A deadly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tens-of-thousands-evacuated-as-california-wildfires-rage-255379">wind-driven wildfire</a> that raged across the northern edge of Los Angeles last week started near the base of high-voltage transmission tower owned by electric utility Southern California Edison, company and fire officials said on Monday.

The company, a unit of Edison International, said through a spokeswoman that it had notified the California Public Utility Commission on October&nbsp;11, the day after the fire started, that "our system was impacted near the reported time of the fire."

The "electric safety incident" report, a copy of which the utility provided to Reuters, identified the facility involved as a company-owned transmission tower near a traffic intersection in the foothills where the Saddleridge fire is thought to have erupted.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Captain Erik Scott said Monday that the cause of the fire was uncertain. But he said investigators had traced the fire's origin to a slope beneath the high-voltage tower near Saddle Ridge Road.

The Southern California Edison report does not state whether the tower is suspected of sparking the blaze, or whether the tower or the power lines were damaged by high winds that quickly spread the flames over thousands of acres. But the Edison spokeswoman, Susan Cox, confirmed that the tower in question belonged to the utility.

Edison had <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unacceptable-power-cuts-blasted-as-california-fire-risk-spreads-south-255202">turned off power</a> to some customers across the region as a precaution last week after extreme winds and dry weather raised the risk of wildfire. But a utility spokeswoman was quoted as telling the Los Angeles Times on Sunday that Edison "did not de-energize any power for the Saddleridge fire area."

In Northern California, utility Pacific Gas and Electric Co (PG&amp;E) faced increasing criticism from the governor and state regulators on Monday for its own wide-scale precautionary power shutdown, which preceded Edison's by about a day but was seen as being poorly managed and communicated.

The Public Utility Commission on Monday ordered PG&amp;E to undertake immediate "corrective actions," and Newsom called for the company to provide credits or rebates to affected customers.

PG&amp;E Corp CEO Bill Johnson defended his company's actions, conceding "areas where we fell short" during the power cutoff but insisting PG&amp;E made "the right decision." He also noted that there were "no catastrophic wildfires" in the utility's service area last week.

The Saddleridge fire was the latest in a string of severe California wildfires for which electrical utility equipment has been scrutinized as a possible flashpoint.

The blaze scorched nearly 8,000 acres, threatening more than 17,000 homes and triggered the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/firefighters-battle-southern-california-wildfires-100000-evacuated-255548">evacuation of 100,000 </a>people before a change in the weather helped firefighters subdue the conflagration over the weekend.

At last count, 75 homes or other structures were damaged or destroyed, and a man suffered a fatal heart attack while trying to defend his property from the flames.

Edison's power lines were determined to have been the ignition source for a much larger fire in December 2017 that killed two people and destroyed more than 1,000 structures in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, northwest of Los Angeles.

PG&amp;E equipment was found to have sparked a flurry of wildfires that swept through wine country north of San Francisco Bay in 2017, as well as last year's devastating Camp Fire, which killed 85 people in and around the Northern California town of Paradise.

PG&amp;E, the state's largest investor-owned utility, filed for bankruptcy in January, citing more than $30 billion in potential liabilities from the fires.

A deadly wind-driven wildfire that raged across the northern edge of Los Angeles last week started near the base of high-voltage transmission tower owned by electric utility Southern California Edison, company and fire officials said on Monday.

A deadly wind-driven wildfire that raged across the northern edge of Los Angeles last week started near the base of high-voltage transmission tower owned by electric utility Southern California Edison, company and fire officials said on Monday. The company, a unit of Edison International, said through a spokeswoman that it had notified the California Public Utility Commission on October 11, the day after the fire started, that "our system was impacted near the reported time of the fire." The "electric safety incident" report, a copy of which the utility provided to Reuters, identified the facility involved as a company-owned transmission tower near a traffic intersection in the foothills where the Saddleridge fire is thought to have erupted. Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Captain Erik Scott said Monday that the cause of the fire was uncertain. But he said investigators had traced the fire's origin to a slope beneath the high-voltage tower near Saddle Ridge Road. The Southern California Edison report does not state whether the tower is suspected of sparking the blaze, or whether the tower or the power lines were damaged by high winds that quickly spread the flames over thousands of acres. But the Edison spokeswoman, Susan Cox, confirmed that the tower in question belonged to the utility. Edison had turned off power to some customers across the region as a precaution last week after extreme winds and dry weather raised the risk of wildfire. But a utility spokeswoman was quoted as telling the Los Angeles Times on Sunday that Edison "did not de-energize any power for the Saddleridge fire area." In Northern California, utility Pacific Gas and Electric Co (PG&E) faced increasing criticism from the governor and state regulators on Monday for its own wide-scale precautionary power shutdown, which preceded Edison's by about a day but was seen as being poorly managed and communicated. The Public Utility Commission on Monday ordered PG&E to undertake immediate "corrective actions," and Newsom called for the company to provide credits or rebates to affected customers. PG&E Corp CEO Bill Johnson defended his company's actions, conceding "areas where we fell short" during the power cutoff but insisting PG&E made "the right decision." He also noted that there were "no catastrophic wildfires" in the utility's service area last week. The Saddleridge fire was the latest in a string of severe California wildfires for which electrical utility equipment has been scrutinized as a possible flashpoint. The blaze scorched nearly 8,000 acres, threatening more than 17,000 homes and triggered the evacuation of 100,000 people before a change in the weather helped firefighters subdue the conflagration over the weekend. At last count, 75 homes or other structures were damaged or destroyed, and a man suffered a fatal heart attack while trying to defend his property from the flames. Edison's power lines were determined to have been the ignition source for a much larger fire in December 2017 that killed two people and destroyed more than 1,000 structures in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, northwest of Los Angeles. PG&E equipment was found to have sparked a flurry of wildfires that swept through wine country north of San Francisco Bay in 2017, as well as last year's devastating Camp Fire, which killed 85 people in and around the Northern California town of Paradise. PG&E, the state's largest investor-owned utility, filed for bankruptcy in January, citing more than $30 billion in potential liabilities from the fires.

Deadly Los Angeles wildfire began near base of electrical tower: Officials

Asian share markets firmed on Monday as signs of progress in the Sino-US&nbsp;trade standoff whetted risk appetite, though investors were wary of the damage already done to the global economy.

Indeed, data out from China underlined the pain felt with dollar-denominated exports and imports both falling by more than expected in September.

Liquidity was also lacking with Japan off and a partial market holiday in the United States for Columbus Day. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1.1 per cent&nbsp;in light trade.

Australia's main index gained 0.7 per cent and South Korea 1.3 per cent. Shanghai blue chips&nbsp;added 1.6 per cent.

While Tokyo was on holiday, Nikkei futures were trading at 22,075 compared with a Friday close of 21,798 in the Nikkei cash index. E-Mini futures for the S&amp;P 500 nudged up 0.2 per cent&nbsp;after jumping on Friday.

Sentiment had been boosted when US&nbsp;President Donald Trump outlined the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-announces-partial-trade-deal-with-china-255358">first phase of a deal </a>to end a trade war with China and suspended a threatened tariff hike, though officials on both sides said much more work needed to be done.

The emerging deal, covering agriculture, currency and some aspects of intellectual property protections, would represent the biggest step by the two countries in 15 months.

Analysts, however, advised caution.

"We have seen a truce established, and then broken, before," said Tai Hui, chief market strategist for Asia at JPMorgan Asset Management.

"The threat to global growth is weak corporate capex, and potentially spilling over into the consumer sector," Hui added. "CEOs are not going to restart investing again merely because of the latest round of agreement between the two sides."

The drag from the trade war was a major reason Singapore's central bank eased monetary policy on Monday for the first time in three years as data showed the city-state's economy had only narrowly dodged recession.

The progress on trade was still enough to slug safe-haven bonds with yields on US&nbsp;10-year Treasury notes climbing 23 basis points last week to stand at 1.74 per cent.

The yield curve also steepened as short-term rates were held down by news the Fed would start buying about $60 billion per month in Treasury bills to ensure "ample reserves" in the banking system.

The rally in risk assets had seen the yen ease across the board, leaving the dollar holding at 108.32 on Monday after hitting a 10-week top around 108.61 on Friday.

The dollar fared less well elsewhere, partly due to a jump in sterling, and was last at 98.435 against a basket of currencies&nbsp;after losing 0.5 per cent last week.

The dollar also slipped on the Chinese yuan to stand at 7.0646.

The pound was trading cautiously at $1.2598 having surged to a 15-week high around $1.2705 on Friday on optimism Britain could reach a deal on Brexit with the European Union.

However, officials from Downing Street and the EU said on Sunday a lot more work would be needed to secure an agreement on Britain's departure from the bloc.

The two sides will hold more talks on Monday ahead of a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

The general improvement in risk sentiment saw spot gold ease another 0.2 per cent&nbsp;to $1,486.85 per ounce.

Oil prices pared gains made on Friday when reports surfaced that an Iranian state-owned oil tanker had been attacked in the Red Sea.&nbsp;

Investors were also anxiously watching<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/day-5-of-turkeys-military-operation-in-syria-255702"> Turkey's incursion into Syria</a> as the White House threatened to impose heavy sanctions on Ankara.

Brent crude&nbsp;futures eased 31 cents at $60.20, while US&nbsp;crude&nbsp;lost 30 cents to $54.40 a barrel.

Asian share markets firmed on Monday as signs of progress in the Sino-US trade standoff whetted risk appetite, though investors were wary of the damage already done to the global economy.

Asian share markets firmed on Monday as signs of progress in the Sino-US trade standoff whetted risk appetite, though investors were wary of the damage already done to the global economy. Indeed, data out from China underlined the pain felt with dollar-denominated exports and imports both falling by more than expected in September. Liquidity was also lacking with Japan off and a partial market holiday in the United States for Columbus Day. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1.1 per cent in light trade. Australia's main index gained 0.7 per cent and South Korea 1.3 per cent. Shanghai blue chips added 1.6 per cent. While Tokyo was on holiday, Nikkei futures were trading at 22,075 compared with a Friday close of 21,798 in the Nikkei cash index. E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 nudged up 0.2 per cent after jumping on Friday. Sentiment had been boosted when US President Donald Trump outlined the first phase of a deal to end a trade war with China and suspended a threatened tariff hike, though officials on both sides said much more work needed to be done. The emerging deal, covering agriculture, currency and some aspects of intellectual property protections, would represent the biggest step by the two countries in 15 months. Analysts, however, advised caution. "We have seen a truce established, and then broken, before," said Tai Hui, chief market strategist for Asia at JPMorgan Asset Management. "The threat to global growth is weak corporate capex, and potentially spilling over into the consumer sector," Hui added. "CEOs are not going to restart investing again merely because of the latest round of agreement between the two sides." The drag from the trade war was a major reason Singapore's central bank eased monetary policy on Monday for the first time in three years as data showed the city-state's economy had only narrowly dodged recession. The progress on trade was still enough to slug safe-haven bonds with yields on US 10-year Treasury notes climbing 23 basis points last week to stand at 1.74 per cent. The yield curve also steepened as short-term rates were held down by news the Fed would start buying about $60 billion per month in Treasury bills to ensure "ample reserves" in the banking system. The rally in risk assets had seen the yen ease across the board, leaving the dollar holding at 108.32 on Monday after hitting a 10-week top around 108.61 on Friday. The dollar fared less well elsewhere, partly due to a jump in sterling, and was last at 98.435 against a basket of currencies after losing 0.5 per cent last week. The dollar also slipped on the Chinese yuan to stand at 7.0646. The pound was trading cautiously at $1.2598 having surged to a 15-week high around $1.2705 on Friday on optimism Britain could reach a deal on Brexit with the European Union. However, officials from Downing Street and the EU said on Sunday a lot more work would be needed to secure an agreement on Britain's departure from the bloc. The two sides will hold more talks on Monday ahead of a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. The general improvement in risk sentiment saw spot gold ease another 0.2 per cent to $1,486.85 per ounce. Oil prices pared gains made on Friday when reports surfaced that an Iranian state-owned oil tanker had been attacked in the Red Sea. Investors were also anxiously watching Turkey's incursion into Syria as the White House threatened to impose heavy sanctions on Ankara. Brent crude futures eased 31 cents at $60.20, while US crude lost 30 cents to $54.40 a barrel.

Asia relieved at latest trade truce, China data disappoints

Imran Khan's visit comes after the United States asked Pakistan to help mediate between long-time regional foes Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Imran Khan meets Rouhani in Tehran

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-supports-turkeys-syria-offensive-255446">Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan</a> was heading to Iran Sunday following a request from the United States and Saudi Arabia for him to try to defuse rising tensions in the Gulf.&nbsp;

Khan's office said his visit was part of an initiative "to promote peace and security in the region", and that he will hold talks with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.

It will be his second visit this year to Iran, which shares a border of around 1,000 kilometres with Pakistan.&nbsp;

In a press briefing last week, a spokesman for Pakistan's foreign office said Khan was expected to visit Saudi Arabia, without providing further details.

Khan said last month that both the United States and Saudi Arabia had asked him to mediate with Iran to defuse tensions in the Gulf.

There has been a spate of still unexplained attacks on shipping in and around the vital seaway involving Iran and Western powers, as well as drone attacks on Saudi oil installations.

Washington accused Tehran of attacking the vessels with mines and to be behind the drone assault, something Tehran strongly denies.

Pakistan has strong relations with Saudi Arabia -- over 2.5 million of its nationals live and work in the kingdom -- but also maintains good relations with Iran and represents Tehran's consular interests in the United States.

Khan met both US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations last month, shortly after he visited Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was heading to Iran Sunday following a request from the United States and Saudi Arabia for him to try to defuse rising tensions in the Gulf.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was heading to Iran Sunday following a request from the United States and Saudi Arabia for him to try to defuse rising tensions in the Gulf. Khan's office said his visit was part of an initiative "to promote peace and security in the region", and that he will hold talks with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani. It will be his second visit this year to Iran, which shares a border of around 1,000 kilometres with Pakistan. In a press briefing last week, a spokesman for Pakistan's foreign office said Khan was expected to visit Saudi Arabia, without providing further details. Khan said last month that both the United States and Saudi Arabia had asked him to mediate with Iran to defuse tensions in the Gulf. There has been a spate of still unexplained attacks on shipping in and around the vital seaway involving Iran and Western powers, as well as drone attacks on Saudi oil installations. Washington accused Tehran of attacking the vessels with mines and to be behind the drone assault, something Tehran strongly denies. Pakistan has strong relations with Saudi Arabia -- over 2.5 million of its nationals live and work in the kingdom -- but also maintains good relations with Iran and represents Tehran's consular interests in the United States. Khan met both US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations last month, shortly after he visited Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan heads to Iran as tensions rise in Gulf

American Patrick Day was in a coma after suffering a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-fighter-patrick-day-hospitalized-after-big-knockout-by-charles-conwell-255546">serious head injury</a> Saturday night following a vicious knockout by unbeaten Charles Conwell during a boxing card in Chicago, US media reported.

The 27-year-old Day was unconscious when he was taken from the ring in a stretcher and loaded onto a waiting ambulance at the Wintrust Arena. Fight broadcaster DAZN said Day suffered a seizure in the ambulance and needed a breathing tube once he arrived at the hospital.

US sports broadcaster ESPN reported that Day had emergency brain surgery and went into a coma, but did not say whether he fell into the coma or it was induced by the doctors.&nbsp;

No details of the head injury were given and the promoter, Matchroom Boxing, did not issue a statement on Saturday night other than to say Day was transported to a local hospital.

"Please pray for Pat!! Come home safe!," Conwell wrote on his social media Twitter account following the fight.

Conwell, a 2016 American Olympian, was dominating the super welterweight fight dropping Day in the fourth and eighth rounds and then landed a right hand in the 10th which caused Day to stumble.&nbsp;

Seconds later he rocked Day with a massive left hook that resulted in Day falling backwards and his head bouncing off the canvas. Referee Celestino Ruiz called off the fight at one minute, 46 seconds of the round.

Day lay on the canvas for several minutes while receiving medical treatment before being removed from the ring.&nbsp;

Day was coming off a loss in June to Carlos Adames in New York. He has 17 wins and four losses and one draw in his pro career which began in 2013.

Day was fighting on the undercard of Russian Dmitry Bivol's World Boxing Association light-heavyweight world title defence against Lenin Castillo.

American Patrick Day was in a coma after suffering a serious head injury Saturday night following a vicious knockout by unbeaten Charles Conwell during a boxing card in Chicago, US media reported.

