US&nbsp;Democrats on Thursday pressed the Republican-controlled Senate to call <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impeached-us-president-trump-says-democrats-consumed-with-hatred-269042">Donald Trump</a>'s top lieutenants to testify in its trial of the impeached president, as they sought to focus attention on the trial ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

A day after the Democratic-led US&nbsp;House of Representatives <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-votes-to-impeach-trump-for-obstruction-of-congress-269040/amp">impeached Trump</a>, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would not formally hand off impeachment to the Senate until she got a sense of how Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell would manage the trial.

"We're ready when we see what they have," she told a news conference.

Pelosi was not expected to move until lawmakers return from their year-end recess in early January, according to aides.

That did not seem to bother McConnell, who said the two sides were at an impasse.

"I'm not sure what leverage there is in refraining from sending us something we do not want," he said on the Senate floor.

The impeachment effort has deepened the partisan divide in Washington, and polls show that public opinion has hardened along ideological lines as well.

One surprise came when Christianity Today, a prominent evangelical publication, called Trump's conduct "profoundly immoral" and said he should be removed from office.

Polls have found that white evangelical Christians are among Trump's most loyal supporters.

Trump has denied wrongdoing and called the impeachment enquiry launched by Pelosi in September a "witch hunt."

His political future now rests with 77-year-old McConnell, a self-proclaimed "Grim Reaper" who is widely known as a shrewd negotiator who plays hardball politics at a level unusual even by Washington standards.

Democrats want McConnell to allow top Trump aides like Mick Mulvaney, the White House acting chief of staff, and John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, to testify, according to a senior Democratic aide.

"Is the president's case so weak that none of the president's men can defend him under oath?" asked Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who later urged McConnell in a meeting to use the two-week recess to consider allowing witnesses.

In an interview on MSNBC, Schumer said he doubted McConnell would agree to allow witness testimony. But Schumer said he believed enough Republican senators would join all the Democrats in forcing the adoption of rules for the trial that would include having witnesses testify.

In a historic vote on Wednesday evening, House <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impeached-us-president-trump-says-democrats-consumed-with-hatred-269042">Democrats impeached Trump</a> for alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic political foe, Joe Biden. He is only the third US&nbsp;president to be impeached.

Also Watch:&nbsp;Donald Trump impeached. What happens next?

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The Senate trial is expected in early January. Trump himself has expressed an interest in a long trial with witnesses, but senior Republican senators want to put the affair behind them. They point out that there were no live witnesses at the 1999 impeachment trial of Democratic then-President Bill Clinton.

McConnell and Schumer met on Thursday afternoon. Asked how he felt about Pelosi potentially withholding the articles of impeachment, the Republican said: "If the speaker wants to hold on to them, it’s fine with us."

Earlier, McConnell accused Democrats of succumbing to "transient passions and factionalism" and made it clear that he did not think the Senate should find Trump guilty.

"The vote did not reflect what had been proven. It only reflects how they feel about the president. The Senate must put this right," McConnell said on the Senate floor.

Trump, 73, is accused of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden, a former US&nbsp;vice president, as well as a discredited theory that Democrats conspired with Ukraine to meddle in the 2016 election.

Democrats say that as part of his pressure campaign, Trump held back $391 million in security aid for Ukraine and a coveted White House meeting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as leverage to coerce Kyiv into interfering in the 2020 election by smearing Biden.

Trump is also accused of obstruction of Congress for directing administration officials and agencies not to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry.

A Senate trial would kick off a politically charged year heading into the presidential election, which will pit Trump against one of a field of Democratic contenders, including Biden, who has repeatedly criticized the president's conduct in office.

Fewer than half of Americans want Trump removed from office, according to polls&nbsp;released on Thursday.

The Senate is highly unlikely to find Trump guilty and remove him from office. At least 20 Republican senators would have to vote to convict Trump and none has indicated a willingness to do so.

McConnell has said he is working in tandem with the White House on trial preparations, drawing accusations from Democrats that he is ignoring his duty to consider the evidence in an impartial manner.

Asked about his strategy, Trump told reporters at the White House: "We have great senators - Republican senators. ... I'm going to let them decide what to do. That's going to be up to them."

Pelosi she would wait to name the Democratic House "managers," who will prosecute the case, until she knew more about the Senate trial procedures. The chamber's No. 3 Democrat, James Clyburn, told CNN the House could wait indefinitely.

Pelosi's tactic gives Democrats time to convince some Senate Republicans that they should hear from witnesses, said Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen.

"When you have a trial you get to call witnesses," he told Reuters.

US Democrats on Thursday pressed the Republican-controlled Senate to call Donald Trump's top lieutenants to testify in its trial of the impeached president, as they sought to focus attention on the trial ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

US Democrats on Thursday pressed the Republican-controlled Senate to call Donald Trump's top lieutenants to testify in its trial of the impeached president, as they sought to focus attention on the trial ahead of the 2020 presidential election. A day after the Democratic-led US House of Representatives impeached Trump, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would not formally hand off impeachment to the Senate until she got a sense of how Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell would manage the trial. "We're ready when we see what they have," she told a news conference. Pelosi was not expected to move until lawmakers return from their year-end recess in early January, according to aides. That did not seem to bother McConnell, who said the two sides were at an impasse. "I'm not sure what leverage there is in refraining from sending us something we do not want," he said on the Senate floor. The impeachment effort has deepened the partisan divide in Washington, and polls show that public opinion has hardened along ideological lines as well. One surprise came when Christianity Today, a prominent evangelical publication, called Trump's conduct "profoundly immoral" and said he should be removed from office. Polls have found that white evangelical Christians are among Trump's most loyal supporters. Trump has denied wrongdoing and called the impeachment enquiry launched by Pelosi in September a "witch hunt." His political future now rests with 77-year-old McConnell, a self-proclaimed "Grim Reaper" who is widely known as a shrewd negotiator who plays hardball politics at a level unusual even by Washington standards. Democrats want McConnell to allow top Trump aides like Mick Mulvaney, the White House acting chief of staff, and John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, to testify, according to a senior Democratic aide. "Is the president's case so weak that none of the president's men can defend him under oath?" asked Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who later urged McConnell in a meeting to use the two-week recess to consider allowing witnesses. In an interview on MSNBC, Schumer said he doubted McConnell would agree to allow witness testimony. But Schumer said he believed enough Republican senators would join all the Democrats in forcing the adoption of rules for the trial that would include having witnesses testify. In a historic vote on Wednesday evening, House Democrats impeached Trump for alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic political foe, Joe Biden. He is only the third US president to be impeached. Also Watch: Donald Trump impeached. What happens next? × The Senate trial is expected in early January. Trump himself has expressed an interest in a long trial with witnesses, but senior Republican senators want to put the affair behind them. They point out that there were no live witnesses at the 1999 impeachment trial of Democratic then-President Bill Clinton. McConnell and Schumer met on Thursday afternoon. Asked how he felt about Pelosi potentially withholding the articles of impeachment, the Republican said: "If the speaker wants to hold on to them, it’s fine with us." Earlier, McConnell accused Democrats of succumbing to "transient passions and factionalism" and made it clear that he did not think the Senate should find Trump guilty. "The vote did not reflect what had been proven. It only reflects how they feel about the president. The Senate must put this right," McConnell said on the Senate floor. Trump, 73, is accused of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden, a former US vice president, as well as a discredited theory that Democrats conspired with Ukraine to meddle in the 2016 election. Democrats say that as part of his pressure campaign, Trump held back $391 million in security aid for Ukraine and a coveted White House meeting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as leverage to coerce Kyiv into interfering in the 2020 election by smearing Biden. Trump is also accused of obstruction of Congress for directing administration officials and agencies not to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry. A Senate trial would kick off a politically charged year heading into the presidential election, which will pit Trump against one of a field of Democratic contenders, including Biden, who has repeatedly criticized the president's conduct in office. Fewer than half of Americans want Trump removed from office, according to polls released on Thursday. The Senate is highly unlikely to find Trump guilty and remove him from office. At least 20 Republican senators would have to vote to convict Trump and none has indicated a willingness to do so. McConnell has said he is working in tandem with the White House on trial preparations, drawing accusations from Democrats that he is ignoring his duty to consider the evidence in an impartial manner. Asked about his strategy, Trump told reporters at the White House: "We have great senators - Republican senators. ... I'm going to let them decide what to do. That's going to be up to them." Pelosi she would wait to name the Democratic House "managers," who will prosecute the case, until she knew more about the Senate trial procedures. The chamber's No. 3 Democrat, James Clyburn, told CNN the House could wait indefinitely. Pelosi's tactic gives Democrats time to convince some Senate Republicans that they should hear from witnesses, said Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen. "When you have a trial you get to call witnesses," he told Reuters.

US Democrats seek high-profile trial for Trump in Senate

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-nations-states-pledge-more-than-3-billion-for-refugees-asylum-rights-under-threat-269069">United States</a> began flying Mexican deportees deep into Mexico on Thursday, and senior US&nbsp;and Guatemalan officials said Mexicans seeking US&nbsp;refuge might be sent to the Central American nation, in a renewed effort to slash border crossings.

The flight carrying Mexican deportees from Tucson, Arizona, landed in the central city of Guadalajara around midday. One immigration shelter in the city said it had been informed of a likely influx of deportees.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-have-no-proof-i-want-an-immediate-trial-trump-on-impeachment-proceedings-269248">US&nbsp;President Donald Trump</a> has made clamping down on unlawful migration a top priority of his three-year-old term in office and his 2020 re-election campaign.

Numbers of Central American migrants apprehended at the border fell sharply in the second part of 2019 after Mexico deployed National Guard troops to stem the flow, under pressure from Trump.

With fewer Central Americans at the border, US&nbsp;attention has turned to Mexicans crossing illegally or asking for asylum. Around 150,000 Mexican single adults were apprehended at the border in the fiscal year 2019, sharply down from previous decades but still enough to bother US&nbsp;immigration hawks.

In another sign of the new focus on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/mexican-businesses-want-clarity-on-details-of-usmca-trade-deal-267698">Mexicans</a>, Acting Deputy US&nbsp;Department of Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said an agreement that lets US&nbsp;immigration officials send asylum seekers to Guatemala to request refuge there instead could also apply to Mexicans and other nationalities.

"As we fully implement the agreement, all populations are being considered, including Mexican nationals," Cuccinelli said on Twitter.

His comments were echoed by Guatemala's Interior Minister Enrique Degenhart, who told Reuters he had analysed whether Mexicans could be included in the programme, which is similar to the "safe third country" arrangement in Europe that outsources asylum to Turkey.

Also Watch:&nbsp;Migrants gather at US-Mexico border for Christmas party

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Degenhart said the idea of including Mexicans had not been implemented so far but could not be ruled out.

"Right now, it is only being used with Central Americans," he said, pointing out that Mexicans were not part of the long-standing pact that allows Central Americans to move freely between each others' countries.

Mexico's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Cuccinelli and Degenhart's remarks.

Flights

Mexico said it had requested the flights to keep deportees away from dangerous border cities, while a senior DHS official said the flights were in response to rising numbers of Mexican nationals arrested at the US-Mexico border.

Mexicans made up nearly half of all migrants caught between October and December, according to US&nbsp;Customs and Border Protection data.

John Sandweg, a former acting director of US&nbsp;Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the Obama administration, said the programme would help stop Mexican migrants from simply crossing again once they had been deported.

"It's a lot cheaper to just return Mexicans across the border," he said. "But the real benefit is the recidivism rate." A bus ride from Guadalajara to Nogales, a Mexican border city across from the US&nbsp;state of Arizona, can take more than a day.

The flights could be scaled up quickly in the coming weeks, said the DHS official, who was not authorized to speak publicly. The Mexican foreign ministry said the flights would begin on a regular basis in January.

The US&nbsp;official added the return flights may expand beyond Guadalajara, Mexico's second-biggest city, to other parts of Mexico.

