US lawmakers are working <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/senate-clears-bill-in-a-bid-to-end-us-shutdown-32302">overtime against a Friday midnight</a> deadline to avoid a government shutdown.

The shutdown,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-shutdown-to-begin-at-midnight-as-senate-adjourns-32283"> if it happens again, could</a> be the third time this year.

Republicans and Democrats are working to set a $1.2 trillion spending deal together. House Speaker Paul Ryan said that &quot;some unresolved issues&quot; remained, but he was hoping it would be finalized and released.

&quot;A few sticking points remain, but we are very close&quot; to a deal, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said.

&quot;We&#39;re at the end of negotiations, I don&#39;t want to jeopardize anything,&quot; he added.

The measures include outlines of a 2018-2019 budget deal reached last month that boosts both military and domestic spending by more than 10 per cent.

The plan provides $307 million more than Trump requested for the FBI to counter Russian cyber attacks and $380 million for US states to improve voting technology before November&#39;s congressional election, according to a Reuters source.

There are several sticking points as Republicans and Democrats haggle over issues which include the Mexican Wall, Obamacare and fixing the tax law.

According to Reuters, President Trump wants $25 billion for the Mexican wall, but negotiations fell through to provide more money in exchange for protections for &quot;Dreamers,&quot; young adults brought illegally into the United States as children.

As the clock ticks, both Republicans and Democrats are working behind the scenes, spending time making phone calls in an attempt to keep the US government running.

The shutdown, if it happens again, could be the third time this year.

US lawmakers are working overtime against a Friday midnight deadline to avoid a government shutdown. The shutdown, if it happens again, could be the third time this year. Republicans and Democrats are working to set a $1.2 trillion spending deal together. House Speaker Paul Ryan said that "some unresolved issues" remained, but he was hoping it would be finalized and released. "A few sticking points remain, but we are very close" to a deal, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said. "We're at the end of negotiations, I don't want to jeopardize anything," he added. The measures include outlines of a 2018-2019 budget deal reached last month that boosts both military and domestic spending by more than 10 per cent. The plan provides $307 million more than Trump requested for the FBI to counter Russian cyber attacks and $380 million for US states to improve voting technology before November's congressional election, according to a Reuters source. There are several sticking points as Republicans and Democrats haggle over issues which include the Mexican Wall, Obamacare and fixing the tax law. According to Reuters, President Trump wants $25 billion for the Mexican wall, but negotiations fell through to provide more money in exchange for protections for "Dreamers," young adults brought illegally into the United States as children. As the clock ticks, both Republicans and Democrats are working behind the scenes, spending time making phone calls in an attempt to keep the US government running.

As another US government shutdown looms, Republicans, Democrats haggle over spending

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/cambridge-analytica-ceo-claims-influence-on-us-election-facebook-questioned-36557" target="_blank">Suspended Cambridge Analytica CEO claims influence on US election, Facebook questioned</a>

The suspended chief executive of Cambridge Analytica said in a secretly recorded video broadcast on Tuesday that his UK-based political consultancy&rsquo;s online campaign played a decisive role in US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s 2016 election victory.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/team-rahul-gandhi-set-to-take-charge-of-congress-top-leaders-resign-36565" target="_blank">Top leaders resign as Team Rahul gets set to take charge of Congress</a>

Resignations in the Congress have begun ahead of party President Rahul Gandhi&#39;s announcement of his new team.&nbsp;

Actor-politician Raj Babbar has quit as chief of the party&#39;s UP unit.&nbsp;

News reports added that Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki is also believed to have tendered his resignation to the party&#39;s central leadership. The reports added that a number of further resignations are expected.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/former-playboy-model-karen-mcdougal-sues-to-break-silence-on-alleged-trump-affair-36563" target="_blank">Now, ex-Playboy model wants to talk about </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/former-playboy-model-karen-mcdougal-sues-to-break-silence-on-alleged-trump-affair-36563" target="_blank">affair</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/former-playboy-model-karen-mcdougal-sues-to-break-silence-on-alleged-trump-affair-36563" target="_blank"> with Trump</a>

A former Playboy model who said she had an affair with President Donald Trump filed suit in California on Tuesday to release her from a legal agreement requiring her to stay silent, becoming the second woman this month to contest an arrangement to keep quiet about an alleged extramarital relationship with Trump.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-renews-pervez-musharrafs-passport-fearing-he-may-not-return-36558" target="_blank">Pakistan renews Pervez Musharraf&#39;s passport fearing he may not return</a>

Pakistan&#39;s former dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf&#39;s diplomatic passport was renewed two months before its expiry as the government feared that he might not return to face the high treason case, the country&#39;s Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nobody-is-better-than-me-on-pitch-cristiano-ronaldo-36564" target="_blank">Nobody better than me on the pitch: Cristiano Ronaldo</a>

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed the secret of his success ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

In a recent media interaction, he said, &quot;We should always believe we are the best.&quot;

&quot;You need to think big. I always believe that nobody is better than me, out on the pitch at least,&quot; he said.

Suspended Cambridge Analytica CEO claims influence on US election, Facebook questioned The suspended chief executive of Cambridge Analytica said in a secretly recorded video broadcast on Tuesday that his UK-based political consultancy’s online campaign played a decisive role in US President Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory. Top leaders resign as Team Rahul gets set to take charge of Congress Resignations in the Congress have begun ahead of party President Rahul Gandhi's announcement of his new team. Actor-politician Raj Babbar has quit as chief of the party's UP unit. News reports added that Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki is also believed to have tendered his resignation to the party's central leadership. The reports added that a number of further resignations are expected. Now, ex-Playboy model wants to talk about affair with Trump A former Playboy model who said she had an affair with President Donald Trump filed suit in California on Tuesday to release her from a legal agreement requiring her to stay silent, becoming the second woman this month to contest an arrangement to keep quiet about an alleged extramarital relationship with Trump. Pakistan renews Pervez Musharraf's passport fearing he may not return Pakistan's former dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf's diplomatic passport was renewed two months before its expiry as the government feared that he might not return to face the high treason case, the country's Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said. Nobody better than me on the pitch: Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed the secret of his success ahead of the FIFA World Cup. In a recent media interaction, he said, "We should always believe we are the best." "You need to think big. I always believe that nobody is better than me, out on the pitch at least," he said.

WION Morning News Brief, March 21, 2018

United States President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that the building of US-Mexico border would help to stem the flow of illegal drugs, such as heroin and narcotics into the country.

While speaking in Manchester, New Hampshire, which has been the primary city exposed to opioid deaths Trump came up with the decision to build the wall to &quot;keep the damn drugs out&quot; and has come up with numerous ways to fight the epidemic.&nbsp;

&quot;Eventually the Democrats will agree with us and we&#39;ll build the wall to keep the damn drugs out,&quot; he said.

The drug overdose rose to 23 per cent in the city in the first two months of 2018, reports said.&nbsp;

At the same time, the outlet reported that overdose deaths were down 27 percent. Trump said 90 percent of illicit drugs come into the United States via the Mexican border.

In a speech on opioid epidemic at New Hampshire, President Trump vowed to be &quot;extremely tough&quot; on rampant drug crime in the country, adding that he would give &#39;death penalty&#39; to the country&#39;s drug dealers.

&quot;If we don&#39;t get tough on drug dealers, we are wasting our time, and that toughness includes the death penalty. We have got to get tough. This isn&#39;t about nice anymore,&quot; he asserted.

He spoke in front of a banner that read, &quot;Opioids: The Crisis Next Door&quot; and was flanked by law enforcement members.

He vowed that his administration would be spending a lot of money on a public awareness campaign to prevent American youth from taking drugs.

&quot;That&#39;s the least expensive thing we can do, where you scare them from ending up like the people in the commercials. And we&#39;ll make them very bad commercials; we&#39;ll make them very unsavoury situations,&quot; added President Trump.

The US President also called for greater access to treatment and praised American pharmaceutical companies that are making &quot;lifesaving overdose-reversing drugs&quot;.

The Trump administration is also calling for a national prescription-drug-monitoring database, where prescriptions can be tracked across the country. Each state has its own system and some share data. The administration also wants to cut opioid prescriptions by one-third nationwide.

&quot;The plan contains some important steps that will increase access to effective, evidence-based treatment, particularly Medication-Assisted Treatment for opioid addiction,&quot; Chuck Ingoglia, senior vice president for public policy and practice improvement at the National Council for Behavioral Health, said in a statement.

The opioid epidemic or opioid crisis is the rapid increase in the use of prescription and non-prescription opioid drugs in the United States and Canada beginning in the late 1990s and continuing throughout the first two decades of the 2000s.&nbsp;

Opioids are a diverse class of moderately strong painkillers, including oxycodone (commonly sold under the trade names OxyContin and Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and a very strong painkiller, fentanyl, which is synthesized to resemble other opiates such as opium-derived morphine and heroin.

(With inputs from ANI)

In a speech on opioid epidemic at New Hampshire, President Trump vowed to be 'extremely tough' on rampant drug crime in the country, adding that he would give 'death penalty' to the country's drug dealers

United States President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that the building of US-Mexico border would help to stem the flow of illegal drugs, such as heroin and narcotics into the country. While speaking in Manchester, New Hampshire, which has been the primary city exposed to opioid deaths Trump came up with the decision to build the wall to "keep the damn drugs out" and has come up with numerous ways to fight the epidemic. "Eventually the Democrats will agree with us and we'll build the wall to keep the damn drugs out," he said. The drug overdose rose to 23 per cent in the city in the first two months of 2018, reports said. At the same time, the outlet reported that overdose deaths were down 27 percent. Trump said 90 percent of illicit drugs come into the United States via the Mexican border. In a speech on opioid epidemic at New Hampshire, President Trump vowed to be "extremely tough" on rampant drug crime in the country, adding that he would give 'death penalty' to the country's drug dealers. "If we don't get tough on drug dealers, we are wasting our time, and that toughness includes the death penalty. We have got to get tough. This isn't about nice anymore," he asserted. He spoke in front of a banner that read, "Opioids: The Crisis Next Door" and was flanked by law enforcement members. He vowed that his administration would be spending a lot of money on a public awareness campaign to prevent American youth from taking drugs. "That's the least expensive thing we can do, where you scare them from ending up like the people in the commercials. And we'll make them very bad commercials; we'll make them very unsavoury situations," added President Trump. The US President also called for greater access to treatment and praised American pharmaceutical companies that are making "lifesaving overdose-reversing drugs". The Trump administration is also calling for a national prescription-drug-monitoring database, where prescriptions can be tracked across the country. Each state has its own system and some share data. The administration also wants to cut opioid prescriptions by one-third nationwide. "The plan contains some important steps that will increase access to effective, evidence-based treatment, particularly Medication-Assisted Treatment for opioid addiction," Chuck Ingoglia, senior vice president for public policy and practice improvement at the National Council for Behavioral Health, said in a statement. The opioid epidemic or opioid crisis is the rapid increase in the use of prescription and non-prescription opioid drugs in the United States and Canada beginning in the late 1990s and continuing throughout the first two decades of the 2000s. Opioids are a diverse class of moderately strong painkillers, including oxycodone (commonly sold under the trade names OxyContin and Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and a very strong painkiller, fentanyl, which is synthesized to resemble other opiates such as opium-derived morphine and heroin. (With inputs from ANI)

Building US-Mexico border to 'keep the damn drugs out': Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, an administration official told Reuters without elaborating.

The White House planned to release a statement on their conversation on Tuesday, the official said.

Putin was re-elected on Sunday as Russia's president, extending his tenure for another six years.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday he hoped Putin's win would lead to a thaw in U.S.-Russia relations, the RIA news agency reported.

Ryabkov was cited as saying he hoped the victory would persuade some American politicians to stop isolating Russia and said Moscow was open to dialogue with Washington.

The European Union's chief executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, published a letter of congratulations to Putin on Tuesday, saying Russia and Europe should "re-establish a cooperative pan-European security order."

With East-West ties at post-Cold War lows, Juncker's congratulatory letter followed the latest expression of concern about Russia from EU foreign ministers on Monday over the nerve

agent attack on a former Russian double agent on British soil. Russia denies involvement.

The White House planned to release a statement on their conversation on Tuesday, the official said

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, an administration official told Reuters without elaborating. The White House planned to release a statement on their conversation on Tuesday, the official said. Putin was re-elected on Sunday as Russia's president, extending his tenure for another six years. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday he hoped Putin's win would lead to a thaw in U.S.-Russia relations, the RIA news agency reported. Ryabkov was cited as saying he hoped the victory would persuade some American politicians to stop isolating Russia and said Moscow was open to dialogue with Washington. The European Union's chief executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, published a letter of congratulations to Putin on Tuesday, saying Russia and Europe should "re-establish a cooperative pan-European security order." With East-West ties at post-Cold War lows, Juncker's congratulatory letter followed the latest expression of concern about Russia from EU foreign ministers on Monday over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent on British soil. Russia denies involvement.

Trump speaks with Putin after re-election victory in Russia

Melania Trump is hosting executives from major online and social media companies to discuss cyberbullying and internet safety, more than a year after saying that would be her issue as first lady.

The meeting today marks her first public event on the topic, a choice some observers have questioned given that her husband often berates people on Twitter.

Amazon, Snap, Facebook, Google and Twitter are among the companies that are expected to attend the meeting. The Internet Association said it will also be represented.

All the major technology companies have strict policies prohibiting harassment and other bullying behaviours on their services but primarily rely on users to report abuses and weed them out.

They try to clearly spell out the kinds of remarks and other posts that won&#39;t be tolerated in special sections such as one Facebook, the largest online social network, has set up. Instagram, a popular service among kids and young adults for sharing photos and videos, provides links to the US government&#39;s anti-bullying site and tips from a cyberbullying research centre on one of its help pages.

But the efforts so far have fallen short, leading to rampant abuses that even some of the companies acknowledge have driven away or tormented portions of their audience.

It got so bad on Twitter, which has 68 million US users, that the San Francisco company vowed last fall to crack down on hateful tweets. Among other things, Twitter adopted new policies aimed at protecting women who unknowingly or unwillingly had nude pictures of themselves distributed online a common bullying tactic.

Yik Yak, another messaging app once popular among high school and college students, shut down last year partly because schools banned it following complaints about bullying and harassment.

Online bullying takes many shapes, but some of the most common tactics include posting embarrassing or salacious photos, making demeaning or cruel remarks under a photo or in a general post about someone, and sharing screenshots of what at least one person thought was a private text.

Harassment is widespread and extends beyond teenagers. A Pew Research Center poll last year found 41 percent of US adults believed they had been harassed online.

The popularity of and volume of content on major social media sites present a huge challenge in policing what is being shared. Facebook, for instance, has 2.1 billion worldwide users who collectively share billions of posts on their pages daily. More than 300 hours of video is uploaded to Google&#39;s YouTube site every minute.

The companies are also constantly struggling to balance the desire to prevent harassment and other abuses and maintain a commitment to freedom of expression.

In some cases, they see harassment and still look the other way. For instance, some of President Trump&#39;s more vitriolic tweets have openly mocked and denigrated people, prompting calls for Twitter to shut down his account and ban him from its service. But Twitter has declined, maintaining the news value of the president&#39;s tweets eclipse complaints about him being a bully.

