Gold prices held steady on Thursday as weak United States retail sales data fanned concerns that the country's economy may be feeling the pinch of the long-drawn trade war with China, while palladium held close to a record high hit the previous day.

Spot gold&nbsp;inched 0.1 per cent&nbsp;higher to $1,490.37 per ounce as of 0044 GMT&nbsp;US gold futures&nbsp;rose 0.1 per cent&nbsp;to $1,495.60.

Asian shares were subdued as the soft US&nbsp;sales data pointed to signs that the US&nbsp;economy was beginning to show signs of weakness, and a global recession was looming.

US&nbsp;retail sales fell for the first time in seven months in September, suggesting that manufacturing-led weakness could be spreading to the broader economy, keeping the door open for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates again later this month.

Investors awaited further news on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-china-trade-mini-deal-being-papered-trump-256340">US-China trade front</a>. US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Wednesday that trade negotiators are working on nailing down a phase 1 trade deal text for their presidents to sign next month.

Elsewhere, a European Union leaders' two-day summit in Brussels starting on Thursday will be dominated by last-gasp efforts to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-deal-at-hand-in-brussels-boris-johnson-struggles-to-win-support-at-home-256400">seal a deal on Britain's exit</a> from the bloc despite a raft of other pressing issues, from the crisis in the Middle East to the EU budget.

Investors have welcomed optimistic comments from key officials during last few days. British culture minister Nicky Morgan said late on Wednesday there is a good chance of a deal.

Indicative of sentiment, SPDR Gold Trust GLD, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.16 per cent&nbsp;to 918.19 tonnes on Wednesday from 919.66 tonnes on Tuesday.

Palladium rose 0.2 per cent&nbsp;to $1,770.54 an ounce on Thursday after notching a fresh high of $1,779.23 on Wednesday.

Gold prices held steady on Thursday as weak United States retail sales data fanned concerns that the country's economy may be feeling the pinch of the long-drawn trade war with China, while palladium held close to a record high hit the previous day.

Gold prices held steady on Thursday as weak United States retail sales data fanned concerns that the country's economy may be feeling the pinch of the long-drawn trade war with China, while palladium held close to a record high hit the previous day. Spot gold inched 0.1 per cent higher to $1,490.37 per ounce as of 0044 GMT US gold futures rose 0.1 per cent to $1,495.60. Asian shares were subdued as the soft US sales data pointed to signs that the US economy was beginning to show signs of weakness, and a global recession was looming. US retail sales fell for the first time in seven months in September, suggesting that manufacturing-led weakness could be spreading to the broader economy, keeping the door open for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates again later this month. Investors awaited further news on the US-China trade front. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Wednesday that trade negotiators are working on nailing down a phase 1 trade deal text for their presidents to sign next month. Elsewhere, a European Union leaders' two-day summit in Brussels starting on Thursday will be dominated by last-gasp efforts to seal a deal on Britain's exit from the bloc despite a raft of other pressing issues, from the crisis in the Middle East to the EU budget. Investors have welcomed optimistic comments from key officials during last few days. British culture minister Nicky Morgan said late on Wednesday there is a good chance of a deal. Indicative of sentiment, SPDR Gold Trust GLD, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.16 per cent to 918.19 tonnes on Wednesday from 919.66 tonnes on Tuesday. Palladium rose 0.2 per cent to $1,770.54 an ounce on Thursday after notching a fresh high of $1,779.23 on Wednesday.

Gold steady as disappointing US retail sales weigh on risk appetite

Citigroup Inc&nbsp;has named Peter Babej, the US&nbsp;bank's global head of financial institutions group, as its new Asia Pacific Chief Executive Officer, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Thursday.

Babej joined Citi in 2010 as co-head of the financial institution's group after having previously worked at Deutsche Bank&nbsp;and investment bank Lazard, according to the memo sent to staff by Citi global CEO Mike Corbat.

A spokesman for Citi in Hong Kong confirmed the contents of the memo.

Babej, who is currently based in New York and will relocate to Hong Kong, will replace Francisco Aristeguieta, who left Citi earlier this year to join custodian bank State Street Corp&nbsp;as chief executive of its international business.

Citi's business in the Asia Pacific is the second-largest region-wise in terms of revenue, outside of its home market of North America, and contributes around one-fifth of its revenues and nearly one-third of the bank's net income.

In the quarter ended September&nbsp;30, Citi's Asia Pacific revenue grew 7 per cent&nbsp;to $4.01 billion.

Babej has been involved in several Asia-focused merger and acquisition transactions in the financial sector, Corbat wrote in the memo, adding the new regional head will take over the role immediately.

"He will draw on his deep knowledge of the financial services landscape in Asia, where we continue to see great opportunities, including fast-growing digital adoption," Corbat said in the memo.

Citigroup Inc has named Peter Babej, the US bank's global head of financial institutions group, as its new Asia Pacific Chief Executive Officer, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Thursday.

Citigroup Inc has named Peter Babej, the US bank's global head of financial institutions group, as its new Asia Pacific Chief Executive Officer, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Thursday. Babej joined Citi in 2010 as co-head of the financial institution's group after having previously worked at Deutsche Bank and investment bank Lazard, according to the memo sent to staff by Citi global CEO Mike Corbat. A spokesman for Citi in Hong Kong confirmed the contents of the memo. Babej, who is currently based in New York and will relocate to Hong Kong, will replace Francisco Aristeguieta, who left Citi earlier this year to join custodian bank State Street Corp as chief executive of its international business. Citi's business in the Asia Pacific is the second-largest region-wise in terms of revenue, outside of its home market of North America, and contributes around one-fifth of its revenues and nearly one-third of the bank's net income. In the quarter ended September 30, Citi's Asia Pacific revenue grew 7 per cent to $4.01 billion. Babej has been involved in several Asia-focused merger and acquisition transactions in the financial sector, Corbat wrote in the memo, adding the new regional head will take over the role immediately. "He will draw on his deep knowledge of the financial services landscape in Asia, where we continue to see great opportunities, including fast-growing digital adoption," Corbat said in the memo.

Citigroup names Peter Babej as Asia Pacific Chief Executive: Memo

China will remove business restrictions on foreign banks, brokerages and fund management firms, a cabinet meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday, state television reported.

But the move, which comes nearly 18 years after China joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO), could have a limited impact on the competitive landscape of an industry dominated by China's state firms.

China has stepped up efforts to open its financial sector amid a festering <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-china-trade-mini-deal-being-papered-trump-256340">trade war </a>with the United States, with increased access to its financial sector among a host of demands from Washington.

Last week, China announced a firm timetable for opening its futures, brokerage and mutual fund sectors fully to foreign investors next year, as Beijing and Washington reached a tentative deal to resolve their trade dispute.

The cabinet did not elaborate on what effect the removal of the curbs would have. On Tuesday, the cabinet relaxed management rules for foreign insurers and banks, giving them easier access to China, and wider business scope.

China will also support local governments' efforts to attract more foreign investment and allow foreign companies to be more flexible in choosing how they borrow funds from abroad, the cabinet said.

China will not allow forced technology transfers by foreign firms, it said.

Stabilising foreign investment is part of Beijing's policies to support the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/global-markets-asia-relieved-at-latest-trade-truce-china-data-disappoints-255740"> slowing economy </a>that has been hit by the country's trade war with the United States.

In 2007, HSBC Holdings, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of East Asia&nbsp;and Citigroup&nbsp;became the first foreign banks allowed to set up locally-incorporated subsidiaries in China as Beijing gradually opened up the sector.

But hampered by numerous restrictions on business scopes and operations such as outlet openings, the roughly 40 foreign banks with local units operating in China account for a tiny fraction of a market dominated by state-owned rivals such as Industrial and Commercial Bank of China&nbsp;and Bank of China.

"Many people say 'the wolves are coming', but my observation is that...through opening, Chinese regulators intend to introduce technology and talents, but it doesn't mean foreign players can grab a big market share in China," Xin He, Societe Generale's&nbsp;China head of global markets told a financial conference over the weekend.

He added that the French bank has retreated from its retail business in China after realising that "foreign banks cannot compete with Chinese players in this business segment."

In the securities sector, China last year relaxed rules to allow foreign brokerages to own a majority stake in Chinese ventures. China said last week foreign ownership limits in the sector will be scrapped completely on Dec. 1, 2020. UBS Group, JPMorgan Chase&nbsp;and Japan's Nomura Holdings&nbsp;have obtained regulatory approval to set up majority-owned China ventures.

But China has yet to open more sensitive areas of its financial industry. US&nbsp;payments card giants Mastercard Inc&nbsp;and Visa Inc&nbsp;are still awaiting regulatory approval to conduct yuan clearing business in the country.

China's economic growth is expected to slow to a near 30-year low of 6.2 per cent&nbsp;this year and cool further to 5.9 per cent&nbsp;in 2020, a Reuters poll showed, even as Beijing steps up policy stimulus.

The government has been leaning heavily on fiscal stimulus to support the economy, including rolling out big tax cuts and increased spending on infrastructure investment.

Tax and fee cuts amounted to 1.5 trillion yuan&nbsp;in the first eight months, which has helped ease the burden on firms, boost incomes and employment, with full-year reductions set to exceed 2 trillion yuan, the cabinet said.

The government will also support local governments facing fiscal difficulties to ensure wage payments, the cabinet said.

China will remove business restrictions on foreign banks, brokerages and fund management firms, a cabinet meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday, state television reported.

China will remove business restrictions on foreign banks, brokerages and fund management firms, a cabinet meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday, state television reported. But the move, which comes nearly 18 years after China joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO), could have a limited impact on the competitive landscape of an industry dominated by China's state firms. China has stepped up efforts to open its financial sector amid a festering trade war with the United States, with increased access to its financial sector among a host of demands from Washington. Last week, China announced a firm timetable for opening its futures, brokerage and mutual fund sectors fully to foreign investors next year, as Beijing and Washington reached a tentative deal to resolve their trade dispute. The cabinet did not elaborate on what effect the removal of the curbs would have. On Tuesday, the cabinet relaxed management rules for foreign insurers and banks, giving them easier access to China, and wider business scope. China will also support local governments' efforts to attract more foreign investment and allow foreign companies to be more flexible in choosing how they borrow funds from abroad, the cabinet said. China will not allow forced technology transfers by foreign firms, it said. Stabilising foreign investment is part of Beijing's policies to support the slowing economy that has been hit by the country's trade war with the United States. In 2007, HSBC Holdings, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of East Asia and Citigroup became the first foreign banks allowed to set up locally-incorporated subsidiaries in China as Beijing gradually opened up the sector. But hampered by numerous restrictions on business scopes and operations such as outlet openings, the roughly 40 foreign banks with local units operating in China account for a tiny fraction of a market dominated by state-owned rivals such as Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Bank of China. "Many people say 'the wolves are coming', but my observation is that...through opening, Chinese regulators intend to introduce technology and talents, but it doesn't mean foreign players can grab a big market share in China," Xin He, Societe Generale's China head of global markets told a financial conference over the weekend. He added that the French bank has retreated from its retail business in China after realising that "foreign banks cannot compete with Chinese players in this business segment." In the securities sector, China last year relaxed rules to allow foreign brokerages to own a majority stake in Chinese ventures. China said last week foreign ownership limits in the sector will be scrapped completely on Dec. 1, 2020. UBS Group, JPMorgan Chase and Japan's Nomura Holdings have obtained regulatory approval to set up majority-owned China ventures. But China has yet to open more sensitive areas of its financial industry. US payments card giants Mastercard Inc and Visa Inc are still awaiting regulatory approval to conduct yuan clearing business in the country. China's economic growth is expected to slow to a near 30-year low of 6.2 per cent this year and cool further to 5.9 per cent in 2020, a Reuters poll showed, even as Beijing steps up policy stimulus. The government has been leaning heavily on fiscal stimulus to support the economy, including rolling out big tax cuts and increased spending on infrastructure investment. Tax and fee cuts amounted to 1.5 trillion yuan in the first eight months, which has helped ease the burden on firms, boost incomes and employment, with full-year reductions set to exceed 2 trillion yuan, the cabinet said. The government will also support local governments facing fiscal difficulties to ensure wage payments, the cabinet said.

China to scrap business curbs on foreign banks, brokerages

Food group Nestle&nbsp;plans to return up to 20 billion Swiss francs&nbsp;to shareholders over the next two years and is making changes to its struggling waters business after organic sales growth dipped to 3.7 per cent&nbsp;in the third quarter from 3.9 per cent&nbsp;in the previous quarter.

Packaged food makers are branching out into new areas like plant-based meat alternatives or products made from all-natural ingredients to boost growth in an otherwise sluggish market.

Nestle's organic growth, which strips out currency swings and acquisitions, slowed in the third quarter as prices for its products fell slightly, the maker of KitKat chocolate bars, Maggi noodles and vegan burgers said in a statement on Thursday.

It did, however, confirm its outlook for organic sales growth of around 3.5 per cent&nbsp;and an operating margin of 17.5 per cent&nbsp;or above for the full year, pointing to strong momentum in the United States and its petcare business.

It said it had decided to distribute up to 20 billion francs to shareholders over the period 2020 to 2022, primarily in the form of share buybacks, but special dividends were also possible.

"Should any sizable acquisitions take place during this period, the amount of cash to be distributed to shareholders will be adjusted accordingly," Nestle said.

In a separate statement, Nestle announced it would no longer manage its waters business, which posted weak organic growth of 0.5 per cent for the nine-month period, as a global business. It will instead integrate it into its three geographical zones.

Maurizio Patarnello, head of the waters business, will leave the executive board at the end of this year.

Nestle appointed Sanjay Bahadur, head of acquisitions and business development, to lead a new group strategy and business development function that should help identify internal and external strategic growth opportunities.

Food group Nestle plans to return up to 20 billion Swiss francs to shareholders over the next two years and is making changes to its struggling waters business after organic sales growth dipped to 3.

