President Donald Trump predicted a &quot;very great&quot; relationship with China&#39;s Xi Jinping as the pair met for the first time at his Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago Thursday, when cordiality replaced tough anti-China rhetoric.

Trump, in his signature red tie, warmly welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi, decked out in contrasting blue, to what the US leader likes to call the &quot;Winter White House&quot; for a superpower summit in the sun.

Inside the luxurious resort Trump waxed lyrical that it was a &quot;great honour&quot; to host the Chinese leader, breaking the ice with a joke about his own dealmaking prowess.

&quot;We had a long discussion already. So far, I have gotten nothing. Absolutely nothing,&quot; he said to laughs from the delegation. &nbsp;

&quot;But I can see that, I think long-term, we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it.&quot;

This is the first time the two leaders meet, after a US election that featured frequent barbs at China&#39;s &quot;rape&quot; of the US economy.

During that campaign Trump had ridiculed his predecessor&#39;s decision to offer Xi a coveted state dinner, saying that -- if elected -- he would serve the 63-year-old a Big Mac.

But inside Mar-a-Lago&#39;s ornate dining room -- with gold-trimmed chairs, fine cut glass and polished silverware -- it was Dover sole with champagne sauce and New York strip steak with whipped potatoes rather than McDonald&#39;s on the menu.

The open agenda and the personal setting for the 24-hour summit are designed to allow the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport, in what is the world&#39;s most important relationship.

Amid concerns about security and public perceptions, Xi and his wife are not staying at Mar-a-Lago, but at a resort and spa a short drive down the palm-fringed coast that is, for now, watched by snipers, tactical units and a coastguard cutter.

The two leaders were joined Thursday evening by US first lady and former model Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan -- a celebrated folk singer who Trump hailed as a &quot;great, great celebrity.&quot;

Talks will continue up to a working lunch on Friday, and are likely to turn to more serious issues.

The summit has been somewhat overshadowed by renewed missile tests in North Korea and possible US military action in response to an apparent chemical attack in Syria.

The UN Security Council &nbsp;-- where both China and the United States hold a veto -- is holding crisis talks to discuss a response to Bashar al-Assad&#39;s Syrian regime.

Peace offerings&nbsp;

Xi had arrived to the meeting with a gift basket of &quot;tweetable deliverables,&quot; sources say, peace offerings on Trump&#39;s signature issues -- trade and jobs -- that he hopes will smooth over a relationship that began on shaky ground following disagreements over Taiwan.

Top of the list, according to a source briefed on Xi&#39;s plans, will be a package of Chinese investments aimed at creating more than 700,000 American jobs -- the number pledged to Trump by China&#39;s regional rival Japan, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe&#39;s February Mar-a-Lago visit.

There may also be offers to further open China&#39;s auto and agricultural markets, insiders say, and even some concessions on Chinese banks&#39; transactions with North Korea, a vital financial lifeline for the country.

In return, Xi hopes to get assurances from Trump on punitive tariffs and that an American arms sale to Taiwan will be delayed, at least until after a major Communist Party meeting later this year.

Trump&#39;s position on democratically-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has been a major irritant since the billionaire politician accepted a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory.

All politics is local&nbsp;

The summit stakes, both domestic and international, are high.

Disagreements over approaches to North Korea or bilateral trade could, if mishandled, destabilize North East Asia or tank the global economy.

On the domestic political front, Xi is heading into a critical year. Ahead of a party congress that could cement his grip on power for years to come, he needs to show that he can deal with the US leader as an equal.

He &quot;cannot afford to lose face while China aspires to be the new center of gravity for the world order,&quot; China political analyst Willy Lam told AFP.

Meanwhile, Trump -- who is reeling from legislative defeats, low approval ratings and unrelenting scandals --&nbsp;desperately needs a win.&nbsp;

On the US side, however, North Korea will likely top the agenda following Wednesday&#39;s provocative missile launch.

The Trump White House worries Pyongyang is just months away from marrying nuclear and long-range missile technology and putting the west coast of the United States within striking distance.

While Beijing has condemned the missile tests, it has hesitated to take dramatic action against Pyongyang, fearing that the country&#39;s collapse would generate a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep.

(AFP)

The US and Chinese presidents meet for the first time amid Trump's several jibes and anger aimed at Beijing

President Donald Trump predicted a "very great" relationship with China's Xi Jinping as the pair met for the first time at his Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago Thursday, when cordiality replaced tough anti-China rhetoric. Trump, in his signature red tie, warmly welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi, decked out in contrasting blue, to what the US leader likes to call the "Winter White House" for a superpower summit in the sun. Inside the luxurious resort Trump waxed lyrical that it was a "great honour" to host the Chinese leader, breaking the ice with a joke about his own dealmaking prowess. "We had a long discussion already. So far, I have gotten nothing. Absolutely nothing," he said to laughs from the delegation. "But I can see that, I think long-term, we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it." This is the first time the two leaders meet, after a US election that featured frequent barbs at China's "rape" of the US economy. During that campaign Trump had ridiculed his predecessor's decision to offer Xi a coveted state dinner, saying that -- if elected -- he would serve the 63-year-old a Big Mac. But inside Mar-a-Lago's ornate dining room -- with gold-trimmed chairs, fine cut glass and polished silverware -- it was Dover sole with champagne sauce and New York strip steak with whipped potatoes rather than McDonald's on the menu. The open agenda and the personal setting for the 24-hour summit are designed to allow the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport, in what is the world's most important relationship. Amid concerns about security and public perceptions, Xi and his wife are not staying at Mar-a-Lago, but at a resort and spa a short drive down the palm-fringed coast that is, for now, watched by snipers, tactical units and a coastguard cutter. The two leaders were joined Thursday evening by US first lady and former model Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan -- a celebrated folk singer who Trump hailed as a "great, great celebrity." Talks will continue up to a working lunch on Friday, and are likely to turn to more serious issues. The summit has been somewhat overshadowed by renewed missile tests in North Korea and possible US military action in response to an apparent chemical attack in Syria. The UN Security Council -- where both China and the United States hold a veto -- is holding crisis talks to discuss a response to Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime. Peace offerings Xi had arrived to the meeting with a gift basket of "tweetable deliverables," sources say, peace offerings on Trump's signature issues -- trade and jobs -- that he hopes will smooth over a relationship that began on shaky ground following disagreements over Taiwan. Top of the list, according to a source briefed on Xi's plans, will be a package of Chinese investments aimed at creating more than 700,000 American jobs -- the number pledged to Trump by China's regional rival Japan, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's February Mar-a-Lago visit. There may also be offers to further open China's auto and agricultural markets, insiders say, and even some concessions on Chinese banks' transactions with North Korea, a vital financial lifeline for the country. In return, Xi hopes to get assurances from Trump on punitive tariffs and that an American arms sale to Taiwan will be delayed, at least until after a major Communist Party meeting later this year. Trump's position on democratically-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has been a major irritant since the billionaire politician accepted a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory. All politics is local The summit stakes, both domestic and international, are high. Disagreements over approaches to North Korea or bilateral trade could, if mishandled, destabilize North East Asia or tank the global economy. On the domestic political front, Xi is heading into a critical year. Ahead of a party congress that could cement his grip on power for years to come, he needs to show that he can deal with the US leader as an equal. He "cannot afford to lose face while China aspires to be the new center of gravity for the world order," China political analyst Willy Lam told AFP. Meanwhile, Trump -- who is reeling from legislative defeats, low approval ratings and unrelenting scandals -- desperately needs a win. On the US side, however, North Korea will likely top the agenda following Wednesday's provocative missile launch. The Trump White House worries Pyongyang is just months away from marrying nuclear and long-range missile technology and putting the west coast of the United States within striking distance. While Beijing has condemned the missile tests, it has hesitated to take dramatic action against Pyongyang, fearing that the country's collapse would generate a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep. (AFP)

Trump bins sharp anti-China rhetoric to host Xi with 'great honour'

Russia wants an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss U.S. missile strikes on Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday, describing the action as &quot;thoughtless&quot;.

The ministry said in a statement that Russia was also suspending a Syrian air safety agreement with the United States, saying:

&quot;This is not the first time the United States has resorted to such a thoughtless step, which merely exacerbates existing problems and threatens global security.&quot;

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Russia has dismissed Western accusations against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who Washington says was responsible for a chemical gas attack that left scores dead in the Syrian province of Idlib.

The foreign ministry said it was clear that the U.S. missile strikes were prepared before the Idlib incident.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The Russian foreign ministry described the strikes as 'thoughtless'

Russia wants an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss U.S. missile strikes on Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday, describing the action as "thoughtless". The ministry said in a statement that Russia was also suspending a Syrian air safety agreement with the United States, saying: "This is not the first time the United States has resorted to such a thoughtless step, which merely exacerbates existing problems and threatens global security." This is not the first time the United States has resorted to such a thoughtless step, which merely exacerbates existing problems and threatens global security × Russia has dismissed Western accusations against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who Washington says was responsible for a chemical gas attack that left scores dead in the Syrian province of Idlib. The foreign ministry said it was clear that the U.S. missile strikes were prepared before the Idlib incident. (Reuters)

Russia calls for emergency UN meeting after US strikes on Syria

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he ordered missile strikes against a Syrian airfield from which a deadly chemical weapons attack was launched, declaring he acted in America`s &quot;national security interest&quot; against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

US officials said the military fired dozens of cruise missiles against the airbase controlled by Assad`s forces in response to the poison gas attack on Tuesday in a rebel-held area.

Facing his biggest foreign policy crisis since taking office in January, Trump took the toughest direct U.S. action yet in Syria&#39;s six-year-old civil war, raising the risk of confrontation with Russia and Iran, Assad`s two main military backers.

&quot;Years of previous attempts at changing Assad&rsquo;s behavior have all failed and failed very dramatically,&quot; Trump said from his resort in Mar-a-Lago where he was attending a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Some 50 Tomahawk missiles were launched from US&nbsp;Navy warships, the USS Porter and USS Ross, in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, striking multiple targets - including the airstrip, aircraft and fuel stations - on the Shayrat Air Base, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

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Damage estimates from the strikes, which were conducted at 8:45 pm&nbsp;EDT (0045 GMT on Friday), were not immediately known.

Syrian state TV said that &quot;American aggression&quot; had targeted a Syrian military base with &quot;a number of missiles and cited a Syrian military source as saying the strike had &quot;led to losses.&quot;

Trump said: &quot;Tonight I ordered a targeted military strike on the airfield in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched.

&quot;It is in the vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the chemical weapons convention and ignored the urging of the UN&nbsp;Security Council,&quot; he added.

Trump ordered the strikes just a day after he pointed the finger at Assad for this week`s chemical attack, which killed at least 70 people, many of them children, in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. The Syrian government has denied it was behind the attack.

Trump appeared to have opted for measured and targeted air attacks instead of a full-blown assault on Assad`s forces and installations.

The relatively quick response to the chemical attack came as Trump faced a growing list of global problems, from North Korea to China to Iran and Islamic State, and may have been intended to send a message to friends and foes alike of his resolve to use military force if deemed necessary.

&#39;Something should happen&#39; 
Trump said earlier on Thursday that &quot;something should happen&quot; with Assad but did not specifically call for his ouster.

Officials from the Pentagon and State Department met all day to discuss plans for the missile strikes.

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US&nbsp;military action put the new president at odds with Russia, which has air and ground forces in Syria after intervening there on Assad`s side in 2015 and turning the tide against mostly Sunni Muslim rebel groups.&nbsp;

Trump has until now focused his Syria policy almost exclusively on defeating Islamic State militants in northern Syria, where US&nbsp;special forces are supporting Arab and Kurdish armed groups.

The risks have grown worse since 2013, when Barack Obama, Trump&#39;s predecessor, considered and then&nbsp;rejected ordering a cruise missile strike in response to the use&nbsp;of chemical weapons by Assad&#39;s loyalists.

Only last week, US&nbsp;Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the U.S. diplomatic policy on Syria for now was no longer focused on making Assad leave power, one of Obama`s aims.

But Trump said on Wednesday the gas attack in Idlib province, which sparked outrage around the world, had caused him to think again about Assad.

Speaking just before the strikes were announced, Russia&#39;s deputy UN envoy, Vladimir Safronkov, warned of &quot;negative consequences&quot; if the United States went ahead with military action, saying the blame would be &ldquo;on shoulders of those who initiated such doubtful and tragic enterprise.&rdquo;

The deployment of military force against Assad marked a major reversal for Trump.

Obama&rsquo;s set a &ldquo;red line&rdquo; in 2012 against Assad&rsquo;s use of chemical weapons. When Obama then threatened military action after a 2013 chemical attack, Trump issued a series of tweets opposing the idea, including &ldquo;Do NOT attack Syria, fix U.S.A.&rdquo;

Obama backtracked on the air strikes, and after the latest attack, Trump was quick to blame his Democratic predecessor for &ldquo;weakness and irresolution&rdquo; that emboldened Assad.

(Reuters)

US President Donald Trump said Syrian forces had launched a chemical attack on a northern Syrian town from the Shayrat air base

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he ordered missile strikes against a Syrian airfield from which a deadly chemical weapons attack was launched, declaring he acted in America`s "national security interest" against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. US officials said the military fired dozens of cruise missiles against the airbase controlled by Assad`s forces in response to the poison gas attack on Tuesday in a rebel-held area. Facing his biggest foreign policy crisis since taking office in January, Trump took the toughest direct U.S. action yet in Syria's six-year-old civil war, raising the risk of confrontation with Russia and Iran, Assad`s two main military backers. "Years of previous attempts at changing Assad’s behavior have all failed and failed very dramatically," Trump said from his resort in Mar-a-Lago where he was attending a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Some 50 Tomahawk missiles were launched from US Navy warships, the USS Porter and USS Ross, in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, striking multiple targets - including the airstrip, aircraft and fuel stations - on the Shayrat Air Base, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The missiles struck multiple targets - including the airstrip, aircraft and fuel stations - on the Shayrat Air Base, officials said × Damage estimates from the strikes, which were conducted at 8:45 pm EDT (0045 GMT on Friday), were not immediately known. Syrian state TV said that "American aggression" had targeted a Syrian military base with "a number of missiles and cited a Syrian military source as saying the strike had "led to losses." Trump said: "Tonight I ordered a targeted military strike on the airfield in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched. "It is in the vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons," Trump said. "There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the chemical weapons convention and ignored the urging of the UN Security Council," he added. Trump ordered the strikes just a day after he pointed the finger at Assad for this week`s chemical attack, which killed at least 70 people, many of them children, in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. The Syrian government has denied it was behind the attack. Trump appeared to have opted for measured and targeted air attacks instead of a full-blown assault on Assad`s forces and installations. The relatively quick response to the chemical attack came as Trump faced a growing list of global problems, from North Korea to China to Iran and Islamic State, and may have been intended to send a message to friends and foes alike of his resolve to use military force if deemed necessary. 'Something should happen' Trump said earlier on Thursday that "something should happen" with Assad but did not specifically call for his ouster. Officials from the Pentagon and State Department met all day to discuss plans for the missile strikes. Trump appeared to have opted for measured and targeted air attacks instead of a full-blown assault on Assad`s forces and installations × US military action put the new president at odds with Russia, which has air and ground forces in Syria after intervening there on Assad`s side in 2015 and turning the tide against mostly Sunni Muslim rebel groups. Trump has until now focused his Syria policy almost exclusively on defeating Islamic State militants in northern Syria, where US special forces are supporting Arab and Kurdish armed groups. The risks have grown worse since 2013, when Barack Obama, Trump's predecessor, considered and then rejected ordering a cruise missile strike in response to the use of chemical weapons by Assad's loyalists. Only last week, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the U.S. diplomatic policy on Syria for now was no longer focused on making Assad leave power, one of Obama`s aims. But Trump said on Wednesday the gas attack in Idlib province, which sparked outrage around the world, had caused him to think again about Assad. Speaking just before the strikes were announced, Russia's deputy UN envoy, Vladimir Safronkov, warned of "negative consequences" if the United States went ahead with military action, saying the blame would be “on shoulders of those who initiated such doubtful and tragic enterprise.” The deployment of military force against Assad marked a major reversal for Trump. Obama’s set a “red line” in 2012 against Assad’s use of chemical weapons. When Obama then threatened military action after a 2013 chemical attack, Trump issued a series of tweets opposing the idea, including “Do NOT attack Syria, fix U.S.A.” Obama backtracked on the air strikes, and after the latest attack, Trump was quick to blame his Democratic predecessor for “weakness and irresolution” that emboldened Assad. (Reuters)

US fires 59 missiles at Syria air base

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said Thursday that misogyny &quot;certainly played a role&quot; in her bruising defeat at the hands of Donald Trump&nbsp;in last year&#39;s US presidential election.

&quot;I don&#39;t know that there is one answer,&quot; she told the Women in the World Summit in New York when asked why she thought she lost the white women&#39;s vote to a Republican who had boasted of groping women.

&quot;Certainly misogyny played a role, I mean that just has to be admitted,&quot; added the former first lady and New York senator, who was treated to an ecstatic welcome and standing ovation from the crowd.

&quot;I think in this election there was a very real struggle between what is viewed as change that is welcomed and exciting to so many Americans and change which is worrisome and threatening to so many others.

&quot;And layer on the first woman president over that and I think some people, women included, had real problems,&quot; she said in her first interview since her loss, speaking to a New York Times journalist at the women&#39;s empowerment event held each year in Manhattan.

The vastly experienced Clinton won the popular vote, but lost the crucial electoral college to the real estate tycoon who had never previously held public office.

Having dreamt for years of making history to become the United States&#39;s first woman president, Clinton admitted that the aftermath of the election had been &quot;so devastating.&quot;

She slammed Russian interference in the election as &quot;an act of aggression,&quot; warned Moscow was capable of repeating it and called for a bipartisan US commitment to make sure it did not happen again.

But the 69-year-old also said she had no plans to run for office again.

