The Trump administration is considering introducing a proposal that will restrict&nbsp;extension of H-1B visa.&nbsp;

The initiative by the public security department of US aims to further President&#39;s &quot;Buy America, Hire America&quot; drive.&nbsp;

The move is likely to affect thousands of Indians working in the country on&nbsp;H-1B visa.&nbsp;The&nbsp;proposal will prevent foreign immigrants without Green Card from working in the US.&nbsp;

Currently, the immigrants get an extension of over&nbsp;two or three years even if their Green Card is pending. Once the proposal&nbsp;gets approved, about 500,000 to 750,000 Indians working on H-1B visa may have to be deported from the US.&nbsp;

&quot;The idea is to create a sort of &#39;self- deportation&#39; of hundreds of thousands of Indian tech workers in the United States to open up those jobs for Americans,&quot; said a US source briefed by Homeland Security officials as reported by McClatchy DC Bureau. 
 
The proposal has been initiated by the Department of Homeland Security, the public security department of US.

The proposal has been&nbsp;passed by the House Judiciary Committee and is now awaiting to be cleared by the&nbsp;US Senate.&nbsp;

According to an estimated figure, about 70 per cent of these visas&nbsp;is given to Indians.The program allows immigrants to work despite having pending Green Card. It has recently received huge criticism from &nbsp;American workers as they&nbsp;claim that the visa abuses their job opportunities.

The initiative taken by the public security department of US aims to further President's 'Buy America, Hire America' drive

The Trump administration is considering introducing a proposal that will restrict extension of H-1B visa. The initiative by the public security department of US aims to further President's "Buy America, Hire America" drive. The move is likely to affect thousands of Indians working in the country on H-1B visa. The proposal will prevent foreign immigrants without Green Card from working in the US. Currently, the immigrants get an extension of over two or three years even if their Green Card is pending. Once the proposal gets approved, about 500,000 to 750,000 Indians working on H-1B visa may have to be deported from the US. "The idea is to create a sort of 'self- deportation' of hundreds of thousands of Indian tech workers in the United States to open up those jobs for Americans," said a US source briefed by Homeland Security officials as reported by McClatchy DC Bureau. The proposal has been initiated by the Department of Homeland Security, the public security department of US. The proposal has been passed by the House Judiciary Committee and is now awaiting to be cleared by the US Senate. According to an estimated figure, about 70 per cent of these visas is given to Indians.The program allows immigrants to work despite having pending Green Card. It has recently received huge criticism from American workers as they claim that the visa abuses their job opportunities.

New H-1B visa proposal may lead to deportation of Indians

US President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-says-open-to-dialogue-with-south-korea-will-only-use-nukes-if-threatened-28277">Donald Trump said today that </a>sanctions and &quot;other pressures&quot; are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea as Kim Jong Un offered an olive branch to South Korea.

Trump&#39;s latest observation on North Korea comes even as Kim Jong Un said he was &quot;open to dialogue&quot; with South Korea.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Sanctions and &ldquo;other&rdquo; pressures are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not - we will see!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/948194400114487296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

In a televised address to the nation on New Years Day, North Korean leader&nbsp;Kim Jong Un said his country was &quot;a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power&quot; while calling for improved ties with South Korea.

&quot;When it comes to North-South relations, we should lower the military tensions on the Korean Peninsula to create a peaceful environment,&quot; Kim said, adding that &quot;both North and South should make efforts.&quot;

Kim also said he may consider sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics Games to be held in South Korea next month.

&quot;North Korea&#39;s participation in the Winter Games will be a good opportunity to showcase the national pride and we wish the Games will be a success. Officials from the two Koreas may urgently meet to discuss the possibility,&quot; Kim said.

Lee Hee- beom, president of the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee, said the organisation welcomed North Korean participation.

In a televised address to the nation, North Korean leader?Kim Jong Un said his country was "a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power"

US President Donald Trump said today that sanctions and "other pressures" are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea as Kim Jong Un offered an olive branch to South Korea. Trump's latest observation on North Korea comes even as Kim Jong Un said he was "open to dialogue" with South Korea. Sanctions and “other” pressures are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not - we will see! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 × In a televised address to the nation on New Years Day, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country was "a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power" while calling for improved ties with South Korea. "When it comes to North-South relations, we should lower the military tensions on the Korean Peninsula to create a peaceful environment," Kim said, adding that "both North and South should make efforts." Kim also said he may consider sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics Games to be held in South Korea next month. "North Korea's participation in the Winter Games will be a good opportunity to showcase the national pride and we wish the Games will be a success. Officials from the two Koreas may urgently meet to discuss the possibility," Kim said. Lee Hee- beom, president of the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee, said the organisation welcomed North Korean participation.

Sanctions beginning to have big impact on North Korea: Trump

Amidst US president Donald Trump&#39;s scathing attack on Pakistan saying that they &quot;have given us nothing but lies and deceit&quot; and have provided <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/weve-been-fooled-for-15-years-no-more-donald-trumps-tweet-to-pakistan-28253" target="_blank">&quot;safe haven to the terrorists</a>,&quot; BJP leader&nbsp;Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday said that India should consider having stronger relations with the US.

The BJP leader&nbsp;recommended shifting the Indian embassy from Tel Aviv to western Jerusalem as a goodwill measure.

&quot;Now, India should be very clear that if we want to deal with Pakistan, we have to have the support of the United States and Israel. As a measure of goodwill, we should shift our embassy from Tel Aviv to western Jerusalem,&quot; Swamy said.&nbsp;

Trump reversed the decades-old US&nbsp;policy and recognised &nbsp;<a href="https://www.aninews.in/search?query=Jerusalem">Jerusalem</a>&nbsp;as Israel&#39;s capital on December 6.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aninews.in/search?query=Jerusalem">Jerusalem</a>&nbsp;is a disputed territory contested by both Israel and Palestine.

Trump in his first tweet of 2018 attacked Pakistan for providing &#39;&#39;safe heavens&#39;&#39; to the terrorists. The United States has been fooled by Pakistan for 15 years, but no more, Trump tweeted on Monday.&nbsp;

The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies &amp; deceit, the tweet said. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies &amp; deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/947802588174577664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Pakistan soon <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/we-have-rendered-unmatched-sacrifices-in-war-against-terrorism-pakistan-28264" target="_blank">hit back&nbsp;</a>and said the US should not blame Pakistan for its failure in Afghanistan. Pakistan has rendered &#39;&#39;unmatched sacrifices&#39;&#39; in the &#39;&#39;war against terrorism&#39;&#39; and there was no ambiguity about it.

The statement also accused the US of overlooking the cross-border safe havens of terrorists who murder Pakistanis.&nbsp;

Subramanian Swamy welcomed Trump&#39;s statement remarking that the US President presented facts in his accusation about receiving nothing in return from Pakistan for the aid provided to them.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Amidst US president Donald Trump's scathing attack on Pakistan, the BJP leader?said that India should consider having stronger relations with the United States

Amidst US president Donald Trump's scathing attack on Pakistan saying that they "have given us nothing but lies and deceit" and have provided "safe haven to the terrorists," BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday said that India should consider having stronger relations with the US. The BJP leader recommended shifting the Indian embassy from Tel Aviv to western Jerusalem as a goodwill measure. "Now, India should be very clear that if we want to deal with Pakistan, we have to have the support of the United States and Israel. As a measure of goodwill, we should shift our embassy from Tel Aviv to western Jerusalem," Swamy said. Trump reversed the decades-old US policy and recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital on December 6. Jerusalem is a disputed territory contested by both Israel and Palestine. Trump in his first tweet of 2018 attacked Pakistan for providing ''safe heavens'' to the terrorists. The United States has been fooled by Pakistan for 15 years, but no more, Trump tweeted on Monday. The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, the tweet said. The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018 × Pakistan soon hit back and said the US should not blame Pakistan for its failure in Afghanistan. Pakistan has rendered ''unmatched sacrifices'' in the ''war against terrorism'' and there was no ambiguity about it. The statement also accused the US of overlooking the cross-border safe havens of terrorists who murder Pakistanis. Subramanian Swamy welcomed Trump's statement remarking that the US President presented facts in his accusation about receiving nothing in return from Pakistan for the aid provided to them.

After Trump tweet, Swamy says shift Indian embassy to Jerusalem

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has imposed ten rounds of punitive sanctions on North Korea. The United States has imposed additional sanctions. In the normal course, these should have brought Pyongyang to its knees. Practically all its avenues of earning foreign exchange have been choked. Its main export items (seafood, minerals, coal, iron ore, textiles etc) have been blocked. Since last year, restrictions have been imposed and progressively tightened on its imports of oil and petroleum products, which are critical to the regime&rsquo;s survival. Yet, North Korea is undaunted.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It has simply shrugged off the sanctions. Reportedly even gasoline is not in short supply in the country. Its GDP is growing at 3.5 to 4 per cent annually. From all indications, life continues to be normal for the ordinary citizen. How has Pyongyang managed to do so?

&nbsp;

North Korea conducted its sixth and to date the most powerful nuclear test on 3rd September 2017. On 29th November it tested Hwasong-15 ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) which on a standard trajectory could have travelled some 13,000 kms, reaching any part of the continental United States. It carried a (dummy?) warhead. It is merely a matter of time before it perfects the re-entry technology. The speed at which North Korea is mastering the sophisticated ballistic missile technology has taken even the experts by surprise.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Now the question is, who has been enabling this pariah state to pose the biggest threat to the peace and security architecture in East Asia and beyond?

&nbsp;

The simple truth is that it is none other than North Korea&rsquo;s patron and neighbour with which it shares a 1420 kms border along the Yalu and Tumen rivers. It is a &lsquo;responsible major country&rsquo; (as described by its President) which is a permanent member of the UNSC and poised to become the biggest economy in the world within twenty years. It is the country which has two allies &ndash; Pakistan and North Korea &ndash; both rogue nations. The country in question is -&nbsp; China.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Beijing has perfected the art of voting for sanctions in New York and then finding imaginative ways of neutralising or blunting them, on the ground. Be it the import of coal or export of petroleum products, Beijing has been merrily circumventing sanctions. In recent days, several reports have emerged of Chinese and Russian ships transferring oil to North Korean vessels in international waters.

It is, however, also a fact that Beijing too is getting increasingly concerned by the turn of events. Given its self-image and posturing as a responsible player in the global arena, it is queasy to be seen as the principal protector of a rogue regime. It is also true that Pyongyang no longer does Beijing&rsquo;s bidding unquestionably.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The verbal slugfest between Washington and Pyongyang, that is getting sharper by the day, is anything but good news for China. The possibility of conflict in the Korean Peninsula is growing by the day. Pyongyang which sees WMD (weapons of mass destruction) as an insurance for regime survival, is determined not to roll back its nuclear or missile development programme. On the other hand, a nuclearised North Korea has far-reaching negative implications for the strategic balance in East Asia.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Thus, in some ways, Beijing is caught in a cleft-stick, of its own making. Yet it is not willing to let the Kim regime crumble, purportedly to avert instability. The real reason is that China cannot countenance a pro-west regime along its north-eastern border.&nbsp;

Will China succeed in its game of shadow-boxing? There are no easy answers. In some ways, the world is confronted with a stalemate.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Kim regime will not give up its WMD programme without a fight. For over two decades, it has been successful in stringing its interlocutors along by going through the motions of a negotiated settlement, while stealthily advancing its nuclear ambitions. Conflict is not a realistic option, given the huge human and material cost it will entail, especially for South Korea. Sanctions are not having the desired impact. North Korea seeks unconditional direct talks with the USA. Secretary Tillerson has alluded to such a possibility only to be undermined by President Trump. The biggest fear at the moment is of a miscalculation by either side, setting in motion a chain of events which would be difficult to predict or calibrate.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

China has been enabling North Korea, the pariah state to pose the biggest threat to the peace and security architecture in East Asia and beyond

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has imposed ten rounds of punitive sanctions on North Korea. The United States has imposed additional sanctions. In the normal course, these should have brought Pyongyang to its knees. Practically all its avenues of earning foreign exchange have been choked. Its main export items (seafood, minerals, coal, iron ore, textiles etc) have been blocked. Since last year, restrictions have been imposed and progressively tightened on its imports of oil and petroleum products, which are critical to the regime’s survival. Yet, North Korea is undaunted. It has simply shrugged off the sanctions. Reportedly even gasoline is not in short supply in the country. Its GDP is growing at 3.5 to 4 per cent annually. From all indications, life continues to be normal for the ordinary citizen. How has Pyongyang managed to do so? North Korea conducted its sixth and to date the most powerful nuclear test on 3rd September 2017. On 29th November it tested Hwasong-15 ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) which on a standard trajectory could have travelled some 13,000 kms, reaching any part of the continental United States. It carried a (dummy?) warhead. It is merely a matter of time before it perfects the re-entry technology. The speed at which North Korea is mastering the sophisticated ballistic missile technology has taken even the experts by surprise. Now the question is, who has been enabling this pariah state to pose the biggest threat to the peace and security architecture in East Asia and beyond? The simple truth is that it is none other than North Korea’s patron and neighbour with which it shares a 1420 kms border along the Yalu and Tumen rivers. It is a ‘responsible major country’ (as described by its President) which is a permanent member of the UNSC and poised to become the biggest economy in the world within twenty years. It is the country which has two allies – Pakistan and North Korea – both rogue nations. The country in question is - China. Beijing has perfected the art of voting for sanctions in New York and then finding imaginative ways of neutralising or blunting them, on the ground. Be it the import of coal or export of petroleum products, Beijing has been merrily circumventing sanctions. In recent days, several reports have emerged of Chinese and Russian ships transferring oil to North Korean vessels in international waters. It is, however, also a fact that Beijing too is getting increasingly concerned by the turn of events. Given its self-image and posturing as a responsible player in the global arena, it is queasy to be seen as the principal protector of a rogue regime. It is also true that Pyongyang no longer does Beijing’s bidding unquestionably. The verbal slugfest between Washington and Pyongyang, that is getting sharper by the day, is anything but good news for China. The possibility of conflict in the Korean Peninsula is growing by the day. Pyongyang which sees WMD (weapons of mass destruction) as an insurance for regime survival, is determined not to roll back its nuclear or missile development programme. On the other hand, a nuclearised North Korea has far-reaching negative implications for the strategic balance in East Asia. Thus, in some ways, Beijing is caught in a cleft-stick, of its own making. Yet it is not willing to let the Kim regime crumble, purportedly to avert instability. The real reason is that China cannot countenance a pro-west regime along its north-eastern border. Will China succeed in its game of shadow-boxing? There are no easy answers. In some ways, the world is confronted with a stalemate. The Kim regime will not give up its WMD programme without a fight. For over two decades, it has been successful in stringing its interlocutors along by going through the motions of a negotiated settlement, while stealthily advancing its nuclear ambitions. Conflict is not a realistic option, given the huge human and material cost it will entail, especially for South Korea. Sanctions are not having the desired impact. North Korea seeks unconditional direct talks with the USA. Secretary Tillerson has alluded to such a possibility only to be undermined by President Trump. The biggest fear at the moment is of a miscalculation by either side, setting in motion a chain of events which would be difficult to predict or calibrate. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: The China-North Korea unholy nexus

&nbsp;Soon after the start of the cold war, the US was looking for someone who can help him in Central Asia and, especially, in the mountainous country of Afghanistan which had become a playground for the mighty Soviet forces. India being the trusted ally of USSR was ruled out and, hence, the natural selection of an adversary of India was imminent. Pakistan became an ally and launch pad for US actions towards the USSR.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistan to create a properly trained group of Mujahidin in Afghanistan started Operation Cyclone in 1978. Running under the Reagan Doctrine, this program recruited almost 100,000 highly trained Afghan guerrillas to fight Soviet forces in Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. As per unofficial inputs, Pakistan was paid aid, military equipment and cash worth almost 20 billion Dollars at that time.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Soon after the US started its intervention in Iraq, the Mujahidin aligned against it under the leadership of Osama bin Laden and declared war which resulted in 9/11. It was the money, training and military equipment, given by the US to these forces, which came to be used against America. Overnight, Osama Bin Laden and Jalaluddin Haqqani who were the trusted ally of CIA became enemies.

