Vietnam is "deeply concerned" about recent <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-criticises-militarisation-of-south-china-sea-240822">developments in the South China Sea</a>, the Southeast Asian country's prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, said on Friday.

Vietnamese and Chinese vessels have since early July been locked in a tense standoff in Vietnamese-controlled waters in the South China Sea, where a Chinese vessel appeared to have been conducting a seismic survey.

The United States also said on Thursday it was deeply concerned about China's interference in oil and gas activities in waters claimed by Vietnam, and that the deployment of the vessels was "an escalation by Beijing in its efforts to intimidate other claimants out of developing resources in the South China Sea."

Phuc was speaking at a press conference alongside his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, who is in Hanoi for a three-day visit.

Vietnam is "deeply concerned" about recent developments in the South China Sea, the Southeast Asian country's prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, said on Friday. Vietnamese and Chinese vessels have since early July been locked in a tense standoff in Vietnamese-controlled waters in the South China Sea, where a Chinese vessel appeared to have been conducting a seismic survey.

Vietnam is "deeply concerned" about recent developments in the South China Sea, the Southeast Asian country's prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, said on Friday. Vietnamese and Chinese vessels have since early July been locked in a tense standoff in Vietnamese-controlled waters in the South China Sea, where a Chinese vessel appeared to have been conducting a seismic survey. The United States also said on Thursday it was deeply concerned about China's interference in oil and gas activities in waters claimed by Vietnam, and that the deployment of the vessels was "an escalation by Beijing in its efforts to intimidate other claimants out of developing resources in the South China Sea." Phuc was speaking at a press conference alongside his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, who is in Hanoi for a three-day visit.

Vietnam says 'deeply concerned' about developments in South China Sea

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-patriot-missile-intercepts-unarmed-drone-from-syria-army-150920">South Korea said Friday it will share military intelligence</a> with Japan through the United States after terminating a pact that enabled the two key Washington allies to exchange such information directly.

Seoul's decision on Thursday to end the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) was the latest in a series of tit-for-tat measures that have brought relations between South Korea and Japan to their lowest point in years.

The intensifying trade and diplomatic dispute were sparked by a run of South Korean court rulings against Japanese firms, requiring them to pay for forced labour during World War II a long-standing point of contention.

Under the GSOMIA, originally signed in 2016, the two had directly shared military secrets<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japanese-report-to-say-north-korea-has-miniaturised-nuclear-warheads-244550">, particularly over North Korea's nuclear and missile capacity.</a>

But now South Korea will "actively utilise the trilateral information-sharing channel with the United States as the intermediary" in place of the accord, said Kim Hyun-Chong, a national security official at the presidential Blue House.

"Furthermore, the ROK government will actively enhance our defence capabilities through the increase in (the) defence budget and the acquisition of strategic assets including military satellites" to better monitor North Korea, he added, using the initials of South Korea's official name.

It came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that Washington was "disappointed" about South Korea's move to end the pact.

Both Japan and South Korea are market economies and major US allies faced with an overbearing China and nuclear-armed North Korea.

But their relationship continues to be heavily affected by Japan's 35-year colonial rule of the Koran peninsula in the early 20th century.

Japan says a 1965 treaty that normalised relations with a significant financial contribution effectively settled all reparation claims.

South Korea said Friday it will share military intelligence with Japan through the United States after terminating a pact that enabled the two key Washington allies to exchange such information directly.

South Korea said Friday it will share military intelligence with Japan through the United States after terminating a pact that enabled the two key Washington allies to exchange such information directly. Seoul's decision on Thursday to end the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) was the latest in a series of tit-for-tat measures that have brought relations between South Korea and Japan to their lowest point in years. The intensifying trade and diplomatic dispute were sparked by a run of South Korean court rulings against Japanese firms, requiring them to pay for forced labour during World War II a long-standing point of contention. Under the GSOMIA, originally signed in 2016, the two had directly shared military secrets, particularly over North Korea's nuclear and missile capacity. But now South Korea will "actively utilise the trilateral information-sharing channel with the United States as the intermediary" in place of the accord, said Kim Hyun-Chong, a national security official at the presidential Blue House. "Furthermore, the ROK government will actively enhance our defence capabilities through the increase in (the) defence budget and the acquisition of strategic assets including military satellites" to better monitor North Korea, he added, using the initials of South Korea's official name. It came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that Washington was "disappointed" about South Korea's move to end the pact. Both Japan and South Korea are market economies and major US allies faced with an overbearing China and nuclear-armed North Korea. But their relationship continues to be heavily affected by Japan's 35-year colonial rule of the Koran peninsula in the early 20th century. Japan says a 1965 treaty that normalised relations with a significant financial contribution effectively settled all reparation claims.

South Korea says will share military intel with Japan through US

A 19-jet aerial parade soared over the Hudson River in New York on Thursday (August 22) in advance of the New York International Air Show.

'People have a love affair with aviation' - UK and US military teams fly over the Hudson River

By Kevin Johnson 
 
The Trump administration is trying to terminate the Flores settlement, a legal agreement that determines how immigrant children are treated in US immigration detention.

The 1997 settlement established basic standards for the treatment of unaccompanied minors who were in the custody of federal authorities for violating immigration laws.

It requires the federal government to place children with a close relative or family friend “without unnecessary delay,” rather than detaining them, and to keep immigrant children who are in custody in the “least restrictive conditions” possible. Generally speaking, this has meant migrant children can be kept in federal immigrant detention for only 20 days.

But a new regulation, originally proposed by the Trump administration in 2018 and finalised on August 21, would remove the requirements of the Flores settlement.

Case took years

In the 1980s, the Reagan administration aggressively used detention of Central Americans as a device to deter migration from that region, where violent civil wars had caused tens of thousands to flee.

Central Americans arrested at the US-Mexico border were held in custody – including many who sought asylum in the US because they feared persecution if returned home.

Immigrant rights groups filed a series of lawsuits challenging various aspects of the detention policies, including denying migrants access to counsel, taking steps to encourage them to “consent” to deportation and detaining them in isolated locations far from families and attorneys.

One suit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in 1985 on behalf of Jenny Lisette Flores, a 15-year-old from El Salvador. She had fled violence in her home country to live with an aunt who was in the US.

But Flores was detained by federal authorities at the US border for not having proper documentation permitting her to stay in the US.

The American Civil Liberties Union charged that holding Flores indefinitely violated the US&nbsp;Constitution and immigration laws. The Flores case slowly made its way to the US Supreme Court.

In its 1993 ruling in the case, the court held that a regulation allowing the government to release a migrant child to a close family member or legal guardian in the United States was legal.

But the primary legacy of the case was the subsequent settlement, to which both the Clinton administration and the plaintiffs agreed in 1997.

The Flores settlement is a landmark agreement in no small part because Central Americans continue to flee violence in their homelands and the US government has responded with mass detention of immigrant children.

Although the settlement was agreeable to the Clinton administration, the Trump administration strongly desires to detain families, including children, for periods longer than permitted by the Flores settlement – in fact, indefinitely.

Longtime contentious issue

Litigation over enforcement of the Flores settlement has exploded during the Trump administration, which has detained migrant children in poor conditions along the US-Mexico border since soon after taking office.

The lawsuits include a court case brought by immigrants’ rights and civil liberties groups in response to what they called the “imminent threat to the health and welfare” of migrant children in detention. US border officials should have “promptly released children to their relatives and provided safe and sanitary detention conditions for all children in its custody,” said an attorney representing the groups that brought the action.

Similarly, in the summer of 2018, based on the Flores settlement, a federal court barred immigration authorities from giving children psychotropic drugs without consent of parents or legal guardians.

Conditions apparently have not improved in detention centers across the country. Several children have died while in custody since January, and public outcry over the conditions of detention for the migrants have led to numerous court fights.

During recent litigation seeking to enforce the Flores settlement, the Department of Justice made headlines for its defense of the detention conditions of migrant children. The judges of the court of appeals were incredulous at the government’s claim that soap and a toothbrush were not necessarily required for detained migrant children. Not surprisingly, the court flatly rejected the government’s claim.

Last year, the Trump administration requested to amend the settlement to allow it to indefinitely detain migrant children.

The courts consistently have denied these requests and have continued to monitor the detention of migrant children, as the Flores settlement requires them to do.

Importantly, the new rule will allow the Department of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services to respond to significant changes that have occurred since the Flores settlement agreement has been in place, including dramatic increases in the numbers of unaccompanied children and family units crossing into the United States.

The rule is slated to take effect on October 23. But immigration and civil liberties advocates have vowed to challenge the rule in court, which will put the proposed change in front of US District Judge Dolly M. Gee. Gee is the judge who denied the administration’s request last year to extend family detentions. 
 
(Kevin Johnson is Dean and Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o Studies, University of California, Davis)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/changes-for-a-landmark-agreement-mean-immigrant-children-face-harsher-treatment-in-us-122282">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) &nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

By Kevin Johnson The Trump administration is trying to terminate the Flores settlement, a legal agreement that determines how immigrant children are treated in US immigration detention.

By Kevin Johnson The Trump administration is trying to terminate the Flores settlement, a legal agreement that determines how immigrant children are treated in US immigration detention. The 1997 settlement established basic standards for the treatment of unaccompanied minors who were in the custody of federal authorities for violating immigration laws. It requires the federal government to place children with a close relative or family friend “without unnecessary delay,” rather than detaining them, and to keep immigrant children who are in custody in the “least restrictive conditions” possible. Generally speaking, this has meant migrant children can be kept in federal immigrant detention for only 20 days. But a new regulation, originally proposed by the Trump administration in 2018 and finalised on August 21, would remove the requirements of the Flores settlement. Case took years In the 1980s, the Reagan administration aggressively used detention of Central Americans as a device to deter migration from that region, where violent civil wars had caused tens of thousands to flee. Central Americans arrested at the US-Mexico border were held in custody – including many who sought asylum in the US because they feared persecution if returned home. Immigrant rights groups filed a series of lawsuits challenging various aspects of the detention policies, including denying migrants access to counsel, taking steps to encourage them to “consent” to deportation and detaining them in isolated locations far from families and attorneys. One suit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in 1985 on behalf of Jenny Lisette Flores, a 15-year-old from El Salvador. She had fled violence in her home country to live with an aunt who was in the US. But Flores was detained by federal authorities at the US border for not having proper documentation permitting her to stay in the US. The American Civil Liberties Union charged that holding Flores indefinitely violated the US Constitution and immigration laws. The Flores case slowly made its way to the US Supreme Court. In its 1993 ruling in the case, the court held that a regulation allowing the government to release a migrant child to a close family member or legal guardian in the United States was legal. But the primary legacy of the case was the subsequent settlement, to which both the Clinton administration and the plaintiffs agreed in 1997. The Flores settlement is a landmark agreement in no small part because Central Americans continue to flee violence in their homelands and the US government has responded with mass detention of immigrant children. Although the settlement was agreeable to the Clinton administration, the Trump administration strongly desires to detain families, including children, for periods longer than permitted by the Flores settlement – in fact, indefinitely. Longtime contentious issue Litigation over enforcement of the Flores settlement has exploded during the Trump administration, which has detained migrant children in poor conditions along the US-Mexico border since soon after taking office. The lawsuits include a court case brought by immigrants’ rights and civil liberties groups in response to what they called the “imminent threat to the health and welfare” of migrant children in detention. US border officials should have “promptly released children to their relatives and provided safe and sanitary detention conditions for all children in its custody,” said an attorney representing the groups that brought the action. Similarly, in the summer of 2018, based on the Flores settlement, a federal court barred immigration authorities from giving children psychotropic drugs without consent of parents or legal guardians. Conditions apparently have not improved in detention centers across the country. Several children have died while in custody since January, and public outcry over the conditions of detention for the migrants have led to numerous court fights. During recent litigation seeking to enforce the Flores settlement, the Department of Justice made headlines for its defense of the detention conditions of migrant children. The judges of the court of appeals were incredulous at the government’s claim that soap and a toothbrush were not necessarily required for detained migrant children. Not surprisingly, the court flatly rejected the government’s claim. Last year, the Trump administration requested to amend the settlement to allow it to indefinitely detain migrant children. The courts consistently have denied these requests and have continued to monitor the detention of migrant children, as the Flores settlement requires them to do. Importantly, the new rule will allow the Department of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services to respond to significant changes that have occurred since the Flores settlement agreement has been in place, including dramatic increases in the numbers of unaccompanied children and family units crossing into the United States. The rule is slated to take effect on October 23. But immigration and civil liberties advocates have vowed to challenge the rule in court, which will put the proposed change in front of US District Judge Dolly M. Gee. Gee is the judge who denied the administration’s request last year to extend family detentions. (Kevin Johnson is Dean and Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o Studies, University of California, Davis) (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.)

Changes for a landmark agreement mean immigrant children face harsher treatment in US

The meeting between officials of foreign and defence ministry also known as&nbsp;US-India 2+2 Intersessional and Maritime Security Dialogue&nbsp;concluded in&nbsp;Monterey, California with focus on Indo-Pacific.&nbsp;

A release from the Ministry of External Affairs said, ''Both sides discussed regional developments, and agreed to pursue their quest for a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific."

They also reviewed the progress and development of bilateral relations in cross-cutting defence, security, and foreign policy areas.

The meeting took place at&nbsp;Naval Postgraduate School with the participation of&nbsp;Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs and V Anandarajan, Joint Secretary in Ministry of Defence from Indian side while from the US side Alice Wells, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and Randall Schriver, Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.&nbsp;

The inaugural 2+2 India-US dialogue took place in September 2018, in Delhi and the next meet is expected to take place next month in the United States.

2+2 is the highest forum of annual India-US engagement and has been developed in the background of growing engagement between Delhi and Washington.&nbsp;

The meeting between officials of foreign and defence ministry also known as US-India 2+2 Intersessional and Maritime Security Dialogue concluded in Monterey, California with focus on Indo-Pacific.

