The interception of a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-su-27-fighter-jet-intercepted-us-spy-plane-us-protests-31164" target="_blank">US surveillance plane by a Russian Su-27 fighter jet over the Black Sea </a>this week posed no danger to the US aircraft, Russia&rsquo;s defense ministry was cited as saying on Thursday by a news agency.

The defense ministry also proposed Washington halt flights by US spy planes along Russia&rsquo;s borders, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the defense ministry.

The United States State Department said earlier this week that the Russian jet &ldquo;engaged in an unsafe interaction with a US EP-3 in international airspace, closing to within 5 feet (1.5 meters) and crossing directly in front of the EP-3&rsquo;s flight path.&rdquo;

The Russian military said its aircraft would keep protecting the security of Russian borders.

&ldquo;If understanding of this fact by American pilots provokes depression and phobias in them, we advise they halt such flights near Russian borders or return to talks to agree on flight rules,&rdquo; Interfax cited the statement as saying.

The defense ministry also proposed Washington halt flights by US spy planes along Russia’s borders, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the defense ministry

The interception of a US surveillance plane by a Russian Su-27 fighter jet over the Black Sea this week posed no danger to the US aircraft, Russia’s defense ministry was cited as saying on Thursday by a news agency. The defense ministry also proposed Washington halt flights by US spy planes along Russia’s borders, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the defense ministry. The United States State Department said earlier this week that the Russian jet “engaged in an unsafe interaction with a US EP-3 in international airspace, closing to within 5 feet (1.5 meters) and crossing directly in front of the EP-3’s flight path.” The Russian military said its aircraft would keep protecting the security of Russian borders. “If understanding of this fact by American pilots provokes depression and phobias in them, we advise they halt such flights near Russian borders or return to talks to agree on flight rules,” Interfax cited the statement as saying.

Russia says interception of US spy plane posed no danger

The Pentagon has restricted the release of critical information on the progress being made in the war in Afghanistan, a move that will limit transparency, the US&nbsp;government&#39;s top watchdog on Afghanistan said on Monday.

For years, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, has published a quarterly report that includes unclassified data on the amount of territory controlled or influenced by the Taliban and the government.

In a report published late on Monday, SIGAR said, however, it was told not to release that information. The military also classified, for the first time since 2009, the actual and authorised total troop numbers and attrition rate for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, or ANDSF.

&quot;The implication is that I think the average American who reads our reports or reads your press accounts of it, has no meaningful ability to analyse how his money or her money is being spent on Afghanistan,&quot; John Sopko, who leads the independent watchdog office, told Reuters in an interview.

The Pentagon sought to deflect blame for the decision, the latest move to limit the amount of publicly available information about the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan - America&#39;s longest.

It said in a statement that the Department of Defense did not tell SIGAR to withhold the data, but rather it was the NATO-led Resolute Support coalition that made the determination.

It added that the Pentagon did not have the authority to overrule the classification made by Resolute Support, which is led by US&nbsp;General John Nicholson.

&quot;The Department continues to work with SIGAR, US&nbsp;Forces-Afghanistan, and NATO Resolute Support to resolve concerns about restrictions on information that was previously unclassified,&quot; Lieutenant Colonel Michael Andrews said.

Former officials and experts said that regardless of who restricted the information, it was particularly worrying because Afghan and US&nbsp;officials had publicly set a benchmark it would now be difficult to measure.

The top US general in Afghanistan set a goal in November of driving back Taliban insurgents enough to control at least 80 percent of the country within two years.

In its most recent report, SIGAR said that 43 percent of Afghanistan&#39;s districts were either under Taliban control or being contested.

Sopko said people would jump to the conclusion that information was being withheld because progress was not being made, which may not be the case.

A similar accusation was made during the Vietnam War, which later proved true.

&quot;In essence, you can ask me almost any question and I will have to say, it is classified or non-releasable, I mean you go down the list, it is just amazing,&quot; Sopko said.

He added that the Department of Defense did not give him any reasons for the move.

Recent attacks

The move by the Pentagon comes amid a spate of violence in Afghanistan over the past nine days that is putting a new, more aggressive strategy under the spotlight.

An ambulance bomb in the city center killed more than 100 people, just over a week after an attack on the Hotel Intercontinental, also in Kabul, killed more than 20, including four US&nbsp;citizens.

President Donald Trump has committed an additional 3,000 US&nbsp;troops to Afghanistan in recent weeks, bringing the total number of American troops in Afghanistan to about 14,000.

Michael Kugelman, with the Woodrow Wilson Center, said it made little sense to block the information.

&quot;It&#39;s not fair to the American people, to American troops and I would think it&#39;s pretty hard to justify doing something like this,&quot; Kugelman said.

It is not the first time data has been withheld on the Afghan war.

Last year, US&nbsp;forces in Afghanistan restricted the amount of data it provided on the ANDSF, including casualties, personnel strength, and attrition rates - data that has now been completely withheld.

The US&nbsp;military said at the time the data belonged to the Afghan government, which did not want it released.

A former US&nbsp;official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was pressure on the US&nbsp;military to achieve the success that could create a risk of not being fully open with the facts.

&quot;We&#39;re going in a direction of hiding facts and shading and shaping facts in reaction to a lot of pressure to show fast results,&quot; the former official said.

The move will limit transparency, the US government's top watchdog on Afghanistan said on Monday

The Pentagon has restricted the release of critical information on the progress being made in the war in Afghanistan, a move that will limit transparency, the US government's top watchdog on Afghanistan said on Monday. For years, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, has published a quarterly report that includes unclassified data on the amount of territory controlled or influenced by the Taliban and the government. In a report published late on Monday, SIGAR said, however, it was told not to release that information. The military also classified, for the first time since 2009, the actual and authorised total troop numbers and attrition rate for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, or ANDSF. "The implication is that I think the average American who reads our reports or reads your press accounts of it, has no meaningful ability to analyse how his money or her money is being spent on Afghanistan," John Sopko, who leads the independent watchdog office, told Reuters in an interview. The Pentagon sought to deflect blame for the decision, the latest move to limit the amount of publicly available information about the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan - America's longest. It said in a statement that the Department of Defense did not tell SIGAR to withhold the data, but rather it was the NATO-led Resolute Support coalition that made the determination. It added that the Pentagon did not have the authority to overrule the classification made by Resolute Support, which is led by US General John Nicholson. "The Department continues to work with SIGAR, US Forces-Afghanistan, and NATO Resolute Support to resolve concerns about restrictions on information that was previously unclassified," Lieutenant Colonel Michael Andrews said. Former officials and experts said that regardless of who restricted the information, it was particularly worrying because Afghan and US officials had publicly set a benchmark it would now be difficult to measure. The top US general in Afghanistan set a goal in November of driving back Taliban insurgents enough to control at least 80 percent of the country within two years. In its most recent report, SIGAR said that 43 percent of Afghanistan's districts were either under Taliban control or being contested. Sopko said people would jump to the conclusion that information was being withheld because progress was not being made, which may not be the case. A similar accusation was made during the Vietnam War, which later proved true. "In essence, you can ask me almost any question and I will have to say, it is classified or non-releasable, I mean you go down the list, it is just amazing," Sopko said. He added that the Department of Defense did not give him any reasons for the move. Recent attacks The move by the Pentagon comes amid a spate of violence in Afghanistan over the past nine days that is putting a new, more aggressive strategy under the spotlight. An ambulance bomb in the city center killed more than 100 people, just over a week after an attack on the Hotel Intercontinental, also in Kabul, killed more than 20, including four US citizens. President Donald Trump has committed an additional 3,000 US troops to Afghanistan in recent weeks, bringing the total number of American troops in Afghanistan to about 14,000. Michael Kugelman, with the Woodrow Wilson Center, said it made little sense to block the information. "It's not fair to the American people, to American troops and I would think it's pretty hard to justify doing something like this," Kugelman said. It is not the first time data has been withheld on the Afghan war. Last year, US forces in Afghanistan restricted the amount of data it provided on the ANDSF, including casualties, personnel strength, and attrition rates - data that has now been completely withheld. The US military said at the time the data belonged to the Afghan government, which did not want it released. A former US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was pressure on the US military to achieve the success that could create a risk of not being fully open with the facts. "We're going in a direction of hiding facts and shading and shaping facts in reaction to a lot of pressure to show fast results," the former official said.

Pentagon blocks release of key data on Afghan war - watchdog

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday delivered his first State of the Union address and provided his assessment of his first year in office with a look ahead at his agenda as he continues to work towards fulfilling his campaign promise to &quot;make America great again.&quot;

In the hour-long address, Donald Trump spoke about the American economy and the tax cuts undertaken by his government. He also talked about &quot;decades of unfair trade deals&quot;, &quot;immigration policies that focus on the best interests of American Workers and American Families&quot;, &quot;what kind of nation&quot; America will be, and America&#39;s &quot;fight until ISIS is defeated&quot; among others.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-state-of-the-union-speech-full-text-31279" target="_blank">Full text of Donald Trump&#39;s State of the Union speech</a>

The State of the Union Address is an annual message presented by President of United States to a joint session of the United States Congress after the president completes one year of his term.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
US President Trump said that &quot;together, we are building a safe, strong and proud America. The state of our union is strong, because our people are strong.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOTU</a> <a href="https://t.co/FOEqVUyHho">pic.twitter.com/FOEqVUyHho</a>
&mdash; AFP news agency (@AFP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AFP/status/958533775742328832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
&quot;So let us begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our Union is strong because our people are strong.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOTU</a>: <a href="https://t.co/Njo52YOlc2">https://t.co/Njo52YOlc2</a>
&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/958524829233184768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Broadcast live across the country, the address serves as a platform for the President to directly communicate to the people of America.&nbsp;

As Trump took the stage, amid cheer and jubilation, he talked about issues of prime importance and utmost significance to the country, its prosperity and its ties with allies. Here is a quick look at some of the key points from Trump&#39;s first State of the Union address.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/what-is-state-of-the-union-address-31215">What is the State of the Union Address?</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOTU</a>: <a href="https://t.co/nJF9j414YL">https://t.co/nJF9j414YL</a> <a href="https://t.co/9akH7raQta">pic.twitter.com/9akH7raQta</a>
&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/958523660683415554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

United America&nbsp;

&quot;Tonight, I want to talk about what kind of future we are going to have, and what kind of nation we are going to be. All of us, together, as one team, one people, and one American family.&quot;

Trump emphasised the importance of a &quot;united America&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;As we rebuild America&rsquo;s strength and confidence at home, we are also restoring our strength and standing abroad,&quot; Trump noted.&nbsp;

A staunch believer and propagator of the idea of the &quot;American dream&quot;, Trump further added, &quot;This is our New American Moment. There has never been a better time to start living the American dream.&quot;

Trump noted that the citizens of America love their country and deserve a government that shows them the same love and loyalty in return.&nbsp;

&quot;Tonight I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties, Democrats and Republicans, to protect our citizens, of every background, color, and creed,&quot; Trump said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="videos-block">
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pVDh0U3IGn4"></iframe></div>
</div>

<div class="media-description">
Broadcast live across the country, the address serves as a platform for the President to directly communicate to the people of America. (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Fight until ISIS is defeated

Reinstating America&#39;s zero tolerance on terrorism, the US President noted that as he assumed office last year, he had pledged to work with allies to extinguish ISIS from the face of the earth.

&quot;One year later, I&rsquo;m proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated almost 100 percent of the territory once held by these killers in Iraq and Syria. But there is much more work to be done,&quot; he shared.

&quot;We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated,&quot; Trump exclaimed.&nbsp;

Economically strong America

&quot;We want every American to know the dignity of a hard day&rsquo;s work; we want every child to be safe in their home at night, and we want every citizen to be proud of this land that we love,&quot; said Trump noting that the key to a stronger nation is closely tied to economic growth and prosperity.&nbsp;

&quot;I am asking both parties to come together to give us the safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure our economy needs and our people deserve,&quot; he noted.&nbsp;

Trump furthered his statement by talking about tax relief provided to the US citizens.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOTU</a>: <a href="https://t.co/nT5Y9ywiwb">https://t.co/nT5Y9ywiwb</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ppd1dRB6Hm">pic.twitter.com/Ppd1dRB6Hm</a>
&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/958525971765907456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;Just as I promised the American People from this podium 11 months ago, we enacted the biggest tax cuts and reform in American history.&quot;

He shared that since the tax cuts were passed, roughly 3 million workers have received tax cut bonuses &ndash; thousands of dollars per worker for many.

&quot;&Uuml;nemployment has hit a 45-year low,&quot; Trump shared.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Unemployment claims have hit a 45-year low.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOTU</a>: <a href="https://t.co/nT5Y9ywiwb">https://t.co/nT5Y9ywiwb</a> <a href="https://t.co/lZeqog5Zd3">pic.twitter.com/lZeqog5Zd3</a>
&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/958525610141343744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Trump also touched upon issues like the immigration policy and trade practices, among others.&nbsp;

&quot;America has also finally turned the page on decades of unfair trade deals that sacrificed our prosperity and shipped away our companies, our jobs and our nation&rsquo;s wealth,&quot; Trump shared.&nbsp;

Broadcast live across the country, the address serves as a platform for the President to directly communicate to the people of America

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday delivered his first State of the Union address and provided his assessment of his first year in office with a look ahead at his agenda as he continues to work towards fulfilling his campaign promise to "make America great again." In the hour-long address, Donald Trump spoke about the American economy and the tax cuts undertaken by his government. He also talked about "decades of unfair trade deals", "immigration policies that focus on the best interests of American Workers and American Families", "what kind of nation" America will be, and America's "fight until ISIS is defeated" among others. Also read: Full text of Donald Trump's State of the Union speech The State of the Union Address is an annual message presented by President of United States to a joint session of the United States Congress after the president completes one year of his term. US President Trump said that "together, we are building a safe, strong and proud America. The state of our union is strong, because our people are strong." #SOTU pic.twitter.com/FOEqVUyHho — AFP news agency (@AFP) January 31, 2018 × "So let us begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our Union is strong because our people are strong." #SOTU: https://t.co/Njo52YOlc2 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 31, 2018 × Broadcast live across the country, the address serves as a platform for the President to directly communicate to the people of America. As Trump took the stage, amid cheer and jubilation, he talked about issues of prime importance and utmost significance to the country, its prosperity and its ties with allies. Here is a quick look at some of the key points from Trump's first State of the Union address. Also read: What is the State of the Union Address? #SOTU: https://t.co/nJF9j414YL pic.twitter.com/9akH7raQta — The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 31, 2018 × United America "Tonight, I want to talk about what kind of future we are going to have, and what kind of nation we are going to be. All of us, together, as one team, one people, and one American family." Trump emphasised the importance of a "united America". "As we rebuild America’s strength and confidence at home, we are also restoring our strength and standing abroad," Trump noted. A staunch believer and propagator of the idea of the "American dream", Trump further added, "This is our New American Moment. There has never been a better time to start living the American dream." Trump noted that the citizens of America love their country and deserve a government that shows them the same love and loyalty in return. "Tonight I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties, Democrats and Republicans, to protect our citizens, of every background, color, and creed," Trump said. Broadcast live across the country, the address serves as a platform for the President to directly communicate to the people of America. (WION) × Fight until ISIS is defeated Reinstating America's zero tolerance on terrorism, the US President noted that as he assumed office last year, he had pledged to work with allies to extinguish ISIS from the face of the earth. "One year later, I’m proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated almost 100 percent of the territory once held by these killers in Iraq and Syria. But there is much more work to be done," he shared. "We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated," Trump exclaimed. Economically strong America "We want every American to know the dignity of a hard day’s work; we want every child to be safe in their home at night, and we want every citizen to be proud of this land that we love," said Trump noting that the key to a stronger nation is closely tied to economic growth and prosperity. "I am asking both parties to come together to give us the safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure our economy needs and our people deserve," he noted. Trump furthered his statement by talking about tax relief provided to the US citizens. #SOTU: https://t.co/nT5Y9ywiwb pic.twitter.com/Ppd1dRB6Hm — The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 31, 2018 × "Just as I promised the American People from this podium 11 months ago, we enacted the biggest tax cuts and reform in American history." He shared that since the tax cuts were passed, roughly 3 million workers have received tax cut bonuses – thousands of dollars per worker for many. "Ünemployment has hit a 45-year low," Trump shared. Unemployment claims have hit a 45-year low.#SOTU: https://t.co/nT5Y9ywiwb pic.twitter.com/lZeqog5Zd3 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 31, 2018 × Trump also touched upon issues like the immigration policy and trade practices, among others. "America has also finally turned the page on decades of unfair trade deals that sacrificed our prosperity and shipped away our companies, our jobs and our nation’s wealth," Trump shared.

Never been a better time to start living the American dream, says US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged the Congress to pass a legislation that promotes merit-based immigration, a move that would benefit hundreds of thousands of Indian professionals.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-state-of-the-union-speech-full-text-31279" target="_blank">Full text of Donald Trump&#39;s State of the Union Speech</a>

He proposed a pathway to citizenship for almost 1.8 million illegal immigrants who were brought in the US by their parents at a young age.

&quot;It is time to begin moving towards a merit-based immigration system -- one that admits people who are skilled, who want to work, who will contribute to our society, and who will love and respect our country,&quot; Trump said in his first State of the Union address.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/state-of-the-union-address-us-president-donald-trump-bids-for-safe-strong-and-united-america-31271" target="_blank">US President Donald Trump bids for &#39;safe strong and united America</a>

The State of the Union address is a traditional annual speech of the US president to a joint session of the Congress where he gives an account of the situation in the country.

He proposed four pillars of his immigration reform.

This includes building a wall, and ending chain migration and diversity visa.

Trump said that his proposal should be supported by both parties (Republican and Democratic) as a fair compromise -- one where nobody gets everything they want, but where the country gets the critical reforms it needs.

&quot;The first pillar of our framework generously offers a path to citizenship for 1.8 million illegal immigrants who were brought here by their parents at a young age -- that covers almost three times more people than the previous administration.

&quot;Under our plan, those who meet education and work requirements, and show good moral character, will be able to become full citizens of the United States,&quot; Trump said.