Acting ICE Director Matt Albence said in a written statement on Thursday that the interior repatriations would allow Mexican nationals to be returned closer to their homes and discourage future border-crossing attempts.

The flight from Tucson to Guadalajara on Thursday carried approximately 150 Mexican deportees, according to ICE.

The United States has in recent years mainly deported Mexicans to border towns, although in the past it also flew them to cities in the interior.

The United States began flying Mexican deportees deep into Mexico on Thursday, and senior US and Guatemalan officials said Mexicans seeking US refuge might be sent to the Central American nation, in a renewed effort to slash border crossings.

The United States began flying Mexican deportees deep into Mexico on Thursday, and senior US and Guatemalan officials said Mexicans seeking US refuge might be sent to the Central American nation, in a renewed effort to slash border crossings. The flight carrying Mexican deportees from Tucson, Arizona, landed in the central city of Guadalajara around midday. One immigration shelter in the city said it had been informed of a likely influx of deportees. US President Donald Trump has made clamping down on unlawful migration a top priority of his three-year-old term in office and his 2020 re-election campaign. Numbers of Central American migrants apprehended at the border fell sharply in the second part of 2019 after Mexico deployed National Guard troops to stem the flow, under pressure from Trump. With fewer Central Americans at the border, US attention has turned to Mexicans crossing illegally or asking for asylum. Around 150,000 Mexican single adults were apprehended at the border in the fiscal year 2019, sharply down from previous decades but still enough to bother US immigration hawks. In another sign of the new focus on Mexicans, Acting Deputy US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said an agreement that lets US immigration officials send asylum seekers to Guatemala to request refuge there instead could also apply to Mexicans and other nationalities. "As we fully implement the agreement, all populations are being considered, including Mexican nationals," Cuccinelli said on Twitter. His comments were echoed by Guatemala's Interior Minister Enrique Degenhart, who told Reuters he had analysed whether Mexicans could be included in the programme, which is similar to the "safe third country" arrangement in Europe that outsources asylum to Turkey. Also Watch: Migrants gather at US-Mexico border for Christmas party × Degenhart said the idea of including Mexicans had not been implemented so far but could not be ruled out. "Right now, it is only being used with Central Americans," he said, pointing out that Mexicans were not part of the long-standing pact that allows Central Americans to move freely between each others' countries. Mexico's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Cuccinelli and Degenhart's remarks. Flights Mexico said it had requested the flights to keep deportees away from dangerous border cities, while a senior DHS official said the flights were in response to rising numbers of Mexican nationals arrested at the US-Mexico border. Mexicans made up nearly half of all migrants caught between October and December, according to US Customs and Border Protection data. John Sandweg, a former acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the Obama administration, said the programme would help stop Mexican migrants from simply crossing again once they had been deported. "It's a lot cheaper to just return Mexicans across the border," he said. "But the real benefit is the recidivism rate." A bus ride from Guadalajara to Nogales, a Mexican border city across from the US state of Arizona, can take more than a day. The flights could be scaled up quickly in the coming weeks, said the DHS official, who was not authorized to speak publicly. The Mexican foreign ministry said the flights would begin on a regular basis in January. The US official added the return flights may expand beyond Guadalajara, Mexico's second-biggest city, to other parts of Mexico. Acting ICE Director Matt Albence said in a written statement on Thursday that the interior repatriations would allow Mexican nationals to be returned closer to their homes and discourage future border-crossing attempts. The flight from Tucson to Guadalajara on Thursday carried approximately 150 Mexican deportees, according to ICE. The United States has in recent years mainly deported Mexicans to border towns, although in the past it also flew them to cities in the interior.

US deports Mexicans far from border, may send others to Guatemala

By David Hastings Dunn

Boris Johnson has taken the scale of the Conservative Party’s election victory as an emphatic mandate to leave the European Union in 2020. But what of the implications of the vote for the UK-US relationship? Despite enthusiastic tweets from President Donald Trump, the longer-term consequences of Johnson’s 80-seat majority for the “special relationship” may point in a different direction to the short-term lessons.

In the immediate aftermath of the election, the Trump White House will be relieved that it doesn’t have to deal with Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister, a man who has spent his life railing against American imperialism and opposing US foreign and security policies on almost all issues. For the rest of his tenure, whether re-elected or not, Trump can look forward to dealing with Johnson.

I have researched the US-UK relationship and how it has evolved under different presidencies. Although Corbyn was looked on with more suspicion by Trump, in practice, the UK’s departure from the EU is the more seismic disruption to transatlantic relations.

In the short term, Trump will see positive implications in the Conservative victory for his own re-election in November 2020. The defeat of big government socialism by populist nationalism will encourage Trump in the belief that he can repeat the success of the “Britain Trump”.

Corbyn’s defeat has also been seized upon in the Democratic leadership contest with presidential candidate Joe Biden warning: “Look what happens when the Labour Party moves so, so far to the left.” There are lessons to be drawn for both parties about the importance of embracing a leadership candidate who appears credible and popular to swing voters.

Deals brewing

Trump will also be pleased that Britain will be leaving the EU, which he sees mainly as a competitor trading block rather than a promoter of liberal values and rules-based international order. What weakens the EU and its progressive agenda will be welcomed by Trump. For the “America first” president, however, Brexit is mainly seen as an opportunity to “strike a massive new trade deal” with “the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal that could be made with the EU”.

With the UK sending 45 per cent of its exports of goods and services to the EU in 2018 as opposed to 19 per cent&nbsp;to the US, this would represent quite a change in trade policy. For such a change to occur, a “clean break Brexit” is necessary where regulatory alignment with the EU ends so that trade policy could come into line with US food and manufacturing standards. This is the line that Nigel Farage and his Brexit Party advocate to accelerate the transition to such a US trade deal.

The scale of Johnson’s victory, however, means that he can now choose the Brexit he wants, unbeholden to the more extreme wing of his party represented by MPs from the European Research Group. Eager to hang on to the new coalition of working-class voters in the north and Midlands, Johnson may seek a Brexit deal with the EU that is less disruptive and damaging to existing trade policies than that advocated by Farage and Trump. Certainly, the extent to which any aspect of the health sector is opened up to the US market will be greatly scrutinised by the opposition and press. Under these circumstances, Trump may not get the deal he wants.

Questions of power

After the UK leaves the EU, the US will also miss its main source of influence in Brussels. The US embassy in London is the largest in Europe because the UK is seen as the best way of persuading the EU to act in concert with Washington. It is through this link, for example, that the US has historically orchestrated common positions on sanctions policies and relations with Russia. With the UK out of the EU, the US will have less influence in Brussels and the UK will correspondingly be of less value to Washington.

Without the dissenting and cautionary voice of the UK in the EU, the block will also be free to pursue greater integration on defence and security and a more independent European voice in foreign and trade policies. The bridging role that London played in persuading the EU to take a common line with Washington on arms sales to China, or sanctions on Russia will not be easily replaced.

The role that the UK formerly played within Europe as a voice for liberal internationalism has now also been replaced with a government that is seen as a role model for populist nationalism in Europe. Rather than fulfilling a unifying role, post-Brexit Britain will add to the divisions within the west.

The UK’s ability to maintain its place as a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council will also be questioned once it leaves the EU. Having justified this position for the last 20 years because it represents, along with fellow permanent member France, 500 million Europeans, it will now be difficult to argue that its seat should be maintained to speak for Britain alone.

Trump can probably expect a more obsequious disposition from the UK towards the US as it pursues a new trading relationship with Washington. But future US administrations may come to regret the consequences of this election result and the Brexit that follows on their influence in Europe and the unity of the West in general.

(David Hastings Dunn is Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/donald-trump-enthusiastic-about-boris-johnsons-victory-but-it-wont-be-smooth-sailing-for-the-special-relationship-128727">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

By David Hastings Dunn Boris Johnson has taken the scale of the Conservative Party’s election victory as an emphatic mandate to leave the European Union in 2020.

By David Hastings Dunn Boris Johnson has taken the scale of the Conservative Party’s election victory as an emphatic mandate to leave the European Union in 2020. But what of the implications of the vote for the UK-US relationship? Despite enthusiastic tweets from President Donald Trump, the longer-term consequences of Johnson’s 80-seat majority for the “special relationship” may point in a different direction to the short-term lessons. In the immediate aftermath of the election, the Trump White House will be relieved that it doesn’t have to deal with Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister, a man who has spent his life railing against American imperialism and opposing US foreign and security policies on almost all issues. For the rest of his tenure, whether re-elected or not, Trump can look forward to dealing with Johnson. I have researched the US-UK relationship and how it has evolved under different presidencies. Although Corbyn was looked on with more suspicion by Trump, in practice, the UK’s departure from the EU is the more seismic disruption to transatlantic relations. In the short term, Trump will see positive implications in the Conservative victory for his own re-election in November 2020. The defeat of big government socialism by populist nationalism will encourage Trump in the belief that he can repeat the success of the “Britain Trump”. Corbyn’s defeat has also been seized upon in the Democratic leadership contest with presidential candidate Joe Biden warning: “Look what happens when the Labour Party moves so, so far to the left.” There are lessons to be drawn for both parties about the importance of embracing a leadership candidate who appears credible and popular to swing voters. Deals brewing Trump will also be pleased that Britain will be leaving the EU, which he sees mainly as a competitor trading block rather than a promoter of liberal values and rules-based international order. What weakens the EU and its progressive agenda will be welcomed by Trump. For the “America first” president, however, Brexit is mainly seen as an opportunity to “strike a massive new trade deal” with “the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal that could be made with the EU”. With the UK sending 45 per cent of its exports of goods and services to the EU in 2018 as opposed to 19 per cent to the US, this would represent quite a change in trade policy. For such a change to occur, a “clean break Brexit” is necessary where regulatory alignment with the EU ends so that trade policy could come into line with US food and manufacturing standards. This is the line that Nigel Farage and his Brexit Party advocate to accelerate the transition to such a US trade deal. The scale of Johnson’s victory, however, means that he can now choose the Brexit he wants, unbeholden to the more extreme wing of his party represented by MPs from the European Research Group. Eager to hang on to the new coalition of working-class voters in the north and Midlands, Johnson may seek a Brexit deal with the EU that is less disruptive and damaging to existing trade policies than that advocated by Farage and Trump. Certainly, the extent to which any aspect of the health sector is opened up to the US market will be greatly scrutinised by the opposition and press. Under these circumstances, Trump may not get the deal he wants. Questions of power After the UK leaves the EU, the US will also miss its main source of influence in Brussels. The US embassy in London is the largest in Europe because the UK is seen as the best way of persuading the EU to act in concert with Washington. It is through this link, for example, that the US has historically orchestrated common positions on sanctions policies and relations with Russia. With the UK out of the EU, the US will have less influence in Brussels and the UK will correspondingly be of less value to Washington. Without the dissenting and cautionary voice of the UK in the EU, the block will also be free to pursue greater integration on defence and security and a more independent European voice in foreign and trade policies. The bridging role that London played in persuading the EU to take a common line with Washington on arms sales to China, or sanctions on Russia will not be easily replaced. The role that the UK formerly played within Europe as a voice for liberal internationalism has now also been replaced with a government that is seen as a role model for populist nationalism in Europe. Rather than fulfilling a unifying role, post-Brexit Britain will add to the divisions within the west. The UK’s ability to maintain its place as a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council will also be questioned once it leaves the EU. Having justified this position for the last 20 years because it represents, along with fellow permanent member France, 500 million Europeans, it will now be difficult to argue that its seat should be maintained to speak for Britain alone. Trump can probably expect a more obsequious disposition from the UK towards the US as it pursues a new trading relationship with Washington. But future US administrations may come to regret the consequences of this election result and the Brexit that follows on their influence in Europe and the unity of the West in general. (David Hastings Dunn is Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Donald Trump enthusiastic about Boris Johnson’s victory – but it won’t be smooth sailing for them

A first-ever joint Chinese-Russian-Iranian naval exercise signals that closer Chinese military ties with a host of Middle Eastern nations does not translate into Chinese aspirations for a greater role in regional security any time soon.