The meeting between officials of foreign and defence ministry also known as US-India 2+2 Intersessional and Maritime Security Dialogue concluded in Monterey, California with focus on Indo-Pacific. A release from the Ministry of External Affairs said, ''Both sides discussed regional developments, and agreed to pursue their quest for a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific." They also reviewed the progress and development of bilateral relations in cross-cutting defence, security, and foreign policy areas. The meeting took place at Naval Postgraduate School with the participation of Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs and V Anandarajan, Joint Secretary in Ministry of Defence from Indian side while from the US side Alice Wells, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and Randall Schriver, Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs. The inaugural 2+2 India-US dialogue took place in September 2018, in Delhi and the next meet is expected to take place next month in the United States. 2+2 is the highest forum of annual India-US engagement and has been developed in the background of growing engagement between Delhi and Washington.

Regional developments discussed during India-US 2+2 meeting: Ministry of External Affairs

Taliban's head spokesman Sohail Shaheen, in an interview with a US news channel, said there is no proof that Al Qaeda was behind the deadly 9/11 attack in the United States.

Shaheen comments came at the time when <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-president-donald-trump-hails-very-good-discussions-with-the-taliban-243958">US-Taliban talks</a> are underway in Qatar.&nbsp;

Shaheen also stressed on the necessity for the war to end, adding that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/two-us-service-members-killed-in-afghanistan-nato-244690">death of two US service members in Afghanistan</a> highlights the fact that stopping of violence is essential.&nbsp;

Two American service members were killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday, the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said in a statement, as the United States seeks to reach a negotiated end to the nearly 18-year-old war.

The incident brings the number of US troops killed in Afghanistan to at least 14 in 2019.

About 14,000 US troops are stationed in Afghanistan as part of the US-led NATO mission to train, assist and advise Afghan forces and to carry out counter-terrorism operations.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the US military role in Afghanistan has basically turned into a "ridiculous" police force in a sign that he is open to a US troop drawdown there after 18 years of war.

Trump, inheriting a war begun by then-President George W. Bush in response to the September&nbsp;11, 2001 attacks, expressed a willingness to remove some of the US troops there but said some are needed to make sure the United States has intelligence assets on the ground.

Trump was briefed on Friday by top national security aides on a peace plan being negotiated by US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad with leaders of the Afghanistan government and the&nbsp;Taliban.

A pullout has raised fears within the US military and among some lawmakers that Afghanistan could plunge into a new civil war that could see a return of&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;rule and give al Qaeda and other militants a sanctuary in which to expand and plot new attacks on US and allied targets.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> US President Donald Trump yesterday on militant groups in Afghanistan: India is right there, they are not fighting it. We are fighting it. Pakistan is right next door, they are fighting it very little, very very little. It's not fair. <a href="https://t.co/syuYN37i6W">pic.twitter.com/syuYN37i6W</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1164537341735854081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The US President on Wednesday looked frustrated as he spoke about militant groups in Afghanistan. He said, while the United States is doing the fighting, Afghanistan's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-should-take-a-larger-role-in-fighting-terrorism-in-afghanistan-donald-trump-244724">neighbours are doing very little</a>.

"India is right there, they are not fighting it. We are fighting it. Pakistan is right next door, they are fighting it very little, very very little. It's not fair," Trump said.&nbsp;

Taliban's head spokesman Sohail Shaheen, in an interview with a US news channel, said there is no proof that Al Qaeda was behind the deadly 9/11 attack in the United States.

Taliban's head spokesman Sohail Shaheen, in an interview with a US news channel, said there is no proof that Al Qaeda was behind the deadly 9/11 attack in the United States. Shaheen comments came at the time when US-Taliban talks are underway in Qatar. Shaheen also stressed on the necessity for the war to end, adding that the death of two US service members in Afghanistan highlights the fact that stopping of violence is essential. Two American service members were killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday, the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said in a statement, as the United States seeks to reach a negotiated end to the nearly 18-year-old war. The incident brings the number of US troops killed in Afghanistan to at least 14 in 2019. About 14,000 US troops are stationed in Afghanistan as part of the US-led NATO mission to train, assist and advise Afghan forces and to carry out counter-terrorism operations. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the US military role in Afghanistan has basically turned into a "ridiculous" police force in a sign that he is open to a US troop drawdown there after 18 years of war. Trump, inheriting a war begun by then-President George W. Bush in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, expressed a willingness to remove some of the US troops there but said some are needed to make sure the United States has intelligence assets on the ground. Trump was briefed on Friday by top national security aides on a peace plan being negotiated by US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad with leaders of the Afghanistan government and the Taliban. A pullout has raised fears within the US military and among some lawmakers that Afghanistan could plunge into a new civil war that could see a return of Taliban rule and give al Qaeda and other militants a sanctuary in which to expand and plot new attacks on US and allied targets. #WATCH US President Donald Trump yesterday on militant groups in Afghanistan: India is right there, they are not fighting it. We are fighting it. Pakistan is right next door, they are fighting it very little, very very little. It's not fair. pic.twitter.com/syuYN37i6W — ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2019 × The US President on Wednesday looked frustrated as he spoke about militant groups in Afghanistan. He said, while the United States is doing the fighting, Afghanistan's neighbours are doing very little. "India is right there, they are not fighting it. We are fighting it. Pakistan is right next door, they are fighting it very little, very very little. It's not fair," Trump said.

Taliban's head spokesman says no proof Al Qaeda was behind 9/11 attack

US President Donald Trump declared Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's dismissal of his idea to buy Greenland "nasty" and an affront to the United States on Wednesday, a day after shocking Danes by cancelling a Copenhagen visit over the rebuff.

US President Donald Trump declared Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's dismissal of his idea to buy Greenland "nasty" and an affront to the United States on Wednesday, a day after shocking Danes by cancelling a Copenhagen visit over the rebuff. Danes voiced disbelief at Trump's decision to forgo the trip, although Frederiksen said she believed relations with the United States, a NATO ally, would not be affected. Trump, who built his career as a businessman dealing in real estate, had mused openly in recent days about a US purchase of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory rich in natural resources, raising eyebrows in Europe and in the United States. Former Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called it "an April Fool's Day joke" and Frederiksen called the idea "absurd." The latter comment set off Trump, who often becomes riled up by criticism, real or perceived. He announced the cancellation of his planned Sept 2-3 trip to Denmark in a tweet late on Tuesday. "I thought that the prime minister's statement ... was nasty. I thought it was an inappropriate statement. All she had to do is say: 'No, we wouldn’t be interested,'" Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. "She's not talking to me. She's talking to the United States of America. You don’t talk to the United States that way, at least under me." Frederiksen, a centre-left Social Democrat, said she learned of Trump's decision "with regret and surprise", given Denmark's strong relations with Washington, but she repeated her opposition to any Greenland transaction. She stressed that Greenland's premier, Kim Kielsen, had ruled out selling off the territory and "I obviously agree with him." But Frederiksen said the United States remained one of Denmark's closest allies. "I don't think the cancelling of this state visit should affect any decisions we make whether it is on commercial cooperation or foreign and security policies." Trump's decision elicited condemnation, outrage and mockery alike among Danish opposition leaders and the public. "So (Trump) has cancelled his visit to Denmark because there was no interest in discussing selling Greenland. Is this some sort of joke? Deeply insulting to the people of Greenland and Denmark," tweeted former Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt. "Total chaos with @realDonaldTrump and cancellation of state visit to Denmark. It has gone from a big opportunity for strengthened dialogue between allies to a diplomatic crisis," said former Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen of the Liberal Party. 'Not for sale' Greenland, which is gaining attention from world powers including China, Russia and the United States because of its strategic location and mineral wealth, is self-governing but underdeveloped and relies on Denmark for economic support. "Everyone should know Greenland is not for sale," Jensen said of the world's largest island, where the United States has a military presence at the Thule Air Base under a U.S.-Danish treaty dating to 1951. "(Trump's cancellation) is very, very shocking, when it is about a very close ally and a good friend," said Soren Espersen of the hard-right Danish People's Party. He said Trump had effectively snubbed Queen Margrethe, Denmark's head of state. Trump and U.S. first lady Melania Trump were formally invited to Denmark by the queen in July. "It shows why we now more than ever should consider (fellow) European Union countries as our closest allies. The man is unpredictable," said Morten Ostergaard, leader of the Danish Social Liberal Party. "Reality surpasses imagination." Trump, whose "America First" policies have resulted in strained relations with the EU over trade and other issues, said on Sunday a U.S. purchase of Greenland would be "a large real estate deal." The two countries appeared to be taking steps to address tensions over the dispute. Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said in a Twitter post that he had a "frank, friendly and constructive talk" with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and declared the countries "close friends and allies." The State Department said Pompeo expressed thanks for Denmark's cooperation as an ally. "The Secretary and Foreign Minister Kofod also discussed strengthening cooperation with the Kingdom of Denmark – including Greenland – in the Arctic," it said in a statement. Trump said he would go to Denmark another time. "Greenland was just an idea, just a thought. But I think when they say it was 'absurd' and it was said in a very nasty, very sarcastic way, I said, 'We'll make it some other time.' We'll go to Denmark - I love Denmark. I've been to Denmark. And, frankly, we'll do it another time. Respect has to be shown to the United States," he told reporters. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former NATO secretary general and Danish premier, said Trump's cancellation could work out for the best. "The Arctic's security and environmental challenges are too important to be considered alongside hopeless discussions like the sale of Greenland," he said on Twitter.

Trump calls Danish PM's rebuff of Greenland idea 'nasty' as trip cancellation stuns Danes

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/inx-media-case-cbi-court-orders-5-day-custody-for-chidambaram-244846">INX media case: CBI court orders 5-day custody for Chidambaram</a> 
 
Chidambaram's bail petition against the Enforcement Directorate will be heard by the Supreme Court on August 27.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-to-scarp-intelligence-sharing-pact-with-japan-244783">South Korea to scrap intelligence-sharing pact with Japan</a> 
 
Relations between the two countries soured after the South Korean Supreme Court ordered some Japanese firms to compensate Korean wartime workers last October.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/london-westminster-court-remands-nirav-modi-to-judicial-custody-till-september-19-244793">London Westminster Court remands Nirav Modi to judicial custody till September 19</a> 
 
Judge Tan Ikram pronounced the judgement on Nirav Modi.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/relations-with-canada-facing-serious-difficulties-responsibility-lies-entirely-on-the-canadian-side-china-244785">Relations with Canada facing serious difficulties, responsibility lies entirely on the Canadian side: China</a> 
 
Beijing had warned Canada to stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs after Ottawa and the European Union issued a joint statement in support of protestors.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-one-killed-after-fire-breaks-out-in-hospital-near-paris-244792">At least one killed after fire breaks out in hospital near Paris</a> 
 
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

INX media case: CBI court orders 5-day custody for Chidambaram Chidambaram's bail petition against the Enforcement Directorate will be heard by the Supreme Court on August 27.

INX media case: CBI court orders 5-day custody for Chidambaram Chidambaram's bail petition against the Enforcement Directorate will be heard by the Supreme Court on August 27. South Korea to scrap intelligence-sharing pact with Japan Relations between the two countries soured after the South Korean Supreme Court ordered some Japanese firms to compensate Korean wartime workers last October. London Westminster Court remands Nirav Modi to judicial custody till September 19 Judge Tan Ikram pronounced the judgement on Nirav Modi. Relations with Canada facing serious difficulties, responsibility lies entirely on the Canadian side: China Beijing had warned Canada to stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs after Ottawa and the European Union issued a joint statement in support of protestors. At least one killed after fire breaks out in hospital near Paris The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The United States is ready to sit down with North Korea to resume long-awaited working-level nuclear talks, a US envoy said Wednesday. Nuclear discussions between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since a second summit in Hanoi in February ended without an agreement over differences on the extent of denuclearisation and a sanctions relief in return.

The United States is ready to sit down with North Korea to resume long-awaited working-level nuclear talks, a US envoy said Wednesday. Nuclear discussions between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since a second summit in Hanoi in February ended without an agreement over differences on the extent of denuclearisation and a sanctions relief in return. But anticipation for renewed dialogue has been on the rise after the US and its security ally South Korea wrapped up their two-week joint military drill on Tuesday. "We are prepared to engage as soon as we hear from our counterparts in North Korea," said Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea, after his meeting with South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon in Seoul. The comments come amid speculation that Americans could meet with North Koreans at the demilitarised zone dividing the North and South to kick start working-level talks during Biegun's three-day stay in Seoul, which began Tuesday. The US envoy denied media reports he would soon take a diplomatic posting in Russia, saying he remained "focused on making progress" with North Koreans and "fully committed" to the goal of the denuclearisation in the North. Pyongyang considers the joint military exercise by the allies a rehearsal for invasion and has routinely expressed anger at the war games. It called South Korean President Moon Jae-in last week an "impudent guy rare to be found" for hoping to resume inter-Korean talks while continuing military drills with the US. Washington stations nearly 30,000 troops in the South to defend it from its neighbour. US President Donald Trump tweeted earlier this month North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed his hope -- in a letter hand-delivered to him -- for resuming dialogue "as soon as the joint U.S./South Korea joint exercise are over".

US 'prepared to engage' with North Korea in nuclear talks: Envoy

The United States will take every action it can to prevent an Iranian tanker sailing in the Mediterranean from delivering oil to Syria in contravention of US sanctions, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned on Tuesday.

