Did Steve Bannon jump or was he pushed? Bannon&rsquo;s opponents spoke of a firing, while his allies &ndash; and Bannon himself &ndash; said he had planned to resign for weeks. Turns out both sides were right. But that is only the start of a tale in which the final chapters are not yet written.

Within hours of leaving his post, Bannon was back as executive chairman of Breitbart. Staff at the right-wing publication, including senior editor Joel Pollak, had already declared &ldquo;#WAR&rdquo; on the White House as soon as their boss&rsquo;s departure was announced.

A Bannon friend said: &ldquo;Steve&rsquo;s unchained. Fully unchained.&rdquo; Another said: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s now a Democrat White House&rdquo;.

At a staff meeting, Bannon refined the blunt declarations. The line that Trump himself would not be attacked was repackaged as a &ldquo;war for Trump&rdquo;. That war would be against Trump&rsquo;s enemies &ndash; but not the counter-protesters at Charlottesville or even the &ldquo;fake media&rdquo;. The war would be waged on those considered the president&rsquo;s foes within the White House.

Breitbart has already lined up its first target: national security adviser H R McMaster. The hard right had been set against McMaster since the spring, when he pushed Bannon off a key committee of the National Security Council. Then, with leverage from the appointment of Kelly as chief of staff, McMaster removed four of Bannon&rsquo;s allies from the council. This tussle led Bannon&rsquo;s camp to counter-attack on social media, calling for &ldquo;McMasterOut&rdquo;.

On the Sunday immediately following Bannon&rsquo;s departure from the White House, Breitbart led with an article: &ldquo;HR McMaster Endorsed Book That Advocates Quran-Kissing Apology Ceremonies.&rdquo; The next day the site was blaming McMaster for Trump&rsquo;s response to the deaths of ten sailors aboard the USS John McCain in a collision near Singapore. According to the article, McMaster failed to brief the president properly, which is why the commander in chief initially reacted to the news by saying &ldquo;that&rsquo;s too bad&rdquo;.

Bannon and his allies had been whipping up an electronic and social media campaign against McMaster for some time. They tried to rally opposition to a review of Afghanistan policy, with Bannon pushing for a privatisation of the US intervention.

The prelude to the war came after Charlottesville when Bannon supported Trump in his message that both sides were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville &mdash; thereby tacitly supporting the white supremacists, even while other advisers warned him against such statements.

Kelly hit back. His allies spread stories that Trump disliked Bannon&rsquo;s leaking, especially about White House in-fighting, and the books and articles portraying the chief strategist as the power in the executive. Bannon also helped design his own demise &ndash; unwittingly or deliberately &ndash; by committing &ldquo;suicide by journalist&rdquo;. Piqued by a story in The American Prospect about North Korea, he called up the journalist to complain about the government&rsquo;s approach &ndash; which he blamed on generals like McMaster. The enemy, he said, was China in an economic war. He also boasted about his influence, claiming he could have people fired in the government.

The article was quickly presented to Trump. On Friday morning, in a staff meeting, the president said his right-hand ideologue would be leaving that day.

The beginning of the end

The Bannon-Breitbart campaign to vanquish McMaster, and then maybe National Economic Council director Gary Cohn, and then maybe Kelly, and then maybe even Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump will get the publicity accorded to a dramatic story.

Framed as a valiant fight against the &ldquo;deep state&rdquo;, it will have its vocal partners. We&rsquo;ll hear from alt-right polemicist Mike Cernovich, who accused McMaster of manipulating intelligence reports to Trump. We&rsquo;ll also get insight from &ldquo;Pizzagate&rdquo; agitator Jack Posobiec, InfoWars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (&ldquo;McMaster&rsquo;s sold out&rdquo;), and even ex-KKK grand wizard David Duke.

It is unlikely to succeed. The retired generals in the White House have succeeded in containing the machinery around Trump, even if the president cannot be restrained on Twitter. They will have the power of executive agencies behind them. Most of the media will have no desire to aid and abet Bannon. Posobiec may appeal to the wonders of social media and InfoWars but, as Charlottesville showed, the alt-right is discovering that it may not even have a secure position on that battleground.

Still, the campaign will be a most unwelcome flank attack as Trump finds himself surrounded on all sides: the Russia investigation, the failure to pass a single major piece of legislation since January, the questions over ethics and conflicts of interests, the looming deadline for adoption of the federal government&rsquo;s budget, and the white supremacy spectre.

Once upon a time &ndash; even last week &ndash; the mantra &ldquo;Trump still has his base&rdquo; was being invoked to minimise the threat to the president. Now even that base is fragmenting.

For the occupant of the White House, it is now Total #WAR.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-bannon-back-at-breitbart-what-will-war-mean-for-the-white-house-82787" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

Bannon and his allies had been whipping up an electronic and social media campaign for a long time now.

Did Steve Bannon jump or was he pushed? Bannon’s opponents spoke of a firing, while his allies – and Bannon himself – said he had planned to resign for weeks. Turns out both sides were right. But that is only the start of a tale in which the final chapters are not yet written. Within hours of leaving his post, Bannon was back as executive chairman of Breitbart. Staff at the right-wing publication, including senior editor Joel Pollak, had already declared “#WAR” on the White House as soon as their boss’s departure was announced. A Bannon friend said: “Steve’s unchained. Fully unchained.” Another said: “It’s now a Democrat White House”. At a staff meeting, Bannon refined the blunt declarations. The line that Trump himself would not be attacked was repackaged as a “war for Trump”. That war would be against Trump’s enemies – but not the counter-protesters at Charlottesville or even the “fake media”. The war would be waged on those considered the president’s foes within the White House. Breitbart has already lined up its first target: national security adviser H R McMaster. The hard right had been set against McMaster since the spring, when he pushed Bannon off a key committee of the National Security Council. Then, with leverage from the appointment of Kelly as chief of staff, McMaster removed four of Bannon’s allies from the council. This tussle led Bannon’s camp to counter-attack on social media, calling for “McMasterOut”. On the Sunday immediately following Bannon’s departure from the White House, Breitbart led with an article: “HR McMaster Endorsed Book That Advocates Quran-Kissing Apology Ceremonies.” The next day the site was blaming McMaster for Trump’s response to the deaths of ten sailors aboard the USS John McCain in a collision near Singapore. According to the article, McMaster failed to brief the president properly, which is why the commander in chief initially reacted to the news by saying “that’s too bad”. Bannon and his allies had been whipping up an electronic and social media campaign against McMaster for some time. They tried to rally opposition to a review of Afghanistan policy, with Bannon pushing for a privatisation of the US intervention. The prelude to the war came after Charlottesville when Bannon supported Trump in his message that both sides were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville — thereby tacitly supporting the white supremacists, even while other advisers warned him against such statements. Kelly hit back. His allies spread stories that Trump disliked Bannon’s leaking, especially about White House in-fighting, and the books and articles portraying the chief strategist as the power in the executive. Bannon also helped design his own demise – unwittingly or deliberately – by committing “suicide by journalist”. Piqued by a story in The American Prospect about North Korea, he called up the journalist to complain about the government’s approach – which he blamed on generals like McMaster. The enemy, he said, was China in an economic war. He also boasted about his influence, claiming he could have people fired in the government. The article was quickly presented to Trump. On Friday morning, in a staff meeting, the president said his right-hand ideologue would be leaving that day. The beginning of the end The Bannon-Breitbart campaign to vanquish McMaster, and then maybe National Economic Council director Gary Cohn, and then maybe Kelly, and then maybe even Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump will get the publicity accorded to a dramatic story. Framed as a valiant fight against the “deep state”, it will have its vocal partners. We’ll hear from alt-right polemicist Mike Cernovich, who accused McMaster of manipulating intelligence reports to Trump. We’ll also get insight from “Pizzagate” agitator Jack Posobiec, InfoWars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (“McMaster’s sold out”), and even ex-KKK grand wizard David Duke. It is unlikely to succeed. The retired generals in the White House have succeeded in containing the machinery around Trump, even if the president cannot be restrained on Twitter. They will have the power of executive agencies behind them. Most of the media will have no desire to aid and abet Bannon. Posobiec may appeal to the wonders of social media and InfoWars but, as Charlottesville showed, the alt-right is discovering that it may not even have a secure position on that battleground. Still, the campaign will be a most unwelcome flank attack as Trump finds himself surrounded on all sides: the Russia investigation, the failure to pass a single major piece of legislation since January, the questions over ethics and conflicts of interests, the looming deadline for adoption of the federal government’s budget, and the white supremacy spectre. Once upon a time – even last week – the mantra “Trump still has his base” was being invoked to minimise the threat to the president. Now even that base is fragmenting. For the occupant of the White House, it is now Total #WAR. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Opinion:  For Trump, it is now Total #WAR from Bannon

