President Donald Trump said on Thursday the US&nbsp;government &quot;could very well&quot; shut down and that would be very harmful to the military.

&quot;If the country shuts down, which could very well be, the budget should be handled a lot different than it has been handled for the last long period of time,&quot; Trump said in answer to reporters` questions as he arrived for a visit at the Pentagon. &quot;If for any reason it shuts down, the worst thing is what happens to our military.&quot;

'If the country shuts down, which could very well be, the budget should be handled a lot differently than it has been for the last long period of time,' Trump said

President Donald Trump said on Thursday the US government "could very well" shut down and that would be very harmful to the military. "If the country shuts down, which could very well be, the budget should be handled a lot different than it has been handled for the last long period of time," Trump said in answer to reporters` questions as he arrived for a visit at the Pentagon. "If for any reason it shuts down, the worst thing is what happens to our military."

Trump says US government 'could very well' shut down

Do not expect<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-trump-unveils-fake-news-award-takes-dig-at-nyt-cnn-abc-29900" target="_blank"> US President Donald Trump</a> to hit the gym, despite his doctor&#39;s orders.

He gets plenty of exercise on the golf course and at the White House complex, the president told Reuters on Wednesday.

&quot;I get exercise. I mean I walk, I this, I that,&quot; Trump, 71, said during an Oval Office interview. &quot;I run over to a building next door. I get more exercise than people think.&quot;

Dr Ronny Jackson, the White House physician, said on Tuesday that Trump was in excellent health overall but needed to lose weight, eat better, and break a sweat more often.

The fast-food-loving Trump praised Jackson, who has served as a physician to previous presidents, but seemed wary of taking the not-so-subtle suggestion to use the White House&#39;s exercise facilities.

&quot;A lot of people go to the gym and they&rsquo;ll work out for two hours and all. I&rsquo;ve seen people ... then they get their new knees when they&#39;re 55 years old and they get their new hips and they do all those things. I don&rsquo;t have those problems,&quot; Trump said.

He did say he was open to changing his diet, perhaps with smaller portion sizes on White House meals.

Trump&#39;s predecessors, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican George W. Bush, were fitness enthusiasts, but Trump has no daily workout routine. He gets exercise by playing golf, he said, even though he typically rides around the course in a golf cart.

Walking would leave him on the course longer than he prefers, he said. &quot;I don&rsquo;t want to spend the time.&quot;

Trump is considered overweight and borderline obese at 6 feet 3 inches (1.9 meters) tall and 239 pounds (108 kg).

&quot;Most of us could lose a couple of pounds,&quot; he said, before scanning the Reuters reporters in the room and pronouncing them in &quot;pretty good shape.&quot;

As for his mental acuity, Trump was quick to note his doctor&#39;s pronouncement that he aced a cognitive exam, which he referenced with a dig at predecessors Obama, Bush and Bill Clinton for not doing more to curb threats from North Korea.

&quot;I guess they all realized they&#39;re going to have to leave it to a president that scored the highest on tests. What can I tell you?&quot; he said.

He said he had impressed medical staff with his recent performance on a treadmill, regular workouts or not.

&quot;I was on a treadmill for the first time actually in quite a while, and it was at a very steep angle, and I was there for a very long time,&quot; he said. &quot;They were surprised. And they said, &#39;Well you can stop now, that&rsquo;s amazing.&#39; And I said, &#39;I can go much longer than this if you want me to.&#39;&quot;

Trump said he had dieted successfully before.

&quot;I&#39;ve always been more of a believer in diet &#39;cause I&#39;m strong, you know? I hit the ball far. I mean, I&#39;m strong, physically,&quot; he said.

&quot;The people that do the food at the White House are extraordinary, but I think they can maybe make the portions a little bit smaller and maybe we&#39;ll cut out some of the more fattening ingredients,&quot; he said. &quot;And I&#39;m OK with that.&quot;

He gets plenty of exercise on the golf course and at the White House complex, the president said on Wednesday

Do not expect US President Donald Trump to hit the gym, despite his doctor's orders. He gets plenty of exercise on the golf course and at the White House complex, the president told Reuters on Wednesday. "I get exercise. I mean I walk, I this, I that," Trump, 71, said during an Oval Office interview. "I run over to a building next door. I get more exercise than people think." Dr Ronny Jackson, the White House physician, said on Tuesday that Trump was in excellent health overall but needed to lose weight, eat better, and break a sweat more often. The fast-food-loving Trump praised Jackson, who has served as a physician to previous presidents, but seemed wary of taking the not-so-subtle suggestion to use the White House's exercise facilities. "A lot of people go to the gym and they’ll work out for two hours and all. I’ve seen people ... then they get their new knees when they're 55 years old and they get their new hips and they do all those things. I don’t have those problems," Trump said. He did say he was open to changing his diet, perhaps with smaller portion sizes on White House meals. Trump's predecessors, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican George W. Bush, were fitness enthusiasts, but Trump has no daily workout routine. He gets exercise by playing golf, he said, even though he typically rides around the course in a golf cart. Walking would leave him on the course longer than he prefers, he said. "I don’t want to spend the time." Trump is considered overweight and borderline obese at 6 feet 3 inches (1.9 meters) tall and 239 pounds (108 kg). "Most of us could lose a couple of pounds," he said, before scanning the Reuters reporters in the room and pronouncing them in "pretty good shape." As for his mental acuity, Trump was quick to note his doctor's pronouncement that he aced a cognitive exam, which he referenced with a dig at predecessors Obama, Bush and Bill Clinton for not doing more to curb threats from North Korea. "I guess they all realized they're going to have to leave it to a president that scored the highest on tests. What can I tell you?" he said. He said he had impressed medical staff with his recent performance on a treadmill, regular workouts or not. "I was on a treadmill for the first time actually in quite a while, and it was at a very steep angle, and I was there for a very long time," he said. "They were surprised. And they said, 'Well you can stop now, that’s amazing.' And I said, 'I can go much longer than this if you want me to.'" Trump said he had dieted successfully before. "I've always been more of a believer in diet 'cause I'm strong, you know? I hit the ball far. I mean, I'm strong, physically," he said. "The people that do the food at the White House are extraordinary, but I think they can maybe make the portions a little bit smaller and maybe we'll cut out some of the more fattening ingredients," he said. "And I'm OK with that."

Exercise? I get more than people think, Trump says

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States is receiving evidence that international sanctions are &quot;really starting to hurt&quot; North Korea, and praised China for putting pressure on Pyongyang.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in had attributed North Korea&#39;s recent willingness to talk to South Korea to the pain of sanctions, Tillerson told an event at Stanford University in California.

Tillerson said that he was confident the pressure would eventually bring North Korea to the negotiating table over its nuclear and missile programs. Pyongyang has carried out nuclear and missiles tests in defiance of United Nations and other sanctions.

&quot;We are getting a lot of evidence that these sanctions are really starting to hurt,&quot; Tillerson said, citing intelligence and anecdotal evidence from defectors.

He said Japan told a conference on North Korea in Vancouver on Tuesday that more than 100 North Korean fishing boats had drifted into its waters and two-thirds of those aboard them had died.

&quot;What they learned is that they are being sent out in the winter time because there are food shortages and they are being sent out to fish with inadequate fuel to get back,&quot; he said.

China did not attend the Vancouver meeting, where 20 nations agreed to step up sanctions pressure on North Korea, but Tillerson highlighted Beijing&#39;s role.

&quot;We have never had Chinese support for sanctions like we&#39;re getting now,&quot; he said.

&quot;Russia&#39;s a slightly different issue, but the Chinese have learned in hard on the North Koreans,&quot; he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday that Russia is helping North Korea evade sanctions and that Pyongyang is getting &quot;closer every day&quot; to being able to deliver a long-range missile to the United States.

Tillerson said that while North Korea had a record of seeking to drive a wedge between the United States and its allies through &quot;charm offensives&quot;, Washington was supportive of the North-South dialogue.

He said it was possible North Korea&#39;s presence &quot;may be their early effort to break the ice.&quot;

&quot;We&rsquo;ll see - nothing may come of it,&quot; he said.

Tillerson said of North Korea leader Kim Jong Un: &quot;he knows how to reach me if he wants to talk. But he&#39;s going to tell me he wants to talk. We&#39;re not going to chase him.&quot;

Tillerson said he was confident the sides would eventually get to the negotiating table and he wanted to know when that happened that the United States had &quot;very, very strong military options standing behind me.&quot;

The Trump administration has said repeatedly that all options are available, including military ones, in forcing North Korea to give up development of nuclear missiles capable of reaching the United States, although it prefers a diplomatic solution.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Tillerson said that while North Korea had a record of seeking to drive a wedge between the United States and its allies through "charm offensives", Washington was supportive of the North-South dialogue.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States is receiving evidence that international sanctions are "really starting to hurt" North Korea, and praised China for putting pressure on Pyongyang. South Korean President Moon Jae-in had attributed North Korea's recent willingness to talk to South Korea to the pain of sanctions, Tillerson told an event at Stanford University in California. Tillerson said that he was confident the pressure would eventually bring North Korea to the negotiating table over its nuclear and missile programs. Pyongyang has carried out nuclear and missiles tests in defiance of United Nations and other sanctions. "We are getting a lot of evidence that these sanctions are really starting to hurt," Tillerson said, citing intelligence and anecdotal evidence from defectors. He said Japan told a conference on North Korea in Vancouver on Tuesday that more than 100 North Korean fishing boats had drifted into its waters and two-thirds of those aboard them had died. "What they learned is that they are being sent out in the winter time because there are food shortages and they are being sent out to fish with inadequate fuel to get back," he said. China did not attend the Vancouver meeting, where 20 nations agreed to step up sanctions pressure on North Korea, but Tillerson highlighted Beijing's role. "We have never had Chinese support for sanctions like we're getting now," he said. "Russia's a slightly different issue, but the Chinese have learned in hard on the North Koreans," he said. U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday that Russia is helping North Korea evade sanctions and that Pyongyang is getting "closer every day" to being able to deliver a long-range missile to the United States. Tillerson said that while North Korea had a record of seeking to drive a wedge between the United States and its allies through "charm offensives", Washington was supportive of the North-South dialogue. He said it was possible North Korea's presence "may be their early effort to break the ice." "We’ll see - nothing may come of it," he said. Tillerson said of North Korea leader Kim Jong Un: "he knows how to reach me if he wants to talk. But he's going to tell me he wants to talk. We're not going to chase him." Tillerson said he was confident the sides would eventually get to the negotiating table and he wanted to know when that happened that the United States had "very, very strong military options standing behind me." The Trump administration has said repeatedly that all options are available, including military ones, in forcing North Korea to give up development of nuclear missiles capable of reaching the United States, although it prefers a diplomatic solution.

Tillerson: Evidence sanctions 'really starting to hurt' North Korea

The United States on Tuesday said it would withhold about half the initial aid it planned to give a UN agency that serves the Palestinians, two weeks after President Donald Trump questioned the value of such funding.

In announcing that it would provide $60 million to the UN Relief and Welfare Agency (UNRWA) while withholding a further $65 million, for now, the US State Department said the aid group needed to make unspecified reforms.

Palestine Liberation Organisation official Wasel Abu Youssef immediately criticised the move, casting it as the deliberate US&nbsp;effort to deny the Palestinians their rights and linking it to Trump&#39;s widely criticised December 6 decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was unaware of any cut in aid but he was &quot;very concerned&quot; about the possibility because it &quot;is an important factor of stability.&quot;

UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Kr&auml;henb&uuml;hl said in a statement that the reduced US contribution &quot;threatens one of the most successful and innovative human development endeavours in the Middle East.&quot;

The decision to keep back some money is likely to compound the difficulty of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and to further undermine Arabs&#39; faith that the United States can act as an impartial arbitrator.

The last talks collapsed in 2014, partly because of Israel&rsquo;s opposition to an attempted unity pact between the Fatah and Hamas Palestinian factions and to Israeli settlement building on occupied land that Palestinians seek for a state, among other factors.

&quot;UNRWA has proven time and again to be an agency that misuses the humanitarian aid of the international community and instead supports anti-Israel propaganda, perpetuates the plight of Palestinian refugees and encourages hate,&quot; said Danny Danon, Israel&#39;s ambassador to the United Nations.

Even if Washington provided the additional $65 million, the $125 million total would be well below the $355 million that a US official said it gave UNRWA in the 2017 fiscal year ended September 30.

While saying the decision would sustain schools and health services, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert echoed Trump in calling on other nations to provide more money because he believes the United States pays more than its share.

The State Department wrote a letter notifying UNRWA of the decision, spokeswoman Nauert said. She said that while UNRWA reforms were a condition of releasing more money, the aid decision was &quot;not aimed at punishing&quot; anyone.

In a Twitter post on January 2, Trump said that Washington gives the Palestinians &quot;HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect.&quot; Trump added that &quot;with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?&quot;

While US officials did not link the decision to Trump&#39;s tweet, they made a point often advanced by him, saying the United States had been UNRWA&rsquo;s single largest donor for decades.

Trump&#39;s aides initially debated whether to cut off all UNRWA aid, an unidentified US official said, but those opposed argued that could further destabilise the region.

In announcing that it would provide $60 million to the UN Relief and Welfare Agency (UNRWA) while withholding a further $65 million, for now, the US State Department said the aid group needed to make unspecified reforms.

The United States on Tuesday said it would withhold about half the initial aid it planned to give a UN agency that serves the Palestinians, two weeks after President Donald Trump questioned the value of such funding. In announcing that it would provide $60 million to the UN Relief and Welfare Agency (UNRWA) while withholding a further $65 million, for now, the US State Department said the aid group needed to make unspecified reforms. Palestine Liberation Organisation official Wasel Abu Youssef immediately criticised the move, casting it as the deliberate US effort to deny the Palestinians their rights and linking it to Trump's widely criticised December 6 decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was unaware of any cut in aid but he was "very concerned" about the possibility because it "is an important factor of stability." UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl said in a statement that the reduced US contribution "threatens one of the most successful and innovative human development endeavours in the Middle East." The decision to keep back some money is likely to compound the difficulty of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and to further undermine Arabs' faith that the United States can act as an impartial arbitrator. The last talks collapsed in 2014, partly because of Israel’s opposition to an attempted unity pact between the Fatah and Hamas Palestinian factions and to Israeli settlement building on occupied land that Palestinians seek for a state, among other factors. "UNRWA has proven time and again to be an agency that misuses the humanitarian aid of the international community and instead supports anti-Israel propaganda, perpetuates the plight of Palestinian refugees and encourages hate," said Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. Even if Washington provided the additional $65 million, the $125 million total would be well below the $355 million that a US official said it gave UNRWA in the 2017 fiscal year ended September 30. While saying the decision would sustain schools and health services, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert echoed Trump in calling on other nations to provide more money because he believes the United States pays more than its share. The State Department wrote a letter notifying UNRWA of the decision, spokeswoman Nauert said. She said that while UNRWA reforms were a condition of releasing more money, the aid decision was "not aimed at punishing" anyone. In a Twitter post on January 2, Trump said that Washington gives the Palestinians "HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect." Trump added that "with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?" While US officials did not link the decision to Trump's tweet, they made a point often advanced by him, saying the United States had been UNRWA’s single largest donor for decades. Trump's aides initially debated whether to cut off all UNRWA aid, an unidentified US official said, but those opposed argued that could further destabilise the region.

US withholds $65 million in Palestinian aid after Trump threat

The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-new-h1b-rules-may-put-the-promised-land-out-of-bounds-for-indians-28456" target="_blank"> H-1B work visa</a>, which is highly popular among Indian technology professionals, puts American workers at risk, a top Republican Senator has alleged.

The H-1B program offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uk-to-extend-6-month-visa-scheme-for-indian-students-to-find-jobs-27135" target="_blank">highly skilled foreign professionals </a>working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers.

But since taking office last January, the Trump administration has been cracking down on the scheme.