There is no federal law that applies to bullying. State laws vary, ranging from requiring public schools to have a bullying policy to requiring anonymous reporting systems, said Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and professor of criminology at Florida Atlantic University.

The federal government can best help by giving schools more tools and money to provide programs, Hinduja said.

Trump announced in a speech near the end of the 2016 presidential campaign that her priority as the first lady would be to fight cyberbullying. A native of Slovenia, she at the time lamented a US culture that she said had grown &quot;too mean and too rough.&quot; It was a curious speech for a woman whose husband uses Twitter to dismiss people as losers and taunt them with unflattering nicknames.

The mother of a 12-year-old son,&nbsp;first lady has made child well-being her focus in the White House, including an unexpected interest in how the opioid crisis is affecting youngsters.

She has visited hospitals and care centres to see the effects first hand and has embraced parents whose children died from drug overdoses. She accompanied the president to New Hampshire on Monday as he discussed a three-pronged effort to combat drug addiction, including applying the death penalty against those caught trafficking highly addictive substances.

Mrs Trump recently asked the spouses of US governors to help promote values such as encouragement, kindness, compassion and respect in children. She has also spoken about limiting the amount of time children spend online, and helping them understand the content they are exposed to.

Amazon, Snap, Facebook, Google and Twitter are among the companies that are expected to attend the meeting

Melania Trump is hosting executives from major online and social media companies to discuss cyberbullying and internet safety, more than a year after saying that would be her issue as first lady. The meeting today marks her first public event on the topic, a choice some observers have questioned given that her husband often berates people on Twitter. Amazon, Snap, Facebook, Google and Twitter are among the companies that are expected to attend the meeting. The Internet Association said it will also be represented. All the major technology companies have strict policies prohibiting harassment and other bullying behaviours on their services but primarily rely on users to report abuses and weed them out. They try to clearly spell out the kinds of remarks and other posts that won't be tolerated in special sections such as one Facebook, the largest online social network, has set up. Instagram, a popular service among kids and young adults for sharing photos and videos, provides links to the US government's anti-bullying site and tips from a cyberbullying research centre on one of its help pages. But the efforts so far have fallen short, leading to rampant abuses that even some of the companies acknowledge have driven away or tormented portions of their audience. It got so bad on Twitter, which has 68 million US users, that the San Francisco company vowed last fall to crack down on hateful tweets. Among other things, Twitter adopted new policies aimed at protecting women who unknowingly or unwillingly had nude pictures of themselves distributed online a common bullying tactic. Yik Yak, another messaging app once popular among high school and college students, shut down last year partly because schools banned it following complaints about bullying and harassment. Online bullying takes many shapes, but some of the most common tactics include posting embarrassing or salacious photos, making demeaning or cruel remarks under a photo or in a general post about someone, and sharing screenshots of what at least one person thought was a private text. Harassment is widespread and extends beyond teenagers. A Pew Research Center poll last year found 41 percent of US adults believed they had been harassed online. The popularity of and volume of content on major social media sites present a huge challenge in policing what is being shared. Facebook, for instance, has 2.1 billion worldwide users who collectively share billions of posts on their pages daily. More than 300 hours of video is uploaded to Google's YouTube site every minute. The companies are also constantly struggling to balance the desire to prevent harassment and other abuses and maintain a commitment to freedom of expression. In some cases, they see harassment and still look the other way. For instance, some of President Trump's more vitriolic tweets have openly mocked and denigrated people, prompting calls for Twitter to shut down his account and ban him from its service. But Twitter has declined, maintaining the news value of the president's tweets eclipse complaints about him being a bully. There is no federal law that applies to bullying. State laws vary, ranging from requiring public schools to have a bullying policy to requiring anonymous reporting systems, said Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and professor of criminology at Florida Atlantic University. The federal government can best help by giving schools more tools and money to provide programs, Hinduja said. Trump announced in a speech near the end of the 2016 presidential campaign that her priority as the first lady would be to fight cyberbullying. A native of Slovenia, she at the time lamented a US culture that she said had grown "too mean and too rough." It was a curious speech for a woman whose husband uses Twitter to dismiss people as losers and taunt them with unflattering nicknames. The mother of a 12-year-old son, first lady has made child well-being her focus in the White House, including an unexpected interest in how the opioid crisis is affecting youngsters. She has visited hospitals and care centres to see the effects first hand and has embraced parents whose children died from drug overdoses. She accompanied the president to New Hampshire on Monday as he discussed a three-pronged effort to combat drug addiction, including applying the death penalty against those caught trafficking highly addictive substances. Mrs Trump recently asked the spouses of US governors to help promote values such as encouragement, kindness, compassion and respect in children. She has also spoken about limiting the amount of time children spend online, and helping them understand the content they are exposed to.

Melania Trump to hold first public event on cyberbullying

The US&nbsp;Supreme Court on Monday required Arizona to continue to issue driver&#39;s licenses to the so-called Dreamers immigrants and refused to hear the state&#39;s challenge to an Obama-era program that protects hundreds of thousands of young adults brought into the country illegally as children.

The case centered on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program created in 2012 under Democratic former President Barack Obama that Republican President Donald Trump already has sought to rescind. Those who signed up for DACA are shielded from deportation and given work permits.

The high court refused to hear Republican-governed Arizona&#39;s appeal of a lower court ruling that barred the state from denying driver&#39;s licenses to people protected under DACA.

&quot;Arizona&#39;s inexplicable attempt to deny driver&#39;s licenses to Dreamers, pursued by two governors for years, has now failed at every level of the federal judiciary,&quot; said Jennifer Chang Newell, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented the immigrants in the case.

The justices on Feb. 26 required the Trump administration to keep DACA in place at least for now, turning away its appeal of a judge&#39;s nationwide injunction that halted the president&#39;s September order to begin winding down the program in March. A second federal judge has since issued a similar injunction.

After DACA was put in place under Obama, Arizona&#39;s governor at the time, Republican Jan Brewer, directed state officials to prevent the program&#39;s recipients from obtaining a driver&#39;s license in the state.

Non-citizens must prove they are authorized to be in the United States to obtain an Arizona driver&#39;s license, such as with a valid federal work permit. The state decided not to accept permits obtained by DACA recipients.

The ACLU sued on behalf of a group of DACA recipients who were denied driver&#39;s licenses. Arizona was the only state to deny licenses to DACA recipients, according to court papers.

The San Francisco-based 9th US&nbsp;Circuit Court of Appeals last year struck down the Arizona policy, ruling that the state cannot develop its own definition of immigrants who are authorized to be in the United States and that only the federal government had that power.

Arizona appealed to the Supreme Court, saying the 9th Circuit&#39;s decision ran roughshod over state sovereignty. Arizona said DACA was enacted through a Department of Homeland Security memo, not legislation in the U.S. Congress or a formal agency rule-making process, and could not supersede state law regulating driver&#39;s licenses.

The Trump administration urged the justices not to take the case, saying the president&#39;s move to rescind the policy means the state&#39;s concerns have already been addressed.

The high court refused to hear Republican-governed Arizona's appeal of a lower court ruling that barred the state from denying driver's licenses to people protected under DACA.=

The US Supreme Court on Monday required Arizona to continue to issue driver's licenses to the so-called Dreamers immigrants and refused to hear the state's challenge to an Obama-era program that protects hundreds of thousands of young adults brought into the country illegally as children. The case centered on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program created in 2012 under Democratic former President Barack Obama that Republican President Donald Trump already has sought to rescind. Those who signed up for DACA are shielded from deportation and given work permits. The high court refused to hear Republican-governed Arizona's appeal of a lower court ruling that barred the state from denying driver's licenses to people protected under DACA. "Arizona's inexplicable attempt to deny driver's licenses to Dreamers, pursued by two governors for years, has now failed at every level of the federal judiciary," said Jennifer Chang Newell, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented the immigrants in the case. The justices on Feb. 26 required the Trump administration to keep DACA in place at least for now, turning away its appeal of a judge's nationwide injunction that halted the president's September order to begin winding down the program in March. A second federal judge has since issued a similar injunction. After DACA was put in place under Obama, Arizona's governor at the time, Republican Jan Brewer, directed state officials to prevent the program's recipients from obtaining a driver's license in the state. Non-citizens must prove they are authorized to be in the United States to obtain an Arizona driver's license, such as with a valid federal work permit. The state decided not to accept permits obtained by DACA recipients. The ACLU sued on behalf of a group of DACA recipients who were denied driver's licenses. Arizona was the only state to deny licenses to DACA recipients, according to court papers. The San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals last year struck down the Arizona policy, ruling that the state cannot develop its own definition of immigrants who are authorized to be in the United States and that only the federal government had that power. Arizona appealed to the Supreme Court, saying the 9th Circuit's decision ran roughshod over state sovereignty. Arizona said DACA was enacted through a Department of Homeland Security memo, not legislation in the U.S. Congress or a formal agency rule-making process, and could not supersede state law regulating driver's licenses. The Trump administration urged the justices not to take the case, saying the president's move to rescind the policy means the state's concerns have already been addressed.

US top court rejects Arizona challenge to 'Dreamers' program

The North Korean and Swedish foreign ministers ended three days of talks on Saturday on the security situation on the Korean peninsula which may help prepare the way for a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

North Korea&rsquo;s Ri Yong Ho arrived in Stockholm on Thursday for talks with his Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom amid a flurry of diplomatic activity concerning the reclusive country and its nuclear ambitions.

Trump reaffirmed on Friday that he was willing to meet Kim after South Korean officials passed on an invitation earlier this month. North Korea has so far not publicly acknowledged the invitation.

&ldquo;The foreign ministers discussed opportunities and challenges for continued diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict as well as bilateral relations,&rdquo; the Swedish foreign ministry said in a statement after Ri and Wallstrom wound up their talks.

&ldquo;Sweden underlined the need for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear arms and missiles program in line with several Security Council resolutions.&rdquo;

No US government officials participated in the talks this week in Sweden, a State Department official said.

The Central Intelligence Agency has taken the lead on organizing potential discussions between the US and North Korea, The New York Times reported on Saturday. The head of the CIA, Mike Pompeo, has been named as a successor to run the State Department in the wake of the ouster of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The talks in Stockholm had initially been scheduled to conclude on Friday but were extended into the weekend.

&ldquo;The dialogue has been constructive,&rdquo; a source with knowledge of the discussions said. &ldquo;It should be seen as a positive sign that the meeting was extended (until Saturday).&rdquo;

The source said that Sweden had been in close touch with the United States and South Korea before the Stockholm meetings and hoped the talks would lead to further progress towards defusing tensions.

&ldquo;Sweden will continue to do what it can, but it is the protagonists themselves who have to drive the process forward,&rdquo; the source said.

In the wake of the Stockholm talks, Wallstrom will meet her South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha, who was in Washington this week for talks on North Korea and trade, in Brussels on Monday, Wallstrom&rsquo;s spokesman said.

Sweden is one of a handful of countries considered a possible venue for a meeting between Trump and Kim, who have engaged in bellicose mudslinging over North Korea and its nuclear arms program.

Trump reaffirmed on Friday that he was willing to meet Kim after South Korean officials passed on an invitation earlier this month. North Korea has so far not publicly acknowledged the invitation

The North Korean and Swedish foreign ministers ended three days of talks on Saturday on the security situation on the Korean peninsula which may help prepare the way for a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. North Korea’s Ri Yong Ho arrived in Stockholm on Thursday for talks with his Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom amid a flurry of diplomatic activity concerning the reclusive country and its nuclear ambitions. Trump reaffirmed on Friday that he was willing to meet Kim after South Korean officials passed on an invitation earlier this month. North Korea has so far not publicly acknowledged the invitation. “The foreign ministers discussed opportunities and challenges for continued diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict as well as bilateral relations,” the Swedish foreign ministry said in a statement after Ri and Wallstrom wound up their talks. “Sweden underlined the need for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear arms and missiles program in line with several Security Council resolutions.” No US government officials participated in the talks this week in Sweden, a State Department official said. The Central Intelligence Agency has taken the lead on organizing potential discussions between the US and North Korea, The New York Times reported on Saturday. The head of the CIA, Mike Pompeo, has been named as a successor to run the State Department in the wake of the ouster of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The talks in Stockholm had initially been scheduled to conclude on Friday but were extended into the weekend. “The dialogue has been constructive,” a source with knowledge of the discussions said. “It should be seen as a positive sign that the meeting was extended (until Saturday).” The source said that Sweden had been in close touch with the United States and South Korea before the Stockholm meetings and hoped the talks would lead to further progress towards defusing tensions. “Sweden will continue to do what it can, but it is the protagonists themselves who have to drive the process forward,” the source said. In the wake of the Stockholm talks, Wallstrom will meet her South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha, who was in Washington this week for talks on North Korea and trade, in Brussels on Monday, Wallstrom’s spokesman said. Sweden is one of a handful of countries considered a possible venue for a meeting between Trump and Kim, who have engaged in bellicose mudslinging over North Korea and its nuclear arms program.

Sweden, North Korea talks end, may help pave way for Trump-Kim encounter

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang said on Friday (March 16) said that Sino-US trade is not one-sided in China&#39;s favour and no side would come out unscathed in a trade war.

Lu&#39;s comments came at a regular briefing in Beijing after White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said that Trump would in coming weeks get options to address China&#39;s &quot;theft and forced transfer&quot; of American intellectual property as part of the investigation under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974.

It was reported on Tuesday (March 13) that Trump was considering tariffs on up to $60 billion (43 billion pounds) worth of Chinese information technology, telecommunications and consumer products, along with US investment restrictions for Chinese companies.

Lu said US Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue was right to say that unilateral tariffs on Chinese goods could lead to a destructive trade war that will hurt American consumers and US economic growth.

Sino-US trade is not one-sided in China's favour and no side would come out unscathed in a trade war, said Lu Kang

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang said on Friday (March 16) said that Sino-US trade is not one-sided in China's favour and no side would come out unscathed in a trade war. Lu's comments came at a regular briefing in Beijing after White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said that Trump would in coming weeks get options to address China's "theft and forced transfer" of American intellectual property as part of the investigation under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974. It was reported on Tuesday (March 13) that Trump was considering tariffs on up to $60 billion (43 billion pounds) worth of Chinese information technology, telecommunications and consumer products, along with US investment restrictions for Chinese companies. Lu said US Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue was right to say that unilateral tariffs on Chinese goods could lead to a destructive trade war that will hurt American consumers and US economic growth.

China reiterates that 'there are no winners in a trade war'

North Korea&rsquo;s foreign minister landed in Sweden on Thursday for talks, prompting speculation that the two-day trip could lay the groundwork for a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

A Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesman said Ri Yong Ho was in Stockholm to discuss with Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom the security situation on the Korean peninsula and Sweden&rsquo;s diplomatic representation of the United States in North Korea.

Sweden, which is not a member of the US-led NATO military alliance, has been mentioned as a potential location for a possible face-to-face meeting between Trump and Kim.

