First lady&nbsp;Michelle&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;made an impassioned case for embracing diversity and welcoming all religious groups on Friday in a not-so-veiled message to her husband&#39;s successor two weeks ahead of Inauguration Day.

In what was billed as her last formal speech before President Barack&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;leaves office, the first lady said at an event honouring high school counsellors that the United States belonged to people from all backgrounds and walks of life.

&quot;Our glorious diversity - our diversities of faiths and colours and creeds - that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are,&quot; she said.

The remarks were reminiscent of her vigorous campaign speeches in favour of Democrat Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed building a wall along the border of Mexico and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country.

&quot;If you or your parents are immigrants, know that you are part of a proud American tradition: the infusion of new cultures, talents and ideas, generation after generation, that has made us the greatest country on earth,&quot; Mrs.&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;said.

&quot;If you are a person of faith, know that religious diversity is a great American tradition, too ...&nbsp;And whether you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh - these religions are teaching our young people about justice and compassion and honesty.&quot;

Mrs.&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;gave a series of high-profile speeches at campaign events for Clinton last year and made clear her disapproval of Trump for questioning President&nbsp;Obama&#39;s citizenship and for the New York businessman&#39;s treatment of women after a recording was released in which he bragged about groping women.

Trump was a leader of the so-called birther movement that questioned whether PresidentObama, who was born in Hawaii, had been born in the United States.

Mrs.&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;has kept a lower public profile since the election.

Choking up on Friday, she said being first lady had been the greatest honour of her life.

&quot;So that&#39;s my final message to young people as first lady.&nbsp;It is simple.&nbsp;I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;Lead by example with hope, never fear.&nbsp;And know that I will be with you, rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life.&quot;

(Reuters)

Talking about diversity, she sent a not-so-veiled message to Donald Trump two weeks ahead of Inauguration Day

First lady Michelle Obama made an impassioned case for embracing diversity and welcoming all religious groups on Friday in a not-so-veiled message to her husband's successor two weeks ahead of Inauguration Day. In what was billed as her last formal speech before President Barack Obama leaves office, the first lady said at an event honouring high school counsellors that the United States belonged to people from all backgrounds and walks of life. "Our glorious diversity - our diversities of faiths and colours and creeds - that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are," she said. The remarks were reminiscent of her vigorous campaign speeches in favour of Democrat Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed building a wall along the border of Mexico and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country. "If you or your parents are immigrants, know that you are part of a proud American tradition: the infusion of new cultures, talents and ideas, generation after generation, that has made us the greatest country on earth," Mrs. Obama said. "If you are a person of faith, know that religious diversity is a great American tradition, too ... And whether you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh - these religions are teaching our young people about justice and compassion and honesty." Mrs. Obama gave a series of high-profile speeches at campaign events for Clinton last year and made clear her disapproval of Trump for questioning President Obama's citizenship and for the New York businessman's treatment of women after a recording was released in which he bragged about groping women. Trump was a leader of the so-called birther movement that questioned whether PresidentObama, who was born in Hawaii, had been born in the United States. Mrs. Obama has kept a lower public profile since the election. Choking up on Friday, she said being first lady had been the greatest honour of her life. "So that's my final message to young people as first lady. It is simple. I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong," she said. "Lead by example with hope, never fear. And know that I will be with you, rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life." (Reuters)

'Lead by example', says Michelle Obama in final speech as first lady

US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday targeted Japanese auto giant Toyota Motors for its plan to build Corolla cars for the US market at a plant in Mexico.&nbsp;

&quot;Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for US. NO WAY! Build plant in US or pay big border tax,&quot; Trump said in a post on Twitter.&nbsp;

Toyota, which announced its plan to build the Mexican facility in April 2015, had no immediate comment.

Following Trump&#39;s tweet, the automaker&#39;s stock on the US market, fell 0.5 percent to $120.45 on the New York Stock Exchange.

This was Trump&#39;s latest broadside against automakers building cars in Mexico.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda said in Japan on Thursday that the automaker has no immediate plans to curb production in Mexico, preferring to wait until after Trump`s January 20 inauguration before deciding whether to make any changes.

Earlier, US car maker Ford Motors had decided to scrap its plant in Mexico and said it will create jobs in US by investing $700 million in its plant in Michigan.

Trump has also said General Motors could become subject to tariffs on Mexico-made cars for the US market.

(Reuters)

Earlier, US car maker Ford Motors had decided to scrap its plant in Mexico following Trump's criticism

US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday targeted Japanese auto giant Toyota Motors for its plan to build Corolla cars for the US market at a plant in Mexico. "Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for US. NO WAY! Build plant in US or pay big border tax," Trump said in a post on Twitter. Toyota, which announced its plan to build the Mexican facility in April 2015, had no immediate comment. Following Trump's tweet, the automaker's stock on the US market, fell 0.5 percent to $120.45 on the New York Stock Exchange. This was Trump's latest broadside against automakers building cars in Mexico. Toyota President Akio Toyoda said in Japan on Thursday that the automaker has no immediate plans to curb production in Mexico, preferring to wait until after Trump`s January 20 inauguration before deciding whether to make any changes. Earlier, US car maker Ford Motors had decided to scrap its plant in Mexico and said it will create jobs in US by investing $700 million in its plant in Michigan. Trump has also said General Motors could become subject to tariffs on Mexico-made cars for the US market. (Reuters)

Trump targets Toyota on plans to make cars for US in Mexico

Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson has agreed to sever all ties with ExxonMobil, putting deferred stock awards in an independently managed trust, the company he headed until last week said.

The agreement was reached in consultation with federal ethics regulators to comply with conflict of interest requirements, it said in a statement late Tuesday.

It is not immediately clear&nbsp;why Tillerson is required to formally sever all ties with his private business, while president-elect Donald Trump is aparently free not to.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-tweets-he-will-leave-business-never-says-he-will-sell-it-9533">Trump has so far refused to </a>sever his private business interests while serving in public office, saying via Twitter that instead he will give control of his business interests to his children, who are currently sitting in on official meetings with world leaders and are playing an active role on his transition team.

Trump was the first US presidential candidate in 40 years to conceal his tax return from the public. He pledged to release them, but said he was forbidden&nbsp;because his taxes&nbsp;were under audit by the IRS, who responded by saying&nbsp;that he was indeed under audit but was&nbsp;free to release them to the public. Then Trump pledged to release them if he won, and has so far still refused.&nbsp;His son, Donald Trump Jr,&nbsp;stated&nbsp;that his father didn&#39;t&nbsp;publicly release&nbsp;his&nbsp;tax returns&nbsp;because they were 12,000 pages <a href="http://time.com/money/4495037/donald-trump-release-tax-returns/">it would subject&nbsp;them&nbsp;to public scrutiny.</a>

Under the arrangement reached with ExxonMobil&#39;s board of directors, Tillerson will place the value of some two million company shares that he would have received over the next ten years in an independently managed trust.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senator-mccain-has-concerns-about-tillerson-nomination-10714">Tillerson owned</a> $218 million in Exxon stock, a pension worth $70 million, and between 2012-2015 has had annual compensation packages worth between $28-40 million annually.

He will give up $4.1 million in cash bonuses that had been scheduled to be paid out over the next three years, as well as other benefits. &quot;The net effect of the agreement is a reduction of approximately $7 million in compensation owed to Tillerson,&quot; the company said in a statement.

Additionally, Tillerson has committed to selling the more than 600,000 Exxon shares he currently owns. The trust will not be permitted to hold Exxon stock, and Tillerson will be barred from working in the oil and gas industry for the next 10 years.

Despite making these concessions, it is unclear how Tillerson can keep&nbsp;his duties&nbsp;as Secretary of State separate from all the&nbsp;former industry colleagues and politicians he encountered as CEO of the world&#39;s largest private oil companies.

Tillerson, who was nominated last month to be President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s chief diplomat, retired December 31 after more than forty years at Exxon Mobil, the last ten years as CEO.

Tillerson is regarded as a controversial choice as secretary of state. He&nbsp;has only ever worked at ExxonMobil, and has no experience in politics. Democrats and Republicans have expressed concern over&nbsp;his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin personally awarded Tillerson with the Order of Friendship.

The FBI, CIA and the White House all have stated that they believe Putin interfered with the US election to help get Donald Trump elected.

Senior Republican senator John McCain, also the chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senator-mccain-has-concerns-about-tillerson-nomination-10714">has called Putin a &quot;thug and a murderer&quot;, and has cast doubt on Tillerson&#39;s appointment.</a>

&quot;I and several of my colleagues have concerns about Mr Tillerson, and some of his past activities, specifically his relationship with Vladimir Putin,&quot; McCain told reporters on December 27.

Tillerson has also been criticised for deals struck on behalf of ExxonMobil that were at odds with US foreign policy. Tillerson criticised US sanctions against Russia after Putin invaded Crimea.

At the time, Exxon had discovered vast deposits of untapped oil in Russia. Oil and tax revenues fund&nbsp;half of Russia&#39;s budget, so this sanction badly affected Putin, while also preventing Exxon&nbsp;from making hundreds of millions of dollars, <a href="http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2016/12/14/13940866/trump-rex-tillerson-sanctions-russia">if not trillions</a>.

(With inputs from AFP)

Tillerson, the multimillionaire with suspicious links to Putin, pledged to do what Trump has not: separate public office from private profit

Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson has agreed to sever all ties with ExxonMobil, putting deferred stock awards in an independently managed trust, the company he headed until last week said. The agreement was reached in consultation with federal ethics regulators to comply with conflict of interest requirements, it said in a statement late Tuesday. It is not immediately clear why Tillerson is required to formally sever all ties with his private business, while president-elect Donald Trump is aparently free not to. Trump has so far refused to sever his private business interests while serving in public office, saying via Twitter that instead he will give control of his business interests to his children, who are currently sitting in on official meetings with world leaders and are playing an active role on his transition team. Trump was the first US presidential candidate in 40 years to conceal his tax return from the public. He pledged to release them, but said he was forbidden because his taxes were under audit by the IRS, who responded by saying that he was indeed under audit but was free to release them to the public. Then Trump pledged to release them if he won, and has so far still refused. His son, Donald Trump Jr, stated that his father didn't publicly release his tax returns because they were 12,000 pages it would subject them to public scrutiny. Under the arrangement reached with ExxonMobil's board of directors, Tillerson will place the value of some two million company shares that he would have received over the next ten years in an independently managed trust. Tillerson owned $218 million in Exxon stock, a pension worth $70 million, and between 2012-2015 has had annual compensation packages worth between $28-40 million annually. He will give up $4.1 million in cash bonuses that had been scheduled to be paid out over the next three years, as well as other benefits. "The net effect of the agreement is a reduction of approximately $7 million in compensation owed to Tillerson," the company said in a statement. Additionally, Tillerson has committed to selling the more than 600,000 Exxon shares he currently owns. The trust will not be permitted to hold Exxon stock, and Tillerson will be barred from working in the oil and gas industry for the next 10 years. Despite making these concessions, it is unclear how Tillerson can keep his duties as Secretary of State separate from all the former industry colleagues and politicians he encountered as CEO of the world's largest private oil companies. Tillerson, who was nominated last month to be President-elect Donald Trump's chief diplomat, retired December 31 after more than forty years at Exxon Mobil, the last ten years as CEO. Tillerson is regarded as a controversial choice as secretary of state. He has only ever worked at ExxonMobil, and has no experience in politics. Democrats and Republicans have expressed concern over his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin personally awarded Tillerson with the Order of Friendship. The FBI, CIA and the White House all have stated that they believe Putin interfered with the US election to help get Donald Trump elected. Senior Republican senator John McCain, also the chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, has called Putin a "thug and a murderer", and has cast doubt on Tillerson's appointment. "I and several of my colleagues have concerns about Mr Tillerson, and some of his past activities, specifically his relationship with Vladimir Putin," McCain told reporters on December 27. Tillerson has also been criticised for deals struck on behalf of ExxonMobil that were at odds with US foreign policy. Tillerson criticised US sanctions against Russia after Putin invaded Crimea. At the time, Exxon had discovered vast deposits of untapped oil in Russia. Oil and tax revenues fund half of Russia's budget, so this sanction badly affected Putin, while also preventing Exxon from making hundreds of millions of dollars, if not trillions. (With inputs from AFP)

Rex Tillerson pledges to sever Exxon ties before becoming US state secretary

Russia is ready to become a &quot;new reliable partner&quot; of the Philippines to supply the traditional US&nbsp;ally with sophisticated weapons, Russia&#39;s ambassador said on Wednesday.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has thrown the future of Philippine-US&nbsp;relations into question with angry outbursts against the former colonial power and some scaling back of military ties while taking steps to boost ties with China and Russia.

Illustrating the transformation of Philippine foreign relations since Duterte took office in June, two Russian warships are on four-day visit to Manila this week, the first official navy-to-navy contact between the two countries.

Russian Ambassador Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev took the opportunity to hold a news conference on board the anti-submarine vessel Admiral Tributs. He said he understood that the Philippines was intent on diversifying its foreign partners.

&quot;It&#39;s not a choice between these partners and those ones. Diversification means preserving and keeping old traditional partners and getting new ones,&quot; he said.

&quot;We don&#39;t interfere with your relations with your traditional partners, and your traditional partners should respect the interest of the Philippines and Russia.&quot;

The Russian navy visit comes less than a month after Duterte sent his foreign and defence ministers to Moscow to discuss arms deals after a US&nbsp;senator said he would block the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines, due to concern about a rising death toll in a &quot;war on drugs&quot; launched by Duterte.

Khovaev said Russia had a range of weapons to offer.

&quot;We are ready to supply small arms and light weapons, some aeroplanes, helicopters, submarines and many, many other weapons. Sophisticated weapons. Not the second-hand ones,&quot; Khovaev said.

He said it was too early to talk about the scope of military cooperation but, in a clear reference to the United States, said old allies should not worry.

Earlier, a US Senator said Washington will stop selling the Philippines guns as Duterte's 'drug war' that has killed thousands continues

Russia is ready to become a "new reliable partner" of the Philippines to supply the traditional US ally with sophisticated weapons, Russia's ambassador said on Wednesday. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has thrown the future of Philippine-US relations into question with angry outbursts against the former colonial power and some scaling back of military ties while taking steps to boost ties with China and Russia. Illustrating the transformation of Philippine foreign relations since Duterte took office in June, two Russian warships are on four-day visit to Manila this week, the first official navy-to-navy contact between the two countries. Russian Ambassador Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev took the opportunity to hold a news conference on board the anti-submarine vessel Admiral Tributs. He said he understood that the Philippines was intent on diversifying its foreign partners. "It's not a choice between these partners and those ones. Diversification means preserving and keeping old traditional partners and getting new ones," he said. "We don't interfere with your relations with your traditional partners, and your traditional partners should respect the interest of the Philippines and Russia." The Russian navy visit comes less than a month after Duterte sent his foreign and defence ministers to Moscow to discuss arms deals after a US senator said he would block the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines, due to concern about a rising death toll in a "war on drugs" launched by Duterte. Khovaev said Russia had a range of weapons to offer. "We are ready to supply small arms and light weapons, some aeroplanes, helicopters, submarines and many, many other weapons. Sophisticated weapons. Not the second-hand ones," Khovaev said. He said it was too early to talk about the scope of military cooperation but, in a clear reference to the United States, said old allies should not worry.

Putin offers Duterte arms and close friendship

US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump has mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over his latest missile threats, saying it won&#39;t ever materialise.

&quot;North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US. It won`t happen!&quot; Trump tweeted on Monday.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won&#39;t happen!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/816057920223846400">January 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The President-elect also dragged China into the issue, saying Beijing is doing nothing to help with the rogue nation.

&quot;China has been taking out massive amounts of money &amp; wealth from the U.S. in totally one-sided trade, but won&#39;t help with North Korea. Nice!&quot; Trump tweeted.

