A gunman opened fire at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival in California in the United States with several&nbsp;fatalities reported during the shooting.

The shooter opened fire at the food festival which was underway in California.&nbsp;Founded in 1979, the Gilroy Garlic Festival features food, drink, live entertainment and cooking competitions. It says it is hosted by volunteers and describes itself as the world’s greatest summer food festival.

It was being held at the outdoor Christmas Hill Park, where weapons of any kind are prohibited, according to the event’s website.

To provide a safe, family-friendly atmosphere, it said, entry was refused to anyone wearing clothing or paraphernalia indicating membership in a gang, including a motorcycle club.

NBC Bay Area said ambulance crews were told 11 people were “down” after shots rang out on the last day of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, an annual three-day event south of San Jose.

Videos posted on social media appeared to show festival attendees scattering in confusion as at least one loud popping sound could be heard in the background.

“What’s going on?” a woman can be heard asking on one video. “Who’d shoot up a garlic festival?”

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BREAKING: ATF's San Francisco Field Division is responding to the scene of a reported shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California. <a href="https://t.co/fyMR5ZP9r7">pic.twitter.com/fyMR5ZP9r7</a>
— ATF San Francisco (@ATFSanFrancisco) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATFSanFrancisco/status/1155664680431624192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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US authorities reacted with San Franciso agents tweeting that they were responding to the shooting at the festival in Gilroy. The motive of the attack is still unknown with the identity of the attacker still unknown.

(Inputs: Reuters)

A gunman opened fire at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival in California in the United States with several fatalities reported during the shooting. The shooter opened fire at the food festival which was underway in California.

A gunman opened fire at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival in California in the United States with several fatalities reported during the shooting. The shooter opened fire at the food festival which was underway in California. Founded in 1979, the Gilroy Garlic Festival features food, drink, live entertainment and cooking competitions. It says it is hosted by volunteers and describes itself as the world’s greatest summer food festival. It was being held at the outdoor Christmas Hill Park, where weapons of any kind are prohibited, according to the event’s website. To provide a safe, family-friendly atmosphere, it said, entry was refused to anyone wearing clothing or paraphernalia indicating membership in a gang, including a motorcycle club. NBC Bay Area said ambulance crews were told 11 people were “down” after shots rang out on the last day of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, an annual three-day event south of San Jose. Videos posted on social media appeared to show festival attendees scattering in confusion as at least one loud popping sound could be heard in the background. “What’s going on?” a woman can be heard asking on one video. “Who’d shoot up a garlic festival?” BREAKING: ATF's San Francisco Field Division is responding to the scene of a reported shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California. pic.twitter.com/fyMR5ZP9r7 — ATF San Francisco (@ATFSanFrancisco) July 29, 2019 × US authorities reacted with San Franciso agents tweeting that they were responding to the shooting at the festival in Gilroy. The motive of the attack is still unknown with the identity of the attacker still unknown. (Inputs: Reuters)

Gunman opens fire in California food festival; several injured

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WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - July 29th, 2019

After San Jose mass shooting left at least 4 dead, the focus is back on gun culture in the United States. Here is a look at some shocking facts and figures.

US holds world record for 310 million guns

The two contenders to be Guatemala's next president questioned on Saturday the validity of a deal struck by the country's government with the United States that aims to curb the flow of migrants north from Central America.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-announces-controversial-asylum-deal-with-guatemala-238748">US President Donald Trump </a>on Friday said he would drop the threat of economic sanctions against Guatemala after its government agreed to implement new measures aimed at bringing down US asylum claims from migrants fleeing Honduras and El Salvador.

US officials described the deal as a safe third-country agreement, which would make Guatemala a buffer zone for migrants from its Central American neighbours, although the Guatemalan government did not characterize the accord as such.

Guatemala's Constitutional Court had already ruled a safe third-country agreement would need prior approval from the Guatemalan Congress, which is on a summer recess.

That prompted the two candidates contesting a second-round run-off on Aug. 11 to succeed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/guatemala-president-jimmy-morales-calls-off-us-meeting-with-donald-trump-236018">Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales</a> to cast doubt on the deal which Interior Minister Enrique Degenhart signed for Guatemala in Washington.

"There needs to be a thorough analysis of whether the minister had the power to sign an agreement with these international characteristics, and in any case, the agreement has to go to Congress, whoever signed it," said Sandra Torres, the centre-left candidate who led the first round of voting in June.

Torres, who was speaking at a rally in Chichicastenango, north of the capital, ordered lawmakers from her UNE party to summon both Degenhart and Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel to give testimony before Congress on how the deal was brokered.

Her rival for the presidency, conservative Alejandro Giammattei, called the accord "bad news for Guatemala."

"This has opened a rocky road for President Morales because according to the Constitutional Court ruling, that agreement has to pass through Congress," Giammattei told CNN.

Guatemalan human rights groups also criticized the deal, which did, however, receive backing from business associations.

Guatemala's next president will take office in January. 
&nbsp;

The two contenders to be Guatemala's next president questioned on Saturday the validity of a deal struck by the country's government with the United States that aims to curb the flow of migrants north from Central America.

The two contenders to be Guatemala's next president questioned on Saturday the validity of a deal struck by the country's government with the United States that aims to curb the flow of migrants north from Central America. US President Donald Trump on Friday said he would drop the threat of economic sanctions against Guatemala after its government agreed to implement new measures aimed at bringing down US asylum claims from migrants fleeing Honduras and El Salvador. US officials described the deal as a safe third-country agreement, which would make Guatemala a buffer zone for migrants from its Central American neighbours, although the Guatemalan government did not characterize the accord as such. Guatemala's Constitutional Court had already ruled a safe third-country agreement would need prior approval from the Guatemalan Congress, which is on a summer recess. That prompted the two candidates contesting a second-round run-off on Aug. 11 to succeed Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales to cast doubt on the deal which Interior Minister Enrique Degenhart signed for Guatemala in Washington. "There needs to be a thorough analysis of whether the minister had the power to sign an agreement with these international characteristics, and in any case, the agreement has to go to Congress, whoever signed it," said Sandra Torres, the centre-left candidate who led the first round of voting in June. Torres, who was speaking at a rally in Chichicastenango, north of the capital, ordered lawmakers from her UNE party to summon both Degenhart and Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel to give testimony before Congress on how the deal was brokered. Her rival for the presidency, conservative Alejandro Giammattei, called the accord "bad news for Guatemala." "This has opened a rocky road for President Morales because according to the Constitutional Court ruling, that agreement has to pass through Congress," Giammattei told CNN. Guatemalan human rights groups also criticized the deal, which did, however, receive backing from business associations. Guatemala's next president will take office in January.

Guatemalan presidential candidates question US migration deal

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/us-china-trade-war-is-making-china-stronger-234526">US trade negotiators return to China</a> this week for a fresh round of talks in a new city, but experts warn a change of air is unlikely to quickly solve an impasse between the world's two biggest economies.

The meetings in Shanghai on Tuesday and Wednesday will be the first face-to-face discussions since negotiations collapsed in May after President Donald Trump accused China of reneging on its commitments.

Washington and Beijing have so far hit each other with punitive tariffs covering more than $360 billion in two-way trade in the tense stand-off.

Despite an agreement by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/americas/donald-trump-xi-jinping-and-trade-a-high-stakes-game-of-chicken-216697">Trump and President Xi Jinping at the G20</a> in Japan to cease hostilities, there has been little progress since and the US leader has irritated the Chinese side by claiming the slowing economy is forcing them to make a trade deal.

The dispute has centred on US demands for China to curb the alleged theft of American technology and provide a level-playing field to US companies in the Asian country.

Trump has also angered China by blacklisting telecom giant Huawei over national security concerns.

"China tried to take this as a purely economic affair and just wants to make a deal, but on the US side, it seems ... (they) try to connect the trade affairs with a strategic rivalry," Wang Chuanxing, professor at Tongji University, told AFP.

"The common ground is that both of the sides want to strike a deal, so this is very important."

Symbolic venue&nbsp;

The re-starting of talks is seen as a positive step, and the change of location to the country's leading city of commerce Shanghai is also suggestive.

"It could be an attempt to distance the consequences of the negotiations from Xi Jinping and the people immediately around him," said Michael Pettis, a finance professor at the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University.

Holding talks in Shanghai is also a nod to a time of better relations, as the home of the 1972 Shanghai Communique an important step in building diplomatic relations between the US and China.

"There's a significance to (China) of the Shanghai Communique and the symbolism obviously of that important agreement," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC, adding that he would take the invite to Shanghai as "good news that we will be making progress next week".

However, Mnuchin, who will be joined by US trade representative Robert Lighthizer in Shanghai, warned there were "a lot of issues" and he expected follow-up talks in the US.

"It's not likely (they will sign a deal) this week," said Shanghai-based professor Shen Dingli.

The Global Times, a state-run nationalist daily, said in an editorial on Friday that it is "widely believed that trade talks will take a long time" and the chance of getting a deal could be missed if Washington continues to put pressure on Beijing.

Further lowering expectations was Larry Kudlow, director of the US National Economic Council, who told CNBC on Friday that he "wouldn't expect any grand deal."

"Talking to our negotiators, I think they're going to reset the stage and hopefully go back to where the talks left off last May," he said, adding that the two sides still need to address key structural issues such as intellectual property theft and forced transfers of technology.

New places, new faces

As well as a fresh location, the new round of trade talks seem set to give a more prominent role to the Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan.

While Vice Premier Liu He will likely lead the talks for China again, the addition of Zhong could change the tone of the discussions as he is seen as a hardliner.

"On the one hand maybe in his speeches he might express something tough," Wang said.

"But on the other hand, we can also think that China is making more efforts to strike a deal because Zhong Shan is a man with much expertise in this area."

There is also a suggestion that Beijing is deliberately delaying the process until the next US election, in the hope of finding a more conciliatory leader to deal with.

It will be tougher for Xi to push reforms following US criticism of Beijing's human rights record and an open letter signed by retired US military officials urging Trump to maintain a hard line against Communist China, said Larry Ong, senior analyst with political risk consultancy SinoInsider.

"Xi's rivals and other (Communist) Party hardliners will seize on the aforementioned developments as proof that the US wants to defeat the CCP in a Cold War-style conflict, not reach a 'win-win' trade agreement and revert the Sino-US relationship to the engagement era," Ong said.

US trade negotiators return to China this week for a fresh round of talks in a new city, but experts warn a change of air is unlikely to quickly solve an impasse between the world's two biggest economies.

US trade negotiators return to China this week for a fresh round of talks in a new city, but experts warn a change of air is unlikely to quickly solve an impasse between the world's two biggest economies. The meetings in Shanghai on Tuesday and Wednesday will be the first face-to-face discussions since negotiations collapsed in May after President Donald Trump accused China of reneging on its commitments. Washington and Beijing have so far hit each other with punitive tariffs covering more than $360 billion in two-way trade in the tense stand-off. Despite an agreement by Trump and President Xi Jinping at the G20 in Japan to cease hostilities, there has been little progress since and the US leader has irritated the Chinese side by claiming the slowing economy is forcing them to make a trade deal. The dispute has centred on US demands for China to curb the alleged theft of American technology and provide a level-playing field to US companies in the Asian country. Trump has also angered China by blacklisting telecom giant Huawei over national security concerns. "China tried to take this as a purely economic affair and just wants to make a deal, but on the US side, it seems ... (they) try to connect the trade affairs with a strategic rivalry," Wang Chuanxing, professor at Tongji University, told AFP. "The common ground is that both of the sides want to strike a deal, so this is very important." Symbolic venue The re-starting of talks is seen as a positive step, and the change of location to the country's leading city of commerce Shanghai is also suggestive. "It could be an attempt to distance the consequences of the negotiations from Xi Jinping and the people immediately around him," said Michael Pettis, a finance professor at the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University. Holding talks in Shanghai is also a nod to a time of better relations, as the home of the 1972 Shanghai Communique an important step in building diplomatic relations between the US and China. "There's a significance to (China) of the Shanghai Communique and the symbolism obviously of that important agreement," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC, adding that he would take the invite to Shanghai as "good news that we will be making progress next week". However, Mnuchin, who will be joined by US trade representative Robert Lighthizer in Shanghai, warned there were "a lot of issues" and he expected follow-up talks in the US. "It's not likely (they will sign a deal) this week," said Shanghai-based professor Shen Dingli. The Global Times, a state-run nationalist daily, said in an editorial on Friday that it is "widely believed that trade talks will take a long time" and the chance of getting a deal could be missed if Washington continues to put pressure on Beijing. Further lowering expectations was Larry Kudlow, director of the US National Economic Council, who told CNBC on Friday that he "wouldn't expect any grand deal." "Talking to our negotiators, I think they're going to reset the stage and hopefully go back to where the talks left off last May," he said, adding that the two sides still need to address key structural issues such as intellectual property theft and forced transfers of technology. New places, new faces As well as a fresh location, the new round of trade talks seem set to give a more prominent role to the Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan. While Vice Premier Liu He will likely lead the talks for China again, the addition of Zhong could change the tone of the discussions as he is seen as a hardliner. "On the one hand maybe in his speeches he might express something tough," Wang said. "But on the other hand, we can also think that China is making more efforts to strike a deal because Zhong Shan is a man with much expertise in this area." There is also a suggestion that Beijing is deliberately delaying the process until the next US election, in the hope of finding a more conciliatory leader to deal with. It will be tougher for Xi to push reforms following US criticism of Beijing's human rights record and an open letter signed by retired US military officials urging Trump to maintain a hard line against Communist China, said Larry Ong, senior analyst with political risk consultancy SinoInsider. "Xi's rivals and other (Communist) Party hardliners will seize on the aforementioned developments as proof that the US wants to defeat the CCP in a Cold War-style conflict, not reach a 'win-win' trade agreement and revert the Sino-US relationship to the engagement era," Ong said.

