US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be willing to be interviewed under oath by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 US&nbsp;election.

&quot;I&#39;m looking forward to it, actually,&quot; Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said of an interview with Mueller. &quot;I would do it under oath.&quot;

Although Trump has pledged cooperation with Mueller&#39;s probe before, Trump made his assertion as the White House and allies in Congress have stepped up attacks on the investigation&#39;s credibility and Trump himself has hedged on whether he would answer questions.

More recently, Trump&#39;s attorneys have been talking to Mueller&#39;s team about an interview, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation. &quot;I would like to do it as soon as possible,&quot; Trump said.&nbsp;

Trump, however, said that setting a date certain for an interview would be &quot;subject to my lawyers and all of that.&quot; Asked whether he thought Mueller would treat him fairly, Trump replied, &quot;We&#39;re going to find out.&quot;

Sources told Reuters earlier Wednesday that senior U.S. intelligence officers including CIA Director Mike Pompeo have been questioned by the special counsel&#39;s team about whether Trump tried to obstruct justice in the Russia probe.

Such questioning is further indication that Mueller&#39;s criminal investigation into purported Russian interference in the US&nbsp;election and potential collusion by Trump&#39;s campaign includes examining the president&#39;s actions around the probe.

In his remarks to reporters on Wednesday, Trump repeated past statements that there was no collusion between the campaign and Russia and &quot;there&#39;s no obstruction whatsoever.&quot;

In interviews last year with Pompeo, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers, Mueller&#39;s team focused on whether Trump had asked them to lean on former FBI Director James Comey, the sources said.

Comey said after he was dismissed by Trump in May that the president had fired him to try to undermine the agency&#39;s Russia investigation. His dismissal led to Mueller&#39;s appointment to take over the FBI probe and is central to whether Trump may have committed obstruction of justice.

Mueller also asked the officials if Trump tried to shut down intelligence investigations into Russian election meddling and into contacts between Russian officials connected with President Vladimir Putin&#39;s government and associates of Trump or his campaign, the sources said on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

Representatives for the CIA declined to comment on whether Pompeo had been interviewed.

US&nbsp;intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the election campaign using hacking and propaganda to try to tilt the race in Trump&#39;s favour.

Russia has denied it. Trump has denied collusion with Russia and calls the probe a witch hunt. After Comey&#39;s accusation in June about the circumstances of his firing, Trump also denied any obstruction of justice.

Former White House strategist and Trump campaign aide Steve Bannon is expected to be questioned by Mueller&#39;s team about Flynn and Comey by the end of the month, NBC and CNN reported.

'I would like to do it as soon as possible,' Trump added

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be willing to be interviewed under oath by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 US election. "I'm looking forward to it, actually," Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said of an interview with Mueller. "I would do it under oath." Although Trump has pledged cooperation with Mueller's probe before, Trump made his assertion as the White House and allies in Congress have stepped up attacks on the investigation's credibility and Trump himself has hedged on whether he would answer questions. More recently, Trump's attorneys have been talking to Mueller's team about an interview, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation. "I would like to do it as soon as possible," Trump said. Trump, however, said that setting a date certain for an interview would be "subject to my lawyers and all of that." Asked whether he thought Mueller would treat him fairly, Trump replied, "We're going to find out." Sources told Reuters earlier Wednesday that senior U.S. intelligence officers including CIA Director Mike Pompeo have been questioned by the special counsel's team about whether Trump tried to obstruct justice in the Russia probe. Such questioning is further indication that Mueller's criminal investigation into purported Russian interference in the US election and potential collusion by Trump's campaign includes examining the president's actions around the probe. In his remarks to reporters on Wednesday, Trump repeated past statements that there was no collusion between the campaign and Russia and "there's no obstruction whatsoever." In interviews last year with Pompeo, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers, Mueller's team focused on whether Trump had asked them to lean on former FBI Director James Comey, the sources said. Comey said after he was dismissed by Trump in May that the president had fired him to try to undermine the agency's Russia investigation. His dismissal led to Mueller's appointment to take over the FBI probe and is central to whether Trump may have committed obstruction of justice. Mueller also asked the officials if Trump tried to shut down intelligence investigations into Russian election meddling and into contacts between Russian officials connected with President Vladimir Putin's government and associates of Trump or his campaign, the sources said on condition of anonymity. Representatives for the CIA declined to comment on whether Pompeo had been interviewed. US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the election campaign using hacking and propaganda to try to tilt the race in Trump's favour. Russia has denied it. Trump has denied collusion with Russia and calls the probe a witch hunt. After Comey's accusation in June about the circumstances of his firing, Trump also denied any obstruction of justice. Former White House strategist and Trump campaign aide Steve Bannon is expected to be questioned by Mueller's team about Flynn and Comey by the end of the month, NBC and CNN reported.

'Looking forward' to being interviewed by Special Counsel Mueller, says Trump

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was prepared to back a deal that would provide a pathway to citizenship to America&#39;s so-called &quot;Dreamer&quot; immigrants over a period of 10 to 12 years.

The latest approach by the White House suggests a key development in negotiations over some 700,000 immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children, and face deportation as early as March.

&quot;We are going to morph into it,&quot; Trump told reporters about the citizenship provision. &quot;It&#39;s going to happen, at some point in the future, over a period of 10 to 12 years.&quot;

In exchange, Trump said he is seeking $25 billion to build a border wall, one of the main pledges of his 2016 presidential campaign, plus an additional $5 billion in other border security measures including electronic surveillance and extra border agents.

US lawmakers have struggled for months to negotiate a compromise over the status of the dreamers. An impasse over the issue, a source of bitter partisan tension in Washington, recently shut down the government for three days.

&quot;Tell them not to be concerned&quot; as the March 5 deadline approaches, Trump said of the Dreamers. &quot;It&#39;s up to the Democrats, but they should not be worried.&quot;

In reaching a deal to resume federal operations, the Senate&#39;s Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Congress would aim to negotiate an immigration agreement by February 8, and if a deal is not struck by then, the issue would be taken up in debate on the Senate floor.

Although Trump did not provide full details on the pathway to citizenship, his comments are perhaps the most telling sign that a broader deal might be within reach.&nbsp;

They came just hours after the White House announced it will release a &quot;legislative framework&quot; for immigration reform on Monday that it said is acceptable to both Democrats and Republicans.

&quot;After decades of inaction by Congress, it&#39;s time we work together to solve this issue once and for all,&quot; White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told journalists.

&quot;The White House will release a legislative framework on Monday that represents a compromise that members of both parties can support,&quot; which is based on &quot;dozens&quot; of meetings with Republican and Democratic leadership and legislators, she said.

&#39;Moral obligation&#39;

The plan would fulfil &quot;four agreed-upon pillars&quot; of immigration reform, she added: border security including all funding, curbing extended family reunification known as &quot;chain migration,&quot; cancelling the green-card visa lottery, and providing a permanent solution on DACA.

The first three pillars are largely Republican priorities, while the last -- fixing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program -- is a cause championed by the Democrats.

DACA, which was instituted by Trump&#39;s predecessor Barack Obama in 2012, protects the Dreamers from deportation.

Trump said in September he was scrapping DACA, throwing the future of those it covers into doubt, but delayed enforcement to give Congress until March to craft a lasting solution.

Democrats unsuccessfully sought to tie a solution to the DACA issue to a stop-gap measure to fund the federal government, but Republicans rejected the effort, leading to a shutdown from Saturday to Monday.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican point man on the immigration negotiations, hailed Trump&#39;s comments as a major breakthrough.

&quot;With this strong statement by President Trump, I have never felt better about our chances of finding a solution on immigration,&quot; Graham said in a statement.

Trump&#39;s &quot;support for a pathway to citizenship will help us get strong border security measures as we work to modernize a broken immigration system.&quot;

Trump&#39;s remarks signified key movement in a debate that appeared to stall Tuesday after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer withdrew an offer to fund the president&#39;s border wall.

&quot;Cryin&#39; Chuck Schumer fully understands, especially after his humiliating defeat, that if there is no Wall, there is no DACA,&quot; Trump tweeted late Tuesday.

Exactly how a pathway to citizenship will sit with conservative Republicans remains unclear. Several have opposed the process as &quot;amnesty&quot; for undocumented immigrants.

In a speech to colleagues, Democrat Schumer said it was &quot;our moral obligation&quot; to protect dreamers, and that the Senate was in the spotlight over crafting a deal by February 8.

&quot;If we don&#39;t solve this problem in 14 days, the Republicans are going to have to explain to dreamers what their plan is to prevent them from being deported,&quot; Schumer said.&nbsp;

The latest approach by the White House suggests a key development in negotiations over some 700,000 immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children, and face deportation as early as March

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was prepared to back a deal that would provide a pathway to citizenship to America's so-called "Dreamer" immigrants over a period of 10 to 12 years. The latest approach by the White House suggests a key development in negotiations over some 700,000 immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children, and face deportation as early as March. "We are going to morph into it," Trump told reporters about the citizenship provision. "It's going to happen, at some point in the future, over a period of 10 to 12 years." In exchange, Trump said he is seeking $25 billion to build a border wall, one of the main pledges of his 2016 presidential campaign, plus an additional $5 billion in other border security measures including electronic surveillance and extra border agents. US lawmakers have struggled for months to negotiate a compromise over the status of the dreamers. An impasse over the issue, a source of bitter partisan tension in Washington, recently shut down the government for three days. "Tell them not to be concerned" as the March 5 deadline approaches, Trump said of the Dreamers. "It's up to the Democrats, but they should not be worried." In reaching a deal to resume federal operations, the Senate's Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Congress would aim to negotiate an immigration agreement by February 8, and if a deal is not struck by then, the issue would be taken up in debate on the Senate floor. Although Trump did not provide full details on the pathway to citizenship, his comments are perhaps the most telling sign that a broader deal might be within reach. They came just hours after the White House announced it will release a "legislative framework" for immigration reform on Monday that it said is acceptable to both Democrats and Republicans. "After decades of inaction by Congress, it's time we work together to solve this issue once and for all," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told journalists. "The White House will release a legislative framework on Monday that represents a compromise that members of both parties can support," which is based on "dozens" of meetings with Republican and Democratic leadership and legislators, she said. 'Moral obligation' The plan would fulfil "four agreed-upon pillars" of immigration reform, she added: border security including all funding, curbing extended family reunification known as "chain migration," cancelling the green-card visa lottery, and providing a permanent solution on DACA. The first three pillars are largely Republican priorities, while the last -- fixing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program -- is a cause championed by the Democrats. DACA, which was instituted by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama in 2012, protects the Dreamers from deportation. Trump said in September he was scrapping DACA, throwing the future of those it covers into doubt, but delayed enforcement to give Congress until March to craft a lasting solution. Democrats unsuccessfully sought to tie a solution to the DACA issue to a stop-gap measure to fund the federal government, but Republicans rejected the effort, leading to a shutdown from Saturday to Monday. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican point man on the immigration negotiations, hailed Trump's comments as a major breakthrough. "With this strong statement by President Trump, I have never felt better about our chances of finding a solution on immigration," Graham said in a statement. Trump's "support for a pathway to citizenship will help us get strong border security measures as we work to modernize a broken immigration system." Trump's remarks signified key movement in a debate that appeared to stall Tuesday after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer withdrew an offer to fund the president's border wall. "Cryin' Chuck Schumer fully understands, especially after his humiliating defeat, that if there is no Wall, there is no DACA," Trump tweeted late Tuesday. Exactly how a pathway to citizenship will sit with conservative Republicans remains unclear. Several have opposed the process as "amnesty" for undocumented immigrants. In a speech to colleagues, Democrat Schumer said it was "our moral obligation" to protect dreamers, and that the Senate was in the spotlight over crafting a deal by February 8. "If we don't solve this problem in 14 days, the Republicans are going to have to explain to dreamers what their plan is to prevent them from being deported," Schumer said.

'Don't worry': Trump lays out path to citizenship for Dreamers

On Saturday Turkey urged the United States to &quot;immediately withdraw&quot; its personnel from Manbij, northern Syria.

The city of Manbij has been held by a Syrian Kurdish militia. Turkey launched an offensive last week to fight the Syrian Kurdish militia.&nbsp;

&quot;It is necessary for the US to immediately withdraw from Manbij,&quot; Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu noted. 
&nbsp; 
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also threatened to expand the military operation against the People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG) on Friday.&nbsp;

The Turkish President threatened to expand military operations from its Syrian enclave in Afrin to Manbij.&nbsp;

The city of Manbij has been held by a Syrian Kurdish militia

On Saturday Turkey urged the United States to "immediately withdraw" its personnel from Manbij, northern Syria. The city of Manbij has been held by a Syrian Kurdish militia. Turkey launched an offensive last week to fight the Syrian Kurdish militia. "It is necessary for the US to immediately withdraw from Manbij," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu noted. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also threatened to expand the military operation against the People's Protection Units (YPG) on Friday. The Turkish President threatened to expand military operations from its Syrian enclave in Afrin to Manbij.

'Immediately withdraw from Manbij' Turkey urges US personnel in Syria

The United States has called on Pakistan to arrest or expel the Taliban insurgents from its soil.

This US reaction comes after a deadly attack at central Kabul`s Intercontinental Hotel claimed 18 lives.

However, a survivor of the hotel attack said the number of casualties was much higher than revealed by government sources.

According to a media&nbsp;report, White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders on Monday said, &quot;We call on Pakistan to immediately arrest or expel the Taliban`s leaders and prevent the group from using Pakistani territory to support its operations.&quot;

In Afghanistan, where terrorists attacked the hotel in Kabul, such attacks on civilians only strengthen our resolve to support our Afghan partners,&quot; she added.

Earlier on Sunday, Afghanistan Ministry of Interior (MoI) confirmed that all the three terrorists, who attacked the Intercontinental Hotel here, have been eliminated after a 13-hour stand-off.

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal took to Twitter to condemn the attack and rejected the allegations of involvement of Pakistani nationals in the attack. &quot;We reject the knee-jerk allegations by some Afghan circles to point the finger at Pakistan for the terrorist attack on intercontinental hotel in Kabul. There is a need for a credible investigation into the attack, including on reported security lapses,&quot; Faisal tweeted.

This US reaction comes after a deadly attack at central Kabul`s Intercontinental Hotel claimed 18 lives

The United States has called on Pakistan to arrest or expel the Taliban insurgents from its soil. This US reaction comes after a deadly attack at central Kabul`s Intercontinental Hotel claimed 18 lives. However, a survivor of the hotel attack said the number of casualties was much higher than revealed by government sources. According to a media report, White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders on Monday said, "We call on Pakistan to immediately arrest or expel the Taliban`s leaders and prevent the group from using Pakistani territory to support its operations." In Afghanistan, where terrorists attacked the hotel in Kabul, such attacks on civilians only strengthen our resolve to support our Afghan partners," she added. Earlier on Sunday, Afghanistan Ministry of Interior (MoI) confirmed that all the three terrorists, who attacked the Intercontinental Hotel here, have been eliminated after a 13-hour stand-off. Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal took to Twitter to condemn the attack and rejected the allegations of involvement of Pakistani nationals in the attack. "We reject the knee-jerk allegations by some Afghan circles to point the finger at Pakistan for the terrorist attack on intercontinental hotel in Kabul. There is a need for a credible investigation into the attack, including on reported security lapses," Faisal tweeted.

US calls on Pakistan to arrest or expel Taliban from its soil

US President Donald Trump is known to land in a pool of controversies over his remarks and statements.