&nbsp;

Once again, America needed an ally for war against so-called terror in Afghanistan, and there was none except Pakistan. In subsequent years till 2017, almost 33 billion US Dollars were given to Pakistan in direct or indirect aid. Since Pakistan, because of its hatred for India, is totally aligned in creating a frontier against India, most of this assistance was used in procurement of weapons and military equipment for its Army. Pakistani leaders, especially, General Parvez Musharraf encashed the relationship with the US and siphoned off billions of Dollars in terms of reimbursements to services which were never provided.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistan&#39;s ISI turned into a source for training and equipping Mujahidin, and a group of its officers became extremely close to the fighter leaders. In the name of so-called Islamic brotherhood, they started supporting them. With it the main problem started.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While America&rsquo;s &#39;No One&#39; enemy Osama bin Laden was absconding and the US forces were searching for him across the globe, he was enjoying the hospitality of ISI officials in a safe cantonment in Pakistan. Reports say that the house in which Osama bin Laden stayed for so many years was built as a safe house by the ISI only and later given to the Al-Qaeda supremo for his stay.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistani authorities thought they will be able to fool the United States the same way they had been doing for the last so many decades.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;Over 6 decades of corrupt politicians and with low GDP, the country was on the verge of bankruptcy and immediate funding was required to address some critical military concerns. So, while the aid continued to flow, the terrorists also kept enjoying the hospitality, training and funding of ISI discreetly. The creation of the Taliban, as well as the training and support to various Kashmiri terrorist groups, was no longer a secret. The United States cautioned Pakistan on several occasions but since the aid continued, Pakistan considered this as a mere verbal threat.

&nbsp;

America had no alternative to Pakistan and, hence, the funding continued but with a gradual reduction in aid over the last three years. War against the terror can be considered one of the main reason but the factors which led to a sudden change in US behaviour are different.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistan&rsquo;s proximity to China played a vital role in straining its relationship with the US. It was under the influence of China that Pakistan started neglecting some of the key concerns of America. Not only this, the anti-US sentiments in Pakistan came out in open in the forms of rallies and protests which were supported by the government officials. Not only this, the senior leaders of the country, including Pak Army started criticising Drone attacks openly, and extremist leaders declared war against the US. Certainly, it has become a catch 22 situation for the US to handle an ally like Pakistan.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The stopping of support funds for Pakistan is not something unexpected. Pakistan knew it and had been preparing for it for long. It created a close relationship with China who in turn is trying to influence the West by its OBOR initiative, the CPEC and the String of Pearls.

&nbsp;

China&rsquo;s actions are exactly similar to the way USSR started building its influence in Central Asia and the Middle East in the early 80s. Whether it is Pakistan, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, Latin America or the South China Sea, China is seemingly expanding everywhere. Chanakya once said that the right way to counter a potent enemy is to first cut down its weaker allies. The US is doing the same.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

President Donald Trump is getting a much more potential ally in India which can help him to counter both Pakistan and China. India itself had been the worst victims of terrorism and, hence, going to play a very vital role in South Asia in the coming decades.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Currently, Pakistan is going through political turmoil and there is no leadership left. The possibility of a military coup cannot be ruled out either. Hence, America must be extremely cautious in selecting Pakistan as its partner.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India and the US have many things in common. Indians residing in America contributes significantly to the US economy and the key people in the team of Mr Trump are India supporters. Mr Trump being a businessman understands well about profits and losses of any relationship and, understandably, can foresee a clear profit in a long term relationship in the potent leadership of Prime Minister Modi.

&nbsp;

In a nutshell, it is evident that there are multiple reasons for this topsy-turvy relationship between the US and Pakistan. Terrorism is one of the smaller concerns only but the bigger reason lies in the further east of Pakistan- China and its expanding influence in Asia.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

<ul>
	<li>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Terrorism is one of the smaller concerns only but the bigger reason lies in the further east of Pakistan- China and its expanding influence in Asia.

Soon after the start of the cold war, the US was looking for someone who can help him in Central Asia and, especially, in the mountainous country of Afghanistan which had become a playground for the mighty Soviet forces. India being the trusted ally of USSR was ruled out and, hence, the natural selection of an adversary of India was imminent. Pakistan became an ally and launch pad for US actions towards the USSR. Pakistan to create a properly trained group of Mujahidin in Afghanistan started Operation Cyclone in 1978. Running under the Reagan Doctrine, this program recruited almost 100,000 highly trained Afghan guerrillas to fight Soviet forces in Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. As per unofficial inputs, Pakistan was paid aid, military equipment and cash worth almost 20 billion Dollars at that time. Soon after the US started its intervention in Iraq, the Mujahidin aligned against it under the leadership of Osama bin Laden and declared war which resulted in 9/11. It was the money, training and military equipment, given by the US to these forces, which came to be used against America. Overnight, Osama Bin Laden and Jalaluddin Haqqani who were the trusted ally of CIA became enemies. Once again, America needed an ally for war against so-called terror in Afghanistan, and there was none except Pakistan. In subsequent years till 2017, almost 33 billion US Dollars were given to Pakistan in direct or indirect aid. Since Pakistan, because of its hatred for India, is totally aligned in creating a frontier against India, most of this assistance was used in procurement of weapons and military equipment for its Army. Pakistani leaders, especially, General Parvez Musharraf encashed the relationship with the US and siphoned off billions of Dollars in terms of reimbursements to services which were never provided. Pakistan's ISI turned into a source for training and equipping Mujahidin, and a group of its officers became extremely close to the fighter leaders. In the name of so-called Islamic brotherhood, they started supporting them. With it the main problem started. While America’s 'No One' enemy Osama bin Laden was absconding and the US forces were searching for him across the globe, he was enjoying the hospitality of ISI officials in a safe cantonment in Pakistan. Reports say that the house in which Osama bin Laden stayed for so many years was built as a safe house by the ISI only and later given to the Al-Qaeda supremo for his stay. Pakistani authorities thought they will be able to fool the United States the same way they had been doing for the last so many decades. Over 6 decades of corrupt politicians and with low GDP, the country was on the verge of bankruptcy and immediate funding was required to address some critical military concerns. So, while the aid continued to flow, the terrorists also kept enjoying the hospitality, training and funding of ISI discreetly. The creation of the Taliban, as well as the training and support to various Kashmiri terrorist groups, was no longer a secret. The United States cautioned Pakistan on several occasions but since the aid continued, Pakistan considered this as a mere verbal threat. America had no alternative to Pakistan and, hence, the funding continued but with a gradual reduction in aid over the last three years. War against the terror can be considered one of the main reason but the factors which led to a sudden change in US behaviour are different. Pakistan’s proximity to China played a vital role in straining its relationship with the US. It was under the influence of China that Pakistan started neglecting some of the key concerns of America. Not only this, the anti-US sentiments in Pakistan came out in open in the forms of rallies and protests which were supported by the government officials. Not only this, the senior leaders of the country, including Pak Army started criticising Drone attacks openly, and extremist leaders declared war against the US. Certainly, it has become a catch 22 situation for the US to handle an ally like Pakistan. The stopping of support funds for Pakistan is not something unexpected. Pakistan knew it and had been preparing for it for long. It created a close relationship with China who in turn is trying to influence the West by its OBOR initiative, the CPEC and the String of Pearls. China’s actions are exactly similar to the way USSR started building its influence in Central Asia and the Middle East in the early 80s. Whether it is Pakistan, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, Latin America or the South China Sea, China is seemingly expanding everywhere. Chanakya once said that the right way to counter a potent enemy is to first cut down its weaker allies. The US is doing the same. President Donald Trump is getting a much more potential ally in India which can help him to counter both Pakistan and China. India itself had been the worst victims of terrorism and, hence, going to play a very vital role in South Asia in the coming decades. Currently, Pakistan is going through political turmoil and there is no leadership left. The possibility of a military coup cannot be ruled out either. Hence, America must be extremely cautious in selecting Pakistan as its partner. India and the US have many things in common. Indians residing in America contributes significantly to the US economy and the key people in the team of Mr Trump are India supporters. Mr Trump being a businessman understands well about profits and losses of any relationship and, understandably, can foresee a clear profit in a long term relationship in the potent leadership of Prime Minister Modi. In a nutshell, it is evident that there are multiple reasons for this topsy-turvy relationship between the US and Pakistan. Terrorism is one of the smaller concerns only but the bigger reason lies in the further east of Pakistan- China and its expanding influence in Asia. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: China, not terrorism, is why US stopped aiding Pakistan

Demonstrators attacked a town hall in the Iranian capital Saturday as protests spilled into a third night despite government warnings against any further &quot;illegal gatherings&quot; and moves to cut off the internet on mobiles.

Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump weighed in on protests in Iran on Saturday, warning that the country&#39;s people want change and &quot;oppressive regimes cannot endure forever.&quot;

On Twitter, Trump posted two videos of his speech at the UN General Assembly in September where he spoke about the Iranian regime.&nbsp;

&quot;Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice,&quot; he tweeted, quoting from the speech. &quot;The world is watching!.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching! <a href="https://t.co/kvv1uAqcZ9">pic.twitter.com/kvv1uAqcZ9</a>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/947181212468203520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change, and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran&#39;s people are what their leaders fear the most,&quot; Trump posted, again quoting from the UN speech.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change, and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran&rsquo;s people are what their leaders fear the most.... <a href="https://t.co/W8rKN9B6RT">pic.twitter.com/W8rKN9B6RT</a>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/947180713236934657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

He also tweeted in support of the protesters late Friday, prompting Iran&#39;s foreign ministry spokesman Bahran Ghasemi to dismiss his remarks as &quot;opportunistic.&quot;

Demonstrators chanted <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/price-protests-turn-political-in-iran-as-rallies-spread-28091">anti-government slogans</a> in several cities across Iran on Friday, Iranian news agencies and social media reports said, as price protests turned into the largest wave of demonstrations since nationwide pro-reform unrest in 2009.

In the third day, the wave of protests spread to Qom, around 80 km from the Iranian capital, Tehran, protesters in Qom and Tehran raised anti-government slogans against Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei such as- &quot;Death to Hezbollah&quot; and &quot;Aren&#39;t you ashamed Khamenei? Leave the country.&quot;

(With input from agencies)

'Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice,' he tweeted, quoting from the speech

Demonstrators attacked a town hall in the Iranian capital Saturday as protests spilled into a third night despite government warnings against any further "illegal gatherings" and moves to cut off the internet on mobiles. Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump weighed in on protests in Iran on Saturday, warning that the country's people want change and "oppressive regimes cannot endure forever." On Twitter, Trump posted two videos of his speech at the UN General Assembly in September where he spoke about the Iranian regime. "Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice," he tweeted, quoting from the speech. "The world is watching!." Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching! pic.twitter.com/kvv1uAqcZ9 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2017 × "The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change, and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran's people are what their leaders fear the most," Trump posted, again quoting from the UN speech. The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change, and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran’s people are what their leaders fear the most.... pic.twitter.com/W8rKN9B6RT — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2017 × He also tweeted in support of the protesters late Friday, prompting Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahran Ghasemi to dismiss his remarks as "opportunistic." Demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans in several cities across Iran on Friday, Iranian news agencies and social media reports said, as price protests turned into the largest wave of demonstrations since nationwide pro-reform unrest in 2009. In the third day, the wave of protests spread to Qom, around 80 km from the Iranian capital, Tehran, protesters in Qom and Tehran raised anti-government slogans against Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei such as- "Death to Hezbollah" and "Aren't you ashamed Khamenei? Leave the country." (With input from agencies)

Government blocks internet amid Iran protests, Trump warns that people need change

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for &quot;pragmatic cooperation&quot; in his New Year wishes to US President Donald Trump, the Kremlin said on Saturday.&nbsp;

In a statement on the Russian president&#39;s New Year wishes to world leaders, the Kremlin said Putin told Trump that &quot;a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world&quot;.&nbsp;

According to the statement, Putin said that &quot;mutual respect&quot; should be &quot;a base to develop relations&quot; between the two countries.&nbsp;

&quot;This would allow us to move towards building pragmatic cooperation, orientated on the long term,&quot; the statement quoted Putin as saying.&nbsp;

The Russian president also sent messages to other heads of state, including the leaders of former Soviet countries, France&#39;s Emmanuel Macron, Germany&#39;s Angela Merkel and Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad.&nbsp;

In his wishes to the Syrian leader, with whom he met with during a surprise visit to Russia&#39;s Syrian air base Hmeimim earlier this month, Putin &quot;expressed sincere hope that key changes for the better will continue in Syria in the new year&quot;.&nbsp;

The statement added that Putin told Assad &quot;Russia will continue to show all kind of support to the Syrian Arab Republic in order to protect its state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity&quot;.&nbsp;

Russia became involved in the Syrian conflict in September 2015, when it began an aerial campaign in support of Assad&#39;s military. Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of the Russian army from Syria earlier this month.&nbsp;

The Kremlin said Putin told Trump that 'a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world'

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for "pragmatic cooperation" in his New Year wishes to US President Donald Trump, the Kremlin said on Saturday. In a statement on the Russian president's New Year wishes to world leaders, the Kremlin said Putin told Trump that "a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world". According to the statement, Putin said that "mutual respect" should be "a base to develop relations" between the two countries. "This would allow us to move towards building pragmatic cooperation, orientated on the long term," the statement quoted Putin as saying. The Russian president also sent messages to other heads of state, including the leaders of former Soviet countries, France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Angela Merkel and Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad. In his wishes to the Syrian leader, with whom he met with during a surprise visit to Russia's Syrian air base Hmeimim earlier this month, Putin "expressed sincere hope that key changes for the better will continue in Syria in the new year". The statement added that Putin told Assad "Russia will continue to show all kind of support to the Syrian Arab Republic in order to protect its state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity". Russia became involved in the Syrian conflict in September 2015, when it began an aerial campaign in support of Assad's military. Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of the Russian army from Syria earlier this month.

