Former marine James &#39;Mad Dog&#39; Mattis may become&nbsp;the next Pentagon chief after US President-elect Donald Trump was effusive in his&nbsp;praise for&nbsp;him on Twitter.

Calling him a &quot;true general&#39;s general&quot; on Twitter, Trump said Mattis was &quot;being considered for Secretary of Defense&quot;.

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<h5>A colourful combat commander and voracious reader, Mattis has been quoted as saying, &#39;Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet&#39;</h5>
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Although Trump has yet to announce his entire team,&nbsp;his selection of his cabinet so far&nbsp;has been assailed by Democrats and his critics. His naysayers say&nbsp;people who have been handpicked by Trump to hold key judicial and diplomatic posts under his administration have dubious antecedents.

Trump has also moved to mend fences with moderate Republicans as he goes about building a new administration, interviewing one-time foe Mitt Romney for secretary of state, and inviting his ousted transition chief Chris Christie for a sit-down Sunday at his Trump National Golf Club.

Vice president-elect Mike Pence informed that Trump&#39;s critic Mitt Romney was also under &quot;active consideration&quot; to become the next Secretary of State.

He and Vice President-elect Mike&nbsp;Pence&nbsp;began their day attending a Sunday service at a Presbyterian church in the New Jersey countryside.

Cabinet auditions

The 70-year-old Republican billionaire promised reporters they would &quot;hear some things&quot; after a second marathon day of meetings at his New Jersey golf retreat, a 90-minute drive from Manhattan.

&quot;General James &#39;Mad Dog&#39; Mattis, who is being considered for Secretary of Defense, was very impressive yesterday. A true General&#39;s General!&quot; Trump said on Twitter.

The 66-year-old Mattis, who called Trump &quot;the real deal&quot; after their meeting Saturday, is a retired Marine Corps general who led the US Central Command from 2010-2013, overseeing the US withdrawal from Iraq and a surge in Afghanistan.

A colourful combat commander and voracious reader, he has been quoted as saying, &quot;Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.&quot;

Chris Christie, who threw his support to Trump after his own bid for the Republican presidential nomination fizzled, appeared back in favour after being pushed out as transition chief.

The New Jersey governor has been under a cloud over a scandal involving the closing of a major bridge linking New York and New Jersey, allegedly to punish a Democratic mayor. Two former Christie aides were recently convicted in the case.

Asked on Saturday if &quot;Bridgegate&quot; disqualified the governor from serving in the cabinet, Trump retorted: &quot;We like Chris a lot.&quot;

Others meeting Trump on Sunday include former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani; immigration hardliner Kris Kobach; Wilbur Ross, under consideration for commerce secretary; global investor David McCormick and conservative writer John Gray.

Trump will also meet with Bob Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) who has urged African Americans to vote for their best interests rather than be wedded to any political party.

Exit polls showed some 88 percent of African American voters supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton versus just eight percent for Trump.

Trump&#39;s interview with Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who called him a &quot;fraud&quot; during the campaign, suggested to some observers that he is looking for a mix of views despite the hard-line cast of his national security team so far.

Romney himself said nothing after Saturday&#39;s session. But&nbsp;Pence&nbsp;confirmed that Romney was under consideration for secretary of state, a post also sought by Giuliani and others.

Trump&#39;s picks so far include ultra-conservative Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general, hawkish congressman Mike Pompeo as CIA director and retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn as his national security adviser. His choice of Steve Bannon, seen as an ideologue of the ultra-conservative alt-right movement, as chief strategist has also drawn fire.

(AFP)

Trump announced on Twitter that General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis was being considered for the defence secretary position

Former marine James 'Mad Dog' Mattis may become the next Pentagon chief after US President-elect Donald Trump was effusive in his praise for him on Twitter. Calling him a "true general's general" on Twitter, Trump said Mattis was "being considered for Secretary of Defense". A colourful combat commander and voracious reader, Mattis has been quoted as saying, 'Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet' × Although Trump has yet to announce his entire team, his selection of his cabinet so far has been assailed by Democrats and his critics. His naysayers say people who have been handpicked by Trump to hold key judicial and diplomatic posts under his administration have dubious antecedents. Trump has also moved to mend fences with moderate Republicans as he goes about building a new administration, interviewing one-time foe Mitt Romney for secretary of state, and inviting his ousted transition chief Chris Christie for a sit-down Sunday at his Trump National Golf Club. Vice president-elect Mike Pence informed that Trump's critic Mitt Romney was also under "active consideration" to become the next Secretary of State. He and Vice President-elect Mike Pence began their day attending a Sunday service at a Presbyterian church in the New Jersey countryside. Cabinet auditions The 70-year-old Republican billionaire promised reporters they would "hear some things" after a second marathon day of meetings at his New Jersey golf retreat, a 90-minute drive from Manhattan. "General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis, who is being considered for Secretary of Defense, was very impressive yesterday. A true General's General!" Trump said on Twitter. The 66-year-old Mattis, who called Trump "the real deal" after their meeting Saturday, is a retired Marine Corps general who led the US Central Command from 2010-2013, overseeing the US withdrawal from Iraq and a surge in Afghanistan. A colourful combat commander and voracious reader, he has been quoted as saying, "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet." Chris Christie, who threw his support to Trump after his own bid for the Republican presidential nomination fizzled, appeared back in favour after being pushed out as transition chief. The New Jersey governor has been under a cloud over a scandal involving the closing of a major bridge linking New York and New Jersey, allegedly to punish a Democratic mayor. Two former Christie aides were recently convicted in the case. Asked on Saturday if "Bridgegate" disqualified the governor from serving in the cabinet, Trump retorted: "We like Chris a lot." Others meeting Trump on Sunday include former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani; immigration hardliner Kris Kobach; Wilbur Ross, under consideration for commerce secretary; global investor David McCormick and conservative writer John Gray. Trump will also meet with Bob Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) who has urged African Americans to vote for their best interests rather than be wedded to any political party. Exit polls showed some 88 percent of African American voters supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton versus just eight percent for Trump. Trump's interview with Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who called him a "fraud" during the campaign, suggested to some observers that he is looking for a mix of views despite the hard-line cast of his national security team so far. Romney himself said nothing after Saturday's session. But Pence confirmed that Romney was under consideration for secretary of state, a post also sought by Giuliani and others. Trump's picks so far include ultra-conservative Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general, hawkish congressman Mike Pompeo as CIA director and retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn as his national security adviser. His choice of Steve Bannon, seen as an ideologue of the ultra-conservative alt-right movement, as chief strategist has also drawn fire. (AFP)

Trump may pick 'Mad Dog' for Pentagon chief

Canadian rapper Drake won his first ever American Music Awards on Sunday, Ariana Grande was named the&nbsp;artist of the year, and punk band Green Day took aim at newly-elected US&nbsp;President Donald Trump.

&quot;No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA,&quot; sang Green Day, performing their controversial anti-gun violence single &quot;Bang Bang&quot; on the live show and re-writing some of the lyrics.

It was the most overt reference to the November 8 US&nbsp;presidential elections at the three-hour awards show where the focus was otherwise mostly on music.

Pop singer Selena Gomez, 24, who surprised fans by making her first major public appearance since cutting short her world tour in August to deal with panic attacks and depression, won the best pop/rock female artist award.

In an emotional speech, Gomez thanked her fans for their loyalty and explained why she felt the need to take a break.

&quot;Most of you know a lot of my life whether I like it or not. I had to stop. I had everything, but I was absolutely broken,&quot; said Gomez, who is also known for her on and off again romance with Justin Bieber for the past five years.

The American Music Awards are chosen by fans voting online.

Drake, 30, who got a leading 13 nominations, won best rap/hip-hop artist, song and album for his best-selling &quot;Views&quot;, which earlier this year became the first album to earn one billion streams on Apple Music.

&quot;For our genre, I like to keep things exciting and keep making music... more like this is coming soon,&quot; Drake said, accepting the award.

But pop singer Grande, 23, was chosen artist of the year, beating Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Gomez.

&quot;I can&#39;t believe this. I am shaking with nerves,&quot; she said. &quot;I hope that I can bring joy to you and make you feel unified and happy.&quot;

Former One Direction member Zayn Malik, who quit British boy band One Direction last year to launch a solo career, bested Canadian Shawn Mendes to take the best new artist trophy.

&quot;It&#39;s been a crazy year... I didn&#39;t expect anyone to still vote for me,&quot; said Zayn, who now uses only his first name.

British singer Sting, who last week released his first pop/rock album in a decade, &quot;57th and 9th,&quot; sang a medley of his hits and was presented with an honorary award recognising his contribution to the music industry.

Sting said he owed a debt to American rock and roll, adding &quot;While I may be an Englishman in New York, my musical soul is all American.&quot;

Bieber performed &quot;Never Give Up&quot; via satellite from a concert in Italy and won awards for best pop/rock male artist, album, song and video.

Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, The Weeknd, Niall Horan, James Bay and John Legend were among the dozens of other performers on the Los Angeles stage.

The American Music Awards were created in 1973 as an alternative to the Grammys.

(Reuters)

Pop singer Grande, 23, was chosen artist of the year, beating Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Selena Gomez

Canadian rapper Drake won his first ever American Music Awards on Sunday, Ariana Grande was named the artist of the year, and punk band Green Day took aim at newly-elected US President Donald Trump. "No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA," sang Green Day, performing their controversial anti-gun violence single "Bang Bang" on the live show and re-writing some of the lyrics. It was the most overt reference to the November 8 US presidential elections at the three-hour awards show where the focus was otherwise mostly on music. Pop singer Selena Gomez, 24, who surprised fans by making her first major public appearance since cutting short her world tour in August to deal with panic attacks and depression, won the best pop/rock female artist award. In an emotional speech, Gomez thanked her fans for their loyalty and explained why she felt the need to take a break. "Most of you know a lot of my life whether I like it or not. I had to stop. I had everything, but I was absolutely broken," said Gomez, who is also known for her on and off again romance with Justin Bieber for the past five years. The American Music Awards are chosen by fans voting online. Drake, 30, who got a leading 13 nominations, won best rap/hip-hop artist, song and album for his best-selling "Views", which earlier this year became the first album to earn one billion streams on Apple Music. "For our genre, I like to keep things exciting and keep making music... more like this is coming soon," Drake said, accepting the award. But pop singer Grande, 23, was chosen artist of the year, beating Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Gomez. "I can't believe this. I am shaking with nerves," she said. "I hope that I can bring joy to you and make you feel unified and happy." Former One Direction member Zayn Malik, who quit British boy band One Direction last year to launch a solo career, bested Canadian Shawn Mendes to take the best new artist trophy. "It's been a crazy year... I didn't expect anyone to still vote for me," said Zayn, who now uses only his first name. British singer Sting, who last week released his first pop/rock album in a decade, "57th and 9th," sang a medley of his hits and was presented with an honorary award recognising his contribution to the music industry. Sting said he owed a debt to American rock and roll, adding "While I may be an Englishman in New York, my musical soul is all American." Bieber performed "Never Give Up" via satellite from a concert in Italy and won awards for best pop/rock male artist, album, song and video. Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, The Weeknd, Niall Horan, James Bay and John Legend were among the dozens of other performers on the Los Angeles stage. The American Music Awards were created in 1973 as an alternative to the Grammys. (Reuters)

Ariana Grande wins top American Music award, Green Day takes aim at Trump

John McCain, the Arizona Senator and chairman of the armed services committee, said that regardless of what Donald Trump says, any attempt to bring back waterboarding,&nbsp;a form of torture that&nbsp;simulates drowning, would be challenged in court, the Guardian reports.

&quot;I don&#39;t give a damn what the president of the United States wants to do or anybody else wants to do. We will not waterboard. We will not do it,&quot; McCain told a panel discussion at the Halifax international security forum, the Guardian reports.

McCain, who was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, said extreme interrogation techniques, a euphemism for torture, are&nbsp;illegal under US law and under the Geneva conventions.&nbsp;

During the 2016 US election, Trump said that he would try to change the laws opposing waterboarding.

In a speech in <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/6/29/12058208/trump-waterboarding">Ohio</a>, he told the crowd waterboarding is &quot;peanuts&quot; compared to what terrorist organisations do. When he asked the crowd what they thought about it, they applauded, and he went on to descibe his feelings on waterboarding. &quot;I like it a lot. I don&#39;t think it&#39;s tough enough.

(WION)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

'I don't give a damn what the president of the United States wants to do'

John McCain, the Arizona Senator and chairman of the armed services committee, said that regardless of what Donald Trump says, any attempt to bring back waterboarding, a form of torture that simulates drowning, would be challenged in court, the Guardian reports. "I don't give a damn what the president of the United States wants to do or anybody else wants to do. We will not waterboard. We will not do it," McCain told a panel discussion at the Halifax international security forum, the Guardian reports. McCain, who was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, said extreme interrogation techniques, a euphemism for torture, are illegal under US law and under the Geneva conventions. During the 2016 US election, Trump said that he would try to change the laws opposing waterboarding. In a speech in Ohio, he told the crowd waterboarding is "peanuts" compared to what terrorist organisations do. When he asked the crowd what they thought about it, they applauded, and he went on to descibe his feelings on waterboarding. "I like it a lot. I don't think it's tough enough. (WION)

John McCain says US will never waterboard under Trump

China&#39;s President Xi Jinping said his country&#39;s ties with the United States had&nbsp;reached a &#39;hinge moment&#39;, indirectly hinting at difficult moments Beijing may encounter when&nbsp;Donald Trump assumes the presidency.

Xi said he hoped that the two countries would continue to &quot;manage differences&quot; in the future and urged the incoming Trump administration to &quot;make sure there is a smooth transition in the relationship&quot;.

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<h5>Xi said he hoped the two countries would continue to &#39;manage differences&#39; in the future</h5>
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The Chinese premier made the cautionary statement when he met his US counterpart Barack Obama for the last time on the sidelines of the&nbsp;Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru.

Xi voiced his skepticism about the next administration&nbsp;because Trump repeatedly beat China with a stick during his campaign trail.

In his election speeches, Trump had accused&nbsp;Beijing several times of&nbsp;inventing&nbsp;global warming and rigging the rules of global trade.

Obama also stressed on the need to have a healthy bilateral relations with Beijing because it &quot;benefits our two peoples and benefits the entire globe&quot;.

&quot;We&#39;ve demonstrated what&#39;s possible when our two countries work together,&quot; he said, referring to their agreement to tackle global warming.&nbsp;

Xi and Obama have met a total of nine times.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

He was indirectly hinting at difficult moments Beijing might encounter after Donald Trump assumes the presidency.

China's President Xi Jinping said his country's ties with the United States had reached a 'hinge moment', indirectly hinting at difficult moments Beijing may encounter when Donald Trump assumes the presidency. Xi said he hoped that the two countries would continue to "manage differences" in the future and urged the incoming Trump administration to "make sure there is a smooth transition in the relationship". Xi said he hoped the two countries would continue to 'manage differences' in the future × The Chinese premier made the cautionary statement when he met his US counterpart Barack Obama for the last time on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru. Xi voiced his skepticism about the next administration because Trump repeatedly beat China with a stick during his campaign trail. In his election speeches, Trump had accused Beijing several times of inventing global warming and rigging the rules of global trade. Obama also stressed on the need to have a healthy bilateral relations with Beijing because it "benefits our two peoples and benefits the entire globe". "We've demonstrated what's possible when our two countries work together," he said, referring to their agreement to tackle global warming. Xi and Obama have met a total of nine times. (WION with inputs from AFP)

China-US relations have reached 'hinge moment', says Xi

Top Democratic lawmakers and rights bodies have slammed President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s reported plan to reinstate a database of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.

National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) is a post-9/11 program which required travellers to the US from specified Muslim-majority countries to immediately register with the federal government or face deportation.

&quot;Reinstating failed programs that target Arabs and Muslims in our country is exactly what ISIS was cheering on election night when America, a beacon of freedom in the world, gives in to fear and begins chipping away at civil rights, our enemies are emboldened and their ranks swell with new recruits,&quot; Senator Dick Durbin said.

&quot;Back in 2002, I called for this program to be terminated because there were serious doubts it would help combat terrorism. Terrorism experts have since concluded that this program wasted precious homeland security funds and alienated Arab- and Muslim-Americans.&nbsp;

Failed programs like this are the exact wrong approach to combating terrorism, and I will fight to ensure it never returns,&quot; Durbin said.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Raul M Grijalva and Keith Ellison, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chairwoman Judy Chu, CPC Vice Chair Congressman Mike Honda, and CPC Vice Chair Mark Takano slammed Trump surrogate, Carl Higbie, for suggesting that Japanese- American internment camps could serve as a precedent for the creation of a Muslim registry.

&quot;These remarks are beyond disturbing. This is fear, not courage. This is hate, not policy,&quot; Honda said.

&quot;Since Trump was elected president, thousands of Americans have voiced fears over what our country might look like in the coming years. Last night, one of his surrogates showed us why so many people are afraid of a Trump administration.

&quot;The fact that our incoming President has considered internment as a model for how to move forward with the Muslim community is absolutely shocking. We cannot allow it to be normalised or enacted,&quot; Ellison said.

Grijalva said it took the US decades to own up to the stain of Japanese internment, providing compensation to more than 100,000 people who suffered through it and formally apologising through the Civil Liberties Act in 1988. To say this heinous treatment should be precedent for any policy is horrific, and Trump should denounce it immediately.

&quot;Any proposal to force American-Muslims to register with the federal government, and to use Japanese imprisonment during World War II as precedent, is abhorrent and has no place in our society. These ideas are based on tactics of fear, division, and hate that we must condemn,&quot; Chu said.

&quot;I am horrified that people connected to the incoming Administration are using my family&#39;s experience as a precedent for what President-elect Trump could do,&quot; said Takano.&nbsp;

Congresswoman Luis V Gutierrez, a Member of the Judiciary Committee and is Co-Chair of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said the roundup of men from mostly Asian, Middle Eastern and African countries was one of the darkest chapters of the George W Bush years.

It was a strategy to scare immigrants and yielded zero concrete terrorism leads that led to conviction. Racial, ethnic, religious and gender profiling is exactly the wrong approach to law enforcement and counter-terrorism, he said.

&quot;The internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II was a historic injustice and nothing like it should ever happen again. The protection of our Constitution is not conditional; it applies to all of us.

&quot;We cannot allow hate speech, racism, and anti-immigrant sentiment to become the new norm in our country, and we must continue to speak out against hate and prejudice. An inclusive and vibrant America is worth fighting for,&quot; Senator Mazie Hironohe said.

Meanwhile, the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) has also denounced the suggestions of a registry for non-citizen Muslims in the US.

&quot;While once just a campaign promise, this xenophobic and un-American idea has been thrust back into our national consciousness by Carl Higbie, former spokesperson for a Super PAC supporting the President-Elect,&quot; SABA said in a statement.

Higbie&#39;s suggestion that internment camps that imprisoned countless Japanese-Americans during World War II is a &quot;precedent&quot; for a possible Muslim registry, presupposes the lawfulness of a program that&#39;s only lasting impact is that of shame, regret and embarrassment, it said.

SABA said this proposed registry is rooted in NSEERS that required certain &quot;foreign citizens and nationals&quot; to continuously check-in with US Authorities.

After repeated criticism and documented ineffectiveness, NSEERS was abandoned in 2011, leaving a legacy of deporting individuals who had committed no crimes and had no links to terrorism, it said.

SABA called on Americans of all backgrounds to reject the notion that registration and potential mass incarceration of residents of this country solely based upon nationality, race or religion, without justification, cause or purpose is acceptable.