&ldquo;If it is the case that the main players want Sweden to play a role, to facilitate, to be a forum or a link or whatever else, we are prepared to do that,&rdquo; Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told Swedish news agency TT.

&ldquo;But it must be the main players who decide, in that case, what role Sweden will have.&rdquo;

North Korean state media confirmed Ri&rsquo;s trip on Friday, saying he had flown to Sweden to speak with his counterpart on &ldquo;bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern&rdquo;. It did not mention engagement with the United States.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a regular news briefing in Washington she was aware of the Stockholm meeting but the United States would not take part.

&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have any information that that meeting is about what we anticipate to be a meeting between the United States, other parties, and North Korea,&rdquo; she said, referring this question to the Swedish government.

&ldquo;We are not sending any representation,&rdquo; she added.

Nauert said the United States was preparing for a possible summit with North Korea in good faith but had yet to hear directly from North Korea on the matter.

With a diplomatic presence in Pyongyang that goes back to the 1970s, Sweden may be able to help smooth the path for such a meeting, even if it does not end up hosting the talks.

&ldquo;This meeting will hopefully lead to clarity about what North Korea wants from a high-level meeting and what the time-frame is and what the conditions will be - for example, should there be any preliminary meetings,&rdquo; a source with knowledge of the situation said.

&ldquo;It is not even certain that North Korea wants to have a meeting.&rdquo;

The source said it was important to build confidence between Washington and Pyongyang, adding: &ldquo;The United States wants to have help with consular matters and North Korea wants to be sure that no one is going to invade.&rdquo;

Since Trump&rsquo;s surprise announcement last week that he was willing to meet Kim, speculation has mounted over what location might be chosen to host what would be the first meeting between serving leaders of the two countries.

Sweden acts as a diplomatic representative in North Korea for the United States, which has no embassy there and has helped with the release of US citizens held by the reclusive state.

In its statement, Sweden&rsquo;s foreign ministry noted that the UN Security Council had unanimously condemned North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear weapons and missile programmes and demanded their &ldquo;complete, verifiable and irrevocable elimination&rdquo;.

&ldquo;Sweden fully supports the Security Council resolutions. The aim of the visit is to contribute to the effective implementation of the resolutions,&rdquo; the ministry said.

Ri landed in Sweden on Thursday for talks, prompting speculation that the two-day trip could lay the groundwork for a possible meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un

North Korea’s foreign minister landed in Sweden on Thursday for talks, prompting speculation that the two-day trip could lay the groundwork for a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. A Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesman said Ri Yong Ho was in Stockholm to discuss with Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom the security situation on the Korean peninsula and Sweden’s diplomatic representation of the United States in North Korea. Sweden, which is not a member of the US-led NATO military alliance, has been mentioned as a potential location for a possible face-to-face meeting between Trump and Kim. “If it is the case that the main players want Sweden to play a role, to facilitate, to be a forum or a link or whatever else, we are prepared to do that,” Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told Swedish news agency TT. “But it must be the main players who decide, in that case, what role Sweden will have.” North Korean state media confirmed Ri’s trip on Friday, saying he had flown to Sweden to speak with his counterpart on “bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern”. It did not mention engagement with the United States. US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a regular news briefing in Washington she was aware of the Stockholm meeting but the United States would not take part. “We don’t have any information that that meeting is about what we anticipate to be a meeting between the United States, other parties, and North Korea,” she said, referring this question to the Swedish government. “We are not sending any representation,” she added. Nauert said the United States was preparing for a possible summit with North Korea in good faith but had yet to hear directly from North Korea on the matter. With a diplomatic presence in Pyongyang that goes back to the 1970s, Sweden may be able to help smooth the path for such a meeting, even if it does not end up hosting the talks. “This meeting will hopefully lead to clarity about what North Korea wants from a high-level meeting and what the time-frame is and what the conditions will be - for example, should there be any preliminary meetings,” a source with knowledge of the situation said. “It is not even certain that North Korea wants to have a meeting.” The source said it was important to build confidence between Washington and Pyongyang, adding: “The United States wants to have help with consular matters and North Korea wants to be sure that no one is going to invade.” Since Trump’s surprise announcement last week that he was willing to meet Kim, speculation has mounted over what location might be chosen to host what would be the first meeting between serving leaders of the two countries. Sweden acts as a diplomatic representative in North Korea for the United States, which has no embassy there and has helped with the release of US citizens held by the reclusive state. In its statement, Sweden’s foreign ministry noted that the UN Security Council had unanimously condemned North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programmes and demanded their “complete, verifiable and irrevocable elimination”. “Sweden fully supports the Security Council resolutions. The aim of the visit is to contribute to the effective implementation of the resolutions,” the ministry said.

North Korean foreign minister arrives in Sweden

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels was physically threatened and warned to remain silent about her relationship with President Donald Trump, her lawyer said on Friday.&nbsp;

Attorney Michael Avenatti would not provide details about the threat against Stephanie Clifford, who uses Stormy Daniels as her professional name. He said Clifford would elaborate on it during a CBS &quot;60 Minutes&quot; interview broadcast on March 25.

&quot;My client was physically threatened to stay silent about what she knew about Donald Trump,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Pornstar Stormy Daniels will go to court on July 12 in a bid to dissolve an agreement stopping her discussing an affair she says she had with President Donald Trump, according to court papers published Wednesday.

Lawyer Michael Avenatti filed a lawsuit on behalf of Daniels last week seeking to toss out the confidential settlement she signed just days before the November 2016 election.

The lawsuit alleges that Daniels began an &quot;intimate relationship&quot; with Trump in the summer of 2006 that continued well into 2007.

A copy of the settlement filed in court shows that Daniels received the $130,000 from a company known as Essential Consultants LLC in return for her silence.

Daniels is also asking to be allowed to publish text messages, photos and videos relating to the president, Avenatti said in a letter to Trump&#39;s lawyer Michael Cohen.

&quot;I think it&#39;s time for her to tell her story and for the public to decide who&#39;s telling the truth,&quot; Avenatti said last week.

While Daniels denied the alleged affair with the President previously, Trump continued to rubbish the allegations. The US President won the lawsuit last week, a day after Daniels sued seeking to invalidate a &quot;hush agreement&quot; she signed with Trump&#39;s lawyer.

Michael Cohen, who has been with the Trump organisation for almost 10 years arranged the money for the actress, Stephanie Clifford aka Stormy Daniels, in October 2016.

As per reports, Trump and Clifford had the encounter in Lake Tahoe, California, in 2006, a year after he married his third wife, Melania.&nbsp;

Porn star Stormy Daniels will go to court on July 12 in a bid to dissolve an agreement stopping her discussing an affair she says she had with President Donald Trump, according to court papers published Wednesday

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels was physically threatened and warned to remain silent about her relationship with President Donald Trump, her lawyer said on Friday. Attorney Michael Avenatti would not provide details about the threat against Stephanie Clifford, who uses Stormy Daniels as her professional name. He said Clifford would elaborate on it during a CBS "60 Minutes" interview broadcast on March 25. "My client was physically threatened to stay silent about what she knew about Donald Trump," he said. Pornstar Stormy Daniels will go to court on July 12 in a bid to dissolve an agreement stopping her discussing an affair she says she had with President Donald Trump, according to court papers published Wednesday. Lawyer Michael Avenatti filed a lawsuit on behalf of Daniels last week seeking to toss out the confidential settlement she signed just days before the November 2016 election. The lawsuit alleges that Daniels began an "intimate relationship" with Trump in the summer of 2006 that continued well into 2007. A copy of the settlement filed in court shows that Daniels received the $130,000 from a company known as Essential Consultants LLC in return for her silence. Daniels is also asking to be allowed to publish text messages, photos and videos relating to the president, Avenatti said in a letter to Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen. "I think it's time for her to tell her story and for the public to decide who's telling the truth," Avenatti said last week. While Daniels denied the alleged affair with the President previously, Trump continued to rubbish the allegations. The US President won the lawsuit last week, a day after Daniels sued seeking to invalidate a "hush agreement" she signed with Trump's lawyer. Michael Cohen, who has been with the Trump organisation for almost 10 years arranged the money for the actress, Stephanie Clifford aka Stormy Daniels, in October 2016. As per reports, Trump and Clifford had the encounter in Lake Tahoe, California, in 2006, a year after he married his third wife, Melania.

Porn actress Stormy Daniels physically threatened over Trump: Lawyer

After Rex <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/another-sacking-after-tillerson-he-says-looking-forward-to-rest-35704">Tillerson&#39;s unceremonious firing</a>, President Trump is set to remove US National Security Adviser McMaster from his post, the Washinton Post reported today.

The report comes just days after the ex-US secretary of state Tillerson was dumped by Trump in a Twitter message which rattled the administration and took even critics by surprise.

As Tillerson was sacked, rumours swirled McMaster was next in line to be sacked as Trump moves to surround his cabinet with people who are in tune with his campaign promise made during the 2016 presidential run.

The Washington Post report said that Trump is &quot;now comfortable&quot; with removing McMaster from the post but &quot;is willing to take time executing the move&quot; in order to save McMaster from humiliation and choose a replacement.

To this day, I think that a healthy ideological diversity prevails in the White House, but what has changed is that he is no longer willing to allow people to slow roll or stonewall his agenda,&quot; said Andrew Surabian a former White House strategist under Trump to Reuters.

As Trump formally announced global tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium his top economic adviser Gary Cohn, who disagreed with him resigned, Tillerson followed days later, sacked by Trump even as he was touring abroad.

US television commentator and conservative economic analyst Larry Kudlow was named as Cohn&#39;s replacement even as he decided to name Gina Haspel as CIA chief.

&quot;He is looking for people who are in broad agreement with what he wants to do and who are willing to accept that he&#39;s the team leader,&quot; said Republican former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich.

The Washington Post report said that Trump is "now comfortable" with removing McMaster from the post

After Rex Tillerson's unceremonious firing, President Trump is set to remove US National Security Adviser McMaster from his post, the Washinton Post reported today. The report comes just days after the ex-US secretary of state Tillerson was dumped by Trump in a Twitter message which rattled the administration and took even critics by surprise. As Tillerson was sacked, rumours swirled McMaster was next in line to be sacked as Trump moves to surround his cabinet with people who are in tune with his campaign promise made during the 2016 presidential run. The Washington Post report said that Trump is "now comfortable" with removing McMaster from the post but "is willing to take time executing the move" in order to save McMaster from humiliation and choose a replacement. To this day, I think that a healthy ideological diversity prevails in the White House, but what has changed is that he is no longer willing to allow people to slow roll or stonewall his agenda," said Andrew Surabian a former White House strategist under Trump to Reuters. As Trump formally announced global tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium his top economic adviser Gary Cohn, who disagreed with him resigned, Tillerson followed days later, sacked by Trump even as he was touring abroad. US television commentator and conservative economic analyst Larry Kudlow was named as Cohn's replacement even as he decided to name Gina Haspel as CIA chief. "He is looking for people who are in broad agreement with what he wants to do and who are willing to accept that he's the team leader," said Republican former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich.

After Tillerson, Trump set to fire National Security Advisor McMaster: Report

US&nbsp;television commentator and conservative economic analyst Larry Kudlow will replace Gary Cohn as President Donald Trump&#39;s top economic adviser, the White House and Kudlow said on Wednesday, adding another loyalist to Trump&#39;s inner circle.

Kudlow, a Republican who served as an economic adviser to former President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and also worked on Wall Street, is an ardent advocate of &quot;supply side&quot; economic policies that focus on cutting taxes and reducing regulations.

Kudlow, 70, told Reuters that Trump offered him the job on Tuesday evening and he accepted. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders confirmed that Trump had offered him the position. A formal announcement could come as early as Thursday.

Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Independent Advisor Alliance, said investors on Wall Street generally viewed the pick positively because of Kudlow&#39;s Washington experience and his policy views.

&quot;He&#39;s generally regarded to be more of a free trade advocate than (White House adviser Peter) Navarro or the others,&quot; Zaccarelli said.

&quot;Larry Kudlow is very much a free trader,&quot; said Stephen Massocca, senior vice president at Wedbush Securities in San Francisco. &quot;This shows that (Trump) wants to hear the other side of the argument as well.&quot;

Kudlow, a CNBC contributor, has acknowledged ups and downs in his life, having been addicted to drugs and alcohol before getting sober more than 20 years ago.

The NEC director can have wide influence over the president on a variety of issues from steering economic policy to offering guidance on whom to choose for open positions at the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Cohn, a Democrat who was seen as a moderating influence on the president&#39;s nationalist economic instincts, announced his resignation last week after a disagreement over Trump&#39;s decision to impose steep tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium.

Kudlow, an informal adviser to Trump&#39;s 2016 presidential campaign, had also criticized the president&#39;s decision, saying tariffs would harm steel-consuming producers. Earlier this month, he was one of three authors of an article that argued such tariffs were akin to sanctions on the United States itself.

During an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, he said he was relieved that some countries would get exemptions from the tariffs, did not think they would hurt the broader US&nbsp;economy, and believed China deserved to face tough action over trade.

&quot;China has not played by the rules for a long time. ... I must say, as somebody who doesn&#39;t like tariffs, I think China has earned a tough response,&quot; he said, adding he hoped a coalition of countries could act against China on trade.

Kudlow also said a strong and stable dollar was important for U.S. economic health and that he had no reason to believe Trump disagreed. He echoed his future boss&#39; views that the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico needed fixing and said the European Union had &quot;very bad protectionist policies.&quot;

His appointment comes as Trump increasingly seeks to surround himself with like-minded advisers.

Cohn&#39;s exit and the dismissal of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have cleared the way for Trump to elevate advisers who are more inclined to implement his campaign promises ahead of congressional elections this year.

The president, who has described Kudlow as a longtime friend, hinted on Tuesday morning that he was likely to give him the job. He said Kudlow had &quot;come around&quot; to view tariffs as a useful tool for renegotiating trade deals.

Kudlow&#39;s television credentials may help him with one part of the NEC job - trying to win over the public on the president&#39;s economic policies, including the White House&#39;s view of the recently enacted tax overhaul as a major economic success.