&quot;I am looking at doing interesting things, I don&#39;t think that will include ever running for office again,&quot; she told the audience.

&quot;I am really focused on just doing some things that I think I can help make a difference with, like this supporting of young people and getting more women into politics, and I very much want to help Democrats take back the Congress,&quot; she said to cheers.

(AFP)

'I mean that just has to be admitted,' Hillary Clinton said when asked why she thought she lost the white women's vote

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said Thursday that misogyny "certainly played a role" in her bruising defeat at the hands of Donald Trump in last year's US presidential election. "I don't know that there is one answer," she told the Women in the World Summit in New York when asked why she thought she lost the white women's vote to a Republican who had boasted of groping women. "Certainly misogyny played a role, I mean that just has to be admitted," added the former first lady and New York senator, who was treated to an ecstatic welcome and standing ovation from the crowd. "I think in this election there was a very real struggle between what is viewed as change that is welcomed and exciting to so many Americans and change which is worrisome and threatening to so many others. "And layer on the first woman president over that and I think some people, women included, had real problems," she said in her first interview since her loss, speaking to a New York Times journalist at the women's empowerment event held each year in Manhattan. The vastly experienced Clinton won the popular vote, but lost the crucial electoral college to the real estate tycoon who had never previously held public office. Having dreamt for years of making history to become the United States's first woman president, Clinton admitted that the aftermath of the election had been "so devastating." She slammed Russian interference in the election as "an act of aggression," warned Moscow was capable of repeating it and called for a bipartisan US commitment to make sure it did not happen again. But the 69-year-old also said she had no plans to run for office again. "I am looking at doing interesting things, I don't think that will include ever running for office again," she told the audience. "I am really focused on just doing some things that I think I can help make a difference with, like this supporting of young people and getting more women into politics, and I very much want to help Democrats take back the Congress," she said to cheers. (AFP)

Misogyny played a role in US election loss: Clinton

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping arrived in Florida Thursday for a first face-to-face summit, eying a basket full of &quot;tweetable&quot; deals to help avoid a public clash.

Xi touched down at Palm Beach airport, where he received red carpet treatment and a military honour guard that offered no hint of the tensions that permeate this high-stakes superpower pow-wow.

Trump arrived a little later and headed to his Mar-a-Lago resort -- dubbed the &quot;Winter White House&quot; -- where he will host Xi for what promises to be a masterclass in studied informality.

The agenda for the 24 hour summit has purposely been left open, allowing the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport. Thursday&#39;s main event is a joint dinner.

Matt Pottinger, a top White House Asia expert who was tasked with planning the summit, promised a &quot;relaxed interaction&quot; despite a backdrop of tensions over trade and North Korea.

&quot;Spouses will be there&quot; said Pottinger, indicating the leaders will be joined Thursday evening by US first lady and former model Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan -- a celebrated folk singer who was once more famous than her husband.

The group will &quot;have an opportunity to have tea together, meet some of their senior cabinet officials, so to speak, on both sides, and have a dinner,&quot; Pottinger added.

Talks will continue up to a working lunch on Friday.

Amid concerns about security and public perceptions, officials said Xi and his wife will not be staying at Mar-a-Lago, but at a resort and spa a short drive down the palm-fringed coast that is, for now, watched by snipers, tactical units and a coastguard cutter.

The carefully choreographed dinners and displays of bonhomie mask an almost palpable anxiety about how the meeting will go.

Peace offerings&nbsp;

No one -- neither diplomats nor aides -- can be sure what will happen when the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation meets a mercurial American president who has been in office less than 100 days and is capable of unraveling the most carefully-laid plans with a single 140-character tweet.

For that reason Xi is arriving with a gift-basket of &quot;tweetable deliverables&quot;, sources say, peace offerings on Trump&#39;s signature issues -- trade and jobs -- that he hopes will smooth over a relationship that began on shaky ground following disagreements over Taiwan.

Top of the list, according to a source briefed on Xi&#39;s plans, will be a package of Chinese investments aimed at creating more than 700,000 American jobs -- the number pledged to Trump by China&#39;s regional rival Japan, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe&#39;s February Mar-a-Lago visit.

There may also be offers to further open China&#39;s auto and agricultural markets, insiders say, and even some concessions on Chinese banks&#39; transactions with North Korea, a vital financial lifeline for the country.

In return, Xi hopes to get assurances from Trump on punitive tariffs and that an American arms sale to Taiwan will be delayed, at least until after a major Communist Party meeting later this year.

Trump&#39;s position on the democratically-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has been a major irritant since the billionaire politician accepted a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory.

All politics is local&nbsp;

The summit stakes, both domestic and international, are high.

Disagreements over approaches to North Korea or bilateral trade could, if mishandled, destabilize North East Asia or tank the global economy.

On the domestic political front, Xi is heading into a critical year. Ahead of a party congress that could cement his grip on power for years to come, he needs to show that he can deal with the US leader as an equal.

He &quot;cannot afford to lose face while China aspires to be the new center of gravity for the world order,&quot; China political analyst Willy Lam told AFP.

Meanwhile, Trump -- who is reeling from legislative defeats, low approval ratings and unrelenting scandals --&nbsp;desperately needs a win.&nbsp;

He may not have much room to maneuver, however, with a country he has castigated for &quot;stealing&quot; American jobs and doing &quot;little&quot; to rein in North Korea&#39;s nuclear program.

Even though the two leaders &quot;want to project themselves as very forceful, very decisive and also getting the best for the benefit of their own countries, they are also anxious not to get into difficult negotiating positions,&quot; according to Lam.

On the US side, however, North Korea will likely top the agenda following a provocative missile launch Wednesday -- barely 48 hours before the summit.

Different interests&nbsp;

The Trump White House worries Pyongyang is just months away from marrying nuclear and long-range missile technology and putting the west coast of the United States within striking distance.

The tough-talking new president has repeatedly and very publicly indicated his openness to military action.

While Beijing has condemned the missile tests, it has hesitated to take dramatic action against Pyongyang, fearing that the country&#39;s collapse would generate a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep.

But coming to an agreement on the issue will not be easy, according to Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

&quot;I don&#39;t think they&#39;re talking about solutions... at the end of the day, their interests are not really the same as the United States.&#39;&quot;

(AFP)

The agenda for the 24 hour summit has purposely been left open, allowing the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping arrived in Florida Thursday for a first face-to-face summit, eying a basket full of "tweetable" deals to help avoid a public clash. Xi touched down at Palm Beach airport, where he received red carpet treatment and a military honour guard that offered no hint of the tensions that permeate this high-stakes superpower pow-wow. Trump arrived a little later and headed to his Mar-a-Lago resort -- dubbed the "Winter White House" -- where he will host Xi for what promises to be a masterclass in studied informality. The agenda for the 24 hour summit has purposely been left open, allowing the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport. Thursday's main event is a joint dinner. Matt Pottinger, a top White House Asia expert who was tasked with planning the summit, promised a "relaxed interaction" despite a backdrop of tensions over trade and North Korea. "Spouses will be there" said Pottinger, indicating the leaders will be joined Thursday evening by US first lady and former model Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan -- a celebrated folk singer who was once more famous than her husband. The group will "have an opportunity to have tea together, meet some of their senior cabinet officials, so to speak, on both sides, and have a dinner," Pottinger added. Talks will continue up to a working lunch on Friday. Amid concerns about security and public perceptions, officials said Xi and his wife will not be staying at Mar-a-Lago, but at a resort and spa a short drive down the palm-fringed coast that is, for now, watched by snipers, tactical units and a coastguard cutter. The carefully choreographed dinners and displays of bonhomie mask an almost palpable anxiety about how the meeting will go. Peace offerings No one -- neither diplomats nor aides -- can be sure what will happen when the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation meets a mercurial American president who has been in office less than 100 days and is capable of unraveling the most carefully-laid plans with a single 140-character tweet. For that reason Xi is arriving with a gift-basket of "tweetable deliverables", sources say, peace offerings on Trump's signature issues -- trade and jobs -- that he hopes will smooth over a relationship that began on shaky ground following disagreements over Taiwan. Top of the list, according to a source briefed on Xi's plans, will be a package of Chinese investments aimed at creating more than 700,000 American jobs -- the number pledged to Trump by China's regional rival Japan, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's February Mar-a-Lago visit. There may also be offers to further open China's auto and agricultural markets, insiders say, and even some concessions on Chinese banks' transactions with North Korea, a vital financial lifeline for the country. In return, Xi hopes to get assurances from Trump on punitive tariffs and that an American arms sale to Taiwan will be delayed, at least until after a major Communist Party meeting later this year. Trump's position on the democratically-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has been a major irritant since the billionaire politician accepted a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory. All politics is local The summit stakes, both domestic and international, are high. Disagreements over approaches to North Korea or bilateral trade could, if mishandled, destabilize North East Asia or tank the global economy. On the domestic political front, Xi is heading into a critical year. Ahead of a party congress that could cement his grip on power for years to come, he needs to show that he can deal with the US leader as an equal. He "cannot afford to lose face while China aspires to be the new center of gravity for the world order," China political analyst Willy Lam told AFP. Meanwhile, Trump -- who is reeling from legislative defeats, low approval ratings and unrelenting scandals -- desperately needs a win. He may not have much room to maneuver, however, with a country he has castigated for "stealing" American jobs and doing "little" to rein in North Korea's nuclear program. Even though the two leaders "want to project themselves as very forceful, very decisive and also getting the best for the benefit of their own countries, they are also anxious not to get into difficult negotiating positions," according to Lam. On the US side, however, North Korea will likely top the agenda following a provocative missile launch Wednesday -- barely 48 hours before the summit. Different interests The Trump White House worries Pyongyang is just months away from marrying nuclear and long-range missile technology and putting the west coast of the United States within striking distance. The tough-talking new president has repeatedly and very publicly indicated his openness to military action. While Beijing has condemned the missile tests, it has hesitated to take dramatic action against Pyongyang, fearing that the country's collapse would generate a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep. But coming to an agreement on the issue will not be easy, according to Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). "I don't think they're talking about solutions... at the end of the day, their interests are not really the same as the United States.'" (AFP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in US for high-stakes summit

President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended a star Fox News host accused of sexual harassment by several women, saying that Bill O&#39;Reilly is &quot;a good person.&quot;

A number of major advertisers have cancelled spots on US television&#39;s most-watched cable news show, &quot;The O&#39;Reilly Factor,&quot; following recent revelations of three new cases alleging abusive behavior.

The New York Times reported last week that the cable news giant and O&#39;Reilly had paid five women a total of $13 million in the cases spanning 15 years, in exchange for their silence and agreement not to pursue litigation against Fox News, a favorite among conservatives.&nbsp;

While two of the cases were previously known, the Times said it had unearthed three more cases of harassment, two of a sexual nature and one alleging verbally abusive behavior by O&#39;Reilly.

Trump, asked Wednesday by the Times about the accusations against O&#39;Reilly, came to the defense of the 67-year-old conservative TV host.

&quot;I don&#39;t think Bill did anything wrong,&quot; the 70-year-old president said. &quot;He&#39;s a person I know well -- he is a good person.&quot;

&quot;Personally, I think he shouldn&#39;t have settled,&quot; Trump said, suggesting O&#39;Reilly should have fought the lawsuits in court.

In a statement released after the New York Times report, O&#39;Reilly did not directly deny any of the allegations but said his prominence made him &quot;vulnerable to lawsuits from individuals who want me to pay them to avoid negative publicity.&quot;

During the US election campaign, Trump had defended then Fox News chief Roger Ailes, who also was accused of sexual harassment.

The scandal led to last July&#39;s ouster of Ailes, 76, who built the conservative news channel at the request of Rupert Murdoch, head of media giant News Corp.

Trump&#39;s election campaign was roiled after the release of a 2005 video that caught him on a &quot;hot mike&quot; making vulgar and degrading remarks about women.

After the video&#39;s release, a dozen women came forward to publicly accuse the Republican candidate of abusive behavior that, in some instances if confirmed, would have amounted to sexual assault.

Trump has consistently denied those accusations.

(AFP)

The Fox News host has been accused of sexual harassment by several women

President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended a star Fox News host accused of sexual harassment by several women, saying that Bill O'Reilly is "a good person." A number of major advertisers have cancelled spots on US television's most-watched cable news show, "The O'Reilly Factor," following recent revelations of three new cases alleging abusive behavior. The New York Times reported last week that the cable news giant and O'Reilly had paid five women a total of $13 million in the cases spanning 15 years, in exchange for their silence and agreement not to pursue litigation against Fox News, a favorite among conservatives. While two of the cases were previously known, the Times said it had unearthed three more cases of harassment, two of a sexual nature and one alleging verbally abusive behavior by O'Reilly. Trump, asked Wednesday by the Times about the accusations against O'Reilly, came to the defense of the 67-year-old conservative TV host. "I don't think Bill did anything wrong," the 70-year-old president said. "He's a person I know well -- he is a good person." "Personally, I think he shouldn't have settled," Trump said, suggesting O'Reilly should have fought the lawsuits in court. In a statement released after the New York Times report, O'Reilly did not directly deny any of the allegations but said his prominence made him "vulnerable to lawsuits from individuals who want me to pay them to avoid negative publicity." During the US election campaign, Trump had defended then Fox News chief Roger Ailes, who also was accused of sexual harassment. The scandal led to last July's ouster of Ailes, 76, who built the conservative news channel at the request of Rupert Murdoch, head of media giant News Corp. Trump's election campaign was roiled after the release of a 2005 video that caught him on a "hot mike" making vulgar and degrading remarks about women. After the video's release, a dozen women came forward to publicly accuse the Republican candidate of abusive behavior that, in some instances if confirmed, would have amounted to sexual assault. Trump has consistently denied those accusations. (AFP)

Beleaguered Bill O'Reilly 'a good person', says Trump

United States President Donald Trump&#39;s wife Melania is under increasing pressure to move the White House, after half a million people signed a petition citing that the security costs to keep her at Trump Tower in New York were too &quot;exorbitant&quot;.

Melania has continued to stay in New York with her Barron despite Donald Trump assuming office in Washington more than two months back.

The petitioners say Melania should either move to the White House or pay for her own security, United Kingdon-based newspaper Independent reported.

A New York Police Department letter stated that the security costs ranged between $127,000 to $146,000 a day -- an amount that is being paid from taxpayers&#39; money.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/about" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">petition</a>&nbsp;states: &ldquo;The US taxpayer is paying an exorbitant amount of money to protect the First Lady in Trump Tower, located in New York City. As to help relieve the national debt, this expense yields no positive results for the nation and should be cut from being funded.&rdquo;&nbsp;

The petition had initially aimed to garner signatures from 150,000 people but the movement has snowballed more than threefold.

The petition will be sent to the US Senate as well as Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

People who backed the movement widely&nbsp;criticised&nbsp;the Trump family&#39;s extravagant lifestyle.

The 70-year-old president&#39;s spate of golf&nbsp;vacations has also come under public scrutiny. Trump has taken 12 such vacations ever since he took over the White House eleven weeks back. Each trip of his costs the taxpayers around $3 million, according to Politico.

In comparison, the previous president Barack Obama&#39;s vacation cost taxpayers $12.1 million per year, a Forbes report stated.

(WION)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Petitioners are miffed with Melania Trump's decision to stay put at Trump Tower because security expenses go up to $146,000 a day

United States President Donald Trump's wife Melania is under increasing pressure to move the White House, after half a million people signed a petition citing that the security costs to keep her at Trump Tower in New York were too "exorbitant". Melania has continued to stay in New York with her Barron despite Donald Trump assuming office in Washington more than two months back. The petitioners say Melania should either move to the White House or pay for her own security, United Kingdon-based newspaper Independent reported. A New York Police Department letter stated that the security costs ranged between $127,000 to $146,000 a day -- an amount that is being paid from taxpayers' money. The petition states: “The US taxpayer is paying an exorbitant amount of money to protect the First Lady in Trump Tower, located in New York City. As to help relieve the national debt, this expense yields no positive results for the nation and should be cut from being funded.” The petition had initially aimed to garner signatures from 150,000 people but the movement has snowballed more than threefold. The petition will be sent to the US Senate as well as Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. People who backed the movement widely criticised the Trump family's extravagant lifestyle. The 70-year-old president's spate of golf vacations has also come under public scrutiny. Trump has taken 12 such vacations ever since he took over the White House eleven weeks back. Each trip of his costs the taxpayers around $3 million, according to Politico. In comparison, the previous president Barack Obama's vacation cost taxpayers $12.1 million per year, a Forbes report stated. (WION)

Half-a-million petitioners demand Melania Trump move to the White House

North Korea is close to developing nuclear weaponry and will use it at the first sign of threat, according to the most high-profile Pyongyang diplomat to have defected in the last two decades.

Thae Yong Ho, who defected from the regime last year, told NBC News&#39; Lester Holt that the current dictator Kim Jong-Un would not hesitate to strike the United States with a nuclear weapon or an intercontinential ballistic missile (ICBM).

Thae said Kim was &quot;desperate in maintaining his rule by relying on nuclear weapons and ICBM&quot;.&nbsp;

Although Thae was not directly involved with the nuclear weapon programme, he said North Korea had reached a &quot;very significant level of nuclear development&quot;.

&quot;Once he (Kim) sees that there is a kind of sign of a tank or an imminent threat from America, then he would use his nuclear weapons with ICBM,&quot; Thae said.

Thae was serving as North Korea&#39;s deputy ambassador to the United Nations in London before he and his family defected to South Korea last August.&nbsp;

North Korea has claimed it has conducted five successful nuclear tests, twice in 2016 alone.

Some analysts reckon that North Korea has at least eight nuclear weapons, but the country has yet to successfully test-fire an ICBM capable of striking the United States.

But North Korea leader Kim had earlier this year said that they were ready to test-fire an ICBM &quot;at any time, at any place&quot;.

Pyongyang has defied multiple UN sanctions aimed to curtail their nuclear programme. Since coming to power five years back, Kim has bolstered the alienated nation&#39;s nuclear programme and increased the number of test-fires of various rockets.