&quot;Discrimination towards any community cannot be condoned and we hope the President-Elect and the pending administration uniformly reject such proposals. The perpetuation of hate solely serves to continue the divisiveness that tears at the core of our values of equal protection and freedom for all individuals,&quot; it added.&nbsp;

(PTI)

Trump is reportedly planning on reinstating a programme that requires travellers from some Muslim countries to register themselves

Top Democratic lawmakers and rights bodies have slammed President-elect Donald Trump's reported plan to reinstate a database of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries. National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) is a post-9/11 program which required travellers to the US from specified Muslim-majority countries to immediately register with the federal government or face deportation. "Reinstating failed programs that target Arabs and Muslims in our country is exactly what ISIS was cheering on election night when America, a beacon of freedom in the world, gives in to fear and begins chipping away at civil rights, our enemies are emboldened and their ranks swell with new recruits," Senator Dick Durbin said. "Back in 2002, I called for this program to be terminated because there were serious doubts it would help combat terrorism. Terrorism experts have since concluded that this program wasted precious homeland security funds and alienated Arab- and Muslim-Americans. Failed programs like this are the exact wrong approach to combating terrorism, and I will fight to ensure it never returns," Durbin said. The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Raul M Grijalva and Keith Ellison, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chairwoman Judy Chu, CPC Vice Chair Congressman Mike Honda, and CPC Vice Chair Mark Takano slammed Trump surrogate, Carl Higbie, for suggesting that Japanese- American internment camps could serve as a precedent for the creation of a Muslim registry. "These remarks are beyond disturbing. This is fear, not courage. This is hate, not policy," Honda said. "Since Trump was elected president, thousands of Americans have voiced fears over what our country might look like in the coming years. Last night, one of his surrogates showed us why so many people are afraid of a Trump administration. "The fact that our incoming President has considered internment as a model for how to move forward with the Muslim community is absolutely shocking. We cannot allow it to be normalised or enacted," Ellison said. Grijalva said it took the US decades to own up to the stain of Japanese internment, providing compensation to more than 100,000 people who suffered through it and formally apologising through the Civil Liberties Act in 1988. To say this heinous treatment should be precedent for any policy is horrific, and Trump should denounce it immediately. "Any proposal to force American-Muslims to register with the federal government, and to use Japanese imprisonment during World War II as precedent, is abhorrent and has no place in our society. These ideas are based on tactics of fear, division, and hate that we must condemn," Chu said. "I am horrified that people connected to the incoming Administration are using my family's experience as a precedent for what President-elect Trump could do," said Takano. Congresswoman Luis V Gutierrez, a Member of the Judiciary Committee and is Co-Chair of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said the roundup of men from mostly Asian, Middle Eastern and African countries was one of the darkest chapters of the George W Bush years. It was a strategy to scare immigrants and yielded zero concrete terrorism leads that led to conviction. Racial, ethnic, religious and gender profiling is exactly the wrong approach to law enforcement and counter-terrorism, he said. "The internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II was a historic injustice and nothing like it should ever happen again. The protection of our Constitution is not conditional; it applies to all of us. "We cannot allow hate speech, racism, and anti-immigrant sentiment to become the new norm in our country, and we must continue to speak out against hate and prejudice. An inclusive and vibrant America is worth fighting for," Senator Mazie Hironohe said. Meanwhile, the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) has also denounced the suggestions of a registry for non-citizen Muslims in the US. "While once just a campaign promise, this xenophobic and un-American idea has been thrust back into our national consciousness by Carl Higbie, former spokesperson for a Super PAC supporting the President-Elect," SABA said in a statement. Higbie's suggestion that internment camps that imprisoned countless Japanese-Americans during World War II is a "precedent" for a possible Muslim registry, presupposes the lawfulness of a program that's only lasting impact is that of shame, regret and embarrassment, it said. SABA said this proposed registry is rooted in NSEERS that required certain "foreign citizens and nationals" to continuously check-in with US Authorities. After repeated criticism and documented ineffectiveness, NSEERS was abandoned in 2011, leaving a legacy of deporting individuals who had committed no crimes and had no links to terrorism, it said. SABA called on Americans of all backgrounds to reject the notion that registration and potential mass incarceration of residents of this country solely based upon nationality, race or religion, without justification, cause or purpose is acceptable. "Discrimination towards any community cannot be condoned and we hope the President-Elect and the pending administration uniformly reject such proposals. The perpetuation of hate solely serves to continue the divisiveness that tears at the core of our values of equal protection and freedom for all individuals," it added. (PTI)

US Democrats, rights bodies slam Trump Muslim registry plan

Representative Mike Pompeo, President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s surprise choice to head the CIA, supports the US&nbsp;government&#39;s sweeping collection of Americans&#39; communications data and wants to scrap the nuclear deal with Iran.

The retired Army officer, West Point and Harvard Law School graduate also has defended the CIA&#39;s use of interrogation techniques that are widely condemned as torture.

The Kansas Republican has criticised Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server as secretary of state and her handling of the 2012 attacks on US&nbsp;posts in Benghazi, Libya.

A member of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, Pompeo, 52, was first elected in the 2010 Tea Party wave from the congressional district centered on his hometown of Wichita. Members of both parties regard him as intelligent, collegial and capable, with a keen grasp of national security issues.

&quot;Mike is very bright and hard-working, and will devote himself to helping the agency develop the best possible intelligence for policy makers,&quot; said Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee. &quot;While we have had our share of strong differences - principally on the politicisation of the tragedy in Benghazi - I know that he is someone who is willing to listen and engage.&quot;

Pompeo &quot;is a serious guy who studies issues carefully,&quot; said former National Security Agency and CIA director Michael Hayden.

Some civil liberties and human rights advocates, however, expressed concern over Pompeo&#39;s selection because he opposes closing the Guantanamo Bay detention centre.

They also criticised his support for the National Security Agency&#39;s now-defunct bulk communications metadata collection and other surveillance programs.

&quot;These positions and others merit serious public scrutiny through a confirmation process,&quot; said Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union.

In a January op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, he co-authored, Pompeo called for a &quot;fundamental upgrade to America&#39;s surveillance capabilities,&quot; including resuming bulk collection of domestic phone metadata, the numbers and time stamps of calls, but not their content.

The program, which a federal appeals court and two governmental review panels found to be illegal and ineffective, should be expanded to include &quot;publicly available financial and lifestyle information into a comprehensive, searchable database&quot;, and that &quot;legal and bureaucratic impediments to surveillance should be removed,&quot; he wrote.

He also called for the death penalty for Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor who disclosed the existence of the metadata program and other top-secret surveillance programs.

Pompeo stands a good chance of being confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. The announcement of his nomination was warmly greeted by Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which will conduct his confirmation hearing.

Pompeo has been at the forefront of attacks in Congress on Clinton, accusing her of &quot;criminality&quot; for storing emails containing classified information on her private server.

He served on the Republican-led House committee that investigated the attacks by Islamist extremists on US&nbsp;diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi that killed four Americans.

While the panel found no wrongdoing by the administration, Pompeo and another member appended to the final report a commentary accusing Clinton and other officials of failing to protect the posts and to respond appropriately to the attacks.

Democrats accused Pompeo of using inaccurate information to exaggerate alleged failures by Clinton on Benghazi.Some of Pompeo&#39;s positions also are at odds with the assessments of the intelligence officers and analysts Trump wants him to command.

While he has argued that the CIA&#39;s use of harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, which simulates drowning, produced useful intelligence, current CIA Director John Brennan has said he would resign if he were ordered to resume the practice.

Other CIA and military officers and FBI agents have said so-called &quot;enhanced interrogation techniques&quot; do not produce reliable information because prisoners will &quot;say anything&quot; to end their suffering, as one CIA official put it.

Pompeo also is at odds with the intelligence community&#39;s assessment of the 2015 deal that lifted financial sanctions from Iran in return for limits on its nuclear program.

He has vowed to overturn the deal&nbsp;and suggested in a 2014 roundtable with journalists that the United States should bomb Iran&#39;s nuclear facilities, a proposal that US&nbsp;intelligence experts said would only delay Tehran&#39;s development of a warhead, not halt it.

Pompeo also has opposed the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change, while at the CIA, a recently created Mission Center for Global Issues tracks global warming as a threat to U.S. security.

He has taken positions that are at odds with Trump&#39;s, notably on Russia&#39;s actions in Ukraine and its military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who also is supported by Iran.

Russia has established a toehold in the Middle East, and &quot;we now have the Iranian-Russian axis there largely running free,&quot; Pompeo told a security forum in 2015.

Pompeo, who was born in California, graduated first in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was an artillery officer in the army for five years. He received a degree from the Harvard Law School and was an editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review.

(Reuters)

Representative Mike Pompeo has also defended the CIA's use of interrogation techniques that are widely condemned as torture

Representative Mike Pompeo, President-elect Donald Trump's surprise choice to head the CIA, supports the US government's sweeping collection of Americans' communications data and wants to scrap the nuclear deal with Iran. The retired Army officer, West Point and Harvard Law School graduate also has defended the CIA's use of interrogation techniques that are widely condemned as torture. The Kansas Republican has criticised Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state and her handling of the 2012 attacks on US posts in Benghazi, Libya. A member of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, Pompeo, 52, was first elected in the 2010 Tea Party wave from the congressional district centered on his hometown of Wichita. Members of both parties regard him as intelligent, collegial and capable, with a keen grasp of national security issues. "Mike is very bright and hard-working, and will devote himself to helping the agency develop the best possible intelligence for policy makers," said Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee. "While we have had our share of strong differences - principally on the politicisation of the tragedy in Benghazi - I know that he is someone who is willing to listen and engage." Pompeo "is a serious guy who studies issues carefully," said former National Security Agency and CIA director Michael Hayden. Some civil liberties and human rights advocates, however, expressed concern over Pompeo's selection because he opposes closing the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. They also criticised his support for the National Security Agency's now-defunct bulk communications metadata collection and other surveillance programs. "These positions and others merit serious public scrutiny through a confirmation process," said Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. In a January op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, he co-authored, Pompeo called for a "fundamental upgrade to America's surveillance capabilities," including resuming bulk collection of domestic phone metadata, the numbers and time stamps of calls, but not their content. The program, which a federal appeals court and two governmental review panels found to be illegal and ineffective, should be expanded to include "publicly available financial and lifestyle information into a comprehensive, searchable database", and that "legal and bureaucratic impediments to surveillance should be removed," he wrote. He also called for the death penalty for Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor who disclosed the existence of the metadata program and other top-secret surveillance programs. Pompeo stands a good chance of being confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. The announcement of his nomination was warmly greeted by Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which will conduct his confirmation hearing. Pompeo has been at the forefront of attacks in Congress on Clinton, accusing her of "criminality" for storing emails containing classified information on her private server. He served on the Republican-led House committee that investigated the attacks by Islamist extremists on US diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi that killed four Americans. While the panel found no wrongdoing by the administration, Pompeo and another member appended to the final report a commentary accusing Clinton and other officials of failing to protect the posts and to respond appropriately to the attacks. Democrats accused Pompeo of using inaccurate information to exaggerate alleged failures by Clinton on Benghazi.Some of Pompeo's positions also are at odds with the assessments of the intelligence officers and analysts Trump wants him to command. While he has argued that the CIA's use of harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, which simulates drowning, produced useful intelligence, current CIA Director John Brennan has said he would resign if he were ordered to resume the practice. Other CIA and military officers and FBI agents have said so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" do not produce reliable information because prisoners will "say anything" to end their suffering, as one CIA official put it. Pompeo also is at odds with the intelligence community's assessment of the 2015 deal that lifted financial sanctions from Iran in return for limits on its nuclear program. He has vowed to overturn the deal and suggested in a 2014 roundtable with journalists that the United States should bomb Iran's nuclear facilities, a proposal that US intelligence experts said would only delay Tehran's development of a warhead, not halt it. Pompeo also has opposed the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change, while at the CIA, a recently created Mission Center for Global Issues tracks global warming as a threat to U.S. security. He has taken positions that are at odds with Trump's, notably on Russia's actions in Ukraine and its military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who also is supported by Iran. Russia has established a toehold in the Middle East, and "we now have the Iranian-Russian axis there largely running free," Pompeo told a security forum in 2015. Pompeo, who was born in California, graduated first in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was an artillery officer in the army for five years. He received a degree from the Harvard Law School and was an editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. (Reuters)

Trump's CIA pick supports domestic surveillance, opposes Iran deal

President-elect Donald Trump has picked three hardliners to be in-charge of some of the topmost national security and judicial posts of the country.

Senator Jeff Sessions has been nominated to be the attorney general; Mike Pompeo will head the CIA; and, Michael Flynn will be Trump&#39;s national security advisor.

The selection was predictably lauded by the Republicans and assailed by the Democrats for being too hawkish.

&ldquo;The president-elect is a man of action, and we&rsquo;ve got a great number of men and women with great qualifications who look forward to serving in this administration,&rdquo; Vice President-elect Mike Pence told reporters in New York, Washington Post reported.

&quot;I enthusiastically embrace President-elect Trump&#39;s vision for &#39;one America&#39;,&nbsp;and his commitment to equal justice under law,&quot; said Sessions, a 20-year veteran of Congress.

Trump described Sessions&nbsp;as having a &quot;world-class legal mind&quot;.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Jeff is greatly admired by legal scholars and virtually everyone who knows him,&rdquo; Trump said.

Anti-immigration Senator Sessions&#39; nomination underscores and calcifies Trump&#39;s hard stance against illegal immigrants on the country.

Sessions has in the past made comments that can be construed as racist.

Back in 1986, Sessions said that a prominent white lawyer was a &quot;disgrace to his race&quot; for defending African-Americans.

He also reportedly joked about the Ku Klux Klan, saying he had thought its members were &quot;OK, until I found out they smoked pot.&quot;

Sessions has also been a fiery opponent to immigration, waging war on efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform through Congress in 2007 and 2013.

Congressman Mike Pompeo said he was honoured to have got the post.

Pompeo has been&nbsp;a critic of the Iran nuclear deal, which has been viewed by political analysts on the left to be one of outgoing President Barack Obama&#39;s top achievement during his second tenure. &nbsp;

Deeper controversy surrounds Trump&#39;s national security adviser Flynn, 57, who is set to play an influential role in shaping policy for a president with no experience in government or diplomacy, including how to contend with an increasingly aggressive Russia. Flynn raised eyebrows when he traveled to Moscow and dined alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin.

And he has refused to rule out enhanced interrogation techniques like waterboarding, which have been described as torture and which Trump repeatedly condoned while campaigning.

Flynn&#39;s hardline stance on Islamic extremism has rankled many. In February, he tweeted that &quot;fear of Muslims is rational&quot;.

He is highly respected as a decorated military intelligence officer who helped combat insurgent networks. But President Barack Obama fired him as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014 following complaints about his leadership style.

Flynn&#39;s appointment does not need approval from the Senate.

But that of Sessions as attorney general does.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

Jeff Sessions has been nominated as the attorney general, Pompeo will head the CIA and Flynn will be the next national security advisor

President-elect Donald Trump has picked three hardliners to be in-charge of some of the topmost national security and judicial posts of the country. Senator Jeff Sessions has been nominated to be the attorney general; Mike Pompeo will head the CIA; and, Michael Flynn will be Trump's national security advisor. The selection was predictably lauded by the Republicans and assailed by the Democrats for being too hawkish. “The president-elect is a man of action, and we’ve got a great number of men and women with great qualifications who look forward to serving in this administration,” Vice President-elect Mike Pence told reporters in New York, Washington Post reported. "I enthusiastically embrace President-elect Trump's vision for 'one America', and his commitment to equal justice under law," said Sessions, a 20-year veteran of Congress. Trump described Sessions as having a "world-class legal mind". “Jeff is greatly admired by legal scholars and virtually everyone who knows him,” Trump said. Anti-immigration Senator Sessions' nomination underscores and calcifies Trump's hard stance against illegal immigrants on the country. Sessions has in the past made comments that can be construed as racist. Back in 1986, Sessions said that a prominent white lawyer was a "disgrace to his race" for defending African-Americans. He also reportedly joked about the Ku Klux Klan, saying he had thought its members were "OK, until I found out they smoked pot." Sessions has also been a fiery opponent to immigration, waging war on efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform through Congress in 2007 and 2013. Congressman Mike Pompeo said he was honoured to have got the post. Pompeo has been a critic of the Iran nuclear deal, which has been viewed by political analysts on the left to be one of outgoing President Barack Obama's top achievement during his second tenure. Deeper controversy surrounds Trump's national security adviser Flynn, 57, who is set to play an influential role in shaping policy for a president with no experience in government or diplomacy, including how to contend with an increasingly aggressive Russia. Flynn raised eyebrows when he traveled to Moscow and dined alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. And he has refused to rule out enhanced interrogation techniques like waterboarding, which have been described as torture and which Trump repeatedly condoned while campaigning. Flynn's hardline stance on Islamic extremism has rankled many. In February, he tweeted that "fear of Muslims is rational". He is highly respected as a decorated military intelligence officer who helped combat insurgent networks. But President Barack Obama fired him as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014 following complaints about his leadership style. Flynn's appointment does not need approval from the Senate. But that of Sessions as attorney general does. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump picks hardliners for key national security and judicial posts

Never in the US history, and perhaps in the modern history of any developed nation, a candidate was elected to the top political office in a circumstance like the one in which Donald Trump got elected. It was utterly negative, acrimonious and ugly.&nbsp;

Hillary Clinton received about 200,000 more popular votes than Trump.&nbsp; Yet, Trump is the winner due to the weird and archaic electoral college system. Trump also got less popular votes than either John McCain or Mitt Romney but he still won because a big number of voters, particularly democratic supporters, didn&#39;t turn up because of their distaste for the candidates.&nbsp;

There was something more than just race and gender in this American election. White women voted 53 per cent for Trump and 43 per cent for Hillary. Also, 8 per cent of Blacks and&nbsp; 29 per cent of Latinos voted for Trump. In both these cases the percentages of vote are marginally more than what Mitt Romney - the gentleman republican - won in 2012. The democratic blue wall in the north east and mid west crumbled. Unbelievably Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan went to Trump. The House of Representative and Senate also went to the republican way.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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<h5>Globalisation has brought benefits for wealthy investors almost across the world and for the middle class of the developing world. But not much to the working class of the developed world</h5>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Globalisation has brought benefits for wealthy investors almost across the world and for the middle class of the developing world. But not much to the working class of the developed world" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
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&nbsp;

A closer look in the political trends of the western world in the post-2008 global economic crisis reveals certain interest patterns. And then within these patterns there are country specific variations. Joseph Stieglitz once showed that globalisation has brought benefits for wealthy investors almost across the world and for the middle class of the developing world. But not much to the working class of the developed world; rather they actually lost out significantly in manufacturing and some service sector jobs. The vast middle class became increasingly angry and impatient. Moreover, politicians,&nbsp; especially from the center left failed to address their concerns as they have done in the past. This explains the strategic part of the unpopularity of socialist French president Francois Hollande, electoral failures of UK&rsquo;s left leaning Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn and now the failure of Hillary Clinton.&nbsp;

Hillary&rsquo;s case though was a bit more complex than this. She wanted to ride a &lsquo;first ever female&nbsp; president&#39; juggernaut , which wasn&rsquo;t quite there in reality. It perhaps existed only in the perception of the liberals. The folks in the US who supported Hillary ahead of Bernie just because of her gender should have learned their lesson from the failure of French politician Segoline Royale who lost the presidential election to Nicolas Sarkozy about a decade back.

Too much discussion on mobilising African-American and Latinos openly by pro-Hillary liberal media seem to have created a majority white backlash particularly among the less educated blue collar ones. Moreover, not much mobilisation took place among the black voters who are generally disinterested in electoral politics. Florida is a case in point. Barack Obama&rsquo;s candidacy in last two elections had an extraordinary emotional value to the black community and they went out in drove to vote for him. Hillary, on the other hand, was like any other democratic candidate who generally enjoyed black support but didn&rsquo;t energise them enough to come out en masse for her.&nbsp;

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<h5>Hillary, on the other hand, was like any other democratic candidate who generally enjoyed black support but didn&rsquo;t energise them enough to come out en masse for her.&nbsp;</h5>
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Also, there was this sense of dislike of Hillary among the electorate like Trump. And instead of choosing between two bad candidates a huge percentage of voters decided to stay home on the election day. The African American and Latino/ Hispanic were no exception. Overall voter&rsquo;s turnout percentage was way lesser this time than the recent past elections.&nbsp;

Tactically, the decision of Hillary Clinton&rsquo;s campaign to stick to the Obama coalition formula&nbsp; i.e. targeting liberals, minorities and women was wrong. Former president Bill Clinton rightly advised the campaign to divert enough effort to address the concerns of the angry working class white voters of the key battle ground and some blue wall states . But the campaign didn&rsquo;t pay heed to his thoughtful advice and went on to capitalise on Trump&rsquo;s flaws. They failed to assess the gravity of the reverse current fueled by economic discontents. Hillary was perceived as the establishment&#39;s favoured status quo candidate who won&rsquo;t change anything for the working class.&nbsp;

Trump&rsquo;s smear campaign and WikiLeak&rsquo;s&nbsp; revelations about her ties with the corporate world deepened the suspicion of the middle-class people who yearned for rapid economic changes despite gradual recovery under popular and outgoing Obama. Hillary&rsquo;s campaign failed to counter the perception of her as a shrewd status quo career politician of three decade marred with alleged corruptions, irregularities and controversies.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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<h5>Bernie connected with the economically aggrieved blue collar Americans in a constructive way, Trump in a negative fear mongering way. Hillary failed to connect to them in any trustworthy way.</h5>
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&nbsp;

Trump actually had worse controversies and disqualifications and there is hardly any guarantee that he would actually be able to do anything for the American working class in this inescapable economic reality of the globalised word. But his raw communication and newcomer to politics impression have resonated well with the crucial working class Americans of the swing states who saw their jobs flew to Asia and Latin America and economic well being vanished. Trump&rsquo;s anti-immigration card also fitted well in America First campaign scheme. Bernie connected with the economically aggrieved blue collar Americans in a constructive way, Trump in a negative fear mongering way. Hillary failed to connect to them in any trustworthy way.