The United States will take every action it can to prevent an Iranian tanker sailing in the Mediterranean from delivering oil to Syria in contravention of US sanctions, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned on Tuesday. Greece said earlier in the day that it had not had a request from the Adrian Darya 1, the vessel at the centre of a dispute between Iran and the United States, to dock at one of its ports, as Washington warned Greece against helping the vessel. The tanker, formerly called Grace 1, left Gibraltar on Sunday. Ship-tracking data on Tuesday showed the vessel was heading toward the Greek port of Kalamata on the southern coast of the Peloponnese and was scheduled to arrive next Monday. "We have made clear that anyone who touches it, anyone who supports it, anyone who allows a ship to dock is at risk of receiving sanctions from the United States," Pompeo told reporters at the United Nations. "If that ship again heads to Syria, we will take every action we can consistent with those sanctions to prevent that." He said that if the tanker's oil was sold, the revenue would be used by elite units of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. "We want to deny them the resources to continue their horrific terror campaign," Pompeo said. The tanker is carrying about 2 million barrels of oil. "The vessel is cruising at low speed and there is still no formal announcement that it will arrive at Kalamata. The Merchant Marine Ministry is monitoring the matter along with Greece's Foreign Ministry," a Greek Shipping Ministry spokesman said. The ship, which is now sailing under an Iranian flag, was released from detention off Gibraltar after a five-week standoff over whether it was carrying Iranian oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. Soon after the detention order was lifted, a US federal court ordered the seizure of the vessel on different grounds, but that petition was rejected by Gibraltar. Tehran said any US move to seize the vessel again would have "heavy consequences". The United States, in turn, has also conveyed its "strong position" to the Greek government over the tanker. Washington wants the tanker detained on the grounds that it had links to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, which it has designated a terrorist organisation. The European Union, of which Greece is a member, bans oil sales to Syria and the United States has sanctions on Iranian oil sales.

US will act if Iranian tanker tries to deliver oil to Syria: Pompeo

US President Donald Trump expressed optimism at the state of talks as the Taliban and the United States try to negotiate an agreement on the withdrawal of US forces in exchange for a Taliban commitment on security and peace talks with Afghanistan's US-backed government. Watch this video to know more.

Donald Trump says 'very good discussions' with Taliban and  Afghan govt

President Donald Trump’s threat to pull the United States out of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is not credible as Congress would probably block any effort to do so, analysts told Sputnik.

Not Feasible

Trump said on August 13 that the United States may pull out of the WTO, following what he claimed were years of mistreatment at the hands of the organisation.

However, trade and economic affairs analyst Alan Tonelson, American research fellow at the US Business and Industry Council Educational Foundation, said Trump’s threat was unlikely to be taken seriously.

"President Trump's threat isn't credible in the very short run, if only because under the WTO agreement itself, he's obligated to give the organisation a six-month notice before the actual pull out," he said.

Trump would face an alliance of traditional free-trade Republicans in his own party and the opposition Democrats who control the House of Representatives since the November 2018 midterm elections, Tonelson, founder of RealityChek blog which covers trade and economics, pointed out.

Over the longer term, US law requires Congress to vote every five years on staying in the WTO, and the next such occasion comes up next year, Tonelson observed.

"So far, continued American membership has proven extremely popular on Capitol Hill," he said.

However, Trump might be able to take advantage of the very different national political dynamics within the United States since WTO membership was last approved in 2015, Tonelson cautioned.

"Clearly the climate is different today from that during the previous vote, in 2015, and the President could unnerve the rest of the world even more than it already has by at least making it a campaign issue, and consequently by boosting the ‘No’ votes considerably, at least on the GOP side," he said.

Trump also enjoyed powers that could enable him to paralyse the workings of the WTO without having to withdraw the United States officially from the organisation, Tonelson commented.

"It's crucial to remember that the President's decision to block the appointment of certain WTO judges could bring the critical appellate level of the organisation's dispute-resolution system to a halt by the end of this year. So unless he reneges, US withdrawal might not even be needed to evade the organisation's rulings," he said.

Washington’s withdrawal from the WTO, he added, would surely further disrupt a global economy that has already been shaken up "by the US trade policy reversal engineered by President Trump." Nevertheless, the US leader might be prepared to run that risk, Tonelson advised.

"Given how slowly cases make their way through the WTO process, it's difficult to believe that the disruption would be significant, since sluggish procedures mean that few businesses can afford to base their planning on expected WTO outcomes," he said. "Longer term, a neutered WTO could even prompt national governments to return to less formal, and probably quicker, ways to resolve their trade disputes."

Other WTO members might decide to keep the organisation going if only as a gesture of anti-Trump defiance.

"But the centrality of the United States to the world trade system and broader economy mean that its US-less survival would be largely symbolic," he said.

Pullout would backfire

Popular Resistance Co-Director Kevin Zeese agreed, however, that Trump was unlikely to overcome broad-based congressional opposition to withdrawing the United States from the WTO.

"Trump would need congressional approval to pull the US out of the WTO so it is unlikely," he said.

Unilateral US withdrawal from the WTO could also backfire on Trump and Washington by boosting China’s global economic and trade standing, Zeese cautioned.

"The WTO was developed by the US, many of the rules were written by the US and the US dominates it. If the US were to leave, China would probably become the leader. It would cause confusion in lots of trade agreements because the WTO is an arbiter of trade disputes," he said.

Zeese also agreed with Tonelson that Trump’s threats increased the dangers of a major international economic recession.

"It is bizarre to be threatening this at this time when the markets are already skittish and there are growing signs of recession. Disrupting the WTO would be one more thing to make investors insecure because of impacts [that] are hard to predict," he said.

Zeese also stressed that unilateral withdrawal from the WTO would be a self-defeating move for Washington.

"Why is Trump doing it? His is a mind I cannot read. So much of what he does makes little sense. Leaving the WTO would be one more step taken by Trump that would weaken the US as a global hegemony," he said.

Dollar dominance was a critical tool on US foreign policy that was now weakening, Zeese observed.

"If the US is no longer the reserve currency and used in trade between nations, it will have unpredictable, but certainly negative consequences for the US economy," he concluded.

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

President Donald Trump’s threat to pull the United States out of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is not credible as Congress would probably block any effort to do so, analysts told Sputnik.

President Donald Trump’s threat to pull the United States out of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is not credible as Congress would probably block any effort to do so, analysts told Sputnik. Not Feasible Trump said on August 13 that the United States may pull out of the WTO, following what he claimed were years of mistreatment at the hands of the organisation. However, trade and economic affairs analyst Alan Tonelson, American research fellow at the US Business and Industry Council Educational Foundation, said Trump’s threat was unlikely to be taken seriously. "President Trump's threat isn't credible in the very short run, if only because under the WTO agreement itself, he's obligated to give the organisation a six-month notice before the actual pull out," he said. Trump would face an alliance of traditional free-trade Republicans in his own party and the opposition Democrats who control the House of Representatives since the November 2018 midterm elections, Tonelson, founder of RealityChek blog which covers trade and economics, pointed out. Over the longer term, US law requires Congress to vote every five years on staying in the WTO, and the next such occasion comes up next year, Tonelson observed. "So far, continued American membership has proven extremely popular on Capitol Hill," he said. However, Trump might be able to take advantage of the very different national political dynamics within the United States since WTO membership was last approved in 2015, Tonelson cautioned. "Clearly the climate is different today from that during the previous vote, in 2015, and the President could unnerve the rest of the world even more than it already has by at least making it a campaign issue, and consequently by boosting the ‘No’ votes considerably, at least on the GOP side," he said. Trump also enjoyed powers that could enable him to paralyse the workings of the WTO without having to withdraw the United States officially from the organisation, Tonelson commented. "It's crucial to remember that the President's decision to block the appointment of certain WTO judges could bring the critical appellate level of the organisation's dispute-resolution system to a halt by the end of this year. So unless he reneges, US withdrawal might not even be needed to evade the organisation's rulings," he said. Washington’s withdrawal from the WTO, he added, would surely further disrupt a global economy that has already been shaken up "by the US trade policy reversal engineered by President Trump." Nevertheless, the US leader might be prepared to run that risk, Tonelson advised. "Given how slowly cases make their way through the WTO process, it's difficult to believe that the disruption would be significant, since sluggish procedures mean that few businesses can afford to base their planning on expected WTO outcomes," he said. "Longer term, a neutered WTO could even prompt national governments to return to less formal, and probably quicker, ways to resolve their trade disputes." Other WTO members might decide to keep the organisation going if only as a gesture of anti-Trump defiance. "But the centrality of the United States to the world trade system and broader economy mean that its US-less survival would be largely symbolic," he said. Pullout would backfire Popular Resistance Co-Director Kevin Zeese agreed, however, that Trump was unlikely to overcome broad-based congressional opposition to withdrawing the United States from the WTO. "Trump would need congressional approval to pull the US out of the WTO so it is unlikely," he said. Unilateral US withdrawal from the WTO could also backfire on Trump and Washington by boosting China’s global economic and trade standing, Zeese cautioned. "The WTO was developed by the US, many of the rules were written by the US and the US dominates it. If the US were to leave, China would probably become the leader. It would cause confusion in lots of trade agreements because the WTO is an arbiter of trade disputes," he said. Zeese also agreed with Tonelson that Trump’s threats increased the dangers of a major international economic recession. "It is bizarre to be threatening this at this time when the markets are already skittish and there are growing signs of recession. Disrupting the WTO would be one more thing to make investors insecure because of impacts [that] are hard to predict," he said. Zeese also stressed that unilateral withdrawal from the WTO would be a self-defeating move for Washington. "Why is Trump doing it? His is a mind I cannot read. So much of what he does makes little sense. Leaving the WTO would be one more step taken by Trump that would weaken the US as a global hegemony," he said. Dollar dominance was a critical tool on US foreign policy that was now weakening, Zeese observed. "If the US is no longer the reserve currency and used in trade between nations, it will have unpredictable, but certainly negative consequences for the US economy," he concluded. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Donald Trump’s threat to leave World Trade Organisation not credible

US diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad is heading to Doha, Qatar on Tuesday for more <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/fears-in-us-of-bad-peace-deal-with-the-taliban-243743">talks with the Taliban</a> as signs of a possible <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-president-donald-trump-hails-very-good-discussions-with-the-taliban-243958">Afghanistan peace deal</a> emerge, the State Department announced.

After talks in Doha, Khalilzad will travel to Kabul where he "will consult with the leadership of the Afghan government on the peace process and encourage full preparation for intra-Afghan negotiations," the department said.

An Afghanistan peace agreement that the US seems close to reaching with the Taliban has prompted worries that President Donald Trump's desire to quickly withdraw US troops could further plunge the country into civil war.

Trump said Friday he was pleased with talks on ending the war, 18 years after the September 11, attacks that prompted the US invasion of Afghanistan in the first place.

In recent days several US officials have suggested that an accord could be imminent in discussions with the Taliban in Qatar.

The US negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, was expected to return to the region very soon in hopes of sealing an agreement with the Afghan rebel force.

Such a potentially historic accord has raised an outcry from an eclectic assortment of critics in Washington, ranging from neo-conservatives to former Democratic administration officials to ex-military heroes.

In tweets, interviews and op-ed pieces in newspapers, they are cautioning against hastily bringing home the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan, a warning which some hope will also score points ahead of next year's presidential election.

And they are calling on Trump to treat this war as he did North Korea and its nuclear weapons and insist on no deal rather than a bad deal.

"Under no circumstances should the Trump administration repeat the mistake its predecessor made in Iraq and agree to a total withdrawal of combat forces from Afghanistan," retired general David Petraeus, who used to command those soldiers, warned in a piece for The Wall Street Journal.

He was referring to Barack Obama and how the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq helped fuel the emergence of the Islamic State group.

The main points of the peace accord being negotiated with the Taliban are known - US soldiers would withdraw in exchange for a pledge from them not to let Al-Qaida or the Islamic State group operate in the territory that the Taliban controls.

There would also be an immediate ceasefire, and the Taliban would begin talks with the Afghan government, with which the rebels have until now refused all dialogue.

US diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad is heading to Doha, Qatar on Tuesday for more talks with the Taliban as signs of a possible Afghanistan peace deal emerge, the State Department announced.

US diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad is heading to Doha, Qatar on Tuesday for more talks with the Taliban as signs of a possible Afghanistan peace deal emerge, the State Department announced. After talks in Doha, Khalilzad will travel to Kabul where he "will consult with the leadership of the Afghan government on the peace process and encourage full preparation for intra-Afghan negotiations," the department said. An Afghanistan peace agreement that the US seems close to reaching with the Taliban has prompted worries that President Donald Trump's desire to quickly withdraw US troops could further plunge the country into civil war. Trump said Friday he was pleased with talks on ending the war, 18 years after the September 11, attacks that prompted the US invasion of Afghanistan in the first place. In recent days several US officials have suggested that an accord could be imminent in discussions with the Taliban in Qatar. The US negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, was expected to return to the region very soon in hopes of sealing an agreement with the Afghan rebel force. Such a potentially historic accord has raised an outcry from an eclectic assortment of critics in Washington, ranging from neo-conservatives to former Democratic administration officials to ex-military heroes. In tweets, interviews and op-ed pieces in newspapers, they are cautioning against hastily bringing home the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan, a warning which some hope will also score points ahead of next year's presidential election. And they are calling on Trump to treat this war as he did North Korea and its nuclear weapons and insist on no deal rather than a bad deal. "Under no circumstances should the Trump administration repeat the mistake its predecessor made in Iraq and agree to a total withdrawal of combat forces from Afghanistan," retired general David Petraeus, who used to command those soldiers, warned in a piece for The Wall Street Journal. He was referring to Barack Obama and how the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq helped fuel the emergence of the Islamic State group. The main points of the peace accord being negotiated with the Taliban are known - US soldiers would withdraw in exchange for a pledge from them not to let Al-Qaida or the Islamic State group operate in the territory that the Taliban controls. There would also be an immediate ceasefire, and the Taliban would begin talks with the Afghan government, with which the rebels have until now refused all dialogue.

US Taliban negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad returning to Doha for more talks

Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has been banned from giving speeches in Malaysia, news agency reported on Tuesday.

Malaysian police on Monday questioned Naik for allegedly making insensitive remarks about race in the multi-ethnic country, as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/malaysia-can-revoke-zakir-naiks-pr-status-mahathir-mohamad-243514">pressure mounts on authorities to kick him out</a>.

Zakir Naik, a radical television preacher who has called the 9/11 attacks an "inside job", left India in 2016 and moved to Malaysia, where he was granted permanent residency.

Several cabinet ministers have publicly called for Naik to be kicked out, while even Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he had crossed the line.

Malaysian authorities have initiated an investigation against Naik over his intent to provoke a peace breach by allegedly making sensitive remarks on Hindus and Chinese residing in Muslim-majority nation.

Mahathir said the government will first wait for the results of the police investigation into the alleged inflammatory remarks made by him against minorities in Malaysia, reported Malay Mail.

