US economic growth was revised sharply lower for the final three months of 2018, with data showing GDP expanded 2.2 per cent rather than the 2.6 per cent originally reported, the government said Thursday.

The Commerce Department said the revision came after more complete data were used in the calculations.

However, that did not change the growth rate for the full year, which remains at 2.9 per cent compared to 2.2 per cent in 2017. 
&nbsp;

US economic growth was revised sharply lower for the final three months of 2018, with data showing GDP expanded 2.2 per cent rather than the 2.6 per cent originally reported, the government said Thursday.

US economic growth was revised sharply lower for the final three months of 2018, with data showing GDP expanded 2.2 per cent rather than the 2.6 per cent originally reported, the government said Thursday. The Commerce Department said the revision came after more complete data were used in the calculations. However, that did not change the growth rate for the full year, which remains at 2.9 per cent compared to 2.2 per cent in 2017.

US GDP growth revised down sharply to 2.2% in Q4

US President Donald Trump announced early on Thursday that the US would be grounding the Boeing 737 Max plane. Canada had done the same a little earlier.&nbsp;

"As a result of new data that we received this morning, and had the chance to analyze, and on the advice of my experts and as a precautionary measure, I issued a safety notice," Candian Transport Minister Marc Garneau told reporters.

"This safety notice restricts commercial passenger flights from any operator of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 or MAX 9 variant aircraft, whether domestic or foreign, from arriving, departing or overflying Canadian air space.&nbsp;

"This safety notice is effective immediately and will remain in place until further notice."

Trump meanwhile told reporters at the White House that&nbsp;"the planes are grounded effective immediately."

As a result, virtually every single Boeing Max plane around the world — there were about 370 of them in service — now stands grounded. (The US and Canada were the last holdouts.)&nbsp;

The economic backlash was swift.&nbsp;

Boeing shares tumbled 2%. The aviation company's shares have fallen about 13% &nbsp;since last Sunday's crash of an Ethiopian Airlines' Boeing 737 Max 8 plane. &nbsp;

That crash, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-indians-among-those-dead-in-ethiopian-airlines-plane-crash-202378">which killed all 157 people on board</a>, was the second of a Boeing 737 Max plane in less than 5 months.&nbsp;

On October 29 last year, a Lion Air Boeing 737 Max plane had crashed into the Java Sea shortly after taking off, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-east-asia/lion-air-plane-crash-body-parts-found-as-rescue-agency-says-likely-all-189-aboard-crashed-jet-dead-174197">killing all 189 people on board</a>.&nbsp;

The two crashes were eerily similar.&nbsp;

The Lion Air plane crashed 12 minutes after taking off.&nbsp;

The Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed six minutes after taking off. (The pilot had asked for permission to return and had been given it but he was unable to make it back to Addis Ababa.)&nbsp;

The nose of the Lion Air plane — <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-boy-bhavye-suneja-was-reportedly-flying-lion-air-plane-that-crashed-with-189-on-board-174149">one of its pilots was a Delhi boy</a> — had after takeoff suddenly begun to pitch downwards. The pilots would pull up, but the nose would pitch down again...&nbsp;

The cause is thought to be the plane's stabilisation system, which pulls the nose down to prevent the aircraft from stalling.&nbsp;

The cause of the Ethiopian Airlines crash is still not known, but reports have now begun to appear of other pilots saying the nose of the Boeing 737 Max can tend to suddenly pitch downwards.&nbsp;

Boeing has continued to say the 737 Max is safe. On Thursday, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said he supported the US decision to ground the 737 Max but that he continues to have "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-provide-answers-after-investigation-into-lion-air-crash-is-over-boeing-to-wion-185379">full confidence</a>" in the plane.

That said, it is safe to say the economic costs Boeing will have to pay will be large.&nbsp;

The 737 Max was Boeing's most popular mid-haul jet — apart from the ones in service, the company had orders for 3.500 more.&nbsp;

India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation for one however has said it will not be accepting any more of the jets until the investigations into the crashes are complete.&nbsp;

It is expected a number of other countries will follow suit.&nbsp;

And Norway's low-cost carrier Norwegian Air has said it will ask Boeing to pay for the losses it has had to incur as a result of having to ground its eighteen 737 Max aircraft.&nbsp;

Other airlines may follow suit.&nbsp;

It is important to note however that Norwegian has a total fleet of 163 aircraft, and so far the company says it is maintaining its order for 50 more Boeing 737 Max aircraft which the airline expects to take delivery of by end-2021.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Donald Trump announced early on Thursday that the US would be grounding the Boeing 737 Max plane. Canada had done the same a little earlier. "As a result of new data that we received this morning, and had the chance to analyze, and on the advice of my experts and as a precautionary measure, I issued a safety notice," Candian Transport Minister Marc Garneau told reporters.

US President Donald Trump announced early on Thursday that the US would be grounding the Boeing 737 Max plane. Canada had done the same a little earlier. "As a result of new data that we received this morning, and had the chance to analyze, and on the advice of my experts and as a precautionary measure, I issued a safety notice," Candian Transport Minister Marc Garneau told reporters. "This safety notice restricts commercial passenger flights from any operator of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 or MAX 9 variant aircraft, whether domestic or foreign, from arriving, departing or overflying Canadian air space. "This safety notice is effective immediately and will remain in place until further notice." Trump meanwhile told reporters at the White House that "the planes are grounded effective immediately." As a result, virtually every single Boeing Max plane around the world — there were about 370 of them in service — now stands grounded. (The US and Canada were the last holdouts.) The economic backlash was swift. Boeing shares tumbled 2%. The aviation company's shares have fallen about 13% since last Sunday's crash of an Ethiopian Airlines' Boeing 737 Max 8 plane. That crash, which killed all 157 people on board, was the second of a Boeing 737 Max plane in less than 5 months. On October 29 last year, a Lion Air Boeing 737 Max plane had crashed into the Java Sea shortly after taking off, killing all 189 people on board. The two crashes were eerily similar. The Lion Air plane crashed 12 minutes after taking off. The Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed six minutes after taking off. (The pilot had asked for permission to return and had been given it but he was unable to make it back to Addis Ababa.) The nose of the Lion Air plane — one of its pilots was a Delhi boy — had after takeoff suddenly begun to pitch downwards. The pilots would pull up, but the nose would pitch down again... The cause is thought to be the plane's stabilisation system, which pulls the nose down to prevent the aircraft from stalling. The cause of the Ethiopian Airlines crash is still not known, but reports have now begun to appear of other pilots saying the nose of the Boeing 737 Max can tend to suddenly pitch downwards. Boeing has continued to say the 737 Max is safe. On Thursday, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said he supported the US decision to ground the 737 Max but that he continues to have "full confidence" in the plane. That said, it is safe to say the economic costs Boeing will have to pay will be large. The 737 Max was Boeing's most popular mid-haul jet — apart from the ones in service, the company had orders for 3.500 more. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation for one however has said it will not be accepting any more of the jets until the investigations into the crashes are complete. It is expected a number of other countries will follow suit. And Norway's low-cost carrier Norwegian Air has said it will ask Boeing to pay for the losses it has had to incur as a result of having to ground its eighteen 737 Max aircraft. Other airlines may follow suit. It is important to note however that Norwegian has a total fleet of 163 aircraft, and so far the company says it is maintaining its order for 50 more Boeing 737 Max aircraft which the airline expects to take delivery of by end-2021. (With inputs from agencies)

Every single Boeing 737 Max plane around the world now stands grounded

The US trade deficit dropped nearly 15 per cent in January compared to December, largely due to declining imports from China, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

Economists say the decline could help support growth in the first three months of the year, which would be a welcome development amid signs the world's largest economy has peaked.

The drop reversed most of the expansion in the trade gap posted in the final month of 2018, a year that saw the deficit surge to a 10-year record, despite President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policies.

The trade gap in December surged nearly 19 per cent to $59.9 billion but fell back to $51.1 billion in January, the report said.

Analysts had been expecting a much more modest narrowing of the January deficit, which also was 3.7 per cent smaller than it was a year earlier.

US imports fell 2.6 per cent to $258.5 billion while exports rose just under 1 per cent to $207.3 billion, according to the data.

And the deficit in goods alone with China -- the primary foe in Trump's trade wars -- fell by $5.5 billion in the month to $33.2 billion, according to the report, almost entirely due to declining American purchases of Chinese goods.

The falling average price for oil, which hit the lowest point in three years, also helped narrow the trade gap by $1.4 billion.

In addition to the impact of tariffs on trade with China, the stronger-than-expected decline in the trade deficit could reflect the slowing in the US and global economies.

However, some economists say the smaller trade gap should add to first quarter growth.

Subdued exports

"The data look consistent with net exports adding at least a few tenths to the growth rate in Q1," said Jim O'Sullivan of High Frequency Economics.

Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics said it is too early to tell the exact impact, but "we’re penciling-in a 0.3 percentage point contribution to GDP growth."

"The record December deficit always looked like an outlier, and data on container movements at major ports pointed clearly to a reversal in January," said Shepherdson, who unlike his counterparts correctly forecast the trade gap.

However, others caution that a cooling global economy means export momentum likely will be subdued, which could lead to a continued rise in the deficit, especially as a strong US dollar makes imports cheaper, despite the impact of tariffs.

US goods exports to China fell to just $7.1 billion, not adjusted for seasonal factors, the lowest since September 2010.

The goods balance with Canada shifted to a surplus of $1.4 billion, while the deficit with Mexico narrowed more than $1.5 billion to $7.2 billion, and with the European Union fell more than $2.5 billion to $13.1 billion.

But in services, where the US is a dominant force, exports were the highest on record at $70 billion, according to the report.