The world has coped with Saudi Wahhabi kings, Zionist of Israel, Ayatollahs of Iran , brutal communist tyrants , genocidal African leaders, Islamist military dictators of Pakistan and Hindutva administration of India and so on. We will probably fund a way to cohabit with Trump&rsquo;s America. Adaptability is a great survival trait after all. Moreover American system still have enough checks to limit the vicious instinct of Trump. It would be be interesting to watch whether he actually comes of age after this divisive election win, becomes more responsible and do something constructive to the USA and the rest of the world.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Hillary was perceived as the establishment's favoured status quo candidate who won?t change anything for the working class

Never in the US history, and perhaps in the modern history of any developed nation, a candidate was elected to the top political office in a circumstance like the one in which Donald Trump got elected. It was utterly negative, acrimonious and ugly. Hillary Clinton received about 200,000 more popular votes than Trump. Yet, Trump is the winner due to the weird and archaic electoral college system. Trump also got less popular votes than either John McCain or Mitt Romney but he still won because a big number of voters, particularly democratic supporters, didn't turn up because of their distaste for the candidates. There was something more than just race and gender in this American election. White women voted 53 per cent for Trump and 43 per cent for Hillary. Also, 8 per cent of Blacks and 29 per cent of Latinos voted for Trump. In both these cases the percentages of vote are marginally more than what Mitt Romney - the gentleman republican - won in 2012. The democratic blue wall in the north east and mid west crumbled. Unbelievably Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan went to Trump. The House of Representative and Senate also went to the republican way. Globalisation has brought benefits for wealthy investors almost across the world and for the middle class of the developing world. But not much to the working class of the developed world × A closer look in the political trends of the western world in the post-2008 global economic crisis reveals certain interest patterns. And then within these patterns there are country specific variations. Joseph Stieglitz once showed that globalisation has brought benefits for wealthy investors almost across the world and for the middle class of the developing world. But not much to the working class of the developed world; rather they actually lost out significantly in manufacturing and some service sector jobs. The vast middle class became increasingly angry and impatient. Moreover, politicians, especially from the center left failed to address their concerns as they have done in the past. This explains the strategic part of the unpopularity of socialist French president Francois Hollande, electoral failures of UK’s left leaning Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn and now the failure of Hillary Clinton. Hillary’s case though was a bit more complex than this. She wanted to ride a ‘first ever female president' juggernaut , which wasn’t quite there in reality. It perhaps existed only in the perception of the liberals. The folks in the US who supported Hillary ahead of Bernie just because of her gender should have learned their lesson from the failure of French politician Segoline Royale who lost the presidential election to Nicolas Sarkozy about a decade back. Too much discussion on mobilising African-American and Latinos openly by pro-Hillary liberal media seem to have created a majority white backlash particularly among the less educated blue collar ones. Moreover, not much mobilisation took place among the black voters who are generally disinterested in electoral politics. Florida is a case in point. Barack Obama’s candidacy in last two elections had an extraordinary emotional value to the black community and they went out in drove to vote for him. Hillary, on the other hand, was like any other democratic candidate who generally enjoyed black support but didn’t energise them enough to come out en masse for her. Hillary, on the other hand, was like any other democratic candidate who generally enjoyed black support but didn’t energise them enough to come out en masse for her. × Also, there was this sense of dislike of Hillary among the electorate like Trump. And instead of choosing between two bad candidates a huge percentage of voters decided to stay home on the election day. The African American and Latino/ Hispanic were no exception. Overall voter’s turnout percentage was way lesser this time than the recent past elections. Tactically, the decision of Hillary Clinton’s campaign to stick to the Obama coalition formula i.e. targeting liberals, minorities and women was wrong. Former president Bill Clinton rightly advised the campaign to divert enough effort to address the concerns of the angry working class white voters of the key battle ground and some blue wall states . But the campaign didn’t pay heed to his thoughtful advice and went on to capitalise on Trump’s flaws. They failed to assess the gravity of the reverse current fueled by economic discontents. Hillary was perceived as the establishment's favoured status quo candidate who won’t change anything for the working class. Trump’s smear campaign and WikiLeak’s revelations about her ties with the corporate world deepened the suspicion of the middle-class people who yearned for rapid economic changes despite gradual recovery under popular and outgoing Obama. Hillary’s campaign failed to counter the perception of her as a shrewd status quo career politician of three decade marred with alleged corruptions, irregularities and controversies. Bernie connected with the economically aggrieved blue collar Americans in a constructive way, Trump in a negative fear mongering way. Hillary failed to connect to them in any trustworthy way. × Trump actually had worse controversies and disqualifications and there is hardly any guarantee that he would actually be able to do anything for the American working class in this inescapable economic reality of the globalised word. But his raw communication and newcomer to politics impression have resonated well with the crucial working class Americans of the swing states who saw their jobs flew to Asia and Latin America and economic well being vanished. Trump’s anti-immigration card also fitted well in America First campaign scheme. Bernie connected with the economically aggrieved blue collar Americans in a constructive way, Trump in a negative fear mongering way. Hillary failed to connect to them in any trustworthy way. The world has coped with Saudi Wahhabi kings, Zionist of Israel, Ayatollahs of Iran , brutal communist tyrants , genocidal African leaders, Islamist military dictators of Pakistan and Hindutva administration of India and so on. We will probably fund a way to cohabit with Trump’s America. Adaptability is a great survival trait after all. Moreover American system still have enough checks to limit the vicious instinct of Trump. It would be be interesting to watch whether he actually comes of age after this divisive election win, becomes more responsible and do something constructive to the USA and the rest of the world.

Trump's Ascendancy: How did it happen?

From the fight against climate change to dwindling budgets for research, the US scientific community fears the worst under Donald Trump, seen by many as the most hostile to science of any American president in history.

Trump will be &quot;the first anti-science president we have ever had,&quot; warned Michael Lubell, director of public affairs for the American Physical Society in Washington, in the British journal Nature. &quot;The consequences are going to be very, very severe.&quot;

Meanwhile, the vice president-elect, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, is an ultraconservative and a creationist who has rejected Charles Darwin&#39;s theory of evolution, the foundation of modern biology.

&quot;There&#39;s a fear that the scientific infrastructure in the US is going to be on its knees,&quot; said Robin Bell, a geophysicist at Columbia University and incoming president-elect of the American Geophysical Union. &quot;Everything from funding to being able to attract the global leaders we need to do basic science research.&quot;

A key worry is how the New York billionaire declared climate change to be &quot;hoax&quot; orchestrated by the Chinese, and vowed to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.&nbsp;

&quot;If Trump makes good on his campaign promises and pulls out of the Paris Treaty, it is difficult to see a path forward to keeping warming below dangerous levels,&quot; said Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) at Pennsylvania State University.

&nbsp;

Lost decade

The United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China. For John Abraham, professor of engineering at University of St&nbsp;Thomas in Minnesota, the election of Trump &quot;has cost us at least a decade&quot; in the fight against global warming.

&quot;I study ocean warming and energy balances of the Earth,&quot; he told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;The data is staring us right in the face. We could not afford this election result.&quot;

&quot;The only way we can avoid serious climate change is to rapidly implement Obama&#39;s work,&quot; he added.

Early in October, nearly 400 scientists, including 30 Nobel laureates, wrote an open letter, criticising Trump&#39;s proposed plans to abandon global climate deals.

&quot;A &#39;Parexit&#39; would send a clear signal to the rest of the world: &#39;The United States does not care about the global problems of human-caused climate change,&#39;&quot; they wrote. &quot;The consequences of opting out of the global community would be severe and long-lasting -- for our planet&#39;s climate and for the international credibility of the United States.&quot;

&nbsp;

Trump &#39;uninformed&#39;

&quot;Clearly he is uninformed on many things,&quot; said Rush Holt, director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world&#39;s largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science.

He raised concern about Trump&#39;s choice of leading climate skeptic Myron Ebell to head the transition of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency through which President Barack Obama set many of his tougher regulations on pollution from power plants and automobiles.&nbsp;

However Holt, a former lawmaker himself, cautioned that when it comes to Trump, &quot;it&#39;s not really clear what he thinks about climate change,&quot; he told AFP, noting that Trump has often made contradictory statements. For instance, Trump applied for permits to build a sea wall protecting one of his golf courses in Ireland, citing the dangers of sea level rise.

&quot;It may well be that if it&#39;s presented to him as a matter of dollars and cents then he would think about it differently than if it is presented as a matter of domestic politics or international politics.&quot;

Perhaps the realm of space exploration,&nbsp;long a bipartisan source of pride among Americans,&nbsp;is the only area of science where Trump&#39;s support has been clear. Answering a question from ScienceDebate.org, Trump said space exploration will promote interest in science education and bring jobs and investment to the country.

&quot;Observation from space and exploring beyond our own space neighbourhood should be priorities,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

Trump declared climate change to be a 'hoax' orchestrated by China, and vowed to pull out from the legally-binding Paris climate accord

From the fight against climate change to dwindling budgets for research, the US scientific community fears the worst under Donald Trump, seen by many as the most hostile to science of any American president in history. Trump will be "the first anti-science president we have ever had," warned Michael Lubell, director of public affairs for the American Physical Society in Washington, in the British journal Nature. "The consequences are going to be very, very severe." Meanwhile, the vice president-elect, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, is an ultraconservative and a creationist who has rejected Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, the foundation of modern biology. "There's a fear that the scientific infrastructure in the US is going to be on its knees," said Robin Bell, a geophysicist at Columbia University and incoming president-elect of the American Geophysical Union. "Everything from funding to being able to attract the global leaders we need to do basic science research." A key worry is how the New York billionaire declared climate change to be "hoax" orchestrated by the Chinese, and vowed to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. "If Trump makes good on his campaign promises and pulls out of the Paris Treaty, it is difficult to see a path forward to keeping warming below dangerous levels," said Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) at Pennsylvania State University. Lost decade The United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China. For John Abraham, professor of engineering at University of St Thomas in Minnesota, the election of Trump "has cost us at least a decade" in the fight against global warming. "I study ocean warming and energy balances of the Earth," he told AFP. "The data is staring us right in the face. We could not afford this election result." "The only way we can avoid serious climate change is to rapidly implement Obama's work," he added. Early in October, nearly 400 scientists, including 30 Nobel laureates, wrote an open letter, criticising Trump's proposed plans to abandon global climate deals. "A 'Parexit' would send a clear signal to the rest of the world: 'The United States does not care about the global problems of human-caused climate change,'" they wrote. "The consequences of opting out of the global community would be severe and long-lasting -- for our planet's climate and for the international credibility of the United States." Trump 'uninformed' "Clearly he is uninformed on many things," said Rush Holt, director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science. He raised concern about Trump's choice of leading climate skeptic Myron Ebell to head the transition of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency through which President Barack Obama set many of his tougher regulations on pollution from power plants and automobiles. However Holt, a former lawmaker himself, cautioned that when it comes to Trump, "it's not really clear what he thinks about climate change," he told AFP, noting that Trump has often made contradictory statements. For instance, Trump applied for permits to build a sea wall protecting one of his golf courses in Ireland, citing the dangers of sea level rise. "It may well be that if it's presented to him as a matter of dollars and cents then he would think about it differently than if it is presented as a matter of domestic politics or international politics." Perhaps the realm of space exploration, long a bipartisan source of pride among Americans, is the only area of science where Trump's support has been clear. Answering a question from ScienceDebate.org, Trump said space exploration will promote interest in science education and bring jobs and investment to the country. "Observation from space and exploring beyond our own space neighbourhood should be priorities," he said. (AFP)

Trump presidency has American scientists scared

As the United States transitions from President Barack Obama to President-elect Donald Trump, the latter responded to questions over his new team.

The process of selecting the new cabinet and other positions, Trump said, was &quot;very organised&quot;.

While reports in the US media said that two senior members of the team working on national security have been forced out, Trump said, &ldquo;I am the only who knows who the finalists are.&rdquo;

A BBC report stated that New Jersey governor Chris Christie has been replaced with vice-president-elect Mike Pence as head of the transition team.

Media reports also suggested that Trump&#39;s son-in-law and close advisor Jared Kushner was responsible for the change.

Former Congressman and house intelligence committee chairman Mike Rogers handling national security for the transition, announced on Tuesday that he was leaving, BBC reported.

The New York Times, however, reported that Rogers, along with another member of the national security team, Matthew Freedman, were sacked.

At the senior economic positions are campaign finance chair and Wall Street veteran Steve Mnuchin as treasury secretary, and long-time backer Wilbur Ross for commerce secretary, according to Trump ally Carl Icahn, stated a Reuters report.

&quot;Very organised process taking place as I decide on cabinet and many other positions,&quot; Trump tweeted.

Trump also denied that he had requested security clearances for his children

Trump has less than 70 days until his January 20 inauguration to settle on cabinet members and other senior appointees. He is required to fill around 4,000 open positions, Reuters reported.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The process of selecting the new cabinet and other positions, Trump said, was "very organised"

As the United States transitions from President Barack Obama to President-elect Donald Trump, the latter responded to questions over his new team. The process of selecting the new cabinet and other positions, Trump said, was "very organised". While reports in the US media said that two senior members of the team working on national security have been forced out, Trump said, “I am the only who knows who the finalists are.” A BBC report stated that New Jersey governor Chris Christie has been replaced with vice-president-elect Mike Pence as head of the transition team. Media reports also suggested that Trump's son-in-law and close advisor Jared Kushner was responsible for the change. Former Congressman and house intelligence committee chairman Mike Rogers handling national security for the transition, announced on Tuesday that he was leaving, BBC reported. The New York Times, however, reported that Rogers, along with another member of the national security team, Matthew Freedman, were sacked. At the senior economic positions are campaign finance chair and Wall Street veteran Steve Mnuchin as treasury secretary, and long-time backer Wilbur Ross for commerce secretary, according to Trump ally Carl Icahn, stated a Reuters report. "Very organised process taking place as I decide on cabinet and many other positions," Trump tweeted. Trump also denied that he had requested security clearances for his children Trump has less than 70 days until his January 20 inauguration to settle on cabinet members and other senior appointees. He is required to fill around 4,000 open positions, Reuters reported. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump shuffles transition team, eyes loyalists for cabinet

The deal struck between Australia and the outgoing Obama administration to relocate as many as 1,200 asylum seekers to the United States will begin after President-elect Donald Trump takes over the office in January 2017, Reuters reported Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as saying.

Turnbull on Sunday&nbsp;said that the US had agreed to take &ldquo;substantial&rdquo; number of refugees held in the detention camps of Papua New Guinea and the island of Nauru, Reuters reported. Many of the refugees are Muslims who have fled conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Trump&#39;s transition team, however, has not commented on the deal that was announced earlier this month.&nbsp;

The spokesperson for the US State Department, too, refused to provide the details on Turnbull&#39;s comments, but said that &ldquo;the United States had a longstanding programme of accepting refugees referred for resettlement by the UN refugee agency and would determine the size of in consultation with that agency&rdquo;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Asylum seeker&nbsp;deals

The resettlement deal was announced as a quid pro quo after the Australian government agreed to accept people from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador as part of Australia&#39;s annual intake of 18,750 asylum seekers, thus helping the Central American refugees from Washington to resettle.&nbsp;

Analysts have, however, suggested that the timings of the deal, that came days before in the anticipation of Democrat Hillary Clinton winning the US presidency, might mean that the deal could be dashed. Trump, notorious&nbsp;for his anti-immigration stance, on Sunday said that he &nbsp;would deport up to three&nbsp;million illegal immigrants living in the US.&nbsp;

&quot;But by holding off and starting the process in the expectation that Hillary Clinton would win the US presidency, it gives Trump the ability to reject the deal,&rdquo; said Peter Chen, professor of political science, University of Sydney. Should Trump reject the deal, Turnbull would have to look for another country that would take the refugees, Reuters said.

Turnbull, however, expressed confidence in the new US administration standing by the deal, since it did not require any increase in the United States&#39; annual intake of asylum seekers, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump's anti-refugee comments during the election makes it uncertain if this already made US-Australia asylum seeker deal will be honoured

The deal struck between Australia and the outgoing Obama administration to relocate as many as 1,200 asylum seekers to the United States will begin after President-elect Donald Trump takes over the office in January 2017, Reuters reported Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as saying. Turnbull on Sunday said that the US had agreed to take “substantial” number of refugees held in the detention camps of Papua New Guinea and the island of Nauru, Reuters reported. Many of the refugees are Muslims who have fled conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Trump's transition team, however, has not commented on the deal that was announced earlier this month. The spokesperson for the US State Department, too, refused to provide the details on Turnbull's comments, but said that “the United States had a longstanding programme of accepting refugees referred for resettlement by the UN refugee agency and would determine the size of in consultation with that agency”. Asylum seeker deals The resettlement deal was announced as a quid pro quo after the Australian government agreed to accept people from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador as part of Australia's annual intake of 18,750 asylum seekers, thus helping the Central American refugees from Washington to resettle. Analysts have, however, suggested that the timings of the deal, that came days before in the anticipation of Democrat Hillary Clinton winning the US presidency, might mean that the deal could be dashed. Trump, notorious for his anti-immigration stance, on Sunday said that he would deport up to three million illegal immigrants living in the US. "But by holding off and starting the process in the expectation that Hillary Clinton would win the US presidency, it gives Trump the ability to reject the deal,” said Peter Chen, professor of political science, University of Sydney. Should Trump reject the deal, Turnbull would have to look for another country that would take the refugees, Reuters said. Turnbull, however, expressed confidence in the new US administration standing by the deal, since it did not require any increase in the United States' annual intake of asylum seekers, Reuters reported. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

After Trump takes office, about 1,200 asylum seekers to be resettled in US: Australian PM Turnbull

Donald Trump during the presidential campaign tweeted with fierce abandon and at all hours.&nbsp;

Would he feel restrained by last week&#39;s presidential election victory to give his thumbs a rest?

It seems not.

The newly minted Republican president-elect let loose his latest Twitter barrage Sunday on a range of topics, from nuclear proliferation to his upcoming primetime interview, to his disdain for a longtime media nemesis.

The real estate mogul took a dig at The New York Times --- a favourite target --- for their election coverage.

&nbsp;

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Wow, the <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes">@nytimes</a> is losing thousands of subscribers because of their very poor and highly inaccurate coverage of the &quot;Trump phenomena&quot;
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/797805407179866112">November 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
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In a separate tweet to his nearly 15 million Twitter followers, he wrote:

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The <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes">@nytimes</a> sent a letter to their subscribers apologizing for their BAD coverage of me. I wonder if it will change - doubt it?
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/797812048805695488">November 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In another, he noted that he had received congratulatory calls from former presidents George W&nbsp;Bush and his father, as well as Jeb Bush, who he defeated in the primaries.&nbsp;

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Jeb Bush, George W and George H.W. all called to express their best wishes on the win. Very nice!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/797822192931262470">November 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
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He&nbsp;reminisced about the presidential debates:

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The debates, especially the second and third, plus speeches and intensity of the large rallies, plus OUR GREAT SUPPORTERS, gave us the win!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/797873313561198593">November 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Lest anyone fear that Trump would find his impending ascension to the most powerful office in the world a too-dignified perch from which to freely use social media, the bombastic businessman disabused them of the notion.

Trump, who has credited the role of social media in his shock victory, had indicated he would scale back on his Twitter use as president.

&quot;I&#39;m going to do very restrained, if I use it at all,&quot; Trump said of the social media platform in his first sit-down interview since the election which will air in full on CBS&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes&quot; on Sunday night.

But even as he vowed to exercise restraint, he trumpeted the virtues of a tool that allowed him to bypass the mainstream media in getting his insurgent message to voters.

&quot;I think that social media has more power than the money they spent,&quot; the billionaire told CBS. &quot;I think to a certain extent I proved that.&quot;

Among his jumble of tweets, Trump also wrote a series of posts thanking Republican lawmakers --- most of whom had criticized his candidacy during the election --- for calling to congratulate him.

Trump has taken flak for brazen tweets in the past --- most spectacularly when he went on a late-night Twitter tirade against former Miss Universe Alicia Machado during his run against Democrat Hillary Clinton.&nbsp;

He also retweeted an unflattering photo of his primary opponent Ted Cruz&#39;s wife earlier this year to which Cruz responded: &quot;Donald, real men don&#39;t attack women.&quot;

Trump surrogate Newt Gingrich said that in future he would advise Trump to &quot;always have an editor&quot; when he expresses himself on Twitter.

&quot;It&#39;s a technique for reaching 13 or 14 million people at no cost and gets him around the New York Times,&quot; Gingrich said.

Past Trump tweets have labeled The New York Times &quot;really disgusting,&quot; &quot;no longer a credible source,&quot; &quot;very dishonest,&quot; &quot;unfair and biased,&quot; and &quot;false, malicious &amp; libelous.&quot;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Trump tweeted about his upcoming primetime interview and also took a dig at The New York Times, a favourite target

Donald Trump during the presidential campaign tweeted with fierce abandon and at all hours. Would he feel restrained by last week's presidential election victory to give his thumbs a rest? It seems not. The newly minted Republican president-elect let loose his latest Twitter barrage Sunday on a range of topics, from nuclear proliferation to his upcoming primetime interview, to his disdain for a longtime media nemesis. The real estate mogul took a dig at The New York Times --- a favourite target --- for their election coverage. Wow, the @nytimes is losing thousands of subscribers because of their very poor and highly inaccurate coverage of the "Trump phenomena" — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2016 × In a separate tweet to his nearly 15 million Twitter followers, he wrote: The @nytimes sent a letter to their subscribers apologizing for their BAD coverage of me. I wonder if it will change - doubt it? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2016 × In another, he noted that he had received congratulatory calls from former presidents George W Bush and his father, as well as Jeb Bush, who he defeated in the primaries. Jeb Bush, George W and George H.W. all called to express their best wishes on the win. Very nice! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2016 × He reminisced about the presidential debates: The debates, especially the second and third, plus speeches and intensity of the large rallies, plus OUR GREAT SUPPORTERS, gave us the win! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2016 × Lest anyone fear that Trump would find his impending ascension to the most powerful office in the world a too-dignified perch from which to freely use social media, the bombastic businessman disabused them of the notion. Trump, who has credited the role of social media in his shock victory, had indicated he would scale back on his Twitter use as president. "I'm going to do very restrained, if I use it at all," Trump said of the social media platform in his first sit-down interview since the election which will air in full on CBS's "60 Minutes" on Sunday night. But even as he vowed to exercise restraint, he trumpeted the virtues of a tool that allowed him to bypass the mainstream media in getting his insurgent message to voters. "I think that social media has more power than the money they spent," the billionaire told CBS. "I think to a certain extent I proved that." Among his jumble of tweets, Trump also wrote a series of posts thanking Republican lawmakers --- most of whom had criticized his candidacy during the election --- for calling to congratulate him. Trump has taken flak for brazen tweets in the past --- most spectacularly when he went on a late-night Twitter tirade against former Miss Universe Alicia Machado during his run against Democrat Hillary Clinton. He also retweeted an unflattering photo of his primary opponent Ted Cruz's wife earlier this year to which Cruz responded: "Donald, real men don't attack women." Trump surrogate Newt Gingrich said that in future he would advise Trump to "always have an editor" when he expresses himself on Twitter. "It's a technique for reaching 13 or 14 million people at no cost and gets him around the New York Times," Gingrich said. Past Trump tweets have labeled The New York Times "really disgusting," "no longer a credible source," "very dishonest," "unfair and biased," and "false, malicious & libelous." (AFP)

Donald Trump back to tweeting with abandon, takes dig at US publication

Bernie Sanders, the Democratic candidate who lost the Primaries to Hillary Clinton, made an official statement in response&nbsp;to the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency.