Kudlow, a Republican who served as an economic adviser to former President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and also worked on Wall Street

US television commentator and conservative economic analyst Larry Kudlow will replace Gary Cohn as President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, the White House and Kudlow said on Wednesday, adding another loyalist to Trump's inner circle. Kudlow, a Republican who served as an economic adviser to former President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and also worked on Wall Street, is an ardent advocate of "supply side" economic policies that focus on cutting taxes and reducing regulations. Kudlow, 70, told Reuters that Trump offered him the job on Tuesday evening and he accepted. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders confirmed that Trump had offered him the position. A formal announcement could come as early as Thursday. Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Independent Advisor Alliance, said investors on Wall Street generally viewed the pick positively because of Kudlow's Washington experience and his policy views. "He's generally regarded to be more of a free trade advocate than (White House adviser Peter) Navarro or the others," Zaccarelli said. "Larry Kudlow is very much a free trader," said Stephen Massocca, senior vice president at Wedbush Securities in San Francisco. "This shows that (Trump) wants to hear the other side of the argument as well." Kudlow, a CNBC contributor, has acknowledged ups and downs in his life, having been addicted to drugs and alcohol before getting sober more than 20 years ago. The NEC director can have wide influence over the president on a variety of issues from steering economic policy to offering guidance on whom to choose for open positions at the U.S. Federal Reserve. Cohn, a Democrat who was seen as a moderating influence on the president's nationalist economic instincts, announced his resignation last week after a disagreement over Trump's decision to impose steep tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium. Kudlow, an informal adviser to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, had also criticized the president's decision, saying tariffs would harm steel-consuming producers. Earlier this month, he was one of three authors of an article that argued such tariffs were akin to sanctions on the United States itself. During an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, he said he was relieved that some countries would get exemptions from the tariffs, did not think they would hurt the broader US economy, and believed China deserved to face tough action over trade. "China has not played by the rules for a long time. ... I must say, as somebody who doesn't like tariffs, I think China has earned a tough response," he said, adding he hoped a coalition of countries could act against China on trade. Kudlow also said a strong and stable dollar was important for U.S. economic health and that he had no reason to believe Trump disagreed. He echoed his future boss' views that the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico needed fixing and said the European Union had "very bad protectionist policies." His appointment comes as Trump increasingly seeks to surround himself with like-minded advisers. Cohn's exit and the dismissal of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have cleared the way for Trump to elevate advisers who are more inclined to implement his campaign promises ahead of congressional elections this year. The president, who has described Kudlow as a longtime friend, hinted on Tuesday morning that he was likely to give him the job. He said Kudlow had "come around" to view tariffs as a useful tool for renegotiating trade deals. Kudlow's television credentials may help him with one part of the NEC job - trying to win over the public on the president's economic policies, including the White House's view of the recently enacted tax overhaul as a major economic success.

Trump picks TV commentator Kudlow as economic adviser

US President Donald Trump has bashed international efforts to combat climate change and questioned the scientific consensus that global warming is dangerous and driven by human consumption of fossil fuels.

But there is a disconnect between what Trump says at home and what his government does abroad. While attention has been focused on Trump&#39;s rhetoric, State Department envoys, federal agencies, and government scientists remain active participants in international efforts to both research and fight climate change, according to the US and foreign representatives involved in those efforts.

&quot;We really don&#39;t detect any change with the Americans,&quot; said one of the officials, Aleksi H&auml;rk&ouml;nen of Finland, who chairs the eight-nation Arctic Council&#39;s key group of senior officials, who are charged with protecting a region warming faster than any other on Earth.

Over the past year, the United States has helped draft the rulebook for implementing the Paris climate accord, signed international memoranda calling for global action to fight climate change, boosted funding for overseas clean energy projects, and contributed to global research on the dangers and causes of the Earth&#39;s warming.

While the United States&rsquo; participation in international forums - including the Paris accord and the Arctic Council - has been reported, its continued, broad and constructive support for climate change efforts in these gatherings has not.

This business-as-usual approach has surprised some of America&rsquo;s foreign partners, along with some of Trump&rsquo;s allies, who had expected the new administration to match its rhetoric with an obstructionist approach to combating climate change.

&quot;I am concerned that much of our climate policy remains on autopilot,&quot; complained Trump&rsquo;s former energy adviser Myron Ebell, now a research director at the right-leaning Competitive Enterprise Institute, who said it reflects a failure by the administration to fill key positions and replace staffers who oppose the president&#39;s agenda.

The US efforts abroad to tackle climate change have been counter-balanced by Trump&#39;s aggressive push at home to increase production of the fossil fuels scientists blame for global warming. He has also ordered a wide-ranging rollback of Obama-era climate regulations and appointed a self-described climate sceptic, Scott Pruitt, as the nation&rsquo;s chief environmental regulator.

And to be sure, none of the US dealings in international climate efforts since last year have committed the United States to any emissions cuts that would undermine Trump&rsquo;s domestic energy agenda.

The State Department - which handles the bulk of US climate policy abroad - told Reuters it was still developing its global warming policy under Trump.

&quot;The State Department is working with the White House and the interagency to further develop our approach to international climate change diplomacy,&quot; State Department spokesman Ambrose Sayles said in a statement before Trump sacked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday.

&quot;In the meantime, we will continue to participate ... to ensure a level playing field that benefits and protects US interests, and to keep all options open for the President,&quot; Sayles said.

Tillerson&#39;s departure leaves a question mark over the future of US climate policy abroad. Tillerson was in favour of the Paris accord, while his successor, Mike Pompeo, has expressed doubts about the science of climate change. Climate advocates say they hope Pompeo will be too distracted by tensions with Iran and North Korea to change the State Department&rsquo;s approach to climate change.

White House spokeswoman Kelly Love declined to comment.

Trump announced last year that he was withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement to fight global warming, raising concerns among other parties to the deal that Washington might attempt to torpedo the accord or disengage from it completely.

That hasn&#39;t happened. Washington sent a 40-strong delegation to talks in Bonn in November to help draft a new rulebook that will provide rules of the road for the 200 participating nations. It was a smaller delegation than Washington had sent to past meetings, but it still won praise from fellow delegates for its work.

For example, Andrew Rakestraw - a climate negotiator for the State Department since 2013 - co-chaired discussions on how to ensure that the pledges by signatories are comparable and use the same accounting standards - a point seen as critical to the success of the accord.

Nazhat Shameem Khan, chief negotiator for Fiji, which presided over the talks, said the United States delegation was &quot;constructive and helpful.&quot; &nbsp;The UN&rsquo;s climate chief, Patricia Espinosa, also called the US role constructive.&nbsp;

Thomas Shannon, the State Department&#39;s chief climate negotiator in Bonn, did not respond to requests for comment. Rakestraw also did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment.

A US source familiar with the US position at the talks, who asked not to be named, said that US delegates in Bonn were pushing an agenda that resembled those of past administrations - stressing that emerging economies like China follow the same rules as developed nations and meet international standards for monitoring and reporting emissions.

There was one jarring note: Washington sponsored a side event to promote &ldquo;clean coal.&rdquo; Some other delegates said they were unhappy with this, as they wanted the talks to focus on renewable energies.

Under the details of the accord, the United States cannot formally withdraw until 2020.

The State Department&rsquo;s delegations to the Arctic Council are also continuing their work in much the same way they did under President Barack Obama - acknowledging that warming is real and should be countered in planning everything from new shipping routes to the protection of indigenous peoples.

Some US agencies are also still bolstering international efforts to fight climate change.

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation, which seeks to advance US policy by financing foreign business ventures, doubled its support for solar projects in 2017 under a climate-friendly policy last updated by the Obama administration.

And NASA, the US space agency, continues to research climate change, publish climate change data, and contribute to international reports, spokesman Stephen Cole said.

Both OPIC and NASA are independent of the State Department, so would not be under Pompeo&#39;s sway.

Scientists representing the United States in the international research say they have also been unfettered by the Trump administration, despite concerns early in the Trump presidency that the White House would seek to silence them or restrict their work.

&ldquo;There has been no pressure on US authors,&rdquo; said one US scientist, who is now helping to write a United Nations report that will call for coal to be &ldquo;phased out rapidly&rdquo; to limit global warming - &nbsp;a direct clash with Trump&#39;s pro-coal agenda.

The scientist asked not to be named because the draft report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), due to be released in October, is confidential.

&quot;Our US colleagues know that climate change is not a hoax,&quot; said one of the non-US authors of the same report, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Christopher Field, a professor of environmental studies at Stanford University who co-chaired a 2014 IPCC report on the impacts of climate change, agreed: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve not seen any indication that the climate denialism from Trump and other members of the administration has had any influence ... on the alignment of the US scientific community with the scientific consensus around the world.&quot;

Still, scientists worry that while the Trump administration is not interfering with their research it is ignoring it.

The Trump administration made no move to block an assessment by 300 experts last year that outlined the threats and causes of warming in the United States and concluded there is &ldquo;no convincing alternative explanation&rdquo; for climate change than human activity.

&quot;But then they haven&#39;t acknowledged the findings, nor changed their climate science denying stance,&rdquo; said the US scientist involved in drafting the UN coal report.

Trump has bashed international efforts to combat climate change and questioned the scientific consensus that global warming is dangerous and driven by human consumption of fossil fuels

US President Donald Trump has bashed international efforts to combat climate change and questioned the scientific consensus that global warming is dangerous and driven by human consumption of fossil fuels. But there is a disconnect between what Trump says at home and what his government does abroad. While attention has been focused on Trump's rhetoric, State Department envoys, federal agencies, and government scientists remain active participants in international efforts to both research and fight climate change, according to the US and foreign representatives involved in those efforts. "We really don't detect any change with the Americans," said one of the officials, Aleksi Härkönen of Finland, who chairs the eight-nation Arctic Council's key group of senior officials, who are charged with protecting a region warming faster than any other on Earth. Over the past year, the United States has helped draft the rulebook for implementing the Paris climate accord, signed international memoranda calling for global action to fight climate change, boosted funding for overseas clean energy projects, and contributed to global research on the dangers and causes of the Earth's warming. While the United States’ participation in international forums - including the Paris accord and the Arctic Council - has been reported, its continued, broad and constructive support for climate change efforts in these gatherings has not. This business-as-usual approach has surprised some of America’s foreign partners, along with some of Trump’s allies, who had expected the new administration to match its rhetoric with an obstructionist approach to combating climate change. "I am concerned that much of our climate policy remains on autopilot," complained Trump’s former energy adviser Myron Ebell, now a research director at the right-leaning Competitive Enterprise Institute, who said it reflects a failure by the administration to fill key positions and replace staffers who oppose the president's agenda. The US efforts abroad to tackle climate change have been counter-balanced by Trump's aggressive push at home to increase production of the fossil fuels scientists blame for global warming. He has also ordered a wide-ranging rollback of Obama-era climate regulations and appointed a self-described climate sceptic, Scott Pruitt, as the nation’s chief environmental regulator. And to be sure, none of the US dealings in international climate efforts since last year have committed the United States to any emissions cuts that would undermine Trump’s domestic energy agenda. The State Department - which handles the bulk of US climate policy abroad - told Reuters it was still developing its global warming policy under Trump. "The State Department is working with the White House and the interagency to further develop our approach to international climate change diplomacy," State Department spokesman Ambrose Sayles said in a statement before Trump sacked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday. "In the meantime, we will continue to participate ... to ensure a level playing field that benefits and protects US interests, and to keep all options open for the President," Sayles said. Tillerson's departure leaves a question mark over the future of US climate policy abroad. Tillerson was in favour of the Paris accord, while his successor, Mike Pompeo, has expressed doubts about the science of climate change. Climate advocates say they hope Pompeo will be too distracted by tensions with Iran and North Korea to change the State Department’s approach to climate change. White House spokeswoman Kelly Love declined to comment. Trump announced last year that he was withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement to fight global warming, raising concerns among other parties to the deal that Washington might attempt to torpedo the accord or disengage from it completely. That hasn't happened. Washington sent a 40-strong delegation to talks in Bonn in November to help draft a new rulebook that will provide rules of the road for the 200 participating nations. It was a smaller delegation than Washington had sent to past meetings, but it still won praise from fellow delegates for its work. For example, Andrew Rakestraw - a climate negotiator for the State Department since 2013 - co-chaired discussions on how to ensure that the pledges by signatories are comparable and use the same accounting standards - a point seen as critical to the success of the accord. Nazhat Shameem Khan, chief negotiator for Fiji, which presided over the talks, said the United States delegation was "constructive and helpful." The UN’s climate chief, Patricia Espinosa, also called the US role constructive. Thomas Shannon, the State Department's chief climate negotiator in Bonn, did not respond to requests for comment. Rakestraw also did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment. A US source familiar with the US position at the talks, who asked not to be named, said that US delegates in Bonn were pushing an agenda that resembled those of past administrations - stressing that emerging economies like China follow the same rules as developed nations and meet international standards for monitoring and reporting emissions. There was one jarring note: Washington sponsored a side event to promote “clean coal.” Some other delegates said they were unhappy with this, as they wanted the talks to focus on renewable energies. Under the details of the accord, the United States cannot formally withdraw until 2020. The State Department’s delegations to the Arctic Council are also continuing their work in much the same way they did under President Barack Obama - acknowledging that warming is real and should be countered in planning everything from new shipping routes to the protection of indigenous peoples. Some US agencies are also still bolstering international efforts to fight climate change. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation, which seeks to advance US policy by financing foreign business ventures, doubled its support for solar projects in 2017 under a climate-friendly policy last updated by the Obama administration. And NASA, the US space agency, continues to research climate change, publish climate change data, and contribute to international reports, spokesman Stephen Cole said. Both OPIC and NASA are independent of the State Department, so would not be under Pompeo's sway. Scientists representing the United States in the international research say they have also been unfettered by the Trump administration, despite concerns early in the Trump presidency that the White House would seek to silence them or restrict their work. “There has been no pressure on US authors,” said one US scientist, who is now helping to write a United Nations report that will call for coal to be “phased out rapidly” to limit global warming - a direct clash with Trump's pro-coal agenda. The scientist asked not to be named because the draft report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), due to be released in October, is confidential. "Our US colleagues know that climate change is not a hoax," said one of the non-US authors of the same report, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. Christopher Field, a professor of environmental studies at Stanford University who co-chaired a 2014 IPCC report on the impacts of climate change, agreed: “I’ve not seen any indication that the climate denialism from Trump and other members of the administration has had any influence ... on the alignment of the US scientific community with the scientific consensus around the world." Still, scientists worry that while the Trump administration is not interfering with their research it is ignoring it. The Trump administration made no move to block an assessment by 300 experts last year that outlined the threats and causes of warming in the United States and concluded there is “no convincing alternative explanation” for climate change than human activity. "But then they haven't acknowledged the findings, nor changed their climate science denying stance,” said the US scientist involved in drafting the UN coal report.

Weathering Trump's scepticism, US officials still fighting global warming

In the simmering trade war, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-targeting-60-billion-tariffs-on-chinese-imports-in-100-items-35719">the Trump administration has told the</a> World Trade Organization(WTO) that it was taking action against Indian export subsidies.

The US government is increasingly targetting the two biggest economies in Asia - India and China - in a bid to fix its trade deficit.&nbsp;

AFP reported documents submitted to the WTO by the US which included punishment for violating basic rules, mainly aimed at China. 
&nbsp; 
A White House said on Wednesday it was pushing China to cut trade surplus with the US by $100 billion.

Last week, Trump had tweeted that China had been asked to develop a plan to reduce its trade imbalance with the United States by $1 billion, but the White House spokeswoman said Trump had meant to say $100 billion.

The United States had a record $375 billion trade deficit with China in 2017, which made up two-thirds of a global $566 billion U.S. trade gap last year, according to US&nbsp;Census Bureau data.

China reported its 2017 U.S. trade surplus as $276 billion, also about two-thirds of its reported global surplus of $422.5 billion.

In a Thursday editorial, widely-read Chinese state-run tabloid the Global Times said the United States was trying to play the victim.

&quot;If the U.S. wants to reduce its trade deficit, it has to make Americans more hard-working and conduct reforms in accordance with international market demand, instead of asking the rest of the world to change,&quot; it wrote.