The latest one comes in a report that suggests he has imitated PM Modi.&nbsp;

&quot;According to the Independent, when Modi travelled to the US last year, he supported the decision of sending in more troops to Afghanistan in a bid to tackle terrorism and insurgency,&quot; ANI noted.&nbsp;

Trump reportedly imitated PM Modi stating that the latter said to him, &quot;Never has a country given so much away for so little in return&quot;, referring to US&#39; troops in Afghanistan.&quot;

The Trump administration and its Indian counterpart have not reacted to the report, however, the US President is often seen talking in other accents, imitating others.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trump previously alluded to &#39;Abki Baar Modi Sarkar&#39; slogan and changed it to &#39;Abki Baar Trump Sarkar&#39; during his presidential election campaign.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

The Trump administration and its Indian counterpart have not reacted to the report

US President Donald Trump is known to land in a pool of controversies over his remarks and statements. The latest one comes in a report that suggests he has imitated PM Modi. "According to the Independent, when Modi travelled to the US last year, he supported the decision of sending in more troops to Afghanistan in a bid to tackle terrorism and insurgency," ANI noted. Trump reportedly imitated PM Modi stating that the latter said to him, "Never has a country given so much away for so little in return", referring to US' troops in Afghanistan." The Trump administration and its Indian counterpart have not reacted to the report, however, the US President is often seen talking in other accents, imitating others. Trump previously alluded to 'Abki Baar Modi Sarkar' slogan and changed it to 'Abki Baar Trump Sarkar' during his presidential election campaign. (With inputs from ANI)

Donald Trump imitated PM Modi: Report

The UN and the US today strongly condemned the &quot;senseless and cowardly bombing&quot; in Kabul which claimed at least <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/at-least-40-dead-140-wounded-after-massive-suicide-bomb-explosion-rocks-kabul-30897">95 lives and left 158 injured</a>, saying those responsible for it must be brought to justice.

Strongly condemning the Taliban-claimed assault - the second carried out by the militant group in the Afghan capital in a week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in a statement said that indiscriminate attacks against civilians are grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and can never be justified.

&quot;The Secretary-General strongly condemns the deadly attack today in central Kabul, which was claimed by the Taliban...Those responsible for today&#39;s attack must be brought to justice,&quot; said a statement attributable to UN Secretary General&#39;s spokesperson.

Condemning the attack, the US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert tweeted: &quot;We condemn today&#39;s cowardly bombing in Kabul and those who perpetrated it. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we stand with the brave people of #Afghanistan.&quot;

US Ambassador to Afghanistan John R Bass, in a statement, also condemned the &quot;senseless and cowardly bombing&quot; in Kabul and those who perpetrated it.

&quot;Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. My government and I stand with the brave people of Afghanistan.? Their work to create a peaceful, prosperous future for all the citizens of this country is the best response to terrorists and others who know only violence,&quot; he said.

Meanwhile, the White House said President Donald Trump is aware of the terrorist attack.

Eiffel Tower to go dark

The Eiffel Tower will cut its lights on Saturday night to commemorate those killed and wounded in a devastating ambulance bombing in Kabul, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Twitter.&nbsp;

&quot;Tonight at midnight the Eiffel Tower will go out in homage to the victims of the horrific attack that struck Kabul,&quot; Hidalgo said.&nbsp;

&quot;The city of Paris and Parisians are with the Afghan people who are once again facing terrorist barbarity.&quot;&nbsp;

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Ce soir, &agrave; minuit, <a href="https://twitter.com/LaTourEiffel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaTourEiffel</a> s&#39;&eacute;teindra en hommage aux victimes de l&#39;ignoble attentat qui a frapp&eacute; le coeur de <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kaboul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kaboul</a>. La Ville de <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris</a>, les Parisiennes et les Parisiens sont aux c&ocirc;t&eacute;s du peuple afghan qui fait face une nouvelle fois &agrave; la barbarie terroriste. <a href="https://t.co/o0e8HCJKDU">pic.twitter.com/o0e8HCJKDU</a>
&mdash; Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Anne_Hidalgo/status/957285839280713728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kabul-explosion-the-perpetrators-of-these-dastardly-attacks-should-be-brought-to-justice-says-ministry-of-external-affairs-30922">India has also condemned the attack</a>&nbsp;with the External Affairs ministry calling the incident as &quot;barbaric and barbaric and dastardly&quot;.

The Ministry called the attack &quot;reprehensible&quot; noting that no justification for the tragedy would suffice.

&quot;The perpetrators of these attacks and their supporters should be brought to justice,&quot; the release noted. &nbsp;

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India strongly condemns the barbaric and dastardly terrorist attacks in Kabul today. Full Press Release available at <a href="https://t.co/pPMhgb3tdz">https://t.co/pPMhgb3tdz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianEmbKabul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndianEmbKabul</a>
&mdash; Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/957235485033705472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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President&nbsp;Ram Nath Kovind also expressed his regret on the incident.

&quot;Shocked at the&nbsp;news of the terrorist attack in Kabul. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families &amp; with those injured. India stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the people &amp; government of Afghanistan in the fight against the forces of terror and evil,&quot; noted the President.&nbsp;

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Shocked at news of the terrorist attack in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabul</a>. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families &amp; with those injured. India stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the people &amp; government of Afghanistan in the fight against the forces of terror and evil, tweets President Ram Nath Kovind. <a href="https://t.co/vnOlKenQE0">pic.twitter.com/vnOlKenQE0</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/957277311669121024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Condemning the attack, the US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert tweeted: 'We condemn today's cowardly bombing in Kabul'

The UN and the US today strongly condemned the "senseless and cowardly bombing" in Kabul which claimed at least 95 lives and left 158 injured, saying those responsible for it must be brought to justice. Strongly condemning the Taliban-claimed assault - the second carried out by the militant group in the Afghan capital in a week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in a statement said that indiscriminate attacks against civilians are grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and can never be justified. "The Secretary-General strongly condemns the deadly attack today in central Kabul, which was claimed by the Taliban...Those responsible for today's attack must be brought to justice," said a statement attributable to UN Secretary General's spokesperson. Condemning the attack, the US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert tweeted: "We condemn today's cowardly bombing in Kabul and those who perpetrated it. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we stand with the brave people of #Afghanistan." US Ambassador to Afghanistan John R Bass, in a statement, also condemned the "senseless and cowardly bombing" in Kabul and those who perpetrated it. "Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. My government and I stand with the brave people of Afghanistan.? Their work to create a peaceful, prosperous future for all the citizens of this country is the best response to terrorists and others who know only violence," he said. Meanwhile, the White House said President Donald Trump is aware of the terrorist attack. Eiffel Tower to go dark The Eiffel Tower will cut its lights on Saturday night to commemorate those killed and wounded in a devastating ambulance bombing in Kabul, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Twitter. "Tonight at midnight the Eiffel Tower will go out in homage to the victims of the horrific attack that struck Kabul," Hidalgo said. "The city of Paris and Parisians are with the Afghan people who are once again facing terrorist barbarity." Ce soir, à minuit, @LaTourEiffel s'éteindra en hommage aux victimes de l'ignoble attentat qui a frappé le coeur de #Kaboul. La Ville de #Paris, les Parisiennes et les Parisiens sont aux côtés du peuple afghan qui fait face une nouvelle fois à la barbarie terroriste. pic.twitter.com/o0e8HCJKDU — Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) January 27, 2018 × Meanwhile, India has also condemned the attack with the External Affairs ministry calling the incident as "barbaric and barbaric and dastardly". The Ministry called the attack "reprehensible" noting that no justification for the tragedy would suffice. "The perpetrators of these attacks and their supporters should be brought to justice," the release noted. India strongly condemns the barbaric and dastardly terrorist attacks in Kabul today. Full Press Release available at https://t.co/pPMhgb3tdz @IndianEmbKabul — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 27, 2018 × President Ram Nath Kovind also expressed his regret on the incident. "Shocked at the news of the terrorist attack in Kabul. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families & with those injured. India stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the people & government of Afghanistan in the fight against the forces of terror and evil," noted the President. Shocked at news of the terrorist attack in #Kabul. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families & with those injured. India stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the people & government of Afghanistan in the fight against the forces of terror and evil, tweets President Ram Nath Kovind. pic.twitter.com/vnOlKenQE0 — ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2018 × (With inputs from agencies)

Kabul explosion: UN, US condemn terrorist attack, Eiffel Tower to go dark

The Statue of Liberty, temporarily closed by a US government budget shutdown, will reopen on Monday to once again beckon other countries` &quot;huddled masses&quot; -- as well as not-so-poor tourists with dollars to spend.

&quot;We will not stand by as this symbol of freedom and opportunity goes dark,&quot; New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a tweet Sunday, announcing that the state had found funds to keep the iconic landmark open.

Shutting the surrounding park &quot;jeopardizes an economic driver for the state of New York,&quot; said Cuomo, a Democrat.&nbsp;

&quot;This park is a symbol of New York and our values. And her message has never been as important as it is today,&quot; he said, alluding to the budget battle in Washington, where Democrats were seeking protection for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants before agreeing to Republican proposals to extend funding for the government.&nbsp;

As a result of the budget impasse, many government services including the Statue of Liberty have been closed since Saturday.

Speaking to reporters from the southern tip of Manhattan Island with the Statue of Liberty in the background, Cuomo explained that the state will provide the $65,000 it takes each day to pay the federal workers who keep the park open.&nbsp;

The statue on Liberty Island, as well as the related museum on nearby Ellis Island, where arriving immigrants were once processed, annually welcome about 4.5 million visitors. Most come by boat from Manhattan.&nbsp;

On Saturday hundreds of tourists were caught unaware, even if tour companies quickly offered boat tours, or reimbursement, as a salve.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States in 1886 to honour the centenary of US independence 10 years earlier.

It is among the hundreds of parks, battlefields, recreation areas and monuments managed by the National Park Service.

After Democrats and the majority, Republicans in Congress missed a Friday deadline to pass a new federal budget, most &quot;non-essential&quot; government services and programs were ordered to close.

Some of the best-known parks have been kept open, including the Grand Canyon in Arizona and Yellowstone National Park. But most are operating with skeleton staff, meaning many stores, restaurants and even restrooms are closed.

In an unusual move, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, whose department oversees the parks service, said on Twitter that he had personally helped welcome visitors to the World War II memorial on the National Mall in Washington.

During the last government shutdown, a 16-day standoff in 2013, the memorial was closed. That prompted a group of military veterans, some of them in wheelchairs or hobbling on canes, to force their way in.&nbsp;

It was an embarrassment the White House of President Donald Trump has vowed to avoid.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States in 1886 to honour the centenary of US independence 10 years earlier

The Statue of Liberty, temporarily closed by a US government budget shutdown, will reopen on Monday to once again beckon other countries` "huddled masses" -- as well as not-so-poor tourists with dollars to spend. "We will not stand by as this symbol of freedom and opportunity goes dark," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a tweet Sunday, announcing that the state had found funds to keep the iconic landmark open. Shutting the surrounding park "jeopardizes an economic driver for the state of New York," said Cuomo, a Democrat. "This park is a symbol of New York and our values. And her message has never been as important as it is today," he said, alluding to the budget battle in Washington, where Democrats were seeking protection for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants before agreeing to Republican proposals to extend funding for the government. As a result of the budget impasse, many government services including the Statue of Liberty have been closed since Saturday. Speaking to reporters from the southern tip of Manhattan Island with the Statue of Liberty in the background, Cuomo explained that the state will provide the $65,000 it takes each day to pay the federal workers who keep the park open. The statue on Liberty Island, as well as the related museum on nearby Ellis Island, where arriving immigrants were once processed, annually welcome about 4.5 million visitors. Most come by boat from Manhattan. On Saturday hundreds of tourists were caught unaware, even if tour companies quickly offered boat tours, or reimbursement, as a salve. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States in 1886 to honour the centenary of US independence 10 years earlier. It is among the hundreds of parks, battlefields, recreation areas and monuments managed by the National Park Service. After Democrats and the majority, Republicans in Congress missed a Friday deadline to pass a new federal budget, most "non-essential" government services and programs were ordered to close. Some of the best-known parks have been kept open, including the Grand Canyon in Arizona and Yellowstone National Park. But most are operating with skeleton staff, meaning many stores, restaurants and even restrooms are closed. In an unusual move, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, whose department oversees the parks service, said on Twitter that he had personally helped welcome visitors to the World War II memorial on the National Mall in Washington. During the last government shutdown, a 16-day standoff in 2013, the memorial was closed. That prompted a group of military veterans, some of them in wheelchairs or hobbling on canes, to force their way in. It was an embarrassment the White House of President Donald Trump has vowed to avoid.

New York vows to reopen Statue of Liberty, at its own cost

United States President Donald Trump has engaged in a telephonic conversation with leaders in Congress and several members of his Cabinet, in hopes of finding a deal to end the government shutdown before it enters a third day.

&quot;We are continuing to work hard towards reopening the government and making sure our great military and their families, vulnerable children and the American people are being taken care of,&quot; the Hill reported, citing, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as saying in a statement.

Chief of staff John Kelly spoke to Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and updated the President on the talks.

The US Government shut down at midnight on Friday after Democrats and Republicans locked in a bitter dispute over immigration and border security and failed to agree on a last-minute deal to fund its operations.

The bill needed 60 votes in the 100-member Senate, but only 50 supported it. Trump immediately moved to blame Democrats.

&quot;Tonight, they put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country`s ability to serve all Americans,&quot; the White House said in a statement.Trump has not made a public appearance since the shutdown began.

United States President Donald Trump has engaged in a telephonic conversation with leaders in Congress

United States President Donald Trump has engaged in a telephonic conversation with leaders in Congress and several members of his Cabinet, in hopes of finding a deal to end the government shutdown before it enters a third day. "We are continuing to work hard towards reopening the government and making sure our great military and their families, vulnerable children and the American people are being taken care of," the Hill reported, citing, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as saying in a statement. Chief of staff John Kelly spoke to Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and updated the President on the talks. The US Government shut down at midnight on Friday after Democrats and Republicans locked in a bitter dispute over immigration and border security and failed to agree on a last-minute deal to fund its operations. The bill needed 60 votes in the 100-member Senate, but only 50 supported it. Trump immediately moved to blame Democrats. "Tonight, they put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country`s ability to serve all Americans," the White House said in a statement.Trump has not made a public appearance since the shutdown began.

Trump tries to fix government shutdown over phone

In a post-war first, the United States is poised to send an aircraft carrier to Vietnam in March, officials of both sides said on Thursday, dramatic evidence of deepening military ties between them, more than four decades after the Vietnam War.

The announcement came during a two-day visit to Hanoi by US&nbsp;Defense Secretary Jim Mattis that had been expected to focus on shared concerns about China.

The proposed visit is set for March at the central port of Danang, Vietnam&#39;s defence ministry said in a statement. Such a visit by a US&nbsp;aircraft carrier could bring the most US&nbsp;forces to Vietnam since the conflict ended in 1975.

Mattis cheered the planned port visit during talks with Nguyen Phu Trong, the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam.

&quot;Thank you for the increasing partnership, with our aircraft carrier coming into Danang here in March,&quot; Mattis said.

Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, confirmed the carrier visit was discussed by Mattis and Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich, and Vietnam&#39;s defence ministry was seeking final approvals from national leaders.

&quot;We expect it will be approved,&quot; Davis said.

The arrival of a US aircraft carrier in Vietnam will be welcomed by an emerging network of countries that are nervously eyeing China&#39;s military rise, particularly its assertive stance and island-building activities in the South China Sea.

The busy waterway is a vital global trade route linking Northeast Asia with the Middle East and Europe.

In particular, the militaries of US, Japan, India and Australia are working more closely together as a &quot;quad&quot; of liberal democracies across what they now term the &quot;Indo-Pacific&quot; &ndash; moves driven by mistrust of China.

US&nbsp;Pacific Commander Admiral Harry Harris last week described China as a &quot;disruptive transitional force in the Indo-Pacific&quot; after meetings with Japanese and Indian military leaders in New Delhi.

India, Japan and Australia have all boosted military relations with Vietnam in recent years, with New Delhi providing advanced training for its emerging submarine forces and jet fighter pilots.&nbsp;

Backroom Diplomacy

Thursday&#39;s confirmation of the US&nbsp;aircraft carrier visit to Danang caps months of backroom military diplomacy between Hanoi and the Pentagon, diplomats said.