The US trade deficit dropped nearly 15 per cent in January compared to December, largely due to declining imports from China, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

The US trade deficit dropped nearly 15 per cent in January compared to December, largely due to declining imports from China, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Economists say the decline could help support growth in the first three months of the year, which would be a welcome development amid signs the world's largest economy has peaked. The drop reversed most of the expansion in the trade gap posted in the final month of 2018, a year that saw the deficit surge to a 10-year record, despite President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policies. The trade gap in December surged nearly 19 per cent to $59.9 billion but fell back to $51.1 billion in January, the report said. Analysts had been expecting a much more modest narrowing of the January deficit, which also was 3.7 per cent smaller than it was a year earlier. US imports fell 2.6 per cent to $258.5 billion while exports rose just under 1 per cent to $207.3 billion, according to the data. And the deficit in goods alone with China -- the primary foe in Trump's trade wars -- fell by $5.5 billion in the month to $33.2 billion, according to the report, almost entirely due to declining American purchases of Chinese goods. The falling average price for oil, which hit the lowest point in three years, also helped narrow the trade gap by $1.4 billion. In addition to the impact of tariffs on trade with China, the stronger-than-expected decline in the trade deficit could reflect the slowing in the US and global economies. However, some economists say the smaller trade gap should add to first quarter growth. Subdued exports "The data look consistent with net exports adding at least a few tenths to the growth rate in Q1," said Jim O'Sullivan of High Frequency Economics. Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics said it is too early to tell the exact impact, but "we’re penciling-in a 0.3 percentage point contribution to GDP growth." "The record December deficit always looked like an outlier, and data on container movements at major ports pointed clearly to a reversal in January," said Shepherdson, who unlike his counterparts correctly forecast the trade gap. However, others caution that a cooling global economy means export momentum likely will be subdued, which could lead to a continued rise in the deficit, especially as a strong US dollar makes imports cheaper, despite the impact of tariffs. US goods exports to China fell to just $7.1 billion, not adjusted for seasonal factors, the lowest since September 2010. The goods balance with Canada shifted to a surplus of $1.4 billion, while the deficit with Mexico narrowed more than $1.5 billion to $7.2 billion, and with the European Union fell more than $2.5 billion to $13.1 billion. But in services, where the US is a dominant force, exports were the highest on record at $70 billion, according to the report.

US trade deficit drops in January as imports from China fall

US will lead world in space exploration: Mike Pence

The prestigious Yale University has expelled a student whose parents paid more than a million dollars in bribes to get her in, the first such move since a huge admissions scandal erupted earlier this month.

Some 50 people have been indicted so far in a scam to help children of the American elite gain entry into top US colleges.

They include sports coaches who provided bogus recommendations, university administrators who manipulated test scores, and 33 parents accused of paying bribes totaling some $6.5 million to guarantee admission for their children.

In a statement published on its website on Tuesday, Yale said it had first learnt about the scheme in mid-November, when it was approached by the Boston US Attorney's Office requesting information about head women's soccer coach Rudy Meredith.&nbsp;

According to the university, Meredith, who left Yale just before it was approached by authorities, provided fraudulent athletic recommendations to "two applicants only."

One of the two was accepted into Yale in January 2018, after her relatives paid $1.2 million in bribes according to the charge sheet against Meredith.

The coach also received $400,000 from a go-between who organized the arrangement though it is not clear whether the student's family contributed to that sum and if so how much.

"Yale investigated the allegations, and the admission of the student who received a fraudulent endorsement has been rescinded," the university said.

The university said federal privacy law and Yale policy prevented it from naming the students, who were identified as "Applicant 1" and "Applicant 2" on the indictment.

Yale added it was conducting its own review to learn whether others had been involved and will retain external advisors to recommend changes to prevent efforts to defraud the admissions process in future.

Meredith is set to appear before a federal court in Boston on Thursday where he faces two counts of fraud.

Sports coaches from other high-ranking public and private colleges, including UCLA, the University of Southern California and Georgetown have also been implicated in the affair.

The scandal has ensnared celebrities including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin as well as top industry CEOs, casting a light on the ultra-competitive college admissions process, in which the haves hold a massive advantage over the have-nots.

The prestigious Yale University has expelled a student whose parents paid more than a million dollars in bribes to get her in, the first such move since a huge admissions scandal erupted earlier this month.

The prestigious Yale University has expelled a student whose parents paid more than a million dollars in bribes to get her in, the first such move since a huge admissions scandal erupted earlier this month. Some 50 people have been indicted so far in a scam to help children of the American elite gain entry into top US colleges. They include sports coaches who provided bogus recommendations, university administrators who manipulated test scores, and 33 parents accused of paying bribes totaling some $6.5 million to guarantee admission for their children. In a statement published on its website on Tuesday, Yale said it had first learnt about the scheme in mid-November, when it was approached by the Boston US Attorney's Office requesting information about head women's soccer coach Rudy Meredith. According to the university, Meredith, who left Yale just before it was approached by authorities, provided fraudulent athletic recommendations to "two applicants only." One of the two was accepted into Yale in January 2018, after her relatives paid $1.2 million in bribes according to the charge sheet against Meredith. The coach also received $400,000 from a go-between who organized the arrangement though it is not clear whether the student's family contributed to that sum and if so how much. "Yale investigated the allegations, and the admission of the student who received a fraudulent endorsement has been rescinded," the university said. The university said federal privacy law and Yale policy prevented it from naming the students, who were identified as "Applicant 1" and "Applicant 2" on the indictment. Yale added it was conducting its own review to learn whether others had been involved and will retain external advisors to recommend changes to prevent efforts to defraud the admissions process in future. Meredith is set to appear before a federal court in Boston on Thursday where he faces two counts of fraud. Sports coaches from other high-ranking public and private colleges, including UCLA, the University of Southern California and Georgetown have also been implicated in the affair. The scandal has ensnared celebrities including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin as well as top industry CEOs, casting a light on the ultra-competitive college admissions process, in which the haves hold a massive advantage over the have-nots.

Yale expels student implicated in US college admissions scam

PTI: Virtual SIM Cards were used in Pulwama attack by JeM

A request would be sent to the US to seek details from a service provider of “virtual SIMs”, which were used by the JeM suicide bomber behind the Pulwama attack and his Pakistan and Kashmir-based handlers, officials said.

Piecing together probe from the site of the terror strike, searches carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir police and central security agencies at an encounter site in Tral as well as other locations, it was found that the bomber, Adil Dar, was in constant touch with the JeM across the border, they said.

The main mastermind of the audacious attack, Mudassir Khan, was killed in the encounter in Tral.

Forty CRPF personnel were killed on February 14 when Dar rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a paramilitary force bus at Pulwama in South Kashmir. India retaliated after the strike by bombing the Jaish terror group’s hideout in Balakot in Pakistan.

It was a fairly new modus operandi where terrorists across the border were using a “virtual SIM”, generated by a service provider in the United States. In this technology, the computer generates a telephone number and the user downloads an application of the service provider on their smartphone.

The number is linked to social networking sites like WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram or Twitter. The verification code generated by these networking sites is received on the smartphone and the user is ready.

In case of Pulwama, Dar was in constant touch with the Jaish handler as well as Mudassir Khan using the same technology, the officials said.

They said the numbers used were pre-fixed with “+1”, the Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) number used for the United States.

The request to the US will include details of phone numbers that got in touch with the “Virtual SIM” and who had activated it, they said, adding that Internet Protocol addresses would also be sought.

While the security agencies would attempt to find who had paid for the virtual SIM, they were also aware that the terror groups used forged identities, as was done during the Mumbai 26/11 terror strikes.

During an investigation of the 26/11 attacks, it was found that an amount of USD 229 was wired to Callphonex, via Western Union Money Transfer receipt number 8364307716-0, for activating the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) used during the strikes.

The money was received from ‘Madina Trading’ located in Brescia in Italy and sender was claimed to be Javed Iqbal, a resident of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

However, after Italian police arrested two Pakistani nationals in 2009, it was alleged that the firm had made nearly 300 transfers in the name of Iqbal, who probably had never set his foot in Italy.

The Italian police, while concluding the probe, had said the Brescia-based company made several transfers using the identity of innocent, unsuspecting persons, whose identity cards or passports might have been stolen.

A request would be sent to the US to seek details from a service provider of “virtual SIMs”, which were used by the JeM suicide bomber behind the Pulwama attack and his Pakistan and Kashmir-based handlers, officials said.

A request would be sent to the US to seek details from a service provider of “virtual SIMs”, which were used by the JeM suicide bomber behind the Pulwama attack and his Pakistan and Kashmir-based handlers, officials said. Piecing together probe from the site of the terror strike, searches carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir police and central security agencies at an encounter site in Tral as well as other locations, it was found that the bomber, Adil Dar, was in constant touch with the JeM across the border, they said. The main mastermind of the audacious attack, Mudassir Khan, was killed in the encounter in Tral. Forty CRPF personnel were killed on February 14 when Dar rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a paramilitary force bus at Pulwama in South Kashmir. India retaliated after the strike by bombing the Jaish terror group’s hideout in Balakot in Pakistan. It was a fairly new modus operandi where terrorists across the border were using a “virtual SIM”, generated by a service provider in the United States. In this technology, the computer generates a telephone number and the user downloads an application of the service provider on their smartphone. The number is linked to social networking sites like WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram or Twitter. The verification code generated by these networking sites is received on the smartphone and the user is ready. In case of Pulwama, Dar was in constant touch with the Jaish handler as well as Mudassir Khan using the same technology, the officials said. They said the numbers used were pre-fixed with “+1”, the Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) number used for the United States. The request to the US will include details of phone numbers that got in touch with the “Virtual SIM” and who had activated it, they said, adding that Internet Protocol addresses would also be sought. While the security agencies would attempt to find who had paid for the virtual SIM, they were also aware that the terror groups used forged identities, as was done during the Mumbai 26/11 terror strikes. During an investigation of the 26/11 attacks, it was found that an amount of USD 229 was wired to Callphonex, via Western Union Money Transfer receipt number 8364307716-0, for activating the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) used during the strikes. The money was received from ‘Madina Trading’ located in Brescia in Italy and sender was claimed to be Javed Iqbal, a resident of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). However, after Italian police arrested two Pakistani nationals in 2009, it was alleged that the firm had made nearly 300 transfers in the name of Iqbal, who probably had never set his foot in Italy. The Italian police, while concluding the probe, had said the Brescia-based company made several transfers using the identity of innocent, unsuspecting persons, whose identity cards or passports might have been stolen.

Virtual SIMs used in Pulwama terror attack; India to approach US for help

Islamic State has been defeated at its final shred of territory of Baghouz in Syria, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-backed-syrian-forces-fight-last-islamic-state-jihadists-204983">US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces</a> (SDF) said on Saturday, announcing the end of its self-declared "caliphate" that once spanned a third of Iraq and Syria.