If anything, the exercise, coupled with notional Chinese support for proposals for a multilateral security approach in the Gulf, suggests that China envisions a continued US lead in Gulf security despite the mounting rivalry between the world’s two largest economies.

That is the message China is sending by playing down the significance of the exercise and hinting that it would only contribute non-combat forces.

China’s participation is expected to involve its anti-piracy fleet that is already in Somali waters to protect commercial vessels as well as peacekeeping and humanitarian relief personnel rather than specially dispatched units of the People’s Liberation Army.

China’s preference for a continued US lead in maintaining Gulf security, even if it favours a more multilateral approach, was evident earlier this year in its willingness to consider participating in the US-led maritime alliance that escorts commercial vessels in the Gulf and seeks to secure shipping lanes and was created in response to several attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

So far, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Britain and Australia have joined the alliance that started operations last month.

Despite favouring a continued US lead, China sees a broadening of security arrangements that would embed rather than replace the US defence umbrella in the Gulf as a way to reduce regional tensions.

China also believes that a multilateral arrangement would allow it to continue steering clear of being sucked into conflicts and disputes in the Middle East, particularly the Saudi-Iranian rivalry.

A multilateral arrangement in which the US would remain the key military player would fit the pattern of China’s gradual projection beyond the borders of its growing military power.

With the exception of a military facility in Djibouti, China’s projection becomes less hardcore the further away one gets from the People’s Republic borders.

Proposals for a multilateral security architecture could also cater to US President Donald J Trump’s transactionalism as well as his insistence on burden-sharing.

Getting from A to B is, however, easier said than done.

If the US security umbrella was geared towards defence again Iran, a multi-lateral approach would have to involve Iran.

Such involvement could be based on some kind of agreement on non-aggression, a proposal put forward by Iran and implicit in Russia’s call for a regional security conference along the lines of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the OSCE.

To get there, however, the United States and Saudi Arabia would have to reduce tensions with Iran, credibly signal that they have no intention of toppling or destabilising the Iranian regime, and resolve the crisis stemming from the US withdrawal from the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program.

That would seem a tall order even if Saudi Arabia and Iran have not closed the door on stalled contacts aimed at dialling down tensions.

Chinese support has, moreover, so far lacked enthusiasm for a Russian proposal that calls the United States, Russia, China and India to be involved in a multilateral approach.

While backing Russia’s proposal in general terms, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang stopped short of specifically endorsing it. Geng welcomed, “All proposals and diplomatic efforts conducive to de-escalating the situation in the Gulf region.”

China’s refraining to more wholeheartedly endorse the Russian proposal is rooted in differing approaches towards multilateralism in general and alliances in particular. China shies away from alliances emphasising geo-economics rather than geopolitics while Russia still operates in terms of alliances.

Looming in the background is the fact that in the ultimate analysis China is likely to view security in South and Central Asia as interlinked with security in the Gulf, which in turn raises questions about the sustainability of the Chinese security approach.

The geographic layering of China’s approach is evident not only in China’s robust posture in the South China Sea, but also in countries like Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

China has recently made progress on the construction of a road through Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor. The road serves multiple geo-political goals.

It will facilitate the movement of troops, together with a military base in Tajikistan and Chinese cross border operations in the corridor.

The question is whether the Chinese moves will jeopardise the presumed division of labour between Russia and China under which Russia shoulders responsibility for security in Central Asia while China concentrates on economic development and if it does what impact that would have on Chinese reliance on a potential Russian role in the Gulf.

There is little doubt that the Gulf is gradually moving from a unilateral security arrangement to a multilateral one driven by Gulf concerns following the September attacks on Saudi oil facilities and a US response that has reinforced nagging doubts about the reliability of US security guarantees.

The doubts are further fed by the direction of US policy starting with the Obama administration and now with the Trump administration that suggests a re-evaluation of US national security interests in the Middle East.

China’s belief that economics rather than geopolitics is the key to solving disputes has so far allowed it to remain above the breach but has yet to prove its sustainability.

China’s approach is unlikely to shield it from the Middle East’s penchant of ensuring that it is at the heart of concerns of major external parties.

Said Jiang Xudong, a Middle East scholar at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences: “Economic investment will not solve all other problems when there are religious and ethnic conflicts.” 
 
 
(Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

A first-ever joint Chinese-Russian-Iranian naval exercise signals that closer Chinese military ties with a host of Middle Eastern nations does not translate into Chinese aspirations for a greater role in regional security any time soon.

A first-ever joint Chinese-Russian-Iranian naval exercise signals that closer Chinese military ties with a host of Middle Eastern nations does not translate into Chinese aspirations for a greater role in regional security any time soon. If anything, the exercise, coupled with notional Chinese support for proposals for a multilateral security approach in the Gulf, suggests that China envisions a continued US lead in Gulf security despite the mounting rivalry between the world’s two largest economies. That is the message China is sending by playing down the significance of the exercise and hinting that it would only contribute non-combat forces. China’s participation is expected to involve its anti-piracy fleet that is already in Somali waters to protect commercial vessels as well as peacekeeping and humanitarian relief personnel rather than specially dispatched units of the People’s Liberation Army. China’s preference for a continued US lead in maintaining Gulf security, even if it favours a more multilateral approach, was evident earlier this year in its willingness to consider participating in the US-led maritime alliance that escorts commercial vessels in the Gulf and seeks to secure shipping lanes and was created in response to several attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman. So far, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Britain and Australia have joined the alliance that started operations last month. Despite favouring a continued US lead, China sees a broadening of security arrangements that would embed rather than replace the US defence umbrella in the Gulf as a way to reduce regional tensions. China also believes that a multilateral arrangement would allow it to continue steering clear of being sucked into conflicts and disputes in the Middle East, particularly the Saudi-Iranian rivalry. A multilateral arrangement in which the US would remain the key military player would fit the pattern of China’s gradual projection beyond the borders of its growing military power. With the exception of a military facility in Djibouti, China’s projection becomes less hardcore the further away one gets from the People’s Republic borders. Proposals for a multilateral security architecture could also cater to US President Donald J Trump’s transactionalism as well as his insistence on burden-sharing. Getting from A to B is, however, easier said than done. If the US security umbrella was geared towards defence again Iran, a multi-lateral approach would have to involve Iran. Such involvement could be based on some kind of agreement on non-aggression, a proposal put forward by Iran and implicit in Russia’s call for a regional security conference along the lines of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the OSCE. To get there, however, the United States and Saudi Arabia would have to reduce tensions with Iran, credibly signal that they have no intention of toppling or destabilising the Iranian regime, and resolve the crisis stemming from the US withdrawal from the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program. That would seem a tall order even if Saudi Arabia and Iran have not closed the door on stalled contacts aimed at dialling down tensions. Chinese support has, moreover, so far lacked enthusiasm for a Russian proposal that calls the United States, Russia, China and India to be involved in a multilateral approach. While backing Russia’s proposal in general terms, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang stopped short of specifically endorsing it. Geng welcomed, “All proposals and diplomatic efforts conducive to de-escalating the situation in the Gulf region.” China’s refraining to more wholeheartedly endorse the Russian proposal is rooted in differing approaches towards multilateralism in general and alliances in particular. China shies away from alliances emphasising geo-economics rather than geopolitics while Russia still operates in terms of alliances. Looming in the background is the fact that in the ultimate analysis China is likely to view security in South and Central Asia as interlinked with security in the Gulf, which in turn raises questions about the sustainability of the Chinese security approach. The geographic layering of China’s approach is evident not only in China’s robust posture in the South China Sea, but also in countries like Tajikistan and Afghanistan. China has recently made progress on the construction of a road through Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor. The road serves multiple geo-political goals. It will facilitate the movement of troops, together with a military base in Tajikistan and Chinese cross border operations in the corridor. The question is whether the Chinese moves will jeopardise the presumed division of labour between Russia and China under which Russia shoulders responsibility for security in Central Asia while China concentrates on economic development and if it does what impact that would have on Chinese reliance on a potential Russian role in the Gulf. There is little doubt that the Gulf is gradually moving from a unilateral security arrangement to a multilateral one driven by Gulf concerns following the September attacks on Saudi oil facilities and a US response that has reinforced nagging doubts about the reliability of US security guarantees. The doubts are further fed by the direction of US policy starting with the Obama administration and now with the Trump administration that suggests a re-evaluation of US national security interests in the Middle East. China’s belief that economics rather than geopolitics is the key to solving disputes has so far allowed it to remain above the breach but has yet to prove its sustainability. China’s approach is unlikely to shield it from the Middle East’s penchant of ensuring that it is at the heart of concerns of major external parties. Said Jiang Xudong, a Middle East scholar at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences: “Economic investment will not solve all other problems when there are religious and ethnic conflicts.” (Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Gulf security: Here's why China wants the US to remain the key military player

As the impeachment process against U.S. President Donald Trump unfolds, voting on the second article of impeachment takes place. Watch to know more.

Voting on second article of impeachment takes place

Will Joe Biden and Hunter Biden needed to testify in the impeachment trial? Watch to know more.

Will Joe Biden and Hunter Biden needed to testify in future?

Nancy Pelosi plays a pivotal role as she tries to keep things together during the impeachment process. Watch to know more.

Nancy Pelosi's balancing act in impeachment process

President Donald Trump is likely to talk on the impeachment process in a rally in Michigan. Watch to know more.

Donald Trump to hold a rally in Michigan

Opinion polls on impeachment gets mixed reviews as some are supportive of impeachment while a majority is not. Watch to know more.

Trump impeachment gets mixed reviews

President Donald Trump impeached on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress. Watch to know more

Donald Trump impeached on two counts by US House

China touted its proposal offering sanctions relief to North Korea as the best option to defuse tensions, calling on Thursday for a compromise in the standoff between Washington and Pyongyang over the latter's nuclear and missiles programmes.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-china-make-un-proposal-to-ease-sanctions-against-nuclear-armed-north-korea-268814">proposal</a>, made jointly with Russia on Monday, calls on the UN&nbsp;Security Council to lift some sanctions on exports and foreign workers to "break the deadlock" in the stalled talks between Pyongyang and Washington.

"This is the best plan in the current situation to resolve the stalemate in the denuclearisation of North Korea and for its peace and stability," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui told reporters, adding that a political solution is still achievable despite a recent rise in tensions.

The comments come as the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-led-pressure-fractures-as-china-russia-push-for-north-korea-sanctions-relief-268659">US</a>&nbsp;special envoy for North Korea <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-envoy-biegun-to-north-korea-were-here-you-know-how-to-reach-us-268526">Stephen Biegun</a> is set to arrive in the Chinese capital on Thursday for talks.

The US&nbsp;holds veto power in the 15-member council and remains opposed to any sanctions relief, however, making the China-Russia resolution unlikely to go through.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-considering-north-korea-envoy-as-next-ambassador-to-russia-report-242587">Biegun</a>'s public call to Pyongyang for renewed dialogue during a visit to South Korea earlier this week went unanswered, underscoring the reclusive state's discontent at a lack of concessions for its decision to halt nuclear tests and long-range missile launches.

Pyongyang has conducted a series of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-conducts-another-crucial-test-at-satellite-launch-site-report-268259">weapons tests</a> and waged a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-warns-united-states-not-to-exploit-close-trump-kim-ties-258322">war of words</a> with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump in recent weeks, stoking fears the two countries could return to a collision course.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Trump met for the first time in Singapore in June 2018 and have met twice more since, but scant progress toward denuclearisation has been made and Kim has given Trump until the end of this year to show flexibility.

North Korea's UN&nbsp;envoy declared this month that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/denuclearisation-off-negotiating-table-with-us-north-koreas-un-envoy-266892">denuclearisation was off the table</a>, and some analysts say Pyongyang could soon conduct a test for a major strategic weapon such as an intercontinental ballistic missile.

"We hope that the concerned parties will practice restraint and meet each other halfway, and work through dialogue to realize positive interactions and quickly find a meeting point to find a resolution," Luo said.

