While US President-elect Donald Trump wants to put the brakes on projects by Toyota and American automakers in Mexico, the country has become a global powerhouse when it comes to making cars.

Mexico is the world&#39;s fourth-largest exporter and seventh-largest producer of vehicles, which are made in 14 of the country&#39;s 32 states, according to industry figures.

The $52 billion-per-year industry represents some 875,000 jobs in Mexico, according to the economy ministry.&nbsp;

But the US president-elect wants to bring those jobs back to the United States.

Trump threatened on Thursday to impose a stiff tariff on Toyota if it goes through with plans to build a new factory in Mexico instead of making it in the United States.

On Tuesday, he made a similar threat against General Motors, while Ford announced the cancellation of a new $1.6 billion Mexican factory that Trump had criticized during the presidential campaign.

Free trade deals

The main reasons why Mexico is so attractive to foreign investors is its relatively low wages, its proximity to the US market and the free trade deals the country has with 46 countries.

The main pact is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that Mexico enacted with the United States and Canada in 1994.

But Trump wants to renegotiate NAFTA, threatening to withdraw if he can&#39;t get a better deal for the United States.

&nbsp;Export machine

Some 80 per cent of vehicles made in Mexico are exported. All are foreign companies as Mexico does not have its own brand.

While cars are shipped to 100 countries, three-quarters of the vehicles produced in Mexico are sent to the United States and more than 10 per cent go to Canada.

In the first 11 months of 2016, GM led vehicle exports from Mexico with 495,790, followed by Nissan (464,877), Fiat Chrysler America (404,160) and Ford (351,691), according to the Mexican Automobile Industry Association.

Toyota was ninth out of 10 car makers with 124,439 vehicle exports.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

&nbsp;

The $52 billion-a-year industry has created some 875,000 jobs in Mexico, which the US president-elect wants to bring back to the States

While US President-elect Donald Trump wants to put the brakes on projects by Toyota and American automakers in Mexico, the country has become a global powerhouse when it comes to making cars. Mexico is the world's fourth-largest exporter and seventh-largest producer of vehicles, which are made in 14 of the country's 32 states, according to industry figures. The $52 billion-per-year industry represents some 875,000 jobs in Mexico, according to the economy ministry. But the US president-elect wants to bring those jobs back to the United States. Trump threatened on Thursday to impose a stiff tariff on Toyota if it goes through with plans to build a new factory in Mexico instead of making it in the United States. On Tuesday, he made a similar threat against General Motors, while Ford announced the cancellation of a new $1.6 billion Mexican factory that Trump had criticized during the presidential campaign. Free trade deals The main reasons why Mexico is so attractive to foreign investors is its relatively low wages, its proximity to the US market and the free trade deals the country has with 46 countries. The main pact is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that Mexico enacted with the United States and Canada in 1994. But Trump wants to renegotiate NAFTA, threatening to withdraw if he can't get a better deal for the United States. Export machine Some 80 per cent of vehicles made in Mexico are exported. All are foreign companies as Mexico does not have its own brand. While cars are shipped to 100 countries, three-quarters of the vehicles produced in Mexico are sent to the United States and more than 10 per cent go to Canada. In the first 11 months of 2016, GM led vehicle exports from Mexico with 495,790, followed by Nissan (464,877), Fiat Chrysler America (404,160) and Ford (351,691), according to the Mexican Automobile Industry Association. Toyota was ninth out of 10 car makers with 124,439 vehicle exports. (AFP)

Auto industry targeted by Trump is vital to Mexico

US President Barack Obama headed on Wednesday to Capitol Hill where he urged fellow Democrats to &quot;fight&quot; to preserve his signature health care reform that Donald Trump vows to start repealing on day one of his administration.

Obamacare, the fruit of an eight-year drive to extend medical coverage to tens of millions of Americans, will come under sustained assault when Trump takes office January 20 with Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress.

But the debate over US health care began in earnest Wednesday with Obama and Vice President-elect Mike Pence making duelling visits to Congress where they urged their footsoldiers to gird for battle.

&quot;I envy you for the opportunity you are going to have to engage in this fight to protect health care for the American people,&quot; the outgoing president told Senate and House Democrats, according to Senator Ed Markey who attended the 100-minute meeting.

After a crushing election loss, Democrats may have limited options for stalling a repeal of Obamacare without significant Republican defections.

They also face criticism that Obama&#39;s reforms have led to rising insurance premiums and a string of technical problems.

But certain elements of Obamacare remain popular, notably the provisions barring companies from refusing coverage due to pre-existing conditions and allowing children to retain coverage on family plans through age 26.

Republican opposition in general to Obamacare is clear, but their prescription to fix it is not, however.

House Speaker Paul Ryan has proposed a tax credit system as a possible replacement, but the costs to government and individuals remains vague.

The White House is betting that American voters will react with fury if Trump moves to strip millions of coverage with no viable alternative -- forcing the incoming president to confront the most radical reformers within his own party.

While Pence addressed the issue gingerly in Congress Wednesday, he stressed that Trump will begin the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act as the first step of the new administration.

&quot;The first order of business is to repeal and replace Obamacare,&quot; Pence told reporters in the US Capitol shortly after meeting with House Republicans.

But earlier in the day Trump himself warned against over-hasty action.

&quot;Republicans must be careful in that the Dems own the failed ObamaCare disaster, with its poor coverage and massive premium increases,&quot; the president-elect said on Twitter.

&quot;Massive increases of ObamaCare will take place this year and Dems are to blame for the mess. It will fall of its own weight - be careful!&quot;

While urging a full repeal of the law, House Speaker Paul Ryan also said Republicans should avoid putting millions of families in further financial jeopardy by gutting Obamacare without a viable alternative in place.

&quot;We&#39;ve got to fix this by replacing it with something better. In that transition we want to make sure we don&#39;t pull the rug out from anybody,&quot; the speaker said.

One Republican, congressman Chris Collins, said the party was looking at a six-month timeline for crafting an Obamacare alternative.

Other Republicans said that was far too ambitious.Republican legislators are eager to take charge after eight years spent fighting against Obama&#39;s policies.

But some are wary that white working class Americans, who delivered them to office, may bear the brunt of any reforms. 
Dismantling Obamacare could also have knock-on effects for funding health care for retirees, a group essential to the Republican Party&#39;s survival.

In these two issues, Democrats see pressure points they hope to exploit in defence of Obama&#39;s plan.

&quot;It&#39;s not surprising to me that there are some Republicans who are now a little queasy about the prospect of the impact that repealing Obamacare would have on their own supporters,&quot; said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

&quot;We know there are people all across the country who benefit from this law, who are protected by this law, whose lives have been saved by this law.&quot;&nbsp;

Obama is believed to have put this point directly to Trump when they talked soon after the election.

Democratic leaders voiced support for a stiff defence of the Affordable Care Act in the face of Republican attacks.

&quot;Instead of working to further ensure affordable care for all Americans, they seek to rip health care away from millions of Americans, creating chaos in our entire economy,&quot; charged Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.

But privately many Democrats admit their best hope now could be offering Trump some form of political victory, so long as the plan survives more or less intact.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

Obamacare, the result of an eight-year drive,?will come under sustained assault when Trump takes office January 20

US President Barack Obama headed on Wednesday to Capitol Hill where he urged fellow Democrats to "fight" to preserve his signature health care reform that Donald Trump vows to start repealing on day one of his administration. Obamacare, the fruit of an eight-year drive to extend medical coverage to tens of millions of Americans, will come under sustained assault when Trump takes office January 20 with Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress. But the debate over US health care began in earnest Wednesday with Obama and Vice President-elect Mike Pence making duelling visits to Congress where they urged their footsoldiers to gird for battle. "I envy you for the opportunity you are going to have to engage in this fight to protect health care for the American people," the outgoing president told Senate and House Democrats, according to Senator Ed Markey who attended the 100-minute meeting. After a crushing election loss, Democrats may have limited options for stalling a repeal of Obamacare without significant Republican defections. They also face criticism that Obama's reforms have led to rising insurance premiums and a string of technical problems. But certain elements of Obamacare remain popular, notably the provisions barring companies from refusing coverage due to pre-existing conditions and allowing children to retain coverage on family plans through age 26. Republican opposition in general to Obamacare is clear, but their prescription to fix it is not, however. House Speaker Paul Ryan has proposed a tax credit system as a possible replacement, but the costs to government and individuals remains vague. The White House is betting that American voters will react with fury if Trump moves to strip millions of coverage with no viable alternative -- forcing the incoming president to confront the most radical reformers within his own party. While Pence addressed the issue gingerly in Congress Wednesday, he stressed that Trump will begin the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act as the first step of the new administration. "The first order of business is to repeal and replace Obamacare," Pence told reporters in the US Capitol shortly after meeting with House Republicans. But earlier in the day Trump himself warned against over-hasty action. "Republicans must be careful in that the Dems own the failed ObamaCare disaster, with its poor coverage and massive premium increases," the president-elect said on Twitter. "Massive increases of ObamaCare will take place this year and Dems are to blame for the mess. It will fall of its own weight - be careful!" While urging a full repeal of the law, House Speaker Paul Ryan also said Republicans should avoid putting millions of families in further financial jeopardy by gutting Obamacare without a viable alternative in place. "We've got to fix this by replacing it with something better. In that transition we want to make sure we don't pull the rug out from anybody," the speaker said. One Republican, congressman Chris Collins, said the party was looking at a six-month timeline for crafting an Obamacare alternative. Other Republicans said that was far too ambitious.Republican legislators are eager to take charge after eight years spent fighting against Obama's policies. But some are wary that white working class Americans, who delivered them to office, may bear the brunt of any reforms. Dismantling Obamacare could also have knock-on effects for funding health care for retirees, a group essential to the Republican Party's survival. In these two issues, Democrats see pressure points they hope to exploit in defence of Obama's plan. "It's not surprising to me that there are some Republicans who are now a little queasy about the prospect of the impact that repealing Obamacare would have on their own supporters," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. "We know there are people all across the country who benefit from this law, who are protected by this law, whose lives have been saved by this law." Obama is believed to have put this point directly to Trump when they talked soon after the election. Democratic leaders voiced support for a stiff defence of the Affordable Care Act in the face of Republican attacks. "Instead of working to further ensure affordable care for all Americans, they seek to rip health care away from millions of Americans, creating chaos in our entire economy," charged Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. But privately many Democrats admit their best hope now could be offering Trump some form of political victory, so long as the plan survives more or less intact. (AFP)

Obama asks democrats to 'fight' to preserve Obamacare

The Republican-led US Congress begins a new session on Tuesday&nbsp;where it will start laying plans for enacting President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations.

With Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republican lawmakers hope to get a quick start on priorities that were blocked during Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s eight years in the White House.

Since his election on November 8, the Republican president-elect has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during the campaign such as simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Obama&rsquo;s signature health insurance program known as Obamacare.

Republicans have long sought to dismantle Obamacare, insisting it was unworkable and hampered job growth. But they face a dilemma over how to provide health insurance for the 13.8 million people enrolled in Obamacare who could lose their coverage. The law aims to provide health insurance to economically disadvantaged people and expand coverage for others.

Last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that before the election, he assumed Democrats would take back control of the Senate and hold on to the White House, ending any talk of repealing Obamacare.

&quot;I didn&#39;t think...Trump had a chance of winning,&quot; McConnell said in a December 19 interview with Kentucky Educational Television.

The opposite occurred and now Republicans find they have to deliver on their campaign promise, even though they have not agreed on a replacement healthcare program.

Trump kept up his attack on the law on Tuesday, tweeting: &quot;People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn&#39;t work, and it is not affordable,&quot; and adding, &quot;It is lousy healthcare.&quot;

The first meeting of the 115th Congress will be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in.

Amid the celebration will be a move by House Republicans to clear the decks for Obamacare repeal.

That will come in the form of a vote on rules governing House procedures in the two-year term of the chamber. Tucked into the rules package is a move to prevent Democrats from slowing or stopping Obamacare repeal legislation because of the potential cost to the US Treasury of doing so.

Leading Democrats warned on Monday of a fierce battle over Obamacare.

&quot;We&#39;re going to fight as hard as ever to protect the ACA (Affordable Care Act),&quot; said Representative Steny Hoyer, the House&#39;s second-ranking Democrat.

Speaking to reporters, Hoyer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they would launch an effort to mobilise grassroots support for Obamacare by explaining how repeal would create a ripple effect hurting a majority of Americans.

Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare.

&nbsp;

Cabinet, Supreme Court nominations

The Senate will kick off hearings on Trump&#39;s choices to head his Cabinet departments and other top jobs in the new administration.

It is also expected to receive a Supreme Court nomination from Trump early in his term to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February. Republicans refused to consider Obama&#39;s nomination of Merrick Garland last year.

Prominent Republican Senator John McCain has warned that Rex Tillerson, Trump&#39;s choice for secretary of state, will have to explain his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom McCain has called a &quot;thug and a murderer&quot;.

Tillerson, who spent much of his career at Exxon Mobil Corp, has been involved in business dealings in Russia and opposed US sanctions against Moscow for its incursion into Crimea.

While McConnell repeatedly called for removing Obamacare &quot;root and branch,&quot; he said in the Kentucky television interview that his top priorities for the new Congress were dealing with the &quot;massive overregulation&quot; he said had been a brake on the US economy and accomplishing tax code changes to stop companies from moving jobs offshore.

Republican lawmakers also want to curtail or block regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008.

Republicans might use upcoming spending bills funding government agencies to try to kill some of those regulations. Trump is also expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end.

Republicans will hold a slightly smaller majority in both the Senate and House than they enjoyed the past two years. That means Democrats will still have bargaining power, especially on issues that divide Republicans, such as spending priorities.

(Reuters)

Republican's are eager for Trump's agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations

The Republican-led US Congress begins a new session on Tuesday where it will start laying plans for enacting President-elect Donald Trump's agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations. With Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republican lawmakers hope to get a quick start on priorities that were blocked during Democratic President Barack Obama's eight years in the White House. Since his election on November 8, the Republican president-elect has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during the campaign such as simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Obama’s signature health insurance program known as Obamacare. Republicans have long sought to dismantle Obamacare, insisting it was unworkable and hampered job growth. But they face a dilemma over how to provide health insurance for the 13.8 million people enrolled in Obamacare who could lose their coverage. The law aims to provide health insurance to economically disadvantaged people and expand coverage for others. Last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that before the election, he assumed Democrats would take back control of the Senate and hold on to the White House, ending any talk of repealing Obamacare. "I didn't think...Trump had a chance of winning," McConnell said in a December 19 interview with Kentucky Educational Television. The opposite occurred and now Republicans find they have to deliver on their campaign promise, even though they have not agreed on a replacement healthcare program. Trump kept up his attack on the law on Tuesday, tweeting: "People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn't work, and it is not affordable," and adding, "It is lousy healthcare." The first meeting of the 115th Congress will be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in. Amid the celebration will be a move by House Republicans to clear the decks for Obamacare repeal. That will come in the form of a vote on rules governing House procedures in the two-year term of the chamber. Tucked into the rules package is a move to prevent Democrats from slowing or stopping Obamacare repeal legislation because of the potential cost to the US Treasury of doing so. Leading Democrats warned on Monday of a fierce battle over Obamacare. "We're going to fight as hard as ever to protect the ACA (Affordable Care Act)," said Representative Steny Hoyer, the House's second-ranking Democrat. Speaking to reporters, Hoyer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they would launch an effort to mobilise grassroots support for Obamacare by explaining how repeal would create a ripple effect hurting a majority of Americans. Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare. Cabinet, Supreme Court nominations The Senate will kick off hearings on Trump's choices to head his Cabinet departments and other top jobs in the new administration. It is also expected to receive a Supreme Court nomination from Trump early in his term to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February. Republicans refused to consider Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland last year. Prominent Republican Senator John McCain has warned that Rex Tillerson, Trump's choice for secretary of state, will have to explain his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom McCain has called a "thug and a murderer". Tillerson, who spent much of his career at Exxon Mobil Corp, has been involved in business dealings in Russia and opposed US sanctions against Moscow for its incursion into Crimea. While McConnell repeatedly called for removing Obamacare "root and branch," he said in the Kentucky television interview that his top priorities for the new Congress were dealing with the "massive overregulation" he said had been a brake on the US economy and accomplishing tax code changes to stop companies from moving jobs offshore. Republican lawmakers also want to curtail or block regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008. Republicans might use upcoming spending bills funding government agencies to try to kill some of those regulations. Trump is also expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end. Republicans will hold a slightly smaller majority in both the Senate and House than they enjoyed the past two years. That means Democrats will still have bargaining power, especially on issues that divide Republicans, such as spending priorities. (Reuters)

New Republican-led US Congress lays groundwork for reversing Obama agenda

A top aide to President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Sunday that the White House may have disproportionately punished Russia by ordering the expulsion of 35 suspected Russian spies.

Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on ABC&#39;s &quot;This Week&quot; that Trump will be asking questions of US&nbsp;intelligence agencies after President Barack Obama imposed sanctions last week on two Russian intelligence agencies over what he said was their involvement in hacking political groups in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election. Obama also ordered Russia to vacate two U.S. facilities as part of the tough sanctions on Russia.

&quot;One of the questions that we have is why the magnitude of this? I mean you look at 35 people being expelled, two sites being closed down, the question is, is that response in proportion to the actions taken? Maybe it was; maybe it wasn&#39;t but you have to think about that,&quot; Spicer said.

Trump is to have briefings with intelligence agencies this week after he returns to New York on Sunday.

On Saturday, Trump expressed continued skepticism over whether Russia was responsible for computer hacks of Democratic Party officials.

&quot;I think it&#39;s unfair if we don&#39;t know. It could be somebody else. I also know things that other people don&#39;t know so we cannot be sure,&quot; Trump said.

