place.

&quot;The incident was investigated by the Secret Service and our partners at the Palm Beach County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office (PBSO) and resolved. At no time was any Secret Service protectee in danger or impacted,&quot; the statement said.

A pool of reporters travels as part of the president&#39;s motorcade in Washington and on domestic and foreign trips. Drivers of the vans are sometimes volunteers and are sometimes hired for the job. The driver on Monday was a hired contractor.

The male driver told reporters he had forgotten to leave his personal firearm in another vehicle

The driver of a van carrying journalists covering President Donald Trump was detained on Monday after Secret Service officials found a gun in his bag during a security sweep before the vehicle was to drive onto the president's Florida property. The Secret Service said no one had been put in danger. The male driver told reporters he had forgotten to leave his personal firearm in another vehicle. He and the other drivers of three media vans were replaced before the vehicles drove on to Trump's Mar-a-Lago compound, where the vans joined the president's motorcade. "The individual was found to be in lawful possession of a prohibited item (firearm) outside the secure area at a Secret Service security screening checkpoint," the Secret Service said in a statement. The man could be seen being questioned as journalists were driven away from the area where the security sweeps had taken place. "The incident was investigated by the Secret Service and our partners at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) and resolved. At no time was any Secret Service protectee in danger or impacted," the statement said. A pool of reporters travels as part of the president's motorcade in Washington and on domestic and foreign trips. Drivers of the vans are sometimes volunteers and are sometimes hired for the job. The driver on Monday was a hired contractor.

Driver of van slated to be in Trump motorcade detained for having gun

The White House said on Monday that President Donald Trump supports efforts to improve federal background checks for gun purchases, days after a shooting at a Florida school killed 17 people.&nbsp;

Trump spoke to Senator John Cornyn, a Republican, on Friday about a bi-partisan bill that he and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy introduced to improve federal compliance with criminal background checks, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

&quot;While discussions are ongoing and revisions are being considered, the president is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system,&quot; Sanders said in a statement.

Cornyn and Murphy introduced the bill to improve federal background checks last November, days after a gunman killed more than two dozen people in a church in Texas.

The bill, called the Fix NICS Act, would ensure that states and federal agencies comply with existing law on reporting criminal history records to the national background check system.

Cornyn, of Texas, had complained when introducing the legislation that compliance by agencies was &ldquo;lousy.&rdquo;

Students from the Florida high school where a former student is accused of murdering 17 people last week using an assault-style rifle, are planning a &quot;March For Our Lives&quot; in Washington on March 24 to call attention to school safety and ask lawmakers to enact gun control.

The White House said on Monday that President Donald Trump supports efforts to improve federal background checks for gun purchases, days after a shooting at a Florida school killed 17 people

The White House said on Monday that President Donald Trump supports efforts to improve federal background checks for gun purchases, days after a shooting at a Florida school killed 17 people. Trump spoke to Senator John Cornyn, a Republican, on Friday about a bi-partisan bill that he and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy introduced to improve federal compliance with criminal background checks, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. "While discussions are ongoing and revisions are being considered, the president is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system," Sanders said in a statement. Cornyn and Murphy introduced the bill to improve federal background checks last November, days after a gunman killed more than two dozen people in a church in Texas. The bill, called the Fix NICS Act, would ensure that states and federal agencies comply with existing law on reporting criminal history records to the national background check system. Cornyn, of Texas, had complained when introducing the legislation that compliance by agencies was “lousy.” Students from the Florida high school where a former student is accused of murdering 17 people last week using an assault-style rifle, are planning a "March For Our Lives" in Washington on March 24 to call attention to school safety and ask lawmakers to enact gun control.

Trump backs effort to improve gun background checks: White House

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry recently noted the significance of the Iran nuclear deal expressing that it is &quot;absolutely critical&quot; that the deal survives although the Trump administration is highly sceptical about the 2015 deal.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump extended sanctions waivers in January. He later stated that he would not do the same at the time of the renewal in May unless his concerns are addressed.

Kerry, who is also one of the leading negotiators on the deal, spoke at the Munich Security Conference today and called the White House&#39;s stance on the nuke deal as &quot;untenable&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;It is not good diplomacy,&quot; Kerry noted.&nbsp;

Kerry noted the deal to be of the utmost importance for the world. He stated that going backwards on the agreement is not an option. &quot;Without the Iran nuclear agreement the world is not a better place,&quot; Kerry added.&nbsp;

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, on his three-day visit to India, also talked about the nuclear deal and agreements with the United States.&nbsp;

He noted that the Iranian government will adhere to any agreement that is signed with the United States.&nbsp;

&quot;If the US violates this agreement, you will see that America will regret its decision. Not only US administration, but also US people would voice their opposition immediately and will object to the violators,&quot; Rouhani added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Kerry noted the deal to be of the utmost importance for the world

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry recently noted the significance of the Iran nuclear deal expressing that it is "absolutely critical" that the deal survives although the Trump administration is highly sceptical about the 2015 deal. US President Donald Trump extended sanctions waivers in January. He later stated that he would not do the same at the time of the renewal in May unless his concerns are addressed. Kerry, who is also one of the leading negotiators on the deal, spoke at the Munich Security Conference today and called the White House's stance on the nuke deal as "untenable". "It is not good diplomacy," Kerry noted. Kerry noted the deal to be of the utmost importance for the world. He stated that going backwards on the agreement is not an option. "Without the Iran nuclear agreement the world is not a better place," Kerry added. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, on his three-day visit to India, also talked about the nuclear deal and agreements with the United States. He noted that the Iranian government will adhere to any agreement that is signed with the United States. "If the US violates this agreement, you will see that America will regret its decision. Not only US administration, but also US people would voice their opposition immediately and will object to the violators," Rouhani added.

Iran nuclear deal must survive: Former US Secretary of State John Kerry

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump attacked the FBI and lawmakers probing alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and said an excessive focus on Russia led federal investigators to miss signs that could have prevented the deadly school shooting in Florida last week.

In a series of tweets over the weekend, Trump accused President Barack Obama of failing to do enough to stop Russian election interference and belittled Representative Adam Schiff, of the House intelligence committee that is investigating Russia&#39;s actions. Trump labelled Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the panel, a leaking &quot;monster.&quot;

Trump also said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was &quot;spending too much time&quot; looking into whether his presidential campaign colluded with Russia.

The tweets follow the announcement on Friday that special counsel Robert Mueller had charged 13 Russians and three Russian companies with a conspiracy to tamper in the 2016 US&nbsp;election.

The indictment says Russians adopted false online personas to push divisive messages and staged political rallies while posing as Americans, among other charges. But the indictment was silent on the question of whether anyone from the Trump campaign coordinated or worked with Russians.

Russia has denied meddling in the US&nbsp;election and Trump has denied any collusion.

In a tweet on Saturday night, Trump criticized the FBI for missing warning signs in the case of Nikolas Cruz, 19, who is charged with killing 17 people on Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

More than a dozen people were wounded in the deadliest shooting at a US&nbsp;high school.

&quot;Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable,&quot; Trump said on Twitter.

&quot;They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign - there is no collusion,&quot; added.

Cruz was investigated as far back as 2016 after slashing his arm in a social media video, and saying he wanted to buy a gun, but authorities determined he was receiving sufficient support, newspapers said on Saturday.

The FBI acknowledged on Friday that it failed to investigate a warning that Cruz possessed a gun and the desire to kill.

Russia has denied meddling in the US election and Trump has denied any collusion

US President Donald Trump attacked the FBI and lawmakers probing alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and said an excessive focus on Russia led federal investigators to miss signs that could have prevented the deadly school shooting in Florida last week. In a series of tweets over the weekend, Trump accused President Barack Obama of failing to do enough to stop Russian election interference and belittled Representative Adam Schiff, of the House intelligence committee that is investigating Russia's actions. Trump labelled Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the panel, a leaking "monster." Trump also said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was "spending too much time" looking into whether his presidential campaign colluded with Russia. The tweets follow the announcement on Friday that special counsel Robert Mueller had charged 13 Russians and three Russian companies with a conspiracy to tamper in the 2016 US election. The indictment says Russians adopted false online personas to push divisive messages and staged political rallies while posing as Americans, among other charges. But the indictment was silent on the question of whether anyone from the Trump campaign coordinated or worked with Russians. Russia has denied meddling in the US election and Trump has denied any collusion. In a tweet on Saturday night, Trump criticized the FBI for missing warning signs in the case of Nikolas Cruz, 19, who is charged with killing 17 people on Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. More than a dozen people were wounded in the deadliest shooting at a US high school. "Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable," Trump said on Twitter. "They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign - there is no collusion," added. Cruz was investigated as far back as 2016 after slashing his arm in a social media video, and saying he wanted to buy a gun, but authorities determined he was receiving sufficient support, newspapers said on Saturday. The FBI acknowledged on Friday that it failed to investigate a warning that Cruz possessed a gun and the desire to kill.

Trump accuses FBI of 'spending too much time' on Russia probe

US President Donald Trump on Friday<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-indicts-13-russian-nationals-in-2016-us-election-tampering-to-boost-donald-trump-33119"> held up the indictment of 13 Russians</a> -- and no Americans -- for meddling in the 2016 election as vindication that his campaign team did not collude with Moscow.

&quot;Russia started their anti-US campaign in 2014, long before I announced that I would run for president,&quot; Trump tweeted, pointing to details of the indictment as evidence of his name being cleared.

&quot;The results of the election were not impacted. The Trump campaign did nothing wrong - no collusion!&quot; 
&nbsp;

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Russia started their anti-US campaign in 2014, long before I announced that I would run for President. The results of the election were not impacted. The Trump campaign did nothing wrong - no collusion!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/964594780088033282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted the 13 Russian nationals, as well as three companies, for running a secret campaign to tilt the presidential election.

