Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all sides to exercise restraint on Monday in a call with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, as a nervous South Korea and Japan sought to join drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group headed for Korean waters.

Reclusive North Korea said at the weekend it was ready to sink the US&nbsp;aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, which Trump had ordered to waters off the Korean peninsula as a warning to the nuclear-armed North.

Japan said on Sunday it had sent two Japanese destroyers to join the carrier group for drills, and South Korea said it was also in talks about holding joint naval exercises.

China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, leading to war and a chaotic collapse of its isolated and poverty-struck neighbour.

Xi told Trump that China resolutely opposes any actions that run counter to UN&nbsp;Security Council resolutions, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said.

China &quot;hopes that all relevant sides exercise restraint, and avoid doing anything to worsen the tense situation on the peninsula&quot;, the statement paraphrased Xi as saying.

The nuclear issue can only be resolved quickly with all relevant countries pulling in the same direction, and China is willing to work with all parties, including the United States, to ensure peace, Xi said.

Tensions have risen sharply in recent months, with Washington and its allies fearing Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear missile test or launch more ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations sanctions.

North Korea celebrates the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People`s Army on Tuesday, and has marked similar events in the past with nuclear tests or missile launches.

&#39;Repeated Provocation&#39; 
Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described his conversation with Trump as a &quot;thorough exchange of views&quot;.

&quot;We agreed to strongly demand that North Korea, which is repeating its provocation, show restraint,&quot; Abe told reporters.

&quot;We will maintain close contact with the United States, keep a high level of vigilance and respond firmly,&quot; he said.

Abe also said he and Trump agreed that China, North Korea`s sole major ally, should play a large role in dealing with Pyongyang.

A Japanese official said the phone call between Trump and Abe was not prompted by any specific change in the situation.

The US&nbsp;government has not specified where the carrier strike group is, but U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive &quot;within days&quot;.

South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun gave no further details about the South`s plans, other than saying Seoul was holding discussions with the US Navy.

&quot;I can say the South Korean and US militaries are fully ready for North Korea`s nuclear test,&quot; Moon said.

 
South Korean and U.S. officials have feared for some time that North Korea could soon carry out its sixth nuclear test.

Satellite imagery analysed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, found some activity under way at North Korea`s Punggye-ri nuclear test site last week.

However, the group said it was unclear whether the site was in a &quot;tactical pause&quot; before another test or was carrying out normal operations.

Adding to the heightened tensions, North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Saturday as he attempted to leave the country.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, and lead to war

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all sides to exercise restraint on Monday in a call with US President Donald Trump, as a nervous South Korea and Japan sought to join drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group headed for Korean waters. Reclusive North Korea said at the weekend it was ready to sink the US aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, which Trump had ordered to waters off the Korean peninsula as a warning to the nuclear-armed North. Japan said on Sunday it had sent two Japanese destroyers to join the carrier group for drills, and South Korea said it was also in talks about holding joint naval exercises. China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, leading to war and a chaotic collapse of its isolated and poverty-struck neighbour. Xi told Trump that China resolutely opposes any actions that run counter to UN Security Council resolutions, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said. China "hopes that all relevant sides exercise restraint, and avoid doing anything to worsen the tense situation on the peninsula", the statement paraphrased Xi as saying. The nuclear issue can only be resolved quickly with all relevant countries pulling in the same direction, and China is willing to work with all parties, including the United States, to ensure peace, Xi said. Tensions have risen sharply in recent months, with Washington and its allies fearing Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear missile test or launch more ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations sanctions. North Korea celebrates the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People`s Army on Tuesday, and has marked similar events in the past with nuclear tests or missile launches. 'Repeated Provocation' Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described his conversation with Trump as a "thorough exchange of views". "We agreed to strongly demand that North Korea, which is repeating its provocation, show restraint," Abe told reporters. "We will maintain close contact with the United States, keep a high level of vigilance and respond firmly," he said. Abe also said he and Trump agreed that China, North Korea`s sole major ally, should play a large role in dealing with Pyongyang. A Japanese official said the phone call between Trump and Abe was not prompted by any specific change in the situation. The US government has not specified where the carrier strike group is, but U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive "within days". South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun gave no further details about the South`s plans, other than saying Seoul was holding discussions with the US Navy. "I can say the South Korean and US militaries are fully ready for North Korea`s nuclear test," Moon said. South Korean and U.S. officials have feared for some time that North Korea could soon carry out its sixth nuclear test. Satellite imagery analysed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, found some activity under way at North Korea`s Punggye-ri nuclear test site last week. However, the group said it was unclear whether the site was in a "tactical pause" before another test or was carrying out normal operations. Adding to the heightened tensions, North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Saturday as he attempted to leave the country. (Reuters)

China's Xi calls Trump as carrier heads for Korea, calls for restraint

The UN Security Council has to be ready to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, US President Donald Trump said Monday, calling the status quo &quot;unacceptable.&quot;

&quot;This is a real threat to the world,&quot; Trump said while hosting UN Security Council ambassadors at the White House. &quot;North Korea is a big world problem. And it&#39;s a problem we have to finally solve.&quot;

&quot;The council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs,&quot; he said.

The comments are sure to once again ratchet up tensions.

North Korea is pushing on with its ballistic missile program, believed to be preparing a sixth nuclear weapons test, and has detained a US citizen -- the third to be held in the country.

At the same time, the United States has ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to the western Pacific, near North Korea. The group is due to arrive by the end of April.

The Pentagon said its leaders and other top officials will give a classified briefing on North Korea to US senators on Wednesday at the White House, rather than the usual secure rooms at the Capitol.

US Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to Washington after visits to Asia and Australia, with North Korea headlining talks.