The second pillar fully secures the border, that means building a wall on the Southern border, and it means hiring more people to keep the communities safe.

&quot;Crucially, our plan closes the terrible loopholes exploited by criminals and terrorists to enter our country -- and it finally ends the dangerous practice of &#39;catch and release&#39;,&quot; Trump said.

Trump said the third pillar ends the visa lottery -- a programme that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of Americans.

The fourth and final pillar protects the nuclear family by ending chain migration, he said, ruing that under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives.

&quot;Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children. This vital reform is necessary, not just for our economy, but for our security, and our future,&quot; he said.

Trump said in recent weeks, two terrorist attacks in New York were made possible by the visa lottery and chain migration.

In the age of terrorism, these programmes present risks we can no longer afford.

&quot;It is time to reform these outdated immigration rules, and finally bring our immigration system into the 21st century,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;These four pillars represent a down-the-middle compromise, and one that will create a safe, modern, and lawful immigration system. For over 30 years, Washington has tried and failed to solve this problem. This Congress can be the one that finally makes it happen.

&quot;Most importantly, these four pillars will produce legislation that fulfils my ironclad pledge to only sign a bill that puts America first. So let us come together, set politics aside, and finally get the job done,&quot; Trump urged the lawmakers.

Trump proposed four pillars of his immigration reform

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged the Congress to pass a legislation that promotes merit-based immigration, a move that would benefit hundreds of thousands of Indian professionals. Full text of Donald Trump's State of the Union Speech He proposed a pathway to citizenship for almost 1.8 million illegal immigrants who were brought in the US by their parents at a young age. "It is time to begin moving towards a merit-based immigration system -- one that admits people who are skilled, who want to work, who will contribute to our society, and who will love and respect our country," Trump said in his first State of the Union address. Also read: US President Donald Trump bids for 'safe strong and united America The State of the Union address is a traditional annual speech of the US president to a joint session of the Congress where he gives an account of the situation in the country. He proposed four pillars of his immigration reform. This includes building a wall, and ending chain migration and diversity visa. Trump said that his proposal should be supported by both parties (Republican and Democratic) as a fair compromise -- one where nobody gets everything they want, but where the country gets the critical reforms it needs. "The first pillar of our framework generously offers a path to citizenship for 1.8 million illegal immigrants who were brought here by their parents at a young age -- that covers almost three times more people than the previous administration. "Under our plan, those who meet education and work requirements, and show good moral character, will be able to become full citizens of the United States," Trump said. The second pillar fully secures the border, that means building a wall on the Southern border, and it means hiring more people to keep the communities safe. "Crucially, our plan closes the terrible loopholes exploited by criminals and terrorists to enter our country -- and it finally ends the dangerous practice of 'catch and release'," Trump said. Trump said the third pillar ends the visa lottery -- a programme that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of Americans. The fourth and final pillar protects the nuclear family by ending chain migration, he said, ruing that under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives. "Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children. This vital reform is necessary, not just for our economy, but for our security, and our future," he said. Trump said in recent weeks, two terrorist attacks in New York were made possible by the visa lottery and chain migration. In the age of terrorism, these programmes present risks we can no longer afford. "It is time to reform these outdated immigration rules, and finally bring our immigration system into the 21st century," Trump said. "These four pillars represent a down-the-middle compromise, and one that will create a safe, modern, and lawful immigration system. For over 30 years, Washington has tried and failed to solve this problem. This Congress can be the one that finally makes it happen. "Most importantly, these four pillars will produce legislation that fulfils my ironclad pledge to only sign a bill that puts America first. So let us come together, set politics aside, and finally get the job done," Trump urged the lawmakers.

Donald Trump for legislation that promotes merit-based immigration, move to affect Indians

President Donald Trump declared Tuesday in his State of the Union address to Congress that what he calls America&#39;s &quot;open borders&quot; had allowed drug gangs to pour into US communities.

Pointing out a guest &mdash; a mother who lost two daughters to murder &mdash; Trump urged Congress to come together to &quot;close the loopholes&quot; that he said allow in groups like El Salvador&#39;s MS-13.

&quot;Many of these gang members took advantage of glaring loopholes and our laws to enter the country as illegal, unaccompanied, alien minors,&quot; Trump claimed, laying out his immigration plan.

If the president wins congressional backing for his immigration plans they will include four pillars tightening what he and his populist supporters see as weak links in current law.

The first pillar, and one that might not find immediate support with the most vocal members of Trump&#39;s anti-immigrant base, is a &quot;path to citizenship&quot; for undocumented migrants who arrived at a young age.

The second pillar, Trump said, &quot;fully secures the border&quot; by building a huge wall on the Mexican frontier and hiring more immigration agents.

The third pillar would end America&#39;s Green Card lottery, and replace it with a so-called merit-based system for migrants with skills needed by US businesses.

And the fourth pillar &mdash; an idea that drew protests from Democrat lawmakers during the speech, would end &quot;chain migration&quot; policies that allow migrants to bring in family members.

Trump urged Congress to come together to "close the loopholes" that he said allow in groups like El Salvador's MS-13

President Donald Trump declared Tuesday in his State of the Union address to Congress that what he calls America's "open borders" had allowed drug gangs to pour into US communities. Pointing out a guest — a mother who lost two daughters to murder — Trump urged Congress to come together to "close the loopholes" that he said allow in groups like El Salvador's MS-13. "Many of these gang members took advantage of glaring loopholes and our laws to enter the country as illegal, unaccompanied, alien minors," Trump claimed, laying out his immigration plan. If the president wins congressional backing for his immigration plans they will include four pillars tightening what he and his populist supporters see as weak links in current law. The first pillar, and one that might not find immediate support with the most vocal members of Trump's anti-immigrant base, is a "path to citizenship" for undocumented migrants who arrived at a young age. The second pillar, Trump said, "fully secures the border" by building a huge wall on the Mexican frontier and hiring more immigration agents. The third pillar would end America's Green Card lottery, and replace it with a so-called merit-based system for migrants with skills needed by US businesses. And the fourth pillar — an idea that drew protests from Democrat lawmakers during the speech, would end "chain migration" policies that allow migrants to bring in family members.

'Open borders' promote guns, gangs and cost lives: Donald Trump

<p content="Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he would keep Guantanamo Bay open, breaking from his predecessor Barack Obama's lengthy and ultimately failed efforts to shutter the maligned detention facility." data-reactid="22" type="text">US President Donald Trump announced today he would keep Guantanamo Bay open, breaking from his predecessor Barack Obama&#39;s lengthy and ultimately failed efforts to shutter the maligned detention facility.

<p content="&quot;I just signed an order directing Secretary Mattis to reexamine our military detention policy and to keep open the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay,&quot; Trump said, in his State of the Union address to Congress, in keeping with a campaign promise." data-reactid="23" type="text">&quot;I just signed an order directing Secretary Mattis to reexamine our military detention policy and to keep open the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay,&quot; Trump said, in his State of the Union address to Congress, in keeping with a campaign promise.

<p content="Under president George W. Bush, the US military hastily constructed a prison camp on Guantanamo Bay, located on the US naval base on the eastern tip of Cuba, in the months following the US-led invasion of Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks." data-reactid="24" type="text">Under President George W. Bush, the US military hastily constructed a prison camp on Guantanamo Bay, located on the US naval base on the eastern tip of Cuba, in the months following the US-led invasion of Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

At first, inmates were held in cages and fenced in with razor wire, and conditions for the orange-jumpsuit-clad detainees provoked a global outcry in 2002.

<p content="That early facility, known as Camp X-Ray, was soon replaced with more permanent structures and today, Guantanamo Bay consists of numerous high-security prison buildings." data-reactid="26" type="text">That early facility, known as Camp X-Ray, was soon replaced with more permanent structures and today, Guantanamo Bay consists of numerous high-security prison buildings.

At the height of its operations after 9/11, the facility held 780 people, detained mostly for their alleged ties to Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Since then, hundreds have been transferred back to their home countries or other places.

<p content="Some of the most notorious inmates, including several alleged 9/11 co-conspirators, among them accused mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, are still awaiting trial." data-reactid="29" type="text">Some of the most notorious inmates, including several alleged 9/11 co-conspirators, among them, accused mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, are still awaiting trial.

<p content="Their cases have been beset by legal woes at Guantanamo, where a bespoke criminal justice system grants detainees -- who are considered &quot;unprivileged enemy belligerents&quot; -- only some of the legal rights that US federal courts guarantee." data-reactid="30" type="text">Their cases have been beset by legal woes at Guantanamo, where a bespoke criminal justice system grants detainees -- who are considered &quot;unprivileged enemy belligerents&quot; -- only some of the legal rights that US federal courts guarantee.

Of the 41 inmates remaining at Guantanamo, about 26 are trapped in legal purgatory.

These so-called &quot;forever prisoners&quot; have never been charged -- yet they have been deemed too dangerous to release.

Some were cleared for release under Obama, but have been stranded at Guantanamo under the Trump administration.

- &#39;Bad dudes&#39; -

<p content="On the campaign trail, Trump famously vowed he would load Guantanamo with &quot;bad dudes,&quot; and said it would be &quot;fine&quot; if US terror suspects were sent there for trial." data-reactid="35" type="text">On the campaign trail, Trump famously vowed he would load Guantanamo with &quot;bad dudes,&quot; and said it would be &quot;fine&quot; if US terror suspects were sent there for trial.

In 2009, soon after he was sworn in, Obama ordered the prison to be closed within a year, and no new inmate has been sent there since early 2008.

<p content="Political bickering, vehement Republican opposition and foreign allies' reluctance to take in the prisoners meant Obama could not close Guantanamo, though the population dropped from 242 to 41 under his watch." data-reactid="37" type="text">Political bickering, vehement Republican opposition and foreign allies&#39; reluctance to take in the prisoners meant Obama could not close Guantanamo, though the population dropped from 242 to 41 under his watch.

Since becoming president, Trump has toyed with the idea of sending Americans to Guantanamo, though federal judges would likely bar any such attempt.

<p content="In October, he suggested that the man accused of carrying out a deadly truck attack along a bike path in New York could be sent to Guantanamo, but he later backed off the idea." data-reactid="39" type="text">In October, he suggested that the man accused of carrying out a deadly truck attack along a bike path in New York could be sent to Guantanamo, but he later backed off the idea.

<p content="Another case that could potentially bring Guantanamo into legal focus is that of a US citizen who was captured in Syria and had allegedly been fighting for the Islamic State group." data-reactid="40" type="text">Another case that could potentially bring Guantanamo into legal focus is that of a US citizen who was captured in Syria and had allegedly been fighting for the Islamic State group.

The man, whose name has not been released, is apparently being held in Iraq.

<p content="The American Civil Liberties Union has taken up his case and a federal judge has ruled that the US must give it advance notice before transferring the man overseas." data-reactid="42" type="text">The American Civil Liberties Union has taken up his case and a federal judge has ruled that the US must give it advance notice before transferring the man overseas.

That would allow time for the ACLU to mount a legal challenge.

Trump announces he would keep Guantanamo Bay open, breaking from his predecessor Obama's lengthy and ultimately failed efforts to shutter the facility

US President Donald Trump announced today he would keep Guantanamo Bay open, breaking from his predecessor Barack Obama's lengthy and ultimately failed efforts to shutter the maligned detention facility. "I just signed an order directing Secretary Mattis to reexamine our military detention policy and to keep open the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay," Trump said, in his State of the Union address to Congress, in keeping with a campaign promise. Under President George W. Bush, the US military hastily constructed a prison camp on Guantanamo Bay, located on the US naval base on the eastern tip of Cuba, in the months following the US-led invasion of Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, attacks. At first, inmates were held in cages and fenced in with razor wire, and conditions for the orange-jumpsuit-clad detainees provoked a global outcry in 2002. That early facility, known as Camp X-Ray, was soon replaced with more permanent structures and today, Guantanamo Bay consists of numerous high-security prison buildings. At the height of its operations after 9/11, the facility held 780 people, detained mostly for their alleged ties to Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Since then, hundreds have been transferred back to their home countries or other places. Some of the most notorious inmates, including several alleged 9/11 co-conspirators, among them, accused mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, are still awaiting trial. Their cases have been beset by legal woes at Guantanamo, where a bespoke criminal justice system grants detainees -- who are considered "unprivileged enemy belligerents" -- only some of the legal rights that US federal courts guarantee. Of the 41 inmates remaining at Guantanamo, about 26 are trapped in legal purgatory. These so-called "forever prisoners" have never been charged -- yet they have been deemed too dangerous to release. Some were cleared for release under Obama, but have been stranded at Guantanamo under the Trump administration. - 'Bad dudes' - On the campaign trail, Trump famously vowed he would load Guantanamo with "bad dudes," and said it would be "fine" if US terror suspects were sent there for trial. In 2009, soon after he was sworn in, Obama ordered the prison to be closed within a year, and no new inmate has been sent there since early 2008. Political bickering, vehement Republican opposition and foreign allies' reluctance to take in the prisoners meant Obama could not close Guantanamo, though the population dropped from 242 to 41 under his watch. Since becoming president, Trump has toyed with the idea of sending Americans to Guantanamo, though federal judges would likely bar any such attempt. In October, he suggested that the man accused of carrying out a deadly truck attack along a bike path in New York could be sent to Guantanamo, but he later backed off the idea. Another case that could potentially bring Guantanamo into legal focus is that of a US citizen who was captured in Syria and had allegedly been fighting for the Islamic State group. The man, whose name has not been released, is apparently being held in Iraq. The American Civil Liberties Union has taken up his case and a federal judge has ruled that the US must give it advance notice before transferring the man overseas. That would allow time for the ACLU to mount a legal challenge.

Trump vows to keep Guantanamo Bay prison open

Each test has forged new American heroes to remind us who we are, and show us what we can be

Donald Trump's State of the Union Speech: Full text

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Americans to move beyond the angry partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans in his State of the Union address to Congress.

&quot;Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people we were elected to serve,&quot; he said.

The speech marked Trump&#39;s first year in office and came as his opinion poll approval numbers touched new lows, despite promising economic data and the president&#39;s frequent boasts of historic victories.

&quot;So let us begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our union is strong because our people are strong,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;And together, we are building a safe, strong and proud America. The state of our union is strong, because our people are strong.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
&quot;I am asking both parties to come together to give us safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure our economy needs and our people deserve.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOTU</a>: <a href="https://t.co/Njo52YOlc2">https://t.co/Njo52YOlc2</a>
&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/958531462126546946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

President Donald Trump gives his first official State of the Union Address from the United States Capitol in front of a joint session of Congress

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Americans to move beyond the angry partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans in his State of the Union address to Congress. "Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people we were elected to serve," he said. The speech marked Trump's first year in office and came as his opinion poll approval numbers touched new lows, despite promising economic data and the president's frequent boasts of historic victories. "So let us begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our union is strong because our people are strong," Trump said. "And together, we are building a safe, strong and proud America. The state of our union is strong, because our people are strong." "I am asking both parties to come together to give us safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure our economy needs and our people deserve." #SOTU: https://t.co/Njo52YOlc2 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 31, 2018 ×

President Donald Trump urges US parties set aside differences

President Donald Trump, battling a probe into his campaign&rsquo;s alleged ties with Russia and struggling to sell Americans on his leadership abilities, will take credit for US economic gains in the past year in an address to Congress on Tuesday night.

Facing a deadline on an immigration controversy and strong Democratic opposition, Trump will also call for a bipartisan compromise of the type that has eluded him during the first year in office marked by heated political battles.

Trump will visit Capitol Hill to deliver his first State of the Union speech at 9:10 pm&nbsp;(0210 GMT on Wednesday).

In preparing for the event, Trump told US television network anchors that he would offer a message of unity, in what would be a rarity for the politically polarizing president.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/what-is-state-of-the-union-address-31215">What is the State of the Union Address?</a>

&ldquo;I would consider it a great achievement if we could make our country united,&rdquo; he told the anchors during a lunch, according to comments released by the White House.

Aides said the Republican president would use the televised speech to tout the benefits of a tax overhaul approved by the Republican-controlled Congress in December that was his first major legislative victory.

&ldquo;The economy will be front and centre,&rdquo; White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told NBC News on Tuesday.

The atmosphere in the House of Representatives chamber where Trump will speak could be tense. Several Democratic lawmakers have said they will boycott the event. Some Democratic women who will attend plan to wear black in support of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.

Ahead of Trump&rsquo;s speech, Republicans and Democrats were deeply divided over immigration, which has been linked to congressional efforts to pass a spending bill. Lawmakers face a Feb. 8 deadline to reach a compromise on the issue and pass a new budget measure to avoid a second government shutdown after a brief closure earlier this month.

To attract Democratic votes for an immigration deal, Trump has said he is open to letting &ldquo;Dreamers,&rdquo; a group of immigrants brought into the country illegally as children, stay in the United States.

In return, he has demanded to fund for his long-proposed wall along the border with Mexico and measures to curb family sponsorship of immigrants, proposals that have failed to gain traction with Democrats in the past.

US Senator Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said the two sides had made little progress so far in bridging differences on immigration.

&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t agree on anything,&rdquo; Durbin said after a meeting with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Monday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/what-to-expect-from-trumps-first-state-of-the-union-speech-31225">Immigration, jobs, trade: What to expect from Trump&#39;s first State of the Union address</a>

Russia probe

Trump will also promote a $1.7 trillion plan to rebuild America&rsquo;s ageing roads and other infrastructure, but he is not expected to offer many details.

Trump is expected to address the various global issues that have preoccupied his administration, such as the challenge posed by North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear and weapons programs, and Iran&rsquo;s clout in the Middle East.

The speech comes as the president is buffeted by a series of headlines about US Special Counsel Robert Mueller&rsquo;s investigation into whether Trump or his aides colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential election.

US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the campaign using hacking and propaganda to attempt to tilt the race in Trump&rsquo;s favor. Russia has denied meddling. Trump, who has called Mueller&rsquo;s probe a &ldquo;witch hunt,&rdquo; has denied any collusion with Russia or that he has obstructed justice in his actions related to the federal investigation.