The unsealed indictment details a stunning operation that began in 2014 and aimed to sow social division inside the United States, and influence its politics including the 2016 vote.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed claims of Russian interference as &quot;fake news&quot; designed to take away from his election victory over Hillary Clinton.&nbsp;

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the indictments contained &quot;no allegation&quot; that any American was a knowing participant in the meddling, and said there was no judgment on whether the election outcome was affected.

In a separate White House statement reacting to the indictments, Trump urged his fellow citizens to &quot;unite as Americans to protect the integrity of our democracy and our elections.&quot;

&quot;We cannot allow those seeking to sow confusion, discord, and rancor to be successful,&quot; Trump was quoted as saying.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s time we stop the outlandish partisan attacks, wild and false allegations, and far-fetched theories, which only serve to further the agendas of bad actors, like Russia, and do nothing to protect the principles of our institutions.&quot;&nbsp;

The US President on Friday held up the indictment of 13 Russians -- and no Americans -- for meddling in the 2016 election as vindication that his campaign team did not collude with Moscow

US President Donald Trump on Friday held up the indictment of 13 Russians -- and no Americans -- for meddling in the 2016 election as vindication that his campaign team did not collude with Moscow. "Russia started their anti-US campaign in 2014, long before I announced that I would run for president," Trump tweeted, pointing to details of the indictment as evidence of his name being cleared. "The results of the election were not impacted. The Trump campaign did nothing wrong - no collusion!" Russia started their anti-US campaign in 2014, long before I announced that I would run for President. The results of the election were not impacted. The Trump campaign did nothing wrong - no collusion! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 16, 2018 × US Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted the 13 Russian nationals, as well as three companies, for running a secret campaign to tilt the presidential election. The unsealed indictment details a stunning operation that began in 2014 and aimed to sow social division inside the United States, and influence its politics including the 2016 vote. Trump has repeatedly dismissed claims of Russian interference as "fake news" designed to take away from his election victory over Hillary Clinton. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the indictments contained "no allegation" that any American was a knowing participant in the meddling, and said there was no judgment on whether the election outcome was affected. In a separate White House statement reacting to the indictments, Trump urged his fellow citizens to "unite as Americans to protect the integrity of our democracy and our elections." "We cannot allow those seeking to sow confusion, discord, and rancor to be successful," Trump was quoted as saying. "It's time we stop the outlandish partisan attacks, wild and false allegations, and far-fetched theories, which only serve to further the agendas of bad actors, like Russia, and do nothing to protect the principles of our institutions."

Trump says 'no collusion' after Russians indicted for election meddling

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senate-rejects-trumps-immigration-plan-dreamers-programme-left-hanging-33017">US Senate rejects Trump&#39;s immigration plan; &#39;Dreamers&#39; programme left hanging</a>

In a major blow to President Trump, the US Senate today voted against the president&#39;s immigration plan with several Republicans joining the opposition Democrats in opposing the bill. President Trump&#39;s own party leaders voted against the bill with as many as 14 Republicans joining hands with Democrats as the proposal fell 39 to 60.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-encounter-underway-between-security-forces-terrorists-in-baramulla-33023">J&amp;K: Encounter underway between security forces, terrorists in Baramulla</a>

An encounter is underway between security forces and terrorists in Palhalan area of Baramulla&rsquo;s Pattan area in J&amp;K. The firefight comes just days after two LeT terrorists and security forces were engaged in a fierce gun battle in Srinagar&#39;s Karan Nagar area which lasted over 30 hours.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ed-conducted-in-camera-raids-on-nirav-modis-showrooms-33027">ED conducted &#39;in-camera&#39; raids on Nirav Modi&#39;s showrooms</a>

The Enforcement Directorate(ED) conducted in-camera raids on Nirav Modi&#39;s various showrooms while seizing diamonds on Thursday. The ED conducted searches in 17 premises across the country including Geetanjali Gems and seized stock of gold, diamond and precious stones worth Rs 5,100 crore.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/florida-shooting-suspect-was-part-of-white-supremacist-group-33018">Florida school shooting: Suspect was part of &#39;white supremacist group&#39;</a>

The boy behind the Florida school shooting on Wednesday, Nikolas Cruz, was a member of a &quot;white supremacist group&quot; and had been a part of the military-style training routines, the rights group Anti-Defamation League said Thursday. Nikolas Cruz, 19, described by fellow pupils as a &ldquo;weird and racist&rdquo; gun-obsessed, has been charged with murdering 17 people at his former school in Parkland, Florida.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-local-group-files-complaint-against-oru-adaar-love-actress-director-33020">Maharashtra: Local group files complaint against &#39;Oru </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-local-group-files-complaint-against-oru-adaar-love-actress-director-33020">Adaar</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-local-group-files-complaint-against-oru-adaar-love-actress-director-33020"> Love&#39; actress, director&nbsp; &nbsp;</a>

A police complaint against Malayalam actress Priya Prakash Varrier and film director Omar Lulu has been lodged by a local organisation for allegedly hurting sentiments of the Muslim community through a song in their upcoming movie &quot;Oru Adaar Love&quot;. However, police have not registered a First Information Report (FIR) yet.

US Senate rejects Trump's immigration plan; 'Dreamers' programme left hanging In a major blow to President Trump, the US Senate today voted against the president's immigration plan with several Republicans joining the opposition Democrats in opposing the bill. President Trump's own party leaders voted against the bill with as many as 14 Republicans joining hands with Democrats as the proposal fell 39 to 60. J&K: Encounter underway between security forces, terrorists in Baramulla An encounter is underway between security forces and terrorists in Palhalan area of Baramulla’s Pattan area in J&K. The firefight comes just days after two LeT terrorists and security forces were engaged in a fierce gun battle in Srinagar's Karan Nagar area which lasted over 30 hours. ED conducted 'in-camera' raids on Nirav Modi's showrooms The Enforcement Directorate(ED) conducted in-camera raids on Nirav Modi's various showrooms while seizing diamonds on Thursday. The ED conducted searches in 17 premises across the country including Geetanjali Gems and seized stock of gold, diamond and precious stones worth Rs 5,100 crore. Florida school shooting: Suspect was part of 'white supremacist group' The boy behind the Florida school shooting on Wednesday, Nikolas Cruz, was a member of a "white supremacist group" and had been a part of the military-style training routines, the rights group Anti-Defamation League said Thursday. Nikolas Cruz, 19, described by fellow pupils as a “weird and racist” gun-obsessed, has been charged with murdering 17 people at his former school in Parkland, Florida. Maharashtra: Local group files complaint against 'Oru Adaar Love' actress, director A police complaint against Malayalam actress Priya Prakash Varrier and film director Omar Lulu has been lodged by a local organisation for allegedly hurting sentiments of the Muslim community through a song in their upcoming movie "Oru Adaar Love". However, police have not registered a First Information Report (FIR) yet.

WION Morning News Brief, February 16, 2018

In a major blow to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-any-immigration-plan-without-border-wall-waste-of-time-31899">President Trump, the US Senate today</a> voted against the president&#39;s immigration plan with several Republicans joining the opposition Democrats in opposing the bill.

President Trump&#39;s<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/sotu-2018-trump-for-legislation-that-promotes-merit-based-immigration-move-to-affect-indians-31285"> own party leaders voted against </a>the bill with as many as 14 Republicans joining hands with Democrats as the proposal fell 39 to 60.

&quot;This vote is proof that President Trump&rsquo;s plan will never become law. If he would stop torpedoing bipartisan efforts, a good bill would pass,&rdquo; Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said.

The rejection of the immigration plan also meant the House did not have a way to shield the &quot;Dreamers&quot; programme which expires on March 5th.

Federal judges have blocked the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme from taking effect with two US judges holding back President Trump&#39;s plan.

&quot;It looks like demagogues on the left and the right win again on immigration,&quot; Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said.

Senator Mike Rounds, a leading Republican sponsor of the failed bipartisan proposal, said: &quot;We&rsquo;ll have a chance to regroup, and take a look at what we can do to take a bipartisan approach, modify some of those things where there are questions.&quot;

Federal judges have blocked the DACA programme from taking effect

In a major blow to President Trump, the US Senate today voted against the president's immigration plan with several Republicans joining the opposition Democrats in opposing the bill. President Trump's own party leaders voted against the bill with as many as 14 Republicans joining hands with Democrats as the proposal fell 39 to 60. "This vote is proof that President Trump’s plan will never become law. If he would stop torpedoing bipartisan efforts, a good bill would pass,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said. The rejection of the immigration plan also meant the House did not have a way to shield the "Dreamers" programme which expires on March 5th. Federal judges have blocked the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme from taking effect with two US judges holding back President Trump's plan. "It looks like demagogues on the left and the right win again on immigration," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said. Senator Mike Rounds, a leading Republican sponsor of the failed bipartisan proposal, said: "We’ll have a chance to regroup, and take a look at what we can do to take a bipartisan approach, modify some of those things where there are questions."

US Senate rejects Trump's immigration plan; 'Dreamers' programme left hanging

The military parade that President Donald Trump wants to stage, likely in Washington, would cost U.S. taxpayers up to $30 million, the White House budget chief said on Wednesday in remarks on the administration&#39;s fiscal 2019 spending plan.

Mick Mulvaney, who in a congressional hearing continued a broad defence of the $4.4-trillion plan he began earlier this week, was asked about the parade, which Trump&#39;s spending plan does not break out as a specific item.

&quot;The estimates I&rsquo;ve seen, they&rsquo;re very preliminary, is between $10 million and $30 million, depending upon the length,&quot; said Mulvaney, director of the US&nbsp;Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

&quot;Obviously an hour parade is different from a five-hour parade in terms of the cost and the equipment and those types of things.&quot;

According to media reports, Trump came up with the idea of showing off U.S. military might after a 2017 trip to France when he and French President Emmanuel Macron reviewed that country&#39;s defence forces marching down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris.&nbsp;

Trump ordered the Defense Department to look into a comparable display of military might that he could review.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last week he believed Trump wants Washington to host the parade but left open the possibility that it could be staged elsewhere.