He said he would disclose some information on the issue on Tuesday or Wednesday, without elaborating. It is unclear if, upon taking office on Jan. 20, he would seek to roll back Obama&#39;s actions, which mark a post-Cold War low in US-Russian ties.

Spicer said that after China in 2015 seized records of US&nbsp;government employees &quot;no action publicly was taken. Nothing, nothing was taken when millions of people had their private information, including information on security clearances that was shared. Not one thing happened.&quot;

&quot;So there is a question about whether there&#39;s a political retribution here versus a diplomatic response,&quot; he added.

Pressure in congress

US&nbsp;intelligence agencies say Russia was behind hacks into Democratic Party organizations and operatives before the presidential election. Moscow denies this. US&nbsp;intelligence officials say the Russian cyber attacks aimed to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Republican John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has scheduled a hearing for Thursday on foreign cyber threats and has said that Russia must be made to pay the price for attacks &quot;on our very fundamentals of democracy.

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said on the same ABC program that Congress would push for an even harsher reprisal against Russia and warned Trump against undoing Obama&rsquo;s sanctions.

&quot;We think that more has to be done. We don&#39;t think that frankly the steps that have been taken are enough of a deterrent,&quot; said Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat. &ldquo;And you&#39;re going to see bipartisan support in Congress for stronger sanctions against Russia.&quot;

Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, said on &quot;Fox News Sunday&quot; that Obama&#39;s sanctions were not enough.

Russian President Vladimir Putin decided not to expel anyone in retaliation, saying he would consider the actions of Trump when deciding on further steps. Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin, said the Russian leader was &quot;very smart&quot; for holding back.

Russian diplomats who were expelled by Obama left Washington on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported, citing Russia&#39;s embassy.

(Reuters)

Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on ABC's 'This Week' that Trump will be asking questions of US?intelligence agencies

A top aide to President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Sunday that the White House may have disproportionately punished Russia by ordering the expulsion of 35 suspected Russian spies. Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on ABC's "This Week" that Trump will be asking questions of US intelligence agencies after President Barack Obama imposed sanctions last week on two Russian intelligence agencies over what he said was their involvement in hacking political groups in the 2016 US presidential election. Obama also ordered Russia to vacate two U.S. facilities as part of the tough sanctions on Russia. "One of the questions that we have is why the magnitude of this? I mean you look at 35 people being expelled, two sites being closed down, the question is, is that response in proportion to the actions taken? Maybe it was; maybe it wasn't but you have to think about that," Spicer said. Trump is to have briefings with intelligence agencies this week after he returns to New York on Sunday. On Saturday, Trump expressed continued skepticism over whether Russia was responsible for computer hacks of Democratic Party officials. "I think it's unfair if we don't know. It could be somebody else. I also know things that other people don't know so we cannot be sure," Trump said. He said he would disclose some information on the issue on Tuesday or Wednesday, without elaborating. It is unclear if, upon taking office on Jan. 20, he would seek to roll back Obama's actions, which mark a post-Cold War low in US-Russian ties. Spicer said that after China in 2015 seized records of US government employees "no action publicly was taken. Nothing, nothing was taken when millions of people had their private information, including information on security clearances that was shared. Not one thing happened." "So there is a question about whether there's a political retribution here versus a diplomatic response," he added. Pressure in congress US intelligence agencies say Russia was behind hacks into Democratic Party organizations and operatives before the presidential election. Moscow denies this. US intelligence officials say the Russian cyber attacks aimed to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. Republican John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has scheduled a hearing for Thursday on foreign cyber threats and has said that Russia must be made to pay the price for attacks "on our very fundamentals of democracy. The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said on the same ABC program that Congress would push for an even harsher reprisal against Russia and warned Trump against undoing Obama’s sanctions. "We think that more has to be done. We don't think that frankly the steps that have been taken are enough of a deterrent," said Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat. “And you're going to see bipartisan support in Congress for stronger sanctions against Russia." Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, said on "Fox News Sunday" that Obama's sanctions were not enough. Russian President Vladimir Putin decided not to expel anyone in retaliation, saying he would consider the actions of Trump when deciding on further steps. Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin, said the Russian leader was "very smart" for holding back. Russian diplomats who were expelled by Obama left Washington on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported, citing Russia's embassy. (Reuters)

Trump aide says US sanctions on Russia may be disproportionate

Pakistan has sought support of the US on the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with India, as Secretary of State John Kerry called for an amicable settlement of the issue by New Delhi and Islamabad, media reported today.

The development came after Pakistan was irked by the World Bank pause in mediation to resolve differences over construction of two water projects by India.

The Express Tribune reported that Kerry made a phone call to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday night and discussed the row over the IWT implementation and the role of the World Bank (WB), which had brokered the treaty in 1960.

After Kerry&#39;s call, US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale also met Dar in Islamabad at the Finance Ministry. 
The back-to-back contacts highlight the importance of the water issue, which can potentially endanger regional stability if the situation slips out of control, according to sources at Finance Ministry.

&quot;The US would like to see an amicable solution to this (water) issue,&quot; a Finance Ministry statement quoted Kerry as saying.

Kerry told Dar that the WB president had informed him about Pakistan&#39;s complaint against India on the IWT. 
The water dispute has catapulted the US back into Pakistan&#39;s economic picture.

The American civilian and military assistance to Pakistan has drastically come down in recent months and its implications on Pakistan&#39;s fiscal situation have started emerging in the shape of a larger-than-anticipated budget deficit.

Independent analysts argue that Washington may not play an effective role in resolving the water dispute, as the Obama administration is preparing to hand over the White House to Donald Trump next month.

&quot;Senator Dar indicated that the US support on the principles and legal position of Pakistan will be greatly appreciated,&quot; stated the Finance Ministry.

Early this month, the WB had announced a pause in playing its legally binding role of mediator in the IWT implementation.

In October, Pakistan had approached the WB seeking appointment of the Chairman of Court of Arbitration to resolve a dispute over construction of two mega hydropower projects by India in violation of the IWT.

The Finance Minister told Kerry that the IWT was an international commitment and it was the WB&#39;s responsibility to make sure India honoured the treaty and the water rights of hundreds of millions of Pakistani people were protected, said the finance ministry.

(PTI)

The US would like an amicable resolution, but this administration may not have a chance to be effective before Trump takes office

Pakistan has sought support of the US on the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with India, as Secretary of State John Kerry called for an amicable settlement of the issue by New Delhi and Islamabad, media reported today. The development came after Pakistan was irked by the World Bank pause in mediation to resolve differences over construction of two water projects by India. The Express Tribune reported that Kerry made a phone call to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday night and discussed the row over the IWT implementation and the role of the World Bank (WB), which had brokered the treaty in 1960. After Kerry's call, US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale also met Dar in Islamabad at the Finance Ministry. The back-to-back contacts highlight the importance of the water issue, which can potentially endanger regional stability if the situation slips out of control, according to sources at Finance Ministry. "The US would like to see an amicable solution to this (water) issue," a Finance Ministry statement quoted Kerry as saying. Kerry told Dar that the WB president had informed him about Pakistan's complaint against India on the IWT. The water dispute has catapulted the US back into Pakistan's economic picture. The American civilian and military assistance to Pakistan has drastically come down in recent months and its implications on Pakistan's fiscal situation have started emerging in the shape of a larger-than-anticipated budget deficit. Independent analysts argue that Washington may not play an effective role in resolving the water dispute, as the Obama administration is preparing to hand over the White House to Donald Trump next month. "Senator Dar indicated that the US support on the principles and legal position of Pakistan will be greatly appreciated," stated the Finance Ministry. Early this month, the WB had announced a pause in playing its legally binding role of mediator in the IWT implementation. In October, Pakistan had approached the WB seeking appointment of the Chairman of Court of Arbitration to resolve a dispute over construction of two mega hydropower projects by India in violation of the IWT. The Finance Minister told Kerry that the IWT was an international commitment and it was the WB's responsibility to make sure India honoured the treaty and the water rights of hundreds of millions of Pakistani people were protected, said the finance ministry. (PTI)

Pakistan seeks US support in water dispute with India

A code associated with the Russian hacking operation dubbed Grizzly Steppe by the Obama administration has been detected within the system of a Vermont electric utility, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

The Russians did not actively use the code to disrupt operations of the utility, the officials told the Post, but penetration of the nation&#39;s electrical grid is significant because it represents a potentially serious vulnerability.

Reuters could not independently confirm the story.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian suspected spies and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over their involvement in hacking US&nbsp;political groups in the 2016 presidential election.

Government and utility industry officials regularly monitor the nation&#39;s electrical grid because it is highly computerised and any disruptions can have disastrous implications for the functioning of medical and emergency services, the Post said.

US&nbsp;officials, including one senior administration official, said they are not yet sure what the intentions of the Russians might have been, the Post reported.

Federal officials have shared the malware code used in Grizzly Steppe with utility executives nationwide, a senior administration official said, and Vermont utility officials identified it within their operations, the Post reported.

While it is unclear which utility reported the incident, there are just two major utilities in Vermont, Green Mountain Power and Burlington Electric, the Post said.

The White House and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Green Mountain Power and Burlington Electric did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The penetration may have been designed to disrupt the utility&#39;s operations or as a test by the Russians to see whether they could penetrate a portion of the grid, the newspaper said.

(Reuters)

While the intentions were unclear, disruptions can have disastrous implications for the functioning of medical and emergency servicen

A code associated with the Russian hacking operation dubbed Grizzly Steppe by the Obama administration has been detected within the system of a Vermont electric utility, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing unnamed U.S. officials. The Russians did not actively use the code to disrupt operations of the utility, the officials told the Post, but penetration of the nation's electrical grid is significant because it represents a potentially serious vulnerability. Reuters could not independently confirm the story. On Thursday, President Barack Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian suspected spies and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over their involvement in hacking US political groups in the 2016 presidential election. Government and utility industry officials regularly monitor the nation's electrical grid because it is highly computerised and any disruptions can have disastrous implications for the functioning of medical and emergency services, the Post said. US officials, including one senior administration official, said they are not yet sure what the intentions of the Russians might have been, the Post reported. Federal officials have shared the malware code used in Grizzly Steppe with utility executives nationwide, a senior administration official said, and Vermont utility officials identified it within their operations, the Post reported. While it is unclear which utility reported the incident, there are just two major utilities in Vermont, Green Mountain Power and Burlington Electric, the Post said. The White House and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Green Mountain Power and Burlington Electric did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The penetration may have been designed to disrupt the utility's operations or as a test by the Russians to see whether they could penetrate a portion of the grid, the newspaper said. (Reuters)

Russian hackers penetrated Vermont electric utility: Washington Post

US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for refraining from retaliation in a dispute over spying and cyber attacks, in another sign that the Republican plans to patch up badly frayed relations with Moscow.

Putin on Friday ruled out tit-for-tat expulsions of Americans in response to US sanctions over alleged cyberattacks, a move that won plaudits from President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump&#39;s intervention -- in a tweet -- however illustrated the shifting political tide in Washington barely three weeks before the Republican is due to succeed Obama at the White House.

&quot;Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!&quot; the incoming US president wrote.

Putin&#39;s decision came despite the foreign ministry asking him to send home 35 US diplomats after President Barack Obama had turfed out the same number of Russian staff.

The alleged hacking of the US presidential election in November outraged Obama, culminating in the expulsions and other sanctions.

But outlining why he would not retaliate Putin cited Trump&#39;s imminent accession.

&quot;We will not expel anyone,&quot; Putin said in a statement, also inviting children of US diplomats to a holiday party at the Kremlin.

Instead, Moscow would plan its next steps &quot;based on the policies pursued by the administration of president Donald Trump&quot;, while warning that the Kremlin reserves the right to respond.

The Russian leader chided the outgoing Obama for &quot;unfriendly steps&quot; amounting to &quot;a provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations&quot;.

Putin&#39;s remarks confirmed that Moscow is pinning its hopes on Trump to help rebuild ties -- which have plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War -- when he takes office next month.

Trump has repeatedly praised Putin and nominated people seen as friendly toward Moscow to senior administration posts, but it is unclear whether he would seek to roll back Obama&#39;s actions.

&nbsp;

State Deptartment silent

Putin had ended his statement on the sanctions by wishing Obama and Trump a Happy New Year, separately congratulating the US president-elect in a New Year message.

Prior to Trump&#39;s remarks, a State Department official&#39;s limited response had symbolised the gulf between the Obama adminstration and the soon to be inaugurated new US president.

&quot;We have seen President Putin&#39;s remarks. We have nothing further to add,&quot; the official said.

Obama on Thursday unleashed a barrage of sanctions against Russia over alleged cyberattacks aimed at tilting the November election in Trump&#39;s favour.

The move came after years of bad blood with Putin that had seen Washington slap sanctions on Moscow over its interference in Ukraine and Syria.

In response to the purported hacks, dubbed &quot;Grizzly Steppe&quot; by US officials, Obama announced penalties against Russia&#39;s military and domestic intelligence agencies, and gave the 35 suspected &quot;intelligence operatives&quot; 72 hours to leave.

The Kremlin said it was sending a special plane to fly diplomats and their families from the United States, following reports they are not able to purchase plane tickets at such short notice.&nbsp;

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian news agencies that 96 people would be leaving the US.

US intelligence has concluded that the Kremlin ordered a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign staff emails in a bid to put Trump in the Oval Office.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the hacking allegations.

&nbsp;

&#39;Americans should be alarmed&#39;

Trump too has questioned whether Russia tipped the electoral scale, painting Obama&#39;s accusations as a thinly veiled effort by a Democratic president to cover up for his party&#39;s loss.&nbsp;

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency have both stated that Russia interfered with the US election.&nbsp;

For weeks while he was campaigning, Donald Trump said the 2016 US election was &quot;rigged&quot;, and when pressed on the issue he refused to say that he would accept its results if&nbsp;he lost. Now that he has won, he accepts the results.

Trump, however, has said he will meet intelligence leaders next week for a briefing on the situation.

Obama -- who has also clashed with Trump over his Israel policy in recent days -- pointedly stated that &quot;all Americans should be alarmed by Russia&#39;s actions&quot;.

It remains unclear whether Trump will move to roll back the sanctions. Leading Republican lawmakers have publicly warned him to stay tough on Putin.

Beyond the election row, Obama also linked the fresh sanctions to harassment of US diplomats in Moscow, which Washington described as &quot;unprecedented&quot; in the post-Cold War era.

US officials, meanwhile, played down the impact sanctions against the GRU and the FSB could have on intelligence-sharing on issues like counterterrorism, saying cooperation was already limited.

Both agencies will face penalties, along with GRU agency chief Igor Korobov and three of his deputies.

In addition, the US Treasury hit two individuals, Evgeniy Bogachev and Aleksey Belan, with sanctions for &quot;involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities&quot;.

The sanctions freeze any assets they may have in the United States and block US companies from doing business with them.

The US government is also declassifying technical information on Russian cyber activity to help companies defend against future attacks.

(With inputs from agencies)

Putin did not expel US diplomats after Obama, reacting to Russian interference with the US election, sent 35 Russian intel ops home

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for refraining from retaliation in a dispute over spying and cyber attacks, in another sign that the Republican plans to patch up badly frayed relations with Moscow. Putin on Friday ruled out tit-for-tat expulsions of Americans in response to US sanctions over alleged cyberattacks, a move that won plaudits from President-elect Donald Trump. Trump's intervention -- in a tweet -- however illustrated the shifting political tide in Washington barely three weeks before the Republican is due to succeed Obama at the White House. "Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!" the incoming US president wrote. Putin's decision came despite the foreign ministry asking him to send home 35 US diplomats after President Barack Obama had turfed out the same number of Russian staff. The alleged hacking of the US presidential election in November outraged Obama, culminating in the expulsions and other sanctions. But outlining why he would not retaliate Putin cited Trump's imminent accession. "We will not expel anyone," Putin said in a statement, also inviting children of US diplomats to a holiday party at the Kremlin. Instead, Moscow would plan its next steps "based on the policies pursued by the administration of president Donald Trump", while warning that the Kremlin reserves the right to respond. The Russian leader chided the outgoing Obama for "unfriendly steps" amounting to "a provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations". Putin's remarks confirmed that Moscow is pinning its hopes on Trump to help rebuild ties -- which have plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War -- when he takes office next month. Trump has repeatedly praised Putin and nominated people seen as friendly toward Moscow to senior administration posts, but it is unclear whether he would seek to roll back Obama's actions. State Deptartment silent Putin had ended his statement on the sanctions by wishing Obama and Trump a Happy New Year, separately congratulating the US president-elect in a New Year message. Prior to Trump's remarks, a State Department official's limited response had symbolised the gulf between the Obama adminstration and the soon to be inaugurated new US president. "We have seen President Putin's remarks. We have nothing further to add," the official said. Obama on Thursday unleashed a barrage of sanctions against Russia over alleged cyberattacks aimed at tilting the November election in Trump's favour. The move came after years of bad blood with Putin that had seen Washington slap sanctions on Moscow over its interference in Ukraine and Syria. In response to the purported hacks, dubbed "Grizzly Steppe" by US officials, Obama announced penalties against Russia's military and domestic intelligence agencies, and gave the 35 suspected "intelligence operatives" 72 hours to leave. The Kremlin said it was sending a special plane to fly diplomats and their families from the United States, following reports they are not able to purchase plane tickets at such short notice. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian news agencies that 96 people would be leaving the US. US intelligence has concluded that the Kremlin ordered a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign staff emails in a bid to put Trump in the Oval Office. Moscow has repeatedly denied the hacking allegations. 'Americans should be alarmed' Trump too has questioned whether Russia tipped the electoral scale, painting Obama's accusations as a thinly veiled effort by a Democratic president to cover up for his party's loss. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency have both stated that Russia interfered with the US election. For weeks while he was campaigning, Donald Trump said the 2016 US election was "rigged", and when pressed on the issue he refused to say that he would accept its results if he lost. Now that he has won, he accepts the results. Trump, however, has said he will meet intelligence leaders next week for a briefing on the situation. Obama -- who has also clashed with Trump over his Israel policy in recent days -- pointedly stated that "all Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions". It remains unclear whether Trump will move to roll back the sanctions. Leading Republican lawmakers have publicly warned him to stay tough on Putin. Beyond the election row, Obama also linked the fresh sanctions to harassment of US diplomats in Moscow, which Washington described as "unprecedented" in the post-Cold War era. US officials, meanwhile, played down the impact sanctions against the GRU and the FSB could have on intelligence-sharing on issues like counterterrorism, saying cooperation was already limited. Both agencies will face penalties, along with GRU agency chief Igor Korobov and three of his deputies. In addition, the US Treasury hit two individuals, Evgeniy Bogachev and Aleksey Belan, with sanctions for "involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities". The sanctions freeze any assets they may have in the United States and block US companies from doing business with them. The US government is also declassifying technical information on Russian cyber activity to help companies defend against future attacks. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump praises 'very smart' Putin for holding back amid hacking row

To find out, try and answer our 10 multiple-choice questions on the year

How well do you know 2016?