The President-elect&#39;s remarks came after the North Korean leader declared in a televised New Year&#39;s Day speech that his military is on the brink of testing its first intercontinental ballistic missile: A&nbsp;rocket that can be equipped with nuclear weapons and is powerful enough to reach any part of the US.

Kim&#39;s comments fuelled speculation that Pyongyang will test a long-range missile to coincide with his birthday on January 8, or around the time of Trump&#39;s inauguration, in an attempt to ratchet up the pressure ahead of any negotiations with Washington, reports the Guardian.&nbsp;

(ANI)&nbsp;

Donald Trump has mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over his latest nuclear missile threats, saying it won't ever materialise

US President-elect Donald Trump has mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over his latest missile threats, saying it won't ever materialise. "North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US. It won`t happen!" Trump tweeted on Monday. North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won't happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2017 × The President-elect also dragged China into the issue, saying Beijing is doing nothing to help with the rogue nation. "China has been taking out massive amounts of money & wealth from the U.S. in totally one-sided trade, but won't help with North Korea. Nice!" Trump tweeted. The President-elect's remarks came after the North Korean leader declared in a televised New Year's Day speech that his military is on the brink of testing its first intercontinental ballistic missile: A rocket that can be equipped with nuclear weapons and is powerful enough to reach any part of the US. Kim's comments fuelled speculation that Pyongyang will test a long-range missile to coincide with his birthday on January 8, or around the time of Trump's inauguration, in an attempt to ratchet up the pressure ahead of any negotiations with Washington, reports the Guardian. (ANI)

Trump responds to North Korea's nuclear threats via twitter

The Republican-led US Congress begins a new session on Tuesday&nbsp;where it will start laying plans for enacting President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations.

With Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republican lawmakers hope to get a quick start on priorities that were blocked during Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s eight years in the White House.

Since his election on November 8, the Republican president-elect has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during the campaign such as simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Obama&rsquo;s signature health insurance program known as Obamacare.

Republicans have long sought to dismantle Obamacare, insisting it was unworkable and hampered job growth. But they face a dilemma over how to provide health insurance for the 13.8 million people enrolled in Obamacare who could lose their coverage. The law aims to provide health insurance to economically disadvantaged people and expand coverage for others.

Last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that before the election, he assumed Democrats would take back control of the Senate and hold on to the White House, ending any talk of repealing Obamacare.

&quot;I didn&#39;t think...Trump had a chance of winning,&quot; McConnell said in a December 19 interview with Kentucky Educational Television.

The opposite occurred and now Republicans find they have to deliver on their campaign promise, even though they have not agreed on a replacement healthcare program.

Trump kept up his attack on the law on Tuesday, tweeting: &quot;People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn&#39;t work, and it is not affordable,&quot; and adding, &quot;It is lousy healthcare.&quot;

The first meeting of the 115th Congress will be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in.

Amid the celebration will be a move by House Republicans to clear the decks for Obamacare repeal.

That will come in the form of a vote on rules governing House procedures in the two-year term of the chamber. Tucked into the rules package is a move to prevent Democrats from slowing or stopping Obamacare repeal legislation because of the potential cost to the US Treasury of doing so.

Leading Democrats warned on Monday of a fierce battle over Obamacare.

&quot;We&#39;re going to fight as hard as ever to protect the ACA (Affordable Care Act),&quot; said Representative Steny Hoyer, the House&#39;s second-ranking Democrat.

Speaking to reporters, Hoyer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they would launch an effort to mobilise grassroots support for Obamacare by explaining how repeal would create a ripple effect hurting a majority of Americans.

Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare.

&nbsp;

Cabinet, Supreme Court nominations

The Senate will kick off hearings on Trump&#39;s choices to head his Cabinet departments and other top jobs in the new administration.

It is also expected to receive a Supreme Court nomination from Trump early in his term to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February. Republicans refused to consider Obama&#39;s nomination of Merrick Garland last year.

Prominent Republican Senator John McCain has warned that Rex Tillerson, Trump&#39;s choice for secretary of state, will have to explain his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom McCain has called a &quot;thug and a murderer&quot;.

Tillerson, who spent much of his career at Exxon Mobil Corp, has been involved in business dealings in Russia and opposed US sanctions against Moscow for its incursion into Crimea.

While McConnell repeatedly called for removing Obamacare &quot;root and branch,&quot; he said in the Kentucky television interview that his top priorities for the new Congress were dealing with the &quot;massive overregulation&quot; he said had been a brake on the US economy and accomplishing tax code changes to stop companies from moving jobs offshore.

Republican lawmakers also want to curtail or block regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008.

Republicans might use upcoming spending bills funding government agencies to try to kill some of those regulations. Trump is also expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end.

Republicans will hold a slightly smaller majority in both the Senate and House than they enjoyed the past two years. That means Democrats will still have bargaining power, especially on issues that divide Republicans, such as spending priorities.

(Reuters)

Republican's are eager for Trump's agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations

The Republican-led US Congress begins a new session on Tuesday where it will start laying plans for enacting President-elect Donald Trump's agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations. With Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republican lawmakers hope to get a quick start on priorities that were blocked during Democratic President Barack Obama's eight years in the White House. Since his election on November 8, the Republican president-elect has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during the campaign such as simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Obama’s signature health insurance program known as Obamacare. Republicans have long sought to dismantle Obamacare, insisting it was unworkable and hampered job growth. But they face a dilemma over how to provide health insurance for the 13.8 million people enrolled in Obamacare who could lose their coverage. The law aims to provide health insurance to economically disadvantaged people and expand coverage for others. Last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that before the election, he assumed Democrats would take back control of the Senate and hold on to the White House, ending any talk of repealing Obamacare. "I didn't think...Trump had a chance of winning," McConnell said in a December 19 interview with Kentucky Educational Television. The opposite occurred and now Republicans find they have to deliver on their campaign promise, even though they have not agreed on a replacement healthcare program. Trump kept up his attack on the law on Tuesday, tweeting: "People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn't work, and it is not affordable," and adding, "It is lousy healthcare." The first meeting of the 115th Congress will be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in. Amid the celebration will be a move by House Republicans to clear the decks for Obamacare repeal. That will come in the form of a vote on rules governing House procedures in the two-year term of the chamber. Tucked into the rules package is a move to prevent Democrats from slowing or stopping Obamacare repeal legislation because of the potential cost to the US Treasury of doing so. Leading Democrats warned on Monday of a fierce battle over Obamacare. "We're going to fight as hard as ever to protect the ACA (Affordable Care Act)," said Representative Steny Hoyer, the House's second-ranking Democrat. Speaking to reporters, Hoyer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they would launch an effort to mobilise grassroots support for Obamacare by explaining how repeal would create a ripple effect hurting a majority of Americans. Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare. Cabinet, Supreme Court nominations The Senate will kick off hearings on Trump's choices to head his Cabinet departments and other top jobs in the new administration. It is also expected to receive a Supreme Court nomination from Trump early in his term to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February. Republicans refused to consider Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland last year. Prominent Republican Senator John McCain has warned that Rex Tillerson, Trump's choice for secretary of state, will have to explain his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom McCain has called a "thug and a murderer". Tillerson, who spent much of his career at Exxon Mobil Corp, has been involved in business dealings in Russia and opposed US sanctions against Moscow for its incursion into Crimea. While McConnell repeatedly called for removing Obamacare "root and branch," he said in the Kentucky television interview that his top priorities for the new Congress were dealing with the "massive overregulation" he said had been a brake on the US economy and accomplishing tax code changes to stop companies from moving jobs offshore. Republican lawmakers also want to curtail or block regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008. Republicans might use upcoming spending bills funding government agencies to try to kill some of those regulations. Trump is also expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end. Republicans will hold a slightly smaller majority in both the Senate and House than they enjoyed the past two years. That means Democrats will still have bargaining power, especially on issues that divide Republicans, such as spending priorities. (Reuters)

New Republican-led US Congress lays groundwork for reversing Obama agenda

Republican Senator John McCain said on Sunday the United States could only improve its relations with Russia by taking a tough stance with President Putin, calling for stronger sanctions against Moscow.

On a tour of the Baltic states, Ukraine and Georgia, McCain and other senators assured the former Soviet-dominated countries that the United States would support them, despite President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s praise of Putin and expressions of doubts about NATO.

&quot;We will strongly urge our colleagues toward more meaningful and stronger sanctions against Russia because of their attack on the United States of America,&quot; McCain told reporters in Georgia&#39;s capital Tbilisi.

&quot;I believe that we must continue to improve our relations and to understand that Vladimir Putin - unless we stand up to him - will continue his aggression and we must stand up to Vladimir Putin,&quot; McCain said.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over the hacking of U.S. political groups during the election.

But Trump signalled during his campaign that he might take a softer line with Moscow, and on Friday congratulated Putin for not retaliating to the expulsions, tweeting: &quot;Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!&quot;

Earlier, in Kiev, McCain vowed continued U.S. support to Ukraine.

&quot;I send the message from the American people - we are with you, your fight is our fight and we will win together,&quot; McCain was quoted as saying by Ukrainian President Poroshenko&#39;s press service.

&quot;In 2017 we will defeat the invaders and send them back where they came from. To Vladimir Putin - you will never defeat the Ukrainian people and deprive them of their independence and freedom,&quot; McCain said.

Reinforcing the line that the U.S. Congress could oppose any move by Trump to take a softer line on Russia, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, travelling with McCain and others, said it was time &quot;to push back against Putin, to be a better friend to our allies here including Georgia.&quot;

&quot;So 2017 is a year of offence and we&#39;re going to tell our colleagues what&#39;s at stake if we don&#39;t push back,&quot; Graham said.

(Reuters]

He said the United States could only improve its relations with Russia by taking a tough stance with President Putin

Republican Senator John McCain said on Sunday the United States could only improve its relations with Russia by taking a tough stance with President Putin, calling for stronger sanctions against Moscow. On a tour of the Baltic states, Ukraine and Georgia, McCain and other senators assured the former Soviet-dominated countries that the United States would support them, despite President-elect Donald Trump's praise of Putin and expressions of doubts about NATO. "We will strongly urge our colleagues toward more meaningful and stronger sanctions against Russia because of their attack on the United States of America," McCain told reporters in Georgia's capital Tbilisi. "I believe that we must continue to improve our relations and to understand that Vladimir Putin - unless we stand up to him - will continue his aggression and we must stand up to Vladimir Putin," McCain said. On Thursday, President Barack Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over the hacking of U.S. political groups during the election. But Trump signalled during his campaign that he might take a softer line with Moscow, and on Friday congratulated Putin for not retaliating to the expulsions, tweeting: "Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!" Earlier, in Kiev, McCain vowed continued U.S. support to Ukraine. "I send the message from the American people - we are with you, your fight is our fight and we will win together," McCain was quoted as saying by Ukrainian President Poroshenko's press service. "In 2017 we will defeat the invaders and send them back where they came from. To Vladimir Putin - you will never defeat the Ukrainian people and deprive them of their independence and freedom," McCain said. Reinforcing the line that the U.S. Congress could oppose any move by Trump to take a softer line on Russia, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, travelling with McCain and others, said it was time "to push back against Putin, to be a better friend to our allies here including Georgia." "So 2017 is a year of offence and we're going to tell our colleagues what's at stake if we don't push back," Graham said. (Reuters]

US 'must stand up to Vladimir Putin', says McCain

A top aide to President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Sunday that the White House may have disproportionately punished Russia by ordering the expulsion of 35 suspected Russian spies.

Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on ABC&#39;s &quot;This Week&quot; that Trump will be asking questions of US&nbsp;intelligence agencies after President Barack Obama imposed sanctions last week on two Russian intelligence agencies over what he said was their involvement in hacking political groups in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election. Obama also ordered Russia to vacate two U.S. facilities as part of the tough sanctions on Russia.

&quot;One of the questions that we have is why the magnitude of this? I mean you look at 35 people being expelled, two sites being closed down, the question is, is that response in proportion to the actions taken? Maybe it was; maybe it wasn&#39;t but you have to think about that,&quot; Spicer said.

Trump is to have briefings with intelligence agencies this week after he returns to New York on Sunday.

On Saturday, Trump expressed continued skepticism over whether Russia was responsible for computer hacks of Democratic Party officials.

&quot;I think it&#39;s unfair if we don&#39;t know. It could be somebody else. I also know things that other people don&#39;t know so we cannot be sure,&quot; Trump said.

He said he would disclose some information on the issue on Tuesday or Wednesday, without elaborating. It is unclear if, upon taking office on Jan. 20, he would seek to roll back Obama&#39;s actions, which mark a post-Cold War low in US-Russian ties.

Spicer said that after China in 2015 seized records of US&nbsp;government employees &quot;no action publicly was taken. Nothing, nothing was taken when millions of people had their private information, including information on security clearances that was shared. Not one thing happened.&quot;

&quot;So there is a question about whether there&#39;s a political retribution here versus a diplomatic response,&quot; he added.

Pressure in congress

US&nbsp;intelligence agencies say Russia was behind hacks into Democratic Party organizations and operatives before the presidential election. Moscow denies this. US&nbsp;intelligence officials say the Russian cyber attacks aimed to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Republican John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has scheduled a hearing for Thursday on foreign cyber threats and has said that Russia must be made to pay the price for attacks &quot;on our very fundamentals of democracy.

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said on the same ABC program that Congress would push for an even harsher reprisal against Russia and warned Trump against undoing Obama&rsquo;s sanctions.

&quot;We think that more has to be done. We don&#39;t think that frankly the steps that have been taken are enough of a deterrent,&quot; said Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat. &ldquo;And you&#39;re going to see bipartisan support in Congress for stronger sanctions against Russia.&quot;

Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, said on &quot;Fox News Sunday&quot; that Obama&#39;s sanctions were not enough.

Russian President Vladimir Putin decided not to expel anyone in retaliation, saying he would consider the actions of Trump when deciding on further steps. Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin, said the Russian leader was &quot;very smart&quot; for holding back.

Russian diplomats who were expelled by Obama left Washington on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported, citing Russia&#39;s embassy.

(Reuters)

Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on ABC's 'This Week' that Trump will be asking questions of US?intelligence agencies

A top aide to President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Sunday that the White House may have disproportionately punished Russia by ordering the expulsion of 35 suspected Russian spies. Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on ABC's "This Week" that Trump will be asking questions of US intelligence agencies after President Barack Obama imposed sanctions last week on two Russian intelligence agencies over what he said was their involvement in hacking political groups in the 2016 US presidential election. Obama also ordered Russia to vacate two U.S. facilities as part of the tough sanctions on Russia. "One of the questions that we have is why the magnitude of this? I mean you look at 35 people being expelled, two sites being closed down, the question is, is that response in proportion to the actions taken? Maybe it was; maybe it wasn't but you have to think about that," Spicer said. Trump is to have briefings with intelligence agencies this week after he returns to New York on Sunday. On Saturday, Trump expressed continued skepticism over whether Russia was responsible for computer hacks of Democratic Party officials. "I think it's unfair if we don't know. It could be somebody else. I also know things that other people don't know so we cannot be sure," Trump said. He said he would disclose some information on the issue on Tuesday or Wednesday, without elaborating. It is unclear if, upon taking office on Jan. 20, he would seek to roll back Obama's actions, which mark a post-Cold War low in US-Russian ties. Spicer said that after China in 2015 seized records of US government employees "no action publicly was taken. Nothing, nothing was taken when millions of people had their private information, including information on security clearances that was shared. Not one thing happened." "So there is a question about whether there's a political retribution here versus a diplomatic response," he added. Pressure in congress US intelligence agencies say Russia was behind hacks into Democratic Party organizations and operatives before the presidential election. Moscow denies this. US intelligence officials say the Russian cyber attacks aimed to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. Republican John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has scheduled a hearing for Thursday on foreign cyber threats and has said that Russia must be made to pay the price for attacks "on our very fundamentals of democracy. The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said on the same ABC program that Congress would push for an even harsher reprisal against Russia and warned Trump against undoing Obama’s sanctions. "We think that more has to be done. We don't think that frankly the steps that have been taken are enough of a deterrent," said Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat. “And you're going to see bipartisan support in Congress for stronger sanctions against Russia." Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, said on "Fox News Sunday" that Obama's sanctions were not enough. Russian President Vladimir Putin decided not to expel anyone in retaliation, saying he would consider the actions of Trump when deciding on further steps. Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin, said the Russian leader was "very smart" for holding back. Russian diplomats who were expelled by Obama left Washington on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported, citing Russia's embassy. (Reuters)

Trump aide says US sanctions on Russia may be disproportionate

Opener Lokesh Rahul hit a career-best 199 to power India&#39;s strong reply as England bowlers struggled on day three of the fifth and final Test in Chennai on Sunday.