&quot;Once a trade war starts, capable countries won&#39;t bow to the US-China has tried hard to avoid a trade war, but if one breaks out, appeasement is not an option.&quot;

The US government is increasingly targetting the two biggest economies in Asia - India and China in a bid to fix its trade deficit.

In the simmering trade war, the Trump administration has told the World Trade Organization(WTO) that it was taking action against Indian export subsidies. The US government is increasingly targetting the two biggest economies in Asia - India and China - in a bid to fix its trade deficit. AFP reported documents submitted to the WTO by the US which included punishment for violating basic rules, mainly aimed at China. A White House said on Wednesday it was pushing China to cut trade surplus with the US by $100 billion. Last week, Trump had tweeted that China had been asked to develop a plan to reduce its trade imbalance with the United States by $1 billion, but the White House spokeswoman said Trump had meant to say $100 billion. The United States had a record $375 billion trade deficit with China in 2017, which made up two-thirds of a global $566 billion U.S. trade gap last year, according to US Census Bureau data. China reported its 2017 U.S. trade surplus as $276 billion, also about two-thirds of its reported global surplus of $422.5 billion. In a Thursday editorial, widely-read Chinese state-run tabloid the Global Times said the United States was trying to play the victim. "If the U.S. wants to reduce its trade deficit, it has to make Americans more hard-working and conduct reforms in accordance with international market demand, instead of asking the rest of the world to change," it wrote. "Once a trade war starts, capable countries won't bow to the US-China has tried hard to avoid a trade war, but if one breaks out, appeasement is not an option."

Taking action against Indian export subsidies: US tells World Trade Organization

Asian markets tumbled on Wednesday as news that Donald Trump had replaced his moderate secretary of state with a hawk fanned fears of instability in the White House and a more hardline approach to foreign affairs.

News that Rex Tillerson had been sacked rattled US equities, which had been buoyed earlier Tuesday by a soft inflation report that tempered talk of a sharp rise in interest rates.

The former oilman had been seen as taking a more pragmatic line on various issues, particularly on global trade and the Iran nuclear agreement.

He will be replaced by CIA chief Mike Pompeo, who is an advocate of taking a hardline with China on trade and Iran.

Adding to the unease on trading floors were reports Trump is considering hitting China over alleged intellectual property theft, with an announcement on tech sector tariffs said to be lined up for as soon as next week.

&quot;The significance of a shift to a global trade and foreign policy hawk with the US on course for a trade showdown with China and diplomatic negotiations with North Korea, is very significant suggesting the US is readying for hardball negotiations,&quot; said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trading at OANDA.

The move, which had been expected in some quarters, comes after Trump&#39;s pro-markets top economics advisor stepped down this month over controversial metals tariffs.

Tillerson marks the latest in a string of senior members of the administration to resign in 14 tumultuous months and reinforces a sense of uncertainty on Pennsylvania Avenue.

&quot;Markets one day may become exhausted if the staff turnover and perceived White House instability continues,&quot; Terry Haines, a senior political strategist at Evercore ISI, wrote in a note. &quot;Trump and the administration will have some work to do to reassure markets.&quot;

All three main US markets ended lower and Asia followed suit.

Tokyo fell 0.9 per cent, while Hong Kong shed 0.5 percent and Shanghai sank 0.6 per cent.

Sydney lost 0.7 per cent, Singapore fell 0.5 percent and Seoul was off 0.4 per cent while Wellington, Manila and Taipei also fell.

The news overshadowed data showing US inflation eased in February from January, which helped to wind back concerns that the improving economy was pushing the Fed to lift borrowing costs four times this year rather than the three earlier thought.

Those figures, combined with the Tillerson sacking, sent the dollar lower against the yen and pound, with sterling also getting support from improving British economic forecasts.

And on Wednesday traders continued to sell the greenback against all its major peers as well as most high-yielding currencies.

&quot;The dollar sell-off can be attributed to the combination of lower (inflation) and the White House revolving door syndrome that exudes little confidence in the administration,&quot; Innes said, adding that &quot;the moves in equities suggest investors are bracing for more worrying protectionist headlines&quot;.

In early European trade London and Paris each dipped 0.1 percent, while Frankfurt was flat.

News that Rex Tillerson had been sacked rattled US equities

Asian markets tumbled on Wednesday as news that Donald Trump had replaced his moderate secretary of state with a hawk fanned fears of instability in the White House and a more hardline approach to foreign affairs. News that Rex Tillerson had been sacked rattled US equities, which had been buoyed earlier Tuesday by a soft inflation report that tempered talk of a sharp rise in interest rates. The former oilman had been seen as taking a more pragmatic line on various issues, particularly on global trade and the Iran nuclear agreement. He will be replaced by CIA chief Mike Pompeo, who is an advocate of taking a hardline with China on trade and Iran. Adding to the unease on trading floors were reports Trump is considering hitting China over alleged intellectual property theft, with an announcement on tech sector tariffs said to be lined up for as soon as next week. "The significance of a shift to a global trade and foreign policy hawk with the US on course for a trade showdown with China and diplomatic negotiations with North Korea, is very significant suggesting the US is readying for hardball negotiations," said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trading at OANDA. The move, which had been expected in some quarters, comes after Trump's pro-markets top economics advisor stepped down this month over controversial metals tariffs. Tillerson marks the latest in a string of senior members of the administration to resign in 14 tumultuous months and reinforces a sense of uncertainty on Pennsylvania Avenue. "Markets one day may become exhausted if the staff turnover and perceived White House instability continues," Terry Haines, a senior political strategist at Evercore ISI, wrote in a note. "Trump and the administration will have some work to do to reassure markets." All three main US markets ended lower and Asia followed suit. Tokyo fell 0.9 per cent, while Hong Kong shed 0.5 percent and Shanghai sank 0.6 per cent. Sydney lost 0.7 per cent, Singapore fell 0.5 percent and Seoul was off 0.4 per cent while Wellington, Manila and Taipei also fell. The news overshadowed data showing US inflation eased in February from January, which helped to wind back concerns that the improving economy was pushing the Fed to lift borrowing costs four times this year rather than the three earlier thought. Those figures, combined with the Tillerson sacking, sent the dollar lower against the yen and pound, with sterling also getting support from improving British economic forecasts. And on Wednesday traders continued to sell the greenback against all its major peers as well as most high-yielding currencies. "The dollar sell-off can be attributed to the combination of lower (inflation) and the White House revolving door syndrome that exudes little confidence in the administration," Innes said, adding that "the moves in equities suggest investors are bracing for more worrying protectionist headlines". In early European trade London and Paris each dipped 0.1 percent, while Frankfurt was flat.

Asian markets tumble after Tillerson firing

Students across the United States walked out of classes on Wednesday in a nationwide call for action against gun violence following the shooting deaths last month at a Florida high school.

Hundreds of students from Washington area schools gathered outside the White House chanting &quot;Never again!&quot; and &quot;Enough is enough!&quot; and holding signs reading &quot;Protect People Not Guns.&quot;

At 10:00 am (1400 GMT), students in numerous cities held a moment of silence to honor the 14 students and three adult staff killed on Valentine&#39;s Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.&nbsp;

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<h5>The &#39;National School Walkout&#39; was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim</h5>
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The &quot;National School Walkout&quot; was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim.

But it quickly became apparent that many students at schools on the East Coast decided not to go to classes at all and to demonstrate instead.

The nationwide protest is being held one month to the day after Nikolas Cruz, a troubled 19-year-old former student at Stoneman Douglas, unleashed a hail of gunfire on his former classmates.

The event to honor those slain at Stoneman Douglas is also an act of protest against the firearms violence plaguing the United States, which has more than 30,000 gun-related deaths annually.

Organizers come from the same group behind the Women&#39;s March, which saw millions of demonstrators take to the streets in cities across the country in January 2017 to protest Donald Trump&#39;s White House inauguration.

Trump had momentarily signaled support for increasing restrictions on guns, but now stands accused of bowing to the powerful US gun lobby.

Hundreds of students from Washington area schools gathered outside the White House chanting 'Never again!' and 'Enough is enough!' and holding signs reading 'Protect People Not Guns'

Students across the United States walked out of classes on Wednesday in a nationwide call for action against gun violence following the shooting deaths last month at a Florida high school. Hundreds of students from Washington area schools gathered outside the White House chanting "Never again!" and "Enough is enough!" and holding signs reading "Protect People Not Guns." At 10:00 am (1400 GMT), students in numerous cities held a moment of silence to honor the 14 students and three adult staff killed on Valentine's Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The 'National School Walkout' was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim × The "National School Walkout" was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim. But it quickly became apparent that many students at schools on the East Coast decided not to go to classes at all and to demonstrate instead. The nationwide protest is being held one month to the day after Nikolas Cruz, a troubled 19-year-old former student at Stoneman Douglas, unleashed a hail of gunfire on his former classmates. The event to honor those slain at Stoneman Douglas is also an act of protest against the firearms violence plaguing the United States, which has more than 30,000 gun-related deaths annually. Organizers come from the same group behind the Women's March, which saw millions of demonstrators take to the streets in cities across the country in January 2017 to protest Donald Trump's White House inauguration. Trump had momentarily signaled support for increasing restrictions on guns, but now stands accused of bowing to the powerful US gun lobby.

'Never again!': Students across US walk out of classrooms against gun violence

Gina Haspel broke another glass ceiling in her illustrious career in the CIA running over more than three decades when US President Donald Trump announced that she would become the first woman to lead the agency.

In a surprise move, Trump yesterday announced that he was removing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replacing him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and elevating Haspel, who was his deputy.

The Senate must vote on 61-year-old Haspel&#39;s confirmation to succeed Pompeo. If confirmed by the Senate, Haspel would be the first women to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.

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Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/973540316656623616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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However, influential lawmakers yesterday indicated that they are unlikely to give her a pass. In fact, they are gearing up to grill her over her role in torture programme.

&quot;Gina, by the way, who I know very well, who I&#39;ve worked with very closely, will be the first woman director of the CIA. She&#39;s an outstanding person who also I have gotten to know very well,&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House.

Director of National Intelligence, Daniel Coats, said Trump has made a strong choice in his nomination of Haspel to serve as the next Director of CIA.

Haspel is a career intelligence officer who joined the CIA in 1985. She has extensive overseas experience and has served as Chief of Station in several locations, he said. She is the winner of George H W Bush Award for excellence in counterterrorism and also the Intelligence Medal of Merit.

On a flip side, Haspel once reportedly ran a secret prison in Thailand where terrorism suspects were allegedly subjected to harsh interrogation techniques like waterboarding.

According to &#39;The Wall Street Journal&#39;, she was part of a team that oversaw the CIA&#39;s detention and interrogation of suspected terrorists, using techniques that many experts and lawmakers since have described as torture.

Top senators were yesterday quick in pointing at her role in the torture programme.

Republican Senator John McCain, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee said the torture of detainees in US custody during the last decade was one of the darkest chapters in American history.

&quot;During the confirmation process, Haspel needs to explain the nature and extent of her involvement in the CIA&#39;s interrogation programme. I know the Senate will do its job in examining Ms. Haspel&#39;s record as well as her beliefs about torture and her approach to current law,&quot; McCain said.

Senator Dianne Feinstein said Haspel has been a &quot;good&quot; deputy director but mentioned that she had her reservations about the CIA&#39;s torture programme.

&quot;It&#39;s no secret I&#39;ve had concerns in the past with her connection to the CIA torture programme and have spent time with her discussing this. To the best of my knowledge, she has been a good deputy director and I look forward to the opportunity to speak with her again,&quot; she said.

Senator Ron Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, opposed the nomination of Haspel and called for total transparency about her background.

&quot;Ms. Haspel&#39;s background makes her unsuitable to serve as CIA director... If Ms. Haspel seeks to serve at the highest levels of US intelligence, the government can no longer cover up disturbing facts from her past,&quot; he said.

Senator Martin Heinrich, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said Trump&#39;s decision to nominate Haspel to serve as CIA Director is &quot;deeply troubling&quot;.

&quot;Her record makes her unsuitable for a leadership role at the agency, let alone to serve as the director. We should not be asked to confirm a nominee whose background cannot be publicly discussed and who cannot then be held accountable for her actions. The American public deserves to know who its leaders are,&quot; Heinrich said.

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler said the Senate owes it to the American people to take a hard look at Deputy Director Haspel, &quot;whose career at the CIA coincides with some of the darkest moments in recent American history&quot;.

&quot;She oversaw a black site prison in Thailand.? She approved interrogation techniques that were clearly unlawful at the time, and ordered the destruction of evidence of those practices,&quot; he alleged.

&quot;The Senate already rightly denied Deputy Director Haspel a post as head of the clandestine service because of the role she played in the Bush administration&#39;s enhanced interrogation programme. The Senate should not confirm Deputy Director Haspel to lead the CIA,? Nadler said.

However, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell got behind Haspel&#39;s nomination, calling her &quot;an outstanding choice&quot;.

&quot;The president has made an excellent choice in asking Gina to take on the responsibilities of leading the CIA and I look forward to working with her,&quot; he said.

Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said his committe would continue its &quot;positive relationship&quot; with the CIA under her leadership.

The Senate must vote on 61-year-old Haspel's confirmation to succeed Pompeo.

Gina Haspel broke another glass ceiling in her illustrious career in the CIA running over more than three decades when US President Donald Trump announced that she would become the first woman to lead the agency. In a surprise move, Trump yesterday announced that he was removing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replacing him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and elevating Haspel, who was his deputy. The Senate must vote on 61-year-old Haspel's confirmation to succeed Pompeo. If confirmed by the Senate, Haspel would be the first women to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2018 × However, influential lawmakers yesterday indicated that they are unlikely to give her a pass. In fact, they are gearing up to grill her over her role in torture programme. "Gina, by the way, who I know very well, who I've worked with very closely, will be the first woman director of the CIA. She's an outstanding person who also I have gotten to know very well," Trump told reporters at the White House. Director of National Intelligence, Daniel Coats, said Trump has made a strong choice in his nomination of Haspel to serve as the next Director of CIA. Haspel is a career intelligence officer who joined the CIA in 1985. She has extensive overseas experience and has served as Chief of Station in several locations, he said. She is the winner of George H W Bush Award for excellence in counterterrorism and also the Intelligence Medal of Merit. On a flip side, Haspel once reportedly ran a secret prison in Thailand where terrorism suspects were allegedly subjected to harsh interrogation techniques like waterboarding. According to 'The Wall Street Journal', she was part of a team that oversaw the CIA's detention and interrogation of suspected terrorists, using techniques that many experts and lawmakers since have described as torture. Top senators were yesterday quick in pointing at her role in the torture programme. Republican Senator John McCain, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee said the torture of detainees in US custody during the last decade was one of the darkest chapters in American history. "During the confirmation process, Haspel needs to explain the nature and extent of her involvement in the CIA's interrogation programme. I know the Senate will do its job in examining Ms. Haspel's record as well as her beliefs about torture and her approach to current law," McCain said. Senator Dianne Feinstein said Haspel has been a "good" deputy director but mentioned that she had her reservations about the CIA's torture programme. "It's no secret I've had concerns in the past with her connection to the CIA torture programme and have spent time with her discussing this. To the best of my knowledge, she has been a good deputy director and I look forward to the opportunity to speak with her again," she said. Senator Ron Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, opposed the nomination of Haspel and called for total transparency about her background. "Ms. Haspel's background makes her unsuitable to serve as CIA director... If Ms. Haspel seeks to serve at the highest levels of US intelligence, the government can no longer cover up disturbing facts from her past," he said. Senator Martin Heinrich, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said Trump's decision to nominate Haspel to serve as CIA Director is "deeply troubling". "Her record makes her unsuitable for a leadership role at the agency, let alone to serve as the director. We should not be asked to confirm a nominee whose background cannot be publicly discussed and who cannot then be held accountable for her actions. The American public deserves to know who its leaders are," Heinrich said. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler said the Senate owes it to the American people to take a hard look at Deputy Director Haspel, "whose career at the CIA coincides with some of the darkest moments in recent American history". "She oversaw a black site prison in Thailand.? She approved interrogation techniques that were clearly unlawful at the time, and ordered the destruction of evidence of those practices," he alleged. "The Senate already rightly denied Deputy Director Haspel a post as head of the clandestine service because of the role she played in the Bush administration's enhanced interrogation programme. The Senate should not confirm Deputy Director Haspel to lead the CIA,? Nadler said. However, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell got behind Haspel's nomination, calling her "an outstanding choice". "The president has made an excellent choice in asking Gina to take on the responsibilities of leading the CIA and I look forward to working with her," he said. Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said his committe would continue its "positive relationship" with the CIA under her leadership.