Ahead of Mulvaney&#39;s testimony, Republican committee Chairman Steve Womack asked about the deficit impact of Trump&#39;s spending plan. Mulvaney faced similar inquiries earlier this week.

At a Senate panel hearing on Tuesday, he was asked if he would vote for the Trump spending plan if he were still in Congress, which he was before Trump hired him to run OMB.

&quot;I probably would have found enough shortcomings in this to vote against it,&quot; Mulvaney said at the time.

On Wednesday, Mulvaney walked that back, telling the House panel he thought he had been asked not about Trump&#39;s budget, but about a narrower two-year spending-caps deal.

&ldquo;I read in the newspapers this morning that someone reported that I wouldn&rsquo;t support this budget if I were in Congress. That is absolutely false,&rdquo; Mulvaney said. &ldquo;I absolutely, without reservation, support this budget.&quot;

Trump ordered the Defense Department to look into a comparable display of military might that he could review.

The military parade that President Donald Trump wants to stage, likely in Washington, would cost U.S. taxpayers up to $30 million, the White House budget chief said on Wednesday in remarks on the administration's fiscal 2019 spending plan. Mick Mulvaney, who in a congressional hearing continued a broad defence of the $4.4-trillion plan he began earlier this week, was asked about the parade, which Trump's spending plan does not break out as a specific item. "The estimates I’ve seen, they’re very preliminary, is between $10 million and $30 million, depending upon the length," said Mulvaney, director of the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB). "Obviously an hour parade is different from a five-hour parade in terms of the cost and the equipment and those types of things." According to media reports, Trump came up with the idea of showing off U.S. military might after a 2017 trip to France when he and French President Emmanuel Macron reviewed that country's defence forces marching down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris. Trump ordered the Defense Department to look into a comparable display of military might that he could review. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last week he believed Trump wants Washington to host the parade but left open the possibility that it could be staged elsewhere. Ahead of Mulvaney's testimony, Republican committee Chairman Steve Womack asked about the deficit impact of Trump's spending plan. Mulvaney faced similar inquiries earlier this week. At a Senate panel hearing on Tuesday, he was asked if he would vote for the Trump spending plan if he were still in Congress, which he was before Trump hired him to run OMB. "I probably would have found enough shortcomings in this to vote against it," Mulvaney said at the time. On Wednesday, Mulvaney walked that back, telling the House panel he thought he had been asked not about Trump's budget, but about a narrower two-year spending-caps deal. “I read in the newspapers this morning that someone reported that I wouldn’t support this budget if I were in Congress. That is absolutely false,” Mulvaney said. “I absolutely, without reservation, support this budget."

Trump's military parade could cost between $10 to $30 million: Budget chief Mulvaney

US trade sanctions will hit the world economy, Beijing warned Wednesday, after President Donald Trump threatened to impose fresh tariffs on imports from China. &nbsp;

Trump said he was &quot;considering all options,&quot; including tariffs and quotas, after he accused China of decimating the American steel and aluminium industries.

Washington has already imposed a range of tariffs on Chinese-made goods, sparking fears of a tit-for-tat trade war between the world&#39;s top two economies as China also threatens to take action.&nbsp;

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that &quot;any sign of unilateralism or protectionism will ... worsen global trade issues and will hurt the recovering momentum of the world economy&quot;.

He added that with the sheer volume of trade and integration between the US and Chinese economies, some friction was natural.

However, &quot;China always regards the US as an important cooperation partner in trade and economy, and we hope we will continue to open our respective markets wider&quot;, Geng said.&nbsp;

The Trump administration has two months to decide whether to take action on Chinese aluminium, steel and intellectual property practices.

China produces around half of the world&#39;s steel but stands accused of &quot;dumping&quot; cheap steel on global markets to gain market share.

The two countries have already begun trading sanctions in what China&#39;s commerce ministry warned could become a &quot;vicious circle&quot;.

On Monday Beijing announced it had taken aim at imports from the US of styrene, a key chemical in the manufacture of styrofoam.&nbsp;

Last week it launched an anti-dumping investigation into sorghum imports from the US, worth almost $1 billion last year.

The measures come a month after the Trump administration slapped new tariffs on Chinese-made solar panels and washing machines, the most recent in a series of trade cases that have rattled Beijing.

The two countries have already begun trading sanctions in what China's commerce ministry warned could become a 'vicious circle'

US trade sanctions will hit the world economy, Beijing warned Wednesday, after President Donald Trump threatened to impose fresh tariffs on imports from China. Trump said he was "considering all options," including tariffs and quotas, after he accused China of decimating the American steel and aluminium industries. Washington has already imposed a range of tariffs on Chinese-made goods, sparking fears of a tit-for-tat trade war between the world's top two economies as China also threatens to take action. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that "any sign of unilateralism or protectionism will ... worsen global trade issues and will hurt the recovering momentum of the world economy". He added that with the sheer volume of trade and integration between the US and Chinese economies, some friction was natural. However, "China always regards the US as an important cooperation partner in trade and economy, and we hope we will continue to open our respective markets wider", Geng said. The Trump administration has two months to decide whether to take action on Chinese aluminium, steel and intellectual property practices. China produces around half of the world's steel but stands accused of "dumping" cheap steel on global markets to gain market share. The two countries have already begun trading sanctions in what China's commerce ministry warned could become a "vicious circle". On Monday Beijing announced it had taken aim at imports from the US of styrene, a key chemical in the manufacture of styrofoam. Last week it launched an anti-dumping investigation into sorghum imports from the US, worth almost $1 billion last year. The measures come a month after the Trump administration slapped new tariffs on Chinese-made solar panels and washing machines, the most recent in a series of trade cases that have rattled Beijing.

China warns Trump trade sanctions threaten global economy

US President Donald Trump today slammed India for a high import tariff on Harley-Davidson motorcycle, calling it &quot;unfair&quot;, even as New Delhi slashed customs duty on imported motorcycles from high-end brands to 50 per cent. 
Trump, during a discussion with members of the Congress over steel industry, also threatened to increase the tariff on import of Indian motorcycles to the US.

 
He said the recent decision of the Indian government to reduce the tariff from 75 per cent to 50 per cent was not enough and asked that it should be reciprocal, as the US imposes &quot;zero tax&quot; on the import of motorcycles. 
&quot;We have so many countries where we made a product, they make a product, ..We pay a tremendous tax to get into their countries -- motorcycles, Harley Davidson -- it goes into a certain country. I won&#39;t mention the fact that it happens to be India, in this case,&quot; Trump said amidst laughter from the audience.

 
In fact, he also indirectly referred to the recent conversation he had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.

 
&quot;And a great gentleman called me from India and he said, we have just reduced the tariff on motorcycles, reduced it down to 50 per cent from 75, and even 100 per cent,&quot; Trump said in an apparent reference to his last week&#39;s conversation with Prime Minister Modi.

 
&quot;We have -- if you are Harley Davidson, you have 50 to 75 per cent tax, tariff to get your motorcycle, your product in. And yet they sell thousands and thousands of motorcycles, which a lot of people don&#39;t know, from India into the United States. You know what our tax is? Nothing,&quot; he told the lawmakers and his other Cabinet colleague.

 
Trump once again pitched for a &quot;reciprocal tax&quot; on countries that he says abuse their trade relationships with the US.

 
&quot;So, I say, we should have reciprocal taxes for a case like that. I&#39;m not blaming India. I think it&#39;s great that they can get away with it. I don&#39;t know why people allowed them to get away with it. But there&#39;s an example that&#39;s very unfair. I think we should have a reciprocal tax,&quot; he said.

 
Trump has floated the idea of a reciprocal tax in the past, promising to slap it on countries, including allies, that take advantage of the United States.

 
&quot;That&#39;s called fair trade. It&#39;s called free trade. Because ultimately, what&#39;s going to happen -- either we&#39;ll collect the same that they&#39;re collecting, or, probably, what happens is they&#39;ll end up not charging a tax and we won&#39;t have a tax. And that becomes free trade,&quot; Trump said.

 
Imported motorcycles from high-end brands such as Harley-Davidson and Triumph are set to get cheaper in India with the reduction in the tariffs.

 
Earlier, import of motorcycles with engine capacity of 800cc or less used to attract 60 per cent duty, while those with the capacity of above 800cc, attracted 75 per cent duty.

Trump has floated the idea of a reciprocal tax in the past, promising to slap it on countries, including allies, that take advantage of the United States.

US President Donald Trump today slammed India for a high import tariff on Harley-Davidson motorcycle, calling it "unfair", even as New Delhi slashed customs duty on imported motorcycles from high-end brands to 50 per cent. Trump, during a discussion with members of the Congress over steel industry, also threatened to increase the tariff on import of Indian motorcycles to the US. He said the recent decision of the Indian government to reduce the tariff from 75 per cent to 50 per cent was not enough and asked that it should be reciprocal, as the US imposes "zero tax" on the import of motorcycles. "We have so many countries where we made a product, they make a product, ..We pay a tremendous tax to get into their countries -- motorcycles, Harley Davidson -- it goes into a certain country. I won't mention the fact that it happens to be India, in this case," Trump said amidst laughter from the audience. In fact, he also indirectly referred to the recent conversation he had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard. "And a great gentleman called me from India and he said, we have just reduced the tariff on motorcycles, reduced it down to 50 per cent from 75, and even 100 per cent," Trump said in an apparent reference to his last week's conversation with Prime Minister Modi. "We have -- if you are Harley Davidson, you have 50 to 75 per cent tax, tariff to get your motorcycle, your product in. And yet they sell thousands and thousands of motorcycles, which a lot of people don't know, from India into the United States. You know what our tax is? Nothing," he told the lawmakers and his other Cabinet colleague. Trump once again pitched for a "reciprocal tax" on countries that he says abuse their trade relationships with the US. "So, I say, we should have reciprocal taxes for a case like that. I'm not blaming India. I think it's great that they can get away with it. I don't know why people allowed them to get away with it. But there's an example that's very unfair. I think we should have a reciprocal tax," he said. Trump has floated the idea of a reciprocal tax in the past, promising to slap it on countries, including allies, that take advantage of the United States. "That's called fair trade. It's called free trade. Because ultimately, what's going to happen -- either we'll collect the same that they're collecting, or, probably, what happens is they'll end up not charging a tax and we won't have a tax. And that becomes free trade," Trump said. Imported motorcycles from high-end brands such as Harley-Davidson and Triumph are set to get cheaper in India with the reduction in the tariffs. Earlier, import of motorcycles with engine capacity of 800cc or less used to attract 60 per cent duty, while those with the capacity of above 800cc, attracted 75 per cent duty.