American Patrick Day was in a coma after suffering a serious head injury Saturday night following a vicious knockout by unbeaten Charles Conwell during a boxing card in Chicago, US media reported. The 27-year-old Day was unconscious when he was taken from the ring in a stretcher and loaded onto a waiting ambulance at the Wintrust Arena. Fight broadcaster DAZN said Day suffered a seizure in the ambulance and needed a breathing tube once he arrived at the hospital. US sports broadcaster ESPN reported that Day had emergency brain surgery and went into a coma, but did not say whether he fell into the coma or it was induced by the doctors. No details of the head injury were given and the promoter, Matchroom Boxing, did not issue a statement on Saturday night other than to say Day was transported to a local hospital. "Please pray for Pat!! Come home safe!," Conwell wrote on his social media Twitter account following the fight. Conwell, a 2016 American Olympian, was dominating the super welterweight fight dropping Day in the fourth and eighth rounds and then landed a right hand in the 10th which caused Day to stumble. Seconds later he rocked Day with a massive left hook that resulted in Day falling backwards and his head bouncing off the canvas. Referee Celestino Ruiz called off the fight at one minute, 46 seconds of the round. Day lay on the canvas for several minutes while receiving medical treatment before being removed from the ring. Day was coming off a loss in June to Carlos Adames in New York. He has 17 wins and four losses and one draw in his pro career which began in 2013. Day was fighting on the undercard of Russian Dmitry Bivol's World Boxing Association light-heavyweight world title defence against Lenin Castillo.

US fighter Patrick Day in coma after vicious knockout: Report

A small boat carrying African migrants off the coast of southern Mexico sank Friday, leaving two people dead and one missing, authorities said.

The boat was travelling off the southern border state of Chiapas when it listed to one side, pitching its occupants into the water, the state prosecutor's office said in a statement.

A 39-year-old man was found dead, it added, washed up on the shore. A second body was later located a few hundred metres from the first.&nbsp;

A search operation "managed to rescue eight migrants alive," the prosecutor's office said, adding one person was still missing.

All were from Cameroon, a country that has seen a growing exodus of refugees amid an increasingly violent conflict between its French- and English-speaking communities.

Chiapas is the main crossroads for migrants crossing Mexico toward the United States. They are mostly Central Americans, but in recent years there has been an increasing number of Africans, who often fly to South America and then make long treks overland and by boat.

African migrants in Chiapas regularly stage protests demanding the Mexican authorities allow them to continue their journey toward the United States.

Undocumented migrants regularly use boats to evade the authorities in southern Mexico, where the government has deployed 6,000 National Guardsmen to tighten the border.

The move is part of its efforts to crack down on irregular migration under a deal to avoid US President Donald Trump's threat to impose steep tariffs on Mexican goods.

Under the deal, the Mexican government has deployed another 15,000 National Guardsmen along its northern border and accepted the return of more than 50,000 migrants seeking asylum in the US, who must now wait in Mexico while their claims are processed.

A small boat carrying African migrants off the coast of southern Mexico sank Friday, leaving two people dead and one missing, authorities said. The boat was travelling off the southern border state of Chiapas when it listed to one side, pitching its occupants into the water, the state prosecutor's office said in a statement.

A small boat carrying African migrants off the coast of southern Mexico sank Friday, leaving two people dead and one missing, authorities said. The boat was travelling off the southern border state of Chiapas when it listed to one side, pitching its occupants into the water, the state prosecutor's office said in a statement. A 39-year-old man was found dead, it added, washed up on the shore. A second body was later located a few hundred metres from the first. A search operation "managed to rescue eight migrants alive," the prosecutor's office said, adding one person was still missing. All were from Cameroon, a country that has seen a growing exodus of refugees amid an increasingly violent conflict between its French- and English-speaking communities. Chiapas is the main crossroads for migrants crossing Mexico toward the United States. They are mostly Central Americans, but in recent years there has been an increasing number of Africans, who often fly to South America and then make long treks overland and by boat. African migrants in Chiapas regularly stage protests demanding the Mexican authorities allow them to continue their journey toward the United States. Undocumented migrants regularly use boats to evade the authorities in southern Mexico, where the government has deployed 6,000 National Guardsmen to tighten the border. The move is part of its efforts to crack down on irregular migration under a deal to avoid US President Donald Trump's threat to impose steep tariffs on Mexican goods. Under the deal, the Mexican government has deployed another 15,000 National Guardsmen along its northern border and accepted the return of more than 50,000 migrants seeking asylum in the US, who must now wait in Mexico while their claims are processed.

Two dead as migrant boat sinks off Mexican coast

The United States announced the deployment of additional American military forces to Saudi Arabia on Friday to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explosion-sets-ablaze-iranian-oil-tanker-near-saudi-port-report-255149">bolster the kingdom's defences</a> after the September 14 attack on its oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh have blamed on Iran.

The large deployment, which was first reported by Reuters, includes fighter squadrons, an air expeditionary wing and air defence personnel, the Pentagon said. Together with the 200 forces to Saudi Arabia announced last month, the deployment totalled about 3,000 troops, it said.

US-Iran tensions have risen to new highs since May 2018, when the Trump administration withdrew from a 2015 international nuclear accord with Tehran that put limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for the easing of sanctions.

As Trump reinstated US sanctions, increasing pressure on the Iranian economy, there have been a series of attacks that Washington and close allies have blamed on Iran, including the attack on the world's biggest crude oil-processing facility. Iran denies responsibility.

In a bid to better shield Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said it was sending two additional Patriot batteries and one Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system (THAAD).

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper told reporters the deployments were designed to deter Iran.

"We thought it was important to continue to deploy forces to deter and defend and to send the message to the Iranians: Do not strike another sovereign state, do not threaten American interests, American forces, or we will respond," Esper told reporters during a press briefing.

Trump said the United States would not bear the expense of the deployment. "Saudi Arabia, at my request, has agreed to pay us for everything we’re doing," he told reporters.

Some of Trump's Republican allies have called for retaliatory strikes, which the president has so far declined to carry out.

It was unclear whether some of the newly announced troops might replace other American forces expected to depart the region in the coming weeks or months.

The Pentagon has yet to announce, for example, whether it will replace the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group when it eventually wraps up its deployment to the Middle East.

Esper declined to say whether the carrier, which itself includes thousands of troops and massive firepower, would be replaced.

The deployment is part of a series of what the United States has described as defensive moves following the attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities last month, which rattled global energy markets and exposed major gaps in Saudi Arabia's air defences.

Iran has responded to previous US troop deployments this year with apprehension. It denies responsibility for the attack on Saudi Arabia as well as attacks on oil tankers earlier this year.

The additional deployment comes as many members of Congress have questioned the longstanding US-Saudi security alliance and backed several efforts - which have failed so far - to stop Trump from selling arms to the kingdom without congressional approval or providing support to the Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen.

Criticism of close US-Saudi ties under Trump increased last year after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Eleven Saudi officials are on trial in Riyadh for the murder, which took place inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

The United States announced the deployment of additional American military forces to Saudi Arabia on Friday to bolster the kingdom's defences after the September 14 attack on its oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh have blamed on Iran.

The United States announced the deployment of additional American military forces to Saudi Arabia on Friday to bolster the kingdom's defences after the September 14 attack on its oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh have blamed on Iran. The large deployment, which was first reported by Reuters, includes fighter squadrons, an air expeditionary wing and air defence personnel, the Pentagon said. Together with the 200 forces to Saudi Arabia announced last month, the deployment totalled about 3,000 troops, it said. US-Iran tensions have risen to new highs since May 2018, when the Trump administration withdrew from a 2015 international nuclear accord with Tehran that put limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for the easing of sanctions. As Trump reinstated US sanctions, increasing pressure on the Iranian economy, there have been a series of attacks that Washington and close allies have blamed on Iran, including the attack on the world's biggest crude oil-processing facility. Iran denies responsibility. In a bid to better shield Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said it was sending two additional Patriot batteries and one Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system (THAAD). US Defence Secretary Mark Esper told reporters the deployments were designed to deter Iran. "We thought it was important to continue to deploy forces to deter and defend and to send the message to the Iranians: Do not strike another sovereign state, do not threaten American interests, American forces, or we will respond," Esper told reporters during a press briefing. Trump said the United States would not bear the expense of the deployment. "Saudi Arabia, at my request, has agreed to pay us for everything we’re doing," he told reporters. Some of Trump's Republican allies have called for retaliatory strikes, which the president has so far declined to carry out. It was unclear whether some of the newly announced troops might replace other American forces expected to depart the region in the coming weeks or months. The Pentagon has yet to announce, for example, whether it will replace the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group when it eventually wraps up its deployment to the Middle East. Esper declined to say whether the carrier, which itself includes thousands of troops and massive firepower, would be replaced. The deployment is part of a series of what the United States has described as defensive moves following the attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities last month, which rattled global energy markets and exposed major gaps in Saudi Arabia's air defences. Iran has responded to previous US troop deployments this year with apprehension. It denies responsibility for the attack on Saudi Arabia as well as attacks on oil tankers earlier this year. The additional deployment comes as many members of Congress have questioned the longstanding US-Saudi security alliance and backed several efforts - which have failed so far - to stop Trump from selling arms to the kingdom without congressional approval or providing support to the Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen. Criticism of close US-Saudi ties under Trump increased last year after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Eleven Saudi officials are on trial in Riyadh for the murder, which took place inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

US says deploying more forces to Saudi Arabia to counter Iran threat

The United States announced on Friday (October 11, 2019) a new, large deployment of forces to Saudi Arabia to help bolster the kingdom's defences following the Sept. 14 attack on its oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh have blamed on Iran.

Deployment of large number of forces to Saudi Arabia by U.S.

<a href="wionews.com/world/donald-trump-says-warmer-feelings-in-us-china-trade-talks-255346">US President Donald Trump</a> on Friday announced a partial trade deal with China after talks in Washington with Vice Premier Liu He.

The pact, characterized by US officials as the first phase in negotiations, capped a rollercoaster week for stocks, with the market retreating early in the week on doubts about the talks, but reversing course midweek as the signs from both sides became more conciliatory.

"There was a lot of friction between the United States and China, now it’s a lovefest," Trump said. "It's beyond a trade deal."

Beijing and Washington have been at loggerheads for more than a year, with US President Donald Trump emphasizing trade relations with China as a central tenet of his "America First" agenda.

Gravitas: India-china Ties: Is Trade The Biggest Sticking Point?

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Wall Street stocks finished higher on Friday as US-China trade negotiations yielded a partial deal that included a halt to tariffs scheduled for next week.

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced a partial trade deal with China after talks in Washington with Vice Premier Liu He. The pact, characterized by US officials as the first phase in negotiations, capped a rollercoaster week for stocks, with the market retreating early in the week on doubts about the talks, but reversing course midweek as the signs from both sides became more conciliatory.

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced a partial trade deal with China after talks in Washington with Vice Premier Liu He. The pact, characterized by US officials as the first phase in negotiations, capped a rollercoaster week for stocks, with the market retreating early in the week on doubts about the talks, but reversing course midweek as the signs from both sides became more conciliatory. "There was a lot of friction between the United States and China, now it’s a lovefest," Trump said. "It's beyond a trade deal." Beijing and Washington have been at loggerheads for more than a year, with US President Donald Trump emphasizing trade relations with China as a central tenet of his "America First" agenda. Gravitas: India-china Ties: Is Trade The Biggest Sticking Point? Wall Street stocks finished higher on Friday as US-China trade negotiations yielded a partial deal that included a halt to tariffs scheduled for next week.

US President Donald Trump announces partial trade deal with China

For the better part of a century, the United States could claim the moral high ground despite allegations of hypocrisy because its policies continuously contradicted its proclaimed propagation of democracy and human rights. Under President Donald J&nbsp;Trump, the US has lost that moral high ground.

This week's US sanctioning of 28 Chinese government entities and companies for their involvement in China's brutal clampdown on Turkic Muslims in its troubled north-western province of Xinjiang, the first such measure by any country since the crackdown began, is a case in point.

So is the imposition of visa restrictions on Chinese officials suspected of being involved in the detention and human rights abuses of millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims.

The irony is that the Trump administration has for the first time elevated human rights to a US foreign policy goal in export control policy despite its overall lack of concern for such rights.

The sanctions should put the Muslim world, always the first to ring the alarm bell when Muslims rights are trampled upon, on the spot.

It probably won't even though Muslim nations are out on a limb, having remained conspicuously silent in a bid not to damage relations with China, and in some cases even having endorsed the Chinese campaign, the most frontal assault on Islam in recent history.

This week’s seeming endorsement by Mr Trump of Turkey's military offensive against Syrian Kurds, who backed by the United States, fought the Islamic State and were guarding its captured fighters and their families drove the final nail into the coffin of US moral claims.

The endorsement came on the back of Mr Trump’s transactional approach towards foreign policy and relations with America’s allies, his hesitancy to respond robustly to last month’s missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, his refusal to ensure Saudi transparency on the killing a year ago of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and his perceived empathy for illiberals and authoritarians symbolized by his reference to Egyptian field marshal-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as “my favourite dictator.”

Rejecting Saudi and Egyptian criticism of his intervention in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave the United States and Mr. Trump a blunt preview of what they can expect next time they come calling, whether it is for support of their holding China to account for its actions in Xinjiang, issues of religious freedom that are dear to the Trump administration’s heart, or specific infractions on human rights that the US opportunistically wishes to emphasize.

"Let me start with Saudi Arabia," Mr. Erdogan said in blistering remarks to members of his Justice and Development Party (AKP). "Look in the mirror first. Who brought Yemen to this state? Did tens of thousands of people not die in Yemen?" he asked, referring to the kingdom's disastrous military intervention in Yemen's ruinous civil war.

Addressing Mr. Al-Sisi, Mr. Erdogan charged: “Egypt, you can't talk at all. You are a country with a democracy killer." The Turkish leader asserted that Mr Al-Sisi had "held a meeting with some others and condemned the (Turkish) operation - so what if you do?"

The fact that the United States is likely to encounter similar responses, even if they are less belligerent in tone, as well as the fact that Mr Trump’s sanctioning of Chinese entities is unlikely to shame the Muslim world into action, signals a far more fundamental paradigm shift: the loss of the US and Western moral high ground that gave them an undisputed advantage in the battle of ideas, a key battleground in the struggle to shape a new world order.

China, Russia, Middle Eastern autocrats and other authoritarians and illiberals have no credible response to notions of personal and political freedom, human rights and the rule of law.

As a result, they countered the ideational appeal of greater freedoms by going through the motions. They often maintained or erected democratic facades and paid lip service to democratic concepts while cloaking their repression in terms employed by the West like the fight against terrorism.

By surrendering the West’s ideological edge, Mr Trump reduced the shaping of the new world order to a competition in which the power with the deeper pockets had the upper hand.

Former US national security advisor John Bolton admitted as much when he identified in late 2018 Africa as a new battleground and unveiled a new strategy focused on commercial ties, counterterrorism, and better-targeted US&nbsp;foreign aid.

Said international affairs scholar Keren Yarhi-Milo: “The United States has already paid a significant price for Trump’s behaviour: the president is no longer considered the ultimate voice on foreign policy. Foreign leaders are turning elsewhere to gauge American intentions… With Trump’s reputation compromised, the price tag on US&nbsp;deterrence, coercion, and reassurance has risen, along with the probability of miscalculation and inadvertent escalation.”

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

For the better part of a century, the United States could claim the moral high ground despite allegations of hypocrisy because its policies continuously contradicted its proclaimed propagation of democracy and human rights.