Americans, at the same time, are voicing concerns about Trump&rsquo;s fitness for office. Opinion polls show his job approval ratings are about 40 percent, a number that is alarming to Republicans as they seek to maintain control of the US Congress in midterm elections in November.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-deliver-first-state-of-the-union-address-tomorrow-indian-techies-widow-among-guests-31233">In Trump&#39;s first State of the Union address, Indian techie&#39;s widow will be among guests</a>

Leaders of the two parties had sharply different expectations for the speech. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said he was &ldquo;excited&rdquo; to hear a State of the Union speech when things were so promising.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really encouraging to be able to come and hear an upbeat tone at a State of the Union,&rdquo; Ryan told reporters. &ldquo;Economic confidence is coming back to America.&rdquo;

Representative Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat, said Trump&rsquo;s theme of a &ldquo;safe, strong and proud America&rdquo; did not reflect reality.

&ldquo;That may be the theme, but that&rsquo;s not what has happened over the last year,&rdquo; he said, adding that Trump had alienated US allies, hollowed out the diplomatic corps and increased the national debt with tax legislation.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Trump should thank his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, for the strong economic outlook. &ldquo;Like many things in life, he inherited the healthy economy,&rdquo; Schumer said of Trump.

Trump told US television network anchors that he would offer a message of unity, in what would be a rarity for the politically polarizing president

President Donald Trump, battling a probe into his campaign’s alleged ties with Russia and struggling to sell Americans on his leadership abilities, will take credit for US economic gains in the past year in an address to Congress on Tuesday night. Facing a deadline on an immigration controversy and strong Democratic opposition, Trump will also call for a bipartisan compromise of the type that has eluded him during the first year in office marked by heated political battles. Trump will visit Capitol Hill to deliver his first State of the Union speech at 9:10 pm (0210 GMT on Wednesday). In preparing for the event, Trump told US television network anchors that he would offer a message of unity, in what would be a rarity for the politically polarizing president. Also read: What is the State of the Union Address? “I would consider it a great achievement if we could make our country united,” he told the anchors during a lunch, according to comments released by the White House. Aides said the Republican president would use the televised speech to tout the benefits of a tax overhaul approved by the Republican-controlled Congress in December that was his first major legislative victory. “The economy will be front and centre,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told NBC News on Tuesday. The atmosphere in the House of Representatives chamber where Trump will speak could be tense. Several Democratic lawmakers have said they will boycott the event. Some Democratic women who will attend plan to wear black in support of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment. Ahead of Trump’s speech, Republicans and Democrats were deeply divided over immigration, which has been linked to congressional efforts to pass a spending bill. Lawmakers face a Feb. 8 deadline to reach a compromise on the issue and pass a new budget measure to avoid a second government shutdown after a brief closure earlier this month. To attract Democratic votes for an immigration deal, Trump has said he is open to letting “Dreamers,” a group of immigrants brought into the country illegally as children, stay in the United States. In return, he has demanded to fund for his long-proposed wall along the border with Mexico and measures to curb family sponsorship of immigrants, proposals that have failed to gain traction with Democrats in the past. US Senator Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said the two sides had made little progress so far in bridging differences on immigration. “We didn’t agree on anything,” Durbin said after a meeting with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Monday. Also read: Immigration, jobs, trade: What to expect from Trump's first State of the Union address Russia probe Trump will also promote a $1.7 trillion plan to rebuild America’s ageing roads and other infrastructure, but he is not expected to offer many details. Trump is expected to address the various global issues that have preoccupied his administration, such as the challenge posed by North Korea’s nuclear and weapons programs, and Iran’s clout in the Middle East. The speech comes as the president is buffeted by a series of headlines about US Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether Trump or his aides colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential election. US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the campaign using hacking and propaganda to attempt to tilt the race in Trump’s favor. Russia has denied meddling. Trump, who has called Mueller’s probe a “witch hunt,” has denied any collusion with Russia or that he has obstructed justice in his actions related to the federal investigation. Americans, at the same time, are voicing concerns about Trump’s fitness for office. Opinion polls show his job approval ratings are about 40 percent, a number that is alarming to Republicans as they seek to maintain control of the US Congress in midterm elections in November. Also read: In Trump's first State of the Union address, Indian techie's widow will be among guests Leaders of the two parties had sharply different expectations for the speech. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said he was “excited” to hear a State of the Union speech when things were so promising. “It’s really encouraging to be able to come and hear an upbeat tone at a State of the Union,” Ryan told reporters. “Economic confidence is coming back to America.” Representative Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat, said Trump’s theme of a “safe, strong and proud America” did not reflect reality. “That may be the theme, but that’s not what has happened over the last year,” he said, adding that Trump had alienated US allies, hollowed out the diplomatic corps and increased the national debt with tax legislation. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Trump should thank his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, for the strong economic outlook. “Like many things in life, he inherited the healthy economy,” Schumer said of Trump.

After turbulent year, Trump to tout strong economy in speech to Congress

The US Treasury has released a long-awaited list of Russian officials and business leaders eligible for sanctions under a law designed to punish Moscow for its alleged meddling in the election that brought Donald Trump to power.

The list published shortly before midnight yesterday features the names of most of the senior members in President Vladimir Putin&#39;s administration -- 114 politicians altogether -- and 96 business people the US considers &#39;oligarchs&#39; close to Putin and worth at least USD 1 billion each.

The seven-page unclassified list, which does not trigger sanctions right away, features Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and top officials in Russian intelligence agencies.

Also on the list were the chief executives of big state-owned companies such as energy giant Rosneft and Sberbank.

The list was widely expected to infuriate Putin and send shivers through his inner circle and Moscow&#39;s moneyed elite, threatening to cut them off from world finance.

Yesterday was the deadline for its release under a law passed last year by Congress over the objections of Trump, whom critics in the US say has been oddly reluctant to criticise Russia or Putin.

Under the same law, the State Department yesterday also declined to punish any US or foreign companies for dealings with Russian arms companies. It argued this was not needed because governments around the world have already nixed billions in contracts with those Russian firms.

US lawmakers passed the law -- called the Countering America&#39;s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act -- out of concern that Trump, eager to have warm ties with Putin, might not take tough action to punish Moscow and Russian officials for interfering in US elections and destabilising Ukraine.&nbsp;

The list was published shortly before midnight yesterday

The US Treasury has released a long-awaited list of Russian officials and business leaders eligible for sanctions under a law designed to punish Moscow for its alleged meddling in the election that brought Donald Trump to power. The list published shortly before midnight yesterday features the names of most of the senior members in President Vladimir Putin's administration -- 114 politicians altogether -- and 96 business people the US considers 'oligarchs' close to Putin and worth at least USD 1 billion each. The seven-page unclassified list, which does not trigger sanctions right away, features Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and top officials in Russian intelligence agencies. Also on the list were the chief executives of big state-owned companies such as energy giant Rosneft and Sberbank. The list was widely expected to infuriate Putin and send shivers through his inner circle and Moscow's moneyed elite, threatening to cut them off from world finance. Yesterday was the deadline for its release under a law passed last year by Congress over the objections of Trump, whom critics in the US say has been oddly reluctant to criticise Russia or Putin. Under the same law, the State Department yesterday also declined to punish any US or foreign companies for dealings with Russian arms companies. It argued this was not needed because governments around the world have already nixed billions in contracts with those Russian firms. US lawmakers passed the law -- called the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act -- out of concern that Trump, eager to have warm ties with Putin, might not take tough action to punish Moscow and Russian officials for interfering in US elections and destabilising Ukraine.

US releases 'Putin list' of Russians eligible for sanctions

Majeed Qarar, the Afghan Diplomat to the US, alleges that&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/five-arrested-over-kabul-intercontinental-hotel-shooting-30990">Kabul&#39;s Intercontinental hotel attack</a> was planned in a Madarasa in Pakistan.

Qarar released a video on his social handles which shows Abdul Qahar -- father of one of the suicide attackers.

In the video, Qahar -- an eyewitness of the incident -- shares details about his son&#39;s enrollment in a Pakistan-based Madrasa.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A clear proof that the attack on Kabul&#39;s Inter (Con) Hotel was planned in a madrasa, on Pakistan&#39;s soil. Abdul Qahar, the father of one of the suicide attackers is an eyewitness of the story. Please watch the video: <a href="https://t.co/uGFdT4nZ7a">https://t.co/uGFdT4nZ7a</a>
&mdash; Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) <a href="https://twitter.com/MajeedQarar/status/958022789138649088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

He noted that he &amp; his wife visited the son twice to bring him back, but he was not ready to go&nbsp;with them. Qahar also mentioned the militancy in Madrasa.&nbsp;

He admitted that he was informed about his son&#39;s death when he was called to Pakistan.&nbsp;

Majeed&nbsp;Qarar previously took to Twitter revealing that Pakistan army supplied equipment to attackers of the Afghan Military Academy.&nbsp;

&quot;The night vision goggles found with Taliban attackers in Maiwand&nbsp;ANA base were military grade goggles (Not sold to the public) procured by Pak army from a British company &amp; supplied 2 Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir &amp; Taliban in Afghanistan. Lashkar-e-Taiba is an international terrorist org&quot;, Qarar tweeted yesterday.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The night vision goggles found with Taliban attackers in maiwand&#39;s ANA base were military grade goggles (Not sold to public) procured by Pak army from a British company &amp; supplied 2 Lashkar-e-Tayyeba in Kashmir &amp; Taliban in Afghanistn. Lashkar-e-Tayyeba is an int&#39;l terrorist org.
&mdash; Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) <a href="https://twitter.com/MajeedQarar/status/957805793541345283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

At least four Taliban gunmen attacked Kabul&#39;s landmark Intercontinental Hotel on January 27 and started shooting at guests. The shooting went on for at least 12 hours.

The overnight attack killed at least 22 people, the majority of them were foreigners including citizens from Venezuela, the Ukraine, Germany and Kazakhstan and America.

About 100 people were kept hostage who were released after the attack.

The video shows Abdul Qahar, father of one of the suicide attackers

Majeed Qarar, the Afghan Diplomat to the US, alleges that Kabul's Intercontinental hotel attack was planned in a Madarasa in Pakistan. Qarar released a video on his social handles which shows Abdul Qahar -- father of one of the suicide attackers. In the video, Qahar -- an eyewitness of the incident -- shares details about his son's enrollment in a Pakistan-based Madrasa. A clear proof that the attack on Kabul's Inter (Con) Hotel was planned in a madrasa, on Pakistan's soil. Abdul Qahar, the father of one of the suicide attackers is an eyewitness of the story. Please watch the video: https://t.co/uGFdT4nZ7a — Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) January 29, 2018 × He noted that he & his wife visited the son twice to bring him back, but he was not ready to go with them. Qahar also mentioned the militancy in Madrasa. He admitted that he was informed about his son's death when he was called to Pakistan. Majeed Qarar previously took to Twitter revealing that Pakistan army supplied equipment to attackers of the Afghan Military Academy. "The night vision goggles found with Taliban attackers in Maiwand ANA base were military grade goggles (Not sold to the public) procured by Pak army from a British company & supplied 2 Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir & Taliban in Afghanistan. Lashkar-e-Taiba is an international terrorist org", Qarar tweeted yesterday. The night vision goggles found with Taliban attackers in maiwand's ANA base were military grade goggles (Not sold to public) procured by Pak army from a British company & supplied 2 Lashkar-e-Tayyeba in Kashmir & Taliban in Afghanistn. Lashkar-e-Tayyeba is an int'l terrorist org. — Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) January 29, 2018 × At least four Taliban gunmen attacked Kabul's landmark Intercontinental Hotel on January 27 and started shooting at guests. The shooting went on for at least 12 hours. The overnight attack killed at least 22 people, the majority of them were foreigners including citizens from Venezuela, the Ukraine, Germany and Kazakhstan and America. About 100 people were kept hostage who were released after the attack.

Attack on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel was planned in Pakistan: Afghan envoy to US

The US president Donald Trump will be delivering his State of the Union (SOTU) speech on Jan 30, 2018. Given the promises made during Trump&rsquo;s campaign and the trajectory of the events since he took office, the White House has been gearing up to prepare for a trade crackdown on China. During his Asia Trip, Trump addressed the problems the US is suffering due to unfair and unfavorable trade practices by the other countries. In his &lsquo;America First&rsquo; policy, Trump vowed to only engage in fair and reciprocal trade, revisiting several trade pacts made under previous administrations.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The National Security Strategy (NSS), released in December 2017, unabashedly saw the global trade practices as unfit for the US objectives of making &lsquo;America great again&rsquo;. The NSS categorised China as a strategic and economic competitor, which took advantage of the US-led globalisation initiative.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The US and China have continued to express displeasure at each other&rsquo;s trade practices. In the last World Economic Forum, 2017, the keynote speech delivered by Xi Jinping expressed a different side of Chinese thinking where Xi prompted liberal and free trade for a globalised world while accusing the US of protectionism. The speech came after Trump Administration took over from Obama administration.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the period of Trump&rsquo;s campaign, several allegations were made against China&rsquo;s unfair, regressive and harmful trade practices, currency manipulation, and imbalance of trade, against which a vision of &lsquo;America First&rsquo; policy was promoted. Trump promised to &lsquo;fix&rsquo; the trade deficit, engage only in reciprocal and far trade instead of free trade.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As politico published&mdash;according to the three administration officials&mdash;the crackdown is likely to include new tariffs directed at China. The tariffs are to involve everything from imports of steel and solar panels to intellectual property theft.

&nbsp;

The White House was seen keen on addressing the trade issue with China since Trump&rsquo;s Asia Trips. The events that followed, suggest that Trump administration is past the question of &lsquo;should&rsquo; and reached precise measures on &lsquo;how&rsquo; to rectify trade imbalance with China. Moreover, trade is one of the policy areas where the President can act without reliance on the Congress.

&nbsp;

Underlining the development, there have been serious debates between the Trump senior advisors on the course of trade policy against China as the consequences may be severe. The officials said that even though Trump is undecided on specific policies, there are chances that these tariffs will be sanctioned, attracting severe retaliation from the targeted countries.

&nbsp;

Trump&rsquo;s meeting with Republican Congressional Leaders, at Camp David on 6th Jan 2018, drew caution from going too far on a trade war. The meetings included key Cabinet Secretaries and senior administration officials, including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, trade advisor Peter Navarro, Council Economic Advisers chairman Kevin Hassett and National Economic Council director Gary Cohn. The Politico reported, a clear divide between the senior members, Cohn and group, calling for more moderate, targeted approach and Navarro, advocating harsh and sweeping actions.

&nbsp;

The current administration is known for reversing the actions taken during Obama administration. Trump pulled out from Trans-Pacific Partnership, Paris Agreement on Climate Change, demanded allies to pay their share for security provided under the US and announced renegotiation of two major trade agreements&mdash;North Atlantic Free Trade Association (NAFTA) and Free Trade Agreement with South Korea. Not to forget the upcoming World Economic Forum, from 23-26 Jan 2018, will also condense US policy on trade (with China) and face real-time response from the attending nations.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

China has already received certain blows on trade, complicating an overwrought relationship. The Congressional Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) blocked Ant Financial, Jack Ma&rsquo;s company, from acquiring MoneyGram due to concerns for national security. In the cases of import of solar power and washing machines, the US Trade Commission concluded that increased imports are a &ldquo;substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry&rdquo;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

On 22 Jan 2018, White House decided to enforce tariffs on solar panels and washing machines. Chinese Commerce Ministry criticised the move saying, &ldquo;the US side once again has abused its trade remedy measures&hellip;will resolutely defend its [China&rsquo;s] legitimate interests&rdquo;.

&nbsp;

Trump has a wide berth for maneuvers in deciding tariffs and import quotas. It can be speculated that he may only choose to target China to signify the US attempt and resolve at punishing China for trade malpractice. It&rsquo;s likely that his attempts may face challenges at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and may also trigger mirrored actions by countries, barring the US products in their respective markets. The prospects of such tariffs are likely to result in loss of tens of thousands of jobs, alarming the booming solar energy sector in the US, created under the Obama administration. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

The reason given behind these tariffs, is to provide much required impetus to the indigenous solar manufacturing, significant for national security and economy.

&nbsp;

The attack on solar power has also lead to a debate questioning the intentions behind tariffs against a green, renewable alternative to fossil fuels. The Trump administration increased efforts to repeal Obama administration&rsquo;s climate rules on the power industry, it proposed measures to give financial support to coal-fired power plants. The administration has also pushed to increase US exports of liquefied natural gas.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the Obama Administration, the solar power sector enjoyed its boom years resulting in cost competitiveness with natural gas and coal-based power plants. The cost declination in prices of solar panels will be reversed with the execution of the tariffs. Chinese companies hold about 80 percent of the solar manufacturing capacity, the US being the second largest.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The US congressional policies have already reduced Chinese investments from about US$ 50 Billion in 2016 to less than half in 2017. The US&rsquo;s barring of Chinese investment in US high-tech sector has, ironically, accelerated the pace of tech innovation in China, increasing expenditure on R&amp;D from 1% in 2000 to 2% in 2017.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

On Jan 22nd 2018, Pentagon released its National Defense Strategy (NDS), calling for aggressive steps towards the strategic competitors&mdash;China and Russia. Previously, the NSS 2017, had already categorised the two nations as a danger to the US national security and international order.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Post the release of NDS, Jim Mattis Secretary of Defense said, &quot;this required some tough choices ... and we made them&hellip;based upon a fundamental precept: namely, that America can afford survival.&rdquo; The paper called China and Russia &lsquo;principal priorities&rsquo;. China reprimanded the document, calling it &lsquo;a cold war mentality&rsquo; and &lsquo;full of unreal assertions of zero-sum games and confrontations.&rsquo;

&nbsp;

On the eve of the release, USS Hopper sailed within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal, occupied by China from Philippines in 2012, reviving the Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOP) after months.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

On reports of continued militarisation in the South China Sea, Brian Hook, US State Department, vowed to resume FNOPs. The revival of Quad and the new term &lsquo;Indo-Pacific&rsquo; and its amplified use by the US and allies have alarmed China into increasing its military presence on the artificial islands.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Moreover, from Trump&rsquo;s Asia visit, increasing US arms sale have also fueled speculations enticing conflict between China and the neighbors. The US is deploying more military assets in the region, blaming North Korea, but China remains unsure of the US intentions. Seeking closer ties with the Southeast Asian nations against China&rsquo;s growing militarisation on the South China Sea, Jim Mattis is on his Southeast Asia visit from 22-26 Jan 2018. He visited Indonesia and vowed continued efforts to expand maritime cooperation and make Indonesia as &lsquo;a sort of fulcrum between Indian and Pacific Ocean&rsquo;.