Trump has intimated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, while rejecting bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang.

&quot;People have put blindfolds on for decades and now it&#39;s time to solve the problem,&quot; he said.

The US leader spoke about North Korea in telephone conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday and with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, the White House said.

In the call with Xi, &quot;the two leaders reaffirmed the urgency of the threat posed by North Korea&#39;s missile and nuclear programs, and committed to strengthen coordination in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,&quot; a White House statement said.

(AFP)

Pyongyang is a real threat to the world, the US president told the United Nations Security Council ambassadors

The UN Security Council has to be ready to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, US President Donald Trump said Monday, calling the status quo "unacceptable." "This is a real threat to the world," Trump said while hosting UN Security Council ambassadors at the White House. "North Korea is a big world problem. And it's a problem we have to finally solve." "The council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs," he said. The comments are sure to once again ratchet up tensions. North Korea is pushing on with its ballistic missile program, believed to be preparing a sixth nuclear weapons test, and has detained a US citizen -- the third to be held in the country. At the same time, the United States has ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to the western Pacific, near North Korea. The group is due to arrive by the end of April. The Pentagon said its leaders and other top officials will give a classified briefing on North Korea to US senators on Wednesday at the White House, rather than the usual secure rooms at the Capitol. US Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to Washington after visits to Asia and Australia, with North Korea headlining talks. Trump has intimated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, while rejecting bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang. "People have put blindfolds on for decades and now it's time to solve the problem," he said. The US leader spoke about North Korea in telephone conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday and with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, the White House said. In the call with Xi, "the two leaders reaffirmed the urgency of the threat posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, and committed to strengthen coordination in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," a White House statement said. (AFP)

Trump urges UN to impose 'stronger sanctions' on North Korea

A US citizen has reportedly been arrested as he tried to fly out of North Korea, becoming the third American to be detained there, South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency said Sunday.

The US State Department said it was aware of the reports, but there was no official confirmation of the arrest, which would come at a tense time in relations between Pyongyang and Washington.

Yonhap quoted sources as saying the man, identified only by his surname Kim, was arrested on Friday at Pyongyang International Airport on his way out of the country.

It said Kim, aged in his late 50s and a former professor at China&#39;s Yanbian University of Science and Technology, had been involved in aid programmes for the North.

He reportedly was in North Korea for about a month to discuss relief activities, Yonhap said. The reason for his arrest was unclear.

&quot;We are aware of reports that a US citizen was detained in North Korea,&quot; a State Department official said in Washington.

Due to the lack of diplomatic relations, &quot;In cases where US citizens are reported to be detained in North Korea, we work with the Swedish embassy, which serves as the United States&#39; Protecting Power in North Korea. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment,&quot; the official said.

South Korea&#39;s National Intelligence Service as well as the unification and foreign ministries said they could not confirm the report.

Two other US citizens held&nbsp;

But the director of a Seoul-based group called the World North Korea Research Center said his sources in Pyongyang had confirmed the arrest.

&quot;The reason North Korea is not saying anything yet is because it is not done with the investigations,&quot; Ahn Chan-il, a former defector, told AFP.

&quot;It is important for them to hold a US citizen hostage at this point to prevent Washington from carrying out a decapitation of Kim Jong-Un,&quot; Ahn said, referring to the North&#39;s fears that the US plans a secret military strike to topple its leader.

&quot;It&#39;s also a resolve to point a double-action revolver against the US and China because he is a US citizen who worked in China.&quot;

US President Donald Trump has urged China to take stronger steps to press the North to curb its nuclear and missile programmes.

Vice President Mike Pence, during a regional tour last week, warned that &quot;all options are on the table&quot; to curb the North&#39;s nuclear ambitions as fears grow it may be planning another atomic test.

Two other US citizens -- college student Otto Warmbier and Korean-American pastor Kim Dong-Chul -- are currently being held in the North after being sentenced to long prison terms.

The pastor Kim was sentenced last year to 10 years of hard labour for spying.

Also last year Warmbier was jailed for 15 years for stealing a propaganda sign and for &quot;crimes against the state&quot;.

North Korea has arrested and jailed several US citizens in the past decade, often releasing them only after high-profile visits by current or former US officials.

(AFP)

Although there was no official confirmation, US said a former professor named Kim was barred from flying out of Pyongyang

A US citizen has reportedly been arrested as he tried to fly out of North Korea, becoming the third American to be detained there, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Sunday. The US State Department said it was aware of the reports, but there was no official confirmation of the arrest, which would come at a tense time in relations between Pyongyang and Washington. Yonhap quoted sources as saying the man, identified only by his surname Kim, was arrested on Friday at Pyongyang International Airport on his way out of the country. It said Kim, aged in his late 50s and a former professor at China's Yanbian University of Science and Technology, had been involved in aid programmes for the North. He reportedly was in North Korea for about a month to discuss relief activities, Yonhap said. The reason for his arrest was unclear. "We are aware of reports that a US citizen was detained in North Korea," a State Department official said in Washington. Due to the lack of diplomatic relations, "In cases where US citizens are reported to be detained in North Korea, we work with the Swedish embassy, which serves as the United States' Protecting Power in North Korea. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment," the official said. South Korea's National Intelligence Service as well as the unification and foreign ministries said they could not confirm the report. Two other US citizens held But the director of a Seoul-based group called the World North Korea Research Center said his sources in Pyongyang had confirmed the arrest. "The reason North Korea is not saying anything yet is because it is not done with the investigations," Ahn Chan-il, a former defector, told AFP. "It is important for them to hold a US citizen hostage at this point to prevent Washington from carrying out a decapitation of Kim Jong-Un," Ahn said, referring to the North's fears that the US plans a secret military strike to topple its leader. "It's also a resolve to point a double-action revolver against the US and China because he is a US citizen who worked in China." US President Donald Trump has urged China to take stronger steps to press the North to curb its nuclear and missile programmes. Vice President Mike Pence, during a regional tour last week, warned that "all options are on the table" to curb the North's nuclear ambitions as fears grow it may be planning another atomic test. Two other US citizens -- college student Otto Warmbier and Korean-American pastor Kim Dong-Chul -- are currently being held in the North after being sentenced to long prison terms. The pastor Kim was sentenced last year to 10 years of hard labour for spying. Also last year Warmbier was jailed for 15 years for stealing a propaganda sign and for "crimes against the state". North Korea has arrested and jailed several US citizens in the past decade, often releasing them only after high-profile visits by current or former US officials. (AFP)

