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

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

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

US private sector posts largest hiring in six years

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trump administration divided over Paris climate accord

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

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

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

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

President Donald Trump suggested a new merit-based system to regulate entry to the United States on Tuesday, as he tried to square his hardline campaign rhetoric with the goal of broad immigration reform.

Addressing Congress, Trump stood by his plan to subject travellers from certain countries deemed a risk to extreme vetting, insisting: &quot;We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside America.&quot;

But -- alongside this promise of &quot;strong measures to protect our nation from radical Islamic terrorism&quot; -- he held out the prospect of a merit-based immigration system that might win cross-party support.

Arguing that mass immigration by unskilled workers costs the US taxpayer billions of dollars and depresses the wages and job opportunities of the working poor, Trump urged lawmakers to get behind reform.

&quot;If we are guided by the well-being of American citizens then I believe Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an outcome that has eluded our country for decades,&quot; he argued.

A merit-based system -- such as those in use in Canada and Australia -- would, he argued, &quot;save countless dollars, raise workers&#39; wages, and help struggling families -- including immigrant families -- enter the middle class.&quot;

Path to papers 
&quot;It is a basic principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to support themselves financially,&quot; Trump told lawmakers.

&quot;Yet, in America, we do not enforce this rule, straining the very public resources that our poorest citizens rely upon,&quot; he added.

US lawmakers, encouraged by the previous administration under president Barack Obama, have long sought to agree a broad-based package to provide roughly 11 million undocumented migrants with a path to legal residency.

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But Republican members, in particular, faced opposition from their electoral base to any measure that smacked of an &quot;amnesty&quot; for illegal immigrants -- a sentiment that Trump played up to during his campaign.

Vowing to build a wall on the Mexican border to keep out migrants he branded drug-dealers, murderers and rapists, Trump gave every appearance of planning a still tougher line on immigration.

But his attempts to introduce a visa ban on visitors from seven mainly-Muslim countries deemed seedbeds of terror have been halted by the courts, and he faces opposition from influential quarters to tougher general controls.

Silicon Valley software giants, with their huge lobbying reach, rely on recruiting foreign engineers -- particularly from the Indian sub-continent -- and Republican backers in construction and agriculture employ millions of migrants.

Federal officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and from Customs and Border Protection have set about enforcing existing immigration law with renewed vigor -- but their dragnet has triggered popular protests.&nbsp;

Earlier Tuesday, Trump suggested in a meeting with television news anchors that he was open to a deal that would legalize millions of undocumented immigrants as part of a bipartisan compromise.

&#39;Build the wall&#39; 
That would mark a dramatic shift in policy.

&quot;The time is right for an immigration bill as long as there is compromise on both sides,&quot; Trump reportedly told the anchors.

But there is clearly a line that Trump cannot cross if he is to placate his electoral base. Blue-collar crowds in the key states that gave him victory cheered his &quot;Build the Wall&quot; mantra to the rafters.

And Trump has firmly tied his pledge to fight illegal immigration to the prospect of jobs and security at home.

&quot;By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions and billions of dollars and make our communities safer for everyone,&quot; he said.

He said he had given orders to create a special office to assist victims of crime by immigrants: &quot;VOICE&quot; -- Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement.

&quot;We are providing a voice to those who have been ignored by our media, and silenced by special interests,&quot; Trump said.

He then paid tribute to four guests in the audience, who, he said, had lost loved ones in violent crimes committed by immigrants living in the country illegally.

(AFP)

He suggested a new merit-based system to regulate entry to the United States

President Donald Trump suggested a new merit-based system to regulate entry to the United States on Tuesday, as he tried to square his hardline campaign rhetoric with the goal of broad immigration reform. Addressing Congress, Trump stood by his plan to subject travellers from certain countries deemed a risk to extreme vetting, insisting: "We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside America." But -- alongside this promise of "strong measures to protect our nation from radical Islamic terrorism" -- he held out the prospect of a merit-based immigration system that might win cross-party support. Arguing that mass immigration by unskilled workers costs the US taxpayer billions of dollars and depresses the wages and job opportunities of the working poor, Trump urged lawmakers to get behind reform. "If we are guided by the well-being of American citizens then I believe Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an outcome that has eluded our country for decades," he argued. A merit-based system -- such as those in use in Canada and Australia -- would, he argued, "save countless dollars, raise workers' wages, and help struggling families -- including immigrant families -- enter the middle class." Path to papers "It is a basic principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to support themselves financially," Trump told lawmakers. "Yet, in America, we do not enforce this rule, straining the very public resources that our poorest citizens rely upon," he added. US lawmakers, encouraged by the previous administration under president Barack Obama, have long sought to agree a broad-based package to provide roughly 11 million undocumented migrants with a path to legal residency. A merit-based system -- such as those in use in Canada and Australia -- would, Trump argued, 'save countless dollars, raise workers' wages, and help struggling families -- including immigrant families -- enter the middle class' × But Republican members, in particular, faced opposition from their electoral base to any measure that smacked of an "amnesty" for illegal immigrants -- a sentiment that Trump played up to during his campaign. Vowing to build a wall on the Mexican border to keep out migrants he branded drug-dealers, murderers and rapists, Trump gave every appearance of planning a still tougher line on immigration. But his attempts to introduce a visa ban on visitors from seven mainly-Muslim countries deemed seedbeds of terror have been halted by the courts, and he faces opposition from influential quarters to tougher general controls. Silicon Valley software giants, with their huge lobbying reach, rely on recruiting foreign engineers -- particularly from the Indian sub-continent -- and Republican backers in construction and agriculture employ millions of migrants. Federal officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and from Customs and Border Protection have set about enforcing existing immigration law with renewed vigor -- but their dragnet has triggered popular protests. Earlier Tuesday, Trump suggested in a meeting with television news anchors that he was open to a deal that would legalize millions of undocumented immigrants as part of a bipartisan compromise. 'Build the wall' That would mark a dramatic shift in policy. "The time is right for an immigration bill as long as there is compromise on both sides," Trump reportedly told the anchors. But there is clearly a line that Trump cannot cross if he is to placate his electoral base. Blue-collar crowds in the key states that gave him victory cheered his "Build the Wall" mantra to the rafters. And Trump has firmly tied his pledge to fight illegal immigration to the prospect of jobs and security at home. "By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions and billions of dollars and make our communities safer for everyone," he said. He said he had given orders to create a special office to assist victims of crime by immigrants: "VOICE" -- Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement. "We are providing a voice to those who have been ignored by our media, and silenced by special interests," Trump said. He then paid tribute to four guests in the audience, who, he said, had lost loved ones in violent crimes committed by immigrants living in the country illegally. (AFP)

Trump touts immigration compromise

US President Donald Trump has accused his predecessor Barack Obama of being responsible for the leaks within the present US&nbsp;administration.

Quoting Trump&#39;s interview to Fox News, CNN reported the President fully blaming Obama for the leaks.

&quot;It turns out his organisation seems to do a lot of these organising to some of the protests that these Republicans are seeing around the country against you. Do you believe President Obama is behind it and if he is, is that a violation of the so-called unsaid presidents&#39;&nbsp;code?&quot; Trump was asked.

&quot;No, I think he is behind it. I also think it is politics, that&#39;s the way it is. You never know what&#39;s exactly happening behind the scenes. You know, you&#39;re probably right or possibly right, but you never know,&quot; Trump said in the interview.

Reiterating that Obama&#39;s &quot;people&quot;&nbsp;were definitely behind the leak, Trump stated that some of the leaks are really serious as they are related to national security.

However, Trump did not offer any evidence for his claim in the clip released by Fox Monday night.

Earlier this month, Trump told Fox News that reports of his calls with the leaders of Mexico and Australia were caused by leaks from &quot;Obama people&quot;.

Trump&#39;s administration has claimed to have been plagued by leaks within his administration to the media.&nbsp;

(ANI)&nbsp;

Trump said Obama's people were definitely behind the leak and protests around the country. However, he provided no evidence for his claim

US President Donald Trump has accused his predecessor Barack Obama of being responsible for the leaks within the present US administration. Quoting Trump's interview to Fox News, CNN reported the President fully blaming Obama for the leaks. "It turns out his organisation seems to do a lot of these organising to some of the protests that these Republicans are seeing around the country against you. Do you believe President Obama is behind it and if he is, is that a violation of the so-called unsaid presidents' code?" Trump was asked. "No, I think he is behind it. I also think it is politics, that's the way it is. You never know what's exactly happening behind the scenes. You know, you're probably right or possibly right, but you never know," Trump said in the interview. Reiterating that Obama's "people" were definitely behind the leak, Trump stated that some of the leaks are really serious as they are related to national security. However, Trump did not offer any evidence for his claim in the clip released by Fox Monday night. Earlier this month, Trump told Fox News that reports of his calls with the leaders of Mexico and Australia were caused by leaks from "Obama people". Trump's administration has claimed to have been plagued by leaks within his administration to the media. (ANI)

Trump accuses Obama of leaks within present US administration

US President Donald Trump teased a budget plan on Monday that includes a nearly 10 per cent increase in defense spending and a &quot;large reduction&quot; in foreign aid.

Previewing measures aimed at backing up campaign promises with dollars and cents, Trump promised a &quot;public safety and national security&quot; focused fiscal plan.

An administration official said that Trump&#39;s plan would include a $54 billion increase in defence spending and a corresponding decrease in non-military programs.

&quot;Most federal agencies will see a reduction as a result,&quot; the official said. There will be a &quot;large reduction in foreign aid,&quot; he added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Trump has put security threats front and centre of his administration, insisting a muscular response is the only option.

He has promised to build a wall on the Mexican border, deport illegal immigrants and wipe jihadists off the &quot;face of the earth.&quot;

His budget proposal -- which will be picked over and must ultimately be approved by Congress -- doubles down on that ethos.

It would substantially increase US defence spending -- already by far the highest in the world -- although there were no details about how the extra funds would be spent.

&#39;Keeping Americans safe&#39;

Trump claimed that his budget &quot;follows through on my promise on keeping Americans safe.&quot;

&quot;It will include a historic increase in defence spending to rebuild the depleted military of the United States of America at a time we most need it,&quot; Trump said.

Republican Senator John McCain argued that the increase was less significant than Trump suggested, representing a three percent increase over projection for fiscal year 2018.

&quot;We can and must do better,&quot; he said.

But others raised questions about the impact of planned cuts at the State Department and Environmental Protection Agency.

Foreign aid accounts for less than one percent of US federal spending and is not enough to make up for increased defence spending.

&quot;It is a fairly small part of the discretionary budget, but it is still consistent with what the President said,&quot; Trump budget tsar Mick Mulvaney said.

&quot;We are taking his words and turning them into policies and dollars.&quot;

Mark Toner, the acting State Department spokesman, said the agency would work with the White House to review &quot;budget priorities.&quot;

&quot;The department remains committed to a US foreign policy that advances the security and prosperity of the American people,&quot; he said.

Trump&#39;s comments come a day before he addresses a joint session of Congress -- a crucial agenda-setting moment for new presidents.

His initial budget outline did not include proposals for mandatory spending or tax proposals, which make up the bulk of government outlays and receipts.&nbsp;

The budget is a keystone statement of Trump&#39;s priorities for the coming years.

The nearly $4 trillion annual federal budget is a declaration of intent that puts the president&#39;s policy goals down in black and white.

It also separates affordable campaign promises from the fanciful and is the final arbitrator after turf wars between departments and powerful interest groups.

Trump has promised to cut waste and duplication in federal spending.

US president after US president has made similar promises upon coming to office, before delving into a text that runs in the thousands of pages and tossing the plan into the thicket of Congress.

Trump has oodles of campaign promises to pay for&nbsp;but faces a national debt set to hit $20 trillion on his watch and a deficit at 3.1 percent of GDP and rising.

Trump&#39;s promises -- from building a wall on the Mexican border to stepping up the deportation of undocumented immigrants -- carry an estimated price tag of $5.3 trillion, according to the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budge.

(AFP)

The US president's plan to hike the outlay by almost 10% will directly affect other federal agencies

US President Donald Trump teased a budget plan on Monday that includes a nearly 10 per cent increase in defense spending and a "large reduction" in foreign aid. Previewing measures aimed at backing up campaign promises with dollars and cents, Trump promised a "public safety and national security" focused fiscal plan. An administration official said that Trump's plan would include a $54 billion increase in defence spending and a corresponding decrease in non-military programs. "Most federal agencies will see a reduction as a result," the official said. There will be a "large reduction in foreign aid," he added, speaking on condition of anonymity. Trump has put security threats front and centre of his administration, insisting a muscular response is the only option. He has promised to build a wall on the Mexican border, deport illegal immigrants and wipe jihadists off the "face of the earth." His budget proposal -- which will be picked over and must ultimately be approved by Congress -- doubles down on that ethos. It would substantially increase US defence spending -- already by far the highest in the world -- although there were no details about how the extra funds would be spent. 'Keeping Americans safe' Trump claimed that his budget "follows through on my promise on keeping Americans safe." "It will include a historic increase in defence spending to rebuild the depleted military of the United States of America at a time we most need it," Trump said. Republican Senator John McCain argued that the increase was less significant than Trump suggested, representing a three percent increase over projection for fiscal year 2018. "We can and must do better," he said. But others raised questions about the impact of planned cuts at the State Department and Environmental Protection Agency. Foreign aid accounts for less than one percent of US federal spending and is not enough to make up for increased defence spending. "It is a fairly small part of the discretionary budget, but it is still consistent with what the President said," Trump budget tsar Mick Mulvaney said. "We are taking his words and turning them into policies and dollars." Mark Toner, the acting State Department spokesman, said the agency would work with the White House to review "budget priorities." "The department remains committed to a US foreign policy that advances the security and prosperity of the American people," he said. Trump's comments come a day before he addresses a joint session of Congress -- a crucial agenda-setting moment for new presidents. His initial budget outline did not include proposals for mandatory spending or tax proposals, which make up the bulk of government outlays and receipts. The budget is a keystone statement of Trump's priorities for the coming years. The nearly $4 trillion annual federal budget is a declaration of intent that puts the president's policy goals down in black and white. It also separates affordable campaign promises from the fanciful and is the final arbitrator after turf wars between departments and powerful interest groups. Trump has promised to cut waste and duplication in federal spending. US president after US president has made similar promises upon coming to office, before delving into a text that runs in the thousands of pages and tossing the plan into the thicket of Congress. Trump has oodles of campaign promises to pay for but faces a national debt set to hit $20 trillion on his watch and a deficit at 3.1 percent of GDP and rising. Trump's promises -- from building a wall on the Mexican border to stepping up the deportation of undocumented immigrants -- carry an estimated price tag of $5.3 trillion, according to the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budge. (AFP)

Trump plans to beef up US defence budget by $54 billion

A hijab-wearing woman quit her job merely eight days into the Donald Trump administration, due to the Muslim ban imposed by the 70-year-old American president.