The Daily Beast reporter Colin Jones carried Sanders&#39; statement in a Tweet.

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Bernie: &quot;To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/WmTFV1TvRi">pic.twitter.com/WmTFV1TvRi</a>
&mdash; Colin Jones (@colinjones) <a href="https://twitter.com/colinjones/status/796498877373448192">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The full text of the statement reads:&nbsp;

&quot;Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment politics, establishment politics and the&nbsp;establishment media. People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids -&nbsp;all while the very rich become much richer.

&quot;To the degree to which Mr Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working class families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him. To the degree that he purses racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him.&quot;

&nbsp;

Would Bernie have beaten Trump?

Sanders, according to polls, was poised to beat Trump in a head to head race. Why didn&#39;t the two face off, then?

A WikiLeaks dump from only this past weekend suggests&nbsp;the Democratic Party <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/wikileaks-suggests-bernie-sanders-was-blackmailed-during-democratic-primary-8536">blackmailed Bernie Sanders</a> during the Primaries.

In a May&nbsp;interview with CNBC he spoke about the potential isolating effects of extreme wealth after being&nbsp;asked what the impact of Clinton&#39;s wealth could be on her policy making decisions.

According to a released email whose authenticity the&nbsp;Democrats never denied, Clinton Campaign Manager Robby Mook, who had the quote brought to his attention by a staffer, said: &quot;This isn&#39;t in keeping w the agreement. Since we clearly have some leverage, would be good to flag this for him. I could send a signal via Welch--or did you establish a direct line w him?&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/wikileaks-suggests-bernie-sanders-was-blackmailed-during-democratic-primary-8536">Another WikiLeaks revelation</a> was that the Democratic National Committee actively conspired against Bernie Sanders to favour Hillary Clinton.

The Democrats have much explaining to do. &nbsp;

But at a time when politicians and media may&nbsp;go&nbsp;from&nbsp;snubbing Donald Trump to cosying up to him when&nbsp;he&#39;s president,&nbsp;Sanders appears determined to&nbsp;stand&nbsp;up for his beliefs,&nbsp;and&nbsp;willing to denounce&nbsp;his adversaries when necessary.

At least there doesn&#39;t seem to be any leverage stopping him from speaking freely&nbsp;now.&nbsp;

(WION)

'To the extent he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him'

Bernie Sanders, the Democratic candidate who lost the Primaries to Hillary Clinton, made an official statement in response to the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency. The Daily Beast reporter Colin Jones carried Sanders' statement in a Tweet. Bernie: "To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him.” pic.twitter.com/WmTFV1TvRi — Colin Jones (@colinjones) November 9, 2016 × The full text of the statement reads: "Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment politics, establishment politics and the establishment media. People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids - all while the very rich become much richer. "To the degree to which Mr Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working class families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him. To the degree that he purses racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him." Would Bernie have beaten Trump? Sanders, according to polls, was poised to beat Trump in a head to head race. Why didn't the two face off, then? A WikiLeaks dump from only this past weekend suggests the Democratic Party blackmailed Bernie Sanders during the Primaries. In a May interview with CNBC he spoke about the potential isolating effects of extreme wealth after being asked what the impact of Clinton's wealth could be on her policy making decisions. According to a released email whose authenticity the Democrats never denied, Clinton Campaign Manager Robby Mook, who had the quote brought to his attention by a staffer, said: "This isn't in keeping w the agreement. Since we clearly have some leverage, would be good to flag this for him. I could send a signal via Welch--or did you establish a direct line w him?" Another WikiLeaks revelation was that the Democratic National Committee actively conspired against Bernie Sanders to favour Hillary Clinton. The Democrats have much explaining to do. But at a time when politicians and media may go from snubbing Donald Trump to cosying up to him when he's president, Sanders appears determined to stand up for his beliefs, and willing to denounce his adversaries when necessary. At least there doesn't seem to be any leverage stopping him from speaking freely now. (WION)

US Election 2016: Bernie Sanders responds to a Donald Trump presidency

Iran&#39;s President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that the US&nbsp;election results would have no effect on Tehran&#39;s policies, state news agency IRNA quoted him as 
saying, noting that Iran&#39;s expanding economic ties with the world were irreversible.

&quot;The results of the US&nbsp;election have no effect on the policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran,&quot; Rouhani said.

&quot;Iran&#39;s policy for constructive engagement with the world and the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions have made our economic relations with all countries expanding and irreversible.&quot;

He added that Iran&#39;s nuclear deal with six world powers has been reflected in a United Nation Security Council resolution and cannot be dismissed by one government.

US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump should stay committed to the international nuclear deal with Iran, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency on Wednesday.

&quot;The United States should fulfill its commitments in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the nuclear deal) as a multilateral international agreement,&quot; Zarif was quoted as saying while on a visit to Romania.

Rouhani said there was &quot;no possibility&quot; of its nuclear deal with world powers being overturned by US president-elect Donald Trump despite his threat to rip it up.

&quot;Iran&#39;s understanding in the nuclear deal was that the accord was not concluded with one country or government but was approved by a resolution of the UN Security Council and there is no possibility that it can be changed by a single government,&quot; Rouhani told his cabinet, according to state television.

Last year&#39;s accord with world powers saw international sanctions on Iran lifted in exchange for guarantees that it would not pursue a nuclear weapons capability.&nbsp; 
During the election campaign, Trump described the deal as &quot;disastrous&quot; and said it would be his &quot;number one priority&quot; to dismantle it.

&quot;The United States no longer has the capacity to create Iranophobia and to create a consensus against Iran,&quot; Rouhani said.

&quot;The constructive engagement policies of Iran towards the world, and the fact that international sanctions have been lifted, have placed the Iranian economy on a road where there is no possibility of going backwards.&quot;

(Agencies)

Iran's nuclear deal with six world powers has been reflected in a UNSC resolution and cannot be dismissed by one government, he said

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that the US election results would have no effect on Tehran's policies, state news agency IRNA quoted him as saying, noting that Iran's expanding economic ties with the world were irreversible. "The results of the US election have no effect on the policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Rouhani said. "Iran's policy for constructive engagement with the world and the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions have made our economic relations with all countries expanding and irreversible." He added that Iran's nuclear deal with six world powers has been reflected in a United Nation Security Council resolution and cannot be dismissed by one government. US President-elect Donald Trump should stay committed to the international nuclear deal with Iran, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency on Wednesday. "The United States should fulfill its commitments in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the nuclear deal) as a multilateral international agreement," Zarif was quoted as saying while on a visit to Romania. Rouhani said there was "no possibility" of its nuclear deal with world powers being overturned by US president-elect Donald Trump despite his threat to rip it up. "Iran's understanding in the nuclear deal was that the accord was not concluded with one country or government but was approved by a resolution of the UN Security Council and there is no possibility that it can be changed by a single government," Rouhani told his cabinet, according to state television. Last year's accord with world powers saw international sanctions on Iran lifted in exchange for guarantees that it would not pursue a nuclear weapons capability. During the election campaign, Trump described the deal as "disastrous" and said it would be his "number one priority" to dismantle it. "The United States no longer has the capacity to create Iranophobia and to create a consensus against Iran," Rouhani said. "The constructive engagement policies of Iran towards the world, and the fact that international sanctions have been lifted, have placed the Iranian economy on a road where there is no possibility of going backwards." (Agencies)

Iran's Rouhani says Trump election has no effect on Tehran policies

Hillary Clinton vowed on Wednesday to work with American President-elect Donald Trump, and urged fellow Democrats to allow him the chance to lead the deeply divided country. There are still 70 days until the&nbsp;reality TV star takes office.

&quot;Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country,&quot; the defeated candidate told supporters, holding back tears in her first public remarks since the Republican&#39;s&nbsp;victory.

&quot;I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought,&quot; she said. &quot;We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead,&quot; the Democrats&#39; presidential candidate added.

It&#39;s going to be a tough and dangerous task. During Trump&#39;s victory speech, while he pledged to be a president for all citizens, someone in the audience yelled &quot; kill Obama!&quot;

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&quot;Kill Obama&quot; I see this is off to a fantastic start. ??<a href="https://t.co/kUryVpKENh">pic.twitter.com/kUryVpKENh</a>
&mdash; Andrew HammondAP (@ahammsportsgeek) <a href="https://twitter.com/ahammsportsgeek/status/796261596544827392">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
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It&#39;s unclear whether a victory speech for an American presidential nominee has ever begun with a call to murder the standing president of the United States.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

'The nation was more deeply divided than we thought,' Hillary said, in what is an incredible understatement

Hillary Clinton vowed on Wednesday to work with American President-elect Donald Trump, and urged fellow Democrats to allow him the chance to lead the deeply divided country. There are still 70 days until the reality TV star takes office. "Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country," the defeated candidate told supporters, holding back tears in her first public remarks since the Republican's victory. "I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans." "We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought," she said. "We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead," the Democrats' presidential candidate added. It's going to be a tough and dangerous task. During Trump's victory speech, while he pledged to be a president for all citizens, someone in the audience yelled " kill Obama!" "Kill Obama" I see this is off to a fantastic start. ??pic.twitter.com/kUryVpKENh — Andrew HammondAP (@ahammsportsgeek) November 9, 2016 × It's unclear whether a victory speech for an American presidential nominee has ever begun with a call to murder the standing president of the United States. (With inputs from agencies)

Hillary Clinton congratulates Trump, offers to work with him

&nbsp;A tiger and polar bear in a Siberian zoo made contrasting predictions of the outcome of Tuesday&#39;s US&nbsp;election when invited to choose between pumpkins representing Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Female tiger Yunona favoured a pumpkin carved with the image of Clinton, the Democratic nominee, while polar bear Felix opted after some deliberation for one bearing the name of Republican candidate Trump.

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Felix, a male polar bear, stands near pumpkins with portraits of US presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as it predicts the result of US presidential election. (Reuters)
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The Royev Ruchey Zoo in Krasnoyarsk, which released a video of the two, said the animals faced a tough choice as the pumpkins had been filled with fresh meat and fish, both favourite treats with Yunona and Felix.

(Reuters)

The animals faced a tough choice as the pumpkins had been filled with fresh meat and fish, both favourite treats

A tiger and polar bear in a Siberian zoo made contrasting predictions of the outcome of Tuesday's US election when invited to choose between pumpkins representing Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Female tiger Yunona favoured a pumpkin carved with the image of Clinton, the Democratic nominee, while polar bear Felix opted after some deliberation for one bearing the name of Republican candidate Trump. Felix, a male polar bear, stands near pumpkins with portraits of US presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as it predicts the result of US presidential election. (Reuters) × The Royev Ruchey Zoo in Krasnoyarsk, which released a video of the two, said the animals faced a tough choice as the pumpkins had been filled with fresh meat and fish, both favourite treats with Yunona and Felix. (Reuters)

Tiger tips Clinton, bear backs Trump in Siberian zoo's mock vote

The United States elects a president every four years and election day is always the first Tuesday of&nbsp;November.

What does it take to qualify for presidentship? You have to be a US citizen by birth, be at least 35-years-old and a US resident for 14 years.

Today&#39;s election will give the United States its 45th president - Democrat Hillary&nbsp;Clinton or Republican&nbsp;Donald Trump.

Polling centre scene

At a polling centre in Brooklyn, New York, voters find out their district, then they get a paper ballot, they get registered and check&nbsp;in. They then move to the polling stations behind to scan their vote and get a sticker saying &#39;I&nbsp;voted&#39;.

&quot;It&#39;s a big decision - first of all a woman president, it&#39;s a big step for the US and I think putting her in office as opposed to Trump makes that difference,&quot; says Janna&nbsp;Ferner-Bell.

&quot;I&#39;m all about Jill Stein. I&#39;m all about the green party. She has integrity, she is smart, the world needs a&nbsp;bigger change,&quot; Karmela&nbsp;Lozina&nbsp;says.

Not all polling centres were quick though - the line in midtown Manhattan stretched out for about two hours. It&#39;s the same location where Donald&nbsp;Trump cast his ballot.

Electoral college

In the United States with the electoral college, you aren&#39;t voting for the president directly, instead you are voting for electors. Those electors will cast the ballot for the president.

So if neither candidate gets the necessary 270 electoral votes, the house of representatives will pick the president and the senate will pick the vice president.

The election process starts at the state level where voters pick a candidate through primaries and caucuses. After this, two major political parties in the US - the Democrats (in blue) and the Republicans (in red) host a nomination convention to unite behind one candidate.

Each nominee also chooses a vice president candidate at this time.

This year, Democratic candidate Hillary&nbsp;Clinton picked Viriginia senator Tim&nbsp;Kaine while Republican candidate Donald&nbsp;Trump chose Indiana governor Mike Pence.

The candidates tour the country through campaign rallies where they explain their views on hot burning issues like domestic policies, foreign policies, the economy, terrorism, gun control, immigration and healthcare.

A&nbsp;lot of states typically are &#39;red&#39; or &#39;blue&#39;&nbsp;states &ndash; but sometimes swing states or &#39;purple&#39;&nbsp;states mean there is equal chance&nbsp;for a Republican or Democratic victory. 
 
When voters cast their ballot, they&nbsp;pick who they want for the country&#39;s top position. These votes represent the popular vote and does not determine the actual winner.

(WION)

With the United States set to get its 45th president, WION explains the process behind the election

The United States elects a president every four years and election day is always the first Tuesday of November. What does it take to qualify for presidentship? You have to be a US citizen by birth, be at least 35-years-old and a US resident for 14 years. Today's election will give the United States its 45th president - Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump. Polling centre scene At a polling centre in Brooklyn, New York, voters find out their district, then they get a paper ballot, they get registered and check in. They then move to the polling stations behind to scan their vote and get a sticker saying 'I voted'. "It's a big decision - first of all a woman president, it's a big step for the US and I think putting her in office as opposed to Trump makes that difference," says Janna Ferner-Bell. "I'm all about Jill Stein. I'm all about the green party. She has integrity, she is smart, the world needs a bigger change," Karmela Lozina says. Not all polling centres were quick though - the line in midtown Manhattan stretched out for about two hours. It's the same location where Donald Trump cast his ballot. Electoral college In the United States with the electoral college, you aren't voting for the president directly, instead you are voting for electors. Those electors will cast the ballot for the president. So if neither candidate gets the necessary 270 electoral votes, the house of representatives will pick the president and the senate will pick the vice president. The election process starts at the state level where voters pick a candidate through primaries and caucuses. After this, two major political parties in the US - the Democrats (in blue) and the Republicans (in red) host a nomination convention to unite behind one candidate. Each nominee also chooses a vice president candidate at this time. This year, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton picked Viriginia senator Tim Kaine while Republican candidate Donald Trump chose Indiana governor Mike Pence. The candidates tour the country through campaign rallies where they explain their views on hot burning issues like domestic policies, foreign policies, the economy, terrorism, gun control, immigration and healthcare. A lot of states typically are 'red' or 'blue' states – but sometimes swing states or 'purple' states mean there is equal chance for a Republican or Democratic victory. When voters cast their ballot, they pick who they want for the country's top position. These votes represent the popular vote and does not determine the actual winner. (WION)

US Election 2016: This is how America votes

Betting exchanges and online trading platforms on Tuesday said Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton held a far higher probability of winning than Republican Donald Trump.

While Trump made modest gains in probability to win on some online platforms as Americans went to the polls on Tuesday, many gave Clinton a better than 75 per cent chance of victory.

Bookmaker Paddy Power said Clinton&#39;s chance of taking the White House dipped slightly to 81.8 per cent on Election Day from 83.3 percent, while Trump&#39;s probability improved to 22 per cent from 20 percent.

&quot;The flow of money is relatively even with it slightly favouring Trump,&quot; said Paddy Power spokesman F&eacute;ilim Mac An Iomaire.

He said Paddy Power has seen at least 20 four- and five-figure bets placed on Tuesday. Different bookmakers and exchanges have different closing times for placing bets.

Record numbers of betters are pouring millions into online platforms in the hope of capturing a financial windfall from the election.

British gambling company Ladbrokes, which has Clinton&#39;s chance of winning at 76 per cent and Trump&#39;s at 24 per cent, said it anticipated more wagers coming in for the outcome of the US&nbsp;presidential election than had been placed on the European Union referendum - or &quot;Brexit&quot; vote.

&quot;The US&nbsp;election has gripped the nation,&quot; said Ladbrokes spokeswoman Jessica Bridge in a written statement. &quot;It [is] the biggest ever non-sporting event the bookmaking industry has witnessed.&quot;

British-based internet betting exchange Betfair&#39;s &quot;Next President&quot; market was on track to surpass Brexit in amount traded, owing to the surprise results of the referendum that were still fresh in many Britons&#39; minds, spokeswoman Naomi Totten said.

The market saw just under $150 million wagered since it opened in November 2012, with $7 million traded in just seven hours on Tuesday.

Clinton is trading at an 80 per cent chance on Betfair and Trump at a 20 per cent chance of winning the White House.

Trading platforms in the United States showed similar probabilities.

On PredictIt, launched in 2014 and jointly run by Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, and Washington, DC-based political consulting firm Aristotle International Inc, Clinton had an 80 per cent chance of victory down from 81 percent Sunday, while Trump was at 22 percent, up from 20 percent.

(Reuters)

Most of the agencies give Hillary Clinton a better than 75 per cent chance of victory

Betting exchanges and online trading platforms on Tuesday said Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton held a far higher probability of winning than Republican Donald Trump. While Trump made modest gains in probability to win on some online platforms as Americans went to the polls on Tuesday, many gave Clinton a better than 75 per cent chance of victory. Bookmaker Paddy Power said Clinton's chance of taking the White House dipped slightly to 81.8 per cent on Election Day from 83.3 percent, while Trump's probability improved to 22 per cent from 20 percent. "The flow of money is relatively even with it slightly favouring Trump," said Paddy Power spokesman Féilim Mac An Iomaire. He said Paddy Power has seen at least 20 four- and five-figure bets placed on Tuesday. Different bookmakers and exchanges have different closing times for placing bets. Record numbers of betters are pouring millions into online platforms in the hope of capturing a financial windfall from the election. British gambling company Ladbrokes, which has Clinton's chance of winning at 76 per cent and Trump's at 24 per cent, said it anticipated more wagers coming in for the outcome of the US presidential election than had been placed on the European Union referendum - or "Brexit" vote. "The US election has gripped the nation," said Ladbrokes spokeswoman Jessica Bridge in a written statement. "It [is] the biggest ever non-sporting event the bookmaking industry has witnessed." British-based internet betting exchange Betfair's "Next President" market was on track to surpass Brexit in amount traded, owing to the surprise results of the referendum that were still fresh in many Britons' minds, spokeswoman Naomi Totten said. The market saw just under $150 million wagered since it opened in November 2012, with $7 million traded in just seven hours on Tuesday. Clinton is trading at an 80 per cent chance on Betfair and Trump at a 20 per cent chance of winning the White House. Trading platforms in the United States showed similar probabilities. On PredictIt, launched in 2014 and jointly run by Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, and Washington, DC-based political consulting firm Aristotle International Inc, Clinton had an 80 per cent chance of victory down from 81 percent Sunday, while Trump was at 22 percent, up from 20 percent. (Reuters)

US election: Betting exchanges, online platforms back Clinton to win

Polling stations opened Tuesday, November 8&nbsp;as the first ballots were cast in the long-awaited US election pitting Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump.

The polls first opened in Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Virginia early morning on Tuesday.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump gave US voters a stark choice between her vision of unity and his promise to take back power from Washington&#39;s corrupt elites.

On the final day of the presidential campaign that has left a bemused world looking on in concern for its greatest power, Trump doubled down on his unabashed appeal to popular resentment.

The Democrat Clinton has had sharp words for her rival, a 70-year-old property tycoon who seized the conservative Republican Party and turned it into a vehicle for his populist bombast, but she ended the race pleading for unity.