The prospect surfaced when US President Donald Trump met Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the White House last May, and talks continued when Vietnamese Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich met Mattis in Washington in August.

Vietnam&#39;s Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh became the country&#39;s highest-ranking official to tour a US carrier when he led 11 Vietnamese officials to watch flight operations aboard the USS Carl Vinson off southern California last October, the US&nbsp;Navy said at the time.

Although no US&nbsp;aircraft carrier has been to Vietnam since the end of the war, other, smaller US&nbsp;warships have made high-level visits as ties improved in recent years.

That includes a 2016 visit by submarine tender USS Frank Cable and guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain to Cam Ranh Bay, which was a crucial logistics complex during the Vietnam War.

The planned carrier visit was &quot;highly significant&quot;, said Ian Storey, a South China Sea expert at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

&quot;It is a potent symbol of the way the defence relationship has moved forward against the backdrop of China&#39;s rising power,&quot; Storey added.

Decades after the US&nbsp;war in Vietnam, ties between the United States and the Communist-ruled state are increasingly seen through shared concern over China&#39;s aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea, through which more than $3 trillion in cargo passes every year.

Vietnam has emerged as the most vocal opponent of China&#39;s territorial claims and has been buying US military hardware, such as an armed, Hamilton-class Coast Guard cutter.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The ship, one US official said, was larger than anything Vietnam had in its navy.

&quot;(Vietnam) does have one of the region&#39;s fastest growing economies and so freedom of navigation and access in the South China Sea will be critical to them economically and of course in their security efforts,&quot; Mattis said before arrival on Wednesday.

US&nbsp;ties with Vietnam have developed significantly in the decades since they normalised ties in 1995. Still, there were vivid reminders of the history of conflict during Mattis&#39; visit.

That included a stop by Mattis on Tuesday to a US&nbsp;Defense Department office in Hanoi that seeks to recover the remains of US&nbsp;troops killed in the conflict.

About 1,293 US&nbsp;military personnel are still unaccounted for, a US&nbsp;official said.

In a post-war first, the United States is poised to send an aircraft carrier to Vietnam in March, officials of both sides said on Thursday, dramatic evidence of deepening military ties between them, more than four decades after the Vietnam War

In a post-war first, the United States is poised to send an aircraft carrier to Vietnam in March, officials of both sides said on Thursday, dramatic evidence of deepening military ties between them, more than four decades after the Vietnam War. The announcement came during a two-day visit to Hanoi by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis that had been expected to focus on shared concerns about China. The proposed visit is set for March at the central port of Danang, Vietnam's defence ministry said in a statement. Such a visit by a US aircraft carrier could bring the most US forces to Vietnam since the conflict ended in 1975. Mattis cheered the planned port visit during talks with Nguyen Phu Trong, the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam. "Thank you for the increasing partnership, with our aircraft carrier coming into Danang here in March," Mattis said. Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, confirmed the carrier visit was discussed by Mattis and Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich, and Vietnam's defence ministry was seeking final approvals from national leaders. "We expect it will be approved," Davis said. The arrival of a US aircraft carrier in Vietnam will be welcomed by an emerging network of countries that are nervously eyeing China's military rise, particularly its assertive stance and island-building activities in the South China Sea. The busy waterway is a vital global trade route linking Northeast Asia with the Middle East and Europe. In particular, the militaries of US, Japan, India and Australia are working more closely together as a "quad" of liberal democracies across what they now term the "Indo-Pacific" – moves driven by mistrust of China. US Pacific Commander Admiral Harry Harris last week described China as a "disruptive transitional force in the Indo-Pacific" after meetings with Japanese and Indian military leaders in New Delhi. India, Japan and Australia have all boosted military relations with Vietnam in recent years, with New Delhi providing advanced training for its emerging submarine forces and jet fighter pilots. Backroom Diplomacy Thursday's confirmation of the US aircraft carrier visit to Danang caps months of backroom military diplomacy between Hanoi and the Pentagon, diplomats said. The prospect surfaced when US President Donald Trump met Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the White House last May, and talks continued when Vietnamese Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich met Mattis in Washington in August. Vietnam's Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh became the country's highest-ranking official to tour a US carrier when he led 11 Vietnamese officials to watch flight operations aboard the USS Carl Vinson off southern California last October, the US Navy said at the time. Although no US aircraft carrier has been to Vietnam since the end of the war, other, smaller US warships have made high-level visits as ties improved in recent years. That includes a 2016 visit by submarine tender USS Frank Cable and guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain to Cam Ranh Bay, which was a crucial logistics complex during the Vietnam War. The planned carrier visit was "highly significant", said Ian Storey, a South China Sea expert at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. "It is a potent symbol of the way the defence relationship has moved forward against the backdrop of China's rising power," Storey added. Decades after the US war in Vietnam, ties between the United States and the Communist-ruled state are increasingly seen through shared concern over China's aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea, through which more than $3 trillion in cargo passes every year. Vietnam has emerged as the most vocal opponent of China's territorial claims and has been buying US military hardware, such as an armed, Hamilton-class Coast Guard cutter. The ship, one US official said, was larger than anything Vietnam had in its navy. "(Vietnam) does have one of the region's fastest growing economies and so freedom of navigation and access in the South China Sea will be critical to them economically and of course in their security efforts," Mattis said before arrival on Wednesday. US ties with Vietnam have developed significantly in the decades since they normalised ties in 1995. Still, there were vivid reminders of the history of conflict during Mattis' visit. That included a stop by Mattis on Tuesday to a US Defense Department office in Hanoi that seeks to recover the remains of US troops killed in the conflict. About 1,293 US military personnel are still unaccounted for, a US official said.

US aircraft carrier to visit Vietnam in post-war first

Russia rejected Tuesday fresh US accusations that it bears responsibility for recent chemical attacks by the Syrian government, calling instead for a new &quot;truly impartial&quot; international investigation.

During a last-minute United Nations Security Council meeting he called, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia lashed out at American Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for having &quot;hastily accused the Syrian -- as they call it -- &#39;regime&#39;&quot; of the reported attack in Eastern Ghouta that left its victims struggling to breathe.

&quot;Now they are trying to drag Russia into this as well,&quot; Nebenzia added.

His comments came as diplomats from 29 countries met in Paris to push for sanctions and criminal charges against the perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria.

Russia and China have blocked Western-backed efforts at the UN to impose sanctions on Damascus over their use.

&quot;Does it not seem strange to anybody that this episode, which has yet to be confirmed, somehow coincided with the meeting in Paris and the forthcoming conference in Sochi? This is a strange coincidence,&quot; Nebenzia added.

During the Security Council meeting, Nebenzia called again for establishing a &quot;new international investigative body which, on the basis of irrefutable information, would be able to establish evidence to identify perpetrators in the use of chemical weapons.&quot;

His plan would replace a chemical weapons panel known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism, whose mandate could not be renewed due to Russian vetoes.

Moscow is also circulating a draft resolution that would establish the new investigative body that would be &quot;truly impartial, independent, professional and credible.&quot; Russia has repeatedly contested the JIM&#39;s legitimacy.

US envoy Nikki Haley quickly indicated the Russian proposal had no chance of being adopted. The United States also holds veto power at the Security Council.

&quot;We&#39;re not going to accept any Russian proposal that undermines our ability to get to the truth or that politicizes what must be an independent and impartial investigation,&quot; she said.

&quot;If they want to work in good faith toward that goal, we are ready to re-establish the JIM, with its original independent and impartial mandate, right now. But anything less is unacceptable.&quot;

She argued that Moscow had supported the JIM as long as its investigators pointed the finger at the so-called Islamic State group, but challenged their conclusions when they blamed the Syrian regime.

&quot;That is not how independent investigations work. You don&#39;t get to question the findings when they don&rsquo;t go your way,&quot; Haley said.

Damascus has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons, with the United Nations among those blaming government forces for an April 2017 sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun that left scores dead.

There have been at least 130 separate chemical weapons attacks in Syria since 2012, according to French estimates, with the Islamic State group also accused of using mustard gas in Syria and Iraq.

A new round of peace talks is due to take place in Vienna on Thursday and Friday, while Moscow has organized negotiations in the Russian city of Sochi next week aimed at ending Syria&#39;s civil war.

Russia has called for for a new 'truly impartial' international investigation

Russia rejected Tuesday fresh US accusations that it bears responsibility for recent chemical attacks by the Syrian government, calling instead for a new "truly impartial" international investigation. During a last-minute United Nations Security Council meeting he called, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia lashed out at American Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for having "hastily accused the Syrian -- as they call it -- 'regime'" of the reported attack in Eastern Ghouta that left its victims struggling to breathe. "Now they are trying to drag Russia into this as well," Nebenzia added. His comments came as diplomats from 29 countries met in Paris to push for sanctions and criminal charges against the perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria. Russia and China have blocked Western-backed efforts at the UN to impose sanctions on Damascus over their use. "Does it not seem strange to anybody that this episode, which has yet to be confirmed, somehow coincided with the meeting in Paris and the forthcoming conference in Sochi? This is a strange coincidence," Nebenzia added. During the Security Council meeting, Nebenzia called again for establishing a "new international investigative body which, on the basis of irrefutable information, would be able to establish evidence to identify perpetrators in the use of chemical weapons." His plan would replace a chemical weapons panel known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism, whose mandate could not be renewed due to Russian vetoes. Moscow is also circulating a draft resolution that would establish the new investigative body that would be "truly impartial, independent, professional and credible." Russia has repeatedly contested the JIM's legitimacy. US envoy Nikki Haley quickly indicated the Russian proposal had no chance of being adopted. The United States also holds veto power at the Security Council. "We're not going to accept any Russian proposal that undermines our ability to get to the truth or that politicizes what must be an independent and impartial investigation," she said. "If they want to work in good faith toward that goal, we are ready to re-establish the JIM, with its original independent and impartial mandate, right now. But anything less is unacceptable." She argued that Moscow had supported the JIM as long as its investigators pointed the finger at the so-called Islamic State group, but challenged their conclusions when they blamed the Syrian regime. "That is not how independent investigations work. You don't get to question the findings when they don’t go your way," Haley said. Damascus has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons, with the United Nations among those blaming government forces for an April 2017 sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun that left scores dead. There have been at least 130 separate chemical weapons attacks in Syria since 2012, according to French estimates, with the Islamic State group also accused of using mustard gas in Syria and Iraq. A new round of peace talks is due to take place in Vienna on Thursday and Friday, while Moscow has organized negotiations in the Russian city of Sochi next week aimed at ending Syria's civil war.

Russia says it's not behind Syria chemical attacks

The United States announced new sanctions on Wednesday aimed at stopping North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons development and urged China and Russia to expel North Koreans raising funds for the programs.

The US Treasury imposed sanctions on nine entities, 16 people and six North Korean ships it accused of helping the weapons programs. It said two China-based trading firms were involved in exporting millions of dollars worth of metals and other goods used in weapons production.

The individuals included members of North Korea&#39;s Workers Party operating in China, Russia and Georgia&#39;s breakaway Abkhazia region. Among them were North Korea&#39;s vice consul in Nakhodka, Russia and an individual reportedly involved in sending North Korean labourers to Abkhazia.

&quot;Treasury continues to systematically target individuals and entities financing the Kim regime and its weapons programs, including officials complicit in North Korean sanctions evasion schemes,&quot; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

&quot;The US government is targeting illicit actors in China, Russia, and elsewhere who are working on behalf of North Korean financial networks, and calling for their expulsion from the territories where they reside.&quot;

The entities sanctioned included North Korea&#39;s Ministry of Crude Oil Industry.

The action enables the United States to block assets held by the individuals or firms in the United States and prohibits US citizens from dealing with them.

Asked if the Chinese companies sanctioned by the United States had broken sanctions, foreign ministry spokeswomen Hua Chunying said that she did not have all the facts right now.

China will investigate any company or individual that is found to have violated UN resolutions in accordance with Chinese law, she said.

&quot;China resolutely opposes any country using its own laws to carry out long-arm jurisdiction on Chinese companies or individuals,&quot; she said.

The United States has led an international campaign to tighten sanctions on North Korea to force it to give up development of nuclear weapons and missiles capable of hitting the United States.

The UN Security Council in December unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to further limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil.

CIA director Mike Pompeo has said North Korea is &quot;a handful of months&quot; away from being able to make a nuclear attack on the United States.

On Tuesday, he said US President Donald Trump&#39;s focus was on a diplomatic solution to the crisis backed by tighter sanctions, but the CIA was working to provide a range of other options should that fail.

The Trump administration has said all options are on the table including military ones, and officials say the president and his advisers have discussed the possibility of a limited strike. But debate on military options has lost some momentum in recent weeks after North and South Korea resumed talks ahead of next month&#39;s Winter Olympics in the South.

Sanctions expert Anthony Ruggiero of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank said the Treasury move showed Trump&#39;s &quot;maximum pressure&quot; policy would continue even with the focus on the inter-Korea talks.

&quot;The action against Chinese firms is important as it increases the pressure on Beijing to stop Chinese nationals from facilitating North Korea&#39;s sanctions evasion,&quot; he said.

Treasury named the firms as Beijing Chengxing Trading Co Ltd and Dandong Jinxiang Trade Co Ltd.

A senior US official said this week that despite the Trump administration&rsquo;s recent public focus on Russia, China remained the main culprit in North Korea sanctions busting. He pointed to involvement of Chinese organized crime groups, banks, and government officials in the peddling of amphetamines, counterfeit currency and fake luxury goods.

While China has backed successive rounds of UN sanctions on North Korea it worries that excessive pressure could cause the collapse of a country it has long considered a strategic ally.

The United States announced new sanctions on Wednesday aimed at stopping North Korea's nuclear weapons development and urged China and Russia to expel North Koreans raising funds for the programs

The United States announced new sanctions on Wednesday aimed at stopping North Korea's nuclear weapons development and urged China and Russia to expel North Koreans raising funds for the programs. The US Treasury imposed sanctions on nine entities, 16 people and six North Korean ships it accused of helping the weapons programs. It said two China-based trading firms were involved in exporting millions of dollars worth of metals and other goods used in weapons production. The individuals included members of North Korea's Workers Party operating in China, Russia and Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region. Among them were North Korea's vice consul in Nakhodka, Russia and an individual reportedly involved in sending North Korean labourers to Abkhazia. "Treasury continues to systematically target individuals and entities financing the Kim regime and its weapons programs, including officials complicit in North Korean sanctions evasion schemes," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. "The US government is targeting illicit actors in China, Russia, and elsewhere who are working on behalf of North Korean financial networks, and calling for their expulsion from the territories where they reside." The entities sanctioned included North Korea's Ministry of Crude Oil Industry. The action enables the United States to block assets held by the individuals or firms in the United States and prohibits US citizens from dealing with them. Asked if the Chinese companies sanctioned by the United States had broken sanctions, foreign ministry spokeswomen Hua Chunying said that she did not have all the facts right now. China will investigate any company or individual that is found to have violated UN resolutions in accordance with Chinese law, she said. "China resolutely opposes any country using its own laws to carry out long-arm jurisdiction on Chinese companies or individuals," she said. The United States has led an international campaign to tighten sanctions on North Korea to force it to give up development of nuclear weapons and missiles capable of hitting the United States. The UN Security Council in December unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to further limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil. CIA director Mike Pompeo has said North Korea is "a handful of months" away from being able to make a nuclear attack on the United States. On Tuesday, he said US President Donald Trump's focus was on a diplomatic solution to the crisis backed by tighter sanctions, but the CIA was working to provide a range of other options should that fail. The Trump administration has said all options are on the table including military ones, and officials say the president and his advisers have discussed the possibility of a limited strike. But debate on military options has lost some momentum in recent weeks after North and South Korea resumed talks ahead of next month's Winter Olympics in the South. Sanctions expert Anthony Ruggiero of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank said the Treasury move showed Trump's "maximum pressure" policy would continue even with the focus on the inter-Korea talks. "The action against Chinese firms is important as it increases the pressure on Beijing to stop Chinese nationals from facilitating North Korea's sanctions evasion," he said. Treasury named the firms as Beijing Chengxing Trading Co Ltd and Dandong Jinxiang Trade Co Ltd. A senior US official said this week that despite the Trump administration’s recent public focus on Russia, China remained the main culprit in North Korea sanctions busting. He pointed to involvement of Chinese organized crime groups, banks, and government officials in the peddling of amphetamines, counterfeit currency and fake luxury goods. While China has backed successive rounds of UN sanctions on North Korea it worries that excessive pressure could cause the collapse of a country it has long considered a strategic ally.