The SDF declared the "total elimination of (the) so-called caliphate", Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF media office, wrote on Twitter.

"Baghouz has been liberated. The military victory against Daesh has been accomplished," he wrote.

The SDF has been battling to capture Baghouz at the Iraqi border for weeks.

Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. "We renew our pledge to continue the war and to pursue their remnants until their complete elimination," he wrote.

Though the defeat of Islamic State at Baghouz ends the group's grip over the jihadist quasi-state straddling Syria and Iraq that it declared in 2014, it remains a threat.

Some of its fighters still hold out in Syria's remote central desert and in Iraqi cities they have slipped into the shadows, staging sudden shootings or kidnappings and awaiting a chance to rise again.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syria-slams-trump-vows-to-recover-israeli-occupied-golan-204839">The United States</a> believes the group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is in Iraq. He stood at the pulpit of the great medieval mosque in Mosul in 2014 to declare himself caliph, sovereign over all Muslims.

Further afield, jihadists in Afghanistan, Nigeria and elsewhere have shown no sign of recanting their allegiance to Islamic State, and intelligence services say its devotees in the West might plot new attacks.

The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Ja'afari, said on Friday Islamic State was not yet finished in Syria, adding that it was the Damascus government backed by Russia and Iran that was genuinely battling it, not the United States.

Still, the fall of Baghouz is a big milestone in a fight against the jihadist group waged by numerous local and global forces - some of them sworn enemies - over more than four years.

It also marks a big moment in Syria's eight-year war, wiping out the territory of one of the main contestants, with the rest split between President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey-backed rebels and the Kurdish-led SDF.

Assad and his Iranian allies have sworn to recapture all Syria, and Turkey has threatened to drive out the SDF, which it sees as a terrorist group, by force. The continued presence of US troops in northeast Syria might avert this.

Grisly rule

Islamic State originated as an al Qaeda faction in Iraq, but it took advantage of Syria's civil war to seize land there and split from the global jihadist organisation.

In 2014, it suddenly grabbed Iraq's Mosul, one of the region's great historic cities, as well as Syria's Raqqa, and swathes of land each side of the border.

It declared an end to modern countries and called on supporters to leave their homes and join the jihadist utopia it claimed to be erecting, trumpeting its currency, flag, passports and military parades.

Oil production, extortion and antiquities smuggling financed its agenda, which included the slaughter of some minorities, public slave auctions of captured women, grotesque punishments for minor crimes and the choreographed killing of hostages.

Those excesses brought an array of forces against it, forcing it from Mosul and Raqqa in a year of heavy defeats in 2017 and driving it, eventually, down the Euphrates to Baghouz.

Over the past two months some 60,000 people poured out of that dwindling enclave, fleeing SDF bombardment and a shortage of food so severe that some said they were reduced to cooking grass.

A mass grave the SDF discovered there last month showed there were other dangers in the enclave, though it has released no details on the identities of the victims or how they died.

Civilians made up more than half the people leaving Baghouz, the SDF said, including Islamic State victims such as women from the Iraqi Yazidi sect whom the jihadists had sexually enslaved.

Thousands of the group's unbending supporters also abandoned the enclave while still vowing their allegiance to a ruined caliphate and showing no remorse for its victims.

At displacement camps in northeast Syria where they were sent by the SDF, the hardliners, including many foreign women who came to Syria and Iraq to marry jihadists, had to be kept away from other, often traumatized, residents.

Their fate has befuddled foreign governments, who see them as a security threat and are loath to accede to SDF entreaties to take them back home.

Defeat

As the fighting progressed in recent weeks, the convoys of trucks from Baghouz started to include hundreds, and then thousands, of surrendering jihadist fighters, many hobbling from their wounds.

The SDF said it captured hundreds more in recent weeks who tried to slip through its cordon and escape into Iraq or across the Euphrates and into the Syrian desert.

At the end, they were besieged in a tiny camp full of rusting vehicles and makeshift shelters, pinned against the Euphrates and overlooked by hills held by the SDF.

Islamic State released video from inside that miserable, shell-pounded enclave, showing its last fighters still shooting at the SDF as smoke billowed overhead.

It was an attempt to shape the narrative of its defeat, portraying it as a heroic last stand against overwhelming odds and a call to arms for future jihadists.

But the footage shown by the SDF in recent weeks was of long lines of abject, surrendering fighters, sitting or squatting in a desolate landscape, their dreams dashed.

Islamic State has been defeated at its final shred of territory of Baghouz in Syria, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Saturday, announcing the end of its self-declared "caliphate" that once spanned a third of Iraq and Syria.

Islamic State has been defeated at its final shred of territory of Baghouz in Syria, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Saturday, announcing the end of its self-declared "caliphate" that once spanned a third of Iraq and Syria. The SDF declared the "total elimination of (the) so-called caliphate", Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF media office, wrote on Twitter. "Baghouz has been liberated. The military victory against Daesh has been accomplished," he wrote. The SDF has been battling to capture Baghouz at the Iraqi border for weeks. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. "We renew our pledge to continue the war and to pursue their remnants until their complete elimination," he wrote. Though the defeat of Islamic State at Baghouz ends the group's grip over the jihadist quasi-state straddling Syria and Iraq that it declared in 2014, it remains a threat. Some of its fighters still hold out in Syria's remote central desert and in Iraqi cities they have slipped into the shadows, staging sudden shootings or kidnappings and awaiting a chance to rise again. The United States believes the group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is in Iraq. He stood at the pulpit of the great medieval mosque in Mosul in 2014 to declare himself caliph, sovereign over all Muslims. Further afield, jihadists in Afghanistan, Nigeria and elsewhere have shown no sign of recanting their allegiance to Islamic State, and intelligence services say its devotees in the West might plot new attacks. The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Ja'afari, said on Friday Islamic State was not yet finished in Syria, adding that it was the Damascus government backed by Russia and Iran that was genuinely battling it, not the United States. Still, the fall of Baghouz is a big milestone in a fight against the jihadist group waged by numerous local and global forces - some of them sworn enemies - over more than four years. It also marks a big moment in Syria's eight-year war, wiping out the territory of one of the main contestants, with the rest split between President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey-backed rebels and the Kurdish-led SDF. Assad and his Iranian allies have sworn to recapture all Syria, and Turkey has threatened to drive out the SDF, which it sees as a terrorist group, by force. The continued presence of US troops in northeast Syria might avert this. Grisly rule Islamic State originated as an al Qaeda faction in Iraq, but it took advantage of Syria's civil war to seize land there and split from the global jihadist organisation. In 2014, it suddenly grabbed Iraq's Mosul, one of the region's great historic cities, as well as Syria's Raqqa, and swathes of land each side of the border. It declared an end to modern countries and called on supporters to leave their homes and join the jihadist utopia it claimed to be erecting, trumpeting its currency, flag, passports and military parades. Oil production, extortion and antiquities smuggling financed its agenda, which included the slaughter of some minorities, public slave auctions of captured women, grotesque punishments for minor crimes and the choreographed killing of hostages. Those excesses brought an array of forces against it, forcing it from Mosul and Raqqa in a year of heavy defeats in 2017 and driving it, eventually, down the Euphrates to Baghouz. Over the past two months some 60,000 people poured out of that dwindling enclave, fleeing SDF bombardment and a shortage of food so severe that some said they were reduced to cooking grass. A mass grave the SDF discovered there last month showed there were other dangers in the enclave, though it has released no details on the identities of the victims or how they died. Civilians made up more than half the people leaving Baghouz, the SDF said, including Islamic State victims such as women from the Iraqi Yazidi sect whom the jihadists had sexually enslaved. Thousands of the group's unbending supporters also abandoned the enclave while still vowing their allegiance to a ruined caliphate and showing no remorse for its victims. At displacement camps in northeast Syria where they were sent by the SDF, the hardliners, including many foreign women who came to Syria and Iraq to marry jihadists, had to be kept away from other, often traumatized, residents. Their fate has befuddled foreign governments, who see them as a security threat and are loath to accede to SDF entreaties to take them back home. Defeat As the fighting progressed in recent weeks, the convoys of trucks from Baghouz started to include hundreds, and then thousands, of surrendering jihadist fighters, many hobbling from their wounds. The SDF said it captured hundreds more in recent weeks who tried to slip through its cordon and escape into Iraq or across the Euphrates and into the Syrian desert. At the end, they were besieged in a tiny camp full of rusting vehicles and makeshift shelters, pinned against the Euphrates and overlooked by hills held by the SDF. Islamic State released video from inside that miserable, shell-pounded enclave, showing its last fighters still shooting at the SDF as smoke billowed overhead. It was an attempt to shape the narrative of its defeat, portraying it as a heroic last stand against overwhelming odds and a call to arms for future jihadists. But the footage shown by the SDF in recent weeks was of long lines of abject, surrendering fighters, sitting or squatting in a desolate landscape, their dreams dashed.

Syrian Democratic Forces claims Islamic State defeated

There is convergence of views between India and the US not only on international issues but also in their economic vision as the two countries are natural allies and partners in progress, according to India's envoy here.

Noting that the relationship between the two countries has evolved into a truly comprehensive partnership of mutual trust and confidence over the years, Indian Ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday told a business audience that the visits by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington in 2016 and 2017 highlighted the huge bipartisan support for this relationship.

He received an overwhelming welcome from the US Congress and the business community and during his meeting with President Donald Trump, both leaders spoke about convergence in values, priorities, concerns, and interests, Shringla said in his address to the Business Seminar in the London House in Chicago.

"Both leaders committed to further expand the trade relationship with focus on job creation and to develop an understanding of each other's priorities.&nbsp;Government of India is committed to building on this relationship with the US. There is a convergence of views of the two countries not only on international issues but also in the economic vision,"&nbsp;he said.

Shringla said the most recent political level engagement held at the bilateral Commercial Dialogue in Delhi last month also took note that annual bilateral trade in goods and services between the US and India more than doubled over the last decade, from US $58 billion in 2007 to US $126 billion in 2017.

