Around 17 militants affiliated with the Islamic State have been killed in a drone strike carried out in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan&nbsp; on Sunday.

The latest airstrike was conducted by the United States forces in two districts using an unnamed aerial vehicle.&nbsp;

Officials have informed that 14 militants were killed in Haska Mina district while the rest three were killed in Achin district.

According to reports, foreign fighters were are also among those killed in the airstrikes. The coalition sent an Afghan militia leader, a USA service member, and an interpreter.&nbsp;

Reports further say that a compound of terror group was also targeted and taken during the air strike.&nbsp;

There have been no comments from the militant group as yet.&nbsp;

According to the report, US warplanes have carried out hundreds of airstrikes, while its special forces conducted ground operations in the province.

As per the new Afghan strategy of the US administration, which President Donald Trump announced in August, the forces have intensified the attacks against Taliban and the number of soldiers has gone up as well.

Presently, there are about 14,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

According to the report, US warplanes have carried out hundreds of airstrikes, while its special forces conducted ground operations in the province.

Around 17 militants affiliated with the Islamic State have been killed in a drone strike carried out in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan on Sunday. The latest airstrike was conducted by the United States forces in two districts using an unnamed aerial vehicle. Officials have informed that 14 militants were killed in Haska Mina district while the rest three were killed in Achin district. According to reports, foreign fighters were are also among those killed in the airstrikes. The coalition sent an Afghan militia leader, a USA service member, and an interpreter. Reports further say that a compound of terror group was also targeted and taken during the air strike. There have been no comments from the militant group as yet. According to the report, US warplanes have carried out hundreds of airstrikes, while its special forces conducted ground operations in the province. As per the new Afghan strategy of the US administration, which President Donald Trump announced in August, the forces have intensified the attacks against Taliban and the number of soldiers has gone up as well. Presently, there are about 14,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan.

17 IS militants killed in airstrike in Afghanistan

Around 25 people, including security forces, civilians as well as six protestors, were killed in Iran on Sunday after unrest in several towns and cities following the recent anti-government protests.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Twenty-five people, ordinary citizens and our own forces, were killed during the recent troubles,&rdquo; said judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie, according to the Mizanonline news agency.

&ldquo;None were killed by shots from the security forces because they were ordered not to use their weapons,&rdquo; he added.

On Sunday, Iranian officials announced that hundreds of people detained in the protests had been released.&nbsp;

Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said 440 &ldquo;arrested rioters&rdquo; have been released in Tehran alone.&nbsp;

The semi-official Fars news agency quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhosein Mohseni Ejehi as saying that just 55 people remain in detention in the capital in connection with the protests.

Last week, an Iranian reformist lawmaker, Mahmoud Sadeghi, said some 3,700 people were arrested across the country.

The protests, which began three weeks ago, were initially sparked by anger at the weak economy and official corruption, but escalated rapidly, with some protesters calling for the overthrow of the government and clashing with security forces.

The unrest began over economic issues but quickly grew into protests against the Islamic regime as a whole, with attacks on government and police buildings.

The government has said a total of 42,000 people participated in the unrest -- a figure that is hard to verify due to limited information from the provinces where most of the unrest took place.

On Sunday, Iranian officials announced that hundreds of people detained in the protests had been released

Around 25 people, including security forces, civilians as well as six protestors, were killed in Iran on Sunday after unrest in several towns and cities following the recent anti-government protests. “Twenty-five people, ordinary citizens and our own forces, were killed during the recent troubles,” said judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie, according to the Mizanonline news agency. “None were killed by shots from the security forces because they were ordered not to use their weapons,” he added. On Sunday, Iranian officials announced that hundreds of people detained in the protests had been released. Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said 440 “arrested rioters” have been released in Tehran alone. The semi-official Fars news agency quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhosein Mohseni Ejehi as saying that just 55 people remain in detention in the capital in connection with the protests. Last week, an Iranian reformist lawmaker, Mahmoud Sadeghi, said some 3,700 people were arrested across the country. The protests, which began three weeks ago, were initially sparked by anger at the weak economy and official corruption, but escalated rapidly, with some protesters calling for the overthrow of the government and clashing with security forces. The unrest began over economic issues but quickly grew into protests against the Islamic regime as a whole, with attacks on government and police buildings. The government has said a total of 42,000 people participated in the unrest -- a figure that is hard to verify due to limited information from the provinces where most of the unrest took place.

25 dead in Iran protests

The White House on Saturday denied and corrected a quote attributed to President Donald Trump that suggested he had a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

&quot;I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-Un,&quot; Trump was quoted as telling The Wall Street Journal in an interview on Thursday.&nbsp;

But Press Secretary Sarah Sanders insisted that Trump said &quot;I&#39;d,&quot; not &quot;I&quot; as the newspaper reported.

Both The Wall Street Journal and the White House posted audio recordings of Trump&#39;s remarks on Twitter. These, while not completely clear, appeared to support Sanders&#39; account.

Sanders had earlier tweeted a written message disputing the newspaper&#39;s article.

&quot;President Trump said, I&#39;D probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un of North Korea. I&#39;D -- I&#39;D -- I&#39;D. NOT I!&quot; the message read, with &quot;I&#39;D&quot; in red ink, under a red banner reading &quot;FAKE NEWS.&quot;

Mockingly mimicking the newspaper&#39;s front page, it then reads &quot;THE WALL STREET JOURNAL -- FAKE NEWS IS AT IT AGAIN! -- FALSELY QUOTING PRESIDENT TRUMP.&quot;

Washington and Pyongyang are in a standoff over North Korea&#39;s missile and nuclear programs, which could be used to target the United States and its allies.

Trump has repeatedly insulted the North Korean leader, describing him as mad and a &quot;rocket man.&quot;

Asked if by The Wall Street Journal if he had spoken to Kim, Trump said: &quot;I don&#39;t want to comment on it. I&#39;m not saying I have or haven&#39;t. I just don&#39;t want to comment.&quot;

Trump suggested his variable position on individuals was part of a broader strategy.

But it was not clear how his remarks fitted with his self-described policy of &quot;maximum pressure&quot; on Pyongyang.

In the coming week the United States and Canada are to host a meeting in Vancouver on the nuclear standoff with North Korea, bringing together friendly powers from around the world.

Washington and Pyongyang are in a standoff over North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, which could be used to target the United States and its allies.

The White House on Saturday denied and corrected a quote attributed to President Donald Trump that suggested he had a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. "I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-Un," Trump was quoted as telling The Wall Street Journal in an interview on Thursday. But Press Secretary Sarah Sanders insisted that Trump said "I'd," not "I" as the newspaper reported. Both The Wall Street Journal and the White House posted audio recordings of Trump's remarks on Twitter. These, while not completely clear, appeared to support Sanders' account. Sanders had earlier tweeted a written message disputing the newspaper's article. "President Trump said, I'D probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un of North Korea. I'D -- I'D -- I'D. NOT I!" the message read, with "I'D" in red ink, under a red banner reading "FAKE NEWS." Mockingly mimicking the newspaper's front page, it then reads "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL -- FAKE NEWS IS AT IT AGAIN! -- FALSELY QUOTING PRESIDENT TRUMP." Washington and Pyongyang are in a standoff over North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, which could be used to target the United States and its allies. Trump has repeatedly insulted the North Korean leader, describing him as mad and a "rocket man." Asked if by The Wall Street Journal if he had spoken to Kim, Trump said: "I don't want to comment on it. I'm not saying I have or haven't. I just don't want to comment." Trump suggested his variable position on individuals was part of a broader strategy. But it was not clear how his remarks fitted with his self-described policy of "maximum pressure" on Pyongyang. In the coming week the United States and Canada are to host a meeting in Vancouver on the nuclear standoff with North Korea, bringing together friendly powers from around the world.

White House pushes back over Trump North Korea quote

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Sunday disputed a newspaper&#39;s account of an interview with him last week in which he was quoted as saying he probably has a very good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump said in tweets that in the Wall Street Journal interview on Thursday, he said &quot;I&#39;d probably&quot; have a good relationship with Kim, using a conditional tense.

The White House released a portion of the audio from the interview that it said showed Trump said &quot;I&#39;d.&quot; The Wall Street Journal released its own audio that it said backed up its version of the events.

The Trump comment was key because it suggested he feels he has a good relationship with Kim, who has resisted global pressure to stand down from a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

Trump has derided the North Korean leader as a &ldquo;maniac&rdquo; and referred to him as &ldquo;little rocket man.&rdquo; Kim has responded by calling the U.S. president a &ldquo;mentally deranged U.S. dotard.&rdquo;

Kim has warned the United States that he intends to build a nuclear arsenal capable of hitting the United States, prompting threats of military action by Washington.

In the Wall Street Journal interview, Trump was asked whether he has spoken with the North Korean leader.

&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to comment on it. I&lsquo;m not saying I have or haven&lsquo;t. I just don&rsquo;t want to comment,&quot; he had said.

Trump is spending a long weekend at his oceanfront Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

&quot;Obviously I didn&rsquo;t say that,&quot; tweeted Trump. &quot;I said &#39;I&rsquo;d have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un,&#39; a big difference. Fortunately we now record conversations with reporters ... and they knew exactly what I said and meant. They just wanted a story. FAKE NEWS!&quot;

A White House official said the delay in publicly disputing the Journal&#39;s account was the result of a failed attempt to get the paper to correct the record.

&quot;The reason there was a delay is because we had several calls and emails with WSJ, starting Friday morning, asking them to issue a correction. They refused and so we pushed out our own clarification,&quot; the official said.

Trump was quoted as saying he had a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in an interview in the Wall Street Journal

US President Donald Trump on Sunday disputed a newspaper's account of an interview with him last week in which he was quoted as saying he probably has a very good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump said in tweets that in the Wall Street Journal interview on Thursday, he said "I'd probably" have a good relationship with Kim, using a conditional tense. The White House released a portion of the audio from the interview that it said showed Trump said "I'd." The Wall Street Journal released its own audio that it said backed up its version of the events. The Trump comment was key because it suggested he feels he has a good relationship with Kim, who has resisted global pressure to stand down from a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests. Trump has derided the North Korean leader as a “maniac” and referred to him as “little rocket man.” Kim has responded by calling the U.S. president a “mentally deranged U.S. dotard.” Kim has warned the United States that he intends to build a nuclear arsenal capable of hitting the United States, prompting threats of military action by Washington. In the Wall Street Journal interview, Trump was asked whether he has spoken with the North Korean leader. “I don’t want to comment on it. I‘m not saying I have or haven‘t. I just don’t want to comment," he had said. Trump is spending a long weekend at his oceanfront Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. "Obviously I didn’t say that," tweeted Trump. "I said 'I’d have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un,' a big difference. Fortunately we now record conversations with reporters ... and they knew exactly what I said and meant. They just wanted a story. FAKE NEWS!" A White House official said the delay in publicly disputing the Journal's account was the result of a failed attempt to get the paper to correct the record. "The reason there was a delay is because we had several calls and emails with WSJ, starting Friday morning, asking them to issue a correction. They refused and so we pushed out our own clarification," the official said.

Trump denies saying he probably had good relationship with Kim

In a bid to counter escalating military tensions in the Crimean peninsula, Russia deployed a new division of S-400 surface-to-air missiles in Crimea this Saturday.&nbsp;

The latest deployment is the second division armed with S-400 air defence systems on the peninsula.

The first of the similar kind to be deployed was in the spring of 2017 near the port town of Fedosia.

The new deployment would be based next to the town of Sevastopol.

According to reports, the new division will control the airspace over the Russian border with Ukraine.&nbsp;

The new air defence system is designed to defend Russia&#39;s borders and can also be turned into combat mode in under five minutes. &nbsp;

The S-400 systems, also known as &#39;Triumph&#39;, were first introduced in the Russian military in 2007.

The systems are capable of bringing down airborne targets at a range of 400 kilometres and ballistic missiles at a range of 60 kilometres.&nbsp;

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

The annexation led to economic sanctions by the European Union and the United States.

The Trump administration in December said that it planned to provide Ukraine with &quot;enhanced defensive capabilities&quot; including Javelin anti-tank missiles.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Russia deployed a new division of S-400 surface-to-air missiles in Crimea this Saturday

In a bid to counter escalating military tensions in the Crimean peninsula, Russia deployed a new division of S-400 surface-to-air missiles in Crimea this Saturday. The latest deployment is the second division armed with S-400 air defence systems on the peninsula. The first of the similar kind to be deployed was in the spring of 2017 near the port town of Fedosia. The new deployment would be based next to the town of Sevastopol. According to reports, the new division will control the airspace over the Russian border with Ukraine. The new air defence system is designed to defend Russia's borders and can also be turned into combat mode in under five minutes. The S-400 systems, also known as 'Triumph', were first introduced in the Russian military in 2007. The systems are capable of bringing down airborne targets at a range of 400 kilometres and ballistic missiles at a range of 60 kilometres. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. The annexation led to economic sanctions by the European Union and the United States. The Trump administration in December said that it planned to provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities" including Javelin anti-tank missiles. (With inputs from Reuters)

Russia deploys more surface-to-air missiles as tensions grip Crimea

A US-based Indian engineer married his gay lover on December 30 in a traditional ceremony at Yavatmal, Maharashtra.

The two got married only a few days before the Supreme Court agreed to review criminalisation of homosexuality.&nbsp;

Yavatmal native Hrishi Mohankumar Sathawane (40) married Vinh, reportedly from Vietnam, at a hotel just a few steps away from the office of the superintendent of police.

Hrishi, who holds a BTech from IIT-Bombay, currently lives in California and has a US green card.&nbsp;

According to Hrishi&#39;s social media page, he got engaged to Vinh in mid-2017 and married later in October.&nbsp;

Although his parents were initially against his homosexual affiliation, he successfully convinced them and took their blessings before getting married.&nbsp;

The photo of the couple has made rounds on the internet.

Superintendent of Police, Yavatmal, Amarsingh Jadhav first said he did not want to comment, but later added he had ordered an investigation.

Yavatmal native Hrishi Mohankumar Sathawane (40) married Vinh, said to be from Vietnam got married at a hotel just a few steps away from the office of the superintendent of police

A US-based Indian engineer married his gay lover on December 30 in a traditional ceremony at Yavatmal, Maharashtra. The two got married only a few days before the Supreme Court agreed to review criminalisation of homosexuality. Yavatmal native Hrishi Mohankumar Sathawane (40) married Vinh, reportedly from Vietnam, at a hotel just a few steps away from the office of the superintendent of police. Hrishi, who holds a BTech from IIT-Bombay, currently lives in California and has a US green card. According to Hrishi's social media page, he got engaged to Vinh in mid-2017 and married later in October. Although his parents were initially against his homosexual affiliation, he successfully convinced them and took their blessings before getting married. The photo of the couple has made rounds on the internet. Superintendent of Police, Yavatmal, Amarsingh Jadhav first said he did not want to comment, but later added he had ordered an investigation.