Cautious hopes before new round of US-China trade talks

A scheme to create 20,000 jobs in Honduras has been agreed between the country's president and Mexico's leader in an attempt to stem the flow of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-and-mexican-counterpart-welcome-reduced-flow-of-migrants-237547">migrants toward the United States</a>.

Mexico, which is a stepping stone to the US for many from Central America seeking to escape violence and poverty, has seen a wave of migrants sweep through in the past few months, causing tensions with Washington.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/mexico-to-help-create-20000-jobs-in-honduras-to-curb-migration-238977/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador met his Honduran counterpart Juan Orlando Hernandez in the Mexican state of Veracruz on Saturday to sign an agreement to extend a development program to Honduras, which includes a tree-planting scheme already active in Mexico.

Called "Sowing Life", the scheme pays farmers a small monthly stipend to plant trees and crops. Mexico signed a deal with El Salvador last month to introduce the same project to the Central American state.

Hernandez said the scheme was the "correct path" to boost both country's economies and called for the creation of a "great international coalition for generating huge numbers of jobs" in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Mexico will support Honduras "to create 20,000 jobs between now and December," said Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

US President Donald Trump had threatened stiff new trade tariffs against the United States' southern neighbour unless it acted decisively to stem the migrant wave. But tensions calmed after Mexico's deployment of thousands of security forces to its borders last month.

The large majority of Central Americans who cross Mexico for the US are from Honduras. Some say they are fleeing persecution by the Hernandez government, having participated in protests after his election.

A scheme to create 20,000 jobs in Honduras has been agreed between the country's president and Mexico's leader in an attempt to stem the flow of migrants toward the United States.

A scheme to create 20,000 jobs in Honduras has been agreed between the country's president and Mexico's leader in an attempt to stem the flow of migrants toward the United States. Mexico, which is a stepping stone to the US for many from Central America seeking to escape violence and poverty, has seen a wave of migrants sweep through in the past few months, causing tensions with Washington. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador met his Honduran counterpart Juan Orlando Hernandez in the Mexican state of Veracruz on Saturday to sign an agreement to extend a development program to Honduras, which includes a tree-planting scheme already active in Mexico. Called "Sowing Life", the scheme pays farmers a small monthly stipend to plant trees and crops. Mexico signed a deal with El Salvador last month to introduce the same project to the Central American state. Hernandez said the scheme was the "correct path" to boost both country's economies and called for the creation of a "great international coalition for generating huge numbers of jobs" in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Mexico will support Honduras "to create 20,000 jobs between now and December," said Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard. US President Donald Trump had threatened stiff new trade tariffs against the United States' southern neighbour unless it acted decisively to stem the migrant wave. But tensions calmed after Mexico's deployment of thousands of security forces to its borders last month. The large majority of Central Americans who cross Mexico for the US are from Honduras. Some say they are fleeing persecution by the Hernandez government, having participated in protests after his election.

Mexico, Honduras agree to create 20,000 jobs and stem migration

The head of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sanctions-network-selling-materials-for-iran-nuclear-programme-237033">Iran's Atomic Energy Organization</a>, Ali Akbar Salehi, told lawmakers on Sunday that Iran will restart activities at the Arak heavy-water nuclear reactor, the ISNA news agency reported.

ISNA cited a member of parliament who attended the meeting. Heavy water can be employed in reactors to produce plutonium, a fuel used in nuclear warheads.

In May Iran announced planned measures to breach the nuclear agreement with major world powers following the US withdrawal from deal and Washington's reimposition of tough sanctions.

On July 3, President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would increase its uranium enrichment levels and start to revive its Arak heavy-water reactor after July 7 if the nations in the nuclear pact did not protect trade with Iran promised under the deal but blocked by the US sanctions.&nbsp;

The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, told lawmakers on Sunday that Iran will restart activities at the Arak heavy-water nuclear reactor, the ISNA news agency reported.

The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, told lawmakers on Sunday that Iran will restart activities at the Arak heavy-water nuclear reactor, the ISNA news agency reported. ISNA cited a member of parliament who attended the meeting. Heavy water can be employed in reactors to produce plutonium, a fuel used in nuclear warheads. In May Iran announced planned measures to breach the nuclear agreement with major world powers following the US withdrawal from deal and Washington's reimposition of tough sanctions. On July 3, President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would increase its uranium enrichment levels and start to revive its Arak heavy-water reactor after July 7 if the nations in the nuclear pact did not protect trade with Iran promised under the deal but blocked by the US sanctions.

Iran intends to restart activities at Arak heavy water nuclear reactor: Report

Mexico's government said on Saturday (July 27) it would help Honduras create 20,000 jobs this year and support its coffee farmers as the two countries seek to curb migration to the United States that has created tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his Honduran counterpart, Juan Orlando Hernandez, pledged to work together to lift prosperity in Central America, where poverty and violence have fuelled an exodus of people north. That migration has angered Trump, who has made border security a priority, and issued economic threats against Mexico and Central America if more is not done to contain the flows. Speaking after the Honduran and Mexican leaders met in the eastern state of Veracruz, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Lopez Obrador had given instructions to help Honduras create 20,000 jobs between now and December.

Mexico to help create 20,000 jobs in Honduras to curb migration

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-presents-50-days-report-card-of-modi-government-20-238697">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> is slated to address a 50,000 people-strong gathering at the NRG Stadium in Houston here on September 22.

The event titled 'Howdy, Modi!' is being hosted by the Texas India Forum and the Indian diaspora in the United States is expected to attend the do, according to the organisers.

"We are excited to hold this summit at the renowned NRG Stadium. This will be the largest ever gathering of Indian-Americans and friends of India, with diverse representation from the region and across the country," said Jugal Malani, convener of the 'Howdy, Modi!" organizing committee.

"The tagline for the summit, 'Shared Dreams, Bright Futures' reflects the intent to build on the common aspirations that bring together the great democracies of the United States and India," a statement released by the organisers said.

The Texas India Forum (TIF) is a not-for-profit organisation that encourages cooperation between the United States and India. TIF brings together Indian-American organizations and institutions to encourage collaboration within the region and expand opportunities for engagement with India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address a 50,000 people-strong gathering at the NRG Stadium in Houston here on September 22. The event titled 'Howdy, Modi!

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address a 50,000 people-strong gathering at the NRG Stadium in Houston here on September 22. The event titled 'Howdy, Modi!' is being hosted by the Texas India Forum and the Indian diaspora in the United States is expected to attend the do, according to the organisers. "We are excited to hold this summit at the renowned NRG Stadium. This will be the largest ever gathering of Indian-Americans and friends of India, with diverse representation from the region and across the country," said Jugal Malani, convener of the 'Howdy, Modi!" organizing committee. "The tagline for the summit, 'Shared Dreams, Bright Futures' reflects the intent to build on the common aspirations that bring together the great democracies of the United States and India," a statement released by the organisers said. The Texas India Forum (TIF) is a not-for-profit organisation that encourages cooperation between the United States and India. TIF brings together Indian-American organizations and institutions to encourage collaboration within the region and expand opportunities for engagement with India.

PM Modi to address 50,000 people in Houston in September

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday (July 26)the United States would hit France shortly with a "substantial reciprocal action" - and warned a new American tax on French wine was possible - after Paris announced a tax aimed at U.S. technology companies. Trump told reporters the tax decision was wrong and he threatened the key French export. The United States is by far the largest single export market for French wine and spirits, which is France's second-biggest export after aerospace. The United States in 2018 accounted for nearly a quarter of all French wine exports or 3.2 billion euros' ($3.6 billion) worth. Trump also offered a pessimistic view on reaching a trade deal with China, saying Beijing may not sign one before the November 2020 election in hopes a Democrat who will be easier to deal with, will win.

Trump says U.S. to hit France with 'substantial' action for digital tax

Washington on Friday approved $125 million worth of support for Pakistan's F-16 warplanes, and also $670 worth of support for India's C-17 transport planes.

Approval to support US-built aircraft for the two south Asian rivals were approved by the US State Department, and announced simultaneously by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The approval for technical and logistics support for Pakistan's F-16s comes just days after Prime Minister Imran Khan met with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

The potential sale will support US foreign policy and national security "by protecting US technology through the continued presence of US personnel that provide 24/7 end-use monitoring," the statement announcing the Pakistan approval read.

Separately, the DSCA said that India asked to buy spare parts and test equipment for their Boeing C-17 transport planes, and is seeking personnel training, among other things, "for an estimated cost of $670 million."

"India needs this follow-on support to maintain its operational readiness and ability to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR) assistance in the region.&nbsp;

"India will have no difficulty absorbing this support into its armed forces," the statement announcing the approval read.

Both statements added that the proposed sales of equipment and support "will not alter the basic military balance in the region."

Washington on Friday approved $125 million worth of support for Pakistan's F-16 warplanes, and also $670 worth of support for India's C-17 transport planes. Approval to support US-built aircraft for the two south Asian rivals were approved by the US State Department, and announced simultaneously by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

Washington on Friday approved $125 million worth of support for Pakistan's F-16 warplanes, and also $670 worth of support for India's C-17 transport planes. Approval to support US-built aircraft for the two south Asian rivals were approved by the US State Department, and announced simultaneously by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The approval for technical and logistics support for Pakistan's F-16s comes just days after Prime Minister Imran Khan met with US President Donald Trump at the White House. The potential sale will support US foreign policy and national security "by protecting US technology through the continued presence of US personnel that provide 24/7 end-use monitoring," the statement announcing the Pakistan approval read. Separately, the DSCA said that India asked to buy spare parts and test equipment for their Boeing C-17 transport planes, and is seeking personnel training, among other things, "for an estimated cost of $670 million." "India needs this follow-on support to maintain its operational readiness and ability to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR) assistance in the region. "India will have no difficulty absorbing this support into its armed forces," the statement announcing the approval read. Both statements added that the proposed sales of equipment and support "will not alter the basic military balance in the region."

US approves sales to support Pakistan's F-16s, India's C-17s

The US Supreme Court has allowed US President Donald Trump to use defence funds to build border wall. Donald Trump says it is a big win for border security. Watch this video to know more.