Rumana Ahmed, a Bangladeshi immigrant whose family moved to the US in 1978, penned a long piece in The Atlantic to talk about the tenuous eight days she worked for the Trump administration.

Ahmed, in her 30s, had joined the White House in 2011 and later moved to the National Security Council under the Barack Obama administration.

She wrote glowingly about the previous administration, writing that she always felt &quot;welcomed and included&quot;, but the incoming administration&#39;s continuous vilification of the Muslims and the eventual travel ban on Muslims from seven countries firmed her mind to leave her West Wing job.

The George Washington University graduate said she initially felt like sticking on to her job under the new era to provide a &quot;nuanced&quot; understanding of Islam but after the controversial Muslim ban, she knew &quot;she could no longer stay and work for an administration that saw me and people like me not as fellow citizens, but as a threat&quot;.

She also chronicled about her penultimate day at the White House: &quot;The evening before I left, bidding farewell to some of my colleagues, many of whom have also since left, I notified Trump&rsquo;s senior NSC communications adviser, Michael Anton, of my departure, since we shared an office. His initial surprise, asking whether I was leaving government entirely, was followed by silence&ndash;&ndash;almost in caution, not asking why. I told him anyway.

&quot;I told him I had to leave because it was an insult walking into this country&rsquo;s most historic building every day under an administration that is working against and vilifying everything I stand for as an American and as a Muslim. I told him that the administration was attacking the basic tenets of democracy. I told him that I hoped that they and those in Congress were prepared to take responsibility for all the consequences that would attend their decisions.

&quot;He looked at me and said nothing.&quot;

Ahmed&rsquo;s personal account comes amid a spike in incidents of intimidation and assault targeting hijab-wearing women across the US following Trump&rsquo;s electoral triumph.

(WION)

Rumana Ahmed, a Bangladeshi immigrant, said she lasted only eight days under the Trump administration

A hijab-wearing woman quit her job merely eight days into the Donald Trump administration, due to the Muslim ban imposed by the 70-year-old American president. Rumana Ahmed, a Bangladeshi immigrant whose family moved to the US in 1978, penned a long piece in The Atlantic to talk about the tenuous eight days she worked for the Trump administration. Ahmed, in her 30s, had joined the White House in 2011 and later moved to the National Security Council under the Barack Obama administration. She wrote glowingly about the previous administration, writing that she always felt "welcomed and included", but the incoming administration's continuous vilification of the Muslims and the eventual travel ban on Muslims from seven countries firmed her mind to leave her West Wing job. The George Washington University graduate said she initially felt like sticking on to her job under the new era to provide a "nuanced" understanding of Islam but after the controversial Muslim ban, she knew "she could no longer stay and work for an administration that saw me and people like me not as fellow citizens, but as a threat". She also chronicled about her penultimate day at the White House: "The evening before I left, bidding farewell to some of my colleagues, many of whom have also since left, I notified Trump’s senior NSC communications adviser, Michael Anton, of my departure, since we shared an office. His initial surprise, asking whether I was leaving government entirely, was followed by silence––almost in caution, not asking why. I told him anyway. "I told him I had to leave because it was an insult walking into this country’s most historic building every day under an administration that is working against and vilifying everything I stand for as an American and as a Muslim. I told him that the administration was attacking the basic tenets of democracy. I told him that I hoped that they and those in Congress were prepared to take responsibility for all the consequences that would attend their decisions. "He looked at me and said nothing." Ahmed’s personal account comes amid a spike in incidents of intimidation and assault targeting hijab-wearing women across the US following Trump’s electoral triumph. (WION)

Hijab-wearing woman quits White House job after Trump's Muslim ban

The wife of Srinivas Kuchibhotla who was shot dead in a Kansas bar had expressed doubts about staying in America but had been reassured by her husband that &quot;good things happen in America&quot;.&nbsp;

Speaking at a press conference organised by GPS maker Garmin, where Kuchibhotla worked, his widow Sunayana Dumala said reports of bias in the US make minorities afraid. And had led her to ask: &quot;Do we belong here?&quot;

There was no one to reassure her this time for on Wednesday night, her husband, 32, was shot dead by a US navy veteran who shouted &quot;Get out of my country&quot; and &quot;terrorist&quot; before opening fire.

Adam Purinton, 51, also injured a friend of Kuchibhotla&#39;s, Alok Madasani, 32, and American Ian Grillot, 24, who had tried to intervene.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Purinton has been charged with one count of premeditated murder and two counts of premeditated attempted murder.&nbsp;

At the press conference, Sunayana wondered what the US government will do to stop hate crimes.

So far, the answer for anybody who does not fit the conventional definition of &quot;American&quot; has been less than encouraging.

Most people draw a link between Donald Trump&#39;s ascension to the presidency and his divisive rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims, and African Americans and the increase in attacks on immigrants.&nbsp;

On Friday however, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said it would be &quot;absurd&quot; to draw a link between the Trump presidency and the attack that killed Srinivas.

&quot;Obviously, any loss of life is tragic, but I&#39;m not going to get into, like, to suggest that there&#39;s any correlation I think is a bit absurd. So I&#39;m not going to go any further than that,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Purinton had fled on foot after the shooting and was captured five hours later at an Applebee&#39;s restaurant in&nbsp;Clinton, Missouri. Apparently, he told an employee there that he needed a place to hide because he had shot two middle eastern men.&nbsp;

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Consul General of India in Houston Anupam Ray is supervising the current situation and providing all possible help for the grieving family and the community in the Olathe area of Kansas.

&quot;Immediately when the incident occurred, Consulate rushed Deputy Consul R D Joshi and Vice Consul H Singh to Kansas to be with the family of Srinivas at this trying moment,&quot; Ray told PTI.

Ever since, they have been with the family of Srinivas and have assured Sunayna of all possible support and help at this grieving moment, he said.

Consul Joshi also met the shocked and frightened Indian community in Olathe and Alok Madasani injured in the shooting on Wednesday night.

Madasani is now stable and has been discharged from the hospital.

A third person, an American man identified as Ian Grillot, 24, who tried to intervene also received injuries in the firing at Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe in Kansas City in the US state of Missouri.

A University of Kansas Hospital spokeswoman said he is in fair condition.

The incident evoked outrage from in the US and India with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressing shock over the incident.

&quot;I am shocked at the shooting incident in Kansas in which Srinivas Kuchibhotla has been killed. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved family,&quot; she said in a tweet yesterday.

The shooter, Adam Purinton, reportedly got into an argument with the victims in terms of racism, and shouted &quot;get out of my country&quot;, &quot;terrorist&quot; before shooting them.

He reportedly provoked them into an argument asking about their presence and work in his country, and how they are better than him.&nbsp;

According to police, Purinton left the bar after the argument and then returned with a gun and shot the three men.

He was arrested on Thursday, five hours after the incident and charged with one count of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of attempted premeditated first-degree murder in Johnson County, Kansas, District Attorney Stephen Howe told reporters.

Howe, however, declined to elaborate on the motive of the incident, although local police said they were working with the FBI to investigate the case. The FBI was looking at whether it was a hate crime.

An FBI spokesperson said agents and police canvassed the area on Thursday and the investigation continued yesterday.

Some eye-witnesses have said the attack was racially motivated.

One bystander told the Kansas City Star that the gunman shouted &quot;get out of my country&quot; before shooting the Indian victims.

Grillot said in a recorded interview on Thursday that the bullet went through his right hand and into his chest, just missing a major artery but fracturing a vertebra in his neck.

The shooting incident comes at a time when hate crimes and acts of bigotry have risen notably in America after President Donald Trump came to power.

According to Garmin, Kuchibhotla and Madasani worked in the company&#39;s aviation systems.

&quot;Unfortunately, two associates on our Aviation Systems Engineering team, Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, were shot. We are devastated to inform you that Srinivas passed away and Alok is currently recovering in the hospital,&quot; Garmin said.

Kuchibhotla and Madasani hailed from Hyderabad and Warangal respectively.

Kuchibhotla posted on LinkedIn in 2014 that he managed helicopter programmes. He had a master&#39;s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. He earned his bachelor&#39;s degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad.

A 2014 post on LinkedIn said Madasani was an aviation programme coordinator manager at Garmin.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

It was her husband who had reassured her, saying: 'Good things happen in America'

The wife of Srinivas Kuchibhotla who was shot dead in a Kansas bar had expressed doubts about staying in America but had been reassured by her husband that "good things happen in America". Speaking at a press conference organised by GPS maker Garmin, where Kuchibhotla worked, his widow Sunayana Dumala said reports of bias in the US make minorities afraid. And had led her to ask: "Do we belong here?" There was no one to reassure her this time for on Wednesday night, her husband, 32, was shot dead by a US navy veteran who shouted "Get out of my country" and "terrorist" before opening fire. Adam Purinton, 51, also injured a friend of Kuchibhotla's, Alok Madasani, 32, and American Ian Grillot, 24, who had tried to intervene. Purinton has been charged with one count of premeditated murder and two counts of premeditated attempted murder. At the press conference, Sunayana wondered what the US government will do to stop hate crimes. So far, the answer for anybody who does not fit the conventional definition of "American" has been less than encouraging. Most people draw a link between Donald Trump's ascension to the presidency and his divisive rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims, and African Americans and the increase in attacks on immigrants. On Friday however, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said it would be "absurd" to draw a link between the Trump presidency and the attack that killed Srinivas. "Obviously, any loss of life is tragic, but I'm not going to get into, like, to suggest that there's any correlation I think is a bit absurd. So I'm not going to go any further than that," he said. Purinton had fled on foot after the shooting and was captured five hours later at an Applebee's restaurant in Clinton, Missouri. Apparently, he told an employee there that he needed a place to hide because he had shot two middle eastern men. Sunayana wondered what the US government will do to stop hate crimes × Consul General of India in Houston Anupam Ray is supervising the current situation and providing all possible help for the grieving family and the community in the Olathe area of Kansas. "Immediately when the incident occurred, Consulate rushed Deputy Consul R D Joshi and Vice Consul H Singh to Kansas to be with the family of Srinivas at this trying moment," Ray told PTI. Ever since, they have been with the family of Srinivas and have assured Sunayna of all possible support and help at this grieving moment, he said. Consul Joshi also met the shocked and frightened Indian community in Olathe and Alok Madasani injured in the shooting on Wednesday night. Madasani is now stable and has been discharged from the hospital. A third person, an American man identified as Ian Grillot, 24, who tried to intervene also received injuries in the firing at Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe in Kansas City in the US state of Missouri. A University of Kansas Hospital spokeswoman said he is in fair condition. The incident evoked outrage from in the US and India with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressing shock over the incident. "I am shocked at the shooting incident in Kansas in which Srinivas Kuchibhotla has been killed. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved family," she said in a tweet yesterday. The shooter, Adam Purinton, reportedly got into an argument with the victims in terms of racism, and shouted "get out of my country", "terrorist" before shooting them. He reportedly provoked them into an argument asking about their presence and work in his country, and how they are better than him. According to police, Purinton left the bar after the argument and then returned with a gun and shot the three men. He was arrested on Thursday, five hours after the incident and charged with one count of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of attempted premeditated first-degree murder in Johnson County, Kansas, District Attorney Stephen Howe told reporters. Howe, however, declined to elaborate on the motive of the incident, although local police said they were working with the FBI to investigate the case. The FBI was looking at whether it was a hate crime. An FBI spokesperson said agents and police canvassed the area on Thursday and the investigation continued yesterday. Some eye-witnesses have said the attack was racially motivated. One bystander told the Kansas City Star that the gunman shouted "get out of my country" before shooting the Indian victims. Grillot said in a recorded interview on Thursday that the bullet went through his right hand and into his chest, just missing a major artery but fracturing a vertebra in his neck. The shooting incident comes at a time when hate crimes and acts of bigotry have risen notably in America after President Donald Trump came to power. According to Garmin, Kuchibhotla and Madasani worked in the company's aviation systems. "Unfortunately, two associates on our Aviation Systems Engineering team, Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, were shot. We are devastated to inform you that Srinivas passed away and Alok is currently recovering in the hospital," Garmin said. Kuchibhotla and Madasani hailed from Hyderabad and Warangal respectively. Kuchibhotla posted on LinkedIn in 2014 that he managed helicopter programmes. He had a master's degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. He earned his bachelor's degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad. A 2014 post on LinkedIn said Madasani was an aviation programme coordinator manager at Garmin. (WION with inputs from PTI)

'Do we belong here?' wife of Indian man shot dead in Kansas had asked

Former number one golfer Rory McIlroy said on Friday that his outing last week with President Donald Trump was not a political endorsement of America&#39;s new leader but rather &quot;simply a round of golf&quot;.

The decision by the Northern Irish golfer to accept the invitation to play with the president at his Trump National golf course in Florida has come under fire on social media by some who saw it as approval of Trump and his policies.

&quot;To be called a fascist and a bigot by some people because I spent time in someone&#39;s company is just ridiculous,&quot; McIlroy, who lives much of the year in Florida, said on Twitter.

&quot;... This wasn&#39;t an endorsement nor a political statement of any kind. It was quite simply a round of golf. Golf was our common ground, nothing else.&quot;

McIlroy, 27, said he respects the office of the president and pointed out that he does not agree with everything his friends and family say, but still plays golf with them.