&quot;The H-1B visa is one programme that really puts American workers at risk,&quot; Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, said during a Congressional hearing on homeland security yesterday.

Noting that the population of H-1B workers in the US has been growing for decades, Grassely said, with that growth, comes an increased possibility of fraud or abuse.

&quot;..Both of which I have seen and called on the Department of Homeland Security, with the help of Department of Justice, to investigate and prosecute,&quot; he said.

Grassely even looked to put blame on the H-1B workers for &quot;stagnation&quot; of salaries in the technology sector.

&quot;The vast majority of these H-1B workers are employed in the technology sector, and we&#39;ve seen salaries in that industry stagnate for decades, at the same time the number of foreign tech workers keeps growing,&quot; he said.

The senator said he was encouraged that Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced several H-1B initiatives &quot;designed to protect American workers&quot;.

&quot;I hope that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would continue with its efforts to reign in abuses in a variety of foreign worker immigration categories,&quot; said Grassley.

Participating in the Congressional hearing, Senator Orrin Hatch asked Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen on reports of doing away with work authorisation of spouses of H-1B visa holders.

Nielsen did not give a direct answer to this. But did say the Department was looking into all of the visa categories.

Hatch also asked Nielsen about news reports on cancelling three-year extensions for H-1B visa holders who are being sponsored for green cards -- which can be a time-consuming process due to per-country green card limits.

&quot;I believe that Congress previously addressed this issue in 2000, and indicated its intent to allow such extensions. Can you tell me if the department is, in fact, considering ways to stop granting these three-year extensions? And, if so, why? And I&#39;d also be interested in hearing the department&#39;s explanation of how ending these extensions squares with the 2000 law,&quot; Hatch asked.

&quot;I&#39;m not familiar with the very specific example on H-1B, but I will get back to you immediately after this,&quot; replied the Secretary of Homeland Secretary.

The curb on H-1B visa extensions could result in self- deportation of an estimated 500,000-750,000 Indian Americans.

The proposal, which was part of President Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;Buy American, Hire American&quot; initiative that he vowed to launch on the campaign trail, is being drafted by Department of Homeland Security leaders, according to reports.&nbsp;

The H-1B program offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers

The H-1B work visa, which is highly popular among Indian technology professionals, puts American workers at risk, a top Republican Senator has alleged. The H-1B program offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers. But since taking office last January, the Trump administration has been cracking down on the scheme. "The H-1B visa is one programme that really puts American workers at risk," Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, said during a Congressional hearing on homeland security yesterday. Noting that the population of H-1B workers in the US has been growing for decades, Grassely said, with that growth, comes an increased possibility of fraud or abuse. "..Both of which I have seen and called on the Department of Homeland Security, with the help of Department of Justice, to investigate and prosecute," he said. Grassely even looked to put blame on the H-1B workers for "stagnation" of salaries in the technology sector. "The vast majority of these H-1B workers are employed in the technology sector, and we've seen salaries in that industry stagnate for decades, at the same time the number of foreign tech workers keeps growing," he said. The senator said he was encouraged that Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced several H-1B initiatives "designed to protect American workers". "I hope that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would continue with its efforts to reign in abuses in a variety of foreign worker immigration categories," said Grassley. Participating in the Congressional hearing, Senator Orrin Hatch asked Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen on reports of doing away with work authorisation of spouses of H-1B visa holders. Nielsen did not give a direct answer to this. But did say the Department was looking into all of the visa categories. Hatch also asked Nielsen about news reports on cancelling three-year extensions for H-1B visa holders who are being sponsored for green cards -- which can be a time-consuming process due to per-country green card limits. "I believe that Congress previously addressed this issue in 2000, and indicated its intent to allow such extensions. Can you tell me if the department is, in fact, considering ways to stop granting these three-year extensions? And, if so, why? And I'd also be interested in hearing the department's explanation of how ending these extensions squares with the 2000 law," Hatch asked. "I'm not familiar with the very specific example on H-1B, but I will get back to you immediately after this," replied the Secretary of Homeland Secretary. The curb on H-1B visa extensions could result in self- deportation of an estimated 500,000-750,000 Indian Americans. The proposal, which was part of President Donald Trump's "Buy American, Hire American" initiative that he vowed to launch on the campaign trail, is being drafted by Department of Homeland Security leaders, according to reports.

H1B visa puts American workers at risk: Republican Senator

Turkey&#39;s President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday the United States was trying to create a &quot;terror army&quot; on the country&#39;s southern frontier by training a Syrian border force that includes a Kurdish militia and pledged to crush it before it came into being.

On Sunday, the U.S.-led coalition said it was working with the mainly Kurdish YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to set up a new 30,000-strong border force.

The plan has infuriated Turkey, which considers the YPG to be an extension of the PKK, a Kurdish group waging an insurgency in southern Turkey and deemed a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.

Erdogan also said Turkey&#39;s armed forces had completed preparations for an operation against the Kurdish-controlled region of Afrin in northwest Syria and the town of Manbij.

Erdogan also said Turkey's armed forces had completed preparations for an operation against the Kurdish-controlled region of Afrin in northwest Syria and the town of Manbij.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday the United States was trying to create a "terror army" on the country's southern frontier by training a Syrian border force that includes a Kurdish militia and pledged to crush it before it came into being. On Sunday, the U.S.-led coalition said it was working with the mainly Kurdish YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to set up a new 30,000-strong border force. The plan has infuriated Turkey, which considers the YPG to be an extension of the PKK, a Kurdish group waging an insurgency in southern Turkey and deemed a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union. Erdogan also said Turkey's armed forces had completed preparations for an operation against the Kurdish-controlled region of Afrin in northwest Syria and the town of Manbij.

United States tried to create a 'terror army' in Syria: Turkey President Erdogan

The Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief and UN-designated global terrorist Hafiz Saeed has lashed out at the Pakistan government for not ushering Islamic rule in the country.

&quot;They have started this work by finishing the message of Prophet Muhammad. Let us unite and pledge that we would not let it happen,&quot; Saeed has said at an event.

Already at loggerheads with the United States (US), especially over its decision to suspend military aid to Pakistan, the 26/11 mastermind criticised both the US and Israel for the political chaos in the country.

&quot;This is Israel&#39;s agenda, which America is executing effectively. After losing in Afghanistan, it wants to wage a new war here in Pakistan. The unity that I am seeing today here is good but we need bigger and better unity and start a revolution. We have to stand up and do something better for Islam and Pakistan,&quot; Hafiz Saeed added.

The JuD chief is also looking to contest the 2018 general elections in Pakistan and has, thereby, formed a party by the name of Milli Muslim League (MML).

Earlier this week, Saeed invited all Islamic states to launch &#39;Jihad&#39; against the United States and Israel.

Meanwhile, Pakistan recently prohibited Saeed&#39;s JuD and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) from collecting donations.

Saeed has recently been released from house arrest after a Pakistani court cited lack of evidence against him in the 26/11 Mumbai attack case.

India has, time and again, protested against Pakistan for harbouring Saeed, who is wanted for plotting the Mumbai attacks.

Already at loggerheads with the United States, especially over its decision to suspend military aid to Pakistan, the 26/11 mastermind criticised both the US and Israel for the political chaos in the country.

The Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief and UN-designated global terrorist Hafiz Saeed has lashed out at the Pakistan government for not ushering Islamic rule in the country. "They have started this work by finishing the message of Prophet Muhammad. Let us unite and pledge that we would not let it happen," Saeed has said at an event. Already at loggerheads with the United States (US), especially over its decision to suspend military aid to Pakistan, the 26/11 mastermind criticised both the US and Israel for the political chaos in the country. "This is Israel's agenda, which America is executing effectively. After losing in Afghanistan, it wants to wage a new war here in Pakistan. The unity that I am seeing today here is good but we need bigger and better unity and start a revolution. We have to stand up and do something better for Islam and Pakistan," Hafiz Saeed added. The JuD chief is also looking to contest the 2018 general elections in Pakistan and has, thereby, formed a party by the name of Milli Muslim League (MML). Earlier this week, Saeed invited all Islamic states to launch 'Jihad' against the United States and Israel. Meanwhile, Pakistan recently prohibited Saeed's JuD and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) from collecting donations. Saeed has recently been released from house arrest after a Pakistani court cited lack of evidence against him in the 26/11 Mumbai attack case. India has, time and again, protested against Pakistan for harbouring Saeed, who is wanted for plotting the Mumbai attacks.

Hafiz Saeed criticises Pakistan government for not ushering Islamic rule in country

United States president Donald Trump has said that he has a &quot;good relationship&quot; with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and is open to friendship.

&quot;I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong- Un,&quot; Trump told the media. &quot;I have relationships with people. I think you people are surprised,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;You&#39;ll see that a lot with me and then all of the sudden somebody&#39;s my best friend. I could give you 20 examples. You could give me 30. I&#39;m a very flexible person,&quot; Trump added.

However, there has been no information on whether the two leaders have had a word recently.&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t want to comment on it. I&#39;m not saying I have or haven&#39;t. I just don&#39;t want to comment&quot;, adding that his attitude towards North Korea is intentional and part of a broader goal.

Washington and Pyongyang have long been having a standoff over North Korea&#39;s missile and nuclear programs which could destroy the United States.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-madman-rhetoric-may-have-scared-north-korea-to-talks-analysts-29272" target="_blank">Donald Trump&#39;s &#39;madman&#39; rhetoric may have scared North Korea to talks: Analysts </a>

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday after the first intra-Korean talks in over two years that the United States was willing to speak to North Korea <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-on-possibility-of-north-korea-talks-says-who-knows-where-it-leads-29176" target="_blank">&quot;under the right circumstances</a>,&quot; although it was far from clear whether this would pay dividends.

Trump has previously stated that that North Korea was &quot;a responsible nuclear nation that loves peace&quot; and that &quot;the US cannot wage a war&quot; against it.

However, there has been no information on whether the two leaders have had a word recently

United States president Donald Trump has said that he has a "good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and is open to friendship. "I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong- Un," Trump told the media. "I have relationships with people. I think you people are surprised," he said. "You'll see that a lot with me and then all of the sudden somebody's my best friend. I could give you 20 examples. You could give me 30. I'm a very flexible person," Trump added. However, there has been no information on whether the two leaders have had a word recently. "I don't want to comment on it. I'm not saying I have or haven't. I just don't want to comment", adding that his attitude towards North Korea is intentional and part of a broader goal. Washington and Pyongyang have long been having a standoff over North Korea's missile and nuclear programs which could destroy the United States. Also read: Donald Trump's 'madman' rhetoric may have scared North Korea to talks: Analysts US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday after the first intra-Korean talks in over two years that the United States was willing to speak to North Korea "under the right circumstances," although it was far from clear whether this would pay dividends. Trump has previously stated that that North Korea was "a responsible nuclear nation that loves peace" and that "the US cannot wage a war" against it.

Trump: 'I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-Un'

Self-driving cars may take a while to arrive, but the self-driving suitcase is here now.

Some of the technologies used in autonomous cars have been adopted in products unveiled at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, to help travellers with the weighty problem of dealing with baggage.

The &quot;robot suitcase&quot; from California-based startup Travelmate can be controlled with a smartphone app and can roll alongside its owner at speeds up to 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) per hour, navigating around obstacles.

&quot;This is really a robot which follows you around,&quot; said Travelmate founder and president Maximillian Kovtun.

Travelmate designed the device -- which integrates elements of artificial intelligence -- to roll at a pace that matches that of the user, or it can be directed with the smartphone app in the same manner as a drone.

Priced at around $1,100, it is slated to roll out in February for the US market, and later in Europe and Japan.

A competing offering from ForwardX, a Chinese startup with offices in California, is designed to be used with facial recognition, without the need for a smartphone application.

&quot;It uses computer vision and a driving algorithm to have a clear path,&quot; said founder Nicholas Chee, who showed a prototype at CES.

The ForwardX suitcase also has gesture control technology and can be immobilized to protect against theft.

Chee said he expects the launch in mid-2018 at a price under $1,000.

Both Travelmate and ForwardX say their devices comply with US safety regulations because their lithium-ion batteries, banned in checked luggage, can be removed.

Also shown at CES was an auto-following suitcase from China-based 90FUN, which has been available in the Chinese market and is soon coming to America. It uses self-balancing technology from the personal transport maker Segway.

And finally, for the weariest of travellers, a luggage product called the Modobag, which lacks artificial intelligence but offers a sizeable perk instead: as a ride-on suitcase which can carry its owner along with their clothes.

Some of the technologies used in autonomous cars have been adopted in products unveiled at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, to help travellers with the weighty problem of dealing with baggage

Self-driving cars may take a while to arrive, but the self-driving suitcase is here now. Some of the technologies used in autonomous cars have been adopted in products unveiled at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, to help travellers with the weighty problem of dealing with baggage. The "robot suitcase" from California-based startup Travelmate can be controlled with a smartphone app and can roll alongside its owner at speeds up to 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) per hour, navigating around obstacles. "This is really a robot which follows you around," said Travelmate founder and president Maximillian Kovtun. Travelmate designed the device -- which integrates elements of artificial intelligence -- to roll at a pace that matches that of the user, or it can be directed with the smartphone app in the same manner as a drone. Priced at around $1,100, it is slated to roll out in February for the US market, and later in Europe and Japan. A competing offering from ForwardX, a Chinese startup with offices in California, is designed to be used with facial recognition, without the need for a smartphone application. "It uses computer vision and a driving algorithm to have a clear path," said founder Nicholas Chee, who showed a prototype at CES. The ForwardX suitcase also has gesture control technology and can be immobilized to protect against theft. Chee said he expects the launch in mid-2018 at a price under $1,000. Both Travelmate and ForwardX say their devices comply with US safety regulations because their lithium-ion batteries, banned in checked luggage, can be removed. Also shown at CES was an auto-following suitcase from China-based 90FUN, which has been available in the Chinese market and is soon coming to America. It uses self-balancing technology from the personal transport maker Segway. And finally, for the weariest of travellers, a luggage product called the Modobag, which lacks artificial intelligence but offers a sizeable perk instead: as a ride-on suitcase which can carry its owner along with their clothes.

Forget the self-driving car, meet the self-driving suitcase

Another deadline is looming and the world is again wondering: Will President Donald Trump tear up the deal Iran signed with world powers to curtail its nuclear program?&nbsp;

What is at stake and why is the issue back in the headlines?

On Friday, Trump is expected to announce that he continues to regard remaining in the Iran nuclear deal not to be in the interests of the United States.

He first announced this in October last year and under the US Iran Nuclear Agreement Act (INARA) of 2015 he is supposed to inform Congress every 90 days.

After he has made his decision -- or leaves his previous decision in place -- Congress may decide to re-impose some sanctions and modify INARA to end the 90-day cycle.&nbsp;

Does this mean new nuclear sanctions are imminent? Not necessarily.&nbsp;

The sanctions imposed on Iran to punish it for pursuing nuclear weapons were never lifted by the US Congress.

Instead, former president Barack Obama and so far Trump have temporarily cancelled them with a waiver in order to meet the US side of the bargain.

Starting this weekend and over the next week, the waivers on the most important packages of sanctions targeting Iran&#39;s oil and financial industries come up for renewal.

If Trump does not act to renew them, the sanctions &quot;snap back&quot; and Iranian businesses and foreign banks and traders who deal with them will once again be sanctioned.

Trump has made it clear that he is no fan of the Iran deal, and he has complained bitterly in the past when obliged to renew waivers on the sanctions packages.

But his most senior advisors, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, are said to be urging him to once again renew the waivers.

Washington&#39;s European allies, including deal signatories Britain, France and Germany are also desperately lobbying Trump to keep faith with the agreement.

On Wednesday, senior officials told AFP they &quot;expect&quot; Trump will grudgingly renew the waivers, but no-one in Washington is certain what the mercurial president will say.