US Supreme Court allows use of funds for border wall

Just when India and the US had begun to address the uneasiness in bilateral ties due to high tariffs imposed by the two sides, President Donald Trump saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought his help in resolving the Kashmir issue with Pakistan has increased the temperature in New Delhi.&nbsp;

Realising the impact of the false statement, US officials swung into the damage control mode, saying that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. The fact, however, remains that the damage has been done.&nbsp;

The latest statement by Trump needs to be examined in the light of his ambiguous and regressive policy towards India in recent times.&nbsp;

Sure, India has been given a preeminent position in US Indo-Pacific strategy. The Trump administration has renamed its Pacific Command as the Indo-Pacific Command, largely in recognition of India’s increasing military and economic might in the region.&nbsp;

The US has also shown interest in treating India on a par with its NATO allies, deciding to sell India an MTCT Category-1 Unmanned Aerial System, Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (THAAD) and Patriot Missile Defence System.&nbsp;

While these initiatives point towards the Trump administration’s ardent desire to strengthen defence and security ties with India, the fact remains the offer of THAAD has been made only to prevent India from buying the S-400 missile system from Russia.&nbsp;

This and other defence offerings by the US also underscore the Trump administration’s efforts to secure a large portion of the Indian defence market. Understandably so, because India is the world’s second-largest arms buyer. &nbsp;&nbsp;

While US is keen to see India play a vital role in the Indo-Pacific region, Washington is not a bit concerned about addressing India’s security threats emanating from Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, the continued insecurity in Afghanistan and the conflict between the US and Iran, among other issues.&nbsp;

In fact, there is a sea change in the Trump administration’s South Asia policy. In 2017, Trump’s South Asia Policy mentioned that the US will deploy more troops in Afghanistan without fixing a timeline for their return. Now, the US is holding talks with Taliban terrorists to secure a respectable exit from the 18-year-long Afghan war.&nbsp;

All this is happening without Washington consulting New Delhi on the issue. This unilateral action by the US indicates that it is not interested in protecting the interests of its allies and partners.&nbsp;

This becomes further clear from Trump’s Iran policy, which has resulted in India ending all oil imports from Iran. The possibility of India facing sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) is very high because it allows the US to impose economic sanctions on countries buying Russian military weapons.&nbsp;

If these initiatives still do not give a clear picture of the direction of Trump’s policy towards India, look at the high tariffs that Washington has imposed on Indian products. While the Modi government resisted taking retaliatory measures initially, the latest move by the US finally forced India to raise the tariffs on the import of 28 US products. This, in turn, further intensified the tension between the two sides.&nbsp;

In the meantime, the massive victory of the BJP-led alliance under the leadership of Modi witnessed some positive changes in the US’ attitude.&nbsp;

Speaking at the India Ideas Summit and the 44th Annual Meeting of the US-India Business Council, secretary of state Michael Pompeo said, “Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai,” alluding to the necessity of taking concrete efforts to address each other’s concerns. Subsequently, Pompeo’s visit to India and the meeting between Modi and Trump during the G-20 in June infused fresh air into the relationship.&nbsp;

However, the recent development has once again derailed the momentum of improvement in the relationship. Now it remains to be seen how the US tries to engage with India, while attempting to chart out a new approach towards its ties with Pakistan and the Taliban terrorist group in Afghanistan.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-trump-s-attitude-towards-india-unpredictable-unreliable-2775756">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;

Just when India and the US had begun to address the uneasiness in bilateral ties due to high tariffs imposed by the two sides, President Donald Trump saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought his help in resolving the Kashmir issue with Pakistan has increased the temperature in New Delhi.

Just when India and the US had begun to address the uneasiness in bilateral ties due to high tariffs imposed by the two sides, President Donald Trump saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought his help in resolving the Kashmir issue with Pakistan has increased the temperature in New Delhi. Realising the impact of the false statement, US officials swung into the damage control mode, saying that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. The fact, however, remains that the damage has been done. The latest statement by Trump needs to be examined in the light of his ambiguous and regressive policy towards India in recent times. Sure, India has been given a preeminent position in US Indo-Pacific strategy. The Trump administration has renamed its Pacific Command as the Indo-Pacific Command, largely in recognition of India’s increasing military and economic might in the region. The US has also shown interest in treating India on a par with its NATO allies, deciding to sell India an MTCT Category-1 Unmanned Aerial System, Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (THAAD) and Patriot Missile Defence System. While these initiatives point towards the Trump administration’s ardent desire to strengthen defence and security ties with India, the fact remains the offer of THAAD has been made only to prevent India from buying the S-400 missile system from Russia. This and other defence offerings by the US also underscore the Trump administration’s efforts to secure a large portion of the Indian defence market. Understandably so, because India is the world’s second-largest arms buyer. While US is keen to see India play a vital role in the Indo-Pacific region, Washington is not a bit concerned about addressing India’s security threats emanating from Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, the continued insecurity in Afghanistan and the conflict between the US and Iran, among other issues. In fact, there is a sea change in the Trump administration’s South Asia policy. In 2017, Trump’s South Asia Policy mentioned that the US will deploy more troops in Afghanistan without fixing a timeline for their return. Now, the US is holding talks with Taliban terrorists to secure a respectable exit from the 18-year-long Afghan war. All this is happening without Washington consulting New Delhi on the issue. This unilateral action by the US indicates that it is not interested in protecting the interests of its allies and partners. This becomes further clear from Trump’s Iran policy, which has resulted in India ending all oil imports from Iran. The possibility of India facing sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) is very high because it allows the US to impose economic sanctions on countries buying Russian military weapons. If these initiatives still do not give a clear picture of the direction of Trump’s policy towards India, look at the high tariffs that Washington has imposed on Indian products. While the Modi government resisted taking retaliatory measures initially, the latest move by the US finally forced India to raise the tariffs on the import of 28 US products. This, in turn, further intensified the tension between the two sides. In the meantime, the massive victory of the BJP-led alliance under the leadership of Modi witnessed some positive changes in the US’ attitude. Speaking at the India Ideas Summit and the 44th Annual Meeting of the US-India Business Council, secretary of state Michael Pompeo said, “Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai,” alluding to the necessity of taking concrete efforts to address each other’s concerns. Subsequently, Pompeo’s visit to India and the meeting between Modi and Trump during the G-20 in June infused fresh air into the relationship. However, the recent development has once again derailed the momentum of improvement in the relationship. Now it remains to be seen how the US tries to engage with India, while attempting to chart out a new approach towards its ties with Pakistan and the Taliban terrorist group in Afghanistan. (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.)

Donald Trump’s attitude towards India unpredictable, unreliable

Alphabet Inc shares rose about 8 per cent&nbsp;after the company reported quarterly results that eased investors' concerns about growth challenges facing its <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-to-lift-veil-on-facebook-google-algorithms-to-protect-privacy-238610&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi795iK0NLjAhVdnI8KHd4yA3EQFjADegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0DjuqZIq45MxG5qQMQLYOz">Google</a> advertising business.

Driven by ad sales, second-quarter revenue and earnings beat analysts' expectations. Also, the world's largest online search and ads firm, unlike No. 2 online ad player <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-to-create-privacy-panel-pay-5-billion-to-us-to-settle-data-breach-allegations-238141&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwin3vee0NLjAhUJuY8KHX4XCmoQFjAJegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3oWENcDFaT7j5nwu9RI2L3">Facebook Inc</a> a day earlier, offered no worrisome guidance about increasing regulatory scrutiny.

The results helped Alphabet dismiss as a rare blip a $1 billion revenue miss in the first quarter, which had prompted an outburst of investor questions and the biggest one-day sell-off in its shares in about seven years.

In after-hours trade on Thursday, the shares rose to $1,226.60, on track for their biggest single-day increase in four years though still down about 4% from their highs before the April slide.

Alphabet's shares have lagged peers on Wall Street this year, rising about 9 per cent through Thursday's close, compared to a roughly 20% gain for the S&amp;P 500 broadly.

Questions linger about whether privacy, content moderation and antitrust rules proposed or already passed in the United States and other high-revenue countries will slash ad prices. Google also faces an industrywide slowdown in ad sales in the United States and Europe, with revenue from emerging markets not yet picking up the slack.

Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai told analysts on Thursday that advances in ad targeting and new services for consumers worldwide would spur growth. He said the company had survived calls for regulation before.

"We understand there will be scrutiny," and "we will engage constructively," he said.

WEAKENING CONCERNS

Alphabet, which generates about 85 per cent of its revenue from sales of ad space and ad technology, reported total second-quarter revenue of $38.9 billion. That was up 19% over last year and compared with 17% growth in the first quarter. Analysts on average estimated 16.8% growth and $38.2 billion in revenue, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

The last time that Alphabet had two consecutive quarters of revenue growth below 20% was three years ago.

Executives said the latest results backed their contention that the performance recently has been affected by currency exchange rates and one-off fluctuations rather than advertiser flight or some deeper challenge to its business.

Alphabet's chief financial officer, Ruth Porat, appeared to dispel other analyst concerns, saying the company has seen "virtually no impact" to revenue from efforts to stop running ads on YouTube videos that some have characterized as extremist or hateful.

Alphabet authorized up to $25 billion in new stock buybacks, aiming to make use of its $121 billion in cash.

Pichai said quarterly revenue from licensing cloud computing services and workplace software jumped to about $2 billion, from its last disclosure of $1 billion at the end of 2017. He said the cloud unit would triple its sales staff over the next few years.

Atlantic Equities analyst James Cordwell told Reuters in an email that the buyback and cloud updates "suggests that management cares about stock performance, which will be a relief to shareholders!"

Net income for the second quarter rose to $9.95 billion, or $14.21 per share, compared with analysts' estimates of $8.02 billion, or $11.32 per share.

Alphabet’s quarterly costs at $29.76 billion were about flat with the same period a year ago. The operating margin was 24%, up from 18% in the first quarter.

Alphabet in its earnings release on Thursday did not mention any government investigations.

Facebook Inc, along with the release of its earnings on Wednesday, said the FTC had informed it last month that it was under antitrust investigation. The social media giant also acknowledged a broad US&nbsp;Department of Justice's antitrust review of large internet companies.

Reuters reported last month that the US&nbsp;Federal Trade Commission was gearing up to investigate Google over complaints of anti-competitive behaviour.

Accusations lodged against Google by rivals and other critics span its advertising, app store, search and other businesses.

On Thursday, the Texas attorney general's office announced that a bipartisan group of state attorneys general is weighing a range of antitrust actions against big tech companies.

Alphabet Inc shares rose about 8 per cent after the company reported quarterly results that eased investors' concerns about growth challenges facing its Google advertising business.

Alphabet Inc shares rose about 8 per cent after the company reported quarterly results that eased investors' concerns about growth challenges facing its Google advertising business. Driven by ad sales, second-quarter revenue and earnings beat analysts' expectations. Also, the world's largest online search and ads firm, unlike No. 2 online ad player Facebook Inc a day earlier, offered no worrisome guidance about increasing regulatory scrutiny. The results helped Alphabet dismiss as a rare blip a $1 billion revenue miss in the first quarter, which had prompted an outburst of investor questions and the biggest one-day sell-off in its shares in about seven years. In after-hours trade on Thursday, the shares rose to $1,226.60, on track for their biggest single-day increase in four years though still down about 4% from their highs before the April slide. Alphabet's shares have lagged peers on Wall Street this year, rising about 9 per cent through Thursday's close, compared to a roughly 20% gain for the S&P 500 broadly. Questions linger about whether privacy, content moderation and antitrust rules proposed or already passed in the United States and other high-revenue countries will slash ad prices. Google also faces an industrywide slowdown in ad sales in the United States and Europe, with revenue from emerging markets not yet picking up the slack. Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai told analysts on Thursday that advances in ad targeting and new services for consumers worldwide would spur growth. He said the company had survived calls for regulation before. "We understand there will be scrutiny," and "we will engage constructively," he said. WEAKENING CONCERNS Alphabet, which generates about 85 per cent of its revenue from sales of ad space and ad technology, reported total second-quarter revenue of $38.9 billion. That was up 19% over last year and compared with 17% growth in the first quarter. Analysts on average estimated 16.8% growth and $38.2 billion in revenue, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. The last time that Alphabet had two consecutive quarters of revenue growth below 20% was three years ago. Executives said the latest results backed their contention that the performance recently has been affected by currency exchange rates and one-off fluctuations rather than advertiser flight or some deeper challenge to its business. Alphabet's chief financial officer, Ruth Porat, appeared to dispel other analyst concerns, saying the company has seen "virtually no impact" to revenue from efforts to stop running ads on YouTube videos that some have characterized as extremist or hateful. Alphabet authorized up to $25 billion in new stock buybacks, aiming to make use of its $121 billion in cash. Pichai said quarterly revenue from licensing cloud computing services and workplace software jumped to about $2 billion, from its last disclosure of $1 billion at the end of 2017. He said the cloud unit would triple its sales staff over the next few years. Atlantic Equities analyst James Cordwell told Reuters in an email that the buyback and cloud updates "suggests that management cares about stock performance, which will be a relief to shareholders!" Net income for the second quarter rose to $9.95 billion, or $14.21 per share, compared with analysts' estimates of $8.02 billion, or $11.32 per share. Alphabet’s quarterly costs at $29.76 billion were about flat with the same period a year ago. The operating margin was 24%, up from 18% in the first quarter. Alphabet in its earnings release on Thursday did not mention any government investigations. Facebook Inc, along with the release of its earnings on Wednesday, said the FTC had informed it last month that it was under antitrust investigation. The social media giant also acknowledged a broad US Department of Justice's antitrust review of large internet companies. Reuters reported last month that the US Federal Trade Commission was gearing up to investigate Google over complaints of anti-competitive behaviour. Accusations lodged against Google by rivals and other critics span its advertising, app store, search and other businesses. On Thursday, the Texas attorney general's office announced that a bipartisan group of state attorneys general is weighing a range of antitrust actions against big tech companies.

Alphabet's revenue rebounds easing doubts on growth

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/judge-dismisses-epsteins-bail-plea-in-child-sex-trafficking-case-236986">Jeffrey Epstein</a>, the financier facing charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls, was found unconscious in a Manhattan jail cell with injuries to his neck, media reported late on Wednesday, citing unidentified sources.

Epstein was found by guards sprawled on the floor of a cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on Wednesday, media reported. Some media reported that his face appeared blue.

The billionaire financier was taken to hospital, the New York Post reported, but it was unclear where he was taken or what his condition was.

It was not clear how he suffered his injuries.