Thae, in the interview with the US broadcaster, said he believed the only way to rein in North Korea would be to eliminate its leader.

While US President Donald Trump has vowed to take strict action against North Korea, Pyongyang has continued to thumb its nose by test-firing rockets.

Recently, Trump asked for China&#39;s help in curbing North Korea, but declared that even if they didn&#39;t, Washington would &quot;solve&quot; the protracted issue by themselves.

(WION)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A former North Korea diplomat said 'desperate' North leader Kim would not hesitate to attack US if there was a 'threat'

North Korea is close to developing nuclear weaponry and will use it at the first sign of threat, according to the most high-profile Pyongyang diplomat to have defected in the last two decades. Thae Yong Ho, who defected from the regime last year, told NBC News' Lester Holt that the current dictator Kim Jong-Un would not hesitate to strike the United States with a nuclear weapon or an intercontinential ballistic missile (ICBM). Thae said Kim was "desperate in maintaining his rule by relying on nuclear weapons and ICBM". Although Thae was not directly involved with the nuclear weapon programme, he said North Korea had reached a "very significant level of nuclear development". "Once he (Kim) sees that there is a kind of sign of a tank or an imminent threat from America, then he would use his nuclear weapons with ICBM," Thae said. Thae was serving as North Korea's deputy ambassador to the United Nations in London before he and his family defected to South Korea last August. North Korea has claimed it has conducted five successful nuclear tests, twice in 2016 alone. Some analysts reckon that North Korea has at least eight nuclear weapons, but the country has yet to successfully test-fire an ICBM capable of striking the United States. But North Korea leader Kim had earlier this year said that they were ready to test-fire an ICBM "at any time, at any place". Pyongyang has defied multiple UN sanctions aimed to curtail their nuclear programme. Since coming to power five years back, Kim has bolstered the alienated nation's nuclear programme and increased the number of test-fires of various rockets. Thae, in the interview with the US broadcaster, said he believed the only way to rein in North Korea would be to eliminate its leader. While US President Donald Trump has vowed to take strict action against North Korea, Pyongyang has continued to thumb its nose by test-firing rockets. Recently, Trump asked for China's help in curbing North Korea, but declared that even if they didn't, Washington would "solve" the protracted issue by themselves. (WION)

North Korea capable of striking US with nuclear weapons: Defector

US President Donald Trump spoke Monday with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and pledged Washington&#39;s &quot;full support&quot; for Moscow&#39;s response to the deadly attack on the Saint Petersburg metro, the White House said.

Trump expressed his condolences and condemned the attack, which killed 11 people and left dozens wounded. Russian authorities said they were probing an &quot;act of terror.&quot;

&quot;President Trump offered the full support of the United States Government in responding to the attack and bringing those responsible to justice,&quot; the White House said in a statement about the phone call.

&quot;Both President Trump and President Putin agreed that terrorism must be decisively and quickly defeated.&quot;

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion in Saint Petersburg, which comes after the Islamic State group called for attacks on Russia in retribution for its military intervention in Syria fighting against the jihadists.

Earlier Monday at a White House event, Trump described the attack as &quot;a terrible thing.&quot;

Trump&#39;s phone call with Putin comes as the US Congress investigates Russian interference in last year&#39;s presidential election.

American intelligence alleges that Putin directed a campaign to tip the US election in Trump&#39;s favor.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Trump expressed his condolences and condemned the attack, which killed 11 people and left dozens wounded

US President Donald Trump spoke Monday with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and pledged Washington's "full support" for Moscow's response to the deadly attack on the Saint Petersburg metro, the White House said. Trump expressed his condolences and condemned the attack, which killed 11 people and left dozens wounded. Russian authorities said they were probing an "act of terror." "President Trump offered the full support of the United States Government in responding to the attack and bringing those responsible to justice," the White House said in a statement about the phone call. "Both President Trump and President Putin agreed that terrorism must be decisively and quickly defeated." There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion in Saint Petersburg, which comes after the Islamic State group called for attacks on Russia in retribution for its military intervention in Syria fighting against the jihadists. Earlier Monday at a White House event, Trump described the attack as "a terrible thing." Trump's phone call with Putin comes as the US Congress investigates Russian interference in last year's presidential election. American intelligence alleges that Putin directed a campaign to tip the US election in Trump's favor. (AFP)

Trump pledges 'full support' to Putin over St Petersburg metro attack

United States President Donald Trump Friday doubled down on his promise to tackle the substantial trade deficit by signing two executive orders and shooting a stern warning to countries or companies who have &quot;stolen factories&quot; from the country.

Calling countries contributing to the US&#39; burgeoning trade deficit as &quot;cheaters&quot;, Trump said: &quot;From now on those who break the rules will face the consequences, and there will be very severe consequences.&quot;

&quot;Thousands of factories have been stolen from our country, but these voiceless Americans now have a voice in the White House,&quot; the 70-year-old president said.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross also pinpointed China as the primary source of the US economy&#39;s bugbear, a week before Trump is due to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Ross also listed a dozen other countries responsible for the lopsided trade deals. Among them were:&nbsp;Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

But the Commerce Secretary stopped short of calling all countries as &quot;evildoers&quot; and reasoned that the new order would not necessarily trigger retaliatory action against them.

Trade reset&nbsp;

In a second executive order Trump asked the government to better recover trade duties on products that are subsidised by foreign governments or dumped on the US market.

The order, Trump said, would &quot;ensure that we fully collect all duties imposed on important importers that cheat. They are cheaters.&quot;

The proposals being considered by US customs officials could impose more substantial bonding requirements at the border or examine products&#39; risk more stringently.

Listing various problem areas, Trump advisor Peter Navarro said: &quot;This is a big deal. It&#39;s steel, chemicals, agricultural products, machinery -- it&#39;s the whole gambit.&quot;

WTO head Roberto Azevedo said there was a need for clarity on US trade policy, to see how public declarations translate into policy.

&quot;It is difficult to predict and speculate about what US trade policy will be. It&#39;s a very important country, one which the whole world has its eyes on.&quot;

In a sign of brewing unease, Germany on Friday protested over planned US punitive anti-dumping duties on steel plate products from companies in that country and half a dozen others.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel charged the step breached global trade rules and unfairly disadvantaged suppliers in Germany, as well as in Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Italy also voiced alarm, amid fears that products like Vespa scooters could be hit by punitive duties.

&quot;Trump declares war on the Vespa&quot; said a headline in national daily Il Messaggero, reflecting the tone of most of the media coverage on an issue that dominated front pages and topped news bulletins.

Navarro insisted the new measures would fall within rules at the World Trade Organization, where some might see the United States erecting a technical barrier to trade.

&quot;There is no issue here,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ve been collecting these duties -- we just haven&#39;t been doing it very well. The WTO is silent on the issue of incompetence.&quot;

The US Chamber of Commerce gave the orders a qualified welcome.

&quot;The Chamber supports strong enforcement of trade rules and agreements, as long as such enforcement is based on facts and the proper interpretation of those facts and not politics,&quot; said CEO Thomas Donohue.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Washington also included India as one of the countries that were contributing to US' economic problem

United States President Donald Trump Friday doubled down on his promise to tackle the substantial trade deficit by signing two executive orders and shooting a stern warning to countries or companies who have "stolen factories" from the country. Calling countries contributing to the US' burgeoning trade deficit as "cheaters", Trump said: "From now on those who break the rules will face the consequences, and there will be very severe consequences." "Thousands of factories have been stolen from our country, but these voiceless Americans now have a voice in the White House," the 70-year-old president said. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross also pinpointed China as the primary source of the US economy's bugbear, a week before Trump is due to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Ross also listed a dozen other countries responsible for the lopsided trade deals. Among them were: Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. But the Commerce Secretary stopped short of calling all countries as "evildoers" and reasoned that the new order would not necessarily trigger retaliatory action against them. Trade reset In a second executive order Trump asked the government to better recover trade duties on products that are subsidised by foreign governments or dumped on the US market. The order, Trump said, would "ensure that we fully collect all duties imposed on important importers that cheat. They are cheaters." The proposals being considered by US customs officials could impose more substantial bonding requirements at the border or examine products' risk more stringently. Listing various problem areas, Trump advisor Peter Navarro said: "This is a big deal. It's steel, chemicals, agricultural products, machinery -- it's the whole gambit." WTO head Roberto Azevedo said there was a need for clarity on US trade policy, to see how public declarations translate into policy. "It is difficult to predict and speculate about what US trade policy will be. It's a very important country, one which the whole world has its eyes on." In a sign of brewing unease, Germany on Friday protested over planned US punitive anti-dumping duties on steel plate products from companies in that country and half a dozen others. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel charged the step breached global trade rules and unfairly disadvantaged suppliers in Germany, as well as in Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Italy also voiced alarm, amid fears that products like Vespa scooters could be hit by punitive duties. "Trump declares war on the Vespa" said a headline in national daily Il Messaggero, reflecting the tone of most of the media coverage on an issue that dominated front pages and topped news bulletins. Navarro insisted the new measures would fall within rules at the World Trade Organization, where some might see the United States erecting a technical barrier to trade. "There is no issue here," he said. "We've been collecting these duties -- we just haven't been doing it very well. The WTO is silent on the issue of incompetence." The US Chamber of Commerce gave the orders a qualified welcome. "The Chamber supports strong enforcement of trade rules and agreements, as long as such enforcement is based on facts and the proper interpretation of those facts and not politics," said CEO Thomas Donohue. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump aims to root out 'cheaters' to combat burgeoning trade deficit

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, already a White House senior adviser, will take on the additional task of overseeing an effort to overhaul the federal government, the White House said on Monday.

Kushner, who is married to Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka Trump, will lead a White House Office of American Innovation to leverage business ideas and potentially privatise some government functions as the White House pushes to shrink government, cut federal employees and eliminate regulations.

&quot;This office will bring together the best ideas from government, the private sector, and other thought leaders to ensure that America is ready to solve today&#39;s most intractable problems,&quot; Trump said in a memorandum creating the office that includes about a dozen White House officials.

Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to &quot;drain the swamp,&quot; has enacted a hiring freeze for most civilian federal jobs and proposed massive cuts in US&nbsp;domestic agencies that could shrink the size of government by thousands of workers

The Republican president has also proposed sweeping cuts in government regulations and plans to sign an order on Tuesday rolling back some energy regulations.

&quot;We have a lot more coming,&quot; he said on Monday at a ceremony signing bills to repeal four regulations, vowing to eliminate every &quot;job-killing regulation that we can find&quot;.

A number of recent presidents including Bill Clinton, George W&nbsp;Bush and Barack Obama had mixed success with their own initiatives to reinvent or streamline government using suggestions from the private sector.

Kushner has been a regular presence at his father-in-law&#39;s side and was earlier cleared by the Justice Department to serve as a White House senior adviser even as Democrats raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

He has been given a wide range of domestic and foreign policy responsibilities, including working on a Middle East peace deal. He will continue to serve in the other roles even as he takes up the new duties, the White House said.

Last week, Ivanka Trump received her own office in the White House along with access to classified information and a government-issued phone. Aides had said earlier she would not take on a role in her father&#39;s White House, as did Trump himself.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I am not trying to get &quot;top level security clearance&quot; for my children. This was a typically false news story.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/798850338384023552">November 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The Washington Post quoted aides as saying she would collaborate with Kushner&#39;s innovation office but would not have an official role.

&nbsp;

TAKING ON WASHINGTON

Among past efforts to overhaul the way Washington works, Clinton in 1993 called for &quot;reinventing government.&quot; His reforms led to a slower pace of federal hiring, reducing the federal workforce by 240,000 jobs and closing small offices. Congress did not agree to some of the more aggressive cuts.

Bush proposed government management reforms, but ended up focussing largely on restructuring national security agencies after the September&nbsp;11, 2001, attacks, folding many agencies into the new Department of Homeland Security.

Obama in 2012 proposed closing the Commerce Department and creating a new export agency, saving $3 billion over 10 years and cutting 1,000 plus jobs. His plans failed to get congressional approval.

(Reuters)

The billionaire scion of a wealthy real estate company, Kushner has no experience in politics. He will oversee dramatic cuts

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, already a White House senior adviser, will take on the additional task of overseeing an effort to overhaul the federal government, the White House said on Monday. Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, will lead a White House Office of American Innovation to leverage business ideas and potentially privatise some government functions as the White House pushes to shrink government, cut federal employees and eliminate regulations. "This office will bring together the best ideas from government, the private sector, and other thought leaders to ensure that America is ready to solve today's most intractable problems," Trump said in a memorandum creating the office that includes about a dozen White House officials. Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to "drain the swamp," has enacted a hiring freeze for most civilian federal jobs and proposed massive cuts in US domestic agencies that could shrink the size of government by thousands of workers The Republican president has also proposed sweeping cuts in government regulations and plans to sign an order on Tuesday rolling back some energy regulations. "We have a lot more coming," he said on Monday at a ceremony signing bills to repeal four regulations, vowing to eliminate every "job-killing regulation that we can find". A number of recent presidents including Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama had mixed success with their own initiatives to reinvent or streamline government using suggestions from the private sector. Kushner has been a regular presence at his father-in-law's side and was earlier cleared by the Justice Department to serve as a White House senior adviser even as Democrats raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest. He has been given a wide range of domestic and foreign policy responsibilities, including working on a Middle East peace deal. He will continue to serve in the other roles even as he takes up the new duties, the White House said. Last week, Ivanka Trump received her own office in the White House along with access to classified information and a government-issued phone. Aides had said earlier she would not take on a role in her father's White House, as did Trump himself. I am not trying to get "top level security clearance" for my children. This was a typically false news story. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2016 × The Washington Post quoted aides as saying she would collaborate with Kushner's innovation office but would not have an official role. TAKING ON WASHINGTON Among past efforts to overhaul the way Washington works, Clinton in 1993 called for "reinventing government." His reforms led to a slower pace of federal hiring, reducing the federal workforce by 240,000 jobs and closing small offices. Congress did not agree to some of the more aggressive cuts. Bush proposed government management reforms, but ended up focussing largely on restructuring national security agencies after the September 11, 2001, attacks, folding many agencies into the new Department of Homeland Security. Obama in 2012 proposed closing the Commerce Department and creating a new export agency, saving $3 billion over 10 years and cutting 1,000 plus jobs. His plans failed to get congressional approval. (Reuters)

Trump's son-in-law to oversee government revamp

Two Congressional Democrats mocked US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence for posting a picture of all men&nbsp;on&nbsp;Twitter from a House Freedom Caucus meeting proposing doing away with&nbsp;women&#39;s healthcare initiatives, <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/325562-dem-lawmaker-shreds-house-gop-over-lack-of-women-in-maternity" target="_blank">The Hill</a> reports.

Here is the Tweet from Vice President Mike Pence:&nbsp;

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Appreciated joining <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS">@POTUS</a> for meeting with the Freedom Caucus again today. This is it. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PassTheBill?src=hash">#PassTheBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/XG6lQIy5a6">pic.twitter.com/XG6lQIy5a6</a>
&mdash; Vice President Pence (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/844977432713146370">March 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The House Freedom Caucus&nbsp;gathered seeking ways to pass the Republican bill to repeal-and-replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Proposed was doing away with &quot;essential health benefits&quot;, which require insurance plans to cover basic health services females need, like maternity care and mammograms.

At least two Democrats seised on this&nbsp;picture without women in it to mock the Republicans for making laws about women&#39;s health in a meeting wit

That the Republicans would make legislation that so impacted women&#39;s health in a meeting without women it and&nbsp;post a picture of it, was seised on by two Democrats.

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This is outrageous: Not a single woman in the room as <a href="https://twitter.com/mike_pence">@Mike_Pence</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP">@HouseGOP</a> propose removing maternity coverage in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Trumpcare?src=hash">#Trumpcare</a>. <a href="https://t.co/wwY6WsN206">pic.twitter.com/wwY6WsN206</a>
&mdash; Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMcGovern/status/844991898850877443">March 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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A rare look inside the GOP&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s health caucus. <a href="https://t.co/SgLmvSpeSM">https://t.co/SgLmvSpeSM</a>
&mdash; Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) <a href="https://twitter.com/PattyMurray/status/845001919034732544">March 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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No women are in the House Freedom Caucus, but it was reported that top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway was in attendance, as was the president and vice president.

(WION)

&nbsp;

The meeting discussed repealing ObamaCare 'essential health benefits', requiring insurance companies to cover mammograms and maternity care

Two Congressional Democrats mocked US Vice President Mike Pence for posting a picture of all men on Twitter from a House Freedom Caucus meeting proposing doing away with women's healthcare initiatives, The Hill reports. Here is the Tweet from Vice President Mike Pence: Appreciated joining @POTUS for meeting with the Freedom Caucus again today. This is it. #PassTheBill pic.twitter.com/XG6lQIy5a6 — Vice President Pence (@VP) March 23, 2017 × The House Freedom Caucus gathered seeking ways to pass the Republican bill to repeal-and-replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Proposed was doing away with "essential health benefits", which require insurance plans to cover basic health services females need, like maternity care and mammograms. At least two Democrats seised on this picture without women in it to mock the Republicans for making laws about women's health in a meeting wit That the Republicans would make legislation that so impacted women's health in a meeting without women it and post a picture of it, was seised on by two Democrats. This is outrageous: Not a single woman in the room as @Mike_Pence and @HouseGOP propose removing maternity coverage in #Trumpcare. pic.twitter.com/wwY6WsN206 — Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) March 23, 2017 × A rare look inside the GOP’s women’s health caucus. https://t.co/SgLmvSpeSM — Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) March 23, 2017 × No women are in the House Freedom Caucus, but it was reported that top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway was in attendance, as was the president and vice president. (WION)

Republicans mocked for posting photo of healthcare meeting with 0 women in it: The Hill

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump will attend a summit of leaders of NATO nations on May 25 in Brussels, the White House said on Tuesday.