&nbsp;

While aggressive military and diplomatic actions by China has provided legitimacy to the US presence in East Asia, the US naval exercises in South China has also had a reverse effect. China never stopped militarising in the South China Sea, in fact, it increased the deployment of military assets, encouraging tension and disputes.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Tensions in US-China relations have global consequences and Trump&rsquo;s response to China in both defense and trade will also have inevitable underpinnings for the rest of the world. Under his administration, the US has acknowledged revival of the great power competition and its reduced leverage on land, in the air, and space and nuclear.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Even though Trump may levy strict tariffs on imports from China, will it improve the US standing in the globalized world? Trump&rsquo;s insistence on &lsquo;America First&rsquo; takes away the US credits as the leader of the globalised world. Moving away from multilateral forums, when it is perhaps required most, the US may isolate itself but at the cost of its supremacy.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tensions in US-China relations have global consequences and Trump’s response to China in both defense and trade will also have inevitable underpinnings for the rest of the world.

The US president Donald Trump will be delivering his State of the Union (SOTU) speech on Jan 30, 2018. Given the promises made during Trump’s campaign and the trajectory of the events since he took office, the White House has been gearing up to prepare for a trade crackdown on China. During his Asia Trip, Trump addressed the problems the US is suffering due to unfair and unfavorable trade practices by the other countries. In his ‘America First’ policy, Trump vowed to only engage in fair and reciprocal trade, revisiting several trade pacts made under previous administrations. The National Security Strategy (NSS), released in December 2017, unabashedly saw the global trade practices as unfit for the US objectives of making ‘America great again’. The NSS categorised China as a strategic and economic competitor, which took advantage of the US-led globalisation initiative. The US and China have continued to express displeasure at each other’s trade practices. In the last World Economic Forum, 2017, the keynote speech delivered by Xi Jinping expressed a different side of Chinese thinking where Xi prompted liberal and free trade for a globalised world while accusing the US of protectionism. The speech came after Trump Administration took over from Obama administration. In the period of Trump’s campaign, several allegations were made against China’s unfair, regressive and harmful trade practices, currency manipulation, and imbalance of trade, against which a vision of ‘America First’ policy was promoted. Trump promised to ‘fix’ the trade deficit, engage only in reciprocal and far trade instead of free trade. As politico published—according to the three administration officials—the crackdown is likely to include new tariffs directed at China. The tariffs are to involve everything from imports of steel and solar panels to intellectual property theft. The White House was seen keen on addressing the trade issue with China since Trump’s Asia Trips. The events that followed, suggest that Trump administration is past the question of ‘should’ and reached precise measures on ‘how’ to rectify trade imbalance with China. Moreover, trade is one of the policy areas where the President can act without reliance on the Congress. Underlining the development, there have been serious debates between the Trump senior advisors on the course of trade policy against China as the consequences may be severe. The officials said that even though Trump is undecided on specific policies, there are chances that these tariffs will be sanctioned, attracting severe retaliation from the targeted countries. Trump’s meeting with Republican Congressional Leaders, at Camp David on 6th Jan 2018, drew caution from going too far on a trade war. The meetings included key Cabinet Secretaries and senior administration officials, including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, trade advisor Peter Navarro, Council Economic Advisers chairman Kevin Hassett and National Economic Council director Gary Cohn. The Politico reported, a clear divide between the senior members, Cohn and group, calling for more moderate, targeted approach and Navarro, advocating harsh and sweeping actions. The current administration is known for reversing the actions taken during Obama administration. Trump pulled out from Trans-Pacific Partnership, Paris Agreement on Climate Change, demanded allies to pay their share for security provided under the US and announced renegotiation of two major trade agreements—North Atlantic Free Trade Association (NAFTA) and Free Trade Agreement with South Korea. Not to forget the upcoming World Economic Forum, from 23-26 Jan 2018, will also condense US policy on trade (with China) and face real-time response from the attending nations. China has already received certain blows on trade, complicating an overwrought relationship. The Congressional Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) blocked Ant Financial, Jack Ma’s company, from acquiring MoneyGram due to concerns for national security. In the cases of import of solar power and washing machines, the US Trade Commission concluded that increased imports are a “substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry”. On 22 Jan 2018, White House decided to enforce tariffs on solar panels and washing machines. Chinese Commerce Ministry criticised the move saying, “the US side once again has abused its trade remedy measures…will resolutely defend its [China’s] legitimate interests”. Trump has a wide berth for maneuvers in deciding tariffs and import quotas. It can be speculated that he may only choose to target China to signify the US attempt and resolve at punishing China for trade malpractice. It’s likely that his attempts may face challenges at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and may also trigger mirrored actions by countries, barring the US products in their respective markets. The prospects of such tariffs are likely to result in loss of tens of thousands of jobs, alarming the booming solar energy sector in the US, created under the Obama administration. The reason given behind these tariffs, is to provide much required impetus to the indigenous solar manufacturing, significant for national security and economy. The attack on solar power has also lead to a debate questioning the intentions behind tariffs against a green, renewable alternative to fossil fuels. The Trump administration increased efforts to repeal Obama administration’s climate rules on the power industry, it proposed measures to give financial support to coal-fired power plants. The administration has also pushed to increase US exports of liquefied natural gas. In the Obama Administration, the solar power sector enjoyed its boom years resulting in cost competitiveness with natural gas and coal-based power plants. The cost declination in prices of solar panels will be reversed with the execution of the tariffs. Chinese companies hold about 80 percent of the solar manufacturing capacity, the US being the second largest. The US congressional policies have already reduced Chinese investments from about US$ 50 Billion in 2016 to less than half in 2017. The US’s barring of Chinese investment in US high-tech sector has, ironically, accelerated the pace of tech innovation in China, increasing expenditure on R&D from 1% in 2000 to 2% in 2017. On Jan 22nd 2018, Pentagon released its National Defense Strategy (NDS), calling for aggressive steps towards the strategic competitors—China and Russia. Previously, the NSS 2017, had already categorised the two nations as a danger to the US national security and international order. Post the release of NDS, Jim Mattis Secretary of Defense said, "this required some tough choices ... and we made them…based upon a fundamental precept: namely, that America can afford survival.” The paper called China and Russia ‘principal priorities’. China reprimanded the document, calling it ‘a cold war mentality’ and ‘full of unreal assertions of zero-sum games and confrontations.’ On the eve of the release, USS Hopper sailed within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal, occupied by China from Philippines in 2012, reviving the Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOP) after months. On reports of continued militarisation in the South China Sea, Brian Hook, US State Department, vowed to resume FNOPs. The revival of Quad and the new term ‘Indo-Pacific’ and its amplified use by the US and allies have alarmed China into increasing its military presence on the artificial islands. Moreover, from Trump’s Asia visit, increasing US arms sale have also fueled speculations enticing conflict between China and the neighbors. The US is deploying more military assets in the region, blaming North Korea, but China remains unsure of the US intentions. Seeking closer ties with the Southeast Asian nations against China’s growing militarisation on the South China Sea, Jim Mattis is on his Southeast Asia visit from 22-26 Jan 2018. He visited Indonesia and vowed continued efforts to expand maritime cooperation and make Indonesia as ‘a sort of fulcrum between Indian and Pacific Ocean’. While aggressive military and diplomatic actions by China has provided legitimacy to the US presence in East Asia, the US naval exercises in South China has also had a reverse effect. China never stopped militarising in the South China Sea, in fact, it increased the deployment of military assets, encouraging tension and disputes. Tensions in US-China relations have global consequences and Trump’s response to China in both defense and trade will also have inevitable underpinnings for the rest of the world. Under his administration, the US has acknowledged revival of the great power competition and its reduced leverage on land, in the air, and space and nuclear. Even though Trump may levy strict tariffs on imports from China, will it improve the US standing in the globalized world? Trump’s insistence on ‘America First’ takes away the US credits as the leader of the globalised world. Moving away from multilateral forums, when it is perhaps required most, the US may isolate itself but at the cost of its supremacy. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion:  Will US see Trade War with China? Trump's State of the Union Speech will have the answer

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is set to give his first State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, with a broad audience - including stock investors - expected to tune in to the widely televised speech.

Historically, stock market reaction has been mixed following presidents&#39;&nbsp;new year messages. On average, the broad S&amp;P 500 declined just 0.05 percent the day after, since 1965 when Lyndon Johnson gave the first televised evening State of the Union address.

The S&amp;P 500 jumped 1.4 percent the day after Trump&#39;s speech last February, as his unexpectedly measured tone boosted investor optimism that he could deliver on pro-business campaign promises, but investors doubt a repeat of such a move would come this time.

Stocks linked to any specific theme in Trump&#39;s speech could turn volatile. Here are some to watch, based on potential topics he may address:

Infrastructure

Trump is expected to detail his long-awaited plan to help rebuild the nation&#39;s infrastructure. The president said on Wednesday his plan would result in about $1.7 trillion in overall investment over the next 10 years, more than he had previously announced.

Trump&#39;s comments could shine a spotlight on construction and engineering stocks such as Granite Construction Inc, AECOM and Fluor Corp, building materials stocks such as Vulcan Materials Co, Martin Marietta Materials Inc and Eagle Materials Inc and machinery stocks such as Caterpillar Inc.

Infrastructure-linked shares could start to fluctuate if the speech kicks off a bumpy legislative path for a spending bill. Some investors and analysts see a favourable climate for such stocks regardless of any federal package.

Trade&nbsp;

In the wake of delivering his &quot;America First&quot; agenda at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Trump could continue to promote his position on trade on Tuesday.

Trump last week told the business summit in Davos that the United States would &quot;no longer turn a blind eye&quot; to what he described as unfair trade practices.

Such a focus could affect shares of steel companies such as Nucor Corp and U.S. Steel Corp, which have vacillated since Trump&#39;s election on prospects for protectionist measures.

Last week, Trump imposed steep tariffs on washing machines and solar panels, boosting shares of appliance maker Whirlpool Corp and some solar companies such as Sunrun Inc and Vivint Solar Inc.

Trump also could address the North American Free Trade Agreement on the heels of the latest negotiations involving the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Railroad Kansas City Southern and beer, wine and spirits maker Constellation Brands Inc are among several stocks that could sway on NAFTA comments. 
 
Prescription drug prices&nbsp;

Trump has occasionally sounded off on high drug prices since his election, and some analysts are bracing for similar talk on Tuesday. &quot;On U.S. drug pricing, we understand Trump may (again) disparage drug companies on Tuesday`s State of the Union address,&quot; Bernstein analyst Tim Anderson said in a recent analyst note.

The biotech and pharmaceutical industries could come under pressure, including the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF and the SPDR S&amp;P Biotech ETF.&nbsp;

Comments about high drug prices could put a spotlight on companies in therapeutic areas that have come under scrutiny in the past, such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, according to Mizuho Securities analyst Salim Syed. Biogen and Amgen Inc are among the companies selling such treatments.

National security and immigration&nbsp;

National defence and a strong military have been consistent themes under Trump. Defense stocks such as Northrop Grumman and Raytheon could come into focus, although many industry shares are around all-time highs already.

Immigration reform is another consistent topic for Trump and one he could address on Tuesday. For example, Trump has called for changes to the H-1B work visa program widely used to employ foreign tech workers in the United States. Mention of that program could signal plans to take more steps, and could affect Indian IT outsourcing companies including Infosys Ltd and Wipro Ltd.

Any hardline comments on illegal immigration or crime also could put private prison operators Geo Group Inc and CoreCivic Inc in focus.

Trump is expected to detail his long-awaited plan to help rebuild the nation's infrastructure

US President Donald Trump is set to give his first State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, with a broad audience - including stock investors - expected to tune in to the widely televised speech. Historically, stock market reaction has been mixed following presidents' new year messages. On average, the broad S&P 500 declined just 0.05 percent the day after, since 1965 when Lyndon Johnson gave the first televised evening State of the Union address. The S&P 500 jumped 1.4 percent the day after Trump's speech last February, as his unexpectedly measured tone boosted investor optimism that he could deliver on pro-business campaign promises, but investors doubt a repeat of such a move would come this time. Stocks linked to any specific theme in Trump's speech could turn volatile. Here are some to watch, based on potential topics he may address: Infrastructure Trump is expected to detail his long-awaited plan to help rebuild the nation's infrastructure. The president said on Wednesday his plan would result in about $1.7 trillion in overall investment over the next 10 years, more than he had previously announced. Trump's comments could shine a spotlight on construction and engineering stocks such as Granite Construction Inc, AECOM and Fluor Corp, building materials stocks such as Vulcan Materials Co, Martin Marietta Materials Inc and Eagle Materials Inc and machinery stocks such as Caterpillar Inc. Infrastructure-linked shares could start to fluctuate if the speech kicks off a bumpy legislative path for a spending bill. Some investors and analysts see a favourable climate for such stocks regardless of any federal package. Trade In the wake of delivering his "America First" agenda at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Trump could continue to promote his position on trade on Tuesday. Trump last week told the business summit in Davos that the United States would "no longer turn a blind eye" to what he described as unfair trade practices. Such a focus could affect shares of steel companies such as Nucor Corp and U.S. Steel Corp, which have vacillated since Trump's election on prospects for protectionist measures. Last week, Trump imposed steep tariffs on washing machines and solar panels, boosting shares of appliance maker Whirlpool Corp and some solar companies such as Sunrun Inc and Vivint Solar Inc. Trump also could address the North American Free Trade Agreement on the heels of the latest negotiations involving the United States, Canada and Mexico. Railroad Kansas City Southern and beer, wine and spirits maker Constellation Brands Inc are among several stocks that could sway on NAFTA comments. Prescription drug prices Trump has occasionally sounded off on high drug prices since his election, and some analysts are bracing for similar talk on Tuesday. "On U.S. drug pricing, we understand Trump may (again) disparage drug companies on Tuesday`s State of the Union address," Bernstein analyst Tim Anderson said in a recent analyst note. The biotech and pharmaceutical industries could come under pressure, including the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF and the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF. Comments about high drug prices could put a spotlight on companies in therapeutic areas that have come under scrutiny in the past, such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, according to Mizuho Securities analyst Salim Syed. Biogen and Amgen Inc are among the companies selling such treatments. National security and immigration National defence and a strong military have been consistent themes under Trump. Defense stocks such as Northrop Grumman and Raytheon could come into focus, although many industry shares are around all-time highs already. Immigration reform is another consistent topic for Trump and one he could address on Tuesday. For example, Trump has called for changes to the H-1B work visa program widely used to employ foreign tech workers in the United States. Mention of that program could signal plans to take more steps, and could affect Indian IT outsourcing companies including Infosys Ltd and Wipro Ltd. Any hardline comments on illegal immigration or crime also could put private prison operators Geo Group Inc and CoreCivic Inc in focus.

Factbox: US President Donald Trump's first State of the Union address

Donald Trump&#39;s misspellings have become legendary -- &quot;covfefe,&quot; anyone? -- but a glaring typo on tickets for the president&#39;s State of the Union speech Tuesday has some lawmakers crying for spell check.

Tickets to the prime-time speech before a joint session of Congress were printed inviting lawmakers and guests to the State of the &quot;Uniom,&quot; lawmakers and officials said Monday.

&quot;Just received my ticket for the State of the Union. Looks like @BetsyDeVosED was in charge of spell checking... #SOTUniom,&quot; tweeted House Democrat Raul Grijalva, referring to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who has advocated policies that critics say undermine the public education system.

Grijalva&#39;s tweet also included a photograph of the offending ticket.

The White House is not responsible for the error. The printing is overseen by the Sergeant at Arms of the US House of Representatives, whose office on Monday acknowledged the snafu.&nbsp;

&quot;There was a misprint on the ticket,&quot; a Sergeant at Arms spokesman told AFP.

&quot;It was corrected immediately, and our office is redistributing the tickets.&quot;

But not before a few lawmakers got some ribbing in.

&quot;Looking forward to tomorrow&#39;s State of the Uniom,&quot; tweeted Republican Senator Marco Rubio.

On the spelling front, Trump has been a presidential trailblazer. He has routinely posted tweets containing errors, including one on the day after his January 20, 2017 inauguration, in which he wrote he was &quot;honered to serve&quot; as the nation&#39;s 45th president.

Grijalva's tweet also included a photograph of the offending ticket

Donald Trump's misspellings have become legendary -- "covfefe," anyone? -- but a glaring typo on tickets for the president's State of the Union speech Tuesday has some lawmakers crying for spell check. Tickets to the prime-time speech before a joint session of Congress were printed inviting lawmakers and guests to the State of the "Uniom," lawmakers and officials said Monday. "Just received my ticket for the State of the Union. Looks like @BetsyDeVosED was in charge of spell checking... #SOTUniom," tweeted House Democrat Raul Grijalva, referring to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who has advocated policies that critics say undermine the public education system. Grijalva's tweet also included a photograph of the offending ticket. The White House is not responsible for the error. The printing is overseen by the Sergeant at Arms of the US House of Representatives, whose office on Monday acknowledged the snafu. "There was a misprint on the ticket," a Sergeant at Arms spokesman told AFP. "It was corrected immediately, and our office is redistributing the tickets." But not before a few lawmakers got some ribbing in. "Looking forward to tomorrow's State of the Uniom," tweeted Republican Senator Marco Rubio. On the spelling front, Trump has been a presidential trailblazer. He has routinely posted tweets containing errors, including one on the day after his January 20, 2017 inauguration, in which he wrote he was "honered to serve" as the nation's 45th president.