Neither a representative for the correctional centre nor Epstein's attorney returned calls or email inquiries from Reuters.

Epstein was recently denied bail, a move his lawyers plan to appeal according to a court notice made public on Tuesday.

Epstein was expected to ask the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the judge's July 18 rejection of his request to remain under house arrest in his $77 million mansions on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Epstein has pleaded not guilty to the charges and the appeal for bail was expected. His lawyer Reid Weingarten did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for US Attorney Geoffrey Berman in Manhattan declined to comment.

The charges, concerning alleged misconduct from at least 2002 to 2005, were announced more than a decade after Epstein pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges in Florida.

In denying him bail, US District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan said the government had shown by clear and convincing evidence that Epstein would pose a danger to the community if released pending trial.

Jeffrey Epstein, the financier facing charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls, was found unconscious in a Manhattan jail cell with injuries to his neck, media reported late on Wednesday, citing unidentified sources.

Jeffrey Epstein, the financier facing charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls, was found unconscious in a Manhattan jail cell with injuries to his neck, media reported late on Wednesday, citing unidentified sources. Epstein was found by guards sprawled on the floor of a cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on Wednesday, media reported. Some media reported that his face appeared blue. The billionaire financier was taken to hospital, the New York Post reported, but it was unclear where he was taken or what his condition was. It was not clear how he suffered his injuries. Neither a representative for the correctional centre nor Epstein's attorney returned calls or email inquiries from Reuters. Epstein was recently denied bail, a move his lawyers plan to appeal according to a court notice made public on Tuesday. Epstein was expected to ask the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the judge's July 18 rejection of his request to remain under house arrest in his $77 million mansions on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Epstein has pleaded not guilty to the charges and the appeal for bail was expected. His lawyer Reid Weingarten did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for US Attorney Geoffrey Berman in Manhattan declined to comment. The charges, concerning alleged misconduct from at least 2002 to 2005, were announced more than a decade after Epstein pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges in Florida. In denying him bail, US District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan said the government had shown by clear and convincing evidence that Epstein would pose a danger to the community if released pending trial.

Billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein found injured in jail cell: Media

When <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-attacks-robert-mueller-ahead-of-testimony-on-russia-probe-237817">US President Donald Trump</a> tweeted in May his intention to raise tariffs on Chinese goods, management at California-based NewAir Appliances knew they needed to do something or their business would be in trouble.&nbsp;

The importer of beer fridges, ice makers and other household devices all sourced from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/mass-protests-protect-hong-kongs-legal-autonomy-from-china-for-now-228567">China</a> had tackled 10 per cent tariffs imposed last year by seeking to cut costs and negotiating with big box and other retailers for better terms.

But the jump to 25 per cent tariffs presented a much bigger challenge.

The day after Trump's tweet, NewAir's four-member leadership team met for lunch and began to formulate a more radical plan. There was a "level of tension", said Andrew Stephenson, the company's vice president for marketing, but no sense of panic.

The result: an ambitious overhaul of its product offerings, with 50-60 new or revamped goods set to come on the market this year a move that allows the company to hit the reset button on pricing as their costs leap.

The product turnover is a huge increase for NewAir, which has a range of some 70 goods and usually introduces 10 or fewer new items each year.

Like NewAir, many importers of goods from China have had to make difficult business decisions and sharp changes in strategy as they reel from the impact of US tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods.

With consumers and retailers often unwilling to accept higher prices for the same products, oft-heard tactics range from accepting lower profit-margins to cost-cutting that may include lowering wages or laying off workers, to shifting production from China to other countries.

While the approach taken by NewAir and others in the sector requires significant investment, it underscores how the year-long US-China trade war is forcing some companies to adopt novel workarounds as they fight for long-term survival and bump up against the limitations of belt-tightening.

"Instead of cutting costs we're going to add some costs, but in the long run it will pay off," Stephenson said by telephone after a trip to China to meet suppliers.

Working closely with suppliers to develop products, he is also implementing measures like air-mailing samples to the United States instead of using cheaper maritime freight, aiming to slash up to a month of the process of getting goods approved.

"Anything we can do to expedite the process is what we're looking at doing," he said.

NewAir, a company with 50-plus employees, would likely spend "hundreds of thousands of dollars" on the project and was considering hiring a marketing manager, as Stephenson's focus shifts to dealing full-time with trade war strategy.

Up featuring

NewAir, whose products are sold under its brand as well as under licence with Magic Chef, Frigidaire and PepsiCo Inc, is still discussing ways to share the burden of the tariffs with Chinese suppliers and American retailers. It is also looking into sourcing some goods from India and Mexico.

But the cornerstone of its new strategy is the overhaul of its product line.

In addition to items it has not sold before, such as internet-enabled wine fridges and combination air fryer ovens, NewAir will retire some old products and give others that have been modified fresh SKUs, or stock-keeping units - unique product numbers that retailers use to track inventory. That will allow NewAir and its retailers to set new prices.

Jim Estill, CEO of Danby Appliances, a Canadian company that sources similar products from China and sells many in the United States, calls the strategy "up featuring".

"If you're already buying a minifridge for $129 and now it's $149. You're up in arms. But the psychology is completely different if you say: 'here's the new XYZ, it's $149' and the customer checks the market and sees everyone is charging $149 for the same thing, it's acceptable."

Danby expects to turn over 80 per cent of its product line of about 300 goods in 2019, compared to a normal rate of 30 per cent, he said, adding that improvements in technology had made this an opportune time for product revamps.

"If this happened 10 years ago, it would have been tough to say my white box is different. But now you can say I have a freezer that sends you an email when the power is out."

Danby, which makes annual revenue of about $400 million, estimates the cost of revamping its product line at around $4 million.

If the strategy works, it does in part shift some of the costs of tariffs designed to hurt China to the US consumer. But it is not risk-free.

"When you sell new products at significantly higher prices it will affect your demand somewhat because now you are asking people to upgrade to a better product at much higher prices. How many consumers would have such budgets?" said Jing Bing, an associate professor of marketing at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Beijing.

The point of pursuing a trade war "is to ask the American consumers to walk away from Chinese made products," he said, adding: "That's precisely the effect."

NewAir CEO Luke Peters said retailers and consumers will get better products and will not see "a huge 25 per cent increase" in prices.

"Our customers, who also have to be profitable, are going to see more value in the products that we're giving to them. So it's kind of forcing us to be more innovative," he said.

But whether or not importers like NewAir can find a balance between higher prices and demand remains to be seen.

"That's going to be the telltale for us, is what happens in about six to nine months," said Stephenson.

When US President Donald Trump tweeted in May his intention to raise tariffs on Chinese goods, management at California-based NewAir Appliances knew they needed to do something or their business would be in trouble.

When US President Donald Trump tweeted in May his intention to raise tariffs on Chinese goods, management at California-based NewAir Appliances knew they needed to do something or their business would be in trouble. The importer of beer fridges, ice makers and other household devices all sourced from China had tackled 10 per cent tariffs imposed last year by seeking to cut costs and negotiating with big box and other retailers for better terms. But the jump to 25 per cent tariffs presented a much bigger challenge. The day after Trump's tweet, NewAir's four-member leadership team met for lunch and began to formulate a more radical plan. There was a "level of tension", said Andrew Stephenson, the company's vice president for marketing, but no sense of panic. The result: an ambitious overhaul of its product offerings, with 50-60 new or revamped goods set to come on the market this year a move that allows the company to hit the reset button on pricing as their costs leap. The product turnover is a huge increase for NewAir, which has a range of some 70 goods and usually introduces 10 or fewer new items each year. Like NewAir, many importers of goods from China have had to make difficult business decisions and sharp changes in strategy as they reel from the impact of US tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods. With consumers and retailers often unwilling to accept higher prices for the same products, oft-heard tactics range from accepting lower profit-margins to cost-cutting that may include lowering wages or laying off workers, to shifting production from China to other countries. While the approach taken by NewAir and others in the sector requires significant investment, it underscores how the year-long US-China trade war is forcing some companies to adopt novel workarounds as they fight for long-term survival and bump up against the limitations of belt-tightening. "Instead of cutting costs we're going to add some costs, but in the long run it will pay off," Stephenson said by telephone after a trip to China to meet suppliers. Working closely with suppliers to develop products, he is also implementing measures like air-mailing samples to the United States instead of using cheaper maritime freight, aiming to slash up to a month of the process of getting goods approved. "Anything we can do to expedite the process is what we're looking at doing," he said. NewAir, a company with 50-plus employees, would likely spend "hundreds of thousands of dollars" on the project and was considering hiring a marketing manager, as Stephenson's focus shifts to dealing full-time with trade war strategy. Up featuring NewAir, whose products are sold under its brand as well as under licence with Magic Chef, Frigidaire and PepsiCo Inc, is still discussing ways to share the burden of the tariffs with Chinese suppliers and American retailers. It is also looking into sourcing some goods from India and Mexico. But the cornerstone of its new strategy is the overhaul of its product line. In addition to items it has not sold before, such as internet-enabled wine fridges and combination air fryer ovens, NewAir will retire some old products and give others that have been modified fresh SKUs, or stock-keeping units - unique product numbers that retailers use to track inventory. That will allow NewAir and its retailers to set new prices. Jim Estill, CEO of Danby Appliances, a Canadian company that sources similar products from China and sells many in the United States, calls the strategy "up featuring". "If you're already buying a minifridge for $129 and now it's $149. You're up in arms. But the psychology is completely different if you say: 'here's the new XYZ, it's $149' and the customer checks the market and sees everyone is charging $149 for the same thing, it's acceptable." Danby expects to turn over 80 per cent of its product line of about 300 goods in 2019, compared to a normal rate of 30 per cent, he said, adding that improvements in technology had made this an opportune time for product revamps. "If this happened 10 years ago, it would have been tough to say my white box is different. But now you can say I have a freezer that sends you an email when the power is out." Danby, which makes annual revenue of about $400 million, estimates the cost of revamping its product line at around $4 million. If the strategy works, it does in part shift some of the costs of tariffs designed to hurt China to the US consumer. But it is not risk-free. "When you sell new products at significantly higher prices it will affect your demand somewhat because now you are asking people to upgrade to a better product at much higher prices. How many consumers would have such budgets?" said Jing Bing, an associate professor of marketing at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Beijing. The point of pursuing a trade war "is to ask the American consumers to walk away from Chinese made products," he said, adding: "That's precisely the effect." NewAir CEO Luke Peters said retailers and consumers will get better products and will not see "a huge 25 per cent increase" in prices. "Our customers, who also have to be profitable, are going to see more value in the products that we're giving to them. So it's kind of forcing us to be more innovative," he said. But whether or not importers like NewAir can find a balance between higher prices and demand remains to be seen. "That's going to be the telltale for us, is what happens in about six to nine months," said Stephenson.

To survive trade war, some US importers embark on major revamps of product lines

The United States and Afghanistan said Thursday they have agreed to accelerate efforts to reach a negotiated end to the conflict in the war-ravaged country.

In a joint statement, Washington and Kabul said the agreement had been reached in a telephone call between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday.

Ghani had asked for clarifications following President Donald Trump's remark that the United States could easily win the war in Afghanistan but didn't "want to kill 10 million people."

Pompeo assured Ghani that "there has been no change to President Trump's South Asia strategy, including US commitment to a conditions-based drawdown" of troops, the statement said.

It said Pompeo and Ghani had agreed that "now is the time to accelerate efforts to reach a negotiated end to the war in Afghanistan."

General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Washington's special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, had been sent to Kabul to "discuss in detail the next steps on the road to peace," the statement said.

Khalilzad is then expected to head to Doha to resume talks with the Taliban.

He has held several meetings with the Islamist militants in the past year, the most recent being on July 9, also in Doha.

But the major hurdle has so far been the Taliban's refusal to negotiate directly with the Afghan government.

At least 10 people -- including several women and a child -- were killed and scores more wounded by a series of blasts that rocked the Afghan capital Thursday ahead of the election season.

The Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate claimed responsibility for the first two blasts, while the Taliban claimed the third. US and Afghan security officials, however, blamed the Taliban for all three explosions.

The United States and Afghanistan said Thursday they have agreed to accelerate efforts to reach a negotiated end to the conflict in the war-ravaged country. In a joint statement, Washington and Kabul said the agreement had been reached in a telephone call between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday.