&quot;I hope to some degree this clarifies my decision to accept the invitation that was extended to me.&quot;

McIlroy&#39;s round with Trump came a week after South African Ernie Els played with the President and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Professional golfers have long played with American presidents, but the issue has become more controversial as the country has become more polarized in recent decades.

Republican-leaning Australian Greg Norman once chided Jack Nicklaus for playing with then-President Bill Clinton in the early 1990s.

But Norman and Clinton later became friends and Clinton suffered a knee injury that required surgery when he stumbled on the steps outside Norman&#39;s home in 1997.

McIlroy, who has been injured, plans to return to competition next week at the WGC-Mexico Championship in Mexico City.

(Reuters)

The former world number one tweeted that him being slammed as a bigot is 'ridiculous'

Former number one golfer Rory McIlroy said on Friday that his outing last week with President Donald Trump was not a political endorsement of America's new leader but rather "simply a round of golf". The decision by the Northern Irish golfer to accept the invitation to play with the president at his Trump National golf course in Florida has come under fire on social media by some who saw it as approval of Trump and his policies. "To be called a fascist and a bigot by some people because I spent time in someone's company is just ridiculous," McIlroy, who lives much of the year in Florida, said on Twitter. "... This wasn't an endorsement nor a political statement of any kind. It was quite simply a round of golf. Golf was our common ground, nothing else." McIlroy, 27, said he respects the office of the president and pointed out that he does not agree with everything his friends and family say, but still plays golf with them. "I hope to some degree this clarifies my decision to accept the invitation that was extended to me." McIlroy's round with Trump came a week after South African Ernie Els played with the President and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Professional golfers have long played with American presidents, but the issue has become more controversial as the country has become more polarized in recent decades. Republican-leaning Australian Greg Norman once chided Jack Nicklaus for playing with then-President Bill Clinton in the early 1990s. But Norman and Clinton later became friends and Clinton suffered a knee injury that required surgery when he stumbled on the steps outside Norman's home in 1997. McIlroy, who has been injured, plans to return to competition next week at the WGC-Mexico Championship in Mexico City. (Reuters)

McIlroy denies round of golf with Trump as 'endorsement'

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President Donald Trump&#39;s administration on Thursday reinstated the use of private prisons for federal inmates, saying commercial prison operators are needed for the correctional system&#39;s &quot;future needs&quot; (WION)
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President Donald Trump&#39;s administration on Thursday reinstated the use of private prisons for federal inmates, saying commercial prison operators are needed for the correctional system&#39;s &quot;future needs&quot;.

Trump&#39;s new attorney general, Jeff Sessions, officially rescinded the Barack Obama administration&#39;s move last August to phase out the management of prisons by private companies, which Obama&#39;s justice department had said proved to be inadequate, more dangerous and not cheaper than government-run prisons.

Sessions said in an order that the move last year had reversed a longstanding policy at the Federal Bureau of Prisons to have private companies involved, &quot;and impaired the bureau&#39;s ability to meet the future needs of the federal correctional system&quot;.

The Obama move had only affected a small portion of the US prison system: 13 privately run prisons housing just over 22,000 people, or about 11 per cent of the federal prison population. Most are foreign nationals, mainly Mexicans incarcerated for immigration violations.

The Trump government has promised a crackdown on crime and illegal immigration, suggesting the prisons bureau could require greater holding capacity in a short time.

The 13 prisons are run by three companies: CoreCivic (known until recently as Corrections Corporation of America), GEO Group and Management and Training Corporation.

According to the International Business Times, <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/trump-private-prisons-attorney-general-jeff-sessions-overturns-obama-administration-2497015" target="_blank">GEO Group</a>, one of the largest companies behind for-profit prisons, donated at least $100,000 to a Super PAC in support of Donald Trump, who appointed Sessions. More, GEO Group faced a complain frmo the Campaign Legal Center back in November over allegedly violating a Federal Election Commission rule which prevents government contractors from contributing to politicial campaigns.&nbsp;

The announcement gave a strong after-hours boost to the stock of the two listed firms. Core Civic jumped 3.2 per cent, while GEO Group added 1.0 per cent.

The move was expected and both companies&#39;&nbsp;stocks had already risen sharply after Trump&#39;s election victory on November 8.

(With inputs from AFP)

Jeff Sessions said commercial prison operators are needed for the correctional system's 'future needs'

President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday reinstated the use of private prisons for federal inmates, saying commercial prison operators are needed for the correctional system's "future needs" (WION) × President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday reinstated the use of private prisons for federal inmates, saying commercial prison operators are needed for the correctional system's "future needs". Trump's new attorney general, Jeff Sessions, officially rescinded the Barack Obama administration's move last August to phase out the management of prisons by private companies, which Obama's justice department had said proved to be inadequate, more dangerous and not cheaper than government-run prisons. Sessions said in an order that the move last year had reversed a longstanding policy at the Federal Bureau of Prisons to have private companies involved, "and impaired the bureau's ability to meet the future needs of the federal correctional system". The Obama move had only affected a small portion of the US prison system: 13 privately run prisons housing just over 22,000 people, or about 11 per cent of the federal prison population. Most are foreign nationals, mainly Mexicans incarcerated for immigration violations. The Trump government has promised a crackdown on crime and illegal immigration, suggesting the prisons bureau could require greater holding capacity in a short time. The 13 prisons are run by three companies: CoreCivic (known until recently as Corrections Corporation of America), GEO Group and Management and Training Corporation. According to the International Business Times, GEO Group, one of the largest companies behind for-profit prisons, donated at least $100,000 to a Super PAC in support of Donald Trump, who appointed Sessions. More, GEO Group faced a complain frmo the Campaign Legal Center back in November over allegedly violating a Federal Election Commission rule which prevents government contractors from contributing to politicial campaigns. The announcement gave a strong after-hours boost to the stock of the two listed firms. Core Civic jumped 3.2 per cent, while GEO Group added 1.0 per cent. The move was expected and both companies' stocks had already risen sharply after Trump's election victory on November 8. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump rescinds Obama ban on private prisons

President Donald Trump&#39;s administration plans to consider almost all illegal immigrants subject to deportation, but will leave protections in place for immigrants known as &quot;dreamers&quot; who entered the United States illegally as children, according to official guidelines released on Tuesday.

The Department of Homeland Security guidance to immigration agents is part of a broader border security and immigration enforcement plan in executive orders that Republican Trump signed on January 25.

Former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, issued an executive order in 2012 that protected 750,000 immigrants who had been brought into the United States illegally by their parents. Trump has said the issue is &quot;very difficult&quot; for him.

Trump campaigned on a pledge to get tougher on the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, playing on fears of violent crime while promising to build a wall on the border with Mexico and to stop potential terrorists from entering the country.

Trump&#39;s planned measures against illegal immigrants have drawn protests, such as an event last week that activists called &quot;A Day Without Immigrants&quot; to highlight the importance of foreign-born people, who account for 13 percent of the US&nbsp;population, or more than 40 million naturalized American citizens.

A banner declaring &quot;Refugees Welcome&quot; was posted on the base of the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of American acceptance of immigrants, before park rangers removed it on Tuesday, WABC television reported.

DHS officials, on a conference call with reporters, said that although any immigrant in the country illegally could be deported, the agency will prioritize those deemed a threat.

These include recent entrants, those convicted of a crime and people charged but not convicted of a crime. Some details of the guidelines were detailed in a draft memo seen on Saturday.

Hiring More Agents

Many of the instructions will not be implemented immediately because they depend on Congress, a public comment period or negotiations with other nations, the officials said. Mexican immigration officials immediately objected to part of the new rules.

The guidance also calls for the hiring of 10,000 more US&nbsp;Immigration and Customs (ICE) agents and 5,000 more US&nbsp;Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.

The DHS will need to publish a notice in the Federal Register subject to review in order to implement one part of the plan that calls on ICE agents to increase the number of immigrants who are not given a hearing before being deported.

The new rules would subject immigrants who cannot show they have been in the country for more than two years to &quot;expedited removal&quot;. Currently, only migrants apprehended near a U.S. border who cannot show they have been in the country more than 14 days are subject to rapid removal.

The memos also instruct ICE to detain migrants who are awaiting a court decision on whether they will be deported or granted relief, such as asylum. DHS officials said they are reviewing what jurisdictions may have laws in place that prevent the amount of time immigrants can be held.

The agency also plans to send non-Mexican migrants crossing the southern US&nbsp;border back into Mexico as they await a decision on their case. The DHS officials said this plan would be dependent on partnerships with the Mexican government and would not be implemented overnight.

The guidelines were released a day before US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly were due in Mexico City for talks with President Enrique Pena Nieto and Mexican officials.

An official from Mexico&#39;s Foreign Ministry said the government would tell Kelly&#39;s team to that it was &quot;impossible&quot; for Mexico to accept deportees or asylum applicants from foreign countries, and would ask them to explain their plan.

The deportation of Mexicans would be one of the government&#39;s major concerns at the meeting, said the official, who declined to be named.

A spokeswoman from the Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The 'dreamers' were brought illegally into the US as children by their parents

President Donald Trump's administration plans to consider almost all illegal immigrants subject to deportation, but will leave protections in place for immigrants known as "dreamers" who entered the United States illegally as children, according to official guidelines released on Tuesday. The Department of Homeland Security guidance to immigration agents is part of a broader border security and immigration enforcement plan in executive orders that Republican Trump signed on January 25. Former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, issued an executive order in 2012 that protected 750,000 immigrants who had been brought into the United States illegally by their parents. Trump has said the issue is "very difficult" for him. Trump campaigned on a pledge to get tougher on the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, playing on fears of violent crime while promising to build a wall on the border with Mexico and to stop potential terrorists from entering the country. Trump's planned measures against illegal immigrants have drawn protests, such as an event last week that activists called "A Day Without Immigrants" to highlight the importance of foreign-born people, who account for 13 percent of the US population, or more than 40 million naturalized American citizens. A banner declaring "Refugees Welcome" was posted on the base of the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of American acceptance of immigrants, before park rangers removed it on Tuesday, WABC television reported. DHS officials, on a conference call with reporters, said that although any immigrant in the country illegally could be deported, the agency will prioritize those deemed a threat. These include recent entrants, those convicted of a crime and people charged but not convicted of a crime. Some details of the guidelines were detailed in a draft memo seen on Saturday. Hiring More Agents Many of the instructions will not be implemented immediately because they depend on Congress, a public comment period or negotiations with other nations, the officials said. Mexican immigration officials immediately objected to part of the new rules. The guidance also calls for the hiring of 10,000 more US Immigration and Customs (ICE) agents and 5,000 more US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. The DHS will need to publish a notice in the Federal Register subject to review in order to implement one part of the plan that calls on ICE agents to increase the number of immigrants who are not given a hearing before being deported. The new rules would subject immigrants who cannot show they have been in the country for more than two years to "expedited removal". Currently, only migrants apprehended near a U.S. border who cannot show they have been in the country more than 14 days are subject to rapid removal. The memos also instruct ICE to detain migrants who are awaiting a court decision on whether they will be deported or granted relief, such as asylum. DHS officials said they are reviewing what jurisdictions may have laws in place that prevent the amount of time immigrants can be held. The agency also plans to send non-Mexican migrants crossing the southern US border back into Mexico as they await a decision on their case. The DHS officials said this plan would be dependent on partnerships with the Mexican government and would not be implemented overnight. The guidelines were released a day before US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly were due in Mexico City for talks with President Enrique Pena Nieto and Mexican officials. An official from Mexico's Foreign Ministry said the government would tell Kelly's team to that it was "impossible" for Mexico to accept deportees or asylum applicants from foreign countries, and would ask them to explain their plan. The deportation of Mexicans would be one of the government's major concerns at the meeting, said the official, who declined to be named. A spokeswoman from the Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reuters)

Trump migrant crackdown to spare US 'dreamers'

With just a plastic bag of belongings in his hand, a Mexican man who was deported from the United States Tuesday promptly killed himself, jumping off a bridge in view of the US border.

Sinaloa state native Guadalupe Olivas Valencia, 44, threw himself to his death, authorities said. He had jumped 30 metres (100 feet).

Witnesses said the man was in great distress after being sent back to Mexico for a third time.&nbsp;

The tragedy comes as US President Donald Trump has pledged to deport millions of undocumented migrants living in the United States.

Trump has called Mexican migrants criminals and pledged to build a massive border wall.

(Reuters)

Sinaloa state native Guadalupe Olivas Valencia, 44, threw himself 100 feet to his death, authorities said

With just a plastic bag of belongings in his hand, a Mexican man who was deported from the United States Tuesday promptly killed himself, jumping off a bridge in view of the US border. Sinaloa state native Guadalupe Olivas Valencia, 44, threw himself to his death, authorities said. He had jumped 30 metres (100 feet). Witnesses said the man was in great distress after being sent back to Mexico for a third time. The tragedy comes as US President Donald Trump has pledged to deport millions of undocumented migrants living in the United States. Trump has called Mexican migrants criminals and pledged to build a massive border wall. (Reuters)

Mexican migrant kills self after third deportation from US

US President Donald Trump on Monday appointed lieutenant general Herbert Raymond McMaster as his new national security adviser, once again turning to the US military to play a central role on his foreign policy team.

&quot;He is highly respected by everybody in the military and we&#39;re very honoured to have him,&quot; Trump said, Reuters reported.

Trump also picked Keith Kellogg, a retired US Army general, who&nbsp;was till now serving as the acting national security adviser, as chief of staff to the National Security Council.

Calling Kellogg a &ldquo;terrific man&rdquo; Trump said that McMaster and Kellogg are a &quot;very, very special&quot; combination.

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McMaster is known to be a highly regarded military tactician and strategic thinker.

But Trump&rsquo;s pick has come as a surprise to some who wondered how McMaster, who is known for questioning authority, would deal with a White House that has not been open to criticism so far.

McMaster replaced Michael Flynn who was fired as national security adviser on February 13 after reports surfaced that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about speaking to Russia&#39;s ambassador about US sanctions before Trump&#39;s inauguration.