&#39;It&#39;s time to fight for America. I&#39;m not a politician, I can say proudly. My only special interest is you,&#39; Trump told a raucous crowd, vowing to end free trade, control immigration and &#39;bring back&#39; jobs&nbsp;

Some 40 million Americans have already cast ballots in states that allow early voting, and tens of millions more will turn out on Tuesday for what is shaping up to be a historic clash.

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<h5>&quot;It&#39;s time to fight for America. I&#39;m not a politician, I can say proudly. My only special interest is you,&quot; Trump told a raucous crowd, vowing to end free trade, control immigration and &quot;bring back&quot; jobs.&nbsp;</h5>
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&quot;But the years of betrayal will end -- they will end and they&#39;re going to end quickly. They&#39;re going to end as of the day we take office, which is going to be very, very soon.&quot;

Clinton went into Election Day as the favorite to become the first US woman president after spending eight years in the White House as the first lady in the 1990s.

A Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation poll gave Clinton a 90 per cent chance of defeating Trump and said she was on track to win 303 electoral college votes out of 270 needed, to Trump&#39;s 235.

But the campaign has been bruising -- she has been dogged by allegations that she put US secrets at risk on her private email server while at the State Department and the race remains perilously close in a handful of key states.&nbsp;

Trump advisers said the level of his support was not apparent in the polling and believed the New York businessman was in position for an upset victory along the lines of the &quot;Brexit&quot; vote in June to pull Britain from the European Union.

&quot;We have seen enormous momentum,&quot; said deputy Trump campaign manager Dave Bossie.

Support for Trump dropped after footage emerged of him bragging about sexual assault and at least a dozen women came forward to accuse him, but polls have tightened as the big day approaches.

But a Clinton win in votes casts will mean nothing if she does not win the electoral college, fending off a last-ditch Trump bid to secure Florida and poach North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, Nevada or New Hampshire.

Last-day blitz

As Election Day approached -- to the relief of the many voters left cold by the long drawn-out slog through the political mud -- both candidates maintained break-neck schedules.

Clinton made stops in three battleground states, and deployed President Barack Obama as cheerleader-in-chief in another, before they were to join up at a star-studded grand finale in Philadelphia.

&quot;The world is watching us right now. This is one of those moments. Don&#39;t let it slip away,&quot; Obama said in New Hampshire.

Trump sneered at Clinton&#39;s choice of pop stars -- Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga -- to attract the crowds, and stuck to his stump speech, each new version slightly more aggressive than the last. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;This election will decide whether we are ruled by a corrupt political class, you&#39;re seeing what&#39;s happening. Everybody is watching. Or whether we are ruled by the people,&quot; he declared.&nbsp;

&quot;We&#39;re going to be ruled by the people, folks. That is going to be the choice. Our failed political establishment has delivered nothing but poverty, nothing but problems, nothing but losses.

&quot;It&#39;s time to reject the media and political elite that has bled our country dry,&quot; he declared, pointing to the press pen at his event, and whipping up cries of &quot;Drain the swamp!&quot; from his fervent supporters.

Market rally

Trump&#39;s vow to rip up America&#39;s free trade deals, build a wall on the Mexican border and renegotiate US treaty alliances has spooked world markets seeking stability after the recent global slowdown.

Last week, US stocks as measured by the S&amp;P 500 index fell for nine straight days for the first time since 1980, only to recover a little when the FBI confirmed Clinton would not face prosecution over her emails.

Global stock markets surged on Monday, with Wall Street gaining more than two percent, as hopes for a Clinton victory rose after FBI director James Comey&#39;s weekend announcement that she was in the clear.

The dollar also gained, and analyst Patrick O&#39;Hare of briefing.com said: &quot;You can certainly take for granted from today&#39;s rally that the market seems to like the idea of Mrs. Clinton being elected president.&quot;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Clinton and Trump give US voters a stark choice between a vision of unity and a promise made to take back power from Washington respectively

Polling stations opened Tuesday, November 8 as the first ballots were cast in the long-awaited US election pitting Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump. The polls first opened in Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Virginia early morning on Tuesday. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump gave US voters a stark choice between her vision of unity and his promise to take back power from Washington's corrupt elites. On the final day of the presidential campaign that has left a bemused world looking on in concern for its greatest power, Trump doubled down on his unabashed appeal to popular resentment. The Democrat Clinton has had sharp words for her rival, a 70-year-old property tycoon who seized the conservative Republican Party and turned it into a vehicle for his populist bombast, but she ended the race pleading for unity. 'It's time to fight for America. I'm not a politician, I can say proudly. My only special interest is you,' Trump told a raucous crowd, vowing to end free trade, control immigration and 'bring back' jobs Some 40 million Americans have already cast ballots in states that allow early voting, and tens of millions more will turn out on Tuesday for what is shaping up to be a historic clash. "It's time to fight for America. I'm not a politician, I can say proudly. My only special interest is you," Trump told a raucous crowd, vowing to end free trade, control immigration and "bring back" jobs. × "But the years of betrayal will end -- they will end and they're going to end quickly. They're going to end as of the day we take office, which is going to be very, very soon." Clinton went into Election Day as the favorite to become the first US woman president after spending eight years in the White House as the first lady in the 1990s. A Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation poll gave Clinton a 90 per cent chance of defeating Trump and said she was on track to win 303 electoral college votes out of 270 needed, to Trump's 235. But the campaign has been bruising -- she has been dogged by allegations that she put US secrets at risk on her private email server while at the State Department and the race remains perilously close in a handful of key states. Trump advisers said the level of his support was not apparent in the polling and believed the New York businessman was in position for an upset victory along the lines of the "Brexit" vote in June to pull Britain from the European Union. "We have seen enormous momentum," said deputy Trump campaign manager Dave Bossie. Support for Trump dropped after footage emerged of him bragging about sexual assault and at least a dozen women came forward to accuse him, but polls have tightened as the big day approaches. But a Clinton win in votes casts will mean nothing if she does not win the electoral college, fending off a last-ditch Trump bid to secure Florida and poach North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, Nevada or New Hampshire. Last-day blitz As Election Day approached -- to the relief of the many voters left cold by the long drawn-out slog through the political mud -- both candidates maintained break-neck schedules. Clinton made stops in three battleground states, and deployed President Barack Obama as cheerleader-in-chief in another, before they were to join up at a star-studded grand finale in Philadelphia. "The world is watching us right now. This is one of those moments. Don't let it slip away," Obama said in New Hampshire. Trump sneered at Clinton's choice of pop stars -- Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga -- to attract the crowds, and stuck to his stump speech, each new version slightly more aggressive than the last. "This election will decide whether we are ruled by a corrupt political class, you're seeing what's happening. Everybody is watching. Or whether we are ruled by the people," he declared. "We're going to be ruled by the people, folks. That is going to be the choice. Our failed political establishment has delivered nothing but poverty, nothing but problems, nothing but losses. "It's time to reject the media and political elite that has bled our country dry," he declared, pointing to the press pen at his event, and whipping up cries of "Drain the swamp!" from his fervent supporters. Market rally Trump's vow to rip up America's free trade deals, build a wall on the Mexican border and renegotiate US treaty alliances has spooked world markets seeking stability after the recent global slowdown. Last week, US stocks as measured by the S&P 500 index fell for nine straight days for the first time since 1980, only to recover a little when the FBI confirmed Clinton would not face prosecution over her emails. Global stock markets surged on Monday, with Wall Street gaining more than two percent, as hopes for a Clinton victory rose after FBI director James Comey's weekend announcement that she was in the clear. The dollar also gained, and analyst Patrick O'Hare of briefing.com said: "You can certainly take for granted from today's rally that the market seems to like the idea of Mrs. Clinton being elected president." (WION with inputs from agencies)

US election 2016: Today is the day Americans decide?Clinton or Trump

FBI Director James Comey was under attack from some of his own agents and members of Congress on Monday over his handling of an inquiry into Hillary Clinton&#39;s emails, but the White House was remaining supportive, for now.

In stunning fashion, Comey has injected the Federal Bureau of Investigation, meant to be politically neutral, into the thick of the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential race, making a series of announcements on the inquiry.

The latest was on Sunday, when he said the FBI stood by a July decision not to recommend criminal charges against the Democratic presidential candidate. Sunday&#39;s announcement came days after Comey disclosed the FBI was examining a trove of newly discovered emails.

With the election coming on Tuesday, Comey&#39;s statements and the FBI&#39;s overall handling of the emails controversy has drawn fire from congressional Democrats, who criticised the agency for clouding Clinton&#39;s campaign so close to the election, while Republicans questioned why the new inquiry ended so quickly.

FBI &quot;field agents have felt the derivative impact of the criticism fired at Director Comey as a result of the Clinton email scandal,&quot; said Jon Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation, which represents more than 3,500 FBI agents.

He said some agents disapprove of Comey&#39;s handling of the investigation and think he should resign, while others support him, but do not appreciate being in a political crossfire.

A spokesman for the FBI Agents Association said the more than 13,000 active and former special agents it represents have become the victims of &ldquo;unwarranted attacks&rdquo; on their integrity.

&quot;Implications that agents do not respect the confidentiality of those investigations is simply false,&quot; said the association&rsquo;s president Thomas O&rsquo;Connor.

Comey has so far kept the support of President Barack Obama, who has the power to fire the FBI director. &quot;The president views Director Comey as a man of integrity, a man of principle,&quot; White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in a briefing on Monday. &quot;The president&#39;s views of him have not changed ...he continues to have confidence in his ability to run the FBI.&quot;

The White House has said it will not criticise or defend Comey over his handling of the Clinton email investigation.

Charles Schumer, a close Clinton ally and expected Senate majority leader should Democrats regain control of the chamber, said on October&nbsp;30 that he was &ldquo;appalled at what Director Comey did&rdquo; and owes an explanation to Clinton and the American people.

FBI directors are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to serve 10 years, unless they are fired or resign.

Only one FBI director in recent history has been fired. William Sessions was fired by President Bill Clinton in 1993 after a report emerged about Sessions using an FBI airplane for personal travel and other unethical practices. FBI Director Louis Freeh resigned in 2001, two years short of the end of his term, amid a scandal over Robert Hanssen, a senior FBI official charged with spying for the Soviet Union and Russia undetected for 15 years.

If Clinton wins the election, as polls suggest, she would also be in the position to fire Comey, but might not do so to avoid being portrayed as seeking political retaliation.

&quot;I don&rsquo;t know what her view will be, but ...you just cannot have an FBI director in place who believes he is accountable to neither the rules nor the attorney general,&rdquo; said Matthew Miller, former chief spokesman for the Obama Justice Department.

Under the federal Hatch Act, Justice Department employees may not engage in partisan political activity while on duty.

On Sunday, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff said Comey&#39;s &quot;original letter&quot; telling Congress that Clinton&#39;s emails were once again under investigation &quot;should never have been sent so close to an election&quot;.

Republican Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley called on the Justice Department&#39;s inspector general on Novemeber&nbsp;2 to examine the FBI&#39;s investigation.

(Reuters)

The FBI Director has drawn the Republican's ire for ending the Clinton email investigation so quickly, and Democrats' for starting it at all

FBI Director James Comey was under attack from some of his own agents and members of Congress on Monday over his handling of an inquiry into Hillary Clinton's emails, but the White House was remaining supportive, for now. In stunning fashion, Comey has injected the Federal Bureau of Investigation, meant to be politically neutral, into the thick of the 2016 US presidential race, making a series of announcements on the inquiry. The latest was on Sunday, when he said the FBI stood by a July decision not to recommend criminal charges against the Democratic presidential candidate. Sunday's announcement came days after Comey disclosed the FBI was examining a trove of newly discovered emails. With the election coming on Tuesday, Comey's statements and the FBI's overall handling of the emails controversy has drawn fire from congressional Democrats, who criticised the agency for clouding Clinton's campaign so close to the election, while Republicans questioned why the new inquiry ended so quickly. FBI "field agents have felt the derivative impact of the criticism fired at Director Comey as a result of the Clinton email scandal," said Jon Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation, which represents more than 3,500 FBI agents. He said some agents disapprove of Comey's handling of the investigation and think he should resign, while others support him, but do not appreciate being in a political crossfire. A spokesman for the FBI Agents Association said the more than 13,000 active and former special agents it represents have become the victims of “unwarranted attacks” on their integrity. "Implications that agents do not respect the confidentiality of those investigations is simply false," said the association’s president Thomas O’Connor. Comey has so far kept the support of President Barack Obama, who has the power to fire the FBI director. "The president views Director Comey as a man of integrity, a man of principle," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in a briefing on Monday. "The president's views of him have not changed ...he continues to have confidence in his ability to run the FBI." The White House has said it will not criticise or defend Comey over his handling of the Clinton email investigation. Charles Schumer, a close Clinton ally and expected Senate majority leader should Democrats regain control of the chamber, said on October 30 that he was “appalled at what Director Comey did” and owes an explanation to Clinton and the American people. FBI directors are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to serve 10 years, unless they are fired or resign. Only one FBI director in recent history has been fired. William Sessions was fired by President Bill Clinton in 1993 after a report emerged about Sessions using an FBI airplane for personal travel and other unethical practices. FBI Director Louis Freeh resigned in 2001, two years short of the end of his term, amid a scandal over Robert Hanssen, a senior FBI official charged with spying for the Soviet Union and Russia undetected for 15 years. If Clinton wins the election, as polls suggest, she would also be in the position to fire Comey, but might not do so to avoid being portrayed as seeking political retaliation. "I don’t know what her view will be, but ...you just cannot have an FBI director in place who believes he is accountable to neither the rules nor the attorney general,” said Matthew Miller, former chief spokesman for the Obama Justice Department. Under the federal Hatch Act, Justice Department employees may not engage in partisan political activity while on duty. On Sunday, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff said Comey's "original letter" telling Congress that Clinton's emails were once again under investigation "should never have been sent so close to an election". Republican Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley called on the Justice Department's inspector general on Novemeber 2 to examine the FBI's investigation. (Reuters)

FBI agents, lawmakers hammer Comey over Clinton emails inquiry

White House candidate Donald Trump was bundled off stage by security officers Saturday after an apparently false gun scare during a campaign appearance.

US media cited law enforcement sources reporting that no gun had been found after a cry of alarm in the crowd, and Trump swiftly resumed his speech in Reno, Nevada.

The 70-year-old Republican tycoon reappeared just minutes after being led away by three Secret Service officers, who shielded his body with their own.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> Donald Trump was rushed off stage during his Reno, Nevada campaign rally; one man escorted out in handcuffs by police. <a href="https://t.co/YJb2i705wa">pic.twitter.com/YJb2i705wa</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/795081275308507136">November 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Minutes later, he reappeared to cheers, declaring: &quot;Nobody said it was going to be easy for us, but we will never be stopped, never ever be stopped. I want to thank the Secret Service. These guys are fantastic. They don&#39;t get enough credit. They don&#39;t get enough credit. They are amazing people.&quot;

There were signs of a fracas in the audience as the agents led Trump away, but once a suspect was in custody Trump returned to resume his stump speech.

Television footage showed a suspect pinioned on the ground by officers and searched, before he was led away by local law enforcement, including an armed response team in tactical dress with rifles. The US Secret Service confirmed there was never a gun.

The Guardian says that man who was feared to have a gun claims to&nbsp;be a Republican supporter opposed to Trump. He held a sign that said &quot;Republicans against Trump&quot;.

Initially, his sign elicited boos, &quot;And then all of a sudden people next to me are starting to get violent; they&#39;re grabbing at my arm, trying to rip the sign out of my hand,&quot; he said. While he said he couldn&#39;t be positive, he it &quot;it looked like Trump was pointing at him. Next, the crowd piled on him, he told the Guardian, kicking, punching, holding him on the ground and grabbing his testicles.

He used his training as a wrestler to turn his head to the side and keep his airway open, as a man was choking him in a headlock hold. &quot;But there weer people wrenching on my neck they could have strangled me to death,&quot; he said.

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Here is video of the detained man being taken away. It happened minutes after Trump was rushed from stage. Video provided to me by witness. <a href="https://t.co/SisR9v539H">pic.twitter.com/SisR9v539H</a>
&mdash; Paul Lewis (@PaulLewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulLewis/status/795082819273793536">November 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The candidate appeared unrattled and spoke with his usual self-confidence, finishing his planned remarks and accepting applause before returning to his campaign plane safely. &nbsp; &nbsp;

&quot;I would like to thank the United States Secret Service and the law enforcement resources in Reno and the state of Nevada for their fast and professional response,&quot; he said in a campaign statement.

Eric Trump, Donald&#39;s son, retweeted a message saying &quot;Hillary ran away from rain today. Trump is back onstage minutes after an assassination attempt&quot;. He appears to have deleted the retweet from his account. It was pointed out on <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/11/06/kellyanne-conway-trump-rushed-off-stage-campaign-retweets-sot-sotu.cnn">CNN </a>that there was no assassination attempt.

Trump campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, attributed the speading of misinformation to Eric being &quot;rattled&quot;, after seeing what appeared to be an attempt on his father&#39;s life. <a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/6/13540206/donald-trump-assassination-attempt">She herself </a>had reiterated claims that the protester was a&quot;democratic plant or operative&quot;.

Critics are scared about the Trump campaign&#39;s reaction to a peaceful protest:

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A politician who blatantly lies by describing a peaceful protest as an &quot;assasination attempt&quot; will do the same to his opponents once elected
&mdash; Amir Tibon (@amirtibon) <a href="https://twitter.com/amirtibon/status/795112909688836096">November 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Reporters at the venue had earlier cited unnamed local law enforcement sources and witnesses in the crowd as saying there had been a report of a gun among the Trump supporters.

(With inputs from AFP)

The report of a gun in the crowd was false. A pro-Republican anti-Trump protestor held a sign, not a gun, and got beat up by a mob

White House candidate Donald Trump was bundled off stage by security officers Saturday after an apparently false gun scare during a campaign appearance. US media cited law enforcement sources reporting that no gun had been found after a cry of alarm in the crowd, and Trump swiftly resumed his speech in Reno, Nevada. The 70-year-old Republican tycoon reappeared just minutes after being led away by three Secret Service officers, who shielded his body with their own. #WATCH Donald Trump was rushed off stage during his Reno, Nevada campaign rally; one man escorted out in handcuffs by police. pic.twitter.com/YJb2i705wa — ANI (@ANI_news) November 6, 2016 × Minutes later, he reappeared to cheers, declaring: "Nobody said it was going to be easy for us, but we will never be stopped, never ever be stopped. I want to thank the Secret Service. These guys are fantastic. They don't get enough credit. They don't get enough credit. They are amazing people." There were signs of a fracas in the audience as the agents led Trump away, but once a suspect was in custody Trump returned to resume his stump speech. Television footage showed a suspect pinioned on the ground by officers and searched, before he was led away by local law enforcement, including an armed response team in tactical dress with rifles. The US Secret Service confirmed there was never a gun. The Guardian says that man who was feared to have a gun claims to be a Republican supporter opposed to Trump. He held a sign that said "Republicans against Trump". Initially, his sign elicited boos, "And then all of a sudden people next to me are starting to get violent; they're grabbing at my arm, trying to rip the sign out of my hand," he said. While he said he couldn't be positive, he it "it looked like Trump was pointing at him. Next, the crowd piled on him, he told the Guardian, kicking, punching, holding him on the ground and grabbing his testicles. He used his training as a wrestler to turn his head to the side and keep his airway open, as a man was choking him in a headlock hold. "But there weer people wrenching on my neck they could have strangled me to death," he said. Here is video of the detained man being taken away. It happened minutes after Trump was rushed from stage. Video provided to me by witness. pic.twitter.com/SisR9v539H — Paul Lewis (@PaulLewis) November 6, 2016 × The candidate appeared unrattled and spoke with his usual self-confidence, finishing his planned remarks and accepting applause before returning to his campaign plane safely. "I would like to thank the United States Secret Service and the law enforcement resources in Reno and the state of Nevada for their fast and professional response," he said in a campaign statement. Eric Trump, Donald's son, retweeted a message saying "Hillary ran away from rain today. Trump is back onstage minutes after an assassination attempt". He appears to have deleted the retweet from his account. It was pointed out on CNN that there was no assassination attempt. Trump campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, attributed the speading of misinformation to Eric being "rattled", after seeing what appeared to be an attempt on his father's life. She herself had reiterated claims that the protester was a"democratic plant or operative". Critics are scared about the Trump campaign's reaction to a peaceful protest: A politician who blatantly lies by describing a peaceful protest as an "assasination attempt" will do the same to his opponents once elected — Amir Tibon (@amirtibon) November 6, 2016 × Reporters at the venue had earlier cited unnamed local law enforcement sources and witnesses in the crowd as saying there had been a report of a gun among the Trump supporters. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump rushed off stage, returns to finish speech

A US&nbsp;judge in Ohio ordered Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump&#39;s campaign on Friday not to intimidate voters, in a victory for Democrats who sought to prevent Election Day harassment in one of the nation&#39;s most politically competitive states.

The order also deals a blow to a Trump-allied &quot;exit poll&quot; that aims to mobilise supporters to ask voters whether they had cast a ballot for the Republican real-estate mogul or Democrat Hillary Clinton.

On the campaign trail, Trump has said the election will be &quot;rigged&quot;. He has called on supporters to keep an eye on voting activity for possible signs of fraud in large cities.