For the better part of a century, the United States could claim the moral high ground despite allegations of hypocrisy because its policies continuously contradicted its proclaimed propagation of democracy and human rights. Under President Donald J Trump, the US has lost that moral high ground. This week's US sanctioning of 28 Chinese government entities and companies for their involvement in China's brutal clampdown on Turkic Muslims in its troubled north-western province of Xinjiang, the first such measure by any country since the crackdown began, is a case in point. So is the imposition of visa restrictions on Chinese officials suspected of being involved in the detention and human rights abuses of millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims. The irony is that the Trump administration has for the first time elevated human rights to a US foreign policy goal in export control policy despite its overall lack of concern for such rights. The sanctions should put the Muslim world, always the first to ring the alarm bell when Muslims rights are trampled upon, on the spot. It probably won't even though Muslim nations are out on a limb, having remained conspicuously silent in a bid not to damage relations with China, and in some cases even having endorsed the Chinese campaign, the most frontal assault on Islam in recent history. This week’s seeming endorsement by Mr Trump of Turkey's military offensive against Syrian Kurds, who backed by the United States, fought the Islamic State and were guarding its captured fighters and their families drove the final nail into the coffin of US moral claims. The endorsement came on the back of Mr Trump’s transactional approach towards foreign policy and relations with America’s allies, his hesitancy to respond robustly to last month’s missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, his refusal to ensure Saudi transparency on the killing a year ago of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and his perceived empathy for illiberals and authoritarians symbolized by his reference to Egyptian field marshal-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as “my favourite dictator.” Rejecting Saudi and Egyptian criticism of his intervention in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave the United States and Mr. Trump a blunt preview of what they can expect next time they come calling, whether it is for support of their holding China to account for its actions in Xinjiang, issues of religious freedom that are dear to the Trump administration’s heart, or specific infractions on human rights that the US opportunistically wishes to emphasize. "Let me start with Saudi Arabia," Mr. Erdogan said in blistering remarks to members of his Justice and Development Party (AKP). "Look in the mirror first. Who brought Yemen to this state? Did tens of thousands of people not die in Yemen?" he asked, referring to the kingdom's disastrous military intervention in Yemen's ruinous civil war. Addressing Mr. Al-Sisi, Mr. Erdogan charged: “Egypt, you can't talk at all. You are a country with a democracy killer." The Turkish leader asserted that Mr Al-Sisi had "held a meeting with some others and condemned the (Turkish) operation - so what if you do?" The fact that the United States is likely to encounter similar responses, even if they are less belligerent in tone, as well as the fact that Mr Trump’s sanctioning of Chinese entities is unlikely to shame the Muslim world into action, signals a far more fundamental paradigm shift: the loss of the US and Western moral high ground that gave them an undisputed advantage in the battle of ideas, a key battleground in the struggle to shape a new world order. China, Russia, Middle Eastern autocrats and other authoritarians and illiberals have no credible response to notions of personal and political freedom, human rights and the rule of law. As a result, they countered the ideational appeal of greater freedoms by going through the motions. They often maintained or erected democratic facades and paid lip service to democratic concepts while cloaking their repression in terms employed by the West like the fight against terrorism. By surrendering the West’s ideological edge, Mr Trump reduced the shaping of the new world order to a competition in which the power with the deeper pockets had the upper hand. Former US national security advisor John Bolton admitted as much when he identified in late 2018 Africa as a new battleground and unveiled a new strategy focused on commercial ties, counterterrorism, and better-targeted US foreign aid. Said international affairs scholar Keren Yarhi-Milo: “The United States has already paid a significant price for Trump’s behaviour: the president is no longer considered the ultimate voice on foreign policy. Foreign leaders are turning elsewhere to gauge American intentions… With Trump’s reputation compromised, the price tag on US deterrence, coercion, and reassurance has risen, along with the probability of miscalculation and inadvertent escalation.” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Trump surrenders the West's moral high ground

Bill McDermott, the American chief executive of massive German business software maker SAP, will quit after a decade in charge, the company said Friday.

McDermott "has decided not to renew his contract and is stepping down from his position," SAP said in a statement, adding that he will be replaced by board members Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein as co-chief executives.

The company did not give a reason for the longtime chief's sudden departure.

He joined the software maker in 2002, climbing to the executive board in 2008 and serving as CEO since 2010.

"Every CEO dreams of handing an exceptionally strong company to its next-generation... now we start the next chapter," McDermott tweeted.

SAP said the veteran executive "will remain in an advisory capacity until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition".

His contract had originally been slated to run until 2021.

"SAP would not be what it is today without Bill McDermott," supervisory board chairman Hasso Plattner said.

He singled out for praise SAP's transition from selling traditional software licenses to subscriptions to cloud computing services, "which will fuel our growth for many years to come".

A member of the DAX blue-chip index on the Frankfurt stock market, SAP boasts a market capitalisation of almost $143 billion.

In third-quarter results released ahead of schedule Friday, the group reported 13 per cent year-on-year growth in revenue, to 6.8 billion euros.

Net profit grew 30 percent compared with July-September 2018, to 1.3 billion euros.

Bill McDermott, the American chief executive of massive German business software maker SAP, will quit after a decade in charge, the company said Friday. McDermott "has decided not to renew his contract and is stepping down from his position," SAP said in a statement, adding that he will be replaced by board members Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein as co-chief executives.

Bill McDermott, the American chief executive of massive German business software maker SAP, will quit after a decade in charge, the company said Friday. McDermott "has decided not to renew his contract and is stepping down from his position," SAP said in a statement, adding that he will be replaced by board members Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein as co-chief executives. The company did not give a reason for the longtime chief's sudden departure. He joined the software maker in 2002, climbing to the executive board in 2008 and serving as CEO since 2010. "Every CEO dreams of handing an exceptionally strong company to its next-generation... now we start the next chapter," McDermott tweeted. SAP said the veteran executive "will remain in an advisory capacity until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition". His contract had originally been slated to run until 2021. "SAP would not be what it is today without Bill McDermott," supervisory board chairman Hasso Plattner said. He singled out for praise SAP's transition from selling traditional software licenses to subscriptions to cloud computing services, "which will fuel our growth for many years to come". A member of the DAX blue-chip index on the Frankfurt stock market, SAP boasts a market capitalisation of almost $143 billion. In third-quarter results released ahead of schedule Friday, the group reported 13 per cent year-on-year growth in revenue, to 6.8 billion euros. Net profit grew 30 percent compared with July-September 2018, to 1.3 billion euros.

Chief executive of German business software group SAP steps down

Oil&nbsp;prices climbed early on Friday, building on gains in the previous session after producer club&nbsp;OPEC&nbsp;hinted at making&nbsp;deeper&nbsp;cuts&nbsp;in supply while optimism was revived over&nbsp;talks&nbsp;between the United States and&nbsp;China&nbsp;to end their&nbsp;trade&nbsp;war.

International benchmark Brent crude futures were at $59.26 a barrel by 0251 GMT, up 16 cents, or 0.3 per cent, from their previous settlement. Brent settled up 1.3 per cent&nbsp;at $59.10 a barrel on Thursday.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude&nbsp;futures rose 16 cents, also up 0.3 per cent, from their last close to $53.71 per barrel. In the previous session, WTI settled 1.8 per cent&nbsp;higher at $53.55 a barrel.

On Thursday Mohammad Barkindo, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), said all options were on the table, including a&nbsp;deeper&nbsp;supply cut to balance&nbsp;oil&nbsp;markets. A decision would be taken at a December meeting between the&nbsp;OPEC&nbsp;and its partners, he said.

OPEC&nbsp;lowered its 2019 global&nbsp;oil&nbsp;demand growth forecast to 0.98 million barrels per day (bpd), while leaving its 2020 demand growth estimate unchanged at 1.08 million bpd, according to&nbsp;OPEC's monthly report.

Beyond&nbsp;OPEC,&nbsp;trade&nbsp;talks&nbsp;between the United States and&nbsp;China&nbsp;also remained on the market's radar as the world's top two economies seek to resolve a more-than-a-year-long&nbsp;trade&nbsp;row that has slowed global economic growth and curbed fuel consumption.

"Oil&nbsp;bought into the upbeat tone from the bilateral&nbsp;talks&nbsp;as well, for better or for worse, and was also boosted by fighting talk on prices by the&nbsp;OPEC&nbsp;secretary-general," said Jeffrey Halley, a senior market analyst at OANDA in Singapore.

Top&nbsp;US&nbsp;and Chinese negotiators wrapped up the first of two days of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-trade-talks-to-resume-thursday-white-house-254346">scheduled&nbsp;trade&nbsp;talks&nbsp;on Thursday,</a> with business groups&nbsp;expressing optimism that the two sides might be able to ease tensions and delay a&nbsp;US&nbsp;tariff hike set for next week.

"The United States is the largest global consumer of&nbsp;oil&nbsp;while&nbsp;China, the biggest driver of year-on-year&nbsp;oil&nbsp;demand growth," said Stephen Innes, Asia Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader.

"The most significant sentiment driver hinges on the outcome of the&nbsp;trade&nbsp;talks&nbsp;which, if (they) end on a positive note, could go along way to begin to repair the economic damage done ... these economic powerhouses would need more&nbsp;oil," said Innes.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at 1845 GMT on Friday, the White House said.

Oil prices climbed early on Friday, building on gains in the previous session after producer club OPEC hinted at making deeper cuts in supply while optimism was revived over talks between the United States and China to end their trade war.

Oil prices climbed early on Friday, building on gains in the previous session after producer club OPEC hinted at making deeper cuts in supply while optimism was revived over talks between the United States and China to end their trade war. International benchmark Brent crude futures were at $59.26 a barrel by 0251 GMT, up 16 cents, or 0.3 per cent, from their previous settlement. Brent settled up 1.3 per cent at $59.10 a barrel on Thursday. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 16 cents, also up 0.3 per cent, from their last close to $53.71 per barrel. In the previous session, WTI settled 1.8 per cent higher at $53.55 a barrel. On Thursday Mohammad Barkindo, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), said all options were on the table, including a deeper supply cut to balance oil markets. A decision would be taken at a December meeting between the OPEC and its partners, he said. OPEC lowered its 2019 global oil demand growth forecast to 0.98 million barrels per day (bpd), while leaving its 2020 demand growth estimate unchanged at 1.08 million bpd, according to OPEC's monthly report. Beyond OPEC, trade talks between the United States and China also remained on the market's radar as the world's top two economies seek to resolve a more-than-a-year-long trade row that has slowed global economic growth and curbed fuel consumption. "Oil bought into the upbeat tone from the bilateral talks as well, for better or for worse, and was also boosted by fighting talk on prices by the OPEC secretary-general," said Jeffrey Halley, a senior market analyst at OANDA in Singapore. Top US and Chinese negotiators wrapped up the first of two days of scheduled trade talks on Thursday, with business groups expressing optimism that the two sides might be able to ease tensions and delay a US tariff hike set for next week. "The United States is the largest global consumer of oil while China, the biggest driver of year-on-year oil demand growth," said Stephen Innes, Asia Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader. "The most significant sentiment driver hinges on the outcome of the trade talks which, if (they) end on a positive note, could go along way to begin to repair the economic damage done ... these economic powerhouses would need more oil," said Innes. US President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at 1845 GMT on Friday, the White House said.

Oil rises on hopes for deeper OPEC output cuts, US-China trade talks

Asian markets rallied Friday on signs of progress in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-trade-talks-to-resume-thursday-white-house-254346">China-US trade talks</a>, with Donald Trump saying they were "going very well", while the pound held gains after the leaders of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irish-pm-says-very-difficult-to-secure-brexit-deal-by-next-week-254692">Britain and Ireland</a> indicated a potential breakthrough in Brexit talks.

After a nervous week on trading floors, negotiators from the world's top two economies kicked off long-awaited negotiations on resolving their long-running tariffs row on a positive footing, easing worries that they might be cut short.

Without elaborating, Trump told reporters: "I will say I think it's going really well. We had a very, very good negotiation with China."

Adding to the positive vibes was news that Trump would meet China's top trade envoy Liu He at the White House.

The developments allowed dealers to breathe a sigh of relief as tensions between the two sides appeared to be growing after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-expands-blacklist-to-include-chinas-top-ai-startups-ahead-of-trade-talks-254672">US put new restrictions on Chinese firms </a>over human rights abuses and reports Beijing had narrowed the issues it was willing to discuss.

"The fog of trade war is beginning to lift, giving way to an air of trade optimism sweeping through global capital markets," said Stephen Innes, Asia-Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader.

"Investors are starting to believe there is light at the end of the... tunnel as hope springs eternal."

Hong Kong led gains across Asia, jumping more than one per cent, Tokyo heading into the break one per cent higher and Shanghai adding 0.1 per cent.

Talks are expected to resume on Friday, with hopes they can at least lead to a delay in tariffs due next week being imposed on China.

"The prospect of US-China trade truce that results in the suspension of further planned tariffs increases is rightly welcome news," Rodrigo Catril at National Australia Bank said.

"But as it is often the case, the devil will be in the detail," he warned, adding that if the optimism is to last "a meaningful de-escalation in tensions is required".

And Thanos Vamvakidis, at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, told Bloomberg TV "we are not out of the woods yet".

Markets are also getting some support from rare signs of progress in the Brexit saga after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar said they could see a route towards striking a possible divorce deal.

After hours of talks regarding the vexed question of Northern Ireland, the two issued a joint statement that said: "Both continue to believe a deal is in everybody's interest. They agreed that they could see a pathway to a possible deal."

While Varadkar said there were still hurdles to overcome, the news did provide some much-needed hope in the crisis after German Chancellor Angela Merkel was reported to have said Brexit talks were "close to breaking down".

The pound surged two per cent against the dollar on Thursday and also rallied on the euro, and in early Asian trade managed to hold its ground.

"The positive vibe has raised some hope for a chance of a Brexit deal ahead of the EU summit at the end of next week," NAB's Catril added.

Hopes for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-prices-fall-as-hopes-for-us-china-trade-progress-wilt-254886">China-US talks helped oil prices higher,</a> with traders also cheered by OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo saying the grouping of the world's giant producers would do what it could to avert another slump.

Both main contracts rose Friday, having put on more than one per cent the day before.

Asian markets rallied Friday on signs of progress in the China-US trade talks, with Donald Trump saying they were "going very well", while the pound held gains after the leaders of Britain and Ireland indicated a potential breakthrough in Brexit talks.

Asian markets rallied Friday on signs of progress in the China-US trade talks, with Donald Trump saying they were "going very well", while the pound held gains after the leaders of Britain and Ireland indicated a potential breakthrough in Brexit talks. After a nervous week on trading floors, negotiators from the world's top two economies kicked off long-awaited negotiations on resolving their long-running tariffs row on a positive footing, easing worries that they might be cut short. Without elaborating, Trump told reporters: "I will say I think it's going really well. We had a very, very good negotiation with China." Adding to the positive vibes was news that Trump would meet China's top trade envoy Liu He at the White House. The developments allowed dealers to breathe a sigh of relief as tensions between the two sides appeared to be growing after the US put new restrictions on Chinese firms over human rights abuses and reports Beijing had narrowed the issues it was willing to discuss. "The fog of trade war is beginning to lift, giving way to an air of trade optimism sweeping through global capital markets," said Stephen Innes, Asia-Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader. "Investors are starting to believe there is light at the end of the... tunnel as hope springs eternal." Hong Kong led gains across Asia, jumping more than one per cent, Tokyo heading into the break one per cent higher and Shanghai adding 0.1 per cent. Talks are expected to resume on Friday, with hopes they can at least lead to a delay in tariffs due next week being imposed on China. "The prospect of US-China trade truce that results in the suspension of further planned tariffs increases is rightly welcome news," Rodrigo Catril at National Australia Bank said. "But as it is often the case, the devil will be in the detail," he warned, adding that if the optimism is to last "a meaningful de-escalation in tensions is required". And Thanos Vamvakidis, at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, told Bloomberg TV "we are not out of the woods yet". Markets are also getting some support from rare signs of progress in the Brexit saga after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar said they could see a route towards striking a possible divorce deal. After hours of talks regarding the vexed question of Northern Ireland, the two issued a joint statement that said: "Both continue to believe a deal is in everybody's interest. They agreed that they could see a pathway to a possible deal." While Varadkar said there were still hurdles to overcome, the news did provide some much-needed hope in the crisis after German Chancellor Angela Merkel was reported to have said Brexit talks were "close to breaking down". The pound surged two per cent against the dollar on Thursday and also rallied on the euro, and in early Asian trade managed to hold its ground. "The positive vibe has raised some hope for a chance of a Brexit deal ahead of the EU summit at the end of next week," NAB's Catril added. Hopes for the China-US talks helped oil prices higher, with traders also cheered by OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo saying the grouping of the world's giant producers would do what it could to avert another slump. Both main contracts rose Friday, having put on more than one per cent the day before.

Asian markets rally as Trump says trade talks 'going very well'

Hyundai Motor Co&nbsp;and affiliate Kia Motors Corp&nbsp;have earmarked a total of $757.86 million&nbsp;to settle US&nbsp;class action litigation and address engine-related issues in the United States and South Korea.

Hyundai Motor will reflect about 600 billion won in costs related to engine problems in July to September earnings, while affiliate Kia Motors has set aside about 300 billion won, they said on Friday.