Trump is also expected, however, to impose new sanctions on Iran targeting human right abuses and support for foreign extremist groups rather than nuclear back-sliding.

Would new sanctions or a return to old sanctions kill the deal and leave Iran free to resume a full, unmonitored nuclear drive?

Not necessarily. European powers, Russia and China have economic investments in Iran and have said they would remain in the deal if Iran does.

Iran may, therefore, continue to respect its side of the bargain and limit its nuclear activity to sites and practices that UN watchdog the IAEA deems consistent with the accord.

European banks and businesses would not, however, relish a return of US secondary sanctions excluding them from American markets if the deal with Iran.

This will allow Tehran to further drive a wedge between Washington and its traditional allies.

On Friday, Trump is expected to announce that he continues to regard remaining in the Iran nuclear deal not to be in the interests of the United States

Another deadline is looming and the world is again wondering: Will President Donald Trump tear up the deal Iran signed with world powers to curtail its nuclear program? What is at stake and why is the issue back in the headlines? On Friday, Trump is expected to announce that he continues to regard remaining in the Iran nuclear deal not to be in the interests of the United States. He first announced this in October last year and under the US Iran Nuclear Agreement Act (INARA) of 2015 he is supposed to inform Congress every 90 days. After he has made his decision -- or leaves his previous decision in place -- Congress may decide to re-impose some sanctions and modify INARA to end the 90-day cycle. Does this mean new nuclear sanctions are imminent? Not necessarily. The sanctions imposed on Iran to punish it for pursuing nuclear weapons were never lifted by the US Congress. Instead, former president Barack Obama and so far Trump have temporarily cancelled them with a waiver in order to meet the US side of the bargain. Starting this weekend and over the next week, the waivers on the most important packages of sanctions targeting Iran's oil and financial industries come up for renewal. If Trump does not act to renew them, the sanctions "snap back" and Iranian businesses and foreign banks and traders who deal with them will once again be sanctioned. Trump has made it clear that he is no fan of the Iran deal, and he has complained bitterly in the past when obliged to renew waivers on the sanctions packages. But his most senior advisors, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, are said to be urging him to once again renew the waivers. Washington's European allies, including deal signatories Britain, France and Germany are also desperately lobbying Trump to keep faith with the agreement. On Wednesday, senior officials told AFP they "expect" Trump will grudgingly renew the waivers, but no-one in Washington is certain what the mercurial president will say. Trump is also expected, however, to impose new sanctions on Iran targeting human right abuses and support for foreign extremist groups rather than nuclear back-sliding. Would new sanctions or a return to old sanctions kill the deal and leave Iran free to resume a full, unmonitored nuclear drive? Not necessarily. European powers, Russia and China have economic investments in Iran and have said they would remain in the deal if Iran does. Iran may, therefore, continue to respect its side of the bargain and limit its nuclear activity to sites and practices that UN watchdog the IAEA deems consistent with the accord. European banks and businesses would not, however, relish a return of US secondary sanctions excluding them from American markets if the deal with Iran. This will allow Tehran to further drive a wedge between Washington and its traditional allies.

Fate of Iran deal again in Trump's hands

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday after the first intra-Korean talks in over two years that the United States was willing to speak to North Korea &quot;under the right circumstances,&quot; although it was far from clear whether this would pay dividends.

South Korea said Trump had also said in a phone call with its President Moon Jae-in that there would be no military action while North-South talks were going on and that a Wall Street Journal article saying he was contemplating a military strike against North Korea was &quot;completely wrong.&quot;

&quot;Who knows where it leads?&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House after his call with Moon to discuss Tuesday&#39;s North-South talks, the first since 2015.

He said Moon told him the talks went well, and added: &quot;Hopefully it will lead to success for the world, not just for our country, but for the world. And we&#39;ll be seeing over the next number of weeks and months what happens.&quot;

At a later news conference with the visiting Norwegian prime minister, Trump said the United States had problems with North Korea, but &quot;a lot of good talks are going on right now.&quot;

&quot;I see a lot of good energy. I like it very much ... So, hopefully, a lot of good things are going to work out.&quot;

&quot;I think that we will have peace through strength,&quot; he said, a reference to his policy of maintaining a powerful U.S. military.

South Korea&#39;s Presidential Blue House said both men had said the dialogue &quot;could naturally lead to talks between the United States and North Korea for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula after the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.&quot;

At Tuesday&#39;s intra-Korea talks, North Korea said it would attend the Olympics, which South Korea will host next month, while both sides agreed to resolve problems between them through dialogue and to revive military consultations to avoid accidental conflict.

However, Pyongyang said it would not discuss its nuclear weapons because they were aimed only at the United States and not its &quot;brethren&quot; in South Korea, or Russia or China, showing that a diplomatic breakthrough to the crisis remained far off.

While Washington has welcomed the talks as a first step towards solving the crisis over North Korea&#39;s programme to develop nuclear missiles capable of reaching the United States, it has reiterated that any talks involving the United States must be aimed at North Korea&#39;s denuclearisation.

The White House said Trump told Moon the United States was willing to talk to North Korea &quot;at the appropriate time and under the right circumstances.&quot;

Trump, who has swung between hurling insults and threats at North Korea to expressing a willingness to talk, said on Saturday he would be willing to speak to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, though not without pre-conditions.

An unsourced article in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday said U.S. officials were debating whether it was possible to mount a limited military strike against North Korea without igniting an all-out war.

The Trump administration has said it prefers a diplomatic solution, but that all options are on the table, including military ones.

U.S. officials say Trump has been considering a number of military options, including a preemptive strike on a missile or nuclear facility, but officials and analysts have warned of the risks of triggering a catastrophic wider conflict.

Moon credits Trump for talks&nbsp;

Earlier on Tuesday, Moon made a point of crediting Trump for the Korean talks and also said he himself was open to meeting with Kim at any time if conditions were right and &quot;certain achievements are guaranteed&quot;.

&quot;The purpose of it shouldn&rsquo;t be talks for the sake of talks,&quot; he told a news conference, while warning that Pyongyang would face stronger sanctions if &quot;provocations&quot; continued.

North Korea ramped up missile launches last year and conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test, prompting a U.S.-led campaign to impose some of the strongest international sanctions yet, which Pyongyang dubbed an &quot;act of war&quot;.

Trump and Kim have exchanged threats and insults over the past year, raising fears of war. South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with the North after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

Washington and Seoul opened the way for the talks last week when they announced the postponement of joint military exercises that Pyongyang has denounced as a rehearsal for invasion.

Washington had raised concerns that a New Year overture from Kim that led to the talks could be aimed at driving a wedge between the allies, but Moon said he and Washington did not differ over how to respond to North Korean threats.

&quot;This initial round of talks is for the improvement of relations between North and South Korea. Our task ... is to draw North Korea to talks aimed at the denuclearisation of the North,&quot; Moon said. &quot;(It&#39;s) our basic stance that will never be given up.&quot;

The United Nations Security Council said following a briefing on the talks that it hopes &quot;that such interactions will lead towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.&quot;

Olof Skoog, Swedish ambassador to the U.N., said his nation had called for the briefing because it was important for the Security Council to remain active and united in its efforts to resolve the Korean conflict.

On an agreement on continued military-to-military talks and the reopened inter-Korean military hotline, Skoog said: &quot;We have consistently underlined the importance of these channels of communication to avoid misunderstanding and to reduce tensions.&quot;

North Korea&#39;s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said all problems would be resolved through the efforts of the Korean people alone.

&quot;If the North and South abandon external forces and cooperate together, we will be able to fully solve all problems to match our people&#39;s needs and our joint prosperity,&quot; it said.

In spite of the hopeful words about the potential for future talks, the U.S. intelligence assessment of North Korea&rsquo;s weapons programs has not altered, officials say.

U.S. officials familiar with the classified analysis say the consensus is that Kim remains convinced that the United States is determined to overthrow him and that only a nuclear arsenal that threatens America can deter that.

One official said the North-South talks were likely to follow the pattern of past diplomatic efforts, in which North Korea has benefited from aid without making concessions.

Lee Woo-young, a professor at Seoul&#39;s University of North Korean Studies, said it was wise of Moon to praise Trump.

&quot;By doing that, he can help the U.S. build logic for moving toward negotiations,&quot; he said.

The United States and Canada are due to host a conference of about 20 foreign ministers next week in Vancouver to discuss North Korea, without the participation of China, Pyongyang&#39;s sole major ally and biggest trade partner.

The State Department said the talks, which will involve countries that supported South Korea in the Korean War, would look at ways both to increase the U.S.-led pressure campaign on North Korea and take diplomatic efforts forward.

&quot;The pressure campaign is intended to lead to credible negotiations on denuclearisation,&quot; a spokesman said.

China said it was opposed to the meeting as it would not help reduce tensions

South Korea's Presidential Blue House said both men had said the dialogue "could naturally lead to talks between the United States and North Korea for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula after the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics."

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday after the first intra-Korean talks in over two years that the United States was willing to speak to North Korea "under the right circumstances," although it was far from clear whether this would pay dividends. South Korea said Trump had also said in a phone call with its President Moon Jae-in that there would be no military action while North-South talks were going on and that a Wall Street Journal article saying he was contemplating a military strike against North Korea was "completely wrong." "Who knows where it leads?" Trump told reporters at the White House after his call with Moon to discuss Tuesday's North-South talks, the first since 2015. He said Moon told him the talks went well, and added: "Hopefully it will lead to success for the world, not just for our country, but for the world. And we'll be seeing over the next number of weeks and months what happens." At a later news conference with the visiting Norwegian prime minister, Trump said the United States had problems with North Korea, but "a lot of good talks are going on right now." "I see a lot of good energy. I like it very much ... So, hopefully, a lot of good things are going to work out." "I think that we will have peace through strength," he said, a reference to his policy of maintaining a powerful U.S. military. South Korea's Presidential Blue House said both men had said the dialogue "could naturally lead to talks between the United States and North Korea for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula after the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics." At Tuesday's intra-Korea talks, North Korea said it would attend the Olympics, which South Korea will host next month, while both sides agreed to resolve problems between them through dialogue and to revive military consultations to avoid accidental conflict. However, Pyongyang said it would not discuss its nuclear weapons because they were aimed only at the United States and not its "brethren" in South Korea, or Russia or China, showing that a diplomatic breakthrough to the crisis remained far off. While Washington has welcomed the talks as a first step towards solving the crisis over North Korea's programme to develop nuclear missiles capable of reaching the United States, it has reiterated that any talks involving the United States must be aimed at North Korea's denuclearisation. The White House said Trump told Moon the United States was willing to talk to North Korea "at the appropriate time and under the right circumstances." Trump, who has swung between hurling insults and threats at North Korea to expressing a willingness to talk, said on Saturday he would be willing to speak to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, though not without pre-conditions. An unsourced article in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday said U.S. officials were debating whether it was possible to mount a limited military strike against North Korea without igniting an all-out war. The Trump administration has said it prefers a diplomatic solution, but that all options are on the table, including military ones. U.S. officials say Trump has been considering a number of military options, including a preemptive strike on a missile or nuclear facility, but officials and analysts have warned of the risks of triggering a catastrophic wider conflict. Moon credits Trump for talks Earlier on Tuesday, Moon made a point of crediting Trump for the Korean talks and also said he himself was open to meeting with Kim at any time if conditions were right and "certain achievements are guaranteed". "The purpose of it shouldn’t be talks for the sake of talks," he told a news conference, while warning that Pyongyang would face stronger sanctions if "provocations" continued. North Korea ramped up missile launches last year and conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test, prompting a U.S.-led campaign to impose some of the strongest international sanctions yet, which Pyongyang dubbed an "act of war". Trump and Kim have exchanged threats and insults over the past year, raising fears of war. South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with the North after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty. Washington and Seoul opened the way for the talks last week when they announced the postponement of joint military exercises that Pyongyang has denounced as a rehearsal for invasion. Washington had raised concerns that a New Year overture from Kim that led to the talks could be aimed at driving a wedge between the allies, but Moon said he and Washington did not differ over how to respond to North Korean threats. "This initial round of talks is for the improvement of relations between North and South Korea. Our task ... is to draw North Korea to talks aimed at the denuclearisation of the North," Moon said. "(It's) our basic stance that will never be given up." The United Nations Security Council said following a briefing on the talks that it hopes "that such interactions will lead towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula." Olof Skoog, Swedish ambassador to the U.N., said his nation had called for the briefing because it was important for the Security Council to remain active and united in its efforts to resolve the Korean conflict. On an agreement on continued military-to-military talks and the reopened inter-Korean military hotline, Skoog said: "We have consistently underlined the importance of these channels of communication to avoid misunderstanding and to reduce tensions." North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said all problems would be resolved through the efforts of the Korean people alone. "If the North and South abandon external forces and cooperate together, we will be able to fully solve all problems to match our people's needs and our joint prosperity," it said. In spite of the hopeful words about the potential for future talks, the U.S. intelligence assessment of North Korea’s weapons programs has not altered, officials say. U.S. officials familiar with the classified analysis say the consensus is that Kim remains convinced that the United States is determined to overthrow him and that only a nuclear arsenal that threatens America can deter that. One official said the North-South talks were likely to follow the pattern of past diplomatic efforts, in which North Korea has benefited from aid without making concessions. Lee Woo-young, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies, said it was wise of Moon to praise Trump. "By doing that, he can help the U.S. build logic for moving toward negotiations," he said. The United States and Canada are due to host a conference of about 20 foreign ministers next week in Vancouver to discuss North Korea, without the participation of China, Pyongyang's sole major ally and biggest trade partner. The State Department said the talks, which will involve countries that supported South Korea in the Korean War, would look at ways both to increase the U.S.-led pressure campaign on North Korea and take diplomatic efforts forward. "The pressure campaign is intended to lead to credible negotiations on denuclearisation," a spokesman said. China said it was opposed to the meeting as it would not help reduce tensions

Trump, on possibility of North Korea talks, says: 'Who knows where it leads?'

Last year was the most expensive in US history for natural disasters, with a barrage of fires, freezes, floods and hurricanes that cost $306 billion, according to a US government report Monday.

In 2017, a total of 16 disasters cost $1 billion or more, and led to at least 362 deaths, said the report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The death toll could be substantially higher, once Puerto Rico completes its review of deaths from Hurricane Maria, experts said.

The year far outpaced the previous record, set in 2005 with losses of $215 billion largely due to Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita.

With a total price tag of $265 billion, 2017 was the most expensive hurricane season on record, the report said.

Hurricane Harvey, which dumped some 127 centimetres of rain on Texas, cost $125 billion, second only to 2005&#39;s Hurricane Katrina in historical records of billion-dollar disasters, going back to 1980.

Hurricane Maria, which flattened much of Puerto Rico, cost $90 billion, while Hurricane Irma, which plowed into the Caribbean and Florida, cost $50 billion.&nbsp;

&quot;Hurricane Maria now ranks as the third costliest weather and climate disaster on record for the nation and Irma ranks as the fifth costliest,&quot; said the report.

Last year&#39;s western wildfire season - which ravaged large parts of California - cost $18 billion, &quot;tripling the previous US annual wildfire cost record,&quot; said the report.

NOAA said the number of billion-dollar disasters - 16 - tied with 2011 for the most in a single year.

They included two flooding events, one freeze event, eight severe storm events, three tropical cyclones, one drought and one wildfire.

In historical context, these expensive storms are becoming far more common.&nbsp;

The annual average of billion-dollar storms from 1980 to 2017 is 5.8, said NOAA.

But in the last five years, among the warmest on record, the average has reached 11.6.