India were 391 for four at stumps with Karun Nair (71) and Murali Vijay (17) at the crease. The hosts still trail by 86 runs in response to England`s 477.

Rahul shared a 161-run fourth-wicket partnership with Nair before missing out on what could have been his maiden double century.

Rahul, who recorded his fourth Test century, was the ninth batsman in the world to get out on 199 after falling to leg-spinner Adil Rashid in the final moments of the day.

The 24-year-old batsman chased Rashid&#39;s widish delivery on the off-side to give away a catch to point as he crumpled into a heap with hands on head.

Earlier Rahul had surpassed his previous best of 158 as he entertained a raucous Sunday crowd with a couple of reverse sweeps.

He struck 16 fours and 3 sixes during his marathon knock, prompting England skipper Alastair Cook to rotate his bowling options.

The tourists took the second new ball in the 85th over of the innings but Rahul and Nair made sure that India continued to mount the runs.

Nair recorded his maiden Test fifty in just his third match to play the perfect sheet anchor role as Rahul piloted the Indian innings till his departure.

England pacemen worked hard on a batting-friendly MA Chidambaram pitch to claim two crucial wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara (16) and skipper Virat Kohli (15) in the afternoon session.

It was the first time in the series that Kohli, who leads the batting chart with 655 runs, had been out for less than 40. He chipped a drive to extra cover off Stuart Broad.

Overnight batsmen Parthiv Patel and Rahul made England`s bowlers toil earlier in the day with a 152-run opening stand, before Moeen Ali&#39;s off-spin prised out Patel -- the only wicket of the morning session.

It was India&#39;s first century opening partnership in 32 innings even though wicketkeeper Patel was filling in for regular opener Vijay, who got treated for a bruised shoulder before coming into bat.

Patel (71) was undone when he played against the spin of a flighted and sharply turning delivery from Ali to spoon a simple catch to Jos Buttler at cover.

India hold an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series.

(AFP)

Unlike Trump, the Republican senator was angry Russia interfered with the US election. 'When you attack a country, it's an act of war'

Opener Lokesh Rahul hit a career-best 199 to power India's strong reply as England bowlers struggled on day three of the fifth and final Test in Chennai on Sunday. India were 391 for four at stumps with Karun Nair (71) and Murali Vijay (17) at the crease. The hosts still trail by 86 runs in response to England`s 477. Rahul shared a 161-run fourth-wicket partnership with Nair before missing out on what could have been his maiden double century. Rahul, who recorded his fourth Test century, was the ninth batsman in the world to get out on 199 after falling to leg-spinner Adil Rashid in the final moments of the day. The 24-year-old batsman chased Rashid's widish delivery on the off-side to give away a catch to point as he crumpled into a heap with hands on head. Earlier Rahul had surpassed his previous best of 158 as he entertained a raucous Sunday crowd with a couple of reverse sweeps. He struck 16 fours and 3 sixes during his marathon knock, prompting England skipper Alastair Cook to rotate his bowling options. The tourists took the second new ball in the 85th over of the innings but Rahul and Nair made sure that India continued to mount the runs. Nair recorded his maiden Test fifty in just his third match to play the perfect sheet anchor role as Rahul piloted the Indian innings till his departure. England pacemen worked hard on a batting-friendly MA Chidambaram pitch to claim two crucial wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara (16) and skipper Virat Kohli (15) in the afternoon session. It was the first time in the series that Kohli, who leads the batting chart with 655 runs, had been out for less than 40. He chipped a drive to extra cover off Stuart Broad. Overnight batsmen Parthiv Patel and Rahul made England`s bowlers toil earlier in the day with a 152-run opening stand, before Moeen Ali's off-spin prised out Patel -- the only wicket of the morning session. It was India's first century opening partnership in 32 innings even though wicketkeeper Patel was filling in for regular opener Vijay, who got treated for a bruised shoulder before coming into bat. Patel (71) was undone when he played against the spin of a flighted and sharply turning delivery from Ali to spoon a simple catch to Jos Buttler at cover. India hold an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series. (AFP)

Senator McCain meets Ukraine president, says Russia must 'pay the price' for cyber attacks

Pakistan has sought support of the US on the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with India, as Secretary of State John Kerry called for an amicable settlement of the issue by New Delhi and Islamabad, media reported today.

The development came after Pakistan was irked by the World Bank pause in mediation to resolve differences over construction of two water projects by India.

The Express Tribune reported that Kerry made a phone call to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday night and discussed the row over the IWT implementation and the role of the World Bank (WB), which had brokered the treaty in 1960.

After Kerry&#39;s call, US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale also met Dar in Islamabad at the Finance Ministry. 
The back-to-back contacts highlight the importance of the water issue, which can potentially endanger regional stability if the situation slips out of control, according to sources at Finance Ministry.

&quot;The US would like to see an amicable solution to this (water) issue,&quot; a Finance Ministry statement quoted Kerry as saying.

Kerry told Dar that the WB president had informed him about Pakistan&#39;s complaint against India on the IWT. 
The water dispute has catapulted the US back into Pakistan&#39;s economic picture.

The American civilian and military assistance to Pakistan has drastically come down in recent months and its implications on Pakistan&#39;s fiscal situation have started emerging in the shape of a larger-than-anticipated budget deficit.

Independent analysts argue that Washington may not play an effective role in resolving the water dispute, as the Obama administration is preparing to hand over the White House to Donald Trump next month.

&quot;Senator Dar indicated that the US support on the principles and legal position of Pakistan will be greatly appreciated,&quot; stated the Finance Ministry.

Early this month, the WB had announced a pause in playing its legally binding role of mediator in the IWT implementation.

In October, Pakistan had approached the WB seeking appointment of the Chairman of Court of Arbitration to resolve a dispute over construction of two mega hydropower projects by India in violation of the IWT.

The Finance Minister told Kerry that the IWT was an international commitment and it was the WB&#39;s responsibility to make sure India honoured the treaty and the water rights of hundreds of millions of Pakistani people were protected, said the finance ministry.

(PTI)

The US would like an amicable resolution, but this administration may not have a chance to be effective before Trump takes office

Pakistan has sought support of the US on the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with India, as Secretary of State John Kerry called for an amicable settlement of the issue by New Delhi and Islamabad, media reported today. The development came after Pakistan was irked by the World Bank pause in mediation to resolve differences over construction of two water projects by India. The Express Tribune reported that Kerry made a phone call to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday night and discussed the row over the IWT implementation and the role of the World Bank (WB), which had brokered the treaty in 1960. After Kerry's call, US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale also met Dar in Islamabad at the Finance Ministry. The back-to-back contacts highlight the importance of the water issue, which can potentially endanger regional stability if the situation slips out of control, according to sources at Finance Ministry. "The US would like to see an amicable solution to this (water) issue," a Finance Ministry statement quoted Kerry as saying. Kerry told Dar that the WB president had informed him about Pakistan's complaint against India on the IWT. The water dispute has catapulted the US back into Pakistan's economic picture. The American civilian and military assistance to Pakistan has drastically come down in recent months and its implications on Pakistan's fiscal situation have started emerging in the shape of a larger-than-anticipated budget deficit. Independent analysts argue that Washington may not play an effective role in resolving the water dispute, as the Obama administration is preparing to hand over the White House to Donald Trump next month. "Senator Dar indicated that the US support on the principles and legal position of Pakistan will be greatly appreciated," stated the Finance Ministry. Early this month, the WB had announced a pause in playing its legally binding role of mediator in the IWT implementation. In October, Pakistan had approached the WB seeking appointment of the Chairman of Court of Arbitration to resolve a dispute over construction of two mega hydropower projects by India in violation of the IWT. The Finance Minister told Kerry that the IWT was an international commitment and it was the WB's responsibility to make sure India honoured the treaty and the water rights of hundreds of millions of Pakistani people were protected, said the finance ministry. (PTI)

Pakistan seeks US support in water dispute with India

Marijuana use increased while its perceived harmfulness decreased among teenagers in Washington after the drug was legalised for recreational use by adults, a new study has found.

Researchers from University of California Davis School of Medicine in the US found that there was no change among 12th-graders or among students in the three grades in Colorado after legalisation for adults there.

They used data from nearly 254,000 students in the eighth, 10th and 12th grades who took part in a national survey of students.

Washington and Colorado became the first two states in the US to legalise recreational use of marijuana for adults in 2012, followed by a handful of other states.

The potential effect of legalising marijuana for recreational use has been a topic of considerable debate.

Researchers examined the association between legalising recreational use of marijuana for adults in the two states and changes in perception of harmfulness and self-reported adolescent marijuana use before and after legalisation.

They compared changes prior to recreational marijuana legalisation (2010-2012) with post-legalisation (2013-2015) and with trends in other states that did not legalise recreational marijuana.

In Washington among eighth and 10th-graders, perceived harmfulness declined 14.2 per cent and 16.1 per cent, respectively, while marijuana use increased 2.0 per cent and 4.1 per cent, respectively.

Among states that did not legalise recreational marijuana use, perceived harmfulness decreased 4.9 per cent and 7.2 per cent among eighth- and 10th-graders, respectively and marijuana use decreased by 1.3 per cent and 0.9 per cent, respectively, according to the results.

No changes were seen in perceived harmfulness or marijuana use among Washington 12th-grades or students in the three grades in Colorado, for which researchers offer several explanations in their article.

Researchers also offer several potential explanations for the increase in marijuana use among eighth and 10th-graders in Washington, including that legalisation may have increased availability through third-party purchases.

Analysis specific to the states of Washington and Colorado may not be generalisable to the rest of the US.

&quot;A cautious interpretation of the findings suggests investment in evidence-based adolescent substance use prevention programs in any additional states that may legalise recreational marijuana use,&quot; the researchers said.

The study was published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

(PTI)

The potential effect of legalising marijuana for recreational use has been a topic of considerable debate

Marijuana use increased while its perceived harmfulness decreased among teenagers in Washington after the drug was legalised for recreational use by adults, a new study has found. Researchers from University of California Davis School of Medicine in the US found that there was no change among 12th-graders or among students in the three grades in Colorado after legalisation for adults there. They used data from nearly 254,000 students in the eighth, 10th and 12th grades who took part in a national survey of students. Washington and Colorado became the first two states in the US to legalise recreational use of marijuana for adults in 2012, followed by a handful of other states. The potential effect of legalising marijuana for recreational use has been a topic of considerable debate. Researchers examined the association between legalising recreational use of marijuana for adults in the two states and changes in perception of harmfulness and self-reported adolescent marijuana use before and after legalisation. They compared changes prior to recreational marijuana legalisation (2010-2012) with post-legalisation (2013-2015) and with trends in other states that did not legalise recreational marijuana. In Washington among eighth and 10th-graders, perceived harmfulness declined 14.2 per cent and 16.1 per cent, respectively, while marijuana use increased 2.0 per cent and 4.1 per cent, respectively. Among states that did not legalise recreational marijuana use, perceived harmfulness decreased 4.9 per cent and 7.2 per cent among eighth- and 10th-graders, respectively and marijuana use decreased by 1.3 per cent and 0.9 per cent, respectively, according to the results. No changes were seen in perceived harmfulness or marijuana use among Washington 12th-grades or students in the three grades in Colorado, for which researchers offer several explanations in their article. Researchers also offer several potential explanations for the increase in marijuana use among eighth and 10th-graders in Washington, including that legalisation may have increased availability through third-party purchases. Analysis specific to the states of Washington and Colorado may not be generalisable to the rest of the US. "A cautious interpretation of the findings suggests investment in evidence-based adolescent substance use prevention programs in any additional states that may legalise recreational marijuana use," the researchers said. The study was published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. (PTI)

Teens using more marijuana after its legalisation, finds study

Russian president Vladimir Putin has announced that the Syrian regime led by Bashar al-Assad and the rebels have signed a ceasefire agreement, <a href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/truce-deal-signed-for-syria-russian-president-putin.aspx?pageID=238&amp;nID=107899&amp;NewsCatID=352">reported Daily News</a>.

In what is being seen as a setback to the US-led NATO alliance, its main ally Turkey along with Russia will be the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement.

Both sides have also agreed to initiate peace talks in what is being seen as a shot in the arm for the Russia-Syria alliance.

Turkey, Russia and Iran had met in Moscow on December 20 to look for a possible peace deal between the rebels and the Syrian regime.

(WION)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Both sides have also agreed to initiate peace talks in what is being seen as a shot in the arm for the Russia-Syria alliance

Russian president Vladimir Putin has announced that the Syrian regime led by Bashar al-Assad and the rebels have signed a ceasefire agreement, reported Daily News. In what is being seen as a setback to the US-led NATO alliance, its main ally Turkey along with Russia will be the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement. Both sides have also agreed to initiate peace talks in what is being seen as a shot in the arm for the Russia-Syria alliance. Turkey, Russia and Iran had met in Moscow on December 20 to look for a possible peace deal between the rebels and the Syrian regime. (WION)

Russia, Turkey guarantee new Syrian peace deal

The Malabar naval exercise involving the Indian, US and Japanese navies is designed to &quot;target&quot; China&#39;s submarines in the East and South China Seas and to back America&#39;s Asia-Pacific rebalance strategy, a Chinese media report claimed today.

&quot;Such a large-scale military exercise was obviously designed to target China&#39;s submarine activities in the East and South China Seas in recent years, promote the US rebalance to the Asia-Pacific and cement the US presence in the region,&quot; an article in state-run Global Times said.

&quot;Washington brought New Delhi and Tokyo into the exercise to relieve its pressure due to overstretched military presence around the globe and tighten its grip on the Asia-Pacific region,&quot; the article said.

Highlighting comments by Vice Admiral Joseph P Aucoin, commander of the US Seventh Fleet stating that India, Japan and the US are set to focus their next round of Malabar exercise on anti-submarine warfare, it said the drills aimed at jeopardising peace in the East China Sea region &quot;so as to distract China&#39;s attention from the South China Sea and disturb the political landscape in the Asia-Pacific&quot;.

The Malabar exercise started in 1992 with the navies of US and India in the Indian Ocean. Since Japan joined in 2007, it has alternated between the West Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

In June, the three countries held their largest-ever joint exercise which involved 11 vessels and 8,000 personnel. The article said Japan wants to become a permanent member of the exercise to enhance its military cooperation with the US and find a solution to its dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea.

&quot;India hoped to enhance the anti-submarine capability of its navy that has tracked at least six Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean region,&quot; it said quoting reports, adding &quot;India also wants to disrupt China&#39;s military deployment in the East China Sea through these exercises&quot;.

Japan, which has participated in the exercise five times, also attached great importance to the Malabar 2016. It used the exercise to enhance the anti-submarine capability of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force and spy on China&#39;s military deployment in the waters, it said.

&quot;However, the anti-submarine warfare of the US, Japan and India won&#39;t make them succeed in countering China as China has significantly improved its technologies in ballistic missile submarines and attack submarines. And with the development of multi-dimensional operations, merely elevating anti-submarine capability won&#39;t enable these countries to contain China,&quot; the article said.