The latest settlement provides installation of a software update to boost safety and performance, as well as cash compensation options, lifetime warranties, free inspection and repair of the covered engines, the automakers said in a statement.

A total of 4.17 million Hyundai and Kia models equipped with Theta II gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines will be affected by the US&nbsp;settlement.

Hyundai and Kia, together the world's fifth-biggest automaker by sales, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/hyundai-kia-ordered-to-recall-vehicles-after-whistleblower-report-15490">recalled nearly 1.7 million vehicles i</a>n the United States to address the possibility of engine fires.

The US&nbsp;safety regulator is investigating whether the recalls covered enough vehicles and were conducted in a timely manner.

The investigation comes after Kim Gwang-ho, then an engineer at Hyundai, flew to Washington in 2016 to tell the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the companies should have recalled more vehicles over the problem, citing an internal report.

In November, Reuters reported that US&nbsp;federal prosecutors had launched a criminal investigation into the pair to determine if the recalls had been conducted properly.

Hyundai and Kia said they expected the US&nbsp;District Court for the Central District of California to review the proposed settlement for preliminary approval before the end of October.

Hyundai Motor Co and affiliate Kia Motors Corp have earmarked a total of $757.86 million to settle US class action litigation and address engine-related issues in the United States and South Korea.

Hyundai Motor Co and affiliate Kia Motors Corp have earmarked a total of $757.86 million to settle US class action litigation and address engine-related issues in the United States and South Korea. Hyundai Motor will reflect about 600 billion won in costs related to engine problems in July to September earnings, while affiliate Kia Motors has set aside about 300 billion won, they said on Friday. The latest settlement provides installation of a software update to boost safety and performance, as well as cash compensation options, lifetime warranties, free inspection and repair of the covered engines, the automakers said in a statement. A total of 4.17 million Hyundai and Kia models equipped with Theta II gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines will be affected by the US settlement. Hyundai and Kia, together the world's fifth-biggest automaker by sales, recalled nearly 1.7 million vehicles in the United States to address the possibility of engine fires. The US safety regulator is investigating whether the recalls covered enough vehicles and were conducted in a timely manner. The investigation comes after Kim Gwang-ho, then an engineer at Hyundai, flew to Washington in 2016 to tell the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the companies should have recalled more vehicles over the problem, citing an internal report. In November, Reuters reported that US federal prosecutors had launched a criminal investigation into the pair to determine if the recalls had been conducted properly. Hyundai and Kia said they expected the US District Court for the Central District of California to review the proposed settlement for preliminary approval before the end of October.

Hyundai, Kia earmark $760 million to settle US lawsuits over engine fires

Hundreds of thousands of Californians were still without electricity due to pre-emptive blackouts Thursday as hot, windy conditions causing wildfires spread south toward Los Angeles, in a situation blasted as "unacceptable" by the state's governor.

Some 540,000 customers in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/power-cut-to-millions-as-california-faces-heightened-wildfire-risks-254853">California remained in the dark </a>Thursday afternoon after Pacific Gas &amp; Electric began switching off power the previous day, in a bid to prevent a repeat of last year's catastrophic infernos which killed around 90 people.

Many schools and universities have closed in northern parts of the state and people stocked up on gasoline, water, batteries and other basics, with frustration mounting at blackouts condemned by some as "third world."

"We're seeing a scale and scope of something that no state in the 21st century should experience," Governor Gavin Newsom said Thursday, blaming decades of "neglect" and "mismanagement" by PG&amp;E.

"What has occurred in the last 48 hours is kids staying home from school, parents that can't bathe their kids," he added. "Folks that come home from work, can't even find a way to get into their garage. You've got people that can't even access water, or medical supplies.

"This can't be, respectfully, the new normal," Newsom said, noting that the current weather conditions were certain to return.

The power cuts enable utility companies to inspect high-voltage lines for damage during particularly flammable conditions caused by high winds and dry vegetation.

Newsom said blackouts were "an industry best practice" under dangerous conditions, but blamed PG&amp;E's failure to modernize its network for the current scale of power cuts.

PG&amp;E defended the shutoffs, telling a press conference that inspections Thursday had found multiple cases of damage that could have caused wildfires had the lines been live.

"We faced the choice here between hardship on everyone or safety -- and we chose safety," said CEO Bill Johnson. "And I do apologize for the hardship this has caused. I think we made the right call."

With high-risk "red flag" winds spreading to the Los Angeles area further south, around 13,000 customers of Southern California Edison had their electricity cut Thursday.

"A number of fires... are burning and there have been structures that have been lost," said Mark Ghilarducci, emergency services director at the governor's office.

Fire-fighting planes and helicopters were called in to tackle two fires east of Los Angeles which spread to a combined 900 acres (360 hectares), and were described by officials as "zero percent contained."

The local fire department said multiple structures were destroyed and "numerous medical emergencies" occurred at one of the fires.

In the far south of the state, San Diego Gas &amp; Electric warned 30,000 customers living in high-risk areas they could potentially lose their power if conditions worsen.

Urban Los Angeles itself was not expected to be at-risk, although police Wednesday night said they would clear some vulnerable homeless camps.

Several other small fires were reported further north but quickly tackled by firefighters.

PG&amp;E on Thursday had completed inspections on some power lines in its blackout regions, and had restored electricity to more than 228,000 customers by late afternoon.

But others may have to wait several days for inspections before normal service can be restored.

Last November, PG&amp;E's faulty power lines were determined to have sparked the deadliest wildfire in the state's modern history, which killed 86 and destroyed the town of Paradise.

Outdated facilities including vulnerable wooden poles and failure to deforest land surrounding high-voltage transmission lines were blamed for the inferno, causing PG&amp;E to go bankrupt in January.

The company agreed to pay an $11 billion settlement over the devastating wildfires in northern California.

"Those were decisions that were made by Pacific Gas and Electric -- they chose not to modernize their grid," said Newsom. "Over the course of many, many years, it led to their own demise, it led to bankruptcy."

The cost of 48 hours of power cuts could reach $2.6 billion, Michael Wara, an expert in energy and climate policy at Stanford University, told CNN.

Hundreds of thousands of Californians were still without electricity due to pre-emptive blackouts Thursday as hot, windy conditions causing wildfires spread south toward Los Angeles, in a situation blasted as "unacceptable" by the state's governor.

Hundreds of thousands of Californians were still without electricity due to pre-emptive blackouts Thursday as hot, windy conditions causing wildfires spread south toward Los Angeles, in a situation blasted as "unacceptable" by the state's governor. Some 540,000 customers in California remained in the dark Thursday afternoon after Pacific Gas & Electric began switching off power the previous day, in a bid to prevent a repeat of last year's catastrophic infernos which killed around 90 people. Many schools and universities have closed in northern parts of the state and people stocked up on gasoline, water, batteries and other basics, with frustration mounting at blackouts condemned by some as "third world." "We're seeing a scale and scope of something that no state in the 21st century should experience," Governor Gavin Newsom said Thursday, blaming decades of "neglect" and "mismanagement" by PG&E. "What has occurred in the last 48 hours is kids staying home from school, parents that can't bathe their kids," he added. "Folks that come home from work, can't even find a way to get into their garage. You've got people that can't even access water, or medical supplies. "This can't be, respectfully, the new normal," Newsom said, noting that the current weather conditions were certain to return. The power cuts enable utility companies to inspect high-voltage lines for damage during particularly flammable conditions caused by high winds and dry vegetation. Newsom said blackouts were "an industry best practice" under dangerous conditions, but blamed PG&E's failure to modernize its network for the current scale of power cuts. PG&E defended the shutoffs, telling a press conference that inspections Thursday had found multiple cases of damage that could have caused wildfires had the lines been live. "We faced the choice here between hardship on everyone or safety -- and we chose safety," said CEO Bill Johnson. "And I do apologize for the hardship this has caused. I think we made the right call." With high-risk "red flag" winds spreading to the Los Angeles area further south, around 13,000 customers of Southern California Edison had their electricity cut Thursday. "A number of fires... are burning and there have been structures that have been lost," said Mark Ghilarducci, emergency services director at the governor's office. Fire-fighting planes and helicopters were called in to tackle two fires east of Los Angeles which spread to a combined 900 acres (360 hectares), and were described by officials as "zero percent contained." The local fire department said multiple structures were destroyed and "numerous medical emergencies" occurred at one of the fires. In the far south of the state, San Diego Gas & Electric warned 30,000 customers living in high-risk areas they could potentially lose their power if conditions worsen. Urban Los Angeles itself was not expected to be at-risk, although police Wednesday night said they would clear some vulnerable homeless camps. Several other small fires were reported further north but quickly tackled by firefighters. PG&E on Thursday had completed inspections on some power lines in its blackout regions, and had restored electricity to more than 228,000 customers by late afternoon. But others may have to wait several days for inspections before normal service can be restored. Last November, PG&E's faulty power lines were determined to have sparked the deadliest wildfire in the state's modern history, which killed 86 and destroyed the town of Paradise. Outdated facilities including vulnerable wooden poles and failure to deforest land surrounding high-voltage transmission lines were blamed for the inferno, causing PG&E to go bankrupt in January. The company agreed to pay an $11 billion settlement over the devastating wildfires in northern California. "Those were decisions that were made by Pacific Gas and Electric -- they chose not to modernize their grid," said Newsom. "Over the course of many, many years, it led to their own demise, it led to bankruptcy." The cost of 48 hours of power cuts could reach $2.6 billion, Michael Wara, an expert in energy and climate policy at Stanford University, told CNN.

'Unacceptable' power cuts blasted as California fire risk spreads south

American&nbsp;Danielle&nbsp;Collins&nbsp;on Wednesday said&nbsp;she&nbsp;has&nbsp;begun treatment for&nbsp;rheumatoid&nbsp;arthritis, an immune disorder that can cause debilitating swelling and pain in the joints.

The Florida native enjoyed a breakout season in 2019, reaching a career-high ranking of 23rd in the world and reaching the Australian Open semi-finals in January.

"I have not been feeling all that great for quite some time, but it&nbsp;has&nbsp;been somewhat of a relief and completely validating to understand the cause behind my pain," the 25-year-old wrote on Instagram.

"As I have started treatment, I am looking forward to embracing this next challenge in life.

"Without a doubt, every healthy day is a gift and I am one hundred percent committed to keeping strong and continuing to battle on and off the tennis court."

Collins, who is known for her aggressive style of play, said&nbsp;she&nbsp;plans to fight the disease with her trademark tenacity.

"While I don't know for sure what my journey to recovery will be, I do know that I feel really positive about getting back on the court,"&nbsp;she&nbsp;said.

"I feel like now I can get better and address my body's needs in fighting this disease."

Collins' primary care physician Dr. Clifton Page said modern treatments can manage symptoms, limit joint destruction and preserve the longevity of active individuals.

"For the elite athlete,&nbsp;rheumatoid&nbsp;arthritis&nbsp;is not a career-ending diagnosis," he said in a statement.

American Danielle Collins on Wednesday said she has begun treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, an immune disorder that can cause debilitating swelling and pain in the joints.

American Danielle Collins on Wednesday said she has begun treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, an immune disorder that can cause debilitating swelling and pain in the joints. The Florida native enjoyed a breakout season in 2019, reaching a career-high ranking of 23rd in the world and reaching the Australian Open semi-finals in January. "I have not been feeling all that great for quite some time, but it has been somewhat of a relief and completely validating to understand the cause behind my pain," the 25-year-old wrote on Instagram. "As I have started treatment, I am looking forward to embracing this next challenge in life. "Without a doubt, every healthy day is a gift and I am one hundred percent committed to keeping strong and continuing to battle on and off the tennis court." Collins, who is known for her aggressive style of play, said she plans to fight the disease with her trademark tenacity. "While I don't know for sure what my journey to recovery will be, I do know that I feel really positive about getting back on the court," she said. "I feel like now I can get better and address my body's needs in fighting this disease." Collins' primary care physician Dr. Clifton Page said modern treatments can manage symptoms, limit joint destruction and preserve the longevity of active individuals. "For the elite athlete, rheumatoid arthritis is not a career-ending diagnosis," he said in a statement.

American Collins says she has rheumatoid arthritis

Oil prices fell on Thursday on concerns of lower fuel demand as talks this week between the United States and China, the world's two largest oil users, are not expected to help end the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-expands-blacklist-to-include-chinas-top-ai-startups-ahead-of-trade-talks-254672"> trade war between them</a>, adding to anxieties about the global economy.

China, the world's biggest oil importer, has lowered its expectations for talks on Thursday and Friday to end the 15-month-old trade dispute with the United States. US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is set to raise the tariff rate on about $250 billion of Chinese goods to 30 per cent&nbsp;from 25 per cent&nbsp;on October&nbsp;15 if some signs of progress are not seen.

The trade dispute between the world's two largest economies has disrupted global supply chains and slowed the growth of both countries, limiting the growth of their fuel consumption.

Global benchmark Brent crude futures fell 11 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to $58.21 a barrel by 0354 GMT, while US&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were down 11 cents, or 0.2 per cent, at $52.48 per barrel.

"Should US-China trade negotiations take a turn for the worst, market pessimism will impose sharp negative pressures on oil prices, said Benjamin Lu, commodities analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore.

Prices were also weighed down by a report of rising stockpiles in the United States, which is also currently the world's biggest oil producer.

US&nbsp;crude stocks rose 2.9 million barrels in the week to October&nbsp;4, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday, more than double analysts' expectations of an increase of 1.4 million barrels.

Additionally, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quietly adjusted its production pact to allow Nigeria to raise its output, adding more supply.

OPEC granted Nigeria raised the quota to 1.774 million barrels per day (bpd) from 1.685 million bpd, three OPEC delegates with knowledge of the matter said.

OPEC member Venezuela will also increase its exports despite <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-ready-to-target-other-countries-for-supporting-venezuelas-maduro-241275">US&nbsp;economic sanctions </a>that have curtailed shipments from the country.

Indian refiner Reliance Industries Ltd plans to start loading Venezuelan crude after a four-month pause, in a further sign of expanding crude supply to the market.

Oil prices fell on Thursday on concerns of lower fuel demand as talks this week between the United States and China, the world's two largest oil users, are not expected to help end the trade war between them, adding to anxieties about the global economy.

Oil prices fell on Thursday on concerns of lower fuel demand as talks this week between the United States and China, the world's two largest oil users, are not expected to help end the trade war between them, adding to anxieties about the global economy. China, the world's biggest oil importer, has lowered its expectations for talks on Thursday and Friday to end the 15-month-old trade dispute with the United States. US President Donald Trump is set to raise the tariff rate on about $250 billion of Chinese goods to 30 per cent from 25 per cent on October 15 if some signs of progress are not seen. The trade dispute between the world's two largest economies has disrupted global supply chains and slowed the growth of both countries, limiting the growth of their fuel consumption. Global benchmark Brent crude futures fell 11 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to $58.21 a barrel by 0354 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were down 11 cents, or 0.2 per cent, at $52.48 per barrel. "Should US-China trade negotiations take a turn for the worst, market pessimism will impose sharp negative pressures on oil prices, said Benjamin Lu, commodities analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore. Prices were also weighed down by a report of rising stockpiles in the United States, which is also currently the world's biggest oil producer. US crude stocks rose 2.9 million barrels in the week to October 4, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday, more than double analysts' expectations of an increase of 1.4 million barrels. Additionally, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quietly adjusted its production pact to allow Nigeria to raise its output, adding more supply. OPEC granted Nigeria raised the quota to 1.774 million barrels per day (bpd) from 1.685 million bpd, three OPEC delegates with knowledge of the matter said. OPEC member Venezuela will also increase its exports despite US economic sanctions that have curtailed shipments from the country. Indian refiner Reliance Industries Ltd plans to start loading Venezuelan crude after a four-month pause, in a further sign of expanding crude supply to the market.

Oil prices fall as hopes for US-China trade progress wilt

US&nbsp;President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;on Thursday will hold his&nbsp;first&nbsp;campaign&nbsp;rally&nbsp;since Democrats<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-begins-trump-impeachment-inquiry-over-call-to-ukraine-leader-251866"> launched an&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;inquiry&nbsp;against him,</a> choosing a large arena in a&nbsp;Democratic&nbsp;stronghold&nbsp;in Minnesota to mount his latest public defense.

Supporters of the Republican president will gather inside the 20,000-seat Target Center in Minneapolis for the 7 p.m. CDT&nbsp;rally, while protesters promise to voice their opposition outside.