Trump&#39;s visit will give him an opportunity to press his case for why many NATO allies need to boost defence spending to help spread the cost of the security umbrella.

Trump has made key European allies nervous with his demands that they increase defence spending and his talk of establishing an alliance with Russia to counter Islamic State militants.

&quot;The president looks forward to meeting with his NATO counterparts to reaffirm our strong commitment to NATO, and to discuss issues critical to the alliance, especially allied responsibility-sharing and NATO&rsquo;s role in the fight against terrorism,&quot; a White House statement said.

Trump will welcome NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to the White House on April 12 to discuss &quot;how to strengthen the alliance to cope with challenges to national and international security,&quot; the statement said.

(Reuters)

President Trump will likely press his case on why many NATO allies need to boost defense spending

US President Donald Trump will attend a summit of leaders of NATO nations on May 25 in Brussels, the White House said on Tuesday. Trump's visit will give him an opportunity to press his case for why many NATO allies need to boost defence spending to help spread the cost of the security umbrella. Trump has made key European allies nervous with his demands that they increase defence spending and his talk of establishing an alliance with Russia to counter Islamic State militants. "The president looks forward to meeting with his NATO counterparts to reaffirm our strong commitment to NATO, and to discuss issues critical to the alliance, especially allied responsibility-sharing and NATO’s role in the fight against terrorism," a White House statement said. Trump will welcome NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to the White House on April 12 to discuss "how to strengthen the alliance to cope with challenges to national and international security," the statement said. (Reuters)

Trump to attend NATO summit in Brussels on May 25

Nearly half of Canadians want to deport people who are illegally crossing into Canada from the United States, and a similar number disapprove of how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is handling the influx, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Monday.

A significant minority, four out of 10 respondents, said the border crossers could make Canada &quot;less safe&quot;, underlining the potential political risk for Trudeau&#39;s Liberal government.

The poll underscores how the increasing flow in recent months of hundreds of asylum-seekers, from Africa and the Middle East, has become a contentious issue in Canada.

In the small border town of Emerson which has seen hundreds of border crossers, some residents say they empathise with those making the long and sometimes dangerous trek to the Great White North, but are concerned about potential security threats.

&quot;These people are not refugees. They are already coming from a safe country. United States is a safe country,&quot; said Greg Janzen, the elected leader of the local municipality.

&quot;They are fleeing from something and when you start getting a number of people coming from different countries, that&#39;s what concerning our residents. With the bigger numbers coming, we are going to see more criminals, more undesirables,&quot; he said.

The town of 650 people lies on the border between the Canadian province of Manitoba and the US&nbsp;state of North Dakota.

Migrants coming from the United States walk along train tracks and follow rail lines into Emerson, crossing a border marked in most areas only by scattered concrete boundary markers.

The town has put up cameras near the tracks to monitor incoming migrants and officials say trains have slowed down to avoid hitting people walking on the tracks.

Wayne Pfiel, a bartender at Emerson Inn, said many residents were angry about the asylum seekers, but he welcomed them. Pfiel recently found a shivering family in his lobby when he opened up his bar.

&quot;They were afraid, but after a while, I talked with (a)&nbsp;few of them. They were in good shape and they were polite,&quot; said Pfiel.

There has been broad bipartisan support for high levels of legal immigration for decades in Canada. But Trudeau has come under pressure over the flow of the illegal migrants. He is questioned about it every time he appears in parliament, from opponents on the left, who want more asylum-seekers to be allowed in, and critics on the right, who say the migrants pose a potential security risk.

Canadians appeared to be just as concerned about illegal immigration as their American neighbors, according to the poll, which was conducted between March 8-9. Some 48 per cent of Canadians said they supported &quot;increasing the deportation of people living in Canada illegally&quot;.

When asked specifically about the recent border crossings from the United States, the same number - 48 per cent - said Canada should &quot;send these migrants back to the US&quot; Another 36 per cent said Canada should &quot;accept these migrants&quot; and let them seek refugee status.

&quot;Sometimes you wonder - is this person going to go through the legal process or is he just trying to get to this side of the world and have a better life?&quot; asked Emerson resident and hotel manager Faye Suderman who added that she felt compassion for the people who were seeking asylum.

&quot;They&#39;re walking across with children. So it&#39;s hard to hard to see it, yet you don&#39;t know until they&#39;ve been screened. You have no idea who they are or what they are or what they have. You know, can they have a weapon? I mean, they could have, right, because they&#39;re crossing illegally,&quot; said Suderman&#39;s husband, Frank.

Illegal migrants interviewed by Reuters in Canada said they had been legally in the United States and had applied for asylum there. But they had fled to Canada for fear of being caught up in Trump&#39;s more aggressive immigration crackdown.

&quot;It saddens me that that what&#39;s happening in the States is causing people to flee there because I&#39;m guessing that many of them had already come there as refugees and were making a life for themselves. And now they feel so unsafe that they want to come here,&quot; said Wayne Sandler, a social worker in Manitoba&#39;s capital, Winnipeg.

Canadians appeared to be just as concerned about illegal immigration as their American neighbors, according to the poll, which was conducted between March 8-9. Some 48 per cent of Canadians said they supported &quot;increasing the deportation of people living in Canada illegally.&quot;

When asked specifically about the recent border crossings from the United States, the same number - 48 per cent - said Canada should &quot;send these migrants back to the US&quot; Another 36 per cent said Canada should &quot;accept these migrants&quot; and let them seek refugee status.

(Reuters)

Some residents empathise with those making the long, sometimes dangerous trek to the Great White North, but are concerned about security

Nearly half of Canadians want to deport people who are illegally crossing into Canada from the United States, and a similar number disapprove of how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is handling the influx, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Monday. A significant minority, four out of 10 respondents, said the border crossers could make Canada "less safe", underlining the potential political risk for Trudeau's Liberal government. The poll underscores how the increasing flow in recent months of hundreds of asylum-seekers, from Africa and the Middle East, has become a contentious issue in Canada. In the small border town of Emerson which has seen hundreds of border crossers, some residents say they empathise with those making the long and sometimes dangerous trek to the Great White North, but are concerned about potential security threats. "These people are not refugees. They are already coming from a safe country. United States is a safe country," said Greg Janzen, the elected leader of the local municipality. "They are fleeing from something and when you start getting a number of people coming from different countries, that's what concerning our residents. With the bigger numbers coming, we are going to see more criminals, more undesirables," he said. The town of 650 people lies on the border between the Canadian province of Manitoba and the US state of North Dakota. Migrants coming from the United States walk along train tracks and follow rail lines into Emerson, crossing a border marked in most areas only by scattered concrete boundary markers. The town has put up cameras near the tracks to monitor incoming migrants and officials say trains have slowed down to avoid hitting people walking on the tracks. Wayne Pfiel, a bartender at Emerson Inn, said many residents were angry about the asylum seekers, but he welcomed them. Pfiel recently found a shivering family in his lobby when he opened up his bar. "They were afraid, but after a while, I talked with (a) few of them. They were in good shape and they were polite," said Pfiel. There has been broad bipartisan support for high levels of legal immigration for decades in Canada. But Trudeau has come under pressure over the flow of the illegal migrants. He is questioned about it every time he appears in parliament, from opponents on the left, who want more asylum-seekers to be allowed in, and critics on the right, who say the migrants pose a potential security risk. Canadians appeared to be just as concerned about illegal immigration as their American neighbors, according to the poll, which was conducted between March 8-9. Some 48 per cent of Canadians said they supported "increasing the deportation of people living in Canada illegally". When asked specifically about the recent border crossings from the United States, the same number - 48 per cent - said Canada should "send these migrants back to the US" Another 36 per cent said Canada should "accept these migrants" and let them seek refugee status. "Sometimes you wonder - is this person going to go through the legal process or is he just trying to get to this side of the world and have a better life?" asked Emerson resident and hotel manager Faye Suderman who added that she felt compassion for the people who were seeking asylum. "They're walking across with children. So it's hard to hard to see it, yet you don't know until they've been screened. You have no idea who they are or what they are or what they have. You know, can they have a weapon? I mean, they could have, right, because they're crossing illegally," said Suderman's husband, Frank. Illegal migrants interviewed by Reuters in Canada said they had been legally in the United States and had applied for asylum there. But they had fled to Canada for fear of being caught up in Trump's more aggressive immigration crackdown. "It saddens me that that what's happening in the States is causing people to flee there because I'm guessing that many of them had already come there as refugees and were making a life for themselves. And now they feel so unsafe that they want to come here," said Wayne Sandler, a social worker in Manitoba's capital, Winnipeg. Canadians appeared to be just as concerned about illegal immigration as their American neighbors, according to the poll, which was conducted between March 8-9. Some 48 per cent of Canadians said they supported "increasing the deportation of people living in Canada illegally." When asked specifically about the recent border crossings from the United States, the same number - 48 per cent - said Canada should "send these migrants back to the US" Another 36 per cent said Canada should "accept these migrants" and let them seek refugee status. (Reuters)

Almost half of Canadians want illegal border crossers from US deported: Poll

The recent attacks on Indians in the US are &quot;hate crimes&quot; and not a simple law and order issue, the government said today with an assertion that national interest will not be compromised for the sake of Strategic Partnership with that country.

Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressed the confidence that the Trump Administration would not let these incidents become a trend and is keeping a close watch on them.

&quot;We do not treat these incidents as law and order matter. It is not as simple as that. From our side, we are saying that these are 100 per cent incidents of hate crime,&quot; she said, adding that the investigation should be carried out from such a perspective.

The minister was making statement on three incidents of attacks on Indians in the US. On February 22, 32-year old Srinivas Kuchibhotla was shot dead by a US national in Kansas city, while on March 2 Harnish Patel, a US national of Indian origin, was shot dead.

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<h5>We are taking up this matter at the highest level. We are watching if there is any trend being set,&#39; Swaraj said</h5>
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On March 4, Deep Rai, a US national of Indian origin, was shot by an unknown person in Kent near Seattle.

&quot;We are taking up this matter at the highest level. We are watching if there is any trend being set,&quot; Swaraj said.

She said the US administration is saying that the attacks were individual acts of hate crimes and no trend should be seen in these incidents.

CPI leader D Raja voiced apprehension that the Strategic Partnership could come in the way of India taking up this issue with the US.

In her response, Swaraj said, &quot;Strategic Partnership does not mean that we will compromise with our national interest... Do not think that we will remain silent because of Strategic Partnership. The Strategic Partnership is secondary. First comes the security and safety of our nationals.&quot;

The minister said that the manner in which the US government has responded, India hopes that these incidents would not become a trend.

&quot;I want to assure the House that despite having a Strategic Partnership and good relations with the US, the safety and security of Indians remains our top priority. We will never ignore that,&quot; the minister said.

She said India is in &quot;continuous dialogue with the US government&quot; on this issue.

Through embassy and consulates, she said, close contacts are being maintained with the local Indian community groups to address any emergent issues.

&quot;We will remain vigilant to developments impacting the lives of Indian abroad and do everything possible to safeguard their interests and welfare,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

(PTI)

Strategic partnership with US secondary to the safety of our nationals, Sushma Swaraj said in Parliament

The recent attacks on Indians in the US are "hate crimes" and not a simple law and order issue, the government said today with an assertion that national interest will not be compromised for the sake of Strategic Partnership with that country. Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressed the confidence that the Trump Administration would not let these incidents become a trend and is keeping a close watch on them. "We do not treat these incidents as law and order matter. It is not as simple as that. From our side, we are saying that these are 100 per cent incidents of hate crime," she said, adding that the investigation should be carried out from such a perspective. The minister was making statement on three incidents of attacks on Indians in the US. On February 22, 32-year old Srinivas Kuchibhotla was shot dead by a US national in Kansas city, while on March 2 Harnish Patel, a US national of Indian origin, was shot dead. We are taking up this matter at the highest level. We are watching if there is any trend being set,' Swaraj said × On March 4, Deep Rai, a US national of Indian origin, was shot by an unknown person in Kent near Seattle. "We are taking up this matter at the highest level. We are watching if there is any trend being set," Swaraj said. She said the US administration is saying that the attacks were individual acts of hate crimes and no trend should be seen in these incidents. CPI leader D Raja voiced apprehension that the Strategic Partnership could come in the way of India taking up this issue with the US. In her response, Swaraj said, "Strategic Partnership does not mean that we will compromise with our national interest... Do not think that we will remain silent because of Strategic Partnership. The Strategic Partnership is secondary. First comes the security and safety of our nationals." The minister said that the manner in which the US government has responded, India hopes that these incidents would not become a trend. "I want to assure the House that despite having a Strategic Partnership and good relations with the US, the safety and security of Indians remains our top priority. We will never ignore that," the minister said. She said India is in "continuous dialogue with the US government" on this issue. Through embassy and consulates, she said, close contacts are being maintained with the local Indian community groups to address any emergent issues. "We will remain vigilant to developments impacting the lives of Indian abroad and do everything possible to safeguard their interests and welfare," she said. (PTI)

India's foreign minister says attacks on its nationals in US are hate crimes

The US and China pledged on Saturday to work together in addressing the threat posed by North Korea&#39;s nuclear programme, as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the situation had reached a &quot;dangerous level.&quot;

The language from Tillerson and his Chinese counterpart after talks in Beijing was notably conciliatory after a run-up in which US President Donald Trump accused China of doing nothing to control its rogue neighbour while Beijing blamed Washington for fuelling hostilities.

&quot;I think we share a common view and a sense that tensions in the peninsula are quite high right now and that things have reached a rather dangerous level,&quot; Tillerson said after talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

&quot;We will work together to see if we cannot bring the government in Pyongyang to a place where they want to make a different course, make a course correction, and move away from the development of nuclear weapons.&quot;

Tillerson arrived in Beijing earlier Saturday after visits to US allies Japan and South Korea where he said the US would no longer observe the &quot;failed&quot; approach of patient diplomacy favoured by Beijing and followed by the Obama administration.

Trump upped the pressure in a Friday Twitter blast accusing Beijing of failing to use its leverage as North Korea&#39;s key diplomatic and trade partner.

&quot;North Korea is behaving very badly. They have been &#39;playing&#39; the United States for years. China has done little to help!&quot; Trump said.

The tougher US talk followed two North Korean nuclear tests last year and recent missile launches, including a salvo earlier this month that Pyongyang described as practice for an attack on US bases in Japan.

Beijing is deeply reluctant to put harsh pressure on the unpredictable North lest it trigger a confrontation or a messy regime collapse.

China has hit back at the US, angrily accusing it of escalating the situation by holding military exercises with its ally Seoul and deploying an anti-missile system in South Korea.

Beijing has been calling for a resumption of diplomatic negotiations with North Korea on dismantling its nuclear programme -- which UN resolutions bar it from pursuing -- a track pursued for years in the past but which notably failed.

&quot;We can either let the situation aggravate and lead to conflict or go back to the right track of negotiations,&quot; Wang said.

&quot;We both hope to find ways to restart talks and do not give up hope for peace.&quot;

Summit looms&nbsp;

Neither side indicated any next steps.

Tillerson, a former Exxon oil executive who until this week had adopted a low profile in office, said in Seoul on Friday that the US and its allies were &quot;exploring a new range of diplomatic, security, economic measures.&quot;

He gave no details but said US military action against North Korea remained &quot;on the table&quot; if Pyongyang escalated its provocations.

China has taken shots at his get-tough approach, saying in recent days that its call for diplomatic talks was the &quot;only feasible option&quot; and challenging the Trump administration to propose something better.

One reason for the amicable tone on Saturday may be that delicate negotiations are ongoing for President Xi Jinping to visit Trump -- a frequent China critic -- in a first summit between the leaders next month in the United States.

Tillerson was expected to meet Xi on Sunday morning.

Beijing shares US concerns over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclearisation but is careful not to provoke North Korea.

But China took one of its toughest steps yet in February, announcing it would halt all imports of North Korean coal -- a key source of income for the impoverished state -- for the rest of this year, citing the UN sanctions.

The United Nations has imposed multiple sets of sanctions but China is accused of not fully enforcing them.&nbsp;

Under the Obama administration, the US ruled out diplomatic engagement until Pyongyang made a tangible commitment to denuclearisation, hoping that internal stresses in the isolated country would bring change.

North Korea says it needs to be able to defend itself, and conducted its first underground atomic test in 2006, triggering global condemnation.&nbsp;Four more test blasts have followed.

Beijing also is upset over the US deployment of an anti-missile system to South Korea that Washington and Seoul insist is purely a defensive measure against a possible North Korean attack.

But Beijing says the system undermines its own security and has reacted angrily, imposing a series of measures seen in South Korea as economic retaliation.