US imposes more North Korea sanctions; urges China, Russia expulsions

Israel has been in talks with the US over annexing settlements in the occupied West Bank, a spokesman noted on Monday.&nbsp;

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been discussing legislation with the United States on the same, the spokesman added.

&quot;Regarding the issue of applying sovereignty, I can tell you that I have for some time been speaking with the Americans about it,&quot; Netanyahu told lawmakers according to comments relayed by a spokesman.

Netanyahu said he wanted to coordinate any such move with the United States because of the country&#39;s strategic importance to Israel.

The comments come as Netanyahu is under pressure from right-wing politicians to move ahead with legislation that would apply Israeli sovereignty to settlements in the West Bank.

Netanyahu blocked it from being advanced on Sunday, with officials citing the need to focus on security issues following a confrontation that led to Israeli air strikes in Syria at the weekend.

Netanyahu stressed recently that Israel must retain security control in the Palestinian territories under any peace arrangement.

&quot;Whether or not it&#39;s defined as a state when we have the military control is another matter, but I&#39;d rather not discuss labels, but substance,&quot; he said when meeting German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on January 31.

Trump&#39;s ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, has in the past been a supporter of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The move is likely to hit the prospects for a two-state solution to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

(With inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

The move is likely to hit the prospects for a two-state solution to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Israel has been in talks with the US over annexing settlements in the occupied West Bank, a spokesman noted on Monday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been discussing legislation with the United States on the same, the spokesman added. "Regarding the issue of applying sovereignty, I can tell you that I have for some time been speaking with the Americans about it," Netanyahu told lawmakers according to comments relayed by a spokesman. Netanyahu said he wanted to coordinate any such move with the United States because of the country's strategic importance to Israel. The comments come as Netanyahu is under pressure from right-wing politicians to move ahead with legislation that would apply Israeli sovereignty to settlements in the West Bank. Netanyahu blocked it from being advanced on Sunday, with officials citing the need to focus on security issues following a confrontation that led to Israeli air strikes in Syria at the weekend. Netanyahu stressed recently that Israel must retain security control in the Palestinian territories under any peace arrangement. "Whether or not it's defined as a state when we have the military control is another matter, but I'd rather not discuss labels, but substance," he said when meeting German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on January 31. Trump's ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, has in the past been a supporter of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The move is likely to hit the prospects for a two-state solution to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (With inputs from AFP)

Netanyahu says discussing annexing West Bank settlements with US

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday that accusations of a state-sponsored doping conspiracy which led to his country&#39;s Olympic banishment were orchestrated by the United States because they &quot;can&#39;t beat us fairly&quot;.

&quot;I think it&#39;s a form of competition without scruples because the US team, obviously, are not capable of beating us fairly at sport,&quot; Lavrov said in an interview broadcast by Rossiya-1 TV and published on the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Russia has been banned from taking part in the ongoing Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed a large group of Russians deemed clean to take part as &quot;Olympic Athletes from Russia&quot;.

Lavrov, meanwhile, accused the United States of engineering the ban as a means for them &quot;to find and keep their place as indisputable world leader in sport&quot;.

&quot;All rivals must be pushed to one side,&quot; he added. &quot;All means are good (in a) campaign which is anti-Russian.&quot;

&nbsp;

Sergei Lavrov said Sunday that accusations of a state-sponsored doping conspiracy which led to his country's Olympic banishment were orchestrated by the United States because they "can't beat us fairly"

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday that accusations of a state-sponsored doping conspiracy which led to his country's Olympic banishment were orchestrated by the United States because they "can't beat us fairly". "I think it's a form of competition without scruples because the US team, obviously, are not capable of beating us fairly at sport," Lavrov said in an interview broadcast by Rossiya-1 TV and published on the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Russia has been banned from taking part in the ongoing Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed a large group of Russians deemed clean to take part as "Olympic Athletes from Russia". Lavrov, meanwhile, accused the United States of engineering the ban as a means for them "to find and keep their place as indisputable world leader in sport". "All rivals must be pushed to one side," he added. "All means are good (in a) campaign which is anti-Russian."

Doping row because US can't beat us 'fairly', says Russian foreign minister

A few days back, I was talking to one of the Pakistan Defence Experts on the panel of a renowned news channel over the issue of ceasefire violation at Line of Control. The Indian panelists were in anguish over the recent killings but, surprisingly, the Pakistani panelist who was a retired Lieutenant General mentioned repeatedly in his statement that Pakistan is nuclear capable and any adventure from Indian side will be answered by a nuclear missile.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Before we become a victim to these lies and deceits, we must understand the reality of Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear programme.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As per the statement of AQ Khan to Newsweek on 16 May 2011, Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear programme started as a countermeasure of India&rsquo;s first nuclear test in 1974 but he is wrong. If we go back to study the nuclear program of Pakistan, we must start with their humiliating defeat in 1971. Then PM Mr Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto said that Pakistanis will have to make a nuclear bomb even if they have to eat grass.&nbsp; The entire blueprint of Project 706 or the Kahuta Research Laboratory (KRL) was ready as early as 1973 and the project actually kicked off in 1974. This was the start of a dirty mess created by Pakistan which is still haunting the world.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

To me the actual father of Pakistani Nuclear program was not AQ Khan, it was Dr Munir Ahmed Khan of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC).&nbsp; Munir was a true genius and fathered Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear weapon programme using Plutonium. AQ Khan, who started Project 706, had the sole objective to develop Pakistan&rsquo;s own nuclear bomb using Uranium as fuel. And, finally, all the devices of Pakistan&rsquo;s Nuclear arsenal were Uranium based only.

&nbsp;

Technically speaking, any nuclear fission device has two major parts. The Device consists of many parts, such as mechanical, electrical, electronic and the detonation mechanism in the body of the bomb is the first part, and the nuclear fuel is the second part. While the first part is not very difficult to obtain, Pakistan could create it easily in 1974 itself. The second part which is the nuclear fuel was the factor which delayed Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear programme for another 10 years and they could be ready with their first device in 1984 only.

&nbsp;

To understand Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear programme and the role of AQ Khan in this, we must understand the concept of nuclear fuel. Uranium has several isotopes and the main fissile isotope which acts towards the generation of energy or creation of nuclear bomb is Uranium-235 which is only .5% to .7% in the naturally obtained Uranium. The energy grade uranium has 4-6% of U-235 while in the weapon-grade uranium, the concentration should be more than 90% and that was the main concern for Pakistan.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The equipment required to make weapon-grade uranium is an ultra-high-speed gas centrifuge and the technology was not available with Pakistan. The centrifuge is required to spin the gaseous form of Uranium Hexafluoride at more than 100,000 RPM to generate fissile material. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

This was the time when AQ Khan played a vital role. Though he was a nuclear scientist, he was working as a translator in URENCO at Belgium and Netherlands. He approached the Pakistan Government and asked to help them in making the bomb. As per Mr Kuldeep Nayyar, the Pakistan Government was not aware of him and, thus, the ISI was made to run a full background check on him.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Ironically, the ISI declared him incompetent for any nuclear weapon development but still he made his forays in the government set up through his connects in the PAEC and successfully arranged a meeting with Mr Bhutto. Somehow, he was successful in convincing the top leadership and AQ Khan was given the charge of Kahuta Research laboratory after he returned to Pakistan from the Netherlands.

&nbsp;

Khan knew the importance of Pakistan army in the political scenario; he had seen many coups. Hence, to secure his project from any political disturbance, he made this project separated from PAEC and ran it in close connection with the Pakistan Army.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Over the next few years, he established administrative setups at various shell companies in Dubai and the Middle East to route the centrifuge technology. The designs, calculations and blueprints of these centrifuges were stolen by AQ Khan from URENCO and transferred to Pakistan through different international routes. Unconfirmed reports say that certain Middle Eastern Islamic countries also helped him in this on the pretext of having a dedicated Islamic Bomb.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

By 1980, Pakistan had developed some prototype centrifuges for uranium enrichment which were called as PakSat-1. They developed the centrifuges further and by 1984 could have enough fissile material required for their first bomb.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

I would like to mention here that there were two organisations working in Pakistan towards the development of a nuclear bomb. One was KRL under the Pak Army and AQ Khan which was making a Uranium-based bomb; the other was PAEC itself which continued its 1972 program of the Plutonium-based bomb and established its facilities in Khushab, Jorarabad. By late nineties, Pakistan had the design and capability to produce its Plutonium based device too, however, all the existing devices with Pakistan are Uranium-based and the Plutonium-based device was limited to experiments only.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The bomb was in the making and Pakistan needed the missile technology to drive this project too. Its ally and friend America refused to give any technology to Pakistan on the pretext that it could fall into the wrong hands and the eyes moved to their other friends- China and North Korea.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Under Kim-Jong-Il, North Korea was successful in making its missiles with the help of China and was desperately looking for someone who could help them achieve their mission. When Pak PM Benazir Bhutto visited Pyongyang in 1990, certain secret agreements were signed between both the countries and some classified information about the designs of device and centrifuges was shared with North Korea in 1993 in exchange of missile technology. This missile technology formed the base of most of the missiles of Pakistan which surprisingly resemble North Korean missiles.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It was not only North Korea but Iran too. When in 2003, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspected Iran and found a large uranium enrichment facility, Iranian government revealed that the centrifuges were obtained from a foreign intermediary through URENCO but surprisingly the design was exactly same as PakSat-1 centrifuge which was invented by Pakistan. Some of the Pakistani centrifuges which were transferred to Iran in 1989 were also recovered.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistan was expanding his black market for other countries too and the key person in this was AQ Khan who was working closely with every government and military chief of Pakistan. In 2003 itself IAEA decided to dismantle Libya&rsquo;s nuclear program and to their surprise, they found Pakistani PakSat-1 centrifuges in one of the Libyan uranium enrichment facility. Libyan government openly accepted that they bought this technology from the black market and the supplier was Pakistan. Imagine had that dismantling not been done, the nuclear bomb would have gone into the hands of Islamic terrorists by now as entire Libya is facing turmoils of war with ISIS.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The cost paid for these materials to Pakistan by North Korea, Iran or Libya were not known. It was also not known if Pak government had sold these designs to any other country too. However, as per rough estimates, the payments went into billions of US Dollars which were reportedly used by Pakistan in spreading terror network in Indian and Afghanistan.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In 2004, Pakistan government dismissed AQ Khan and initiated an inquiry against him and, ironically, his military connects saved him when Parvez Musharraf took over the country and issued him a presidential pardon. The Pak government said that AQ Khan ran this nuclear black market purely on his own. However, the fact is that he was awarded the highest civilian decoration of Pakistan- &ldquo;Nishan-E-Imtiyaz&rdquo; twice in 1996 and 1999 which proves the undeterred support of Pakistani government to him.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

Pakistan's nuclear black market extended through N.Korea, Libya, Iran

A few days back, I was talking to one of the Pakistan Defence Experts on the panel of a renowned news channel over the issue of ceasefire violation at Line of Control. The Indian panelists were in anguish over the recent killings but, surprisingly, the Pakistani panelist who was a retired Lieutenant General mentioned repeatedly in his statement that Pakistan is nuclear capable and any adventure from Indian side will be answered by a nuclear missile. Before we become a victim to these lies and deceits, we must understand the reality of Pakistan’s nuclear programme. As per the statement of AQ Khan to Newsweek on 16 May 2011, Pakistan’s nuclear programme started as a countermeasure of India’s first nuclear test in 1974 but he is wrong. If we go back to study the nuclear program of Pakistan, we must start with their humiliating defeat in 1971. Then PM Mr Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto said that Pakistanis will have to make a nuclear bomb even if they have to eat grass. The entire blueprint of Project 706 or the Kahuta Research Laboratory (KRL) was ready as early as 1973 and the project actually kicked off in 1974. This was the start of a dirty mess created by Pakistan which is still haunting the world. To me the actual father of Pakistani Nuclear program was not AQ Khan, it was Dr Munir Ahmed Khan of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). Munir was a true genius and fathered Pakistan’s nuclear weapon programme using Plutonium. AQ Khan, who started Project 706, had the sole objective to develop Pakistan’s own nuclear bomb using Uranium as fuel. And, finally, all the devices of Pakistan’s Nuclear arsenal were Uranium based only. Technically speaking, any nuclear fission device has two major parts. The Device consists of many parts, such as mechanical, electrical, electronic and the detonation mechanism in the body of the bomb is the first part, and the nuclear fuel is the second part. While the first part is not very difficult to obtain, Pakistan could create it easily in 1974 itself. The second part which is the nuclear fuel was the factor which delayed Pakistan’s nuclear programme for another 10 years and they could be ready with their first device in 1984 only. To understand Pakistan’s nuclear programme and the role of AQ Khan in this, we must understand the concept of nuclear fuel. Uranium has several isotopes and the main fissile isotope which acts towards the generation of energy or creation of nuclear bomb is Uranium-235 which is only .5% to .7% in the naturally obtained Uranium. The energy grade uranium has 4-6% of U-235 while in the weapon-grade uranium, the concentration should be more than 90% and that was the main concern for Pakistan. The equipment required to make weapon-grade uranium is an ultra-high-speed gas centrifuge and the technology was not available with Pakistan. The centrifuge is required to spin the gaseous form of Uranium Hexafluoride at more than 100,000 RPM to generate fissile material. This was the time when AQ Khan played a vital role. Though he was a nuclear scientist, he was working as a translator in URENCO at Belgium and Netherlands. He approached the Pakistan Government and asked to help them in making the bomb. As per Mr Kuldeep Nayyar, the Pakistan Government was not aware of him and, thus, the ISI was made to run a full background check on him. Ironically, the ISI declared him incompetent for any nuclear weapon development but still he made his forays in the government set up through his connects in the PAEC and successfully arranged a meeting with Mr Bhutto. Somehow, he was successful in convincing the top leadership and AQ Khan was given the charge of Kahuta Research laboratory after he returned to Pakistan from the Netherlands. Khan knew the importance of Pakistan army in the political scenario; he had seen many coups. Hence, to secure his project from any political disturbance, he made this project separated from PAEC and ran it in close connection with the Pakistan Army. Over the next few years, he established administrative setups at various shell companies in Dubai and the Middle East to route the centrifuge technology. The designs, calculations and blueprints of these centrifuges were stolen by AQ Khan from URENCO and transferred to Pakistan through different international routes. Unconfirmed reports say that certain Middle Eastern Islamic countries also helped him in this on the pretext of having a dedicated Islamic Bomb. By 1980, Pakistan had developed some prototype centrifuges for uranium enrichment which were called as PakSat-1. They developed the centrifuges further and by 1984 could have enough fissile material required for their first bomb. I would like to mention here that there were two organisations working in Pakistan towards the development of a nuclear bomb. One was KRL under the Pak Army and AQ Khan which was making a Uranium-based bomb; the other was PAEC itself which continued its 1972 program of the Plutonium-based bomb and established its facilities in Khushab, Jorarabad. By late nineties, Pakistan had the design and capability to produce its Plutonium based device too, however, all the existing devices with Pakistan are Uranium-based and the Plutonium-based device was limited to experiments only. The bomb was in the making and Pakistan needed the missile technology to drive this project too. Its ally and friend America refused to give any technology to Pakistan on the pretext that it could fall into the wrong hands and the eyes moved to their other friends- China and North Korea. Under Kim-Jong-Il, North Korea was successful in making its missiles with the help of China and was desperately looking for someone who could help them achieve their mission. When Pak PM Benazir Bhutto visited Pyongyang in 1990, certain secret agreements were signed between both the countries and some classified information about the designs of device and centrifuges was shared with North Korea in 1993 in exchange of missile technology. This missile technology formed the base of most of the missiles of Pakistan which surprisingly resemble North Korean missiles. It was not only North Korea but Iran too. When in 2003, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspected Iran and found a large uranium enrichment facility, Iranian government revealed that the centrifuges were obtained from a foreign intermediary through URENCO but surprisingly the design was exactly same as PakSat-1 centrifuge which was invented by Pakistan. Some of the Pakistani centrifuges which were transferred to Iran in 1989 were also recovered. Pakistan was expanding his black market for other countries too and the key person in this was AQ Khan who was working closely with every government and military chief of Pakistan. In 2003 itself IAEA decided to dismantle Libya’s nuclear program and to their surprise, they found Pakistani PakSat-1 centrifuges in one of the Libyan uranium enrichment facility. Libyan government openly accepted that they bought this technology from the black market and the supplier was Pakistan. Imagine had that dismantling not been done, the nuclear bomb would have gone into the hands of Islamic terrorists by now as entire Libya is facing turmoils of war with ISIS. The cost paid for these materials to Pakistan by North Korea, Iran or Libya were not known. It was also not known if Pak government had sold these designs to any other country too. However, as per rough estimates, the payments went into billions of US Dollars which were reportedly used by Pakistan in spreading terror network in Indian and Afghanistan. In 2004, Pakistan government dismissed AQ Khan and initiated an inquiry against him and, ironically, his military connects saved him when Parvez Musharraf took over the country and issued him a presidential pardon. The Pak government said that AQ Khan ran this nuclear black market purely on his own. However, the fact is that he was awarded the highest civilian decoration of Pakistan- “Nishan-E-Imtiyaz” twice in 1996 and 1999 which proves the undeterred support of Pakistani government to him. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Pakistan's nuclear black market endangers the world

After hours of delay, the US Congress finally passed the much-awaited federal spending today.