North Korea arrests US citizen amid heightened tension

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday will sign an executive order directing federal agencies to recommend changes to a temporary visa program used to bring foreign workers to the United States to fill high-skilled jobs.

The order call for &quot;the strict enforcement of all laws governing entry into the United States of labour from abroad for the stated purpose of creating higher wages and higher employment rates for workers in the United States,&quot; one of the senior officials said.

It will call on the departments of Labour, Justice, Homeland Security and State to take action to crack down on what the official called &quot;fraud and abuse&quot; in the US&nbsp;immigration system to protect American workers.

The order will call on those four federal departments to propose reforms to ensure H-1B visas are awarded to the most skilled or highest paid applicant.

Two senior Trump administration officials who briefed reporters at the White House said Trump will also use the &quot;buy American and hire American&quot; order to seek changes in government procurement practices to increase the purchase of American products in federal contracts.&nbsp;

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Trump is to sign the order when he visits the world headquarters of Snap-On Inc, a tool manufacturer in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The order is an attempt by Trump to carry out his &quot;America First&quot; campaign pledges to reform US&nbsp;immigration policies and encourage purchases of American products.

As he nears the 100-day benchmark of his presidency, Trump has no major legislative achievements to tout but has used executive orders to seek regulatory changes to help the US&nbsp;economy.

H-1B visas are intended for foreign nationals in &quot;specialty&quot; occupations that generally require higher education, which according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) includes, but is not limited to, scientists, engineers or computer programmers. The government uses a lottery to award 65,000 visas every year and randomly distributes another 20,000 to graduate student workers.

The number of applications for H-1B visas fell to 199,000 this year from 236,000 in 2016, according U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Companies say they use visas to recruit top talent. More than 15 percent of Facebook Inc&#39;s U.S. employees in 2016 used a temporary work visa, according to a Reuters analysis of U.S. Labor Department filings.

But a majority of the visas are awarded to outsourcing firms, sparking criticism by skeptics who say those firms use the visas to fill lower-level information technology jobs. Critics also say the lottery system benefits outsourcing firms that flood the system with mass applications.

The senior official said the end result of how the system currently works is that foreign workers are often brought in at less pay to replace American workers, &quot;violating the principle of the program.&quot;

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, Republican Representative Darrell Issa of California and Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren of California were not immediately available to comment.

Facebook, Microsoft Corp and Apple Inc were also not immediately available after normal business hours.

The order also asks federal agencies to look at how to get rid of loopholes in the government procurement process.

Specifically, the review will take into account whether waivers in free-trade agreements are leading to unfair trade by allowing foreign companies to undercut American companies in the global government procurement market.

&quot;If it turns out America is a net loser because of those free-trade agreement waivers, which apply to almost 60 countries, these waivers may be promptly renegotiated or revoked,&quot; the second official said.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday will sign an executive order directing federal agencies to recommend changes to a temporary visa program used to bring foreign workers to the United States to fill high-skilled jobs. The order call for "the strict enforcement of all laws governing entry into the United States of labour from abroad for the stated purpose of creating higher wages and higher employment rates for workers in the United States," one of the senior officials said. It will call on the departments of Labour, Justice, Homeland Security and State to take action to crack down on what the official called "fraud and abuse" in the US immigration system to protect American workers. The order will call on those four federal departments to propose reforms to ensure H-1B visas are awarded to the most skilled or highest paid applicant. Two senior Trump administration officials who briefed reporters at the White House said Trump will also use the "buy American and hire American" order to seek changes in government procurement practices to increase the purchase of American products in federal contracts. The order call for 'the strict enforcement of all laws governing entry into the United States of labour from abroad for the stated purpose of creating higher wages and higher employment rates for workers in the United States' × Trump is to sign the order when he visits the world headquarters of Snap-On Inc, a tool manufacturer in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The order is an attempt by Trump to carry out his "America First" campaign pledges to reform US immigration policies and encourage purchases of American products. As he nears the 100-day benchmark of his presidency, Trump has no major legislative achievements to tout but has used executive orders to seek regulatory changes to help the US economy. H-1B visas are intended for foreign nationals in "specialty" occupations that generally require higher education, which according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) includes, but is not limited to, scientists, engineers or computer programmers. The government uses a lottery to award 65,000 visas every year and randomly distributes another 20,000 to graduate student workers. The number of applications for H-1B visas fell to 199,000 this year from 236,000 in 2016, according U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Companies say they use visas to recruit top talent. More than 15 percent of Facebook Inc's U.S. employees in 2016 used a temporary work visa, according to a Reuters analysis of U.S. Labor Department filings. But a majority of the visas are awarded to outsourcing firms, sparking criticism by skeptics who say those firms use the visas to fill lower-level information technology jobs. Critics also say the lottery system benefits outsourcing firms that flood the system with mass applications. The senior official said the end result of how the system currently works is that foreign workers are often brought in at less pay to replace American workers, "violating the principle of the program." Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, Republican Representative Darrell Issa of California and Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren of California were not immediately available to comment. Facebook, Microsoft Corp and Apple Inc were also not immediately available after normal business hours. The order also asks federal agencies to look at how to get rid of loopholes in the government procurement process. Specifically, the review will take into account whether waivers in free-trade agreements are leading to unfair trade by allowing foreign companies to undercut American companies in the global government procurement market. "If it turns out America is a net loser because of those free-trade agreement waivers, which apply to almost 60 countries, these waivers may be promptly renegotiated or revoked," the second official said. (Reuters)