Already battling headwinds of a slowing growth, the $150-billion Indian IT industry is staring at arguably its biggest uncertainty in recent times after Donald Trump was elected as President of the US, which accounts for around 60 per cent of its export earnings.

While artificial intelligence, digital and automation are the buzzwords this year, worrylines have started to emerge on &quot;creeping&quot; protectionism and negative sentiment in key markets.

IT companies, however, can take comfort from the fact that global technology spend is expected to grow 3 per cent in 2017 after sliding 0.3 per cent in 2016 and long-term targets of the industry of grossing $225 billion by 2020 and $350 billion by 2025 remain intact, at least for now.

&quot;For 2017, the big concern areas include protectionism and anti-globalisation creeping into markets like the US, the UK and the rest of Europe, Singapore and Australia. Second, the need to update skill base we have in India and rising need for digital and consulting skills, and third, the policy initiatives like GST which can impact the industry,&quot; said R Chandrashekhar, President of software association Nasscom.

Trump, who is due to take over as the 45th US President next month, is known for his hardline stance on protectionism and anti-immigration.

While the industry has tried putting on a brave front, there are underlying concerns about tightening of visa norms that will push up the cost of doing business.

Flagging the issue of protectionism and negative sentiment around skilled worker movement in the US, Chandrashekhar argues that corporate America also needs technology services, given the shortage of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills.

&quot;The issue is as much about what is good for the US economy. The fact is that according to US&#39; own statistics, over one million IT-related jobs will remain unfilled in 2018... So, reality has to be kept in mind before steps are taken,&quot; he said.

Indian players like TCS and Infosys are heavily dependent on the US market.

The other big market -- the UK -- also did not bring much good news for the sector this year, with the country announcing its separation from the EU.

While companies as well as industry body Nasscom said there may be short-term impact on contracts, Britain exiting from the UK holds opportunities for India over a longer term.

The IT industry, which has been a poster boy for Indian exports sector, has been battling factors like fluctuating currency and rising visa costs over the past many years.

In March this year, India filed a complaint in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the US decision to impose high fees on temporary working visas, a move that makes Indian IT companies less competitive in that market.&nbsp;

(PTI)

There are underlying concerns within the industry about tightening of visa norms as it will push up the cost of doing business

Already battling headwinds of a slowing growth, the $150-billion Indian IT industry is staring at arguably its biggest uncertainty in recent times after Donald Trump was elected as President of the US, which accounts for around 60 per cent of its export earnings. While artificial intelligence, digital and automation are the buzzwords this year, worrylines have started to emerge on "creeping" protectionism and negative sentiment in key markets. IT companies, however, can take comfort from the fact that global technology spend is expected to grow 3 per cent in 2017 after sliding 0.3 per cent in 2016 and long-term targets of the industry of grossing $225 billion by 2020 and $350 billion by 2025 remain intact, at least for now. "For 2017, the big concern areas include protectionism and anti-globalisation creeping into markets like the US, the UK and the rest of Europe, Singapore and Australia. Second, the need to update skill base we have in India and rising need for digital and consulting skills, and third, the policy initiatives like GST which can impact the industry," said R Chandrashekhar, President of software association Nasscom. Trump, who is due to take over as the 45th US President next month, is known for his hardline stance on protectionism and anti-immigration. While the industry has tried putting on a brave front, there are underlying concerns about tightening of visa norms that will push up the cost of doing business. Flagging the issue of protectionism and negative sentiment around skilled worker movement in the US, Chandrashekhar argues that corporate America also needs technology services, given the shortage of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills. "The issue is as much about what is good for the US economy. The fact is that according to US' own statistics, over one million IT-related jobs will remain unfilled in 2018... So, reality has to be kept in mind before steps are taken," he said. Indian players like TCS and Infosys are heavily dependent on the US market. The other big market -- the UK -- also did not bring much good news for the sector this year, with the country announcing its separation from the EU. While companies as well as industry body Nasscom said there may be short-term impact on contracts, Britain exiting from the UK holds opportunities for India over a longer term. The IT industry, which has been a poster boy for Indian exports sector, has been battling factors like fluctuating currency and rising visa costs over the past many years. In March this year, India filed a complaint in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the US decision to impose high fees on temporary working visas, a move that makes Indian IT companies less competitive in that market. (PTI)

Trump, protectionism major worry lines for India's IT sector in 2017

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s choice for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, will have to explain his relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin at his confirmation hearing, senior Republican senator John McCain said on Thursday.

McCain, who is chairman of the US&nbsp;Senate Armed Services Committee, also called President Putin &quot;a thug and a murderer&quot;.

Speaking on a tour of the Baltic states, where there is widespread concern that Moscow wants to reassert its power across the region, McCain said he had concerns about Tillerson, who opposed sanctions on Russia after its annexation of Crimea.

&quot;I and several of my colleagues have concerns about Mr Tillerson, and some of his past activities, specifically his relationship with Vladimir Putin,&quot; McCain told reporters.

&quot;I have concerns but at the same time I&#39;m certain we will give Mr Tillerson an opportunity to make his case about why he is qualified to be Secretary of State.&quot;

Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Tillerson could face a rocky confirmation process, given worries among both Democrats and Republicans about his connections with Russia and possible conflicts of interest related to his business ties.

Tillerson owns approximately $218 million in ExxonMobil stock, and a&nbsp;pension worth about&nbsp;$70 million, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/profits-are-down-at-exxonmobil-but-dont-cry-for-ceo-rex-tillerson/2016/04/29/d6401e0c-0d60-11e6-a6b6-2e6de3695b0e_story.html?utm_term=.1bbbfc675e44">Washington Post reports.</a>&nbsp;

When&nbsp;Obama administation slapped sanctions on Russia after Putin annexed Crimea, Tillerson voiced opposition--Exxon had just discovered an enormous reserve of oil in the Kara Sea, and Obama&#39;s sanctions prevented the company from making an enormous profit.

Assuming the senate confirms the appointment&nbsp;and he does become&nbsp;Trump&#39;s secretary of state, Tillerson, a man who&nbsp;personally received the &quot;Russian Order of Friendship award&quot; from Vladimir Putin himself, would&nbsp;be in a position to decide whether or not to continue sanctions against Putin&#39;s Russia.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated following Russia&#39;s annexation of the Crimea in 2014, with the two nations also at loggerheads over Syria.

The Obama administration also plans a series of retaliatory measures against Russia for hacking into US&nbsp;political institutions and individuals and leaking information.

Trump, who before he won the election complained for weeks that it was rigged and when pressed on the issue refused to say that he would accept its result, has now said&nbsp;that the United States should move on from the controversy.

McCain, however, said the United States needed to reassure voters there and abroad that elections would not be influenced by foreign powers.

&quot;I agree with president elect that we need to get on of our lives - without having elections being affected by any outside influence, especially Vladimir Putin, who is a thug and a murderer,&quot; he said.

Fellow Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who is travelling with McCain, called for sanctions against Russia to be widened to target areas like energy and to be directly aimed at Putin.

&quot;I think the sanctions need to go beyond what it is today, they need to name Putin as an individual and his inner circle because nothing happens in Russia without his knowledge and approval,&quot; Graham said.

Graham has also stated that &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/99-senators-believe-russia-interfered-in-us-elections-republican-senator-graham-10642">99&nbsp;per cent</a>&quot; of US&nbsp;Senators&nbsp;believe&nbsp;Russia interfered in the election. He never named the one per cent who apparently disagrees.

(With inputs from Reuters)

He, and many Democrats and Republicans, are wary of Tillerson's personal and business connections to Vladimir Putin

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's choice for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, will have to explain his relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin at his confirmation hearing, senior Republican senator John McCain said on Thursday. McCain, who is chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, also called President Putin "a thug and a murderer". Speaking on a tour of the Baltic states, where there is widespread concern that Moscow wants to reassert its power across the region, McCain said he had concerns about Tillerson, who opposed sanctions on Russia after its annexation of Crimea. "I and several of my colleagues have concerns about Mr Tillerson, and some of his past activities, specifically his relationship with Vladimir Putin," McCain told reporters. "I have concerns but at the same time I'm certain we will give Mr Tillerson an opportunity to make his case about why he is qualified to be Secretary of State." Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Tillerson could face a rocky confirmation process, given worries among both Democrats and Republicans about his connections with Russia and possible conflicts of interest related to his business ties. Tillerson owns approximately $218 million in ExxonMobil stock, and a pension worth about $70 million, the Washington Post reports. When Obama administation slapped sanctions on Russia after Putin annexed Crimea, Tillerson voiced opposition--Exxon had just discovered an enormous reserve of oil in the Kara Sea, and Obama's sanctions prevented the company from making an enormous profit. Assuming the senate confirms the appointment and he does become Trump's secretary of state, Tillerson, a man who personally received the "Russian Order of Friendship award" from Vladimir Putin himself, would be in a position to decide whether or not to continue sanctions against Putin's Russia. Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated following Russia's annexation of the Crimea in 2014, with the two nations also at loggerheads over Syria. The Obama administration also plans a series of retaliatory measures against Russia for hacking into US political institutions and individuals and leaking information. Trump, who before he won the election complained for weeks that it was rigged and when pressed on the issue refused to say that he would accept its result, has now said that the United States should move on from the controversy. McCain, however, said the United States needed to reassure voters there and abroad that elections would not be influenced by foreign powers. "I agree with president elect that we need to get on of our lives - without having elections being affected by any outside influence, especially Vladimir Putin, who is a thug and a murderer," he said. Fellow Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who is travelling with McCain, called for sanctions against Russia to be widened to target areas like energy and to be directly aimed at Putin. "I think the sanctions need to go beyond what it is today, they need to name Putin as an individual and his inner circle because nothing happens in Russia without his knowledge and approval," Graham said. Graham has also stated that "99 per cent" of US Senators believe Russia interfered in the election. He never named the one per cent who apparently disagrees. (With inputs from Reuters)

US Senator McCain has 'concerns' about Tillerson nomination

Despite all the anti-Chinese remarks he made, Donald Trump was a surprising hero among Chinese nationalists during the presidential campaign. The former reality TV star drew his support from Chinese netizens either privately sharing his loathing for self-serving elitists (China has plenty of them) or excited by the prospects of the oafish Trump speeding up American decline and Chinese ascendency.

These fans were in for a nasty shock when the president-elect tweeted that he had accepted a phone call of congratulations from Taiwanese President Tsai Yingwen&mdash;a figure of contempt for Chinese nationalists. The deceptively innocent exchange marked the first time in almost four decades that an American president (or soon to be president) had openly communicated with a leader of the island-state.

To make matters worse, Trump referred to Tsai on equal terms as president, thus directly contradicting the Beijing-invented narrative of Taiwan as a breakaway province from the Chinese mainland, rather than a de facto independent state with its own leader.

ONE CHINA POLICY

Days later, he hinted at a possible end to the One China policy, making the assertion that the United States was not necessarily bound to such an agreement. Under this policy, both Taipei and Beijing make claim to the title of China (Taiwan is officially the Republic of China), but agree that there is only &ldquo;one China&rdquo;&mdash;in an abstract sense if not a unified nation-state.

Beyond the relationship of the two Chinas, the policy means that no country can hold official relations with both the governments of Taipei and Beijing. For its part, the US gives diplomatic recognition to Beijing but still retains unofficial ties with Taipei.

If Trump steers US policy to treating Taiwan more like an independent state, it undermines the One China principle and by extension the Chinese Communist Party&rsquo;s (CCP) decades-old claim to the island. Feeling its sovereign right over Taipei under threat, Beijing will retaliate.

In fact, on December 15, China captured a US Navy drone, possibly to send Trump a warning message and flex its muscles in the South China Sea. Even before stepping into office, Trump has shown his potential to damage stability in East Asia.

Which makes the threats posed after Trump enters the White House all the more serious. If he chooses to further provoke China after his inauguration in January 2017, it could easily lead to a cycle of escalation in an already volatile region. Besides Taiwan, much of East and Southeast Asia (backed by the US) hold competing claims to territory with China.

It&rsquo;s not clear whether Trump&rsquo;s phone call with Tsai was an intentional plot to undermine Beijing or a result of his ignorance to the sensitivities within East Asian international politics. Given that he is a president-elect who rejects Central Intelligence Agency briefings, it was likely the latter. What kind of diplomatic crisis might he fall into next when dealing with, say, the South China Sea dispute?

DEAL OR NO DEAL

Trump should take a step back before nearing the brink with China. Besides, this diplomatic faux-pas should not be interpreted as a sign of his suddenly principled approach to world politics. Trump is right to stand up for Taiwan. But he is likely doing so for the wrong reasons.

Unlike his predecessors, Trump has shown little concern about US-led stability or democracy in the region. Rather, the protectionist president-elect wants to cut a deal with China over trade for the security of white-collar American jobs. In his official statement, Trump said: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know why we have to be bound by a &lsquo;one China policy&rsquo; unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.&rdquo;

Foreign policy is, of course, about making deals&mdash;a skill that Trump likes to remind people he excels at. But US policy needs to be underpinned by principles and a great strategy in order to work. Simply making deals risks reducing allies like Taiwan down to bargaining chips that can be tossed away when the price is right.

It is especially concerning when considering that no deal can be struck with China in Taiwan&rsquo;s favor. Beijing does not consider Taiwan&rsquo;s status up for negotiation&mdash;unless the outcome is bringing Taipei under CCP rule.

That would give Trump&rsquo;s Chinese fans something to cheer about.

President-elect Donald Trump?s China policy cannot be based on deal making alone

Despite all the anti-Chinese remarks he made, Donald Trump was a surprising hero among Chinese nationalists during the presidential campaign. The former reality TV star drew his support from Chinese netizens either privately sharing his loathing for self-serving elitists (China has plenty of them) or excited by the prospects of the oafish Trump speeding up American decline and Chinese ascendency. These fans were in for a nasty shock when the president-elect tweeted that he had accepted a phone call of congratulations from Taiwanese President Tsai Yingwen—a figure of contempt for Chinese nationalists. The deceptively innocent exchange marked the first time in almost four decades that an American president (or soon to be president) had openly communicated with a leader of the island-state. To make matters worse, Trump referred to Tsai on equal terms as president, thus directly contradicting the Beijing-invented narrative of Taiwan as a breakaway province from the Chinese mainland, rather than a de facto independent state with its own leader. ONE CHINA POLICY Days later, he hinted at a possible end to the One China policy, making the assertion that the United States was not necessarily bound to such an agreement. Under this policy, both Taipei and Beijing make claim to the title of China (Taiwan is officially the Republic of China), but agree that there is only “one China”—in an abstract sense if not a unified nation-state. Beyond the relationship of the two Chinas, the policy means that no country can hold official relations with both the governments of Taipei and Beijing. For its part, the US gives diplomatic recognition to Beijing but still retains unofficial ties with Taipei. If Trump steers US policy to treating Taiwan more like an independent state, it undermines the One China principle and by extension the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) decades-old claim to the island. Feeling its sovereign right over Taipei under threat, Beijing will retaliate. In fact, on December 15, China captured a US Navy drone, possibly to send Trump a warning message and flex its muscles in the South China Sea. Even before stepping into office, Trump has shown his potential to damage stability in East Asia. Which makes the threats posed after Trump enters the White House all the more serious. If he chooses to further provoke China after his inauguration in January 2017, it could easily lead to a cycle of escalation in an already volatile region. Besides Taiwan, much of East and Southeast Asia (backed by the US) hold competing claims to territory with China. It’s not clear whether Trump’s phone call with Tsai was an intentional plot to undermine Beijing or a result of his ignorance to the sensitivities within East Asian international politics. Given that he is a president-elect who rejects Central Intelligence Agency briefings, it was likely the latter. What kind of diplomatic crisis might he fall into next when dealing with, say, the South China Sea dispute? DEAL OR NO DEAL Trump should take a step back before nearing the brink with China. Besides, this diplomatic faux-pas should not be interpreted as a sign of his suddenly principled approach to world politics. Trump is right to stand up for Taiwan. But he is likely doing so for the wrong reasons. Unlike his predecessors, Trump has shown little concern about US-led stability or democracy in the region. Rather, the protectionist president-elect wants to cut a deal with China over trade for the security of white-collar American jobs. In his official statement, Trump said: “I don’t know why we have to be bound by a ‘one China policy’ unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.” Foreign policy is, of course, about making deals—a skill that Trump likes to remind people he excels at. But US policy needs to be underpinned by principles and a great strategy in order to work. Simply making deals risks reducing allies like Taiwan down to bargaining chips that can be tossed away when the price is right. It is especially concerning when considering that no deal can be struck with China in Taiwan’s favor. Beijing does not consider Taiwan’s status up for negotiation—unless the outcome is bringing Taipei under CCP rule. That would give Trump’s Chinese fans something to cheer about.