"Both sides resolved to remain engaged and take measures for further enhancement of bilateral trade. The sides agreed to continue to find ways to improve bilateral trade and increase market access in our countries as was agreed upon in the United States and India: Prosperity Through Partnership joint statement of June 2017 and the Commercial Dialogue Joint Statement of October 2017,"&nbsp;he said.

Asserting that trade and commercial ties between the two countries are strong, he said the two-way trade has grown exponentially and was worth US$ 126 billion in goods and services in 2017. In 2018, it is expected to cross US $140 billion more than 11 per cent increase over 2017.

Total bilateral merchandise trade in 2018 was more than US $87.5 billion. US exports to India in 2018 have grown at nearly 30 per cent to over US $33 billion while Indian exports have grown at about 12 per cent to over US $54 billion. This growth has ensured that bilateral trade deficit has reduced by over seven per cent in 2018 alone, he said.

Shringla expressed hope that the inclusion of India in the License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization (STA-1) will further give a fillip to the defence trade between the two countries and integrate India into the international supply chains.&nbsp;

High-level engagement like the 2+2 dialogue between the two countries has once again thrown focus on the importance that both sides attach to the relationship.

"It has brought into light the shared commitment to a forward-looking vision for the India-US strategic partnership which is putting our relations on an upward trajectory,"&nbsp;he said.

Noting that people to people relations form the bedrock of the bilateral relations between the two countries, he said the presence of a large and vibrant Indian American community is a bonding factor between the two countries.

More than 227,000 Indian students are studying in the US who contribute over US $6.5 billion to the US education sector each year. US has continued to be among the largest tourist generating market for India during the last few years with over 1.3 million tourists visiting India in 2017, he said.

A similar number of Indian nationals also visited the US. India is the sixth largest market for international visitor spending in America. Both countries look forward to further enhancing potential of the sector to support economic growth, create jobs and foster closer relationships between our people, he said.

There is convergence of views between India and the US not only on international issues but also in their economic vision as the two countries are natural allies and partners in progress, according to India's envoy here.

There is convergence of views between India and the US not only on international issues but also in their economic vision as the two countries are natural allies and partners in progress, according to India's envoy here. Noting that the relationship between the two countries has evolved into a truly comprehensive partnership of mutual trust and confidence over the years, Indian Ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday told a business audience that the visits by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington in 2016 and 2017 highlighted the huge bipartisan support for this relationship. He received an overwhelming welcome from the US Congress and the business community and during his meeting with President Donald Trump, both leaders spoke about convergence in values, priorities, concerns, and interests, Shringla said in his address to the Business Seminar in the London House in Chicago. "Both leaders committed to further expand the trade relationship with focus on job creation and to develop an understanding of each other's priorities. Government of India is committed to building on this relationship with the US. There is a convergence of views of the two countries not only on international issues but also in the economic vision," he said. Shringla said the most recent political level engagement held at the bilateral Commercial Dialogue in Delhi last month also took note that annual bilateral trade in goods and services between the US and India more than doubled over the last decade, from US $58 billion in 2007 to US $126 billion in 2017. "Both sides resolved to remain engaged and take measures for further enhancement of bilateral trade. The sides agreed to continue to find ways to improve bilateral trade and increase market access in our countries as was agreed upon in the United States and India: Prosperity Through Partnership joint statement of June 2017 and the Commercial Dialogue Joint Statement of October 2017," he said. Asserting that trade and commercial ties between the two countries are strong, he said the two-way trade has grown exponentially and was worth US$ 126 billion in goods and services in 2017. In 2018, it is expected to cross US $140 billion more than 11 per cent increase over 2017. Total bilateral merchandise trade in 2018 was more than US $87.5 billion. US exports to India in 2018 have grown at nearly 30 per cent to over US $33 billion while Indian exports have grown at about 12 per cent to over US $54 billion. This growth has ensured that bilateral trade deficit has reduced by over seven per cent in 2018 alone, he said. Shringla expressed hope that the inclusion of India in the License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization (STA-1) will further give a fillip to the defence trade between the two countries and integrate India into the international supply chains. High-level engagement like the 2+2 dialogue between the two countries has once again thrown focus on the importance that both sides attach to the relationship. "It has brought into light the shared commitment to a forward-looking vision for the India-US strategic partnership which is putting our relations on an upward trajectory," he said. Noting that people to people relations form the bedrock of the bilateral relations between the two countries, he said the presence of a large and vibrant Indian American community is a bonding factor between the two countries. More than 227,000 Indian students are studying in the US who contribute over US $6.5 billion to the US education sector each year. US has continued to be among the largest tourist generating market for India during the last few years with over 1.3 million tourists visiting India in 2017, he said. A similar number of Indian nationals also visited the US. India is the sixth largest market for international visitor spending in America. Both countries look forward to further enhancing potential of the sector to support economic growth, create jobs and foster closer relationships between our people, he said.

India-US are natural allies and partners in progress: Indian envoy

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning, March 22, 2019

Watch: WION Dispatch, 22nd March, 2019

The United States has asked Pakistan to take sustained, verifiable and irreversible action against the perpetrators of terrorism, while warning the country that another terror attack on India will prove to be "extremely problematic".

"We need to see Pakistan taking concrete and sustained action to reign in the terrorist groups, mainly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-says-jaish-e-mohammed-does-not-exist-in-pakistan-contradicts-foreign-minister-qureshi-201624">the Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Lashkar-e-Taiba</a> in order to ensure that we don't have re-escalation (of tension) in the region," a senior administration official told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.

"And, if there's any additional terrorist attack without Pakistan having made a sustained, sincere effort against these groups, it would be extremely problematic for Pakistan and it would cause re-escalation of tensions, which is dangerous for both countries," the official said on the condition of anonymity.

Asked about the steps being taken by Pakistan in the aftermath of the Balakot air strike by Indian fighter jets, the official said the US and the international community needed to see "irreversible and sustained" action against the terror groups.

"It's early to make a full assessment," the official said.&nbsp;

In the recent days, the official said Pakistan has taken some "initial" actions. They have frozen the assets of some terrorist groups and made some arrests. They have taken administrative control of some of the JeM facilities, the official added.&nbsp;

"But we clearly need to see more. We need to see irreversible action because in the past, what we've seen is they made some arrests and then a few months later, they released these individuals. The terrorist leaders are sometimes still allowed to travel around the country, hold rallies," the official said.

Reiterating that the United States is looking for "irreversible action", the official said America is working with its international partners to increase pressure on Pakistan. "Because it has been too long that these groups have been able to operate."

Observing that Pakistan has economic concerns as well, the official said the Financial Action Tasks Force (FATF) is one area which demonstrates the need for them to take these actions against terror groups. "Otherwise, they're at risk within the system and the FATF to be grey-listed," the official said.&nbsp;

Pakistan needs to decide if it wants to be viewed as a responsible international player and have access to all the financial mechanisms that are available or is it going to continue to fail to take the steps necessary against these terrorist groups and see itself further isolated. "The choice is Pakistan's," the senior administration official asserted.

While the situation between the two south Asian neighbours have de-escalated, the two armies are still on high alert and that concerns the US, the official said.

"So, we realize that if there, God forbid, would be another terrorist attack that you could quickly see the escalation in the situation once again. So that's why, we're making clear that any additional military action by either side runs an unacceptably high risk, for both countries and for the region," the official said.

The Trump Administration, the official said, has taken sort of a "zero tolerance policy" on the issue of safe havens to terrorists.&nbsp;

"The terror terrorist attack on February 14th on India was a demonstration that Pakistan's continuing provision of sanctuary for any terrorist group is not acceptable," the official said. 
During the height of the crisis -- February 26-28 -- the United States was in continuous contact with Indian and Pakistani officials, both on the ground in New Delhi and Islamabad.

"They were working the phones continuously and were deeply engaged in seeking to deescalate what was a very dangerous moment in India-Pakistan relations," the official said.

The United States has also reached out to influential countries to have them help deescalate the situation, the senior administration official said.

Some of these countries are China, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan and Australia.&nbsp;

The United States has asked Pakistan to take sustained, verifiable and irreversible action against the perpetrators of terrorism, while warning the country that another terror attack on India will prove to be "extremely problematic".

The United States has asked Pakistan to take sustained, verifiable and irreversible action against the perpetrators of terrorism, while warning the country that another terror attack on India will prove to be "extremely problematic". "We need to see Pakistan taking concrete and sustained action to reign in the terrorist groups, mainly the Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Lashkar-e-Taiba in order to ensure that we don't have re-escalation (of tension) in the region," a senior administration official told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. "And, if there's any additional terrorist attack without Pakistan having made a sustained, sincere effort against these groups, it would be extremely problematic for Pakistan and it would cause re-escalation of tensions, which is dangerous for both countries," the official said on the condition of anonymity. Asked about the steps being taken by Pakistan in the aftermath of the Balakot air strike by Indian fighter jets, the official said the US and the international community needed to see "irreversible and sustained" action against the terror groups. "It's early to make a full assessment," the official said. In the recent days, the official said Pakistan has taken some "initial" actions. They have frozen the assets of some terrorist groups and made some arrests. They have taken administrative control of some of the JeM facilities, the official added. "But we clearly need to see more. We need to see irreversible action because in the past, what we've seen is they made some arrests and then a few months later, they released these individuals. The terrorist leaders are sometimes still allowed to travel around the country, hold rallies," the official said. Reiterating that the United States is looking for "irreversible action", the official said America is working with its international partners to increase pressure on Pakistan. "Because it has been too long that these groups have been able to operate." Observing that Pakistan has economic concerns as well, the official said the Financial Action Tasks Force (FATF) is one area which demonstrates the need for them to take these actions against terror groups. "Otherwise, they're at risk within the system and the FATF to be grey-listed," the official said. Pakistan needs to decide if it wants to be viewed as a responsible international player and have access to all the financial mechanisms that are available or is it going to continue to fail to take the steps necessary against these terrorist groups and see itself further isolated. "The choice is Pakistan's," the senior administration official asserted. While the situation between the two south Asian neighbours have de-escalated, the two armies are still on high alert and that concerns the US, the official said. "So, we realize that if there, God forbid, would be another terrorist attack that you could quickly see the escalation in the situation once again. So that's why, we're making clear that any additional military action by either side runs an unacceptably high risk, for both countries and for the region," the official said. The Trump Administration, the official said, has taken sort of a "zero tolerance policy" on the issue of safe havens to terrorists. "The terror terrorist attack on February 14th on India was a demonstration that Pakistan's continuing provision of sanctuary for any terrorist group is not acceptable," the official said. During the height of the crisis -- February 26-28 -- the United States was in continuous contact with Indian and Pakistani officials, both on the ground in New Delhi and Islamabad. "They were working the phones continuously and were deeply engaged in seeking to deescalate what was a very dangerous moment in India-Pakistan relations," the official said. The United States has also reached out to influential countries to have them help deescalate the situation, the senior administration official said. Some of these countries are China, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan and Australia.