The measure has been sent to President Donald Trump seeking him to end the country&#39;s second government shutdown in three weeks.

The House voted in support of the bill in 240 to 186. The bipartisan package will extend government funding until March 23 lifting the federal spending limits by nearly $300 billion for the next couple of years.

Congress had previously missed a midnight deadline after a conservative senator refused to allow an early vote on the bill.

With Trump signing the bill, government offices will reopen.&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

Congress had previously missed a midnight deadline after a conservative senator refused to allow an early vote on the bill.

After hours of delay, the US Congress finally passed the much-awaited federal spending today. The measure has been sent to President Donald Trump seeking him to end the country's second government shutdown in three weeks. The House voted in support of the bill in 240 to 186. The bipartisan package will extend government funding until March 23 lifting the federal spending limits by nearly $300 billion for the next couple of years. Congress had previously missed a midnight deadline after a conservative senator refused to allow an early vote on the bill. With Trump signing the bill, government offices will reopen. (With inputs from AFP)

US: Congress passes spending bill, sends to Trump to end shutdown

A US drone strike has killed a deputy commander of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan along with three Haqqani network terrorists in in Afghanistan and North Waziristan of Pakistan.

The strike was carried out on Thursday in Pakistan&#39;s Federally Administered Tribal Areas which killed TTP Deputy Commander Khan Said Sajna when two missiles were fired at a compound close to the Afghan border.&nbsp;

Since US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has assumed office, there has been an increase in drone strikes inside Pakistan in the restive mountainous regions bordering Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Earlier in January the United States&nbsp; carried out its first drone strike of the year near border area of the Hangu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claiming to kill two&nbsp; alleged Taliban commanders.

&nbsp;

The strike was carried out on Thursday in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas which killed TTP Deputy Commander Khan Said Sajna when two missiles were fired at a compound close to the Afghan border.

A US drone strike has killed a deputy commander of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan along with three Haqqani network terrorists in in Afghanistan and North Waziristan of Pakistan. The strike was carried out on Thursday in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas which killed TTP Deputy Commander Khan Said Sajna when two missiles were fired at a compound close to the Afghan border. Since US President Donald Trump has assumed office, there has been an increase in drone strikes inside Pakistan in the restive mountainous regions bordering Afghanistan. Earlier in January the United States carried out its first drone strike of the year near border area of the Hangu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claiming to kill two alleged Taliban commanders.

US drone strike kills Taliban deputy commander, 3 Haqqani network militants

An Indian-American was killed and another critically injured when a man opened fire in two convenience stores in the US state of Georgia.

 
Parmjit Singh, a 44-year-old father of two high school students, was shot multiple times on Tuesday evening at the Hi-Tech Quick Stop on Burnett Ferry Road, sheriff&#39;s officers said. The Floyd County coroner pronounced him dead on the scene.

 
Just 10 minutes after shooting Singh, the gunman entered another convenience store, Elm Street Food and Beverage, and stole money before shooting 30-year-old clerk Parthey Patel, sheriff&#39;s officers said. Patel was in critical condition.

 
The suspect, Lamar Rashad Nicholson, 28, was arrested on multiple charges, including murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm while committing a crime and use of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is being held without bond in the Floyd County jail.

 
Major Jeff Jones with the Floyd County police said officers did recover security video from the initial location and it shows the suspect walked into the store and immediately fired three shots at the Singh who was standing behind the counter, a local newspaper said.

 
A second employee, a female, was standing off to the side and was not injured, the newspaper reported.

 
Jones said there was no attempt to rob the store, that Nicholson simply walked in and opened fire.

 
Singh&#39;s brother, who owns several local businesses, told Rome News Tribune that his older brother came to the area about eight years ago.

 
Police is investigating the motive behind the crime.

 
Nicholson is no stranger to law enforcement. He was arrested on January 9 after he violently snatched a 3-year-old girl by the arm and cursed in front of her and another child, authorities said.

Parmjit Singh, a 44-year-old father of two high school students, was shot multiple times on Tuesday evening

An Indian-American was killed and another critically injured when a man opened fire in two convenience stores in the US state of Georgia. Parmjit Singh, a 44-year-old father of two high school students, was shot multiple times on Tuesday evening at the Hi-Tech Quick Stop on Burnett Ferry Road, sheriff's officers said. The Floyd County coroner pronounced him dead on the scene. Just 10 minutes after shooting Singh, the gunman entered another convenience store, Elm Street Food and Beverage, and stole money before shooting 30-year-old clerk Parthey Patel, sheriff's officers said. Patel was in critical condition. The suspect, Lamar Rashad Nicholson, 28, was arrested on multiple charges, including murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm while committing a crime and use of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is being held without bond in the Floyd County jail. Major Jeff Jones with the Floyd County police said officers did recover security video from the initial location and it shows the suspect walked into the store and immediately fired three shots at the Singh who was standing behind the counter, a local newspaper said. A second employee, a female, was standing off to the side and was not injured, the newspaper reported. Jones said there was no attempt to rob the store, that Nicholson simply walked in and opened fire. Singh's brother, who owns several local businesses, told Rome News Tribune that his older brother came to the area about eight years ago. Police is investigating the motive behind the crime. Nicholson is no stranger to law enforcement. He was arrested on January 9 after he violently snatched a 3-year-old girl by the arm and cursed in front of her and another child, authorities said.

Indian-American killed, another injured in US shootings

US&nbsp;stock markets were set to open flat to lower on Friday, putting both the S&amp;P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average on course for their biggest weekly losses in at least six years.

Stocks plunged 4 percent on Thursday, overturning gains a day earlier and adding to the sense that rises in US&nbsp;government bond yields have begun a major correction to nine years of almost uninterrupted gains for Wall Street.

Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the benchmark S&amp;P 500 index are down more than 10 per cent since hitting record highs on January 26, and Thursday was the second time this week that the Dow fell more than 1,000 points.

If the Dow ends the day lower, it is likely to make the week its worst since the height of the financial crisis in October 2008.

&quot;The fact that Monday&#39;s lows were breached signals more trouble ahead and rallies are likely to give way to rising bond yields,&quot; said Peter Cardillo, Chief market economist at First Standard Financial in New York.

By 8:06 a.m. ET (1306 GMT), Dow e-minis was down 114 points, S&amp;P 500 e-minis was down 6.25 points and Nasdaq 100 e-minis was up 17.25 points.

At the heart of the pullback has been a rise in US&nbsp;bond yields due to growing expectations that a robustly performing economy will lead to higher inflation and a steady rise in official interest rates over this year.

The danger for stock market investors is that means the Federal Reserve - and other major central banks - reining in the vast supplies of cheap funds they have pumped into the global economy since the 2008-09 financial crisis.&nbsp;

The yield on benchmark 10-year US&nbsp;Treasuries, which tends to be the driver of global borrowing costs, was hovering at 2.825 percent, dipping after US&nbsp;Congress approved a bill to end the federal shutdown, but still near a four-year high of 2.885 per cent hit during Monday&#39;s selloff.

The US&nbsp;House of Representatives early on Friday approved a bill to fund the federal government through March 23 and to increase overall spending limits over two years, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump.

Investors also point to additional pressure from the violent unwinding of trades linked to bets on volatility staying low.

The market&#39;s main gauge of volatility, the CBOE Volatility Index, was at a relatively elevated 32.25 on Friday, nearly three times what it was a week ago but lower than a two-and-a-half-year high of 50.30 points hit on Tuesday.

The downturn in equities had been long awaited by investors, after a period of strong and fast gains. The S&amp;P&#39;s correction is the fifth of this bull market, according to Yardeni Research. The last bear market was during the 2008 financial crisis.

&quot;We&#39;re cheap now, but it`s just a matter of much more cheaper we have to get to attract buyers,&quot; said Robert Pavlik, chief investment strategist at SlateStone Wealth.

World stocks were also on track for their worst week since 2011, knocked by a 4 per cent decline in Chinese stocks.&nbsp;

With Wall Street&#39;s quarterly earnings season more than half-way through, 78.3 percent of the S&amp;P 500 companies that have reported so far have beaten profit expectations, above the 72 per cent beat-rate in the past four quarters.

Chipmaker Nvidia was up about 9 per cent in premarket trading after its upbeat results and forecast.

Expedia shares sank 16 per cent after the online travel services company said costs would outpace revenue growth this year as it battles rivals for market share. 
&nbsp;

If the Dow ends the day lower, it is likely to make the week its worst

US stock markets were set to open flat to lower on Friday, putting both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average on course for their biggest weekly losses in at least six years. Stocks plunged 4 percent on Thursday, overturning gains a day earlier and adding to the sense that rises in US government bond yields have begun a major correction to nine years of almost uninterrupted gains for Wall Street. Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the benchmark S&P 500 index are down more than 10 per cent since hitting record highs on January 26, and Thursday was the second time this week that the Dow fell more than 1,000 points. If the Dow ends the day lower, it is likely to make the week its worst since the height of the financial crisis in October 2008. "The fact that Monday's lows were breached signals more trouble ahead and rallies are likely to give way to rising bond yields," said Peter Cardillo, Chief market economist at First Standard Financial in New York. By 8:06 a.m. ET (1306 GMT), Dow e-minis was down 114 points, S&P 500 e-minis was down 6.25 points and Nasdaq 100 e-minis was up 17.25 points. At the heart of the pullback has been a rise in US bond yields due to growing expectations that a robustly performing economy will lead to higher inflation and a steady rise in official interest rates over this year. The danger for stock market investors is that means the Federal Reserve - and other major central banks - reining in the vast supplies of cheap funds they have pumped into the global economy since the 2008-09 financial crisis. The yield on benchmark 10-year US Treasuries, which tends to be the driver of global borrowing costs, was hovering at 2.825 percent, dipping after US Congress approved a bill to end the federal shutdown, but still near a four-year high of 2.885 per cent hit during Monday's selloff. The US House of Representatives early on Friday approved a bill to fund the federal government through March 23 and to increase overall spending limits over two years, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump. Investors also point to additional pressure from the violent unwinding of trades linked to bets on volatility staying low. The market's main gauge of volatility, the CBOE Volatility Index, was at a relatively elevated 32.25 on Friday, nearly three times what it was a week ago but lower than a two-and-a-half-year high of 50.30 points hit on Tuesday. The downturn in equities had been long awaited by investors, after a period of strong and fast gains. The S&P's correction is the fifth of this bull market, according to Yardeni Research. The last bear market was during the 2008 financial crisis. "We're cheap now, but it`s just a matter of much more cheaper we have to get to attract buyers," said Robert Pavlik, chief investment strategist at SlateStone Wealth. World stocks were also on track for their worst week since 2011, knocked by a 4 per cent decline in Chinese stocks. With Wall Street's quarterly earnings season more than half-way through, 78.3 percent of the S&P 500 companies that have reported so far have beaten profit expectations, above the 72 per cent beat-rate in the past four quarters. Chipmaker Nvidia was up about 9 per cent in premarket trading after its upbeat results and forecast. Expedia shares sank 16 per cent after the online travel services company said costs would outpace revenue growth this year as it battles rivals for market share.

Wall Street on course for worst week in six years

Only six per cent of the total available green cards in 2016 went to employment-based categories, according to a report of the ruling Republican Party which notes that Indian skilled workers have more than 10 years of waitlist. 
 
The report said as of November 2017, around 112,000 people were on waitlists for all employment-based green cards combined. 
 
It said that only six per cent of the green cards were issued by employment-based categories in 2016. 
 
Amidst a heated immigration debate, the party&#39;s report said that in 2016, the US granted around 140,000 employment- based green cards, which was approximately 12 per cent of total green cards issued that year. 
 
It said about five times as many people were awarded temporary employment-based visas like H-1B that expire after a period of time. 
 
In 2016, the report said the US issued almost 1.2 million green cards, granting immigrants legal permanent residence and the opportunity to apply for citizenship in the future. 
 
Around 800,000 green cards close to 70 per cent of the total went to people immigrating to the US based on having relatives here. 
 
In contrast, about 140,000 green cards less than 12 per cent were issued to immigrants for employment reasons, based on their skills, experience, education and on the needs of US employers. 
 
Of these 140,000 employment-based green cards, more than half went to the spouses and children of the primary applicants. 
 
&quot;So, the number of green cards issued to people directly based on skills, experience, and education and on the needs of US employers is closer to 6 per cent of the overall total,&quot; the report said. 
 
More than 80 per cent of all employment-based green cards were issued to people already in the country who were changing from a temporary visa to permanent residence a process call &quot;adjustment of status&quot;, it said. 
 
The Immigration Nationality Act (INA) limits nationals of any single country to 7 per cent of all family and employment-based green cards issued annually. 
 
Immigrants who get an employment-based green card may bring their spouses and minor children to the US. 
 
These &quot;derivative&quot; entrants count against the green card limits. When an employment-based green card preference is oversubscribed, prospective immigrants are put on a waitlist, it said. 
 
&quot;As of November 2017, there were around 112,000 people on the waitlists for all employment-based green cards combined. Even if a preference category is not oversubscribed, nationals of some countries may face a wait because of the 7 per cent per-country limit,&quot; the report said. 
 
&quot;This limit affects people from countries that send a lot of people to the US such as China, India, and the Philippines. For instance, although there is no waitlist generally for EB-3 visas, the wait for EB-3 applicants from India is more than 10 years,&quot; it said. 
 
Noting that some recent reform proposals have centered on making the US immigration system more &quot;merit-based&quot;, the report said many of these proposals would place more emphasis on providing for employment-based immigration and less on granting family-based and diversity-immigrant visas. 
 
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides five major categories known as &quot;preferences&quot; of green cards for people to immigrate to the US for employment reasons. These are EB-1 to EB-5. 
 
EB-1 visas are green cards for people with &quot;extraordinary&quot; abilities that have &quot;been demonstrated by sustained national or international acclaim&quot;, &quot;outstanding&quot; professors and researchers who are &quot;recognised internationally as outstanding in a specific academic area&quot; and multinational executives. 
 
