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In a bid to highlight religious persecution in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-un-envoy-meets-unga-president-discusses-kashmir-issue-245943">Pakistan</a>, a US-based Sindhi organisation is planning to hold a protest against abduction and forceful conversion of Hindu girls from the community during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-narendra-modi-to-attend-united-nation-general-assembly-meet-in-september-235507">(UNGA) session</a> in New York on September 26.

Sindhi Foundation, which has frequently raised the issue of forced conversion of girls in Pakistan, will hold a demonstration under the banner of SaveSindhiGirl.

The body has noted that there is an escalation of forced conversion in the country.

Every year, around 1,000 young Sindhi Hindu girls between the age of 12 and 28 are abducted, forcibly married and converted to Islam.

Every month between 40 to 60 Sindhi girls are converted.

According to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/united-nations-intervention-sought-after-deteriorating-human-rights-situation-in-pakistani-province-206647">Pakistan's own human rights</a> commission from January 2004 to May 2018, there were 7,430 cases of such abductions of Sindhi girls in Pakistan.

The actual number is estimated to be much higher as most of the cases go unreported.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, families who report their daughters as missing are often ignored by the police and their First Information Report (FIR) is never submitted. Therefore, girls are left with their abductors, where they are often coerced into silence through threats or use of violence against them or their families.

During the UNGA meeting, Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to address the session.

The foundation has said that there is involvement of influential political leaders with links with the Army in the forced conversion of young girls. &nbsp;

Among them is one prominent name, Mian Mitho, a religious leader and politician, who has participated in countless conversions of young Sindhi girls.

He has close connections with both the Army and Imran Khan who have allowed him to do so without receiving any punishment for his actions.

Pakistan has been condemned internationally for cracking down on the minorities living in their countries.

Islamabad has also reportedly been discriminating against its religious minorities which is manifested in various forms of targeted violence, mass murders, extrajudicial killings, abduction, rapes, forced conversion to Islam, etc., making the Pakistani Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyyas, and Shias one of the most persecuted minorities in the region.

Last month, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada had raised the issue of suppression of religious freedom by China and Pakistan and slammed the two Asian nations for "persecuting and repressing" their religious minorities.

During the meet on Safety of Religious Minorities, the US, UK, and Canada expressed concerns over the increasing, widespread and undue restrictions on religious freedom in the two countries.

They also highlighted the discrimination suffered by the Uyghur community in China and of Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan.

In a bid to highlight religious persecution in Pakistan, a US-based Sindhi organisation is planning to hold a protest against abduction and forceful conversion of Hindu girls from the community during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York on September 26.

In a bid to highlight religious persecution in Pakistan, a US-based Sindhi organisation is planning to hold a protest against abduction and forceful conversion of Hindu girls from the community during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York on September 26. Sindhi Foundation, which has frequently raised the issue of forced conversion of girls in Pakistan, will hold a demonstration under the banner of SaveSindhiGirl. The body has noted that there is an escalation of forced conversion in the country. Every year, around 1,000 young Sindhi Hindu girls between the age of 12 and 28 are abducted, forcibly married and converted to Islam. Every month between 40 to 60 Sindhi girls are converted. According to Pakistan's own human rights commission from January 2004 to May 2018, there were 7,430 cases of such abductions of Sindhi girls in Pakistan. The actual number is estimated to be much higher as most of the cases go unreported. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, families who report their daughters as missing are often ignored by the police and their First Information Report (FIR) is never submitted. Therefore, girls are left with their abductors, where they are often coerced into silence through threats or use of violence against them or their families. During the UNGA meeting, Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to address the session. The foundation has said that there is involvement of influential political leaders with links with the Army in the forced conversion of young girls. Among them is one prominent name, Mian Mitho, a religious leader and politician, who has participated in countless conversions of young Sindhi girls. He has close connections with both the Army and Imran Khan who have allowed him to do so without receiving any punishment for his actions. Pakistan has been condemned internationally for cracking down on the minorities living in their countries. Islamabad has also reportedly been discriminating against its religious minorities which is manifested in various forms of targeted violence, mass murders, extrajudicial killings, abduction, rapes, forced conversion to Islam, etc., making the Pakistani Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyyas, and Shias one of the most persecuted minorities in the region. Last month, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada had raised the issue of suppression of religious freedom by China and Pakistan and slammed the two Asian nations for "persecuting and repressing" their religious minorities. During the meet on Safety of Religious Minorities, the US, UK, and Canada expressed concerns over the increasing, widespread and undue restrictions on religious freedom in the two countries. They also highlighted the discrimination suffered by the Uyghur community in China and of Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan.

Sindhi Foundation to hold protest against forceful conversion of girls in Pakistan during UNGA

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday granted a request by President Donald Trump`s administration to fully enforce a new rule that would curtail asylum applications by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-give-additional-120-million-to-help-venezuelan-migrants-247770">immigrants </a>at the US-Mexico border, a key element of his hardline <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-deny-citizenship-to-immigrants-who-use-public-benefits-us-242502">immigration policies</a>.

The court said the rule, which requires most<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/few-immigrants-fit-the-legal-definition-of-global-refugees-239846"> immigrants</a> who want asylum to first seek safe haven in a third country through which they travelled on their way to the United States, could go into effect as litigation challenging its legality continues.

Among the nine judges on the court, liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented.

The court`s ruling handed a victory to Trump at a time when much of his immigration agenda had been struck down by lower courts. "BIG United States Supreme Court WIN for the Border on Asylum!" Trump said on Twitter.

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The rule would bar almost all <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shock-investment-urged-to-stem-flow-of-central-american-migrants-245236">immigrants</a> from applying for asylum at the southern border. It represents the latest effort by Trump`s administration to crack down on immigration, a signature issue during his presidency and 2020 re-election bid.

The American Civil Liberties Union and others who challenged the administration`s policy in federal court said it violates US immigration law and accused the administration of failing to follow the correct legal process in issuing the rule, which was unveiled on July 15.

In her dissent, Sotomayor said that the government`s rule may be in significant tension with the asylum statute.

"It is especially concerning, moreover, that the rule the government promulgated topples decades of settled asylum practices and affects some of the most vulnerable people in the Western Hemisphere — without affording the public a chance to weigh in."

Eight days after the rule went into effect in July, California-based US District Judge Jon Tigar issued a nationwide injunction blocking it.

Then began a back-and-forth between Tigar and the 9th Circuit, which scaled back the injunction so that the Trump rule was blocked in the border states of California and Arizona while in effect in Texas and New Mexico.

Tigar ruled to restore the nationwide ban on Monday, but the 9th Circuit scaled it back again on Tuesday night.

They were both trumped by Supreme Court, which will allow the asylum restriction to remain in place until the underlying legality of the rule is determined at trial.

"This is just a temporary step, and we`re hopeful we`ll prevail at the end of the day," ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said. "The lives of thousands of families are at stake."

The Republican president`s administration issued the rule in an attempt to reduce the surging number of asylum claims primarily by Central American migrants who have crossed the US-Mexico border in large numbers during his presidency.

The rule would block nearly all families and individuals from countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala from entering the United States as asylum seekers after crossing through Mexico. The rule would keep asylum protections for Mexican citizens.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said the Trump administration was "pleased" by the Supreme Court`s decision, which he said rejected an "erroneous" ruling by the lower court judge.

But Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the US House of Representatives` Judiciary Committee, and Zoe Lofgren, the head of the judiciary panel`s immigration subcommittee, called the court`s decision disappointing.

"Lives will be lost. This rule will result in those fleeing fear and persecution to be turned away at our doorstep and will only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the region," they said in a statement.

Government argued right to set policy

The rule drew legal challenges including from a coalition of groups represented by the ACLU who accused the administration of pursuing an "asylum ban" and jeopardizing the safety of migrants fleeing persecution.

In the administration`s request to fully enforce the rule, US Solicitor General Noel Francisco asked the Supreme Court to issue a stay blocking the injunction while litigation over the issue proceeds because the judge`s order interferes with the government`s authority to establish immigration policy.

The administration said the rule screens out asylum claims that are unlikely to succeed and "deters aliens without a genuine need for asylum from making the arduous and potentially dangerous journey from Central America to the United States."

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday granted a request by President Donald Trump`s administration to fully enforce a new rule that would curtail asylum applications by immigrants at the US-Mexico border, a key element of his hardline immigration policies.

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday granted a request by President Donald Trump`s administration to fully enforce a new rule that would curtail asylum applications by immigrants at the US-Mexico border, a key element of his hardline immigration policies. The court said the rule, which requires most immigrants who want asylum to first seek safe haven in a third country through which they travelled on their way to the United States, could go into effect as litigation challenging its legality continues. Among the nine judges on the court, liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented. The court`s ruling handed a victory to Trump at a time when much of his immigration agenda had been struck down by lower courts. "BIG United States Supreme Court WIN for the Border on Asylum!" Trump said on Twitter. BIG United States Supreme Court WIN for the Border on Asylum! https://t.co/9Ka00qK1Ob — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2019 × The rule would bar almost all immigrants from applying for asylum at the southern border. It represents the latest effort by Trump`s administration to crack down on immigration, a signature issue during his presidency and 2020 re-election bid. The American Civil Liberties Union and others who challenged the administration`s policy in federal court said it violates US immigration law and accused the administration of failing to follow the correct legal process in issuing the rule, which was unveiled on July 15. In her dissent, Sotomayor said that the government`s rule may be in significant tension with the asylum statute. "It is especially concerning, moreover, that the rule the government promulgated topples decades of settled asylum practices and affects some of the most vulnerable people in the Western Hemisphere — without affording the public a chance to weigh in." Eight days after the rule went into effect in July, California-based US District Judge Jon Tigar issued a nationwide injunction blocking it. Then began a back-and-forth between Tigar and the 9th Circuit, which scaled back the injunction so that the Trump rule was blocked in the border states of California and Arizona while in effect in Texas and New Mexico. Tigar ruled to restore the nationwide ban on Monday, but the 9th Circuit scaled it back again on Tuesday night. They were both trumped by Supreme Court, which will allow the asylum restriction to remain in place until the underlying legality of the rule is determined at trial. "This is just a temporary step, and we`re hopeful we`ll prevail at the end of the day," ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said. "The lives of thousands of families are at stake." The Republican president`s administration issued the rule in an attempt to reduce the surging number of asylum claims primarily by Central American migrants who have crossed the US-Mexico border in large numbers during his presidency. The rule would block nearly all families and individuals from countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala from entering the United States as asylum seekers after crossing through Mexico. The rule would keep asylum protections for Mexican citizens. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said the Trump administration was "pleased" by the Supreme Court`s decision, which he said rejected an "erroneous" ruling by the lower court judge. But Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the US House of Representatives` Judiciary Committee, and Zoe Lofgren, the head of the judiciary panel`s immigration subcommittee, called the court`s decision disappointing. "Lives will be lost. This rule will result in those fleeing fear and persecution to be turned away at our doorstep and will only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the region," they said in a statement. Government argued right to set policy The rule drew legal challenges including from a coalition of groups represented by the ACLU who accused the administration of pursuing an "asylum ban" and jeopardizing the safety of migrants fleeing persecution. In the administration`s request to fully enforce the rule, US Solicitor General Noel Francisco asked the Supreme Court to issue a stay blocking the injunction while litigation over the issue proceeds because the judge`s order interferes with the government`s authority to establish immigration policy. The administration said the rule screens out asylum claims that are unlikely to succeed and "deters aliens without a genuine need for asylum from making the arduous and potentially dangerous journey from Central America to the United States."

US Supreme Court allows Trump to deny asylum to many Central Americans

Iran’s ambassador to India, Ali Chegini, recently urged New Delhi to follow an independent line and take advantage of the opportunities presented by Iran in the oil and gas sector.&nbsp;

To buttress his point, he showcased how Beijing had refused to follow the sanctions imposed by the US targeting Iran’s oil and financial sectors.&nbsp;

According to Chegini, China had agreed to invest $280 billion in Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemical sectors that are being affected by US sanctions. As compared to China, India’s reaction is a tame capitulation to the American diktat.&nbsp;

China is receiving oil shipments from a larger number of Iranian tankers defying sanctions imposed by the United States to strangulate Tehran’s main source of income, because it clearly prizes self-interest over American unilateralism.&nbsp;

As it is, China, as Tehran’s top trading partner, receives the largest share of Iran’s crude exports. Besides, being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, it is able to neutralise America. It is sad to see India looking like a US lackey.

That India is feeling the pressure of US sanctions is evident from reports that New Delhi has reportedly directed at least one of the refiners to devise a payment mechanism that would avoid the US banking system in an effort to avoid exposure to American secondary sanctions.

Indian refiners had established a rupee-based barter system to pay for Iranian crude oil several years ago when paying in dollars was not an option.&nbsp;

Now that India is trying to find newer pastures to compensate its loss to Iran with supplies from the US and Venezuela, she is mulling an escape route to bypass US sanctions in its transactions with Venezuela.

How long will this subterfuge work? If the Trump administration decides to punish the People’s Bank of China or other Chinese banks that engage in transactions with the Central Bank of Iran, or penalise energy giant Sinopec, which, like Zhuhai Zhenrong, also imports oil from Iran, there would be massive trade repercussions and the headwinds might well shoot up fuel prices.

Iran is forging strong political links with American rivals such as China and Russia, and with India, that was formally, till the other day, “non-aligned”.&nbsp;

Iran’s link to China and India in terms of the role that Iranian oil and gas has played in their rapid economic growth is incontestable.&nbsp;

Beijing’s relatively new commercial and political relationship with Tehran, for example, that is still in its infancy as compared to India, has been created and sustained by an insatiable Chinese thirst for oil that its domestic production has failed to quench since the early to mid-1990s.&nbsp;

The Trump Administration’s decision to permanently end all sanction waivers earlier this year has forced India to not just slash Iranian crude imports, but to stop them altogether.&nbsp;

Even during the Iran–Iraq war, India shifted its oil supplies away from Iraq and Iran to elsewhere in the Gulf, but took care to keep good relations with both countries.

The first bilateral visit of Prime Minister Narsimha Rao to Iran took place in 1993 and a year later, Iran prevented Pakistan from tabling a resolution critical of India on the Kashmir issue at the UN Human Rights Commission. Rao’s understanding was that India had more in common with Shia Iran than with the ‘increasingly Wahhabised Arab world’.&nbsp;

In 2003, during Iranian President Khatami’s visit to New Delhi as a guest of honour on Republic Day, the two countries signed the New Delhi Declaration calling for a strategic partnership.&nbsp;

India has traditionally declined to be seen as being required to gang up with the United States against Iran. At the end of the day, it is time to question if the Trump administration’s goal of putting “maximum pressure” on Iran will work.

Importantly, in the face of the US President’s unpredictability – given that sanctions can hardly bring a regime down to its knees – how can India jettison so much at stake?&nbsp; 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-iran-jettisoning-energy-stakes-for-america-s-sake-2789104">original article</a>) 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Iran’s ambassador to India, Ali Chegini, recently urged New Delhi to follow an independent line and take advantage of the opportunities presented by Iran in the oil and gas sector.

Iran’s ambassador to India, Ali Chegini, recently urged New Delhi to follow an independent line and take advantage of the opportunities presented by Iran in the oil and gas sector. To buttress his point, he showcased how Beijing had refused to follow the sanctions imposed by the US targeting Iran’s oil and financial sectors. According to Chegini, China had agreed to invest $280 billion in Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemical sectors that are being affected by US sanctions. As compared to China, India’s reaction is a tame capitulation to the American diktat. China is receiving oil shipments from a larger number of Iranian tankers defying sanctions imposed by the United States to strangulate Tehran’s main source of income, because it clearly prizes self-interest over American unilateralism. As it is, China, as Tehran’s top trading partner, receives the largest share of Iran’s crude exports. Besides, being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, it is able to neutralise America. It is sad to see India looking like a US lackey. That India is feeling the pressure of US sanctions is evident from reports that New Delhi has reportedly directed at least one of the refiners to devise a payment mechanism that would avoid the US banking system in an effort to avoid exposure to American secondary sanctions. Indian refiners had established a rupee-based barter system to pay for Iranian crude oil several years ago when paying in dollars was not an option. Now that India is trying to find newer pastures to compensate its loss to Iran with supplies from the US and Venezuela, she is mulling an escape route to bypass US sanctions in its transactions with Venezuela. How long will this subterfuge work? If the Trump administration decides to punish the People’s Bank of China or other Chinese banks that engage in transactions with the Central Bank of Iran, or penalise energy giant Sinopec, which, like Zhuhai Zhenrong, also imports oil from Iran, there would be massive trade repercussions and the headwinds might well shoot up fuel prices. Iran is forging strong political links with American rivals such as China and Russia, and with India, that was formally, till the other day, “non-aligned”. Iran’s link to China and India in terms of the role that Iranian oil and gas has played in their rapid economic growth is incontestable. Beijing’s relatively new commercial and political relationship with Tehran, for example, that is still in its infancy as compared to India, has been created and sustained by an insatiable Chinese thirst for oil that its domestic production has failed to quench since the early to mid-1990s. The Trump Administration’s decision to permanently end all sanction waivers earlier this year has forced India to not just slash Iranian crude imports, but to stop them altogether. Even during the Iran–Iraq war, India shifted its oil supplies away from Iraq and Iran to elsewhere in the Gulf, but took care to keep good relations with both countries. The first bilateral visit of Prime Minister Narsimha Rao to Iran took place in 1993 and a year later, Iran prevented Pakistan from tabling a resolution critical of India on the Kashmir issue at the UN Human Rights Commission. Rao’s understanding was that India had more in common with Shia Iran than with the ‘increasingly Wahhabised Arab world’. In 2003, during Iranian President Khatami’s visit to New Delhi as a guest of honour on Republic Day, the two countries signed the New Delhi Declaration calling for a strategic partnership. India has traditionally declined to be seen as being required to gang up with the United States against Iran. At the end of the day, it is time to question if the Trump administration’s goal of putting “maximum pressure” on Iran will work. Importantly, in the face of the US President’s unpredictability – given that sanctions can hardly bring a regime down to its knees – how can India jettison so much at stake? (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Iran: Jettisoning energy stakes for America’s sake

Hong Kong activists called off protests on Wednesday in remembrance of September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and denounced a Chinese state newspaper report that they were planning "massive terror" in the Chinese-ruled city.

Hong Kong has been rocked by months of sometimes violent unrest, prompted by anger over planned legislation that would have allowed extraditions to China but broadening into calls for democracy and for Communist Party rulers in Beijing to leave the city alone.

"Anti-government fanatics are planning massive terror attacks, including blowing up gas pipes, in Hong Kong on September 11," the Hong Kong edition of the China Daily said on its Facebook page on Tuesday alongside a picture of the attacks on the twin towers in New York.