&quot;The Malabar exercise has always been led by the US, with Japan and India being just partners with varied purposes. This will cripple the actual effects of the exercise. In fact, this kind of exercise is unlikely to impair China&#39;s presence in the East China Sea, except for flaring up tensions in the waters and producing frictions,&quot; it said.

(PTI)

'Washington brought New Delhi and Tokyo into the exercise to relieve its pressure due to overstretched military presence around the globe'

The Malabar naval exercise involving the Indian, US and Japanese navies is designed to "target" China's submarines in the East and South China Seas and to back America's Asia-Pacific rebalance strategy, a Chinese media report claimed today. "Such a large-scale military exercise was obviously designed to target China's submarine activities in the East and South China Seas in recent years, promote the US rebalance to the Asia-Pacific and cement the US presence in the region," an article in state-run Global Times said. "Washington brought New Delhi and Tokyo into the exercise to relieve its pressure due to overstretched military presence around the globe and tighten its grip on the Asia-Pacific region," the article said. Highlighting comments by Vice Admiral Joseph P Aucoin, commander of the US Seventh Fleet stating that India, Japan and the US are set to focus their next round of Malabar exercise on anti-submarine warfare, it said the drills aimed at jeopardising peace in the East China Sea region "so as to distract China's attention from the South China Sea and disturb the political landscape in the Asia-Pacific". The Malabar exercise started in 1992 with the navies of US and India in the Indian Ocean. Since Japan joined in 2007, it has alternated between the West Pacific and the Indian Ocean. In June, the three countries held their largest-ever joint exercise which involved 11 vessels and 8,000 personnel. The article said Japan wants to become a permanent member of the exercise to enhance its military cooperation with the US and find a solution to its dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea. "India hoped to enhance the anti-submarine capability of its navy that has tracked at least six Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean region," it said quoting reports, adding "India also wants to disrupt China's military deployment in the East China Sea through these exercises". Japan, which has participated in the exercise five times, also attached great importance to the Malabar 2016. It used the exercise to enhance the anti-submarine capability of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force and spy on China's military deployment in the waters, it said. "However, the anti-submarine warfare of the US, Japan and India won't make them succeed in countering China as China has significantly improved its technologies in ballistic missile submarines and attack submarines. And with the development of multi-dimensional operations, merely elevating anti-submarine capability won't enable these countries to contain China," the article said. "The Malabar exercise has always been led by the US, with Japan and India being just partners with varied purposes. This will cripple the actual effects of the exercise. In fact, this kind of exercise is unlikely to impair China's presence in the East China Sea, except for flaring up tensions in the waters and producing frictions," it said. (PTI)

Indian, US and Japanese naval exercise designed to 'target' Chinese submarines: Chinese media

US federal authorities warned local law enforcement authorities across the US on Friday that supporters of the Islamic State have been calling upon their sympathisers to attack holiday gatherings, including churches, a law enforcement official said.

Though no specific threat has been issued, a pro-Islamic State group has published a list of churches, that can be potential targets across the US on its websites, Reuters reported.

Immediately after the warning was issued, President-elect Donald Trump raised the topic of the recent Berlin Christmas market attack and urged the world to combat the Islamic State group.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
The terrorist who killed so many people in Germany said just before crime, &quot;by God&#39;s will we will slaughter you pigs, I swear, we will......
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/812406855469252608">23 December 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
slaughter you. This is a purely religious threat, which turned into reality. Such hatred! When will the U.S., and all countries, fight back?
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/812408189492797442">23 December 2016</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

A retired FBI officer said&nbsp;the warning from national security officials is&nbsp;just a precaution, but one that local law enforcement agencies take seriously.

FBI spokesman Andrew Ames said in a statement, &quot;The FBI is aware of the recent link published online that urges attacks against US&nbsp;churches. As with similar threats, the FBI is tracking this matter while we investigate its credibility.&quot;

The warning came just days after Monday&#39;s attack at a Christmas market in Berlin that left 12 dead and 56 injured.

The notice was issued after a publicly-available list of US?churches that were potential targets was published on pro-Islamic State websites

US federal authorities warned local law enforcement authorities across the US on Friday that supporters of the Islamic State have been calling upon their sympathisers to attack holiday gatherings, including churches, a law enforcement official said. Though no specific threat has been issued, a pro-Islamic State group has published a list of churches, that can be potential targets across the US on its websites, Reuters reported. Immediately after the warning was issued, President-elect Donald Trump raised the topic of the recent Berlin Christmas market attack and urged the world to combat the Islamic State group. The terrorist who killed so many people in Germany said just before crime, "by God's will we will slaughter you pigs, I swear, we will...... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 23 December 2016 × slaughter you. This is a purely religious threat, which turned into reality. Such hatred! When will the U.S., and all countries, fight back? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 23 December 2016 × A retired FBI officer said the warning from national security officials is just a precaution, but one that local law enforcement agencies take seriously. FBI spokesman Andrew Ames said in a statement, "The FBI is aware of the recent link published online that urges attacks against US churches. As with similar threats, the FBI is tracking this matter while we investigate its credibility." The warning came just days after Monday's attack at a Christmas market in Berlin that left 12 dead and 56 injured.

FBI warns of possible IS-inspired attacks across US

It was only an abstention, but it was a long time coming. With just weeks left in office, Barack Obama finally gave vent to his frustration with Israel.

The White House said Obama had decided to allow the UN Security Council to pass a motion condemning Israeli settlement building just hours before the vote.

But officials confirmed they had been watching draft resolutions in circulation for a least a year and were ready to take a stand when one made it to the table.

Critics of Obama&#39;s Middle East policy allege that he has long been manoeuvring to engineer an opportunity to isolate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

White House aides, however, insist they had simply run out of ways to convince Israel that its building on Palestinian land is sabotaging hopes for peace.

Either way, Friday&#39;s UN vote ordering a halt to Israel&#39;s settlement building will stand as the final word from Obama before Donald Trump takes power.

&quot;Prime Minister Netanyahu had the opportunity to pursue policies that would have led to a different outcome today,&quot; Obama adviser Ben Rhodes said.

&quot;The fact that this is happening towards the end of our eighth year indicates that it is not our preferred course of action.

&quot;If it was an outcome that we sought, then we would have done it long ago.&quot;

For months, Washington has been warning in increasingly strident tones that Israel&#39;s accelerating settlement program is destroying hopes for a two-state peace deal.

This month, Secretary of State John Kerry told a US-Israeli forum in Washington that right-wing members of Netanyahu&#39;s government are deliberately working to that end.

After Friday&#39;s UN vote, the US special envoy to the peace process, Frank Lowenstein, said Kerry would in the coming days make a speech laying out ideas to revive it.

&#39;Grudge match&#39;

The White House insists the UN resolution, which Israel wasted no time in rejecting, simply reflects the consensus view of the international community on Israeli settlements.

But Obama&#39;s abstention came under withering criticism from across Washington -- with both Democrats and Republicans accusing the outgoing president of colluding with a biased world body to betray an ally.

President-elect Trump, who had earlier convinced Egypt to postpone the vote from Thursday, implied in a Tweet that he would punish the United Nations.

Democratic senator Chuck Schumer, who had lobbied the administration until the last minute, called the decision to let the vote pass &quot;extremely frustrating, disappointing and confounding.&quot; &nbsp;

And AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel lobby group in Washington, said: &quot;By adopting this resolution, the United Nations has once again served as an open forum to isolate and delegitimize Israel.&quot;

And many suggested Obama&#39;s decision, made while the president was on a Christmas break in Hawaii, had as much to do with his bad blood with Netanyahu as with diplomacy.

Jonathan Schanzer, vice president of Washington think-tank the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, dubbed the relationship a &quot;grudge match.&quot;

Netanyahu made no secret of his friendship with Obama&#39;s 2012 election opponent Mitt Romney, and last year broke protocol to go behind the US president&#39;s back and address Congress to oppose the Iran nuclear deal.

The two men have never hit it off, and the White House has never hidden its frustration with the bellicose rhetoric of Israel&#39;s right-wing coalition.

Schanzer suggested that if Hillary Clinton had won last month&#39;s presidential election, Obama would have deferred to her desire to rebuild warmer ties with Israel and held off on UN action.

But, faced with an incoming Trump presidency that may support settlement building, he opted for a binding Security Council vote that will weaken Israel&#39;s position in any future peace talks.

&quot;You can&#39;t unring this bell,&quot; Schanzer said.

(AFP)

The White House said Obama had decided to allow the UN to pass a motion condemning Israeli settlement building just hours before the vote

It was only an abstention, but it was a long time coming. With just weeks left in office, Barack Obama finally gave vent to his frustration with Israel. The White House said Obama had decided to allow the UN Security Council to pass a motion condemning Israeli settlement building just hours before the vote. But officials confirmed they had been watching draft resolutions in circulation for a least a year and were ready to take a stand when one made it to the table. Critics of Obama's Middle East policy allege that he has long been manoeuvring to engineer an opportunity to isolate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. White House aides, however, insist they had simply run out of ways to convince Israel that its building on Palestinian land is sabotaging hopes for peace. Either way, Friday's UN vote ordering a halt to Israel's settlement building will stand as the final word from Obama before Donald Trump takes power. "Prime Minister Netanyahu had the opportunity to pursue policies that would have led to a different outcome today," Obama adviser Ben Rhodes said. "The fact that this is happening towards the end of our eighth year indicates that it is not our preferred course of action. "If it was an outcome that we sought, then we would have done it long ago." For months, Washington has been warning in increasingly strident tones that Israel's accelerating settlement program is destroying hopes for a two-state peace deal. This month, Secretary of State John Kerry told a US-Israeli forum in Washington that right-wing members of Netanyahu's government are deliberately working to that end. After Friday's UN vote, the US special envoy to the peace process, Frank Lowenstein, said Kerry would in the coming days make a speech laying out ideas to revive it. 'Grudge match' The White House insists the UN resolution, which Israel wasted no time in rejecting, simply reflects the consensus view of the international community on Israeli settlements. But Obama's abstention came under withering criticism from across Washington -- with both Democrats and Republicans accusing the outgoing president of colluding with a biased world body to betray an ally. President-elect Trump, who had earlier convinced Egypt to postpone the vote from Thursday, implied in a Tweet that he would punish the United Nations. Democratic senator Chuck Schumer, who had lobbied the administration until the last minute, called the decision to let the vote pass "extremely frustrating, disappointing and confounding." And AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel lobby group in Washington, said: "By adopting this resolution, the United Nations has once again served as an open forum to isolate and delegitimize Israel." And many suggested Obama's decision, made while the president was on a Christmas break in Hawaii, had as much to do with his bad blood with Netanyahu as with diplomacy. Jonathan Schanzer, vice president of Washington think-tank the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, dubbed the relationship a "grudge match." Netanyahu made no secret of his friendship with Obama's 2012 election opponent Mitt Romney, and last year broke protocol to go behind the US president's back and address Congress to oppose the Iran nuclear deal. The two men have never hit it off, and the White House has never hidden its frustration with the bellicose rhetoric of Israel's right-wing coalition. Schanzer suggested that if Hillary Clinton had won last month's presidential election, Obama would have deferred to her desire to rebuild warmer ties with Israel and held off on UN action. But, faced with an incoming Trump presidency that may support settlement building, he opted for a binding Security Council vote that will weaken Israel's position in any future peace talks. "You can't unring this bell," Schanzer said. (AFP)

After eight years, Obama lets Israel frustration show

Chinese state media on Friday expressed alarm and warned of a &quot;showdown with the US&quot; after President-elect Donald Trump named Peter Navarro, an economist who has urged a hard line against China, to head a new White House National Trade Council.

Navarro is an academic and one-time investment adviser who has authored books such as &quot;Death by China: How America Lost its Manufacturing Base&quot;. The book was made into a documentary film about Beijing&#39;s desire to become the dominant economic and military power in Asia.

&quot;That individuals such as Navarro who have a bias against China are being picked to work in leading positions in the next administration, is no laughing matter,&quot; the official English-language China Daily said in an editorial.

&quot;The new administration should bear in mind that with economic and trade ties between the world&#39;s two largest economies now the closest they have ever been, any move to damage the win-win relationship will only result in a loss for both sides.&quot;

The previous day, China&#39;s foreign ministry said in reaction it was playing close attention to Trump&#39;s transition team and possible policy direction, that cooperation between the two countries was the only correct choice.

The Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party&#39;s official People&#39;s Daily, said Trump&#39;s decision over Navarro was &quot;by no means a positive signal&quot;.

&quot;China needs to face up to the reality that the Trump team maintains a hard-line attitude toward China. It must discard any illusions and make full preparations for any offensive move by the Trump government,&quot; the Global Times said in an editorial.

&quot;China is powerful enough to withstand pressures from the Trump government. Beijing will get used to the tensions between the two countries. If Washington dares to provoke China over its core interests, Beijing won&#39;t fear setting up a showdown with the US, pressuring the latter to pay respect to China.&quot;

Trump, a Republican, made trade a centrepiece of his presidential campaign and railed against what he said were bad deals the United States had made with other countries. He has threatened to hit Mexico and China with high tariffs once he takes office on Jan. 20.

Navarro, 67, a professor at University of California, Irvine, advised Trump during the campaign. As well as describing what he sees as America&#39;s losing economic war with China, Navarro has highlighted concerns over environmental issues related to Chinese imports and the theft of US&nbsp;intellectual property.

(Reuters)

Beijing is 'alarmed' after Trump picks the author of 'Death by China: How America Lost its Manufacturing Base' to lead a major trade council

Chinese state media on Friday expressed alarm and warned of a "showdown with the US" after President-elect Donald Trump named Peter Navarro, an economist who has urged a hard line against China, to head a new White House National Trade Council. Navarro is an academic and one-time investment adviser who has authored books such as "Death by China: How America Lost its Manufacturing Base". The book was made into a documentary film about Beijing's desire to become the dominant economic and military power in Asia. "That individuals such as Navarro who have a bias against China are being picked to work in leading positions in the next administration, is no laughing matter," the official English-language China Daily said in an editorial. "The new administration should bear in mind that with economic and trade ties between the world's two largest economies now the closest they have ever been, any move to damage the win-win relationship will only result in a loss for both sides." The previous day, China's foreign ministry said in reaction it was playing close attention to Trump's transition team and possible policy direction, that cooperation between the two countries was the only correct choice. The Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said Trump's decision over Navarro was "by no means a positive signal". "China needs to face up to the reality that the Trump team maintains a hard-line attitude toward China. It must discard any illusions and make full preparations for any offensive move by the Trump government," the Global Times said in an editorial. "China is powerful enough to withstand pressures from the Trump government. Beijing will get used to the tensions between the two countries. If Washington dares to provoke China over its core interests, Beijing won't fear setting up a showdown with the US, pressuring the latter to pay respect to China." Trump, a Republican, made trade a centrepiece of his presidential campaign and railed against what he said were bad deals the United States had made with other countries. He has threatened to hit Mexico and China with high tariffs once he takes office on Jan. 20. Navarro, 67, a professor at University of California, Irvine, advised Trump during the campaign. As well as describing what he sees as America's losing economic war with China, Navarro has highlighted concerns over environmental issues related to Chinese imports and the theft of US intellectual property. (Reuters)

Chinese-state media bristle over Trump's anti-China appointment

Vladimir Putin praised US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, saying he had his finger on the pulse of US&nbsp;society, and launched a scathing attack on the Democrats, saying they had forgotten the meaning of their own name and were sore losers.

Speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia&#39;s president said that only Russia had believed that Trump would become the next president of the United States, but that did not mean the Democrats had the right to blame him for their defeat.

&quot;The current administration and the leadership of the Democratic Party are trying to blame all their failures on external factors,&quot; Putin told reporters.

&quot;(We are talking about) a party which has clearly forgotten the original meaning of its own name,&quot; Putin said, accusing the Democrats of &quot;shamelessly&quot; abusing their status as the ruling party to try to influence public opinion.