Trump to seek changes in H-1B visa programme to encourage hiring of Americans

US President Donald Trump took time out on Easter Sunday to deliver a terse message to North Korea: &quot;Got to behave.&quot;

Trump made the remark to a CNN reporter after kicking off the 139th annual Easter egg roll with First Lady Melania Trump.

Earlier in the day, the country&#39;s vice president Mike Pence warned&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;Monday not to test Donald Trump&#39;s resolve, declaring that &quot;all options are on the table&quot; in curbing its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

Defying international pressure, the&nbsp;North&nbsp;Sunday test-fired another missile as fears grow that it may be preparing for its sixth atomic weapons test.

&quot;We hope to achieve this objective (the&nbsp;North&#39;s denuclearisation) through peaceful means but all options are on the table,&quot; Pence told a press conference in the South Korean capital after his trip to the tense border with the&nbsp;North.

&quot;Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan.

&quot;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;would do well not to test his resolve, or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region,&quot; Pence said at the press conference with South&nbsp;Korea&#39;s Acting President Hwang Kyo-Ahn.

Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have soared in recent weeks, as a series of&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean missile tests have prompted ever-more bellicose warnings from Trump&#39;s administration.

The new and inexperienced US president has indicated he will not allow&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the western United States.

Pence declared that the era of US &quot;strategic patience&quot; in dealing with the&nbsp;North&nbsp;was over, after more than two decades.

North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;&quot;answered our overtures with wilful deception, broken promises and nuclear and missile tests&quot;, he said.

The US, which stations 28,500 troops in South&nbsp;Korea, would &quot;defeat any attack and we will meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective response&quot;.

Pence&#39;s trip earlier Monday to the Demilitarised Zone between the two Koreas -- one of the most heavily fortified frontiers on the planet -- underscored Washington&#39;s changing policy towards the isolated state.

The visit came after a huge military parade Saturday during which&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;showcased apparent intercontinental ballistic missiles, and as a US carrier group converges on the Korean peninsula.

It also came the day after&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&#39;s latest launch -- which failed when the missile blew up seconds after blast-off.

Speaking at the village of Panmunjom inside the DMZ, Pence said America&#39;s relationship with South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;was &quot;ironclad and immutable&quot;.

Tensions&nbsp;

Pyongyang insists it needs a powerful arsenal -- including atomic weapons -- to protect itself from what it says is the ever-present threat of US invasion.

A top White House foreign policy adviser on Sunday became the latest Trump official to warn that while diplomatic pressure was preferable, US military action is very much on the table.

Pence urged the international community to join US and regional demands for an end to the&nbsp;North&#39;s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

&quot;It is heartening to see China commit to these actions. But the United States is troubled by China&#39;s economic retaliation against South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;for taking appropriate steps to defend itself,&quot; he said, referring to the US THAAD missile defence system.

The system being installed in South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;is designed to shoot down missiles from&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;or elsewhere. But China furiously objects to its deployment, saying it could spy on its own defence installations, and has taken apparent retaliatory action against South Korean firms operating in its country.

Pence said he and Trump &quot;have great confidence that China will properly deal with&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&quot;.

&quot;But as President Trump made clear just a few short days ago, if China is unable to deal with&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea, the United States and our allies will.&quot;

This is Pence&#39;s first visit to South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;-- part of an Asia swing that will also include stops in Japan, Indonesia and Australia -- and although it was conceived months ago, could hardly come at a time of higher tension.

(AFP)

Earlier in the day, Vice President Mike Pence said 'all options are on the table' to nullify North's nuclear programme

US President Donald Trump took time out on Easter Sunday to deliver a terse message to North Korea: "Got to behave." Trump made the remark to a CNN reporter after kicking off the 139th annual Easter egg roll with First Lady Melania Trump. Earlier in the day, the country's vice president Mike Pence warned North Korea Monday not to test Donald Trump's resolve, declaring that "all options are on the table" in curbing its missile and nuclear weapons programmes. Defying international pressure, the North Sunday test-fired another missile as fears grow that it may be preparing for its sixth atomic weapons test. "We hope to achieve this objective (the North's denuclearisation) through peaceful means but all options are on the table," Pence told a press conference in the South Korean capital after his trip to the tense border with the North. "Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan. "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve, or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said at the press conference with South Korea's Acting President Hwang Kyo-Ahn. Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have soared in recent weeks, as a series of North Korean missile tests have prompted ever-more bellicose warnings from Trump's administration. The new and inexperienced US president has indicated he will not allow North Korea to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the western United States. Pence declared that the era of US "strategic patience" in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades. North Korea "answered our overtures with wilful deception, broken promises and nuclear and missile tests", he said. The US, which stations 28,500 troops in South Korea, would "defeat any attack and we will meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective response". Pence's trip earlier Monday to the Demilitarised Zone between the two Koreas -- one of the most heavily fortified frontiers on the planet -- underscored Washington's changing policy towards the isolated state. The visit came after a huge military parade Saturday during which North Korea showcased apparent intercontinental ballistic missiles, and as a US carrier group converges on the Korean peninsula. It also came the day after North Korea's latest launch -- which failed when the missile blew up seconds after blast-off. Speaking at the village of Panmunjom inside the DMZ, Pence said America's relationship with South Korea was "ironclad and immutable". Tensions Pyongyang insists it needs a powerful arsenal -- including atomic weapons -- to protect itself from what it says is the ever-present threat of US invasion. A top White House foreign policy adviser on Sunday became the latest Trump official to warn that while diplomatic pressure was preferable, US military action is very much on the table. Pence urged the international community to join US and regional demands for an end to the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. "It is heartening to see China commit to these actions. But the United States is troubled by China's economic retaliation against South Korea for taking appropriate steps to defend itself," he said, referring to the US THAAD missile defence system. The system being installed in South Korea is designed to shoot down missiles from North Korea or elsewhere. But China furiously objects to its deployment, saying it could spy on its own defence installations, and has taken apparent retaliatory action against South Korean firms operating in its country. Pence said he and Trump "have great confidence that China will properly deal with North Korea". "But as President Trump made clear just a few short days ago, if China is unable to deal with North Korea, the United States and our allies will." This is Pence's first visit to South Korea -- part of an Asia swing that will also include stops in Japan, Indonesia and Australia -- and although it was conceived months ago, could hardly come at a time of higher tension. (AFP)