"He (Naik) has PR status. We can take that away if he does something that is detrimental to the well-being of the nation," said Mahathir.

"At this moment, the police are investigating if he is doing that or not. If he is doing it, then it is necessary for us to take away his PR status," he said.

India said it has made a formal request to Malaysia and will continue to pursue his extradition.

(With inputs from agencies)

Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has been banned from giving speeches in Malaysia, news agency reported on Tuesday. Malaysian police on Monday questioned Naik for allegedly making insensitive remarks about race in the multi-ethnic country, as pressure mounts on authorities to kick him out.

Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has been banned from giving speeches in Malaysia, news agency reported on Tuesday. Malaysian police on Monday questioned Naik for allegedly making insensitive remarks about race in the multi-ethnic country, as pressure mounts on authorities to kick him out. Zakir Naik, a radical television preacher who has called the 9/11 attacks an "inside job", left India in 2016 and moved to Malaysia, where he was granted permanent residency. Several cabinet ministers have publicly called for Naik to be kicked out, while even Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he had crossed the line. Malaysian authorities have initiated an investigation against Naik over his intent to provoke a peace breach by allegedly making sensitive remarks on Hindus and Chinese residing in Muslim-majority nation. Mahathir said the government will first wait for the results of the police investigation into the alleged inflammatory remarks made by him against minorities in Malaysia, reported Malay Mail. "He (Naik) has PR status. We can take that away if he does something that is detrimental to the well-being of the nation," said Mahathir. "At this moment, the police are investigating if he is doing that or not. If he is doing it, then it is necessary for us to take away his PR status," he said. India said it has made a formal request to Malaysia and will continue to pursue his extradition. (With inputs from agencies)

Controversial preacher Zakir Naik banned from giving speeches in Malaysia: Source

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday said that Iran was not interested in talks with Washington, but any mediation should focus on bringing the United States back to the 2015 nuclear deal which it left last year. Watch this video to know more.

Iran wants US to rejoin 2015 nuclear deal

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/united-states-announces-humanitarian-aid-to-afghanistan-worth-125-million-244429">United States announces humanitarian aid to Afghanistan worth $125 million</a> 
 
The funding will now take the overall US funding to Afghanistan to nearly $190 million this fiscal year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-bus-hijacker-shot-by-police-passengers-unhurt-244455">Brazil bus hijacker shot by police; passengers unhurt</a> 
 
At least 16 people were trapped on the bus after it was commandeered by the gunman on a heavily transited bridge connecting Rio with the neighbouring city of Niteroi.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-cries-foul-over-facebook-the-twitter-block-of-fake-accounts-244383">China cries foul after Facebook, Twitter block fake accounts linked to Hong Kong protests</a> 
 
Twitter Inc said on Monday it suspended 936 accounts and the operations appeared to be a coordinated state-backed effort originating in China.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beijing-says-us-missile-test-to-result-in-arms-race-to-jeopardize-global-security-244367">US missile test will result in arms race, seriously damage international security , warns China</a> 
 
On August 2, the Russian-US Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which banned ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (310 to 3,417 miles), was terminated.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/inx-media-case-delhi-high-court-dismisses-p-chidambarams-bail-pleas-244365">No protection from arrest for P Chidambaram as Delhi High Court dismisses bail pleas</a>

The pleas have been opposed by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED).&nbsp;

United States announces humanitarian aid to Afghanistan worth $125 million The funding will now take the overall US funding to Afghanistan to nearly $190 million this fiscal year.

United States announces humanitarian aid to Afghanistan worth $125 million The funding will now take the overall US funding to Afghanistan to nearly $190 million this fiscal year. Brazil bus hijacker shot by police; passengers unhurt At least 16 people were trapped on the bus after it was commandeered by the gunman on a heavily transited bridge connecting Rio with the neighbouring city of Niteroi. China cries foul after Facebook, Twitter block fake accounts linked to Hong Kong protests Twitter Inc said on Monday it suspended 936 accounts and the operations appeared to be a coordinated state-backed effort originating in China. US missile test will result in arms race, seriously damage international security , warns China On August 2, the Russian-US Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which banned ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (310 to 3,417 miles), was terminated. No protection from arrest for P Chidambaram as Delhi High Court dismisses bail pleas The pleas have been opposed by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The United States on Tuesday announced additional humanitarian aid to Afghanistan worth $125 million, US Embassy in Afghanistan said in a statement.&nbsp;

This will now take the overall US funding to Afghanistan to nearly $190 million this fiscal year.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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NEW: <a href="https://twitter.com/USEmbassyKabul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USEmbassyKabul</a> announces $125 million in <a href="https://twitter.com/USAID?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAID</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/USAIDFFP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAIDFFP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/StatePRM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StatePRM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/humanitarian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#humanitarian</a> aid for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a> to provide 
🔹 food 🍚 
🔹 water 🥤 
🔹 health ⚕️ 
🔹 shelter 🏘️ 
+ more to help Afghans displaced by flooding, conflict, &amp; drought<a href="https://t.co/u2o9QIN3RS">https://t.co/u2o9QIN3RS</a> <a href="https://t.co/m6SESaJdLO">pic.twitter.com/m6SESaJdLO</a>
— USAID/OFDA (@theOFDA) <a href="https://twitter.com/theOFDA/status/1163786665040732165?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The humanitarian aid for Afghanistan will be used to provide food, water, health, shelter and "more to help Afghans displaced by flooding, conflict and drought," read a tweet posted by USAID's Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance.&nbsp;

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The United States announces almost $125 million in humanitarian assistance to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a>. This brings the total U.S. funding in this fiscal year to nearly $190 million. Full statement: <a href="https://t.co/AuPnKAZ3fG">https://t.co/AuPnKAZ3fG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldHumanitarianDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldHumanitarianDay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/USAIDAfghan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAIDAfghan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/StatePRM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StatePRM</a> <a href="https://t.co/I8dol1jP1t">pic.twitter.com/I8dol1jP1t</a>
— U.S. Embassy Kabul (@USEmbassyKabul) <a href="https://twitter.com/USEmbassyKabul/status/1163698228178628608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"The United States announces an additional amount of nearly $125 million in humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of vulnerable Afghans inside Afghanistan, including internally displaced persons, conflict and flood-affected communities, and Afghan returnees. This brings the total US&nbsp;funding in this fiscal year to the Afghan humanitarian response to nearly $190 million, including for Afghan refugees in the region," the statement read.

The United States also urged all countries to come ahead and "make or increase their contributions to the UN humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan", which is currently only 27 per cent funded.&nbsp;

"The United States remains committed to supporting the most vulnerable Afghans and stands with the Afghan people in their dedication to helping create an Afghanistan in which all its citizens have the opportunity to live in peace and dignity," the statement posted on the website of US&nbsp;Embassy in Afghanistan read.&nbsp;

The additional funding will support life-saving activities and provide "emergency food, nutrition, clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, emergency health, disaster preparedness and risk reduction, shelter, protection, humanitarian coordination and logistics, and non-food items and relief commodities" along with "refugee repatriation grants, education, livelihoods and other efforts to promote long-term integration of returning refugees".

On Monday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/death-toll-reaches-123-in-multiple-bomb-blasts-in-afghanistans-jalalabad-244306">a series of bombings</a> struck restaurants and public squares in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad as the country marked the 100th anniversary of its independence.&nbsp;

President Ashraf Ghani on Monday&nbsp;vowed to eliminate Islamic State&nbsp;from the country and said that he "will take revenge" for his people. Ghani made the statement while addressing the nation on its 100th Independence Day.

On Saturday, a deadly suicide-bomb blast took rocked <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-wedding-suicide-attack-in-kabul-243841">Darulaman area of Kabul city</a>.&nbsp;

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-un-secretary-general-antonio-guterres-condemns-kabul-attack-that-killed-63-243955">Guterres condemned the attack</a> which&nbsp;claimed at least <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/over-40-dead-100-injured-as-blast-rips-through-wedding-party-in-afghanistans-kabul-243740">63 lives and wounded over 180</a>.

Mayhem from Afghanistan's war continues to wreak havoc on Afghans every day, even though the US and the Taliban are in final negotiations for a deal that would see US troops begin to quit Afghanistan and could potentially lead to a reduction in violence.&nbsp;

The United States on Tuesday announced additional humanitarian aid to Afghanistan worth $125 million, US Embassy in Afghanistan said in a statement. This will now take the overall US funding to Afghanistan to nearly $190 million this fiscal year.

The United States on Tuesday announced additional humanitarian aid to Afghanistan worth $125 million, US Embassy in Afghanistan said in a statement. This will now take the overall US funding to Afghanistan to nearly $190 million this fiscal year. NEW: @USEmbassyKabul announces $125 million in @USAID @USAIDFFP @StatePRM #humanitarian aid for #Afghanistan to provide 🔹 food 🍚 🔹 water 🥤 🔹 health ⚕️ 🔹 shelter 🏘️ + more to help Afghans displaced by flooding, conflict, & droughthttps://t.co/u2o9QIN3RS pic.twitter.com/m6SESaJdLO — USAID/OFDA (@theOFDA) August 20, 2019 × The humanitarian aid for Afghanistan will be used to provide food, water, health, shelter and "more to help Afghans displaced by flooding, conflict and drought," read a tweet posted by USAID's Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance. The United States announces almost $125 million in humanitarian assistance to #Afghanistan. This brings the total U.S. funding in this fiscal year to nearly $190 million. Full statement: https://t.co/AuPnKAZ3fG #WorldHumanitarianDay @USAIDAfghan @StatePRM pic.twitter.com/I8dol1jP1t — U.S. Embassy Kabul (@USEmbassyKabul) August 20, 2019 × "The United States announces an additional amount of nearly $125 million in humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of vulnerable Afghans inside Afghanistan, including internally displaced persons, conflict and flood-affected communities, and Afghan returnees. This brings the total US funding in this fiscal year to the Afghan humanitarian response to nearly $190 million, including for Afghan refugees in the region," the statement read. The United States also urged all countries to come ahead and "make or increase their contributions to the UN humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan", which is currently only 27 per cent funded. "The United States remains committed to supporting the most vulnerable Afghans and stands with the Afghan people in their dedication to helping create an Afghanistan in which all its citizens have the opportunity to live in peace and dignity," the statement posted on the website of US Embassy in Afghanistan read. The additional funding will support life-saving activities and provide "emergency food, nutrition, clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, emergency health, disaster preparedness and risk reduction, shelter, protection, humanitarian coordination and logistics, and non-food items and relief commodities" along with "refugee repatriation grants, education, livelihoods and other efforts to promote long-term integration of returning refugees". On Monday, a series of bombings struck restaurants and public squares in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad as the country marked the 100th anniversary of its independence. President Ashraf Ghani on Monday vowed to eliminate Islamic State from the country and said that he "will take revenge" for his people. Ghani made the statement while addressing the nation on its 100th Independence Day. On Saturday, a deadly suicide-bomb blast took rocked Darulaman area of Kabul city. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack which claimed at least 63 lives and wounded over 180. Mayhem from Afghanistan's war continues to wreak havoc on Afghans every day, even though the US and the Taliban are in final negotiations for a deal that would see US troops begin to quit Afghanistan and could potentially lead to a reduction in violence.

United States announces humanitarian aid to Afghanistan worth $125 million

Russia on Tuesday said that the United States was ramping up military tensions by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-tests-medium-range-cruise-missile-after-exiting-inf-treaty-244247">testing a medium-range ground-launched cruise missile</a>, just weeks after tearing up the Cold War-era pact with Russia eliminating such potentially nuclear-capable weapons.

The US Defence Department announced on Monday the test of a medium-range ground-launched cruise missile.

"This is all a cause of regret. The US has obviously taken a course towards the escalation of military tensions. We won't react to provocations," Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told state news agency TASS.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier urged the United States to begin new arms talks after the collapse of a Cold War nuclear pact between the two world powers.&nbsp;

Moscow has blamed Washington for unilaterally ending the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty reached in 1987, signed back then by US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.&nbsp;

Russia on Tuesday said that the United States was ramping up military tensions by testing a medium-range ground-launched cruise missile, just weeks after tearing up the Cold War-era pact with Russia eliminating such potentially nuclear-capable weapons.

Russia on Tuesday said that the United States was ramping up military tensions by testing a medium-range ground-launched cruise missile, just weeks after tearing up the Cold War-era pact with Russia eliminating such potentially nuclear-capable weapons. The US Defence Department announced on Monday the test of a medium-range ground-launched cruise missile. "This is all a cause of regret. The US has obviously taken a course towards the escalation of military tensions. We won't react to provocations," Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told state news agency TASS. Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier urged the United States to begin new arms talks after the collapse of a Cold War nuclear pact between the two world powers. Moscow has blamed Washington for unilaterally ending the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty reached in 1987, signed back then by US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Russia terms US missile test as 'escalation of military tensions'

The RBI on August 7, 2019, reduced the repo rate by 35 bps from 5.75 per cent to 5.40 per cent. This is the fourth consecutive cut in a row this year. It also tempered the GDP growth estimates to 6.9 per cent in line with CRISIL.

While the rate cut is 10 bps more than street estimates, it highlights that the central bank recognises the severity of the current slowdown. Including this rate cut, RBI has reduced repo rate (the rate at which it lends to banks) by 110 bps this year (1.10 per cent), and it is at its lowest level in the last nine years.

The RBI governor in a press briefing expressed confidence that this cut would give a boost to investment, consumption and growth. While decline in rate cuts are likely to reduce EMIs for individuals and cost of borrowing for corporates, it alone is not likely to spur growth.

Firstly, the banks do not pass on the full benefits of rate cuts to consumers. Out of the 75-bps rate cut before the August announcement, banks have passed on only 29 bps benefit to end consumers, less than 40 per cent.

Generally, it takes two to three months for transmission, some could argue. Even by this logic, banks have passed on only 60 per cent&nbsp;benefit. Private banks have been laggards compared to public sector banks. Also, lenders generally pass on more benefits on new loans rather than existing ones.