China touted its proposal offering sanctions relief to North Korea as the best option to defuse tensions, calling on Thursday for a compromise in the standoff between Washington and Pyongyang over the latter's nuclear and missiles programmes.

China touted its proposal offering sanctions relief to North Korea as the best option to defuse tensions, calling on Thursday for a compromise in the standoff between Washington and Pyongyang over the latter's nuclear and missiles programmes. The proposal, made jointly with Russia on Monday, calls on the UN Security Council to lift some sanctions on exports and foreign workers to "break the deadlock" in the stalled talks between Pyongyang and Washington. "This is the best plan in the current situation to resolve the stalemate in the denuclearisation of North Korea and for its peace and stability," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui told reporters, adding that a political solution is still achievable despite a recent rise in tensions. The comments come as the US special envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun is set to arrive in the Chinese capital on Thursday for talks. The US holds veto power in the 15-member council and remains opposed to any sanctions relief, however, making the China-Russia resolution unlikely to go through. Biegun's public call to Pyongyang for renewed dialogue during a visit to South Korea earlier this week went unanswered, underscoring the reclusive state's discontent at a lack of concessions for its decision to halt nuclear tests and long-range missile launches. Pyongyang has conducted a series of weapons tests and waged a war of words with US President Donald Trump in recent weeks, stoking fears the two countries could return to a collision course. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Trump met for the first time in Singapore in June 2018 and have met twice more since, but scant progress toward denuclearisation has been made and Kim has given Trump until the end of this year to show flexibility. North Korea's UN envoy declared this month that denuclearisation was off the table, and some analysts say Pyongyang could soon conduct a test for a major strategic weapon such as an intercontinental ballistic missile. "We hope that the concerned parties will practice restraint and meet each other halfway, and work through dialogue to realize positive interactions and quickly find a meeting point to find a resolution," Luo said.

China says North Korean sanctions relief is best plan with US envoy set to arrive

<a href="Boeing 737MAX 8 jets stands idle at the company's delivery centre, just south of Seattle. It's one of an estimated four hundred 737MAX's stored in Seattle, many in a Boeing employee parking lot, as well as at airfields across the country.">Boeing</a>&nbsp;had hoped that the Federal Aviation Administration would re-certify the aircraft, grounded after two deadly crashes, by the end of the year. With a heavy order book, they kept producing the plane, albeit at a lower rate than before.

But when it became clear that re-certification and the lifting of the grounding order could still be months away,&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;announced they would stop&nbsp;production&nbsp;sometime in January, with 12,000 workers employed producing the aircraft being re-deployed to other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-the-fall-of-brand-boeing-268899">Boeing</a>&nbsp;manufacturing plants.

The news that no&nbsp;employees&nbsp;will be laid off when the&nbsp;production&nbsp;lines stops in January was welcomed by Jon Holden, President of the trade union representing factory floor workers.

"I think it was the right decision&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;made, to maintain our workforce during this temporary&nbsp;production&nbsp;stoppage. The reality is that it's important to maintain our workforce so that when the grounding is lifted, we're able to ramp up&nbsp;production, build a safe aircraft, meet the needs of the customers with the&nbsp;737MAX&nbsp;going forward," Holden said on Wednesday (December 18).

For workers on the&nbsp;737MAX&nbsp;production&nbsp;line at the Boeing&nbsp;Renton plant, the news came as a relief just before the Christmas holiday, but aviation analyst Scott Hamilton says the announcement of no lay-offs came with a caveat.

"Well, there's obviously still uncertainty because what&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;said was they aren't going to furlough, quote, "at this time", unquote. So how long does that mean?" said Hamilton, adding "Obviously,&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;maintaining the employee payroll at this point, before the holiday, is a real relief and committing to pay the bonuses that were earned, is a real relief to the&nbsp;employees&nbsp;but what does the end of "at this time" look like? We just don't know."

For the many small aerospace component manufacturers who supply parts for the&nbsp;737MAX, the immediate future is less certain. Its been reported that&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;has not contacted them as&nbsp;yet, with details of the&nbsp;production&nbsp;stoppage.

WATCH: Gravitas: The Downfall Of Boeing

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&nbsp;

Thousands of other jobs are dependent upon&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;737MAX&nbsp;contracts, as Scott Hamilton describes, "You have a supply chain outside Boeing&nbsp;that is going to be affected. We're still trying to understand what that effect is going to be. There haven't been any public announcement by&nbsp;Boeing. There have been some stories reported that they're going to try to keep some&nbsp;suppliers whole, if you will, or at least sustainable. Other&nbsp;suppliers, we just don't know."

And it won't just be manufacturing that might be affected if the&nbsp;production&nbsp;shutdown lasts very long, or if jobs in the component sector are furloughed. The local economy is heavily reliant upon wages paid by&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;and its parts'&nbsp;suppliers.

For now&nbsp;Boeing's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/boeings-crisis-management-all-wrong-heres-what-a-company-needs-to-do-to-restore-the-publics-trust-205702">workers</a> are still clocking in at the Renton plant, but their union representative says the nine months since the&nbsp;737MAX&nbsp;was grounded has been hard on them.

"Our members care deeply about the work they perform, and they perform it in a fashion to build a safe aircraft. They are proud of the work they do. They are proud of the aircraft that they build, and it certainly has caused a lot of anxiety over these last several months," said Holden.

As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sales-of-grounded-boeing-737-max-gather-pace-at-dubai-airshow-263161">737MAX</a>'s await re-certification and delivery to the airlines that ordered them, Scott Hamilton believes that the impact of the&nbsp;production&nbsp;shutdown could be felt much more widely than just in the Seattle region if it goes on beyond a few weeks.

"I think you're looking at two to three months, would be my forecast. If it goes on to six months, boy, you're going to see&nbsp;employees&nbsp;furloughed without pay. You're going to see a ripple effect down through the supply chain. You're going to see a ripple effect through the US economy."

For now these multi-million dollar aircraft stand idle, mothballed in a parking lot while their fate is being decided by aviation regulators in the United States and around the world.

Boeing had hoped that the Federal Aviation Administration would re-certify the aircraft, grounded after two deadly crashes, by the end of the year. With a heavy order book, they kept producing the plane, albeit at a lower rate than before.

Boeing had hoped that the Federal Aviation Administration would re-certify the aircraft, grounded after two deadly crashes, by the end of the year. With a heavy order book, they kept producing the plane, albeit at a lower rate than before. But when it became clear that re-certification and the lifting of the grounding order could still be months away, Boeing announced they would stop production sometime in January, with 12,000 workers employed producing the aircraft being re-deployed to other Boeing manufacturing plants. The news that no employees will be laid off when the production lines stops in January was welcomed by Jon Holden, President of the trade union representing factory floor workers. "I think it was the right decision Boeing made, to maintain our workforce during this temporary production stoppage. The reality is that it's important to maintain our workforce so that when the grounding is lifted, we're able to ramp up production, build a safe aircraft, meet the needs of the customers with the 737MAX going forward," Holden said on Wednesday (December 18). For workers on the 737MAX production line at the Boeing Renton plant, the news came as a relief just before the Christmas holiday, but aviation analyst Scott Hamilton says the announcement of no lay-offs came with a caveat. "Well, there's obviously still uncertainty because what Boeing said was they aren't going to furlough, quote, "at this time", unquote. So how long does that mean?" said Hamilton, adding "Obviously, Boeing maintaining the employee payroll at this point, before the holiday, is a real relief and committing to pay the bonuses that were earned, is a real relief to the employees but what does the end of "at this time" look like? We just don't know." For the many small aerospace component manufacturers who supply parts for the 737MAX, the immediate future is less certain. Its been reported that Boeing has not contacted them as yet, with details of the production stoppage. WATCH: Gravitas: The Downfall Of Boeing × Thousands of other jobs are dependent upon Boeing 737MAX contracts, as Scott Hamilton describes, "You have a supply chain outside Boeing that is going to be affected. We're still trying to understand what that effect is going to be. There haven't been any public announcement by Boeing. There have been some stories reported that they're going to try to keep some suppliers whole, if you will, or at least sustainable. Other suppliers, we just don't know." And it won't just be manufacturing that might be affected if the production shutdown lasts very long, or if jobs in the component sector are furloughed. The local economy is heavily reliant upon wages paid by Boeing and its parts' suppliers. For now Boeing's workers are still clocking in at the Renton plant, but their union representative says the nine months since the 737MAX was grounded has been hard on them. "Our members care deeply about the work they perform, and they perform it in a fashion to build a safe aircraft. They are proud of the work they do. They are proud of the aircraft that they build, and it certainly has caused a lot of anxiety over these last several months," said Holden. As 737MAX's await re-certification and delivery to the airlines that ordered them, Scott Hamilton believes that the impact of the production shutdown could be felt much more widely than just in the Seattle region if it goes on beyond a few weeks. "I think you're looking at two to three months, would be my forecast. If it goes on to six months, boy, you're going to see employees furloughed without pay. You're going to see a ripple effect down through the supply chain. You're going to see a ripple effect through the US economy." For now these multi-million dollar aircraft stand idle, mothballed in a parking lot while their fate is being decided by aviation regulators in the United States and around the world.

Boeing supplier employees anxious as company halts 737 Max production

In a joint statement released after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-us-resolve-to-work-together-to-realise-full-potential-of-strategic-global-partnership-mea-on-22-meeting-269220">2+2 ministerial dialogue</a>, India and the United States have called for "concerted" action against terrorist networks.&nbsp;

The ministers also called on Pakistan to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorism.&nbsp;

"The ministers called for concerted action against all terrorist networks, including Al-Qaida, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Haqqani network, Hizbul Mujahideen, TTP and the D-Company," the statement said as reported by news agency ANI.

"The ministers called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorism against other countries in any manner," the statement added.&nbsp;

The ministers have also asked Pakistan to arrest and prosecute perpetrators of cross-border terrorist attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and the Pathankot attack.

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The Ministers called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorism against other countries in any manner, &amp; to arrest and prosecute perpetrators of cross-border terrorist attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot. <a href="https://t.co/0tYwhF2o4W">https://t.co/0tYwhF2o4W</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1207684635724959744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Ministry of External Affairs' spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Thursday briefed the media about the 2+2 ministerial meeting in the United States and described it as "very productive and positive".

Kumar said that the meeting saw the Indian Defence and External Affairs ministers meet with their American counterparts wherein the diplomats resolved to "work together to realise the full potential of India-US strategic global partnership".

"The meeting was very productive, very positive. Before the meeting started, the Defence Minister and the External Affairs Minister had a bilateral meeting with their counterparts. They also called on US President Donald Trump," Kumar told reporters in New Delhi.&nbsp;

Kumar said that the Citizenship Amendment Act, being an internal matter of India, was not discussed during the 2+2 meeting.&nbsp;

The 2+2 dialogue took place in the United States between India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and their American counterparts, US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.&nbsp;

The 2+2 Ministerial dialogue hosted by the US Department of State in Washington DC focused on deepening bilateral strategic and defence cooperation, exchanging perspectives on global developments, and the shared leadership between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

&nbsp;

In a joint statement released after the 2+2 ministerial dialogue, India and the United States have called for "concerted" action against terrorist networks. The ministers also called on Pakistan to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorism.