Trump’s path to re-election in November 2020 depends on clinching a cluster of farm and Rust Belt states decided by slim margins in 2016. Minnesota, which&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;lost by 1.5 percentage points to Democrat Hillary Clinton, is a key target, his campaign said.

Unlike 2016, when it spent little money and time in the Midwestern state, the campaign has already hired staff and organized voters there. Thursday's visit marks the president's fourth trip to the state in the past 16 months.

The visit comes against the backdrop of an&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;investigation by the&nbsp;Democratic-led US&nbsp;House of Representatives that has upended Washington.

The probe centers on a whistleblower’s allegations that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;used military aid to secure a promise from Ukraine’s president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading candidate for the 2020&nbsp;Democratic&nbsp;presidential nomination, and his son Hunter, who was on the board of a Ukrainian energy firm.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-remains-defiant-as-impeachment-enquiry-against-him-intensifies-252755">Trump&nbsp;has denied wrongdoing.</a> The White House said on Tuesday it would refuse to participate in the "partisan and unconstitutional"&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;inquiry.

Alex Conant, a Republican strategist born in Minnesota, said the&nbsp;rally&nbsp;venue held a symbolic meaning.

"I think he wants to have the biggest crowd possible. If he gets 15,000 to 20,000 people on a Thursday night in Minneapolis, that sends a signal," Conant said.

Trump's visit has generated local backlash. The city's mayor was criticized for initially suggesting&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;was not welcome. The Minneapolis police union began selling pro-Trump&nbsp;T-shirts after the police chief said off-duty officers could not wear their uniforms to political events.

Vice President Mike Pence, who is also making a visit to Minnesota on Thursday, is scheduled to meet with the police union.

City and state leaders are holding several news conferences on Thursday to highlight&nbsp;Democratic&nbsp;causes and publicly reject&nbsp;Trump's platform. Local labor leaders are planning a late-afternoon march to protest&nbsp;Trump's visit.

"I believe in the people of Minnesota. In the end, I think we will see people voicing their opinions without any incident," said Amy Koch, a Republican strategist in Minnesota who plans on attending the&nbsp;rally.

No Republican presidential candidate has won Minnesota since Richard Nixon in 1972.

A poll released by Alliance for a Better Minnesota on Wednesday showed 52 per cent&nbsp;of registered voters in the state would vote for the&nbsp;Democratic&nbsp;candidate next year, while 42 per cent would vote for&nbsp;Trump. The survey of 1,175 voters was conducted with the left-leaning Public Policy Polling.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday will hold his first campaign rally since Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry against him, choosing a large arena in a Democratic stronghold in Minnesota to mount his latest public defense.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday will hold his first campaign rally since Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry against him, choosing a large arena in a Democratic stronghold in Minnesota to mount his latest public defense. Supporters of the Republican president will gather inside the 20,000-seat Target Center in Minneapolis for the 7 p.m. CDT rally, while protesters promise to voice their opposition outside. Trump’s path to re-election in November 2020 depends on clinching a cluster of farm and Rust Belt states decided by slim margins in 2016. Minnesota, which Trump lost by 1.5 percentage points to Democrat Hillary Clinton, is a key target, his campaign said. Unlike 2016, when it spent little money and time in the Midwestern state, the campaign has already hired staff and organized voters there. Thursday's visit marks the president's fourth trip to the state in the past 16 months. The visit comes against the backdrop of an impeachment investigation by the Democratic-led US House of Representatives that has upended Washington. The probe centers on a whistleblower’s allegations that Trump used military aid to secure a promise from Ukraine’s president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, and his son Hunter, who was on the board of a Ukrainian energy firm. Trump has denied wrongdoing. The White House said on Tuesday it would refuse to participate in the "partisan and unconstitutional" impeachment inquiry. Alex Conant, a Republican strategist born in Minnesota, said the rally venue held a symbolic meaning. "I think he wants to have the biggest crowd possible. If he gets 15,000 to 20,000 people on a Thursday night in Minneapolis, that sends a signal," Conant said. Trump's visit has generated local backlash. The city's mayor was criticized for initially suggesting Trump was not welcome. The Minneapolis police union began selling pro-Trump T-shirts after the police chief said off-duty officers could not wear their uniforms to political events. Vice President Mike Pence, who is also making a visit to Minnesota on Thursday, is scheduled to meet with the police union. City and state leaders are holding several news conferences on Thursday to highlight Democratic causes and publicly reject Trump's platform. Local labor leaders are planning a late-afternoon march to protest Trump's visit. "I believe in the people of Minnesota. In the end, I think we will see people voicing their opinions without any incident," said Amy Koch, a Republican strategist in Minnesota who plans on attending the rally. No Republican presidential candidate has won Minnesota since Richard Nixon in 1972. A poll released by Alliance for a Better Minnesota on Wednesday showed 52 per cent of registered voters in the state would vote for the Democratic candidate next year, while 42 per cent would vote for Trump. The survey of 1,175 voters was conducted with the left-leaning Public Policy Polling.

Trump to host first post-impeachment inquiry rally in Democratic stronghold

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran&nbsp;Khan&nbsp;is likely to&nbsp;visit&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia and&nbsp;Iran, the foreign office in Islamabad said on Thursday, weeks&nbsp;after&nbsp;Islamabad said Washington had asked it to mediate with Tehran.

"The possibility of a&nbsp;visit&nbsp;of the prime minister to&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia and&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;is on the cards and I will update you as things unfold," foreign office spokesman, Mohammad Fasisal, told a news briefing.

The announcement of the possible&nbsp;visit&nbsp;comes&nbsp;after&nbsp;Khan&nbsp;last month described a request by&nbsp;US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, asking the&nbsp;Pakistani leader to help defuse tensions with&nbsp;Iran. Washington had blamed Tehran for an attack on the world's biggest crude oil processing facility in&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia.

Faisal declined to comment when asked whether the&nbsp;visit&nbsp;was related to the&nbsp;mediation&nbsp;request.

Tensions have elevated between&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;and&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia since the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/drone-attack-at-saudi-arabias-oil-refinery-massive-fire-broke-out-249565">attack, which took place on Sept. 14.</a>

Yemen's&nbsp;Iran-aligned Houthi group, which has been fighting a&nbsp;Saudi-led military coalition since 2015, has claimed responsibility, but Washington and Riyadh say they believe the attack came from the opposite direction and blame&nbsp;Iran.&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;denies involvement.

Khan&nbsp;said&nbsp;after&nbsp;a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York that he was "trying and mediating" and had also spoken with&nbsp;Iran's President Hassan Rouhani.

Khan&nbsp;has ramped up his government's engagement on the international stage, offering to negotiate regional tensions. He has separately proposed to Trump that&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;could&nbsp;help broker peace in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Last week<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-delegation-meets-imran-khan-discusses-afghan-peace-process-253661">&nbsp;Pakistani government ministers met with both Taliban representatives</a> and the&nbsp;US&nbsp;peace envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, in Islamabad while&nbsp;Pakistan's foreign minister called for a resumption in stalled peace talks between the Taliban and Washington.

The Taliban also met with Khalilzad, sources told Reuters, the first known contact since Trump halted talks last month, though officials said the talks did not represent a formal resumption of negotiations.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to visit Saudi Arabia and Iran, the foreign office in Islamabad said on Thursday, weeks after Islamabad said Washington had asked it to mediate with Tehran.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to visit Saudi Arabia and Iran, the foreign office in Islamabad said on Thursday, weeks after Islamabad said Washington had asked it to mediate with Tehran. "The possibility of a visit of the prime minister to Saudi Arabia and Iran is on the cards and I will update you as things unfold," foreign office spokesman, Mohammad Fasisal, told a news briefing. The announcement of the possible visit comes after Khan last month described a request by US President Donald Trump, asking the Pakistani leader to help defuse tensions with Iran. Washington had blamed Tehran for an attack on the world's biggest crude oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia. Faisal declined to comment when asked whether the visit was related to the mediation request. Tensions have elevated between Iran and Saudi Arabia since the attack, which took place on Sept. 14. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group, which has been fighting a Saudi-led military coalition since 2015, has claimed responsibility, but Washington and Riyadh say they believe the attack came from the opposite direction and blame Iran. Iran denies involvement. Khan said after a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York that he was "trying and mediating" and had also spoken with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani. Khan has ramped up his government's engagement on the international stage, offering to negotiate regional tensions. He has separately proposed to Trump that Pakistan could help broker peace in neighbouring Afghanistan. Last week Pakistani government ministers met with both Taliban representatives and the US peace envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, in Islamabad while Pakistan's foreign minister called for a resumption in stalled peace talks between the Taliban and Washington. The Taliban also met with Khalilzad, sources told Reuters, the first known contact since Trump halted talks last month, though officials said the talks did not represent a formal resumption of negotiations.

Pakistan says Imran Khan could visit Saudi, Iran, after US mediation request

Explainer: Turkey set to redraw map of Syrian war once more

North Korea on Thursday slammed a statement by European UN Security Council members urging strict enforcement of sanctions against Pyongyang for its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/north-korea-launches-2-missiles-in-the-sea-one-enters-japanese-waters-253251">latest missile test,</a> calling the move a "serious provocation".

Pyongyang fired a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/north-korea-says-successfully-tested-new-submarine-launched-ballistic-missile-kcna-253359">sea-launched missile</a> on October 2 in the latest -- and most provocative -- of a series of weapons tests, just days before long-stalled US-North Korean nuclear talks were to resume in Sweden.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-breaks-off-nuclear-talks-with-united-states-in-sweden-254080">The North then walked away from the Stockholm talks</a> on Saturday saying it was disappointed at the lack of "new and creative" solutions offered by Washington, although the US said it was willing to meet again in two weeks.

In their statement at the UN Tuesday, the Europeans -- France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Britain and Estonia -- condemned Pyongyang's tests and urged it to engage in "good faith in meaningful negotiations with the United States."

The North on Thursday accused the Europeans of double standards.

"The UNSC which champions fairness and equity picks fault with the just measure belonging to our right to self-defence, while keeping mum about the test-fire of Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile recently conducted by the US. This is a serious provocation against the DPRK," a foreign ministry spokesperson said.

DPRK are the initials for North Korea's official name.

Washington has spent decades and billions of dollars developing technologies to try to stop an incoming ballistic missile, and said last week that it had tested an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM.

"But there is a limit to the patience of the DPRK and there is no guarantee that all our patience would continue indefinitely," the North Korean spokesperson added in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

Pyongyang declared a moratorium on intercontinental ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests at the end of 2017, saying it had completed the development of the deterrent, which it says it needs to defend against a possible US invasion.

The nuclear-armed North is under multiple sets of sanctions imposed by the UN, US, EU and others in an attempt to dissuade it from pursuing its weapons programmes.

Under leader Kim Jong Un it has carried out more than 100 missile launches, including ICBMs capable of reaching the entire United States, and in 2017 detonated its sixth nuclear blast.

Last week, it tested a device it said was a submarine-launched ballistic missile that marked a "new phase" in its capabilities, although the US said it seemed to have been fired from a "sea-based platform".

In their statement, the European Security Council members said the North's missile tests "undermine regional security and stability and they are in clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

"International sanctions must remain in place and be fully and strictly enforced," they added. 
&nbsp;

North Korea on Thursday slammed a statement by European UN Security Council members urging strict enforcement of sanctions against Pyongyang for its latest missile test, calling the move a "serious provocation".

North Korea on Thursday slammed a statement by European UN Security Council members urging strict enforcement of sanctions against Pyongyang for its latest missile test, calling the move a "serious provocation". Pyongyang fired a sea-launched missile on October 2 in the latest -- and most provocative -- of a series of weapons tests, just days before long-stalled US-North Korean nuclear talks were to resume in Sweden. The North then walked away from the Stockholm talks on Saturday saying it was disappointed at the lack of "new and creative" solutions offered by Washington, although the US said it was willing to meet again in two weeks. In their statement at the UN Tuesday, the Europeans -- France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Britain and Estonia -- condemned Pyongyang's tests and urged it to engage in "good faith in meaningful negotiations with the United States." The North on Thursday accused the Europeans of double standards. "The UNSC which champions fairness and equity picks fault with the just measure belonging to our right to self-defence, while keeping mum about the test-fire of Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile recently conducted by the US. This is a serious provocation against the DPRK," a foreign ministry spokesperson said. DPRK are the initials for North Korea's official name. Washington has spent decades and billions of dollars developing technologies to try to stop an incoming ballistic missile, and said last week that it had tested an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM. "But there is a limit to the patience of the DPRK and there is no guarantee that all our patience would continue indefinitely," the North Korean spokesperson added in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. Pyongyang declared a moratorium on intercontinental ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests at the end of 2017, saying it had completed the development of the deterrent, which it says it needs to defend against a possible US invasion. The nuclear-armed North is under multiple sets of sanctions imposed by the UN, US, EU and others in an attempt to dissuade it from pursuing its weapons programmes. Under leader Kim Jong Un it has carried out more than 100 missile launches, including ICBMs capable of reaching the entire United States, and in 2017 detonated its sixth nuclear blast. Last week, it tested a device it said was a submarine-launched ballistic missile that marked a "new phase" in its capabilities, although the US said it seemed to have been fired from a "sea-based platform". In their statement, the European Security Council members said the North's missile tests "undermine regional security and stability and they are in clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions. "International sanctions must remain in place and be fully and strictly enforced," they added.

North Korea slams Europeans over criticism of missile test

By Cynthia Hooper

The Russians are calling it “Ukrainegate.”

“I never thought I’d say it, but CNN is right,” remarked one pundit on Russia 1, the county’s most-watched television station. “The person who wins in this situation is Putin.”

Commentary in Russian media about the impeachment investigation of US President Donald Trump in many ways echoes the language of US&nbsp;coverage. Just a few of the jokes are different.

“Of course, if Trump is impeached, he could probably return here, if you believe the American press,” laughed one Moscow-based moderator.

As a historian who studies contemporary Russia, I have seen the pro-Kremlin Russian political and media establishment grow increasingly skilled at spinning stories to highlight US political weaknesses over the past five years – since conflict between the US and Russia first erupted over Russia’s annexation of a portion of Ukraine.

This latest scandal, revolving around a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is a gift for those wishing to advertise US dysfunction without seeming to engage in heavy-handed censorship or promote obviously deceptive propaganda.

One tactic is comedy. In a catchy YouTube feature by the Kremlin-funded English-language media service RT, titled “Ukrainegate: The Next Best Thing,” an enthusiastic young woman with a British accent gives a synopsis of the impeachment investigation. In less than three minutes, she succeeds in mocking both the US and Ukrainian presidents, the US political system, and the ignorance and condescension of the average Democratic operative.

She begins: “Despite all the effort that went into Russiagate, the claims against Donald Trump just won’t stick. Luckily for the Democrats, there are plenty more Eastern European countries that can be used to bring down a president.”

Ukraine is, of course, the country she’s referring to. “If you squint, it could even be Russia,” she says. “It’s big, it’s cold, and everyone speaks Russian … sort of.”

Who is to blame?

Most Russian newspapers are echoing Republican condemnation of Democrats for allegedly concocting another scandal involving Trump after failing to find proof his campaign colluded with Russia to swing his 2016 election.

“The Democrats are making a laughingstock of themselves. If they are not careful, this could end up exposing a lot of Democratic corruption dating back to the Clinton years. But at least it’s keeping them busy – otherwise, they’d return to interfering in the Russian economy.” So remarked one panellist to general applause on “Vecher” (“Evening”), a popular prime-time talk show with pro-Putin host Vladimir Soloviev.

“The actions of US Democrats are exposing their country to global ridicule,” wrote Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Facebook.

Russian pundits are also presenting the US intelligence community as highly politicised and unreliable. Many repeat variants of Trump’s own angry tweets, accusing the security organs of trying to orchestrate a coup.

At the opening of Russian Energy Week in Moscow on October 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin likewise criticised their actions, which he claimed had little to do with defending rule of law.

During Watergate, Putin said, US President Richard Nixon got into trouble “for eavesdropping on his political rivals. But here we have a totally different situation. Here Trump was eavesdropped on … and some kind of anonymous employee of the special services distributed that&nbsp; 
information.”

Trump slump

Even in defending Trump, the Russian establishment casts him as far more vulnerable than their own leader.

Putin, meanwhile, is taking a cool, professorial tone in describing the US&nbsp;situation to international audiences.