It had to happen one day. Pakistan&rsquo;s predicament reminds one of the famous statement of Abraham Lincoln: &ldquo;You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.&rdquo;

And it took 15 years for a US President to realise that his country was being taken for a royal ride by none other than its strategic ally in the name of the so-called fight against terrorism.

&#39;&#39;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!,&#39;&#39; President Donald Trump tweeted, rattling Pakistan on the New Year day.&nbsp;

The tweet sent shivers down the spine of Pakistan&rsquo;s civilian and military leadership as they huddled to grasp its impact. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was forced to advance a meeting of the National Security Committee by a day which was attended by top cabinet ministers and military chiefs. In all likelihood, the National Security Committee met at the instance of the army chief as army generals had met separately before the all-powerful meeting. At the end of the three-hour-long meeting, the committee came out with a terse statement shying away from commenting on Trump&rsquo;s tweet. The statement released by the prime minister&rsquo;s office expressed &ldquo;deep disappointment&rdquo; at comments made by US officials over the past few months.

&ldquo;Recent statements and articulation by the American leadership were completely incomprehensible as they contradicted facts manifestly, struck with great insensitivity at the trust between two nations built over generations, and negated the decades of sacrifices made by the Pakistani nation,&rdquo; it said.

Earlier, Pakistan foreign office summoned U.S. ambassador David Hale and sought his explanation behind Trump&rsquo;s angry tweet.

Pakistan has been on the boil since the storm caused by Trump tweet battered the country. Anti-Trump protests have engulfed almost the entire Pakistan with several political religious groups taking out rallies. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan too joined the issue by saying that Pakistan lost 70,000 lives and $100,000 billion due to the US war on terror. Khan, who once tormented the best of the batsmen in the world during his playing days, seems pretty weak on mathematics as the figure of monetary loss quoted by him is beyond the realms of possibility.

The US put the screws on Pakistan by announcing the next day of Trump tweet that it would continue to withhold military aid worth $255 million to its former strategic ally. The statement from the National Security Council spokesman was equally lethal. &quot;The President has made clear that the United States expects Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorists and militants on its soil, and that Pakistan&#39;s actions in support of the South Asia strategy will ultimately determine the trajectory of our relationship, including future security assistance.&quot;

It appears that the Trump tweet storm is unlikely to die down soon and more is in the offing for Pakistan. The statements from US officials are self-explanatory.&nbsp; Following up on Trump&rsquo;s tweet, the White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accused Pakistan of playing a &ldquo;double game&rdquo; on fighting terrorism and said: &ldquo;They can do more to stop terrorism and we want them to do that.&rdquo; Earlier, the U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said at the United Nations that &ldquo;They work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan.&rdquo; At the State Department on Tuesday, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Pakistan knew what it needed to do, including taking action against the Haqqani network and other militants. Pakistan needs to &ldquo;earn, essentially, the money that we have provided in the past in foreign military assistance,&rdquo; she said.

The writing on the wall was clear since Trump assumed the presidency of the United States in January last. Even before becoming the president, Trump had been dropping enough hints, but Pakistan failed to read the messages which were not only explosive by explicit as well. The rhetoric was soon replaced with stern warnings after Trump assumed power. But Pakistan continued to live in a fool&rsquo;s paradise that the US could not bypass it as long as its forces remained engaged in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Afghanistan is proving to be a political liability for the US. If it stays longer, it faces strong backlash back home and if it withdraws, the country will fall to the Taliban.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s a classical case of entering a blind alley but not knowing how to come out of it. Whatever may be its political designs, the US has been sucked badly into a country where exit routes are not easy and not too many. Already the US has lost 2,300 of its men. And it has cost the US more than 110 billion dollars since its forces first landed in Afghanistan in October 2001. The US has been fuming over Pakistan&rsquo;s alleged support for Haqqani network militants, who are allied with the Afghan Taliban. Afghanistan has time and again resented the presence of Afghan Taliban fighters in Pakistan who carry out deadly attacks in the war-torn country and return to the safe sanctuaries there. Whatever may be the political compulsions in the past, the new administration has realized that the Afghanistan war can&rsquo;t be won as long as Pakistan continues with its support to the Taliban and Haqqani groups.

In fact, the US patience had started thinning since it found that the most-wanted terrorist and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was being provided a safe sanctuary by Pakistan in the garrison town of Abbottabad. Pakistan should have smelt a rat when the US special commandos smoked out Laden in 2011 in an operation kept secret from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government.&nbsp; To add insult to injury, the then-Taliban leader Mullah Mansour was killed by a U.S. drone strike inside Pakistan five years later. No self-respecting nation can allow its territory to be breached in a manner as the US did. But Pakistan was forced to digest this humiliation, not once, but twice. But the lure of dollars far outweighed the heap of ignominy.

It remains to be seen whether the Trump tweet will bully Pakistan into changing its policy and withdraw support to the militant groups. Otherwise, as things stand today, the honeymoon between the US and Pakistan seems all over and it is a matter of time when the divorce will be formalised.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

It remains to be seen whether the Trump tweet will bully Pakistan into changing its policy and withdraw support to the militant groups. Otherwise, divorce is imminent.