"The 9/11 terror plot also encourages indiscriminate attacks on non-native speakers of Cantonese and starting mountain fires," it said.

The Facebook post said, "leaked information was part of the strategy being schemed by radical protesters in their online chat rooms".

The former British colony of Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland, including an independent legal system, triggering the anger over the extradition bill.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has said she will withdraw the bill but many Hong Kong residents fear Beijing is steadily eroding the city's autonomy. 
China denies meddling and has accused the United States, Britain and others of fomenting the unrest.

"We don’t even need to do a fact check to know that this is fake news," protester Michael, 24, said of the China Daily post.

"The state media doesn’t care about its credibility. Whenever something they claimed to have heard on WhatsApp or friends’ friends, they will spread it right away," he said.

The protesters called off action on Wednesday.

"In solidarity against terrorism, all forms of protest in Hong Kong will be suspended on September&nbsp;11, apart from potential singing and chanting," they said in a statement.

Protester Karen, 23, said the China Daily report was worrying.

“When they try to frame the whole protest with those words, it alarms me. They are predicting rather than reporting," she said. "I think people calling it off today is a nice move.

The protests spread to the sports field on Tuesday, as many football fans defied Chinese law to boo the national anthem ahead of a soccer World Cup qualifier against Iran.

Several peaceful protests are planned for the coming days, combining with festivities marking the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Hong Kong activists called off protests on Wednesday in remembrance of September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and denounced a Chinese state newspaper report that they were planning "massive terror" in the Chinese-ruled city.

Hong Kong activists called off protests on Wednesday in remembrance of September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and denounced a Chinese state newspaper report that they were planning "massive terror" in the Chinese-ruled city. Hong Kong has been rocked by months of sometimes violent unrest, prompted by anger over planned legislation that would have allowed extraditions to China but broadening into calls for democracy and for Communist Party rulers in Beijing to leave the city alone. "Anti-government fanatics are planning massive terror attacks, including blowing up gas pipes, in Hong Kong on September 11," the Hong Kong edition of the China Daily said on its Facebook page on Tuesday alongside a picture of the attacks on the twin towers in New York. "The 9/11 terror plot also encourages indiscriminate attacks on non-native speakers of Cantonese and starting mountain fires," it said. The Facebook post said, "leaked information was part of the strategy being schemed by radical protesters in their online chat rooms". The former British colony of Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland, including an independent legal system, triggering the anger over the extradition bill. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has said she will withdraw the bill but many Hong Kong residents fear Beijing is steadily eroding the city's autonomy. China denies meddling and has accused the United States, Britain and others of fomenting the unrest. "We don’t even need to do a fact check to know that this is fake news," protester Michael, 24, said of the China Daily post. "The state media doesn’t care about its credibility. Whenever something they claimed to have heard on WhatsApp or friends’ friends, they will spread it right away," he said. The protesters called off action on Wednesday. "In solidarity against terrorism, all forms of protest in Hong Kong will be suspended on September 11, apart from potential singing and chanting," they said in a statement. Protester Karen, 23, said the China Daily report was worrying. “When they try to frame the whole protest with those words, it alarms me. They are predicting rather than reporting," she said. "I think people calling it off today is a nice move. The protests spread to the sports field on Tuesday, as many football fans defied Chinese law to boo the national anthem ahead of a soccer World Cup qualifier against Iran. Several peaceful protests are planned for the coming days, combining with festivities marking the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Hong Kong protesters hit pause to mark September 11 attacks

A lower price tag and new features may not be enough for Apple Inc to win customers for its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/new-iphones-to-share-limelight-as-apple-revs-up-services-248911">newly-launched iPhone 11</a> series in China, the world's largest smartphone market that is already crowded with cheaper and feature-packed rival handsets.

Apple's unveiling of three new iPhones in California met with a limp reaction on Wednesday from analysts and on social media in China, where the US&nbsp;giant has been losing ground to competitors in recent years.

"More competitive aggressive pricing and a better camera would be its selling points, but the market is still full of challenges, both market competition and macroeconomic factors," said Will Wong, who tracks China's phone market at research firm IDC.

The iPhone 11 will have two back cameras, including an ultra-wide-angle lens and the next generation of microchips, the A13.

Prices start at $699, down from last year's new iPhone that started at $749. Apple also dropped the price of last year's equivalent model iPhone XR by $150.

The more expensive iPhone 11 Pro will have three cameras on the back and starts at $999. The bigger screen iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at $1,099.

As anticipated, none will be fifth generation-enabled, which puts the phones a step behind 5G models already released by Huawei Technologies and smaller rival Vivo.

"Since we still have to wait a year for 5G, why not just buy Huawei on Monday," said one user on China's Twitter-like service Weibo.

One meme doing the rounds on social media featured Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook bragging about the new features and Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer business group, shutting him down by pointing out that Huawei has had those features for years.

When it came to features, one of the main draws of the new launch for US&nbsp;buyers,&nbsp;a $5 per month Netflix-like streaming service&nbsp;will not be available in China.

Price competition&nbsp;

Apple's share of the China market in the June quarter fell to 5.8 per cent&nbsp;from 6.4 per cent&nbsp;in the year-earlier period, according to research firm Canalys, as Huawei experienced a surge in support from Chinese consumers after the brand was caught up in a trade war between the United States and China.

Counterpoint analyst Neil Shah said the entry price, while lower by Apple, remains high compared to local rivals.

Combined with the lack of 5G, which made the new iPhones "less attractive and future-proof" for Chinese consumers, Shah said, forecasting that Apple will sell 30-35 million iPhones in China this year, down from 63 million phones in 2015.

Still, some analysts said that Apple's decision to lower the entry price for the new iPhone, one of the most discussed topics on Weibo on Wednesday, was a positive sign.

"We think the lower iPhone 11 price point and trade-in program will help promote upgrades, specifically in China, while the Apple Arcade and TV+ offerings will hep accelerate services growth," CFRA analyst Angelo Zino said in a research note.

The new phones will be available to order on Friday and start shipping September 20.

A lower price tag and new features may not be enough for Apple Inc to win customers for its newly-launched iPhone 11 series in China, the world's largest smartphone market that is already crowded with cheaper and feature-packed rival handsets.

A lower price tag and new features may not be enough for Apple Inc to win customers for its newly-launched iPhone 11 series in China, the world's largest smartphone market that is already crowded with cheaper and feature-packed rival handsets. Apple's unveiling of three new iPhones in California met with a limp reaction on Wednesday from analysts and on social media in China, where the US giant has been losing ground to competitors in recent years. "More competitive aggressive pricing and a better camera would be its selling points, but the market is still full of challenges, both market competition and macroeconomic factors," said Will Wong, who tracks China's phone market at research firm IDC. The iPhone 11 will have two back cameras, including an ultra-wide-angle lens and the next generation of microchips, the A13. Prices start at $699, down from last year's new iPhone that started at $749. Apple also dropped the price of last year's equivalent model iPhone XR by $150. The more expensive iPhone 11 Pro will have three cameras on the back and starts at $999. The bigger screen iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at $1,099. As anticipated, none will be fifth generation-enabled, which puts the phones a step behind 5G models already released by Huawei Technologies and smaller rival Vivo. "Since we still have to wait a year for 5G, why not just buy Huawei on Monday," said one user on China's Twitter-like service Weibo. One meme doing the rounds on social media featured Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook bragging about the new features and Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer business group, shutting him down by pointing out that Huawei has had those features for years. When it came to features, one of the main draws of the new launch for US buyers, a $5 per month Netflix-like streaming service will not be available in China. Price competition Apple's share of the China market in the June quarter fell to 5.8 per cent from 6.4 per cent in the year-earlier period, according to research firm Canalys, as Huawei experienced a surge in support from Chinese consumers after the brand was caught up in a trade war between the United States and China. Counterpoint analyst Neil Shah said the entry price, while lower by Apple, remains high compared to local rivals. Combined with the lack of 5G, which made the new iPhones "less attractive and future-proof" for Chinese consumers, Shah said, forecasting that Apple will sell 30-35 million iPhones in China this year, down from 63 million phones in 2015. Still, some analysts said that Apple's decision to lower the entry price for the new iPhone, one of the most discussed topics on Weibo on Wednesday, was a positive sign. "We think the lower iPhone 11 price point and trade-in program will help promote upgrades, specifically in China, while the Apple Arcade and TV+ offerings will hep accelerate services growth," CFRA analyst Angelo Zino said in a research note. The new phones will be available to order on Friday and start shipping September 20.

Tepid reaction for Apple's new iPhones in China amid tough competition

President Donald Trump said Monday that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-us-taliban-talks-cancelled-impact-on-india-248667">negotiations with the Taliban “are dead”</a> and indicated that he had no further interest in meeting with the group over an end to the Afghanistan war.

The weakness of the US-Taliban negotiations resided in the fact that they concentrated on relatively narrow War on Terror yardsticks including withdrawal of American forces, a cease-fire, intra-Afghan negotiations to follow, and guarantees by the Taliban not to harbor terrorist groups.

It was a list of exit criteria, not a strategy for addressing the regional nation-state dynamics of which the Afghan conflict is fundamentally a biproduct.

The War in Afghanistan has its origins in the decades-old antagonism between Pakistan and India spawned by the violence-punctuated partition of the British Indian Empire in August 1947.

Since partition, Pakistan and India have fought three wars (1947, 1965, 1971), clashed in the 1999 Kargil Conflict and engaged in many other armed skirmishes, particularly along the Line of Control in Kashmir.

Pakistan has always viewed Afghanistan as a necessary client-state, a security buffer against what they consider potential Indian encirclement and as a springboard to extend their own influence into the resource-rich areas of Central Asia.

Not surprisingly, Pakistani interference in Afghanistan long pre-dated Soviet and American involvement during the 1980s.

As early as the 1950s, Pakistan began inserting into Afghanistan Islamists associated with the its Jamaat-e-Islami party.

In 1974, then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto set up a cell within Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) to begin managing dissident Islamists in Afghanistan, which mounted two failed Islamist coups in 1974 and 1975.

During the late 1970s, under President Zia ul-Haq, Pakistan pursued a policy of aggressive “Islamization” with the proliferation of religious schools “madrasas” and religious political parties, resulting in a society that became ever more extreme and intolerant.

Two parallel experiences have had significant influence on Pakistan’s present-day foreign policy: (1) the successful 1980s mujahideen war to oust the Soviet Union from Afghanistan with the subsequent Pakistan-sponsored Taliban control of Afghanistan and (2) Pakistan’s 1998 development of nuclear weapons.

That is, Islamist fighters were found to be useful proxies for the Pakistani military and the ISI, particularly against India and Afghanistan and that retaliation for the use of those 4th generation warfare operations could be largely “immunized” by Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella.

That joint policy has led to years of attacks by Pakistan-based terrorists against India.

The prelude to America’s current involvement in Afghanistan and the main failure of the Reagan Administration’s Afghanistan policy was letting the Central Intelligence Agency blindly outsource mujahideen funding to Pakistan’s ISI, which funneled American money and arms, not to Afghan nationalists like Ahmad Shah Massoud, but to pro-Pakistani Islamists such as Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Jalaluddin Haqqani.

It is an undisputed fact that the Taliban were created by the ISI beginning in 1994 as a means to intervene in the Afghan civil war and influence the outcome in favor of Pakistani national interests when its previous favored Islamist, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, failed in that effort.

If anything, Pakistan’s behavior has been consistent. It has successfully exploited US&nbsp;short-term goals while pursuing its long-term regional interests, mostly those contrary to our own.

While the US&nbsp;has been fighting the War on Terror in Afghanistan since 2001, Pakistan has been using the Taliban as a proxy to control Afghanistan as part of its struggle with India and to promote the foreign policy ambitions of its “all weather” ally, China.

Even within the context of US-Taliban negotiations, Pakistan attempted to leverage its position by pushing for the Taliban to have an outsize political role in Kabul once foreign forces leave and to press for foreign intervention in its conflict with India over Kashmir, something India rejects.

The contents of the US-Taliban agreement that appeared publicly did not adequately address future strategic challenges. The de facto surrendering of Afghanistan to the control of Pakistan’s Taliban proxy could have dangerous, perhaps even conflicting ramifications.

First, Pakistan, not Afghanistan, is the epicenter of regional Islamic militancy and an exporter of jihad.

Second, China’s growing geopolitical strength and its increased presence in Pakistan have changed the strategic dynamics of the region, largely rendering whatever remains of US South Asian policy obsolete.&nbsp;

The future threat is from China in the form of the Chinese-Pakistani alliance. China’s aim is to dominate South Asia, first economically based on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and then militarily using its alliance with Pakistan to establish military bases, particularly on Pakistan’s Arabian Sea coast, thus controlling vital maritime lanes and the mouth of the Persian Gulf.

Those bases would provide a critical link between China’s military facilities in the South China Sea and its naval base in Djibouti at the entrance of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

The only bargaining chip the US&nbsp;has had in the Afghan negotiations is our diminishing “presence,” which is clearly unsustainable, given the Taliban’s continuing pursuit of a military solution and the prospect of a “Dien Bien Phu” at Bagram airbase.

Between now and the beginning of a final withdrawal, the US&nbsp;should be identifying additional forms of influence as a basis for a new South Asian strategy.

A new strategy for South Asia should focus on preventing Chinese-Pakistani domination of the region or any US&nbsp;adversary from benefitting from our withdrawal by using all the elements of US power – diplomatic, informational, military and economic.

From a politico-military standpoint, two approaches, operating in parallel, are required.

We should adopt a traditional containment policy, applying regional diplomacy, especially greater cooperation with India and augmenting US&nbsp;naval and air power projection to counter Chinese attempts to box-in US forces in the Persian Gulf area and outflank the US naval base at Diego Garcia.

Additionally, increased financial and economic pressure needs to be applied to Pakistan to restrain its use of terrorist proxies as an element of its foreign policy.

In order to maintain a balance of power, the US should use strategic disruption, not of China directly, but of its plans to dominate the region.

Tactically, that would involve managing and, when necessary, exploiting the inherent conflicts in South Asia including state-to-state disputes, the Sunni-Shia divide and ethnic separatism within Pakistan such as the Balochistan independence insurgency and the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement fighting for civil rights in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

The center of gravity and also the weakest link of the China-Pakistan alliance is CPEC, which is the flagship of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a collection of infrastructure projects and a network of commercial agreements designed to link the entire world directly to the Chinese economy through inter-connected land-based and maritime routes.

The guarantor of that soft power approach is the hard power of Chinesemilitary expansion including Chinese bases to control the northern Indian Ocean.

CPEC transits two volatile regions, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, long disputed by India, and Balochistan, home of a festering ethnic insurgency since the partition of India in 1947, when the region was forcibly incorporated into Pakistan. Both are targets of opportunity for strategic disruption of Chinese-Pakistani regional ambitions.

It is late, but there may still be time to defeat Chinese South Asian ambitions “on the beaches.”

President Donald Trump said Monday that negotiations with the Taliban “are dead” and indicated that he had no further interest in meeting with the group over an end to the Afghanistan war.

President Donald Trump said Monday that negotiations with the Taliban “are dead” and indicated that he had no further interest in meeting with the group over an end to the Afghanistan war. The weakness of the US-Taliban negotiations resided in the fact that they concentrated on relatively narrow War on Terror yardsticks including withdrawal of American forces, a cease-fire, intra-Afghan negotiations to follow, and guarantees by the Taliban not to harbor terrorist groups. It was a list of exit criteria, not a strategy for addressing the regional nation-state dynamics of which the Afghan conflict is fundamentally a biproduct. The War in Afghanistan has its origins in the decades-old antagonism between Pakistan and India spawned by the violence-punctuated partition of the British Indian Empire in August 1947. Since partition, Pakistan and India have fought three wars (1947, 1965, 1971), clashed in the 1999 Kargil Conflict and engaged in many other armed skirmishes, particularly along the Line of Control in Kashmir. Pakistan has always viewed Afghanistan as a necessary client-state, a security buffer against what they consider potential Indian encirclement and as a springboard to extend their own influence into the resource-rich areas of Central Asia. Not surprisingly, Pakistani interference in Afghanistan long pre-dated Soviet and American involvement during the 1980s. As early as the 1950s, Pakistan began inserting into Afghanistan Islamists associated with the its Jamaat-e-Islami party. In 1974, then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto set up a cell within Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) to begin managing dissident Islamists in Afghanistan, which mounted two failed Islamist coups in 1974 and 1975. During the late 1970s, under President Zia ul-Haq, Pakistan pursued a policy of aggressive “Islamization” with the proliferation of religious schools “madrasas” and religious political parties, resulting in a society that became ever more extreme and intolerant. Two parallel experiences have had significant influence on Pakistan’s present-day foreign policy: (1) the successful 1980s mujahideen war to oust the Soviet Union from Afghanistan with the subsequent Pakistan-sponsored Taliban control of Afghanistan and (2) Pakistan’s 1998 development of nuclear weapons. That is, Islamist fighters were found to be useful proxies for the Pakistani military and the ISI, particularly against India and Afghanistan and that retaliation for the use of those 4th generation warfare operations could be largely “immunized” by Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella. That joint policy has led to years of attacks by Pakistan-based terrorists against India. The prelude to America’s current involvement in Afghanistan and the main failure of the Reagan Administration’s Afghanistan policy was letting the Central Intelligence Agency blindly outsource mujahideen funding to Pakistan’s ISI, which funneled American money and arms, not to Afghan nationalists like Ahmad Shah Massoud, but to pro-Pakistani Islamists such as Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Jalaluddin Haqqani. It is an undisputed fact that the Taliban were created by the ISI beginning in 1994 as a means to intervene in the Afghan civil war and influence the outcome in favor of Pakistani national interests when its previous favored Islamist, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, failed in that effort. If anything, Pakistan’s behavior has been consistent. It has successfully exploited US short-term goals while pursuing its long-term regional interests, mostly those contrary to our own. While the US has been fighting the War on Terror in Afghanistan since 2001, Pakistan has been using the Taliban as a proxy to control Afghanistan as part of its struggle with India and to promote the foreign policy ambitions of its “all weather” ally, China. Even within the context of US-Taliban negotiations, Pakistan attempted to leverage its position by pushing for the Taliban to have an outsize political role in Kabul once foreign forces leave and to press for foreign intervention in its conflict with India over Kashmir, something India rejects. The contents of the US-Taliban agreement that appeared publicly did not adequately address future strategic challenges. The de facto surrendering of Afghanistan to the control of Pakistan’s Taliban proxy could have dangerous, perhaps even conflicting ramifications. First, Pakistan, not Afghanistan, is the epicenter of regional Islamic militancy and an exporter of jihad. Second, China’s growing geopolitical strength and its increased presence in Pakistan have changed the strategic dynamics of the region, largely rendering whatever remains of US South Asian policy obsolete. The future threat is from China in the form of the Chinese-Pakistani alliance. China’s aim is to dominate South Asia, first economically based on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and then militarily using its alliance with Pakistan to establish military bases, particularly on Pakistan’s Arabian Sea coast, thus controlling vital maritime lanes and the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Those bases would provide a critical link between China’s military facilities in the South China Sea and its naval base in Djibouti at the entrance of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The only bargaining chip the US has had in the Afghan negotiations is our diminishing “presence,” which is clearly unsustainable, given the Taliban’s continuing pursuit of a military solution and the prospect of a “Dien Bien Phu” at Bagram airbase. Between now and the beginning of a final withdrawal, the US should be identifying additional forms of influence as a basis for a new South Asian strategy. A new strategy for South Asia should focus on preventing Chinese-Pakistani domination of the region or any US adversary from benefitting from our withdrawal by using all the elements of US power – diplomatic, informational, military and economic. From a politico-military standpoint, two approaches, operating in parallel, are required. We should adopt a traditional containment policy, applying regional diplomacy, especially greater cooperation with India and augmenting US naval and air power projection to counter Chinese attempts to box-in US forces in the Persian Gulf area and outflank the US naval base at Diego Garcia. Additionally, increased financial and economic pressure needs to be applied to Pakistan to restrain its use of terrorist proxies as an element of its foreign policy. In order to maintain a balance of power, the US should use strategic disruption, not of China directly, but of its plans to dominate the region. Tactically, that would involve managing and, when necessary, exploiting the inherent conflicts in South Asia including state-to-state disputes, the Sunni-Shia divide and ethnic separatism within Pakistan such as the Balochistan independence insurgency and the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement fighting for civil rights in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The center of gravity and also the weakest link of the China-Pakistan alliance is CPEC, which is the flagship of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a collection of infrastructure projects and a network of commercial agreements designed to link the entire world directly to the Chinese economy through inter-connected land-based and maritime routes. The guarantor of that soft power approach is the hard power of Chinesemilitary expansion including Chinese bases to control the northern Indian Ocean. CPEC transits two volatile regions, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, long disputed by India, and Balochistan, home of a festering ethnic insurgency since the partition of India in 1947, when the region was forcibly incorporated into Pakistan. Both are targets of opportunity for strategic disruption of Chinese-Pakistani regional ambitions. It is late, but there may still be time to defeat Chinese South Asian ambitions “on the beaches.”