Food group Nestle plans to return up to 20 billion Swiss francs to shareholders over the next two years and is making changes to its struggling waters business after organic sales growth dipped to 3.7 per cent in the third quarter from 3.9 per cent in the previous quarter. Packaged food makers are branching out into new areas like plant-based meat alternatives or products made from all-natural ingredients to boost growth in an otherwise sluggish market. Nestle's organic growth, which strips out currency swings and acquisitions, slowed in the third quarter as prices for its products fell slightly, the maker of KitKat chocolate bars, Maggi noodles and vegan burgers said in a statement on Thursday. It did, however, confirm its outlook for organic sales growth of around 3.5 per cent and an operating margin of 17.5 per cent or above for the full year, pointing to strong momentum in the United States and its petcare business. It said it had decided to distribute up to 20 billion francs to shareholders over the period 2020 to 2022, primarily in the form of share buybacks, but special dividends were also possible. "Should any sizable acquisitions take place during this period, the amount of cash to be distributed to shareholders will be adjusted accordingly," Nestle said. In a separate statement, Nestle announced it would no longer manage its waters business, which posted weak organic growth of 0.5 per cent for the nine-month period, as a global business. It will instead integrate it into its three geographical zones. Maurizio Patarnello, head of the waters business, will leave the executive board at the end of this year. Nestle appointed Sanjay Bahadur, head of acquisitions and business development, to lead a new group strategy and business development function that should help identify internal and external strategic growth opportunities.

Nestle revamps waters business as organic growth slows

"Don't be a fool," Donald Trump warned his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an extraordinary letter sent the day<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-assault-in-northeast-syria-displaced-300000-monitor-256435"> Turkey launched</a> its incursion into northeastern Syria -- warning history risked branding him a "devil."

Three days after appearing to greenlight an invasion by pulling US troops from the Kurdish-dominated region, Trump told the Turkish president he would wreck Ankara's economy if the invasion went too far.

In language shorn of diplomatic niceties, Trump began with an outright threat.

<img alt="trump-letter" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="45fd2603-c0a5-4350-bd70-5ae3a0607c2a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Trump%20letter.jpg" />

"Let's work out a good deal," Trump wrote in the letter dated October 9, whose authenticity was confirmed to AFP by the White House.

"You don't want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don't want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy, and I will."

"History will look upon you favourably if you get this done the right and humane way," Trump said. "It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don't happen."

The US leader told Erdogan a "great deal" was possible if he negotiated with the head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, whom Turkey has labelled a "terrorist" for his ties to the Kurdish PKK militants in Turkey.

"Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool," he finished, adding: "I will call you later."

"Don't be a fool," Donald Trump warned his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an extraordinary letter sent the day Turkey launched its incursion into northeastern Syria -- warning history risked branding him a "devil.

"Don't be a fool," Donald Trump warned his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an extraordinary letter sent the day Turkey launched its incursion into northeastern Syria -- warning history risked branding him a "devil." Three days after appearing to greenlight an invasion by pulling US troops from the Kurdish-dominated region, Trump told the Turkish president he would wreck Ankara's economy if the invasion went too far. In language shorn of diplomatic niceties, Trump began with an outright threat. "Let's work out a good deal," Trump wrote in the letter dated October 9, whose authenticity was confirmed to AFP by the White House. "You don't want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don't want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy, and I will." "History will look upon you favourably if you get this done the right and humane way," Trump said. "It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don't happen." The US leader told Erdogan a "great deal" was possible if he negotiated with the head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, whom Turkey has labelled a "terrorist" for his ties to the Kurdish PKK militants in Turkey. "Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool," he finished, adding: "I will call you later."

'Don't be a fool': US President Trump tells Turkish President Erdogan in threatening letter

British&nbsp;retailer&nbsp;WH&nbsp;Smith&nbsp;Plc&nbsp;said on Thursday it will&nbsp;buy&nbsp;Marshall&nbsp;Retail&nbsp;Group for about $400&nbsp;million, betting that the American peer's network of stores at&nbsp;US&nbsp;airports will help boost profits soured by turmoil on the British high street.

Business at&nbsp;WH&nbsp;Smith's stores at airports and railway stations has been booming as the over 200-year-old company benefits from rising passenger footfall and new larger-format outlets.

The company,&nbsp;which sells everything from books and sandwiches to Bluetooth headphones, began its&nbsp;push&nbsp;into the United States last year&nbsp;when it bought digital accessories&nbsp;retailer InMotion.

WH&nbsp;Smith&nbsp;said it would fund the all-cash deal for&nbsp;Marshall&nbsp;through a combination of 200&nbsp;million&nbsp;pounds&nbsp;in new debt and a 155&nbsp;million&nbsp;pound equity raise. The company will suspend its share&nbsp;buyback programme&nbsp;while it pays off debt.

The reliance on travelling consumers was highlighted on Thursday&nbsp;when&nbsp;WH&nbsp;Smith&nbsp;reported a 7 per cent&nbsp;rise in headline annual pre-tax profit, boosted by a 14 per cent&nbsp;jump in earnings from its travel business.

Headline profit before tax rose to 155&nbsp;million&nbsp;pounds from 145&nbsp;million&nbsp;pounds in the year ended August&nbsp;31, marginally beating analyst estimates of 154.2&nbsp;million&nbsp;pounds, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

The company also said it was prepared for Brexit and has put in place contingency plans, including increasing the stock of convenience products.

British retailer WH Smith Plc said on Thursday it will buy Marshall Retail Group for about $400 million, betting that the American peer's network of stores at US airports will help boost profits soured by turmoil on the British high street.

British retailer WH Smith Plc said on Thursday it will buy Marshall Retail Group for about $400 million, betting that the American peer's network of stores at US airports will help boost profits soured by turmoil on the British high street. Business at WH Smith's stores at airports and railway stations has been booming as the over 200-year-old company benefits from rising passenger footfall and new larger-format outlets. The company, which sells everything from books and sandwiches to Bluetooth headphones, began its push into the United States last year when it bought digital accessories retailer InMotion. WH Smith said it would fund the all-cash deal for Marshall through a combination of 200 million pounds in new debt and a 155 million pound equity raise. The company will suspend its share buyback programme while it pays off debt. The reliance on travelling consumers was highlighted on Thursday when WH Smith reported a 7 per cent rise in headline annual pre-tax profit, boosted by a 14 per cent jump in earnings from its travel business. Headline profit before tax rose to 155 million pounds from 145 million pounds in the year ended August 31, marginally beating analyst estimates of 154.2 million pounds, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. The company also said it was prepared for Brexit and has put in place contingency plans, including increasing the stock of convenience products.

WH Smith to buy Marshall Retail for $400 million in US push

US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-delegations-head-to-turkey-256376">departed for Turkey</a> on Wednesday, seeking to secure a ceasefire in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-assault-in-northeast-syria-displaced-300000-monitor-256435">Turkish invasion</a> of northern Syria.

"Our mission set is to see if we can get a ceasefire, see if we can get this brokered," Pompeo told reporters on his plane.

Pence and Pompeo, who travelled on different planes, were scheduled to hold talks on Thursday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but Erdogan has said he will not meet them.

Erdogan has also vowed that Turkey's operation,&nbsp;which was facilitated by the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, would continue.

US President Donald Trump, facing with mounting criticism over the abrupt pullout, has denied he gave Erdogan a "green light" to launch operations against the Kurds.

Pence's office said the US would pursue "punishing economic sanctions" unless there was an immediate ceasefire.

After the trip to Turkey, Pompeo will stop in Jerusalem Friday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Syria and the "need to counter the Iranian regime's destabilizing behavior in the region," according to a statement from the State Department.

Iran is an arch-foe for the Trump administration, which pulled out of a multinational deal on curbing Tehran's nuclear program and instead slapped punishing sanctions.

Later Friday, Pompeo will also meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, the statement said.

US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo departed for Turkey on Wednesday, seeking to secure a ceasefire in the Turkish invasion of northern Syria.

US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo departed for Turkey on Wednesday, seeking to secure a ceasefire in the Turkish invasion of northern Syria. "Our mission set is to see if we can get a ceasefire, see if we can get this brokered," Pompeo told reporters on his plane. Pence and Pompeo, who travelled on different planes, were scheduled to hold talks on Thursday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but Erdogan has said he will not meet them. Erdogan has also vowed that Turkey's operation, which was facilitated by the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, would continue. US President Donald Trump, facing with mounting criticism over the abrupt pullout, has denied he gave Erdogan a "green light" to launch operations against the Kurds. Pence's office said the US would pursue "punishing economic sanctions" unless there was an immediate ceasefire. After the trip to Turkey, Pompeo will stop in Jerusalem Friday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Syria and the "need to counter the Iranian regime's destabilizing behavior in the region," according to a statement from the State Department. Iran is an arch-foe for the Trump administration, which pulled out of a multinational deal on curbing Tehran's nuclear program and instead slapped punishing sanctions. Later Friday, Pompeo will also meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, the statement said.

United States' Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo head to Turkey seeking ceasefire

Chairman of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline Corporation Murad Amanov on Wednesday met Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and apprised him about the progress in the Trans-Afghanistan project.

Qureshi assured the delegation about the government`s commitment to ensure early implementation of the TAPI Gas project and promote cooperation in the energy sector with Turkmenistan.

Energy is important for advancing the domestic economy, therefore, the government is paying special attention to the energy sector for economic development, he said.

Meanwhile, Amanov told the foreign minister that talks between Pakistan and TAPI Company are underway successfully for the finalization of this agreement by the host government. Qureshi said that ensuring the safety of oil and gas supply is our top priority.

The TAPI gas pipeline project is expected to be completed by 2022 in Pakistan.&nbsp;

The TAPI project, supported by the United States and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has been supported by Turkmenistan since the 1990s. But the initiation of the project was delayed due to issues related to the instability in the region, especially in Afghanistan.

The ADB is acting as the facilitator and coordinator for the project. It is proposed to lay a 56-inch diameter and 1,680-kilometre pipeline with a capacity of transporting 33 billion cubic meters (BCM) of natural gas per annum from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Fazilka near the India-Pakistan border, Geo News reported.

The pipeline will run through areas of southern Afghanistan largely controlled by the Taliban.&nbsp;

Chairman of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline Corporation Murad Amanov on Wednesday met Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and apprised him about the progress in the Trans-Afghanistan project.

Chairman of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline Corporation Murad Amanov on Wednesday met Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and apprised him about the progress in the Trans-Afghanistan project. Qureshi assured the delegation about the government`s commitment to ensure early implementation of the TAPI Gas project and promote cooperation in the energy sector with Turkmenistan. Energy is important for advancing the domestic economy, therefore, the government is paying special attention to the energy sector for economic development, he said. Meanwhile, Amanov told the foreign minister that talks between Pakistan and TAPI Company are underway successfully for the finalization of this agreement by the host government. Qureshi said that ensuring the safety of oil and gas supply is our top priority. The TAPI gas pipeline project is expected to be completed by 2022 in Pakistan. The TAPI project, supported by the United States and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has been supported by Turkmenistan since the 1990s. But the initiation of the project was delayed due to issues related to the instability in the region, especially in Afghanistan. The ADB is acting as the facilitator and coordinator for the project. It is proposed to lay a 56-inch diameter and 1,680-kilometre pipeline with a capacity of transporting 33 billion cubic meters (BCM) of natural gas per annum from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Fazilka near the India-Pakistan border, Geo News reported. The pipeline will run through areas of southern Afghanistan largely controlled by the Taliban.

TAPI Chairman meets Pakistan Foreign Minister, apprises him of project progress

A widely downloaded Chinese propaganda app that quizzes users on Communist Party heroes and military achievements may be "studying them right back" through data collection and potential security breaches, an internet freedom campaign group says.

The app - called "Xuexi Qiangguo" or "Study to make China strong" - has accumulated 130 million users since its launch by the Communist Party's propaganda arm in January, according to state media in August.

Marketed as an education tool, it awards points for sharing articles and watching videos such as speeches by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

But the Open Technology Fund (OTF) - a US government-funded group that campaigns for internet freedom, says users also provide a plethora of data to the app, including location and emails.

OTF contracted the independent German tech firm Cure53 to study the app.

While the Communist Party advertises it as "a way for citizens to prove their loyalty and study their country, the app's maintainers are studying them right back", OTF wrote on its website.

The app's terms and conditions also say users may have to hand over more personal information, such as fingerprints and ID numbers, depending on the features or third-party tools they want to access.

The Chinese government has come under increasing scrutiny for high-tech surveillance, from facial recognition-enabled security cameras to apps used by police to extract personal information from smartphones at checkpoints.

And though "Study to make China strong" is an education app, Cure53 said it contains code that could run "arbitrary commands", reminiscent of a backdoor, on certain phones.

The app "maintains a level of access that no app would normally have over a user's device", said OTF.

The investigation, which was conducted in August, only looked at the Android version of the app, partly because of its market dominance, said Sarah Aoun, the group's director of technology.

OTF is considering tackling the iOS version next, Aoun told AFP.

"This is just another way of expanding that digital control through a very intrusive app that is being pushed onto its citizens," said Aoun.

The Communist Party's propaganda arm, which is responsible for the app, did not respond to AFP's request for comment.

Dozens of provincial and county governments across the country reportedly held workshops to promote the app earlier this year.

Chinese journalists will also have to use the app for online press accreditation exams later this month and November, said a notice last week from the State Council, China's cabinet.

"It is unusual to see so much data gathered for an education app," said Jane Manchun Wong, who reverse-engineers apps for security vulnerabilities and unreleased features.

"It's like reading a book about the great nation but the book somehow searches your home," she told AFP.

The app also scans for 960 applications, including gaming, travel and chat apps, appearing as if "attempting to find which popular apps are installed on the phone", said Cure53's report.

A spokesperson at DingTalk, an enterprise chat platform that was used to build the app, told AFP that it had "no 'backdoor code' or scanning issues".

But OTF said users' data and their phones could be further jeopardised if the code that "amounts to a backdoor" runs successfully.

Currently, this code only affects phones where users have installed software that gives them "superuser" privileges, such as the ability to modify the device's code.

But apps can also abuse this level of privilege to take over a user's device.

"The code they found is creepy", Baptiste Robert, a French security researcher, told AFP -- but cautioned against the use of the word backdoor.

The investigation also found "no evidence" that the code was used during testing, with Cure53 concluding that "further investigation" was needed to determine how it was used.

The code "can raise suspicion," Robert said, but to conclude that there is "vast espionage from China is complicated".

A widely downloaded Chinese propaganda app that quizzes users on Communist Party heroes and military achievements may be "studying them right back" through data collection and potential security breaches, an internet freedom campaign group says.