India's high tariff on Harley-Davidson motorcycle unfair, says Trump

US President Donald Trump called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday to offer his condolences after a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-passenger-plane-with-71-on-board-crashes-outside-moscow-32499" target="_blank">deadly plane crash near Moscow</a>, a White House official said.

The call between the two leaders -- who are at the center of an FBI investigation into <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-to-face-consequences-if-it-meddles-again-tillerson-32051" target="_blank">Moscow`s alleged meddling in the 2016 US election</a> -- took place after a plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Domodedovo airport, killing all 71 people on board.

Trump spoke with Putin to &quot;express his condolences regarding the crash of Saratov Airlines Flight 703 on February 11,&quot; the White House said, offering its account of the event.

&quot;President Trump said that the United States was standing by to assist Russian authorities in their investigation.&quot;

The pair also discussed Middle East peace, ahead of Putin`s meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.

&quot;The two presidents discussed other topics of mutual concern, and President Trump reiterated the importance of taking further steps to ensure the denuclearization of North Korea,&quot; according to the White House.

The call between the two leaders -- who are at the center of an FBI investigation into Moscow`s alleged meddling in the 2016 US election -- took place after a plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Domodedovo airport, killing all 71 people on board

US President Donald Trump called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday to offer his condolences after a deadly plane crash near Moscow, a White House official said. The call between the two leaders -- who are at the center of an FBI investigation into Moscow`s alleged meddling in the 2016 US election -- took place after a plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Domodedovo airport, killing all 71 people on board. Trump spoke with Putin to "express his condolences regarding the crash of Saratov Airlines Flight 703 on February 11," the White House said, offering its account of the event. "President Trump said that the United States was standing by to assist Russian authorities in their investigation." The pair also discussed Middle East peace, ahead of Putin`s meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas. "The two presidents discussed other topics of mutual concern, and President Trump reiterated the importance of taking further steps to ensure the denuclearization of North Korea," according to the White House.

Trump offers Putin condolences over plane crash

President Donald Trump was faced Friday with the prospect of marking the first anniversary of his inauguration at the head of a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/with-no-deal-in-sight-us-congress-faces-looming-government-shutdown-30110" target="_blank">broke </a>government, after senators failed to pass a stop-gap funding measure.

Republicans and Democrats traded blame for the crisis, which came to a head when the Senate failed to agree to bring forward a motion to fund federal spending and the military from midnight.

Essential services and military operations will continue, but many American civil servants and diplomats could arrive at work on Monday only to find themselves sent home without pay until the political crisis is resolved. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trump, who cancelled a trip weekend trip to his Florida golf resort to join 11th hour horsetrading accused the Democratic opposition of putting US troops and border security at risk to score political points.

But Democratic leaders accused Republicans of poisoning chances of a deal and pandering to Trump&#39;s populist base by refusing to fund a program that protects 700,000 &quot;Dreamers&quot; -- undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children -- from deportation. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;Not looking good for our great Military or Safety &amp; Security on the very dangerous Southern Border,&quot; Trump tweeted, shortly before the 100-member Senate failed to muster the minimum 60 votes needed to get an emergency funding motion to the floor.

&quot;Dems want a Shutdown in order to help diminish the great success of the Tax Cuts, and what they are doing for our booming economy,&quot; he alleged.

After the Senate vote failed and with half an hour to go before the shut down was to start, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders tweeted: &quot;Democrats can&#39;t shut down the booming Trump economy. Are they now so desperate they&#39;ll shut down the government instead?&quot;

Earlier, after meeting top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, Trump had sounded more upbeat, saying the two New Yorkers were &quot;working on solutions&quot; to share with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan.

But Schumer admitted a &quot;good number of disagreements&quot; remain between the two sides, despite a &quot;long and detailed meeting&quot; at which they discussed &quot;all of the major outstanding issues.&quot;

The president shelved plans to fly to Florida to celebrate at his Mar-a-Lago estate the first anniversary of his inauguration to remain in Washington to ride out the storm.

&quot;He&#39;s not leaving until this is finished,&quot; White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said.

Republicans have a tenuous one-seat majority in the Senate but would have needed to lure some Democrats to their side to get a 60 vote supermajority to bring the motion forward.

After around 15 minutes of voting more than 40 senators had voted against the motion, which is not technically closed until the last vote is cast.

When it became clear that this threshold was not going to be reached, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell launched into a private debate with Schumer on the senate floor.

Democrats had insisted on a deal that would protect from deportation the so-called &quot;Dreamers&quot; -- immigrants who entered the country illegally but as children.

The measure brought to Congress would have extended federal funding until February 16 and reauthorized for six years a health insurance program for poor children -- a long-time Democratic objective.

But it would have cut the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, that affects Dreamers.

White House officials insisted there was no urgency to fix DACA, which expires March 5.

&quot;This is purely an attempt by the Senate Democrats led by Schumer -- why we call it the &#39;Schumer shutdown&#39; -- to try and get a shutdown the president gets blamed for,&quot; Mulvaney said.

With mid-term congressional elections looming later this year, Republicans risk being blamed by voters when the government stops functioning over lack of funds.

A new Washington Post/ABC poll found that 48 percent of Americans blame Trump and the Republicans for a potential shutdown, and only 28 percent hold Democrats responsible.

There have been four government shutdowns since 1990. In the last one in 2013, more than 800,000 government workers were put on temporary leave.

Essential functions like the military, law enforcement, the White House and Congress would continue working but with reduced staff. Some agencies would shut altogether.

But others in the massive bureaucracy will be sent home without pay.

International ratings agency Fitch said a partial shutdown was unlikely to affect America&#39;s AAA/stable rating for US sovereign debt.&nbsp;

Negotiations with the White House on a bipartisan compromise on DACA blew up last week after Trump reportedly referred to African nations and Haiti as &quot;shithole countries.&quot;

&quot;Tonight&#39;s failure in US Senate can be laid squarely at Donald Trump&#39;s feet,&quot; Democratic congressman Gerry Connolly tweeted.

&quot;Mr. Art of the Deal showed indecision, profound vulgarity and racist sentiments. Today he was barely active in trying to get a deal. Exactly one year in the job he proves he&#39;s not up to it.&quot;

Trump&#39;s unpredictable Twitter outbursts and sudden changes of position also have bedeviled Republican leaders as they maneuver to cut a deal.

Republicans and Democrats traded blame for the crisis, which came to a head when the Senate failed to agree to bring forward a motion to fund federal spending and the military from midnight

President Donald Trump was faced Friday with the prospect of marking the first anniversary of his inauguration at the head of a broke government, after senators failed to pass a stop-gap funding measure. Republicans and Democrats traded blame for the crisis, which came to a head when the Senate failed to agree to bring forward a motion to fund federal spending and the military from midnight. Essential services and military operations will continue, but many American civil servants and diplomats could arrive at work on Monday only to find themselves sent home without pay until the political crisis is resolved. Trump, who cancelled a trip weekend trip to his Florida golf resort to join 11th hour horsetrading accused the Democratic opposition of putting US troops and border security at risk to score political points. But Democratic leaders accused Republicans of poisoning chances of a deal and pandering to Trump's populist base by refusing to fund a program that protects 700,000 "Dreamers" -- undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children -- from deportation. "Not looking good for our great Military or Safety & Security on the very dangerous Southern Border," Trump tweeted, shortly before the 100-member Senate failed to muster the minimum 60 votes needed to get an emergency funding motion to the floor. "Dems want a Shutdown in order to help diminish the great success of the Tax Cuts, and what they are doing for our booming economy," he alleged. After the Senate vote failed and with half an hour to go before the shut down was to start, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders tweeted: "Democrats can't shut down the booming Trump economy. Are they now so desperate they'll shut down the government instead?" Earlier, after meeting top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, Trump had sounded more upbeat, saying the two New Yorkers were "working on solutions" to share with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan. But Schumer admitted a "good number of disagreements" remain between the two sides, despite a "long and detailed meeting" at which they discussed "all of the major outstanding issues." The president shelved plans to fly to Florida to celebrate at his Mar-a-Lago estate the first anniversary of his inauguration to remain in Washington to ride out the storm. "He's not leaving until this is finished," White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said. Republicans have a tenuous one-seat majority in the Senate but would have needed to lure some Democrats to their side to get a 60 vote supermajority to bring the motion forward. After around 15 minutes of voting more than 40 senators had voted against the motion, which is not technically closed until the last vote is cast. When it became clear that this threshold was not going to be reached, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell launched into a private debate with Schumer on the senate floor. Democrats had insisted on a deal that would protect from deportation the so-called "Dreamers" -- immigrants who entered the country illegally but as children. The measure brought to Congress would have extended federal funding until February 16 and reauthorized for six years a health insurance program for poor children -- a long-time Democratic objective. But it would have cut the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, that affects Dreamers. White House officials insisted there was no urgency to fix DACA, which expires March 5. "This is purely an attempt by the Senate Democrats led by Schumer -- why we call it the 'Schumer shutdown' -- to try and get a shutdown the president gets blamed for," Mulvaney said. With mid-term congressional elections looming later this year, Republicans risk being blamed by voters when the government stops functioning over lack of funds. A new Washington Post/ABC poll found that 48 percent of Americans blame Trump and the Republicans for a potential shutdown, and only 28 percent hold Democrats responsible. There have been four government shutdowns since 1990. In the last one in 2013, more than 800,000 government workers were put on temporary leave. Essential functions like the military, law enforcement, the White House and Congress would continue working but with reduced staff. Some agencies would shut altogether. But others in the massive bureaucracy will be sent home without pay. International ratings agency Fitch said a partial shutdown was unlikely to affect America's AAA/stable rating for US sovereign debt. Negotiations with the White House on a bipartisan compromise on DACA blew up last week after Trump reportedly referred to African nations and Haiti as "shithole countries." "Tonight's failure in US Senate can be laid squarely at Donald Trump's feet," Democratic congressman Gerry Connolly tweeted. "Mr. Art of the Deal showed indecision, profound vulgarity and racist sentiments. Today he was barely active in trying to get a deal. Exactly one year in the job he proves he's not up to it." Trump's unpredictable Twitter outbursts and sudden changes of position also have bedeviled Republican leaders as they maneuver to cut a deal.