&quot;Outstanding figures in American history from the ranks of the Democratic Party would likely be turning in their graves. Roosevelt certainly would be,&quot; he said.

The White House and US&nbsp;intelligence officials have accused Russia of trying to interfere with the US&nbsp;election by hacking Democratic Party accounts. Information from those hacks was leaked online, causing political problems for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Putin dismissed suggestions Moscow had helped Trump to victory in any way however.

&quot;It&#39;s not like that,&quot; he said. &quot;All of this (the accusations) speaks of the current administration&#39;s systemic problems.&quot;

Sore losers

The question of who hacked the US&nbsp;Democratic party was not important anyway, said Putin, but what the hacks revealed - that public opinion in the United States was being manipulated - was.

&quot;They (the Democrats) are losing on all fronts and looking elsewhere for things to blame. In my view this, how shall I say it, degrades their own dignity. You have to know how to lose with dignity.&quot;

Putin, who spoke positively of Trump before his election win, said that Moscow had believed in his victory.

&quot;Trump understood the mood of the people and kept going until the end, when nobody believed in him,&quot; Putin said, adding with a smile. &quot;Except for you and me.&quot;

Putin addressed Trump&#39;s comments about the need to boost the US&nbsp;nuclear arsenal, saying they were perfectly normal.

Trump&#39;s comments, made in a tweet on Thursday, alarmed non-proliferation experts who said that a boost to the US&nbsp;arsenal could fuel global tensions.

But Putin said he was surprised by the fuss Trump&#39;s tweet had caused and how it had been linked to his own statements about Russia&#39;s plans to modernise its own nuclear arsenal.

Putin said on Thursday Russia&#39;s military was &quot;stronger than any potential aggressor&quot;. He made clear on Friday he did not regard the United States as a potential aggressor.

&quot;I was a bit surprised by the statements from some representatives of the current US&nbsp;administration who for some reason started to prove that the US&nbsp;military was the most powerful in the world,&quot; said Putin.

&quot;Nobody is arguing with that.&quot;

(Reuters)

Only Russia believed Trump would win the election, says President Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin praised US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, saying he had his finger on the pulse of US society, and launched a scathing attack on the Democrats, saying they had forgotten the meaning of their own name and were sore losers. Speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia's president said that only Russia had believed that Trump would become the next president of the United States, but that did not mean the Democrats had the right to blame him for their defeat. "The current administration and the leadership of the Democratic Party are trying to blame all their failures on external factors," Putin told reporters. "(We are talking about) a party which has clearly forgotten the original meaning of its own name," Putin said, accusing the Democrats of "shamelessly" abusing their status as the ruling party to try to influence public opinion. "Outstanding figures in American history from the ranks of the Democratic Party would likely be turning in their graves. Roosevelt certainly would be," he said. The White House and US intelligence officials have accused Russia of trying to interfere with the US election by hacking Democratic Party accounts. Information from those hacks was leaked online, causing political problems for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Putin dismissed suggestions Moscow had helped Trump to victory in any way however. "It's not like that," he said. "All of this (the accusations) speaks of the current administration's systemic problems." Sore losers The question of who hacked the US Democratic party was not important anyway, said Putin, but what the hacks revealed - that public opinion in the United States was being manipulated - was. "They (the Democrats) are losing on all fronts and looking elsewhere for things to blame. In my view this, how shall I say it, degrades their own dignity. You have to know how to lose with dignity." Putin, who spoke positively of Trump before his election win, said that Moscow had believed in his victory. "Trump understood the mood of the people and kept going until the end, when nobody believed in him," Putin said, adding with a smile. "Except for you and me." Putin addressed Trump's comments about the need to boost the US nuclear arsenal, saying they were perfectly normal. Trump's comments, made in a tweet on Thursday, alarmed non-proliferation experts who said that a boost to the US arsenal could fuel global tensions. But Putin said he was surprised by the fuss Trump's tweet had caused and how it had been linked to his own statements about Russia's plans to modernise its own nuclear arsenal. Putin said on Thursday Russia's military was "stronger than any potential aggressor". He made clear on Friday he did not regard the United States as a potential aggressor. "I was a bit surprised by the statements from some representatives of the current US administration who for some reason started to prove that the US military was the most powerful in the world," said Putin. "Nobody is arguing with that." (Reuters)

Putin praises Trump, calls out 'shameless' Democrats

China&#39;s official media today warned India against using the Dalai Lama &quot;card&quot;, saying New Delhi should stop behaving like a &quot;spoilt kid&quot; and learn lessons from how China handled Donald Trump after the US President-elect challenged &#39;One-China&#39; policy.

&quot;Sometimes, India behaves like a spoilt kid, carried away by the lofty crown of being &#39;the biggest democracy in the world&#39;. India has the potential to be a great nation, but the country&#39;s vision is shortsighted,&quot; an article in the state-run Global Times said.

It said India &quot;should draw some lessons from the recent interactions between Beijing and Trump over Taiwan&quot;.

&quot;After putting out feelers to test China&#39;s determination to protect its essential interests, Trump has met China&#39;s restrained but pertinent countermeasures, and must have understood that China&#39;s bottom line - sovereign integrity and national unity - is untouchable,&quot; the paper said.

While the article did not elaborate on counter measures, China besides protesting to Trump over his phone call to the Taiwanese President and his comments questioning One-China policy, also seized an &quot;unmanned underwater vehicle&quot; in the disputed South China Sea, the first such incident in the area.

The drone was returned subsequently after protests from US and Trump, an incident seen as an attempt by China to flex its muscles ahead of the President-elect taking over office next month.

The drone operated by a US survey vessel in the South China Sea was seized by a Chinese navy ship.

&quot;Even the US would have to think twice before it messes with China on such sensitive problems, so what makes India so confident that it could manage?,&quot; the article sounding strident in it tone and tenor said, referring to India going to Mongolia&#39;s assistance by granting USD one billion aid after Beijing imposed a blockade in retaliation to Ulaanbaatar hosting Dalai Lama last month despite China protests.

The Mongolian Ambassador to India had sought New Delhi&#39;s help to overcome China&#39;s counter measures. However, the Mongolian government has given in and pledged that it will never invite Dalai Lama again.&nbsp;

(PTI)

The article also warned India against using the 'Dalai Lama' card

China's official media today warned India against using the Dalai Lama "card", saying New Delhi should stop behaving like a "spoilt kid" and learn lessons from how China handled Donald Trump after the US President-elect challenged 'One-China' policy. "Sometimes, India behaves like a spoilt kid, carried away by the lofty crown of being 'the biggest democracy in the world'. India has the potential to be a great nation, but the country's vision is shortsighted," an article in the state-run Global Times said. It said India "should draw some lessons from the recent interactions between Beijing and Trump over Taiwan". "After putting out feelers to test China's determination to protect its essential interests, Trump has met China's restrained but pertinent countermeasures, and must have understood that China's bottom line - sovereign integrity and national unity - is untouchable," the paper said. While the article did not elaborate on counter measures, China besides protesting to Trump over his phone call to the Taiwanese President and his comments questioning One-China policy, also seized an "unmanned underwater vehicle" in the disputed South China Sea, the first such incident in the area. The drone was returned subsequently after protests from US and Trump, an incident seen as an attempt by China to flex its muscles ahead of the President-elect taking over office next month. The drone operated by a US survey vessel in the South China Sea was seized by a Chinese navy ship. "Even the US would have to think twice before it messes with China on such sensitive problems, so what makes India so confident that it could manage?," the article sounding strident in it tone and tenor said, referring to India going to Mongolia's assistance by granting USD one billion aid after Beijing imposed a blockade in retaliation to Ulaanbaatar hosting Dalai Lama last month despite China protests. The Mongolian Ambassador to India had sought New Delhi's help to overcome China's counter measures. However, the Mongolian government has given in and pledged that it will never invite Dalai Lama again. (PTI)

India behaves like spoilt kid, country's vision shortsighted: Chinese media

Asserting that India is an important partner for the US, the outgoing Obama Administration has said that it does not see any &quot;diminution in the strong bilateral relations&quot; that the two countries have enjoyed till date.

&quot;It goes without saying that because India is such an important partner and such an important power that I see no diminution in the strong US-India bilateral relations that we&#39;ve enjoyed to date,&quot; State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters yesterday.

&quot;I am not going to use the podium to talk about advice that Secretary of State (John) Kerry may give to his successor,&quot; Kirby said when asked about the future of India-US relationship under the new administration.

&quot;We obviously believe in the strength of our bilateral relationship with India. It is vital and important on so many different levels and we will certainly do all that&#39;s required of us by the transition team to provide them the context and information about that relationship with India for them to make their own decisions,&quot; he said.

&quot;I simply wouldn&#39;t predict or get ahead of how the next administration is going to interact with India,&quot; Kirby said.

The State Department also refrained from answering questions related to demonetisation drive by the Indian government. He described this as an internal matter of India.

(PTI)&nbsp;

'Goes without saying' India and US are important trade partners, but the State Department wouldn't comment on demonetisation or Trump

Asserting that India is an important partner for the US, the outgoing Obama Administration has said that it does not see any "diminution in the strong bilateral relations" that the two countries have enjoyed till date. "It goes without saying that because India is such an important partner and such an important power that I see no diminution in the strong US-India bilateral relations that we've enjoyed to date," State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters yesterday. "I am not going to use the podium to talk about advice that Secretary of State (John) Kerry may give to his successor," Kirby said when asked about the future of India-US relationship under the new administration. "We obviously believe in the strength of our bilateral relationship with India. It is vital and important on so many different levels and we will certainly do all that's required of us by the transition team to provide them the context and information about that relationship with India for them to make their own decisions," he said. "I simply wouldn't predict or get ahead of how the next administration is going to interact with India," Kirby said. The State Department also refrained from answering questions related to demonetisation drive by the Indian government. He described this as an internal matter of India. (PTI)

Obama admin praises US-India bilateral relations

The US military has officially ended operations in a former Islamic State bastion in Libya, officials have announced.

The Pentagon had launched Operation Odyssey Lightning to help local forces push the jihadists from the coastal city of Sirte on August 1.

&quot;In partnership with the Libyan Government of National Accord, the operation succeeded in its core objective of enabling GNA-aligned forces to drive Daesh (IS) out of Sirte,&quot; the US military&#39;s Africa Command said in a statement.

US drones, gunships and warplanes had hammered IS positions, conducting a total of 495 strikes.

&quot;We are proud to have supported this campaign to eliminate ISIL&#39;s hold over the only city it has controlled outside Iraq and Syria,&quot; Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook told reporters, using an IS acronym.

Officials said the United States would continue to strike IS jihadists if the Libyan unity government asked for help in doing so.

Unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj on Saturday announced that military operations in Sirte were done, but IS still has fighters in Libya and on Sunday conducted a suicide attack in Benghazi.

The fall of Sirte -- Kadhafi&#39;s home town located 450 kilometres east of Tripoli -- is a major setback for IS, which has also faced military defeats in Syria and Iraq.

Libya descended into chaos following the NATO-backed ousting of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations emerging and well-armed militias vying for control of its vast oil wealth.

(AFP)

Officials said the United States would continue to strike Islamic State jihadists if the Libyan unity government asked for help in doing so

The US military has officially ended operations in a former Islamic State bastion in Libya, officials have announced. The Pentagon had launched Operation Odyssey Lightning to help local forces push the jihadists from the coastal city of Sirte on August 1. "In partnership with the Libyan Government of National Accord, the operation succeeded in its core objective of enabling GNA-aligned forces to drive Daesh (IS) out of Sirte," the US military's Africa Command said in a statement. US drones, gunships and warplanes had hammered IS positions, conducting a total of 495 strikes. "We are proud to have supported this campaign to eliminate ISIL's hold over the only city it has controlled outside Iraq and Syria," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook told reporters, using an IS acronym. Officials said the United States would continue to strike IS jihadists if the Libyan unity government asked for help in doing so. Unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj on Saturday announced that military operations in Sirte were done, but IS still has fighters in Libya and on Sunday conducted a suicide attack in Benghazi. The fall of Sirte -- Kadhafi's home town located 450 kilometres east of Tripoli -- is a major setback for IS, which has also faced military defeats in Syria and Iraq. Libya descended into chaos following the NATO-backed ousting of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations emerging and well-armed militias vying for control of its vast oil wealth. (AFP)

US military formally ends anti-IS operation in Libya's Sirte

The United States on Tuesday closed its missions to Turkey for the day after a shooting incident overnight outside the American embassy in Ankara that followed the assassination of the Russian ambassador in the Turkish capital.

The embassy was near the art gallery where the ambassador, Viktor&nbsp;Karlov,&nbsp;was shot, and Turkish police detained a man over the incident, state media reported.

&quot;An individual approached the US Embassy Ankara main gate and discharged a firearm,&quot; the embassy said in a statement, adding no-one was hurt and the individual was detained.

As a result, the embassy and consulates in Istanbul and Adana were closed for normal operations, it added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)

Nobody was hurt after someone discharged a gun outside the embassy. The shooter was immediately detained

The United States on Tuesday closed its missions to Turkey for the day after a shooting incident overnight outside the American embassy in Ankara that followed the assassination of the Russian ambassador in the Turkish capital. The embassy was near the art gallery where the ambassador, Viktor Karlov, was shot, and Turkish police detained a man over the incident, state media reported. "An individual approached the US Embassy Ankara main gate and discharged a firearm," the embassy said in a statement, adding no-one was hurt and the individual was detained. As a result, the embassy and consulates in Istanbul and Adana were closed for normal operations, it added. (With inputs from AFP)

US closes Ankara missions as precaution after overnight shooting incident

China has returned to US an unmanned underwater drone that was seized by the Chinese Navy last week in international waters, the Pentagon press reports.&nbsp;

China&#39;s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, the drone was handed back after &quot;friendly consultations&quot;.

The seizure of the drone triggered speculations as well as a diplomatic protest about whether this will strengthen US President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s hand as he seeks a tougher line with Beijing.

The US says the drone was being operated by civilian contractors collecting unclassified scientific data in international waters. Officials say a noncombat ship was recovering two drones when a Chinese ship approached, launched a small boat and picked up one of them, according to the ABC news.

This has added to the concerns of US regarding China&#39;s growing military presence and aggressive posture in the disputed South China Sea, including its militarization of maritime outposts.

The US Navy has about 130 such underwater drones, made by Teledyne Webb, each weighing about 60 kg (130 pounds) and able to stay underwater for up to five months. They are used to collect unclassified data about oceans, including temperature and depth. They are used around the world, but it is unclear how many are used in the South China Sea, reports Reuters.

China is now deeply suspicious of any US military activities in the South China Sea.

While the state media and experts say that the use of the drone was likely part of US surveillance efforts in the disputed waterway.

(WION)

The US says the drone was being operated by civilian contractors collecting unclassified scientific data in international waters.

China has returned to US an unmanned underwater drone that was seized by the Chinese Navy last week in international waters, the Pentagon press reports. China's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, the drone was handed back after "friendly consultations". The seizure of the drone triggered speculations as well as a diplomatic protest about whether this will strengthen US President-elect Donald Trump's hand as he seeks a tougher line with Beijing. The US says the drone was being operated by civilian contractors collecting unclassified scientific data in international waters. Officials say a noncombat ship was recovering two drones when a Chinese ship approached, launched a small boat and picked up one of them, according to the ABC news. This has added to the concerns of US regarding China's growing military presence and aggressive posture in the disputed South China Sea, including its militarization of maritime outposts. The US Navy has about 130 such underwater drones, made by Teledyne Webb, each weighing about 60 kg (130 pounds) and able to stay underwater for up to five months. They are used to collect unclassified data about oceans, including temperature and depth. They are used around the world, but it is unclear how many are used in the South China Sea, reports Reuters. China is now deeply suspicious of any US military activities in the South China Sea. While the state media and experts say that the use of the drone was likely part of US surveillance efforts in the disputed waterway. (WION)

China has returned a US unmanned underwater drone

US&nbsp;secretary of state John Kerry condemned the killing of Andrei Karlov, Russian ambassador to Turkey on Monday, and said the United States was ready to help Russia and Turkey investigate the attack.