A widely downloaded Chinese propaganda app that quizzes users on Communist Party heroes and military achievements may be "studying them right back" through data collection and potential security breaches, an internet freedom campaign group says. The app - called "Xuexi Qiangguo" or "Study to make China strong" - has accumulated 130 million users since its launch by the Communist Party's propaganda arm in January, according to state media in August. Marketed as an education tool, it awards points for sharing articles and watching videos such as speeches by Chinese President Xi Jinping. But the Open Technology Fund (OTF) - a US government-funded group that campaigns for internet freedom, says users also provide a plethora of data to the app, including location and emails. OTF contracted the independent German tech firm Cure53 to study the app. While the Communist Party advertises it as "a way for citizens to prove their loyalty and study their country, the app's maintainers are studying them right back", OTF wrote on its website. The app's terms and conditions also say users may have to hand over more personal information, such as fingerprints and ID numbers, depending on the features or third-party tools they want to access. The Chinese government has come under increasing scrutiny for high-tech surveillance, from facial recognition-enabled security cameras to apps used by police to extract personal information from smartphones at checkpoints. And though "Study to make China strong" is an education app, Cure53 said it contains code that could run "arbitrary commands", reminiscent of a backdoor, on certain phones. The app "maintains a level of access that no app would normally have over a user's device", said OTF. The investigation, which was conducted in August, only looked at the Android version of the app, partly because of its market dominance, said Sarah Aoun, the group's director of technology. OTF is considering tackling the iOS version next, Aoun told AFP. "This is just another way of expanding that digital control through a very intrusive app that is being pushed onto its citizens," said Aoun. The Communist Party's propaganda arm, which is responsible for the app, did not respond to AFP's request for comment. Dozens of provincial and county governments across the country reportedly held workshops to promote the app earlier this year. Chinese journalists will also have to use the app for online press accreditation exams later this month and November, said a notice last week from the State Council, China's cabinet. "It is unusual to see so much data gathered for an education app," said Jane Manchun Wong, who reverse-engineers apps for security vulnerabilities and unreleased features. "It's like reading a book about the great nation but the book somehow searches your home," she told AFP. The app also scans for 960 applications, including gaming, travel and chat apps, appearing as if "attempting to find which popular apps are installed on the phone", said Cure53's report. A spokesperson at DingTalk, an enterprise chat platform that was used to build the app, told AFP that it had "no 'backdoor code' or scanning issues". But OTF said users' data and their phones could be further jeopardised if the code that "amounts to a backdoor" runs successfully. Currently, this code only affects phones where users have installed software that gives them "superuser" privileges, such as the ability to modify the device's code. But apps can also abuse this level of privilege to take over a user's device. "The code they found is creepy", Baptiste Robert, a French security researcher, told AFP -- but cautioned against the use of the word backdoor. The investigation also found "no evidence" that the code was used during testing, with Cure53 concluding that "further investigation" was needed to determine how it was used. The code "can raise suspicion," Robert said, but to conclude that there is "vast espionage from China is complicated".

China propaganda app fraught with security concerns: Report

Domino's&nbsp;Pizza&nbsp;Group Plc, Britain's biggest&nbsp;pizza&nbsp;delivery company, said on Thursday it will&nbsp;exit&nbsp;its&nbsp;international&nbsp;markets, where it has been facing mounting losses.

"We have concluded that, whilst they represent attractive&nbsp;markets, we are not the best owners of these businesses," outgoing Chief Executive Officer David Wild said.

The company, which is a franchise of US-based&nbsp;Domino's&nbsp;Pizza&nbsp;Inc, said third-quarter group system sales rose 3.4 per cent&nbsp;to 313.5 million pounds&nbsp;on strong demand in the UK and Ireland.

The British company owns&nbsp;Domino's&nbsp;operations in Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and is a minority shareholder in the Germany operations as well.

However, it reported a 2.7 per cent&nbsp;dip in&nbsp;international&nbsp;system sales, which have taken a hit from macroeconomic events, including declining tourist numbers in Iceland.

Europe's economy has slowed this year as the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-china-trade-mini-deal-being-papered-trump-256340">US-China trade</a> tensions weakened global growth, and consumers and businesses in and around the United Kingdom worried about the impact of<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/united-kingdom-hiring-falls-by-most-in-over-four-years-as-brexit-nears-256066"> Brexit&nbsp;on jobs and incomes.</a>

The company, which has 57 stores in Norway, said it had implemented a turnaround plan in the country during the quarter, but early signs have been mixed and improvement in sales were weaker than expected.

The decision to&nbsp;exit&nbsp;these&nbsp;markets&nbsp;comes a few months after the company announced the retirement of its CEO Wild, while in the midst of trying to resolve a profit sharing row with disgruntled franchisees in the UK and Ireland.

Domino's Pizza Group Plc, Britain's biggest pizza delivery company, said on Thursday it will exit its international markets, where it has been facing mounting losses.

Domino's Pizza Group Plc, Britain's biggest pizza delivery company, said on Thursday it will exit its international markets, where it has been facing mounting losses. "We have concluded that, whilst they represent attractive markets, we are not the best owners of these businesses," outgoing Chief Executive Officer David Wild said. The company, which is a franchise of US-based Domino's Pizza Inc, said third-quarter group system sales rose 3.4 per cent to 313.5 million pounds on strong demand in the UK and Ireland. The British company owns Domino's operations in Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and is a minority shareholder in the Germany operations as well. However, it reported a 2.7 per cent dip in international system sales, which have taken a hit from macroeconomic events, including declining tourist numbers in Iceland. Europe's economy has slowed this year as the US-China trade tensions weakened global growth, and consumers and businesses in and around the United Kingdom worried about the impact of Brexit on jobs and incomes. The company, which has 57 stores in Norway, said it had implemented a turnaround plan in the country during the quarter, but early signs have been mixed and improvement in sales were weaker than expected. The decision to exit these markets comes a few months after the company announced the retirement of its CEO Wild, while in the midst of trying to resolve a profit sharing row with disgruntled franchisees in the UK and Ireland.

Domino's Pizza to exit four international markets

Ahead of World Food Day, the World Food Programme (WFP) said more than 800 million people, one in nine people globally, are facing chronic hunger and are unable to meet their basic food requirements. WFP. World Food Day is marked on Wednesday (16 Oct). WFP said, for the most part, the causes of hunger remain the same – conflict, the climate crisis and economic marginalization.

More than 800 million people facing chronic hunger: World Food Programme

Chinese tech giant Huawei said on Wednesday that its revenue for the first nine months of the year grew 24.4 per cent year-on-year despite a US campaign to isolate the company globally.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huaweis-new-phone-lacks-google-access-after-us-ban-250639">Huawei's revenues jumped</a> to $86.2 billion&nbsp;and its profit margin grew 8.7 per cent, the company announced.

The firm has been under immense pressure this year as Washington lobbied allies worldwide to avoid the company's telecom gear over security concerns, and in May blacklisted it from both the US market and buying crucial US components.

The United States has expressed concerns that Huawei equipment could contain security loopholes that allow China to spy on global communications traffic.

The company has repeatedly denied the accusation.

"Huawei has maintained its focus on ICT infrastructure and smart devices, and continued to boost the efficiency and quality of its operations," a company statement said.

"This contributed to increased operational and organisational stability and solidified the company's performance in the first three quarters of 2019."

Chinese tech giant Huawei said on Wednesday that its revenue for the first nine months of the year grew 24.4 per cent year-on-year despite a US campaign to isolate the company globally.

Chinese tech giant Huawei said on Wednesday that its revenue for the first nine months of the year grew 24.4 per cent year-on-year despite a US campaign to isolate the company globally. Huawei's revenues jumped to $86.2 billion and its profit margin grew 8.7 per cent, the company announced. The firm has been under immense pressure this year as Washington lobbied allies worldwide to avoid the company's telecom gear over security concerns, and in May blacklisted it from both the US market and buying crucial US components. The United States has expressed concerns that Huawei equipment could contain security loopholes that allow China to spy on global communications traffic. The company has repeatedly denied the accusation. "Huawei has maintained its focus on ICT infrastructure and smart devices, and continued to boost the efficiency and quality of its operations," a company statement said. "This contributed to increased operational and organisational stability and solidified the company's performance in the first three quarters of 2019."

Nine-month revenue up despite US pressure: Huawei

The partial trade bargain struck last week with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-sees-no-difference-with-us-on-trade-deal-256089">China is now being formally put down in writing</a>, United States President Donald Trump said Wednesday.

"It hasn't been papered yet but it is being papered," Trump told reporters at the White House.

He reiterated that China committed to greater purchases of US farm exports, and made concessions because of economic pressure by Washington.

"They want to make a deal. They have to make a deal. Their economy has been hurt very badly by what we've done and the tariffs," Trump said.

Markets rallied Friday as the deal was struck, in relief after the steady escalation in the trade conflict with China.

Last week, Trump hailed a breakthrough on a "phase one" deal that he said was substantial and included a surge in purchases of American farm products and also&nbsp;covers intellectual property, financial services and currencies.

However, comments from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-falls-more-than-2-on-us-china-trade-deal-doubts-stronger-dollar-256002">officials in Beijing</a> raised skepticism about the significance of the agreement.

While the deal meant tariffs increases planned for this week would not go forward, it did not roll back any of the stinging import duties imposed up to now on hundreds of billions of dollars in trade between the economic powers, nor did it address another round of import taxes planned for December.

Scant specifics are available but Trump says he hopes to sign the agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in Chile next month.

The partial trade bargain struck last week with China is now being formally put down in writing, United States President Donald Trump said Wednesday. "It hasn't been papered yet but it is being papered," Trump told reporters at the White House.

The partial trade bargain struck last week with China is now being formally put down in writing, United States President Donald Trump said Wednesday. "It hasn't been papered yet but it is being papered," Trump told reporters at the White House. He reiterated that China committed to greater purchases of US farm exports, and made concessions because of economic pressure by Washington. "They want to make a deal. They have to make a deal. Their economy has been hurt very badly by what we've done and the tariffs," Trump said. Markets rallied Friday as the deal was struck, in relief after the steady escalation in the trade conflict with China. Last week, Trump hailed a breakthrough on a "phase one" deal that he said was substantial and included a surge in purchases of American farm products and also covers intellectual property, financial services and currencies. However, comments from officials in Beijing raised skepticism about the significance of the agreement. While the deal meant tariffs increases planned for this week would not go forward, it did not roll back any of the stinging import duties imposed up to now on hundreds of billions of dollars in trade between the economic powers, nor did it address another round of import taxes planned for December. Scant specifics are available but Trump says he hopes to sign the agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in Chile next month.

United States-China trade mini-deal being 'papered': Trump

'Defiant message' as North Korea's Kim rides white horse on sacred mountain

"As the president of Ukraine, I won't interfere with events in other countries, unlike some others (who) may try (to)," <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-zelensky-denies-trump-tried-to-blackmail-him-254961">Zelensky told AFP</a> as he met the Ukrainian diaspora in the Latvian capital Riga.&nbsp;

"We, as Ukraine, will do nothing," he said.

The leader of the impeachment investigation said Tuesday that witnesses had provided substantial support for allegations that he illegally tried to force <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-president-zelensky-calls-controversial-donald-trump-call-normal-252078">Ukraine to investigate Biden</a>.

While the White House and Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani refused to turn over subpoenaed documents on the Ukraine affair to Congress, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said five witnesses had backed up allegations of misuse of power that could underpin formal impeachment charges.

Witnesses have said Trump's July 25 phone call with Zelensky, in which he appeared to tie US military aid to getting dirt on Biden, was planned in advance and then followed up, Schiff said.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, Trump lashed out at lawmakers, saying "Democrats are allowing no transparency at the Witch Hunt hearings."

Democrats are seeking to prove Trump sought foreign aid to boost his reelection next year, violating US election laws.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-he-discussed-biden-in-call-with-ukrainian-president-251491">Trump has admitted asking Zelensky for help</a> to probe Biden, but said it was for legitimate suspicions of corruption and not political reasons.

"As the president of Ukraine, I won't interfere with events in other countries, unlike some others (who) may try (to)," Zelensky told AFP as he met the Ukrainian diaspora in the Latvian capital Riga.

"As the president of Ukraine, I won't interfere with events in other countries, unlike some others (who) may try (to)," Zelensky told AFP as he met the Ukrainian diaspora in the Latvian capital Riga. "We, as Ukraine, will do nothing," he said. The leader of the impeachment investigation said Tuesday that witnesses had provided substantial support for allegations that he illegally tried to force Ukraine to investigate Biden. While the White House and Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani refused to turn over subpoenaed documents on the Ukraine affair to Congress, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said five witnesses had backed up allegations of misuse of power that could underpin formal impeachment charges. Witnesses have said Trump's July 25 phone call with Zelensky, in which he appeared to tie US military aid to getting dirt on Biden, was planned in advance and then followed up, Schiff said. Meanwhile, on Twitter, Trump lashed out at lawmakers, saying "Democrats are allowing no transparency at the Witch Hunt hearings." Democrats are seeking to prove Trump sought foreign aid to boost his reelection next year, violating US election laws. Trump has admitted asking Zelensky for help to probe Biden, but said it was for legitimate suspicions of corruption and not political reasons.

Ukraine 'won't interfere' in Trump impeachment probe: President Zelensky

Turkey vowed to press ahead with its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-halts-weapon-exports-to-turkey-over-syria-offensive-foreign-secretary-dominic-raab-256092">offensive in northern Syria</a> on Tuesday despite US&nbsp;sanctions and growing calls for it to stop, while <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-forces-patrolling-between-syrian-turkish-forces-256159">Syria's Russia-backed army</a> moved on the key city of Manbij that was abandoned by US&nbsp;forces.

"They say 'declare a ceasefire'. We will never declare a ceasefire," Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told reporters after a visit to Baku.

"They are pressuring us to stop the operation. They are announcing sanctions. Our goal is clear. We are not worried about any sanctions."

Erdogan said an attack from Manbij that killed one Turkish soldier was launched by Syrian government forces.

Reuters journalists accompanied Syrian government forces who entered the centre of Manbij, a flashpoint where US&nbsp;troops had previously conducted joint patrols with Turkey.

Russian and Syrian flags were flying from a building on the city outskirts and from a convoy of military vehicles.

Russia's Interfax news agency, citing Moscow's Defence Ministry, said later that Syrian forces had taken control of an area of more than 1,000 square km (386 miles) around Manbij, including Tabqa military airfield.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's unexpected decision to withhold protection from Syria's Kurds after a phone call with Erdogan a week ago swiftly upended five years of US&nbsp;policy on Syria.