The early ouster came as&nbsp;a setback for a White House that has been hit by miscues, including the controversial rollout of the travel ban.

Trump spent the weekend considering his options for replacing Flynn&nbsp;after his first choice,&nbsp;retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, turned down the job last week.

54-year-old McMaster&nbsp;is a West Point graduate with a PhD in US history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He was in&nbsp;Time magazine&#39;s list of 100 most influential people in 2014, partly because of his willingness to buck the system.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

He replaces Michael Flynn who was fired just 24 days into the job

US President Donald Trump on Monday appointed lieutenant general Herbert Raymond McMaster as his new national security adviser, once again turning to the US military to play a central role on his foreign policy team. "He is highly respected by everybody in the military and we're very honoured to have him," Trump said, Reuters reported. Trump also picked Keith Kellogg, a retired US Army general, who was till now serving as the acting national security adviser, as chief of staff to the National Security Council. Calling Kellogg a “terrific man” Trump said that McMaster and Kellogg are a "very, very special" combination. Trump spent the weekend considering his options for replacing Flynn after his first choice, retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, turned down the job last week × McMaster is known to be a highly regarded military tactician and strategic thinker. But Trump’s pick has come as a surprise to some who wondered how McMaster, who is known for questioning authority, would deal with a White House that has not been open to criticism so far. McMaster replaced Michael Flynn who was fired as national security adviser on February 13 after reports surfaced that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about speaking to Russia's ambassador about US sanctions before Trump's inauguration. The early ouster came as a setback for a White House that has been hit by miscues, including the controversial rollout of the travel ban. Trump spent the weekend considering his options for replacing Flynn after his first choice, retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, turned down the job last week. 54-year-old McMaster is a West Point graduate with a PhD in US history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was in Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people in 2014, partly because of his willingness to buck the system. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump names HR McMaster as new national security adviser

In January this year, within days of taking office, US President Donald Trump <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-reinstates-rule-restricting-abortions-around-the-world-11626">re-imposed</a> the Global Gag rule, denying US funding to foreign NGOs for abortions. The NGOs that provide information on abortion or give abortion counselling won&rsquo;t get any financial aid either. This change in order about 8,000 miles away is going to directly hit women in India.

A country <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-health-ministry-recommends-changes-in-abortion-law-1483">trying to make progress</a> when it comes to abortion rights, India will be one of the nations affected due to Trump&rsquo;s anti-abortion executive order, rural India in particular.

Abortion is legal in India, with nearly 6.8 million abortions reported annually. Research suggests that a significant number of women, mostly in rural India, do not know their rights when it comes to abortion, leading to unsafe terminations of pregnancies.

According to the IPAS Development Foundation (IDF), ten women die in India every day due to unsafe abortions and more than 5 million women risk having unsafe abortions this year because of the lack of access to safe abortion services.

&ldquo;Despite it being legal, a large number of women are not seeking abortion in safe places. It&rsquo;s mainly due to three main factors: Firstly, in many cases, there are not many safe abortion providers close to the community. Secondly, Then&nbsp;there is a huge stigma around abortion and finally not many women know that abortion is legal in the country. The global gag rule has a conditionality which does not allow local NGOs from talking about abortion or abortion-related services or even referring to abortion.

&quot;This would be a huge barrier in moving these 5 million abortions to safe abortion services,&rdquo; says Vinoj Manning, executive director, IDF.

The Mexico City policy or the Global Gag rule was first introduced under Ronald Reagan in 1984 and is a classic example of politics in the US has repercussions around the globe. The rule is solely dependent on the inclination of the US president, repealed when a Democrat is in office and reinstated when Republican comes to power. The last time it was revoked was under the Obama administration in &nbsp;2009. It meant eight years of a robust support to foreign NGOs.

&nbsp;

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Abortion is legal in india, with nearly 6.8 million abortions reported annually. Research suggests that a significant number of women, mostly in rural India, do not know their rights when it comes to abortion, leading to unsafe terminations. (WION)
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In 2015, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, a major source of US funding for healthcare in India, spent <a href="https://results.usaid.gov/india/health/family-planning-and-reproductive-health#fy2015">$21 million</a> on family planning and reproductive health services in India. Though the legal status of abortion allows the Indian government to spend on it, a large number of NGOs working in rural India are dependent on the funding from the US.

&ldquo;The impact of global gag rule in India will be at different levels, starting first at the woman per se. Women who are being contacted and helped by these NGOs will no longer have information or referrals. It will be a big impact on women&rsquo;s health. At the second level, it is the NGOs themselves that are going to get affected. These NGOs are working towards better maternal and reproductive health services. Now, by banning them from talking about abortion you are inhibiting their scope of work and therefore, the impact they can have on women&rsquo;s health and reproductive rights.&rdquo; says Manning.

And it&rsquo;s not just abortion services that are going to get affected. The fund cut will also affect reproductive health, maternal and child health and HIV services.

&ldquo;It will affect women in rural India where most of these NGOs are working to do away with the taboo around abortion by providing information and creating awareness. It will also affect other family planning and reproductive health services because the NGOs will have to restrict their activities due to lack of funds,&rdquo; says Sreedharan Nair, director of external relations, Family Planning Association of India.

Sub-Saharan Africa had reported a <a href="http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/12/11-091660/en/">higher abortion rate</a> the last time the gag rule was imposed&nbsp; under George W&nbsp;Bush in 2001 because it reduced women&rsquo;s access to contraception

Advocacy groups fear the gag rule this time will have an even worse impact because Trump has expanded the reach of the rule in his version.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an infringement on the Indian context itself. In India abortion is legal, in India abortion is hugely needed. Eight per cent of all maternal deaths happen due to abortion and now when US decides that through their funding they will inhibit Indian agencies from doing anything around abortion, it completely restricts and it&rsquo;s contrary to the Indian rules and philosophies,&rdquo; Manning says.

Breaking away from an eight-year funding will be a huge setback to several NGOs in India that are working to eradicate the taboo around abortion, on the flip side it might just push India to shell out more for abortion and abortion-related services.

(WION) 
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US President Donald Trump's Global Gag rule will disallow funding to foreign NGOs for abortions

In January this year, within days of taking office, US President Donald Trump re-imposed the Global Gag rule, denying US funding to foreign NGOs for abortions. The NGOs that provide information on abortion or give abortion counselling won’t get any financial aid either. This change in order about 8,000 miles away is going to directly hit women in India. A country trying to make progress when it comes to abortion rights, India will be one of the nations affected due to Trump’s anti-abortion executive order, rural India in particular. Abortion is legal in India, with nearly 6.8 million abortions reported annually. Research suggests that a significant number of women, mostly in rural India, do not know their rights when it comes to abortion, leading to unsafe terminations of pregnancies. According to the IPAS Development Foundation (IDF), ten women die in India every day due to unsafe abortions and more than 5 million women risk having unsafe abortions this year because of the lack of access to safe abortion services. “Despite it being legal, a large number of women are not seeking abortion in safe places. It’s mainly due to three main factors: Firstly, in many cases, there are not many safe abortion providers close to the community. Secondly, Then there is a huge stigma around abortion and finally not many women know that abortion is legal in the country. The global gag rule has a conditionality which does not allow local NGOs from talking about abortion or abortion-related services or even referring to abortion. "This would be a huge barrier in moving these 5 million abortions to safe abortion services,” says Vinoj Manning, executive director, IDF. The Mexico City policy or the Global Gag rule was first introduced under Ronald Reagan in 1984 and is a classic example of politics in the US has repercussions around the globe. The rule is solely dependent on the inclination of the US president, repealed when a Democrat is in office and reinstated when Republican comes to power. The last time it was revoked was under the Obama administration in 2009. It meant eight years of a robust support to foreign NGOs. Abortion is legal in india, with nearly 6.8 million abortions reported annually. Research suggests that a significant number of women, mostly in rural India, do not know their rights when it comes to abortion, leading to unsafe terminations. (WION) × In 2015, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, a major source of US funding for healthcare in India, spent $21 million on family planning and reproductive health services in India. Though the legal status of abortion allows the Indian government to spend on it, a large number of NGOs working in rural India are dependent on the funding from the US. “The impact of global gag rule in India will be at different levels, starting first at the woman per se. Women who are being contacted and helped by these NGOs will no longer have information or referrals. It will be a big impact on women’s health. At the second level, it is the NGOs themselves that are going to get affected. These NGOs are working towards better maternal and reproductive health services. Now, by banning them from talking about abortion you are inhibiting their scope of work and therefore, the impact they can have on women’s health and reproductive rights.” says Manning. And it’s not just abortion services that are going to get affected. The fund cut will also affect reproductive health, maternal and child health and HIV services. “It will affect women in rural India where most of these NGOs are working to do away with the taboo around abortion by providing information and creating awareness. It will also affect other family planning and reproductive health services because the NGOs will have to restrict their activities due to lack of funds,” says Sreedharan Nair, director of external relations, Family Planning Association of India. Sub-Saharan Africa had reported a higher abortion rate the last time the gag rule was imposed under George W Bush in 2001 because it reduced women’s access to contraception Advocacy groups fear the gag rule this time will have an even worse impact because Trump has expanded the reach of the rule in his version. “It’s an infringement on the Indian context itself. In India abortion is legal, in India abortion is hugely needed. Eight per cent of all maternal deaths happen due to abortion and now when US decides that through their funding they will inhibit Indian agencies from doing anything around abortion, it completely restricts and it’s contrary to the Indian rules and philosophies,” Manning says. Breaking away from an eight-year funding will be a huge setback to several NGOs in India that are working to eradicate the taboo around abortion, on the flip side it might just push India to shell out more for abortion and abortion-related services. (WION)

Trump's decision to deny US funding to foreign NGOs will affect women in India

Last week&#39;s three-day Nasscom Leadership Forum actually had a funny start with key speaker Mukesh Ambani saying Trump&rsquo;s protectionist measures could be a boon in disguise for India&rsquo;s IT companies. In a way, it is ironic that the point of view of the very organiser of the forum has been put through a shredder.

&nbsp;

&ldquo;The domestic IT industry can focus on solving problems right here, which is a huge market,&rdquo; India&rsquo;s richest man told the gathering. Nasscom has already lowered its revenue growth estimate for the industry to 8-10 per cent from the 10-12 per cent figure it had predicted last February.

&nbsp;

More than 65 per cent of the Indian IT industry&rsquo;s $155 billion revenue comes from the US. But then, why is Mukesh Ambani so hopeful?

&nbsp;

I have tried my best to find a logical reason behind this and, frankly speaking, I do not see India&rsquo;s private sector to have work or the purse to meet a $100 billion shortfall if push comes to shove.

&nbsp;

However, India&rsquo;s Unique Identification (UID) project, more commonly known to Indians as the Aadhar programme, and Ambani&rsquo;s &ldquo;solving problems&rdquo; quip may act as pointers as to how the Indian IT industry may survive if the American and post-Brexit European workflow takes a nosedive.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

For this, one has to take note of the unbroken continuity of the fundamental economic roadmap that the country has embarked upon for the last decade or so. In this light, the policies of the ruling BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi do not really differ with those of the previous UPA government that was headed by Manmohan Singh.

&nbsp;

While Modi has been widely panned by critics for his proximity to big businesses and the alleged largesse the latter have enjoyed from this relationship, I think the 2010 Budget speech in Parliament delivered by then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is now the President of the country, has not received enough scrutiny.

&nbsp;

The part of the speech that I refer to above reads: &ldquo;With development and economic reforms, the focus of economic activity has shifted towards the non-governmental actors, bringing into sharper focus the role of government as an enabler. An enabling government does not try to deliver directly to the citizens everything that they need. Instead it creates an enabling ethos so that individual enterprise and creativity can flourish.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

The outsourcing of Project Aadhar was possibly the first step towards realisation of this plan. Various private companies collected biometric data of residents of India. It was originally supposed to do away with multiple identity silos and duplication of cost and efforts. Its stated purpose was to make life easier for the Indian people, as Nandan Nilekani, former chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), told me in an interview way back in 2010.

&nbsp;

The project rolled over questions pertaining to infringement of civil liberties, encroachment into personal space and the lack of data protection laws such as the United States Federal Privacy Statute or the European Directive on Data Protection. It was argued that lack of identity was the central roadblock that impeded the poor and the marginalised&rsquo;s access to benefits and subsidies.

&nbsp;

Seven years down, the project has already cost the country <a href="https://uidai.gov.in/new/about-uidai/about-uidai/financials.html">Rs 8277.17 crore ($1.24 billion)</a> in cumulative expenditure and, instead of doing away with duplication of cost and efforts, has added yet another identity silo. And a look at the cost break-up will tell anyone who has gained most from the programme.

&nbsp;

If farmers&rsquo; suicide <a href="http://www.rediff.com/news/column/p-sainath-how-states-fudge-the-data-on-farmer-suicides/20140801.htm">figures</a> are any indicator, India&rsquo;s poor have <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/data/indias-new-farm-suicides-data-myths-and-facts/article7461095.ece">not benefitted</a> from Project Aadhar.

On the other hand, Aadhar has helped Reliance&rsquo;s Jio to add a million subscribers a day, as mentioned by Ambani at the Assocham meet.

I have a strong feeling that the push for &ldquo;Digital India&rdquo; and a digital economy is going to act as the safety valve for the IT industry in case the American dream falls apart. If not, it is going to add substantial revenue to the balance sheet. Only around <a href="http://www.internetlivestats.com/internet-users/india/">35 per cent</a> of Indians had access to the Internet till 2016.

&nbsp;

That leaves plenty of avenues in terms of setting up and upgrade of infrastructure, setting up backends and training the vast mass who have lived on the dark side of the digital divide.

&nbsp;

Whether that comes in the form of private-public partnership or simply outsourced contracts or a mix of both is for time to tell. But it is clear that in crucial areas of deliverance that affects real people, the government has taken a clear backseat, creating an enabling atmosphere for&nbsp;corporate takeover.