Trump's message to North Korea: 'Got to behave'

China issued a stern warning Friday that a conflict over North Korea could break out &quot;at any moment&quot;, as Pyongyang vowed a &quot;merciless&quot; response to any US military action. 
 
Tensions in the region have surged to fresh heights in recent days with speculation mounting that the North is preparing a sixth nuclear test.&nbsp; 
 
A US naval strike force has been deployed near the Korean peninsula, and President Donald Trump has issued stark warnings that the threat posed by Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear weapons programme &quot;will be taken care of&quot;. 
 
A clearly rattled China, under pressure from Trump to prevent any North Korean provocation, said the situation had reached breaking point. 
 
&quot;One has the feeling that a conflict could break out at any moment,&quot; Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;If a war occurs, the result is a situation in which everybody loses and there can be no winner,&quot; he added during a joint press conference in Beijing with the visiting French foreign minister. 
 
Wang`s comments mirrored a warning from the North Korean foreign ministry`s Institute for Disarmament and Peace that &quot;thermo-nuclear war may break out any moment&quot;. North Korea has invoked similarly dire scenarios on previous occasions when tensions on the Korean peninsula have spiked, but Beijing`s warnings have fuelled international concerns that the current situation is reaching tipping point. 
 
The North&#39;s Korean People`s Army (KPA) added its voice to the bellicose rhetoric on Friday with a statement threatening strikes against US military bases and other targets in South Korea. 
 
&quot;The closer such big targets as nuclear powered aircraft carriers come, the greater would be the effect of merciless strikes,&quot; said the statement carried by the North`s official KCNA news agency. 
Citing the recent missile strike Trump ordered against Syria -- which was widely interpreted as a warning to Pyongyang -- the KPA denounced the US president for embarking on a path of &quot;open threat and blackmail&quot; against the North. 
 
It also urged Washington to &quot;come to its senses&quot; and find a &quot;proper&quot; solution to the current stand-off.&nbsp; 
 
Trump&#39;s military muscle-flexing was on display again Thursday when the US on dropped the biggest non-nuclear bomb it possesses on Afghanistan, targeting a complex used by the Islamic State group. 
 
The American president has repeatedly said he will prevent Pyongyang from its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States. 
 
A White House foreign policy advisor said Friday that the US was assessing military options, and added that another provocative test was a question of &quot;when&quot; rather than &quot;if.&quot; 
 
Satellite imagery analysis has noted activity at the North`s main nuclear test site ahead of Saturday`s 105th anniversary of the birth of the country`s founder leader Kim Il-Sung.The North&#39;s sabre-rattling has encouraged a rapprochement between Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, who met face-to-face for the first time late last week at Trump`s Mar-a-Lago resort.&nbsp; 
 
Though his election campaign was marked with acerbic denouncements of China`s &quot;rape&quot; of the US economy, Trump dropped his anti-China bombast in Florida, afterwards hailing an &quot;outstanding&quot; relationship with Xi.&nbsp; 
 
But he insists China -- the North`s sole major ally and economic lifeline -- must exert more leverage on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions or suffer the consequences. 
 
Beijing has long opposed dramatic action against the North, fearing the regime`s collapse would send a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep. 
 
China&#39;s state broadcaster CCTV announced Friday that Air China -- the only foreign carrier operating commercial flights into North Korea -- would suspend services to Pyongyang from next week. 
The report gave no reason for the suspension, but noted that Air China has taken similar action in the past because of low passenger volumes. 
 
Despite the mounting tensions, there has been little sign of strain on the streets of Pyongyang in recent days, where the focus has been on preparations for Saturday`s anniversary. 
 