The United States and Afghanistan said Thursday they have agreed to accelerate efforts to reach a negotiated end to the conflict in the war-ravaged country. In a joint statement, Washington and Kabul said the agreement had been reached in a telephone call between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday. Ghani had asked for clarifications following President Donald Trump's remark that the United States could easily win the war in Afghanistan but didn't "want to kill 10 million people." Pompeo assured Ghani that "there has been no change to President Trump's South Asia strategy, including US commitment to a conditions-based drawdown" of troops, the statement said. It said Pompeo and Ghani had agreed that "now is the time to accelerate efforts to reach a negotiated end to the war in Afghanistan." General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Washington's special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, had been sent to Kabul to "discuss in detail the next steps on the road to peace," the statement said. Khalilzad is then expected to head to Doha to resume talks with the Taliban. He has held several meetings with the Islamist militants in the past year, the most recent being on July 9, also in Doha. But the major hurdle has so far been the Taliban's refusal to negotiate directly with the Afghan government. At least 10 people -- including several women and a child -- were killed and scores more wounded by a series of blasts that rocked the Afghan capital Thursday ahead of the election season. The Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate claimed responsibility for the first two blasts, while the Taliban claimed the third. US and Afghan security officials, however, blamed the Taliban for all three explosions.

US, Afghanistan agree to accelerate Afghan peace talks

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/samsung-electronics-to-cut-china-phone-output-as-market-share-sinks-224670">Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's</a> first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, will go on sale from September in selected markets after the launch was delayed by screen problems earlier this year, the company said on Thursday.

Samsung is hoping its highly anticipated foldable phone will revive flagging smartphone sales but its rollout has been hampered by defects in samples reported in April when it was originally due to hit the US market.

The delays cost the South Korean tech giant sales that could have provided a decent bump in revenue during the slow summer season.

Samsung said in a statement it had made improvements to the nearly $2,000 phone and was conducting final tests. Changes included strengthening hinges which early reviewers had found to be problematic.

Analysts said headlines about glitches with sample Folds would dampen consumer excitement around the launch.

"Consumer confidence in Galaxy Fold has significantly deteriorated. If Samsung manages to sell 300,000 devices this year, that can be a decent performance given the delay," said Kim Young-woo, an analyst at SK Securities.

Samsung said earlier that it planned to make at least 1 million Fold handsets in the first year, versus the total 300 million phones it produces annually on average.

The world's top smartphone maker has hailed the folding design as the future in a segment that has seen few surprises since Apple Inc's groundbreaking iPhone was released in 2007.

Chinese rival Huawei Technologies Co Ltd has also announced a folding handset, the Mate X, which is expected to go on sale in September.

Samsung is still in talks with mobile carriers around the world to decide on details of the Fold's sale, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, will go on sale from September in selected markets after the launch was delayed by screen problems earlier this year, the company said on Thursday.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, will go on sale from September in selected markets after the launch was delayed by screen problems earlier this year, the company said on Thursday. Samsung is hoping its highly anticipated foldable phone will revive flagging smartphone sales but its rollout has been hampered by defects in samples reported in April when it was originally due to hit the US market. The delays cost the South Korean tech giant sales that could have provided a decent bump in revenue during the slow summer season. Samsung said in a statement it had made improvements to the nearly $2,000 phone and was conducting final tests. Changes included strengthening hinges which early reviewers had found to be problematic. Analysts said headlines about glitches with sample Folds would dampen consumer excitement around the launch. "Consumer confidence in Galaxy Fold has significantly deteriorated. If Samsung manages to sell 300,000 devices this year, that can be a decent performance given the delay," said Kim Young-woo, an analyst at SK Securities. Samsung said earlier that it planned to make at least 1 million Fold handsets in the first year, versus the total 300 million phones it produces annually on average. The world's top smartphone maker has hailed the folding design as the future in a segment that has seen few surprises since Apple Inc's groundbreaking iPhone was released in 2007. Chinese rival Huawei Technologies Co Ltd has also announced a folding handset, the Mate X, which is expected to go on sale in September. Samsung is still in talks with mobile carriers around the world to decide on details of the Fold's sale, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

Samsung Electronics' delayed Galaxy Fold now ready for September launch

The government of Pakistan`s Punjab province has asked Kot Lakhpat jail authorities to remove the air conditioner from the prison cell of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/despite-recurring-angina-cardiologist-not-allowed-to-visit-nawaz-sharif-claims-his-daughter-231236">former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif</a>.

"The following directions of Prime Minister have been intimated for implementation and report `No preferential treatment be given to the criminals and money launders in the prison in Punjab`," stated a letter written by Punjab Home Department to the inspector general of the prison on July 17.&nbsp;

The 69-year-old former Prime Minister was convicted in the Al Azizia Steel Mills case and sentenced to seven years in jail. He is currently serving the sentence in Lahore`s Kot Lakhpat jail.

Express Tribune reported the government`s order days after Prime Minister Imran Khan told a gathering of Pakistani diaspora in the US that Nawaz eats home-made food in his air-conditioned jail with television in it and said he will ensure the "criminal" does not receive such treatment.

"Nawaz Sharif wants food from home in jail, he wants air conditioning in jail. But in a country where half the population has no air conditioning or TV, what kind of punishment would this be?," said Khan on July 21, while addressing Pakistani diaspora during his three-day visit to the United States.

"I am going to go back and make sure there is no air conditioning or TV for Nawaz Sharif who is a criminal. I know (PML-N leader) Maryam Bibi will make some noise, but I say to her, return the money. It`s as simple as that," he added.

PML-N leader and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maryam-nawaz-dons-black-kurta-with-picture-of-her-father-demanding-his-release-237251">Nawaz daughter`s Maryam Nawaz</a> said that the former prime minister was provided air conditioning after doctors advised a comfortable room temperature for him.

She also attacked Khan and said this move shows "shallowness" of the prime minister.&nbsp;

"Even the team of doctors they [government] put together for Nawaz Sharif advised a comfortable room temperature but our prime minister goes to America and announces that he will take away the facility of AC from Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif," she said.

The government of Pakistan`s Punjab province has asked Kot Lakhpat jail authorities to remove the air conditioner from the prison cell of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The government of Pakistan`s Punjab province has asked Kot Lakhpat jail authorities to remove the air conditioner from the prison cell of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. "The following directions of Prime Minister have been intimated for implementation and report `No preferential treatment be given to the criminals and money launders in the prison in Punjab`," stated a letter written by Punjab Home Department to the inspector general of the prison on July 17. The 69-year-old former Prime Minister was convicted in the Al Azizia Steel Mills case and sentenced to seven years in jail. He is currently serving the sentence in Lahore`s Kot Lakhpat jail. Express Tribune reported the government`s order days after Prime Minister Imran Khan told a gathering of Pakistani diaspora in the US that Nawaz eats home-made food in his air-conditioned jail with television in it and said he will ensure the "criminal" does not receive such treatment. "Nawaz Sharif wants food from home in jail, he wants air conditioning in jail. But in a country where half the population has no air conditioning or TV, what kind of punishment would this be?," said Khan on July 21, while addressing Pakistani diaspora during his three-day visit to the United States. "I am going to go back and make sure there is no air conditioning or TV for Nawaz Sharif who is a criminal. I know (PML-N leader) Maryam Bibi will make some noise, but I say to her, return the money. It`s as simple as that," he added. PML-N leader and Nawaz daughter`s Maryam Nawaz said that the former prime minister was provided air conditioning after doctors advised a comfortable room temperature for him. She also attacked Khan and said this move shows "shallowness" of the prime minister. "Even the team of doctors they [government] put together for Nawaz Sharif advised a comfortable room temperature but our prime minister goes to America and announces that he will take away the facility of AC from Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif," she said.

Pakistan: Punjab government asks jail authorities to remove AC from Nawaz Sharif's cell

U.S. President Trump Offers To Mediate In Kashmir Conflict. India Rejects The Offer There is no reason why Trump and Kashmir should be in the same sentence. But it is, thanks to Trump's offer. Trump said that Indian PM Modi asked for his intervention. India rejects Trump's claims. Here's Palki summing up the Trump's remarks and the strong reaction that they have drawn from Indian government

Gravitas: Trump's Kashmir lie

Asserting that it is time to reset Pakistan and US relations, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that, in the past, Islamabad's point of view was not "appropriately presented" in front of Washington.

"I feel Pakistan had not been properly represented to the US. The Pakistani point of view had not been appropriately presented to the politicians of US as I sensed from my conversation with Speaker Pelosi and other representatives," said Khan, with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi standing beside him.

"I think it's time to reset the Pak-US relationship to one based on mutual respect," added Khan.

The Pakistan prime minister, who is in the US for a three-day visit made these remarks after concluding a meeting with Pelosi.

On terror, Khan said: "War on Terror has been the longest ongoing war. And the US knows our interests are mutual. We at Pakistan will be making sure there is a political solution to this war and we'll do everything we can to achieve that".

Pelosi invited Khan at the Capital Hill. Both leaders discussed the ties between their economies, people and nations.

"It's a pleasure to welcome Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI of Pakistan to the U.S. Capitol as we meet to discuss the vital ties between our economies, people &amp; nations," tweeted Pelosi.

"It has been truly a pleasure to put the Pakistani point of view before the honourable politicians of the US. Looking forward to exploring possibilities of bilateral trade with the US along with security interests that will enable economic opportunities for both nations," said Khan.

Imran Khan also attended a reception called by Sheila Jackson Lee with a large number of Senators and Members of the US House of Representatives in attendance at the Capitol Hill.

Asserting that it is time to reset Pakistan and US relations, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that, in the past, Islamabad's point of view was not "appropriately presented" in front of Washington.

Asserting that it is time to reset Pakistan and US relations, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that, in the past, Islamabad's point of view was not "appropriately presented" in front of Washington. "I feel Pakistan had not been properly represented to the US. The Pakistani point of view had not been appropriately presented to the politicians of US as I sensed from my conversation with Speaker Pelosi and other representatives," said Khan, with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi standing beside him. "I think it's time to reset the Pak-US relationship to one based on mutual respect," added Khan. The Pakistan prime minister, who is in the US for a three-day visit made these remarks after concluding a meeting with Pelosi. On terror, Khan said: "War on Terror has been the longest ongoing war. And the US knows our interests are mutual. We at Pakistan will be making sure there is a political solution to this war and we'll do everything we can to achieve that". Pelosi invited Khan at the Capital Hill. Both leaders discussed the ties between their economies, people and nations. "It's a pleasure to welcome Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI of Pakistan to the U.S. Capitol as we meet to discuss the vital ties between our economies, people & nations," tweeted Pelosi. "It has been truly a pleasure to put the Pakistani point of view before the honourable politicians of the US. Looking forward to exploring possibilities of bilateral trade with the US along with security interests that will enable economic opportunities for both nations," said Khan. Imran Khan also attended a reception called by Sheila Jackson Lee with a large number of Senators and Members of the US House of Representatives in attendance at the Capitol Hill.

Pakistan's point of view was not appropriately presented in front of United States: Imran Khan 

Three Croatian soldiers were seriously wounded in Kabul on Wednesday when their vehicle was hit by a Taliban suicide attacker, officials and the insurgents said.&nbsp;

Croatia has about 100 troops deployed in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/could-win-afghanistan-war-in-a-week-or-ten-days-but-chose-not-to-do-so-says-donald-trump-in-meeting-with-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-237798">Afghanistan</a> as part of NATO's US-led Resolute Support mission, where coalition soldiers are helping train and advise local partners.

According to Croatian defence minister Damir Krsticevic, a suicide bomber was thought to have targeted the troops' armoured vehicle in the attack Wednesday morning.

"One soldier was seriously injured and his life is endangered," Krsticevic told reporters in Zagreb. He described the other two soldiers' wounds as serious but not life-threatening.

Croatian General Kresimir Tuskan said the troops had been working as part of a British-led special operations advisory group.

Afghan interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the blast had come from a car bomb.

The Taliban, who often exaggerate or misrepresent claims, said one of its "martyrdom" attackers had killed or wounded a "large number" of CIA officers by detonating a car packed with explosives.

Kabul police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told AFP that no Afghan police or civilians were wounded.

Violence in Kabul and across Afghanistan has flared up in recent weeks even as the US is leading an effort to try to forge a peace deal with the Taliban after nearly 18 years of war.

Both Afghan forces and the Taliban claim to have inflicted heavy casualties on each other and large numbers of civilians are being killed each week. 
&nbsp;

Three Croatian soldiers were seriously wounded in Kabul on Wednesday when their vehicle was hit by a Taliban suicide attacker, officials and the insurgents said.

Three Croatian soldiers were seriously wounded in Kabul on Wednesday when their vehicle was hit by a Taliban suicide attacker, officials and the insurgents said. Croatia has about 100 troops deployed in Afghanistan as part of NATO's US-led Resolute Support mission, where coalition soldiers are helping train and advise local partners. According to Croatian defence minister Damir Krsticevic, a suicide bomber was thought to have targeted the troops' armoured vehicle in the attack Wednesday morning. "One soldier was seriously injured and his life is endangered," Krsticevic told reporters in Zagreb. He described the other two soldiers' wounds as serious but not life-threatening. Croatian General Kresimir Tuskan said the troops had been working as part of a British-led special operations advisory group. Afghan interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the blast had come from a car bomb. The Taliban, who often exaggerate or misrepresent claims, said one of its "martyrdom" attackers had killed or wounded a "large number" of CIA officers by detonating a car packed with explosives. Kabul police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told AFP that no Afghan police or civilians were wounded. Violence in Kabul and across Afghanistan has flared up in recent weeks even as the US is leading an effort to try to forge a peace deal with the Taliban after nearly 18 years of war. Both Afghan forces and the Taliban claim to have inflicted heavy casualties on each other and large numbers of civilians are being killed each week.