Just because the EMIs have come down, people would not be tempted to invest in two-wheelers, cars and real estate as consumption depends a lot on sentiment. Consumer confidence declined in July 2019 due to deterioration in sentiments on jobs, price levels and the general economic situation, according to RBI’s own survey.

For the first time in the last decade, FMCG companies are witnessing a decline in their volumes, 5.5 per cent in Q1 FY20 versus 12 per cent in Q1 FY19, according to a Prabhudas Liladhar report. Rural demand has been badly hit due to low farm incomes and wage growth.

The real estate sector is sitting on an all-time high inventory of 12.76 lakh houses in the top 30 cities. The entire auto industry is witnessing a slowdown as never before. Maruti Suzuki reported its sixth consecutive monthly sales decline with numbers falling 33 per cent in July 2019 while TVS Motors reported a decline of 13 per cent.

Maruti for the sixth month in a row has announced production cuts of 25 per cent. As per reports, 2.3 lakh workers have been laid off. This has had a knock-on effect on OEM and auto ancillary sectors, which employ significant number of contractual workers.

Since auto and real estate sectors contribute 15 per cent-17 per cent to India’s GDP, their slowdown has had a direct impact on other sectors like metals and mining, cement and tyre manufacturing, among others.&nbsp;

The manufacturing industry is operating at a capacity utilisation of 75 per cent. Growth in eight core sectors fell to four-year low of 0.2 per cent in June 2019.&nbsp;

Until and unless the manufacturing industry sees a permanent revival in demand and reduction in idle capacity utilisations, it may not think of fresh investments.

Banks, on the other hand, are still reeling from high NPAs. The delay in IBC insolvency cases is hurting the banks, which continue to adopt a selective and cautious approach to lending. Even the retail portfolio of banks is showing signs of stress. The liquidity crunch, post the IL&amp;FS default and the NBFC crisis has not helped matters.

The Indian economy is facing an acute demand side issue and RBI cannot fix it alone. The government missed the opportunity to leave more money in the hands of people through tax cuts in Budget 2019. Instead, the finance minister increased taxes on the super-rich, which has acted as a dampener.

Since tight fiscal math prevents the government from increasing its spending, like it did, post the global financial crisis, India will need to fall back on private consumption expenditure to boost demand and growth. The new Direct Tax Code, which is expected to propose sweeping changes in tax rates should be implemented next year without fail. Till then, all eyes on the festive season! 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-are-the-rate-cuts-enough-to-boost-growth-2782948">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

The RBI on August 7, 2019, reduced the repo rate by 35 bps from 5.75 per cent to 5.40 per cent. This is the fourth consecutive cut in a row this year. It also tempered the GDP growth estimates to 6.

The RBI on August 7, 2019, reduced the repo rate by 35 bps from 5.75 per cent to 5.40 per cent. This is the fourth consecutive cut in a row this year. It also tempered the GDP growth estimates to 6.9 per cent in line with CRISIL. While the rate cut is 10 bps more than street estimates, it highlights that the central bank recognises the severity of the current slowdown. Including this rate cut, RBI has reduced repo rate (the rate at which it lends to banks) by 110 bps this year (1.10 per cent), and it is at its lowest level in the last nine years. The RBI governor in a press briefing expressed confidence that this cut would give a boost to investment, consumption and growth. While decline in rate cuts are likely to reduce EMIs for individuals and cost of borrowing for corporates, it alone is not likely to spur growth. Firstly, the banks do not pass on the full benefits of rate cuts to consumers. Out of the 75-bps rate cut before the August announcement, banks have passed on only 29 bps benefit to end consumers, less than 40 per cent. Generally, it takes two to three months for transmission, some could argue. Even by this logic, banks have passed on only 60 per cent benefit. Private banks have been laggards compared to public sector banks. Also, lenders generally pass on more benefits on new loans rather than existing ones. Just because the EMIs have come down, people would not be tempted to invest in two-wheelers, cars and real estate as consumption depends a lot on sentiment. Consumer confidence declined in July 2019 due to deterioration in sentiments on jobs, price levels and the general economic situation, according to RBI’s own survey. For the first time in the last decade, FMCG companies are witnessing a decline in their volumes, 5.5 per cent in Q1 FY20 versus 12 per cent in Q1 FY19, according to a Prabhudas Liladhar report. Rural demand has been badly hit due to low farm incomes and wage growth. The real estate sector is sitting on an all-time high inventory of 12.76 lakh houses in the top 30 cities. The entire auto industry is witnessing a slowdown as never before. Maruti Suzuki reported its sixth consecutive monthly sales decline with numbers falling 33 per cent in July 2019 while TVS Motors reported a decline of 13 per cent. Maruti for the sixth month in a row has announced production cuts of 25 per cent. As per reports, 2.3 lakh workers have been laid off. This has had a knock-on effect on OEM and auto ancillary sectors, which employ significant number of contractual workers. Since auto and real estate sectors contribute 15 per cent-17 per cent to India’s GDP, their slowdown has had a direct impact on other sectors like metals and mining, cement and tyre manufacturing, among others. The manufacturing industry is operating at a capacity utilisation of 75 per cent. Growth in eight core sectors fell to four-year low of 0.2 per cent in June 2019. Until and unless the manufacturing industry sees a permanent revival in demand and reduction in idle capacity utilisations, it may not think of fresh investments. Banks, on the other hand, are still reeling from high NPAs. The delay in IBC insolvency cases is hurting the banks, which continue to adopt a selective and cautious approach to lending. Even the retail portfolio of banks is showing signs of stress. The liquidity crunch, post the IL&FS default and the NBFC crisis has not helped matters. The Indian economy is facing an acute demand side issue and RBI cannot fix it alone. The government missed the opportunity to leave more money in the hands of people through tax cuts in Budget 2019. Instead, the finance minister increased taxes on the super-rich, which has acted as a dampener. Since tight fiscal math prevents the government from increasing its spending, like it did, post the global financial crisis, India will need to fall back on private consumption expenditure to boost demand and growth. The new Direct Tax Code, which is expected to propose sweeping changes in tax rates should be implemented next year without fail. Till then, all eyes on the festive season! (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Oil rises more than 1% after a drone attack on Saudi field

Asian stocks tracked the Wall Street rally on Monday and found an extra tailwind from a move by China's central bank to change the way a key interest rate benchmark is set, seen by analysts as reducing borrowing costs for companies.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) on Saturday unveiled key interest rate reforms to help steer borrowing costs lower for companies and support a slowing economy caught in the grip of a bruising trade war with the United States.

That move helped Chinese stocks lead regional gains on Monday amid a broadly more upbeat investor mood. Hopes major economies will seek to prop up slowing growth with fresh stimulus have helped ease some of the recessionary fears unleashed in markets last week.

"The decline in loan rates bodes well for China's credit demand and growth outlook in the second half of 2019 to offset the impact of the ongoing trade disputes," wrote Zhaopeng Xing and Raymond Yeung, economists at ANZ.

"However, the reform is unlikely to have a stimulative effect on China's property markets with the authorities still insisting on tight regulations to prevent the crowding-out effect from high home prices."

In China, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.5%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 1%.

Over recent weeks, recession worries - triggered by an inversion in the US bond yield curve - have led to a shakeout in financial markets. That has driven speculation of more support from policy makers, including from the US Federal Reserve which last month cut rates for the first time since the financial crisis.

Australian stocks added 0.9%, South Korea's KOSPI advanced 0.7% and Japan's Nikkei rose 0.7%.

Wall Street shares had rebounded on Friday after a report that Germany's coalition government was prepared to set aside its balanced budget rule in order to take on new debt and launch stimulus steps to counter a possible recession.

The yen, a gauge of risk sentiment due to its perceived status as a safe haven, weakened for its third successive session.

The Japanese currency last traded at 106.375 per dollar, having pulled back from a seven-month peak near 105.000 reached a week ago when events including unrest in Hong Kong and a meltdown in Argentina's markets triggered a fresh bout of anxiety in markets already shaken by the US-China trade war.

"Sentiment in the markets appeared headed for a one-way rout, but policy hopes following reports of the German stimulus have helped halt the steady deterioration," said Ayako Sera, senior market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust.

"As for steps by China, it needs to be understood that the latest measures are geared towards markets which are already regulated extensively. But China's latest move should nevertheless provide the market with relief."

Elsewhere in currencies, the dollar index against a basket of six major currencies hovered near a two-week high of 98.339 climbed on Friday. The index was supported as US Treasury yields bounced back from recent lows in the wake of German stimulus hopes.

The 10-year US Treasury yield stood at 1.582%, having pulled away from a three-year trough of 1.475% marked last week in the wake of global slowdown fears.

Falling yields last week caused the two-year/10-year Treasury curve to invert for the first since 2007, a phenomenon widely regarded as a recession signal that puts the Federal Reserve interest rate deliberations into focus.

"This week's main event is the Jackson Hole symposium and Fed Chairman (Jerome) Powell's speech," said Junichi Ishikawa, senior FX strategist at IG Securities in Tokyo.

Powell will deliver a speech on Friday at an annual meeting of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

"What Powell has to say is in focus as the discrepancy remains between what he said on interest rates and what the markets have come to expect the Fed will do," Ishikawa said.

Powell said after the Fed lowered rates in July that the easing was not the start of a series of cuts. But market expectations for the Fed to cut rates by another 25 basis points at the next policy meeting in September has topped 80%.

The euro was steady at $1.1092 while the Australian dollar was effectively flat at $0.6780.

Brent crude oil futures gained 1% to $59.22 per barrel, following in the tracks of improved equity markets, with an ebb in recession concerns curbing fears of weak global demand for commodities.

The longer-term outlook for the crude market remained sombre, however, with OPEC on Friday providing a bearish outlook for oil for the rest of 2019.

Asian stocks tracked the Wall Street rally on Monday and found an extra tailwind from a move by China's central bank to change the way a key interest rate benchmark is set, seen by analysts as reducing borrowing costs for companies.

Asian stocks tracked the Wall Street rally on Monday and found an extra tailwind from a move by China's central bank to change the way a key interest rate benchmark is set, seen by analysts as reducing borrowing costs for companies. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) on Saturday unveiled key interest rate reforms to help steer borrowing costs lower for companies and support a slowing economy caught in the grip of a bruising trade war with the United States. That move helped Chinese stocks lead regional gains on Monday amid a broadly more upbeat investor mood. Hopes major economies will seek to prop up slowing growth with fresh stimulus have helped ease some of the recessionary fears unleashed in markets last week. "The decline in loan rates bodes well for China's credit demand and growth outlook in the second half of 2019 to offset the impact of the ongoing trade disputes," wrote Zhaopeng Xing and Raymond Yeung, economists at ANZ. "However, the reform is unlikely to have a stimulative effect on China's property markets with the authorities still insisting on tight regulations to prevent the crowding-out effect from high home prices." In China, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.5%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 1%. Over recent weeks, recession worries - triggered by an inversion in the US bond yield curve - have led to a shakeout in financial markets. That has driven speculation of more support from policy makers, including from the US Federal Reserve which last month cut rates for the first time since the financial crisis. Australian stocks added 0.9%, South Korea's KOSPI advanced 0.7% and Japan's Nikkei rose 0.7%. Wall Street shares had rebounded on Friday after a report that Germany's coalition government was prepared to set aside its balanced budget rule in order to take on new debt and launch stimulus steps to counter a possible recession. The yen, a gauge of risk sentiment due to its perceived status as a safe haven, weakened for its third successive session. The Japanese currency last traded at 106.375 per dollar, having pulled back from a seven-month peak near 105.000 reached a week ago when events including unrest in Hong Kong and a meltdown in Argentina's markets triggered a fresh bout of anxiety in markets already shaken by the US-China trade war. "Sentiment in the markets appeared headed for a one-way rout, but policy hopes following reports of the German stimulus have helped halt the steady deterioration," said Ayako Sera, senior market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust. "As for steps by China, it needs to be understood that the latest measures are geared towards markets which are already regulated extensively. But China's latest move should nevertheless provide the market with relief." Elsewhere in currencies, the dollar index against a basket of six major currencies hovered near a two-week high of 98.339 climbed on Friday. The index was supported as US Treasury yields bounced back from recent lows in the wake of German stimulus hopes. The 10-year US Treasury yield stood at 1.582%, having pulled away from a three-year trough of 1.475% marked last week in the wake of global slowdown fears. Falling yields last week caused the two-year/10-year Treasury curve to invert for the first since 2007, a phenomenon widely regarded as a recession signal that puts the Federal Reserve interest rate deliberations into focus. "This week's main event is the Jackson Hole symposium and Fed Chairman (Jerome) Powell's speech," said Junichi Ishikawa, senior FX strategist at IG Securities in Tokyo. Powell will deliver a speech on Friday at an annual meeting of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. "What Powell has to say is in focus as the discrepancy remains between what he said on interest rates and what the markets have come to expect the Fed will do," Ishikawa said. Powell said after the Fed lowered rates in July that the easing was not the start of a series of cuts. But market expectations for the Fed to cut rates by another 25 basis points at the next policy meeting in September has topped 80%. The euro was steady at $1.1092 while the Australian dollar was effectively flat at $0.6780. Brent crude oil futures gained 1% to $59.22 per barrel, following in the tracks of improved equity markets, with an ebb in recession concerns curbing fears of weak global demand for commodities. The longer-term outlook for the crude market remained sombre, however, with OPEC on Friday providing a bearish outlook for oil for the rest of 2019.

Asia stocks gain as China rates tweak lifts investor mood

A majority of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-says-no-recession-in-sight-pushes-china-trade-talks-243949">economists</a> expect a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/global-stocks-routed-oil-sinks-as-bond-markets-flash-recession-warning-243073">US recession</a> in the next two years but have pushed back the onset amid <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/recession-could-hit-us-in-less-than-a-year-if-china-trade-war-worsens-survey-223893">Federal Reserve actions</a>, according to a survey released Monday.&nbsp;

The National Association for Business Economists&nbsp;found far fewer experts now think the next recession will start this year compared to a survey in February.