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on Thursday unveiled the sprawling Ryomyong street development, a prestige housing project repeatedly promised in time to mark the occasion.&nbsp; 
 
Before the international press and tens of thousands of his adoring citizens, he cut a wide red ribbon to rhythmic cheers, before waving and returning to his Mercedes limousine.&nbsp;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

A US naval strike force has been deployed near the Korean peninsula. A clearly rattled China says the situation has reached breaking point

China issued a stern warning Friday that a conflict over North Korea could break out "at any moment", as Pyongyang vowed a "merciless" response to any US military action. Tensions in the region have surged to fresh heights in recent days with speculation mounting that the North is preparing a sixth nuclear test. A US naval strike force has been deployed near the Korean peninsula, and President Donald Trump has issued stark warnings that the threat posed by Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme "will be taken care of". A clearly rattled China, under pressure from Trump to prevent any North Korean provocation, said the situation had reached breaking point. "One has the feeling that a conflict could break out at any moment," Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said. "If a war occurs, the result is a situation in which everybody loses and there can be no winner," he added during a joint press conference in Beijing with the visiting French foreign minister. Wang`s comments mirrored a warning from the North Korean foreign ministry`s Institute for Disarmament and Peace that "thermo-nuclear war may break out any moment". North Korea has invoked similarly dire scenarios on previous occasions when tensions on the Korean peninsula have spiked, but Beijing`s warnings have fuelled international concerns that the current situation is reaching tipping point. The North's Korean People`s Army (KPA) added its voice to the bellicose rhetoric on Friday with a statement threatening strikes against US military bases and other targets in South Korea. "The closer such big targets as nuclear powered aircraft carriers come, the greater would be the effect of merciless strikes," said the statement carried by the North`s official KCNA news agency. Citing the recent missile strike Trump ordered against Syria -- which was widely interpreted as a warning to Pyongyang -- the KPA denounced the US president for embarking on a path of "open threat and blackmail" against the North. It also urged Washington to "come to its senses" and find a "proper" solution to the current stand-off. Trump's military muscle-flexing was on display again Thursday when the US on dropped the biggest non-nuclear bomb it possesses on Afghanistan, targeting a complex used by the Islamic State group. The American president has repeatedly said he will prevent Pyongyang from its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States. A White House foreign policy advisor said Friday that the US was assessing military options, and added that another provocative test was a question of "when" rather than "if." Satellite imagery analysis has noted activity at the North`s main nuclear test site ahead of Saturday`s 105th anniversary of the birth of the country`s founder leader Kim Il-Sung.The North's sabre-rattling has encouraged a rapprochement between Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, who met face-to-face for the first time late last week at Trump`s Mar-a-Lago resort. Though his election campaign was marked with acerbic denouncements of China`s "rape" of the US economy, Trump dropped his anti-China bombast in Florida, afterwards hailing an "outstanding" relationship with Xi. But he insists China -- the North`s sole major ally and economic lifeline -- must exert more leverage on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions or suffer the consequences. Beijing has long opposed dramatic action against the North, fearing the regime`s collapse would send a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep. China's state broadcaster CCTV announced Friday that Air China -- the only foreign carrier operating commercial flights into North Korea -- would suspend services to Pyongyang from next week. The report gave no reason for the suspension, but noted that Air China has taken similar action in the past because of low passenger volumes. Despite the mounting tensions, there has been little sign of strain on the streets of Pyongyang in recent days, where the focus has been on preparations for Saturday`s anniversary. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on Thursday unveiled the sprawling Ryomyong street development, a prestige housing project repeatedly promised in time to mark the occasion. Before the international press and tens of thousands of his adoring citizens, he cut a wide red ribbon to rhythmic cheers, before waving and returning to his Mercedes limousine. (AFP)

China warns of war 'at any moment' as North Korea vows 'merciless' response to US

After less than three months in office, President Donald Trump has abruptly indicated a shift in&nbsp;his stance on an array of foreign policy issues from the US&nbsp;relationship with Russia and China to the value of the NATO alliance.

Trump, who ran for the White House on a pledge to shake up the status quo in Washington, repeatedly lashed out at China during the campaign, accusing Beijing of being a &quot;grand champion&quot; of currency manipulation. Candidate Trump also dismissed the NATO military alliance as obsolete and said he hoped to build warmer ties with Russia.

But at a White House news conference and in a newspaper interview on Wednesday, he offered starkly different views on those issues, saying his relationship with Moscow was souring while ties with Beijing were improving. He also lavished praise on NATO, saying it was adapting to changing global threats.

&quot;I said it was obsolete. It&#39;s no longer obsolete,&quot; Trump said as he stood at a news conference alongside NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in the White House East Room on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The apparent reversals on Russia and NATO could reassure US&nbsp;allies in Europe who were rattled by Trump&#39;s overtures toward Moscow during the campaign. But the president&#39;s talk of &quot;bonding&quot; with Chinese President Xi Jinping could sow confusion in Asia, where US&nbsp;allies are fearful of a rising China.

&nbsp;

Trump&nbsp;claims US-Russia relations are at&nbsp;&quot;all time low&quot;&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s U-turn&nbsp;in&nbsp;foreign policy came amid infighting within his administration that has lately seen a decline in the influence of political operatives, mainly his chief strategist, Steve Bannon, whose former publication <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2017/03/21/fbi-probing-breitbart-infowars-in-russian-influence-investigation/">Breitbart News</a> is&nbsp;under FBI investigation for links to Russia.

Six months ago, candidate Trump suggested he was eager for an alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

&quot;If he says great things about me, I&#39;m going to say great things about him,&quot; Trump said last September.

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U.S. President Donald Trump voiced caution on his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he would wait and see about future ties with Moscow (Reuters)
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On Wednesday, however, Trump said he had growing concerns about Russia&#39;s support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

&quot;We may be at an all-time low in terms of a relationship with Russia,&quot; said Trump, who ordered the firing of US&nbsp;cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield last week after Putin-backed Assad was&nbsp;suspected of using&nbsp;poison gas against civilians in Syria&#39;s civil war.

While many are focused on Trump&#39;s claim that US-Russia relations are at a low, he also said in the very same press conference, &quot;It would be wonderful...if Nato and our country could get along with Russia.&quot;

The Trump administration itself is currently under FBI investigation for its links to Russia, and for its possible role in working with Moscow&#39;s effort to interfere in the 2016 US election to benefit Trump.

&nbsp;

China reversal

While criticising Russia on Wednesday, Trump said he and Xi had bonded during the Chinese president&#39;s visit to the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where they dined together with their wives and held talks.