In 2017, a total of 16 disasters cost $1 billion or more, and led to at least 362 deaths, said the report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Last year was the most expensive in US history for natural disasters, with a barrage of fires, freezes, floods and hurricanes that cost $306 billion, according to a US government report Monday. In 2017, a total of 16 disasters cost $1 billion or more, and led to at least 362 deaths, said the report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The death toll could be substantially higher, once Puerto Rico completes its review of deaths from Hurricane Maria, experts said. The year far outpaced the previous record, set in 2005 with losses of $215 billion largely due to Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita. With a total price tag of $265 billion, 2017 was the most expensive hurricane season on record, the report said. Hurricane Harvey, which dumped some 127 centimetres of rain on Texas, cost $125 billion, second only to 2005's Hurricane Katrina in historical records of billion-dollar disasters, going back to 1980. Hurricane Maria, which flattened much of Puerto Rico, cost $90 billion, while Hurricane Irma, which plowed into the Caribbean and Florida, cost $50 billion. "Hurricane Maria now ranks as the third costliest weather and climate disaster on record for the nation and Irma ranks as the fifth costliest," said the report. Last year's western wildfire season - which ravaged large parts of California - cost $18 billion, "tripling the previous US annual wildfire cost record," said the report. NOAA said the number of billion-dollar disasters - 16 - tied with 2011 for the most in a single year. They included two flooding events, one freeze event, eight severe storm events, three tropical cyclones, one drought and one wildfire. In historical context, these expensive storms are becoming far more common. The annual average of billion-dollar storms from 1980 to 2017 is 5.8, said NOAA. But in the last five years, among the warmest on record, the average has reached 11.6.

2017 most expensive natural disaster year for US: Report

President Donald Trump took command of a high-profile White House meeting on immigration Tuesday, coaxing Republican and Democratic lawmakers toward a compromise on the fate of undocumented migrants who came to the United States as children.

Trump also signalled he was open to more comprehensive immigration reform to address millions of other undocumented people living in the shadows but did not give ground to Democrats over his plans for a border wall.

&quot;It should be a bill of love,&quot; Trump said of a measure under negotiation that would protect hundreds of thousands of so-called &quot;Dreamers&quot; from deportation.

&quot;But it also has to be a bill where we&#39;re able to secure our border. Drugs are pouring into our country at a record pace. A lot of people are coming in that we can&#39;t have,&quot; Trump added, urging lawmakers to &quot;put country before party&quot; and strike a quick solution.

Trump, seated at a long table with some two dozen lawmakers from the House and Senate, presided over the bipartisan talks, allowing journalists rare access to nearly an hour of the meeting.

The president said he would &quot;take the heat&quot; politically if lawmakers were to move toward broader action that would provide a pathway to citizenship for about 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

&quot;You are not that far away from comprehensive immigration reform,&quot; he told Senator Lindsey Graham, after the Republican lawmaker floated the idea of more sweeping legislation.

&quot;You created an opportunity here, Mr President, and you need to close the deal,&quot; Graham told him as TV cameras rolled.

Trump&#39;s position appeared at odds with his 2016 campaign when his platform focused largely on border security and immigration curtailment, and many of his core supporters raged at the prospect of legalizing millions of undocumented immigrants.

The image of Trump presiding over such sensitive negotiations appeared tailor-made for the White House to push back against a narrative -- fueled by a recent explosive West Wing expose -- questioning Trump&#39;s mental fitness, with aides were doubting his ability to govern.

Lives &#39;in the balance&#39;

In September, Trump said he was scrapping the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but then delayed enforcement to give Congress six months -- until March -- to craft a lasting solution.

So-called &quot;Dreamers&quot; were protected from deportation under the policy enacted during Barack Obama&#39;s presidency.

On Tuesday, Trump said a &quot;permanent&quot; solution was needed for Dreamers, but also insisted on the importance of border security, especially with Mexico.

&quot;We need a wall,&quot; Trump said.

Any deal, he added, would need to be accompanied by money for a border wall, measures that limit immigrants from bringing family members into the country in the future -- a policy known as &quot;chain migration&quot; -- and an end to the green card lottery system.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the group had agreed to negotiate legislation that accomplishes &quot;critically needed reforms&quot; in the above areas, as well as DACA.

But a path through Congress remained unclear. The two parties were at odds over whether to pass the measure as a stand-alone bill, as Senate Republican leadership wants, or attach it to a federal spending package that must pass by January 19 in order to avert a government shutdown.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he will bring up a narrow, DACA-related measure unattached to budget issues or broader immigration reforms.

&quot;There are a number of moving parts here that need to be dealt with,&quot; McConnell told reporters after the meeting, but DACA &quot;will not be a part of any overall spending agreement.&quot;&nbsp;

McConnell nonetheless expressed optimism that a DACA fix could be complete before the March deadline when the grants of legal status begin expiring.

Senate Democrat Dick Durbin, a leading proponent of codifying immigration protections, noted that about 1,000 people per day will lose their DACA status beginning March 5.

&quot;Lives are hanging in the balance,&quot; said Durbin, who was seated next to Trump. &quot;We&#39;ve got the time to do it.&quot;

Not all lawmakers were optimistic about a solution.

&quot;I don&#39;t think they&#39;re closer,&quot; said Republican Senator John Kennedy, who was not at the talks.

&quot;The problem is that the Democrats, they want all the dessert and they don&#39;t want to eat any spinach,&quot; he added. &quot;They&#39;re just dying to give amnesty to somebody.&quot;

Donald Trump took command of a high-profile White House meeting on immigration Tuesday

President Donald Trump took command of a high-profile White House meeting on immigration Tuesday, coaxing Republican and Democratic lawmakers toward a compromise on the fate of undocumented migrants who came to the United States as children. Trump also signalled he was open to more comprehensive immigration reform to address millions of other undocumented people living in the shadows but did not give ground to Democrats over his plans for a border wall. "It should be a bill of love," Trump said of a measure under negotiation that would protect hundreds of thousands of so-called "Dreamers" from deportation. "But it also has to be a bill where we're able to secure our border. Drugs are pouring into our country at a record pace. A lot of people are coming in that we can't have," Trump added, urging lawmakers to "put country before party" and strike a quick solution. Trump, seated at a long table with some two dozen lawmakers from the House and Senate, presided over the bipartisan talks, allowing journalists rare access to nearly an hour of the meeting. The president said he would "take the heat" politically if lawmakers were to move toward broader action that would provide a pathway to citizenship for about 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. "You are not that far away from comprehensive immigration reform," he told Senator Lindsey Graham, after the Republican lawmaker floated the idea of more sweeping legislation. "You created an opportunity here, Mr President, and you need to close the deal," Graham told him as TV cameras rolled. Trump's position appeared at odds with his 2016 campaign when his platform focused largely on border security and immigration curtailment, and many of his core supporters raged at the prospect of legalizing millions of undocumented immigrants. The image of Trump presiding over such sensitive negotiations appeared tailor-made for the White House to push back against a narrative -- fueled by a recent explosive West Wing expose -- questioning Trump's mental fitness, with aides were doubting his ability to govern. Lives 'in the balance' In September, Trump said he was scrapping the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but then delayed enforcement to give Congress six months -- until March -- to craft a lasting solution. So-called "Dreamers" were protected from deportation under the policy enacted during Barack Obama's presidency. On Tuesday, Trump said a "permanent" solution was needed for Dreamers, but also insisted on the importance of border security, especially with Mexico. "We need a wall," Trump said. Any deal, he added, would need to be accompanied by money for a border wall, measures that limit immigrants from bringing family members into the country in the future -- a policy known as "chain migration" -- and an end to the green card lottery system. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the group had agreed to negotiate legislation that accomplishes "critically needed reforms" in the above areas, as well as DACA. But a path through Congress remained unclear. The two parties were at odds over whether to pass the measure as a stand-alone bill, as Senate Republican leadership wants, or attach it to a federal spending package that must pass by January 19 in order to avert a government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he will bring up a narrow, DACA-related measure unattached to budget issues or broader immigration reforms. "There are a number of moving parts here that need to be dealt with," McConnell told reporters after the meeting, but DACA "will not be a part of any overall spending agreement." McConnell nonetheless expressed optimism that a DACA fix could be complete before the March deadline when the grants of legal status begin expiring. Senate Democrat Dick Durbin, a leading proponent of codifying immigration protections, noted that about 1,000 people per day will lose their DACA status beginning March 5. "Lives are hanging in the balance," said Durbin, who was seated next to Trump. "We've got the time to do it." Not all lawmakers were optimistic about a solution. "I don't think they're closer," said Republican Senator John Kennedy, who was not at the talks. "The problem is that the Democrats, they want all the dessert and they don't want to eat any spinach," he added. "They're just dying to give amnesty to somebody."

Trump embraces role as negotiator in chief on immigration

North Korea said after its first talks with South Korea in more than two years that it would not discuss its nuclear weapons with Seoul because they were aimed only at the United States, not its &quot;brethren&quot; in South Korea. &nbsp;

In a joint statement after 11 hours of talks, North Korea pledged to send a large delegation to next month&#39;s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea but made a &quot;strong complaint&quot; after Seoul proposed talks to denuclearise the Korean peninsula. &nbsp;

Officials from both sides said they agreed to meet again to resolve problems and avert accidental conflict, amid high tension over North Korea&#39;s program to develop nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States, but Pyongyang said disarmament would not be part of the discussions. &nbsp;

&quot;All our weapons including atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs and ballistic missiles are only aimed at the United States, not our brethren, nor China and Russia,&quot; Pyongyang&#39;s chief negotiator, Ri Son Gwon, said.&nbsp;

&quot;This is not a matter between North and South Korea, and to bring up this issue would cause negative consequences and risks turning all of today&#39;s good achievement into nothing,&quot; Ri, chairman of the North&#39;s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, warned in closing remarks. &nbsp;

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged threats and insults in the past year, raising tensions on the peninsula. &nbsp;&nbsp;

A spokesperson for the White House&#39;s National Security Council said North Korean participation in the Olympics would be &quot;an opportunity for the regime to see the value of ending its international isolation by denuclearising.&quot; &nbsp;

The White House did not comment on the United States being the only potential target of North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons. &nbsp;

In spite of Ri&#39;s remarks, South Korea&#39;s Unification Ministry said it believed inter-Korean ties and a series of steps agreed in the talks on Tuesday could lead to the discussion of a &quot;fundamental resolution&quot; of the nuclear issue in the future. &nbsp;

&quot;We will closely coordinate with the United States, China, Japan and other neighbours in this process,&quot; the ministry said in a statement. &nbsp;

It said South Korea had asked North Korea to halt hostile acts that stoke tension and that North had agreed that peace should be guaranteed in the region. &nbsp;

The North-South meeting came after a year of ramped-up North Korean missile launches and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. &nbsp;

The United States, which has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, initially responded coolly to the idea of inter-Korean meetings, but Trump later called them &quot;a good thing.&quot; &nbsp;

&quot;At the appropriate time, we&#39;ll get involved,&quot; he said on Saturday. &nbsp;

The United States has led an international campaign to step up sanctions on North Korea to press it to give up its weapons programmes. &nbsp;

&nbsp;The UN Security Council last month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to its test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Pyongyang called the sanctions an act of war. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&quot;High hopes&quot; &nbsp;

Earlier on Tuesday, Seoul said it was prepared to lift some sanctions temporarily so North Koreans could visit South Korea for the Winter Olympics. North Korea said its delegation would include athletes, high-ranking officials, a cheering squad, art performers, reporters and spectators. &nbsp;&nbsp;

South Korea has unilaterally banned several North Korean officials from entry in response to Pyongyang&#39;s missile and nuclear tests. &nbsp;

Talks will be held soon to work out the details of bringing the North Koreans to the Olympics, the South&#39;s unification ministry said. &nbsp;

Tuesday&#39;s talks, the first between the two Koreas since 2015, were held in the three-storey Peace House on the South Korean side of Panmunjom truce village that lies between North and South. &nbsp;

&quot;We came to this meeting with the thought of giving our brethren, who have high hopes for this dialogue, invaluable results as the first present of the year,&quot; Ri said at the start of the meeting. &nbsp;

Seoul said it proposed reunions of members of families divided between North and South in time for February&#39;s Lunar New Year holiday, but the joint statement made no mention of any agreement on reunions. &nbsp;

North Korea has finished technical work to restore a military hotline with South Korea, Seoul said, with normal communications set to resume on Wednesday. &nbsp;

North Korea cut communications in February 2016, following the South&#39;s decision to shut down a jointly run industrial park in the North. &nbsp;

North Korea responded &quot;positively&quot; to the South&#39;s proposal for athletes from both sides to march together in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, Seoul said. &nbsp;

Athletes of the two sides have not paraded together at an international sports event since the 2007 Asian Winter Games in China. &nbsp;

On Tuesday, China&#39;s Foreign Ministry said it was happy to see talks between North and South Korea and welcomed all positive steps. Russia echoed the sentiment, with a Kremlin spokesman saying: &quot;This is exactly the kind of dialogue that we said was necessary.&quot; &nbsp;

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said of the North-South agreement on the Pyeongchang games: &ldquo;These proposals mark a great step forward in the Olympic spirit.&rdquo; &nbsp;

The IOC would await official proposals on the number and names of athletes from the North and such matters as flag, anthem and ceremonies, he said.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged threats and insults in the past year, raising tensions on the peninsula

North Korea said after its first talks with South Korea in more than two years that it would not discuss its nuclear weapons with Seoul because they were aimed only at the United States, not its "brethren" in South Korea. In a joint statement after 11 hours of talks, North Korea pledged to send a large delegation to next month's Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea but made a "strong complaint" after Seoul proposed talks to denuclearise the Korean peninsula. Officials from both sides said they agreed to meet again to resolve problems and avert accidental conflict, amid high tension over North Korea's program to develop nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States, but Pyongyang said disarmament would not be part of the discussions. "All our weapons including atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs and ballistic missiles are only aimed at the United States, not our brethren, nor China and Russia," Pyongyang's chief negotiator, Ri Son Gwon, said. "This is not a matter between North and South Korea, and to bring up this issue would cause negative consequences and risks turning all of today's good achievement into nothing," Ri, chairman of the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, warned in closing remarks. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged threats and insults in the past year, raising tensions on the peninsula. A spokesperson for the White House's National Security Council said North Korean participation in the Olympics would be "an opportunity for the regime to see the value of ending its international isolation by denuclearising." The White House did not comment on the United States being the only potential target of North Korea's nuclear weapons. In spite of Ri's remarks, South Korea's Unification Ministry said it believed inter-Korean ties and a series of steps agreed in the talks on Tuesday could lead to the discussion of a "fundamental resolution" of the nuclear issue in the future. "We will closely coordinate with the United States, China, Japan and other neighbours in this process," the ministry said in a statement. It said South Korea had asked North Korea to halt hostile acts that stoke tension and that North had agreed that peace should be guaranteed in the region. The North-South meeting came after a year of ramped-up North Korean missile launches and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. The United States, which has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, initially responded coolly to the idea of inter-Korean meetings, but Trump later called them "a good thing." "At the appropriate time, we'll get involved," he said on Saturday. The United States has led an international campaign to step up sanctions on North Korea to press it to give up its weapons programmes. The UN Security Council last month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to its test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Pyongyang called the sanctions an act of war. "High hopes" Earlier on Tuesday, Seoul said it was prepared to lift some sanctions temporarily so North Koreans could visit South Korea for the Winter Olympics. North Korea said its delegation would include athletes, high-ranking officials, a cheering squad, art performers, reporters and spectators. South Korea has unilaterally banned several North Korean officials from entry in response to Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests. Talks will be held soon to work out the details of bringing the North Koreans to the Olympics, the South's unification ministry said. Tuesday's talks, the first between the two Koreas since 2015, were held in the three-storey Peace House on the South Korean side of Panmunjom truce village that lies between North and South. "We came to this meeting with the thought of giving our brethren, who have high hopes for this dialogue, invaluable results as the first present of the year," Ri said at the start of the meeting. Seoul said it proposed reunions of members of families divided between North and South in time for February's Lunar New Year holiday, but the joint statement made no mention of any agreement on reunions. North Korea has finished technical work to restore a military hotline with South Korea, Seoul said, with normal communications set to resume on Wednesday. North Korea cut communications in February 2016, following the South's decision to shut down a jointly run industrial park in the North. North Korea responded "positively" to the South's proposal for athletes from both sides to march together in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, Seoul said. Athletes of the two sides have not paraded together at an international sports event since the 2007 Asian Winter Games in China. On Tuesday, China's Foreign Ministry said it was happy to see talks between North and South Korea and welcomed all positive steps. Russia echoed the sentiment, with a Kremlin spokesman saying: "This is exactly the kind of dialogue that we said was necessary." International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said of the North-South agreement on the Pyeongchang games: “These proposals mark a great step forward in the Olympic spirit.” The IOC would await official proposals on the number and names of athletes from the North and such matters as flag, anthem and ceremonies, he said.