As well as clearing the way for the Turkish incursion, the US&nbsp;withdrawal gives a free hand to Washington's adversaries in the world's deadliest ongoing war, namely Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.

The Syrian army deployments into Kurdish-held territory amount to a victory for Assad and Russia, giving them a foothold in the biggest remaining swathe of Syria that had been beyond their grasp through much of its eight-year-old war.

The United States announced on Sunday it was withdrawing its entire force of 1,000 troops from northern Syria. Its former Kurdish allies immediately forged a new alliance with Assad's government, inviting the army into towns across their territory.

A Reuters cameraman on the Turkish frontier reported heavy bombardment on Tuesday morning of the Syrian border town of Ras al Ain, where an SDF spokesman reported a battle going on.

US&nbsp;military aircraft carried out a "show of force" around the town of Kobani after Turkish-backed fighters came close to American forces, a US&nbsp;official told Reuters. The Turkish-backed fighters dispersed after the show of force, the official said.

US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence will meet Erdogan on Thursday in Ankara.

"Vice President Pence will reiterate President Trump's commitment to maintaining punishing economic sanctions on Turkey until a resolution is reached," the White House said in a statement.

After Trump announced a set of sanctions on Monday to punish Ankara, US&nbsp;prosecutors hit Turkey with charges on the majority state-owned Halkbank for taking part in a multibillion-dollar scheme to evade US&nbsp;sanctions against Iran.

A Turkish embassy official in Washington said the indictment did not contribute positively to the current state of US-Turkey ties. Turkish and American officials had been in talks on the Halkbank case for at least a year.

More US sanctions pressure 

A senior Trump administration official said Washington would threaten more sanctions to persuade Turkey to reach a ceasefire and halt its offensive.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a loyal Trump supporter who has nevertheless been highly critical of the president's troop withdrawal, said he would introduce a bill on Thursday to impose tougher sanctions on Turkey.

The measures announced on Monday - mainly a hike in steel tariffs and a pause in trade talks - were less robust than financial markets had anticipated, and Trump's critics derided them as too feeble to have an impact.

The Turkish lira, which had fallen on the expectation of tougher US&nbsp;measures, recovered after the sanctions were announced, as did its bond and stock markets, with traders noting that Trump had spared Turkish banks.

Bilateral trade between Turkey and the United States is relatively small - around a tenth the size of Turkey's trade with Europe. Washington's most effective form of economic leverage would be to hinder Turkey's access to US&nbsp;financial markets, a step Trump has so far avoided.

In a potentially more damaging blow, German carmaker Volkswagen said it was postponing a final decision on whether to build a 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) plant in Turkey, citing concern over "current developments".

Following Trump's announcement, the US&nbsp;Treasury said on Monday it had sanctioned Turkey's energy, defence and interior ministers.

Accusations of betrayal

Trump has defended his reversal of US&nbsp;policy as part of a plan to extricate the United States from "endless" wars in the Middle East.

But his critics cast it as a betrayal of the Kurds, loyal allies who lost thousands of fighters as the principal ground force in Washington's battle against Islamic State.

A senior US&nbsp;defence official said the US&nbsp;military would continue to combat Islamic State militants, who experts say could take advantage of the chaos to stage a resurgence.

"The intent is to reposition (US&nbsp;forces leaving Syria) and use what assets and personnel we have available to continue the mission," the official said.

However, without a partnership on the ground in Syria like the with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, any such US&nbsp;efforts would almost certainly be limited. The Kurdish YPG militia, the key component of the forces who fought Islamic State, is seen by Ankara as a terrorist group aligned with Kurdish separatist insurgents in Turkey.

Turkey says it aims to defeat the YPG and create a "safe zone" where millions of Syrian war refugees now in Turkey could be resettled.

The United Nations says 160,000 people have fled their homes as Turkish forces advance. The regional Kurdish administration puts the number of displaced at 270,000.

The U.N. Security Council will likely meet on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in Syria, diplomats said, the second such session since Turkey began its offensive.

The U.N. Human Rights office said on Tuesday that Turkey could be held responsible for war crimes by fighters under its direction, potentially including the assassination of Hevrin Khalaf, a leading Kurdish politician killed on the side of a highway on Saturday by gunmen who posted the attack on the internet.

Turkish-backed fighters have denied blame for her murder.

Erdogan said Ankara was giving the world a chance to bring peace to the region.

"The international community missed its opportunity to prevent the Syrian crisis from pulling an entire region into a maelstrom of instability," he wrote in the Wall Street Journal. "The European Union - and the world - should support what Turkey is trying to do."

Turkey vowed to press ahead with its offensive in northern Syria on Tuesday despite US sanctions and growing calls for it to stop, while Syria's Russia-backed army moved on the key city of Manbij that was abandoned by US forces.

Turkey vowed to press ahead with its offensive in northern Syria on Tuesday despite US sanctions and growing calls for it to stop, while Syria's Russia-backed army moved on the key city of Manbij that was abandoned by US forces. "They say 'declare a ceasefire'. We will never declare a ceasefire," Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told reporters after a visit to Baku. "They are pressuring us to stop the operation. They are announcing sanctions. Our goal is clear. We are not worried about any sanctions." Erdogan said an attack from Manbij that killed one Turkish soldier was launched by Syrian government forces. Reuters journalists accompanied Syrian government forces who entered the centre of Manbij, a flashpoint where US troops had previously conducted joint patrols with Turkey. Russian and Syrian flags were flying from a building on the city outskirts and from a convoy of military vehicles. Russia's Interfax news agency, citing Moscow's Defence Ministry, said later that Syrian forces had taken control of an area of more than 1,000 square km (386 miles) around Manbij, including Tabqa military airfield. US President Donald Trump's unexpected decision to withhold protection from Syria's Kurds after a phone call with Erdogan a week ago swiftly upended five years of US policy on Syria. As well as clearing the way for the Turkish incursion, the US withdrawal gives a free hand to Washington's adversaries in the world's deadliest ongoing war, namely Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies. The Syrian army deployments into Kurdish-held territory amount to a victory for Assad and Russia, giving them a foothold in the biggest remaining swathe of Syria that had been beyond their grasp through much of its eight-year-old war. The United States announced on Sunday it was withdrawing its entire force of 1,000 troops from northern Syria. Its former Kurdish allies immediately forged a new alliance with Assad's government, inviting the army into towns across their territory. A Reuters cameraman on the Turkish frontier reported heavy bombardment on Tuesday morning of the Syrian border town of Ras al Ain, where an SDF spokesman reported a battle going on. US military aircraft carried out a "show of force" around the town of Kobani after Turkish-backed fighters came close to American forces, a US official told Reuters. The Turkish-backed fighters dispersed after the show of force, the official said. US Vice President Mike Pence will meet Erdogan on Thursday in Ankara. "Vice President Pence will reiterate President Trump's commitment to maintaining punishing economic sanctions on Turkey until a resolution is reached," the White House said in a statement. After Trump announced a set of sanctions on Monday to punish Ankara, US prosecutors hit Turkey with charges on the majority state-owned Halkbank for taking part in a multibillion-dollar scheme to evade US sanctions against Iran. A Turkish embassy official in Washington said the indictment did not contribute positively to the current state of US-Turkey ties. Turkish and American officials had been in talks on the Halkbank case for at least a year. More US sanctions pressure A senior Trump administration official said Washington would threaten more sanctions to persuade Turkey to reach a ceasefire and halt its offensive. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a loyal Trump supporter who has nevertheless been highly critical of the president's troop withdrawal, said he would introduce a bill on Thursday to impose tougher sanctions on Turkey. The measures announced on Monday - mainly a hike in steel tariffs and a pause in trade talks - were less robust than financial markets had anticipated, and Trump's critics derided them as too feeble to have an impact. The Turkish lira, which had fallen on the expectation of tougher US measures, recovered after the sanctions were announced, as did its bond and stock markets, with traders noting that Trump had spared Turkish banks. Bilateral trade between Turkey and the United States is relatively small - around a tenth the size of Turkey's trade with Europe. Washington's most effective form of economic leverage would be to hinder Turkey's access to US financial markets, a step Trump has so far avoided. In a potentially more damaging blow, German carmaker Volkswagen said it was postponing a final decision on whether to build a 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) plant in Turkey, citing concern over "current developments". Following Trump's announcement, the US Treasury said on Monday it had sanctioned Turkey's energy, defence and interior ministers. Accusations of betrayal Trump has defended his reversal of US policy as part of a plan to extricate the United States from "endless" wars in the Middle East. But his critics cast it as a betrayal of the Kurds, loyal allies who lost thousands of fighters as the principal ground force in Washington's battle against Islamic State. A senior US defence official said the US military would continue to combat Islamic State militants, who experts say could take advantage of the chaos to stage a resurgence. "The intent is to reposition (US forces leaving Syria) and use what assets and personnel we have available to continue the mission," the official said. However, without a partnership on the ground in Syria like the with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, any such US efforts would almost certainly be limited. The Kurdish YPG militia, the key component of the forces who fought Islamic State, is seen by Ankara as a terrorist group aligned with Kurdish separatist insurgents in Turkey. Turkey says it aims to defeat the YPG and create a "safe zone" where millions of Syrian war refugees now in Turkey could be resettled. The United Nations says 160,000 people have fled their homes as Turkish forces advance. The regional Kurdish administration puts the number of displaced at 270,000. The U.N. Security Council will likely meet on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in Syria, diplomats said, the second such session since Turkey began its offensive. The U.N. Human Rights office said on Tuesday that Turkey could be held responsible for war crimes by fighters under its direction, potentially including the assassination of Hevrin Khalaf, a leading Kurdish politician killed on the side of a highway on Saturday by gunmen who posted the attack on the internet. Turkish-backed fighters have denied blame for her murder. Erdogan said Ankara was giving the world a chance to bring peace to the region. "The international community missed its opportunity to prevent the Syrian crisis from pulling an entire region into a maelstrom of instability," he wrote in the Wall Street Journal. "The European Union - and the world - should support what Turkey is trying to do."

Turkey pushes offensive in Syria, despite sanctions and calls to stop

The United States House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill sought by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-protest-leader-left-bloodied-in-street-attack-256296">pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong</a> that aims to defend civil rights in the semi-autonomous territory.

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which will now move to a similar vote in the Senate before it can become law, has drawn rare bipartisan support in a polarized Congress.

Its passage is likely to further aggravate China which has accused "external forces" of fuelling weeks of unrest in the global financial hub.

"Today we're simply urging the Chinese president and the Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, to faithfully honour the government's promises" that Hong Kong's rights and autonomy would be protected, Republican Representative Chris Smith, prime sponsor of the bill, said on the House floor.

Millions have taken to the streets of Hong Kong, initially against a now-dropped bid by its leaders to allow extraditions to the authoritarian Chinese mainland.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/people-of-hong-kong-nominated-for-nobel-peace-prize-2020-256254">The months-long movement</a> has expanded into a broader pro-democracy push in the territory where activists say freedoms are being eroded by Beijing, despite a deal that outlined Hong Kong's 1997 return to China from British colonial rule.

The Hong Kong Rights and Democracy Act would end Hong Kong's special trading status with the United States unless the State Department certifies annually that city authorities are respecting human rights and the rule of law.

It also requires the US president to identify and sanction people who are responsible for the erosion of autonomy and serious abuses of human rights in Hong Kong.

"The House just sent a strong message to the people of Hong Kong: We stand with you in the fight for democracy and justice," said Ben Ray Lujan, a House Democrat.

Republican House member Mario Diaz-Balart said the Act ensures "that the special relationship with Hong Kong endures only as long as Hong Kong retains the autonomy and freedoms that justify that special relationship."

The House also approved, by a similar voice vote, a related bill to prohibit the export of certain non-lethal crowd control items such as tear gas to Hong Kong.

Amnesty International has accused the city's officers of using excessive force, although the police say they have exercised restraint.

A separate House resolution called on the Hong Kong government to begin negotiations to address the demonstrators' demands, which include universal suffrage and an independent probe into police conduct.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-abandons-speech-after-heckles-from-lawmakers-256227">Prominent Hong Kong activists testified before a congressional hearing last month</a> in support of the legislation approved by the House on Tuesday.

The United States House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill sought by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong that aims to defend civil rights in the semi-autonomous territory.

The United States House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill sought by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong that aims to defend civil rights in the semi-autonomous territory. The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which will now move to a similar vote in the Senate before it can become law, has drawn rare bipartisan support in a polarized Congress. Its passage is likely to further aggravate China which has accused "external forces" of fuelling weeks of unrest in the global financial hub. "Today we're simply urging the Chinese president and the Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, to faithfully honour the government's promises" that Hong Kong's rights and autonomy would be protected, Republican Representative Chris Smith, prime sponsor of the bill, said on the House floor. Millions have taken to the streets of Hong Kong, initially against a now-dropped bid by its leaders to allow extraditions to the authoritarian Chinese mainland. The months-long movement has expanded into a broader pro-democracy push in the territory where activists say freedoms are being eroded by Beijing, despite a deal that outlined Hong Kong's 1997 return to China from British colonial rule. The Hong Kong Rights and Democracy Act would end Hong Kong's special trading status with the United States unless the State Department certifies annually that city authorities are respecting human rights and the rule of law. It also requires the US president to identify and sanction people who are responsible for the erosion of autonomy and serious abuses of human rights in Hong Kong. "The House just sent a strong message to the people of Hong Kong: We stand with you in the fight for democracy and justice," said Ben Ray Lujan, a House Democrat. Republican House member Mario Diaz-Balart said the Act ensures "that the special relationship with Hong Kong endures only as long as Hong Kong retains the autonomy and freedoms that justify that special relationship." The House also approved, by a similar voice vote, a related bill to prohibit the export of certain non-lethal crowd control items such as tear gas to Hong Kong. Amnesty International has accused the city's officers of using excessive force, although the police say they have exercised restraint. A separate House resolution called on the Hong Kong government to begin negotiations to address the demonstrators' demands, which include universal suffrage and an independent probe into police conduct. Prominent Hong Kong activists testified before a congressional hearing last month in support of the legislation approved by the House on Tuesday.