“I was taught long ago to be aware that any of my conversations could end up published,” Putin remarked at the Energy Week panel, alluding to his past training in espionage. He claimed that, consequently, he had nothing to hide and did not oppose making public the transcripts of his meetings with Trump.

Nevertheless, even independent Russian media services generally critical of the Kremlin have pointed out that Trump, not Putin, might be the one with something to hide. Citing The Washington Post, internet news company Meduza reported that in one redacted meeting Trump held in 2017 with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Trump allegedly said that “he wasn’t greatly upset about Russian meddling in the American presidential election of 2016, given that America has done the same thing in many other countries.”

Russian talk show hosts, meanwhile, are expressing incredulity at the fact that a sitting US president can’t apparently manage to keep his would-be secrets secret.

As nationalist Eduard Limonov argued: “If I were in Trump’s position, I’d create my own secret service, answering only to me, and I wouldn’t drink or eat anything that wasn’t vetted by my own people.”

Even as Russian commentators defend both Trump and to some extent Ukrainian leader Zelenskiy, they also are taking the opportunity to remind viewers that the two men both lack political experience. Trump probably thought he and Zelenskiy, the star of a popular television sitcom before he became president, could be “kindred spirits, able to reminisce about promising TV careers ruined by a move into politics,” RT joked.

Looking like a global leader

Amid a barrage of increasingly sensational Western headlines, Russian journalists can allow the US media to do their work for them. Selective quotes from US coverage of Washington’s bitter political battles are held up, in the Russian press, as examples of US hypocrisy and decay.

At the same time, Russian leaders are presenting themselves as statesmanlike and above the fray. Their benevolent attitude, at least for the moment, appears to extend to Ukraine, thanks to Zelenskiy’s apparent willingness to make peace with the Kremlin.

“I don’t envy him,” said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on a trip to Cuba, refusing to get drawn into a reporter’s question about whether “Zelenskiy has become Trump’s Monica Lewinsky” but still laughing at the jest.

Meanwhile, Putin continues to position himself to look strong on the global stage. Taking questions with a panel of oil and gas executives in Moscow on October 2, he joked about planning to interfere in 2020 US elections.

But, speaking the next day at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi to an audience that included the King of Jordan and the presidents of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and the Philippines, Putin emphasised that today’s complex world requires global cooperation and a sense of “common responsibility.”

Taking the tone of a parent talking about a small child, Putin suggested the US try hard to correct its all-consuming domestic chaos. He stressed that Moscow will be willing to work with whomever the future US leader might be.

(Cynthia Hooper is Associate Professor of History, College of the Holy Cross)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-russia-talk-of-trump-impeachment-is-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-124689">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

By Cynthia Hooper The Russians are calling it “Ukrainegate.” “I never thought I’d say it, but CNN is right,” remarked one pundit on Russia 1, the county’s most-watched television station.

By Cynthia Hooper The Russians are calling it “Ukrainegate.” “I never thought I’d say it, but CNN is right,” remarked one pundit on Russia 1, the county’s most-watched television station. “The person who wins in this situation is Putin.” Commentary in Russian media about the impeachment investigation of US President Donald Trump in many ways echoes the language of US coverage. Just a few of the jokes are different. “Of course, if Trump is impeached, he could probably return here, if you believe the American press,” laughed one Moscow-based moderator. As a historian who studies contemporary Russia, I have seen the pro-Kremlin Russian political and media establishment grow increasingly skilled at spinning stories to highlight US political weaknesses over the past five years – since conflict between the US and Russia first erupted over Russia’s annexation of a portion of Ukraine. This latest scandal, revolving around a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is a gift for those wishing to advertise US dysfunction without seeming to engage in heavy-handed censorship or promote obviously deceptive propaganda. One tactic is comedy. In a catchy YouTube feature by the Kremlin-funded English-language media service RT, titled “Ukrainegate: The Next Best Thing,” an enthusiastic young woman with a British accent gives a synopsis of the impeachment investigation. In less than three minutes, she succeeds in mocking both the US and Ukrainian presidents, the US political system, and the ignorance and condescension of the average Democratic operative. She begins: “Despite all the effort that went into Russiagate, the claims against Donald Trump just won’t stick. Luckily for the Democrats, there are plenty more Eastern European countries that can be used to bring down a president.” Ukraine is, of course, the country she’s referring to. “If you squint, it could even be Russia,” she says. “It’s big, it’s cold, and everyone speaks Russian … sort of.” Who is to blame? Most Russian newspapers are echoing Republican condemnation of Democrats for allegedly concocting another scandal involving Trump after failing to find proof his campaign colluded with Russia to swing his 2016 election. “The Democrats are making a laughingstock of themselves. If they are not careful, this could end up exposing a lot of Democratic corruption dating back to the Clinton years. But at least it’s keeping them busy – otherwise, they’d return to interfering in the Russian economy.” So remarked one panellist to general applause on “Vecher” (“Evening”), a popular prime-time talk show with pro-Putin host Vladimir Soloviev. “The actions of US Democrats are exposing their country to global ridicule,” wrote Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Facebook. Russian pundits are also presenting the US intelligence community as highly politicised and unreliable. Many repeat variants of Trump’s own angry tweets, accusing the security organs of trying to orchestrate a coup. At the opening of Russian Energy Week in Moscow on October 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin likewise criticised their actions, which he claimed had little to do with defending rule of law. During Watergate, Putin said, US President Richard Nixon got into trouble “for eavesdropping on his political rivals. But here we have a totally different situation. Here Trump was eavesdropped on … and some kind of anonymous employee of the special services distributed that information.” Trump slump Even in defending Trump, the Russian establishment casts him as far more vulnerable than their own leader. Putin, meanwhile, is taking a cool, professorial tone in describing the US situation to international audiences. “I was taught long ago to be aware that any of my conversations could end up published,” Putin remarked at the Energy Week panel, alluding to his past training in espionage. He claimed that, consequently, he had nothing to hide and did not oppose making public the transcripts of his meetings with Trump. Nevertheless, even independent Russian media services generally critical of the Kremlin have pointed out that Trump, not Putin, might be the one with something to hide. Citing The Washington Post, internet news company Meduza reported that in one redacted meeting Trump held in 2017 with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Trump allegedly said that “he wasn’t greatly upset about Russian meddling in the American presidential election of 2016, given that America has done the same thing in many other countries.” Russian talk show hosts, meanwhile, are expressing incredulity at the fact that a sitting US president can’t apparently manage to keep his would-be secrets secret. As nationalist Eduard Limonov argued: “If I were in Trump’s position, I’d create my own secret service, answering only to me, and I wouldn’t drink or eat anything that wasn’t vetted by my own people.” Even as Russian commentators defend both Trump and to some extent Ukrainian leader Zelenskiy, they also are taking the opportunity to remind viewers that the two men both lack political experience. Trump probably thought he and Zelenskiy, the star of a popular television sitcom before he became president, could be “kindred spirits, able to reminisce about promising TV careers ruined by a move into politics,” RT joked. Looking like a global leader Amid a barrage of increasingly sensational Western headlines, Russian journalists can allow the US media to do their work for them. Selective quotes from US coverage of Washington’s bitter political battles are held up, in the Russian press, as examples of US hypocrisy and decay. At the same time, Russian leaders are presenting themselves as statesmanlike and above the fray. Their benevolent attitude, at least for the moment, appears to extend to Ukraine, thanks to Zelenskiy’s apparent willingness to make peace with the Kremlin. “I don’t envy him,” said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on a trip to Cuba, refusing to get drawn into a reporter’s question about whether “Zelenskiy has become Trump’s Monica Lewinsky” but still laughing at the jest. Meanwhile, Putin continues to position himself to look strong on the global stage. Taking questions with a panel of oil and gas executives in Moscow on October 2, he joked about planning to interfere in 2020 US elections. But, speaking the next day at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi to an audience that included the King of Jordan and the presidents of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and the Philippines, Putin emphasised that today’s complex world requires global cooperation and a sense of “common responsibility.” Taking the tone of a parent talking about a small child, Putin suggested the US try hard to correct its all-consuming domestic chaos. He stressed that Moscow will be willing to work with whomever the future US leader might be. (Cynthia Hooper is Associate Professor of History, College of the Holy Cross) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

For Russia, talk of Donald Trump impeachment is the gift that keeps on giving

The United States has not given Turkey <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-launches-land-operation-in-northeast-syria-arab-league-to-hold-emergency-meeting-254862">a green light to invade Syria</a>, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday, but added that Ankara had "legitimate security concerns" and that President Donald Trump made a decision to move American soldiers out of harm's way.

"That's just false. The United States didn't give Turkey a green light. We'll continue to be in a position to do what we need to do to keep the American people as safe as we possibly can from this threat. But it is not only in Syria. It emanates from Iraq,'' Pompeo said.

''There are a dozen other countries where the threat from radical Islamic terrorism continues to exist, and we the United States, has to make sure we position our forces our resources, appropriately to reduce that threat to the United States," Pompeo added.

Speaking to broadcaster PBS Pompeo said that China's treatment of Muslims, including the Uighurs, in western China was an "enormous human rights violation" and Washington will continue to raise the issue.

"This is not only an enormous human rights violation, but we don't think it's in the best interests of the world or of China to engage in this kind of behaviour," Pompeo told PBS.

Shocking video shows hundreds of blindfolded and bound Uighur Muslims

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/shocking-video-shows-hundreds-of-blindfolded-and-bound-uighur-muslims-254903/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Asked whether Chinese President Xi Jinping was responsible, Pompeo said: "Xi Jinping leads the country just like the leader of a tank platoon, a small business or a country is responsible for the things that happen in your name."

Pompeo also said it was "wholly appropriate" for President Donald Trump to ask Ukraine's leader to investigate corruption in his country.

"I found that to be wholly appropriate to try to get another country to stop being corrupt," Pompeo said in an interview on PBS's "NewsHour" program.

Pompeo has said he listened to the July 25 call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in which Trump asked Zelenskiy to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who was on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

The call has sparked a US House of Representatives' impeachment probe of Trump.

The United States has not given Turkey a green light to invade Syria, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday, but added that Ankara had "legitimate security concerns" and that President Donald Trump made a decision to move American soldiers out of harm's way.

The United States has not given Turkey a green light to invade Syria, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday, but added that Ankara had "legitimate security concerns" and that President Donald Trump made a decision to move American soldiers out of harm's way. "That's just false. The United States didn't give Turkey a green light. We'll continue to be in a position to do what we need to do to keep the American people as safe as we possibly can from this threat. But it is not only in Syria. It emanates from Iraq,'' Pompeo said. ''There are a dozen other countries where the threat from radical Islamic terrorism continues to exist, and we the United States, has to make sure we position our forces our resources, appropriately to reduce that threat to the United States," Pompeo added. Speaking to broadcaster PBS Pompeo said that China's treatment of Muslims, including the Uighurs, in western China was an "enormous human rights violation" and Washington will continue to raise the issue. "This is not only an enormous human rights violation, but we don't think it's in the best interests of the world or of China to engage in this kind of behaviour," Pompeo told PBS. Shocking video shows hundreds of blindfolded and bound Uighur Muslims Asked whether Chinese President Xi Jinping was responsible, Pompeo said: "Xi Jinping leads the country just like the leader of a tank platoon, a small business or a country is responsible for the things that happen in your name." Pompeo also said it was "wholly appropriate" for President Donald Trump to ask Ukraine's leader to investigate corruption in his country. "I found that to be wholly appropriate to try to get another country to stop being corrupt," Pompeo said in an interview on PBS's "NewsHour" program. Pompeo has said he listened to the July 25 call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in which Trump asked Zelenskiy to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who was on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. The call has sparked a US House of Representatives' impeachment probe of Trump.

US did not give 'green light' to Turkey's Syria incursion: Mike Pompeo

Officials from the United States,&nbsp;Japan, and South Korea met in Washington on Tuesday to&nbsp;discuss&nbsp;North Korean&nbsp;denuclearisation, just days after negotiations between the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-breaks-off-nuclear-talks-with-united-states-in-sweden-254080/amp">US and North Korea broke down in Sweden</a>.&nbsp;

US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun held talks with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, the US State Department said in a statement.

They "reaffirmed the importance of continued close... coordination on North Korea to achieve complete&nbsp;denuclearisation," it said.&nbsp;

After nuclear talks with the US in Sweden broke down on Saturday, North Korea said it had "no intention" to continue unless the US took steps to end hostilities.

The North walked away from the talks saying it was disappointed at the lack of "new and creative" solutions offered by Washington, though the US said the meeting involved "good discussions" and that it was willing to meet again later this month.

The meeting in Sweden came after months of stalemate following a February meeting between the North's leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump and after Pyongyang's defiant test of a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/north-korea-says-successfully-tested-new-submarine-launched-ballistic-missile-kcna-253359">sea-launched ballistic missile last week.</a>

Trump and Kim adopted a vaguely worded document on the "complete&nbsp;denuclearisation&nbsp;of the Korean peninsula" at their first summit in June last year, but little progress has since been made.

Officials from the United States, Japan, and South Korea met in Washington on Tuesday to discuss North Korean denuclearisation, just days after negotiations between the US and North Korea broke down in Sweden.

Officials from the United States, Japan, and South Korea met in Washington on Tuesday to discuss North Korean denuclearisation, just days after negotiations between the US and North Korea broke down in Sweden. US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun held talks with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, the US State Department said in a statement. They "reaffirmed the importance of continued close... coordination on North Korea to achieve complete denuclearisation," it said. After nuclear talks with the US in Sweden broke down on Saturday, North Korea said it had "no intention" to continue unless the US took steps to end hostilities. The North walked away from the talks saying it was disappointed at the lack of "new and creative" solutions offered by Washington, though the US said the meeting involved "good discussions" and that it was willing to meet again later this month. The meeting in Sweden came after months of stalemate following a February meeting between the North's leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump and after Pyongyang's defiant test of a sea-launched ballistic missile last week. Trump and Kim adopted a vaguely worded document on the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" at their first summit in June last year, but little progress has since been made.

US, Japan, South Korea discuss North Korea denuclearisation

The US&nbsp;government widened its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-blacklisted-28-chinese-organisations-involved-in-abuses-against-uighurs-254358">trade&nbsp;blacklist</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;include&nbsp;some of&nbsp;China's&nbsp;top&nbsp;artificial intelligence&nbsp;startups, punishing Beijing for its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-crackdown-in-xinjiang-for-uighur-refugees-freedom-means-losing-family-251676">treatment of Muslim minorities</a> and ratcheting up tensions&nbsp;ahead&nbsp;of high-level&nbsp;trade&nbsp;talks&nbsp;in Washington this week.

The decision, which drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing, targets 20 Chinese public security bureaus&nbsp;and eight companies including video surveillance firm Hikvision, as well as leaders in facial recognition technology SenseTime Group Ltd and Megvii Technology Ltd.

The action bars the firms from buying components from US&nbsp;companies without US government approval - a potentially crippling move for some of them. It follows the same blueprint&nbsp;used by Washington in its attempt to limit the influence of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd&nbsp;for what it says are national security reasons.

US&nbsp;officials said the action was not tied to this week's resumption of&nbsp;trade&nbsp;talks&nbsp;with China, but it signals no let-up in US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's hard-line stance as the world's two biggest economies seek to end their 15-month<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-china-trade-war-certain-us-goods-exempted-by-china-250942">&nbsp;trade&nbsp;war.</a>

The Commerce Department said in a filing the "entities have been implicated in human rights violations and abuses in the implementation of&nbsp;China's&nbsp;campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-technology surveillance against Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other members of Muslim minority groups."

"The US&nbsp;Government and Department of Commerce cannot and will not tolerate the brutal suppression of ethnic minorities within China," said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

China said the United States should stop&nbsp;interfering in its affairs. It will continue to take firm and resolute measures to protect its sovereign security, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular media briefing without elaborating.

Hikvision, with a market value of about $42 billion, calls itself the world's largest maker of video surveillance gear.

SenseTime, which says it is valued at more than $7.5 billion, is one of the world's most valuable&nbsp;AI&nbsp;unicorns while Megvii, backed by e-commerce giant Alibaba, is valued at around $4 billion and is preparing an IPO to raise at least $500 million in Hong Kong.

The other companies on the list are speech recognition firm iFlytek Co, surveillance equipment maker Zhejiang Dahua Technology, data recovery firm Xiamen Meiya Pico Information Co, facial recognition firm Yitu Technology and Yixin Science and Technology Co.

A US&nbsp;Hikvision spokesman said the company "strongly opposes" the decision and noted that in January it retained a human rights expert and former US&nbsp;ambassador to advise the company on human rights compliance.