One year on, Trump leads divided US into government shutdown

Anger was growing in Kabul Sunday, a day after a huge bomb hidden in an ambulance <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kabul-explosion-death-toll-increases-to-103-30982">killed 103 people</a> and wounded scores more, highlighting the ability of insurgents to strike at the heart of Afghanistan.

The attack, which was claimed by the Taliban, took lives of 103 people and left 235 wounded.

It came as both the insurgents and the Islamic State group have escalated their attacks on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/at-least-40-dead-140-wounded-after-massive-suicide-bomb-explosion-rocks-kabul-30897">Kabul</a>, one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians.&nbsp;

Ordinary Afghans took to social media to express their anguish and sorrow at rapidly worsening security, as the Taliban and the Islamic State group step up attacks on Kabul, turning it into one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians.

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I am crossing this way everyday, I am afraid that tomorrow I will not see the guy who was polishing shoes, the one selling pens, the other one selling juice and many other poor civilians who were working on the street to feed their kids. Tragedy! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KabulAttack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KabulAttack</a> <a href="https://t.co/ucyLPxiOYm">pic.twitter.com/ucyLPxiOYm</a>
&mdash; Abdullah Yadgare (@Abdullahyadgare) <a href="https://twitter.com/Abdullahyadgare/status/957196931637358592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Tired of mourning the loss of innocent lives and feeling utterly helpless. Will there ever be an end to all this? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KabulAttack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KabulAttack</a>
&mdash; Mursal Juya (@juyamursal) <a href="https://twitter.com/juyamursal/status/957185780606296064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It is a massacre! 
Terrorists targeted populated civilian road next to a hospital where 100s were receiving treatment. 
Almost all of the 180+ casualties are civilians and those getting medical care in the Jamhouriyat Hospital. This is inhuman and barbaric! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabul</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KabulAttack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KabulAttack</a>
&mdash; Javid Faisal (@Javidfaisal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Javidfaisal/status/957196169071022080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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This time the terrorists used an ambulance as a weapon. The creativity of their depravity is sickening. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KabulAttack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KabulAttack</a>
&mdash; Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelKugelman/status/957235710783782912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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At a basic level, people expect govt to provide them w/ security. If a govt can&#39;t guarantee that, then there&#39;s no need for such a govt. Hotel attack killed dozens last week &amp; an ambulance filled w. explosives kill more than 40 today. That&#39;s a lot of blood. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KabulAttack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KabulAttack</a>
&mdash; Abid Amiri (@abidamiri) <a href="https://twitter.com/abidamiri/status/957205620255592448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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US President Donald on Sunday asked countries to take <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kabul-attack-donald-trump-seeks-decisive-action-against-taliban-30943">decisive action</a> against the Taliban and the terrorist infrastructure that supports them, in an indirect but obvious reference to Pakistan.

The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kabul-explosion-the-perpetrators-of-these-dastardly-attacks-should-be-brought-to-justice-says-ministry-of-external-affairs-30922"> Ministry of External Affairs</a> has strongly condemned the massive suicide-bomb&nbsp;explosion in Kabul.&nbsp;The official release noted that the &quot;barbaric and dastardly terrorist attacks in Kabul targeted innocent civilians and the wounded under treatment.&quot;

<a href="http://wioncms.cloudapp.net/dashboard/webdesk/addeditstory.aspx">Pakistan</a>, on Saturday, strongly condemned the&nbsp;terror attack in Kabul that claimed at least 95 lives and called for cooperation among countries for effectively combating and eliminating the scourge of terrorism.

The attack, which was claimed by the Taliban, took lives of 95 people and left 191 wounded

Anger was growing in Kabul Sunday, a day after a huge bomb hidden in an ambulance killed 103 people and wounded scores more, highlighting the ability of insurgents to strike at the heart of Afghanistan. The attack, which was claimed by the Taliban, took lives of 103 people and left 235 wounded. It came as both the insurgents and the Islamic State group have escalated their attacks on Kabul, one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians. Ordinary Afghans took to social media to express their anguish and sorrow at rapidly worsening security, as the Taliban and the Islamic State group step up attacks on Kabul, turning it into one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians. I am crossing this way everyday, I am afraid that tomorrow I will not see the guy who was polishing shoes, the one selling pens, the other one selling juice and many other poor civilians who were working on the street to feed their kids. Tragedy! #KabulAttack pic.twitter.com/ucyLPxiOYm — Abdullah Yadgare (@Abdullahyadgare) January 27, 2018 × Tired of mourning the loss of innocent lives and feeling utterly helpless. Will there ever be an end to all this? #KabulAttack — Mursal Juya (@juyamursal) January 27, 2018 × It is a massacre! Terrorists targeted populated civilian road next to a hospital where 100s were receiving treatment. Almost all of the 180+ casualties are civilians and those getting medical care in the Jamhouriyat Hospital. This is inhuman and barbaric! #Kabul #KabulAttack — Javid Faisal (@Javidfaisal) January 27, 2018 × This time the terrorists used an ambulance as a weapon. The creativity of their depravity is sickening. #KabulAttack — Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) January 27, 2018 × At a basic level, people expect govt to provide them w/ security. If a govt can't guarantee that, then there's no need for such a govt. Hotel attack killed dozens last week & an ambulance filled w. explosives kill more than 40 today. That's a lot of blood. #KabulAttack — Abid Amiri (@abidamiri) January 27, 2018 × US President Donald on Sunday asked countries to take decisive action against the Taliban and the terrorist infrastructure that supports them, in an indirect but obvious reference to Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs has strongly condemned the massive suicide-bomb explosion in Kabul. The official release noted that the "barbaric and dastardly terrorist attacks in Kabul targeted innocent civilians and the wounded under treatment." Pakistan, on Saturday, strongly condemned the terror attack in Kabul that claimed at least 95 lives and called for cooperation among countries for effectively combating and eliminating the scourge of terrorism.

Anger grows in Kabul after attack kills 103

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited the new $1 billion US embassy in London on Monday, just days after his boss Donald Trump criticised the move to new diplomatic premises as part of a bad deal agreed by the administration of Barack Obama.

Trump earlier this month cancelled a trip to London to open the new embassy, saying he did not want to endorse a bad deal agreed by the Obama administration to sell the old one for &quot;peanuts&quot;.

Tillerson was greeted by US Ambassador Woody Johnson as workmen finished planting shrubs in the grounds of the new embassy. America`s top diplomat then met some of the marines who are stationed at the embassy.

&quot;The embassy actually, is gonna really work,&quot; US Ambassador Johnson said ahead of Tillerson`s arrival.

Asked when there would be a ribbon cutting ceremony, Ambassador Johnson said: &quot;At some point we`re going to do it, but there`s no urgency to that. We`ll do it when the time is right.&quot;

The decision to move the US&nbsp;Embassy from its current Grosvenor Square location in the exclusive Mayfair area of London and to a site on the south bank of the Thames was agreed in 2008 under the presidency of George W. Bush.&nbsp;

The American flag was this month removed from Grosvenor Square where the US embassy has been based since 1938 with the area known as &quot;Little America&quot; during World War Two, when the square also housed the military headquarters of General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The new embassy is a veritable fortress set back at least 100 feet (30 metres) from surrounding buildings - mostly newly-erected high-rise residential blocks - and incorporating living quarters for US&nbsp;Marines permanently stationed inside.

The $1 billion construction was funded by the sale of other properties in London.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited the new $1 billion US embassy in London on Monday, just days after his boss Donald Trump criticised the move to new diplomatic premises as part of a bad deal agreed by the administration of Barack Obama

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited the new $1 billion US embassy in London on Monday, just days after his boss Donald Trump criticised the move to new diplomatic premises as part of a bad deal agreed by the administration of Barack Obama. Trump earlier this month cancelled a trip to London to open the new embassy, saying he did not want to endorse a bad deal agreed by the Obama administration to sell the old one for "peanuts". Tillerson was greeted by US Ambassador Woody Johnson as workmen finished planting shrubs in the grounds of the new embassy. America`s top diplomat then met some of the marines who are stationed at the embassy. "The embassy actually, is gonna really work," US Ambassador Johnson said ahead of Tillerson`s arrival. Asked when there would be a ribbon cutting ceremony, Ambassador Johnson said: "At some point we`re going to do it, but there`s no urgency to that. We`ll do it when the time is right." The decision to move the US Embassy from its current Grosvenor Square location in the exclusive Mayfair area of London and to a site on the south bank of the Thames was agreed in 2008 under the presidency of George W. Bush. The American flag was this month removed from Grosvenor Square where the US embassy has been based since 1938 with the area known as "Little America" during World War Two, when the square also housed the military headquarters of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The new embassy is a veritable fortress set back at least 100 feet (30 metres) from surrounding buildings - mostly newly-erected high-rise residential blocks - and incorporating living quarters for US Marines permanently stationed inside. The $1 billion construction was funded by the sale of other properties in London.