Our weapons 'are only aimed' at United States: North Korea official

Niagara Falls has become a spectacular sight as ice and snow cover the majority of the region.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WAoQbfIYuDI" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The falls looks frozen when it is actually an illusion created by ice and snow covering the falls.

After Arctic blast hit parts of US and Canada, authorities warned the locals against a chilling winter that could even induce frostbites.

The freezing weather does not seem to deter tourists from thronging to get a view of the falls in a brand new avatar.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/niagar%20falls2-20180107080227.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Tourists in Canada enjoying frozen Niagara Falls. (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Newly-weds can also be seen getting their wedding photoshoot done against the captivating backdrop of Niagara Falls.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/niagara%20falls-20180107075704.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Freezing winter is not stopping people from experiencing the frozen wonderland (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Weather&nbsp;forecasters have predicted the situation to remain the same for at least another week.

The &#39;partially frozen&#39; Niagra Falls, that now looks like a real-life liftoff from a movie scene, is becoming one of the most trending&nbsp;items on social media.&nbsp;.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
This is what Niagara Falls looks like right now. <a href="https://t.co/Lm8lgMZnou">pic.twitter.com/Lm8lgMZnou</a>
&mdash; Globe Pics (@Globe_Pics) <a href="https://twitter.com/Globe_Pics/status/948653715917033473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Niagara falls, partially frozen. You have to be there to believe this. 
. 
. 
.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shotononeplus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#shotononeplus</a>&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/ypEIMBC1t9">https://t.co/ypEIMBC1t9</a>
&mdash; Jaisingh Gaikwad (@JaisinhG) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaisinhG/status/949883371798360064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdWnB7YHun9/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdWnB7YHun9/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Moseykina Lybov (@mos.luv)</a> on <time datetime="2017-12-31T04:31:01+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Dec 30, 2017 at 8:31pm PST</time>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bdcx5Yugz12/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.5% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bdcx5Yugz12/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">I took another trip to the frosty falls yesterday. It&rsquo;s such an incredible sight to see. More in my stories.</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/punkodelish/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Kael Rebick</a> (@punkodelish) on <time datetime="2018-01-02T14:01:25+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jan 2, 2018 at 6:01am PST</time>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

With ice and snow covering the majority of the region, the mighty falls seems to appear frozen

Niagara Falls has become a spectacular sight as ice and snow cover the majority of the region. × The falls looks frozen when it is actually an illusion created by ice and snow covering the falls. After Arctic blast hit parts of US and Canada, authorities warned the locals against a chilling winter that could even induce frostbites. The freezing weather does not seem to deter tourists from thronging to get a view of the falls in a brand new avatar. Tourists in Canada enjoying frozen Niagara Falls. (AFP) × Newly-weds can also be seen getting their wedding photoshoot done against the captivating backdrop of Niagara Falls. Freezing winter is not stopping people from experiencing the frozen wonderland (AFP) × Weather forecasters have predicted the situation to remain the same for at least another week. The 'partially frozen' Niagra Falls, that now looks like a real-life liftoff from a movie scene, is becoming one of the most trending items on social media. . This is what Niagara Falls looks like right now. pic.twitter.com/Lm8lgMZnou — Globe Pics (@Globe_Pics) January 3, 2018 × Niagara falls, partially frozen. You have to be there to believe this. . . .#shotononeplus… https://t.co/ypEIMBC1t9 — Jaisingh Gaikwad (@JaisinhG) January 7, 2018 × A post shared by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Moseykina Lybov (@mos.luv) on Dec 30, 2017 at 8:31pm PST × I took another trip to the frosty falls yesterday. It’s such an incredible sight to see. More in my stories. A post shared by Kael Rebick (@punkodelish) on Jan 2, 2018 at 6:01am PST ×

'Partially frozen' Niagara falls looks nothing short of spectacular

The United States and Russia clashed over Iran at the UN Security Council on Friday as a third straight day of pro-regime rallies were held following a wave of deadly protests.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley pushed for the meeting of the top UN body, arguing the unrest could escalate into full-blown conflict and drawing a comparison with Syria.

&quot;The Iranian regime is now on notice: the world will be watching what you do,&quot; Haley warned.

Russia opposed the US push for Iran to be discussed at the Security Council, arguing the protests pose no threat to international peace and security.

But Moscow stopped short of seeking to block the meeting.

A total of 21 people have died and hundreds have been arrested since December 28 as protests over economic woes turned against the regime as a whole, with attacks on government buildings and police stations.

Pro-regime rallies were held around Tehran Friday for the third day running with authorities seeking to put a lid on the violence. There were some reports of small anti-government demonstrations in provincial towns, but these could not be verified.

&quot;We obviously regret the loss of life as the result of demonstrations that weren&#39;t so peaceful,&quot; Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council.

&quot;However, let Iran deal with its own problems,&quot; he said.

Iranian officials have blamed a plot by the CIA, Israel and Saudi Arabia for the unrest that convulsed much of the country for five days -- part of the increasing tensions playing out between Iran and its neighbors since President Donald Trump came to power.

The United States has meanwhile piled pressure on Iran, with Trump pledging to help Iranians &quot;take back&quot; their government.

A threat to peace?

Washington has imposed unilateral sanctions on five Iranian companies linked to Tehran&#39;s ballistic missile program.

&quot;The Iranian people are rising up in over 79 locations throughout the country,&quot; Haley told the council.

&quot;It is a powerful exhibition of brave people who have become so fed up with their oppressive government that they are willing to risk their lives in protest.&quot;

Russia&#39;s envoy shot back that if the US view holds, the council should have also discussed the 2014 unrest in Ferguson, Missouri over the police shooting of a black teenager or the US crackdown on the Occupy Wall Street movement.

China also described the meeting as meddling in Iran&#39;s affairs, while Ethiopia, Kuwait and Sweden expressed reservations about the discussion.&nbsp;

Britain and France reiterated that Iran must respect the rights of protesters, but French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the &quot;events of the past days do not constitute a threat to peace and international security.&quot;

Iran&#39;s Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo slammed the meeting as a &quot;farce&quot; and a &quot;waste of time&quot; and said the council should instead focus on addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the war in Yemen.

CIA plot&nbsp;

It remains difficult to gauge who was involved in the anti-government unrest.

President Hassan Rouhani&#39;s supporters have blamed conservative rivals for stoking anger over economic issues, which quickly spiralled out of control.

The conservatives deny the accusations and say Rouhani must do more to help the poor.

Chief prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri blamed the unrest on a plot dating back four years by the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia, while also claiming there were efforts to infiltrate the Islamic State group into the country.

Many officials have nonetheless recognized the genuine economic grievances of many Iranians, particularly a jobless rate at close to 30 percent for young people.

Iran&#39;s economic growth rebounded to more than 12 percent last year after sanctions were lifted under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, but analysts say much of the windfall has come from renewed oil sales that generate few jobs.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said 42,000 people had taken part in the unrest nationwide.

It was higher than a previous figure of 15,000 given by the head of the Revolutionary Guards, but still far below the hundreds of thousands that took to the streets during the last major protest movement in 2009.

Nuclear waivers&nbsp;

Trump must decide next week whether to continue waiving nuclear-related sanctions suspended under the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

Under the deal, Trump must actively lift certain sanctions every few months and the next deadline falls on January 12.

Trump&#39;s repeated tweets backing protesters during Iran&#39;s unrest was rebuffed by marchers on Friday.

&quot;Mr Trump passed laws against Iranians such as the immigration ban, and he called Iranians &#39;savages&#39;... and suddenly he is sympathizing and supporting Iranians and it is ridiculous,&quot; said Khalili, a government worker in Tehran.

The United States and Russia clashed over Iran at the UN Security Council on Friday

The United States and Russia clashed over Iran at the UN Security Council on Friday as a third straight day of pro-regime rallies were held following a wave of deadly protests. US Ambassador Nikki Haley pushed for the meeting of the top UN body, arguing the unrest could escalate into full-blown conflict and drawing a comparison with Syria. "The Iranian regime is now on notice: the world will be watching what you do," Haley warned. Russia opposed the US push for Iran to be discussed at the Security Council, arguing the protests pose no threat to international peace and security. But Moscow stopped short of seeking to block the meeting. A total of 21 people have died and hundreds have been arrested since December 28 as protests over economic woes turned against the regime as a whole, with attacks on government buildings and police stations. Pro-regime rallies were held around Tehran Friday for the third day running with authorities seeking to put a lid on the violence. There were some reports of small anti-government demonstrations in provincial towns, but these could not be verified. "We obviously regret the loss of life as the result of demonstrations that weren't so peaceful," Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council. "However, let Iran deal with its own problems," he said. Iranian officials have blamed a plot by the CIA, Israel and Saudi Arabia for the unrest that convulsed much of the country for five days -- part of the increasing tensions playing out between Iran and its neighbors since President Donald Trump came to power. The United States has meanwhile piled pressure on Iran, with Trump pledging to help Iranians "take back" their government. A threat to peace? Washington has imposed unilateral sanctions on five Iranian companies linked to Tehran's ballistic missile program. "The Iranian people are rising up in over 79 locations throughout the country," Haley told the council. "It is a powerful exhibition of brave people who have become so fed up with their oppressive government that they are willing to risk their lives in protest." Russia's envoy shot back that if the US view holds, the council should have also discussed the 2014 unrest in Ferguson, Missouri over the police shooting of a black teenager or the US crackdown on the Occupy Wall Street movement. China also described the meeting as meddling in Iran's affairs, while Ethiopia, Kuwait and Sweden expressed reservations about the discussion. Britain and France reiterated that Iran must respect the rights of protesters, but French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the "events of the past days do not constitute a threat to peace and international security." Iran's Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo slammed the meeting as a "farce" and a "waste of time" and said the council should instead focus on addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the war in Yemen. CIA plot It remains difficult to gauge who was involved in the anti-government unrest. President Hassan Rouhani's supporters have blamed conservative rivals for stoking anger over economic issues, which quickly spiralled out of control. The conservatives deny the accusations and say Rouhani must do more to help the poor. Chief prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri blamed the unrest on a plot dating back four years by the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia, while also claiming there were efforts to infiltrate the Islamic State group into the country. Many officials have nonetheless recognized the genuine economic grievances of many Iranians, particularly a jobless rate at close to 30 percent for young people. Iran's economic growth rebounded to more than 12 percent last year after sanctions were lifted under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, but analysts say much of the windfall has come from renewed oil sales that generate few jobs. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said 42,000 people had taken part in the unrest nationwide. It was higher than a previous figure of 15,000 given by the head of the Revolutionary Guards, but still far below the hundreds of thousands that took to the streets during the last major protest movement in 2009. Nuclear waivers Trump must decide next week whether to continue waiving nuclear-related sanctions suspended under the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. Under the deal, Trump must actively lift certain sanctions every few months and the next deadline falls on January 12. Trump's repeated tweets backing protesters during Iran's unrest was rebuffed by marchers on Friday. "Mr Trump passed laws against Iranians such as the immigration ban, and he called Iranians 'savages'... and suddenly he is sympathizing and supporting Iranians and it is ridiculous," said Khalili, a government worker in Tehran.

US, Russia clash over Iran at the UN Security Council meet

The United States is examining ways to mitigate any Pakistani retaliation as it piles pressure on Islamabad to crack down on militants, a senior US&nbsp;official said on Friday, cautioning that US&nbsp;action could extend beyond a new freeze in aid.

Pakistan is a crucial gateway for US&nbsp;military supplies destined for the US&nbsp;and other troops fighting a 16-year-old war in neighbouring, landlocked Afghanistan.

So far, the Pentagon says Pakistan has not given any indication that it would close its airspace or roads to military supplies and US&nbsp;Defence Secretary Jim Mattis played down concerns on Friday.

But Washington has only just begun to work through its new plan to suspend up to roughly $2 billion in US&nbsp;security assistance, announced on Thursday. It came days after US&nbsp;President Donald Trump tweeted that Pakistan had rewarded past US&nbsp;aid with &quot;nothing but lies &amp; deceit.&quot;

The senior Trump administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Washington hoped that the aid suspension would be enough to communicate its concern to Islamabad.

But the official cautioned that the freeze was also not the only tool that America had to pressure the country -- suggesting it might resort to other measures if needed.

&quot;We are considering many different things, not just the (financial) assistance issue,&quot; the official said.

&quot;We are also looking at Pakistan&#39;s potential response ... and we are looking at ways to deal with that and to mitigate the risks to the relationship.&quot;

The official declined to detail what steps were under consideration, including whether that might include possible unilateral US&nbsp;military action against militants in Pakistan.

But as Trump allow the US&nbsp;military to again ramp up its war effort in Afghanistan, including with the deployment of more US&nbsp;troops alongside Afghan forces, the official acknowledged a sense of urgency.

The United States has long blamed the militant safe havens in Pakistan for prolonging the war in Afghanistan, giving insurgents, including from the Haqqani network, a place to plot attacks and rebuild its forces.

&quot;We believe we owe it to the Americans in harms&#39; way in Afghanistan. We simply can&#39;t ignore the sanctuaries if we are going to make progress in Afghanistan,&quot; the official said.

Mattis plays down concerns&nbsp;

Mattis, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, said he was not concerned about America&#39;s ability to use Pakistan as a gateway to resupply U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

&quot;I&#39;m not concerned, no,&quot; Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon, adding he had not gotten any indication from Pakistan that it might cut off those routes. Mattis travelled to Pakistan last month.

&quot;We&#39;re still working with Pakistan and we would restore the aid if we see decisive movements against the terrorists -- who are as much a threat against Pakistan as they are to us.&quot;

The United States has also said some of the frozen aid could be released on a case-by-case basis, and none of it will be spent elsewhere -- leaving the door open to full reconciliation.

The Pakistani reaction has so far been limited to harsh rhetoric, with Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif saying the United States was behaving towards Pakistan as &quot;a friend who always betrays.&quot;

But opposition leader Imran Khan, a former cricket star tipped as the next Pakistani prime minister, said it was time for Pakistan to &quot;delink&quot; from the United States.

The senior Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity acknowledged that a Pakistani cut-off would greatly complicate US&nbsp;resupply efforts in Afghanistan.

The official said the administration was developing &quot;risk mitigation plans,&quot; but acknowledged that examination of a northern network of alternative routes used in the past was &quot;still at a very broad level.&quot;

&quot;If something were to happen to the ground lines of communication or airlines of communication through Pakistan, certainly that would be very difficult for the U.S. and we would have to look for alternatives,&quot; the official said.

&quot;And it would not be easy.&quot;

The senior Trump administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Washington hoped that the aid suspension would be enough to communicate its concern to Islamabad.