US-based Indian engineer marries gay lover in Maharashtra

US President Donald Trump announced Friday he would not reimpose nuclear sanctions on Iran, keeping a landmark 2015 deal alive for now.

The Republican leader grudgingly agreed to sign sanctions waivers, ensuring Washington will live up to its commitments for another 120 days, but he cautioned it would be &quot;for the last time.&quot;

During that four-month period, he wants Congress and America&#39;s main European allies to draw up a new deal -- without negotiating with Tehran -- to replace the &quot;disastrous flaws&quot; in the current agreement.

&quot;Despite my strong inclination, I have not yet withdrawn the United States from the Iran nuclear deal,&quot; Trump said in a statement.

&quot;Instead, I have outlined two possible paths forward: either fix the deal`s disastrous flaws, or the United States will withdraw.&quot;

The new deal -- which Trump envisions as being outlined in US law and involving Britain, France and Germany -- would impose tougher controls on Iran if sanctions relief is to continue.

In particular, it will not begin to expire after 10 years as parts of the existing deal do, but instead would impose permanent restrictions on not just Iran&#39;s nuclear plants but also its missile program.

&quot;These provisions must have no expiration date. My policy is to deny Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon -- not just for 10 years, but forever,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;If Iran does not comply with any of these provisions, American nuclear sanctions would automatically resume.&quot;

Trump is also urging Congress to reform US law so the president is no longer required to declare every 90 days whether he thinks Iran is in compliance, or to renew sanctions waivers every 120 or 180 days.

Iran&#39;s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, took to Twitter to describe Trump&#39;s decision and the announcement as &quot;desperate attempts to undermine a solid multilateral agreement.&quot;

The 2015 deal, he said, &quot;is not renegotiable. Rather than repeating tired rhetoric, US must bring itself into full compliance -- just like Iran.&quot;Trump&#39;s decision was announced alongside another package of new sanctions -- punishing not Iran&#39;s nuclear program, but its alleged abuse of human rights in a crackdown on recent street protests.

The most prominent new name on the Treasury sanctions blacklist, which forbids Americans from doing business with the targets, is the head of Iran&#39;s judiciary, Sadegh Amoli Larijani.

The US Treasury said Larijani, the brother of Iran&#39;s parliamentary speaker and former nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, is to blame for the torture and degrading treatment of prisoners.

Washington policy hawks hailed Trump&#39;s decision, which they said would concentrate minds in Europe, where leaders have urged the US president not to sabotage a deal they see as a landmark diplomatic success.

&quot;So Trump now has issued explicit May deadline to Congress and Europeans: Fix Iran nuke deal or no more sanctions waivers,&quot; wrote Mark Dubowitz, head of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.&nbsp;

&quot;Is he bluffing? I don`t think so. Busy four months ahead.&quot;

But supporters of the existing deal between Iran and six world powers, including the former officials in Barack Obama&#39;s administration who negotiated it, denounced Trump&#39;s plan.

Diplomacy Works, a pressure group set up by former secretary of state John Kerry to defend the deal, was scathing.

&quot;Today, we learned that the president`s plan includes bullying our allies into fundamentally altering the terms of a deal that they know is working for our mutual security and have publicly stated they have no interest in amending,&quot; it said.

The other signatories to the deal -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia -- and the European Union, which oversaw the talks, were watching carefully.

The British and German foreign ministries said they had taken note of the decision and would confer with France before deciding on a course of action.

&quot;The UK has a clear position on the Iran nuclear deal: we regard it as a crucial agreement that makes the world a safer place by neutralizing the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran,&quot; the British Foreign Office said.

The EU said it would hold internal consultations and was &quot;committed to the continued full and effective implementation&quot; of the deal.

America&#39;s allies see the accord as the best way to thwart Iran`s nuclear ambitions and a victory for multilateral diplomacy. Tehran categorically denies it is seeking to develop atomic weapons.

But Trump argues that Obama gave away too much to Iran in sanctions relief, without forcing the Islamic republic to end its ballistic missile program and support for militant groups.

While there may be some relief that Trump has yet to torpedo the hard-won accord, there were clear signs of frustration from European capitals in the runup to the decision.&nbsp;

French President Emmanuel Macron called Trump on Thursday and stressed France`s determination to see &quot;the strict application of the deal and the importance of all the signatories to respect it.&quot;

And Russia spoke out strongly in favor of the accord, calling it &quot;the result of a consensus among many parties.&quot;

UN inspectors have certified Iran`s compliance with the deal nine times, most recently in November.

The new deal -- which Trump envisions as being outlined in US law and involving Britain, France and Germany -- would impose tougher controls on Iran if sanctions relief is to continue

US President Donald Trump announced Friday he would not reimpose nuclear sanctions on Iran, keeping a landmark 2015 deal alive for now. The Republican leader grudgingly agreed to sign sanctions waivers, ensuring Washington will live up to its commitments for another 120 days, but he cautioned it would be "for the last time." During that four-month period, he wants Congress and America's main European allies to draw up a new deal -- without negotiating with Tehran -- to replace the "disastrous flaws" in the current agreement. "Despite my strong inclination, I have not yet withdrawn the United States from the Iran nuclear deal," Trump said in a statement. "Instead, I have outlined two possible paths forward: either fix the deal`s disastrous flaws, or the United States will withdraw." The new deal -- which Trump envisions as being outlined in US law and involving Britain, France and Germany -- would impose tougher controls on Iran if sanctions relief is to continue. In particular, it will not begin to expire after 10 years as parts of the existing deal do, but instead would impose permanent restrictions on not just Iran's nuclear plants but also its missile program. "These provisions must have no expiration date. My policy is to deny Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon -- not just for 10 years, but forever," Trump said. "If Iran does not comply with any of these provisions, American nuclear sanctions would automatically resume." Trump is also urging Congress to reform US law so the president is no longer required to declare every 90 days whether he thinks Iran is in compliance, or to renew sanctions waivers every 120 or 180 days. Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, took to Twitter to describe Trump's decision and the announcement as "desperate attempts to undermine a solid multilateral agreement." The 2015 deal, he said, "is not renegotiable. Rather than repeating tired rhetoric, US must bring itself into full compliance -- just like Iran."Trump's decision was announced alongside another package of new sanctions -- punishing not Iran's nuclear program, but its alleged abuse of human rights in a crackdown on recent street protests. The most prominent new name on the Treasury sanctions blacklist, which forbids Americans from doing business with the targets, is the head of Iran's judiciary, Sadegh Amoli Larijani. The US Treasury said Larijani, the brother of Iran's parliamentary speaker and former nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, is to blame for the torture and degrading treatment of prisoners. Washington policy hawks hailed Trump's decision, which they said would concentrate minds in Europe, where leaders have urged the US president not to sabotage a deal they see as a landmark diplomatic success. "So Trump now has issued explicit May deadline to Congress and Europeans: Fix Iran nuke deal or no more sanctions waivers," wrote Mark Dubowitz, head of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "Is he bluffing? I don`t think so. Busy four months ahead." But supporters of the existing deal between Iran and six world powers, including the former officials in Barack Obama's administration who negotiated it, denounced Trump's plan. Diplomacy Works, a pressure group set up by former secretary of state John Kerry to defend the deal, was scathing. "Today, we learned that the president`s plan includes bullying our allies into fundamentally altering the terms of a deal that they know is working for our mutual security and have publicly stated they have no interest in amending," it said. The other signatories to the deal -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia -- and the European Union, which oversaw the talks, were watching carefully. The British and German foreign ministries said they had taken note of the decision and would confer with France before deciding on a course of action. "The UK has a clear position on the Iran nuclear deal: we regard it as a crucial agreement that makes the world a safer place by neutralizing the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran," the British Foreign Office said. The EU said it would hold internal consultations and was "committed to the continued full and effective implementation" of the deal. America's allies see the accord as the best way to thwart Iran`s nuclear ambitions and a victory for multilateral diplomacy. Tehran categorically denies it is seeking to develop atomic weapons. But Trump argues that Obama gave away too much to Iran in sanctions relief, without forcing the Islamic republic to end its ballistic missile program and support for militant groups. While there may be some relief that Trump has yet to torpedo the hard-won accord, there were clear signs of frustration from European capitals in the runup to the decision. French President Emmanuel Macron called Trump on Thursday and stressed France`s determination to see "the strict application of the deal and the importance of all the signatories to respect it." And Russia spoke out strongly in favor of the accord, calling it "the result of a consensus among many parties." UN inspectors have certified Iran`s compliance with the deal nine times, most recently in November.

Trump issues stay of execution for Iran nuclear deal

The US will continue to be a country of immigrants and that will not change, newly- appointed American envoy Kenneth Juster said today while asserting that the ongoing review of visas, including the H-1B category, was only for &quot;refinements&quot;.

Juster&#39;s comments came in the backdrop of reports that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of about 750,000 Indians. The US government, however, has denied these reports.

&quot;We have 4 million Indian-Americans in the US. So we are country of immigrants and that&#39;s what helped drive our economy and growth and made us where we are and that&#39;s not going to change,&quot; he said while delivering his first policy speech since taking over as ambassador.

He added that the US is looking at how various categories of visas are working and whether they need refinements.

&quot;We take more immigrants than any other country in the world,&quot; he added.

Every year, the US grants 85,000 H-1B visas to highly skilled applicants, including roughly 70 per cent for Indians, seeking employment and educational opportunities.

According to the National Foundation for American Policy, more than half of privately-held companies worth USD 1 billion or more in the US had at least one immigrant founder, with many entering America on an H-1B visa, including the CEOs of both Microsoft and Google.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India remains engaged with the Trump administration as well as the Congress on the H-1B visa issue.

&quot;We have shared our concerns to the US side. We have told them that this is a mutually beneficial partnership which should be nurtured and supported,&quot; he said.

Kumar said India continued to closely monitor the developments relating to the issue, adding that alarmist projections on possible difficulties to Indian professionals have been laid to rest by the Department of Homeland Security in the US.

Juster's comments came in the backdrop of reports that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of about 750,000 Indians

The US will continue to be a country of immigrants and that will not change, newly- appointed American envoy Kenneth Juster said today while asserting that the ongoing review of visas, including the H-1B category, was only for "refinements". Juster's comments came in the backdrop of reports that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of about 750,000 Indians. The US government, however, has denied these reports. "We have 4 million Indian-Americans in the US. So we are country of immigrants and that's what helped drive our economy and growth and made us where we are and that's not going to change," he said while delivering his first policy speech since taking over as ambassador. He added that the US is looking at how various categories of visas are working and whether they need refinements. "We take more immigrants than any other country in the world," he added. Every year, the US grants 85,000 H-1B visas to highly skilled applicants, including roughly 70 per cent for Indians, seeking employment and educational opportunities. According to the National Foundation for American Policy, more than half of privately-held companies worth USD 1 billion or more in the US had at least one immigrant founder, with many entering America on an H-1B visa, including the CEOs of both Microsoft and Google. Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India remains engaged with the Trump administration as well as the Congress on the H-1B visa issue. "We have shared our concerns to the US side. We have told them that this is a mutually beneficial partnership which should be nurtured and supported," he said. Kumar said India continued to closely monitor the developments relating to the issue, adding that alarmist projections on possible difficulties to Indian professionals have been laid to rest by the Department of Homeland Security in the US.

US will continue to be a country of immigrants: Juster

Sunayana Dumala, the wife of slain Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla, has been invited to attend US President Donald Trump&#39;s maiden State of the Union address, a media report has said.

Dumala&#39;s husband, Kuchibhotla, was shot dead in a hate crime by an American navy veteran at a bar in Olathe city last year.

Dumala, 32, fell out of status because her permission to reside in the US was tied to Kuchibhotla through marriage but she managed to regain her residency status.

She has been invited by Congressman Kevin Yoder to attend Trump&#39;s State of the Union address, an annual message presented by the US president to a joint session of the Congress.

The State of the Union address will be held on January 30.

&quot;She is a very powerful symbol of who the system is failing,&quot; Yoder was quoted as saying in the report.

&quot;One of the reasons I have become so passionate about this immigration issue is that we need to send a message to the Indian community and other immigrant groups that we are a loving country that is welcome to all,&quot; said Yoder who is a member of the Congressional caucus on India and Indian Americans.

Dumala said she now plans to travel to India to observe the first death anniversary of her husband.

She said she has been overwhelmed by the response from friends, families, neighbours and strangers.

&quot;That answer was quick... It came like, &#39;You do belong here&#39;,&quot; she said.

Dumala's husband, Kuchibhotla, was shot dead in a hate crime by an American navy veteran at a bar in Olathe city last year.

Sunayana Dumala, the wife of slain Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla, has been invited to attend US President Donald Trump's maiden State of the Union address, a media report has said. Dumala's husband, Kuchibhotla, was shot dead in a hate crime by an American navy veteran at a bar in Olathe city last year. Dumala, 32, fell out of status because her permission to reside in the US was tied to Kuchibhotla through marriage but she managed to regain her residency status. She has been invited by Congressman Kevin Yoder to attend Trump's State of the Union address, an annual message presented by the US president to a joint session of the Congress. The State of the Union address will be held on January 30. "She is a very powerful symbol of who the system is failing," Yoder was quoted as saying in the report. "One of the reasons I have become so passionate about this immigration issue is that we need to send a message to the Indian community and other immigrant groups that we are a loving country that is welcome to all," said Yoder who is a member of the Congressional caucus on India and Indian Americans. Dumala said she now plans to travel to India to observe the first death anniversary of her husband. She said she has been overwhelmed by the response from friends, families, neighbours and strangers. "That answer was quick... It came like, 'You do belong here'," she said.

Kuchibhotla's widow invited to attend Trump's State of the Union address

US president Donald Trump once again termed the probe into the probable coordination between his administration and Russia the &quot;single greatest witch hunt&quot; on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Trump took to Twitter and wrote: &quot;The single greatest Witch Hunt in American history continues. There was no collusion, everybody including the Dems knows there was no collusion, &amp; yet on and on it goes. Russia &amp; the world is laughing at the stupidity they are witnessing. Republicans should finally take control!&quot;

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The single greatest Witch Hunt in American history continues. There was no collusion, everybody including the Dems knows there was no collusion, &amp; yet on and on it goes. Russia &amp; the world is laughing at the stupidity they are witnessing. Republicans should finally take control!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/951109942685126656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The president has a number of times stated that the investigation led by FBI Director Robert Mueller a &quot;witch hunt,&quot; which began after his victory in 2016.&nbsp;

In another tweet, the President censured Senator Dianne Feinstein for &#39;illegally&#39; releasing dossier on Trump and Russia.

Senator Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday ignored the objections of her Republican colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee and released the full transcript of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson&#39;s extensive congressional testimony about Christopher Steele&#39;s famous dossier on Donald Trump and Russia.