Diplomacy with Beijing is not that easy

US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that Thomas Bossert, former deputy homeland security adviser to President George W&nbsp;Bush, would be his White House adviser on security and counterterrorism issues, according to a statement.

As assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, Bossert would be Trump&#39;s top counterterrorism chief.

He currently runs a risk management consulting firm and has a cyber risk fellowship with the Atlantic Council think tank.

(Reuters)

Bossert is the former deputy homeland security adviser to President George W?Bush

US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that Thomas Bossert, former deputy homeland security adviser to President George W Bush, would be his White House adviser on security and counterterrorism issues, according to a statement. As assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, Bossert would be Trump's top counterterrorism chief. He currently runs a risk management consulting firm and has a cyber risk fellowship with the Atlantic Council think tank. (Reuters)

Trump picks Thomas Bossert for top counter-terrorism chief

The chief executive of Lockheed Martin Corp told President-elect Donald Trump on Friday that she was committed to driving down the cost of the company&#39;s F-35 fighter jet, a day after Trump took aim at the cost of the F-35 in a Twitter post.

CEO Marillyn Hewson said she spoke with Trump on Friday afternoon and assured him that she had heard his message &quot;loud and clear&quot; about reducing the cost of the F-35.

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<h5>Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!&#39; Trump said</h5>
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Trump, in a tweet posted late on Thursday, suggested that an older aircraft made by rival aerospace company Boeing Co could offer a cheaper alternative to the F-35.

&quot;Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!&quot; Trump said.

Hewson, in a statement posted on Twitter, said she had had &quot;a very good conversation&quot; with Trump on Friday.

&quot;I gave him my personal commitment to drive the cost down aggressively,&quot; she said in the statement.

Lockheed shares closed down 1.3 per cent on Friday, nearing their lowest levels since the Nov. 8 election. They were the biggest drag on a basket of defense-related stocks. Boeing&#39;s stock ended near the unchanged mark.

Trump had met with the chief executives of both Lockheed and Boeing on Wednesday.

Boeing&#39;s F-18 is an older generation aircraft that lacks the stealth capabilities of the F-35.

One US&nbsp;official said it was impossible to tell what Trump meant by his tweet, given the importance of stealth technology as a way to counter advanced defenses of near-peer states, like Russia or China.

&quot;Somebody needs to ask Donald Trump how he&#39;s going to be able to confront China without aircraft capable of penetrating anti-access and area denial systems, including air defenses,&quot; the official said.

Most defence analysts do not consider the two jets as comparable aircraft.

&quot;Impractical if not irrational,&quot; Richard Safran, a defense analyst at Buckingham Research, said by email. &quot;First, the F/A-18 is a carrier-based naval fighter. Certainly it could not meet the U.S. Marine Corps need for vertical lift. It would not be suitable for the Air Force either - the extra weight of a carrier fighter makes it less than ideal for the Air Force.&quot;

&quot;Unless the rules of physics have changed, you cannot make a non-stealthy, two-engined, carrier-based aircraft from the 1980s into a single-engine, multi-role stealthy fighter from the 2000s,&quot; Vertical Research Partners analysts wrote in a note on Friday.

Still, Trump&#39;s dissatisfaction with the program, which has been dogged by problems while costs have escalated to an estimated $379 billion, is a clear risk for Lockheed. The F-35 program is a critical sales generator for the company, accounting for 20 per cent of last year&#39;s total revenue of $46.1 billion.

The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Boeing spokesman Todd Blecher said on Thursday in an email that the company was committed to providing the capability and affordability to meet national security needs.

On Wednesday, Trump met the CEOs of Lockheed and Boeing at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told reporters there that he had guaranteed costs would not get out of control for a replacement to Air Force One, the presidential plane, another project Trump calls too expensive.

Trump told reporters he wanted to cut the F-35 program&#39;s costs.

Trump&#39;s jockeying for leverage via his Twitter account is likely to be a hurdle for all US&nbsp;defense contractors, Roman Schweizer, aerospace and defense analyst at Cowen &amp; Co, wrote in a client note on Thursday.

Trump unleashed his tirade about the hefty cost for US&nbsp;aircraft earlier this month, first lashing out at Boeing over the cost of replacement Air Force One presidential planes and days later at Lockheed over the F-35.

Since Trump&#39;s first tweet about Air Force One on December 6, Lockheed shares have slumped around 6.4 percent, costing its shareholders collectively about $5 billion in lost market value.

&quot;We have no idea how this plays out but believe &#39;Twitter risk&#39; for defense companies could be a significant issue over the next four years,&quot; Cowen&#39;s Schweizer wrote. &quot;This is Lockheed Martin&#39;s time in the barrel.&quot;

(Reuters)

Marillyn Hewson said she spoke with Trump on Friday, assured him she had heard his message 'loud and clear'

The chief executive of Lockheed Martin Corp told President-elect Donald Trump on Friday that she was committed to driving down the cost of the company's F-35 fighter jet, a day after Trump took aim at the cost of the F-35 in a Twitter post. CEO Marillyn Hewson said she spoke with Trump on Friday afternoon and assured him that she had heard his message "loud and clear" about reducing the cost of the F-35. Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!' Trump said × Trump, in a tweet posted late on Thursday, suggested that an older aircraft made by rival aerospace company Boeing Co could offer a cheaper alternative to the F-35. "Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!" Trump said. Hewson, in a statement posted on Twitter, said she had had "a very good conversation" with Trump on Friday. "I gave him my personal commitment to drive the cost down aggressively," she said in the statement. Lockheed shares closed down 1.3 per cent on Friday, nearing their lowest levels since the Nov. 8 election. They were the biggest drag on a basket of defense-related stocks. Boeing's stock ended near the unchanged mark. Trump had met with the chief executives of both Lockheed and Boeing on Wednesday. Boeing's F-18 is an older generation aircraft that lacks the stealth capabilities of the F-35. One US official said it was impossible to tell what Trump meant by his tweet, given the importance of stealth technology as a way to counter advanced defenses of near-peer states, like Russia or China. "Somebody needs to ask Donald Trump how he's going to be able to confront China without aircraft capable of penetrating anti-access and area denial systems, including air defenses," the official said. Most defence analysts do not consider the two jets as comparable aircraft. "Impractical if not irrational," Richard Safran, a defense analyst at Buckingham Research, said by email. "First, the F/A-18 is a carrier-based naval fighter. Certainly it could not meet the U.S. Marine Corps need for vertical lift. It would not be suitable for the Air Force either - the extra weight of a carrier fighter makes it less than ideal for the Air Force." "Unless the rules of physics have changed, you cannot make a non-stealthy, two-engined, carrier-based aircraft from the 1980s into a single-engine, multi-role stealthy fighter from the 2000s," Vertical Research Partners analysts wrote in a note on Friday. Still, Trump's dissatisfaction with the program, which has been dogged by problems while costs have escalated to an estimated $379 billion, is a clear risk for Lockheed. The F-35 program is a critical sales generator for the company, accounting for 20 per cent of last year's total revenue of $46.1 billion. The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday. Boeing spokesman Todd Blecher said on Thursday in an email that the company was committed to providing the capability and affordability to meet national security needs. On Wednesday, Trump met the CEOs of Lockheed and Boeing at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told reporters there that he had guaranteed costs would not get out of control for a replacement to Air Force One, the presidential plane, another project Trump calls too expensive. Trump told reporters he wanted to cut the F-35 program's costs. Trump's jockeying for leverage via his Twitter account is likely to be a hurdle for all US defense contractors, Roman Schweizer, aerospace and defense analyst at Cowen & Co, wrote in a client note on Thursday. Trump unleashed his tirade about the hefty cost for US aircraft earlier this month, first lashing out at Boeing over the cost of replacement Air Force One presidential planes and days later at Lockheed over the F-35. Since Trump's first tweet about Air Force One on December 6, Lockheed shares have slumped around 6.4 percent, costing its shareholders collectively about $5 billion in lost market value. "We have no idea how this plays out but believe 'Twitter risk' for defense companies could be a significant issue over the next four years," Cowen's Schweizer wrote. "This is Lockheed Martin's time in the barrel." (Reuters)

Will work to drive down cost of F-35, Lockheed CEO tells Trump

President-elect Donald Trump indicated Friday he did not fear a new arms race and warned the United States would match any move by another country to boost its nuclear arsenal, in a spectacular new foray into foreign policy.

His stunning -- and initially unexplained -- use of language reminiscent of the Cold War rocked the Washington establishment two days before Christmas, and left Americans baffled by the seemingly mixed messages Trump is sending Russia.&nbsp;

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Trump began upping the nuclear rhetoric with a bombshell tweet Thursday calling for America to &quot;greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.&quot;

Anti-proliferation campaigners and lawmakers were aghast at the sabre-rattling talk, though some observers wondered how much stock to put into Trump&#39;s words -- and even whether they may be part of a deliberate strategy to bring about a promised rapprochement with Russia.

Matters were not helped after his aides struggled to come up with a coherent take on what Trump meant, leaving Americans scrambling to make sense of the president-elect&#39;s tweet which, as has often been the case since his election, landed without context or detail.

His remarks came hours after President Vladimir Putin declared Russia needs to &quot;strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces,&quot; and a day after the president-elect met with Pentagon brass.

When asked for clarity, Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, said Trump would not tolerate other countries increasing their nuclear arsenal without responding.

&quot;There&#39;s a few countries around the globe, Russia being one of them, China, others, that have talked about increasing their nuclear capabilities,&quot; Spicer told the MSNBC news network.

&quot;The president-elect&#39;s point is unless these guys come to their senses and recognise that this is not a smart move, increasing the nuclear stockpile around the globe is not good for anybody, the US is not going to sit back and take it.&quot;

In a subsequent interview on CNN, Spicer warned: &quot;If another country wants to threaten our sovereignty or our safety, he will act.&quot;

Putin sees &#39;nothing unusual&#39;

Early Friday, Trump was quoted telling MSNBC -- when asked in an off-air telephone call to clarify his nuclear policy tweet -- that his administration had no reservations about entering &quot;an arms race.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;This morning he told me on the phone, &#39;Let it be an arms race. We&#39;ll outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all,&#39;&quot; network host Mika Brzezinksi said.

On Thursday, Trump spokesman Jason Miller had tried to nuance Trump&#39;s tweet and claimed he was actually &quot;referring to the threat of nuclear proliferation and the critical need to prevent it -- particularly to and among terrorist organisations and unstable and rogue regimes.&quot;

The debate marks a jarring departure from the stance of President Barack Obama, who in a famous 2009 speech in Prague called for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

In 2010, Obama and Russia&#39;s then-president Dmitry Medvedev signed the so-called New START treaty that calls for a significant reduction in the nuclear arsenals of both countries.

Ties between Moscow and Washington hit their lowest point since the Cold War under Obama due to the Ukraine crisis and Russia&#39;s military intervention in Syria.

But on Friday, Putin said he found &quot;nothing unusual&quot; about Trump&#39;s call to boost America&#39;s nuclear capability.

&quot;During his election campaign he spoke about the necessity of strengthening the nuclear component of the United States, to strengthen the armed forces,&quot; the Russian leader told his annual year-end press conference.

More at play?

Even as the country reeled from his Twitter outburst, Trump sowed further confusion Friday by releasing a copy of what he called a &quot;very nice letter&quot; in which the Kremlin strongman offered him Christmas greetings and called for greater bilateral cooperation.

Trump has often said he admires Putin&#39;s leadership qualities and the US intelligence community concluded that Russia was responsible for cyber attacks ahead of November&#39;s election that sought to tip the balance in favour of the Republican.

Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, suggested something more was at play between Trump and Putin.

&quot;One possibility is that this isn&#39;t all nonsense or even a mistake, but rather is part of a choreographed effort&quot; between Putin and Trump, he said on MSNBC.

&quot;One could imagine that they simply re-sign the START treaty, tell us, &#39;Look, we solved this nuclear problem or at least played it down, and now is the time to eliminate sanctions and make other concessions to Russia.&#39;&quot;

Trump&#39;s transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Moves by Trump to ratchet up nuclear capabilities may meet stiff opposition from Democratic lawmakers, though options for blocking him will be limited with Republican majorities in the House and the Senate.

&quot;Congress must not allow the Tweeter in Chief to unleash a dangerous and costly nuclear arms race,&quot; Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said in a tweet.

(AFP)

After he says US 'must greatly strengthen... nuclear capability', Americans left baffled by mixed message he is sending Russia

President-elect Donald Trump indicated Friday he did not fear a new arms race and warned the United States would match any move by another country to boost its nuclear arsenal, in a spectacular new foray into foreign policy. His stunning -- and initially unexplained -- use of language reminiscent of the Cold War rocked the Washington establishment two days before Christmas, and left Americans baffled by the seemingly mixed messages Trump is sending Russia. Matters were not helped after his aides struggled to come up with a coherent take on what Trump meant × Trump began upping the nuclear rhetoric with a bombshell tweet Thursday calling for America to "greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes." Anti-proliferation campaigners and lawmakers were aghast at the sabre-rattling talk, though some observers wondered how much stock to put into Trump's words -- and even whether they may be part of a deliberate strategy to bring about a promised rapprochement with Russia. Matters were not helped after his aides struggled to come up with a coherent take on what Trump meant, leaving Americans scrambling to make sense of the president-elect's tweet which, as has often been the case since his election, landed without context or detail. His remarks came hours after President Vladimir Putin declared Russia needs to "strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces," and a day after the president-elect met with Pentagon brass. When asked for clarity, Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, said Trump would not tolerate other countries increasing their nuclear arsenal without responding. "There's a few countries around the globe, Russia being one of them, China, others, that have talked about increasing their nuclear capabilities," Spicer told the MSNBC news network. "The president-elect's point is unless these guys come to their senses and recognise that this is not a smart move, increasing the nuclear stockpile around the globe is not good for anybody, the US is not going to sit back and take it." In a subsequent interview on CNN, Spicer warned: "If another country wants to threaten our sovereignty or our safety, he will act." Putin sees 'nothing unusual' Early Friday, Trump was quoted telling MSNBC -- when asked in an off-air telephone call to clarify his nuclear policy tweet -- that his administration had no reservations about entering "an arms race." "This morning he told me on the phone, 'Let it be an arms race. We'll outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all,'" network host Mika Brzezinksi said. On Thursday, Trump spokesman Jason Miller had tried to nuance Trump's tweet and claimed he was actually "referring to the threat of nuclear proliferation and the critical need to prevent it -- particularly to and among terrorist organisations and unstable and rogue regimes." The debate marks a jarring departure from the stance of President Barack Obama, who in a famous 2009 speech in Prague called for the elimination of nuclear weapons. In 2010, Obama and Russia's then-president Dmitry Medvedev signed the so-called New START treaty that calls for a significant reduction in the nuclear arsenals of both countries. Ties between Moscow and Washington hit their lowest point since the Cold War under Obama due to the Ukraine crisis and Russia's military intervention in Syria. But on Friday, Putin said he found "nothing unusual" about Trump's call to boost America's nuclear capability. "During his election campaign he spoke about the necessity of strengthening the nuclear component of the United States, to strengthen the armed forces," the Russian leader told his annual year-end press conference. More at play? Even as the country reeled from his Twitter outburst, Trump sowed further confusion Friday by releasing a copy of what he called a "very nice letter" in which the Kremlin strongman offered him Christmas greetings and called for greater bilateral cooperation. Trump has often said he admires Putin's leadership qualities and the US intelligence community concluded that Russia was responsible for cyber attacks ahead of November's election that sought to tip the balance in favour of the Republican. Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, suggested something more was at play between Trump and Putin. "One possibility is that this isn't all nonsense or even a mistake, but rather is part of a choreographed effort" between Putin and Trump, he said on MSNBC. "One could imagine that they simply re-sign the START treaty, tell us, 'Look, we solved this nuclear problem or at least played it down, and now is the time to eliminate sanctions and make other concessions to Russia.'" Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Moves by Trump to ratchet up nuclear capabilities may meet stiff opposition from Democratic lawmakers, though options for blocking him will be limited with Republican majorities in the House and the Senate. "Congress must not allow the Tweeter in Chief to unleash a dangerous and costly nuclear arms race," Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said in a tweet. (AFP)

But what did Trump mean?

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday vowed that the country&#39;s policies at the United Nations will change after he takes office.

&quot;As to the UN, things will be different after Jan 20th,&quot; he said on Twitter, referring to the date of his inauguration.

The tweet came after the United States refrained from vetoing the adoption of a Security Council measure calling on Israel -- its closest Middle East ally -- to halt settlement activities in Palestinian territory.

The rare step by the US allowed the measure to pass by a vote of 14 in favour in the 15-member council.

The resolution demands that &quot;Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem&quot;.

It states that Israeli settlements have &quot;no legal validity&quot; and are &quot;dangerously imperilling the viability of the two-state solution&quot; that would see an independent Palestinian state coexist alongside Israel.

Trump, who campaigned on a promise to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, had bluntly said Thursday that Washington should use its veto to block the resolution.

&quot;As the United States has long maintained, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations,&quot; he said in a statement.