Ambassador Andrei Karlov was shot in the back and killed while giving a speech at an art gallery in the Turkish capital Ankara.

&quot;The United States condemns the assassination today in Ankara of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov,&quot; Kerry said in a statement. &quot;We stand ready to offer assistance to Russia and Turkey as they investigate this despicable attack, which was also an assault on the right of all diplomats to safely and securely advance and represent their nations around the world.

Germany also said it was &quot;in solidarity with Turkey in the common fight against terrorism.&quot;

German interior minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters in Berlin that he should not comment on breaking news when asked to react to initial reports of the shooting during a news conference with his French counterpart.

&quot;What is clear however is that Turkey is a country which is being hard hit by terrorism and irrespective of the differences we have with Turkey on other issues, we are in solidarity with Turkey in the common fight against terrorism. This is what I underlined in a phone conversation with my Turkish colleague just a few days ago,&quot; de Maiziere said.

(Reuters)

US secretary of state John Kerry condemned the attack and said the US

US secretary of state John Kerry condemned the killing of Andrei Karlov, Russian ambassador to Turkey on Monday, and said the United States was ready to help Russia and Turkey investigate the attack. Ambassador Andrei Karlov was shot in the back and killed while giving a speech at an art gallery in the Turkish capital Ankara. "The United States condemns the assassination today in Ankara of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov," Kerry said in a statement. "We stand ready to offer assistance to Russia and Turkey as they investigate this despicable attack, which was also an assault on the right of all diplomats to safely and securely advance and represent their nations around the world. Germany also said it was "in solidarity with Turkey in the common fight against terrorism." German interior minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters in Berlin that he should not comment on breaking news when asked to react to initial reports of the shooting during a news conference with his French counterpart. "What is clear however is that Turkey is a country which is being hard hit by terrorism and irrespective of the differences we have with Turkey on other issues, we are in solidarity with Turkey in the common fight against terrorism. This is what I underlined in a phone conversation with my Turkish colleague just a few days ago," de Maiziere said. (Reuters)

US offers help to Russia, Turkey to investigate shooting

Rex Tillerson was named in a tax haven leak as the long-time&nbsp;director of a Bahamas-based US-Russian oil company,<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/18/leak-rex-tillerson-director-bahamas-based-us-russian-oil-company"> The Guardian</a> reports.

Tillerson is currently the chief executive of ExxonMobil, but&nbsp;in 1998 he became the director of their Russian subsidiary, Exxon Neftegas, The Guardian reports. His name, &quot;RW&quot;, appears next to officers based at Houston, Texas, in Moscow, and in the far east of Russia in Sakhalin.

The leaked document comes from the corporate registry in the Bahamas,&nbsp;one of the 1.3 million files given to the German newspaper S<a data-link-name="in body link" draggable="true" href="http://www.sueddeutsche.de/">&uuml;</a>ddeutsche Zeitung by an anonymous source, The Guardian reports.

There&#39;s nothing illegal about Tillerson&#39;s previous appointment, but it raises questions over his&nbsp;Russian ties, and is just one more major thing connecting Donald Trump to Russia.&nbsp;

Exxon Mobil is the world&#39;s largest oil company, and for years have been looking towards Russia&#39;s vast deposits of natural resources.

&nbsp;

Conflict of Interest?

On Sunday, Exxon said Tillerson was no longer the director of Exxon Neftegas after becoming CEO in 2006, The Guardian reports.&nbsp;But he has since been linked to&nbsp;Russia in other ways.

Vladimir Putin&nbsp;awarded Tillerson the Russian Order of Friendship in 2013, and is close with Igor Sechin, who The Guardian characterises as&nbsp;a &quot;hardliner&quot; and&nbsp;ex-KGB (Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti--the&nbsp;secret police in the former Soviet Union) member who is the second most powerful person inside the Kremlin.

In 2011, ExxonMobil and Russia&#39;s state oil company Rosneft made a deal to explore the Kara Sea in Russia&#39;s Arctic, The Guardian reports.&nbsp;

The deal was shelved due to the sanctions imposed after Russia annexed&nbsp;the eastern Ukrainian state of Crimea.&nbsp;American firms are banned from sharing technology related to the oil industry under the sanctions, and Exxon was suppsed to stop drilling, but the company pleaded successfully for the ban to be delayed by a few weeks, and in this time discovered 750 million barrels of new oil, The Guardian reports.&nbsp;

<aside data-component="rich-link" data-link-name="rich-link-3 | 2">
Tillerson criticised US government policy, saying in 2014 at Exxon&#39;s annual meeting that &quot;we do not support sanctions&quot;, The Guardian reports.

&nbsp;
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GjpGfjzheeo" width="560"></iframe>

&nbsp;

During the election, Trump expressed certainty,&nbsp;promising&nbsp;that Russia would never enter&nbsp;Crimea, seemingly unaware that it had already happened. Then Trump claimed without evidence&nbsp;that Crimeans prefer to be a part of Russia.

When asked this year by German reporter Mareike Aden whether Trump as president would recognise Crimea and lift sanctions imposed against Moscow, <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/07/trump-crimea/493280/">he responded</a> &quot;Yes. We would be looking at that&quot;.

Investors widely assume that the new Trump administration will drop sanctions, allowing the drilling deal between Exxon Mobil and Rosneft to continue, which is expected to increase the prices of Exxon shares by tens of billions of dollars, The Guardian reports.&nbsp;

They also report that Tillerson&#39;s currently owns $218 million worth of ExxonMobil stock, and has a pension valued at $70 million.

&nbsp;

Some of Trump&#39;s Russian ties

Donald Trump has called on Russia to hack into Hillary Clinton&#39;s emails. It is thought that no presidential candidate has ever openly called on a foreign country to sabotage&nbsp;a rival politician. Reuters cites two government sources as saying that&nbsp;American intelligence agencies--the CIA (central intelligence agencies)&nbsp;and FBI (federal bureau of investigation)--both agree that the Russian hacks were aimed at helping Trump win the election.

Trump complained loudly and repeatedly that the US election was rigged before he won it, but has since dismissed claims that his win was anything but pure. Trump has called the effort to ensure the election recount in different states &quot;<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/26/politics/clinton-campaign-recount/">a scam&quot;.</a>

While US policy under Obama has been to isolate Russia in response to invading Crimea and for supporting the Assad regime in Syria, Trump has<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/28/politics/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-quotes/"> praised Putin for years</a>.

Trump has even defended Putin from the charge that the Russian president has ordered the killing of journalists, saying &quot;He&#39;s running his country, and at least he&#39;s a leader, unlike what we have in this country. I think our country does plenty of killing also...&quot;.

Currently, Russia ranks 180 out of 199 countries for press freedom, behind Iraq, the Demoratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, <a href="http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/article/2016/jan/04/does-vladimir-putin-kill-journalists/">Politifact reports</a>. Since Putin was elected&nbsp;president in 2000, authorities raided a major television network&nbsp;and arrested the&nbsp;owner, Vladimir Gusinsky, for fraud, releasing him only after he agreed to sell his company&nbsp;to state media, Politifact reports.

As many as&nbsp;34&nbsp;journalists have been murdered in the country under Putin, Politifact reports. This number could be higher does not include journalists killed while reporting on something dangerous, like war or riots, or where the motives of the murder are unclear. In the same amount of time, three journalists were killed in the US.

<a href="http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/article/2016/jan/04/does-vladimir-putin-kill-journalists/">Politifact quotes</a> Nina Ognianova, the coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists&#39; Europe and Central Asia program, who said journalists covering corruption, human rights abuses, organised crime and official wrongdoing can be &quot;slain with impunity in Putin&#39;s Russia&quot;.

Trump&#39;s decision to appoint Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State, despite Tillerson&#39;s&nbsp;total lack of political experience, is only his&nbsp;latest&nbsp;Russian connection and will surely&nbsp;receive further scrutiny.

(WION)
&nbsp;

&nbsp;
</aside>

Rex Tillerson, non-partisan critics worry, has many serious ties to Russia. This latest connection only raises more questions

Rex Tillerson was named in a tax haven leak as the long-time director of a Bahamas-based US-Russian oil company, The Guardian reports. Tillerson is currently the chief executive of ExxonMobil, but in 1998 he became the director of their Russian subsidiary, Exxon Neftegas, The Guardian reports. His name, "RW", appears next to officers based at Houston, Texas, in Moscow, and in the far east of Russia in Sakhalin. The leaked document comes from the corporate registry in the Bahamas, one of the 1.3 million files given to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung by an anonymous source, The Guardian reports. There's nothing illegal about Tillerson's previous appointment, but it raises questions over his Russian ties, and is just one more major thing connecting Donald Trump to Russia. Exxon Mobil is the world's largest oil company, and for years have been looking towards Russia's vast deposits of natural resources. Conflict of Interest? On Sunday, Exxon said Tillerson was no longer the director of Exxon Neftegas after becoming CEO in 2006, The Guardian reports. But he has since been linked to Russia in other ways. Vladimir Putin awarded Tillerson the Russian Order of Friendship in 2013, and is close with Igor Sechin, who The Guardian characterises as a "hardliner" and ex-KGB (Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti--the secret police in the former Soviet Union) member who is the second most powerful person inside the Kremlin. In 2011, ExxonMobil and Russia's state oil company Rosneft made a deal to explore the Kara Sea in Russia's Arctic, The Guardian reports. The deal was shelved due to the sanctions imposed after Russia annexed the eastern Ukrainian state of Crimea. American firms are banned from sharing technology related to the oil industry under the sanctions, and Exxon was suppsed to stop drilling, but the company pleaded successfully for the ban to be delayed by a few weeks, and in this time discovered 750 million barrels of new oil, The Guardian reports. Tillerson criticised US government policy, saying in 2014 at Exxon's annual meeting that "we do not support sanctions", The Guardian reports. During the election, Trump expressed certainty, promising that Russia would never enter Crimea, seemingly unaware that it had already happened. Then Trump claimed without evidence that Crimeans prefer to be a part of Russia. When asked this year by German reporter Mareike Aden whether Trump as president would recognise Crimea and lift sanctions imposed against Moscow, he responded "Yes. We would be looking at that". Investors widely assume that the new Trump administration will drop sanctions, allowing the drilling deal between Exxon Mobil and Rosneft to continue, which is expected to increase the prices of Exxon shares by tens of billions of dollars, The Guardian reports. They also report that Tillerson's currently owns $218 million worth of ExxonMobil stock, and has a pension valued at $70 million. Some of Trump's Russian ties Donald Trump has called on Russia to hack into Hillary Clinton's emails. It is thought that no presidential candidate has ever openly called on a foreign country to sabotage a rival politician. Reuters cites two government sources as saying that American intelligence agencies--the CIA (central intelligence agencies) and FBI (federal bureau of investigation)--both agree that the Russian hacks were aimed at helping Trump win the election. Trump complained loudly and repeatedly that the US election was rigged before he won it, but has since dismissed claims that his win was anything but pure. Trump has called the effort to ensure the election recount in different states "a scam". While US policy under Obama has been to isolate Russia in response to invading Crimea and for supporting the Assad regime in Syria, Trump has praised Putin for years. Trump has even defended Putin from the charge that the Russian president has ordered the killing of journalists, saying "He's running his country, and at least he's a leader, unlike what we have in this country. I think our country does plenty of killing also...". Currently, Russia ranks 180 out of 199 countries for press freedom, behind Iraq, the Demoratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, Politifact reports. Since Putin was elected president in 2000, authorities raided a major television network and arrested the owner, Vladimir Gusinsky, for fraud, releasing him only after he agreed to sell his company to state media, Politifact reports. As many as 34 journalists have been murdered in the country under Putin, Politifact reports. This number could be higher does not include journalists killed while reporting on something dangerous, like war or riots, or where the motives of the murder are unclear. In the same amount of time, three journalists were killed in the US. Politifact quotes Nina Ognianova, the coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists' Europe and Central Asia program, who said journalists covering corruption, human rights abuses, organised crime and official wrongdoing can be "slain with impunity in Putin's Russia". Trump's decision to appoint Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State, despite Tillerson's total lack of political experience, is only his latest Russian connection and will surely receive further scrutiny. (WION)

Trump's State Secretary pick directed US-Russian oil company, leak reveals

Emboldened by Donald Trump&#39;s imminent arrival at the White House, abortion opponents are mobilising, taking severe measures that some say threaten constitutional freedoms.

Pro-choice activists, who support a woman&#39;s right to choose to use contraception or have a legal abortion, suffered setbacks in several US states in recent days.

In Ohio, Republican Governor John Kasich signed on Tuesday a law banning abortion after the twentieth&nbsp;week of pregnancy, making no exception for rape, incest or foetal anomaly. The bill makes only limited concessions in cases where the pregnancy could harm the woman&#39;s health.

The move is a risky bet. The US Supreme Court has already ruled that states cannot prevent a woman from having an abortion before the foetus is viable, experts say that threshold occurs around 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Just over one per cent of abortions in the US are currently carried out after 20 weeks, according to the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute.

But available data does not seem conclusive on how many abortions after 20 weeks take place for birth defects or other reasons.As alarming as the measure may be for abortion backers, it could have been worse.&nbsp;

A separate, so-called &quot;heartbeat bill&quot; would have banned abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, even though women are often unaware they are pregnant at that time. But Kasich vetoed the measure.

In Tennessee, a woman who tried to abort her foetus at 24 weeks using a metal clothes hanger was recently slapped with bolstered criminal charges.

For the pro-choice camp, the case illustrates the growing fear that women denied an abortion may resort to desperate, clandestine measures that had not been prevalent for decades.

On the other side of the debate, anti-abortion activists feel wind in their wings with conservative Trump set to take power January 20.

The Americans United for Life group published a report of more than 200 pages detailing the &quot;horrific abortion clinic conditions,&quot; finding that 227 abortion providers in 32 states were cited for more than 1,400 health and safety &quot;deficiencies&quot; between 2008 and 2016, and had violated hundreds of state laws.&nbsp;

The study aims to provide state lawmakers, ahead of 2017 legislative sessions, with &quot;an important tool for explaining the critical need for enhanced health and safety standards,&quot; said Denise Burke, an AUL vice president and the report&#39;s author.

Supporters are encouraged to help pass anti-abortion bills.&nbsp;

Conservative Republicans and evangelical Christians opposed to abortion are holding out hopes for the kind of change they want to see under a Trump administration.

Trump&#39;s Vice president-elect Mike Pence, and his pick to head the Justice Department, Jeff Sessions, both oppose abortion rights.&nbsp;

And incoming Health Secretary Tom Price is expected to lead a crusade against family planning and health care plan reimbursements for contraception.

Trump himself has vowed to nominate Supreme Court justices strongly opposed to abortion, which he claims would &quot;automatically&quot; overturn the high court&#39;s landmark Roe v&nbsp;Wade decision of 1973.

There is nothing automatic about Supreme Court reversals, which are not common. But Trump stands a solid chance of pushing through a conservative agenda at the most powerful court in the land, with one seat on the nine-member panel currently left vacant and one or more others likely to come due to the advanced age of some justices.

Ever since the Roe v&nbsp;Wade decision was handed down in 1973, conservative activists have repeatedly sought to raise barriers for women seeking an abortion.&nbsp;

Oklahoma state&#39;s high court on Tuesday rejected a new law that required abortion clinic doctors to have admission rights for their patients at a local hospital within 30 miles (48 kilometres).&nbsp;

Earlier this month in Texas, a judge suspended a law that required abortion clinics to cremate or bury foetal remains after abortions.

But the US Supreme Court had strongly reaffirmed in June women&#39;s rights to an abortion, a hot-button issue that has incessantly torn at the US social fabric. That ruling could be the last major victory for the pro-choice camp for a long time.