&nbsp;

In this light, Mukesh Ambani&rsquo;s optimism is clearly not misplaced but calibrated on the symbiotic relationship between India&rsquo;s political class and the industry.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Indian government has taken a clear backseat in crucial areas of deliverance, creating an enabling atmosphere for corporate takeover

Last week's three-day Nasscom Leadership Forum actually had a funny start with key speaker Mukesh Ambani saying Trump’s protectionist measures could be a boon in disguise for India’s IT companies. In a way, it is ironic that the point of view of the very organiser of the forum has been put through a shredder. “The domestic IT industry can focus on solving problems right here, which is a huge market,” India’s richest man told the gathering. Nasscom has already lowered its revenue growth estimate for the industry to 8-10 per cent from the 10-12 per cent figure it had predicted last February. More than 65 per cent of the Indian IT industry’s $155 billion revenue comes from the US. But then, why is Mukesh Ambani so hopeful? I have tried my best to find a logical reason behind this and, frankly speaking, I do not see India’s private sector to have work or the purse to meet a $100 billion shortfall if push comes to shove. However, India’s Unique Identification (UID) project, more commonly known to Indians as the Aadhar programme, and Ambani’s “solving problems” quip may act as pointers as to how the Indian IT industry may survive if the American and post-Brexit European workflow takes a nosedive. For this, one has to take note of the unbroken continuity of the fundamental economic roadmap that the country has embarked upon for the last decade or so. In this light, the policies of the ruling BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi do not really differ with those of the previous UPA government that was headed by Manmohan Singh. While Modi has been widely panned by critics for his proximity to big businesses and the alleged largesse the latter have enjoyed from this relationship, I think the 2010 Budget speech in Parliament delivered by then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is now the President of the country, has not received enough scrutiny. The part of the speech that I refer to above reads: “With development and economic reforms, the focus of economic activity has shifted towards the non-governmental actors, bringing into sharper focus the role of government as an enabler. An enabling government does not try to deliver directly to the citizens everything that they need. Instead it creates an enabling ethos so that individual enterprise and creativity can flourish.” The outsourcing of Project Aadhar was possibly the first step towards realisation of this plan. Various private companies collected biometric data of residents of India. It was originally supposed to do away with multiple identity silos and duplication of cost and efforts. Its stated purpose was to make life easier for the Indian people, as Nandan Nilekani, former chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), told me in an interview way back in 2010. The project rolled over questions pertaining to infringement of civil liberties, encroachment into personal space and the lack of data protection laws such as the United States Federal Privacy Statute or the European Directive on Data Protection. It was argued that lack of identity was the central roadblock that impeded the poor and the marginalised’s access to benefits and subsidies. Seven years down, the project has already cost the country Rs 8277.17 crore ($1.24 billion) in cumulative expenditure and, instead of doing away with duplication of cost and efforts, has added yet another identity silo. And a look at the cost break-up will tell anyone who has gained most from the programme. If farmers’ suicide figures are any indicator, India’s poor have not benefitted from Project Aadhar. On the other hand, Aadhar has helped Reliance’s Jio to add a million subscribers a day, as mentioned by Ambani at the Assocham meet. I have a strong feeling that the push for “Digital India” and a digital economy is going to act as the safety valve for the IT industry in case the American dream falls apart. If not, it is going to add substantial revenue to the balance sheet. Only around 35 per cent of Indians had access to the Internet till 2016. That leaves plenty of avenues in terms of setting up and upgrade of infrastructure, setting up backends and training the vast mass who have lived on the dark side of the digital divide. Whether that comes in the form of private-public partnership or simply outsourced contracts or a mix of both is for time to tell. But it is clear that in crucial areas of deliverance that affects real people, the government has taken a clear backseat, creating an enabling atmosphere for corporate takeover. In this light, Mukesh Ambani’s optimism is clearly not misplaced but calibrated on the symbiotic relationship between India’s political class and the industry.

If US orders stop, India's IT can count on the political class to bail it out

Demonstrators gathered at a pro-Muslim rally in New York&#39;s Times Square on Sunday&nbsp;organised in response to the Trump administration&#39;s travel ban.

Demonstrators carried flags and posters with messages of support towards Muslims, many of whom have been affected by President Trump&#39;s executive order that curtailed the entry of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries.

The &quot;I am Muslim Too&quot; rally brought together demonstrators of different faiths and walks of life, including celebrities Susan Sarandon and Russell Simmons.

&quot;He (Trump) will leave a legacy of hate and America is moving towards greater love. All of the diversity that we see here today will prevail and Americans will go back to moving towards a more loving place,&quot; said Simmons, who hosted the event.

&quot;I&#39;m here to indicate particularly with regard to the Muslim ban that we are here to stand for each other, that we&#39;re here to defend immigrants and refugees, to protect one another in this situation of such hatred and we&#39;re here all as one,&quot; said New York rabbi Rolando Matalon.

Trump&#39;s original order, which he said was meant to head off attacks by Islamist militants, barred people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering for 90 days and excluded all refugees for 120 days, except those from Syria, who were banned indefinitely.

The ban was struck down in court, but the administration is weighing a new version of Trump&#39;s executive order that aims to put restrictions on citizens of the same seven Muslim-majority countries covered by the initial order, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cites an internal State Department memo.

(Reuters)

The 'I am Muslim Too' rally brought together a wide variety of demonstrators to Times Square as the White House mulls over a new Muslim ban

Demonstrators gathered at a pro-Muslim rally in New York's Times Square on Sunday organised in response to the Trump administration's travel ban. Demonstrators carried flags and posters with messages of support towards Muslims, many of whom have been affected by President Trump's executive order that curtailed the entry of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries. The "I am Muslim Too" rally brought together demonstrators of different faiths and walks of life, including celebrities Susan Sarandon and Russell Simmons. "He (Trump) will leave a legacy of hate and America is moving towards greater love. All of the diversity that we see here today will prevail and Americans will go back to moving towards a more loving place," said Simmons, who hosted the event. "I'm here to indicate particularly with regard to the Muslim ban that we are here to stand for each other, that we're here to defend immigrants and refugees, to protect one another in this situation of such hatred and we're here all as one," said New York rabbi Rolando Matalon. Trump's original order, which he said was meant to head off attacks by Islamist militants, barred people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering for 90 days and excluded all refugees for 120 days, except those from Syria, who were banned indefinitely. The ban was struck down in court, but the administration is weighing a new version of Trump's executive order that aims to put restrictions on citizens of the same seven Muslim-majority countries covered by the initial order, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cites an internal State Department memo. (Reuters)

New Yorkers rally to support Muslims during Trump's presidency

Bowling Green, Atlanta and now... Sweden?

US President Donald Trump was speaking to supporters on Saturday when he apparently referred to the Scandinavian country as the site of a terror incident,&nbsp;the latest example of his administration naming a non-existent attack.

He was addressing a campaign-style rally in Florida when he launched into a list of places that have been targeted by terrorists.

&quot;You look at what&#39;s happening in Germany, you look at what&#39;s happening last night in Sweden. Sweden, who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers. They&#39;re having problems like they never thought possible,&quot; he said, provoking mockery on social media.

His speech was aimed at defending his order last month that blocked refugees and travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States.

The order has been suspended by a federal appeals court, and Trump vowed to introduce a new order this week as a means of protecting Americans at home.

He went on to name Brussels, Nice and Paris,&nbsp;European cities that have been struck by deadly terror attacks.On Sunday, Trump tweeted an explanation of his remarks.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;My statement as to what&#39;s happening in Sweden was in reference to a story that was broadcast on @FoxNews concerning immigrants &amp; Sweden,&quot; the US leader wrote.

The tweet followed a request from Sweden&#39;s foreign ministry on Sunday seeking an explanation.

&quot;We have now contacted the American (State Department) to understand and receive clarity,&quot; ministry press officer Catarina Axelsson told AFP.

Sweden&#39;s employment minister Ylva Johansson, in an interview with Swedish public television, said she also is seeking clarification of Trump&#39;s statement.&nbsp;

&quot;We want to know what he means,&quot; she said in an interview broadcast on Sunday.

&quot;The US president speaks and the whole world listens. He is speaking about Sweden in a way that we don/t&nbsp;understand what he means or refers to,in connection with acts of terrorism in other countries. It would make sense if we could get an answer to this question.&quot;

Users on Twitter, Trump&#39;s favorite communication platform, cracked jokes about the apparent miscue using the hashtags #lastnightinSweden and #SwedenIncident.

Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt asked: &quot;Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound.&quot;

Gunnar Hokmark, a Swedish member of the European Parliament, retweeted a post that said &quot;#lastnightinSweden my son dropped his hotdog in the campfire. So sad!&quot;&nbsp;

Hokmark added his own comment: &quot;How could he know?&quot;

Numerous internet wags responded with Ikea-themed tweets. Some posted photos of the impossible-to-understand instructions for assembling Ikea furniture, calling it &quot;Secret Plans for the #SwedenIncident.&quot;Posts flooded into @sweden, the country`s official Twitter account which is run by a different Swede each week.&nbsp;

This week&#39;s curator, Emma, who describes herself as a school librarian and mother, said the account had received 800 mentions in four hours.

&quot;No. Nothing has happened here in Sweden. There has not (been) any terrorist attacks here. At all. The main news right now is about Melfest,&quot; she said, referring to the competition to pick the performer who will represent Sweden at the Eurovision singing contest.

Top Trump aides in his month-old administration have faced criticism and ridicule after speaking publicly about massacres that never took place.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway,who famously coined the term &quot;alternative facts&quot; ,referred to a &quot;Bowling Green massacre&quot; during an interview.

She later tweeted that she meant to say &quot;Bowling Green terrorists&quot;,referring to two Iraqi men who were indicted in 2011 for trying to send money and weapons to Al-Qaeda, and using improvised explosive devices against US soldiers in Iraq.&nbsp;

And White House spokesman Sean Spicer made three separate references in one week to an attack in Atlanta.

He later said he meant to say Orlando, the Florida city where an American of Afghan origin gunned down 49 people at a gay nightclub last year.

(AFP)

In Florida, he?launched into a list of places that have been targeted by terrorists, Sweden being one of them. But no such attack has taken place

Bowling Green, Atlanta and now... Sweden? US President Donald Trump was speaking to supporters on Saturday when he apparently referred to the Scandinavian country as the site of a terror incident, the latest example of his administration naming a non-existent attack. He was addressing a campaign-style rally in Florida when he launched into a list of places that have been targeted by terrorists. "You look at what's happening in Germany, you look at what's happening last night in Sweden. Sweden, who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers. They're having problems like they never thought possible," he said, provoking mockery on social media. His speech was aimed at defending his order last month that blocked refugees and travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States. The order has been suspended by a federal appeals court, and Trump vowed to introduce a new order this week as a means of protecting Americans at home. He went on to name Brussels, Nice and Paris, European cities that have been struck by deadly terror attacks.On Sunday, Trump tweeted an explanation of his remarks. "My statement as to what's happening in Sweden was in reference to a story that was broadcast on @FoxNews concerning immigrants & Sweden," the US leader wrote. The tweet followed a request from Sweden's foreign ministry on Sunday seeking an explanation. "We have now contacted the American (State Department) to understand and receive clarity," ministry press officer Catarina Axelsson told AFP. Sweden's employment minister Ylva Johansson, in an interview with Swedish public television, said she also is seeking clarification of Trump's statement. "We want to know what he means," she said in an interview broadcast on Sunday. "The US president speaks and the whole world listens. He is speaking about Sweden in a way that we don/t understand what he means or refers to,in connection with acts of terrorism in other countries. It would make sense if we could get an answer to this question." Users on Twitter, Trump's favorite communication platform, cracked jokes about the apparent miscue using the hashtags #lastnightinSweden and #SwedenIncident. Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt asked: "Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound." Gunnar Hokmark, a Swedish member of the European Parliament, retweeted a post that said "#lastnightinSweden my son dropped his hotdog in the campfire. So sad!" Hokmark added his own comment: "How could he know?" Numerous internet wags responded with Ikea-themed tweets. Some posted photos of the impossible-to-understand instructions for assembling Ikea furniture, calling it "Secret Plans for the #SwedenIncident."Posts flooded into @sweden, the country`s official Twitter account which is run by a different Swede each week. This week's curator, Emma, who describes herself as a school librarian and mother, said the account had received 800 mentions in four hours. "No. Nothing has happened here in Sweden. There has not (been) any terrorist attacks here. At all. The main news right now is about Melfest," she said, referring to the competition to pick the performer who will represent Sweden at the Eurovision singing contest. Top Trump aides in his month-old administration have faced criticism and ridicule after speaking publicly about massacres that never took place. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway,who famously coined the term "alternative facts" ,referred to a "Bowling Green massacre" during an interview. She later tweeted that she meant to say "Bowling Green terrorists",referring to two Iraqi men who were indicted in 2011 for trying to send money and weapons to Al-Qaeda, and using improvised explosive devices against US soldiers in Iraq. And White House spokesman Sean Spicer made three separate references in one week to an attack in Atlanta. He later said he meant to say Orlando, the Florida city where an American of Afghan origin gunned down 49 people at a gay nightclub last year. (AFP)

Trump miffs Sweden, refers to non-existent terror incident

The Trump administration plans to direct immigration agents to greatly expand the categories of immigrants they target for deportation, according to drafts of two memos seen by Reuters and first reported by McClatchy news organization on Saturday.

Two sources familiar with the plans told Reuters the documents have been approved by Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, but are under final review by the White House. They are expected to be released to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) early next week.

Under the orders, hundreds of thousands of people would face expedited removal proceedings, including those that had not been prioritised for deportation under former President Barack Obama.

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<h5>Migrants who have been charged with crimes but not convicted would be prioritised for deportation</h5>
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The memos are guidance to instruct agents in the field to implement two executive orders signed by Trump on Jan. 25 intended to deter future migration and drive out more illegal migrants from the United States.

One memo instructs ICE agents to ignore Obama&rsquo;s memos on immigration priorities that targeted only recent arrivals and convicted criminal migrants for deportation. Instead, migrants who have been charged with crimes but not convicted would be prioritised for deportation. The guidance also allows ICE agents wide discretion in deciding who to deport and considers anyone in the United States illegally to be subject to deportation.