(AFP)

The reconciliation comes after US President Donald Trump and China accused each other of deepening the Pyongyang morass

The US and China pledged on Saturday to work together in addressing the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear programme, as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the situation had reached a "dangerous level." The language from Tillerson and his Chinese counterpart after talks in Beijing was notably conciliatory after a run-up in which US President Donald Trump accused China of doing nothing to control its rogue neighbour while Beijing blamed Washington for fuelling hostilities. "I think we share a common view and a sense that tensions in the peninsula are quite high right now and that things have reached a rather dangerous level," Tillerson said after talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. "We will work together to see if we cannot bring the government in Pyongyang to a place where they want to make a different course, make a course correction, and move away from the development of nuclear weapons." Tillerson arrived in Beijing earlier Saturday after visits to US allies Japan and South Korea where he said the US would no longer observe the "failed" approach of patient diplomacy favoured by Beijing and followed by the Obama administration. Trump upped the pressure in a Friday Twitter blast accusing Beijing of failing to use its leverage as North Korea's key diplomatic and trade partner. "North Korea is behaving very badly. They have been 'playing' the United States for years. China has done little to help!" Trump said. The tougher US talk followed two North Korean nuclear tests last year and recent missile launches, including a salvo earlier this month that Pyongyang described as practice for an attack on US bases in Japan. Beijing is deeply reluctant to put harsh pressure on the unpredictable North lest it trigger a confrontation or a messy regime collapse. China has hit back at the US, angrily accusing it of escalating the situation by holding military exercises with its ally Seoul and deploying an anti-missile system in South Korea. Beijing has been calling for a resumption of diplomatic negotiations with North Korea on dismantling its nuclear programme -- which UN resolutions bar it from pursuing -- a track pursued for years in the past but which notably failed. "We can either let the situation aggravate and lead to conflict or go back to the right track of negotiations," Wang said. "We both hope to find ways to restart talks and do not give up hope for peace." Summit looms Neither side indicated any next steps. Tillerson, a former Exxon oil executive who until this week had adopted a low profile in office, said in Seoul on Friday that the US and its allies were "exploring a new range of diplomatic, security, economic measures." He gave no details but said US military action against North Korea remained "on the table" if Pyongyang escalated its provocations. China has taken shots at his get-tough approach, saying in recent days that its call for diplomatic talks was the "only feasible option" and challenging the Trump administration to propose something better. One reason for the amicable tone on Saturday may be that delicate negotiations are ongoing for President Xi Jinping to visit Trump -- a frequent China critic -- in a first summit between the leaders next month in the United States. Tillerson was expected to meet Xi on Sunday morning. Beijing shares US concerns over Pyongyang's nuclearisation but is careful not to provoke North Korea. But China took one of its toughest steps yet in February, announcing it would halt all imports of North Korean coal -- a key source of income for the impoverished state -- for the rest of this year, citing the UN sanctions. The United Nations has imposed multiple sets of sanctions but China is accused of not fully enforcing them. Under the Obama administration, the US ruled out diplomatic engagement until Pyongyang made a tangible commitment to denuclearisation, hoping that internal stresses in the isolated country would bring change. North Korea says it needs to be able to defend itself, and conducted its first underground atomic test in 2006, triggering global condemnation. Four more test blasts have followed. Beijing also is upset over the US deployment of an anti-missile system to South Korea that Washington and Seoul insist is purely a defensive measure against a possible North Korean attack. But Beijing says the system undermines its own security and has reacted angrily, imposing a series of measures seen in South Korea as economic retaliation. (AFP)

US, China plan to act together against 'dangerous' North Korea

Just hours before President Donald Trump&#39;s revised travel ban was set to go into effect, a US&nbsp;federal judge in Hawaii on Wednesday issued an emergency halt to the order&#39;s implementation.

The action was the latest legal blow to the administration&#39;s efforts to temporarily ban refugees as well as travellers from six predominantly Muslim countries.

The new ban, signed by the president on March 6, had aimed to overcome legal problems with a January executive order that caused chaos at airports and sparked mass protests before a Washington judge stopped its enforcement in February.

US&nbsp;District Judge Derrick Watson put an emergency stop to the new order in response to a lawsuit filed by the state of Hawaii, which argued that the order discriminated against Muslims in violation of the US&nbsp;Constitution. President Trump has said the policy is critical for national security and does not discriminate against any religion.

Judge Watson concluded in his ruling that while the order did not mention Islam by name, &quot;a reasonable, objective observer ... would conclude that the Executive Order was issued with a purpose to disfavour a particular religion.&quot; Watson was appointed to the bench by former Democratic President Barack Obama.

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<h5>Judge Watson concluded in his ruling that while the order did not mention Islam by name, &#39;a reasonable, objective observer ... would conclude that the Executive Order was issued with a purpose to disfavour a particular religion&#39;</h5>
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Trump said the judge&#39;s legal block &quot;makes us look weak&quot; and represented &quot;unprecedented judicial overreach,&quot; speaking at a rally in Nashville, Tennessee. He said he&#39;ll take the case &quot;as far as it needs to go&quot; including to the Supreme Court.

Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the US&nbsp;House of Representatives, said the ban was needed to improve vetting of people entering the United States and he had no doubt that it would be upheld by higher courts.

The legal battle is likely to move now to the federal appeals circuit and could eventually get to the US&nbsp;Supreme Court.

Rebuke

Hawaii and other opponents of the ban claimed that the motivation behind it was Trump&#39;s campaign promise of &quot;a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.&quot;

Trump later toned down that language and said he would implement a policy of &quot;extreme vetting&quot; of foreigners coming to the United States.

Watson&#39;s order is only temporary until the broader arguments in the case can be heard. He set an expedited hearing to determine if his ruling should be extended.

Trump&#39;s first travel order was more sweeping than the second revised order. Like the current one, it barred citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the country for 90 days, but it also included Iraq, which was taken off the list of banned countries in the subsequent order.

Refugees were blocked from entering the country for 120 days in both orders, but an indefinite ban on all refugees from Syria was dropped in the new one.

The revised ban also excluded legal permanent residents and existing visa holders. It provided a series of waivers for various categories of immigrants with ties to the United States.

The government has maintained in court that the changes resolve any legal issues with the original order and maintained that it was not discriminatory.

The government, in its court filings cautioned the court against looking for secret motives in the executive order and against performing &quot;judicial psychoanalysis of a drafter&rsquo;s heart of heart.&quot;

Watson said he did not need to do that, because evidence of motive could be found in the president&#39;s public statements. He said he did not give credence to the government&#39;s argument that the order was not anti-Muslim because it targeted only a small percentage of Muslim-majority countries.

&quot;The notion that one can demonstrate animus toward any group of people only by targeting all of them at once is fundamentally flawed,&quot; the judge wrote.

Several cases

The case was one of several moving through US&nbsp;courts on Wednesday that were brought by states&#39; attorneys general and immigrant advocacy groups.

In Maryland, refugee resettlement agencies represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center argued in court for a restraining order.

In Washington state, a group of plaintiffs applying for immigrant visas asked US&nbsp;District Judge James Robart in Seattle -who suspended the first ban - to stop the new order. Robart was appointed to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush.

Washington state, joined by California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Oregon, said in court filings they supported the plaintiffs in Seattle.

Various groups and companies said they would be harmed by the travel restrictions.

A group of 58 tech companies, including Airbnb, Lyft and Dropbox, filed a &quot;friend of the court&#39; brief in the case saying the order hurt their ability to recruit the best talent from around the world. A longer list of companies - that included giants like Apple , Facebook and Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google&nbsp;filed a brief opposing the first ban in a different court challenge brought by Washington state, which is ongoing.

Both judge Robart and US&nbsp;District Judge Theodore Chuang said they would issue written rulings in their cases, but did not specify a time line.

If more judges side with Watson, the government&#39;s case may be harder to make at higher courts. The 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals upheld Robart&#39;s ruling against the first ban and Watson referenced that decision in his order.

(Reuters)

The lawsuit was filed by the state of Hawaii, which argued that the order discriminated against Muslims in violation of the US?Constitution

Just hours before President Donald Trump's revised travel ban was set to go into effect, a US federal judge in Hawaii on Wednesday issued an emergency halt to the order's implementation. The action was the latest legal blow to the administration's efforts to temporarily ban refugees as well as travellers from six predominantly Muslim countries. The new ban, signed by the president on March 6, had aimed to overcome legal problems with a January executive order that caused chaos at airports and sparked mass protests before a Washington judge stopped its enforcement in February. US District Judge Derrick Watson put an emergency stop to the new order in response to a lawsuit filed by the state of Hawaii, which argued that the order discriminated against Muslims in violation of the US Constitution. President Trump has said the policy is critical for national security and does not discriminate against any religion. Judge Watson concluded in his ruling that while the order did not mention Islam by name, "a reasonable, objective observer ... would conclude that the Executive Order was issued with a purpose to disfavour a particular religion." Watson was appointed to the bench by former Democratic President Barack Obama. Judge Watson concluded in his ruling that while the order did not mention Islam by name, 'a reasonable, objective observer ... would conclude that the Executive Order was issued with a purpose to disfavour a particular religion' × Trump said the judge's legal block "makes us look weak" and represented "unprecedented judicial overreach," speaking at a rally in Nashville, Tennessee. He said he'll take the case "as far as it needs to go" including to the Supreme Court. Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives, said the ban was needed to improve vetting of people entering the United States and he had no doubt that it would be upheld by higher courts. The legal battle is likely to move now to the federal appeals circuit and could eventually get to the US Supreme Court. Rebuke Hawaii and other opponents of the ban claimed that the motivation behind it was Trump's campaign promise of "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States." Trump later toned down that language and said he would implement a policy of "extreme vetting" of foreigners coming to the United States. Watson's order is only temporary until the broader arguments in the case can be heard. He set an expedited hearing to determine if his ruling should be extended. Trump's first travel order was more sweeping than the second revised order. Like the current one, it barred citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the country for 90 days, but it also included Iraq, which was taken off the list of banned countries in the subsequent order. Refugees were blocked from entering the country for 120 days in both orders, but an indefinite ban on all refugees from Syria was dropped in the new one. The revised ban also excluded legal permanent residents and existing visa holders. It provided a series of waivers for various categories of immigrants with ties to the United States. The government has maintained in court that the changes resolve any legal issues with the original order and maintained that it was not discriminatory. The government, in its court filings cautioned the court against looking for secret motives in the executive order and against performing "judicial psychoanalysis of a drafter’s heart of heart." Watson said he did not need to do that, because evidence of motive could be found in the president's public statements. He said he did not give credence to the government's argument that the order was not anti-Muslim because it targeted only a small percentage of Muslim-majority countries. "The notion that one can demonstrate animus toward any group of people only by targeting all of them at once is fundamentally flawed," the judge wrote. Several cases The case was one of several moving through US courts on Wednesday that were brought by states' attorneys general and immigrant advocacy groups. In Maryland, refugee resettlement agencies represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center argued in court for a restraining order. In Washington state, a group of plaintiffs applying for immigrant visas asked US District Judge James Robart in Seattle -who suspended the first ban - to stop the new order. Robart was appointed to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush. Washington state, joined by California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Oregon, said in court filings they supported the plaintiffs in Seattle. Various groups and companies said they would be harmed by the travel restrictions. A group of 58 tech companies, including Airbnb, Lyft and Dropbox, filed a "friend of the court' brief in the case saying the order hurt their ability to recruit the best talent from around the world. A longer list of companies - that included giants like Apple , Facebook and Alphabet Inc's Google filed a brief opposing the first ban in a different court challenge brought by Washington state, which is ongoing. Both judge Robart and US District Judge Theodore Chuang said they would issue written rulings in their cases, but did not specify a time line. If more judges side with Watson, the government's case may be harder to make at higher courts. The 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals upheld Robart's ruling against the first ban and Watson referenced that decision in his order. (Reuters)

Hours before it was to take effect, Hawaii judge puts stop to Trump's revised travel ban

McDonald&#39;s is investigating an apparent hack into its Twitter feed following a briefly-posted diatribe against President Donald Trump, the fast-food giant said Thursday. 
&nbsp;

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Twitter notified us that our account was compromised. We deleted the tweet, secured our account and are now investigating this.
&mdash; McDonald&#39;s (@McDonaldsCorp) <a href="https://twitter.com/McDonaldsCorp/status/842380484260818945">March 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The fake tweet offered an uncharitable appraisal of Trump, saying, &quot;You are actually a disgusting excuse of a President and we would love to have Barack Obama back, also you have tiny hands.&quot;

The tweet was deleted mid-morning Thursday soon after being posted to one of the McDonald&#39;s official Twitter feeds, but not before being retweeted more than a thousand times and garnering plenty of attention in political and media circles, as well as witty responses.

&quot;Twitter notified us that our account was compromised,&quot; McDonald&#39;s said subsequently on the feed. &quot;We deleted the tweet, secured our account and are now investigating this.&quot;

Hacking has been a persistent problem in recent years with the growing influence of Twitter and other social media sites.&nbsp;

In April 2013, a hack of the Associated Press resulted in an erroneous post that the White House had been attacked, briefly sending US stocks markets down in a panic. 
 
(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

The fake tweet offered an uncharitable appraisal of Trump, saying, 'You are actually a disgusting excuse of a President'

McDonald's is investigating an apparent hack into its Twitter feed following a briefly-posted diatribe against President Donald Trump, the fast-food giant said Thursday. Twitter notified us that our account was compromised. We deleted the tweet, secured our account and are now investigating this. — McDonald's (@McDonaldsCorp) March 16, 2017 × The fake tweet offered an uncharitable appraisal of Trump, saying, "You are actually a disgusting excuse of a President and we would love to have Barack Obama back, also you have tiny hands." The tweet was deleted mid-morning Thursday soon after being posted to one of the McDonald's official Twitter feeds, but not before being retweeted more than a thousand times and garnering plenty of attention in political and media circles, as well as witty responses. "Twitter notified us that our account was compromised," McDonald's said subsequently on the feed. "We deleted the tweet, secured our account and are now investigating this." Hacking has been a persistent problem in recent years with the growing influence of Twitter and other social media sites. In April 2013, a hack of the Associated Press resulted in an erroneous post that the White House had been attacked, briefly sending US stocks markets down in a panic. (AFP)

McDonald's probes hacked tweet slamming Donald Trump

A nonpartisan Congressional research report which states that 14 million Americans would lose medical insurance by next year under a Republican plan to dismantle Obamacare has forced President Donald Trump and Republicans to reconsider whether they could modify the plan.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that White House officials and leaders in the Republican-controlled US&nbsp;House of Representatives were considering whether they could tweak the plan, which has Trump&#39;s own party divided.

Republican senators held a lunch on Capitol Hill with Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to discuss possible changes, Reuters reported.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the bill could be amended in the Republican-controlled Senate.

&ldquo;The first step is in the House. We&#39;re hopeful and optimistic they&#39;re going to send us over something. It will be open for amendment,&rdquo; he said.

The US Congressional Budget Office (CBO)&nbsp;forecast on Monday&nbsp;that 14 million Americans would lose health insurance by 2018 and 24 million more people would be uninsured in 2026 if the legislation to replace Obamacare were to go through.

It added that 52 million people would be uninsured by 2026 if the bill became a law, compared with 28 million who would not have coverage that year if the law remained unchanged.

The CBO, however, said that budget deficit would be reduced by $337 billion between 2017 and 2026 if the plan to replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act was adopted.

Obamacare, as President Barack Obama&#39;s signature piece of domestic policy is commonly called, expanded insurance to about 20 million Americans.&nbsp;

Republicans&#39; plan to replace Obamacare&nbsp;would repeal a requirement that every American have health insurance and will slash spending on the Medicaid program for the poor and disabled. It will also replace Obamacare&#39;s&nbsp;income-based subsidies with fixed tax credits for the purchase of private insurance.

The bill&nbsp;will&nbsp;revamp the tax subsidies that help people buy insurance if they do not get it from work. The amounts would be based on age, not income.

The new health bill is currently being considered by the House of Representatives. Two House of Representatives committees have approved the legislation to dismantle Obamacare that was unveiled by Republican leaders a week ago, but it faces opposition from not only Democrats but also medical providers including doctors and hospitals and many conservatives.&nbsp;

Hours after the CBO report was released, the House Budget Committee postponed its consideration of the Republican bill to Thursday from Wednesday.&nbsp;

Prior to the report, Republicans had been planning to vote soon on the bill in the House, where it is likely to pass, and send it to the Senate, where its outlook is uncertain.&nbsp;

Details of the Congressional Research report

The CBO estimated that insurance premiums would rise 15 per cent to 20 per cent in both 2018 and 2019 because fewer healthy people would sign up after the repeal of the Obamacare penalty for declining to obtain insurance. But it said the hikes would be offset after 2020 by a $100 billion fund allocated to states in the bill and deregulation in the insurance market.&nbsp;

By 2026, average premiums for single policyholders in the nongroup market under the legislation would be roughly 10 per cent lower than the estimates under current law, in part because insurers will be able to offer plans that cover a lower share of healthcare costs.

While the federal government would lose revenues through the repeal of Obamacare&rsquo;s individual and employer mandates&rsquo; tax penalties, CBO said the loss would be surpassed by savings on insurance subsidies and Medicaid payments that Washington would no longer have to provide for people who lost coverage.&nbsp;

At the same time, CBO said the repeal of the individual mandate&rsquo;s tax penalties would mean higher health insurance premiums for those who retained coverage, because insurers would still have to cover any applicant without being free to raise premiums for older, sicker people, despite lower numbers of younger, healthier customers who are cheaper to insure.

The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center on Monday said the Republican plan would benefit the wealthiest US households far more than middle-income families. A family making $51,600 to $89,400 a year, including fringe benefits like employer-provided health insurance, would get a tax cut averaging $300. The top 0.1 percent of earners with incomes of at least $3.9 million would get a tax cut of about $207,000, the study said. 
 
Implications of the report for Trump

The CBO report&#39;s findings could make the Republican plan a harder sell for lawmakers, particularly in the US Senate.

Democratic leaders in Congress said the bill could result in elderly people being kicked out of nursing homes as it simultaneously gives tax cuts for the richest Americans.

&quot;How can they look their constituents in the eye when they say 24 million of you no longer have coverage and those of you who do have it, will have less coverage at more cost to you,&quot; House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said.

Doctors groups and patient advocates have for long been saying that the bill must be abandoned.

Democrats say the Republican plan would hurt the elderly, the poor and working families but give tax cuts to the rich.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s own party has been&nbsp;divided. Moderates, particularly in the Senate, worry about causing people to lose coverage, while conservatives do not think the bill goes far enough in undoing Obamacare.

Some Republicans worry a misfire on the Republican healthcare legislation could hobble Trump&#39;s presidency and set the stage for losses for the party in the 2018 congressional elections.&nbsp;

Trump administration defends healthcare plan

While Trump himself made no comment on the report, his administration defended the healthcare plan, which they say will have a second and third phase that will entice consumers.&nbsp;Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said at the White House that Trump&#39;s plan would cover more individuals at a lower cost and it was &quot;virtually impossible&quot; to envision that 14 million people would lose insurance coverage by next year.