&quot;The fact that Sneaky Dianne Feinstein, who has on numerous occasions stated that collusion between Trump/Russia has not been found, would release testimony in such an underhanded and possibly illegal way, totally without authorization, is a disgrace. Must have tough Primary!&quot;

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The fact that Sneaky Dianne Feinstein, who has on numerous occasions stated that collusion between Trump/Russia has not been found, would release testimony in such an underhanded and possibly illegal way, totally without authorization, is a disgrace. Must have tough Primary!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/951106475254059008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Trump also said on Wednesday that it seemed &quot;unlikely&quot; he would need to meet with special counsel Robert Mueller about Mueller&#39;s investigation into the allegations.

Mueller has reportedly indicated to Trump&#39;s attorneys that his team would like to interview the president as part of the investigation. Trump has called the investigation a &quot;Democratic hoax.&quot;

Mueller&#39;s team has interviewed a number of Trump aides, including Trump&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former chief of staff Reince Priebus.

So far, the investigation has resulted in the indictment of former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and a guilty plea from former national security adviser Mike Flynn.

Meanwhile, Michael Cohen, one of President Donald Trump&#39;s personal lawyers, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the research firm Fusion GPS for producing the infamous Steele dossier that alleged the Trump campaign had ties to Russia.

Cohen also filed a lawsuit against BuzzFeed News for publishing the entire dossier in January 2017.

So far, the investigation has resulted in the indictment of former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and a guilty plea from former national security adviser Mike Flynn

US president Donald Trump once again termed the probe into the probable coordination between his administration and Russia the "single greatest witch hunt" on Wednesday. Trump took to Twitter and wrote: "The single greatest Witch Hunt in American history continues. There was no collusion, everybody including the Dems knows there was no collusion, & yet on and on it goes. Russia & the world is laughing at the stupidity they are witnessing. Republicans should finally take control!" The single greatest Witch Hunt in American history continues. There was no collusion, everybody including the Dems knows there was no collusion, & yet on and on it goes. Russia & the world is laughing at the stupidity they are witnessing. Republicans should finally take control! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 × The president has a number of times stated that the investigation led by FBI Director Robert Mueller a "witch hunt," which began after his victory in 2016. In another tweet, the President censured Senator Dianne Feinstein for 'illegally' releasing dossier on Trump and Russia. Senator Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday ignored the objections of her Republican colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee and released the full transcript of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson's extensive congressional testimony about Christopher Steele's famous dossier on Donald Trump and Russia. "The fact that Sneaky Dianne Feinstein, who has on numerous occasions stated that collusion between Trump/Russia has not been found, would release testimony in such an underhanded and possibly illegal way, totally without authorization, is a disgrace. Must have tough Primary!" The fact that Sneaky Dianne Feinstein, who has on numerous occasions stated that collusion between Trump/Russia has not been found, would release testimony in such an underhanded and possibly illegal way, totally without authorization, is a disgrace. Must have tough Primary! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 × Trump also said on Wednesday that it seemed "unlikely" he would need to meet with special counsel Robert Mueller about Mueller's investigation into the allegations. Mueller has reportedly indicated to Trump's attorneys that his team would like to interview the president as part of the investigation. Trump has called the investigation a "Democratic hoax." Mueller's team has interviewed a number of Trump aides, including Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former chief of staff Reince Priebus. So far, the investigation has resulted in the indictment of former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and a guilty plea from former national security adviser Mike Flynn. Meanwhile, Michael Cohen, one of President Donald Trump's personal lawyers, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the research firm Fusion GPS for producing the infamous Steele dossier that alleged the Trump campaign had ties to Russia. Cohen also filed a lawsuit against BuzzFeed News for publishing the entire dossier in January 2017.

Trump calls Russia probe the 'greatest witch hunt', denies interview with Robert Mueller

Days after reports of gurudwaras banning entry of Indian officials&nbsp;emerged, the Ministry of External Affairs&nbsp;has negated the issue saying that they take no cognizance of &quot;fringe elements that spread hate and disharmony&quot;.

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said &quot; Majority of Sikhs in Canada and other parts of world share warm relations with India and want better relations with India and their country of residence. We take no cognizance of fringe elements that spread hate and disharmony. &quot;

Earlier a report highlighted on the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sikh-community-bans-entry-of-indian-officials-into-us-canada-gurudwaras-29006" target="_blank">restriction imposed on Indian officials from the Gurudwaras in US and Canada</a>.&nbsp;

Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast (SCCEC) and American Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (APGC) who claim&nbsp;to be the largest umbrella organisations of Sikh gurudwaras in the US have banned entry of Indian officials from 96 gurudwaras in the country. Before this 14 gurudwaras in Ontario, Canada banned the entry of Indian diplomatic officials.

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Majority of Sikhs in Canada &amp; other parts of world share warm relations w/India &amp; they want better relations w/India &amp; their country of residence. We take no cognizance of fringe elements that spread hate&amp;disharmony: MEA on reports of Gurudwara&#39;s banning entry of Indian officials <a href="https://t.co/iyj0L4dwAa">pic.twitter.com/iyj0L4dwAa</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/951424825280544768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Referring to relations with Pakistan, Raveesh Kumar said terror and talks cannot go together. He added that talks on terror can definitely&nbsp;go ahead.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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&#39;We have said terror &amp;talks cannot go together but talks on terror can definitely go ahead,&#39; MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Pakistan <a href="https://t.co/EyTLEDfZUo">pic.twitter.com/EyTLEDfZUo</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/951427871087742976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Speaking on NSA level talks, he said that the External Affairs Ministry raised the issue of cross-border&nbsp;terrorism in the NSA level talks with Pakistan.

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I am agreeing that talks took place &amp; our issue was eliminating terrorism from the region, we of course raised the issue of cross-border terrorism in those talks: MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on NSA level talks b/w India &amp; Pakistan <a href="https://t.co/DE26LaOyrL">pic.twitter.com/DE26LaOyrL</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/951428122926227456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

'Majority of Sikhs in Canada and other parts of world share warm relations with India,' MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said

Days after reports of gurudwaras banning entry of Indian officials emerged, the Ministry of External Affairs has negated the issue saying that they take no cognizance of "fringe elements that spread hate and disharmony". MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said " Majority of Sikhs in Canada and other parts of world share warm relations with India and want better relations with India and their country of residence. We take no cognizance of fringe elements that spread hate and disharmony. " Earlier a report highlighted on the restriction imposed on Indian officials from the Gurudwaras in US and Canada. Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast (SCCEC) and American Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (APGC) who claim to be the largest umbrella organisations of Sikh gurudwaras in the US have banned entry of Indian officials from 96 gurudwaras in the country. Before this 14 gurudwaras in Ontario, Canada banned the entry of Indian diplomatic officials. Majority of Sikhs in Canada & other parts of world share warm relations w/India & they want better relations w/India & their country of residence. We take no cognizance of fringe elements that spread hate&disharmony: MEA on reports of Gurudwara's banning entry of Indian officials pic.twitter.com/iyj0L4dwAa — ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2018 × Referring to relations with Pakistan, Raveesh Kumar said terror and talks cannot go together. He added that talks on terror can definitely go ahead. 'We have said terror &talks cannot go together but talks on terror can definitely go ahead,' MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Pakistan pic.twitter.com/EyTLEDfZUo — ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2018 × Speaking on NSA level talks, he said that the External Affairs Ministry raised the issue of cross-border terrorism in the NSA level talks with Pakistan. I am agreeing that talks took place & our issue was eliminating terrorism from the region, we of course raised the issue of cross-border terrorism in those talks: MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on NSA level talks b/w India & Pakistan pic.twitter.com/DE26LaOyrL — ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2018 ×

We take no cognizance of fringe elements that spread hate and disharmony: MEA on US, Canada gurudwaras banning entry of Indian officials

The Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast (SCCEC) and American Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (APGC) who claim&nbsp;to be the largest umbrella organisations of Sikh gurudwaras in the US have banned entry of Indian officials from 96 gurudwaras in the country.

The resolution banning the entry said, &quot;Indian government officials and any person/s representing the interests of the Indian government, shall not be allowed to enter the US gurdwaras or to participate in any religious programmes.&quot;

The resolution was announced by Himmat Singh, coordinator&nbsp;of SCCEC, before the Sikh community at a gurudwara in Richmond Hill, New York on Sunday in a religious congregation that was&nbsp;organised to observe the death anniversary of Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh who were sentenced to death following the killing of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.&nbsp;

The ban was imposed by the Sikh community as they consider the Indian government responsible for the June 1984 military invasion of Golden Temple in Amritsar and 40 other gurudwaras, among other things.&nbsp;

The resolution said &quot;The step is taken to ensure that the Gurudwara Sahib remains independent from the interference of the corrupt officials who represent a government that for the last four decades has committed genocide against the Sikh community and has never had positive intentions in dealing with Sikhs as a separate nation of people. &quot;

The decision has been collectively made with the support of US-based group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).&nbsp;An SFG official was quoted as saying that they will take legal proceedings against those Indian diplomats who do not obey the ban.&nbsp;

The ban has been put on Nagar kirtans or religious processions.&nbsp;

Earlier 14 gurudwaras in Ontario, Canada banned the entry of Indian diplomatic officials.

The Indian officials can, however, visit the gurudwaras in their personal capacity.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

 
 
 
&nbsp;

The ban was imposed by the Sikh community since it considers the Indian government responsible for the 1984 military invasion of the Golden Temple in Amritsar

The Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast (SCCEC) and American Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (APGC) who claim to be the largest umbrella organisations of Sikh gurudwaras in the US have banned entry of Indian officials from 96 gurudwaras in the country. The resolution banning the entry said, "Indian government officials and any person/s representing the interests of the Indian government, shall not be allowed to enter the US gurdwaras or to participate in any religious programmes." The resolution was announced by Himmat Singh, coordinator of SCCEC, before the Sikh community at a gurudwara in Richmond Hill, New York on Sunday in a religious congregation that was organised to observe the death anniversary of Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh who were sentenced to death following the killing of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. The ban was imposed by the Sikh community as they consider the Indian government responsible for the June 1984 military invasion of Golden Temple in Amritsar and 40 other gurudwaras, among other things. The resolution said "The step is taken to ensure that the Gurudwara Sahib remains independent from the interference of the corrupt officials who represent a government that for the last four decades has committed genocide against the Sikh community and has never had positive intentions in dealing with Sikhs as a separate nation of people. " The decision has been collectively made with the support of US-based group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). An SFG official was quoted as saying that they will take legal proceedings against those Indian diplomats who do not obey the ban. The ban has been put on Nagar kirtans or religious processions. Earlier 14 gurudwaras in Ontario, Canada banned the entry of Indian diplomatic officials. The Indian officials can, however, visit the gurudwaras in their personal capacity.

Sikh community bans entry of Indian officials into US, Canada gurudwaras

US&nbsp;oil prices hit their highest since 2015 again on Tuesday as speculators bet on further price rises amid OPEC-led production cuts and a dip in American drilling activity.

US&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $62.13 a barrel at 0123 GMT - 40 cents, or 0.65 percent, above their last settlement. They marked a May-2015 high of $62.56 a barrel in early trading.

Beyond that 2015-high, which was a short intra-day spike, Tuesday&#39;s peak was the highest level for WTI since December, 2014, at the start of the oil market slump.

Brent crude futures were at $68.12 a barrel, 34 cents, or 0.5 percent, above their last close. Brent touched $68.27 last week, its strongest since May, 2015.

Traders said prices were mainly being driven by speculative money being poured into crude futures on the notion of a tighter market following a year of production cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia, which are set to last through 2018.

&quot;Speculators continued to increase their net long in ICE Brent ... According to exchange data, speculators increased their position by 4,175 lots to leave them with a record net long of 565,459 lots,&quot; ING bank said in a note.

A slight dip in the amount of rigs in the United States drilling for new oil was supporting WTI, traders said.

The number of rigs drilling for oil fell by 5 to 742 in the week to January 5, according to oil services firm Baker Hughes.

Despite the recent bull run, which has lifted crude prices by more than 10 percent since early December, some warn that markets are getting ahead of themselves.

The US&nbsp;rig-count remains significantly above the low of 316 in June, 2016, and US&nbsp;crude production is expected to break through 10 million barrels per day soon, hitting a level that only Russia and Saudi Arabia have achieved so far.

&quot;US&nbsp;crude oil production is still increasing, so surely this evidences that the system is, once again, becoming even more efficient,&quot; said Matt Stanley, a fuel broker with Freight Investor Services (FIS) in Dubai.

In Asia, the world&#39;s biggest oil consuming region, there were also signs that despite the cuts in crude production, fuel supplies remain ample.

Enjoying good profit margins in 2017, Asian refiners had cranked up processing to a record 23 million bpd by last October.

With profits now down due to higher feedstock crude prices and ample fuel supplies because of last year&#39;s processing binge, Asian refiners have started to reduce output, likely resulting in lower crude orders.

Traders said prices were mainly being driven by speculative money being poured into crude futures on the notion of a tighter market following a year of production cuts

US oil prices hit their highest since 2015 again on Tuesday as speculators bet on further price rises amid OPEC-led production cuts and a dip in American drilling activity. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $62.13 a barrel at 0123 GMT - 40 cents, or 0.65 percent, above their last settlement. They marked a May-2015 high of $62.56 a barrel in early trading. Beyond that 2015-high, which was a short intra-day spike, Tuesday's peak was the highest level for WTI since December, 2014, at the start of the oil market slump. Brent crude futures were at $68.12 a barrel, 34 cents, or 0.5 percent, above their last close. Brent touched $68.27 last week, its strongest since May, 2015. Traders said prices were mainly being driven by speculative money being poured into crude futures on the notion of a tighter market following a year of production cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia, which are set to last through 2018. "Speculators continued to increase their net long in ICE Brent ... According to exchange data, speculators increased their position by 4,175 lots to leave them with a record net long of 565,459 lots," ING bank said in a note. A slight dip in the amount of rigs in the United States drilling for new oil was supporting WTI, traders said. The number of rigs drilling for oil fell by 5 to 742 in the week to January 5, according to oil services firm Baker Hughes. Despite the recent bull run, which has lifted crude prices by more than 10 percent since early December, some warn that markets are getting ahead of themselves. The US rig-count remains significantly above the low of 316 in June, 2016, and US crude production is expected to break through 10 million barrels per day soon, hitting a level that only Russia and Saudi Arabia have achieved so far. "US crude oil production is still increasing, so surely this evidences that the system is, once again, becoming even more efficient," said Matt Stanley, a fuel broker with Freight Investor Services (FIS) in Dubai. In Asia, the world's biggest oil consuming region, there were also signs that despite the cuts in crude production, fuel supplies remain ample. Enjoying good profit margins in 2017, Asian refiners had cranked up processing to a record 23 million bpd by last October. With profits now down due to higher feedstock crude prices and ample fuel supplies because of last year's processing binge, Asian refiners have started to reduce output, likely resulting in lower crude orders.

US oil prices hit highest since 2015, but doubts loom over rally

The Global @dvisor predictions survey for 2018 is out with surprising predictions for the new year.&nbsp;

The survey revealed that about 42 per cent adults feel a likely&nbsp;war might erupt between US and North Korea. While 40 per cent say that is unlikely.