NABE conducted its policy poll as President Donald Trump put the Fed under constant attack, demanding more stimulus, but before the central bank cut the benchmark lending rate on July 31.&nbsp;

However, the Fed was already sending strong signals that it intended to pull back on the rate increases made in 2018 due to concerns starting to dog the economic outlook, including the trade war with China.

"Survey respondents indicate that the expansion will be extended by the shift in monetary policy," said NABE President Constance Hunter, who is chief economist at KPMG.

Only two per cent of the 226 respondents now see a recession this year, compared to 10 per cent in February's survey, NABE said.

However, "the panel is split regarding whether the downturn will hit in 2020 or 2021, Hunter said in a summary of the survey, which showed 38 per cent expect a contraction of growth next year,&nbsp;while 34 per cent doesn't see it until the following year.&nbsp;

More economists shifted their recession prediction to 2021, narrowing the gap from the prior report, which had many more expecting the change next year.

The results show 46 per cent expect at least one more rate cut this year from the Fed, while about a third see policy holding where it is now, with 2.25 per cent as the top end of the policy range.

Economists are skeptical about a resolution to Trump's trade wars, although 64 per cent said a "superficial agreement is possible," NABE said.

But that was before Trump announced another round of tariffs of 10 per cent on the remaining $300 billion in goods not yet hit by US punitive duties. The new measures will take effect in two stages, on September 1 and December 15.

As Trump continues his vocal campaign criticizing the Fed, the NABE survey found economists are concerned about the impact: 55 per cent said his remarks do not influence Fed decisions but do "compromise the public's trust in the central bank."&nbsp;

And over a quarter of respondents said the criticism will "cause the Fed to be more dovish than otherwise, thus threatening its independence."

The survey also asked about fiscal policy, and a majority of economists said Trump's tax cuts "had an overall negative impact on housing activity over the past 18 months," due to changes in deductions allowed for mortgage interest.

A majority of economists expect a US recession in the next two years but have pushed back the onset amid Federal Reserve actions, according to a survey released Monday.

A majority of economists expect a US recession in the next two years but have pushed back the onset amid Federal Reserve actions, according to a survey released Monday. The National Association for Business Economists found far fewer experts now think the next recession will start this year compared to a survey in February. NABE conducted its policy poll as President Donald Trump put the Fed under constant attack, demanding more stimulus, but before the central bank cut the benchmark lending rate on July 31. However, the Fed was already sending strong signals that it intended to pull back on the rate increases made in 2018 due to concerns starting to dog the economic outlook, including the trade war with China. "Survey respondents indicate that the expansion will be extended by the shift in monetary policy," said NABE President Constance Hunter, who is chief economist at KPMG. Only two per cent of the 226 respondents now see a recession this year, compared to 10 per cent in February's survey, NABE said. However, "the panel is split regarding whether the downturn will hit in 2020 or 2021, Hunter said in a summary of the survey, which showed 38 per cent expect a contraction of growth next year, while 34 per cent doesn't see it until the following year. More economists shifted their recession prediction to 2021, narrowing the gap from the prior report, which had many more expecting the change next year. The results show 46 per cent expect at least one more rate cut this year from the Fed, while about a third see policy holding where it is now, with 2.25 per cent as the top end of the policy range. Economists are skeptical about a resolution to Trump's trade wars, although 64 per cent said a "superficial agreement is possible," NABE said. But that was before Trump announced another round of tariffs of 10 per cent on the remaining $300 billion in goods not yet hit by US punitive duties. The new measures will take effect in two stages, on September 1 and December 15. As Trump continues his vocal campaign criticizing the Fed, the NABE survey found economists are concerned about the impact: 55 per cent said his remarks do not influence Fed decisions but do "compromise the public's trust in the central bank." And over a quarter of respondents said the criticism will "cause the Fed to be more dovish than otherwise, thus threatening its independence." The survey also asked about fiscal policy, and a majority of economists said Trump's tax cuts "had an overall negative impact on housing activity over the past 18 months," due to changes in deductions allowed for mortgage interest.

United States economists expect a recession in 2020 or 2021: Survey

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiananmen-square-style-crackdown-in-hong-kong-would-harm-trade-deal-with-china-donald-trump-243953">US President Donald Trump</a> on Sunday confirmed his interest in buying Greenland, but said it was not a priority for his administration.

"It's something we talked about," Trump told reporters.

"The concept came up and I said certainly, strategically it's interesting and we'd be interested, but we'll talk to (Denmark) a little bit," he said, stressing that it was "not number one on the burner" for the government.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Trump had expressed interest in the self-governing part of Denmark -- which is mostly covered in ice -- asking advisors if it would be possible for the US to acquire the territory.

The president, a former real estate magnate, has been curious about the area's natural resources and geopolitical relevance, the paper said.

When asked if he would consider trading a US territory for Greenland, Trump replied that "a lot of things could be done."

"Essentially, it's a large real estate deal," he said.

"It's hurting Denmark very badly because they're losing almost $700 million a year carrying it... and strategically, for the United States, it would be nice," he added.

Denmark colonized the two-million square kilometre&nbsp;island in the 18th century. It is home to only about 57,000 people, most of whom belong to the indigenous Inuit community.

Greenland's ministry of foreign affairs insisted Friday the island was ready to talk business, but was not for sale.&nbsp;

"#Greenland is rich in valuable resources such as minerals, the purest water and ice, fish stocks, seafood, renewable energy and is a new frontier for adventure tourism," it tweeted.&nbsp;

"We're open for business, not for sale," it added.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed his interest in buying Greenland, but said it was not a priority for his administration. "It's something we talked about," Trump told reporters.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed his interest in buying Greenland, but said it was not a priority for his administration. "It's something we talked about," Trump told reporters. "The concept came up and I said certainly, strategically it's interesting and we'd be interested, but we'll talk to (Denmark) a little bit," he said, stressing that it was "not number one on the burner" for the government. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Trump had expressed interest in the self-governing part of Denmark -- which is mostly covered in ice -- asking advisors if it would be possible for the US to acquire the territory. The president, a former real estate magnate, has been curious about the area's natural resources and geopolitical relevance, the paper said. When asked if he would consider trading a US territory for Greenland, Trump replied that "a lot of things could be done." "Essentially, it's a large real estate deal," he said. "It's hurting Denmark very badly because they're losing almost $700 million a year carrying it... and strategically, for the United States, it would be nice," he added. Denmark colonized the two-million square kilometre island in the 18th century. It is home to only about 57,000 people, most of whom belong to the indigenous Inuit community. Greenland's ministry of foreign affairs insisted Friday the island was ready to talk business, but was not for sale. "#Greenland is rich in valuable resources such as minerals, the purest water and ice, fish stocks, seafood, renewable energy and is a new frontier for adventure tourism," it tweeted. "We're open for business, not for sale," it added.

US President Donald Trump confirms interest in buying Greenland

Hong Kong democracy activists are hoping to get out a huge crowd later Sunday in a bid to show the city's leaders that their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-believes-urgent-steps-needed-to-de-escalate-hong-kong-crisis-foreign-policy-chief-243721">protest movement remains defiant</a> despite increasingly stark warnings from Beijing.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rival-rallies-as-hong-kongs-divisions-deepen-243616">Ten weeks of demonstrations</a> have plunged the international finance hub into crisis and communist-ruled mainland China has taken an increasingly hardline tone, including labelling the more violent protester actions "terrorist-like".

Clashes have broken out between police and hardcore protesters but the movement has won few concessions from Beijing or the city's unelected leadership.

On Tuesday, protesters blocked passengers from boarding flights at the city's airport and later assaulted two men they accused of being Chinese spies.

The images damaged a campaign that until then had largely only targeted the police or government institutions, and prompted some soul-searching among protesters.

China's propaganda apparatus seized on the violence, with state media churning out a deluge of damning articles, pictures and videos.

State media also ran images of military personnel and armoured personnel carriers across the border in Shenzhen, prompting the United States to warn Beijing against sending in troops, which analysts say would be a reputational and economic disaster for China.

In the aftermath of Tuesday's airport chaos, some protester groups apologised and vowed to hold a huge rally on Sunday.

Billed as a "rational, non-violent" protest, it is being organised by the Civil Human Rights Front, a group that eschews confrontations with police and was the driving force behind record-breaking rallies in June and July that saw hundreds of thousands of people hit the streets.

March banned

During smaller protest marches on Saturday -- which ended without the kind of largescale clashes that have become so commonplace each weekend -- many protesters chanted "See you in Victoria Park!" as they left the streets.

Watch:&nbsp;Hundreds take part in teachers' rally braving downpour in Hong Kong

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The park has long been used as the staging point for the city's years of democracy protests and will host Sunday's demonstration.

Police have given permission for the rally to go ahead but banned a proposed march.&nbsp;

Previous bans in recent weeks have simply been ignored by protesters and have soon led to clashes with riot police.

The protests were sparked by opposition to a plan to allow extraditions to the mainland, but have since morphed into a wider call for democratic rights in the semi-autonomous city.

Under a deal signed with Britain, authoritarian China agreed to allow Hong Kong to keep its unique freedoms when it was handed back in 1997.

But many Hong Kongers feel those freedoms are being eroded, especially since China's hardline president Xi Jinping came to power.

In the last two months, millions of people have hit the streets while clashes have broken out between police and small groups of hardcore protesters.

Battles between police firing tear gas and rubber bullets -- and hardcore protesters using rocks, Molotov cocktails and slingshots -- have since become routine in a city once renowned for its stability.

Beyond suspending the extradition bill, Beijing and city leader Carrie Lam have shown no desire to meet key demands such as an inquiry into police violence, the complete withdrawal of the bill and an amnesty.

But protesters remain unbowed, despite the arrests of more than 700 people and 11 consecutive weekends of rallies that have won few concessions.

Beijing has turned the screws on Hong Kong's businesses, pressuring them to toe the line and condemn the protesters.

On Friday, Cathay Pacific announced the shock resignation of CEO Rupert Hogg after the carrier was excoriated by Beijing because some staff supported the pro-democracy protests.

A day later the "Big Four" accountancy firms scrambled to distance themselves from an advert placed in a newspaper purportedly by employees saying they supported the protests.

Hong Kong democracy activists are hoping to get out a huge crowd later Sunday in a bid to show the city's leaders that their protest movement remains defiant despite increasingly stark warnings from Beijing.

Hong Kong democracy activists are hoping to get out a huge crowd later Sunday in a bid to show the city's leaders that their protest movement remains defiant despite increasingly stark warnings from Beijing. Ten weeks of demonstrations have plunged the international finance hub into crisis and communist-ruled mainland China has taken an increasingly hardline tone, including labelling the more violent protester actions "terrorist-like". Clashes have broken out between police and hardcore protesters but the movement has won few concessions from Beijing or the city's unelected leadership. On Tuesday, protesters blocked passengers from boarding flights at the city's airport and later assaulted two men they accused of being Chinese spies. The images damaged a campaign that until then had largely only targeted the police or government institutions, and prompted some soul-searching among protesters. China's propaganda apparatus seized on the violence, with state media churning out a deluge of damning articles, pictures and videos. State media also ran images of military personnel and armoured personnel carriers across the border in Shenzhen, prompting the United States to warn Beijing against sending in troops, which analysts say would be a reputational and economic disaster for China. In the aftermath of Tuesday's airport chaos, some protester groups apologised and vowed to hold a huge rally on Sunday. Billed as a "rational, non-violent" protest, it is being organised by the Civil Human Rights Front, a group that eschews confrontations with police and was the driving force behind record-breaking rallies in June and July that saw hundreds of thousands of people hit the streets. March banned During smaller protest marches on Saturday -- which ended without the kind of largescale clashes that have become so commonplace each weekend -- many protesters chanted "See you in Victoria Park!" as they left the streets. Watch: Hundreds take part in teachers' rally braving downpour in Hong Kong The park has long been used as the staging point for the city's years of democracy protests and will host Sunday's demonstration. Police have given permission for the rally to go ahead but banned a proposed march. Previous bans in recent weeks have simply been ignored by protesters and have soon led to clashes with riot police. The protests were sparked by opposition to a plan to allow extraditions to the mainland, but have since morphed into a wider call for democratic rights in the semi-autonomous city. Under a deal signed with Britain, authoritarian China agreed to allow Hong Kong to keep its unique freedoms when it was handed back in 1997. But many Hong Kongers feel those freedoms are being eroded, especially since China's hardline president Xi Jinping came to power. In the last two months, millions of people have hit the streets while clashes have broken out between police and small groups of hardcore protesters. Battles between police firing tear gas and rubber bullets -- and hardcore protesters using rocks, Molotov cocktails and slingshots -- have since become routine in a city once renowned for its stability. Beyond suspending the extradition bill, Beijing and city leader Carrie Lam have shown no desire to meet key demands such as an inquiry into police violence, the complete withdrawal of the bill and an amnesty. But protesters remain unbowed, despite the arrests of more than 700 people and 11 consecutive weekends of rallies that have won few concessions. Beijing has turned the screws on Hong Kong's businesses, pressuring them to toe the line and condemn the protesters. On Friday, Cathay Pacific announced the shock resignation of CEO Rupert Hogg after the carrier was excoriated by Beijing because some staff supported the pro-democracy protests. A day later the "Big Four" accountancy firms scrambled to distance themselves from an advert placed in a newspaper purportedly by employees saying they supported the protests.

Defiant Hong Kong protesters vow huge rally despite Beijing threats

An Iranian tanker caught in a stand-off between Tehran and the West has raised an Iranian flag and has had a new name painted on its side, Reuters images of the stationary vessel filmed off Gibraltar showed on Sunday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-denies-giving-gibraltar-assurances-for-release-of-tanker-243388">British Royal Marines seized the vessel in Gibraltar in July</a> on suspicion that it was carrying oil to Syria, a close ally of Iran, in violation of European Union sanctions.

Video footage and photographs showed the tanker flying the red, green and white flag of Iran and bearing the new name of 'Adrian Darya-1'painted in white on its hull.

Its previous name, 'Grace 1', had been painted over.&nbsp;

The vessel's anchor was still down.

The Grace 1 had originally flown the Panamian flag but Panama's Maritime Authority said in July that the vessel had been de-listed after an alert that indicated the ship had participated in or was linked to terrorism financing.