The now dead US-Taliban talks lacked strategic vision

President Donald Trump wants US "interest rates down to zero, or less," he tweeted Wednesday amid widespread expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut rates later this month.

"We should then start to refinance our debt. Interest cost could be brought way down,&nbsp;while at the same time substantially lengthening the term," he added.

"It is only the naivete of Jay Powell and the Federal Reserve that doesn't allow us to do what other countries are already doing," he asserted.

"A once in a lifetime opportunity that we are missing because of 'Boneheads,"&nbsp;Trump said, in perhaps his most insulting comment to date about the US central bank.

As it becomes increasingly apparent that the US economy has slowed in 2019, in large part because of concerns about Trump's trade war with China, Trump has publicly berated Fed Chair Jerome Powell and the independent Fed for failing to loosen monetary policy fast enough.

The "Federal Reserve should get our interest rates down to zero, or less," Trump said.

Investors overwhelmingly expect the Fed to deliver a 25-basis-point rate cut next week. But cutting to zero would be an extreme move reserved only for a severe economic crisis.

After raising the benchmark lending rate four times last year, to a range of 2.0-2.25 per cent, the central bank cut in July for the first time in more than a decade, partly as insurance against the impact of trade uncertainties on the economy.

Powell has vowed to act to ensure that American economic expansion continues but warned the central bank has no "rulebook" for dealing with trade conflict.

Trump selected Powell to take over Fed leadership but has heaped constant criticism on him for his handling of the policy, even speculating about whether he may be a bigger "enemy" than Beijing.

With many of the world's central banks cutting rates amid signs of flagging economic growth, Trump says the Fed is putting the United States at a disadvantage.

He also has complained about the Fed's efforts to reduce its massive holdings of securities, that were built up during the 2008 global financial crisis after rates were cut to zero in an attempt to shore up the ravaged economy.

"We have the great currency, power, and balance sheet," he tweeted.

While the Fed is not expecting a recession, trade frictions, as well as slower global growth and persistently low inflation, are among the "significant risks" that policymakers are watching, the Fed chair said during a conversation at the University of Zurich on Friday.

The US economic landscape has shifted this year, as business investment has weakened noticeably, manufacturing has fallen into decline and job creation has slowed.

And with other world economies slowing, the US dollar has strengthened as investors find a safe haven in purchases of US assets like government debt.

The stronger dollar tends to make US exports more expensive.

The Fed chair noted, however, that unemployment had remained near historic lows for about 18 months while wages were rising, fueling consumer spending.

Powell, whom Trump promoted to Fed chairman last year, has reiterated that he and his Fed colleagues ignore such comments when they set monetary policy.

President Donald Trump wants US "interest rates down to zero, or less," he tweeted Wednesday amid widespread expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut rates later this month.

President Donald Trump wants US "interest rates down to zero, or less," he tweeted Wednesday amid widespread expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut rates later this month. "We should then start to refinance our debt. Interest cost could be brought way down, while at the same time substantially lengthening the term," he added. "It is only the naivete of Jay Powell and the Federal Reserve that doesn't allow us to do what other countries are already doing," he asserted. "A once in a lifetime opportunity that we are missing because of 'Boneheads," Trump said, in perhaps his most insulting comment to date about the US central bank. As it becomes increasingly apparent that the US economy has slowed in 2019, in large part because of concerns about Trump's trade war with China, Trump has publicly berated Fed Chair Jerome Powell and the independent Fed for failing to loosen monetary policy fast enough. The "Federal Reserve should get our interest rates down to zero, or less," Trump said. Investors overwhelmingly expect the Fed to deliver a 25-basis-point rate cut next week. But cutting to zero would be an extreme move reserved only for a severe economic crisis. After raising the benchmark lending rate four times last year, to a range of 2.0-2.25 per cent, the central bank cut in July for the first time in more than a decade, partly as insurance against the impact of trade uncertainties on the economy. Powell has vowed to act to ensure that American economic expansion continues but warned the central bank has no "rulebook" for dealing with trade conflict. Trump selected Powell to take over Fed leadership but has heaped constant criticism on him for his handling of the policy, even speculating about whether he may be a bigger "enemy" than Beijing. With many of the world's central banks cutting rates amid signs of flagging economic growth, Trump says the Fed is putting the United States at a disadvantage. He also has complained about the Fed's efforts to reduce its massive holdings of securities, that were built up during the 2008 global financial crisis after rates were cut to zero in an attempt to shore up the ravaged economy. "We have the great currency, power, and balance sheet," he tweeted. While the Fed is not expecting a recession, trade frictions, as well as slower global growth and persistently low inflation, are among the "significant risks" that policymakers are watching, the Fed chair said during a conversation at the University of Zurich on Friday. The US economic landscape has shifted this year, as business investment has weakened noticeably, manufacturing has fallen into decline and job creation has slowed. And with other world economies slowing, the US dollar has strengthened as investors find a safe haven in purchases of US assets like government debt. The stronger dollar tends to make US exports more expensive. The Fed chair noted, however, that unemployment had remained near historic lows for about 18 months while wages were rising, fueling consumer spending. Powell, whom Trump promoted to Fed chairman last year, has reiterated that he and his Fed colleagues ignore such comments when they set monetary policy.

Bring interest rates down to zero, or less: Trump to Federal Reserve

General Motors is recalling nearly 3.5 million vehicles because of a brake problem that increases the risk of a crash, according to documents published by a US safety agency.

The issue is with the vacuum pump, which can diminish vacuum over time, affecting braking and "extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash," according to a letter to GM from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

GM will notify owners of the issue, NHTSA said in the letter, which was dated September 10 and available Wednesday on the agency's website.

The issue affects nearly 3.5 million pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, including the Chevrolet Silverado (2014-2018), the GMC Sierra (2014-2018), the Chevrolet Suburban (2015-2018) and the Cadillac Escalade (2015-2017).

The company also is recalling around 180,000 Chevrolet Malibu cars over disabled fuel injectors; 91,000 Chevrolet Express models and GMC Savanas, from 2019, over a problem with the seatbelt light; and 3,400 Buick Enclaves and Chevrolet Traverses, from 2020, over a crack in the engine compartment.

General Motors is recalling nearly 3.5 million vehicles because of a brake problem that increases the risk of a crash, according to documents published by a US safety agency.

General Motors is recalling nearly 3.5 million vehicles because of a brake problem that increases the risk of a crash, according to documents published by a US safety agency. The issue is with the vacuum pump, which can diminish vacuum over time, affecting braking and "extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash," according to a letter to GM from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. GM will notify owners of the issue, NHTSA said in the letter, which was dated September 10 and available Wednesday on the agency's website. The issue affects nearly 3.5 million pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, including the Chevrolet Silverado (2014-2018), the GMC Sierra (2014-2018), the Chevrolet Suburban (2015-2018) and the Cadillac Escalade (2015-2017). The company also is recalling around 180,000 Chevrolet Malibu cars over disabled fuel injectors; 91,000 Chevrolet Express models and GMC Savanas, from 2019, over a problem with the seatbelt light; and 3,400 Buick Enclaves and Chevrolet Traverses, from 2020, over a crack in the engine compartment.

General Motors recalls 3.5 million vehicles over brake issue

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-protesters-hit-pause-to-mark-september-11-attacks-248978">Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;activists</a> called off protests on Wednesday in remembrance of the September&nbsp;11, 2001 attacks on the United States and denounced a Chinese state newspaper report that they were planning "massive terror" in the Chinese-ruled city.

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;has been rocked by months of sometimes violent unrest, prompted by anger over planned legislation to allow extraditions to China, but broadening into calls for democracy and for Communist rulers in Beijing to leave the city alone.

"Anti-government fanatics are planning massive terror attacks, including blowing up gas pipes, in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;on&nbsp;September&nbsp;11," the&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;edition of the China Daily said on its Facebook page, alongside a picture of the hijacked airliner attacks on the twin towers in New York.

"The 9/11&nbsp;terror plot also encourages indiscriminate attacks on non-native speakers of Cantonese and starting mountain fires."

The post said, "leaked information was part of the strategy being schemed by radical&nbsp;protesters&nbsp;in their online chat rooms".

The former British colony of&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland, including an independent legal system, triggering the anger over the extradition bill.

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;leader Carrie Lam has said she will withdraw the bill but many&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;residents fear Beijing is steadily eroding the autonomy of the Asian financial hub.

China denies meddling and has accused the United States, Britain and others of fomenting the unrest.

"We don’t even need to do a fact check to know that this is fake news," said one protester, Michael, 24, referring to the China Daily post.

"The state media doesn’t care about its credibility.

Whenever something they claimed to have heard on WhatsApp or friends’ friends, they will spread it right away."

The&nbsp;protesters&nbsp;called off action on Wednesday.

"In solidarity against terrorism, all forms of protest in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;will be suspended on September 11, apart from potential singing and chanting," they said in a statement.

The China Daily report was worrying, said another protester, Karen, 23. "When they try to frame the whole protest with those words, it alarms me," she said.

"They are predicting rather than reporting. I think people calling it off today is a nice move."

&nbsp;

FAMILY FRICTIONS

The chairwoman of the&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;Federation of Women, Pansy Ho, a prominent businesswoman and daughter of Macau casino operator Stanley Ho, said she was worried about violent extremism.

"Children of all ages are indoctrinated with police hatred and anti-establishment beliefs at school and online mobilised to conduct massive school strikes," she told the UN&nbsp;Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Lam said in a speech on Wednesday that&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;was grappling with significant challenges.

"My fervent hope is that we can bridge our divide by upholding the one country, two systems principle, and the Basic Law, and through the concerted efforts of the government and the people of&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong," she told business leaders.

The Basic Law is&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's mini-constitution.

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;airline Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd has become the biggest corporate casualty of the unrest after China demanded it suspend staff involved in, or who support, the protests.

Cathay Pacific said on Wednesday inbound traffic to&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;in August fell 38 per cent&nbsp;and outbound traffic 12 per cent&nbsp;compared with a year earlier, and that it did not anticipate&nbsp;September&nbsp;to be any less difficult.

Joshua Wong, one of the prominent leaders of the 2014 "Umbrella" pro-democracy movement which brought key streets in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;to a standstill for 79 days, said in Berlin that the fight for democracy was an uphill battle.

"I hope one day not only&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;people, but also people in mainland China, can enjoy freedom and democracy," he said.

The protests spread to the sports field on Tuesday, as many football fans defied Chinese law to boo the national anthem ahead of a soccer World Cup qualifier against Iran.

Several peaceful protests are planned for the next few days, combining with celebrations marking the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Hong Kong activists called off protests on Wednesday in remembrance of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and denounced a Chinese state newspaper report that they were planning "massive terror" in the Chinese-ruled city.

Hong Kong activists called off protests on Wednesday in remembrance of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and denounced a Chinese state newspaper report that they were planning "massive terror" in the Chinese-ruled city. Hong Kong has been rocked by months of sometimes violent unrest, prompted by anger over planned legislation to allow extraditions to China, but broadening into calls for democracy and for Communist rulers in Beijing to leave the city alone. "Anti-government fanatics are planning massive terror attacks, including blowing up gas pipes, in Hong Kong on September 11," the Hong Kong edition of the China Daily said on its Facebook page, alongside a picture of the hijacked airliner attacks on the twin towers in New York. "The 9/11 terror plot also encourages indiscriminate attacks on non-native speakers of Cantonese and starting mountain fires." The post said, "leaked information was part of the strategy being schemed by radical protesters in their online chat rooms". The former British colony of Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland, including an independent legal system, triggering the anger over the extradition bill. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has said she will withdraw the bill but many Hong Kong residents fear Beijing is steadily eroding the autonomy of the Asian financial hub. China denies meddling and has accused the United States, Britain and others of fomenting the unrest. "We don’t even need to do a fact check to know that this is fake news," said one protester, Michael, 24, referring to the China Daily post. "The state media doesn’t care about its credibility. Whenever something they claimed to have heard on WhatsApp or friends’ friends, they will spread it right away." The protesters called off action on Wednesday. "In solidarity against terrorism, all forms of protest in Hong Kong will be suspended on September 11, apart from potential singing and chanting," they said in a statement. The China Daily report was worrying, said another protester, Karen, 23. "When they try to frame the whole protest with those words, it alarms me," she said. "They are predicting rather than reporting. I think people calling it off today is a nice move." FAMILY FRICTIONS The chairwoman of the Hong Kong Federation of Women, Pansy Ho, a prominent businesswoman and daughter of Macau casino operator Stanley Ho, said she was worried about violent extremism. "Children of all ages are indoctrinated with police hatred and anti-establishment beliefs at school and online mobilised to conduct massive school strikes," she told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Lam said in a speech on Wednesday that Hong Kong was grappling with significant challenges. "My fervent hope is that we can bridge our divide by upholding the one country, two systems principle, and the Basic Law, and through the concerted efforts of the government and the people of Hong Kong," she told business leaders. The Basic Law is Hong Kong's mini-constitution. Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd has become the biggest corporate casualty of the unrest after China demanded it suspend staff involved in, or who support, the protests. Cathay Pacific said on Wednesday inbound traffic to Hong Kong in August fell 38 per cent and outbound traffic 12 per cent compared with a year earlier, and that it did not anticipate September to be any less difficult. Joshua Wong, one of the prominent leaders of the 2014 "Umbrella" pro-democracy movement which brought key streets in Hong Kong to a standstill for 79 days, said in Berlin that the fight for democracy was an uphill battle. "I hope one day not only Hong Kong people, but also people in mainland China, can enjoy freedom and democracy," he said. The protests spread to the sports field on Tuesday, as many football fans defied Chinese law to boo the national anthem ahead of a soccer World Cup qualifier against Iran. Several peaceful protests are planned for the next few days, combining with celebrations marking the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Hong Kong protesters hit pause in memory of September 11

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oil-rises-as-saudi-signals-opec-cuts-to-continue-under-new-minister-248572">OPEC</a> on Wednesday cut its forecast for growth in world <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-edges-down-on-lower-demand-outlook-us-china-trade-dispute-242428">oil demand</a> in 2020 due to an economic slowdown, an outlook the producer group said highlighted the need for ongoing efforts to prevent a new glut of crude.

In a monthly report, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-hits-six-week-high-on-hopes-of-extended-opec-output-cuts-248741">oil</a> demand worldwide would expand by 1.08 million barrels per day, 60,000 BPD&nbsp;less than previously estimated, and indicated the market would be in surplus.

The weaker outlook amid a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-china-trade-war-in-10-dates-241155#march-8-2018-tax-on-steel-aluminium-241132">US-China trade war</a>&nbsp;and Brexit could press the case for OPEC and its allies to maintain or adjust their policy of cutting output.

Iraq said ministers would on Thursday discuss whether deeper cuts were needed.

OPEC, in the report, lowered its forecast for world economic growth in 2020 to 3.1 per cent&nbsp;from 3.2 per cent&nbsp;and said next year's increase in oil demand would be outpaced by "strong growth" in supply from rival producers such as the United States.

"This highlights the shared responsibility of all producing countries to support oil market stability to avoid unwanted volatility and a potential relapse into market imbalance," the report said.

OPEC, Russia and other producers have since January&nbsp;1 implemented a deal to cut output by 1.2 million BPD. The alliance, known as OPEC+, in July renewed the pact until March 2020 and a committee reviewing the pact meets on Thursday.

Oil prices pared an earlier gain after the report was released to sit just below $63 a barrel.

Despite the OPEC-led cut, oil has tumbled from April's 2019 peak above $75, pressured by trade concerns and an economic slowdown.

The report said oil inventories in industrialised economies fell in July, a development that could ease OPEC concern over a possible glut.

Even so, stocks in July exceeded the five-year average,&nbsp;a yardstick OPEC watches closely&nbsp;by 36 million barrels.

OPEC and its partners have been limiting supply since 2017, helping to clear a glut that built up in 2014-2016 when producers pumped at will, and revive prices.

The policy has given a sustained boost to US&nbsp;shale and other rival supply, and the report suggests the world will need less OPEC crude next year.

Demand for OPEC crude will average 29.40 million BPD in 2020, OPEC said, down 1.2 million BPD from this year.