Oops: Guests invited to Trump's State of the 'Uniom'

US president Donald Trump is all set to deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday, an hour-long speech to Congress and the nation.&nbsp;

The speech marks the ceremonial kickoff of Trump&rsquo;s second year in office and is traditionally a president&rsquo;s biggest platform to speak to the nation.&nbsp;

The State of the Union speech is expected to focus on &ldquo;building a safe, strong, and proud America,&rdquo; and will touch&nbsp;on topics such as the economy, infrastructure, immigration, and trade. &ldquo;The tone will be one of bipartisanship. It will be very forward-looking,&rdquo; officials say.

What will be a surprise is if Trump talks at all about Robert Mueller&rsquo;s Russia investigation and, in turn, congressional Republican efforts to respond with their own probe of the government &ldquo;deep state.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Here is what Trump is expected to talk about in his first State of the Union speech:&nbsp;

<ins>Trade and Infrastructure&nbsp;</ins>

President Trump will likely urge Democrats for their support on an infrastructure bill to rebuild the nation&#39;s crumbling roads, bridges and airports. White House aides have said they will propose $200 billion in federal spending, but they haven&#39;t said where the money will come from.&nbsp;

Trump has pledged to rebuild the nation&rsquo;s ageing infrastructure but has provided few details on his $1.7 trillion plan, but most of that would be state and local spending, not federal dollars, reports said.&nbsp;

Trump also said that his speech will cover his efforts to lower trade barriers around the world for American exports. &ldquo;We have to have reciprocal trade. It&rsquo;s not a one-way deal anymore,&rdquo; an official&nbsp;said.

He is also likely to discuss the US trade imbalance with China during his State of the Union speech and may&nbsp;consider&nbsp;retaliation over intellectual property issues.&nbsp;

<ins>Immigration&nbsp;</ins>

The most controversial part of his speech is likely to be when he talks about immigration.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump said on Monday he will address his proposed immigration overhaul in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday and will seek Democratic support for it.

Trump said his immigration overhaul will have to be bipartisan &ldquo;because the Republicans don&rsquo;t really have the votes to get it done in any other way.&rdquo;

Republicans and Democrats have been long arguing over the future of some 1.8 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.&nbsp;

Trump has vowed to protect the so-called &quot;Dreamers&quot; (a group of immigrants brought into the country illegally as children, stay in the United States) from deportation but is also calling for changes to legal immigration that are controversial with both parties - &nbsp;in return for $25 billion to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and other tougher border security measures as well.

He will also insist lawmakers to agree to curb immigrants&rsquo; ability to sponsor family members.&nbsp;

Some Democratic lawmakers have invited &ldquo;Dreamers&rdquo; as guests to hear the speech in person.

<ins>Jobs&nbsp;</ins>

The path towards&nbsp;lower unemployment and higher growth began during Trump&#39;s administration. Trump argues that the tax overhaul he signed late last year has boosted business confidence and will lead companies to reinvest in the United States.

With unemployment for African Americans, Hispanics and women at record lows, in his speech on Tuesday, Trump will &ldquo;make clear that all groups are benefiting under this presidency,&rdquo; officials said.

He may also talk about some of first lady Melania Trump&rsquo;s guests for the speech, who are expected to include people who have benefited from the tax cuts.

<ins>Mid-Term polls&nbsp;</ins>

Republicans might want to check in on the state of its own party as we inch closer to the fall midterm elections. On paper, the GOP remains in the strongest position, it&rsquo;s been ahead of the elections since before the Obama administration. There are more than two times as many Republican governors as Democrats this time around.

But there are warning signs that the party&rsquo;s time may be coming to an end ahead of the midterm elections in November.

While Republicans in Congress are eyeing the exits, a growing number of Democrats are looking for a way in.&nbsp;

<ins>Unfiltered Moments&nbsp;</ins>

This could be an opportunity for the audience to see the unfiltered Trump for 60 minutes, and an opportunity for Trump to try to boost his approval ratings which have sagged in the mid- to upper- 30s.

The White House often struggles to maintain momentum on policy when Trump&rsquo;s tweets and off-the-cuff remarks upstage his scripted speeches.&nbsp;

He can be captivating at a campaign rally when his speech is an unpredictable stream of consciousness. He can be straight and authentic on Twitter, the unfiltered mode of communication that he says is &quot;MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL.&quot;

 
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SH1KZ7nw_L8" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The theme of the speech will be: 'Building a safe, strong and proud America'

US president Donald Trump is all set to deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday, an hour-long speech to Congress and the nation. The speech marks the ceremonial kickoff of Trump’s second year in office and is traditionally a president’s biggest platform to speak to the nation. The State of the Union speech is expected to focus on “building a safe, strong, and proud America,” and will touch on topics such as the economy, infrastructure, immigration, and trade. “The tone will be one of bipartisanship. It will be very forward-looking,” officials say. What will be a surprise is if Trump talks at all about Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and, in turn, congressional Republican efforts to respond with their own probe of the government “deep state.” Here is what Trump is expected to talk about in his first State of the Union speech: Trade and Infrastructure President Trump will likely urge Democrats for their support on an infrastructure bill to rebuild the nation's crumbling roads, bridges and airports. White House aides have said they will propose $200 billion in federal spending, but they haven't said where the money will come from. Trump has pledged to rebuild the nation’s ageing infrastructure but has provided few details on his $1.7 trillion plan, but most of that would be state and local spending, not federal dollars, reports said. Trump also said that his speech will cover his efforts to lower trade barriers around the world for American exports. “We have to have reciprocal trade. It’s not a one-way deal anymore,” an official said. He is also likely to discuss the US trade imbalance with China during his State of the Union speech and may consider retaliation over intellectual property issues. Immigration The most controversial part of his speech is likely to be when he talks about immigration. President Donald Trump said on Monday he will address his proposed immigration overhaul in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday and will seek Democratic support for it. Trump said his immigration overhaul will have to be bipartisan “because the Republicans don’t really have the votes to get it done in any other way.” Republicans and Democrats have been long arguing over the future of some 1.8 million immigrants living in the United States illegally. Trump has vowed to protect the so-called "Dreamers" (a group of immigrants brought into the country illegally as children, stay in the United States) from deportation but is also calling for changes to legal immigration that are controversial with both parties - in return for $25 billion to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and other tougher border security measures as well. He will also insist lawmakers to agree to curb immigrants’ ability to sponsor family members. Some Democratic lawmakers have invited “Dreamers” as guests to hear the speech in person. Jobs The path towards lower unemployment and higher growth began during Trump's administration. Trump argues that the tax overhaul he signed late last year has boosted business confidence and will lead companies to reinvest in the United States. With unemployment for African Americans, Hispanics and women at record lows, in his speech on Tuesday, Trump will “make clear that all groups are benefiting under this presidency,” officials said. He may also talk about some of first lady Melania Trump’s guests for the speech, who are expected to include people who have benefited from the tax cuts. Mid-Term polls Republicans might want to check in on the state of its own party as we inch closer to the fall midterm elections. On paper, the GOP remains in the strongest position, it’s been ahead of the elections since before the Obama administration. There are more than two times as many Republican governors as Democrats this time around. But there are warning signs that the party’s time may be coming to an end ahead of the midterm elections in November. While Republicans in Congress are eyeing the exits, a growing number of Democrats are looking for a way in. Unfiltered Moments This could be an opportunity for the audience to see the unfiltered Trump for 60 minutes, and an opportunity for Trump to try to boost his approval ratings which have sagged in the mid- to upper- 30s. The White House often struggles to maintain momentum on policy when Trump’s tweets and off-the-cuff remarks upstage his scripted speeches. He can be captivating at a campaign rally when his speech is an unpredictable stream of consciousness. He can be straight and authentic on Twitter, the unfiltered mode of communication that he says is "MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL."

Immigration, jobs, trade: What to expect from Trump's first State of the Union address

The Trump administration said on Monday it would not immediately impose additional sanctions on Russia under a new law designed to punish Moscow&#39;s alleged meddling in the 2016 US&nbsp;election, insisting the measure was already hitting Russian companies.

&quot;Today, we have informed Congress that this legislation and its implementation are deterring Russian defence sales,&quot; State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. &quot;Since the enactment of the ... the, we estimate that foreign governments have abandoned planned or announced purchases of several billion dollars in Russian defence acquisitions.&quot;

The administration faced a deadline on Monday to impose sanctions on anyone determined to conduct significant business with Russian defence and intelligence sectors, already sanctioned for their alleged role in the election.&nbsp;

But citing long time frames associated with major defence deals, Nauert said it was too soon to tell how effective the law had been, so it was better to wait to impose those sanctions.

&quot;From that perspective, if the law is working, sanctions on specific entities or individuals will not need to be imposed because the legislation is, in fact, serving as a deterrent,&quot; she said in a statement.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump&#39;s administration also did not make public reports required by Monday under the bill he reluctantly signed into law on August 2, just six months into his presidency.

The measure, known as the &quot;Countering America&#39;s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act,&quot; or CAATSA, required the administration to list &quot;oligarchs&quot; close to President Vladimir Putin&#39;s government and issue a report detailing possible consequences of penalizing Russia&#39;s sovereign debt.

Reports may stay classified&nbsp;

The administration said it would release at least some of that information to Congress, but it was not immediately clear whether it would be made public, or kept classified.&nbsp;

Trump, who said he wanted warmer ties with Russia, had opposed the legislation as it made its way through Congress last year. Monday&#39;s deadline was seen as a test of his willingness to crack down on Russia.

Members of Congress, including Democrats and some of Trump&#39;s fellow Republicans, have been clamouring for his administration to use sanctions to punish Moscow for past election interference and prevent future meddling in US&nbsp;polls.

Several congressional committees, as well as Special Counsel Robert Mueller, are investigating whether Russia tried to tilt last November&#39;s election in Trump&#39;s favour, using means such as hacking into the emails of senior Democrats and promoting divisive social and political messages online. Trump and the Kremlin have separately denied any collusion.&nbsp;

Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, one of the main congressional architects of the sanctions law, said he was not concerned that the administration did not announce sanctions or release all of the required reports on Monday.

&quot;This is when sanctions season begins, and so they&#39;ll be rolling them out,&quot; he told reporters.

&quot;We feel pretty good about the process,&quot; Corker said. &quot;They&#39;re rushing the information over to us today, and by the close of business, they&#39;re going to have two of the three, as I understand it. So they&#39;re taking it very seriously.&quot;&nbsp;

The administration faced a deadline on Monday to impose sanctions on anyone determined to conduct significant business with Russian defence

The Trump administration said on Monday it would not immediately impose additional sanctions on Russia under a new law designed to punish Moscow's alleged meddling in the 2016 US election, insisting the measure was already hitting Russian companies. "Today, we have informed Congress that this legislation and its implementation are deterring Russian defence sales," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. "Since the enactment of the ... the, we estimate that foreign governments have abandoned planned or announced purchases of several billion dollars in Russian defence acquisitions." The administration faced a deadline on Monday to impose sanctions on anyone determined to conduct significant business with Russian defence and intelligence sectors, already sanctioned for their alleged role in the election. But citing long time frames associated with major defence deals, Nauert said it was too soon to tell how effective the law had been, so it was better to wait to impose those sanctions. "From that perspective, if the law is working, sanctions on specific entities or individuals will not need to be imposed because the legislation is, in fact, serving as a deterrent," she said in a statement. President Donald Trump's administration also did not make public reports required by Monday under the bill he reluctantly signed into law on August 2, just six months into his presidency. The measure, known as the "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act," or CAATSA, required the administration to list "oligarchs" close to President Vladimir Putin's government and issue a report detailing possible consequences of penalizing Russia's sovereign debt. Reports may stay classified The administration said it would release at least some of that information to Congress, but it was not immediately clear whether it would be made public, or kept classified. Trump, who said he wanted warmer ties with Russia, had opposed the legislation as it made its way through Congress last year. Monday's deadline was seen as a test of his willingness to crack down on Russia. Members of Congress, including Democrats and some of Trump's fellow Republicans, have been clamouring for his administration to use sanctions to punish Moscow for past election interference and prevent future meddling in US polls. Several congressional committees, as well as Special Counsel Robert Mueller, are investigating whether Russia tried to tilt last November's election in Trump's favour, using means such as hacking into the emails of senior Democrats and promoting divisive social and political messages online. Trump and the Kremlin have separately denied any collusion. Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, one of the main congressional architects of the sanctions law, said he was not concerned that the administration did not announce sanctions or release all of the required reports on Monday. "This is when sanctions season begins, and so they'll be rolling them out," he told reporters. "We feel pretty good about the process," Corker said. "They're rushing the information over to us today, and by the close of business, they're going to have two of the three, as I understand it. So they're taking it very seriously."

Trump administration declines to apply new Russia sanctions, for now

A US judge has ordered release of leading Indian-descent immigrant rights activist Ravi Ragbir from custody, granting him a temporary reprieve from deportation to his native Trinidad and Tobago, according to a media report.

Mr Ragbir, 43, was arrested on January 12 during a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and ordered immediate deportation, irking local community in New York.

In a seven-page decision, Manhattan Federal Court Judge Katherine Forrest wrote that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had violated Ragbir&#39;s rights to due process, New York Daily News reported.

&quot;The court finds that when this country allowed (Ragbir) to become a part of our community fabric, allowed him to build a life with and among us and to enjoy the liberties and freedom that come with that, it committed itself to allowance of an orderly departure when the time came, and it committed itself to avoidance of unnecessary cruelty when the time came,&quot; Forrest wrote.

&quot;By denying (Ragbir) these rights, the government has acted wrongly,&quot; Forrest added.

She wrote that Mr Ragbir was &quot;entitled to the freedom to say goodbye&quot; - indicating the activist still faces eventual deportation.

As Forrest announced her decision, some in the courtroom erupted in applause.

According to New York Immigration Coalition, Mr Ragbir has lived with the threat of deportation for nearly a decade, as the result of a 16-year old conviction for wire fraud.

He was placed into removal proceedings in 2006 and spent 22 months in immigration detention before being released in February 2008. 
During immigration detention and since his release, Mr Ragbir has worked tirelessly to end the use of immigration detention, stop deportations, and secure relief for countless individuals.

Previously, ICE officials had granted Mr Ragbir prosecutorial discretion, including a stay of removal that was in effect until next week.

Known as a fixture in the immigrant rights movement, Mr Ragbir was awarded the 2017 Immigrant Excellence Award by the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators, given to those who show &quot;deep commitment to the enhancement of their community.&quot;

Mr Ragbir, 43, was arrested on January 12 during a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and ordered immediate deportation, irking local community in New York

A US judge has ordered release of leading Indian-descent immigrant rights activist Ravi Ragbir from custody, granting him a temporary reprieve from deportation to his native Trinidad and Tobago, according to a media report. Mr Ragbir, 43, was arrested on January 12 during a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and ordered immediate deportation, irking local community in New York. In a seven-page decision, Manhattan Federal Court Judge Katherine Forrest wrote that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had violated Ragbir's rights to due process, New York Daily News reported. "The court finds that when this country allowed (Ragbir) to become a part of our community fabric, allowed him to build a life with and among us and to enjoy the liberties and freedom that come with that, it committed itself to allowance of an orderly departure when the time came, and it committed itself to avoidance of unnecessary cruelty when the time came," Forrest wrote. "By denying (Ragbir) these rights, the government has acted wrongly," Forrest added. She wrote that Mr Ragbir was "entitled to the freedom to say goodbye" - indicating the activist still faces eventual deportation. As Forrest announced her decision, some in the courtroom erupted in applause. According to New York Immigration Coalition, Mr Ragbir has lived with the threat of deportation for nearly a decade, as the result of a 16-year old conviction for wire fraud. He was placed into removal proceedings in 2006 and spent 22 months in immigration detention before being released in February 2008. During immigration detention and since his release, Mr Ragbir has worked tirelessly to end the use of immigration detention, stop deportations, and secure relief for countless individuals. Previously, ICE officials had granted Mr Ragbir prosecutorial discretion, including a stay of removal that was in effect until next week. Known as a fixture in the immigrant rights movement, Mr Ragbir was awarded the 2017 Immigrant Excellence Award by the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators, given to those who show "deep commitment to the enhancement of their community."

Judge orders release of Indian-descent immigration activist Ravi Ragbir In US

The United States is confident that the Haqqani network was behind the Taliban&#39;s Saturday ambulance bomb in Kabul that killed more than 100 people, officials say, a conclusion that could add friction to ties between Washington and Islamabad.

The United States has long blamed militant safe havens in Pakistan for prolonging the war in Afghanistan, giving insurgents from the Haqqani network a place to plot attacks and rebuild their forces.

&quot;We are very confident the Taliban Haqqani network was behind the killing of more than 103 people this past Saturday,&quot; said Captain Tom Gresback, a US military spokesman for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, without elaborating further on US intelligence or offering any link to Pakistan.

Another US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said the United States believed the attack was the work of the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, which Washington and Kabul have long accused of being behind some of the Afghanistan&#39;s most deadly attacks.

Afghanistan&#39;s envoy to the United Nations, Mahmoud Saikal, on Monday suggested the plot was too complex for the Taliban to have developed on their own.

&quot;Given the degree of sophistication ... can you expect an illiterate Taliban to come up with this kind of genius plot, using ambulances?&quot; Saikal said in an interview, adding Kabul was still gathering information.

&quot;It&#39;s not a simple thing to do.&quot;

Saturday&#39;s blast, claimed by the Taliban, was the deadliest since 150 people were killed in a huge truck bomb explosion last May near the German embassy, which US officials also blamed on the Haqqani network.

It followed another Taliban-claimed attack a week earlier that killed more than 20 people in a siege of the city&#39;s Intercontinental Hotel.

On Monday, militants raided a military academy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, killing 11 soldiers. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack near the Marshal Fahim military academy on the city&#39;s western outskirts.

The attacks have put pressure on President Ashraf Ghani and his US allies, who have expressed growing confidence that a new, more aggressive military strategy has succeeded in driving Taliban insurgents back from major provincial centres.

Pakistan role

Ties between the United States and Pakistan are already brittle after Washington announced plans earlier in January to suspend up to roughly $2 billion in US security assistance. US President Donald Trump tweeted that Pakistan had rewarded past US aid with &quot;nothing but lies &amp; deceit.&quot;

Pakistan, which denies the accusations it allows safe havens for militants, condemned Saturday&#39;s attack and accused Washington of betrayal.