It had to happen one day. Pakistan’s predicament reminds one of the famous statement of Abraham Lincoln: “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” And it took 15 years for a US President to realise that his country was being taken for a royal ride by none other than its strategic ally in the name of the so-called fight against terrorism. ''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!,'' President Donald Trump tweeted, rattling Pakistan on the New Year day. The tweet sent shivers down the spine of Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership as they huddled to grasp its impact. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was forced to advance a meeting of the National Security Committee by a day which was attended by top cabinet ministers and military chiefs. In all likelihood, the National Security Committee met at the instance of the army chief as army generals had met separately before the all-powerful meeting. At the end of the three-hour-long meeting, the committee came out with a terse statement shying away from commenting on Trump’s tweet. The statement released by the prime minister’s office expressed “deep disappointment” at comments made by US officials over the past few months. “Recent statements and articulation by the American leadership were completely incomprehensible as they contradicted facts manifestly, struck with great insensitivity at the trust between two nations built over generations, and negated the decades of sacrifices made by the Pakistani nation,” it said. Earlier, Pakistan foreign office summoned U.S. ambassador David Hale and sought his explanation behind Trump’s angry tweet. Pakistan has been on the boil since the storm caused by Trump tweet battered the country. Anti-Trump protests have engulfed almost the entire Pakistan with several political religious groups taking out rallies. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan too joined the issue by saying that Pakistan lost 70,000 lives and $100,000 billion due to the US war on terror. Khan, who once tormented the best of the batsmen in the world during his playing days, seems pretty weak on mathematics as the figure of monetary loss quoted by him is beyond the realms of possibility. The US put the screws on Pakistan by announcing the next day of Trump tweet that it would continue to withhold military aid worth $255 million to its former strategic ally. The statement from the National Security Council spokesman was equally lethal. "The President has made clear that the United States expects Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorists and militants on its soil, and that Pakistan's actions in support of the South Asia strategy will ultimately determine the trajectory of our relationship, including future security assistance." It appears that the Trump tweet storm is unlikely to die down soon and more is in the offing for Pakistan. The statements from US officials are self-explanatory. Following up on Trump’s tweet, the White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accused Pakistan of playing a “double game” on fighting terrorism and said: “They can do more to stop terrorism and we want them to do that.” Earlier, the U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said at the United Nations that “They work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan.” At the State Department on Tuesday, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Pakistan knew what it needed to do, including taking action against the Haqqani network and other militants. Pakistan needs to “earn, essentially, the money that we have provided in the past in foreign military assistance,” she said. The writing on the wall was clear since Trump assumed the presidency of the United States in January last. Even before becoming the president, Trump had been dropping enough hints, but Pakistan failed to read the messages which were not only explosive by explicit as well. The rhetoric was soon replaced with stern warnings after Trump assumed power. But Pakistan continued to live in a fool’s paradise that the US could not bypass it as long as its forces remained engaged in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is proving to be a political liability for the US. If it stays longer, it faces strong backlash back home and if it withdraws, the country will fall to the Taliban. It’s a classical case of entering a blind alley but not knowing how to come out of it. Whatever may be its political designs, the US has been sucked badly into a country where exit routes are not easy and not too many. Already the US has lost 2,300 of its men. And it has cost the US more than 110 billion dollars since its forces first landed in Afghanistan in October 2001. The US has been fuming over Pakistan’s alleged support for Haqqani network militants, who are allied with the Afghan Taliban. Afghanistan has time and again resented the presence of Afghan Taliban fighters in Pakistan who carry out deadly attacks in the war-torn country and return to the safe sanctuaries there. Whatever may be the political compulsions in the past, the new administration has realized that the Afghanistan war can’t be won as long as Pakistan continues with its support to the Taliban and Haqqani groups. In fact, the US patience had started thinning since it found that the most-wanted terrorist and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was being provided a safe sanctuary by Pakistan in the garrison town of Abbottabad. Pakistan should have smelt a rat when the US special commandos smoked out Laden in 2011 in an operation kept secret from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government. To add insult to injury, the then-Taliban leader Mullah Mansour was killed by a U.S. drone strike inside Pakistan five years later. No self-respecting nation can allow its territory to be breached in a manner as the US did. But Pakistan was forced to digest this humiliation, not once, but twice. But the lure of dollars far outweighed the heap of ignominy. It remains to be seen whether the Trump tweet will bully Pakistan into changing its policy and withdraw support to the militant groups. Otherwise, as things stand today, the honeymoon between the US and Pakistan seems all over and it is a matter of time when the divorce will be formalised. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Is the honeymoon between Pakistan and the US coming to an end?

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-accuses-donald-trump-of-interfering-in-internal-affairs-28508" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> did not want to be the president of the US and First Lady Melania was in tears not of joy on knowing about his surprising electoral victory last year, according to a new book by an American journalist.

The book &quot;Fire and Fury: Inside the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-28391" target="_blank">Trump White House</a>&quot; written by Michael Wolff, claims that the ultimate goal of Trump was never to win.

&quot;His ultimate goal, after all, had never been to win. I can be the most famous man in the world,&quot; he had told his aide Sam Nunberg at the outset of the race.

&quot;His longtime friend Roger Ailes, the former head of Fox News, liked to say that if you want a career in television, first run for president,&quot; according to the excerpts of the book.

Shortly after Trump&#39;s inauguration, Wolff said, he was able to take up &quot;something like a semi-permanent seat on a couch in the West Wing&quot; an idea encouraged by the president himself. Because no one was in a position to either officially approve or formally deny such access, Wolff became &quot;more a constant interloper than an invited guest.&quot;

&quot;There were no ground rules placed on his access, and he was required to make no promises about how he would report on what he witnessed,&quot; the book said.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has however denied this after excerpts from the book were published by New York Magazine with the title &quot;Donald Trump Did Not Want to be President.&quot;

&quot;There was one brief conversation that had nothing to do, originally, with the book. It was, I think, around five to seven minutes in total since the President has taken office. And that&#39;s the only interaction that he&#39;s had,&quot; she said.

According to Wolff, after entering the White House, Trump, while proposing the most radical departure from governing and policy norms in several generations, had few specific ideas about how to turn his themes and vitriol into policy.

&quot;And making suggestions to him was deeply complicated. Here, arguably, was the central issue of the Trump presidency, informing every aspect of Trumpian policy and leadership: He didn&#39;t process information in any conventional sense. He didn&#39;t read. He didn&#39;t really even skim. Some believed that for all practical purposes he was no more than semi-literate. He trusted his own expertise&nbsp;no matter how paltry or irrelevant&nbsp;more than anyone else&#39;s,&quot; the author claimed.

&quot;Shortly after 8 PM on election night, when the unexpected trend&nbsp;Trump might actually win seemed confirmed, Don Jr. told a friend that his father, or DJT, as he calls him, looked as if he had seen a ghost. Melania was in tears&nbsp;and not of joy,&quot; the book said.

&quot;There was, in the space of little more than an hour, in Steve Bannon&#39;s not unamused observation, a befuddled Trump morphing into a disbelieving Trump and then into a horrified Trump. But still to come was the final transformation: Suddenly, Donald Trump became a man who believed that he deserved to be, and was wholly capable of being, the president of the United States,&quot; according to the book.

Wolf claims that from the moment of victory, the Trump administration became a looking-glass presidency: Every inverse assumption about how to assemble and run a White House was enacted and compounded, many times over.

&quot;The decisions that Trump and his top advisers made in those first few months&nbsp;from the slapdash transition to the disarray in the West Wing set the stage for the chaos and dysfunction that have persisted throughout his first year in office,&quot; Wolf said in his book.

&quot;This was a real-life version of Mel Brooks&nbsp;The Producers, where the mistaken outcome trusted by everyone in Trump&#39;s inner circle that they would lose the election wound up exposing them for who they really were,&quot; Wolff said.

According to New York Magazine, Wolff, who chronicles the administration from the Election Day to this past October, conducted conversations and interviews over a period of 18 months with the president, most members of his senior staff, and many people to whom they in turn spoke.