Putin calls for 'pragmatic cooperation' in New Year wishes to Trump

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/palestine-expressed-deep-regrets-over-envoy-sharing-stage-with-hafiz-saeed-mea-28121">Palestine recalls its Ambassador to Pakistan for sharing stage with Hafiz Saeed</a>

&quot;The concerns were conveyed both in New Delhi to the Palestinian Ambassador and in Ramallah to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, State of Palestine,&quot; the statement added.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bhansalis-padmavati-to-get-ua-certificate-films-title-may-also-get-changed-central-film-board-28111">From &#39;Padmavati&#39; to &#39;Padmavat&#39;: Censor Board gives green signal with title change</a>

The certificate will be issued once all relevant modifications are made

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-calls-for-pragmatic-cooperation-in-new-year-wishes-to-trump-28122">Putin calls for &#39;pragmatic cooperation&#39; in New Year wishes</a>

The Kremlin said Putin told Trump that &#39;a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world&#39;.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/to-avoid-mumbai-like-fire-delhi-fire-service-to-inspect-restaurants-in-capital-28112">Delhi fire services offices told to carry out inspection at restaurants in the Capital</a>

Delhi Chief Fire Officer, GC Mishra has said that all offices of Delhi Fire Service have been asked to carry out inspection/ visit at restaurants in their respective area.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-supreme-court-approves-ban-against-opposition-leader-navalny-28120">Russian supreme court approves ban against opposition leader Navalny</a>

The commission, this week, barred Navalny from taking part in the March 18 vote

Palestine Ambassador to Pakistan Waleed Abu Ali on Friday shared the stage with Jamaat-ud-Dawa terror outfit chief Saeed at a rally

Palestine recalls its Ambassador to Pakistan for sharing stage with Hafiz Saeed "The concerns were conveyed both in New Delhi to the Palestinian Ambassador and in Ramallah to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, State of Palestine," the statement added. From 'Padmavati' to 'Padmavat': Censor Board gives green signal with title change The certificate will be issued once all relevant modifications are made Putin calls for 'pragmatic cooperation' in New Year wishes The Kremlin said Putin told Trump that 'a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world'. Delhi fire services offices told to carry out inspection at restaurants in the Capital Delhi Chief Fire Officer, GC Mishra has said that all offices of Delhi Fire Service have been asked to carry out inspection/ visit at restaurants in their respective area. Russian supreme court approves ban against opposition leader Navalny The commission, this week, barred Navalny from taking part in the March 18 vote

WION Evening News Brief, December 30, 2017

US President Donald Trump has got similar approval ratings in his first year in office as former US president Barack Obama in a recent poll.&nbsp;

The Rasmussen Reports poll Thursday revealed Trump had an approval rating of 46 per cent and a disapproval rating of 53 per cent. This is similar to what Obama scored in his first year of the presidency in 2009.

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5C5B1tIASy0" width="560"></iframe>

Obama had received an approval rating of 46 per cent and a disapproval rating of 54 per cent.&nbsp;

In terms of work done, the poll gave Trump an approval rating of 29 per cent and a disapproval rating of 44 per cent.&nbsp;

That was better than Obama, who got an approval rating of 24 per cent and a disapproval rating of 42 per cent.

On his inauguration day, Obama entered office with a high approval rating of 67 per cent&nbsp;and a disapproval rating of 32 per cent. Trump, on the other hand, received a much higher disapproval rating of almost 80 per cent.&nbsp;

Donald Trump has time and again protested against the unfavourable numbers released by media. The high disapproval and low approval rates for the current president are the outcomes of his controversial policies including ban on citizens from Muslim majority countries, constant jibes at North Korea over their nuclear tests, and recent&nbsp;one being his decision on Jerusalem.&nbsp;

A&nbsp;poll conducted by Politico/Morning Consult reflected a 51 per cent disapproval rating, with 60 per cent of respondents viewing Trump as &#39;reckless and stupid&#39;. At least 54 per cent believe Trump to be a &#39;sexist&#39;.

Rasmussen Reports' poll's number on Thursday revealed Trump getting an approval rating of 46 per cent, while disapproval rating of 53 per cent

US President Donald Trump has got similar approval ratings in his first year in office as former US president Barack Obama in a recent poll. The Rasmussen Reports poll Thursday revealed Trump had an approval rating of 46 per cent and a disapproval rating of 53 per cent. This is similar to what Obama scored in his first year of the presidency in 2009. Obama had received an approval rating of 46 per cent and a disapproval rating of 54 per cent. In terms of work done, the poll gave Trump an approval rating of 29 per cent and a disapproval rating of 44 per cent. That was better than Obama, who got an approval rating of 24 per cent and a disapproval rating of 42 per cent. On his inauguration day, Obama entered office with a high approval rating of 67 per cent and a disapproval rating of 32 per cent. Trump, on the other hand, received a much higher disapproval rating of almost 80 per cent. Donald Trump has time and again protested against the unfavourable numbers released by media. The high disapproval and low approval rates for the current president are the outcomes of his controversial policies including ban on citizens from Muslim majority countries, constant jibes at North Korea over their nuclear tests, and recent one being his decision on Jerusalem. A poll conducted by Politico/Morning Consult reflected a 51 per cent disapproval rating, with 60 per cent of respondents viewing Trump as 'reckless and stupid'. At least 54 per cent believe Trump to be a 'sexist'.

Trump's approval ratings similar to Obama's in first year in office

US President Donald Trump has said he believes the probe into Russian meddling in the US election &quot;makes the country look very bad,&quot; according to The New York Times.

Speaking to the newspaper yesterday, Trump said he believes special counsel Robert Mueller will treat him fairly -- a view in contrast with recent attacks on Mueller&#39;s credibility from Republicans, who have pressed for a new independent prosecutor to investigate anti-Trump bias.

&quot;It makes the country look very bad, and it puts the country in a very bad position,&quot; Trump told the Times. &quot;So the sooner it&#39;s worked out, the better it is for the country.&quot;

The president added that he was not concerned about the ongoing investigation -- which his lawyers insisted would be finished by Thanksgiving -- as &quot;everybody knows&quot; there was no Russian collusion.

&quot;There&#39;s been no collusion. But I think he&#39;s going to be fair,&quot; Trump said of Mueller.

He repeated the allegations were invented by Democrats &quot;as a hoax, as a ruse, as an excuse for losing an election,&quot; the Times reported.

Trump also distanced himself from ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was indicted in October in the first legal action stemming from the investigation.

&quot;He worked for me for -- what was it, three and a half months&quot; he told the Times, mentioning Manafort&#39;s connections to other Republicans including John McCain and Ronald Reagan.

According to the newspaper, Trump added it was &quot;too bad&quot; that Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from overseeing the probe -- pointing out that although he did not want to &quot;get into loyalty,&quot; Barack Obama&#39;s first attorney general, Eric Holder Jr, &quot;totally protected him.&quot;

Meanwhile, questioned on the re-opening of the investigation into Hillary Clinton&#39;s emails, Trump maintained focus on the collusion probe.

He told the Times that &quot;for purposes of hopefully thinking I&#39;m going to be treated fairly, I&#39;ve stayed uninvolved with this particular matter.&quot;&nbsp;

'It makes the country look very bad, and it puts the country in a very bad position,' Trump said

US President Donald Trump has said he believes the probe into Russian meddling in the US election "makes the country look very bad," according to The New York Times. Speaking to the newspaper yesterday, Trump said he believes special counsel Robert Mueller will treat him fairly -- a view in contrast with recent attacks on Mueller's credibility from Republicans, who have pressed for a new independent prosecutor to investigate anti-Trump bias. "It makes the country look very bad, and it puts the country in a very bad position," Trump told the Times. "So the sooner it's worked out, the better it is for the country." The president added that he was not concerned about the ongoing investigation -- which his lawyers insisted would be finished by Thanksgiving -- as "everybody knows" there was no Russian collusion. "There's been no collusion. But I think he's going to be fair," Trump said of Mueller. He repeated the allegations were invented by Democrats "as a hoax, as a ruse, as an excuse for losing an election," the Times reported. Trump also distanced himself from ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was indicted in October in the first legal action stemming from the investigation. "He worked for me for -- what was it, three and a half months" he told the Times, mentioning Manafort's connections to other Republicans including John McCain and Ronald Reagan. According to the newspaper, Trump added it was "too bad" that Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from overseeing the probe -- pointing out that although he did not want to "get into loyalty," Barack Obama's first attorney general, Eric Holder Jr, "totally protected him." Meanwhile, questioned on the re-opening of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, Trump maintained focus on the collusion probe. He told the Times that "for purposes of hopefully thinking I'm going to be treated fairly, I've stayed uninvolved with this particular matter."

Russia probe makes US 'look very bad': Trump

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fire-breaks-out-in-lower-parel-mumbai-15-dead-27994" target="_blank">Video: Massive fire breaks out at Mumbai&#39;s Kamala Mills, 15 dead</a>

A massive fire broke out at the Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel, Mumbai early Friday morning killing 15 people and injuring 12.&nbsp;The fire was reported at 12.30 am Friday.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-approval-rating-same-as-obama-in-first-year-at-office-28002">Trump&#39;s approval rating similar to Obama&#39;s first year at office</a>

Rasmussen Reports&#39; poll&#39;s number on Thursday revealed Trump getting an approval rating of 46 per cent, while disapproval rating of 53 per cent. This is similar to what Obama scored during his first year of presidency in 2009. Obama had received an approval rating of 46 per cent while a disapproval rating of 54 per cent.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-soccer-star-king-george-weah-wins-liberias-presidency-28000">Ex-international footballer George Weah is new Liberia president</a>

Former soccer star&nbsp;George&nbsp;Weah&nbsp;has won Liberia&#39;s presidential run-off election and will succeed incumbent Ellen Johnson Sirleaf next month, the country&#39;s first democratic transition in over 70 years.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/vishwananthan-anand-wins-world-rapid-chess-championship-28003" target="_blank">Vishwananthan</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/vishwananthan-anand-wins-world-rapid-chess-championship-28003" target="_blank">&nbsp;Anand wins World Rapid Chess Championship</a>

India&#39;s Vishwanathan Anand won the World Rapid Chess Championship in Riyadh on Thursday.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/assam-tense-ahead-of-citizens-list-targeting-illegal-bangladeshis-27998" target="_blank">Assam tense ahead of citizens&#39; list identifying &#39;illegal Bangladeshis&#39;</a>

Assam has mobilised around 60,000 police and paramilitary troops ahead of the publication of a list of citizens it says will be used to detect and deport illegal immigrants - mainly Muslims - from neighbouring Bangladesh.

Video: Massive fire breaks out at Mumbai's Kamala Mills, 15 dead A massive fire broke out at the Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel, Mumbai early Friday morning killing 15 people and injuring 12. The fire was reported at 12.30 am Friday. Trump's approval rating similar to Obama's first year at office Rasmussen Reports' poll's number on Thursday revealed Trump getting an approval rating of 46 per cent, while disapproval rating of 53 per cent. This is similar to what Obama scored during his first year of presidency in 2009. Obama had received an approval rating of 46 per cent while a disapproval rating of 54 per cent. Ex-international footballer George Weah is new Liberia president Former soccer star George Weah has won Liberia's presidential run-off election and will succeed incumbent Ellen Johnson Sirleaf next month, the country's first democratic transition in over 70 years. Vishwananthan Anand wins World Rapid Chess Championship India's Vishwanathan Anand won the World Rapid Chess Championship in Riyadh on Thursday. Assam tense ahead of citizens' list identifying 'illegal Bangladeshis' Assam has mobilised around 60,000 police and paramilitary troops ahead of the publication of a list of citizens it says will be used to detect and deport illegal immigrants - mainly Muslims - from neighbouring Bangladesh.

WION Morning News brief, 29 December 2017

The United States&#39; top diplomat defended his country&#39;s foreign policy record on Wednesday, saying progress had been made in the last year to rein in North Korea&#39;s nuclear ambitions and to counter the &quot;immense challenges&quot; posed by Russia, China and Iran.

In an opinion piece in the New York Times, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said some 90 percent of Pyongyang&#39;s export earnings had been cut off by a series of international sanctions after the Trump administration &quot;abandoned the failed policy of strategic patience&quot;.

Tensions have escalated dramatically on the Korean peninsula this year after the isolated but nuclear-armed regime staged a series of atomic and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests -- and as US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un traded personal insults.

Washington wants North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme and has spearheaded three rounds of UN sanctions against the isolated regime, restricting crucial exports of coal, iron, seafood and textiles from the cash-starved state.

Pyongyang has hit out at those sanctions, calling the latest round &quot;an act of war&quot;, and has vowed to never give up its nuclear programme.

In his piece Tillerson said &quot;a door to dialogue remains open&quot; for Pyongyang but warned &quot;until denuclearization occurs, the pressure will continue&quot;.

At the same time he called on China -- Pyongyang&#39;s only major ally -- to &quot;do more&quot; to pressure North Korea.

Trump&#39;s administration has been dogged by allegations his campaign team colluded with Russia to help him win last year&#39;s election.

Addressing relations with Moscow, Tillerson said the Trump administration had &quot;no illusions about the regime we are dealing with&quot; and that they were &quot;on guard against Russian aggression&quot;.&nbsp;

But he added that Washington needed to &quot;recongize the need to work with Russia where mutual interests intersect&quot; citing Syria civil war where the two countries have backed opposing sides but pushed for peace talks.

On Iran he struck a less conciliatory tone.

&quot;The flawed nuclear deal is no longer the focal point of our policy toward Iran,&quot; he warned. &quot;We are now confronting the totality of Iranian threats.&quot;

He also defended his cuts to the State Department and USAID budget, saying they were designed to &quot;address root problems that lead to inefficiencies and frustrations&quot;.

Critics say Tillerson&#39;s first year in office has seen scores of key diplomatic posts go unfilled, embassies hampered by cuts and many veteran staff leave the foreign service altogether.