Trump has chosen as ambassador to Israel the hardliner David Friedman, who has said Washington will not pressure Israel to curtail settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

(AFP)

'As to the UN, things will be different after Jan 20th,' he said on Twitter, referring to the date of his inauguration

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday vowed that the country's policies at the United Nations will change after he takes office. "As to the UN, things will be different after Jan 20th," he said on Twitter, referring to the date of his inauguration. The tweet came after the United States refrained from vetoing the adoption of a Security Council measure calling on Israel -- its closest Middle East ally -- to halt settlement activities in Palestinian territory. The rare step by the US allowed the measure to pass by a vote of 14 in favour in the 15-member council. The resolution demands that "Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem". It states that Israeli settlements have "no legal validity" and are "dangerously imperilling the viability of the two-state solution" that would see an independent Palestinian state coexist alongside Israel. Trump, who campaigned on a promise to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, had bluntly said Thursday that Washington should use its veto to block the resolution. "As the United States has long maintained, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations," he said in a statement. Trump has chosen as ambassador to Israel the hardliner David Friedman, who has said Washington will not pressure Israel to curtail settlement building in the occupied West Bank. (AFP)

After Israel vote, Trump promises change at UN

A Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;ally has ignited widespread outrage after wishing for US President Barack Obama&#39;s death and making racially charged comments about the first lady.&nbsp;

Carl Paladino -- a businessman who served as a co-chairman of the president-elect&#39;s New York State election campaign -- made the incendiary jabs in a year-end feature published on Friday in Artvoice, a weekly newspaper in upstate New York.

Asked what he would &quot;most like to see happen&quot; in 2017, the former Republican candidate for governor of New York state said he hoped Obama &quot;catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations&quot; with a type of beef cattle and &quot;dies before his trial.&quot;

When questioned what he would &quot;most like to see go&quot; next year, Paladino replied &quot;Michelle Obama.&quot;

&quot;I&#39;d like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla.&quot;

Paladino&#39;s remarks quickly spurred angry reaction on social media and drew the ire of elected officials.&nbsp;

Andrew Cuomo -- current New York governor who beat Paladino in 2010 -- slammed his ex-rival&#39;s comments as &quot;racist, ugly and reprehensible.&quot;

&quot;Paladino has a long history of racist and incendiary comments,&quot; Cuomo said in a statement. &quot;His remarks do not reflect the sentiments or opinions of any real New Yorker.

&quot;He has embarrassed the good people of the state with his latest hate-filled rage.&quot;

Trump&nbsp;did not personally defend or call out his political ally, though a spokeswoman for the president-elect said the comments &quot;are absolutely reprehensible, and they serve no place in our public discourse,&quot; according to the New York Times.

Facing broad condemnation, Paladino published an open letter that his remarks had &quot;nothing to do with race.&quot; In the statement he went on to call Obama &quot;a yellow-bellied coward&quot; and said the first lady should &quot;leave and go someplace she will be happy.&quot;

Paladino -- a developer in the city of Buffalo, New York -- visited&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;Tower earlier this month, a meeting he described to The Buffalo News as &quot;very warm.&quot;

(AFP)

Carl Paladino said he wished to see Barack Obama die and wanted Michelle to 'live with Maxie, the gorilla'

A Donald Trump ally has ignited widespread outrage after wishing for US President Barack Obama's death and making racially charged comments about the first lady. Carl Paladino -- a businessman who served as a co-chairman of the president-elect's New York State election campaign -- made the incendiary jabs in a year-end feature published on Friday in Artvoice, a weekly newspaper in upstate New York. Asked what he would "most like to see happen" in 2017, the former Republican candidate for governor of New York state said he hoped Obama "catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations" with a type of beef cattle and "dies before his trial." When questioned what he would "most like to see go" next year, Paladino replied "Michelle Obama." "I'd like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla." Paladino's remarks quickly spurred angry reaction on social media and drew the ire of elected officials. Andrew Cuomo -- current New York governor who beat Paladino in 2010 -- slammed his ex-rival's comments as "racist, ugly and reprehensible." "Paladino has a long history of racist and incendiary comments," Cuomo said in a statement. "His remarks do not reflect the sentiments or opinions of any real New Yorker. "He has embarrassed the good people of the state with his latest hate-filled rage." Trump did not personally defend or call out his political ally, though a spokeswoman for the president-elect said the comments "are absolutely reprehensible, and they serve no place in our public discourse," according to the New York Times. Facing broad condemnation, Paladino published an open letter that his remarks had "nothing to do with race." In the statement he went on to call Obama "a yellow-bellied coward" and said the first lady should "leave and go someplace she will be happy." Paladino -- a developer in the city of Buffalo, New York -- visited Trump Tower earlier this month, a meeting he described to The Buffalo News as "very warm." (AFP)

Trump's ally ignites outrage for making disparaging Obama, Michelle comments

Vladimir Putin praised US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, saying he had his finger on the pulse of US&nbsp;society, and launched a scathing attack on the Democrats, saying they had forgotten the meaning of their own name and were sore losers.

Speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia&#39;s president said that only Russia had believed that Trump would become the next president of the United States, but that did not mean the Democrats had the right to blame him for their defeat.

&quot;The current administration and the leadership of the Democratic Party are trying to blame all their failures on external factors,&quot; Putin told reporters.

&quot;(We are talking about) a party which has clearly forgotten the original meaning of its own name,&quot; Putin said, accusing the Democrats of &quot;shamelessly&quot; abusing their status as the ruling party to try to influence public opinion.

&quot;Outstanding figures in American history from the ranks of the Democratic Party would likely be turning in their graves. Roosevelt certainly would be,&quot; he said.

The White House and US&nbsp;intelligence officials have accused Russia of trying to interfere with the US&nbsp;election by hacking Democratic Party accounts. Information from those hacks was leaked online, causing political problems for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Putin dismissed suggestions Moscow had helped Trump to victory in any way however.

&quot;It&#39;s not like that,&quot; he said. &quot;All of this (the accusations) speaks of the current administration&#39;s systemic problems.&quot;

Sore losers

The question of who hacked the US&nbsp;Democratic party was not important anyway, said Putin, but what the hacks revealed - that public opinion in the United States was being manipulated - was.

&quot;They (the Democrats) are losing on all fronts and looking elsewhere for things to blame. In my view this, how shall I say it, degrades their own dignity. You have to know how to lose with dignity.&quot;

Putin, who spoke positively of Trump before his election win, said that Moscow had believed in his victory.

&quot;Trump understood the mood of the people and kept going until the end, when nobody believed in him,&quot; Putin said, adding with a smile. &quot;Except for you and me.&quot;

Putin addressed Trump&#39;s comments about the need to boost the US&nbsp;nuclear arsenal, saying they were perfectly normal.

Trump&#39;s comments, made in a tweet on Thursday, alarmed non-proliferation experts who said that a boost to the US&nbsp;arsenal could fuel global tensions.

But Putin said he was surprised by the fuss Trump&#39;s tweet had caused and how it had been linked to his own statements about Russia&#39;s plans to modernise its own nuclear arsenal.

Putin said on Thursday Russia&#39;s military was &quot;stronger than any potential aggressor&quot;. He made clear on Friday he did not regard the United States as a potential aggressor.

&quot;I was a bit surprised by the statements from some representatives of the current US&nbsp;administration who for some reason started to prove that the US&nbsp;military was the most powerful in the world,&quot; said Putin.

&quot;Nobody is arguing with that.&quot;

(Reuters)

Only Russia believed Trump would win the election, says President Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin praised US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, saying he had his finger on the pulse of US society, and launched a scathing attack on the Democrats, saying they had forgotten the meaning of their own name and were sore losers. Speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia's president said that only Russia had believed that Trump would become the next president of the United States, but that did not mean the Democrats had the right to blame him for their defeat. "The current administration and the leadership of the Democratic Party are trying to blame all their failures on external factors," Putin told reporters. "(We are talking about) a party which has clearly forgotten the original meaning of its own name," Putin said, accusing the Democrats of "shamelessly" abusing their status as the ruling party to try to influence public opinion. "Outstanding figures in American history from the ranks of the Democratic Party would likely be turning in their graves. Roosevelt certainly would be," he said. The White House and US intelligence officials have accused Russia of trying to interfere with the US election by hacking Democratic Party accounts. Information from those hacks was leaked online, causing political problems for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Putin dismissed suggestions Moscow had helped Trump to victory in any way however. "It's not like that," he said. "All of this (the accusations) speaks of the current administration's systemic problems." Sore losers The question of who hacked the US Democratic party was not important anyway, said Putin, but what the hacks revealed - that public opinion in the United States was being manipulated - was. "They (the Democrats) are losing on all fronts and looking elsewhere for things to blame. In my view this, how shall I say it, degrades their own dignity. You have to know how to lose with dignity." Putin, who spoke positively of Trump before his election win, said that Moscow had believed in his victory. "Trump understood the mood of the people and kept going until the end, when nobody believed in him," Putin said, adding with a smile. "Except for you and me." Putin addressed Trump's comments about the need to boost the US nuclear arsenal, saying they were perfectly normal. Trump's comments, made in a tweet on Thursday, alarmed non-proliferation experts who said that a boost to the US arsenal could fuel global tensions. But Putin said he was surprised by the fuss Trump's tweet had caused and how it had been linked to his own statements about Russia's plans to modernise its own nuclear arsenal. Putin said on Thursday Russia's military was "stronger than any potential aggressor". He made clear on Friday he did not regard the United States as a potential aggressor. "I was a bit surprised by the statements from some representatives of the current US administration who for some reason started to prove that the US military was the most powerful in the world," said Putin. "Nobody is arguing with that." (Reuters)

Putin praises Trump, calls out 'shameless' Democrats

US President-elect Donald Trump has created a new trade body within the White House that would report directly to him and for his economic team roped in a billionaire&nbsp;economist who, like Trump, is know for his&nbsp;anti-China stance.

The council would be headed by economist and University of California-Irvin Professor Peter Navarro, who would serve as assistant to the President and director of Trade and Industrial Policy, the team said in a statement.

According to the transition team, the mission of the National Trade Council will be to advise the President on innovative strategies in trade negotiations, coordinate with other agencies to assess US manufacturing capabilities and the defence industrial base, and help match unemployed American workers with new opportunities in the skilled manufacturing sector.

Later in the day, Trump announced to appoint billionaire investor Carl Icahn to serve as special advisor on issues related to regulatory reform. Icahn was one of Trump&#39;s earliest supporters, and his intimate knowledge of what businesses need to grow and thrive makes him a trusted voice in developing President-elect&#39;s &quot;America First&quot;&nbsp;economic agenda, the media statement said.

&quot;Icahn will be a leader in helping American entrepreneurs shed job-killing regulations that stifle economic growth,&quot; it said.

Icahn announced he&nbsp;is committing&nbsp;$150 million of his own money to super PAC focused on corporate tax reform, an amount the<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/10/21/carl-icahn-supporter-of-donald-trump-plans-150-million-super-pac/"> New York Times </a>said is larger than anything that any other super PAC has raised so far for any other candidate.

While the Washington Post today published an article about how much&nbsp;Donald Trump values the&nbsp;physical appearance of the candidate applying for a position, Bernie Sanders pointed to another important criteria: money.

The seventeen individuals&nbsp;Donald Trump has appointed to his cabinet possess&nbsp;more&nbsp;wealth than the bottom&nbsp;43 million households, Sanders claims.

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Trump is assembling the wealthiest cabinet in history &mdash; wealthier than the bottom 1/3 of American households combined. <a href="https://t.co/xMPc4OjxFh">pic.twitter.com/xMPc4OjxFh</a>
&mdash; Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/811738780784873472">December 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
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In another report, The Wall Street said the announcements &quot;offer clues about how Trump will attempt to flesh out his distinct economic agenda that fuses traditional Republican principles of lower taxes and regulation&quot; with a more populist approach on trade, immigration and manufacturing.

The Democratic National Committee deputy communications director Eric Walker alleged that this is a quid-pro-quo 25 years in the making.

&quot;In the early 1990s, Icahn came to Trump&#39;s rescue as his casino business was failing. Today, Trump made Icahn the regulatory czar of his administration,&quot; he said. &quot;The corrupt nature of this arrangement cannot be understated. Voters who wanted Trump to drain the swamp just got another face full of mud,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)

One critic claims this posting is repayment to the billionaire who in the early 1990's rescued Trump's failing casino business

US President-elect Donald Trump has created a new trade body within the White House that would report directly to him and for his economic team roped in a billionaire economist who, like Trump, is know for his anti-China stance. The council would be headed by economist and University of California-Irvin Professor Peter Navarro, who would serve as assistant to the President and director of Trade and Industrial Policy, the team said in a statement. According to the transition team, the mission of the National Trade Council will be to advise the President on innovative strategies in trade negotiations, coordinate with other agencies to assess US manufacturing capabilities and the defence industrial base, and help match unemployed American workers with new opportunities in the skilled manufacturing sector. Later in the day, Trump announced to appoint billionaire investor Carl Icahn to serve as special advisor on issues related to regulatory reform. Icahn was one of Trump's earliest supporters, and his intimate knowledge of what businesses need to grow and thrive makes him a trusted voice in developing President-elect's "America First" economic agenda, the media statement said. "Icahn will be a leader in helping American entrepreneurs shed job-killing regulations that stifle economic growth," it said. Icahn announced he is committing $150 million of his own money to super PAC focused on corporate tax reform, an amount the New York Times said is larger than anything that any other super PAC has raised so far for any other candidate. While the Washington Post today published an article about how much Donald Trump values the physical appearance of the candidate applying for a position, Bernie Sanders pointed to another important criteria: money. The seventeen individuals Donald Trump has appointed to his cabinet possess more wealth than the bottom 43 million households, Sanders claims. Trump is assembling the wealthiest cabinet in history — wealthier than the bottom 1/3 of American households combined. pic.twitter.com/xMPc4OjxFh — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) December 22, 2016 × In another report, The Wall Street said the announcements "offer clues about how Trump will attempt to flesh out his distinct economic agenda that fuses traditional Republican principles of lower taxes and regulation" with a more populist approach on trade, immigration and manufacturing. The Democratic National Committee deputy communications director Eric Walker alleged that this is a quid-pro-quo 25 years in the making. "In the early 1990s, Icahn came to Trump's rescue as his casino business was failing. Today, Trump made Icahn the regulatory czar of his administration," he said. "The corrupt nature of this arrangement cannot be understated. Voters who wanted Trump to drain the swamp just got another face full of mud," he added. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Trump creates new trade body, appoints billionaire to economic team

Asserting that India is an important partner for the US, the outgoing Obama Administration has said that it does not see any &quot;diminution in the strong bilateral relations&quot; that the two countries have enjoyed till date.

&quot;It goes without saying that because India is such an important partner and such an important power that I see no diminution in the strong US-India bilateral relations that we&#39;ve enjoyed to date,&quot; State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters yesterday.

&quot;I am not going to use the podium to talk about advice that Secretary of State (John) Kerry may give to his successor,&quot; Kirby said when asked about the future of India-US relationship under the new administration.

&quot;We obviously believe in the strength of our bilateral relationship with India. It is vital and important on so many different levels and we will certainly do all that&#39;s required of us by the transition team to provide them the context and information about that relationship with India for them to make their own decisions,&quot; he said.

&quot;I simply wouldn&#39;t predict or get ahead of how the next administration is going to interact with India,&quot; Kirby said.

The State Department also refrained from answering questions related to demonetisation drive by the Indian government. He described this as an internal matter of India.

(PTI)&nbsp;

'Goes without saying' India and US are important trade partners, but the State Department wouldn't comment on demonetisation or Trump

Asserting that India is an important partner for the US, the outgoing Obama Administration has said that it does not see any "diminution in the strong bilateral relations" that the two countries have enjoyed till date. "It goes without saying that because India is such an important partner and such an important power that I see no diminution in the strong US-India bilateral relations that we've enjoyed to date," State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters yesterday. "I am not going to use the podium to talk about advice that Secretary of State (John) Kerry may give to his successor," Kirby said when asked about the future of India-US relationship under the new administration. "We obviously believe in the strength of our bilateral relationship with India. It is vital and important on so many different levels and we will certainly do all that's required of us by the transition team to provide them the context and information about that relationship with India for them to make their own decisions," he said. "I simply wouldn't predict or get ahead of how the next administration is going to interact with India," Kirby said. The State Department also refrained from answering questions related to demonetisation drive by the Indian government. He described this as an internal matter of India. (PTI)

Obama admin praises US-India bilateral relations

The White House blocked new leases for oil and gas drilling in sections of the Arctic and Atlantic Tuesday, a high-stakes bid to forestall exploration and tie Donald Trump&#39;s hands.

With Trump bringing a strident pro-oil stance to the White House, the outgoing administration has launched a rearguard action.

President Barack Obama announced he was placing swaths of the Arctic and Atlantic &quot;indefinitely off limits to future oil and gas leasing&quot;.

The protection covers an area of the Arctic roughly the size of Spain or Thailand and 31 sea canyons in the Atlantic.

A senior administration official said that there was a &quot;strong legal basis&quot; for the move, and suggested Trump could not revoke the decision without an act of Congress.

The action, based on a law from the 1950s, was taken in tandem with the Canadian government and introduces an additional headache should Trump try to row it back.

Obama said in a statement that the measures would &quot;protect a sensitive and unique ecosystem&quot;.

He also warned that the risk of oil spills &quot;are significant,&quot; and the ability &quot;to clean up from a spill in the region&rsquo;s harsh conditions is limited&quot;.

&nbsp;

Deepwater horizon&#39;s shadow

The Hawaii-born president&#39;s second year in office was dominated by the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon&nbsp;oil spill, which poured millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

The spill could not be stopped for 87 days, devastating wildlife and fishing-dependent communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama.

The American Petroleum Institute, an industry lobby group, warned that Obama&#39;s decision &quot;blocking offshore exploration would weaken our national security, destroy good-paying jobs, and could make energy less affordable for consumers&quot;.

The Sierra Club, an environmental lobby group, welcomed the move as a step toward &quot;protecting our beaches, the climate, and coastal economies&quot;.

Obama&#39;s eight years in office have resulted in a tidal wave of new environmental legislation, protecting marine ecosystems, curbing carbon emissions and boosting renewable energy.