In a joint statement released after the 2+2 ministerial dialogue, India and the United States have called for "concerted" action against terrorist networks. The ministers also called on Pakistan to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorism. "The ministers called for concerted action against all terrorist networks, including Al-Qaida, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Haqqani network, Hizbul Mujahideen, TTP and the D-Company," the statement said as reported by news agency ANI. "The ministers called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorism against other countries in any manner," the statement added. The ministers have also asked Pakistan to arrest and prosecute perpetrators of cross-border terrorist attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and the Pathankot attack. The Ministers called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorism against other countries in any manner, & to arrest and prosecute perpetrators of cross-border terrorist attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot. https://t.co/0tYwhF2o4W — ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2019 × Ministry of External Affairs' spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Thursday briefed the media about the 2+2 ministerial meeting in the United States and described it as "very productive and positive". Kumar said that the meeting saw the Indian Defence and External Affairs ministers meet with their American counterparts wherein the diplomats resolved to "work together to realise the full potential of India-US strategic global partnership". "The meeting was very productive, very positive. Before the meeting started, the Defence Minister and the External Affairs Minister had a bilateral meeting with their counterparts. They also called on US President Donald Trump," Kumar told reporters in New Delhi. Kumar said that the Citizenship Amendment Act, being an internal matter of India, was not discussed during the 2+2 meeting. The 2+2 dialogue took place in the United States between India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and their American counterparts, US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The 2+2 Ministerial dialogue hosted by the US Department of State in Washington DC focused on deepening bilateral strategic and defence cooperation, exchanging perspectives on global developments, and the shared leadership between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region. (With inputs from ANI)

2+2 dialogue: India, US call on Pakistan to arrest and prosecute perpetrators of cross-border terror attacks

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi called President Donald Trump an ongoing threat to American democracy as the bitterly divided chamber engaged in an impeachment debate before historic votes on two charges accusing the Republican president of abusing his power and obstructing Congress.

Pelosi calls Trump threat to U.S. in House debate before impeachment vote

Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump condemned the Democratic-led impeachment vote against him at a rally in Battle Creek, Michigan on Thursday (December 18).

'It's shameful' - supporters back Trump at rally after impeachment vote

Ukraine on Thursday brushed off the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/trump-impeachment-what-you-need-to-know-ahead-of-the-vote-268855">impeachment</a> of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/donald-trumps-attitude-towards-india-unpredictable-unreliable-238560">Donald Trump</a> and a US "internal issue", despite the process being triggered by a telephone conversation between the American leader and his Ukrainian counterpart.

Trump was impeached on Wednesday by the House of Representatives for abuse of power over the July conversation with President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/volodymyr-zelensky-says-ukraine-getting-tired-of-trump-scandal-263215">Volodymyr Zelensky</a>.

"Ukraine does not interfere in the internal affairs of any state," Zelensky's spokeswoman Yuliya Mendel told AFP.

"The United States remains a strategic partner for us, and we are pleased to strengthen our relations by expanding cooperation in various fields," she said.

In the conversation, Trump pressured Zelensky to investigate his potential White House challenger in 2020, the veteran Democrat Joe Biden.

Despite being embroiled in the controversy, Ukraine is seeking to preserve the bipartisan support from the United States which is crucial in its protracted conflict with Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country.

Earlier this month, Zelensky denied a quid pro quo with Trump when the US president held back promised military aid for Ukraine allegedly until the Biden case was investigated.

Trump will now stand trial in the Senate, where his Republican Party holds a solid majority and is expected to exonerate him.

Ukraine on Thursday brushed off the impeachment of Donald Trump and a US "internal issue", despite the process being triggered by a telephone conversation between the American leader and his Ukrainian counterpart.

Ukraine on Thursday brushed off the impeachment of Donald Trump and a US "internal issue", despite the process being triggered by a telephone conversation between the American leader and his Ukrainian counterpart. Trump was impeached on Wednesday by the House of Representatives for abuse of power over the July conversation with President Volodymyr Zelensky. "Ukraine does not interfere in the internal affairs of any state," Zelensky's spokeswoman Yuliya Mendel told AFP. "The United States remains a strategic partner for us, and we are pleased to strengthen our relations by expanding cooperation in various fields," she said. In the conversation, Trump pressured Zelensky to investigate his potential White House challenger in 2020, the veteran Democrat Joe Biden. Despite being embroiled in the controversy, Ukraine is seeking to preserve the bipartisan support from the United States which is crucial in its protracted conflict with Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country. Earlier this month, Zelensky denied a quid pro quo with Trump when the US president held back promised military aid for Ukraine allegedly until the Biden case was investigated. Trump will now stand trial in the Senate, where his Republican Party holds a solid majority and is expected to exonerate him.

Ukraine says Trump impeachment 'internal US issue'

Trump impeachment saga: What you need to know ahead of the vote

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fate-of-wto-top-court-threatened-with-trump-administrations-move-to-block-new-appointments-267597">Trump administration</a> is finalising a set of narrow rules to limit exports of sophisticated technology to adversaries like China, a document seen by Reuters shows, in a boon to US&nbsp;industry that feared a much tougher crackdown on sales abroad.

The Commerce Department is putting the finishing touches on five rules covering products like quantum computing and 3-D printing technologies that were mandated by a 2018 law to keep sensitive technologies out of the hands of rival powers.

Before drafting the rules, Commerce sought industry comment last year on a raft of high-tech sectors that it could cover under the law, from artificial intelligence technology to robotics. That fuelled concerns among US&nbsp;businesses the department would craft broad, tough regulations that would stymy a host of exports to key customers.

But the internal status&nbsp;update seen by Reuters shows for the first time that Commerce is finishing a first batch of rules that touch on just a few technologies that will be proposed to international bodies before taking effect, a reprieve for US&nbsp;companies.

"Based on their titles, the rules appear to be narrowly tailored to address specific national security issues, which should go a long way to calming the nerves of those in industry concerned that the administration would impose controls over broad categories of widely available technologies," said Kevin Wolf, former assistant secretary of commerce for export administration. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Commerce declined to confirm any details but said it has a number of proposed rules in the review process.

Despite the apparent reprieve, Commerce could issue more rules in the future regulating sales abroad of cutting-edge items. The document failed to outline when the rule proposals would be made public or what the controls would look like for specific countries, buyers and&nbsp;uses.

In a move that should appeal to US&nbsp;firms, the rules will be submitted to international bodies for approval so that they may be implemented overseas, not just by the United States. That would establish a level playing field for US&nbsp;companies abroad, but would also take much longer to review and go into effect, likely until mid-2021 at the earliest.

Commerce is expected to seek industry comment on the rules before submitting them to the groups, a source said, adding that a sixth rule, covering artificial intelligence, will go into effect in the United States without a comment period.

The revelations come amid growing frustration from Republican and Democratic lawmakers over the slow pace of the rule roll-out, with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer urging the Commerce Department to speed up the process.

In a statement to Reuters, Republican Senator Tom Cotton said he was "disappointed at the lack of political will" at the Commerce department, accusing it of a "troubling" lack of urgency.

"While bureaucrats and industry shills twiddle their thumbs, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/standing-up-to-chinas-alleged-human-rights-abuses-265914">Chinese Communist Party</a> continues to purchase sensitive US&nbsp;technologies with clear military applications," he said. "I will be digging deep into the Commerce Department's actions."

"China firmly opposes the US' generalisation of the concept of national security and abuse of export control measures to interfere with and restrict the normal communications and cooperation between businesses," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, when asked about the rules.

Limiting tech exports will not disrupt China's innovation or development, said Geng.

According to the status&nbsp;update, the agency plans to regulate exports of quantum diluted refrigerators, which are&nbsp;used to keep qubits cold in some quantum machines. Qubits are&nbsp;used in quantum computers to perform calculations that would take conventional computers thousands of years.

Major makers of the refrigeration devices include UK-based ICE Oxford, Finland-based Bluefors and US-based Janis Research. The rules would apply to exports of goods from the United States as well as shipments of items made abroad that contain a significant amount of US&nbsp;technology or components.

That rule was sent to the Commerce Department's Office of Policy and Strategic Planning on November&nbsp;19, along with another rule regulating 3-D printing for explosives, the document shows.

Another regulation on exports of the so called "Gate-All-Around Field Effect transistor technology, which is&nbsp;used to manufacture semiconductors, was awaiting comments from other agencies on December&nbsp;5.

The transistors are expected to play a major role in newer, faster semiconductors that are under development by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/samsung-electronics-board-chairman-jailed-on-union-busting-charge-268655">Samsung Electronics</a> Co Ltd&nbsp;and Intel Corp.

Two other rules would regulate chemicals&nbsp;used to make Russian nerve agent Novichok and single-use chambers for chemical reactions.

The Trump administration is finalising a set of narrow rules to limit exports of sophisticated technology to adversaries like China, a document seen by Reuters shows, in a boon to US industry that feared a much tougher crackdown on sales abroad.

The Trump administration is finalising a set of narrow rules to limit exports of sophisticated technology to adversaries like China, a document seen by Reuters shows, in a boon to US industry that feared a much tougher crackdown on sales abroad. The Commerce Department is putting the finishing touches on five rules covering products like quantum computing and 3-D printing technologies that were mandated by a 2018 law to keep sensitive technologies out of the hands of rival powers. Before drafting the rules, Commerce sought industry comment last year on a raft of high-tech sectors that it could cover under the law, from artificial intelligence technology to robotics. That fuelled concerns among US businesses the department would craft broad, tough regulations that would stymy a host of exports to key customers. But the internal status update seen by Reuters shows for the first time that Commerce is finishing a first batch of rules that touch on just a few technologies that will be proposed to international bodies before taking effect, a reprieve for US companies. "Based on their titles, the rules appear to be narrowly tailored to address specific national security issues, which should go a long way to calming the nerves of those in industry concerned that the administration would impose controls over broad categories of widely available technologies," said Kevin Wolf, former assistant secretary of commerce for export administration. Commerce declined to confirm any details but said it has a number of proposed rules in the review process. Despite the apparent reprieve, Commerce could issue more rules in the future regulating sales abroad of cutting-edge items. The document failed to outline when the rule proposals would be made public or what the controls would look like for specific countries, buyers and uses. In a move that should appeal to US firms, the rules will be submitted to international bodies for approval so that they may be implemented overseas, not just by the United States. That would establish a level playing field for US companies abroad, but would also take much longer to review and go into effect, likely until mid-2021 at the earliest. Commerce is expected to seek industry comment on the rules before submitting them to the groups, a source said, adding that a sixth rule, covering artificial intelligence, will go into effect in the United States without a comment period. The revelations come amid growing frustration from Republican and Democratic lawmakers over the slow pace of the rule roll-out, with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer urging the Commerce Department to speed up the process. In a statement to Reuters, Republican Senator Tom Cotton said he was "disappointed at the lack of political will" at the Commerce department, accusing it of a "troubling" lack of urgency. "While bureaucrats and industry shills twiddle their thumbs, the Chinese Communist Party continues to purchase sensitive US technologies with clear military applications," he said. "I will be digging deep into the Commerce Department's actions." "China firmly opposes the US' generalisation of the concept of national security and abuse of export control measures to interfere with and restrict the normal communications and cooperation between businesses," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, when asked about the rules. Limiting tech exports will not disrupt China's innovation or development, said Geng. According to the status update, the agency plans to regulate exports of quantum diluted refrigerators, which are used to keep qubits cold in some quantum machines. Qubits are used in quantum computers to perform calculations that would take conventional computers thousands of years. Major makers of the refrigeration devices include UK-based ICE Oxford, Finland-based Bluefors and US-based Janis Research. The rules would apply to exports of goods from the United States as well as shipments of items made abroad that contain a significant amount of US technology or components. That rule was sent to the Commerce Department's Office of Policy and Strategic Planning on November 19, along with another rule regulating 3-D printing for explosives, the document shows. Another regulation on exports of the so called "Gate-All-Around Field Effect transistor technology, which is used to manufacture semiconductors, was awaiting comments from other agencies on December 5. The transistors are expected to play a major role in newer, faster semiconductors that are under development by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Intel Corp. Two other rules would regulate chemicals used to make Russian nerve agent Novichok and single-use chambers for chemical reactions.

US finalising rules to limit sensitive tech exports to China, others: Report

Demonstrators rallied in New York on Tuesday (December 17) night to call for U.S. President Donald Trump's impeachment and removal from office on the eve of the House of Representatives' expected vote to impeach him.

Demonstrators take to the streets in New York to rally for Trump impeachment

US&nbsp;special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, urged Pyongyang on Monday to return offers of talks, dismissing leader Kim Jong Un's year-end deadline while highlighting Washington's willingness to discuss "all issues of interest".