About 40,000 EB-1 visas are available each year. 
 
EB-2 category provides around 40,000 green cards annually to professionals such as architects, lawyers, doctors, teachers and engineers with advanced degrees. 
 
The category also includes immigrants &quot;who because of their exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or business&quot; will &quot;substantially benefit&quot; the &quot;economy, cultural or educational interests, or welfare&quot; of the United States. 
 
EB-3 visas are for skilled and unskilled workers providing services that are not available from US workers, and for professionals such as engineers and teachers who do not have advanced degrees. 
 
Most of the Indian skilled immigrants apply for green cards in this category, thus the reason for their long agonising wait. 
 
Every year, the US issues about 10,000 green cards under EB-4 visas category, which are available for people such as religious workers, broadcasters, members of the armed services and Afghani and Iraqi translators. 
 
There are around 10,000 green cards available for immigrants under EB-5 category who invest at least &nbsp;$500,000 in certain US businesses. 
 
In addition to the employment-based green card programmes that allow people to live permanently in the US, there are around 20 visa programmes that allow people to live temporarily in the US for employment reasons. 
 
Some of the better-known categories of these temporary employment-based visas include H-2A visas for temporary or seasonal agriculture workers and H-2B visas for temporary or seasonal non-agricultural workers like hotel employees in seasonal tourist destinations. 
 
&quot;Another significant category is H-1B visas for workers in occupations requiring the application of highly specialised knowledge, such as information technology and engineering,&quot; the report said. 
 
&quot;In 2016, about 530,000 people got H-1B, H-2A, and H-2B visas, including spouses and children. There were more than 750,000 temporary employee-based visas issued across all categories,&quot; the report said.

The report said as of November 2017, around 112,000 people were on waitlists for all employment-based green cards combined

Only six per cent of the total available green cards in 2016 went to employment-based categories, according to a report of the ruling Republican Party which notes that Indian skilled workers have more than 10 years of waitlist. The report said as of November 2017, around 112,000 people were on waitlists for all employment-based green cards combined. It said that only six per cent of the green cards were issued by employment-based categories in 2016. Amidst a heated immigration debate, the party's report said that in 2016, the US granted around 140,000 employment- based green cards, which was approximately 12 per cent of total green cards issued that year. It said about five times as many people were awarded temporary employment-based visas like H-1B that expire after a period of time. In 2016, the report said the US issued almost 1.2 million green cards, granting immigrants legal permanent residence and the opportunity to apply for citizenship in the future. Around 800,000 green cards close to 70 per cent of the total went to people immigrating to the US based on having relatives here. In contrast, about 140,000 green cards less than 12 per cent were issued to immigrants for employment reasons, based on their skills, experience, education and on the needs of US employers. Of these 140,000 employment-based green cards, more than half went to the spouses and children of the primary applicants. "So, the number of green cards issued to people directly based on skills, experience, and education and on the needs of US employers is closer to 6 per cent of the overall total," the report said. More than 80 per cent of all employment-based green cards were issued to people already in the country who were changing from a temporary visa to permanent residence a process call "adjustment of status", it said. The Immigration Nationality Act (INA) limits nationals of any single country to 7 per cent of all family and employment-based green cards issued annually. Immigrants who get an employment-based green card may bring their spouses and minor children to the US. These "derivative" entrants count against the green card limits. When an employment-based green card preference is oversubscribed, prospective immigrants are put on a waitlist, it said. "As of November 2017, there were around 112,000 people on the waitlists for all employment-based green cards combined. Even if a preference category is not oversubscribed, nationals of some countries may face a wait because of the 7 per cent per-country limit," the report said. "This limit affects people from countries that send a lot of people to the US such as China, India, and the Philippines. For instance, although there is no waitlist generally for EB-3 visas, the wait for EB-3 applicants from India is more than 10 years," it said. Noting that some recent reform proposals have centered on making the US immigration system more "merit-based", the report said many of these proposals would place more emphasis on providing for employment-based immigration and less on granting family-based and diversity-immigrant visas. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides five major categories known as "preferences" of green cards for people to immigrate to the US for employment reasons. These are EB-1 to EB-5. EB-1 visas are green cards for people with "extraordinary" abilities that have "been demonstrated by sustained national or international acclaim", "outstanding" professors and researchers who are "recognised internationally as outstanding in a specific academic area" and multinational executives. About 40,000 EB-1 visas are available each year. EB-2 category provides around 40,000 green cards annually to professionals such as architects, lawyers, doctors, teachers and engineers with advanced degrees. The category also includes immigrants "who because of their exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or business" will "substantially benefit" the "economy, cultural or educational interests, or welfare" of the United States. EB-3 visas are for skilled and unskilled workers providing services that are not available from US workers, and for professionals such as engineers and teachers who do not have advanced degrees. Most of the Indian skilled immigrants apply for green cards in this category, thus the reason for their long agonising wait. Every year, the US issues about 10,000 green cards under EB-4 visas category, which are available for people such as religious workers, broadcasters, members of the armed services and Afghani and Iraqi translators. There are around 10,000 green cards available for immigrants under EB-5 category who invest at least $500,000 in certain US businesses. In addition to the employment-based green card programmes that allow people to live permanently in the US, there are around 20 visa programmes that allow people to live temporarily in the US for employment reasons. Some of the better-known categories of these temporary employment-based visas include H-2A visas for temporary or seasonal agriculture workers and H-2B visas for temporary or seasonal non-agricultural workers like hotel employees in seasonal tourist destinations. "Another significant category is H-1B visas for workers in occupations requiring the application of highly specialised knowledge, such as information technology and engineering," the report said. "In 2016, about 530,000 people got H-1B, H-2A, and H-2B visas, including spouses and children. There were more than 750,000 temporary employee-based visas issued across all categories," the report said.

Indians on 10-year waitlist for employment-based green cards in US: Report

The US needs to encourage India and Pakistan to address their tensions in order to reduce the risk of a nuclear war, a top Pentagon official told lawmakers today while seeking to restrain Pakistan&#39;s nuclear programme.

Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver stressed that the US must see a change in Pakistan&#39;s behaviour in the areas of greatest concern to America.

&quot;America&#39;s interests are clear: we must stop the resurgence of safe havens that enable terrorists to threaten America, we must encourage restraint in Pakistan&#39;s nuclear weapons programme and prevent nuclear weapons and materials from falling into the hands of terrorists,&quot; Schriver said.

&quot;We must also encourage India and Pakistan to address tensions, in order to reduce the risk of nuclear war,&quot; he said during a Congressional hearing on Afghanistan held by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Schriver said during Defence Secretary Jim Mattis&#39;s first trip to Pakistan in December, he engaged directly with Pakistan&#39;s Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa on the objectives of the South Asia Strategy.

Mattis underscored that the US appreciated Pakistan&#39;s significant sacrifices in the war against terrorism and that Pakistan can play a vital role in working with America and others to facilitate a peace process in Afghanistan.

&quot;Since the announcement of the South Asia Strategy in August, Pakistan has taken some positive steps. The steps to date, however, do not reflect the type of decisive action that is necessary to restore regional stability,&quot; he said.

He said the Defence Department will continue to press Pakistan to make positive changes in its approach and will provide clear and consistent feedback in response to Islamabad&#39;s action or inaction. 
The department of defence wants to ensure that Pakistan has a &quot;bridge back&quot; to enhanced cooperation if it takes decisive action on US requests, the official said.

Schriver said the new South Asia strategy focused primarily on the challenges in Afghanistan and Pakistan but recognises that addressing these challenges effectively requires a broader regional approach. 
It seeks to discourage hedging behaviour by regional states, puts pressure on the Taliban to join a peace process, and emphasises the importance of regional cooperation to reduce the threat of terrorism and nuclear conflict, he said.

&quot;We are in Afghanistan to make America safer, to protect our citizens, and to ensure that Afghanistan and Pakistan do not serve as safe havens from which terrorists can support and launch attacks against our homeland, American citizens, and our allies. Now, more than ever, the US&#39; vision and leadership must remain clear and steady,&quot; Schriver said.

He said the strategy sought to deliver greater stability in the region by focusing on the region as a whole and shifting from a time-based approach to one based on conditions on the ground in Afghanistan.

&quot;It is important that we send a strong message to all actors that the United States remains committed to the continued development of the Afghan security forces, and that we are focused on promoting a political settlement that protects the interests of the US, Afghanistan, and our international partners,&quot; the top Pentagon official said.

Randall Schriver stressed that the US must see a change in Pakistan's behaviour in the areas of greatest concern to America

The US needs to encourage India and Pakistan to address their tensions in order to reduce the risk of a nuclear war, a top Pentagon official told lawmakers today while seeking to restrain Pakistan's nuclear programme. Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver stressed that the US must see a change in Pakistan's behaviour in the areas of greatest concern to America. "America's interests are clear: we must stop the resurgence of safe havens that enable terrorists to threaten America, we must encourage restraint in Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme and prevent nuclear weapons and materials from falling into the hands of terrorists," Schriver said. "We must also encourage India and Pakistan to address tensions, in order to reduce the risk of nuclear war," he said during a Congressional hearing on Afghanistan held by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Schriver said during Defence Secretary Jim Mattis's first trip to Pakistan in December, he engaged directly with Pakistan's Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa on the objectives of the South Asia Strategy. Mattis underscored that the US appreciated Pakistan's significant sacrifices in the war against terrorism and that Pakistan can play a vital role in working with America and others to facilitate a peace process in Afghanistan. "Since the announcement of the South Asia Strategy in August, Pakistan has taken some positive steps. The steps to date, however, do not reflect the type of decisive action that is necessary to restore regional stability," he said. He said the Defence Department will continue to press Pakistan to make positive changes in its approach and will provide clear and consistent feedback in response to Islamabad's action or inaction. The department of defence wants to ensure that Pakistan has a "bridge back" to enhanced cooperation if it takes decisive action on US requests, the official said. Schriver said the new South Asia strategy focused primarily on the challenges in Afghanistan and Pakistan but recognises that addressing these challenges effectively requires a broader regional approach. It seeks to discourage hedging behaviour by regional states, puts pressure on the Taliban to join a peace process, and emphasises the importance of regional cooperation to reduce the threat of terrorism and nuclear conflict, he said. "We are in Afghanistan to make America safer, to protect our citizens, and to ensure that Afghanistan and Pakistan do not serve as safe havens from which terrorists can support and launch attacks against our homeland, American citizens, and our allies. Now, more than ever, the US' vision and leadership must remain clear and steady," Schriver said. He said the strategy sought to deliver greater stability in the region by focusing on the region as a whole and shifting from a time-based approach to one based on conditions on the ground in Afghanistan. "It is important that we send a strong message to all actors that the United States remains committed to the continued development of the Afghan security forces, and that we are focused on promoting a political settlement that protects the interests of the US, Afghanistan, and our international partners," the top Pentagon official said.

US must encourage India, Pakistan to address tensions: Official

North Korea accused the United States on Tuesday of seeking to aggravate the situation on the divided Korean peninsula by &quot;deploying large nuclear assets&quot; nearby and lay the ground for a possible pre-emptive strike against it.

&quot;In view of the nature and scale of US&nbsp;military reinforcements, they are designed to make a pre-emptive strike against the DPRK,&quot; North Korean diplomat Ju Yong Chol told the UN sponsored Conference on Disarmament, referring to his country&#39;s official name the Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea.

&quot;US officials including the defense secretary and the CIA director repeatedly talked about DPRK nuclear and missile threat to justify their argument for a military option and a new concept of a so-called &#39;bloody nose&#39;, a limited pre-emptive strike on the DPRK is under consideration within the US&nbsp;administration,&quot; Ju said.

North Korea accused the United States on Tuesday of seeking to aggravate the situation on the divided Korean peninsula by "deploying large nuclear assets" nearby and lay the ground for a possible pre-emptive strike against it

North Korea accused the United States on Tuesday of seeking to aggravate the situation on the divided Korean peninsula by "deploying large nuclear assets" nearby and lay the ground for a possible pre-emptive strike against it. "In view of the nature and scale of US military reinforcements, they are designed to make a pre-emptive strike against the DPRK," North Korean diplomat Ju Yong Chol told the UN sponsored Conference on Disarmament, referring to his country's official name the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "US officials including the defense secretary and the CIA director repeatedly talked about DPRK nuclear and missile threat to justify their argument for a military option and a new concept of a so-called 'bloody nose', a limited pre-emptive strike on the DPRK is under consideration within the US administration," Ju said.

North Korea says US considering limited pre-emptive strike

The Financial Secrecy Index released on January 30, 2018, by the UK-based Tax Justice Network ranked India at 32 indicating its financial secrecy and secrecy jurisdiction.&nbsp;

Switzerland and the United States have been ranked at number one and two respectively.

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Financial Secrecy Index &mdash; 2018 Results (Others)
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The Financial Secrecy Index ranks jurisdictions according to their secrecy and the scale of their offshore financial activities. It is a tool for understanding global financial secrecy, tax havens or secrecy jurisdictions, and illicit financial flows or capital flight.

Switzerland has retained it&#39;s number one position in 2018 followed by the&nbsp;United States making them the biggest promoters of financial secrecy. Switzerland, a well-known tax haven, was also put under the light in 2015 after information was revealed by ICIJ&rsquo;s 2015 Swiss Leaks investigation.&nbsp;

The United States has avoided being a part of initiatives towards curbing financial security and has in turn set up operations that lookout for information on US citizens abroad but does not provide data to foreign countries. The US was ranked third in TJN&rsquo;s 2015 secrecy index.

According to the FSI, an estimated $21 to $32 trillion of private financial wealth is located, untaxed or lightly taxed, in secrecy jurisdictions around the world.&nbsp;

Moreover, illicit cross-border financial flows have been estimated at $1-1.6 trillion per year: dwarfing the US$135 billion or so in global foreign aid.&nbsp;

Countries such as Switzerland, the US and Singapore that figure on the top 10 list of FSI-2018, are also among the top 10 FDI investors to India. Countries like Germany, Japan, Netherlands, the UK and Cyprus are also investors to India, ranked within the top 25 of the list.&nbsp;

India had a lower secrecy score of 52 and was ranked 32, among the 112 countries. India&#39;s ranking would be of interest to countries where its outbound investments flow to.

The top&nbsp;10 countries include - Switzerland, USA, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, Germany, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates [Dubai], and Guernsey.

The Financial Secrecy Index ranks jurisdictions according to their secrecy and the scale of their offshore financial activities

The Financial Secrecy Index released on January 30, 2018, by the UK-based Tax Justice Network ranked India at 32 indicating its financial secrecy and secrecy jurisdiction. Switzerland and the United States have been ranked at number one and two respectively. Financial Secrecy Index — 2018 Results (Others) × The Financial Secrecy Index ranks jurisdictions according to their secrecy and the scale of their offshore financial activities. It is a tool for understanding global financial secrecy, tax havens or secrecy jurisdictions, and illicit financial flows or capital flight. Switzerland has retained it's number one position in 2018 followed by the United States making them the biggest promoters of financial secrecy. Switzerland, a well-known tax haven, was also put under the light in 2015 after information was revealed by ICIJ’s 2015 Swiss Leaks investigation. The United States has avoided being a part of initiatives towards curbing financial security and has in turn set up operations that lookout for information on US citizens abroad but does not provide data to foreign countries. The US was ranked third in TJN’s 2015 secrecy index. According to the FSI, an estimated $21 to $32 trillion of private financial wealth is located, untaxed or lightly taxed, in secrecy jurisdictions around the world. Moreover, illicit cross-border financial flows have been estimated at $1-1.6 trillion per year: dwarfing the US$135 billion or so in global foreign aid. Countries such as Switzerland, the US and Singapore that figure on the top 10 list of FSI-2018, are also among the top 10 FDI investors to India. Countries like Germany, Japan, Netherlands, the UK and Cyprus are also investors to India, ranked within the top 25 of the list. India had a lower secrecy score of 52 and was ranked 32, among the 112 countries. India's ranking would be of interest to countries where its outbound investments flow to. The top 10 countries include - Switzerland, USA, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, Germany, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates [Dubai], and Guernsey.