Another terror attack in India will be 'extremely problematic': US to Pakistan

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Russia stated that it is open to discussing solutions aimed at preventing an arms race with the United States, batting for the extension of the new START treaty, due to expire in 2021.

This comes in the wake of both USA and Russia formally suspending their obligations under the Cold War-era <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-accuses-moscow-of-violating-inf-treaty-195498">Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty</a>, which has led to mounting fears of an arms race between the two nations.

"This fully applies to any potential agreements in the nuclear missile sphere," Xinhua quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying.

The new START or Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was signed between Moscow and Washington in 2010 and came into force in 2011.

It is a nuclear arms reduction treaty, which replaced the Treaty of Moscow.

It established a new inspection and verification regime, replacing the previous mechanism, along with reducing the number of strategic nuclear missile launchers by half in both the United States and Russia.

Moscow outlined that the extension of the treaty would be in the interest of the entire world community and that the nation is interested in avoiding a new missile crisis in Europe and other regions.&nbsp;

Russia stated that it is open to discussing solutions aimed at preventing an arms race with the United States, batting for the extension of the new START treaty, due to expire in 2021.

Russia stated that it is open to discussing solutions aimed at preventing an arms race with the United States, batting for the extension of the new START treaty, due to expire in 2021. This comes in the wake of both USA and Russia formally suspending their obligations under the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which has led to mounting fears of an arms race between the two nations. "This fully applies to any potential agreements in the nuclear missile sphere," Xinhua quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying. The new START or Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was signed between Moscow and Washington in 2010 and came into force in 2011. It is a nuclear arms reduction treaty, which replaced the Treaty of Moscow. It established a new inspection and verification regime, replacing the previous mechanism, along with reducing the number of strategic nuclear missile launchers by half in both the United States and Russia. Moscow outlined that the extension of the treaty would be in the interest of the entire world community and that the nation is interested in avoiding a new missile crisis in Europe and other regions.

Russia bats for extension of arms reduction treaty with US

Gravitas: Iran, Iraq & Syria asks US to withdraw troops from Syria

US State Secy Mike Pompeo slams Pakistan on terror

Hundreds of youngsters skipped school to rally in Washington on Friday as part of what organisers called an international youth climate strike to seek action on climate change.

Chanting "climate action now!", some 1,500 students joined the event in front of the Capitol Building, where Congress sits, while similar rallies were held in 46 states.

The demonstrations, which demanded politicians take action to combat climate change, backed measures including the Green New Deal, an ambitious Democratic environmental proposal that has become a lightning rod for Republican criticism.

"This is the only Earth that we have. There is no Planet B. There is no other place we can go so we need to save it," said Elise Haverland, a 16-year-old from Silver Spring, Maryland.

Protesters carried colourful homemade placards bearing slogans such as "Our planet, our future," "Let us Live," and "Don`t frack up our Earth."

The students also held an 11-minute silence, one for each of the years that a United Nations report said the world has remaining to get climate change under control.

School children across the world held demonstrations to demand action on climate change on Friday.

The protests are the offspring of youth strikes in Europe that were inspired by Greta Thunberg, a lone 15-year-old picketer at the Swedish Parliament.

Organisers said they hope staging the event during the school day will signal the importance that students attach to fighting climate change.

"Adults come fight with us!" 12-year-old Haven Coleman of Denver, one of three youth organisers of the protest in the United States, said from the stage. 
The two other leaders of the US movement are Isra Hirsi, the 16-year-old daughter of newly-elected Democratic US Representative Ilhan Omar, of Minneapolis, and Alexandria Villasenor, 13, of New York.&nbsp;

The group is calling for a "national emergency" on climate change and for the United States to stop all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The scientific community broadly agrees that greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to net-zero by 2050 to halt the catastrophic effects of climate change.&nbsp;

Most of the declared Democratic candidates for the White House have already voiced support for the Green New Deal, a measure proposed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - a sweeping 10-year blueprint for combating climate change that involves reducing carbon emissions and retrofitting infrastructure.

Republicans have dismissed the proposals as unreasonably expensive and disruptive to the US economy. They have tried to use some of the measures to sow discord within the Democratic party, painting their political rivals as shifting to the left and embracing extreme policies.

Hundreds of youngsters skipped school to rally in Washington on Friday as part of what organisers called an international youth climate strike to seek action on climate change.

Hundreds of youngsters skipped school to rally in Washington on Friday as part of what organisers called an international youth climate strike to seek action on climate change. Chanting "climate action now!", some 1,500 students joined the event in front of the Capitol Building, where Congress sits, while similar rallies were held in 46 states. The demonstrations, which demanded politicians take action to combat climate change, backed measures including the Green New Deal, an ambitious Democratic environmental proposal that has become a lightning rod for Republican criticism. "This is the only Earth that we have. There is no Planet B. There is no other place we can go so we need to save it," said Elise Haverland, a 16-year-old from Silver Spring, Maryland. Protesters carried colourful homemade placards bearing slogans such as "Our planet, our future," "Let us Live," and "Don`t frack up our Earth." The students also held an 11-minute silence, one for each of the years that a United Nations report said the world has remaining to get climate change under control. School children across the world held demonstrations to demand action on climate change on Friday. The protests are the offspring of youth strikes in Europe that were inspired by Greta Thunberg, a lone 15-year-old picketer at the Swedish Parliament. Organisers said they hope staging the event during the school day will signal the importance that students attach to fighting climate change. "Adults come fight with us!" 12-year-old Haven Coleman of Denver, one of three youth organisers of the protest in the United States, said from the stage. The two other leaders of the US movement are Isra Hirsi, the 16-year-old daughter of newly-elected Democratic US Representative Ilhan Omar, of Minneapolis, and Alexandria Villasenor, 13, of New York. The group is calling for a "national emergency" on climate change and for the United States to stop all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The scientific community broadly agrees that greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to net-zero by 2050 to halt the catastrophic effects of climate change. Most of the declared Democratic candidates for the White House have already voiced support for the Green New Deal, a measure proposed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - a sweeping 10-year blueprint for combating climate change that involves reducing carbon emissions and retrofitting infrastructure. Republicans have dismissed the proposals as unreasonably expensive and disruptive to the US economy. They have tried to use some of the measures to sow discord within the Democratic party, painting their political rivals as shifting to the left and embracing extreme policies.

US youth rally in Washington protests climate inaction

The United States will withdraw or deny visas to any International Criminal Court personnel investigating possible war crimes by US forces or allies in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday.

The court, which sits in The Hague, responded that it was an independent and impartial institution and would continue to do its work "undeterred" by Washington`s actions.

The Trump administration threatened in September to ban ICC judges and prosecutors from entering the United States and sanction funds they have there if the court launched a probe of war crimes in Afghanistan.

Washington took the first step on Friday with Pompeo`s announcement.

"I`m announcing a policy of US visa restrictions on those individuals directly responsible for any ICC investigation of US personnel," Pompeo told a news conference in Washington.

"These visa restrictions may also be used to deter ICC efforts to pursue allied personnel, including Israelis, without allies` consent."&nbsp;

Pompeo said the policy was already being implemented but would not elaborate, citing visa privacy laws.

"These visa restrictions will not be the end of our efforts," he said. "We`re prepared to take additional steps, including economic sanctions, if the ICC does not change its course."

Human Rights Watch called the announcement a "thuggish attempt to penalise investigators" at the court.

"Taking action against those who work for the ICC sends a clear message to torturers and murderers alike: Their crimes may continue unchecked," the group`s Washington director, Andrea Prasow, said, calling on US lawmakers to express support for the court.

In November 2017, the ICC prosecutor requested authorization from judges to initiate an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan since May 1, 2003, including in states where the CIA held prisoners.&nbsp;

Judges are reviewing all material submitted by the prosecutor, and must decide whether or not to authorise an investigation.&nbsp;

With 123 member states, including the entire European Union, the ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide or crimes against humanity when a country is unable or unwilling to prosecute perpetrators. Major powers, including the United States, China and Russia, are not members.

A State Department official said the United States would allow court officials to travel for meetings to the United Nations headquarters in New York. 
"Under these measures, we will not interfere with travel to the UN for official UN purposes," the official said. The ICC is not part of the United Nations.

The United States will withdraw or deny visas to any International Criminal Court personnel investigating possible war crimes by US forces or allies in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday.

The United States will withdraw or deny visas to any International Criminal Court personnel investigating possible war crimes by US forces or allies in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday. The court, which sits in The Hague, responded that it was an independent and impartial institution and would continue to do its work "undeterred" by Washington`s actions. The Trump administration threatened in September to ban ICC judges and prosecutors from entering the United States and sanction funds they have there if the court launched a probe of war crimes in Afghanistan. Washington took the first step on Friday with Pompeo`s announcement. "I`m announcing a policy of US visa restrictions on those individuals directly responsible for any ICC investigation of US personnel," Pompeo told a news conference in Washington. "These visa restrictions may also be used to deter ICC efforts to pursue allied personnel, including Israelis, without allies` consent." Pompeo said the policy was already being implemented but would not elaborate, citing visa privacy laws. "These visa restrictions will not be the end of our efforts," he said. "We`re prepared to take additional steps, including economic sanctions, if the ICC does not change its course." Human Rights Watch called the announcement a "thuggish attempt to penalise investigators" at the court. "Taking action against those who work for the ICC sends a clear message to torturers and murderers alike: Their crimes may continue unchecked," the group`s Washington director, Andrea Prasow, said, calling on US lawmakers to express support for the court. In November 2017, the ICC prosecutor requested authorization from judges to initiate an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan since May 1, 2003, including in states where the CIA held prisoners. Judges are reviewing all material submitted by the prosecutor, and must decide whether or not to authorise an investigation. With 123 member states, including the entire European Union, the ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide or crimes against humanity when a country is unable or unwilling to prosecute perpetrators. Major powers, including the United States, China and Russia, are not members. A State Department official said the United States would allow court officials to travel for meetings to the United Nations headquarters in New York. "Under these measures, we will not interfere with travel to the UN for official UN purposes," the official said. The ICC is not part of the United Nations.