Obama rushed through ratification of the Paris Climate Accord in record time to make sure that it could not be shelved by the incoming administration.

Many rules have been finalized, making them difficult to roll back. States like California have also introduced their own climate-friendly legislation. But Obama&#39;s agenda is likely to come under sustained assault from the Trump administration.

The business tycoon-turned-commander-in-chief has named Exxon boss Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state and Scott Pruitt, a climate change denier, as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Administration officials fear that while Trump cannot scrap the Paris deal, it could fatally undermine it.

Many of the US commitments to reduce carbon emissions are in the Clean Power Act, which Obama unveiled in 2015. The Act limits the amount of carbon pollution&nbsp;power plants can emit.

Obama described the legislation at the time as &quot;the single most important step that America has ever made in the fight against global climate change.&quot;

The measures however have come under fierce legal challenge, including from Pruitt in his role as attorney general of Oklahoma, an oil state.

Sources familiar with Trump&#39;s transition planning say the new administration is weighing options like simply shutting down the government&#39;s legal defense of the act, or scrapping plans to appeal a Supreme Court ruling that froze portions of the program.

In practical terms that would mean abandoning the plan and reneging on international commitments.

According to a recent Pew poll 48 per cent of Americans believe climate change is caused by humans.

Trump once wrote, falsely, that global warming was a Chinese conspiracy to weaken the United States.

&quot;The concept of global warming&quot; was &quot;created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive,&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter in 2012.

(AFP)

The protection covers an area of the Arctic roughly the size of Spain or Thailand and 31 sea canyons in the Atlantic

The White House blocked new leases for oil and gas drilling in sections of the Arctic and Atlantic Tuesday, a high-stakes bid to forestall exploration and tie Donald Trump's hands. With Trump bringing a strident pro-oil stance to the White House, the outgoing administration has launched a rearguard action. President Barack Obama announced he was placing swaths of the Arctic and Atlantic "indefinitely off limits to future oil and gas leasing". The protection covers an area of the Arctic roughly the size of Spain or Thailand and 31 sea canyons in the Atlantic. A senior administration official said that there was a "strong legal basis" for the move, and suggested Trump could not revoke the decision without an act of Congress. The action, based on a law from the 1950s, was taken in tandem with the Canadian government and introduces an additional headache should Trump try to row it back. Obama said in a statement that the measures would "protect a sensitive and unique ecosystem". He also warned that the risk of oil spills "are significant," and the ability "to clean up from a spill in the region’s harsh conditions is limited". Deepwater horizon's shadow The Hawaii-born president's second year in office was dominated by the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which poured millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill could not be stopped for 87 days, devastating wildlife and fishing-dependent communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama. The American Petroleum Institute, an industry lobby group, warned that Obama's decision "blocking offshore exploration would weaken our national security, destroy good-paying jobs, and could make energy less affordable for consumers". The Sierra Club, an environmental lobby group, welcomed the move as a step toward "protecting our beaches, the climate, and coastal economies". Obama's eight years in office have resulted in a tidal wave of new environmental legislation, protecting marine ecosystems, curbing carbon emissions and boosting renewable energy. Obama rushed through ratification of the Paris Climate Accord in record time to make sure that it could not be shelved by the incoming administration. Many rules have been finalized, making them difficult to roll back. States like California have also introduced their own climate-friendly legislation. But Obama's agenda is likely to come under sustained assault from the Trump administration. The business tycoon-turned-commander-in-chief has named Exxon boss Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state and Scott Pruitt, a climate change denier, as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Administration officials fear that while Trump cannot scrap the Paris deal, it could fatally undermine it. Many of the US commitments to reduce carbon emissions are in the Clean Power Act, which Obama unveiled in 2015. The Act limits the amount of carbon pollution power plants can emit. Obama described the legislation at the time as "the single most important step that America has ever made in the fight against global climate change." The measures however have come under fierce legal challenge, including from Pruitt in his role as attorney general of Oklahoma, an oil state. Sources familiar with Trump's transition planning say the new administration is weighing options like simply shutting down the government's legal defense of the act, or scrapping plans to appeal a Supreme Court ruling that froze portions of the program. In practical terms that would mean abandoning the plan and reneging on international commitments. According to a recent Pew poll 48 per cent of Americans believe climate change is caused by humans. Trump once wrote, falsely, that global warming was a Chinese conspiracy to weaken the United States. "The concept of global warming" was "created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive," Trump wrote on Twitter in 2012. (AFP)

Obama bans oil, gas drilling in Arctic and Atlantic, ties Trump's hands

Donald Trump&#39;s fiercest critics may be dreaming of a last-minute revolt, but the Electoral College, a peculiarly American institution, appears near-certain on Monday to select the 70-year-old real estate mogul as the 45th US president.

Its detractors -- and they are many -- have denounced an electoral system that flies in the face of the venerated &quot;one man, one vote&quot; principle, and which perversely encourages presidential candidates to campaign in only a few key states while ignoring whole swaths of the country. &nbsp;

But despite the torrent of criticism this method has faced for decades, no reform attempt has ever succeeded.

When American voters cast their ballots on November 8, they did not in fact directly elect the next occupant of the White House. Instead, they picked 538 &quot;electors&quot; charged with translating their wishes into reality.&nbsp;

Trump won a clear majority of those electors -- 306, with 270 needed for election -- despite dramatically losing the popular vote to his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

A similar scenario took place in 2000, when George W. Bush became president even though Democrat Al Gore won more popular votes.&nbsp;

However, the gap is far more dramatic in 2016, with Clinton scoring nearly three million extra votes over Trump.

This Monday, electors will convene in each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, to officially designate the next president and vice president.

Following an extraordinarily vitriolic campaign, this step in the electoral process -- normally little more than a formality -- has been thrust into the spotlight.

&#39;Faithless electors&#39;

Historically, electors only rarely defy the expressed wishes of the majority of voters in their district. And never have the votes of these &quot;faithless electors&quot; changed the outcome of a presidential election.

Still, some Democrats -- who see a Trump presidency as presenting an existential danger to American democracy -- are clinging to the slender hope that a few dozen Republican electors might decide not to vote for their party&#39;s populist leader.&nbsp;

Yet, should that happen, it would be up to the House of Representatives to designate the successor to Barack Obama. And Republicans hold a strong majority there.

An online petition calling on electors to reject Trump, has collected some five million supporters. Hollywood stars including Martin Sheen (&quot;President Bartlet&quot; on the popular television series &quot;West Wing&quot;) recently released a video to goad electors to take that step. &nbsp;

&quot;You have the position, the authority and the opportunity to go down in the books as an American hero who changed the course of history,&quot; the celebrities say, addressing electors who have been thrust overnight from the shadows into the spotlight.

But these efforts appear to have almost no chance of succeeding: There is no evidence that the requisite 37 Republican electors will decide to abandon Trump. To date, only one of them, Christopher Suprum of Texas, has publicly announced his intention to stage such a revolt.&nbsp;

The future White House chief of staff, Reince Preibus, told Fox News Sunday that the pressure on the electoral college not to elect Trump is &quot;about Democrats that can&#39;t accept the outcome of the election. It&#39;s about delegitimizing the american system.&quot;

He added: &quot;We&#39;re very confident that everything is going to be very smooth tomorrow.&quot;

The final result may not be known on Monday, as states are given several days to report their numbers. The Congress will, in any case, announce the name of the official winner on January 6, two weeks before the next president is to be inaugurated in a solemn and pomp-filled ceremony outside the Capitol.

A &#39;disaster&#39; or a &#39;genius&#39;?

Asked about it at his final news conference of the year before leaving for a Hawaiian vacation, Barack Obama acknowledged that the system was &quot;a vestige, it&#39;s a carry-over from an earlier vision of how our federal government was going to work,&quot; and that it could disadvantage Democrats.&nbsp;

Still, the outgoing president urged his camp to draw needed lessons from their electoral failure and develop a strategy for the future rather than bemoaning the 2016 loss or trying to overturn it.

&quot;The truth of the matter is that if we have a strong message, if we&#39;re speaking to what the American people care about, typically, the popular vote and the Electoral College vote will align,&quot; he said in a clear allusion to his own presidential victories in 2008 and 2012.&nbsp;

David Pozen, a professor at Columbia Law School, sees at least one silver lining to the intense focus on the Electoral College: it will draw attention to the urgent need for change.&nbsp;

&quot;Either way, the renewed public interest in the Electoral College underscores the need to do away with this antiquated and fundamentally undemocratic institution,&quot; he said in an op-ed article in the New York Times.&nbsp;

In November 2000, Hillary Clinton, then the newly elected Democratic senator from New York, issued a clear call for an electoral reform that would result in direct, universal suffrage. &nbsp;

Trump, for his part, has radically changed his stance on the matter in just four years.&nbsp;

&quot;The Electoral College is a disaster for a democracy,&quot; he tweeted in November 2012.

Last month, just days after a victory that seemed to stun even him, he sounded a rather different note: &quot;The Electoral College is actually genius in that it brings all states, including the smaller ones, into play. Campaigning is much different!&quot;

(AFP)

Electors will officially designate the next president and vice president on Monday

Donald Trump's fiercest critics may be dreaming of a last-minute revolt, but the Electoral College, a peculiarly American institution, appears near-certain on Monday to select the 70-year-old real estate mogul as the 45th US president. Its detractors -- and they are many -- have denounced an electoral system that flies in the face of the venerated "one man, one vote" principle, and which perversely encourages presidential candidates to campaign in only a few key states while ignoring whole swaths of the country. But despite the torrent of criticism this method has faced for decades, no reform attempt has ever succeeded. When American voters cast their ballots on November 8, they did not in fact directly elect the next occupant of the White House. Instead, they picked 538 "electors" charged with translating their wishes into reality. Trump won a clear majority of those electors -- 306, with 270 needed for election -- despite dramatically losing the popular vote to his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. A similar scenario took place in 2000, when George W. Bush became president even though Democrat Al Gore won more popular votes. However, the gap is far more dramatic in 2016, with Clinton scoring nearly three million extra votes over Trump. This Monday, electors will convene in each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, to officially designate the next president and vice president. Following an extraordinarily vitriolic campaign, this step in the electoral process -- normally little more than a formality -- has been thrust into the spotlight. 'Faithless electors' Historically, electors only rarely defy the expressed wishes of the majority of voters in their district. And never have the votes of these "faithless electors" changed the outcome of a presidential election. Still, some Democrats -- who see a Trump presidency as presenting an existential danger to American democracy -- are clinging to the slender hope that a few dozen Republican electors might decide not to vote for their party's populist leader. Yet, should that happen, it would be up to the House of Representatives to designate the successor to Barack Obama. And Republicans hold a strong majority there. An online petition calling on electors to reject Trump, has collected some five million supporters. Hollywood stars including Martin Sheen ("President Bartlet" on the popular television series "West Wing") recently released a video to goad electors to take that step. "You have the position, the authority and the opportunity to go down in the books as an American hero who changed the course of history," the celebrities say, addressing electors who have been thrust overnight from the shadows into the spotlight. But these efforts appear to have almost no chance of succeeding: There is no evidence that the requisite 37 Republican electors will decide to abandon Trump. To date, only one of them, Christopher Suprum of Texas, has publicly announced his intention to stage such a revolt. The future White House chief of staff, Reince Preibus, told Fox News Sunday that the pressure on the electoral college not to elect Trump is "about Democrats that can't accept the outcome of the election. It's about delegitimizing the american system." He added: "We're very confident that everything is going to be very smooth tomorrow." The final result may not be known on Monday, as states are given several days to report their numbers. The Congress will, in any case, announce the name of the official winner on January 6, two weeks before the next president is to be inaugurated in a solemn and pomp-filled ceremony outside the Capitol. A 'disaster' or a 'genius'? Asked about it at his final news conference of the year before leaving for a Hawaiian vacation, Barack Obama acknowledged that the system was "a vestige, it's a carry-over from an earlier vision of how our federal government was going to work," and that it could disadvantage Democrats. Still, the outgoing president urged his camp to draw needed lessons from their electoral failure and develop a strategy for the future rather than bemoaning the 2016 loss or trying to overturn it. "The truth of the matter is that if we have a strong message, if we're speaking to what the American people care about, typically, the popular vote and the Electoral College vote will align," he said in a clear allusion to his own presidential victories in 2008 and 2012. David Pozen, a professor at Columbia Law School, sees at least one silver lining to the intense focus on the Electoral College: it will draw attention to the urgent need for change. "Either way, the renewed public interest in the Electoral College underscores the need to do away with this antiquated and fundamentally undemocratic institution," he said in an op-ed article in the New York Times. In November 2000, Hillary Clinton, then the newly elected Democratic senator from New York, issued a clear call for an electoral reform that would result in direct, universal suffrage. Trump, for his part, has radically changed his stance on the matter in just four years. "The Electoral College is a disaster for a democracy," he tweeted in November 2012. Last month, just days after a victory that seemed to stun even him, he sounded a rather different note: "The Electoral College is actually genius in that it brings all states, including the smaller ones, into play. Campaigning is much different!" (AFP)

Electoral College, unloved but everpresent, prepares to anoint Trump

Electoral College electors will not receive any intelligence briefing concerning Russian interference in the 2016 US election, says the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on Friday, CNN reports.

The intelligence community said it will not discuss the Russian hacks until a review ordered by Obama is completed in January, <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coming-soon-real-presidential-election-n696556">NBC </a>reports.&nbsp;

US intelligence agencies said as far back as October 7 they were &quot;confident&quot; Russia was involved in efforts to hack information related to the election, and Obama himself suggested&nbsp;Friday, in his last press conference of the year, that Putin&nbsp;was responsible for meddling in the US election. &quot;Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin...this happened at the highest levels of the Russian government,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

In the US election, citizens actually vote for the Electoral College voters, who then usually select the presidential candidate their state favoured. But with Trump winning the election despite&nbsp;losing the popular vote by millions, this year presents controversy.

Earlier this month, a group of electors for Clinton called for a briefing ahead of the vote in an open letter to Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, CNN reports.

They sought information on &quot;whether there are ongoing investigations into ties between Donald Trump, his campaign or associates, and Russian government interference in the election, the scope of these investigations, how far those investigations may have reached, and who was involved in those investigations,&quot; CNN reports.

&nbsp;

On Monday, CNN reported&nbsp;that Clinton&#39;s campaign manager, John Podesta, backed the electors seeking to be briefed on the question of foreign interventions, the closst Podesta and anyone from the Clinton camp came to calling into question the legitimacy of Trump&#39;s presidency.

Podesta said in a statement: &quot;We believe that the administration owes it to the American people to explain what it knows regarding the extent and manner of Russia&#39;s interference and this be done as soon as possible.

&nbsp;

Will the Electoral College&nbsp;not&nbsp;vote Trump?

While a total of 29 US states have laws that require the electors to cast their votes for whichever candidate won that state&#39;s popular vote,&nbsp;the penalties for not doing so are weak.

Christopher Suprun, a paramedic from Texas, said he will vote against Trump despite the result of&nbsp;his&nbsp;state&#39;s election. &quot;Donald Trump lacks the foreign policy experience and demeanor needed to be a commander in chief,&quot; he wrote in a New York Times op-ed, <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coming-soon-real-presidential-election-n696556">NBC reports.</a>

Also from Texas is elector&nbsp;Art Sisneros, who resigned in November, saying a vote for Trump &quot;would bring dishonour to God,&#39;&quot; NBC quotes him as saying,

However, Republicans say that party lawyers have contacted 306 Republican electors, and they believe only a few may vote for someone other than Trump, NBC reports. An Associated Press survey, which interviewed 330 of the 538 electors, found &quot;widespread Democratic aggravation with the electoral process but little expectation that the hustle of anti-Trump maneuvering can derail him&quot;.

(WION)

On Monday the Electoral College will almost certainly vote to make Trump president, ignorant about his Russian connections

Electoral College electors will not receive any intelligence briefing concerning Russian interference in the 2016 US election, says the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on Friday, CNN reports. The intelligence community said it will not discuss the Russian hacks until a review ordered by Obama is completed in January, NBC reports. US intelligence agencies said as far back as October 7 they were "confident" Russia was involved in efforts to hack information related to the election, and Obama himself suggested Friday, in his last press conference of the year, that Putin was responsible for meddling in the US election. "Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin...this happened at the highest levels of the Russian government," he said. In the US election, citizens actually vote for the Electoral College voters, who then usually select the presidential candidate their state favoured. But with Trump winning the election despite losing the popular vote by millions, this year presents controversy. Earlier this month, a group of electors for Clinton called for a briefing ahead of the vote in an open letter to Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, CNN reports. They sought information on "whether there are ongoing investigations into ties between Donald Trump, his campaign or associates, and Russian government interference in the election, the scope of these investigations, how far those investigations may have reached, and who was involved in those investigations," CNN reports. On Monday, CNN reported that Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta, backed the electors seeking to be briefed on the question of foreign interventions, the closst Podesta and anyone from the Clinton camp came to calling into question the legitimacy of Trump's presidency. Podesta said in a statement: "We believe that the administration owes it to the American people to explain what it knows regarding the extent and manner of Russia's interference and this be done as soon as possible. Will the Electoral College not vote Trump? While a total of 29 US states have laws that require the electors to cast their votes for whichever candidate won that state's popular vote, the penalties for not doing so are weak. Christopher Suprun, a paramedic from Texas, said he will vote against Trump despite the result of his state's election. "Donald Trump lacks the foreign policy experience and demeanor needed to be a commander in chief," he wrote in a New York Times op-ed, NBC reports. Also from Texas is elector Art Sisneros, who resigned in November, saying a vote for Trump "would bring dishonour to God,'" NBC quotes him as saying, However, Republicans say that party lawyers have contacted 306 Republican electors, and they believe only a few may vote for someone other than Trump, NBC reports. An Associated Press survey, which interviewed 330 of the 538 electors, found "widespread Democratic aggravation with the electoral process but little expectation that the hustle of anti-Trump maneuvering can derail him". (WION)

Electoral College voters won't receive intel briefings about Russian election interference before vote

Barack Obama has warned that the US will retaliate against Russian cyber attacks during the US presidential election, news agency AFP reported.