House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, a key backer of the plan called the American Health Care Act, said the CBO estimates showed it would ultimately lower premiums. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Our plan is not about forcing people to buy expensive, one-size-fits-all coverage. It is about giving people more choices and better access to a plan they want and can afford. When people have more choices, costs go down,&quot; Ryan said.

Shares fall

Shares of hospitals and health insurers slipped, partly on worries the plan would mean fewer insured patients. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

A congressional research report forecast that 14 million Americans would lose health insurance by next year if the new health bill is passed

A nonpartisan Congressional research report which states that 14 million Americans would lose medical insurance by next year under a Republican plan to dismantle Obamacare has forced President Donald Trump and Republicans to reconsider whether they could modify the plan. Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that White House officials and leaders in the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives were considering whether they could tweak the plan, which has Trump's own party divided. Republican senators held a lunch on Capitol Hill with Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to discuss possible changes, Reuters reported. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the bill could be amended in the Republican-controlled Senate. “The first step is in the House. We're hopeful and optimistic they're going to send us over something. It will be open for amendment,” he said. The US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecast on Monday that 14 million Americans would lose health insurance by 2018 and 24 million more people would be uninsured in 2026 if the legislation to replace Obamacare were to go through. It added that 52 million people would be uninsured by 2026 if the bill became a law, compared with 28 million who would not have coverage that year if the law remained unchanged. The CBO, however, said that budget deficit would be reduced by $337 billion between 2017 and 2026 if the plan to replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act was adopted. Obamacare, as President Barack Obama's signature piece of domestic policy is commonly called, expanded insurance to about 20 million Americans. Republicans' plan to replace Obamacare would repeal a requirement that every American have health insurance and will slash spending on the Medicaid program for the poor and disabled. It will also replace Obamacare's income-based subsidies with fixed tax credits for the purchase of private insurance. The bill will revamp the tax subsidies that help people buy insurance if they do not get it from work. The amounts would be based on age, not income. The new health bill is currently being considered by the House of Representatives. Two House of Representatives committees have approved the legislation to dismantle Obamacare that was unveiled by Republican leaders a week ago, but it faces opposition from not only Democrats but also medical providers including doctors and hospitals and many conservatives. Hours after the CBO report was released, the House Budget Committee postponed its consideration of the Republican bill to Thursday from Wednesday. Prior to the report, Republicans had been planning to vote soon on the bill in the House, where it is likely to pass, and send it to the Senate, where its outlook is uncertain. Details of the Congressional Research report The CBO estimated that insurance premiums would rise 15 per cent to 20 per cent in both 2018 and 2019 because fewer healthy people would sign up after the repeal of the Obamacare penalty for declining to obtain insurance. But it said the hikes would be offset after 2020 by a $100 billion fund allocated to states in the bill and deregulation in the insurance market. By 2026, average premiums for single policyholders in the nongroup market under the legislation would be roughly 10 per cent lower than the estimates under current law, in part because insurers will be able to offer plans that cover a lower share of healthcare costs. While the federal government would lose revenues through the repeal of Obamacare’s individual and employer mandates’ tax penalties, CBO said the loss would be surpassed by savings on insurance subsidies and Medicaid payments that Washington would no longer have to provide for people who lost coverage. At the same time, CBO said the repeal of the individual mandate’s tax penalties would mean higher health insurance premiums for those who retained coverage, because insurers would still have to cover any applicant without being free to raise premiums for older, sicker people, despite lower numbers of younger, healthier customers who are cheaper to insure. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center on Monday said the Republican plan would benefit the wealthiest US households far more than middle-income families. A family making $51,600 to $89,400 a year, including fringe benefits like employer-provided health insurance, would get a tax cut averaging $300. The top 0.1 percent of earners with incomes of at least $3.9 million would get a tax cut of about $207,000, the study said. Implications of the report for Trump The CBO report's findings could make the Republican plan a harder sell for lawmakers, particularly in the US Senate. Democratic leaders in Congress said the bill could result in elderly people being kicked out of nursing homes as it simultaneously gives tax cuts for the richest Americans. "How can they look their constituents in the eye when they say 24 million of you no longer have coverage and those of you who do have it, will have less coverage at more cost to you," House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said. Doctors groups and patient advocates have for long been saying that the bill must be abandoned. Democrats say the Republican plan would hurt the elderly, the poor and working families but give tax cuts to the rich. Trump's own party has been divided. Moderates, particularly in the Senate, worry about causing people to lose coverage, while conservatives do not think the bill goes far enough in undoing Obamacare. Some Republicans worry a misfire on the Republican healthcare legislation could hobble Trump's presidency and set the stage for losses for the party in the 2018 congressional elections. Trump administration defends healthcare plan While Trump himself made no comment on the report, his administration defended the healthcare plan, which they say will have a second and third phase that will entice consumers. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said at the White House that Trump's plan would cover more individuals at a lower cost and it was "virtually impossible" to envision that 14 million people would lose insurance coverage by next year. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, a key backer of the plan called the American Health Care Act, said the CBO estimates showed it would ultimately lower premiums. "Our plan is not about forcing people to buy expensive, one-size-fits-all coverage. It is about giving people more choices and better access to a plan they want and can afford. When people have more choices, costs go down," Ryan said. Shares fall Shares of hospitals and health insurers slipped, partly on worries the plan would mean fewer insured patients. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

White House may tweak health bill after damning report that repealing Obamacare would leave millions uninsured

US President Donald Trump has invited Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas to visit the White House &quot;soon&quot;, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa said on Friday. 
 
During their first phone call since Trump`s inauguration in January, the US president invited Abbas &quot;to visit the White House soon to discuss ways to resume the (Palestinian-Israeli) political process,&quot; Wafa quoted Abbas`s spokesman as saying.

The spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeina, said that Trump stressed his &quot;commitment to a peace process that would lead to a real peace between Palestinians and Israelis&quot;, Wafa reported.

Abbas told Trump that peace was a &quot;strategic choice&quot; for the Palestinian people that should lead to the &quot;establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel&quot;.

Trump received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in mid-February.

At that meeting, Trump broke with decades of US policy by saying he was not bound to the two-state solution for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The peace process has been deadlocked since April 2014 following the collapse of indirect negotiations led by then US secretary of state John Kerry.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

The US president has invited Abbas to discuss ways to resume the Palestinian-Israeli political process

US President Donald Trump has invited Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas to visit the White House "soon", the official Palestinian news agency Wafa said on Friday. During their first phone call since Trump`s inauguration in January, the US president invited Abbas "to visit the White House soon to discuss ways to resume the (Palestinian-Israeli) political process," Wafa quoted Abbas`s spokesman as saying. The spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeina, said that Trump stressed his "commitment to a peace process that would lead to a real peace between Palestinians and Israelis", Wafa reported. Abbas told Trump that peace was a "strategic choice" for the Palestinian people that should lead to the "establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel". Trump received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in mid-February. At that meeting, Trump broke with decades of US policy by saying he was not bound to the two-state solution for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The peace process has been deadlocked since April 2014 following the collapse of indirect negotiations led by then US secretary of state John Kerry. (AFP)

Trump invites Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas to White House for talks

Thousands of protesters, mostly women, took to the streets of New York and Washington to criticse Donald Trump&#39;s policies towards women on International Women&#39;s Day.

Some 2,000 demonstrators, many of them wearing red, massed outside Central Park in New York, two blocks from Trump Tower, to rail against the current president&#39;s discriminatory attitude towards women.

Both the cities were awash with red tops or bandana or coats while others wore the pink &quot;pussy hats&quot; that has come to symbolise women&#39;s anti-Trump protests in the US.

Some women also decided to skip work and their daily pay to participate in the event, which has snowballed not just in the other parts of America but also across the world, according to Reuters.

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From the podium, Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour and a range of other community activists exhorted demonstrators to &quot;keep resisting&quot; and &quot;keep motivated.&quot; Another New York rally is scheduled Wednesday night.

Arielle Datz, who works in publishing, said she took the day off -- dubbed &quot;Day Without a Woman&quot; -- to take part in the demonstration and described the speeches as &quot;very inspiring.&quot;

&quot;We hope it won&#39;t be four years... but we will keep it up as long as we have to,&quot; she told AFP in reference to Trump&#39;s four-year term.

Many men also were protesting, such as Corey Ford, who closed his small venture capital firm to take to the streets.

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&quot;Fifty per cent of our team, eight employees, and 50 per cent of the CEOs of our companies are women,&quot; he said. &quot;This is a women&#39;s demo, anti-Trump is part of it but it&#39;s not all of it.&quot;

Guardian reported that around 10 protesters were arrested by the police in New York.

In Washington at Lafayette Park across from the White House, many of the several hundred demonstrators carried signs decrying Trump&#39;s order&nbsp;blocking US aid to foreign nonprofits that provide or actively promote abortions.

&quot;Donald Trump has got to go!&quot; and &quot;This is what democracy looks like!&quot; the crowd chanted.

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&nbsp;

Susanne Lowen, a 55-year-old baker, decried the president&#39;s plan to link foreign aid to a prohibition against disseminating information on birth control as &quot;cruel and immoral.&quot;

Plenty of anger was also directed at other Trump administration policies.

Sheila Collins choked on her words when she tried to explain the many reasons she was protesting, ranging from Trump&#39;s refusal to release his tax returns to controversial statements by cabinet officials like Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

&quot;Every day I wake up thinking, &#39;this can&#39;t be real,&#39;&quot; said the 40-year-old marketing director with a sign that read &quot;Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Vote.&quot;

&quot;They are doing things to undermine our democracy,&quot; she said.

As the crowd streamed into Lafayette Park, knots of demonstrators broke off and paused to take selfies with the White House as a backdrop.

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&nbsp;

Police officers clad in black, several on bicycles, discreetly eyed the crowd from a distance.

For demonstrator Tess Thapalia, 20, the main issue was what she described as &quot;reproductive justice.&quot;

&quot;These are our bodies and we decide what to do with them. For anyone else to say what to do with them is truly shameful,&quot; said Thapalia, a college student from New York.

Hundreds of women also descended on the Utah State Capitol, urging lawmakers to come out and speak to them, the Guardian reported.

IWD march across the world

Women in other parts of the world also gathered on International Women&#39;s Day to demand equal pay.

In Brazil, hundreds of people slammed the government&#39;s new policies for being unfriendly to poor&nbsp;and rural women.

The demonstrators said the pension reforms and raising the retirement age of women would make it family farmers, who produce 70 per cent of the country&#39;s nutritional needs, would find it harder to stay on their land, Reuters reported.

Women across Poland also demanded equal rights in their everyday lives. &nbsp;

Similar demonstrations have been reported from Australia, the Philippines, Switzerland, Japan and Indonesia.

In Australia, women demanded abortion to be decriminalised in states such as New South Wales and Queensland.

In Spain, around 40,000 protesters took to the streets of Madrid on Wednesday to call for an end to domestic violence.

Gathered in the central square, the protesters carried posters reading &quot;Justice&quot; and &quot;We are not all here&quot; -- in reference to victims of violence who have lost their lives.&nbsp;

&quot;Gender violence must end, equality must be attained and the &#39;glass ceiling&#39; for women in business broken,&quot; Marta Garcia, a protester at the Madrid rally, told AFP.

In the last three months of 2016 there were 38,402 reports of domestic violence, marking a 14 per cent increase compared to the previous year, according to figures provided by a watchdog group.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The one-day protest, which will take place in 50 countries, will demand pay parity, chastise Trump's anti-women stance, among others

Thousands of protesters, mostly women, took to the streets of New York and Washington to criticse Donald Trump's policies towards women on International Women's Day. Some 2,000 demonstrators, many of them wearing red, massed outside Central Park in New York, two blocks from Trump Tower, to rail against the current president's discriminatory attitude towards women. Both the cities were awash with red tops or bandana or coats while others wore the pink "pussy hats" that has come to symbolise women's anti-Trump protests in the US. Some women also decided to skip work and their daily pay to participate in the event, which has snowballed not just in the other parts of America but also across the world, according to Reuters. × From the podium, Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour and a range of other community activists exhorted demonstrators to "keep resisting" and "keep motivated." Another New York rally is scheduled Wednesday night. Arielle Datz, who works in publishing, said she took the day off -- dubbed "Day Without a Woman" -- to take part in the demonstration and described the speeches as "very inspiring." "We hope it won't be four years... but we will keep it up as long as we have to," she told AFP in reference to Trump's four-year term. Many men also were protesting, such as Corey Ford, who closed his small venture capital firm to take to the streets. × "Fifty per cent of our team, eight employees, and 50 per cent of the CEOs of our companies are women," he said. "This is a women's demo, anti-Trump is part of it but it's not all of it." Guardian reported that around 10 protesters were arrested by the police in New York. In Washington at Lafayette Park across from the White House, many of the several hundred demonstrators carried signs decrying Trump's order blocking US aid to foreign nonprofits that provide or actively promote abortions. "Donald Trump has got to go!" and "This is what democracy looks like!" the crowd chanted. × Susanne Lowen, a 55-year-old baker, decried the president's plan to link foreign aid to a prohibition against disseminating information on birth control as "cruel and immoral." Plenty of anger was also directed at other Trump administration policies. Sheila Collins choked on her words when she tried to explain the many reasons she was protesting, ranging from Trump's refusal to release his tax returns to controversial statements by cabinet officials like Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. "Every day I wake up thinking, 'this can't be real,'" said the 40-year-old marketing director with a sign that read "Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Vote." "They are doing things to undermine our democracy," she said. As the crowd streamed into Lafayette Park, knots of demonstrators broke off and paused to take selfies with the White House as a backdrop. × Police officers clad in black, several on bicycles, discreetly eyed the crowd from a distance. For demonstrator Tess Thapalia, 20, the main issue was what she described as "reproductive justice." "These are our bodies and we decide what to do with them. For anyone else to say what to do with them is truly shameful," said Thapalia, a college student from New York. Hundreds of women also descended on the Utah State Capitol, urging lawmakers to come out and speak to them, the Guardian reported. IWD march across the world Women in other parts of the world also gathered on International Women's Day to demand equal pay. In Brazil, hundreds of people slammed the government's new policies for being unfriendly to poor and rural women. The demonstrators said the pension reforms and raising the retirement age of women would make it family farmers, who produce 70 per cent of the country's nutritional needs, would find it harder to stay on their land, Reuters reported. Women across Poland also demanded equal rights in their everyday lives. Similar demonstrations have been reported from Australia, the Philippines, Switzerland, Japan and Indonesia. In Australia, women demanded abortion to be decriminalised in states such as New South Wales and Queensland. In Spain, around 40,000 protesters took to the streets of Madrid on Wednesday to call for an end to domestic violence. Gathered in the central square, the protesters carried posters reading "Justice" and "We are not all here" -- in reference to victims of violence who have lost their lives. "Gender violence must end, equality must be attained and the 'glass ceiling' for women in business broken," Marta Garcia, a protester at the Madrid rally, told AFP. In the last three months of 2016 there were 38,402 reports of domestic violence, marking a 14 per cent increase compared to the previous year, according to figures provided by a watchdog group. (WION with inputs from agencies)

International Women's Day 2017: Thousands take part in anti-Trump protests

Two US congressional panels approved Donald Trump&#39;s administration to repeal Obamacare following a heated debate that lasted&nbsp;hours.

The two panels approved the new bill that would replace Obamacare amid protests from Democrats, several major hospitals and medical organisations.

There were grumblings within the Republican party as well, with some calling out Trump to make &quot;major changes&quot; to the bill.

&quot;House health-care bill can&#39;t pass Senate w/o major changes,&quot; Senator Tom Cotton tweeted early Thursday, joining a host of other Senate Republicans opposed the measure in its current form.&nbsp;

But approval from the two congressional panels --&nbsp;House Energy and Commerce Committee -- means the bill will now head to the House Budget Committee.

&quot;Today, the House took a decisive step forward in fulfilling a promise to the American people that has been years in the making: repealing and replacing Obamacare with affordable, patient-centered reforms,&quot; Energy and Commerce chairman Greg Walden said.

Tempers frayed overnight during several testy exchanges, including one over military veteran coverage in the proposed legislation and another on its costs -- still unknown because the Congressional Budget Office has yet to &quot;score&quot; the bill.

Republican leaders indicate they want to pass the bill by early April. But that timeline was put in question after House Speaker Paul Ryan said the bill will take three weeks to move through the House, before facing scrutiny in the Senate.

With its future in doubt, Ryan delivered a crisp presentation Thursday in a bid to salvage the plan, but also offered a direct warning to Republicans sitting on the fence.

&quot;This is the closest we will ever get to repealing and replacing Obamacare,&quot; he said. &quot;The time is here, the time is now.&quot;

The plan suffered a setback Wednesday when several major hospital and medical organizations including the American Medical Association, which represents more than 200,000 doctors, lined up in opposition.

Backers say the legislation would gut Obamacare&#39;s mandates to purchase health care, roll back its taxes and stabilize costs.

Republican opponents warn the plan is too similar to Obamacare, and could cost even more.