Tillerson said some 90 percent of Pyongyang's export earnings had been cut off by a series of international sanctions after the Trump administration 'abandoned the failed policy of strategic patience'

The United States' top diplomat defended his country's foreign policy record on Wednesday, saying progress had been made in the last year to rein in North Korea's nuclear ambitions and to counter the "immense challenges" posed by Russia, China and Iran. In an opinion piece in the New York Times, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said some 90 percent of Pyongyang's export earnings had been cut off by a series of international sanctions after the Trump administration "abandoned the failed policy of strategic patience". Tensions have escalated dramatically on the Korean peninsula this year after the isolated but nuclear-armed regime staged a series of atomic and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests -- and as US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un traded personal insults. Washington wants North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme and has spearheaded three rounds of UN sanctions against the isolated regime, restricting crucial exports of coal, iron, seafood and textiles from the cash-starved state. Pyongyang has hit out at those sanctions, calling the latest round "an act of war", and has vowed to never give up its nuclear programme. In his piece Tillerson said "a door to dialogue remains open" for Pyongyang but warned "until denuclearization occurs, the pressure will continue". At the same time he called on China -- Pyongyang's only major ally -- to "do more" to pressure North Korea. Trump's administration has been dogged by allegations his campaign team colluded with Russia to help him win last year's election. Addressing relations with Moscow, Tillerson said the Trump administration had "no illusions about the regime we are dealing with" and that they were "on guard against Russian aggression". But he added that Washington needed to "recongize the need to work with Russia where mutual interests intersect" citing Syria civil war where the two countries have backed opposing sides but pushed for peace talks. On Iran he struck a less conciliatory tone. "The flawed nuclear deal is no longer the focal point of our policy toward Iran," he warned. "We are now confronting the totality of Iranian threats." He also defended his cuts to the State Department and USAID budget, saying they were designed to "address root problems that lead to inefficiencies and frustrations". Critics say Tillerson's first year in office has seen scores of key diplomatic posts go unfilled, embassies hampered by cuts and many veteran staff leave the foreign service altogether.

Tillerson defends foreign policy record at year's end

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was &quot;very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea&quot; and that such moves would prevent &quot;a friendly solution&quot; to the crisis over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear program.

&quot;Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!&quot; Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/946416486054285314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

China earlier on Thursday said there had been no UN&nbsp;sanction-breaking oil sales by Chinese ships to North Korea after a South Korea newspaper said Chinese and North Korean vessels had been illicitly linking up at sea to get oil to North Korea.&nbsp;

China earlier on Thursday said there had been no UN?sanction-breaking oil sales by Chinese ships to North Korea

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was "very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea" and that such moves would prevent "a friendly solution" to the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear program. "Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!" Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2017 × China earlier on Thursday said there had been no UN sanction-breaking oil sales by Chinese ships to North Korea after a South Korea newspaper said Chinese and North Korean vessels had been illicitly linking up at sea to get oil to North Korea.

'Disappointed' on China allowing oil into North Korea, Trump tweets

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Guatemala with a &quot;God bless you&quot;&nbsp;on Monday&nbsp;for deciding to move its embassy to Jerusalem, while the Palestinians said the Central American country was &quot;on the wrong side of history&quot;.

In an official Facebook post&nbsp;on Sunday, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said he had chosen to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv - siding with the United States in a dispute over Jerusalem&#39;s status - after talking to Netanyahu.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Dec. 6, reversing decades of U.S. policy and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies.

On Thursday, 128 countries rebuked Trump by backing a non-binding UN&nbsp;General Assembly resolution calling on the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem.

&quot;God bless you, my friend, President Jimmy Morales, God bless both our countries, Israel and Guatemala,&quot; Netanyahu said, switching to English, in remarks to a weekly meeting of his Likud party faction in parliament.

Guatemala and neighbouring Honduras were two of only a handful of countries to join Israel and the United States, which has pledged to move its embassy to Jerusalem, in voting against the U.N. resolution.

The United States is an important source of assistance to Guatemala and Honduras, and Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that supported the U.N. resolution.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they want to establish in the occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.

The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki as saying that Morales was &quot;dragging his country to the wrong side of history by committing a flagrant violation of international law&quot;.

Prior to 1980, Guatemala - along with Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, The Netherlands, Panama, Venezuela and Uruguay - maintained an embassy in Jerusalem.

Israel&#39;s passage in June 1980 of a law proclaiming Jerusalem its &quot;indivisible and eternal capital&quot; led to a UN&nbsp;Security Council resolution calling upon those countries to move their embassies to Tel Aviv, prompting their transfer.

Israel&#39;s ambassador to Guatemala, Matty Cohen, said on Army Radio that no date had been set for the embassy move, &quot;but it will happen after&quot; the United States relocates its own embassy to Jerusalem. US&nbsp;officials have said that move could take at least two years.

In an official Facebook post on Sunday, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said he had chosen to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv - siding with the United States in a dispute over Jerusalem's status - after talking to Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Guatemala with a "God bless you" on Monday for deciding to move its embassy to Jerusalem, while the Palestinians said the Central American country was "on the wrong side of history". In an official Facebook post on Sunday, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said he had chosen to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv - siding with the United States in a dispute over Jerusalem's status - after talking to Netanyahu. US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Dec. 6, reversing decades of U.S. policy and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies. On Thursday, 128 countries rebuked Trump by backing a non-binding UN General Assembly resolution calling on the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem. "God bless you, my friend, President Jimmy Morales, God bless both our countries, Israel and Guatemala," Netanyahu said, switching to English, in remarks to a weekly meeting of his Likud party faction in parliament. Guatemala and neighbouring Honduras were two of only a handful of countries to join Israel and the United States, which has pledged to move its embassy to Jerusalem, in voting against the U.N. resolution. The United States is an important source of assistance to Guatemala and Honduras, and Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that supported the U.N. resolution. The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they want to establish in the occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki as saying that Morales was "dragging his country to the wrong side of history by committing a flagrant violation of international law". Prior to 1980, Guatemala - along with Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, The Netherlands, Panama, Venezuela and Uruguay - maintained an embassy in Jerusalem. Israel's passage in June 1980 of a law proclaiming Jerusalem its "indivisible and eternal capital" led to a UN Security Council resolution calling upon those countries to move their embassies to Tel Aviv, prompting their transfer. Israel's ambassador to Guatemala, Matty Cohen, said on Army Radio that no date had been set for the embassy move, "but it will happen after" the United States relocates its own embassy to Jerusalem. US officials have said that move could take at least two years.

'God bless you', Netanyahu tells Guatemalan president over Jerusalem embassy move

Israel&#39;s Foreign Ministry is in contact with at least 10 countries around the world who have shown interest in following the US lead and moving their embassies to Jerusalem, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said on Monday.

&quot;We are in contact with at least ten countries, some of them in Europe to discuss the move,&quot; Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told a public radio channel.

Hotovely&#39;s comments followed Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales decision to move his country&#39;s embassy to Jerusalem -- announced on Sunday.&nbsp;

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/palestinians-call-guatemalas-jerusalem-embassy-move-shameful-27694">move was called &quot;shameful&quot;</a> by Palestinian officials.

Hotovely added that US President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem would &quot;trigger a wave&quot; of similar moves.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israel-pm-rejects-jerusalem-vote-at-united-nations-house-of-lies-27381" target="_blank">Israel PM rejects Jerusalem vote at United Nations &#39;house of lies&#39;</a>

The decision was made three weeks after the United States decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, and four days after Guatemala decided to vote against a resolution by the US, which passed 128 to nine, with 35 abstentions.&nbsp;

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Guatemala&rsquo;s decision was &ldquo;only the beginning, and it is important,&rdquo; and that &ldquo;there will be other countries that will recognize Jerusalem and announce the transfer of their embassies to it.&rdquo;

Only three of the eight Central American countries voted against Israel at Thursday&rsquo;s UN vote.&nbsp;

President Reuven Rivlin tweeted on Monday showing Israel&rsquo;s regard &ldquo;Guatemala has shown they know very well that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel,&rdquo; he wrote. &ldquo;I welcome their decision to bring their embassy to Jerusalem and thank them for their deep friendship.&rdquo;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Guatemala have shown they know very well that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel! I welcome their decision to bring their embassy to Jerusalem and thank them for their deep friendship. We look forward to welcoming you to Jerusalem!
&mdash; Reuven Rivlin (@PresidentRuvi) <a href="https://twitter.com/PresidentRuvi/status/945197386632187904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Although Hotovely did not mention the name of the countries, the radio informed that Honduras, the Philippines, Romania and South Sudan are among states considering such a move.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-recognises-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-sparks-firestorm-26072">Trump&#39;s announcement on December 6</a> sparked fury in the Palestinian territories and across the Muslim world.

Since this announcement, senior officials in the Czech Republic, the Philippines and Romania have talked about the likelihood of such a move or of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel&rsquo;s capital. Each of these countries abstained in the UN vote last Thursday.

'We are in contact with at least ten countries, some of them in Europe to discuss the move,' Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told a public radio channel

Israel's Foreign Ministry is in contact with at least 10 countries around the world who have shown interest in following the US lead and moving their embassies to Jerusalem, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said on Monday. "We are in contact with at least ten countries, some of them in Europe to discuss the move," Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told a public radio channel. Hotovely's comments followed Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales decision to move his country's embassy to Jerusalem -- announced on Sunday. The move was called "shameful" by Palestinian officials. Hotovely added that US President Donald Trump's decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem would "trigger a wave" of similar moves. Also read: Israel PM rejects Jerusalem vote at United Nations 'house of lies' The decision was made three weeks after the United States decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and four days after Guatemala decided to vote against a resolution by the US, which passed 128 to nine, with 35 abstentions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Guatemala’s decision was “only the beginning, and it is important,” and that “there will be other countries that will recognize Jerusalem and announce the transfer of their embassies to it.” Only three of the eight Central American countries voted against Israel at Thursday’s UN vote. President Reuven Rivlin tweeted on Monday showing Israel’s regard “Guatemala has shown they know very well that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel,” he wrote. “I welcome their decision to bring their embassy to Jerusalem and thank them for their deep friendship.” Guatemala have shown they know very well that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel! I welcome their decision to bring their embassy to Jerusalem and thank them for their deep friendship. We look forward to welcoming you to Jerusalem! — Reuven Rivlin (@PresidentRuvi) December 25, 2017 × Although Hotovely did not mention the name of the countries, the radio informed that Honduras, the Philippines, Romania and South Sudan are among states considering such a move. Trump's announcement on December 6 sparked fury in the Palestinian territories and across the Muslim world. Since this announcement, senior officials in the Czech Republic, the Philippines and Romania have talked about the likelihood of such a move or of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Each of these countries abstained in the UN vote last Thursday.

Israel in talks with '10 countries' about Jerusalem embassy moves

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-to-inaugurate-metros-magenta-line-today-with-yogi-adityanath-delhi-cm-kejriwal-not-invited-27625" target="_blank">PM&nbsp;Modi to inaugurate Metro&#39;s Magenta Line today with Yogi Adityanath, Delhi CM Kejriwal not invited</a>

The new 12.64-km route -- from Delhi&#39;s Kalkaji Mandir to Noida&#39;s Botanical Garden -- is expected to cut travel time from south Delhi to Noida by as much as 40 minutes.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kulbhushan-jadhav-to-meet-his-wife-mother-later-today-27627">Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet wife, mother today</a>

Jadhav faces alleged charges of espionage, terrorist and sabotage activities.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rk-nagar-win-for-dinakaran-aiadmk-alleges-tacit-understanding-with-dmk-27622">RK Nagar win for Dinakaran: AIADMK alleges &#39;tacit understanding&#39; with DMK</a>

TTV Dhinakaran, the nephew of jailed leader VK Sasikala, trounced his nearest rival E Madhusudhanan of the ruling AIADMK by over 40,000 votes.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-pleads-for-migrants-at-christmas-mass-27619">Pope pleads for migrants &#39;driven from their land&#39; by leaders willing to shed &#39;innocent blood&#39;</a>

Francis was speaking at his Christmas eve mass at Saint Peter&#39;s Basilica in the Vatican.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-morales-decides-to-move-guatemalas-embassy-to-jerusalem-27617">Guatemala to move embassy to Jerusalem</a>

Jimmy Morales, president of Guatemala, has become the first leader to back US President Donald Trump&#39;s change of stance on Jerusalem.

&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Delhi Metro's Magenta Line today

PM Modi to inaugurate Metro's Magenta Line today with Yogi Adityanath, Delhi CM Kejriwal not invited The new 12.64-km route -- from Delhi's Kalkaji Mandir to Noida's Botanical Garden -- is expected to cut travel time from south Delhi to Noida by as much as 40 minutes. Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet wife, mother today Jadhav faces alleged charges of espionage, terrorist and sabotage activities. RK Nagar win for Dinakaran: AIADMK alleges 'tacit understanding' with DMK TTV Dhinakaran, the nephew of jailed leader VK Sasikala, trounced his nearest rival E Madhusudhanan of the ruling AIADMK by over 40,000 votes. Pope pleads for migrants 'driven from their land' by leaders willing to shed 'innocent blood' Francis was speaking at his Christmas eve mass at Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Guatemala to move embassy to Jerusalem Jimmy Morales, president of Guatemala, has become the first leader to back US President Donald Trump's change of stance on Jerusalem.

WION morning news brief, December 25, 2017

According to Nadav Argaman, head of Shin Bet, Israel&#39;s security agency, while the number of anti-Israeli attacks in 2017 (54) fell by nearly 50 per cent -- as compared to the year 2016 (108) -- greater instability and distress now strikes Israel.&nbsp;

Argaman stated that US President&#39;s decision, to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, has provoked instability in the region.

So far, nearly 12 Palestinians have been killed.

Palestinian territories are thwarted by protests and clashes with Israeli forces.&nbsp;

He pointed at Gaza and West Bank, areas that witnessed &quot;greater instability&quot; after Trump&#39;s declaration.

Islamist movement Hamas, which rules Gaza, &quot;is trying with all its might to organise attacks in the West Bank to destabilise the Palestinian Authority,&quot; Argaman noted.

The security official also expressed his concern over the imminent Palestinian &quot;protests and demonstrations&quot; against the US declaration.

The Shin Bet chief said 400 bomb attacks were foiled in 2017, including 13 suicide bombings and nine kidnapping attempts, while 148 Hamas cells were dismantled in the West Bank.