(AFP)

Ohio's Republican governor recenly signed a law banning abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy, even in case of rape or foetal anomalyj

Emboldened by Donald Trump's imminent arrival at the White House, abortion opponents are mobilising, taking severe measures that some say threaten constitutional freedoms. Pro-choice activists, who support a woman's right to choose to use contraception or have a legal abortion, suffered setbacks in several US states in recent days. In Ohio, Republican Governor John Kasich signed on Tuesday a law banning abortion after the twentieth week of pregnancy, making no exception for rape, incest or foetal anomaly. The bill makes only limited concessions in cases where the pregnancy could harm the woman's health. The move is a risky bet. The US Supreme Court has already ruled that states cannot prevent a woman from having an abortion before the foetus is viable, experts say that threshold occurs around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Just over one per cent of abortions in the US are currently carried out after 20 weeks, according to the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute. But available data does not seem conclusive on how many abortions after 20 weeks take place for birth defects or other reasons.As alarming as the measure may be for abortion backers, it could have been worse. A separate, so-called "heartbeat bill" would have banned abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, even though women are often unaware they are pregnant at that time. But Kasich vetoed the measure. In Tennessee, a woman who tried to abort her foetus at 24 weeks using a metal clothes hanger was recently slapped with bolstered criminal charges. For the pro-choice camp, the case illustrates the growing fear that women denied an abortion may resort to desperate, clandestine measures that had not been prevalent for decades. On the other side of the debate, anti-abortion activists feel wind in their wings with conservative Trump set to take power January 20. The Americans United for Life group published a report of more than 200 pages detailing the "horrific abortion clinic conditions," finding that 227 abortion providers in 32 states were cited for more than 1,400 health and safety "deficiencies" between 2008 and 2016, and had violated hundreds of state laws. The study aims to provide state lawmakers, ahead of 2017 legislative sessions, with "an important tool for explaining the critical need for enhanced health and safety standards," said Denise Burke, an AUL vice president and the report's author. Supporters are encouraged to help pass anti-abortion bills. Conservative Republicans and evangelical Christians opposed to abortion are holding out hopes for the kind of change they want to see under a Trump administration. Trump's Vice president-elect Mike Pence, and his pick to head the Justice Department, Jeff Sessions, both oppose abortion rights. And incoming Health Secretary Tom Price is expected to lead a crusade against family planning and health care plan reimbursements for contraception. Trump himself has vowed to nominate Supreme Court justices strongly opposed to abortion, which he claims would "automatically" overturn the high court's landmark Roe v Wade decision of 1973. There is nothing automatic about Supreme Court reversals, which are not common. But Trump stands a solid chance of pushing through a conservative agenda at the most powerful court in the land, with one seat on the nine-member panel currently left vacant and one or more others likely to come due to the advanced age of some justices. Ever since the Roe v Wade decision was handed down in 1973, conservative activists have repeatedly sought to raise barriers for women seeking an abortion. Oklahoma state's high court on Tuesday rejected a new law that required abortion clinic doctors to have admission rights for their patients at a local hospital within 30 miles (48 kilometres). Earlier this month in Texas, a judge suspended a law that required abortion clinics to cremate or bury foetal remains after abortions. But the US Supreme Court had strongly reaffirmed in June women's rights to an abortion, a hot-button issue that has incessantly torn at the US social fabric. That ruling could be the last major victory for the pro-choice camp for a long time. (AFP)

Trump inspires American anti-abortionists

Iran has called for a meeting of the commission overseeing the 2015 nuclear deal alleging violation of the agreement by the US.&nbsp;

The 2015 nuclear agreement signed with US and five other world powers grants Iran relief from economic sanctions in exchange of reducing its nuclear production.

Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif asked for the meeting in a letter to European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, state agency IRNA reported.&nbsp;

The White House said bill increasing US sanctions against Iran for ten years will become law without outgoing President Barack Obama&#39;s signature.

However it will not impact international pact limiting Iran&#39;s nuclear programme.

In response, Iran ordered its scientists to build systems for nuclear-powered marine vessels.

Relations are already strained after US President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s promise to abolish the pact.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Tehran called for a meeting over alleged violation of the nuclear agreement by the US

Iran has called for a meeting of the commission overseeing the 2015 nuclear deal alleging violation of the agreement by the US. The 2015 nuclear agreement signed with US and five other world powers grants Iran relief from economic sanctions in exchange of reducing its nuclear production. Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif asked for the meeting in a letter to European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, state agency IRNA reported. The White House said bill increasing US sanctions against Iran for ten years will become law without outgoing President Barack Obama's signature. However it will not impact international pact limiting Iran's nuclear programme. In response, Iran ordered its scientists to build systems for nuclear-powered marine vessels. Relations are already strained after US President-elect Donald Trump's promise to abolish the pact. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Iran calls for nuclear deal powers meeting over US sanctions

US President Barack Obama on Friday said he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin to &quot;cut it out&quot; after Democratic Party emails were hacked.&nbsp;

During a pre-Christmas press briefing, Obama said in the sidelines of the G 20 meetings held in China he asked Putin to stop interefering in US politics.&nbsp;

He added that after the warning there was no more evidence of Russian hacking.&nbsp;

Russia&nbsp;denied the accusations.&nbsp;

&quot;The intelligence that I&#39;ve seen gives me great confidence in their assessment that the Russians carried out this hack,&quot; Obama said refering to the latest evidence by CIA that Russia meddled in the November 8 presidential election.

Obama also said he hoped Trump would be concerned over Russia and that this must not become a &quot;political football&quot; between Democrats and Republicans.&nbsp;

He cautioned Trump that change in US policy towards Taiwan will have consequences from China.

&quot;For China, the issue of Taiwan is as important as anything on their docket.&quot;

&nbsp;&quot;The idea of one China is at the heart their conception as a nation and so if you are going to upend this understanding, you have to have thought through what the consequences are.&quot;

&#39;United in horror&#39; 
Obama said the world was &quot;united in horror&quot; at the battle in Aleppo and that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies were responsible for atrocities committed against the people in Syria.&nbsp;

&quot;Responsibility for this brutality lies in one place alone: with the Assad regime and its allies Russia and Iran. And this blood and these atrocities are on their hands.&quot;

The President also defended US involvement in Syria saying he understood the need to take action against what was happening but&nbsp;&quot;Unless we were all in and willing to take over Syria, we were going to have problems.&quot; &nbsp;Adding it would need &quot;putting large numbers of US&nbsp;troops on the ground, uninvited, without any international law mandate.&quot;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

Obama said the intelligence gives him 'great confidence' that Russians carried out the hack

US President Barack Obama on Friday said he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin to "cut it out" after Democratic Party emails were hacked. During a pre-Christmas press briefing, Obama said in the sidelines of the G 20 meetings held in China he asked Putin to stop interefering in US politics. He added that after the warning there was no more evidence of Russian hacking. Russia denied the accusations. "The intelligence that I've seen gives me great confidence in their assessment that the Russians carried out this hack," Obama said refering to the latest evidence by CIA that Russia meddled in the November 8 presidential election. Obama also said he hoped Trump would be concerned over Russia and that this must not become a "political football" between Democrats and Republicans. He cautioned Trump that change in US policy towards Taiwan will have consequences from China. "For China, the issue of Taiwan is as important as anything on their docket." "The idea of one China is at the heart their conception as a nation and so if you are going to upend this understanding, you have to have thought through what the consequences are." 'United in horror' Obama said the world was "united in horror" at the battle in Aleppo and that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies were responsible for atrocities committed against the people in Syria. "Responsibility for this brutality lies in one place alone: with the Assad regime and its allies Russia and Iran. And this blood and these atrocities are on their hands." The President also defended US involvement in Syria saying he understood the need to take action against what was happening but "Unless we were all in and willing to take over Syria, we were going to have problems." Adding it would need "putting large numbers of US troops on the ground, uninvited, without any international law mandate." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Warned Putin to stop cyber attacks, says Obama

President Vladimir Putin said he and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan are working to organise a new series of Syrian peace talks without the involvement of the United States or the United Nations.

In a snub to Washington, Putin made clear on Friday that the initiative was the sole preserve of Moscow and Turkey and that the peace talks, if they happened, would be in addition to intermittent UN-brokered negotiations in Geneva.

&quot;The next step is to reach an agreement on a total ceasefire across the whole of Syria,&quot; Putin said in Tokyo. &quot;We are conducting very active negotiations with representatives of the armed opposition, brokered by Turkey.&quot;

Putin, who has leveraged Russia&#39;s role in Syria to boost his diplomatic muscle, said the talks proposal was being put to the Syrian government and the opposition. Kazakhstan, the proposed venue, is a Russian ally, and Putin said the talks could take place in Astana, the Kazakh capital.

The surprise move underlines the growing strength of Moscow&#39;s rapprochement with Ankara, with which it fell out last year over the shooting down of a Russian plane, and reflects Russia&#39;s desire to cement its growing influence in the Middle East and more widely.

It also shows how fed up Russia is with what it sees as long and pointless talks with the Obama administration over Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week dismissed those talks as &quot;fruitless sitting around&quot; and said Ankara might prove a more effective partner on Syria.

Turkey, which wants to boost its global sway too, is also deeply frustrated by US&nbsp;policy in Syria, particularly Washington&#39;s support for Kurdish militia fighters it sees as a hostile force, and by what it views as Barack Obama&#39;s failure to give enough support to the rebels.

Putin played down the idea that the talks would sideline or overshadow similar talks brokered by the United Nations that have been held intermittently in Geneva.

&quot;It won&rsquo;t compete with the Geneva talks, but will complement them. Wherever the conflicting sides meet, in my view it is the right thing to do to try to find a political solution,&quot; he said.

The initiative is unlikely to go down well with UN&nbsp;envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura however. He told reporters in Paris on Thursday that it was time for all sides to return to the table, but the United Nations would have to broker any talks for them to have legitimacy.

&nbsp;

ODD COUPLE

Russia still hopes it can co-operate on Syria with the United States and join forces with Washington against Islamic State once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

But Trump will not be inaugurated until January&nbsp;20, leaving a power vacuum, and is likely in any case to need some time to formulate foreign policy.

The alliance between Moscow and Ankara is at first glance an odd one. Russia is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s closest allies, while Turkey, a NATO member, wants him removed.

But Ankara may be ready to accept a transition in which Assad is involved, provided he ultimately relinquishes power.

Turkey&#39;s main priority, on which it will want at least tacit Russian agreement, is to ensure that Kurdish militias are unable to gain further territory in Syria along its borders.

Ankara launched an incursion into Syria, &quot;Operation Euphrates Shield&quot;, in August to push Islamic State out of a 90-km (55-mile) stretch of frontier territory and prevent Kurdish groups from seizing ground in their wake.

Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli acknowledged two weeks ago that Turkey &quot;would not have moved so comfortably&quot; without the rapprochement with Russia, which effectively controls parts of northern Syrian air space.

Turkey now wants the rebels it supports to push further south into Syria and take the Islamic State-held city of al-Bab, around 40 kilometres northeast of Aleppo.

Erdogan is determined that the Turkish-backed rebels capture the city to prevent Kurdish militias from doing so. But that ambition could cause difficulties with Moscow, as al-Bab lies close to the front lines of Assad&#39;s allies.

&nbsp;

ALEPPO DEAL

Putin had only warm words for the prospect of deeper Russo-Turkish co-operation however and said the evacuation of rebels from Aleppo was something that he and Erdogan had agreed on.

He hoped the Syrian army would be able to consolidate its position in Aleppo and civilians return to normal life.

The RIA agency this week quoted Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, as saying it had been easier to deal with Turkey on Aleppo than the United States.

&quot;It was much more straightforward to reach agreements with Turkey than with the Americans,&quot; he was cited as saying.

Putin played down the Syrian government&#39;s recent loss of Palmyra to Islamic State, blaming the lack of coordination between the US

led coalition, the Syrian authorities, and Russia for the setback.

&ldquo;Everything that is happening in Palmyra is the result of uncoordinated action,&quot; said Putin.

&ldquo;The question of Palmyra is purely symbolic. Aleppo is much more important from a military-political point of view.&rdquo;

(Reuters)

In a snub to Washington, Putin made clear on Friday that the initiative was the sole preserve of Moscow and Turkey

President Vladimir Putin said he and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan are working to organise a new series of Syrian peace talks without the involvement of the United States or the United Nations. In a snub to Washington, Putin made clear on Friday that the initiative was the sole preserve of Moscow and Turkey and that the peace talks, if they happened, would be in addition to intermittent UN-brokered negotiations in Geneva. "The next step is to reach an agreement on a total ceasefire across the whole of Syria," Putin said in Tokyo. "We are conducting very active negotiations with representatives of the armed opposition, brokered by Turkey." Putin, who has leveraged Russia's role in Syria to boost his diplomatic muscle, said the talks proposal was being put to the Syrian government and the opposition. Kazakhstan, the proposed venue, is a Russian ally, and Putin said the talks could take place in Astana, the Kazakh capital. The surprise move underlines the growing strength of Moscow's rapprochement with Ankara, with which it fell out last year over the shooting down of a Russian plane, and reflects Russia's desire to cement its growing influence in the Middle East and more widely. It also shows how fed up Russia is with what it sees as long and pointless talks with the Obama administration over Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week dismissed those talks as "fruitless sitting around" and said Ankara might prove a more effective partner on Syria. Turkey, which wants to boost its global sway too, is also deeply frustrated by US policy in Syria, particularly Washington's support for Kurdish militia fighters it sees as a hostile force, and by what it views as Barack Obama's failure to give enough support to the rebels. Putin played down the idea that the talks would sideline or overshadow similar talks brokered by the United Nations that have been held intermittently in Geneva. "It won’t compete with the Geneva talks, but will complement them. Wherever the conflicting sides meet, in my view it is the right thing to do to try to find a political solution," he said. The initiative is unlikely to go down well with UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura however. He told reporters in Paris on Thursday that it was time for all sides to return to the table, but the United Nations would have to broker any talks for them to have legitimacy. ODD COUPLE Russia still hopes it can co-operate on Syria with the United States and join forces with Washington against Islamic State once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. But Trump will not be inaugurated until January 20, leaving a power vacuum, and is likely in any case to need some time to formulate foreign policy. The alliance between Moscow and Ankara is at first glance an odd one. Russia is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's closest allies, while Turkey, a NATO member, wants him removed. But Ankara may be ready to accept a transition in which Assad is involved, provided he ultimately relinquishes power. Turkey's main priority, on which it will want at least tacit Russian agreement, is to ensure that Kurdish militias are unable to gain further territory in Syria along its borders. Ankara launched an incursion into Syria, "Operation Euphrates Shield", in August to push Islamic State out of a 90-km (55-mile) stretch of frontier territory and prevent Kurdish groups from seizing ground in their wake. Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli acknowledged two weeks ago that Turkey "would not have moved so comfortably" without the rapprochement with Russia, which effectively controls parts of northern Syrian air space. Turkey now wants the rebels it supports to push further south into Syria and take the Islamic State-held city of al-Bab, around 40 kilometres northeast of Aleppo. Erdogan is determined that the Turkish-backed rebels capture the city to prevent Kurdish militias from doing so. But that ambition could cause difficulties with Moscow, as al-Bab lies close to the front lines of Assad's allies. ALEPPO DEAL Putin had only warm words for the prospect of deeper Russo-Turkish co-operation however and said the evacuation of rebels from Aleppo was something that he and Erdogan had agreed on. He hoped the Syrian army would be able to consolidate its position in Aleppo and civilians return to normal life. The RIA agency this week quoted Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, as saying it had been easier to deal with Turkey on Aleppo than the United States. "It was much more straightforward to reach agreements with Turkey than with the Americans," he was cited as saying. Putin played down the Syrian government's recent loss of Palmyra to Islamic State, blaming the lack of coordination between the US led coalition, the Syrian authorities, and Russia for the setback. “Everything that is happening in Palmyra is the result of uncoordinated action," said Putin. “The question of Palmyra is purely symbolic. Aleppo is much more important from a military-political point of view.” (Reuters)

Putin and Erdogan push for Syria talks without US or UN

Civilians and rebel fighters were to start evacuating from Syria&#39;s Aleppo Wednesday under a deal that would end years of opposition resistance in the city.