As tensions rise, the United States has been quietly examining ways to mitigate any retaliation by Pakistan, a crucial gateway for US military supplies destined for troops fighting the 16-year-old war in landlocked Afghanistan.

It also has not ruled out additional steps, including unilateral strikes in Pakistan against Haqqani targets.

Saikal renewed the longstanding Afghan concern that the plots for these attacks were coming from Pakistan and cheered Trump&#39;s rejection on Monday of the possibility of peace talks with the Taliban.

&quot;We hope the fight also includes focus on where the terrorist attacks are plotted and organised,&quot; he said in an interview.

'Given the degree of sophistication ... can you expect an illiterate Taliban to come up with this kind of genius plot, using ambulances' said

The United States is confident that the Haqqani network was behind the Taliban's Saturday ambulance bomb in Kabul that killed more than 100 people, officials say, a conclusion that could add friction to ties between Washington and Islamabad. The United States has long blamed militant safe havens in Pakistan for prolonging the war in Afghanistan, giving insurgents from the Haqqani network a place to plot attacks and rebuild their forces. "We are very confident the Taliban Haqqani network was behind the killing of more than 103 people this past Saturday," said Captain Tom Gresback, a US military spokesman for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, without elaborating further on US intelligence or offering any link to Pakistan. Another US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said the United States believed the attack was the work of the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, which Washington and Kabul have long accused of being behind some of the Afghanistan's most deadly attacks. Afghanistan's envoy to the United Nations, Mahmoud Saikal, on Monday suggested the plot was too complex for the Taliban to have developed on their own. "Given the degree of sophistication ... can you expect an illiterate Taliban to come up with this kind of genius plot, using ambulances?" Saikal said in an interview, adding Kabul was still gathering information. "It's not a simple thing to do." Saturday's blast, claimed by the Taliban, was the deadliest since 150 people were killed in a huge truck bomb explosion last May near the German embassy, which US officials also blamed on the Haqqani network. It followed another Taliban-claimed attack a week earlier that killed more than 20 people in a siege of the city's Intercontinental Hotel. On Monday, militants raided a military academy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, killing 11 soldiers. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack near the Marshal Fahim military academy on the city's western outskirts. The attacks have put pressure on President Ashraf Ghani and his US allies, who have expressed growing confidence that a new, more aggressive military strategy has succeeded in driving Taliban insurgents back from major provincial centres. Pakistan role Ties between the United States and Pakistan are already brittle after Washington announced plans earlier in January to suspend up to roughly $2 billion in US security assistance. US President Donald Trump tweeted that Pakistan had rewarded past US aid with "nothing but lies & deceit." Pakistan, which denies the accusations it allows safe havens for militants, condemned Saturday's attack and accused Washington of betrayal. As tensions rise, the United States has been quietly examining ways to mitigate any retaliation by Pakistan, a crucial gateway for US military supplies destined for troops fighting the 16-year-old war in landlocked Afghanistan. It also has not ruled out additional steps, including unilateral strikes in Pakistan against Haqqani targets. Saikal renewed the longstanding Afghan concern that the plots for these attacks were coming from Pakistan and cheered Trump's rejection on Monday of the possibility of peace talks with the Taliban. "We hope the fight also includes focus on where the terrorist attacks are plotted and organised," he said in an interview.

US sees Haqqani network behind ambulance bombing in Kabul

The United States announced Monday it was lifting its ban on refugees from 11 &quot;high-risk&quot; countries, but said those seeking to enter the US would come under much tougher scrutiny than in the past.

Applicants from 11 countries, unnamed but understood to include 10 Muslim-majority nations plus North Korea, will face tougher &quot;risk-based&quot; assessments to be accepted.

&quot;It&#39;s critically important that we know who is entering the United States,&quot; said Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

&quot;These additional security measures will make it harder for bad actors to exploit our refugee program, and they will ensure we take a more risk-based approach to protecting the homeland.&quot;

The 11 countries, hit with a ban in October in the Trump administration&#39;s revised refugee policy, have not been identified officially.

But refugee groups say they comprise Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.Speaking anonymously, a senior administration official told journalists that the policy of enhanced security assessments for the 11 countries was not designed to target Muslims.

&quot;Our admissions have nothing to do with religion,&quot; the official said, adding that there is &quot;nothing especially novel&quot; about tougher screening for countries deemed to have a higher level of risk.

Donald Trump has pursued a much tougher stance on immigrants and refugees from all countries since becoming president one year ago.

His predecessor Barack Obama set refugee admission in fiscal 2017, which began on October 2016, at 110,000.

When Trump took office a year ago, he slashed that to 53,000, a number that was cut again to a maximum of 45,000 in fiscal 2018.&nbsp;

But refugee arrivals this year could come in significantly lower than that, due to the backlog from the 120-day halt and a slowdown in processing because of generally tougher applicant reviews.

DHS would not explain what the tougher vetting measures for the 11 countries would include.&nbsp;

But all applicants are being asked to supply more detailed histories and evidence of their past activities, and many are having to allow access to personal electronics and social media accounts.

The move comes as Trump presses for a sharp turn in overall US immigration policy that critics say will result in a 50 percent cut in arrivals each year and bias admissions away from African, Asian and Muslim countries.

Last week, Trump proposed to end the 27-year-old &quot;green card lottery&quot; program that aims to diversify the source of immigrants, leading to an upturn in those from Middle Eastern and African countries.

He also proposed to tightly limit the family members who can join immigrants to only spouses and younger children. Until now, such &quot;chain migration&quot; could extend to immigrants&#39;&nbsp;parents, grandparents, siblings and extended family.

The White House said the policy was necessary to protect national security from terror and crime threats.

In return, Trump proposed a plan that offers 1.8 million young unauthorized immigrants known as &quot;Dreamers&quot; a path to citizenship over 10-12 years.

Democrats and Republicans are starting negotiations on those proposals, along with Trump&#39;s request for a $25 billion &quot;trust fund&quot; to build a wall on the southern US border to deter illegal border-crossers from Mexico.

Applicants from 11 countries will face tougher 'risk-based' assessments to be accepted

The United States announced Monday it was lifting its ban on refugees from 11 "high-risk" countries, but said those seeking to enter the US would come under much tougher scrutiny than in the past. Applicants from 11 countries, unnamed but understood to include 10 Muslim-majority nations plus North Korea, will face tougher "risk-based" assessments to be accepted. "It's critically important that we know who is entering the United States," said Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. "These additional security measures will make it harder for bad actors to exploit our refugee program, and they will ensure we take a more risk-based approach to protecting the homeland." The 11 countries, hit with a ban in October in the Trump administration's revised refugee policy, have not been identified officially. But refugee groups say they comprise Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.Speaking anonymously, a senior administration official told journalists that the policy of enhanced security assessments for the 11 countries was not designed to target Muslims. "Our admissions have nothing to do with religion," the official said, adding that there is "nothing especially novel" about tougher screening for countries deemed to have a higher level of risk. Donald Trump has pursued a much tougher stance on immigrants and refugees from all countries since becoming president one year ago. His predecessor Barack Obama set refugee admission in fiscal 2017, which began on October 2016, at 110,000. When Trump took office a year ago, he slashed that to 53,000, a number that was cut again to a maximum of 45,000 in fiscal 2018. But refugee arrivals this year could come in significantly lower than that, due to the backlog from the 120-day halt and a slowdown in processing because of generally tougher applicant reviews. DHS would not explain what the tougher vetting measures for the 11 countries would include. But all applicants are being asked to supply more detailed histories and evidence of their past activities, and many are having to allow access to personal electronics and social media accounts. The move comes as Trump presses for a sharp turn in overall US immigration policy that critics say will result in a 50 percent cut in arrivals each year and bias admissions away from African, Asian and Muslim countries. Last week, Trump proposed to end the 27-year-old "green card lottery" program that aims to diversify the source of immigrants, leading to an upturn in those from Middle Eastern and African countries. He also proposed to tightly limit the family members who can join immigrants to only spouses and younger children. Until now, such "chain migration" could extend to immigrants' parents, grandparents, siblings and extended family. The White House said the policy was necessary to protect national security from terror and crime threats. In return, Trump proposed a plan that offers 1.8 million young unauthorized immigrants known as "Dreamers" a path to citizenship over 10-12 years. Democrats and Republicans are starting negotiations on those proposals, along with Trump's request for a $25 billion "trust fund" to build a wall on the southern US border to deter illegal border-crossers from Mexico.

US lifts ban on refugees from 11 countries

A massive fire began at the Willimantic Waste and Paper Company in Connecticut on Sunday morning which could go on for days, media reports said.

Media reports said that small explosions were heard before smoke could be seen billowing into the air for miles which started appearing on the weather radar.&nbsp;

Officials said there are at least 12 fire departments and hundreds of firefighters on scene working to control the fire. Willimantic&rsquo;s Fire Chief Marc Shrivener said crews were on scene all night Sunday and into the day Monday.

There were no immediate reports of injuries and officials said it appears nobody was inside the facility when the blaze began.

Firefighters say 400 tons of paper plus garbage and construction materials burned in the fire at the 100,000 square foot recycling facility.

Officials say the debris from inside the facility is so contaminating that firefighters have to be hosed off after working to remove harmful chemicals.

Media reports further informed that people have been asked to stay indoors and keep their doors, windows shut because of the poor air quality. They have also been asked to avoid using water if possible as the strain fighting the fire is taking on the community&rsquo;s resources. Several roads and schools in the area have been closed.

Willimantic Waste Paper Co., Inc. is a family-owned waste and recycling company that services residential and commercial customers across Eastern Connecticut where about 200 employees work. The building is one of the largest facilities in town and is full of waste and recycling materials, making the fire difficult to contain.&nbsp;

The building, which did have a working sprinkler system and was up to code, will have to be demolished. The reason for the fire reason unknown

A massive fire began at the Willimantic Waste and Paper Company in Connecticut on Sunday morning which could go on for days, media reports said. Media reports said that small explosions were heard before smoke could be seen billowing into the air for miles which started appearing on the weather radar. Officials said there are at least 12 fire departments and hundreds of firefighters on scene working to control the fire. Willimantic’s Fire Chief Marc Shrivener said crews were on scene all night Sunday and into the day Monday. There were no immediate reports of injuries and officials said it appears nobody was inside the facility when the blaze began. Firefighters say 400 tons of paper plus garbage and construction materials burned in the fire at the 100,000 square foot recycling facility. Officials say the debris from inside the facility is so contaminating that firefighters have to be hosed off after working to remove harmful chemicals. Media reports further informed that people have been asked to stay indoors and keep their doors, windows shut because of the poor air quality. They have also been asked to avoid using water if possible as the strain fighting the fire is taking on the community’s resources. Several roads and schools in the area have been closed. Willimantic Waste Paper Co., Inc. is a family-owned waste and recycling company that services residential and commercial customers across Eastern Connecticut where about 200 employees work. The building is one of the largest facilities in town and is full of waste and recycling materials, making the fire difficult to contain.

Massive fire hits Willimantic Waste and Paper Company in Connecticut

The Indian community in the US displayed India&#39;s rich cultural diversity through organising dance, drama and music performances across the country over the weekend to celebrate 69th Republic Day.

From a small township in mid-West or down South to mega cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, Republic Day celebrations were organised by Indian community activists and organisations.

Proclamations issued by governors and mayors to mark the occasions were read at these events attended by several government officials.

Asserting that Indian Americans play a key role in strengthening India-US relationship, government officials pledged to work in their capacities to further enhance ties between the largest and oldest democracies of the world.

&quot;Our strong ties are evident from the India-headquartered companies doing business in Maryland including Tata and Infosys, said the Maryland Lt Governor Boyd K Rutherford in his address to Republic Day of India Banquet hosted by the National Council of Asian Indian Associations.

Listing out the name of other Indian companies in Maryland and their expansion, Rutherford said these companies create large number of employment opportunities in the US.

A proclamation issued by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan was presented to the organisers.

New York Governor Andrew M Cuomo said Indian Americans are a &quot;treasures component&quot; of his State&#39;s vast mosaic of culture.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said, &quot;Republic Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate Virginia&#39;s thousands of Indian Americans, whose abilities and contributions strengthen Virginia&#39;s economy, enrich Virginia?s diverse culture and invigorate Virginia&#39;s economy.&quot;

&quot;Indian Americans continue to make significant and lasting civic, cultural and economic contributions to our nation and this region,&nbsp;Maryland Secretary of State John C Wobensmith said addressing a gathering at a Republic Day Celebrations organised by Indian American Community Organisations of the Greater Washington Metro Region and National Council of Asian Indian Associations.

Attended by a large number of people in the affluent Potomac suburb of Washington DC, Indian Americans celebrated the Republic Day around the theme of women empowerment.

The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of the tristate (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut), celebrated the Republic Day with its annual dance competition, &quot;Dance Pe Chance&quot;, at the prestigious State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

FIA has been celebrating Republic Day for over 40 years now, meticulously promoting the opulent culture and various dance styles of India.

Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna in his messages to all these celebrations said the Indian diaspora by remaining committed and engaged at all levels has given great depth and resilience to India-US relationship.

The celebrations were organised by Indian community activists and organisations

The Indian community in the US displayed India's rich cultural diversity through organising dance, drama and music performances across the country over the weekend to celebrate 69th Republic Day. From a small township in mid-West or down South to mega cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, Republic Day celebrations were organised by Indian community activists and organisations. Proclamations issued by governors and mayors to mark the occasions were read at these events attended by several government officials. Asserting that Indian Americans play a key role in strengthening India-US relationship, government officials pledged to work in their capacities to further enhance ties between the largest and oldest democracies of the world. "Our strong ties are evident from the India-headquartered companies doing business in Maryland including Tata and Infosys, said the Maryland Lt Governor Boyd K Rutherford in his address to Republic Day of India Banquet hosted by the National Council of Asian Indian Associations. Listing out the name of other Indian companies in Maryland and their expansion, Rutherford said these companies create large number of employment opportunities in the US. A proclamation issued by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan was presented to the organisers. New York Governor Andrew M Cuomo said Indian Americans are a "treasures component" of his State's vast mosaic of culture. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said, "Republic Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate Virginia's thousands of Indian Americans, whose abilities and contributions strengthen Virginia's economy, enrich Virginia?s diverse culture and invigorate Virginia's economy." "Indian Americans continue to make significant and lasting civic, cultural and economic contributions to our nation and this region, Maryland Secretary of State John C Wobensmith said addressing a gathering at a Republic Day Celebrations organised by Indian American Community Organisations of the Greater Washington Metro Region and National Council of Asian Indian Associations. Attended by a large number of people in the affluent Potomac suburb of Washington DC, Indian Americans celebrated the Republic Day around the theme of women empowerment. The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of the tristate (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut), celebrated the Republic Day with its annual dance competition, "Dance Pe Chance", at the prestigious State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey. FIA has been celebrating Republic Day for over 40 years now, meticulously promoting the opulent culture and various dance styles of India. Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna in his messages to all these celebrations said the Indian diaspora by remaining committed and engaged at all levels has given great depth and resilience to India-US relationship.

India's soft power displayed at R-Day functions across US

As influential voices within the US&nbsp;business community warn China that US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is serious about tough action over Beijing&#39;s trade practices, there is little sense of a crisis in the Chinese capital, where officials think he is bluffing.

In Beijing, many experts think Washington is unwilling to pay the heavy economic price needed to upset prevailing trade dynamics between the world&#39;s two largest economies.

Hanging over trade relations are several inquiries into whether steel and aluminium imports - including those from China - are harming US&nbsp;national security, possible tariffs on imported solar panels, as well as an investigation into potential Chinese abuse of intellectual property.

&quot;I think this might be a threat to ask for deals from China,&quot; said He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, a government-affiliated research organisation in Beijing.

Results in most, if not all, of the investigations are seen as imminent. Trump warned in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday of potentially &quot;big damages&quot; against China as a result of the intellectual property inquiry under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

&nbsp;People in the US&nbsp;business community say this growing gulf in expectations between Washington and Beijing is fuelled in part by the dwindling frequency of talks on commercial issues. The resulting vacuum could set the two governments on a collision course over trade.

&quot;Dialogue is a shadow, a shell, a trickle of what it was, particularly on the economic and commercial issues,&quot; said one US&nbsp;industry source who accompanied a business delegation to Beijing last week to warn senior Chinese officials that time was running out.

The bipartisan group of mostly former senior US&nbsp;officials, including George W. Bush administration veterans Stephen Hadley and Carlos Gutierrez, met with Wang Yang, a member of China&#39;s ruling seven-man Politburo Standing Committee, and Liu He, an economist and ally of President Xi Jinping, among other senior Chinese leaders, the person said.

They delivered a message that trade frictions &quot;are not under control&quot; and that there was a high likelihood of &quot;significant actions&quot; coming soon, according the person who was present at the meetings.

&quot;We hear everything from: both sides will lose, to you&#39;ll lose more,&quot; the person said, characterizing the reception the delegation received from Chinese leaders.

&nbsp;Resilent to a trade war

US&nbsp;businesses operating in China have long chafed at government policies they see as intended to assimilate and supplant foreign technology.

At stake is who controls intellectual property, and how you protect it, said Tim Adams, former US&nbsp;Treasury undersecretary for international affairs in the Bush administration.

&quot;The question is, how do you use a scalpel to respond to it, and does the scalpel actually change behaviour because it&#39;s a scalpel and not a sledgehammer,&quot; said Adams, who now leads the Washington-based Institute of International Finance.

He said China would probably retaliate by weighing whether the actions were in line with World Trade Organization rules before slowly ratcheting up pressure on US&nbsp;businesses, for example by buying from a European company such as Airbus instead of Boeing.

Meanwhile, China&#39;s 2017 trade surplus with the United States reached an all-time high of $275.81 billion, Chinese Customs data showed last week.

The growing likelihood of US&nbsp;trade remedies against China comes amid a bipartisan push in Washington to tighten national security reviews of Chinese companies&#39; efforts to scoop up US&nbsp;technology firms, often in industries closed to US&nbsp;companies in China.

But many in China see such efforts as sure to backfire.