OPEC said its oil output in August rose, however, by 136,000 bpd to 29.74 million BPD according to figures the group collects from secondary sources.

It was the first increase this year. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/saudi-arabia-replaces-aramco-chairman-ahead-of-potential-ipo-247313">Saudi Arabia</a>, Iraq and Nigeria boosted supply.

Top exporter Saudi Arabia told OPEC that the kingdom raised August output by just over 200,000 BPD to 9.789 million BPD. Saudi Arabia continues to pump far less than its quota of 10.311 BPD.

Thanks in part to Saudi restraint, producers are still over-complying with the supply-cutting deal. Losses in Iran and Venezuela, two OPEC members facing US sanctions, have widened the supply reduction.

August's increase, however, puts OPEC output further above the 2020 demand forecast.

The report suggests there will be a 2020 supply surplus of 340,000 BPD if OPEC keeps pumping at August's rate and other things remain equal, more than the surplus forecast in last month's report.

OPEC on Wednesday cut its forecast for growth in world oil demand in 2020 due to an economic slowdown, an outlook the producer group said highlighted the need for ongoing efforts to prevent a new glut of crude.

OPEC on Wednesday cut its forecast for growth in world oil demand in 2020 due to an economic slowdown, an outlook the producer group said highlighted the need for ongoing efforts to prevent a new glut of crude. In a monthly report, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said oil demand worldwide would expand by 1.08 million barrels per day, 60,000 BPD less than previously estimated, and indicated the market would be in surplus. The weaker outlook amid a US-China trade war and Brexit could press the case for OPEC and its allies to maintain or adjust their policy of cutting output. Iraq said ministers would on Thursday discuss whether deeper cuts were needed. OPEC, in the report, lowered its forecast for world economic growth in 2020 to 3.1 per cent from 3.2 per cent and said next year's increase in oil demand would be outpaced by "strong growth" in supply from rival producers such as the United States. "This highlights the shared responsibility of all producing countries to support oil market stability to avoid unwanted volatility and a potential relapse into market imbalance," the report said. OPEC, Russia and other producers have since January 1 implemented a deal to cut output by 1.2 million BPD. The alliance, known as OPEC+, in July renewed the pact until March 2020 and a committee reviewing the pact meets on Thursday. Oil prices pared an earlier gain after the report was released to sit just below $63 a barrel. Despite the OPEC-led cut, oil has tumbled from April's 2019 peak above $75, pressured by trade concerns and an economic slowdown. The report said oil inventories in industrialised economies fell in July, a development that could ease OPEC concern over a possible glut. Even so, stocks in July exceeded the five-year average, a yardstick OPEC watches closely by 36 million barrels. OPEC and its partners have been limiting supply since 2017, helping to clear a glut that built up in 2014-2016 when producers pumped at will, and revive prices. The policy has given a sustained boost to US shale and other rival supply, and the report suggests the world will need less OPEC crude next year. Demand for OPEC crude will average 29.40 million BPD in 2020, OPEC said, down 1.2 million BPD from this year. OPEC said its oil output in August rose, however, by 136,000 bpd to 29.74 million BPD according to figures the group collects from secondary sources. It was the first increase this year. Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Nigeria boosted supply. Top exporter Saudi Arabia told OPEC that the kingdom raised August output by just over 200,000 BPD to 9.789 million BPD. Saudi Arabia continues to pump far less than its quota of 10.311 BPD. Thanks in part to Saudi restraint, producers are still over-complying with the supply-cutting deal. Losses in Iran and Venezuela, two OPEC members facing US sanctions, have widened the supply reduction. August's increase, however, puts OPEC output further above the 2020 demand forecast. The report suggests there will be a 2020 supply surplus of 340,000 BPD if OPEC keeps pumping at August's rate and other things remain equal, more than the surplus forecast in last month's report.

OPEC cuts 2020 oil demand forecast, urges effort to avert a new glut

Oil prices rose on Wednesday after a reported sharp drop in US&nbsp;crude stocks and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oil-rises-as-saudi-signals-opec-cuts-to-continue-under-new-minister-248572">OPEC</a>&nbsp;member Iraq said the producer group would discuss deepening output cuts amid ongoing demand concerns.

Brent crude gained 52 cents, or 0.8 per cent, to $62.90 a barrel by 1027 GMT, while US&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate rose 60 cents, or 1.1 per cent, to $58 a barrel.

Oil prices have risen more than 7 per cent this&nbsp;month, supported by declines in global inventories and signs of an easing in trade tensions between the United States and China, the world's two largest economies and energy consumers.

Prices rose this week after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-saudi-energy-minister-a-royal-with-decades-of-experience-in-opec-cuts-248719">Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman</a>, Saudi Arabia's new energy minister, said oil policy would not change and said an OPEC deal with Russia and other producers to cut output by 1.2 million barrels per day (BPD) would be maintained.

Iraqi Oil Minister Thamer Ghadhban said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would discuss whether to deepen cuts when ministers meet on Thursday.

He said OPEC had discussed cuts of 1.6 million to 1.8 million BPD when considering output curbs last year.

Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak said an alliance of OPEC and other producers, known as OPEC+, would discuss global oil demand, but added that there were no fresh proposals to change production cut volumes.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-hits-six-week-high-on-hopes-of-extended-opec-output-cuts-248741">OPEC cut</a> its forecast on Wednesday for growth in world oil demand in 2020 by 60,000 BPD to 1.08 million BPD, due to an economic slowdown.

It indicated the market would be in surplus.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) also slashed its demand forecasts this week.

Growing signs of a slowdown were flagged by oil traders and executives attending industry gatherings in Singapore and Abu Dhabi this week.

OPEC has pointed to rising global production next year, particularly in US shale fields, while data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) showed US&nbsp;crude stocks fell last week by 7.2 million barrels, more than twice the amount analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast.

"The API report is quite constructive for the oil market as it points to a tightening domestic oil market in the face of flat production and stronger demand," Dutch bank ING said.

The EIA's official numbers for US&nbsp;inventories will be released at 1430 GMT on Wednesday.

Oil prices rose on Wednesday after a reported sharp drop in US crude stocks and OPEC member Iraq said the producer group would discuss deepening output cuts amid ongoing demand concerns.

Oil prices rose on Wednesday after a reported sharp drop in US crude stocks and OPEC member Iraq said the producer group would discuss deepening output cuts amid ongoing demand concerns. Brent crude gained 52 cents, or 0.8 per cent, to $62.90 a barrel by 1027 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate rose 60 cents, or 1.1 per cent, to $58 a barrel. Oil prices have risen more than 7 per cent this month, supported by declines in global inventories and signs of an easing in trade tensions between the United States and China, the world's two largest economies and energy consumers. Prices rose this week after Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's new energy minister, said oil policy would not change and said an OPEC deal with Russia and other producers to cut output by 1.2 million barrels per day (BPD) would be maintained. Iraqi Oil Minister Thamer Ghadhban said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would discuss whether to deepen cuts when ministers meet on Thursday. He said OPEC had discussed cuts of 1.6 million to 1.8 million BPD when considering output curbs last year. Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak said an alliance of OPEC and other producers, known as OPEC+, would discuss global oil demand, but added that there were no fresh proposals to change production cut volumes. OPEC cut its forecast on Wednesday for growth in world oil demand in 2020 by 60,000 BPD to 1.08 million BPD, due to an economic slowdown. It indicated the market would be in surplus. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) also slashed its demand forecasts this week. Growing signs of a slowdown were flagged by oil traders and executives attending industry gatherings in Singapore and Abu Dhabi this week. OPEC has pointed to rising global production next year, particularly in US shale fields, while data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) showed US crude stocks fell last week by 7.2 million barrels, more than twice the amount analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast. "The API report is quite constructive for the oil market as it points to a tightening domestic oil market in the face of flat production and stronger demand," Dutch bank ING said. The EIA's official numbers for US inventories will be released at 1430 GMT on Wednesday.

International oil prices gain after fall in US stocks

Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday with a broadly upbeat tone across trading floors ahead of major meetings at the European and US central banks, while there is also a growing sense of optimism over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-us-trade-talks-to-restart-after-g20-tariff-truce-239483">China-US trade talks</a>.

News that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-asked-nsa-john-bolton-to-resign-tweets-us-president-donald-trump-248901">Donald Trump</a> had fired his fervently hawkish national security adviser also lifted sentiment with analysts saying it could see the White House take a less strident approach and ease geopolitical tensions.

With the global economy sputtering, attention has turned increasingly to central banks as investors look for more stimulus.

Watch Vidoe:&nbsp;US President Donald Trump fires NSA John Bolton

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On Thursday the European Central Bank holds one of its most anticipated gatherings and hopes are for a series of fresh measures including a possible interest rate cut, fresh bond-buying quantitative easing (QE) or other loosening tools.

That is followed by the Federal Reserve's board meeting next week, where it is tipped to announce another reduction in borrowing costs as the world's top economy which has so far been the strongest globally stutters.

"With the expectation of the resumption of quantitative easing by the ECB&nbsp;and a rate cut by the Federal Reserve next week, the risk environment has solidified and tempted investors out of hiding from the bond markets and back into equities," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA.

In the afternoon trade, Hong Kong climbed 1.6 per cent as investors made the most of the upbeat mood to pick up cheap stocks after months of sometimes violent protests in the city weighed on the stock market.

Tokyo finished one per cent higher, Singapore put on more than one per cent, Seoul rose 0.8 per cent, Sydney gained 0.4 per cent and Taipei added 0.3 per cent, while Manila, Mumbai, Bangkok, and Jakarta also posted gains.

However, Shanghai was fell 0.4 per cent, with little major reaction to the news that China had listed 16 US categories of goods it would exempt from tariffs, ahead of planned top-level trade talks next month. Dealers also appeared to brush off Beijing's decision on Tuesday to lift limits on foreign investment in the country.

Wellington tumbled almost two per cent as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's government was rocked by its handling of sexual assault allegations against a top Labour Party staffer.

In early trade London rose 0.5 per cent, Frankfurt jumped 0.6 per cent and Paris edged up 0.3 per cent.

Trump's decision to sack John Bolton as a leading security adviser raised the possibility of an easing of tensions between the US and several nations, particularly Iran.

The controversial <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-security-adviser-john-bolton-to-urge-tougher-uk-stance-on-iran-and-china-242307">Bolton</a> was closely linked to the invasion of Iraq and other past aggressive US foreign policy decisions and was seen as one of the main driving forces in Trump's muscular approach to Tehran, North Korea, and Venezuela, among others.

Stephen Innes at AxiTrader said that while the move did not necessarily mean a huge change in policy direction, "it does eliminate the most vocal advocate for US military-enforced regime change in the Trump administration".

He added that "from a geopolitical risk perspective, it does lessen war risk premiums, especially in Syria, Venezuela, and Iran and opens the door to more friendly discussion with North Korea".

However, the possibility of dialling down in the stand-off between the US and Iran led to a plunge Tuesday in the price of oil, with WTI diving almost three per cent from an intraday high and Brent shedding 2.5 per cent.

The two contracts later clawed back some of the losses on bargain-buying expectations for more output cuts by leading producers led by Saudi Arabia.

In share trading companies linked to Apple enjoyed healthy buying after the US tech giant unveiled new iPhones, including a lower-priced offering, and set launch dates for its original video offering as well as its game subscription service.

In Tokyo, Alps Alpine surged three per cent, Japan Display put on nearly three per cent and Sharp rallied more than four per cent, while LG Display in Seoul was up two per cent in Seoul. Taipei-listed Foxconn rose by 0.2 per cent.

On forex markets, the positive vibe helped the dollar up against the safe-haven yen, while higher-yielding, riskier currencies edged up against the greenback.

The pound held its recent gains as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was pushing to strike a divorce agreement with the European Union, having lost a series of key votes to MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit.

Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday with a broadly upbeat tone across trading floors ahead of major meetings at the European and US central banks, while there is also a growing sense of optimism over China-US trade talks.

Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday with a broadly upbeat tone across trading floors ahead of major meetings at the European and US central banks, while there is also a growing sense of optimism over China-US trade talks. News that Donald Trump had fired his fervently hawkish national security adviser also lifted sentiment with analysts saying it could see the White House take a less strident approach and ease geopolitical tensions. With the global economy sputtering, attention has turned increasingly to central banks as investors look for more stimulus. Watch Vidoe: US President Donald Trump fires NSA John Bolton × On Thursday the European Central Bank holds one of its most anticipated gatherings and hopes are for a series of fresh measures including a possible interest rate cut, fresh bond-buying quantitative easing (QE) or other loosening tools. That is followed by the Federal Reserve's board meeting next week, where it is tipped to announce another reduction in borrowing costs as the world's top economy which has so far been the strongest globally stutters. "With the expectation of the resumption of quantitative easing by the ECB and a rate cut by the Federal Reserve next week, the risk environment has solidified and tempted investors out of hiding from the bond markets and back into equities," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA. In the afternoon trade, Hong Kong climbed 1.6 per cent as investors made the most of the upbeat mood to pick up cheap stocks after months of sometimes violent protests in the city weighed on the stock market. Tokyo finished one per cent higher, Singapore put on more than one per cent, Seoul rose 0.8 per cent, Sydney gained 0.4 per cent and Taipei added 0.3 per cent, while Manila, Mumbai, Bangkok, and Jakarta also posted gains. However, Shanghai was fell 0.4 per cent, with little major reaction to the news that China had listed 16 US categories of goods it would exempt from tariffs, ahead of planned top-level trade talks next month. Dealers also appeared to brush off Beijing's decision on Tuesday to lift limits on foreign investment in the country. Wellington tumbled almost two per cent as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's government was rocked by its handling of sexual assault allegations against a top Labour Party staffer. In early trade London rose 0.5 per cent, Frankfurt jumped 0.6 per cent and Paris edged up 0.3 per cent. Trump's decision to sack John Bolton as a leading security adviser raised the possibility of an easing of tensions between the US and several nations, particularly Iran. The controversial Bolton was closely linked to the invasion of Iraq and other past aggressive US foreign policy decisions and was seen as one of the main driving forces in Trump's muscular approach to Tehran, North Korea, and Venezuela, among others. Stephen Innes at AxiTrader said that while the move did not necessarily mean a huge change in policy direction, "it does eliminate the most vocal advocate for US military-enforced regime change in the Trump administration". He added that "from a geopolitical risk perspective, it does lessen war risk premiums, especially in Syria, Venezuela, and Iran and opens the door to more friendly discussion with North Korea". However, the possibility of dialling down in the stand-off between the US and Iran led to a plunge Tuesday in the price of oil, with WTI diving almost three per cent from an intraday high and Brent shedding 2.5 per cent. The two contracts later clawed back some of the losses on bargain-buying expectations for more output cuts by leading producers led by Saudi Arabia. In share trading companies linked to Apple enjoyed healthy buying after the US tech giant unveiled new iPhones, including a lower-priced offering, and set launch dates for its original video offering as well as its game subscription service. In Tokyo, Alps Alpine surged three per cent, Japan Display put on nearly three per cent and Sharp rallied more than four per cent, while LG Display in Seoul was up two per cent in Seoul. Taipei-listed Foxconn rose by 0.2 per cent. On forex markets, the positive vibe helped the dollar up against the safe-haven yen, while higher-yielding, riskier currencies edged up against the greenback. The pound held its recent gains as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was pushing to strike a divorce agreement with the European Union, having lost a series of key votes to MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit.

Asian markets extend gains over optimism on China-US trade talks

Iran on Wednesday rejected the possibility of a meeting between&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/iran-says-boltons-departure-will-not-push-tehran-to-talks-with-us-249008">President Hassan Rouhani</a>&nbsp;and US counterpart <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-on-a-meeting-with-irans-rouhani-anything-is-possible-247640">Donald Trump</a> after the White House signalled it was open to such an encounter.

Two of Trump's top lieutenants on Tuesday indicated he was ready to meet the <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/irans-hassan-rouhani-rules-out-bilateral-talks-with-us-247279">Iranian president</a> without preconditions after the US leader sacked his hawkish national security adviser John Bolton.

But Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stressed the United States would maintain its campaign of "maximum pressure" against the Islamic republic.

The idea of a Trump-Rouhani meeting was floated last month by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been spearheading European efforts to de-escalate tensions between Iran and the United States.

The arch-foes have been at loggerheads since May last year when Trump unilaterally withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal and began reimposing crippling sanctions on Iran.

Iran's representative at the United Nations reiterated Rouhani's position in an interview published Wednesday by state news agency IRNA.

Majid Takht-Ravanchi said a meeting could take place only if Washington ends its "economic terrorism" by lifting all of its sanctions against Tehran.

The Iranian envoy said any meeting must also be held in the framework of the group of major powers that negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal.

"As long as the US government's economic terrorism and such cruel sanctions are imposed on the Iranian people, there is no room for negotiations," he was quoted as saying by IRNA.

The diplomat said Trump's decision to dismiss Bolton a hardliner accused of pushing Trump towards war against Iran was a matter for the Americans.

"The removal of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/with-boltons-departure-an-iran-hawk-leaves-the-chessboard-248951">John Bolton</a> is an internal affair and we don't take stands on domestic issues," said Takht-Ravanchi.

Asked about the impact of Bolton's sacking on long-fraught relations between Iran and the United States, he said it was "too soon" to make any judgements.

"Whether the extremist policy of the US changes or not depends on various factors in US foreign policy," he told ISNA.

Bolton is a controversial figure closely linked to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and other aggressive US foreign policy decisions.

He had been seen as one of the main driving forces in the White House's muscular approach to Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela among others.

Iran on Wednesday rejected the possibility of a meeting between President Hassan Rouhani and US counterpart Donald Trump after the White House signalled it was open to such an encounter.

Iran on Wednesday rejected the possibility of a meeting between President Hassan Rouhani and US counterpart Donald Trump after the White House signalled it was open to such an encounter. Two of Trump's top lieutenants on Tuesday indicated he was ready to meet the Iranian president without preconditions after the US leader sacked his hawkish national security adviser John Bolton. But Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stressed the United States would maintain its campaign of "maximum pressure" against the Islamic republic. The idea of a Trump-Rouhani meeting was floated last month by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been spearheading European efforts to de-escalate tensions between Iran and the United States. The arch-foes have been at loggerheads since May last year when Trump unilaterally withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal and began reimposing crippling sanctions on Iran. Iran's representative at the United Nations reiterated Rouhani's position in an interview published Wednesday by state news agency IRNA. Majid Takht-Ravanchi said a meeting could take place only if Washington ends its "economic terrorism" by lifting all of its sanctions against Tehran. The Iranian envoy said any meeting must also be held in the framework of the group of major powers that negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal. "As long as the US government's economic terrorism and such cruel sanctions are imposed on the Iranian people, there is no room for negotiations," he was quoted as saying by IRNA. The diplomat said Trump's decision to dismiss Bolton a hardliner accused of pushing Trump towards war against Iran was a matter for the Americans. "The removal of John Bolton is an internal affair and we don't take stands on domestic issues," said Takht-Ravanchi. Asked about the impact of Bolton's sacking on long-fraught relations between Iran and the United States, he said it was "too soon" to make any judgements. "Whether the extremist policy of the US changes or not depends on various factors in US foreign policy," he told ISNA. Bolton is a controversial figure closely linked to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and other aggressive US foreign policy decisions. He had been seen as one of the main driving forces in the White House's muscular approach to Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela among others.