Rex Tillerson visits new US embassy in London that Trump criticised

The US&nbsp;military has put countering China and Russia at the centre of a new national defence strategy unveiled on Friday, the latest sign of shifting priorities after more than a decade and a half of focussing on the fight against Islamist militants.

In presenting the new strategy, which will set priorities for the Pentagon for years to come, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called China and Russia &quot;revisionist powers&quot; that &quot;seek to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models.&quot;

The &quot;National Defense Strategy&quot; represents the latest sign of hardening resolve by President Donald Trump&#39;s administration to address challenges from Russia and China, at the same time he is pushing for improved ties with Moscow and Beijing to rein in a nuclear North Korea.

&quot;We will continue to prosecute the campaign against terrorists that we are engaged in today, but great power competition, not terrorism, is now the primary focus of US&nbsp;national security,&quot; Mattis said in a speech presenting the strategy document, the first of its kind since at least 2014.

It sets priorities for the US&nbsp;Defense Department that are expected to be reflected in future defence spending requests. The Pentagon on Friday released an unclassified, 11-page version of the document, which did not provide details on how the shift towards countering China and Russia would be carried out.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking through an interpreter at a news conference at the United Nations, said the United States was using a confrontational approach.

&quot;It is regrettable that instead of having a normal dialogue, instead of using the basis of international law, the US&nbsp;is striving to prove their leadership through such confrontational strategies and concepts,&quot; Lavrov said.

&quot;We&#39;re open for dialogue, we&#39;re prepared to discuss military doctrines,&rdquo; he added.

There was no immediate response from China.

Elbridge Colby, deputy assistant secretary of defence for strategy and force development, said at a briefing with reporters that Russia was far more brazen than China in its use of military power.

Russia annexed Ukraine&#39;s Crimean peninsula in 2014 and intervened militarily in Syria to support its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Still, Moscow was limited by its economic resources, Colby said.

China, on the other hand, was described as economically and militarily ascendant. China has embarked on a far-reaching military modernization that Colby said was in &quot;deep contravention to our interests.&quot;

Experts praised the document&#39;s targeting of the largest national security threats rather than the longer lists of risks in some previous strategies. But without knowing the budget commitments, it was difficult to assess if it was a sound strategy.

&quot;If we don&#39;t actually see where the money is, you know, there is the danger that it could become all words,&quot; said Mara Karlin, a fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank and a senior defence official in the Obama administration.

The document also listed North Korea among the Pentagon&#39;s priorities, citing the need to focus US&nbsp;missile defences against the threat from Pyongyang, which beyond its nuclear weapons has also amassed an arsenal of biological, chemical, and conventional arms.

The document said that international alliances would be critical for the US&nbsp;military, by far the world&#39;s best-resourced. But it also stressed a need for burden-sharing, an apparent nod to Trump&#39;s public criticism of allies who he says unfairly take advantage of US&nbsp;security guarantees.

Trump has called the NATO alliance &quot;obsolete&quot;, but Mattis said the United States would strengthen its traditional alliances while building new partnerships and listening more to other nations&#39; ideas.

&quot;We will be willing to be persuaded by them, recognising that not all good ideas come from the country with the most aircraft carriers,&quot; Mattis said.

The Pentagon is also working on a policy document on the country&#39;s nuclear arsenal. While Mattis did not specifically address that review, he said the priority is deterrence.

&quot;How do we maintain a safe and effective nuclear deterrence so those weapons are never used? It is a nuclear deterrent, it is not a war fighting capability unless it is the worst day in our nation or the world&#39;s history,&quot; Mattis said.

Mattis had harsh words for the US&nbsp;Congress and its inability to reach agreement on budgets.

The US&nbsp;military&#39;s competitive edge has eroded &quot;in every domain of warfare&quot; he said, partly because of inconsistent funding. A bill to fund the government only through Feb. 16, approved on Thursday night by the House of Representatives, appeared on the verge of collapse in the Senate.

&quot;As hard as the last 16 years of war have been, no enemy in the field has done more to harm the readiness of the U.S. military than the combined impact&quot; of spending caps and short-term funding.

In sheer spending terms, the United States&#39; military outlay per year is still far more than China and Russia. The United States is spending $587.8 billion per year on its military, China $161.7 billion and Russia $44.6 billion.

In presenting the new strategy, which will set priorities for the Pentagon for years to come, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called China and Russia 'revisionist powers' that 'seek to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models'

The US military has put countering China and Russia at the centre of a new national defence strategy unveiled on Friday, the latest sign of shifting priorities after more than a decade and a half of focussing on the fight against Islamist militants. In presenting the new strategy, which will set priorities for the Pentagon for years to come, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called China and Russia "revisionist powers" that "seek to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models." The "National Defense Strategy" represents the latest sign of hardening resolve by President Donald Trump's administration to address challenges from Russia and China, at the same time he is pushing for improved ties with Moscow and Beijing to rein in a nuclear North Korea. "We will continue to prosecute the campaign against terrorists that we are engaged in today, but great power competition, not terrorism, is now the primary focus of US national security," Mattis said in a speech presenting the strategy document, the first of its kind since at least 2014. It sets priorities for the US Defense Department that are expected to be reflected in future defence spending requests. The Pentagon on Friday released an unclassified, 11-page version of the document, which did not provide details on how the shift towards countering China and Russia would be carried out. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking through an interpreter at a news conference at the United Nations, said the United States was using a confrontational approach. "It is regrettable that instead of having a normal dialogue, instead of using the basis of international law, the US is striving to prove their leadership through such confrontational strategies and concepts," Lavrov said. "We're open for dialogue, we're prepared to discuss military doctrines,” he added. There was no immediate response from China. Elbridge Colby, deputy assistant secretary of defence for strategy and force development, said at a briefing with reporters that Russia was far more brazen than China in its use of military power. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014 and intervened militarily in Syria to support its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Still, Moscow was limited by its economic resources, Colby said. China, on the other hand, was described as economically and militarily ascendant. China has embarked on a far-reaching military modernization that Colby said was in "deep contravention to our interests." Experts praised the document's targeting of the largest national security threats rather than the longer lists of risks in some previous strategies. But without knowing the budget commitments, it was difficult to assess if it was a sound strategy. "If we don't actually see where the money is, you know, there is the danger that it could become all words," said Mara Karlin, a fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank and a senior defence official in the Obama administration. The document also listed North Korea among the Pentagon's priorities, citing the need to focus US missile defences against the threat from Pyongyang, which beyond its nuclear weapons has also amassed an arsenal of biological, chemical, and conventional arms. The document said that international alliances would be critical for the US military, by far the world's best-resourced. But it also stressed a need for burden-sharing, an apparent nod to Trump's public criticism of allies who he says unfairly take advantage of US security guarantees. Trump has called the NATO alliance "obsolete", but Mattis said the United States would strengthen its traditional alliances while building new partnerships and listening more to other nations' ideas. "We will be willing to be persuaded by them, recognising that not all good ideas come from the country with the most aircraft carriers," Mattis said. The Pentagon is also working on a policy document on the country's nuclear arsenal. While Mattis did not specifically address that review, he said the priority is deterrence. "How do we maintain a safe and effective nuclear deterrence so those weapons are never used? It is a nuclear deterrent, it is not a war fighting capability unless it is the worst day in our nation or the world's history," Mattis said. Mattis had harsh words for the US Congress and its inability to reach agreement on budgets. The US military's competitive edge has eroded "in every domain of warfare" he said, partly because of inconsistent funding. A bill to fund the government only through Feb. 16, approved on Thursday night by the House of Representatives, appeared on the verge of collapse in the Senate. "As hard as the last 16 years of war have been, no enemy in the field has done more to harm the readiness of the U.S. military than the combined impact" of spending caps and short-term funding. In sheer spending terms, the United States' military outlay per year is still far more than China and Russia. The United States is spending $587.8 billion per year on its military, China $161.7 billion and Russia $44.6 billion.

US military puts China, Russia at centre of new national defence strategy

World leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Canada&rsquo;s Justin Trudeau and Brazilian President Michel Temer, raised concerns this week at the gathering in the Swiss ski resort of Davos about growing protectionism, in remarks that delegates said seemed aimed at Trump&rsquo;s policies.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron are also expected to speak later on Wednesday.

Under his America First agenda, Trump has threatened to withdraw from the North American free-trade agreement (NAFTA), disavowed the global climate change accord and criticized global institutions including the United Nations and NATO.

Trump is expected to arrive by Thursday and deliver a keynote address to the forum on Friday, mingling with the same elite &ldquo;globalists&rdquo; that he bashed during his 2016 presidential run.

In a press briefing in Davos ahead of his visit, US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross defended aggressive trade actions taken by the United States and said more were to come.

&ldquo;This is about an America First agenda. But America First does mean working with the rest of the world,&rdquo; Mnuchin said. &ldquo;It just means that President Trump is looking out for American workers and American interests no different than he expects other leaders would look out for their own.&rdquo;

Ross said US&nbsp;trade actions were provoked by &ldquo;inappropriate behaviour on the part of our trading counterparties.&rdquo;

On Tuesday, for example, the United States slapped steep import tariffs on washing machines and solar panels, in moves billed as a way to protect American jobs. China and South Korea condemned the tariffs, with Seoul set to complain to the World Trade Organization over the &ldquo;excessive&rdquo; move.

&ldquo;Many countries are very good at the rhetoric of free trade but in fact actually practice extreme protectionism,&rdquo; Ross said.

Many in Davos worry that a brighter world economic outlook could darken if geopolitical threats - from protectionism and climate change to cyber attacks and war - gather pace in 2018.

Trump, the first sitting US president to attend the forum since Bill Clinton in 2000, is a source of much of this anxiety after a volatile first year in office in which he has turned American foreign policy on its head.