US imposes visa bans on International Criminal Court investigators: Pompeo

&nbsp;A former US Defence Intelligence Agency officer pleaded guilty to attempted espionage for China, the Justice Department said on Friday.

The officer, Ron Rockwell Hansen, was accused of trying to transmit classified US national defence information to China and receiving "hundreds of thousands of dollars" while illegally acting as an agent for the Chinese government.&nbsp;

Hansen started working at the DIA, which specialises in military intelligence, in 2006 after his retirement from the US Army, and held a top-secret security clearance for many years, according to the Justice Department.&nbsp;

In 2014, a Chinese intelligence service recruited Hansen, the Justice Department said.

FBI agents took Hansen into custody in June, when he was travelling to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to take a connecting flight to China.

He faces up to 15 years in prison. His sentencing will take place on September 24. It was not immediately clear who was representing Hansen in his case.

A former US Defence Intelligence Agency officer pleaded guilty to attempted espionage for China, the Justice Department said on Friday. The officer, Ron Rockwell Hansen, was accused of trying to transmit classified US national defence information to China and receiving "hundreds of thousands of dollars" while illegally acting as an agent for the Chinese government.

A former US Defence Intelligence Agency officer pleaded guilty to attempted espionage for China, the Justice Department said on Friday. The officer, Ron Rockwell Hansen, was accused of trying to transmit classified US national defence information to China and receiving "hundreds of thousands of dollars" while illegally acting as an agent for the Chinese government. Hansen started working at the DIA, which specialises in military intelligence, in 2006 after his retirement from the US Army, and held a top-secret security clearance for many years, according to the Justice Department. In 2014, a Chinese intelligence service recruited Hansen, the Justice Department said. FBI agents took Hansen into custody in June, when he was travelling to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to take a connecting flight to China. He faces up to 15 years in prison. His sentencing will take place on September 24. It was not immediately clear who was representing Hansen in his case.

Ex-US intelligence officer pleads guilty to attempted espionage for China

The United States announced on Friday it would replace a five-year, multiple-entry tourist visa offered to Cubans with a single-entry visa valid for just three months, to match the island nation's own visa rules for US visitors.

The move marks the latest deterioration in relations between Washington and Havana since US President Donald Trump entered office in 2017.

Washington's Deputy Chief of Mission at its embassy in Havana, Mara Tekach, said in a video published on social media that the measure was taken because "US immigration law requires that US visa fees and validity periods be reciprocal."

She said Cuba allows US tourists a single entry visa valid for up to three months.

The new US rules apply to Cubans seeking to visit the US for family visits and medical treatment as well as vacations.

The measure comes into effect on March 18 but won't affect existing visas, a Department of State official said.

Under Obama, US-Cuba relations thawed after decades of tension, with the two countries reopening embassies in each other's capitals.

But under Trump, Washington has ramped up sanctions, first applied in 1962, against Cuba's communist regime.

Trump has hit out at Cuba over its support for its socialist ally, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, while he also claimed last month that leftist ideologies in the region were "dying."

The US evacuated diplomatic staff and their families in 2017 after at least two dozen people suffered brain injuries that resembled concussion, but with no exterior signs of trauma.

The US accused Cuba of carrying out "health attacks" using some sort of acoustic or microwave device, a charge Havana angrily rejected.

Cuba insisted the move was "politically motivated."

Friday's announcement will make it even harder for Cubans to gain US visas: they already have to travel abroad to apply due to the lack of US consular services on the island nation.

Even so, of the two million Cubans living outside the country, most reside in the US.

The US government does not allow its citizens to travel to Cuba as tourists, likewise meaning that travelers must leave the country before applying for a visa to visit the Caribbean island.

The United States announced on Friday it would replace a five-year, multiple-entry tourist visa offered to Cubans with a single-entry visa valid for just three months, to match the island nation's own visa rules for US visitors.

The United States announced on Friday it would replace a five-year, multiple-entry tourist visa offered to Cubans with a single-entry visa valid for just three months, to match the island nation's own visa rules for US visitors. The move marks the latest deterioration in relations between Washington and Havana since US President Donald Trump entered office in 2017. Washington's Deputy Chief of Mission at its embassy in Havana, Mara Tekach, said in a video published on social media that the measure was taken because "US immigration law requires that US visa fees and validity periods be reciprocal." She said Cuba allows US tourists a single entry visa valid for up to three months. The new US rules apply to Cubans seeking to visit the US for family visits and medical treatment as well as vacations. The measure comes into effect on March 18 but won't affect existing visas, a Department of State official said. Under Obama, US-Cuba relations thawed after decades of tension, with the two countries reopening embassies in each other's capitals. But under Trump, Washington has ramped up sanctions, first applied in 1962, against Cuba's communist regime. Trump has hit out at Cuba over its support for its socialist ally, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, while he also claimed last month that leftist ideologies in the region were "dying." The US evacuated diplomatic staff and their families in 2017 after at least two dozen people suffered brain injuries that resembled concussion, but with no exterior signs of trauma. The US accused Cuba of carrying out "health attacks" using some sort of acoustic or microwave device, a charge Havana angrily rejected. Cuba insisted the move was "politically motivated." Friday's announcement will make it even harder for Cubans to gain US visas: they already have to travel abroad to apply due to the lack of US consular services on the island nation. Even so, of the two million Cubans living outside the country, most reside in the US. The US government does not allow its citizens to travel to Cuba as tourists, likewise meaning that travelers must leave the country before applying for a visa to visit the Caribbean island.

US slashes visa duration for Cubans in 'reciprocal' move

North Korea is considering suspending nuclear talks with the United States, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said on Friday, according to Russia's TASS news agency.

North Korea has no intention to yield to US demands or engage in negotiations of this kind, Choe told a press conference in the North Korean capital Pyongyang, TASS reported.

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un is set to make an official announcement soon on his position regarding talks with United States, TASS reported, citing Choe.

North Korea is considering suspending nuclear talks with the United States, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said on Friday, according to Russia's TASS news agency.

North Korea is considering suspending nuclear talks with the United States, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said on Friday, according to Russia's TASS news agency. North Korea has no intention to yield to US demands or engage in negotiations of this kind, Choe told a press conference in the North Korean capital Pyongyang, TASS reported. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un is set to make an official announcement soon on his position regarding talks with United States, TASS reported, citing Choe.

North Korea considering to suspend nuclear talks with US: Report

New Zealand police were hunting "an active shooter" in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/christchurch-mosque-attack-bangladesh-cricket-team-was-about-to-go-inside-safe-but-mentally-shocked-203418">centre of Christchurch city on Friday </a>after a gunman opened fire at a mosque inflicting several casualties.

"A serious and evolving situation is occurring in Christchurch with an active shooter," New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said.

"Police are responding with its full capability to manage the situation, but the risk environment remains extremely high."

The Bangladesh cricket team was in the vicinity of the shooting but all members were safe, a team coach told media.

Media reported that a gunman opened fire inside mosque in Christchurch's Hagley Park. There were reports of armed police at a second mosque in the suburb of Linwood.

People in centre of the city should stay indoors, police said. All Christchurch schools and council buildings have been placed into lockdown.

Police did not immediately comment on whether the incident took place in the mosque or nearby. There is no official confirmation on casualties.

Media said shots had been fired near a mosque and a witness told broadcaster One News that he had seen three people lying on the ground, bleeding outside the building.

Radio New Zealand quoted a witness inside the mosque saying he heard shots fired and at least four people were lying on the ground and "there was blood everywhere".

"Horrified to hear of Christchurch mosque shootings. There is never a justification for that sort of hatred," said Amy Adams, a member of parliament from Christchurch.

The Bangladesh cricket team is in Christchurch to play New Zealand in a third cricket test starting on Saturday.

Mario Villavarayen, strength and conditioning coach of the Bangladesh cricket team said the team was close to where the shooting occurred, but was safe.

He said the players were shaken up but fine.

New Zealand police were hunting "an active shooter" in the centre of Christchurch city on Friday after a gunman opened fire at a mosque inflicting several casualties.

New Zealand police were hunting "an active shooter" in the centre of Christchurch city on Friday after a gunman opened fire at a mosque inflicting several casualties. "A serious and evolving situation is occurring in Christchurch with an active shooter," New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said. "Police are responding with its full capability to manage the situation, but the risk environment remains extremely high." The Bangladesh cricket team was in the vicinity of the shooting but all members were safe, a team coach told media. Media reported that a gunman opened fire inside mosque in Christchurch's Hagley Park. There were reports of armed police at a second mosque in the suburb of Linwood. People in centre of the city should stay indoors, police said. All Christchurch schools and council buildings have been placed into lockdown. Police did not immediately comment on whether the incident took place in the mosque or nearby. There is no official confirmation on casualties. Media said shots had been fired near a mosque and a witness told broadcaster One News that he had seen three people lying on the ground, bleeding outside the building. Radio New Zealand quoted a witness inside the mosque saying he heard shots fired and at least four people were lying on the ground and "there was blood everywhere". "Horrified to hear of Christchurch mosque shootings. There is never a justification for that sort of hatred," said Amy Adams, a member of parliament from Christchurch. The Bangladesh cricket team is in Christchurch to play New Zealand in a third cricket test starting on Saturday. Mario Villavarayen, strength and conditioning coach of the Bangladesh cricket team said the team was close to where the shooting occurred, but was safe. He said the players were shaken up but fine.

New Zealand police hunt 'active shooter' after gunman opens fire at mosque

All <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-military-not-involved-in-withdrawing-diplomats-from-venezuela-202985">US diplomats </a>remaining in Venezuela left the country on Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, amid a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-calls-public-sector-back-to-work-as-blackout-recedes-203321">political crisis</a> over the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro's 2018 re-election.