Iran again rebuffs US talk of Trump-Rouhani meeting

China announced exemptions for 16 types of US&nbsp;products from additional retaliatory duties, in a move that comes as trade negotiators from the two countries prepare to meet later this month to try and de-escalate their protracted tariff row.

The exemptions will apply to US&nbsp;goods including some anti-cancer drugs and lubricants, as well as animal feed such as whey and fish meal, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on its website on Wednesday.

China has imposed several rounds of duties on US&nbsp;goods in retaliation against US&nbsp;Section 301 tariffs, beginning last year in July and August with a 25% levy on about $50 billion of US&nbsp;imports.

In all, the world's two largest economies have slapped tit-for-tat tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods in a bitter trade war that has dragged on for well over a year and hurt business investment, profits and global growth.

The items on the two tariff exemption lists - posted on the ministry's website - will not be subject to additional duties imposed by China on US&nbsp;goods "as countermeasures to US&nbsp;Section 301 measures", the ministry said in its statement.

The exemption will take effect on September 17 and be valid for a year through to Sept. 16, 2020, it said.

However, the exempted list includes only a small quantity of items in comparison to over 5,000 types of US&nbsp;products that are already subject to China's additional tariffs. Moreover, major US&nbsp;imports, such as soybean and corn, are still subject to hefty additional duties.

Wednesday's announcement comes before Chinese trade deputies are expected to meet with their US&nbsp;counterparts in mid-September in Washington. That will be followed by minister-level meetings in early October in the US&nbsp;capital, involving Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, US&nbsp;Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

China announced exemptions for 16 types of US products from additional retaliatory duties, in a move that comes as trade negotiators from the two countries prepare to meet later this month to try and de-escalate their protracted tariff row.

China announced exemptions for 16 types of US products from additional retaliatory duties, in a move that comes as trade negotiators from the two countries prepare to meet later this month to try and de-escalate their protracted tariff row. The exemptions will apply to US goods including some anti-cancer drugs and lubricants, as well as animal feed such as whey and fish meal, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on its website on Wednesday. China has imposed several rounds of duties on US goods in retaliation against US Section 301 tariffs, beginning last year in July and August with a 25% levy on about $50 billion of US imports. In all, the world's two largest economies have slapped tit-for-tat tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods in a bitter trade war that has dragged on for well over a year and hurt business investment, profits and global growth. The items on the two tariff exemption lists - posted on the ministry's website - will not be subject to additional duties imposed by China on US goods "as countermeasures to US Section 301 measures", the ministry said in its statement. The exemption will take effect on September 17 and be valid for a year through to Sept. 16, 2020, it said. However, the exempted list includes only a small quantity of items in comparison to over 5,000 types of US products that are already subject to China's additional tariffs. Moreover, major US imports, such as soybean and corn, are still subject to hefty additional duties. Wednesday's announcement comes before Chinese trade deputies are expected to meet with their US counterparts in mid-September in Washington. That will be followed by minister-level meetings in early October in the US capital, involving Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

China exempts 16 types of US goods from additional tariffs

US to mark 18th anniversary of the September 11 attacks

&nbsp;Auto sales in China fell for a 14th consecutive month in August, with the number of new energy vehicles (NEVs) sold contracting for the second month in a row, data from the country's biggest auto industry association showed.

Total<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/car-sales-at-historic-low-in-india-auto-companies-urge-government-to-revive-sector-248676"> auto sales</a> fell 6.9 per cent from the same month a year earlier, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said on Wednesday.

That followed declines of 4.3 per cent in July and 9.6 per cent in June, as well as the first annual contraction last year since the 1990s against a backdrop of slowing economic growth and a crippling trade war with the United States.

Sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) fell 15.8 per cent in August,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-exports-fall-in-august-as-us-trade-war-rumbles-248393"> CAAM </a>said, following a 4.7 per cent fall in July - their first decline since January 2017. NEV sales jumped almost 62 per cent last year even as the broader auto market contracted.

NEVs include plug-in hybrids, battery-only electric vehicles and those powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

China has been a keen supporter of NEVs and has implemented sales quota requirements for automakers.

Auto sales in China fell for a 14th consecutive month in August, with the number of new energy vehicles (NEVs) sold contracting for the second month in a row, data from the country's biggest auto industry association showed.

Auto sales in China fell for a 14th consecutive month in August, with the number of new energy vehicles (NEVs) sold contracting for the second month in a row, data from the country's biggest auto industry association showed. Total auto sales fell 6.9 per cent from the same month a year earlier, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said on Wednesday. That followed declines of 4.3 per cent in July and 9.6 per cent in June, as well as the first annual contraction last year since the 1990s against a backdrop of slowing economic growth and a crippling trade war with the United States. Sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) fell 15.8 per cent in August, CAAM said, following a 4.7 per cent fall in July - their first decline since January 2017. NEV sales jumped almost 62 per cent last year even as the broader auto market contracted. NEVs include plug-in hybrids, battery-only electric vehicles and those powered by hydrogen fuel cells. China has been a keen supporter of NEVs and has implemented sales quota requirements for automakers.

China auto sales fall 6.9% in August, 14th month of decline

Former US&nbsp;Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday anti-government protests in Hong Kong were "not an internal" Chinese matter and that the United States should offer at least moral support to the demonstrators.

The retired US&nbsp;Marine general, speaking at a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York, said the United States should generally side with those standing up for human rights, which he said included the Hong Kong protesters.

"When people stand up for those (rights), I just inherently think we ought to stand with them, even if it's just moral," said Mattis, who abruptly resigned as Pentagon chief in December over disagreements with President Donald Trump's foreign policy.

"This is not an internal matter," Mattis said in remarks likely to irritate Beijing, which has denounced the sometimes violent protests and accused the United States and Britain of fomenting unrest in the former British colony.

Trump has previously described the protests as riots but has also called on China to end the discord in a "humanitarian" way. He said a crackdown could make his efforts to end a damaging trade war with China "very hard."

Mattis said China's effort to pass a law to allow people in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China was in breach of the "one country, two systems" formula under which British control of Hong Kong was ended in 1997.

"They said it would be two systems, and the extradition law was a violation of that," said Mattis, who is promoting a new memoir about his role in the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Although the extradition bill was withdrawn last week after months of unrest, the mass protests in streets and public places across Hong Kong continue, having grown into a broader pro-democracy backlash against the Chinese government.

Protesters marched outside the US&nbsp;consulate in Hong Kong over the weekend, urging Trump to help "liberate" the city. Hong Kong police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.

"We have to be careful: We don't want to say we're going to land the 82nd Airborne Division in Hong Kong to do this," he said. "But morally? Yeah, I think we have to stand with them."

In his nearly two years as defence secretary, Mattis had tried to forge a relationship with the Chinese military, worried that tense relations between the two countries could boil over into conflict.

SURPRISED AT TALIBAN TALKS

Mattis resigned from Trump's administration a day after Trump's plans to withdraw US&nbsp;troops from Syria became public. His resignation letter was widely seen as a sharp critique of Trump's approach to national security, including what Mattis saw as a failure to value American allies around the world.

Although there had been speculation that Mattis might enter the political arena, he has since declined to share his views on Trump, saying it is inappropriate for military figures to pontificate on politics.

Mattis also said he was surprised by the news last weekend that Trump had invited Afghanistan's Taliban leaders for peace talks in the United States.

Trump said he cancelled the talks after the insurgent group claimed responsibility for an attack in Kabul that killed an American soldier and 11 other people.

"I salute people who try to bring wars to an end," Mattis said. The Taliban, however, had repeatedly failed to break with al Qaeda, the militant group behind September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, he said.

"The Taliban was offered: If you break with al Qaeda, we have no problem with you," Mattis said. "President (George W.) Bush offered that, President Obama offered that, President Trump has offered that, and they've declined. So yes, I was very surprised that we were at that point."

Asked on Monday whether he had confidence in Trump's leadership, he said only that he had "great confidence" in American voters and in the US Constitution.

"If we will employ our constitutional checks and balances correctly, this big experiment will continue," Mattis said.

Former US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday anti-government protests in Hong Kong were "not an internal" Chinese matter and that the United States should offer at least moral support to the demonstrators.

Former US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday anti-government protests in Hong Kong were "not an internal" Chinese matter and that the United States should offer at least moral support to the demonstrators. The retired US Marine general, speaking at a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York, said the United States should generally side with those standing up for human rights, which he said included the Hong Kong protesters. "When people stand up for those (rights), I just inherently think we ought to stand with them, even if it's just moral," said Mattis, who abruptly resigned as Pentagon chief in December over disagreements with President Donald Trump's foreign policy. "This is not an internal matter," Mattis said in remarks likely to irritate Beijing, which has denounced the sometimes violent protests and accused the United States and Britain of fomenting unrest in the former British colony. Trump has previously described the protests as riots but has also called on China to end the discord in a "humanitarian" way. He said a crackdown could make his efforts to end a damaging trade war with China "very hard." Mattis said China's effort to pass a law to allow people in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China was in breach of the "one country, two systems" formula under which British control of Hong Kong was ended in 1997. "They said it would be two systems, and the extradition law was a violation of that," said Mattis, who is promoting a new memoir about his role in the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although the extradition bill was withdrawn last week after months of unrest, the mass protests in streets and public places across Hong Kong continue, having grown into a broader pro-democracy backlash against the Chinese government. Protesters marched outside the US consulate in Hong Kong over the weekend, urging Trump to help "liberate" the city. Hong Kong police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds. "We have to be careful: We don't want to say we're going to land the 82nd Airborne Division in Hong Kong to do this," he said. "But morally? Yeah, I think we have to stand with them." In his nearly two years as defence secretary, Mattis had tried to forge a relationship with the Chinese military, worried that tense relations between the two countries could boil over into conflict. SURPRISED AT TALIBAN TALKS Mattis resigned from Trump's administration a day after Trump's plans to withdraw US troops from Syria became public. His resignation letter was widely seen as a sharp critique of Trump's approach to national security, including what Mattis saw as a failure to value American allies around the world. Although there had been speculation that Mattis might enter the political arena, he has since declined to share his views on Trump, saying it is inappropriate for military figures to pontificate on politics. Mattis also said he was surprised by the news last weekend that Trump had invited Afghanistan's Taliban leaders for peace talks in the United States. Trump said he cancelled the talks after the insurgent group claimed responsibility for an attack in Kabul that killed an American soldier and 11 other people. "I salute people who try to bring wars to an end," Mattis said. The Taliban, however, had repeatedly failed to break with al Qaeda, the militant group behind September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, he said. "The Taliban was offered: If you break with al Qaeda, we have no problem with you," Mattis said. "President (George W.) Bush offered that, President Obama offered that, President Trump has offered that, and they've declined. So yes, I was very surprised that we were at that point." Asked on Monday whether he had confidence in Trump's leadership, he said only that he had "great confidence" in American voters and in the US Constitution. "If we will employ our constitutional checks and balances correctly, this big experiment will continue," Mattis said.

US should side with Hong Kong protesters, says ex-Pentagon chief Mattis

Honduras is not considering a so-called safe third country designation for migrants seeking refuge in the United States, foreign minister Lisandro Rosales said late on Monday, denying reports of a deal agreed with US officials.

The United States has persuaded neighbouring Guatemala to become a safe third country that would accept US-bound asylum seekers, part of a larger effort by President Donald Trump to reduce the flow of migrants.

The deal has yet to be ratified by Guatemala's government.

A safe third country designation would require asylum seekers to apply for protection in any legally-designated "safe" country they pass through before reaching the United States.

US authorities have said they were working with Honduras on a similar deal, but Rosales said no such agreement is in the works.

"Contrary to some publications, the talks with the United States do not contemplate that Honduras become a safe third country," the minister wrote in a post on Twitter.

Rosales added that the talks are instead focused on regional security, promoting investment and orderly migration.

Honduras is not considering a so-called safe third country designation for migrants seeking refuge in the United States, foreign minister Lisandro Rosales said late on Monday, denying reports of a deal agreed with US officials.

Honduras is not considering a so-called safe third country designation for migrants seeking refuge in the United States, foreign minister Lisandro Rosales said late on Monday, denying reports of a deal agreed with US officials. The United States has persuaded neighbouring Guatemala to become a safe third country that would accept US-bound asylum seekers, part of a larger effort by President Donald Trump to reduce the flow of migrants. The deal has yet to be ratified by Guatemala's government. A safe third country designation would require asylum seekers to apply for protection in any legally-designated "safe" country they pass through before reaching the United States. US authorities have said they were working with Honduras on a similar deal, but Rosales said no such agreement is in the works. "Contrary to some publications, the talks with the United States do not contemplate that Honduras become a safe third country," the minister wrote in a post on Twitter. Rosales added that the talks are instead focused on regional security, promoting investment and orderly migration.

Not considering safe third country migration deal with US: Honduras

WeWork owner The We Company is weighing slashing the valuation of its forthcoming IPO to below $20 billion, two sources said, in the latest headwind for leading <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-%26-economy/yahoo-japan-buys-back-2-billion-of-shares-in-three-way-deal-with-softbank-altaba-150347">shareholder SoftBank Group</a> whose key group portfolio firms have tumbled in value.

The valuation for the money-losing US office-sharing startup could be as low as $15 billion-$18 billion, one of the sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. The other source said the valuation was unlikely to be as low as that.

SoftBank, whose $100 billion Vision Fund is widely seen as having contributed to frothy tech valuations, has urged WeWork to shelve the IPO due to tepid investor demand, the Financial Times reported. SoftBank declined to comment.

But the tech conglomerate's reluctance to pump further funds into WeWork means the startup "may have no choice but to push ahead with the IPO at a much lower than anticipated valuation," one of the sources said.

WeWork's planned listing follows weak initial trading at other startups including Uber Technologies Inc and Slack Technologies Inc, both backed by SoftBank.

While SoftBank and its Vision Fund emphasise their long-term investing credentials, founder and CEO Masayoshi Son has set out an ambitious IPO pipeline for tech investments spanning ride-hailing, fin-tech, and health startups.

Putting WeWork's offering on hold would disrupt that schedule at a time when SoftBank is seeking funds from investors for a second Vision Fund, for which it says $108 billion in pledges have been secured.

SoftBank made a follow-on investment in WeWork, one of its biggest tech bets, at a $47 billion valuation earlier this year,&nbsp;a number widely treated with scepticism by analysts.

While long-time Son lieutenant and group Vice Chairman Ron Fisher is pushing for the IPO to go ahead, others at SoftBank are pushing for a delay, one source said.

Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Chris Lane said that if WeWork halts its IPO, SoftBank could come up with an alternative funding plan for the startup, which he estimates needs $9 billion in funding to become cash-flow positive.

SoftBank "has got an important voice, but more importantly, they have money&nbsp;(WeWork) will have to listen to them," said Lane, who values the office space-sharing firm at $23 billion.

The tech conglomerate has burned through much of the $100 billion raised by its first Vision Fund in just two years, recording big paper gains on internal revaluations of its tech investments.

SoftBank defends its valuation techniques, which include cash-flow analysis, recent transactions, and comparison with peers to underpin its numbers.

At the end of June, the fund recorded the value of $71 billion in investments in 83 startups as having grown by $20 billion. Since then the share price of portfolio companies Uber and Slack have both fallen by around a third.

SoftBank says many investments receive a vote of confidence as third parties come in as co-investors or by making follow-on investments at the same or higher valuations.

If a tech company shelves an IPO due to a lower valuation than expected, investors are generally expected to take that fall into account when appraising their stakes.

WeWork owner The We Company is weighing slashing the valuation of its forthcoming IPO to below $20 billion, two sources said, in the latest headwind for leading shareholder SoftBank Group whose key group portfolio firms have tumbled in value.

WeWork owner The We Company is weighing slashing the valuation of its forthcoming IPO to below $20 billion, two sources said, in the latest headwind for leading shareholder SoftBank Group whose key group portfolio firms have tumbled in value. The valuation for the money-losing US office-sharing startup could be as low as $15 billion-$18 billion, one of the sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. The other source said the valuation was unlikely to be as low as that. SoftBank, whose $100 billion Vision Fund is widely seen as having contributed to frothy tech valuations, has urged WeWork to shelve the IPO due to tepid investor demand, the Financial Times reported. SoftBank declined to comment. But the tech conglomerate's reluctance to pump further funds into WeWork means the startup "may have no choice but to push ahead with the IPO at a much lower than anticipated valuation," one of the sources said. WeWork's planned listing follows weak initial trading at other startups including Uber Technologies Inc and Slack Technologies Inc, both backed by SoftBank. While SoftBank and its Vision Fund emphasise their long-term investing credentials, founder and CEO Masayoshi Son has set out an ambitious IPO pipeline for tech investments spanning ride-hailing, fin-tech, and health startups. Putting WeWork's offering on hold would disrupt that schedule at a time when SoftBank is seeking funds from investors for a second Vision Fund, for which it says $108 billion in pledges have been secured. SoftBank made a follow-on investment in WeWork, one of its biggest tech bets, at a $47 billion valuation earlier this year, a number widely treated with scepticism by analysts. While long-time Son lieutenant and group Vice Chairman Ron Fisher is pushing for the IPO to go ahead, others at SoftBank are pushing for a delay, one source said. Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Chris Lane said that if WeWork halts its IPO, SoftBank could come up with an alternative funding plan for the startup, which he estimates needs $9 billion in funding to become cash-flow positive. SoftBank "has got an important voice, but more importantly, they have money (WeWork) will have to listen to them," said Lane, who values the office space-sharing firm at $23 billion. The tech conglomerate has burned through much of the $100 billion raised by its first Vision Fund in just two years, recording big paper gains on internal revaluations of its tech investments. SoftBank defends its valuation techniques, which include cash-flow analysis, recent transactions, and comparison with peers to underpin its numbers. At the end of June, the fund recorded the value of $71 billion in investments in 83 startups as having grown by $20 billion. Since then the share price of portfolio companies Uber and Slack have both fallen by around a third. SoftBank says many investments receive a vote of confidence as third parties come in as co-investors or by making follow-on investments at the same or higher valuations. If a tech company shelves an IPO due to a lower valuation than expected, investors are generally expected to take that fall into account when appraising their stakes.