(With inputs from AFP)

So far, nearly 12 Palestinians have been killed. Palestinian territories are thwarted by protests and clashes with Israeli forces

According to Nadav Argaman, head of Shin Bet, Israel's security agency, while the number of anti-Israeli attacks in 2017 (54) fell by nearly 50 per cent -- as compared to the year 2016 (108) -- greater instability and distress now strikes Israel. Argaman stated that US President's decision, to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, has provoked instability in the region. So far, nearly 12 Palestinians have been killed. Palestinian territories are thwarted by protests and clashes with Israeli forces. He pointed at Gaza and West Bank, areas that witnessed "greater instability" after Trump's declaration. Islamist movement Hamas, which rules Gaza, "is trying with all its might to organise attacks in the West Bank to destabilise the Palestinian Authority," Argaman noted. The security official also expressed his concern over the imminent Palestinian "protests and demonstrations" against the US declaration. The Shin Bet chief said 400 bomb attacks were foiled in 2017, including 13 suicide bombings and nine kidnapping attempts, while 148 Hamas cells were dismantled in the West Bank. (With inputs from AFP)

Fewer attacks but 'greater instability' post Trump's Jerusalem move, says Israel security chief?

US President Donald Trump on Friday signed into law a sweeping overhaul of the US tax code, two days after the Republican plan was adopted by Congress in a major political victory.

Trump signed the bill shortly before departing for a year-end break at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, pulling forward a formal signing initially planned for January.

&quot;I watched the news this morning and they were all saying, will he keep his promise, will he sign it by Christmas?&quot; Trump told reporters gathered in the Oval Office.

&quot;And I called downstairs and said &#39;Get it ready, we have to sign it now.&#39;&quot;

Trump this week celebrated his first major legislative victory since taking office a year ago as the US Congress passed a massive Republican tax cut plan.

The $1.5 trillion overhaul will impact every corner of the US economy through dramatic tax cuts for corporations and temporary reductions for individuals.

&quot;As you know, $3.2 trillion in tax cuts for American families,&quot; Trump said. &quot;And they&#39;re going to start to see that because we&#39;re signing today.&quot;

&quot;We&#39;re going to bring back probably $4 trillion from overseas,&quot; he said. &quot;Corporations are literally going wild over this.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;This is something that Republicans wanted for years and Democrats wanted for years and yet it never got done. Now it&#39;s being done.&quot;

Trump departed the White House right after the signing ceremony for what he told reporters would be a working holiday.

&quot;We&#39;ll be working in Florida, I&#39;ll be working very hard during that Christmas because we have many things we&#39;re talking about, including North Korea, including a lot of things happening in the Middle East as you know.&quot;

The US leader also signed into law a short-term funding bill that will keep the federal government running until January 19, averting a looming shutdown.

The temporary funding extension gives more time to lawmakers from both parties to reach an agreement on funding for the remainder of the 2018 fiscal year, which ends September 30.&nbsp;

The bill adopted by Congress on Thursday also unlocks four billion dollars to build a new missile base in Alaska, and to repair US Navy ships damaged in recent accidents.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Trump signed the bill shortly before departing for a year-end break at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, pulling forward a formal signing initially planned for January

US President Donald Trump on Friday signed into law a sweeping overhaul of the US tax code, two days after the Republican plan was adopted by Congress in a major political victory. Trump signed the bill shortly before departing for a year-end break at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, pulling forward a formal signing initially planned for January. "I watched the news this morning and they were all saying, will he keep his promise, will he sign it by Christmas?" Trump told reporters gathered in the Oval Office. "And I called downstairs and said 'Get it ready, we have to sign it now.'" Trump this week celebrated his first major legislative victory since taking office a year ago as the US Congress passed a massive Republican tax cut plan. The $1.5 trillion overhaul will impact every corner of the US economy through dramatic tax cuts for corporations and temporary reductions for individuals. "As you know, $3.2 trillion in tax cuts for American families," Trump said. "And they're going to start to see that because we're signing today." "We're going to bring back probably $4 trillion from overseas," he said. "Corporations are literally going wild over this." "This is something that Republicans wanted for years and Democrats wanted for years and yet it never got done. Now it's being done." Trump departed the White House right after the signing ceremony for what he told reporters would be a working holiday. "We'll be working in Florida, I'll be working very hard during that Christmas because we have many things we're talking about, including North Korea, including a lot of things happening in the Middle East as you know." The US leader also signed into law a short-term funding bill that will keep the federal government running until January 19, averting a looming shutdown. The temporary funding extension gives more time to lawmakers from both parties to reach an agreement on funding for the remainder of the 2018 fiscal year, which ends September 30. The bill adopted by Congress on Thursday also unlocks four billion dollars to build a new missile base in Alaska, and to repair US Navy ships damaged in recent accidents.

Trump signs sweeping tax overhaul, sealing major victory

Hollywood actor Tom Hanks known for giving remarkable performances in his movies has now said that he would refuse any invitation from The White House to screen his recently released movie &quot;The Post&quot;.&nbsp;

Tom Hanks along with Meryl Streep starred in &quot;The Post&quot; directed by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg that tells the true story of how top secret Pentagon Papers were released.&nbsp;

In an interview, Tom Hanks talking about his film said, &ldquo;I don&#39;t think I would. Because I think that at some point &mdash; look, I didn&#39;t think things were going to be this way last November. I would not have been able to imagine that we would be living in a country where neo-Nazis are doing torchlight parades in Charlottesville [Va.] and jokes about Pocahontas are being made in front of the Navajo code talkers. And individually we have to decide when we take to the ramparts.&rdquo;

He continued:&nbsp;&ldquo;You don&#39;t take to the ramparts necessarily right away, but you do have to start weighing things. You may think: &lsquo;You know what? I think now is the time.&rsquo; This is the moment where, in some ways, our personal choices are going to have to reflect our opinions. We have to start voting, actually, before the election. So, I would probably vote not to go.&rdquo;

&quot;The Post&quot; depicts the story of the Washington Post&rsquo;s decision in the 1970s to publish the top secret Pentagon Papers, which held details about the United State&rsquo;s involvement in the Vietnam War. The paper ultimately decided to publish the documents despite pressure from then-president Richard Nixon not to.

Hanks plays the paper&rsquo;s editor, Ben Bradlee.

&nbsp;

The films is about the true story of how The Washington Post and The New York Times worked together to publish the Pentagon Papers, which exposed actions the US government had taken during the Vietnam that was kept a secret

Hollywood actor Tom Hanks known for giving remarkable performances in his movies has now said that he would refuse any invitation from The White House to screen his recently released movie "The Post". Tom Hanks along with Meryl Streep starred in "The Post" directed by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg that tells the true story of how top secret Pentagon Papers were released. In an interview, Tom Hanks talking about his film said, “I don't think I would. Because I think that at some point — look, I didn't think things were going to be this way last November. I would not have been able to imagine that we would be living in a country where neo-Nazis are doing torchlight parades in Charlottesville [Va.] and jokes about Pocahontas are being made in front of the Navajo code talkers. And individually we have to decide when we take to the ramparts.” He continued: “You don't take to the ramparts necessarily right away, but you do have to start weighing things. You may think: ‘You know what? I think now is the time.’ This is the moment where, in some ways, our personal choices are going to have to reflect our opinions. We have to start voting, actually, before the election. So, I would probably vote not to go.” "The Post" depicts the story of the Washington Post’s decision in the 1970s to publish the top secret Pentagon Papers, which held details about the United State’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The paper ultimately decided to publish the documents despite pressure from then-president Richard Nixon not to. Hanks plays the paper’s editor, Ben Bradlee.

Tom Hanks says he wouldn't screen 'The Post' for President Trump at the White House

UN member-states were poised Thursday to vote on a motion rejecting US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, after President Donald Trump threatened to cut funding to countries that back the measure.&nbsp;

Gathered in an emergency session, the General Assembly is to decide on a draft resolution reaffirming that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations, and that any decision reached outside of that framework has no legal effect and must be rescinded.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki, addressing the assembly as the session got underway, appealed for support and referenced America&#39;s warning that it was &quot;taking names&quot; among countries that oppose it at the UN.

&quot;This organization is now undergoing an unprecedented test,&quot; al-Malki said.

&quot;History records names, it remembers names -- the names of those who stand by what is right and the names of those who speak falsehood. Today we are seekers of rights and peace.&quot;

Trump&#39;s decision on December 6 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital broke with international consensus and unleashed protests across the Muslim world, prompting a flurry of appeals to the United Nations.&nbsp;

The status of the Holy City is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming it as their capital.

A draft resolution rejecting the US move was sent to the General Assembly after it was vetoed by the United States at the Security Council on Monday, although all other 14 council members voted in favor.

Trump warned that Washington would closely watch how nations voted on Thursday, suggesting there could be financial reprisals for countries that back the motion put forward by Yemen and Turkey on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries.

&quot;They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us,&quot; Trump said at the White House.

&quot;Well, we&#39;re watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We&#39;ll save a lot. We don&#39;t care.&quot;

&#39;House of lies&#39; 
The draft resolution mirrors the text that was vetoed on Monday, and although it does not mention Trump&#39;s decision, it expresses &quot;deep regret at recent decisions&quot; concerning the city&#39;s status.&nbsp;

Ahead of the vote, Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the UN as a &quot;house of lies,&quot; saying Israel &quot;rejects outright this vote, even before it passes.&quot;

&quot;The attitude to Israel of many nations in the world, in all the continents, is changing outside of the UN walls, and will eventually filter into the UN as well -- the house of lies,&quot; he said.

Diplomats expect strong support for the resolution, which is non-binding, despite the US pressure to either abstain, vote against it or simply not turn up for the vote.&nbsp;

America&#39;s neighbors Canada and Mexico were both expected to abstain, according to diplomats.

On Tuesday, US Ambassador Nikki Haley sent an email to fellow UN envoys to put them on notice that &quot;the president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those countries who voted against us.&quot;

&quot;We will take note of each and every vote on this issue,&quot; she wrote in the message seen by AFP.

And on Twitter she said &quot;the US will be taking names&quot; when ambassadors of the 193-nation assembly cast their votes.&nbsp;

&quot;Nikki, that was the right message,&quot; Trump said.

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said UN member states should not be swayed by Trump&#39;s threat.

&quot;I am calling on the whole world: never sell your democratic will in return for petty dollars,&quot; he said in a televised speech in Ankara, predicting that &quot;the world will teach a very good lesson to America today.&quot;

Voting with their conscience 
No country has veto powers in the General Assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council where the United States, along with Britain, China, France and Russia, can block any resolution.

Among the 14 countries voting in favor on Monday were Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Ukraine who were expected to do the same at the assembly.

While resolutions by the General Assembly are non-binding, a strong vote in support of the resolution would carry political weight.

Israel seized the largely-Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its &quot;eternal and undivided capital.&quot;

But the Palestinians want the eastern sector as capital of their future state and fiercely oppose any Israeli attempt to extend sovereignty there.

Several UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory seized in 1967 and the draft resolution contains the same language as past motions adopted by the assembly.

UN member states will vote to reject the US's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital

UN member-states were poised Thursday to vote on a motion rejecting US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, after President Donald Trump threatened to cut funding to countries that back the measure. Gathered in an emergency session, the General Assembly is to decide on a draft resolution reaffirming that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations, and that any decision reached outside of that framework has no legal effect and must be rescinded. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki, addressing the assembly as the session got underway, appealed for support and referenced America's warning that it was "taking names" among countries that oppose it at the UN. "This organization is now undergoing an unprecedented test," al-Malki said. "History records names, it remembers names -- the names of those who stand by what is right and the names of those who speak falsehood. Today we are seekers of rights and peace." Trump's decision on December 6 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital broke with international consensus and unleashed protests across the Muslim world, prompting a flurry of appeals to the United Nations. The status of the Holy City is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming it as their capital. A draft resolution rejecting the US move was sent to the General Assembly after it was vetoed by the United States at the Security Council on Monday, although all other 14 council members voted in favor. Trump warned that Washington would closely watch how nations voted on Thursday, suggesting there could be financial reprisals for countries that back the motion put forward by Yemen and Turkey on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries. "They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us," Trump said at the White House. "Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care." 'House of lies' The draft resolution mirrors the text that was vetoed on Monday, and although it does not mention Trump's decision, it expresses "deep regret at recent decisions" concerning the city's status. Ahead of the vote, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the UN as a "house of lies," saying Israel "rejects outright this vote, even before it passes." "The attitude to Israel of many nations in the world, in all the continents, is changing outside of the UN walls, and will eventually filter into the UN as well -- the house of lies," he said. Diplomats expect strong support for the resolution, which is non-binding, despite the US pressure to either abstain, vote against it or simply not turn up for the vote. America's neighbors Canada and Mexico were both expected to abstain, according to diplomats. On Tuesday, US Ambassador Nikki Haley sent an email to fellow UN envoys to put them on notice that "the president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those countries who voted against us." "We will take note of each and every vote on this issue," she wrote in the message seen by AFP. And on Twitter she said "the US will be taking names" when ambassadors of the 193-nation assembly cast their votes. "Nikki, that was the right message," Trump said. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said UN member states should not be swayed by Trump's threat. "I am calling on the whole world: never sell your democratic will in return for petty dollars," he said in a televised speech in Ankara, predicting that "the world will teach a very good lesson to America today." Voting with their conscience No country has veto powers in the General Assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council where the United States, along with Britain, China, France and Russia, can block any resolution. Among the 14 countries voting in favor on Monday were Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Ukraine who were expected to do the same at the assembly. While resolutions by the General Assembly are non-binding, a strong vote in support of the resolution would carry political weight. Israel seized the largely-Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its "eternal and undivided capital." But the Palestinians want the eastern sector as capital of their future state and fiercely oppose any Israeli attempt to extend sovereignty there. Several UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory seized in 1967 and the draft resolution contains the same language as past motions adopted by the assembly.

UN votes on Jerusalem after Trump warns 'we're watching'

The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval on Wednesday to the biggest overhaul of the U.S. tax code in 30 years, sending a sweeping $1.5 trillion bill to President Donald Trump for his signature.

In sealing Trump&#39;s first major legislative victory, Republicans steamrolled opposition from Democrats to pass a bill that slashes taxes for corporations and the wealthy while giving mixed, temporary tax relief to middle-class Americans.

The House approved the measure, 224-201, passing it for the second time in two days after a procedural foul-up forced another vote on Wednesday. The Senate had passed it 51-48 in the early hours of Wednesday.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>By cutting taxes and reforming the broken system, we are now pouring rocket fuel into the engine of our economy,&#39; Trump said in a statement after the vote</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=By cutting taxes and reforming the broken system, we are now pouring rocket fuel into the engine of our economy,' Trump said in a statement after the vote" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&quot;By cutting taxes and reforming the broken system, we are now pouring rocket fuel into the engine of our economy,&quot; Trump said in a statement after the vote.