The guidance does leave in place Obama&rsquo;s 2012 executive action that protected 750,000 people brought to the United States illegally by their parents. The fate of the policy, known as DACA, has been hotly debated within the White House, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Trump said in a news conference Friday that DACA was a &ldquo;very difficult subject&rdquo; for him.

The ICE memo also states that immigrants will not be afforded rights under US&nbsp;privacy laws.

The second memo instructs CBP officers to crack down on illegal migration at the border by holding migrants in detention until a determination in their case is made.

The Department of Homeland Security did not deny any information contained in the draft memos but did not provide further detail.

A source familiar with the guidance said the memos were scheduled to be distributed on Friday but the White House made a last-minute request to review them. It is not known whether the White House may alter the guidance.

Kelly said in one of the memos that illegal immigration across the US&nbsp;border with Mexico had &quot;created a significant national security vulnerability to the United States.&quot;&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The memos, under final review by the White House, are expected to be released early next week

The Trump administration plans to direct immigration agents to greatly expand the categories of immigrants they target for deportation, according to drafts of two memos seen by Reuters and first reported by McClatchy news organization on Saturday. Two sources familiar with the plans told Reuters the documents have been approved by Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, but are under final review by the White House. They are expected to be released to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) early next week. Under the orders, hundreds of thousands of people would face expedited removal proceedings, including those that had not been prioritised for deportation under former President Barack Obama. Migrants who have been charged with crimes but not convicted would be prioritised for deportation × The memos are guidance to instruct agents in the field to implement two executive orders signed by Trump on Jan. 25 intended to deter future migration and drive out more illegal migrants from the United States. One memo instructs ICE agents to ignore Obama’s memos on immigration priorities that targeted only recent arrivals and convicted criminal migrants for deportation. Instead, migrants who have been charged with crimes but not convicted would be prioritised for deportation. The guidance also allows ICE agents wide discretion in deciding who to deport and considers anyone in the United States illegally to be subject to deportation. The guidance does leave in place Obama’s 2012 executive action that protected 750,000 people brought to the United States illegally by their parents. The fate of the policy, known as DACA, has been hotly debated within the White House, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Trump said in a news conference Friday that DACA was a “very difficult subject” for him. The ICE memo also states that immigrants will not be afforded rights under US privacy laws. The second memo instructs CBP officers to crack down on illegal migration at the border by holding migrants in detention until a determination in their case is made. The Department of Homeland Security did not deny any information contained in the draft memos but did not provide further detail. A source familiar with the guidance said the memos were scheduled to be distributed on Friday but the White House made a last-minute request to review them. It is not known whether the White House may alter the guidance. Kelly said in one of the memos that illegal immigration across the US border with Mexico had "created a significant national security vulnerability to the United States." (Reuters)

Trump administration to expand groups of immigrants to be deported: Memos

Asian stocks edged up to fresh 19-month highs on Thursday, helped by an extended rally on Wall Street and strong US&nbsp;data though the Dollar stepped back after a recent bounce.

MSCI&#39;s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan&nbsp;was up 0.2 per cent, rising to its highest since July 2015. It is up by a tenth so far this year partly underpinned by more optimistic earnings expectations and a gradual unwinding of bearish emerging market bets.

Australian stocks&nbsp;advanced 0.4 per cent in early deals with looming jobs data the key event risk on the day. A strong showing would set the market up for further gains with technical indicators helping.

&quot;The index has now closed above the key technical resistance level at 5,800 which is a bullish sign opening up further gains in the coming months back towards 6,000,&quot; said James Woods, global investment analyst at Rivkin Securities in Sydney.

The Australian employment data is due at 00:30 GMT with market expectations centering around 10,000 jobs being created.

Wall Street pushed further into record-high territory on Wednesday, with the S&amp;P 500 notching a seven-session winning streak, helped by robust economic data and optimism that President Donald Trump will cut corporate taxes. That optimism was not shared in the currency markets with the dollar&#39;s recent bounce running out of steam as investors took profits even as fresh data showed a pick up in inflationary pressures.

US&nbsp;consumer prices recorded their biggest increase in nearly four years in January, backing expectations for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates at a steady pace over the course of the year.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen, in her second day of economic testimony before Congress, offered no additional insight on the timing of the central bank&#39;s next rate hike after her comments a day earlier had hinted at a fairly hawkish policy stance.

Traders may also be leaning towards a rate increase delayed beyond the Fed&#39;s March meeting, with the futures markets only pricing a 27 per cent chance of a tightening next month.

The Dollar index, which measures the currency against a trade-weighted basket of six major peers, slipped to 101.02. It rallied to a one-month high of 101.76 on Wednesday.

In commodity markets, oil prices softened as record high US&nbsp;crude and gasoline inventories fed concerns about a global glut. US crude&nbsp;was down 0.15 per cent at $53.03 a barrel and Brent was flat at $55.75 a barrel.

(Reuters)

Wall Street pushed further into record-high territory, helped by robust economic data and optimism Trump will cut corporate taxes

Asian stocks edged up to fresh 19-month highs on Thursday, helped by an extended rally on Wall Street and strong US data though the Dollar stepped back after a recent bounce. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.2 per cent, rising to its highest since July 2015. It is up by a tenth so far this year partly underpinned by more optimistic earnings expectations and a gradual unwinding of bearish emerging market bets. Australian stocks advanced 0.4 per cent in early deals with looming jobs data the key event risk on the day. A strong showing would set the market up for further gains with technical indicators helping. "The index has now closed above the key technical resistance level at 5,800 which is a bullish sign opening up further gains in the coming months back towards 6,000," said James Woods, global investment analyst at Rivkin Securities in Sydney. The Australian employment data is due at 00:30 GMT with market expectations centering around 10,000 jobs being created. Wall Street pushed further into record-high territory on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 notching a seven-session winning streak, helped by robust economic data and optimism that President Donald Trump will cut corporate taxes. That optimism was not shared in the currency markets with the dollar's recent bounce running out of steam as investors took profits even as fresh data showed a pick up in inflationary pressures. US consumer prices recorded their biggest increase in nearly four years in January, backing expectations for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates at a steady pace over the course of the year. Fed Chair Janet Yellen, in her second day of economic testimony before Congress, offered no additional insight on the timing of the central bank's next rate hike after her comments a day earlier had hinted at a fairly hawkish policy stance. Traders may also be leaning towards a rate increase delayed beyond the Fed's March meeting, with the futures markets only pricing a 27 per cent chance of a tightening next month. The Dollar index, which measures the currency against a trade-weighted basket of six major peers, slipped to 101.02. It rallied to a one-month high of 101.76 on Wednesday. In commodity markets, oil prices softened as record high US crude and gasoline inventories fed concerns about a global glut. US crude was down 0.15 per cent at $53.03 a barrel and Brent was flat at $55.75 a barrel. (Reuters)

Asian stocks at one-and-a-half year highs on robust Wall St; Dollar retreats

The White House signalled a sharp break with decades of support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Tuesday, on the eve of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s visit to the White House.

A senior White House official said the United States would no longer seek to dictate the terms of any eventual peace settlement&nbsp;but would support what the two sides agree to together.

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&quot;A two-state solution that doesn&#39;t bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve,&quot; the official said on condition of anonymity.

&quot;Peace is the goal, whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if that&#39;s what the parties want, or something else if that&#39;s what the parties want.&quot;

&quot;That&#39;s going to be up to them, we are not going to dictate what the terms of peace are going to be,&quot; said the official.

President Trump hosts Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday and is expected to express his desire to help broker a solution to the conflict.

He has already tapped son-in-law Jared Kushner and lawyer Jason Greenblatt to lead his peace drive.

But major questions remain about how Trump will achieve that goal.

For the better part of half a century, successive US governments -- both Republican and Democrat -- have backed a two-state solution. It was the basis of peace talks at Oslo and Camp David.

But since coming to office in late January, Trump has sought to show that the United States is an unwavering ally of Israel and tried to draw a contrast with the policies of President Barack Obama.

Netanyahu won re-election in 2015 by insisting he would not accept the creation of a Palestinian state, a vow that considerably soured relations with the Obama White House. &nbsp;

Obama often warned that Israeli settlement construction could make a two-state solution impossible&nbsp;and that a one state solution would put the future of the Jewish state in question.

Trump has shied away from criticising Netanyahu&#39;s settlement policies as an impediment to peace, instead offering Israel some scope to build on land already under development.

&quot;The construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal,&quot; the White House said in a statement earlier this month.

Saeb Erakat, a senior Palestinian official, said it was not enough for Trump to say settlements were &quot;unhelpful&quot; but he must order an end to new building.

Friendly visit

Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Monday, dined with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday and after his White House talks with Trump on Wednesday will meet lawmakers.

Aside from winning support for policies that will help him at home, the Israeli leader will also want to get the measure of Trump&#39;s appetite for better relations with Russia.

Trump has signalled his willingness to work with Russia to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria.

That could de facto mean furthering the goals of Russian allies Bashar al-Assad and Iran.

Israel sees Iran and its Lebanese ally the Hezbollah militia as its greatest existential threat, a view shared by the leaders of the main Sunni Arab states of the region.

Dennis Ross, a US diplomat who worked on Middle East policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations, said Netanyahu&#39;s diplomatic goals would at first be modest.

Israel wouldn&#39;t oppose a rapprochement with Moscow in itself&nbsp;but would urge Washington to use this as leverage to push Russia away from Iran.

&quot;What he&#39;d like to see is a distancing of Russia from Iran within Syria, maybe more of a move towards Turkey and less towards Iran in Syria,&quot; Ross told reporters on Monday.

Trump appears to have back-pedaled on a campaign threat to tear up Obama&#39;s Iran nuclear deal, which Israel bitterly opposed, but his administration has &quot;put Iran on notice.&quot;

This appears to mean a more robust stance against military provocations and a determination to impose tough sanctions on Iran&#39;s missile program and covert support for militants.&nbsp;

Observers expect Trump and Netanyahu to get on well in public. Both have much to gain politically from marking a clean break from the Obama years.

But, personal chemistry aside, the pair will only make the relationship a success if it overcomes the disagreement that poisoned ties under Obama.

(AFP)

A senior White House official said the United States would no longer seek to dictate the terms of any eventual peace settlement

The White House signalled a sharp break with decades of support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Tuesday, on the eve of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House. A senior White House official said the United States would no longer seek to dictate the terms of any eventual peace settlement but would support what the two sides agree to together. Trump hosts Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday and is expected to express his desire to help broker a solution to the conflict × "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," the official said on condition of anonymity. "Peace is the goal, whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want, or something else if that's what the parties want." "That's going to be up to them, we are not going to dictate what the terms of peace are going to be," said the official. President Trump hosts Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday and is expected to express his desire to help broker a solution to the conflict. He has already tapped son-in-law Jared Kushner and lawyer Jason Greenblatt to lead his peace drive. But major questions remain about how Trump will achieve that goal. For the better part of half a century, successive US governments -- both Republican and Democrat -- have backed a two-state solution. It was the basis of peace talks at Oslo and Camp David. But since coming to office in late January, Trump has sought to show that the United States is an unwavering ally of Israel and tried to draw a contrast with the policies of President Barack Obama. Netanyahu won re-election in 2015 by insisting he would not accept the creation of a Palestinian state, a vow that considerably soured relations with the Obama White House. Obama often warned that Israeli settlement construction could make a two-state solution impossible and that a one state solution would put the future of the Jewish state in question. Trump has shied away from criticising Netanyahu's settlement policies as an impediment to peace, instead offering Israel some scope to build on land already under development. "The construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal," the White House said in a statement earlier this month. Saeb Erakat, a senior Palestinian official, said it was not enough for Trump to say settlements were "unhelpful" but he must order an end to new building. Friendly visit Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Monday, dined with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday and after his White House talks with Trump on Wednesday will meet lawmakers. Aside from winning support for policies that will help him at home, the Israeli leader will also want to get the measure of Trump's appetite for better relations with Russia. Trump has signalled his willingness to work with Russia to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria. That could de facto mean furthering the goals of Russian allies Bashar al-Assad and Iran. Israel sees Iran and its Lebanese ally the Hezbollah militia as its greatest existential threat, a view shared by the leaders of the main Sunni Arab states of the region. Dennis Ross, a US diplomat who worked on Middle East policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations, said Netanyahu's diplomatic goals would at first be modest. Israel wouldn't oppose a rapprochement with Moscow in itself but would urge Washington to use this as leverage to push Russia away from Iran. "What he'd like to see is a distancing of Russia from Iran within Syria, maybe more of a move towards Turkey and less towards Iran in Syria," Ross told reporters on Monday. Trump appears to have back-pedaled on a campaign threat to tear up Obama's Iran nuclear deal, which Israel bitterly opposed, but his administration has "put Iran on notice." This appears to mean a more robust stance against military provocations and a determination to impose tough sanctions on Iran's missile program and covert support for militants. Observers expect Trump and Netanyahu to get on well in public. Both have much to gain politically from marking a clean break from the Obama years. But, personal chemistry aside, the pair will only make the relationship a success if it overcomes the disagreement that poisoned ties under Obama. (AFP)

US will no longer insist on two-state solution in Middle East

The White House battled Tuesday to insulate Donald Trump from a scandal over his top aide&#39;s contacts with Russia, as it emerged that the president was aware of the problem for weeks before acting.

With calls for an independent investigation gathering pace, the White House admitted that Trump was told three weeks ago that national security advisor Michael Flynn may have misled colleagues about his Kremlin contacts.

The retired three-star general and former head of US defence intelligence initially denied discussing sanctions strategy with Russia&#39;s ambassador Sergey Kislyak before taking office.

That may have breached US law on negotiating with foreign powers, and at minimum was a significant break with the norm that incoming administrations accept the US has &quot;one government at a time.&quot;&nbsp;

Flynn was asked to resign on Monday, after what the White House said were weeks of internal investigation that turned up no evidence of wrongdoing but &quot;eroded&quot; trust.