Switzerland, US top Financial Secrecy Index list, India at 32

The US Congress made no notable progress this week toward a deal on the status of 700,000 &quot;Dreamer&quot; immigrants, with President Donald Trump saying on Friday that one &quot;could very well not happen&quot; by a deadline next month.

Whether the lack of progress signalled the possibility of another federal government shutdown next week was unclear, but it worried the Dreamers, young people who were brought illegally into the United States as children.

Trump said last year that he would end by March 5 a program that was set up by former President Barack Obama to protect the Dreamers from deportation, and he urged Congress to act before that date. No action has resulted.

&quot;We want to make a deal,&quot; Trump said at an event in Virginia with US Customs and Border Protection officials. And he blamed Democratic lawmakers for the impasse.

&quot;I think they want to use it for political purposes for elections. I really am not happy with the way it&#39;s going from the standpoint of the Democrats,&quot; he said.

Democrats have said repeatedly that they want protections written into law for the Dreamers, who were given temporary legal status by Obama&#39;s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which lets them study and work in the United States without fear of deportation.

Republicans, who control Congress, are undecided on what to do about DACA and the Dreamers. They ended a three-day retreat at a mountain resort in West Virginia on Friday not much nearer to consensus than they were a week ago.

The partisan standoff caused a partial shutdown of the federal government for three days last month after Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending measure needed to keep the lights on at federal facilities across the country.

The House of Representatives plans to vote on Tuesday on legislation to keep federal agencies operating beyond Feb. 8, when existing funds expire, a senior House Republican aide said.

The aide did not provide details, however, on the duration of this latest-in-a-series of temporary funding measures.

Democrats have leverage on the immigration issue because their votes are needed to pass spending measures in the Senate.

The next spending deadline looms on Thursday, with Democrats defiant in their demands and Republicans remaining divided.

Four-Part Offer&nbsp;

Trump has offered the Dreamers a path to citizenship, but only on the condition he also gets funding for a wall along the US-Mexico border, as well as other immigration-related measures that Democrats oppose.

Last month, he proposed letting 1.8 million Dreamers stay in the country and become citizens in exchange for $25 billion for the wall, curbs on family-sponsored immigration, and an end to a visa lottery program.

Some lawmakers want Trump&#39;s four-part immigration framework pared back, while others want it approved or made even more strict on future immigration.

&quot;If we can solve DACA and border security that may be the best I can hope for,&quot; Senator John Thune, a member of the Republican leadership, told reporters at the retreat.

Senator James Lankford was among Republicans who said this week that Trump could give Congress more time to reach a deal by extending the Dreamers&#39; deadline beyond March 5.

Trump reiterated on Thursday at the retreat that all four components of his framework must be included in a deal, a stance viewed as unworkable by many lawmakers in both parties.

Some Republicans say the March 5 deadline lost its power last month when a federal court blocked the rescinding of DACA. That meant the law would remain in effect until the Supreme Court resolves the case, which is unlikely by March 5.

In a research note, financial firm Height Analytics set the odds of another shutdown next week at 65 per cent.

Republicans are trying to call Democrats&#39; bluff on DACA, but the Democrats look even more willing to allow a shutdown than they were last month, the analysts said. &quot;What this has become is a very absurd game of chicken,&quot; they said in the note.

The US Congress made no notable progress this week toward a deal on the status of 700,000 'Dreamer' immigrants, with President Donald Trump saying on Friday that one 'could very well not happen' by a deadline next month

The US Congress made no notable progress this week toward a deal on the status of 700,000 "Dreamer" immigrants, with President Donald Trump saying on Friday that one "could very well not happen" by a deadline next month. Whether the lack of progress signalled the possibility of another federal government shutdown next week was unclear, but it worried the Dreamers, young people who were brought illegally into the United States as children. Trump said last year that he would end by March 5 a program that was set up by former President Barack Obama to protect the Dreamers from deportation, and he urged Congress to act before that date. No action has resulted. "We want to make a deal," Trump said at an event in Virginia with US Customs and Border Protection officials. And he blamed Democratic lawmakers for the impasse. "I think they want to use it for political purposes for elections. I really am not happy with the way it's going from the standpoint of the Democrats," he said. Democrats have said repeatedly that they want protections written into law for the Dreamers, who were given temporary legal status by Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which lets them study and work in the United States without fear of deportation. Republicans, who control Congress, are undecided on what to do about DACA and the Dreamers. They ended a three-day retreat at a mountain resort in West Virginia on Friday not much nearer to consensus than they were a week ago. The partisan standoff caused a partial shutdown of the federal government for three days last month after Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending measure needed to keep the lights on at federal facilities across the country. The House of Representatives plans to vote on Tuesday on legislation to keep federal agencies operating beyond Feb. 8, when existing funds expire, a senior House Republican aide said. The aide did not provide details, however, on the duration of this latest-in-a-series of temporary funding measures. Democrats have leverage on the immigration issue because their votes are needed to pass spending measures in the Senate. The next spending deadline looms on Thursday, with Democrats defiant in their demands and Republicans remaining divided. Four-Part Offer Trump has offered the Dreamers a path to citizenship, but only on the condition he also gets funding for a wall along the US-Mexico border, as well as other immigration-related measures that Democrats oppose. Last month, he proposed letting 1.8 million Dreamers stay in the country and become citizens in exchange for $25 billion for the wall, curbs on family-sponsored immigration, and an end to a visa lottery program. Some lawmakers want Trump's four-part immigration framework pared back, while others want it approved or made even more strict on future immigration. "If we can solve DACA and border security that may be the best I can hope for," Senator John Thune, a member of the Republican leadership, told reporters at the retreat. Senator James Lankford was among Republicans who said this week that Trump could give Congress more time to reach a deal by extending the Dreamers' deadline beyond March 5. Trump reiterated on Thursday at the retreat that all four components of his framework must be included in a deal, a stance viewed as unworkable by many lawmakers in both parties. Some Republicans say the March 5 deadline lost its power last month when a federal court blocked the rescinding of DACA. That meant the law would remain in effect until the Supreme Court resolves the case, which is unlikely by March 5. In a research note, financial firm Height Analytics set the odds of another shutdown next week at 65 per cent. Republicans are trying to call Democrats' bluff on DACA, but the Democrats look even more willing to allow a shutdown than they were last month, the analysts said. "What this has become is a very absurd game of chicken," they said in the note.

No progress on 'Dreamers' as another US shutdown looms

US job creation accelerated in January, as labor markets continued to absorb workers at a robust pace, unemployment clung to a record low and wages moved higher, the government reported Friday.

The world&#39;s largest economy added 200,000 net new positions in the month, more than expected, driven by gains in construction, retail, restaurants and health care, the Labour Department reported.

The result beat forecasts, which predicted an increase of 180,000, and helped offset December&#39;s disappointing result.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent for the fourth month in a row.

Hourly wages continued to rise for the month as labour markets remained tight -- with wages posting their largest 12-month increase in more than nine years. &nbsp;

That will strengthen the case for the Federal Reserve to raise the benchmark interest rate in March, as it is widely expected to do.

Hourly wages rose 0.3 percent from the prior month to $26.74, putting worker pay up 2.9 percent compared to January of last year, the largest 12-month gain since June 2009.

Over the same period, the consumer price index gained 2.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, but rising wages would be expected to put more pressure on prices.

The solid job gains were sure to be a relief for an embattled White House, as President Donald Trump has taken credit for the extended run of good economic news amid political turmoil.

Hiring by speciality trade contractors drove job creation in the construction sector, which added 36,000 new positions, while restaurants and bars added 31,000 new jobs.

The ranks of health care workers swelled for the month as well, adding 21,000 new positions.

Revisions to November and December subtracted a net 24,000 positions, bringing average job creation over the last three months of the year to 192,000, beating the 2017 monthly average of 181,000.

With the 4.1 percent unemployment rate, a 17-year-low, the ranks of the long-term unemployed -- those looking for work for 27 weeks or longer -- continued to drop, falling six percent to 1.4 million.

However, the unemployment rate for African-Americans, which Trump hailed this week in his State of the Union address, rose nine-tenths of a percentage point to 7.7 percent, just below the 7.8 percent in January last year.

Trump took office a year ago, pledging to create 25 million new jobs over a decade or just over 200,000 per month.

However, Labor Department figures released Friday show the economy added 2.17 million jobs in 2017, fewer than 2016 when there were 2.34 million new jobs.

The world's largest economy added 200,000 net new positions in the month, more than expected, driven by gains in construction, retail, restaurants and health care, the Labour Department reported

US job creation accelerated in January, as labor markets continued to absorb workers at a robust pace, unemployment clung to a record low and wages moved higher, the government reported Friday. The world's largest economy added 200,000 net new positions in the month, more than expected, driven by gains in construction, retail, restaurants and health care, the Labour Department reported. The result beat forecasts, which predicted an increase of 180,000, and helped offset December's disappointing result. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent for the fourth month in a row. Hourly wages continued to rise for the month as labour markets remained tight -- with wages posting their largest 12-month increase in more than nine years. That will strengthen the case for the Federal Reserve to raise the benchmark interest rate in March, as it is widely expected to do. Hourly wages rose 0.3 percent from the prior month to $26.74, putting worker pay up 2.9 percent compared to January of last year, the largest 12-month gain since June 2009. Over the same period, the consumer price index gained 2.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, but rising wages would be expected to put more pressure on prices. The solid job gains were sure to be a relief for an embattled White House, as President Donald Trump has taken credit for the extended run of good economic news amid political turmoil. Hiring by speciality trade contractors drove job creation in the construction sector, which added 36,000 new positions, while restaurants and bars added 31,000 new jobs. The ranks of health care workers swelled for the month as well, adding 21,000 new positions. Revisions to November and December subtracted a net 24,000 positions, bringing average job creation over the last three months of the year to 192,000, beating the 2017 monthly average of 181,000. With the 4.1 percent unemployment rate, a 17-year-low, the ranks of the long-term unemployed -- those looking for work for 27 weeks or longer -- continued to drop, falling six percent to 1.4 million. However, the unemployment rate for African-Americans, which Trump hailed this week in his State of the Union address, rose nine-tenths of a percentage point to 7.7 percent, just below the 7.8 percent in January last year. Trump took office a year ago, pledging to create 25 million new jobs over a decade or just over 200,000 per month. However, Labor Department figures released Friday show the economy added 2.17 million jobs in 2017, fewer than 2016 when there were 2.34 million new jobs.

US adds 200,000 new jobs in January

Five people were wounded, including a student shot in the head, when a gun went off in a Los Angeles middle school classroom on Thursday, and a 12-year-old girl was taken into custody, police said.

The girl, whose name was not released, was booked at a juvenile detention facility on a charge of negligent discharge of a firearm, said Officer Tony Im of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Im declined to say if investigators believed the girl deliberately opened fire at Sal Castro Middle School near the city&#39;s downtown district. Mayor Eric Garcetti told local KABC-TV at the scene that it was unclear if the shooting was accidental.

&quot;We&#39;re unclear whether a gun went off or if it was an intentional shooting,&quot; Garcetti said. &quot;Luckily there are no fatalities or serious injuries.&quot;

Two students were hit directly by gunfire and three other victims were hit by shrapnel, police said.

A 15-year-old boy was hit by gunfire in the left temple and was rushed to hospital, where he was alert and talking when he arrived, said Dr. Carl Chudnofsky, head of emergency medicine at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

He had no damage to &quot;vital structures,&quot; doctors said at a news conference, adding they were cautiously optimistic he would survive.

A 15-year-old girl was hit in the wrist and was in stable condition, Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Wendy Reyes said.

The three people with slight injuries from shrapnel ranged in age from 11 to 30 years old, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott said.

Authorities said they were trying to determine how the gun was brought on campus. The incident triggered a lockdown of the campus and a neighboring high school. Parents swarmed the area seeking to be re-united with their children.

&quot;As a parent, this is everyone&#39;s worst-case nightmare,&quot; Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief Robert Arcos said at a news conference.

The shooting, which took place in an elective class with children of different ages, was the latest outbreak of gun violence at a U.S. school.

Between 2000 and 2013, nearly 17 percent of so-called 160 active shooter incidents in the United States were in elementary, middle or high schools, according to a Federal Bureau of Investigation report. An active shooters is defined as a person trying shoot to death people in a confined area.

The girl, whose name was not released, was booked at a juvenile detention facility on a charge of negligent discharge of a firearm

Five people were wounded, including a student shot in the head, when a gun went off in a Los Angeles middle school classroom on Thursday, and a 12-year-old girl was taken into custody, police said. The girl, whose name was not released, was booked at a juvenile detention facility on a charge of negligent discharge of a firearm, said Officer Tony Im of the Los Angeles Police Department. Im declined to say if investigators believed the girl deliberately opened fire at Sal Castro Middle School near the city's downtown district. Mayor Eric Garcetti told local KABC-TV at the scene that it was unclear if the shooting was accidental. "We're unclear whether a gun went off or if it was an intentional shooting," Garcetti said. "Luckily there are no fatalities or serious injuries." Two students were hit directly by gunfire and three other victims were hit by shrapnel, police said. A 15-year-old boy was hit by gunfire in the left temple and was rushed to hospital, where he was alert and talking when he arrived, said Dr. Carl Chudnofsky, head of emergency medicine at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. He had no damage to "vital structures," doctors said at a news conference, adding they were cautiously optimistic he would survive. A 15-year-old girl was hit in the wrist and was in stable condition, Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Wendy Reyes said. The three people with slight injuries from shrapnel ranged in age from 11 to 30 years old, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott said. Authorities said they were trying to determine how the gun was brought on campus. The incident triggered a lockdown of the campus and a neighboring high school. Parents swarmed the area seeking to be re-united with their children. "As a parent, this is everyone's worst-case nightmare," Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief Robert Arcos said at a news conference. The shooting, which took place in an elective class with children of different ages, was the latest outbreak of gun violence at a U.S. school. Between 2000 and 2013, nearly 17 percent of so-called 160 active shooter incidents in the United States were in elementary, middle or high schools, according to a Federal Bureau of Investigation report. An active shooters is defined as a person trying shoot to death people in a confined area.

US: 5 wounded in LA school shooting, 12-year-old girl taken into custody

The United States is not contemplating military action inside Pakistan, the Pentagon has said, refuting such reports appearing in Pakistani newspapers.

Instead, the US seeks Pakistan&#39;s cooperation and assistance in various operations under its new South Asia strategy, Lt Gen Kenneth F McKenzie told reporters at a news conference yesterday.

&quot;We actually don&#39;t contemplate military operations inside Pakistan. On the other hand, we recognise, because the strategy is inherently regional and Pakistan is geographically located at a critical nexus of a lot of different things, Pakistan is a fundamental part of the strategy,&quot; said McKenzie.

&quot;Through a variety of measures, we look to gain Pakistani cooperation and assistance as we pursue operations in Afghanistan. But we&#39;re not planning to conduct military operations inside Pakistan,&quot; he told Pentagon reporters in response to a question.

Under the new South Asia strategy, Pakistan has an opportunity to be a partner in the fight against terrorism, Pentagon&#39;s Chief Spokesperson Dana White said.

&quot;It (Pakistan) has been a victim of terrorism, and it has supported terrorism. We are looking for Pakistan to actively join -- it can do the things we need them to do to confront terrorism,&quot; said White.

&quot;So it&#39;s an inflection point, it&#39;s an opportunity, and we hope Pakistan will take it,&quot; she said in response to a question.

The US has recently suspended about USD 2 billion in security aid to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their safe havens

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan came days after US President Donald Trump, in a New Year&#39;s Day tweet, accused the country of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

White refuted impression that there is a connection between the recent attacks in Kabul and the US&#39; decision to suspend aid to Pakistan.