The U.S. delegation is the largest ever to come to Davos, with 10 members of the Trump&rsquo;s cabinet and senior White House staff, Mnuchin said. That includes Jared Kushner, Trump&rsquo;s son-in-law and adviser.

When asked about a new agreement that is expected among 11 countries to forge an Asia-Pacific trade pact after the United States pulled out of an earlier version, Mnuchin said the Americans involvement was &ldquo;not off the table&rdquo;.

But he added, &ldquo;We are fans of bilateral trading agreements.&rdquo;

Earlier on Tuesday, Canada&rsquo;s Trudeau called the new trade agreement, expected to be signed in Chile in March, the &ldquo;right deal&rdquo;.

Ross said Trudeau&rsquo;s comments needed to be taken in the context of the latest round of talks on NAFTA. Perhaps there was some inclination to use that to &ldquo;put pressure on the U.S. in the NAFTA talks,&rdquo; Ross said.

Mnuchin also said that he was not concerned in the short term about a weak dollar, saying it is one of the most liquid markets.

&ldquo;Obviously a weaker dollar is good for us as it relates to trade and opportunities,&rdquo; Mnuchin said.

Senior US officials hit back on Wednesday against suggestions that Donald Trump’s 'America First' agenda was hurting globalization and trade, setting an aggressive tone ahead of the US president’s visit to the World Economic Forum

World leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Canada’s Justin Trudeau and Brazilian President Michel Temer, raised concerns this week at the gathering in the Swiss ski resort of Davos about growing protectionism, in remarks that delegates said seemed aimed at Trump’s policies. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron are also expected to speak later on Wednesday. Under his America First agenda, Trump has threatened to withdraw from the North American free-trade agreement (NAFTA), disavowed the global climate change accord and criticized global institutions including the United Nations and NATO. Trump is expected to arrive by Thursday and deliver a keynote address to the forum on Friday, mingling with the same elite “globalists” that he bashed during his 2016 presidential run. In a press briefing in Davos ahead of his visit, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross defended aggressive trade actions taken by the United States and said more were to come. “This is about an America First agenda. But America First does mean working with the rest of the world,” Mnuchin said. “It just means that President Trump is looking out for American workers and American interests no different than he expects other leaders would look out for their own.” Ross said US trade actions were provoked by “inappropriate behaviour on the part of our trading counterparties.” On Tuesday, for example, the United States slapped steep import tariffs on washing machines and solar panels, in moves billed as a way to protect American jobs. China and South Korea condemned the tariffs, with Seoul set to complain to the World Trade Organization over the “excessive” move. “Many countries are very good at the rhetoric of free trade but in fact actually practice extreme protectionism,” Ross said. Many in Davos worry that a brighter world economic outlook could darken if geopolitical threats - from protectionism and climate change to cyber attacks and war - gather pace in 2018. Trump, the first sitting US president to attend the forum since Bill Clinton in 2000, is a source of much of this anxiety after a volatile first year in office in which he has turned American foreign policy on its head. The U.S. delegation is the largest ever to come to Davos, with 10 members of the Trump’s cabinet and senior White House staff, Mnuchin said. That includes Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser. When asked about a new agreement that is expected among 11 countries to forge an Asia-Pacific trade pact after the United States pulled out of an earlier version, Mnuchin said the Americans involvement was “not off the table”. But he added, “We are fans of bilateral trading agreements.” Earlier on Tuesday, Canada’s Trudeau called the new trade agreement, expected to be signed in Chile in March, the “right deal”. Ross said Trudeau’s comments needed to be taken in the context of the latest round of talks on NAFTA. Perhaps there was some inclination to use that to “put pressure on the U.S. in the NAFTA talks,” Ross said. Mnuchin also said that he was not concerned in the short term about a weak dollar, saying it is one of the most liquid markets. “Obviously a weaker dollar is good for us as it relates to trade and opportunities,” Mnuchin said.

US defends America First agenda ahead of Trump visit to Davos

US President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed as &quot;fake news&quot; bombshell reports that he had ordered the firing of Russia investigation special prosecutor Robert Mueller last year, only backing off in the face of a threatened resignation.

&quot;Fake news. Fake news. Typical New York Times. Fake stories,&quot; Trump told reporters as he arrived for meetings at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland.

The New York Times and other US media reported Thursday that Trump had ordered the firing of Mueller in June 2017 but that the president climbed down when the top White House lawyer threatened to resign.

Mueller is leading the probe into allegations of collusion between the US president&#39;s campaign team and Russia in the 2016 election.

Trump has repeatedly criticized the probe which he says is an attack on the legitimacy of his presidency.

The New York Times said White House counsel Don McGahn opposed the firing decision, telling senior officials it would have a &quot;catastrophic effect&quot; on Trump&#39;s presidency.

After McGahn threatened to quit, Trump changed his mind, the Times reported, citing four anonymous sources.

The Washington Post, also citing anonymous sources, confirmed that Trump sought to fire Mueller but reconsidered after the White House counsel&#39;s threat.

Trump attorney Ty Cobb told AFP: &quot;We decline to comment out of respect for the Office of the Special Counsel and its process.&quot;&nbsp;

But Trump had no such scruples about commenting as he arrived at a conference center in the snowbound Swiss mountain resort on Friday.

The president had told journalists in August that he had not considered firing Mueller, some two months after he reportedly had moved to do just that.

&quot;I haven&#39;t given it any thought. I mean, I&#39;ve been reading about it from you people, you say, &#39;Oh, I&#39;m gonna dismiss him.&#39; No, I&#39;m not dismissing anybody,&quot; Trump said.

&#39;Red line&#39;

According to the Times, Trump had accused Mueller of three conflicts of interest that he argued disqualified him from running the Russia collusion investigation.

They were as follows: Mueller had terminated his membership at a Trump golf course over a dispute about fees, had worked for the law firm that previously represented the president&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and had been interviewed to return as FBI director before he was appointed special counsel.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said Thursday that firing Mueller would be a &quot;red line.&quot;

&quot;I&#39;ve said it before, and I am saying it again: firing the special counsel is a red line that the president cannot cross,&quot; Warner said in a statement.

&quot;Any attempt to remove the special counsel, pardon key witnesses, or otherwise interfere in the investigation, would be a gross abuse of power.&quot;

The day before, Trump for the first time directly said that he would cooperate with Mueller, whose investigation he had previously dismissed as a &quot;witch hunt.&quot;

&quot;I would love to do it,&quot; Trump told reporters in the White House when asked about testifying.

&quot;I would do it under oath, absolutely.&quot;

Any interview of a US president in an investigation is fraught with issues of executive privilege -- how much and in what context the US leader can be forced to disclose information.

In Trump&#39;s case, it also raises deep concerns that his shoot-from-the-hip outspokenness could jeopardize his own legal position. 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed as 'fake news' reports that he had ordered the firing of Russia investigation special prosecutor Robert Mueller last year

US President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed as "fake news" bombshell reports that he had ordered the firing of Russia investigation special prosecutor Robert Mueller last year, only backing off in the face of a threatened resignation. "Fake news. Fake news. Typical New York Times. Fake stories," Trump told reporters as he arrived for meetings at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland. The New York Times and other US media reported Thursday that Trump had ordered the firing of Mueller in June 2017 but that the president climbed down when the top White House lawyer threatened to resign. Mueller is leading the probe into allegations of collusion between the US president's campaign team and Russia in the 2016 election. Trump has repeatedly criticized the probe which he says is an attack on the legitimacy of his presidency. The New York Times said White House counsel Don McGahn opposed the firing decision, telling senior officials it would have a "catastrophic effect" on Trump's presidency. After McGahn threatened to quit, Trump changed his mind, the Times reported, citing four anonymous sources. The Washington Post, also citing anonymous sources, confirmed that Trump sought to fire Mueller but reconsidered after the White House counsel's threat. Trump attorney Ty Cobb told AFP: "We decline to comment out of respect for the Office of the Special Counsel and its process." But Trump had no such scruples about commenting as he arrived at a conference center in the snowbound Swiss mountain resort on Friday. The president had told journalists in August that he had not considered firing Mueller, some two months after he reportedly had moved to do just that. "I haven't given it any thought. I mean, I've been reading about it from you people, you say, 'Oh, I'm gonna dismiss him.' No, I'm not dismissing anybody," Trump said. 'Red line' According to the Times, Trump had accused Mueller of three conflicts of interest that he argued disqualified him from running the Russia collusion investigation. They were as follows: Mueller had terminated his membership at a Trump golf course over a dispute about fees, had worked for the law firm that previously represented the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and had been interviewed to return as FBI director before he was appointed special counsel. Democratic Senator Mark Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said Thursday that firing Mueller would be a "red line." "I've said it before, and I am saying it again: firing the special counsel is a red line that the president cannot cross," Warner said in a statement. "Any attempt to remove the special counsel, pardon key witnesses, or otherwise interfere in the investigation, would be a gross abuse of power." The day before, Trump for the first time directly said that he would cooperate with Mueller, whose investigation he had previously dismissed as a "witch hunt." "I would love to do it," Trump told reporters in the White House when asked about testifying. "I would do it under oath, absolutely." Any interview of a US president in an investigation is fraught with issues of executive privilege -- how much and in what context the US leader can be forced to disclose information. In Trump's case, it also raises deep concerns that his shoot-from-the-hip outspokenness could jeopardize his own legal position.

Trump denies he ordered sacking of Russia investigator Mueller

United States President Donald Trump has engaged in a telephonic conversation with leaders in Congress and several members of his Cabinet, in hopes of finding a deal to end the government shutdown before it enters a third day.

&quot;We are continuing to work hard towards reopening the government and making sure our great military and their families, vulnerable children and the American people are being taken care of,&quot; the Hill reported, citing, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as saying in a statement.

Chief of staff John Kelly spoke to Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and updated the President on the talks.

The US Government shut down at midnight on Friday after Democrats and Republicans locked in a bitter dispute over immigration and border security and failed to agree on a last-minute deal to fund its operations.