Tension has been rising in recent weeks as Pyongyang has conducted a series of weapons tests and waged a war of words with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, stoking fears the two countries could return to a collision course they had been on before launching diplomacy last year.

Biegun arrived in Seoul on Sunday amid speculation he might try to salvage negotiations by reaching out to North Korea, which has vowed to take an unspecified "new path" if Washington fails to soften its stance before the end of the year.

"The United States does not have a deadline. We have a goal," Biegun told a joint news conference with his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon - Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at&nbsp;the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.

"Let me speak directly to our counterparts in North Korea. It is time for us to do our jobs. Let's get this done. We are here, and you know how to reach us," Biegun said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-comments-hostile-and-unnecessary-us-envoy-stephen-biegun-268473">'HOSTILE, UNNECESSARY'</a>

Kim and Trump met three times since last year to negotiate an end to North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes but there has been scant progress. Working-level talks led by Biegun in October in Stockholm fell apart.

On Sunday, state media said North Korea had successfully conducted another test at a satellite launch site aimed at "restraining and overpowering the US&nbsp;nuclear threat," a second such test in a week.

Seoul officials are concerned the flare-up may signal a repeat of earlier cycles of détente&nbsp;ending in escalations.

Biegun, who also met South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday, expressed regret over statements from North Korean officials in recent weeks, describing them as "so hostile and negative and so unnecessary".

"But it does not have to be this way. It is not yet too late," Biegun said.

Analysts said chances are slim for North Korea to accept Biegun's call for dialogue, citing Pyongyang's recent statements Washington had "<a href="Not interested in meaningless talks just so Trump can boast: North Korea">nothing to offer</a>" even if were talks to reopen.

"For North Koreans, Biegun effectively challenged their supreme leader by brushing off the year-end deadline," said Shin Beomchul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.

Chun Yung-woo, a former South Korean nuclear envoy, said Biegun's offer appeared to be aimed at undercutting Pyongyang's bid to deal directly with Trump.

Trump's re-election battle and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/how-does-the-impeachment-of-a-us-president-work-265766">impeachment </a>inquiry against him may have led Kim to overestimate North Korea's leverage, diplomatic sources have told Reuters.

"North Korea won't likely show up at the negotiating table unless the United States promises to make clear concessions instead of calling for a meeting for meeting's sake," said Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Kyungnam University in Seoul.

US special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, urged Pyongyang on Monday to return offers of talks, dismissing leader Kim Jong Un's year-end deadline while highlighting Washington's willingness to discuss "all issues of interest".

US special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, urged Pyongyang on Monday to return offers of talks, dismissing leader Kim Jong Un's year-end deadline while highlighting Washington's willingness to discuss "all issues of interest". Tension has been rising in recent weeks as Pyongyang has conducted a series of weapons tests and waged a war of words with US President Donald Trump, stoking fears the two countries could return to a collision course they had been on before launching diplomacy last year. Biegun arrived in Seoul on Sunday amid speculation he might try to salvage negotiations by reaching out to North Korea, which has vowed to take an unspecified "new path" if Washington fails to soften its stance before the end of the year. "The United States does not have a deadline. We have a goal," Biegun told a joint news conference with his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon - Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. "Let me speak directly to our counterparts in North Korea. It is time for us to do our jobs. Let's get this done. We are here, and you know how to reach us," Biegun said. 'HOSTILE, UNNECESSARY' Kim and Trump met three times since last year to negotiate an end to North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes but there has been scant progress. Working-level talks led by Biegun in October in Stockholm fell apart. On Sunday, state media said North Korea had successfully conducted another test at a satellite launch site aimed at "restraining and overpowering the US nuclear threat," a second such test in a week. Seoul officials are concerned the flare-up may signal a repeat of earlier cycles of détente ending in escalations. Biegun, who also met South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday, expressed regret over statements from North Korean officials in recent weeks, describing them as "so hostile and negative and so unnecessary". "But it does not have to be this way. It is not yet too late," Biegun said. Analysts said chances are slim for North Korea to accept Biegun's call for dialogue, citing Pyongyang's recent statements Washington had "nothing to offer" even if were talks to reopen. "For North Koreans, Biegun effectively challenged their supreme leader by brushing off the year-end deadline," said Shin Beomchul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. Chun Yung-woo, a former South Korean nuclear envoy, said Biegun's offer appeared to be aimed at undercutting Pyongyang's bid to deal directly with Trump. Trump's re-election battle and the impeachment inquiry against him may have led Kim to overestimate North Korea's leverage, diplomatic sources have told Reuters. "North Korea won't likely show up at the negotiating table unless the United States promises to make clear concessions instead of calling for a meeting for meeting's sake," said Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Kyungnam University in Seoul.

US envoy Biegun to North Korea: 'We're here, you know how to reach us'

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-rises-as-opec-weighs-deeper-output-cuts-266440">Oil</a> edged further above $65 a barrel on Tuesday, supported by hopes that the US-China trade deal will <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-prices-fall-as-hopes-for-us-china-trade-progress-wilt-254886">bolster</a> oil demand in 2020 and the prospect of lower US&nbsp;crude supplies.

The '<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/phase-one-trade-deal-reached-with-us-china-268186">Phase One</a>' agreement between the world's two largest economies has been "absolutely completed," Larry Kudlow, a top White House adviser, said on Monday, adding that U.S. exports to China will double under the deal.

Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 17 cents to $65.51 a barrel by 1104 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude added 1 cent to $60.22.

"Christmas has definitely arrived early for oil producers," said Craig Erlam, analyst at brokerage OANDA. "Brent could get closer to $70 before the rally starts to run on fumes."

The prolonged trade dispute has been a dampener for oil demand and weighed on prices. Banks including JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs have revised up their 2020 price forecasts in the wake of the improving trade outlook and a new OPEC-led agreement to curb output.

"The risk-on tone is still noticeable," said Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM. "The next event to look out for is the weekly U.S. oil inventory statistics."

Supply reports from oil industry group the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-rises-after-inventory-build-eases-recession-worries-246174">American Petroleum Institute</a> and the government's Energy Information Administration are expected to show U.S. crude inventories probably fell last week.

The first of the two, from the API, is scheduled for release at 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT) on Tuesday. The government report follows on Wednesday.

Also supporting prices, the Organization of the Petroleum of Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia - a group known as OPEC+ - are making a further oil supply cut of 500,000 barrels per day from Jan. 1 to support the market.

This comes on top of the existing deal to trim supply by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-rises-as-saudi-arabia-pushes-for-further-supply-cuts-265974">1.2 million bpd</a> that came into effect on Jan. 1 this year.

Oil edged further above $65 a barrel on Tuesday, supported by hopes that the US-China trade deal will bolster oil demand in 2020 and the prospect of lower US crude supplies.

Oil edged further above $65 a barrel on Tuesday, supported by hopes that the US-China trade deal will bolster oil demand in 2020 and the prospect of lower US crude supplies. The 'Phase One' agreement between the world's two largest economies has been "absolutely completed," Larry Kudlow, a top White House adviser, said on Monday, adding that U.S. exports to China will double under the deal. Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 17 cents to $65.51 a barrel by 1104 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude added 1 cent to $60.22. "Christmas has definitely arrived early for oil producers," said Craig Erlam, analyst at brokerage OANDA. "Brent could get closer to $70 before the rally starts to run on fumes." The prolonged trade dispute has been a dampener for oil demand and weighed on prices. Banks including JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs have revised up their 2020 price forecasts in the wake of the improving trade outlook and a new OPEC-led agreement to curb output. "The risk-on tone is still noticeable," said Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM. "The next event to look out for is the weekly U.S. oil inventory statistics." Supply reports from oil industry group the American Petroleum Institute and the government's Energy Information Administration are expected to show U.S. crude inventories probably fell last week. The first of the two, from the API, is scheduled for release at 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT) on Tuesday. The government report follows on Wednesday. Also supporting prices, the Organization of the Petroleum of Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia - a group known as OPEC+ - are making a further oil supply cut of 500,000 barrels per day from Jan. 1 to support the market. This comes on top of the existing deal to trim supply by 1.2 million bpd that came into effect on Jan. 1 this year.

Oil edges further above $65 on trade hopes, supply cuts

United States' President Donald Trump tweets 123 times in 2 hrs. This has been an another record by Trump of tweeting maximum tweets. #TwitterRecord #Twitter #DonaldTrump

US' Trump tweets 123 times in 2 hrs, sets another record

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on Monday issued its first new autism treatment guidelines in 12 years aimed at helping doctors identify at-risk children and getting them the care they need as early as possible.

Since developmental delays are often present in very young children with autism, the report, published in the journal Pediatrics, urges doctors to check for issues during all well-baby visits and refer children for treatment at the first sign of an issue, rather than wait for a formal autism evaluation.

More than five million Americans are living with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/autism-awareness-day-how-is-autism-perceived-in-india-13971">autism</a>, a spectrum of disorders marked by deficits in social communication and interaction and repetitive behaviours of widely varying severity.

"The benefit of identifying children as early as possible is they can then be referred for treatment," Dr Susan Levy, a developmental and behavioural paediatrician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and co-author of the report, said in a phone interview.

Early treatment and particularly behavioural interventions do make a difference, Levy said.

Since 2007, when AAP published its last two guidance documents, the number of children in the United States diagnosed with autism has risen sharply. Autism now affects 1 in 59 children in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-treasury-secretary-mnuchin-says-trade-deal-with-china-to-boost-global-economy-268327">United States</a>, up from 1 in 155 in 2007.

In that time, scientists have developed a better understanding of the potential risk factors and genes that contribute to autism, the related medical and behavioural conditions that commonly occur in children with the condition, and have detailed evidence on which interventions work best.

"This report is really focused on educating paediatricians and other healthcare providers about all the options and issues, and working to empower them since they're in the front lines to make the early referrals," Levy said.

The report urges doctors to steer families toward interventions backed by research and away from those with flimsy evidence. It specifically calls out many nutritional interventions that "do not have evidence to support their use."

It also focuses on the need to screen for and treat other conditions that commonly occur in children with autism.

Some 40% of individuals with autism have intellectual disability, the report said, and about 40 per cent&nbsp;to 60 per cent&nbsp;of school-aged children and adults with autism have anxiety disorders. Others include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), language disorders, sleep and feeding disorders, gastrointestinal symptoms and seizures.

The report encourages doctors to share decision making with families and help them plan for when a child transitions to adolescence and adulthood.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on Monday issued its first new autism treatment guidelines in 12 years aimed at helping doctors identify at-risk children and getting them the care they need as early as possible.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on Monday issued its first new autism treatment guidelines in 12 years aimed at helping doctors identify at-risk children and getting them the care they need as early as possible. Since developmental delays are often present in very young children with autism, the report, published in the journal Pediatrics, urges doctors to check for issues during all well-baby visits and refer children for treatment at the first sign of an issue, rather than wait for a formal autism evaluation. More than five million Americans are living with autism, a spectrum of disorders marked by deficits in social communication and interaction and repetitive behaviours of widely varying severity. "The benefit of identifying children as early as possible is they can then be referred for treatment," Dr Susan Levy, a developmental and behavioural paediatrician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and co-author of the report, said in a phone interview. Early treatment and particularly behavioural interventions do make a difference, Levy said. Since 2007, when AAP published its last two guidance documents, the number of children in the United States diagnosed with autism has risen sharply. Autism now affects 1 in 59 children in the United States, up from 1 in 155 in 2007. In that time, scientists have developed a better understanding of the potential risk factors and genes that contribute to autism, the related medical and behavioural conditions that commonly occur in children with the condition, and have detailed evidence on which interventions work best. "This report is really focused on educating paediatricians and other healthcare providers about all the options and issues, and working to empower them since they're in the front lines to make the early referrals," Levy said. The report urges doctors to steer families toward interventions backed by research and away from those with flimsy evidence. It specifically calls out many nutritional interventions that "do not have evidence to support their use." It also focuses on the need to screen for and treat other conditions that commonly occur in children with autism. Some 40% of individuals with autism have intellectual disability, the report said, and about 40 per cent to 60 per cent of school-aged children and adults with autism have anxiety disorders. Others include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), language disorders, sleep and feeding disorders, gastrointestinal symptoms and seizures. The report encourages doctors to share decision making with families and help them plan for when a child transitions to adolescence and adulthood.