Trump, who had emphasized a tax cut for middle-class Americans during his 2016 campaign, said at the start of a Cabinet meeting before the vote that lowering the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent was &quot;probably the biggest factor in this plan.&quot;

Trump planned a tax-related celebration with U.S. lawmakers at the White House in the afternoon but will not sign the legislation immediately. The timing of the signing was still up in the air.

After Trump repeatedly urged Republicans to get it to him to sign before the end of the year, White House economic adviser Gary Cohn said the timing of signing the bill depends on whether automatic spending cuts triggered by the legislation could be waived. If so, the president will sign it before the end of the year, he said.

Business-friendly

In addition to cutting the U.S. corporate income tax rate to 21 percent, the debt-financed legislation gives other business owners a new 20 percent deduction on business income and reshapes how the government taxes multinational corporations along the lines the country&#39;s largest businesses have recommended for years.

Millions of Americans would stop itemizing deductions under the bill, putting tax breaks that incentivise home ownership and charitable donations out of their reach, but also making tax returns somewhat simpler and shorter.

The bill keeps the present number of tax brackets but adjusts many of the rates and income levels for each one. The top tax rate for high earners is reduced. The estate tax on inheritances is changed so far fewer people will pay.

Once signed, taxpayers likely would see the first changes to their paycheck tax withholdings in February. Most households will not see the full effect of the tax plan on their income until they file their 2018 taxes in early 2019.

In two provisions added to secure needed Republican votes, the legislation also allows oil drilling in Alaska&#39;s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and removes a tax penalty under the Obamacare health law for Americans who do not obtain health insurance

&quot;We have essentially repealed Obamacare and we&#39;ll come up with something that will be much better,&quot; Trump said on Wednesday.

Democrats were united in opposition to the tax legislation, calling it a giveaway to the wealthy that will widen the income gap between rich and poor, while adding $1.5 trillion over the next decade to the $20 trillion national debt, which Trump promised in 2016 he would eliminate as president.

&#39;Pillaging&#39;

&quot;Today the Republicans take their victory lap for successfully pillaging the American middle class to benefit the powerful and the privileged,&quot; House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said.

A few Republicans, a party once defined by fiscal hawkishness, have protested the deficit-spending encompassed in the bill. But most voted for it anyway, saying it would help businesses and individuals while boosting an already expanding economy they see as not growing fast enough.

In the House, 12 Republicans voted against the tax bill. All but one, Walter Jones of North Carolina, were from the high-tax states of New York, New Jersey and California, which will be hit by the bill&#39;s cap on deductions for state and local taxes.

Despite Trump administration promises that the tax overhaul would focus on the middle class and not cut taxes for the rich, the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, a think tank in Washington, estimated middle-income households would see an average tax cut of $900 next year under the bill, while the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans would see an average cut of $51,000.

The House was forced to vote again after the Senate parliamentarian ruled three minor provisions violated arcane Senate rules. To proceed, the Senate deleted the three provisions and then approved the bill.

Because the House and Senate must approve the same legislation before Trump can sign it into law, the Senate&#39;s late Tuesday vote sent the bill back to the House.

Democrats complained the bill was a product of a hurried, often secretive process that ignored them and much of the Republican rank-and-file. No public hearings were held and numerous narrow amendments favoured by lobbyists were added late in the process, tilting the package more toward businesses and the wealthy.

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan defended the bill in television interviews on Wednesday morning, saying support would grow for after it passes and Americans felt relief.

&quot;I think minds are going to change,&quot; Ryan said on ABC&#39;s &quot;Good Morning America&quot; program.

The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives gave final approval on Wednesday to the biggest overhaul of the US tax code in 30 years

The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval on Wednesday to the biggest overhaul of the U.S. tax code in 30 years, sending a sweeping $1.5 trillion bill to President Donald Trump for his signature. In sealing Trump's first major legislative victory, Republicans steamrolled opposition from Democrats to pass a bill that slashes taxes for corporations and the wealthy while giving mixed, temporary tax relief to middle-class Americans. The House approved the measure, 224-201, passing it for the second time in two days after a procedural foul-up forced another vote on Wednesday. The Senate had passed it 51-48 in the early hours of Wednesday. By cutting taxes and reforming the broken system, we are now pouring rocket fuel into the engine of our economy,' Trump said in a statement after the vote × "By cutting taxes and reforming the broken system, we are now pouring rocket fuel into the engine of our economy," Trump said in a statement after the vote. Trump, who had emphasized a tax cut for middle-class Americans during his 2016 campaign, said at the start of a Cabinet meeting before the vote that lowering the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent was "probably the biggest factor in this plan." Trump planned a tax-related celebration with U.S. lawmakers at the White House in the afternoon but will not sign the legislation immediately. The timing of the signing was still up in the air. After Trump repeatedly urged Republicans to get it to him to sign before the end of the year, White House economic adviser Gary Cohn said the timing of signing the bill depends on whether automatic spending cuts triggered by the legislation could be waived. If so, the president will sign it before the end of the year, he said. Business-friendly In addition to cutting the U.S. corporate income tax rate to 21 percent, the debt-financed legislation gives other business owners a new 20 percent deduction on business income and reshapes how the government taxes multinational corporations along the lines the country's largest businesses have recommended for years. Millions of Americans would stop itemizing deductions under the bill, putting tax breaks that incentivise home ownership and charitable donations out of their reach, but also making tax returns somewhat simpler and shorter. The bill keeps the present number of tax brackets but adjusts many of the rates and income levels for each one. The top tax rate for high earners is reduced. The estate tax on inheritances is changed so far fewer people will pay. Once signed, taxpayers likely would see the first changes to their paycheck tax withholdings in February. Most households will not see the full effect of the tax plan on their income until they file their 2018 taxes in early 2019. In two provisions added to secure needed Republican votes, the legislation also allows oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and removes a tax penalty under the Obamacare health law for Americans who do not obtain health insurance "We have essentially repealed Obamacare and we'll come up with something that will be much better," Trump said on Wednesday. Democrats were united in opposition to the tax legislation, calling it a giveaway to the wealthy that will widen the income gap between rich and poor, while adding $1.5 trillion over the next decade to the $20 trillion national debt, which Trump promised in 2016 he would eliminate as president. 'Pillaging' "Today the Republicans take their victory lap for successfully pillaging the American middle class to benefit the powerful and the privileged," House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said. A few Republicans, a party once defined by fiscal hawkishness, have protested the deficit-spending encompassed in the bill. But most voted for it anyway, saying it would help businesses and individuals while boosting an already expanding economy they see as not growing fast enough. In the House, 12 Republicans voted against the tax bill. All but one, Walter Jones of North Carolina, were from the high-tax states of New York, New Jersey and California, which will be hit by the bill's cap on deductions for state and local taxes. Despite Trump administration promises that the tax overhaul would focus on the middle class and not cut taxes for the rich, the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, a think tank in Washington, estimated middle-income households would see an average tax cut of $900 next year under the bill, while the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans would see an average cut of $51,000. The House was forced to vote again after the Senate parliamentarian ruled three minor provisions violated arcane Senate rules. To proceed, the Senate deleted the three provisions and then approved the bill. Because the House and Senate must approve the same legislation before Trump can sign it into law, the Senate's late Tuesday vote sent the bill back to the House. Democrats complained the bill was a product of a hurried, often secretive process that ignored them and much of the Republican rank-and-file. No public hearings were held and numerous narrow amendments favoured by lobbyists were added late in the process, tilting the package more toward businesses and the wealthy. U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan defended the bill in television interviews on Wednesday morning, saying support would grow for after it passes and Americans felt relief. "I think minds are going to change," Ryan said on ABC's "Good Morning America" program.

US House approves sweeping tax bill in a win for Trump

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/we-make-massive-payments-to-pakistan-they-have-to-help-fight-terror-groups-trump-27234">We make massive payments to Pakistan, they have to help fight terror groups: Trump</a>

US President Donald Trump slammed Pakistan while unveiling his national security strategy, even as the administration officials expressed concern over JuD chief Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan next year.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Saeed was the &quot;mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attacks&quot; and leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), adding, &quot;it is a group the US government considers to be a terror organisation.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-repatriation-to-myanmar-should-be-voluntary-and-dignified-us-27223">Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar should be voluntary and dignified: US</a>

The United States said it would like to see &quot;safe&quot; and &quot;dignified&quot; return of Rohingyas back to Myanmar, insisting &quot;Rohingyas need to be treated well as they decide to return home&quot;.

However, even after nearly four months, Rohingyas continue to flee Myanmar in huge numbers. The UN has estimated over 6,20,000 Rohingyas have already crossed over to Bangladesh with thousands more expected to reach trekking over mountains and through forests and rice fields inundated by monsoon rain.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-akshay-kumars-toilet-ek-prem-katha-gets-a-thumbs-up-from-bill-gates-for-being-inspirational-27225">Akshay Kumar&#39;s &#39;Toilet Ek Prem Katha&#39;&nbsp;gets a thumbs up from Bill Gates for being inspirational</a>

Known for his philanthropic work, American business magnate Bill Gates on Tuesday listed out stories of &#39;hope and progress&#39; in 2017 on his Twitter page.&nbsp;

Among inspirational stories from across the world, Gates also mentioned Akshay Kumar&#39;s film Toilet Ek Prem Katha as a film that brought in awareness around sanitation in Indian rural households.&nbsp;

&quot;&quot;Toilet: A Love Story,&rdquo; a Bollywood romance about a newlywed couple, educated audiences about India&rsquo;s sanitation challenge.(sic)&quot; said Gates in his tweet.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-fog-20-trains-delayed-15-cancelled-27228">Delhi fog: 20 trains delayed, 15 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-fog-20-trains-delayed-15-cancelled-27228">cancelled</a>

Due to decreased visibility or operational reasons, 20 trains in Delhi will arrive late, 15 have been cancelled and two have been rescheduled.

There is no information about any delays or cancellations of flights so far.

The national capital has been experiencing bitter cold since the last few days, leading to cancellation and rescheduling of trains.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bitcoin-crashes-over-10-per-cent-on-bitstamp-27226">Bitcoin crashes over 10 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bitcoin-crashes-over-10-per-cent-on-bitstamp-27226">per cent</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bitcoin-crashes-over-10-per-cent-on-bitstamp-27226"> on Bitstamp</a>

Bitcoin value crashed by over 10% on Wednesday to touch $15,800 at a cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp.

&quot;It has since pared some of the losses and is down about 7 per cent in early trade,&quot; noted a Reuters report.

The recent Bitcoin surge overwhelmed investors and financial experts all across the world as the digital currency touched an all-time high soaring at about $19,666 on Sunday, its value has been sliding ever since.&nbsp;

We make massive payments to Pakistan, they have to help fight terror groups: Trump US President Donald Trump slammed Pakistan while unveiling his national security strategy, even as the administration officials expressed concern over JuD chief Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan next year. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Saeed was the "mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attacks" and leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), adding, "it is a group the US government considers to be a terror organisation." Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar should be voluntary and dignified: US The United States said it would like to see "safe" and "dignified" return of Rohingyas back to Myanmar, insisting "Rohingyas need to be treated well as they decide to return home". However, even after nearly four months, Rohingyas continue to flee Myanmar in huge numbers. The UN has estimated over 6,20,000 Rohingyas have already crossed over to Bangladesh with thousands more expected to reach trekking over mountains and through forests and rice fields inundated by monsoon rain. Akshay Kumar's 'Toilet Ek Prem Katha' gets a thumbs up from Bill Gates for being inspirational Known for his philanthropic work, American business magnate Bill Gates on Tuesday listed out stories of 'hope and progress' in 2017 on his Twitter page. Among inspirational stories from across the world, Gates also mentioned Akshay Kumar's film Toilet Ek Prem Katha as a film that brought in awareness around sanitation in Indian rural households. ""Toilet: A Love Story,” a Bollywood romance about a newlywed couple, educated audiences about India’s sanitation challenge.(sic)" said Gates in his tweet. Delhi fog: 20 trains delayed, 15 cancelled Due to decreased visibility or operational reasons, 20 trains in Delhi will arrive late, 15 have been cancelled and two have been rescheduled. There is no information about any delays or cancellations of flights so far. The national capital has been experiencing bitter cold since the last few days, leading to cancellation and rescheduling of trains. Bitcoin crashes over 10 per cent on Bitstamp Bitcoin value crashed by over 10% on Wednesday to touch $15,800 at a cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp. "It has since pared some of the losses and is down about 7 per cent in early trade," noted a Reuters report. The recent Bitcoin surge overwhelmed investors and financial experts all across the world as the digital currency touched an all-time high soaring at about $19,666 on Sunday, its value has been sliding ever since.

WION morning news brief, December 20, 2017

Iran said on Tuesday US&nbsp;President Donald Trump cannot cause its nuclear deal with six major powers to collapse.

&quot;The nuclear deal will not collapse... Those who hope that Trump will cause its collapse, are wrong,&quot; Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on State TV.

In October, Trump declined to certify that Iran was complying with the nuclear agreement reached among Tehran, the United States and other powers in 2015. His decision triggered a 60-day window for Congress to decide whether to bring back sanctions on Iran.

Congress passed the ball back to Trump by letting the deadline on reimposing sanctions on Iran pass last week. Trump must decide in mid-January if he wants to continue to waive energy sanctions on Iran.

Under the deal, nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran were lifted last year, in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear programme.

Iran has said it will stick to the accord as long as the other signatories respect it, but will &ldquo;shred&rdquo; the deal if Washington pulls out.

Under the deal, nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran were lifted last year, in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear programme

Iran said on Tuesday US President Donald Trump cannot cause its nuclear deal with six major powers to collapse. "The nuclear deal will not collapse... Those who hope that Trump will cause its collapse, are wrong," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on State TV. In October, Trump declined to certify that Iran was complying with the nuclear agreement reached among Tehran, the United States and other powers in 2015. His decision triggered a 60-day window for Congress to decide whether to bring back sanctions on Iran. Congress passed the ball back to Trump by letting the deadline on reimposing sanctions on Iran pass last week. Trump must decide in mid-January if he wants to continue to waive energy sanctions on Iran. Under the deal, nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran were lifted last year, in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear programme. Iran has said it will stick to the accord as long as the other signatories respect it, but will “shred” the deal if Washington pulls out.

Iran says Trump cannot cause collapse of nuclear deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked his US counterpart Donald Trump for the CIA&#39;s help in foiling a plot to attack the city of Saint Petersburg, the Kremlin said Sunday.

Putin spoke by phone with Trump to thank him for intelligence supplied by the CIA which allowed Russia&#39;s FSB security service to break up an Islamic State group cell that was planning a suicide attack on December 16, it said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.