The bill needed 60 votes in the 100-member Senate, but only 50 supported it. Trump immediately moved to blame Democrats.

&quot;Tonight, they put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country`s ability to serve all Americans,&quot; the White House said in a statement.Trump has not made a public appearance since the shutdown began.

United States President Donald Trump has engaged in a telephonic conversation with leaders in Congress

United States President Donald Trump has engaged in a telephonic conversation with leaders in Congress and several members of his Cabinet, in hopes of finding a deal to end the government shutdown before it enters a third day. "We are continuing to work hard towards reopening the government and making sure our great military and their families, vulnerable children and the American people are being taken care of," the Hill reported, citing, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as saying in a statement. Chief of staff John Kelly spoke to Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and updated the President on the talks. The US Government shut down at midnight on Friday after Democrats and Republicans locked in a bitter dispute over immigration and border security and failed to agree on a last-minute deal to fund its operations. The bill needed 60 votes in the 100-member Senate, but only 50 supported it. Trump immediately moved to blame Democrats. "Tonight, they put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country`s ability to serve all Americans," the White House said in a statement.Trump has not made a public appearance since the shutdown began.

Trump tries to fix government shutdown over phone

US President Donald Trump will tell the Davos global elite on Friday that he wants free trade as long as it is &quot;fair and reciprocal&quot;, a senior administration official said.

Previewing Trump&#39;s speech at the World Economic Forum, the official said the president would embrace &quot;a commitment to free and open markets, but on terms that are fair and reciprocal&quot;.

Trump will also, according to the official, promote his drive to cut taxes and regulation, and declare: &quot;America is open for business.&quot;

Rather than emphasising his &quot;America First&quot; slogan, the president has been using his attendance at the annual forum in the Swiss Alps to tell foreign business leaders that there has never been a better time to invest in the United States.

But he will also use the speech to say that he expects other countries to enforce laws and trade agreements, the official said, after Washington this week targeted China and South Korea with new tariffs, and as it renegotiates the NAFTA pact with Canada and Mexico.

&quot;The United States will no longer tolerate things like the theft of intellectual property, forced technology transfers, industrial subsidies,&quot; the official said, adding that Trump&#39;s speech was also about &quot;lifting up the forgotten men and women&quot; left behind by globalisation.

Previewing Trump's speech at the World Economic Forum, the official said the president would embrace 'a commitment to free and open markets, but on terms that are fair and reciprocal'

US President Donald Trump will tell the Davos global elite on Friday that he wants free trade as long as it is "fair and reciprocal", a senior administration official said. Previewing Trump's speech at the World Economic Forum, the official said the president would embrace "a commitment to free and open markets, but on terms that are fair and reciprocal". Trump will also, according to the official, promote his drive to cut taxes and regulation, and declare: "America is open for business." Rather than emphasising his "America First" slogan, the president has been using his attendance at the annual forum in the Swiss Alps to tell foreign business leaders that there has never been a better time to invest in the United States. But he will also use the speech to say that he expects other countries to enforce laws and trade agreements, the official said, after Washington this week targeted China and South Korea with new tariffs, and as it renegotiates the NAFTA pact with Canada and Mexico. "The United States will no longer tolerate things like the theft of intellectual property, forced technology transfers, industrial subsidies," the official said, adding that Trump's speech was also about "lifting up the forgotten men and women" left behind by globalisation.

Trump to tell Davos US wants free but 'fair' trade: Aide

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/attack-on-kabuls-intercontinental-hotel-continues-several-dead-30191" target="_blank">Attack on Kabul&#39;s Intercontinental Hotel continues, several dead</a>

Four heavily-armed gunmen raided Kabul`s landmark Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday, shooting at guests and staff and setting the building on fire, officials said, in an hours-long assault that is still ongoing. Local television channel Tolo News is reporting that at least 15 people have been killed or wounded. &nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-fire-kills-17-owner-had-plastic-factory-licence-was-running-cracker-storage-unit-30189" target="_blank">Delhi fire kills 17: Owner had plastic factory licence, was running cracker storage unit</a>

One person was taken into custody on Saturday after a major fire broke out in Delhi&#39;s Bawana industrial area killing 17 people, including 10 women, and injuring two. A case has been registered and the co-owner of the unit, Manoj Jain has been apprehended, the Rohini Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta informed.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/now-parks-dividers-in-lucknow-painted-saffron-30193" target="_blank">Now, parks, dividers in Lucknow painted saffron</a>

As a part of the Uttar Pradesh government&#39;s saffronisation drive, several parks and dividers in Lucknow&#39;s Gomti Nagar were on Saturday painted saffron by the Municipal Corporation. From Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath&#39;s office to various other spots, the colour has become a defining feature of the state.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/death-by-negligence-case-against-policemen-who-refused-help-to-accident-victims-30198" target="_blank">&#39;Death by negligence&#39; case against policemen who refused help to accident victims</a>

A case of &quot;causing death by negligence&quot; was registered on Saturday against three policemen who allegedly denied medical help to two accident victims. The policemen, who refused to take the two teenage youth to the hospital in Saharanpur in their patrol car because of their unwillingness to &quot;soil car with blood&quot;, were earlier suspended on Saturday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/protestors-flock-in-droves-to-anti-trump-womens-marches-30195" target="_blank">1 year of Trump: Protesters flock in droves to women&#39;s marches</a>

Protestors took to the streets en masse across the United States Saturday, hoisting anti-Donald Trump placards, banging drums and donning pink hats for a second Women&#39;s March opposing the president -- one year to the day of his inauguration. Hundreds of thousands of marchers assembled in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, Boston and other cities nationwide, many donning the famous pink knit &quot;pussy hats&quot; -- a reference to Trump&#39;s videotaped boasts of his license to grope women without repercussions.

Attack on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel continues, several dead Four heavily-armed gunmen raided Kabul`s landmark Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday, shooting at guests and staff and setting the building on fire, officials said, in an hours-long assault that is still ongoing. Local television channel Tolo News is reporting that at least 15 people have been killed or wounded. Delhi fire kills 17: Owner had plastic factory licence, was running cracker storage unit One person was taken into custody on Saturday after a major fire broke out in Delhi's Bawana industrial area killing 17 people, including 10 women, and injuring two. A case has been registered and the co-owner of the unit, Manoj Jain has been apprehended, the Rohini Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta informed. Now, parks, dividers in Lucknow painted saffron As a part of the Uttar Pradesh government's saffronisation drive, several parks and dividers in Lucknow's Gomti Nagar were on Saturday painted saffron by the Municipal Corporation. From Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's office to various other spots, the colour has become a defining feature of the state. 'Death by negligence' case against policemen who refused help to accident victims A case of "causing death by negligence" was registered on Saturday against three policemen who allegedly denied medical help to two accident victims. The policemen, who refused to take the two teenage youth to the hospital in Saharanpur in their patrol car because of their unwillingness to "soil car with blood", were earlier suspended on Saturday. 1 year of Trump: Protesters flock in droves to women's marches Protestors took to the streets en masse across the United States Saturday, hoisting anti-Donald Trump placards, banging drums and donning pink hats for a second Women's March opposing the president -- one year to the day of his inauguration. Hundreds of thousands of marchers assembled in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, Boston and other cities nationwide, many donning the famous pink knit "pussy hats" -- a reference to Trump's videotaped boasts of his license to grope women without repercussions.

WION morning news brief, January 21, 2018

Special Counsel and former FBI director Robert Mueller probing Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election wants to question President Donald Trump on the issue, a media report said today.

The Washington Post, citing two people familiar with Mueller&#39;s plans, said the special counsel was seeking to question Trump about his ousting of FBI director James Comey and national security advisor Michael Flynn.

The duo told the newspaper that Trump&#39;s attorneys have worked out terms for the president&#39;s interview with Mueller&#39;s team that could be presented to the special counsel &quot;as soon as next week&quot;.

&quot;The president&#39;s legal team hopes to provide Trump&#39;s testimony in a hybrid form answering some questions in a face-to-face interview and others in a written statement,&quot; said the Post.

A day earlier, the US Justice Department had confirmed that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was questioned by Mueller on his investigation on potential links between the Trump campaign and Russia in the presidential election.

Mueller has already interviewed several of the close aides and family members of Trump over the issue.

Trump, earlier, had hinted that it &quot;seems unlikely&quot; that he would allow Mueller to &quot;interview&quot; him.

Meanwhile, the White House today said it supports full transparency around a secret memo criticising the FBI but it was for the House Intelligence Committee to decide whether to release it or not.

&quot;We certainly support full transparency, and we believe that&#39;s with the House Intel Committee to make a choice,&quot; White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference.&nbsp;

The Washington Post, citing two people familiar with Mueller's plans, said the special counsel was seeking to question Trump about his ousting of FBI director James Comey and NSA Michael Flynn

Special Counsel and former FBI director Robert Mueller probing Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election wants to question President Donald Trump on the issue, a media report said today. The Washington Post, citing two people familiar with Mueller's plans, said the special counsel was seeking to question Trump about his ousting of FBI director James Comey and national security advisor Michael Flynn. The duo told the newspaper that Trump's attorneys have worked out terms for the president's interview with Mueller's team that could be presented to the special counsel "as soon as next week". "The president's legal team hopes to provide Trump's testimony in a hybrid form answering some questions in a face-to-face interview and others in a written statement," said the Post. A day earlier, the US Justice Department had confirmed that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was questioned by Mueller on his investigation on potential links between the Trump campaign and Russia in the presidential election. Mueller has already interviewed several of the close aides and family members of Trump over the issue. Trump, earlier, had hinted that it "seems unlikely" that he would allow Mueller to "interview" him. Meanwhile, the White House today said it supports full transparency around a secret memo criticising the FBI but it was for the House Intelligence Committee to decide whether to release it or not. "We certainly support full transparency, and we believe that's with the House Intel Committee to make a choice," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference.

Mueller looking to question Trump on Russia probe: Report

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