Gibraltar lifted a detention order on the vessel on Thursday but its fate was further complicated by the United States, which made a last-ditch legal appeal to hold it.

The initial impounding of the Grace 1 kicked off a sequence of events that saw Tehran seize a British-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf two weeks later, heightening tension on a vital international oil shipping route.

That tanker, the Stena Impero, is still detained.

The two vessels have since become pawns in a bigger game, feeding into wider hostilities since the United States last year pulled out of an international agreement to curb Iran's nuclear programme, and reimposed economic sanctions.&nbsp;

An Iranian tanker caught in a stand-off between Tehran and the West has raised an Iranian flag and has had a new name painted on its side, Reuters images of the stationary vessel filmed off Gibraltar showed on Sunday.

An Iranian tanker caught in a stand-off between Tehran and the West has raised an Iranian flag and has had a new name painted on its side, Reuters images of the stationary vessel filmed off Gibraltar showed on Sunday. British Royal Marines seized the vessel in Gibraltar in July on suspicion that it was carrying oil to Syria, a close ally of Iran, in violation of European Union sanctions. Video footage and photographs showed the tanker flying the red, green and white flag of Iran and bearing the new name of 'Adrian Darya-1'painted in white on its hull. Its previous name, 'Grace 1', had been painted over. The vessel's anchor was still down. The Grace 1 had originally flown the Panamian flag but Panama's Maritime Authority said in July that the vessel had been de-listed after an alert that indicated the ship had participated in or was linked to terrorism financing. Gibraltar lifted a detention order on the vessel on Thursday but its fate was further complicated by the United States, which made a last-ditch legal appeal to hold it. The initial impounding of the Grace 1 kicked off a sequence of events that saw Tehran seize a British-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf two weeks later, heightening tension on a vital international oil shipping route. That tanker, the Stena Impero, is still detained. The two vessels have since become pawns in a bigger game, feeding into wider hostilities since the United States last year pulled out of an international agreement to curb Iran's nuclear programme, and reimposed economic sanctions.

Grace 1 tanker raises Iranian flag, changes the name to 'Adrian Darya-1'

An Afghanistan peace agreement that the US seems close to reaching with the Taliban has prompted worries that President Donald Trump's desire to quickly withdraw US troops could further plunge the country into civil war.

Trump said Friday he was pleased with talks on ending the war, 18 years after the September 11, attacks that prompted the US invasion of Afghanistan in the first place.

In recent days several US officials have suggested that an accord could be imminent in discussions with the Taliban in Qatar.

The US negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, is expected to return to the region very soon in hopes of sealing an agreement with the Afghan rebel force.

Such a potentially historic accord has raised an outcry from an eclectic assortment of critics in Washington, ranging from neo-conservatives to former Democratic administration officials to ex-military heroes.

In tweets, interviews and op-ed pieces in newspapers, they are cautioning against hastily bringing home the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan, a warning which some hope will also score points ahead of next year's presidential election.

And they are calling on Trump to treat this war as he did North Korea and its nuclear weapons and insist on no deal rather than a bad deal.

"Under no circumstances should the Trump administration repeat the mistake its predecessor made in Iraq and agree to a total withdrawal of combat forces from Afghanistan," retired general David Petraeus, who used to command those soldiers, warned in a piece for The Wall Street Journal.

He was referring to Barack Obama and how the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq helped fuel the emergence of the Islamic State group.

The main points of the peace accord being negotiated with the Taliban are known: US soldiers would withdraw in exchange for a pledge from them not to let Al-Qaida or the Islamic State group operate in the territory that the Taliban controls.

There would also be an immediate ceasefire, and the Taliban would begin talks with the Afghan government, with which the rebels have until now refused all dialogue.

A 'messy, forever war'

Withdrawal of US troops is sought by the American public, has been promised by Trump and is a talking point of several Democratic presidential hopefuls. The risk is that it will intensify the war.

This "will depend on the details," said Laurel Miller, former senior US State Department official responsible for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

There is much speculation as to what those details might entail.

For instance, it seems the Taliban are prepared to call a ceasefire with US troops but not with the Afghan army.

A total, absolute withdrawal of US forces has at least been on the negotiating table and it has never been ruled out in Washington.

"If we leave Afghanistan without a counter-terrorism force, without intelligence-gathering capabilities, ISIS will re-emerge, al Qaida will come back, they will occupy safe havens in Afghanistan, they will hit the homeland, they will come after us all over the world," Senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News.

Graham, who takes credit for persuading Trump to keep some troops in Syria after announcing a total pullout, insisted that Afghanistan needs a "continuing US presence" and America requires a "meaningful counter-terrorism force" there.

Trump has promised only a strong intelligence-gathering presence. And some in his administration want any future counter-terrorism operations to be launched from other countries.

"Effective counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan -- and, just as important, in neighbouring tribal areas of Pakistan -- will prove all but impossible absent an enduring US footprint on Afghan soil," Petraeus wrote in a piece co-signed by Afghanistan expert Vance Serchuk.

Another issue is the timetable of a US withdrawal. Trump, seeking a second term in office, wants to announce the pullout before the election in November 2020.

But there have been signs in recent days pointing to a withdrawal actually completed around the time of the election.

Setting a timetable now "means the Taliban will enter subsequent talks among Afghans having already achieved their main goal and with their stature and bargaining position thereby enhanced," Miller wrote in Foreign Policy.

She argued that there should be a phased US withdrawal linked to specific progress in the Afghan peace process, such as the adoption of a revised constitution with power-sharing features and subsequent elections.

Without a clear pledge from the Taliban to repudiate Al-Qaida and respect women's rights, among others, and without verification mechanisms, "we will not be ending the war -- we will be retreating and ceding the battlefield to our enemies, including the organization that harboured the terrorists responsible for killing nearly 3,000 Americans on 9/11," said Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney.

At the Pentagon, officials are cautious.&nbsp;

"It's an ugly, messy, forever war. It is probably going to be messy to get out," one military source at the Pentagon said.

An Afghanistan peace agreement that the US seems close to reaching with the Taliban has prompted worries that President Donald Trump's desire to quickly withdraw US troops could further plunge the country into civil war.

An Afghanistan peace agreement that the US seems close to reaching with the Taliban has prompted worries that President Donald Trump's desire to quickly withdraw US troops could further plunge the country into civil war. Trump said Friday he was pleased with talks on ending the war, 18 years after the September 11, attacks that prompted the US invasion of Afghanistan in the first place. In recent days several US officials have suggested that an accord could be imminent in discussions with the Taliban in Qatar. The US negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, is expected to return to the region very soon in hopes of sealing an agreement with the Afghan rebel force. Such a potentially historic accord has raised an outcry from an eclectic assortment of critics in Washington, ranging from neo-conservatives to former Democratic administration officials to ex-military heroes. In tweets, interviews and op-ed pieces in newspapers, they are cautioning against hastily bringing home the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan, a warning which some hope will also score points ahead of next year's presidential election. And they are calling on Trump to treat this war as he did North Korea and its nuclear weapons and insist on no deal rather than a bad deal. "Under no circumstances should the Trump administration repeat the mistake its predecessor made in Iraq and agree to a total withdrawal of combat forces from Afghanistan," retired general David Petraeus, who used to command those soldiers, warned in a piece for The Wall Street Journal. He was referring to Barack Obama and how the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq helped fuel the emergence of the Islamic State group. The main points of the peace accord being negotiated with the Taliban are known: US soldiers would withdraw in exchange for a pledge from them not to let Al-Qaida or the Islamic State group operate in the territory that the Taliban controls. There would also be an immediate ceasefire, and the Taliban would begin talks with the Afghan government, with which the rebels have until now refused all dialogue. A 'messy, forever war' Withdrawal of US troops is sought by the American public, has been promised by Trump and is a talking point of several Democratic presidential hopefuls. The risk is that it will intensify the war. This "will depend on the details," said Laurel Miller, former senior US State Department official responsible for Afghanistan and Pakistan. There is much speculation as to what those details might entail. For instance, it seems the Taliban are prepared to call a ceasefire with US troops but not with the Afghan army. A total, absolute withdrawal of US forces has at least been on the negotiating table and it has never been ruled out in Washington. "If we leave Afghanistan without a counter-terrorism force, without intelligence-gathering capabilities, ISIS will re-emerge, al Qaida will come back, they will occupy safe havens in Afghanistan, they will hit the homeland, they will come after us all over the world," Senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News. Graham, who takes credit for persuading Trump to keep some troops in Syria after announcing a total pullout, insisted that Afghanistan needs a "continuing US presence" and America requires a "meaningful counter-terrorism force" there. Trump has promised only a strong intelligence-gathering presence. And some in his administration want any future counter-terrorism operations to be launched from other countries. "Effective counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan -- and, just as important, in neighbouring tribal areas of Pakistan -- will prove all but impossible absent an enduring US footprint on Afghan soil," Petraeus wrote in a piece co-signed by Afghanistan expert Vance Serchuk. Another issue is the timetable of a US withdrawal. Trump, seeking a second term in office, wants to announce the pullout before the election in November 2020. But there have been signs in recent days pointing to a withdrawal actually completed around the time of the election. Setting a timetable now "means the Taliban will enter subsequent talks among Afghans having already achieved their main goal and with their stature and bargaining position thereby enhanced," Miller wrote in Foreign Policy. She argued that there should be a phased US withdrawal linked to specific progress in the Afghan peace process, such as the adoption of a revised constitution with power-sharing features and subsequent elections. Without a clear pledge from the Taliban to repudiate Al-Qaida and respect women's rights, among others, and without verification mechanisms, "we will not be ending the war -- we will be retreating and ceding the battlefield to our enemies, including the organization that harboured the terrorists responsible for killing nearly 3,000 Americans on 9/11," said Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney. At the Pentagon, officials are cautious. "It's an ugly, messy, forever war. It is probably going to be messy to get out," one military source at the Pentagon said.

Fears in US of bad peace deal with the Taliban

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is on his first foreign trip after assuming power, held discussions with members of the business community in Washington DC on Saturday to explore investment opportunities for US companies in Andhra Pradesh.

He also discussed opportunities to strengthen connectivity between the US and Andhra with members of the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center at a roundtable meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Jagan welcomed the USIBC to work with his government to identify '5 big ideas' to catalyze the US-Andhra Pradesh Economic Partnership.

"Andhra Pradesh is poised to catalyze investments, capital and partnerships owing to robust infrastructure for connectivity, enabling policies, integration with global value chains, shifting demographic dividend and a ready workforce," he said.

He also said that the state government and the USIBC can prepare a roadmap to achieve investment and trade targets especially in the areas of agriculture and food security, healthcare, education, infrastructure and manufacturing.

The Chief Minister also welcomed US companies to expand their CSR activities in India.

Jagan presented his comprehensive governance and development model, built on nine assurances called 'Navaratnalu' namely support to farmers (Rythu Bharosa), irrigation development (Jala Yagnam), incentives to mothers for education of children (Amma Vodi), scholarship for higher education, women empowerment (YSR Asara/YSR Cheyutha), social safety net through pensions (Pensionla Pempu), housing for poor (Pedalandariki Illu), quality healthcare for all (Arogyasri) and ban of alcohol.

Jagan, who is on a week-long visit to the United States, was welcomed by Indian Ambassador to the United States, Harsh V Shringla, in Washington.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is on his first foreign trip after assuming power, held discussions with members of the business community in Washington DC on Saturday to explore investment opportunities for US companies in Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is on his first foreign trip after assuming power, held discussions with members of the business community in Washington DC on Saturday to explore investment opportunities for US companies in Andhra Pradesh. He also discussed opportunities to strengthen connectivity between the US and Andhra with members of the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center at a roundtable meeting. Speaking at the meeting, Jagan welcomed the USIBC to work with his government to identify '5 big ideas' to catalyze the US-Andhra Pradesh Economic Partnership. "Andhra Pradesh is poised to catalyze investments, capital and partnerships owing to robust infrastructure for connectivity, enabling policies, integration with global value chains, shifting demographic dividend and a ready workforce," he said. He also said that the state government and the USIBC can prepare a roadmap to achieve investment and trade targets especially in the areas of agriculture and food security, healthcare, education, infrastructure and manufacturing. The Chief Minister also welcomed US companies to expand their CSR activities in India. Jagan presented his comprehensive governance and development model, built on nine assurances called 'Navaratnalu' namely support to farmers (Rythu Bharosa), irrigation development (Jala Yagnam), incentives to mothers for education of children (Amma Vodi), scholarship for higher education, women empowerment (YSR Asara/YSR Cheyutha), social safety net through pensions (Pensionla Pempu), housing for poor (Pedalandariki Illu), quality healthcare for all (Arogyasri) and ban of alcohol. Jagan, who is on a week-long visit to the United States, was welcomed by Indian Ambassador to the United States, Harsh V Shringla, in Washington.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy discusses investment opportunities during US visit

In another jolt to Pakistan, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-calls-for-a-high-level-meeting-to-deliberate-future-course-of-action-on-kashmir-243534">United States slashed the aid to the cash-strapped nation</a> by nearly $440 million, bringing down its commitment to just $ 4.1 billion.

The aid was disbursed under Pakistan Enhanced Partnership Agreement (PEPA) 2010, reported Express Tribune.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/president-trump-offers-to-mediate-on-kashmir-issue-during-meeting-with-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-report-237780">US apprised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan</a> about its decision to cut aid three weeks before his planned visit to Washington.

Notably, the PEPA was signed in September 2010 to make operational the Kerry Lugar Berman (KLB) Act that was passed by the US Congress in October 2009 to disburse $7.5 billion to Pakistan over a period of 5 years.

Earlier the aid under the KLB stood at nearly $4.5 billion. Following the cut, the aid will come down to $4.1 billion.

Last year in September, the United States' military cancelled the financial aid worth $300 million to Pakistan due to the growing concerns regarding Islamabad's failure to tackle terrorism.

In January that year, Pentagon had cut $1 billion worth financial aid to Pakistan, with Defense Secretary James Mattis and other officials citing Islamabad's failure to crack down on the Haqqani terror outfit as the reason behind it, Fox News reported.