Law enforcement and intelligence agents intercepted calls and obtained phone records showing that members of Trump&#39;s 2016 presidential campaign and other aides had repeated contacts with top Russian intelligence officials in the year that preceded the November 8 presidential election, The New York Times reported.

After finding evidence that Russia was seeking to disrupt the election, US intelligence agencies tried to determine whether the Trump campaign was cooperating with Moscow on hacking and other related efforts, according to the Times.

However, the newspaper said, the current and former US officials it cited have not yet found evidence of such collusion.

Paul Manafort, a former Trump advisor who was among those campaign officials picked up on the calls, dismissed the claims as &quot;absurd&quot; in an interview with the Times.

Misleading the vice president

The White House had painted Trump&#39;s final decision as based on Flynn having misled Vice President Mike Pence.

But it emerged Tuesday that Trump kept his deputy, who publicly defended Flynn and repeated his claims, in the dark for two weeks.

Spokesman Marc Lotter said Pence only became aware of the issue on Thursday, in media reports.

Flynn is the third Trump aide to step back amid questions about his ties to Russia since the mogul began his improbable White House bid.&nbsp;

His departure follows those of Manafort and Carter Page, an early foreign policy advisor to the candidate.

The unprecedented early resignation of a key member of staff has rocked an administration already buffeted by leaks, infighting and legal defeats.

Amid the tumult, the White House denied that Trump had instructed Flynn to discuss the possibility that Obama-era sanctions would be rolled back.

&quot;No, absolutely not. No, no, no,&quot; said White House spokesman Sean Spicer, when asked whether such a conversation took place.

&#39;Eroding trust&#39;

When first informed, on January 26, that Flynn may have made misleading statements about his talks with Russia&#39;s envoy, Spicer said the president &quot;instinctively thought that General Flynn did not do anything wrong.&quot;

&quot;The White House counsel&#39;s review corroborated that,&quot; Spicer said, and &quot;determined that there is not an illegal issue, but rather a trust issue.&quot;

&quot;The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable instances is what led the president to ask for General Flynn&#39;s resignation.&quot;

Trump took to Twitter to insist that &quot;The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington?&quot;

The White House also insisted that Trump -- despite repeatedly professing admiration for Vladimir Putin and suggesting sanctions could be lifted -- &quot;has been incredibly tough on Russia.&quot;

In a new hardening of the US line on Russia, Spicer added that &quot;President Trump has made it very clear he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea.&quot;

The State Department, meanwhile, expressed concern that Russia is in breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, after reports that Moscow had deployed an operational ground-launched cruise missile unit.

Inquiries and missteps

The White House&#39;s efforts are likely to do little to assuage concerns on Capitol Hill about Russia&#39;s influence in US politics.

Republicans and Democrats in Congress have now called for an investigation into what occurred, although they differ sharply on the scope and powers.

&quot;This. Is. Not. Normal.&quot; said Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, insisting &quot;Trump owes Americans a full account&quot; of his administration&#39;s dealings with Moscow before and after the 2016 election.

The US Senate&#39;s top Republican Mitch McConnell said it was &quot;highly likely&quot; that Flynn would have to testify before an intelligence panel, potentially heaping pressure on Trump.

The New York Times also reported that the FBI had interviewed Flynn on his calls with the Russian diplomat days into his job.

The CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies have already investigated Moscow&#39;s influence over the 2016 vote, concluding the Kremlin tried to sway it in Trump&#39;s favour.

Various committees in the Republican-controlled Congress are looking into Russia&#39;s election-related hacking and the Trump campaign&#39;s links to Moscow.

Potential permanent Flynn replacements reportedly include three retired military brass: lieutenant general Keith Kellogg, who is filling in temporarily; retired general and former CIA director David Petraeus; and former vice admiral Robert Harward.

Spicer said Trump hoped to make the new appointment by the end of the week.

(AFP)

Flynn had misled the White House over his Russia contacts. It has now emerged that Trump knew for weeks

The White House battled Tuesday to insulate Donald Trump from a scandal over his top aide's contacts with Russia, as it emerged that the president was aware of the problem for weeks before acting. With calls for an independent investigation gathering pace, the White House admitted that Trump was told three weeks ago that national security advisor Michael Flynn may have misled colleagues about his Kremlin contacts. The retired three-star general and former head of US defence intelligence initially denied discussing sanctions strategy with Russia's ambassador Sergey Kislyak before taking office. That may have breached US law on negotiating with foreign powers, and at minimum was a significant break with the norm that incoming administrations accept the US has "one government at a time." Flynn was asked to resign on Monday, after what the White House said were weeks of internal investigation that turned up no evidence of wrongdoing but "eroded" trust. Law enforcement and intelligence agents intercepted calls and obtained phone records showing that members of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and other aides had repeated contacts with top Russian intelligence officials in the year that preceded the November 8 presidential election, The New York Times reported. After finding evidence that Russia was seeking to disrupt the election, US intelligence agencies tried to determine whether the Trump campaign was cooperating with Moscow on hacking and other related efforts, according to the Times. However, the newspaper said, the current and former US officials it cited have not yet found evidence of such collusion. Paul Manafort, a former Trump advisor who was among those campaign officials picked up on the calls, dismissed the claims as "absurd" in an interview with the Times. Misleading the vice president The White House had painted Trump's final decision as based on Flynn having misled Vice President Mike Pence. But it emerged Tuesday that Trump kept his deputy, who publicly defended Flynn and repeated his claims, in the dark for two weeks. Spokesman Marc Lotter said Pence only became aware of the issue on Thursday, in media reports. Flynn is the third Trump aide to step back amid questions about his ties to Russia since the mogul began his improbable White House bid. His departure follows those of Manafort and Carter Page, an early foreign policy advisor to the candidate. The unprecedented early resignation of a key member of staff has rocked an administration already buffeted by leaks, infighting and legal defeats. Amid the tumult, the White House denied that Trump had instructed Flynn to discuss the possibility that Obama-era sanctions would be rolled back. "No, absolutely not. No, no, no," said White House spokesman Sean Spicer, when asked whether such a conversation took place. 'Eroding trust' When first informed, on January 26, that Flynn may have made misleading statements about his talks with Russia's envoy, Spicer said the president "instinctively thought that General Flynn did not do anything wrong." "The White House counsel's review corroborated that," Spicer said, and "determined that there is not an illegal issue, but rather a trust issue." "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable instances is what led the president to ask for General Flynn's resignation." Trump took to Twitter to insist that "The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington?" The White House also insisted that Trump -- despite repeatedly professing admiration for Vladimir Putin and suggesting sanctions could be lifted -- "has been incredibly tough on Russia." In a new hardening of the US line on Russia, Spicer added that "President Trump has made it very clear he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea." The State Department, meanwhile, expressed concern that Russia is in breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, after reports that Moscow had deployed an operational ground-launched cruise missile unit. Inquiries and missteps The White House's efforts are likely to do little to assuage concerns on Capitol Hill about Russia's influence in US politics. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have now called for an investigation into what occurred, although they differ sharply on the scope and powers. "This. Is. Not. Normal." said Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, insisting "Trump owes Americans a full account" of his administration's dealings with Moscow before and after the 2016 election. The US Senate's top Republican Mitch McConnell said it was "highly likely" that Flynn would have to testify before an intelligence panel, potentially heaping pressure on Trump. The New York Times also reported that the FBI had interviewed Flynn on his calls with the Russian diplomat days into his job. The CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies have already investigated Moscow's influence over the 2016 vote, concluding the Kremlin tried to sway it in Trump's favour. Various committees in the Republican-controlled Congress are looking into Russia's election-related hacking and the Trump campaign's links to Moscow. Potential permanent Flynn replacements reportedly include three retired military brass: lieutenant general Keith Kellogg, who is filling in temporarily; retired general and former CIA director David Petraeus; and former vice admiral Robert Harward. Spicer said Trump hoped to make the new appointment by the end of the week. (AFP)

White House battles to insulate Trump from Flynn fallout

Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald Trump&#39;s presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing four current and former US officials.

US law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said, according to the Times.

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<h5>US law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee</h5>
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The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election, the newspaper said.

The officials interviewed in recent weeks said they had seen no evidence of such cooperation so far, it said.

However, the intercepts alarmed US intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael Flynn, Trump&#39;s former national security adviser, and Sergei I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, the Times said.

During those calls, the two men discussed sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia in December. Flynn misled the White House about those calls and was asked to resign on Monday night.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment on the Times story.

The Times reported that the officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials&nbsp;and included other Trump associates.

On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the Russian government outside the intelligence services, the officials told the Times. All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified, the newspaper reported.

The officials said one of the advisers picked up on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Trump&rsquo;s campaign chairman for several months last year and had worked as a political consultant in Russia and Ukraine, the Times said. The officials declined to identify the other Trump associates on the calls.

Manafort, who has not been charged with any crimes, dismissed the accounts of the US&nbsp;officials in a telephone interview with the Times on Tuesday.

Several of Trump&#39;s associates, like Manafort, have done business in Russia. It is not unusual for US&nbsp;businessmen to come in contact with foreign intelligence officials, sometimes unwittingly, in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where the spy services are deeply embedded in society, according to the Times.

Law enforcement officials did not say to what extent the contacts may have been about business, the Times said.

Officials would not disclose many details, including what was discussed on the calls, which Russian intelligence officials were on the calls, and how many of Trump&#39;s advisers were talking to the Russians. It is also unclear whether the conversations had anything to do with Trump himself, the Times said.

(Reuters)

The New York Times report cited four current and former US officials

Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald Trump's presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing four current and former US officials. US law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said, according to the Times. US law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee × The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election, the newspaper said. The officials interviewed in recent weeks said they had seen no evidence of such cooperation so far, it said. However, the intercepts alarmed US intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about Russian President Vladimir Putin. The intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, and Sergei I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, the Times said. During those calls, the two men discussed sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia in December. Flynn misled the White House about those calls and was asked to resign on Monday night. The White House did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment on the Times story. The Times reported that the officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials and included other Trump associates. On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the Russian government outside the intelligence services, the officials told the Times. All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified, the newspaper reported. The officials said one of the advisers picked up on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Trump’s campaign chairman for several months last year and had worked as a political consultant in Russia and Ukraine, the Times said. The officials declined to identify the other Trump associates on the calls. Manafort, who has not been charged with any crimes, dismissed the accounts of the US officials in a telephone interview with the Times on Tuesday. Several of Trump's associates, like Manafort, have done business in Russia. It is not unusual for US businessmen to come in contact with foreign intelligence officials, sometimes unwittingly, in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where the spy services are deeply embedded in society, according to the Times. Law enforcement officials did not say to what extent the contacts may have been about business, the Times said. Officials would not disclose many details, including what was discussed on the calls, which Russian intelligence officials were on the calls, and how many of Trump's advisers were talking to the Russians. It is also unclear whether the conversations had anything to do with Trump himself, the Times said. (Reuters)

Trump campaign had repeated contact with Russia before election: NYT

The Justice Department warned the White House weeks ago that national security adviser Michael Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Russian officials before President Donald Trump took power, a US&nbsp;official said on Monday.

Trump is evaluating the situation surrounding Flynn and talking to vice president Mike Pence about it, Trump&#39;s spokesman said, in a pointed refusal to make a public show of support for his embattled aide.

The US&nbsp;official confirmed a Washington Post report that Sally Yates, the then-acting US&nbsp;attorney general, told the White House late last month that she believed Flynn had misled them about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

She said Flynn might have put himself into a compromising position, possibly leaving himself vulnerable to blackmail, the official said. Yates was later fired for opposing Trump&#39;s temporary entry ban for people from seven mostly Muslim nations.

Flynn had told Pence he had not discussed US&nbsp;sanctions against Russia with Russian officials in the weeks before Trump took office on Jan&nbsp;20, prompting Pence to defend him in subsequent television interviews.

In recent days, Flynn has acknowledged he might have discussed sanctions with the Russians but could not remember with 100 per cent certainty, which officials said had upset Pence, who felt he had been misled.

Officials said Flynn apologised to Pence twice, including in person on Friday.

&quot;The president is evaluating the situation. He is speaking to ... Vice President Pence relative to the conversation the vice president had with General Flynn and also speaking to various other people about what he considers the single most important subject there is, our national security,&quot; White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.

Early Trump supporter

Flynn, a retired US&nbsp;Army lieutenant general, was an early supporter of Trump and shares his interest in shaking up the establishment in Washington. He has frequently raised eyebrows among Washington&#39;s foreign policy establishment for trying to persuade Trump to warm up US&nbsp;relations with Russia.

Top White House officials have been reviewing Flynn&#39;s contacts with the Russians and whether he discussed the possibility of lifting US&nbsp;sanctions on Russia once Trump took office.

That would potentially be in violation of a law banning private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act.

&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not out of the woods,&rdquo; said a US&nbsp;official who is familiar with the transcripts of intercepted communications between Flynn and the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, in late December.

This official said Flynn &quot;did discuss sanctions.&quot;

While Flynn did not make any promises about lifting them, he did indicate that sanctions imposed by President Barack Obama on Russia for its Ukraine incursion &quot;would not necessarily carry over to an administration seeking to improve relations between the US&nbsp;and Russia,&quot; the official said.

An hour before Spicer read his statement, Kellyanne Conway, one of Trump&#39;s closest aides, had told reporters that Flynn had the full confidence of the president.

It was notable, however, that Trump did not use the opportunity of a joint news conference with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday to make a public show of support for Flynn.

Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer told reporters he wanted an independent investigation of Flynn&rsquo;s discussions with the Russians.

&ldquo;His security clearance ought to be withdrawn until that independent investigation is completed. And if he has violated any law or ethical precept, he ought to be fired,&quot; Schumer said.

Flynn was going about his business despite the cloud hanging over him, participating in national security meetings.

He was at Trump&#39;s side at the president&#39;s Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida on Saturday when word reached the presidential entourage that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile at the same time Trump was hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

While Trump left Flynn&#39;s status pending, he appeared to close the door on another source of speculation, as to whether Priebus might be replaced.