&quot;Nothing contributed to the chaos and dysfunction of the White House as much as Trump&#39;s own behavior. The big deal of being president was just not apparent to him,&quot; Wolff said.

&quot;Most victorious candidates, arriving in the White House from ordinary political life, could not help but be reminded of their transformed circumstances by their sudden elevation to a mansion with palaces like servants and security, a plane at constant readiness, and downstairs a retinue of courtiers and advisers. But this wasn&#39;t that different from Trump&#39;s former life in Trump Tower, which was actually more commodious and to his taste than the White House,&quot; said the author.

The White House has ridiculed the contents of the book, which will hit the stores next week, and described it as a fiction.

&quot;This book is filled with false and misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House,&quot; Sanders said.

&quot;Participating in a book that can only be described as trashy tabloid fiction exposes their sad desperate attempts at relevancy,&quot; she said.

The White House has described the book as &quot;trashy tabloid fiction.&quot;

&quot;The author did not get any access from the White House for this book. He never actually sat down with the President, just to be very clear,&quot; Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference.

&quot;I know that the book has a lot of things, so far of what we&#39;ve seen, that is completely untrue. You have many people that have quotes that are sourced to them that are now coming out publicly and saying that those things are not true,&quot; she said in response to a question.

The book also says that US President Donald Trump was sympathetic to the issues of Silicon Valley including H-1B visa issue.

This appears to be contrary to the tough stand he has taken on H-1B visa now. After a meeting with a delegation of Silicon Valley leaders at the Trump Towers on December 14, 2016.

Trump then as president-elect is quoted as saying that the tech industry needs help as there are too much of a regulation.

&quot;Take this H-1B visa issue. They really need these H-1B visas,&quot; Trump is quoted as telling Rupert Murdoch over phone after the meeting, according to the book.

&quot;The president-elect enjoyed being courted. On December 14, a high-level delegation from Silicon Valley came to Trump Tower to meet him. Later that afternoon, according to a source privy to details of the conversation, Trump called Rupert Murdoch, who asked him how the meeting had gone,&quot; Wolff writes in the book.

&quot;Oh, great, just great,&quot; said Trump. &quot;These guys really need my help. Obama was not very favorable to them, too much regulation. This is really an opportunity for me to help them,&quot; the book said.

&quot;Donald,&quot; said Murdoch, &quot;for eight years these guys had Obama in their pocket. They practically ran the administration. They don&#39;t need your help. Take this H-1B visa issue. They really need these H-1B visas,&quot; Trump said, according to the book.

&quot;Murdoch suggested that taking a liberal approach to H-1B visas, which open America&#39;s doors to select immigrants, might be hard to square with his promises to build a wall and close the borders. But Trump seemed unconcerned, assuring Murdoch, &quot;We&#39;ll figure it out,&quot; Wolff writes.

&quot;What a fucking idiot,&quot; said Murdoch, shrugging, as he got off the phone, the author claims.

The sympathetic view of Trump towards H-1B visa appears contrary to his public views on this popular work visa. Even during his election days, he had called for his strict review and described it as eating away with American jobs.

After becoming the president, Trump has ordered for review of H-1B visas. His administration has come out with strict policies on issuing H-1B visas, the book said.

The book 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House' written by Michael Wolff, claims that the ultimate goal of Trump was never to win

Donald Trump did not want to be the president of the US and First Lady Melania was in tears not of joy on knowing about his surprising electoral victory last year, according to a new book by an American journalist. The book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" written by Michael Wolff, claims that the ultimate goal of Trump was never to win. "His ultimate goal, after all, had never been to win. I can be the most famous man in the world," he had told his aide Sam Nunberg at the outset of the race. "His longtime friend Roger Ailes, the former head of Fox News, liked to say that if you want a career in television, first run for president," according to the excerpts of the book. Shortly after Trump's inauguration, Wolff said, he was able to take up "something like a semi-permanent seat on a couch in the West Wing" an idea encouraged by the president himself. Because no one was in a position to either officially approve or formally deny such access, Wolff became "more a constant interloper than an invited guest." "There were no ground rules placed on his access, and he was required to make no promises about how he would report on what he witnessed," the book said. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has however denied this after excerpts from the book were published by New York Magazine with the title "Donald Trump Did Not Want to be President." "There was one brief conversation that had nothing to do, originally, with the book. It was, I think, around five to seven minutes in total since the President has taken office. And that's the only interaction that he's had," she said. According to Wolff, after entering the White House, Trump, while proposing the most radical departure from governing and policy norms in several generations, had few specific ideas about how to turn his themes and vitriol into policy. "And making suggestions to him was deeply complicated. Here, arguably, was the central issue of the Trump presidency, informing every aspect of Trumpian policy and leadership: He didn't process information in any conventional sense. He didn't read. He didn't really even skim. Some believed that for all practical purposes he was no more than semi-literate. He trusted his own expertise no matter how paltry or irrelevant more than anyone else's," the author claimed. "Shortly after 8 PM on election night, when the unexpected trend Trump might actually win seemed confirmed, Don Jr. told a friend that his father, or DJT, as he calls him, looked as if he had seen a ghost. Melania was in tears and not of joy," the book said. "There was, in the space of little more than an hour, in Steve Bannon's not unamused observation, a befuddled Trump morphing into a disbelieving Trump and then into a horrified Trump. But still to come was the final transformation: Suddenly, Donald Trump became a man who believed that he deserved to be, and was wholly capable of being, the president of the United States," according to the book. Wolf claims that from the moment of victory, the Trump administration became a looking-glass presidency: Every inverse assumption about how to assemble and run a White House was enacted and compounded, many times over. "The decisions that Trump and his top advisers made in those first few months from the slapdash transition to the disarray in the West Wing set the stage for the chaos and dysfunction that have persisted throughout his first year in office," Wolf said in his book. "This was a real-life version of Mel Brooks The Producers, where the mistaken outcome trusted by everyone in Trump's inner circle that they would lose the election wound up exposing them for who they really were," Wolff said. According to New York Magazine, Wolff, who chronicles the administration from the Election Day to this past October, conducted conversations and interviews over a period of 18 months with the president, most members of his senior staff, and many people to whom they in turn spoke. "Nothing contributed to the chaos and dysfunction of the White House as much as Trump's own behavior. The big deal of being president was just not apparent to him," Wolff said. "Most victorious candidates, arriving in the White House from ordinary political life, could not help but be reminded of their transformed circumstances by their sudden elevation to a mansion with palaces like servants and security, a plane at constant readiness, and downstairs a retinue of courtiers and advisers. But this wasn't that different from Trump's former life in Trump Tower, which was actually more commodious and to his taste than the White House," said the author. The White House has ridiculed the contents of the book, which will hit the stores next week, and described it as a fiction. "This book is filled with false and misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House," Sanders said. "Participating in a book that can only be described as trashy tabloid fiction exposes their sad desperate attempts at relevancy," she said. The White House has described the book as "trashy tabloid fiction." "The author did not get any access from the White House for this book. He never actually sat down with the President, just to be very clear," Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference. "I know that the book has a lot of things, so far of what we've seen, that is completely untrue. You have many people that have quotes that are sourced to them that are now coming out publicly and saying that those things are not true," she said in response to a question. The book also says that US President Donald Trump was sympathetic to the issues of Silicon Valley including H-1B visa issue. This appears to be contrary to the tough stand he has taken on H-1B visa now. After a meeting with a delegation of Silicon Valley leaders at the Trump Towers on December 14, 2016. Trump then as president-elect is quoted as saying that the tech industry needs help as there are too much of a regulation. "Take this H-1B visa issue. They really need these H-1B visas," Trump is quoted as telling Rupert Murdoch over phone after the meeting, according to the book. "The president-elect enjoyed being courted. On December 14, a high-level delegation from Silicon Valley came to Trump Tower to meet him. Later that afternoon, according to a source privy to details of the conversation, Trump called Rupert Murdoch, who asked him how the meeting had gone," Wolff writes in the book. "Oh, great, just great," said Trump. "These guys really need my help. Obama was not very favorable to them, too much regulation. This is really an opportunity for me to help them," the book said. "Donald," said Murdoch, "for eight years these guys had Obama in their pocket. They practically ran the administration. They don't need your help. Take this H-1B visa issue. They really need these H-1B visas," Trump said, according to the book. "Murdoch suggested that taking a liberal approach to H-1B visas, which open America's doors to select immigrants, might be hard to square with his promises to build a wall and close the borders. But Trump seemed unconcerned, assuring Murdoch, "We'll figure it out," Wolff writes. "What a fucking idiot," said Murdoch, shrugging, as he got off the phone, the author claims. The sympathetic view of Trump towards H-1B visa appears contrary to his public views on this popular work visa. Even during his election days, he had called for his strict review and described it as eating away with American jobs. After becoming the president, Trump has ordered for review of H-1B visas. His administration has come out with strict policies on issuing H-1B visas, the book said.