The United States is examining ways to mitigate any Pakistani retaliation as it piles pressure on Islamabad to crack down on militants, a senior US official said on Friday, cautioning that US action could extend beyond a new freeze in aid. Pakistan is a crucial gateway for US military supplies destined for the US and other troops fighting a 16-year-old war in neighbouring, landlocked Afghanistan. So far, the Pentagon says Pakistan has not given any indication that it would close its airspace or roads to military supplies and US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis played down concerns on Friday. But Washington has only just begun to work through its new plan to suspend up to roughly $2 billion in US security assistance, announced on Thursday. It came days after US President Donald Trump tweeted that Pakistan had rewarded past US aid with "nothing but lies & deceit." The senior Trump administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Washington hoped that the aid suspension would be enough to communicate its concern to Islamabad. But the official cautioned that the freeze was also not the only tool that America had to pressure the country -- suggesting it might resort to other measures if needed. "We are considering many different things, not just the (financial) assistance issue," the official said. "We are also looking at Pakistan's potential response ... and we are looking at ways to deal with that and to mitigate the risks to the relationship." The official declined to detail what steps were under consideration, including whether that might include possible unilateral US military action against militants in Pakistan. But as Trump allow the US military to again ramp up its war effort in Afghanistan, including with the deployment of more US troops alongside Afghan forces, the official acknowledged a sense of urgency. The United States has long blamed the militant safe havens in Pakistan for prolonging the war in Afghanistan, giving insurgents, including from the Haqqani network, a place to plot attacks and rebuild its forces. "We believe we owe it to the Americans in harms' way in Afghanistan. We simply can't ignore the sanctuaries if we are going to make progress in Afghanistan," the official said. Mattis plays down concerns Mattis, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, said he was not concerned about America's ability to use Pakistan as a gateway to resupply U.S. forces in Afghanistan. "I'm not concerned, no," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon, adding he had not gotten any indication from Pakistan that it might cut off those routes. Mattis travelled to Pakistan last month. "We're still working with Pakistan and we would restore the aid if we see decisive movements against the terrorists -- who are as much a threat against Pakistan as they are to us." The United States has also said some of the frozen aid could be released on a case-by-case basis, and none of it will be spent elsewhere -- leaving the door open to full reconciliation. The Pakistani reaction has so far been limited to harsh rhetoric, with Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif saying the United States was behaving towards Pakistan as "a friend who always betrays." But opposition leader Imran Khan, a former cricket star tipped as the next Pakistani prime minister, said it was time for Pakistan to "delink" from the United States. The senior Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity acknowledged that a Pakistani cut-off would greatly complicate US resupply efforts in Afghanistan. The official said the administration was developing "risk mitigation plans," but acknowledged that examination of a northern network of alternative routes used in the past was "still at a very broad level." "If something were to happen to the ground lines of communication or airlines of communication through Pakistan, certainly that would be very difficult for the U.S. and we would have to look for alternatives," the official said. "And it would not be easy."

US weighs Pakistani blowback as it piles pressure on Islamabad

The US has suspended more than US$1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take &quot;decisive actions&quot; against them.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for US$33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Prominent among the suspended amount includes US$255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the&nbsp;fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire US$900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017 (September 30).

&quot;Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network.

We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan,&quot; State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law.

Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel.

Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to US$900 million for Pakistan in CSF.

Of these funds, US$400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network.

&quot;At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that&#39;s the entire amount of US$900 million,&quot; Andrews said.

During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan.

&quot;I prefer not to address that right now because it&#39;s obviously still being formulated as policy. But I&#39;ll give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there,&quot; he said.

According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

The deadline for that is September 30 this year.

Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver a tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said.

&quot;They may say it&#39;s a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan,&quot; Nauert said.

Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said.

&quot;Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps,&quot; she added.

&quot;People have long asked, why don&#39;t you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region,&quot; she said.

&quot;They understand that, but still they aren&#39;t taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism,&quot; she said.

In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups.

&quot;We have not done anything that&#39;s irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan if they undertake to take the measures that we&#39;ve asked of them,&quot; a senior administration official said in response to a question.

Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently that they would react to something which is reversible.

&quot;Pakistanis have repeatedly said we don&#39;t care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistani&#39;s is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal,&quot; the official said.

&quot;So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don&#39;t want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that they&#39;re going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing,&quot; the official added. 
According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless required by law.

&quot;Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis if they&#39;re determined to be critical for national security interests,&quot; the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut off at this time.

&quot;Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists the militant groups that we seek,&quot; the official said, adding that the US does not intend to reprogram any funds at this time.

This suspension includes FMF 2016 (US$255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered.

Final figures are still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan.

However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programs in Pakistan.

&quot;Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US,&quot; the official said.

The State Department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance.

&quot;We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that needs to take the steps that we&#39;re talking about are not touched by civilian assistance. So, it wouldn&#39;t make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that we&#39;re asking for,&quot; the official said.

The US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they do not believe that talks are an impasse as reported in some section of the media.

&quot;We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road,&quot; the official said.

&quot;Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration&#39;s immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing,&quot; the State Department Official said.

Prominent among the suspended amount includes US $255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the?fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

The US has suspended more than US$1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take "decisive actions" against them. The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for US$33 billion aid over the last 15 years. Prominent among the suspended amount includes US$255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress. In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire US$900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017 (September 30). "Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters. The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law. Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel. Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to US$900 million for Pakistan in CSF. Of these funds, US$400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network. "At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that's the entire amount of US$900 million," Andrews said. During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan. "I prefer not to address that right now because it's obviously still being formulated as policy. But I'll give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there," he said. According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017. The deadline for that is September 30 this year. Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver a tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said. "They may say it's a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan," Nauert said. Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said. "Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps," she added. "People have long asked, why don't you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region," she said. "They understand that, but still they aren't taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism," she said. In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups. "We have not done anything that's irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan if they undertake to take the measures that we've asked of them," a senior administration official said in response to a question. Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently that they would react to something which is reversible. "Pakistanis have repeatedly said we don't care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistani's is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal," the official said. "So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don't want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that they're going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing," the official added. According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless required by law. "Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis if they're determined to be critical for national security interests," the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut off at this time. "Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists the militant groups that we seek," the official said, adding that the US does not intend to reprogram any funds at this time. This suspension includes FMF 2016 (US$255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered. Final figures are still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan. However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programs in Pakistan. "Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US," the official said. The State Department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance. "We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that needs to take the steps that we're talking about are not touched by civilian assistance. So, it wouldn't make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that we're asking for," the official said. The US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they do not believe that talks are an impasse as reported in some section of the media. "We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road," the official said. "Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration's immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing," the State Department Official said.

US suspends over $1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan

Is there really a red button on the desks of leaders which they can press to trigger off a nuclear strike?

In the United States, the so-called red button is a real metal briefcase.The military aid accompanying the president always carries this metal briefcase.&nbsp;

The briefcase and its cover weighing about 20 kg are also known as the Atomic Football, the Black Box or even the &quot;Button&quot;.

It consists of four items which include two books, a folder and a small card.&nbsp;

One of the books is black in colour and lists the options open to the launching country for retaliation.&nbsp;

The other book lists out site locations of where the President can be whisked away to safety.

A small folder contains a description of procedures for the emergency alert system, while the card includes the authentication codes on it.&nbsp;

To launch a strike the President will first decide on which weapons are to be launched.&nbsp;Next, his order will be verified by the secretary of the defence. Then, the president has to identify himself to the joint chiefs of staff through his personal code. It is only after all these steps that nuclear weapon would be launched.&nbsp;

Procedures vary slightly in different countries but there you have it. It is not as easy as President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seem to make it believable.&nbsp;

&nbsp;In short, the red button does not exist.

To launch a strike the President will first decide on which weapons are to be launched

Is there really a red button on the desks of leaders which they can press to trigger off a nuclear strike? In the United States, the so-called red button is a real metal briefcase.The military aid accompanying the president always carries this metal briefcase. The briefcase and its cover weighing about 20 kg are also known as the Atomic Football, the Black Box or even the "Button". It consists of four items which include two books, a folder and a small card. One of the books is black in colour and lists the options open to the launching country for retaliation. The other book lists out site locations of where the President can be whisked away to safety. A small folder contains a description of procedures for the emergency alert system, while the card includes the authentication codes on it. To launch a strike the President will first decide on which weapons are to be launched. Next, his order will be verified by the secretary of the defence. Then, the president has to identify himself to the joint chiefs of staff through his personal code. It is only after all these steps that nuclear weapon would be launched. Procedures vary slightly in different countries but there you have it. It is not as easy as President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seem to make it believable. In short, the red button does not exist.

Can US, North Korea 'trigger' nuclear strike?

The United States has suspended security assistance to Pakistan, revealed State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: US suspends security assistance to Pakistan, says State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert <a href="https://t.co/IZYqxboEVU">pic.twitter.com/IZYqxboEVU</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949096879924527104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;Until the Pakistan government takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting US personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan,&quot; &nbsp;said Heather Nauert.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
&quot;Until the Pak Govt takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting U.S. personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan&quot; says Heather Nauert <a href="https://t.co/3wMKmXMAwL">pic.twitter.com/3wMKmXMAwL</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949097435686617088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The White House on Wednesday said Pakistan needs to step up its fight against terrorism as it defended President Donald Trump over his accusation that Islamabad deceived the US by sheltering terrorists in return for $33 billion aid.

&quot;We know that Pakistan can do more to fight and stop terrorism and we want them to step up and do that. That seems pretty simple,&quot; White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference.

Trump, on Monday, tore into Pakistan accusing it of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for aid over the last 15 years thinking of American leaders as &quot;fools&quot;

The Trump administration has already decided to withhold $225 million military aid to Pakistan.&nbsp;

Trump, on Monday, tore into Pakistan accusing it of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for aid over the last 15 years thinking of American leaders as "fools"

The United States has suspended security assistance to Pakistan, revealed State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert. #WATCH: US suspends security assistance to Pakistan, says State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert pic.twitter.com/IZYqxboEVU — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × "Until the Pakistan government takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting US personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," said Heather Nauert. "Until the Pak Govt takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting U.S. personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan" says Heather Nauert pic.twitter.com/3wMKmXMAwL — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × The White House on Wednesday said Pakistan needs to step up its fight against terrorism as it defended President Donald Trump over his accusation that Islamabad deceived the US by sheltering terrorists in return for $33 billion aid. "We know that Pakistan can do more to fight and stop terrorism and we want them to step up and do that. That seems pretty simple," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference. Trump, on Monday, tore into Pakistan accusing it of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for aid over the last 15 years thinking of American leaders as "fools" The Trump administration has already decided to withhold $225 million military aid to Pakistan.

Watch: US suspends security assistance to Pakistan

A violent winter storm dubbed as&nbsp;a &quot;bomb cyclone&quot; struck onto the US Atlantic coast on Thursday,&nbsp;pushing&nbsp;high tide to&nbsp;near-record&nbsp;levels and stranding inundated motorists on downtown Boston streets.

Three people were found dead in North Carolina after their vehicles ran off snow-covered roads, authorities said.

The worst winter storm in decades forced the cancellation of thousands of flights, closed a number of highways and prompted schools to suspend classes in New York City.

Wind gusts reached 85 kilometres per hour in some areas and temperatures plummeted since the storm made landfall, according to local weather services.

The country&#39;s National Weather Service warned of wind gusts hitting almost 113 kilometres per hour in some places, with nearly 60 million people in the path of the storm.

Blizzard warnings and states of emergency were in wide effect.

The massive storm has also lead to frozen pipes around the area and disrupted services at refineries.&nbsp;

The fuel prices rose as high winds and snowfall caused electricity outages for almost 80,000 homes and businesses.&nbsp;

Prices for heating oil and natural gas in the US&nbsp;Northeast hit their highest levels in years on the back of near-record heating demand.&nbsp;

Meteorologists forecast the harsh weather will continue until Friday, with some places expecting water and power cuts.

The worst winter storm in decades forced the cancellation of thousands of flights, closed a number of highways and prompted schools to suspend classes in New York City

A violent winter storm dubbed as a "bomb cyclone" struck onto the US Atlantic coast on Thursday, pushing high tide to near-record levels and stranding inundated motorists on downtown Boston streets. Three people were found dead in North Carolina after their vehicles ran off snow-covered roads, authorities said. The worst winter storm in decades forced the cancellation of thousands of flights, closed a number of highways and prompted schools to suspend classes in New York City. Wind gusts reached 85 kilometres per hour in some areas and temperatures plummeted since the storm made landfall, according to local weather services. The country's National Weather Service warned of wind gusts hitting almost 113 kilometres per hour in some places, with nearly 60 million people in the path of the storm. Blizzard warnings and states of emergency were in wide effect. The massive storm has also lead to frozen pipes around the area and disrupted services at refineries. The fuel prices rose as high winds and snowfall caused electricity outages for almost 80,000 homes and businesses. Prices for heating oil and natural gas in the US Northeast hit their highest levels in years on the back of near-record heating demand. Meteorologists forecast the harsh weather will continue until Friday, with some places expecting water and power cuts.

3 dead due to violent 'bomb cyclone' in US, several services disrupted

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistans-propaganda-exercise-on-jadhav-carries-no-credibility-india-28543" target="_blank">Pakistan&#39;s propaganda exercise on Jadhav carries no credibility: India</a>

As Pakistan released a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-releases-another-video-of-kulbhushan-jadhav-28518">new video of Kulbhashan Jadhav</a>, the ministry of external affairs(MEA) said it was not surprised by the new video asserting that Pakistan was simply continuing to put out &quot;coerced statements&quot; on the video.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-puts-tibetan-language-advocate-on-trial-for-inciting-separatism-28558" target="_blank">China puts Tibetan language advocate on trial for &#39;inciting separatism&#39;</a>

China today put a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-are-tibetan-refugees-doing-as-dalai-lama-celebrates-his-birthday-17626">Tibetan on trial for &quot;inciting separatism&quot;</a>&nbsp;even as rights group denounced the decision as a &quot;sham&quot; after appearing in a New York Times video documentary after he criticised policies related to Tibetan language education.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-needs-to-earn-the-money-provided-to-fight-terror-us-28533" target="_blank">Pakistan needs to earn the money provided to fight terror: US</a>

At the State Department&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-announce-specific-actions-against-pakistan-28503">spokesperson Heather Nauert said Pakistan&nbsp;</a>needs to show that it is sincere in cracking down on terrorism even as the White House said it would announce new measures against Pakistan on terror-related issues.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fodder-scam-case-got-phone-calls-from-lalus-men-says-judge-28549" target="_blank">Fodder scam case: Got phone calls from Lalu&#39;s men, says judge</a>

As Lalu Prasad appeared in Ranchi court for sentencing in the fodder scam case, the judge told the RJD chief that &quot;he got phone calls from Lalu&#39;s men&quot;. &quot;I got many references for you but don&#39;t worry, I will follow only law&quot;, Special CBI court judge Shivpal Singh said in court on Thursday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/vijay-mallya-declared-proclaimed-offender-by-delhi-court-28547" target="_blank">Vijay Mallya declared &#39;proclaimed offender&#39; by Delhi court</a>

A Delhi court today declared beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya a proclaimed offender for evading summons in a FERA violation case. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Shehrawat passed the order after noting that Mallya failed to appear before it despite repeated summons.

&nbsp;

Pakistan's propaganda exercise on Jadhav carries no credibility: India As Pakistan released a new video of Kulbhashan Jadhav, the ministry of external affairs(MEA) said it was not surprised by the new video asserting that Pakistan was simply continuing to put out "coerced statements" on the video. China puts Tibetan language advocate on trial for 'inciting separatism' China today put a Tibetan on trial for "inciting separatism" even as rights group denounced the decision as a "sham" after appearing in a New York Times video documentary after he criticised policies related to Tibetan language education. Pakistan needs to earn the money provided to fight terror: US At the State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Pakistan needs to show that it is sincere in cracking down on terrorism even as the White House said it would announce new measures against Pakistan on terror-related issues. Fodder scam case: Got phone calls from Lalu's men, says judge As Lalu Prasad appeared in Ranchi court for sentencing in the fodder scam case, the judge told the RJD chief that "he got phone calls from Lalu's men". "I got many references for you but don't worry, I will follow only law", Special CBI court judge Shivpal Singh said in court on Thursday. Vijay Mallya declared 'proclaimed offender' by Delhi court A Delhi court today declared beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya a proclaimed offender for evading summons in a FERA violation case. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Shehrawat passed the order after noting that Mallya failed to appear before it despite repeated summons.