United States House passes Hong Kong 'Democracy Act'

United States&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-officials-not-aware-of-escape-of-islamic-state-extremists-mike-pence-leaving-for-turkey-in-24-hours-256166">he and US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence</a> expect to meet with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan when they travel to Turkey this week.

Pompeo, in an interview on Fox Business Network, said the US&nbsp;delegation was planning to leave later on Wednesday and that the goal was to find a resolution to the situation in Syria, not break the US-Turkey relationship.

Vice President Mike Pence will leave within 24 hours to Ankara to press&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-nations-security-council-to-meet-on-turkish-syria-assault-256140">Turkey for a ceasefire in its offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters</a>, a US official said Tuesday.

"We will launching off to Ankara in the next 24 hours," the official said, a day after Pence announced his trip to Turkey without specifying the timing.

Turkey on Tuesday vowed to pursue its Syria offensive and slammed a "dirty deal" between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Kurdish forces after the withdrawal of US forces from northern Syria.&nbsp;

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said he and US Vice President Mike Pence expect to meet with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan when they travel to Turkey this week.

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said he and US Vice President Mike Pence expect to meet with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan when they travel to Turkey this week. Pompeo, in an interview on Fox Business Network, said the US delegation was planning to leave later on Wednesday and that the goal was to find a resolution to the situation in Syria, not break the US-Turkey relationship. Vice President Mike Pence will leave within 24 hours to Ankara to press Turkey for a ceasefire in its offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters, a US official said Tuesday. "We will launching off to Ankara in the next 24 hours," the official said, a day after Pence announced his trip to Turkey without specifying the timing. Turkey on Tuesday vowed to pursue its Syria offensive and slammed a "dirty deal" between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Kurdish forces after the withdrawal of US forces from northern Syria.

United States' Pompeo says plans to meet Turkey's Erdogan 'face-to-face'

The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the September&nbsp;14 attacks on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mike-pompeo-says-abundantly-clear-iran-was-behind-saudi-oil-attacks-250674">Saudi Arabia's oil facilities</a>, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Tehran, two US&nbsp;officials have told Reuters.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the operation took place in late September and took aim at Tehran's ability to spread "propaganda."

One of the officials said the strike affected physical hardware, but did not provide further details.

The attack highlights how President Donald Trump's administration has been trying to counter what it sees as Iranian aggression without spiralling into a broader conflict.

Asked about Reuters reporting on Wednesday, Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi said: "They must have dreamt it," Fars news agency reported.

The US&nbsp;strike appears more limited than other such operations against Iran this year after the downing of an American drone in June and an alleged attack by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on oil tankers in the Gulf in May.

The United States, Saudi Arabia, Britain, France and Germany have publicly blamed the September&nbsp;14 attack on Iran, which denied involvement in the strike. The Iran-aligned Houthi militant group in Yemen claimed responsibility.

Publicly, the Pentagon has responded by sending thousands of additional <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/weapons-used-in-saudi-oil-attacks-came-from-iran-saudi-coalition-250062">troops and equipment to bolster Saudi defences</a>, the latest US&nbsp;deployment to the region this year.

The Pentagon declined to comment about the cyber strike.

"As a matter of policy and for operational security, we do not discuss cyberspace operations, intelligence, or planning," said Pentagon spokeswoman Elissa Smith. 
 
Gulf tensions rise sharply

The impact of the attack, if any, could take months to determine, but cyber strikes are seen as a less-provocative option below the threshold of war.

"You can do damage without killing people or blowing things up; it adds an option to the toolkit that we didn't have before and our willingness to use it is important," said James Lewis, a cyber expert with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Lewis added that it may not be possible to deter Iranian behaviour with even conventional military strikes.

Tensions in the Gulf have escalated sharply since May 2018, when Trump withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Tehran that put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the easing of sanctions.

It was unclear whether there have been other US&nbsp;cyberattacks since the one in late September.

Iran has used such tactics against the United States. This month, a hacking group that appears linked to the Iranian government tried to infiltrate email accounts related to Trump's re-election campaign.

Over 30 days in August and September, the group, which Microsoft dubbed "Phosphorous," made more than 2,700 attempts to identify consumer accounts, then attacked 241 of them.

Tehran is also thought to be a major player in spreading disinformation.

Last year a Reuters investigation found more than 70 websites that push Iranian propaganda to 15 countries, in an operation that cybersecurity experts, social media firms and journalists are only starting to uncover.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/saudi-oil-attacks-put-us-commitments-to-the-test-250551">Tensions with Iran have been high since the September&nbsp;14 attack</a>. Tehran has said an Iranian tanker was hit by rockets in the Red Sea last week and warned that there would be consequences.

On Monday, President Hassan Rouhani reiterated his country's policy toward the Trump administration, ruling out bilateral talks unless Washington returns to the landmark nuclear deal and lifts crippling US&nbsp;economic sanctions.

The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the September 14 attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Tehran, two US officials have told Reuters.

The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the September 14 attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Tehran, two US officials have told Reuters. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the operation took place in late September and took aim at Tehran's ability to spread "propaganda." One of the officials said the strike affected physical hardware, but did not provide further details. The attack highlights how President Donald Trump's administration has been trying to counter what it sees as Iranian aggression without spiralling into a broader conflict. Asked about Reuters reporting on Wednesday, Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi said: "They must have dreamt it," Fars news agency reported. The US strike appears more limited than other such operations against Iran this year after the downing of an American drone in June and an alleged attack by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on oil tankers in the Gulf in May. The United States, Saudi Arabia, Britain, France and Germany have publicly blamed the September 14 attack on Iran, which denied involvement in the strike. The Iran-aligned Houthi militant group in Yemen claimed responsibility. Publicly, the Pentagon has responded by sending thousands of additional troops and equipment to bolster Saudi defences, the latest US deployment to the region this year. The Pentagon declined to comment about the cyber strike. "As a matter of policy and for operational security, we do not discuss cyberspace operations, intelligence, or planning," said Pentagon spokeswoman Elissa Smith. Gulf tensions rise sharply The impact of the attack, if any, could take months to determine, but cyber strikes are seen as a less-provocative option below the threshold of war. "You can do damage without killing people or blowing things up; it adds an option to the toolkit that we didn't have before and our willingness to use it is important," said James Lewis, a cyber expert with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Lewis added that it may not be possible to deter Iranian behaviour with even conventional military strikes. Tensions in the Gulf have escalated sharply since May 2018, when Trump withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Tehran that put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the easing of sanctions. It was unclear whether there have been other US cyberattacks since the one in late September. Iran has used such tactics against the United States. This month, a hacking group that appears linked to the Iranian government tried to infiltrate email accounts related to Trump's re-election campaign. Over 30 days in August and September, the group, which Microsoft dubbed "Phosphorous," made more than 2,700 attempts to identify consumer accounts, then attacked 241 of them. Tehran is also thought to be a major player in spreading disinformation. Last year a Reuters investigation found more than 70 websites that push Iranian propaganda to 15 countries, in an operation that cybersecurity experts, social media firms and journalists are only starting to uncover. Tensions with Iran have been high since the September 14 attack. Tehran has said an Iranian tanker was hit by rockets in the Red Sea last week and warned that there would be consequences. On Monday, President Hassan Rouhani reiterated his country's policy toward the Trump administration, ruling out bilateral talks unless Washington returns to the landmark nuclear deal and lifts crippling US economic sanctions.

United States carried out secret cyber strike on Iran in wake of Saudi oil attack: Officials

The Democratic presidential contenders head back to the campaign trail on Wednesday after a debate that featured repeated attacks on surging progressive United States&nbsp;Senator <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elizabeth-warren-and-bernie-sanders-defend-progressive-policies-in-us-democratic-debate-239616">Elizabeth Warren and exposed the party's divisions</a> on issues like healthcare and taxes.

While Warren has risen in the past month into a virtual tie with former Vice President Joe Biden in opinion polls atop the Democratic race, most other contenders face an urgent challenge in breaking out of the pack while the political world is riveted by the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry of Republican President Donald Trump.

The first nominating contest in the Democratic race to pick a challenger to Trump in the November 2020 election is February&nbsp;3 in Iowa, giving candidates less than four months to make their case to voters on why they are best suited for the job.

Many of the contenders also face a scramble to qualify for the next Democratic debate in Georgia in November, when the polling and fundraising qualifying criteria will be even tougher. So far, just eight candidates have qualified.

In Tuesday's debate, moderates Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and US&nbsp;Senator Amy Klobuchar aggressively went after Warren to explain how she would pay for ambitious proposals including her Medicare for All plan and how much they would cost.

Both candidates are trying to break out of the middle of the crowded Democratic pack. Buttigieg has qualified for the November debate, while Klobuchar has not.

"I think we owe it to the American people to tell them where to send the invoice," Klobuchar told Warren. "The difference between a plan and a pipe dream is something you can actually get done."

Klobuchar pushed back when Warren said critics of her wealth tax were trying to protect billionaires, saying: "No one on this stage wants to protect billionaires," adding: "Your idea is not the only idea."

Crammed debate stage

The sharp exchanges were a sign of the heightened stakes as a dozen candidates crammed the debate stage in the electoral battleground state of Ohio. It was the most crowded debate so far in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elizabeth-warren-builds-largest-united-states-presidential-campaign-staff-210823">Democratic presidential race</a>.

The debate comes at a critical time, as Biden has seen his once solid lead in opinion polls among Democrats diminished by Warren, a leader of the party's progressive movement, who has steadily risen over the past two months.

Warren stayed calm under the attacks, offering her proposals to end income inequality and level the economic playing field for workers.

She did not directly respond to questions about whether she would raise taxes for the healthcare plan, but she said she would not sign any bill that does not lower healthcare costs for middle-class families.

"I have made clear what my principles are here, and that is that costs will go up for the wealthy and for big corporations and, for hard-working middle-class families, costs will go down," she said.

The expansive Medicare for All proposal, based on the government-run healthcare plan for Americans over age 65, has sharply divided Democratic presidential contenders. Some analysts have said it would cost $32 trillion over a decade.

Many other Democratic candidates back a Medicare-based plan as just one option for Americans seeking healthcare coverage.

US&nbsp;Senator Bernie Sanders, who sponsored a bill in the Senate to create a Medicare for All plan, said he thought it was "appropriate to acknowledge that taxes would go up" under the proposal.

The debate marked the return of Sanders, 78, the oldest candidate in the field, who suffered a heart attack two weeks ago and has been recuperating at home in Vermont since having stents inserted to open a blocked artery.

Sanders will return to the campaign trail on Saturday with a rally in New York, where a Sanders campaign source said he would be endorsed by progressive US&nbsp;Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He also was endorsed on Tuesday by US&nbsp;Representative Ilhan Omar, an ally of Ocasio-Cortez.

The two congresswomen have been frequent targets of Trump for their views.

The Democratic presidential contenders head back to the campaign trail on Wednesday after a debate that featured repeated attacks on surging progressive United States Senator Elizabeth Warren and exposed the party's divisions on issues like healthcare and taxes.

The Democratic presidential contenders head back to the campaign trail on Wednesday after a debate that featured repeated attacks on surging progressive United States Senator Elizabeth Warren and exposed the party's divisions on issues like healthcare and taxes. While Warren has risen in the past month into a virtual tie with former Vice President Joe Biden in opinion polls atop the Democratic race, most other contenders face an urgent challenge in breaking out of the pack while the political world is riveted by the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry of Republican President Donald Trump. The first nominating contest in the Democratic race to pick a challenger to Trump in the November 2020 election is February 3 in Iowa, giving candidates less than four months to make their case to voters on why they are best suited for the job. Many of the contenders also face a scramble to qualify for the next Democratic debate in Georgia in November, when the polling and fundraising qualifying criteria will be even tougher. So far, just eight candidates have qualified. In Tuesday's debate, moderates Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and US Senator Amy Klobuchar aggressively went after Warren to explain how she would pay for ambitious proposals including her Medicare for All plan and how much they would cost. Both candidates are trying to break out of the middle of the crowded Democratic pack. Buttigieg has qualified for the November debate, while Klobuchar has not. "I think we owe it to the American people to tell them where to send the invoice," Klobuchar told Warren. "The difference between a plan and a pipe dream is something you can actually get done." Klobuchar pushed back when Warren said critics of her wealth tax were trying to protect billionaires, saying: "No one on this stage wants to protect billionaires," adding: "Your idea is not the only idea." Crammed debate stage The sharp exchanges were a sign of the heightened stakes as a dozen candidates crammed the debate stage in the electoral battleground state of Ohio. It was the most crowded debate so far in the Democratic presidential race. The debate comes at a critical time, as Biden has seen his once solid lead in opinion polls among Democrats diminished by Warren, a leader of the party's progressive movement, who has steadily risen over the past two months. Warren stayed calm under the attacks, offering her proposals to end income inequality and level the economic playing field for workers. She did not directly respond to questions about whether she would raise taxes for the healthcare plan, but she said she would not sign any bill that does not lower healthcare costs for middle-class families. "I have made clear what my principles are here, and that is that costs will go up for the wealthy and for big corporations and, for hard-working middle-class families, costs will go down," she said. The expansive Medicare for All proposal, based on the government-run healthcare plan for Americans over age 65, has sharply divided Democratic presidential contenders. Some analysts have said it would cost $32 trillion over a decade. Many other Democratic candidates back a Medicare-based plan as just one option for Americans seeking healthcare coverage. US Senator Bernie Sanders, who sponsored a bill in the Senate to create a Medicare for All plan, said he thought it was "appropriate to acknowledge that taxes would go up" under the proposal. The debate marked the return of Sanders, 78, the oldest candidate in the field, who suffered a heart attack two weeks ago and has been recuperating at home in Vermont since having stents inserted to open a blocked artery. Sanders will return to the campaign trail on Saturday with a rally in New York, where a Sanders campaign source said he would be endorsed by progressive US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He also was endorsed on Tuesday by US Representative Ilhan Omar, an ally of Ocasio-Cortez. The two congresswomen have been frequent targets of Trump for their views.

United States Democrats back on 2020 campaign trail after debate attacks on Warren

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday firmly ruled out any negotiations with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-invites-turkish-president-erdogan-to-russia-amid-syria-offensive-256223">Kurdish militants in Syria</a> as the United States pushed for a ceasefire.&nbsp;

"There are some leaders who are trying to mediate... There has never been any such thing in the history of the Turkish republic as the state sitting at the same table with a terror organisation," Erdogan said in a speech to parliament.