&quot;I think there is no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact the integrity of our elections that we need to take action,&quot; Obama told NPR radio, according to AFP.

&quot;And we will, at a time and place of our own choosing.&quot;

Obama made the remarks after intelligence officials said that Putin was personally linked to the hacking campaign, ABC News reports.

Russia has denied the hacking allegations.

&quot;I don&#39;t think things happen in the Russian government of this consequence without Vladimir Putin knowing about it,&quot; one of Obama&rsquo;s top advisers, Ben Rhodes, said earlier Thursday.

&quot;Everything we know about how Russia operates and how Putin controls that government would suggest that, again, when you&#39;re talking about a significant cyber intrusion like this, we&#39;re talking about the highest levels of government,&quot; he told MSNBC television.

The CIA has said that the Russian cyber attacks, including the hacking of emails from the Democratic National Committee, were intended to influence the election in Donald Trump&rsquo;s favour, according to The Guardian.

Trump has blasted the CIA&rsquo;s assessment as &quot;ridiculous&quot;.

&quot;If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act? Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?&quot; Trump tweeted earlier on Thursday.

In Congress, senior legislators are demanding a broad investigation and declassification of at least some of the secret CIA and FBI reports.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

He said they would 'at a time and place of our own choosing'

Barack Obama has warned that the US will retaliate against Russian cyber attacks during the US presidential election, news agency AFP reported. "I think there is no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact the integrity of our elections that we need to take action," Obama told NPR radio, according to AFP. "And we will, at a time and place of our own choosing." Obama made the remarks after intelligence officials said that Putin was personally linked to the hacking campaign, ABC News reports. Russia has denied the hacking allegations. "I don't think things happen in the Russian government of this consequence without Vladimir Putin knowing about it," one of Obama’s top advisers, Ben Rhodes, said earlier Thursday. "Everything we know about how Russia operates and how Putin controls that government would suggest that, again, when you're talking about a significant cyber intrusion like this, we're talking about the highest levels of government," he told MSNBC television. The CIA has said that the Russian cyber attacks, including the hacking of emails from the Democratic National Committee, were intended to influence the election in Donald Trump’s favour, according to The Guardian. Trump has blasted the CIA’s assessment as "ridiculous". "If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act? Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?" Trump tweeted earlier on Thursday. In Congress, senior legislators are demanding a broad investigation and declassification of at least some of the secret CIA and FBI reports. (WION with inputs from AFP)

America will retaliate against Russia hacking, says Obama

President Vladimir Putin said he and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan are working to organise a new series of Syrian peace talks without the involvement of the United States or the United Nations.

In a snub to Washington, Putin made clear on Friday that the initiative was the sole preserve of Moscow and Turkey and that the peace talks, if they happened, would be in addition to intermittent UN-brokered negotiations in Geneva.

&quot;The next step is to reach an agreement on a total ceasefire across the whole of Syria,&quot; Putin said in Tokyo. &quot;We are conducting very active negotiations with representatives of the armed opposition, brokered by Turkey.&quot;

Putin, who has leveraged Russia&#39;s role in Syria to boost his diplomatic muscle, said the talks proposal was being put to the Syrian government and the opposition. Kazakhstan, the proposed venue, is a Russian ally, and Putin said the talks could take place in Astana, the Kazakh capital.

The surprise move underlines the growing strength of Moscow&#39;s rapprochement with Ankara, with which it fell out last year over the shooting down of a Russian plane, and reflects Russia&#39;s desire to cement its growing influence in the Middle East and more widely.

It also shows how fed up Russia is with what it sees as long and pointless talks with the Obama administration over Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week dismissed those talks as &quot;fruitless sitting around&quot; and said Ankara might prove a more effective partner on Syria.

Turkey, which wants to boost its global sway too, is also deeply frustrated by US&nbsp;policy in Syria, particularly Washington&#39;s support for Kurdish militia fighters it sees as a hostile force, and by what it views as Barack Obama&#39;s failure to give enough support to the rebels.

Putin played down the idea that the talks would sideline or overshadow similar talks brokered by the United Nations that have been held intermittently in Geneva.

&quot;It won&rsquo;t compete with the Geneva talks, but will complement them. Wherever the conflicting sides meet, in my view it is the right thing to do to try to find a political solution,&quot; he said.

The initiative is unlikely to go down well with UN&nbsp;envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura however. He told reporters in Paris on Thursday that it was time for all sides to return to the table, but the United Nations would have to broker any talks for them to have legitimacy.

&nbsp;

ODD COUPLE

Russia still hopes it can co-operate on Syria with the United States and join forces with Washington against Islamic State once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

But Trump will not be inaugurated until January&nbsp;20, leaving a power vacuum, and is likely in any case to need some time to formulate foreign policy.

The alliance between Moscow and Ankara is at first glance an odd one. Russia is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s closest allies, while Turkey, a NATO member, wants him removed.

But Ankara may be ready to accept a transition in which Assad is involved, provided he ultimately relinquishes power.

Turkey&#39;s main priority, on which it will want at least tacit Russian agreement, is to ensure that Kurdish militias are unable to gain further territory in Syria along its borders.

Ankara launched an incursion into Syria, &quot;Operation Euphrates Shield&quot;, in August to push Islamic State out of a 90-km (55-mile) stretch of frontier territory and prevent Kurdish groups from seizing ground in their wake.

Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli acknowledged two weeks ago that Turkey &quot;would not have moved so comfortably&quot; without the rapprochement with Russia, which effectively controls parts of northern Syrian air space.

Turkey now wants the rebels it supports to push further south into Syria and take the Islamic State-held city of al-Bab, around 40 kilometres northeast of Aleppo.

Erdogan is determined that the Turkish-backed rebels capture the city to prevent Kurdish militias from doing so. But that ambition could cause difficulties with Moscow, as al-Bab lies close to the front lines of Assad&#39;s allies.

&nbsp;

ALEPPO DEAL

Putin had only warm words for the prospect of deeper Russo-Turkish co-operation however and said the evacuation of rebels from Aleppo was something that he and Erdogan had agreed on.

He hoped the Syrian army would be able to consolidate its position in Aleppo and civilians return to normal life.

The RIA agency this week quoted Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, as saying it had been easier to deal with Turkey on Aleppo than the United States.

&quot;It was much more straightforward to reach agreements with Turkey than with the Americans,&quot; he was cited as saying.

Putin played down the Syrian government&#39;s recent loss of Palmyra to Islamic State, blaming the lack of coordination between the US

led coalition, the Syrian authorities, and Russia for the setback.

&ldquo;Everything that is happening in Palmyra is the result of uncoordinated action,&quot; said Putin.

&ldquo;The question of Palmyra is purely symbolic. Aleppo is much more important from a military-political point of view.&rdquo;

(Reuters)

In a snub to Washington, Putin made clear on Friday that the initiative was the sole preserve of Moscow and Turkey

President Vladimir Putin said he and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan are working to organise a new series of Syrian peace talks without the involvement of the United States or the United Nations. In a snub to Washington, Putin made clear on Friday that the initiative was the sole preserve of Moscow and Turkey and that the peace talks, if they happened, would be in addition to intermittent UN-brokered negotiations in Geneva. "The next step is to reach an agreement on a total ceasefire across the whole of Syria," Putin said in Tokyo. "We are conducting very active negotiations with representatives of the armed opposition, brokered by Turkey." Putin, who has leveraged Russia's role in Syria to boost his diplomatic muscle, said the talks proposal was being put to the Syrian government and the opposition. Kazakhstan, the proposed venue, is a Russian ally, and Putin said the talks could take place in Astana, the Kazakh capital. The surprise move underlines the growing strength of Moscow's rapprochement with Ankara, with which it fell out last year over the shooting down of a Russian plane, and reflects Russia's desire to cement its growing influence in the Middle East and more widely. It also shows how fed up Russia is with what it sees as long and pointless talks with the Obama administration over Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week dismissed those talks as "fruitless sitting around" and said Ankara might prove a more effective partner on Syria. Turkey, which wants to boost its global sway too, is also deeply frustrated by US policy in Syria, particularly Washington's support for Kurdish militia fighters it sees as a hostile force, and by what it views as Barack Obama's failure to give enough support to the rebels. Putin played down the idea that the talks would sideline or overshadow similar talks brokered by the United Nations that have been held intermittently in Geneva. "It won’t compete with the Geneva talks, but will complement them. Wherever the conflicting sides meet, in my view it is the right thing to do to try to find a political solution," he said. The initiative is unlikely to go down well with UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura however. He told reporters in Paris on Thursday that it was time for all sides to return to the table, but the United Nations would have to broker any talks for them to have legitimacy. ODD COUPLE Russia still hopes it can co-operate on Syria with the United States and join forces with Washington against Islamic State once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. But Trump will not be inaugurated until January 20, leaving a power vacuum, and is likely in any case to need some time to formulate foreign policy. The alliance between Moscow and Ankara is at first glance an odd one. Russia is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's closest allies, while Turkey, a NATO member, wants him removed. But Ankara may be ready to accept a transition in which Assad is involved, provided he ultimately relinquishes power. Turkey's main priority, on which it will want at least tacit Russian agreement, is to ensure that Kurdish militias are unable to gain further territory in Syria along its borders. Ankara launched an incursion into Syria, "Operation Euphrates Shield", in August to push Islamic State out of a 90-km (55-mile) stretch of frontier territory and prevent Kurdish groups from seizing ground in their wake. Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli acknowledged two weeks ago that Turkey "would not have moved so comfortably" without the rapprochement with Russia, which effectively controls parts of northern Syrian air space. Turkey now wants the rebels it supports to push further south into Syria and take the Islamic State-held city of al-Bab, around 40 kilometres northeast of Aleppo. Erdogan is determined that the Turkish-backed rebels capture the city to prevent Kurdish militias from doing so. But that ambition could cause difficulties with Moscow, as al-Bab lies close to the front lines of Assad's allies. ALEPPO DEAL Putin had only warm words for the prospect of deeper Russo-Turkish co-operation however and said the evacuation of rebels from Aleppo was something that he and Erdogan had agreed on. He hoped the Syrian army would be able to consolidate its position in Aleppo and civilians return to normal life. The RIA agency this week quoted Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, as saying it had been easier to deal with Turkey on Aleppo than the United States. "It was much more straightforward to reach agreements with Turkey than with the Americans," he was cited as saying. Putin played down the Syrian government's recent loss of Palmyra to Islamic State, blaming the lack of coordination between the US led coalition, the Syrian authorities, and Russia for the setback. “Everything that is happening in Palmyra is the result of uncoordinated action," said Putin. “The question of Palmyra is purely symbolic. Aleppo is much more important from a military-political point of view.” (Reuters)

Putin and Erdogan push for Syria talks without US or UN

China&#39;s Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday any interference with or damage to the &quot;one China&quot; principle would have a serious impact on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday the United States did not necessarily have to stick to its position that Taiwan is part of &quot;one China&quot;, further upsetting China which was already angered by Trump&#39;s earlier telephone call with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.

The issue is highly sensitive for China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province, and Beijing expressed &quot;serious concern&quot; about Trump&#39;s remarks.

An Fengshan, a spokesman for China&#39;s policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office, told a regular news conference the Taiwan issue was about China&#39;s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

&quot;Upholding the &#39;one China&#39; principle is the political basis of developing China-US&nbsp;relations, and is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,&quot; he said.

&quot;If this basis is interfered with or damaged then the healthy, stable development of China-US&nbsp;relations is out of the question, and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait will be seriously impacted,&quot; An added.

China is deeply suspicious of Tsai and her ruling Democratic Progressive Party, believing they want to push for the island&#39;s formal independence, a red line for Beijing.

China has repeatedly warned the hard-won peace and stability across the narrow strait that separates them could be affected by any moves towards independence.

&quot;I think the facts tell these people that Taiwan independence is a dead end,&quot; An said.

(Reuters)

Donald Trump had said Sunday the US did not necessarily have to stick to its position that Taiwan is part of China

China's Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday any interference with or damage to the "one China" principle would have a serious impact on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. US President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday the United States did not necessarily have to stick to its position that Taiwan is part of "one China", further upsetting China which was already angered by Trump's earlier telephone call with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. The issue is highly sensitive for China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province, and Beijing expressed "serious concern" about Trump's remarks. An Fengshan, a spokesman for China's policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office, told a regular news conference the Taiwan issue was about China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Upholding the 'one China' principle is the political basis of developing China-US relations, and is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," he said. "If this basis is interfered with or damaged then the healthy, stable development of China-US relations is out of the question, and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait will be seriously impacted," An added. China is deeply suspicious of Tsai and her ruling Democratic Progressive Party, believing they want to push for the island's formal independence, a red line for Beijing. China has repeatedly warned the hard-won peace and stability across the narrow strait that separates them could be affected by any moves towards independence. "I think the facts tell these people that Taiwan independence is a dead end," An said. (Reuters)

Damage to 'one China' principle would have serious impact on peace: China

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state, US media reported late Monday, setting up what will likely be contentious confirmation hearings over the oilman&#39;s ties to Russia.

&quot;I will be making my announcement on the next Secretary of State tomorrow morning,&quot; Trump said Monday evening using his favoured medium, Twitter.

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<h5>If he is indeed nominated on Tuesday, Tillerson -- who has no formal foreign policy background -- is sure to face sharp questions in Senate confirmation hearings</h5>
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News outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post and NBC News cited sources as saying the real estate mogul had settled on Tillerson after a drawn-out and public search for the nation&#39;s top diplomat.

There had been eight or nine contenders for the job, including former CIA director David Petraeus, former UN ambassador John Bolton and Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker.

Also on that list was erstwhile Trump critic and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who indicated on Facebook he was out of the running shortly after Trump said he would soon make his choice official.

&quot;It was an honour to have been considered for secretary of state of our great country,&quot; Romney wrote.

&quot;My discussions with President-elect Trump have been both enjoyable and enlightening. I have very high hopes that the new administration will lead the nation to greater strength, prosperity and peace.&quot;

CNN reported that Trump had called Romney to tell him he had not been selected.

Sharp questions&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s secretary of state will be tasked with overseeing international relations for a political novice who seems intent on trashing protocol and upending relationships built on decades of delicate diplomacy.

If he is indeed nominated on Tuesday, Tillerson -- who has no formal foreign policy background -- is sure to face sharp questions in Senate confirmation hearings.&nbsp;

As ExxonMobil&#39;s president and CEO, the 64-year-old Texan oversees the company&#39;s business activities in more than 50 countries.

He has opposed sanctions on Russia and in 2013 was awarded Russia&#39;s Order of Friendship by Vladimir Putin following several years of Exxon projects in the country.

Trump has praised Tillerson as &quot;much more than a business executive.&quot;

&quot;I mean, he&#39;s a world-class player,&quot; the president-elect told Fox News Sunday. &quot;He knows many of the players and he knows them well.

&quot;He does massive deals in Russia. He does massive deals for the company, not for himself, for the company.&quot;

&nbsp;Ruffling feathers

With more than five weeks to go before he is sworn in, Trump is already ruffling feathers with his statements about two major world powers: Russia and China.

The president-elect has stoked alarm -- even among fellow Republicans -- by calling for closer ties with Moscow, in contrast to received wisdom in Washington that Russia remains a global security threat.

He has dismissed as &quot;ridiculous&quot; reports that US intelligence has concluded that Russia interfered in last month&#39;s presidential election to sway the vote in his favor.

And Sino-US relations are strained after a series of moves by Trump that provoked China, America&#39;s biggest single goods trading partner and the holder of almost a trillion dollars in US government debt.

The incoming president has suggested that Beijing may have to make concessions on trade if US policy toward China is to stay the same. He also directly challenged China over its currency and its takeover of disputed islets in the South China Sea.

That came after Trump raised eyebrows by taking a congratulatory call from the president of Taiwan, a self-ruling island that Beijing considers a rogue province awaiting unification.&nbsp;

It was a break from the &quot;One China policy&quot; -- which recognises Beijing as the sole representative of China -- the cornerstone of the relationship between the countries since Richard Nixon went to China in 1972.