Trump did not want to be US president: Book

An attorney for President Donald Trump sought Thursday to halt publication of an upcoming <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-did-not-want-to-be-us-president-book-28531" target="_blank">bombshell book about his White House</a>, claiming it was &quot;libelous.&quot;

The cease and desist letter to author Michael Wolff and publisher Henry Holt and Co. claimed the book contained &quot;numerous false and/or baseless statements&quot; about Trump.

The book, &quot;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House&quot; is scheduled to be published on January 9, but excerpts appeared in several media outlets on Wednesday, prompting an angry reaction from the White House.

A copy of the letter from Trump&#39;s attorney Charles Harder to Wolff and the publisher was obtained by AFP.

An attorney for President Donald Trump sought Thursday to halt publication of an upcoming bombshell book about his White House, claiming it was 'libelous'

An attorney for President Donald Trump sought Thursday to halt publication of an upcoming bombshell book about his White House, claiming it was "libelous." The cease and desist letter to author Michael Wolff and publisher Henry Holt and Co. claimed the book contained "numerous false and/or baseless statements" about Trump. The book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" is scheduled to be published on January 9, but excerpts appeared in several media outlets on Wednesday, prompting an angry reaction from the White House. A copy of the letter from Trump's attorney Charles Harder to Wolff and the publisher was obtained by AFP.

Trump lawyer seeks to halt publication of 'libelous' book

Just hours after Pakistan&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-shifting-blame-for-own-mistakes-maleeha-lodhi-28422">ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha</a> Lodhi slammed the US, interior minister Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan had made the biggest sacrifices in the war against terror.

On Tuesday, Pakistan foreign minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-needs-to-do-more-to-fight-terrorism-white-house-28379">had hit out against Trump administration</a> challenging it to conduct an independent audit to find out whether the US had spent $33 billion after Trump accused Pakistan of taking the money over a 15-year period.

American officials have kept the pressure on Pakistan with the White House asserting that Pakistan needs to do more on terrorism. At the UN, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador said Pakistan has been engaging in a &quot;double game&quot;.

Pakistan prepared to go all out against the recent spate of accusation by the Trump administration with top Pakistani officials slamming the US administration over a range of terror-related issues.

&quot;The US president&#39;s recent remarks are akin to belittling our sacrifices. We are a dignified nation and no one has the right to attack our dignity,&quot; Ahsan Iqbal said.

&quot;I want to remind the US that these thorns are your inventions,&quot; the interior minister added.

&quot;As soon as the war against the Soviets ended, you withdrew and went home without thinking what your radicalizing of Afghanistan to create an anti-Soviet narrative would lead to. The seeds of the extremist views you used to win that war weren&#39;t going to suddenly start producing computer chips: they were going to breed terrorism and extremism,&quot; the minister said, adding that Pakistan was still &quot;paying&quot; for the seeds the US planted in the region.&nbsp;

On the Afghan refugee crisis, Pakistan&#39;s interior minister said the US hasn&#39;t allowed Syrian refugees into its territory but his country had allowed over three million into its country.

&quot;We have battled forces that are headquartered in Afghanistan. We have sacrificed our troops in Operation Raddul Fasad to rid this region of this menace,&quot; he said.

&quot;If President Trump and company want peace in Afghanistan, they should see it from their own perspective and not India&#39;s,&quot; he added.

American officials have kept the pressure on Pakistan with the White House asserting that Pakistan needs to do more on terrorism.

Just hours after Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi slammed the US, interior minister Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan had made the biggest sacrifices in the war against terror. On Tuesday, Pakistan foreign minister had hit out against Trump administration challenging it to conduct an independent audit to find out whether the US had spent $33 billion after Trump accused Pakistan of taking the money over a 15-year period. American officials have kept the pressure on Pakistan with the White House asserting that Pakistan needs to do more on terrorism. At the UN, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador said Pakistan has been engaging in a "double game". Pakistan prepared to go all out against the recent spate of accusation by the Trump administration with top Pakistani officials slamming the US administration over a range of terror-related issues. "The US president's recent remarks are akin to belittling our sacrifices. We are a dignified nation and no one has the right to attack our dignity," Ahsan Iqbal said. "I want to remind the US that these thorns are your inventions," the interior minister added. "As soon as the war against the Soviets ended, you withdrew and went home without thinking what your radicalizing of Afghanistan to create an anti-Soviet narrative would lead to. The seeds of the extremist views you used to win that war weren't going to suddenly start producing computer chips: they were going to breed terrorism and extremism," the minister said, adding that Pakistan was still "paying" for the seeds the US planted in the region. On the Afghan refugee crisis, Pakistan's interior minister said the US hasn't allowed Syrian refugees into its territory but his country had allowed over three million into its country. "We have battled forces that are headquartered in Afghanistan. We have sacrificed our troops in Operation Raddul Fasad to rid this region of this menace," he said. "If President Trump and company want peace in Afghanistan, they should see it from their own perspective and not India's," he added.

Pakistan has made biggest sacrifices in war on terror: Interior minister Ahsan Iqbal

A day after Pakistan foreign<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-needs-to-do-more-to-fight-terrorism-white-house-28379"> minister Khawaja Asif challenged</a> the US administration, Pakistan&#39;s ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi went a step further saying &quot;Islamabad could review its cooperation if it is not appreciated&quot;.