Meanwhile, Turkish police have detained nearly 200 people over their social media posts against its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-dont-approve-of-turkish-actions-in-syria-russia-256210">military offensive in Syria</a> since the operation began last week, state news agency Anadolu said Wednesday.

Of the 186 people held, 24 have been formally arrested, according to Anadolu.&nbsp;

So far, 78 were released and 40 were freed under judicial control, while legal proceedings were ongoing for the rest, it said.

Among those detained for "terrorist propaganda" against the operation this week were the co-presidents of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Sezai Temelli and Pervin Buldan.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-pushes-offensive-in-syria-despite-sanctions-and-calls-to-stop-256184">Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring against Kurdish militants in Syria a week ago</a>.&nbsp;

It is thought to have widespread support at home but has been widely criticised by the international community, who relied on Kurdish forces to fight the Islamic State group.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday firmly ruled out any negotiations with Kurdish militants in Syria as the United States pushed for a ceasefire.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday firmly ruled out any negotiations with Kurdish militants in Syria as the United States pushed for a ceasefire. "There are some leaders who are trying to mediate... There has never been any such thing in the history of the Turkish republic as the state sitting at the same table with a terror organisation," Erdogan said in a speech to parliament. Meanwhile, Turkish police have detained nearly 200 people over their social media posts against its military offensive in Syria since the operation began last week, state news agency Anadolu said Wednesday. Of the 186 people held, 24 have been formally arrested, according to Anadolu. So far, 78 were released and 40 were freed under judicial control, while legal proceedings were ongoing for the rest, it said. Among those detained for "terrorist propaganda" against the operation this week were the co-presidents of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Sezai Temelli and Pervin Buldan. Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring against Kurdish militants in Syria a week ago. It is thought to have widespread support at home but has been widely criticised by the international community, who relied on Kurdish forces to fight the Islamic State group.

Turkey's Erdogan rules out talks with Syrian Kurdish forces

The senior United States&nbsp;defence official for Asia said on Tuesday the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/firmly-oppose-us-house-of-representatives-insistence-on-passing-hong-kong-democracy-act-china-256179">US wants China</a> to improve its enforcement of sanctions on North Korea and take other steps to press Pyongyang to be more constructive in talks with the United States.

Randall Schriver, the US&nbsp;assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, told a Washington conference there had been some slippage in sanctions enforcement by China, particularly when it came to controlling ship-to-ship transfers of banned goods in its waters.

"We want them to do better," Schriver said.

"At a minimum, sanctions enforcement, but I think there are other ways China could help pressure Pyongyang into being a more constructive participant in the talks, should they resume, and we are just not seeing this right now."

Schriver, who spoke at an event organised by the Jamestown Foundation, was referring to efforts by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-sees-no-difference-with-us-on-trade-deal-256089">United States to revive talks</a> aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

Responding to Schriver's comments, China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday it has always fulfilled its duty pertaining to resolutions on North Korea from the U.N. Security Council.

"China has been persistent in earnestly carrying out its duty in the resolutions related to North Korea. The concerned countries should all also completely carry out (the Security Council's) aforementioned resolutions," said Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, at a daily press briefing.

"The Korean Peninsula's denuclearisation discussion is at a critical moment. We hope that all the concerned sides will continue to uphold the hard-earned ease in tensions and momentum in dialogue, (and) equitably push for progress in a political solution," he said.

Earlier this month, the United States and North Korea held their first working-level talks since a failed summit in February between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but the North Koreans accused the US&nbsp;side of inflexibility and have yet to say if they will attend another round.

China is North Korea's neighbour and main ally. It is a signatory to tough U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang over its past nuclear and missile testing but has urged the United States to adopt an approach more conducive to dialogue and suggested that sanctions relief be considered.

The senior United States defence official for Asia said on Tuesday the US wants China to improve its enforcement of sanctions on North Korea and take other steps to press Pyongyang to be more constructive in talks with the United States.

The senior United States defence official for Asia said on Tuesday the US wants China to improve its enforcement of sanctions on North Korea and take other steps to press Pyongyang to be more constructive in talks with the United States. Randall Schriver, the US assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, told a Washington conference there had been some slippage in sanctions enforcement by China, particularly when it came to controlling ship-to-ship transfers of banned goods in its waters. "We want them to do better," Schriver said. "At a minimum, sanctions enforcement, but I think there are other ways China could help pressure Pyongyang into being a more constructive participant in the talks, should they resume, and we are just not seeing this right now." Schriver, who spoke at an event organised by the Jamestown Foundation, was referring to efforts by the United States to revive talks aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. Responding to Schriver's comments, China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday it has always fulfilled its duty pertaining to resolutions on North Korea from the U.N. Security Council. "China has been persistent in earnestly carrying out its duty in the resolutions related to North Korea. The concerned countries should all also completely carry out (the Security Council's) aforementioned resolutions," said Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, at a daily press briefing. "The Korean Peninsula's denuclearisation discussion is at a critical moment. We hope that all the concerned sides will continue to uphold the hard-earned ease in tensions and momentum in dialogue, (and) equitably push for progress in a political solution," he said. Earlier this month, the United States and North Korea held their first working-level talks since a failed summit in February between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but the North Koreans accused the US side of inflexibility and have yet to say if they will attend another round. China is North Korea's neighbour and main ally. It is a signatory to tough U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang over its past nuclear and missile testing but has urged the United States to adopt an approach more conducive to dialogue and suggested that sanctions relief be considered.

United States wants China to press North Korea to be more constructive in talks: Pentagon official

The US&nbsp;Treasury&nbsp;Secretary&nbsp;Steven&nbsp;Mnuchin&nbsp;said on Monday that an additional round of&nbsp;tariffs&nbsp;on Chinese imports will likely be&nbsp;imposed&nbsp;if a&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;with&nbsp;China&nbsp;has not been reached by then, but added that he expected the agreement to go through.

"I have every expectation - if there's not a&nbsp;deal, those&nbsp;tariffs&nbsp;would go in place - but I expect we'll have a&nbsp;deal," he said in an interview with CNBC when asked about a round of&nbsp;tariffs&nbsp;scheduled for&nbsp;December&nbsp;15.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said on Friday that&nbsp;China&nbsp;and the United States had reached the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-announces-partial-trade-deal-with-china-255358"> first phase</a> of a&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;that covered agriculture, currency and some aspects of intellectual property protections, and would ease the reciprocal&nbsp;trade&nbsp;restrictions that the world's two largest economies have been imposing for&nbsp;15&nbsp;months.

But officials on both sides have said more work is needed to finalize the accord, and Trump acknowledged the agreement could still collapse.&nbsp;US&nbsp;Trade&nbsp;Representative Lighthizer said on Friday that Trump had not made a&nbsp;decision about the&nbsp;December&nbsp;tariffs.

Mnuchin&nbsp;said more&nbsp;trade&nbsp;negotiations at various levels would take place over the coming weeks, including a phone call between himself, Lighthizer and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, and talks between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Asked about a dispute between&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-organisers-cancel-nba-fan-event-amid-free-speech-row-254851">China&nbsp;and the&nbsp;US&nbsp;National Basketball Association </a>stemming from a tweet by Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey expressing support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong,&nbsp;Mnuchin&nbsp;said he hoped the two sides could come to a solution.

The US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday that an additional round of tariffs on Chinese imports will likely be imposed if a trade deal with China has not been reached by then, but added that he expected the agreement to go through.

The US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday that an additional round of tariffs on Chinese imports will likely be imposed if a trade deal with China has not been reached by then, but added that he expected the agreement to go through. "I have every expectation - if there's not a deal, those tariffs would go in place - but I expect we'll have a deal," he said in an interview with CNBC when asked about a round of tariffs scheduled for December 15. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that China and the United States had reached the first phase of a trade deal that covered agriculture, currency and some aspects of intellectual property protections, and would ease the reciprocal trade restrictions that the world's two largest economies have been imposing for 15 months. But officials on both sides have said more work is needed to finalize the accord, and Trump acknowledged the agreement could still collapse. US Trade Representative Lighthizer said on Friday that Trump had not made a decision about the December tariffs. Mnuchin said more trade negotiations at various levels would take place over the coming weeks, including a phone call between himself, Lighthizer and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, and talks between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Asked about a dispute between China and the US National Basketball Association stemming from a tweet by Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey expressing support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, Mnuchin said he hoped the two sides could come to a solution.

Tariffs to be imposed by December 15 in case of no-deal: US Treasury to China

Oil&nbsp;prices lost about&nbsp;2 per cent&nbsp;on Monday on worries that global crude demand could stay under pressure as few details about the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-announces-partial-trade-deal-with-china-255358">first phase of a&nbsp;U.S.-China&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal</a>&nbsp;did little to assure a quick resolution to the tariff fight.

Oil&nbsp;prices also felt pressure as the&nbsp;US&nbsp;dollar, which has an inverse relationship with crude prices, gained as waning&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;hopes and ongoing concerns over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-on-october-31-a-priority-for-british-government-queen-255851">Britain's exit </a>from the European Union attracted safe-haven investments.

Brent crude&nbsp;settled at $59.35 a barrel, shedding $1.16, or 1.92 per cent, while&nbsp;US&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude&nbsp;settled at $53.59 a barrel, losing $1.11, or 2.03 per cent.

"The complex is in (the) process of relinquishing a major portion of the late week&nbsp;trade&nbsp;inspired gains as conflicting indications out of the&nbsp;U.S. and&nbsp;China&nbsp;regarding&nbsp;trade&nbsp;progress is reducing risk appetite," said Jim Ritterbusch of Ritterbusch and Associates.

Late on Friday, Washington and Beijing outlined the first stage of a&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;and suspended this week's scheduled&nbsp;US&nbsp;tariff hikes. Brent and WTI rose&nbsp;more&nbsp;than&nbsp;3 per cent&nbsp;last week, their first weekly increase since the week starting September&nbsp;20, on signs of progress toward a&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;that would boost crude demand.

But optimism that the&nbsp;trade&nbsp;negotiations would prove successful faded, as&nbsp;China&nbsp;indicated further discussions were needed and&nbsp;US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the next round of tariffs on Chinese imports are still set to take effect on December&nbsp;15 if a&nbsp;deal&nbsp;has not been reached by then.

But existing tariffs remain in place and officials on both sides said much&nbsp;more&nbsp;work was needed before an accord could be agreed.

A good portion of the gains last week came after the United States announced on Friday it was deploying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-says-deploying-more-forces-to-saudi-arabia-to-counter-iran-threat-255380">more&nbsp;troops to Saudi Arabia</a>, and after an Iranian&nbsp;oil&nbsp;tanker was attacked in the Red Sea.

Oil&nbsp;prices had drawn some support from worries that further escalation along the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/explainer-turkey-set-to-redraw-map-of-syrian-war-once-more-254794">Syrian and Turkish border</a> could affect output or exports from Iraq. Syrian troops entered a northeastern town on Monday.

The Saudi energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said&nbsp;oil&nbsp;exporters were showing serious commitment to global output cuts&nbsp;in a&nbsp;deal&nbsp;between OPEC and its allies, a grouping known as OPEC+.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said there were no talks underway to change the OPEC+&nbsp;deal.

Kuwait's&nbsp;oil&nbsp;minister said it was too early to discuss&nbsp;a possible buildup in&nbsp;oil&nbsp;inventories in 2020. Khaled al-Fadhel said a price range of $50 to $70 per barrel would be acceptable.

The compliance of OPEC+ producers with the supply-reduction agreement was seen at above 200 per cent&nbsp;in September, sources familiar with the matter said.

Bin Salman also said on Monday that Saudi Arabia's&nbsp;oil&nbsp;production will recover in October and November to levels above those seen before attacks on its energy installations in September, which weighed on&nbsp;oil&nbsp;prices.

Oil prices lost about 2 per cent on Monday on worries that global crude demand could stay under pressure as few details about the first phase of a U.S.-China trade deal did little to assure a quick resolution to the tariff fight.

Oil prices lost about 2 per cent on Monday on worries that global crude demand could stay under pressure as few details about the first phase of a U.S.-China trade deal did little to assure a quick resolution to the tariff fight. Oil prices also felt pressure as the US dollar, which has an inverse relationship with crude prices, gained as waning trade deal hopes and ongoing concerns over Britain's exit from the European Union attracted safe-haven investments. Brent crude settled at $59.35 a barrel, shedding $1.16, or 1.92 per cent, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled at $53.59 a barrel, losing $1.11, or 2.03 per cent. "The complex is in (the) process of relinquishing a major portion of the late week trade inspired gains as conflicting indications out of the U.S. and China regarding trade progress is reducing risk appetite," said Jim Ritterbusch of Ritterbusch and Associates. Late on Friday, Washington and Beijing outlined the first stage of a trade deal and suspended this week's scheduled US tariff hikes. Brent and WTI rose more than 3 per cent last week, their first weekly increase since the week starting September 20, on signs of progress toward a trade deal that would boost crude demand. But optimism that the trade negotiations would prove successful faded, as China indicated further discussions were needed and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the next round of tariffs on Chinese imports are still set to take effect on December 15 if a deal has not been reached by then. But existing tariffs remain in place and officials on both sides said much more work was needed before an accord could be agreed. A good portion of the gains last week came after the United States announced on Friday it was deploying more troops to Saudi Arabia, and after an Iranian oil tanker was attacked in the Red Sea. Oil prices had drawn some support from worries that further escalation along the Syrian and Turkish border could affect output or exports from Iraq. Syrian troops entered a northeastern town on Monday. The Saudi energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said oil exporters were showing serious commitment to global output cuts in a deal between OPEC and its allies, a grouping known as OPEC+. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said there were no talks underway to change the OPEC+ deal. Kuwait's oil minister said it was too early to discuss a possible buildup in oil inventories in 2020. Khaled al-Fadhel said a price range of $50 to $70 per barrel would be acceptable. The compliance of OPEC+ producers with the supply-reduction agreement was seen at above 200 per cent in September, sources familiar with the matter said. Bin Salman also said on Monday that Saudi Arabia's oil production will recover in October and November to levels above those seen before attacks on its energy installations in September, which weighed on oil prices.