During his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, last month, US President Donald Trump strongly criticised Islamabad for its behaviour which led to the cancellation of US aid amounting to $1.3 billion to the country.

"We were paying $1.3 billion to Pakistan as aid, for many years. The problem was...Pakistan was not doing anything for us. They were really subversive.

They were going against us. I ended that about a year and a half ago, the $1.3 billion (aid)," Trump said during his meeting with Khan.

In another jolt to Pakistan, the United States slashed the aid to the cash-strapped nation by nearly $440 million, bringing down its commitment to just $ 4.1 billion.

In another jolt to Pakistan, the United States slashed the aid to the cash-strapped nation by nearly $440 million, bringing down its commitment to just $ 4.1 billion. The aid was disbursed under Pakistan Enhanced Partnership Agreement (PEPA) 2010, reported Express Tribune. The US apprised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan about its decision to cut aid three weeks before his planned visit to Washington. Notably, the PEPA was signed in September 2010 to make operational the Kerry Lugar Berman (KLB) Act that was passed by the US Congress in October 2009 to disburse $7.5 billion to Pakistan over a period of 5 years. Earlier the aid under the KLB stood at nearly $4.5 billion. Following the cut, the aid will come down to $4.1 billion. Last year in September, the United States' military cancelled the financial aid worth $300 million to Pakistan due to the growing concerns regarding Islamabad's failure to tackle terrorism. In January that year, Pentagon had cut $1 billion worth financial aid to Pakistan, with Defense Secretary James Mattis and other officials citing Islamabad's failure to crack down on the Haqqani terror outfit as the reason behind it, Fox News reported. During his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, last month, US President Donald Trump strongly criticised Islamabad for its behaviour which led to the cancellation of US aid amounting to $1.3 billion to the country. "We were paying $1.3 billion to Pakistan as aid, for many years. The problem was...Pakistan was not doing anything for us. They were really subversive. They were going against us. I ended that about a year and a half ago, the $1.3 billion (aid)," Trump said during his meeting with Khan.

US cuts $440 million financial aid to Pakistan amid Kashmir tensions

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/trump-gets-update-from-aides-on-afghan-peace-plan-with-troop-pullout-possible-243530">US President Donald Trump</a> said he was having dinner on Friday with Chief Executive Officer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-trump-goof-up-tim-cook-renames-his-twitter-handle-as-tim-apple-201972">Tim Cook of Apple</a>, a company the president has criticized for not manufacturing more of its products in the United States.

"Having dinner tonight with Tim Cook of Apple. They will be spending vast sums of money in the US Great!" Trump, who is on a working vacation at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, said in a Twitter message.

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Having dinner tonight with Tim Cook of Apple. They will be spending vast sums of money in the U.S. Great!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1162500362810642437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The White House did not immediately respond to a question about the agenda for the dinner and what Trump was referring to when he said Apple would be spending vast sums in the United States.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump has said he wants Apple and other manufacturers to move their production from China and other countries to the United States.

Another round of US tariffs on Chinese imports had been due to take effect in Sept. 1, but the Trump administration this week delayed the tariffs on some products until December 15.

"We're doing this for Christmas season, just in case some of the tariffs would have an impact on US customers," Trump said on Tuesday after the announcement.

Levies on Apple's MacBooks and iPhones were delayed until December, while tariffs on its AirPods, Apple Watch and HomePod will go into effect as scheduled next month.

The United States and China are locked in a trade war over US demands that China change its policies on intellectual property protection, technology transfers, industrial subsidies and other trade barriers.

Trump said on Thursday that US and Chinese negotiators were holding "productive" trade talks and expected them to meet in September.

US President Donald Trump said he was having dinner on Friday with Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook of Apple, a company the president has criticized for not manufacturing more of its products in the United States.

US President Donald Trump said he was having dinner on Friday with Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook of Apple, a company the president has criticized for not manufacturing more of its products in the United States. "Having dinner tonight with Tim Cook of Apple. They will be spending vast sums of money in the US Great!" Trump, who is on a working vacation at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, said in a Twitter message. Having dinner tonight with Tim Cook of Apple. They will be spending vast sums of money in the U.S. Great! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2019 × The White House did not immediately respond to a question about the agenda for the dinner and what Trump was referring to when he said Apple would be spending vast sums in the United States. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump has said he wants Apple and other manufacturers to move their production from China and other countries to the United States. Another round of US tariffs on Chinese imports had been due to take effect in Sept. 1, but the Trump administration this week delayed the tariffs on some products until December 15. "We're doing this for Christmas season, just in case some of the tariffs would have an impact on US customers," Trump said on Tuesday after the announcement. Levies on Apple's MacBooks and iPhones were delayed until December, while tariffs on its AirPods, Apple Watch and HomePod will go into effect as scheduled next month. The United States and China are locked in a trade war over US demands that China change its policies on intellectual property protection, technology transfers, industrial subsidies and other trade barriers. Trump said on Thursday that US and Chinese negotiators were holding "productive" trade talks and expected them to meet in September.

Having dinner on Friday with Tim Cook of Apple: Trump

North Korean leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-says-no-talks-with-south-due-to-drills-kim-oversaw-test-of-new-weapon-kcna-242223">Kim Jong-un oversaw the test-firing</a> of a new weapon again on Friday morning, state media KCNA said on Saturday.

North Korea launched at least two short-range ballistic missiles on Friday, South Korea's military said, its sixth round of weapons launches since late July, complicating efforts to restart talks between the United States and North Korea over Pyongyang's weapons programmes.

Stephen Biegun, the US special envoy for North Korea will travel to Japan and South Korea next week to coordinate efforts to secure the denuclearization of North Korea, the State Department said on Friday.

News of Biegun's trip came after US President Donald Trump said last Saturday that Kim had told him he was ready to resume stalled denuclearization talks with the United States and would stop recent missile testing as soon as US-South Korea military exercises that have been held this month-end.

The North has protested against joint US-South Korea military drills, which kicked off last week, calling them a rehearsal for war.

An official at Seoul's defence ministry said on Friday that there was a possibility that the North fired the same type of missiles it used on August 10, which Pyongyang also called "a new weapon" at that time.

Last week, Trump played down the North's recent missile tests, saying they do not violate Kim's pledge to forego nuclear and long-range tests. Trump also said that he had just received a "very beautiful letter' from Kim and added that he could have another meeting with him.

The denuclearization talks have been in a stalemate since a June 30 meeting between the two leaders.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the test-firing of a new weapon again on Friday morning, state media KCNA said on Saturday. North Korea launched at least two short-range ballistic missiles on Friday, South Korea's military said, its sixth round of weapons launches since late July, complicating efforts to restart talks between the United States and North Korea over Pyongyang's weapons programmes.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the test-firing of a new weapon again on Friday morning, state media KCNA said on Saturday. North Korea launched at least two short-range ballistic missiles on Friday, South Korea's military said, its sixth round of weapons launches since late July, complicating efforts to restart talks between the United States and North Korea over Pyongyang's weapons programmes. Stephen Biegun, the US special envoy for North Korea will travel to Japan and South Korea next week to coordinate efforts to secure the denuclearization of North Korea, the State Department said on Friday. News of Biegun's trip came after US President Donald Trump said last Saturday that Kim had told him he was ready to resume stalled denuclearization talks with the United States and would stop recent missile testing as soon as US-South Korea military exercises that have been held this month-end. The North has protested against joint US-South Korea military drills, which kicked off last week, calling them a rehearsal for war. An official at Seoul's defence ministry said on Friday that there was a possibility that the North fired the same type of missiles it used on August 10, which Pyongyang also called "a new weapon" at that time. Last week, Trump played down the North's recent missile tests, saying they do not violate Kim's pledge to forego nuclear and long-range tests. Trump also said that he had just received a "very beautiful letter' from Kim and added that he could have another meeting with him. The denuclearization talks have been in a stalemate since a June 30 meeting between the two leaders.

North Korea leader Kim Jong-un oversaw test-firing of new weapon again: State media

In another jolt to Pakistan, the United States slashed the aid to the cash-strapped nation by nearly USD 440 million, bringing down its commitment to just USD 4.1 billion.

Another major setback for Pakistan, US cuts $440 million financial aid to Islamabad

The United States applied on Thursday to seize an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-says-britain-might-free-oil-tanker-soon-irna-242778">Iranian tanker in Gibraltar,</a> halting its expected release at the last minute and preventing a possible swap for British-flagged tanker held by Iran.

The Grace 1 oil tanker was seized by Royal Marine commandos in a landing in darkness off the coast of the British overseas territory on July 4.

Gibraltar said the tanker was suspected of selling oil to Syria in breach of European Union sanctions. Two weeks later, Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized the British-flagged Stena Impero in the Gulf on July 19.

Gibraltar was widely expected to release the Grace 1 on Thursday, but just hours before, the US Department of Justice sought to seize it.

"The US Department of Justice has applied to seize the Grace 1 on a number of allegations which are now being considered," the government of Gibraltar said, adding the matter would return to the supreme court of Gibraltar at 1400 GMT on Thursday.

Watch: Iran-UK Oil Tanker Seizure Row

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Further details were not immediately released about the grounds for the US Justice Department's application. The US Justice Department was not immediately available for comment.

The Gibraltar Chronicle newspaper, which was first to report the news, said the court's chief justice, Anthony Dudley, made clear that were it not for the US move, "the ship would have sailed".

While both Britain and Iran deny they were planning to swap the vessels for each other, there has been a widespread expectation that the Britsh-flagged ship will not be freed until the Iranian tanker is released.

The two seized tankers - one in Gibraltar and one in Iran - are seen as a pawn in the standoff between Iran and the West, with their fate tangled in the diplomatic differences between the EU's big powers and the United States.

European countries including Britain strongly disagreed with Washington's decision last year to abandon an international agreement that guaranteed Iran access to trade in return for curbs to its nuclear programme.

Washington has imposed sanctions on Iran with the aim of halting its oil exports altogether. European countries have lifted sanctions against Iran itself but still have a ban on selling oil to Syria, in place since 2011.

Gibraltar denies that it was ordered to detain the Grace 1, which was carrying up to 2.1 million barrels of oil, but several diplomatic sources have said the United States asked the United Kingdom to seize the vessel.

Britain, which has insisted its Iran policy will not change under new Prime Minister Boris Johnson who took office last month, has repeatedly indicated it wants a compromise over the tanker.

The captain and three officers of the Grace 1 has been released from arrest.

A source in Gibraltar had told Reuters ahead of Thursday's court hearing that the Grace 1 would probably be allowed to leave, stoking speculation about a possible tanker swap with Iran.

Britain has announced plans to join a US-led maritime security mission in the Gulf.

Iranian navy commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi repeated Iran's longstanding demand that Western navies leave the Gulf, which Iran says should be patrolled only by the countries of the region, ISNA news agency reported on Thursday.

"The enemies of the region, America, England and the Zionist regime and their allies, should know that the time of parading, loitering and putting on a hypocritical show in the Persian Gulf region and the sea of Oman is over,” Khanzadi said, according to ISNA.

"The enemies must leave the region as quickly as possible."

The United States applied on Thursday to seize an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar, halting its expected release at the last minute and preventing a possible swap for British-flagged tanker held by Iran.

The United States applied on Thursday to seize an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar, halting its expected release at the last minute and preventing a possible swap for British-flagged tanker held by Iran. The Grace 1 oil tanker was seized by Royal Marine commandos in a landing in darkness off the coast of the British overseas territory on July 4. Gibraltar said the tanker was suspected of selling oil to Syria in breach of European Union sanctions. Two weeks later, Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized the British-flagged Stena Impero in the Gulf on July 19. Gibraltar was widely expected to release the Grace 1 on Thursday, but just hours before, the US Department of Justice sought to seize it. "The US Department of Justice has applied to seize the Grace 1 on a number of allegations which are now being considered," the government of Gibraltar said, adding the matter would return to the supreme court of Gibraltar at 1400 GMT on Thursday. Watch: Iran-UK Oil Tanker Seizure Row × Further details were not immediately released about the grounds for the US Justice Department's application. The US Justice Department was not immediately available for comment. The Gibraltar Chronicle newspaper, which was first to report the news, said the court's chief justice, Anthony Dudley, made clear that were it not for the US move, "the ship would have sailed". While both Britain and Iran deny they were planning to swap the vessels for each other, there has been a widespread expectation that the Britsh-flagged ship will not be freed until the Iranian tanker is released. The two seized tankers - one in Gibraltar and one in Iran - are seen as a pawn in the standoff between Iran and the West, with their fate tangled in the diplomatic differences between the EU's big powers and the United States. European countries including Britain strongly disagreed with Washington's decision last year to abandon an international agreement that guaranteed Iran access to trade in return for curbs to its nuclear programme. Washington has imposed sanctions on Iran with the aim of halting its oil exports altogether. European countries have lifted sanctions against Iran itself but still have a ban on selling oil to Syria, in place since 2011. Gibraltar denies that it was ordered to detain the Grace 1, which was carrying up to 2.1 million barrels of oil, but several diplomatic sources have said the United States asked the United Kingdom to seize the vessel. Britain, which has insisted its Iran policy will not change under new Prime Minister Boris Johnson who took office last month, has repeatedly indicated it wants a compromise over the tanker. The captain and three officers of the Grace 1 has been released from arrest. A source in Gibraltar had told Reuters ahead of Thursday's court hearing that the Grace 1 would probably be allowed to leave, stoking speculation about a possible tanker swap with Iran. Britain has announced plans to join a US-led maritime security mission in the Gulf. Iranian navy commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi repeated Iran's longstanding demand that Western navies leave the Gulf, which Iran says should be patrolled only by the countries of the region, ISNA news agency reported on Thursday. "The enemies of the region, America, England and the Zionist regime and their allies, should know that the time of parading, loitering and putting on a hypocritical show in the Persian Gulf region and the sea of Oman is over,” Khanzadi said, according to ISNA. "The enemies must leave the region as quickly as possible."

United States seeks to seize Iranian vessel in Gibraltar: Report

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