The FSB announced on Friday it had arrested seven members of a cell that had been planning a suicide attack and &quot;the killing of citizens&quot; in crowded areas of Russia&#39;s second city.

Police confiscated a &quot;large number of explosives used to make homemade bombs, automatic rifles, munitions and extremist literature,&quot; it said in a statement.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov said Russia was on alert for the possible return of jihadists from Syria ahead of the World Cup and the presidential election in 2018.

Russia has suffered several assaults in recent years, including an attack in Saint Petersburg that left 14 people dead in April.

The Russian President thanked his US counterpart for the CIA's help in foiling a plot to attack the city of Saint Petersburg, the Kremlin said

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked his US counterpart Donald Trump for the CIA's help in foiling a plot to attack the city of Saint Petersburg, the Kremlin said Sunday. Putin spoke by phone with Trump to thank him for intelligence supplied by the CIA which allowed Russia's FSB security service to break up an Islamic State group cell that was planning a suicide attack on December 16, it said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies. The FSB announced on Friday it had arrested seven members of a cell that had been planning a suicide attack and "the killing of citizens" in crowded areas of Russia's second city. Police confiscated a "large number of explosives used to make homemade bombs, automatic rifles, munitions and extremist literature," it said in a statement. On Tuesday, FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov said Russia was on alert for the possible return of jihadists from Syria ahead of the World Cup and the presidential election in 2018. Russia has suffered several assaults in recent years, including an attack in Saint Petersburg that left 14 people dead in April.

Putin thanks Trump for CIA's help in foiling IS attack plot

The special counsel probing whether US President Donald Trump&#39;s campaign colluded with Russia has unlawfully received tens of thousands of emails, a lawyer for Trump&#39;s transition alleges, according to US media.

In a letter to congressional committees, Kory Langhofer says the General Services Administration (GSA) &quot;unlawfully produced&quot; the private materials, including privileged communications which special counsel Robert Mueller then used as part of his Russia probe, Axios news site reported on Saturday.

GSA is the government agency which supports presidential transitions.

The accusations by Langhofer, representing Trump&#39;s transition team, are the latest move by Republicans seeking to raise doubts about the credibility of Mueller&#39;s investigation, which has already led to charges against Trump&#39;s former national security advisor and three other people linked to the presidential campaign.

Langhofer wrote that Mueller&#39;s office &quot;received from the GSA tens of thousands of emails, including a very significant volume of privileged material,&quot; according to a copy of the letter published by Politico.

The letter suggests that a warrant should have been obtained for such materials, and says that the incident undermines the Presidential Transition Act.

A spokesman for Mueller, Peter Carr, responded on Sunday to the accusations, according to CNN.

&quot;When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owner&#39;s consent or appropriate criminal process,&quot; CNN quoted him as saying.

Reaction also came from California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell.

&quot;This is another attempt to discredit Mueller as his #TrumpRussia probe tightens,&quot; he said on Twitter, in response to the Langhofer accusations.

Some members of Trump&#39;s Republican party have already urged that a second special counsel be named to investigate Mueller&#39;s operation.

The special counsel&#39;s critics have seized upon the case of Peter Strzok, a senior FBI agent whom Mueller removed from his team for sending text messages critical of Trump.

In addition to whether Trump&#39;s campaign team colluded with Russia to help him win last year&#39;s election, the special counsel is also looking at possible obstruction of justice, after Trump fired FBI director James Comey.

Trump has repeatedly denied that there was any collusion. 
&nbsp;

In a letter to congressional committees, Kory Langhofer says the General Services Administration (GSA) 'unlawfully produced' the private materials, including privileged communications which special counsel Robert Mueller then used as part of his Russia probe

The special counsel probing whether US President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia has unlawfully received tens of thousands of emails, a lawyer for Trump's transition alleges, according to US media. In a letter to congressional committees, Kory Langhofer says the General Services Administration (GSA) "unlawfully produced" the private materials, including privileged communications which special counsel Robert Mueller then used as part of his Russia probe, Axios news site reported on Saturday. GSA is the government agency which supports presidential transitions. The accusations by Langhofer, representing Trump's transition team, are the latest move by Republicans seeking to raise doubts about the credibility of Mueller's investigation, which has already led to charges against Trump's former national security advisor and three other people linked to the presidential campaign. Langhofer wrote that Mueller's office "received from the GSA tens of thousands of emails, including a very significant volume of privileged material," according to a copy of the letter published by Politico. The letter suggests that a warrant should have been obtained for such materials, and says that the incident undermines the Presidential Transition Act. A spokesman for Mueller, Peter Carr, responded on Sunday to the accusations, according to CNN. "When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owner's consent or appropriate criminal process," CNN quoted him as saying. Reaction also came from California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell. "This is another attempt to discredit Mueller as his #TrumpRussia probe tightens," he said on Twitter, in response to the Langhofer accusations. Some members of Trump's Republican party have already urged that a second special counsel be named to investigate Mueller's operation. The special counsel's critics have seized upon the case of Peter Strzok, a senior FBI agent whom Mueller removed from his team for sending text messages critical of Trump. In addition to whether Trump's campaign team colluded with Russia to help him win last year's election, the special counsel is also looking at possible obstruction of justice, after Trump fired FBI director James Comey. Trump has repeatedly denied that there was any collusion.

Trump team claims investigator 'unlawfully' got emails

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

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

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

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

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-much-touted-tax-cut-on-track-for-passage-in-us-congress-26872" target="_blank">Trump&#39;s much-touted tax cut on track for passage in US Congress</a>

A major tax cut promised by US President Donald Trump was on track for final passage next week, after two previous holdouts in his Republican party said Friday they would vote yes on the legislation.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-headquarters-celebrates-ahead-of-rahul-gandhis-swearing-in-ceremony-26884">Celebrations at Congress headquarters ahead of Rahul Gandhi&#39;s take over as party president</a>

Congress party headquarters in Delhi wore a festive look ahead of Rahul Gandhi&#39;s take over as party<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-swear-in-as-congress-president-today-26869">&nbsp;president today</a>&nbsp;with several&nbsp;supporters and party workers thronging 24, Akbar Road, early morning to celebrate the &#39;coronation&#39; of party&#39;s new Chief.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-top-diplomat-calls-for-release-of-two-reporters-arrested-in-myanmar-26871" target="_blank">Rex Tillerson calls for release of two reporters arrested in Myanmar</a>

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday that the United States was demanding &quot;the immediate release&quot; of two Reuters reporters arrested in Myanmar &quot;or information as to the circumstances around their disappearance.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cabinet-clears-triple-talaq-bill-3-years-jail-for-guilty-husbands-in-proposed-law-26824" target="_blank">Cabinet clears triple talaq bill, 3 years jail for guilty husbands in proposed law</a>

The Union cabinet on Friday cleared the triple talaq bill. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Cabinet had approved a proposal to introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, to make instant triple talaq void and illegal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/65-magnitude-quake-strikes-indonesias-java-island-26875" target="_blank">6.5 magnitude quake strikes Indonesia&#39;s Java island</a>

A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia`s main island of Java late Friday, leaving at least one person dead and rattling nerves in the capital Jakarta.

&nbsp;

Trump's much-touted tax cut on track for passage in US Congress A major tax cut promised by US President Donald Trump was on track for final passage next week, after two previous holdouts in his Republican party said Friday they would vote yes on the legislation. Celebrations at Congress headquarters ahead of Rahul Gandhi's take over as party president Congress party headquarters in Delhi wore a festive look ahead of Rahul Gandhi's take over as party president today with several supporters and party workers thronging 24, Akbar Road, early morning to celebrate the 'coronation' of party's new Chief. Rex Tillerson calls for release of two reporters arrested in Myanmar US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday that the United States was demanding "the immediate release" of two Reuters reporters arrested in Myanmar "or information as to the circumstances around their disappearance." Cabinet clears triple talaq bill, 3 years jail for guilty husbands in proposed law The Union cabinet on Friday cleared the triple talaq bill. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Cabinet had approved a proposal to introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, to make instant triple talaq void and illegal. 6.5 magnitude quake strikes Indonesia's Java island A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia`s main island of Java late Friday, leaving at least one person dead and rattling nerves in the capital Jakarta.

WION Morning News Brief, 16 December 2017

The Trump administration put new requirements in place on Friday for the 38 countries participating in the US Visa Waiver Program, including that they use US counterterrorism data to screen travellers, officials said.

The program allows citizens of mainly European countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa. Citizens from the 38 countries are required to obtain a so-called travel authorization to enter the United States.

President Donald Trump has sought to tighten the rules for those seeking to visit or live in the United States in several ways, saying restrictions are necessary for security reasons.

The changes will apply to all countries in the program. One change is that they will be required to use US information to screen travelers crossing their borders from third countries. Many countries in the program already do that, one administration official said.

Countries whose citizens stay longer than authorised during visits to the United States at a relatively higher rate will be required to conduct public awareness campaigns on the consequences of overstays, the officials said. One existing penalty is that people who overstay a visit may not travel visa-free to the United States in the future.

The threshold for the overstay rate triggering the public information campaign requirement is two percent, the officials said. In the 2016 fiscal year, of the VWP countries, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, and San Marino, a wealthy enclave landlocked inside central Italy, had total overstay rates higher than two percent, according to a report by the Department of Homeland Security.

The overall overstay rate for VWP countries is 0.68 per cent, lower than non-VWP countries excluding Canada and Mexico, which is at 2.07 per cent, according to the DHS report.

Members of Congress have expressed concern about the security risks of overstays. A May 2017 report by the DHS inspector general found the department lacked a comprehensive system to gather information on departing visitors, forcing it to rely on third-party data to confirm departures, which is sometimes faulty.

The United States will also start assessing VWP countries on their safeguards against &quot;insider threats&quot; at their airports, especially those with direct flights to the United States, officials said.

The goal is to ensure countries &quot;make sure that airport employees, aviation workers et cetera, aren`t corrupted or are co-opted to pose a threat to aircraft, especially those that are US-bound,&quot; an official said.

The Trump administration put new requirements in place on Friday for the 38 countries participating in the US Visa Waiver Program, including that they use US counterterrorism data to screen travellers, officials said

The Trump administration put new requirements in place on Friday for the 38 countries participating in the US Visa Waiver Program, including that they use US counterterrorism data to screen travellers, officials said. The program allows citizens of mainly European countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa. Citizens from the 38 countries are required to obtain a so-called travel authorization to enter the United States. President Donald Trump has sought to tighten the rules for those seeking to visit or live in the United States in several ways, saying restrictions are necessary for security reasons. The changes will apply to all countries in the program. One change is that they will be required to use US information to screen travelers crossing their borders from third countries. Many countries in the program already do that, one administration official said. Countries whose citizens stay longer than authorised during visits to the United States at a relatively higher rate will be required to conduct public awareness campaigns on the consequences of overstays, the officials said. One existing penalty is that people who overstay a visit may not travel visa-free to the United States in the future. The threshold for the overstay rate triggering the public information campaign requirement is two percent, the officials said. In the 2016 fiscal year, of the VWP countries, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, and San Marino, a wealthy enclave landlocked inside central Italy, had total overstay rates higher than two percent, according to a report by the Department of Homeland Security. The overall overstay rate for VWP countries is 0.68 per cent, lower than non-VWP countries excluding Canada and Mexico, which is at 2.07 per cent, according to the DHS report. Members of Congress have expressed concern about the security risks of overstays. A May 2017 report by the DHS inspector general found the department lacked a comprehensive system to gather information on departing visitors, forcing it to rely on third-party data to confirm departures, which is sometimes faulty. The United States will also start assessing VWP countries on their safeguards against "insider threats" at their airports, especially those with direct flights to the United States, officials said. The goal is to ensure countries "make sure that airport employees, aviation workers et cetera, aren`t corrupted or are co-opted to pose a threat to aircraft, especially those that are US-bound," an official said.

Trump administration issues new rules on US visa waivers

Going by the outcome of Gujarat exit polls, pollsters are indicating a clear majority for BJP in the state. It gives a fair assessment of the outcome, none denying the fact that BJP is set to form the government in Gandhinagar. Many political pundits and politicians who doubted BJP&rsquo;s victory are bound to be surprised with these projections. The perception was and is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fighting the toughest electoral battle of his life to retain Gujarat, to maintain &ldquo;Gujarat Model&rdquo; which he sold to win over elections after election since 2014 General Elections. This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest.


" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

Angry Gujarat

No doubt, there was anger amongst different sections of Gujaratis&rsquo;. The state population largely linked to the trader community, got shock&nbsp;after shock in the policies of Demonetisation and then rolling out of GST. When it hurts Gujarati&rsquo;s pocket, they are bound to be angry. Though Patel&rsquo;s which comprise 12 percent of Electorate traditionally vote for BJP. Even the tallest of their leader Keshubhai Patel who formed his own outfit, &ldquo;Gujarat Parivartan Party&rdquo; couldn&rsquo;t wean them away from the BJP.

In the current context, mishandling of Patel movement for reservation by Anandiben Patel and later by Vijay Rupani Government did alienate young population of the community. Una incident of attack on four Dalits skinning the carcasses of dead cow in Mota Samadhiyala village of Gir Somnath district did hurt 7 percent of caste population as many of them were in the business of skinning dead animals for a living. On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. They became the symbol of anger of their respective communities and, thus, raged a war against BJP.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. " target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

Congress virtual strategy a me too

The opposition Congress built their strategies around these scenarios.&nbsp;Cyber army of Congress IT cell camping at Ahmedabad closely monitored by 15 AICC office bearers were trying to do what BJP did in 2014 General elections on social media, create content, pass on to volunteers share and flood the cyberspace. They picked up from a Facebook post by one of Hardik Patel&rsquo;s supporter, engineering student Sagar Savaliya, who wrote: &ldquo;Vikas Gando Thayo Che&rdquo; (with the photo of wheels behind a crashed bus) meaning Development has gone crazy. This created a great traction on social media and thus became the theme of Congress campaign in Gujarat.

They didn&rsquo;t stop here, made Rahul Gandhi ask a question to Modi in the last leg of the campaign. Made him fly passenger class like a normal citizen standing in a queue, eat lots of Fafda&rsquo;s and Jalebi at roadside Dhaba&rsquo;s and above all, pronounced him as &ldquo;Janeudhari Brahmin&rdquo; by temple pilgrimages during the campaign. Not talking about likes of Mani Shankar Iyer as for one they do not mind their language. Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling. It was a major shift in the grand old party which has been a victim of new cast based regional parties blocking the re-emergence of Congress to reclaim its base.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

Modi&rsquo;s art of turning anger into sympathy

It was natural for Narendra Modi to give lesser attention to his home state Gujarat compared to when he was the chief minister before 2014 because of his larger role as Prime Minister of the country. He never lost the base with state though. Hosting Chinese President Xi-Jinping and recently Japanese PM Shinzo Abe at Ahmedabad and increasing the Hight of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Prime Minister started focusing on Gujarat post-September this year with inauguration of Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed (Bullet) train with the assistance of his friend Abe. Congress made a joke out of it and termed it a waste of money.