New autism guidelines focus in early diagnosis, treatment

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/chinas-failed-quest-for-soft-power-268344">China</a>&nbsp;has lodged stern representations with the United States over the expelling of Chinese officials, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular briefing in Beijing on Monday.

The U.S&nbsp;government covertly moved to expel two officials from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/chinese-embassy-in-washington-visa-restrictions-for-some-chinese-officials-254624">Chinese embassy</a> earlier this year after they drove onto a military base, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

One of the two Chinese officials is believed to be an intelligence officer operating under diplomatic cover, the report said.

"The US accusations against Chinese personnel severely disregard reality," said Geng.

The Chinese officials breached security at a base in Virginia this fall, and only stopped driving after fire trucks were used to block their path, the Times said.

The United States in recent years has stepped up efforts to combat concerns about <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fewer-russian-spies-in-us-but-getting-harder-to-track-126722">suspected spying</a>&nbsp;by the Chinese.

A law enforcement official familiar with the episode confirmed to Reuters that the account in the Times is accurate.

"We strongly urge the US&nbsp;to correct its mistake, cancel the relevant decision and protect Chinese personnel's proper rights according to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-ignored-diplomatic-immunity-in-detaining-canadian-justin-trudeau-189725">Vienna Convention</a> on Diplomatic Relations," said Geng, referring to an international treaty on diplomatic privileges.

China has lodged stern representations with the United States over the expelling of Chinese officials, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular briefing in Beijing on Monday.

China has lodged stern representations with the United States over the expelling of Chinese officials, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular briefing in Beijing on Monday. The U.S government covertly moved to expel two officials from the Chinese embassy earlier this year after they drove onto a military base, the New York Times reported on Sunday. One of the two Chinese officials is believed to be an intelligence officer operating under diplomatic cover, the report said. "The US accusations against Chinese personnel severely disregard reality," said Geng. The Chinese officials breached security at a base in Virginia this fall, and only stopped driving after fire trucks were used to block their path, the Times said. The United States in recent years has stepped up efforts to combat concerns about suspected spying by the Chinese. A law enforcement official familiar with the episode confirmed to Reuters that the account in the Times is accurate. "We strongly urge the US to correct its mistake, cancel the relevant decision and protect Chinese personnel's proper rights according to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," said Geng, referring to an international treaty on diplomatic privileges.

China lodges stern representations with US over expelling of Chinese Embassy officials

Top Democrats in the US&nbsp;House of Representatives made a last-minute pitch to Republicans on Sunday for why they should put partisanship aside and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-looms-as-us-house-committee-approves-charges-268218">vote to impeach President Donald Trump</a>.

Trump is expected to become the third US&nbsp;president to be impeached when the full Democratic-led House votes on the charges, likely this week, setting up a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, speaking on ABC's "This Week," warned that Trump poses "a clear and present danger" to democracy.

Schiff and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, speaking on the same show, said lawmakers have a constitutional duty to hold Trump to account for trying to recruit Ukraine to launch a corruption investigation into his Democratic political rival Joe Biden.

Their comments come as the Democratically-controlled US&nbsp;House is poised later this week to vote along party lines on whether to approve two articles of impeachment. The Republican-controlled Senate has shown little appetite for removing Trump from office.

"The misconduct hasn't stopped," Schiff said, noting that Trump has still urged Ukraine, as well as China, to investigate the Biden family, and that Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani is still traveling to Ukraine to conduct a "sham" investigation.

"The threat to our election integrity ... goes on. It's a clear and present danger, I think, to our democracy and not something that we can turn away from simply because the Republicans in the House refuse to do their duty."

Both Democrats used their air time on Sunday to urge the Senate to call witnesses and seek documentary evidence that they said the White House has withheld.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has raised the prospect of conducting a short Senate impeachment trial without calling any witnesses.

Nadler on Sunday said such a move would do a disservice to the Senate, whose members will all effectively serve as jurors who will need to weigh the evidence to decide whether Trump should be convicted and removed from office.

“I think the record is overwhelming, but if they don’t think there is sufficient evidence on the record, they should demand the testimony of people ... like Secretary of State Pompeo, and Mulvaney, and others – John Bolton- who on the president’s instructions have refused to testify," Nadler said.

Some of Trump's staunch Republican defenders in the Senate have already said they believe Trump did nothing wrong, though others have taken a more cautious approach, saying they want to see the evidence first.

"I think we ought to hear what the House impeachment managers have to say, give the President's attorneys an opportunity to make their defense, and then make a decision about whether and to what extent we go forward from there," Republican Senator Pat Toomey said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

He added it would be “extremely inappropriate to put a bullet in this thing immediately" when the House votes to impeach Trump and kicks it over to the Senate for trial.

Top Democrats in the US House of Representatives made a last-minute pitch to Republicans on Sunday for why they should put partisanship aside and vote to impeach President Donald Trump.

Top Democrats in the US House of Representatives made a last-minute pitch to Republicans on Sunday for why they should put partisanship aside and vote to impeach President Donald Trump. Trump is expected to become the third US president to be impeached when the full Democratic-led House votes on the charges, likely this week, setting up a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, speaking on ABC's "This Week," warned that Trump poses "a clear and present danger" to democracy. Schiff and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, speaking on the same show, said lawmakers have a constitutional duty to hold Trump to account for trying to recruit Ukraine to launch a corruption investigation into his Democratic political rival Joe Biden. Their comments come as the Democratically-controlled US House is poised later this week to vote along party lines on whether to approve two articles of impeachment. The Republican-controlled Senate has shown little appetite for removing Trump from office. "The misconduct hasn't stopped," Schiff said, noting that Trump has still urged Ukraine, as well as China, to investigate the Biden family, and that Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani is still traveling to Ukraine to conduct a "sham" investigation. "The threat to our election integrity ... goes on. It's a clear and present danger, I think, to our democracy and not something that we can turn away from simply because the Republicans in the House refuse to do their duty." Both Democrats used their air time on Sunday to urge the Senate to call witnesses and seek documentary evidence that they said the White House has withheld. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has raised the prospect of conducting a short Senate impeachment trial without calling any witnesses. Nadler on Sunday said such a move would do a disservice to the Senate, whose members will all effectively serve as jurors who will need to weigh the evidence to decide whether Trump should be convicted and removed from office. “I think the record is overwhelming, but if they don’t think there is sufficient evidence on the record, they should demand the testimony of people ... like Secretary of State Pompeo, and Mulvaney, and others – John Bolton- who on the president’s instructions have refused to testify," Nadler said. Some of Trump's staunch Republican defenders in the Senate have already said they believe Trump did nothing wrong, though others have taken a more cautious approach, saying they want to see the evidence first. "I think we ought to hear what the House impeachment managers have to say, give the President's attorneys an opportunity to make their defense, and then make a decision about whether and to what extent we go forward from there," Republican Senator Pat Toomey said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. He added it would be “extremely inappropriate to put a bullet in this thing immediately" when the House votes to impeach Trump and kicks it over to the Senate for trial.

Top Democrats make case for Republicans to endorse Trump impeachment

North Korea has said that its recent tests of defence technology are directed towards subduing nuclear threats from the United States, news agency Reuters reported citing North Korea's state news agency KCNA.

The state agency on Saturday had reported a senior North Korean military official saying that that "hostile forces" should not provoke North Korea. &nbsp;

Chief of the General Staff Pak Jong Chon warned that "hostile forces," including the United States, should refrain from provoking North Korea if they wanted to see a peaceful year-end, state news agency KCNA said as reported by Reuters.

The development comes shortly after North Korea said it had conducted <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-conducts-another-crucial-test-at-satellite-launch-site-report-268259">another "crucial test" at its Sohae satellite launch site</a>.&nbsp;

"Another crucial test was successfully conducted at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground from 22:41 to 22:48 on December 13," a spokesman for the North's National Academy of Defence Science said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

The "research successes" will be "applied to further bolstering up the reliable strategic nuclear deterrent" of North Korea, the Reuters report added quoting the spokesman. 
The announcement comes after the United States tested a medium-range ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean on Thursday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has set a year-end deadline for talks with the United States, warning he may take an unspecified "new path" if concessions aren't made.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

North Korea has said that its recent tests of defence technology are directed towards subduing nuclear threats from the United States, news agency Reuters reported citing North Korea's state news agency KCNA.

North Korea has said that its recent tests of defence technology are directed towards subduing nuclear threats from the United States, news agency Reuters reported citing North Korea's state news agency KCNA. The state agency on Saturday had reported a senior North Korean military official saying that that "hostile forces" should not provoke North Korea. Chief of the General Staff Pak Jong Chon warned that "hostile forces," including the United States, should refrain from provoking North Korea if they wanted to see a peaceful year-end, state news agency KCNA said as reported by Reuters. The development comes shortly after North Korea said it had conducted another "crucial test" at its Sohae satellite launch site. "Another crucial test was successfully conducted at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground from 22:41 to 22:48 on December 13," a spokesman for the North's National Academy of Defence Science said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency. The "research successes" will be "applied to further bolstering up the reliable strategic nuclear deterrent" of North Korea, the Reuters report added quoting the spokesman. The announcement comes after the United States tested a medium-range ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean on Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has set a year-end deadline for talks with the United States, warning he may take an unspecified "new path" if concessions aren't made. (With inputs from Reuters)

North Korea's defence tests aimed at subduing US nuclear threats: State media 

A day after China announced reaching "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/phase-one-trade-deal-reached-with-us-china-268186">phase one" trade agreement with the United States</a>, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the deal will is good news for all.

Yi added that the agreement will "provide stability in global trade", news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;

His comments came on the sidelines on his visit to Slovenia on Saturday.

Yi said that there were still many issues between China and the United States that needed to be addressed, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

"Phase one" trade deal with the United States has been reached, China announced on Friday.

Beijing added that Washington will be removing tariffs 'phase by phase,' AFP reported.&nbsp;

China's vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen said that part of the "phase one" trade deal with the US includes a progressive rollback of tariffs that have threatened to roil the global economy.

"The two countries have agreed on the text of a phase one trade and economic deal," Shouwen said at a news conference, adding that the two sides now have to sign the agreement.

On Wednesday, the Bloomberg had reported the US and China are moving closer to "agreeing on the amount of tariffs to be rolled back in a phase-one trade deal," Reuters reported.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A day after China announced reaching "phase one" trade agreement with the United States, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the deal will is good news for all.

A day after China announced reaching "phase one" trade agreement with the United States, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the deal will is good news for all. Yi added that the agreement will "provide stability in global trade", news agency Reuters reported. His comments came on the sidelines on his visit to Slovenia on Saturday. Yi said that there were still many issues between China and the United States that needed to be addressed, Reuters reported. "Phase one" trade deal with the United States has been reached, China announced on Friday. Beijing added that Washington will be removing tariffs 'phase by phase,' AFP reported. China's vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen said that part of the "phase one" trade deal with the US includes a progressive rollback of tariffs that have threatened to roil the global economy. "The two countries have agreed on the text of a phase one trade and economic deal," Shouwen said at a news conference, adding that the two sides now have to sign the agreement. On Wednesday, the Bloomberg had reported the US and China are moving closer to "agreeing on the amount of tariffs to be rolled back in a phase-one trade deal," Reuters reported. (With inputs from agencies)

China-US trade deal good news for all: Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi 

The state of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/washington-privately-warned-pakistan-against-usage-of-f-16-to-combat-india-sources-267833">Washington</a> on Thursday proposed bans on the sale of "assault weapons" and high capacity magazines, part of a package of gun laws meant to address a rising wave of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-six-killed-in-shooting-in-new-york-267550">US&nbsp;mass shootings</a>.