The ruling does not prevent the state Republican Party from sending trained volunteers into polling places to make sure election laws are being followed. However, it does apply to Trump supporters who may take it on themselves to monitor voting activity independent of the party. It prevents them from verbally harassing voters near polling stations, or taking pictures of them.

Trump&#39;s vague call for&nbsp;supporters to go to &quot;other&quot; polling stations and watch out for funny activity was widely interpreted as a dog whistle encouraging white supporters to intimidate minority voters. Trump has invoked the threat of voter fraud and a &quot;rigged election&quot;. While there isn&#39;t a complete absence of it, the notion that the kind of fraud Trump talks about influences the election even slightly has been repeatedly debunked in numerous studies.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/01/opinion/voting-suppression-videogame.html?_r=3">As the New York Times</a> writes in their introduction to an interactive video game aimed at showing users what voter suppression looks like for different people, &quot;thanks to laws passed by Republicans to fight&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/08/06/a-comprehensive-investigation-of-voter-impersonation-finds-31-credible-incidents-out-of-one-billion-ballots-cast/">the nonexistent threat of voter fraud</a>, the perils will be great.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.brennancenter.org/publication/election-day-long-lines-resource-allocation">Long lines</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/us/some-republicans-acknowledge-leveraging-voter-id-laws-for-political-gain.html">voter ID laws,</a>&nbsp;not to mention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/18/donald-trump-volunteer-election-observers-voter-intimidation">pro-Trump election observers</a>, will try to keep these voters from the polls&quot;.&nbsp;

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From chair of Maricopa County (AZ) Democratic Party... <a href="https://t.co/Ri1VLz4zJd">pic.twitter.com/Ri1VLz4zJd</a>
&mdash; Andrei Cherny (@AndreiCherny) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndreiCherny/status/794675151849721856">November 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Democrats have said that could encourage Trump supporters to harass minority voters and have launched a legal blitz in six states to prevent that from happening.

Democrats declared the judge&#39;s decision a victory, saying it would prevent Trump supporters from interfering with voters in one of the most competitive US&nbsp;states during the November&nbsp;8 election.

&quot;We&#39;re pleased that the judge announced he will be issuing an order to prevent any harassment of voters along the lines that have been suggested by the Trump campaign,&quot; Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper said in a prepared statement. The ruling also applies to groups supporting Clinton&#39;s presidential bid.

It also shuts down an exit poll organised by former Trump aide and Republican operative&nbsp;Roger Stone, who said he aims to uncover examples of vote manipulation. Stone told Reuters on Monday that participants are trained not to harass voters. Some 118 people in Ohio have signed up to participate through a web site called Stop the Steal. Stone did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Stone&#39;s name has been&nbsp;in connection with&nbsp;another important and seemingly&nbsp;related incident. The&nbsp;FBI is&nbsp;reviewing&nbsp;a seven-page electronic document that has been identified as a fake by the Clinton campaign, but&nbsp;carries the logos of Democratic pollster Joel Benenson&rsquo;s firm, the Benenson Strategy Group, and the Clinton Foundation, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

The fake document&nbsp;claims poll ratings had plunged for Clinton and called for &ldquo;severe strategy changes for November&rdquo; that could include &ldquo;staged civil unrest&rdquo; and &ldquo;radiological attack&rdquo; with dirty bombs to disrupt the vote.

Where the document originated from or how it begun to circulate is not immediately clear, but on October&nbsp;20,&nbsp;Stone&nbsp;linked to a copy of it on Twitter with the tag, &ldquo;If this is real: OMG!!&rdquo;&nbsp;Stone did not respond to emails from Reuters requesting comment.

Ohio Republicans and the Trump campaign also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The candidate talking of 'rigged elections' and 'make America Great again' has been close to sketchy, un-American voter suppression efforts

A US judge in Ohio ordered Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign on Friday not to intimidate voters, in a victory for Democrats who sought to prevent Election Day harassment in one of the nation's most politically competitive states. The order also deals a blow to a Trump-allied "exit poll" that aims to mobilise supporters to ask voters whether they had cast a ballot for the Republican real-estate mogul or Democrat Hillary Clinton. On the campaign trail, Trump has said the election will be "rigged". He has called on supporters to keep an eye on voting activity for possible signs of fraud in large cities. The ruling does not prevent the state Republican Party from sending trained volunteers into polling places to make sure election laws are being followed. However, it does apply to Trump supporters who may take it on themselves to monitor voting activity independent of the party. It prevents them from verbally harassing voters near polling stations, or taking pictures of them. Trump's vague call for supporters to go to "other" polling stations and watch out for funny activity was widely interpreted as a dog whistle encouraging white supporters to intimidate minority voters. Trump has invoked the threat of voter fraud and a "rigged election". While there isn't a complete absence of it, the notion that the kind of fraud Trump talks about influences the election even slightly has been repeatedly debunked in numerous studies. As the New York Times writes in their introduction to an interactive video game aimed at showing users what voter suppression looks like for different people, "thanks to laws passed by Republicans to fight the nonexistent threat of voter fraud, the perils will be great. Long lines and voter ID laws, not to mention pro-Trump election observers, will try to keep these voters from the polls". From chair of Maricopa County (AZ) Democratic Party... pic.twitter.com/Ri1VLz4zJd — Andrei Cherny (@AndreiCherny) November 4, 2016 × Democrats have said that could encourage Trump supporters to harass minority voters and have launched a legal blitz in six states to prevent that from happening. Democrats declared the judge's decision a victory, saying it would prevent Trump supporters from interfering with voters in one of the most competitive US states during the November 8 election. "We're pleased that the judge announced he will be issuing an order to prevent any harassment of voters along the lines that have been suggested by the Trump campaign," Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper said in a prepared statement. The ruling also applies to groups supporting Clinton's presidential bid. It also shuts down an exit poll organised by former Trump aide and Republican operative Roger Stone, who said he aims to uncover examples of vote manipulation. Stone told Reuters on Monday that participants are trained not to harass voters. Some 118 people in Ohio have signed up to participate through a web site called Stop the Steal. Stone did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Stone's name has been in connection with another important and seemingly related incident. The FBI is reviewing a seven-page electronic document that has been identified as a fake by the Clinton campaign, but carries the logos of Democratic pollster Joel Benenson’s firm, the Benenson Strategy Group, and the Clinton Foundation, a person with knowledge of the matter said. The fake document claims poll ratings had plunged for Clinton and called for “severe strategy changes for November” that could include “staged civil unrest” and “radiological attack” with dirty bombs to disrupt the vote. Where the document originated from or how it begun to circulate is not immediately clear, but on October 20, Stone linked to a copy of it on Twitter with the tag, “If this is real: OMG!!” Stone did not respond to emails from Reuters requesting comment. Ohio Republicans and the Trump campaign also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (With inputs from Reuters)

Ohio judge orders Trump campaign to avoid voter intimidation

Asian stocks struggled again on Thursday, with uncertainty over next week&#39;s presidential election sending investors rushing for the sidelines, pushing safe havens such as the yen and gold higher.

With just days to go until the November 8 poll, maverick tycoon Donald Trump has closed what was once considered an unassailable lead over market-favourite Hillary Clinton, upending early confidence.

The former secretary of state is considered by most investors to be a safer, more stable bet than Trump, who is seen as a loose cannon.

And while she is still tipped to win, analysts said the late run by Trump has fired uncertainty, sparking a sell-off across the world.

&ldquo;The move to take risk off the table continues,&rdquo; Chris Weston, chief market strategist in Melbourne at IG Ltd., said in an e-mail to clients.

&ldquo;We have reached a point where there is a buyers&#39; strike, where money managers have reduced their risk, increased cash allocations within the portfolio and are happy to ride out this mini-storm of uncertainty. This is a perfect breeding ground for short sellers who love the combination of uncertainty and lack of bids.&rdquo;

In Asian trade Hong Kong was 0.2 per cent down in the afternoon and Singapore gave up 0.3 per cent while Sydney closed 0.1 per cent lower and Wellington tanked more than one per cent. There were also deep losses in Taipei and Manila.

But Shanghai ended 0.8 per cent higher and Seoul put on 0.3 per cent. Tokyo was closed for a public holiday.

Dollar struggles

The rush for safety saw gold prices climb back above $1,300 for the first time since the start of October, while the yen was also stronger.

In Asian trade the dollar bought 102.73 yen, down from 103.42 yen in New York and well off the levels above 105 yen seen at the start of the week.

The euro, pound and most high-yielding Asia-Pacific units also made inroads on the greenback, which got no help from an expected Federal Reserve decision to hold interest rates and flag a possible hike in December.

Fears of a Trump presidency has led to speculation the Fed could hold off a December hike, which has been largely priced into markets, owing to fears about his impact on the economy.

The Mexican peso fell further against the dollar, with the greenback buying 19.45 pesos, against 19.36 pesos in the US.

The peso has steadily fallen on concerns of a potential victory for Trump, whose anti-Mexican rhetoric has included a pledge to remove undocumented migrants, build a wall along the border and tear up a US trade deal with its neighbour to the south.

Attention now turns to the release Friday of October US jobs data, which will provide a clearer snapshot of the US economy, with analysts saying a strong reading will cement the argument for a rate rise next month.

The weaker dollar provided some much needed lift to oil prices, with both main contracts rallying after a recent sell-off fuelled by worries over the chances of success for OPEC&#39;s agreement to cut production. Crude is priced in dollars and a weaker unit makes the commodity cheaper for holders of other currencies.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

With just days left, Donald Trump has closed what was thought of as an unassailable lead over market favourite Hillary Clinton

Asian stocks struggled again on Thursday, with uncertainty over next week's presidential election sending investors rushing for the sidelines, pushing safe havens such as the yen and gold higher. With just days to go until the November 8 poll, maverick tycoon Donald Trump has closed what was once considered an unassailable lead over market-favourite Hillary Clinton, upending early confidence. The former secretary of state is considered by most investors to be a safer, more stable bet than Trump, who is seen as a loose cannon. And while she is still tipped to win, analysts said the late run by Trump has fired uncertainty, sparking a sell-off across the world. “The move to take risk off the table continues,” Chris Weston, chief market strategist in Melbourne at IG Ltd., said in an e-mail to clients. “We have reached a point where there is a buyers' strike, where money managers have reduced their risk, increased cash allocations within the portfolio and are happy to ride out this mini-storm of uncertainty. This is a perfect breeding ground for short sellers who love the combination of uncertainty and lack of bids.” In Asian trade Hong Kong was 0.2 per cent down in the afternoon and Singapore gave up 0.3 per cent while Sydney closed 0.1 per cent lower and Wellington tanked more than one per cent. There were also deep losses in Taipei and Manila. But Shanghai ended 0.8 per cent higher and Seoul put on 0.3 per cent. Tokyo was closed for a public holiday. Dollar struggles The rush for safety saw gold prices climb back above $1,300 for the first time since the start of October, while the yen was also stronger. In Asian trade the dollar bought 102.73 yen, down from 103.42 yen in New York and well off the levels above 105 yen seen at the start of the week. The euro, pound and most high-yielding Asia-Pacific units also made inroads on the greenback, which got no help from an expected Federal Reserve decision to hold interest rates and flag a possible hike in December. Fears of a Trump presidency has led to speculation the Fed could hold off a December hike, which has been largely priced into markets, owing to fears about his impact on the economy. The Mexican peso fell further against the dollar, with the greenback buying 19.45 pesos, against 19.36 pesos in the US. The peso has steadily fallen on concerns of a potential victory for Trump, whose anti-Mexican rhetoric has included a pledge to remove undocumented migrants, build a wall along the border and tear up a US trade deal with its neighbour to the south. Attention now turns to the release Friday of October US jobs data, which will provide a clearer snapshot of the US economy, with analysts saying a strong reading will cement the argument for a rate rise next month. The weaker dollar provided some much needed lift to oil prices, with both main contracts rallying after a recent sell-off fuelled by worries over the chances of success for OPEC's agreement to cut production. Crude is priced in dollars and a weaker unit makes the commodity cheaper for holders of other currencies. (AFP)

Asian markets on edge over election uncertainty

Asian stocks struggled again on Thursday, with uncertainty over next week&#39;s presidential election sending investors rushing for the sidelines, pushing safe havens such as the yen and gold higher.

With just days to go until the November 8 poll, maverick tycoon Donald Trump has closed what was once considered an unassailable lead over market-favourite Hillary Clinton, upending early confidence.

The former secretary of state is considered by most investors to be a safer, more stable bet than Trump, who is seen as a loose cannon.

And while she is still tipped to win, analysts said the late run by Trump has fired uncertainty, sparking a sell-off across the world.

&ldquo;The move to take risk off the table continues,&rdquo; Chris Weston, chief market strategist in Melbourne at IG Ltd., said in an e-mail to clients.

&ldquo;We have reached a point where there is a buyers&#39; strike, where money managers have reduced their risk, increased cash allocations within the portfolio and are happy to ride out this mini-storm of uncertainty. This is a perfect breeding ground for short sellers who love the combination of uncertainty and lack of bids.&rdquo;

In Asian trade Hong Kong was 0.2 per cent down in the afternoon and Singapore gave up 0.3 per cent while Sydney closed 0.1 per cent lower and Wellington tanked more than one per cent. There were also deep losses in Taipei and Manila.

But Shanghai ended 0.8 per cent higher and Seoul put on 0.3 per cent. Tokyo was closed for a public holiday.

Dollar struggles

The rush for safety saw gold prices climb back above $1,300 for the first time since the start of October, while the yen was also stronger.

In Asian trade the dollar bought 102.73 yen, down from 103.42 yen in New York and well off the levels above 105 yen seen at the start of the week.

The euro, pound and most high-yielding Asia-Pacific units also made inroads on the greenback, which got no help from an expected Federal Reserve decision to hold interest rates and flag a possible hike in December.

Fears of a Trump presidency has led to speculation the Fed could hold off a December hike, which has been largely priced into markets, owing to fears about his impact on the economy.

The Mexican peso fell further against the dollar, with the greenback buying 19.45 pesos, against 19.36 pesos in the US.

The peso has steadily fallen on concerns of a potential victory for Trump, whose anti-Mexican rhetoric has included a pledge to remove undocumented migrants, build a wall along the border and tear up a US trade deal with its neighbour to the south.

Attention now turns to the release Friday of October US jobs data, which will provide a clearer snapshot of the US economy, with analysts saying a strong reading will cement the argument for a rate rise next month.

The weaker dollar provided some much needed lift to oil prices, with both main contracts rallying after a recent sell-off fuelled by worries over the chances of success for OPEC&#39;s agreement to cut production. Crude is priced in dollars and a weaker unit makes the commodity cheaper for holders of other currencies.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

With just days to go until the US polls, tycoon Donald Trump has closed ?an unassailable lead over market-favourite Hillary Clinton

US elections 2016: Asian markets on edge over election uncertainty

The fact-checking is finished, and the polls to determine who won and who lost will soon be wiped from our collective memory. While it lasted, it wasn&rsquo;t exactly waterboarding but for many it was an unambiguous case of torture. The three debates are over, praise the Lord. America is now entering the brief phase in which it can look back at the weirdest US presidential campaign in history, and look forward to the denouement when the votes are finally counted during the night of November 8.

THE &ldquo;PRESIDENTAL&rdquo; DEBATE

Most commentators of the debates have tried to analyse not only what came out of the candidates&rsquo; mouths, but also the sniffles that emerged from Donald Trump&rsquo;s nose. Some noticed that throughout the debates Hillary Clinton made very effective use of her teeth, visible through a studied but authentically charming smile, whose brightness was accentuated by her high cheekbones. That smile came across as a demonstration of Clinton&rsquo;s truly &ldquo;presidental&rdquo; temperament.

She harnessed her smile as a powerful defensive and offensive weapon that enabled her, first of all, to parry Trump&rsquo;s attacks with an expression of amused doubt and even polite ridicule as he sought to embarrass her. More significantly, Clinton used it as a transitional gesture to express the confidence she had in her well-prepared professional boasts and responses to his desultory attacks. Given the lack of seriously argued content on either side in any of the three debates, Clinton&rsquo;s smile may be what best accounts for the impression expressed by a majority of viewers that she was the consistent &ldquo;winner.&rdquo;

We&rsquo;ve now witnessed a series of thoroughly awful and depressing &ldquo;presidential debates.&rdquo; They were neither presidential in style, nor debates in substance. There was nothing to be learned from them, not even about the characters of the candidates. And the commentators, like the media and moderators who organised the debates, were just as bad as the candidates. Confusing political dialogue with a sporting event, they focused on one thing: their precious fact checks&mdash;keeping a scorecard of lies, or contradictions of known or assumed facts. As if government was only about sticking to the facts! And as if facts were just objects in the environment that one could bend down, pick up and show to the camera.

There were lies galore in the final debate, especially on Trump&rsquo;s side, to the delight of news analysts. But the two most depressing, even chilling lies went unnoticed by all commentators. They belong to Clinton. Here they are: &ldquo;On the day I was &hellip; monitoring the raid that brought Osama bin Laden to justice, [Trump] was hosting the&nbsp;Celebrity Apprentice.&rdquo; And, &ldquo;America is great because it&rsquo;s good.&rdquo;

What&rsquo;s chilling about the first is the new equivalence between &ldquo;bringing to justice&rdquo; and assassination. It is a Wild West vigilante mentality, which obviously has its place in US culture, but doesn&rsquo;t fit with the idea of being presidential or even constitutional. It does fit with the notion of drone wars, which should give us all pause. And it was spoken by the same person who, when describing the outcome of the Libya campaign, blurted out &ldquo;we came, we saw, he died&rdquo; followed by a loud chortle.

The second affirmation is the basis of American exceptionalism. It is eerily consistent with George W. Bush&rsquo;s Manichean view dividing the world unto &ldquo;us&rdquo; (the good) and &ldquo;them&rdquo; (the evil).&nbsp; Many people think or at least hope that one&rsquo;s political leaders are doing as much good as they can. But does anyone seriously believe there is such a thing as a nation that&rsquo;s good in its essence?

Americans are routinely taught to suppose that, and never to reason about it in a Socratic fashion by asking themselves what &ldquo;good&rdquo; is. Everyone has an idea that there are places where it&rsquo;s good to live, good to do business, good to go to school, good to practice the arts, etc. But the idea of good as an absolute quality applied to a nation takes us back to the Puritan origins of the United States of America and the mentality that authorised European settlers to eradicate the native peoples because the civilisation they represented was &ldquo;good&rdquo;&mdash;blessed by God&mdash;and that the native populations were an obstacle to creating a nation intent on being a moral beacon for the world.

AN INEVITABLE CLINTON VICTORY

Since the first debate, the news media have listed and analysed pages of lies and distorted facts produced by the two candidates. But they never mention their most sinister contradictions of moral and historical truth, except to praise them as positive sounding utterances within a sea of negativity.

As not only the nation but the entire world prepares for a now inevitable Clinton victory in November, these issues matter as they never mattered before. This election cycle has taught us a lot about American democracy, the two-party system and the marketing of political candidates. Whatever one thinks of Bernie Sanders (hero or traitor) or even of WikiLeaks (window into the actual practices of politicians or criminal enterprise), we now know things that were formerly hidden from view.

In this campaign, the face of American democracy has changed. The Republican Party has imploded in the most embarrassing fashion. Trump&rsquo;s takeover of the Grand Old Party (GOP) could end up seriously and permanently modifying the now traditional duopoly of the two parties.

But the Democratic Party has also seen undergone a crisis that bodes ill for its own future. A generational rift has emerged in which the millennials have distanced themselves from what was traditionally the party of youthful renewal. Depending on how the newly formed Clinton administration responds to the identification of youth with the anti-oligarchic &ldquo;revolution&rdquo; promised by Sanders, the party and the incoming US administration may have difficulty maintaining its position as a potentially dominant political force, whether or not Clinton&rsquo;s election improves the party&rsquo;s position in the Senate and Congress.

A late October surprise now seems less and less likely, if only because of Trump&rsquo;s propensity for self-sabotage. But Clinton&rsquo;s negative image among voters still has Democrats worried.

Over the past six months the Clinton campaign has based everything on painting Trump as an unhinged, loose cannon with a few loose wires in his brain. Trump has obliged them by regularly providing evidence to support that thesis.

The most recent version of the Democrats&rsquo; scare tactics goes beyond the election itself. It posits that after losing, Trump will attempt to lead a populist movement mobilising the fascist and racist instincts he has appealed to. Almost on cue, by holding back from promising that he will accept the results, Trump has comforted that very idea, validating the Democrats&rsquo; electoral propaganda.

WHAT CLINTON AND TRUMP SYMBOLISE

But there&rsquo;s another dimension to this election, which has little to do with the actual personalities of the candidates. Each is a symbol of something else. Clinton is the incarnation of the system in all its aggressive collective glory: American exceptionalism, military might, Wall Street, the myth of free enterprise where everyone can be a creative entrepreneur, free trade. In contrast, Trump has assumed the symbolic role of the angry adolescent, the rebellious individual, the rock star challenging the system and all its constraining power.