WION Evening news brief, 4 January 2018

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Iranian anti-government protesters on Monday, while denying as &quot;laughable&quot; Tehran&#39;s apparent accusations that Israel was behind the demonstrations.

Five days of protests in Iran have posed the boldest challenge to its clerical leadership since pro-reform unrest in 2009. At least ten people have been reported killed as some confrontations with police turned violent.

&quot;I wish the Iranian people success in their noble quest for freedom,&quot; Netanyahu said in a video posted on his Facebook page.

&quot;Brave Iranians are pouring into the streets. They seek freedom. They seek justice. They seek the basic liberties that have been denied them for decades. Iran&#39;s cruel regime wastes tens of billions of dollars spreading hate,&quot; he said in remarks that echoed similar praise from U.S. President Donald Trump.

On Monday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was quoted by state media as apparently blaming Iran&#39;s arch enemies, the United States and Israel, for provoking unrest.

&quot;Our success in the political arena against the United States and the Zionist regime was unbearable to (Iran&#39;s enemies). Iran&#39;s success in the region was unbearable to them. Don&#39;t you expect that they would seek revenge? Don&rsquo;t you think they would provoke some people?&quot; Rouhani was quoted as saying in a meeting with lawmakers.

Netanyahu said Rouhani&#39;s suggestion that Israel was involved was &quot;not only false -- it&#39;s laughable&quot;.

Netanyahu added that more Western countries should condemn Tehran for trying to put down the protests.

&quot;Sadly many European governments watch in silence as young heroic Iranians are beaten in the streets. That&#39;s just not right. And I, for one, will not stay silent,&quot; he said.

On Monday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was quoted by state media as apparently blaming Iran's arch enemies, the United States and Israel, for provoking unrest

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Iranian anti-government protesters on Monday, while denying as "laughable" Tehran's apparent accusations that Israel was behind the demonstrations. Five days of protests in Iran have posed the boldest challenge to its clerical leadership since pro-reform unrest in 2009. At least ten people have been reported killed as some confrontations with police turned violent. "I wish the Iranian people success in their noble quest for freedom," Netanyahu said in a video posted on his Facebook page. "Brave Iranians are pouring into the streets. They seek freedom. They seek justice. They seek the basic liberties that have been denied them for decades. Iran's cruel regime wastes tens of billions of dollars spreading hate," he said in remarks that echoed similar praise from U.S. President Donald Trump. On Monday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was quoted by state media as apparently blaming Iran's arch enemies, the United States and Israel, for provoking unrest. "Our success in the political arena against the United States and the Zionist regime was unbearable to (Iran's enemies). Iran's success in the region was unbearable to them. Don't you expect that they would seek revenge? Don’t you think they would provoke some people?" Rouhani was quoted as saying in a meeting with lawmakers. Netanyahu said Rouhani's suggestion that Israel was involved was "not only false -- it's laughable". Netanyahu added that more Western countries should condemn Tehran for trying to put down the protests. "Sadly many European governments watch in silence as young heroic Iranians are beaten in the streets. That's just not right. And I, for one, will not stay silent," he said.

Netanyahu wishes success to Iran protesters, denies Israeli involvement

Minutes after United States President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of &nbsp;&#39;lies&#39; and &#39;deceit&#39; and threatened to cut&nbsp;$255 million in aid,&nbsp;Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif tweeted &#39;&#39;will let the world know the truth&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;

&#39;&#39;We will respond to President Trump&#39;s tweet shortly inshallah...Will let the world know the truth.. the difference between facts and&nbsp;fiction,&#39;&#39;&nbsp;tweeted&nbsp;Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif.

Trump in his first tweet of 2018 attacked Pakistan for providing &#39;&#39;safe heavens&#39;&#39; to the terrorists. The United States has been fooled by Pakistan for 15 years, but no more, Trump tweeted on Monday.&nbsp;

The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies &amp; deceit, the tweet said. &nbsp;

Accusing Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorists, Trump said that Pakistan extended no help in hunting down the terrorists in Afghanistan despite getting billions in aid from the United States. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies &amp; deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/947802588174577664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&#39;&#39;The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies &amp; deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!,&#39;&#39; the president tweeted.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
We will respond to President Trump&#39;s tweet shortly inshallah...Will let the world know the truth..difference between facts &amp; fiction..
&mdash; Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) <a href="https://twitter.com/KhawajaMAsif/status/947816295738863616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

It was not immediately clear what prompted Trump&rsquo;s criticism of Pakistan but he has long complained that Islamabad is not doing enough to tackle Islamist militants.

The New York Times reported on Dec. 29 that the Trump administration was &quot;strongly considering&quot; whether to withhold $255 million in aid to Pakistan.

It said U.S. officials had sought but been denied access to a member of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network captured in Pakistan who potentially could provide information about at least one American hostage.

The Trump administration said in August that it was delaying sending the $255 million in aid to Pakistan. Last month, Trump said in a speech the U.S. government makes &quot;massive payments every year to Pakistan. They have to help.&quot;

(With Reuters inputs)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Accusing Pakistan of providing safe heavens to terrorists, Trump said that the United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years.

Minutes after United States President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of 'lies' and 'deceit' and threatened to cut $255 million in aid, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif tweeted ''will let the world know the truth''. ''We will respond to President Trump's tweet shortly inshallah...Will let the world know the truth.. the difference between facts and fiction,'' tweeted Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif. Trump in his first tweet of 2018 attacked Pakistan for providing ''safe heavens'' to the terrorists. The United States has been fooled by Pakistan for 15 years, but no more, Trump tweeted on Monday. The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, the tweet said. Accusing Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorists, Trump said that Pakistan extended no help in hunting down the terrorists in Afghanistan despite getting billions in aid from the United States. The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018 × ''The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!,'' the president tweeted. We will respond to President Trump's tweet shortly inshallah...Will let the world know the truth..difference between facts & fiction.. — Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) January 1, 2018 × It was not immediately clear what prompted Trump’s criticism of Pakistan but he has long complained that Islamabad is not doing enough to tackle Islamist militants. The New York Times reported on Dec. 29 that the Trump administration was "strongly considering" whether to withhold $255 million in aid to Pakistan. It said U.S. officials had sought but been denied access to a member of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network captured in Pakistan who potentially could provide information about at least one American hostage. The Trump administration said in August that it was delaying sending the $255 million in aid to Pakistan. Last month, Trump said in a speech the U.S. government makes "massive payments every year to Pakistan. They have to help." (With Reuters inputs)

After Trump's tweetstorm, Pakistan says 'will let the world know the truth'

China on Friday rejected accusations that it had helped Pyongyang skirt sanctions after US President Donald Trump claimed on Twitter that Beijing was turning a blind eye to oil transfers to North Korea.

Trump&#39;s tweet was the latest salvo in his battle to persuade China to tighten the economic screws on Pyongyang over its missile and nuclear programme, in a campaign that has seen him heap both praise and criticism on Beijing.

&quot;Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea,&quot; Trump wrote Thursday. &quot;There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!&quot;

The United Nations -- at the urging of the US -- has imposed a series of sanctions against North Korea aimed at getting it to halt its weapons development.&nbsp;

China has supported the moves, but critics claim it is not rigidly enforcing the sanctions, fearful that too much pressure will cause the unpredictable regime to collapse.

South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, citing government sources in Seoul, reported earlier this week that US satellites had spotted Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels at sea dozens of times since October.

&quot;The recent series of reports on this situation do not conform with the facts&quot;, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, adding that Beijing did not allow its &quot;citizens or companies to engage in any activities that violate&quot; UN resolutions.

Hua said China had looked into the report of a Chinese ship transferring oil to a North Korean vessel and found it to be inaccurate.&nbsp;

&quot;There is no record of the (Chinese) vessel visiting a Chinese port&quot; since August, she said.

&quot;I think making pointless hype through the media is not conducive to enhancing mutual trust and cooperation.&quot;

A defiant Pyongyang has said there is no possibility of its weapons programmes being rolled back, and that they have been developed to defend against what it terms aggression by the US and its allies.&nbsp;

Washington insists a resolution of the crisis on the Korean peninsula depends on the North&#39;s denuclearisation.

&#39;Shrewd&#39; breaches&nbsp;

The United Nations Security Council last week imposed new sanctions on Pyongyang further restricting oil supplies, and ordering North Korean nationals working abroad to be sent back by the end of 2019.

It was not immediately clear what prompted Trump&#39;s tweet, or if he was accusing China -- the North&#39;s main ally -- of directly violating sanctions targeting Pyongyang.

A State Department official later said the US was aware that &quot;certain vessels have engaged in UN-prohibited activities, including ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum and the transport of coal from North Korea.&quot;

&quot;We have evidence that some of the vessels engaged in these activities are owned by companies in several countries, including China,&quot; the senior official said.

Separately, a foreign ministry official in Seoul said Friday that a Hong Kong-registered vessel was seized and inspected in November for transferring oil products to a North Korean ship in breach of UN sanctions.

The official described the incident as Pyongyang &quot;shrewdly circumventing&quot; sanctions, adding that South Korea had shared intelligence on the case with the US.

&nbsp;&#39;No good for China&#39;&nbsp;

In recent months, the White House has praised Beijing for its efforts to tame North Korea, and China has voted in favour of three UN Security Council resolutions strengthening sanctions against the North.

But Washington convinced that only Chinese pressure will persuade North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to back down, has demanded that Beijing do more.

&quot;China has a tremendous power over North Korea. Far greater than anyone knows,&quot; Trump told the New York Times in an interview Thursday.

The US president hinted at the possibility of trade action against China over the matter.

&quot;Oil is going into North Korea. That wasn&#39;t my deal!&quot; he said. &quot;If they don&#39;t help us with North Korea, then I do what I&#39;ve always said I want to do.&quot;

Describing Kim regime as a &quot;nuclear menace&quot; that is &quot;no good for China&quot;, Trump added that Chinese President Xi Jinping&#39;s government has to &quot;help us much more.&quot;

The UN Security Council on Thursday meanwhile denied international port access to four ships -- three registered in North Korea and a fourth in Palau -- suspected of carrying or having transported goods banned by international sanctions targeting Pyongyang, according to the final list adopted by the world body.

Diplomats had said on Thursday that all four were North Korean vessels.

The ban of the four vessels brings the UN&#39;s total number of blocked ships to eight.&nbsp;

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China had looked into the report of a Chinese ship transferring oil to a North Korean vessel and found it to be inaccurate

China on Friday rejected accusations that it had helped Pyongyang skirt sanctions after US President Donald Trump claimed on Twitter that Beijing was turning a blind eye to oil transfers to North Korea. Trump's tweet was the latest salvo in his battle to persuade China to tighten the economic screws on Pyongyang over its missile and nuclear programme, in a campaign that has seen him heap both praise and criticism on Beijing. "Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea," Trump wrote Thursday. "There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!" The United Nations -- at the urging of the US -- has imposed a series of sanctions against North Korea aimed at getting it to halt its weapons development. China has supported the moves, but critics claim it is not rigidly enforcing the sanctions, fearful that too much pressure will cause the unpredictable regime to collapse. South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, citing government sources in Seoul, reported earlier this week that US satellites had spotted Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels at sea dozens of times since October. "The recent series of reports on this situation do not conform with the facts", Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, adding that Beijing did not allow its "citizens or companies to engage in any activities that violate" UN resolutions. Hua said China had looked into the report of a Chinese ship transferring oil to a North Korean vessel and found it to be inaccurate. "There is no record of the (Chinese) vessel visiting a Chinese port" since August, she said. "I think making pointless hype through the media is not conducive to enhancing mutual trust and cooperation." A defiant Pyongyang has said there is no possibility of its weapons programmes being rolled back, and that they have been developed to defend against what it terms aggression by the US and its allies. Washington insists a resolution of the crisis on the Korean peninsula depends on the North's denuclearisation. 'Shrewd' breaches The United Nations Security Council last week imposed new sanctions on Pyongyang further restricting oil supplies, and ordering North Korean nationals working abroad to be sent back by the end of 2019. It was not immediately clear what prompted Trump's tweet, or if he was accusing China -- the North's main ally -- of directly violating sanctions targeting Pyongyang. A State Department official later said the US was aware that "certain vessels have engaged in UN-prohibited activities, including ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum and the transport of coal from North Korea." "We have evidence that some of the vessels engaged in these activities are owned by companies in several countries, including China," the senior official said. Separately, a foreign ministry official in Seoul said Friday that a Hong Kong-registered vessel was seized and inspected in November for transferring oil products to a North Korean ship in breach of UN sanctions. The official described the incident as Pyongyang "shrewdly circumventing" sanctions, adding that South Korea had shared intelligence on the case with the US. 'No good for China' In recent months, the White House has praised Beijing for its efforts to tame North Korea, and China has voted in favour of three UN Security Council resolutions strengthening sanctions against the North. But Washington convinced that only Chinese pressure will persuade North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to back down, has demanded that Beijing do more. "China has a tremendous power over North Korea. Far greater than anyone knows," Trump told the New York Times in an interview Thursday. The US president hinted at the possibility of trade action against China over the matter. "Oil is going into North Korea. That wasn't my deal!" he said. "If they don't help us with North Korea, then I do what I've always said I want to do." Describing Kim regime as a "nuclear menace" that is "no good for China", Trump added that Chinese President Xi Jinping's government has to "help us much more." The UN Security Council on Thursday meanwhile denied international port access to four ships -- three registered in North Korea and a fourth in Palau -- suspected of carrying or having transported goods banned by international sanctions targeting Pyongyang, according to the final list adopted by the world body. Diplomats had said on Thursday that all four were North Korean vessels. The ban of the four vessels brings the UN's total number of blocked ships to eight.

China rejects Trump accusation on North Korea sanction breaches

Twelve people were killed, including an infant, and four were critically injured on Thursday in a fire that swept through several floors of an apartment building in the New York City borough of the Bronx, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

The blaze started on the first floor of the brick building and quickly spread upstairs, city Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro told reporters at a news conference with the mayor. The cause was under investigation.

De Blasio said the death toll ranked as &quot;one of the worst losses of life to a fire in many, many years&quot; in the city.

Four people were in hospital in critical condition &quot;fighting for their lives,&quot; the mayor said.

Authorities said firefighters rescued 12 people from the building.

&quot;People died on various floors of the apartment, ranging in age from 1 to over 50,&quot; Nigro told reporters. &quot;In a department that is surely no stranger to tragedy, we&#39;re shocked by the lives lost.&quot;

Two of the dead were found in a bathtub, according to cable news station NY1.

&quot;Hold your families close and keep those families here in the Bronx in your prayers,&quot; de Blasio said in a message to New Yorkers.

The blaze erupted shortly before 7 pm in the Belmont section of the Bronx, a primarily residential, close-knit neighbourhood known as the &quot;Little Italy&quot; of the borough, adjacent to the Bronx Zoo and Fordham University.

New York is going through a bitter cold snap with temperatures in the low-teens Fahrenheit and high winds, which according to one media account, stoked flames inside the building as residents flung open doors and windows.

Wherever fire hoses sprayed, the ground was covered with sheets of ice, according to an NY1 reporter.

One witness, Rafael Gonzalez, who lives across the street from the building, told television station WCBS-TV, an affiliate of CBS News, he saw some youths on a fire escape of the burning building as the fire raged.

&ldquo;What woke me up was the smoke, because I thought it was my building,&quot; he said.

No heavy damage to the exterior of the building was visible in news footage and photographs.

The New York City Fire Department said more than 160 firefighters responded to the four-alarm blaze.

Pictures posted on Twitter by the fire department showed two fire trucks with aerial ladders extended to the upper floors of a brick building bathed in floodlights, and firefighters on the fire escape outside what appeared to be a second- or third-floor unit.