Three Croatian soldiers wounded in Taliban attack in Kabul

Nissan said Wednesday that a reported 90 per cent plunge in its first-quarter operating profit was "broadly accurate".

The auto giant confirmed the Nikkei business daily story amid separate reports that it was also planning to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nissan-to-cut-10000-jobs-worldwide-report-238084">slash more than 10,000 jobs worldwide</a>.

"While the financial results are still being reviewed, the operating profit reported in the Nikkei Shimbun article was broadly accurate," Nissan said in a press release.

The Nikkei reported that the plunge was due to declines in US sales, and costs for developing electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies weighed on profits.

But Nissan added no official confirmation can be made before the announcement of results on Thursday.

In May, it reported net profit fell to a near-decade low and warned of "a difficult business environment" for the next 12 months.

The company has struggled in the US and Europe as it works to turn its fortunes around after former chief Carlos Ghosn was arrested for alleged financial misconduct.&nbsp;

Nissan said Wednesday that a reported 90 per cent plunge in its first-quarter operating profit was "broadly accurate". The auto giant confirmed the Nikkei business daily story amid separate reports that it was also planning to slash more than 10,000 jobs worldwide.

Nissan said Wednesday that a reported 90 per cent plunge in its first-quarter operating profit was "broadly accurate". The auto giant confirmed the Nikkei business daily story amid separate reports that it was also planning to slash more than 10,000 jobs worldwide. "While the financial results are still being reviewed, the operating profit reported in the Nikkei Shimbun article was broadly accurate," Nissan said in a press release. The Nikkei reported that the plunge was due to declines in US sales, and costs for developing electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies weighed on profits. But Nissan added no official confirmation can be made before the announcement of results on Thursday. In May, it reported net profit fell to a near-decade low and warned of "a difficult business environment" for the next 12 months. The company has struggled in the US and Europe as it works to turn its fortunes around after former chief Carlos Ghosn was arrested for alleged financial misconduct.

Nissan confirms Q1 operating profit plunge

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/russia-in-africa-can-it-offer-an-alternative-to-the-us-and-china-223760">US and Chinese officials</a> will hold two days of talks in Shanghai next week to try to make progress on their year-long trade dispute, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday.

It will be the first face-to-face meeting since talks collapsed in May after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-attacks-robert-mueller-ahead-of-testimony-on-russia-probe-237817">President Donald Trump</a> accused Beijing of reneging on its commitments.

Mnuchin said he and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will lead the US delegation.

Mnuchin said on CNBC he hopes to make progress but added there are "a lot of issues" pending so he expects another round of talks would follow in Washington.

Senior officials have spoken by phone twice in the last two weeks in the bid to jump-start the negotiations.

At a meeting in Japan last month, US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed to cease further hostilities in the year-long trade war while the two sides worked to revive negotiations.

The countries have imposed tariffs on $360 billion in two-way trade and Trump has threatened even more punishing duties on Chinese goods.

Mnuchin implied that the national security concerns that have led Washington to impose tough sanctions on Chinese telecom giant Huawei are on a separate track from the trade talks.

But he downplayed concerns about links between Google and Beijing.

"We're not aware of Google working with the Chinese government in a way that raises concerns," Mnuchin said.

"They assured us that there is very, very limited work. The only work they're doing is some minimal open source work."

Trump last week said he wants his administration to "take a look" into whether Google has been working with the Chinese government an allegation swiftly denied by the US internet giant.

US and Chinese officials will hold two days of talks in Shanghai next week to try to make progress on their year-long trade dispute, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday.

US and Chinese officials will hold two days of talks in Shanghai next week to try to make progress on their year-long trade dispute, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday. It will be the first face-to-face meeting since talks collapsed in May after President Donald Trump accused Beijing of reneging on its commitments. Mnuchin said he and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will lead the US delegation. Mnuchin said on CNBC he hopes to make progress but added there are "a lot of issues" pending so he expects another round of talks would follow in Washington. Senior officials have spoken by phone twice in the last two weeks in the bid to jump-start the negotiations. At a meeting in Japan last month, US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed to cease further hostilities in the year-long trade war while the two sides worked to revive negotiations. The countries have imposed tariffs on $360 billion in two-way trade and Trump has threatened even more punishing duties on Chinese goods. Mnuchin implied that the national security concerns that have led Washington to impose tough sanctions on Chinese telecom giant Huawei are on a separate track from the trade talks. But he downplayed concerns about links between Google and Beijing. "We're not aware of Google working with the Chinese government in a way that raises concerns," Mnuchin said. "They assured us that there is very, very limited work. The only work they're doing is some minimal open source work." Trump last week said he wants his administration to "take a look" into whether Google has been working with the Chinese government an allegation swiftly denied by the US internet giant.

US, China to hold two days of talks in Shanghai next week: Steven Mnuchin

Russia's embassy in Seoul on Wednesday denied that Moscow had formally apologised over an alleged airspace violation the previous day after South Korea said that Russia had expressed "deep regret" while blaming an equipment malfunction.

A Russian military aircraft entered airspace near a group of islets claimed by both South Korea and Japan on Tuesday, during a long-range joint air patrol by Russian and Chinese aircraft, according to South Korea and Japan, which both scrambled fighter jets in response.

South Korean warplanes fired flares and hundreds of warning shots near the Russian aircraft, and the incident triggered a round of diplomatic protests by countries in the region.

An unidentified <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/russian-government-unable-to-find-any-documents-on-whereabouts-of-subhash-chandra-bose-mea-238154&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjfwJnPpc3jAhVMHo8KHd8VDl0QFjAIegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0dQPd-EitX4eTCLQb6BYH5">Russian</a> military attache in Seoul told South Korean officials that the military plane appeared to have "entered an unplanned area due to a device malfunction", said Yoon Do-han, a press secretary at South Korea's presidential office.

"Russia has conveyed its deep regret over the incident and said its defence ministry would immediately launch an investigation and take all necessary steps," Yoon said.

"The officer said such a situation would have never occurred if it followed the initially planned route."

It was not immediately clear if Yoon meant the attache was speaking officially on behalf of the Russian government but Russia's embassy in Seoul denied that it had apologised.

"The Russian side did not make an official apology," the embassy in Seoul said, adding it had noted many inaccuracies in the comments by South Korea, Interfax reported.

Russia's public statements on the issue have not mentioned any technical problems, nor has Russia announced any investigation or acknowledged a violation of South Korean air space.

South Korea's defence ministry said that after initially admitting a possible mistake and expressing regret on Tuesday, Russian officials on Wednesday sent South Korea an official document stating that its aircraft did not violate any air space.

WATCH:&nbsp;Russia expresses regret over South Korea airspace violation

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Russia also accused South Korean pilots of threatening the safety of Russian aircraft.

An official at South Korea's defence ministry told reporters on Wednesday that it believed the intrusion could not have resulted from a system error.

He did not elaborate but said the two countries would hold working-level talks to discuss a Russian request to share information on the incident.

The incident came at a delicate time for a region that has for years been overshadowed by hostility between the United States and North Korea and has recently seen a flare-up in the tension between South Korea and Japan.

While troops and naval ships from Russia and <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/opinions/belt-and-road-projects-china-expands-its-anti-corruption-campaign-238093&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjfwJnPpc3jAhVMHo8KHd8VDl0QFjAJegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0j0I01eE8G-eHsfymlTIwH">China</a> have taken part in joint war games before, they have not conducted such air patrols in the Asia-Pacific region together, according to Russia's Ministry of Defence.

China's defence ministry said on Wednesday that China and Russia did not enter territorial sky of any other country during their joint patrols on Tuesday.

South Korea and Japan scrambled fighter jets because both claim sovereignty over the disputed islets called Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan.

The two US&nbsp;allies are mired in a deepening political and trade dispute, which fanned concerns that it might undercut three-way security cooperation to fend off North Korea's nuclear threats.

The incident also coincided with the visit of the US&nbsp;national security adviser John Bolton to South Korea.

Bolton and his counterpart, Chung Eui-Yong, discussed the airspace breach during a meeting on Wednesday and vowed close consultations in case of more such incidents, South Korea's presidential Blue House said in a statement.

Russia's embassy in Seoul on Wednesday denied that Moscow had formally apologised over an alleged airspace violation the previous day after South Korea said that Russia had expressed "deep regret" while blaming an equipment malfunction.

Russia's embassy in Seoul on Wednesday denied that Moscow had formally apologised over an alleged airspace violation the previous day after South Korea said that Russia had expressed "deep regret" while blaming an equipment malfunction. A Russian military aircraft entered airspace near a group of islets claimed by both South Korea and Japan on Tuesday, during a long-range joint air patrol by Russian and Chinese aircraft, according to South Korea and Japan, which both scrambled fighter jets in response. South Korean warplanes fired flares and hundreds of warning shots near the Russian aircraft, and the incident triggered a round of diplomatic protests by countries in the region. An unidentified Russian military attache in Seoul told South Korean officials that the military plane appeared to have "entered an unplanned area due to a device malfunction", said Yoon Do-han, a press secretary at South Korea's presidential office. "Russia has conveyed its deep regret over the incident and said its defence ministry would immediately launch an investigation and take all necessary steps," Yoon said. "The officer said such a situation would have never occurred if it followed the initially planned route." It was not immediately clear if Yoon meant the attache was speaking officially on behalf of the Russian government but Russia's embassy in Seoul denied that it had apologised. "The Russian side did not make an official apology," the embassy in Seoul said, adding it had noted many inaccuracies in the comments by South Korea, Interfax reported. Russia's public statements on the issue have not mentioned any technical problems, nor has Russia announced any investigation or acknowledged a violation of South Korean air space. South Korea's defence ministry said that after initially admitting a possible mistake and expressing regret on Tuesday, Russian officials on Wednesday sent South Korea an official document stating that its aircraft did not violate any air space. WATCH: Russia expresses regret over South Korea airspace violation × Russia also accused South Korean pilots of threatening the safety of Russian aircraft. An official at South Korea's defence ministry told reporters on Wednesday that it believed the intrusion could not have resulted from a system error. He did not elaborate but said the two countries would hold working-level talks to discuss a Russian request to share information on the incident. The incident came at a delicate time for a region that has for years been overshadowed by hostility between the United States and North Korea and has recently seen a flare-up in the tension between South Korea and Japan. While troops and naval ships from Russia and China have taken part in joint war games before, they have not conducted such air patrols in the Asia-Pacific region together, according to Russia's Ministry of Defence. China's defence ministry said on Wednesday that China and Russia did not enter territorial sky of any other country during their joint patrols on Tuesday. South Korea and Japan scrambled fighter jets because both claim sovereignty over the disputed islets called Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan. The two US allies are mired in a deepening political and trade dispute, which fanned concerns that it might undercut three-way security cooperation to fend off North Korea's nuclear threats. The incident also coincided with the visit of the US national security adviser John Bolton to South Korea. Bolton and his counterpart, Chung Eui-Yong, discussed the airspace breach during a meeting on Wednesday and vowed close consultations in case of more such incidents, South Korea's presidential Blue House said in a statement.

Did not make an apology: Russia on airspace violation dispute with South Korea

Central American migrants in the border city of Ciudad Juarez on Monday were finding it more difficult to both enter the United States and to stay in Mexico as both countries have hardened immigration policy over recent months.

'They throw us in the streets' - migrants face hardened policies on both sides of US-Mexico border

The US Senate on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to extend funding for first responders and others injured during the September 11 attacks, compensating through 2092 those who helped rescue people and remove debris in hazardous conditions.

The measure, which provides for billions of dollars in funding, including about $10 billion over the next decade, passed 97 to 2. It has already cleared the House and now heads to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-attacks-robert-mueller-ahead-of-testimony-on-russia-probe-237817">President Donald Trump</a>, who is expected to sign it.

Permanent reauthorization of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-panel-approves-permanent-september-11-victims-compensation-226702">9/11 Victim Compensation Fund</a> ends a painful chapter during which ailing first responders, and the relatives of those who had already died, came to Congress pleading with lawmakers to extend the funding.

Several 9/11 responders were in the Senate gallery for the vote, and they defied Senate rules to cheer and applaud shortly before the final votes were cast.

Their cause has been championed by comedian and former talk show host Jon Stewart, who castigated lawmakers during emotional testimony in June.

Stewart sat alongside 9/11 responders such as Luis Alvarez who urged Congress to replenish the depleted fund during the high-profile hearing.