&nbsp;Asif in a tweet on Tuesday had said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-has-played-a-double-game-with-us-for-years-nikki-haley-28383">the US administration can hire a firm</a> at Pakistan&#39;s expense to audit the money spent on fighting America&#39;s war on terror.&nbsp;

President Trump in a tweet on New Years Day had said the US has &quot;foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars&quot; in aid over the last 15 years, and Pakistan had given the US &quot;nothing but lies &amp; deceit.&quot;&nbsp;

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley upped the pressure on Pakistan declaring that Pakistan was playing a &quot;double game&quot;.&nbsp;

Maleeha Lodhi hit back at Haley saying the US was &quot;shifting the blame for own mistakes and failures onto others&quot;.

&quot;We have contributed and sacrificed the most in fighting international terrorism and carried out the largest counter-terrorism operation anywhere in the world,&quot; Lodhi said.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s tweet against Pakistan created a firestorm in the country with several leaders including Prime Minister Abbasi condemning the statement by the US president.

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said: &quot;We lost 70,000 lives in America&#39;s war, Trump&#39;s recent statement should serve as an example for all of us. Regardless of whatever aid a country offers, we should not go to war for it.&quot;

Prime Minister Abassi chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday and expressed &quot;deep disappointment&quot; at the allegations levelled against Pakistan by US President Donald Trump.

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley upped the pressure on Pakistan declaring that Pakistan was playing a "double game".?

A day after Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif challenged the US administration, Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi went a step further saying "Islamabad could review its cooperation if it is not appreciated". Asif in a tweet on Tuesday had said the US administration can hire a firm at Pakistan's expense to audit the money spent on fighting America's war on terror. President Trump in a tweet on New Years Day had said the US has "foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars" in aid over the last 15 years, and Pakistan had given the US "nothing but lies & deceit." US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley upped the pressure on Pakistan declaring that Pakistan was playing a "double game". Maleeha Lodhi hit back at Haley saying the US was "shifting the blame for own mistakes and failures onto others". "We have contributed and sacrificed the most in fighting international terrorism and carried out the largest counter-terrorism operation anywhere in the world," Lodhi said. Trump's tweet against Pakistan created a firestorm in the country with several leaders including Prime Minister Abbasi condemning the statement by the US president. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said: "We lost 70,000 lives in America's war, Trump's recent statement should serve as an example for all of us. Regardless of whatever aid a country offers, we should not go to war for it." Prime Minister Abassi chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday and expressed "deep disappointment" at the allegations levelled against Pakistan by US President Donald Trump.

US shifting blame for own mistakes: Maleeha Lodhi

The USA is the Promised Land for the Indian and Chinese, very much like Israel is for the Jews.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Bright minds of India, particularly, the engineers and scientists soon after completing their college education head for the Promised Land. The US is the destination, destiny, the desire. The country is looked upon as the key to all earthly pleasures.

&nbsp;

But all that aspiration and the dreams woven around it stands jeopardised as the Trump administration plans to change H1-B visa rules. If implemented, 5 lakh techies working in the US may have to head back home.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Trump administration is working to prevent an extension of the H1B visa beyond the initial six years period. This means that the indefinite extension on the H1B visa that all applicants to the Green Card previously used to get now will not be available. Consequently, on the completion of the 6 years of H1B visa period, one has to return to one&#39;s homeland. Though no one is still sure as to how the technicality of the entire procedure will work, the reality could well be something similar to self-deportation.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

For an Indian, the average waiting period for the Green Card is about 10 years. If I am giving up my life and profession in the US and coming to back to start fresh in India, why will I take the trouble to go back to the US and start from the scratch?

&nbsp;

The Trump administration is here surely washing its hands off of all the legal immigrants aspiring to be American citizens. The Promised Land stands bereft of all promises if the bills get passed. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

H1-B visa has been at the pivot of controversy through Trump&#39;s presidential campaign, accentuating, particularly, after his ascension to the White House. Trump had been insisting to make immigration in the US a thoroughly merit-based system. He wanted to stop illegal immigration and, as his rhetorics revealed, he was not receptive to the idea of family-based immigration either.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

But the crucial point I raised in one of my earlier article which stands even more relevant now with the current pronouncement is how is Trump administration going to reconcile its &quot;Buy American, Hire American&quot; policy with a merit-based immigration strategy.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Allow me to explain. If Trump decided to follow an entirely merit-based immigration system, the administration will have to allow in individuals with highest professional degrees. Their skill being the primary criterion of entry, such people will obviously dominate the job market. Apart from doing away with threats these qualified professional foreign force will pose to US citizens, the Trump administration is forcing corporations to match up with the salaries they are expected to pay to US citizens who come equally qualified for the jobs but were not succeeding because of the low pay scale at which Indian and Chinese usually agreed to work.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The low pay-scale at which Indians agreed to work in the US-based tech companies had earned them the pejorative epithet of &quot;tech coolies&quot;, that is, manual tech labourer or the blue-collar engineers of the tech world. Many have opined that the steps proposed by the Trump administration will force tech companies to pay a more equitable wage that will improve the prospect of American citizens.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

But the fallacy of the situation is that the Trump administration is committing is to make salary the basis for judging merit. The High Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act, introduced by Congressperson Zoe Lofgren of California, would raise H-1B holders&#39; minimum salaries to the US $130,000. Doing this would mean, losing out a significant number of talents in the field that are crucial but not well-paid. For instance, the average salary of a fire protection and fuel engineer is $130,000 and $123,000 respectively. Whereas a computer engineer on an average earns $121,245&nbsp; and healthcare facility engineer gets $120,027.

&nbsp;

Clearly, fixing such wage ceiling, along with the proposed H1B Bill, is surely go against India&#39;s interest. This is something which India&#39;s Finance minister Arun Jaitley raised with the US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross in the past.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Interestingly, while the Trump administration and the President himself have shown much keenness in forging a strong bond with India in its fight against terrorism, it is holding no bar to upset its new ally in an economically sensitive issue. It is yet to be seen how the Modi government which has been nothing short of friendly to Trump, a much-hated figure elsewhere, deals with these challenging circumstances.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Trump administration is here surely washing its hands off of all the legal immigrants, meritorious or not, aspiring to be American citizens.