&quot;Politically, the administration of President Donald Trump can&#39;t afford to see China-US&nbsp;economic and trade ties become strained. China is more resilient to a trade war,&quot; China&#39;s state-run Global Times said on Sunday.

China&#39;s Ministry of Commerce did not comment on the US&nbsp;business delegation or the risk of major trade friction. But it said last week that China would take all necessary measures to defend itself.

Kibbles and bits

Beijing suspects that even if Trump implements &quot;targeted tariffs,&quot; as some in the US&nbsp;tech sector expect, they would likely amount to just a few percentage points of the more than $600 billion annual goods and services trade, Chinese experts have said.

For local governments in export-dependent areas, the threat is more worrying. One official in the export powerhouse of Zhejiang province expressed concern to Reuters about Trump&#39;s possible actions, but declined to speak on the record.

&nbsp;The government in Beijing, however, remains stoic.

&quot;Are Chinese officials getting nervous now amid a coming US-China trade war? I don&#39;t think so,&quot; said Wang Jiangyu, a trade expert at the National University of Singapore.

The country has negotiated its way out of previous Section 301 investigations, including in 1992 and 1995.

And a person close to China&#39;s Commerce Ministry, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said tariffs from the Section 301 case would be self-defeating, and urged negotiation instead.

&quot;We should sit down and discuss this. If their demands are reasonable, we don&#39;t want to go to the WTO,&quot; the person said.

That inclination to fall back on talks and the WTO to resolve frictions may be China&#39;s miscalculation this time, people in the US&nbsp;business community say.

What the Chinese government doesn&#39;t understand is that the Trump administration is &quot;deadly serious,&quot; the member of the US&nbsp;business delegation said. &quot;They aren&#39;t going to settle for kibbles and bits.&quot;

In Beijing, many experts think Washington is unwilling to pay the heavy economic price needed to upset prevailing trade dynamics between the world's two largest economies

As influential voices within the US business community warn China that US President Donald Trump is serious about tough action over Beijing's trade practices, there is little sense of a crisis in the Chinese capital, where officials think he is bluffing. In Beijing, many experts think Washington is unwilling to pay the heavy economic price needed to upset prevailing trade dynamics between the world's two largest economies. Hanging over trade relations are several inquiries into whether steel and aluminium imports - including those from China - are harming US national security, possible tariffs on imported solar panels, as well as an investigation into potential Chinese abuse of intellectual property. "I think this might be a threat to ask for deals from China," said He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, a government-affiliated research organisation in Beijing. Results in most, if not all, of the investigations are seen as imminent. Trump warned in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday of potentially "big damages" against China as a result of the intellectual property inquiry under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. People in the US business community say this growing gulf in expectations between Washington and Beijing is fuelled in part by the dwindling frequency of talks on commercial issues. The resulting vacuum could set the two governments on a collision course over trade. "Dialogue is a shadow, a shell, a trickle of what it was, particularly on the economic and commercial issues," said one US industry source who accompanied a business delegation to Beijing last week to warn senior Chinese officials that time was running out. The bipartisan group of mostly former senior US officials, including George W. Bush administration veterans Stephen Hadley and Carlos Gutierrez, met with Wang Yang, a member of China's ruling seven-man Politburo Standing Committee, and Liu He, an economist and ally of President Xi Jinping, among other senior Chinese leaders, the person said. They delivered a message that trade frictions "are not under control" and that there was a high likelihood of "significant actions" coming soon, according the person who was present at the meetings. "We hear everything from: both sides will lose, to you'll lose more," the person said, characterizing the reception the delegation received from Chinese leaders. Resilent to a trade war US businesses operating in China have long chafed at government policies they see as intended to assimilate and supplant foreign technology. At stake is who controls intellectual property, and how you protect it, said Tim Adams, former US Treasury undersecretary for international affairs in the Bush administration. "The question is, how do you use a scalpel to respond to it, and does the scalpel actually change behaviour because it's a scalpel and not a sledgehammer," said Adams, who now leads the Washington-based Institute of International Finance. He said China would probably retaliate by weighing whether the actions were in line with World Trade Organization rules before slowly ratcheting up pressure on US businesses, for example by buying from a European company such as Airbus instead of Boeing. Meanwhile, China's 2017 trade surplus with the United States reached an all-time high of $275.81 billion, Chinese Customs data showed last week. The growing likelihood of US trade remedies against China comes amid a bipartisan push in Washington to tighten national security reviews of Chinese companies' efforts to scoop up US technology firms, often in industries closed to US companies in China. But many in China see such efforts as sure to backfire. "Politically, the administration of President Donald Trump can't afford to see China-US economic and trade ties become strained. China is more resilient to a trade war," China's state-run Global Times said on Sunday. China's Ministry of Commerce did not comment on the US business delegation or the risk of major trade friction. But it said last week that China would take all necessary measures to defend itself. Kibbles and bits Beijing suspects that even if Trump implements "targeted tariffs," as some in the US tech sector expect, they would likely amount to just a few percentage points of the more than $600 billion annual goods and services trade, Chinese experts have said. For local governments in export-dependent areas, the threat is more worrying. One official in the export powerhouse of Zhejiang province expressed concern to Reuters about Trump's possible actions, but declined to speak on the record. The government in Beijing, however, remains stoic. "Are Chinese officials getting nervous now amid a coming US-China trade war? I don't think so," said Wang Jiangyu, a trade expert at the National University of Singapore. The country has negotiated its way out of previous Section 301 investigations, including in 1992 and 1995. And a person close to China's Commerce Ministry, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said tariffs from the Section 301 case would be self-defeating, and urged negotiation instead. "We should sit down and discuss this. If their demands are reasonable, we don't want to go to the WTO," the person said. That inclination to fall back on talks and the WTO to resolve frictions may be China's miscalculation this time, people in the US business community say. What the Chinese government doesn't understand is that the Trump administration is "deadly serious," the member of the US business delegation said. "They aren't going to settle for kibbles and bits."

China looks to call bluff on Trump trade action

India accounts for one-fourth of the estimated 7.5 million bachelor in science and engineering degrees awarded across the world in 2014, a report has said.

However, it&#39;s the US that tops the charts in research and development spending, according to the annual Science and Engineering Indicators 2018 report of the National Science Foundation has said.

China&#39;s growth in science and engineering field continued at an exceptional pace, the report said.

The US is the global leader in science and technology (S&amp;T). However, its global share of S&amp;T activities is declining as other nations -- especially China -- continue to rise.

According to the most recent estimates, in 2014, the US awarded the largest number of S&amp;E doctoral degrees (40,000) of any country, followed by China (34,000), Russia (19,000), Germany (15,000), the United Kingdom (14,000) and India (13,000).

In contrast, the US lags in bachelor&#39;s level degrees.

India earned 25 per cent of the more than 7.5 million awarded S&amp;E bachelor&#39;s level degrees in 2014, followed closely by China (22 per cent), the EU (12 per cent) and the US (10 per cent). Nearly half of all degrees awarded in China are in S&amp;E fields.

Since 2000, the number of S&amp;E bachelor&#39;s degrees awarded in China has gone up by 300 per cent, the report said.

Among the major producers of S&amp;E publications, the United Kingdom had the highest international collaboration rate (57 per cent) in 2016, followed by France (55 per cent) and Germany (51 per cent).

The US followed with a 37 per cent international collaboration rate, up 12 per cent from 2006.

The impact of S&amp;E publications has also become more global. Between 2004 and 2014, the share of US publications with citations from abroad increased from 47 per cent to 56 per cent.

While the US led the world in R&amp;D expenditures at USD 496 billion (26 per cent share of the global total) in 2015, China was a decisive second at 21 per cent (USD 408 billion).

China has grown its R&amp;D spending at an average of 18 per cent annually since 2000. During the same time frame, the US R&amp;D spending grew by only four per cent.

According to the report, the US invests the most in research and development (R&amp;D), attracts the most venture capital, awards the most advanced degrees, provides the most business, financial and information services, and is the largest producer in high-technology manufacturing sectors.

Similarly, while the US attracted the most investment (nearly USD 70 billion), accounting for slightly more than half of the global share, 26 per cent of total venture capital funds went to China.

Countries also specialise in different fields of research, with the US, EU and Japan publishing heavily across the medical and biological sciences, while India and China focus on engineering, the report said.&nbsp;

India earned 25 per cent of the more than 7.5 million awarded S&E bachelor's level degrees in 2014, followed closely by China (22 per cent), the EU (12 per cent) and the US (10 per cent). Nearly half of all degrees awarded in China are in S&E fields

India accounts for one-fourth of the estimated 7.5 million bachelor in science and engineering degrees awarded across the world in 2014, a report has said. However, it's the US that tops the charts in research and development spending, according to the annual Science and Engineering Indicators 2018 report of the National Science Foundation has said. China's growth in science and engineering field continued at an exceptional pace, the report said. The US is the global leader in science and technology (S&T). However, its global share of S&T activities is declining as other nations -- especially China -- continue to rise. According to the most recent estimates, in 2014, the US awarded the largest number of S&E doctoral degrees (40,000) of any country, followed by China (34,000), Russia (19,000), Germany (15,000), the United Kingdom (14,000) and India (13,000). In contrast, the US lags in bachelor's level degrees. India earned 25 per cent of the more than 7.5 million awarded S&E bachelor's level degrees in 2014, followed closely by China (22 per cent), the EU (12 per cent) and the US (10 per cent). Nearly half of all degrees awarded in China are in S&E fields. Since 2000, the number of S&E bachelor's degrees awarded in China has gone up by 300 per cent, the report said. Among the major producers of S&E publications, the United Kingdom had the highest international collaboration rate (57 per cent) in 2016, followed by France (55 per cent) and Germany (51 per cent). The US followed with a 37 per cent international collaboration rate, up 12 per cent from 2006. The impact of S&E publications has also become more global. Between 2004 and 2014, the share of US publications with citations from abroad increased from 47 per cent to 56 per cent. While the US led the world in R&D expenditures at USD 496 billion (26 per cent share of the global total) in 2015, China was a decisive second at 21 per cent (USD 408 billion). China has grown its R&D spending at an average of 18 per cent annually since 2000. During the same time frame, the US R&D spending grew by only four per cent. According to the report, the US invests the most in research and development (R&D), attracts the most venture capital, awards the most advanced degrees, provides the most business, financial and information services, and is the largest producer in high-technology manufacturing sectors. Similarly, while the US attracted the most investment (nearly USD 70 billion), accounting for slightly more than half of the global share, 26 per cent of total venture capital funds went to China. Countries also specialise in different fields of research, with the US, EU and Japan publishing heavily across the medical and biological sciences, while India and China focus on engineering, the report said.

India tops in producing bachelors in science, engineering

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a step back on Thursday from comments, challenged by U.S. President Donald Trump, that envisioned a one-year timeframe for the planned relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

An official in Netanyahu&#39;s office said the prime minister recognised that construction of a new embassy will take years but believes Washington is considering &quot;interim measures that could result in an embassy opening much faster&quot;.

The official, who declined to be named, did not define those steps or mention any dates for a Jerusalem embassy to begin operating. In the past, Israeli media have speculated that, before a building is ready, the U.S. ambassador would operate part of the time out of a temporary location in Jerusalem.

Reversing decades of U.S. policy, Trump in early December recognised Jerusalem as Israel&rsquo;s capital and set in motion the process of moving the embassy from Tel Aviv, imperilling Middle East peace efforts and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies alike.

Netanyahu, according to Israeli reporters travelling with him on a trip to India, said on Wednesday: &quot;My solid assessment is that it will go much faster than you think - within a year from now.&quot;

Asked about Netanyahu&rsquo;s comment, Trump told Reuters in an interview that was not the case. &quot;By the end of the year? We&rsquo;re talking about different scenarios - I mean obviously that would be on a temporary basis. We&rsquo;re not really looking at that. That&#39;s no.&quot;

The Israeli official, responding to Trump&#39;s remarks, said: &quot;The president and the prime minister are not saying anything different&quot;.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last month the embassy move was &quot;probably no earlier than three years out, and that&rsquo;s pretty ambitious&quot;, a timeframe that administration officials have attributed to the logistics of finding and securing a site as well as arranging housing for diplomats.

Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed in a move not recognised internationally, as the capital of their future state.

An official in Netanyahu's office said the prime minister recognised that construction of a new embassy will take years

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a step back on Thursday from comments, challenged by U.S. President Donald Trump, that envisioned a one-year timeframe for the planned relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. An official in Netanyahu's office said the prime minister recognised that construction of a new embassy will take years but believes Washington is considering "interim measures that could result in an embassy opening much faster". The official, who declined to be named, did not define those steps or mention any dates for a Jerusalem embassy to begin operating. In the past, Israeli media have speculated that, before a building is ready, the U.S. ambassador would operate part of the time out of a temporary location in Jerusalem. Reversing decades of U.S. policy, Trump in early December recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and set in motion the process of moving the embassy from Tel Aviv, imperilling Middle East peace efforts and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies alike. Netanyahu, according to Israeli reporters travelling with him on a trip to India, said on Wednesday: "My solid assessment is that it will go much faster than you think - within a year from now." Asked about Netanyahu’s comment, Trump told Reuters in an interview that was not the case. "By the end of the year? We’re talking about different scenarios - I mean obviously that would be on a temporary basis. We’re not really looking at that. That's no." The Israeli official, responding to Trump's remarks, said: "The president and the prime minister are not saying anything different". U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last month the embassy move was "probably no earlier than three years out, and that’s pretty ambitious", a timeframe that administration officials have attributed to the logistics of finding and securing a site as well as arranging housing for diplomats. Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed in a move not recognised internationally, as the capital of their future state.

After Trump denial, Netanyahu clarifies remarks on timeframe for US embassy in Jerusalem

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-now-rajasthan-bans-the-film-keeping-public-interest-in-mind-29892" target="_blank">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-now-rajasthan-bans-the-film-keeping-public-interest-in-mind-29892" target="_blank">: Now, Rajasthan bans the film keeping public interest in mind</a>

After Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, Rajasthan is the fourth state to officially ban Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s&nbsp;Padmaavat. The film, that is scheduled to release in theaters on January 25th will not be releasing in Rajasthan, a notice by the Rajasthan government said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-arrests-ex-cia-official-linked-to-spying-for-china-29896" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-arrests-ex-cia-official-linked-to-spying-for-china-29896" target="_blank"> arrests ex-CIA official linked to spying for China</a>

A former CIA official who lives in Hong Kong was arrested by US authorities in New York airport on Monday after FBI agents allegedly found classified information in his hotel room, including two small books containing information on details of true names and numbers of spy recruits and covert CIA employees.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/spike-anti-tank-missile-deal-with-india-back-on-track-netanyahu-29889" target="_blank">Spike anti-tank missile deal with India back on track: Netanyahu</a>

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a four-day visit to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-cancels-spike-anti-tank-guided-missiles-deal-with-israel-28444">India confirmed the Spike anti-tank missile&nbsp;</a>deal which was scrapped by India a fortnight ago was back on track, Israel media reported.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-lawmakers-back-brexit-legislation-stiffer-tests-yet-to-come-29888" target="_blank">British lawmakers back Brexit legislation, stiffer tests yet to come</a>

British lawmakers voted in favour of the government&#39;s legislative blueprint for&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;on Wednesday, marking a victory for Prime Minister Theresa May over political opponents who want a softer approach to leaving the European Union.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/1-bsf-soldier-killed-3-civilians-injured-in-ceasefire-violation-in-jk-29887" target="_blank">J&amp;K: 1 BSF soldier killed, 3 civilians injured as Pak troops open fire along LoC</a>

A BSF soldier lost his life after a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-troops-fire-at-loc-posts-in-poonch-army-captain-injured-29759" target="_blank">ceasefire violation by the&nbsp;Pakistan forces</a>&nbsp;in the R S Pura sector of Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp; The firing by Pakistan troops also hit neighbouring villages injuring 3 civilians

Padmaavat: Now, Rajasthan bans the film keeping public interest in mind After Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, Rajasthan is the fourth state to officially ban Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat. The film, that is scheduled to release in theaters on January 25th will not be releasing in Rajasthan, a notice by the Rajasthan government said. US arrests ex-CIA official linked to spying for China A former CIA official who lives in Hong Kong was arrested by US authorities in New York airport on Monday after FBI agents allegedly found classified information in his hotel room, including two small books containing information on details of true names and numbers of spy recruits and covert CIA employees. Spike anti-tank missile deal with India back on track: Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a four-day visit to India confirmed the Spike anti-tank missile deal which was scrapped by India a fortnight ago was back on track, Israel media reported. British lawmakers back Brexit legislation, stiffer tests yet to come British lawmakers voted in favour of the government's legislative blueprint for Brexit on Wednesday, marking a victory for Prime Minister Theresa May over political opponents who want a softer approach to leaving the European Union. J&K: 1 BSF soldier killed, 3 civilians injured as Pak troops open fire along LoC A BSF soldier lost his life after a ceasefire violation by the Pakistan forces in the R S Pura sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The firing by Pakistan troops also hit neighbouring villages injuring 3 civilians

WION Morning News brief, January 18, 2018

Two contradictory events set an uneven tone for the Korean Crisis. China condemns the 20 nation who are calling for tougher sanctions against North Korea. In a meeting held this week in Canada, these nations attempted to pressurise North Korea in giving up its nuclear weapons, without the participation of China and Russia.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

At the same time, the two Koreas decided to march together at the Olympics opening ceremony under a white &quot;unification flag&quot;, showing the Korean peninsula, and agree to field united ice hockey team in February 2018. The two Koreas also agreed to field a united women&#39;s ice hockey team, and have joint participation in Para-Olympics in March 2018. Such plans give an indication that the &lsquo;Sports Diplomacy&rsquo; of Koreans may be the first step to some face-saving settlement of the North Korean issue, but it is not as simple as it appears to be.

&nbsp;

During the Vancouver meeting, the United States continued to threaten North Korea with the option of military response in case North Korea decides not to talk as per the conditions laid down by the US. The US has reasons to say so because nuclearisation and weaponisation of North Korea is no more a local issue between the North and South Korea but its dimension has grown beyond the region up to the mainland of US now. North Korea indicates a willingness to talk, but without precondition.