About 66 per cent people from South Korea are hopeful about not experiencing any war-like situation.&nbsp;

The survey shows 55 per cent people expect&nbsp;China to become the world&#39;s biggest economy, 43 per cent people predict it will be India, 40 per cent&nbsp;voted for Germany and US, 25 per cent predict it will be Japan, while 37 per cent say it will be South Korea.

The personal optimism for the New Year was revealed to be the highest in Colombia and Peru at 93 per cent, Chile with 88 per cent, Mexico with 87 per cent and India with 87 per cent.&nbsp;The lowest optimism was recorded from Japan with 44 per cent, France 54 per cent and Italy 60 per cent.&nbsp;

About 71 per cent of people from the world believe&nbsp;that average temperature will increase.

China, India, and Peru believe that the global economy will be stronger in 2018, while Italy, Japan, and France are not expecting much from the global market in the New Year.

&nbsp;About 28 per cent people do not expect a favourable output from stock markets around the world.

Half of the population thinks that Russia&#39;s influence on world affairs will increase.&nbsp;

About 12 per cent hope for an alien visit, 40 per cent think that a driverless car will make a government.

The interviewees were aged between 16-64 from 28 countries around the world. However, the interviewees in US and Canada were aged between 18-64.

The survey was conducted&nbsp;between November 27 and December 8, 2017 through the Ipsos Online Panel System on about&nbsp;21,548 adults.&nbsp;

The survey was conducted between November 27 and December 8, 2017 in 28 countries across the world

The Global @dvisor predictions survey for 2018 is out with surprising predictions for the new year. The survey revealed that about 42 per cent adults feel a likely war might erupt between US and North Korea. While 40 per cent say that is unlikely. About 66 per cent people from South Korea are hopeful about not experiencing any war-like situation. The survey shows 55 per cent people expect China to become the world's biggest economy, 43 per cent people predict it will be India, 40 per cent voted for Germany and US, 25 per cent predict it will be Japan, while 37 per cent say it will be South Korea. The personal optimism for the New Year was revealed to be the highest in Colombia and Peru at 93 per cent, Chile with 88 per cent, Mexico with 87 per cent and India with 87 per cent. The lowest optimism was recorded from Japan with 44 per cent, France 54 per cent and Italy 60 per cent. About 71 per cent of people from the world believe that average temperature will increase. China, India, and Peru believe that the global economy will be stronger in 2018, while Italy, Japan, and France are not expecting much from the global market in the New Year. About 28 per cent people do not expect a favourable output from stock markets around the world. Half of the population thinks that Russia's influence on world affairs will increase. About 12 per cent hope for an alien visit, 40 per cent think that a driverless car will make a government. The interviewees were aged between 16-64 from 28 countries around the world. However, the interviewees in US and Canada were aged between 18-64. The survey was conducted between November 27 and December 8, 2017 through the Ipsos Online Panel System on about 21,548 adults.

Global survey predicts 43% chance for India to emerge as world's biggest economy

The United States has announced to terminate the provisional residency permits of about 2,00,000 Salvadorans living in the country since 2001.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced her determination that termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for El Salvador was required pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The designation will terminate on September 9, 2019.

&quot;To allow for an orderly transition, the effective date of the termination of TPS for El Salvador will be delayed 18 months to provide time for individuals with TPS to arrange for their departure or to seek an alternative lawful immigration status in the United States, if eligible. Salvadorans in the United States who benefited from TPS may still receive other protections under our immigration system for which they are eligible,&quot; said a Department of Homeland Security statement.

After earthquakes hit the country in 2001, Salvadorans were granted Temporary Protected Status or TPS and their permits have been renewed on an 18-month basis since then.

The statement quoted Nielsen as saying, &quot;The original conditions caused by the 2001 earthquakes no longer exist.

Thus, under the applicable statute, the current TPS designation must be terminated.&quot;

The statement noted that the U.S. government has deported more than 39,000 Salvadorans in the past two years, demonstrating, it said, &quot;that the temporary inability of El Salvador to adequately return their nationals after the earthquake has been addressed.&quot;

The 200,000 Salvadorans are among the nearly 1 million immigrants whose lives in the United States have been upended and set to a deadline under President Donald Trump.

The largest group, nearly 700,000 who were protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, will lose their legal status beginning in March.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced that termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for El Salvador was required

The United States has announced to terminate the provisional residency permits of about 2,00,000 Salvadorans living in the country since 2001. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced her determination that termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for El Salvador was required pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act. The designation will terminate on September 9, 2019. "To allow for an orderly transition, the effective date of the termination of TPS for El Salvador will be delayed 18 months to provide time for individuals with TPS to arrange for their departure or to seek an alternative lawful immigration status in the United States, if eligible. Salvadorans in the United States who benefited from TPS may still receive other protections under our immigration system for which they are eligible," said a Department of Homeland Security statement. After earthquakes hit the country in 2001, Salvadorans were granted Temporary Protected Status or TPS and their permits have been renewed on an 18-month basis since then. The statement quoted Nielsen as saying, "The original conditions caused by the 2001 earthquakes no longer exist. Thus, under the applicable statute, the current TPS designation must be terminated." The statement noted that the U.S. government has deported more than 39,000 Salvadorans in the past two years, demonstrating, it said, "that the temporary inability of El Salvador to adequately return their nationals after the earthquake has been addressed." The 200,000 Salvadorans are among the nearly 1 million immigrants whose lives in the United States have been upended and set to a deadline under President Donald Trump. The largest group, nearly 700,000 who were protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, will lose their legal status beginning in March.

US to deport 2 lakh Salvadorans

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sikh-community-bans-entry-of-indian-officials-into-us-canada-gurudwaras-29006" target="_blank">Sikh community bans entry of Indian officials into </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sikh-community-bans-entry-of-indian-officials-into-us-canada-gurudwaras-29006" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sikh-community-bans-entry-of-indian-officials-into-us-canada-gurudwaras-29006" target="_blank">, Canada gurudwaras</a>

The Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast (SCCEC) and American Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (APGC) who claim&nbsp;to be the largest umbrella organisations of Sikh gurudwaras in the US have banned entry of Indian officials from 96 gurudwaras in the country.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/not-mandatory-to-sing-national-anthem-in-cinema-halls-supreme-court-28984" target="_blank">Not mandatory to sing national anthem in cinema halls: Supreme Court</a>

The Supreme<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-review-order-on-screening-of-national-anthem-in-movie-theatres-on-tuesday-28923">&nbsp;Court on Tuesday modified its order&nbsp;</a>on the national anthem. India&#39;s highest court said it was not mandatory to sing the national anthem in cinema halls.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-silent-over-gen-rawats-remarks-on-pla-troop-reduction-in-dokalam-29018" target="_blank">China silent over Gen Rawat&#39;s remarks on PLA troop reduction in Dokalam</a>

China today skirted a direct response to Army chief General Bipin Rawat&#39;s remarks that there was a major reduction of Chinese troops in Dokalam, but insisted that its soldiers stationed in the area were exercising &quot;sovereignty rights&quot;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-denies-plans-to-set-up-military-base-in-pakistan-29016" target="_blank">China denies plans to set up military base in Pakistan</a>

China on Tuesday denied as &quot;unnecessary&quot; speculation reports that it was planning to build a military base at Jiwani in Pakistan&#39;s Balochistan province close to the strategic Chabahar port, which is being jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-africa-train-collision-injures-200-people-28997" target="_blank">South Africa train collision injures 200 people</a>

Around 200 people were injured on Tuesday when two passenger trains collided in a suburb of South Africa&#39;s main city Johannesburg, emergency services network ER24 said

Sikh community bans entry of Indian officials into US, Canada gurudwaras The Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast (SCCEC) and American Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (APGC) who claim to be the largest umbrella organisations of Sikh gurudwaras in the US have banned entry of Indian officials from 96 gurudwaras in the country. Not mandatory to sing national anthem in cinema halls: Supreme Court The Supreme Court on Tuesday modified its order on the national anthem. India's highest court said it was not mandatory to sing the national anthem in cinema halls. China silent over Gen Rawat's remarks on PLA troop reduction in Dokalam China today skirted a direct response to Army chief General Bipin Rawat's remarks that there was a major reduction of Chinese troops in Dokalam, but insisted that its soldiers stationed in the area were exercising "sovereignty rights". China denies plans to set up military base in Pakistan China on Tuesday denied as "unnecessary" speculation reports that it was planning to build a military base at Jiwani in Pakistan's Balochistan province close to the strategic Chabahar port, which is being jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan. South Africa train collision injures 200 people Around 200 people were injured on Tuesday when two passenger trains collided in a suburb of South Africa's main city Johannesburg, emergency services network ER24 said

WION Evening News Brief, January 9, 2018

China today said it is opposed to the US &quot;finger pointing&quot; at Pakistan and linking it with terrorism, insisting that the responsibility of cracking down on terror outfits cannot be placed on a particular country.

China&#39;s support for its all-weather ally came as the US stepped up its efforts to pressure Pakistan to eliminate terror safe havens on its soil.

The US last week suspended approximately $2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan for its failure to take decisive action against terror groups like the Taliban and the Haqqani Network.

&quot;China always opposed linking terrorism with any certain country and we don&#39;t agree to place the responsibility of anti-terrorism on a certain country,&quot; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing.

He was responding to a question on a White House official&#39;s remarks that China could play a helpful role in convincing Pakistan that it was in its national interest to crack down on terror safe havens.

&quot;We have stressed many times that Pakistan has made important sacrifices and contributions to the global anti-terrorism cause,&quot; Lu said.

&quot;Countries should strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation on the basis of mutual respect instead of finger pointing at each other. This is not conducive to the global terrorism efforts,&quot; he said.

China has been vocal in extending support to Pakistan since US President Donald Trump increased rhetoric against Islamabad providing safe havens for terrorists.

Trump in a New Year&#39;s Day tweet accused the country of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Chinese media has been speculating that Trump&#39;s efforts to step up pressure on Pakistan may move it closer to Islamabad as Beijing is involved in a number of projects in the country under the&nbsp; $50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The Chinese official media is highlighting reports that Pakistan may allow China to build a&nbsp;military base at Jiwani located close to Iran?s Chabahar port, which is being jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan. Jiwani is also close to the strategic Gwadar port in Balochistan which is being developed by China.

While defending Pakistan, Lu said China at the same time backed international counter-terrorism efforts.

&quot;First and foremost, I would like to say that terrorism is the common enemy of the international community. Cracking down of terrorism calls for the joint efforts from the international community,&quot; he said.

&quot;Actually, China is defending countries that have been making anti-terrorism efforts in a just and fair way. China also welcomes all the global joint efforts in terms of counter-terrorism on the basis of mutual trust and mutual respect,&quot; he said. PTI

The US last week suspended approximately $2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan

China today said it is opposed to the US "finger pointing" at Pakistan and linking it with terrorism, insisting that the responsibility of cracking down on terror outfits cannot be placed on a particular country. China's support for its all-weather ally came as the US stepped up its efforts to pressure Pakistan to eliminate terror safe havens on its soil. The US last week suspended approximately $2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan for its failure to take decisive action against terror groups like the Taliban and the Haqqani Network. "China always opposed linking terrorism with any certain country and we don't agree to place the responsibility of anti-terrorism on a certain country," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing. He was responding to a question on a White House official's remarks that China could play a helpful role in convincing Pakistan that it was in its national interest to crack down on terror safe havens. "We have stressed many times that Pakistan has made important sacrifices and contributions to the global anti-terrorism cause," Lu said. "Countries should strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation on the basis of mutual respect instead of finger pointing at each other. This is not conducive to the global terrorism efforts," he said. China has been vocal in extending support to Pakistan since US President Donald Trump increased rhetoric against Islamabad providing safe havens for terrorists. Trump in a New Year's Day tweet accused the country of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years. Chinese media has been speculating that Trump's efforts to step up pressure on Pakistan may move it closer to Islamabad as Beijing is involved in a number of projects in the country under the $50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The Chinese official media is highlighting reports that Pakistan may allow China to build a military base at Jiwani located close to Iran?s Chabahar port, which is being jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan. Jiwani is also close to the strategic Gwadar port in Balochistan which is being developed by China. While defending Pakistan, Lu said China at the same time backed international counter-terrorism efforts. "First and foremost, I would like to say that terrorism is the common enemy of the international community. Cracking down of terrorism calls for the joint efforts from the international community," he said. "Actually, China is defending countries that have been making anti-terrorism efforts in a just and fair way. China also welcomes all the global joint efforts in terms of counter-terrorism on the basis of mutual trust and mutual respect," he said. PTI

Opposed to US 'finger pointing' at Pakistan on terror-related issues: China

The US government announced on Monday the end of protected status for about 200,000 Salvadorans in the country since before 2001, a move that threatens tens of thousands of well-established families with children born in the United States.

Homeland Security Department Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the end of the 17-year-old &quot;temporary protected status&quot; (TPS) for the Salvadorans, which had shielded them from deportation ever since two major earthquakes rocked El Salvador in early 2001.

They were given 18 months to leave or be deported, enough time that a legislative solution could be crafted by Congress to allow them to stay.

&quot;Only Congress can legislate a permanent solution addressing the lack of an enduring lawful immigration status of those currently protected by TPS who have lived and worked in the United States for many years,&quot; said the DHS.

The move came in the wake of the termination of similar TPS protections for 59,000 longtime resident Haitians and 5,300 Nicaraguans late last year, after having been allowed to set deep roots inside the United States for decades.

They were given 18 months to leave or be deported, enough time that a legislative solution could be crafted by Congress to allow them to stay.

The US government announced on Monday the end of protected status for about 200,000 Salvadorans in the country since before 2001, a move that threatens tens of thousands of well-established families with children born in the United States. Homeland Security Department Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the end of the 17-year-old "temporary protected status" (TPS) for the Salvadorans, which had shielded them from deportation ever since two major earthquakes rocked El Salvador in early 2001. They were given 18 months to leave or be deported, enough time that a legislative solution could be crafted by Congress to allow them to stay. "Only Congress can legislate a permanent solution addressing the lack of an enduring lawful immigration status of those currently protected by TPS who have lived and worked in the United States for many years," said the DHS. The move came in the wake of the termination of similar TPS protections for 59,000 longtime resident Haitians and 5,300 Nicaraguans late last year, after having been allowed to set deep roots inside the United States for decades.