The USA is the Promised Land for the Indian and Chinese, very much like Israel is for the Jews. Bright minds of India, particularly, the engineers and scientists soon after completing their college education head for the Promised Land. The US is the destination, destiny, the desire. The country is looked upon as the key to all earthly pleasures. But all that aspiration and the dreams woven around it stands jeopardised as the Trump administration plans to change H1-B visa rules. If implemented, 5 lakh techies working in the US may have to head back home. Trump administration is working to prevent an extension of the H1B visa beyond the initial six years period. This means that the indefinite extension on the H1B visa that all applicants to the Green Card previously used to get now will not be available. Consequently, on the completion of the 6 years of H1B visa period, one has to return to one's homeland. Though no one is still sure as to how the technicality of the entire procedure will work, the reality could well be something similar to self-deportation. For an Indian, the average waiting period for the Green Card is about 10 years. If I am giving up my life and profession in the US and coming to back to start fresh in India, why will I take the trouble to go back to the US and start from the scratch? The Trump administration is here surely washing its hands off of all the legal immigrants aspiring to be American citizens. The Promised Land stands bereft of all promises if the bills get passed. H1-B visa has been at the pivot of controversy through Trump's presidential campaign, accentuating, particularly, after his ascension to the White House. Trump had been insisting to make immigration in the US a thoroughly merit-based system. He wanted to stop illegal immigration and, as his rhetorics revealed, he was not receptive to the idea of family-based immigration either. But the crucial point I raised in one of my earlier article which stands even more relevant now with the current pronouncement is how is Trump administration going to reconcile its "Buy American, Hire American" policy with a merit-based immigration strategy. Allow me to explain. If Trump decided to follow an entirely merit-based immigration system, the administration will have to allow in individuals with highest professional degrees. Their skill being the primary criterion of entry, such people will obviously dominate the job market. Apart from doing away with threats these qualified professional foreign force will pose to US citizens, the Trump administration is forcing corporations to match up with the salaries they are expected to pay to US citizens who come equally qualified for the jobs but were not succeeding because of the low pay scale at which Indian and Chinese usually agreed to work. The low pay-scale at which Indians agreed to work in the US-based tech companies had earned them the pejorative epithet of "tech coolies", that is, manual tech labourer or the blue-collar engineers of the tech world. Many have opined that the steps proposed by the Trump administration will force tech companies to pay a more equitable wage that will improve the prospect of American citizens. But the fallacy of the situation is that the Trump administration is committing is to make salary the basis for judging merit. The High Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act, introduced by Congressperson Zoe Lofgren of California, would raise H-1B holders' minimum salaries to the US $130,000. Doing this would mean, losing out a significant number of talents in the field that are crucial but not well-paid. For instance, the average salary of a fire protection and fuel engineer is $130,000 and $123,000 respectively. Whereas a computer engineer on an average earns $121,245 and healthcare facility engineer gets $120,027. Clearly, fixing such wage ceiling, along with the proposed H1B Bill, is surely go against India's interest. This is something which India's Finance minister Arun Jaitley raised with the US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross in the past. Interestingly, while the Trump administration and the President himself have shown much keenness in forging a strong bond with India in its fight against terrorism, it is holding no bar to upset its new ally in an economically sensitive issue. It is yet to be seen how the Modi government which has been nothing short of friendly to Trump, a much-hated figure elsewhere, deals with these challenging circumstances. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: New H1B rules may put the 'Promised Land' out of bounds for Indians

As <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-blocks-usd-255-million-military-aid-to-pakistan-28291">the US suspended $255 million military</a> aid to Pakistan, the country witnessed large-scale protests over Trump&#39;s tweet accusing the PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi-led government of &quot;lies and deceit&quot;.

The &nbsp;Difa-e-Pakistan Council, a political-religious group held a protest rally in Karachi as Pakistan continued to attack President Trump&#39;s New Year tweet in which he said that the United States has &quot;foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars&quot;&nbsp;in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but &quot;lies &amp; deceit&quot;.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Difa-e-Pakistan Council which also includes Hafiz Saeed&#39;s Jamaat-ud Dawa protests against US president Donald Trump in Pakistan&#39;s Karachi <a href="https://t.co/BDCFyNWgIA">pic.twitter.com/BDCFyNWgIA</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948124425336922112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan waded into the Trump debate searing the country saying that Pakistan had encountered a loss of $100,000 billion due to the US war on terror.

&quot;I was against fighting America&#39;s war for dollars and had spoken out against it,&quot; chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said.

&quot;We lost 70,000 lives in America&#39;s war, Trump&#39;s recent statement should serve as an example for all of us. Regardless of whatever aid a country offers, we should not go to war for it,&quot; he told reporters.

On Monday night, Pakistan summoned US Ambassador David Hale to lodge a protest against Trump&#39;s statement on Pakistan, reports said.

Pakistan&#39;s foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif had said earlier that his country would shortly respond to President Trump&#39;s tweet.

 
<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ATHhkf97lGk" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp;

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Pakistan summoned US Ambassador David Hale to lodge a protest against Trump's statement on Pakistan, reports said.

As the US suspended $255 million military aid to Pakistan, the country witnessed large-scale protests over Trump's tweet accusing the PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi-led government of "lies and deceit". The Difa-e-Pakistan Council, a political-religious group held a protest rally in Karachi as Pakistan continued to attack President Trump's New Year tweet in which he said that 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". Difa-e-Pakistan Council which also includes Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-ud Dawa protests against US president Donald Trump in Pakistan's Karachi pic.twitter.com/BDCFyNWgIA — ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2018 × Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan waded into the Trump debate searing the country saying that Pakistan had encountered a loss of $100,000 billion due to the US war on terror. "I was against fighting America's war for dollars and had spoken out against it," chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said. "We lost 70,000 lives in America's war, Trump's recent statement should serve as an example for all of us. Regardless of whatever aid a country offers, we should not go to war for it," he told reporters. On Monday night, Pakistan summoned US Ambassador David Hale to lodge a protest against Trump's statement on Pakistan, reports said. Pakistan's foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif had said earlier that his country would shortly respond to President Trump's tweet.

Pakistan lost 70,000 lives in America's war on terror: Imran Khan

The international terrorist Hafiz Saeed has been repeatedly thumbing his nose at the Pakistani establishment as well as at the United States, but Islamabad remains obdurate in not taking any action against him and several other terrorists. On several occasions, the US expressed its displeasure and concern, and nudged Pakistan to arrest and charge Saeed for his crimes. But Pakistan has always looked the other way around. What is that which is preventing Pakistan from booking Saeed at the expense of its fragile ties with the US?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There can be only two plausible reasons. Either Pakistan is impotent and afraid of the might of Saeed or it is a well-thought-out plan of action to get even with its now estranged ally. Saeed, who carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, is a U.N. and United States designated terrorist. Moreover, India has blamed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief for the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;Pakistan has been at the receiving end ever since the Donald Trump administration took over in January last year. President Trump has been particularly hard on Pakistan since he was on his campaign trail. There is no doubt that there has been a tectonic shift in American policy of late as the US desperation grows because of Pakistan&rsquo;s failure to rein in militants ensconced in its backyard.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The ties between Pakistan and the US had started straining during the Barack Obama administration.&nbsp; It all began with the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US special forces in May 2011 on Pakistani soil in an operation kept secret from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government. The US, which had launched a massive manhunt for Laden, mastermind of the deadly September 11 attacks, was shocked that he was being provided a safe sanctuary by Pakistan whom it considered a strategic ally in its fight against terrorism. Even though, the US chose to maintain a fa&ccedil;ade of relationship with Pakistan because of its interests in Afghanistan.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;But all that seems to be over now! &quot;We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism when I&rsquo;m president. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with India in sharing intelligence and keeping our people safe mutually,&quot; Trump had said during electioneering. And true to his words, one can notice a paradigm shift in the new US dispensation as far as the battle against Islamic militants is concerned. From here onwards, one can expect a no-nonsense US policy on terrorism which should be a major cause of worry for Pakistan, which continues to host several militant groups hostile to both India and the US.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Unlike his predecessors, there is an increasing likelihood of Trump seeking to reshape the decades-old policy towards Pakistan by linking US aid to its commitment against terrorism. Today the US administration has announced withholding $255 million in aid to Pakistan.&nbsp; Though a pittance, the message is loud and clear that the US is dissatisfied with the obstinacy shown by Pakistan in not taking substantive action against terrorist networks that continue to flourish there with the full support of the administration.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;Pakistan has been the recipient of more than $33 billion in aid since 2002. And it has done precious little to rein in militants. The US frustration seems to have reached the point of no return as President Trump in his August address said:&nbsp; &quot;We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting.&quot;&nbsp; Since then he has dispatched his top diplomatic and military advisors to Pakistan -- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis &ndash; who read out the riot act to senior officials of Pakistan. But thus far, Pakistan does not seem to have been rattled by such warnings.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;On the contrary, not only did it free Saeed from the so-called &ldquo;house arrest&rdquo; with the lame excuse that the Lahore court did not merit his detention, it went on to justify his release. To rub salt into the wound, its foreign office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that Islamabad was committed to the implementation of United Nations Security Council 1267 sanctions regime on terrorists and had taken several steps in this regard.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;If that was not enough, Pakistan allowed Saeed to open the first office of his political group Milli Muslim League (MML) in Lahore. Saeed has also declared his political ambitions by announcing that his organisation JuD would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the MML. Ironically, according to Pakistani government records, the MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JuD. In fact, Saeed was showered with flower petals as he openly toured several areas in full public glare.