American culture abhors constraint of any kind, as surely as nature abhors a vacuum. Hillary represents success in the sense of &ldquo;adult&rdquo; conformity built on unquestioned authority. Trump is the mythical &ldquo;rebel without a cause,&rdquo; ready to create havoc by changing the rules of the game, because so many people feel&mdash;without necessarily understanding why&mdash;that the system is alien and oppressive. This comes in spite of the fact that the system has always been kind to Trump himself.

The Clinton campaign claims that Trump is a threat to democracy. This is a clever endgame strategy because it carries the assumption that the existing political system is a true, honest-to-God democracy. If democracy didn&rsquo;t exist, it couldn&rsquo;t be threatened. But we know that the US political system&mdash;the one for which Clinton is the symbolic figurehead&mdash;is no longer a democracy (if it ever was), but a <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746">carefully structured oligarchy</a>. If voters recognised this, they might begin to think that Clinton may not be right: that America isn&rsquo;t necessarily &ldquo;good.&rdquo; But this is the one thing that Trump can&rsquo;t teach them, and can&rsquo;t put forward, because he himself belongs to the oligarchic class.

The real paradox of this election cycle is that Sanders, for the first time since possibly Franklin Roosevelt, created the impression that there might be a choice outside of the oligarchy. That hope was dashed in the primaries, with a little help from the Democratic National Committee, not averse to loading the dice when necessary.

But the rise of Trump and the well-executed elimination of Sanders meant that instead of there being the usual anodyne choice between two slightly contrasting types of reasonable establishment oligarchs (Democrats vs Republicans), this time it came down to the choice between two very different representatives of the same oligarchy: one predictable (responsible) and the other unpredictable (rebellious). This made the predictable one (Clinton) seem wiser than she actually is and the unpredictable one more subversive than he is, elevating Trump to the status of the daring challenger of the status quo.

FLAWED BUT DEMOCRATIC

The presidential electoral system is visibly flawed as this author has <a href="http://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/feeling-the-bern-in-november-can-change-system-77362/">pointed out elsewhere</a>. In spite of its imperfection, it was designed for democracy, and so long as people believe in the reality or at least the possible reality of democracy, it can survive and even thrive. But belief must be based on something solid, an understanding of how political decisions are made. One of the explanations for Trump&rsquo;s unexpected rise is the utter failure of civic education in the US, which has resulted in a lot of people sharing a general feeling of resignation in the face of oligarchic control.

Although the Democrats want us to believe otherwise, it isn&rsquo;t democracy that&rsquo;s threatened. It&rsquo;s the symbolic system of civic virtue that has been undermined by both parties&mdash;the Democratic Party by assuming and tightening its control, reaffirming its commitment to oligarchy, and the Republican Party by utterly and perhaps irretrievably losing control of the population that has followed the GOP&rsquo;s emotional programming.

Hillary Clinton will win the election. Donald Trump will protest. But in spite of the fear tactics promoted by Democrats, Trump is unlikely to lead a movement based on the regressive themes of his campaign. He simply isn&rsquo;t a leader and never has been. His voters will be bitter and disappointed, and it will be up to the Republican Party to seek a way of channeling their frustration. But having invested too much in their AR-15s, its militants will not adopt the idea of taking to the streets with their pitchforks.

The next chapter of American politics will be an interesting one, in which the pressure will be on everyone to redefine who they are within a newly delineated political spectrum as well as what they stand for&mdash;the losers as well as the winners.

For Hillary Clinton and her smile, it could very well resemble a four-year teething period.

America is now entering the brief phase in which it can look back at the weirdest US presidential campaign in history

The fact-checking is finished, and the polls to determine who won and who lost will soon be wiped from our collective memory. While it lasted, it wasn’t exactly waterboarding but for many it was an unambiguous case of torture. The three debates are over, praise the Lord. America is now entering the brief phase in which it can look back at the weirdest US presidential campaign in history, and look forward to the denouement when the votes are finally counted during the night of November 8. THE “PRESIDENTAL” DEBATE Most commentators of the debates have tried to analyse not only what came out of the candidates’ mouths, but also the sniffles that emerged from Donald Trump’s nose. Some noticed that throughout the debates Hillary Clinton made very effective use of her teeth, visible through a studied but authentically charming smile, whose brightness was accentuated by her high cheekbones. That smile came across as a demonstration of Clinton’s truly “presidental” temperament. She harnessed her smile as a powerful defensive and offensive weapon that enabled her, first of all, to parry Trump’s attacks with an expression of amused doubt and even polite ridicule as he sought to embarrass her. More significantly, Clinton used it as a transitional gesture to express the confidence she had in her well-prepared professional boasts and responses to his desultory attacks. Given the lack of seriously argued content on either side in any of the three debates, Clinton’s smile may be what best accounts for the impression expressed by a majority of viewers that she was the consistent “winner.” We’ve now witnessed a series of thoroughly awful and depressing “presidential debates.” They were neither presidential in style, nor debates in substance. There was nothing to be learned from them, not even about the characters of the candidates. And the commentators, like the media and moderators who organised the debates, were just as bad as the candidates. Confusing political dialogue with a sporting event, they focused on one thing: their precious fact checks—keeping a scorecard of lies, or contradictions of known or assumed facts. As if government was only about sticking to the facts! And as if facts were just objects in the environment that one could bend down, pick up and show to the camera. There were lies galore in the final debate, especially on Trump’s side, to the delight of news analysts. But the two most depressing, even chilling lies went unnoticed by all commentators. They belong to Clinton. Here they are: “On the day I was … monitoring the raid that brought Osama bin Laden to justice, [Trump] was hosting the Celebrity Apprentice.” And, “America is great because it’s good.” What’s chilling about the first is the new equivalence between “bringing to justice” and assassination. It is a Wild West vigilante mentality, which obviously has its place in US culture, but doesn’t fit with the idea of being presidential or even constitutional. It does fit with the notion of drone wars, which should give us all pause. And it was spoken by the same person who, when describing the outcome of the Libya campaign, blurted out “we came, we saw, he died” followed by a loud chortle. The second affirmation is the basis of American exceptionalism. It is eerily consistent with George W. Bush’s Manichean view dividing the world unto “us” (the good) and “them” (the evil). Many people think or at least hope that one’s political leaders are doing as much good as they can. But does anyone seriously believe there is such a thing as a nation that’s good in its essence? Americans are routinely taught to suppose that, and never to reason about it in a Socratic fashion by asking themselves what “good” is. Everyone has an idea that there are places where it’s good to live, good to do business, good to go to school, good to practice the arts, etc. But the idea of good as an absolute quality applied to a nation takes us back to the Puritan origins of the United States of America and the mentality that authorised European settlers to eradicate the native peoples because the civilisation they represented was “good”—blessed by God—and that the native populations were an obstacle to creating a nation intent on being a moral beacon for the world. AN INEVITABLE CLINTON VICTORY Since the first debate, the news media have listed and analysed pages of lies and distorted facts produced by the two candidates. But they never mention their most sinister contradictions of moral and historical truth, except to praise them as positive sounding utterances within a sea of negativity. As not only the nation but the entire world prepares for a now inevitable Clinton victory in November, these issues matter as they never mattered before. This election cycle has taught us a lot about American democracy, the two-party system and the marketing of political candidates. Whatever one thinks of Bernie Sanders (hero or traitor) or even of WikiLeaks (window into the actual practices of politicians or criminal enterprise), we now know things that were formerly hidden from view. In this campaign, the face of American democracy has changed. The Republican Party has imploded in the most embarrassing fashion. Trump’s takeover of the Grand Old Party (GOP) could end up seriously and permanently modifying the now traditional duopoly of the two parties. But the Democratic Party has also seen undergone a crisis that bodes ill for its own future. A generational rift has emerged in which the millennials have distanced themselves from what was traditionally the party of youthful renewal. Depending on how the newly formed Clinton administration responds to the identification of youth with the anti-oligarchic “revolution” promised by Sanders, the party and the incoming US administration may have difficulty maintaining its position as a potentially dominant political force, whether or not Clinton’s election improves the party’s position in the Senate and Congress. A late October surprise now seems less and less likely, if only because of Trump’s propensity for self-sabotage. But Clinton’s negative image among voters still has Democrats worried. Over the past six months the Clinton campaign has based everything on painting Trump as an unhinged, loose cannon with a few loose wires in his brain. Trump has obliged them by regularly providing evidence to support that thesis. The most recent version of the Democrats’ scare tactics goes beyond the election itself. It posits that after losing, Trump will attempt to lead a populist movement mobilising the fascist and racist instincts he has appealed to. Almost on cue, by holding back from promising that he will accept the results, Trump has comforted that very idea, validating the Democrats’ electoral propaganda. WHAT CLINTON AND TRUMP SYMBOLISE But there’s another dimension to this election, which has little to do with the actual personalities of the candidates. Each is a symbol of something else. Clinton is the incarnation of the system in all its aggressive collective glory: American exceptionalism, military might, Wall Street, the myth of free enterprise where everyone can be a creative entrepreneur, free trade. In contrast, Trump has assumed the symbolic role of the angry adolescent, the rebellious individual, the rock star challenging the system and all its constraining power. American culture abhors constraint of any kind, as surely as nature abhors a vacuum. Hillary represents success in the sense of “adult” conformity built on unquestioned authority. Trump is the mythical “rebel without a cause,” ready to create havoc by changing the rules of the game, because so many people feel—without necessarily understanding why—that the system is alien and oppressive. This comes in spite of the fact that the system has always been kind to Trump himself. The Clinton campaign claims that Trump is a threat to democracy. This is a clever endgame strategy because it carries the assumption that the existing political system is a true, honest-to-God democracy. If democracy didn’t exist, it couldn’t be threatened. But we know that the US political system—the one for which Clinton is the symbolic figurehead—is no longer a democracy (if it ever was), but a carefully structured oligarchy. If voters recognised this, they might begin to think that Clinton may not be right: that America isn’t necessarily “good.” But this is the one thing that Trump can’t teach them, and can’t put forward, because he himself belongs to the oligarchic class. The real paradox of this election cycle is that Sanders, for the first time since possibly Franklin Roosevelt, created the impression that there might be a choice outside of the oligarchy. That hope was dashed in the primaries, with a little help from the Democratic National Committee, not averse to loading the dice when necessary. But the rise of Trump and the well-executed elimination of Sanders meant that instead of there being the usual anodyne choice between two slightly contrasting types of reasonable establishment oligarchs (Democrats vs Republicans), this time it came down to the choice between two very different representatives of the same oligarchy: one predictable (responsible) and the other unpredictable (rebellious). This made the predictable one (Clinton) seem wiser than she actually is and the unpredictable one more subversive than he is, elevating Trump to the status of the daring challenger of the status quo. FLAWED BUT DEMOCRATIC The presidential electoral system is visibly flawed as this author has pointed out elsewhere. In spite of its imperfection, it was designed for democracy, and so long as people believe in the reality or at least the possible reality of democracy, it can survive and even thrive. But belief must be based on something solid, an understanding of how political decisions are made. One of the explanations for Trump’s unexpected rise is the utter failure of civic education in the US, which has resulted in a lot of people sharing a general feeling of resignation in the face of oligarchic control. Although the Democrats want us to believe otherwise, it isn’t democracy that’s threatened. It’s the symbolic system of civic virtue that has been undermined by both parties—the Democratic Party by assuming and tightening its control, reaffirming its commitment to oligarchy, and the Republican Party by utterly and perhaps irretrievably losing control of the population that has followed the GOP’s emotional programming. Hillary Clinton will win the election. Donald Trump will protest. But in spite of the fear tactics promoted by Democrats, Trump is unlikely to lead a movement based on the regressive themes of his campaign. He simply isn’t a leader and never has been. His voters will be bitter and disappointed, and it will be up to the Republican Party to seek a way of channeling their frustration. But having invested too much in their AR-15s, its militants will not adopt the idea of taking to the streets with their pitchforks. The next chapter of American politics will be an interesting one, in which the pressure will be on everyone to redefine who they are within a newly delineated political spectrum as well as what they stand for—the losers as well as the winners. For Hillary Clinton and her smile, it could very well resemble a four-year teething period.

Clinton Will Win, Trump Will Protest

An ABC News poll shows Clinton has 50 per cent of the vote to Trump's 38 per cent, a lead of 12 points

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has stretched her lead to 12 points over her rival Donald Trump in the race for the White House, according to a new poll released on Sunday. The poll result, which comes a little over two weeks before the US goes to vote on November 8, is evidence of the damage done to the Trump campaign following a litany of allegations of sexual misconduct or inappropriate behaviour made by eleven women in recent days. The ABC News poll shows Clinton has 50 per cent of the vote to Trump's 38 per cent, a lead of 12 points, just ten days after an ABC News/Washington Post poll showed the lead to be a mere four points. While Trump enjoys a 47 to 43 per cent lead among white Americans, his rival has a healthy lead of 20 points among women and a 32 per cent lead among college-going women. We are behind: Trump campaign The poll result came hours before Trump's team for the first time admitted that they were "behind" in the presidential race. Trump's campaign director Kellyanne Conway made the admission on Sunday, but insisted that they would fight on till the very end. Conway also spelled out Trump's plans to fight back against the current wave of unpopularity. She said Trump will put in more resources in states that are considered to be crucial to winning the election. Trump plans to hold up to three rallies and other such events in these states which include Florida, Ohio, Nevada, Iowa and North Carolina. Between Sunday and Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to hold five rallies in Florida. Trump has also tried to woo voters by promising to create 25 million jobs and slash taxes for middle-class Americans. An optimistic Team Clinton Team Clinton, on the other hand, is hoping for a landslide win. But they also sounded cautious. "We're not taking anything for granted at all," campaign manager Robby Mook told Fox News on Sunday, adding: "This is not over yet." Mook also said early voting trends in some states indicate that they have an upper hand at the moment. "We feel very, very good about what we've seen so far...And we're encouraged also by who is turning out," Mook said. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US election: Clinton lead over Trump now in double digits

Obama's remarks come ahead of Hillary Clinton's final presidential debate against Trump

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday asked Donald Trump to "stop whining" about elections being rigged, calling the remarks "irresponsible." His comments come a day before the final presidential debate between Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The US president said he had never before seen anyone trying to discredit the election process. "I have never seen in my lifetime, or in modern political history, any presidential candidate trying to discredit the elections and the election process before votes have even taken place. It's unprecedented," Obama said while addressing a press conference with visiting Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. "That is both irresponsible --- and, by the way, it doesn't really show the kind of leadership and toughness that you'd want out of a president. You start whining before the game's even over? If, whenever things are going badly for you and you lose, you start blaming somebody else? Then you don't have what it takes to be in this job," he added. "I'd advise Mr Trump to stop whining, and go try to make his case to get votes." Obama's comments came a day after Trump questioned the electoral process at a rally in Wisconsin's Green Bay, claiming "People that have died 10 years ago are still voting, illegal immigrants are voting." Obama dismissed the accusations as "based on no facts." As did experts and Trump's own party officials. Obama has campaigned on several occasions for Clinton, who served as his first secretary of state and who is leading in the latest national and battleground state polls. Trump's dipping popularity The 90-minute third and final presidential debate takes place three weeks before Americans head to the polls on November 8. It will be held at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas at 6:00 pm (0100 GMT Thursday). It is seen as a last chance for the Republican nominee whose popularity has dipped after accusations of sexual misconduct by several women and the emergence of a 2005 video in which he makes lewd comments about women. His team deployed his wife Melania to salvage the situation. "Those words, they were offensive to me and they were inappropriate. And he apologized to me. And I accept his apology. And we are moving on," Melania Trump told Fox News on Tuesday. Trump had declared his innocence once again on Monday. Asked on ABC whether he had ever crossed the line with women, Trump said "I don`t think so. I have great respect for women." "It's lies, pure lies," he said of the accusations. Preparation for the debate The candidates are expected to address the issues of the US debt, immigration policy, the economy, the Supreme Court, hot spots around the world, and their preparedness to be commander in chief, AFP reported. Clinton, who had no events scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, seems to have carefully prepared true to her style. Asked about her preparedness at the Westchester airport, she flashed a thumbs up sign before boarded her plane to Las Vegas, AFP reported. In contrast, Trump was seen engaging in "debate prep" in Colorado Springs on Tuesday and has back-to-back rallies scheduled in the city and Vegas. Besides rigging, his main attack against Clinton has been her email scandal. 41% of American voters, including 73% of Republicans, believe the election could actually be stolen from Trump, AFP said citing a poll by Politico and Morning Consult. Clinton, meanwhile, is concentrating on traditionally Republican-leaning states like Arizona and Missouri, AFP reported. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Obama's scathing attack on Trump: Stop whining about 'rigged' vote

Donald Trump gave an interview with The New York Times Wednesday night, the same evening he received the Republican nomination for President of the United States. The Times&nbsp;didn&#39;t publish a full transcript of the 45 minute discussion, but summarised the thrust of Trump&#39;s responses, supplemented when necessary with quotations. 
 
The interview covers a range of topics. 
 
Moral standing 
 
Trump said he would not condemn authoritarian allies like Turkey, who critics fear is in the midst of a widespread purge of the regime&#39;s domestic enemies. President Erdogan has reportedly arrested or fired 50,000 people, from high-ranking figures in the military, justice system and police to university professors. In a move that rings of anything but democracy, he is currently trying to reinstate the death penalty. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think we have a right to lecture,&quot; Trump said. &quot;How are we going to lecture people when people are shooting policemen in cold blood?&quot; He was responding to the two recent fatal attacks against policemen by two ex-military African-American men, who appeared to be responding, in an appalling and unforgivable way, to numerous incidents of police brutality against African-Americans happening in cities across America. 
 
It failed to dawn on Trump that he&#39;s comparing a rogue military faction and a sitting President&#39;s authoritarian response to the actions of two non-state actors. About the preponderance of videos emerging showing American policemen shooting unarmed civilians Trump was quiet, but that would have made his comparison closer to sensible. 
 
Ironically, corroborating Trump&#39;s claim that the US shouldn&#39;t preach is Trump&#39;s own behaviour, as he has incited violence at his rallies. Unsurprisingly he has failed to criticize himself for this. 
 
Foreign policy 
 
Trump sees the world, and every single thing in it, through a money lens.&nbsp; 
 
When asked if under his presidency he would defend the 28 members of Nato,&nbsp;he laid a new condition; he would, but only after assessing their contributions to the alliance. Allies would receive protection if their relationship was economically advantageous, or would leave them to the wolves if they proved a net loss. 
 
Many before have criticised the military-industrial complex, but the notion of the American military being nothing more than a money-making enterprise has never been laid out so nakely by someone so close to the White House.&nbsp;More, this response presupposes that signed international treaties&nbsp;are in no way legally binding, undermining not just Nato but the very idea of entering into agreements with other countries. 
 
In terms of international trade he urged to put &quot;America first&quot;, as if any other American politician has ever campaigned on &quot;America second&quot;. He is by definition above rules, laws and agreements.&nbsp;&quot;He was prepared to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement if he could not negotiate radically better terms.&quot; 
 
The Coup 
 
&quot;I give credit to him for being able to turn that around&quot;, Trump said, as if talking about a dramatic come-from-behind victory in game 7. It doesn&#39;t take much reverence for morals or law to be concerned over the tens of thousands people imprisoned since the failed military coup, who can&#39;t all be guilty. Many world leaders urged Erdogan to be lawful in the wake of &nbsp;the failed coup.&nbsp;This is as basic as it is important, so it&#39;s worth quoting the&nbsp;Times&nbsp;piece here in full: 
 
&quot;Asked if Mr Erdogan was exploiting the coup attempt to purge his political enemies, Mr Trump did not call for the Turkish leader to observe the rule of law, or Western standards of justice. &#39;When the world sees how bad the United States is and we start talking about civil liberties, I don&#39;t think we are a very good messenger,&#39; he said.&quot; 
 
The article points out that this places him in the same camp as Russia, North Korea and China, &quot;and other autocratic nations (who) frequently cite violence and disorder on American streets to justify their own practises, and to make the case that the United States has no standing to criticise them&quot;. 
 
But this obscures an important point: those countries have in mind footage of American police killing citizens, mostly poor or African-American ones, something Trump has never denounced and if anything supports. When he talks about the apparent erosion of civil liberties,&nbsp;it&#39;s unclear what he means. If he has in mind the two men who recently killed police officers, he&#39;s making a categorical mistake: by definition only agents of the state, not private citizens, can take away civil liberties.&nbsp; 
 
Islamic State 
 
Obama&#39;s administration is in a bind: both its ally Turkey and the Kurds are fighting IS effectively, but Turkey is also fighting the Kurds out of fear they will break away and form their own state. Trump claims he will break this impasse by...hosting meetings. Knowing no middle ground, the way to defeat IS is either to &quot;bomb the shit out of them&quot; or to converse.&nbsp; 
 
Regarding the leader of Syria Trump was uncharacteristically perspicacious, saying, &quot;Assad is a bad man&quot;. Trump claimed to have been briefed by two former Republican secretaries of state, who gave him &quot;a lot of knowledge&quot;, but shed no light on this knowledge. 
 
Nuclear weapons 
 
The Obama administration has begun the process of modernising its nuclear arsenal, but the next president will decide whether or not to launch the reboot in earnest, with all the purchasing of submarines and bombers that entails, for an estimated cost&nbsp;of $500-billion. &quot;He talked of funding a major military buildup, starting with a modernisation of America&#39;s nuclear arsenal,&quot; the article says.&nbsp; 
 
To put it lightly, nothing in the Times&nbsp;interview, or anything he has ever said bolsters confidence that Trump can be trusted around nuclear weapons. &quot;We have a lot of obsolete weapons. We have nuclear that we don&#39;t even know if it works.&quot; 
 
Just how he plans to learn whether or not these nuclear weapons work should be a terriyfing thought to everybody. 
 