&nbsp;

China might be feeling that these talks are an extension of the erstwhile cold war, isolating China, Russia and North Korea. Chinese see it as an attempt of the US to convince the world community about exhaustion of all peaceful options, before actually going for a possible military option.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Although the world community will like China to do more but China has no moral standpoint to urge North Korea to follow the non-nuclear path. The North can turn back to tell China, that it is going nuclear exactly for the same reason China went nuclear - to ensure its survival against the US.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The use of nuclear capability as insurance for its defence, was cited as the main reason by almost every country, which added nuclear weapons to its arsenal. When Israel went nuclear, it developed a survival capability to dissuade all hostile neighbouring Arab countries. North Korea has been and will continue to use this logic for its missiles/nuclear tests/ misadventures so far, which revolves around its own security concerns and survival of the regime of Kim. It justifies it as a defensive measure against the US threat; in the past, the US was involved in regime changes at Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and other countries which did not follow its dictate. None of these countries had nuclear capabilities, hence, it was incapable of threatening either the US or its allies.

&nbsp;

The unfortunate part is that this threat is a byproduct of selective leakage of nuclear and missile technology by some irresponsible countries, despite signing NPT. This has led to a dangerous situation where global community is suffering from a threat of nuclear blackmailing by states like North Korea and Pakistan today and, may be, by militants in future if they can lay their hand on dirty bomb or tactical nukes. It may, therefore, be prudent to think that China and Russia may not have that strong a leverage over North Korea as it is made out to be. It is also a matter of concern and suspicion that Kim cannot become so nice and reasonable suddenly.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

What seems to be on is a crisis avoidance exercise by North Korea to prevent a nuclear war for the time being by &ldquo;Sports Diplomacy&rdquo;. The danger is that it gives adequate time to North Korea to complete his nuclear ambitions, and it may reach a state where the reversal may not be possible (if it has not reached there already).

&nbsp;

The fact that the US decided to postpone military exercises beyond the winter Olympics indicates that a tacit understanding exists between the US and South Korea. The positive part is that there is some beginning to resolve this crisis without loss of face to either side, hence, it is best practical beginning in the given circumstances, which will have to be pursued. The options in any case are shrinking.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Korean Peninsula will have to be accepted as a flashpoint. No one will deliberately like to initiate war, but it will continue to be prone to accidental triggers. The status quo ante is not an option because if no action is taken against North Korea, the world will have live with the problem of nuclear blackmailing and countries like Pakistan working on similar philosophy may also be encouraged. Moreover, it will have a cascading effect as Japan and Iran may go nuclear and South Korea may ask for tactical nukes.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

What seems to be on is a crisis avoidance exercise by North Korea to prevent a nuclear war for the time being by “Sports Diplomacy”.

Two contradictory events set an uneven tone for the Korean Crisis. China condemns the 20 nation who are calling for tougher sanctions against North Korea. In a meeting held this week in Canada, these nations attempted to pressurise North Korea in giving up its nuclear weapons, without the participation of China and Russia. At the same time, the two Koreas decided to march together at the Olympics opening ceremony under a white "unification flag", showing the Korean peninsula, and agree to field united ice hockey team in February 2018. The two Koreas also agreed to field a united women's ice hockey team, and have joint participation in Para-Olympics in March 2018. Such plans give an indication that the ‘Sports Diplomacy’ of Koreans may be the first step to some face-saving settlement of the North Korean issue, but it is not as simple as it appears to be. During the Vancouver meeting, the United States continued to threaten North Korea with the option of military response in case North Korea decides not to talk as per the conditions laid down by the US. The US has reasons to say so because nuclearisation and weaponisation of North Korea is no more a local issue between the North and South Korea but its dimension has grown beyond the region up to the mainland of US now. North Korea indicates a willingness to talk, but without precondition. China might be feeling that these talks are an extension of the erstwhile cold war, isolating China, Russia and North Korea. Chinese see it as an attempt of the US to convince the world community about exhaustion of all peaceful options, before actually going for a possible military option. Although the world community will like China to do more but China has no moral standpoint to urge North Korea to follow the non-nuclear path. The North can turn back to tell China, that it is going nuclear exactly for the same reason China went nuclear - to ensure its survival against the US. The use of nuclear capability as insurance for its defence, was cited as the main reason by almost every country, which added nuclear weapons to its arsenal. When Israel went nuclear, it developed a survival capability to dissuade all hostile neighbouring Arab countries. North Korea has been and will continue to use this logic for its missiles/nuclear tests/ misadventures so far, which revolves around its own security concerns and survival of the regime of Kim. It justifies it as a defensive measure against the US threat; in the past, the US was involved in regime changes at Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and other countries which did not follow its dictate. None of these countries had nuclear capabilities, hence, it was incapable of threatening either the US or its allies. The unfortunate part is that this threat is a byproduct of selective leakage of nuclear and missile technology by some irresponsible countries, despite signing NPT. This has led to a dangerous situation where global community is suffering from a threat of nuclear blackmailing by states like North Korea and Pakistan today and, may be, by militants in future if they can lay their hand on dirty bomb or tactical nukes. It may, therefore, be prudent to think that China and Russia may not have that strong a leverage over North Korea as it is made out to be. It is also a matter of concern and suspicion that Kim cannot become so nice and reasonable suddenly. What seems to be on is a crisis avoidance exercise by North Korea to prevent a nuclear war for the time being by “Sports Diplomacy”. The danger is that it gives adequate time to North Korea to complete his nuclear ambitions, and it may reach a state where the reversal may not be possible (if it has not reached there already). The fact that the US decided to postpone military exercises beyond the winter Olympics indicates that a tacit understanding exists between the US and South Korea. The positive part is that there is some beginning to resolve this crisis without loss of face to either side, hence, it is best practical beginning in the given circumstances, which will have to be pursued. The options in any case are shrinking. Korean Peninsula will have to be accepted as a flashpoint. No one will deliberately like to initiate war, but it will continue to be prone to accidental triggers. The status quo ante is not an option because if no action is taken against North Korea, the world will have live with the problem of nuclear blackmailing and countries like Pakistan working on similar philosophy may also be encouraged. Moreover, it will have a cascading effect as Japan and Iran may go nuclear and South Korea may ask for tactical nukes. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Is sports diplomacy a new game plan of North Korea?

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

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

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

US withholds $65 million in Palestinian aid after Trump threat

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

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

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

H1B visa puts American workers at risk: Republican Senator

US president Donald Trump has been awarded a &#39;Medal of Bravery&#39; by residents of Afghanistan&#39;s Logar province for his strict actions against Pakistan.&nbsp;

Said Farhad Akbari, a community leader in the province said on January 14 that over 300 people at an informal council agreed to award him the medal, media reports said.&nbsp;

&quot;This is a handmade medal from available gold,&quot; RadioFreeEurope Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported, citing Said Farhad Akbari as saying.

He also presented a handwritten message which said: &nbsp;&ldquo;This Bravery Medal is from the Afghan people to Donald Trump, president of the United States of America.&rdquo;

The medal is made with funds collected by Afghans from the Logar province, 60 kilometres in the south of Kabul.

It is worth 45,000 Afghanis (645 dollars) approximately and has been made out of 15 grams of Gold, according to the reports.

The bravery award has been handed over to the US Embassy in Kabul.

&quot;US Ambassador in Kabul John R. Bass has promised that he will soon hand over the medal to President Trump,&quot; said Akbari.

Akbari also said that the community has &quot;waited 16 years&quot; for someone in the US administration to make comments of that kind concerning Pakistan.&nbsp;

Trump has tweeted earlier this year accusing Pakistan of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/weve-been-fooled-for-15-years-no-more-donald-trumps-tweet-to-pakistan-28253">&quot;lies and deceit</a>&quot; and proving &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-blocks-usd-255-million-military-aid-to-pakistan-28291" target="_blank">safe haven</a>&quot; to terrorists in return for &nbsp;$33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Said Farhad Akbari, a community leader in the province said on January 14 that over 300 people at an informal council agreed to award him the medal for his strict action against Pakistan

US president Donald Trump has been awarded a 'Medal of Bravery' by residents of Afghanistan's Logar province for his strict actions against Pakistan. Said Farhad Akbari, a community leader in the province said on January 14 that over 300 people at an informal council agreed to award him the medal, media reports said. "This is a handmade medal from available gold," RadioFreeEurope Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported, citing Said Farhad Akbari as saying. He also presented a handwritten message which said: “This Bravery Medal is from the Afghan people to Donald Trump, president of the United States of America.” The medal is made with funds collected by Afghans from the Logar province, 60 kilometres in the south of Kabul. It is worth 45,000 Afghanis (645 dollars) approximately and has been made out of 15 grams of Gold, according to the reports. The bravery award has been handed over to the US Embassy in Kabul. "US Ambassador in Kabul John R. Bass has promised that he will soon hand over the medal to President Trump," said Akbari. Akbari also said that the community has "waited 16 years" for someone in the US administration to make comments of that kind concerning Pakistan. Trump has tweeted earlier this year accusing Pakistan of "lies and deceit" and proving "safe haven" to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Donald Trump awarded 'Medal of Bravery' by Afghanistan

Pope Francis said on Monday he was really afraid about the danger of nuclear war and that the world now stood at &quot;the very limit&quot;.

His comment, made as he flew off for a visit to Chile and Peru, came after Hawaii issued a false missile alert that provoked panic in the U.S. state and highlighted the risk of possible unintended nuclear war with North Korea.

Asked if he was worried about the possibility of nuclear war, Pope Francis said: &quot;I think we are at the very limit. I am really afraid of this. One accident is enough to precipitate things.&quot;

He did not mention Hawaii or North Korea.

Pope Francis has often flagged the danger of nuclear warfare and in November he appeared to harden the Catholic Church&rsquo;s teaching against nuclear weapons, saying countries should not stockpile them even for the purpose of deterrence.

As reporters boarded his plane bound for Chile, Vatican officials handed out a photograph taken in 1945 that shows a young Japanese boy carrying his dead brother on his shoulders following the U.S. nuclear attack on Nagasaki.

&quot;I was moved when I saw this. The only thing I could think of adding were the words &#39;the fruit of war&#39;,&quot; Francis said, referring to a caption put on the back of the image.

&quot;I wanted to have it reprinted and distributed because an image like this can be more moving than a thousand words. That is why I wanted to share it with you,&quot; he said.

His comment, made as he flew off for a visit to Chile and Peru, came after Hawaii issued a false missile alert that provoked panic in the U.S. state and highlighted the risk of possible unintended nuclear war with North Korea.

Pope Francis said on Monday he was really afraid about the danger of nuclear war and that the world now stood at "the very limit". His comment, made as he flew off for a visit to Chile and Peru, came after Hawaii issued a false missile alert that provoked panic in the U.S. state and highlighted the risk of possible unintended nuclear war with North Korea. Asked if he was worried about the possibility of nuclear war, Pope Francis said: "I think we are at the very limit. I am really afraid of this. One accident is enough to precipitate things." He did not mention Hawaii or North Korea. Pope Francis has often flagged the danger of nuclear warfare and in November he appeared to harden the Catholic Church’s teaching against nuclear weapons, saying countries should not stockpile them even for the purpose of deterrence. As reporters boarded his plane bound for Chile, Vatican officials handed out a photograph taken in 1945 that shows a young Japanese boy carrying his dead brother on his shoulders following the U.S. nuclear attack on Nagasaki. "I was moved when I saw this. The only thing I could think of adding were the words 'the fruit of war'," Francis said, referring to a caption put on the back of the image. "I wanted to have it reprinted and distributed because an image like this can be more moving than a thousand words. That is why I wanted to share it with you," he said.

Pope warns world is one step away from nuclear war

A New York-based photographer has accused Hollywood actor Aziz Ansari of sexual misconduct after they went on a date last year, reports said.&nbsp;

The 23-year-old women claimed that it was a &quot;violating night and a painful one&quot; after the Master of None actor continuously pressured her into having sex.&nbsp;

She further stated that the actor ignored her verbal and non-verbal hints and was in hurry all through dinner to get her someplace else.&nbsp;

In a long post on the website Babe, the photographer recounts the disastrous date she went on with the comedian. Titled &#39;I went on a date with Aziz Ansari. It turned into the worst night of my life&#39;&nbsp;the post states that how Ansari took the woman out in New York earlier this year and then he rushed her out of the restaurant after they had finished their meal and took her back to his New York apartment.

The woman then recalls that the comedian coerced her into sexual acts which she was not comfortable with. &quot;I said something like, &lsquo;Whoa, let&rsquo;s relax for a sec, let&rsquo;s chill,&rsquo;&rdquo; she says in the article. 
 
The woman stated that how she repeatedly tried to move away from Ansari. &quot;Most of my discomfort was expressed in me pulling away and mumbling. I know that my hand stopped moving at some points,&quot; she said. &quot;I stopped moving my lips and turned cold.&rdquo;

After excusing herself to go to the bathroom, she returned and told him that she &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t want to feel forced&rdquo;. However, he resumed his persistence after they began to watch TV. 
 
The woman eventually left his apartment and cried on her way back home and told her friends over the phone how Ansari had behaved.

The photographer released a text conversation between the two&nbsp;after their date.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd6J53Vntmd/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd6J53Vntmd/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">23-year-old Grace* went on a date with Aziz Ansari in September. It turned out to be the worst night of her life. She told babe Ansari pulled her hand towards his penis multiple times and &ldquo;kept doing it after I moved it away.&rdquo; She said she remembers him asking again and again, &ldquo;Where do you want me to fuck you?&rdquo; Throughout the course of the night, she says she used verbal and non-verbal cues to indicate how unhappy she was. This is a conversation between them the following day where Grace tells Ansari how uncomfortable he made her feel, saying &ldquo;you ignored clear non-verbal cues&rdquo; and &ldquo;kept going with advances.&rdquo; Read the full story on babe.net.</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/babedotnet/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Babe</a> (@babedotnet) on <time datetime="2018-01-13T23:49:40+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jan 13, 2018 at 3:49pm PST</time>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Ansari had allegedly sent her a text about their date from the night before which read &quot;Hey it was fun meeting you last night. I just dropped my roll of film today. Fingers crossed for some solid shots!&quot;

The woman responded: &#39;Last night might&#39;ve been fun for you, but it wasn&#39;t for me. You ignored clear non-verbal clues; you kept going with advances.

&#39;I want to make sure you&#39;re aware so maybe the next girl doesn&#39;t have to cry on the ride home.&#39;

Ansari allegedly replied: &#39;I&#39;m so sad to hear this. Clearly, I misread things in the moment and I&#39;m truly sorry.&#39;

Aziz has since denied the allegations saying that the encounter was completely consensual &#39;by all indications&#39; he had at the time and that he &quot;took her words to hear.&quot;

He recently won a Golden Globe for his performance in Master of None making him the first Asian male to ever win a Golden Globe in Comedy.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ansari was one of many male celebrities who joined in the TIme&#39;s Up movement which seeks to provide legal support for women who have suffered sexual abuse or harassment and even wore their pin at the Golden Globes last week.&nbsp;

Aziz has since denied the allegations saying that the encounter was completely consensual 'by all indications' he had at the time and that he "took her words to hear"

A New York-based photographer has accused Hollywood actor Aziz Ansari of sexual misconduct after they went on a date last year, reports said. The 23-year-old women claimed that it was a "violating night and a painful one" after the Master of None actor continuously pressured her into having sex. She further stated that the actor ignored her verbal and non-verbal hints and was in hurry all through dinner to get her someplace else. In a long post on the website Babe, the photographer recounts the disastrous date she went on with the comedian. Titled 'I went on a date with Aziz Ansari. It turned into the worst night of my life' the post states that how Ansari took the woman out in New York earlier this year and then he rushed her out of the restaurant after they had finished their meal and took her back to his New York apartment. The woman then recalls that the comedian coerced her into sexual acts which she was not comfortable with. "I said something like, ‘Whoa, let’s relax for a sec, let’s chill,’” she says in the article. The woman stated that how she repeatedly tried to move away from Ansari. "Most of my discomfort was expressed in me pulling away and mumbling. I know that my hand stopped moving at some points," she said. "I stopped moving my lips and turned cold.” After excusing herself to go to the bathroom, she returned and told him that she “didn’t want to feel forced”. However, he resumed his persistence after they began to watch TV. The woman eventually left his apartment and cried on her way back home and told her friends over the phone how Ansari had behaved. The photographer released a text conversation between the two after their date. 23-year-old Grace* went on a date with Aziz Ansari in September. It turned out to be the worst night of her life. She told babe Ansari pulled her hand towards his penis multiple times and “kept doing it after I moved it away.” She said she remembers him asking again and again, “Where do you want me to fuck you?” Throughout the course of the night, she says she used verbal and non-verbal cues to indicate how unhappy she was. This is a conversation between them the following day where Grace tells Ansari how uncomfortable he made her feel, saying “you ignored clear non-verbal cues” and “kept going with advances.” Read the full story on babe.net. A post shared by Babe (@babedotnet) on Jan 13, 2018 at 3:49pm PST × Ansari had allegedly sent her a text about their date from the night before which read "Hey it was fun meeting you last night. I just dropped my roll of film today. Fingers crossed for some solid shots!" The woman responded: 'Last night might've been fun for you, but it wasn't for me. You ignored clear non-verbal clues; you kept going with advances. 'I want to make sure you're aware so maybe the next girl doesn't have to cry on the ride home.' Ansari allegedly replied: 'I'm so sad to hear this. Clearly, I misread things in the moment and I'm truly sorry.' Aziz has since denied the allegations saying that the encounter was completely consensual 'by all indications' he had at the time and that he "took her words to hear." He recently won a Golden Globe for his performance in Master of None making him the first Asian male to ever win a Golden Globe in Comedy. Ansari was one of many male celebrities who joined in the TIme's Up movement which seeks to provide legal support for women who have suffered sexual abuse or harassment and even wore their pin at the Golden Globes last week.

Aziz Ansari accused of sexual misconduct, denies allegations

us-1

Us, News on Us, stories on Us, articles on Us, Us stories at Wion, Us news, Us latest news

us 1