&nbsp;

Can it happen in any civilised country that a UN-designated terrorist is allowed to roam free? But anything can happen in a rogue country like Pakistan which even allows a terrorist group to launch its political party and let it contest the elections. The MML-backed candidate had secured the fourth position with 6,000 votes, double than that of Pakistan People&rsquo;s Party (PPP) and Jamaat- i-Islami combined in a by-election in Lahore&#39;s NA-120 constituency last September. The seat had fallen vacant when the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had to resign, following his disqualification by Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court.

&nbsp;

It is hard to digest that Saeed would have been allowed to open the office of MML without the consent of the government of the day and that too when the US had expressed its strong concerns and said in a statement that it hopes Pakistan &quot;does the right thing&quot; in not allowing that to happen and added that it &quot;want(s) to make...clear so that everybody knows&quot;, that the US has put a bounty of $10 million on Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).&nbsp; It is an open secret that Saeed has the full backing of Pakistani army which has been at loggerheads with the government.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;The question then arises whether Saeed has the tacit support of the Pakistani establishment or it is too afraid to take action against him as he is being backed by the army. Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa came in full support of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind when he appeared before a parliament forum last month and said that Saeed, like every other Pakistani, had the right to raise the Kashmir issue. It is a known fact that the army enjoys far greater power than the elected government in Pakistan and no government can afford to go against the wishes of the army. Whatever may be Pakistan&rsquo;s reason to prop up Saeed, but one thing is certain. Pakistan is in for a rude shock in the coming months.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Either Pakistan is impotent and afraid of the might of Saeed or it is a well-thought-out plan of action to get even with its now estranged ally, the US.

The international terrorist Hafiz Saeed has been repeatedly thumbing his nose at the Pakistani establishment as well as at the United States, but Islamabad remains obdurate in not taking any action against him and several other terrorists. On several occasions, the US expressed its displeasure and concern, and nudged Pakistan to arrest and charge Saeed for his crimes. But Pakistan has always looked the other way around. What is that which is preventing Pakistan from booking Saeed at the expense of its fragile ties with the US? There can be only two plausible reasons. Either Pakistan is impotent and afraid of the might of Saeed or it is a well-thought-out plan of action to get even with its now estranged ally. Saeed, who carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, is a U.N. and United States designated terrorist. Moreover, India has blamed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief for the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. Pakistan has been at the receiving end ever since the Donald Trump administration took over in January last year. President Trump has been particularly hard on Pakistan since he was on his campaign trail. There is no doubt that there has been a tectonic shift in American policy of late as the US desperation grows because of Pakistan’s failure to rein in militants ensconced in its backyard. The ties between Pakistan and the US had started straining during the Barack Obama administration. It all began with the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US special forces in May 2011 on Pakistani soil in an operation kept secret from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government. The US, which had launched a massive manhunt for Laden, mastermind of the deadly September 11 attacks, was shocked that he was being provided a safe sanctuary by Pakistan whom it considered a strategic ally in its fight against terrorism. Even though, the US chose to maintain a façade of relationship with Pakistan because of its interests in Afghanistan. But all that seems to be over now! "We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism when I’m president. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with India in sharing intelligence and keeping our people safe mutually," Trump had said during electioneering. And true to his words, one can notice a paradigm shift in the new US dispensation as far as the battle against Islamic militants is concerned. From here onwards, one can expect a no-nonsense US policy on terrorism which should be a major cause of worry for Pakistan, which continues to host several militant groups hostile to both India and the US. Unlike his predecessors, there is an increasing likelihood of Trump seeking to reshape the decades-old policy towards Pakistan by linking US aid to its commitment against terrorism. Today the US administration has announced withholding $255 million in aid to Pakistan. Though a pittance, the message is loud and clear that the US is dissatisfied with the obstinacy shown by Pakistan in not taking substantive action against terrorist networks that continue to flourish there with the full support of the administration. Pakistan has been the recipient of more than $33 billion in aid since 2002. And it has done precious little to rein in militants. The US frustration seems to have reached the point of no return as President Trump in his August address said: "We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting." Since then he has dispatched his top diplomatic and military advisors to Pakistan -- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis – who read out the riot act to senior officials of Pakistan. But thus far, Pakistan does not seem to have been rattled by such warnings. On the contrary, not only did it free Saeed from the so-called “house arrest” with the lame excuse that the Lahore court did not merit his detention, it went on to justify his release. To rub salt into the wound, its foreign office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that Islamabad was committed to the implementation of United Nations Security Council 1267 sanctions regime on terrorists and had taken several steps in this regard. If that was not enough, Pakistan allowed Saeed to open the first office of his political group Milli Muslim League (MML) in Lahore. Saeed has also declared his political ambitions by announcing that his organisation JuD would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the MML. Ironically, according to Pakistani government records, the MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JuD. In fact, Saeed was showered with flower petals as he openly toured several areas in full public glare. Can it happen in any civilised country that a UN-designated terrorist is allowed to roam free? But anything can happen in a rogue country like Pakistan which even allows a terrorist group to launch its political party and let it contest the elections. The MML-backed candidate had secured the fourth position with 6,000 votes, double than that of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamaat- i-Islami combined in a by-election in Lahore's NA-120 constituency last September. The seat had fallen vacant when the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had to resign, following his disqualification by Pakistan's Supreme Court. It is hard to digest that Saeed would have been allowed to open the office of MML without the consent of the government of the day and that too when the US had expressed its strong concerns and said in a statement that it hopes Pakistan "does the right thing" in not allowing that to happen and added that it "want(s) to make...clear so that everybody knows", that the US has put a bounty of $10 million on Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). It is an open secret that Saeed has the full backing of Pakistani army which has been at loggerheads with the government. The question then arises whether Saeed has the tacit support of the Pakistani establishment or it is too afraid to take action against him as he is being backed by the army. Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa came in full support of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind when he appeared before a parliament forum last month and said that Saeed, like every other Pakistani, had the right to raise the Kashmir issue. It is a known fact that the army enjoys far greater power than the elected government in Pakistan and no government can afford to go against the wishes of the army. Whatever may be Pakistan’s reason to prop up Saeed, but one thing is certain. Pakistan is in for a rude shock in the coming months. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: US blocks aid but Pakistan still backs Hafiz Saeed. Why?

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;

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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>
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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;

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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>
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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)

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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;

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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>
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&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.

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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>
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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.

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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;

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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>
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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;

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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>
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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.

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<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>
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&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

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