China&#39;s foreign ministry has warned that if the One China policy is &quot;compromised or disrupted,&quot; cooperation in major fields would be &quot;out of the question.&quot;

(AFP)

There will probably be contentious confirmation hearings over Rex Tillerman's ties to Russia

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state, US media reported late Monday, setting up what will likely be contentious confirmation hearings over the oilman's ties to Russia. "I will be making my announcement on the next Secretary of State tomorrow morning," Trump said Monday evening using his favoured medium, Twitter. If he is indeed nominated on Tuesday, Tillerson -- who has no formal foreign policy background -- is sure to face sharp questions in Senate confirmation hearings × News outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post and NBC News cited sources as saying the real estate mogul had settled on Tillerson after a drawn-out and public search for the nation's top diplomat. There had been eight or nine contenders for the job, including former CIA director David Petraeus, former UN ambassador John Bolton and Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker. Also on that list was erstwhile Trump critic and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who indicated on Facebook he was out of the running shortly after Trump said he would soon make his choice official. "It was an honour to have been considered for secretary of state of our great country," Romney wrote. "My discussions with President-elect Trump have been both enjoyable and enlightening. I have very high hopes that the new administration will lead the nation to greater strength, prosperity and peace." CNN reported that Trump had called Romney to tell him he had not been selected. Sharp questions Trump's secretary of state will be tasked with overseeing international relations for a political novice who seems intent on trashing protocol and upending relationships built on decades of delicate diplomacy. If he is indeed nominated on Tuesday, Tillerson -- who has no formal foreign policy background -- is sure to face sharp questions in Senate confirmation hearings. As ExxonMobil's president and CEO, the 64-year-old Texan oversees the company's business activities in more than 50 countries. He has opposed sanctions on Russia and in 2013 was awarded Russia's Order of Friendship by Vladimir Putin following several years of Exxon projects in the country. Trump has praised Tillerson as "much more than a business executive." "I mean, he's a world-class player," the president-elect told Fox News Sunday. "He knows many of the players and he knows them well. "He does massive deals in Russia. He does massive deals for the company, not for himself, for the company." Ruffling feathers With more than five weeks to go before he is sworn in, Trump is already ruffling feathers with his statements about two major world powers: Russia and China. The president-elect has stoked alarm -- even among fellow Republicans -- by calling for closer ties with Moscow, in contrast to received wisdom in Washington that Russia remains a global security threat. He has dismissed as "ridiculous" reports that US intelligence has concluded that Russia interfered in last month's presidential election to sway the vote in his favor. And Sino-US relations are strained after a series of moves by Trump that provoked China, America's biggest single goods trading partner and the holder of almost a trillion dollars in US government debt. The incoming president has suggested that Beijing may have to make concessions on trade if US policy toward China is to stay the same. He also directly challenged China over its currency and its takeover of disputed islets in the South China Sea. That came after Trump raised eyebrows by taking a congratulatory call from the president of Taiwan, a self-ruling island that Beijing considers a rogue province awaiting unification. It was a break from the "One China policy" -- which recognises Beijing as the sole representative of China -- the cornerstone of the relationship between the countries since Richard Nixon went to China in 1972. China's foreign ministry has warned that if the One China policy is "compromised or disrupted," cooperation in major fields would be "out of the question." (AFP)

Trump to pick ExxonMobil chief as secretary of state: US media

Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson was chosen as the new US Secretary of State by President-elect Donald Trump, a nomination that could face intense scrutiny due to the veteran oil executive&#39;s close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

&quot;His tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics make him (Tillerson) an excellent choice for Secretary of State,&quot; Trump said in the statement.

Like Trump, Tillerson, 64, has no formal foreign policy experience whatsoever, but has built close relationships with many world leaders by closing massive deals across Eurasia and the Middle East on behalf of the world&#39;s largest energy company.

Tillerson was originally a dark horse for the secretary of state nomination, but emerged from a lengthy public interview and vetting process that included better-known quantities like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney and Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee.

Trump has called Tillerson a &quot;world-class player&quot; and the transition team is likely to stress that his mastery of complex negotiations and knowledge of geopolitical factors shaping the oil industry are directly relevant to heading US diplomacy and managing the State Department.

Tillerson was recommended to Trump by former secretaries of state Condoleezza Rice and James Baker and former Secretary of Defence Bob Gates, CNN quoted sources as saying. Trump and Tillerson possess similar dealmaking business backgrounds and similar views of the world, sources said, and there was a level of comfort that Trump hadn&#39;t found with anyone else.

Tillerson&#39;s nomination could face intense scrutiny in the Senate, considering his years of work in Russia and the Middle East on behalf of the multinational petroleum company. Tillerson is considered one of the faces of Big Oil globally. In 2011, Exxon signed a deal with Russian oil giant Rosneft to provide access to oil resources in the Arctic. Rosneft&#39;s largest shareholder is the Russian government. Putin attended the Exxon signing ceremony and later awarded Tillerson the country&#39;s Order of Friendship.

(PTI)

Like Trump, Tillerson, 64, has no formal foreign policy experience whatsoever, but has built close relationships with many world leaders

Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson was chosen as the new US Secretary of State by President-elect Donald Trump, a nomination that could face intense scrutiny due to the veteran oil executive's close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "His tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics make him (Tillerson) an excellent choice for Secretary of State," Trump said in the statement. Like Trump, Tillerson, 64, has no formal foreign policy experience whatsoever, but has built close relationships with many world leaders by closing massive deals across Eurasia and the Middle East on behalf of the world's largest energy company. Tillerson was originally a dark horse for the secretary of state nomination, but emerged from a lengthy public interview and vetting process that included better-known quantities like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney and Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee. Trump has called Tillerson a "world-class player" and the transition team is likely to stress that his mastery of complex negotiations and knowledge of geopolitical factors shaping the oil industry are directly relevant to heading US diplomacy and managing the State Department. Tillerson was recommended to Trump by former secretaries of state Condoleezza Rice and James Baker and former Secretary of Defence Bob Gates, CNN quoted sources as saying. Trump and Tillerson possess similar dealmaking business backgrounds and similar views of the world, sources said, and there was a level of comfort that Trump hadn't found with anyone else. Tillerson's nomination could face intense scrutiny in the Senate, considering his years of work in Russia and the Middle East on behalf of the multinational petroleum company. Tillerson is considered one of the faces of Big Oil globally. In 2011, Exxon signed a deal with Russian oil giant Rosneft to provide access to oil resources in the Arctic. Rosneft's largest shareholder is the Russian government. Putin attended the Exxon signing ceremony and later awarded Tillerson the country's Order of Friendship. (PTI)

Trump appoints Exxon Mobil chief Rex Tillerson US state secretary

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes US President-elect Donald Trump will be a good friend to Israel and hopes the two countries can work together to dismantle the international nuclear agreement with Iran.

&quot;I know Donald Trump,&quot; Netanyahu told CBS&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes&quot; in an interview scheduled to air last night. &quot;And I think his attitude, his support for Israel is clear. He feels very warmly about the Jewish state, about the Jewish people. There&#39;s no question about that.&quot;

Netanyahu&#39;s remarks are significant in part because critics have accused Trump of tolerating anti-Semitism among some of his supporters.

While the two countries are close allies, relations were sometimes tense between Netanyahu and President Barack Obama because of their vastly different world views on the Iran deal and other issues. And there is sentiment in the nationalist Israeli right wing that

Trump&#39;s election could usher in a new era of relations with the United States. Netanyahu said in the interview he &quot;had differences of opinion&quot; with Obama and the &quot;most well-known, of course, is Iran&quot;.

The Israeli prime minister has been one of the fiercest critics of the nuclear deal. During the campaign, Trump also spoke harshly about it.

Iran has long backed armed groups committed to Israel&#39;s destruction and its leaders have called for it to be wiped off the map. Israel fears that Iran&#39;s nuclear program is designed to threaten its existence.

Netanyahu said there are &quot;various ways of undoing&quot; the 2015 deal, in which Iran agreed to limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions on its oil industry and finances.

&quot;I have about five things in my mind,&quot; Netanyahu said, declining to go into further detail.

(PTI)

&nbsp;

Netanyahu's remarks are significant in part because critics have accused Trump of tolerating anti-Semitism among some of his supporters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes US President-elect Donald Trump will be a good friend to Israel and hopes the two countries can work together to dismantle the international nuclear agreement with Iran. "I know Donald Trump," Netanyahu told CBS's "60 Minutes" in an interview scheduled to air last night. "And I think his attitude, his support for Israel is clear. He feels very warmly about the Jewish state, about the Jewish people. There's no question about that." Netanyahu's remarks are significant in part because critics have accused Trump of tolerating anti-Semitism among some of his supporters. While the two countries are close allies, relations were sometimes tense between Netanyahu and President Barack Obama because of their vastly different world views on the Iran deal and other issues. And there is sentiment in the nationalist Israeli right wing that Trump's election could usher in a new era of relations with the United States. Netanyahu said in the interview he "had differences of opinion" with Obama and the "most well-known, of course, is Iran". The Israeli prime minister has been one of the fiercest critics of the nuclear deal. During the campaign, Trump also spoke harshly about it. Iran has long backed armed groups committed to Israel's destruction and its leaders have called for it to be wiped off the map. Israel fears that Iran's nuclear program is designed to threaten its existence. Netanyahu said there are "various ways of undoing" the 2015 deal, in which Iran agreed to limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions on its oil industry and finances. "I have about five things in my mind," Netanyahu said, declining to go into further detail. (PTI)

Israeli PM says he hopes to work with Trump to undo Iran nuclear deal

United States President-elect Donald Trump is likely to pick&nbsp;Exxon Mobil Corp CEO Rex Tillerson as his Secretary of State, according to media reports.

Tillerson&#39;s nomination will come under close scrutiny due to his close ties with Russia.

Although Tillerson is in the inside lane to become the next Secretary of State, transition officials said Trump is yet to make up his mind.

However, in a televised interview that is to be aired tonight, Trump said: &quot;&quot;He&#39;s more than a business executive; he&#39;s a world-class player. He&#39;s in charge of I guess the largest company in the world,&quot; Trump told Fox News according to the excerpts released yesterday. 
 
&quot;To me, a great advantage is he knows many of the players, and he knows them well. He does massive deals in Russia. He does massive deals for the company not for himself, for the company,&quot; he added.

Already, two leading Republican hawks, Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, have voiced concerns about Tillerson&#39;s serving as the nation&#39;s top diplomat because of his ties to Putin, the daily said. 
 
NBC News which first reported about it said that Tillerson would be joined by the former US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, as the Deputy Secretary of State, who would be responsible for the day to day management of the State Department. 
 
Tillerson met Trump at Trump Tower in New York City yesterday. He emerged as Trump&#39;s leading candidate for Secretary of State over 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and three other people. 
 
In a statement, the Democratic National Committee communications director Adam Hodge said Trump&#39;s &quot;outrageous pick&quot; of Tillerson to be Secretary of State demonstrates once again that he lied to the country about draining the swamp, and he&#39;s turning the government over to the same Wall Street bankers, Washington insiders and special interests he railed against during the campaign. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s also another victory for Vladimir Putin, who interfered in our election to help elect Trump and now has a close ally with no foreign policy experience serving as America&#39;s top diplomat,&quot; he said.

(With inputs from PTI)

Rex Tillerson's nomination could face intense scrutiny in the Senate due to the oil executive's close ties with Russia

United States President-elect Donald Trump is likely to pick Exxon Mobil Corp CEO Rex Tillerson as his Secretary of State, according to media reports. Tillerson's nomination will come under close scrutiny due to his close ties with Russia. Although Tillerson is in the inside lane to become the next Secretary of State, transition officials said Trump is yet to make up his mind. However, in a televised interview that is to be aired tonight, Trump said: ""He's more than a business executive; he's a world-class player. He's in charge of I guess the largest company in the world," Trump told Fox News according to the excerpts released yesterday. "To me, a great advantage is he knows many of the players, and he knows them well. He does massive deals in Russia. He does massive deals for the company not for himself, for the company," he added. Already, two leading Republican hawks, Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, have voiced concerns about Tillerson's serving as the nation's top diplomat because of his ties to Putin, the daily said. NBC News which first reported about it said that Tillerson would be joined by the former US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, as the Deputy Secretary of State, who would be responsible for the day to day management of the State Department. Tillerson met Trump at Trump Tower in New York City yesterday. He emerged as Trump's leading candidate for Secretary of State over 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and three other people. In a statement, the Democratic National Committee communications director Adam Hodge said Trump's "outrageous pick" of Tillerson to be Secretary of State demonstrates once again that he lied to the country about draining the swamp, and he's turning the government over to the same Wall Street bankers, Washington insiders and special interests he railed against during the campaign. "It's also another victory for Vladimir Putin, who interfered in our election to help elect Trump and now has a close ally with no foreign policy experience serving as America's top diplomat," he said. (With inputs from PTI)

Trump likely to pick Exxon Mobil CEO as Secretary of State

'We will fight to protect every last American life,' he said. A large chunk of H1B visa holders are Indian

Referring to lawsuits by American employees against Disney World and other US companies, US President-elect Donald Trump has said he will not allow Americans to be replaced by foreign workers. “We will fight to protect every last American life,” Trump told thousands of his supporters in Iowa on Thursday, the Press Trust of India reported. "During the campaign I also spent time with American workers who were laid off and forced to train the foreign workers brought in to replace them. We won't let this happen anymore," Trump told the crowd. "Can you believe that? You get laid off and then they won't give you your severance pay unless you train the people that are replacing you. I mean, that's actually demeaning maybe more than anything else," PTI quoted him as saying. A large chunk of H1B visa holders are Indian. Two former Disney World employees, Leo Perrero and Dena Moore, have filed lawsuits in federal court against Disney and two global consulting companies, HCL and Cognizant.They have alleged that the companies conspired to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour brought to the US on H-1B visas. The two employees were among 250 Disney tech workers laid off from their jobs at Walt Disney World in Orlando in January 2015. Following the lawsuits, Disney said in a statement, “These lawsuits are based on an unsustainable legal theory and are a wholesale misrepresentation of the facts,” the New York Times reported. According to the New York Times, the lawsuits represent the first time Americans have gone to federal court to sue both outsourcing companies that imported immigrants and the American company that contracted with those businesses. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Trump says will not allow H1B visa holders to replace US workers

US President-elect Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he will put forward the name of professional wrestling magnate and former Senate candidate Linda McMahon as his choice to head the Small Business Administration.

Trump also said McMahon would be a crucial player in generation of stronger job growth and roll back federal regulations.

If confirmed by the Senate, McMahon would join Trump&rsquo;s economic team that includes Wall Street executives Steven Mnuchin at the Treasury Department and Wilbur Ross at Commerce.

68-year-old McMahon is a co-founder and former CEO of the professional wrestling franchise WWE.

&quot;Linda has a tremendous background and is widely recognised as one of the country&rsquo;s top female executives advising businesses around the globe,&quot; Trump said in the announcement, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

McMahon, an early supporter of Trump&rsquo;s presidential campaign, said her goal as the SBA chief would be to promote small businesses and help them grow and thrive.

&ldquo;Our small businesses are the largest source of job creation in our country,&rdquo; she said.

Trump, a WWE Hall of Fame member, &nbsp;said McMahon had helped the WWE grow from a 13-person operation to a publicly traded global enterprise with more than 800 employees worldwide.&nbsp;

Trump also picked a fossil fuel industry defender as his top environmental official, another retired general as homeland security chief and Iowa&rsquo;s governor as US ambassador to China in choices at odds with some of his recent pronouncements.

Trump, who is tapping members for his Cabinet as he prepares to take office&nbsp;on January 20, said Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, 48, would be nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency.&nbsp;

Pruitt had sued the EPA in an attempt &nbsp;to undo a key regulation under outgoing President Barack Obama that would curtail greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from coal-fired power plants.

Pruitt&rsquo;s selection comes despite a softer stance Trump has had &nbsp;on environmental regulation since his election.

Trump has retreated from casting climate change as a hoax, signalled he might be willing to allow the United States to continue participating in the Paris climate change deal aimed at lowering world carbon emissions, and met with former Vice President Al Gore.

Pruitt&rsquo;s selection brought a quick rebuke from Democrats.

&quot;The head of the EPA cannot be a stenographer for the lobbyists of polluters and Big Oil,&quot; House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said of Pruitt.

Trump nominated retired Marine Corps General John Kelly for secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which controls immigration.&nbsp;

66-year-old Kelly, the third retired general named by Trump to a senior administration post, last year told Congress that a lack of security on the US-Mexican border is a threat to the United States.

Spokespersons for Trump&rsquo;s transition team said Republican Iowa governor Terry Branstad, who is known for his close ties to Beijing&rsquo;s leaders, was picked as US ambassador to China.&nbsp;

Trump has more key appointments to make in coming days, including the&nbsp;secretary of state.&nbsp;

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(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Republican Iowa governor Terry Branstad, who is known for his close ties to Beijing?s leaders, was picked as US ambassador to China

US President-elect Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he will put forward the name of professional wrestling magnate and former Senate candidate Linda McMahon as his choice to head the Small Business Administration. Trump also said McMahon would be a crucial player in generation of stronger job growth and roll back federal regulations. If confirmed by the Senate, McMahon would join Trump’s economic team that includes Wall Street executives Steven Mnuchin at the Treasury Department and Wilbur Ross at Commerce. 68-year-old McMahon is a co-founder and former CEO of the professional wrestling franchise WWE. "Linda has a tremendous background and is widely recognised as one of the country’s top female executives advising businesses around the globe," Trump said in the announcement, Reuters reported. McMahon, an early supporter of Trump’s presidential campaign, said her goal as the SBA chief would be to promote small businesses and help them grow and thrive. “Our small businesses are the largest source of job creation in our country,” she said. Trump, a WWE Hall of Fame member, said McMahon had helped the WWE grow from a 13-person operation to a publicly traded global enterprise with more than 800 employees worldwide. Trump also picked a fossil fuel industry defender as his top environmental official, another retired general as homeland security chief and Iowa’s governor as US ambassador to China in choices at odds with some of his recent pronouncements. Trump, who is tapping members for his Cabinet as he prepares to take office on January 20, said Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, 48, would be nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt had sued the EPA in an attempt to undo a key regulation under outgoing President Barack Obama that would curtail greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from coal-fired power plants. Pruitt’s selection comes despite a softer stance Trump has had on environmental regulation since his election. Trump has retreated from casting climate change as a hoax, signalled he might be willing to allow the United States to continue participating in the Paris climate change deal aimed at lowering world carbon emissions, and met with former Vice President Al Gore. Pruitt’s selection brought a quick rebuke from Democrats. "The head of the EPA cannot be a stenographer for the lobbyists of polluters and Big Oil," House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said of Pruitt. Trump nominated retired Marine Corps General John Kelly for secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which controls immigration. 66-year-old Kelly, the third retired general named by Trump to a senior administration post, last year told Congress that a lack of security on the US-Mexican border is a threat to the United States. Spokespersons for Trump’s transition team said Republican Iowa governor Terry Branstad, who is known for his close ties to Beijing’s leaders, was picked as US ambassador to China. Trump has more key appointments to make in coming days, including the secretary of state. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump nominates WWE co-founder, Obama foe and third retired general for his cabinet

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