Democrats, expected to unanimously oppose the bill, say it would leave millions of Americans without coverage.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The new bill has been slammed by medical organisations and also by some Republican party members for possibly being a costly alternative

Two US congressional panels approved Donald Trump's administration to repeal Obamacare following a heated debate that lasted hours. The two panels approved the new bill that would replace Obamacare amid protests from Democrats, several major hospitals and medical organisations. There were grumblings within the Republican party as well, with some calling out Trump to make "major changes" to the bill. "House health-care bill can't pass Senate w/o major changes," Senator Tom Cotton tweeted early Thursday, joining a host of other Senate Republicans opposed the measure in its current form. But approval from the two congressional panels -- House Energy and Commerce Committee -- means the bill will now head to the House Budget Committee. "Today, the House took a decisive step forward in fulfilling a promise to the American people that has been years in the making: repealing and replacing Obamacare with affordable, patient-centered reforms," Energy and Commerce chairman Greg Walden said. Tempers frayed overnight during several testy exchanges, including one over military veteran coverage in the proposed legislation and another on its costs -- still unknown because the Congressional Budget Office has yet to "score" the bill. Republican leaders indicate they want to pass the bill by early April. But that timeline was put in question after House Speaker Paul Ryan said the bill will take three weeks to move through the House, before facing scrutiny in the Senate. With its future in doubt, Ryan delivered a crisp presentation Thursday in a bid to salvage the plan, but also offered a direct warning to Republicans sitting on the fence. "This is the closest we will ever get to repealing and replacing Obamacare," he said. "The time is here, the time is now." The plan suffered a setback Wednesday when several major hospital and medical organizations including the American Medical Association, which represents more than 200,000 doctors, lined up in opposition. Backers say the legislation would gut Obamacare's mandates to purchase health care, roll back its taxes and stabilize costs. Republican opponents warn the plan is too similar to Obamacare, and could cost even more. Democrats, expected to unanimously oppose the bill, say it would leave millions of Americans without coverage. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Two US congressional panels approve Obamacare replacement bill

US private-sector hiring posted the biggest increase in nearly six years last month, while the goods-producing sector saw record job growth, payroll services firm ADP reported Wednesday.

The second straight month of very strong jobs data will play into President Donald Trump&#39;s focus on manufacturing jobs, which he has promised to bring back to America.

But if the strong gains continue, it could mean lending rates will rise faster than currently expected, as the US central bank closely monitors the so-far tame inflation threat.

Total private payrolls increased an eye-popping 298,000 in the month, beating the consensus forecast for a 180,000 rise, and outpacing the strong 261,000 increase in January, which was revised up from the initial figure.

It was the biggest increase in private employment since April 2011.

But the highlight of the data was the goods-producing industries which posted&nbsp;the biggest increase in the history of the report, going back to April 2002. The sector added 106,000 workers last month, while services firms increased 193,000.&nbsp;

&quot;February proved to be an incredibly strong month for employment with increases we have not seen in years,&quot; said Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute.

The data, which is extracted from ADP payroll data, is frequently seen as a predictor of the Labor Department&#39;s monthly employment report, which is due out Friday.&nbsp;

The consensus forecast is for an increase of 188,000 in total payrolls and 185,000 for private jobs, but economists may revise their estimates upward following the ADP report.

Trump has consistently repeated his campaign pledge to bring manufacturing jobs back to US shores, and has turned to Twitter frequently to pressure specific companies -- a tactic that has had some success.

ADP reported a gain of 32,000 manufacturing jobs, taking the sector to its highest level since January 2009.

In a tweet early Wednesday, prior to release of the ADP data, Trump touted a little-know Linkedin hiring report released Tuesday, showing jobs increases in January and February that were the &quot;strongest consecutive months of hiring since August and September 2015.&quot;

Fed could hike faster&nbsp;

The ADP report also is likely to increase confidence in markets that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next week, given the solid indications the economic recovery is picking up steam.&nbsp;

But the Fed&#39;s policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee, which meets March 14-15, may start thinking about more increases that the two to three expected for the year, if tightening labor markets fuel fears of accelerating wages that could lead to more inflation.

Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the strong hiring &quot;will push the&nbsp; unemployment rate down further, forcing the Fed to tighten more&nbsp; quickly than markets -- and policymakers -- currently expect.

He cautioned that the ADP report &quot;is not a consistent reliable guide to the initial official private payroll number, but it probably would be unwise to ignore it altogether.&quot;

Mickey Levy of Berenberg Capital Markets, agreed the Fed will be under more pressure to prevent the economy from overheating. &nbsp;

&quot;The Fed will certainly acknowledge the strong job gains along with other data and soaring confidence,&quot; he said in a research note.&nbsp; &quot;If job gains of this magnitude continue and wages tilt up and inflation pressures build, the Fed will be forced to hike more than expected in 2017-2018.&quot;

Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody&#39;s Analytics said in the ADP statement,&nbsp;the unseasonably mild winter weather &quot;undoubtedly played a role&quot; in the strong ADP numbers.

&quot;But near record high job openings and record low layoffs underpin the entire job market,&quot; he said, noting strength in construction, mining and manufacturing.

Broken down by size, medium-sized business increased 122,000 and small businesses added 104,000. Large firms lagged with 72,000.

(AFP)

The second straight month of very strong jobs data will play into President Donald Trump's focus on manufacturing jobs

US private-sector hiring posted the biggest increase in nearly six years last month, while the goods-producing sector saw record job growth, payroll services firm ADP reported Wednesday. The second straight month of very strong jobs data will play into President Donald Trump's focus on manufacturing jobs, which he has promised to bring back to America. But if the strong gains continue, it could mean lending rates will rise faster than currently expected, as the US central bank closely monitors the so-far tame inflation threat. Total private payrolls increased an eye-popping 298,000 in the month, beating the consensus forecast for a 180,000 rise, and outpacing the strong 261,000 increase in January, which was revised up from the initial figure. It was the biggest increase in private employment since April 2011. But the highlight of the data was the goods-producing industries which posted the biggest increase in the history of the report, going back to April 2002. The sector added 106,000 workers last month, while services firms increased 193,000. "February proved to be an incredibly strong month for employment with increases we have not seen in years," said Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute. The data, which is extracted from ADP payroll data, is frequently seen as a predictor of the Labor Department's monthly employment report, which is due out Friday. The consensus forecast is for an increase of 188,000 in total payrolls and 185,000 for private jobs, but economists may revise their estimates upward following the ADP report. Trump has consistently repeated his campaign pledge to bring manufacturing jobs back to US shores, and has turned to Twitter frequently to pressure specific companies -- a tactic that has had some success. ADP reported a gain of 32,000 manufacturing jobs, taking the sector to its highest level since January 2009. In a tweet early Wednesday, prior to release of the ADP data, Trump touted a little-know Linkedin hiring report released Tuesday, showing jobs increases in January and February that were the "strongest consecutive months of hiring since August and September 2015." Fed could hike faster The ADP report also is likely to increase confidence in markets that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next week, given the solid indications the economic recovery is picking up steam. But the Fed's policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee, which meets March 14-15, may start thinking about more increases that the two to three expected for the year, if tightening labor markets fuel fears of accelerating wages that could lead to more inflation. Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the strong hiring "will push the unemployment rate down further, forcing the Fed to tighten more quickly than markets -- and policymakers -- currently expect. He cautioned that the ADP report "is not a consistent reliable guide to the initial official private payroll number, but it probably would be unwise to ignore it altogether." Mickey Levy of Berenberg Capital Markets, agreed the Fed will be under more pressure to prevent the economy from overheating. "The Fed will certainly acknowledge the strong job gains along with other data and soaring confidence," he said in a research note. "If job gains of this magnitude continue and wages tilt up and inflation pressures build, the Fed will be forced to hike more than expected in 2017-2018." Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics said in the ADP statement, the unseasonably mild winter weather "undoubtedly played a role" in the strong ADP numbers. "But near record high job openings and record low layoffs underpin the entire job market," he said, noting strength in construction, mining and manufacturing. Broken down by size, medium-sized business increased 122,000 and small businesses added 104,000. Large firms lagged with 72,000. (AFP)

US private sector posts largest hiring in six years

Arctic sea ice is likely to vanish during summers even if all the nations that have signed the Paris Agreement accord meet their targets, a study has said.

Almost 200 nations that signed the Paris climate accord have pledged to limit average global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit); they aspire to keep the rise to less than 1.5C (2.7F).

James Screen and Daniel Williamson of Exeter University in Britain wrote in the journal Nature Climate Change that Arctic sea ice would melt during summertime even if the rise is limited to 2C.

They said there was a 39&nbsp;per cent chance of Arctic sea ice melting if the rise in average global temperature was limited to just 2 degrees Celsius.

Ice was virtually certain to survive, however, with just 1.5C of warming.

In March 2017, the extent of Arctic sea ice is rivalling 2016 and 2015 as the smallest for the time of year since satellite records began in the late 1970s. The ice reaches a winter maximum in March and a summer minimum in September.

&quot;In less than 40 years, we have almost halved the summer sea ice cover,&quot; said Tor Eldevik a professor at the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research at the University of Bergen in Norway, who was not involved in the study.

He predicted that sea ice would vanish in the Arctic Ocean in about another 40 years, on current trends.

Scientists define an ice-free Arctic Ocean as one with less than 1 million square kilometres (386,000 square miles) of ice because they say some sea ice will linger in bays, such as off northern Greenland, even after the ocean is ice-free.

US President Donald Trump said during his 2016 election campaign that he would &quot;cancel&quot; the Paris Agreement and instead promote the domestic fossil fuel industry. He has since said he has an &quot;open mind&quot; on the subject.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

A Nature Climate Change report said there was a 39% chance of the ice melting

Arctic sea ice is likely to vanish during summers even if all the nations that have signed the Paris Agreement accord meet their targets, a study has said. Almost 200 nations that signed the Paris climate accord have pledged to limit average global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit); they aspire to keep the rise to less than 1.5C (2.7F). James Screen and Daniel Williamson of Exeter University in Britain wrote in the journal Nature Climate Change that Arctic sea ice would melt during summertime even if the rise is limited to 2C. They said there was a 39 per cent chance of Arctic sea ice melting if the rise in average global temperature was limited to just 2 degrees Celsius. Ice was virtually certain to survive, however, with just 1.5C of warming. In March 2017, the extent of Arctic sea ice is rivalling 2016 and 2015 as the smallest for the time of year since satellite records began in the late 1970s. The ice reaches a winter maximum in March and a summer minimum in September. "In less than 40 years, we have almost halved the summer sea ice cover," said Tor Eldevik a professor at the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research at the University of Bergen in Norway, who was not involved in the study. He predicted that sea ice would vanish in the Arctic Ocean in about another 40 years, on current trends. Scientists define an ice-free Arctic Ocean as one with less than 1 million square kilometres (386,000 square miles) of ice because they say some sea ice will linger in bays, such as off northern Greenland, even after the ocean is ice-free. US President Donald Trump said during his 2016 election campaign that he would "cancel" the Paris Agreement and instead promote the domestic fossil fuel industry. He has since said he has an "open mind" on the subject. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Arctic sea ice likely to vanish in summers even if Paris accord target met: Study

US civil rights groups on Monday roundly slammed President Donald Trump&#39;s revised immigration order as a &quot;Muslim ban&quot; in all but name, and vowed to keep fighting it in court.

&quot;The&nbsp;Trump administration has conceded that its original Muslim ban was indefensible. Unfortunately, it has replaced it with a scaled-back version that shares the same fatal flaws,&quot; said Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Union&#39;s Immigrant Rights Project.&nbsp;

&quot;The only way to actually&nbsp;fix the Muslim ban is not to have a Muslim ban,&quot; Jadwat said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;Instead,&nbsp;President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and&nbsp;he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people.&quot;&nbsp;

The New York Immigration Coalition called the revised ban, which halts new visas for people from six majority-Muslim countries, &quot;a mask for the same old hatred, fear and incompetence.&quot;

&quot;This is just one more example of the president&#39;s concerted effort to divide this country and instill panic and fear in immigrant, refugee and Muslim communities,&quot; said NYIC director Steven Choi.

Human Rights Watch said the changes to the original January 27 order, which fell afoul of the US constitution because it appeared to overtly target Muslims, &quot;are merely cosmetic.&quot;

&quot;President Trump still seems to believe you can determine who&#39;s a terrorist by knowing which country a man, woman or child is from,&quot; said the group&#39;s US immigration researcher Grace Meng.

Rabbi Jack Moline, president of the Interfaith Alliance, said they expect as well to battle the revised order in court.

&quot;Even in its slightly revised form, President Trump&#39;s Muslim ban violates constitutional principles and undermines America&#39;s standing in the world,&quot; Moline said.

&quot;We must be clear that discriminating against millions of people on the basis of their religion does nothing to make Americans safer.&quot;

The United Farm Workers of America, a union fighting a separate Trump effort to expel millions of mostly Latino undocumented immigrants, branded the new travel ban &quot;a grievous affront to the fundamental values that make America an exceptional nation.&quot;

(AFP)

The new order is a 'scaled-back version' that shares the 'same fatal flaws', one of the rights group director said

US civil rights groups on Monday roundly slammed President Donald Trump's revised immigration order as a "Muslim ban" in all but name, and vowed to keep fighting it in court. "The Trump administration has conceded that its original Muslim ban was indefensible. Unfortunately, it has replaced it with a scaled-back version that shares the same fatal flaws," said Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Immigrant Rights Project. "The only way to actually fix the Muslim ban is not to have a Muslim ban," Jadwat said in a statement. "Instead, President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people." The New York Immigration Coalition called the revised ban, which halts new visas for people from six majority-Muslim countries, "a mask for the same old hatred, fear and incompetence." "This is just one more example of the president's concerted effort to divide this country and instill panic and fear in immigrant, refugee and Muslim communities," said NYIC director Steven Choi. Human Rights Watch said the changes to the original January 27 order, which fell afoul of the US constitution because it appeared to overtly target Muslims, "are merely cosmetic." "President Trump still seems to believe you can determine who's a terrorist by knowing which country a man, woman or child is from," said the group's US immigration researcher Grace Meng. Rabbi Jack Moline, president of the Interfaith Alliance, said they expect as well to battle the revised order in court. "Even in its slightly revised form, President Trump's Muslim ban violates constitutional principles and undermines America's standing in the world," Moline said. "We must be clear that discriminating against millions of people on the basis of their religion does nothing to make Americans safer." The United Farm Workers of America, a union fighting a separate Trump effort to expel millions of mostly Latino undocumented immigrants, branded the new travel ban "a grievous affront to the fundamental values that make America an exceptional nation." (AFP)

Trump's revised travel order remains Muslim ban: US rights group

US&nbsp;stocks retreated on Monday in a broad decline as investors took a dim view of the latest turbulence surrounding the Trump administration along with geopolitical tensions emanating from Asia.

The S&amp;P 500 has rallied 11 per cent in the wake of President Donald Trump&#39;s victory in November, with investors betting on the implementation of reduced regulations, lower taxes and increased infrastructure spending.

But a lack of detail on Trump&#39;s proposals, his isolationist stance and setbacks in filling his Cabinet have made investors question whether the post-election rally has run its course as stock valuations become stretched.

Trump accused predecessor Barack Obama on Saturday of wiretapping him during the late stages of the 2016 election campaign, but offered no evidence.

Some investors worried that the accusation could delay Trump&#39;s economic agenda.

&quot;The bottom line is, investors have predicated this rally on this new administration getting things done,&quot; said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank in Chicago.

&quot;The more news that circulates that is now whipping Washington into a frenzy, the less bandwidth they have to focus on getting these measures through.&quot;

Adding to investor caution were rising tensions in East Asia after North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japan&#39;s northwest.

Trump also signed a revised executive order on Monday for a 90-day travel ban to the United States from six Muslim-majority countries, removing Iraq from the list after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts.

Valuations are a cause for concern. The S&amp;P 500 is trading at nearly 18 times forward earnings estimates against the long-term average of about 15 times, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Investors are also grappling with the likelihood of an interest rate hike by the US&nbsp;Federal Reserve at its meeting next week, with traders now expecting about an 85-per cent chance of a hike versus roughly 30-percent at the start of last week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average&nbsp;fell 41.33 points, or 0.2 per cent, to 20,964.38, the S&amp;P 500 lost 7.65 points, or 0.32 per cent, to 2,375.47 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 21.07 points, or 0.36 per cent, to 5,849.69.

Of the 11 major S&amp;P sectors, only energy up 0.2 per cent, managed a modest advance.

Among stocks, Netflix, advanced 2 per cent to $141.94 following a UBS rating upgrade to &quot;buy&quot;.

Tyson Foods dropped 2.1 per cent at $2.26 after a strain of bird flu was detected in a chicken breeder flock on a Tennessee farm contracted with the company.

Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a 2.74-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 2.57-to-1 ratio favoured decliners.

The S&amp;P 500 posted 13 new 52-week highs and 7 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 53 new highs and 54 new lows.

(Reuters)

A lack of detail on Trump's proposals, his isolationist stance and setbacks in filling his Cabinet have vexed the Wall Street

US stocks retreated on Monday in a broad decline as investors took a dim view of the latest turbulence surrounding the Trump administration along with geopolitical tensions emanating from Asia. The S&P 500 has rallied 11 per cent in the wake of President Donald Trump's victory in November, with investors betting on the implementation of reduced regulations, lower taxes and increased infrastructure spending. But a lack of detail on Trump's proposals, his isolationist stance and setbacks in filling his Cabinet have made investors question whether the post-election rally has run its course as stock valuations become stretched. Trump accused predecessor Barack Obama on Saturday of wiretapping him during the late stages of the 2016 election campaign, but offered no evidence. Some investors worried that the accusation could delay Trump's economic agenda. "The bottom line is, investors have predicated this rally on this new administration getting things done," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank in Chicago. "The more news that circulates that is now whipping Washington into a frenzy, the less bandwidth they have to focus on getting these measures through." Adding to investor caution were rising tensions in East Asia after North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japan's northwest. Trump also signed a revised executive order on Monday for a 90-day travel ban to the United States from six Muslim-majority countries, removing Iraq from the list after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts. Valuations are a cause for concern. The S&P 500 is trading at nearly 18 times forward earnings estimates against the long-term average of about 15 times, according to Thomson Reuters data. Investors are also grappling with the likelihood of an interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve at its meeting next week, with traders now expecting about an 85-per cent chance of a hike versus roughly 30-percent at the start of last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 41.33 points, or 0.2 per cent, to 20,964.38, the S&P 500 lost 7.65 points, or 0.32 per cent, to 2,375.47 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 21.07 points, or 0.36 per cent, to 5,849.69. Of the 11 major S&P sectors, only energy up 0.2 per cent, managed a modest advance. Among stocks, Netflix, advanced 2 per cent to $141.94 following a UBS rating upgrade to "buy". Tyson Foods dropped 2.1 per cent at $2.26 after a strain of bird flu was detected in a chicken breeder flock on a Tennessee farm contracted with the company. Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a 2.74-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 2.57-to-1 ratio favoured decliners. The S&P 500 posted 13 new 52-week highs and 7 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 53 new highs and 54 new lows. (Reuters)

Trump's travel ban and North Korea tension tempers down US stocks

United States President Donald Trump&#39;s explosive claim on Twitter that Barack Obama wiretapped his phone during last year&#39;s election campaign will be probed by a Congressional committee.