WeWork IPO valuation likely below $20 billion: Sources

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday that Washington is stalling the implementation of an agreement to create a "safe zone" in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-turkey-launch-joint-patrols-in-northeast-syria-248400">northeast Syria</a>.

The NATO allies carried out their first joint military land patrol in the region on Sunday.

Turkey wants the operations to expand rapidly and push back Kurdish forces 20 miles (32 km) from the border, creating a zone which Ankara says should be controlled by Turkish troops.

Cavusoglu said Turkey wanted to work with the United States, but was prepared to clear the area of<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-us-imposes-sanctions-on-irans-shipping-network-over-supplying-oil-to-syria-247630"> Kurdish YPG fighters </a>itself if necessary.

"Yes, there are some joint patrols but other than that, the steps that have been taken or the steps that are said to be taken are cosmetic steps," he told reporters in Ankara.

"We are seeing that the United States is entering a stalling process and that it is trying to get Turkey accustomed to this stalling process."

Cavusoglu said Washington's approach so far had served the Syrian Kurdish YPG forces more than Turkey.

The YPG, which has been the main US ally in the fight against Islamic State in Syria, is considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara, which says it is an extension of Kurdish militants in Turkey.

President Tayyip Erdogan said last week Turkey also aims to send 1 million of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it hosts to the planned safe zone in northern Syria.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday that Washington is stalling the implementation of an agreement to create a "safe zone" in northeast Syria.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday that Washington is stalling the implementation of an agreement to create a "safe zone" in northeast Syria. The NATO allies carried out their first joint military land patrol in the region on Sunday. Turkey wants the operations to expand rapidly and push back Kurdish forces 20 miles (32 km) from the border, creating a zone which Ankara says should be controlled by Turkish troops. Cavusoglu said Turkey wanted to work with the United States, but was prepared to clear the area of Kurdish YPG fighters itself if necessary. "Yes, there are some joint patrols but other than that, the steps that have been taken or the steps that are said to be taken are cosmetic steps," he told reporters in Ankara. "We are seeing that the United States is entering a stalling process and that it is trying to get Turkey accustomed to this stalling process." Cavusoglu said Washington's approach so far had served the Syrian Kurdish YPG forces more than Turkey. The YPG, which has been the main US ally in the fight against Islamic State in Syria, is considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara, which says it is an extension of Kurdish militants in Turkey. President Tayyip Erdogan said last week Turkey also aims to send 1 million of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it hosts to the planned safe zone in northern Syria.

US stalling on Syria 'safe zone': Turkey

Hong Kong's embattled leader warned the United States on Tuesday not to "interfere" with her government's response to the city's pro-democracy movement after fresh protests called on Washington to ramp up pressure on Beijing.

Millions of people have demonstrated over the last 14 weeks in the biggest challenge to China's rule of the financial hub since its handover from Britain in 1997.

Protesters took to the streets again on Sunday, marching to the American consulate to call on Congress to pass a bill expressing support for the pro-democracy movement.

The proposed law could undermine Hong Kong's special US trade privileges by mandating regular checks on whether authorities were respecting the Basic Law that underpins the city's semi-autonomous status.

But Hong Kong's pro-Beijing Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that any change to its economic relationship with Washington would threaten "mutual benefits".

"It's extremely inappropriate for any country to interfere in Hong Kong's affairs," she told reporters.

"I hope that no more people in Hong Kong actively reach out to tell the United States to pass the act."

While some American politicians on both sides of the aisle have expressed support for the democratic goals of the protesters, President Donald Trump's administration has maintained a more hands-off approach while it fights a trade war with China.

Trump has called for a peaceful resolution to the political crisis and urged Beijing to not escalate with a violent crackdown.

But he has also said it is up to China to handle the protests.

Washington has rejected Beijing's allegations that it is backing the demonstrators and China has provided little evidence to back its claims beyond supportive statements from some US politicians.

'Crazy destruction'&nbsp;

Hong Kong's protests were lit by a plan to allow extraditions to the authoritarian mainland, seen by opponents as the latest move by China to chip away at the city's unique freedoms.

After Beijing and city leaders took a hard line, the movement snowballed into a broader campaign calling for greater democracy, police accountability and an amnesty for those arrested.

The protests show no signs of abating, and Lam has struck an uncompromising tone for much of the last three months.

But last week, she made a surprise concession, announcing the full withdrawal of the extradition bill.

That was not enough to mollify pro-democracy activists, who denounced the move as too little and too late, and huge crowds thronged the streets again over the weekend.

In what has become a familiar pattern, Sunday's main daytime rally to the US consulate passed off peacefully.

But as evening set in, riot police chased groups of hardcore protesters who blocked roads, vandalized nearby subway stations and set makeshift barricades on fire.

Lam once again denounced demonstrators during her Tuesday press conference.

"The crazy destruction made at MTR stations shows that protesters have acted beyond expressing their views on the extradition law and other demands," she said, using the name of the firm that runs the city's underground rail service.

Hong Kong's embattled leader warned the United States on Tuesday not to "interfere" with her government's response to the city's pro-democracy movement after fresh protests called on Washington to ramp up pressure on Beijing.

Hong Kong's embattled leader warned the United States on Tuesday not to "interfere" with her government's response to the city's pro-democracy movement after fresh protests called on Washington to ramp up pressure on Beijing. Millions of people have demonstrated over the last 14 weeks in the biggest challenge to China's rule of the financial hub since its handover from Britain in 1997. Protesters took to the streets again on Sunday, marching to the American consulate to call on Congress to pass a bill expressing support for the pro-democracy movement. The proposed law could undermine Hong Kong's special US trade privileges by mandating regular checks on whether authorities were respecting the Basic Law that underpins the city's semi-autonomous status. But Hong Kong's pro-Beijing Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that any change to its economic relationship with Washington would threaten "mutual benefits". "It's extremely inappropriate for any country to interfere in Hong Kong's affairs," she told reporters. "I hope that no more people in Hong Kong actively reach out to tell the United States to pass the act." While some American politicians on both sides of the aisle have expressed support for the democratic goals of the protesters, President Donald Trump's administration has maintained a more hands-off approach while it fights a trade war with China. Trump has called for a peaceful resolution to the political crisis and urged Beijing to not escalate with a violent crackdown. But he has also said it is up to China to handle the protests. Washington has rejected Beijing's allegations that it is backing the demonstrators and China has provided little evidence to back its claims beyond supportive statements from some US politicians. 'Crazy destruction' Hong Kong's protests were lit by a plan to allow extraditions to the authoritarian mainland, seen by opponents as the latest move by China to chip away at the city's unique freedoms. After Beijing and city leaders took a hard line, the movement snowballed into a broader campaign calling for greater democracy, police accountability and an amnesty for those arrested. The protests show no signs of abating, and Lam has struck an uncompromising tone for much of the last three months. But last week, she made a surprise concession, announcing the full withdrawal of the extradition bill. That was not enough to mollify pro-democracy activists, who denounced the move as too little and too late, and huge crowds thronged the streets again over the weekend. In what has become a familiar pattern, Sunday's main daytime rally to the US consulate passed off peacefully. But as evening set in, riot police chased groups of hardcore protesters who blocked roads, vandalized nearby subway stations and set makeshift barricades on fire. Lam once again denounced demonstrators during her Tuesday press conference. "The crazy destruction made at MTR stations shows that protesters have acted beyond expressing their views on the extradition law and other demands," she said, using the name of the firm that runs the city's underground rail service.

Hong Kong leader tells US not to 'interfere' after fresh protests

Myanmar’s army said on Monday it had dropped a criminal complaint against a religious leader who told US&nbsp;President Donald Trump the military was oppressing Christians, days after the United States voiced concern about the lawsuit.

Reverend Hkalam Samson, of the Kachin Baptist Convention, an organisation based in the northern Kachin state representing Myanmar’s mostly Christian Kachin minority, took part in a gathering at the White House in July, when victims of religious persecution met with Trump and other US officials.

Samson told Trump that Christians were being "oppressed and tortured by the Myanmar military government" in the Buddhist-majority country.

He also thanked Trump for imposing sanctions against top generals over Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, saying it was "very helpful".

A military officer, Lieutenant Colonel Than Htike, then filed a lawsuit against Samson, but a spokesman told Reuters on Monday that it had now been formally withdrawn.

"We withdraw the case voluntarily because it is what we should do," army spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun said by phone, without giving a reason.

Samson called the move a positive gesture towards the Kachin people.

"We welcome this issue being finished with understanding and without needing to be brought to the court," he said.

The move came after the US State Department last Thursday expressed concern about the lawsuit, which it said had sought "to unduly limit his freedom of expression and potentially could disrupt his critical work on behalf of tens of thousands of internally displaced people".

In July, the United States banned Myanmar military Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, three other senior commanders, and their families from entering the United States, in the strongest steps yet taken by Washington in response to a massacre of the Rohingya Muslims.

A military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017 drove more than 730,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring &nbsp;Bangladesh, according to United Nations figures.

UN&nbsp;investigators have said Myanmar’s operation included mass killings, gang rapes, and arson and was executed with "genocidal intent".

Myanmar’s army said on Monday it had dropped a criminal complaint against a religious leader who told US President Donald Trump the military was oppressing Christians, days after the United States voiced concern about the lawsuit.

Myanmar’s army said on Monday it had dropped a criminal complaint against a religious leader who told US President Donald Trump the military was oppressing Christians, days after the United States voiced concern about the lawsuit. Reverend Hkalam Samson, of the Kachin Baptist Convention, an organisation based in the northern Kachin state representing Myanmar’s mostly Christian Kachin minority, took part in a gathering at the White House in July, when victims of religious persecution met with Trump and other US officials. Samson told Trump that Christians were being "oppressed and tortured by the Myanmar military government" in the Buddhist-majority country. He also thanked Trump for imposing sanctions against top generals over Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, saying it was "very helpful". A military officer, Lieutenant Colonel Than Htike, then filed a lawsuit against Samson, but a spokesman told Reuters on Monday that it had now been formally withdrawn. "We withdraw the case voluntarily because it is what we should do," army spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun said by phone, without giving a reason. Samson called the move a positive gesture towards the Kachin people. "We welcome this issue being finished with understanding and without needing to be brought to the court," he said. The move came after the US State Department last Thursday expressed concern about the lawsuit, which it said had sought "to unduly limit his freedom of expression and potentially could disrupt his critical work on behalf of tens of thousands of internally displaced people". In July, the United States banned Myanmar military Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, three other senior commanders, and their families from entering the United States, in the strongest steps yet taken by Washington in response to a massacre of the Rohingya Muslims. A military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017 drove more than 730,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to United Nations figures. UN investigators have said Myanmar’s operation included mass killings, gang rapes, and arson and was executed with "genocidal intent".

Myanmar army drops lawsuit against religious leader who complained to Trump of persecution

US agents extracted a high-level Russian government source who had confirmed Vladimir Putin's direct role in interfering in the 2016 US presidential election, US media reported late Monday.

The source, who had been providing information for decades, had access to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pm-modi-president-putin-hold-bilateral-talks-in-vladivostok-exchange-several-mous-247560">Putin</a> and had sent pictures of high-level documents on the Russian leader's desk, CNN reported.

The network said the spy was pulled out of Russia in 2017 due to concerns that President Donald Trump and his cabinet could expose the asset due to repeated mishandling of classified intelligence.

The CIA refuted this. Brittany Bramell, the agency's director of public affairs, told CNN&nbsp;"Misguided speculation that the President's handling of our nation's most sensitive intelligence which he has access to each and every day drove an alleged exfiltration operation is inaccurate."

The agency offered to extract the source in late 2016 but the informant initially refused, citing family issues, the New York Times reported.

This prompted fears that the informant had become a double agent, but months later the source relented, the Times added.

The unnamed individual was key in providing information that led US intelligence to conclude Putin directly orchestrated <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-expect-more-responsible-attitude-putin-to-russian-space-officials-248076">Russian</a> interference in favor of Trump and against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, the Times said.

The informant was also directly linked Putin to the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, resulting in the release of a flood of embarrassing messages, the newspaper reported.

According to the Times, the agent was the CIA's most valuable Russian asset.

The extraction has "effectively blinded" American intelligence to the Kremlin's inner workings during the 2018 US midterm election, the Times report said, as well as the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

US agents extracted a high-level Russian government source who had confirmed Vladimir Putin's direct role in interfering in the 2016 US presidential election, US media reported late Monday.

US agents extracted a high-level Russian government source who had confirmed Vladimir Putin's direct role in interfering in the 2016 US presidential election, US media reported late Monday. The source, who had been providing information for decades, had access to Putin and had sent pictures of high-level documents on the Russian leader's desk, CNN reported. The network said the spy was pulled out of Russia in 2017 due to concerns that President Donald Trump and his cabinet could expose the asset due to repeated mishandling of classified intelligence. The CIA refuted this. Brittany Bramell, the agency's director of public affairs, told CNN "Misguided speculation that the President's handling of our nation's most sensitive intelligence which he has access to each and every day drove an alleged exfiltration operation is inaccurate." The agency offered to extract the source in late 2016 but the informant initially refused, citing family issues, the New York Times reported. This prompted fears that the informant had become a double agent, but months later the source relented, the Times added. The unnamed individual was key in providing information that led US intelligence to conclude Putin directly orchestrated Russian interference in favor of Trump and against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, the Times said. The informant was also directly linked Putin to the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, resulting in the release of a flood of embarrassing messages, the newspaper reported. According to the Times, the agent was the CIA's most valuable Russian asset. The extraction has "effectively blinded" American intelligence to the Kremlin's inner workings during the 2018 US midterm election, the Times report said, as well as the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

US extracted spy that confirmed Putin role in 2016 US vote: Reports

Jacquelin Febrillet was 26 years old on September 11, 2001, when jihadist hijackers flew two passenger jets into the World Trade Center just two blocks from where she worked.

Fifteen years after the attacks that day, Febrillet, by then a mother of three, was diagnosed with metastatic cancer. The likely cause: a cloud of toxic ash that engulfed her.

"I was there (on) 9/11 For years I have been working down there every day since 9/11. We were never told that something could happen," she says.

Unlike Febrillet, Richard Fahrer, then 19, wasn't in the area on 9/11, but he regularly worked as a land surveyor between 2001 and 2003 in south Manhattan, where the Twin Towers came crashing down.

Eighteen months ago, the young father, now 37, was diagnosed with aggressive colon cancer, a disease that usually affects older men and which there is no history of in his family.

Febrillet and Fahrer represent a growing category of patients who were living or working close to the World Trade Center in the wake of the attacks, which killed almost 3,000 people.

They were not among the thousands of emergency personnel who rushed to the site or who spent months clearing debris at Ground Zero, but their health is being similarly affected.

As the 18th anniversary of the attacks approaches, New York continues to count the number of people who have developed cancer or other serious illnesses related to the toxic cloud that hovered over Manhattan for several weeks.

'People are dying'&nbsp;

The 9/11 attacks released unprecedented amounts of chemicals into the air, including dioxins, asbestos, and other carcinogenic substances.

Firefighters, other first responders, and volunteers who helped with the months-long clean-up were the first to be affected. Studies found they faced an increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Ten thousand of them have been diagnosed with cancer by the World Trade Center Health Program, a federal treatment program helping survivors.

At the end of June this year, 21,000 people not considered first responders were also in the program twice as many as in June 2016. Of these, almost 4,000 have cancer, the most common being prostate, breast, and skin.

Febrillet, now 44, is one of them. She recalls that the message at the time was to get the city back to normal as quickly as possible.

"People were just going about their business a few days later. But look at what happened a few years later, people are dying," says Febrillet, who also lived close to Ground Zero.

Fahrer, too, laments that city officials did not do more to protect residents and office staff in the vicinity.

"My wife asks me, 'Did terrorists cause your cancer?' I can't say 100 percent, but I do know there could have been better efforts to limit the exposure of healthy adults from entering into the disaster area," he says.

Compensation fund&nbsp;

Health experts say it is impossible to pinpoint exactly the cause of cancer in every patient, but note that there is a clear correlation between the rate and exposure to toxic debris.

Several studies have shown that the cancer rate "has increased between 10 and 30 percent" among people who were exposed compared to those who weren't, David Prezant, New York fire department chief medical officer, told AFP. &nbsp; &nbsp;

The rate is expected to increase further, he said, as exposed people get older. The risk of cancer increases with age and some cancers, including lung, can take 20 to 30 years to develop, Prezant added.

It is because of this that President Donald Trump signed a bill in July that extends a deadline for victims to file claims for compensation from December 2020 to 2090.

The Victim Compensation Fund will be regularly topped up after exhausting its initial budget of $7.3 billion. The average compensation per patient is $240,000, or $682,000 for a deceased person.

Lawyer Matthew Baione, who represents Fahrer and Febrillet in their pursuit of claims, said the extension recognized that it was appropriate to cover someone "who was a baby during the attacks for the rest of their life."

"We have lost so many people, so many friends are sick," says Febrillet

"You get to a point where you are not asking, 'Have you seen so and so, I wonder how she is doing, is she retired?'

"Instead you are asking, 'So how is the surgery, how is the treatment going?' We are so young, this shouldn't be happening."

Jacquelin Febrillet was 26 years old on September 11, 2001, when jihadist hijackers flew two passenger jets into the World Trade Center just two blocks from where she worked.