US ends protected status for 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aadhaar-data-breach-after-police-complaint-against-journalist-government-says-committed-to-freedom-of-the-press-28889" target="_blank">After FIR against journalist, government says committed to freedom of press</a>

After a police complaint against a journalist of the Tribune for an expose on the breach of privacy of Aadhaar details, the government today clarified that it is committed to the freedom of the press.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/confirmed-padmavat-to-release-on-january-25th-28879" target="_blank">Confirmed: Padmavat to release on January 25</a>

The date is finally confirmed. Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s film&nbsp;Padmavat&nbsp;is all set to release in the theatre on January 25th, 2018. The controversial film got its censor certificate earlier last week and now the makers have planned to release the film in January and cash in on the extended weekend.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajasthan-government-says-padmavat-will-not-be-released-in-state-28900" target="_blank">Rajasthan government says &#39;Padmavat&#39; will not be released in state</a>

Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s much-awaited epic period drama Padmavat has been banned from release in Rajasthan. The state Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria confirmed the news.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-review-its-2013-verdict-on-criminalising-gay-sex-28864" target="_blank">Supreme Court to review 2013 verdict on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-review-its-2013-verdict-on-criminalising-gay-sex-28864" target="_blank">criminalising</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-review-its-2013-verdict-on-criminalising-gay-sex-28864" target="_blank"> gay sex</a>

The Supreme Court has decided to &quot;refer&nbsp;to a larger bench&quot; a plea that seeks to decriminalise gay sex.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opposed-to-us-finger-pointing-at-pak-on-terror-related-issues-china-28887" target="_blank">Opposed to US &#39;finger pointing&#39; at Pakistan on terror-related issues: China</a>

China today said it is opposed to the US &quot;finger pointing&quot; at Pakistan and linking it with terrorism, insisting that the responsibility of cracking down on terror outfits cannot be placed on a particular country.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

After FIR against journalist, government says committed to freedom of press After a police complaint against a journalist of the Tribune for an expose on the breach of privacy of Aadhaar details, the government today clarified that it is committed to the freedom of the press. Confirmed: Padmavat to release on January 25 The date is finally confirmed. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Padmavat is all set to release in the theatre on January 25th, 2018. The controversial film got its censor certificate earlier last week and now the makers have planned to release the film in January and cash in on the extended weekend. Rajasthan government says 'Padmavat' will not be released in state Sanjay Leela Bhansali's much-awaited epic period drama Padmavat has been banned from release in Rajasthan. The state Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria confirmed the news. Supreme Court to review 2013 verdict on criminalising gay sex The Supreme Court has decided to "refer to a larger bench" a plea that seeks to decriminalise gay sex. Opposed to US 'finger pointing' at Pakistan on terror-related issues: China China today said it is opposed to the US "finger pointing" at Pakistan and linking it with terrorism, insisting that the responsibility of cracking down on terror outfits cannot be placed on a particular country.

WION evening news brief, January 8, 2018

United States President Donald Trump needs to take a step back, exercise caution and patience, and focus more on having quiet diplomatic negotiations with Pakistan on the issue of neutralising support to terror elements operating from its soil, says an editorial in the New York Times.

The editorial is of the view that President Trump can ill-afford walking away from Pakistan at this juncture of his presidency, and will need to acknowledge that Islamabad has and will continue to be a source of vital intelligence.

He would also have to keep in mind that Pakistan has the world`s fastest-growing nuclear arsenal, which has always been a matter of regional and global concern.

&quot;Whether Pakistan will cooperate after the aid freeze remains to be seen. Initially, some Pakistani officials reacted harshly to the announcement, which came as a surprise, but on Friday, a Foreign Ministry statement talked about the need for mutual respect and patience as the two countries address common threats,&quot; says the editorial, suggesting that tone and engagement is now even-tempered.

&quot;Mr Trump could marshal other diplomatic tools to see if more constructive cooperation with Pakistan is possible. One idea would be to harness his new friendships with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to shut down Haqqani and other Taliban fund-raising efforts in the Persian Gulf. This would, of course, require quiet negotiations, not shouting,&quot; the editorial adds.

It further goes on to say that Pakistan has posed a dilemma for the United States for long, and the Trump administration`s announcement this week that it would freeze nearly all military aid to Pakistan, roughly USD 1.3 billion annually, should for now just be seen as an act of initial frustration and bombast.

It warns that Pakistan has the potential to retaliate by denying access, shutting down supply lines to Afghanistan, ally more closely with China and be more hard-line in its rivalry with India.

China could once again be the beneficiary of a Trump decision whose signature tune is estrangement with and from long-time partners.

The NYT editorial says that while Trump may have highlighted a real point, &quot;he has given no assurance that he would not make matters worse.&quot;

Americans last cut off assistance to Pakistan in the 1990s after it tested a nuclear weapon and underwent a military coup, creating distrust between the two countries that has never dissipated. But after September 11, 2001, the relationship transformed overnight.

Washington has demanded that Islamabad perform on counter-terrorism in return for new aid. Since then, Pakistan has played a double game, accepting American funding while backing militants who protect Pakistani interests in Afghanistan and Kashmir.President Trump is not the first to call a spade a spade.

In 2011, Admiral Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate committee that the Haqqani Network was a &quot;veritable arm&quot; of the Pakistani security service. &quot;Extremist organisations serving as proxies of the Government of Pakistan are attacking Afghan troops and civilians as well as US&nbsp;soldiers,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The editorial says Trump can ill-afford to walk away from Pakistan at this juncture of his presidency, and will need to acknowledge that Islamabad has and will continue to be a source of vital intelligence

United States President Donald Trump needs to take a step back, exercise caution and patience, and focus more on having quiet diplomatic negotiations with Pakistan on the issue of neutralising support to terror elements operating from its soil, says an editorial in the New York Times. The editorial is of the view that President Trump can ill-afford walking away from Pakistan at this juncture of his presidency, and will need to acknowledge that Islamabad has and will continue to be a source of vital intelligence. He would also have to keep in mind that Pakistan has the world`s fastest-growing nuclear arsenal, which has always been a matter of regional and global concern. "Whether Pakistan will cooperate after the aid freeze remains to be seen. Initially, some Pakistani officials reacted harshly to the announcement, which came as a surprise, but on Friday, a Foreign Ministry statement talked about the need for mutual respect and patience as the two countries address common threats," says the editorial, suggesting that tone and engagement is now even-tempered. "Mr Trump could marshal other diplomatic tools to see if more constructive cooperation with Pakistan is possible. One idea would be to harness his new friendships with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to shut down Haqqani and other Taliban fund-raising efforts in the Persian Gulf. This would, of course, require quiet negotiations, not shouting," the editorial adds. It further goes on to say that Pakistan has posed a dilemma for the United States for long, and the Trump administration`s announcement this week that it would freeze nearly all military aid to Pakistan, roughly USD 1.3 billion annually, should for now just be seen as an act of initial frustration and bombast. It warns that Pakistan has the potential to retaliate by denying access, shutting down supply lines to Afghanistan, ally more closely with China and be more hard-line in its rivalry with India. China could once again be the beneficiary of a Trump decision whose signature tune is estrangement with and from long-time partners. The NYT editorial says that while Trump may have highlighted a real point, "he has given no assurance that he would not make matters worse." Americans last cut off assistance to Pakistan in the 1990s after it tested a nuclear weapon and underwent a military coup, creating distrust between the two countries that has never dissipated. But after September 11, 2001, the relationship transformed overnight. Washington has demanded that Islamabad perform on counter-terrorism in return for new aid. Since then, Pakistan has played a double game, accepting American funding while backing militants who protect Pakistani interests in Afghanistan and Kashmir.President Trump is not the first to call a spade a spade. In 2011, Admiral Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate committee that the Haqqani Network was a "veritable arm" of the Pakistani security service. "Extremist organisations serving as proxies of the Government of Pakistan are attacking Afghan troops and civilians as well as US soldiers," he said.

US cannot risk abandoning 'troublesome ally' Pakistan: NYT editorial

United States Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster met the Foreign Secretary S&nbsp;Jaishankar on Friday to discuss the bilateral issues between two countries.

The discussion comes amid&nbsp;Trump&#39;s decision to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-blocks-usd-255-million-military-aid-to-pakistan-28291">block military aid</a> to Pakistan, saying that they have not taken the required steps to fight terrorism.&nbsp;

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Tuesday also said that the country has played a &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-has-played-a-double-game-with-us-for-years-nikki-haley-28383">double game</a>&quot; with the United States for years.

State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert on Thursday announced that this decision would not change unless Pakistan gears up and takes necessary action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.

&quot;No country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan. They understand that, but they still haven&#39;t taken the necessary steps,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

The United States earlier suspended its $255 million military aid to Pakistan for now, the White House had&nbsp;confirmed, saying the fate of such assistance will depend on Islamabad&#39;s response to terrorism on its soil.

The confirmation comes on the same day when US President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

However, the US is only stopping the security aid, the humanitarian assistance to Pakistan will continue.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

The discussion comes amid Trump's decision to block military aid to Pakistan, saying that they have not taken the required steps to fight terrorism

United States Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster met the Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar on Friday to discuss the bilateral issues between two countries. The discussion comes amid Trump's decision to block military aid to Pakistan, saying that they have not taken the required steps to fight terrorism. US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Tuesday also said that the country has played a "double game" with the United States for years. State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert on Thursday announced that this decision would not change unless Pakistan gears up and takes necessary action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network. "No country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan. They understand that, but they still haven't taken the necessary steps," she said. The United States earlier suspended its $255 million military aid to Pakistan for now, the White House had confirmed, saying the fate of such assistance will depend on Islamabad's response to terrorism on its soil. The confirmation comes on the same day when US President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years. However, the US is only stopping the security aid, the humanitarian assistance to Pakistan will continue. (With inputs from ANI)

US, India discuss bilateral issues amid military aid cut-off to Pakistan

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

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

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

Can US, North Korea 'trigger' nuclear strike?

It had to happen one day. Pakistan&rsquo;s predicament reminds one of the famous statement of Abraham Lincoln: &ldquo;You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.&rdquo;

And it took 15 years for a US President to realise that his country was being taken for a royal ride by none other than its strategic ally in the name of the so-called fight against terrorism.

&#39;&#39;The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies &amp; deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!,&#39;&#39; President Donald Trump tweeted, rattling Pakistan on the New Year day.&nbsp;

The tweet sent shivers down the spine of Pakistan&rsquo;s civilian and military leadership as they huddled to grasp its impact. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was forced to advance a meeting of the National Security Committee by a day which was attended by top cabinet ministers and military chiefs. In all likelihood, the National Security Committee met at the instance of the army chief as army generals had met separately before the all-powerful meeting. At the end of the three-hour-long meeting, the committee came out with a terse statement shying away from commenting on Trump&rsquo;s tweet. The statement released by the prime minister&rsquo;s office expressed &ldquo;deep disappointment&rdquo; at comments made by US officials over the past few months.

&ldquo;Recent statements and articulation by the American leadership were completely incomprehensible as they contradicted facts manifestly, struck with great insensitivity at the trust between two nations built over generations, and negated the decades of sacrifices made by the Pakistani nation,&rdquo; it said.

Earlier, Pakistan foreign office summoned U.S. ambassador David Hale and sought his explanation behind Trump&rsquo;s angry tweet.

Pakistan has been on the boil since the storm caused by Trump tweet battered the country. Anti-Trump protests have engulfed almost the entire Pakistan with several political religious groups taking out rallies. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan too joined the issue by saying that Pakistan lost 70,000 lives and $100,000 billion due to the US war on terror. Khan, who once tormented the best of the batsmen in the world during his playing days, seems pretty weak on mathematics as the figure of monetary loss quoted by him is beyond the realms of possibility.

The US put the screws on Pakistan by announcing the next day of Trump tweet that it would continue to withhold military aid worth $255 million to its former strategic ally. The statement from the National Security Council spokesman was equally lethal. &quot;The President has made clear that the United States expects Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorists and militants on its soil, and that Pakistan&#39;s actions in support of the South Asia strategy will ultimately determine the trajectory of our relationship, including future security assistance.&quot;

It appears that the Trump tweet storm is unlikely to die down soon and more is in the offing for Pakistan. The statements from US officials are self-explanatory.&nbsp; Following up on Trump&rsquo;s tweet, the White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accused Pakistan of playing a &ldquo;double game&rdquo; on fighting terrorism and said: &ldquo;They can do more to stop terrorism and we want them to do that.&rdquo; Earlier, the U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said at the United Nations that &ldquo;They work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan.&rdquo; At the State Department on Tuesday, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Pakistan knew what it needed to do, including taking action against the Haqqani network and other militants. Pakistan needs to &ldquo;earn, essentially, the money that we have provided in the past in foreign military assistance,&rdquo; she said.

The writing on the wall was clear since Trump assumed the presidency of the United States in January last. Even before becoming the president, Trump had been dropping enough hints, but Pakistan failed to read the messages which were not only explosive by explicit as well. The rhetoric was soon replaced with stern warnings after Trump assumed power. But Pakistan continued to live in a fool&rsquo;s paradise that the US could not bypass it as long as its forces remained engaged in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Afghanistan is proving to be a political liability for the US. If it stays longer, it faces strong backlash back home and if it withdraws, the country will fall to the Taliban.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s a classical case of entering a blind alley but not knowing how to come out of it. Whatever may be its political designs, the US has been sucked badly into a country where exit routes are not easy and not too many. Already the US has lost 2,300 of its men. And it has cost the US more than 110 billion dollars since its forces first landed in Afghanistan in October 2001. The US has been fuming over Pakistan&rsquo;s alleged support for Haqqani network militants, who are allied with the Afghan Taliban. Afghanistan has time and again resented the presence of Afghan Taliban fighters in Pakistan who carry out deadly attacks in the war-torn country and return to the safe sanctuaries there. Whatever may be the political compulsions in the past, the new administration has realized that the Afghanistan war can&rsquo;t be won as long as Pakistan continues with its support to the Taliban and Haqqani groups.

In fact, the US patience had started thinning since it found that the most-wanted terrorist and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was being provided a safe sanctuary by Pakistan in the garrison town of Abbottabad. Pakistan should have smelt a rat when the US special commandos smoked out Laden in 2011 in an operation kept secret from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government.&nbsp; To add insult to injury, the then-Taliban leader Mullah Mansour was killed by a U.S. drone strike inside Pakistan five years later. No self-respecting nation can allow its territory to be breached in a manner as the US did. But Pakistan was forced to digest this humiliation, not once, but twice. But the lure of dollars far outweighed the heap of ignominy.

It remains to be seen whether the Trump tweet will bully Pakistan into changing its policy and withdraw support to the militant groups. Otherwise, as things stand today, the honeymoon between the US and Pakistan seems all over and it is a matter of time when the divorce will be formalised.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

It remains to be seen whether the Trump tweet will bully Pakistan into changing its policy and withdraw support to the militant groups. Otherwise, divorce is imminent.