Ahead of that visit, Trump had predicted &quot;difficult&quot; discussions on trade.

The improving ties with Beijing were underscored when Trump told the Wall Street Journal in an interview on Wednesday that he would not declare China a currency manipulator as he had pledged to do on his first day in office.

Trump, a former real estate developer, took office in January as a government novice whose foreign policy mantra was a vow to keep America safe and build up the US&nbsp;military.

&nbsp;

Another reversal: Distancing himself from his own administration, again

In an interview with the New York Post on Tuesday, Trump offered only lukewarm support for Bannon.

&ldquo;I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late. I had already beaten all the senators and governors, and I didn&#39;t know Steve. I&#39;m my own strategist, and it&#39;s not like I was going to change strategies because I was facing&nbsp;crooked Hillary,&rdquo; Trump said.

The claim that he didn&#39;t know Steve Bannon until the 2016 is false, the same <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/us/politics/trump-steven-bannon-fox-business-news-interview.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a> reports.

&nbsp;

Critics have pointed out that the Trump administration&nbsp;made similar distancing statements with&nbsp;former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and former National Security adviser Michael Flynn.&nbsp;

White House S<a href="http://fortune.com/2017/03/22/paul-manafort-donald-trump-vladimir-putin/" target="_blank">pokesman </a>Sean Spicer said that Flynn was only a &quot;campaign volunteer&quot;.&nbsp;Michael Flynn&nbsp;was forced to resign on February&nbsp;13 for contacts with Russia&#39;s ambassador to the United States before Trump took office, contacts which he misled the Vice President about.

In another&nbsp;example, a few weeks ago Spicer said&nbsp;that in the 2016 election campaign Manafort only played &quot;a very limited role for a very limited time&quot;. Manafort worked on the campaign for five months, during a crucial time, and was the campaign manager for three of those months, <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/03/22/paul-manafort-donald-trump-vladimir-putin/" target="_blank">Fortune </a>reports.&nbsp;

He only resigned after a barrage of negative press after it came to light that he received millions of dollars in undisclosed payments from the party of the Russia-backed Ukrainian leader, Viktor Yanukovich.

Hours ago Manafort&#39;s&nbsp;spokesman said he is planning to register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent,<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/12/paul-manafort-foreign-agent-trump-russia" target="_blank"> The Guardian</a> reports. He denies any impropriety.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

These drastic reversals come as the Trump administration faces more pressure under the ongoing investigation for their links to Russia

After less than three months in office, President Donald Trump has abruptly indicated a shift in his stance on an array of foreign policy issues from the US relationship with Russia and China to the value of the NATO alliance. Trump, who ran for the White House on a pledge to shake up the status quo in Washington, repeatedly lashed out at China during the campaign, accusing Beijing of being a "grand champion" of currency manipulation. Candidate Trump also dismissed the NATO military alliance as obsolete and said he hoped to build warmer ties with Russia. But at a White House news conference and in a newspaper interview on Wednesday, he offered starkly different views on those issues, saying his relationship with Moscow was souring while ties with Beijing were improving. He also lavished praise on NATO, saying it was adapting to changing global threats. "I said it was obsolete. It's no longer obsolete," Trump said as he stood at a news conference alongside NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in the White House East Room on Wednesday. The apparent reversals on Russia and NATO could reassure US allies in Europe who were rattled by Trump's overtures toward Moscow during the campaign. But the president's talk of "bonding" with Chinese President Xi Jinping could sow confusion in Asia, where US allies are fearful of a rising China. Trump claims US-Russia relations are at "all time low" Trump's U-turn in foreign policy came amid infighting within his administration that has lately seen a decline in the influence of political operatives, mainly his chief strategist, Steve Bannon, whose former publication Breitbart News is under FBI investigation for links to Russia. Six months ago, candidate Trump suggested he was eager for an alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "If he says great things about me, I'm going to say great things about him," Trump said last September. U.S. President Donald Trump voiced caution on his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he would wait and see about future ties with Moscow (Reuters) × On Wednesday, however, Trump said he had growing concerns about Russia's support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "We may be at an all-time low in terms of a relationship with Russia," said Trump, who ordered the firing of US cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield last week after Putin-backed Assad was suspected of using poison gas against civilians in Syria's civil war. While many are focused on Trump's claim that US-Russia relations are at a low, he also said in the very same press conference, "It would be wonderful...if Nato and our country could get along with Russia." The Trump administration itself is currently under FBI investigation for its links to Russia, and for its possible role in working with Moscow's effort to interfere in the 2016 US election to benefit Trump. China reversal While criticising Russia on Wednesday, Trump said he and Xi had bonded during the Chinese president's visit to the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where they dined together with their wives and held talks. Ahead of that visit, Trump had predicted "difficult" discussions on trade. The improving ties with Beijing were underscored when Trump told the Wall Street Journal in an interview on Wednesday that he would not declare China a currency manipulator as he had pledged to do on his first day in office. Trump, a former real estate developer, took office in January as a government novice whose foreign policy mantra was a vow to keep America safe and build up the US military. Another reversal: Distancing himself from his own administration, again In an interview with the New York Post on Tuesday, Trump offered only lukewarm support for Bannon. “I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late. I had already beaten all the senators and governors, and I didn't know Steve. I'm my own strategist, and it's not like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary,” Trump said. The claim that he didn't know Steve Bannon until the 2016 is false, the same New York Times reports. Critics have pointed out that the Trump administration made similar distancing statements with former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and former National Security adviser Michael Flynn. White House Spokesman Sean Spicer said that Flynn was only a "campaign volunteer". Michael Flynn was forced to resign on February 13 for contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States before Trump took office, contacts which he misled the Vice President about. In another example, a few weeks ago Spicer said that in the 2016 election campaign Manafort only played "a very limited role for a very limited time". Manafort worked on the campaign for five months, during a crucial time, and was the campaign manager for three of those months, Fortune reports. He only resigned after a barrage of negative press after it came to light that he received millions of dollars in undisclosed payments from the party of the Russia-backed Ukrainian leader, Viktor Yanukovich. Hours ago Manafort's spokesman said he is planning to register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent, The Guardian reports. He denies any impropriety. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

In abrupt shift, Trump appears to sour on Russia but warm to China and NATO

US President Donald Trump expressed confidence Thursday that US-Russian relations will &quot;work out fine&quot; after icy bilateral talks in Moscow, as he looked to China to &quot;deal properly&quot; with North Korea.