If successful, Washington would become the seventh US&nbsp;state to ban assault weapons, which it defines as semi-automatic rifles with at least one military feature, and the ninth to limit the capacity of ammunition magazines.

"We should be making it harder for those who want to inflict mass violence and destruction upon innocent people," Governor Jay Inslee said in announcing the gun-control push. "By limiting magazine capacity and banning assault weapons, we can work toward a day where no one in Washington state loses a friend or family members to senseless gun violence," Inslee said.

A study led by a researcher at Columbia University's Teachers College in New York found that gun attacks using large-capacity magazines typically had a higher death toll.

But it also discovered that even in states where high-capacity magazines are banned, more than half of shooters used them, apparently buying them elsewhere or obtaining them illegally. Large-capacity magazines are defined as those that hold more than 10 bullets. In 1994, Congress enacted a federal assault weapons ban, limiting these types of magazines, but it expired a decade later.

Today, nine states and the District of Columbia restrict possession of large-capacity magazines, but statutes vary in terms of maximum bullets allowed and applicable firearms.

Representatives for the National Rifle Association, which typically opposes efforts by US&nbsp;states to enact stricter gun control laws, could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

Gun control is expected to be a major issue in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-impeachment-debate-opens-with-fiery-partisan-battle-267790">2020 US&nbsp;presidential election</a>. Most of the candidates for the Democratic nomination have said they would support renewing the federal ban on assault weapons and some have called for buyback programs.

Fully automatic weapons, sometimes called machine guns, are illegal under US&nbsp;law unless they were manufactured before 1986. Perhaps because they are difficult to obtain, they have rarely, if ever, been used in shooting rampages.

A 64-year-old man who opened fire on a country music festival from a hotel overlooking the Las Vegas strip in October 2017, killing 58 people, used so-called bump stocks with his semi-automatic rifles, allowing him to fire rounds at a rapid rate similar to a machine gun.

The Trump administration issued a rule banning the sale or possession of bump stocks in December 2018.

The state of Washington on Thursday proposed bans on the sale of "assault weapons" and high capacity magazines, part of a package of gun laws meant to address a rising wave of US mass shootings.

The state of Washington on Thursday proposed bans on the sale of "assault weapons" and high capacity magazines, part of a package of gun laws meant to address a rising wave of US mass shootings. If successful, Washington would become the seventh US state to ban assault weapons, which it defines as semi-automatic rifles with at least one military feature, and the ninth to limit the capacity of ammunition magazines. "We should be making it harder for those who want to inflict mass violence and destruction upon innocent people," Governor Jay Inslee said in announcing the gun-control push. "By limiting magazine capacity and banning assault weapons, we can work toward a day where no one in Washington state loses a friend or family members to senseless gun violence," Inslee said. A study led by a researcher at Columbia University's Teachers College in New York found that gun attacks using large-capacity magazines typically had a higher death toll. But it also discovered that even in states where high-capacity magazines are banned, more than half of shooters used them, apparently buying them elsewhere or obtaining them illegally. Large-capacity magazines are defined as those that hold more than 10 bullets. In 1994, Congress enacted a federal assault weapons ban, limiting these types of magazines, but it expired a decade later. Today, nine states and the District of Columbia restrict possession of large-capacity magazines, but statutes vary in terms of maximum bullets allowed and applicable firearms. Representatives for the National Rifle Association, which typically opposes efforts by US states to enact stricter gun control laws, could not be reached for comment on Thursday. Gun control is expected to be a major issue in the 2020 US presidential election. Most of the candidates for the Democratic nomination have said they would support renewing the federal ban on assault weapons and some have called for buyback programs. Fully automatic weapons, sometimes called machine guns, are illegal under US law unless they were manufactured before 1986. Perhaps because they are difficult to obtain, they have rarely, if ever, been used in shooting rampages. A 64-year-old man who opened fire on a country music festival from a hotel overlooking the Las Vegas strip in October 2017, killing 58 people, used so-called bump stocks with his semi-automatic rifles, allowing him to fire rounds at a rapid rate similar to a machine gun. The Trump administration issued a rule banning the sale or possession of bump stocks in December 2018.

Washington state seeks to ban sale of 'assault weapons,' high capacity magazines

US&nbsp;lawmakers will vote Friday on whether to move forward with impeaching Republican <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-announces-a-pause-in-peace-talks-with-taliban-after-airbase-attack-267989">President Donald Trump</a>, as the Democratic head of the Judiciary Committee shocked Republicans by declining to hold a late-night vote after a hearing that lasted more than 14 hours.

The committee had been expected to approve two articles of impeachment late on Thursday, setting up a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-judiciary-committee-debate-over-impeachment-articles-against-trump-267946">vote by the Democratic</a>-controlled House next week that is expected to make Trump the third president in US&nbsp;history to be impeached.

Instead, as the clock ticked toward midnight, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler sent lawmakers home for the night and said members would return to vote Friday at 10 a.m. ET.

Asked why the votes did not occur late Thursday, House Judiciary Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon said "the American people deserve to see the vote."

The scheduling appeared to have nothing to do with the substance of the impeachment fight, but it incensed Republican leaders who said afterward many were planning travel home on Friday and would now have to reset their schedules.

Doug Collins, the top Republican on the panel, appeared shocked by the announcement and immediately reacted with anger at his Democratic counterpart for not consulting with him before rescheduling.

"This was the most bush league thing I have seen, forever," Collins told reporters. "This committee is more concerned about getting on TV in the morning than it was finishing its job tonight and letting the members go home. Words cannot describe how inappropriate this was."

Democrats had expected to wrap up the hearing early in the evening, but Republicans, led by Collins, proposed a series of amendments that had no hope of passage.

Republicans offered hours of remarks on their amendments, frequently repeating the same prepared commentary and often veering into other topics that ranged from natural gas drilling to the state of the economy.

The committee's debate began Wednesday evening.

If the House <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-impeachment-debate-opens-with-fiery-partisan-battle-267790">impeaches Trump</a>, who is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, he would then go on trial in the Senate. The Republican-led chamber is unlikely to vote to find the president guilty and remove him from office.

The House Judiciary Committee proceedings ground on through the afternoon and into the evening as Republicans, determined to stretch out the meeting, offered a series of amendments that would emasculate the articles of impeachment but had no hope of adoption.

US lawmakers will vote Friday on whether to move forward with impeaching Republican President Donald Trump, as the Democratic head of the Judiciary Committee shocked Republicans by declining to hold a late-night vote after a hearing that lasted more than 14 hours.

US lawmakers will vote Friday on whether to move forward with impeaching Republican President Donald Trump, as the Democratic head of the Judiciary Committee shocked Republicans by declining to hold a late-night vote after a hearing that lasted more than 14 hours. The committee had been expected to approve two articles of impeachment late on Thursday, setting up a vote by the Democratic-controlled House next week that is expected to make Trump the third president in US history to be impeached. Instead, as the clock ticked toward midnight, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler sent lawmakers home for the night and said members would return to vote Friday at 10 a.m. ET. Asked why the votes did not occur late Thursday, House Judiciary Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon said "the American people deserve to see the vote." The scheduling appeared to have nothing to do with the substance of the impeachment fight, but it incensed Republican leaders who said afterward many were planning travel home on Friday and would now have to reset their schedules. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the panel, appeared shocked by the announcement and immediately reacted with anger at his Democratic counterpart for not consulting with him before rescheduling. "This was the most bush league thing I have seen, forever," Collins told reporters. "This committee is more concerned about getting on TV in the morning than it was finishing its job tonight and letting the members go home. Words cannot describe how inappropriate this was." Democrats had expected to wrap up the hearing early in the evening, but Republicans, led by Collins, proposed a series of amendments that had no hope of passage. Republicans offered hours of remarks on their amendments, frequently repeating the same prepared commentary and often veering into other topics that ranged from natural gas drilling to the state of the economy. The committee's debate began Wednesday evening. If the House impeaches Trump, who is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, he would then go on trial in the Senate. The Republican-led chamber is unlikely to vote to find the president guilty and remove him from office. The House Judiciary Committee proceedings ground on through the afternoon and into the evening as Republicans, determined to stretch out the meeting, offered a series of amendments that would emasculate the articles of impeachment but had no hope of adoption.

US House committee postpones votes on articles of impeachment

Global oil inventories could rise sharply despite an agreement by<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/opec-gearing-up-for-deeper-oil-cuts-russia-yet-to-agree-266198"> OPEC </a>and its allies to deepen output cuts, as well as lower expected production by the United States and other non-OPEC nations, the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-briefly-overtakes-saudi-arabia-as-top-oil-exporter-international-energy-agency-249182"> International Energy Agency </a>(IEA), said on Thursday.

"Despite the additional curbs and a reduction in our forecast of 2020 non-OPEC supply growth to 2.1 million barrels per day (BPD), global oil inventories could build by 700,000 BPD&nbsp;in Q1 2020," the Paris-based IEA said in a monthly report.

The Organization of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-prices-tumble-ahead-of-opec-meeting-global-stocks-fall-265363">Petroleum Exporting Countries</a> and other producers including Russia agreed last week to rein in output by an extra 500,000 BPD in the first quarter of 2020 to balance the market and buoy prices, but they stopped short of pledging action beyond March.

Even if the group adhered strictly to the new pact and output from members beset by political troubles such as Iran, Libya and Venezuela remained steady, the IEA said that only 530,000 bpd of crude would be withdrawn from the market compared to November production.

The group's production is also set to outstrip the IEA's projection of demand for its crude by 700,000&nbsp;BPD in the first half of next year and a full million bpd in the second half.

The IEA revised down its forecast for supply growth by non-OPEC countries in 2020 by 200,000&nbsp;BPD "on a continued slowdown in the US, reduced expectations for Brazil and Ghana as well as additional cuts by (OPEC's allies)".

The biggest reduction is expected to be in US&nbsp;shale output, where operators have been cutting spending under investor pressure to improve returns.

The IEA estimates total US&nbsp;oil production growth will slow to 1.1 million BPD in&nbsp;2020 from 1.6 million bpd this year.

Global oil inventories could rise sharply despite an agreement by OPEC and its allies to deepen output cuts, as well as lower expected production by the United States and other non-OPEC nations, the International Energy Agency (IEA), said on Thursday.

Global oil inventories could rise sharply despite an agreement by OPEC and its allies to deepen output cuts, as well as lower expected production by the United States and other non-OPEC nations, the International Energy Agency (IEA), said on Thursday. "Despite the additional curbs and a reduction in our forecast of 2020 non-OPEC supply growth to 2.1 million barrels per day (BPD), global oil inventories could build by 700,000 BPD in Q1 2020," the Paris-based IEA said in a monthly report. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers including Russia agreed last week to rein in output by an extra 500,000 BPD in the first quarter of 2020 to balance the market and buoy prices, but they stopped short of pledging action beyond March. Even if the group adhered strictly to the new pact and output from members beset by political troubles such as Iran, Libya and Venezuela remained steady, the IEA said that only 530,000 bpd of crude would be withdrawn from the market compared to November production. The group's production is also set to outstrip the IEA's projection of demand for its crude by 700,000 BPD in the first half of next year and a full million bpd in the second half. The IEA revised down its forecast for supply growth by non-OPEC countries in 2020 by 200,000 BPD "on a continued slowdown in the US, reduced expectations for Brazil and Ghana as well as additional cuts by (OPEC's allies)". The biggest reduction is expected to be in US shale output, where operators have been cutting spending under investor pressure to improve returns. The IEA estimates total US oil production growth will slow to 1.1 million BPD in 2020 from 1.6 million bpd this year.

Oil market to remain oversupplied despite OPEC+ pact, says IEA

The US Federal Reserve on December 11 held interest rates steady and signaled borrowing costs will not change anytime soon, with moderate economic growth and historically low unemployment expected to persist through the 2020 presidential election.

US fed keeps rates on hold, points to 'favorable' economic outlook next year

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