It had to happen one day. Pakistan’s predicament reminds one of the famous statement of Abraham Lincoln: “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” And it took 15 years for a US President to realise that his country was being taken for a royal ride by none other than its strategic ally in the name of the so-called fight against terrorism. ''The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!,'' President Donald Trump tweeted, rattling Pakistan on the New Year day. The tweet sent shivers down the spine of Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership as they huddled to grasp its impact. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was forced to advance a meeting of the National Security Committee by a day which was attended by top cabinet ministers and military chiefs. In all likelihood, the National Security Committee met at the instance of the army chief as army generals had met separately before the all-powerful meeting. At the end of the three-hour-long meeting, the committee came out with a terse statement shying away from commenting on Trump’s tweet. The statement released by the prime minister’s office expressed “deep disappointment” at comments made by US officials over the past few months. “Recent statements and articulation by the American leadership were completely incomprehensible as they contradicted facts manifestly, struck with great insensitivity at the trust between two nations built over generations, and negated the decades of sacrifices made by the Pakistani nation,” it said. Earlier, Pakistan foreign office summoned U.S. ambassador David Hale and sought his explanation behind Trump’s angry tweet. Pakistan has been on the boil since the storm caused by Trump tweet battered the country. Anti-Trump protests have engulfed almost the entire Pakistan with several political religious groups taking out rallies. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan too joined the issue by saying that Pakistan lost 70,000 lives and $100,000 billion due to the US war on terror. Khan, who once tormented the best of the batsmen in the world during his playing days, seems pretty weak on mathematics as the figure of monetary loss quoted by him is beyond the realms of possibility. The US put the screws on Pakistan by announcing the next day of Trump tweet that it would continue to withhold military aid worth $255 million to its former strategic ally. The statement from the National Security Council spokesman was equally lethal. "The President has made clear that the United States expects Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorists and militants on its soil, and that Pakistan's actions in support of the South Asia strategy will ultimately determine the trajectory of our relationship, including future security assistance." It appears that the Trump tweet storm is unlikely to die down soon and more is in the offing for Pakistan. The statements from US officials are self-explanatory. Following up on Trump’s tweet, the White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accused Pakistan of playing a “double game” on fighting terrorism and said: “They can do more to stop terrorism and we want them to do that.” Earlier, the U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said at the United Nations that “They work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan.” At the State Department on Tuesday, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Pakistan knew what it needed to do, including taking action against the Haqqani network and other militants. Pakistan needs to “earn, essentially, the money that we have provided in the past in foreign military assistance,” she said. The writing on the wall was clear since Trump assumed the presidency of the United States in January last. Even before becoming the president, Trump had been dropping enough hints, but Pakistan failed to read the messages which were not only explosive by explicit as well. The rhetoric was soon replaced with stern warnings after Trump assumed power. But Pakistan continued to live in a fool’s paradise that the US could not bypass it as long as its forces remained engaged in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is proving to be a political liability for the US. If it stays longer, it faces strong backlash back home and if it withdraws, the country will fall to the Taliban. It’s a classical case of entering a blind alley but not knowing how to come out of it. Whatever may be its political designs, the US has been sucked badly into a country where exit routes are not easy and not too many. Already the US has lost 2,300 of its men. And it has cost the US more than 110 billion dollars since its forces first landed in Afghanistan in October 2001. The US has been fuming over Pakistan’s alleged support for Haqqani network militants, who are allied with the Afghan Taliban. Afghanistan has time and again resented the presence of Afghan Taliban fighters in Pakistan who carry out deadly attacks in the war-torn country and return to the safe sanctuaries there. Whatever may be the political compulsions in the past, the new administration has realized that the Afghanistan war can’t be won as long as Pakistan continues with its support to the Taliban and Haqqani groups. In fact, the US patience had started thinning since it found that the most-wanted terrorist and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was being provided a safe sanctuary by Pakistan in the garrison town of Abbottabad. Pakistan should have smelt a rat when the US special commandos smoked out Laden in 2011 in an operation kept secret from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government. To add insult to injury, the then-Taliban leader Mullah Mansour was killed by a U.S. drone strike inside Pakistan five years later. No self-respecting nation can allow its territory to be breached in a manner as the US did. But Pakistan was forced to digest this humiliation, not once, but twice. But the lure of dollars far outweighed the heap of ignominy. It remains to be seen whether the Trump tweet will bully Pakistan into changing its policy and withdraw support to the militant groups. Otherwise, as things stand today, the honeymoon between the US and Pakistan seems all over and it is a matter of time when the divorce will be formalised. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Is the honeymoon between Pakistan and the US coming to an end?

An attorney for President Donald Trump sought Thursday to halt publication of an upcoming <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-did-not-want-to-be-us-president-book-28531" target="_blank">bombshell book about his White House</a>, claiming it was &quot;libelous.&quot;

The cease and desist letter to author Michael Wolff and publisher Henry Holt and Co. claimed the book contained &quot;numerous false and/or baseless statements&quot; about Trump.

The book, &quot;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House&quot; is scheduled to be published on January 9, but excerpts appeared in several media outlets on Wednesday, prompting an angry reaction from the White House.

A copy of the letter from Trump&#39;s attorney Charles Harder to Wolff and the publisher was obtained by AFP.

An attorney for President Donald Trump sought Thursday to halt publication of an upcoming bombshell book about his White House, claiming it was 'libelous'

An attorney for President Donald Trump sought Thursday to halt publication of an upcoming bombshell book about his White House, claiming it was "libelous." The cease and desist letter to author Michael Wolff and publisher Henry Holt and Co. claimed the book contained "numerous false and/or baseless statements" about Trump. The book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" is scheduled to be published on January 9, but excerpts appeared in several media outlets on Wednesday, prompting an angry reaction from the White House. A copy of the letter from Trump's attorney Charles Harder to Wolff and the publisher was obtained by AFP.

Trump lawyer seeks to halt publication of 'libelous' book

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

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

WION Evening news brief, 4 January 2018

Nikki Haley, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, called on the international community to speak out on the unfolding protests in Iran, saying the US would seek emergency UN talks on the situation.

&quot;The people of Iran are crying out for freedom,&quot; Haley said at a news conference. &quot;All freedom-loving people must stand with their cause.&quot;

She said the United States would be seeking emergency sessions of the UN Security Council and the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Commission in the coming days.

Haley rejected as &quot;complete nonsense&quot; charges by Iran&#39;s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that the five-day-old protests were being fomented by the country&#39;s &quot;enemies.&quot;

&quot;The freedoms that are enshrined in the United Nations charter are under attack in Iran. Dozens have already been killed. Hundreds have been arrested,&quot; she said.

&quot;If the Iranian dictatorship&#39;s history is any guide, we can expect more outrageous abuses in the days to come,&quot; she said.

'The people of Iran are crying out for freedom, all freedom-loving people must stand with their cause,' Haley said at a news conference

Nikki Haley, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, called on the international community to speak out on the unfolding protests in Iran, saying the US would seek emergency UN talks on the situation. "The people of Iran are crying out for freedom," Haley said at a news conference. "All freedom-loving people must stand with their cause." She said the United States would be seeking emergency sessions of the UN Security Council and the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Commission in the coming days. Haley rejected as "complete nonsense" charges by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that the five-day-old protests were being fomented by the country's "enemies." "The freedoms that are enshrined in the United Nations charter are under attack in Iran. Dozens have already been killed. Hundreds have been arrested," she said. "If the Iranian dictatorship's history is any guide, we can expect more outrageous abuses in the days to come," she said.

US envoy calls for emergency UN session on Iran

If Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman&rsquo;s foreign policy track record is anything to go by, the ongoing situation in Iran could tempt him to embark on yet another risky adventure. This is following the&nbsp;widespread anti-government protests&nbsp;in Iran, which is the real focus of his multiple regional quagmires that include the devastating war in Yemen and the failed effort to force Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to resign.

In many ways, Prince Mohammed faces the same considerations in deciding how to respond to events in Iran, as does US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;In January, the&nbsp;president&nbsp;not only has to choose whether to certify Iranian compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, but also whether to waive US sanctions on Iran. A decision to re-impose economic sanctions could mean a US withdrawal from the agreement.

At the core of Trump&rsquo;s decision, as well as Prince Mohammed&rsquo;s deliberations on how and if to respond to the Iranian protests, is the question of whether the US and/or Saudi Arabia see a strengthening of hardline conservative factions in Iran as serving their national interests. This is includes containing the Islamic Republic and possibly engineering a situation that would be conducive to regime change.

&ldquo;The most likely scenario is that the evidence of popular dissatisfaction and the inevitable repression will harden the Trump administration&rsquo;s position on sustaining the deal and provide additional incentives for ratcheting up new economic pressure on the government,&rdquo; said Brookings fellow and former State Department policy planning Iran expert&nbsp;Suzanne Maloney. &ldquo;They also may see some possibility of flipping the Europeans if the crackdown is fierce and well-documented.&rdquo; The European Union has urged President Trump not to nix the nuclear agreement.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in contrast to hardliners, has sought to reach out to the protesters. He has recognized their right to criticize the government, while denouncing violence and promising to address their economic grievances. Rouhani may be able to tackle some issues like the fraudulent financial institutions that have deprived many of their savings, but he will struggle to fix the country&rsquo;s structural economic issues, including the power of hardline institutions such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. He may also be able to institutionalize and anchor in law the right to protest with the&nbsp;backing of hardliners. Moreover, addressing economic issues would be even more daunting if Trump withdraws from the nuclear deal.

Ultimately, the odds are that hardliners, irrespective of what scenario unfolds, will emerge strengthened by the current crisis. This will either be the result of protests losing momentum as the regime curbs access to social media, a brutal squashing of the protests as a last resort, or because increased external pressure will initially unite rival factions and reinforce widespread disillusionment with the nuclear deal, which has failed to provide tangible economic benefits to a majority of Iranians.

Prince Mohammed

Looming in the background is the risk that Prince Mohammed &mdash; with or without US backing or cooperation &mdash; will seek to exploit the Iranian government&rsquo;s problems by attempting to further destabilize the Islamic Republic. This could be by stirring unrest among already restive ethnic minority groups such as the Kurds and the Baluchis. Kermanshah, a city in the predominantly Kurdish western Iran, was one of the first cities to which the protests spread after initially erupting in the conservative stronghold of Mashhad.

&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia has funneled large amounts of money in the last 18 months to militant groups and madrassas or religious seminaries in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan, which borders the Iranian region of Sistan and Baluchistan &mdash; both populated by restive Baluchis. In 2017, a Riyadh-based think tank believed to be supported by Prince Mohammed, published a&nbsp;blueprint&nbsp;for stirring unrest among the Iranian Baluch.

President Trump

In recent days,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and the&nbsp;US State Department&nbsp;have expressed support for the protesters. They have urged the international community to chirp in, and also said they back those in Iran who are seeking a peaceful transition of government.

Various US analysts have argued that Trump&rsquo;s anti-Iranian track record, including his attempted bans on granting visas to Iranians, curtails the impact of his support for the protesters. It may even strengthen the hardliners by allowing them to point fingers at alleged foreign instigation. &ldquo;While we&rsquo;re on Trump, the impact of his tweets has been marginal at best. They&rsquo;ve triggered a slew of angry comments, packed with ridicule. Across classes, factions and generations in Iran, there is a shared contempt for&nbsp;#POTUS&nbsp;whose policies look erratic and hypocritical,&rdquo; tweeted Bloomberg&rsquo;s Iran correspondent,&nbsp;Golnar Motevalli.

Rather than speaking out, the analysts proposed concrete steps the United States could take to support the demonstrators.&nbsp;Maloney&nbsp;and journalist&nbsp;Maziar Bahari&nbsp;suggested the US could use its influence with technology, satellite internet providers and social media networks to try keep communications channels open for protesters.

In an article for Lobe Log, former State Department official&nbsp;Reza Marashi&nbsp;argued that advice he and others proffered in 2009, when the Iranian government faced far larger protests against alleged election fraud, remained valid in the current situation. &ldquo;We advised our superiors to express concern about the violence against protestors, and highlight the importance of respecting free speech, democratic process, and peaceful dissent. We also emphasized a need for the US government to publicly express its respect for Iranian sovereignty, its desire to avoid making America the issue during a domestic Iranian protest, and its belief that it is up to Iranians to determine who Iran&rsquo;s leaders will be,&rdquo; Marashi recalled.

Much of that advice has been ignored by the White House. In doing so, the Trump administration has not only allowed Rouhani and the hardliners to point to a scapegoat. It has seemingly gone out of its way to raise Iranian fears that US policy, with the Saudis in tow, is focused on regime change. Marashi added: &ldquo;Washington would be wise to acknowledge the limits of its power inside Iran. Policymakers and pundits cannot change this simple truth: The problems are Iranian, the protestors are Iranian, and the solution will be Iranian.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

This <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/iran-protests-hassan-rouhani-saudi-arabia-donald-trump-latest-news-34069/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article </a>was originally carried by the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">Fair Observer</a>.

&nbsp;

Protests in Iran raise tricky questions for American and Saudi policymakers, amid Iranian fears that US policy, with the Saudis in tow, is focused on regime change.

If Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s foreign policy track record is anything to go by, the ongoing situation in Iran could tempt him to embark on yet another risky adventure. This is following the widespread anti-government protests in Iran, which is the real focus of his multiple regional quagmires that include the devastating war in Yemen and the failed effort to force Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to resign. In many ways, Prince Mohammed faces the same considerations in deciding how to respond to events in Iran, as does US President Donald Trump. In January, the president not only has to choose whether to certify Iranian compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, but also whether to waive US sanctions on Iran. A decision to re-impose economic sanctions could mean a US withdrawal from the agreement. At the core of Trump’s decision, as well as Prince Mohammed’s deliberations on how and if to respond to the Iranian protests, is the question of whether the US and/or Saudi Arabia see a strengthening of hardline conservative factions in Iran as serving their national interests. This is includes containing the Islamic Republic and possibly engineering a situation that would be conducive to regime change. “The most likely scenario is that the evidence of popular dissatisfaction and the inevitable repression will harden the Trump administration’s position on sustaining the deal and provide additional incentives for ratcheting up new economic pressure on the government,” said Brookings fellow and former State Department policy planning Iran expert Suzanne Maloney. “They also may see some possibility of flipping the Europeans if the crackdown is fierce and well-documented.” The European Union has urged President Trump not to nix the nuclear agreement. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in contrast to hardliners, has sought to reach out to the protesters. He has recognized their right to criticize the government, while denouncing violence and promising to address their economic grievances. Rouhani may be able to tackle some issues like the fraudulent financial institutions that have deprived many of their savings, but he will struggle to fix the country’s structural economic issues, including the power of hardline institutions such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. He may also be able to institutionalize and anchor in law the right to protest with the backing of hardliners. Moreover, addressing economic issues would be even more daunting if Trump withdraws from the nuclear deal. Ultimately, the odds are that hardliners, irrespective of what scenario unfolds, will emerge strengthened by the current crisis. This will either be the result of protests losing momentum as the regime curbs access to social media, a brutal squashing of the protests as a last resort, or because increased external pressure will initially unite rival factions and reinforce widespread disillusionment with the nuclear deal, which has failed to provide tangible economic benefits to a majority of Iranians. Prince Mohammed Looming in the background is the risk that Prince Mohammed — with or without US backing or cooperation — will seek to exploit the Iranian government’s problems by attempting to further destabilize the Islamic Republic. This could be by stirring unrest among already restive ethnic minority groups such as the Kurds and the Baluchis. Kermanshah, a city in the predominantly Kurdish western Iran, was one of the first cities to which the protests spread after initially erupting in the conservative stronghold of Mashhad. Saudi Arabia has funneled large amounts of money in the last 18 months to militant groups and madrassas or religious seminaries in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan, which borders the Iranian region of Sistan and Baluchistan — both populated by restive Baluchis. In 2017, a Riyadh-based think tank believed to be supported by Prince Mohammed, published a blueprint for stirring unrest among the Iranian Baluch. President Trump In recent days, Trump and the US State Department have expressed support for the protesters. They have urged the international community to chirp in, and also said they back those in Iran who are seeking a peaceful transition of government. Various US analysts have argued that Trump’s anti-Iranian track record, including his attempted bans on granting visas to Iranians, curtails the impact of his support for the protesters. It may even strengthen the hardliners by allowing them to point fingers at alleged foreign instigation. “While we’re on Trump, the impact of his tweets has been marginal at best. They’ve triggered a slew of angry comments, packed with ridicule. Across classes, factions and generations in Iran, there is a shared contempt for #POTUS whose policies look erratic and hypocritical,” tweeted Bloomberg’s Iran correspondent, Golnar Motevalli. Rather than speaking out, the analysts proposed concrete steps the United States could take to support the demonstrators. Maloney and journalist Maziar Bahari suggested the US could use its influence with technology, satellite internet providers and social media networks to try keep communications channels open for protesters. In an article for Lobe Log, former State Department official Reza Marashi argued that advice he and others proffered in 2009, when the Iranian government faced far larger protests against alleged election fraud, remained valid in the current situation. “We advised our superiors to express concern about the violence against protestors, and highlight the importance of respecting free speech, democratic process, and peaceful dissent. We also emphasized a need for the US government to publicly express its respect for Iranian sovereignty, its desire to avoid making America the issue during a domestic Iranian protest, and its belief that it is up to Iranians to determine who Iran’s leaders will be,” Marashi recalled. Much of that advice has been ignored by the White House. In doing so, the Trump administration has not only allowed Rouhani and the hardliners to point to a scapegoat. It has seemingly gone out of its way to raise Iranian fears that US policy, with the Saudis in tow, is focused on regime change. Marashi added: “Washington would be wise to acknowledge the limits of its power inside Iran. Policymakers and pundits cannot change this simple truth: The problems are Iranian, the protestors are Iranian, and the solution will be Iranian.” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL). This article was originally carried by the Fair Observer.