Alvarez died two weeks after his testimony, following a battle with cancer that doctors believe was linked to the time he spent at Ground Zero when the World Trade Center towers collapsed.

"Congress can never repay these men, women and families for their sacrifices," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

"But we can do our small part to try and make our heroes whole."

Stewart was back in Congress on Tuesday to mark the bill's passage, and after the Senate vote, he hugged John Feal, who helped lead the push for a permanent extension of the 9/11 fund.

"They lifted this 9/11 community on their shoulders and they carried them home, and I will always be so proud to have been associated with" Feal and other first responders who gathered with him at a press event, Stewart said.

Excuses 'end today'&nbsp;

The original fund from 2001 to 2004 paid out some $7 billion to compensate relatives of 2,880 people who died on 9/11, plus an additional 2,680 injured individuals.

Congress replenished the fund in 2011 and 2015 to help thousands of more people, and it was due to stop accepting new claims in late 2020.

But last February the fund's head, Rupa Bhattacharyya, said there was "insufficient funding" to continue to compensate all pending and projected claims.

The current bill extends the compensation for decades, and allows distribution of "such sums as may be necessary."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Tuesday was no celebration but "a day of relief" for responders after spending years asking for funds to be reauthorized.

"Thank God for those excuses, those delays end today for good, and our first responders can go home... to tend to their health (and) the health of their brothers and sisters who are suffering and ailing," Schumer said.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful from New York, noted how 10,000 people have been certified with 9/11-related cancers.

Last week a funeral was held for Richard Driscoll, whom Gillibrand described as the 200th New York firefighter to succumb to a 9/11 illness. 
&nbsp;

The US Senate on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to extend funding for first responders and others injured during the September 11 attacks, compensating through 2092 those who helped rescue people and remove debris in hazardous conditions.

The US Senate on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to extend funding for first responders and others injured during the September 11 attacks, compensating through 2092 those who helped rescue people and remove debris in hazardous conditions. The measure, which provides for billions of dollars in funding, including about $10 billion over the next decade, passed 97 to 2. It has already cleared the House and now heads to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it. Permanent reauthorization of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund ends a painful chapter during which ailing first responders, and the relatives of those who had already died, came to Congress pleading with lawmakers to extend the funding. Several 9/11 responders were in the Senate gallery for the vote, and they defied Senate rules to cheer and applaud shortly before the final votes were cast. Their cause has been championed by comedian and former talk show host Jon Stewart, who castigated lawmakers during emotional testimony in June. Stewart sat alongside 9/11 responders such as Luis Alvarez who urged Congress to replenish the depleted fund during the high-profile hearing. Alvarez died two weeks after his testimony, following a battle with cancer that doctors believe was linked to the time he spent at Ground Zero when the World Trade Center towers collapsed. "Congress can never repay these men, women and families for their sacrifices," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. "But we can do our small part to try and make our heroes whole." Stewart was back in Congress on Tuesday to mark the bill's passage, and after the Senate vote, he hugged John Feal, who helped lead the push for a permanent extension of the 9/11 fund. "They lifted this 9/11 community on their shoulders and they carried them home, and I will always be so proud to have been associated with" Feal and other first responders who gathered with him at a press event, Stewart said. Excuses 'end today' The original fund from 2001 to 2004 paid out some $7 billion to compensate relatives of 2,880 people who died on 9/11, plus an additional 2,680 injured individuals. Congress replenished the fund in 2011 and 2015 to help thousands of more people, and it was due to stop accepting new claims in late 2020. But last February the fund's head, Rupa Bhattacharyya, said there was "insufficient funding" to continue to compensate all pending and projected claims. The current bill extends the compensation for decades, and allows distribution of "such sums as may be necessary." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Tuesday was no celebration but "a day of relief" for responders after spending years asking for funds to be reauthorized. "Thank God for those excuses, those delays end today for good, and our first responders can go home... to tend to their health (and) the health of their brothers and sisters who are suffering and ailing," Schumer said. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful from New York, noted how 10,000 people have been certified with 9/11-related cancers. Last week a funeral was held for Richard Driscoll, whom Gillibrand described as the 200th New York firefighter to succumb to a 9/11 illness.

US Senate passes 9/11 victim fund, sends it to President Donald Trump

Global trade tensions, continued uncertainty and rising prospects for a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-lawmakers-vote-in-bid-to-frustrate-no-deal-brexit-236976">no-deal Brexit</a> are sapping the strength of the world economy, which faces a "precarious" 2020, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/christine-lagarde-resigns-as-international-monetary-fund-chief-starting-race-for-her-successor-236536">International Monetary Fund</a> warned on Tuesday.

Trade conflicts are undercutting investment and weakening manufacturing, and the IMF urged countries to avoid using tariffs to resolve their differences.

In the quarterly update of its World Economic Outlook, the IMF trimmed the global forecast issued in April by 0.1 percentage point this year and next, with growth expected to hit 3.2 per cent in 2019 and 3.5 per cent in 2020.

But the report sounded the alarm, saying things could easily go wrong.

"Global growth is sluggish and precarious, but it does not have to be this way, because some of this is self-inflicted," IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath told reporters.

"Dynamism in the global economy is being weighed down by prolonged policy uncertainty as trade tensions remain heightened despite the recent US-China trade truce... and the prospects of a no-deal Brexit have increased," she said at a briefing in Santiago, Chile.

Gopinath warned that the recovery is seen next year "is precarious" because "close to 70 per cent of the increase relies on an improvement in the growth performance in stressed emerging market and developing economies and is therefore subject to high uncertainty."

However, the United States, which is at the centre of most of the trade tensions, saw one of the rare upgrades in the report, as it got a short-term boost from strong economic growth in the early part of the year.&nbsp;

The IMF raised the US GDP forecast by three-tenths of a percentage point to 2.6 per cent for 2019, but weakening demand, in part due to the trade conflicts and tariffs, points to "slowing momentum over the rest of the year."&nbsp;

US economic growth is expected to slow to 1.9 per cent in 2020.

China, which is the main target of US trade actions, was already experiencing a slowdown. But "the negative effects of escalating tariffs and weakening external demand have added pressure," the report said. A sudden slowdown in China is a key risk to the world economy.

The report downgraded Chinese growth by a tenth of a point this year and next, to 6.2 per cent and 6.0 per cent.

Avoid policy missteps

The IMF cautioned that there is an abundance of "potential triggers" for the situation to turn negative quickly, including the possibility of more US tariffs on China or on European autos, as well as a no-deal Brexit and high debt levels in many countries.

"While the tensions abated in June, durable agreements to resolve differences remain subject to possibly protracted and difficult negotiations," the report said.

Gopinath repeated the IMF calculation showing that the combined effect of tariffs imposed last year and potential tariffs threatened in May between the United States and China could reduce global GDP in 2020 by 0.5 per cent.

The latest forecast was once again full of downgrades, with small downward revisions for Germany and Japan, but much larger cuts for Brazil, Mexico, Russia, India and South Africa countries that were the engine for global growth in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

The IMF again stressed that resolving uncertainty remains the most pressing issue for the global economy and said governments should avoid "policy missteps" that could have "a severely debilitating effect on sentiment, growth and job creation."

And "countries should not use tariffs to target bilateral trade balances," the report said while recognizing that "trade disputes may be symptoms of deeper frustration with gaps in the rules-based multilateral trading system."

President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in June agreed to a truce in their trade hostilities.&nbsp;

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is set to lead a delegation to China on Monday for the first face-to-face meeting since talks collapsed in May, according to media reports.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the "overriding objective" is to get a good deal, which "is much more important than exact timing."

Global trade tensions, continued uncertainty and rising prospects for a no-deal Brexit are sapping the strength of the world economy, which faces a "precarious" 2020, the International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday.

Global trade tensions, continued uncertainty and rising prospects for a no-deal Brexit are sapping the strength of the world economy, which faces a "precarious" 2020, the International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday. Trade conflicts are undercutting investment and weakening manufacturing, and the IMF urged countries to avoid using tariffs to resolve their differences. In the quarterly update of its World Economic Outlook, the IMF trimmed the global forecast issued in April by 0.1 percentage point this year and next, with growth expected to hit 3.2 per cent in 2019 and 3.5 per cent in 2020. But the report sounded the alarm, saying things could easily go wrong. "Global growth is sluggish and precarious, but it does not have to be this way, because some of this is self-inflicted," IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath told reporters. "Dynamism in the global economy is being weighed down by prolonged policy uncertainty as trade tensions remain heightened despite the recent US-China trade truce... and the prospects of a no-deal Brexit have increased," she said at a briefing in Santiago, Chile. Gopinath warned that the recovery is seen next year "is precarious" because "close to 70 per cent of the increase relies on an improvement in the growth performance in stressed emerging market and developing economies and is therefore subject to high uncertainty." However, the United States, which is at the centre of most of the trade tensions, saw one of the rare upgrades in the report, as it got a short-term boost from strong economic growth in the early part of the year. The IMF raised the US GDP forecast by three-tenths of a percentage point to 2.6 per cent for 2019, but weakening demand, in part due to the trade conflicts and tariffs, points to "slowing momentum over the rest of the year." US economic growth is expected to slow to 1.9 per cent in 2020. China, which is the main target of US trade actions, was already experiencing a slowdown. But "the negative effects of escalating tariffs and weakening external demand have added pressure," the report said. A sudden slowdown in China is a key risk to the world economy. The report downgraded Chinese growth by a tenth of a point this year and next, to 6.2 per cent and 6.0 per cent. Avoid policy missteps The IMF cautioned that there is an abundance of "potential triggers" for the situation to turn negative quickly, including the possibility of more US tariffs on China or on European autos, as well as a no-deal Brexit and high debt levels in many countries. "While the tensions abated in June, durable agreements to resolve differences remain subject to possibly protracted and difficult negotiations," the report said. Gopinath repeated the IMF calculation showing that the combined effect of tariffs imposed last year and potential tariffs threatened in May between the United States and China could reduce global GDP in 2020 by 0.5 per cent. The latest forecast was once again full of downgrades, with small downward revisions for Germany and Japan, but much larger cuts for Brazil, Mexico, Russia, India and South Africa countries that were the engine for global growth in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The IMF again stressed that resolving uncertainty remains the most pressing issue for the global economy and said governments should avoid "policy missteps" that could have "a severely debilitating effect on sentiment, growth and job creation." And "countries should not use tariffs to target bilateral trade balances," the report said while recognizing that "trade disputes may be symptoms of deeper frustration with gaps in the rules-based multilateral trading system." President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in June agreed to a truce in their trade hostilities. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is set to lead a delegation to China on Monday for the first face-to-face meeting since talks collapsed in May, according to media reports. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the "overriding objective" is to get a good deal, which "is much more important than exact timing."

International Monetary Fund downgrades world growth, warns of 'precarious' 2020

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-heat-wave-breaks-across-us-northeast-thousands-left-without-power-237885">Severe wind and rain in the northeastern United States</a> left thousands without power on Tuesday, as a record-breaking heatwave ebbed and a flash flood threat moved south with the storm.

Up to 4 inches (10 cm) of rain-drenched New York's eastern Long Island suburbs, while the widespread storm dumped as much as 8 inches (20 cm) of wetness on Port Arthur, Texas, said meteorologist David Roth of the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center.

Airlines cancelled more than 300 flights in the United States, with the most affected airports throughout the New York area as well as North Carolina, according to FlightAware.com.

"Today we are expecting the flash flood risk to shift to North Carolina, Virginia, anywhere in the Southeast as the front continues to shift southward," Roth said, noting the storm was likely to dry out by evening.

Late Monday and early Tuesday, flash floods swamped Long Island and other <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/american-islamic-state-sniper-charged-in-new-york-justice-department-237202">New York</a> urban areas drenched by the storm, he said.

"It hits the pavement and it runs off. Asphalt is not known for absorbing water," Roth said.

Further north, the National Weather Service confirmed a rare tornado touched down in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.

Utilities were scrambling to restore electricity to hundreds of communities where torrential weather downed tree limbs, knocking out power.

Overnight, more than 600,000 customers were out in Michigan and more than 200,000 lost power in New Jersey. Utility DTE in Michigan said more than 100,000 remained out on Tuesday, but it would restore 90 per cent of all storm-related outages by the end of the day.

New Jersey's hardest hit utility, FirstEnergy, was still assessing the situation and did not have an estimated return to service time for all its customers without power.

New York City experienced its second successive weekend of blackouts after a July 13 outage left more than 73,000 homes and businesses without power for about three hours.

The weekend heatwave that blanketed about a third of the US population brought thunderstorms along with cooling rain when it burst on Monday, the National Weather Service said.

Some winds gusted up to 80 mph (129 kph), said meteorologist Bob Oravec of the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in Maryland.

"The good news is that the heatwave is over," Oravec said. "It's cooled down."