The chairman of the&nbsp;House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Devin Nunes, said they will investigate &quot;whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party&#39;s campaign officials or surrogates&quot;. Nunes, however, stopped short of directly mentioning Trump&#39;s claims about the alleged Obama bugging.

The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/05/us/politics/trump-seeks-inquiry-into-allegations-that-obama-tapped-his-phones.html?hp&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;clickSource=story-heading&amp;module=first-column-region&amp;region=top-news&amp;WT.nav=top-news&amp;_r=0" target="_blank">New York Times</a> reports that FBI Director James Comey has this weekend asked the justice department to reject in public Trump&#39;s assertion, that Obama ordered the wiretapping of Trump&#39;s phone. Comey argued that the highly charged claim is false, and must be corrected.

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has been examining Russian interference in last year&#39;s US presidential election as well as Russia&#39;s cyber-activity, which has been viewed by many as a key reason for the withering of Hillary Clinton&#39;s presidential push.

The Committee&#39;s decision comes hours after the Donald Trump administration urged the Congress to follow up on the president&#39;s tweets, which without providing any evidence, accused Obama of tapping his phone.

On Saturday, Trump had tweeted: &quot;How low has President Obama gone to tapp &nbsp;my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!&quot;

Trump&#39;s insinuation was based on a report that came out in right-wing media organisation Breitbart News, which was until recently run by his chief advisor Steve Bannon.

Scrambling to contain the potential fallout, Trump&#39;s team requested the Congress to probe into what his spokesman Sarah Sanders said would be&nbsp;the &quot;greatest abuse of power and overreach that has ever occurred in the executive branch&quot;.

But Obama, through his spokesman, has denied ordering any surveillance on Trump.

US presidents cannot legally order such wiretaps, which require the approval of a federal judge and reasonable grounds for suspicion.

Obama&#39;s director of national intelligence James Clapper told NBC there was &quot;no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time as a candidate or against his campaign&quot;.

Trump&#39;s latest incendiary statement comes at a time when his fledgling presidency has been rocked by a series of scandals linking his team members with Russian officials.

Amid this and several other revelations of Trump aides holding meetings with Russian officials, the White House has denied allegations of collusion.

US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a campaign to meddle in last November&#39;s presidential election in a bid to tilt it in Trump&#39;s favor.

Former CIA director Leon Panetta accused Trump of diversionary tactics.

&quot;They are trying to obfuscate and trying to cover up. They are trying to somehow raise other issues,&quot; he told CBS. &quot;In the end, it is going to be the truth that will determine what is involved here, and not Tweets, but the truth.&quot;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump's accusation of Obama ordering a surveillance on him has been viewed by some as a diversion from his Russia links scandal

United States President Donald Trump's explosive claim on Twitter that Barack Obama wiretapped his phone during last year's election campaign will be probed by a Congressional committee. The chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Devin Nunes, said they will investigate "whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates". Nunes, however, stopped short of directly mentioning Trump's claims about the alleged Obama bugging. The New York Times reports that FBI Director James Comey has this weekend asked the justice department to reject in public Trump's assertion, that Obama ordered the wiretapping of Trump's phone. Comey argued that the highly charged claim is false, and must be corrected. The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has been examining Russian interference in last year's US presidential election as well as Russia's cyber-activity, which has been viewed by many as a key reason for the withering of Hillary Clinton's presidential push. The Committee's decision comes hours after the Donald Trump administration urged the Congress to follow up on the president's tweets, which without providing any evidence, accused Obama of tapping his phone. On Saturday, Trump had tweeted: "How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" Trump's insinuation was based on a report that came out in right-wing media organisation Breitbart News, which was until recently run by his chief advisor Steve Bannon. Scrambling to contain the potential fallout, Trump's team requested the Congress to probe into what his spokesman Sarah Sanders said would be the "greatest abuse of power and overreach that has ever occurred in the executive branch". But Obama, through his spokesman, has denied ordering any surveillance on Trump. US presidents cannot legally order such wiretaps, which require the approval of a federal judge and reasonable grounds for suspicion. Obama's director of national intelligence James Clapper told NBC there was "no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time as a candidate or against his campaign". Trump's latest incendiary statement comes at a time when his fledgling presidency has been rocked by a series of scandals linking his team members with Russian officials. Amid this and several other revelations of Trump aides holding meetings with Russian officials, the White House has denied allegations of collusion. US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a campaign to meddle in last November's presidential election in a bid to tilt it in Trump's favor. Former CIA director Leon Panetta accused Trump of diversionary tactics. "They are trying to obfuscate and trying to cover up. They are trying to somehow raise other issues," he told CBS. "In the end, it is going to be the truth that will determine what is involved here, and not Tweets, but the truth." (WION with inputs from AFP)

US Congressional body to probe Trump's wire-tap claim against Obama

US authorities are temporarily suspending the speedy, premium processing of a visa which is often used by tech firms to recruit foreign skilled workers.

Although the move comes as President Donald Trump pledges to prioritize jobs for Americans, US Citizenship and Immigration Services said the suspension was only meant to help the agency reduce overall processing time.

The H-1B visa is issued to tens of thousands of highly skilled foreign nationals each year, but as of April 3, applicants will no longer be able to use a costly shortcut to rush the processing of their visas.

On Friday, USCIS announced that the &quot;premium processing&quot; of H-1B visas -- which saw wait times reduced from several months to 15 days for the price of $1,225 -- would be temporarily suspended for up to six months.

The visa has drawn particular attention since Trump&#39;s election, with White House spokesman Sean Spicer suggesting&nbsp;that presidential and congressional action could be taken on H-1B visas as &quot;part of a larger immigration reform effort.&quot;

According to USCIS, the visas go to scientists, engineers, computer programmers or anyone &quot;in specialty occupations that require the theoretical or practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge.&quot;

The United States offers 85,000 H-1B visas every year, most of which are snapped up by Indian outsourcers whose employees fill a skill gap in US engineering. Applications are vastly oversubscribed and are allocated via a lottery system.

(AFP)

The decision to suspend the process comes as the Donald Trump administration looks to prioritise jobs for Americans

US authorities are temporarily suspending the speedy, premium processing of a visa which is often used by tech firms to recruit foreign skilled workers. Although the move comes as President Donald Trump pledges to prioritize jobs for Americans, US Citizenship and Immigration Services said the suspension was only meant to help the agency reduce overall processing time. The H-1B visa is issued to tens of thousands of highly skilled foreign nationals each year, but as of April 3, applicants will no longer be able to use a costly shortcut to rush the processing of their visas. On Friday, USCIS announced that the "premium processing" of H-1B visas -- which saw wait times reduced from several months to 15 days for the price of $1,225 -- would be temporarily suspended for up to six months. The visa has drawn particular attention since Trump's election, with White House spokesman Sean Spicer suggesting that presidential and congressional action could be taken on H-1B visas as "part of a larger immigration reform effort." According to USCIS, the visas go to scientists, engineers, computer programmers or anyone "in specialty occupations that require the theoretical or practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge." The United States offers 85,000 H-1B visas every year, most of which are snapped up by Indian outsourcers whose employees fill a skill gap in US engineering. Applications are vastly oversubscribed and are allocated via a lottery system. (AFP)

US temporarily suspends speedy H-1B visa process to reduce backlog

Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, presently on a US visit, said on Friday they have conveyed to the new administration that Indian partnership is important for the growing American economy to stay competitive.

When asked about discussion held with the Trump administration over the H-1B visa issue, the Foreign Secretary said the issue was discussed in a number of meetings with administration officials as well as the Congress.

During the meetings, the Indian side conveyed that the H-1B was a category of trade and services which actually helps the American economy.

&quot;If the Trump administration&#39;s intention is to bring back American companies to America and attract more foreign investment in America therefore there will be more growth then it is important that growing America remains competitive. So, there actually will be a growing need for this partnership,&quot; said Jaishankar during a conference at the Indian embassy in Washington DC.

He added, &quot;Of course in the US context it is seen as part of an immigration basket but what I would remind you is that the President himself in his address to the Congress referred to a merit based approach to this subject. We heard across the board a lot respect expressed for the Indian skills and Indians in the United States.&quot;&#39;

He said that the Indian side has certainly made its point quite forcefully both in the Congress and the administration and believes that it met with a degree of understanding.

The Foreign Secretary held meetings with a number of senior US administration officials including Secretary of State Rex W Tillerson, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Homeland Security John F Kelly, National Security Advisor Lt Gen&nbsp;HR&nbsp;McMaster, House speaker Paul Ryan along with meetings with senior member of the Congress.

Jaishankar said a wide range of issues were discussed during these meetings. The Foreign Secretary also interacted with American business through the US-India Business Council. He added that overall it has been a very productive visit and that the new administration has a very positive view of India and there was a lot of interest in taking this relationship forward. He also mentioned that he extended an invitation to Tillerson and Ross to visit India at an early date, which they accepted in principal.

Jaishankar&#39;s four-day visit to the US aimed at sensitising the Trump administration over India&#39;s concerns over the security of Indian nationals in the US following a possible cut in H-1B and L-1 visas.This is his second visit to the US since the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the US. 
 
(ANI)

S Jaishankar said he had conveyed India's concerns on H-1B and immigration to the US

Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, presently on a US visit, said on Friday they have conveyed to the new administration that Indian partnership is important for the growing American economy to stay competitive. When asked about discussion held with the Trump administration over the H-1B visa issue, the Foreign Secretary said the issue was discussed in a number of meetings with administration officials as well as the Congress. During the meetings, the Indian side conveyed that the H-1B was a category of trade and services which actually helps the American economy. "If the Trump administration's intention is to bring back American companies to America and attract more foreign investment in America therefore there will be more growth then it is important that growing America remains competitive. So, there actually will be a growing need for this partnership," said Jaishankar during a conference at the Indian embassy in Washington DC. He added, "Of course in the US context it is seen as part of an immigration basket but what I would remind you is that the President himself in his address to the Congress referred to a merit based approach to this subject. We heard across the board a lot respect expressed for the Indian skills and Indians in the United States."' He said that the Indian side has certainly made its point quite forcefully both in the Congress and the administration and believes that it met with a degree of understanding. The Foreign Secretary held meetings with a number of senior US administration officials including Secretary of State Rex W Tillerson, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Homeland Security John F Kelly, National Security Advisor Lt Gen HR McMaster, House speaker Paul Ryan along with meetings with senior member of the Congress. Jaishankar said a wide range of issues were discussed during these meetings. The Foreign Secretary also interacted with American business through the US-India Business Council. He added that overall it has been a very productive visit and that the new administration has a very positive view of India and there was a lot of interest in taking this relationship forward. He also mentioned that he extended an invitation to Tillerson and Ross to visit India at an early date, which they accepted in principal. Jaishankar's four-day visit to the US aimed at sensitising the Trump administration over India's concerns over the security of Indian nationals in the US following a possible cut in H-1B and L-1 visas.This is his second visit to the US since the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the US. (ANI)

H-1B visas help American economy: Indian foreign secretary to Trump administration

President Donald Trump&#39;s team is deeply divided over whether the United States should withdraw from the Paris climate accord, ahead of an imminent decision on the issue, The New York Times reported Friday.

Senior adviser Steve Bannon is pressing the president to quit the historic agreement reached by 194 countries in December 2015 to fight global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy and government officials told the newspaper.

That would make good on a key campaign promise by climate skeptic Trump.&nbsp;

However, the officials added, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, a former ExxonMobil CEO, and Trump&#39;s own influential daughter Ivanka reject that position.

They are concerned that quitting the accord, negotiated under former president Barack Obama, would weaken US credibility abroad and hurt ties with major allies.

Trump also is reported to be planning to reduce the staff of the Environmental Protection Agency by 20 per cent.

Trump appointee Scott Pruitt now leads the agency. As Oklahoma&#39;s attorney general, Pruitt filed 14 lawsuits against EPA regulations.

As early as next week, Trump plans to sign an executive order to begin the process of dismantling Obama-era regulations that require carbon power plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Those restrictions on power plant emissions were key if the United States is to meet its commitments&nbsp;under the Paris agreement.

Although Trump cannot unilaterally dismantle the accord, he can initiate the process for a US exit from the agreement.

The United States is the world&#39;s biggest economy and the second largest emitter of carbon dioxide after China, and its exit would be a major blow to global efforts to combat climate change.

But it would show Trump supporters that he is keeping his promises to protect the US coal industry.

Since the election, Trump has said only that he was an open mind on the issue.

(AFP)

Senior adviser Steve Bannon is all for the Trump team to quit the agreement, while Ivanka Trump is against that position

President Donald Trump's team is deeply divided over whether the United States should withdraw from the Paris climate accord, ahead of an imminent decision on the issue, The New York Times reported Friday. Senior adviser Steve Bannon is pressing the president to quit the historic agreement reached by 194 countries in December 2015 to fight global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy and government officials told the newspaper. That would make good on a key campaign promise by climate skeptic Trump. However, the officials added, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, a former ExxonMobil CEO, and Trump's own influential daughter Ivanka reject that position. They are concerned that quitting the accord, negotiated under former president Barack Obama, would weaken US credibility abroad and hurt ties with major allies. Trump also is reported to be planning to reduce the staff of the Environmental Protection Agency by 20 per cent. Trump appointee Scott Pruitt now leads the agency. As Oklahoma's attorney general, Pruitt filed 14 lawsuits against EPA regulations. As early as next week, Trump plans to sign an executive order to begin the process of dismantling Obama-era regulations that require carbon power plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Those restrictions on power plant emissions were key if the United States is to meet its commitments under the Paris agreement. Although Trump cannot unilaterally dismantle the accord, he can initiate the process for a US exit from the agreement. The United States is the world's biggest economy and the second largest emitter of carbon dioxide after China, and its exit would be a major blow to global efforts to combat climate change. But it would show Trump supporters that he is keeping his promises to protect the US coal industry. Since the election, Trump has said only that he was an open mind on the issue. (AFP)

Trump administration divided over Paris climate accord

A man named Hisham Saadi, 47, has been charged with carrying out a hoax regarding terrorist activity, uttering threats and mischief after calling in a fake&nbsp;bomb threat at a Canadian university, Concordia University, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-concordia-university-bomb-threats-1.4006151" target="_blank">CBC </a>reports.

His arrest comes one day after three buildings at Concordia were <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/canadian-university-evacuated-over-anti-muslim-bomb-threat-12945" target="_blank">evacuated </a>because a letter, circulated to the school and to local media, claimed there were explosive devices planted&nbsp;around the school.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/canadian-university-evacuated-over-anti-muslim-bomb-threat-12945" target="_blank">letter </a>stated: &quot;Now that President (Donald) Trump is in office south of the border, things have changed. We will not tolerate your behaviour anymore...Until Concordia University stops religious activities of all kinds on campus, we decide the following action to show how far we are ready to go to fight Muslims.&quot;

Saadi appeared in a Montreal courtroom Thursday afternoon via a video link, the report states. He&nbsp;was arrested at 1:30 am local time&nbsp;Thursday, after police officers, including&nbsp;tactical and canine units, descended on his apartment, Constable Boisselle told the CBC.

The police constable said it was unclear&nbsp;whether or not Saadi is at all connected&nbsp;to the university, but a man&nbsp;who spoke on condition of anonymity, claiming to have subletted his apartment to Saadi,&nbsp;said that he was an economic PhD student at Concordia, the CBC report claims.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The anonyous&nbsp;man said that he thinks Saadi has Canadian citizenship, that &quot;he has been here for many years&quot;, and that he is of&nbsp;Lebanese origin, the CBC report claims.

Saadi has been ordered to undergo a psychological assessment before his bail hearing, which is scheduled for Friday, the CBC said.

Concordia University is located in Montreal, Quebec, the same Canadian province&nbsp;where in late January 2017 a man, who had &quot;liked&quot; Donald Trump on Facebook, murdered six Muslims inside a mosque.&nbsp;

(WION)

Hisham Saadi, 47, was charged after a letter which invoked 'Trump' said there were bombs around the school in an effort to 'fight Muslims'

A man named Hisham Saadi, 47, has been charged with carrying out a hoax regarding terrorist activity, uttering threats and mischief after calling in a fake bomb threat at a Canadian university, Concordia University, CBC reports. His arrest comes one day after three buildings at Concordia were evacuated because a letter, circulated to the school and to local media, claimed there were explosive devices planted around the school. The letter stated: "Now that President (Donald) Trump is in office south of the border, things have changed. We will not tolerate your behaviour anymore...Until Concordia University stops religious activities of all kinds on campus, we decide the following action to show how far we are ready to go to fight Muslims." Saadi appeared in a Montreal courtroom Thursday afternoon via a video link, the report states. He was arrested at 1:30 am local time Thursday, after police officers, including tactical and canine units, descended on his apartment, Constable Boisselle told the CBC. The police constable said it was unclear whether or not Saadi is at all connected to the university, but a man who spoke on condition of anonymity, claiming to have subletted his apartment to Saadi, said that he was an economic PhD student at Concordia, the CBC report claims. The anonyous man said that he thinks Saadi has Canadian citizenship, that "he has been here for many years", and that he is of Lebanese origin, the CBC report claims. Saadi has been ordered to undergo a psychological assessment before his bail hearing, which is scheduled for Friday, the CBC said. Concordia University is located in Montreal, Quebec, the same Canadian province where in late January 2017 a man, who had "liked" Donald Trump on Facebook, murdered six Muslims inside a mosque. (WION)

Canadian man charged with terror-related bomb hoax on university campus

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