"Punishing Hikvision, despite these engagements, will deter global companies from communicating with the US&nbsp;government, hurt Hikvision's US businesses partners and negatively impact the US economy," the company added.

Hikvision also said that it was assessing the potential impact of the&nbsp;blacklisting and was working on contingency plans.

John Honovich, founder of surveillance video research company IPVM, said Hikvision and Dahua both&nbsp;use Intel Corp, Nvidia Corp, Ambarella Inc, Western Digital and Seagate Technology&nbsp;as suppliers and that the impact on the Chinese companies would be "devastating".

The&nbsp;blacklisting of Huawei has hurt many of its US&nbsp;suppliers that depended on the world's largest telecommunications company for revenue and made it difficult for Huawei to sell new products.

Reuters reported in August Hikvision receives nearly 30 per cent&nbsp;of its 50 billion yuan ($7 billion) in revenue from overseas.

SenseTime said in a statement it was deeply disappointed by the US&nbsp;move, that it abides by all relevant laws of the jurisdictions in which its operates and that it has been actively developing an&nbsp;AI&nbsp;code of ethics to ensure its technologies are&nbsp;used responsibly.

Megvii said it strongly objected to being placed on the&nbsp;blacklist&nbsp;and that it required its clients not to weaponize its technology or&nbsp;use it for illegal purposes.

IFlytek said its placement on the&nbsp;blacklist&nbsp;would not affect its daily operations, while Xiamen Meiya said its overseas revenue was less than 1 per cent of total revenue and that most of its suppliers were domestic companies. Dahua said on a conference call it was confident it could easily replace some components and would also seek other solutions to keep servicing clients.

IFlytek fell 2.7 per cent&nbsp;and Xiamen Meiya lost 1.8 per cent&nbsp;on Tuesday as investors factored in their limited exposure to overseas markets and the potential for the US&nbsp;action to speed up restructuring, analysts said.

"China's&nbsp;stock market has become increasingly immune to bad news from the&nbsp;trade&nbsp;war. No more panic selling," said Stephen Huang, vice president of Shanghai&nbsp;See Truth Investment Management.

Hikvision and Dahua were suspended from&nbsp;trade&nbsp;at the companies' behest. US&nbsp;supplier Ambarella fell 12 per cent&nbsp;in after-hours trading on Monday.

In August, the Trump administration also released an interim rule banning federal purchases of telecommunications equipment from five Chinese companies, including Huawei and Hikvision.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huawei-denies-us-allegations-of-technology-theft-247310">Huawei has repeatedly denied</a> it is controlled by the Chinese government, military or intelligence services and has filed a lawsuit against the US&nbsp;government's restrictions.

The US government widened its trade blacklist to include some of China's top artificial intelligence startups, punishing Beijing for its treatment of Muslim minorities and ratcheting up tensions ahead of high-level trade talks in Washington this week.

The US government widened its trade blacklist to include some of China's top artificial intelligence startups, punishing Beijing for its treatment of Muslim minorities and ratcheting up tensions ahead of high-level trade talks in Washington this week. The decision, which drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing, targets 20 Chinese public security bureaus and eight companies including video surveillance firm Hikvision, as well as leaders in facial recognition technology SenseTime Group Ltd and Megvii Technology Ltd. The action bars the firms from buying components from US companies without US government approval - a potentially crippling move for some of them. It follows the same blueprint used by Washington in its attempt to limit the influence of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for what it says are national security reasons. US officials said the action was not tied to this week's resumption of trade talks with China, but it signals no let-up in US President Donald Trump's hard-line stance as the world's two biggest economies seek to end their 15-month trade war. The Commerce Department said in a filing the "entities have been implicated in human rights violations and abuses in the implementation of China's campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-technology surveillance against Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other members of Muslim minority groups." "The US Government and Department of Commerce cannot and will not tolerate the brutal suppression of ethnic minorities within China," said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. China said the United States should stop interfering in its affairs. It will continue to take firm and resolute measures to protect its sovereign security, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular media briefing without elaborating. Hikvision, with a market value of about $42 billion, calls itself the world's largest maker of video surveillance gear. SenseTime, which says it is valued at more than $7.5 billion, is one of the world's most valuable AI unicorns while Megvii, backed by e-commerce giant Alibaba, is valued at around $4 billion and is preparing an IPO to raise at least $500 million in Hong Kong. The other companies on the list are speech recognition firm iFlytek Co, surveillance equipment maker Zhejiang Dahua Technology, data recovery firm Xiamen Meiya Pico Information Co, facial recognition firm Yitu Technology and Yixin Science and Technology Co. A US Hikvision spokesman said the company "strongly opposes" the decision and noted that in January it retained a human rights expert and former US ambassador to advise the company on human rights compliance. "Punishing Hikvision, despite these engagements, will deter global companies from communicating with the US government, hurt Hikvision's US businesses partners and negatively impact the US economy," the company added. Hikvision also said that it was assessing the potential impact of the blacklisting and was working on contingency plans. John Honovich, founder of surveillance video research company IPVM, said Hikvision and Dahua both use Intel Corp, Nvidia Corp, Ambarella Inc, Western Digital and Seagate Technology as suppliers and that the impact on the Chinese companies would be "devastating". The blacklisting of Huawei has hurt many of its US suppliers that depended on the world's largest telecommunications company for revenue and made it difficult for Huawei to sell new products. Reuters reported in August Hikvision receives nearly 30 per cent of its 50 billion yuan ($7 billion) in revenue from overseas. SenseTime said in a statement it was deeply disappointed by the US move, that it abides by all relevant laws of the jurisdictions in which its operates and that it has been actively developing an AI code of ethics to ensure its technologies are used responsibly. Megvii said it strongly objected to being placed on the blacklist and that it required its clients not to weaponize its technology or use it for illegal purposes. IFlytek said its placement on the blacklist would not affect its daily operations, while Xiamen Meiya said its overseas revenue was less than 1 per cent of total revenue and that most of its suppliers were domestic companies. Dahua said on a conference call it was confident it could easily replace some components and would also seek other solutions to keep servicing clients. IFlytek fell 2.7 per cent and Xiamen Meiya lost 1.8 per cent on Tuesday as investors factored in their limited exposure to overseas markets and the potential for the US action to speed up restructuring, analysts said. "China's stock market has become increasingly immune to bad news from the trade war. No more panic selling," said Stephen Huang, vice president of Shanghai See Truth Investment Management. Hikvision and Dahua were suspended from trade at the companies' behest. US supplier Ambarella fell 12 per cent in after-hours trading on Monday. In August, the Trump administration also released an interim rule banning federal purchases of telecommunications equipment from five Chinese companies, including Huawei and Hikvision. Huawei has repeatedly denied it is controlled by the Chinese government, military or intelligence services and has filed a lawsuit against the US government's restrictions.

US expands blacklist to include China's top AI startups ahead of trade talks

American&nbsp;forward&nbsp;Jozy&nbsp;Altidore&nbsp;will miss the first two&nbsp;matches&nbsp;of the CONCACAF&nbsp;Nations&nbsp;League&nbsp;after suffering an injury during the Major&nbsp;League&nbsp;Soccer regular-season finale, the US&nbsp;men's national team said on Tuesday.

Altidore&nbsp;was substituted in Toronto FC's match against Columbus&nbsp;Crew on Sunday in the 70th minute after landing awkwardly following a challenge from Jonathan Mensah.

While the extent of the injury is unknown, the US&nbsp;team said in a statement that&nbsp;Altidore&nbsp;would not play on Friday in Washington against Cuba or on Oct. 15 in Toronto against Canada.

US&nbsp;Soccer also confirmed that a replacement would not be called up.

The competition, which is similar to that started by UEFA in 2018 with the aim of cutting down on meaningless friendlies, is part of a broad makeover by a confederation seeking to win back the confidence of fans after it was ravaged by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ex-uefa-chief-michel-platini-arrested-in-2022-qatar-world-cup-probe-228291">FIFA corruption scandal</a>.

The group&nbsp;matches&nbsp;will wrap up in six weeks with the finals taking place in June.

American forward Jozy Altidore will miss the first two matches of the CONCACAF Nations League after suffering an injury during the Major League Soccer regular-season finale, the US men's national team said on Tuesday.

American forward Jozy Altidore will miss the first two matches of the CONCACAF Nations League after suffering an injury during the Major League Soccer regular-season finale, the US men's national team said on Tuesday. Altidore was substituted in Toronto FC's match against Columbus Crew on Sunday in the 70th minute after landing awkwardly following a challenge from Jonathan Mensah. While the extent of the injury is unknown, the US team said in a statement that Altidore would not play on Friday in Washington against Cuba or on Oct. 15 in Toronto against Canada. US Soccer also confirmed that a replacement would not be called up. The competition, which is similar to that started by UEFA in 2018 with the aim of cutting down on meaningless friendlies, is part of a broad makeover by a confederation seeking to win back the confidence of fans after it was ravaged by the FIFA corruption scandal. The group matches will wrap up in six weeks with the finals taking place in June.

US forward Altidore ruled out of Nations League

United States-backed Kurdish fighters have halted operations for now against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-nations-security-council-head-appeals-to-turkey-for-restraint-in-syria-254812">Islamic State in Syria</a> as Turkey launches a military offensive in Syria's northeast, two US&nbsp;officials and a Kurdish military source said on Wednesday.

"The SDF stopped the anti-ISIS operations because it's impossible to carry out any operation while you are being threatened by a large army right on the northern border," the Kurdish military source said.

One of the US&nbsp;officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the suspension also impacted US&nbsp;training of stabilisation forces in Syria.

It was unclear whether the pause affected every aspect of US-partnered operations against Islamic State or whether there might be exceptions. The US&nbsp;military was not immediately available for comment.

But any suspension in such activities would represent a direct setback to the central US&nbsp;goal of helping the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) secure territory seized from Islamic State.

It would also show how the Kurdish-led SDF are rapidly shifting their focus to the fight against Turkey - at the cost of preparations to prevent Islamic State's resurgence.

Turkish warplanes and artillery struck Kurdish militia positions in several towns on Wednesday after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-urges-turkey-to-halt-syria-offensive-will-not-pay-for-safe-zone-254817">United States this week pulled back its troops from the Turkey-Syria</a> frontier following a decision by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump.

Trump's critics say his move cleared the way for the Turkish operation and amounted to a betrayal of America's allies, the Kurds. US&nbsp;officials say the president felt US&nbsp;troops should not be caught in the middle of that fight, and Trump says he is fulfilling promises to withdraw the United States from “endless” Middle East wars.

The Kurdish fighters, considered terrorists by Turkey, have described the US&nbsp;decision as "a stab in the back". Spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG militia, the SDF has been the backbone of the US-led campaign against Islamic State.

The US&nbsp;military had hoped to train SDF and other groups to create a stabilization force of 50,000-60,000 fighters to help prevent a resurgence of Islamic State. As of last month, the US&nbsp;military estimated it was perhaps about halfway toward that goal.

A third official told Reuters that the SDF was still guarding prisons holding some 11,000 captured Islamic State fighters, but noted that a small number of SDF forces had relocated ahead of the expected Turkish offensive.

US&nbsp;officials have long feared that the SDF would be unable to continue guarding the facilities in the event of a major Turkish incursion into Syria.

Still, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkish-air-strikes-hit-northeast-syria-near-border-monitor-254813">Islamic State remnants could force the SDF to battle it as well.</a>

Jennifer Cafarella, research director at the Institute for the Study of War think-tank in Washington, said the SDF faced the likely prospect of having to fight on two fronts: against Turkish forces and remnants of Islamic State simultaneously.

"ISIS leader (Abu Bakr) Baghdadi is undoubtedly prepared for this moment," Cafarella said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

At the height of its power, Islamic State ruled over millions of people in territory running from northern Syria through cities and towns along the Tigris and Euphrates valleys to the outskirts of Baghdad in neighbouring Iraq.

But the fall in 2017 of Mosul and Raqqa, its strongholds in Iraq and Syria respectively, stripped Baghdadi of the trappings of a caliph and turned him into a fugitive thought to be moving along the desert border between Iraq and Syria.

US&nbsp;officials have been warning for months against losing focus on Islamic State, which they believe could again become a potent insurgency.

United States-backed Kurdish fighters have halted operations for now against Islamic State in Syria as Turkey launches a military offensive in Syria's northeast, two US officials and a Kurdish military source said on Wednesday.

United States-backed Kurdish fighters have halted operations for now against Islamic State in Syria as Turkey launches a military offensive in Syria's northeast, two US officials and a Kurdish military source said on Wednesday. "The SDF stopped the anti-ISIS operations because it's impossible to carry out any operation while you are being threatened by a large army right on the northern border," the Kurdish military source said. One of the US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the suspension also impacted US training of stabilisation forces in Syria. It was unclear whether the pause affected every aspect of US-partnered operations against Islamic State or whether there might be exceptions. The US military was not immediately available for comment. But any suspension in such activities would represent a direct setback to the central US goal of helping the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) secure territory seized from Islamic State. It would also show how the Kurdish-led SDF are rapidly shifting their focus to the fight against Turkey - at the cost of preparations to prevent Islamic State's resurgence. Turkish warplanes and artillery struck Kurdish militia positions in several towns on Wednesday after the United States this week pulled back its troops from the Turkey-Syria frontier following a decision by US President Donald Trump. Trump's critics say his move cleared the way for the Turkish operation and amounted to a betrayal of America's allies, the Kurds. US officials say the president felt US troops should not be caught in the middle of that fight, and Trump says he is fulfilling promises to withdraw the United States from “endless” Middle East wars. The Kurdish fighters, considered terrorists by Turkey, have described the US decision as "a stab in the back". Spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG militia, the SDF has been the backbone of the US-led campaign against Islamic State. The US military had hoped to train SDF and other groups to create a stabilization force of 50,000-60,000 fighters to help prevent a resurgence of Islamic State. As of last month, the US military estimated it was perhaps about halfway toward that goal. A third official told Reuters that the SDF was still guarding prisons holding some 11,000 captured Islamic State fighters, but noted that a small number of SDF forces had relocated ahead of the expected Turkish offensive. US officials have long feared that the SDF would be unable to continue guarding the facilities in the event of a major Turkish incursion into Syria. Still, Islamic State remnants could force the SDF to battle it as well. Jennifer Cafarella, research director at the Institute for the Study of War think-tank in Washington, said the SDF faced the likely prospect of having to fight on two fronts: against Turkish forces and remnants of Islamic State simultaneously. "ISIS leader (Abu Bakr) Baghdadi is undoubtedly prepared for this moment," Cafarella said, using an acronym for Islamic State. At the height of its power, Islamic State ruled over millions of people in territory running from northern Syria through cities and towns along the Tigris and Euphrates valleys to the outskirts of Baghdad in neighbouring Iraq. But the fall in 2017 of Mosul and Raqqa, its strongholds in Iraq and Syria respectively, stripped Baghdadi of the trappings of a caliph and turned him into a fugitive thought to be moving along the desert border between Iraq and Syria. US officials have been warning for months against losing focus on Islamic State, which they believe could again become a potent insurgency.

United States backed Syrian forces halt counter-Islamic State operations

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg will testify before the United States&nbsp;House Financial Services Committee on October&nbsp;23 as the company faces growing scrutiny from US&nbsp;lawmakers.

Zuckerberg will testify at a hearing titled "An Examination of Facebook and Its Impact on the Financial Services and Housing Sectors." It will be his first appearance before a US&nbsp;congressional committee since April 2018 although last month he was on Capitol Hill to meet privately with some lawmakers.

Facebook confirmed Zuckerberg will testify. The world's largest social media company faces scrutiny from lawmakers, the Federal Trade Commission and a group of state attorneys general.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg will testify before the United States House Financial Services Committee on October 23 as the company faces growing scrutiny from US lawmakers.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg will testify before the United States House Financial Services Committee on October 23 as the company faces growing scrutiny from US lawmakers. Zuckerberg will testify at a hearing titled "An Examination of Facebook and Its Impact on the Financial Services and Housing Sectors." It will be his first appearance before a US congressional committee since April 2018 although last month he was on Capitol Hill to meet privately with some lawmakers. Facebook confirmed Zuckerberg will testify. The world's largest social media company faces scrutiny from lawmakers, the Federal Trade Commission and a group of state attorneys general.

Facebook CEO to testify before United States house panel on October 23

It's not the first time and it's certainly not going to the last time. The US is going to preach human rights to every country in the world.