"US diplomats will now continue that mission from other locations where they will continue to help manage the flow of humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people and support the democratic actors bravely resisting tyranny," Pompeo said in a statement.

A US official said the diplomats were flown out in a civilian charter aircraft.

The State Department had already announced that it would withdraw its remaining diplomatic staff from Venezuela this week.

Washington has taken the lead in recognizing Juan Guaido, the 35-year-old Congress chief who declared himself interim president in January, calling Maduro’s 2018 re-election a fraud. Most countries in Europe and Latin America have followed suit.

All US diplomats remaining in Venezuela left the country on Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, amid a political crisis over the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro's 2018 re-election.

All US diplomats remaining in Venezuela left the country on Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, amid a political crisis over the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro's 2018 re-election. "US diplomats will now continue that mission from other locations where they will continue to help manage the flow of humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people and support the democratic actors bravely resisting tyranny," Pompeo said in a statement. A US official said the diplomats were flown out in a civilian charter aircraft. The State Department had already announced that it would withdraw its remaining diplomatic staff from Venezuela this week. Washington has taken the lead in recognizing Juan Guaido, the 35-year-old Congress chief who declared himself interim president in January, calling Maduro’s 2018 re-election a fraud. Most countries in Europe and Latin America have followed suit.

All US diplomats have left Venezuela: Pompeo

Progress in U.S -Taliban peace talks

The US State Department on Wednesday slammed human rights violations in China, saying the sort of abuses it had inflicted on its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-official-rejects-criticism-over-xinjiang-muslim-camps-says-it-will-gradually-disappear-202913">Muslim minorities</a> had not been seen "since the 1930s."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo highlighted abuses in Iran, South Sudan, Nicaragua and China in the department`s annual "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices," but told reporters that China was "in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations."&nbsp;

"For me, you haven’t seen things like this since the 1930s," Michael Kozak, the head of the State Department`s human rights and democracy bureau told the same briefing, referring to abuses of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ready-to-allow-un-officials-in-xinjiang-if-they-follow-proper-procedure-china-188790">China`s Muslim minority in the Xinjiang </a>region.

"Rounding up, in some estimations ... in the millions of people, putting them into camps, and torturing them, abusing them, and trying to basically erase their culture and their religion and so on from their DNA. It’s just remarkably awful."

"It is one of the most serious human rights violations in the world today," he said.

While Kozak did not elaborate on his comment about the 1930s, he was apparently referring to the policies of persecution of Hitler`s Germany and Stalin`s Soviet Union.&nbsp;

China had initially denied there even were camps, Kozak said, adding its explanation now that they were for voluntary labour training "does not match the facts."

"But at least we`re starting to make them realize there is a lot of international scrutiny on this," he said.

China`s Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment on the report, which comes at a time of closely-watched trade negotiations between the United States and China aimed at resolving a tit-for-tat tariffs dispute.

Xinjiang Governor Shohrat Zakir said on Tuesday that China was running boarding schools, not concentration camps, in the country`s far western region as the US ambassador for religious freedom called the situation there "completely unacceptable," and said sanctions against Chinese officials under the Global Magnitsky Act remained a "possibility."

The administration of President Donald Trump has weighed sanctions against senior Chinese officials in Xinjiang, including the Communist Party boss there, Chen Quanguo, who as a member of the powerful politburo is in the upper echelons of China`s leadership. Beijing has warned of retaliation if Washington were to target Chen and the administration has yet to act despite complaints from US lawmakers.

The State Department report said Chen had replicated in Xinjiang policies similar to those credited with reducing opposition to Communist Party rule in Tibet, where he was previously stationed.

INTENSIFIED DETENTION CAMPAIGN&nbsp;

The report said that in the past year, China had significantly intensified its campaign of mass detention of members of Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang.

It said authorities there were reported to have arbitrarily detained from 800,000 to possibly more than two million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs and other Muslims in camps with the aim of erasing religious and ethnic identities.

Pompeo said the Iranian government had killed more than 20 people and arrested thousands without due process for protesting for their rights "continuing a pattern of cruelty the regime has inflicted on the Iranian people for the last four decades."

In South Sudan, he said, military forces had inflicted sexual violence against civilians based on their political allegiances and ethnicity, while in Nicaragua, peaceful protesters had faced sniper fire and government critics had "faced a policy of exile, jail or death."

The report also revised its usual description of the Golan Heights from "Israeli-occupied" to "Israeli-controlled."

A separate section on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, areas that Israel captured along with the Golan Heights in a 1967 war in the Middle East, also did not refer to those territories as being "occupied," or under "occupation."

In Myanmar, the report said press freedom had declined and journalists had reported that self-censorship had became more pronounced because of the trial and conviction of Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were jailed for seven years after being convicted in September of breaking a colonial-era official secrets law.

The reporters had been working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Muslim men and boys by security forces and Buddhist civilians in Myanmar`s Rakhine State.

Responding to the US report, Amnesty International criticized the Trump administration for engaging with governments, including that of Saudi Arabia, "regardless of their human rights record, if doing so will advance US interests."&nbsp;

The State Department report highlighted Saudi Arabia`s killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and said it had not provided a detailed explanation of the direction or progress of the investigation.

A CIA assessment and a Senate resolution have blamed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for ordering the killing, something Saudi officials deny, but President Donald Trump has said Washington will remain a "steadfast partner" of Saudi Arabia even though the prince may have known about the plan.

Republican and Democratic US senators said this month they were frustrated with the Trump administration`s failure to provide more information about the case and vowed to push for a stronger response.

The US State Department on Wednesday slammed human rights violations in China, saying the sort of abuses it had inflicted on its Muslim minorities had not been seen "since the 1930s.

The US State Department on Wednesday slammed human rights violations in China, saying the sort of abuses it had inflicted on its Muslim minorities had not been seen "since the 1930s." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo highlighted abuses in Iran, South Sudan, Nicaragua and China in the department`s annual "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices," but told reporters that China was "in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations." "For me, you haven’t seen things like this since the 1930s," Michael Kozak, the head of the State Department`s human rights and democracy bureau told the same briefing, referring to abuses of China`s Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region. "Rounding up, in some estimations ... in the millions of people, putting them into camps, and torturing them, abusing them, and trying to basically erase their culture and their religion and so on from their DNA. It’s just remarkably awful." "It is one of the most serious human rights violations in the world today," he said. While Kozak did not elaborate on his comment about the 1930s, he was apparently referring to the policies of persecution of Hitler`s Germany and Stalin`s Soviet Union. China had initially denied there even were camps, Kozak said, adding its explanation now that they were for voluntary labour training "does not match the facts." "But at least we`re starting to make them realize there is a lot of international scrutiny on this," he said. China`s Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment on the report, which comes at a time of closely-watched trade negotiations between the United States and China aimed at resolving a tit-for-tat tariffs dispute. Xinjiang Governor Shohrat Zakir said on Tuesday that China was running boarding schools, not concentration camps, in the country`s far western region as the US ambassador for religious freedom called the situation there "completely unacceptable," and said sanctions against Chinese officials under the Global Magnitsky Act remained a "possibility." The administration of President Donald Trump has weighed sanctions against senior Chinese officials in Xinjiang, including the Communist Party boss there, Chen Quanguo, who as a member of the powerful politburo is in the upper echelons of China`s leadership. Beijing has warned of retaliation if Washington were to target Chen and the administration has yet to act despite complaints from US lawmakers. The State Department report said Chen had replicated in Xinjiang policies similar to those credited with reducing opposition to Communist Party rule in Tibet, where he was previously stationed. INTENSIFIED DETENTION CAMPAIGN The report said that in the past year, China had significantly intensified its campaign of mass detention of members of Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang. It said authorities there were reported to have arbitrarily detained from 800,000 to possibly more than two million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs and other Muslims in camps with the aim of erasing religious and ethnic identities. Pompeo said the Iranian government had killed more than 20 people and arrested thousands without due process for protesting for their rights "continuing a pattern of cruelty the regime has inflicted on the Iranian people for the last four decades." In South Sudan, he said, military forces had inflicted sexual violence against civilians based on their political allegiances and ethnicity, while in Nicaragua, peaceful protesters had faced sniper fire and government critics had "faced a policy of exile, jail or death." The report also revised its usual description of the Golan Heights from "Israeli-occupied" to "Israeli-controlled." A separate section on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, areas that Israel captured along with the Golan Heights in a 1967 war in the Middle East, also did not refer to those territories as being "occupied," or under "occupation." In Myanmar, the report said press freedom had declined and journalists had reported that self-censorship had became more pronounced because of the trial and conviction of Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were jailed for seven years after being convicted in September of breaking a colonial-era official secrets law. The reporters had been working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Muslim men and boys by security forces and Buddhist civilians in Myanmar`s Rakhine State. Responding to the US report, Amnesty International criticized the Trump administration for engaging with governments, including that of Saudi Arabia, "regardless of their human rights record, if doing so will advance US interests." The State Department report highlighted Saudi Arabia`s killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and said it had not provided a detailed explanation of the direction or progress of the investigation. A CIA assessment and a Senate resolution have blamed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for ordering the killing, something Saudi officials deny, but President Donald Trump has said Washington will remain a "steadfast partner" of Saudi Arabia even though the prince may have known about the plan. Republican and Democratic US senators said this month they were frustrated with the Trump administration`s failure to provide more information about the case and vowed to push for a stronger response.

US says China's treatment of Muslim minority worst abuses 'since the 1930s'

The United States aims to test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range of about 1,000 km (620 miles) in August, a Pentagon official said on Wednesday, after Washington announced last month it plans to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

Last month, the United States said it would withdraw from the INF treaty in six months unless Moscow ends what Washington says are violations of the 1987 pact.

Russia announced it was suspending the treaty. Moscow denies flouting the accord and has accused Washington of breaking the accord itself, allegations rejected by the United States.

"We`re going to test a ground-launched cruise missile in August," said a senior defence official, who declined to be named.&nbsp;

If the testing is successful, the missile could be deployed in about 18 months.

The official said the United States was also looking to test an intermediate-range ballistic missile in November, adding that both would be conventional and not nuclear.