Jacquelin Febrillet was 26 years old on September 11, 2001, when jihadist hijackers flew two passenger jets into the World Trade Center just two blocks from where she worked. Fifteen years after the attacks that day, Febrillet, by then a mother of three, was diagnosed with metastatic cancer. The likely cause: a cloud of toxic ash that engulfed her. "I was there (on) 9/11 For years I have been working down there every day since 9/11. We were never told that something could happen," she says. Unlike Febrillet, Richard Fahrer, then 19, wasn't in the area on 9/11, but he regularly worked as a land surveyor between 2001 and 2003 in south Manhattan, where the Twin Towers came crashing down. Eighteen months ago, the young father, now 37, was diagnosed with aggressive colon cancer, a disease that usually affects older men and which there is no history of in his family. Febrillet and Fahrer represent a growing category of patients who were living or working close to the World Trade Center in the wake of the attacks, which killed almost 3,000 people. They were not among the thousands of emergency personnel who rushed to the site or who spent months clearing debris at Ground Zero, but their health is being similarly affected. As the 18th anniversary of the attacks approaches, New York continues to count the number of people who have developed cancer or other serious illnesses related to the toxic cloud that hovered over Manhattan for several weeks. 'People are dying' The 9/11 attacks released unprecedented amounts of chemicals into the air, including dioxins, asbestos, and other carcinogenic substances. Firefighters, other first responders, and volunteers who helped with the months-long clean-up were the first to be affected. Studies found they faced an increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Ten thousand of them have been diagnosed with cancer by the World Trade Center Health Program, a federal treatment program helping survivors. At the end of June this year, 21,000 people not considered first responders were also in the program twice as many as in June 2016. Of these, almost 4,000 have cancer, the most common being prostate, breast, and skin. Febrillet, now 44, is one of them. She recalls that the message at the time was to get the city back to normal as quickly as possible. "People were just going about their business a few days later. But look at what happened a few years later, people are dying," says Febrillet, who also lived close to Ground Zero. Fahrer, too, laments that city officials did not do more to protect residents and office staff in the vicinity. "My wife asks me, 'Did terrorists cause your cancer?' I can't say 100 percent, but I do know there could have been better efforts to limit the exposure of healthy adults from entering into the disaster area," he says. Compensation fund Health experts say it is impossible to pinpoint exactly the cause of cancer in every patient, but note that there is a clear correlation between the rate and exposure to toxic debris. Several studies have shown that the cancer rate "has increased between 10 and 30 percent" among people who were exposed compared to those who weren't, David Prezant, New York fire department chief medical officer, told AFP. The rate is expected to increase further, he said, as exposed people get older. The risk of cancer increases with age and some cancers, including lung, can take 20 to 30 years to develop, Prezant added. It is because of this that President Donald Trump signed a bill in July that extends a deadline for victims to file claims for compensation from December 2020 to 2090. The Victim Compensation Fund will be regularly topped up after exhausting its initial budget of $7.3 billion. The average compensation per patient is $240,000, or $682,000 for a deceased person. Lawyer Matthew Baione, who represents Fahrer and Febrillet in their pursuit of claims, said the extension recognized that it was appropriate to cover someone "who was a baby during the attacks for the rest of their life." "We have lost so many people, so many friends are sick," says Febrillet "You get to a point where you are not asking, 'Have you seen so and so, I wonder how she is doing, is she retired?' "Instead you are asking, 'So how is the surgery, how is the treatment going?' We are so young, this shouldn't be happening."

18 years later, cancer cases linger over 9/11 anniversary

Oil rose on Monday on expectations that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/saudi-arabia-replaces-aramco-chairman-ahead-of-potential-ipo-247313">Saudi Arabia</a>, the world's largest oil exporter, will continue to support output cuts by OPEC and other producers to prop up prices under new Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.

Prices climbed for a fourth day and were also supported by comments from the United Arab Emirates energy minister that OPEC and its allies are committed to balancing the crude market.

Global benchmark Brent was up 61 cents, or 1 per cent, at $62.15 a barrel by 0649 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate was up 65 cents, or 1.2 per cent, at $57.17 a barrel.

Salman, a long-time member of the Saudi delegation to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, was named minister on Sunday, replacing Khalid al-Falih. He is the son of Saudi King Salman. It is the first time the energy portfolio has been handed to a member of the royal family.

He helped to negotiate the current global agreement on supply cuts between OPEC and non-OPEC countries including Russia, a group known as OPEC+.

 
A Saudi official said on Sunday there would be no shift in Saudi and OPEC policy.

"The change at the top doesn't necessarily mean a shift in policy as much as it's being viewed as a move to improve relations within OPEC and with non-OPEC producers in the wake of the latest Russian compliance fissures," said Stephen Innes, Asia Pacific market strategist at Axi Trader.

Russia's oil output in August exceeded its quota under the OPEC+ agreements.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/aramco-ipo-how-saudi-arabia-caught-between-united-states-and-china-245687">UAE</a> Energy and Industry Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said on Sunday that members of OPEC and non-OPEC producers were "committed" to achieving oil market balance.

Trade and geopolitical tensions are affecting the market more than demand and supply, Mazrouei said, but he was quick to rule out hasty steps influenced by the trade war between the United States and China.

"The fear of slower (oil) demand is only going to happen if that tension is escalating and I am personally hopeful that is not the case," Mazrouei told Reuters on Sunday.

Prices on Monday were also supported by a rise in oil imports in China in August, with shipments to the world's biggest importer up 3 per cent from July and nearly 10 per cent higher in the first eight months of 2019 from a year earlier.

In the United States, drilling companies cut the number of operating oil rigs for a third week in a row last week

Oil rose on Monday on expectations that Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, will continue to support output cuts by OPEC and other producers to prop up prices under new Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.

Oil rose on Monday on expectations that Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, will continue to support output cuts by OPEC and other producers to prop up prices under new Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. Prices climbed for a fourth day and were also supported by comments from the United Arab Emirates energy minister that OPEC and its allies are committed to balancing the crude market. Global benchmark Brent was up 61 cents, or 1 per cent, at $62.15 a barrel by 0649 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate was up 65 cents, or 1.2 per cent, at $57.17 a barrel. Salman, a long-time member of the Saudi delegation to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, was named minister on Sunday, replacing Khalid al-Falih. He is the son of Saudi King Salman. It is the first time the energy portfolio has been handed to a member of the royal family. He helped to negotiate the current global agreement on supply cuts between OPEC and non-OPEC countries including Russia, a group known as OPEC+. A Saudi official said on Sunday there would be no shift in Saudi and OPEC policy. "The change at the top doesn't necessarily mean a shift in policy as much as it's being viewed as a move to improve relations within OPEC and with non-OPEC producers in the wake of the latest Russian compliance fissures," said Stephen Innes, Asia Pacific market strategist at Axi Trader. Russia's oil output in August exceeded its quota under the OPEC+ agreements. UAE Energy and Industry Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said on Sunday that members of OPEC and non-OPEC producers were "committed" to achieving oil market balance. Trade and geopolitical tensions are affecting the market more than demand and supply, Mazrouei said, but he was quick to rule out hasty steps influenced by the trade war between the United States and China. "The fear of slower (oil) demand is only going to happen if that tension is escalating and I am personally hopeful that is not the case," Mazrouei told Reuters on Sunday. Prices on Monday were also supported by a rise in oil imports in China in August, with shipments to the world's biggest importer up 3 per cent from July and nearly 10 per cent higher in the first eight months of 2019 from a year earlier. In the United States, drilling companies cut the number of operating oil rigs for a third week in a row last week

Oil rises as Saudi signals OPEC cuts to continue under new minister

The United States and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-say-us-will-be-harmed-more-than-anyone-after-trump-halts-talks-248470">Afghanistan's Taliban</a> on Sunday both left the door open to fresh talks after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/afghanistan-donald-trump-calls-off-peace-talks-secret-summit-with-taliban-over-terror-attacks-248340">President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled</a> a secret summit, but the insurgents warned of inflicting greater costs.

The United States also said it would not relent in fighting the militants as Trump cited a Taliban attack that killed a US soldier for scuttling the unprecedented meeting.

Trump said he had invited Taliban leaders, as well as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, for talks Sunday at the presidential retreat of Camp David on a draft deal that would see the United States pull out thousands of troops and wind down its longest-ever war.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a series of television interviews Sunday, did not rule out a return to talks but said the United States needed a "significant commitment" from the Taliban.

"I'm not pessimistic," Pompeo told NBC. "I've watched the Taliban do things and say things they've not been permitted to do before."

"I hope it's the case the Taliban will change their behavior," he said on ABC.&nbsp;

"In the end, this will be resolved through a series of conversations," he added, urging the Taliban to drop its long-running refusal to negotiate with Ghani's internationally recognized government.

He said that Trump had not decided whether to go ahead with a withdrawal, which under the draft deal would pull 5,000 of the roughly 13,000 US troops from Afghanistan next year.

But he warned that the United States was also inflicting a toll on the Taliban, saying that US forces had killed more than 1,000 insurgents in the past 10 days alone.

"If the Taliban don't behave, if they don't deliver on the commitments they made to us for weeks and in some cases months, the president of the United States is not going to reduce the pressure," Pompeo said on CNN.

'Americans will be harmed'

Veteran US negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad had spent a year meeting with the Taliban, who confirmed that they considered the deal finished.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Trump showed "neither experience nor patience."

"Americans will be harmed more than any other" by Trump's decision, a Taliban statement warned.

US "credibility will be harmed, their anti-peace stance will become more visible to the world, their casualties and financial losses will increase, and the US role in international political interaction will be discredited even further," it said.

But the spokesman said that the Taliban still believe "that the American side will come back to this position" of talks that seek "the complete end of the occupation."

The office of Ghani, whose government is rejected by the Taliban as illegitimate, cautiously saluted the "sincere efforts of its allies" after Trump called off the summit.

The Afghan presidency in a statement also "insisted that a real peace can only be achieved if the Taliban stop killing Afghans and accept a ceasefire, and face-to-face talks with the Afghan government."

Trump's dramatic about-face came weeks before Afghanistan holds presidential elections, raising fears that the Taliban will step up their campaign of violence to disrupt voting.

Criticism ahead of 9/11

Trump relishes dramatic gestures, such as meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but the idea of inviting Taliban leaders to US soil still stunned Washington.

The would-be talks angered even some allies of Trump, who noted that the Taliban would be visiting three days before the 18th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which triggered the US invasion of Afghanistan.

"Camp David is where America's leaders met to plan our response after Al-Qaeda, supported by the Taliban, killed 3,000 Americans on 9/11. No member of the Taliban should set foot there. Ever," tweeted Liz Cheney, a Republican congresswoman and daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney.

Considering Trump's penchant for bombast, some questioned if the summit was even set to take place.

"I'm still looking for confirmation an actual, physical trip to Camp David was planned," Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro told CNN, while adding: "It's very odd to invite a terrorist organization like that to Camp David."

Pompeo said that Trump had said of the Taliban, "I want to look them in the eyes, I want to see if we can get to the final outcome that we need so we could sign off on the deal."

On the eve of the canceled summit, Pompeo traveled to the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the return of the remains of the US soldier killed in Kabul, Elis Barreto Ortiz.

The United States and Afghanistan's Taliban on Sunday both left the door open to fresh talks after President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled a secret summit, but the insurgents warned of inflicting greater costs.

The United States and Afghanistan's Taliban on Sunday both left the door open to fresh talks after President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled a secret summit, but the insurgents warned of inflicting greater costs. The United States also said it would not relent in fighting the militants as Trump cited a Taliban attack that killed a US soldier for scuttling the unprecedented meeting. Trump said he had invited Taliban leaders, as well as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, for talks Sunday at the presidential retreat of Camp David on a draft deal that would see the United States pull out thousands of troops and wind down its longest-ever war. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a series of television interviews Sunday, did not rule out a return to talks but said the United States needed a "significant commitment" from the Taliban. "I'm not pessimistic," Pompeo told NBC. "I've watched the Taliban do things and say things they've not been permitted to do before." "I hope it's the case the Taliban will change their behavior," he said on ABC. "In the end, this will be resolved through a series of conversations," he added, urging the Taliban to drop its long-running refusal to negotiate with Ghani's internationally recognized government. He said that Trump had not decided whether to go ahead with a withdrawal, which under the draft deal would pull 5,000 of the roughly 13,000 US troops from Afghanistan next year. But he warned that the United States was also inflicting a toll on the Taliban, saying that US forces had killed more than 1,000 insurgents in the past 10 days alone. "If the Taliban don't behave, if they don't deliver on the commitments they made to us for weeks and in some cases months, the president of the United States is not going to reduce the pressure," Pompeo said on CNN. 'Americans will be harmed' Veteran US negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad had spent a year meeting with the Taliban, who confirmed that they considered the deal finished. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Trump showed "neither experience nor patience." "Americans will be harmed more than any other" by Trump's decision, a Taliban statement warned. US "credibility will be harmed, their anti-peace stance will become more visible to the world, their casualties and financial losses will increase, and the US role in international political interaction will be discredited even further," it said. But the spokesman said that the Taliban still believe "that the American side will come back to this position" of talks that seek "the complete end of the occupation." The office of Ghani, whose government is rejected by the Taliban as illegitimate, cautiously saluted the "sincere efforts of its allies" after Trump called off the summit. The Afghan presidency in a statement also "insisted that a real peace can only be achieved if the Taliban stop killing Afghans and accept a ceasefire, and face-to-face talks with the Afghan government." Trump's dramatic about-face came weeks before Afghanistan holds presidential elections, raising fears that the Taliban will step up their campaign of violence to disrupt voting. Criticism ahead of 9/11 Trump relishes dramatic gestures, such as meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but the idea of inviting Taliban leaders to US soil still stunned Washington. The would-be talks angered even some allies of Trump, who noted that the Taliban would be visiting three days before the 18th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which triggered the US invasion of Afghanistan. "Camp David is where America's leaders met to plan our response after Al-Qaeda, supported by the Taliban, killed 3,000 Americans on 9/11. No member of the Taliban should set foot there. Ever," tweeted Liz Cheney, a Republican congresswoman and daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney. Considering Trump's penchant for bombast, some questioned if the summit was even set to take place. "I'm still looking for confirmation an actual, physical trip to Camp David was planned," Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro told CNN, while adding: "It's very odd to invite a terrorist organization like that to Camp David." Pompeo said that Trump had said of the Taliban, "I want to look them in the eyes, I want to see if we can get to the final outcome that we need so we could sign off on the deal." On the eve of the canceled summit, Pompeo traveled to the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the return of the remains of the US soldier killed in Kabul, Elis Barreto Ortiz.

US, Taliban keep open door to talks after summit scrapped

The United States and Turkey on Sunday began joint patrols in northeastern Syria aimed at easing tensions between Ankara and US-backed Kurdish forces who battled the Islamic State jihadist group.

Six Turkish armoured vehicles crossed the border to join US forces in Syria for their first joint patrol under a deal reached between Washington and Ankara, an AFP journalist reported.

Two helicopters flew over the area as the Turkish vehicles drove through an opening in the concrete wall separating the two countries.

They then headed west with the same number of American vehicles, along with an ambulance and a pick-up, for the joint operation, before crossing back into Turkey.

The Turkish defence ministry said drones were also deployed.

The agreement reached on August 7 aims to establish a "safe zone" between the Turkish border and the Syrian areas east of the Euphrates river controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).

Syrian Kurdish forces began withdrawing from along the Turkish border in late August.

The patrol allowed Turkish forces to observe "first-hand progress on destroyed YPG fortifications and areas where YPG elements voluntarily departed the area", said Colonel Myles Caggins, spokesman for the US-led coalition against IS.

The YPG forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) -- a key partner of Washington in the fight against IS jihadists in Syria.

But Ankara sees the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party.

The PKK, which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Ankara, the US and the European Union.

Washington's support for the SDF has been a major point of friction with fellow NATO member Turkey.

Caggins said the patrol demonstrated the coalition's "continued commitment to address Turkey's legitimate security concerns, while also allowing the coalition and our SDF partners to remain focused on achieving the enduring defeat" of IS.&nbsp;

'Preventing war'

Turkey carried out unilateral offensives in northern Syria against IS in 2016 and the YPG in 2018.

As the regional fight against IS winds down, the prospect of a US military withdrawal has stoked Kurdish fears of another Turkish attack.&nbsp;

"We are implementing the agreement and we have no problem with it as long as it prevents war," said Riyad Khamis, the head of an SDF-led military council in the border town of Tal Abyad.

Although they led the US-backed fight against IS, Syria's Kurds have largely stayed out of Syria's eight-year civil war, instead building their own autonomous institutions in areas they control.

Sunday's patrol drew sharp criticism from Damascus, which labelled it a flagrant "aggression" that seeks to prolong Syria's war.

It also reiterated its "absolute rejection" of the planned safe zone, calling it a violation of Syria's sovereignty.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to launch an operation against the YPG in Syria unless progress is made on setting up the safe zone.

Erdogan said his US counterpart Donald Trump had promised the buffer would be 32 kilometres (20 miles) wide.

Turkish army chief General Yasar Guler told General Joseph Dunford, the top US military officer, in a phone call on Saturday that the safe zone must be set up without delay, the Turkish defence ministry said.

A joint centre of operations was recently established as part of the agreement.

Ankara hopes the safe zone will smooth the way for the return of some of the more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey, but experts say the situation remains unclear.

"We may have joint patrols but we still don't have a joint understanding of what the safe zone is," said Nicholas Danforth, senior visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

"America sees the safe zone as a way to preserve our relationship with the SDF and preserve the SDF's autonomy. Turkey sees the safe zone as a step toward ending them both."

 
&nbsp;

The United States and Turkey on Sunday began joint patrols in northeastern Syria aimed at easing tensions between Ankara and US-backed Kurdish forces who battled the Islamic State jihadist group.

The United States and Turkey on Sunday began joint patrols in northeastern Syria aimed at easing tensions between Ankara and US-backed Kurdish forces who battled the Islamic State jihadist group. Six Turkish armoured vehicles crossed the border to join US forces in Syria for their first joint patrol under a deal reached between Washington and Ankara, an AFP journalist reported. Two helicopters flew over the area as the Turkish vehicles drove through an opening in the concrete wall separating the two countries. They then headed west with the same number of American vehicles, along with an ambulance and a pick-up, for the joint operation, before crossing back into Turkey. The Turkish defence ministry said drones were also deployed. The agreement reached on August 7 aims to establish a "safe zone" between the Turkish border and the Syrian areas east of the Euphrates river controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Syrian Kurdish forces began withdrawing from along the Turkish border in late August. The patrol allowed Turkish forces to observe "first-hand progress on destroyed YPG fortifications and areas where YPG elements voluntarily departed the area", said Colonel Myles Caggins, spokesman for the US-led coalition against IS. The YPG forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) -- a key partner of Washington in the fight against IS jihadists in Syria. But Ankara sees the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party. The PKK, which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Ankara, the US and the European Union. Washington's support for the SDF has been a major point of friction with fellow NATO member Turkey. Caggins said the patrol demonstrated the coalition's "continued commitment to address Turkey's legitimate security concerns, while also allowing the coalition and our SDF partners to remain focused on achieving the enduring defeat" of IS. 'Preventing war' Turkey carried out unilateral offensives in northern Syria against IS in 2016 and the YPG in 2018. As the regional fight against IS winds down, the prospect of a US military withdrawal has stoked Kurdish fears of another Turkish attack. "We are implementing the agreement and we have no problem with it as long as it prevents war," said Riyad Khamis, the head of an SDF-led military council in the border town of Tal Abyad. Although they led the US-backed fight against IS, Syria's Kurds have largely stayed out of Syria's eight-year civil war, instead building their own autonomous institutions in areas they control. Sunday's patrol drew sharp criticism from Damascus, which labelled it a flagrant "aggression" that seeks to prolong Syria's war. It also reiterated its "absolute rejection" of the planned safe zone, calling it a violation of Syria's sovereignty. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to launch an operation against the YPG in Syria unless progress is made on setting up the safe zone. Erdogan said his US counterpart Donald Trump had promised the buffer would be 32 kilometres (20 miles) wide. Turkish army chief General Yasar Guler told General Joseph Dunford, the top US military officer, in a phone call on Saturday that the safe zone must be set up without delay, the Turkish defence ministry said. A joint centre of operations was recently established as part of the agreement. Ankara hopes the safe zone will smooth the way for the return of some of the more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey, but experts say the situation remains unclear. "We may have joint patrols but we still don't have a joint understanding of what the safe zone is," said Nicholas Danforth, senior visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. "America sees the safe zone as a way to preserve our relationship with the SDF and preserve the SDF's autonomy. Turkey sees the safe zone as a step toward ending them both."