They have been at this game for decades, but this hypocrisy has been a historical constant.

Since the US is extremely interested in calling out other countries over human rights violations, we intend to compile America's very own dodgy track-record as far as rights are concerned.

On WION edit, we will have a brief look at this crucial issue.

Let's go back to the US and its infamous rhetoric - the so-called war on terror.

Public memory is short, and hence, it's important to narrate some dark tales over and over again.

And there isn't a darker tale than Abu Ghraib. The US army and central intelligence agency committed some of the most brutal crimes against humanity at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

The photographs that emerged out of Abu Ghraib shook the conscience of the world.

And orders to commit such crimes came from the US Department of Justice itself -- these documents that authorise brutal interrogation techniques were called 'torture memos'.

This is the same US that's preaching human rights to other countries.&nbsp;

Initially, the US denied the reports. Then the bush administration made 17 soldiers as scapegoats, of which only 2 US soldiers spent a reasonable prison time.

This is America's dark face - one that the US doesn't want anyone to see. When Abu Ghraib torture came to light, the US called it an isolated incident. But, isolated incident - it surely was not and that got proved in the Guantanamo bay episode.

Soon after the September 11 attacks, the US established Guantanamo Bay as the place to hold people perceived to be 'enemy combatants'.

Guantanamo did not come under any law - neither the laws of the United States nor international laws.

What followed was another chilling set of crimes against humanity. The US placed nearly 800 people in the Guantanamo Bay detention centre.

No charges, no trials. People held for indefinite periods of time, with no charges. And at the heart of this violation was a lie - the Bush administration said that a bulk of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay were captured from Afghanistan.

Facts prove otherwise, this is mass torture without legal recourse.

And Barack Obama - the Nobel Peace laureate did not close down Guantanamo Bay. The detention centre functions as we speak.

This is par for the course for the US. The brutal treatment and scant respect for human rights is not just for external captives.

At home, the US police shoot down nearly a thousand people every year and racism, white supremacy and xenophobia are the guiding principles.

Given this context, it's important to understand why the US is raking up china's abuse of human rights in Xinjiang.

First, it's a bargaining chip in the trade talks. Second, it's a distraction from the impeachment proceedings that could derail Trump's presidency.

With such a brutal track-record, the US would do well to address racism and police brutality at home before preaching others. 
 
(Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

It's not the first time and it's certainly not going to the last time. The US is going to preach human rights to every country in the world. They have been at this game for decades, but this hypocrisy has been a historical constant.

It's not the first time and it's certainly not going to the last time. The US is going to preach human rights to every country in the world. They have been at this game for decades, but this hypocrisy has been a historical constant. Since the US is extremely interested in calling out other countries over human rights violations, we intend to compile America's very own dodgy track-record as far as rights are concerned. On WION edit, we will have a brief look at this crucial issue. Let's go back to the US and its infamous rhetoric - the so-called war on terror. Public memory is short, and hence, it's important to narrate some dark tales over and over again. And there isn't a darker tale than Abu Ghraib. The US army and central intelligence agency committed some of the most brutal crimes against humanity at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The photographs that emerged out of Abu Ghraib shook the conscience of the world. And orders to commit such crimes came from the US Department of Justice itself -- these documents that authorise brutal interrogation techniques were called 'torture memos'. This is the same US that's preaching human rights to other countries. Initially, the US denied the reports. Then the bush administration made 17 soldiers as scapegoats, of which only 2 US soldiers spent a reasonable prison time. This is America's dark face - one that the US doesn't want anyone to see. When Abu Ghraib torture came to light, the US called it an isolated incident. But, isolated incident - it surely was not and that got proved in the Guantanamo bay episode. Soon after the September 11 attacks, the US established Guantanamo Bay as the place to hold people perceived to be 'enemy combatants'. Guantanamo did not come under any law - neither the laws of the United States nor international laws. What followed was another chilling set of crimes against humanity. The US placed nearly 800 people in the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. No charges, no trials. People held for indefinite periods of time, with no charges. And at the heart of this violation was a lie - the Bush administration said that a bulk of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay were captured from Afghanistan. Facts prove otherwise, this is mass torture without legal recourse. And Barack Obama - the Nobel Peace laureate did not close down Guantanamo Bay. The detention centre functions as we speak. This is par for the course for the US. The brutal treatment and scant respect for human rights is not just for external captives. At home, the US police shoot down nearly a thousand people every year and racism, white supremacy and xenophobia are the guiding principles. Given this context, it's important to understand why the US is raking up china's abuse of human rights in Xinjiang. First, it's a bargaining chip in the trade talks. Second, it's a distraction from the impeachment proceedings that could derail Trump's presidency. With such a brutal track-record, the US would do well to address racism and police brutality at home before preaching others. (Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

WION Edit: America's dark face

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-united-states-going-into-middle-east-was-worst-decision-ever-254802">Donald Trump on Wednesday</a> called for outing the whistleblower behind the impeachment enquiry threatening his presidency and sought to transform the entire scandal into a boost for his 2020 reelection campaign.

Trump began his attempt to crush impeachment on Tuesday with a breathtaking show of defiance to Congress.

In an eight-page letter signed by the White House counsel, the administration bluntly announced it would not cooperate with the Democratic-led House of Representatives, calling its impeachment push illegitimate.

Democrats responded by accusing Trump of stonewalling and obstruction.

"No one is above the law, not even President Trump," the Democratic majority leader in the House, Steny Hoyer, said Wednesday.

Now Trump is demanding that the whistleblower, who reported the president's alleged pressure on Ukraine to dig up dirt on Democratic election rival Joe Biden, be exposed. The identity of whistleblowers is protected by law.

On Twitter, which Trump is using to bombard the public with conspiracy theories about a secret "deep state" trying to remove him from power, the president argued that the whistleblower had been shown to be partisan and inaccurate.

"The Whistleblower's facts have been so incorrect about my 'no pressure' conversation with the Ukrainian President, and now the conflict of interest and involvement with a Democrat Candidate, that he or she should be exposed and questioned," Trump tweeted.

In another tweet he dismissed the impeachment process as a Democratic bid to influence the election, saying "their total focus is 2020, nothing more."

Trump, who broke with precedent by campaigning for reelection almost from the moment he took office in 2017, is himself pouncing on the impeachment as the new cornerstone of his 2020 effort.

He and the Republican Party have pushed hard to raise funds off the back of their accusation of unfair treatment from the Democratic lower house in Congress.

And on Thursday and Friday, Trump will take that message to his core supporters when he holds campaign rallies in Minneapolis and in Louisiana.

Constitution under strain

Even if the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-inquiry-lacks-legitimate-constitutional-foundation-white-house-254610">House impeaches Trump, it remains unlikely that the Republican-led Senate would convict him in the subsequent trial</a>.

However, Trump's already turbulent presidency would be forever associated with the impeachment.

The former real estate salesman's furious response is in keeping with his established style of never admitting to being wrong and doing whatever it takes to fight back.

"The good news is that WE WILL WIN!!!!" he exclaimed in one of his tweets early Wednesday.

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The Do Nothing Democrats are Con Artists, only looking to hurt the Republican Party and President. Their total focus is 2020, nothing more, and nothing less. The good news is that WE WILL WIN!!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1181907681512169472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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But the point-blank refusal to accept the House's authority to investigate his alleged abuse of office puts the legislature and executive branches on a collision course that will strain the constitution, if not lead to a full-blown constitutional crisis.

"This is a historic showdown and, I would say, a struggle for the soul of American democracy," Chris Edelson, who teaches government at American University, said.

Edelson predicted that even if the White House stalls, refusing to answer requests for documents and witnesses, the House will go ahead with an impeachment vote in the coming months.

Ukrainian phone call

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-judge-orders-trump-to-produce-tax-returns-president-appeals-254340">Pelosi formally launched the impeachment enquiry last month</a> after revelations Trump pressured Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 25 phone call.

In the call, Trump asked Zelensky to look into what the US leader said were corrupt business deals involving Biden.

Democrats say that Trump tried to coerce Zelensky by holding back US military aid to Ukraine. Trump says there was no quid pro quo and that his only desire is to combat corruption.

He subsequently said publicly that he would also like China to investigate Biden, something critics say bolsters the allegation that Trump is seeking foreign help to discredit opponents.

Witness blocked

On Tuesday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-diplomats-to-testify-about-trump-ukraine-efforts-as-democrats-build-impeachment-case-254216">Trump administration blocked a potentially major witness</a>, ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, from testifying before Congress. Democrats then slapped Sondland with a subpoena to appear on October 16.

"The failure to produce this witness, the failure to produce these documents" was "additional strong evidence of obstruction," House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff said.

Lawmakers want to hear on Friday from another key witness: former US ambassador to Kiev Marie Yovanovitch, who is scheduled to appear before the House Intelligence Committee.

US media has reported that Trump removed her from her post because she opposed his efforts to get Ukraine to investigate Biden.

Donald Trump on Wednesday called for outing the whistleblower behind the impeachment enquiry threatening his presidency and sought to transform the entire scandal into a boost for his 2020 reelection campaign.

Donald Trump on Wednesday called for outing the whistleblower behind the impeachment enquiry threatening his presidency and sought to transform the entire scandal into a boost for his 2020 reelection campaign. Trump began his attempt to crush impeachment on Tuesday with a breathtaking show of defiance to Congress. In an eight-page letter signed by the White House counsel, the administration bluntly announced it would not cooperate with the Democratic-led House of Representatives, calling its impeachment push illegitimate. Democrats responded by accusing Trump of stonewalling and obstruction. "No one is above the law, not even President Trump," the Democratic majority leader in the House, Steny Hoyer, said Wednesday. Now Trump is demanding that the whistleblower, who reported the president's alleged pressure on Ukraine to dig up dirt on Democratic election rival Joe Biden, be exposed. The identity of whistleblowers is protected by law. On Twitter, which Trump is using to bombard the public with conspiracy theories about a secret "deep state" trying to remove him from power, the president argued that the whistleblower had been shown to be partisan and inaccurate. "The Whistleblower's facts have been so incorrect about my 'no pressure' conversation with the Ukrainian President, and now the conflict of interest and involvement with a Democrat Candidate, that he or she should be exposed and questioned," Trump tweeted. In another tweet he dismissed the impeachment process as a Democratic bid to influence the election, saying "their total focus is 2020, nothing more." Trump, who broke with precedent by campaigning for reelection almost from the moment he took office in 2017, is himself pouncing on the impeachment as the new cornerstone of his 2020 effort. He and the Republican Party have pushed hard to raise funds off the back of their accusation of unfair treatment from the Democratic lower house in Congress. And on Thursday and Friday, Trump will take that message to his core supporters when he holds campaign rallies in Minneapolis and in Louisiana. Constitution under strain Even if the House impeaches Trump, it remains unlikely that the Republican-led Senate would convict him in the subsequent trial. However, Trump's already turbulent presidency would be forever associated with the impeachment. The former real estate salesman's furious response is in keeping with his established style of never admitting to being wrong and doing whatever it takes to fight back. "The good news is that WE WILL WIN!!!!" he exclaimed in one of his tweets early Wednesday. The Do Nothing Democrats are Con Artists, only looking to hurt the Republican Party and President. Their total focus is 2020, nothing more, and nothing less. The good news is that WE WILL WIN!!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2019 × But the point-blank refusal to accept the House's authority to investigate his alleged abuse of office puts the legislature and executive branches on a collision course that will strain the constitution, if not lead to a full-blown constitutional crisis. "This is a historic showdown and, I would say, a struggle for the soul of American democracy," Chris Edelson, who teaches government at American University, said. Edelson predicted that even if the White House stalls, refusing to answer requests for documents and witnesses, the House will go ahead with an impeachment vote in the coming months. Ukrainian phone call Pelosi formally launched the impeachment enquiry last month after revelations Trump pressured Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 25 phone call. In the call, Trump asked Zelensky to look into what the US leader said were corrupt business deals involving Biden. Democrats say that Trump tried to coerce Zelensky by holding back US military aid to Ukraine. Trump says there was no quid pro quo and that his only desire is to combat corruption. He subsequently said publicly that he would also like China to investigate Biden, something critics say bolsters the allegation that Trump is seeking foreign help to discredit opponents. Witness blocked On Tuesday, the Trump administration blocked a potentially major witness, ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, from testifying before Congress. Democrats then slapped Sondland with a subpoena to appear on October 16. "The failure to produce this witness, the failure to produce these documents" was "additional strong evidence of obstruction," House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff said. Lawmakers want to hear on Friday from another key witness: former US ambassador to Kiev Marie Yovanovitch, who is scheduled to appear before the House Intelligence Committee. US media has reported that Trump removed her from her post because she opposed his efforts to get Ukraine to investigate Biden.

Donald Trump seeks to discredit entire impeachment enquiry against him

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/donald-trump-decision-to-withdraw-troops-from-syria-opens-way-for-dangerous-middle-east-power-play-254749">United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the US military becoming involved in the Middle East</a> was the "worst decision ever made" and that he was ensuring the safe return of troops.

Trump has faced a bipartisan storm of criticism since a surprise announcement by the White House on Sunday that Washington was pulling back 50 to 100 "special operators" from Syria's northern frontier.

"GOING INTO THE MIDDLE EAST IS THE WORST DECISION EVER MADE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY! We went to war under a false &amp; now disproven premise, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. There were NONE!" the president tweeted in reference to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.

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The United States has spent EIGHT TRILLION DOLLARS fighting and policing in the Middle East. Thousands of our Great Soldiers have died or been badly wounded. Millions of people have died on the other side. GOING INTO THE MIDDLE EAST IS THE WORST DECISION EVER MADE.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1181905659568283648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The United States is estimated to have between 60,000 and 80,000 troops across the area covered by US Central Command, which includes Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Trump bemoaned what he called the "eight trillion-dollar" bill for "fighting and policing" in the Middle East, and the thousands of US soldiers who had been killed or wounded in battle.

"Now we are slowly &amp; carefully bringing our great soldiers &amp; military home. Our focus is on the BIG PICTURE! THE USA IS GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!" Trump said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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....IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY! We went to war under a false &amp; now disproven premise, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. There were NONE! Now we are slowly &amp; carefully bringing our great soldiers &amp; military home. Our focus is on the BIG PICTURE! THE USA IS GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1181905661300559872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Syria's Kurds called up civilians&nbsp;on Wednesday to defend against a Turkish assault feared to be imminent despite Trump's insistence the United States has not abandoned its Kurdish allies.

Turkey said on Tuesday that it would begin its long-threatened offensive "soon," after Trump gave what was widely seen as a green light at the weekend, ordering the pullback of US troops who had previously served as a buffer.

United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the US military becoming involved in the Middle East was the "worst decision ever made" and that he was ensuring the safe return of troops.

United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the US military becoming involved in the Middle East was the "worst decision ever made" and that he was ensuring the safe return of troops. Trump has faced a bipartisan storm of criticism since a surprise announcement by the White House on Sunday that Washington was pulling back 50 to 100 "special operators" from Syria's northern frontier. "GOING INTO THE MIDDLE EAST IS THE WORST DECISION EVER MADE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY! We went to war under a false & now disproven premise, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. There were NONE!" the president tweeted in reference to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. The United States has spent EIGHT TRILLION DOLLARS fighting and policing in the Middle East. Thousands of our Great Soldiers have died or been badly wounded. Millions of people have died on the other side. GOING INTO THE MIDDLE EAST IS THE WORST DECISION EVER MADE..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2019 × The United States is estimated to have between 60,000 and 80,000 troops across the area covered by US Central Command, which includes Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Trump bemoaned what he called the "eight trillion-dollar" bill for "fighting and policing" in the Middle East, and the thousands of US soldiers who had been killed or wounded in battle. "Now we are slowly & carefully bringing our great soldiers & military home. Our focus is on the BIG PICTURE! THE USA IS GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!" Trump said. ....IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY! We went to war under a false & now disproven premise, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. There were NONE! Now we are slowly & carefully bringing our great soldiers & military home. Our focus is on the BIG PICTURE! THE USA IS GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2019 × Syria's Kurds called up civilians on Wednesday to defend against a Turkish assault feared to be imminent despite Trump's insistence the United States has not abandoned its Kurdish allies. Turkey said on Tuesday that it would begin its long-threatened offensive "soon," after Trump gave what was widely seen as a green light at the weekend, ordering the pullback of US troops who had previously served as a buffer.

United States going into Middle East was 'worst decision ever', says Trump

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