The number of civilian fire fatalities in New York City last year dropped to 48, the fewest in the 100 years since record-keeping began, the FDNY said on its website.

Data on 2017 fire fatalities was not immediately available.

The blaze started on the first floor of the brick building and quickly spread upstairs, city Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro told reporters at a news conference with the mayor. The cause was under investigation

Twelve people were killed, including an infant, and four were critically injured on Thursday in a fire that swept through several floors of an apartment building in the New York City borough of the Bronx, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. The blaze started on the first floor of the brick building and quickly spread upstairs, city Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro told reporters at a news conference with the mayor. The cause was under investigation. De Blasio said the death toll ranked as "one of the worst losses of life to a fire in many, many years" in the city. Four people were in hospital in critical condition "fighting for their lives," the mayor said. Authorities said firefighters rescued 12 people from the building. "People died on various floors of the apartment, ranging in age from 1 to over 50," Nigro told reporters. "In a department that is surely no stranger to tragedy, we're shocked by the lives lost." Two of the dead were found in a bathtub, according to cable news station NY1. "Hold your families close and keep those families here in the Bronx in your prayers," de Blasio said in a message to New Yorkers. The blaze erupted shortly before 7 pm in the Belmont section of the Bronx, a primarily residential, close-knit neighbourhood known as the "Little Italy" of the borough, adjacent to the Bronx Zoo and Fordham University. New York is going through a bitter cold snap with temperatures in the low-teens Fahrenheit and high winds, which according to one media account, stoked flames inside the building as residents flung open doors and windows. Wherever fire hoses sprayed, the ground was covered with sheets of ice, according to an NY1 reporter. One witness, Rafael Gonzalez, who lives across the street from the building, told television station WCBS-TV, an affiliate of CBS News, he saw some youths on a fire escape of the burning building as the fire raged. “What woke me up was the smoke, because I thought it was my building," he said. No heavy damage to the exterior of the building was visible in news footage and photographs. The New York City Fire Department said more than 160 firefighters responded to the four-alarm blaze. Pictures posted on Twitter by the fire department showed two fire trucks with aerial ladders extended to the upper floors of a brick building bathed in floodlights, and firefighters on the fire escape outside what appeared to be a second- or third-floor unit. The number of civilian fire fatalities in New York City last year dropped to 48, the fewest in the 100 years since record-keeping began, the FDNY said on its website. Data on 2017 fire fatalities was not immediately available.

New York apartment fire kills 12, injures several others

An Indian-origin student was shot dead during an attempted armed robbery in the US, becoming one of the latest victims of gun violence in the country.

Another Indian was injured in the attack.

Arshad Vhora, 19, was shot dead yesterday at the Clark gas station at 142nd and Langley in Dolton in Chicago, CBS News reported.

Police said two people were shot during an armed robbery attempt inside the convenience store.

The second victim, who was not named, was critically wounded, police said, adding the victims are related.

Vhora was filling in for a family member at the convenience store and gas station, relatives were quoted as saying by the report.

The suspects fled the scene. No one has been arrested yet. A USD 12,000 reward is being offered to help solve the case, the report said.

The shooting comes amidst growing attacks on Indians and Americans of Indian descent in recent months.

&nbsp;

Another relative was critically injured in the incident which took place following a robbery attempt.

An Indian-origin student was shot dead during an attempted armed robbery in the US, becoming one of the latest victims of gun violence in the country. Another Indian was injured in the attack. Arshad Vhora, 19, was shot dead yesterday at the Clark gas station at 142nd and Langley in Dolton in Chicago, CBS News reported. Police said two people were shot during an armed robbery attempt inside the convenience store. The second victim, who was not named, was critically wounded, police said, adding the victims are related. Vhora was filling in for a family member at the convenience store and gas station, relatives were quoted as saying by the report. The suspects fled the scene. No one has been arrested yet. A USD 12,000 reward is being offered to help solve the case, the report said. The shooting comes amidst growing attacks on Indians and Americans of Indian descent in recent months.

19-year-old Gujarati shot dead in Chicago

The United States and Russia have agreed to work together and continue diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis over North Korea&#39;s nuclear missile programme, the US State Department said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke over the phone Tuesday, a day after the US announced sanctions against North Korea.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The two discussed concerns related to the DPRK&rsquo;s destabilizing nuclear program and emphasized that neither the United States nor Russia accepts the DPRK as a nuclear power,&rdquo; US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement, using the acronym for North Korea&rsquo;s official name, the Democratic People&rsquo;s Republic of Korea.

The move follows mixed signals from Washington on how President Donald Trump plans to fulfil his promise to &quot;take care of&quot; the North.

On Tuesday, Russia reiterated an offer to mediate to ease tensions between Washington and Pyongyang that have raised fears of a new conflict on the peninsula.

Lavrov told Tillerson &ldquo;Washington&rsquo;s aggressive rhetoric&rdquo; and beefing up of its military presence in the region had heightened tension and was unacceptable.

Tillerson stressed that they do not intend to&nbsp;go to war with North Korea and will use every measure possible for defence but hopes that diplomacy will produce a resolution.

However, in October Trump told Tillerson that this was a waste of time which was followed by talks between the secretary of state with no pre-conditions by saying that no negotiations could be held until North Korea improves its behaviour.&nbsp;&nbsp;

North Korea has test-fired 15 missiles so far in 2017 and conducted its sixth underground nuclear test in September.

The United States has placed sanctions on two North Koreans who it says are part of the country&#39;s nuclear missile programme, while Russia has reiterated its offer to mediate between the two countries.&nbsp;

The UN had on Friday imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to its ICMB test conducted last month, which Pyongyang said put all of the US mainlands within range of its nuclear weapons.&nbsp;

North Korea has also argued that the nuclear weapon tests are a self-defensive deterrence, not in contradiction of international law. It also warned other countries that those who would support the sanctions would pay a &#39;heavy price&#39;.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke over the phone a day after the US announced sanctions against North Korea

The United States and Russia have agreed to work together and continue diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis over North Korea's nuclear missile programme, the US State Department said on Wednesday. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke over the phone Tuesday, a day after the US announced sanctions against North Korea. “The two discussed concerns related to the DPRK’s destabilizing nuclear program and emphasized that neither the United States nor Russia accepts the DPRK as a nuclear power,” US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement, using the acronym for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The move follows mixed signals from Washington on how President Donald Trump plans to fulfil his promise to "take care of" the North. On Tuesday, Russia reiterated an offer to mediate to ease tensions between Washington and Pyongyang that have raised fears of a new conflict on the peninsula. Lavrov told Tillerson “Washington’s aggressive rhetoric” and beefing up of its military presence in the region had heightened tension and was unacceptable. Tillerson stressed that they do not intend to go to war with North Korea and will use every measure possible for defence but hopes that diplomacy will produce a resolution. However, in October Trump told Tillerson that this was a waste of time which was followed by talks between the secretary of state with no pre-conditions by saying that no negotiations could be held until North Korea improves its behaviour. North Korea has test-fired 15 missiles so far in 2017 and conducted its sixth underground nuclear test in September. The United States has placed sanctions on two North Koreans who it says are part of the country's nuclear missile programme, while Russia has reiterated its offer to mediate between the two countries. The UN had on Friday imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to its ICMB test conducted last month, which Pyongyang said put all of the US mainlands within range of its nuclear weapons. North Korea has also argued that the nuclear weapon tests are a self-defensive deterrence, not in contradiction of international law. It also warned other countries that those who would support the sanctions would pay a 'heavy price'.

US, Russia agree to work on diplomatic solution to North Korea crisis

The US says it has negotiated a $285 million cut to the UN&#39;s budget for 2018.&nbsp;

The budget cut comes a few days after a majority of UN member countries voted against US President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-votes-128-9-to-reject-trump-decision-on-jerusalem-27409" target="_blank">India, over 100 countries vote at UN against Trump decision on Jerusalem</a>

&quot;We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked,&quot; US ambassador the UN Nikki Haley said in a statement.

Haley added that &quot;inefficiency and overspending&quot; at the world body were &quot;well known&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;This historic reduction in spending -- in addition to many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable UN -- is a big step in the right direction.&quot;

Haley said the budget negotiations had generated several &quot;successes&quot; with financial cutbacks and a reduction of the UN&#39;s &quot;bloated management and support functions.&quot;

The negotiations had taken place on Sunday, with the UN General Assembly adopting a budget of $5.396 billion for 2018-2019, slightly below the $5.4 billion that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had sought.&nbsp;

The budget cut works out to 5 per cent&nbsp;of the UN&#39;s operating budget.&nbsp;

&quot;While we are pleased with the results of this year&#39;s budget negotiations, you can be sure we&#39;ll continue to look at ways to increase the UN&#39;s efficiency while protecting our interests,&quot; Haley added.

The United States is by far the largest contributor to the UN budget, providing for 22 per cent of the core budget.&nbsp;

The UN&#39;s operating budget is separate from its peacekeeping budget, which was cut by $600 million this year under pressure from the Donald Trump administration.&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)

The US says it has negotiated a $285 million cut to the UN's budget for 2018

The US says it has negotiated a $285 million cut to the UN's budget for 2018. The budget cut comes a few days after a majority of UN member countries voted against US President Donald Trump's decision to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Also read: India, over 100 countries vote at UN against Trump decision on Jerusalem "We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked," US ambassador the UN Nikki Haley said in a statement. Haley added that "inefficiency and overspending" at the world body were "well known". "This historic reduction in spending -- in addition to many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable UN -- is a big step in the right direction." Haley said the budget negotiations had generated several "successes" with financial cutbacks and a reduction of the UN's "bloated management and support functions." The negotiations had taken place on Sunday, with the UN General Assembly adopting a budget of $5.396 billion for 2018-2019, slightly below the $5.4 billion that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had sought. The budget cut works out to 5 per cent of the UN's operating budget. "While we are pleased with the results of this year's budget negotiations, you can be sure we'll continue to look at ways to increase the UN's efficiency while protecting our interests," Haley added. The United States is by far the largest contributor to the UN budget, providing for 22 per cent of the core budget. The UN's operating budget is separate from its peacekeeping budget, which was cut by $600 million this year under pressure from the Donald Trump administration. (With inputs from AFP)

US slashes UN budget after Jerusalem vote

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Guatemala with a &quot;God bless you&quot;&nbsp;on Monday&nbsp;for deciding to move its embassy to Jerusalem, while the Palestinians said the Central American country was &quot;on the wrong side of history&quot;.

In an official Facebook post&nbsp;on Sunday, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said he had chosen to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv - siding with the United States in a dispute over Jerusalem&#39;s status - after talking to Netanyahu.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Dec. 6, reversing decades of U.S. policy and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies.

On Thursday, 128 countries rebuked Trump by backing a non-binding UN&nbsp;General Assembly resolution calling on the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem.

&quot;God bless you, my friend, President Jimmy Morales, God bless both our countries, Israel and Guatemala,&quot; Netanyahu said, switching to English, in remarks to a weekly meeting of his Likud party faction in parliament.

Guatemala and neighbouring Honduras were two of only a handful of countries to join Israel and the United States, which has pledged to move its embassy to Jerusalem, in voting against the U.N. resolution.

The United States is an important source of assistance to Guatemala and Honduras, and Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that supported the U.N. resolution.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they want to establish in the occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.

The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki as saying that Morales was &quot;dragging his country to the wrong side of history by committing a flagrant violation of international law&quot;.

Prior to 1980, Guatemala - along with Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, The Netherlands, Panama, Venezuela and Uruguay - maintained an embassy in Jerusalem.

Israel&#39;s passage in June 1980 of a law proclaiming Jerusalem its &quot;indivisible and eternal capital&quot; led to a UN&nbsp;Security Council resolution calling upon those countries to move their embassies to Tel Aviv, prompting their transfer.

Israel&#39;s ambassador to Guatemala, Matty Cohen, said on Army Radio that no date had been set for the embassy move, &quot;but it will happen after&quot; the United States relocates its own embassy to Jerusalem. US&nbsp;officials have said that move could take at least two years.

In an official Facebook post on Sunday, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said he had chosen to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv - siding with the United States in a dispute over Jerusalem's status - after talking to Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Guatemala with a "God bless you" on Monday for deciding to move its embassy to Jerusalem, while the Palestinians said the Central American country was "on the wrong side of history". In an official Facebook post on Sunday, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said he had chosen to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv - siding with the United States in a dispute over Jerusalem's status - after talking to Netanyahu. US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Dec. 6, reversing decades of U.S. policy and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies. On Thursday, 128 countries rebuked Trump by backing a non-binding UN General Assembly resolution calling on the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem. "God bless you, my friend, President Jimmy Morales, God bless both our countries, Israel and Guatemala," Netanyahu said, switching to English, in remarks to a weekly meeting of his Likud party faction in parliament. Guatemala and neighbouring Honduras were two of only a handful of countries to join Israel and the United States, which has pledged to move its embassy to Jerusalem, in voting against the U.N. resolution. The United States is an important source of assistance to Guatemala and Honduras, and Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that supported the U.N. resolution. The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they want to establish in the occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki as saying that Morales was "dragging his country to the wrong side of history by committing a flagrant violation of international law". Prior to 1980, Guatemala - along with Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, The Netherlands, Panama, Venezuela and Uruguay - maintained an embassy in Jerusalem. Israel's passage in June 1980 of a law proclaiming Jerusalem its "indivisible and eternal capital" led to a UN Security Council resolution calling upon those countries to move their embassies to Tel Aviv, prompting their transfer. Israel's ambassador to Guatemala, Matty Cohen, said on Army Radio that no date had been set for the embassy move, "but it will happen after" the United States relocates its own embassy to Jerusalem. US officials have said that move could take at least two years.

'God bless you', Netanyahu tells Guatemalan president over Jerusalem embassy move

Mahmud Abbas, the president of Palestine has said that his country will not accept any peace proposal by the United States.&nbsp;

He said, &quot;&nbsp;The United States has proven to be a dishonest mediator in the peace process and we will no longer accept any plan from the United States.&quot;

Abbas also hit out at US efforts to intimidate countries ahead of a vote at the United Nations.

&quot;I hope that the others will learn the lesson and understand that you cannot impose solutions by using money and trying to buy off countries,&quot; he said.

President Abbas&#39;s&nbsp;remarks came in a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.&nbsp;

The French President had said in the meeting that the United States had &quot;marginalised itself&quot; in the Israel-Palestine conflict. 
 
Macron&#39;s claims came in response to US&nbsp;recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.&nbsp;

He said, &quot;The Americans have marginalised themselves and I am trying to not do the same thing.&quot;

Macron and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas&#39;s conducted&nbsp;a joint press conference after their meeting.

French President Macron had also ruled out recognising a Palestinian state in the short term.

Earlier this month Donald Trump had recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital. Following which, the United Nations had condemned President Donald Trump&#39;s move.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Abbas said 'The United States has proven to be a dishonest mediator in the peace process and we will no longer accept any plan from the United States.'

Mahmud Abbas, the president of Palestine has said that his country will not accept any peace proposal by the United States. He said, " The United States has proven to be a dishonest mediator in the peace process and we will no longer accept any plan from the United States." Abbas also hit out at US efforts to intimidate countries ahead of a vote at the United Nations. "I hope that the others will learn the lesson and understand that you cannot impose solutions by using money and trying to buy off countries," he said. President Abbas's remarks came in a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. The French President had said in the meeting that the United States had "marginalised itself" in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Macron's claims came in response to US recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He said, "The Americans have marginalised themselves and I am trying to not do the same thing." Macron and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's conducted a joint press conference after their meeting. French President Macron had also ruled out recognising a Palestinian state in the short term. Earlier this month Donald Trump had recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Following which, the United Nations had condemned President Donald Trump's move.

Palestinian President calls US dishonest mediator, says will not accept US peace plan

united-states

United States, News on United States, stories on United States, articles on United States, United States stories at Wion, United States news, United States latest news

united states