Oil falls more than 2% on US-China trade deal doubts, stronger dollar

The United States is not aware of any "major" escape of Islamic State extremists since <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-forces-patrolling-between-syrian-turkish-forces-256159">Turkey launched its assault on Syrian Kurdish fighters</a> holding the prisoners, an official said Tuesday.

"We haven't seen any major successful breakout so far of the detainees," the senior administration official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

His remarks appeared at odds with US Defense Secretary Mark Esper who, criticising Turkey on Monday, said the incursion "resulted in the release of many dangerous ISIS detainees."

Vice President Mike Pence will leave within 24 hours to Ankara to press <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-nations-security-council-to-meet-on-turkish-syria-assault-256140">Turkey for a ceasefire in its offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters</a>, a US official said Tuesday.

"We will launching off to Ankara in the next 24 hours," the official said, a day after Pence announced his trip to Turkey without specifying the timing.

Turkey on Tuesday vowed to pursue its Syria offensive and slammed a "dirty deal" between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Kurdish forces after the withdrawal of US forces from northern Syria.&nbsp;

"We will continue to combat all terrorist groups, including Daesh, whether or not the world agrees to support our efforts," Fahrettin Altun, communications director at the Turkish presidency, told AFP, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.

Turkish presidency slams 'dirty deal' between Syria's Assad and Kurdish forces.

&nbsp;

The United States is not aware of any "major" escape of Islamic State extremists since Turkey launched its assault on Syrian Kurdish fighters holding the prisoners, an official said Tuesday.

The United States is not aware of any "major" escape of Islamic State extremists since Turkey launched its assault on Syrian Kurdish fighters holding the prisoners, an official said Tuesday. "We haven't seen any major successful breakout so far of the detainees," the senior administration official told reporters on condition of anonymity. His remarks appeared at odds with US Defense Secretary Mark Esper who, criticising Turkey on Monday, said the incursion "resulted in the release of many dangerous ISIS detainees." Vice President Mike Pence will leave within 24 hours to Ankara to press Turkey for a ceasefire in its offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters, a US official said Tuesday. "We will launching off to Ankara in the next 24 hours," the official said, a day after Pence announced his trip to Turkey without specifying the timing. Turkey on Tuesday vowed to pursue its Syria offensive and slammed a "dirty deal" between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Kurdish forces after the withdrawal of US forces from northern Syria. "We will continue to combat all terrorist groups, including Daesh, whether or not the world agrees to support our efforts," Fahrettin Altun, communications director at the Turkish presidency, told AFP, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group. Turkish presidency slams 'dirty deal' between Syria's Assad and Kurdish forces.

United States officials not aware of escape of Islamic State extremists, Mike Pence leaving for Turkey in 24 hours

The Democratic-led United States&nbsp;House of Representatives' impeachment enquiry against President Donald Trump on Tuesday questioned George Kent, a US&nbsp;career diplomat who has spent much of his career fighting corruption in Ukraine and elsewhere.

The probe is focused on a July 25 phone call in which Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate unsubstantiated allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden, a top contender for the Democratic nomination to challenge Trump in the 2020 presidential election, and Biden's son, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hunter-biden-admits-error-in-judgment-but-insists-no-wrongdoing-256123">Hunter Biden</a>.

The younger Biden, 49, denied doing anything improper in past work for a Ukrainian energy company, in an interview with ABC News that aired on Tuesday.

But he expressed regret that his association with the Burisma Group gave "some very unethical people" an opening to "to act in illegal ways to try to do some harm to my father. That's where I made the mistake."

Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state responsible for US&nbsp;policy toward six former Soviet republics including Ukraine, arrived on Capitol Hill wearing a red bow tie and ignored shouted questions from reporters.

Kent appeared after receiving a congressional subpoena after the State Department directed him not to testify, an official involved in the impeachment inquiry said.

His appearance comes one day after Trump's former Russia adviser, Fiona Hill, gave three House committees conducting the impeachment inquiry details of a high-level meeting between US&nbsp;and Ukrainian officials that included her then-boss, former national security adviser John Bolton, and Gordon Sondland, the US&nbsp;ambassador to the European Union, according to a person familiar with the testimony.

Hill recounted that Sondland raised the issue of investigations and that she and Bolton became alarmed that he was referring to the investigation into the Bidens, the person said. The pair left the meeting and Bolton advised her to consult with John Eisenberg, the top NSC lawyer.

The New York Times reported that Bolton was similarly troubled by activities toward Ukraine being coordinated by the president's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, along with other administration officials.

"Giuliani's a hand grenade who's going to blow everybody up," Hill quoted Bolton as saying, according to the newspaper.

A Bolton spokeswoman said he would have no comment on the testimony.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-lawyer-giuliani-was-paid-500000-to-work-for-company-run-by-arrested-ukrainian-american-businessman-256142">Democrats have accused Trump of pressuring a vulnerable US</a>&nbsp;ally to dig up dirt on Biden after withholding $391 million in US&nbsp;security aid intended to help combat Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine. Zelenskiy agreed to investigate. Trump eventually allowed aid.

Trump has denied wrongdoing and defended his request to Zelenskiy. The elder Biden also denied wrongdoing.

Gordon Sondland, the US&nbsp;ambassador to the European Union, is due to testify later in the week, in response to a congressional subpoena.

Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, faces a Tuesday deadline to produce documents related to the Ukraine matter subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee. He has not said whether he will comply.

'Disinformation campaign'

On Friday, Marie Yovanovitch, the former <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-claims-a-victory-in-china-trade-war-but-us-farmers-want-details-256006">US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine</a>, defied a State Department order to refuse to cooperate with the House probe, giving scathing testimony in which she accused the Trump administration of recalling her from Kiev-based on false claims.

According to State Department emails contained in a package of material shared with congressional staff last month and later seen by Reuters, Kent told colleagues that Yovanovitch had become the target of a "classic disinformation operation."

Yovanovitch in her Friday appearance denied Giuliani's allegations that she provided a "do not prosecute list" to Ukrainian officials to protect Biden and others.

"One key sign of it being fake is that most of the names are misspelt in English, we would never spell most that way," Kent said in the email to colleagues.

Kent suggested the department push back by "circling in red all the misspellings and grammar mistakes and reposting it," as the US&nbsp;Embassy in Moscow has done to counter propaganda.

Kent, who majored in Russian language and literature at Harvard, has held several jobs requiring him to grapple with corruption in Ukraine, which ranks 120th of 180 nations in a Transparency International corruption perceptions index.

Before taking up his current job, Kent served as the deputy chief of mission at the US&nbsp;Embassy in Kiev from 2015 to 2018 and as the senior anti-corruption coordinator in the State Department's European Bureau from 2014 to 2015.

One former US&nbsp;official said Kent had been among the most vigilant officials within the State Department in reporting on corruption in Ukraine and in seeking to combat it.

The Democratic-led United States House of Representatives' impeachment enquiry against President Donald Trump on Tuesday questioned George Kent, a US career diplomat who has spent much of his career fighting corruption in Ukraine and elsewhere.

The Democratic-led United States House of Representatives' impeachment enquiry against President Donald Trump on Tuesday questioned George Kent, a US career diplomat who has spent much of his career fighting corruption in Ukraine and elsewhere. The probe is focused on a July 25 phone call in which Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate unsubstantiated allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden, a top contender for the Democratic nomination to challenge Trump in the 2020 presidential election, and Biden's son, Hunter Biden. The younger Biden, 49, denied doing anything improper in past work for a Ukrainian energy company, in an interview with ABC News that aired on Tuesday. But he expressed regret that his association with the Burisma Group gave "some very unethical people" an opening to "to act in illegal ways to try to do some harm to my father. That's where I made the mistake." Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state responsible for US policy toward six former Soviet republics including Ukraine, arrived on Capitol Hill wearing a red bow tie and ignored shouted questions from reporters. Kent appeared after receiving a congressional subpoena after the State Department directed him not to testify, an official involved in the impeachment inquiry said. His appearance comes one day after Trump's former Russia adviser, Fiona Hill, gave three House committees conducting the impeachment inquiry details of a high-level meeting between US and Ukrainian officials that included her then-boss, former national security adviser John Bolton, and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, according to a person familiar with the testimony. Hill recounted that Sondland raised the issue of investigations and that she and Bolton became alarmed that he was referring to the investigation into the Bidens, the person said. The pair left the meeting and Bolton advised her to consult with John Eisenberg, the top NSC lawyer. The New York Times reported that Bolton was similarly troubled by activities toward Ukraine being coordinated by the president's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, along with other administration officials. "Giuliani's a hand grenade who's going to blow everybody up," Hill quoted Bolton as saying, according to the newspaper. A Bolton spokeswoman said he would have no comment on the testimony. Democrats have accused Trump of pressuring a vulnerable US ally to dig up dirt on Biden after withholding $391 million in US security aid intended to help combat Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine. Zelenskiy agreed to investigate. Trump eventually allowed aid. Trump has denied wrongdoing and defended his request to Zelenskiy. The elder Biden also denied wrongdoing. Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, is due to testify later in the week, in response to a congressional subpoena. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, faces a Tuesday deadline to produce documents related to the Ukraine matter subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee. He has not said whether he will comply. 'Disinformation campaign' On Friday, Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, defied a State Department order to refuse to cooperate with the House probe, giving scathing testimony in which she accused the Trump administration of recalling her from Kiev-based on false claims. According to State Department emails contained in a package of material shared with congressional staff last month and later seen by Reuters, Kent told colleagues that Yovanovitch had become the target of a "classic disinformation operation." Yovanovitch in her Friday appearance denied Giuliani's allegations that she provided a "do not prosecute list" to Ukrainian officials to protect Biden and others. "One key sign of it being fake is that most of the names are misspelt in English, we would never spell most that way," Kent said in the email to colleagues. Kent suggested the department push back by "circling in red all the misspellings and grammar mistakes and reposting it," as the US Embassy in Moscow has done to counter propaganda. Kent, who majored in Russian language and literature at Harvard, has held several jobs requiring him to grapple with corruption in Ukraine, which ranks 120th of 180 nations in a Transparency International corruption perceptions index. Before taking up his current job, Kent served as the deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Kiev from 2015 to 2018 and as the senior anti-corruption coordinator in the State Department's European Bureau from 2014 to 2015. One former US official said Kent had been among the most vigilant officials within the State Department in reporting on corruption in Ukraine and in seeking to combat it.

United States diplomat testifies at House impeachment enquiry on Trump's Ukraine dealings

One of the major issues that define US President Donald Trump's time in the White House is - the looming shadow of Russia.

Did Russia install a yes-man at the White House? Is Trump deciding in favour of Kremlin?

This particular doubt seems more and more legitimate when one looks at US foreign policy in West Asia, especially Syria.

Because Russia has gained from strength to strength in the region since the Syrian crisis.&nbsp;

on WION edit, we will explore the changing political dynamics in West Asia.

Eight years ago, the US entered Syria without an invitation.

The stated mission was to fight the ISIS. First, the US supplied arms to the rebels of free Syria army. In 2014, the Pentagon even trained the rebels to fight ISIS.

But the real motive of the US was to gain influence in oil-rich Syria. That aspect came out in the open with the covert program 'Timber Sycamore'.

So what did this covert project aim to do?

Again, this is a weapons supply and training initiative. But the motto was to fight the Russian forces that backed the Bashar-al-Assad government 
. 
After Trump became president, this project was cancelled.

Now, Trump's sudden and dangerous decision to withdraw the US troops from Syria has pushed the country to the brink of a serious crisis.

Besides, the decision makes Russia the biggest power centre in the country. As we speak - Turkey is invading Syria and US president has threatened some 'friendly' sanctions on Ankara.

Yes, we are not living in the era of the cold war. But if this battle for influence in West Asia is viewed from a historical perspective, then right now, it looks like a game&nbsp;set and match for Moscow.

And it's not only Syria, Russia's influence in Iraq has also risen by leaps and bounds in the last few years.&nbsp;

Earlier this year, Iraq sought to improve co-operation with Moscow in 'all fields'.

Yes, the US still retains considerable hold over Iraq, but Russia is ahead in the battle for influence thanks to the backdoor entry in this power game through Iran.

And interestingly, the long arm of Russia extends to both Iran and Saudi Arabia - the arch-rivals.

The simple fact of the matter is - if there is a country that is inevitable for West Asia, that country is Russia.

And Putin uses this power in his well-crafted hegemony of the OPEC- the oil cartel.

Russia, without being a member of OPEC, controls the production levels and, as a consequence, prices. The last couple of OPEC meetings are a testimony to Russia's absolute dominance. The OPEC wasn't able to decide on production levels until Russia participated.

Besides controlling oil markets, Russia wants to dominate West Asia's defence market too.

In essence, Russia's president is the de-facto power centre in West Asia. And Vladimir Putin only has his American counterparts - Bush, Obama and now Trump to thank. 
 
 
(Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

One of the major issues that define US President Donald Trump's time in the White House is - the looming shadow of Russia. Did Russia install a yes-man at the White House?

One of the major issues that define US President Donald Trump's time in the White House is - the looming shadow of Russia. Did Russia install a yes-man at the White House? Is Trump deciding in favour of Kremlin? This particular doubt seems more and more legitimate when one looks at US foreign policy in West Asia, especially Syria. Because Russia has gained from strength to strength in the region since the Syrian crisis. on WION edit, we will explore the changing political dynamics in West Asia. Eight years ago, the US entered Syria without an invitation. The stated mission was to fight the ISIS. First, the US supplied arms to the rebels of free Syria army. In 2014, the Pentagon even trained the rebels to fight ISIS. But the real motive of the US was to gain influence in oil-rich Syria. That aspect came out in the open with the covert program 'Timber Sycamore'. So what did this covert project aim to do? Again, this is a weapons supply and training initiative. But the motto was to fight the Russian forces that backed the Bashar-al-Assad government . After Trump became president, this project was cancelled. Now, Trump's sudden and dangerous decision to withdraw the US troops from Syria has pushed the country to the brink of a serious crisis. Besides, the decision makes Russia the biggest power centre in the country. As we speak - Turkey is invading Syria and US president has threatened some 'friendly' sanctions on Ankara. Yes, we are not living in the era of the cold war. But if this battle for influence in West Asia is viewed from a historical perspective, then right now, it looks like a game set and match for Moscow. And it's not only Syria, Russia's influence in Iraq has also risen by leaps and bounds in the last few years. Earlier this year, Iraq sought to improve co-operation with Moscow in 'all fields'. Yes, the US still retains considerable hold over Iraq, but Russia is ahead in the battle for influence thanks to the backdoor entry in this power game through Iran. And interestingly, the long arm of Russia extends to both Iran and Saudi Arabia - the arch-rivals. The simple fact of the matter is - if there is a country that is inevitable for West Asia, that country is Russia. And Putin uses this power in his well-crafted hegemony of the OPEC- the oil cartel. Russia, without being a member of OPEC, controls the production levels and, as a consequence, prices. The last couple of OPEC meetings are a testimony to Russia's absolute dominance. The OPEC wasn't able to decide on production levels until Russia participated. Besides controlling oil markets, Russia wants to dominate West Asia's defence market too. In essence, Russia's president is the de-facto power centre in West Asia. And Vladimir Putin only has his American counterparts - Bush, Obama and now Trump to thank. (Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

WION Edit: Changing political dynamics in West Asia

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-claims-a-victory-in-china-trade-war-but-us-farmers-want-details-256006&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiEq6-qlZ7lAhW57XMBHSGDCXsQFjAAegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Ginnq1mb3aG1GMOt1rMua">China said Tuesday there was "no difference" with the United States</a> on reaching a trade agreement, amid scepticism over what United States&nbsp;President Donald Trump has called a "substantial phase one" deal.