Appearing briefly before reporters in the West Wing of the White House, Trump said Priebus was doing a &quot;great job.&quot;

(Reuters)

Trump is evaluating the situation surrounding the national security adviser and talking to vice president Mike Pence about it

The Justice Department warned the White House weeks ago that national security adviser Michael Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Russian officials before President Donald Trump took power, a US official said on Monday. Trump is evaluating the situation surrounding Flynn and talking to vice president Mike Pence about it, Trump's spokesman said, in a pointed refusal to make a public show of support for his embattled aide. The US official confirmed a Washington Post report that Sally Yates, the then-acting US attorney general, told the White House late last month that she believed Flynn had misled them about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States. She said Flynn might have put himself into a compromising position, possibly leaving himself vulnerable to blackmail, the official said. Yates was later fired for opposing Trump's temporary entry ban for people from seven mostly Muslim nations. Flynn had told Pence he had not discussed US sanctions against Russia with Russian officials in the weeks before Trump took office on Jan 20, prompting Pence to defend him in subsequent television interviews. In recent days, Flynn has acknowledged he might have discussed sanctions with the Russians but could not remember with 100 per cent certainty, which officials said had upset Pence, who felt he had been misled. Officials said Flynn apologised to Pence twice, including in person on Friday. "The president is evaluating the situation. He is speaking to ... Vice President Pence relative to the conversation the vice president had with General Flynn and also speaking to various other people about what he considers the single most important subject there is, our national security," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said. Early Trump supporter Flynn, a retired US Army lieutenant general, was an early supporter of Trump and shares his interest in shaking up the establishment in Washington. He has frequently raised eyebrows among Washington's foreign policy establishment for trying to persuade Trump to warm up US relations with Russia. Top White House officials have been reviewing Flynn's contacts with the Russians and whether he discussed the possibility of lifting US sanctions on Russia once Trump took office. That would potentially be in violation of a law banning private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act. “He’s not out of the woods,” said a US official who is familiar with the transcripts of intercepted communications between Flynn and the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, in late December. This official said Flynn "did discuss sanctions." While Flynn did not make any promises about lifting them, he did indicate that sanctions imposed by President Barack Obama on Russia for its Ukraine incursion "would not necessarily carry over to an administration seeking to improve relations between the US and Russia," the official said. An hour before Spicer read his statement, Kellyanne Conway, one of Trump's closest aides, had told reporters that Flynn had the full confidence of the president. It was notable, however, that Trump did not use the opportunity of a joint news conference with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday to make a public show of support for Flynn. Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer told reporters he wanted an independent investigation of Flynn’s discussions with the Russians. “His security clearance ought to be withdrawn until that independent investigation is completed. And if he has violated any law or ethical precept, he ought to be fired," Schumer said. Flynn was going about his business despite the cloud hanging over him, participating in national security meetings. He was at Trump's side at the president's Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida on Saturday when word reached the presidential entourage that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile at the same time Trump was hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. While Trump left Flynn's status pending, he appeared to close the door on another source of speculation, as to whether Priebus might be replaced. Appearing briefly before reporters in the West Wing of the White House, Trump said Priebus was doing a "great job." (Reuters)

Justice dept warned Trump weeks ago Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail

The US&nbsp;Senate voted to confirm former banker and Hollywood financier Steven Mnuchin as Treasury secretary on Monday, installing the Trump administration&#39;s point-man on tax reform, financial deregulation and economic diplomacy efforts.

The Senate voted 53-47 to confirm the Goldman Sachs veteran&#39;s nomination on a mostly party-line vote, with only one Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, voting in favour.

Mnuchin was expected to be sworn into office on Monday night in a brief White House ceremony, putting a Wall Street veteran in charge of the Treasury for the first time in eight years, after the financial crisis pushed top US&nbsp;bankers out of favour.

Lawmakers, lobbyists and business groups have been waiting for Mnuchin to fill in the many blanks on how he will pursue tax reform and handle delicate economic cooperation efforts with China, Mexico and other trading partners worried about President Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; trade strategy.

Mnuchin faces immediate challenges with the March 15 expiration of a US&nbsp;debt ceiling suspension, ushering in the threat of a new default showdown, and a March 17 meeting of finance ministers from the Group of 20 major economies, where he will face tough questions about Trump&#39;s plans to increase trade protections.

&quot;There is a real open question as to whether this administration is going to cut itself off from international monetary cooperation, whether it&#39;s exchange rate policies or attitudes towards multilateral institutions or international regulatory policy,&quot; said Edwin Truman, a former Treasury and Federal Reserve official now with the Peterson Institute for International Economics

Truman said Mnuchin&#39;s hardest job would be managing a sprawling tax reform effort with Congress that seeks to slash business tax rates and enact a new border tax adjustment system aimed at boosting US&nbsp;exports. He noted that was a longer-term project.

Mnuchin, 54, will quickly need to build a core management team to handle such challenges.

Treasury and White House representatives did not respond to requests for comment on Monday on reports that Trump would soon nominate David Malpass, a former economist at failed Wall Street bank Bear Stearns, as Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, the agency&#39;s top economic diplomacy job.

Malpass, a Trump campaign adviser who had been leading Treasury transition efforts, was seen as a leading candidate for the job, with experience from international economic posts in the Ronald Reagan and George HW&nbsp;Bush administrations.

Other names that have been floated for senior posts include Goldman Sachs banker Jim Donovan for deputy Treasury secretary and Justin Muzinich, a former Morgan Stanley banker, for undersecretary of domestic finance.

The Senate on Monday also unanimously confirmed David Shulkin as secretary of veterans affairs, putting the only holdover from the Obama administration in charge of the second largest federal agency. Shulkin had been in charge of the VA&#39;s sprawling health system for the past 18 months.

Mnuchin, a second-generation Goldman Sachs banker who led the firm&#39;s mortgage-bond trading but left the bank in 2002, has come under fire over his investor group&#39;s 2009 acquisition of another failed lender, IndyMac Bank, in a deal in which the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp agreed to absorb most of the losses on IndyMac foreclosures.

The bank&nbsp;rebranded as OneWest, subsequently foreclosed on more than 36,000 homeowners, drawing charges from Democrats and housing advocates that it was a &quot;foreclosure machine&quot;.

Mnuchin grew OneWest into Southern California&#39;s largest lender and sold it for $3.4 billion in 2015. He has also helped finance Hollywood blockbusters such as &quot;Avatar&quot;, &quot;American Sniper&quot; and this past weekend&#39;s box office champion, &quot;The Lego Batman Movie&quot;, which took in $55.6 million.

(Reuters)

The Senate voted 53-47 to confirm his nomination on a mostly party-line vote, with only one Democrat voting in favour

The US Senate voted to confirm former banker and Hollywood financier Steven Mnuchin as Treasury secretary on Monday, installing the Trump administration's point-man on tax reform, financial deregulation and economic diplomacy efforts. The Senate voted 53-47 to confirm the Goldman Sachs veteran's nomination on a mostly party-line vote, with only one Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, voting in favour. Mnuchin was expected to be sworn into office on Monday night in a brief White House ceremony, putting a Wall Street veteran in charge of the Treasury for the first time in eight years, after the financial crisis pushed top US bankers out of favour. Lawmakers, lobbyists and business groups have been waiting for Mnuchin to fill in the many blanks on how he will pursue tax reform and handle delicate economic cooperation efforts with China, Mexico and other trading partners worried about President Donald Trump's "America First" trade strategy. Mnuchin faces immediate challenges with the March 15 expiration of a US debt ceiling suspension, ushering in the threat of a new default showdown, and a March 17 meeting of finance ministers from the Group of 20 major economies, where he will face tough questions about Trump's plans to increase trade protections. "There is a real open question as to whether this administration is going to cut itself off from international monetary cooperation, whether it's exchange rate policies or attitudes towards multilateral institutions or international regulatory policy," said Edwin Truman, a former Treasury and Federal Reserve official now with the Peterson Institute for International Economics Truman said Mnuchin's hardest job would be managing a sprawling tax reform effort with Congress that seeks to slash business tax rates and enact a new border tax adjustment system aimed at boosting US exports. He noted that was a longer-term project. Mnuchin, 54, will quickly need to build a core management team to handle such challenges. Treasury and White House representatives did not respond to requests for comment on Monday on reports that Trump would soon nominate David Malpass, a former economist at failed Wall Street bank Bear Stearns, as Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, the agency's top economic diplomacy job. Malpass, a Trump campaign adviser who had been leading Treasury transition efforts, was seen as a leading candidate for the job, with experience from international economic posts in the Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush administrations. Other names that have been floated for senior posts include Goldman Sachs banker Jim Donovan for deputy Treasury secretary and Justin Muzinich, a former Morgan Stanley banker, for undersecretary of domestic finance. The Senate on Monday also unanimously confirmed David Shulkin as secretary of veterans affairs, putting the only holdover from the Obama administration in charge of the second largest federal agency. Shulkin had been in charge of the VA's sprawling health system for the past 18 months. Mnuchin, a second-generation Goldman Sachs banker who led the firm's mortgage-bond trading but left the bank in 2002, has come under fire over his investor group's 2009 acquisition of another failed lender, IndyMac Bank, in a deal in which the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp agreed to absorb most of the losses on IndyMac foreclosures. The bank rebranded as OneWest, subsequently foreclosed on more than 36,000 homeowners, drawing charges from Democrats and housing advocates that it was a "foreclosure machine". Mnuchin grew OneWest into Southern California's largest lender and sold it for $3.4 billion in 2015. He has also helped finance Hollywood blockbusters such as "Avatar", "American Sniper" and this past weekend's box office champion, "The Lego Batman Movie", which took in $55.6 million. (Reuters)

US Senate narrowly confirms Mnuchin for treasury secretary

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering a new executive order to overcome legal hurdles, a day after an appeals court refused to reinstate his travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries

The US President also revealed he had no immediate plans to fight for his migrant ban at the Supreme Court, AFP reported.

Trump said security concerns may dictate a quicker response and indicated that the action could come as early as next week.

&quot;The unfortunate part is that it takes time statutorily, but we will win that battle. We also have a lot of other options, including just filing a brand new order,&quot; he said, adding that any action would not come before next week. 
 
Earlier on Friday, the US President promised to introduce additional national security steps and expressed confidence his order would ultimately be upheld by the courts, Reuters reported. 
 
&quot;We are going to do whatever&#39;s necessary to keep our country safe,&quot; Trump said during a White House news conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

&quot;We&#39;ll be doing something very rapidly having to do with additional security for our country. You&#39;ll be seeing that sometime next week,&quot; he added, without providing specifics.

The White House is not ruling out the possibility of rewriting Trump&#39;s January 27 order in light of the actions by a federal judge in Seattle and an appeals court in San Francisco that put the directive on hold, an administration official said.

Trump&#39;s order, which he has called a national security measure to head off attacks by Islamist militants, barred people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days, except refugees from Syria, who are banned indefinitely. 
 
The Republican president then did not answer directly when he was asked whether he would sign a new travel ban.

He said his administration would also continue to go through the court process.

&quot;And ultimately I have no doubt that we&#39;ll win that particular case,&quot; he added, referring to Thursday&#39;s ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which upheld the lower court&#39;s suspension of his ban.

The administration could appeal the 9th Circuit ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court as early as Friday.

NBC News reported that White House lawyers were working on a rewrite of Trump&#39;s executive order that could win federal court approval.

&quot;The administration is looking through all the options on how to move forward. But we&#39;d like to win the case in court,&quot; the administration official told Reuters.

Trump, who has repeatedly expressed frustration with the week-old court-mandated suspension, tweeted on Friday that the appeals court decision was &quot;disgraceful.&quot; &quot;SEE YOU IN COURT,&quot; he said in a Twitter post on Thursday after the ruling.

Thursday&#39;s ruling related only to whether to maintain the decision by US&nbsp;District Judge James Robart in Seattle to suspend the order, and did not resolve a lawsuit against the ban brought by the states of Washington and Minnesota. Those states have argued the ban violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

The US President also revealed he had no immediate plans to fight for his migrant ban at the Supreme Court

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering a new executive order to overcome legal hurdles, a day after an appeals court refused to reinstate his travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries The US President also revealed he had no immediate plans to fight for his migrant ban at the Supreme Court, AFP reported. Trump said security concerns may dictate a quicker response and indicated that the action could come as early as next week. "The unfortunate part is that it takes time statutorily, but we will win that battle. We also have a lot of other options, including just filing a brand new order," he said, adding that any action would not come before next week. Earlier on Friday, the US President promised to introduce additional national security steps and expressed confidence his order would ultimately be upheld by the courts, Reuters reported. "We are going to do whatever's necessary to keep our country safe," Trump said during a White House news conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "We'll be doing something very rapidly having to do with additional security for our country. You'll be seeing that sometime next week," he added, without providing specifics. The White House is not ruling out the possibility of rewriting Trump's January 27 order in light of the actions by a federal judge in Seattle and an appeals court in San Francisco that put the directive on hold, an administration official said. Trump's order, which he has called a national security measure to head off attacks by Islamist militants, barred people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days, except refugees from Syria, who are banned indefinitely. The Republican president then did not answer directly when he was asked whether he would sign a new travel ban. He said his administration would also continue to go through the court process. "And ultimately I have no doubt that we'll win that particular case," he added, referring to Thursday's ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which upheld the lower court's suspension of his ban. The administration could appeal the 9th Circuit ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court as early as Friday. NBC News reported that White House lawyers were working on a rewrite of Trump's executive order that could win federal court approval. "The administration is looking through all the options on how to move forward. But we'd like to win the case in court," the administration official told Reuters. Trump, who has repeatedly expressed frustration with the week-old court-mandated suspension, tweeted on Friday that the appeals court decision was "disgraceful." "SEE YOU IN COURT," he said in a Twitter post on Thursday after the ruling. Thursday's ruling related only to whether to maintain the decision by US District Judge James Robart in Seattle to suspend the order, and did not resolve a lawsuit against the ban brought by the states of Washington and Minnesota. Those states have argued the ban violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump says considering new executive order, additional security steps after setback to travel ban

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