&quot;The Taliban is desperate. They&#39;re murderous and they attack innocent civilians. As the general said, these were flashy but it shows their disparity,&quot; she said.

&quot;For every attack that&#39;s carried out, many, many, many are stopped, many are prevented from occurring. So to think that you&#39;re going to have exquisite timing on when an attack occurs is probably a bridge too far for the Taliban to have,? White said.&nbsp;

Under the new South Asia strategy, Pakistan has an opportunity to be a partner in the fight against terrorism, Pentagon's Chief Spokesperson Dana White said.

The United States is not contemplating military action inside Pakistan, the Pentagon has said, refuting such reports appearing in Pakistani newspapers. Instead, the US seeks Pakistan's cooperation and assistance in various operations under its new South Asia strategy, Lt Gen Kenneth F McKenzie told reporters at a news conference yesterday. "We actually don't contemplate military operations inside Pakistan. On the other hand, we recognise, because the strategy is inherently regional and Pakistan is geographically located at a critical nexus of a lot of different things, Pakistan is a fundamental part of the strategy," said McKenzie. "Through a variety of measures, we look to gain Pakistani cooperation and assistance as we pursue operations in Afghanistan. But we're not planning to conduct military operations inside Pakistan," he told Pentagon reporters in response to a question. Under the new South Asia strategy, Pakistan has an opportunity to be a partner in the fight against terrorism, Pentagon's Chief Spokesperson Dana White said. "It (Pakistan) has been a victim of terrorism, and it has supported terrorism. We are looking for Pakistan to actively join -- it can do the things we need them to do to confront terrorism," said White. "So it's an inflection point, it's an opportunity, and we hope Pakistan will take it," she said in response to a question. The US has recently suspended about USD 2 billion in security aid to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their safe havens The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan came days after US President Donald Trump, in a New Year's Day tweet, accused the country of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years. White refuted impression that there is a connection between the recent attacks in Kabul and the US' decision to suspend aid to Pakistan. "The Taliban is desperate. They're murderous and they attack innocent civilians. As the general said, these were flashy but it shows their disparity," she said. "For every attack that's carried out, many, many, many are stopped, many are prevented from occurring. So to think that you're going to have exquisite timing on when an attack occurs is probably a bridge too far for the Taliban to have,? White said.

US not contemplating military action inside Pakistan: Pentagon

Airbus successfully conducted its first ever test flight of the Vahana, an eclectic and pilotless flying vehicle, they announced on Friday.&nbsp;

The test flight was conducted on Wednesday at the US state of Oregon and lasted for 53 seconds. Reports said that the full-scale vehicle reached about 16 feet high before descending safely.&nbsp;

Propelled by eight rotors that allow it to take off and land vertically, Vahana completed a second test flight on Thursday, and additional testing is slated including forwarding flight.

Airbus has said it wants to build a fleet of autonomous, multirotor eVTOL aircraft that can be used to fly from rooftop to rooftop in dense cities where traffic is often at a standstill and is designed to carry one passenger and fly autonomously, according to its website. The project launched in early 2016.&nbsp;

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Autonomous driving technology has made considerable progress in recent years with high-tech firms. Representative image. (Twitter)
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&quot;Vahana aims to democratise personal flight and answer the growing need for urban mobility by leveraging the latest technologies in electric propulsion, energy storage, and machine vision,&quot; Airbus said in its statement.

&ldquo;Our aim has long been to design and builds a single passenger electric VTOL self-piloted aircraft that will answer the growing need for urban mobility,&rdquo; Zach Lovering, project executive at Vahana, said in a blog post. &ldquo;Our goal is to democratize personal flight by leveraging the latest technologies such as electric propulsion, energy storage, and machine vision. Our first flights mark a huge milestone for Vahana as well as the global pursuit of urban air mobility.&rdquo;

Autonomous driving technology has made considerable progress in recent years with high-tech firms and established automakers putting test vehicles on the roads, while a handful of inventors and start-ups have developed flying cars.

The test flight was conducted on Wednesday at the US state of Oregon and lasted for 53 secinds. Reports said that the full-scale vehicle reached about 16 feet high before descending safely

Airbus successfully conducted its first ever test flight of the Vahana, an eclectic and pilotless flying vehicle, they announced on Friday. The test flight was conducted on Wednesday at the US state of Oregon and lasted for 53 seconds. Reports said that the full-scale vehicle reached about 16 feet high before descending safely. Propelled by eight rotors that allow it to take off and land vertically, Vahana completed a second test flight on Thursday, and additional testing is slated including forwarding flight. Airbus has said it wants to build a fleet of autonomous, multirotor eVTOL aircraft that can be used to fly from rooftop to rooftop in dense cities where traffic is often at a standstill and is designed to carry one passenger and fly autonomously, according to its website. The project launched in early 2016. Autonomous driving technology has made considerable progress in recent years with high-tech firms. Representative image. (Twitter) × "Vahana aims to democratise personal flight and answer the growing need for urban mobility by leveraging the latest technologies in electric propulsion, energy storage, and machine vision," Airbus said in its statement. “Our aim has long been to design and builds a single passenger electric VTOL self-piloted aircraft that will answer the growing need for urban mobility,” Zach Lovering, project executive at Vahana, said in a blog post. “Our goal is to democratize personal flight by leveraging the latest technologies such as electric propulsion, energy storage, and machine vision. Our first flights mark a huge milestone for Vahana as well as the global pursuit of urban air mobility.” Autonomous driving technology has made considerable progress in recent years with high-tech firms and established automakers putting test vehicles on the roads, while a handful of inventors and start-ups have developed flying cars.

Flying taxi? Airbus conducts successful 'test flight'

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s re-election campaign ended 2017 with $22 million in cash helped by $6.9 million in contributions in the fourth quarter of the year, his campaign announced on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s campaign spent $2.8 million in the final quarter of the year. Of that, $1.1 million went to legal fees, about the same amount spent the previous quarter. There were no payments to a lawyer who is representing Donald Trump Jr. and previously received more than $280,000 in payments from the campaign.

The bulk of the legal spending went to the firm Jones Day, which provides the routine legal services required by the campaign.

And $1.1 million was spent on digital advertising through the firm of Brad Parscale, who ran the campaign website and online fundraising during the 2016 election.

The remainder of Trump&#39;s expenses went to payroll for a small staff, travel and event costs.

Trump filed for re-election the day he took office, an unusual move for an incumbent president. Traditionally, incumbent presidents have waited until after their second year in office to begin their re-election campaign. Trump will stand for re-election in November 2020.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s campaign has a joint fundraising agreement with the Republican National Committee, which accounted for about $3.5 million raised in the final quarter of the year.

More than half of the donations made directly to his campaign came from contributors who donated less than $200.&nbsp;

&quot;Never before has a president&#39;s campaign committee raised so much in his first year in office, and never has a president enjoyed so much support from small donors who continue to rally around him,&quot; Lara Trump, the president`s daughter-in-law and adviser to his re-election campaign, said in a statement.&nbsp;

At the end of former President Barack Obama&#39;s first year in office, his campaign had about $8 million in cash, most of which was left over from his previous campaign and not the product of new fundraising efforts.

Obama spent about $852,000 in the last quarter of his first year in office - $2 million less than Trump spent in the same time period.

Obama did not begin running for re-election until after completing two full years in office.

Obama did not begin running for re-election until after completing two full years in office

US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign ended 2017 with $22 million in cash helped by $6.9 million in contributions in the fourth quarter of the year, his campaign announced on Wednesday. Trump's campaign spent $2.8 million in the final quarter of the year. Of that, $1.1 million went to legal fees, about the same amount spent the previous quarter. There were no payments to a lawyer who is representing Donald Trump Jr. and previously received more than $280,000 in payments from the campaign. The bulk of the legal spending went to the firm Jones Day, which provides the routine legal services required by the campaign. And $1.1 million was spent on digital advertising through the firm of Brad Parscale, who ran the campaign website and online fundraising during the 2016 election. The remainder of Trump's expenses went to payroll for a small staff, travel and event costs. Trump filed for re-election the day he took office, an unusual move for an incumbent president. Traditionally, incumbent presidents have waited until after their second year in office to begin their re-election campaign. Trump will stand for re-election in November 2020. Trump's campaign has a joint fundraising agreement with the Republican National Committee, which accounted for about $3.5 million raised in the final quarter of the year. More than half of the donations made directly to his campaign came from contributors who donated less than $200. "Never before has a president's campaign committee raised so much in his first year in office, and never has a president enjoyed so much support from small donors who continue to rally around him," Lara Trump, the president`s daughter-in-law and adviser to his re-election campaign, said in a statement. At the end of former President Barack Obama's first year in office, his campaign had about $8 million in cash, most of which was left over from his previous campaign and not the product of new fundraising efforts. Obama spent about $852,000 in the last quarter of his first year in office - $2 million less than Trump spent in the same time period. Obama did not begin running for re-election until after completing two full years in office.

Trump's re-election campaign ended 2017 with $22 million in cash

The head of the leading U.S. public health agency has resigned because of financial conflicts of interest that documents showed included purchases of tobacco and healthcare stocks while in office.

Dr Brenda Fitzgerald, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, held &quot;certain complex financial interests&quot; that she could not sell in time, forcing her to recuse herself from many public health duties, a Department of Health and Human Services statement said on Wednesday.

A physician and former commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, Fitzgerald is the second high-profile health official in the year-old Republican Trump administration to leave over financial and ethical questions.

She leaves as the country is dealing with its worst flu season in years. 
Dr Anne Schuchat, CDC principal deputy director with 30 years at the agency, will take over until a new director is named, the CDC said in a statement. Schuchat is a former acting CDC director.

Politico reported on Tuesday that Fitzgerald had traded in tobacco and healthcare stocks a month after Congress confirmed her appointment by Trump in July.

Her financial disclosure report, released by Politico, showed she made purchases last August in shares of Japan Tobacco Inc, Merck &amp; Co Inc, Humana Inc as well as ADRs of German drugmaker Bayer AG.

The White House declined to comment and referred questions to the Health and Human Services Department.

Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray has repeatedly raised concerns about stock holdings which she said had interfered with Fitzgerald`s ability to advise on public health issues including cancer and the opioid epidemic.&nbsp;

&quot;It is unacceptable that the person responsible for leading our nation&rsquo;s public health efforts has, for months, been unable to fully engage in the critical work she was appointed to do,&quot; Murray said in a statement on Wednesday.

In December, Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate committee which oversees the CDC, urged Fitzgerald to resolve ongoing conflicts of interest. Murray said Fitzgerald`s conflicts had forced her to send deputies to testify at congressional hearings on the opioid crisis.

Last September, Trump`s first HHS secretary, former U.S. Representative Tom Price, resigned over his use of expensive taxpayer-funded private charter jets for government travel.

Murray said she hoped the newly confirmed HHS Secretary Alex Azar would encourage the president to choose a new director &quot;who is truly prepared to focus on families and communities.&rdquo;

Flu experts cheered the return of Schuchat, who played a leading role in the U.S. response to the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic.

&quot;I don&#39;t have the ear of the president, but if I did, I would say two words: Anne Schuchat,&quot; said Dr William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, who would like to see Schuchat as the next CDC director. &quot;She would have the immediate confidence of all of us in the infectious disease and public health community.&quot;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Fitzgerald is the second high-profile health official in the year-old Republican Trump administration to leave over financial and ethical questions

The head of the leading U.S. public health agency has resigned because of financial conflicts of interest that documents showed included purchases of tobacco and healthcare stocks while in office. Dr Brenda Fitzgerald, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, held "certain complex financial interests" that she could not sell in time, forcing her to recuse herself from many public health duties, a Department of Health and Human Services statement said on Wednesday. A physician and former commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, Fitzgerald is the second high-profile health official in the year-old Republican Trump administration to leave over financial and ethical questions. She leaves as the country is dealing with its worst flu season in years. Dr Anne Schuchat, CDC principal deputy director with 30 years at the agency, will take over until a new director is named, the CDC said in a statement. Schuchat is a former acting CDC director. Politico reported on Tuesday that Fitzgerald had traded in tobacco and healthcare stocks a month after Congress confirmed her appointment by Trump in July. Her financial disclosure report, released by Politico, showed she made purchases last August in shares of Japan Tobacco Inc, Merck & Co Inc, Humana Inc as well as ADRs of German drugmaker Bayer AG. The White House declined to comment and referred questions to the Health and Human Services Department. Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray has repeatedly raised concerns about stock holdings which she said had interfered with Fitzgerald`s ability to advise on public health issues including cancer and the opioid epidemic. "It is unacceptable that the person responsible for leading our nation’s public health efforts has, for months, been unable to fully engage in the critical work she was appointed to do," Murray said in a statement on Wednesday. In December, Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate committee which oversees the CDC, urged Fitzgerald to resolve ongoing conflicts of interest. Murray said Fitzgerald`s conflicts had forced her to send deputies to testify at congressional hearings on the opioid crisis. Last September, Trump`s first HHS secretary, former U.S. Representative Tom Price, resigned over his use of expensive taxpayer-funded private charter jets for government travel. Murray said she hoped the newly confirmed HHS Secretary Alex Azar would encourage the president to choose a new director "who is truly prepared to focus on families and communities.” Flu experts cheered the return of Schuchat, who played a leading role in the U.S. response to the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic. "I don't have the ear of the president, but if I did, I would say two words: Anne Schuchat," said Dr William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, who would like to see Schuchat as the next CDC director. "She would have the immediate confidence of all of us in the infectious disease and public health community."

US: CDC chief quits over financial conflicts of interest

A former Indian American CEO of an IT company based in the US city of Detroit has been indicted for his alleged role in orchestrating a scheme to bribe a city official to obtain benefits, the Department of Justice said today.

According to the 11-count indictment filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, Parimal D Mehta, 54, made multiple cash payments to Charles Dodd, former Director of Detroit&#39;s Office of Departmental Technology Services between 2009 to 2016.

This included two cash bribes hand-delivered by Mehta to Dodd in the restrooms of Detroit-area restaurants in 2016, the DOJ alleged.

Mehta is also alleged to have employed Dodd&#39;s family members at FutureNet and its subsidiaries. Dodd previously pleaded guilty to bribery on September 27, 2016.

The indictment alleges that Mehta paid these bribes to Dodd in exchange for preferential treatment for his company, FutureNet, which received approximately USD 7.5 million from Detroit in 2015 and 2016.

According to the indictment, Mehta and FutureNet benefitted from Dodd&#39;s influence over the administration of city contracts, expenditures under those contracts, and the hiring and selection of contract personnel.

Mehta obtained confidential information about Detroit&#39;s internal budgets for specific technology projects, the indictment alleges.&nbsp;

A former Indian American CEO in Detroit has been indicted for his alleged role in orchestrating a scheme to bribe a city official

A former Indian American CEO of an IT company based in the US city of Detroit has been indicted for his alleged role in orchestrating a scheme to bribe a city official to obtain benefits, the Department of Justice said today. According to the 11-count indictment filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, Parimal D Mehta, 54, made multiple cash payments to Charles Dodd, former Director of Detroit's Office of Departmental Technology Services between 2009 to 2016. This included two cash bribes hand-delivered by Mehta to Dodd in the restrooms of Detroit-area restaurants in 2016, the DOJ alleged. Mehta is also alleged to have employed Dodd's family members at FutureNet and its subsidiaries. Dodd previously pleaded guilty to bribery on September 27, 2016. The indictment alleges that Mehta paid these bribes to Dodd in exchange for preferential treatment for his company, FutureNet, which received approximately USD 7.5 million from Detroit in 2015 and 2016. According to the indictment, Mehta and FutureNet benefitted from Dodd's influence over the administration of city contracts, expenditures under those contracts, and the hiring and selection of contract personnel. Mehta obtained confidential information about Detroit's internal budgets for specific technology projects, the indictment alleges.

Indian-American CEO indicted for bribery

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