US, Turkey launch joint patrols in northeast Syria

The United States and Turkey on Sunday began joint patrols in northeastern Syria aimed at easing tensions between Ankara and US-backed Kurdish forces.&nbsp;

Six Turkish armoured vehicles crossed the border to join US troops in Syria for their first joint patrol under a deal reached between Washington and Ankara, an AFP journalist reported.

Two helicopters overflew the area as the Turkish vehicles drove through an opening in the concrete wall erected between the two countries.

The agreement reached on August 7 aims to establish a "safe zone" between the Turkish border and the Syrian areas east of the Euphrates river controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units militia.

The YPG is an ally of the US but seen as a terrorist organisation by Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to launch an operation against the YPG in Syria unless progress is made on setting up the safe zone.

Erdogan said his US counterpart Donald Trump had promised it would be 32 kilometres (20 miles) wide.

A joint centre of operations was recently established as part of the agreement.&nbsp;

Turkey previously conducted cross-border operations in northern Syria supporting Syrian rebels in 2016 against IS and in early 2018 against the YPG.

Ankara says the YPG militia is a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party.

The PKK, which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Ankara, the US and the European Union.

The United States and Turkey on Sunday began joint patrols in northeastern Syria aimed at easing tensions between Ankara and US-backed Kurdish forces. Six Turkish armoured vehicles crossed the border to join US troops in Syria for their first joint patrol under a deal reached between Washington and Ankara, an AFP journalist reported.

The United States and Turkey on Sunday began joint patrols in northeastern Syria aimed at easing tensions between Ankara and US-backed Kurdish forces. Six Turkish armoured vehicles crossed the border to join US troops in Syria for their first joint patrol under a deal reached between Washington and Ankara, an AFP journalist reported. Two helicopters overflew the area as the Turkish vehicles drove through an opening in the concrete wall erected between the two countries. The agreement reached on August 7 aims to establish a "safe zone" between the Turkish border and the Syrian areas east of the Euphrates river controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units militia. The YPG is an ally of the US but seen as a terrorist organisation by Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to launch an operation against the YPG in Syria unless progress is made on setting up the safe zone. Erdogan said his US counterpart Donald Trump had promised it would be 32 kilometres (20 miles) wide. A joint centre of operations was recently established as part of the agreement. Turkey previously conducted cross-border operations in northern Syria supporting Syrian rebels in 2016 against IS and in early 2018 against the YPG. Ankara says the YPG militia is a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party. The PKK, which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Ankara, the US and the European Union.

A coalition of US states unveiled on Friday an antitrust investigation of Facebook, the first of what is expected to be a wave of action against dominant technology firms.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced the action on behalf of seven other states and the District of Columbia to probe "whether Facebook has stifled competition and put users at risk."

The case may be the first in a series of antitrust actions against Big Tech firms and highlights growing "techlash," based on worries about platforms that control the flow of online information and dominate key economic sectors.

"We will use every investigative tool at our disposal to determine whether Facebook's actions may have endangered consumer data, reduced the quality of consumers' choices, or increased the price of advertising," James said.

Joining the action were attorneys general of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee, said, James.

Earlier this year the US Justice Department said it would launch a "review" of major online platforms to determine if they have stifled innovation or reduced competition.

It was not immediately clear if the states would be working in coordination with federal officials.

'Rising fears'

Facebook offered no immediate comment, but in the past, it has claimed it is not a monopoly and that consumers have many choices for how to connect with people online.

The new probe "shows how unease with large tech companies is spreading beyond Congress and the federal government agencies to the states," said Michael Carrier, professor of antitrust law at Rutgers University.

"With each passing day, there are greater fears about these companies controlling our online lives."

Yet the legal basis for an antitrust action remains unclear, said Eric Goldman, director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University.

"It remains to be seen if the (attorneys general) has any merit to their complaints or if they will be conducting a fishing expedition hoping to find some damning evidence," Goldman said.

"Companies as large as Google or Facebook probably have minor problematic practices the AGs could target, but I'm still waiting for any evidence that would support more structural challenges to the internet giants' practices."

'More on Monday'

A separate coalition of states was set to launch another antitrust initiative, with Google reportedly a target.

The office of the Texas attorney general scheduled an event Monday in Washington with a "broad coalition of states" to unveil a probe into "whether large tech companies have engaged in anticompetitive behaviour that stifled competition, restricted access, and harmed consumers."

Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said the company's services "help people every day, create more choice for consumers, and support thousands of jobs and small businesses across the country" and pledged to "work constructively with regulators."

'What's the remedy?'

Maurice Stucke, a University of Tennessee law professor, said he expects one of the areas being investigated will be online advertising markets, which are dominated by Google and Facebook.

"This is a great area to look at because the market has been criticized as being opaque," Stucke said.

Stucke said the investigations may go further by looking at how tech platforms control data, potentially examining "the intersection between competition law and privacy."

Amazon and Apple may also be in the crosshairs. Critics have complained that Amazon wields too much power in online retail and that Apple may disadvantage rivals offering services in its app store.

In the European Union, Google has faced a series of antitrust actions and Amazon is now being targeted by enforcers.

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has made a breakup of the big tech firms a part of her campaign platform.

But some analysts say the case against the tech firms faces challenges because the companies have in many cases provided services for free and brought prices down, making it hard to prove they harmed "consumer welfare," a longstanding judicial precedent.

Jessica Melugin of the Competitive Enterprise Institute said the state officials are stretching the limits of antitrust.

"This sort of high-profile activism may benefit state AGs' political ambitions, but impose harmful costs on consumers, businesses, and the economy," she said in a statement.

But Stucke said it would be wrong to view antitrust law as solely focused on consumer prices, and that it may be applied to questions of competition and innovation.

The probes could end up with a variety of outcomes including fines, restrictions on conduct or a breakup, Stucke maintained.

"You'd have to show how the remedy would address the concerns," he said.

A coalition of US states unveiled on Friday an antitrust investigation of Facebook, the first of what is expected to be a wave of action against dominant technology firms.

A coalition of US states unveiled on Friday an antitrust investigation of Facebook, the first of what is expected to be a wave of action against dominant technology firms. New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced the action on behalf of seven other states and the District of Columbia to probe "whether Facebook has stifled competition and put users at risk." The case may be the first in a series of antitrust actions against Big Tech firms and highlights growing "techlash," based on worries about platforms that control the flow of online information and dominate key economic sectors. "We will use every investigative tool at our disposal to determine whether Facebook's actions may have endangered consumer data, reduced the quality of consumers' choices, or increased the price of advertising," James said. Joining the action were attorneys general of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee, said, James. Earlier this year the US Justice Department said it would launch a "review" of major online platforms to determine if they have stifled innovation or reduced competition. It was not immediately clear if the states would be working in coordination with federal officials. 'Rising fears' Facebook offered no immediate comment, but in the past, it has claimed it is not a monopoly and that consumers have many choices for how to connect with people online. The new probe "shows how unease with large tech companies is spreading beyond Congress and the federal government agencies to the states," said Michael Carrier, professor of antitrust law at Rutgers University. "With each passing day, there are greater fears about these companies controlling our online lives." Yet the legal basis for an antitrust action remains unclear, said Eric Goldman, director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University. "It remains to be seen if the (attorneys general) has any merit to their complaints or if they will be conducting a fishing expedition hoping to find some damning evidence," Goldman said. "Companies as large as Google or Facebook probably have minor problematic practices the AGs could target, but I'm still waiting for any evidence that would support more structural challenges to the internet giants' practices." 'More on Monday' A separate coalition of states was set to launch another antitrust initiative, with Google reportedly a target. The office of the Texas attorney general scheduled an event Monday in Washington with a "broad coalition of states" to unveil a probe into "whether large tech companies have engaged in anticompetitive behaviour that stifled competition, restricted access, and harmed consumers." Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said the company's services "help people every day, create more choice for consumers, and support thousands of jobs and small businesses across the country" and pledged to "work constructively with regulators." 'What's the remedy?' Maurice Stucke, a University of Tennessee law professor, said he expects one of the areas being investigated will be online advertising markets, which are dominated by Google and Facebook. "This is a great area to look at because the market has been criticized as being opaque," Stucke said. Stucke said the investigations may go further by looking at how tech platforms control data, potentially examining "the intersection between competition law and privacy." Amazon and Apple may also be in the crosshairs. Critics have complained that Amazon wields too much power in online retail and that Apple may disadvantage rivals offering services in its app store. In the European Union, Google has faced a series of antitrust actions and Amazon is now being targeted by enforcers. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has made a breakup of the big tech firms a part of her campaign platform. But some analysts say the case against the tech firms faces challenges because the companies have in many cases provided services for free and brought prices down, making it hard to prove they harmed "consumer welfare," a longstanding judicial precedent. Jessica Melugin of the Competitive Enterprise Institute said the state officials are stretching the limits of antitrust. "This sort of high-profile activism may benefit state AGs' political ambitions, but impose harmful costs on consumers, businesses, and the economy," she said in a statement. But Stucke said it would be wrong to view antitrust law as solely focused on consumer prices, and that it may be applied to questions of competition and innovation. The probes could end up with a variety of outcomes including fines, restrictions on conduct or a breakup, Stucke maintained. "You'd have to show how the remedy would address the concerns," he said.

Antitrust probe of Facebook may be first step against Big Tech

Charities, government agencies and even cruise ships loaded with supplies and volunteers rushed emergency aid to the storm-ravaged <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dorian-kills-five-in-bahamas-us-evacuates-coast-247227">Bahamas</a> on Saturday amid fears of a "staggering" death toll left in the wake of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-dorian-skirts-us-carolinas-coast-with-high-winds-and-rain-248039">Hurricane Dorian</a>.

Bahama leaders believe hundreds and perhaps thousands remained missing in the archipelago nation of about 400,000 people, even as the official death toll rose only to 43 as of late on Friday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-continues-to-defend-incorrect-map-of-hurricane-dorian-path-247743">US&nbsp;President Donald Trump</a>'s&nbsp;administration requested airlift and logistical support from the Defense Department on Friday to support relief efforts for the Bahamas, the Miami Herald and other media reported.

The US&nbsp;Coast Guard and other agencies have already provided help with US Northern Command chief General Terrance O'Shaughnessy arriving in Nassau on Friday to assess the needs.

"We'll continue to beef up, we'll continue to collaborate with the government of the Bahamas," he told news reporters.

Hurricane Dorian, the most powerful hurricane on record to hit the Bahamas, parked itself over part of the archipelago for almost two days earlier this week, pummeling it with Category 5 winds, with some gusts topping 200 mph.

The most powerful hurricane on record to hit the Bahamas levelled some neighbourhoods, swallowed others with storm surges and caused what one official described as a "staggering" number of deaths.

Dorian also devastated parts of the Outer Banks Islands in North Carolina, on Friday and it continued to push northward along the US&nbsp;Atlantic coast early on Saturday.

It brought tropical-storm-force winds to southeastern Massachusetts and Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard on Saturday morning, according to an advisory from the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.

"Dorian's rain is just grazing New England," said Alex Lamers, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.

It is expected to make landfall in Canada's Nova Scotia province on Saturday night with winds of about 90 mph (150 kph) and leave up to 7 inches of rain before pushing further east as a weakened post-tropical storm by Sunday, the NHC said.

The Bahamas hade only a slight, 10 per cent, chance of rain Saturday that was not expected to hamper relief efforts as Bahamas Health Minister Duane Sands spoke of "a tremendous loss of life."

'Staggering number of dead feared'

The medical chief of staff at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau said two refrigerated, 40-foot trucks would be needed to hold the "staggering" number of bodies likely to be found.

"We've ordered lots of body bags," said Dr Caroline Burnett-Garraway.

The United Nations estimated 70,000 people were in "immediate need of life-saving assistance" such as food, water and shelter. The UN&nbsp;World Food Programme was airlifting storage units, generators, prefab offices, and satellite equipment as well as 8 metric tonnes of ready-to-eat meals.

The American Red Cross said it had committed an initial $2 million help the Bahamas recover from the hurricane, with food, water and shelter and other necessities.

"Our relief operation is growing, but we are also facing serious challenges in terms of delivering aid," Red Cross spokeswoman Jennifer Eli said. "Even search-and-rescue choppers haven't been able to reach some people because there's no place to land. These challenges are affecting everyone."

Near an area called The Mudd in Marsh Harbour, a commercial hub, a Reuters witness reported most houses levelled, the body of a man lying near the main street and dead dogs floating in the water. Some residents were leaving the area with meagre possessions, while others were determined to remain.

The US Coast Guard has rescued 295 people since Dorian began, the US Embassy in Nassau tweeted.

Relief groups were focusing on getting doctors, nurses and medical supplies into the hardest-hit areas and helping survivors get food and safe drinking water.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. committed $1 million for hurricane relief and its ship Norwegian Breakaway left Miami on Thursday with supplies donated by the company and its employees, in addition to items collected by the City of Miami and various charities.

Celebrity chef José Andrés and members of his nonprofit, World Central Kitchen, we're on the ground in the Bahamas to aid hurricane survivors by preparing thousands of meals.

The risk of outbreaks of diarrhoea and waterborne diseases is high as drinking water may be tainted with sewage, according to the Pan American Health Organization, which described the situation for some people on Abaco island as "desperate."

Claudin Lauriston, 39, a Haitian carpenter, said he and his three young children were among the "lucky ones" to get on a plane out of Abaco. He said he had no documents with him but would try to get a job to support his family.

"There are too many dead bodies there. The government needs to remove everyone from the island, the smell is everywhere, it's in the water."

Charities, government agencies and even cruise ships loaded with supplies and volunteers rushed emergency aid to the storm-ravaged Bahamas on Saturday amid fears of a "staggering" death toll left in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.

Charities, government agencies and even cruise ships loaded with supplies and volunteers rushed emergency aid to the storm-ravaged Bahamas on Saturday amid fears of a "staggering" death toll left in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. Bahama leaders believe hundreds and perhaps thousands remained missing in the archipelago nation of about 400,000 people, even as the official death toll rose only to 43 as of late on Friday. US President Donald Trump's administration requested airlift and logistical support from the Defense Department on Friday to support relief efforts for the Bahamas, the Miami Herald and other media reported. The US Coast Guard and other agencies have already provided help with US Northern Command chief General Terrance O'Shaughnessy arriving in Nassau on Friday to assess the needs. "We'll continue to beef up, we'll continue to collaborate with the government of the Bahamas," he told news reporters. Hurricane Dorian, the most powerful hurricane on record to hit the Bahamas, parked itself over part of the archipelago for almost two days earlier this week, pummeling it with Category 5 winds, with some gusts topping 200 mph. The most powerful hurricane on record to hit the Bahamas levelled some neighbourhoods, swallowed others with storm surges and caused what one official described as a "staggering" number of deaths. Dorian also devastated parts of the Outer Banks Islands in North Carolina, on Friday and it continued to push northward along the US Atlantic coast early on Saturday. It brought tropical-storm-force winds to southeastern Massachusetts and Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard on Saturday morning, according to an advisory from the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. "Dorian's rain is just grazing New England," said Alex Lamers, a forecaster with the National Weather Service. It is expected to make landfall in Canada's Nova Scotia province on Saturday night with winds of about 90 mph (150 kph) and leave up to 7 inches of rain before pushing further east as a weakened post-tropical storm by Sunday, the NHC said. The Bahamas hade only a slight, 10 per cent, chance of rain Saturday that was not expected to hamper relief efforts as Bahamas Health Minister Duane Sands spoke of "a tremendous loss of life." 'Staggering number of dead feared' The medical chief of staff at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau said two refrigerated, 40-foot trucks would be needed to hold the "staggering" number of bodies likely to be found. "We've ordered lots of body bags," said Dr Caroline Burnett-Garraway. The United Nations estimated 70,000 people were in "immediate need of life-saving assistance" such as food, water and shelter. The UN World Food Programme was airlifting storage units, generators, prefab offices, and satellite equipment as well as 8 metric tonnes of ready-to-eat meals. The American Red Cross said it had committed an initial $2 million help the Bahamas recover from the hurricane, with food, water and shelter and other necessities. "Our relief operation is growing, but we are also facing serious challenges in terms of delivering aid," Red Cross spokeswoman Jennifer Eli said. "Even search-and-rescue choppers haven't been able to reach some people because there's no place to land. These challenges are affecting everyone." Near an area called The Mudd in Marsh Harbour, a commercial hub, a Reuters witness reported most houses levelled, the body of a man lying near the main street and dead dogs floating in the water. Some residents were leaving the area with meagre possessions, while others were determined to remain. The US Coast Guard has rescued 295 people since Dorian began, the US Embassy in Nassau tweeted. Relief groups were focusing on getting doctors, nurses and medical supplies into the hardest-hit areas and helping survivors get food and safe drinking water. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. committed $1 million for hurricane relief and its ship Norwegian Breakaway left Miami on Thursday with supplies donated by the company and its employees, in addition to items collected by the City of Miami and various charities. Celebrity chef José Andrés and members of his nonprofit, World Central Kitchen, we're on the ground in the Bahamas to aid hurricane survivors by preparing thousands of meals. The risk of outbreaks of diarrhoea and waterborne diseases is high as drinking water may be tainted with sewage, according to the Pan American Health Organization, which described the situation for some people on Abaco island as "desperate." Claudin Lauriston, 39, a Haitian carpenter, said he and his three young children were among the "lucky ones" to get on a plane out of Abaco. He said he had no documents with him but would try to get a job to support his family. "There are too many dead bodies there. The government needs to remove everyone from the island, the smell is everywhere, it's in the water."

Relief efforts ramp up amid fear of 'staggering' death toll in storm ravaged Bahamas

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