Opinion: Iran protests raise risk of regime change

The State Bank of Pakistan has recently put Chinese Yuan as its main currency for trade within or outside Pakistan. They have put a framework within which all the investment transactions, Letter of Credits and other financial instruments can be dealt in Chinese Yuan. This was not unexpected.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the current scenario of strained relations with the United States and an extremely low forex reserve, Pakistan had to find an immediate alternative. It may be a temporary relief from the crisis but ultimately selecting Chinese Yuan is going to be a suicidal step for Pakistan&#39;s economy.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

These are not just the assumptions and based on strong facts and figures. Currently, Pakistan is importing good worth US$ 48-50 billion annually out of which a sizeable 30% comes from China through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Whereas about 5% each comes from Indonesia, US and Japan and about 15% comes from UAE in the form of oil-related products.

&nbsp;

When it comes to the inflow of American dollars, Pakistan received about 45% of its 20 billion dollar export reimbursements in the form of US currency. Till date, the top consumer of Pakistani goods is the United States, which imports more than double the amount China does from Pakistan. So, if we mathematically assume the inflow and outflow of US dollars, Pakistan is expected to have an annual deficit of about 5-7 billion US dollars which is going to affect its economy.

&nbsp;

The second aspect is the stability of Chinese Yuan. Over last 20 years, the Yuan had been on a fall against the US dollars. The Chinese currency which was touching a figure of 8.74 in 1994 is now hovering around 6.5 per US dollars which is more than a 25% fall. This is likely to fall further because, in the current scenario of dwindling China exports, the Yuan is unlikely to recover and will continue to fall.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The third aspect is the acceptability of Chinese Yuan as a global currency. Though the IMF has already accepted Yuan as a global currency in November 2015, yet it is still the fourth most used currency in the world after US dollar, Euro and Japanese Yen. The People&rsquo;s Bank of China has been making efforts to stabilise the currency but still, it is likely to reduce China&rsquo;s competitive advantage as a leading exporter.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As such most American and European companies are looking for alternative manufacturing locations, such as in India and South-East Asia for their products, the adverse impact will be directly on the exports of China.

&nbsp;

The fourth and most important aspect is the faith in US dollar since it is a stable currency and is growing constantly. The strength of US economy instils trust in the investors and trading countries.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the near future, Pakistan&#39;s forex reserves shall be constituted mostly by Chinese Yuan and there will be a deficiency of other global currencies like US dollar, Euro and Japanese Yen. Pakistan, which is still struggling to pay its dues with their depleting reserves, is likely to go further bankrupt and will not have any option except to devalue its currency. The Pakistani Rupee which is currently at 112 Rupee per US dollar is likely to go below 150 in the next two years. This will negatively impact its economy and devalue its export reimbursements.

&nbsp;

After the completion of CPEC, Pak has to repay its loans to China. As per the current agreement, the repayment has to be in Chinese Yuan. In order to pay China in Yuan, Pakistan has to increase its export to China at terms and conditions put by cunning Chinese traders. While China will use the Pakistani land to establish its manufacturing hub and export the goods through Gwadar, Pakistan is not going to get anything except employment to few thousands of its people as workers in these factories.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Chinese plans to enhance its imports in the country rapidly. It is already considering Pakistan as one of its main markets. The Dragon is going to sell everything to Pakistan. From goods to services and electricity made in its power plants, using Pakistani resources. It will also put an economic burden on our neighbour in the form of increasing loans and interest payoffs.

&nbsp;

This move is directly targeted to make Pakistan as an alternative territory to China and shift its manufacturing pivot to an alternative location. While this seems to be a calculative move by China to become closer to Europe, Middle East and Central Asian markets, this is suicidal for Pakistan.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

Top consumer of Pakistani goods is the United States, which imports more than double the amount China does from Pakistan. If we calculate the inflow and outflow of US dollars, Pakistan is expected to have an annual deficit of about 5-7 billion US dollars.

The State Bank of Pakistan has recently put Chinese Yuan as its main currency for trade within or outside Pakistan. They have put a framework within which all the investment transactions, Letter of Credits and other financial instruments can be dealt in Chinese Yuan. This was not unexpected. In the current scenario of strained relations with the United States and an extremely low forex reserve, Pakistan had to find an immediate alternative. It may be a temporary relief from the crisis but ultimately selecting Chinese Yuan is going to be a suicidal step for Pakistan's economy. These are not just the assumptions and based on strong facts and figures. Currently, Pakistan is importing good worth US$ 48-50 billion annually out of which a sizeable 30% comes from China through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Whereas about 5% each comes from Indonesia, US and Japan and about 15% comes from UAE in the form of oil-related products. When it comes to the inflow of American dollars, Pakistan received about 45% of its 20 billion dollar export reimbursements in the form of US currency. Till date, the top consumer of Pakistani goods is the United States, which imports more than double the amount China does from Pakistan. So, if we mathematically assume the inflow and outflow of US dollars, Pakistan is expected to have an annual deficit of about 5-7 billion US dollars which is going to affect its economy. The second aspect is the stability of Chinese Yuan. Over last 20 years, the Yuan had been on a fall against the US dollars. The Chinese currency which was touching a figure of 8.74 in 1994 is now hovering around 6.5 per US dollars which is more than a 25% fall. This is likely to fall further because, in the current scenario of dwindling China exports, the Yuan is unlikely to recover and will continue to fall. The third aspect is the acceptability of Chinese Yuan as a global currency. Though the IMF has already accepted Yuan as a global currency in November 2015, yet it is still the fourth most used currency in the world after US dollar, Euro and Japanese Yen. The People’s Bank of China has been making efforts to stabilise the currency but still, it is likely to reduce China’s competitive advantage as a leading exporter. As such most American and European companies are looking for alternative manufacturing locations, such as in India and South-East Asia for their products, the adverse impact will be directly on the exports of China. The fourth and most important aspect is the faith in US dollar since it is a stable currency and is growing constantly. The strength of US economy instils trust in the investors and trading countries. In the near future, Pakistan's forex reserves shall be constituted mostly by Chinese Yuan and there will be a deficiency of other global currencies like US dollar, Euro and Japanese Yen. Pakistan, which is still struggling to pay its dues with their depleting reserves, is likely to go further bankrupt and will not have any option except to devalue its currency. The Pakistani Rupee which is currently at 112 Rupee per US dollar is likely to go below 150 in the next two years. This will negatively impact its economy and devalue its export reimbursements. After the completion of CPEC, Pak has to repay its loans to China. As per the current agreement, the repayment has to be in Chinese Yuan. In order to pay China in Yuan, Pakistan has to increase its export to China at terms and conditions put by cunning Chinese traders. While China will use the Pakistani land to establish its manufacturing hub and export the goods through Gwadar, Pakistan is not going to get anything except employment to few thousands of its people as workers in these factories. The Chinese plans to enhance its imports in the country rapidly. It is already considering Pakistan as one of its main markets. The Dragon is going to sell everything to Pakistan. From goods to services and electricity made in its power plants, using Pakistani resources. It will also put an economic burden on our neighbour in the form of increasing loans and interest payoffs. This move is directly targeted to make Pakistan as an alternative territory to China and shift its manufacturing pivot to an alternative location. While this seems to be a calculative move by China to become closer to Europe, Middle East and Central Asian markets, this is suicidal for Pakistan. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Pakistan makes a suicidal move. Chinese Yuan its main trade currency

The international terrorist Hafiz Saeed has been repeatedly thumbing his nose at the Pakistani establishment as well as at the United States, but Islamabad remains obdurate in not taking any action against him and several other terrorists. On several occasions, the US expressed its displeasure and concern, and nudged Pakistan to arrest and charge Saeed for his crimes. But Pakistan has always looked the other way around. What is that which is preventing Pakistan from booking Saeed at the expense of its fragile ties with the US?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There can be only two plausible reasons. Either Pakistan is impotent and afraid of the might of Saeed or it is a well-thought-out plan of action to get even with its now estranged ally. Saeed, who carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, is a U.N. and United States designated terrorist. Moreover, India has blamed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief for the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;Pakistan has been at the receiving end ever since the Donald Trump administration took over in January last year. President Trump has been particularly hard on Pakistan since he was on his campaign trail. There is no doubt that there has been a tectonic shift in American policy of late as the US desperation grows because of Pakistan&rsquo;s failure to rein in militants ensconced in its backyard.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The ties between Pakistan and the US had started straining during the Barack Obama administration.&nbsp; It all began with the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US special forces in May 2011 on Pakistani soil in an operation kept secret from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government. The US, which had launched a massive manhunt for Laden, mastermind of the deadly September 11 attacks, was shocked that he was being provided a safe sanctuary by Pakistan whom it considered a strategic ally in its fight against terrorism. Even though, the US chose to maintain a fa&ccedil;ade of relationship with Pakistan because of its interests in Afghanistan.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;But all that seems to be over now! &quot;We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism when I&rsquo;m president. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with India in sharing intelligence and keeping our people safe mutually,&quot; Trump had said during electioneering. And true to his words, one can notice a paradigm shift in the new US dispensation as far as the battle against Islamic militants is concerned. From here onwards, one can expect a no-nonsense US policy on terrorism which should be a major cause of worry for Pakistan, which continues to host several militant groups hostile to both India and the US.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Unlike his predecessors, there is an increasing likelihood of Trump seeking to reshape the decades-old policy towards Pakistan by linking US aid to its commitment against terrorism. Today the US administration has announced withholding $255 million in aid to Pakistan.&nbsp; Though a pittance, the message is loud and clear that the US is dissatisfied with the obstinacy shown by Pakistan in not taking substantive action against terrorist networks that continue to flourish there with the full support of the administration.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;Pakistan has been the recipient of more than $33 billion in aid since 2002. And it has done precious little to rein in militants. The US frustration seems to have reached the point of no return as President Trump in his August address said:&nbsp; &quot;We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting.&quot;&nbsp; Since then he has dispatched his top diplomatic and military advisors to Pakistan -- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis &ndash; who read out the riot act to senior officials of Pakistan. But thus far, Pakistan does not seem to have been rattled by such warnings.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;On the contrary, not only did it free Saeed from the so-called &ldquo;house arrest&rdquo; with the lame excuse that the Lahore court did not merit his detention, it went on to justify his release. To rub salt into the wound, its foreign office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that Islamabad was committed to the implementation of United Nations Security Council 1267 sanctions regime on terrorists and had taken several steps in this regard.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;If that was not enough, Pakistan allowed Saeed to open the first office of his political group Milli Muslim League (MML) in Lahore. Saeed has also declared his political ambitions by announcing that his organisation JuD would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the MML. Ironically, according to Pakistani government records, the MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JuD. In fact, Saeed was showered with flower petals as he openly toured several areas in full public glare.

&nbsp;

Can it happen in any civilised country that a UN-designated terrorist is allowed to roam free? But anything can happen in a rogue country like Pakistan which even allows a terrorist group to launch its political party and let it contest the elections. The MML-backed candidate had secured the fourth position with 6,000 votes, double than that of Pakistan People&rsquo;s Party (PPP) and Jamaat- i-Islami combined in a by-election in Lahore&#39;s NA-120 constituency last September. The seat had fallen vacant when the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had to resign, following his disqualification by Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court.

&nbsp;

It is hard to digest that Saeed would have been allowed to open the office of MML without the consent of the government of the day and that too when the US had expressed its strong concerns and said in a statement that it hopes Pakistan &quot;does the right thing&quot; in not allowing that to happen and added that it &quot;want(s) to make...clear so that everybody knows&quot;, that the US has put a bounty of $10 million on Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).&nbsp; It is an open secret that Saeed has the full backing of Pakistani army which has been at loggerheads with the government.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;The question then arises whether Saeed has the tacit support of the Pakistani establishment or it is too afraid to take action against him as he is being backed by the army. Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa came in full support of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind when he appeared before a parliament forum last month and said that Saeed, like every other Pakistani, had the right to raise the Kashmir issue. It is a known fact that the army enjoys far greater power than the elected government in Pakistan and no government can afford to go against the wishes of the army. Whatever may be Pakistan&rsquo;s reason to prop up Saeed, but one thing is certain. Pakistan is in for a rude shock in the coming months.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Either Pakistan is impotent and afraid of the might of Saeed or it is a well-thought-out plan of action to get even with its now estranged ally, the US.