Trump's nominee Gina Haspel faces US Senate hurdle in bid to lead CIA

President Trump&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/tariff-tiff-donald-trump-elon-musk-engage-in-war-of-words-on-twitter-35590">administration is targeting China </a>import tariffs upto $60 billion even as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the US Senate was &quot;highly unlikely&quot; to pass legislation to nullify tariffs which President Trump has announced.

America is keen<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/wilbur-ross-eu-to-discuss-tariffs-trade-barriers-donald-trump-35569"> to impose tariffs on information technology</a>, consumer electronics and telecoms, newswire Reuters quoted. 
&nbsp; 
The list could include as many as 100 products, the Reuters report said.

China runs a $375 billion trade surplus with the United States. The White House, however, declined to comment on the size or timing of any move.

China had earlier indicated it would strike back against any US move to impose tariffs.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader McConnell said there was still &quot;a lot of concern&quot; about the tariffs among Republicans.

Earlier, Senate Republican Jeff Flake had announced he was introducing legislation to nullify the tariffs.

&quot;You can be pro-growth, you can be pro-tariff, but you can&#39;t be both,&quot; Flake said on the Senate floor.

Overcoming a veto requires a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives, meaning the Republican majority would need significant support from the Democratic opposition.

The Trump administration has already started renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) even as Canadian PM Trudeau told Trump last week tariffs would be an impediment to talks on updating NAFTA.

&nbsp;

China runs a $375 billion trade surplus with the United States

President Trump's administration is targeting China import tariffs upto $60 billion even as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the US Senate was "highly unlikely" to pass legislation to nullify tariffs which President Trump has announced. America is keen to impose tariffs on information technology, consumer electronics and telecoms, newswire Reuters quoted. The list could include as many as 100 products, the Reuters report said. China runs a $375 billion trade surplus with the United States. The White House, however, declined to comment on the size or timing of any move. China had earlier indicated it would strike back against any US move to impose tariffs. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader McConnell said there was still "a lot of concern" about the tariffs among Republicans. Earlier, Senate Republican Jeff Flake had announced he was introducing legislation to nullify the tariffs. "You can be pro-growth, you can be pro-tariff, but you can't be both," Flake said on the Senate floor. Overcoming a veto requires a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives, meaning the Republican majority would need significant support from the Democratic opposition. The Trump administration has already started renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) even as Canadian PM Trudeau told Trump last week tariffs would be an impediment to talks on updating NAFTA.

Trump targeting $60 billion tariffs on Chinese imports in 100 items

Indian students suffered after there was a massive drop in the number of visas issued by the United States in 2017, dropping by 28 per cent.&nbsp;

As per reports, the total number of F-1 student visas issued to international students plummeted by 17 per cent from 417,728 in 2016 to 393,573. Indians accounted for the largest drop - from 65,257 in 2016 to 47,302 in 2017.

Other than that, the number of visas issued to students from China dropped by 24 per cent. Excluding China, the overall number fell by 13 per cent.

In China, a 2014 change in visa policy allows Chinese students to obtain an F-1 visa for a five-year period instead of one, freeing them from having to renew their visa each year. This could be the primary factor to the recent declines, reports said.&nbsp;

India and China have the maximum number of students studying in the US followed by South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Canada.

The massive decline in the number of international student visas has left some of America&#39;s top universities and schools in a bit of a toss. Some officials hold the Trump administration responsible for the move.&nbsp;

The drop&nbsp;in the&nbsp;number of visas issued&nbsp;to international students can be bad news for schools that have large international student populations. Nearly 20 per cent of the University of Tulsa&#39;s 4,400 enrolled students hail from overseas.

The decline in the number of foreign students had started before Trump became president - it came down from 644,233 in 2015 to 471,728 in 2016. The significant drop has is a result of high tuition costs and the state of the job market in the US.

Instead, they are going to countries like Canada, Germany and Australia, which are making it easier for international students to stay in the country after they graduate and become part of the workforce.

F-1 visa approvals were trending higher for nearly a decade when they peaked at more than 600,000 in 2015. But they have dropped off dramatically since.

The number of visas issued to students from China dropped by 24%.

Indian students suffered after there was a massive drop in the number of visas issued by the United States in 2017, dropping by 28 per cent. As per reports, the total number of F-1 student visas issued to international students plummeted by 17 per cent from 417,728 in 2016 to 393,573. Indians accounted for the largest drop - from 65,257 in 2016 to 47,302 in 2017. Other than that, the number of visas issued to students from China dropped by 24 per cent. Excluding China, the overall number fell by 13 per cent. In China, a 2014 change in visa policy allows Chinese students to obtain an F-1 visa for a five-year period instead of one, freeing them from having to renew their visa each year. This could be the primary factor to the recent declines, reports said. India and China have the maximum number of students studying in the US followed by South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Canada. The massive decline in the number of international student visas has left some of America's top universities and schools in a bit of a toss. Some officials hold the Trump administration responsible for the move. The drop in the number of visas issued to international students can be bad news for schools that have large international student populations. Nearly 20 per cent of the University of Tulsa's 4,400 enrolled students hail from overseas. The decline in the number of foreign students had started before Trump became president - it came down from 644,233 in 2015 to 471,728 in 2016. The significant drop has is a result of high tuition costs and the state of the job market in the US. Instead, they are going to countries like Canada, Germany and Australia, which are making it easier for international students to stay in the country after they graduate and become part of the workforce. F-1 visa approvals were trending higher for nearly a decade when they peaked at more than 600,000 in 2015. But they have dropped off dramatically since.

28 per cent drop in US student visas to Indians in 2017

The adult-film actress who claims she had an affair with Donald Trump before he became US&nbsp;president offered on Monday to return $130,000 that Trump&#39;s personal lawyer paid her in what she said was hush money to remain silent about the alleged relationship.

Actress Stephanie Clifford, who uses the stage name Stormy Daniels, has said the affair with Trump began in 2006 and lasted several months. Trump has denied he had an affair with Clifford.

Clifford proposed on Monday that she be allowed to discuss her alleged affair with the president freely after repaying the money.

&quot;This is an extremely fair offer,&quot; her attorney, Michael Avenatti, said in an interview. &quot;It accomplishes the goal of allowing the American people to decide who is telling the truth after hearing both sides.&quot;

The alleged affair has become the latest distraction for Trump as he tries to advance his trade agenda and prepares for a proposed meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It also threatens to erode the president&#39;s support among evangelical voters.&nbsp;

Michael Cohen, a private lawyer for Trump, has said he paid Clifford $130,000 of his own money during the 2016 presidential election campaign. Cohen did not explain why he made the payment or say whether Trump was aware of it.

Regardless of whether Cohen accepts Clifford&#39;s offer, the money is the subject of a complaint by the watchdog group Common Cause to the Federal Election Commission. The group claims it is an illegal campaign contribution because of the size and purpose of the payment.

Avenatti in a letter to Cohen, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, said the actress would wire the funds to an account of Trump&#39;s choosing by Friday. Avenatti set a deadline of Tuesday for Cohen to respond.

Under the proposal, Clifford after returning the money would be allowed to speak &quot;openly and freely about her prior relationship with the president and attempts to silence her.&quot;

She also would be able to &quot;use and publish any text messages, photos and/or videos relating to the president that she may have in her possession, all without fear of retribution and/or legal liability for damages,&quot; the Avenatti letter said.

The letter also asked that the president&#39;s lawyers agree that neither Trump nor the shell company Cohen used to pay Clifford would attempt to block the broadcast of an interview Clifford taped with CBS News&#39;&nbsp;&quot;60 Minutes&quot; program last week.

And it would require the agreement be signed by all parties, including the president, who did not put his name to the previous nondisclosure deal.

Cohen, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter, nor did Cohen&#39;s attorney. The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The offer from Avenatti came after White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a briefing last week that Trump had won an arbitration proceeding against Clifford.

The New York Times reported last week that the president`s lawyer had secretly obtained a temporary restraining order to prevent Clifford from speaking out about her alleged affair with Trump.

Clifford in turn sued Trump for the right to speak about the &quot;intimate relationship&quot; she claims they had, saying he never signed the agreement to keep her quiet.

Clifford could be subjected to a $1 million penalty if she broke the nondisclosure agreement she signed. Avenatti told CNN over the weekend that at least 10 people had offered to pay the penalty if she would discuss the alleged affair.

&nbsp;

Actress Stephanie Clifford, who uses the stage name Stormy Daniels, has said the affair with Trump began in 2006 and lasted several months

The adult-film actress who claims she had an affair with Donald Trump before he became US president offered on Monday to return $130,000 that Trump's personal lawyer paid her in what she said was hush money to remain silent about the alleged relationship. Actress Stephanie Clifford, who uses the stage name Stormy Daniels, has said the affair with Trump began in 2006 and lasted several months. Trump has denied he had an affair with Clifford. Clifford proposed on Monday that she be allowed to discuss her alleged affair with the president freely after repaying the money. "This is an extremely fair offer," her attorney, Michael Avenatti, said in an interview. "It accomplishes the goal of allowing the American people to decide who is telling the truth after hearing both sides." The alleged affair has become the latest distraction for Trump as he tries to advance his trade agenda and prepares for a proposed meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It also threatens to erode the president's support among evangelical voters. Michael Cohen, a private lawyer for Trump, has said he paid Clifford $130,000 of his own money during the 2016 presidential election campaign. Cohen did not explain why he made the payment or say whether Trump was aware of it. Regardless of whether Cohen accepts Clifford's offer, the money is the subject of a complaint by the watchdog group Common Cause to the Federal Election Commission. The group claims it is an illegal campaign contribution because of the size and purpose of the payment. Avenatti in a letter to Cohen, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, said the actress would wire the funds to an account of Trump's choosing by Friday. Avenatti set a deadline of Tuesday for Cohen to respond. Under the proposal, Clifford after returning the money would be allowed to speak "openly and freely about her prior relationship with the president and attempts to silence her." She also would be able to "use and publish any text messages, photos and/or videos relating to the president that she may have in her possession, all without fear of retribution and/or legal liability for damages," the Avenatti letter said. The letter also asked that the president's lawyers agree that neither Trump nor the shell company Cohen used to pay Clifford would attempt to block the broadcast of an interview Clifford taped with CBS News' "60 Minutes" program last week. And it would require the agreement be signed by all parties, including the president, who did not put his name to the previous nondisclosure deal. Cohen, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter, nor did Cohen's attorney. The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The offer from Avenatti came after White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a briefing last week that Trump had won an arbitration proceeding against Clifford. The New York Times reported last week that the president`s lawyer had secretly obtained a temporary restraining order to prevent Clifford from speaking out about her alleged affair with Trump. Clifford in turn sued Trump for the right to speak about the "intimate relationship" she claims they had, saying he never signed the agreement to keep her quiet. Clifford could be subjected to a $1 million penalty if she broke the nondisclosure agreement she signed. Avenatti told CNN over the weekend that at least 10 people had offered to pay the penalty if she would discuss the alleged affair.

Pornstar offers to repay $130,000 in dispute over alleged Trump affair

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-compulsory-linking-of-aadhaar-with-bank-accounts-mobiles-extended-indefinitely-35673" target="_blank">Supreme Court: Compulsory linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts, mobiles extended indefinitely</a>

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended indefinitely till the judgement is pronounced the compulsory linking of Aadhaar numbers with bank accounts and mobile phones.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-ousts-secretary-of-state-tillerson-cia-director-mike-pompeo-to-take-over-from-him-35689" target="_blank">Trump ousts Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, CIA director Mike Pompeo to take over from him</a>

US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that that CIA Director was taking over from Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.&nbsp;Trump added that Gina Haspel would lead the CIA.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nine-crpf-jawans-killed-in-a-maoist-attack-in-chhattisgarhs-sukma-district-35669" target="_blank">Nine CRPF jawans killed in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nine-crpf-jawans-killed-in-a-maoist-attack-in-chhattisgarhs-sukma-district-35669" target="_blank">Maoist</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nine-crpf-jawans-killed-in-a-maoist-attack-in-chhattisgarhs-sukma-district-35669" target="_blank"> attack in Chhattisgarh&#39;s Sukma district</a>

At least nine CRPF personnel were killed and three others injured when Maoists blew up an anti-landmine vehicle in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, said a senior police official.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-president-bidya-devi-bhandari-re-elected-to-second-term-in-office-35685" target="_blank">Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari re-elected to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-president-bidya-devi-bhandari-re-elected-to-second-term-in-office-35685" target="_blank">second</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-president-bidya-devi-bhandari-re-elected-to-second-term-in-office-35685" target="_blank"> term in office</a>

Nepal&#39;s first woman president Bidya Devi Bhandari was today re-elected for a second term in office.&nbsp;Incumbent President Bhandari defeated Nepali Congress leader Kumari Laxmi Rai with an overwhelming majority in the presidential election.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/japan-considers-seeking-summit-between-pm-abe-and-north-korea-leader-source-35690" target="_blank">Japan considers seeking summit between PM Abe and North Korea leader: Source</a>

Japan is considering seeking a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents decades ago, a government source who was briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.&#39;

&nbsp;

Supreme Court: Compulsory linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts, mobiles extended indefinitely The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended indefinitely till the judgement is pronounced the compulsory linking of Aadhaar numbers with bank accounts and mobile phones. Trump ousts Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, CIA director Mike Pompeo to take over from him US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that that CIA Director was taking over from Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. Trump added that Gina Haspel would lead the CIA. Nine CRPF jawans killed in Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district At least nine CRPF personnel were killed and three others injured when Maoists blew up an anti-landmine vehicle in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, said a senior police official. Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari re-elected to second term in office Nepal's first woman president Bidya Devi Bhandari was today re-elected for a second term in office. Incumbent President Bhandari defeated Nepali Congress leader Kumari Laxmi Rai with an overwhelming majority in the presidential election. Japan considers seeking summit between PM Abe and North Korea leader: Source Japan is considering seeking a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents decades ago, a government source who was briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.'