During his visit to Ahmedabad for this ceremony, Modi noticed potholes around the city, though administration patched roads taken By Modi and Abe during their stay. Narendra Modi gave 48 hours&rsquo; time to the administration for making roads pothole free which they did. Sensing the anger Modi made Finance Minister Arun Jaitley make amendments in GST to make it easy for traders and SMSE&rsquo;s. He got CM Vijay Rupani to decrease VAT on petrol and diesel to give relief to commuters. To the Congress charges of &ldquo;Vikas Gando Thayo Che&rdquo; Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring &ldquo;Hun Vikas chum&rdquo; meaning I am development.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>To the Congress charges of &ldquo;Vikas Gando Thayo Che&rdquo; Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring &ldquo;Hun Vikas chum&rdquo; meaning I am development.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=To the Congress charges of ?Vikas Gando Thayo Che? Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring ?Hun Vikas chum? meaning I am development." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

Launched 31-km long RoRo ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej that cut travel time from eight hours to one and half hour will benefit people working in the diamond-cutting and polishing hub of Surat. The first phase of voting was over by now. Congress was claiming the lead in this phase and few BJP leaders also were apprehensive. Before the second round of voting, Modi asked, &ldquo;What did I do to deserve this&rdquo; on Mani Shankar Iyer&rsquo;s &ldquo;Neech&rdquo; comment during his campaign. Throughout he spoke in Gujarati. Reminded people how he used to be part of that area when he was in Gujarat. Made that connect with the masses of Gujarat. On congress&rsquo;s &ldquo;Janeudhari Brahmin&rdquo; tactic Modi raked up Mani Shankar Iyer dinner with former Pakistani former Foreign Secretary and other diplomats.

Former PM Manmohan Singh and Former COAS Deepak Kumar were in presence in this dinner meeting. This was the kind of the first instance wherein Prime Minister accused other nation, Pakistan of muddling in Gujarat elections. Pakistan had to clarify officially that they do not have any role in domestic politics of India, but it played well. Many in Gujarat did not perceive it well for Congress. End of the campaign was the most dramatic. Denied permission for a road show in Ahmedabad, Modi holding the door bar of Seaplane did a River Show on Sabarmati Riverfront.

Any Amdavadi, Gujarati or for that matter Indian would have felt proud to see this happening on Sabarmati which use to be a nullah of drains till 2005, emotionally. On polling Day standing in the queue after dedicating INS Kalvari to the nation in Arabian sea Mumbai. Taking a walk near the poll station and while returning waving to crowd from his SUV, inviting Congress to charge Chief Election commissioner working as Prime Ministers PS. This war will go on but Gujarat chapter is closed for now. Those in doubts will be clearer on 18th December by 10:30 AM.

One thing is clear, Modi&rsquo;s magic or Modi Election Winning machine is still intact. He is the leader who knows the pulse of people, engage with them through social media, Mann Ki Baat, Namo App, speeches. He knows when to Bow as he did after demonetisation, seek time for hardships. It is that connect which makes Modi the leader whom people relate, trust and believe.

&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Narendra Modi is the leader who knows the pulse of people. His magic and election winning spree is still intact.

Going by the outcome of Gujarat exit polls, pollsters are indicating a clear majority for BJP in the state. It gives a fair assessment of the outcome, none denying the fact that BJP is set to form the government in Gandhinagar. Many political pundits and politicians who doubted BJP’s victory are bound to be surprised with these projections. The perception was and is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fighting the toughest electoral battle of his life to retain Gujarat, to maintain “Gujarat Model” which he sold to win over elections after election since 2014 General Elections. This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest. This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest. × Angry Gujarat No doubt, there was anger amongst different sections of Gujaratis’. The state population largely linked to the trader community, got shock after shock in the policies of Demonetisation and then rolling out of GST. When it hurts Gujarati’s pocket, they are bound to be angry. Though Patel’s which comprise 12 percent of Electorate traditionally vote for BJP. Even the tallest of their leader Keshubhai Patel who formed his own outfit, “Gujarat Parivartan Party” couldn’t wean them away from the BJP. In the current context, mishandling of Patel movement for reservation by Anandiben Patel and later by Vijay Rupani Government did alienate young population of the community. Una incident of attack on four Dalits skinning the carcasses of dead cow in Mota Samadhiyala village of Gir Somnath district did hurt 7 percent of caste population as many of them were in the business of skinning dead animals for a living. On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. They became the symbol of anger of their respective communities and, thus, raged a war against BJP. On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. × Congress virtual strategy a me too The opposition Congress built their strategies around these scenarios. Cyber army of Congress IT cell camping at Ahmedabad closely monitored by 15 AICC office bearers were trying to do what BJP did in 2014 General elections on social media, create content, pass on to volunteers share and flood the cyberspace. They picked up from a Facebook post by one of Hardik Patel’s supporter, engineering student Sagar Savaliya, who wrote: “Vikas Gando Thayo Che” (with the photo of wheels behind a crashed bus) meaning Development has gone crazy. This created a great traction on social media and thus became the theme of Congress campaign in Gujarat. They didn’t stop here, made Rahul Gandhi ask a question to Modi in the last leg of the campaign. Made him fly passenger class like a normal citizen standing in a queue, eat lots of Fafda’s and Jalebi at roadside Dhaba’s and above all, pronounced him as “Janeudhari Brahmin” by temple pilgrimages during the campaign. Not talking about likes of Mani Shankar Iyer as for one they do not mind their language. Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling. It was a major shift in the grand old party which has been a victim of new cast based regional parties blocking the re-emergence of Congress to reclaim its base. Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling. × Modi’s art of turning anger into sympathy It was natural for Narendra Modi to give lesser attention to his home state Gujarat compared to when he was the chief minister before 2014 because of his larger role as Prime Minister of the country. He never lost the base with state though. Hosting Chinese President Xi-Jinping and recently Japanese PM Shinzo Abe at Ahmedabad and increasing the Hight of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Prime Minister started focusing on Gujarat post-September this year with inauguration of Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed (Bullet) train with the assistance of his friend Abe. Congress made a joke out of it and termed it a waste of money. During his visit to Ahmedabad for this ceremony, Modi noticed potholes around the city, though administration patched roads taken By Modi and Abe during their stay. Narendra Modi gave 48 hours’ time to the administration for making roads pothole free which they did. Sensing the anger Modi made Finance Minister Arun Jaitley make amendments in GST to make it easy for traders and SMSE’s. He got CM Vijay Rupani to decrease VAT on petrol and diesel to give relief to commuters. To the Congress charges of “Vikas Gando Thayo Che” Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring “Hun Vikas chum” meaning I am development. To the Congress charges of “Vikas Gando Thayo Che” Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring “Hun Vikas chum” meaning I am development. × Launched 31-km long RoRo ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej that cut travel time from eight hours to one and half hour will benefit people working in the diamond-cutting and polishing hub of Surat. The first phase of voting was over by now. Congress was claiming the lead in this phase and few BJP leaders also were apprehensive. Before the second round of voting, Modi asked, “What did I do to deserve this” on Mani Shankar Iyer’s “Neech” comment during his campaign. Throughout he spoke in Gujarati. Reminded people how he used to be part of that area when he was in Gujarat. Made that connect with the masses of Gujarat. On congress’s “Janeudhari Brahmin” tactic Modi raked up Mani Shankar Iyer dinner with former Pakistani former Foreign Secretary and other diplomats. Former PM Manmohan Singh and Former COAS Deepak Kumar were in presence in this dinner meeting. This was the kind of the first instance wherein Prime Minister accused other nation, Pakistan of muddling in Gujarat elections. Pakistan had to clarify officially that they do not have any role in domestic politics of India, but it played well. Many in Gujarat did not perceive it well for Congress. End of the campaign was the most dramatic. Denied permission for a road show in Ahmedabad, Modi holding the door bar of Seaplane did a River Show on Sabarmati Riverfront. Any Amdavadi, Gujarati or for that matter Indian would have felt proud to see this happening on Sabarmati which use to be a nullah of drains till 2005, emotionally. On polling Day standing in the queue after dedicating INS Kalvari to the nation in Arabian sea Mumbai. Taking a walk near the poll station and while returning waving to crowd from his SUV, inviting Congress to charge Chief Election commissioner working as Prime Ministers PS. This war will go on but Gujarat chapter is closed for now. Those in doubts will be clearer on 18th December by 10:30 AM. One thing is clear, Modi’s magic or Modi Election Winning machine is still intact. He is the leader who knows the pulse of people, engage with them through social media, Mann Ki Baat, Namo App, speeches. He knows when to Bow as he did after demonetisation, seek time for hardships. It is that connect which makes Modi the leader whom people relate, trust and believe. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: 'Modi-fied' Gujarat Polls 'Trumps' all

US President Trump <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ready-to-talk-but-north-korea-should-be-ready-to-make-a-choice-tillerson-26589">discussed &quot;dangerous situation in North Korea&quot;</a> with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, White House said today.

The Kremlin said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-talks-to-un-blames-us-for-tensions-26314">Trump and Putin discussed bilateral</a> relations and the situation in the Korean peninsula.

The phone call follows talks earlier between Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilovand with China&#39;s ambassador to Russia Li Hui. The US has been concerned about Kim&#39;s ballistic missile programme and has been pressing Russia and China, North Korea&#39;s key allies to taper down Kim&#39;s ambitious nuclear plans.

Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council with President Trump keen to keep the North Korean debate going at the world body in an attempt to keep peace in the Korean peninsula.

Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment.

An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 per cent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide which serves as a &quot;lifeline&quot; for the country.

Earlier, the Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang&#39;s ally.

China had requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support.&nbsp;

Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained.

At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply. 
&nbsp;

Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council

US President Trump discussed "dangerous situation in North Korea" with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, White House said today. The Kremlin said Trump and Putin discussed bilateral relations and the situation in the Korean peninsula. The phone call follows talks earlier between Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilovand with China's ambassador to Russia Li Hui. The US has been concerned about Kim's ballistic missile programme and has been pressing Russia and China, North Korea's key allies to taper down Kim's ambitious nuclear plans. Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council with President Trump keen to keep the North Korean debate going at the world body in an attempt to keep peace in the Korean peninsula. Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment. An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 per cent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide which serves as a "lifeline" for the country. Earlier, the Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang's ally. China had requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support. Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained. At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply.

Trump calls Putin to discuss North Korea as Korean peninsula simmers

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/arab-foreign-ministers-say-no-peace-without-a-free-jerusalem-26340" target="_blank">&nbsp;Arab foreign ministers say no peace without a &#39;free&#39; Jerusalem</a>

Arab Foreign Ministers collectively denounced on Saturday President Donald Trump&#39;s acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital. Ministers from across the region met in Cairo to discuss a response to Trump&#39;s announcement on Wednesday (December 6), which overturned decades of US policy towards the Middle East.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dangal-girl-zaira-wasim-alleges-molestation-attempt-in-delhi-mumbai-flight-26352" target="_blank">&#39;Dangal&#39; Girl Zaira Wasim alleges molestation attempt in Delhi-Mumbai flight</a>

&#39;Dangal&#39; Girl Zaira Wasim alleged molestation attempt by a man sitting behind her in a Delhi-Mumbai flight. The man allegedly touched her neck and her back repeatedly with his feet.&nbsp;In an Instagram post, she alleged that a middle-aged man sitting behind her on Delhi-Mumbai Vistara flight tried to molest her.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nia-arrests-pulwama-youth-with-let-links-26351" target="_blank">NIA arrests Pulwama youth with LeT links</a>

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a man on Saturday for allegedly having links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The arrested person, identified as Tauseef Ahmed Malik, (25), is a resident of Pulwama district, according to the anti-terror investigation agency.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/kohli-rested-india-all-set-to-take-lanka-in-odi-series-opener-26341" target="_blank">Kohli rested, India all set to take Lanka in ODI series opener</a>

As the three-match One Day International (ODI) series between India and Sri Lanka begins on Sunday, the hosts will aim to attain the top spot at the ICC team rankings, whereas the visitors will look forward to tasting a win after the Test series loss.Though the Indian side &#39;run machine&#39; and regular skipper Virat Kohli has been rested for the series, it would still not be easy for Sri Lanka, as they will face the Men in Blue spearheaded by the most successful IPL captain Rohit Sharma, here at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala in &quot;fresh air&quot;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-should-not-harbour-any-illusion-about-gujarat-poll-result-bjp-26350" target="_blank">Congress should not harbour any illusion about Gujarat poll result: BJP</a>

With 68 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expressed confidence over its victory, and said, now, Congress should not harbour any illusion about the result.

Arab foreign ministers say no peace without a 'free' Jerusalem Arab Foreign Ministers collectively denounced on Saturday President Donald Trump's acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Ministers from across the region met in Cairo to discuss a response to Trump's announcement on Wednesday (December 6), which overturned decades of US policy towards the Middle East. 'Dangal' Girl Zaira Wasim alleges molestation attempt in Delhi-Mumbai flight 'Dangal' Girl Zaira Wasim alleged molestation attempt by a man sitting behind her in a Delhi-Mumbai flight. The man allegedly touched her neck and her back repeatedly with his feet. In an Instagram post, she alleged that a middle-aged man sitting behind her on Delhi-Mumbai Vistara flight tried to molest her. NIA arrests Pulwama youth with LeT links The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a man on Saturday for allegedly having links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The arrested person, identified as Tauseef Ahmed Malik, (25), is a resident of Pulwama district, according to the anti-terror investigation agency. Kohli rested, India all set to take Lanka in ODI series opener As the three-match One Day International (ODI) series between India and Sri Lanka begins on Sunday, the hosts will aim to attain the top spot at the ICC team rankings, whereas the visitors will look forward to tasting a win after the Test series loss.Though the Indian side 'run machine' and regular skipper Virat Kohli has been rested for the series, it would still not be easy for Sri Lanka, as they will face the Men in Blue spearheaded by the most successful IPL captain Rohit Sharma, here at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala in "fresh air". Congress should not harbour any illusion about Gujarat poll result: BJP With 68 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expressed confidence over its victory, and said, now, Congress should not harbour any illusion about the result.

WION Morning News Brief, 10 December 2017

trump

Trump, News on Trump, stories on Trump, articles on Trump, Trump stories at Wion, Trump news, Trump latest news