Trump faces crucial tests in the Middle East and the Korean peninsula, with tensions building on both fronts over a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria and a mounting challenge from North Korea&#39;s Kim Jong-Un.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Wednesday that relations between Washington and Moscow, a key ally of the Damascus regime, were at a &quot;low point.&quot;

&quot;Things will work out fine between the U.S.A. and Russia,&quot; Trump said in his tweet.

&quot;At the right time everyone will come to their senses &amp; there will be lasting peace!&quot;

The Russians are backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against US charges that his air force dropped a bomb loaded with the nerve agent sarin on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun on April 4, killing 87 people, many of them children.

Russia on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding that the Syrian government cooperate with an investigation into the attack.

In an exclusive interview with AFP, Assad insisted his army had given up its chemical weapons and called reports of the attack &quot;fabrication.&quot;

On North Korea, with Pyongyang reportedly poised to conduct a nuclear test, Trump said he had &quot;great confidence that China will properly deal with North Korea&quot;.

He, however, added: &quot;If they are unable to do so, the U.S., with its allies, will! U.S.A.&quot;

A US monitoring group said North Korea&#39;s Punggye-ri nuclear test site is &quot;primed and ready&quot; to conduct its sixth nuclear test, possibly to coincide with celebrations Saturday marking the birthdate of regime founder Kim Il-Sung.

The Voice of America, quoting US government and other sources, said North Korea &quot;has apparently placed a nuclear device in a tunnel and it could be detonated Saturday AM Korea time&quot;.

Trump has asked his advisers to give him all options for dealing with the nuclear-armed North, and a US carrier strike group has been ordered to the region as a precaution.

(AFP)

The tweet was made after bilateral relations hit a low point following the alleged chemical attack in Syria

US President Donald Trump expressed confidence Thursday that US-Russian relations will "work out fine" after icy bilateral talks in Moscow, as he looked to China to "deal properly" with North Korea. Trump faces crucial tests in the Middle East and the Korean peninsula, with tensions building on both fronts over a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria and a mounting challenge from North Korea's Kim Jong-Un. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Wednesday that relations between Washington and Moscow, a key ally of the Damascus regime, were at a "low point." "Things will work out fine between the U.S.A. and Russia," Trump said in his tweet. "At the right time everyone will come to their senses & there will be lasting peace!" The Russians are backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against US charges that his air force dropped a bomb loaded with the nerve agent sarin on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun on April 4, killing 87 people, many of them children. Russia on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding that the Syrian government cooperate with an investigation into the attack. In an exclusive interview with AFP, Assad insisted his army had given up its chemical weapons and called reports of the attack "fabrication." On North Korea, with Pyongyang reportedly poised to conduct a nuclear test, Trump said he had "great confidence that China will properly deal with North Korea". He, however, added: "If they are unable to do so, the U.S., with its allies, will! U.S.A." A US monitoring group said North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site is "primed and ready" to conduct its sixth nuclear test, possibly to coincide with celebrations Saturday marking the birthdate of regime founder Kim Il-Sung. The Voice of America, quoting US government and other sources, said North Korea "has apparently placed a nuclear device in a tunnel and it could be detonated Saturday AM Korea time". Trump has asked his advisers to give him all options for dealing with the nuclear-armed North, and a US carrier strike group has been ordered to the region as a precaution. (AFP)

Things will work out fine between US and Russia: Trump

China will offer the Trump administration better market access for financial sector investments and US&nbsp;beef exports to help avert a trade war, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing officials familiar with the matter.

China is prepared to raise the investment ceiling in the Bilateral Investment treaty and is also willing to end the ban on US&nbsp;beef imports, the newspaper also reported.

&quot;China was prepared to (raise the investment ceilings) in the BIT but those negotiations were put on hold (after Trump&#39;s election victory),&quot; the Financial Times also reported citing a Chinese official involved in the talks.

US&nbsp;Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Friday that President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to a new 100-day plan for trade talks on Friday.

The US&nbsp;trade department was not immediately available for comment while the China&#39;s ministry of commerce could not be reached for comment.

(Reuters)

China is prepared to raise the investment ceiling in the Bilateral Investment treaty, and is also willing to end the ban on US beef imports

China will offer the Trump administration better market access for financial sector investments and US beef exports to help avert a trade war, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing officials familiar with the matter. China is prepared to raise the investment ceiling in the Bilateral Investment treaty and is also willing to end the ban on US beef imports, the newspaper also reported. "China was prepared to (raise the investment ceilings) in the BIT but those negotiations were put on hold (after Trump's election victory)," the Financial Times also reported citing a Chinese official involved in the talks. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Friday that President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to a new 100-day plan for trade talks on Friday. The US trade department was not immediately available for comment while the China's ministry of commerce could not be reached for comment. (Reuters)

China offers concessions to avert trade war with US: Financial Times

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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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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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. 
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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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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

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