WION Evening News Brief, March 13, 2018

President Donald Trump will raise about US $5 million for his prospective re-election campaign in 2020 and for the Republican National Committee at a fundraising event in Los Angeles on Tuesday, a party official said on Monday.

This is the first time in 14 months he will be visiting the populous state.Trump lost California by a two-to-one margin in 2016, worse than any modern Republican presidential nominee, and the state&rsquo;s political leaders have since led the nation in challenging Trump&rsquo;s policies on immigration, health care and the environment.

Trump will headline a fundraiser in Beverly Hills as part of what will be his first trip to California since he assumed the presidency in January 2017.

A party official said the $5 million will come from 90 people expected to attend the fundraiser. RNC Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel and finance chair Todd Ricketts will also attend.

Minimum contributions are $35,000, and guests can pay up to $250,000 each for a roundtable discussion and photo with the president, reports said.&nbsp;

The fundraiser will be hosted by &nbsp;Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, national finance chairman Todd Ricketts and deputy national finance chairman Elliott Broidy. 
&nbsp;

Trump will headline a fundraiser in Beverly Hills as part of what will be his first trip to California since he assumed the presidency in January 2017

President Donald Trump will raise about US $5 million for his prospective re-election campaign in 2020 and for the Republican National Committee at a fundraising event in Los Angeles on Tuesday, a party official said on Monday. This is the first time in 14 months he will be visiting the populous state.Trump lost California by a two-to-one margin in 2016, worse than any modern Republican presidential nominee, and the state’s political leaders have since led the nation in challenging Trump’s policies on immigration, health care and the environment. Trump will headline a fundraiser in Beverly Hills as part of what will be his first trip to California since he assumed the presidency in January 2017. A party official said the $5 million will come from 90 people expected to attend the fundraiser. RNC Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel and finance chair Todd Ricketts will also attend. Minimum contributions are $35,000, and guests can pay up to $250,000 each for a roundtable discussion and photo with the president, reports said. The fundraiser will be hosted by Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, national finance chairman Todd Ricketts and deputy national finance chairman Elliott Broidy.

Trump expected to raise US $5 million in California re-election

Even as the Trump administration gets ready to open talks with Kim&#39;s regime in May, the US has urged the United Nations Security Council(UNSC) to maintain sanctions against North Korea till it scaps its controversial nuclear weapons programme.

US National Security Advisor HR McMaster after lobbying for support on the issue at the UNSC, said: &quot;We are determined to keep up the campaign of maximum pressure until we see words match with deeds, and real progress toward denuclearization.&quot;&nbsp;

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley praised China&#39;s effort to sustain sanctions against North Korea.

Dutch Ambassador Karel van Oosterom, who chairs the council&#39;s North Korea sanctions committee, said &quot;we have to continue implementing the sanctions as they stand.&quot;

McMaster said the Trump administration wanted to move quickly because of concerns that North Korea was steadily progressing toward major advancements in its military programs.

&quot;We may be able to pursue a diplomatic solution to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. So we&rsquo;re determined to pursue that course,&quot; the US national security adviser said.

US Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley praised China's effort to sustain sanctions against North Korea.

Even as the Trump administration gets ready to open talks with Kim's regime in May, the US has urged the United Nations Security Council(UNSC) to maintain sanctions against North Korea till it scaps its controversial nuclear weapons programme. US National Security Advisor HR McMaster after lobbying for support on the issue at the UNSC, said: "We are determined to keep up the campaign of maximum pressure until we see words match with deeds, and real progress toward denuclearization." Meanwhile, US Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley praised China's effort to sustain sanctions against North Korea. Dutch Ambassador Karel van Oosterom, who chairs the council's North Korea sanctions committee, said "we have to continue implementing the sanctions as they stand." McMaster said the Trump administration wanted to move quickly because of concerns that North Korea was steadily progressing toward major advancements in its military programs. "We may be able to pursue a diplomatic solution to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. So we’re determined to pursue that course," the US national security adviser said.

Determined to keep maximum pressure on North Korea over denuclearisation: US

US President Donald Trump put responsibility for raising the age limits on gun purchases to the courts and US states on Monday, saying he would wait for judicial rulings before acting.

&quot;On 18 to 21 Age Limits, watching court cases and rulings before acting. States are making this decision. Things are moving rapidly on this, but not much political support (to put it mildly),&quot; he wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

The proposal to raise the minimum age for buying guns from 18 to 21 was not part of a modest set of gun safety proposals announced on Sunday night by Trump administration officials, which included training teachers to carry guns in schools and improving background checks.

Trump has said he believes armed teachers would deter school shootings and better protect students when they happen. The idea, already in place in some states, is backed by the National Rifle Association gun lobby.

The Republican president, who championed gun rights during his 2016 campaign, vowed to take action to prevent school shootings after a gunman killed 17 students and faculty at a high school in Parkland, Florida, on February 14.

The modest fixes proposed by the White House stepped back from some of the more sweeping changes Trump had considered after the latest school shooting.

"On 18 to 21 Age Limits, watching court cases and rulings before acting. States are making this decision. Things are moving rapidly on this, but not much political support (to put it mildly)," he wrote on Twitter.

US President Donald Trump put responsibility for raising the age limits on gun purchases to the courts and US states on Monday, saying he would wait for judicial rulings before acting. "On 18 to 21 Age Limits, watching court cases and rulings before acting. States are making this decision. Things are moving rapidly on this, but not much political support (to put it mildly)," he wrote on Twitter. The proposal to raise the minimum age for buying guns from 18 to 21 was not part of a modest set of gun safety proposals announced on Sunday night by Trump administration officials, which included training teachers to carry guns in schools and improving background checks. Trump has said he believes armed teachers would deter school shootings and better protect students when they happen. The idea, already in place in some states, is backed by the National Rifle Association gun lobby. The Republican president, who championed gun rights during his 2016 campaign, vowed to take action to prevent school shootings after a gunman killed 17 students and faculty at a high school in Parkland, Florida, on February 14. The modest fixes proposed by the White House stepped back from some of the more sweeping changes Trump had considered after the latest school shooting.

Trump says watching courts before acting on gun age limits

Days after<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-optimistic-about-n-korea-talks-says-itll-work-out-35343"> US president Trump surprised </a>everyone, including his White House staff that he was open to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, CIA director Mike Pompeo backed Trump&#39;s decision declaring that Kim&#39;s regime was under threat due to the state of the economy.

&quot;Never <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-chinese-president-helpful-on-kim-jong-un-meeting-35334">before have we had the North Koreans</a> in a position where their economy was at such risk, where their leadership was under such pressure,&quot; Pompeo said.

As critics lashed out at Trump for seemingly trying to divert attention over several controversies plaguing the White House, the CIA director said: &quot;The president isn&rsquo;t doing this for theatre, he is going there to solve a problem.&quot;

&quot;Make no mistake: while these negotiations are going on, there will be no concessions made,&quot; Pompeo asserted.

Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said he won&#39;t be speaking about the North Korean talks as White House and State Department were leading the initiative.

&quot;This is a diplomatically led effort,&quot; Mattis said, adding,&quot;&quot;When you get into a position like this, the potential for misunderstanding remains very high... so I want those who are actually engaging in the discussions to be the ones who answer all media questions about it.&quot;

South Korean official Chung Eui-yong had announced last Thursday that Kim and Trump will meet in May for talks on denuclearisation.

Mattis was among the senior officials present in the White House when Trump accepted the invitation.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said he won't be speaking about the North Korean talks as White House and State Department were leading the initiative.

Days after US president Trump surprised everyone, including his White House staff that he was open to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, CIA director Mike Pompeo backed Trump's decision declaring that Kim's regime was under threat due to the state of the economy. "Never before have we had the North Koreans in a position where their economy was at such risk, where their leadership was under such pressure," Pompeo said. As critics lashed out at Trump for seemingly trying to divert attention over several controversies plaguing the White House, the CIA director said: "The president isn’t doing this for theatre, he is going there to solve a problem." "Make no mistake: while these negotiations are going on, there will be no concessions made," Pompeo asserted. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said he won't be speaking about the North Korean talks as White House and State Department were leading the initiative. "This is a diplomatically led effort," Mattis said, adding,""When you get into a position like this, the potential for misunderstanding remains very high... so I want those who are actually engaging in the discussions to be the ones who answer all media questions about it." South Korean official Chung Eui-yong had announced last Thursday that Kim and Trump will meet in May for talks on denuclearisation. Mattis was among the senior officials present in the White House when Trump accepted the invitation.

Trump's North Korea talks not theatre, he will solve a problem: CIA chief Pompeo

Taking a swipe at US President Donald Trump for backing out of Paris climate agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron lauded the efforts of India, along with other nations, for making International Solar Alliance (ISA) a reality.

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However, Macron did not name Trump at the founding conference of ISA in the capital today. While hailing the &#39;Solar Mamas&#39;, a group of women solar engineers, he also referred to the countries which decided to leave the climate agreement.

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Addressing the summit in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Macron said, &quot;Mr Prime Minister, You made a dream and we did it. It was about this International Solar Alliance. It was two years ago, it was just an idea at that time and we decided all together to act very quickly and today a big change&quot;.

Expressing his immense happiness and lauding the efforts of Solar Mamas, he said, &quot;Our solar mamas did not wait for us. They started to act and to deliver complete results. They did not wait and stop because some countries (US and others) just decided to leave the floor and leave the Paris agreement. Because they (ISA nations) decided it is good for them their children and grand children. They decided to act and keep acting&quot;.

The oblique reference was towards US President Trump&#39;s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, which was signed by nearly 200 countries in December 2015 in an effort to curb global greenhouse gas emission and limit global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius.

In November last year, Syria signed the deal, leaving the US as the only country in the world not to support the framework deal to combat greenhouse gas emissions.

Interestingly, France is the co-host for the founding conference of the the ISA which is a treaty based international body with 121 prospective member countries.

As many as 60 nations have signed the agreement to join ISA, while 30 have already ratified the agreement and made it possible to make it a legal entity in December last year.

Macron said the countries at the ISA represent three-fourths of the world population. As much as 20-50 per cent of the population do not have access to power.

The joint goal is to have 1 TW of solar energy by 2020 for which &quot;we need USD 1,000 billion,&quot; he said.

Today, heads of 23 nations and 10 ministerial representatives gathered here for alliance&#39;s first summit.&nbsp;

'Mr Prime Minister (Modi), You made a dream and we did it. It was about this International Solar Alliance. It was two years ago, it was just an idea at that time and we decided all together to act very quickly and today a big change,' said Macron

Taking a swipe at US President Donald Trump for backing out of Paris climate agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron lauded the efforts of India, along with other nations, for making International Solar Alliance (ISA) a reality. × However, Macron did not name Trump at the founding conference of ISA in the capital today. While hailing the 'Solar Mamas', a group of women solar engineers, he also referred to the countries which decided to leave the climate agreement. × Addressing the summit in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Macron said, "Mr Prime Minister, You made a dream and we did it. It was about this International Solar Alliance. It was two years ago, it was just an idea at that time and we decided all together to act very quickly and today a big change". Expressing his immense happiness and lauding the efforts of Solar Mamas, he said, "Our solar mamas did not wait for us. They started to act and to deliver complete results. They did not wait and stop because some countries (US and others) just decided to leave the floor and leave the Paris agreement. Because they (ISA nations) decided it is good for them their children and grand children. They decided to act and keep acting". The oblique reference was towards US President Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, which was signed by nearly 200 countries in December 2015 in an effort to curb global greenhouse gas emission and limit global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius. In November last year, Syria signed the deal, leaving the US as the only country in the world not to support the framework deal to combat greenhouse gas emissions. Interestingly, France is the co-host for the founding conference of the the ISA which is a treaty based international body with 121 prospective member countries. As many as 60 nations have signed the agreement to join ISA, while 30 have already ratified the agreement and made it possible to make it a legal entity in December last year. Macron said the countries at the ISA represent three-fourths of the world population. As much as 20-50 per cent of the population do not have access to power. The joint goal is to have 1 TW of solar energy by 2020 for which "we need USD 1,000 billion," he said. Today, heads of 23 nations and 10 ministerial representatives gathered here for alliance's first summit.

French President Macron takes dig at Trump, hails India's efforts at making International Solar Alliance a reality

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-optimistic-about-n-korea-talks-says-itll-work-out-35343">Trump optimistic about N Korea talks, says &#39;it&#39;ll work out&#39;</a>

President Donald Trump predicted &quot;tremendous success&quot; today in upcoming groundbreaking talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, adding that the reclusive state had promised not to shoot missiles in the interim. The comments came after the American leader said he has received encouragement from the leaders of China and Japan as he moves toward the high stakes summit, announced suddenly this week.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/inx-media-case-karti-chidambaram-taken-to-tihar-jail-to-confront-his-ca-35355">INX media case: Karti Chidambaram, his CA brought face-to-face in Tihar Jail</a>

The CBI on Saturday brought Karti Chidambaram and S Bhaskararaman, Karti&#39;s chartered accountant, face-to-face. Bhaskararaman, who handled all the business dealings and finance of Karti, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month. The agency had on Friday extended Karti&#39;s custody to make him confront his CA.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/me-my-sister-have-completely-forgiven-fathers-killers-rahul-gandhi-35349">Me</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/me-my-sister-have-completely-forgiven-fathers-killers-rahul-gandhi-35349">, my sister have &#39;completely forgiven&#39; father&#39;s killers: Rahul Gandhi</a>

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said that he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi have &quot;completely forgiven&quot; his father Rajiv Gandhi&#39;s killers. During his interaction with IIM alumni in Singapore, Gandhi, when asked if he and his sister Priyanka had forgiven his father&#39;s killers, said: &quot;We were very upset and hurt and for many years we were quite angry. But, somehow, completely...In fact, completely (forgiven).&quot;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-gorakhpur-phulpur-constituencies-to-go-for-polls-shortly-35344">Uttar Pradesh </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-gorakhpur-phulpur-constituencies-to-go-for-polls-shortly-35344">bypoll</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-gorakhpur-phulpur-constituencies-to-go-for-polls-shortly-35344">: CM Yogi Adityanath casts vote as voting begins in Gorakhpur, Phulpur</a>

Uttar Pradesh&rsquo;s Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies will go to polls on Sunday morning amid tight security. The elections were necessitated due to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya vacating their respective seats in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies after they were elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/jeff-bezos-rockets-to-richest-person-on-the-planet-35351">Jeff Bezos rockets to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/jeff-bezos-rockets-to-richest-person-on-the-planet-35351">richest</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/jeff-bezos-rockets-to-richest-person-on-the-planet-35351"> person on the planet</a>

Jeff Bezos is officially the richest person on the planet thanks to the success of Amazon -- but his bold vision extends to space and even time itself. With Amazon&#39;s share price up nearly 60 percent during the past year, the personal wealth of the company&#39;s 54-year-old founder has doubled to more than $110 billion.