The evacuations which were expected to begin at 0300 GMT, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, had yet to commence more than half an hour after the time had passed, an AFP correspondent in the city said.

About 20 green government buses were gathered at the edges of the divided Salaheddin district. Some entered briefly Tuesday night but returned empty and parked on the outskirts again, the journalist said.

Rebel officials, Russia and Turkey confirmed the agreement which, if implemented, would mark a major victory for President Bashar al-Assad over opposition forces who rose up against him in 2011.

The agreement came amid mounting global outrage over reports of atrocities, including dozens of summary executions, as forces loyal to Assad closed in on the last pocket of rebel territory in Aleppo.

Officials from several rebel groups told AFP there was a deal to allow civilians and fighters to leave Aleppo for opposition-held territory to the west of the city.

&quot;An agreement has been reached,&quot; said Yasser al-Youssef from the political office of the key Nureddin al-Zinki rebel group, adding it had been &quot;sponsored&quot; by Russia and Turkey.

&quot;The first stage will be the evacuation of civilians and wounded, within hours, and afterwards fighters will leave with their light weapons.&quot;

&nbsp;US calls for observers&nbsp; 
Washington said it had not been consulted but would welcome any arrangement that brought safety to the people of Aleppo.

&quot;It matters a lot less to us who or how a ceasefire is arranged or reached, and much more that one is arranged and reached,&quot; state department spokesman John Kirby said.

&quot;Even if it is the end of the siege in Aleppo, it is not the end of the war in Syria.&quot;

As the UN Security Council met in an emergency session to discuss Aleppo, Russian envoy Vitaly Churkin confirmed there was an agreement for the rebels to leave the city.

US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said Washington wanted international observers to oversee the evacuation, raising concern for &quot;people who wish to leave but who, justifiably, fear that if they try they will be shot in the street or carted off to one of Assad&#39;s gulags.&quot;

Turkey&#39;s foreign ministry said under the agreement civilians would first evacuate, followed by a withdrawal of rebel groups.

Deputy prime minister Mehmet Simsek&nbsp;said on Twitter that Turkey would &quot;set up a tent city to accommodate up to 80,000 Syrian refugees fleeing Aleppo&quot;.

An AFP correspondent in west Aleppo said there had been no sounds of fighting or bombardment since around 3:00 pm (1300 GMT) Tuesday and the Observatory also said it was quiet.

The United Nations and aid agencies had been pleading for an agreement to allow for the evacuation of thousands of civilians trapped in rebel territory.

After weeks of heavy fighting, forces loyal to Assad were on the verge of taking all of the city, dealing the biggest blow to Syria&#39;s rebellion in more than five years of civil war.

&nbsp;Scenes of carnage&nbsp; 
The United Nations said it had received credible reports of at least 82 civilians, including 11 women and 13 children, being executed by pro-government forces in Aleppo in recent days.

In Geneva, UN rights office spokesman Rupert Colville said pro-government fighters had in some cases entered homes and killed those inside, and in others &quot;caught and killed on the spot&quot; fleeing civilians.

The UN was &quot;filled with the deepest foreboding for those who remain in this last hellish corner of opposition-held eastern Aleppo,&quot; he said.

Witnesses in Aleppo described scenes of carnage in rebel areas, with bodies lying amid the rubble of city streets, as desperate residents sat on pavements with nowhere to shelter.

Syria&#39;s army has taken more than 90 per cent of the territory once held by rebels in east Aleppo, after launching an all-out offensive last month to seize control of the entire city.

Aleppo, a cultural and economic hub in northern Syria second only to Damascus in importance, had been split between a rebel-controlled east and government-held west since 2012.

&nbsp;&#39;Last chance&#39;&nbsp; 
It was unclear how many civilians remained in rebel territory, after an estimated 130,000 fled to other parts of Aleppo during the government advance.

Jan Egeland, head of the UN-backed humanitarian taskforce for Syria, told AFP that thousands of civilians were in need of evacuation and safe passage, including hundreds of wounded.

&quot;We need a pause in the fighting but we also need to get the people inside to help organise an evacuation,&quot; he said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said there was only a &quot;last chance to save lives&quot; in Aleppo.

The government assault has been backed by heavy artillery fire and air strikes, with at least 463 civilians, including 62 children, killed in east Aleppo since mid-November, according to the Observatory.

Another 130 people including 40 children have been killed in western districts by rebel rocket fire, the monitoring group says.

More than 310,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011, and over half the population has been displaced, with millions becoming refugees.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The agreement came amid mounting global outrage over reports of atrocities, including dozens of summary executions

Civilians and rebel fighters were to start evacuating from Syria's Aleppo Wednesday under a deal that would end years of opposition resistance in the city. The evacuations which were expected to begin at 0300 GMT, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, had yet to commence more than half an hour after the time had passed, an AFP correspondent in the city said. About 20 green government buses were gathered at the edges of the divided Salaheddin district. Some entered briefly Tuesday night but returned empty and parked on the outskirts again, the journalist said. Rebel officials, Russia and Turkey confirmed the agreement which, if implemented, would mark a major victory for President Bashar al-Assad over opposition forces who rose up against him in 2011. The agreement came amid mounting global outrage over reports of atrocities, including dozens of summary executions, as forces loyal to Assad closed in on the last pocket of rebel territory in Aleppo. Officials from several rebel groups told AFP there was a deal to allow civilians and fighters to leave Aleppo for opposition-held territory to the west of the city. "An agreement has been reached," said Yasser al-Youssef from the political office of the key Nureddin al-Zinki rebel group, adding it had been "sponsored" by Russia and Turkey. "The first stage will be the evacuation of civilians and wounded, within hours, and afterwards fighters will leave with their light weapons." US calls for observers Washington said it had not been consulted but would welcome any arrangement that brought safety to the people of Aleppo. "It matters a lot less to us who or how a ceasefire is arranged or reached, and much more that one is arranged and reached," state department spokesman John Kirby said. "Even if it is the end of the siege in Aleppo, it is not the end of the war in Syria." As the UN Security Council met in an emergency session to discuss Aleppo, Russian envoy Vitaly Churkin confirmed there was an agreement for the rebels to leave the city. US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said Washington wanted international observers to oversee the evacuation, raising concern for "people who wish to leave but who, justifiably, fear that if they try they will be shot in the street or carted off to one of Assad's gulags." Turkey's foreign ministry said under the agreement civilians would first evacuate, followed by a withdrawal of rebel groups. Deputy prime minister Mehmet Simsek said on Twitter that Turkey would "set up a tent city to accommodate up to 80,000 Syrian refugees fleeing Aleppo". An AFP correspondent in west Aleppo said there had been no sounds of fighting or bombardment since around 3:00 pm (1300 GMT) Tuesday and the Observatory also said it was quiet. The United Nations and aid agencies had been pleading for an agreement to allow for the evacuation of thousands of civilians trapped in rebel territory. After weeks of heavy fighting, forces loyal to Assad were on the verge of taking all of the city, dealing the biggest blow to Syria's rebellion in more than five years of civil war. Scenes of carnage The United Nations said it had received credible reports of at least 82 civilians, including 11 women and 13 children, being executed by pro-government forces in Aleppo in recent days. In Geneva, UN rights office spokesman Rupert Colville said pro-government fighters had in some cases entered homes and killed those inside, and in others "caught and killed on the spot" fleeing civilians. The UN was "filled with the deepest foreboding for those who remain in this last hellish corner of opposition-held eastern Aleppo," he said. Witnesses in Aleppo described scenes of carnage in rebel areas, with bodies lying amid the rubble of city streets, as desperate residents sat on pavements with nowhere to shelter. Syria's army has taken more than 90 per cent of the territory once held by rebels in east Aleppo, after launching an all-out offensive last month to seize control of the entire city. Aleppo, a cultural and economic hub in northern Syria second only to Damascus in importance, had been split between a rebel-controlled east and government-held west since 2012. 'Last chance' It was unclear how many civilians remained in rebel territory, after an estimated 130,000 fled to other parts of Aleppo during the government advance. Jan Egeland, head of the UN-backed humanitarian taskforce for Syria, told AFP that thousands of civilians were in need of evacuation and safe passage, including hundreds of wounded. "We need a pause in the fighting but we also need to get the people inside to help organise an evacuation," he said. The International Committee of the Red Cross said there was only a "last chance to save lives" in Aleppo. The government assault has been backed by heavy artillery fire and air strikes, with at least 463 civilians, including 62 children, killed in east Aleppo since mid-November, according to the Observatory. Another 130 people including 40 children have been killed in western districts by rebel rocket fire, the monitoring group says. More than 310,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011, and over half the population has been displaced, with millions becoming refugees. (AFP)

Russia, Turkey 'sponsor' deal allowing Aleppo residents to leave

The United States is ready to confront China should it continue its overreaching maritime claims in the South China Sea, the head of the US&nbsp;Pacific fleet said on Wednesday, comments that threaten to escalate tensions between the two global rivals.

China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

The United States has called on China to respect the findings of arbitration court in The Hague earlier this year which invalidated its vast territorial claims in the strategic waterway.

But Beijing continues to act in an &quot;aggressive&quot; manner, to which the United States stands ready to respond, Admiral Harry Harris, head of the US&nbsp;Pacific Command, said in a speech in Sydney.

&quot;We will not allow a shared domain to be closed down unilaterally no matter how many bases are built on artificial features in the South China Sea,&quot; he said. &quot;We will cooperate when we can but we will be ready to confront when we must.&quot;

The comments threaten to stoke tensions between the United States and China, already heightened by President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s decision to accept a telephone call from Taiwan&#39;s president on December&nbsp;2 that prompted a diplomatic protest from Beijing.

The United States estimates Beijing has added more than 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of land on seven features in the South China Sea over the past three years, building runways, ports, aircraft hangars and communications equipment.

In response, the United States has conducted a series of freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, the latest of which came in October.

The patrols have angered Beijing, with a senior Chinese official in July warning the practice may end in &quot;disaster&quot;.

Harris said it was a decision for the Australian government whether the U.S. ally should undertake its own freedom-of-navigation operations, but said the United States would continue with the practice.

&quot;The US&nbsp;fought its first war following our independence to ensure freedom of navigation,&quot; said Harris. &quot;This is an enduring principle and one of the reasons our forces stand ready to fight tonight.&quot;

(Reuters)

Admiral Harry Harris, head of the US?Pacific Command, said the US will not allow a 'shared domain to be closed unilaterally'

The United States is ready to confront China should it continue its overreaching maritime claims in the South China Sea, the head of the US Pacific fleet said on Wednesday, comments that threaten to escalate tensions between the two global rivals. China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. The United States has called on China to respect the findings of arbitration court in The Hague earlier this year which invalidated its vast territorial claims in the strategic waterway. But Beijing continues to act in an "aggressive" manner, to which the United States stands ready to respond, Admiral Harry Harris, head of the US Pacific Command, said in a speech in Sydney. "We will not allow a shared domain to be closed down unilaterally no matter how many bases are built on artificial features in the South China Sea," he said. "We will cooperate when we can but we will be ready to confront when we must." The comments threaten to stoke tensions between the United States and China, already heightened by President-elect Donald Trump's decision to accept a telephone call from Taiwan's president on December 2 that prompted a diplomatic protest from Beijing. The United States estimates Beijing has added more than 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of land on seven features in the South China Sea over the past three years, building runways, ports, aircraft hangars and communications equipment. In response, the United States has conducted a series of freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, the latest of which came in October. The patrols have angered Beijing, with a senior Chinese official in July warning the practice may end in "disaster". Harris said it was a decision for the Australian government whether the U.S. ally should undertake its own freedom-of-navigation operations, but said the United States would continue with the practice. "The US fought its first war following our independence to ensure freedom of navigation," said Harris. "This is an enduring principle and one of the reasons our forces stand ready to fight tonight." (Reuters)

US ready to confront Beijing on South China Sea issue: Pacific fleet chief

ER&nbsp;Braithwaite, a Guyanese novelist, teacher&nbsp;and diplomat, died at the age of 104 in Rockville, Maryland, on Monday.

The author of &#39;To Sir, With Love&#39; was also a pilot in Britain&rsquo;s Royal Air Force during World War II, and served in the 1960s as the newly independent Guyana&rsquo;s first representative at the United Nations.

His novel, &#39;To Sir, With Love&#39; was critically acclaimed and was so loved by the people that it was made into a 1967 British drama film of the same title, starring Sidney Poitier and Lulu.

He had many other famous books to his credit, namely &#39;Paid Servant&#39;, &#39;A Kind of Homecoming&#39;, &#39;Choice of Straws&#39;, &#39;Reluctant Neighbors&#39; and &#39;Honorary White&#39;.

Braithwaite was best known for his stories about racial discrimination against black people, especially in South Africa and the United States -- the two countries where he lived much of his life.

He studied at Queen&rsquo;s College, Guyana, and at the City College of New York, and moved to Britain after working at an oil refinery in Aruba, off the coast of Venezuela.

In 1940, he volunteered for service in the Royal Air Force.

Braithwaite received a master&rsquo;s degree in physics from Cambridge University in 1949. After leaving his teaching job, he worked with Caribbean immigrant families in London.

Along with his writing, Braithwaite had a record of public service. From 1960 to 1963, he was a human rights officer at the World Veterans Federation, based in Paris; from 1963 to 1966, he was a lecturer and education consultant at Unesco, also in Paris.

From 1967 to 1969, he served as the first permanent representative of Guyana to the United Nations. He was later the country&rsquo;s ambassador to Venezuela, according to New York Times.

He also taught at New York University, Florida State University, among other institutions.

At the age of 100, Braithwaite was conferred with a national award -- the Cacique Crown of Honour -- by then-president Donald Ramotar.

(WION)

He was best known for his stories about racial discrimination against black people

ER Braithwaite, a Guyanese novelist, teacher and diplomat, died at the age of 104 in Rockville, Maryland, on Monday. The author of 'To Sir, With Love' was also a pilot in Britain’s Royal Air Force during World War II, and served in the 1960s as the newly independent Guyana’s first representative at the United Nations. His novel, 'To Sir, With Love' was critically acclaimed and was so loved by the people that it was made into a 1967 British drama film of the same title, starring Sidney Poitier and Lulu. He had many other famous books to his credit, namely 'Paid Servant', 'A Kind of Homecoming', 'Choice of Straws', 'Reluctant Neighbors' and 'Honorary White'. Braithwaite was best known for his stories about racial discrimination against black people, especially in South Africa and the United States -- the two countries where he lived much of his life. He studied at Queen’s College, Guyana, and at the City College of New York, and moved to Britain after working at an oil refinery in Aruba, off the coast of Venezuela. In 1940, he volunteered for service in the Royal Air Force. Braithwaite received a master’s degree in physics from Cambridge University in 1949. After leaving his teaching job, he worked with Caribbean immigrant families in London. Along with his writing, Braithwaite had a record of public service. From 1960 to 1963, he was a human rights officer at the World Veterans Federation, based in Paris; from 1963 to 1966, he was a lecturer and education consultant at Unesco, also in Paris. From 1967 to 1969, he served as the first permanent representative of Guyana to the United Nations. He was later the country’s ambassador to Venezuela, according to New York Times. He also taught at New York University, Florida State University, among other institutions. At the age of 100, Braithwaite was conferred with a national award -- the Cacique Crown of Honour -- by then-president Donald Ramotar. (WION)

ER Braithwaite, author of 'To Sir, With Love', dies at 104

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