The international terrorist Hafiz Saeed has been repeatedly thumbing his nose at the Pakistani establishment as well as at the United States, but Islamabad remains obdurate in not taking any action against him and several other terrorists. On several occasions, the US expressed its displeasure and concern, and nudged Pakistan to arrest and charge Saeed for his crimes. But Pakistan has always looked the other way around. What is that which is preventing Pakistan from booking Saeed at the expense of its fragile ties with the US? There can be only two plausible reasons. Either Pakistan is impotent and afraid of the might of Saeed or it is a well-thought-out plan of action to get even with its now estranged ally. Saeed, who carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, is a U.N. and United States designated terrorist. Moreover, India has blamed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief for the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. Pakistan has been at the receiving end ever since the Donald Trump administration took over in January last year. President Trump has been particularly hard on Pakistan since he was on his campaign trail. There is no doubt that there has been a tectonic shift in American policy of late as the US desperation grows because of Pakistan’s failure to rein in militants ensconced in its backyard. The ties between Pakistan and the US had started straining during the Barack Obama administration. It all began with the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US special forces in May 2011 on Pakistani soil in an operation kept secret from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government. The US, which had launched a massive manhunt for Laden, mastermind of the deadly September 11 attacks, was shocked that he was being provided a safe sanctuary by Pakistan whom it considered a strategic ally in its fight against terrorism. Even though, the US chose to maintain a façade of relationship with Pakistan because of its interests in Afghanistan. But all that seems to be over now! "We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism when I’m president. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with India in sharing intelligence and keeping our people safe mutually," Trump had said during electioneering. And true to his words, one can notice a paradigm shift in the new US dispensation as far as the battle against Islamic militants is concerned. From here onwards, one can expect a no-nonsense US policy on terrorism which should be a major cause of worry for Pakistan, which continues to host several militant groups hostile to both India and the US. Unlike his predecessors, there is an increasing likelihood of Trump seeking to reshape the decades-old policy towards Pakistan by linking US aid to its commitment against terrorism. Today the US administration has announced withholding $255 million in aid to Pakistan. Though a pittance, the message is loud and clear that the US is dissatisfied with the obstinacy shown by Pakistan in not taking substantive action against terrorist networks that continue to flourish there with the full support of the administration. Pakistan has been the recipient of more than $33 billion in aid since 2002. And it has done precious little to rein in militants. The US frustration seems to have reached the point of no return as President Trump in his August address said: "We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting." Since then he has dispatched his top diplomatic and military advisors to Pakistan -- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis – who read out the riot act to senior officials of Pakistan. But thus far, Pakistan does not seem to have been rattled by such warnings. On the contrary, not only did it free Saeed from the so-called “house arrest” with the lame excuse that the Lahore court did not merit his detention, it went on to justify his release. To rub salt into the wound, its foreign office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that Islamabad was committed to the implementation of United Nations Security Council 1267 sanctions regime on terrorists and had taken several steps in this regard. If that was not enough, Pakistan allowed Saeed to open the first office of his political group Milli Muslim League (MML) in Lahore. Saeed has also declared his political ambitions by announcing that his organisation JuD would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the MML. Ironically, according to Pakistani government records, the MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JuD. In fact, Saeed was showered with flower petals as he openly toured several areas in full public glare. Can it happen in any civilised country that a UN-designated terrorist is allowed to roam free? But anything can happen in a rogue country like Pakistan which even allows a terrorist group to launch its political party and let it contest the elections. The MML-backed candidate had secured the fourth position with 6,000 votes, double than that of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamaat- i-Islami combined in a by-election in Lahore's NA-120 constituency last September. The seat had fallen vacant when the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had to resign, following his disqualification by Pakistan's Supreme Court. It is hard to digest that Saeed would have been allowed to open the office of MML without the consent of the government of the day and that too when the US had expressed its strong concerns and said in a statement that it hopes Pakistan "does the right thing" in not allowing that to happen and added that it "want(s) to make...clear so that everybody knows", that the US has put a bounty of $10 million on Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). It is an open secret that Saeed has the full backing of Pakistani army which has been at loggerheads with the government. The question then arises whether Saeed has the tacit support of the Pakistani establishment or it is too afraid to take action against him as he is being backed by the army. Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa came in full support of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind when he appeared before a parliament forum last month and said that Saeed, like every other Pakistani, had the right to raise the Kashmir issue. It is a known fact that the army enjoys far greater power than the elected government in Pakistan and no government can afford to go against the wishes of the army. Whatever may be Pakistan’s reason to prop up Saeed, but one thing is certain. Pakistan is in for a rude shock in the coming months. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: US blocks aid but Pakistan still backs Hafiz Saeed. Why?

Responding to US President Donald Trump&#39;s allegation that Pakistan was providing safe haven to terrorists, India has said that its stand has been vindicated.&nbsp;

&quot;The Trump administration`s decision today has abundantly vindicated India`s stand as far as terror is concerned and as far as Pakistan`s role in perpetrating terror is concerned,&quot; ANI quoted Minister of State Jitender Singh as saying.&nbsp;

Singh added that the US was now understanding that there can be no differentiating between good and bad terrorism.&nbsp;

&quot;They are also understanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s reiteration that the war against terrorism has to be fought collectively. There can`t be good terror or bad terror, there can`t be a distinction in terrorism happening, terrorism is terrorism,&quot; Singh said.

Trump had on Monday tweeted that Pakistan had given the US nothing but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; in return for $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies &amp; deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/947802588174577664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

It was his first tweet of the year.&nbsp;

Pakistan reacted quickly, saying the US should not blame them for their failures in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting has said that the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UnitedStates?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UnitedStates</a> should not put blames for its failure in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a> on Pakistan. 
She further said that <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a> has rendered unmatched sacrifices in the war against# terrorism and there is no ambiguity about it <a href="https://t.co/u76OBadmtJ">pic.twitter.com/u76OBadmtJ</a>
&mdash; Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) <a href="https://twitter.com/pid_gov/status/947858274724012034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

It also <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-summons-us-ambassador-after-trump-criticism-28272" target="_blank">summoned the US ambassador</a> to Pakistan, asking him to explain Trump&#39;s tweets.&nbsp;

The US has since announced that it will be <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-summons-us-ambassador-after-trump-criticism-28272" target="_blank">cutting $255 million in military aid</a> to Pakistan.&nbsp;

'The Trump administration`s decision today has abundantly vindicated India`s stand as far as terror is concerned and as far as Pakistan`s role in perpetrating terror is concerned,' MoS Jitendra Singh said

Responding to US President Donald Trump's allegation that Pakistan was providing safe haven to terrorists, India has said that its stand has been vindicated. "The Trump administration`s decision today has abundantly vindicated India`s stand as far as terror is concerned and as far as Pakistan`s role in perpetrating terror is concerned," ANI quoted Minister of State Jitender Singh as saying. Singh added that the US was now understanding that there can be no differentiating between good and bad terrorism. "They are also understanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s reiteration that the war against terrorism has to be fought collectively. There can`t be good terror or bad terror, there can`t be a distinction in terrorism happening, terrorism is terrorism," Singh said. Trump had on Monday tweeted that Pakistan had given the US nothing but "lies and deceit" in return for $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years. The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018 × It was his first tweet of the year. Pakistan reacted quickly, saying the US should not blame them for their failures in Afghanistan. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting has said that the #UnitedStates should not put blames for its failure in #Afghanistan on Pakistan. She further said that #Pakistan has rendered unmatched sacrifices in the war against# terrorism and there is no ambiguity about it pic.twitter.com/u76OBadmtJ — Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) January 1, 2018 × It also summoned the US ambassador to Pakistan, asking him to explain Trump's tweets. The US has since announced that it will be cutting $255 million in military aid to Pakistan.

Our stand vindicated, says India after Trump slams Pakistan on terrorism

It&#39;s the first day that marijuana can be bought and sold legally in California, and store owner Nicole Salisbury&#39;s stock of pot edibles is already running low.

The phone has been ringing non-stop for weeks with people from out-of-state expressing an interest in sampling her wares.

&quot;I&#39;m so excited but I&#39;m also a little bit nervous,&quot; says Salisbury, who has been in the marijuana business for a decade and opened Green Pearl Organics as a medical dispensary two years ago.

&quot;For the first time, I feel comfortable telling people that I own a marijuana shop,&quot; added the 35-year-old, who has vibrant blue-green hair.

Eight states as well as the capital Washington have already legalized recreational use of the drug, though it remains outlawed at the federal level.&nbsp;

But California&#39;s sheer size -- its roughly 40 million people make it America&#39;s most populous state -- as well as its booming economy mean it is expected to be the world&#39;s largest market for the green flowering plant.

California became a pioneer when it legalized medicinal use of pot in 1996, and its decision to expand that to recreational use effective Monday will be watched closely around the world by countries hoping to cash in on the so-called &quot;green rush.&quot;

Throughout the Golden State on Monday, marijuana aficionados formed lines outside legal shops, no longer forced to conduct business with illicit dealers on the down low.

At Green Pearl Organics, Salisbury&#39;s team has been working since 8:00 am, helping customers with their various products -- waxes, brownies, different forms of weed to soothe or to induce highs.

After a quiet morning following New Year&#39;s Eve celebrations, the shop starts to overflow by midday.

Some elderly customers -- longtime buyers who have been coming to the store since it opened -- are annoyed that they now have to wait in long lines.

Some complain that only medical use should have remained legal, while others are unhappy at the heavy taxes applied to cannabis, which exceed 20 percent when state, sales and municipal taxes are added.

Buying involves showing a driver&#39;s license or other form of ID as proof you are 21 or above, and customers receive their goods in an opaque white bag.

Californians can get up to 28.5 grams (one ounce) of cannabis without a prescription and grow up to six plants per residence.

The waiting room is filled with men and women of all ages, many regulars who live in this desert region, some two hours east of Los Angeles.

&quot;It&#39;s great to come get marijuana without actually having to see a doctor,&quot; says Andrew Jennings, who is originally from Texas.&nbsp;

&quot;There&#39;s no place in Texas where you can go -- with a doctor&#39;s recommendation or without,&quot; he adds.

&quot;A lot of people think you just sit on your couch and watch TV, but depending on the strength, it can actually increase your focus,&quot; adds the bearded 32-year-old, who was accompanied by his yoga-teacher girlfriend.&nbsp;

&quot;If you&#39;re selling alcohol in this country, you should also sell weed -- it brings taxes, we get great marijuana that&#39;s being tested, so everybody&#39;s winning,&quot; adds Jennings, who is between jobs and says he enjoys cycling in nature when he gets high.

Christina, a 50-year-old behavioral therapist for special needs children, who declined to give her last name, has come to buy marijuana oils hoping they will restore her hormonal balance and calm her anxiety.

&quot;I&#39;m trying to get a natural medicine, (but) I don&#39;t want to be a stoner,&quot; she says, adding that she would rather her 12-year-old son does not know because she doesn&#39;t want to encourage him as she believes marijuana is bad for developing brains.

According to the new law, marijuana cannot be consumed in public places or while driving -- nor can it be used within 1,000 feet (about 300 meters) of a school or other place for children.

Desert Hot Springs is hoping to carve out a niche as a destination for marijuana lovers -- as well as the curious -- from all over the country.

Many business owners are also investing in farms -- Salisbury is planting her seedlings in a plot at the back of the store while also working with a network of growers.

Both the mayor and the police have backed the industry, which is projected to be worth $5.8 billion in California by 2021, according to consultancy firm ArcView.

For Salisbury, it&#39;s also a matter of personal dignity.

&quot;I felt social shame -- I felt as though I were a prostitute or a stripper even though I always obeyed the law and paid my taxes,&quot; she says.

&quot;Now I can tell my truth, say this is what I do.&quot;

California became a pioneer when it legalized medicinal use of pot in 1996, and its decision to expand that to recreational use effective Monday will be watched closely around the world by countries hoping to cash in on the so-called 'green rush'

It's the first day that marijuana can be bought and sold legally in California, and store owner Nicole Salisbury's stock of pot edibles is already running low. The phone has been ringing non-stop for weeks with people from out-of-state expressing an interest in sampling her wares. "I'm so excited but I'm also a little bit nervous," says Salisbury, who has been in the marijuana business for a decade and opened Green Pearl Organics as a medical dispensary two years ago. "For the first time, I feel comfortable telling people that I own a marijuana shop," added the 35-year-old, who has vibrant blue-green hair. Eight states as well as the capital Washington have already legalized recreational use of the drug, though it remains outlawed at the federal level. But California's sheer size -- its roughly 40 million people make it America's most populous state -- as well as its booming economy mean it is expected to be the world's largest market for the green flowering plant. California became a pioneer when it legalized medicinal use of pot in 1996, and its decision to expand that to recreational use effective Monday will be watched closely around the world by countries hoping to cash in on the so-called "green rush." Throughout the Golden State on Monday, marijuana aficionados formed lines outside legal shops, no longer forced to conduct business with illicit dealers on the down low. At Green Pearl Organics, Salisbury's team has been working since 8:00 am, helping customers with their various products -- waxes, brownies, different forms of weed to soothe or to induce highs. After a quiet morning following New Year's Eve celebrations, the shop starts to overflow by midday. Some elderly customers -- longtime buyers who have been coming to the store since it opened -- are annoyed that they now have to wait in long lines. Some complain that only medical use should have remained legal, while others are unhappy at the heavy taxes applied to cannabis, which exceed 20 percent when state, sales and municipal taxes are added. Buying involves showing a driver's license or other form of ID as proof you are 21 or above, and customers receive their goods in an opaque white bag. Californians can get up to 28.5 grams (one ounce) of cannabis without a prescription and grow up to six plants per residence. The waiting room is filled with men and women of all ages, many regulars who live in this desert region, some two hours east of Los Angeles. "It's great to come get marijuana without actually having to see a doctor," says Andrew Jennings, who is originally from Texas. "There's no place in Texas where you can go -- with a doctor's recommendation or without," he adds. "A lot of people think you just sit on your couch and watch TV, but depending on the strength, it can actually increase your focus," adds the bearded 32-year-old, who was accompanied by his yoga-teacher girlfriend. "If you're selling alcohol in this country, you should also sell weed -- it brings taxes, we get great marijuana that's being tested, so everybody's winning," adds Jennings, who is between jobs and says he enjoys cycling in nature when he gets high. Christina, a 50-year-old behavioral therapist for special needs children, who declined to give her last name, has come to buy marijuana oils hoping they will restore her hormonal balance and calm her anxiety. "I'm trying to get a natural medicine, (but) I don't want to be a stoner," she says, adding that she would rather her 12-year-old son does not know because she doesn't want to encourage him as she believes marijuana is bad for developing brains. According to the new law, marijuana cannot be consumed in public places or while driving -- nor can it be used within 1,000 feet (about 300 meters) of a school or other place for children. Desert Hot Springs is hoping to carve out a niche as a destination for marijuana lovers -- as well as the curious -- from all over the country. Many business owners are also investing in farms -- Salisbury is planting her seedlings in a plot at the back of the store while also working with a network of growers. Both the mayor and the police have backed the industry, which is projected to be worth $5.8 billion in California by 2021, according to consultancy firm ArcView. For Salisbury, it's also a matter of personal dignity. "I felt social shame -- I felt as though I were a prostitute or a stripper even though I always obeyed the law and paid my taxes," she says. "Now I can tell my truth, say this is what I do."

Legal marijuana off to blazing start in California

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