Trump optimistic about N Korea talks, says 'it'll work out' President Donald Trump predicted "tremendous success" today in upcoming groundbreaking talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, adding that the reclusive state had promised not to shoot missiles in the interim. The comments came after the American leader said he has received encouragement from the leaders of China and Japan as he moves toward the high stakes summit, announced suddenly this week. INX media case: Karti Chidambaram, his CA brought face-to-face in Tihar Jail The CBI on Saturday brought Karti Chidambaram and S Bhaskararaman, Karti's chartered accountant, face-to-face. Bhaskararaman, who handled all the business dealings and finance of Karti, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month. The agency had on Friday extended Karti's custody to make him confront his CA. Me, my sister have 'completely forgiven' father's killers: Rahul Gandhi Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said that he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi have "completely forgiven" his father Rajiv Gandhi's killers. During his interaction with IIM alumni in Singapore, Gandhi, when asked if he and his sister Priyanka had forgiven his father's killers, said: "We were very upset and hurt and for many years we were quite angry. But, somehow, completely...In fact, completely (forgiven)." Uttar Pradesh bypoll: CM Yogi Adityanath casts vote as voting begins in Gorakhpur, Phulpur Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies will go to polls on Sunday morning amid tight security. The elections were necessitated due to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya vacating their respective seats in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies after they were elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. Jeff Bezos rockets to richest person on the planet Jeff Bezos is officially the richest person on the planet thanks to the success of Amazon -- but his bold vision extends to space and even time itself. With Amazon's share price up nearly 60 percent during the past year, the personal wealth of the company's 54-year-old founder has doubled to more than $110 billion.

WION Morning News Brief, March 10, 2018

U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s condition for meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is that there be no nuclear or missile testing, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Sunday.

&quot;There shouldn&#39;t be confusion,&quot; Mnuchin told NBC&#39;s &quot;Meet the Press&quot; program, when asked about White House press secretary Sarah Sanders&#39; statement on Friday that there would be no meeting without concrete and verifiable actions by North Korea.

&quot;The president has made it clear that the conditions are that there&#39;s no nuclear testing and there&#39;s no missiles and those will be a condition through the meeting.&quot;

After months of escalating tensions over North Korea&#39;s advancing nuclear and missile programs, Trump decided on Thursday to become the first sitting U.S. president to meet with North Korea&#39;s leader.

On Saturday, Trump said his meeting could fizzle without an agreement or it could result in &quot;the greatest deal for the world&quot; with a denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

Mnuchin dismissed criticism that Trump&#39;s decision to meet elevates the North Korean leader&#39;s international standing. He said the Republican president has also been criticized for not using more diplomacy to contain Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear ambitions.

&quot;Now we have a situation where the president is using diplomacy but we&#39;re not removing the maximum pressure campaign,&quot; Mnuchin said. &quot;That&#39;s the big difference here. The sanctions are staying on. The defence posture is staying the same as it is, so the president is going to sit down and see if he can cut a deal.&quot;

Mnuchin said denuclearisation of the peninsula is the objective of a meeting between the two leaders.

&quot;We&#39;ve been very clear ... that&#39;s the objective and that&#39;s what we&#39;re going to accomplish,&quot; he said.

He said he was confident the meeting would take place.

'The president has made it clear that the conditions are that there's no nuclear testing and there's no missiles and those will be a condition through the meeting,' the Treasury Secretary said

U.S. President Donald Trump's condition for meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is that there be no nuclear or missile testing, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Sunday. "There shouldn't be confusion," Mnuchin told NBC's "Meet the Press" program, when asked about White House press secretary Sarah Sanders' statement on Friday that there would be no meeting without concrete and verifiable actions by North Korea. "The president has made it clear that the conditions are that there's no nuclear testing and there's no missiles and those will be a condition through the meeting." After months of escalating tensions over North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile programs, Trump decided on Thursday to become the first sitting U.S. president to meet with North Korea's leader. On Saturday, Trump said his meeting could fizzle without an agreement or it could result in "the greatest deal for the world" with a denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. Mnuchin dismissed criticism that Trump's decision to meet elevates the North Korean leader's international standing. He said the Republican president has also been criticized for not using more diplomacy to contain Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. "Now we have a situation where the president is using diplomacy but we're not removing the maximum pressure campaign," Mnuchin said. "That's the big difference here. The sanctions are staying on. The defence posture is staying the same as it is, so the president is going to sit down and see if he can cut a deal." Mnuchin said denuclearisation of the peninsula is the objective of a meeting between the two leaders. "We've been very clear ... that's the objective and that's what we're going to accomplish," he said. He said he was confident the meeting would take place.

Trump's condition for Kim meeting is no nuclear, missile test: Mnuchin

President Donald Trump predicted &quot;tremendous success&quot; today in upcoming groundbreaking talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, adding that the reclusive state had promised not to shoot missiles in the interim.

The comments came after the American leader said he has received encouragement from the leaders of China and Japan as he moves toward the high stakes summit, announced suddenly this week.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday North Korea had agreed to not conduct another missile test until after proposed meetings with its leader, Kim Jong Un, had taken place, as he sought to rally international support for a potential summit.

&ldquo;North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017, and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honor that commitment!&rdquo; Trump wrote on Twitter.

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North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017 and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honor that commitment!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/972542173030879233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Also, after speaking with his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-chinese-president-helpful-on-kim-jong-un-meeting-35334">Japanese counterpart</a>, the US President posted on Twitter, &quot;Spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, who is very enthusiastic about talks with North Korea. Also discussing opening up Japan to much better trade with the US.&nbsp;Currently, have a massive $100 Billion Trade Deficit. Not fair or sustainable. It will all work out!&quot;

Trump also took to Twitter on Saturday to characterize the leaders of China and Japan as supportive of the potential dialogue, even as he did little to clear up confusion over the timing of any talks and what preconditions would be required.

&ldquo;President XI told me he appreciates that the US&nbsp;is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative,&rdquo; Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping. &ldquo;China continues to be helpful!&rdquo;

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Spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, who is very enthusiastic about talks with North Korea. Also discussing opening up Japan to much better trade with the U.S. Currently have a massive $100 Billion Trade Deficit. Not fair or sustainable. It will all work out!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/972523294233710593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Following Trump&#39;s nod to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Abe announced that he will be visiting the US to discuss North Korea with the US President.

Trump&rsquo;s apparently impromptu decision to begin setting up talks contrasts with Kim&rsquo;s situation -- North Korea has prepared deliberately for decades for a meeting with the sitting US president as a major step toward gaining international legitimacy.

Late on Friday Trump wrote that a deal with North Korea &ldquo;is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined.&rdquo;

The Twitter posts followed a news briefing by White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Friday where she said Trump would not have a meeting &ldquo;without seeing concrete steps and concrete actions take place by North Korea, so the president will actually be getting something.&rdquo;

Kim had earlier invited Trump to join him for what would be unprecedented talks between leaders of the two nations.

The comments came after the American leader said he has received encouragement from the leaders of China and Japan as he moves toward the high stakes summit, announced suddenly this week

President Donald Trump predicted "tremendous success" today in upcoming groundbreaking talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, adding that the reclusive state had promised not to shoot missiles in the interim. The comments came after the American leader said he has received encouragement from the leaders of China and Japan as he moves toward the high stakes summit, announced suddenly this week. US President Donald Trump said on Saturday North Korea had agreed to not conduct another missile test until after proposed meetings with its leader, Kim Jong Un, had taken place, as he sought to rally international support for a potential summit. “North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017, and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honor that commitment!” Trump wrote on Twitter. North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017 and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honor that commitment! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 10, 2018 × Also, after speaking with his Japanese counterpart, the US President posted on Twitter, "Spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, who is very enthusiastic about talks with North Korea. Also discussing opening up Japan to much better trade with the US. Currently, have a massive $100 Billion Trade Deficit. Not fair or sustainable. It will all work out!" Trump also took to Twitter on Saturday to characterize the leaders of China and Japan as supportive of the potential dialogue, even as he did little to clear up confusion over the timing of any talks and what preconditions would be required. “President XI told me he appreciates that the US is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative,” Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping. “China continues to be helpful!” Spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, who is very enthusiastic about talks with North Korea. Also discussing opening up Japan to much better trade with the U.S. Currently have a massive $100 Billion Trade Deficit. Not fair or sustainable. It will all work out! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 10, 2018 × Following Trump's nod to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Abe announced that he will be visiting the US to discuss North Korea with the US President. Trump’s apparently impromptu decision to begin setting up talks contrasts with Kim’s situation -- North Korea has prepared deliberately for decades for a meeting with the sitting US president as a major step toward gaining international legitimacy. Late on Friday Trump wrote that a deal with North Korea “is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined.” The Twitter posts followed a news briefing by White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Friday where she said Trump would not have a meeting “without seeing concrete steps and concrete actions take place by North Korea, so the president will actually be getting something.” Kim had earlier invited Trump to join him for what would be unprecedented talks between leaders of the two nations.

Trump optimistic about N Korea talks, says 'it'll work out'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-seeks-concrete-actions-from-north-korea-before-planned-talks-35266">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-seeks-concrete-actions-from-north-korea-before-planned-talks-35266"> seeks &#39;concrete actions&#39; from North Korea before planned talks</a>

US President Donald Trump will not meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unless Pyongyang takes &quot;concrete actions,&quot; the White House said on Friday as it faced criticism for agreeing to talks that would give North Korea international legitimacy.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/french-president-macron-arrives-in-india-on-4-day-visit-35256">French president Macron arrives in India on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/french-president-macron-arrives-in-india-on-4-day-visit-35256">4-day</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/french-president-macron-arrives-in-india-on-4-day-visit-35256"> visit</a>

French President France Emmanuel Macron arrived in New Delhi on Friday on a four-day state visit. He was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as soon as he touched down at the Delhi airport. The two had a brief interaction before the French president was whisked away in a waiting car.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/deal-with-north-korea-in-the-making-and-will-be-a-good-one-for-the-world-trump-35275">Deal with North Korea in the making and will be a good one for the world: Trump</a>

US President Donald Trump on Saturday a deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the world. Trump took to Twitter and said, &quot;a deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the world.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/loya-may-have-died-due-to-poisoning-ngo-to-supreme-court-35276">Justice Loya may have died due to poisoning: NGO to Supreme court</a>

An NGO, which had sought an independent probe into the alleged mysterious death of special CBI judge B H Loya Saturday claimed in the Supreme Court that he might have died due to poisoning as he had complained of chest congestion.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/gunman-holed-up-at-california-veterans-home-with-3-hostages-35269">Gunman</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/gunman-holed-up-at-california-veterans-home-with-3-hostages-35269"> holed up at California veterans home with 3 hostages&nbsp;</a>

A gunman who once served in the US military opened fire on Friday inside a California home for disabled and aging war veterans, where he took three hostages and was holding police at bay as negotiators sought to make contact with him for several hours, authorities said.

US seeks 'concrete actions' from North Korea before planned talks US President Donald Trump will not meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unless Pyongyang takes "concrete actions," the White House said on Friday as it faced criticism for agreeing to talks that would give North Korea international legitimacy. French president Macron arrives in India on 4-day visit French President France Emmanuel Macron arrived in New Delhi on Friday on a four-day state visit. He was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as soon as he touched down at the Delhi airport. The two had a brief interaction before the French president was whisked away in a waiting car. Deal with North Korea in the making and will be a good one for the world: Trump US President Donald Trump on Saturday a deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the world. Trump took to Twitter and said, "a deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the world." Justice Loya may have died due to poisoning: NGO to Supreme court An NGO, which had sought an independent probe into the alleged mysterious death of special CBI judge B H Loya Saturday claimed in the Supreme Court that he might have died due to poisoning as he had complained of chest congestion. Gunman holed up at California veterans home with 3 hostages A gunman who once served in the US military opened fire on Friday inside a California home for disabled and aging war veterans, where he took three hostages and was holding police at bay as negotiators sought to make contact with him for several hours, authorities said.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday a deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the world.

Trump took to Twitter and said, &quot;a deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the world.&quot;

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The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/972271520847466498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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No US president has agreed to sit down with a North Korean leader -- until now. Trump&#39;s move is a sharp departure from 60 years of largely arms-length US&nbsp;diplomacy when it comes to North Korea, not to mention his own previous bellicose rhetoric against Pyongyang.&nbsp;

Trump and Kim prompted jitters around the world last year as they exchanged bellicose insults over the North&#39;s attempts to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States, which it has pursued in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.

US Vice-President Mike Pence said that the US had made &quot;zero concessions&quot; and aims to&nbsp;maintain pressure until &#39;&#39;denuclearisation&#39;&#39; is&nbsp;accomplished.&nbsp;

It also represents another instance in which the Republican Trump, a businessman who promised to shake up Washington, took a completely different direction than his Democratic predecessor.

Trump reportedly accepted the invitation almost on the spot, making a unilateral decision and up-ending decades of US foreign policy.

The remarkable meeting will see the two eccentric, headstrong leaders meet as soon as May.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said it was &ldquo;a decision the President took himself&rdquo;, just like his radical announcement on tariffs. The news comes amid further embarrassment for the businessman after a the identity of the porn star who accused him of sexual harassment was revealed.

White House officials said that when South Korean national security adviser Chung Eui-yong relayed Kim&#39;s invitation in an Oval Office meeting on Thursday (March 08), Trump readily agreed, feeling that US-led sanctions were weakening North Korea.

Trump's move is a sharp departure from 60 years of largely arms-length US diplomacy when it comes to North Korea, not to mention his own previous bellicose rhetoric against Pyongyang

US President Donald Trump on Saturday a deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the world. Trump took to Twitter and said, "a deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the world." The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 10, 2018 × No US president has agreed to sit down with a North Korean leader -- until now. Trump's move is a sharp departure from 60 years of largely arms-length US diplomacy when it comes to North Korea, not to mention his own previous bellicose rhetoric against Pyongyang. Trump and Kim prompted jitters around the world last year as they exchanged bellicose insults over the North's attempts to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States, which it has pursued in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. US Vice-President Mike Pence said that the US had made "zero concessions" and aims to maintain pressure until ''denuclearisation'' is accomplished. It also represents another instance in which the Republican Trump, a businessman who promised to shake up Washington, took a completely different direction than his Democratic predecessor. Trump reportedly accepted the invitation almost on the spot, making a unilateral decision and up-ending decades of US foreign policy. The remarkable meeting will see the two eccentric, headstrong leaders meet as soon as May. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said it was “a decision the President took himself”, just like his radical announcement on tariffs. The news comes amid further embarrassment for the businessman after a the identity of the porn star who accused him of sexual harassment was revealed. White House officials said that when South Korean national security adviser Chung Eui-yong relayed Kim's invitation in an Oval Office meeting on Thursday (March 08), Trump readily agreed, feeling that US-led sanctions were weakening North Korea.

Deal with North Korea in the making and will be a good one for the world: Trump

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