The INF treaty, negotiated by then-President Ronald Reagan and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and ratified by the US Senate, eliminated the medium-range missile arsenals of the world’s two biggest nuclear powers and reduced their ability to launch a nuclear strike at short notice.

The INF treaty required the parties to destroy ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of between 500 and 5,500 km (310 to 3,420 miles).

The United Nations has urged the United States and Russia to preserve the treaty, saying its loss would make the world more insecure and unstable.

Kingston Reif, an analyst with the Arms Control Association, a non-profit group that seeks to promote public understanding of and support for arms control, said the US move could be "a signal" to nudge Russia to return to compliance with the treaty.&nbsp;

But he thought it was more likely that the Trump administration was simply planning for the treaty’s demise.

"I think this particular White House and this particular national security adviser (John Bolton) are intent on the treaty coming to an end, so they have designs on a post-INF world in which the fielding of these capabilities is no longer prohibited either in Europe or in the Asia-Pacific," Reif said.

Last month Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia is militarily ready for a Cuban Missile-style crisis if the United States wanted one and threatened to place hypersonic nuclear missiles on ships or submarines near US territorial waters.

The Cuban Missile Crisis erupted in 1962 when Moscow responded to a US missile deployment in Turkey by sending ballistic missiles to Cuba, sparking a standoff that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.

More than five decades on, tensions are rising again over Russian fears that the United States might deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe.

"We haven`t engaged any of our allies about forward deployment," the US defence official said. "Honestly, we haven`t been thinking about this because we have been scrupulously abiding by the treaty."

The United States aims to test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range of about 1,000 km (620 miles) in August, a Pentagon official said on Wednesday, after Washington announced last month it plans to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

The United States aims to test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range of about 1,000 km (620 miles) in August, a Pentagon official said on Wednesday, after Washington announced last month it plans to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Last month, the United States said it would withdraw from the INF treaty in six months unless Moscow ends what Washington says are violations of the 1987 pact. Russia announced it was suspending the treaty. Moscow denies flouting the accord and has accused Washington of breaking the accord itself, allegations rejected by the United States. "We`re going to test a ground-launched cruise missile in August," said a senior defence official, who declined to be named. If the testing is successful, the missile could be deployed in about 18 months. The official said the United States was also looking to test an intermediate-range ballistic missile in November, adding that both would be conventional and not nuclear. The INF treaty, negotiated by then-President Ronald Reagan and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and ratified by the US Senate, eliminated the medium-range missile arsenals of the world’s two biggest nuclear powers and reduced their ability to launch a nuclear strike at short notice. The INF treaty required the parties to destroy ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of between 500 and 5,500 km (310 to 3,420 miles). The United Nations has urged the United States and Russia to preserve the treaty, saying its loss would make the world more insecure and unstable. Kingston Reif, an analyst with the Arms Control Association, a non-profit group that seeks to promote public understanding of and support for arms control, said the US move could be "a signal" to nudge Russia to return to compliance with the treaty. But he thought it was more likely that the Trump administration was simply planning for the treaty’s demise. "I think this particular White House and this particular national security adviser (John Bolton) are intent on the treaty coming to an end, so they have designs on a post-INF world in which the fielding of these capabilities is no longer prohibited either in Europe or in the Asia-Pacific," Reif said. Last month Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia is militarily ready for a Cuban Missile-style crisis if the United States wanted one and threatened to place hypersonic nuclear missiles on ships or submarines near US territorial waters. The Cuban Missile Crisis erupted in 1962 when Moscow responded to a US missile deployment in Turkey by sending ballistic missiles to Cuba, sparking a standoff that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. More than five decades on, tensions are rising again over Russian fears that the United States might deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe. "We haven`t engaged any of our allies about forward deployment," the US defence official said. "Honestly, we haven`t been thinking about this because we have been scrupulously abiding by the treaty."

US looks to test ground-launched cruise missile in August

Indian American Neomi Rao, who was under scrutiny for her previous writings on sexual assault will now be judge on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, US Senate confirmed on Wednesday.

Rao is set to take over the chair vacated by US Supreme Court Justice <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-us-democrat-demands-delay-kavanaugh-vote-amid-new-allegations-167857">Brett Kavanaugh</a> following his<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-picks-conservative-judge-brett-kavanaugh-for-us-supreme-court-150328"> nomination by President Donald Trump</a> for the top post in the country`s highest judicial body, CNN reported.

The Senate voted 53-46, with all the Republicans backing Rao`s nomination and the Democrats opposing her confirmation.

The 45-year-old Indian-American, who serves as Trump`s "czar" overseeing regulatory rollbacks, was quizzed not only about her work in the Trump administration, but for her commentary she wrote in the past few years as a student at Yale University, when she opined that women should change their behaviour in order to avoid date rape.

While some Republicans had expressed apprehensions about her nomination, Rao apologised for her past writing last month.

"Sexual assault in all forms, including date rape, is abhorrent. Responsibility for the rape is with the rapist. I believed that as a college student and continue to believe that today. As a society, we should create an environment where survivors feel empowered and comfortable coming forward. I am sorry for anything in my college writings to the contrary," she wrote in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Republicans expressed their gratitude to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for leading Rao`s confirmation process.

"Rao`s experience and intellect make her uniquely qualified to fill Justice Kavanaugh`s shoes on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. Rao will fairly apply the law and honour the Constitution; she`ll be a phenomenal judge serving on one of our nation`s highest courts," said Judicial Crisis Network chief counsel and policy director Carrie Severino.

Born in 1973 in Detroit, Michigan to Indian immigrant parents - Zerin Rao and father Jehangir Narioshang Rao both Parsi physicians from India, Rao earned a one-year clerkship with Justice Clarence Thomas on the US Supreme Court.

She currently serves as the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget.

She has worked for the US government during the latter half of George W. Bush`s presidency and became a professor of law at George Mason University`s Antonin Scalia Law School.

Rao`s research and teaching focused on constitutional and administrative law, and she founded the school`s Center for the Study of the Administrative State.&nbsp;

Indian American Neomi Rao, who was under scrutiny for her previous writings on sexual assault will now be judge on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, US Senate confirmed on Wednesday.

Indian American Neomi Rao, who was under scrutiny for her previous writings on sexual assault will now be judge on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, US Senate confirmed on Wednesday. Rao is set to take over the chair vacated by US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh following his nomination by President Donald Trump for the top post in the country`s highest judicial body, CNN reported. The Senate voted 53-46, with all the Republicans backing Rao`s nomination and the Democrats opposing her confirmation. The 45-year-old Indian-American, who serves as Trump`s "czar" overseeing regulatory rollbacks, was quizzed not only about her work in the Trump administration, but for her commentary she wrote in the past few years as a student at Yale University, when she opined that women should change their behaviour in order to avoid date rape. While some Republicans had expressed apprehensions about her nomination, Rao apologised for her past writing last month. "Sexual assault in all forms, including date rape, is abhorrent. Responsibility for the rape is with the rapist. I believed that as a college student and continue to believe that today. As a society, we should create an environment where survivors feel empowered and comfortable coming forward. I am sorry for anything in my college writings to the contrary," she wrote in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Republicans expressed their gratitude to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for leading Rao`s confirmation process. "Rao`s experience and intellect make her uniquely qualified to fill Justice Kavanaugh`s shoes on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. Rao will fairly apply the law and honour the Constitution; she`ll be a phenomenal judge serving on one of our nation`s highest courts," said Judicial Crisis Network chief counsel and policy director Carrie Severino. Born in 1973 in Detroit, Michigan to Indian immigrant parents - Zerin Rao and father Jehangir Narioshang Rao both Parsi physicians from India, Rao earned a one-year clerkship with Justice Clarence Thomas on the US Supreme Court. She currently serves as the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget. She has worked for the US government during the latter half of George W. Bush`s presidency and became a professor of law at George Mason University`s Antonin Scalia Law School. Rao`s research and teaching focused on constitutional and administrative law, and she founded the school`s Center for the Study of the Administrative State.

US Senate confirms Indian-American Neomi Rao as judge of appeals court

US federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into data deals<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-instagram-down-in-large-parts-of-the-the-world-203174"> Facebook Inc </a>struck with some of the world's largest technology companies, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

A grand jury in New York has subpoenaed records from at least two prominent makers of smartphones and other devices, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the requests and without naming the companies.

Both companies are among the more than 150, including Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp, that have entered into partnerships with Facebook for access to the personal information of hundreds of millions of its users, according to the report.

Facebook is facing a slew of lawsuits and regulatory inquiries over its privacy practices, including ongoing investigations by the US Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission and two state agencies in New York.

In addition to looking at the data deals, the probes focus on disclosures that the company shared the user data of 87 million people with Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm that worked with US President Donald Trump's campaign.

Facebook said it was cooperating with investigators in multiple federal probes, without addressing the grand jury inquiry specifically.

"We've provided public testimony, answered questions, and pledged that we will continue to do so," Facebook said in a statement.

Facebook has defended the data-sharing deals, first reported in December, saying none of the partnerships gave companies access to information without people's permission.

A spokesman for the United States attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York, which The New York Times reported is overseeing the inquiry, said he could not confirm or deny the probe.

US federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into data deals Facebook Inc struck with some of the world's largest technology companies, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

US federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into data deals Facebook Inc struck with some of the world's largest technology companies, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. A grand jury in New York has subpoenaed records from at least two prominent makers of smartphones and other devices, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the requests and without naming the companies. Both companies are among the more than 150, including Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp, that have entered into partnerships with Facebook for access to the personal information of hundreds of millions of its users, according to the report. Facebook is facing a slew of lawsuits and regulatory inquiries over its privacy practices, including ongoing investigations by the US Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission and two state agencies in New York. In addition to looking at the data deals, the probes focus on disclosures that the company shared the user data of 87 million people with Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm that worked with US President Donald Trump's campaign. Facebook said it was cooperating with investigators in multiple federal probes, without addressing the grand jury inquiry specifically. "We've provided public testimony, answered questions, and pledged that we will continue to do so," Facebook said in a statement. Facebook has defended the data-sharing deals, first reported in December, saying none of the partnerships gave companies access to information without people's permission. A spokesman for the United States attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York, which The New York Times reported is overseeing the inquiry, said he could not confirm or deny the probe.

US prosecutors probing Facebook's data deals: Report

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