Severe wind and rain in the northeastern United States left thousands without power on Tuesday, as a record-breaking heatwave ebbed and a flash flood threat moved south with the storm.

Severe wind and rain in the northeastern United States left thousands without power on Tuesday, as a record-breaking heatwave ebbed and a flash flood threat moved south with the storm. Up to 4 inches (10 cm) of rain-drenched New York's eastern Long Island suburbs, while the widespread storm dumped as much as 8 inches (20 cm) of wetness on Port Arthur, Texas, said meteorologist David Roth of the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. Airlines cancelled more than 300 flights in the United States, with the most affected airports throughout the New York area as well as North Carolina, according to FlightAware.com. "Today we are expecting the flash flood risk to shift to North Carolina, Virginia, anywhere in the Southeast as the front continues to shift southward," Roth said, noting the storm was likely to dry out by evening. Late Monday and early Tuesday, flash floods swamped Long Island and other New York urban areas drenched by the storm, he said. "It hits the pavement and it runs off. Asphalt is not known for absorbing water," Roth said. Further north, the National Weather Service confirmed a rare tornado touched down in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Utilities were scrambling to restore electricity to hundreds of communities where torrential weather downed tree limbs, knocking out power. Overnight, more than 600,000 customers were out in Michigan and more than 200,000 lost power in New Jersey. Utility DTE in Michigan said more than 100,000 remained out on Tuesday, but it would restore 90 per cent of all storm-related outages by the end of the day. New Jersey's hardest hit utility, FirstEnergy, was still assessing the situation and did not have an estimated return to service time for all its customers without power. New York City experienced its second successive weekend of blackouts after a July 13 outage left more than 73,000 homes and businesses without power for about three hours. The weekend heatwave that blanketed about a third of the US population brought thunderstorms along with cooling rain when it burst on Monday, the National Weather Service said. Some winds gusted up to 80 mph (129 kph), said meteorologist Bob Oravec of the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in Maryland. "The good news is that the heatwave is over," Oravec said. "It's cooled down."

Pounding rains, flash floods drench northeastern United States

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-koreas-acquisition-of-us-f-35-fighter-aimed-at-opening-gate-to-invade-north-north-korea-state-media-234830">South Korea</a> protested on Wednesday against a Japanese plan to remove it from a Japanese list of countries that face minimum trade restrictions, saying it would undermine their decades-old economic and security cooperation and threaten free trade.

Japan's planned revision of the law to take South Korea off its so-called white list comes amid a deepening row over compensation for wartime forced labour, and after Japan tightened curbs this month on exports to South Korea of high-tech materials used for making memory chips and display panels.

South Korea's industry ministry said in a statement Japan's removal of South Korea from the list would be a very grave matter that would undermine their economic and security partnership.

It asked Japan to scrap the plan, flagging concerns over wider disruptions of global supply chains involving South Korean chip and screen makers.

"It is a very grave matter that shakes the foundation of South Korea-Japan economic partnership and Northeast Asian security cooperation that has been maintained and developed for more than 60 years," <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/calls-for-boycott-of-japan-grow-in-south-korea-as-diplomatic-row-simmers-233755">Sung Yoon-mo</a>, the South Korean industry minister, told a briefing.

"Removal of South Korea from the white list of countries is against international norms and we are worried about its serious negative impact on global value chains and free trade," Sung said.

Japan is due to decide on a revision of its list after canvassing public opinion, which is due to be done by Wednesday.

Officials at Japan's trade ministry were not immediately available for comment.

Questions over the list come after Japan this month tightened restrictions on exports of high-tech materials to South Korea.

The restrictions came as Japan complained of the erosion of trust with South Korea after a South Korean court ruled last year that Japanese companies had to pay compensation to South Koreans forced to work in Japanese factories during Japan's occupation of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

Japan believes the compensation issue was settled under a 1965 treaty and the court ruling violated international law.

Japan's top government spokesman said on Wednesday relations with South Korea were in a "very severe" state and Japan would continue to urge South Korea to take appropriate action over a string of issues that have frayed ties.

'Long Term Harm'

US tech industry groups with members including Apple sent an open letter on Tuesday to Japan and South Korea calling for a quick resolution of their dispute.

"Non-transparent and unilateral changes in export control policies can cause supply chain disruptions, delays in shipments, and ultimately long-term harm to the companies that operate within and beyond your borders and the workers they employ," the business groups said in their letter.

Apple is a major customer of South Korean memory chip giants Samsung Elec and SK Hynix.

Japan has threatened to drop South Korea from the list of countries that face minimum trade restrictions under a trade control law, which would require Japanese exporters to seek a licence for certain items they want to sell to South Korea that could be used in manufacturing weapons.

There are 27 countries on Japan's list including Germany, Britain and the United States.

South Korea has stepped up diplomatic efforts to get Japan to scrap its trade controls, asking major ally the United States to help, though it has not rushed to step in.

South Korea officials are expected to raise the matter in talks with US national security adviser John Bolton who is in Seoul.

South Korea protested on Wednesday against a Japanese plan to remove it from a Japanese list of countries that face minimum trade restrictions, saying it would undermine their decades-old economic and security cooperation and threaten free trade.

South Korea protested on Wednesday against a Japanese plan to remove it from a Japanese list of countries that face minimum trade restrictions, saying it would undermine their decades-old economic and security cooperation and threaten free trade. Japan's planned revision of the law to take South Korea off its so-called white list comes amid a deepening row over compensation for wartime forced labour, and after Japan tightened curbs this month on exports to South Korea of high-tech materials used for making memory chips and display panels. South Korea's industry ministry said in a statement Japan's removal of South Korea from the list would be a very grave matter that would undermine their economic and security partnership. It asked Japan to scrap the plan, flagging concerns over wider disruptions of global supply chains involving South Korean chip and screen makers. "It is a very grave matter that shakes the foundation of South Korea-Japan economic partnership and Northeast Asian security cooperation that has been maintained and developed for more than 60 years," Sung Yoon-mo, the South Korean industry minister, told a briefing. "Removal of South Korea from the white list of countries is against international norms and we are worried about its serious negative impact on global value chains and free trade," Sung said. Japan is due to decide on a revision of its list after canvassing public opinion, which is due to be done by Wednesday. Officials at Japan's trade ministry were not immediately available for comment. Questions over the list come after Japan this month tightened restrictions on exports of high-tech materials to South Korea. The restrictions came as Japan complained of the erosion of trust with South Korea after a South Korean court ruled last year that Japanese companies had to pay compensation to South Koreans forced to work in Japanese factories during Japan's occupation of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. Japan believes the compensation issue was settled under a 1965 treaty and the court ruling violated international law. Japan's top government spokesman said on Wednesday relations with South Korea were in a "very severe" state and Japan would continue to urge South Korea to take appropriate action over a string of issues that have frayed ties. 'Long Term Harm' US tech industry groups with members including Apple sent an open letter on Tuesday to Japan and South Korea calling for a quick resolution of their dispute. "Non-transparent and unilateral changes in export control policies can cause supply chain disruptions, delays in shipments, and ultimately long-term harm to the companies that operate within and beyond your borders and the workers they employ," the business groups said in their letter. Apple is a major customer of South Korean memory chip giants Samsung Elec and SK Hynix. Japan has threatened to drop South Korea from the list of countries that face minimum trade restrictions under a trade control law, which would require Japanese exporters to seek a licence for certain items they want to sell to South Korea that could be used in manufacturing weapons. There are 27 countries on Japan's list including Germany, Britain and the United States. South Korea has stepped up diplomatic efforts to get Japan to scrap its trade controls, asking major ally the United States to help, though it has not rushed to step in. South Korea officials are expected to raise the matter in talks with US national security adviser John Bolton who is in Seoul.

South Korea asks Japan not to drop it from smooth-trade list

Fraudsters are out to cash in on interest in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-lamakers-propose-barring-big-tech-companies-from-offering-financial-services-digital-currencies-236125">Facebook-backed digital currency Libra</a>, hawking bogus buying opportunities at online venues including the social network itself.

Libra is to launch next year, overseen by an association based in Europe, but as with other hot topics it has been seized on by nefarious characters intent on tricking people with false accounts, pages, and information.

Fake Libra opportunities or offerings have popped up on Facebook's main social network and its image-centric online community Instagram, &nbsp;according to a report Monday in the Washington Post.

Several Libra-themed deceptive accounts were removed from the Facebook platform after the California-based company was alerted by the Post, according to the publication.

Some of the fake accounts used the official Facebook logo and photos of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/if-facebooks-libra-wants-to-become-a-bank-it-must-must-seek-new-banking-charter-trump-235162">chief executive Mark Zuckerberg</a>.&nbsp;

"<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-needs-very-high-standard-for-libra-coin-us-treasury-steven-mnuchin-236268">Facebook</a> removes ads and Pages that violate our policies when we become aware of them, and we are constantly working to improve detection of scams on our platforms," the internet titan said in response to an AFP inquiry.

The Libra Association was reported to be working with Facebook to get deceptive pages about the currency deleted.

Criminals routinely seize on hot topics to try to dupe people online, from natural disasters and major tragedies to celebrity news.

A buylibracoins.com website accessible Monday offered a fake chance to buy the digital currency, encouraging potential victims to share contact details of friends in a referral program.

Fraudsters were said to be set also hunting for victims at other online venues such as Twitter and YouTube.

Financial upheaval

The rise of fake Libra offerings comes as Facebook tries to dispel worries and build trust in what it hopes will be a global currency that gives life-changing financial tools to people around the world.

G7 finance ministers and central bankers last week dealt a blow to Facebook's planned new cryptocurrency Libra, issuing a barrage of warnings about its dangers for the global economy at a two-day meeting outside Paris.

Facebook in June unveiled its plans for Libra in an announcement greeted with concern by governments and critics of the social network behemoth, whose reputation has already been tarnished by its role in spreading fake information and extremist videos.

Ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major global economies "agreed that projects such as Libra may affect monetary sovereignty and the functioning of the international monetary system," France, the current G7 chair, said in a statement.

It said projects like Libra with a "global and potentially systemic footprint... raise serious regulatory and systemic concerns, as well as wider policy issues, which both need to be addressed before such projects can be implemented."

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said his concerns about Libra and other cryptocurrencies which he had made clear in White House news conference this month were shared by G7 counterparts.

Libra is widely regarded as a challenger to dominant global player bitcoin. Expected to launch in the first half of 2020, Libra is designed to be backed by a basket of currency assets to avoid the wild swings of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Fraudsters are out to cash in on interest in Facebook-backed digital currency Libra, hawking bogus buying opportunities at online venues including the social network itself.

Fraudsters are out to cash in on interest in Facebook-backed digital currency Libra, hawking bogus buying opportunities at online venues including the social network itself. Libra is to launch next year, overseen by an association based in Europe, but as with other hot topics it has been seized on by nefarious characters intent on tricking people with false accounts, pages, and information. Fake Libra opportunities or offerings have popped up on Facebook's main social network and its image-centric online community Instagram, according to a report Monday in the Washington Post. Several Libra-themed deceptive accounts were removed from the Facebook platform after the California-based company was alerted by the Post, according to the publication. Some of the fake accounts used the official Facebook logo and photos of chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. "Facebook removes ads and Pages that violate our policies when we become aware of them, and we are constantly working to improve detection of scams on our platforms," the internet titan said in response to an AFP inquiry. The Libra Association was reported to be working with Facebook to get deceptive pages about the currency deleted. Criminals routinely seize on hot topics to try to dupe people online, from natural disasters and major tragedies to celebrity news. A buylibracoins.com website accessible Monday offered a fake chance to buy the digital currency, encouraging potential victims to share contact details of friends in a referral program. Fraudsters were said to be set also hunting for victims at other online venues such as Twitter and YouTube. Financial upheaval The rise of fake Libra offerings comes as Facebook tries to dispel worries and build trust in what it hopes will be a global currency that gives life-changing financial tools to people around the world. G7 finance ministers and central bankers last week dealt a blow to Facebook's planned new cryptocurrency Libra, issuing a barrage of warnings about its dangers for the global economy at a two-day meeting outside Paris. Facebook in June unveiled its plans for Libra in an announcement greeted with concern by governments and critics of the social network behemoth, whose reputation has already been tarnished by its role in spreading fake information and extremist videos. Ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major global economies "agreed that projects such as Libra may affect monetary sovereignty and the functioning of the international monetary system," France, the current G7 chair, said in a statement. It said projects like Libra with a "global and potentially systemic footprint... raise serious regulatory and systemic concerns, as well as wider policy issues, which both need to be addressed before such projects can be implemented." US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said his concerns about Libra and other cryptocurrencies which he had made clear in White House news conference this month were shared by G7 counterparts. Libra is widely regarded as a challenger to dominant global player bitcoin. Expected to launch in the first half of 2020, Libra is designed to be backed by a basket of currency assets to avoid the wild swings of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Fraudsters exploit interest in Libra digital currency

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