(WION) 
&nbsp;

Wide-ranging media interview comes as close as possible to revealing what may be called his thoughts

Donald Trump gave an interview with The New York Times Wednesday night, the same evening he received the Republican nomination for President of the United States. The Times didn't publish a full transcript of the 45 minute discussion, but summarised the thrust of Trump's responses, supplemented when necessary with quotations. The interview covers a range of topics. Moral standing Trump said he would not condemn authoritarian allies like Turkey, who critics fear is in the midst of a widespread purge of the regime's domestic enemies. President Erdogan has reportedly arrested or fired 50,000 people, from high-ranking figures in the military, justice system and police to university professors. In a move that rings of anything but democracy, he is currently trying to reinstate the death penalty. "I don't think we have a right to lecture," Trump said. "How are we going to lecture people when people are shooting policemen in cold blood?" He was responding to the two recent fatal attacks against policemen by two ex-military African-American men, who appeared to be responding, in an appalling and unforgivable way, to numerous incidents of police brutality against African-Americans happening in cities across America. It failed to dawn on Trump that he's comparing a rogue military faction and a sitting President's authoritarian response to the actions of two non-state actors. About the preponderance of videos emerging showing American policemen shooting unarmed civilians Trump was quiet, but that would have made his comparison closer to sensible. Ironically, corroborating Trump's claim that the US shouldn't preach is Trump's own behaviour, as he has incited violence at his rallies. Unsurprisingly he has failed to criticize himself for this. Foreign policy Trump sees the world, and every single thing in it, through a money lens. When asked if under his presidency he would defend the 28 members of Nato, he laid a new condition; he would, but only after assessing their contributions to the alliance. Allies would receive protection if their relationship was economically advantageous, or would leave them to the wolves if they proved a net loss. Many before have criticised the military-industrial complex, but the notion of the American military being nothing more than a money-making enterprise has never been laid out so nakely by someone so close to the White House. More, this response presupposes that signed international treaties are in no way legally binding, undermining not just Nato but the very idea of entering into agreements with other countries. In terms of international trade he urged to put "America first", as if any other American politician has ever campaigned on "America second". He is by definition above rules, laws and agreements. "He was prepared to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement if he could not negotiate radically better terms." The Coup "I give credit to him for being able to turn that around", Trump said, as if talking about a dramatic come-from-behind victory in game 7. It doesn't take much reverence for morals or law to be concerned over the tens of thousands people imprisoned since the failed military coup, who can't all be guilty. Many world leaders urged Erdogan to be lawful in the wake of the failed coup. This is as basic as it is important, so it's worth quoting the Times piece here in full: "Asked if Mr Erdogan was exploiting the coup attempt to purge his political enemies, Mr Trump did not call for the Turkish leader to observe the rule of law, or Western standards of justice. 'When the world sees how bad the United States is and we start talking about civil liberties, I don't think we are a very good messenger,' he said." The article points out that this places him in the same camp as Russia, North Korea and China, "and other autocratic nations (who) frequently cite violence and disorder on American streets to justify their own practises, and to make the case that the United States has no standing to criticise them". But this obscures an important point: those countries have in mind footage of American police killing citizens, mostly poor or African-American ones, something Trump has never denounced and if anything supports. When he talks about the apparent erosion of civil liberties, it's unclear what he means. If he has in mind the two men who recently killed police officers, he's making a categorical mistake: by definition only agents of the state, not private citizens, can take away civil liberties. Islamic State Obama's administration is in a bind: both its ally Turkey and the Kurds are fighting IS effectively, but Turkey is also fighting the Kurds out of fear they will break away and form their own state. Trump claims he will break this impasse by...hosting meetings. Knowing no middle ground, the way to defeat IS is either to "bomb the shit out of them" or to converse. Regarding the leader of Syria Trump was uncharacteristically perspicacious, saying, "Assad is a bad man". Trump claimed to have been briefed by two former Republican secretaries of state, who gave him "a lot of knowledge", but shed no light on this knowledge. Nuclear weapons The Obama administration has begun the process of modernising its nuclear arsenal, but the next president will decide whether or not to launch the reboot in earnest, with all the purchasing of submarines and bombers that entails, for an estimated cost of $500-billion. "He talked of funding a major military buildup, starting with a modernisation of America's nuclear arsenal," the article says. To put it lightly, nothing in the Times interview, or anything he has ever said bolsters confidence that Trump can be trusted around nuclear weapons. "We have a lot of obsolete weapons. We have nuclear that we don't even know if it works." Just how he plans to learn whether or not these nuclear weapons work should be a terriyfing thought to everybody. (WION)

Trump joins China and Russia in denouncing US civil liberties, without pointing to an example

Hillary Clinton&#39;s presidential campaign accused Donald Trump on Sunday of caring more about how Britain&#39;s historic vote to leave the European Union would benefit his financial bottom line than how it would impact the US economy. 
 
Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook acknowledged parallels between the populist anger and anti-establishment fervor that fueled the Brexit vote and Trump&#39;s rise to the nomination, but said the Republican candidate&#39;s reaction showed he was not fit to occupy the White House. 
 
&quot;Hillary Clinton looks at this through the lens of how it&#39;s going to affect middle-class families, Donald Trump through the lens of how it will help his bottom line,&quot; Mook said on &quot;Fox News Sunday.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Without mentioning Trump by name, Clinton also warned that &quot;bombastic comments in turbulent times can actually cause more turbulence&quot; in a speech to a conference of city mayors in Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon. 
 
Her campaign released a national television advertisement earlier in the day, which featured the wealthy real estate developer&#39;s comments on Friday that the fall of the British currency after the Brexit vote could mean more business for his golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, where he was speaking.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Every president is tested by world events, but Donald Trump thinks about how his golf resort can profit from them,&quot; said the 30-second video. 
 
Besides his currency comments, Trump had praised the Brexit result as an example of people &quot;taking their country back.&quot; He responded to the advertisement on Sunday by saying Clinton, whose staff had said she supported the United Kingdom remaining in the union, had poor judgment. 
 
&quot;Clinton is trying to wash away her bad judgment call on BREXIT with big dollar ads,&quot; ran a message on his Twitter account. &quot;Disgraceful!&quot; 
 
Paul Manafort, campaign manager for Trump, rejected what he called a &quot;phony&quot; charge by Clinton and said Trump was more in sync with the global economic frustration exemplified by the Brexit vote. In contrast, the Clinton ad showed her campaign&#39;s &quot;tone deafness&quot; by focusing on things the American people did not care about, he said in an NBC interview. 
 
In her speech on Sunday, Clinton said the United States and the United Kingdom were different &quot;economically, politically, demographically,&quot; but still drew some parallels between the mood of American and British voters. 
 
&quot;Just as we have seen, there are many frustrated people in Britain, we know there are frustrated people here at home, too,&quot; she said. &quot;I 
have seen it, I&#39;ve heard it, I know it.&quot; 
 
Brexit parallels in US 
 
Global stock markets nosedived on Friday and economic experts warned of a potential global recession after the shocking British vote to pull out of the European Union. Markets prepared for the possibility of more pain on Monday. 
 
Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the Brexit vote highlighted global anxieties about economic stagnation and immigration. 
 
&quot;The genius of what&#39;s happened with the candidacy of Donald Trump is he&#39;s given voice to that, just as was given in the UK,&quot; Corker, who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick for Trump, said on CNN&#39;s &quot;State of the Union&quot; program. 
 
He said he thought Trump&#39;s appearance at his golf course in Scotland after the Brexit vote &quot;was one of his best events&quot; and his comments about the British currency and what it would mean for his businesses were just &quot;an anecdotal statement&quot; about its effects. 
 
&quot;He was giving an example, which is obvious, that when the currency fluctuates, as it does, more Americans are going to be able to travel to the UK more cheaply,&quot; he said. 
 
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said the Brexit vote showed people were tired of being dictated to by &quot;unelected bureaucrats in Brussels,&quot; and said there were parallels in the United States. 
 
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who built his White House campaign against Clinton around populist proposals to 
eradicate income inequality, remove big money from politics and rein in Wall Street, said the Brexit vote encapsulated many of those concerns. 
 
&quot;What ordinary people are saying is &#39;hey, give us an economy that works for all of us, not just the people on top,&#39; &quot; Sanders said on CNN. 
 
(Reuters)

Every president is tested by world events, but Donald Trump thinks about how his golf resort can profit from them, said the campaign

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign accused Donald Trump on Sunday of caring more about how Britain's historic vote to leave the European Union would benefit his financial bottom line than how it would impact the US economy. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook acknowledged parallels between the populist anger and anti-establishment fervor that fueled the Brexit vote and Trump's rise to the nomination, but said the Republican candidate's reaction showed he was not fit to occupy the White House. "Hillary Clinton looks at this through the lens of how it's going to affect middle-class families, Donald Trump through the lens of how it will help his bottom line," Mook said on "Fox News Sunday." Without mentioning Trump by name, Clinton also warned that "bombastic comments in turbulent times can actually cause more turbulence" in a speech to a conference of city mayors in Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon. Her campaign released a national television advertisement earlier in the day, which featured the wealthy real estate developer's comments on Friday that the fall of the British currency after the Brexit vote could mean more business for his golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, where he was speaking. "Every president is tested by world events, but Donald Trump thinks about how his golf resort can profit from them," said the 30-second video. Besides his currency comments, Trump had praised the Brexit result as an example of people "taking their country back." He responded to the advertisement on Sunday by saying Clinton, whose staff had said she supported the United Kingdom remaining in the union, had poor judgment. "Clinton is trying to wash away her bad judgment call on BREXIT with big dollar ads," ran a message on his Twitter account. "Disgraceful!" Paul Manafort, campaign manager for Trump, rejected what he called a "phony" charge by Clinton and said Trump was more in sync with the global economic frustration exemplified by the Brexit vote. In contrast, the Clinton ad showed her campaign's "tone deafness" by focusing on things the American people did not care about, he said in an NBC interview. In her speech on Sunday, Clinton said the United States and the United Kingdom were different "economically, politically, demographically," but still drew some parallels between the mood of American and British voters. "Just as we have seen, there are many frustrated people in Britain, we know there are frustrated people here at home, too," she said. "I have seen it, I've heard it, I know it." Brexit parallels in US Global stock markets nosedived on Friday and economic experts warned of a potential global recession after the shocking British vote to pull out of the European Union. Markets prepared for the possibility of more pain on Monday. Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the Brexit vote highlighted global anxieties about economic stagnation and immigration. "The genius of what's happened with the candidacy of Donald Trump is he's given voice to that, just as was given in the UK," Corker, who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick for Trump, said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. He said he thought Trump's appearance at his golf course in Scotland after the Brexit vote "was one of his best events" and his comments about the British currency and what it would mean for his businesses were just "an anecdotal statement" about its effects. "He was giving an example, which is obvious, that when the currency fluctuates, as it does, more Americans are going to be able to travel to the UK more cheaply," he said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said the Brexit vote showed people were tired of being dictated to by "unelected bureaucrats in Brussels," and said there were parallels in the United States. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who built his White House campaign against Clinton around populist proposals to eradicate income inequality, remove big money from politics and rein in Wall Street, said the Brexit vote encapsulated many of those concerns. "What ordinary people are saying is 'hey, give us an economy that works for all of us, not just the people on top,' " Sanders said on CNN. (Reuters)

Clinton campaign attacks Trump for seeing Brexit as boon for his business

A 19-year-old British man has been charged for trying to grab a police officer&#39;s gun at a Donald Trump rally in Las Vegas in a bid to kill the Republican presidential nominee. 
 
According to a complaint filed in federal court in Nevada, Michael Sandford tried to disarm the officer at Saturday&#39;s rally at the Mystere Theatre in the Treasure Island Casino before being overpowered. 
 
It said that the young man told a Secret Service agent after his arrest that he had driven from California to Las Vegas &quot;to kill Trump,&quot; and had been to a range a day earlier to learn to shoot as he had never fired a gun before. 
 
&quot;Sandford acknowledged that he would likely only be able to fire one to two rounds and stated he was convinced he would be killed by law enforcement during his attempt on Trump&#39;s life,&quot; the complaint said. 
 
It added that Sandford told investigators he had purchased tickets for a rally in Phoenix, where he &quot;would try again to kill Trump&quot; in the event his plan in Las Vegas failed. 
 
Video of his arrest carried by US media show a skinny man with short brown hair and a grey T-shirt being escorted out of the rally by police officers with his hands behind his back. 
 
The prosecutor&#39;s office said Sandford was ordered held without bond, as he was considered dangerous and represented a flight risk. 
 
Britain&#39;s Foreign Office is &quot;providing assistance&quot; in the case, a spokesman said. 
 
&#39;Would try this again&#39; 
 
The complaint said Sandford had told investigators that he had been in the United States for about 18 months, and had lived in Hoboken, New Jersey, before traveling to California. 
 
&nbsp;Sandford told investigators that he had targeted officer Ameel Jacob&#39;s gun because it was in an unlocked position and would be the easiest way to gain access to a weapon at the rally where those attending had to go through metal detectors. 
 
&quot;Sandford further stated that if he were on the street tomorrow, he would try this again,&quot; according to the complaint. 
 
It said Sandford told the Secret Service that he had been plotting to kill Trump for about a year and finally decided to act on Saturday, as &quot;he finally felt confident to do it.&quot; 
 
His arrest comes amid one of the nastiest US presidential campaigns in recent history, dominated by violent rhetoric, with Trump lashing out at Mexicans, Muslims and other groups. 
 
The real estate billionaire enjoys Secret Service protection but also has his own private security detail that has been accused of using unnecessary force to remove people from events. 
 
A number of protesters have been arrested at his rallies where riot police are deployed in force and there have been mounting demonstrations during his campaign appearances in recent months. 
 
Sandford is due to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on July 5. He faces more than 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if found guilty on the charge of &quot;act of violence on restricted grounds.&quot; 
(AFP)

The man had apparently driven from California to Las Vegas to kill Trump and had visited a shooting range a day earlier to learn to shoot

A 19-year-old British man has been charged for trying to grab a police officer's gun at a Donald Trump rally in Las Vegas in a bid to kill the Republican presidential nominee. According to a complaint filed in federal court in Nevada, Michael Sandford tried to disarm the officer at Saturday's rally at the Mystere Theatre in the Treasure Island Casino before being overpowered. It said that the young man told a Secret Service agent after his arrest that he had driven from California to Las Vegas "to kill Trump," and had been to a range a day earlier to learn to shoot as he had never fired a gun before. "Sandford acknowledged that he would likely only be able to fire one to two rounds and stated he was convinced he would be killed by law enforcement during his attempt on Trump's life," the complaint said. It added that Sandford told investigators he had purchased tickets for a rally in Phoenix, where he "would try again to kill Trump" in the event his plan in Las Vegas failed. Video of his arrest carried by US media show a skinny man with short brown hair and a grey T-shirt being escorted out of the rally by police officers with his hands behind his back. The prosecutor's office said Sandford was ordered held without bond, as he was considered dangerous and represented a flight risk. Britain's Foreign Office is "providing assistance" in the case, a spokesman said. 'Would try this again' The complaint said Sandford had told investigators that he had been in the United States for about 18 months, and had lived in Hoboken, New Jersey, before traveling to California. Sandford told investigators that he had targeted officer Ameel Jacob's gun because it was in an unlocked position and would be the easiest way to gain access to a weapon at the rally where those attending had to go through metal detectors. "Sandford further stated that if he were on the street tomorrow, he would try this again," according to the complaint. It said Sandford told the Secret Service that he had been plotting to kill Trump for about a year and finally decided to act on Saturday, as "he finally felt confident to do it." His arrest comes amid one of the nastiest US presidential campaigns in recent history, dominated by violent rhetoric, with Trump lashing out at Mexicans, Muslims and other groups. The real estate billionaire enjoys Secret Service protection but also has his own private security detail that has been accused of using unnecessary force to remove people from events. A number of protesters have been arrested at his rallies where riot police are deployed in force and there have been mounting demonstrations during his campaign appearances in recent months. Sandford is due to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on July 5. He faces more than 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if found guilty on the charge of "act of violence on restricted grounds." (AFP)

19-year-old Briton tries to grab cop's gun and kill Trump, charged

The leaders of Muslim and gay rights groups in Chicago, one of America&#39;s biggest cities, on Monday joined forces to slam Donald Trump in the wake of the Orlando massacre, saying now was not a time for divisions. 
 
On June 12, 49 people were killed and 53 others wounded in the shooting at a gay nightclub in the central Florida city. The shooter Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Muslim American of Afghan descent, was killed in a shootout with police. 
 
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has since renewed calls for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States and controversially suggested on Sunday that profiling of Muslims was not off the table. 
 
In Chicago, which has both a large Muslim population and a vibrant lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, leaders said Trump&#39;s comment were divisive and unproductive. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re scared, because it starts rhetorically, and then more people accept it if you don&#39;t nip it in the bud,&quot; Ahmed Rehab, the leader of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told AFP. 
 
&quot;If common sense doesn&#39;t step in right now, people are capable of mass hysteria, and he is fanning those flames,&quot; he said, speaking of Trump. 
 
Rehab said there was fear in Chicago&#39;s Muslim community, one of the largest in the United States, that they could potentially become targets of hate crimes. 
 
In the past week, there have been two threats emailed and phoned into area mosques, he said. 
 
&quot;There is never a time to divide Americans, and of course that is especially true at a time of deep national pain,&quot; James Bennett of Lambda Legal, an LGBT group, told a press conference. 
 
Rehab told reporters that his group and Lambda Legal planned to meet every two weeks with the goal of making &quot;clear statements on a mutual agenda of equal civil rights of all people regardless of their background.&quot; 
 
Bennett chimed in: &quot;I would encourage people to watch Chicago&#39;s example.&quot; 
 
Sending a message 
 
Illinois is home to an estimated 400,000 Muslims and 370,000 LGBT people, most of them located in the greater Chicago area, which has a population of about 5.2 million people. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re trying to send a message that this is not the time to try to pit communities against each other,&quot; said Brian Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, a gay rights group. 
 
&quot;Any public official or media personality who says such things that would not only suggest divides, but suggest putting in place actual divides, is deeply concerning,&quot; Johnson told AFP. 
 
On Sunday, Trump said profiling of Muslims, and racial profiling more generally, was &quot;not the worst thing to do.&quot; 
 
&quot;I hate the concept of profiling. But we have to use common sense. We&#39;re not using common sense,&quot; Trump said. 
 
African-Americans, Latinos, Muslims and other minorities in the United States have complained bitterly for decades about the practice in which police use a person&#39;s race, religion, national origin or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting them of committing a crime. 
 
&quot;He questions Muslims&#39; assimilation into America. I question his assimilation into our American values,&quot; Rehab said.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

'There is never a time to divide Americans and that is especially true at a time of deep national pain,' they said

The leaders of Muslim and gay rights groups in Chicago, one of America's biggest cities, on Monday joined forces to slam Donald Trump in the wake of the Orlando massacre, saying now was not a time for divisions. On June 12, 49 people were killed and 53 others wounded in the shooting at a gay nightclub in the central Florida city. The shooter Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Muslim American of Afghan descent, was killed in a shootout with police. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has since renewed calls for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States and controversially suggested on Sunday that profiling of Muslims was not off the table. In Chicago, which has both a large Muslim population and a vibrant lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, leaders said Trump's comment were divisive and unproductive. "We're scared, because it starts rhetorically, and then more people accept it if you don't nip it in the bud," Ahmed Rehab, the leader of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told AFP. "If common sense doesn't step in right now, people are capable of mass hysteria, and he is fanning those flames," he said, speaking of Trump. Rehab said there was fear in Chicago's Muslim community, one of the largest in the United States, that they could potentially become targets of hate crimes. In the past week, there have been two threats emailed and phoned into area mosques, he said. "There is never a time to divide Americans, and of course that is especially true at a time of deep national pain," James Bennett of Lambda Legal, an LGBT group, told a press conference. Rehab told reporters that his group and Lambda Legal planned to meet every two weeks with the goal of making "clear statements on a mutual agenda of equal civil rights of all people regardless of their background." Bennett chimed in: "I would encourage people to watch Chicago's example." Sending a message Illinois is home to an estimated 400,000 Muslims and 370,000 LGBT people, most of them located in the greater Chicago area, which has a population of about 5.2 million people. "We're trying to send a message that this is not the time to try to pit communities against each other," said Brian Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, a gay rights group. "Any public official or media personality who says such things that would not only suggest divides, but suggest putting in place actual divides, is deeply concerning," Johnson told AFP. On Sunday, Trump said profiling of Muslims, and racial profiling more generally, was "not the worst thing to do." "I hate the concept of profiling. But we have to use common sense. We're not using common sense," Trump said. African-Americans, Latinos, Muslims and other minorities in the United States have complained bitterly for decades about the practice in which police use a person's race, religion, national origin or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting them of committing a crime. "He questions Muslims' assimilation into America. I question his assimilation into our American values," Rehab said. (AFP)

In Chicago, Muslim and gay rights leaders take on Trump

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