On Friday, Trump said after talks in Washington with Vice Premier Liu He that the two sides had reached an initial agreement, but while Beijing said progress was made it never stated that a deal was struck at the meeting.

Asked at a regular press conference on Tuesday if Washington and Beijing had the same approach on a deal, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said: "What the US has said is the actual situation -- it is consistent with our understanding of the situation."

Geng added: "Both sides are in consensus about the issue of reaching an economic and trade agreement, there is no difference."

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday that US and Chinese officials will continue to hold talks by phone this week to finalise the deal.

Trump said the agreement included a pledge by China to rapidly ramp up purchases of American farm products to $40-50 billion -- more than double the prior level of less than $20 billion in 2017.

Geng said China "will also accelerate its purchases of US agricultural products".

Chinese businesses have bought this year 20 million tonnes of soybeans, 700,000 tonnes of pork, 700,000 tonnes of sorghum, 230,000 tonnes of wheat, and 320,000 tonnes of cotton, he added.

But few specifics are available on the deal announced by Trump, which would not roll back the tariffs already imposed on hundreds of billions of dollars in trade between the world's two dominant economic powers.

For his part, Liu said that "substantial progress" had been made in areas including agriculture, intellectual property rights protection and the transfer of technology, the official Xinhua news agency reported after the talks.

The Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily warned in an editorial Saturday the trade war would only be resolved by "abolishing all tariffs".

China's cautious response to Trump's announcement has prompted&nbsp;scepticism over the progress of the deal.

In turn, official media has hit back at reports doubting China's enthusiasm about the deal, with the state-run Global Times saying in an editorial that "the US and some Western media are looking for 'temperature differences' between Chinese and US announcements".

China said Tuesday there was "no difference" with the United States on reaching a trade agreement, amid scepticism over what United States President Donald Trump has called a "substantial phase one" deal.

China said Tuesday there was "no difference" with the United States on reaching a trade agreement, amid scepticism over what United States President Donald Trump has called a "substantial phase one" deal. On Friday, Trump said after talks in Washington with Vice Premier Liu He that the two sides had reached an initial agreement, but while Beijing said progress was made it never stated that a deal was struck at the meeting. Asked at a regular press conference on Tuesday if Washington and Beijing had the same approach on a deal, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said: "What the US has said is the actual situation -- it is consistent with our understanding of the situation." Geng added: "Both sides are in consensus about the issue of reaching an economic and trade agreement, there is no difference." US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday that US and Chinese officials will continue to hold talks by phone this week to finalise the deal. Trump said the agreement included a pledge by China to rapidly ramp up purchases of American farm products to $40-50 billion -- more than double the prior level of less than $20 billion in 2017. Geng said China "will also accelerate its purchases of US agricultural products". Chinese businesses have bought this year 20 million tonnes of soybeans, 700,000 tonnes of pork, 700,000 tonnes of sorghum, 230,000 tonnes of wheat, and 320,000 tonnes of cotton, he added. But few specifics are available on the deal announced by Trump, which would not roll back the tariffs already imposed on hundreds of billions of dollars in trade between the world's two dominant economic powers. For his part, Liu said that "substantial progress" had been made in areas including agriculture, intellectual property rights protection and the transfer of technology, the official Xinhua news agency reported after the talks. The Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily warned in an editorial Saturday the trade war would only be resolved by "abolishing all tariffs". China's cautious response to Trump's announcement has prompted scepticism over the progress of the deal. In turn, official media has hit back at reports doubting China's enthusiasm about the deal, with the state-run Global Times saying in an editorial that "the US and some Western media are looking for 'temperature differences' between Chinese and US announcements".

China sees 'no difference' with US on trade deal

California: Wildfire's hotspot

Hyundai Motor Group said on Tuesday that it plans to invest $34.65 billion&nbsp;in mobility technology and strategic investments by 2025, as South Korea's top automaker accelerates its attempts to catch up in the self-driving car race.

The plan, which Hyundai said encompassed autonomously, connected and electric vehicles, comes after the company and two of its affiliates announced an investment of $1.6 billion in a joint venture with US&nbsp;self-driving tech firm Aptiv.

Hyundai's plan also received a boost from the South Korean government, which said on Tuesday that it plans to spend 1.7 trillion won from 2021-27 to boost autonomous vehicle technology.

The government expects Hyundai to launch a nationwide service of fully autonomous cars to fleet customers in 2024 and the general public by 2027.

This push is part of a blueprint for future cars President Moon Jae-in announced at an event at Hyundai Motor's research centre near Seoul.

The government said it was conducting a feasibility study for its proposed funding boost, which would include parts, systems and infrastructure. It said Korea lags behind in self-driving car software and key parts like sensors and chips, despite the country's advanced, fifth-generation mobile data network.

South Korea also said it would prepare a regulatory and legal framework to ensure the safety of autonomous cars by 2024.

"We will actively transition from combustion-engine cars to future cars," Industry Minister Sung Yoon-mo said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

The government also aims to lay the technological and legal groundwork for the demonstration of flying cars in 2025. Hyundai Motor's executive vice-chairman Euisun Chung has said the company is looking at developing flying cars, which could be commercialized ahead of the most advanced self-driving cars.

Hyundai Motor Group said on Tuesday that it plans to invest $34.65 billion in mobility technology and strategic investments by 2025, as South Korea's top automaker accelerates its attempts to catch up in the self-driving car race.

Hyundai Motor Group said on Tuesday that it plans to invest $34.65 billion in mobility technology and strategic investments by 2025, as South Korea's top automaker accelerates its attempts to catch up in the self-driving car race. The plan, which Hyundai said encompassed autonomously, connected and electric vehicles, comes after the company and two of its affiliates announced an investment of $1.6 billion in a joint venture with US self-driving tech firm Aptiv. Hyundai's plan also received a boost from the South Korean government, which said on Tuesday that it plans to spend 1.7 trillion won from 2021-27 to boost autonomous vehicle technology. The government expects Hyundai to launch a nationwide service of fully autonomous cars to fleet customers in 2024 and the general public by 2027. This push is part of a blueprint for future cars President Moon Jae-in announced at an event at Hyundai Motor's research centre near Seoul. The government said it was conducting a feasibility study for its proposed funding boost, which would include parts, systems and infrastructure. It said Korea lags behind in self-driving car software and key parts like sensors and chips, despite the country's advanced, fifth-generation mobile data network. South Korea also said it would prepare a regulatory and legal framework to ensure the safety of autonomous cars by 2024. "We will actively transition from combustion-engine cars to future cars," Industry Minister Sung Yoon-mo said at a media briefing on Tuesday. The government also aims to lay the technological and legal groundwork for the demonstration of flying cars in 2025. Hyundai Motor's executive vice-chairman Euisun Chung has said the company is looking at developing flying cars, which could be commercialized ahead of the most advanced self-driving cars.

Hyundai Motor Group to invest $35 billion in future automotive tech

Saying China has promised to buy up to $50 billion in US agricultural products, President Donald Trump is encouraging American farmers to prepare for a major influx of business.

But after months of losses and uncertainty amid the trade war Trump launched, many in the farm sector say they need more detail before they pop the champagne corks.

Shortly after announcing that a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-announces-partial-trade-deal-with-china-255358">trade deal had been reached </a>in principle between the world's two leading economies, the president even jokingly suggested on Twitter that farmers "start thinking about getting bigger tractors!"

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
CHINA HAS ALREADY BEGUN AGRICULTURAL PURCHASES FROM OUR GREAT PATRIOT FARMERS &amp; RANCHERS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1183500215241859073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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But on Monday, the country's biggest agricultural federation, the Farm Bureau, told AFP it was awaiting more concrete information on the tentative deal with China, which negotiators are continuing to finalize.

And Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), said that "while we are glad to see a detente in this seemingly endless trade war, the tangible benefits to American family farmers and ranchers are unclear."

"Over what timeframe will the $50 billion of agricultural purchases -- an amount that is double our peak annual farm exports to China -- take place?" he asked in a statement on Friday.

At their peak in 2012 and 2013, when a drought in the US had sent the prices of agricultural commodities to record levels, exports to China reached no higher than $26 billion.

China's imports of US farm goods fell in 2017 to $19.5 billion, before dropping sharply last year to just over $9 billion after Beijing imposed burdensome taxes on US imports in retaliation for similar US measures.

"From the very beginning of the trade war, farmers have been promised that their patience would be rewarded," Brian Kuehl, co-executive director of Farmers for Free Trade, said in a statement. "To date, the deal they've been promised has not come."

The Trump administration has released $28 billion in financial aid to American farmers to soften the blow from the Chinese tariffs, but there is no mention in the trade deal of China lifting its existing tariffs.

"Farmers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas and elsewhere will still wake up facing double-digit tariffs into one of America's largest export markets," Kuehl said.

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, where brokers bet on trends in the prices of farm products, the market was far from euphoric.

Soybean prices were up just 0.5 per cent on Monday, even though American producers of oilseed products would be among the first to benefit from a surge in Chinese orders.

China's soybean imports from the US totalled $12 billion in 2017; the Asian giant purchased 57 per cent of all US soybean exports that year.

That total fell to $3 billion in 2018, due to new US tariffs and an epidemic of African swine fever that decimated Chinese herds -- many of them fed by American soybeans.

"The market's muted reaction shows the skepticism about the deal, the idea that, even if it happens, it just shuffles the trade flows" between different countries, said Bill Nelson, a chief economist for agricultural consultancy Doane Advisory Services.

Since the tariffs, China has upped its reliance on Brazil and Argentina for soybean supplies, while Mexico and some European Union members have purchased more of the US's crop.

Nelson said it is not possible to suddenly "materialize another $20 billion of buying interests out of nothing."

To compensate for losses from the African swine fever epidemic, China has greatly boosted its pork orders in recent weeks, while ordering around 3.7 million tons of soybeans during the month of September. &nbsp;

Nelson cautioned that while "that sounds pretty impressive... sales are still lower than what they used to be three or four years ago."

Saying China has promised to buy up to $50 billion in US agricultural products, President Donald Trump is encouraging American farmers to prepare for a major influx of business.

Saying China has promised to buy up to $50 billion in US agricultural products, President Donald Trump is encouraging American farmers to prepare for a major influx of business. But after months of losses and uncertainty amid the trade war Trump launched, many in the farm sector say they need more detail before they pop the champagne corks. Shortly after announcing that a trade deal had been reached in principle between the world's two leading economies, the president even jokingly suggested on Twitter that farmers "start thinking about getting bigger tractors!" CHINA HAS ALREADY BEGUN AGRICULTURAL PURCHASES FROM OUR GREAT PATRIOT FARMERS & RANCHERS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 13, 2019 × But on Monday, the country's biggest agricultural federation, the Farm Bureau, told AFP it was awaiting more concrete information on the tentative deal with China, which negotiators are continuing to finalize. And Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), said that "while we are glad to see a detente in this seemingly endless trade war, the tangible benefits to American family farmers and ranchers are unclear." "Over what timeframe will the $50 billion of agricultural purchases -- an amount that is double our peak annual farm exports to China -- take place?" he asked in a statement on Friday. At their peak in 2012 and 2013, when a drought in the US had sent the prices of agricultural commodities to record levels, exports to China reached no higher than $26 billion. China's imports of US farm goods fell in 2017 to $19.5 billion, before dropping sharply last year to just over $9 billion after Beijing imposed burdensome taxes on US imports in retaliation for similar US measures. "From the very beginning of the trade war, farmers have been promised that their patience would be rewarded," Brian Kuehl, co-executive director of Farmers for Free Trade, said in a statement. "To date, the deal they've been promised has not come." The Trump administration has released $28 billion in financial aid to American farmers to soften the blow from the Chinese tariffs, but there is no mention in the trade deal of China lifting its existing tariffs. "Farmers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas and elsewhere will still wake up facing double-digit tariffs into one of America's largest export markets," Kuehl said. At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, where brokers bet on trends in the prices of farm products, the market was far from euphoric. Soybean prices were up just 0.5 per cent on Monday, even though American producers of oilseed products would be among the first to benefit from a surge in Chinese orders. China's soybean imports from the US totalled $12 billion in 2017; the Asian giant purchased 57 per cent of all US soybean exports that year. That total fell to $3 billion in 2018, due to new US tariffs and an epidemic of African swine fever that decimated Chinese herds -- many of them fed by American soybeans. "The market's muted reaction shows the skepticism about the deal, the idea that, even if it happens, it just shuffles the trade flows" between different countries, said Bill Nelson, a chief economist for agricultural consultancy Doane Advisory Services. Since the tariffs, China has upped its reliance on Brazil and Argentina for soybean supplies, while Mexico and some European Union members have purchased more of the US's crop. Nelson said it is not possible to suddenly "materialize another $20 billion of buying interests out of nothing." To compensate for losses from the African swine fever epidemic, China has greatly boosted its pork orders in recent weeks, while ordering around 3.7 million tons of soybeans during the month of September. Nelson cautioned that while "that sounds pretty impressive... sales are still lower than what they used to be three or four years ago."

Trump claims victory in trade war with China, but US farmers want details

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